Water and ice

Lots of architects, builders, contractors and sub-contractors turned up for the site meeting today. And a few workmen too, for good measure, looking into the water pumps, manifolds, thermostats, etc. It's my turn to clean, and of course as soon as I swabbed some deck or other, a few muddy boots immediately tramped past. So I reluctantly (!) gave up.When they'd all gone, we found that we were without water... so some of them came straight back and found that the pumps had been re-set up wrongly. They figure they may as well move in. They'll be back tomorrow.

Temperatures were down to -8 °C at Pershore last night, and it was probably even colder here. There was an incredible hoarfrost more than a centimetre long on the trees. Most of the colours were whites and browns, with the occasional splash of green ivy, yellow lichen and red hips. As I was wandering around trying to take representative photos, a fieldfare hopped ahead of me on the tree-guards, just like the robin leading the children to the beavers in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.