MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 15

Sometimes, if I’m lucky whilst out walking or in the car, I catch a glimpse of a wild creature – often a squirrel or rabbit. I’ve seen quite a few deer, too, and foxes, hedgehogs, weasels. On one memorable occasion, I saw a mole. There are wood mice living in my garden, and frogs and newts too, as well, of course, as the birds that I can watch from my hideaway bower.

However, if you really would love to be able to see a great selection of British wildlife life, I recommend a visit to the British Wildlife Centre at Lingfield, Surrey. This is yet another of my favourite, special places, and I go there regularly. Not only can you see most of Britain’s mammals, including the harder-to-find ones such as polecats, pine martens, red squirrels, otters and wildcats, you can see adders, grass snakes, marsh frogs and even nocturnal animals such as bats and dormice.

I was there a week or so ago. As usual, I made for the red squirrel area first – this enormous, walkthrough enclosure is populated by the dainty red squirrels which were at one time a common sight in Britain, before the larger grey squirrel was introduced. The grey squirrel gradually drove the reds northwards, and now, apart from small colonies in parts of England and Wales, and on the Isle of Wight and Brownsea Island, you will probably need to go to northern Scotland before you are really in red squirrel country. In the squirrel enclosure at the British Wildlife Centre though, you are quite likely to be mugged by a red squirrel! They scamper along the boardwalk and the rail, and if you are in the way, then they will scamper over you too, in the hope you that have some tasty morsel for them. Although you aren’t allowed to feed these gorgeous creatures, they are great optimists, and very cheeky.



The otters are favourites, too. I could watch these elegant, streamlined playful creatures for hours. Unlike many other water creatures, otters are equally at home on land – they romp on the grass, twisting and turning as they wrestle with each other, before a grand chase makes them sprint back to the water. There they gracefully dive, disappearing and reappearing, with just a few bubbles marking the surface, showing where they are.

One of the nicest things about the British Wildlife Centre is the programme of talks. Throughout the day, informative talks are given at the various enclosures, and the animals are fed at the same time. It’s a marvellous opportunity to see some of the rarer creatures close up, and the keepers really know their stuff. The wildcats, for example, will venture to grab some food before slinking away to a favourite branch to eat, while the beautifully-marked pine marten just adores licking strawberry jam from a keeper’s fingers!
I was thrilled to see a grass snake gliding through the water searching for fish – what a beautiful, elegant reptile it is. The adders, in the next enclosure, were warming their coiled bodies, the warning V-shaped markings on their heads glinting in the sun. A fat water vole was scooping up duckweed, I didn’t realise that they enjoyed eating that, but this one certainly did. An inscrutable huge marsh frog was watching him. The russet coats of the foxes were glowing in the autumn sunshine. They were relaxing on the grass, yet their ears were pricked, listening no doubt for their keeper’s footsteps, which might mean food!

There are two large herds of deer at the Centre – red deer and fallow deer. You can also see muntjac and roe deer, At feeding time the two herds come from the trees, the bucks showing off their enormous antlers. I love the fallow deer, they are so dainty and their striped black tails make them easy to identify in the wild, even if you get the briefest of glances. Other impressive creatures at the Centre are the badgers. The dramatic black stripes on their heads, the soft grey of their bodies, and above all their noticeable muscular build as they stomp around the enclosure are a stunning sight. Their large black noses are in stark contrast to their small, weak-looking eyes, and they have huge clawed feet.

Badgers are in the news at the moment – the Government is allowing culling to take place in areas of England as the animals are believed by some to spread bovine tuberculosis. Badgers live in colonies, and I think that, because culling will break down family groups, it will cause badgers to spread elsewhere, searching for another colony. This will just make the problem worse. All I know is that last week, as I watched those badgers snuffling around, I wondered how anyone could justify killing such magnificent creatures, especially when scientific studies have shown that culling would be of little help in reducing bovine TB.

http://www.justdosomething.org.uk/

---

If you ever get the chance, it really is worth visiting the British Wildlife Centre at Lingfield, though do check first because they are not open every day. I just wish I could see red squirrels from my bower – I will have to content myself with the occasional grey!

MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 14
　
　
Hatfield Forest is a place that I visit regularly. It’s in Essex, near Takely, (not to be confused with Hatfield House, which is miles away). It’s managed by the National Trust and is a very old forest with magnificent trees as well as plenty of open spaces. Apparently, it is over 424 hectares (605 football pitches!) and consists of both coppiced woodland and wood pasture. According to the National Trust, it is unique ‘due to its continuous human management over the last 1000 years’. It’s a rare surviving example of a medieval hunting forest. All I know is that I love it.

Every visit is a surprise, because you never quite know what you will see. Will the grebes be on the lake? Will the pterodactyl-like cormorant be at the top of his tree? Will the heron be stalking by the river or will the nuthatches be fluttering in the wood? Maybe I’ll catch a glimpse of fallow or muntjac deer or even a weasel. On almost every visit I see grey squirrels and rabbits, and there are mallards on the lake. The shady part of the river is home to moorhens and coots, while further along where the banks are sunny, red, blue and brown dragonflies dazzle. There were lots of them there earlier this week, I sat and watched them for ages. I also saw a squirrel bouncing around in one of the trees by the river, I think he was after the beech mast. There were plenty of bees investigating the flowers that grow along the riverbank, and one section of the river was a mass of pink and white water lilies.

It’s a great place to visit, whether you want to watch wildlife or just fancy a walk. There is a large lake, which at certain times of year plays host to geese, ducks, gulls and a couple of swans, and a path has been laid so that you can walk around it without getting muddy. There are large areas of grassland – here, you might see green woodpeckers or jays, and the bushes are often busy with warblers or tits. I like to take the narrow path by the river – beware, because it can get very muddy – along here are some of my favourite, beautiful trees which I always say hello to! Some of the trees in the forest are really ancient. Children (and dogs!) enjoy the forest too, and there is a small outdoor café which serves locally-sourced food. The National Trust uses cattle and sheep to graze the grassland, and whatever time of year you visit, there is always plenty to see.

I’ve been sorting through albums upon albums filled with old family photos this week. It’s such a poignant thing to do, because so many of the much-loved people depicted are no longer with us. My father was a prolific photographer, and I have boxes of his photos, both colour and black and white. He was very creative and so, as well as the more usual subjects, he experimented with ‘table-top photography’, taking pictures of model knights, cowboys and toy farmyard animals, set up in various scenes. He also experimented with reflections and everyday objects – I really wish he could have lived long enough to have enjoyed the digital camera/computer age. He would have produced some stunning creations.

I’ve also been proofing one of my books this week. It’s called Famous Character Dolls, and I believe it is due out next year. Proofing is a laborious but necessary task; luckily, we have had some warm days so I could sit in the bower and enjoy the sun at the same time! However, today, there is definitely a feel of autumn in the air. Though it’s sunny, there is a definite chilly feel – yet the forecasters are predicting an Indian summer. Let’s hope they are right.
　
　

　
　
　
　
　
　

　

  MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 13

On Saturday I went to the Birdfair, held every year at Rutland. Thousands and thousands of birdwatching and wildlife enthusiasts gather here from all over the country – and from many other lands too. It’s a place where you can hear experts give talks about their birding and wildlife experiences, browse hundreds of stalls which fill several marquees, and take part in pond dipping, bat walks or cruises around Rutland water. Lots of well known wildlife media people attend too, and many give talks or host quizzes. People such as Bill Oddie, Chris Packham, Simon King, Mike Dilger, Nick Baker and Johnnie Kingdom can often be seen, and they are always willing to stop for a chat. This time I met Mike Dilger, who presents the natural history slot on the One Show, and he was so friendly, a pleasure to talk to.

With the lovely Mike Dilger!



Birdfair, jointly organised by the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust and the RSPB, raises funds each year to help major international conservation projects. The exhibitors come from all over the world; you can find optical equipment, wildlife books, bird feeding products, bird tables and hides, eco-tourism holiday information and representatives of many wildlife organisations. One huge marquee is devoted to wildlife art in the form of paintings, sculptures and photographs. Another must-see are the demonstrations of bird-ringing – naturalists can gain so much knowledge from the tracking of birds, and I watched in fascination as small warblers were ringed, checked, weighed and released again. As well as the attractions, I go to the fair to meet up with friends – I’m a member of a wildlife forum and we arrange a meeting place and have a great reunion! Many Twitter friends come along too. It was wonderful to see everyone.

