Get Outdoors

Well, the clocks have gone back, we have had our first frost, Halloween is upon us and the kids have been getting creative with pumpkins.

It has been half term and we have not rested on our laurels - We started off with a walk from Woodhenge to Stonehenge, which was a beautiful and peaceful way to approach the awesome world heritage monument. The whole place is a great deal improved since the car park and road were removed.

Another day we visited Brownsea Island in Poole harbour, something we had not done before but will definitely do again. We walked around the island and the red squirrels were superb;  we literally had to drag the kids away when it was time for the last boat home.

Later in the week, we had yet more apples to press into juice. Fortunately the weather was with us and we got busy in the garden.

My daughter and I had harvested 110 Kgs from a friend's trees, the Sunday before and we  managed to fill about 40 more bottles with the golden nectar to store for use throughout the year.

Finally, we capped off the weeks exertions with a trip from Studland Bay to Old Harry rocks, by kayak, with St Deny's Sailing and Rowing Club (a very fine institution). It was a bit windy and quite a long journey but it was exhilarating.

I probably need a bit of a rest now but with kids about, I doubt I will get one any time soon!
Don't forget to put the Urbane Forager book on your Xmas present lists!

Itchen River Trip

Living in the middle of the city it is sometimes easy to forget that Southampton has grown up around the estuaries of two gorgeous rivers, the Test and the Itchen (unless you happen to be stuck in a rush-hour bottleneck, crossing one of them).

Both of these chalk bedded rivers are famous for their trout and salmon fisheries and carefully managed natural surroundings.

A walk along either of these waterways is always a rewarding and relaxing experience but more often than not I find it even finer to row or paddle about in them.

Both our children can paddle a kayak reasonably competently and I am a member of St Deny’s Sailing and Rowing Club. It was a sunny day, so I took my daughter out in a kayak for a sunlit paddle up to Woodmill, which gave her an opportunity to practice her skills.

Walking back over Cobden Free Bridge we spotted a vast shoal of sullen Mullet cruising just under the glittering surface of the river. On occasional days you can see hundreds of these fish from the arch as well as swift, shimmering Sea Bass stalking their smaller, slower prey.

When I feel minded to, I have fished for and caught one or two of these tasty predators and taken the big enough ones for supper. I'm not a fisherman, I'm a rower who sometimes trails a line & lure and very rarely catches a fish to take home and eat.