When the world locked down, I chose to walk. In a world that was slowly closing in, wandering the vast landscapes of walking simulator games felt like a release. I immersed myself in the lives of others: people who were on journeys of their own, my outer and inner worlds blending into one. I haven't been alone, either. People turned to video games in droves during the pandemic, and game companies recorded record profits.

Something is afoot in the sleepy Shropshire village of Yaughton. The locals have vanished into thin air, and the roads throng with murmuring golden lights. Most unsettlingly of all, the local pub sells beer at 50p a pint. There's a mystery to unravel, but when I visit with author and educator Adele Nozedar, we're most interested in the plants. Nozedar, who runs Brecon Beacons Foraging, is a font of botanical insight.