Happy Chinese New Year - a little late but my Fire Horse was inspired by a pony I met on Ashdown Forest so it can't keep up with the bigger ones!

While waiting for Boots to open, I sketched the old signal box at Uckfield Station. Colours added later. #Urbansketching

Nearly missed tonight's #DrawingDiggingForBritain - fascinated by the analysis that showed that a stone hand tool was used for grinding tin.

Absolutely blown away by the fossil fern remains and intrigued by the iron-age dogs #DrawingDiggingForBritain

With malted grain and a barrel hoop from the oldest whisky maker in the world, today's #DrawingDiggingForBritain had a bit of a theme going on!

My @RSPB #BigGardenBirdwatch is done. Fewer small birds because I am not using feeders this year but an absolute pleasure to see 6 Blackbirds and a Song Thrush raiding the little Crab Apples from our tree. Uckfield, Sussex.

#DrawingDiggingForBritain I gasped when they slid the Roman bone box lid open. I could imagine the Roman lady or her servant using the ointment that was thought to be inside.

Catch Han Li and me on #diggingforbritain tomorrow night at 9pm on BBC2 talking about the incredible frescoes and finds from the Roman mansio excavated in Southwark. #archaeology #roman #romanarchaeology #fresco #conservation

The boar’s head standard found by @pcaarchaeology.bsky.social is just so fabulous. #drawingdiggingforbritain #diggingforbritain

#drawing 4818 enamel brooch #DrawingDiggingForBritain #adrawingaday #artyear #thedailysketch

An incredible jigsaw lived together by MOLA - Roman painted wall plaster found in London and presented on #diggingforbritain by @megsdigs.bsky.social #drawingdiggingforbritain

So much to see in tonight's #DrawingDiggingForBritain - Athough the Carnyx and Boar's head standard were magnificent, my favourite find was the wooden ladder at Sizewell.

#DrawingDiggingForBritain Really enjoyed capturing some of the artefacts shown in this North West episode.

Minus 11 overnight - but the dawn light is lovely - Sussex #12DaysWild

Loved seeing the Moon setting just as the sunlight was creeping into the sky. Buxted Park, Sussex #12dayswild

After a dusting of snow, I threw some bird food onto the grass and retreated inside. Naturally, the Blackbird was first to arrive. #12dayswild

A little bit of snow is falling, Sussex 6am.

I enjoyed a chilly Uckfield (Sussex) #NewYearPlantHunt - I found a total of 35 species, the same as last year. The stars of the show were a frosted Pineapple weed, a large patch of Sweet Violets and Oscar the cat. uckfieldwildlife.blogspot.com/2026/01/new-...

My ##NewYearPlantHunt is done! Now I need to process the results.

... and they sun has popped out of the ground and the sky - Smooth Sow Thistle. Uckfield, Sussex ##NewYearPlantHunt

12 minutes, 6 plants and one cat in. My Uckfield, Sussex #NewYearPlantHunt is underway. Petty Spurge and Oscar.

Good morning at the dawn of the new year.

For anyone going on the #NewYearPlantHunt, looks like we are going to need our big coats!

A frosty morning is a great time to really look at leaf shapes in the garden #12dayswild Sussex

Paused during shopping trip to enjoy the river Uck from the High Street bridge. The 12th Century cottage has stone footings to protect it from floods. #12dayswild

I found this White-lipped Snail tucked in beside a log. It appears to have a "door" across the mouth of it's shell so I'm guessing it is still "at home". I've put it back where I found it. #12dayswild late - forgot #

The first Bluebells are coming through. Sussex #12DaysWild

Our Oak, aka the Sussex Weed, has had a bumber crop of acorns. I've cleared about 11,000 so far to maintain balance in the garden and there are still plenty left for garden visitors. #12dayswild

I enjoyed sketching this Sussex scene while hearing Green Woodpeckers calling. #12dayswild

#12DaysWild First garden bird on Christmas Day - Blackbird (on right)

It is rather lovely to indulge in hot porridge and berries by the light of our little Christmas tree before the world really wakes up.

Lest we forget: Acorn to recall WW1 battle of Verdun, purple Poppy for the animals that served, Spitfire, Remembrance red Poppy and wings to commemorate the Battle of Britain.

Look who was following me while I tidied round my Cyclamen. Welcome back, Robin.

Very poignant commemoration of the 80th anniversary of VJ Day at Uckfield'sVictoria Park. A singer encouraged us to join in with the old songs. "Show me the way to go home" is almost a family catch phrase. Then a proclamation and prayers before a 2 minute silence and the lighting of the beacon.

Commemorating the 80th anniversary of VJ day.

Enjoyed sketching one of the marquees at Uckfield's Weald on the Field. #UrbanSketching

This is the thing I made when I was mucking around with the Bayeux thing for thing 2 of my 6 things

Gardens for the future: UK landscapers switch to drought-resistant planting as climate changes

A great photo of our Southerham Farm nature reserve, taken last summer by Paula Oakley. Within the chalk massif of the Lewes Downs, the reserve comprises rolling downland set in a working livestock farm. Look for many chalk grassland flowers & butterflies. Part of @southdownsnp.bsky.social

In this weather, wildlife appreciates some fresh water. As you can see, they don't mind if the dishes are from Tesco ready meals!

Lottie Dod won Wimbledon today in 1887 at age 15. She still has the record as youngest woman to do so. She won four more. Then won the British ladies golf championship, played hockey for England and won a silver in the Olympics at archery. She served as a nurse in WW1.

Someone decided that I needed help tying my shoelaces before this morning's run.

It's Flant day! Loads of flying ants around.

#WildFlowerHour Not a true #AquaticPlants but these Common Valerians were perched on the side of a Sussex Steam.

Happy Sussex Day

... and the lovely #UrbanPlants by @trevorthebotanist.bsky.social is here

Gardening in drought - emergency tips for the continued dry spell www.wildway.info/p/gardening-...

Nice to see the flag commemorating 80th anniversary of VE Day on our estate's flag pole.