UNREQUITED

When we opened the curtains we saw that eight moonflowers (Epiphyllum oxypetalum - other common names are available but we've always called them moonflowers) had opened overnight in Mum's conservatory. I'd seen that there were buds, but thought they were too small to open while I was staying, so it was lovely to see them on my last morning. My parents brought a couple of leaves back from Singapore 53 years ago and they've grown and given away several huge plants and many cuttings from those originals. They used to invite friends and neighbours in for drinks when they thought the flowers were going to open and it's always a shame for them to open unappreciated and then die in the morning, especially as whatever moths they need to attract are definitely not around in Surrey. It was obvious that there had been a couple of flushes of blooms while the house was empty, so it was a treat to see them and, despite the chilly morning, we went in and enjoyed the really gorgeous scent of them which filled the conservatory. The individual flowers are probably about eight or nine inches across the main part, and about twelve if you include all those thin outer petals.

Apart from that, I had a slow drive home with an itchy and watering eye. I tripped and fell over at Blyth Services (nothing damaged, just a bruised knee) and found a speeding notice from my journey down a fortnight ago waiting for me in the post when I got home. Beware the roadworks on the A1 at Grantham. I know I was just in the continuous traffic going through them (at 57 they tell me), so I expect there were lots of people who got that letter. I had to send back a form confirming that I was the driver, though my sister said I should have told them it was Dominic Cummings and then they'd let me off. However, they got me bang to rights and I'll just have to pay up or do the course or whatever and hope there isn't another letter coming next week about my return journey, although my average speed for the whole trip works out at about 40mph! I don't think they see it that way.