Despite the horrid weather in London today, my little house looks fabulous.

All the yellow daffodils, red tulips and purple crocuses appear to have flowered at once and it's a blaze of colours.

Usually it's when the scarlet and pink roses bloom, climbing all over the house and contrasting with the white stonework and blue windows and shutters, that I gasp at the beauty of it - this happens twice a year; early summer and autumn.

But spring seems to have arrived in an explosion of beauty this year. Also the birds are thriving - wrens in the nesting box (first time in 9 years), my robins are doing fine, the blackbirds are finding worms galore and we have chaffinches and jays to join the pigeons.

You'd never know it was in the middle of London.

I was in Cheshire today and the weather was glorious. The sun was shining and it was warm enough to sit outside a restaurant. the daffodils and pansies were blooming. I love this time of year.