£ Clitheroe Advertiser and Times, May 5th, 1972


H E R E t N O W


C r e a t u r e s o f


A RECENT TV film con­ cerning MacKenzie Thorpe —the Lincolnshire poacher —must have brought many a smile to those who, whilst not condoning such activities, have a sympath­ etic feeling towards these men.


i Fundamentally the old- fashioned single-handed poacher stirs that spirit of risk and adventure, not for­ getting skill, which is the in-


j herent spirit in most people. 1 thoroughly enjoyed the


series for I have met a few of these characters, who are to be classed as a race apart. Those in the past were adventurous,


as cunning as a fox. and believe me they understood the country­ side and its inhabitants in­


timately. Mackenzie Thorpe is one of


these, and his knowledge of the •habits of the wild fowl held my interest particularly when he spoke of “The same birds com­ ing to the same place year after year.” He has years of ex­ perience to prove his theory, which began as a youth. - \yhen he shot, hunted and used the punt gun to get his quarry. Now he has put away his gun for


the camera. The question he posed re­


numerous instances in our own countryside. Dippers, swallows, kingfishers, hen harriers, mer­


garding birds returning to the same place year after year again had me thinking. Having proved a certain way of life or habit successful, it is sound commonsense to continue it. . In the bird world we have


gansers, lapwings, golden plover t and many others at once come


with which 1 am very familiar, has nested in the same eyrie since a t least 1939. The nest, is


o mind. One particular golden eagle,


are six feet wide, with a depth o f five feet. Each year, in March, a few additional twigs are added to


colossal and it js no exag­ geration to say the dimensions


the old ancestral home. The same applies to the rook, which adheres to a set and rigid plan each year with successive generations. Not only do they nest in the same rookery each spring, they also flock together


dtngton area in the same spot for 30 years.


example, and I know of two pairs which have chosen to have their nests in the Wad-


to spend the winter in almost the same fields. The dipper provides a similar


h a b i t


by the edge of a small stream, •not fa r from the village. They are indeed home lovers, seldom leaving their home ground even out of the nesting season. Also coming back to the


One pair have had the nest


T noted the exact colour and the distinctive small blue disc in the centre of the red tag. I mentioned this to a bird


same place year after year arc the swallow, swift and sand martin. The sand martin will return to the familiar sandy bank by Ribble or its tributaries as did its ancestors of half a century ago. Swallows come to the same


enthusiast with knowledge of that region, and he was able, by looking up his records, to say when that bird was marked, and its age. I t had been nesting in that spot for three seasons. This striking behaviour is re­


barn, or house eaves year after year, and even use the same beam on which to place their nest. _ Ringing and tagging has pro­


vided much evidence in regard to bird movement and I was


particularly interested when photographing the hen harrier to find tha t one bird had a


plastic tag attached to its leg. As I sat in the hide watching the parents feed the five chicks,


the bird to establish itself in the area. Its return in the sixties to the precise region again proves Mackenzie's point. The same story is applicable


an insistence on the part of


to the red breasted merganser; This colourful diver first put in an appearance in 1957 as. a winter visitor;


vealed in the hen harrier’s h ab ­ its in the Upper Hodder. This bird, being large and distinctive even when seen at a distance, enables the observer to keep an accurate check on its arrival and departure. The Stocks bird too. gives a


several years, a few birds re­ mained until spring. Following this trial period, they stayed during the summer, until having found the waters suitable, they began to nest. Now we can


then after


claim them as residents. Of course, you may not be


have spent considerable time over longer periods revealing


striking study. How easy to re­ call its first appearance some 15 years ago. The following year it was again spotted, almost to the day and less than a mile from the first sighting point. Since then, male and female


altogether convinced by these isolated cases. Therefore 1 sug­ gest you ponder on the ways of the lapwing and golden plover. These are residents, and may be kept under observation during the greater part of the year. You will find no better example of a bird's habit in returning to the same area.


gregates in flocks by Ribble and Hodder. and very often these assemblies are joined by smaller groups of golden plover. They are near relatives, and have quite a lo t in common. A brief survey* soon shows


In winter, the lapwing con­


how year af ter year they gather on the same pastures between Edisford and Bashall during the winter months. This behaviour has been common over the last 30 or 40 years, and it is, re­ markable tha t they should, during such a lengthy period, prefer the identical fields. Of one thing I am certain,


into instinct, then perhaps some­ one will explain, or ridicule the idea- tha t these birds and others "corne to the same place year


they will be on those fields next autumn. Their presence is as predictable as the season. If this is not proof of habit evolving


after year!” NATURALIST.


