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Countryman Diary - May 2009
A press release landed in my email inbox one Sunday timed to reach newspapers desperate to fill Monday morning’s editions. It relates to one of those polls commissioned to benefit those commissioning it.
This one was initiated by Travelodge to find out what Britons feel and know about the countryside. The survey ‘reveals’ that over half the nation thinks the countryside is boring because there is nothing to do or see.
Three thousand people represented the views of the nation and, amongst other items to have the tabloids (and us) churning out their lists, came up with these ‘startling facts’: thirty-two per cent of us have difficulty identifying a pheasant; twenty-two per cent of respondents could not identify a hare (one in ten adults thought it was a deer); twelve per cent of adults thought a stag was a reindeer; one in ten adults could not identify a sheep; forty-two per cent could not identify an otter; a fifth of adults could not identify a weasel; eighty-three per cent could not identify the common bluebell; forty-four per cent of respondents could not identify the oak tree; and seventy-one per cent of respondents could not identify a pine tree.
I decided to survey myself for Travelodge’s benefit: I can’t identify anyone from Strictly Come Dancing; I can’t name one song by anyone born after 1980; I’ve never played a game on a Wii; I don’t know what a Pot Noodle tastes like; I’ve never watched more than fifteen seconds of Big Brother; I’ve never been to Benidorm; I can’t text properly and don’t know how to use MSN. And yes, I’m extremely happy that boring people stay away from the countryside.
Woodpecker search
A couple of years ago in the Diary I wrote about a woodpecker I’d watched and listened to in a local wood. I love watching birds but I’m certainly no expert, yet I confidently told you it was a greater spotted variety (like the stunner on our cover this month).
After talking to a real birder recently I started to have doubts over my identification, as he asked if I was sure it wasn’t a rarer lesser spotted woodpecker which, although on the RSPB red list (meaning they’re a threatened species, with between 1,400 and 2,900 pairs in the whole country), are often seen in these parts of Yorkshire.
So, armed with information from my dog-eared beginner’s guide to birdwatching and having scoured the internet, I went in search of the bird — or its descendants.
With apologies to the experts amongst our readers for stating the obvious, apart from the size — the greater is about the size of a blackbird, the lesser as small as a greenfinch — there are several other methods of identification: lessers tend to feed higher up the tree or out on the thinner branches, and haven’t as much white on the wings. It’s also quieter when drumming and calls for longer.
Unfortunately for me there was no sign of either variety on this visit apart from a few old holes in trees.
I’ll call in again throughout spring — I hope they haven’t been lost to this small wood.
South Downs celebrates
The champagne — or was it locally produced fizzy — was flowing last month in celebration of the news that the South Downs is to become the UK’s fifteenth national park.
About time too — it’s taken sixty years to realise this beautiful part of the country needs some special protection. For the last twenty years the South Downs Campaign (SDC), a network of 160 organisations, has been working towards this announcement.
Robin Crane, chairman of the SDC, told The Countryman: “This is fantastic news. This decision vindicates the huge amount of work that everyone involved in the campaign has done over the years.
“At times it has seemed like an uphill struggle but now it all seems worth it. We are very pleased that commonsense has prevailed over the Western Weald. To have left it out would have been a national tragedy.
“We now hope that everyone will accept this decision and work together for the best interests of the South Downs. Challenging this decision would waste much time and money at a time when wastage can be ill-afforded.
“In many ways the hard work starts now with the establishment of a national park authority and preparation of new policies and plans to guide the future protection and enhancement of this very special area.”
As someone who lives within a national park, I should add a note of caution: it is not always plain sailing and there will be decisions made (by non-elected bodies) which will be unpopular amongst some residents.
But national park status does have many benefits, not least the creation of a bulky defence against government, local authorities and greedy developers.
Try out our improved website
We’ve been making some improvements to the website so if you haven’t been on it for a while, as you may have noticed. You’ll can read my weekly blog in which I look at countryside issues or events; or I may just let you know what I’ve been up to during the week. Also, you can now chat to other Countryman readers about rural and other matters on our new Forum. Try it out today.
The insurance man calls
While renewing my insurance policy online recently, I was reminded of the days before the internet when the insurance man used to call, and the tale of one old Yorkshire farmer who was continually being pestered to take out a policy. Time and again the insurance man called, but each time the farmer sent him away, saying he could find “summat else to do wi’ me brass”. One day, however, the farmer’s barn caught fire, and in the midst of the excitement the farmer was seen charging down the village street, shouting: “Wheer’s that insurance chap? E’s nivver ’ere when ’e’s wanted!”
Paul Jackson |
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