An electoral circuit

On Thursday monring, out to cast my vote in the church hall behind Christchurh. Late morning, plenty of neighbours were out on the same errand.

There was a Reform lady standing outside the hall, along with a Liberal Democrat, and I don't think she worked out what I was getting at when I told her that I was surprised that she was not a fat middle aged man - but she knew well enough that I have having a pop at her party. Just that she failed to process the popping. Cast my votes for Labour, who wouldn't get in, but I thought they that needed all the votes going. It will probably be a different story come the next general election.

Out into the churchyard to find several square metres worth of the blue flowers snapped above.

Google Images is firm - and his story is very plausible - Common Bugle aka Ajuga reptans.

I had wondered whether it was the blue flower at reference 1, which we had come across in the visit noticed at reference 2, and which, as I recall, came in both short format (in the lawns) and long format (in the verges, by the ancient sheds). Noting in passing, that it took the power of BH (and her collection of leaflets) to turn up these two references: Blog search did not cut it.

I asked Gemini whether it was possible to confuse the two, and he confirmed that one could, while providing enough floral details for me to check with my snaps of the two flowers - quite good snaps on this occasion - that Google Images had got it right on both occasions.

At this point, I was on the edge of the common and decided, for once in while to try for a circuit. Charcoal. cows and chainsaw volunteers notwithstanding.

The honeysuckle box which I used to pass most days when I was doing the Horton Lane circuit was still there, although it did not seem to be thriving.

As was the fishing pond, a bit more overgrown. Still quite full after the wet winter. And I think you had to do something Internet flavoured to buy a day ticket.

Heading towards the well, trees old and new.

The ground might have been dry enough, but this mole action was very recent.

I think the chunk of trunk lying on the ground was still part of the tree when I last passed, which must have been some years ago.

There were still fences, so I suppose there must still be cows, although I am pleased to say I did not actually see any. And certainly no need to share ground with them. Odd that they won't go through gates of this sort.

The road home, something short of a full circuit, coming out on Stamford Green opposite the Cricketers. When we first came to Epsom it had stopped being a proper house and had been taken over by young people, who filled the place of an evening: not fit for adults at all. After that, it must have been through more than a dozen hands and several refurbs, some expensive, but it has never really taken off. On the one hand odd, because one might have thought that this would be a really good site, with lots of chimney pots, lots of parking and on the edge of Epsom proper. On the other, the layout inside is all wrong and somehow I don't find it a very comfortable place to be in. And it would seem that too many people agree with me.

Nearer home, something purple. Google Images says snapdragons, otherwise Antirrhinum majus. BH agrees with him, but I am not satisfied. They are not like the flowers which used to grow outside the kitchen window, by the garden swing, when I was a child: I remember flower heads which were more conical than spherical with the florets more spread out. But all is well as Bing turns up some images which agree with me.

And in the backyard, the potted camassias. They get plenty of sun in the afternoon, but maybe BH is right and they need some more. Certainly those at Wisley were planted out in the open, in full sun.

I can't find when I last walked the Common, but I have found when I last noticed the honeysuckle box, more than two years ago, for which see reference 3. Maybe tomorrow I will come up with the right search key for the Common.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/07/self-heal.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/08/haseley-manor.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/02/horton-lane.html.