All is calm, all is bright

O dear, my weight has been creeping up over the last few months – not dramatically, but I am now 5lb above the weight I achieved in September. 'Too much food and not enough exercise' is the all-too-obvious cause; a brisk 7 mile walk in the Forest the preferred remedy.

At home, a strong(ish) wind was blowing up the Severn estuary, making trees sway and carrying with it a fine drizzle, but in the Forest all was calm. Thanks to the absence of leaves on the trees, it was quite bright too, revealing features hidden earlier in the year.

I must have unwittingly walked past this old tunnel entrance several times during my spring and summer rambles, but today it was easy to approach for a closer look.  One of my guide books informs me that it used to link Trafalgar Colliery to the wonderfully-named Strip-and-At-It.  After snapping this photo, you'll be pleased to know that I remained Fully-Clothed-and-Left It. However, one of the great charms of the Forest of Dean is its wealth of relics like this, of past industry.  It's hard to imagine that here, where trees and bracken thrive, 800 men and boys once worked.

Angie checks her watch and wonders when the next train to
Lydney will arrive.  The last one left in 1929

Apart from the occasional souls walking their dogs, the Forest was deserted.  I walked as quietly as I could, camera at the ready, in the hope of seeing some interesting wildlife.  One deer crossed the path ahead of me and I spotted three grey squirrels, but none stayed around long enough to be photographed.  Then, almost at the end of the walk, this little fellow decided to keep me company, hopping from branch to branch beside me, and once flying down to my feet to retrieve some tasty morsel.  He obligingly posed for his photo to be taken, though unfortunately it's come out a bit blurred.  I'm sure I heard him chirp Happy Christmas before he finally flew off.