The Eel coils elegantly in the shape of a lower case letter “E”. Lurking at the bottom of the pond the eel looks as if it has just seen a tasty morsel and is getting ready to strike while the gently rippling water weed and bubbles bring the watery depths to life.

Awaking in the early morning, King Cnut saw the eel catcher’s son bathing in the river but he wasn’t a son, Cnut realised, he was a daughter…