Blog
The Clerk in the Country
Friday 23rd April 2021 Field of gold A walk to “my” field this week proved that what looked to me on February 5th like kale is indeed oilseed rape, now flowering in all its golden glory. On a sunny day …
The Clerk in the Country
Friday 16th April 2021 Back to school again The early 20th century log books for our village school reveal a surprisingly wide-ranging curriculum as well as a busy time for the teacher, Miss Nattrass. “I taught the Infant class Numeration …
The Clerk in the Country
Friday 9th April 2021 Nature in harmony? As spring advances, tempers are flaring among my smaller neighbours. From the kitchen window this morning I caught sight of two male blackbirds, in the air and apparently trying to land a punch …
The Clerk in the Country
Friday 26th March 2021 Seeing off a rival Some birds are fiercely territorial, particularly at this time of year. When a handsome Pied Wagtail, happening to perch on the door handle of the car, spotted another wagtail on the handle …
The Clerk in the Country
Friday 19th March 2021 Back to school Our village primary school was not among those re-opening last week. Like many rural schools it closed its doors permanently because of falling numbers a couple of years ago, and the building is …
The Clerk in the Country
Friday 12th March 2021 Most efficacious Another newsletter has been completed and distributed and, as observant readers will have noticed, it involved the usual battle with technology, this time resulting in only a partial victory. Nevertheless, it contains a fascinating …
The Clerk in the Country
Friday 19th February 2021 A perch above a white world Overlooking the back of the house, an old wooden electricity pole provides a favourite vantage point for birds. A pigeon or dove often lands there for a look around, male …
The Clerk in the Country
Friday 5th February 2021 All change! In contrast to last February the fields round here look much as they should. Yes, there is, in places, water where no water ought to be, but in general crops are germinating according to …
The Clerk in the Country
Friday 29th January 2021 Pigeons (and other birds) at leisure Over the years several homing pigeons have broken their journey here. The most recent was found wandering around minus a tail. Although otherwise unharmed, flying was temporarily out of the …
The Clerk in the Country
Friday 22nd January 2021 Pigeons at work Sunny days now are greeted by the welcome sight and sound of birds, but under last week’s snow-laden sky there wasn’t a sign of life. After a few minutes of gazing at empty …
Follow us on Twitter
Connect to us on LinkedIn
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Bluesky