Burning man

Nul points for environmentalism but what else to do with a heap of branches, brushwood, ivy clippings and mouldy hay? It's been waiting all soggy summer and wet winter for the conditons to be right for burning and now after 10 days or so of cold dry air it went up in (not much) smoke in no time at all. Son Huw stoked the flames.

Spring fires around Easter have long been a feature of northern Europe, a pagan rite to drive away winter, to welcome the sun and to promote fertility by scattering the ash on the land - and no doubt in more agreeable ways too. The clocks sprang forward yesterday so the extra daylight allowed us to spend more time out of doors even though the temperature remained low. Son Gwyn made hot cross buns: usually I omit the crosses and call them atheist buns but the recipe book he used explained that the symbol was actually a Celtic one representing the four seasons. (Who knew?) Tea and warm spicy buns with salty Welsh butter were a perfect chaser to the spring burn.