Tag: drought

The heart of the matter

 

London’s Burning actor Sean Blowers presents a cheque for £600 to Volunteer On-Call Crew Manager Jack Atkinson from Goathland Volunteer Fire Station. Jack and his colleagues were part of the team who tackled the worst fire in North York Moors history last year, centred around Langdale Forest. Picture by Lee Jones.

I am still basking in the glow of another wonderful weekend in Goathland at the annual Heartbeat Vehicle Rally. We were blessed again with lovely weather and we estimate that there were around 6,000 visitors over the two days. Of course, if you read last week’s column, you will already know that my family were reunited with my dad’s old Mark 2 Jaguar, which was an absolute treat.

What I didn’t mention was that as I approached the car for the first time, there was a chap chatting with Richard James, the current owner and the man responsible for the amazing restoration. As the stranger saw me approach, he turned and introduced himself as Keith, saying: “I drove Peter Walker’s daughter Sarah to her wedding in that car!”

So I replied: “I am Sarah!” You should have seen the look on his face! He hadn’t recognised me – which I put down to the fact I was wearing a hat and sunglasses, rather that the 30+ years of aging that have taken place since! Keith was the mechanic who restored it in 1994 and revealed that he was rather stressed in that final week. But he pulled it out of the bag in time, and was thrilled to be my bridal chauffeur.

Considering how many people were gathered in once place, the rally ran very smoothly, with dozens of fans queuing patiently for ages to see the stars and the stars in turn patiently signing hundreds of autographs and posing for hundreds of pictures. This year we had four actors: David Lonsdale, who played bumbling David Stockwell, Vanessa Hehir who played mechanic Rosie Cartright, Ryan Early, who played PC Tom Nicholson and Sean Blowers, who made two memorable guest appearances and was also known for playing John Hallam in London’s Burning, an ITV series about the fire service.

Sean’s appearance was especially fitting because this year, we were delighted that he was able to hand a £600 cheque to Goathland Volunteer Fire Station, while another £600 went to the village primary school.

I was also thrilled to hear from Elsie Smith, trustee of Goathland Village Hall, who sent me a lovely message after the event having seen my family’s emotional reunion with the Jaguar. She reported that the hall did a roaring trade in teas, coffees and cakes, and so benefitted from a nice little windfall too!

Of course, there are drawbacks to hosting such a popular occasion and as ever some selfish drivers were too tight to pay the modest fee for parking (between £2 and £4.50 for a full day). In total there were four separate car parks available with bags of room, and yet a frustrating minority insisted on plonking their cars on the beautiful verges that are such an iconic part of our moorland setting. Despite advance posts on social media showing where to park, plus signage, marshalls and ‘Keep Off’ signs on the day, some people were just too ignorant to pay heed, showing no respect for the historic grazing land nor to the residents who call Goathland home.

When I stand back and look at the event, I do wonder what my dad would think of it all. I’m pretty sure he would be amazed that 16 years after the series came to an end, the fans are still loyal and passionate enough to make the effort to travel all the way to Goathland. One lady I spoke to had come all the way from Boston, USA! She loves Heartbeat, and made the trip for the first time last year. Because she enjoyed it so much, she decided to come back again.

There was one incident that shocked me though. A car went past with the passenger casually hanging her arm out of the window. In her hand was a lit cigarette.

It was one of the most thoughtless and stupidest things I saw all weekend. The moors are tinder dry, and one spark from a cigarette could lead to catastrophe.

If only those fire fighters at Goathland Fire Station – who last year participated in the exhausting battle to control the most devastating blaze in the history of the North York Moors in Langdale Forest and Fylingdales Moors – had had a polite chat with her.

I wonder what they would have said?

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This column appeared in the Darlington & Stockton Times on Friday 17th and the Ryedale Gazette and Herald on Wednesday 15th July 2026

Flushed with good ideas

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Rosemary and lavender are just two of the plants that have thrived during the prolonged dry spell

As I write, the dry weather continues and very little rain is forecast for the coming weeks. It must be causing havoc for our farmers and other businesses that rely on natural rainfall to thrive. Water companies are imposing hosepipe bans, and our reservoirs remain worryingly low.

I was listening to local radio this morning, and they were talking to experts about the impact of the dry spell, and sharing ways in which we as individuals could help. I found some of the information useful and informative, so thought I would pass it on.

Having said that, I’m not sure I can bring myself to follow the tip about only flushing the loo once a day. That’s a sacrifice too far for me. I might instead order a free ‘Flushsaver’ offered by Yorkshire Water which is a kind of bag that when placed in your cistern, allows you to save between one and two litres per flush (but they are only suitable for single-flush toilets rather the increasingly common dual-flush systems that enable you to choose a short or a long flush depending on your…er…deposit).

One of the things they were discussing was the garden-proud Englishman’s seemingly unshakable need to water his lawn, no matter how diminished our domestic water supply is. Who cares if our reservoirs are so depleted that the villages that were deluged to create them are beginning to reappear? Does it really matter that our country is on the brink of a national emergency? Keeping our lawns looking pretty is far more important, surely?

That kind of attitude is quite staggering when you know that watering your lawn is completely unnecessary. Established grass is quite resilient, as its roots are deep enough to cope with dry spells. Yes, it will go brown and crispy for a bit, but that is a small price to pay if the alternative is a nationwide crisis. Come the next downpour, your lawn will bounce back to its verdant self. If we overwater our gardens, the plants’ roots remain close to the surface where they are vulnerable, rather than reach deeper where the soil is more moist and the roots are protected. A bit of tough love will teach them to become more resistant to extreme weather.

The expert on the radio was quite scathing about people who selfishly keep dousing their gardens. We take this essential resource for granted because we normally experience so much rain. But we cannot afford to do that any longer. She also explained that keeping the grass bowling-green short is not good for it either, and suggested allowing it to grow to a longer length as it will encourage the roots to grow deeper and therefore the lawn will become more able to cope in drier weather.

She advised a more selective approach to watering rather than to just let rip with a hosepipe like a killer on a shooting spree. Selectively target where you put the water, and prioritise the things that actually need it to survive, such as salad and vegetables, or things that have been recently planted. Those that are already established will bounce back when the rain returns, which it inevitably will. And on the subject of our unpredictable, see-saw of a climate, if you want a garden that looks colourful whatever the weather, choose differing floral species that thrive in a variety of conditions, whether it is sunny and warm, or wet and cold. Then whatever weather prevails will determine which flower grabs the limelight, and you will be blessed with colour all the time. At the moment, begonias, geraniums, lavender and rosemary are relishing the long dry sunny days.

Common sense should tell you to water in the evening too, as the plants will benefit from it all night long, rather than it evaporating in the heat of the sun. Laying down mulch will also keep valuable moisture in the ground. It of course makes sense to make the most of the rain when it does come, so have plenty of vessels in your garden to collect it, such as water butts, buckets and troughs.

During my research, I discovered an article featuring an expert from the Royal Horticultural Society who offered tips about how to use water wisely during a drought.

His name was Mr Gush.

Read more at countrymansdaughter.com. Follow me on Twitter @countrymansdaug

This column appeared in the Darlington and Stockton Times on 19th and Ryedale Gazette and Herald on 17th August 2022