Hold on they're coming.

Hold on they're coming, hold on they're nearly here. The buds are all there, bursting to open, and it wont be long before the entire floor of this wood will be carpeted in white and pungent Ramson flowers. I love this time of year; all energy and anticipation.

Clean sweep

 

What do you notice about the woodland floor here? No leaves. Black Water meanders through the woodland here, and whilst in flood has scoured the floor of last autumns' leaves and detritus, leaving a swathe of green through the stands; highlighting the strength and extent of these small forest streams when engorged. 

Electric Crayon Set - Laughing in the Clouds

 

Upon receiving my last package from Fruits de Mer Records I discovered an additional album with an accompanying card reading 'It's a windfall! A complimentary record from Fruits de Mer Records, just because we're in a good mood...and we found a few spare copies down the back of the sofa', how cool, eh, and much appreciated. I'd never heard of Finnish psyche pop combo Electric Crayon Set; I have now and they're bloody good. Electric Crayon Set are Seppo Tyni on bass, guitars, synth and keys, Timo Lilja on drum and precussion, and Timo Paakko vocals, guitars, synth and keys; with additional guitar from Juha Kormano, harpsicord from Pekka Tyni, vocals from Vilma Paakko and backing vocals from Katariina and Veera Lohiniva. 'Laughing in the Clouds' is a wonderfully upbeat romp through the world of psychedelic and progressive music, and although Finnish there's a real Britishness to their sound, specifically 70s/80's progressive pop psyche with a side helping of Mod aesthetic. Electric Crayon Set have added their own contemporary spin on the familiar to create a original take and sound on a favourite genre; each track is an aural joy, it's a lovely album, thoroughly listen-able. A stand out track for me is 'Calling on the cards', especially loving the vibe and production on that one; beautiful vocals by Vilma Paakko, first class. I wholeheartedly recommend this album, and a band to keep your eye on.

'Laughing in the Clouds' by the Electric Crayon Set is available on Psychotron Records; if this is the calibre of their releases, a label to watch.

Mucky work

Timber extraction is a messy business at the best of times, and these are not the best of times. The unseasonal wet has really softened up the forest; it's like walking on a sodden sponge, easily churned up by heavy forestry machinery, broad tracks of deep ruts and mucky puddles quickly form.

The Incal: Psychoverse

 

The Incal: Psychoverse, a prequel to legendary 'The Incal' by Jodorowsky and Moebius is a stupendous new romp through a familiar universe. Written and illustrated by contemporary artists, it's done so well, with such love and reverence for the source material that it's near seamless in aesthetic. Wonderfully written by Mark Russell and beautifully illustrated and coloured by Yanick Paquette and Dave McCaig respectively it's a joy to read, and a damn sight easier to follow. The tale of universes at war, of mad nuns on a mission and an insight into events that led to the events of the The Incal. It's a hell of a bonkers ride too, with is the Metabaron, Kill Wolfhead, and of course private investigator and space chump John Difool driving the story. Apparently there are more graphics set around the characters, worlds and events surrounding The Incal, and if they're as good as this, well.

Path art

 

Created from a mixture of leaves and small stones, I imagine this piece of ephemeral art was a beautifully imagined green flower. Situated in the center of an main forestry track it was never going to last that long.

Keep to the footpath

What with the sucking bog and all, walking in these parts can be frought with problems, you'd be wise to keep strictly to the footpath.

Magnificent Oak

Oak

Roe harvest

The harvesting of Roe enclosures' Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) which began at the back end of last year is moving on at a pace. I reckon maybe 2/3rds of the trees are in the process of being removed in parts, the timber stacks on the sides of the tracks are piling up.

Topsy turvy

It's a topsy turvy world out there.

Here comes the Sun

 

At the slightest hint of any Sun, no matter how fleeting, the Wood Ants (Formica rufa) are out and active. A good sized nest can house upwards of 250,000 ants, and I can't imagine how many nersts in the forest, there must be hundreds of millions, if not billions of Wood Ants out there. That's quite a thought.

Dockens Water

 

Dockens Water looking upstream from the Digden Bottom footbridge. About twenty years ago (?)  there used to be a fairly decent Fairy Garden; bright and colourful, sensitively made, mainly organic or degradable items, kids loved it. I remember bringing the family here for picnics. Of course the Fairy Garden is gone now, corrupted by well meaning though misguided contributions and excesses; it happened to them all in the end. So passed the the modern age of the Fairy Garden.

