Sunday March 31st 2019

Country Life.  But not as you'd know it. 

Doesn't everyone have a few seedlings on their sofa supported (and to prevent spoil) by an edition of Country Life magazine? No!. Well we must be strange. Actually we are strange as a passing horticulturalist to this homestead would see every windowsill and space festooned with seedlings. Julie's overriding passion is to raise plants from seed. Having no glasshouse (still in kit form after 4 years) then the next best option is - cover the house in seedlings. It's an image I shall warm to in the cold winter months.

Saturday March 30th 2019

Another fantastic day in Somerset. We'd been shopping and as I sat luxuriating in the warm over the yard-arm sun, nodding off gently to the sound of woodpigeon scoffing the last of the grain, these tulips caught my eye. I was never that keen on tulips as a rake or a buck. Always seeing them as the unfashionably too late for the ball after the triumphant arrival of the narcissus spring. Recently however, cajoled by my superior gardening partner, strange and wondrous beings have filled pots around the domicile. Colours of warm honey mixed with satanic leaning inks fill various containers. Reds deeper than a Cardinals cape inter planted with the zingiest of day-glo yellow and greens. With the sun filtering through the newly opened cups, a polychromatic scale of light and dark infused the hue before me. I sat and watched for a goodly while. 

Friday March 29th 2019

And so it is writ in the Bible, Matthew 7, 7 to be precise. 

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"

And I dearly wish to ask, why here? This might be the day that for two years we've been waiting to arrive so we can leave the EU, Brexit Day, but as that is not now happening for reasons too long and laborious for here, this morning I found myself in Taunton. Bath Place to be exact, the site of the erstwhile road to Exeter, now a thoroughfare of independent shops. Above a second hand clothing boutique, this caught my eye as being a more positive way to spend the day. Hanging about, watching the world go by. what better was to spend a Friday. But why is it there? I should have asked.

Thursday March 28th 2019

I could be a writer. I am a writer, as words have been published and also as an online chatterbox, I publish myself. This morning after breakfast Julie stepped over the threshold of the Spa at the hotel and I settled myself down to write this and the backlog of blog postings for the day. This was my view, and is still my view as I type this. The only other people here in the Garden Room are a duet of ladies of a certain age, previously nurses, one recently bereaved, having a morning coffee and trying to remember the name of an actor with funny lips. Michael Portillo was recalled, but apparently that's not him. So now they're trying to remember what they meant to say to each other regarding a visit to Bristol yesterday. 

But the pithy part of this writing is that being in a 'shabby chic' hotel its more relaxed than a Playdoh model in the sunshine. I like it here. It's completely understandable why writers come to hotels to write. No distractions other than interesting people to observe. Such as the young couple who have just arrived in the lounge and sat at the only table where two empty mugs are in situ, which they then moved. These chairs, were recently vacated by another couple. So the question is, why these two chairs? There are a number of lovely squishy chairs in this room but that pair of high backed chairs seem very popular. I may write short novelette about this one day, I have the Title, the Blue Chairs..... no a better title, Two Chairs!!

"The room was bright. Sunlight flooded into the duel aspect windows, onto a pair of blue chairs. High backed Georgian style chairs, hard by the window. Resolute they silently play host to the dreams of people" ...to be continued!!

Wednesday March 27th 2019

Birthday Girl. 

Born March 27th 1959. So today was, yes, that big birthday no one is allowed to mention. Like Macbeth on stage never mention the M word or the big 6-0 today. That said it is Julie's special day so anything she wished to do was possible. Thus after a lovely sleep in the hotel, we headed off to Rumwell Farm Shop just south of Taunton. Pushing a big breakfast over the threshold, with the day more clement than clement, we headed up onto the Quantocks for a perambulation. It was glorious up there, slightly breezy around the knee region, but fabulous. Over two hours we were up there, pretty much on our own,  before descending into Nether Stowey and a perusal around Coleridge's Cottage (there's a whole blog there). Julie special day ended with a £9 burger and pint evening at a farm shop near to Nether Stowey, where we chatted to one of the guards on the West Somerset Railway who comes to this Wednesday event every week from nearby Cannington. Most of the other people there were Welsh workers from EDF staying in caravans on the farm site while contracted at Hinkley Point Power Station.  I know how to treat a lady !!

