Sunshine

What a difference a couple of days can make. Today turned out to be warm and sunny, so Malcolm and I walked through Shipley Park, up and round Shipley Hill before returning home. Everywhere, signs of Autumn are becoming more evident. Leaves are turning to the flame-colours associated with this time of year and beginning to fall. Among the trees and shrubs of the gardens of Shipley Hall, there are several species of Berberis. This one is Berberis thungergii, it's berries nestled amongst the sharp spines.

Walking back down the hill, we passed a couple of small, Lime Trees.  I think these are Common Lime (Tilia x europaea), a hybrid between Small-leaved and Large-leaved Limes.  Limes are well-known by car owners for dropping a sticky sap all over vehicles parked under them.  This sticky residue is actually honeydew, produced by aphids which love the young stems of Limes.

The boundary of Shipley Hall has been delineated by a large wall since the early years of the 20th century.  The wall - known as the Suffragette Wall - was built to keep militant women away from the hall.  Well, one wouldn't want a gang of marauding suffragettes spoiling one's morning kedgeree would one?