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Christmas Lights
I know Christmas has gone, but I felt I must write and say about the lovely way some people try and brighten everywhere up. For several years now, on one evening before Christmas, Alan has taken me all round our village to see the lights set up on the houses. As usual this year some had quite a lot on having gone to a lot of effort and others hadn’t bothered. Although my sight is very poor, the bright lights on a dark night can be so vivid that I can still see a little of their beauty. It has got to be quite a regular thing and I look forwards to it every Christmas. We had been out before Christmas this year and I told one of my other sons all about it. The next thing I knew he phoned and asked if I would like go and see the lights at Haughton. He said he would fetch me, but we had to cancel the first day because it started to snow heavily and he took me a day later. My goodness their displays were wonderful, far better than our own villages and it was well worth the trip. We must have been about one hour, or so going up and down every little road and cul-de-sac in the village.
Quite a lot of the trees in the gardens had lights woven throughout their branches which must have needed ladders and a lot of work. There were trailing icicle lights on so may houses and many scenes of Deer looking at lit up bushes, Snowmen, Penguins and Father Christmases everywhere. One large tree had pretend parcels on all lit up and the best display of all had the whole of their garden covered with Father Christmas standing with all the Elves round him and deer looking on. The two walls of the same house that you could see from the road had another Father Christmas going up a ladder with more Elves watching him and Penguins as well as various animals like Polar Bears. Looking round it must have taken days to set up and use a lot of electricity.
The village of Haughton has quite a reputation for its Christmas displays and attracts a lot of visitors who were parking their cars and walking round as it seemed that nearly every house in the village had some lights on even if it was only a single star.
There was a donation box by the house with the biggest display and it said that all the donations would go to local charities. I believe the same house do it every year and have done so for a few years. Last year I think they raised over £7,000 for their chosen charities.
Congratulations to Haughton - it was a wonderful display made even nicer because of the snow everywhere that only added to the whole effect.
Happy New Year To Everybody, Frances Hartley.
Childhood Remembered.
When I was sitting in my chair, doing a bit of knitting one day, I thought how different childhood was years ago. We had no Television, no nuisance Phones, no Washing Machines, no Computers and no Radios but as children we were not bored as we made our own games. I suppose I was a bit of a Tomboy, as I liked climbing trees, playing football in the street with the boys and borrowing the lads Roller Skates. I only played Cricket, or Rounders if no Adults were looking as those were some things that Girls were not supposed to play. If anyone saw me they might have told my mother and I would have been made to stay in the house, whereas I preferred to be outside in the fresh air. Of course it was a lot safer in the streets in those days.
Where the Trees were that I used to climb there was a fairly steep grassy bank that was good for sliding down, so I used to pull my Skirt tightly round my legs and sit on my heels in a sort of squatting position and slide down. Girls and Ladies did not wear trousers until after the War ended except for people like factory workers and the Land Army girls who wore things like Boiler Suits. My Sister and her friend would have a go sometimes on the grassy slide, but only if it wasn’t at all muddy. It was good fun though.
My sister was a bit younger than me and more of a “Little lady.” She liked her Dolls best and would push her Dolls pram about. I would help her by knitting her doll’s clothes, but that was all as I thought Dolls were silly because they didn’t talk then.
When I was about 10, or 11 we had Ballroom Dancing lessons, but they were much more sedate back then, not like the dancing on TV now, so I had to start and grow up and calm down.
Well over 80 years has passed since then, but I still like to be outside in the fresh air.
Economising With Food
Hello everyone
I was very surprised to hear it said how many people were taking food parcels. I think people do waste far too much on smoking and drinking and I know they cost a lot, but both can be cut out with a bit of will power. OR do people have difficutlies simply because they don’t know how to manage their money. Making a good meal from leftovers might help a lot of people to cope better financially. We had to do this during rationing in the last war. Nothing is wasted in our house. If we have cooked too many vegetables we add a small potato and put them through a liquidiser to turn it into nutritious soup. If we have a chicken I sit and take the carcass to pieces when it’s cold getting every last bit of meat off it. Then it is put in a freezer bag and into the freezer with the bits of skin etc going out for the birds. In fact if we have a small joint of any sort of meat the leftover slices go into the freezer and then when we fancy pasta, or rice we use some of those oddments chopped up with vegetables and some tinned Tomato to make a good sauce to go over the pasta, or rice. Alternatively if we have lots of left over vegetables and a few bits of meat we sometimes use them to make a good stew. If we have thought about it beforehand we add things like dried Beans that are very cheap and if well soaked will add body and lots of nourishment to the stew.
