Basking

Buddleia self-seeds all over the garden
in the most inhospitable places
and because it is known as the butterfly bush 
I have let it be.
Sadly there has been a distinct lack of butterflies
until today, when I saw this beautiful peacock butterfly
feeding on the flowers.
I attribute this success to the fact that I have left,
for the first time,
a patch of Stinging Nettles
and a large clump of Golden Hop,
both being the preferred foodplants of the caterpillars.

The Favourite Walk at Easter

It's a long one.

Run if you like.

I've saved the best until last.
The tea was good of course
and very welcome, but this,
(can you see it?)
is a skylark that 
sang into the wide blue yonder
then plummeted to earth

just here 
at the end of the walk.

Fourth of the fourth

This is what I found in the fourth position in the fourth folder - 

an old Abbatt jigsaw from my childhood. 

Actually it was probably bought by my mother for her Nursery school

 which was run from our house in the late 60s and early 70s.

Paul and Marjorie Abbatt were pioneers of children's educational toys in the 1930s.

 They opened a shop in Wimpole Street designed by their friend,

 the modernist architect Erno Goldfinger.

Jane Audas has more information in her trenchant blog 

Shelf Appeal.

I wasn't overly keen on jigsaws.

They spelt boredom on a Sunday afternoon listening to the syrupy medleys on Sing Something Simple.