This time, though, I wasn’t really looking forward to it. And that was only for one reason: Tim needs to get to work tomorrow and he’ll have to go the ‘long way around’ on the M62, because the mountain passes will be icy and dangerous – and that is only if they remain open! We were thinking he might have to go through tonight, but I think he is going to take a chance in the morning. I just hope he isn’t late for his first day at work …

But those around me don’t like it much.

Dali (the cat) feels trapped inside and just goes out for his necessary ablutions. The rest of the time he sits and whinges inside. He stares out the window longingly, and obviously psyches himself up to go out, but it never lasts long. He comes rushing back in after no time.

Lisa lives on a cottage on a farm and struggles with the country lanes. She was due to join us for lunch today, but she just rung up to say the road isn’t even visible, so instead she is going to stay in and veg. She gets pretty peeved off at the snow, because she says we don’t get enough to really enjoy it – just enough to be a bloody annoyance.

She may be right …. but it is so pretty! It makes the worst landscape appear magical. I say I will live with the annoyance for the beauty of it.