“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”― Franklin D. Roosevelt
I belong to a local history walking group. This weekend we had a stroll through my home city of Bristol to discover Victorian Clifton. Medieval Bristol was a small city close to the river and like most cities it outgrew its walls.
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago” Warren Buffet
I love walking through the woods and trying to identify the trees. Last week I went on an organised tree walk to our local park, Oldbury Court and we were able to discover the evolution of the landscape through the trees.
In England we are slowly emerging from lockdown. If all goes to plan, after three dry months, we will be able to buy a drink in a beer garden from next Monday and from May 17th pubs will be able to serve customers indoors again, The pub is a British institution and although I am not a great drinker I have missed being able to chat with friends over a glass of wine or two. This week our walking group went for a walk around central Bristol to learn more about the history of some of the historic pubs and make plans. Continue reading “Historic Pubs of Central Bristol”
2020 has been a strange year for shopkeepers. In March all nonessential stores had to close in England. Although most stores were allowed to reopen in July footfall is still down in the shopping centres and malls. Customers are worried about their jobs, many have been put on furlough or on reduced hours. Others prefer to shop on line rather than risk catching covid or wearing a mask. Continue reading “Autumn in Cabot Circus Bristol #thursday doors”
We have had an Indian summer, warm weather in September and our gardens are still looking colourful. As most indoor activities are cancelled due to covid 19 we have been exploring the local area.
This is my first flower of the day post for May so what could be more suitable than May blossom. In late April and early May hedgerows and fields in England are filled with the delicate white flowers of hawthorn. The hawthorn (crataegus) is a native tree associated with celtic folklore and especially with May day and the start of summer. Continue reading “Hawthorn and the story of the May wishing tree #ffotd#ff17”
Apple blossom in my garden. A welcome promise of Autumn pies.
I have chosen gorse as my flower of the day after reading that children used to use the flowers to make a dye to decorate Easter eggs in the past. In England scrub land is alive with the bright yellow gorse flowers. It is an evergreen shrub and the sharp needle like leaves make it difficult for animals to eat.
Here it is going to be a very strange Easter with the churches shut and friends and family unable to visit.
I would like to wish you a happy Easter where ever you are.
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.
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”