Another cheap meal we like is made from a Haggis cut up and put into a dish with some chopped Onion spread on top and then a layer of pre-cooked mashed Potato over that to make a sort of Cottage Pie. Spread a little Margarine over it to moisten it and place in a hot oven for about 20 minutes before adding a little grated cheese and then put it back in the oven to melt the cheese. We find with a few vegetables a small Haggis prepared like this makes a good meal for 3 adults, or 2 adults and 2 children. For those that don’t know Haggis is more than just mince beef as it is slightly spicy and has oatmeal ground in with it giving it a totally different taste. Haggis can often be found reduced to less than £2 each, especially if they are near their sell by date. They are double wrapped and can be put straight into the freezer to be eaten later and will be perfectly all right.
Hope this is of interest.
Frances Hartley
Past Deliveries!
I was sitting thinking one day about how we had deliveries in the town until I was married and until my husband and I moved out as soon as we could to get away from the noise and the crush.
When I was a child living in Birmingham, everything was delivered by horse and cart. The Coalman, Green Grocer, Grocer, Butcher, Baker, Fish man – all delivered to the door and there were quite a few things that were sold on the doorstep as well. Of course the Ice Cream salesmen have always been about, but in those days they used a bicycle with a little side-cart attached to get about – no fancy vans playing noisy music! Milkman did doorstep sales as well, but back then they carried the milk in big churns on the wagons and it was measured out of the churn with a little tin jug before being poured into your own bottles, or jugs. And of course they used horse and cart as well - not a smart, clean, electric milk float. The Coalman was another familiar delivery done with a big horse and cart, but after he had been down the street all the children went up and down picking up the odd bits of loose coal that had dropped off the cart.
The other big thing about the horse and cart deliveries was the fact that there were nearly always some great piles of horse manure dolloped down the road. It was my job then to get a bucket and go and collect it. My younger sister would never do it because it smelt and was dirty, but I was a bit of a tomboy back then and didn’t mind! After I was 7 things began to get motorised and the Corona pop man started to come round in a little van delivering his bottles of sugary drinks and more over he took the empties back as well! Even Alan remembers him coming from when he was younger. He used to have to sort out the bottles each week and wash them ready for him. The Chimney Sweep used to come with his brushes tied on a wheelbarrow and occasionally the knife Grinder came on his bicycle with a grinding wheel attached to the front. For a small sum he would sit outside and sharpen all of the kitchen knives. There was also a Rag and Bone man of course. He collected bottles as well and if you gave him enough in return he would give the children a little Goldfish in a bag. Along with the Rag and Bone man was the traditional Scrap Iron man as seen in the old T.V. program Steptoe and Son.
As the years went by more and more deliveries were done by small vans except for the Groceries, which a boy still delivered on a bicycle, and later many deliveries stopped altogether. Personally, I didn’t even go in a car until I was nine and had my tonsils out. When my mother came to take me home the nurse asked how we were getting home. Mother said on the tram and the nurse said you mustn’t do that because of infections, to which mother said, it was too far to walk, we have no choice. A man who was close by heard and said he had come for his daughter. He said he lived in the same road as us but further down and he had just bought a car, so we could go with them. It was the first car in the road and the children gathered round when we got out asking what it was like to ride in a car. How times have changed and not all for the better. There are still some vans doing doorstep sales in our village as a greengrocer/grocer comes round in his van to the old folks in their bungalows. A Milkman struggles on with a few deliveries and believe it or not, a man comes round with a van selling fresh fish! Of course we all still hear the Scrap Iron man with his old lorry who seems to go round all of Stafford playing his noisy tunes. But gone also are most of our deliveries and friendly village shops with peaceful shopping, instead there is noise everywhere. Traffic is diabolical in towns, whereas the clip clop of the horses hooves doing their deliveries was a peaceful sound. Dreaming again must get up and do some work!
