Thursday 4th June 2026

I am a member of the Hardy Orchid Society (HOS), and each year ask for people to lead free site visits where orchids can be found.

I was asked before Christmas if I could step in and lead one in Kent as their usual guy was recovering from an operation. In the event he did recover, but did I have any ideas of places to go other than PGD and Bonsai?

I did.

Several.

So it came to pass that I created a five stop tour, submitted it, and was accepted. And when the tour went live I had to close the list when it reached twenty people!

Over the months I kept those attending up to date with flowering, and what would likely fade before the tour, and what would be OK.

In the last week I supplied addresses, postcodes, W3W codes and grid references for all sites, then on Wednesday snips of maps and GSV showing the places to look for when arriving or turning down a country lane.

I thought I have covered all bases.

Phew!

So the morning arrived, and the weather forecast was changeable, to say the least. We had coffee and breakfast, but skipped the gym as I would be doing plenty of phys through the day.

We met two guys off the train in Folkestone just before eight. They climbed in, and that's when the rain started!

Not just rain. But proper rain that fell from the sky like it was from buckets. Roads turned to rivers as we climbed into the downs.

We turned off down the lane, and half a mile on we came to the "road closed" signs.

The rain was still bouncing down.

We had seen no diversion signs, but looking at the map there seemed to be a way round. All well and good for us, but there was at least ten other cars coming, and the short drive from the meet point to the site was now a four mile diversion down six-foot-sixers. In a rainstorm!

We went to the site, arriving as the clouds cleared, though the path was a bubbling stream. Jools went back to the meeting point, while Jon, David and I went to the Late spider site.

Spikes that were perfect at the weekend were now browning off badly. Of the five spikes found, four were showing signs of turning, while the fifth was perfect.

Jools returned with more people and two more carfulls, Jon and David went with Jools and I showed the next group the orchids.

In the end all saw the orchids in three groups, so much so that we were done in just over an hour, and half an hour ahead of schedule.

From there it was a half hour's drive up to Barham. We stopped off in the post office/village shop for refreshments and an ice cream, sitting outside as more rain clouds gathered.

I began to get calls from the others on the tour that they had arrived at the hard standing, and I wasn't there, so we hightailed it to the Black Robin, turned down the lane and in ten minutes arrived. And soon enough all had arrived, so we could walk into the woods, and I find the area where the Bird's-nests were, calling the group over and advising them where was safe to stand, and where was filled with orchids.

Again, the BNO were going over, all bar a couple of spikes were already in seed, where at the weekend they were fine. I apologise again, but they accept with good grace, and they were thrilled to find a woodland Fly Orchid still in reasonable shape, even if the woodland Lady were just gone to seed and fading fast.

We had over an hour to drive to Monkton. Again not helped by closed roads, but we knew the alternate ways, so we went through Shepherdswell and then onto the Sandwich Road, onto Thanet and to Monkton.

And while on the Sandwich bypass, I pointed out the huge number of Lizard orchid spikes growing just the other side of the crash barriers and on the central reservation.

We had half an hour once arrived at Monkton. So I had a cuppa and a flapjack, sat and talked to those on the trip who had already arrived.

Then at one we met the director, Clive, who welcomed us and outlined what grants from the HOS had allowed the reserve to achieve.

Then we could go on a wander round the reserve, sticking to just the lower level as the rain had made the chalk slippery like ice. But we saw hundred of Man Orchids, some Chalk fragrant, Southern Marsh, Common Spotted, Bee and Twayblades. The tour was very happy, as most had only seen a few Man before in isolated colonies round the country.

A quick drive to Monks Wall. A reserve set beside the Sandwich bypass, though it wasn't the reserve itself we visited, but the verges and central reservations, where dozens of mature Lizard orchid spikes were enjoyed and photographed.

The group was amazed at the number and size, as well as some being pale green or even yellow in colour. Common broomrape was seen, as well as more Bee orchids in flower in the undergrowth.

I was getting tired, but we had one last site: Sandwich Bay. If not for the Lizards but the nationally rare Bedstraw broomrape, though when I checked on Sunday, the there was only two spikes not totally burnt off.

After an ice cream, we walked off across the reserve, through the meadow and the dune slacks, then over the two fairways of the golf course and onto The Strand.

I set off knowing where one of the less burnt spikes would be, while the group dallied. I gave a shout as I found a spike still showing the yellow colour.

But then the group found a newly emerged spike, brought on by the recent rain I would have thought, and they all carried out a sniff check which proved it was indeed clove-centered.

