Well, what a week, Coronavirus has dominated the headlines, our Prime Minister is holding televised daily briefings with the media and the government is closing shops, clubs and pubs in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Schools will be closing as of tonight until further notice.

I was out first thing this morning with Meg & Gracie for a good early morning walk, the time was about 6.30am when we reached the Barff, there was a cold westerly breeze blowing across the fields into the woodland, the sun was just starting to rise over in the west which eventually took the edge off the cold wind, at least it was dry, in fact the Barff is beginning to dry out after all the winters endless rain and it looks quite promising for a good display of Bluebells in another month or so.

 After breakfast we decided to take the dogs for a ride out to the Arboretum at Thorpe Perrow on the outskirts of Bedale, to have a look at the daffodils. It was mid-January when we last visited on a cold and windy, very windy day, so it made a pleasant change when we arrived today to the sun shining and no wind. I remember that we visited here about twelve months ago and the woodland glades were awash with huge swathes of Daffodils.

There are actually well over one hundred different varieties of daffodil here at Thorpe Perrow, some of the early varieties flowering as early as January but on our visit today the woods were awash with colour which lasts throughout all of March and April at least, some of the hardier types lasting much longer. On leaving the visitors centre we followed the ‘daffodil trail’ through the woods which gave some beautiful views of the little gems, as they swayed gently in the morning breeze, every different shade of yellow, tall ones, unusual ones and short ones, I preferred the miniature varieties  personally, but they are all beautiful. At every key junction on our walk was an information board with some interesting and fascinating facts about the types and varieties that are grown here. After a good one hour and thirty-minute walk and with two tiring dogs, we headed back to the visitors centre for a pot of tea and scone before our journey home. Let’s hope it is not to long before we can visit again.