Frances Hartley.
Rudolph's
Cafe
Alan and I were out wandering around one day and we cut through from Colton, turned right at the Bull and Spectacles and were heading for Bromley Hayes Garden Centre, when we went past the Reindeer farm where we saw a notice for a café. So, we went in and found they had started a nice café that had only been open a couple of weeks. Called Rudolph’s café, they normally open for special events and bookings at Christmas because of course that is their busy time, but opening all the time was a new idea for them.
The café was all set out in a converted barn with the tables surrounded by lots of information signs, about the Reindeer, on the walls. Snacks and some lovely homemade cakes were available served by a very pleasant girl who was in charge. On show outside, round the yard, there were decorated milk churns, painted in the traditional style, with more tables for those who wanted to eat “Alfresco!” Being a converted farm, there were lots of different buildings that looked a little empty at this time of year, but were obviously used a lot at Christmas as there were still a few decorations up! There were some Goats in a paddock next to the main yard and in one of the pens that were all around the yard were a couple of lovely miniature ponies.
Apparently the Reindeer Farm is quite famous, because in the past they have provided animals for T.V. and they also send animals out all over the country for Winter displays. We think that this is where the Reindeer came from that Bradley Garden Centre had at Christmas as well as the reindeer that put on a show in Stafford town. Not only do they look after them, but they also breed Reindeer on the premises. According to the notices, dozens of calves are born in the Month of May each year, so they sometimes have surplus Reindeer to sell for anybody that wants one! In fact while we were there we saw some being loaded up into a horsebox type trailer on the back of a 4x4. How much they are I don’t know as there were no signs up, but for the farmer who has everything they might be something different!
Memories Of Better Days!
A friend and I were saying how different life is today to when even our children were little - round about the 50’s and 60’s when everyone seemed happier and certainly more polite than they are today. Thank you and please were well known words then! Tablecloths were used on tables, breakfast was eaten at the table and at least one cooked meal was had at the table every day with the family all sitting down together. The family meal was a proper home cooked meal of course.
When my oldest two boys were born, John, early in 1948 and the other, David, in late 1949, there were few toys about and only the very rich had television, not ordinary people. The two boys best toys were a couple of very large cardboard boxes and my 3 fold wooden clotheshorse with a large old sheet. They would play for hours and never mind the mess. When it got to teatime we made a game out of seeing who could clear the biggest pile of bits of cardboard up. Then, just before bed, I sat with them and looked at picture books and read them a story before they went to sleep.
Any toys given them by family friends, or relatives, no matter how small, were appreciated - more than the children of today would. As the boys got older we played board games with them such as Tiddly-Winks, Snakes and Ladders, and of course Jigsaws.
When my other little boy, Alan, was born in 1957, things were quite different with a lot more people having a TeleVision, but he still played with boxes when he was very small and looked at pictures in books and I read to him and played board games with him. Sometimes the oldest boy, John, would join in. Of course these days the Computer is the “Be all,” for some, but we still often sit and have discussions about the garden, allotment, or whatever. The days main meal is still put on the table with a cloth on it and we sit round the table like a family should.
When the children were young times were hard and food was short for a long time after the two oldest ones were born, but there was no bad feeling, or fighting on the streets like young people do today. People helped each other and on the whole were a lot happier. There is too much greed and must have today. Children were taught to say thank you and to save any coppers until they had enough to buy something they had been wanting. That way they learnt the value of money and learnt that you got nothing without working for it - especially pocket money.
Hope this is of interest and isn’t too boring.
Frances Hartley
Not Giving Up!
When people have some sort of trauma and lose their sight, they often give up their occupation and a lot of their pastimes as well. Even if their sight loss is only partial, or gradual, many lose confidence to do anything and become bored not knowing what to do to fill in their days, or even worse, some get depressed and have to have help to lift their spirits so that they can get on with life. Mom had always been a keen knitter, but when she lost vision in one eye with a burst blood vessel at the back and the vision deteriorated badly in the other, she gave up knitting altogether. Then, one evening while watching the TV, we were chatting and suddenly I said that she used to watch the TV and knit without looking at the knitting, so why couldn’t she knit now without seeing exactly what she was knitting. After a brief thought she pointed out that she wouldn’t be able to pick up any dropped stitches, to which I replied that, as she had taught me how to knit when I was a child, I should be able to manage to pick up a few stitches occasionally. So, she got some knitting out and gave it a try. At first she did drop a lot of stitches, but I was as good as my word and found myself regularly picking up dropped stitches, which was enough to give her confidence to persevere. Within a short time she found she was hardly ever dropping any stitches, but the next problem was the patterns, because she couldn’t read the small print that was on most. This time my computer skills came in handy, as I laboriously typed up a few in large print and also scanned a few of her favourites into the computer before enlarging their text.
