Monthly Archives: April 2021

GOLDSWORTHY ON HIGH.

Monday, April 26th. 8miles. Quernmore.

I have been up here before to seek out the Andy Goldsworthy ‘Three Chairs’, most recently in 2014. https://bowlandclimber.com/2014/05/28/out-on-the-loose-again-clougha-pike-and-grit-fell/ when we did virtually the same walk.

There were quite a few cars in the car park this morning when we arrived – early birds or dog walkers. Sir Hugh was just recovering from his head dive last week and I noticed a slight reluctance to turn his neck, however today was only going to be about six miles, well it turned out nearly eight, but there was no problem.

We climbed up onto Clougha Pike using the Rowton Brook path which passes evidence of past cottage industries most notably the C17 cotton mill. The present owner was happy to chat about its history and life in general.

There was no let up in the ascent but the ground was mercifully dry. The trig point, 413 m, was adorned with the most un-Goldsworthy stones. The views over the bay were murky but Morecambe Power station was ever present. In the other direction that other old favourite, Ingleborough, was in the background.

The easy way.

Clougha Pike summit. 415m.

The obvious continuation track went to Grit Fell, we followed it as the rest is trackless heather. The peat was bone dry and a joy to stride out on with skylarks somewhere overhead. A few grouse were calling gobackgoback. Not recalling that Goldsworthy’s installation was named ‘The Three Chairs’ we spent some time trying to identify three large gritstones fitting that description and marked approximately on the map.

Grit Fell 467 m. Can you spot Ingleborough in the gloom?

I did recall this isolated Xmas Tree farther along the ridge.

Once on the shooters’ highway we made good progress back in the direction we had just come from. I was beginning to doubt my ability as a guide when the moors stretched out ahead of us with no sign of quarries or chairs. Sir Hugh thought the day was a failure when suddenly we were there and the installations appeared much larger than I remembered. [marked G on the map] He was impressed – with the statues not my navigation. Do you call them statues, sculptures, installations or piles of stones? That’s where art has its personal interpretations. Piles of stones they certainly are not, these are carefully crafted structures with intricate stone work. Apparently Goldsworthy constructed one each year from 1999 to celebrate the millennium. We speculated whether he constructs them himself or employs a stonemason to help. After the obligatory photos we continued on our way off the fell.

An estate worker’s massive 4X4 passed us – or was it the Duke.

Three cairns appeared on the left which we declined to visit but on the next photo look quite interesting.

I was chatting to Sir Hugh about the Thirlmere Aqueduct which comes this way and an old quarry [marked Q on the map] near Ottergear viaduct ‘discovered’ and climbed in by my friend Pete. We reached the impressive viaduct and almost missed the quarry which I’d expressed a desire to revisit. A chance glance behind and we noticed a couple of blokes in the quarry. They were doing a bit of climbing there as it has been highlighted in a recent supplement to the boulders in this area. That led to a sociable chat about old times climbing.

A sandy path through the heather brought us back to the car park. A perfect little fell day.

*****

CONNECT FOUR ON THE CANAL.

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Saturday, April 24th. 7miles. Ellel.

I am just beginning to connect up with friends I’ve not seen for months. D and P had arranged a walk with Mike, and they invited me along. I mentioned I’d not visited Ellel Grange estate, close to where I was walking with Sir Hugh last week. I drove round and round looking for our rendezvous spot at Thurnham Church, is it coincidence that Denise’s walks often start at an RC Church?

The church of St Thomas and Elizabeth was consecrated in 1848 and had links with the Dalton family in nearby Thurnham Hall. In the grounds is a mausoleum for the Gillow family, well known local furniture makers, it has elaborate Egyptian columns on one side only. In front of the church is an eroded C19 cross recovered from nearby Cockerham Abbey.

We moved on. The day promised more sunny and warm weather. Along a farm track D and P commented on a new house that wasn’t here a couple of years ago when they last passed.

Fields, thankfully now dry, were crossed towards the Ellel Estate. We detoured up a hill for a view of the Italianate hall with its towers and extensive gardens. It was built in the 1850s for an ex-mayor of Liverpool and has been recently used as a religious retreat, but see below.

Our next objective was a view of Kings Lee Chapel a Victorian gothic church designed by Joseph Hansom who also designed the impressive St. Walburge in Preston and the Hansom Cab. The church is closed and has been subject to vandalism. If I had been alone I would have been tempted to approach closer up the drive.

