Like a lot of us, I spent so many hours pouring over the illustrations in Brambly Hedge as a child. They're so intricate and the plants exact to reality that they're gorgeous to behold. This winter, I've been thinking a lot about nature and the idea of taking it slow through the season as our ancestors would have. It was this that got me thinking of Brambly Hedge and its gorgeous illustration of the cosy woodland homes within its pages.

Unable to find a copy near me, I eventually ordered this one online from a secondhand retailer and it's also as new. The illustrations are just as beautiful as I remember and the stories are just as gorgeous. Revisiting this classic from my childhood was just what I needed in this chilly January.