A worrying note from Dickie Dirts Curiosity Shop. Council officers from Devon are working with Defra, to track any foot-and-mouth developments in Surrey. There have been no reported cases in the South West but officials said “tight bio security” was vital. Defra has imposed a ban on moving farm animals after cattle at a farm in Surrey were found to have the disease. Foot and Mouth brings disruption to all farmers not just in their working lives but in their family routine. Postal deliveries have to be cancelled. Friends and relatives can’t just turn up annnounced and extra security measures have to be put in place. On the one extreme, the slaughterman is out of work as he is unable to move between farms and on the other, the normal routine of just getting the children to school can turn into a nightmare. Let us hope that this new outbreak is contained and resolved quickly.