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Well, Thursday saw the vernal equinox, so I guess that means that Friday was the first day of spring. It certainly didn't feel like it here in East Anglia, where the north wind has an uninterrupted path straight onto our house. However, the wind dropped during the night and this morning we awoke to a blanket of snow. Clearly this was something new to the rabbits in the field behind our house, who were running and leaping and playing chase, kicking up sprays of snow. A good breakfast, and we were off to join them.

Our walk took us through the forest and Miss Whiplash, having pelted me with snowballs, took delight in creating an effigy, which apparently is a good likeness of me.

What fun it is to be ten years old again, if only for a few hours! And thinking of being ten years old, we were struck by the total absence of children as we walked through the West Stow country park. Odd, we thought, especially as there is a 'Heritage Fair' with stalls in the Anglo Saxon Village. Arriving at the village, the only vehicles in the car park were the traders vans. We could see the tents set up in the village, and the refreshment van was open with a promising smell of hot fryers...but no people.

We began to feel that we were in a John Wyndham novel, but the spell was broken as a chap wearing a council ID badge came into sight. He told us that the park was closed on account of the weather (2" of snow in a country park). We must have looked dumbstruck, because he elaborated and said that the first he had heard about it (as he wondered where everyone was) was when someone told him that the closure had been announced on local radio! His job now was to turn away anyone who turned up. I bet all the traders were delighted.

Elf & Safety, eh? On whose bizarre risk assessment was this decision based? No wonder we have a growing population of fat pasty faced kids....and parents for that matter. What next? Shut down the place if it's raining (someone might slip in some mud), or if the sun shines (sunstroke)?

I feel a "when I was a lad" moment coming on, the true mark of an old git, so I'll stop now!

lone tree on the limestone pavement Ewes Top

Taking a break on West Fell

Ingleborough from West Fell

West Fell with Whernside in the background

Some photos of the NHS themed birthday party.

A slow dance

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Birthday Girl

Dancing round the handbags

Birthday Girl

Last week end we got back from a great holiday in Morar, way up on the west coast of Scotland. Now, some would say that the first week of March isn’t the greatest time to visit this part of the world weatherwise, and if that is so, then we were very lucky! Sure it rained, and snowed, and hailed and the wind blew up a storm a couple of times. But there were enough breaks to make for fantastic days out, and our holiday cottage, Riverside, right on the white sands of Morar, was a real treat. Just wander down the garden to the beachand stroll along the sands for great views across to Rum, and some fascinating beachcombing. A great area to get away from it all, with access to Moidart, Knoydart and a lovely rail link into Fort William.

So here are some holiday snaps...