It was a breathtakingly beautiful morning. Attenborough Nature Reserve, which on my last visit had been all tossing trees and restless waves, sat serenely under a polished blue sky. The leaves were green, shading to gold, and the water shone in the sunshine. I passed some contented cattle and reached the riverside path. At a footbridge, a heron paddled among the weeds. Attenborough Nature Reserve is surprisingly large: the entire site is 560 acres, and the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust owns about two-thirds of it. That's a lot of lakes. Eventually I reached Beeston Marina, where a pirate in a crow's nest kept a stern eye on a bar and cafe. There was no trouble today; it was all quiet. A man approaching me remarked on the lovely weather, and then added, "Bit cold for skinny-dipping, though." I looked down at my long coat, leggings, and waterproof shoes, and wondered quite why he thought I might be about to strip off and jump in the river. Beeston Lock led to Beeston ...
Getting through life one cake at a time.