Weekends are all about fresh air, and walking in the woods is a family favourite.  The adults get to stretch their legs and breathe deep, whilst the children among us potter about filling our pockets with pine cones and interesting bits of wood so we can play poo sticks once we reach the stream and the bridge.  And our crazy spaniel needs no encouragement to get completely blathered in mud.

Yesterday was different in that there were only two of us, and the small person insisted on taking her bike.  Which meant walking a different track altogether, as tree stumps and stabilisers do not marry well.  Once she had found her wheels, there was no stopping her.  Through potholes and puddles she went, mud splashing up behind her, splattering her coat and hair.

My granddaughter’s active imagination meant she was pedalling furiously, escaping monsters and chasing wild animals through the trees.  And I had to run just to keep up and to haul her out of the deepest holes.  Leisurely it was not.  We came home rosy cheeked and very warm. Those stabilisers are coming off this week.