Holy Rope, Admirable For Insects

A very nice man came from the AA and pronounced that my S2000 problems were caused by a hydraulic leak. He got the car driveable and we took it to my local garage. Should be OK when they've fitted a new master and slave cylinder. 

I went to Fishers Green and had a look in Longlands Hide. Absolutely nothing doing. The Bittern Hide was padlocked, which is unusual. I got the above image of a rather battered red admiral in the Norman's Pond area. It's feeding on hemp agrimony, Eupatorium cannabium. This plant which loves boggy areas, gets its name because it leaves look like those of cannabis or hemp. It is not related to that at all. Insects love the flowers. 

Today's poem is At Lord's by Francis Thompson. http://www.poetryatlas.com/poetry/poem/32/at-lord%27s.html

This poem was read at Harold Pinter's funeral. He thought cricket was "better than sex." Our family doctor was cross at being called out by the midwife to my daughter's home birth because he was going to Lord's.

FT was a lifelong laudanum addict and the theory that he was Jack The Ripper has been put forward.