Apparently the whole site is for sale with plans for yet another holiday complex. Some estate buildings are already used as holiday lets. https://www.lancastervision.com/holiday-village-100-bed-hotel-and-vr-experience-plan-for-lancaster-revealed/

We left the estate over their balustraded canal bridge and had a pleasant stroll along the Lancaster Canal.

At the junction with the Glasson canal we took a break outside the lockkeeper’s cottage on a suitable bench. D unexpectedly produced four sandwich buns out of a hat for us.

Onwards though Galgate we eventually left the canal by a path across a field of probably 100 cows. A hill gave us views of the bay and distant Lakeland hills. We took to the road around Condor Green where the old Stork pub is needing renovation.

The little café on the old railway line was doing good business with cyclists and walkers using the route between Glasson and Lancaster. Using the railway track bridge we crossed the creeks looking forlorn at low tide.

From the number of people we had passed we expected Glasson to be very busy, so we cut through to the canal by Christchurch. There was a little fête on, and I came away with some thick cut marmalade which has turned out to be delicious. We were now on the Glasson branch canal which links to the Lancaster canal by a series of locks. This section seemed to be popular with nesting swans.

I did a series of walks up the Lancaster Canal with D and P back in early 2018 where there is lots more information. https://bowlandclimber.com/2018/01/09/the-lancaster-canal/

We left the canal and climbed fields back to Thurnham Church from where a cavalcade of cars made their way to a nearby garden for more socially distanced but connected refreshments.

*****

SEARCHING FOR RAVEN LUMB FALLS.

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I’m fascinated by the history of the countryside. I glean as much as I can from books, maps and the internet. The origin of names: lost houses and tracks: the local industries from way back: family trees and intrigue. So when I come across a reliable source of information to one of my regular walking areas I’m delighted. The area in question is Hurst Green and Stonyhurst and somebody has set up a Facebook page dealing with precisely that. https://www.facebook.com/hurstgreenandstonyhursthistory

I was alerted to it by a comment from its author on my Stonyhurst crosses walk for which I found it difficult to obtain information. I have some catching up to do with the posts so far, but I did notice one on a waterfall on Dean Brook below Hurst Green – Raven Lumb Falls. Over the years I have scrambled up a few of the brooks coming down from Longridge Fell to the Ribchester and Hurst Green areas, but I was unaware of this location. It didn’t take me long to identify its approximate position on the OS map and this morning I set off to explore.

Hurst Green was busy with walkers, most probably following the Tolkien Trail which I did a few weeks ago. Today I set off down Lambing Clough Lane, there were certainly plenty of lambs about. At the ‘farm’ I took a public footpath, strangely unsigned, down towards Dean Brook where it is joined by Bailey Brook at a footbridge. There is an open green area here, locally referred to as Pickleholme. I now followed the stream up into Merrick’s Wood.

Celandines and Wood Anemones were still in flower, but as a bonus the Bluebells were just coming into bloom in blue patches under the trees.

There was more water in the brook than I had expected after all this dry weather, I would have been better in wellingtons to walk directly upstream, as it was, I used precarious little tracks with an ever present risk of tumbling down the steep bank into the water.

Anyhow, I made progress until at a bend the fall came into view. The water had carved out a passage through the sandstone cliff. Care was needed boulder hopping here as I don’t think anyone would have found me if I’d had an accident. The grid reference, for anyone foolish enough to follow in my footsteps, SD 6830 3746.

What a delightful spot deep in the woods with a lively flow of water. There was some tat left by gill scramblers from Hothersall Hall. The rope was in bad condition so I removed what I could reach. I need to return when the water level is even lower to try and scramble up the falls.

I sat for half an hour and watched a Dipper coming backwards and forwards, with grubs in its mouth, to a nest hidden in the rock. A pair of Grey Wagtails, or Yellow? were flitting about in the stream.

What a pleasant way to spend a morning.

When I arrived back at the Shireburn Alms the beer garden, sorry dining terrace, was full of diners enjoying the sunshine and their freedom to eat out. A far cry from down below.

THE OLD MEN OF TROY.

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The Old Man of Hoy is a famous sea stack off the coast of Hoy in the Orkney Isles. As a climb it was first ascended by Chris Bonington, Rusty Baillie and Tom Patey in 1966. Apparently it could collapse at any time.

