I was trapped inside the house that I had inherited from my maternal grandmother. I could happily entertain myself by revisiting all the rooms that I remembered from my childhood, and perusing the contents of the cupboards. All the crystal riding trophies in a glass cabinet – presumably the winnings of my long-dead aunt – caught my eye. However, I really wanted to wander out into the front garden and photograph some of the unusual flowers that I could see growing through the snow.

I hoped that the postie would rescue me, but she couldn’t force open the front door. Then a neighbour and friend of my grandmother appeared with a spare front door key. Now I could be released to the rest of the world! As well as the garden, I discovered a long ground floor extension to the house that comprised several double bedrooms. These were occupied by nurses who worked in shifts across hospitals in Newcastle. Their accommodation was to the highest standards, with windows affording great views of the Tyne valley.

All the space in the back garden could also be put to good use in the future, if only I could persuade TPR to invest in the building of a couple of holiday cottages.