As the hot weather continues to sap our energy and reduce well-tended garden to yellow deserts where only the weeds thrive, our complacency and confidence are dented. We have lived in an era when much progress has been made and it has been possible to see ourselves as masters of the universe. Now the raging fires in western Europe which have also impacted on Scotland and East Anglia are a salutary reminder of the power of nature and how insignificant we are as a species.

We should learn from this that all on this planet are inter-dependant and we should seek ways to protect the environment and each other for the sake of our descendants.