Spring has arrived!
It's been so lovely in the past few days to feel the warm sunshine and anticipate the longer days now that the clocks have gone forward.
I've been fortunate in being able to enjoy the good weather alongside the water. Ahead of hosting an event for Maldon Bookshop with the printmaker and illustrator Angela Harding on Thursday, I was able to take a walk to the riverside where a number of spectacular Thames barges were moored alongside the quay. Their red ochre sails looked stunning against the sparkling blue water and golden marshes.
And this weekend I coxed two sweep oar crews along the River Deben.
It's not often the water is flat calm, empty of other river traffic and a glistening bright blue but early on Saturday morning it was just about perfect. The beauty and tranquility of our environment lifted our spirits, and possibly improved our technique, so we returned to the clubhouse feeling triumphant!
We had been able to get out on the water because we had all made ourselves available to form a crew, and then committed to playing our part in moving the boat through the water - an individual and a collective effort. And though we are far from making any comparisons to an Olympic crew, my reading this week inspired our outing along a Suffolk river. Scroll down for details!
Tomorrow evening we will be meeting in Woodbridge to discuss this month's book 'Actress' by Anne Enright. We'll be taking all the usual precautions so please let me know if you are planning to come along so that I can send you all the details.
Thank you for reading.