Warm West Ealing

In Warsaw today, the daytime high was 0.4C. Here in West Ealing, it was 17.5C. A massive difference in temperature, reflected in the state of nature. Although not as fast as 2016 when on 30 January there were crocuses, snowdrops, daffodils and crab-apple trees in bloom, London is still several weeks ahead of Warsaw when it comes to those early intimations of spring. In Warsaw, other than tightly-furled proto-buds of leaves at the end of dry twigs, there's little hint that winter is ebbing.

Below: crocuses and snowdrops have erupted on my father's lawn. Bees are out, flying from flower to flower collecting pollen from the stamens.

Below: an even greater sprinkling in Cleveland Park; note the yellow ones, absent from the photo above - my father's theory is that the squirrels eat the bulbs of the yellow crocuses.

Below: to date, the only daffodil to have come into bloom in my father's back garden. A mass explosion due any day now.

Below: the front garden is better provided in daffs... At dawn, I am awakened by beautiful birdsong.

Below: a floral hedge along Cleveland Road, just after sunset.

Below: St Mary's Church, Perivale, in the early evening sunshine

Below: how many hours of sun have warmed the bricks on Stowell's Corner? The former wine merchants has become a cafe on the corner of Argyle Road and The Avenue.

The south-east wind means Heathrow air traffic is taking off over Ealing; below Boeing 747-400 G-CIVN on its way to Las Vegas. Worth noting that the first flight of the Boeing 747 was fifty years ago this month - half a century in the air for this model! The oldest 747-400 (long-top) in current BA service started flying passengers over 28 years ago in July 1990, so well over half of the Jumbo Jet era.

Four-engined planes are rare visitors to Warsaw Okęcie airport. Here's Airbus A380 G-XLEE shortly after take off, beginning its ten-hours 38-minute flight to Los Angeles. A shame that these magnificent structures will no longer be built beyond 2021, but then they will be replaced by more fuel-efficient aircraft.

This time two years ago:
Fat Thursday: a blast against sugar

This time three years ago:
The Devil is in doubt

This time four years ago
Are you aware of your consciousness?

This time six years ago:
"Why are all the good historians British?"

This time seven years ago:
Central Warsaw, evening rush-hour

This time eight years ago:
Cold and getting colder

This time ten years ago:
Uwaga! Sople!

This time 11 years ago:
Ul. Poloneza at its worst