Tuesday 16th June 2026

Welcome to Tuesday. And on Tuesdays it's market day in Kings Lynn. Which is held on the Tuesday Market Place, unlike the Saturday Market which is held on the Saturday Market Place.

Obviously.

I could have very happily have skipped phys this morning. But, if I want to fit into those band tour t shirts I bought at the weekend, I have to work it. Baby.

So, again, my brain and body at me awake at ten past four. I lay in bed until Jools got up, then my alarm went off at ten past five.

So, sweeping the cats off the bed, I get up and am dressed.

Cats fed. Coffee drunk. I was ready to leave at ten to six.

I did not feel like it, but I did have my favourite podcast to listen to, so if I wanted to hear that, I would have to work out.

I arrive just as the doors open, with most going to the pool for some splashing, while me and the other lycra-clad gymrats head upstairs to do our thing.

Not only do I do my session. I do more k/calories in the forty minutes than I have ever done before, 389 and a half, which means I ready should increase the resistance one more level to 16.

But that's for another day.

On the way home I go to Tesco for some supplies. I think of getting some coriander for salsa for nachos. But forget to buy tinned tomatoes.

And sour cream.

And tortilla chips.

But I did have the coriander.

Back home, by which time I was cooled down. It took some time to realise how quick it takes me to cool down now, no huffing and puffing. But I did need a shower.

Jools went to her fitness class. And afterwards she would do her knit and natter class at the Riverside Centre, while I would have a shave and shower.

At some point.

I just had to fit it into the morning, between podcasts, videos and radio shows.

I do manage it, so when Jools returned at one, I was showered, shaved, dressed and sitting out on the patio with Mulder and Scully.

Did you forget that we're going out for afternoon tea with a lady from Jools's knit and natter group, who was celebrating her 83rd birthday.

Now, the other thing about Jill is that she has early symptoms of dementia. She is under test from the doctor and hospital, but it does mean that conversation is a little repetitive.

Jools goes along the street to lead Jill to our house, and she climbs in the car, and I drive us out of the village onto the Deal road and then left down Jubilee Way before turning off down on to the seafront in front of the Gateway Flats.

I park outside the Hilton Hotel, and we cross over the street, climb the steps and enter.

We were given seats in the glazed veranda. We were given the menu, but we knew we were having afternoon tea.

Afternoon tea is finger sandwiches, several small cakes, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and lashings of English breakfast tea.

The tea arrives. Then the triple layer stand with the sandwiches, cakes and scones. And we start munching.

An hour later we were done. Jools pays, then we cross back over the road to the car. Climb in and I take us over the new bridge, to the roundabout and back along Townwall Street before turning up Jubilee Way to home.

FIFA messed up and there was no football until eight, so we had a brew and listened to Radcliffe and Maconie on the i player.

The evening game was France v Senegal. A great game, which France and Kylian Mbappé played wonderfully well, France winning 3-1.

Monday 15th June 2026

We have just about reached a point in the orchid season where we can relax and draw breath.

Most species from what I call the main season are now either gone to seed or going to seed. Browning off and looking deep fried if they have been pollenated.

Which means that, for a few days or maybe a week, there are Lizards and Late Spiders to see. Even if the Lizards numbers are well down on years prior t last year's drought, and the Late Spiders at most sites have gone to seed too.

But not all.

If I head up to a site on the downs above the countryside, one that gives views down to the Romney Marsh and Rye one way, and along to the hint of Canterbury on the other, then maybe there will be orchids to see.

First thing Jools was going to walk into Dover, then catch a bus to Folkestone to buy some wool, then bus and train and bus back.

So I had all morning.

Jools left at six, and I did the usual stuff I do when there's no phys: drink coffee, read and watch stuff on You Tube or Patreon.

Come half nine, I am ready to go out. The early threat of drizzle had passed, and despite the warnings on Google maps of road closures, I ventured out.

Up the A20 to Folkestone, then off to the downs to a remote parking place, and a little seen or used path going upwards.

I strapped my camera to my back, climbed over the stile and began to climb. Up through the wood, then up through meadows, and onto the open downland, always up.

And on the south-facing slope were dozens of one of the UK's rarest plants, the Late spider orchid.

They began quite low down, and grew denser as I went up. I stopped to take shots with the mobile of most, and those I thought interesting I do with the big camera.

You can never have enough shots of Lady orchid I have always said, but the same it true for Late spiders too. I rattle of dozens of shots. Hundreds, maybe.

I find several hybrids, and others with interesting shapes or patterns. But just when I thought I had seen everything, I come across another small spike with two pale flowers.

