A tale about cats who take a walk on the wild side

1:41pm Friday 7th March 2008

IN recent weeks, wild cats have featured in the news because they are now considered to be an endangered species. It is difficult to know precisely how many of them remain in our country but one wildlife consultant thinks there may be at least 400 and probably more.

It’s Backward Bean Day – or Leap Year day, to you and me

12:41pm Friday 29th February 2008

IN parts of Yorkshire, today is called Backward Bean Day although its more normal name is Leap Year Day, with its very formal title being either an Intercalary Day or a Bissextile Day.

Easter comes early – as will the splendid daffodils

1:33pm Friday 22nd February 2008

IF there is one flower that is surely associated with the forthcoming spring, it must be the daffodil. As I pen these notes, it seems our countryside will be covered with these distinctive yellow flowers well ahead of their usual date for blooming - indeed many are already open.

A moorland walk of stunning views and the remains of jet mines

12:31pm Friday 15th February 2008

FOR our weekend walk, we trespassed into Harry Mead country on the north-west face of the Cleveland Hills.

The tale of Mother Shipton – Knaresborough’s star attraction

1:19pm Friday 8th February 2008

A CHANCE conversation in a Thirsk inn reminded me of Mother Shipton, the famous prophetess from Knaresborough.

Some special guests at our garden party

1:15pm Friday 1st February 2008

AS I settle down to compile this weekly budget, a party is in full swing in our garden. Its guests include a wide range of garden birds such as blue tits, great tits, greenfinches, a robin, a blackbird and some young collared doves, along with a young brown rat and a sheep.

Which is witch? The mystery of a 17th century witch deterrent

12:58pm Friday 25th January 2008

ONE of my current and increasingly interesting projects is to locate all the known witch posts within the North York Moors and Lancashire.

Some bright spots to break through this winter gloominess

1:09pm Friday 18th January 2008

THIS morning's walk along the lane was completed beneath a dark cloud of grey mist that made daylight look like late evening.

There is nothing finer than a good, old-fashioned open fire

12:45pm Friday 11th January 2008

ONE of the most welcoming of sights over the past few weeks has been a variety of open fires, many with blazing logs but others with glowing coal. Some have been in domestic households and others in public houses or hotels, but in all cases they provided a wonderful sight during the cold or grey days which tend to dominate this time of year.

A new year and a new danger, and a review of the last 12 months

2:03pm Friday 4th January 2008

WITH the key occasions of the festive season behind us and rapidly fading in our memories, we are now looking forward to the excitement, uncertainty and perhaps worry of another year.

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