My HAPPY PLACE

I see it as fate that the rather grotty upper floors of a Victorian house I viewed for a holiday home, had a huge magnolia tree just inside the rusting iron gate. I had always wanted such a tree and I knew come the spring it would be gorgeous.

I didn’t care that the rest of the large garden was completely buried under brambles. The flat was big enough for my whole family to come and stay, and it was just 500 yards from