At first I thought these were just faded. But closer look showed that despite the browning at the edges, this was their natural colour, one that was a bit further to the left of the dial than var. flavescens.

Another stunning find!

I looked round for Bee orchids, but only find one among many browned off spikes.

Marbled whites were emerging lower down the slopes, one drying its wings, which as I stopped to nap it, it flew off, the upper surface glistening, but the wings working well enough for it to fly.

Back down the down and through the wood to the car, where I turn round and drive the ten miles to Park Gate Down to look for more Musk.

There I meet Fran, and so we walk to the paddock, and up the path. Withing five minutes she had spotted a small green spike, so we both took turns to snap it again. And again.

I dropped her off at Priory Station, then drove home, arriving back at half two, where it was time for a brew.

And relax.

Dinner was breaded chicken, stir fry and noodles, all eaten before five, so I could watch the early game on the big TV. With Scully, who had just been fed.

Spain drew 0-0 with Cape Verde, in the competition's biggest upset so far. Cape Verde's keeper played a blinder in keeping wave after wave of Spanish attacks out. And then Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt in broiling conditions in Seattle as the PNW roasted in unseasonal heatwave weather.

Brexit: Ten years on

The Brexit vote took place ten years ago, on the 23rd June 2016.

As I read my blogs for the month, I didn't mention the referendum, as I didn't think a country could be so stupid to actually vote to make itself poorer.

But it did.

I had been called away urgently back to Denmark, so couldn't vote myself, and was too late to register for a proxy. And was in the breakfast bar of the Zleep Hotel at Billund when I found out Leave had won.

I was angry then, as I'm still angry now.

Afterwards, the architects of Brexit: Cameron and Farage either resigned or stepped back. Johnson and Gove, the leaders of Leave, looked like the dogs that caught the car the morning after when pictured at the back of their big red Brexit bus, looking stunned as they now had to carry it out.

I believe it was only meant to be something to complain about, something Johnson had done most of his adult life as a journalist, making up stories about the waste in the EU, when there wasn't the amount he pretended, or that EU regulations were going to take over our life.

I talked long with friends and colleagues about it, and the one thing we agreed is that the EU itself was poor at communicating what it did, and did well. From tade negotiations to harmonisation of regulations, all done so quietly that we didn't know.

The immediate recession that was forecast, didn't happen as the assumption by the Treasury was an immediate "no deal" Brexit. Instead there was years of negotiations, endless Brexit meand Brexit statements by May, and even when Brexit did happen, there was a transition perios lasting 11 months to the end of 2020.

Instead what happened was a slow puncture in the economy. Less growth, less productivity, less external investment, and uncertainty brought on by the constant threats of no deal, and preparing for Brexits that were put back and back. It all costed money to companies and ate into profits.

According to a report in the Guardina:

"A decade later, the pound has never returned above its pre-Brexit level, hitting British holidaymakers in the pocket. From close to $1.50 against the dollar and €1.31 against the euro just after polling closed, the pound stands at $1.34 and €1.15."

"According to the Office for Budget Responsibility, the independent Treasury watchdog, the UK is on track to suffer a 4% hit to national income over a 15-year period."

"At the decade mark, analysis by Nick Bloom, a leading British economist at Stanford university in the US, and others in a research paper for the US National Bureau of Economic Research, show that UK GDP per head is between 6% and 8% lower than it would have been without Brexit."

"Brexit involved erecting trade barriers, which has hit goods exports. The EU is still the UK’s largest trading partner: in 2025, exports to the bloc were worth £385bn (41% of all UK exports) and imports £474bn (49% of the total). Since the end of the EU transition period on 31 December 2020, growth in UK goods exports has slowed relative to the G7. But service exports have performed more strongly. The OBR estimates this is because the UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement Boris Johnson agreed with Brussels created more friction for goods than services. Exporters, in particular, face more red tape and border delays."

"After a shock result, no clear plan from the government or leave campaigners led to years of infighting over just what Brexit – never properly defined, and often subjective – should be in practice. Amid that political turmoil businesses froze their investment plans.

As a consequence, investment is estimated to be close to 18% lower than it would have been under remain and productivity up to 4% lower, reflecting reluctance to invest in equipment and projects due to the uncertainty."

"Britain emerged as the worst-performing country in the G7 for the pace of its recovery in workforce participation after the easing of pandemic restrictions, with rising ill-health pushing up economic inactivity – when working-age adults are neither in a job nor looking for one."

"Young people have borne the brunt of weaker participation rates, including an increase in the number of 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (Neet) to more than a million, the highest level since 2013."

