May 12th – Another dull day and one on which I wasn’t feeling so well, so just a short circuit of Brownhills for a couple of errands.

I travelled on the canal past Home Farm at Sandhills, and noted that the crops there were really coming on now. Not just the bright yellow of the oilseed rape, but the shimmering green of what I think is a feed of barley was gorgeous too. Within a few short weeks we’ve gone from winter to late spring/early summer and it’s been like firing a starting gun.

Even on a dull day with an uncomfortable stomach, just the colours of this season are enough to cheer me up.