This winter seems to have been fairly monotonous. Normally, the UK weather provides us with enough variety to keep us guessing as to what is going to come next. The 2019/20 one has bucked the trend though, with relentless rain and wind being the prevailing trend. We’ve had no snow in Brambly Hedge, and hardly even a frost to write home about….just dull, damp and cloudy weather interspersed with storms. The sunshine appears to have gone on an extended holiday and I think we are all yearning for a few of those rays at this stage.
In the midst of the winter blues, however, there is much to enjoy and also to look forward to. There are many birds enjoying the fact that their worm consumption hasn’t been hampered by solid ground or heavy snow, and they are still chirping away in the hedgerows. We spotted the first snowdrops a few days ago, and soon the grassy floors will be adorned with a carpet of white flowers.
Now the midwinter chaos has come to an end, Mr Apple is spring cleaning the Store Stump in anticipation of another year of foraging, storing and preserving. The mice are so resourceful that very little goes unused but every now and again, even mice have to check their staples haven’t gone past their use by date!
2020 marks a very important year in Brambly Hedge-40 years in existence. We are still in awe of the beautiful books that Jill created, and hope to bring them back to the forefront of children’s literature. We have several exciting plans in the pipeline to celebrate this momentous year, and we hope you will celebrate with us by sharing your stories and pictures of how you have enjoyed the books. For now, we will leave you with her Midwinter poem which reminds us that before long, Spring will be upon us!
When the days are the shortest, the nights are the coldest,
The frost is the sharpest, the year is the oldest,
The sun is the weakest, the wind is the hardest,
The snow is the deepest, the skies are the darkest,
The polish your whiskers and tidy your nest,
And dress in your richest and finest and best…
For winter has brought you the worst it can bring,
And now it will give you
The promise of SPRING!