"Public support for Brexit has steadily fallen since the 52%-48% leave vote. Polling last month by YouGov shows 70% of Britons support a closer relationship with the EU without rejoining the bloc, its single market or customs union. More than two-thirds think looser ties would be a mistake. A majority – 56% – would back rejoining the bloc outright. Support to rejoin is strongest among Green and Labour voters, and weakest among backers of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, of whom 83% are opposed."

This year, deaths outnumbered births and immigration, meaning the population is falling in real terms, and with the collapse in EU citizens coming here to work, means hundreds of thousands of jobs remain unfilled. Talk is of more long term sick and disabled being forced to look for work while having their benefits cut or stopped. There have been several rounds of such checks since 2010, and it seems impossible there can be many of these who could carry out a full time job. This will instead add fear and worry to people who already have seen their living standards cut and cut again.

Another front to the long term sick is long COVID, which no one seems to be talking about, but is a real thing, and causes a wide spectrum of issues for people, meaning many just can't work, but fine, subject them to cruel interviews and stress.

The BBC has rund a couple of Brexit documentries, the first one last week interviews Johnson and Gove, where Johnson, with no sense of Irony said:

"“Brexit? It wasn’t our job to have a plan”

Making it sound as though it was someone else's job to make Brexit work, rather than them not having a plan. As a management systems auditor and change management is key to that, understanding the consequences of any decision made, and nothing should therefore be a surprise. So, before pushing Brexit, its outcomes, good and bad, should have been identified and mitigated against.

But wasn't.

Instead, David Davies was sent to negotiate a Brexit deal with the EU armed with only a savant's smile. Whereas the EU had a stack of folders and charts, and were already preparing.

And yet many who voted to Leave believe, with no evidence, that Brexit wasn't done hard enough or properly. Or that "the establishment" thwarted it, and that Nigel will sort it out.

Nigel who has gone to ground after it emerged he received a £5 million donation he forgot to register from a far eastern Bitcoin billionaire. Does that make him a man of the people?

As always, until the UK has a grown up conversation with itself about what Brexit has done, and how to improve on the issues it has caused, it will be the elephant in the room, so will never get discussed let alone fixed.

Sunday 14th June 2026

From time to time I get given or shared information of stuff to see, mostly orchids, and sometimes it takes some time to act on said information.

A couple of years ago, I was made aware that a certain site was the only known UK and Ireland location for a hybrid between the Chalk Fragrant and the Southern Marsh.

As the season winds down until later this month when the Marsh helleborines emerge, after the gym I thought we would go to investigate.

So, the alarm was set for six, though we were both up and about at twenty past five. The cats are tested, jabbed and fed. Coffee made and drunk.

A lazy, if early start.

We leave at ten to seven, laden with coffee in flasks and two pain au raisins from the market in Sandwich, and drove to Whitfield.

We arrive as the doors swung open, so up the stairs and on the bike, where I listen to The Bugle (Hello, Buglers!) while my fat hairy legs go round and round and round.

I am going to mention the site where this hybrid was, because there are thousands of orchids out there at the moment, and if you can find it among the other spikes, then well done you.

We leave Whitfield along the A2, past trucks and slow moving cars until we turn off to go through Bridge.

Bridge was quiet, but the old high road is clogged with parked cars, but easy to negotiate at eight in the morning.

We arrive at the car park, and sat on the tailgate to eat the pain and drink our coffee, before walking down the long track.

Bonsai Bank, for it was there we were heading, is popular at the end of April and through May when there are Lady Orchids, Duke of Burgundy and White-spotted sable moths to be seen. In the middle of June and later, just dogwalkers and the freaks like me, really.

Disappointed not to see more flowers down the sides of the track, so no butterflies seen, just a single Red admiral near the car park that lazily fluttered off.

As we walked the final climb to the reserves entrance, dozens of Common spotted orchids were seen, on both sides. Each was inspected for any unusual features.

None found.

Down the steps and into the reserve, and along the top path there were dozens, nay hundreds more CSOs and a few Chalk fragrants.

Each Chalk fragrant, doubly so the larger spikes, had to be inspected for spotted leaves and patterns on the flower lips.

It was slow going, and as we went further there were more and more orchids, with them stretching out of sight up the bank towards the track.

I check as many as I can, and find nothing obviously hybriddy.

What are we looking for? Asked Jools.

A good question, and one that deserved an answer: but how do you describe something you've never seen?

We had been in the reserve an hour now, and with numbers of orchids climbing higher and their density increased, I knew I would have to just accept there were too many spikes to check.

I still looked at spikes of Chalk fragrants, but not as closely, and all the time nothing out of the ordinary.

I then spotted something unusual.

