Spring in Derby

Last week I had 'downtown' shopping to do, and we deliberately parked a little away from the centre of Derby to catch this glorious springtime sight.

Most people, heading into the bus station or main shopping centre car parks, will miss it, but on the 'wrong' side of the river is a small grassed area with seats, trees, and in late winter/early spring this beautiful patch of crocus.

Last week they looked wonderful as spring had come on gently with no set-backs. Unfortunately, I doubt they look so good after Monday's snow.

Closer to the river there's a planting of daffodils waiting for slightly warmer weather, and this tree, which blossoms in late winter. Every year I intend to find out what it is, but still haven't.

It's a peaceful corner barely a few steps from the city centre. For some time there've been plans to change this part of the city for flood defence measures, hopefully this little area won't be affected.

Snowdrops - and daffodils! - at Kedleston

 Last week's day out trip was to Kedleston Hall, for an amble around the 'pleasure grounds' and along the good firm path of the 'Short walk' - and, as everywhere in late winter, to see snowdrops.

Last summer this flower bed was filled with annual wild flowers but right now it's unsurprisingly empty apart from a sickle moon shaped area filled with bulbs - snowdrops now, and daffodil shoots preparing to follow.













Finding this early rhododendron wasn't quite a surprise as I'd seen photos of it on social media just after Christmas, but it's still a delight to see this early in the year. (I wonder if I could get one for my garden ...)

From the pleasure grounds we headed up the 'short walk'. One day I want to explore the wider park but we were warned that most areas were very muddy, and the solid path underfoot seemed like a better option for now.

The day was dry with brief glimpses of sunshine but the view out towards Derbyshire was rather hazy. Even so, there's a feeling of space and open countryside along this first section of the walk.

I'm not sure what this blossoming tree is - the flowers don't seem quite right for sloe/blackthorn, so I suspect it's a cherry plum.

These were the highlight of my day though - the first outdoor daffodils I've seen this year, and a sure sign that spring is somewhere not far away.

First gig of the year; Ira Wolf, Alex Hale and Ayres at Chameleon

January has been a rather lacklustre, lethargic month for me but it got rounded off in style with my first gig night of the year. Okay it wasn't quite the last night of the month but the night before is near enough.

It was special in a number of ways - first gig night of the year, my daughter back in town to play, and Ira Wolf all the way over from Nashville to head the line-up.















 It was a great night. The upstairs room at Chameleon busy from the start, with my daughter seeming quite surprised that she'd actually have an audience for her opening set. I haven't heard her play in such a long while, so I was obviously going to be biased and think she was great (she was!).














She was followed by local Alex Hale (performing without the other members of the Alexander Christopher Hale Band) with his mix of funny, witty songs



















And rounding off the evening, Ira Wolf. I was introduced to her music, as so many other artists, by my daughter streaming Spotify on long car journeys (appropriate as many of her songs reference life on the road in her VW van), but haven't heard Ira live, I've now moved from 'casual listener' to 'fan'.

I'm not quite sure how I'd describe her music - folk? americana? country? Anyway, check out her website here and have a listen

Gecko Theatre's Institute

I don't think it's good for any of us to stay within the close confines of our comfort zone, so when my younger daughter suggested I went to see Gecko Theatre's Institute at Nottingham Playhouse, |I decided to put all those 'but will I like it?' questions to one side, and go.

It proved to be something both engaging and puzzling. The piece centres on two men, Daniel and Martin, receiving treatment in what is probably a psychiatric facility - the first for the pressure of work and expectations related to it, the second for a failed love affair. With relatively few words, and story-line and emotions interpreted through dance, I have to admit I didn't always entirely understand what was going on. Sometimes the atmosphere is friendly and jolly, at others controlling and restrictive, though the set design (high-piled filing cabinets) and dim, smoky lighting push the mood towards the latter.

The important thing, from my perspective, is that I enjoyed it. A step outside the 'norm' is a good thing, and in future I'll not be so put off by the thought of 'dance' and 'physical theatre'.

Early Spring at Calke

So far my New Year resolutions aren't going well (still there's eleven months left for that), but the one I'm trying hardest to keep up is getting out regularly in the fresh air, and preferably some sunshine. I think I'm doing quite well. we've been to Church Wilne, Swan Lake and Shipley, and last week headed out to an old favourite, Calke Abbey.

winter honeysuckle

I'm not looking for a long hike, just a morning's wander somewhere interesting, and the advantage of visiting a garden, rather than say a nature reserve, is that the paths are likely to be drier and, in the event of frost, probably salted to avoid slipping.

witchhazel

hazel catkins

It's not the time of year to find much flowering but the small wood surrounding Calke's walled garden has various shrubs chosen deliberately for their winter interest - hazels and alders for their catkins, witchhazels and winter honeysuckle for flowers.




Despite an overnight frost still lingering in the shade, the walled gardens are generally warm and the palm trees looked to be doing okay with wallflowers beneath them just showing their first flowers.

guarding the leeks

The vegetable garden was mainly resting for winter but the scarecrows were making sure birds stayed away from the winter crops.

while snowdrops were flowering in front of the main greenhouse.

Passing out of the walled garden there's a wonderful view over Staunton Harold reservoir - looking bright but chilly in the distance.

And heading back through the wood I found snowdrops. In a week or two a huge swathe of woodland floor will be covered in flowers but for now there's just a few peeping through the leaf cover here and there.

They're always a welcome sign that winter is drawing to an end.

Sunshine at Swan Lake

We've had a good run of bright sunny days recently so headed off out to make the most of them.

























A bit of a cold over Christmas had left me without energy, so Swan Lake which is only a short walk seemed like a good place to go. There are always lots of geese, ducks and swans to be seen - all very noisily scrambling for food.

There may have been sun, but it was still cold in the shade, and this pond, one of the smaller ones with no birds at the moment, was still frozen after lunch.

 When we last visited on Boxing Day the weather was grey and the paths muddy. This weekend was lovely with blue sky reflected in the water and Spring feeling just around the corner