Author Archives: Barbara

It was a beautiful day, with a clear blue sky and bright sunshine, but there was an autumnal chill in the air, reminding us it was the day before the equinox. Summer is definitely over. We had intended to go … Continue reading →

Light rain had been forecast but it turned out to be a much wetter day than we expected. We walked up Long Lane from the station, crossed the A59, and walked up through the ploughed fields to the reservoir. Black-headed … Continue reading →

On the last day of meteorological summer we headed for two local private gardens, open for the day under the National Garden Scheme. The scheme is run by the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society), and many of Britain’s ordinary suburban gardeners … Continue reading →

Festival gardens are not as smart as they used to be, but we came across some of the Friends of the park, valiantly clearing and planting in the heat. The big lake was almost dry and the smaller shaded lake … Continue reading →

Another warm and sunny day with a clear blue sky. New Brighton was having its first Scarecrow Festival, arranged by the residents of the Magazine Lane Conservation area. It’s a little lost village amongst the urban sprawl. (Magazine, by the … Continue reading →

It was a morning of fine rain, lending everywhere a misty look. Greenbank Park was quiet and we spotted a Jackdaw on the grass and a Robin on a fence. There were only a few common waterbirds on the lake: … Continue reading →

We walked into Southport from Birkdale Station, along Weld Road, then turning right into the south end of Rotten Row. It’s one of the country’s longest herbaceous borders (750m), now maintained by a Friends group of volunteer gardeners. I always … Continue reading →

Thundery showers were forecast, so we picked New Brighton as a place with lots of shelter from the rain. As our bus emerged from the tunnel on the Wallasey side, our trepidation was increased by the sight of a snow … Continue reading →

It was another very hot day, perhaps not the best day for going out in the sun and sand, but there was a refreshing breeze off the sea, so it only got to 25°C (77°F).  We arrived at Waterloo later … Continue reading →

We entered the park at the southern side and decided to keep to the cooler, wooded area along the Allerton Road edge. A Song Thrush was calling.  The edges of the woodland have been left unmown, and we spotted both … Continue reading →