Welcome to my seasonal ‘brain dump’ of stuff. Now that I basically only use WordPress for anything that remotely resembles social media, there’s more to say.
I feel like I’m falling behind with writing and photography, mainly because of my job being so full on and having to work weekends of late, sometimes 6 day weeks. It can’t last.
While writing a book is not high on my list of things to do, I have a book there to be written about my time working at Sydenham Hill Wood and all I learned about woods during that time. I don’t know if it will ever come to pass though, it’s very hard to make space for that kind of writing when I work full time and have life to do.
Fungi Friday keeps flowin’
I’ve been quiet on here but the mushrooms are flowing every Friday on my dedicated fungi blog. You can now subscribe to posts on there via email if you want to.
The autumn of 2024 was one of the worst mushroom seasons I have known, having been keeping an eye on such things since 2011.
Why has it been so bad? I don’t know. But a lot of my normal sightings haven’t happened this year in places where they usually appear. The rain in recent months (so much rain) made me think that this would be a good autumn. It’s below freezing now and the leaves are down, so the season has passed. Next year we go again, as the footballers say.
Then again, my website has had an exceptional mushroom season, with October having double the traffic of some previous years entirely. It has got to the point that the Forestry Commission contacted me asking for me to edit blogs and add in information about their byelaws. I was happy to do that, having worked in woodland management in the past, and specifically in partnership with them on occasion. It doesn’t half feel odd when you get an email like that, though.
New photo galleries added
I’ve been updating some of the pages on my website and added two new gallery sections. I’ve now got a page for my oak timber-framed buildings and church photographs.
I’m not an expert on either subject and am not promoting any religion or building style, but these images need a home and are probably of interest in research terms to someone.
Check them out above. These pages will be updated as I find the time to organise the images properly.
Swiss Alps blogs
I’ve been working behind the scenes on more of my Swiss Alps blogs after visiting in May, with another two to come. I don’t know all the species I’m posting about so I need to identify them, which means it takes longer.
I think about those landscapes everyday and pine for a return.
Fishbourne Roman Palace
In October I visited Fishbourne Roman Palace in Chichester for the first time since childhood. Living in West Sussex and having worked across the county, you learn that Roman heritage is everywhere. It even forms the basis for some major roads like parts of the A29 or Stane Street.
This visit may have instigated an interest in Roman history, something I find to be very broad and difficult to find a way into. Mary Beard’s books and TV series have been a good step forward. Please let me know of any interesting Roman stuff in the comments.
Understanding the First World War
This year I’ve read six Pat Barker novels, all of which cover the stories of people living through and around the First World War (1914-18). I also realised that it has been 20 years since I sat my A-levels studying Barker’s novel Regeneration, among others. Last week I finished The Ghost Road, the finale of the Regeneration trilogy. It won the booker prize in 1995, and I can understand why. How lucky my generation was to grow up in a time of peace.
Remembrance Sunday has just passed here, but beyond the poppies it can be hard to see the real stories of the people whose lives were destroyed by the war. Poppies are everywhere, on everything, and I think this long article covers a lot of the issues arising from that.
My great-grandfather Wilfred served in that terrible war (pictured above) and I wonder how he, or my other paternal great-grandfather ever survived. My dad said that his grandfathers either didn’t say anything much at all, or they didn’t talk about the war. My aunt tells me that Wilfred was buried alive during some shelling and dug out by Canadian soldiers. I believe he was a runner in the trenches.
Lest we forget that several terrible wars rage today. If only they could end and their architects face justice for their crimes. History tells us that eventually that can, and often does, happen.
And finally, new music
One of my favourite artists of the last 20 years is Sufjan Stevens. I was introduced to him by my Scouse friends Kev and Graeme at university in Liverpool. Stevens has recently released Javelin, and it’s very good. A mix of his famous hushed acoustic tracks and his more eclectic electronic styles. He lost his partner and a lot of the grief has likely found its way into the record. You can listen to the full album above.
On Friday the legendary Joshua Tillman AKA Father John Misty released his latest album Mahashmashana. I’m waiting for the CD to arrive in the post! What I have heard, I love.
That’s it for now. Hoping you’ve had a good autumn, however many mushrooms managed to pop up near you.
Thanks for reading.
Unlocking Landscapes 