Wednesday 7 Jan: Shortly after I got home again, I heard from a good friend. He’d fallen just before Christmas and broken his hip* – and there I was, thinking I’d given up a bit too readily. I’d parked at the bottom and walked up the quiet lane towards Shirlett, intending to go at least as far as the viewpoint across the vale to the Clee hills. The lane was becoming increasingly icy – seriously slippery in places, and not easily avoided. I could have gone flying, and then realised that a passing car could do the same (there are very few up here, but it would only take one). I turned back, feeling less than intrepid. An hour or so later, I realised I’d been sensible (for once, some might say)…

*unlike me, he wasn’t doing anything foolish or unnecessary…

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Not deep though… No drifting either – just a thin white layer on the roads and pavements, and other smooth surfaces. On the fields, where there’s a crop emerging, the snow is barely visible, but it’s there. There’s a sizeable flock of lapwings, perhaps 20-30, a very pleasing sight (and sound) in the field on the old opencast site, and over Willey there are several buzzards and three red kites. Beneath a clear blue sky (there are a few distant clouds) and in still air, it’s good to be out with the camera, walking from home via Darley (and the Honeypot!), Willey and Deancorner.  The car hasn’t moved for days!

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=367695&Y=300145&A=Y&Z=120

A light sprinkling of snow in the early hours, a blue sky and frost… We’d better get out there for an hour or so and make the most of it

Today’s forecast thought it would be cloudy from about 11am – but like yesterday, it wasn’t quite accurate. The sun shone from a clear blue sky all day! In fairness to the Met Office, their cloud map suggested we would be close to the edge of a large area of cloud, and happily today we were the right side of the edge. It was good to be out in the morning anyway, and I suspect Ironbridge, on our route back to the start, would have been much busier this afternoon – well worth avoiding!

… and that’s it for 2025. Happy New Year everyone! “Let’s hope it’s a good one…”

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=367295&Y=303911&A=Y&Z=120

A cold afternoon at the end of the year. The forecast thought (wrongly) that the sun might appear; it’s quite wooded along the south side of the valley – would this walk be a waste  of good sunshine? No, we made the right decision. Another grey afternoon, though there’s some colour here and there – cheeky robins, interesting tiles at Craven Dunnill’s, some fascinating fungi and lichen… Sunshine? Tomorrow perhaps…

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=368810&Y=302716&A=Y&Z=120

It may be cold and windy, but the sunshine is beautiful – when we’re not in the shade, that is. In this natural hollow, we’re sheltered from the stiff north-easterly breeze, but for the first half-mile or so, the wooded hill to the south-west blocks the sun (there’s no easy solution). Then we’re back into its warmth (that’s a relative term), and it’s great to be out enjoying Christmas Day in this quiet little corner of our world.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=367515&Y=298310&A=Y&Z=120

A short stroll on a cold but bright afternoon – down the lane past Severn Hall to walk back along the old railway track, and back up through Chestnut Coppice.

…and tomorrow: Merry Christmas everyone!

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=372015&Y=296561&A=Y&Z=120