It’s with huge pride that I can finally announce another ‘Pig-tory’ (it’s like a victory, but with pigs).

I’ve written a number of times about the strange tradition that’s developed whereby I get a pig-shaped dog toy for every full day I have without a ‘ticcing fit’. Yesterday I won my sixth pig and, as I mentioned the other day, I’m really hoping he’ll be bright yellow.

It wasn’t a clear win though and required some adjudication from Poppy. At one minute to midnight while we were lying on my bed watching a film, I began to gently jiggle. Fortunately this turned out not to be a fit but just the normal shaking I do as I go to sleep. It was certainly a dramatic finish.

I know a neon pig will be hard to find – as far as I’m aware you can’t buy them that colour. I’m confident though that the pig fairy will find a way to make my dream pig a reality.

To most people this probably all seems bizarre, and I suppose it is. But aside from the fun of the pigs themselves and deciding which colour I want next, they act as a very real reminder of my fit-free days.

I’ve explained before how hard I sometimes find it to tell if my tics are getting better or worse. But the increasing number of squeaky pigs in my living room is a tangible record of clear days and having them there makes me feel cheerful and hopeful.

Watch this space for a blindingly bright picture of Neon Pig.