And back again

It is very strange, nay, even suspicious, that after an absolutely rotten winter and spring, both May bank holidays (and their weekends) should have sunny weather for large parts of the country. Is something sinister afoot? An attempt by the weather gods to trick us into thinking that the year has been perfectly nice? Clearly sinister powers are at work.

Back today from a bank holiday in the north, starring the following:

- inordinate amounts of sun (and a small amount of sunburn). Naturally I hadn't packed sunglasses, a sunhat, or shorts.

- the Test Match on Sunday, which involved lots of wickets falling. I have to admit that Joe Root really does look like the first nine-year-old to score a Test century (C. Pietersen). I kept mistaking him for the 'Yorkshire youngsters' sharing being twelfth man. I am predicting nothing about the Ashes...

- other people cooking dinner (although I did some washing up).

- not a single lie-in. I booked a hair appointment for 9 o'clock on Saturday: there's just no helping some people.

- rather blustery Dales walk on Monday with excellent views and a path that, contrary to the usually reliable little book of walks, was neither level nor easy (the bit on the crag was of course neither, but we'd expected that). Lambs were many and varied, and of an age to score high on the cuteness scale.

- trains that actually ran on time!