Last July I spent three weeks at Mum’s in Torquay, a stretch of time that felt like a proper pause. Nothing overplanned, just easy days strung together.

We wandered Watcombe Beach and the woods that press in close behind it, walked Holcombe Beach with the dog padding along happily, and made the trip out to Burgh Island, a place that always feels slightly apart from the rest of the world once the tide shifts. The small towns around South Devon gave us cafés and little shops to dip in and out of, but most of the pleasure was simply in being outside, breathing sea air.

Evenings were simple: relaxed meals, a glass of wine, the dog worn out from her adventures. No fuss, no rush. Just three weeks of calm, good food, and the feeling of being exactly where I needed to be.