Forests in Spring and Smelling of Dirt
Woodland photos, bluebells and maybe even a WW2 spy
Hello there,
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."
-from Bluebeard’s Egg by Margaret Atwood
I love the springtime - it feels like a reward for battling through winter. It’s a wonderful time to venture outdoors in Devon. The hedgerows are full of flowers and songbirds, and both the moors and the coast look great in the sunshine.
But one of my favourite places for a spring walk is the woodland not far from our house. It’s made up of two woods divided by a track: Bearacleave Wood and Shaptor Wood. They make up a temperate rainforest which is a rare ecosystem in this country, and it’s under threat.
There’s a gallery of photos below, so you can see the bluebells and tranquil paths for yourself.
Sir David Attenborough covered temperate rainforests in one of his Wild Isles programmes. When he mentioned Devon, I pricked up my ears. And what did he show the world? An enormous slimy slug. You can find the clip online if you look on the BBC website for the Ash-black slug - but you might prefer not to.
Good old Attenborough is 99 and a national treasure. He’s been showing me nature and wildlife since I was small and his programmes were in black and white.
While I’m getting nostalgic, we had a village get-together for the 80th anniversary of VE Day. It was nice to see the community coming together for some simple pleasures: shared food, cups of tea, cold drinks, sandwiches and lots of cake. A spontaneous game of cricket broke out with kids and adults sharing a small plastic cricket set intended for the beach.
Fancy dress was optional, and I almost didn't go for it, but I can usually knock something up at the last minute:
Was I an observer from the Ministry of War or a spy? Who knows? The red owl flies at midnight, and that’s all I’m saying.
Before I go on, a big thank you to paying members. There’s a link to the bonus video below, and if you’re interested in having a complimentary period of access to the bonus material, you can find out more at the end of this post under the heading ‘Rewards for Sharing‘.
Behind the Scenes - A Study in Stone - A Missing Scene
Thank you very much to all the paying members of the VIP Readers Club - you can watch the whole behind-the-scenes video which I recorded just for you. Everyone else gets a preview of the first few minutes or so.
Featured Photos
Three ways to enjoy the photos: a collage in the email, separate images in the substack app, an interactive gallery in the online post.
Our annual walk in Bearacleave Wood and Shaptor Wood - the places that inspired Brandle Wood in the Devonshire Mysteries. We’re very lucky to have these places on our doorstep. The bluebells were out in huge numbers, the songbirds were serenading us and there were quite a few patches of spotted orchids which were lovely to see.
More photos soon. Until then, happy reading.
Last Week’s piece from the In No Particular Order section
This was quite popular and gave a few people a laugh, so if you haven't seen it yet, here it is:
Big Green Men and Whacking with Sticks
Sue and I have just come back from the Green Man festival in the nearby town of Bovey Tracey, and I have questions. Principally, who came up with morris dancing, and what did they think they were doing at the time?
Book News - Kindle Daily Deal - Valley of Lies
Amazon offered to make Valley of Lies their Kindle Daily Deal in the UK, so if you are in the UK, this is a chance to nab the ebook for 99p.
If you’ve already got it, but you have friends and family who might enjoy a good read, please feel free to let them know:
Alternatively, share the whole newsletter - more on that at the end of this post.
Signing Off
I am within a gnat’s whisker of finishing the rewrite of A Study in Stone. I hit the final straight with a flourish, and suddenly it all came together. I pounded the keys all day and came away smiling.
The new book is already more than double the length of the original. There’s more mystery, more clues, more of everything readers enjoy about the series. We see Dan in a new light, and his friendship with Alan becomes easier to understand. The research steps they take are more logical and satisfying. In short, it’s better.
I will be putting out a call for beta readers very soon. And when the book is ready, everyone will be able to download the ebook free via the VIP Readers Club.
Well, time is racing on, and if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to nip outside and enjoy the evening sunshine. I might even end up smelling of dirt.
All the best.
Happy reading and take care,
Mikey
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