By this time I had written and had published quite a few books of my own and some by other people including friends and family and I was looking for another title to publish. Mom’s newfound interest in knitting, coupled with my involvement in her knitting, encouraged her to root out some old homemade patterns that she had designed many years earlier. Not only did I end up typing some of those in big print for her, but also, she created some more patterns loosely based around children’s toys and characters. This of course led to the inevitable idea of making a book of her knitting patterns. A few pages of very simple knitting patterns and an instructional page of symbols along with an “Intro” and the book was complete!
Mom has gone on happily knitting for years now, but my own problems have gradually became much more severe and led to me give up doing any more books. My problem was/is not sight loss, but another problem that faces many elderly and that is severe short-term memory loss and the ability to comprehend complex issues. My memory was never as good as others even as a child, but in recent years it has become far worse, almost to the point that when anything is done it is over and often forgotten, even if it was only a few seconds earlier, unless my memory is jogged. Consequently, I stopped writing books altogether. It was always daunting to start writing on the first page and think that there was only 20 thousand words to go, but with the memory loss, the challenge was just too much. After that I helped mom with her monthly gardening articles and started writing a few of my own about the allotments etc, but that was all I did.
Then, fairly recently, a friend said to my why didn’t I do a new book by doing it in bits. If I chose the right subject it would only be like writing the gardening articles, as I could write it one page at a time on each little section of the book. I had written a book on unusual vegetables and one on old-fashioned fruit trees, by just that method a few years earlier, so I picked my subject and wrote on “Vines and Other Climbing Plants.” I had known something about the plants for the other books through growing so many of them at home in the garden before we had the allotment, but my knowledge was sketchier on most of the climbing plants. This was where Mom came in as she had a good general knowledge from running the garden centre all those years ago. For several weeks she would come into my office and talk to me about the different plants while I made notes. Afterwards I would look them up to try and check the facts whilst adding a little more detail as I wrote them up.
Sometimes, on our frequent excursions to garden centres, we made a point of looking at the range of climbing plants on offer to try and find out some more different types by carefully reading the labels and making notes on pieces of paper. The whole process lasted a few weeks and mom loved it. It brought us closer together again and gave her, as well as myself, a feeling of achievement. Unfortunately, mom’s sight took a turn for turn for the worse and I had to read most of the pages to her as I did them so that she could give her approval and they could be checked over a little more thoroughly. Corrections were made and the pages were compiled into an E-book as well as into a website. Finally the book was launched on “Google Books,” or as it is now called, “Play.” I shall probably never sell many copies, but it has given me the confidence to pick up one, or two other book projects that had been abandoned years earlier. Who knows, maybe I can keep going as long as Terry Pratchett who was only around my age when he developed “Early Onset Dementia.”
By Alan Hartley
Oak Tree Farm Rural Project Open Day.
The annual open day at Oak Tree Farm Rural Project was really like a small village fete and even had the Stone Town Mayor draped with his splendid golden, chain of office, to open the events along with a young lady PCSO who was there keeping an eye on him to see that he didn’t get into any trouble! All the usual things found at fetes were there including; - a tombola, second hand books stall, a Bric-A- Brac stand, handmade jewellery and cards, a table full of bulbs to sell, the obligatory barbecue with burgers and hot dogs and next to it a little cake shop that was also selling cans of pop. Lots of plants from the nursery were being sold, at great prices, including dozens of Pansies in 6 packs in full flower and big, cheap, bags of compost. Obviously the Pottery shop was open and full to the gunnels with all sorts of things including wooden tubs and there were planted bowls and baskets outside. The café was busy with the staff serving hungry and thirsty visitors all the time. In preparation for the event the animals had been cleaned out and looked as if they had all been neatly washed and scrubbed!
