Saturday 31st August 2024

 

Nicotiana sylvestris, or the tobacco plant. This should begin flowering around early July but this year, here we are nearly into September before the flower spikes are forming. But I'm not complaining as these plants were sown by me from garden saved seeds. The seeds are minute, more like dust really and they are tricky to germinate. Basically the seed is sprinkled on some compost, kept moist but not wet at a temperature above 20-25 degrees centigrade and in darkness. Eventually after a couple of weeks the tiniest plants emerge. You can see an image of this on March 19th. 

Now it gets tricky as they need transplanting into individual growing cells but they're so tiny it needs almost surgical precision. Eventually after a month (if you're lucky) you'll have seedlings about 1cm high with a pair of true leaves. During May and June these grow on rapidly until huge plants develop with really long tap roots. It's a remarkable change. The flower spikes is loved by moths, that's why we grow these.

interestingly this year Julie thought the ones I'd sown were not going to grow and flower in time and she bought six longer established plants. None of these bought plants look vigorous, in fact they look positively anaemic. Whereas my home grown ones are vibrant, if a little late developing. But that's 2024 all over, the wet cold spring has delayed everything from flowering by around a month. But I'm happy as these self sown plants will provide crucial late moth nectar.

Friday 30th August 2024

 

I had a helper this evening. Yes Gingernut. I'd finished work early and while Julie and I had the energy we refreshed the water in the fish tank. While cleaning one of the filters using the front step as a table I chatted to two ladies out for a walk. As I chatted I thought blimey this hedge needs a trim, I'd only done it a few weeks ago. It grows really quickly. But fortunately I like hedge trimming, especially now I've a battery powered hedge trimmer which is brilliant. Gingernut is funny though. As I worked he came and sat with me. Not too close as he doesn't like the noise. As I moved closer he moved away, a right old merry-go-round. It was the same with the two ladies, he'd been asleep but heard us talking. Out he came and sat looking into the distance while we talked. Gingernut really does like being the centre of attention. And is that the last cut of the year I wonder?

Thursday 29th August 2024

 

Not the most inspiring view over lunch but it's an image I don't believe I've taken before. This is the news satellite on site. I have a feeling it's no longer operational, in terms of moving but points skywards at something or other. Many years ago I used to operate mobile satellite transmitters called B-Gan. I've no idea what that stood for but I'd be in the field, point it at a geo-stationary satellite over Kenya and talk (or broadcast) to Radio 4 live, or into a studio for a pre record. But not always. 

Once I was at a school in the West Midlands. I was set up, next to me a teacher who was a keen birdwatcher and the school had some connection to Bill Oddie, I forget now what. I spoke to the studio, all was okay. I passed the microphone to the teacher, 30 seconds to live on Saving Species, Radio 4. And we waited. After 45 seconds the teacher was not talking, after a minute I said what's happening. "I'm just waiting for Brett to speak, meanwhile listening to the birdsong in my headphones." I rang the studio (the days of BlackBerry phones). Somehow between my talking to the studio and my guest getting the microphone we'd lost the satellite signal. We never got it back and the teacher graciously said "these things happen". Live broadcasting can be raw.

Wednesday 28th August 2024

 Quite a strange day. I was in Weston hospital for an appointment and get test results and afterwards had a break at the Hub. But later Kate, dad's lead carer, sent me a number of photographs of stuff in dad's house. The reason behind this was to do with a visitor the day before who dad had agreed she could have a few knick-knacks. Before more heirlooms go missing Kate sent through these images. This one is mainly of a Border Fine Arts shepherd in snow. I bought this thirty plus years ago as a Christmas present for my parents. I like it though Border Fine Arts are not as popular now. 

Tuesday 27th August 2024

 

The excitement never ends. The first message today on my phone was to reorder these for dad. I've no idea why he takes them, or what they're for, but he's about to run out. So onto the Colliery Court website I go and order a repeat prescription for my dad. I got two emails. One acknowledged my putting an order in on-line, with the second an hour later saying my order would be ready in 48 hours, and could I give feedback. I guess this is a lot more efficient than simply picking up the phone and asking for the pills, but for the end user (me) it takes ages. Still that on-line repeat prescription was a distraction from doing work, real paid work.

