a norfolk jolly

Popped down to the Norfolk coast yesterday for a bit of fresh air and a look at birds. Yes it was cold but it was lovely.

The best views of any bird had to be a Barn Owl which just kept flying around really close quartering the ground looking for food.

Mind you the Teal just outside a hide window came close second. Didn't get a picture of the Barn Owl I was too engrossed in watching it, but the Teal.........

They were sitting on the grass bank catching sun and dozing, but a quiz for you here, there are two Wigeon in the picture as well a male and a female, can you see them?

a bit of wassail

Its that time of year again , Old apple tree, we'll wassail thee.......

Got asked to be involved in a wassail at a local community orchard, would I tell as the Greenman with face paint and a wreath. How could I not do it even if for naught but thanks, its Wassail.

The result,

a priceless moment and a small world

I had a storytelling job this evening and after I had finished while having a chat with a lovely elderly lady called Audrey, she tells me she once lived in Earith, I go on to say one of my aunts was in service in a big house which is now a restaurant/hotel there in the 1930's. She talks about her husband and where she lived with her family.

A bit more chatting and it comes out she knew Mr Busby, my grandfather. He used to deliver the medicine for her mother on his rounds by bike from the chemist where he worked.

Yet again I am left there thinking oh what a small world.

after some work a nice stop

After the strong winds last night today started bright and very still in comparison. Worked in a couple of gardens Ely way. Finished work at 2 than thought where to stop for a bit of a rest and some sandwiches with perhaps the chance of a nice bird or two.

Beet lagoons I thought so off I went with the wind getting up again, parked up had my sandwiches and looked at the ducks bobbing around on the water. Then I noticed a larger bird flying in from the south, hang on I says I know what you are. Sure enough a Marsh Harrier working over the reed beds wheeling about in the wind almost playing with the wind, spinning and tumbling and turning to move back across the reeds scattering the ducks when it got too close. Then it dropped after again working the wind onto something in the reed bed, I am thinking that's it then for now when another shape and another Marsh Harrier caught my eye. I stayed a bit longer before thinking I better be off, only driving a little way along the road before seeing yet another rundown fen farm barn.

The fens are full of them, barns that have seen good service but are now just not needed and so sit there falling apart overt time, which to me is a real shame, its part of our farming heritage and an older less intensive farm life that's going.

Finally wondered what the view might be like towards Ely across the road and saw this, a lovely view of the Cathedral, the winter colours and sun are superb.

Rhubarb semaphore you just wouldn't understand....

Argh almost like the old days, a good book a funny one of course full of rhubarb semaphore, spam fritters and the loyal and ancient order of goat. You just wouldn't understand........

Over 60's rebadged as apprentices to cut down wage bills

That was the headline in the local paper this week in the article on the front of the Jobs section.

The interesting figures from the article are that the number of over 60's starting an apprenticeship between 2009/10 and 2013/14 increased by 520 per cent. 25 times more than the figure for under 25's which grew by 21 per cent in the came period. There is a suggestion that people in work are being rebadged as apprentices instead of trainees with a possible link to lower pay.

And there I was thinking apprentices were all under 25, or is there a fiddle in here somewhere me wonders..............

What is Sheltered Housing

On the 29th November 2013 the housing association that runs the scheme my mother is in said on its website;

All of our residents enjoy daily visits Monday to Friday from the scheme staff to make sure they have no general problems. We believe that the decision to move into sheltered accommodation should not be seen as a loss of independence, more like a move away from isolation and towards independent living with vital support available when necessary. - See more at: http://www.circle.org.uk/roddons/your-home/sheltered-housing#sthash.Gvi04Nmq.dpuf

All of our residents enjoy daily visits Monday to Friday from the scheme staff to make sure they have no general problems. We believe that the decision to move into sheltered accommodation should not be seen as a loss of independence, more like a move away from isolation and towards independent living with vital support available when necessary. 

Yesterday 9th January 2015 I was sitting with Mum when the warden told her that now she will only get a visit on Monday and Friday. Over the past few years that scheme together with many others has gone from having a resident warden to a mobile warden, from home visits to phone calls to check they are okay. And now to this two visits a week, only a week or so ago she was told it would be two visits and a phone call a week, that has changed again to this two visits a week and you have to wonder if they will go as well soon. 

Makes me wonder if sheltered now means you have a pull cord if anything happens.

