Weekend

William was home for the weekend which was great. Saturday was spent model making for a structural project which he needed to work on.  On Sunday we had a fine walk over Painswick Beacon and a delicious Sunday lunch at the Royal William.   It was just a lovely weekend.

Muddy

A tough and very muddy Sunday morning cycle ride up and over Leckhampton.  Great fun.

Churchdown cycle

Jerry and Tim spent the afternoon on a restful cycle ride around Churchdown and past the airport using, what were for Tim, new cycle paths. The long pull up to Churchdown Church is worth the effort as it sits on top of a hill that rises out of the Severn Vale and commands great views towards Cheltenham and beyond.

Birdlip woods

A relaxing walk through the woods near Birdip.  The low afternoon sun casting long shadows across the rust coloured beech leaf mould on the ground. The snow drops were in bloom.

Back home

Will and his buddy Ross returned to the UK after visiting their friend Marco in the French Alps. 

He clearly had a great time.

The last snow

Following a night of heavy rain, which disolved all the snow in Cheltenham, Jerry and Tim got out the bikes and headed out to the Cotswolds to catch the last snow.  On top the snow held fast to the leeward side of walls and lingered in dips in the ground, the white contrasting with the brown earth
of the ploughed fields and the yellow ochre of the stubble left over from last years harvest.
A great but slushy ride.

Winter wonderland

It was great to see Loz this morning who updated us on all her news and took away the old chest 

of drawers as a restoration project.  We had another fine walk to Cockleford. The snow 

had created linear patterns in the ploughed earth and defined field boundaries and hedge rows. 

It was pretty bleak on the top of the Cotswolds with the wind driving light 

drizzle into our faces all the way.