Welcome to our lockdown blog

While we are closed to human guests, we thought we would introduce you to some of our non-human visitors and residents.

Clean air, relief from stressful noise and time to observe nature maybe the silver lining to the dark Covid cloud that hangs over us all.

Despite being in a metropolitan epicentre of the pandemic we are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by nature. we are also now reaping the benefits of 20 years of rewilding a little corner of East London. We hope it can be an example of what is possible and desirable for making our cities clean, healthy and joyful places to live.

So we’re sharing here and on our facebook and Instagram pages some of my photos of the beautiful birds and bats, butterflies and bees, as well as blossom and blooms all resident or visiting our garden and neigbouring park - St Georges Gardens.

Our humble Blackbird sings its sweet and varied song from dawn to dusk usually from the top of the willow tree and can be heard throughout the building.

7th April.

There is a veritable conventicle or mischief (group) of Magpies nesting in the row of Sorbus Aria (Whitebeam) trees here on Cable Street. There are 4 nests this year!

8th April

Supermoon over Shadwell - taken from our roof terrace at midnight. The advantage of clear pollution free sky.

12th April

My first sighting of a Peacock butterfly this Spring. Just woken from hibernation?

14th April

Polemoniaceae phlox - beautiful alpine in full crimson, flaming glory. creeping moss-like mountain plant of unknown variety growing in a little box on the roof terrace.

14th April.

Lots of butterflies out today in the garden including this Speckled Wood basking on a fox glove leaf in the warm sunshine.