S W O P S V I O L I N F O R C O N D U C T O R ’S B A T O N


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| TAKING up the conduc- j tor’s baton for the next I musical given by Clitheroe j Parish Church Operatic i and Dramatic Society will : be Mr. John Bowness. ! leader of the orchestra for


; the last five years. i Mr. Bowness. who succeeds | Mr. Alan Whitney as musical ! director, will be conducting a : musical for the first time when : the Society presents “Okla- ! homa” in February, but he is not at all worried by the thought. He describes himself as “torn


I orchestra pit,’’ he said. A violinist for 40 years. Mr.


between two fires’’ for a long time. “1 have always wanted to be a. musical director, but I have been quite happy in the


j Clitheroe six years ago. Mr. I Bowness has played more than


in the South of England, where he lived for some years. He has played as far afield as Lyme Regis. Weymouth. Dorchester and Horsham, and nearer home with the Kendal Operatic Society and the Fylde Light Opera Company. Since he came to live in


Bowness has plenty of orches­ tral experience, both locally and


! ever. At present, he is the ! orchestral leader of Calder- ! stones Operatic Society, Black­ burn Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and Blackburn Light Opera Society, which is pre­ senting “South Pacific” later


this month. Last year he led for Burnley Light Opera Society's production of “Maritza.”


Paid 6d


a lesson As Clitheroe Borough Engin­


1 has many Town Council meet­ ings to attend in the evenings, so he will be assisted by a chorus master, Mr. Douglas Foster. When F ebruary ap­ proaches. Mr. Bowness will temporarily give up his Friday evening commitments as leader of the second violins in Black­ burn Concert Society orchestra, to concentrate on rehearsals for the show. Mr. Bowness, who lives a t the


eer and Surveyor, Mr. Bowness


Old F ire Station in Moor Lane, is married, with four daughters and two sons. Music has al- ! ways been his hobby, and he


! started to play the violin at the age of nine, paving sixpence an hour for a lesson af ter school in a class of 30. “ I stopped going after six weeks when I was the only one there.” he said. As a rule. Mr. Bowness pre­


fers light music, Gilbert and Sullivan, and musical comedy.


round & about


Chapel. Burnlev, on April 24th, 1922.


They were in business as


butchers in Quecnsbury Road. Burnley for many years, retiring 11 years ago and have lived at Stonyhurst for 20 years.


Mr. and Mrs. Hey worth have


a married son and two grand­ children.


celebrated with a dinner at the Spread Eagle Hotel, Sawley.


Retires from JOHN BOWNESS


He is also interested in cricket, but has n o t played since 1951, when he broke a finger on his left hapd, making violin finger­


ing difficult. Having played fo r “Okla­


homa” three times before, Mr. Bowness knows th e music very well. He describes it as a lively and vivacious show, which goes with a swing. “ I t has a robust, tough quality, and the music keeps vou on your toes.” he said. “ It is always a box-office draw.”


Adjudicator


be remembered, adjudicator at the town’s first-ever drama fes­ tival. which took, place six years ago. A native of Sydney. Australia,


eroe, to adjudicate at the Fes­ tival o f Plays, taking place in October, will be Mr. Stanley Hildebrandt Mr. Hildebrandt was, it will


at Festival PAYING a return visit to Clith­


he has very great experience in all fields of drama. After train­ ing in theatre, radio and films in Australia, he came to this country in 1938. and joined the Old Vic for a season. After demobilisation from the Army, he devoted himself to


teaching and adjudication. He took up a post as lecturer in drama in the adult education de­ partment at Nottingham Uni­ versity. and was for many years drama adviser to the National Federation of Women's Insti­ tutes.


cated at virtually every major drama festival in the British Isles, and has also travelled ex­ tensively in Africa and Austra­ lia. adjudicating and teaching.


