I BOUGHT these paper lanterns months ago with dreams of hanging them on boughs in our back yard; little battery-operated lights turning them into coloured orbs.

Sadly, my vision of festive barbecues and family gatherings dimmed with the soggy summer; and here we are, now in autumn. The lanterns have sat on the patio table more days than they've been strung up so it's time to remove the batteries and pack them away.