Having said all that the day was not only a fundraiser, but also intended to promote the charity and show visitors what they were all about, so there was a lot of meeting and greeting as well. With this in mind there was a display in one of the rooms of intricate Lego machines that had been assembled by one of the youngster and another demonstration by a young lad showing “Potting Techniques,” with various plants.
The whole atmosphere was one of relaxed friendliness with people casually strolling around the site, exploring the various buildings and looking round the greenhouses. A little canned music could be heard in the background for a while until it was replaced by one of the volunteers playing an accordion that added an even more relaxed feel to the day! The car park was only used for disabled people and for loading purchases, but a much bigger field, close by, was opened up for parking and they needed it, because of the fantastic attendance. The charity couldn’t have asked for better weather for the event as there was glorious unbroken sunshine all day long. When visitors walked onto the site, Tickets were sold to them for a prize raffle that was held at the end of the day, which rounded off the event.
As a volunteer, it was an enjoyable day out, so I am looking forwards to the next event that will be a Christmas Sale in December followed by a big Spring plant sale a few months later.
Oak Tree Farm Rural Project
For a year or so now, since I felt obliged to give up computer coaching because of
my deteriorating mental abilities, I have been looking for some sort of
other voluntary work to replace it. My growing interest in all things to do with gardening took me to a charity called Oak Tree Farm Rural Project, on the Hilderstone road out of Sandon.
We visited the site several times before I had a chat with the site manager and we agreed that I should do a few hours on a Saturday for a while, before making the arrangement more formal. My first job was to tame an unruly grape vine that I enjoyed and the second week I cleared a small area in their neglected orchard and planted a few Hazel trees. With my keen interest in fruit trees and the discovery of a large fruit bed, I think there will be a lot to keep me occupied on the site for a long time to come.
The site itself is set on some 15 acres of the Harrowby Estate at Sandon
and is open 6 days a week (not
Sundays) from 10-3pm to the public. The aims of Oak Tree Farm Rural Project are to give youngsters with learning disabilities experience of various rural crafts and working environments. However, the site is open to the general public as well to help the youngsters with some of the other social aspects of working in a retail type environment.
Originally it was a farmyard setting, so there are different types of animals including various breeds of chickens, goats, rabbits, piglets, calves and also full grown cows with horns in a separate field. However, the attractions of the site do not stop there as there are also lots of Green Houses to explore where plants are not only grown to give the youngsters experience, but also to sell to the public. It is NOT a Garden Centre, but has more the appearance of an old fashioned plant nursery from days gone bye. Some vegetables and cut flowers are grown and are also occasionally available for people to buy. On the site there is a really good, clean, modern, purpose built café as well that is staffed in part by some of the very polite youngsters who help with serving and clearing the tables etc, although there are other staff to deal with money and food preparation. Food is prepared on the premises and often includes some very nice and unusual cakes made from different recipes to the normal. Another
interest is a pottery shop that has been built in the complex of farm buildings to sell pottery made in their fully equipped pottery studio. The shop doubles up by also selling various products made from wood such as tubs and bird tables that were made in the carpentry workshop.
Oak Tree Farm Rural Project is a registered charity, but raises some of its funds through this semi-commercial site as well as the more directly commercial, “Acorn Gardening Services,” who will undertake all sorts of gardening jobs much like any other garden maintenance company.
As with all modern organisations the “Project,” has its own dedicated website that not only gives a lot of information about the set up and how to find it, but also features many entertaining pictures of various activities and events including their, “Open Days,” that are a little bit like a village fete and a lot of fun.
Boredom For Young And Old Alike!
We often hear children say they are bored, especially teenagers. When we were young, girls learned to knit, sew, darn and cook, boys learned woodwork and metalwork and I also taught mine to do some simple cooking. In those days if children wanted money to spend they did small jobs in the house or garden and then the days went quickly for them. It is the same for older people now when there is no daily job to go to. If you have a bit of garden why not grow a few vegetables for yourself and if bending is a problem there are lots of long handled tools about to make it easier. If you cannot move about very well, but can use your hands why not try writing about your younger days so that you can leave it for future generations to see what life was like.
