A walk - with no mac

For one day at least, it's been dry, and so well-chosen for one of our regular walks. We met at the car park above Foxcote, so as to admire the orchids in the common land below St Paul's Epistle. After Needlehole, we trespassed uncertainly through Hilcot wood - rather wet underfoot, and few paths going in the right direction.

It was when we emerged onto the land leading from Upper Coberley that we came across this sad sight, our noses leading the way past (as quickly as possible).

Orchid time - just

On Friday evening, we went to a party in aid of the local branch of Home-Start. As was made clear to us, this is neither a substitute for the AA/RAC, nor a way of getting onto the housing ladder. Up and down the country its schemes support vulnerable children through use of volunteers.

The generous owner of the house where the reception was held invited us to explore not only her amazing Arts and Crafts home and its garden, but one of the fields in the valley below, still presently carpeted with lovely wildflowers, including orchids of differing varieties.

It has taken, she said, a dozen years since fertilers stopped being used there for the orchids to spread back.

Gloucs. and Herefs.

On Sunday morning, as a relief from babysitting, I was detailed to walk Rosie (our Springer spaniel – with not a lot of spring). So, I drove to the start of one of my favourite short walks, above and parallel with Coldwell Bottom towards Pinkham – as photographed – and up through Barber Wood. When we first came to live in Cheltenham, in October 1994, the Woodland Trust had just started to plant trees there: now it is beginning to look like a serious wood. It lies in the midst of some of the best limestone grassland, and I was able to admire the orchids (including a bee orchid – my first for a long while).

It will be interesting to compare and contrast the Cotswold countryside with that of Herefordshire, where we shall be spending the next two weeks – at a variety of locations: we had thought of going to France, but decided to stay nearer to home – for a variety of reasons! First, just to cover the remote possibility of someone wanting to buy our house, and to move in quickly, it will be good to be able to get home easily. Secondly, we need to walk the talk about reducing our carbon footprint; and thirdly, I have still to see the colour of my pension provider's money. More in a fortnight.