We weren’t up there today, that would be stretching the travel limits. No we were still in deepest Lancashire returning to Troy Quarry after many years for some climbing. Apart from the rhyming name the only other resemblance to Hoy is a stack, without any sea, in the middle of the quarry.

The parking area has been severely limited because of the influx of walkers disturbing the locals in these strange times. Of course, we travelled in four separate cars, so you can see how quickly every space becomes blocked. None of us could remember the approach into the quarry, there used to be some large concrete buildings by the track, all now looked quite sylvan. There are some good walks that traverse the hillsides in this upper part of Rossendale. But today we were here for the climbing.

The quarry is large, spreading 30 – 40ft walls of gritstone around a pond. Canada Geese entertained us all afternoon with their calls and territorial chasing across the water. We made a beeline to the South Walls where there were easier climbs. Another pair of climbers were already in situ but soon moved on. They were top roping either for safety or inexperience. We had many years of experience between the four off us, too many to count but were a little rusty. I, for one, don’t want to see the inside of a casualty department, so we opted for top roping too, something I wouldn’t have contemplated in the past – where is the adventure in that. Times change.

After a bit of faffing with slings we had a top rope set up above the Siamese Twins. These are cracks in a steep slab. We climbed the right-hand variation with help of the left crack and the left route with the help of the right crack. Who’s watching?

Rod high on Left Siamese Twin.

Dave in a similar position.

The rock was clean with positive holds, a fine gritstone apparently used in the past for pavement flags in the northwest cities.

A large flake in the centre of the Siamese wall had new cracks running down it, a hollow sound and movement when pulled in certain directions. Water and frost affect the rock formations in these quarries and every so often lumps, small and large, detach themselves. You just hope you are not clutching one when that happens. This particular flake is already doomed. We squeezed in a slightly harder climb to the left but again transgressed into those cracks.

Fred has the largest lunch box.

I haven’t seen my climbing partners for many months, so we had a good catch up chat over lunch. The sun was pleasantly warm reminding us of many hours playing on the rock walls in these Lancashire holes in the ground. God’s own rock is over the border in Yorkshire, but we are fiercely defensive of our sometimes grotty venues.

We moved the rope along to above a great looking flake line, Stacked Deck, which we all enjoyed lay backing up.

Dave starting the lay back of Stacked Deck.

Alongside was the classic route, Rapunzel. Halfway up is a barred window from which Rapunzel would have let down her hair. The fable around this story is more complicated than I remember. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapunzel

Rod approaching Rapunzel’s window.

Suffice to say she didn’t let down her hair for me today, and I was lowered to the ground to lick my wounds. Ah, well it is the first time I’ve been on a rope this year. Things can only get better – or is that a fairy tale?

Boulderers on the ‘sea stack’

WALKER’S I’TH FIELDS. Galgate/Ellel.

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Saturday, April 17th. 7.5 miles Galgate

The approximate midpoint between me, Longridge, and Sir Hugh, Arnside, is the Galgate junction of the M6 just south of Lancaster University. A meeting was arranged for the first time in 6 months. It nearly got off to a bad start as I parked up on the wrong road. Anyhow, once corrected we set off into those fields trying to escape the motorway noise. This could have been a nothing walk but as things turned out there was plenty of interest. Of course not having met up for all those weeks our conversation meant we were ‘lost’ on several occasions. Sir Hugh’s plotted route, chosen I think with a pin, was flexible enough for us to complete the circuit. It was more undulating than first appeared, and we reached the dizzy height of about 150 m. Any views tended to be to the west over the motorway, although the Bowland Fells were ever present a few miles away. We even visited the upper part of Dolphinholme.

The delay in this posting is partially due to my involvement in local affairs. The field opposite my house has been earmarked for development for some time. All local objections have been dismissed – so here come a couple of hundred houses. What we didn’t expect was intensive piledriving occurring almost adjacent to our properties. We awoke after Easter to vibrations akin to small earthquakes. Cracks started to appear inside our houses. Local authorities were to be honest hopeless and disinterested in appreciating the seriousness of the disruption. Barratt Homes were dismissive of our protestations. My next step was to contact my MP, Ben Wallace, someone I had never voted for. He immediately took up our cause and took on the mights of Barratt. The good news is that they have been stopped from piledriving for now, a victory for the common people. There is some way to go yet, but they are having to look at alternative methods of consolidating the ground which they shouldn’t have been building on in the first place – I hope it costs them a fortune.

