Stag beetles are one of nature’s stunning lookers whose form I find I can sort of admire without ever wanting to come up close to. I’m further put off them on discovering that fancy mechanism on the head isn’t decoration, or even a useful tool kit but a pair of  unusually large mandibles which, […]

I received my AstraZeneca jab against Covid-19 on Wednesday lunchtime. It was a pleasant walk to the inoculation centre –  basically not much more than going round two sides of Cheltenham College (gothic main buildings and attached playing fields).  The sun was out but snow was in the air, fine dots of white that danced […]