The Today programme, increasingly irritating but still necessary listening on Radio 4 mornings six days a week, will be 60 years old in October. And to celebrate, it’s asking its listeners what have been the major changes in the world in that time and over recent years. As usual, in their pick of issues yesterday…
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National Meadow Day soundscape
Press release from People Need Nature: The charity People Need Nature celebrates National Meadow Day today by releasing a specially created soundscape evoking the lost Wildflower Meadows of England. 97% of all wildflower hay meadows in England have been lost since 1945. Just a few thousand hectares remain. People Need Nature Trustee Keith Datchler had…
Tweet, tweet
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On p274 of Inglorious I pointed out that the grouse shooters are rather outgunned on social media, and I also wrote that it might not last that long. Well, I think both remarks are still true. Of course, there are many more, relevant Twitter accounts than just these seven, many people never go near Twitter…
Bee-eaters in Notts
It doesn’t look like a particularly interesting part of the world – but it is now! A gang of at least seven Bee-eaters have been found in rural Nottinghamshire, and the RSPB and CEMEX have set up, very rapidly, a viewing scheme. Good for them. I was the second viewer there this morning just after…
Wrong again!
Should we repeal the Wildlife and Countryside Act? A great opportunity for Michael Gove to say ‘No way’ as he is sure to be invited to the limping-on Game Fair. He might want to point out that the WCA is a broad piece of legislation that covered a wide range of conservation and rural…
Just driving
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I was in Wiltshire yesterday morning. As I drove past Stonehenge on my left there were three Great Bustards flying north on my right. That was a good start to the day.
The not so talented Viscount Ridley, at it again
Viscount Ridley was writing in The Times yesterday, Viscount Ridley has form (here, here). It is a splenetic piece of writing which accuses just about everyone except grouse moor managers of being in it for the money. Environmentalists talk up climate change so that their mates can make money from green energy apparently, thinks the…
The Queen’s speech in full
World exclusive, an early draft of the Queen’s speech: ‘My government will find new ways of transferring money from public services to the wealthy few. They will persist with hard Brexit in order to cripple one’s economy. Now that’s it because I’m orfff to Royal Ascot and if they ever have a State Opening of…
Black Hairstreaks at Glapthorn Cow Pasture
Photo: Tim Melling When I arrived at Glapthorn Cow Pasture on Wednesday, Test Match Special was just starting: when I left after having brilliant views of three Black Hairstreak butterflies, England were only in the sixth over. It doesn’t take long to see butterflies if they are well behaved. I knew as soon as…
I feel a bit bad about this…
The other day I was driving around the roads of east Northants and I saw two squashed Hedgehogs. Yuk!! But I felt pleased that I’d seen them because it showed that there were still hedgehogs here… But I felt bad about feeling good… But I was glad… But I was sorry too…