Women and war - two words that I never really think about.

But yesterday, when I visited the war graves in my nearby town, women and war suddenly became related in my mind for the first time in all the years I have been going to my uncle's grave.

Whenever I visit the cemetery, I always think in terms of all the men who died in the World Wars, which of course was incredibly naive of me and made me think about how I have always perceived male and female roles in wartime.

Talking to strangers should have been written in 2014 but for various reasons, I decided against it.

A recent post written by fellow writer Molly Stevens, who lives in the US, made me re-think that decision slightly.

Well, two posts actually because Molly did an interview with Susan, a beggar on the streets of Portland, Maine in two parts.

Stour Woods - a place to be alone but not lonely.

Modern society can be a noisy, hostile, competitive place.

Narcissism seems to be on the rise 'out there' and at times, the collective effect can be too much.

There is a place, almost on my doorstep, where insects, birds, trees and wild flowers provide the perfect antidote to the demands
of daily life.

What are the three most intimate things you can do with another person? I’ll give you a clue - they all begin with S.

Any ideas what they are?

Ok, so the first one is obvious.

• Sex - this is probably the most intimate thing you will ever do with another human being. Although in my opinion, it does come a close second to number two on the list.
• Sleep - this is an extremely intimate thing to do with another person because it does take a massive amount of trust to be completely unconscious for eight hours in the presence of someone else.

So what is the third one?

In my opinion, doing this thing makes us pretty vulnerable and requires a lots of trust in the other people involved.

It is...ta da...