Seal Watching.

                                                                    The Grey Seal.

Earlier this week I went to look at one of the largest Grey Seal colonies on the East Coast, in Lincolnshire. What greeted me took me by complete surprise. The first thing you notice as you step out of your car in the parking area is the noise of the seals, then as you walk the short distance to the viewing area, as you go over the brow of the dunes, you see before you a sand bank strewn with hundreds of bodies. As most of the seals are just lying there,  you might just compare it to one of the war torn beaches of the aftermath of Dunkirk. I have like many Midlanders have holidayed at Mablethorpe and Skegness and I have seen seals just off shore when the tide is in but I was completely taken back by the sight before me.
The colony started to take up residence here in the late seventy's, at first they numbered only a hundred or so but now they number in excess of 3,000. They are there all year round but it is only from October through to early December that they invade the sand banks to give birth to their young and come so close that you could reach out to touch them ( touching them is not allowed ) but the opportunity to take close up photos with your camera is a must.
The Grey Seal population here is one of the largest to be found in the U.K. the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust have seal monitors to look after them and make sure that they are not disturbed but with the thousands of visitors that come from all over the U.K. and  from Europe and I spoke with a couple of Americans, I don't think the seals are bothered.

A Large Bull Seal.

Give Us A Hug.

Heading Back Out To The Sea.

The Latin name for the Grey Seal is Halichoerus grypus which means "Hooked - nosed sea pig" they are a large animal, the Bulls can reach 8ft - 10ft  8'' long and weigh as much as 370lb to 680lb, the Cows are much smaller reaching only 5ft - 6ft 6'' long and only 220lb to 420lb in  weight. The seals feed on a variety of fish but are attracted to this part of the coast because  of the large numbers of Salmon and Sea Trout that are trying to make it to the Humber Estuary to breed in the upper reaches of the Rivers Dove, Derwent and the Trent.
The pups when born are covered in a white dense, soft and silky fur and they rapidly fatten up on their mothers extremely fat-rich milk. Within a month they have tripled in size, putting on large amounts of fat to live on as they have to fend for themselves, as the mothers return back to sea to mate with the Bulls. The pups remain on the beach living on these fat reserves for another four or five weeks before making their way to the sea to join the rest of the colony.

Pup Covered In White Silky Fur.

Pup With Mother.

Who Loves You Baby.

A Burton Albion Supporter.

Having A Sing Song.

I Wanna Get Out Of This Place.

The Colony.

Latest News.

Since visiting the colony, the high tides created by the bad weather on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, dispersed the colony. The seal wardens cut down the fencing to allow the young pups and their mothers access on to the dunes, this action saved many of the young pups from a disaster but the wardens say that there are at least fifty or sixty unaccounted for. It is hoped that they were able to take refuge in the dunes and that they will be found safe. Pups have been found on the beaches around Mablethorpe and Skegness where they have been taken to the Seal Rescue Centres, these could have come from any of the smaller colonies found on the East Coast.

Phasianus colchicus ( The Pheasant )

                                                                        The Pheasant.

The shooting season is well under way now with some shoots now shooting in the main blocks of woodland as well as the drives around the game cover crops and on the stubble's. The main quarry on all shoots is the Pheasant the biggest of our Game birds.
Although the Pheasant has been around for hundreds of years and most people would think is is a native species it was in fact introduced to this country by the Romans when they invaded our shores. It was brought over as a food source for the Roman Armies as was the Dormouse. According to legend the first record of an introduction into Europe relates to the story of Jason and the Argonauts who, in their search for the Golden Fleece entered into the valley of the river Phasis in the Colchis region of Georgia, east of the Black Sea coast - hence the Pheasant's name Phasianus colchicus.
The pheasant is one of our most easily recognised birds seen in the countryside, the cock pheasant in his multi-coloured plumage stands out where ever he's seen be it on a gate post or in a field of stubble he stands out for all to see. The pheasant is a ground feeding bird and roosts at night in trees. The males are polygamous and are often seen with a harem of several females during the breeding season. They nest on the ground, producing a clutch of eggs of eight to ten over a two - three week period from April through to June. It is not unknown however for nests to be found with many more eggs in than this, as the hen birds often forget where their nest is and you can find that more than one bird is using the same nest, the incubation period is about 23 - 26 days.
 Since it's introduction many new strains have been developed. This is because keepers and shoot owners try to present the guns with a sporting bird so faster, higher flying birds have been developed this of course has seen smaller and lighter strains with types like the Kansas, Michigan Blue Backs and the strain from Poland the Bazanty. Some of these bird strains have also been developed for their tendency not to stray, a big problem with some.
The Pheasants that we all know and recognise are those mentioned above but there are many other types of pheasant that are to be found and most of these you might see in Zoos and Private collections, there are others that can only be seen in the wild, here are a few photos of some of them.