All youngsters seem to do these days is play inside with their computers and mobile phones and everyone thinks older people should learn about computers as well, but they really aren’t for everyone. There are all sorts of other things you can do inside and many of them will help to keep your fingers supple. For the ladies there is Knitting and Embroidery and Cross Stitch is also fairly easy to do if you have good eyesight. I say for the ladies, but I used to know a big Policeman who used to do some lovely embroidery! There are plenty of pretty little sticky back things, which come in little sheets, to make your own Christmas and Birthday cards. Another thing that I like to do is make tablemats using two pieces of cardboard cut into circles with a hole cut in the middle of each. The card should be about six inches across and the hole about one inch. Put the cards together for more strength and wind coloured string through the hole and over the card and back through the hole ‘till you have about 20 strands spaced evenly round the card. Then tie the two ends together to secure the framework. Finally you are ready to weave different coloured strings in and out of the upright ones pushing them close together ‘till the uprights are all covered and you have a multicoloured mat. Hot plates can be stood on them quite safely if you use string or Raffia - if you can get it. (Nylon string might melt with something very hot so it is best not to use that.)
Just simply getting a walk in the fresh air each day to admire the flowers and birds will make you feel better and lift your spirits - even if the sun isn’t shining too brightly! I am ninety and partially sighted, but I am always looking to find something different to do. If you get moving and keep active you will find the time slip by and you will have a bit of pleasure on the way.
Cheerio. Frances Hartley.
Gardening
– Cooking Article
August 2010
In July I wrote a little about
the Tomatillo plants that I was growing for the first time this year.
Some plants were planted in large bottomless pots that were then stood
on grow-bags in the greenhouse and treated very much as if they were
Tomato plants and another batch were grown outdoors in a large plastic
crate on the yard against the house wall facing the sun. The plants in
the greenhouse grew very big and very fast, but started fruiting a
little later than those grown outside on the yard.
Now
that we have started picking the fruits we have a much better idea of
what they are. It seems that are not in the least bit spicey and are
very much like a melon in their texture and
appearance, (but not as sweet) although of course they are only the size of a small tomato.
The berries grow inside a papery “Chinese Lantern” like case, the
same as their Cape Gooseberry relative does, but the Tomatillos actually
grow to fill the case. The Tomatillo berries are also eaten green it
seems. In fact it is their green colour that makes them useful in making
green Mexican sources for cooking. The  Internet
is full of recipes for making green “Salsa Verde” sauces using
Tomatillos either to be served hot or cold. All the recipes we found
included Onions, Vinegar and Lime and as we had a mature, fresh lime fruit,
growing on our small Lime tree in a pot on the yard, we thought that we
would have a go at making some Salsa Verde. I picked about 7 or 8 large
Tomatillos and our one precious lime fruit, added a healthy portion of
chopped cooking onion and blitzed them together. Then I poured in a
little white vinegar and for good measure I
added a little lemon juice (out of a bottle I am afraid!) After this the resulting pulp
was briefly
boiled up in a saucepan with a little water. I served
it as a hot sauce to go over the left over chicken that had been picked
off the carcass from our Sunday roast. Unfortunately it was a little too
spicey with the lime over powering everything! A whole fresh lime was
just too much of a good thing, but there was a little sauce left over
for the next day which mom added to some chopped, mixed, boiled
vegetables that included a little tomato, and we agreed it was much
nicer. On reflection, half of a lime, or even less, used in the sauce
and poured over the chicken, would have been very tasty. After all you
do sometimes see “Lemon Chicken” served in restaurants. Another idea
I had for such a sauce would be to use it with left over, cold, boiled potatoes in a
salad instead of salad Cream or Mayonnaise, ideal for those who are
allergic to Dairy products or Eggs. Or, then again, perhaps we
will just quarter the Tomatillo fruits and add them to our daily fruit
salad as something different!
By
Alan J Hartley
Special
Magazine Article.
