Camelia flowers in a front garden, seen on one of the mornings when it was starting to be frosty early last month.. The even colder nights a few days later finished off the flowers.
First frost, Dutch Garden, Bantock
The first heavy frost of the winter, early in December, decorating the hedges of the Dutch Garden at the back of Bantock House.
Enough leaves were still left on the surrounding trees to make even the Pitch and Putt course look pleasant in the morning sunlight.
Autumn red: liquidamber, West Park
Bright red liqidamber leaves, still on a tree by the West Park lake for some time after all the other trees’ leaves had fallen, just about a month ago.
The ripening fruits were also hanging from the same branches.
The way the wind’s blowing
A few individual weather vanes for the new year. The school of fish in the first image are accompanied by one of the aggressive chip-thieves of St Ives.
The elaborate bishop and children later in the set should perhaps have been scheduled for a week ago. It’s St Nicholas, dedicatee of the church at beaudesert, Warwickshire.
Moss and frost
From the morning of the first hard frost of the winter, earlier this month. Moss, just about starting to send out the fruiting bodies containing the spores, liberally coated in ice crystals.
Retreating tufties, West Park lake
Every winter there’s a rise in the numbers of tufted ducks (aka tufties) hanging out on the water of the West Park lake. Usually, they seem to spend most of their time companionably in one or two groups. This year, at least so far, their preference seems to be to gather in groups of three or four instead.