Tuesday March 26th 2019

Phew made it. A half day today at work before Julie and I head off to the Mount Somerset Hotel for three days to celebrate her Birthday. I had a plan for things to do this morning at work, all of which was either scuppered or fell apart for mostly tedious reasons to do with the regular Tuesday meetings we hold. However rushed or not, at 1pm I shot out of the demesne of incarceration and headed home to pack and plan. Before that however a nice cup of tea in the garden. The weather has turned beautiful for Julie's birthday week, hotter than Italy so we are told. And beautiful it stayed as I lay in the bed looking at this view from the hotel room. Smashing, and only 40 minutes from home. No long journeys, no traffic jams, just three days of R&R ahead of us.

Monday March 25th 2019

I'm avoiding all mention of the dreaded Brexit on this year long blog, whatever the outcome, what will be will be, life just carries on. But this cartoon in the Telegraph caught my eye today. Love her, or loathe her, Theresa May has the constitution of an ox. How anyone can deal with the onslaught of hatred towards her and keep going is anyone's guess. That said, the battering everyone has had over the Brexit pantomime, really has battered our trust in the role of the Establishment. Interesting times.

Sunday March 24th 2019

A day of gardening after 'Fencegate' And what a glorious day it was too. I'm standing with a rowan tree which for years has languished in a pot, struggling to survive, blown over in winds and well, absolutely neglected. I can't even remember where this came from, though from memory I will have plucked a seedling from a walk and brought it home for a worse life. That said, it now sits dead centre in the round lawn, where the pond was until an hour before this image was taken. If it survives, the rowan not the pond, then around it are planted snowdrops and daffodils. Let's hope we can all enjoy that next spring. But now, there's a whole lot of other digging, planting and tidying to do. Love it, though these days my joints complain a bit the day after.

Saturday March 23rd 2019

As a child, I would dream of Christmas and Birthdays all coming at once. Well today, in this my 55th year,  they did. I last met up with my friend Rob in November. We had a day birdwatching around the Museum of Nature Art near Gloucester, and planned to meet up before Christmas. What with one thing and another that meet up never happened and we finally met up again today for luncheon at the Anchor Inn Oldbury upon Severn. That's often the trouble with Christmas there are so many people to meet up with time just slips away and by January everyone is in hibernation mode, Or ill as I was. 

Anyway after a most convivial lunch, venison burgers for Rob and his wife Rosie, a goats cheese filo parcel for Julie and a most scrumptious pork and bacon pie in a cider jus for me, departure time came. As we reached the car, like a magicians trick a duet of presents arrived. One in a Christmas bag containing an alcohol liqueur, marmalade and a lovely wooden bowl, the other, four bottles of beer. The former was the delayed due to leaves on the line Christmas present, the latter my Birthday present for next week. Such lovely friends. And it's so exciting when all your Christmas and Birthdays come at once. It is what dreams are made of. Cheers!

Friday March 22nd 2019

Fencegate: 

The above image is what our garden fence looked. Shocking. More rot than wood in places how it stayed upright in the endless gales we get here is anyone's guess  Mind you don't they say a creaking gate lasts longest. Certainly this fence creaked. During windy days it would oscillate and flex like a dogs tail. Various bits of wood were nailed in to prevent collapse. But this winter after endless days of gales one of the fence post snapped in two about 3 feet up. Time for a new fence.

There is a whole saga about getting a fencer to come, maybe for another day. In the end we contacted John, known as Mr Fencer. I'd seen some of his work around and about so fingers crossed he'd do a good job. And so he did.  Although it was like an Ealing Comedy at times. He arrived Monday in his big yellow truck and began dismantling the fence. Then disappeared only to return in another van in the afternoon. 

His truck needed an MOT. Tuesday he turned up in his truck put the uprights in and then disappeared for the day as the truck had failed it's MOT. Wednesday he just disappeared and then sometime during the afternoon he got the feather edged boards in situ. Apparently he was running with then from a van to our garden. The he disappeared. Thursday the job was finished and on Friday before 8am he came with a van to remove all the old fence posts and panels, which entailed at one point chain sawing the rotten fence panels in half as he stood on top of the pile of them. I covered my eyes at that point. In the end he was a great worker, and has done a really fabulous job with the fence, so strong I'm sure it will withstand a hurricane.  Just need to repair the garden now, that's a weekend job then!!

