Singing Paddles

03/09/2026

In medieval Europe, especially in the British Isles, eels were prized for their nutrition and versatility, making them a key food source in places where meat or other fish were scarce or restricted by religious fasting.

The eel’s mysterious life cycle baffled scientists for centuries, until Dr. Schmidt of the Denmark Scientific Council pinpointed their breeding grounds between 1904 and 1920. Eels spawn in the deep Atlantic’s Sargasso Sea, between the Azores and the Bahamas, where adults breed and die.

Their tiny, jelly-like young float to the surface and ride the warm Gulf Stream currents to Europe’s coasts, including the Mediterranean. At around three years old, these “elvers” head into rivers, sometimes even crossing land to reach lakes, ponds, and canals.

30/08/2026

As well as our resident family of mute swans we have seen kingfishers and ospreys on the last few tours

30/08/2026

Why am I not surprised?

Shocked, sickened, appalled, and angry - yes. But this news comes as no surprise as we've been tracking the storm overflow discharge data all summer and South West Water have had thousands of hours of activations.

If you're able, please write to your local councillors, your MP, and South West Water and ask specifically about your local river and the recent discharges. Ask the politicians what they're doing to challenge the water companies, and ask SWW why they aren't investing more of their executive bonuses into sewage infrastructure.

Public pressure is how we'll change this.

27/08/2026

Illuminating a dark military tent to repair armor or mend clothing at night was a necessity, but ordinary foot soldiers could not possibly afford expensive beeswax candles, and even cheap tallow candles required too much precious fat to manufacture. The ingenious, zero-cost bushcraft solution was the "rushlight." Soldiers foraged wild marsh rushes (Juncus) from the wetlands surrounding the camp. Using a utility knife, they carefully peeled away the tough green outer skin, leaving only the soft, spongy, highly absorbent white pith intact. They then dragged these long plant cores through a hot pan of leftover bacon grease or waste mutton fat. The spongy pith soaked up the grease perfectly. Clamped at an angle in a simple iron holder, these fat-soaked weeds burned with a surprisingly bright, steady flame. A two-foot rushlight could burn for nearly an hour, providing totally free, sustainable illumination for the entire army!

26/08/2026

14/08/2026

Shrimp in the creeks

13/08/2026

My painting CANOE LANDING