I name this duckling

This year it’s all about the birds. When not saving feathered lives, I’ve been helping create new ones. Back in May my sister, who is living the good life on five acres and a pond in Sussex asked me to do her a huge favour. ”When you come to stay can you bring me 24 fertilised muscovy duck eggs? I can’t get them from anyone round here and there’s a breeder in Bristol.” Just when I’d decided to get the train instead of driving.  “Sure,” I said, wondering how on earth I’d get across London with two dozen little lives, as well as all my tat.

Thinking I  had to keep the eggs warm at all costs, I arranged to collect them, at £1 per egg, from Stuart Blanchard in deepest Frenchay (07989 136164) at 10.30pm the night before my journey. Of course I took a mate in case he tried to make me into water bird food. Turned out he was a  sweetie with a kitchen full of eggs and boxes and a back garden with 60 ducks in. Amazing what you find in this city. Stuart is on mission to turn people off pate de foie gras but making them fall in love with ducks. He bunged in six Aylesbury duck eggs for free. Go Stuart, I say.

Turns out fertilised eggs will last up to 3 weeks without being warmed, and next day I struggled across London with them all boxed, bubble-wrapped and bagged, getting on all the wrong tube trains and missing my connection at London Bridge. I told my sister that the price for all that effort was to name every single duckling after me. After all there must easily be

Catharine the First just hatched

24 variations on the name Catharine.

In Sussex we put them in the incubator and now, a month later, the first Aylesbury has hatched. I name this duckling Catharine the First, God bless her and all who follow her.