We’ve been having miserable weather recently with persistent grey skies and so much rain that large parts of the country are under water. We have to hope that before too long these grey days will give way to brighter drier ones as spring drifts in.

At the castle there’s a little bit of new greyness gracing my living room, but it’s of a much more welcome kind than the clouds. It’s the long-awaited Grey Pig.

This pig, like the other ten that stand proudly on their shelf, marks a full day for me without a ticcing fit.

Grey Pig may be relatively simple compared with the elaborate detail of 18th Century Pig or Disco Pig but I’m more than happy with his appearance. The Pig Fairy continues to show considerable creative range.

I’m hoping that the weeks and months to come will bring many more pig days and far fewer grey ones.