Thursday March 21st 2019

The Vernal Equinox and Oscar the cat. That could be the title of a new novel of mine, as like the rising sun, Oscar's movements across the homestead mirror the warm lengthening days. Oscar doesn't belong to us, but a neighbour. However he seems to have adopted the homestead as his own territory. That and the field behind us. He thinks he is a top predator as for hours he stalks the birdfeeders and bushes for prey. What he seems to have lost is that he is pure white. Appearing in the garden there is a flurry of avian activity away from him. Then forlornly he sits waiting in futile anticipation. Much as we do for the return of the sun and wait for better days.   

Wednesday March 20th 2019

The natural world is all about survival of the fittest. Sadly this seedling is destined for mortality as it germinates and attempts to grow in the gap of a wooden table outside the BBC Club. I sat having lunch looking at this delicate seeding. What is missing from this equation for this minor miracle of plant growth is a stable substrate to thrive in. But really what this image said to me was, no matter how we humans like to think we are in charge, once we just stop controlling for just a second, nature will return. Ultimately this seedling is doomed, much like the long term survival of the human race who, once they have plundered all their resources, will shrivel away leaving, just the plants, the birds and the bees.

Tuesday March 19th 2019

Now I could have taken the classic image of Dyrham Park during my visit here today. Most brochures show this Baroque masterpiece from the hill. It's rectangular shape dominating the landscape near Bath.  But for me and with all aspects of life, the little, the less observed catch my eye. I'll not be the first, and certainly not the last to photograph the stunning red stemmed willows against the lower pond. But how many people I wonder took a black and white image today of a gardener, cutting the grass in the long border. My guess is no one. These borders are being restored this year to their 17th Century creation, I shall have to return. Which is an odd thing to say now, as until November last, I'd never visited this estate, yet today was my second visit for meetings about GPS process and tittle-tattle. It's not a bad place to come to work in. Not bad at all.

Monday March 18th 2019

Fencegate. Today is the day when the fence is replaced. After years of its crumbling structure slowly decomposing into the flowerbeds, Mr Fencer arrived in his yellow truck. Within an hour and just before I headed off to work, he'd got the panels down. Which wasn't difficult as they pretty much fell down once he began.  By the evening there was a veritable pile of wood on the lawn and what a rag tag and bobtail sight that is too. This wood had a Jekyll and Hyde feel to it. A single piece of wood demonstrates this. From my neighbour Rogers side it didn't look too bad as he painted it frequently. Neat and tidy. Yet the same piece of wood from our side looked like something from Stig of the Dump about to be consumed by nature. Humm! must do better with the new fence. 

Sunday March 17th 2019

Yesterday the National Trust's Tyntesfield Facebok page posted the above photograph. This morning when I woke, this story rushed out of my unconscious. I love creative writing, unleash the mind and it just happens. 

"Once upon a time there was a little pixie-stalk called Polygonaceae; to her friends just Poly. She was an orphan after her parents were forced to leave their home by cruel farmer Rheum and were never seen again. Poly was mischievous. Always hiding in dark places before jumping out with a flourish to scare people, so much so, they'd often crumble to the ground in such a fright. One day Poly decided to go travelling. Gathering her processions into a neat bundle she set off on a fine spring morning. Birds sang, a brimstone butterfly playfully joined her for a while. "Where shall I go? " Poly thought to herself. I know somewhere beautiful and safe, far far away from that nasty Farmer Rheum... all day and all night she walked from her native Yorkshire. If truth were told Poly was a little scared being alone in the countryside. Soon though she crossed a mighty river. A bridge suspended over a very scary ravine allowed safe passage. "I'm so tired" Poly said. "I must find somewhere safe to rest" "I know just the place" came a rough croaky voice. Poly turned round but there was no one there. She really was tired, imagining voices now. "I must rest"... "then come with me I know an enchanted land where you'll be safe". There, it's that voice again. She looked down and there beside her a handsome frog gazed up at her. "Follow me" he said, hopping through a broken fence and into Mr Gibbs garden. Poly followed, cautiously at first, but once she entered the walled garden tears of joy welled up inside her. It was beautiful, flowers bloomed, the sun shone. As she explored her new home, Mr frog hopped up to her. "I've something to show you, your new home awaits, it's just over there by the wall"...( and the rest they say is history. )  "

Saturday March 16th 2019

What a windy day.............. 

