Do you remember April 2020? It was during the first UK Lockdown and we were limited to just a once-a-day exercise regime and I saw a buzzard! And because we had to ‘stay local’ this meant seeing the same things again and again. And when I was out in the changing light recently it gave me that déjà vu feeling once more.
Having seen the snow on them ‘ills a few days ago, followed by the frozen Branton lakes, it was fairly inevitable that the snow would reach the valley floor. And, sure enough, we all awoke yesterday to a carpet of snow all across north Northumberland.
There was a thin covering of snow along the Breamish Valley yesterday that quickly turned to ice in the just-below-zero temperatures. This made for some striking photos while on my walk around Branton Lakes Nature Reserve.
Well…it’s that déjà vu feeling again, isn’t it? Exercising in the lockdowns – still, I do keep reminding myself how lucky we are to live in such beautiful surroundings.
And, as I mentioned a couple of days ago, the light at this time of the year is pretty terrific – changing from moment to moment.
Following the recent ice day in the Breamish Valley and the suggestion of another Beast from the East, there was still some snow capping the Cheviots yesterday despite the temperatures having increased slightly.
The start of a new (and hopefully much brighter and happier) year brought a cold snap to the valley. Temperatures were below freezing and the Met office was suggesting the possibility of a new Beast from the East later in the month. The original Beast from the East hit us in March 2018, when the whole of the Breamish Valley was knee-deep in snow. Well, we didn’t have to deal with that yesterday but it was cold enough to begin freezing the lakes.
wendy.pattison@northumberland.gov.uk – Tel. 07779 983072
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With the recent republication of A History of Shawdon Hall, this prompted me to search for a vintage image of the Hall, as the ones we’ve had access to are relatively recent images. I eventually found and purchased a postcard from Berlin. Yes! Berlin in Germany. Who’d have thought that you’d have to go back to the EU to obtain old images of your local area?
Not a lot to be said, really…2020 has been unprecedented.
But now with the positive news of vaccines against coronavirus starting to be rolled out, there’s good reason to hope for a happier 2021.
This below article was originally published in two parts in Issue 15 (October 2013) and Issue 17 (March 2014) of the former Cheviot Views newsletter. It was written by Richard Poppleton of Titlington who adapted it from May, M. (1988) Aln & Breamish Local History Society.
