Copied and pasted from a wildlife expert on another page.
Hello everyone, I was on a zoom with a local wildlife expert yesterday and found what she said so alarming that I asked her to put some words together so I could post them. Here they are, please share widely;
‘The thing that’s happening this year is unlike other years. Everything is in deep trouble. The cold wet, April, May and dry but cold June has meant that birds that would normally be done with both and first and second broods have had to start all over again as their babies in some cases starved as insects didn’t hatch or caterpillars (vital food for most baby birds) got washed off the vegetation.
Normally it is okay to cut hedges in mid/late July and to cut meadows in higher level stewardship agreements at a similar time.
Last week I watched a spotted flycatcher feeding new fledged babies. Today I saw a yellowhammer that was clearly feeding nestlings. I keep seeing many species of birds defending nests and carrying food for young (some fledged, some not). As for bats, everyone I speak to who is aware of bats is not seeing them. It is a catastrophe. Insect numbers have fallen off a cliff this year. We need to respond by protecting as much cover and quiet space as possible. All birds need to sit quiet and have plenty of cover through August when they are moulting – which is why this is the silent month. They need as little disturbance as possible’.
Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Stop killing insects
Posted in around the UK, gratitude, Health, lifestyle, other peoples blog, tagged buttercups, chemicals to kill insects, chemicals to kill weeds, clover, dandelions, destruction of natural world, destruction of nature, in the garden, insecticide, insects, pristine lawns, save our bees, save our birds, wildlife on July 24, 2024| 1 Comment »
Be kind. Be grateful.
Posted in gratitude, tagged refugees on June 25, 2023| 2 Comments »
I met a man yesterday afternoon. A man who studied to be a solicitor. He worked for the UN. He worked to help refugees. He was articulate and intelligent, with way more qualifications than I. We chatted on our 30 minute journey to the station, and bemoaned the terrible reasons why people had to flee their homelands, reluctantly, with fear, and in the knowledge that they might never see their homes, homelands or families left behind, ever again. He has no family here.
He is a taxi driver. He has light brown skin. He is from Iraq. He has experienced horrible racism from British people, both white and coloured. He longs to be working in law again, but is unable to afford the fees required to study and pass the relevant exams etc.
So he drives people around, some of whom openly say “why do all these refugees keep coming here?”
I have no idea how to express my anger at people who live in what is currently a safe country, a wealthy country, a country that, along with many other European countries, which through colonialism, greed; acquisition of minerals, gold, oil and much more, have caused many of the problems in foreign lands from whence these refugees now flee – and still do.
The majority of refugees would rather have stayed in their country of birth, with their families, in their own homes and cultures.
If you can’t be kind, or understanding, then just shut up and don’t show your ignorance, lack of understanding or compassion.
Yes we have problems here, the cost of living is high, more children are living in poverty than is acceptable in a wealthy country, the government is hell-bent on destroying our NHS, we’re taxed into the ground, and have a party in control who are more interested in fleecing their citizens than ensuring their well-being BUT we’re not being persecuted for our religion, or restricted because we are women, hunted down for our sexual choices and killed for not being ‘straight’, or bombed out of our homes. Yet.
If you meet a refugee, try to remember how privileged you are, and be kind, because you have not walked in their shoes.
My Child Did Exist
Posted in family and relationships, Health, news from around the world, tagged death of a child, miscarriage, stillbirth, support on August 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I’ve seen so many posts recently on Instagram and Facebook of posts sharing the loss of a child, whether it’s pre-birth, still-birth (born sleeping) or from SIDS and various accidents or illness (an alarming number to cancer).
Each and every one is heart-breaking 🥺😢💔 and I can’t imagine the pain of that loss.
And yet, so often, folks are uncomfortable with listening to or hearing about that loss. They try to change the subject or say things like “oh you can try again ” as if you’ve bought a chicken from Tesco and it’s off…thrown in the trash. That’s such a horrible thing to say “you can try for another one”.