And with that the tour ended, and we walked back to the observatory, said our goodbyes and we all scattered near and far back to our homes or their hotels.

We dropped Jon off in Sandwich, and Jon at Dover Priory. Thankfully traffic was light, it was now cool and windy, but we had had good weather since that early morning downpour.

We go back home, test and feed Scully and the rest of the cats. I rustle up some garlic bread, warm through some defrosted ragu, cook some pasta, and within half an hour of getting in, we were tucking into a fine Italian feast.

It has been quite a few days preparing for the day, but the feedback from the members made it all worth while.

Knackered, we went to be at half eight, while it was still light.

Wednesday 3rd June 2026

Just over a week ago, it was so hot and humid we couldn't sleep, we had to water the garden most nights, and just sitting and thinking brought on a case of the vapours.

Or vapors.

Wednesday was to be very windy, cool and with rain and possible storms.

I had a stiff knee, so was going to take it easy again, but Jools would get up early doors for her class in town.

All the windows and back door was open. I sat there in shorts and t shirt, telling myself it was summer and not cold.

But it was cold.

So the back door was closed, and one by one the windows closed.

It was better. Kinda.

I went along the street to check on the Bee orchid, only to find one of the flowers had been munched by a slug or snail.

I walked back for a brew and breakfast.

Before the rain fell. I went into the back garden to check on the lawnmeadow, and found several Corncockles open, so snapped one of them. I spread seeds and peanuts for the birds on the ground, then retreated back inside the house and made a fresh brew to keep warm.

The day slipped by. At least the morning did.

Outside rain began to fall, and the garden and countryside sighed with relief.

I spent most of the day preparing mails and information for the "ambitious" orchid trip I was leading on Thursday, sending four mails with information, snips of maps and GSV so they would know where to go, without trouble.

Supermarket fish with baby boiled new potatoes, creamed spinach and peas and sweetcorn.

Full of vegetable goodness.

It went down well.

Another night with no football. Well I think Wales was on BBC Wales, but I forgot to check, so we went to bed at half eight with a big day ahead of us.

Season's end. Or is it?

When does the season end?

Well, depends on which league your team is in. It could be the end of April, first week of May or the third week in May. Or your team could reach the play-offs in which the season ends in the last weekend of May. Or if your team gets to a European final, then it could extend into June.

And the whole thing starts again either on the second or third weekend of August.

Except this year, there's a World Cup, and with 48 teams, its got not only more games, but will take longer to finish.

Just for the record, I have no idea when the first game is in the World Cup, or who even is in England's group.

Let me check:

The first game seems to be on the 11th June, and the final is on 19th of July. That is something like six weeks. And for me our road trip begins the day after the final.

Looking back, its been quite the season.

Arsenal became Champions of England for the first time in 22 years. In the end winning the title by seven points after Man City failed to win either of their last two games: drawing one and losing one, while Arseanl won all of their last five.

Manchester United improved on last season's 15th finish by finishing this season 3rd. Villa were forth despite a long and successful European campaign. And Liverpool finished 5th, so qualified for the Champion's League, though sacked manager Arne Slot anyway.

Pep is leaving Manchester City a year before his contract was up, but at United, Ruben Amorim was sacked early in the new year, and Michael Carrick was interim manager at first, but after guiding them to 3rd, has been given a three year contract. He will last until United's next dip in form when the club will panic and sack him.

Bournemouth finished sixth, and so qualified for the Europa League, but newly promoted Sunderland finished seventh and joined them. Bright finisnied eighth and made the Conference.

Chelsea's experiment with signing the world's best young talent for sky high fees on long contracts has been shown to have failed, as their frm tanked in the run-in and so finished tenth. Chelsea sacked manager Enzo Maresca on New Years day after he complained that the clubs functions were stopping him from managing. Liam Rosenior was brought in from Strasbourg, as they're both owned by the same company. (dont ask). And he was sacked on the 22nd April with the team apparently not willing to play for him. Xabi Alonso has been brought in for the new season, and time will tell on how that will go with another manager with firm ideas and tactics, and headstrong egotistical senior players.

It will be nothing if not interesting.

Newcastle finished twelfth, after a good showing in the Champion's Leadue, their squad wasn't good or deep enough to challengs on four fronts. Losing star striker Alexander Isak, who went on strike to force through a £125 million in the last week of the window, leaving the Magpies a striker short.

Before the season started, I thought that the three promoted teams would all go back down, as happened in the two previous season, arguing that no team could be so badly run to be in danger of relegation after three years of over £100 million per annum in TV money. But step forward Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. But one of those did survive.

