Stoke Climsland and environs

This is not perfect (you can see the joins) but this a panorama of the village looking North West taken in May 2001 (4 BS) . It is about 5 photos joined together. It shows that Stoke Climsland is an absolutely enormous village with shops and houses and parks, not the tiny village described on Spotlight ...why have they named a programme after me and why haven't I been interviewed yet?? Anyway, Whiteford is to the left but not on this view from the Church tower.
love Spot (1.1 today)

flowering nutmeg

this is an exotic species, known also as himalayan honeysuckle. There is a large specimen near Old Mill, presumably a garden escapee, and several smaller specimens in the woods nearby. It is not nutmeg of course, if only we would all be rich.

tutsan and Whiteford

toute saine in Norman French, which means all healthy. The plant has antiseptic properties and was used to heal wounds. It looks quite exotic but is a native shrub. The berries are fleshy and turn black when ripe. The leaves are said to have the scent of ambergris when dryed. It is common in this area, and especially around Whiteford where an enormous concert is being held in honour of our birthday, I think, with TV cameras and everything.

hemp agrimony

hemp agrimony is flourishing in the heat. It is a rough and violent purgative, or made into an ointment with hog's lard. The forest of long styles make it unmistakeable. Named eupatorium cannabinum for a famous Greek.

centaury

probably common centaury, another very pretty little flower, used extensively to cure all sorts of wounds including one suffered by the centaur Chiron, hence its name. It is very common around here but slow to flower except in this hot bright weather. These are certainly not dog days.

commas

this slightly ragged looking butterfly is a comma, named for the almost imperceptible white comma shaped mark on the underside of the hind wings, smaller and less restless than the fritillary we saw on Sunday. By the way we were infested with ticks after our very long walk, hundreds of them, black ones orange ones red ones; it is very uncomfortable having them removed one by one, so watch out. Any ideas for the perfect tickicide? So far we have tried fairy liquid, WD40, frontline spray and spot, we refuse burning and freezing options.