GREG BUCHANAN’S DEBUT NOVEL ‘SIXTEEN HORSES’

 BOOK REVIEW

TITLE.             SIXTEEN HORSES

AUTHOR.        GREG BUCHANAN

PUBLISHER.    MANTLE 

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’

Robert Frost 1922

I read SIXTEEN HORSES only a few months ago and decided to read it again. I felt in my first read through, I rushed it. Never giving enough thought to the page and was too intent on getting to the end. In other words not giving the writing and the writer enough respect. 

This time I took enough time to enjoy the reading and examine the characters. Cooper Allen

seems a strange one and although she was invited in to assist in the investigation it didn’t seem quite right. She is young, trained as a vet then turned herself into a forensic scientist and it appears with very little experience. 

Alec our police detective investigator appears to have been thrust sideways to Ilmarsh. He’s got his own problems too and, so these two characters, trundle on through the story and we begin to know more about them.

Ilmarsh, a seaside parish, blessed it seems with its own rigor mortis, but plays an important part as this location is where it all happened. I found it was a depressing landscape to set any story in but it fits this book well. In many ways it is as important a character as anyone living. And of course it is coastal with the sea eating the land too and what about the island in the near distance?

Ignore the sixteen horses if you can because this story is about the people left behind in the town and on the farms. It is about characters and what they get up to. And what happens in the end and this book ends well. It came to its own conclusion nicely and in its own sad way.

If you want a happy read then don’t pick it up. I enjoyed the journey, the way the chapters unfurl with their own bit and the language is so descriptive. You get the detail with a good pace. It is complex and there are many moving parts so attention is required.

The TV programme, Between the Covers, with Sarah Cox reviewed the book and her guests did not like it. It is of no consequence that it is Greg Buchanan’s first novel because he has been writing from his childhood. 

I was able to get so much more from my second reading and enjoyed it immensely. The story can be viewed as bizarre, strange or very quirky and also brilliant too.

That’s all you will get from me and as always- no plot spoilers.

(I reviewed and blogged it previously on 23rd October)

THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT ON STAGE AT THE GIELGUD

 THE MIRROR and the LIGHT - AS A THEATRE PRODUCTION

We saw the Mirror and the Light at the Gielgud Theatre, on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue with Rupert Street in London’s theatre land. It is a magic place for many and to be enjoyed over the hub-hub and crescendo of noise from passers-by and incessant traffic, although the capital is not anywhere near pre-pandemic levels. The reasonable question to ask is how safe did we feel. Many were masked and many adhered to the rules. Not all, but the underground system was never full and most seemed to want to play safe.

Hilary Mantel wrote a trilogy of Wolf Hall, Bring up the Bodies with the finale being 883 pages in The Mirror and the Light. This latter one is definitely not a bedtime read as it is heavy enough to be a door-stop! Not for me though as I am a fan of history. Okay ‘The Tudors’ have been over-done and there is still a musical to be enjoyed entitled SIX that turns the narration right around to the voices of Henry’s six wives. I wonder if #MeToo will be thrilled by it?

The base of the tale is simple. Henry wants a boy heir and a wife to supply it - with his involvement of course. That’s where complexity appears as a conception cannot be ordered up and did he fancy her enough? 

The real subject is Thomas Cromwell. A man who was a linguist, a fixer, highly skillful in ways of state and ruthless. He was a commoner too and his upbringing in ‘low-state’ Putney on the wrong side of the Thames was brutal. His Welsh blacksmith father was a violent drunkard. Cromwell’s rise was created by his allegiance to Cardinal Wolsey who he stayed loyal too. The Cardinal’s failure to secure a divorce from Queen Katherine saw the beginning of his fall and Cromwell stepping up in his place. A fall from power was to be repeated although more complex.

The King’s Court was about power and who can wield it and keep it. It was about status. We bought the excellent and informative programme and to add to my previous point I quote:

“Cromwell’s grip on English Government bewildered and infuriated upper class twits: noblemen and gentlemen who assumed that God had appointed them to be Royal Ministers by right of birth.

Alright, that’s the history, but what about this production in a Delfont Mackintosh Theatre by Playful Productions and The Royal Shakespeare Company. The stage was an open space in which the orators moved in and out freely. All so well co-ordinated as one would expect! And so ‘R.S.C’. The acting superb, sound, music, costume and lighting terrific. 

If you thought this was all serious stuff with the demises of many then to put it on a stage might require something else. At times the conversations were flippant and I didn’t expect any one to address Harry as Harry. A comment made by Michelle was `a bit Monty Python ish”. Just a tad only, I thought

When the end came, for Cromwell, it was well done and for you to see, if you wish.

