After a damp and dreary day of drizzle and downpours, a sliver of gold lit up the western horizon, bringing the promise of better weather tomorrow. The last glimmer of the sunset was photographed at 6.30pm - tomorrow the sun sets at quarter to five and we lose the last vestige of evenings - four months of long nights before they start to re-appear.

Tonight our family is depleted too. Alex apparently arrived in Prague safely - a photo on Facebook showed him ensconced in a local bar, surrounded by friends and with a pint of lager in his hand - his natural habitat!This evening Chris and Lizzy are travelling to Rome for a few days of history, culture, sunshine and pizza . I'm beginning to feel a little bit envious...