AH, Stroud in the summertime. There is nothing quite like it.

Winter might turn us into a bit of a dreary, grey bunch hurrying from place to place in a rush to get back indoors.

But a bit of sunshine really makes the town bloom.

It is this time of year that makes me realise how lucky I am to live in this quirky, vibrant town.

The streets are full of folk soaking up the sun and atmosphere, the parks busy with people taking it easy and the pubs and nightspots rammed with those out to have fun rather than drown their sorrows. Put simply, the Five Valleys come alive at this time of year.

There always seems to be something going in the towns and villages and rather than seeking something interesting to do with a slightly desperate glint in our eyes we are confronted with tricky decisions about what to check out and what to reluctantly miss.

With the warm weather opening up the countryside to those of us who prefer to hide at home than take a wet and windy walk we're reminded that we live in what is, without exaggeration, a pretty stunning neck of the woods.

Though many of us are guilty of taking them for granted and occasionally yearning for the on-tap entertainment of city life, our rolling hills and ancient woodlands are more than enough to draw the tourists in as they flock to visit our rural idyll.

So it seems only fair that we should give them the credit they deserve and get out and explore the hidden nooks and crannies of the valleys.

Far from being just the natural world that is at its best this time of year, the sun brings out the best in us humans too and even the most miserable have to admit that Stroud's not that bad.

Trite though it may be to make the obvious observation that the summer is fun, let's make the most of it and be thankful for the lovely place we live.