Blue sow thistle and a vampire!

Many years ago our garden was blessed with a very large patch of this lovely Blue sow thistle Cicerbita macrophylla. First recorded naturalised in 1910 this handsome plant has a scattered distribution across southern UK, but where it is established it can be a bit of a thug - so bewhere! Superficially the flowers are very similar to those of chickory, but the leaves are very different, being large and club shaped like other sow thistles.
The wonderful Horse fly  in my extras is one I apprehended in a window of the vet's yesterday, and having spent a night in my cool fridge she agreed to a photo shoot, and I agreed to let her go free as payment! I think she is a Band-eyed brown horsefly Tabanus bromius, a largish species common in the south feeding mainly on cattle and ponies - have a look if you dare!!!