I remember the sheer joy, at around 8 years of age, when my teacher asked me to recreate my ‘Electrical Appliances’ project cover (a series of cartoon representations of a toaster, television, radio…. you get the idea) for her report to the school inspectors.

I still find that joy in drawing, which sits alongside a love of nature, and perhaps especially birds. I’ve served on the board of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, and every holiday (usually to the Western Isles of Scotland) brings with it the hope of engaging with wildlife.

We’re fortunate to live on a smallholding in West Fife, which gets visited in the summer by Cuckoos and Barn Swallows; Fieldfares and Redwings in the winter; and year-round Tree Sparrows and Barn Owls (not to mention Pine Martens, Badgers, Brown Hares, and even the occasional Otter).