Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2012/January 2013 | Page 67

COUNTRY LIFE

Get out
a nd
a bout!
The Isle of Wight AONB, National Trust and
H&IWWT are offering the chance to explore
the Island’s countryside and coastline
with local experts as guides. Many of the
activities do not require booking; visitors
can simply turn up and join in.
The Rustic Christmas Workshop takes
place on Saturday December 15, 10.30am.
An outdoor workshop with opportunities to
make some Christmas presents from natural
materials, including bird boxes, Christmas
wreaths and bird feeders. Booking is
essential, call 760018. New Year's Day
Walk, 10.0am. Join the IW Ramblers for a
six-mile walk to Black Pan and Borthwood
through Winford and Ninham. Meet at
Morrison’s car park, Lake. Leader Carol
Hamilton, further details from H&IWWT. Tel:
760016.

Back to nature
With our busy winter season just starting,
it sort of feels it has been one long
season of wet weather. The early spring
sunshine we enjoyed at the beginning of
the year seems a long time ago. August
was the only month that we didn’t light the
log burner, and wet muddy boots appear
a permanent evening feature, drying in
the front room.
As always, October gave us some nice
warm sunny days and it seems that it
isn’t just us that appreciate them. Nature
also seemed to make the most of these

A cou ntry ma n's dia ry

precious days, often showing concentrated
effort on just a single day, sensing that the
next would be wet and cold! Arriving early
one morning, on top of a hill overlooking
the Military Road and sea beyond, we
were met by a cobwebbed covered field,
with hundreds and thousands of ‘floating
gossamer’ spiders all around us. The Land
Rover and trailer were covered when we
stopped. Our task was to erect windbreak
netting to protect an earlier planted hedge,
and yes, every post, was covered with tiny
spiders.

I didn’t really notice the leaves changing
colour and falling from the trees this year,
but our roadside hedges have certainly
made up for this. Over the summer
months many hedges appear to be of a
single species, but during autumn, their
true make up is revealed. Long lengths of
deep burgundy Dogwood, contrasting with
the bright golden yellow of Field Maple
help break the dominance of hawthorn
and blackthorn.

www.visitislandlife.com

67