Early in the morning, in the peaceful quietude of the Valley where the Eastern Allen runs, it’s so good to be able to appreciate the softness.

Not that life is easy, up here on the high fellsides. There are plenty of rigours that keep families scratching, and more to come as the cost of heating these drafty old houses goes sky-rocketing away. Many folks are likely to go into near-hibernation mode this Winter, huddling in under many layers as fuel becomes impossible to afford. But for now, in this quiet period just at sunrise, as the light is still soft and gentle, as the temperature is warm and the breeze a mere zephyr caressing thistle down, just now perhaps we can hold those winter worries at arm’s length and enjoy our surroundings for what they are, a bona fide Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Who needs words when the soft delights are there for the viewing?