An introduction to yesterday’s excursion to Pensthorpe with the West Norfolk Autism Group, setting the scene for several more posts, with a selection of photographs.
Yesterday was the day of the annual West Norfolk Autism Group excursion to Pensthorpe, and we benefitted from excellent weather for the occasion. This post provides a rough outline of the day and a selection of photographs, while I will look more closely at various aspects of the site in future posts.
THE TRIP
I was one of those booked on the coach, which departed from its usual slot near Gaywood Library. We had asked people to arrive promptly so that we could set off at 9:30 sharp, and as it happened everyone was on the coach in time for us to set off a few minutes earlier than that. We arrived at Pensthorpe not long after 10, and once we had our wristbands in place there were only two fixed points to the day – the trailer rides for those who were booked on one of these, in my case at 11:15AM and lunch, which in my case was to be at about 1PM. Other than that, up until departure at 4:30PM the day was to be what we chose to make of it. We arrived back at Gaywood at about 5:15PM, and I walked home.
MY DAY AS IT HAPPENED
With limited time between our arrival and my slot on the trailer ride I deliberately did not venture too far afield at first, starting with a visit to the Waders Aviary, then a walk round some of the closer parts of the site, including the crane and flamingo enclosure and the Monet inspired bridge. Then it was the trailer ride, in a new trailer pulled by a tractor, with a reduced capacity meaning that we had three rides scheduled rather than two as in previous years. Between the trailer ride and lunch I ventured further, getting as far as Kingfisher Reach, where the path meets the route followed by the trailer, before heading back towards the restaurant for lunch. After lunch, which was excellent, I spent the afternoon engaged in further explorations, as well as revisits to some favourite spots. I was back at the coach in good time.
PHOTOGRAPHS
This gallery is just a small selection of the photographs I have from yesterday, designed to give you a hint of what is to come…
An adult avocet in the Waders AviaryA pair of black winged stilt – there is not much between these and the avocets in terms of leg length but the latter have bigger bodies, which makes the stilt legs look longer.The gate to the Millennium GardenTwo sculptures – three giant dandelion clocks and a fairy standing on a feather, all in silvery metal.The Monet inspired bridgeThe trailer returning from its first outing.An old growth oak, one of only three at Pensthorpe to have survived the great storm of 1987.An oystercatcher loose in a field.sheep in the shadow of a tree. A stretch of the Wensum.A platform with a gull on it.Another stretch of the Wensum.bird sculpturesA shepherd’s hut.A bee visits its part of the bug hotel.A tufted duck.Eurasian CraneGrey Crowned Crane (two pics)A goose of some description.FlamingosAn oystercatcher in the flamingo pond,.Greylag goslingsAn avocet chick (one of two I observed in the Waders Aviary)A bearded tit, another resident of the Waders Aviary.Three damselflies of different varieties in one picture (until yesterday I have never even managed to get two in one picture).Swallows nest in the crane hide.This pic which appears out of position in this gallery was the first time I had got multiple damselflies in one picture.
A look at day one at Trent Bridge where Nottinghamshire and Surrey are playing and a large photo gallery.
Another round of County Championship matches got underway today. My focus is on Trent Bridge, where one of the oldest and strongest of all county rivalries is happening – Nottinghamshire v Surrey.
THE STORY SO FAR
Around the time the County Championship was put on a properly organized footing these two sides were the strongest in the country. The first properly organized championship happened in 1891, at which point Surrey were dominating things after Nottinghamshire had dominated the first half of the 1880s. This then is a rivalry with a lot of history. Last season Nottinghamshire won the title, after Surrey had won in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Surrey won the toss this morning and opted to bowl. They took two early wickets, before Joe Clarke and Ben Duckett had a good partnership, ended by the dismissal of Duckett on the stroke of lunch. The afternoon belonged to Nottinghamshire, with Clarke and Jack Haynes building a substantial partnership. Post tea Surrey have come back into things with Dan Worrall bowling superbly and Sean Abbott nabbing a couple of wickets, but Clarke has found another good partner in Fergus O’Neill, and with bad light having just ended play for the day this pair are still in occupation with the score now 317-7, Clarke 129 not out and O’Neill 31 not out, Worrall 5-61, Abbott 2-63.
Nottinghamshire have probably had the better of the day given that Surrey chose to bowl, but we are all set for a cracking contest just so long as the weather doesn’t behave too badly (it is fine here in Norfolk, which I hope will hold tomorrow since that is the day of the annual WNAG trip to Pensthorpe).
