After a glorious end to February, March was a more changeable month (and one sadly bedevilled by insomnia). There were plenty of signs of spring, though – the lambs were in the fields, the blossom looked lovely against blue-washed skies and the Stour sparkled in the sunshine.

The beginning of the month found me in London for Ellis’s official birthday party – the cake, courtesy of his auntie, was fabulous. And it was a chance for me to do some storytelling, as usual!

I visited Margate a couple of times, under blue skies (top) and grey, once for book research and the second time for my own family research. Turns out I have an ancestor called Pendred Pegden – now there’s a name that belongs in a book!

Back in London we had a cousins and second cousins get-together – and some wonderful biscuits that looked too good to eat.

At home, the spring flowers popped up in the garden and there were celandines and violets along the lane. And I disturbed my first-ever garden frog when I did some rather brutal weeding and border clearance.

Back to London for Mother’s Day and more cuddles – only rarely tolerated now as there is too much playing to do!