In the twentieth century 'The Great American Novel' as a thing. Men with big egos puffed out their chest and proclaimed their status. But I now realise that the great American Novel was not a novel at all. It was a work of non-fiction. It is The Power Broker by Robert Caro

In 1989 Westminster Council rehoused people they didn’t want living in marginal wards into asbestos riddled tower blocks on the Elgin estate. Background for this weeks Silent Witness

Kendal Whisky Festival is a great event but it has challenges. This year Storm Darragh was not so bad but last year's snow dump left me stuck on a hill unable to go any further and for the first time being envious of 4x4s

Lapwings are a bit showy but I spent quite a lot of time watching redshanks mooching around

But some lapwings remained alone

Yesterday saw the first blue sky for a couple of weeks so off to a nature reserve to see many murmurations of lapwings