Soft Hearted Scientists

 

There's nothing not to like about 'Waltz of the Weekend' by Soft Hearted Scientists, and so much to love. Originally released on CD in May 2023, Fruits de Mer records have recently re-released it on vinyl, and as you'd imagine it's really rather special. Soft Hearted Scientists are psychedelic beat combo out of Wales, a band of highly accomplished musicians and lyrical bards sui generis in their field. With a wonderful mid 60's musical aesthetic, the period when the mods met mushrooms and music took on a distinctly psychedelic flavour, the band create tracks which span genres and flavours. The scientists are Michael Bailey on bass; Paul Jones on guitars and backing vocals; Dylan Line on keyboards, electronics and sound effects; Nathan Hall on Lead and backing vocals, guitars, keyboards, electronics and sound effects; and Spencer Segelov and Frank Naughton on drums. And collectively they conjure magic.

A magic that transports the psychenaut into the unique psychedelic world of the Soft Hearted Scientists' to be regaled with weird, whimsical and wonderful musical tales. Musically high order, and lyrically peerless 'Waltz of the Weekend' is a psychedelic masterpiece, utterly original, a reflection of the Soft Hearted Scientists themselves. This is psychedelia done different. 'What Grows Inside The Garden' kicks off the album divinely, a dreamy pop psyche number with a happy and sunny disposition lifted higher by some lovely guitar and nice harmonies. Whilst the titular track 'Waltz of the Weekend' puts one in mind of music you'd imagine you'd hear on Summerisle, it's processional folkish hypnotic melody has you swaying along as if in a trance. The 'Sea Anemone Song' has a haunting quality to it, a quality which runs through the entire album, something intangible; 'The Things we make' with it's beautifully drifty otherworldly atmosphere has oodles of that vibe, it's a truly beautiful track, loveliest on the album. Side two begins with the quirky 'Rode my Bike' about a frustrated and ill fated cycle which with it's infectious melody is psyche-poptastic. 'Gadzooks' is more optimistic singing of hopes for better rides and days to come, an eloquent and defiant counterbalance to its predecessor. Next 'Who loves the Moon' exemplifies how Soft Hearted Scientists enchantingly blend jaunty upbeat melodies with wistful and melancholic lyrical themes. There's genius in their composition and writing, their adroit juxtaposition of dark themes with catchy melodies are always exquisitely executed. Take the 'Fixer', an upbeat tale of a righteous hitman, a mod revivalist sounding tune if ever there was. Then psyche pop takes a particularly dark turn in 'Vicious Vivian'. Finishing side three 'Creeper and the vines', a charmingly wistful warning of the joys and perils of alcohol has a jolly sing along feel to it.  The 'Venus Fly Trap Song', is a dark tale of defiance in the face of systemic injustice and eventual escape from it. As for the final track 'Lost Mariners', it's simply the bollocks. A bitter-sweet tale of oceanic adventure and loss, like the ocean it's a track with depth, a richly textured and sweeping sound-scape of guitars and synth accompanied by haunting vocals, with an eerie 70's sci-fi synth fade out. Unequivocally fabulous. Cap doffed.

That's where the album ends on the CD or digital versions, although if you buy the vinyl copy you've still a third disc of outstanding remixes to enjoy; 'Sea Anemones in the Benthic Abyss', 'The Garden of Wavering Fronds', 'My Bike Verses The Dandy Horse', and finally 'Waltz Through The Weekend' a glorious 16.42 min mix exploring the entire album, you also get a nice colour booklet of the lyrics.

There's not a moment on this album I don't love, I can't say enough good things about it. An album with genuine warmth, every note is performed to perfection, every musical t crossed and i dotted, absolutely faultless throughout, you can tell the love and attention poured into it. If you buy but one album this year, buy this one. Check the Soft Hearted Scientists on their bandcamp, everything they do is sublime, as is Nathan Hall and the Sinister Locals material. Or, if you're after the vinyl release of 'Waltz of the Weekend' go check out Fruits de Mer, purveyors of quality music.

Why?

Why are people such arseholes? The fly-tippers hadn't just dumped the cab of a truck, but they'd severely damaged the gate in the process; luckily not completely though as the gate leads directly from Wilverley Plain straight on to the A35. The frequency of fly-tipping, burnt out cars or caravans, and the meaningless vandalism of forest furniture, not to mention the litter, is on the increase. It would appear that not enough people give a shit anymore.

