The Knife Angel @ Hereford Cathedral

 The Knife Angel has spent the last month in front of Hereford Cathedral - today was its last day before moving on. Made from over 100,000 knife blades collected from 42 police forces, the sculpture weighs 3.5 tons, stands 27 feet tall and was created by artist Alfie Bradley and the British Ironworks Centre near Oswestry.

Equally impressive during the day or when lit up at night.

The touring Knife Angel is the centrepiece of a nationwide campaign highlighting knife crime and includes a knife amnesty at each location. Over 200 blades were handed in while the sculpture was in Hereford.

Finally, a recommendation to visit the British Ironworks Centre on the A5 near Oswestry. Large outdoor spaces displaying numerous sculptures, largely of the animal variety, and the home of the Knife Angel. An excellent cafe and large shop selling unusual items. We last visited 2 years ago and will definitely return when next in the area.

Butterfly Season

 

Tis the season for butterflies in Herefordshire - July and August - this fine specimen of a Small Tortoiseshell was spotted on a blackcurrant bush in the Kitchen Garden on June 30th.

 There were earlier, mostly single, sightings such as the overwintered Peacock in March as well as Holly Blue (end of April), Small, Large & Green-Veined Whites (May), Orange-Tip & Speckled Wood (end April/beginning of May). On the same day this Small Tortoiseshell was sighted, we also saw Red Admiral and Comma butterflies. As the weather warms we hope to see greater numbers of butterflies in the garden.

This brings me to the main point of this post - The Big Butterfly Count organised by Butterfly Conservation. This starts on Friday 16th July and runs for 3 weeks. No matter where you are, just spend 15 minutes in the sunshine counting the number and type of butterflies (and day-flying moths) you see and then send in your report. Go to the website to download the app and an identification guide. This is a great citizen science project. Good Luck!