PHOTOGRAPHS
The first two pictures in this gallery are from the sale I am currently putting together at work, the rest my usual sort of stuff…
This is lot 155 in the auction I am currently working on, and the full gallery for it runs to six images, but I sharing just two, this full picture……and this close up of a 2d blue with a GWR perfin.
A look at the final stage of Surrey’s ruthless disposal of Sussex in the county championship and a photo gallery.
This post looks back at the last stages of the match between Surrey and Sussex in the county championship which ended on Monday evening.
THE VICTORY PUSH
Although Surrey lost their last three wickets quite quickly they had piled up a lead of 264 by the time the last one fell – 622 against 358-9 declared. First class debutant Adam Thomas scored 120 of those runs from number seven, and I suspect we will be seeing plenty more of him, and higher in the order. Sussex started their second innings with the most obvious requirement being to reach the close of day three with little damage done. The very first ball of the innings, from Matt Fisher, hit and injured Tom Haines, and Sussex limped to 76-4 by the end of the day. They fared a bit better on day four, but for much of it an innings defeat looked more likely than not. They eventually avoided that, but were only able to establish a lead of 13, one run less than the lowest total Surrey have ever been dismissed for (against Essex in 1983, Neil Foster and Norbert Philip doing the damage with the ball). Surrey did lose two wickets while scoring these runs, making the final margin eight wickets, which decidedly flattered Sussex.
A look at developments in Surrey v Sussex, where the home side have taken a firm grip on proceedings, and a photo gallery.
The current round of Championship fixtures is now deep in to day three of a scheduled four. I have been following Surrey v Sussex.
WEATHER INTERVENES
Play ended early yesterday due to bad light and rain, with Surrey having reached 292-2 in reply to Sussex’s 358-9 declared. Due to yesterday’s interruption extra overs were scheduled for today. Today has been dominated by two players at opposite ends of the spectrum. The veteran Dom Sibley, as so often a near immovable object at the top of the Surrey order, was finally sixth out after 518 minutes and 377 balls, for 187. Surrey at that point had 446 on the board, an advantage of 88. Jordan Clark managed a mere 5, which made it 461-7. That brought Sean Abbott in to join first class debutant Adam Thomas. The pair are still in residence as I write, and have boosted the Surrey score to 600-7, with Thomas topping three figures on his first class debut, and Abbott, better with the bat than most number nines, well past the 50 mark. I suspect that if Sussex do not capture the last three wickets (and there is little sign of them being capable of doing so) Surrey will declare at some point at this evening to have a shot at Sussex tonight. In an otherwise sorry looking list of Sussex bowling figures one name stands out: Jack Carson, already with a ton to his name, has figures of 34-4-128-4, which is very respectable in such a massive score. Henry Crocombe has had occasional moments of looking threatening, but has a modest 27-4-89-1. Tea is now being taken with Surrey 615-7, a lead of 257 so far. I would expect Surrey to bat on a bit after tea before declaring (a new ball, due in another four overs, does not seem quite so threatening when it will be the third such of the innings).
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…
The three runners raising money for WNAG in this year’s GEAR (right foreground), with the crowds of other runners plus three big buildings, Fraser Dawbarns, The Corn Exchange and Bishop’s Lynn House providing the back drop.A large beetle with a red-brown body, black legs and antennae rests on a green leaf in Kettlewell Lane Park (two pics).
A look at developments in the ‘James Southerton’ derby (Surrey v Sussex) and two photo galleries.
Another round of County Championship fixtures got underway yesterday. My attention is focussed on Surrey v Sussex (aka the James Southerton derby – that worthy, a slow bowler who also holds the record for being the oldest ever test debutant – 49 years 119 days old on day one of the inaugural test match in 1877, took advantage of a loophole in the qualification system to habitually play for both counties, one being the county of his birth and the other that of his residence), which forms the text part of this post.
DAY ONE
I missed the entire morning session due to a committee meeting of the West Norfolk Autism Group, and joined the coverage at the start of the afternoon session, with Sussex at that point on 105-7, Jordan Clark 5-16. The afternoon and evening both belonged to Sussex as the pitch flattened out and their lower order batted very impressively. Fynn Hudson-Prentice was the first star with a fluent 50, but he was to be overshadowed by Jack Carson and Oliver Edward Robinson. Carson, an off spinner who can bat, and Robinson, a medium pacer who is also Sussex’s current captain and can bat, each had one previous first class century when they came together. They over doubled the score from 167-8 to 340-9 before Carson fell for 105. Robinson took a blow and was injured, but batted on until a six took him to 100 not out and Sussex to 358-9, at which point he declared, hoping for an early wicket or two before the close. In the event Surrey got through without losing a wicket.
