It's International World Happiness Day. Here are ten reasons to be cheerful...

1. Probably the best reason of all is that today is officially the first day of spring (see signs of spring further down the list).

2. The clocks go forward on Mother’s Day on Sunday, March 31 for the start of British Summer Time which means the days are getting longer at last.

3. Gin fans rejoice. The new Gin to My Tonic Festival opens at Bournemouth Pavilion on Friday for two days bringing 100 different gins from around the world. There will also be a variety of vodkas and rums to try plus live music for £11 per ticket.

4. There are exactly 101 days to go until the end of the interminable roadworks on the A338 Wessex Way (yes we’re counting!)

5. Easter is just around the corner and you can always rely on award-winning chocolatiers Chococo in Swanage to come up with some delicious new creations. This year it’s a Ruby Chocolate Easter Egg made with what’s described as “unique, naturally pink chocolate with a refreshing raspberry taste which has not been coloured or flavoured”.

6. There are some top notch comedians heading this way next month including Russell Kane and Stewart Francis at Bournemouth Pavilion. The Tivoli in Wimborne will welcome Seann Walsh on Thursday, March 28 and award-winning Welsh comedian Rod Woodward on Thursday, May 9.

7. You know spring has truly arrived when you spot new-born lambs emerging in fields across the county. If you want to catch a glimpse of them, head to Farmer Palmers where mother ewes are giving birth to them as we speak.

8. A classic sign of spring that is less commonly witnessed is the so-called ‘Mad March hare’. These normally shy and reclusive mammals can be seen ‘boxing’ in open fields throughout the mating season. Rather than competition between males, the behaviour is actually females fending off unwanted male attention.The current number of hares in the UK is estimated to be around 800,000 - a quarter of which are in Dorset and the south west. Hares are nocturnal creatures and are usually seen early in the morning or in the evening. The best hare hotspots are Cranborne Chase, the Purbeck Ridge, Kimmeridge and the south Dorset coast path.

9. Spring flowers. First to bloom in this category are the snowdrop and sweet violet, followed by celandine, primrose and daffodil. Later comes the tide of ramsons (also known as wild garlic) and bluebells. From early March, Kingston Lacy shows off its collection of spring flowers to visitors, from daffodils and tulips to azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons

10. Gerry Clarke from Poole has joined the UK Action for Happiness movement and is keen to launch Dorset’s first Happy Café. Visit actionforhappiness.org/happy-cafe for more information.