Malt loaf for the VH coffee shop rota. I’m using my probe to monitor the oven - when it’s 2hrs at 120° it’s quite useful to know what’s really going on in there. It usually anyway takes longer than the sainted Nancy suggests. So. Why exactly do oven manufacturers really bother with numbers?

Something pretty magical is going to happen in the field opposite our cottage this autumn I reckon.

FFS - they’ve changed the name of sedums. Madness abides.

I’ve been mostly keeping BlueSky non work, so I can carry on with this account once I’m a proper Idler. But to keep anyone in the loop, who hasn’t seen already… mailchi.mp/a208369d8776...

I remember that the first 6 months at MAFF with the Coypus (best job ever) I was on £4kpa - which even then was tiny. Another 11 years of determination to smash glass ceilings (and fighting to qualify as a management accountant) saw me get to a pretty decent wage 💪🏼 Good girl. (Thank you past me!)

My salary details for the 11 years I was a Civil Servant have arrived from HMRC (after being lost in the disorganisation after HMSO’s privatisation). Hopefully my pension can be reconstructed from this - nice and speedily 🤞 Fascinated (adjusting for inflation) by what I earned.

The Word In Your Ear Friday night music quiz is the Only Connect of Zoom music quizzes. There’s a monthly tournament run by David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and “Magic” Alex Gold. For arcane reasons the prize is a fridge magnet. Last night, after six years of dedication, Derek and I won.

The Ronald Blythe Fellowship is John Clare Society's new scheme awarding a PhD student focusing on Clare a £1000 bursary to support their work. Please pass on - &/or contact me or Honorary Secretary of the Society, Karen Lakey, for further information: johnclaresociety.wordpress.com/contact-us/

The best start to a day. Toby Jones’ soft lilt reading John Clare. youtu.be/9837ejDAWfQ?...

A memorable morning picking pears with Chris & Mary. The wasps are getting more than interested and the pear stalks snap, so it’s time. Looking at books for pear recipes. I see that Nigel’s Appetite (pub 2000) has pears in the November section. Everything is a bit of a worry.

Who/what is this little thing? We think it came from the pear tree (via OH’s shacket), so that’s where it has gone back to.

Second basket of pears picked (first basket is already mainly in the freezer for winter breakfasts and cakes) and we’re still only at the lower layer of the tree…

I was chatting on R Norfolk this morning about pork pies, Bray’s Cottage’s past, our retirement and maybe, just maybe some future news… 3hrs 40, appropriately, just after what my friend Keith calls Ginster’s Paradise 😂 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Actually, what I probably need to do is ask a better birder to sit in the garden with me.

Sitting under the pear tree with Merlin and a cup of tea. Merlin thinks there are 19 types of birds around, and I think it’s not too far off. Definitely goldcrest, suspect siskin is right and treecreeper. A couple of outliers that are more suspect. Must bring my binoculars out.

A couple of leggy spoonbill on the Cley live feed at the moment. Looking very exotic amongst the lapwings etc. www.youtube.com/live/Hx75TEE...

Lots of birds making relaxed calls in the garden so left Merlin on whilst I picked blackberries for breakfast. Pop back occasionally to see the list grow. Most known residents (goldcrest, linnet etc), but a few outliers such as a blackcap. And definitely taking Egyptian Goose with a pinch of salt.

It’s taken 18 years to realise that if I roll some spare hot water crust pastry nice and thinly, using the pastry brake at work, fold it and bring it home, it makes a no hassle, quick, and very crispy quiche. I feel I’ve missed 18 years of quiche opportunity 🙄😂

How little we understand about the #biodiversity that we are fast trashing - particularly about #microbiomes and microbial life phys.org/news/2025-08...

Summer. Lying in bed at 10 pm listening to the hypnotic rumble of combine harvesters in the fields around the village. It’s forecast dry for the next week so they’re moving up and down the dark fields using headlights to get it all in.

Further bounty. What you need to know is that Rtd doctor James keeps his big vegetable garden with a surgeon’s skill. Juno and I accompanied Jeremy to get eggs from Chip and James called us over and produced a bag each of cucumbers and tomatoes. Must take him some pears.

A bit of John Clare for you (and for me). youtu.be/HZcrisx4o7o?...

James, retired doctor, is arguably the best cake maker in the village. Lean and ridiculously active he loves making complex cakes but doesn’t eat them. We were told to guess what the cake was. I only managed to get fennel (like carrot) and orange because I remembered him mentioning it. V good.

