For the past few weeks, as their buds swelled, it looked as if it was going to be a dead heat between the ash and the oak as to which would burst into leaf first, but, in a photo finish, the oak emerged victorious (‘oak before ash, we’re in for a splash; ash before oak, we’re in for a soak’).
As a result, hopefully, like last year when the oak won rather more convincingly, we will be in for another glorious dry summer.
Now is the time to drink in the countryside’s chlorophyll—the green of May is one of Britain’s wonders and it’s no wonder that the Green Man played such a part in our folklore to represent the rebirth of Nature. This pagan deity is found on huge numbers of both secular and ecclesiastical buildings as well as pub signs.
Above all, May is the time of England’s green and pleasant land. Those words made famous by Blake’s poem set to music by Sir Hubert Parry and known to all of us as Jerusalem was first performed on March 28, 1916, during the First World War at a patriotic ‘Fight for Right’ concert. Today, the song still resonates, as does our nation’s natural beauty.
Spectator: Big ideas for small farmers
Lucy Baring clues up on big farming ideas for small farmers.
Town mouse visits the Falmouth Bay Seafood Café
Town mouse enjoys a fish dinner.
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Splendid isolation at four gorgeous properties for sale around the worldFor those craving a home that offers a true escape from the world, some wonderful properties are on the market right now. Here's our pick of some of the finest — ideal for nature lovers, those in search of tranquility and Bond villains alike.
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Sir Francis Beaufort: The man who measured the wind and set the foundations for the Shipping ForecastNeptune’s realm may never be tamed by Man, but Sir Francis Beaufort ensured seafarers have a way to measure the winds
