After the long, grey slog of January and February, I think I start looking for Spring before it's properly arrived.

First comes the blossom, then those first flashes of colour pushing through the garden. I find myself poking about, looking for the little signs that everything is waking up again.

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The air feels fresher. The days are slowly getting longer. There's damp earth underfoot and the sweet smell of new grass, and before long the wild garlic appears — which is always a very welcome sign that Spring is finally getting somewhere.

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The kitchen starts to lighten too. I'm thinking about chicken and leeks, mussels, sweet tender lamb and, of course, what I'm going to do with the next bag of rhubarb my elderly neighbour decides I need., whether I'm willing or not ... And as Easter approaches, there is absolutely room for something gloriously chocolatey.

But perhaps my favourite bit is much simpler than that.

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It's a little bit of sunshine warming your bones after months of cold, and the first lunch eaten in the garden.

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