A small spike, Chalk Fragrant colour, mostly, but with raspberry ripple coloured markings.

How I saw it among the thousands of other spikes is a mystery, but then I guess I know when I see something different.

I get down to look, and it is a fine intergeneric hybrid, one half for sure being Chalk fragrant, but was the other half Southern Marsh or Common spotted.

When compared to the ones I saw last year at Bredhurst, this was bolder marked and the leaves unspotted. Not conclusive, but I am thinking more of an SMO, even if I didn't see any on site.

I was laying down when a lady and her dog walked by. Oh, she exclaimed, what have you found? Anything exciting?

Clair, for that was her name, lived on Pennypot Lane, and grew up in the area too, and she had been wanting to meet an orchidist to identify what she sees every day.

I explained to her that this was a hybrid, an inter-species one from two different orchid families, and was probably the only such plant in the UK and Ireland.

Except the smaller spike beside it!

She was thrilled, as she was when I ID'd the other orchids for her too.

We were done.

We carried on down the lower path, and back to the entrance, before tackling the long slog back to the car.

I was prepared, very much, not to complete the quest, just happy with a walk in the woods in high summer. But against the odds, the quest was complete, and I had the shots.

And as we neared the car, I did my 13,000th step.

We drove home, back along leafy lanes, with sunshine casting dappled shadows on the patches of the roadway, which was more obvious than the road's original tarmac.

Back onto the A2, then cruise to Whitfield, onto the duel carriageway past Tesco and to home.

Where it was time for a brew and to put Huey on the radio once more. He'd been on air an hour already, but we don't think he minded.

Afternoon lunch/dinner was caprese with warmed up chorizo bread bought from the market, and the best part of a bottle of red. Which went down well.

At six there was football: Germany v Curacao, and despite what the 7-1 scoreline might say, Germany had a game on their hands until the second half. The first 7-1 finals victory since Germany beat Brasil in Brasil in 2014.

That was followed by Netherlands v Japan, which was another great game, but I was tired, so bailed at half time so missed Japan coming from behind twice to draw 2-2.

Saturday 13th June 2026

Instead of going to the gym, should we catch the train to Sandwich, have breakfast and then wander round the French Market?

I asked when I cam downstairs.

Not surprisingly, Jools said that sounded fine.

So, instead of having less than an hour to get to the gym, we had 90 minutes before the train at either quarter past eight if you believe Southeastern, or 08:27 if you believe Network Rail.

We leave at just before eight, drive down the hill and pay for parking. Buy our tickets and go to the other platform via the subway, where we found that Network Rail was the closest, but the train was delayed to 08:29, not 08:14!

I did wonder how many people would be going to Sandwich for the market, would the train be full?

No, it wasn't. We had most of the front carriage to ourselves, and few others got on at Walmer or Deal.

It's a five minute walk from the station into town, so I did some light botanising beside the sluice that stops the town from flooding.

One of the sluices.

Anyway, we came to the centre, and saw that The Fleur de Lis did breakfasts and was open.

So we go in and take a table. I drank an almost full pot of tea, and still the breakfast hadn't arrived. They were short-staffed, and anyway, we were not in a hurry.

When it did come, it was quality, Cumberland sausages, crispy smoked bacon, toast, mushrooms, hash browns.

And filled the hole.

There were stalls in front of the Town Hall, where we bought some stinky cheese and next door, some crusty bread. Twenty for the cheese, and thirty for the selection of breads.

We wandered round some more, but nothing really caught our fancy, and my expected beer stall wasn't there. But there was one for cider. But was expensive, my cider expert told me.

Our train home was at twenty past the hour, so to pass the time I have a coffee and sat in the street to drink it. The street was closed to traffic.

And it was there that John, our friend who arranged the tiger tour to India last year saw me, and joined me for a coffee and a chat.

And it was there that Jools found us, drinking coffee, sitting in the sunshine.

But we had ran out of time, so we bid John farewell, and we walked back through town, over the old town walls to the station, getting to the platform through a small modern housing estate.

Lots of seats on the train, so we picked seats at a table and watched through the windows as we headed south two stops to Martin Mill, where our car was still parked.

Up the hill, over the Deal road and home.

Time for a brew!

The rest of the day was something of a relaxing one. Listening to Huey on the internet radio, drinking tea, eating biscuits.

Outside it was warm, sinny of breezy. And in a shock, prompted by Bev doing her lawn, I got the mower out to cut paths at the side of the meadow and to give access to two of the flower beds.

After I took two beers round to share with Steve, so it was I got introduced to their new (8 month old) puppy, Murphy.