The Golden Pheasant.

The Reeves Pheasant.

The Lady Amherst.

The pheasant has been responsible for the way our lowland landscape looks today, many of our woodlands were designed to accommodate this birds requirement and to make the sporting features on many big estates the success that they are. The shooting industry generates about £1.6 billion to the UK economy a year has created thousands of jobs and the pheasant makes up approx' 80% of the gamebirds shot, it offers a lean, tasty free range food source, what else can you say about this bird.

The above birds are the ones you are most likely to see when out walking in your local woodlands and hanging up at your local butcher/Gamedealer.

Trees In Our Landscape.

                                                              Trees In Our Landscape.

The importance of the trees we see around us is often overlooked.Today most of us take them for granted with little or no knowledge of their importance. Trees for thousands of years have been a major influence in our lives ever since the human race was created. They provided fuel for our fires as they do now, early man made many weapons from them, throwing sticks then spears and eventually the bow. We made crude shelters from them, then as time progressed houses made from wattle, mud and straw, we hollowed out large tree trunks to make canoes and progressed to  large sailing ships and boats, timber was put to use in many forms.

An Early Dwelling.

A Much Later House Built Using
The Same Methods.

Making A Dugout Canoe.

A Galleon.

 

 When early man started to live in small Hamlets and Villages the site chosen for them was often near to or in wooded areas so that they could harvest the timber to build their homes, to provide fuel for their fires and for fences to protect their stock and to stop them from running away. As early carpenters began to build furniture they found that different trees had different properties, so it was that some types of timber such as Oak and Elm was used to make good quality chairs and tables etc while others were used for something else.

A Selection Of Oak Made
Furniture And Other Items.

I could easily write a book on this subject but lets get back to today. We are still dependent on trees in many ways be it for building, for fuel or even for the many fruits and nuts they supply that we eat. Most importantly they absorb the pollution in our air by removing the carbon dioxide and turning it into the oxygen we need to survive a process called Photosynthesis.

 Many of us like a tree in our garden or to be able to see them nearby, we love to go a walk in the woods, we take pleasure in their beauty. So the next time you see a tree take time to remember where would we be without them! Do as some people do and hug a tree.

Tree Hugging.

Trees.

The Salmon Run.

                                                                   
                                                                                    Salmon.

I spent a couple of hours on Saturday morning earlier this month at a weir on the river Dove hoping that the recent rains would have raised the river level enough to spur the Salmon waiting in the deep pool beneath the weir into action. Although one or two fish were seen trying to get over the weir, there is not enough water for them at the moment. It is around this time of the year that the Salmon run on the river begins in earnest but without a heavy rain fall, the fish can not get over the many obstacles that this river system has in place.

Salmon Leaping.

The Salmon have been making there way up the river system for several weeks now and they will be waiting for heavy rain falls to raise the river level to enable them to complete their journey from the North Sea to the upper reaches of the river Dove to the spawning grounds or the Redd's as they are referred to, an area of fine gravel beds where they can spawn. The Salmon having travelled through the North Sea to the Humber estuary near Goole, will make their way up the river as far as they can travel and then they will lay their eggs in a depression made in the gravel on the river bed with their tales. The hen fish will lay her eggs into the depression first and then cock fish will then try to cover the eggs with his Milt ( sperm ) in an attempt to fertilise as many eggs as he can. They will then cover the eggs over with more gravel, where they will remain until they hatch around 5 to 7 months later. When the eggs hatch they are known as Alvin's. As they grow and develop, the markings on their sides become more prominent and they are then referred to as Parr. During this growth stage many of the thousands of eggs laid will have already been lost to predation by birds, other fish and larvae of dragon flies and other predators. The young salmon will remain in the river system until the time comes for them to make there way out to the open sea, on there way they will be met with many more obstacles that will reduce even more the number of young salmon on this long and treacherous journey. Over the next year or two they will live in the sea and put on weight and grow into adult Salmon when they will then start their perilous journey to return to their birthplace to start this cycle of life all over again. Once the cycle has been completed the Salmon normally die as a result of having lost nearly all their body weight during their spawning activities and the fact they do not feed once they return to fresh water from the sea. It is believed that of every 8,000. eggs laid only 2 fish will survive to return back to continue the breeding cycle.

