11 May: The bluebell wood

Blaid's wood in Durham city is carpeted with bluebells. Other flowers are out, too, like this wild garlic -


But bluebells everywhere, here with stitchwort:


There were celandines, dandelions, a bit of early cow parsley, garlic mustard, wood anemones, violets, and red campion, too. Small birds twittered and sang, a wood pigeon cooed, a crow was imitating a Dalek, and there was a distant whirr of the mower at the crematorium.


Several people were walking in the wood - one had a stout and wheezy old labrador dog, but the others were just enjoying the bluebells. I could have stayed there all day, but I had to visit Mr Tesco.