Spider identification - if there is such a thing?

Clearing out the greenhouse today, we uncovered a rather large spider, or at least a large bodied spider - and I must admit that I have never seen one like it before. Is this a common variety?

 

I'm surprise it's the first you've come across, FC. There's always load of them hanging around in the garden.

 

Naah, NG, they do a good job in the Garden and the House and they all part of the natural system like the Bees, Butterflies etc.

As Frodo said in the Lord of the Rings:

"You have frightened me several times tonight, but never in the way the servants of the Enemy would, or so I imagine. I think one of his spies would - well, seem fairer and feel fouler, if you understand.'"

 

So it appears that it is a garden spider

There were loads of spiders in the greenhouse - one was right up in the apex of the roof busying itself wrapping a small wasp up, presumably it is tomorrow's breakfast...... the wasp was making one hell of a noise for a few minutes, and then obviously succumbed to its fate.

This one spider stood out by a country mile simply because its abdomen was so large and its legs relatively small - I can only assume that its a female carrying eggs?

I found a load of spider eggs in between some 9cm pots I had in the greenhouse - wee pink balls all in a cluster. I made sure that I left them semi-sheltered (far be it for me to interfere with nature unless it is an actual pest like slugs and snails ) - - mind you, I also left a load of wee tiny baby snails alone also - figured that the wouldn't do a lot of harm at this time of year, but that may come back to haunt me at some point....

 

Yep, but so did some of my Girl Friends.........but only in the morning

 

Blimey - we must have dated the same girls at some point or another!