February has a reputation for being wet and gloomy. I long for it not be that way, and grasp at the lighter mornings and evenings. The sun does more than scrape itself off the horizon. The morning chorus of songbirds kicked off earlier in the season than I remember. I know it’s birds defending territory, but it is a gorgeous start to the day as first one bird, then others join in till you get a swelling joyful sound.

Hello fellow cheese-lovers! It's been a while but I hope that you haven't forgotten about me, because I haven't forgotten about you.

I am in the chilly north of England studying hard during my final year of university. One of my friends recently told me about a cheese-only restaurant in London called L'Art Du Fromage. All of the items on the menu are cheese-based including raclette, fondues and cheese ice cream. Please try it out if you are ever in this part of the world! - Hazel

Last April I moved from a life in the bustling capital of the UK, London, to a windswept and rain-lashed hilltop just outside Ulverston in the Southern Lake District in England’s North West. I now make cheese with Martin Gott and Nicola Robinson at Holker Farm, just outside the village of Cartmel. They have a flock of Lacaune sheep and a few Dairy Shorthorn cows, with what must be the only cow/sheep milking parlour in the country.