…to Peter Kendall, the President of the National Farmers’ Union, who has decided not to seek re-election next February. Farmers Weekly quotes Kendall as saying he isn’t looking for a career in politics – so I expect that’s where he’s heading. Peter Kendall has been a very popular NFU leader amongst farmers – he has…
BLOG POSTS
Naff new name – great new(-ish) magazine
I’ve been told to expect good things from the first issue of Nature’s Home – the new name for the RSPB magazine. Mine arrived yesterday and I’ve enjoyed reading quite a lot of it already – more than I have for quite a few issues of the magazine. I don’t like the name Nature’s Home,…
The Minox Challenge(s)
When I wrote about my 37-year-old binoculars being repaired I didn’t expect this to happen. I didn’t expect an email from Zeiss thanking me for my loyalty – and I didn’t get one, so that’s OK. And I didn’t expect an email from Minox saying: At MINOX GB we keep an eye on the media…
An open letter to the new Defra Ministers
To George Eustice and Dan Rogerson. Dear Ministers Congratulations on your new ministerial appointments. You have an unpredictable time, but no more than 568 days (less holidays, the run up to the General Election, time off sick and being moved on or sacked) to make a difference. Given the uncertainties of Ministerial tenure you can’t…
RSPB AGM
The 122nd RSPB AGM was held in London on Saturday morning. I think I have attended about 25 of them. An AGM sounds dull, and it obviously isn’t a bundle of laughs, but it is more interesting than most AGMs. Now I don’t have to answer any of them, I like the difficult questions from…
Sunday Book Review – Adar Nythu Gogledd Cymru
…also known as The Breeding Birds of North Wales, edited by Anne Brenchley, Geoff Gibbs, Rhion Pritchard and Ian Spence – but I guess you realised that. There are going to be lots of atlases around this year and next, I guess, as spin-offs from the Britain and Ireland Bird Atlas (to which I intend…
Saturday cartoons by Ralph Underhill
Toffs
A couple of days ago I suggested that the recent Defra minister Richard Benyon might be called a ‘toff’. This was greeted by a stream of comments angry on the toffish ex-Minister’s behalf. Let’s just get the meaning of this four-letter word out of the way first. Toff – a member of the upper classes,…
Pitcairn revisited
A little while ago I received an invitation to an event which will be held towards the end of the month concerning the future of the seas around the Pitcairn Islands. I was quite interested in attending until I saw that it was in Marseille. However, this blog has shown an interest in marine protected…
Shuffling two packs
The Government changes In Defra, out go Richard Benyon and David Heath and in come George Eustice (Con, Camborne and Redruth) and Dan Rogerson (LibDem, North Cornwall). I always feel sorry for those who are required to move on because their Prime Minister needs to adjust the left/right balance, the male/female balance, the north/south balance…