The above chart refers to the Atlantic Salmon but the life cycle of the fish in our rivers and the North Sea are the same.

The recent rain over the past few days has seen an increase in movement on the weir since my last visit. Rain entering the river system from the hills in the Peak District has swollen the river water and pumped in plenty of oxygen giving the fish a chance to get over the weirs and get through the fish passes like the one at Tutbury, boosting their chances of reaching the spawning areas further up stream.

September Sunshine.

                                                

                                                                             September Sun.

What an absolutely beautiful late Summers day, this is the last Sunday of September as I set off with my dog for an afternoon stroll over the fields to some ancient woodland. The sun was at its highest, the heat felt on my head and neck. The breeze was most welcome as I walked out in the open. My little Cocker Spaniel was searching through the cover as we crossed through the pasture and the new plantation, his nose to the ground searching for the scents drifting over the ground of any passing Rabbit, Hare, Pheasant or Partridge.
Overhead a Buzzard or two circled on the thermals created from the warm air as it rises upwards from the ground. A rabbit shot out as my dog entered some ground cover, I called him, he had a smug look on his face as if to say aren't I a clever boy dad.
As I carried on along the track towards the wood through the new plantation I noticed several Fairy Rings. They were once believed to have been made by Fairies or caused by lighting or where an animal, such as a horse, was tethered to a stake in the ground but the explanation, although more scientific and less superstitious or romantic is caused by the additional nitrogen that is released by the fungal underground mycelium of the network of fine threads that the fungi produce. According to country lore it is taboo to interfere with a fairy ring in any way, for fear of being struck dead and any young boys wishing to avoid being enticed into the ring to dance with the fairies, must wear their hats back to front as they walked by them.



A Fairy Ring.

With no further ado we entered the ancient woodland reckoned to be over 300 years old. A Tawny Owl called out from a nearby tree and a Jay flew into the trees disturbed by my dog, as it was collecting acorns. As I walk along I wonder if I am perhaps walking in the footsteps of Robin Hood or where Kings and other nobles once hunted the deer and wild boar that once lived here.
Many years ago it was thought that these woods once had herds of wild cattle in them that were hunted for their meat. It is said that Earl De Ferrers a Norman Knight who came over with William the Conquer herded up some of these cattle and put them in the Great Park he created at Chartley Castle, where you can see the remains from the road as you travel to Stafford from Uttoxeter through Loxley, where Robin Hood is said to have come from. Walking on through the fallen acorns and the newly fallen leaves, signs that Autumn is now with us, as I walked on through the wood I looked at the different trees that are there. The Old Ancient Oaks that still survive after hundreds of years, the Beech Trees and Ash that make up this truly amazing beauty spot. I walked through the wood and out into the old pasture, an open area where even now cattle graze and feed on the fallen Crab Apples from the trees that have been there forever. The cattle that once grazed here were the Aurocs and the descendants of these cattle that were herded up and driven to Chartley can be seen grazing around the old castle ruins. These cattle became to be known as the White Park.

 A Chartley Bull.

A Herd of White Park.

Wild Boar.

I sat down on the seat that looks out across the little Brook and over the valley, I took in all the sights the view presented me loving every breath I took as several Dragonflies dashed backwards and forwards around me. I had seen a few days earlier here a Red Tailed Kite circling overhead but it was not to be seen today.
Having rested for a while I set off along the footpath beside the wood for a short distance before taking the path back into the wood again and out on to the fields that took me back to the car park. My walk over, we got back into my vehicle to take the scenic route home. It was an enjoyable afternoons outing.

