Cats + dogs = events

You can tell it's the time of year for events in Bishops Offley - yep, the heavens have opened and the winds have howled. With two Millennium Green events - Hockey and Cycle Ride - plus Patrick's birthday (Happy birthday to yoooooooo!), it was as certain to bring down the rain as putting out the washing. Still, we know that it'll make the gardens grow (and the lawns need mowing) so that's perhaps a good thing.

Bluebells, girls

Yep, they're up and they're out, dancing their thing in the bluebell woods of Jackson's Coppice. There's something giddy, heady, uplifting about being among so much blue - the scent, the colour, the overpowering feeling of Spring bursting forth, making the most of warmth and moisture. If you've not been up to see them, then waste not a moment.

While you're there, check out the great work of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust who have put in new gates, signs, paths and made a huge start in bringing the marsh and woodland back to a viable habitat. great job!

Unashamed plug

You know when you stumble across something that's just great value - you have to tell everyone else? Yep - that's what I'm doing here. Get yourself down to the newly opened Star Cafe in High Street, Eccleshall for one of their All-Day Breakfasts. It's probably the best one you'll have had this side of somewhere else.

Blogmaster and his woman ate there heartily the other day, following a night of excess (no details - this is a family blog). The eggs are free range, the bacon lovely and crisp, the black pudding tiny and plentiful, mushrooms, beans, toast .... It's wonderful value, with prices going down from £5.10 for the works. There's even a veggie option.

It's raining rocks

If you've walked down The Rock lately you'll have noticed that the erosion is taking hold at an accelerating pace. Large chucks of rock have been falling from the crumbling facade from an area around half way down and the stones lie by the side of the road until they are crushed by vehicles or manhandled out of the way.

More perilous still, the overhanging trees that once seemed to teeter on the edge of the farmland above, now have no visible means of support and are simply awaiting the next storm (or earthquake) before they come crashing down. The tricky bit is this: whose responsibility is the margin of this beautiful and unique bit of roadway: the highways department or the landowners? You can guess that neither will want to claim ownership!

Board walking?

If you've not yet been to the boardwalk, or sampled the joys of Jackson's Coppice and the marsh, now is definitely the time to start. The coppice is easily found by going down The Rock (itself a geological delight), turning right and travelling along the road for around 300 metres. Climb up into the coppice, follow the winding path and enjoy the wildlife (someone regularly feeds the birds), the views and the bluebells - just sprouting now. Can you find the memorial stones? Have you discovered the wayside seats with inscriptions?

Then, back to the road and continue along until you see the field gate for the path to the boardwalk. It's not signed, but simply pass th

rough the gate (kissing is obligatory) then traverse the field down to the bottom left corner where another kissing gate (oh no!) leads you onto the boardwalk. You can do the full circuit, or come off halfway round by going down the steps, over the stile and out onto the main road, opposite the house on stilts. And we have a lovely gallery of photos, taken by Sarah and Webmaster right here.