Fire, fire

Friday 4th Sep 2026

‘BUZZ, BUZZZ, BUZZZZ…’

What on earth was that? We were settling down for a cup of tea after dinner when we heard it. Then there it was again, and again the whole of our garden room was alive. I searched the house and the noise stopped.

Of course it was the Government Emergency Alert. ‘There is a very high risk of wildfires…’. We had it twice from each phone once in English and once in Welsh. I thought at first it was a bit late telling us that when the heatwave seems to be over, but of course the land is still very dry.

At home on the farm, I remember we used to regularly burn the stubble and one day it got out of hand, suddenly, the line of orange flames took another direction and was leaping into the next field. I was there with my uncle and he told me to run and tell Mam. We did not have mobile phones in those days, but we had a big heavy black telephone. I was only little and could not race as fast as the flames. I travelled up our cobbled lane and turned the corner and burst into our house to earnestly shout my message. The village fire engine came clanging down our lane after what seemed like hours.

A supply of water would be a problem and I suppose the fire engine would use our big drain that flowed to the Humber but here in our village now water sources are drying up, Luckily, we have a garden pond and it has been very much in demand this summer. Flocks of goldfinches regularly visit taking only seconds before they are off in case of danger. Big plump pigeons come for a bathe and stay there seemingly too hot to move or get out.  There are sprightly wagtails, blackbirds and busy little house sparrows making a splash. It is so much like a watering hole in the desert of dried grass that I would not be surprised to see wildebeest wandering in to cool down.

A farmer recently told me of her surprise at what she saw at her water tank for the horses. Of course, it must be kept topped up and around it she has secured some old tyres to protect the horses from the hard edge. And there she has found tawny owl pellets. So, in the night the owls are coming for a desperate drink from the horse trough. I am going to look out for them here.

Some creatures here seem to love the hot weather. The grasshoppers jump joyfully from dry tuft to tuft and the bumble bees quietly buzz from flower to flower.

(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star)