The Perry pear and its fermented juice
July 31st, 2009
Few people have heard about the Perry pear or drank Perry, made from fermented pear juice. It’s a “curious drink for a slow world” Read the rest of this entry
Archive for July, 2009
Skunks breeding in England
July 31st, 2009
Experts believe that skunks could now be living and breeding in the English countryside. Specifically there are reports of skunks rummaging through rubbish and allotments near Coleford. The animals may have been released into the wild after being kept as pets when new legislation banned removing their scent gland in 2007 - dozens may have been released by owners afraid of being sprayed by their foul smell. The Daily Telegraph
The story has come to light after a three-month-old female skunk, going by the name of Ozzy (above pic) was captured in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, and handed in to the Vale Wildlife Hospital in nearby Tewkesbury. Story in the Daily Express
Longest coastal path in Britain
July 31st, 2009
Originally a path for coastguards on the lookout for smugglers, the South West Coast trail is now Britain’s longest waymarked footpath. As highlighted by the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, soon to be debated in Parliament, this is the most accessible part of the English coast. The 630-mile trail between Minehead and Poole harbour is only interrupted by ferry crossings across river estuaries. Check out the official guide.
Brace yourself for the insect invasions
July 31st, 2009
Summer time is perilous, judging by some of the recent headlines in the Daily Telegraph:
Wasp Hordes poised to invade British Gardens, Army of Flying Ants descend on Britain, Swarm of Millions of Ladybirds infests farm.
It’s enough to make you flee indoors and hide, with all windows sealed shut.
But one invasion is described in words that don’t invite fear and loathing: Billions of Butterflies expected in Gardens. Read the rest of this entry
Chirpy cockney sparrows
July 31st, 2009As elsewhere in the country house sparrows have dramatically declined in London, losing almost two thirds of their numbers between 1994 and 2007. An exception to this sorry state of afffairs is The Tower of London with its thriving colony. The RSPB has seen a great opportunity to remind local residents, tourists and city workers what lovely birds they are by organising a sparrow-special Date with Nature event for four long weekends each Friday, Saturday and Sunday from today (July 31st) to Sunday 23rd August. Birdwatch
Walking the English coast, all of it
July 31st, 2009
Almost a thousand miles of new coastal paths will be created if the Marine and Coastal Access Bill is passed by Parliament this autumn. Natural England, the government’s advisor on the environment, report that “On average you cannot walk further than two miles [on the English coast] without reaching an area of unsecure access or having to turn back.” There is some opposition to the Bill, mainly from private landowners who don’t want ramblers on their property. Read more in the BBC
Be a farmer for the day in Cheshire
July 30th, 2009This sounds like a great way of spending a day. Find out what it’s like to work as a farmer on a dairy farm. Spend the day milking cows, feeding baby calves, trimming cows feet or mucking out the bull. Lunch at the local pub, and some homemade Cheshire butter to take home. £175 full day, £70 half day.
An ideal gift for a Christmas or birthday present for someone who enjoys something different. Or not.
Guided walks along Hadrian’s Wall
July 30th, 2009
Hadrian’s Wall Adventures run guided walks, camping treks and adventure tours along the windswept stretches of the wall.
They also offer ” Secluded Country Lanes and Tracks for Walks On, Along and Off the Wall. Exploring the Roman Remains of Milecastles, Turrets and Forts, the Prehistoric Landscape of Standing Stones and Stone Circles, the Border Legacy of Bastles and Pele Towers and the Natural Environment of Woodland, Moorland and Wildlife.”
Another tour is offered by these people
Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail is an unbroken 84 mile signposted trail stretching from coast to coast, from Bowness-on-Solway in the west to Wallsend in the east. It passes through some of the most beautiful parts of England - from rolling fields and rugged moorland to the vibrant cities of Newcastle and Carlisle. These holidays follow the trail and enable you to see the beautiful countryside and experience the culture as well as discover the history of this remote part of the country. Visit
Ancient orchards
July 30th, 2009Episode from BBC Radio 4’s Living World on life in a 100-year-old National Trust orchard in Hertfordshire full of strange beasts that can only be found among old fruit trees, including beetles that look like fleas and moth caterpillars which bore holes in trees as thick as a finger. Listen here
British apples
July 30th, 2009
Britain’s climate is ideal for growing apples. Some apple facts:
- apples originated in the Tien-Shan mountains (on the China-Kazakhstan border)
- Romans introduced them to Britain
- the diversity of varieties (over 2,000 have been grown in Britain) largely stem from the Victorian and Edwardian period, an age of passionate gardeners and cross-pollinators
- British apple varieties often have interesting names: Peasgood Nonsuch, Bloody Ploughman and Greasy Pippin
- Ashmeads Kernel, which originated in England around 1700, is often singled out as an example of the pros and cons of the British apple. Pro - the taste.
“… the bite is a nutty snap, exploding with champagne-sherbet juice infused with a lingering scent of orange blossom. Stick me in Pseuds Corner if you like, but try one and you’ll see I’m right.” - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in the Guardian
Con - the appearance. Far from the uniform glossiness supermarkets seek in their apples, the Ashmead Kernel varies enormously in size and has a dull russet colour. What’s more, it’s often covered in dark spots.
