MsCellany

Notes to self

Blogpost ⸱ Gita Bapat

20 years on

Gita Bapat Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Did he know that I was there by his bedside? They say that your hearing is the last sense to go so I kept talking, just in case, but he didn’t answer and then, when we’d all stepped out, deliberating whether to

2 Sep 2026

Places ⸱ Gita Bapat

The Poppy Line at Weybourne

Weybourne 31 · VIII · 2026 Weybourne 31st August 2026 We'd been hearing about the little train that runs from Holt to Sheringham for a while, and today was a chance to hop on board. The railway has been celebrating a Festival of Rails programme of summer events this week,

31 Aug 2026

Nature ⸱ Gita Bapat

A seasonal tide

Field Notes No. 08 Moon jelly 29th June 2026 At a glance SpeciesMoon Jellyfish Latin nameAurelia aurita FamilyUlmaridae SizeDiameter 5–40cm HabitatCoastal waters worldwide; the most common jellyfish in UK seas Key facts * Recognisable by four horseshoe-shaped gonads visible through the translucent bell * Its sting is too weak to

29 Aug 2026

Places ⸱ Gita Bapat

Thornham

THORNHAM 27 · VIII · 2026 Thornham 27th August 2026 Thornham has become one of my very favourite Norfolk places and I visit whenever I can. It needs a dedicated post for the light, the air, the usual wonderfully bleak isolation that pulls me back summer, or winter. So here is a

27 Aug 2026

Nature ⸱ Gita Bapat

Berry walk

Field Notes No. 07 Hawthorn, Dog rose, Elderberry, Bryony, Hops 26th August 2026 The end of summer is showing Nature's full abundance just in our local walk this morning. There are so many berries around that I wonder whether walkers are leaving them for the wild creatures who

26 Aug 2026

Gita Bapat

The landing place at the homestead on the other side of the river

BURNHAM OVERY STAITHE 25 · VIII · 2026 Burnham Overy Staithe 25th August 2026 I'm making the most of this little staycation. Memories of the recent heatwaves are fading and at this time of year who knows how many gloriously sunny, warm days we have left? Not usually keen on

25 Aug 2026

Side eye at Sheringham

Field Notes No. 07 Lesser Black-Backed Gull 23rd August 2026 At a glance SpeciesLesser Black-Backed Gull Latin nameLarus fuscus FamilyLaridae Size52–64cm, wingspan 135–150cm HabitatCoasts, estuaries, farmland, increasingly urban rooftops Key facts * Dark grey to black back distinguishes it from the paler Herring Gull * Yellow legs are

A little trip to Sheringham

SHERINGHAM 23 · VIII · 2026 Sheringham 23rd August 2026 A little trip to Sheringham Everyone had told us that we should go to Sheringham. It has a little train, apparently, but we didn't go on that. A walk for Fergus in Pretty Corner Woods, which apparently include the highest

Picking our own sunflowers

Saturday 22 August 2026 An enterprising 15-year old started up a summer holiday venture in our village. In a field that usually contains very friendly pigs, he planted some sunflower seeds and advertised the PYO on the village FB page. We went along this afternoon and picked our own.

New Year's Eve at Brancaster beach

Field Notes No. 06 Burrowing Sand Anemone and Common Starfish 31st December 2025 You can probably tell that I'm only now catching up with my blog after what has been a full-on year. I can't hope to capture all of my thoughts but I wanted

Busy Saturday in the ward

Saturday 15th August 2026 It started at 9 when I met fellow ward Councillor Steven Jefferies to film a segment for our little video supporting the Beckenham Public Hall, which is up for sale again. Sadly left unmaintained for decades, it's now reached the point where repairs are

Breaking new ground

Thursday 13th August 2026 I'd been looking forward to attending the groundbreaking ceremony of Phase 2 of Calverley Close. It's one of my leaflet delivery routes and I'm starting to feel quite maternal towards the residents I meet, whose estate is being demolished and