Monday 26th August 2024

 

I actually took this image on the 27th, but the thinking behind it came about on the 26th. Aren't roses stunning. Of course we all know this, poems, love stories and romantic gestures are frequently enhanced by a single rose, or a bouquet. The heady scent of roses can permeate a garden in ways altogether more subtle than perfume. This rose is doing all of that and more. It's in the garden, Julie looks after it well. It's name is the Alnwick rose and I stood yesterday just admiring the symmetry of the interlocking petals. At the moment this bloom is perfect. A fleeting moment of beauty before decay and death. Like life itself we must embrace that moment which comes along and simply celebrate being in the day, today. Tomorrow is a new day, when today will be an old day in history. Sobering.

Sunday 25th August 2024

Seeing the heather in bloom across the Quantocks took me right back to childhood. Then people would go for a drive into the moors of Durham, North Yorkshire or Northumberland and while there snip a posy of heather off and place it in their car grille. I guess it was a symbol of affluence - I can afford to go for a drive on a Sunday. I'd forgotten you'd regularly see cars driving around Tyneside complete with their little bit of heather. Cars don't have proper grilles now, and snipping heather blooms off would be despised somewhat. So today we just enjoyed the view, a picnic sitting in the car and taking Gideon for a little drive up onto the moors.

Saturday 24th August 2024

 

Well, it is safe to say I shall be going back to work after this Bank Holiday. I never play the Lottery. When it first began thirty years ago or so I looked after a syndicate at work. After six months we'd bet about £900 and won something like £60. Not a great return. Not long after I stopped playing and other than a couple of scratch cards and buying the lottery as a silly gift in a birthday card to friends I've avoided this. Until yesterday. Julie asked me to buy her a paper, while doing so I just fancied having a go at the lottery. I knew it was pointless but my neighbour Roger has won 110 times since Christmas. He's never won more than £30 but his winnings pay for his tickets. Someone seems to be looking after him. It was chatting to Roger earlier on Friday that gave me the idea. But now I know it's a mugs game I'll not bet again, not for a long time.

Friday 23rd August 2024

 

Considering it is the Friday before a Bank Holiday I've been quite busy, at work, looking after my father's affairs and with the Richard Jefferies Society too. With the latter we are looking into whether our website should be upgraded. Today the last of the six proposals we now have came in. To be honest I know virtually nothing about website design, but we know what we need, or at least are looking for. A decision will be made in October which could also decide to do absolutely nothing. 

Thursday 22nd August 2024

 For the record. Julie was working near Mark today but needed to take a detour. I worked at home, which included cleaning the fish tank. Jenny the plumber came to fix the leaking tap and I went to Sainsbury's in the evening. The highlight however was this two flake tub of ice cream. Ezzie's ice cream van sprang into life as it parked up in a nearby cul-de-sac. For as little as £3.50 great joy can be welcomed into my day. I'll try and not post about food tomorrow. 

Wednesday 21st August 2024

 

It is just over a month until I finish this year long blog. This is the third session and it staggers me how quicky I'm romping through the days. As happened the two times before, during the last month fresh new topics were drying up. It's happening again, imperceptibly. Yesterday I wrote about grapefruit. Today it is this rather delicious roast chicken salad at a cafe behind work.  Not much else happened today although weather wise it was very windy for late summer. Actually it was quite windy even for winter. I'll be chronicling the speed at which paint dies next.

Tuesday 20th August 2024

 

Many years ago now I followed the Hay Diet and felt very well indeed. After a bit of a health scare this summer, I'm slowly moving back to that type of diet - it's not about losing weight, more to do with allowing the body to not fight opposing acid-alkaline foodstuffs. Breakfasts now, for me, are half a grapefruit, and I absolutely love this. If I strictly followed the advice from Dr Hay, I'd have grapefruit with live yoghurt. Sometimes I do but more often than not just a half a grapefruit, sliced into eight portions and consumed one at a time. Since doing this, aside from feeling very refreshed, I don't feel hungry at all by lunchtime, that lack of hunger I find that intriguing.  As part of this process I've reduced gluten intake to an absolute minimum too. I do miss the odd Cornish pasty, but I'm not missing bread at all, there are so many other delicious alternatives, so why just fill-up on bread?