Oak Wood.

Oak Wood.





Coming Soon, Cooking With Jeff.

                                                                             Cooking With Jeff.

Today I spent this morning with an old friend of mine Jeff Thomas at the New Farm Cookery School, situated in the lovely countryside at Hanbury in the Needwood Forest. I have known Jeff for quite a while and I love his passion for cooking and trying his latest dish or creation. Jeff is a Masterchef and has won the title of Master Chef of Great Britain in 2011, something that he's very proud of as only 200 other chefs have been recognised at this level in the UK. Jeff is also a member of the Craft Guild of Chefs.

A Countryside Setting.

Jeff's latest venture is helping in the creation of the New Farm Cookery School working along with Chris Scarratt who is also an excellent Chef in his own right specialising in Patisserie and Chocolate artistry. Together they have set up the school of cookery at New Farm on Knightsfield Road near the village of Hanbury. They will be running various courses covering either one day, three days or a week. There are creative catering courses to suit everyone, from the amateur cook to a high calibre chef who wants to perfect their skills.  
                              
The school will also be offering Team Building and Corporate Events as well as catering for weddings and other functions.
                 

Dining Area.

In the very near future the cookery school will be making a regular visit on the Burton TV News website when each month the film crew will be there to record a cooking demonstration, giving all you would be cooks a chance to see a professional chef at work, preparing and cooking a different recipe on each visit. Jeff and Chris will be demonstrating their skills with many different recipes over the coming months giving you the chance to show off your cooking skills next time you are entertaining your own dinner guests. They will be selecting dishes from Meat, Fish, Poultry, Game and other recipes that you will be able to follow in your own home, so look out for the first program coming soon.

Master Chef Jeff Thomas.

Looking Out From The
Dinning Area.

Entrance To School.

Cooking Area.

HAVE FUN GUYS.

                                                                         HAVE FUN GUYS.

Forgive the pun but I could not resist. I am of course referring to Mushrooms or Fungi. I was out this morning with my dog not very far from the town and I was looking for Mushrooms, the first two or three fields I tried, although in the past have always provided me with a regular supply, have failed me this year. However it's still a bit early so I might find some in a few days time. The last field I walked over however did provide me with enough to have with my bacon and eggs on Sunday morning that's if the other half don't nick them first.

Fresh Picked Mushrooms.

Mushrooms are easy to find and sometimes you can see them from quite a distance as the light reflects off them. I have driven around the country lanes many times looking over the hedgerows and fences and spotted them growing out in the open. In the past I would just go and pick a few but now if you do not want to upset the land owner ask him first, he might say no or he might say yes and tell you where he has seen a better place to find them, whatever, do not pick them all it's only polite to leave some for somebody else and next year you can go back again, you might have made a new friend in the process.

Just one word of WARNING make sure you know what you are picking, there are many types of Fungi  and not all are eatable, so either get a good book or go with someone that knows what they are looking for. The National Trust sometimes take out groups on foraging expeditions and so do the Local Wildlife Trusts so keep a look out for any advertisements in the local press or on the local radio programs.

                                                                                RECIPES.

There are plenty to pick and choose from, they can be used on their own or in Pies etc, have a look on the internet for some fab ideas to try with yours.

And finally have fun guys.

Winter Is A Comming.

                                                                          Look Out Time.

September is now with us and summer's almost over, the days are getting shorter and the dark nights are drawing in. When the leaves on the trees start to turn and the Martins and Swallows start to gather on the phone lines, it's a sure sign that Autumn and Winter are on their way.

Swallows gather themselves ready to migrate.

 This years young Swallows and House Martins are high on the wing, strengthening their muscles ready for their long migration south over Europe to Africa where they will spend the winter months until their return next spring. As our summer visitors leave us, look out for the first of our winter visitors like the Fieldfare, Redwings, Waxwings and Robins. Yes I did say Robins, while we do see them all year round most of our Robins are migrants. There are of course many other birds that spend the winter here, especially Wildfowl; Ducks, Geese and Swans come here in their thousands and what is the common factor? Food and the weather.

