Author: Margaret Ashworth

THE other day I was pleased to see half a dozen redwings busily turning over leaves in the field at the back of our house. It is quite a few … Continue readingWelcome back, redwings

This week I am handing over the first item to JEREMY CRAIG-WESTON. LIKE many other people living and growing up in Oldham, in the foothills of the Pennines in Lancashire, … Continue readingForgive us our trespasses

On our return from the festive break, I am handing over the first item once more to DEREK REYNOLDS. WHAT is it about sheds? My wife has a shed in … Continue readingShedloads of sheds

DURING this spell of freezing weather I thought we would look at a bird that is well adapted to these conditions, the ptarmigan. More properly called the rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta), in … Continue readingThe ptarmigan’s ptrousers

ON FRIDAY night we had the first hard frost of the winter. I thought it would be the end of my geraniums which I have not got in yet, though … Continue readingThe plants with built-in antifreeze

MY husband Alan regularly takes our young labrador Teddy up on the nearby fells and often sees ravens, which I never see at lower levels. The common raven (Corvus corax) is the … Continue readingThe raven, a magnificent flying machine

This week I am handing over the main part of the column to BRIAN MEREDITH for his account of a traditional British pursuit: point-to-point racing. AT MY age it’s not … Continue readingA day at the races

WE ARE so lucky that where we live in Lancashire is only 20 miles from one of the most spectacular landscapes in Britain. Malham Cove is a curved vertical limestone … Continue readingMagnificent Malham

THERE is nothing, but nothing, like the aroma of muck spreading. Even I can detect it after three sinus operations about 25 years ago just about knocked out my sense … Continue readingWhere there’s muck . . .

WHEN we lived in the south London suburbs, at this time of year there were fungi all over the place – puffballs, fly agaric (the pretty but toxic red toadstools … Continue readingDestroying angels and funeral bells