Does it feel a bit like spring is coming? Well, the moment I got my lawn mower out of the shed at the weekend and pressed the 'on' button, the new season had started for me.

But seeing a temperature of 17.5C in Norfolk on Monday - making it the nation's hot spot and warmer than Menorca - shows we are certainly heading away from winter.

Yes, I know it's getting colder at the end of the week, Storm Doris is heading our way and there's still plenty of time left for snow (I've played cricket in the white stuff as well as in whites in years gone by).

I can now drive into work in almost daylight and we're counting down the days for the clocks to go forward. I can't wait!

As the school year enters its second half, thoughts go towards getting out and about and I'm setting everyone the challenge of exploring more of our fantastic region's hidden gems in 2017.

I've lived in Norfolk for all of my 46 3/4 years and absolutely love the county.

Ok, I'm unashamedly biased but I think we have so many attractions for locals, day trippers and holidaymakers to enjoy.

What other part of the country has such an amazing and diverse coastline?

I have to confess that Wells, Holkham, Cromer and Sheringham are my favourites - but there are so many other great beaches and towns and villages by the sea and I'm looking to visit more of them as the year goes on.

For the last three and a half years I've worked in Norwich and am getting to know the city better. However, every day I'm finding new discoveries and there's so much more toexplore.

Our elder daughter now lives in Lincoln, our son spent three years in Durham and our younger daughter is at uni in York and I think going around those beautiful cathedral cities has made me even more appreciative of what we have here.

Throw in the forests, the Broads, the market towns and quirky villages and you'llnever be short of a new place to find.