Wolves have been selling their best players each season for a few years, and not really replacing them. That into December, they only had two points and were in danger of becoming the worse ever Premier League team. But they did begin to win, nowhere enough games, and ended the season in 20th and last place with 20 points, having won just three games all season.

Burnley showed that having conceded less than twenty goals in getting promoted in the Championship the previous season was no preparation for a season in the Premier League, and so finished 19th, conceding 75 goals, soring just 38, so winning 4 games and ending with 22 points. They sacked Paul Parker when it was inevitable they were going down, so will rebuild again.

That leaves us with the two London teams, West Ham and Spurs.

Spurs finished 2024-25 season in 17th place, one place above the relegation places, but some 13 points clear of the team below them by 13 points. Senior management must have thought they couldn't be that bad again, could they? Yes they could.

Both teams won ten games each, but for Spurs many of those was in the warm autumn sunshine. They only won three home games all season, one of which was the last game, which ensured their survival. They had an injury crisis for sure, but some teams, like Norwich had worse, and kept winning.

Ange Postecoglou was sacked last summer despite winning a European trophy, and was replaced with Thoma Frank from Brentford, who left the well run west London club for the bin fire that is New White Hart Lane. Frank was sacked in February with the worse win percentage in the club's Premier League history. He was replaced by Igor Tudor, who had saved several Italian clubs from trouble previously. He won only one game in seven games and left by mutual consent after the death of his father. He was replaced by Roberto De Zerbi, who steered them to safety.

West Ham meanwhile went from crisis to crisis. After a poor start, Graham Potter was sacked and replaced by former Nottingham Forest manager, Nuno Espírito Santo. He had been sacked after falling out with Forest's billionaire owner, but took the West Ham job. In the spring there was an improvement in form, and as they and Spurs competed in a death dive to see who would go down, all was going wel until they lost 3-0 against Brentford, and swapped places with Spurs who won their first league game of the year the same day. West Ham were relegated despite winning 39 points, the highest points total a relegated team had achieved in over a decade.

The season was marked by the coming back into fashion of the long throw and goals from corners, which resulted in most games much jostling between defenders and attackers. Also there was a sizeable reduction in goals from open play, making the Premier League much less enjoyable to watch. Whether this was just a blip or something more permanent remains to be seen.

In the Championship, Frank Lampard's Coventry City were promoted as chammpions, despite a major wobble early in 2026. He was made Manager of the year by the LMA because he's Frank Lampard. He's now being tipped to take over another Premier League club, but the Chelsea berth is taken. I have nothing against him, but that whoever he manages becomes "his" club is more than annoying. I can't argue he did a great job building on what Mark Robins had done previously.

Ipswich finsihed second, rather stumbling over the line at the end of the season, though they stuffed Norwich both home and away, which shows nothing lasts forever. MCKenna is being tipped for other clubs too. We shall see.

Hull went up via the play-off, beating Middlesborough after Southampton were kicked out fo "spygate 2". They finished sixth, and only got into the top six on the last day with an undesrved win against Norwich who outplayed them. But they have a resilute attitude which was fine in the second tier, might not work in the Prem.

Norwich had quite the season. Liam Manning was appointed in the summer. A Norfolk boy and Norwich supporter and former season ticket holder, he had done well in getting Bristol City into the play-off in 2025.

But it was not to be.

Under Manning lost all of their first seven games under him, and won their first home point once he was sacked and replaced by Philippe Clement. Under him, players that seemed to not know what footbal was, were coached into a coherent unit, despite a string of injuries, at one time numbering 17 (seventeen), beat that, Spurs. And club captain and centre forward, Josh Sargent, went on strike to force a move back to North America.

Norwich just fell short of a run into the play-offs, which was probably a good thing, but look good for next season, if they can keep hold of Philippe Clement.

Anyway, enjoy the eight days until the start of the World Cup.

Tuesday 2nd June 2026

Someone broke summer.

Only two days into "official" summer, and the wind did blow clouds across the skies and thunder and rain was threatened.

It was Tuesday, so it was off to the gym early on. I do my forty minutes, and it was good as I had the second half of a podcast to listen to, even if was hot and sweaty.

Phew.

This would be my last session until Friday or Saturday, but it always a good feeling to be walking back to the car having done the session, whilst others are walking from their car yet to begin theirs.

Engage smug mode.

Back home at a minute past seven, with the kettle boiling and Jools preparing to make a brew for me.

