A short nature walk and two pubs shut

Lets start with the pubs shall we?  Last night after I'd been working most of the day, we decided to treat ourselves to a pint and something to eat at the Folly, only a short drive from the marina.  When we arrived there it was painfully obvious that our plans were thwarted.  The car park was empty because . . .they don't open on a Monday/ Bah!

So today as it was going to be too wet to do any painting we took Herbie out of the marina, turning left in the general direction of Leamington and slowly tootled along to the entrance to Nelson wharf which used to be the home of Willow Wren training until, as we've just discovered, it closed last May. It looks as though the building may now be unoccupied.

Anyhow we turned our boat (beautifully as it happens) and backed up another 150 yards (again remarkably well - of course no one was watching) and moored up for the night.  It's not far from here to the Boat pub, so our plan was to have a pre dinner drink there, but would you believe it they are closed on a Tuesday.  Bah!  What have we done to deserve this?

After the rain I thought I'd take a stroll and see how the hedgerow was faring, and bingo - there are ripe blackberries after all.  Not the sort of pint I was planning on but welcome nonetheless.

What else was around.? Well some nice sycamore seeds just next to Herbie

not to be confused with ash keys a few paces away

some good old burdock excellent for throwing at people and also for Dandelion and Burdock pop, except I don't know how that's made

and lastly some wild clematis or old man's beard (but the beard hasn't grown yet)

and through the hedge and across the lane, this lovely field of rather damp barley

The seeds look ready to harvest, but with all this showery weather they'll have too much moisture.  I hope it dries out soon before they get mouldy.  We don't want mouldy beer do we?

We'll make a third attempt at finding an open pub tomorrow.

PS I had another email from my MP - a response to my response to his response.  I had suggested he offers support to Michael Fabricant  re finding a solution to CRT funding (see previous posts) and he said it was an excellent suggestion and that he will do just that. We have to take him at his word.  I think he will.