Tree hug

Nicola, Pete, Lola and Nell want to travel the world with a difference. We hope to get a taste of many countries without adding to climate change (with needless emissions from aeroplanes) or having to waste hours of holiday time in airport terminals. We hope our adventures inspire you to take a Grand Tour of your neighbourhood whatever the weather. This post is from Nicola

It turns out that a stroll in the country is packed with scary moments – there’s the unprovoked wasp attack on Lola; avoiding giant hemlock along the River Cover which can blister your body and dealing with bored young bullocks that want to charge a short-legged yapping daschound (Truffle) mowing down the humans in their field in the process. Luckily my godson George, and the rest of our gang survived to tell our tale of derring-do (ie, how we threw ourselves over the barbed wire fence and did a major detour during the six and a half mile walk). In this photo we are measuring a very fat and fine beech tree on the path from Jerveaux Abbey to the Cover Bridge Inn. It came in at five hugs. Apparently the Woodland Trust want all ancient trees recorded, and you can find out how at http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/.