It's the end of May, just about.

Alison and I went out together for a bike ride for the first time in over a year. We took the same kind of route as I did the other day and had similar results with buzzards, yellowhammer and hares in view. I think they were probably Alison's best views of hares, especially the one close to us hunkered down hoping to remain unseen. It eventually broke cover and gave us a real treat in watching it speed off. They are fast little creatures.

Later, Juno and I headed to Knowlton Church for a quick walk and then on to the Horton Inn for a drink whilst watching to some of the music put on over the long weekend.

Hitting half term

It has been a busy week again with plenty of time at the allotments, including this morning when I put some guttering up on the shed in order to collect the rainwater and save myself the trek back and forth to the water pump at the far end of the allotment in Wimborne. It won't provide for all my needs but it will help.

Yesterday I had a lovely bike ride into the local countryside and stopped for a few minutes to look out across the fields away towards Knowlton Church. I heard my first cuckoo of the year and followed 6 buzzards spread out over the skies through the binoculars. There was also a red kite doing the rounds, providing a really good opportunity to note the differences between the two. 

I was also fortunate in being able to spot at least 4 hares in the fields in the distance before turning to see one not far from me, near the farm and hopping closer. With it being warm and still, it was a real pleasure to simply stop and stare.

It wasn't the first bike ride of the week. I'd been out to Edmondsham and Wimborne St Giles, stopping to take a couple of photos, including the ruins at Knowlton Church. I was taken by surprise when my pedal came off on the right side and had to get a lift back home for the final two miles. It's back in now but I will be keeping an eye on it.

The allotment is starting to really take off and Alison and I spent a bit more time there together, as well as walking beside the Stour before having a bit of lunch and a walk round the Minster, the first time I have been inside despite being in the area for forty years!

There was also a trip to Glen's where the bees were being removed again, huge swarms of them having placed themselves under the guttering. We were actually meeting to speak with the various managers ahead of Ragcity and ticket sales are over 20% up on last year's record. Hoping for a good week of sales during half term.

The other exciting development is the calling of the election. Cannot wait and we are already planning a July 4th party to celebrate a huge change in our outlook. It would be devastating to see the polls not translated into votes. I don't think I could cope.

Summer is almost here

It has been so lovely having the better weather, especially with Amelia and Joseph sleeping over on Friday evening, Joseph on Saturday too. We have had the fire pit out and had a few drinks whilst the children play with their sticks and throw all kinds of things on the flames.

Alison and I got to the allotment again today, the second time in the last few days for the pair of us, after Alison didn't get there at all throughout 2023. It is all looking good now and watering is going to be a factor at last. I also had a bike ride taking me to Edmondsham, Wimborne St Giles and past Knowlton Church.

Joseph and I had a kick about on the village green yesterday with Joy watching on before the three of us went to the Horton Inn for welcome drink.

W allotment

I managed a good few hours at the bigger allotment yesterday which resulted in my preparing the final beds, the big one in particular, for planting. That means no more digging this season, at least until one of the crops is done and the bed is left spare for something fast growing e.g. lettuce. 

The potatoes in containers look great and I was able to earth up the main crop potatoes as they look healthy and are growing quickly. The runner  beans are up and there are plenty of seedlings coming through too. The seeds seem to germinate much more successfully here than at WM. I was also spending time on ridding the broad beans of blackfly and in weeding round the onions and garlic. The old strawberry bed was dug over a few weeks ago but I didn't worry too much about clearing the weeds as I dug, so I got on with getting them out and then raked over the soil. Looks good and is ready to go next time I visit.

WM allotment

I was able to spend a couple of hours out before the rain hit in the early afternoon and I felt I got quite a bit done with planting out some more broad beans, sowing lots more carrots, beetroot and so on, filling the gaps and making up for the fact that quite a few seeds don't appear to have germinated, quite likely due to the cold weather and rain.

On the other hand, the runner beans and climbing French beans have just poked up through the soil and the potatoes needed earthing up. The autumn beans are ready for picking, just about, and the garlic is looking very promising for picking next month. There are quite a few strawberries flowering too. The spinach and parsley are looking healthy, as are the parsnips I transplanted. It looks as if transplanting works better here than sowing but we will see.

Updates on allotments

 As well as enjoying the early rocket, basil, coriander and lettuce, the broad beans are on the verge of being ready for picking. They are looking good, as is the garlic. This is the month when you can throw caution to the wind and lots of produce is shooting up.

I am very excited by the thought of the new potatoes being grown in the containers. Never tried that before but should be a meal in each of them, all being well, No waste either with missed spuds or ruined ones with a garden fork piercing them. The strawberries are in flower and I have put some barley straw down to protect the fruits, so a few more weeks and they ought to be ready. 