 

        

WALES BANS TRAIL HUNTING

 

Trail hunting banned in Wales

Dear John,

Thanks to your campaign effort Natural Resources Wales/ Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru has ended ‘trail’ hunting on its land.

The organisation is one of the largest landowners in Wales.

In a statement issued today, Dominic Driver, Head of Land Stewardship and NRW said:

"The outcome of the court case against a senior leader of the MFHA has resulted in a loss of confidence in the organisation’s ability to ensure its activities are carried out within the law and terms of its agreement."

For such a major landowner like NRW Wales to permanently end trail hunting on its land is hugely significant. The NRW board’s robust condemnation of the hunts in the wake of the recent conviction is wholly appropriate, and other major landowners that had also suspended so-called trail hunting ahead of the trial must surely be in the process of ending this activity on their land.

In the last year supporters have sent nearly 400,000 emails to landowners such as Forestry England, United Utilities, the Church of England, Crown Estates, Duchy of Cornwall, national parks authorities, and the Ministry of Defence to ask them to also permanently end hunting on their property.

I have no doubt this is just the first domino to fall, and thanks to your support it is the beginning of the end for trail hunting in the UK.

Thanks,

NATIONAL TRUST MEMBERS HAVE VOTED WITH NO MORE TRAIL HUNTING ON TRUST LAND

 

National Trust has made it's decision

Dear John,

I am pinching myself as I type this email! I’m delighted to share with you the news that the National Trust has finally ended the licensing of ‘trail’ hunting on its land.  

As you are no doubt aware, a landslide vote at the Trust’s annual meeting in October saw its members say, ‘enough is enough’ and overwhelmingly vote to support the motion to ask the Trustees to end trail hunting, which is routinely used as a “smokescreen” for old fashioned illegal hunting.  

Thanks to your support it was the largest voting turnout at a National Trust AGM in its history. However, today the Trust has confirmed its decision - trail hunting is no longer licensed on National Trust land. 

The National Trust’s board has recognised the strength of feeling in its membership and the general public, who are more aware than ever that so-called trail hunting is used as an excuse – a smokescreen – for illegal hunting. 

This landmark victory wouldn’t have been possible without you. Thank you so much for your support. 

Best wishes,

Nick Weston
Head of Campaigns

THE HYPOCRISY OF ALLOWING GROUSE SHOOTING AT BALMORAL

 This was the headline in the Scottish Times on Wednesday 24th November and ‘good on ‘em’ for publishing it. 

Royal family ‘hypercritical’ to have Grouse Shooting at Balmoral.

This is an extract from that paper.

The royal family have been described as hypocritical by a leading environmental campaigner for allowing grouse shooting on the Balmoral estate while extolling the virtues of conservation.

Nick Kempe said “mismanagement” of the Balmoral and Delnadamph estates was damaging the Cairngorms national park and hampering a rewilding project, supported by the tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen, whose Glenfeshie estate lies west of Balmoral.

I comment and understand why ‘hypercritical’ was the proper word to use. I have always been concerned how the ‘leadership’ of the monarchy influences and allows people to do what cannot be considered to be for the greater good of our beloved - and hurt - countryside. I know the articles I have quoted relate to Scotland but it applies equally to the rest of the United Kingdom.

The following is an extract from the speech Her Majesty delivered to COP 26. I quote in the next lines.

“It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet, lives on through the work of our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William. I could not be more proud of them.

Indeed, I have drawn great comfort and inspiration from the relentless enthusiasm of people of all ages – especially the young – in calling for everyone to play their part.”

It might sound a bit like treason but what examples are being shown by members of the monarchy except for supporting the wanton killing of ‘game birds’ shot in the name of sport. I recall a scene in The Crown where King Edward was being handed shotgun after shotgun to blast away at wildfowl. What irks me as much are those that serve the monarchy, be subservient too it and kow-tow to their every need. Attitudes much change.

I urge people to follow Raptor Persecution UK and also to follow 

Nick Kempe’s blog at ParkWatchScotland

Gran Alicant to Santa Aguada and back

 Monday 15th November was a cold morning and with the weather changing we hoped for more migrants. Cranes - Grulla Común had been seen but maybe passing through? 

We scanned every field noting that many had crops for animal feed and not the areas where Cranes have usually been seen. It was commented upon their numbers over the years have been less.

