October 29th 2020

Spotlight on …….

There is always that time of year in North Kent when the clocks change and the weather is mostly grey and a bit damp. We have to accept that autumn is well established and winter in just around the corner.

Over the last few months, with everything we have had to live with, there is the danger that we will lock ourselves in, have a subdued Christmas, and wait for spring and the hope of a vaccine for the virus.

But, if we can grit our teeth and wrap up warm there is a huge amount of good to be found in our greenspaces. We have all learned how important it is for us to get outside for our physical and mental health.

This is also a beautiful time of year. Our trees and shrubs have moved from a palette of greens to one of reds, orange and browns. Even after the leaves have fallen the look of the bare branches against the sky has a subtle beauty.

Recently I read about how good it is for our health to jump into a cold outdoor lido for a quick swim! I am not sure that this is for me but the crisp cold air on the occasional sunny day in autumn is really enjoyable.

We have also learned over the summer, very clearly (if you pardon the pun), how nice it is to have pollution free air. Although the numbers of cars on the road has now go back up, which is a sign our economy is recovering, it is obvious that a lot of us have now got used to walking and cycling instead of jumping in to the car. If we make a conscious decision to continue doing this then we all benefit.

In my own small greenspace I have spent the last few weeks, in between the heavy rain storms, cutting, clearing and composting. I have cut back my vine and am building up the courage to tackle my bay tree which needs some serious pruning!

This is not the time of year to forget the wildlife. My sparrow colony is thriving and the wood pigeons sit on the back fence and stare grumpily at the house if there is no food for them. It is important to feed our garden birds and you can get loads of advice and guidance on this from the RSPB web site.

Even if we are faced with another period of lockdown we still have our Greenspaces. Let’s continue to celebrate them by sending in our picture and stories to the MUGs Forum “Spotlight on ….” Page and we will turn them into amazing posters for you.

Take care and stay safe

Simon