A forest of piles, excuse the expression, hundreds of them.

The offending monster being taken away Monday morning, no doubt to disturb someone else’s neighbourhood.

Anyway back to the start…

A massive mushroom farm has mushroomed in the fields next to the motorway. The farms round here are on an industrial scale, the cows have their own mechanised backscratcher. There are some interesting names, as the header photo and this attractive sign. Busy weekend roads were crossed, we couldn’t work out where they were coming from or going to, but we must have travelled them at some time. All looks different on foot. A trig point,136 m, was visited off route, it was next to an impressive stone wall with Grit Fell and Ward Stones just peeping over the top.

Old tracks lead to remote farms, had we strayed into another land?

Another slight diversion took us to an unusual feature marked on the map… … it turned out to be the ruins of a dozen WW2 ammunition holdings with double walls intended to reduce the shock if there was an explosion. But why build them in such proximity?

A lane wandered down to a farm complex, you can see we were at the back of beyond. Children and friendly dogs ran wild. The farm house looked old – it was. 1698 above the door. As was some of the equipment. A lovely valley wound onwards until we became literally fenced in a horsey property. Lunch was taken above a small stream heading into the River Wyre.

Later after more intricate fence climbing we arrived at Four Lane Ends in upper Dolphinholme and much later still we arrived at Five Way Ends, that makes nine, no wonder we were lost. Ponies were being exercised as we walked down the road, makes a change from all the dogs we see at the moment.

A splendid walk, not bad for sticking a pin in the map – no, thanks for Sir Hugh’s excellent planning.

The day wasn’t over as in the last field to be crossed Sir Hugh executed a superb diving header of the ball into the opponents net, except there was no net and no ball, just a hard landing on his skull. Obviously he survived and I hear is recovering well.

Walkers I’th Fields indeed, where next.

*****

A NATURAL HIGH – FAIR SNAPE.

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Thursday 15th April. 6 miles. Fairsnape.

I feel released at last. Well almost.

I’ve been very good during the Pandemic, self-isolating for my own good, not mixing with my family or anyone else really, not travelling outside my area and living off home deliveries. The latter have been excellent, and I’ve put on a few pounds. Today I went high into the Bowland Fells for the first time in months. I felt strangely anxious, not wanting a helicopter rescue. But I have walked this route hundreds of times, it was once my evening fell run.

I parked in my little slot below Saddle End and walked slowly up the fell. As usual, I met no one going this way and I was so slow others would have overtaken me. Skylarks were in full song, and it was a joy to be on the hill.

I took the manufactured track across the side of the fell, but I had to deviate over the flagstones to take in the highest point, the cairn of Fairsnape Fell, 520 m. One can’t come up here without visiting the top, but apparently many do. I was rewarded in solitude with views over to the three Yorkshire Peaks area where friends were walking today – if they could get parked anywhere.

The beeline to Paddy’s Pole, the other summit of Fair Snape, 510 m, was easy as the peat hags had dried up in the last couple of weeks. You can hardly believe the difference in that time from limb sucking bogs to dry, even dusty, peat. Anyhow, I wasn’t complaining.

There was no one at the cairns or trig point on this westerly bit of Fair Snape Fell. I sat and ate an orange looking out to Morecambe Bay and the hazy Lake District. I spent some time scouting out for a flat area suitable for an overnight bivi. Last year, or the year before, I bivied out on Beacon Fell and Longridge Fell and I want to complete the trilogy which was halted last year.

Then it was fast walking around the fell rim towards Parlick, not forgetting to spot Nick’s Chair [Martin B]

Earlier in the day I’d spotted parapentes in the sky, launching from the more unusual east side of Parlick. I took the track in their direction hoping for some close up photos, but it seemed to be lunchtime. None were in the air. Some were still making their laborious way up. As soon as I was halfway down they stared appearing in the sky once more. I took the steep way down the fell.

Traversing lapwing fields took me back to the road and my solitary car. I managed to buy some excellent free-range eggs at the end of the lane.

Down came the soft top for an exhilarating drive home. I do feel I’ve been released. On a day like today up there in the Bowland Fells you couldn’t feel any different. A natural high.

And then I read this – https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2021/04/15/red-kite-shot-in-cotswolds/

*****

ANOTHER DINKLEY ROUND.

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A peaceful Sales Wheel.

