Outdoors page:Layout 1
1/18/18
MENDIP TIMES
2:51 PM
Page 64
OUTDOORS
West Countryman’s diary
FEBRUARY derives its name from the word “februare”, to purify, or from “Februa” the Roman festival of atonement, which was celebrated through the latter part of the month. One important feast to occupy this month is Candlemas Day on February the second, when all the candles for use in the With LES church throughout the year would be blessed. DAVIES MBE This is probably the beginning of a desire for longer days and better weather. It could be heralded as the harbinger of doom for a coming summer or the herald of good times to come: “If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, winter will have another flight; but if Candlemas day be clouds and rain, winter is gone and will not come again.” Well we can only hope! Once again I turn to Edith Holden’s wonderful book, The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, to find out what was going on in February, 1906 at her home in Olton, Warwickshire: Feb 1. Dull day with slight drizzle of rain in the morning but bright and mild in the afternoon. Feb 2. Candlemas day. Wild and stormy! Feb 3. It says in today’s Chronicle that at Dover a blackbird’s nest with two eggs has been found; at Edenbridge a hedge sparrow’s with four eggs and at Elmstead, a robin with five eggs. Quite clearly this must have been a slow news day indeed to feature what we might consider to be such trivia. It does show however that even back then the weather could play tricks on the natural world, just as it is does today. I am already seeing snowdrops pushing their heads above the ground to see what's going on. Much of the wildlife will have had a tough time as well, but hopefully things will begin to get better from here on. Beware however the fickle climate of Mendip, where all four seasons may be experienced in just one day… still time for a little more snow? The farming world is waking up as well. I have seen new lambs in fields, born into an uncertain and at times hostile world. I still hear of sheep worrying, where thoughtless people who have no control over their animals stand by helpless and hopelessly in a situation they should never have gotten into in the first place. The countryside is a place of farm livestock and not just grass and crops. Neither is it a “playground”. Access to the countryside brings with it responsibility and respect, which I have to say, can at times be sadly lacking. One incident recently ended with the offending dog being shot. The ensuing situation, as you can imagined was somewhat “charged” on both sides. It is not a decision taken lightly when such an animal has to be destroyed, but the damage that this dog inflicted was pretty horrendous to say the least. I do not want to go into further detail because there will be an inquiry underway. Suffice to say this is not the way to end a day on Mendip or anywhere else in the countryside. Dogs on leads don’t do this! Not quite so wonderful as Edith Holden’s Diary, but none the less useful and informative (at times), is my Mendip Hills Warden’s log. I thought I would take a few extracts for February 1991 and see what was happening back then. The month begins with heavy snow overnight of January 31st and February 1st. Quite a bit apparently, being followed by clear cold weather. The snow returns again over the evening of Thursday 7th and Friday 8th, just before the weekend. My entry on Sunday 10th
shows: “Everybody and his brother is out today! Snow and sunshine.” By Friday 15th the snow had all but gone and by Sunday 24th we were back to wet and cold weather with thick mist. Charterhouse Centre was being re-fitted, after a storm on Christmas Day 1990 had torn the roof off its western end and uprooted trees on the northern edge of Nether Wood. What we considered back then to be a “freak” storm is now what we are accepting as the norm. I remember roof slates buried in the side of the wooded classroom, just like hatchet blades . . . glad I wasn’t in the way! Whilst on the subject of Charterhouse Centre, I would like to share with you some of the recollections written down by a man called Terry Mathews. Terry was the head of centre at Charterhouse during the late 1980s and into the 1990s. Much of his work has never been seen before, so it’s time it was. I have edited this piece a little. Terry begins: “It’s not unusual for people to wander into the centre, yet on one particular day, whilst working in my office, I was aware of someone who was taking more than a passing interest in the place. An elderly gentleman appeared at my office door with tears in his eyes and yet totally at peace with the world. His name was Geoff Ball.” Terry, only too pleased to have such an opportunity to gain firsthand information about the school, invited Geoff in. Geoff had been a pupil at Charterhouse school from 1921 until 1923 and lived at Charterhouse Manor Farm before his family emigrated to Australia. This had been the first opportunity to return to his roots, something he had dreamed of for over 60 years. Geoff had been quietly sitting in his old school place recalling his days there in the 1920s, before getting up and introducing himself. Over the coming weeks Geoff helped Terry put new pieces into the jigsaw of Charterhouse’s history. He knew the lay-out of buildings long gone, agricultural field patterns and of mining pits long abandoned. Even in Australia he had kept his contact with Mendip through local papers, even naming his house Charterhouse. Letting go was something he felt he could never do – now he was back. This a wonderful example of the effect that Mendip can have over you: “You can take the boy out of Mendip, but never Mendip out of the boy!” Finally this month’s photo is somewhat pastoral, but they are so at risk!
You can always contact me through my website: Westcountryman.co.uk
PAGE 48 • MENDIP TIMES • FEBRUARY 2018