Though you wouldn't have known it if you'd joined me in bringing in the May this morning.
I got up before the dawn and drove to nearby Coombe Hill - one of the highest spots in Buckinghamshire (852 feet/260m above sea level) - to watch a performance by the local Whitchurch Morris. The dawn was lovely but a bitterly cold wind was whipping across the top of the hill.
A few hardy pagans, dog walkers and Morris fans were also there to brave the unseasonably cold breezes and to watch the dancers at work. And what a great job they did!
It was lovely to catch up with a chap called Alan who used to run a local toy and hobby shop near me. He's been a Morris man all of his life and his father was part of the original Whitchurch side that formed back in 1948. Good to see he's still jingling his bells despite being retired.
We had an interesting display of styles and dance forms including short and long stick dances and plenty of hanky work. I recognised a few tunes - Lads a-bunchum, Princess Royal and Bluebells among them - and they ended with an excellent Shepherds' Hey when all were invited to join in.
Here's a little video blog of the morning's entertainment:
The majority of the hill (an area of 106 acres) once formed part of the Chequers Estate but was presented to the National Trust by the UK government in the 1920s. The iconic monument was erected in 1904, by public subscription, in memory of 148 men from Buckinghamshire who died during the Second Boer War. It was, however, almost destroyed by lightning in 1938 and had to be rebuilt. The original bronze plaque and decorations were stolen in 1972 and replaced with a stone plaque and iron flag. The new plaque was also inscribed with the additional names of nine men believed to have been missing on the original. The monument was again badly damaged by a lightning strike in the early 1990s and spent several months in repair. It is now equipped with conductors to prevent this from happening again. It is a Grade II a listed building (designated in 1985).
It's featured in a couple of episodes of Midsomer Murders and is a popular walking spot (not far from The Ridgeway). I go there quite a bit. You never know who you might meet.
Ah, what a sad loss Sean was. I worked with him on QI and The Museum of Curiosity. A lovely man and a genuine comedy genius.
On my way back home I walked through the Beech woods that surround the hill. I've never seen such a curious collection of gnarly, strange trees. They are amazingly sculptural and deliciously odd. Plus, there are bluebells everywhere, the gorse and the broom are in full flower, and the birdsong was glorious.
Early night tonight I reckon.
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