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Several shield bugs. Not rare, but relatively unusual to see here. The birds seem to have had a second hatching. Young bluetits, starlings, long tailed tits and nuthatches. Pretty sure the sparrows have had another set too, and there's a young thrush :D nipping around under the honeysuckle.

They come and feed from the bird feeder fat blocks in my front garden. The young ones are hilarious. They haven't quite grasped the concept about gripping onto the feeder, not the pole....and they slide down backwards frantically flapping trying to go upwards :)

It's so good to see you here :) you have been missed. I hadn't seen that one though....mmm....."I don't need any more shinies, I don't need any more shinies !" :shameful:

Is it this one ? https://bushcraftuk.com/community/threads/bcuk-ventile-jacket.76567/

I do too, I'm in Lanarkshire, but honestly, if you do hit a double show long weekend, it's brilliant :D Well worth the trip. Takes me a little over four hours to drive down. I've done it in one day before, left at five, was on good time for it opening, had most of the day there and drove home...

I find them awfully heavy, but, sometimes they just hit the spot. Especially with custard for some reason. I don't have a sweet tooth, but even I enjoy a couple of bites of this on a cold damp night. Mug of tea, bit of cake and custard; sorted :)

Our usual option is to hit the re-enactor's markets (if you get to a Warwick weekend when there are two of them on, it can be both fun, and a great way to stock up on stuff) and just see what they have available. Hands on search through the wools and linens. Next one is on the 13th November...

Round here the corvids rise and chuckle/cackle in huge numbers at dusk though. Admitedly there are two big rookeries within a couple of hundred metres, but dusk can be dramatically scary seeming for strangers :) It wasn't very dark here during the eclipse, just a little gloomy, I wonder how...

Abemelech Hainsworth.....superb wools :D https://www.hainsworth.co.uk/shop/ but see this thread.... https://bushcraftuk.com/community/threads/fulled-loden.151265/

If you look a few weeks after Christmas, then the Christmas puddings will be on sale. They come in a sturdy micro-wave safe plastic bowl, with well sealed covers. Those puddings will literally be fine in those bowls for years, will still taste just as good as they would at Christmas, and they're...

I confess to being seriously underwhelmed. I remember earlier ones being really like a too rapid night that just brightened up again. Our skies were so overcast though that the light just sort of dulled a bit. Thank you for all the photos :) very interesting :) M

I'm in Lanarkshire....where wet is the normal state of play. Guess what ? It's raining. All we're going to see is dark. :sigh:

There's a whole industry that works out how to get a flue out of a wall or roof and vent safely. I live in a gable end (block of three) house, we are at times bombarded with people trying to get us to agree to a flue out and up the gable wall to fit a 'real fire'. I feel a tad hypocritical, I...

https://www.gov.scot/publications/air-quality-key-behaviours-report/pages/8/ https://exodraft.co.uk/can-my-neighbour-complain-about-my-wood-burner/ I think woodburners, certainly in suburbia, are on a hiding to nothing. If the stated intent to ban all new builds having gas boilers has...

Welcome back :)

I know they eat the grubs if they can get to them, and they are powerful diggers. It takes a lot to stop a determined brock....and more to stop a hungry one.

I think we must be very lucky, but truthfully the Post Office, Evri, DPD, etc., have all been excellent here. I like the tracking on some more than others, and I get rather fed up filling in the feedback things, but I have no issues with the delivery folks.

Swales and beds with deep edges of things like buried old willow hurdling. It all helps keep the soil in situ, let's it sit still long enough that water soaks in and not just over and away. Old fashioned lazy beds, with deep layers of organic stuff, even if it's not broken down, it's there, it's...

That's the best advice, to have a tinker with it all :) If you can't sleep comfortably in it on your own living room floor, you're on a hiding to nothing outdoors. For all everyone says wool blankets, a small duvet is often more use.

Two thirds under you, one on top. Two blankets is better than one. The inner one is folded up over the feet before the outer one lies over. Cuts the draught round the ankles :)