Time for the sweet smell of growth again

The spreading of slurry is the first sign of spring for Donal Hayes, and he has learned to love it.

Before frogspawn, daffodils, or the red buds of elder, the smell of slurry heralds the start of growth — and I love it

We had an au-pair last year from Madrid, called Julia. Her English was poor and it was clear that she had rarely, if ever, left Madrid. She lived in a small apartment with her parents and her sense of personal space was limited.