Unless we’re away in the camper van, our weekends tend to follow the same sort of pattern. Saturdays are spent outdoors. Usually visiting a National Trust property, the children often ride their bikes. It’s a day of freedom and fresh air and I know they always feel better for it. Being outdoors in Winter I…
What is it about Winter that makes it so miserable? Is it the dark nights and cold days, or is it the way we deal with it? This is only the second time in my memory when I haven’t found Winter completely joyless. The first was when I spent the start of the season in…
For the past few months, there have been some incredible photos on social media of the murmuration of starlings around the UK. So last weekend, I did some research to find out what the murmuration is all about and when and where to see it. What is the murmuration? Every day at sunset, the murmuration…
We’ve had a bit of a breakthrough over the past fortnight. After eight months of riding a bike, Lia has finally mastered starting and stopping. Being unable to do so didn’t stop her cycling, but it stopped me. I tended to run alongside her bike to help her rather than cycling myself. But now, we’re…
Two seasoned mountain bikers stopped beside the trail for a drink. Covered in mud and exhausted from pushing themselves, they watched as a tiny tot pedalled past. The beauty of the Forest of Dean cycle tracks is that they really do cater for everyone. Here’s what you need to know before you pump up the…
When I was a child, stargazing was of little interest to me. I don’t recall any lessons at school that sparked my interest, although I did find it fascinating that a friend had perfectly accurate constellations on her bedroom ceiling. This was courtesy of her incredibly clever dad and some fluorescent stickers. Stargazing in the forest…