Grey days

Thus far February has done a rather splendid job carrying over the leaden skies of January. I really don't mind this time of year, but I am not big on dull colours. It was meant to be dry last week when we paid a long overdue return to the Farnham Sculpture Park, but Zeus and Jupiter had been busy boys and instead we got showers. Somehow though, being encased in suitable waterproof clothing with brollies and under the tree canopy, it didn't seem that bad. If you are craving anything that isn't grey right now then please let me bring to you the pieces that stood out for their colour with a couple of cheeky pieces thrown in for good measure.

It's open every day (including Christmas day) and we were able to use our BBC Gardeners World voucher to get a 2 for 1 entry.

Arilx

Mourning Jewellery

Before our overnight stay in Harrogate last September I had never heard of jewellery made from human hair bar the lockets and rings with hair mounted in them. I saw my first pieces in the museum up there and weirdly I have encountered yet more on two separate occasions recently. The latest was here as part of Horsham Museum's newest exhibition last weekend. Intriguing.....

Mourning jewellery has been with us since at least the 1600s, but as ever the Victorians took it to a whole new level following Prince Albert's death in 1861. Human hair was woven and then covered in glue to enable it to become rigid. Some designs have it plaited or laid flat under glass. The idea behind it was that it was a way of keeping a part of your loved one with you at all times and keeping their memory alive. Unfortunately, as with any business, there are those who operate without scruples and at times the hair was replaced by some from living people [often bought from the poor or brought in from abroad] or even horsehair as it was easier to manipulate than hair from the deceased. As ever there were ingenious solutions offered to circumnavigate this problem with the publication of DIY guides showing people how they could make their own items. Ultimately this style of remembrance fell out of favour with the introduction of photography which gave those left behind not only the memories, but a precious image of their loved ones. Jewellery incorporating the hair of those we've lost or stones created from their ashes remain a popular choice with some today.

Arilx

Check the pockets

Hasn't everyone shoved a garment into the washing machine at some time only to find little stray bits of tissue attached to all their clean laundry because someone hasn't emptied their pockets🤣. I'm glad that I checked this particular pocket hidden round the back of this fellow I met today🔥

It's been another mischief Monday and I have seen many wonderful things. This one is my.top find by a country mile. Make sure that you don't leave your baby dragon in your pocket people!

Arilx

Recluttering

It's no secret that I don't do clutter and I've successfully rehomed several items lately via the various free options open to me. However, it has its downsides in that being on such sites means that I see things which take my fancy. It's not helped by the fact I am a maximalist when it comes to my walls...in fact anywhere that is an upright space where I can hang my interesting treasures which is.exactly how I found myself with these two lovelies.

This one was lurking in a box labelled 'please help yourself' outside a house that I run past. After a clean it's come up looking refreshed and fits in happily with the folkart style of our bedroom.

As for this one...it was on complete impulse. Our local free group moves very swiftly so you can't hang about if something appeals to you. To be quite honest I didn't really expect to be offered it and this style of fantasy art is a long way from what I'd normally go for. However, something in the colours and the image just spoke to me. I didn't even know how big it was...turns out it's quite large. After many years David is quite used to my quirky ways...he just smiled and asked if I knew where I was going to put it. I had no idea, but it has a home now. It's devilishly difficult to photograph so please forgive the less than perfect images.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Arilx

Our first Monday out this year.

It was our first non hospital Monday of the year. There are inevitably many more medical trips to come, but this week we were able to make a trip of our own choosing and for that I am very grateful. It was a muted, washed out, pale sort of day, but we were just delighted to be out and about again enjoying ourselves at the Arundel Wetlands. If you're anywhere near next week there is free entry from 2nd to 8th February (but double check before you travel)

Arilx

Showery and flowery

In a bid to get out of the house and remain moderately dry, I have morphed into an avid weather forecast checker and as soon as it shows a period of time as being dryish, that's it I'm out of the door. We arrived at Nymans last week with grey skies overhead and damp in the air, but for one glorious hour it stayed nearly dry, which allowed us a potter around the grounds. We went completely wild [yup living the rock'n'roll lifestyle now I'm a lady of leisure] and reversed our usual route. I tend to be a creature of habit so it did give me a different perspective as we approached everything from the opposite direction. I was curious to see what might be out as January is not known for its abundant floral displays. In amongst all the dead and dripping plants in the borders from last season I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a lot more going on than I had anticipated and several spots of welcome colour.

By the time we had completed our circuit the rain was pelting down again so we retired to the café for a 

restorative cheese scone and pot of Earl Grey. Replete and home dry thank goodness.

꩜Aril꩜

The Egg Collector

 [Image from Pixabay]

I spent three hours on Tuesday morning ferreting around in a hedge on a nearby nature reserve collecting eggs. The blackthorn at Chesworth Farm needs to be flailed in a couple of weeks before it blossoms and the nesting season begins. A third of the hedges are treated in this way every year to stop them from growing out of control and destroying other important habitats. For the past few years Warnham Nature Reserve [another council owned green space and one of our favourite haunts] has been trialling a policy of searching the blackthorn for the miniscule single white eggs laid by the Brown Hairstreak butterfly on it before it's cut back. When found the relevant branch is removed and stored for a short while and then after the cutting has finished, the branches are tucked back into the hedge so that the insect can resume its life cycle. The feedback from adopting this method has shown a year on year increase in eggs found and numbers of this endangered species counted, so the warden and his team have decided to try it at the farm this year. It was slow going at first and after an hour I was beginning to feel a little despondent as I had only found a single egg, but after a restorative coffee and biccie we moved onto a new area and the eggs were everywhere. The two rangers and us five volunteers found over 200 in the end and the lady leading it was amazed. She'd had a quick scout round the day before and only located two. At the end of our session she admitted that she'd hoped to find maybe 30 or so, but this has given her not only more information about the biodiversity of the area, but also where the butterflies are favouring. It was so successful that another session was hastily arranged for next week.

As for me, I absolutely loved the experience [a new one for me], but in many ways it has felt like a return to my roots. Just before I finished my degree in 1988 I paid a visit to the college careers office in Winchester. Imagine my surprise that on a table of leaflets I found one about the National Trust Conservation Volunteer groups and listed amongst them was one for Horsham. I knew that I would need to join groups and create a new circle of friends once I returned home and at the beginning of 1989 I did so. Frankly it was one of the best decisions I've ever made [that and joining Mythago] and through it I made many friends with like minded people and had lots of adventures. It also gave me a love of nature which has remained a strong thread over the years. Oh yes and one of the members was called David and the rest is history as they say! With all the commitments you get with working and raising a family I've had no time to do any conservation work for years, but that period is now past and it is a joy to drop back into it. I am looking forwards to becoming more involved once again.

Have a good weekend folks.

꩜Aril꩜