An extraordinary day

As soon as I walked into the lane, the quiet was evident. No traffic noise, just the birds singing, and as I walked Merlin in the meadow, the church bell rang, slowing fading, pausing and then returning. For an hour and a half we walked and all that time the bell rang. The air was still and the bell so clear. I sat down in the community orchard to take it in, this moment in history. The field was busy with dog walkers, but by 10.30, just Merlin and I remained. We walked home along the quiet lane. It was definitely no ordinary day.