Janet's Blog - Spring 2026

It’s beginning to look a lot like spring!!

I love, love, LOVE the spring time – it’s those moments of stepping outside on a brisk spring morning and practically feeling nature waking up around you.  What a privilege it is to live in the countryside during the springtime (apart from the tree pollen for those hay fever sufferers amongst us).  Easter will soon be here and I’m loving the lighter nights – it’s great to be able to ride or walk after work.

On the marina all the hedges are bursting into life and the trees are budding.  Our resident swans have paired up and nested, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a successful brood this year. We’ve even seen a bit of sunshine and warmth at the beginning of March. Ok, so it was followed by cold winds, hail and rain but you can’t have everything!  As I write this it’s started to warm up a little and we’ve been able to mow some of the grassed areas. When I walked down to the marina, I swear the birds were singing at the tops of their voices and when I stopped on the top of Bridge 80 there were boats moving – always a sure sign that the season is about to start.  The Audlem lass is back in the water, which always makes us feel happy and the Wheelyboat is starting to take bookings.

Angus and team have been busy around the site on the jetties and I’m plotting and planning my new sign to go at the moorers entrance (if I’m honest, I’ve been prevaricating about the design, so now I’ve said it on here I’ll have to get my act into gear and get on with it!) Some of the staff in the office have even started wearing their shorts (apart from Jakob who’s been wearing them all year round anyway – he’s a hardy soul). My legs won’t be coming out at present – it has to be at least 18 degrees and sunny, and I have to make sure everyone is wearing sunglasses so I don’t dazzle them with their bright whiteness!