Poppy watch 1

Last year, the Staffordshire poppies took over the rapeseed fields and caused traffic chaos (and lots of blips)

Noticing a few isolated poppies in the grass verges, I was curious to see it we were going to be treated to the same phenomenon again. The most dramatic field appears to have been planted with a different crop, but the one in the field further down the bank (in the direction of Waitrose) is looking promising - see today's blip.

If it flourishes, it is going to cause even sillier traffic chaos. This is by the very big roundabout on the Southern Lichfield Bypass and there is virtually nowhere to pull over. I was lucky. The road was quiet when I sneaked a few minutes in a gateway.

By far the most developed field of red is to be found by the Wall roundabout, on your right as you set off along the A5. There are roadworks here - and it's BAD even without a natural phenomenon.

Another promising splash of red is in a field on the same side of the road as Bodnett's Farm Shop in Hopwas, between Bodnett's and the A5 roundabout....

watch this space.