To Mike and Joan

I won't be coming up for the festival, next month.  My response to the climate emergency is to cut my trips to Scotland to just the two for hillwalking in an attempt to see if my strength and stamina will remain long enough to complete my round of visits to the Grahams and Donalds (2,000 to 2,499 ft) before I'm 80 in less than 7 years time.  I must have nearly 200 left out of about 250 but must get down to work it out!

To reduce my hypocrisy quotient I'm keeping to 60 to 65 mph on 70 mph roads and that gives me between 70 and 80 mpg.  Plus, a 50% cut on my 2019 mileage for future years.  However, the authorities are clueless, I think even though I'm showing them what they have to do!

We had a lovely 5 day holiday at the Cheshire Warner Leisure hotel last month.  We used our bikes on two occasions, with me adding a third trip on my own into attractive Nantwich one evening.

Yesterday, we met up with Becky, Tim and Gwennan at the annual Minsterley Agricultural Show that is down the road from their home.  Very well done with children's races, Polo, the hunt, the most magnificent bulls, cows, Highland cattle, sheep and goats displayed, followed by a parade of old tractors, motorhomes, cars and one vintage motorbike!

On Wednesday, I cycled to an old 17th-century Puritan church, Langley Chapel, in a remote corner of Shropshire.  This was on my way to meet up with Linda at Becky/Tim/Gwennans' home.  The fittings and furnishings "have been left largely undisturbed", so a time warp of the 1600s!  It escaped changes because the surrounding countryside had become depopulated as people went into the towns.  It was abandoned as a place of worship in the first half of the 19th century.  It has roughly hewn benches for the poor and box pews for the high and mighty!

I have found very few acorns growing and it's now the end of August.  Is it the same with you?  But one oak I have growing in a pot, before planting out, is now having its third growth spurt of small red leaves before they turn green.  The trees, by us, are also showing no sign, yet of losing their green leaves, Linda and I noticed this afternoon.