Northern Shores: Sea Campion

A Study of the Marine Wildflower and its Biology, using Occurrences on the Lancashire coast as an Example Recently my wife and I re-visited a part of the Lancashire coast called Half Moon Bay, which lies between the pretty little village of Heysham and Heysham power station (not so little or pretty.) It’s a partContinue reading “Northern Shores: Sea Campion”

Northern Shores: Rockpooling for Blennies

Blennies are a captivating group of small, often colorful, fish that inhabit marine and brackish waters. Belonging to the suborder Blennioidei, they are known for their quirky behaviors, distinctive appearances, and remarkable adaptability. They are typically quite small in size, ranging from 3 to 15 centimeters in length, though some species can grow slightly larger,Continue reading “Northern Shores: Rockpooling for Blennies”

Morecambe Bay’s Cockles

‘From Silverdale to Kent sand side,    Whose soil is sown with cockle shells’From Cartmel eke, and Connyside,    With fellows fierce from Furness fells’ The expansive sands of Morecambe Bay cover over 120 square miles and from their muddy creeks and channels, where flounder abound, to the sandy, silty flats where fields of shellfish can beContinue reading “Morecambe Bay’s Cockles”

Blobbygate (The story of Noel Edmonds, Mr Blobby and Morecambe)

Recently news has broken of a fresh attempt by 75 year-old tv presenter Noel Edmonds to make a comeback onto the UK’s television screens. Inspired by former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson’s enormous success with his show ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ Noel, famous for tv light-entertainment shows such as Swap Shop, Noel’s House Party, Top Gear (beforeContinue reading “Blobbygate (The story of Noel Edmonds, Mr Blobby and Morecambe)”

Compass Jellyfish

The scientific name of the Compass jellyfish is Chrysaora hysoscella, Chrysaor being the son of the Sea God Poseidon and Snake-headed Gorgon Medusa. This is very apt as being a true member of the jellyfish family they follow the typical ‘medusae’ body-plan when in their adult stage, with a round bell-shaped body below which longContinue reading “Compass Jellyfish”

The Large Heath Butterfly

The Large Heath Butterfly, Coenonympha tullia, also known as the Common Ringlet and, locally, as the Manchester Argus, is mainly found in wet boggy moorland areas of northern England and Scotland, with a few isolated colonies in Ireland, Wales and Southern England. They can be found at a few spots in the Northwest; Winmarleigh nearContinue reading “The Large Heath Butterfly”

Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team

This year marks the 61st anniversary of the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team which was created in April 1962 after a tragic incident near Beacon Fell on the 25th of March 1962. The incident, which involved 3 siblings who had been out for a walk on the fells in inclement weather, sadly ended in twoContinue reading “Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team”

The Loss of the Riverdance

On the night of the Thirty First of January, sixteen years ago, I experienced some of the wildest weather I’ve ever been out in. I remember the night well because I had to walk over two miles home from work in it, and also because of how strange a night it was. At the timeContinue reading “The Loss of the Riverdance”