Blossom

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) blossom is coming out all over the forest.

Barrow Moor track

A view along the track running through Barrow Moor along the edge of Woosons' Hill enclosure. I know there were forestry trains running through this part of the forest transporting timber to the nearby sawmill at Millyford Bridge during the First World War. I'm not sure whether this track was the route of one of them, but it has a certain something to it that makes me feel it might have been.  That aside, look at the vibrancy of the mosses, how green everything is, this is being replicated in pockets all over the forest. Though not marked on maps highlighting remaining islands of British temperate rainforest, a number of areas in the forest exhibit many of the identifying features and species, and that appears to be increasing every year.

Self sufficiency

 

I've noticed from the labels on new gates that the gates had been fabricated in Frome, some way from the forest, and I can't understand why. After all the bulk of woodland in the New Forest is managed for timber, you'd have thought it would be easy to be self sufficient where timber products were concerned; and if not why not. They grow many of the raw materials on site, for negligible price. For me this type of thing is indicative of how we got to where we are. The New Forest shouldn't be an importer of timber products, if anything it should be exporter; the forest should become a hub of sustainable and sensitively managed production, and the preservation and continuation of traditional skills. I can't think of anything greener. 

Slow worm

Although most days you wouldn't know it Spring has sprung, and out in the forest there's stirrings everywhere. This morning we happened upon a Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis) basking in what passed today for sun;  no doubt recently emerged from hibernation. It's always a thrill seeing wildlife up close.

Preparing for extraction

This bridge over Linford Brook has been temporary strengthened in preparation for timber harvest and extraction from the surrounding Milkham enclosure. There's a lot of forestry activity around the enclosures at the moment, mostly the thinning of mature Douglas stands. Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) timber is of high quality and much sought after and valued by carpenters for a wide range of uses. 

Obsidian pools

The sky touches an obsidian pool.

Magic circle

Finding things like this make my day, I absolutely love them. Well off any track, deep within a mosaic block, an oval of small branches built around a conifer tree. The feature has some age to it, with mosses having become established and colonizing the oval. This is a favourite block of mine, and one that I've wandered through frequently, reminding me that no matter how well you think you know a piece of woodland there's always more find. Clearly built with purpose, it's a purpose I'll never know; another mystery, another fragmentary context-less glimpse into someone elses' world.

Ogden's Purlieu

 

This mornings' long walk was spent mainly roaming some of the forests' plains. The plains are exposed and windswept, an open landscape of heather, bracken and gorse heathland, and of waterlogged hollows and wetter valleys. An environment that can become difficult to negotiate, though affords the determined walker superb views. It's a funny thing that in our imaginations the forest is just that a 'forest' all trees, whereas in reality at least 50% of the forest is wild open heath and bog. Above is the view across Dockens Water and over Ibsley Common and Ogden's Purlieu, with Hasley Enclosure on the horizon.

Red-Belted Bracket fungus

I'm fairly certain this is Red-Belted Bracket fungus (Fomitopsis pinicol); it'd be mad if it wasn't, what with it having a distinctive red belt and all.  Sources conflict as to whether this fungus is common or rare in the UK, all say common across all of Europe, some though say rare in Britain and Ireland. Either way I think this is one.

Ramson buds

I spotted the first Ramson (Allium ursinum) flower buds this morning, the wheel of the really is turning with speed, alarming speed in my opinion. Still, I'd better get my wild food head on, the season of the spring greens is upon us. 

What are the odds.

 

Lost keys hung on a branch. It's not uncommon to see dropped items visibly displayed on the sides of tracks by good folk in the hope that they and their owners might be reunited. Though these keys are not on a well worn path or track these are hung on a very random low branch in a block of anonymous mixed woodland of varying density, with no paths to speak of beyond ephemeral wildlife  tracks. Losing things is easy, too easy, and losing your keys, well, that almost a cliché. What are the odds though of someone finding them, the floor and understory of this block are wild and unkempt, an environment that stacks the odds in losses favour. Then. What are the chances of me whilst wandering in the same pathless woodland finding them hanging there. The good Samaritan must be a true believer. The ring is rusting well, so I'm going to suggest they've hung here a while. Un-retrieved. Made me think. Because I never see others when wandering off piste, I imagine, or assume, no one else walks where I walk. Taking into account that evidence suggests people must, what are the odds of us all passing that apparently very random anonymous spot.