A Reed Warbler ready to be released after ringing

The next day, I was out again, this time at the Redwings Horse and Donkey Sanctuary near Nazeing, Essex. I met up with some more internet friends here, and we had a lovely time until an unexpected mini-thunderstorm curtailed the visit. The sanctuary does sterling work, it is part of the Redwings group which has rescued thousands of horses, ponies and donkeys over the years. At the Nazeing sanctuary you can meet fifty or so rescued equines, and it is well laid out with smooth paths with horse-filled fields either side. Many swallows were swooping overhead – they nest in the stables – and there is a gift shop and café that serves light refreshments. Some of the donkeys and horses can be adopted by members of the public for a small fee which goes towards supporting the charity. In return they receive a ‘nosebag’ adoption pack with photos and certificate – children, especially, love this. When my children were young, they adopted a donkey from one of the other Redwing sites. The children of my internet friends had done the same, and were excitedly seeking out ‘their’ horses at Nazeing; they knew all their names and their histories.

Changing the subject completely, now the excitement of the Olympic Games is over, it all feels a bit flat, and seems strange not to be urging on out favourite athletes or studying the medals’ charts. However, soon we can get excited all over again, because the Paralympics are drawing ever closer – they begin on the 29^th August. This will be the fourteenth event; the very first was held in 1948, the brainchild of neurologist Sir Ludwig Guttman who was working with World War II veterans with spinal injuries at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury. He began incorporating sport into the rehabilitation programmes of his patients and, as the London Olympics were taking place that year, decided to set up a competition with other hospitals.

Over the past few weeks, gold post boxes have been appearing across the country as a tribute to our gold medal winners. The post boxes, one from each of the medal holders’ hometowns, are proving quite an attraction, with many people taking photos as an Olympic memento. I went to see our local gold box recently, which was painted in honour of cyclist Laura Trott, winner of two gold medals. Let’s hope that Royal Mail will paint boxes for the gold medal winners in the Paralympics too.

Finally, it has been oh so hot in the bower this week, but at night, when it cools down, it has been delightful – and the view around the pond, all lit with solar lamps, is really pretty.

　　

MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 12


Suddenly, we have butterflies! After gloomy weeks with no butterflies alighting on the ‘butterfly friendly’ plants we grow in the garden near the bower, they have arrived. Not a lot – but they’re coming. Over the last few days the sun brought along Red Admirals, Peacocks, Commas, Large Whites and Holly Blues. I spent ages today watching a glorious red Peacock on the purple buddleia against a brilliant blue sky. Magic!
It makes such a difference when the sun shines – I know that folk from other countries laugh at us for constantly talking about the weather. But how can we not, when we never know for certain whether we need a brolly or a sunhat?

I bet that the weather was one of the main talking points at the Olympics, even amongst the competitors from overseas. It’s been fantastic, hasn’t it? Not only seeing hundreds of skilled people giving their all in their chosen sport, but watching the immense pride on their faces as they stand on that podium to receive their medals. The opening ceremony was amazing, creatively telling of some of Britain’s history with a cast of thousands never putting a foot wrong, and the lighting of the torch was both touching and exhilarating. But the showstopper must have been the Queen. Let’s face it, how many 86 year-olds do you know who parachute from helicopters?! Seriously, though, we are seeing the Queen in a new light. So often, royal insiders have mentioned her sense of fun – now we have seen it for ourselves. Bond has a new girl!

I don’t seem to have done much this week. After editing the Doll Showcase Magazine that I produce and publish, I’ve been working on my autobiography. It’s not of my whole life, I think that would be pretty boring. This is just the story of my childhood. The most surprising thing I’ve discovered is that, as I write, incidents I’d forgotten come crowding back into my head. I found a photo of the first school I attended, and it must have triggered my memory. All at once I could recall making a puppet, playing with metal zoo animals, learning to sew (on a horrid piece of stiff cambric) and losing my hanky!

