An early start

Out of the house by 05:00 this morning, more than five hours earlier than my usual, this in order to beat the heat to come. Comfortable in shirt sleeves when I left, just starting to warm up when I got back an hour and a half later.

Both roads and pavements more or less empty. The Warburton's lorry passed twice (this being well before our Costcutter would be ready for a deliver), a sprinkling of cabs and other vehicles. People wise, street cleaners in town, dustmen in the residential streets by the time I got back onto the Chase Estate and the odd lady off to the gym. No cyclists - while I remember moderately early cycling during a previous heat wave, the theory being that at least it was air cooled.

The out-of-town quiet meant that one was more aware of birdsong than usual. Plus some great tits in one bush and some house sparrows in another - although I couldn't distinguish a house sparrow from the rarer tree sparrow without looking them up. Parakeets absent, although they had been loud and clear the evening before.

The only shop that was open was McDonald's. I think there was some custom inside, but there were no delivery bikes outside.

On the way out, the large tree left was not looking very well, with a good bit of crown death. Juvenile Wellingtonia, low down to its right, the one with a spiked hat.

On a zoom, Google Images goes for the pin oak (Quercus palustris). I think we have some of these on Clay Hill Green. Corroboration at reference 3, in that it is a short lived tree and that the foliage is red in the autumn, which I think is the case here. I don't remember about acorns, if any, but I am content with pin oak.

All very quiet in town. Just a sit-and-ride sweeper on the square, one man litter picking and another couple dealing with the bins.

I had thought to go home through the Screwfix underpass, but in the event, I couldn't resist a Waitrose trolley at the top of Hook Road, which I returned to the padlocked gates to the Ashley Centre, by Wetherspoon's. Hopefully, whoever opens up the gates will gather it up.

A trolley from TMS in Cricklade. Maybe freshened up by them? It was bright and clean today, even though the front of the basket had been bashed slightly out of shape. On the other hand, it had also been looked at by the Wanzl Service people earlier this year. Who knows what exactly is going on here? Not to mention the quality people at reference 4.

Some honeysuckle in the passage leading to Court Recreation Ground.

Home a little before 06:30.

PS 1: on return, my last pair (of reference 1) having been deemed broken-in, I bought another pair of Moab 3 trainers from Merrell. I usually use Cotswold, from whom I have had helpful in-store service in the past (a long time ago), but who could not do my size, so I went to Amazon instead, who were, on this occasion, slightly cheaper. Amazon and Microsoft are getting quite pushy about these new passkeys, so I have got as far as taking a look at reference 2. I suppose I am going to have to give it a go; hopefully, not one more thing to remember about.

PS 2: I read at reference 5 that Farage has been invited to lunch at Arundel Castle, part of his push for respectability. Votes from both disgruntled working men and disgruntled hereditary peers. This one being a proper noble lord with an unusual house near Bognor Regis. I shall push back should BH suggest that we pay another visit. Perhaps I shall claim a pressing need to investigate the tidal limit of the adjacent River Arun, which cropped up in the margins of reference 6. 

A post which I could only turn up by thinking that 'North Stoke Farm' visible on Ordnance Survey sounded familiar. Only a few months ago too, much more recently than I had thought likely.

Reference 7 lists quite a lot of medals, probably accounting for those to be seen in the snap above. Not military, although one or two might be to do with the Scouting movement, known for its cod-military goings-on, at least in my day.

PS 3: I also read that 'Peter Murrell, the estranged husband of former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, has pleaded guilty to embezzling about £400,000 from Scottish National Party funds'. Remanded in custody, pending sentencing. I can't think of a comparable scandal here, down south: perhaps John Stonehouse? Gemini could no doubt advise.

He manages three: drugs, assault and sex. Plus, appropriately, given the previous PS, a Reform MEP - for taking money from the Russians of all things! I mostly remember the assault case.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/03/a-good-result.html.

Reference 2: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/passkeys.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_palustris.

Reference 4: https://www.itv-tuvrheinland.es/en/company.

Reference 5: Duke of Norfolk to host Reform UK donors as Farage seeks to widen appeal: Luncheon event at 11th-century castle comes after anti-immigration party made gains in local elections - Anna Gross, Ramsay Hodgson, Financial Times - 2026.

Reference 6: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/03/big-case-first-day.html.

Reference 7: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Fitzalan-Howard,_18th_Duke_of_Norfolk.

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