Sunday – Leominster – Rain seems to have silenced all our avian residents. However by the time I am on the railway bridge the rain has stopped. A Blackbird shrieks alarms from the garden of the White Lion. A Song Thrush sings melodiously in the riverside woods. To the west there are patches of brightness in the dark, louring clouds. A Common Buzzard flies out of the woods and off over the railway station. The level of the River Lugg has fallen by several feet and the water is clearer.
Back past the pub. A small flock of gulls flies south. Into Pinsley Mill. A pair of Dunnocks slip under the fence into undergrowth beside the railway tracks. Into the Millennium Park. A pair of Magpies churr as they fly over. Wood Pigeons sit silently in the trees. In the Peace Garden. Almost all the leaves have fallen from the White Mulberry. The water level in the River Kenwater has also fallen considerably and the river flows steadily, burbling gently. The Minster bells toll the hour followed by the call to prayer. Several skeins of yelping geese fly down the river hidden behind the trees.
Into the churchyard across the green sward and then the copper leaves of Beeches. Into Church Street. A Great Tit calls repeatedly from the rectory garden. More and more blue sky appears and the sun blazes to the south. By the time I reach home bell practice is in full flow.
Monday – Leominster – In the early hours of the morning the stars blaze in the sky. Out the back window, Orion is in the south, almost overhead, Jupiter is the brightest object. By dawn it is grey and there is drizzle. In the afternoon down to the river which continues to flow grey and steady. Blue Tits chirp high in the trees otherwise very little natural sound or movement. Into the Millennium Park. A flock of Long-tailed and Blue Tits squeak as they scurry around the trees. Two Chaffinches are pinking. A Llanelli bound train passes. Shortly Driver Trailer 82227 heads a Manchester bound train, driven by a Class 67 diesel.
Into the churchyard. Chasing dogs mean that there is little around. Through to the town centre. A lot of shops close on Monday these days, including some that claim they are open. As the afternoon draws to a close the wind rises and dark clouds roll in.
Wednesday – Bodenham Lake – A grey and very damp morning. Blue Tits squeak by the track. There are four adult and four juvenile Mute Swans, a few Mallard and Canada Geese on the boating area. All the islands are submerged. A Mistle Thrush calls from the trees. Through an almost silent meadow. There are geese and sheep but no donkeys in the paddock. The pigs have also gone.
On through the plantation to the hide. On the lake is a single Mute Swan, Canada Goose and Mallard. There are more even any Cormorants on the trees. Four Mandarin Duck glide into view.
A bellow reveals the donkeys are still around and they are indeed now at the top of the paddock. A Chaffinch and a Robin are in the meadow hedge. Fieldfares, Redwings, Blackbirds, a Song Thrush and a Jay are feeding on the vast number of cider apples left rotting on the ground. Back towards the village. A pair of Bullfinches fly down the roadside hedge.
Sunday – Sheffield Park – We take the grandchildren for a ride on the Santa Special on the Bluebell Railway. The weather is disappointing, wind and rain, the aftermath of Storm Darragh which has wreaked havoc in the west. A rare red warning was issued along the coast of Wales and in the Bristol Channel.
The Bluebell Railway runs on the former London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company line, closed in 1958. The Lewes and East Grinstead Railway, sponsored by local landowners, including the Earl of Sheffield, was approved in 1877. A year later another act enabled the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company to acquire and operate the line. The line had six stations, but only Barcombe was within walking distance of a village. Chailey parish had two stations, one at Sheffield Park and the other at Newick and Chailey. It was customary for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors. Thus Sheffield Park station was built for the Earl of Sheffield, and Newick and Chailey for Newick Park and Reedens, the homes of two other sponsors. The other stations were at Kingscote, West Hoathly and Horsted Keynes. A branch ran from a junction at Horsted Keynes to Ardingly and Haywards Heath on the LB&SCR main line. A preservation society was inaugurated in 1959 and became the Bluebell Railway. The Santa Special runs between Sheffield Park, which has been restored to a Victorian ambience, as it would have appeared during the time of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, up to 1922, and Horsted Keynes, which emulates the Southern Railway from 1923 to 1947. We are pulled by 80151, a BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T class, designed at Brighton under Riddles. This was built at the Brighton Works in 1956. In Horsted Keynes, another Special is leaving, pulled by 73082, “Camelot”, a British Railways Standard Class 5 4-6-0 built at Derby in 1955. We sit in a South Eastern and Chatham Railway carriage built in Ashford in 1922.
The Specials are completely full, so the station at Horsted Keynes is very crowded, obviously with numerous young children. There is plenty for them to do, including of course, a visit to Santa.
Saturday – Leominster – After a week of frantic activity, Corn Square is in a fit state to host the Victorian Market. The dull, grey weather is departing and blue sky emerges. The sun blazes from the southern horizon. I go to the market early to collect my monthly groceries.
We head back to the square in the late morning. “Queen Victoria” arrives by coach, drawn by two horses. Civic dignitaries are present in their robes of office. The square is crowded. We then head through Drapers Lane to Broad Street where there are more stalls. Into the Lion Ballroom which is occupied by a craft fair.
Back through Corn Square and down the lane to the Grange. The towering Wellingtonias by the old cricket pavilion stand majestic against an azure sky. More craft stalls are in Grange Court. We then retreat to The Chequers for a pint.
