Saturday 7 January After a week of gales and heavy rain we had a bright day; the sun unseasonably warm. 8.30am. J and I walked out of the town along the Kennet and past Merlin’s Tomb (yeah, yeah), and the college running track (yah, yah). The speed of departure, looking back to see the town […]

In the garden stands an old brick shed which I have been using as a log store. The front of the shed, which is open to the elements, looks south onto Salisbury Plain. From here we get sunlight in the evening and the prevailing wind whenever it is blowing. One wall has a window, the […]

At our house warming party, I made a drunken plan with a neighbour to embark on a tree planting campaign in our valley. My neighbour also happens to be a forester, so he knows a landscape that is short on young trees when he sees one. This morning we planted (with the land owner’s blessing) […]

So we start a new year, and one filled with domestic and international events (and challenges) which have been much anticipated. One good thing is that we all expect it to be difficult, so there is room for pleasant surprise. And in the meantime, we are all armed for trouble. As I look ahead to […]