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Penny Lane Austin mini

Two or possible Austin minis were covered with old pennies in 1967 and used to promote the Beatles record Penny Lane.

The 1960’s conjure up images of flower power, hippies, mini skirts and the birth of pop music. The iconic car was the Austin mini designed by Alec Issigonis and the Beatles were undoubtedly the biggest group of my teenage years.

In 1967 the John Lennon and Paul McCartney single “Penny Lane” was recorded during the Sergeant Pepper session and released with Strawberry Fields forever as part as a double A side. Penny Fields was the area of Liverpool where the Beatles grew up which was named after an 18th century slave owner James Penny.

If you want to sing along click here Continue reading “Penny Lane Austin mini”

Early purple orchid at Folly farm

The early purple orchid is one of the first orchids to appear each Spring  in an English ancient woodland. It has about fifty small flowers which are arranged in a cone shaped cluster on a tall spike. Like many orchids it has a rather unpleasant smell. The leaves are very distinctive with dark blotches which some people think look like dried blood. An old name for the plant was dead men’s fingers. Continue reading “Early purple orchid at Folly farm”

Foraging for wild garlic

Here in Britain the country is going into full panic mode with the corona virus scare. When I went to the supermarket this morning I noticed a lot of empty shelves. So it is good to know that many of the plants in our woodlands are edible and can be very tasty. A couple of weeks ago I went on a plant foraging walk in our local nature reserve and the leader Steve England introduced us to several plants that were safe to eat or had other uses such as making string or home remedies. Wild garlic is particularly easy to distinguish because of its distinctive pungent smell.

Continue reading “Foraging for wild garlic”

Bristol Street art for Thursday doors

Bristol is famous for its street art. It is after all the home of Banksy. Over the last few years the buildings, underpasses, bridges, buildings and street furniture of inner Bristol have been turned into an art gallery. Continue reading “Bristol Street art for Thursday doors”

Cardiff flower show 2020

The Royal Horticultural Society holds a series of flower shows through out the year including the world famous Chelsea flower show. The season starts in April with the Cardiff flower show. It is always held in Bute Park next to Cardiff Castle. This year, Corona virus permitting it will take place between the 17th and 20th of April. The early date gives visitors a chance to buy bulbs and other plants  for the summer.

Click here for more details and to purchase tickets

My photo which will be added to the flower of the day FOTD photo challenge run by Cee Neuner is of the winning entry from last year in the floral marquee. I hope she will allow a succulent display.

Daffodils for St. David’s day

It is not certain how the daffodil became the national flower of Wales but Welsh people often wear a daffodil in their buttonhole on March 1st for St. David’s day.

#Sunday Stills is a weekly photo challenge run by Terri Webster Shrandt. For the second Sunday in March, the challenge is your national or state flower.

I am English and our national flower is the rose. I love roses  but they  flower in the summer here.  So I cheated and took a trip across the Severn Bridge to Wales and chose the daffodil. Continue reading “Daffodils for St. David’s day”

A Falconry display at Tintern Abbey

Last year we decided to visit Tintern Abbey a ruined Cistercian abbey that sits high above the river wye, the river that divides South Wales from England. The abbey was built in the gothic style between 1361 and 1550 and the monks grew rich from the profits of the wool trade. It was dissolved by Henry VIII but the fact that so much survives is a tribute to the skill of the early builders. Continue reading “A Falconry display at Tintern Abbey”