GALLERY ONE
This gallery comes with a preamble – I walked through Kettlewell Lane Park at about 8:30AM yesterday, and all was as it should have been. I walked back through that little park about five hours later and saw that a large number of bushes, in all of which I had previously photographed insects, had been cut down, and only a few survivors left.
The first picture showing the devastation at Kettlewell Lane Park – this wall was lined with bushes. The same story further along – the empty patch on the far side of the path was covered in bushes.There were many more bushes in this are as well.
DAY TWO
Today so far has belonged to Surrey. At the time I started this post they had lost only one wicket, Burns bowled by Crocombe for 77. Ryan Patel has just gone to a catch by Hughes off Carson for 67. Dominic Sibley, the immovable object at the top of the Surrey order, has just completed a century, his second off the season, off 236 balls, while Ollie Pope is newly arrived at the crease. Surrey are now 264-2 a mere 94 behind Sussex’s first innings total. The weather has just become questionable down in London (it is still splendid here in Norfolk, though rain is expected tomorrow morning, just in time for GEAR (The Great East Anglian Run). I hope the weather does not do too much damage to this match.
A brief account of James and Sons’ April Auction and a photo gallery.
On Tuesday James and Sons had a small auction featuring militaria, ephemera, books and postcards.
THE AUCTION
I arrived at James and Sons at about 8:30AM and started to get the IT set up for the auction. All went comparatively smoothly, and we began exactly on schedule at 10AM. Some of the Militaria sold well, and there were occasional highlights from elsewhere in the sale as well. Even some of the books sold. The last lot went under the hammer at about 12:30, and I then spent the rest of the day flitting between helping with picking out sold items from the auction and working on the next sale, a big stamp and postal history auction that will happen at the end of June, and for which I intend uploading a full catalogue to both our online platforms in the last week of May, immediately before I go on holiday for my birthday. I won a couple of postcards, one of The Rookery, Streatham Common, and one of the fort at Margate. I worked yesterday as well, since I had an annual health check booked for today (it went very well indeed, starting with a blood pressure reading of 120/78, very healthy for a 50 year old), hence the fact that I am blogging today.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…
This damselfly was a most unexpected find given that I was walking along Gayton Road having got off the bus at the hospital, and was about 50 yards from crossing Queensway when I spotted it (five pics)
A look at goings on in the fourth round of the 2026 county championship and a large photo gallery.
Between the games that ended early in definite results and the ones that ended with handshakes on the inevitable draw about 10 minutes ago another round of county championship fixtures is at an end. There is only one place to start, though I caught only the last few minutes of it…
DURHAM’S GREAT CHASE
Chester-le-Street has just borne witness to a remarkable turnaround. At one point Durham were 217-9 in reply to Lancashire’s 370, and in danger of not avoiding the follow-on (though Lancashire may well have chosen not to enforce in any case). Their last pair Matthew Potts and Callum Parkinson added 78 together for the tenth wicket, so Lancashire led by a mere 75 on first innings. Then, hoping to have a bowl at Durham in murky evening light, Lancashire declared on 260-9, a lead of 335. Unfortunately the light was too murky for their strategy to take effect. Even so, when Durham openers Lees and McKinney both fell cheaply and the score read 46-2 it looked dicey for Durham. However that was the end of success for the Lancashire bowlers, as Emilio Gay (159 not out) and David Bedingham (129 not out) put on an unbroken 290 together carrying their side to a remarkable eight wicket win.
SURREY v ESSEX
This game has been my main focus in this round, and at the start of today quick wickets were needed to breathe life into it. When Gus Atkinson struck in the first over it looked possible, but only one further wicket fell all day, though Surrey’s fielders let a couple of chances go begging. One quirk of this day, as Surrey realized there was no point tiring out the regular bowlers was that Ben Foakes bowled two overs near the end, with Jordan Clark standing in behind the stumps. The only Surrey players not asked to bowl were Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith.
ELSEWHERE
The only two definite results other than at Durham were both in division two, Worcestershire beating Kent by an innings and two runs in a match that did make it to the final day, and Gloucestershire beating Derbyshire by 10 wickets in a successful enforcement of the follow-on – Gloucestershire 498, Derbyshire 281 and 252, Gloucestershire 39-0. Warwickshire fared less well with the same tactic in the first division, Nottinghamshire batting through for 537-7 in their second innings to secure the draw, having built a lead of 357, but never being in a position, especially with the inflated award of eight points for a drawn match, to declare in an attempt to force victory.