My right knee ached, this is the one I tore the Cartlidge in a couple of years back, so best take it easy and give it a rest for the rest of the day.

Jools went to her fitness class, and I stayed home to listen to some more pods, watch videos, cool down and in time, have breakfast.

Rain came down, but the storm radar showed no storms within a couple of hundred miles. And that was the situation all day, as most of England saw thunder, we didn't. Even Thanet got one, with rain so heavy trains had to reduce speed due to not being able to see the signals.

I listen to yet more pods upstairs in the back room. Mulder came for some attention, but couldn't get too close, close enough to paw my knee or arms, so just sat and wailed. Then jumped up the back of the chair, and walked onto my shoulder, down my chest and jumped off again.

Then began the wailing again.

It suddenly seems odd to do nothing, after going out for orchids and/or snapping apparently every day for weeks.

Sometimes, we just have to rest.

So, we rest.

Jools watched some sci-fi series about super heroes. I don't watch. Drama still pretty much leaves me cold, so I read or stare out of the windows upstairs. The sun shone late in the afternoon, so I take a snap out of the back room window. And that was that. We have dinner, wash up and that was that. Another day retired. But no stress.

Monday 1st June 2026

Mondays.

Last week I had volunteered my services to assist in an "introduction to orchids" day at Monkton Nature Reserve for KWT.

Only its also one of Jools' busiest day, with her friend, Twiggy (not that one) coming over to do some admin. Normally I would take the car, but Jools would have to drop me off, and I be stuck there until she came to collect me at three or four.

And again, my brain wakes me up during a dream in which a friend is being attacked by pirates for not building a set of steps on a footpath correctly.

Best out of that dream!

My legs were stiff from the steps on Sunday, so I thought little of that. I mean, how much walking could there be?

So we left at nine, after rush hour, I drove us to the Sandwich Road, then across the marshes through Preston and out through Stourmouth. It is more direct, and would avoid any traffic on Thanet.

That's my excuse for going the scenic slow way.

I arrive a few minutes early, but people are already arriving

I take a seat and keep myself to myself, until we were called into the café, as the lecture/discovery Buckyball had suffered an IT failure.

The director, Clive, did introductions, then presented me as something of the orchid expert.

Ahem.

So, Clive delved into his presentation on what an orchid is, and how they reproduce and an overview on the main species.

I chip in with comments/corrections, but not many.

After an hour we go into the reserve, walking round the lower level, looking and them trying to ID orchids.

We amble round, and I take questions from the dozen or so people on the course. Its a day with hazy cloud, but warmer than expected, and no rain came. I did, at least, remember to bring a hat, so kept the sun off.

I hadn't read the mail from Clive properly, so failed to bring a lunch, but there were chocolate hobnobs to graze on.

We went back out, and this time to the steps to the upper level and found some open Bee, as well as dozens for man and Twayblade. Views over the reserve were spectacular.

Back down for a presentation on propagation of new orchids for the site, I tried to show some pictures I I brought on a memory stick, but Clive's Apple Mac kept crashing and I had to give up on the 4th attempt.

And we were done.

I walked up to the entrance at quarter to four, to find Jools had just arrived, so I climbed in and she drove us back home in the warm afternoon sunshine.

Dinner was leftover pizza and quiche. And beer. All done in ten minutes and wolfed down quickly.

My legs ached and stiffened up now I wasn't walking, would I go to the gym in the morning?

No football to watch again, so I watched stuff on that YouTube and was in bed for nine.

Sunday 31st May 2026

Sunday. And I had friends coming down from Gloucestershire.

For orchids.

Obviously.

The temptation was to scrub phys, but Jools said, correctly, we should still go.

Up at half five, with enough time to feed the cats, test and jab Scully, make and drink coffee. And be ready to rock and roll come ten to seven.

Sundays are always quiet at the sports centre, at least at seven, and most who are there when it opens are going swimming.

We go upstairs to the gym, where there is just one guy in, doing weights. So we climb on the bike and get going.

At least there was The Parallel Universe to listen to, with Marc and Beverly Bob to listen to, from 1986. Or reading from an edition of Sounds from 1986.

Time flew, even though I was hot, and there was enough unplayed to fill Tuesday morning' work out as well.

Yay.

Back home for a brew, then off to Folkestone Services to meet Duncan and his mate, Andrew, for the first of several site visits.

I had enough time to have breakfast of a bacon and egg sarnie and a bottle of banana milkshake, then go outside to wait for them to arrive.