Sunday – Leominster – There are patches of blue between the pink and grey clouds. Hopefully it will be a dry day. At dawn a flock of Rooks are noisy in the distance and in the trees around the garden Jackdaws chatter. Down the road. Catkins dangle from the Hazel outside the White Lion. Onto Butts Bridge. The level of the River Lugg is fairly low and dropping, the water is grey. Blue and Great Tits squeak in the trees. A Blackbird sounds an alarm. Robins sing and a Mistle Thrush rasps. I pluck a small piece of Mistletoe hanging low on an ash tree.
Into Pinsley Mill. A Magpie churrs from across the railway tracks. All the apples have now fallen and most have rotted away in the Millennium Orchard. A few Dabinett are still on the ground but there do not seem to be any winter thrushes around to feast on them. The River Kenwater is still flowing rapidly although, like the Lugg, its level has fallen.
Into the churchyard as the Minster bells toll the hour then ring out to call the faithful. Fresh molehills have appeared. It is the first time I have been in the churchyard for several weeks and is clear that Storm Darragh caused damage. Several trees that were laden with Ivy along the northern edge of the churchyard have been blown down and one of the great old Silver Birches has been uprooted. Four Magpies are squabbling and chasing. The sky clouds over during the morning and my annual pre-Christmas cold lingers on.
Wednesday – Leominster – A gale blows through the night and into the morning. At dawn heavy black clouds in the southern sky race eastwards. Later lighter clouds are also heading east at speed. Signs have been attached to railway sleepers marking the “Up Main” and “Down Main” although although surely anybody who needs to know this, should already know this... The water level in the River Lugg has changed little over the past week. A Robin sings, barely audible over the gusting wind.
Back over the railway where the Cardiff train pulls in. Into Pinsley Mill. A rusty squeak from a Great Tit and a tentative Robin song come from over the other side of the railway. Into the Millennium Park where Blue Tits are active in the bushes. Onto Pinsley Mead. The path runs past the Priory House which was initially erected around 1200-1225 with modifications in the early 14th century. It always seems fascinating to look at the large shaped stones at the base of the building and consider the masons and builders busy here over 800 years ago. It is difficult to comprehend how someone was here living a life so very different from our own.
Down the Priory and through the car park to Bridge Street and Kenwater Bridge. Rather extraordinarily, yesterday the upstream side of the bridge had two large trees and some bushes in the water interfering with the flow. Today it is all gone. I can only guess some human intervention is responsible. Workers are still in Corn Square but it seems closer and closer to completion.
Thursday – Berrington Hall – We have a tour of the house, built by Henry Holland for the Harleys, owned by the Rodney’s and finally by the Cawley family. The garden is under reconstruction. Several large shrubs, trimmed into balls, have toppings of white so they resemble Christmas puddings. Only the ground floor of the house is open but it is splendidly decorated with a number of Christmas trees. Having visited several times before, we are familiar with the families.
Saturday – Leominster – The Winter Solstice arrives damp and grey. A Blackbird is silhouetted on a nearby roof. As the dull light grows, a Robin and a Dunnock sing and a Great Tit pings continuously. The neighbours have put some bird seed on the wall outside our back room. A Blackbird is scarfing it up at a fair rate, making several visits. A Robin also swoops in and grabs a seed. By mid-afternoon a pale sun shines although dark clouds are also present. The loss of leaves from the trees means the church tower is visible again.
The day turns dull again and by sunset at 4:00 grey clouds are racing towards the south east.
red warning was issued along the coast of Wales and in the Bristol Channel.
Railway Company to acquire and operate the line. The line had six stations, but only Barcombe was within walking distance of a village. Chailey parish had two stations, one at Sheffield Park and the other at Newick and Chailey. It was customary for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors. Thus Sheffield Park station was built for the Earl of Sheffield, and Newick and Chailey for Newick Park and Reedens, the homes of two other sponsors. The other stations were at Kingscote, West Hoathly and Horsted Keynes. A branch ran from a junction at Horsted Keynes to Ardingly and Haywards Heath on the LB&SCR main line. A preservation society was inaugurated in 1959 and became the Bluebell Railway. The Santa Special runs between Sheffield Park, which has been restored to a Victorian ambience, as it would have appeared during the time of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, up to 1922, and Horsted Keynes, which emulates the Southern Railway from 1923 to 1947. We are pulled by 80151, a BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T class, designed at Brighton under Riddles. This was built at the Brighton Works in 1956. In Horsted Keynes, another Special is leaving, pulled by 73082, “Camelot”, a British Railways Standard Class 5 4-6-0 built at Derby in 1955. We sit in a South Eastern and Chatham Railway carriage built in Ashford in 1922.
Sunday – Leominster – There are patches of blue between the pink and grey clouds. Hopefully it will be a dry day. At dawn a flock of Rooks are noisy in the distance and in the trees around the garden Jackdaws chatter. Down the road. Catkins dangle from the Hazel outside the White Lion. Onto Butts Bridge. The level of the River Lugg is fairly low and dropping, the water is grey. Blue and Great Tits squeak in the trees. A Blackbird sounds an alarm. Robins sing and a Mistle Thrush rasps. I pluck a small piece of Mistletoe hanging low on an ash tree.