Astley Hall...

On the hottest day of the year - so far - I was taking pix at Astley Hall, Hoghton Tower and Samlesbury Hall, all in north Lancashire. This swan, at Astley Hall, was swimming round and round the fountain, enjoying a cooling water-splash (exactly what I would do if I were a swan).

Stayed the night in Ribchester, though it wasn’t a night when sleep came easily. I opened both side windows, to get a bit of breeze through, but it was still baking hot. Never mind: extremes of heat are only a problem for two or three days every year.

Still hot today, but not stifling, and storm clouds are massing over Carnforth…