Festival boat....

As we approach the winter solstice there are already signs of spring for those who care to look hard. Today I saw the first flowering hazel bush - the earliest I've ever seen - and probably a result of the unusually warm autumn. I also found a sallow bush whose buds were just beginning to split, revealing the silvery catkins within. There's been quite a lot of aggressive activity among the mallards, suggesting that reproduction is already on their minds.

On my afternoon walk the weather was mild and calm, the riverside path was muddy and the sky was grey, with just the faintest touch of peach towards sunset. But it was good to get out, away from the crowds in the shops, and there was just the faintest whiff of spring in the air which brought a surge of excitement to my stomach - I physically feel the changing of the seasons...

This is yet another view of the River Nene, slightly further west than normal. If you look closely you can see the the Festival Boat created bySokari Douglas Camp , which is one of the exhibits on the Thorpe Meadows Sculpture Trail. This was commissioned from the artist as part of the final Festival of Sculpture in 1989 which marked the end of the Development Corporation in Peterborough. This large concrete piece takes as its source the festival boats used ceremonially in the artist's native Nigeria.

Best viewed large.