The future for British apples: public interest in native apple varieties is growing, but orchard growers are worried about the declining bee population.
The photo of an Ashmeads Kernel is from Orange Pippin, web resource for apples and orchards
Clear images of a Big Cat in Scotland
July 29th, 2009
Spotted and filmed at Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, this mysterious black cat’s proximity to a railway line gives a good idea of its size: more than four feet long. Read the rest of this entry
Portuguese Man O’ War reach Cornwall
July 29th, 2009
A group of eight Portuguese Man O’ War were found strewn on Tregantle beach near Whitsand Bay. Experts say they expect more to be brought in by prevailing winds. Daily Telegraph. These creatures, which are not actually jellyfish but a species called siphonophores, live in warmer waters than those around the UK but global warming is believed to be pushing them further north - ever closer towards Britain. They can in extreme cases provoke a cardiac arrest and death in particularly sensitive persons.
It is also interesting note that Portuguese Man O’ War have also been seen increasingly more often on the coasts of Spain.
Note the English and Spanish etymology comes from the creature’s air bladder, which looks similar to the triangular sails of the 15th.century Portuguese man-of-war Caravela latina.
Manuka honey from Cornwall
July 29th, 2009
Tregothnan Manuka honey is the only Manuka honey in the world produced outside of New Zealand. A pot will set you back from £55.00-£75.oo. Very small quantities of Manuka Honey are being produced from the original Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) plantations at the Tregothnan Home Estate. Visit
More
- Manuka products have high antibacterial potency for a limited spectrum of bacteria. Similar properties led the M?ori to use parts of the plant as natural medicine. See Wikipedia
- Daily Telegraph feature. Honey: the sweetest cure for hayfever. Read more…
The lost Doggerland
July 29th, 2009Doggerland is the name given to the vast area that until ten thousand years ago linked the British Isles with Denmark and Northern Germany, a time, Little Britain Eurosceptics please note, when the Thames was a tributary of the Rhine. Then the ices waned and the inhabited hills, plains, valleys and forests were flooded. I came across Doggerland listening to this facinating BBC radio 4 documenary. It explores a land lost beneath the waves near Craster on the Northumbrian coast with the help of archaeologists, locals and a storyteller who tells a possible creation myth dating from the 10,000 years ago, as the lands were engulfed. Read the rest of this entry
New Forest Wild Mushrooms
July 29th, 2009
Mrs Tee’s Wild Mushrooms, based in the New Forest, supplies individuals and restaurants and runs wild mushroom courses for the public.
All the wild mushrooms they sell are harvested by hand from the New Forest by an experienced team of local pickers. They also have a wide range of exotic cultivated mushrooms
They sell these wild mushrooms:
- Ceps
- Ceps Rufus (Red)
- Girolle
- Pied du Mouton
- Chanterelle Brown
- Hen of the Wood
- Beefsteak
- Chicken of the Wood
- Mousseron de Pres
- Mousseron St George
- Honey Fungus
- Sparissis Crispa
- Mixed Boletes
- Bay Boletes
- Trompette de Mort
One day or weekend courses are available:
This one-day course enables guests to learn invaluable information about the identification, seasonality, preparation and use of both wild and cultivated mushrooms that they can take back and use in their own kitchens at home. The day includes a guided excursion into the New Forest with the expert herself, to forage for and pick their own mushrooms. Importantly, guests will also be taught which mushrooms are not safe to cook and eat.
The Guardian reviewed these fungi courses last year
I’m on a seminar at Gorse Meadow Guest House near Lymington with 10 other fungi fans, delving into the fascinating world of mushrooms. There are, I learn, around 3,000 types in the New Forest alone, but we’re only interested in identifying about 10 edible varieties. Read
If youy fancy going it alone the New Forest Park website offers the following guidelines on picking wild mushrooms:
- Go out with someone who knows what they are looking at
- Follow the fungi pickers code
- Don’t mix edible & non edible species in a basket
- Identify the exact species
- If you are trying a new one, eat a small amount
And the Fungi Collectors Code for the New Forest is:
- No commercial collecting
- Obey any warning signs
- Never remove all the fungi in one area
- 1.5kg personal limit (and if you’ve found this much you’ve done well!)
- If you don’t know what it is, it may be rare – leave it alone
The RSPB is gathering extensive information about exactly where swifts are nesting in the UK. It is suspected that their rapid decline in recent years is linked with a drop in suitable nesting sites, as buildings are modernised.
The first year’s survey reveals that of the houses where swifts are nesting:
A new generation of commoners will receive financial support to ensure animals continue to graze in the New Forest and so conserve its rich biodiversity.
The Co-op is further expanding its 
There are now some excellent landscape blogs covering Britain. Here are a few:
With more and more people wanting to grow their own fruit and vegetables, the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners have over 100,000 people on their waiting lists. The National Trust have responded to this demand by allocating land for “super allotments” or community farms. In return for a monthly fee, members will decide what should be grown, and have the opportunity to work on the farms, receiving a share of the produce. 
