‘Glad you like it,’ Johnny said. Then we′ll go tomorrer. Awright wi′ you? So this arvy we've gorra get our stuff together.’

Today, though, the sight of a pencil-skirted, high-heeled secretary is fairly uncommon – a hard day spent hot-desking and video-conferencing is best faced in comfortable trousers and a pair of flat pumps, after all – but that very archetype was rather sweetly re-enacted by Maggie Gyllenhaal last year in Secretary.

On a sunny September morning, with the trees still green, but the asters and fleabanes already taking over in ditch and dalk, Van set out for Ladoga, N.A.

There was a doe party for a young girl who was getting married in a week; […]