Setember 4th – One of the features of autumn I do like is the huge variey of fruits, nuts and seeds that proliferate in hedgerows and woodlands. I noticed on Milford Common that the beech trees near the A51 had a fine crop of nuts ripening. These slightly bitter, tannic-tasting kernels are edible, but don’t taste so good. I’m unaware of any culinary uses, other then giving their name to a type of chewing gum popular when I was a child. Does beech nut gum still exist? Certainly didn’t taste of beech nuts…

June 19th – I love Cannock Chase, and I have a special fondness for the Sherbrook Valley. Here’s a condensed run from just by Pye Green, to the car park at Milford Common. this run was quick, and there were few people around. The few cyclists I saw seemed to have very clean bicycles, but then, it is summer, so lots of recent purchases about. This run is on a touring bike with no suspension and thin wheels, not a mountain bike.

The soundtrack is ‘Raining’ by Ancient Beatbox, vocals by Sheila Chandra.