Much as I wish I could, I can’t say I like spiders – but I do admire them. A recent frosty morning showed up how industrious they are – the garden was full of cobwebs. I also admire their their artistry. How beautiful the webs looked, the spirals and ladders picked out in tiny beads of frost.

Traces of cobwebs have been found in amber, showing how long they have existed. The ancient Greeks and Romans used spider silk poultices to stop the bleeding of battle wounds. Spider silk is incredibly tough, and has a place in modern medicine too.

This frosty cobweb occupied a space at the back of our garden bench, corners thoroughly secured, a tight coil in the centre.

Of course these cobwebs are there every morning- but it takes the frost or rain to reveal them to our eyes. What a lot we miss!