STEPHEN BLACKMAN 

4TH JULY 2016

FAIRSPEAR NATURAL BURIAL GROUND

Fairspear Natural Burial Ground (the view from the bench)

Fairspear Natural Burial Ground (the view east from the bench)

Lovely to visit the burial site of my old friend Stephen Blackman and this year I was taken, if not shocked, by the changes in the site and the weather. It has always been 'dog days' warm and sunny and this day was unusually overcast and yet still warm. The grounds are astonishingly beautiful still but different. They are all much more over grown and this gave me pause. It is what the site is all about I realised there were trees to come either side of Stephen's grave. They are saplings yet but they have really grown tall. Bedecked as it all is with wild flowers and what many of us would call weeds it was amazing. I noticed no butterflies this year and in the past there have been many, Meadow Brown's in abundance and Gatekeepers and Marbled Whites too. This year though a hum with insects no butterflies . . . . . yet. 

The seasons may change and yet you still lie at rest there Steve.

"Not a day goes by . . . . . . "