Heron Wars in Stockbridge

The garden in winter 

The tranquillity of the garden in winter has recently been replaced by the threat of a predatory heron. He arrives at about 7.30 each morning and stands on the roof of the garage to check the lie of the land before flying down to the lawn and then walking across to the pond to begin his predations. I watched 'my' bird for some time this morning and although he couldn't see me, he was wary and stood on the lawn for about 20 mins before flapping off. 

The heron waiting before approaching the pond

I went out at lunchtime and when I returned, he had been waiting and launched himself off the top of a huge chestnut nearby and flew over my head giving loud krrraarrk calls before returning to the tree. I hoped he might have been pleased to see me but in fact, I think they were either taunts or calls of thanks - because when I got to the pond I could see from the 'dust' that he leaves on the surface that he had been in. Curiously, although he has been visiting daily for a couple of weeks now, there still seem to be almost as many fish in the pond, and I can only assume that they hide successfully in the mud at the bottom or that he is following doctor's orders and taking only one a day.

The heron standing beside the pond

They are magnificent birds an stand over 3ft tall with a wingspan of 6ft.  As the RSBP website puts it, 'they are not easily deterred'. They also become tolerant of humans - and we of them

Update as of April 2019: I have waited for the water to warm up and the fish, if any, to energe from the mud where they have spent the winter, but I am sad to report that I can see only one fish. The rest have gone. 

Favourite Quotes - John Ruskin

John Ruskin by Millais

“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting alot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”

There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey.

"Keep nothing in your houses you don't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful"

There is no wealth but life. Life, including all its powers of love, of joy, and of admiration. That country is the richest which nourishes the greatest numbers of noble and happy human beings; that man is richest, who, having perfected the functions of his own life to the utmost, has also the widest helpful influence, both personal, and by means of his possessions, over the lives of others.

Thomas Miller Carol Service 2018 and the City

Thomas Miller Carol Service at St Katerine Cree Church

The Thomas Miller Carol Service was held at St Katerine Cree Church on 11th December 2018 and was attended by many of the present staff as well as a number of retirees.

The City has changed much since last year as vast offices go up. Here are a few photos showing the scale of the new buildings.

The view from our office at 90 Fenchurch St. The building on the right is where our old building once stood. 

The Gherkin and the Aviva Building on St Mary Axe.

The Willis Building and Lloyd's

Lime St with the 'Walkie-Talkie' building at the end

Favourite Poems - A Shropshire Lad

Into my heart on air that kills
From yon far country blows:
What are those blue remembered hills,
What spires, what farms are those?

That is the land of lost content,
I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went
And cannot come again.

AE Houseman

'Pity the Nation' - Lawrence Ferlinghetti