“Go back to your books, to your armchair. Plant your trees, watch them grow. If more people valued home above gold, this world would be a merrier place.”

— Thorin Oakenshield

Latest Posts


  • Canal… Railway… and Footpath

    A walk through the wood – but the trail is notmuch wider than the path Step out on the Ledbury Town Trail and you are walking along a route that’s more than 200 years old, and has seen the rise… Continue reading

  • The Natural Navigator

    I am the first to admit I am not a good navigator. I have no sense of direction whatsoever, and if I’m walking or driving I can lose myself quite easily, even in the area where I have lived for… Continue reading

  • The Town in Bloom

    It was near the top of The Times personal column: Calling Moll Byblow, the Mouse and the Gazelle. Madame Lily de Luxe reminds you of a long-standing luncheon engagement, at one p.m. Next Thursday. The window table is reserved. Do… Continue reading

  • Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death

    Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death, by James Runcie, is one of those books that I thought I would like, but it left me cold, and I can’t pinpoint why. It may sound stupid, but I do like to… Continue reading

  • A Blooming Wonderful Flower Market

    The weather is still thoroughly depressing, although we’ve had a bit of  blue sky and sunshine today. It rained last night, and has been slightly warmer, so much of the ice and snow has melted. Snow is sliding off roofs… Continue reading