He's still lively and bouncy, but calming down, though having me in the house meant much bouncing and licking.

We talked football, retirement and our health. Steve still works full time, but the pressure is getting worse, though he doesn't want to retire.

We also have a glass of draught Leffe blonde, which did the trick, and caused my head to spin some.

Back home for cheese, crackers and wine. The cheese and crackers bought from the market that morning, and even if the cheeses had partly melted in the rucksack, they were still tasty indeed. We dined well.

And finally more World Cup action. Switzerland v Qatar, which the Swiss should have won by a landslide, but scored just the one via a soft penalty, I was tired and didn't see Qatar scoring, so went to bed with 20 minutes to go, so missing their 94th minute eqialiser.

Three more games over night, I slept through most of them.

Friday 12th June 2026

It's nearly the weekend again.

And for a change, I slept through the alarm until ten to six, when Cleo jumping on the bed and washing so hard the bed shook and shook me awake.

Jools made me a coffee, but as soon as she poured it, she was gone to yoga. So, after drinking the coffee I do the bins and ponder the day ahead.

Weather was to improve, but not really until Saturday, so probably do nothing. Anyway, the morning ahead and I listen to pods and write some.

Jools comes back, has breakfast and is off to the local library for knit and natter, I sit outside with Scully, as the sun was beginning to break through.

Once Jools returned, we had mini pork pies for lunch and a brew, and with the sun breaking through more often, thoughts turned to orchids once again.

And in particular, our smallest Kent species: the Musk.

Not all orchids are statuesque and/or blousy, some are small, green and easily overlooked. And then there's the Musk.

It took eight hours of searching over four visits to find one the first season I saw them, and each year after, sometimes in ten minutes, sometimes several hours.

All this despite them growing on a 3 square metre area. You might know they might be there. Should be there, but them being green, and the surrounding grass and other plants being green also, you have to have your best orchid eyes.

So, with hope in our hearts. My heart. We drove to PGD, through Barham and then along the narrow lane to the reserve.

Few others there, one being from KWT who had scythed a new path through the lush undergrowth.

We walked with purpose, knowing the area to go to. Then up the down, choosing the higher path, then inching along looking left and right, hoping to see one of the diminutive spikes.

Half an hour later we reached the shoulder of the down, and beyond there were CSOs and Chalk fragrants all over the place, and Pyramidals of the darkest pink just opening.

Back along the next lowest path, inching forward again.

I knew the area that they were historically, so looked harder. Up and down.

Up and down.

Move on.

Up and down.

And then, BINGO, BANGO, BONGO!

The tell-tale spike with unusual flowers, midway between two paths. I get down, first checking not to flatten any other orchids, and there it was.

And the sun came out to complete the celebration mood.

Shots with the phone and big camera.

And with that found and shot, we walk back to the car, then drive back to the A2, onto Whitfield to go and see the old folks at Jen's. Jen, Syylv, Sylv's budgie, Peter, John and Mike.

A full house.

So we chat for an hour, have a brew and the afternoon fades into evening.

Back home to feed the cats, cook dinner and relax before the evening game: Canada v Bosnia, which was a good game made better by the addition of sloe gin. Ended 1-1

Thursday 11th June 2026

It is time.

But it is also Thursday.

And Thursday means phys and going to the gym.

So, as usual, I was dead to the world when the alarm went off, and after a couple of minutes crawled out of bed and into the world.

Cats tested, jabbed and fed. We drink coffee. And are out of the house at ten to six, arriving at the sports centre dead on six, and the doors were already opened.

I do my usual session. Forty minutes, and so am all hot and bothered, I go down to cool down outside, wait for Jools, then we walk to the car and drive to Tesco.

Where the big empty space now has hoardings round it, and a combination lock on the door.

Great things are coming, we're told.

This does meal there is less of the other stock, and aisles have been combined, making finding stuff even harder.

But we're round in twenty minutes and back home by half seven, well before rush hour and the school run combine.

It was to be cool and breezy. But even we were surprised how breezy and cold it would become. Especially as there was sunshine early on, but soon it clouded over, the wind built, so we closed the door, windows and buckled so turned the heating on at lunchtime as we were so darned cold.

Soon the clouds produced rain.

Then lots of rain.

And that was that.

The rain lasted into the afternoon and evening, so we went nowhere.

I had a delivery of beer to wait in for, then it was left outside so the box was sodden, and hidden behind the bins.

Not much else to say, other than in the evening there was the opening game of the World Cup, Mexico v South Africa, and a game as one sided as its possible to get, though Mexico score just two goals, though three players sent off.

There is a second game later, kicking off at three in the morning. I would be asleep.