Waxwings arrive in Penkridge for Xmas

One of my favourite birds, after Nightjar, Swift, Hawfinch, Bullfinch and Chough, is the Waxwing. A text message this morning told me of 14 having been seen in Penkridge on the Cherrybrook Estate. I went straight up and walked all round the estate and eventually found these two feeding on a small tree covered with white/pinkish berries (Sorbus hupehensis (Hupeh Rowan Tree). I also had a male Blackcap taking berries there too.

Lovely birds - keep an eye on any berry bearing shrub/tree in your garden or anywhere in the village - they are tame and allow fairly close viewing. Size of a Starling but with a crest, yellow tip to the tail, black chin - well look at the photo! Let me know if you see any.

Bevan

READING ROOM DAMAGED

Within a few days of the re-opening of the refurbished Reading Room, the vandals appear to have struck. I have just been informed that a window at the front was broken over the weekend.

When we were all thinking that crime was on the decline in Penkridge, it would seem that the opposite is happening. The above incident comes after a break-in at the Co-op, a burglary at Eldershaw (the butchers), a burglary at Somerfields, and a couple of cars stolen.

PLEASE BE EXTRA VIGILANT BETWEEN NOW AND XMAS. IF YOU SEE ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS, DIAL 999 IMMEDIATELY AND MAKE A NOTE OF ANY VEHICLE NUMBERS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN USED BY THE CULPRITS.

WHY HAS THE CHURCH CLOCK STOPPED AT 10 TO 3?

After my recent posting about the Church Clock being changed from summer time a few days early, I now see that the clock has stopped at 10 to 3.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED? ALL SORTS OF RUMOURS ARE GOING ROUND THE TOWN -

Is it because someone has over wound it?
Is it because the winder is on holiday?
Is is because the winder is on strike?
Is it because there are bats in the clock (protected by law)?
Is it because someone has lost the key to the stairs?
HAS THE CLOCK BROKEN?
OR - is it some other reason?

Come on Mick! - Why is it not telling us the time?

Penkridge Boy Hits a Six

Some local good news at a time when everyone is down in the dumps, worried about credit crunches (is that a new chewy bar for guinea pigs!?) - a teenage youngster studying for his A levels at Wolgarston High School has hit the headlines this week in a Press Release from the NHS.

Jake Murphy has been telling the world about how the new Insulin Pump he has that enables him to carry on with his outdoor sporting activities - he is a very keen cricketer and footballer. He has been able to dispense with the four-times-a-day injections that he used to have to do, often having to stop in the middle of a game.

An expert team from Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust supports 16-year old Jake Murphy so that he can use an insulin pump, which is aimed at improving his quality of life. Since being diagnosed with diabetes in 2001, Jake's conditon has hampered his ability to participate in his two passions - cricket and football.

But he has been at the top of his game for the last two years after being fitted with the device, which measures out a steady flow of insulin to control the blood sugar levels in his body. Jake carries the pump - which is the size of a pager - on his waistband and it delivers the insulin through a tube into his tummy.

The Wolgarston High School pupil said the pump had made it much easier for him to play for his two sports clubs - Hawkins Cricket Club, in Cheslyn Hay, and Penkridge Juniors Football Club.

Jake said: "Before I was fitted with the pump, I had to take an injection in the middle of cricket matches and I would often go hypoglycaemic when playing sport, which is when your blood sugar level drops too low.

"When I play cricket now the pump allows me to lower the amount of insulin given to me before and during the match and I take the pump off altogether for football.

"I love playing football and cricket and the pump has given me a lot more flexibility to follow my sporting ambitions. I played for Penkridge Juniors under 16s side last year and my next goal is to get into the adult team".

Talking to his grandparents yesterday, they said they were very proud of Jake.

Floods and Trees

I am registered for telephoned Flood Warnings from the Environment Agency and this year I have received several - most turning out true and resulting in me having to wear wellies to carry our waste to the bottom of the garden to put into the compost container. Whether or not Global Warming is taking place, it certainly seems to be true that we are getting much wetter in Penkridge - I have even got a rain guage in my garden now to measure it. I am seriously thinking of acquiring a boat - maybe a canoe - as I think we may need it before long.

Trees - wonderful plants that I wouldn't be without. We have several in our garden and I wish I had more ground and could grow more. I believe no tree should be cut down or even pruned without very good reason. Not only are they important as habitat for wildlife, they also act as screens, camaflaging ugly man-made structures that seem to be spreading throughout our countryside. So imagine my surprise when I drove back into Penkridge from Stafford and noticed a few days ago that they had pruned all the Willows on the Market Site which grow on the banks of the River Penk. Now I know that willows will pollard and grow again but suddenly we now see not one, but three, Mobile Phone Masts sticking up and taking over the landscape from the trees. Its ironic really, when you think that the Planners actually encourage the Phone Companies to make their masts look like trees. I have seen lots that look like Pine trees both elsewhere in the UK and overseas.

We now have to look at these ugly masts until the willows re-grow and hide them again. As soon as they do, no doubt they will prune them again. You would have thought they could at least have not done them all at the same time. And this has all happened right on the edge of the Conservation Area. Yes, we can see the Church much easier from the north but we can also see the buildings on the Market site too which aren't exactly beautiful!

Is it just me?

Church behind Times

Perhaps the Church "Clockman" was checking to see whether anyone ever looks at the Church Clock when he put the clock back one hour on Friday (maybe even earlier). The Town Crier has learned that the Railway and Bus Companies have been inundated with calls asking why their services are all running an hour late. Special buses and trains have had to be run because of the number of complaints.

When the Town Crier pointed out to passengers waiting in the cold for an hour that it was not the fault of the Train and Bus Companies but of the "Clock Tender" of Penkridge Church, they said they would therefore be sending a bill to the Church for extra costs incurred as some, it seems, had ordered taxis to take them to their destinations.

Meanwhile, the Penkridge Town Crier has volunteered his services to wander the streets of Penkridge proclaiming the correct time that European Summer Time ends.

A Break in Scotland

No news for a while is because we have just been for a short break to Scotland - our first Coach Tour. NOT our first visit to Scotland I hasten to add as we have travelled all over Scotland since our marriage 46 years ago. Our honeymoon was spent in Scotland!
This time we went on a luxury coach from Wolverhampton and stayed at Tyndrum in a great hotel - the Ben Doran - excellent food and staff. Each day we were coached out to places like Stirling, Loch Lomond, Ben Nevis and Fort William, Oban, Glencoe, etc. Unfortunately, we had a lot of rain but still managed to see some wonderfuly scenery and met some lovely people.
Last night we had a Scottish party with the pipes and dancing, followed by a great meal, including, of course, haggis and neeps!
Great to be back in Penkridge but nice to see the mountains - and the first snow on the tops and red deer starting to descend to the lower ground.