Man is a Hunter Gatherer and just as the birds and animals of our countryside ready themselves for the cold months of winter, in times gone by so did we. Now is the time to go and look for all those free foods that can be found in our fields and hedgerows, time to start making Jams and other preserves that will help us through those winter months. Crab Apples, Blackberries from our hedgerows, Strawberries, Red and Black Currents, Raspberries, Gooseberries from our gardens and Apples, Pears, Plums and Damsons from our trees. I remember both my Great Grandma, my Gran and also my Mother all busy making jams and preserves to be stored and used over winter. Apart from what we could make from all of these fruits and berries many families in the past would have a couple of pigs and a few chickens in the garden, that they fattened up for winter, maybe a Goose or Turkey for Christmas as well. My Grandad who lived here in the town always kept a few chickens and pigs at the bottom of the garden. In the row of houses where he lived there was a block of Pig Sty's and a large boiler at the end of the block for the making of pig swill. Many the time I have as a child watched him make his brew of swill for his pigs and occasionally helped him with the process. Things have changed a lot since then and you can go to the corner shop and pick up a pot of jam or a can of fruit etc. and with our fridges and freezers you may say why bother. I say try making your own preserves they taste much better and there is the pleasure that comes from making them and teaching your children as well.

Cob Nuts.

Hazel Nuts.

Nutting, no not banging your heads together I mean gathering nuts for the winter and Christmas. There are plenty of nuts waiting to be gathered from our woods and hedgerow. I would go out collecting a selection of nuts for eating. My favourite is the Hazel nut and Cob nut but I would also collect the nuts from the Sweet Chestnut for roasting in the open fire or in the oven of the Rayburn. They taste lovely on a cold winters night taken with a sip of Sloe Gin or perhaps with a glass or two of homemade wine. I love Elderberry. Now I might be wrong in saying that the Cob nut and the Hazel nut are different but I have always been led to believe that they are both from the same family but are two separate varieties, the cob nut being bigger and only found growing in the South of the country. Philbert's is another name for the Hazel nut and it is believed that they were given this name because of Saint Filbert who died in 684 whose feast day in late August coincides with the ripening of the fruit. Another nut that is nice to eat and can be used in cake making is the Walnut,  I am lucky that I do have access to a couple of trees but I am sure that you could find a tree some where local where you may be able to gather a few.
So I hope I have given you some ideas and plenty to do, many recipes can be found on the Internet and in many good cookery books. One last word of warning, some people are allergic to nuts so always ask them before offering them to friends and family otherwise enjoy.

Now getting back to the birds, I do digress. With winter drawing nearer with all those birds looking for food, perhaps some of the nuts, fruits and berries you collected can just be put to one side to help feed those birds as the weather becomes much colder. Try putting a few berries in bags to freeze as they are then thaw them overnight to put out for the birds visiting your garden, it's surprising what turns up to feed at your bird table if you can offer a selection of fruits and seeds.

I do like to put pictures on my blog to go with what I am writing about but unfortunately on this occasion where I make reference to the pig sty's at the bottom of my grandparents house, on visiting their old home, although the buildings are still there, very little remains of what was once an unusual building to find behind a row of terraced houses in the middle of the town.

Birdsong.

                                                                                       Birdsong.

While out in some woods checking on deer damage for an estate in Oxfordshire, it became very noticeable at the lack of any birdsong. There were birds still fluttering from one tree to another and apart form the squawk of an odd Magpie and the cooing of a Wood pigeon there were no other sounds to be heard. It is now the eighth month of the year and the days are becoming shorter and the nights are starting to close in, which is why most birdsong has ceased. So it will be another six months or more before we hear the song of the Blackbird again. The only bird you are likely to hear that continues its song through August is the Yellowhammer, easily recognised from its simple song that sounds like it is saying  "a-little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheese" which is one of the most characteristic sounds to be heard on hot summer days.

A Yellowhammer.

The bird is easily recognised by its bright yellow plumage on its head and underparts, on the male, with a heavily streaked back, while the female is much duller. The bird is about the size of a sparrow and during the winter months of the year they will often fly with them in small flocks. The yellowhammer is a passerine meaning sparrow like in the Bunting family and it is common throughout the UK but numbers have declined during the last thirty or forty years due to the use of pesticides and the removal of many of our hedgerows. It prefers to live in lowland arable and mixed farmland because of the greater availability of seed. It feeds its young on insects but once they have flown the nest they quickly adapt to the eating of seeds.