Wednesday, April 14th. 6 miles. Ribchester,

A perfect Spring morning, sunshine and no wind.

Looking back I did this walk in 2019 on a similar April day https://bowlandclimber.com/2019/04/11/more-of-the-ribble-way-and-dinkley-bridge/ and on many other occasions.

We set off from the car park of the Ribchester Arms, which later today will be serving food and drink outside following the latest easing of lockdown. Some, new to us, paths lead away across fields from Stydd Lane. The signing was better than usual, a side effect of the pandemic with the farmers trying to guide all the extra walkers through their fields as safely as possible. We were intrigued by some old banking alongside Duddell Brook which seemed to have been designed to prevent flooding of some fields that would have been a natural flood plain. One wonders if this channelling of the stream goes towards the flooding that regularly occurs farther down where it meets the Ribble. Never mess with nature. I’m not sure whether the banking shows up on my photo.

An innocuous looking Duddell Brook.

The Ribble Way was joined and followed pleasantly along the river bank. There is always flood debris on this stretch but today it was mostly vegetation and wood, perhaps someone has a had done a litter pick of all the usual plastic. It is a shame that the footpath gets diverted away from the river [fishermen only!] but at least from the higher elevation there is always a panoramic view of the Ribble Valley with Pendle on guard and of course now the new Dinckley Bridge.

Mike had not visited since the new bridge was erected in 2019, hence today’s route. The previous suspension bridge was damaged beyond repair back in the floods of December 2015, Storm Frank. Its centre span was previously destroyed by flooding in 1981, but cables and parts were salvaged and the deck rebuilt. Prior to the bridges a ferry used to cross here linking Hurst Green to Dinckley and Langho.

Old suspension bridge. Wikimedia.

Today the river was very low under the bridge and the sandy beaches farther downstream were accessible. We were surprised there were not more people out and about enjoying the warm sunshine. In the woods the wild garlic was coming into season reminding me that I must pick some for cooking – perfect with a poached egg. The celandines, wood anemones and sorrels were all putting on a good show.

Again the path is diverted away from the river, so we just walked pleasantly along the quiet lane to cross the stately Ribchester Bridge back into the village and home for lunch.

*****

YOU FAT BASTARD.

1 Reply

Sweden Quarry.

We, us old farts, used to climb with a fit young lad who shall remain nameless. Regular evening visits to Lancashire quarries in the summer months provided good sport. He was pushing his grade, as a young man should, but often was lowered to the ground defeated by a high crux move which one of us old timers could easily demonstrate to him. Chastened he would apply himself to the next problem with often the same result.

It was only in the pub afterwards that an analysis of the evenings climbing took place. Typically, we focused on his failings and inevitably came to the conclusion he was carrying too much weight. This lead to, and I apologise as from now, describing him as a ‘fat bastard’. We did have his interests at heart as this insulting banter resulted in him disappearing, dieting and training to re-emerge the next week to climb as good if not better than us.

Someday I will write about climbing trips with this youth in question to places far from Lancashire and the resulting adventures. I will of course need his permission first.

Anyhow, today the boot, or climbing shoe, is on the other foot. I used to climb in a quarry high on Longridge Fell hidden in the conifer plantations – I called it Sweden for no other reason than the trees. Only I and a few others knew about it, and slowly it became overgrown as these places do. But it was there at the back of my mind and when social distancing became the norm, and I was wary of climbing in crowded Craig Y Longridge …

A crowded Craig y Longridge.

… I revisited Sweden.

Basically it is a large hole in the ground. The walls tend to be damp and uninviting but on an upper level there is a clean wall getting the sun all day. A few days getting rid of the vegetation that had encroached in the intervening years, and I was ready to try the problems that I had recorded 25 years ago. Armed with my tatty guide from then I began to repeat the problems. They were much harder than I remember and also apparently much higher despite the use of a modern day crash mat.

So it is back to square one – you fat bastard.

ABUNDANT POSITIVITY.

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Wednesday 7th April. 4 miles. Longridge Fell.

Last week, or was it last month? I’m beginning to lose track, I wrote of the litter left on Longridge Fell. https://bowlandclimber.com/2021/03/31/lets-stay-positive/

I went back the next night and collected a bag full of litter; cans, bottles, crisp packets, coffee cups and of course dog poo bags. A satisfying outing.

