ENGLAND AND LITHUANIA

BRIAN LANGAN, 61, a former prison worker from near Bury, Lancashire VINCAS GRIGAS, 36, an academic from Vilnius, Lithuania

Brian, who recently recovered from Covid, is keen to know how Vincas felt at the height of the pandemic. Was he afraid?

“Yes,” says Vincas, “because my wife is a family doctor, so she is with people all time. “There is danger.”

But, he adds brightly: “You have the vaccine now? Will you take it?” Brian says

he will. He then explains he’s just bought a motorbike and rescued lots of battery hens, as well as a very loud rooster.

Vincas is impressed as his wife, Jurate, 34, and his daughter, Satrija, four, are keen to get chickens on the land around their home and there is talk of sheep, too.

Brian and Vincas are both sorry to see Britain leaving the EU. “It was better that we had a shared view,” Brian says. “I think it will be sad when we do come away.”

“Yes, it seems very sad,” agrees Vincas.