Ivanhoe Beacon

Ivanhoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire is a place I like to visit from time to time for just socializing to having fun with kites on.

Owned and managed by the National Trust, it is most popular recreational area especially in spring and summer.

Camp and picnic time

 

Camp and Picnics are very much on mind this morning as I'm going to one tomorrow and have my packaging to do where hopefully the catering will turn out better than it did for this group of lads where it appears to be a bit off as it were.

It's to be seen if anyone attempts a campfire as it may be a bit showery.

Be the change!

 The environment matters having walked past many daffodils today and also seen some man made messes along the way.

Environmental activism is something worth encouraging from litter picks, to making a bug hotel or planting more wild flowers to help bees which are facing many challenges from both climate, reduced habit by our actions and preditors.

In Scouts and Girl Guiding we talk about and encourage this but also the children's tv show Blue Peter also does having a  "Green Badge" that children upto 15 years can submit eveidence of what they've done and win a badge which itself is made from recycled plastic.

Roasting by a camp fire!

 

On the morning after it was leaked the icon BBC Tv show Blue Peter was to cease to be broadcast live and go internet only, this was an unforgettable  live accident from 1971 I recall seeing although sadly not in colour.

The girlguides had been invited to talk about what what being a  girl guide was and as part of the end of that feature a traditional wooden campfire had been lit in the studio back then the BBC Centre, West London.

Few people realized on set the campfire had started to get out of control as the Brownies next to it were singing a campfire song, which as people in scouting we do,  and had to be ushered away as it was extinguished.

That of course was seen live and did cause some concern to young viewers.

The scouts V E letter program

 

* Photo Credit Martin Milner

As part of the build up towards the 80th anniversary of Victory In Europe Day, scouts and youth organizations generally are being encouraged to write to veterans in a  letter exchange program to find out more directly from those who experienced it, what it was like and what their own experiences were.

Beyond that, it is about learning and handing down values that help us survive, freeing millions from brutal dictatorship and the personal sacrifices that we in such situations are called upon.

I was fortunate to have around in my early years family and friends who had served and were prepared to talk about about their experiences and what they felt I should from that so I'm very much in favour of the V E Letter initiative.

Here two beavers are working on their contribution.

An out of this world Badge!

 

For Explorer Scouts aged 14 through 18 recently the UK Space Agency and the Scouts Association teamed up with a new Space Badge covering learning new skills centred around the STEM (Science,Technology, Engineerering and Maths) disclipines showing evidence of practical knowledge.

Young people will be encouraged to learn how to control something remotely, replicating the skills used by scientists and engineers to guide the Perseverance Rover across Mars’ surface, as well as embracing their curiosity and discovering ways to grow plants without soil – a task undertaken on the International Space Station to test different watering methods.

Back to life

 

The warmer temperatures are returning so everything will be coming out this week after a cooler spell.

I'm recovering fairly well from my hand and wrist injury i had in the middle of last month although certain movements are a bit painful initially so I have been able to keep up with exploring, opening gates and pulling myself along as needed.

Flashes

 

Areas of salt mining such as those in cheshire in time leave areas of water known as "Flashes" which can be used for sailing or as in the "Salt Pan" in Sandbach form an area where waders such as Scoters and Gulls can be spotted in the spring.

Most are held by various fishing societies.

In the background the Crewe-Manchester railway line can be seen.

Favourites

 

Memories from late spring 1991 and visiting Polesden Lacy, Surrey when I was based down there for a period and this is the Cottage near Great Bookham which I really loved visiting.

Identification

Spring is well and truly with us with no need to have the gas fire on and indeed for the last couple of days I didn't need a coat on either.

Given in spring things do magically reappear, here is a handy species reminder chart to identify clearly all those flowers we are now seeing.

I've always been fascinated by Catkins that emerge this time of year and I am seeing the small birds about too.

Birthday

 

Well it was my Birthday yesterday so this eternal scout celebrated his yesterday with cards and presents and visits from friends and family.

Baa!

 

Spring has sprung so we start to see spring Lambs out in the fields around here which is lovely.

Spring duck

 

Spring is here, daffodils are out as the ducks play in the nearby streams enjoying the sunny mild weather today.