Country diary: A trio of butterflies mingle in the shingle
But shingle does have some advantages beyond a grit-free picnic. At Hayling Island, long stretches of sand are exposed at low tide; above the high-tide mark, however, it is now maintained through the placement of shingle via beach recycling to absorb wave energy and provide natural protection against coastal erosion. More than this, the well-drained, nutrient-poor pebble substrate provides a perfect habitat for plants adapted to thrive in harsh conditions.
Between the candy-striped beach huts, a few late-flowering yellow horned poppies (Glaucium flavum) bloom among pink clouds of thrift (Armeria maritima) and vibrant blue tufts of viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare). But it's the broad clumps of sea kale (Crambe maritima) that have drawn the attention of a trio of small white butterflies (Pieris rapae). A female is nectaring on the clusters of tiny, honey-scented white flowers, while two males compete for her attention, fluttering, hovering, then spiralling upwards as they attempt to outmanoeuvre each other.
It's easy to distinguish between the sexes, as the males have a single black spot on each forewing, while the female has two merging dab marks below the centre of each forewing in addition to the single spot. The wing tips and leading edges look as though they've been dusted with soot, suggesting that these individuals have recently emerged. Adults of the summer brood generally have darker markings than those of the spring brood. As my shadow falls across the female, she claps her wings shut, exposing the clotted-cream-coloured undersides.
Once mating occurs, the female will lay her conical eggs singly on the underside of the lobed, wavy-edged, glaucous sea kale leaves. This long-lived perennial is a primary larval food plant for the velvety green caterpillars, whose powerful jaws make short work of the thick, waxy cuticle. The blanched stems, florets, and seed pods are considered a culinary delicacy, although, as a border terrier scampers over and cocks its leg against the plant, I decide it's best left for the butterflies.
Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at guardianbookshop.com and get a 15% discount
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
3 minutes ago
- The Independent
WH Smith shares tumble after £30 million accounting error
WH Smith has warned its yearly profits will be lower than expected due to an accounting error in the US. Shares in the London -listed travel retailer were down by about a third on Thursday morning. WH Smith said it discovered its trading profit in North America had been overstated by about £30 million when reviewing its finances. The error related to how it calculated the amount of supplier income it received, leading it to be recognised too early. The retailer is now expecting a trading profit for the US of about £25 million for the year to August – a cut from the previous £55 million forecast. As a result, the company lowered its outlook for annual pre-tax profits to around £110 million. The London-listed business incorporates its travel locations, such as shops in airports, train stations and hospitals, which total about 1,300 around the world. Whereas the high street chain of about 480 shops was sold to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital in June. As part of the deal, the WH Smith name will disappear from British high streets and be replaced by the brand, TGJones. The travel locations were not included in the sale and will not be changing. WH Smith shares were down by about 35 per cent in early trading on Thursday.
TTG
27 minutes ago
- TTG
'We need to keep morale up': InteleTravel to review PlanNet partnership following Sun newspaper sting
by Harry Kemble InteleTravel will review its partnership with the US-headquartered company that recruits agents on its behalf after The Sun newspaper raised concerns about the homeworking outfit's business model. Tricia Handley-Hughes, InteleTravel's UK and Ireland managing director, insisted the agency's partnership with PlanNet Marketing had 'not run its course' but added: 'As any responsible business, we review our contracts from time to time.' An article published by The Sun at the weekend described InteleTravel, which has 35,000 travel agents in the UK and Ireland, as a 'shady firm' that left people who were encouraged to sign up out of pocket. It called InteleTravel a 'side hustle', saying: 'Those at the bottom are rarely breaking even,'adding it made it 'hard' for agents to leave the company. PlanNet Marketing, which operates as a separate business from InteleTravel, helps recruit agents to join its ranks. InteleTravel's chief executive James Ferrara said in 2022 a 'recruiting fee' is paid to PlanNet 'every time they get someone'. 'We want to focus on what we do – we're a host agency that helps travel agents run their business,' Handley-Hughes continued. 'We now have to see what the effects are [following The Sun story]. The Sun has only focused on the UK business. "Our relationship with PlanNet has not run its course, but discussions at group level need to take place. We need to keep morale up." Handley-Hughes revealed she had been buoyed by an 'outpouring' of support after she returned home from Virgin Voyages' First Mates Day onboard its new ship, Brilliant Lady, in Portsmouth on Tuesday (19 August). 'I received loads of supportive messages from our supplier partners saying 'I bet you've had a tough day', 'don't take it to heart', 'the business is amazing' and 'we love our partnership with you'. The Sun story has made me focus on what I want to do,' she explained. 