Overnight snowfall, so did the parental thing, strong-arming the kids (despite CBBC) into some reasonably warm clothes, on with hats and gloves, then out to scrape the ice off the car. All this before my first coffee of the day too.

Quarter of an hour later found us parked in a layby in the vicinity of Freston, the eponymously named village. Cutting down an icy public footpath, past a cold-looking horse and donkey, and up a slope t'other side, there stood a carved wooden sign pointing to Freston Park.

And ahead of us, standing in the snow, was Freston Tower.

Ella's feet were freezing in her wellies, Rose's nose kept running, and Theo just wanted to run around in the snowy ground. Still, everyone was a lot happier once we were back home with jammy doughnuts and hot chocolate.

Be seeing you in 2002!

Ed