A colleague was telling my the other day how her infant daughter had arrived at the school door clutching some sorry looking sticky-buds and demanding they be taken home and given a drink.

I couldn’t help but smile, since the tale refreshed a childhood memory of nature walks in the woodland adjoining my primary school and my own sprig of sticky-buds standing in a glass jam jar; ah yes, and the delectable Miss Frances. Not that my fantasies turned to my class teacher in those early days of course!

I suppose I’m a bit surprised that schools still go out and do nature trail activities especially when it comes to gathering plant life, which is so frowned upon these days. It rather pleased me that such activities still go on. Naturally I’m not suggesting we all go out and pick wild flowers, but it didn’t seem to do too much harm to the environment when I was a kid.

Back to the sticky-buds...

As I parked my car in the far corner of the rear car park yesterday morning I stopped a few moments to admire the early sunshine on the open grassland at the back of our Allt-yr-yn campus. There are several Horse Chestnut trees growing on the downward slope and all are in full bloom now; bright patches of pink or white flowers.

Taking my Fuji E900 from the glove-box I went to get a closer look. Unfortunately the recent wind and rain has taken its toll on the blossom and close to the flowers are a tad ragged, but I think still beautiful.

Horse Chestnut Blossom

We used to study our sticky-buds in the classroom, drawing them in their various stages from full bud to full flower. And not just Horse Chestnut either, I seem to remember Sweet Chestnut, Ash and Elm standing in jam jars too.

Happy days of childhood innocence...