Introduction

Mimi and Ralph have left social climbing, pushy parenting and their marital problems behind them in London, and moved west to the bucolic green depths of the country. Or so they thought. Yes, there ’s mud and masses of fresh air, plenty of handsome hayseeds and there ’s Rose, Mimi’s new best friend and Dorset’s answer to Martha Stewart. But what should be Shire Heaven is, it turns out, just as tricky to navigate as Notting Hell.

Conflicts and Challenges

There ’s low-level conflict between the racehorses in vintage/Diesel/Ralph Lauren and the brood mares in Barbour/Boden, there ’s guerrilla warfare between the landowners and eco-warriers and naked hostility between Old Money, New Money and No Money. Yes, in honeybourne, if you don’t have:

• A landscaped garden within 1000 acres (minimum) of prime land
• A helipad for your trophy guests
• An organic farm shop selling 16 sorts of home-made sausages
• Four pony-mad polo-playing children
• A literary festival in your mini-stately
• A bottom that looks smackable in jodhpurs

Then, well...you’re Mimi basically. And that’s just the start of her problems. Mimi also has a secret. But can she keep it?