Monday 19th August 2024

 

This is what Julie gets up to with her work. It's a new garden in Congresbury, of an old client. The client has just moved into her late parents home and the garden has been neglected for years. Previously Julie worked in their garden in Sanford a few miles away. Today that honeysuckle received the Julie chop. Sadly though I don't think Julie will be able to work as a gardener for much longer. Age is catching up with her and tonight after all that bashing and lifting she has a bad back again. The one thing for certain, nobody can fight the passage of time.

Sunday 18th August 2024

 

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon as these events are titled. During the summer at the Richard Jefferies Museum they host a music afternoon, local bands come and play, it is free entry but some money is to be made through a cream tea (£2.50), ot tea, coffee and cakes. It's simply a good way to get the museum used. I was there today to represent the Society, though as most people came just for the music, promoting the Society was an uphill struggle. But it was a lovely afternoon, Julie came with me, and it made a change. I also got to see the Railways and Jefferies exhibition, which was small but interesting, Jefferies embraced change and wrote about how the railway embankment was a linear preservation habitat for vulnerable species.

Saturday 17th August 2024

 I sometimes wonder how I cope with the excitement. Julie had to pick up some medication from Milton pharmacy and so I drove her there. At school I had dreams of being a farmer, possibly managing an estate. I never dreamt I'd spend a Saturday morning sitting in my car off Milton Road waiting for Julie to return clutching a bag of pills. The sheer mundaneness of life is what makes the high spots worth achieving. So afterwards we both walked to the Owl in the Oak for something to do. It was even busier than yesterday, the owner said she was running out of food, it was only twenty past two and she was open until 4. It is a phenomenal achievement to be so busy, we love it, and in the process walked about five and a half miles. That just about finished us off!

Friday 16th August 2024

 

It's been a quiet day today. I worked at home editing the recordings I'd produced on Wednesday. At lunchtime I cycled to the Owl in the Oak, Julie walked, and we had lunch there, it was really busy, possibly prompted by the news that 14,000 people had used the Pier to Pier way in its first month. In the evening however I began reading The Blue Fields by John Moore, the final book in his Brensham Trilogy. Inside this small paperback was this flyer for the John Moore Museum, printed in a style not seen now. Simple, informative and without images mostly. Today such leaflets without captivating imagery, bright colours and clever fonts would be laughed at. We seemingly can't read dense text now as a society, modern readers only exhibiting the attention span of a gnat.  But what struck me more were the entrance fees, 25p for an adult. Was the 1980's that long ago? Today it would be £6 for the same experience.

Thursday 15th August 2024

 

As paintings go it's quite large. It's a little quiet at work in August so I took advantage of this and had a longer than normal lunch today. Since May there's been an exhibition centred around John Constable's famous painting the Hay Wain, I'd wanted to go but hadn't got around to it, until today. It was a lovely exhibition involving artists who inspired Constable or were influenced by him. In the picture above on the right are test paintings he did of clouds. On the right some lovely small landscapes of his, which I really liked, especially Willy Lott's house, with a 'flying' dog 

The Hay Wain itself is stunning. The level of detail is extraordinary. It's a well known image of course but any reproductions don't do the brush work and attention to detail justice. Plus the painting is two centuries old, but still as vibrant as when first painted.

There was one painting though that for me eclipsed the Hay Wain, this extraordinary painting below by David Inshaw. The inspiration for this came from Thomas Hardy's poem After A Journey, penned after Hardy's first wife died. The landscape in the painting is stylised with the female figure almost hovering above the grave. A powerful and evocative painting.

Wednesday 14th August 2024

I was in London again today, second time in a few weeks. I was here to produce James Garbutt as he narrated three Tweet of the Day episodes. For once, and once only Julie joined me for a day in London. As did Gideon, the knitted mascot I carry. He enjoyed the visit, and was even photographed by a Japanese tourist when he had a selfie with Paddington bear at the station that shares his name. That said Gideon was a little worried about the Dalek.

