Wednesday

The family move on to Whitby and the cottage, we shall be meeting them for lunch on Thursday at the 'Penny Hedge', another story, another time.  Though it rained all day we had a lovely time, Lillie and I went hunting for the oldest person in the grave yard in the cemetery, 99 years old was the highest though Lillie wanted to find a hundred.  She is such a sweet child, (though can be a horror of course), but household duties are her forte, she toasted in my two round toaster, practically a whole loaf for the family, cleared the table after meals.  Worrying that she was using the 'best' mugs, I had also bought them 'adult' colouring books, one a Zen one and the other an animal one which was an inspiration.

Is it not funny when you use the word 'adult' how the mind slips to things children should not see; though I am surprised by these colouring books for grown-ups, supposed to relax you from the stresses of life, but they are just as good for children with their minute detail.

The untidy chest of drawers must be Matilda's work

I am not sure which girl did the dolls house, but a completely different idea to mine!.  The old Swiss bits came out and the bathroom set, and all my expensive bits of furniture were wrapped neatly back into the box.

And now to spindle trees, and why I want a couple. If you have never come on a spindle tree in the country their flower would be a surprise, orange nestled in pink.  Its strong wood was of course used to make spindles, pegs and knitting needles.  According to Grigson the fruit is also a purgative, and its local name in some parts of the country is Gatteridge or Gatter-tree (the goat tree from O/E gat). In fact it was thought to be poisonous to goats and sheep, often proving fatal, this from a Greek writer and was often called the Death-Alder in Buckinghampshire.
Also louse-wort, since the fruits were baked, powdered and then sprinkled  on little boys heads to kill lice and nits, no mention of girls here!

Wiki Commons of Spindle tree - Eunomyus Europaeus

When first coming upon these tiny flowers it is a revelation, four in four, hermaphodrite, it is host to many insects, even greenfly.  Something I never spray against, unless there are too many and then use soapy water. A balanced insect environment will eat what we consider to be pests, killing everything in sight only means you have less of everything, and as they report this morning of the disappearance of yet another common butterfly, the hand that stays the chemical input on plants will have an abundance rather than scarcity.....

 The town of Trajectus;
And for the news flash, notice that Keynsham church/chapel is about to be explored again for the Roman Villa/Religious Sanctuary.  Remember years ago seeing all the Roman stuff lying amongst the gravestones.  Near to the old Cadbury factory, which used to have a museum in its grounds