Magnolia buds

Batsford, Gloucestershire

I think just about anyone who was off work today strode out into the countryside. Seats in tea shops and spaces in car parks were at a premium. Especially in Bourton-on-the-Water.

In other news, I stepped over the maximum sum allowed for beans on toast today. Spent more than a fiver! I wish I had been switched on when the guy comes up from behind me, lays the plate on the table and says:

'The beans actually come with 2 slices. If you want the other slice, just let me know.'

Talking rugby (that would be proper rugby), England v Wales, and also with the benefit of hindsight, that was a right twitchy last quarter of an hour. It was like England just ran out of game plan and confidence. And another thing - after Dan Cole was shown the yellow card, but before play resumed, on the intervention of the TMO to flag up some foul play immediately before Cole's infringement, involving Wales' Tomas Francis, his fingers and Cole's eyes, the penalty to Wales was replaced with a penalty to England. So why did Cole stay off the field, leaving England with just 14 men? No one is fussing, so I guess there was no breach of the laws. But it seems odd to me that while an earlier infringement may trump a later one so as to lead to a penalty reversal, there will be no reversal of the card.