There’s a lovely unpredictability to April. One moment the clouds gather like a threat; the next, sunlight pours through and the world feels suddenly golden. It’s a month of in-betweens - it still feels like winter in the mornings, but we’ve been blessed with some great bouts of sunshine —a rarity for so early in the season.

March always feels like Derbyshire’s slowly waking up. The mornings are still slow to rouse, the air still holding onto winter’s chill, but there’s a quiet stirring now—of bulbs nudging through soil, of birds testing out their spring songs, and of us, perhaps, daring to believe in lighter days ahead. Of course, at the end of this month, we’ll see the clocks spring forward - a slight injustice that we’ll lose an hour of precious sleep, on Mother’s Day of all days - but that extra hour of daylight more than makes up for it.

As winter slowly makes way for Spring, the Derbyshire countryside offers a serene escape into nature's early blooms: the snowdrop. Last weekend, I took a trip to Hopton Hall's renowned Snowdrop Walk. Followed by a hearty Sunday roast at The Old Gate Inn in Brassington, it makes for a quintessentially British day out.

Can you feel a little change in the air? It’s only slight, but it’s in the morning birdsong; it’s in the snowdrops, and the glimmers of daffodils peeking through; and it’s there when you look out the window at 5pm and realise it’s getting lighter.

The first couple of weeks of January held a certain crispness to the January air here in Derbyshire, making the landscape look even more beautiful. On this particular Sunday afternoon, just as the sun was setting behind the hills of the Holly Bush pub in Makeney, the scent of woodsmoke and mulled cider lingered in the air as a curious and age-old tradition began to unfurl: wassailing. Part folklore, part festive ritual, this custom brings communities together to honour their fruit trees, in hopes of a good harvest for the year ahead.

Astrology lovers are in for a celestial treat next week, as six planets - Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars - align in the evening sky. This event, often referred to as a "planetary parade," offers a rare opportunity to observe multiple planets simultaneously.

Derbyshire has many spots with low light pollution, making them great locations to observe this magnificent sight. So, grab a blanket, a flask of something warm, and let’s explore Derbyshire’s best places for starry escapades.

There’s a fresh, exciting energy flowing through the hills of Derbyshire as a new wellness experience invites visitors to pause, reflect, and rejuvenate. With the county’s rolling countryside and tranquil vistas, it lends itself perfectly to be the setting for The Wellness Directory, the brainchild of local entrepreneur and holistic health advocate, Michelle Tansley.

As we welcome a new year, I can’t help but be in awe of the beautiful scenes Derbyshire has been blessed with so far this January. The landscape is full of wonders. Low mist drapes itself across the peaks, and if you’re lucky enough to have been blessed with a white blanket of snow, it’s nature’s way of reminding us to take things slow and ease ourselves into this new year ahead of us.