Julie planned just to sit in reception of New Broadcasting House in Langham Place, but the security guard said he'd issue her with a temporary pass so she could wait for me in the Club. That was nice. My recording lasted an hour from 12.30-13.30 and then Julie and I headed to Regents Park for lunch then home. I think Julie enjoyed being in the BBC. I enjoyed taking her there as it'll probably never be repeated. I don't come to London much anyway.

Tuesday 13th August 2024

It has been an interesting day. Yesterday Dimitri Houtart called a meeting today of all the Farming and Rural Affairs team. I had something of a notion this might be to announce he was leaving. And so it was to be. Dimitri took on the role of rural affairs Editor in 2014 and the success of those programmes over the years has been tremendous. As Dimitri said in his leaving speech we have gained commissions while other radio departments have lost work. It's all happened suddenly as Dimitri has had to resign with immediate effect due to moving on to an international agricultural business. Even he was surprised how fast he had to leave. Interesting times.

Monday 12th August 2024

 

After yesterday's excitement, we woke this morning to even more, lightning and thunder. To be honest not much lightening but Julie heard a rumble and I mistakenly said it's a lorry. Another three rumbles together confirmed my stupidity. I logged on to an online lightening tracker and sure enough between us and Cardiff, there they were. Much more thundery activity in Scotland. Our bangs and crashes lasted fifteen minutes or so - and then silence. Shame we didn't have rain, or the flashes didn't come closer but that's life! 

Sunday 11th August 2024

What an interesting day. I was a guest of the Chair of the John Moore Society, at their Annual General Meeting. Tudor House (now Hotel) in Tewkesbury was for most of John's childhood his home and the AGM kicked off just after 11am with an excellent talk by a conservator from Heritage England. Yes the house is Tudor in origin but most definitely on an older occupied area, most likely Medieval. The current building is a hotchpotch of redevelopment right through to the 1960's. The door below really was bashed in by rioters in 1714. Astonishing.

After that talk we travelled a few miles to Tredington where the rest of the AGM took place after a splendid lunch in a converted barn. I had to give a short address (the brevity of which was lucky for the members). Another member read out John's  letters from WW2 and we finished at about 5pm. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, meeting new people and forgetting about routine and work 'stuff'. I need more days like this.

Saturday 10th August 2024

 

Gingernut is funny. Julie went off to Sainsbury's shopping today. He doesn't like us going out and has developed a routine of watching us drive off, and more often than once waiting for us when return. Anyway he went out and stayed here on the path until Julie returned whereupon he greeted her, meowing loudly and came in with her to be fed. Given Gingernut is a rescue kitten and was missing from his owners for five years before he found us, he's really bonded with us and doesn't like us leaving him at all. Which is nice as I don't like leaving him either. He's lovely and at 15 or so I hope we have many more years with him.

Friday 9th August 2024

 Just after 8pm on Staple Plain. We come here regularly during the summer looking for nightjars. This year we've not been here much, with our last visit on July 26th. We thought that would be the last time this year, but here we are. I didn't have high hopes of seeing nightjars as by mid August we are very much at the end of their summer season. But we weren't disappointed. At 9.10pm one flew by us to Vinny Combe. We followed and there were heard one or maybe two more churring, wing clapping and calling. Not for long but proof they're still here. But very soon they'll be heading to Africa. This will definitely be our last visit this year, but good to be out on the Quantocks in the early night. Safe journey south nightjars, see you next May.

