Winter Solstice.

It's the Winter Solstice today. At last we can look forward to lengthening days. A few times this week I have got up early, looked at the dark outside and gratefully gone back to bed. (Looking out of a back window the first daffodils are blooming by the stream!)

Today however I am feeling thankful for my little car and the freedom it gives me. I didn't learn to drive until I was 30 and expecting our first child. Living in London with its horrendous traffic and difficult parking there had been very little need to drive or own a car. London's public transport system and later my bicycle made getting around very easy and it was only the thought of having to include children in my journeys that sent me off to get my driving licence. We never had a car when I was a child, far too poor and although my mother drove tractors in her 20s learning to drive in later life was another matter. After a number of failed tests she wisely gave up. Now however I cannot imagine my life without a car though there have been times when we have only had 1 working car or had both cars trapped by the snow and ice. Walking the 7 miles to town or waiting until the weekend to use the car made life very awkward indeed. Shopping had to be carefully planned and consideration given to which items I would carry back in case I failed to get a lift. Yet only a generation ago it would have been the norm for people not to own a car, as for 2 cars - well that was extraordinary. I can even remember my mother hitchhiking with me , aged 6, all the way to southern France and back again. Now my car awaits any whim I may have to drop into town or go for a walk.


This morning Romas and I loaded up the car with some old servers and a few other bits and pieces for the dump. Romas met an old friend working there, they had been in the same class and it was through Mark that Romas joined the Sea Cadets where he learnt to sail and had many interesting weekends away with the Navy.

After getting rid of all that stuff we went on to Morthoe for a walk around the Point.



It was quite grey and a fine rain was falling for a lot of the time.

It was only as we headed back that the sun appeared. It was strange to be walking in bright sun and looking up at the low clouds and the sea mist that was being blown up the cliffs. The clouds persisted all the way home and the day has ended wet and mild.