Just listen…loss is loss, no natter at what stage or age, and especially when it’s a baby or child.
It’s not something you ‘get over’. It’s a pain and trauma parents carry for the rest of their lives.
I know of a wee lassie, born sleeping in February; Maisie. I think about her often and about her Mama who is struggling so bravely. She shared her story on Facebook and its had the most incredible response, with people writing Maisie’s name in the sand at the beach and on mountain tops, right around the world.
A small thing, but of great comfort to her mother. Support from around the world acknowledging that her little girl existed.
It’s also been a real eye-opener, quite shocking really, at how the medical profession, more often than not, are totally cold and uncaring and even brutal in how they manage miscarriage and death of tiny babies.
Some of the stories have reduced me to tears in their stark brutality…at the death of the parents hopes, and dreams. The forever “what ifs”.
This is such a beautiful quote I’d like to share.
I hope folks, especially mothers, can keep this in mind and just listen
It’s important.
Is it too late?
Posted in around the UK, conqueror challenges, Fun Stuff, gratitude, It's my life, Travel, tagged conqueror virtual challenges 2021, conqueror virtual challenges 2022, happy new year, walking on January 14, 2022| 11 Comments »
To say Happy New Year 😁😁😁
I’ve been awfully slack these last few months and after my computer kicked the bucket I simply did not have the will to write up a post using one finger 🙃 🤪🤪
So yeah. Thought I’d better at least get one post up before you’ll think I’ve done a runner 😁😁🚶🏼♀️🚶🏼♀️
I’m hoping to buy a new (refurbished) machine soon and then I can get back to writing.
I’m pleased to say I made my walking target of 3200kms for 2021, although it was very tough going the last few weeks of 2021 and my daily targets were exhausting, but I did it 👏👏👏
I’ve set a lower target of 2022kms for 2022…give my body a break 🙃
Wishing you all a happy, safe, healthy, wonderful New Year for 2022
Sunrise on the Isle of Thanet
Posted in conqueror challenges, england coast path, gratitude, Health, Inspiration, It's my life, long distance walks - solo, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2021, tagged conqueror virtual challenges 2021, isle of thanet, sunrise, walking on November 15, 2021| 2 Comments »
I’ve taken to getting up at 6am after my last booking where I was required to be on duty by 7am. I’m not an early morning person, but it’s been quite useful for getting my kms in.
I reset my 2021 goal to 3200kms from 2600kms at the end of September in a moment of sheer insanity.
I reached my original goal a few days ago, 7 weeks ahead of schedule.
So now I’m walking my feet off to reach my new goal by 31st December.
The benefit, besides keeping walking fit, is that occasionally I see a stunning sunrise
Not all mornings are as glorious, but when they are, it’s a real treat
Post Hike Blues
Posted in around the UK, england coast path, Hadrian's Wall, Health, long distance walks - solo, Northumberland coast path, other peoples blog, saxon shore way, Travel, walking the Thames path, tagged long distance hiking, long distance walking, planning the next hike, post trail blues, through hiking, tools for coping with post hike blues on October 6, 2021| 4 Comments »
Post Hike Blues!!! Who knew?? I didn’t think this was a real thing, but after reading a facebook post on one of the long-distance walking pages, it appears that it is indeed a ‘real’ thing and not just me being nuts LOL
I had it bad this time. I have been so down and so ‘blue’ the last 2 weeks and it’s been a real struggle to keep my head above water so to speak. Not helped by the fact that a couple of days after getting back from my marathon excursion, I found that the booking I was due to start a week later, had been cancelled. The client’s family had decided to keep the current carer on for the immediate future. Major panic!! That was a £700 booking. The agency were and have been unable to find another. So my already blue mood dipped into the red…
But I was comforted to know that having the blues post hike was something other people also experienced. I guess if you’ve been walking for 21 days and experiencing the freedom that comes with that; reaching and discovering new and exciting places as well as just being free of any real time-constraints, or responsibility, coming back into the insanity of ‘civilisation’ can be a huge adjustment.