I don't usually volunteer at Tyntesfield on a Saturday, but today in an act of reckless abandon I did. A Martyr to not watching all the Six Nations rugby on TV, I manifestly manned the barricades against the rushing hoards. Actually due to the gales and rain in the morning the rushing H were more a moist trickle. I stayed until 4pm when after a brief lull in the pestilence, airspeed once again was at full throttle.  So yet another day, about the 10th in as many days whereby the wind was the winner. When will these winds die down we all wonder. It is hard to photograph wind, so today's image is of a bent tree by the car park, leaning ominously over the footpath. That's close enough.

As for the rugby, well I got home in time to watch the astonishing 38:38 draw between England and Scotland in the Calcutta cup. Thirty minutes into the game England were 31 : 0 in the lead. By half time 31 : 7 with everyone writing off Scotland. I'm not sure what Scotland had at half time but they came out kilts flailing and romped up another 31 points by 75 minutes. Would they beat England at Twickenham for the first time in 30+ years? We all thought so, before an English push over the line 3 minutes into extra time awarded the game a draw. Brilliant rugby with all points scored via tries and conversions, just how it should be.

Friday March 15th 2019

Aside from being payday, there's precious little joy to be said about today. With February breaking all records for sunshine and heat, March has excelled in being Miserable-March. Gales, driving rain, cold, no snow down south but has lain with abandon up north. Grim. This was the glorious sight which awaited me as I withdrew the bedroom curtains. How I skipped and danced as yet another day of pestilence dripped drops down the window pane. The best was yet to come with afternoon strengthening winds once again threatening man and beast with a "coup ower" as Northumbrian farmers used to say about a dead sheep in a ditch "It's couped ower". The weather forecasters are predicting fine and settled weather next week, lets hope so as Mr Fencer is due on Monday to wield his mighty fencing skills along the boundary layer.

Thursday March 14th 2019

I sometimes wonder what on earth goes on while I'm at work. To be honest I know exactly what goes on when the Cheltenham Festival is on. Watching racing on the television. So as tomorrow is the Gold Cup Day the current Mrs D will be glued to the gogglebox and waiting for the big event. What better than to purchase for her delectation this rather small box of chocolates to keep her company. To answer my question then, I'll know exactly what will be happening tomorrow afternoon in Somerset.

Wednesday March 13th 2019

And here we are. The end. The very last time I will deliver a programme as a producer and let Radio 4 know it's there for their delectation. After making, recording and editing the programme we send what is called Presentation Details to the Radio 4 continuity team. It gripped me while writing this that at nearly 10 years to the day since I began my career in radio, my time as a producer has finally closed it's final chapter, after many last chapters. From here on in, it's happy, happy happy.

Tuesday March 12th 2019

I should be able to identify these lichens but I can't. Though looking at them I'd say there are about 6 different varieties. These are growing on the upper surface of BBC Club umbrella's but there is a plan to revamp the outside of the Club. Presumably these havens for the natural world will be destined for the waste bin soon. So as the sun shone I took a few images as a reminder of how quickly the natural world can take over human activity.  All that remains now is for me to try and identify these symbiotic non plants. Pretty too.

Monday March 11th 2019

What can possibly go wrong. At the beginning of the month I attended a Northumbrian Pipes taster day. Having managed to make a sound that didn't represent a scalded cat I want to go further. Most listeners want me to go further - away too. So there's too options, getting hold of a set of pipes (which are both hard to come by quickly and expensive) or a set of 'electronic pipes. I've gne for this cheaper option for the moment. And here they are. Strictly speaking it's a tube and a bundle of electronics. The idea is that practice fingering can happen in perfect pitch. Supplied with a mini-loudspeaker and headphones I can't wait to try it out. However in a mood of abstinence I'll await until it's my birthday. Those around me are pleased by the extension too. 

Sunday March 10th 2019

What a blustery day.  This morning began with me running about the garden at 07.20 hrs trying to stop our fence hurling itself across our neighbours garden. Wind gusts of 50mph + had pit paid to the rickety ten year old fence between us. Oscillating like a dying fish this leviathan of softwood construction needed to be tamed.  An hour or so later and the deed was done. Lashed to the outside tap, bolts used to connect what left of the good wood and it was upright. And remained so all day despite the continuing gale and hail over this area of Somerset. The rest of the day was one of gardening, compost spreading and retrieving the greenhouse from round the back of the conservatory. It's only been there 4 years.  I have a plan. Not sure what it is, but a plan.

