An interest in nature

This clip is from the second programme of ‘Iolo’s Great Welsh Parks’.  It reminds me of when my brothers and I were kids.  Every Friday evening we used to go with Mum and Dad to visit our cousins in the Forest of Dean and run absolute riot.  There was a large deer park next to their house where we really weren’t supposed to go, but it was the greatest playground ever, full of wildlife surprises.[iframe]<iframe width=”400″ height=”500″ frameborder=”0″ src=”https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02grk4m/player”></iframe>[/iframe]

In the park was a pond where moorhen nested every year, and grass snakes could be seen from time to time.  The pond was also full of sticklebacks, though to be honest I can’t remember how many spines they had.  We used sticks as makeshift fishing rods and bits of string as the line.  Then we’d dig up small worms and tie one to the end of the string.  The sticklebacks would avidly grab hold of the worms so determinedly that we were able to hoist the little fish out of the pond into a jam jar without the aid of a hook or net… then we’d let then go.  It was great fun, and though we didn’t know it, a formative experience.  Our parents weren’t too chuffed though, as we fell in from time to time!