Comment: Snow helps lift our spirits on the home front  

What a week of lockdown weather it’s been.  

From Storm Christoph to snow and then sun, we had the lot in just five days.  

We'd hired a hot tub for my eldest’s birthday, in an attempt to make yet another dreary weekend at home feel special. In a matter of days we went from wrangling the hired gazebo into position against the wind, to taking a 39-degree dip after racing around in the snow in swimwear (just the kids for that bit).  

As lovely as it may look, snow usually brings with it a sense of dread – what if the schools can’t open, or we can’t get to places? Not an issue for most of us in these lockdown days. We’ll take our silver linings where we can at this point.   

Instead, the snow brought some much-needed joy – the kids loved going mad in it, and we were grateful for a bit of variety. Plus, it looked nice.   

Now, as the snow melts and we stare down the barrel of schools potentially staying closed until at least Easter, we’re all longing for a change.  

Apparently, we all want to move to the Cotswolds. According to Rightmove, online searches for homes to buy in the area more than doubled (a 102 per cent increase) in the second half of last year, compared to the same period in 2019. 

Some of us may require a more radical lifestyle change, however. One of the most interesting emails I’ve received lately concerned the Welsh smallholding that's on the market for the price of a Hemel studio flat.  

The £150,000 address is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, and offers 2.5 acres of woodland and five – yes, five – caves but no actual house. Guess it depends how desperate you are for a change. 

While the selling agent admits “the cave market isn’t always particularly buoyant”, what this place lacks in Cotswolds-style magnetism (and planning consent) it more than makes up for in character and quirkiness. 

Holiday pad, maybe? It could be an alternative to camping. Whatever way you look at it, it would be the ultimate post-lockdown change.