Saturday March 9th 2019

On what was a very blustery March day I found myself at Yandles wood yard in Martock. I love it here, as does the current Mrs D. Lovely cafe, well stocked art supplies shop and the best wood-yard in the south west. Which also contains a lot of very nice machinery - classic boys toys. The one thing I really regret is not having a garden big enough to have a woodworking shed in it. Trying to do any crafts, let alone woodworking in a small shed or outdoors balanced on the garden table isn't ideal. And why I don't do it that often. By the time I've got all the tools out ready to begin, I'm too exhausted to start and so pack up. In my last house I had a dedicated shed for artwork - it was all there ready for my mind to expand and explore. Somehow in this new house, I've never managed to have a shed that's fit for purpose. Back in September I bought some lovely ash planking from Yandles which is still languishing in the garage. That table top will get made one day this year, it will, I promise. In the meanwhile I'll savour the sheds at Yandles brimming with wood of all species and variety. 

Friday March 8th 2019

Our battered and bruised garden fence. It doesn't look too bad from a distance, but the piece of decking stopping it falling over may somewhat give the game away. I'm hoping next week (for the chap said he'd come in about two weeks time, which was two weeks ago) this monolith to rot and decay will be no more. It's lasted well, and was made on site just before I bought the house 10 years ago. It was constructed by my neighbour Roger and his friend, though sadly at it was constructed with non pressure treated softwood, while it provides a handsome screen, for the last few years in any sort of wind, which we get a lot of here, has seen bits fly off. Closer inspection reveals a lot of rot. So it will be replaced soon by a chap called Mr Fencer. Apt.

As fence panels are no match for the Atlantic gales sweeping up the Bristol Channel, it will once again be made in-situ with feather edge boarding and stronger 4x4 posts. As long as he turns up. The previous fencer we'd got to do the job disappeared completely for a month after I'd emailed a question and said go ahead. Hearing nothing and being unable to contact him at all with follow up emails and phone calls, I thought he didn't want to do the job, so I gave up, Julie found someone else and we gave the job to this second fencer. Only for the first to reappear a week later saying he'll start the job in just over a week. Too late I'm afraid.  Complicated stuff this getting a fence erected. It's not that many years ago, I'd have just done it myself. I'm nearly 55 you know!

Thursday March 7th 2019

World Book Day today. Staff in the Arts office at work came dressed as characters from various books, which was enjoyable to view from afar. But for me these images represents a surprising aspect of my work, but one which has sort of followed me since my librarianship days. Being a radio broadcaster our department receives a lot of books in the post. Pre-publication press copies from publishers. The one above, an autobiography by Beth Lynch, was sent as a 'would Ramblings be interested? The one below sent as we make natural history radio. What is interesting about these books, is that they are incomplete. Uncorrected proof copies not for sale or quotation as boldly printed on the back of the jacket. Purely a sales tool, and I like that. The book below has an eight page index, but in this copy all pages are blank. When working in the library field in the 1980's we'd get many books sent as teasers to purchase more for stock. There is, for me at least, something comforting in opening a jiffy bag and out pops an unexpected book. I just wish I had time to read them all.

Wednesday March 6th 2019

A free gift arrived at the homestead today. 8 lupins. 8 lupin Minarette Dwarf Mixed to be precise from J Parkers - free as Julie buys a lot of plants from them. They arrived battered and bruised in a blister pack, also severely etiolated having presumably been in the dark for a long time. They weren't well at all. They didn't look good, but being a plantsman these are living breathing things.  Even though it was dark when I got home after a bite of supper I popped outside and planted them up. They may do well, they may succumb to disease and slug munching, but unless I try my best to give them a chance to bloom, I'll never know. A metaphor for life there I think. Roll on the summer.

Tuesday March 5th 2019

Chance plays a large part in destiny. Possibly a profound statement for the day. Take this painting as a perfect example. I painted this a few years back as a bit of a practice session. Just something out of my mind, remembering a sunset and silhouetted trees in Northumberland. I quite liked it but wasn't too sure is was a saleable item. It then lay unloved in my portfolio of 'stuff' which this winter I decided to have a sort out of. At that point it lay in the 'to burn' pile. I lit the fire and proceeded to burn a lot of my old paintings and test pieces, what an inferno that was!! However when I got to this I stopped and thought, "Oh I like the dark areas" maybe I'll save it from the flames. Bringing it indoors I left it on the table in the conservatory. 