'We support agents from day one' On Friday (22 August), InteleTravel will finalise a new onboarding programme, which will aim to help new-to-travel recruits get to grips with their new careers and the travel industry. Currently, new agents have to wait until the next induction day – called "Dream Maker" days internally – which run every two months. However, Handley-Hughes revealed new agents will now receive tailored support 'from day one' once the programme rolls out next month. 'We're finalising the last piece of the jigsaw with our new onboard programme,' she said. 'The programme takes our new-to-travel advisors through the first three months of being in business," Handley-Hughes continued. "There are checklists, signposting, tips about how to avoid pitfalls and daily emails from head office. It's just another channel of training. 'We already run our Dream Maker induction days every two months, but instead of waiting two months for these to happen, our new agents will get support from day one. It's quite intensive, but it's aimed at helping those who are new to travel.' Handley-Hughes also revealed InteleTravel will host its first-ever agent achievement awards at its annual conference in Portugal's Porto next month. 'We will be celebrating the success of our agents," she said. "Each time our agents reach a tier they will recognised in some shape or form. There will be trophies and plaques,' she said. New homeworking forum Advantage Travel Partnership chief commercial officer Kelly Cookes will join InteleTravel on 1 September as its new commercial director. Handley-Hughes told TTG Cookes' appointment would afford her more time to focus on setting up a homeworking forum with other travel agencies. 'I've not been able to make any progress with a homeworking forum until the new structure is in place and our new commercial director has arrived,' she explained. "Once they're in place they will allow me to focus more strategically. Despite [ The Sun article], I've got good relationships with the smaller independent homeworking agencies. I think that they will welcome a discussion under Chatham House Rules about how to overcome our challenges.' Furthermore, she confirmed she had contacted the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Abta following The Sun article. Asked why she had contacted the industry bodies, Handley-Hughes said: 'I wanted to reassure and remind them that despite the article, we are totally professional and compliant. " The Sun created a damage limitation exercise so we had to complete a box-ticking exercise and contact each of our audiences – suppliers, regulators, agents and trade press – to keep morale up. There are thousands of InteleTravel agents who are keeping positive even though these kinds of stories do affect morale.' InteleTravel UK joined Abta in March 2019 after a two-year process requiring the company to prove compliance with industry regulations, including providing training for its members onfinancial protection. About 18 months later, InteleTravel was granted its own Atol licence, and went on to start selling its own Atol protected packages several months later. At the time, Handley-Hughes said the seven-month delay was 'a strategic decision' to ensure the products were 'carefully identified' and tested. Previous Article Blanket travel restrictions 'do more harm than good' – UNWTO Next Article APT parachutes Travelmarvel experts into its call centre as brand launched as standalone entity
Times
33 minutes ago
- Times
The 8 best pubs in Somerset according to a beer expert
Pubs evolve more slowly than other commercial establishments, and certainly more than our homes. They provide the reassurance of continuity, a tangible link with the past. This phenomenon is amplified in places, like Somerset, that were left unbombed in the wars and are relatively free from over-eager property developers. It means pubs that were built centuries ago to cater for cattle drovers and stagecoach passengers now serve locals and visitors with a relaxed grace that leaves you sure they'll still be here for centuries to come. All this accounts for the fact that Somerset is the kind of place where even town-centre pubs feel like cosy country inns. You start to take thatched roofs, flagstone floors and low, beamed ceilings for granted. Somerset is also arguably the world capital of real cider. Forget the idea of rough 'zoider' that burns non-bumpkins' guts; the good stuff is strong (drink it in halves) and combines refreshing drinkability with complex, multilayered flavour. Inevitably, given the combination of drink-driving laws and an abundance of fine local produce, many pubs are turning to food — in fact, some I've been pointed towards now self-identify as restaurants. So here's my pick of places that still feel very much like traditional pubs. West HuntspillWhile it doesn't look particularly inspiring from the road, this large yet homely place will surprise you once you get through the doors. Dating back to the 17th century, it served as a coaching inn and carries on that tradition with stylish B&B rooms and honest home-cooked food (booking is essential if you want to eat). The real star, though, is its cask ale: the Somerset branch of Camra has named it Pub of the Year ten times in the past 12 years. The range of eight casks changes constantly, with up to 25 beers appearing each week; it leans towards those from West Country brewers such as St Austell and Exmoor. The covered outdoor area leading to the beer garden has its own fireplace to complement the one inside. Withy Road; Norton St PhilipHow old is the George? Well, when I was researching old coaching inns once, I found a passage in a book that said, 'You must come and see this charming ancient inn, which has stood here for centuries.' The book was written in 1524. While a recent refurb under new owners