Last week we had ice on puddles that lasted all day in shady spots. On Saturday night we had snow. I say snow but it was less than an inch, so hardly recognisable to those of you in Alaska, Lapland, or even Scotland.

At 5.30 this morning as I took my wife to work (enjoying the comforts of the new car – heated seats and an external temperature reading) I noted it was already above freezing point. Eleven hours later I picked her up and then snow had all melted. I don’t know what the rest of the winter weather will bring but this has been a lucky break.

Yes, you did read that right. After the problems with the Citroen we bought a new car, which allows us to be reliable once more. I tried not to shed a tear at parting with the money, and almost succeeded.In fact I tried to avoid parting with any money at all, but that was what resulted in us having such a bad time with the car in the first place. Miserliness is an unattractive quality in a man, I’m told by my wife, and causes more problems than it solves.

Mentioning my wife, I think it’s fair to mention her stoicism in working ten hour shifts on Sundays so that we can run Quercus Community and afford groceries, a car and children. If she ever has to give it up (or if the council carries through on its threat to take away the enhanced pay for working Sundays) we will have to cut back on something – probably the children.

It is, as they say, an ill wind that blows no good.

In case anyone in the Nottingham area is reading this I am looking for casual work if you have any.

I have no discernible skills, am sometimes described as “difficult” (though only by idiots) but will work for peanuts. At my time of life, summed up by Jethro Tull in the title of this post, you tend not to make too many wage demands.

Yes, they are named after  this man, because one of the band’s management team was a history enthusiast.  Robert Bakewell, to be fair doesn’t have that ring to it that suggests a prog rock band but  Turnip Towsnhend and Coke of Norfolk must be miffed to have lost out.

Meanwhile, getting back to what the blog is supposed to be about, I just have to set the finishing touches to the craft work for tomorrow – icy weather and a group with compromised immune systems dictates that we plan for being inside.

I’m happy with that: at my age I creak too much if I get cold. On Saturday night, as I fiddled with the new combination locks on the farm gates, I could feel my hands slowing down as the cold got to them.