I spoke to my daughter about it, and although I had forgotten, she assured me that I did indeed have the blues after my other walks….only this time, I think it was exacerbated by the loss of income, the panic of not getting a replacement booking and having to draw down from my savings to pay my rent etc.
But on the bright side, I fly to Ireland today to meet up with my sister and her hubby for her 50th birthday celebrations. Although this seems contrary to the previous paragraph, the flight and accommodation were planned and paid for (in full) before I lost the work booking. Fortunately I had come in £189 below budget from my NCP and HWW walks, and so that has covered the costs. I also received my new TMC which I had forgotten about and found that I have 189 euro in the account left over from my 2017 Camino. Quite a serendipitous co-incidence in the numbers there! I also found 84 euros in cash in my travel purse from 2017!!! LOL So Ireland is covered…thankfully, coz I really do not need that added financial stress.
Once I realised that what I was feeling was a real thing, I did some research and found a couple of really interesting articles “You have to acknowledge what your body just went through and will go through post-trail. If you’re a thru hiker, you just spent all day, every day backpacking! Burning calories, releasing endorphins, building muscles, nurturing your brain by being out in nature and having new, challenging experiences every day… and then?” And then you get back to the humdrum of life….which is what you do when you’re not walking!! read more here https://www.youradventurecoach.com/post-trail-depression/
I remember reaching the outskirts of Carlisle on the 17th September and crossing the M6. The traffic was horrendous…literally bumper to bumper for as far as my eyes could see. It filled me with a sense of panic and stress….I could not bear to face that. Thankfully I don’t own a car!!!
But just the thought of the noise levels which were already increasing, and my whole being just wanted to turn around and head back to the fields and lanes, the quiet and peace. I would even have been happy to climb those dastardly ridges of Hadrian’s Wall Way once again – just to find the quiet.
So what did I do, once I realised it was a real thing…..? I started planning the next trail. LOL Yes, I bought a couple of notebooks, pulled out my Cicerone Guide Book and started planning for the South Downs Way for April/May 2022.
I also pushed up my Conqueror Challenges km target for 2021 from 2600 kms to 3200 kms.
Nothing like a bit of pressure then!!! So I’m out most days walking, walking, walking….my daily target 10.8kms. Some days I get in a little more, others a little less. But it gets me out my room and into the fresh air. And I do love walking.
I’ve also put dates into my diary to do another 4 stages of the Thames Path and the last stage of the north section of the Saxon Shore Way. I have however, postponed my next few stages of the England Coast Path till 2022, only because the days are shorter now and the path requires cliff walking and long distances. So I’ll save those for March 2022 when the days start getting longer. I thought as well that since the SDW is a 10 day hike at most; Winchester to Eastbourne, I will probably add on another few days and continue up the coast from Eastbourne to Rye – which is where I will have ended off my current stages, and easily done in 2 days of walking. This of course is finances dependent….but it’s part of the plan. And apparently if you state your intentions to the Universe, then it delivers….so, here’s to that then!
In this article the writer talks about feeling sad. About how we expect to feel exhilarated and excited to finish, but in fact we sometimes find that we are sad at the thought of the journey ending and returning to ‘real life’, and I can so identify with that. I remember reaching the 10km marker on the Camino in 2017 and sitting there for hours just crying…I didn’t want it to end. I know only too well the expectation of feeling exhilarated when I reached The Banks at Bowness-on-Solway at the end of Hadrian’s Wall….but I didn’t. I just felt flat 😑😑….so to fix that, I phoned my daughter! Seeing her on video and speaking to her cheered me up enormously and her humour soon restored mine. We laughed and joked and she took a photo of me via the phone…and yes, I was really looking forward to seeing her and my little family again. I had missed them all.