PHOTOGRAPHS
This building has a macabre legend attached to it……as explained by this plaque……with this shot showing the heart in the brickwork.Fraser Dawbarns is handsome building as well. Yesterday was a WNAG pizza making session at Pizza Express, and I had spent over two hours out walking before arriving at the venue 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. This shows the base ready to be topped.Adding the tomato sauce.Then the chosen toppingsThen the cheese, and oregano powder as a flavour enhancer.Ready for consumption – and it was good.
A look at the early stages of Surrey v Essex in the fourth round of County Championship matches of 2026 and a photo gallery which features a damselfly, the first such sighting for me in 2026.
Another round of county championship matches got underway at 11 o’clock this morning. This post looks at the first two sessions (the latter of which has just ended) at The Oval where Surrey are hosting Essex.
THE PLAY SO FAR
The big news for Surrey was that Gus Atkinson was in the side for his first game of the season. They won the toss and opted to bowl first, so Atkinson was in action straight away. During the course of the morning session there was exactly one moment of trouble for Essex and that was self inflicted – a piece of running so poor that had the throw hit Paul Walter would not even have been in the frame. A rare lapse from Walter saw a return chance offered to Sean Abbott, but the Aussie seamer was unable to hold on to it. Finally, with 183 runs on the board and Elgar looking nailed for a ton Jordan Clark found an edge and Ben Foakes accepted the chance. The former South Africa test opener had scored 92, and had been largely untroubled. Tom Westley, returning from injury, cane in at number three. He struggled to 1 from 27 balls before Tom Lawes bowled him, probably almost as much of a relief to him given his lack of form as it was to the rest of us. That was 194-2. Charlie Allison joined Paul Walter, and pair carried Essex through to tea at 229-2, Walter 95 not out, Allison 23 not out. Play has resumed since I started work on this post, and Walter has moved into three figures, which he has by and large earned, though he did benefit from a couple of fortunate moments as detailed.
QUESTIONING RECEIVED WISDOM
It seems nowadays to be hardwired into captains minds that if you win the toss at The Oval you opt to bowl. However it is put it mildly not a policy with a stellar success rate. Relatively recent instances include Surrey racking up 820-9 declared against Durham, Surrey in their most recent match of this season topping 500 against Leicestershire, and now Essex headed for a huge total against Surrey. I also think the Surrey ground staff might well have questions to answer about the sheer weight of runs their surface is offering up – none of the other matches in action today look in great danger of degenerating into runfests with no real hope of a result, whereas that is a very obvious possibility in this match.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Before showing the full gallery I have an extract from it, a close up of a splendid insect from today…
Until today I had not seen a dragonfly or a damselfly in 2026. This is definitely a type of damselfly. Its mainly red body, with a black tail section that itself has four red bands can be clearly seen below the outlines of the four folded wings, while the thorax section features two bands of yellow and some yellow spots behind it. The head is quite shiny, with two large red compound eyes, and all six of the creatures limbs are clearly visible as it basks on a green leaf near Kettlewell Lane.
A look back at goings on in round three of the 2026 county championship, starting with a classic match at Southampton. Also a photo gallery.
At about 4:15PM UK time today the umpires at Northampton decided that it was too dark there to continue, and with that decision the third round of this year’s county championship was at an end, all the other games having been decided.
IT WAS THE BEST OF GAMES…
Hampshire and Somerset fought out an absolute thriller at Southampton. Somerset resumed overnight on 139-3, needing 148 more to win with seven wickets standing. The early loss of James Rew was counterbalanced by a fighting fifth wicket stand between Tom Abell and Will Smeed. Then in the run up to lunch both Smeed and Overton got out to ill-advised shots, and it was 197-6, 90 needed and four wickets left, with Gregory joining Abell. Progress in the afternoon was slow, as Hampshire made Abell and Gregory work hard for every run, but the score mounted imperceptibly at first, then noticeably. The ask was down to 25, and Somerset were looking definite favourites when speedster Sonny Baker, who has recently switched counties from Somerset to Hampshire, rattled Gregory’s stumps for his fourth scalp of the innings. Alfie Ogborne, promoted after his career best 38 in the first innings, failed this time, caught behind for 7 to give Baker a fifth scalp, and the score was 272-8. That brought Jack Leach, who of course has history when it comes to tight finishes (see the Headingley Heist) in to join his fellow Tauntonian Abell with 15 required, and Abell closing in on three figures. Like his spiritual forebear Horace Hazell, who made a habit of seeing partners to centuries and sides to narrow wins over the course of his career, Leach is well suited to this sort of situation. The score inched up until just four were needed. The next over went Hampshire;s way for five balls, but Abell managed a single off the sixth to reduce the ask to three and retain the strike. Kyle Abbott then accepted responsibility for bowling the next over, his 25th of the innings – a heavy workload for someone firmly at the veteran stage of his career. Abell got the very first ball of the new over away for four to take Somerset to a two wicket victory and himself to 101 not out. Abell had faced 229 balls in total, been at the crease for 314 minutes and that last boundary was only the eighth of his innings. A pitch which produces a pulsating match, and a definite result late on the final afternoon has to be rated perfect for the match it was prepared for, so props to the Hampshire ground staff. Full scorecard here.