We go to a site where there was much to see. The long walk up the down was filled with Bee orchids just opening, and the occasional butterfly fluttering by.

We reached the site, and filled our boots with two species of orchids, rare variants and hybrids.

What to do with the rest of the day?

I mention Monkton Nature Reserve, and their nearly one thousand spikes of Man orchids. Yellow Man orchids.

It was agreed and we set off across the county, through Barham, Wingham and Preston, avoiding the main roads, until we reach the reserve. And there was plenty of parking too.

They were expecting a small roadside reserve, not a five hectare former quarry with nearly a dozen potential orchid species.

We spent a good two hours wandering around, and they delighted in the yellow Man. We also found a couple of Chalk Fragrant just opening, as well as SMO and CSO.

We stop for a cuppa and some shortbread, catching our breath before the short drive to Cliffsend and their desire to see the white SMO twins.

A cuckoo called from a distance, as we walked over the main road and into the reserve. We cut into the thick vegetation, and I find the two spikes straight away.

But the spikes were already browning off from the bottom of the spikes, a shame, but in these dry conditions, it is to be expected.

Another two minute drive away was Monk's Wall, and after parking I show them the Broomrape and Lizards beside the path, then we cross to the central reservation, where Duncan counted 72 Lizards in under a hundred metres, and many lacking most pigmentation.

I take a shot of them searching the central reservation, before we move on to the final destination.

Which was Sandwich Bay.

Sandwich Bay has usually been the mother lode of Lizards, not only in Kent, but in the UK. But two years of drought have wrought havoc on the site. Last year the hundreds of Lizards were in their tens, and most very small.

Which is when I went to the bypass to snap them, as some more water must have been thrown up from the roads, so the spikes there were normal size. As they are again this year.

So, after arriving at the Observatory, we walk to the meadow, after checking there was no bird ringing going on, so we could look at the SMO and Marsh helleborines.

Of the former there were many, but small spikes in flower, but of the Marsh helleborines, there was no sign, even of to the west of England, some were in flower before the weekend.

Duncan and I walked over the golf course to The Strand to check on the broomrapes, but only found two spikes of Bredstraw that were not totally brown, just the top branch was showing its yellow colour.

Duncan lent down and sniffed. He could just make out the clover scent.

The day was done. It was half five. The shadows lengthening, and they had to get to Gillingham to their hotel, and they were planning on going to Blean for some Heath fritillary action.

I sat and ate the Magnum Duncan had kindly bought, sent two messages to friends, then walked to the car, having done over 21,000 steps in the day, and drove home.

Back through Deal and Walmer, a brass band packing their instruments away at Walmer Bandstand, through the town, out into the countryside to home.

Back home at six, we were both hungry. So, I cook two lots of chicken, some baby new potatoes and do some salad. So in half an hour we sit down to quite the feast, but neither of us had eaten since breakfast.

A quiet evening. A shower and shave, then to bed at half nine, and slept like a log.

That snored.

Le Grand Départ

Good afternoon, friends, Romans, citizens of the Asylum.

In a little over six weeks we leave on the big vacance de jour. Cats will be rounded up, the car will be serviced, and the camera battery will be charged.

Again, instead of flying, we will be driving through France, to another country. But this time we are driving south and east to meet up with another orchid tour, spending a week on that, then driving through France, over the Pyrenees into Spain for the eclipse on August 12th.

Our route will take us from Dover to the Channel Tunnel, then onto Amiens.

Day two will take us from Amiens to Chalon-sur-Saône, where we will stay for a day or two. Before driving to Essoyes, where again we will stay for a day or two.

Next leg will take us to St Julien de Chivry, where once more we will stay, sample the food, wine and culture. And then onto the final layover at Villefranche-sur-Saône.

And then drive to Lyon Airport to meet with the tour, before travelling into he Alps for some orchid action for a week.

Once the tour is over, we have a short leg to Freissinières, where we stay for a night, and then on to Arles, where we will soak up yet more food, wine and culture.

Next up is Beziers, where I have been before, but only for a couple of hours, so we will stay a couple of nights, and might go out and about to familiar places.

Then across the mountains into Spain for a couple of nights in Burgos, during which time we hope to see the eclipse.

We then have three days to drive back to Calais, which is ambitious.

Some might like to study maps of the route of our own Le Tour! We even checked the other Le Tour's calandar to make sure we don't get too close. Not that I'd mind, but one year we will go to see Le Tour, but not this year.

Anyway, hope you find this interesting.

And exciting.