Monday 2nd May 2016

May Day

Bank Holiday

Misty and raining day (of course)

However, first came Sunday..........

Sunday

There are many fine sights featuring orchids in Kent, but one of the finest can be experienced at Marden near Maidstone, where there is a freshwater meadow, with thousands of Green Winged spikes. To see these in the golden rays of the rising sun on a spring morning is one of the best things you can do for free. And after rain stopped play on Saturday, I really wanted to go back to Marden as it was nearly two years since my only other visit. So, with the sun waking me up just shy of six, we were breakfasted by half past, the cats fed and washed and out of the door before seven.

As we drove down Jubilee Way we could see ferries jostling to get onto one of the berths in the Eastern Docks, but this meant that there was no extra traffic going through the roadworks along Townwall Street so we could zoom up the A20 up Shakespeare Cliff and into the Kentish hinterland. Or Folkestone as we call it.

Traffic was almost non-existent, so we rushed to Ashford then ran along beside HS1 to the Maidstone Services junction, turning off to go through the village of Leeds and into deepest Kent. There are at least two Leeds in England, one in Yorkshire is a fine place, but a lot of the centre of it was flattened to make way for a motorway ringroad, Leeds in Kent is a pretty picturesque vialle, stretched out along the main road, with timber-framed housed hanging over the road and even jutting out into the roadway. It also has a castle, which is pleasant especially on a sunny spring morning when the daffodils nod in a gentle breeze.

But no castle for us, we had a date with some orchids....

In time we came to the edge of the downs, and the lane we were traveling down had steep banks on both sides and hedges at least 20 feet tall, with the view down onto the Weald in the distance like looking through a tunnel. The road dropped ra;idly through a small village that looked like all of the 19th, 20th and 21st century had passed it by, with the exception of the road being tarmac'd.

We travel through more sleepy villages, huddling round the village pond, edged by weeping wills, tinted yellow in the morning sun. I'd go back to snap the scene I thought.

Once down on the Weald, the road crossed the railway and taking the next turn we drove the 100m to the entrance to find that we were the only people there. We change into our boots and walk through the first paddock and through the five bar gate into where the orchids should have been. And were.

Although it still is early in the season, and after looking at what seemed like an empty meadow, but closer inspection I could see the purple spikes against the green backdrop. I got down the serious business of snapping, close ups, distant shots and shots through the dew-heavy grass.

I look back from the far side of the meadow and see the warm rays of the sun through the ancient trees, now showing the vibrant green of new leaf growth; I snapped them too.

After an hour, we were done, and thoughts turned to bacon. We returned to the car, programmed the sat nav for home, and followed its direction going back the way we came. I stopped to snap the village pond, and as we climbed a different lane up the down, we came across a fine looking church perched on the edge of the down, with stunning views over the Weald far below. I find a place to park and go to take shots of the church and the views over the parkland that surrounded the church. A couple walking their two Afghan hounds pass me by, and we chat a while; they are from the village of Loose where we went last time we went to Marden, and they were out on a long walk enjoying the wonderful morning.

We look for a place offering bacon, but really the only place we find are the services, and once we park we find bacon or sausage butties are an astonishing £4.50 each, but a small breakfast is only £6. So, I have a breakfast and Jools has pancakes, syrup and bacon. Nearly £17! but it is good, or good enough. The place is heaving, so we leave as quickly as we can to drive the remaining 50 miles home.

At home, and after checking my shots, we retire to the garden to take in some warm sunshine, it really is a wonderful day even here on the coast.

I make pan fried asparagus again for lunch with some nice fresh bread, it is light and full of spring flavour and goodness.

Leicester are on the radio, needing just one more win, or three points, from their last three games, and the first one of those was at Old Trafford. Most football fans wanted Leicester to win, but they fall behind early on, only to pull level ten minutes later. And that's how it stayed, despite Leicester going down to ten men near the end. Two more points needed, of for Tottenham to fail to win any one of their remaining three games. You will be glad to know I will be away for the last two weekends of the season, so you will be spared, and once I am back, I will only make a passing reference of the events of those last three games.

In the evening we cook aubergine to go with the pasta salad I cooked the day before, so more wonderful light food to round off the day.