After a protracted and very thorough internal re-vitalization, the Brewery Arts Centre has at last re-opened. There’s a brand-new cafe and it’s all looking very smart. Unfortunately, they no longer have my all-time favourite, lemony-butterbean soup on the menu….All is not lost however, because they do offer what must surely be the best potato and vegetable soup in the entire county!

Here’s a shot of a male Common Blue from my archives for comparison with the little male depicted in the two photographs below. You can make your own mind up as to whether they’re the same species, but note the lack of orange at the trailing edges of the fore-wings of the two lower pictures compared to those of the one in the top image. I realize that a degree of variation does occur between individuals and that general wear and tear can smudge or even partially remove the colours,…

Thank-you Dr S (PhD et al), for your recent, though rather abrupt-sounding and profoundly discourteous communication, but yes, I do happen to know all about the “Fly” rule….The one that states that if an insect is a true fly, such as a House-Fly, Snipe-Fly, Hover-Fly or Trouser-Fly, then the “fly” part is hyphenated or made altogether separate, but that if it’s not a proper fly, then the “fly” part is included in the rest of the name, such as…

It’s that time of year again….Nearly autumn and Spiders are appearing all over the place. If you’re not having to cope with a Common House Spider the size of a saucer in the bath first thing in the morning, then you’re walking smack bang into the spiral-type webs of the Common Garden Spider every time you go to the dustbin or hang the washing out! The little male Garden Spider pictured above (the female is much bigger) had spent most of the morning sun-bathing in the…

It certainly wasn’t easy to get this shot….I had to be on my hands and knees in the middle of a stinging-nettle patch for at least twenty minutes and, although this little character didn’t hop, skip or jump away while I was trying to take the picture, it was very adept at rotating itself around the very thick grass stem it was on in order to always be on the opposite side and well away from the camera! Now, as anyone who’s ever tried their hand at macro photography will…

So, I’m guessing that this guy has never heard of Gillette’s new Mach 3 GII Contour-Plus M3 Fusion Power-Blade Turbo-Excell shaving system….It’s the best a Spider can get you know….Unless that is, he uses a Bic disposable like me and makes it last at least three months!

….or Flax as it tends to be called by the pharmaceutical companies, has been cultivated for thousands of years as an oil used to promote healthy hearts, but when you consider that it’s also extremely good for the skin, hair and nails, it’s understandable why so many seasoned vegetarians use it as a substitute for fish oil. In fact, Linseed is one of the richest non-fish sources of Omega 3 fatty acids available to the consumer. Amazingly, it has 50%Omega 3 by weight of alpha…

In his many books, papers and dissertations on “Effective Camouflage Techniques for the Military”, UK National Ranger, bug expert and former Royal Marine, Nobby, has frequently turned to the Natural World for reference and guidance….Insects, Reptiles, Amphibians and Mammals in particular have been a constant source of inspiration to him and provided him with countless avenues of research and study ….but it’s when I compare images in my mind of Nobby’s…

….and they seem to be getting younger and younger.

….though admittedly, few of them are quite as large as this monster which may well be seven or eight years old. Nevertheless, she always draws my attention to them, particularly the ones she discovers on dry land as they make their way relentlessly from river system to river system.

….ie, Cheltenham’s Pittville Park where I stopped briefly to take a picture or two after getting my hair cut after partaking of a coffee at the M&S cafe after going to the bank after dropping a very worried and nervous-looking Tess off at the vets' where she’ll spend the day being anaesthetised and having her nearside rear leg x-rayed after suddenly developing a slight limp.

Cold lie the daisy banks
Clothed but in green
Where, in the days agone
Bright hues were seen Wild pinks are slumbering
Violets delay True little
Dandelion Greeteth the May
Pale little Dandelion
In her white shroud
Heareth the angel-breeze
Call from the cloud
Tiny plumes fluttering
Make no delay
Little winged Dandelion
Soareth away

Helen Barron Bostwick (1826 - ?)

Even as a boy, I enjoyed reading lots of old poetry about Nature and stuff because….well, I just did….and still do.…

I remember spending more than an hour in a Devonshire woodland in the pouring rain a long time ago being taught all about the medicinal properties of Tutsan. The plant has scientifically proven anti-septic properties and we were shown how to place the leaves on medium-sized flesh wounds to help prevent infection and speed up the healing process.I have since learned that the name “Tutsan” actually derives from the days of the Norman invasion and the French word Tutsaine (Tout-saine in…