One of my favourite places ....

Ah my fine upstanding compadres....the subject today is Dendrology (the study of wooded plants, my dear old thing!).

If I had a chance to start again, then maybe I would have wanted to be a dendrologist...... but there again maybe not.

What I do know is that I like woods and trees - as did (thankfully) Bobby Holford when he planted his first tree at Westonbirt and founded the mighty arboretum...One of my favourite places.

Autumn - a great time to visit

...and interesting stuff

Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, is renowned worldwide for its tree and shrub collection. It contains nearly 16,000 specimens, including almost half of those woody plants known to grow in the world's temperate climate zone, and covers 600 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds. Its importance is recognised by English Heritage's Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historical Interest as a Grade 1 registered Landscape.

Westonbirt Arboretum was established in 1829 by wealthy landowner Robert Holford, and later developed by his son, George Holford. Much of Westonbirt's renowned autumn colour is often credited to Sir George's plantings of Japanese maples between 1875 and 1900, many of which are still alive today. Unlike many arboreta, Westonbirt is laid out according to aesthetic appeal rather than scientific or geographical criteria, and the Holfords' legacy is open for all to enjoy - a beautiful, relaxing and unique day out amongst some of the tallest, oldest and rarest trees and shrubs in Britain.

Westonbirt is home to the National Japanese Maple (acer) Collection, with over 200 different types in the collection. The Forestry Commission opened Westonbirt Arboretum to the public in 1961, and in 1966 a new Acer Glade was established alongside the original one planted by Robert and George Holford in 1870. 

On the level ...

Bish has been at it again! - off to see great funky bands without putting any info on the blog.
This time its the mighty Level 42 at Guildford.

Suffice to say the Bish was most impressed - perhaps one day he will regale us with his witty commentary.

Aged funksters still pounding out groovy melodies

In the absence of any commentary from the mighty Bish, I think this is what he and the beautiful Bish boogied along to ...

1. Love Games

2. Where's Yo' Head At

3. Are You Hearing (What I Hear)?

4. 88

5. Mind On You

6. Kansas City Milkman

7. It's Not the Same for Us

8. My Independence Day

9. Leaving Me Now

10. Tracie

11. The Sun Goes Down

12. Sirens

13. Starchild

14. Something About You

15. Lessons in Love

16. Build Myself A Rocket

Encore:

17. Heaven in My Hands

18. The Chinese Way

19. Hot Water



Pleased to learn ...

Here is an artist who I hold in high regard as a guitarist and as a person. A true, one-off, fabulously genuine English eccentric

As an' angry youth' -  I can remember seeing the great 'Wilko' with his Solid Senders at Bristol Poly in 1978. I also saw the Feelgoods that year and they were decidedly average without him. Then in 1979 he stole the show (my view) at the Reading festival.

So pleased he is now going to live on ...

Q awards: Wilko Johnson receives icon award following battle with cancer

Then ...

...and Now

Thin Lizzy and the Ramones didn't turn up - The Scorpions and Nils Lofgren stepped in. O and it rained!! ...

MOT Approval

Once again the mechanical ministrations by the Bish have ensured that the Bus has sailed through its annual medical and is certified A1 - fit for anything.

I would like to say that I had a hand in this but in the eloquent words of Oddball of Kelly's Heroes fame .... I don't know how they work, I just ride them. So I guess this makes the Bish that mechanical genius Moriarty

The oddest ball of all

Mechanical genius

....Always with the negative waves Moriarty! Why cant you say something righteous and hopeful.

 

Forgot to mention .....

How remiss of me !

2014 has been the year when the beautiful one reached a landmark and the male offspring another.

As a gentlemen I cannot divulge the landmark age the beautiful one has reached but the male heir has come of an age that, in bygone times, meant he now has the 'key of the door' and their combined ages are seventy one.....

It was also 25 years ago that I managed to persuade the beautiful one that I was worth sticking with.

So 3 celebrations that have spread throughout the year ..

The male heir and I had a rather whiskey fuelled adventure in Dublin! ...I will politely draw a veil over a fuller description on the basis that...'what goes on tour, stays on tour'.

Here are pics of the friends we made in the Green Isle alongside the Liffey ..

 



The year has been a veritable smorgasbord of parties and adventures, involving voluminous quantities of food, fun, friends and frivolity .....

trying to escape Amsterdam

Surprise birthday soiree

Easter courtesy of the Jeffords - the gangs all here

                                    Culture at the Theatre

Party on Dudes!

Drunken Revelry

Tree hugging at Westonbirt

Its a banana tree at Kew

intellectual repartee

Bobbing in the roof top spa overlooking Bath

Giving it large at Taunton

High Tea for two ....

Such fun!

Everything he does..... he does it for the beautiful one ..

Down on Jollity Farm

So my trusted and honourable amigos ...

October has arrived and it's the annual scamper for the Eavis' gold tickets to the hallowed pastures of Somerset and the Legend that is Glastonbury!

Suffice to say, all was organised but expectations were suitably pessimistic as the 9 o'clock kick off approached. It started badly as the usual holding page appeared and disappeared in 20 second intervals. Time was ticking and spirits were low.

Then a jubilant bellow from the first born, she had done it again - 6 tickets secured, now just 2 more required for a full complement. It was getting tense. Suddenly I was in and tapping in registration numbers when the shout went up, 2 tickets secured by the Bish first born - Phew!

All were stunned and to be truthful, gobsmacked -it was going to be a damn fine 2015.

Hats off to the First borns- truly we raised them well!