Luckily, my Father was an amateur photographer, so I have several of his albums covering all of my childhood. My pets – my dog, cat, tortoise, guinea pig. My toys – my dolls, rocking horse, teddy and dolls’ pram. Holidays – sitting outside various caravans, building sandcastles, paddling or just enjoying the sun. And people, so many aunts, cousins, uncles, grannies, granddads – and parents. All gone. What memories, and how wonderful to have the albums to jog my brain. I don’t expect many people will read the book when it’s done. I’m really writing it for my children – but what fun I‘m having doing it!
　
　

　

MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 11
　
　

Someone once told me that, as a child, she hated dolls and when she was given one for her birthday she took it into the garden and smashed its head against the wall. (This was an elderly lady, so the doll wouldn’t have been a cheap plastic version, it would have been one made from bisque china, the type we now refer to as ‘antique’.) I was horrified!

I’ve loved dolls all my life, they were my constant companions as a child and I spent hours tucking them into their pram or carrycot, bathing them, ‘feeding’ them and dressing them. Nowadays, I often see dolls at boot sales, and often despair – the dolls have been so badly mistreated. They are covered in scribble from felt tip pens, they are smeared with make up or nail varnish, their hair has been chopped off or they have had their eyes pushed in. Sometimes, I rescue these waifs and repair them to the best of my ability, but often they are beyond redemption and I suspect that the sellers just dump them into a rubbish skip at the end of the day. What a short life they have had! If they had been loved and looked after, one day they would be ‘antiques’ and might well have a value. Already some plastic dolls are selling for a hundred pounds or more – unbelievable but true.

In fact, amazingly, some plastic dolls now sell for more than antique dolls. Sadly, at the moment there is a slump in the antique doll market, and dolls which once sold for a few hundred pounds struggle to make even a quarter of their value. Many new collectors aim to replace their childhood dolls, which invariably were plastic, rather than buy ‘old-fashioned’ china dolls, and I can well understand that point of view. I love all types, old and new, baby and teen, china, cloth, plastic, celluloid or even paper! Happily, I still have several of my own plastic and plaster childhood dolls and in most cases can still remember where they were bought. My dolls have no monetary value, they are too ‘well-loved’ (in other words, well played with and scuffed!) for that, but they are a constant childhood reminder and I could never part with them. They are not beautiful in the sense of an antique doll, but they are cheerful – and they are mine!

My childhood dolls

Some people think antique dolls are ‘creepy’ and a friend of mine refers to them as ‘devil dolls’! But to me, an ‘antique doll’ (the term is generally applied to bisque china dolls made up to the early 1930s) is a doll steeped in history. ‘Bisque’ china, incidentally, is a matt china which resembles skin, far more than if it were glazed or ‘glossy’. Gaze into the doll’s beautiful eyes (the eyes of these dolls are lustrous, as they are made from glass, often mouth-blown), and imagine the things she has seen, the events she has ‘lived’ through. A doll made in the early years of the twentieth century will have witnessed two major world conflicts, seen more than twenty prime ministers take office and known five Kings and a Queen to ascend the throne. She will have seen the change from tiny biplanes to enormous jumbo jets, the invention of television and the computer, the first space flight, the landing of men on the moon and amazing leaps forward in the fields of medicine, science and technology. She will have also witnessed well over a hundred Christmases, and been privy to the births, deaths, wedding and birthdays of the members of the family in which she was cared for.

An antique bisque doll

 

An antique doll won’t have aged in the physical sense – she may have lost a finger, her hair might have worn thin and she might even have a slight crack on her head. But, unless she has been cruelly mistreated like the doll I mentioned in the first paragraph, she will still be beautiful. Many museums have exhibitions of these dolls, or at the very least will have a couple on display. Next time, don’t just pass them by – think of all that history they have seen. And marvel at how well they have survived even after being played with by a young child. Then imagine giving one of those large china dolls to a child of today!

MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 10

Goodness, it’s hot today. That’s when the bower really comes into its own – shaded by climbing plants, it’s a cool green refuge from the sun when the heat is too much to bear. When the table is loaded with a jug of iced water, fruit, a snack and a novel by a favourite author, I can while away the hours. The bower now has a new addition – a metal sign bearing the legend ‘Welcome, Friends’, which I bought at the Norfolk Lavender Farm last week. I feel it is appropriate, somehow, for readers of this blog.

Norfolk is another of my favourite places, and so my daughter and I decided to take a short break to visit Holkham Hall and Pensthorpe Nature Reserve. We also found time to call in at Sandringham, Norfolk Lavender and Hunstanton. Luckily, the weather wasn’t too hot. In fact, it was rather on the chilly side and it rained whilst we were at Holkham, which didn’t diminish our enjoyment in the least. As well as the Hall itself, Holkham Hall has a wonderful museum of bygones and a vintage vehicle collection, so there was plenty to see, even though it was too wet to visit the gardens. The home made lunches served at Holkham are delicious – especially the cakes. We had enormous cream-filled meringues, drizzled with strawberry and chocolate sauce. They were delicious, but we knew we would walk off all those calories the next day when we visited Pensthorpe, so we didn’t feel too guilty!



Vintage car at Holkham Hall



The cakes at Holkham were delicious!

Pensthorpe is beautiful, and very visitor friendly. For those who can’t walk far, there are gardens, duck-filled lakes and walk-in aviaries right near the visitors’ centre, but my daughter and I decided to explore the larger lakes, the River Wensum and the ‘Scrape’. At the Scrape you can enter a hide and watch waders and ducks as they go about their day. It was especially good to see the avocets; such graceful, elegant birds with their long upswept bills and smart white and black plumage.

Pensthorpe Nature Reserve

Once we had left the popular areas around the wildfowl lakes, it was as though we had the reserve almost to ourselves, and we spent ages taking photographs, watching the birds and just revelling in being out in the Norfolk countryside on such a beautiful day. There were butterflies and dragonflies in profusion, and in some places we had to be careful where we trod as there were lots of newly metamorphosed toadlets. Flowers were everywhere; native plants such as foxgloves, cow parsley and willow-herb provided a spectacular backdrop to our walk, while the beautiful gardens were filled with cultivated species.

Sandringham is, of course, one of the Royal Family’s holiday homes, and is a delightful house to visit. It is light and airy, unlike so many other ‘stately homes’ that tend to be dark and claustrophobic, and is, of course, filled with beautiful things. It is a very personal house – there is always a half-completed jigsaw puzzle around (Her Majesty is fond of puzzles) – and there are plenty of photographs, ornaments and other items to remind us this is a home still occupied by a family.

On this occasion, however, we weren’t visiting the house itself. Invariably when we go to Norfolk, we use Sandringham as our base! You see, there is free parking (in woodland, much nicer than tarmac) and a large visitors’ centre that comprises a restaurant, shop (which sells gifts, books and locally produced foodstuffs), an ice-cream parlour and a plant shop. There is also an enormous area of parkland and woodland. So if we are anywhere in the vicinity we call in for a meal or a snack, or a mooch around the shops – several of our garden plants have come from Sandringham, including a chocolate scented cosmos, some dazzling pinks and a rosemary bush.

There is plenty of seating around the visitors’ centre and the locally-produced ice cream is delicious. A couple of years ago, when the temperature was nudging the nineties and it was too hot to do anything, we spent a relaxing day at Sandringham sitting in the shade, reading. This time, though, the temperature was cooler, so we treated ourselves to a ride on the tractor and trailer, which tours the Sandringham estate, taking in areas that visitors don’t normally see. We really enjoyed it, especially the ancient oak trees, the tree-lined paths and the hares bounding amongst the grass. The driver gave a fascinating commentary.

We also managed to fit in a trip to Norfolk Lavender – a haze of purple at the moment – and a VERY blustery walk on Hunstanton beach (I think we were the only ones foolish enough to brave the wind!) amongst other stops. The sunset at Hunstanton was fantastic. But then work beckoned, and so we left Norfolk with its vast skies, back to our tiny but pretty garden with its flowery bower. And my daughter hung the notice on the bower for me.

