Written by Peter Thompson

Have you wondered each December, as you drag, push and pull a large fir tree into the house, and then venture into the loft trying to locate the “Christmas tree decoration box” - what on earth this is all about? Well, back around 680 AD a boy called Wynfryth was born in Devon and it soon became apparent that he was a very gifted chap, so at the tender age of 13, he was sent to the Benedictine monastery at Nutscelle, a seminary of learning in the diocese of Winchester, situate

If someone asked you what is the most common plant in the world, what would you reply? Some botanists believe that, among the vascular plants, this title should be awarded to none other than our native Pteridium aquilinum, more commonly known as bracken. Bracken is found on every continent – bar Antarctica – and can survive at sea level and as high as 3,000m above. Bracken, the word originates from Old Norse and is related to the Swedish word “braken” meaning fern, has also b

There are nearly 2000 species of earwig in the world, but only 4 species occur in the UK. The four species of earwig present in the UK...

The Crane fly, more commonly known as the Daddy long-legs, reaches peak numbers during the month of September and will no doubt prove...

Common box is a slow-growing, evergreen small tree or shrub. Mature trees can grow to a height of 12m. They have a compact habit, with...

Ask the question “have you ever been fishing?” and regularly the answer will be “only once – a bit of mackerel fishing while on holiday!”...

“So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle gently entwist – Oh how I love thee! How I dote on thee!” This line from Shakespeare’s “A...

One of my abiding memories of early childhood was of my two older sisters screaming “get it out of here” from their respective bedrooms,...

The Pheasant (Phasianus colchic us) is surely one of our most recognisable birds in the countryside, especially the large male or “cock”...

A few years ago, on a beautifully sunny and still October day, I stood at the entrance to a large arable field that had a freshly...

The Grey squirrel was introduced into this country from North America on a number of occasions between 1876 and 1929 and is now...

Barn owls are hugely popular amongst country folk. When you ask farmers for instance, what their favourite bird is, they commonly state...

To be quite honest with you, I have only chosen this species to write about this month because I think it has one of the best names ever!...