Today I thought it was time to repeat the exercise following the influx of Easter visitors. I parked at the usual spot on Jeffrey Hill and set off on my regular walk up to the trig point on Longridge Fell and was pleased to see there was very little litter – have I a competitor picker? I still managed to fill a carrier bag with mainly dog poo bags.

The highlight of the walk however was the number of couples I passed who thanked me for the effort and how they should do the same. I thus had several conversations of a varied nature.

A Bangladeshi family were not so much interested in the litter picking but were keen to seek directions for the best paths, this was the first visit for them. They seemed adventurous so I sent them on a circular walk through the trees which they seemed to have enjoyed when I bumped into them later in the afternoon. We recalled days in Blackburn where I used to visit for Asian groceries and little backstreet cafés serving Dahl and chappatis to immigrant workers, my grounding in authentic curries.

A couple from down the road thought we should all get together on Facebook and have organised clean-ups, I ignored that idea but we discussed all things Longridge.

A couple from Blackpool were walking several little dogs, all sensibly on the lead. It turned out they owned a hotel in Blackpool and obviously had done virtually no business in the last year. They were not hopeful for a quick return to business this summer, opening to less than full capacity with all the costly restrictions, having to take staff back on etc and then to find themselves closed again within weeks. That must be a recurring dilemma for the catering and hospitality sector.

I mention that they had their dogs under control as a little further on were two young women with dogs running wild over the fell side. I politely mentioned that all dogs should be on a short lead at this time of year as is clearly signed at all access points. “Nobody told us that” was their response – I suggested they read the notices at the gate where they had come from on their return. They did however put the dogs on leads, at least while I was in view.

As I neared the finish of my round whilst my hands were freezing, did I mention the sleet flurries we had from time to time? I met a hardy soul who had walked up from Longridge, he does it most days. As is usual when we meet we discuss the wildlife that is around, he doesn’t miss a thing. His hope is that when the lockdown eases the hordes that have been parked up on Longridge Fell will disperse and leave us in peace.

I’m not so sure. That’s not very positive is it.

*****

FARTHER AND FURTHER AROUND LONGRIDGE WALK.

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Monday 5th April. 7 miles. Longridge.

I wrote about the ‘The Round Longridge Walk’ back in February…

THE ROUND LONGRIDGE WALK.

Today I went out to try and improve the route by avoiding too many main roads and keeping outside the circle of ever-increasing hosing developments. I also had a new camera which I wanted to play with, it has far too many features for me to come to terms with quickly.

What a beautiful Easter Monday, blue skies, lots of sunshine and a cold wind. Perfect. Well not quite – they have taken out all the hedges on a new development. Our slate artist has summed it up nicely on a Hedge Sparrow triptych. [Richard Price – see transcript at end of post.]

I linked up with the route on Pinfold Lane where several parties were scanning the wetlands with binoculars.

I had a brief look, there is a digger in the background, and carried on my way down towards Bury’s Farm. A farmer was rolling his field – a picture from the past.

I found a better, more rural, route around Alston and on across the main road. I found my way through peoples drives and gardens back into fields before picking up the old rail Preston – Longridge line and onto home ground. The blackthorn and cherries were blossoming.

It has been a walk of contrasts – trying to balance the rural with the creeping urbanisation. It’s time for the hills.

*****

*****

You don’t see many hedges these days, and the hedges you do see they’re not that thorny, it’s a shame, and when I say a hedge I’m not talking about a row of twigs between two lines of rusty barbed wire, or more likely just a big prairie where there were whole cities of hedges not fifty years ago, a big desert more like, and I mean thick hedges, with trees nearby for a bit of shade and a field not a road not too far off so you can nip out for an insect or two when you or the youngsters feel like a snack, a whole hedgerow system, as it says in the book, and seven out of ten sparrows say the same, and that’s an underestimate, we want a place you can feel safe in again, we’re social animals, we want our social life back, and the sooner the better, because in a good hedge you can always talk things over, make decisions, have a laugh if you want to, sing, even with a voice like mine!

Richard Price

DIY BIRD FEEDERS.

1 Reply

This post from last year mysteriously disappeared and has suddenly popped up as a draft. I thought I might as well repost it.

https://community.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/b/scotland/posts/do-it-yourself-bird-feeders

In the meantime I find just throwing bird food on the ground or bird table is effective. I know there are reasons not to do so but at least I get this fine chap coming to dine most days.