River Ribble, Preston

Slowly, quietly, squeezing down towards the distant sea, against a weak wintery sunset flows the River Ribble. It is a mild Sunday evening in January.

I bask in the solitude and fresh air as I walk along the riverside towards, then around, a dusky Avenham Park, Preston.

I head back through the brightly lit Covid-Christmassy city centre, sparse of shoppers. It’s barely sustainable businesses, like the cold snaky waters of this river, slide silently towards their own final destination.