A very late Spring

Over the last couple of decades, every year on  this last Sunday in April when I've driven through a particular wood above the Wye Valley on the way to say mass in one of the churches I look after,  the beech trees have been more or less in full leaf, with that particular fresh shade of green which is one of the loveliest sights of this time of year.
Not today; apart from a few lower branches on trees in the most sheltered spots, there's nothing to be seen; from a distance the trees look much as they did in the depths of the winter. Things were, as they say,  'backward'  last year (see here) but not to this extent.
Having said that, the woodland flowers, including wood anemones and wild daffodils are now in full bloom (but where are the bluebells? Hardly in bud. ) Spring is on its way, certainly, but so very late; today - yet again - the wind has swung round to the north.

Of course, in Britain we're used to these seasonal fluctuations, but over the last few years we have come to expect evidence of all those alarming reports telling us that, in a few decades or so, we will be experiencing a mediterranean climate in southern Britain. 
Let's see what the Summer brings; in any case, I'm going to hold off on the planting of the olive groves for a while yet.