Spring!

We're currently driving along the darkened, pot-hole-laden country lanes in North Essex. Has anyone else noticed quite how many pot holes there are on the roads at the moment? Is that due to the recession or a heavy winter? It's probably a mixture of both, although you'd think the councils would see the importance of fixing the problem as quickly as possible. They are, I'm told, responsible for any damage caused by their negligence in this regard. 

The last time we drove along this stretch of road, we came across a car with a puncture which had been caused by a pot hole. We helped the a poor couple to jack the car up in the freezing cold. Heaven knows how long they were there for...

Fortunately today's been much more spring-like and bright buttery sunshine cast an almost continuous yellow glow over countless patches of daffodils yawning themselves into the world. 

Michelle, Nathan and I started the afternoon at Anthony's house in Bromley, where an eclectic bunch of people were celebrating his birthday with an absolute riot of tea and cake. It was an eccentric crowd; a mixture of theatricals and Salvationists, which needed to be seen to be believed. I'd say that 80% of the men present were gay. Perhaps only 60% were acknowledging the fact, which felt a shame. 

The sun burned down on us through the conservatory window, and everyone was wearing Easter colours, which added to the joy of the occasion. Outside in the garden, three tame hens rolled and fluffed their feathers in a warm flower bed. 

We've just come third in the Thaxted tennis club's annual quiz; a somewhat bewildering experience which was presided over by a silver fox whose face seemed to get redder throughout the evening. The questions were all a little esoteric, which can be quite frustrating until you realise that everyone else is struggling just as much. We were staggered to have come third. 

We've just seen a deer - more specifically a stag - wandering along the side of the road. His eyes shone like stars in our car headlights and we could just make out his fine antlers against the night sky.  It was a hugely exciting end to the perfect day.