'The first thing I saw was an old derelict barn, tin roof, trees growing through the walls, their roots ripping up the floor and destroying the tiles. Amidst all that devastation - natural devastation, plants and animals inhabiting the brickwork, reclaiming a space that humans had left behind - there was a single wonderful rose poking its head out of a thicket. It somehow represented the whole place. Where most people saw a bombsite, I saw perfection.

Many seasons have passed since I came here but I can honestly say each and every one, emotionally - and on occasions physically! - has left its mark. To witness the changing of the seasons so closely, to understand how they shape both us and the natural world, will always be the ultimate reward.'