Scarlet firethorn in the sun

I have always known this by its Latin name Pyracanthus but now realise that Scarlet Firethorn in very appropriate. This is a very healthy looking bush with so many red berries seen while walking the dog. This plant is growing only a few feet from the river so I guess it has had plenty of water to the roots all summer. The same plant in the gardens near us has nearly died due to the drought. The sun was really shining brightly late this afternoon and the sky so blue too.

We met friends for lunch at a pub we have not visited before, the Jovial Sailor, Ripley.  We were amazed at how busy it was for an ordinary Wednesday lunchtime. It is a huge pub, one of a small chain. The menu catered for every type of diet - vegetarian, vegan etc. even if not that imaginative. Service was a bit slow but luckily we were not in a hurry. Today I actually looked at the kcal on each item out of interest and was amazed to find that the values did not coincide with what I would have thought. I think it’s a pointless system…how many people actually bother to take it into account when ordering? I was surprised to find things like barbecue ribs were lower calories than say fish and potatoes!