This was in The Times on Tuesday and is written by Paul Simons and
Alan Hamilton..."We should have paid less attention to the forecasters
(I think he is referring to Met Check )last autumn and more to the
orange ladybird. If these creatures hibernate in leaf litter on the
ground it will be a hard winter, but if they stay out on exposed tree
trunks the season will be mild. No one knows why, but the ladybirds
are always right. Last autumn they stayed on the trees."