Our favourite time of year.

A Japanese bird watcher is standing stock still in the barley field when we head off on our morning walk. He's still there , in the same place, when we return half an hour later. We peer at him from the window of 'The Fonts' cabin. I'll try to have a chat and find out what's brought him to this remote spot. Could it be corn crakes ?

The poppies having one last fling. The field verges all the way down to the heron pond now lined with them. By next week they will be gone. They're fun while they last.

Town suddenly busy and bubbly. People arriving from far and near. Range Rovers with personalised number plates much in evidence. Graduates are allowed to get married in chapel so not surprisingly this  is peak season for the ' he graduated in '23, she graduates next week ' crowd.  Parking spaces have been blocked off by yellow cones to allow large bridal limousines to arrive and depart gracefully.  One of yesterdays brides set off to the reception in a vintage Aston Martin. Getting her , and the groom, into the back seat after the wedding was a challenge.  Bridal trains do not lend themselves to the rear of 60's era two door convertibles. They drove off, smiling, amidst the cheers of friends and a large group of bemused but delighted Italian tourists who fully entered into the spirit of the moment. La vita e bella.

I would like to go to Qom but have a feeling the chance has gone. However, demand to learn Farsi seems to be robust. One of the villagers, a professor of Iranian politics, gives an excellent summary of the regimes succession crisis on Radio 4 this morning.

One of the fish and chip shops is offering a 'Filthy Breakfast'. It's arrival comes just in time for the pre-graduation parties or post wedding celebrations. The concept  is designed for a younger audience with cast iron stomachs :https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/in-the-news/the-stunning-scottish-coastal-town-where-you-can-get-a-pure-filthy-chippy-breakfast/

This is our favourite time of year. The town is filling up with cheerful youngsters, serious looking fathers wondering if they need to 'feed the meter'  and proud  mothers determined to wear the broad brimmed hats and 'outfits' they've brought with them. Broad brimmed hats and Scottish wind can surprise the unprepared. Husbands or teenage children are despatched to collect hats that become separated from their owners by particularly muscular gusts. Restaurants and hotels are full. In the evenings the buzz from outside tables is almost Parisian. 21 degrees forecast for today. Even the weather is smiling.

Stawberries and cream :https://theconversation.com/how-strawberries-and-cream-were-a-rare-and-exciting-treat-for-victorians-and-then-became-a-wimbledon-icon-258629

Why would you want a house built and furnished by a car company ? :https://www.carscoops.com/2025/06/aston-martin-private-residence-tokyo-n001-minami-aoyama-house/

Change is coming :https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/the-dawn-of-the-posthuman-age

You can now stay at Londons hippest Indian restaurant :https://www.permitroom.co.uk/stay/portobello/