Thursday 8th August 2024

If I looked one way, our two salad bowls were the main focus. However looking the other way, we'd become an internet sensation. How did that happen? We'll simply I was working from home, transcribing and episode of Rare Earth on seabirds. I needed a break. Julie wasn't working today as it was raining, so I suggested going to the Owl in the Oak cafe for lunch. And that's what we did. Julie walked and I cycled. By the time we'd got there it was a heavy drizzle, but being hardy we sat outside under a roof. That didn't stop the wind howling about, or the drizzle soaking us, it was good to be here. The two salad bowls we ordered were fabulous, £6 each. The only downside being the strong wind blew my rocket leaves away. Anyway a result of all this was we had a chat with the waitress and she took a photo for their Facebook page. That made for a very good lunchtime adventure 

Wednesday 7th August 2024

 

I rarely walk into Bristol when I'm at work, today though I headed to Hobgoblin in Park Street to purchase some replacement violin strings. Park Street has changed a bit since I last walked down at Christmas. The lovely Bristol Guild (officially the Bristol Guild for Applied Art) shop lies empty, it was a lovely place to buy unusual gifts and had been trading since 1908, finally closing its doors on May 30th this year. Opposite is a building site. This used to be a fantastic Italian restaurant, Vincenzo's Pizza House. The image below I've downloaded from their Facebook page. From the outside it didn't look inspiring but inside it was authentic Italian, chaotic, welcoming, lovely simple food, a pure Italian atmosphere with men playing cards in the corner. Sadly it's now demolished and soon to become student flats. Progress I guess??

Tuesday 6th August 2024

 This tenor banjo is coming up for 33 years old. I bought it for dad on his 60th birthday, he'll be 93 next month. In younger days dad played the banjo in a skiffle group, they played just for fun. Somewhere I've a photograph of them playing and all wearing duffle coats for some reason. Anyway dad sold his banjo, but said he'd like to take it up again back then. For reasons I'll not go into, he never played this instrument and now I've it. I had it refurbished a year or so ago and I'd really like to play it but struggling to find a tutor. So, I'm going to give it a go by learning on-line. I've no idea what I'm doing, but if I don't try I'll never know.

Monday 5th August 2024

 

Simply the view of our garden from the kitchen window. It doesn't quite look as colourful in the image as in real life but as I did some washing up at the sink it struck me I rarely look at the garden. Most of the time I'm in there doing something and while I take in the subtle changes it's not often I just stop and stare. Julie does the vast majority of the gardening, therefore it's a testament to her skill and activity that it looks so great.

Sunday 4th August 2024

 

Today I caught up with friends (ex colleagues from the Natural History Unit) and we stood about talking to trees. Okay that's a bit of an exaggeration but we did stand for a while looking at this tree. We try and catch up regularly but for some reason our last get-together was July 1st 2023. Today we descended on Frampton On Severn. I've not been here for years so it was lovely to come back, it is a village which always reminds me of Norfolk villages. Today we had a good two hour romp around the lanes, lakes and fields looking for unusual wildlife expertly identified by and described by Brett. Lunch was in a cafe at nearby Saul, which was bustling. The Gloucester and Sharpness ship canal here was absolutely packed, but then it was a lovely sunny Sunday. I got a little too sunburnt too. Luckily Gideon kept his hat on.

Saturday 3rd August 2024

What possessed me? I've not been on a bike for a very long time but this morning I fancied trying the new cycle route that passes our garden. Route 33 is a new cycle route from Weston Super Mare to Clevedon. About 16 miles this Pier To Pier route has been in planning for years but finally it opened about a month ago. Three miles from us an enterprising farmer has opened a cafe next to the route, The Owl In The Oak near Kingston Seymour in what would have been a very quiet backwater before the cycle path opened. 

What a lovely couple of hours pootling along to the cafe, a quick tea and cake, and then pootling back home to be treated by the sound of a fairground organ in the field behind the house, it's the Wick St Lawrence Harvest Home today. 

Friday 2nd August 2024

 

Weird. The image on the left is from 1980, I was sixteen. On the right 1983, I was nineteen. Looking at these I can remember being that age but it seems totally alien now, but then it was 40+ years ago. Time is a funny thing, a second is minute in a lifetime yet these minute pulses in time trundle on unchecked and suddenly forty years have elapsed. I'd like to go back to 1980 and start again, correcting the mistakes I made along the way. My ambition then to run a farm was so strong nothing could dissuade me. Somehow it never happened, and now I'm sixty, virtually impossible to do on the future.  The journey through life is a curious process.