Category Archives: Uncategorized

Shining Cranesbill

Shining Cranesbill (Geranium lucidum), sometimes known as ‘gentleman’s buttons’, is a charming, glossy-leaved annual wildflower that brightens walls, banks, and rocky spots throughout the British isles.

It gets its common-name from its distinctive shiny, reflective leaves, which set it apart from relatives like Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum). The leaves are rounded or kidney-shaped, divided into 5 to 7 lobes cut about halfway, often with a glossy green surface that can flush red. Stems are brittle, fleshy, hairless, and frequently reddish, growing up to 35 to 40 cm tall (though often shorter and sprawling).

Recently I wrote about the Forest City Proposals and how they could set precedents which would threaten countryside throughout the UK, here is a great blog by West Suffolk councillor Nick Clarke on the subject

Twenty Questions for Mega-project Developers

Last year news was released of a private initiative to build a £100 billion, 45,000 acre city of 400,000 homes in the countryside east of the city of Cambridge.

Upon hearing about the proposal, called Forest City 1, which would count as Britain’s largest ever such ‘mega-development’ and is intended to be the first of several, I scrutinised it in great detail.

Upland Farming in the Backend of the Year

This time of year, (around the end of November / start of December as of writing) is known as the “hinge of the year” by upland farmers. The clocks have gone back, the bracken has bleached to rust, and the last of the swallows are long gone. Up on the fells the year’s main outdoor work might be done, yet it never really stops. This is the season of maintenance, mending, and quiet worry.

Bill’s Christmases

A Poem by Cicely Fox Smith “Christmas,” said Bill, “on Christmas cards, it’s winders all aglow,An’ lots o’ stuff to eat an’ drink an’ a good three feet o’ snow,An’ a bunch o’ bouncin’ girls to kiss under the mistletoe. Holly an’ robin redbreasts too, as rosy as can be,An’ waits an’ chimes an’ allContinue reading “Bill’s Christmases”

Broken Pledges

In July 2024, the Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, assumed power with ambitious pledges to restore nature, combat climate change, and position the UK as a global leader in environmental stewardship.

However, by November 2025, several policy decisions, particularly in planning and infrastructure, have drawn sharp criticism for diluting longstanding environmental protections, and it has become apparent that Labour have reneged on these pledges (1).

If anyone’s wondering why some of my posts are being reposted it’s because of a glitch with jetpack/wordpress!

Some of my posts appear to have inexplicably been moved from ‘published’ to ‘draft’, so to make sure they are visible I’m having to re-publish them. It’s probably just a weird glitch but I’m not a software engineer so I don’t understand what’s going on, anyway hope this explains things! A B-H