Can you really celebrate leaving the Great British Bake Off? Probably not, but last night we had friends round for a little departure party. I made a 'smoky' salmon pie, with smoked cheese and smoked salmon, encased in a rye and black pepper pastry. It was very good - even if I do say so myself.

So I drank too much and prepared myself for the worst. And then something quite remarkable happened. As we watched the inevitable on TV, Twitter went crazy and my phone buzzed with hundreds of virtual messages of love and support. I'm just an amateur baker who was fortunate enough to have the most wonderful experience, but the kindness of strangers has been truly humbling.