What is it about having two weeks off that makes me lay awake at half five waiting for the alarm to go off? Oh I know, it that cat, Mulder, on my chest mewing for breakfast. I get up look outside and see that it may be gloomy and not yet quite light, but not raining. Jools had a late start, so we lazed around the house until half eight; at which point I dropped Jools of at the factory and I headed up the A2 towards the Medway towns.
Those of you who are regular readers will know that last weekend we went hunting for orchids and failed. So, after receiving detailed instructions where they could be found in the meadow. So, what could go wrong? Well, Autumn Lady's-tresses are tiny orchids, and it is late in the season for them, so I would have to be lucky.
I parked up, and walked down through the reserve to the lower gate. And began hunting.
And carried on hunting.
And then some more hunting.
What I did see were dozens of roosting blue butterflies. I mean dozens of them. So I snapped a few as it was like shooting butterflies in a barrel. As it were. A guy walking his dog stopped to see what I was doing. "Not any butterflies about now, is there?" I thought, should I sound argumentative? Instead I said, "No, there are dozens here" I pointed to one, then another and another. I added "Once you know what to look for you see them everywhere." "I thought that was a leaf!" He replied.
The cloud lifted some, and the blue began to climb the stems of grass and open their wings. One was a female Adonis, a real treat.
As I walked along the path for the 6th time, or something like that. I saw a flash of white. Looking down I see one, then another, tiny spiral plant with equally time white flowers all around, also in a spiral. There be orchids! So, I lay down and got got the shots, happy enough with that. And despite spending another half hour looking I saw no more, but once you have seen one (or two) that is enough. I walked back to the car, and programed the sat nave for a mansion in Rochester.
That I ended up at a grimy industrial estate under the shadow of a railway embankment told me i was in the wrong place. I shrugged and after programming the post code set off for the next place on the list, Higham.
Despite having what looked like a fairly central postcode in the Medway area, I headed out onto the Hoo peninsular, and eventually down a long dead end road, and about three miles along, just as about the land was to give way to the Medway stood the church.
I parked up and walked through the lych gate: I was welcomed by someone coming out and she said it was a fine church. What I did not expect inside was the collection of scarecrows. A great deal of effort had gone into these, and it certainly made the visit 'interesting'.
I snapped the church, and then decided to head to Cliffe, where i knew the church there was stunning. I programmed the village in, and guessed that there would be a Church Lane. Four miles, a short trip then.
And as I arrived as the sun broke through the clouds, illuminating the church with golden sunlight. It looked wonderful. Two churchwardens were unloading a car in preparation for an event on Friday, but they were more than happy for me to go in. They made me very welcome and we chatted long about the church, the Church and the airport planned by Boris in the estuary.
i went into the nearby pub for a reviving pint and a bag of crisps, before moving on to Cooling. Yes, Cooling. And this is where Charles Dickens got his inspiration for Great Expectations. But this information I did not know until I got there and read the information. Anyway, the church is situated between the old castle and the village. The church is in a small churchyard, the path was grassed over, and it was a wonderful sight in the sunshine.
Inside the church was wonderful, and the Vestry has been covered in winkle shells, for reasons I will try to find out. Outside there was the grave which gave Dickens the inspiration for Pip, and sure enough there was a grave with 11 child gravestone around it. The fact that this family had suffered 11 child deaths was horrific and showed how hard life was in the 19th century.
Finally, I drove to Hoo St Werburgh. This is the largest town on the peninsular, and is quite busy. I head across the main road, down the High street following the signs for the church. It was situated beside the old library, but was locked tight. I went around it snapping away, only to see a churchwarden heading towards the church. He lets me in.
It is another fine church, and I talk long to the churchwarden. i snap away getting some good shots. I wonder if I should head to Allhallows. I decide not to and head back home instead.
When Jools came home, Jools asked me what was for dinner; baked beans on toast. Or curry.
So at seven we drove to Deal to the Curry House. Yay, curry. Yay, chicken jalfrezi! Yay beer!
(Flickr is down at the moment so I can't post shots yet)
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