I look forward to the arrival of next spring because the woods and fields, without any birdsong, although pleasurable to be in, are not quite the same.

Harvesting Our Hedgerows.

                                                                        Harvest Time.

It will soon be time to start harvesting the various fruits and nuts from our hedgerows around the fields and our woods. One of the first to harvest is the fruit of the Crab Apple but because the spring was a long time coming you may still be able to find some Elder Flowers that are still usable to make Elderflower Cordial, here is a recipe.

Ingredients;
2 1/4 lb of sugar.
2 1/2 pints of boiling water.
4 medium size washed Lemons.
30 good sized Elderflower Heads. ( shake off any insects. )
2 oz of citric acid.

Method;
Put sugar in a large saucepan/stockpot or a large Pyrex bowl. Pour in the boiling water over the sugar stirring till all the sugar has dissolved and allow to cool.
Using a fine grater, grate the rind of the lemons and add to the sugared water.
Slice the lemons into thick slices and add to the water. Add the citric acid and stir in, then finally add the flower heads to the water and stir again.
Cover with a clean cloth and leave to steep for 48 hours.
Strain through a clean fine muslin cloth into a clean bowl.
Using a funnel, fill your pre sterilised bottles, seal and store in a cool dark place for a few weeks before drinking or freeze some of them in plastic bottles until wanted. Once opened store in refrigerator.

                                                                      Crab-apple Jelly.

Ingredients;
6 lbs of crab-apples.
4 pints of water.
Sugar.

Method;
Wash and cut apples in to quarters, without peeling or coring. Put in a large saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 and a half hours, or until the fruit is well mashed, add a little more water if required. At this point you may add a few cloves or some bruised root ginger to add flavour to the apples while they are cooking but this is optional, personally I don't bother.
When finished strain the contents through a jelly cloth.

Now measure the extracted liquid and for each pint add 1 lb of sugar on returning it back to the pan. Now here is the tricky bit. Bring the pan to the boil, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved, then bring to a rapid boil until the setting point temperature is reached, you may use a jam making thermometer for this or you can test by putting a drop on to a cold spoon, if it starts to set then you are ready to go. Skim, pot and cover your jars in the usual way. I often have problems with the last part getting it to set but I normally get there in the end.
This makes a smashing Jelly and served with Pork you can't beet it.

                                                                           Cherry's.

 I see the Cherry's on the trees along Shobnall Road are ready for picking and I have spotted the post man and a news paper boy already taking them. There is a group of trees opposite Marstons Club but I would ask before picking them. The cherry's when used with some Granny Smith's Apples do make a nice pie but you can also make a nice sauce to serve with roast duck. Here is the recipe for the sauce.

Ingredients;
100 ml of Chicken stock.
100 ml of Port.
A good handful of cherry's stoned and halved.
A desert spoon of red current jelly.
One roast duck.

Method;
Put the chicken stock and the port in a pan and bring to the boil and reduce by a third. Add the cherries and simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the red current jelly until dissolved. Serve hot or cold with your roast duck.

These tips and the use of various fruits etc will be ongoing as the seasons change and the fruits ripen, so keep checking for updates as I add to the list.

                                                                            Jam Making.

Jam making in days of old was a hectic time when the seasonal fruits were being harvested to make the jams and preserves that were going to feed you through the winter months. All this has changed, now that the fruits can be picked when at their best and frozen, there is now no such urgency to race around to make your preserves and jams. Jams made from frozen fruit will taste infinitely fresher and more delicious than fruit jams made three or four months earlier.

A selection of jams.

To make your jams you will need a large saucepan ( Not Aluminium. ) sugar  and fruit of your choice. When buying your Sugar do not buy Jam Making Sugar, it is not necessary unless you are making a jam from a fruit that has a low pectin content. Slightly under-ripe fruit can make a better jam, because of the higher acidity level. Here is a list of fruits that are high in pectin and do not require any additive to help make your jam and a list of other fruits that are high and may require some help and a list of fruits that are low in pectin and will require help.

High in Pectin. ( No help. )
Crab apples, blackcurrants, gooseberries, plums, redcurrants, cooking apples, damsons, quince, lemons and most plums.

