Wakehurst, January 2024

As Januarys go, this year’s one had some beautifully sunny days amongst the midwinter murk. Yes, it was long, like all the memes say. Five Mondays! We had a week of snow and a couple of storms, too. Anyway, on one of the sunny days, I had some time to visit Wakehurst. I went along

That was the year that was 2023

2023, the year of re-integration! It definitely felt more “normal” to me, whatever that means. The end to the Covid-19 public health emergency was declared by the World Health Organisation in May 2023. The following is a sampling of what I got up to over the year. Here are some of my highlights of the

Sheffield Park, October 2023

It had been a very soggy October for us, and this day was looking to be no exception. I was keen to see the autumn colour this year, though. Having booked my parking space (a new rule this year) and with normal, rather than torrential, rain predicted, I grabbed my camera and headed out. Thanks

My Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk 2023

Last Saturday I took part in the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk 2023, my first time back since 2019! I joined a walk in London, from Liverpool Street Station; taking in Shoreditch, Brick Lane, Spitalfields and the City, ending up at St Paul’s Cathedral. We racked up quite a few steps, which my eager feet were

A Sunny Spring Saturday at RHS Wisley

I don’t visit RHS Garden Wisley very often, but I got the opportunity to do so recently. The weather was fantastic, considering the amount of grey cloud and rain that had been hanging around at that time. A very pleasant wander was had, taking in the tulips, Wisteria Walk, Alpine Meadow, and Oakwood. I hadn’t

Bluebells at Sheffield Park | May 2023 edition

Spring arrived late this year, at least for us in the UK. However, things are blooming now! The first blossom has faded and the trees have their leaves again. Having heard that it was peak bluebell, we headed to Walk Wood at Sheffield Park on the first bank holiday of May (of which we get

That was the year that was 2022

Also known as the world’s unprecedented third attempt at 2020. We almost got back to some semblance of “normal” (whatever that is) this year. Not quite, but definitely feeling less restricted and taking tentative social steps again. Here’s a summary of the year, in bullet point form. Again, no new year’s resolutions for me. I

Sheffield Park, October 2022

There is always a good show of Autumn colour at Sheffield Park. Lots of people know this and it’s very popular indeed during the season. Helpfully, they open an hour early and have a booking system to regulate visitor numbers. Our first planned visit was postponed thanks to a weather warning. However, when we finally

Early Autumn at Wakehurst

After an unintentionally long hiatus, I found some time to visit Wakehurst at the beginning of the Autumn season. It was for me a perfect Autumnal day; sunny with the crisp freshness of the new season. The colours were turning, with plenty of foliage still on the trees. I arrived fairly early in the day

More bluebells at Sheffield Park

As it was bluebell season and I had a spare morning, I decided to see how the bluebells were doing at Sheffield Park this year. I headed to Walk Wood, and I think they were better than ever. The staff seem to have done a great job of ensuring that people keep to the paths,