Oh, and I’ve also been binge watching Homeland from the very beginning. I missed a lot of episodes due to work, so I’m enjoying filling in the blanks.
Have you experienced post-hike blues? I’d love to hear more about how you deal with them! What tools do you use to overcome the flatness…? If you haven’t experienced post-hike blues, I’d also like to hear about that…what is different, do you think?
I love that I now understand that what I feel is not just me being silly, but that enough people feel that way for articles to be written about the subject.
Sorry I’ve been so tardy about writing up my walks, but I simply did not have the head space 🤪🤪 but I’ll get onto it soon.
Celebrating birthdays and anniversaries
Posted in family and relationships, Fun Stuff, gratitude, It's my life, memories of days gone by, Travel, tagged celebrating significant birthdays, family and relationships, family fun, travel to ireland, visiting Ireland on September 23, 2021| 6 Comments »
Midway through my walk along Hadrian’s Wall I got a message from my brother-in-law to say that he was treating my sister to a trip to Ireland for her 50th birthday 🎂 🥳 Hoorah! And would I be able to join them? Would I just!!! ☺☺
This is a significant birthday and definitely needs to be celebrated in outstanding fashion.
It’s kind of a circle too; it will be 20 years since I flew to Ireland from South Africa to celebrate her 30th birthday …. a journey that changed the course of my life and ultimately my daughter’s life too.
Now they’re flying over from South Africa and I’m flying from the UK.
Isn’t it interesting, the many twists and turns of life, and how an action you take one day/month/year can have unexpected consequences.
I’m delighted and really excited to see them again – it’s been 5 years since I was last in SA, and with Covid-19 I had no plans to travel there for the foreseeable future…mostly because SA is still on the UK’s ‘red list’ and I would have had to quarantine for 2 weeks on my return at an extortionate cost in a hotel room.
But it seems that Ireland has less draconian and inwardlooking rules than the UK and you can visit as long as you’re vaccinated.
So it was with much excitement that I booked my flight to Ireland and on 7th October we will be meeting in Dublin, along with my daughter, son-in-law and grandson to celebrate my sister’s 50th and tag on the 20th anniversary 😀 of my new life in the northern hemisphere. Although 50 beats 20 any day 😁😁
It’s with much excitement that I’m counting the days. ☺ 🗓
Day 17 and Day 8
Posted in around the UK, Castles of UK and Ireland, cities and towns of the UK, conqueror challenges, Fun Stuff, gratitude, Hadrian's Wall, Historical, It's my life, long distance walks - solo, Northumberland coast path, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, UNESCO Heritage Sites, walk 1000 miles 2021, walks around the UK, tagged adventure, baby boomers travel, long distance walking, solo travel, walk1000miles, walking hadrians wall, walking the England coast path, walking the Northumberland Coast Path on September 17, 2021| 4 Comments »
Yes, unbelievably it’s Day 17 of my walking adventure and Day 8 of my jaunt along Hadrian’s Wall, so I thought I’d pop in and give a quick update.
I had hoped to update you on a daily basis as mentioned before, but oh my gosh, the most I could manage was to eat (not even every night), shower, repack Pepe, and then bed. And repeat.
As per the title, I’m now starting Day 17 of my adventure, and Day 8 of my walk across country from North Shields; Segedunum Fort to Bowness-On-Solway, along Hadrian’s Wall. What an experience it has been. I’ve taken hundreds of photos and will share some of them in due course when I get the time, and energy to write ✍ 😁😁….so….here I am
Relaxing in bed in Brampton, watching a stunning sunrise and thinking back over the last 16 days.. it’s been a truly epic journey.
