Friday 29th June 2018

We have nearly made it to the end of the work week, the month and the mid-point of the year.

And you're still with us, well done you!

And me.

Another day working from home, but one with the sun shining down again from a blue sky meaning I had at least one eye on what was going on outside, when I had other things better to do inside. Well, work anyways.

And yes, you would be disappointed if there had not been meetings. So there were meetings. Spreadsheets to be updated, grenades to throw in mails and in general try to keep everyone happy, when in fact everyone is pissed off as hell.

The morning progresses; there is a trip to the Isle of Wight to arrange, working hours to log, and somehow I manage to squeeze it all in to the seven hour working day so when Jools returns from work, via M&S where she has bought me some new slippers, so we can go straight out as there are orchids to see.

Always with your orchids.

It was breezy, but warm out of it, warm enough driving to Sandwich through Eastry, then past the station, up onto Knightrider Street and to the estate, where, lucky for us, there was no one on the toll, so we saved ourselves seven quid, or a pound as we were just going to the Bird Observatory.

After parking, and trying to ask someone if it was OK to go to the ringing area, and finding no one, we set off across the road, across the meadow, past the ringing area to the dune slacks.

As ever, the slacks stretch for hundreds of yards, if not miles, and yet the Marsh Helleborines grow in two neighbouring colonies, so closely packed together now, there is no path between the spikes. I stand there just taking the scene in.

The Marsh Helleborine is one of the most attractive orchid species, its lip shape and colourisation is so wonderful, and nationally only its cousin, the Dark Red Helleborine looks any better.

I take shots, on the far side laying on a path to get some close ups.

And we are done.

So we leave, and on the way out, Jools spots to spike of a pure white Southern Marsh, which had last been seen about three years ago.

So I snap that too.

We walk back to the car, then take the ancient road along the dunes past the two golf courses into Deal, drive along the sea wall until we come to near the pier, find a space to park on the side of the road, then walk along the prom to where the chippy is.

This is the one that brined down last year, but is now refurbished and looking sparkling. We take a seat inside and both order cod and chips, although I find later they had skate. A short wait and then a huge plateful of golden deliciousness is presented to each of us, the fish so fresh it was pure white and fell apart in flakes as you cut into it.

Did we want dessert?

Nice thought, but no thank you.

Anyway, there are three hungry mogs back home, so we walk to the car, then wind our way back through the town, Walmer and home.

We watch some Expanse and then Gardener's World, on which is a friend of mine talking about his love of wild orchids!

We both recognise the filming locations, and delight in seeing the orchids again. But the message is hammered home; do not pick or dig up.

It also drives home the fact that we are so lucky to live in Kent where we can see close to 30 species of wild orchid, if you know where to look of course.