The ancient ritual of ‘swan upping’ commences at Sunbury Lock on the River Thames at nine o’clock this morning, writes Richard Collins. 

EVERYONE has been complaining about the weather this summer but there are some small compensations. 

I was at the wheel of my boat, steering round a bend in the river. A small island appeared up ahead with a couple of willow trees and an odd object on its shoreline — a brown mound capped with white, like an enormous bun with icing on it. 

A reader sent us this beautiful image of two swans swimming on the lake at Ballintotis, Co.Cork.