Sunday 5th April 2026

Easter Sunday.

Should we go to do pyhs, or take the day off and have Easter egg sandwiches?

We do phys.

I could have easily bailed, but Jools wanted to go, so we do.

It is now getting light again when the alarm goes off, and the sun rises at twenty past six, but rises so far away to the east now, its only just visible from the bathroom window.

We have coffee, get ready, and although I'm not keen we pack as though we'd go to Yocklett's straight from the gym.

Despite not feeling up to it, I do more calories than I have done previously, so after forty minutes am feeling top of the world. Ma.

We walk back down to the car, then to Tesco to fill up, before we drive along the Alkham Valley, now dry again as the Drellingore has stopped flowing above ground, then onto the M20 to the Hythe turning and up Stone Street.

It is early, not yet eight of course, so there were few folks about. I park on the edge of the reserve, and we go in after picking up our cameras.

More clearance has taken place over winter, opening more of the woodland on the lower levels, looks harsh, but already Lady's Smock are thriving with numbers of plants along the track easily four times that of previous years.

Sadly, no Early Purples seen up the slop to the lower meadow, but bluebells looking glorious in the morning light with sunbeams shining through the eaves of the trees.

I am not even out of breath when we reach the bench at the meadow, but I take a shot of my favourite view, before we walk down into the part with mature trees, hunting for Fly Orchids.

We find many spikes, one already having formed a head on the spike, flowering maybe a week away.

We also find several large Lady orchid rosettes, though none with a spike as yet,. but will be at their peak in two or three weeks.

Over the Gogway, and up the path where we find two Greater Butterfly rosettes, one with a spike forming, but having found Early Purples flowering the day before, we don't go up the steepest part to the upper meadow, instead walk back down, then along the lower track to the car.

The air was warming, and filled with birdsong, though being yet cool, no butterflies.

Upon reaching the car, my plan was to go to the bottom of Stone Street to the greasy spoon van for sausage sarnies, but the van wasn't there, so we drive to the junction, then along the motorway back home.

Inside, we have brews and breakfast, then listen to the radio for a couple of hours as Huey spins the best tunes.

We were not hungry, so we have a toasted saffron bun each and yet another brew, and with the radio burbling away, the afternoon passes by. Mostly with us trying to stay awake.

We have cheese and crackers for supper, while outside the shadows strengthen and the day fades to dark.

It might not sound much, but was a great day. Orchids, plants, a walk, and cheese.

Cheese.