Dew fancy a quick dip?
QUESTION What are dew ponds? Do we still use them?
A DEW pond is the modern name for a shallow, circular pool for collecting water so sheep and cattle might drink on hills where water would not accumulate naturally.
They are associated with areas of freedraining chalk and limestone such as the South Downs, Yorkshire, the Lincolnshire Wolds and the White Peak in Derbyshire.
Dew ponds are most prolific across the White Peak (the mainly limestone part of the Peak District, as opposed to largely gritstone-capped Dark Peak) — look out for the small blue circles on the White Peak Ordnance Survey map. Many have fallen into neglect.
Farmers and shepherds historically called dew ponds sheep ponds, mist ponds or cloud ponds. This was because dew had little to do with keeping these artificial ponds topped up. The main supply of water came from rainfall.
A historic method for making a dew pond was described in The Field, December 14, 1907: ‘The requisite hole having been excavated, the chalk was laid down layer by layer, while a team of oxen harnessed to a heavy broad-wheeled cart was drawn round and round the cupshaped hole to grind the chalk to powder.
‘Water was then thrown over the latter as work progressed and, after nearly a day of this, the resultant mass of puddled chalk, which had been reduced to the consistency of thick cream, was smoothed out with the back of a shovel from the centre, the surface being left at last as smooth and even as a sheet of glass.
‘A few days later, in the absence of frost or heavy rain, the chalk had become as hard as cement, and would stand for years without letting water through.’
A number of dew ponds in the South Downs are thought to date from the Bronze Age.
Those in the White Peak were mainly made in the 19th century, but the sheer number (once more than 2,500) means the White Peak has a particularly strong association with them. Professional pond-building teams were still operating in the Thirties.
Dew ponds increasingly became regarded as redundant, replaced by galvanised troughs connected to piped water from mains or boreholes. The 20th Century saw a great many ponds fall into neglect, with others being destroyed.
In the light of climate change, the Peak District National Park Authority has provided funds for the restoration or maintenance of more than 200 ponds.
Peter Gordon, Chesterfield, Derbys.
QUESTION Does anyone recall a comic poem about springtime in the Bronx?
ThIS was a favourite of comedian Spike Milligan, who would often break into it at random occasions: Spring is sprung, the grass is ris. I wonders where the birdies is. They say the birds is on the wing. Ain’t that absurd? I always thought the wing was on
the bird. Add a bit of a Brooklyn accent and it should come out more like: Spring is sprung, duh grass is riz I wonder where dem boidies is. Duh little boids is on duh wing — But dat’s absoid: Duh little wing is on duh boid.
Often credited to Ogden Nash or e. e. cummings, the author is, in fact, the prolific poet Anonymous. There have been countless imitations, such as: Spring is sprung! The grass has ris, I wonder where the posies is. Come look here, my dear sis, I have found little crocuses. Jane Simmonds, Kidderminster, Worcs.
QUESTION Who has saved the most penalties in a football match?
FOur goalkeepers have saved three penalties in normal time of a competitive football match.
Walter Scott saved three spot-kicks for Grimsby Town against Burnley on February 13, 1909 (League Division 2). Burnley, who netted with a fourth penalty, eventually won 2-0 at Turf Moor.
On March 1, 1980, Gary Bailey of Man utd, playing away at Ipswich Town (League Division One), denied the hosts with a trio of penalty saves. his efforts were to no avail as Ipswich walloped ron Atkinson’s reds 6-0.
Matt Glennon of huddersfield Town saved three 12-yard kicks when keeping goal against Crewe Alexandra in a home game on February 14, 2007 (Football League One). Once again his efforts proved insignificant as the Terriers lost 2-1. To rub salt into the wounds, Crewe’s goals were steered into the net by huddersfield defenders!
Jean-Francois Gillet, playing in goal for KV Mechelen away to rCD Anderlecht on February 24, 2015, dived low to save three penalties, then celebrated as his team earned a point with a 1-1 draw courtesy of an own goal.
Chelsea keeper Tony Godden saved two second-half penalties in two minutes against Man utd at Old Trafford in September 1986. Chelsea won the game 1-0.
The penalty shoot-out was introduced in 1970, and several keepers have become heroes by producing two, three and even four vitally important saves from 12 yards. Tony Matthews, football historian and
statistician, Almeria, Spain.
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