May 2010
Recently in one of the Sunday
papers there was what I thought was an interesting article about a new
butterfly farm being developed down South by a multi millionaire. The
site had been scrubland and covers many acres, but has now been
transformed. Unusually, the outside has been planted up with wild flower
meadows to naturally encourage butterflies in the area. At the moment
the inside display consists of a fully enclosed, moist, warm, greenhouse
where there is a collection of tropical butterflies, but the owner
intends to create a very large greenhouse along the lines of the Eden  Project.
This will house not only thousands of butterflies, but also countless
other insects, small reptiles such as lizards and exotic birds.
The
owner took the reporter round and when he stopped he gave her some
rotten banana and told her to smear it all over her face the same as he
was doing. Then he stood still and motioned her to wait and watch. A few
minutes later, the Owl butterflies, which were nearly as big as
someone’s hand, started to feed off the squashed Banana on their
faces. They are called Owl Butterflies because the markings on the wings
look like huge Owl eyes and are meant to deter predators.
 It
sounded a very interesting place and reminded me of some years ago when
my husband and son took my father to another butterfly farm along with
myself. Although my father was almost blind he could feel the light
softness on his skin when the butterflies landed on him. There was also
a wooded area where he could hear the chattering of some exotic birds
held in cages. We were very surprised to see a couple of large Parrots
perched on a branch. They weren’t tethered at all and could have flown
off, but the owner said that they didn’t because they new where the
best place was for their food and they also knew they would be looked
after!
It
was a very long time ago when we went and unfortunately we can not
remember the name of it, or where it was, but I think it was somewhere
near Leek.
Hope
this is of interest.
Frances
Hartley
The
Summer Festival At Wolseley Bridge Wildlife Centre Saturday 5/8/06
 The
day started miserably as it was drizzling steadily for the first hour or
two. Everybody had obviously been hoping for a fine day and not come
prepared, so there was a last minute rush to erect numerous gazebos to
shelter the many stalls. However the Wildlife centre had plenty of willing
helpers from the Stafford Youth Service and volunteers from the centre
itself so everybody was ready more or less on time.
Because
of the weather the day got off to a slow start but the afternoon saw a
good attendance.
Throughout
the day Paul Walker, Mike Kingham and friends entertained visitors by
performing many easy listening types songs. Also performing was an Irish
folk group who did a short session.
Other
entertainment included a circus skills workshop and a fencing display put
on by Stafford Rapier Society. There was of course face painting and the
obligatory bouncey castle, but under a large tent shaped like an Indian
Teepee, there were also lots of craft workshops for the children to get
involved with and I ended up doing my bit as well. While I was sitting at
my son’s book stall a lady came up and saw me knitting. She was from
another stall and we got talking about the lack of old fashioned crafts
and skills taught at schools these days. After a few minutes chatting she
asked me if I could teach her young daughter the basics of knitting as she
did not knit herself. I agreed and a little while later the girl came up
to our stall and I spent some time with an oddment of wool showing her
simple stitches. Hopefully the girl remembered enough when she got home to
try making squares for a simple cushion cover that I showed her. Then
perhaps she will go on to make other things and I will have helped create
a new knitter from the young generation.
 Other
activities were run around the centre including Mini Beast Hunts that
involved looking for all manner of creepy crawlies and pond dipping.
Organised walks took small parties
round the splendid grounds showing interested visitors the many aspects of
different types of wildlife that can be found at Wolseley.
Several
nature groups were represented including Stafford Barn Owl Action Group
and another one that caused some interest, Stafford Bat Group, who
actually had live bats on the stand!!!
For
those that wanted a snack there were several food stalls selling mini
doughnuts, ice cream and hot food as well as a small stall selling
specialist chocolate and old fashioned toffee apples.
In
the Wildlife Centre itself there is a gift shop that sells a wide range of
products to do with nature and is open most days. Of course it was open
today and the staff were kept very busy by all accounts.
 Many
other stalls sold plants, home made cards, paintings by a local artist,
aloe vera products, walking sticks and there were several book stalls
including one run by a local author (my son Alan) who was selling his own
books that he had written. All of the stalls contributed part of their
takings to the Wildlife Centre and there was an entrance fee for visitors.
The
Summer Festival is held annually at the centre as is a 2 day Christmas
gift fair later in the year. There are other regular fund raising events
organised at the Wildlife Centre throughout the seasons covering many
different things.
A Report By Frances Hartley.
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