18 – 24 May 2026

18 May “Fuck!” I make a run for the stile as the horses pound their way downhill. I was up with the singing wren at 5:19am and out in the sunshine later. There’s a smell of woodsmoke in the air and looking down from the top of the Silent Wood I can see why. The farmer is burning something at the edge of the field and a dense plume of smoke is rising and drifting on the breeze. T was right. Someone has cut a route back into the wood. The usual route is still blocked off, although a new, much steeper entrance is slowly forming to the right of the original. Determined feet will find a way. The bluebells have gone now and the stitchwort, but the cow parsley has taken over. Two young foxes race past and then stop in their tracks to stare. On the official path there’s a burnt out scooter standing in front of a wooden bench. I guess if you’re going to watch a stolen scooter burn, a decent seat is always a bonus. 20 May A woman stands next to me on the platform and faces the empty poster case…