Winter arrives

Tuesday 30^th November 2010

The first snow has arrived, not crisp and even as in the north, but wet and half hearted. When I got up and looked out my back garden was covered in fox prints right up to the back door – so deep the animal must have been in it up to its groins if they have them.

A more unfortunate sign of winter – the return of Nigella Lawson, the Alma Mahler of TV cookery shows, with one of her so called cookery programmes and also some of the male equivalents – these programmes are mainly about what to do with turkey leftovers, several obviously filmed in the summer and tossed into the winter schedule, very odd considering how far we’ve still go to go until the big day.

I am off to Toulouse tomorrow for the D Telegraph. Feed a robin in the garden, he's not going to get anything while I'm away which is a bit bothering.

I worry about some of the local cats too - I have noticed a beautiful grey tabby roaming near the former council flats and in Bedford Park. He has no collar and is un-neutered. I mentioned him to Doreen at church who knows everything that goes on in the area. She said, "Oh that's Mr Tom. He's just moved in with two nurses. They are very nice people."

Canny cat. I was glad to hear that! There is a whole quiet sub-culture of middle aged and elderly women keeping their eye on the local cats which is very reassuring.