| Weather: Sunny to start, gradually clouding. Cool breeze |
| Distance covered today: 23.9km (14.9mi) |
| Last night's B&B: Ashcroft House (£45) |
| Cumulative distance: 440.1km (273.5mi)/ % Complete: 25.0% |
| GPS satellite track of today's route: Day 24 (click!) |
My theory remains intact: “It does not rain in England. It only rains on the English!” The fact that my good friend Gordon very kindly decided to join me for a day’s walk today has provoked a change in the weather, and no good will come of it, at least as far as I am concerned. For the rest of the English who are now crying out for rain, this may be a blessing. For me, it will be a chance to test my rain gear. There are also a number of Englishmen joining me in the days ahead, so I do predict a deluge. It does seem a pity that Summer is over before it begins…
That said, it was really good to do the walk with Gordon today. It was a little strange to be walking with someone else after a few weeks of solitary walking, but we had many things to talk about; history to share and points to make. Inevitably, we probably walked faster than I would have on my own. I had decided this wouldn’t happen, but Gordon seemed to be walking well within himself and I didn’t want to spoil the fun. Later he told me that he was waiting for me to call a temporary halt and since I didn’t, he just trudged on. Boys will be boys, I suppose.
The conversation was mostly one-sided. I rattled on and on and Gordon listened politely, or at least I think he was listening! I suppose that after a few weeks of talking to myself, I probably needed to get some stuff off my chest and he was, as ever, the perfect foil. He is though the soul of reason and every time I started a good rant, he would calm me down with some rational commentary.
We did though have an interesting discussion over lunch about this business in Pakistan. My point was that I found it strange that the West has so obviously reneged on its principles of habeas corpus and legal due process in favour of a form of Lydford Law:
I oft have heard of Lydford Law
Where in the morn they hang and draw
And sit in judgement after.
Where in the morn they hang and draw
And sit in judgement after.
I have no doubt that the case against Bin Laden is compelling, but then surely that should be heard in a competent court of law. If there is any doubt about his guilt, then the case for testing the argument in court is even stronger. Having attempted to assassinate Khadafi and now having succeeded with Bin Laden, where do we stop? How come we don’t go for Mugabe? What about all the other tyrants?
Gordon took a more pragmatic view. Given the difficulties of the situation, surely there were no other options open to the American commanders without unacceptably increasing the risk in an already very risky operation? And the potential for martyrdom and destabilisation of many communities in any form of trial is real enough. Certainly, Obama had no choice, given the political situation in the US. So; pragmatism over principle?
Fortunately, all I have to deal with is trying to keep my LEJOG effort on the go. Today’s walk was rather different to any of the previous days. We were gradually approaching Bristol and had lovely views of the city and the Bristol Channel on several occasions. The farms were smaller, closer together and less attractive. The villages too were more numerous and less architecturally interesting. I feel sure this is the result of being close to the peri-urban area of a major conurbation. However, we were still able to find an interesting and fairly direct route over a number of local roads and country paths, with a minimum of the dreaded “A” roads.
Tomorrow’s walk will be interesting. I have again to battle with the sewer (M5), this time actually joining it on a cycle track to cross a river. I will also be walking along the Severn Estuary which may, or may not be attractive. Whatever happens, it will be the very different to my previous experience on this LEJOG journey.
Blagdon Lake from the pretty village of Blagdon
Blagdon Lake
What is it?
Gordon amongst the bluebells!
Unidentified burtterfly on buttercup
What is it?
The entrance to Barrow Court
Another unidentified butterfly on unidentified flower
The Severn Bridge gradually getting closer!
13 comments:
Hello KTB, WOW!!!! After yesterday's comment of mine(probably posted after this one), things take off even higher....... the first flower is a cornflower(we think), the first butterfly is even more unusual (up here in the Welsh hills) than your Speckled Wood - it's a Small Copper on a buttercup; the rather battered Peacock butterfly was on Wild Garlic. Keep it up - you've only got another 50 or so British butterflies to find and photograph. Say hello to Bristol for us as you pass.