And I volunteered to take James’s cake box back to him after the village craft demo day yesterday. So this morning I carried it up to his house and was gifted half of another absolutely gorgeous cake, so carried the box home again. Tomorrow I’ll have another go at returning the box.

We’ve dined well on generous village neighbourly bounty today. Jeremy carried back black pudding from Uist, John over the road slipped Derek a bag of runner beans. The eggs were Chip’s, but I paid for them. £1.50 for half a dozen from his FR birds which forage happily in his meadow.

🧡🧡🧡 (Seems to have been cropped in translation. Actual lovely words in Alt Text)

This is so important! Dog owners, challenge vets when offered these unnecessary & deeply harmful treatments. I’ve had dogs all my life, & never had to use them. Ticks can be removed easily & safely, & dogs treated (& kept away from water) only IF they get fleas! @davegoulson.bsky.social

Just been stung by a bumble bee. Am now suffering from a case of surprise. After all I do for them…

Doing another round of decluttering after the flooring disruption. Have never been able to throw these battered china kittens away, but have found THE place for them on top of the cupboard by the stairs. Pretty much only us will ever see them there, and they can play to their heart’s content.

This was a terrific evening. Caught up with friends, walked with ghosts on Warham Camp in the evening warmth afterwards, admired Jess’s gorgeous reading out loud in Narfalk skills and have just started Caroline’s brilliant and rich book. Clever Cam, finding such a jewel.

I’m asking UK friends to sign this please. Takes mere moments. A few reasons, including a bit of good old fashioned self interest. Dad had Parkinson’s so I eye up my own genes a little. I’d be terrifically grateful - as possibly future any of us might be. x petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71...

Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell. Mum read it to me as a bedtime book. We both realised that it was probably a big mistake, but persevered. First the dog died, then the otters….

Cucumber spider understanding its complementary colours.

Basil doing well.

I celebrated #internationalwomensday by deadlifting a male comedian 💪

It’s five years since I went shopping in a supermarket. Still don’t miss it.

Bit of an odd thought that Zelensky was in Norfolk today. I’ve never been to Sandringham to wave at the royals (not surprisingly) - although I have seen them. But for that man I’d have got in the car. 🇺🇦

Post a picture of you that’s not actually a picture of you.

Thrown some bread on the frozen garden for the birds and a thrush has just hopped down the path. The first thrush I’ve seen in the garden for many years. Very pleased. Also, very much liking being able to see down the (builder ravaged) garden from indoors for the first time ever.

We haven’t had to do recruitment for a couple of years. We’ve used Indeed for ages, but things feel different. The number of non responders to questions and interview requests. And no-shows to interviews they’ve confirmed. I’ve got a theory that it’s how Tinder is training people. Modern manners.

I’m currently following the C17 weather diary of Sir John Wittewronge of Rothamstead. Thanks to this HertsRecordSoc publication from 1999, I get to enjoy a daily weather record from 400 years ago. Anybody aware of any #weatherdiaries from before 1600 by any chance?

Friday is yoghurt day.

Set off all three of our new screaming smoke detectors, grilling mackerel last night. Still not quite on top of the new oven. Dear God, they were loud, and so very, very piercing. The dog and cat ran out and sat halfway up the garden. 🙀 Must try never to do that again.

Catching up on Stephen Mangan’s Desert Island Discs whilst cooking supper. If anyone ever tells me Stephen Mangan isn’t a very nice person I’ll be very disappointed indeed.

My new favourite podcast (apart from yours, natch 😉) from @writerscentre.bsky.social in Norwich. So interesting hearing Chloe Dalton talking about the leveret and listening to her perspective on nature writing, as an outsider. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Apart from a quick breakfast meeting with boss Andy 👷‍♂️🤴, we have no builders on the premises today. Or dust. Or noise. They are working on our stuff, but in their workshop. Joy.

I’ve never owned a spoon rest before, never thought I needed one. @luciemr.bsky.social buys me one (a beautiful stoneware one from Edgefield Pottery) and it’s somehow magically essential! How did I go so long… 🤷‍♀️😂

Things I didn’t know. Ye was never pronounced thus.

Lovely long chatty lunch with @luciemr.bsky.social, putting the new kitchen through its paces as a space for being social. I think it passed. Thanks for taking the risk Lucie! :) (And for a properly gorgeous dessert)