IT'S ROBIN DAY

(That's the birds, not the late TV presenter who wore spotty bow ties.)

Baby Robins are all over Blip and the internet today, it seems. The Park had lots of them, and it appeared that today was the day they were out learning to forage for themselves. There were some very knackered-looking parents keeping a watchful eye (extra) but they scurried away if the youngsters approached them, leaving the babies looking very glum and hard-done-by and having to go back to finding their own morsels.

We went up the road to vote this morning - four differently coloured ballot papers with 16 choices on the screed that was the by-election paper. I expect that tomorrow and the weekend we'll be tripping over journalists and people doing pieces to camera in the more picturesque parts of town (or the seediest), and vox-pops asking us how we feel about whoever wins, and then by Monday everyone will disappear, including the new MP, and forget all about Hartlepool again. Cynical? Moi?