Guitars, Vans, Flowers

I could tell it was the end of the Summer holidays this morning - parents back to work and lots of space to park on our road.

Su went off to get her tyres checked ahead of her MoT while I went and bought a hard guitar case for because - breaking news - we have changed our plans again and will now be in Greece for a whole month, four weeks of that on Symi! I am taking my guitar, so need something more robust than my gig bag for the flight (the guitar is just 2cm too wide to fit in the overhead locker!) 

This guitar used to belong to my friend Sandy -  I met up with him just after he had bought it to celebrate getting a job as a sales rep with EMI records. Back then (in 1976) I told him that he should give it to me because it was too good for him! He did exactly that when he died - far too young - in 1999. Playing the guitar makes me think of him still.

Then it was off to the local VW garage to talk about getting the van fixed (it will take a few days till I know what the damage will be to the bank account…).

 Just across the road is where the van ended up last night.

After that, we went off to Prior Park Garden Centre for some lunch. Spotted this unusual conical shaped hydrangea on the way out.

I was also taken by this pretty flower.

We took Bella up to Charlcombe church this afternoon. On the way, I stopped to admire a neighbour's fennel.

The sun had come out by this stage, and Fay's birthday banner sparkled in the light.

Up in the churchyard, Su pointed out this branch that had fused with a bigger one on the old apple tree we sat under.

The lichen on the trees up there is really impressive.

Su spotted these cyclamen already in flower near the Holy Well.

This day a year ago, Su went to the Garden Show in Shepton Mallett before coming along to the street party. Later that evening, she managed to post a most cogent blog after drinking more than her usual amount of wine :-)!

The Garden Show, not the street party :-)