My neighbours, however, were adamant that this wasn't going to be the case. They were convinced that the rabbits had finally met their match in this new and improved rabbit run; based as it was on both Alcatraz and Stalag 45.
So at around half three in the early hours of Sunday morning it came as a huge surprise to be awoken by a commotion coming from the back garden area. I got up as Karen, my partner, was still out with the Herefordshire pot holing association (Geriatric Division) on an all nighter, and the sight that met my eyes was a site to behold indeed.
There, bathed in the moonlight and running themselves ragged while hurling expletives all over the garden were my neighbours, trying to catch the rabbits that had, as predicted, escaped, and were having the time of their lives running everyone a merry old dance.
The neighbor was yelling and diving all over the garden while the rabbits jumped effortlessly out of her way, in an almost goading manner. And it probably wasn't until fifty minutes later that the escapees were once again ensconced within their cage.
I was about to go outside and ask how they'd gotten free but judging by the amount of flaring that had taken possession of her nostrils, I thought it best to leave it until the next day.
The next morning broke blue and hot and I was sitting in my garden chair, sipping at my after breakfast cup of Earl Grey tea, listening to the birds carolling away while they fed on the early morning insects that flew about the flowers and plants when Andrea, the mother from next door, came out. Her nostrils had reduced massively in their flaring so it seemed fairly safe to ask her just how they had broken out. And as she told me the tale my eyes widened with incredulity. I could hardly believe my ears. But this is honestly how she told me that they had done it.
During the night, when all was quiet, they had apparently tired of trying to break the fence down or chew their way through the wire, so in the end they had actually picked the lock on the cage door and walked out.
On my honour, this is how they did it. So you have got to stay tuned to this blog as these rabbits are definitely going to feature here again.