On the western flank of Pendle, in a rather peculiar location that I can only surmise was chosen for its spectacular views, is one of the Ribble valley’s most unique and venerable sports venues, Pendle Ski Club. At the time of this story (1995) we were members and used the facilities quite a lot. (WeContinue reading “Skiing for Sheep, Chapter Two”
Category Archives: Farming
Skiing for Sheep, Chapter One
In January 1995 a snowstorm hit the North of England causing chaos in some parts of the region. Six people lost their lives in the ferocious blizzards, which were much earlier and more severe than forecast, villages and farms were cut off and thousands were stranded unable to make their way home. At the timeContinue reading “Skiing for Sheep, Chapter One”
The Farming Series
A collection of some of my farming themed articles Most, if not all, of my articles are connected in some way to farming, after all everything in life is in some way, these are some I’ve picked out which are more directly connected. Yain Tain Tethera. A look at the ancient method of counting sheepContinue reading “The Farming Series”
Tosside
The village of Tosside, originally known as Tosside-with-Houghton, is halfway between the farming village of Slaidburn and the market-town of Settle and split halfway between the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire (in the current, administrative sense that is). The name Tosside, pronounced locally as ‘Tossit’, comes from the Saxon words ‘tod’ for fox, a termContinue reading “Tosside”
Cinnabar and Ragwort
The common perception of moths is as dull-coloured, crepuscular creatures, more often than not seen at night or appearing as the sun goes down to thunk into window panes, or, if they get into the house, lightbulbs. But, as with most things in nature, things aren’t quite so simple and straight forward, as there areContinue reading “Cinnabar and Ragwort”
Bee Boles
Bee holes are essentially holes built into a south-facing wall for placing bee-hives into, they usually date from before the 19th century, when modern, wooden bee-hives were made commercially available. Normally built into dry-stone walls but occasionally designed into brick walls, bee boles are almost always situated in a south-facing wall and usually accompanied aContinue reading “Bee Boles”
Bird’s Foot Trefoil
Bird’s foot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus, (corniculatus coming from the Latin for ‘with small horns’), is a common flowering plant throughout the British isles that has accumulated quite a collection of common names; ‘crow’s toes’, lady’s slippers’, ‘hen and chickens’ and ‘bacon and eggs’ being just a few that are still in regular use, most ofContinue reading “Bird’s Foot Trefoil”
The Globeflower
The Globeflower, Trollius europaeus, Trollius coming from the German Trollblume, meaning ‘round flower’, is a large member of the buttercup family and flowers from May to July, producing lemon- coloured, round-shaped flowers around 4cm in diameter on top of tall, slender stems. It grows in damp soils such as can be found in meadows and alongContinue reading “The Globeflower”
Northwest Nature and History 