River Cam Granchester - Post Flood.

Last time I brought my sketch pad down here, sun shone brightly, walkers paced the bank - there was a lot of excited chatter in the background. That was almost exactly a year ago - high summer.

The grassy track is now a mud bath, the river flowing faster than I could punt upstream. Hardly anyone has come down here to enjoy their lunch, read or pass the time in pleasant company.

But I do hail the adventurous spirit of 4 youngsters, determined to keep School Leaving spirit up. Exams done, Balls danced and released from the fetters of education - the River Cam must be swum.

So with one on the bank and four - no, that would be 3 - three in the water, a bit of normality is returning to this sleepy bank.

In the background birds lift their chirruping above the distant, but sadly constant rumble, of traffic setting off down the M11 to London.

As I write this a spider has begun spinning his web dangling from my beard. He has mistaken me for some country hedgerow!

The sun is now out, ramblers have emerged from their lunchtime beverages. Time, methinks, for this ancient hedgerow to find a cup of tea.