As the Tories pick a new PM, I’ll be out picking strawberries

A glutton for fruit, Will Gore recommends a bit of PYO for good mental health

The strawberries were like none I had seen before ... the smell of them was intoxicating, nostalgic, soothing (Getty)

These are not innocent times. War in Ukraine, impending global climate disaster, a flailing economy and all sorts of shenanigans at Westminster: the world can feel like a troubled place. And while it probably doesn’t do merely to look the other way, sometimes we need to find comfort and nourishment in smaller, simpler things. Which leads me to strawberries.

Fruit is one of life’s marvels, a rare meeting of deliciousness with positive health impact. In some cases, it is even free: there are any number of blackberry spots near me, and I know a tree deep in a nearby wood that can supply all my cooking apple needs and then some. In my garden, raspberries grow in a tub outside the front door, ready to be picked by small hands on the way home from school.

Then again, fruit can also be an extravagance. Twice a week, a greengrocer sets up his stall on the high street, tables covered in fruit-patterned cloths piled high with the choicest fresh produce. The truth is, it’s not much cheaper than going to the supermarket; and probably more expensive in some cases. But the quality is higher, and I can’t resist.