The walk from our office to Waterloo Station is unremarkable except for the marvellous bakery Konditor & Cook, whose delicacies glint at you through the glass window like diamonds in a Bond Street jewellery shop, and a cat of such enormous proportions that all the commuters know it as Cow Cat.
The giant feline languishes for a tickle or a morsel en route, but otherwise the walk is an unremarkable function of the daily journey. Except for the fox. Last week, a dog fox idled along the pavement in the opposite direction to commuters, passing within a foot of many. I was alone in stopping and looking in amazement. I've certainly never been so close to one, but nobody else looked twice. Seeing a fox is clearly commonplace for Londoners, unlike us country dwellers.
Back in Hampshire, it's the apple trees that are getting my attention. I've never seen such a bumper crop and, having recently moved there and not knowing the varieties, I've been biting into the different types to discover whether they are cookers or eaters-the star is a tree whose apples are wondrously red and sweet. What everyone needs now are some new recipes to deal with the glut, so please send me any family favourites.
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The life that thrives among the dead: How wildlife finds a home in the graveyards and churchyards of BritainHome to a veritable ‘Noah’s Ark of species’, thanks to never being ploughed, sprayed or fertilised, our churchyards offer a sacred haven for flora and fauna, says Laura Parker.
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‘What a shame when a dinosaur disappears into the mansion of an oligarch rather than being displayed for all to enjoy’: The ethics of the dinosaur auctionFancy a stegosaurus in your living room? You can buy one at auction. But the latest luxury good is a paleontologist's worst nightmare.
