Now summer has finally arrived in the UK, Guardian readers have been sharing some striking pictures, like this wheat field in Dorset.
It seems the sun has arrived further east too. The Guardian's New East network asked you to fill in the gaps when it comes to daily life in Russia. Among the many beautiful photos we received were this one of women taking some sun:
...and people making their way through snowy streets:
Woman on the bul'var
The first snow of winter!
How well are foreign migrants treated in the UK? Not very well, according to the experience of one reader:
I had to leave the UK after 17 years and general media hostility towards immigrants was a contributing factor. I felt dirty and unwelcome by all the filth thrown by the media and many people were repeating it - many felt it was acceptable to voice their xenophobic and racist views subsequent to such negative media coverage.
Another reader told us that despite what many assume, he is not here for state benefits. Another user's experience of moving to the UK was more positive:
I love the UK. It gave me my family, independence. I don't even mind the rain anymore.
World Refugee Day
According to the UN refugee agency for the first time since the Second World War era, the number of people forced from their homes worldwide is past 50 million. We've been running a Syria refugee assignment, since our launch in April last year. And this week, we opened one on Iraq – though of course there are many other places where people have been displaced.
Iraq: Massive displacement from Mosul
This family fled the fighting in Mosul and are close to the Khazair checkpoint. They hope to stay in Erbil city until it is safe to return home. © UNHCR/R.Nuri
The Guardian's Do Something section are asking readers to share details of their favourite UK walks - they're hoping to create some cut out and keep maps. Tynegal sent us this lovely one of a waggonway in North Tyneside. Helpfully including directions in case anyone wants to try it at the weekend.
Walking a waggonway
After the beach, my favourite dog walk is the waggonway from Whitley Bay north towards Holywell. This is the former route of the Blyth and Tyne railway, one of a series of old waggonways throughout North Tyneside which were used to transport coal from local pits to the Tyne.
The path is flat most of the way until Holywell Dene. It's tree and shrub lined at the Monkseaston end then opens out into fields after about a mile. I walk in sandals in summer, walking boots or wellies in wet weather. All the dog walkers exchange a good morning. It's a fantastic route for autumn blackberry picking.
Weekends are busy with cyclists, runners, dog walkers and plain pedestrians.
Directions: http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/pls/portal/NTC_PSCM.PSCM_Web.download?p_ID=521350
As the world becomes delirious with World Cup fever, Guardian Sport asked to see how you are supporting your team. Brussels decided to dress up their famous statue:
Manneken Pis statue in Brussels
To support the Belgian team in their match against Algeria on Tuesday, the famous statue was kitted out in the "red devils" colours. It worked !!! Belgium came from behind to win 2-1.
And we saw some lovers' rivalry at the start of the week:
All's fair in Football
We're dating, he's English, I'm Italian - it's going to be a fraught night!
We asked our readers to share their World Cup memorabilia too. And decided we wanted to see more of the Brazil that doesn't get shown on our TV screens.
But not everyone much cares about the football – we asked you how you escape the relentless coverage of the World Cup. Some go to the empty gym, others watch films in a solar cinema, others...
Morris dancing....
Five teams dance in the evening sunshine.
In order to wrench some of the attention away from puppies and kittens, we spent this week celebrating older pets. We saw some gorgeous pictures of your old friends along with some lovely stories – like this one about Chief:
Chief.
Darling old Chiefy, I drove from Penzance to Lancaster and back (in one long day!) to get him, after seeing him on a dogs rescue web site( he had been listed for a long time) and looked after him for three,all to short years,until he died a year ago. He came with 'battle' scars, deformed legs, which I think gave him some discomfort, and dark secrets from his past, which only he knew about. We loved him and we miss him.
Never judge a book by its cover, they say, probably because book covers seem to fall into cliche much more often than we'd like! Guardian Books asked you to send in any examples of cliche book covers you'd spotted:
Vampires
You only have to google vampire books to see a recurring theme: woman on the front cover because she's a victim (normally), red for blood, gothic purple sometimes, black background, sometimes a distressed serif font.
I think some book covers are designed within group themes to almost recommend themselves - you like vampire books, well this book is of a similar nature, read me!
Shiny black Mary Janes and white knee socks
Started out by noticing shoes on my book covers - and found that within that set there was a 'black-Mary-Janes-and-white-socks' subset ...
New assignments this week
Life in the Baltic Nations: tell us about your country
Vinyl fans show us your record collection
Vacant shops and malls in your city: share your pictures
Tech Monthly photography project: Scale
And last chance to enter the Observer Food Monthly's photography competition.
And though we know not everyone's into the World Cup we just wanted to leave you with this picture, sent in by Dr James Townsend, the Medical Officer at the Halley VI Research Station.
Coolest place to support England?! (sorry)
Probably England's remotest supporters, on the Brunt ice shelf in Antarctica at Halley VI research station.
He tells us
Midwinter’s Day here tomorrow (pretty much our Christmas) so presents are being finished, shirts are being ironed and we're all gearing up for Antarctica’s biggest party!
As always, many thanks for all your contributions. Visit GuardianWitness to see all of them – or add your own.
