First and foremost, I hope all members and their families are keeping safe. Isabelle and I and the family are all fine if a bit frustrated!
Many of you will be aware of the regular ‘challenges’ being organised by Karen, our Lady Captain, and in particular the ‘2.6 challenges’ carried out over the past few days as a substitute for the sponsored walk on the Clwydian range that had been planned. It was great fun taking part in our particular challenges and more so hearing about all the other, very imaginative, activities undertaken by everybody else.
Congratulations to Karen and all members who are participating in the challenges and supporting her charity. Our first 2.6 challenge, on Sunday 26th, was to get up early (6.00) and see how long it took us to identify 26 different birds.
It was rather a murky morning so identifying ‘lbjs’ in poor light was a real challenge. We got our 26 species by 8.45 and returned home to enjoy a hard-earned bacon sandwich. For the record (for anyone who is at all interested) the first 26 species we saw were:
Great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, coal tit, crow, rook, jackdaw, goldfinch, blackcap, linnet, dunnock, nuthatch, white throat, lapwing, starling, swallow, house martin, chaffinch, wood pigeon, collared dove, magpie, jay, robin, blackbird, chiff chaff, wren.
For many of us food is an even more important part of our lives during the lockdown so the ladies’ section are planning to put together a Pryors Hayes Lockdown Recipe Book and would welcome contributions from all members. If there is any delicacy you have particular enjoyed or recipe you have perfected during the lockdown please send details to Karen, karengreen150@icloud.com.
The lockdown has been made more bearable by the amazing weather, it would have been a great start to the golf season! This has enabled us to get out for daily walks and probably more than at any other time have observed spring unfolding day by day.
We have seen trees and hedges gradually come into leaf, wild flowers become increasingly profuse (the blue bells in the Barrowmore woods are now at their best), surprizing numbers of butterflies on the wing, farmers progressively fertilizing, ploughing, harrowing and sowing their fields with the first shoots appearing a few days later and of course spotting the return of migrating birds. I feel I have connected with the natural world more than at any time since my childhood.
While that’s very positive, there are many things that I’m missing. One of those, of course, is playing golf. It’s not clear how or when the lockdown will be eased, and it appears likely that some restrictions to everyday life will continue for a significant period.
But hopefully, within the next few weeks there will be some easing and maybe we will have the opportunity to return to the golf course. Let’s hope so! This afternoon I spoke to Richard, he asked me to thank everyone who has renewed their membership, he really values your support. The finishing touches are being put to the clubhouse extension and much work is continuing on the course.
All the bunkers have been refurbished and additional drainage installed in a number of locations. A few members have been spotted walking across the course in recent times who will be able to confirm that the course looks great.
All the best and stay safe.
Dave
