My Nottingham Diary

A Blend of History, Nature, and Literary Legends.

- Amrinder Bajaj

As our Lexus neared the gate of the property, it swung open of its own accord to welcome us. Up the gentle slope of a birch-lined avenue, we drove to the manor atop a hill. This was to be our home for the fortnight of our stay. A handsome white structure at the edge of Nottingham City, it overlooked vast swathes of emerald fields on one side and a cluster of red-roofed houses down below on the other. They lit up when the skies darkened, twinkling merrily in communion with the star-studded night.

Here lived my brother, a genius with his gracious wife and loving family. Not only was he an ophthalmologist of international repute, having discovered a layer in the cornea that changed the way textbooks were written, for which he had received a CBE from the Queen, but he had also just completed a year as the High Sheriff of Nottingham!

Sherwood Forest Adventure 

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day, a childhood story would come to life! It felt surreal walking in Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood's land, with the former Sheriff of Nottingham. It was into this forest that the outlawed and his men retreated after robbing the rich to help the poor, hiding from the Sheriff's men in the hollow of mighty oaks. I almost expected an arrow to whiz past me. The major oak was so vast and ancient that its branches had to be held aloft by props. After admiring it, we walked along the giant oak trail past magnificent specimens of the species till we came across the 'Stag Tree', a dead tree with stag antler-like bare branches piercing the sky; so named after a legendary stag that protected the forest.

When he became too old to roam the forest, he reposed atop the tree to keep a watch over his precious domain. A bracing walk through this soothing sea of green calmed our senses and soothed our souls, a process called 'forest bathing' by the Japanese.

Heights of Abraham