Mr. Hildebrandt has adjudi­


theatre, including stage direction and production, scene and cos­ tume designing and painting. An examiner and professor of speech and drama at the Guild­ hall School of music and drama, he has also served on the coun­ cil of the Guild of Drama Ad­ judicators.


Golden


wedding A STONYHURST couple, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison Hey worth of Nandene, Kemple End, have celebrated their golden wed­ ding. They were married by the Rev. G. W. Tyson at Park Hill


P l e n t y g o i n g o n


NATURALIST deals so very efficiently and delight­ fully with his own particular subject each week that I hesitate to trespass on his ground but feel I must write


a few lines about some of the birds who visit our small garden with the passing seasons.


ideally placed not more than a couple of yards from this Whal- lcy Window, but well out of the way of that many-colourcd cat and other predators who take a short cut through the rose bed. each morning. For sometime I have kept a record of the varie­ ties of birds who pop in on flying visits on different occas- sons and, although not a parti- ticularly long list. when one considers that we are not more than a hundred yards from a busy main road, it is certainly surprising how many varieties do come along to see what’s on the menu for the day. Where some of the birds are concerned our back garden has become a serve yourself cafeteria.


We have a bird table that is REGULAR


day. of course, although we have a large number of regular cus­ tomers. Some just potter around for a week o r two and then depart for tree-tops new. but the commoner ones, the spar­ rows, the starlings, the great and blue-tits are with us every dav and take breakfast, lunch and their evening meal at our table. The. last named find our gar­ den highly dcsircablc. They


Not all of them come every


Whalley window


the dog’s discarded bones, they make gluttons of themselves on bacon rinds, they are crazy about suet and nuts about pea­ nuts. of which commodity they consume at least half-a-pound (sorry! h a l t a kilogramme) weekly.


satisfied and turn their beaks up a t nothing, while apart from disdaining the nuts, the starlings devour all and everything that comes their way. Most of the birds are easily


The sparrows too, are easily


regard the bird table and its environs as a "five-star hotel’ with very reasonable terms and we have never yet had a com­ plaint about the menu my wife provides. The tits peck voraciously at


favourite, the Tobin, forages in the newly turned turf and waits until the scene is comparatively


Down near the stream our


quiet before he wets his beak and comes to examine the left­ overs.*


Of rather bigger birds we’ve had rooks a 'crow, magpies


and jackdows. A ring dove came to sec us in the Spring, but al­ though gulls sometimes circle around for hours, these have not. as yet. summoned up suffi­


cient courage to actually Jand in his small and confined area. Or, at any rate, they have not done so whenever I ’ve been around and keeping observa­ tion.


record for a house so close to the A59 wiih neighbours on


I think this is a pretty good


every side, but if any local resi­ dent can inwove on my list. I


would be pleased to hear the details.


CLOSE although we can


* foot poplars), a pair o f wrens who nested in one of our boxes, three varieties of tits and, to add a little exotic colour to the ornithological


hammers, bullfinches anil chaf­ finches.


scene, yellow ST A N L E Y HILDEBRA N D T


varieties and these include a tree-creepeT (he didn’t come to the bird table but performed astounding acrobatics on our 80


identified but when, from time to time, a visitor somewhat dif­ ferently attired from the com­ mon flock comes along. out come the reference books. Plumage. build, beaks and habits are all considered until a positive identification can be made. To date, my notes list 19


ure Mallard, water couole of partridge


ermed ‘truly rural we’re still pretty


tessfully reared their thin half a ru le


lometrcs) o f the vil- hedgehogs visit the


;ly and. in the early wife had exciting a. weasel.


ing Wood there have en badgers but the struction work has iven them to pas-


, 'to quote certain the younger gener-


tliings help to make in out old vil*


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He has almost 40 years ex­ perience in all branches of


wood, Whalley Road, Clitheroe. will retire from the post this month, at the end of the pre­ sent mayoralty when her suc­ cessor will be appointed. In 1966. Mrs. Todd became a


freeman of the Borough. She is secretary of the Clitheroe Old People’s Welfare Committee and vice-chairman of the County Old People's Welfare Commit­ tee.


committee AFTER 23 years. Mrs. Phyllis Todd, Clitheroe’s second woman freeman, is to retire as secretary o f thie Mayoress’s Committee. Mrs. Todd, who lives at Lyn­


