Jonathan Ray

These wildfires are terrifying. We had a billowing blaze in the barley field next to us in Kent only a couple of days ago. Within moments it was yards away from our ancient tumbledown cottage. Mercifully, the wind abruptly switched direction and the flames and smoke moved away, finally beaten down by the local farmer and fire crew. It was soberingly close call.  Those folk in Stourbridge, West Midlands, last week were less lucky, with 19 houses destroyed, and 18 badly damaged. Looking at the photos of the stark, smouldering wrecks, I can almost smell the awfulness. The reek of a burned out, water-and foam-soaked building never leaves you.

Not only are the supermarkets running out of bread, bananas and bog roll, the wine is taking a pounding too. And if you want anything delivered, well, good luck with that. Early May is probably the soonest you’ll get a slot. Let us wine lovers thank heavens, then, that the independents are showing true Blitz spirit and are delivering across the UK every day during these strange times. Tom Ashworth of Yapp Bros tells me that they’re up 200 per cent on this week last year and are busier in the warehouse than they were at Christmas.