It’s a glorious spring day here in the North Pennines. Bulbs are poking through, primroses and snowdrops are nodding in the breeze and while I was hanging the washing in the sun this morning there was the unmistakeable call like Northumbrian pipes – heralding the lapwings’ return…

lots of hands on days for me too: I spent Monday huddled in a hut circle on Lordenshaws Hillfort discussing the sublime as clouds scudded across the sky. I’ve booked on a blacksmithing course, and a hedgelaying refresher (NB must plant hedge), and all the details are in place for facilitating next week’s forest schools training.

This past week has seen a few interesting projects beginning to grow too – there’s a draft bid for a new ‘I’ for Heritage Skills , a touring exhibition to help research, some lovely artists inspired by the Simonsides, some exciting ideas arising from the new HLF funding streams published this week, and encouragement from an indefatigable archaeological friend.