Saturday 25th June 2015

I won't carp on about the EU vote, not on here. Just so you know.

Anyway, Saturday dawned clear and bright, and we should have been out snapping orchids at the seaside in Pegwell and Sandwich Bays, but instead, we are to get in the car and drive to Essex. To pick up a turntable. But what with the great weather forecast, I got thinking about orchids again. THere is an orchid, but then there always is, that is probably extinct in Kent, a small green orchid, called the Frog Orchid, that used to grow in Dover. Or that was the last known site. Indeed a couple of years ago, Jools and I went to look for it, now that I have seen them in real life, we might go again, if there is time. Anyway, checking the orchid book, the best site in EA for them was one we have visited before, Wink's Meadow in Suffolk, so the plan was to drive up, look for the orchids, then drive down, pick up the turntable and be home maybe for 5.

In fact the plan had bee to collect the turntable first, then drive to Suffolk, but as we were both awake just after 5, and had breakfast and coffee and we ready to go just after six, we thought we would just get going.

A pleasant drive up the M20 to Dartford, no delays and only a few poor drivers. Through the tunnel and into Essex, turning off to go up the old A12, we saw it was jammed up right from the roundabout, so we drive all the way back round, back onto the motorway so we could go up the M11 instead. When I thought about it, there was little difference. So, we cruised past Stanstead at 72mph, just slow enough for the sat nav not to bleep at us. Up past Saffron Walden, up the A11, then along to Bury St. Edmunds, and finally up the familiar road to Diss. THis used to be my old stomping ground, and when we did turn off towards Metfield, we were just 14 miles from Bungay.

We know the way so well now, along narrow lanes to the village, then along through some attractive old houses, out onto the perry track of an old USAF airbase, then finally up a dead end lane to the reserve. The road was partially flooded, so we parked on an old aircraft dispersal pan, got out put our walking boots on in case it was wet in the meadow, it was.

THe meadow isn't that large, but by June it is pretty overgrown, and the Frogs are small, about a foot tall, so finding them was going to be tricky. The first thing was to walk round the edge of the site to see if we could see any; that took 45 minutes. We saw hundreds, if not thousands of Pyramidals, some Southern Marsh and a few Common Spotted. But no Frogs. We had been there nearly an hour, and even after following some tracks across the centre of the meadow, we could find nothing.

When we were at the site for the first time, I went into the village shop to ask for directions as we could not find it, and one of the assistants was a volunteer there, and she had mentioned the frogs, but we were too early. So, I asked Jools to drive back to the village to see if she was there and to ask for directions where on the site the Frogs were. I stayed behind to look. I had found a small colony of Southern Marsh, so I hoped that's where the Frogs would be. So, Jools went off and I looked. With no luck.

I followed the path into the centre of the meadow and looked closely. Still no luck. I heard Jools return, and I looked down. There was a small orchid spike. I stooped down and the lip revealed it to be a Frog. I had found one, at least. Jools showed at the gate, laden with sausage rolls and lashings of fizzy pop, so I waved at her to come over to see.

All I had to do now was to wait for the sun to break through the cloud cover, so I waited and waited until the sun did break through, and I got my shots. But then we looked around and saw many more spikes, I suppose about a dozen in all, some spikes still emerging, others nearly fully open. But I did not take shots, in case of damaging any more spikes. I did get shots of the single Bee also in the area, and with that, we walked back to the car.

Should we call at a pub for a bite, or just head back down to Essex? Hmm, a tough call, but in the end, we decided to head back down south, with just a diversion at a highly recommended church, Thornham Parva, and luckily for us, it was just half a mile off the A140 on our way south. So, set the sat nav, and off we set.

I have asked a friend for a list of churches in the area to visit, some are "must sees" other are ones others like more than Simon, so I trust Simon and confident on our map reading skills, we drive away looking for Cratfield. But it seems Cratfield is the Suffolk Brigadoon, always within a couple of miles, but never getting nearer. Or at least according to the signposts.

We give up and drive to Huntingingfield, but find that it, like the other churches in the benefice, are being restored, and I am greeted by a surprisingly young builder, who allows me inside, but all is covered with plastic sheeting.

We decide on the sat nav, and so program in Huntingfield and so are driving along the narrow country lanes, past farms, lovely cottages and the usual Suffolk countryside. When suddely we pass the village sign for Cratfield, and on the side of the road, just waiting, is the church. I stop and find it open, and not undergoing renovation at all. Which was nice.

It is a simple Victorianised church inside, but remarkable for the eight-sided font, covered in splendid and ancient carvings, and some had almost survived the Puritan's hammers.

Once I had my shots, I went back to the car and drove on to Huntingfield. Now, Simon had told me in his mail that Cratfield was for the font, and so Huntingfield was to be visited for the roof. I did not know what to expect as I pulled up and parked, and followed two other visitor's through the porch and into the church.

Inside, the roof dominates everything else; a Vicar's wife in the 19th century had gotten busy with paintbrushes and painted all surfaces of the roof. It looked spectacular. I suppose its not to everyone's taste, but I think it is glorious,a nd I'm sure people visit the church just to see the roof. For a pound, you can have the church lights switched on, a great way to raise finds, and so bring the paintings even more to life.

Usually, we like to have the radio on on Saturday, Huey and Liz Kershaw shows, but as this weekend is Glastonbury, and for once the thought of it left me cold, and for the first time we watched not one minute of it on TV, and I switched the radio off as we listened to a set by Savages on the way up. So, in silence as Jools struggled to stay awake, we made our way back down to Diss then down to the church.

Situated down a quiet lane just off the main Norwich to Ipswich road, after a few stunning large houses sits the ancient church, in a small churchyard with a thatched roof. Inside it has the traces of fine wall paintings that the Puritans failed to remove, and was a real joy to call in and experience. I take shots, then looking at our watch, just after half one, we made our way back to the car and back on our way.

The hi fi shop was in Harlow, just off the M11 near to the junction with the M25. We drove south into Essex, with the sky full of wonderful clouds and stunning light, promising lots of weather before the day was out. The shop was out of the town, so far out of the town that I wasn't sure that I had the correct postcode, but after following directions down narrow lanes, we came to an old country manor house, and in the renovated outbuildings was the shop.

The deck was ready to go, so we had a coffee, chatted, but we really wanted to get going. I paid then took the deck to the car, and we left, back to the motorway.

At least traffic was ligt, a lot of people would now be at home or in the pub ready for the Wales v Northern Ireland game. I wanted to get home to see it too, but I knew we would miss the start. At least the rain held off, and once through Maidstone the traffic thinned out, so we made good time, hammering down the motorway to the coast and home.

We arrived home to an indifferent welcome from the cats. I made a brew then switched the TV on to watch the game. It was exciting, but lacking in quality, it was won by Wales in the 2nd half thanks to a fine move resulting in an own goal.

Scotch eggs and ice cream for dinner, easy to eat before the evening game.

The turntable and new adventures in hi fi could wait until the morning.