Snowdrops: something at last to cheer about

Wenlock Edge In anonymous hedges and woods, snowdrops have become a kind of spontaneous festival all over the countrySnowdrops and mild weather – is this spring? Something disturbed a crow in the darkness. The bird flew from trees behind the abbey ruins, skirting copse and hedge down the lane to the edge of town with its going-to-work traffic and lights switching on under rooftops. The crow called out before first light, before even the robins stirred, intent on raising the alarm by itself