Bilston Glen

Yesterday teatime we received an email to tell us that our holiday in the North West in three weeks' time - all booked and paid for - had been cancelled. Not due to Covid-19 but for 'unforeseen family commitments' (which we can only guess at) so we spent the morning trying to book somewhere else equally isolated. All being well, we're going to Ayrshire.

This meant that our planned day was somewhat shortened but did mean we not only saw Miss Flum, to drop something off at her house, but we bumped into the Younger Flums and their friends, out for a walk and had a brief chat and a kiss from the Flumlet through the car window.

We were hoping to pick blackberries but, noting that one area we used to collect from was now paved over, we went down towards Bilston Glen for a wander. Here (I can say without giving away any secrets I might wish to keep) there are plenty of sloes to be had, though they are still only tinged purple or green as yet. We did find some blackberries, enough for a dessert and a pie, I have plenty of jelly from previous years to need more.

Extra photo is of Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare), which was scattered around the stony areas, and some Giant Hogweed stems  - they are BIG - which we passed under on our access to the glen.

Storm Ellen missed us completely, we have had a sunny day with blue sky and high cloud and I really didn't need to wear a jacket.