Places: Bluebell wood
A carpet of flowers, heavy with scent and captivating to the eye; at this time every year the woods behind our cottage turn blue.
The arrival of the bluebells heralds the start of warmer weather, longer days and the onset of summer. It is a special time and for a couple of weeks every year the woodland around Fosbury turns in to a magical place; otherworldly in its beauty and serenity.
I’m reminded of being a child and spending endless days exploring the Suffolk countryside. I was an avid reader of Enid Blyton’s books about the Magic Faraway Tree and was convinced that I’d find that beloved tree somewhere deep in the woods at the bottom of our garden. Who wouldn’t want to visit the land of birthdays, the land of goodies and the land of take-what-you-want, or take a ride on the slippery-slip. If you’ve never read these books you’ll have no idea what I’m referring to but if you have children I can highly recommend. I would enthusiastically read and re-read the chapters that focused primarily on food, it all sounded so wonderful and has I’m sure, on a subconscious level, played a big part in how I approach my cooking today; fun, exciting, surprising but always delicious.
The woods to this day are still very inspiring to me and are where I often take myself to escape from the ‘real world’. It’s where I can reflect, re-energize and rebalance. That said, a part of me still hopes to stumble across a magical creature but for now I make do with the squirrels, woodpeckers and other wildlife that have made the trees their home.
“Well, come back and have tea with us,” said Moon-Face.
“Silky’s got some Pop Biscuits – and I’ve made some Google Buns.
I don’t often make them – and I tell you they’re a treat!”