It was proper deluge weather. So much so, that Kate wore her Deluge trousers. This was our first attempt at a new monthly community mission: the Canbury Community Garden, where we've lent a hand on group run tasks (including helping to prepare the chicken coup in their pre-chicken days) and had been very much welcomed to join them for their weekend gardening sessions.

Unfortunately, but perhaps very sensibly, the community garden sessions don't go ahead in the rain. So, barred (quite literally) from the garden and unable to even say hello to the newly arrived chickens as they were wisely sheltering in their hut thing, we moved to plan B. We headed over to Bentalls to offer to help with The Kingston Hospital Charity's raffle ticket selling and present wrapping stalls (as we are also helping them tomorrow), but all volunteers had recently started their shifts and didn't need a break or hand. So we left it at that, satisfied that we'd tried to do good twice, and with our fingers-crossed that January's Canbury Community Garden session won't be rained or snowed off.

Keep dry, chickens - we look forward to seeing you in the new year!