WITH all the Christmas and New Year celebrations over, I awoke early on Monday, January 4, feeling rather depressed. It was another dark and miserable winter's day.

Then, suddenly, from the garden, came the most beautiful singing of a bird. It sang such a joyful song that it brightened up the darkness and made me think of spring - and how wonderful it is to be alive.

Later that afternoon, two blackbirds were running under the bushes and across the lawn.

But isn't this rather early for birdsong?

KATHLEEN BULCOCK (Mrs), Wilkie Avenue, Burnley.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.