There is intensive farming out there where areas that were productive for wildlife are not so now. We kept looking and Lapwing -Avefria Europea were seen and they flew, numbering, a good dozen. They are always a joy to watch. Later eagle-eyed Bryan spotted Golden Plover - Chorlito Dorada Europea and five flew off. Not that far from where we had seen them last winter. (We saw three individuals of Grey Plover - Chorlito Gris and the one to see would be Dotterel - Chorlito Carambolo) 

On the way to Santa Aguada a ‘bare’ field yielded 40 plus Skylarks feeding on the ground. They were not easy to see but the photographers got busy. So good to see them in those numbers.

There is some water here and in a margin was one distant Green Sandpiper - Andarrios Grande, Id’d by Bryan. There was then a discussion on Green compared with Solitary and that was this morning’s lesson! A Blackcap - Curraca Capirotada sang.

There is an abundance of Kestrels - Cernicalo and as it is winter our count for Booted Eagles - Aguililla Calzada was four with one distantly high bird being a Dark Morph. Four Marsh Harriers Aguilucho Luganero seen at different times. 

At the ‘Monastery’ a Dartford Warbler - Curraca Rabilarga called and eventually popped up. Greta’s Blue Rock Thrush was absent though.

We headed for El Pinet but apart from a Blacktailed Godwit -  Aguja Colinegrra and a Greenshank - Archibebe Claro the wader count was very poor. Always worth checking out though. There was no on-shore breeze and the sea gave us nothing. 

Plovers, Skylarks, Eagles and other wintering finches made my morning. Maybe we will do this again in a couple of weeks. Not all species remarked upon. 

LAGUNAS DE LO MONTE ALICANTE/MURCIA SPAIN

 LACUNAS DEL LO MONTE

This morning Greenfinch, Chiffchaff and on the water Common Pochard, Mallard, Shoveller, White Headed, Little Grebe, Great Crested, Coot and Moorhen. A good number of Cormorants, and a flying Grey Heron. Then just one single female Teal - my first for this winter. Although I always want to see more It gave me my first Bluethroat of the winter last week. I think it’s worth a stop but only when passing by. 

PHOTOS FROM SALADARES DEL GUADALENTIN

A vista of Saladares del Guadalentin

It’s vast but you won’t get lost in it

Fields of whatever - peppers, artichokes

with workers in Harry Potter cloaks

Supermarkets dictate the price of food

and the workers slave on and get screwed

This vantage point is on the far side of Rio

Guadalentin. There is a good view across the plain

and up along the river. It must be a good place

on migration and for summer visitors. Diary noted.

SANDGROUSE - Black Bellied

Four feeding in their habitat

Then a single one

Golden Eagle - a sub-adult 

Wintering Meadow Pipit

Zitting  Cisticola.

 

What a star!

Species photos courtesy of Bryan Thomas 

SALADARES DEL GUADALENTIN MURCIA SPAIN

 On Monday 8th November we will do our best to see good birds and we will have travelled the miles. Colder weather has come down  from the north and reached us this past week. We know from various reporting sites that Thrushes have passed through and Cranes too. We are on the lookout, as ever.

The Murcia region seems seldom to report anything and so we are travelling blind! The Guadalentin area we have not visited for at least two years due to restrictions and we will check it out. It is a large plain used for intensively growing vegetables with good all round vision. It is surrounded by a rocky ridge on one side and Sierra Espunas on then other. Golden Eagle - Águila Real can bee seen here but we hoped for more. My last recorded trip was 27th October 2018 and it was not a great one.

We met in San Miguel and Bryan claimed his first bird of the day, a Monk Parakeet - Cotorra Argentina. Not for me I see them everyday!

This morning it was 11 degrees with a light wind, good sun and we were there by 9.15am. Our route was via Murcia on A 7 following the signs for Granada. After the Pozo factory we took the  RM2 and then onto RM23. And we got it right!

Once on Saladares del Guadalentin there are numerous tracks to follow. We headed into it, away from the peripheral roads, and soon we spotted birds. House Sparrows - Gorrion Común, Tree Sparrows - G Molinero,  Goldfinch - Jilguero, and a flock of Greenfinch - Verderón and mixed in with them were some  Serin - Verdecillo and Linnet - Pardillo Común too. The number of Greenfinches in one place was good to see but we only had sightings of two Chaffinches - Pinzon Vulgar

There are always workers in the fields and one small field was in the process of being flooded. We sat and waited. White Wagtails - Lavendera Blanca were abundant, over-wintering Meadow Pipits - Bisbita Común  with one showing its full winter plumage and only one Water Pipit - Bisbita Alpino showed. We were hoping for Grey Wagtails - Cascadena too but no.