When I first planned on adding the Northumberland Coast Path to my Hadrian’s Wall adventure, I never for one minute doubted I’d be able to do it. But I also had no idea of what lay ahead. If I had, I might not have been quite so confident. But now that I’m near the end, and with the easy stretches ahead, I’m astounded I managed to get this far, and certainly amazed I’m still standing…well at the moment I’m lying down 😁😁😁
But, geez, I never imagined I would do quite as much walking as what I have. It’s been epic. Every day has brought its own joy, and pain, and laughter, and lots of “OMG that’s amazing” moments; reaching the border with Scotland, the dolphins off Farne Islands, seeing that bridge in Berwick Upon Tweed, traversing the bloody Blythe River estuary 🤪🤪, visiting St Mary’s Lighthouse, the wonderful beaches of Northumberland, the many castles – all different and unique in their own way, reaching Tynemouth, the bridges of Newcastle, visiting Arbeia Roman Fort, discovering the first section of the Wall at Heddon on the Wall, seeing the ascent and then descent as I climbed the first ridge on Hadrian’s Wall (I truly do not know how I did all those), seeing the tree at Sycamore Gap from the top of the ridge and suddenly realising what it was 😄😄, exploring the forts and carrying my backpack for 32kms on what was the hottest day of my whole journey…unreal.
I just wish I hadn’t been so tired at the end of each day, I’d have liked to write down the daily experiences…but it was all I could do just to upload some photos before crashing. I’m looking forward to calculating my distances. But one of the best aspects of this journey has been the many, many lovely people I have met along the way, especially on Hadrian’s Way…truly epic.
Day 1 NCP – Berwick Upon Tweed
Posted in around the UK, cities and towns of the UK, conqueror challenges, england coast path, gratitude, Health, Historical, It's my life, long distance walks - solo, Northumberland coast path, project 101, Travel, Uncategorized, walk 1000 miles 2021, walks around the UK, tagged baby boomers travel, Berwick Upon Tweed, English Coast Path, long distance walking, Northumberland coast path, solo walking, walk1000miles, walking Northumberland Coast Path on September 1, 2021| 4 Comments »
Day 1 done and dusted 😁😁 I had a completely uneventful journey, ever so quick from King’s Cross to Berwick…and boy are those trains fast!!
Arrived in Berwick to the most glorious weather and scooted quickly over to the castle ruins. I didn’t go right into the keep coz it closes at 4pm and I got there at just on 3.54…but I had a good look around and then headed back up the million steps I’d just walked down 🤪🤪 Google maps doesn’t show how steep some places are!!
The Airbnb is lovely and the host is amazing…there’s a gorgeous ginger cat and a beautiful golden labrador, so I have had lots of kisses and cuddles.
As soon as I had dropped off my backpack, I grabbed my day pack and headed north yo the Scottish border. OMG what a path!! The views were spectacular but the path was hell!! For the most part it ran right along the very edge of the cliffs with just a tuft of grass between the walker and the vertiginous cliffs that fall 100s of feet down to the sea. The North Sea in case you wondered.
A local suggested I walk along the above ‘path’ because the real path “is a bit rough, and this is a lovely wee walk” – well he wasn’t wrong about the path, but this was no better and I crossed the edge of a potato field to the path as soon as I could. I’m thinking he’s never walked to the border before…
However, despite the awful path and the daunting propect of a twisted ankle on a very narrow and uneven path, and the fading light, I’m so glad I made the effort to walk up to the border and back
The views are absolutely spectacular.
Once I got back to town I had a quick whizz around and walked a small section of the town ramparts, which are just amazing with awesome views of the river and estuary.
I got back to the b&b at just on 9pm and having missed the fish and chip shop, I had 2 cup a soup and a cup of tea.
In all a terrific start to my Northumberland Coast adventure. Just on 17kms covered.
