As we walked, we were being observed

Anthony came to visit us briefly last night, en route to some other friends of his in Stroud. We had a quick chat and arranged to meet up today to visit our mutual friends John and Liz.

The sun was shining again and the air was still. When I arrived at their home on the slopes of the Painswick valley at midday, coffee and cake was being served which fortified us for a quick lunchtime stroll. We followed a footpath across the fields, down towards the Painswick stream, and then up the other side above the spring line around the edges of the combe on the land owned by Kites Nest farm, situated at the head of the valley. John and Liz's home was originally a couple of the original farm cottages belonging to the farm.

As we walked up to the head of the valley, chatting away about landscape history, I couldn't resist stopping to film this majestic long-horned cow who stood patiently watching us as we struggled up the very wet and muddy hillside.

I left Anthony and John chatting together in the workshop, where John has his microscopes and photographic equipment which I have blipped bits of before. John was a star of the Preservation Trust exhibition two weeks ago, when he showed his 3D stereoscopic images of details of the wood and fungi we found at the Brunel Goods Shed and other buildings.

John in his workshop

Some of John's tools

Staying with Anthony in London