Saturday 31 July 2010

Saturday 31st July 2010


It's the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying session today but everyone is still talking about the last race at Hockenheim where, contrary to the rules, Massa was told by Ferrari to give up the win to Alonso.

Friday 30th July 2010


I love globes and I love bookends.  This is the only one I've got that combines the two.

Thursday 29th July 2010


This is Rincewind, the 'Wizzard', on my other Pratchett bookend.

Wednesday 28th July 2010


One of my two Pratchett bookends.

Tuesday 27 July 2010

Tuesday 27th July 2010


One of my favourite garden plants - the Chinese Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus ).

Monday 26th July 2010


This Lesser Yellow Underwing found itself in the shed so I took advantage of capturing it to get a photo of its pretty hindwings.

Sunday 25th July 2010


A Comma in the garden.

Saturday 24th July 2010


A duckweed pattern in one of the garden ponds.

Friday 23rd July 2010

Thursday 22 July 2010

Thursday 22nd July 2010


For the first time for many years I managed to get past the first floor (aquarium and natural history) in the Liverpool Museum this morning.  This was part of a Roman statue from the late Republican / early Empire era.

Wednesday 21 July 2010

Wednesday 21st July 2010


Jay (Garrulus glandarius) in St Bartholomew's churchyard, Thurstaston, Wirral, Cheshire.

Tuesday 20 July 2010

Tuesday 20th July 2010


If you are wondering what the mat says it is 'The Cat and his housekeeping staff live here".

Monday 19th July 2010


A delightful piece of dyed cloth artwork, created by one of the pupils, that Jo bought at Woolton High School's open day last week.

Sunday 18th July 2010


I treated myself to this beautiful glass dish at The Stables Gallery in Brimstage Hall last week.

Saturday 17 July 2010

Saturday 17th July 2010


St Peter's Church, Upton.  I went to Upton to go around the charity shops but unfortunately they seem to have disappeared.  At least the church was open and it has a great interior but at the moment it has things like tents and huge balloons of the world in it for a prayer week celebration.

Friday 16th July 2010


In the front garden.

Thursday 15th July 2010


But this lily got battered by the wind today.

Wednesday 14th July 2010


The lilies seem to have survived the ravages of the lily beetles.

Friday 16 July 2010

Tuesday 13th July 2010


Jo, GB and I went to Dunham Massey where a look around the house and gardens was made even more pleasurable by the presence of the Fallow Deer,

Monday 12 July 2010

Monday 12th July 2010



GB and I went to the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight village.

Sunday 11th July 2010



GB, Jo and I went to Gordale Nursery where a fun day included the presence of various reptiles like this Bearded Dragon which I was fortunate enough to be able to hold.

Saturday 10 July 2010

Saturday 10th July 2010


Jo, GB and  had a day out at Erddig Hall and Gardens in North Wales.

Friday 9th July 2010

GB and I had a day around Lverpool today, starting at the Walker Art Gallery.

Thursday 8 July 2010

Thursday 8th July 2010


GB and I had a trip out to Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire.

Wednesday 7 July 2010

Wednesday 7th July 2010


Is there anything nicer than a surprise bouquet of flowers? Not many things! Thank you Shèlah and Caroline.

Tuesday 6th July 2010


We don't often get Starlings in the garden nowadays but we had a flock of them today.

Monday 5 July 2010

Monday 5th July 2010


The Mock Orange is covered in flowers and smells gorgeous.

Sunday 4th July 2010


The yellow lilies have started flowering today.

Saturday 3rd July 2010


The hanging baskets are taking a lot of watering in this dry weather.

Friday 2 July 2010

Friday 2nd July 2010


A Coot in Ashton Park, West Kirby.

Thursday 1st July 2010

Aconitum, known as aconite, monkshood, monk's blood, wolfsbane, leopard's bane, women's bane, Devil's helmet or blue rocket, is a genus of flowering plant belonging to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). There are over 250 species of Aconitum.


Like other species in the genus, A. napellus - the Common Monkshood - contains several poisonous compounds, including enough cardiac poison that it was used on spears and arrows for hunting and battle in ancient times It has a long history of use as a poison, with cases going back thousands of years. During the ancient Roman period of European history the plant was often used to eliminate criminals and enemies, and by the end of the period it was banned and any one growing A. napellus could have been legally sentenced to death. Aconites have been used more recently in murder plots; they contain the Chemical alkaloids aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine and jesaconitine, which are highly toxic

Thursday 1 July 2010

Wednesday 30th June 2010


I got the bus to Irby and had a walk around Thurstaston Common in the sunshine.

Tuesday 29th June 2010


They have knocked down some of our local shops in ordere to make a Tesco supermarket. Even though planning permission was turned down by the Council it was over-ruled by the Secretary of State; much to our annoyance.