As we walked under grey skies broken by occasional sunshine, a Red Kite passed by overhead. Reintroduced to the UK in the 1990’s these birds have done well and we see them regularly in Bedfordshire and beyond. However listen to what one of the walkers says below

Threats to red kites

“Illegal poison baits set for foxes or crows are indiscriminate and kill protected birds and other animals. It is estimated that at least half of our native Welsh kites die through this deliberate abuse of agricultural chemicals.”

“In Scotland the survival of juvenile birds is especially low due to poisoning. This is limiting the growth of the kite population in Scotland. It is estimated that more than a third of the released and wild-bred Scottish kites were illegally poisoned between 1989 and 2001.”

“Poisoning is also the most frequent cause of death of kites in England. Red kites are especially vulnerable to the modern rodenticides used to control rats, since they are skilled in finding the corpses of poisoned rats.”

We are living in strange times indeed

I’m a bit doubtful about the set.

With its delicate pink flowers and heady, intense perfume

It was the first Remembrance Sunday when I couldn’t discuss the ceremony at The Cenotaph with mum. In past years we marvelled at the Queen and her ability to lay her wreath and then walk backwards down the steps. In her latter years she gracefully passed this duty to her son, now our king. This morning was the first time that I had sung “Gd save the King”. We will not see a monarch to equal the late Queen in our lifetimes. I will forever miss my mother and her good sense, her humour and her wise counsel.

In addition, today would have been dad’s 95th birthday. He passed away painlessly and instantly at the age of 86. I remember him today with affection and admiration. Dad was in the vanguard of teaching us what is now taught by “life coaches”. Dad knew and lived by the value of work/life balance. He worked hard to establish himself as a professional who could provide for his wife and two children as well as supporting his parents all their long lives. He also took plenty of time out to have lunch (sometimes with a game or two of snooker- at which he excelled). He played football and cricket in early married life and later golf and tennis. Regular bridge, evenings out with mum and friends to theatre, cinema, nightclubs and concerts. He worked to live not lived to work – and he never borrowed or owed a penny. Hats off to dad – I wish that I had realised how amazing he was and told him so in his lifetime.

May he and mum (whose memorial stone will be set beside dad’s stone next week) rest together in eternal rest