Madame R. at the local hardware shop in Martel is a worried woman. It was nothing to do with the chainsaw that I was carrying with intent when arrived at the shop. Nor, hopefully, with my regrettable breach of etiquette last summer (of which the less said the better). I should explain at this point that Martel is our local community centre perhaps best describes its role in the area. By which I mean its bigger than a village, but smaller than a town...