“Today would have been an ordinary Saturday, except that two things happened: 1) The peacocks escaped, and 2) I started writing this story. Dad says if you want to write a story you should start by choosing a topic that you know a lot about. That’s why this isn’t a story about France (which I know a little bit about but not a lot), and it isn’t a story about my big sister Diana (who I used to know a lot about but now that she is fourteen-turning-fifteen I don’t anymore). This is a story about peacocks. I know a lot about peacocks because: a) Two peacocks live in the holiday flats across the road from me, and b) I’m good at finding them when they go missing. I’m good at finding things because I’m good at noticing details. For example, in February Mum was trying to make apple crumble and she couldn’t find the cinnamon. I went through the cupboard”