It is still strange to look out at Sycamore Gap and not see the tree silhouetted against the dusky Northumbrian sky, and we can’t believe that it was a year go this evening that the iconic symbol of Northumberland was felled. It will live on not only in our memories, in the huge number of photographs taken by so many people and the many local businesses (including Layside) that use its image as a logo. It will also live on around the country, as each National Park has now been gifted with a sapling grown from seeds taken after the tree was felled – and I can’t think of a better tribute and legacy.

Despite the recent cold (and rather wet) weather, it is the return of the Curlews to Layside which tells me that spring is on the way! We are so lucky that the fields surrounding Layside play host to these iconic birds – the very symbol of Northumberland National Park. Their distinctive and often haunting call can be heard through the morning mist, and always lifts the spirits when it feels like winter just won’t give way to spring!