Today: Frost on van: Reflected light shadow, Benjamin Gooch Way: Frosty post, Newmarket Rd: Ice, Harford Manor Rd.
An exciting day, the first day driving a brand new electric vehicle. A cold start (-4 degrees) which meant working out how to defrost the new van. The sun shone all day but still feeling cold at the end of the delivery. Roads quiet and new van quiet.
Today: Quince, Newmarket Rd: Green growth, Ipswich Rd: Blossom, Mount Pleasant.
A return to work after a weeks holiday in an endlessly snowy white Nordic landscape. This British, darkish rain threatening overcast day, feels by contrast lush and colourful. Green moss covered walls and brown mulching leaves catch my eye as do fruits rotting in trees. A blossom tree in Mount Pleasant is prematurely blossoming and there are signs of new green growth.
Tax office letters feature heavily in the mail, which is fairly light. Christmas surge over and strike backlog cleared. All feeling calmer in the office.
Today: Non native spider spotted at 39 Mount Pleasant: Wet brown oak leaves, Plantsman’s Close
A return to delivering after the new year. Alarmingly little mail to sort and deliver today. Made for a relaxed day with opportunities to chat to customers. Wet and increasingly windy. Everywhere seems mossy and dank.
Eyes down today to keep the rain off my glasses. Mostly the pavements are filled with brown autumn leaf mulch, so, the occasional lighter leaf catches my eyes.
It is as hard today as it was easy yesterday to get people to answer the door. I wonder wether people are off visiting others for the new year or just tucked up in bed sleeping through this dark, wet, miserable day.
I ask a few customers how their Christmas were and are reminded of how Christmas can be hard and lonely for many people. A favourite customer shares how her family don’t celebrate New Year’s Eve after her Grandma was killed being hit by a bus whilst on the way to her parents New Year’s Eve party. Humbled by the intensity of this story and the range of lived experiences people have.
Today: Sparkly wreath, 3 Kenneth Mckee plain: Bus stop, Newmarket Road: White leaf, Ipswich Rd
Still more straggling Christmas cards to deliver but lighter on parcels and packets today. Streets are quieter in this Christmas holiday time and people are home for parcels.
Today: Wet leaf, Ipswich road: Lost bauble, Newmarket road: Puddle reflection , Church Avenue.
A return to work and the walk after a period of illness and Christmas. A rainy, dank day but still comforting to be back treading my usual steps. A hangover of Christmas Cards and new travel catalogues to deliver today. I notice a card I deliver has taken over a month to arrive, despite being posted in Norfolk. Another first class letter (which is being eagerly awaited) finally arrives having been posted on the 12th December. I hope this signals a catching up of strike affected mail and look forward to everything returning to normal.
Today: Frosty van handle: Frosty plant, Lime tree Road: Textured ice, Allens lane.
Even colder and frostier than yesterday. Many beautiful frosty moments to photograph but so cold that my phone battery dies as soon as I use it. Remembered my ice grip shoe attachments, so easier walking today.
Today: Leaves on frozen pavement, Ipswich Grove: The saddest sign, The cedars.
A treacherous day out delivering. Black ice turning roads and pavements into ice rinks. We stopped to help cheer a man who had fallen and bashed his head on Christchurch Road, whilst he waited for an ambulance. Eyes to the ground, looking for ice free routes.
My head is filled with cold and I feel rotten.
Today: Frosty leaves and spiders webs
A very cold day, off to a difficult start as it took three turns of the yard to locate my van (which has just been changed). All the numbers obscured in the heavy frost, too cold for anyone to bother to quip “it’s the red one”.
Frosty leaves were beautifully white edged and sharded spiders webs were visible. So cold that I finished cold despite the thermal layers, hat, neck warmer and extra Jumper. Starting to deliver Christmassy looking parcels and plenty of cards.
Ginny Bain 