I’ve added some of the history of Berwick in case you’re interested 😉
Berwick is just four miles south of the Scottish Border, but during the last 300 years, control of the town swapped 13 times between England and Scotland. Berwick’s Elizabethan town walls are the most intact in England, and were Elizabeth I’s biggest and most expensive project during her reign to keep firm control of this key town.
https://www.visitnorthumberland.com/explore/destinations/towns-villages/berwick-upon-tweed
Situated at the mouth of the River Tweed near the border of two kingdoms, the town of Berwick suffered centuries of conflict, as control of the town passed back and forward between England and Scotland until the late 17th century. Each crisis brought repairs and improvements to the fortifications, culminating in the great artillery ramparts begun in 1558. These survive largely intact and make Berwick one of the most important fortified towns of Europe.
Berwick’s town walls are its most famous piece of architecture and still stand strong today, hundreds of years after they were built. Berwick actually has two sets of walls, the first set (of which only fragments now remain), commenced by Edward I, was two miles long. The later Elizabethan Walls (which are still complete) are a mile and a-quarter in length. The ramparts completely surround the town, with four gates through which entry to the town is enabled.
Berwick’s Elizabethan Walls are the only example of bastioned town walls in Britain and one of the best preserved examples in Europe. When built in 1558 – designed to keep out the marauding Scots who regularly laid claim to the town – it was the most expensive undertaking of England’s Golden Age.
North South East West
Posted in around the UK, conqueror challenges, Fun Stuff, Hadrian's Wall, Health, It's my life, long distance walks - solo, Northumberland coast path, Travel, UNESCO Heritage Sites, walk 1000 miles 2021, tagged #walk1000miles long distance walking, conqueror virtual challenges 2021, Country Walking, long distance walking, solo walking, walking hadrians wall, walking the Northumberland Coast Path on August 29, 2021| 2 Comments »
Walking is the best…
The official Northumberland Coast Path starts in Cresswell and heads north to Berwick Upon Tweed, whilst the Hadrian’s Wall route from Wallsend, Newcastle Upon Tyne in the east heads west to Bowness-On-Solway in Cumbria, although a lot of people recommend starting in the west and heading east because then the prevailing wind is at your back and you don’t have the late afternoon sun in your eyes.
But because I usually like to do things in order (whatever order I decide on on the spur of the moment), it seemed like a good idea to buck the trend and walk from north to south on the Northumberland Coast Path; Berwick Upon Tweed to Cresswell and then continuing south to Tynemouth and west to Newcastle for the start of my jaunt along Hadrian’s Wall from east to west.
Thus, I shall be walking north to south and east to west….seems good to me 🙂
However, if you look at my daily plan for the NCP, I am doing a bit of north/south, then south/west, then west/east, and back again east/west, then south/north, and for a few days I’ll be going south, after which for a day I’ll be heading north, after which I go south again and then east to west. Confused yet? Imagine how I felt trying to organise all that!!!!
A little bit of zag and a lot of zig…it’s going to be really interesting looking at my daily route at the end of it all…
It’s been quite a lot of fun, and a certain amount of stress making sure I cover every mile of the NCP, but when all is said and done, I do believe I will 😁😁
When I started researching and organising my walk along the Northumberland Coast Path, I looked for accommodation that wasn’t too far apart. Ultimately I managed to find suitable Airbnb locations, at prices that won’t break the bank, but it meant I had to do a fair amount of back and forth that involved buses.
And just to be sure I didn’t miss anything out, I listed every single place from Berwick Upon Tweed in the north to Tynemouth in the south, including rivers and burns, car parks and caravan parks, a couple of cottages and a convenience store 🤪🤪🤪
After that I worked out my distance per day, and ticked off each place once I had decided on point a and z or b…
After that I got onto the bus services to schedule my trips from end to start, and start to end.
After weeks of working the plan again and again it is complete and I am satisfied I will have reasonable days with transportation to and from my accommodation locations and walking inbetween.
I’ll write up another post with my daily schedule in the next day or so…
Meanwhile…it’s now just 3 days before I leave….I treated myself to 2 new pairs of my favourite double thick socks. Time to go for a 🚶♀️🚶♀️🚶♀️along the NCP!!!
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