Hi All,
As we settle down after such an extraordinary summer I thought you might appreciate a few notes from beyond the park that have been reported by friends. It seems that in the long arid months, some of our furry friends became disorientated and came in from the fields – see this poor creature spotted by Sue

Meanwhile some rare plants have been biding their time waiting just for this moment. Tony discovered this Common Spotted Orchid near his house. A sight to cherish, particularly since orchids in general have become much rarer.

I wonder, do you have any hedgehogs near you? Two of our orchard helpers report caring for the concerns of a hedgehog in their backgarden. They are such delightful creatures and suburban hedgehogs like ours are particularly important, because their ‘rural’ cousins are very rare and maybe extinct in the South West region (according to a recent report in the Guardian). It seems that, like the orchid, intensive agriculture has decreased their habitat.

There are also badgers about, but I will not tell you where in this public forum, for fear of attracting the wrong sort of attention.

Finally, some of you will have noticed that the grape vines in the orchard have borne well this year. The vines are still young and it was a very dry summer so the grapes are smaller than usual, but they are now ripe – so help yourselves!