Lark species disappointed but Crested - Cogujada Común were everywhere. We checked every one noting the length of bill. It seems the birds here have longer bills than usual. Bryan’s photograph will add something to that discussion. There was no obvious Thekla’s - Cogujada Montesina but we did look. Over-wintering Skylarks - Alondra Común were all around and viewed on the ground too.

The fields were checked thoroughly for signs of Sandgrouse and then we got very lucky. It pays to travel slowly and in a bare field were five Black-bellied Sandgrouse - Ganga Ortega and the photographers got busy. This bunch were very accommodating and carried on feeding. They moved away slowly and in another field four more. Again more photographs. Great seeing them and to enjoy the viewing of them. If that wasn’t another, two more, in another field and all easily seen. Previously all my viewings had been brief or in the air. As we viewed the Grouse there were a number off Stone Curlew - Alcaravan Común 

We hoped for a good Raptor count and a possible distant Marsh Harrier - Aguilera Luganero showed distantly. Several Common Kestrels - Cernicalo Vulgar were obvious. It was a good start but we wanted more. Bryan spotted a distant Golden Eagle - Águila Real and we saw enough to say yes. It flew around long enough to give us a good sighting. We watched the skies and in good temperatures we thought we had a good chance of seeing more. Flying low and seemingly quartering a ‘ringtale’, a female Hen Harrier - Aguilucho Pálido. That was good for us and although they frequent El Fondo the last sighting Bryan and I had was a male at Estepas de Yecla. We were still travelling the tracks when another Raptor popped up. Instinctively I thought ‘kite’ - Milano and saw enough of it to make it a possible/probable Black Kite - Milano Negro on the process of elimination. A Common Buzzard - Busardo Ratonero flew over us but we only saw the one.

We carried on hoping to see more and overlooking the river we heard Chough - Chova Piquirroja and two landed nearby. Southern Grey Shrike - Alcaudon Real and Stonechat - Tarrabilla perched well.

We checked suitable locations for Spectacled Warblers - Curraca Tomillera with success. We could hear them and had fleeting views only. There are in good number. 

Having entered this area we went down a track and came up on the opposite side of the river - that is the side nearest Sierra de Espunas and toured around there. It is an immense area to travel around. On one of the tracks a Zitting Cisticola - Buitrón flew and perched and was photographed. They are a lovely little bird to see. 

Is this an area that I would recommend visiting? Simple answer is ‘yes’ but only if you are prepared to put the effort in. Next time we will be near there is when we plan to up the Sierra hoping to see Ring Ouzels - Mirlo Capiblanco and much more. Wintering thrushes will be on our list. This following week we will try and track down the Cranes - Grulla Común 

THE TWITE’S CHANCE OF SURVIVAL

 Personal Comment

By changing what we have done we have changed habitats for many species. Could have been through ignorance, through need and through enough care for the little things.

The Twite - Linaria flavirostis means ‘resembling linen’ and I have never seen one.

The words below I have ‘lifted’ and it’s about their demise or survival.

A small bird once so abundant it was called “the Pennine finch” is teetering on the brink of extinction in England after just 12 pairs bred this summer.

The twite, an inconspicuous, seed-eating bird that nests in the uplands and spends winters on coastal marshes, has suffered a precipitous decline this century, with the breeding population falling by 75% between 1999 and 2013.

Despite a rescue effort led by Natural England and the RSPB, in which hill farmers have been paid to plant “twite meadows” filled with wildflowers that produce the bird’s favourite foods, the bird has continued to decline, falling by another 75% since 2016.

“The way we’re going, we think it will be locally extinct within the next three to five years,” said Katie Aspin, the RSPB’s twite recovery project officer.

Reasons for the bird’s disappearance include less wild seed in upland meadows, climate change and the loss of tall heather in uplands, resulting in twite nesting in bracken where they appear to be more easily preyed on by stoats and weasels.

The genetic diversity and resilience of English twites may also have lessened because the population is now so small it no longer flies overseas in winter.

The key reason for this decline is the poor availability of food during the breeding season because of the loss of species-rich hay meadows and pasture in upland England because of agricultural intensification,” said Aspin.

The twite recovery project has concentrated efforts on the remaining birds breeding in a triangle of uplands between Manchester, Leeds and Halifax. Farmers have been paid through agri-environment schemes to cut hay later in the year, allowing flowers to seed and provide more food for the birds.

More than 250 hectares (618 acres) of twite meadows have also been planted with dandelion, common sorrel and autumn hawkbit to provide food in the breeding season. This summer, 15 supplementary feeding stations also supplied the twite with niger seed.

The twite is one of only two birds in Britain that feed on seeds all year round. Most seed-eating species resort to feeding on protein-rich insects when they are rearing young.

