With the icy temperatures plummeting well below zero centigrade, Eli and Giles reluctantly left the statue garden to retrace their path back. The snow continued to fall from the dark sky, each flake adding to the frozen landscape. Susan's warning echoed in their minds: the winter of 1962-1963, often dubbed the 'Big Freeze', would be one for the record books in the United Kingdom.

Already, on December 22nd, the exceptionally cold weather was gripping the UK, and snow blanketed Scotland on Christmas Eve before sweeping southward. The Arctic grip would show no mercy until March the following year.

As Eli and Giles trudged back through the falling snow, leaving the statue garden behind, enclosed between its Common Box hedge, the castle emerged—a beacon against the night. Its illuminated windows promised warmth, light, and respite from the relentless cold. They quickened their pace, guided by the castle's steadfast presence.

The crescent moon hung low in the frosty sky, casting a silvery glow over the snow-covered Castle Gardens. Eli and Giles, their breath visible in the cold air, walked along the winding path. The crunch of snow beneath their boots echoed through the stillness.

As they rounded a bend in the garden path, they glimpsed movement—a shadow darting across the open expanse of the castle grounds. There, under the moon's watchful eye, a fox emerged from the shadows. As the fox moved through the snow, its fur blended seamlessly with the wintry landscape. With winter a magical transformation had happened: its fur had turned into a thick, fluffy coat that was predominantly white. The fox had adapted to its surroundings, becoming a living embodiment of the season. The fox moved with a grace that seemed otherworldly, as if it were part of the night itself.

The snow crunched softly as the fox padded forward, its delicate paws leaving faint impressions. Its eyes, like twin stars, held a hint of mischief and ancient knowledge. Perhaps it was a guardian of secrets, a creature that danced between realms—the mundane and the magical.

The castle grounds lay dormant. The sleeping trees stood sentinel; their branches dusted with snow. The fox weaved through them, its tail trailing behind like a comet's tail. It paused, ears alert, as if listening to whispers carried by the wind.

Eli and Giles watched, transfixed. The fox's movements were deliberate, purposeful. It crossed the moonlit clearing, disappearing momentarily into a copse of evergreens. Then, it reappeared, a fleeting vision, before vanishing into the night.

In that frozen moment, Eli and Giles felt a connection—a bridge between their world and the hidden one. The fox, with its ancient wisdom, reminded them that magic existed even in the darkest hours. And as they continued their journey back to the Castle, they carried the memory of the fox's silent passage—a nocturnal encounter etched into their hearts.

I'm not sure what is happening here. Most of my forum stuff is done on my mobile phone, and I always use the desktop version of the forum.

I never log out, and when I click on the Chrome icon on the phone, the desktop version comes up straight away.

I remember it, but only saw the show occasionally, because we didn't get a TV until 1960. All a very long time ago...
 

Next Saturday in Devizes, Beau Gris Gris. I'll be there 

With latest Revolution announcement a big item is crossed off in the form of WIAs (never essential, just cool).

But I will play:

Loco: Class 455

Coach: Pass, unless you count re-releases of TSOs to make them more common.

Wagon: PHY/JYA Yeomans (purely to add variety and make more prototypical rakes for the 59s).

Bonus Re-livery: Swallow Class 47/8 (come on Farish this shouldn't be a big ask!)

Skyline2uk

I managed to get made redundant five times before I was 33. Two jobs I got made redundant from before I even started, which must be a record.

It's cliched but it's always worked out for the better for me, a couple of big pivots in industry, but the opportunities have always worked out for the better. I actually weighed up whether to take redundancy again a couple of weeks ago, the job market is good at the moment, it's a tempting proposition! Sure you'll find something befitting. 

Loco- class 81

coach- Mk2 pullmans

Wagon- FFA? FGA? container flats

Very competently played Martin @port perran but not as much fun as Solstice! Nevertheless, they are a popular band. BTW, the violinist is Claire Lindley who spent some time with Stackridge.

I am very pleased to now have tickets to see Solstice at Milton Keynes in September.

Cheers,

Tim 

I think I saw them once on Jools Holland's show and, sadly, was not particularly keen

If you can think of a suitable title for such a website I'll file it under that name