The Harwich Harbour Ferry starts running from the 1 April (see https://www.harwichharbourferry.com/timetables) and a trip on the ferry is thoroughly recommended. You can get the ferry from Landguard point in Felixstowe or from Shotley Point (although the leg from Landguard to Harwich is more interesting, and you have to board the ferry via a gangplank from the beach!). There’s plenty to browse around in Harwich – lunch at the Alma Inn (https://www.almaharwich.co.uk/) is recommended, or have a look around Lightvessel LV18 (http://lv18.org) moored at Harwich quay .

Finally we are starting to see some better weather! We survived a succession of storms at the end of February, the main casualties being the TV aerial on the cottage coming partially detached from the wall (now replaced), and a tree leaning precariously across the road outside Red Barn which caused a short road closure between us and Framlingham, and loss of our telephone line and broadband (though we had a failover broadband connection which gave us a reduced service for the time it took Openreach to come and restring our telephone wire).