I can live with much of winter... I can live with the cold... I can live with slate-grey skies with unbroken cloud... I can even live with gusty winds that blow here and there...

But the one thing I'll never really come to terms with is the early darkness, the lengthening nights, the feeling I get when I look out of the window when it's time to go home, and all I see is black, black, black everywhere.

The bold shapes and colours of daytime have retreated into hiding,...

One of the things I enjoy doing (as I may have mentioned in the past) is cycling. There's a certain joy and satisfaction in not only being able to get from A to far away B, but to be able to do so through my own efforts only.

But sometimes, cycling by itself is not enough - I have to make it even harder. So instead of cycling on a level surface, I will look for steep hills to ride up. The pain and effort are considerable, but again there is the feeling of fulfilment when I reach the...