The golden anniversary was


; /•* L


HAVING a


Ribblesdale •were these lo And the s:


1


■whose faces in the picture thing else to s call at our Street and co Just call in u paper and co


There is one your safety ir. office we ask companied by


AN aggregate of 58 years’ sei- vice to Calderstones hospital re­ corded by' two ’ Clitheroe men was rewarded on Monday when they each received ' a long- service gift. By a coincidence, Mr. Robert


tirement. a t <55, after 25 years a t Calderstones. A storeman, he came to this area from his native London in 1946. Although Mr. Altham retired


Green and Mr. Sam Altham both chose identical presents— binoculars. Coun. Ernest Hol­


gate, chairman of the Hospital Management Committee made the presentation in the board- room. F o r Mr. Green, of Hall


Steam weekend


THERE will soon be something to get “Steamed Up” about again at Tom Varley’s Todber Caravan Park. Gisburn, this weekend. Tom is organising another of


his mammoth steam weekends, which have attracted thousands of enthusiasts and meant large donations to charity from the proceeds over the past few years. The two-day event starts to­


morrow at l p.m. and goes on until dusk. And like last year, when


PHY L L IS TODD


president of the Inner Wheel Club, and of the Lancashire Association of Women's Clubs, and is a member of the Clith­ eroe Soroptimists’ Club.


Mrs. Todd is also a past


Every home needs one


A grandmother is a lady who has no children of her own, so she ■ likes other people’s little girls. A grandfather is a man grandmother. H e goes fo r walks with the boys and they talk about fishing and tractors and things like that. Grandmas don’t have to do


£1,000 was raised fo r charity, there will be an extravaganza of steam engines, veteran cars and commercial vehicles, fair ­ ground organs, plus, as a bonus on the Saturday, a grass track meeting with top riders and top prizes, starting at 5.30 p.m. There arc refreshments, in­ cluding a licensed bar. so visi­


an d lOp for children and OAP’s —with plenty o f free car park­ ing. Last year's “Steam Happen­


event and enjoy the beautiful surrounding countryside. Admission is 25p fo r adults


ing” was a staggering success. Over 10,000 people turned up at Todber over the weekend, and not one person went away dis­ appointed. Just the opposite, in fact, fo r the question everyone was asking as the event came to an end was: “When’s the next o n e ? ”


anything except b e there. They are old so they shouldn’t play hard or run. I t ’s enough if they drive us to the supermarket where the pretend horse is and have lots of pennies ready. They should never say “ hurry up” . Usually they are fat, they wear glasses and funny underwear, and they can take their teeth


. is the same story again. Every­ body should try to have one. especially if you don’t have TV because Grandmas are the only grown-ups who have time. F rom the official journal of


visitors do because it is hard to understand. When they read to us they don’t skip or mind if it


and gums off. They don’t talk baby talk like


the Trefoil Guild, April Hum­ ber.


■ a s N * * v 2 ^A * * thI , Axmtes* than 40 <UP


f •BE°fiOOMS__,7 S eomPlete CUSHi°N BAcpHTf


BUYING A NEW HOME


then take advantage o f our


ft


Sa Yo


S KITCHEN—9 pvto CK CAR


schen cont


T


tors to the caravan park can make a full day’s outing of the


Street, Monday marked his re­


happy times he has enjoyed a" Calderstones. Mr. Green's mov treasured memory, apart from the satisfaction gained from hi* work, will be the dinners pro­ vided at the hospital! . . . . a


in 1970, he has carried on part- time and means to continue. He is an enrolled nurse and acting staff nurse with 33 years’ ser­ vice. He has spent all of his 56 years in Clitheroe and lives in Holden Street. The binoculars promise to be


remembers chiefly the good friends he has made and the


well used. Mr. Green is inter­ ested in ornithology, while Mr. Altham will use his for enjoying the countryside. In retrospect, Mr. Altham


compliment to the kitchen staff. Making the presentations.


Coun. Holgate thanked them for their work at Calderstones. “It’s rather sad to think that this is the parting of people who have served us so well.” lie said, and added: “ I hope you have many years left to enjoy your retirement.” Pictured after the present­


ation, from the left, are: Mr. Green. Coun. Holgate and Mr. Altham.


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