The acre has coped incredibly with all the weather that's been thrown at it over these last few weeks. After the floodwater receded it was with a sigh of relief to see that we had come through the three storms unscathed and intact! On one particular day, in the space of an hour, we experienced rain, driving sleet, snow and then bright sunshine broke out and it turned into a wonderful afternoon - remarkable!

The ducks are back on our pond - a clear sign that spring is here - and Mrs Mallard can be seen with various suitors as she paddles about or waddles around the acre, picking her way through the daffodils and crocus in her search for titbits. Everywhere the birds are bursting out their serenading songs with gusto as they seek to find a partner to spend the next few months with - the acre is beginning to feel alive again.

Despite the weather our gardening groups have still been gathering and doing their best to ensure the acre is looking as good as it can. Compost has been spread liberally over the vegetable and fruit beds to give us the best chance of a decent crop, flower beds have received a bit of weeding, some strimming has tidied up the edges and the greenhouses and shed have been cleared of rubbish. All we need now is a decent run of good weather!!

One group doing sterling work are our fantastic ' Men in Sheds' who meet every Tuesday and are now up to full operating capacity in just a few short months. This joint venture with the Maltings has been a triumph and the group are busy on several fronts. They are currently working on a clients commission for a circular tree bench that mirrors the one they built for the acre. They made a brilliant job of extending the steps to the cabin and adding hand rails and very soon we hope they will get the go ahead to start the decking project around our pond - something the children from the local schools are really looking forward to using for their pond dipping!