Rain! Hail! Cold! The coldest May since 1996!! Too cold to plant vegetables and bedding plants outside but at least we can try in the polytunnel. The tomatoes in the greenhouse seem to be coping. For the population further restrictions will lift from 17 May when indoor hospitality and indoor entertainment can resume, including cinemas, museums and children’s play areas.

Up to 6 people or 2 households will be able to meet indoors and up to 30 people outdoors. All remaining outdoor entertainment can also reopen. After all we have endured this is very welcome though there is now a further covid strain, the Indian variant. We are told two doses of the vaccine covers other variants of the virus.

Despite the unseasonal weather the hedgerows lift our sprits with their show of cow parsley, cowslips and carpets of dandelions and bluebells.

Now that life is slowly returning to a type of normal, we dare to hope that we are through the worst. We are so thankful that art has been a big part of our lives and we have been able to share with each other in the group via the computer.

Restrictions last month allowed for a few of us to meet here and worked outside. Now at last we look forward to resuming meeting once again inside the barn at Frogmoor as a group in person.