Country diary: The boulevard of bullfinches always delivers | Country diary

Brancepeth, County Durham: This photogenic family made it through the storms and will stay together all winterOn my personal memory map of favourite local walks, this tree-lined former railway line is labelled Boulevard of the Bullfinches: they are always here in winter.Storm Arwen blew autumn away in a day. Sub-zero overnight temperatures have left the old track bed iron-hard. Frozen grass and fallen leaves, fringed with ice crystals, crunch underfoot. There is a brutal, eye-watering north wind, so I walk head down, face numb, shoulders hunched, gloved hands thrust into pockets. Continue reading...