Beautiful Bluebells in the Happy Valley
Lovely bluebells down in the Happy Valley, probably the best I’ve seen around Tunbridge Wells. Have you seen better around the Commons?
Wild Garlic
Some beautiful smells coming from the wild garlic growing on the Common this weekend. Don’t pick them near the path though and don’t pick right from the bottom as it won’t regrow.
Badgers in the night
I caught this badger galloping down Upper Street at night. It saw me sitting on the doorstep, but carried on with its business. I followed it into the neighbours’ garden (that’s not my gnome on the wall) and managed to get quite close. Have you seen badgers on the Commons? How about the deer?
Posted: April 16th, 2011 | Author: Friends of The Commons | Filed under: Photography, Wildlife & Nature | No Comments »The Hundred and One Steps, Happy Valley
These steps feature in my running route – sometimes twice if I’m feeling brave. However, there is some local ‘discussion’ over the actual number of steps. My neighbour swears blind that there are 104. Has anyone ever counted them?
Posted: April 16th, 2011 | Author: Friends of The Commons | Filed under: History, Photography | 1 Comment »The Sweeps’ Cave in Happy Valley
I love this old postcard of the Sweeps’ Cave in Happy Valley. Chimney sweeps used to bring the soot from the big hotels on Mount Ephraim all the way here and dump it in the caves. You can still see the black marks today.
Lizard sighting in Rusthall?
Spotted in Denny Bottom: a lizard-like object making its way up one of the old oaks in Apsley Street. From a distance, it looked mostly brown, with a white head. At first, we wondered if it was a tree creeper, but it was scuttling up the trunk with a fast, erratic gait. A neighbour suggested it could be a baby squirrel. But are there any strange lizards in Rusthall?
Posted: April 16th, 2011 | Author: Friends of The Commons | Filed under: Wildlife & Nature | No Comments »Frog season at Happy Valley
Froggy mayhem at the Beacon Lakes.
Frogs usher in the spring in Rusthall
In early March, the Beacon Lakes were seething with frogs.
Last frost at Happy Valley
I snapped this picture at Happy Valley while out on a bike ride in the early spring. This was the last frost of the year (fingers crossed…).
The Trees are Waking Up
Spring has finally arrived!