has eroded some of its charm and made it more of a foodie pub, it's still a place to come and revel in history. Grab a pint of Butcombe Original and have a wander. The galleried courtyard is so old it's sunken and softened, the stone worn away. From the front you can see what looks like newer, Tudor-style upper floors built on top of a medieval base. Parts of it look quite unformed, like something yet to evolve into a pub. It's worth staying over just to see the bedrooms, which look as if they belong in a Tudor costume Street; • Eight of the best pubs in Cornwall — chosen by our beer expert CroscombeThe Canadian landlord Peter Graham has run this archetypal village pub for 25 years. Croscombe is a small village of 600 people and the pub is its hub: it contains the village shop and serves as the local Evri parcel shop. But it's also a hit with visitors, with four simple B&B rooms. Downstairs, the bare stone walls play on the pub's 400-year history. The fireplace in the snug will, inevitably, have a dog lying in front of it, and makes you wish you could be holed up in here on a stormy winter's afternoon. Blindmans Brewery makes the wonderfully named session bitter King George the Thirst exclusively for the pub, and there are two taps for guest ales from independent local breweries. The two beer festivals held here every year make it an award-winning favourite for the local Camra branch. Long Street; • Eight of the best pubs in Edinburgh — chosen by our beer expert LangportWhen I first visited the Halfway, it was love at first sight — or rather, first sniff. It was apple harvest season and the fireplaces at either end were burning split logs; the smell of wood smoke, filling the space with rustic incense, hit me as I walked through the door. The long tables are scrubbed farmhouse-kitchen pine or rough-hewn things made from old floorboards; benches and old church pews up against the wall give the place a mess-hall feel. Candles burn low on the bar. There are few houses nearby but the pub is always busy. People come for the food, the 11 ciders and seven or eight cask ales (all drawn directly from the stillage in the cellar behind the bar), but mainly just to be in the Halfway. A traditional farmhouse cider from Hecks, only 11 miles down the road, is a must. Pitney Hill; FromeKnown locally as 'Mother's', after Freda Searle, the landlady who ran the place for 50 years, this is another pub that appeals because it is casually unchanged rather than carefully preserved. Mother didn't change a thing during her tenure. She died in 2021 and her daughter, who now runs the pub, has continued in the same tradition. The small space reflects its late 17th or early 18th-century origins, with its stripped-back, no-frills vibe making it a firm locals' favourite. Rich's Farmhouse Cider, stunning views across Frome and a very high standard of table skittles (Mother was, apparently, a master) add to the appeal. The Elizabethan icehouse in the pub cellar is one of the reasons the pub is grade II listed, and is rumoured to be the gateway to a maze of tunnels beneath Frome. 57 Castle Street; Huish EpiscopiIn the long history of pubs, the bar is a relatively recent innovation, appearing only in the mid-19th century. The Rose & Crown, built circa 1640, hasn't yet got around to installing one. Instead there's a tap room, with the cask-ale hand pumps along one wall and glasses and bottles of spirits on the shelves above. The pub has been run by the same family for five generations and is more commonly known as Eli's, after Samuel Eli Scott, who ran the pub from 1921 until 1978. His great-grandchildren carry the torch today and his name is trimmed into the thatched roof. There's no kitchen, but a regular roster of food vans roll up to offer everything from fish and chips to Ethiopian cuisine, and events include live music and vintage car shows. West Country beers such as Utopian's Premium British Lager illustrate a perfect balance of modernity and tradition. • The eight best pubs in Norfolk — chosen by our expert Lower GodneyYou may well need satnav to guide you across the Somerset Levels to this 17th-century former cider house, but you'll be glad you persevered. Behind an unremarkable-looking façade, the surprisingly large space isn't what you'd call traditional in decor, but its lively blend of pop art, psychedelia and shelves crammed with toys give it an atmosphere of celebration and fun. The food is a playful mix of pub staples and fine-dining flourishes such as micro-herbs. Choose from up to four ever-changing cask ales and six craft beers on keg, mostly from Somerset or Bristol breweries, as well as six real ciders. Grab sweet or dry from the local cider-making legend Roger Wilkins and relax on the deck overlooking the River Sheppey, where you can sometimes spot otters and voles. • 9 of the best pubs in London — chosen by our beer expert PorlockHelpfully, there are two Ship Inns in Porlock. 'The Bottom Ship' is by the sea in Porlock Weir, while 'the Top Ship' is a mile or so inland at the foot of Porlock Hill's steep climb up to Exmoor. Each has its charms (and they have the same landlord), but the Top Ship dates back as far as the 15th century or even the 13th century. Originally built as an inn for wagoners (coaches came much later), it's a sprawling place that has absorbed neighbouring buildings over the centuries, so now it's full of ancient fireplaces, horse brasses and little nooks. The main bar is a delight, with red and black tiled floors, bum-worn benches and hand pumps offering beers from the Exmoor and Otter breweries. If you're feeling brave, try a perfectly kept pint of Exmoor Beast — a mere 6.6 per cent. High Street; Have we missed your favourite Somerset pub? Let us know in the comments below
