At the start of October 2014, I spent a delightful morning at the historic wine estate of Vergelegen on the outskirts of Somerset West. The Children’s Hospital Trust, which is the fundraising arm of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Rondebosch had invited supporters, donors and benefactors to a relaxing mid-morning tea at the estate. The Trust often holds such events, usually at beautiful venues and with interesting guest speakers; on this occasion, it was military historian and author Willem Steenkamp.

Afterwards, we were given a guided tour of some of the magnificent gardens at Vergelegen by Richard Arm, the very knowledgeable manager of the gardens. What an incredible place – I definitely want to return here!