I’ve mentioned in previous posts how irritated I get by the media trying to convince us that a New Year means a New You. I’m not an appliance that needs to be traded in or upgraded each year. I also don’t see why buying a new calendar means I have to reinvent myself. So I shan’t. By chance my first walk of 2025 involved visiting the Wilmington Yew – a 1600 year old tree. I rather liked this mini act of rebellion against the pursuit of new and so decided to make visiting this ancient beauty a new year tradition. Or should that be a Yew Year tree-dition…

Thankfully the weather gods approved of my plan and blessed me with a gorgeous blue sky day. Now while I do usually aim to carry on doing longer walks even after the autumn leaves have fallen, I do tend to slip into semi-hibernation. Wintering is the idea that we should use the colder months to retreat from the world, embrace the cosiness and rest before the return of longer, lighter days. The conter-argument is that we should continue to get outdoors as often as possible, to experience the changing seasons and enjoy a burst of fresh air. As is generally the case with these things, I find the answer is not either or but a mixture of both. As the days get shorter, I don’t do as many long walks but I’m grateful to still have my walk as part of my commute so I get some time outside, as well as my short strolls around the park. However outside of that I do also enjoy embracing the cosiness, snuggling up in the armchair under a giant blanket and reading a good book. Although as well as reading I have also been getting back into video games and adored Winter Burrow. It’s a cosy, survival game where you are a mouse pottering about a winter woodland and tasks include knitting yourself a woolen hat or baking a cake for a friend. It’s ridiculously cute and means you still get to spend time in the woods without leaving your blanket.

This talk of wintering is all well & good but what has this got to do with the Yew Tree? Well this is all leading up to saying that the walk was the first longer walk I had done in a while and I could feel it. However that’s no bad thing as this reminded me of yet another reason why I enjoy walking. When you come home with achy thighs it reminds me that you’ve put your body to good use. Our bodies are not merely works of art to be admired despite what the media would have us believe. Our bodies have a practical purpose and it feels good to be reminded of this. I grew up in the era of women being told we should aspire to be a size zero but in order to achieve that I would need to starve myself. This may make me a more appealing clothes horse but I doubt I would have the energy to walk for a couple of hours to visit an ancient yew. When my muscles ache, it’s because they are working and I am grateful to them. I noticed the walk wasn’t completed with as much ease as when I’ve been walking regularly but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to make a resolution to exercise more and eat less as I know that as the seasons change so will I. I’ll naturally be out and about more, and I’ll get used to walking more often again.

The Wilmington Yew, or any tree for that matter, cares not a jot what society thinks it should look like. Trees adapt to fit the seasons, allowing them to survive and thrive. I think this is a useful reminder for all of us, it can be difficult when we are constantly being bombarded with adverts for gyms and diet plans but what really matters is that we continue to be ourselves. Of course if people want to make changes to their lives there is nothing wrong with that but it should be a genuine desire rather than a pressurised response to a change in the date.

I will aim to carry on with my Yew Year tree-dition as not only is it a good reason to stretch the legs after a prolonged period of wintering but being with this old yew reminds us that there is no need for a new you. Although if you do want some newness in your life then why not plant a new yew instead?

That’s how I stroll.