SPOTLIGHT Wildlife
HOP ON
It’s that time of year again: the amphibian population of Charlcombe Lane are making their way back to their ancestral breeding lake at the bottom of Charlcombe Valley. Each spring the toads, frogs, and newts that have been hibernating over winter in the hills north of Bath begin their perilous journey along ancient migration trails to reach the lake, where they breed. To aid the migration for the 19th year Charlcombe Lane is closed to through traffic until 29 March. “Toads are a declining species in the UK and around 20 tonnes of them are killed on UK roads each year,” says Helen Hobbs, patrol manager of Charlcombe Toad Rescue Group, which patrols the lane every year, helping the frogs and toads reach their destinations. “As the amphibians make their way down the hills soon after dusk, from late January to April, they have to cross Charlcombe Lane, where high walls and hedges on the southern side of the lane impede their journey to the lake. This is when they can get killed or injured by passing traffic.” Already this year the group has Toad Rescue Bath patrol Charlcombe Lane to saved 1,300 amphibians. help the amphibians along their journey For more: @toadrescuebath on Facebook
Spring has most certainly sprung – and we’ve got the pictures to prove it
Cameron Gormley / @out_and_about_photography
Fashion
STEP BACK IN FASHION
Following a year-long closure, the Fashion Museum is making a grand return in May with a fabulous exhibition of shoes. Shoephoria! will showcase 200 pairs of boots and shoes, a remarkable collection that displays how styles have evolved over the last three centuries. A pair of velvet mules from the 1690s, shoes once owned by Queen Victoria, and designer pieces by world famous names like Vivienne Westwood, Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo will be on display until next year. “The show will be a joyous re-awakening of the Museum – so stand by for variety, originality, creativity, community, and over 200 pairs of fashionable and extraordinary shoes through the ages,” says Rosemary Harden, Fashion Museum manager. For more: www.fashionmuseum.co.uk
The shoes on display demonstrate three centuries of style
8 I BATH LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
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