The main task has been clearing the big bed at Wimborne which had potatoes last year but has become overgrown with weeds over the subsequent months. I have got it just about ready for digging and planting. I will be throwing everything in there using up the seed and ensuring we have plenty later in the year. 

Ragwormers play Teddy Rocks

I think I have been slightly overdoing all the exercise and allotmenting lately and that culminated in feeling so physically tired on Friday. Even the dog walks were draining and I thought about giving the Ragwormers a miss at Teddy Rocks. I wasn't really needed but it's always nice to support them. Glen wanted me along anyway and we set off back to his at 4, time to walk Rag and for the others to gather for the convoy across to Blandford.

It was the best thing I could have done. What an enjoyable night it turned out to be, and no drunkeness or injuries to report either. We weren't really challenged heading inside and through security, as there was just 45 minutes until the band were due to play. I did manage to get one of the purple wristbands, VIP don't you know!, and spent some time chatting with Mel from Hangover Hill records who had booked the band. 

There were a couple of Scots lads from Perth playing and that went well, and they were great to chat to as well. However, I found out that 5ive were playing at the same time and had to choose bewteen them and the Ragwormers but I'd got it into my head I might be able to meet the 3 remaining members of Five and thank them for all they'd meant to Natasha. They were an incredibly important band to our family and we all celebrated when they reached number 1 with Get on Up.

I was able to negotiate the first part easily enough due to being the Ragwormers manager and credited with some status as being with one of the acts. However, there was a triple A area where the big stars were and I could get no further until I told my story. That meant I was backstage looking out from behind the big screens beaming shots to those at the back of the crowd and was able to see all the pyrotechnics being readied for later, the equipment etc. but the actual area was largely empty. 

When the band emerged they kind of walked past me and I had to do a double take, forgetting they wouldn't look the same twenty years down the line! I was able to have a chat with them ahead of their performance and they were very gracious and grateful I'd taken the trouble to thank them. 

It was time then to head back to the Ragwormers who were performing on a smaller stage near by. I was able to flit between the two easily and enjoyed both. Our boys were great and got a good crowd up and moving whilst 5ive were reminding just how many of their songs I knew! 

Once the two shows were over and the gear stowed away, we had a good time touring the site, enjoying Soul Hole and having a mad ride on the dodgems, sliding about in the mud and a few drinks. It was great to see them all so happy and dancing to D J Sammy. A lot of fun.

Euro tour

Our little trek round Europe is taking shape and is coming ever closer. This is for Maria and Lily to have an adventure after Maria's GCSE exams and takes advantage of the school holidays not yet having begun. It is the two of them and myself heading out in the motorhome to the Euroshuttle in Folkestone, across to Calais and staying the night not far from the crossing point.

Our stops include Bruges, Delft, Amsterdam, locations down the Rhine in Germany, Luxemburg and Reims before hitting Paris. We have extra days in Amsterdam, Luxemburg and Paris so we aren't having to drive every day, not that we are aiming to go far on any given day.

We then head back to Calais for the crossing and home having taken in 6 countries if you include the UK and it promises to be quite the experience. We have bookings to stay apart from in Germany now so that the girls can use swimming pools etc, have access to electric and so on. I am going to take the bike, as I suspect I might be up earlier than them and can do a bit of exploring while they sleep.

Allotment day again

With Maria needing picking up from school and then being at dance for an hour and a half, I took the chance to visit both allotments yesterday and got runner beans and climbing French beans sown into both, although the WM plot is now full with planting. I have got seedlings which could go in to plug gaps but it will be a matter of keeping an eye on watering and weeding from here on in. 

The W plot is very different with lots of space yet to fill, including the largest bed which I have only just started trying to clear before digging and getting it ready for planting with courgette, squash and various seeds. The new potatoes are up in the plastic pots, as is basil, rocket and leef beet. The carrots appear not to have done anything.

Today Alison and I visited Frome where we met up with Rob who was at university with us. Having not seen each other for almost 40 years, we finally caught up last summer and discovered his wife, Bev, was an artist. We took a peek at her website and enjoyed her work which led to my buying one of her paintings as a surprise present for Alison's 60th. It has been on display in an exhibition in Bristol which meant a little wait for it but Rob and I decided to meet halfway and to surprise Alison. It worked beautifully. She had no idea at all and was stunned to receive the painting in Costa Coffee!

Frome is a lovely place. Well worth a visit and it still retains a very individual atmosphere with plenty of independent shops, even with chains like Costa on the main street.