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Thursday

October Cold Snap

The gentle progress of autumn finished somewhat abruptly this week. With a night time temperature of below minus 4 C. and 6mm snow yesterday, I think I can safely say my dahlias have had it. It will give me the chance to sort out my borders now, rather than this slightly hopeless holding on to the last few flowering plants as some desperate connection with summer. I will dig things up, move them around and be happy with cutting down my perennials and looking forward to next year's show.
The hour changed on Sunday and now it's dark at 5. All this whilst our friends Gabi and Vince in Hungary are enjoying temperatures regularly over 20 and bright sunshine.

Still it timed well for a visit last week from Alun Callender for a forthcoming article. We needed shots outdoor, but around my workshop, my top garden and my "commute" to work through the meadow. Walcot has a quirky charm, it's very shambolic and full of unexpected incident and fortunately not "done up". It makes for fascinating images. It's a wonderfully inspiring place to be, not necessarily in the immediate sense of capturing a beautiful tree or view of the lake, of which there are lots. It's more the small incidents or a quality of light, the pattern in a newly sown field, or an unexpected colour combination which happens quite by chance. These things are sometimes so visually stunning I feel they are etched in my mind.

Then earlier in the month was my alter ego's moment in print. No one actually recognises it as me, it was an amazing achievement of the team doing hair, makeup and wardrobe for a magazine piece. It was also a surprisingly enjoyable day. To all who know me that sort of appearance and treatment is pretty far removed from how I normally dress, but for a very short time, with other people doing it it was the most wonderfully indulgent time.