Spin forward a couple of weeks and the arrival of a plumber. Yes dear reader this is relevant. As she passed the painting on the table, she said how much she liked it to Julie so I gave it a second look. Julie has always liked it and suggested a nice black frame. I didn't have one, so at the weekend I went wild and spray painted a stock frame. Now it's framed I quite like it. In the evening the clouds give off an incandescent light (not sure how I did that). But what to call it? Well given its checkered history and near death experience at the garden brazier, how about Phoenix Sky? 

Monday March 4th 2019

There are times when I come home and words fail me. Tonight is such a night. What in all that's holy has gone on here?  Exploding eggs,  wet floors,  and a wife nowhere to be seen. Call Miss Marple... What What!!

Sunday March 3rd 2019

Waxwing in pastel, by Julie. 

We both paint, my style is a bit more slapdash and always from my mind, I'm not good at painting an image while sitting there. Though strangely enough I can copy paintings quite well. Julie however is a master pastel artist. Self taught she takes after her father who was a fine pencil sketcher in his day, just for pleasure. Julie has always drawn and recently has got into pastel birds on black paper. I like this odd contrast, as most bird illustrations attempt to be lifelike and on pale backgrounds. I though like this black background, it challenges Julie a lot as some attempts end up being too dark. But when there is some colour to add a bit of zing, as in this waxwing, it really works. I just need to ensure Julie knows when to stop, and not keep fiddling with these. The greatest lesson in all artwork, knowing when to stop.

Saturday March 2nd 2019

At the age of 16 my parents wanted to buy me a set of Northumbrian pipes from David Burleigh of Longframlington. That was in 1980. 38 years later, I booked myself onto a taster day at Halsway Manor in Somerset. That was 2018. Then arrived the Beast of the East snowstorm, cancelling all events across the UK. Including my taster day. Maybe I was destined never to play the pipes. Spin forward one year and my delayed taster day has finally arrived. 39 years after my parents were looking for a birthday present for me, for the first time in my life I held a set on Northumbrian Pipes in my hand. The very set above, complete with garden hose to connect bellows to bag. Stylish. This is a learning set of pipes, made in Cambridge especially for teaching, but based, as I learned, on the true simple pipes of the 17th Century.  A basic chanter, and three drones. No keys. 

At the end of the six hour session aside from being exhausted, I'd managed to get a couple of non dying cat notes out and was just about feeling comfortable with the really complex co-ordination of right arm bellowing, left arm squeezing, and both hands trying to find the holes. Uniquely the Northumbrian Pipes are a closed fingering chanter. With all fingers over the holes, the pipes are silent, which gives them their unique sound, as silence is as important as notes. There were seven of us on the day, five of whom managed a simple tune. If I'm honest I struggled a lot, but after lunch I popped outside and practised. It was then I managed to get a good few notes out. And I loved it. I'm going to give it a go, despite my sore fingers. Don't know how, don't know where, but having long wanted to play a musical instrument, the sound of home is, well calling me home.

Friday March 1st 2019

Many is the day when I head up to bed and think, what on earth have I done today?. Today was one of those days. Not that I've not done anything, quite the opposite in fact, as I never stopped for over 12 hours, even for lunch, but just couldn't remember what I'd done. I know there was lots of it. My work day began at 6am, listening to 93 episodes of Tweet of the Day as the schedule needed of the repeats we'll put out from April, had to get to Radio 4 by this evening. Then into the office where a whirlwind of stuff came my way. Planning, scheduling, editing, listening, administration, compiling a recording itinerary, and even kit loan. I managed to get into the studio to fix an edit too. 

By 6pm I was feeling absolutely exhausted and frustrated as the shared folder area of our Bristol server, known as the J Drive had crashed. Thus I had to find a way to work off-line to get not only some pres details to Radio 4, but also update the workplans. By 6.15pm I managed to switch off my computer and wearily head home listening to the Archers; but not before checking in on the Farming Today team who were still in the studio mixing their programme for Monday. The image above I took a few days ago, as I wanted to capture, how my days normally are at work. Normal for me, and all my colleagues, is wearing headphones, editing or listening to audio content and looking vacant. I do looking vacant so well.

March 1st already - Spring has arrived. It's turned cool and wet.