Trees and woodland in the British Landscape by Oliver Rackham

The cover is of Loch Beninn, which belies the East of England predominance I’ve gratefully encountered in the book. Gifted to me by Jon Illes for my 60th birthday, in time for his recommendation for our book club (woods the theme), it is book club which drives the read, as like Jennie says, it’s like…

Lakes 2021 Skelghyll Wood / Ambleside Champion Tree Trail

It was after the morning walk which merged into let's do it and walk to Brantwood, in which I throught I'd lost both Michael and Bobji. Both found safe and sound we found a wood to meander in Skelghyll Wood, and the Giants. I was only familiar with fir as a commercial crop, not here…

Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak

https://kalikellett.wordpress.com/2021/10/11/7849/

Sherwood Forest oak

Silk Button Gall Wasp - Neuroterus numismalis Description Neuroterus numismalis is a gall wasp that has two generations per year. One being sexual and the other agamic (all female and needs no male to reproduce). The sexual generation causes Blister Galls on Oak leaves. Whereas the agamic generation causes Silk Button Galls on the underside…

September wood visitors

Michael's cookery club met for the first time in 18 months, safe in Kaliwood. It promised to be a perfect evening, despite my shortness of temper. M had forgotten, I had to unexpectedly fill in for a Forest School facilitator that day, so turn around was 40 minutes. The weather warm September, the light welcoming,…

Bath Bomb

The name was chosen by the Monday tribe - It's just like a bath bomb, one said. Gifted by Graham Norgate on his last lunch in the woods, what was once a wedding venue, is a snug cave for us. A home for Dungeons and Dragons to be played, a place of art, it will…

Midsummer’s Night’s dream to the woods

Midsummer's Nights Dream came to the woods last night, and what a magic dream it was. Leon the Prince of Warm Ups, Beth the nurturing and calm director, Titania in a wheel barrow, the amorous brilliantly acted lovers - with the backdrop of bird song throughout.

June – Birthdays, theatre, jackdaws and wrens nests

It's been busy in the woods after the spurt of coppicing, the lull, the expansion, and now the enjoyment. Mells birthday gathering of wild women, Halesworth Green celebrated Annette's election to Suffolk CC, Beth bought theatre, Midsummers Nights Dream, the Elders came every Monday and kept coming.

Daily Mail

I sit. I sit on my whicker chair looking out to the medly of sap green hornbeam, dogs mercury, awthorn, hazel as someone, a stranger, brushes my uncombed hair and plats it. It feels luxurious. Another paying attention to a part of my neglected body. 'Do you stay here?' the photographer asks. 'I mean really…

Graham Norgate’s hands

Four seasons had passed to the day that Graham died. Those February March days last year before the pandemic changed all our lives. The virus, of course, was around, and Paul remembers at Grahams funeral it was the first time someone greeted him with the elbow greeting, but I do not recall a consciousness of…