'Tis the eve of a new year good people, and the party mood is upon me. It's upon the birds in the park too, and walking through the otherwise empty beauty spot I noticed a certain feistiness in the collected flocks of swans, geese, ducks,coots, moorhens, pidgeons, and those little white seabirds with black tails.

All except the solitary crane at the back of the lake, viewing the noise and excitement of the breadcrumb hunt with it's usual static disdain.

Sometimes I wonder if birds have an easier time of it. They only wake up when they feel like it and not by the savage noise of electric tools downstairs. Trust me to live in the only noisy part of Swindon this morning. I also suspect it might get a tad noisier tonight. Just a gut feeling.

Music Giveaway of the Year

Here's a little New years gift, recorded at no expense whatsoever last night in the wee small hours. Yes, it's me playing keyboards live. You can even hear all the fumbled keypresses and bum notes. I wouldn't cheat you.

InAndOut.mp3