We had high winds last night, strong enough to be named Storm Barney. No, I don’t know why we’ve started naming storms, and if I had my way I would ban the naming of weather. It’s OK for hurricanes but 85 mph winds that rattle a few roof tiles don’t need names.

As a result we turned up at the centre to find we had a polytunnel that looked a little like a burst balloon, with a selection of tears and slack plastic flapping in the wind. Fortunately the problem is mainly cosmetic and now we have secured the covering it looks a lot better. There are three minor holes that need patching but nothing of any importance, so it’s a lot better than we first thought.

We knew we were close to having to replace the cover and to be fair we should probably have replaced it this year. In the end we fixed a hole, replaced some hotspot tape and gave the whole thing a wash. It’s still better than some covers you see, but it is in a windy spot and getting a bit brittle. Tempting as it is to try for another year it looks like we’re going to have to grit our teeth and buy a new cover.

Half of me says we should make it last as long as possible because it’s a better sustainability option (and because I’m tight). The other half of me is afraid of turning up one day and finding plants and hoops standing there with no cover.

It’s secure for the moment, with all clips in place and weights all round as an extra precaution. I say “weights” but it does look a bit like someone has sprinkled the contents of a skip round the outside of the tunnel. We have used some old sinks we rescued from a skip so it’s not an unfair comparison. As long as it lasts until spring we’ll be OK.

So if any of you are passing by next spring we might have a job for you…