One of my favourite walks at this time of year is near Stoughton – as Spring beckons the scent of wild garlic floats through the air as the plants cover great swathes of the woodland floor.  Now where is that Nigel Slater recipe I remember reading last year?  Much to my irritation,  I don’t think I tore it out as it was published after our Wild Garlic season was over.  If anyone can suggest culinary uses for the leaves, please let me know – many thanks.

Also making an appearance at this time of the year are the bluebell leaves – there are a few flowers already opening up which I can’t quite believe.  If you’re lucky when the flowers are in full bloom.  I took an American friend who was on her first visit to the UK to this woodland last year and she’s still talking about it.  These woods cast quite a spell over you.

I took my camera with me on Tuesday as well as the dogs.  They love it when I’m messing around with the lens as it gives them a chance to have a good rummage - this time they found a deer leg and had a good nose down some rabbit holes.   However, they can be right pains as they, too, take a great interest in my subjects, determined to get into the photo or cock a leg on the subject!   Found in among the undergrowth was a vehicle sump quietly rusting away into a fascinating shape (how on earth did it get there?).

The deer were out in the early evening, but trying to capture them on film is immensely tricky as the dogs don’t appreciate what I mean by silence.  A magnificent stag, with a splendid set of antlers watched me from a distance – stupidly I used the autofocus on the camera which meant most of the photos haven’t come very well - next time I’ll do the work.  And a herd were out on the field next to the woods, completely ignorant of me until Massey realised that I trying to creep a little closer and crashed through the undergrowth to catch up, and the deer ran off.  Huh… the price I have to pay.