Christmas Trees and Books

Last weekend we went along to St Leonard's Church in Marston Green, Solihull, to see the "knitted" Christmas Tree which was on display there.

Two smaller trees decorated with knitted decorations at the church's main door.

The main 23 foot tree was inside the church and was a total delight. Hundreds of decorations have been knitted over the last 12 months by the Knit, Stitch, and Natter Group and by other volunteers.

The Font was decorated with foliage and

I thought this window just behind was stunningly beautiful.

More knitted toys

A wintry country scene on our way to the Farm Shop at Meriden.

On the way home we stopped off in Coleshill, our local market town. Lots of festive displays in the shop windows.

A brief visit to our favourite second hand book shop and I couldn't resist

purchasing this little bargain :)

During the weekend we put up the Christmas Tree at home.

This is a felt badger that my friend made for me as one of my birthday presents.

Finally, a few of the books I've recently read.

Thanks to Rosie from "Corners of my Mind" blog who mentioned this book in one of her older posts and reminded me it was on one of my bookshelves waiting to be read. If you are interested in fossils, geology or the history of science you would love this book. It tells the story of 19th geological pioneers such as Mary Anning, William Buckland, Charles Lyell and George Cuvier when geology as a science was in its infancy and religion reigned supreme. In particular the author recreates the bitter rivalry between two men - Gideon Mantell, a country doctor and fossil collector and Richard Owen, a talented anatomist. This is a gripping read and I loved every minute of it.

If you are interested in hedgerows this book is a "must read". It is so comprehensive and an excellent reference book. It contains chapters on the history of hedgerows, their present status, the Natural History (habitat and a huge selection of species found in hedges) and the final part covers how boundaries (hedges, dry stone walls and fences) are made and maintained.

The Quiet Earth was another time-slip story that I downloaded before our summer holiday and have only just got round to reading. The story switches between 1994 as Nina, an ecologist, works with local archaelogists, and the 13th century with the tale of Roese and Gawyn a Crusader Knight. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the story the most and it has left me with a desire to find out more about the Cathars.

This is the second in a series of books covering each of the seasons and published by the Wildlife Trusts. I enjoyed this anthology as much as the first on Spring. Again it contains a selection of prose and poetry by nature writers old and new.

This book set in Victorian times is a delight and I am not surprised it is Waterstone's Book of the Year. There is a beautiful sense of time and place in this novel.

This is a re-read - I first read "My Cousin Rachel" many many years ago. I've managed to misplace (or horrors may have taken it to a charity shop in mistake) so had to download a copy to my kindle. Its a gripping story, full of suspense with a twist at the end.

Another re-read. I first read all of Mary Wesley's novels over 20 years ago and I enjoyed this book just as much on a second reading. Most of the story is set during the second World War. Mary Wesley didn't get her first adult novel published until she was 71!

Read this excellent book and weep for the thousands of badgers killed so far in the unnecessary, inhumane and unscientific badger slaughters. Dominic Dyer is a champion for wildlife. I have heard him speak live twice and he is so passionate, exceedingly knowledgeable and committed to protecting wildlife. This book is a must read for anyone who cares about badgers but I will warn you that it will make you very very angry.



I was horrified and saddened last Friday to see the figures released by DEFRA for this year's badger slaughters. 10,886 badgers were murdered - a huge increase in the previous few years of the cull but sadly this year the cull was extended to several new zones. If you haven't already done so and live in the UK please consider signing the e-petition by Simon King to stop the extension of the culls - a link can be reached by clicking on the badger drawing at the top of the blog.