Sunset at Hunstanton, Norfolk

MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 9

　
Well, it’s back to everyday life after the holiday, and for the most part it’s been enjoyable. One definite high spot was going to visit the Bibliophile Mail Order Bookclub in London, where I signed a quantity of two of my collectables’ books – ‘British Dolls of the 1950s’ and ‘British Dolls of the 1960s’. Years ago I was a freelance book reviewer for the company, and regularly received huge cartons of books all waiting to be read and then written about. I loved the work, but sadly, it eventually proved too time-consuming and I had to give it up. Although we had corresponded for years, I only met Annie Quigley, the owner, for the first time last year when I was invited to a tea party at Bibliophile to celebrate the occasion of the granting of a Royal Warrant to the company by the Duke of Edinburgh.

So it was lovely to meet up with Annie again, and after a delicious lunch we began working on the pile of books – Annie turned to the title page that she wanted me to sign in each book which certainly speeded things up, and I duly obliged with a flourish of the pen! It didn’t take too long, and much to my surprise, I didn’t develop writer’s cramp, which I had half-expected. Nowadays I’m more used to keyboard tapping than writing with a pen. All too soon it was time to leave, but hopefully it won’t be too long before I return to see Annie and her team.
　

A few days later, I was up early and by 7am, my daughter and I had taken our places in Harlow town centre ready to see the Olympic torch pass by. We were determined not to miss this moment of history. Although we had to wait for over an hour, the time soon passed as we soaked up the atmosphere of the whistle blowing, flag waving cheerful crowds, the banter of the officials and the various promotional, police and security vehicles that appeared. There was even a Salvation Army tea van that soon attracted long queues. I hadn’t seen one of those vans in years. Then the Salvation Army band struck up and began playing their stirring tunes – ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’, ‘Bread of Heaven’. Rousing stuff. Then someone shouted ‘Here comes the torch’, and the cry was taken up by the crowd. The bearer – Tianbiao Ni – looked so proud that he had been chosen to run a lap, and he was the subject of hundreds of photos as we all clicked our cameras, phones or ipads. And then it was over, and my daughter and I went back to the car, and home for tea and toast!

As with most places in Britain, we’ve been subjected to torrential downpours over the last few weeks, but I’m pleased to report that the bower is still looking pretty. At the moment it is sporting several passionflowers, and I think there will be blooms on abundance going by the quantity of buds – the humid conditions certainly suit this plant. There is a beautiful creamy-white rose with a faint apricot tinge out as well. It’s a bit of a mystery, this one, as my daughter purchased it a couple of years ago as a ruby anniversary gift for my husband and I. It was labelled and sold as a red rose, and is lovely, even though it is the wrong colour, but I wish I knew what it actually is. There is also a mass of honeysuckle and some clematis by the bower as well as various other plants including a scented jasmine. If only the weather would improve – at the moment it’s too chilly to sit there for long, and the few warmer days we experienced a couple of weeks ago are already a distant memory.

Even so, I’m still visiting garden centres, and have been to two this week though have bought few plants. Instead, I’ve been browsing and buying various sundries. I do enjoy visiting garden centres, they sell so many interesting things, often unusual gifts and home accessories that you don’t see elsewhere. Recently I found a delightful soapstone hippopotamus! This week’s buys included two more bird feeders – our feeding station often has long queues, and the greedy pigeons and squirrel don’t help the situation. I also bought two ornate labels for the only herbs I manage to keep going in the garden – Rosemary and Mint –deciding they deserved posh labels for valour, and a solar owl whose eyes light up at night. I looked out into the darkness a couple of days later and it looked really scary, so maybe it wasn’t one of my wiser buys!

Another thing that I love about garden centres is that so many have their own cafes, and invariably they serve home-cooked or locally prepared and sourced food. When I’m away from home I always keep a lookout, as it’s much nicer and much more relaxing to stop for lunch at a garden centre than a roadside venue, and often these days even the smaller centres will sell sandwiches, rolls or cream teas. I’d rather support garden centres than the service stations or roadside café chains!