Only two days later a Fire Engine was called to a sleepy suburb of Agios Ioannis by worried residents.

Albanian slash and burn technicians had lost control of their fires, an unseasonably hot day and breeze had triggered a small bush fire, which spread to the trunks of two stately Cypress trees. The Albanians managed to put out the worst of the flames before the red lorry arrived. Just as well, as there was no hosepipe on site, a serious breach if things had escalated.

This Reporter provided hoses and connectors to tackle the smoulderings in the undergrowth, which were still apparent. Albanian Technicians do not get on well with these connectors, preferring to couple and uncouple them with brute force, and cast the unnecessary bits into the bushes.

The Intrepid Reporter slid down the steep terraces towards the inferno, to tackle it with buckets of water ferried down by local heroine Robin Halford, as the hoses[finally wrestled away from the vandals] were now coupled but would reach only half way downhill from Mrs Yassas's tap. Andy had decided to join in the fun with his ball firmly in situ [his mouth]. A combination of slope and heat and dog caused a falling, which Andy took to be an invitation to wrestle. In the melee, said Intrepid Reporter lost a contact lens in the bushes.

The battle was finally won by Fat Man and Robin.

Next day the Albanian task force was slashing and burning again, but this time with a hose to hand.