…IT WAS THE WORST OF GAMES
A combination of an overly flat pitch and overly cautious umpires (I suspect given what I know of them that Mr Shanmugam was guiltier in this regard than Ms Redfern) had pretty much consigned the match at Wantage Road to a draw before today even started. Short of Northamptonshire ripping through Middlesex’s last eight wickets in the morning session it was hard to see any chance of any interest developing. In the event Middlesex lost no wickets in the morning session, and only one in the afternoon session. By the time I joined the coverage of this match, purely because it was the only game still in action, the only question was when hands would be shaken. In the event the light intervened shortly after the evening session got underway, and the game did not resume. The scores in this game were Middlesex 341 and 353-3, Northamptonshire 409, meaning that Middlesex were 284 ahead with seven second innings wickets standing – neither side within a country mile of winning. It is true that the light, and the overly cautious decisions of the umpires in this regard robbed the game of a good 80 overs, but even with those overs being bowled it would have taken a declaration in the Middlesex second innings to make things remotely interesting. Thus this pitch was not suitable for the match it was prepared for, since it would in any circumstances have required intervention (in the form of a declaration) to open up the possibility of a result.
ELSEWHERE
Lancashire beat Gloucestershire by four wickets in the only game that I did not catch any of. The other match was between Warwickshire and Essex, and it was a low scoring, hard fought affair. Essex needed 206 to win in the final innings, exactly one run more than they had managed in their first innings. When they crashed to 82-7 it looked a foregone conclusion in Warwickshire’s favour, but a lower order fightback would have had Warwickshire just a teeny bit worried when the score had reached 163-8, 43 short of victory. However in the space of two overs and a single run from that point both Simon Harmer (32) and Zaman Akhtar (35) were dismissed by Beau Webster, Harmer falling to a fine slip catch by Yates and Akhtar misjudging an attempted big hit to hole out to Sam Hain. Though I only caught the final stages of this match, having been concentrating on the thriller at Southampton for most of the four days I can tell that it would have been a fine match.
The match between Hampshire and Somerset in the 2026 county championship will have a definite result barring a dramatic downturn in the weather. However there is no telling which way it will go.
BACK AND FORTH
It looked for a long time like Hampshire would build a decisive advantage in the course of their second innings. At 269-4 they were 219 ahead with six wickets standing, and most would have anticipated a final advantage of at least 350 for them. However a fine spell of bowling by Lewis Gregory brought Somerset back in to it. The Plymouth born seamer had final innings figures of 5-42, including the last four wickets at a personal cost of five runs, as 310-6 became 336 all out, and Somerset were left needing 287 to win, one run less than they had managed first time round. The pitch is not showing any signs of serious mischief. Archie Vaughan started well, scoring 30 of the first 33 runs, but then got out. Joshua Thomas and Tom Lammonby have also both been dismissed, for 9 runs each. James Rew and Tom Abell are now batting together and have moved the score on from 52-3 to 79-3. Somerset will have memories of a match against Essex when they were set 325, slumped to 78-5 and ended up winning, while Hampshire will note that Somerset have a longish tail, with Smeed in next, then Overton and Gregory, both good all rounders, but both more bowler than batter, and finally Leach, Ogborne and Ball, of whom the first two can bat a bit, while the latter is a genuine number 11. Somerset Women are also in action, against Lancashire Women in the Women’s One Day Cup, in a match that is going to the wire, though by now Somerset’s hopes would seem to rest on Charlie Dean, who will have to shepherd the tail if Somerset are to score the 27 they still need with four wickets and six overs remaining.
While I have been preparing this post for publication Somerset have moved on to 95-3 against Hampshire, and Somerset Women are within sight of victory over Lancashire Women, with Jess Hazell providing Charlie Dean with good support. Lancashire Women appear to have messed up their handling of the bowlers – Mahika Gaur will not bowl a full allocation, which given that she has 1-19 approaching the end of her sixth over, and the fact that she is an England bowler looks horrendous.
The holly blues are having a good year this year.An Orange Tip on a what flower head near Bawsey Drain……and the close cropped version.An interestingly coloured shield bug on a nettle.One of the two muntjacs in this picture (reminder pics can be viewed at larger size by clicking on them) has much paler fur than usualThe pale furred muntjac.
aspiblog 