There and Back

The `Lock Down` to continue for three more weeks - so went the news. Oh well, just more long walks with the camera, in the sunshine. What a shame!! Several interesting plants this few days which make me glad I live on the edge of the countryside. Most of the images of plant life were taken on this one walk What would the Spring season be without Bluebells? Here are a couple if images taken from the edge of some woods in Layham. With some really good weather this year they really are looking spectacular.  Lone Bluebell on the roadside.  Rands Farm in a lovely setting at the end of Rands Lane.  Love the shape of this tree on the pathway leading to Bullocky Fen. I am told the name comes from years gone by when drovers took their cattle down this lane to drink at the lake.  Beautiful lake owned by Hadleigh Fishing Club , tucked away at the bottom of this lane. What a spot.  Nearby, some Horsetails....

Some more flowers seen on my morning `One exercise session per day.` It really is surprising to see how much is to be seen every year in our verges and pathways. When you are focused, it's an amazing and beautiful world. All the following were seen on my walks. When on your lawn, the Dandelion is a pest, but in reality is a rather pretty flower. On the plus side, Dandelion greens are edible and are a rich source of vitamin A. Dandelion has been used in traditional medical systems, including Native American, traditional Chinese, and traditional Arabic medicine. It also has a long history of use for problems of the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts. Today, dandelion as a dietary supplement is used as a blood “tonic,” as a diuretic, for minor digestive problems, and for other purposes. The leaves and roots of the dandelion, or the whole plant, are used fresh or dried in capsules or extracts. As a food, dandelion is used as a salad green and in soups, wine, and teas.  However...

With the country restricted to one exercise period outdoors per day, I was determined to make my daily walk productive! So, camera in hand (pocket) I have been looking in hedgerows and on road verges for the floral signs of spring. Here are some of my efforts in a sunny but rather windy first 14 days. Well, you cannot think of spring without the primrose - can you? So my first two pictures are of that favourite spring flower, Primula vulgaris, the common primrose. It is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and parts of southwest Asia. One of my favourite sights is a carpet of primroses! Blackthorne in profusion this year. This was a cluster in the hedge near Layham Church. There are many of us who say - "is it Blackthorn or Hawthorn"? Well, the answer is - Blackthorn blossoms before its leaves start to show, whereas hawthorn flowers after its leaves have emerged. This is one of ...

Just before the `lock down` due to the Coronavirus, I managed an hour in this magnificent church, just off Christchurch Mansion and park. Although the interior has been much modified by our predecessors, along with most in England I am afraid, there are still many feature worth recording and admiring. Firstly, the magnificent exterior. The church sits on St Margaret's Plain, tucked into a corner of Christchurch Park. The park was the site of the Augustinian Priory, dedicated to Holy Trinity but frequently referred to in old documents as Christchurch.  One of the buildings opposite the church, now an estate agent, is part of the former monastery range, and its beams are full of delightful carvings. View from the nave toward the chancel and sanctuary. St Margaret has the best nave roof in Ipswich, possible one of the best in all Suffolk. It is a fine double-hammer beam affair, resplendent with (albeit restored) original colouring. The angels were...