The kids go back to school this week, and the summer has almost moved on, but not quite. Had a lovely warm summery day yesterday, and tomorrow is supposed to reach 26 centigrade. We went cycling along the Thames and lunched in Richmond. Then elder son got a drawing pin in his front tyre, which complicated plans for getting home. How does a drawing pin find its way onto the towpath of the Thames?

My vines are appreciating the warm settled weather, after a very wet August. This is the crucial home straight now - if we have settled weather over the next month, it will be a really good vintage. Disease pressure has been quite high, but I've been much busier with the sulfur this year, particularly early on when it's crucial to control the oidium, so just a few vines have any sign of disease.

Of course, no one really cares about the vintage in Twickenham. But they do care about the vintage in Bordeaux. And just look at this forecast for the next week here. 35 centigrade tomorrow! Of course, harvest won't be underway for a couple of weeks yet, and possibly longer. But it's very promising for another top vintage.