Blue skies herald the approach of spring
BLUE skies flick a switch for spring. Bats and brimstone butterflies break hibernation, midges rise and fall in columns, blackbirds grow territorial and sparrows toy with (and squabble over) nesting material.
The mud crusts and dries in ridges and tiny, young nettle and goosegrass leaves make a green flush under the flattened, whitened sticks of last year’s dried and hollow stems.
How quickly we turn our faces to spring. Winter has its own pleasures, consolations, comforts and wonders, but it’s been a mighty long one and may not be over yet.
The sheep have been turned on to the stubble turnips and fodder radish.
With the green tops eaten off, the part-munched root vegetables look like deflated footballs on a muddy pitch.
The scent of lanolin from wool and heated bodies rises and mingles with the green smell of dung.
The broad arc of the downs are still pale, but in the strong sunlight, every soil roll, combe, flint trap, sheep path, badger track and anthill is picked out in dramatically shaded detail.
This is when the hill seems to have rolled itself closer; moving and retreating like the old sea it once was.
Singing blackbirds are now uncountable among the song and mistle thrushes, stationed further apart, and kites are building their nests.
Late afternoons, a female tawny owl begins a soft, warbling to her mate; sometimes calling in the day, I wonder if she is already sitting on eggs?
The crocuses are up in the seven-acre sloping village meadow.
This small nature reserve, bisected by the spring-fed Ingle Brook, is protected for its unimproved old pasture and related flora – and not for the mystery of its Mediterranean crocuses.
But they are the real draw at this time of year. The colour pops from more than 400,000 mauve-and-yellow blooms in the greeny-grey, still sleepy sward.
Britain’s largest wild display of spring crocuses even gets a mention in Richard
Mabey’s seminal Flora Britannica (1996). The corms are a puzzle and delight. But, given local historical association, and according to local lore, it seems more likely they were brought home by returning 12th-century Crusaders of the Knights Templar (as saffron) than being 200-year-old garden escapees from what was then a poor, remote and rural settlement on the brink of rioting under the name of Captain Swing.
Far, perhaps, from the idea of the Mediterranean.
The crocuses bring former residents back and it is a good time to clarify old stories and learn new ones, the social distances of years and the lane, or a span of starry crocuses between us.
These visits always, without question, culminate in a trip up and over the big hill, which binds us all to this place.
IF Covid-19 is under control, it is hoped that large outdoor events can take place this summer. And the organisers of Fairport’s Cropredy Convention 2021 are cautiously optimistic the festival will be staged, as planned, over the weekend of August 12-14.
“There are still a number of factors to consider of course. Firstly, the four steps are entirely dependent on getting the coronavirus under control in the
UK. Secondly, we remain anxious (as do all festivals) that we are still unable take out cancellation insurance that covers Covid-19. However, the festival industry is actively lobbying the Government for help in underwriting this. Hopefully we’ll have some good news in the Chancellor’s budget report. “Safety is our first consideration (in fact, it was the main reason we postponed back in April 2020), so there may be some mitigation measures in place and we will be liaising with the responsible authorities throughout the summer in the build-up to the festival to make Cropredy as safe as possible for our festival-goers, staff, artists and local residents.
“As far as planning the festival goes, we haven’t taken our foot off the pedal in our preparations for August and we remain committed to presenting a wonderful weekend of music. The fabulous line-up remains unchanged and 2020 tickets will be valid for 2021.” “This has been a unique 12 months by any standards. Our hearts go out to our friends in the extended Fairport family who have lost someone close and we shall remember those who are no longer with us when we meet again in that very special field.”
Tickets for Fairport’s Cropredy Convention 2021 are still on sale. https://www.fairportconvention.com