After last Saturday's galeforce wind, a calm, almost clear and relatively warm morning was a welcome change. At 9.30am, the shadows are still long, and made a great photo with the amazing winter sky over

I think of Saturdays as earlier starts than usual. They aren't and they are: I am always awake any time between 5 and 5.30am. I spend the next hour or so diarising the previous day and finding my brain.

Having bemoaned summer's tardy arrival, she made herself felt - in more ways than one on Friday. My list was long over ambitious. This is one of those times of the year when the market patronage is likely