It may still be February but the first signs of spring are already starting to appear in our garden - tiny snowdrops, brightly coloured crocuses and cheerful yellow daffodils - my favourite flowers (it’s a Welsh thing). The birds sound more optimistic and temperatures are slowly rising. The days are gradually getting longer as we anticipate the end of what seems to have been quite a long winter.

Winter has arrived here in the New Forest and as the temperature drops, the temptation is to hibernate until the spring But if we wrap up warmly and brave the cold, it’s actually one of the most exhilarating times of year to go for a walk/jog/run/cycle. We’ve had some stunning sunsets over the last few weeks and the winter sun streaming through the trees is so magical.