McKean Final Blog May 24 2020
No one has told me that Isolation has ended?
I mentioned in my last blog that the weather is one of my favourite topics, my garden and its birds and bees have also become a firm favourite. The pair of collared doves, the robin, the blackbirds, sparrows and numerous starlings that I mentioned in my first blog are all still here. They are here of course because I feed them and here I must thank the special local shops who have delivered supplies at a day’s notice.
April 7th I took this picture of Rosemary in bloom surrounded by many bees. It has become very old and woody but I am loath to cut it down. As I write this (end of May) I notice the starlings and sparrows are feeding on its seeds and in the same area there aremany bees on the Jasmine flowers. Early April there were several tortoiseshell and white cabbage butterflies; small blues have also been around. When the buddleia flowers in August I know there will be many more visiting the garden.
April 22nd World Earth Day - started in the USA by Senator Gaylord Nelson after a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara California, to take action against the destruction of the earth; it led to the set-up of the Environmental Protection Agency. Most appropriate then that the earth and its nature were saviours to us in lockdown when those with gardens or access to green spaces were very grateful to use them as a refuge.
April 27th The collared dove is sitting on her nest in the cotoneaster arch beside the garage. She comes out every day late afternoon for feeding and sometimes they both sit together on the garage roof looking like a cosy old couple. Jim spots the egg has hatched and sees movement in the nest. For a couple of days all is fine until a nasty crow appears on the garage roof. I shoo him off with our bird scarer – a skull and crosssbones
flag which makes a loud swishing noise (we use it to scare off greedy seagulls).
I’m just dishing up dinner and see him return and fly off again. After dinner Jim goes into the garden – the baby dove chick has gone! Mother dove is sitting on next-doors roof looking at our windows, as if she believes we are guilty. She stays around on the ground below the nest for some time. Jim and I feel very sad, almost like it was one of our offspring. Collared doves are monogamous, and after several days they appear again feeding late afternoon. Perhaps they have made another nest away from the marauding crows?
Early May the birds are still busy nesting; the sparrows take up their usual residence in gaps between next-doors velux roof windows – they’re very wise, it’s west facing with their food table in sight.
May 3rd was International Dawn Chorus day when everyone was encouraged to rise early and listen to the birds melodious starting of their day. I confess I didn’t get up early to hear it. However, I quote cautious words from the RSPB;
“With fewer cars on the roads and a reduction in the noise all around us, it seems as if bird song is louder than ever. Sadly, the opposite is true…..in the last 50 years, the UK has lost 40 million birds! Our reserves may be closed, but nature is always open and lifting our spirits like never before….. and the greatest symphony of all – the dawn chorus – leading the charge. But for how much longer?”
More diary extracts for May;
Tuesday May 5th Sat in a sheltered spot in the garden in the afternoon - still cold easterly wind, did some knitting and watching (and talking to) birds – my ‘green-time’ therapy; the robin still visiting the garden.
Wednesday May 6th Fed birds as usual, Robin and blackbird there to greet me. A starling is raiding the garden for nesting materials – tugging at the lavender and other shrubs!
May 19th – For the first time since early March the weather vane is pointing south – no easterly wind, the last two days have been positively summerlike and the sunset is looking promising. The time is 8.30 pm and I’ve just come in from the garden, it smells fragrant and wholesome and the birds are still singing. I say a little prayer of thanks for living in such a lovely place.
For the last two days the sparrows have been chirping all day long teaching their fledglings to feed and fly. The
robin now only comes into the garden occasionally. The blackbirds – now called Mr & Mrs, appear daily but
separately. Mr is looking very straggly as he tucks into his favourite food of cut up grapes. Mrs looks better
– they’re obviously nest sharing but no sign of junior yet. In the evening he sings loudly from the top of a nearby tree. A lone starling is madly collecting food in his beak – he too must be feeding young.
Throughout my diary I have mentioned some of my time sitting in the garden has been spent knitting. I started knitting over a year ago after a break of about forty years. I’ve found it both therapeutic and compulsive. I restrict my knitting to smaller creative items – mainly based around rectangles which I create into colourful designs. I’ve made shoulder bags and doll’s blankets for my grand-daughters, flower decorated lavender bagsand an assortment of cushion covers – suitable Christmas presents perhaps?
I’ve also referred to my observation of bookcases becoming a popular background for people on media video links. I’ve noticed that most of these bookshelves look tidy although with great respect, those belonging to Professors and similar Academics are not always so neat – my fingers itch to sort them, but strangely these are my favourites.
So I’ve set to and tidied my own bookcases; but more importantly what do they contain? Many are on aspects of Kent’s history; some county topographical; and other of architectural and buildings interest particularly churches and windmills. Tidying the shelves has been a voyage of re-discovery, unearthing some of my forgotten favourites. I highlight one in particular, received as a gift. “I Never Knew That About England” by Christopher Winn is a lavishly illustrated compendium of facts and stories about England presented in county order. My favourite illustrations are the 1930s travel posters luring people to travel by train or motor-car to coast and countryside. Curiously a page fell open at a picture of John Bunyan sitting at a table with quill pen in hand.
Bunyan who was born in 1628 in Elstow Bedfordshire,is depicted writing his famous Pilgrim’s Progress published nearly 350 years ago – described as a symbolic vision of the good man's pilgrimage through life. It is regarded as a
piece of inspirational 17thcentury classic literature and has never been out of print. Ironically it was written whilst Bunyan was in isolation in prison for holding assemblies of more than five people without a licence – sounds familiar! I wonder if anyone today has written such a classic masterpiece whilst in isolation?
I’ve set aside time in isolation to work on my book on Herne’s Homefront in the First World War and have completed research on two women whose origins proved to be quite elusive. Only ever referred to by the vicar at the time as Miss Shackleton and Miss Oldfield, just identifying their full names was a challenge.
These ladies came to Herne and Broomfield at the beginning of the war and supported the Broomfield mothers and children; they ran the Sunday school,mother’s club, raised funds for charities and organised outings. When the war was over they quietlydisappeared. My late aunt, Christiana Port who lived all her life in Broomfield remembered them with affection. Discovering that they both came from distinguished
families has assisted me greatly in creating their stories. Herne’ Homefront in the First World War now has another interesting chapter highlighting two middle class 19th century women who created vocational lives for themselves. (Pictured above mothers and children group Broomfield House c1917 Miss’s Oldfield & Shackleton far left middle and second row)
I’ve also done some more detective work on the RAF pilot who at the height of the Battle of Britain in 1940 crash landed his Hurricane aircraft in a farmer’s field near the Share and Coulter and miraculously walked away with just a few bruises. I’ve uncovered an account from his diaries how he guided his stricken plane away from Herne Bay’s town to avoid a catastrophic loss of life. I hope to include this in Herne & Broomfield History Group’s August newsletter.
Finally, following all the talk of the birds and bees and new arrivals, I am verypleased to welcome a new addition to our extended family; a bonny baby boy, born on Friday May 15 and weighing in at 81bs 4oz. Welcome to this New Brave World.
Postscript
At the beginning of the lockdown on March 23rd those people with underlying health conditions (around 2.5 million) were deemed as shielded – not to go out for 12 weeks. The 12 weeks ends on June 14th. On Sunday May 11th lockdown rules were changed and everyone in England can now go out where they wish – the beach and the countryside for example, still observing social distancing, although still staying at home as much as possible. No mention has been made of the future of those of us deemed as shielded - are we the forgotten few?
Sylvia McKean
May 24th 2020
