15th November 2013

This living on British Summer Time all the time is proving rather good. It's much more in synchronisation with the daylight. It really makes sense and I just cannot understand why this country keeps messing around with GMT and changing clocks. If we must change clocks, let's at least synchronise with our continental neighbours. Is there some perverse British cussedness that insists on the 'we're right and they're wrong' attitude even when they are obviously right and it's we who are clearly wrong? 

Hang on a moment. Just getting off my soapbox. 

That's better, now where was I? Oh yes, today ...

... Today, or rather this evening, D and I were invited, along with about fifty other people, to go to a lovely place near Gloucester called "Nature in Art". The clue is in the name, it is an art gallery devoted to pictures and sculptures of animals and birds. The occasion was the launch of a beautiful new book depicting and describing all the birds of Gloucestershire. We played a small part in gathering the information and raising the funds to create this beautiful volume and, as a result, not only got invited to the launch, but we're also presented with a free copy of this splendid, rather large, tome. It's called "The Birds of Gloucestershire" by Gordon Kirk and John Phillips. They thanked everyone for their support and signed our copies. About five years ago, when work started on the book, I was able to sponsor my favourite bird, the lapwing, so I'm proud to have my name in it. 

Hawfinches in the Forest of Dean by Terence Lambert