I have no pictures to show of my lovely 6 mile walk to, from and around Dothill Nature Reserve.
Comments Off CherryPie on Mar 21st 2025
VE Day in 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Thursday 8th May 2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. This momentous event will be commemorated nationally on Victory in Europe Day (8th May 2025).
I have started the challenge early so that the completion medal arrives in plenty of time for the 80th anniversary. I aim to complete the challenge of 80km (50 miles) from the 18th Mar – 4th Apr 2025. The live tracking map shows me walking the distance along the Normandie beaches.
The medal is double sided with the gold chrome star on the front which along with the ribbon is a faithful recreation of the ‘1939-1945 Star’ that was awarded to all in operational service during the Second World War. The reverse of the medal carries the 80th anniversary logo.
4 Comments CherryPie on Mar 20th 2025
The Malagasy Giant Chameleon is native to the island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa.
They are the largest chameleon in length and the secon heaviset in weight. Although their typical diet is insects their large size also enables them to eat small birds and reptiles.
Chamelons are famous for changing colour. However, this colour change is used more for temperature regulation and social signalling than camouflage.
5 Comments CherryPie on Mar 17th 2025
…Pitcher Plant
They are unique, in that they have specialised leaves called cups. These cups hold digestive enzymes which allow them to consume flies and other invertebrates.
8 Comments CherryPie on Mar 17th 2025
The butterfly in the final photo of my previous post was perched looking over the Koi swimming below.
4 Comments CherryPie on Mar 15th 2025
A few of the many varieties of butterflies that flutter around Stratford-upon-Avon butterfly farm.
6 Comments CherryPie on Mar 13th 2025
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, the family home of Anne Hathaway, William Shakespeare’s wife-to-be. It is here that Anne was born and raised and where the young Shakespeare would have visited her during the early part of their relationship. Built more than 500 years ago and extended over the years, much of the original survives.
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage was originally a farmhouse. It was built in 1463 and comprised only three rooms, two of which survive – the kitchen and the parlour. The first Hathaway to live in the cottage was Anne’s grandfather John Hathaway, who was a tenant sheep farmer. Anne, later Shakespeare’s wife, was born in the cottage in 1556.
When the site was a farm it was known as ‘Hewlands’ and the Hathaway family were successful sheep farmers. The garden was a farmyard with some livestock and space for growing herbs and vegetables.
Anne’s father died in 1581 and Anne’s brother Bartholomew inherited the tenancy of the 90-acre farm and he later bought the freehold. He then added an extension, increasing the size of the cottage and inserted new chimneys and an upper floor at the same time. This work was completed before Bartholomew’s death in 1624.
By the late 19th century, the family’s fortunes had declined. Some property including land and other houses were mortgaged, and eventually sold. In 1838 the cottage itself was sold, but the Hathaway family continued to live in the cottage as tenants.
One of the last Hathaways to live in the cottage was Mary Baker. When the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust purchased the cottage in 1892, Mary and her family were paid the large wage of £75 per year. Their duties were to share family stories and to care for the cottage, both of which we continue to do today. Her son William Baker occupied part of the cottage until he left in 1911.
4 Comments CherryPie on Mar 13th 2025
