Regulars

I’ve always been inquistive... perhaps that’s why I love nature

I HAVE to make an early morning dash to one of the pharmacists in Caversham. On my way along Prospect Street, I notice that on the corner with Oxford Street yellow corydalis (Pseudofumaria lutea) is still in flower and that ivy-leaved toadflax...

Birds busy gorging on autumn berries but what’s happened to bats?

I AWOKE to near total darkness, incessant rain and gloom as we had changed back to Greenwich Mean Time during the night. Then suddenly the weather brightened up. As I stepped outside, a flock of fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) flew by, heading westwards in...

Respect for earthworms and funghi as we can’t live without them

WORMS. Yes, I’ll say that again, worms, or more specifically, earthworms. Without these simple creatures we’d have no soil. Some people recoil at the thought of a large squirming invertebrate at the end of a garden fork but our planet could not exist...

The days may be shorter and colder but nature still provides...

AUTUMN is well and truly here. We passed the autumnal equinox way back on September 23 and the days are now noticeably shorter and chillier. However, I have to say that I will always prefer to live here, with our seasons and the variety that they...

What has happened to our natural springs, so important to wildlife?

I OFTEN dream of waking up in a sunlit glade with a gurgling brook as it trickles downhill. A place to relax, feel at home, soak up the sun’s rays and immerse myself in a warm sanctuary. Places like this do exist thanks to the springs that pop up...

Sun-filled woodland is stunning example of natural regeneration

AS I step out this morning a skein of maybe 30 Canadian geese are flying overhead in perfect formation and with such precision that ...

Too windy and wild for a river trip but there’s plenty to see on land

THE wind is blowing hard and there is more to come, maybe with greater ferocity. I don’t really mind as long as I do not fall victim ...

Ancient Chiltern landscape that inspired poets... and now me too

IPSDEN is a small, isolated village in a beautiful vale almost unparalleled in the South. The Ridgeway and Icknield Way both run ...

I recommend this exquisite riverside garden for a peaceful stroll

1911 was the year in which Caversham was ceded to the borough of Reading, having formerly been the southernmost outpost and village of ...

Graveyards providing refuge for wildlife among the dead

I HAVE long been worried about how our treasured wildlife will survive as the years roll by and have a particular concern about our ...

Where have our once common native birds disappeared to?

SITTING in my garden a few mornings ago, I noticed a change in some of the birds’ behaviour. The once territorial instincts of the ...

From the survival of species to the destruction of others, that’s nature

IT is a wonder how varied the means our wild plants deploy to set seed for a new generation. In midsummer the foxglove relies on the ...

If only country litterbugs would disappear like the migrating birds

IT is early evening and looking up at the sky I notice that the swifts have gone, a kind of augury for the onset of autumn. I miss ...

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Natural charms of this Chiltern escarpment are priceless

SHIRBURN HILL is located about a mile north of Christmas Common and a mile south of the M40. It is another glorious Site of Special ...

Woodland vandals should have more respect for our natural heritage

IF you go down to Lambridge Wood tonight you may be in for a big surprise. Motorcyclists unconcerned about the fact that these woods ...

Lady B’s ‘back garden’ is natural wonderland in the Chilterns

WHEN you love nature as much as I do, and have the chance to share your enthusiasm by writing about it, life can sometimes take quite ...

Rich meadow of flowers and insects almost too wonderful for words

MY good friend Matt Coome picks me up from home. On Monday last week was St Swithin’s day and it did not rain so according to folklore ...

More News:

Village’s oil portrait of war hero restored while on loan

A FRAMED oil portrait of Sir Arthur “Bomber” Harris which once hung at Goring village hall has been restored by its new custodians. The painting was permanently loaned to the ... [more]

Wreath class

A CHRISTMAS wreath- making session will be held at St Mary’s Church in Wargrave on December 5. Participants are invited to enjoy a glass of wine and canapés from 7.30pm. Tickets ... [more]

War veteran becomes councillor at age 94

A SECOND World War veteran has become a Wargrave parish councillor. John Fryer, 94, of Walled Garden, is believed to be the only surviving villager who served during the war. He ... [more]

Leaf clearing

HELPERS are needed to take part in the annual autumn leaf collection at St Mary’s Church in Wargrave on Saturday, November 30. Work will start at 9am and people are asked to bring ... [more]