Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes

The problem with winter in England is the darkness. It closes in before tea-time and the nights are long. I don’t mind the long nights so much, except that it limits what can be done outside. I rather like the feeling of closing myself in of an evening, curtains drawn and the warmth of light within my cocoon. There is a quietness about the world and a comfortable sleepiness that I rather like.

I don’t mind waking to darkness either, though it seems a little unnatural to be up so long before the sun every day and, with the small dog, out before the dawn has broken the blackness. It is still dark when I leave for work, but now that we have passed the winter solstice and the year is moving determinedly towards spring, I will not complain at that… because I get to drive eastwards into the morning…