I finally managed to get back to France for one week for the first time since lockdown. It was so good to be back after seven months. I missed the house and the complete relaxation I always feel. My house is in a serene medieval village on top of a hill in southwest France, and it’s a haven for artists – it was fabulous to recharge my creativity and energy there.

It was so hot we didn’t do anything; just stayed by the pool. There was no need to go out. I took up my paintbrush again after four years, and produced a number of paintings I’m pleased with, with a little inspiration from one of my favourite artists – Chagall.

It’s amazing how fast the time goes in this laidback, sunny way of living. We had a day of 44 degrees, it was so hot. Even my dog found she was best lying by the fan! We had a siesta every afternoon, and dined healthily on local produce and fresh vegetables. I lost a couple of trees to the drought but the rest of the garden survived, including my precious orange and olive trees.

In the village, we had to wear masks whenever we were outside the house, but we did manage to organise a distanced barbecue with my neighbour, which was lovely. We also made it back to England just before the quarantine kicked in, so we were very fortunate.