Today has been one of those cloudless but cold winter days which you long for through the almost endless grey cloudy dreariness of January. The sun seems shockingly bright, especially as it hangs low in the sky, dazzling your eyes and making you squint. The morning started with a slight frost and the temperature barely above freezing. There was a think layer of ice on the puddles and a real nip in the air. A sharp wind occasionally added to the chill but as we went for a walk the sun soon warmed us up as our dark clothes soaked in its rays.

Our walk wasn’t too long, only four miles but it gave us some different views of our local area, having not walked any of the particular paths before. The wildlife was quite quiet but for a flock of winter thrushes in the fields joined by some starlings and an occasional sky lark.

After what seemed like a long and dark week, getting out into the bright daylight was a bit of a tonic – unfortunately back to the greyness tomorrow.