Gathering Wood for Wassail

Here we are at the Orchard in early December gathering wood for the Wassail......a good number turned up to help as you can see in the picture. The wood is stored under a tarpaulin to give it time to dry out before the Wassail on Sunday 21 January 2018. So do put this date into your diaries and watch this space for more information.
Any offers for help on the day of the Wassail would be warmly welcomed (01883 713160)

Orchard Fungi

Dated Nov 20th 2017.....this was a letter received about the interesting fungi which have been seen in the Orchard this autumn:

I am a local botanist and this morning, with a friend, was recording wild plants in the orchard. As we walked around we realised that there is quite a large number of fungi there, which possibly you are not aware of. Below I list some of those we saw, starting with the familiar red and white spotted fly agaric - the one all good fairies sit on!
Fly agaric -                 Amanita muscaria
Frilly skirts bracket -  Coriolus versicolor
Clouded agaric -        Clitocybe nebularis
Blewitt -                     Lepista nuda
Hairy stereum -          Stereum hirsutum
Puff ball -                   Lycoperdon perlatum
Stink horn -                Phallus Impudicus
A grey Russula
Buttercap -                 Collybia butyracea

I guess there are a lot of species because it is adjacent to the wood.
There were some beautiful fairy cup lichens too - and star moss.
The last time I visited was in the spring a couple of years ago when the foxgloves were magnificent. 
With kind regards,
Gwyneth Fookes
(Of the Bourne Society -
 Caterham's etc. Local history Society)