The Pretty Steeple at Alderbury

St Mary's Church, Alderbury - 3 miles south east of Salisbury

Don't let the apparent blue sky here fool you; it's not, it's drizzling here now and has been as dark grey and miserable as dishwater all morning. Along with my own portable 'sunshine' for the autumnal beech hedge that I'm peering over, the blue has been quietly added in editing. Cheating? Yes, definitely! It would really be quite a boring photo, otherwise...

I had wanted to get out yesterday but bad head all day and so early to bed.

Not much better today but forced myself out on the bus, starting off on a walk between The Green Dragon public house at Alderbury and finishing at The Three Crowns at Whaddon. That's if either of them were actually open of course - and if one was so inclined to imbibe in a bit of what they offer!

With occasional and rare glimpses over to Longford Castle (a future Blip, I hope), the nicely (but gently) hilly surroundings offered pretty paddocks, leafy lanes and generally just a nice 3 odd mile little stroll, I hadn't done this since April 2011, so a return was somewhat overdue. Quite muddy in places but passable in good boots.

Nice to see the Church open but a determination to travel light and so a tripod-free-walk meant interiors will have to be Blipped another time.

Meanwhile, Lauren Laverne's BBC Radio 6 Music slot is doing some wonders and beating the winter blues! Thank you, Lauren!