Britain’s migratory birds ‘may stop flying south for winter’

Read more like this one - a Chiff

Each surviving English twite is given a colour ring so it can be individually identified and monitored in a project led by Jamie Dunning, a conservation scientist at Imperial College London.

“The age-old story of massive changes to the way we farm the land is probably the main cause but we suspect there’s some aspect of climate change going on here as well,” said Dunning. The bird is at the southern edge of its range in England.

According to Dunning, a few twite have nested on the cliffs of limestone quarries but have then been disturbed by the quarrying. In their core area of the south Pennines, large areas of grouse moor are also unsuitable for the birds because the moors are burnt and the heather is not allowed to grow tall enough for twite to nest in it.

Researchers also fear that twite may be further hit by lower food availability in the winter, which English twite usually spend on salt marshes along the east coast.

While there is a small Scottish population of twite, conservation scientists are warning that it is experiencing similar declines, and Britain’s unique subspecies of twite could be at risk of complete extinction.

“Scotland is our last chance to protect the population here which is a unique subspecies,” said Dunning. “It’s about learning lessons now to protect the populations that exist further north.”

But the twite, whose scientific name, Linaria flavirostris, means “resembling linen”, may also have suffered because it is a species that has slipped from collective consciousness and even birdwatchers don’t really know about it.

LESS COUNTRYSIDE TO HUNT OVER. NATIONAL TRUST MEMBERS VOTE FOR THE BAN

 

National Trust members vote to ban trail hunting

Dear John,

On Saturday, another significant blow was struck against the hunts as we won an historic victory in the fight to end fox hunting for good.

At the National Trust AGM, members voted to ban ‘trail’ hunting on its land. This is a major victory and one the National Trust Board must take notice of.

In the past few weeks, the hunts have suffered two huge blows. First, as Mark Hankinson was found guilty, we heard trail hunting described as a sham and a fiction in court, and now National Trust members have voted to deny them access to the land of the UK’s biggest private landowner. The tide is turning in our favour.

None of this would be possible without you and your fellow League supporters standing up for animals.

Hundreds of thousands of emails have been sent, tens of thousands of leaflets have been handed to National Trust members, and countless conversations had with friends and family.

It is your efforts that have delivered this victory.

But the campaign does not end here.

Where the National Trust leads, others will follow. Many major landowners have already paused trail hunting on their land, but we need them to go further and ban it permanently.

Use your voice to help protect our wildlife and tell them that enough is enough.

ESTEPAS DE YECLA AND CAUDETTE, ALICANTE SPAIN

 Three good souls went out to investigate the area between Yecla and Claudette and saw very little. A distant Marsh Harrier - Aguilucho Luganero popped up and we heard a Chiffchaff singing! (Mosquito Común) and a Mistle Thrush - Zorzal Charló. This was the route we used to take to get into Estepas de Yecla before we made a better decision to come off A 31 at Claudette. Much quicker.

We only viewed another trip to Estepas de Yecla as a back-up idea and we needed it. Turning left off the Caudette Road we hoped to see Golden Eagles - Águila Real who we have known to be there. A flock of House Sparrows - Gorrión Común were an encouraging sight and a male Black Redstart showed really well (Colirrojo Tizón) and that was the best of it!

We now went to the other side heading towards Caudette. I will sum it up - very disappointing but we know the area and we always see something. This is a Lark - Cogujada area with a good number of Calendras - Calandria flying and obscuring themselves among the furrows. Skylarks - Alondra and Crested - Común and that was that. Meadow Pipits - Bisbita Común showed well and we saw flocks of Linnet - Pardillo Común and Goldfinch - Jilguero.

However we always safe the best for last. In a bare earth field a raptor. Definitely showing blue and then it took off fast. A process of elimination indicates it was a Peregrin Falcon - Halcón Peregrino. Can’t say for sure but….Then Bryan spotted a Red Kite - Milano Real, very distant and even with his lens it was only a possibility. Then it came our way and we were treated to a great show. It dropped to the ground and took off and away. We carried on and there it was again flying fast, high nad right over us and away. It’s not often we see this species and so we enjoyed it. It even appeared again but this time distant and then disappeared. You have to enjoy what you see and there were many species missing.

This has been a regular place for hearing and/or seeing both species of Sandrouse - Ganga but not this time nor for our visit previously. Two factors may come into play. The first being that many fields having been worked were bare earth. Yes there were fields that still had some cover and the other factor is that the hunters were out. So, maybe they kept their heads down or there are not the populations that were there before. Disappointing as they are always good to view even though they could be difficult. I don’t think we will be visiting here until next spring as we had to work hard for what we saw.