The Curious Passenger

The double-decker bus is a delight to the curious suburban passenger.  It provides them with an elevated viewpoint that raises them above the height of all but the tallest hedge or fence, with a window onto the usually private domains of the residents.

Such buses are rare on the route I travel each Friday morning on my way to and from the Latin Study Group that I belong to.  This lunchtime on my way home, I was privileged to board one of these exotic beasts and mounted the stairs to sit in splendid isolation enjoying this unexpected treat, a pleasant change from the normal, unedifying journey past high walls, fences and hedges. 

On this journey I was privy to a plethora of the flights of fancy of latent Inigo Jones and Capability Brown wannabes, with intriguing glimpses of gazebos, statuary, arbours and ponds.  Even in small back gardens, the residents had some intriguing displays of ingenuity. 

These little havens are the unseen pride and joy of their owners.  Many of them provide welcome habitats for our wild creatures.  In my own garden we have had foxes and badgers along with myriad birds attracted by the food put out for them by my nature-loving spouse. 

This was taken outside the kitchen window where he was foraging among the seed dropped from the feeding stations in a rowan tree.

Here he was a few days later hunting snails among the vegetables in a raised bed.  He must be quite light as he is walking along the top of a clipped box hedge.

We surprised this boyo outside the kitchen window after returning from a night out with friends.  There must have been rich pickings, as he stayed around for quite some time, turning up at about the same time each evening.

The journey home today reminded me of the rich diversity that lies hidden behind the front hedges and fences of our urban streets.

May all your journeys lead you to the promised land.