The cutting room in Ouarzazate suffers from a poor mains electric supply. Not only do we have power cuts that causes Gez, our first, to burst into a panic and shut down the computers before the UPS run down. But we are also getting lots of low level electric shocks and tingles. Touch any two different bits of metal and you get a shock. I’m told it’s because we have a poor earth, which isn’t helped by the tables all being plastic. You can feel the static on the table top all the time.

So my brilliant solution to this has been to go bare foot for the last 7 weeks. Everywhere around the hotel is nicely tiled and the cutting room is just outside the hotel so I haven’t felt the need to wear anything on my feet for allmost the entire time. It has helped with the static but the day to return to London has arrived and with it the need to put the shoes back on.

What a strange feeling it is. I now know how toddlers feel when they have to put their first pair of shoes on. I understand those faces they pull. The weight of the things and loss of freedom to the toes. It’s such bad idea even if clearly necessary. This does of course highlight that my first Moroccan leg of the A.D. adventure has closed. No more warm sun, huge fresh fruit breakfasts and fantastic couscous. But as I have a great cutting room in my house, I can start the fine cut at home. Picking up normal family life where it was dropped to indulge this strange but thoroughly fascinating job of telling stories.