Saturday 30th July

Lovely day - Summer here at last it seems.     Walked along the Thames Walk - caught the ferry over to Ham House   

 

then walked along to Richmond , every park, of which there many in this area , seemed full of people relaxing and sunbathing and generally enjoying themselves

 

Friday 29th July

The Thames at Twickenham early evening

Still Brighton

Paid a visit for a couple of hours up to Devils Dyke on the open top bus - they say Breeze yiur way up on the us - I can see why!!  You certainly wouldn't want to have paid for a new hair-do before you go up there!
Lovely views and walks up there though and free ride for pensioners on the bus.

 

back in Brighton the Morris Dancers were at the entrance to the pier this afternoon - their lone pipe player valiently struggling to make himself heard above the Ghetto Blasterv pouring out the inevitable pop music.

 

another day of sunshine brought out the visitors to the beach to the east of the pier

Another day in Brighton

Brighton at 9am is quite different to Brighton 4/5hrs later!
The Lanes are empty except for roadsweepers and bin men and the occasional person hurrying off to work.

and the litter remaining from Tuesday night

A few visitors and some locals were having breakfast at a cafe in a quiet precinct

 

while just round the corner the traffic thunders past on the very busy main roads.

On the Beach it is also quiet apart from workers preparing for another busy day

 

See the difference between the beach here at 9 am

 

and then at 2pm

and again at 9am

and then at 2pm

 

 

the crowds were out and the kids were having fun

 

Graduation Day in Brighton

Stumbled upon aftermath of Graduation Day while walking around Brighton today - weaving way through crowds of proud Parents and Grandparents etc.  Good Luck to all who Graduated!  Weather became very overcast but rain kept off.

 Afterwards I caught bus to Marina for a quick look round

 

 I quite like murals on buildings - this one in  the Town centre

a beautiful evening in Brighton

Went for stroll along the prom tonight it was a lovely balmy evening and everyone out enjoying themselves

 

On the journey down from London (a little longer than usual because of an accident at Hands Cross) there are some lovely houses - not necessararily detached - one can't help thinking why is it theydon't build elegant houses any more - even the Victorian Almshouses were gracious buildings..

Butterflies

Seen in my garden today on the Buddleia, in a sunny interval between showers, two Red Admirals

Other things

After some rain the Lavender was alive with bees on Saturday - lavender has done really well this year

This spider made a lair around a rose

A sad loss

Joe Carter's funeral was last Thursday - 10am at All Saints C Of E church at Bedworth - Joe was an ex boatman, his parents working boatmen who spent their whole lives on the canal.  Joe was 89 when he died, one of 13 children and he himself was father of 10 children who were all brought up to respect other people, to be always good mannered and polite, always to treat people as you yourself would wish to be treated and not to have anything you could not afford.  As a result they are a really lovely family who welcome everyone they come in contact with   and as a result are well respected in the community.  Joe gave up boating and brought his family to the land in order to give them the education he was denied.  I was privileged to know Joe and his family as a result of marrying his cousin Ernie and it was an honour to be at his funeral.  n.b."HECTOR" was his boat and many an interesting tale he would regale you with.  He is now reunited with his lovely wife Edna who he missed terribly since her death 4 years ago.  R.I.P. Joe

1st July

Only one person on the Health Walk today besides me due probably to the Murray/Nadal semi final - nobody much around anywhere.   Pleasant  walk though followed bu tea and crumpets at Poppies tea shop.  Summer weather as well!   Otherwise I've been busy in the garden deadheading etc.     Tommy is being awkward and not wanting any of the food I put him down - if you leave it long enough he will eat it but in this hot weather you cannot do that as the flies are there whenever he knocks the cover off!!       Here is a picture of Tommy looking as if he is stalking a pigeon (actually it was not quite like that! Tommy had been sitting there and the Pigeon landed in front of him and was foraging around without any reaction from cat at all - at one point the pigeon actually turned his back on the cat - fool!! - but as soon as he flew of a few feet Tommy began to take notice and go after him. (poor photo but didn't have time to adjust settings)

came across this burying beetle last night

nicrophorus investigator

some other images from my garden