3 nature reserves, 3 art galleries

Wednesday last, my class for the day having been cancelled and it being a nice day, I headed off on my bike in search of late summer flowers and a few art galleries too.

First stop was the Stables at Wollaton Hall. I used to come and talk to the police horses here back in the 70s, now it's a cafe, gift shop and art gallery. The gallery has a wildlife and animal theme, and this time it was Pollyanna Pickering: hyper(un)realistic paintings of animals and landscapes. Not my thing at all.

Over Derby Road to Nottingham University and a large area of grassland surrounded by halls which is called the Downs. If you want to feel dizzy watch this. Anyway, it's a nice acid grass land and has some slightly startling Great Burnet, below, as well as the yellow composite Smooth Hawksbeard, Yarrow, Common Sorrel, Common Knapweed, Catsear and Lady's Bedstraw. (Aren't common names lovely? Latin names are good too, but I've slipped more and more towards the English ones over the years. You can tell a plant I learnt at University if the Latin name comes into my head first!)

Then on to the Djanogly Art Gallery in the University grounds which had some interesting works in its open exhibition. I particularly liked some paintings of demolition but failed to find out who they were by of where they were of as you had to pay 50p for a sheets of artists and titles.

Over University Boulevard to the Science Park, past one of the most hideous buildings which has gone up in Nottingham over the last few years. At the other side survives Dunkirk Pond and Beeston Sidings, below. Here I found many plants found on limestone grassland; Greater and Lesser Knapweed, Wild Mignonette, Haresfoot Clover, Wild Carrot, Marjoram and Bladder Campion, as well as plants of wasteland such as Evening Primrose and Rosebay Willowherb. Not a restful place: there is a metal recycling works over the railway line which grinds and rumbles loudly.

Next, along cycle tracks to Kings Meadow, a tiny gem amid remnant industry and new offices. I spotted some Yellow-wort immediately - a favourite plant of mine I first saw on a site in the middle of Sunderland in the '80's. Lots of other familiar plants and another yellow composite which got me searching my flora: Narrow-leaved Hawkweed. I'm trying to work harder on yellow composites - and I do know they are now called Asteraceae!

It was a hot mid-afternoon, so I headed back north through Lenton and Hyson Green where I popped into the New Art Exchange, originally for a cuppa but I ended up going round the exhibition instead. It was about modern-day slavery, so a thought-provoking and rather sombre end to the trip. There were some rather beautiful pictures of elderly Japanese women who had been 'comfort women' in the Second World War: the artist had chosen to record their strength and resiliance rather than their tears.