Female Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus)

Having driven down to P's in Shropshire we travelled on to Kinver in Staffordshire where we were due to meet up with a few of our college friends. Somebody wasn't very good at organising! P thought we were to meet at a particular pub at 11:00. We arrived 10 minutes late. Well we thought we were late. The pub didn't open until 12:30!

So we hung around on the pavement opposite the pub wondering where they had gone. While we were waiting we spotted this Garden Spider on somebody's gate. The blue behind is their recycling bin. I had just taken the shot when the others began to arrive all thinking we were due to meet at different times! It must have looked like an episode of "Last of the Summer Wine".

We adjourned to the other pub in the village where we had a hilarious couple of hours before crossing the road to a cafe for something to eat. One of our number had taught locally and he had to suffer as many ex-teachers do greetings from a steady stream of ex-pupils.

By late afternoon we were having to separate to get back home leaving some friends who had not met for 45 years. Another event is arranged for next year.