I was over at Haddo House this morning; it was warm and sunny (it didn't last!), the woodpeckers were busily hammering away and the Horse Chestnuts were bursting into leaf. Hopefully it will be a good year for conker production because I do so enjoy a good game of conkers!

During the First World War horse-chestnuts were collected in huge numbers, often by children,  as a source of starch for the synthesis of acetone. This was achieved by fermenting them using Clostridium acetobutylicum, a method devised by Chaim Weizmann. the acetone was then use as a solvent for the production of cordite, an explosive  used to propel bullets and shells.

The "extra"  shows part of the newly gilded gates leading into the Haddo deer park, which sadly contains no deer! In taking the photograph I seem to have pressed some function on the camera which I did not know that it possessed!