High Pectin level. ( But may need help. )
Raspberries, loganberries, boysenberries, tayberries and apricots.

Low in Pectin. ( Use jam making sugar. )
Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, elderberries, peaches, sweet cherries, desert apples and pears.

Tip:
Adding Lemon juice ( about a quarter of a cup per batch ) helps to activate the pectin to set. Lemon juice or citric acid is often needed with some fruits even those that are high in natural pectin to get your set. It's also handy to put a couple of small plates in your fridge to use when testing if your fruit is ready. When you think it has reached the setting point put a spoonful of your jam on the middle of a cold plate and if it starts to go wrinkly then the set point has been reached.

Now I am no expert when it comes to making jams but I have had some success and some disasters. So from here on may I suggest that you follow a well tried and proven recipe, there are plenty to follow in books or you can find them on the internet, if you get stuck buy readymade or try again it's worth doing.

On the boil. It looks good
even at this stage.

Robin Hood.

Robin Hood:

Mention the name ‘Robin Hood, and most people think of Sherwood Forest and the Sheriff of Nottingham.  The legend, entrenched in popular imagination by numerous TV series and blockbuster Hollywood movies, tells how Robin of Loxley returns from the Holy Land where he has been fighting the Saracens in the service of Richard the Lionheart, to find his father killed and his lands forfeit.  Forced to live as an outlaw in the woods he becomes Robin Hood, where with his childhood sweetheart Maid Marion at his side, he gathers a trusted band of men about him in order to frustrate the ambitions of Prince John and protect the rights of common people until King Richard returns from the crusades.

Nottingham has built a thriving tourist industry on the slimmest of evidence.  Other areas, notably Barnsdale in Yorkshire, make similar claims to be the home of Robin Hood.  There assertions are based on myth and folklore rather than hard historical fact and when it comes anecdotal evidence, Staffordshire can more than match anything Nottingham or Barnsdale has to offer.

Louis Rhead, who wrote one of the most popular books on Robin Hood, published in 1912, sets much of the action in Sherwood Forest but identifies him at the beginning as living ‘on an estate near Locksley village, about two miles from the famous old town of Uttoxeter  … on the borders of the Royal Forest of Needwood’.  Most of the legends identify Robin as Robin of Locksley/Loxley and sometimes as the Earl of Huntingdon.  Loxley, between Abbots Bromley and Uttoxeter is as good a candidate as any.  Modern Loxley Hall largely dates from the 18^th century but parts of the fabric are two hundred years older and an earlier house stood on the same site.

Loxley Hall.

A more recent photo of
Loxley Hall.

The Great Hall.

The Hall is now a school.

The gates to the school depict an
image of Robin Hood.

          In the grounds can be found Maid Marion’s Walk and arbour, Robin Hoods hunting horn', reputedly a prize won in an archery competition at Tutbury, once hung in Loxley Hall.

All that's left of the Arbour. The remaining
stone work was removed for safe keeping. 

Maid Marion's Walk in the grounds
of Loxley Hall.

The silver hunting horn that
mysteriously disappeared.

 The silver horn engraved with the initials ‘RH’ mysteriously disappeared after US soldiers were billeted at Loxley during World War II.  According to local tradition, Maid Marion grew up in a cottage at Yoxall and met Robin when he passed by as she was bathing in the River Swarbourn.  Today a modern bungalow occupies the site on the banks of the river just north of the village.

Loxley is on the fringes of Needwood Forest.  Anyone growing up in the area in the medieval period is likely to have learned woodland skills and how to hunt deer and other game.  A family called ‘Hodes’ is documented living at Loxley in a 13^th-century survey.  We can easily dispel the Huntingdon myth, the earls are well documented but there is an interesting connection with Loxley and the Hodes.  David St Liz, Earl of Huntingdon in the early 13^th-century married Maud, sister of the Earl of Chester and it was the Norman earls of Chester who dispossessed the Saxon Hodes of their land at Loxley after the Conquest.  Saxon/Norman rivalry is a common thread running through many of the tales told of Robin Hood.   