GH & HN
Forgot to say that the pink flower is clover.
you talk about a turning point (day 23 - in the Mendips) - and the evidence is there.
From the poetry of your writing (which reminds me of John Fowles in the FLW)-- eg: "Eventually I turned out of the valley and gradually climbed until I breasted the top of the Mendips, to see before me the most magnificent view all the way to Bristol. I could see the top of the substantial stanchions of the new Severn Bridge and further to the West, the ugly brown water of the Severn estuary. Below me, in contrast and in total tranquillity, Blagdon Lake and Chew Valley Lake reflected the blue of the sky "
or from the anguished recollection of your school days (day 22) "Father Johnson watched all this with increasing alarm. He was I’m sure aware that I was unhappy and probably wanted to do something about it, but inadvertently, he contributed to the problem. I remember once I was summonsed to his office and after a brief period in which not much was said, while he looked at his books and I stood before him rather nervously, he intoned, “Come on, boy, out with it! What’s the problem?” I stammered that there was no problem. He insisted on waiting for me to talk, but I had nothing to say, and I certainly wasn’t going to talk about being unhappy! To have done so would have shattered what was left of my self-esteem. And so I stood there. And stood there."
and on to the political "I have no doubt that the case against Bin Laden is compelling, but then surely that should be heard in a competent court of law. If there is any doubt about his guilt, then the case for testing the argument in court is even stronger. Having attempted to assassinate Khadafi and now having succeeded with Bin Laden, where do we stop? How come we don’t go for Mugabe? What about all the other tyrants?" --
A change indeed! - Now whether this has been brought on by the consumption of liberty caps - a west coast psilocybe mushroom found in the Mendips, or increased serotonin levels as fitness sets in, or perhaps just the sight of Wales..which as you know is the proud home of my paternal forebears, or perhaps the just the increasing distance from Surrey - your blog is turning into something both highly readable and also (suitable adjective needed here) significant.
anyway comrade - keep walking
Richard
.
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that"
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Blush! Keep with the compliments Richard. It does my ego a power of good and fuels my steps. As for the mushrooms, too late in the season!
Barbara, hard to reconcile those admirable sentiments with the whoops of delight in New York. I suspect the mayhem will continue...
GH and HN, Many thanks for identifying the butterflies and flowers. I'll also have you know that there was nothing battered about the Peacock butterfly. He was just hanging on for grim life in a stiff breeze. I tried to take photos of at least four others but the blew or flew away before I could get them in focus. Tricky stuff this butterfly photography....
It is indeed daunting to write this comment to blog followers who style themselves 'thegardenimpressionists' but -- the pink flower is ??clover?? surely not --those leaves do not look like clover leaves -- every Irishman (Kevin - claim your heritage) knows what a clover leaf looks like -- and the flower looks vastly different from the clover that I know.. but perhaps this is a variant on the more typical clover?
Richard, I fear you are about to be put right. Perhaps, better stick to Geology?
Oh Dear, we're certainly not experts on wild flowers - moths are more our speciality. Re the 'pink flower'try googling 'Red Clover' and look at the pics - especially the leaves - it looks remarkably like the 'pink flower' above. White clover has the much more rounded leaves that we're all familiar with. I hesitate to make any comment about the Irish aspect of this.......so I won't!
HN
the trouble with us Africans is that if we stick strictly to our professional qualifications, there would not be enough work in our home towns to sustain us and so we would be condemned to perpetual travel - surely the bane of professionals in the modern era. and so we become JOATs -- and put our noses in all sorts of places where we are rank amateurs.. but still as an Irishman (half), you should be able to recognize a clover leaf.
dear garden impressionists
the image in Wikipedia proves that you are indeed wild flower experts .. and the description clearly states that the leaves are 15–30 mm long and 8–15 mm broad -- not much like the typical clover leaf beloved by dairy products companies, but very much like the leaves in Kevin's photograph - thank you. I shall be far more circumspect in leveling similar charges in future. R.
Richard, a wonderful climb-down! Done with such style and elegance. Only a Magyar could achieve this!
Post a Comment