I’m feeling generous, so there’s more than one picture today as the weather’s been glorious! The temperatures rose so much under the clear skies and bright sunlight that it almost (almost) felt like a Spring day. But unlike Spring, it’s here for one day only, which I was I was determined to make the most of it by scrapping what I’d intended to do and tore myself away from the office and computer screens to enjoy the outdoors. So much of our time is spent cooped-up due to Covid lockdowns that I would’ve been a fool not to. The day started with great promise – although not so much if you lived in central Sowerby Bridge as the clouds were determined to hang on to the valley floor for as long as possible. This was the view from our bedroom window. OK, it’s not the *exact* view as it was shot on a telephoto lens!
Although it would have been tempting to venture further I was a good little boy and stayed local. It wasn’t that much of a hardship as we’ve extensive woodland literally on our doorstep. Today it was a pleasure to wander the woods unhindered by drizzle, which makes a change – although some of the paths are still a quagmire. With the amount of rain we’ve been having the ground’s saturated. It’ll take quite some time before firm ground returns. Even so, sights like this do lift the heart.
This is Scarr Woods, literally just down the road from us. It’s a gorgeous patch of woodland that’s looked after by local volunteers. Right now they’re removing some non-native species to open out the wood ready to replant with a variety of items as this explains…
My stroll was pretty strenuous as these woods aren’t exactly flat, which is part of the attraction as it’s a much more interesting landscape. On leaving the woods my perambulations took me up to the promenade on the edge of Halifax which permits some stunning views across the Calder Valley. Wandering on I dropped down one of our local cobbled hills which has been made famous in one of the opening scenes of the TV drama ‘Gentlemen Jack’. Half way down there’s a great place to stop as you get two very different views. This one across the valley…
Just a few metres down the hill, looking in the opposite direction (and looking up) is this magnificent sight – the Wainhouse Tower!.
See why I couldn’t countenance being stuck in the office all day today? Sadly, normal service will be resumed tomorrow as the weather forecast is crap!
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Paul Bigland 
The HS2 tree protectors who very probably scared all the wildlife away thus saving HS2 the trouble of providing mitigation.
Would you stick around if you were a Badger, Bat or such like when a load of noisy and smelly human beings turfed up and set up Camp. Look at Denham where invertebrate numbers in the river crashed next to the Camp as the river was being used for laundry and toilet duties.
In fact I’d love the Environment Agency to chase them up to see where the ecological surveys and mitigation plans are for those Camps. They wail about alleged unlawful behaviour on the part of HS2 yet clearly haven’t followed the requirements of the various laws themselves.