Each year in September, the village of Abbots Bromley celebrates the Horn Dance.  The origins of this festival are obscure but it is worth noting that Robin Hood and Maid Marion appear as characters in the ritual.  A medieval stained glass window formerly in St Margaret’s Church, Betley (now in the Victoria and Albert Museum though the church has a copy) features Robin Hood, Maid Marion and other ‘Merry Men’ figures. 

The Horn Dance.

One of the earliest written sources to mention Robin Hood is a medieval manuscript in the British Museum.  This tells not of Maid Marion marrying Robin Hood but Clorinda, Queen of the Shepherds.  In this account Robin meets Clorinda in Needwood Forest, dressed in a gown of green velvet and armed with a longbow.  She tells him she is going ‘to kill a fat buck; for tomorrow is Titbury (i.e. Tutbury) fair’.  Soon after Clorinda makes good her boast when a herd of deer pass by and is joined by a suitably impressed Robin, Little John and other companions for a feast.  Afterwards, Robin proposes marriage and the couple send for Sir Roger, the local parson, taking their vows beneath an ancient yew in the churchyard of St Cuthbert’s, Doveridge.  A placard in the churchyard where the centuries old yew still stands recounts the legend.

The Placard.

The Yew Tree.

Tutbury Castle.

From Doveridge, Robin, Little John and Clorinda leave Tutbury. The ballad continues that after travelling ‘five Staffordshire miles’ they are accosted by a group of eight yeomen who demand they hand over the buck Clorinda had bagged earlier.  Robin and Little John set about the men until they beg for mercy.  The writer locates the scene ‘near to Titbury town where the bagpiper baited the bull’.  Is it just coincidence that a stone said to mark the scene of a battle fought by Robin Hood, recorded in the mid-19^th century close to crossroads north of Draycott in the Clay where Fauld Lane leads to Tutbury but now lost, is just about the right distance and en route to fit with the medieval ballad?  Tutbury Fair, famously featuring bull running, is well documented and was held in mid-August each year.  During the middle ages it involved a Minstrels’ Court and festivities that drew people from far and wide.

There are many more stories spanning the years from c.1200 to the early 14^th century.  His legendary prowess as an archer certainly points towards a later date than the time of Richard I when the longbow was little used.  By the late-13^th century archery was hugely popular and the most proficient archers won popular acclaim.  

Burton Bridge Circa 1600

Among the numerous folktales is one that Robin fought against Edward II in the retinue of the Earl of Lancaster, whose stronghold was Tutbury Castle, at the Battle of Burton Bridge in 1322.  If he was involved it is more evidence to suggest he was local.  It also provides a plausible reason why he was outlawed and as it happens, the King’s right hand man was the Sheriff of Nottingham.  Edward subsequently pardoned many of those outlawed for their part in the Lancastrian revolt.  A royal pardon for Robin Hood fits the story commonly told, though the king involved is widely assumed to be Richard I, he is usually identified in early ballads only as ‘the comely king’, and records reveal a Robin Hood serving for a year in Edward’s household in 1323.

The people round Uttoxeter will continue to believe that the famous outlaw was born at Loxley and that he was possibly a member of the De Ferrers family ’Robert Ferrers’ son of the Earl of Derby who once owned the Hall and Chartley Castle. The Earl of Derby forfeited his lands including Tutbury Castle for taking part in the abortive Rebellion by the Barron's against Henry 111 in 1264 or 1266. Two local historians Erdeswich and Redfern also believe that the Loxley where Robin Hood came from is the Loxley in Staffordshire near Uttoxeter. This  area of Staffordshire along with all its other connections seems to have more to offer than all other contenders for being the true birthplace of Robin Hood. The picture of Robin Hood’s Hunting Horn has the initials R.H. quite clearly engraved upon it and either side of his initials can be seen three horseshoes set in a shield. These horseshoes are part of the arms of the De Ferrers family laying claim to suggest he was from that family. 

This bungalow is said to have been
built on the original foundations of Maid Marion's home.

We will probably never know the truth. Man or myth: fact or fiction? The legend of Robin Hood has a potent grip, and the weight of evidence certainly stacks up for a Staffordshire man - our hero!

The Forrester's Arms at Yoxall
until recent years, depicted a sign of figure of a man drawing his bow dressed in Lincoln Green.