Warmth

 


“What has made you feel warm in the last week?” J asked as we stood in the willow circle at the end of our fourth session of the Grow Leader course. Meteorologically we did of course finally experience physical warmth last week, with Thursday 5th March declared by the Met Office as the UK’s hottest day of 2026 so far. On Wednesday and Thursday I ate both breakfast and lunch outside, soaking up the sunshine and listening to birdsong. But as we went round the circle on Friday we collectively agreed to expand the definition of warmth to include ideas of emotional warmth, joy and contentment. Here are some of my warm feelings from this week:

Spotting a blackbird with a beakful of moss, en route to nest-building endeavours. Watching the full moon rise fiercely orange through the branches of the plum tree. A handful of salad leaves added to my lunch one day, picked for me by a colleague at the community allotment. Pounding the pavements after dark with Redfield Ramblers Anonymous. A lengthy full squeeze no questions asked hug from my partner at the end of a difficult day. Treasure hunting rogue hazel saplings at Grow Wilder. Replanting them in a grove for future coppicing, carefully settling in their roots, tamping down the earth and mulching with a thick woodchip ‘donut’. Hawthorn blossom drifting like confetti onto a mossy log while a blackbird sang. Finding a nutshell on a forest walk and imagining the stories it could spark.

I offer you this patchwork of memories, this version of my week, the one I wish to share.

This week I have been reading Wabi Sabi by Beth Kempton, subtitled ‘Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life’. Also, the search function on BBC Sounds is dire, but does occasionally throw up a serendipitous find when I’m looking for something completely different. In this way I discovered a Radio Three series of The Essay with Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough from 2018 all about fictional forests, absolutely delightful.


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