Engraved on my heart

I know how the poor chap felt, because on Sunday we carried a substantial picnic on our backs to the top of Old John, the tower-topped hill in Bradgate Park, part of what is left of Charnwood Forest, near Leicester. The park, once the home of Lady Jane Grey's family, has been a traditional venue for Langley family hikes since we moved to the Midlands 35 years ago. The hill climb marks the halfway point of a pleasant and not too arduous walk.

Stretching out in all directions is a pretty hefty chunk of the East Midlands, with one of those engraved metal plaques, like a giant compass dial, pointing out places of interest and distances to important locations.

I sat munching my cheese roll and surveying the fields and trees spread out below me. That's when I knew I had a problem. Because I kept wanting to move trees and replant crops with a click of my computer mouse.

Yes, Farm Town, a game related to the internet's Facebook site, which I have gone on about at length before, has now taken over vast areas of my consciousness. I spent a lot of computer time this weekend sorting out a glitch stopping me and a neighbour harvesting one another's crops.

I've joined the niche group Tree Huggers, pledged to safeguard the game's trees, I'm an active member of Farm Town Farmers Union and - this is the important one - I've actually signed up to Farm Town Addicts Anonymous.

So you see, it's not teenage boys who get hooked on these computer games - it happens to pensioners as well. The upside of it all is that, like Facebook itself, Farm Town is essentially a social networking exercise. I've made some really good friends and had interesting chats with people from all over the world - although, so far, I have no Neighbours from China.

I have Neighbours (they're like pen pals who help on each other's farms) from many states in America, Argentina, Italy, Norway, Belgium and Australia, some are young, many are older, and because of the global nature of the players, the fun goes on 24 hours a day.

The game does seem to be expanding at an amazing rate, with all sorts of developments planned by SlashKey, the people behind it, who are not related to Facebook. We're all still desperately waiting for the release of flowers (promised 'in two weeks' some months ago) and all sorts of new crops and buildings.

Just in case you think cyber reality has taken me over completely, let me finish with the very down-to-earth May Fair celebrations featuring the May Queen at my grandchildren's primary school. It's a great event and for years and years the whole school - that's 300-plus children - has taken to the playground for traditional English country dancing before the stalls and cream teas of the fundraising fair.

As we watched the Caucasian Chalk Circle and the Cumberland reel (complete with traditional lost plimsolls), it seemed entirely fitting that a giant red kite came circling on outstretched wings low over the playground. They're now as traditional in my part of the world as the hawthorn from which the May Queen's crown was made.

If only we could have a few birds of prey in Farm Town ...