All of our residents enjoy daily visits Monday to Friday from the scheme staff to make sure they have no general problems. We believe that the decision to move into sheltered accommodation should not be seen as a loss of independence, more like a move away from isolation and towards independent living with vital support available when necessary. - See more at: http://www.circle.org.uk/roddons/your-home/sheltered-housing#sthash.Gvi04Nmq.dpuf

All of our residents enjoy daily visits Monday to Friday from the scheme staff to make sure they have no general problems. We believe that the decision to move into sheltered accommodation should not be seen as a loss of independence, more like a move away from isolation and towards independent living with vital support available when necessary. - See more at: http://www.circle.org.uk/roddons/your-home/sheltered-housing#sthash.Gvi04Nmq.dpuf

You couldnt make it up to use in a book and talking of that

So one of my Christmas presents was a book I should have read by now but, no I hadn't.
The book? 1066 and all that.

Well I finished reading it yesterday as news was breaking about Tesco and then today we have Hinchinbrooke and I said to myself, what on earth would the writers of said book make of what is happening in the world now.

For me I am almost lost for words at the obvious need for money and lots of it that is apparent in all this and more today.

The changing face of parks etc etc

As an ex local authority park manager I dont see where park and countryside management is going much at the moment, its not hard to see why morale in the sector is low. Any staff left must be constantly fearful of their jobs longevity.

Locally to me Cambridge Past Present and Future who amongst other things manage Wandlebury Country Park and Coton Countryside Reserve have agreed a new management plan which sees there future site specific staffing more geared to visitors rather than the practical work needed to maintain it.

As a result of this three full time staff who carried out the bulk of the practical work as well as visitor liaison are to be made redundant on 30th March 2015 losing there jobs and there houses which were tied to the job. A situation similar to the one I was in back in 2008.  In  the place of three full time staff there will be one new full time post and a number of part time posts all of which will be paid at a much lower hourly rate. Practical work will be mainly carried out by contractors. The rest of the work of Cambridge PPF will go on as usual with them saying we have been running the park for 60 years we know what we are doing.

Parks and countryside are so important to all of us, they are vital to our physical and mental well being and yet the way they are being managed in a time of austerity is  unbelievable to many in the business of looking after them.

Cambridge PPF is a small charity but not on its own in making quite large changes. Probably without exception all local authorities and other land managing charities are having to cut back on the number of staff they have to maintain them and keep them as places people feel safe to visit. 

Parks are going backwards, staff are dealing with now and not planning for the future, its not how our heritage whether its buildings or landscapes should be managed.

Of Griffins and the creatures of story

While walking around Coombe Abbey the other day I came across the two Griffin from John Leach and the Devil, a Huntingdonshire/Cambridgeshire story.


There they were frozen to stone and looking lovely, the stone nicely coloured with age and blobs of lichen on them.

Suitably reminded of a story and thinking of mythological creatures I wandered on along a yew hedge to a gatepost only clear because the hedge has been cut, its partner was still completely  clothed in yew. Thing is what creature is it, I am thinking Dragon  it had four legs and wings although the scaling was quite large, mouth was almost fish like but could be artistic license I suppose. Not completely sure, anyone got any other ideas..........

Finally another Glove,ha ha ha ha ha

Its been ages since I last blogged a glove, I was beginning to think they had all been cleared up or had been hidden but no I have found another.

This one was impaled on a length of chestnut paling at Coombe Abbey in Warwickshire, poor little thing all alone and hoping to be reunited with its young owner looking at the size of it, aahh bless it..........

Partridges eh.......

We used to have two red legged partridges in this bit of the village an obvious pair running and scuttling about calling early in the morning as they roamed the roofs and lawns, then four or more months ago the female didn't turn up any more I assume caught and killed by a fox or a cat perhaps.

Since then the male still turns up in the garden every few days for grain from the bird food I put out but always wary. The house is about 200 metres from the nearest farmland and sure enough there are red legs on view there now and then, quite a good covey this autumn and winter in fact. Driving past I have often wondered if one of the birds will hear the lone male calling and come for a look.

Then today I have been tinkering about in the back garden starting on a wood shelter to keep wood dry for the new stove. Its been dull and breezy with a fair bit of a breeze blowing and from the sounds of things some shooting on a couple of sides of the village.

I saw the lone male red leg in the back garden this morning and heard him call early in the afternoon quite close by and thought nothing of it.

It was getting dark when I packed up my tools and sorted out the bits of left over wood from my efforts on the start of the shelter. I put the tools away, the light was falling away so fast I had put a head torch on to help me. 

I turned to walk back in to the house and the light from the head torch lit up part of the roof, there was a running and a scuttling and shapes moving and flying away, at least nine red legged partridge as I could see flying further into the village, whether or not the lone male was there I don't know but the possibilities are endless and this isn't a partridge tale, lets see what tomorrow and tomorrows to come bring.