It is sweltering today and the park feels like a furnace to walk through. Many will be away on holiday, but for those who are about, here are a few lovely things I saw today.

I guess bindweed is hated by most, especially when it is in the garden or the allotment. But now is its moment to become truly beautiful and it is all over the wilder parts of the park.

The same goes for the wood pigeon. The pigeons in Dibden Lane allotment used to eat small cabbage plants within hours of them being put out.  So they were not best loved. But actually they are rather beautiful. This one was enjoying the morning sunshine.

Jim at South Glos asked us to keep an eye out for our ash trees, because of the threat of ash die back disease which is currently sweeping the country. We have some amazing trees, some of which will be very old. I have identified fifty one ash trees from within the park. These ones are near the orchard and may be some of the oldest.

As yet, and as far as my untrained eye can tell, there is little sign of the disease in our park, but, sadly, this is unlikely to remain the case. We can expect to lose many of them, starting with the youngest saplings. So we should enjoy them while we can!

There is also a disease on our horse chestnuts near the Langley. Thanks to Pete for pointing this out. I think it is leaf miner disease, which, although it may make for smaller conkers, will not effect the tree in the long term.

That’s all for now. Have a good holiday season. I think I just spotted the first ripe blackberry…