Tanglewood

 

Tanglewood

Larch Blossom

 

Larch (Larix decidua) blossom, an enchanting flower that as it happens in folklore protects you from enchantment. 

Misty morning

A beautiful misty morning in Mark Ash Wood.

Shut that gate

Clearly it's not just me that's noticed a marked increase in gates being left open about the forest. I've seen these going up all over. It's quite telling of a people that they require reminding to do the bleedin' obvious, the proper thing. 

Berry Beeches

 

Berry Beeches

Gnawed beech

Back in 2016 this mature Mark Ash beech only narrowly escaped a complete ring stripping by dint of two narrow crevices into which the ponies teeth couldn't reach. You'd imagine this level of bark damage would be catastrophic, though remarkably the tree survives today thanks to those narrow crevices. Isn't nature amazing.

Encrusted fronds

Encrusted fronds in a forest ditch.

Bubbles

Bubbles emerging from beneath a stone on the bed of Bratley Water; the bubbles appearing near continually. I sat watching for quite a while, most peculiar. I wondered by what mechanism this was happening. I pretty quickly ruled out something hiding under the rock, just upstream there's a shallow waterfall and all I came up with was air being forced via the waterfall through root casts or similar. 

British Soldiers

British Soldiers (Caldonia cristatella)

Nibblers

You can see that this isn't the first time that this Holly has been nibbled by ponies. It's quite amazing that you'll see trees nibbled to what looks like within an inch of their lives thriving after years abuse.

Get it on

 

Get it on.

Endor

 

I'm sure I could hear Ewoks chattering.

Phospurous by Custard Flux

 

A 4th serving of Custard Flux, Phosphorus, was dished up in the Autumn of 2022, with the vinyl release in August 2023. I recently availed myself of a copy and wasn't disappointed. Best known for being the driving force behind The Luck Of Eden Hall and his countless contributions on other musical projects Gregory Curvey is an accomplished multi instrumentalist, composer, artist and artisan, Detroits' very own renaissance man. Custard Flux is his evolving project based around a harmonium he restored, and with 3 albums already under his belt the distinctive sound of Custard Flux is developing nicely.

 

There's been little change to the line up in the band since 2020's 'Oxygen', beyond the departure of Walt Prettymans' violin and the addition of the flute and backing vocals of progressive space rocker Jay Tausing the band remains the same. The fantastic talent of Vito Greco on guitars, including some particularly nice Portuguese guitar; the return of Timothy Prettymans' excellent double bass; legendary saxophonist Mars Williams brings a proggy jazz atheistic, with echoes of Gong-est atmospheres at moments; and drums, percussion, piano, harmonium, harpsichord, auto-harp, and of course dazzling guitar and distinct vocals delivered by Curvey himself. 

 

Always setting the bar high Curvey consistently surpasses it, and he's done it again with 'Phosphorus'. As you'd imagine Phosphorous shares core DNA with it's predecessors, though again further evolved and augmented. As with previous Custard Flux releases there's plenty to enjoy. Laden with inventive genre spanning compositions where progressive rock dances with cerebral psyche along to pop beats, arrangements with a classical air which give them a certain gravitas, and always tracks that you feel could surprise you at any moment, and often do, Phosphorous is an aural feast. Curvey has a unique style and sound, lover of complex melodies and wonderful riffs, always lyrically interesting, his distinctive and inimitable creative style runs through his work like Brighton through rock, and Phosphorous is no different.  This is another fabulous album from Custard Flux, you'd be mental not to avail yourself of a copy. Absolute quality elegantly performed to perfection by a top flight ensemble. Cap doffed.

Get your double 150g blue or black vinyl, housed in a quality card stock gate fold sleeve adorned inside and out by some fine art by Gregory Chamberlain, plus lyric sheet and postcards, from Custard Flux. Bloody Lovely.

Drainage

 

Without drainage much of the 'forest' would be wholly unsuitable for growing timber, too wet you see, hence the extensive drainage networks and the Victorians straightening of lengths of forest stream. Times change though, as do priorities. Today many sections of the streams have been returned to their pre Victorian courses, and all over the forest the filigree of drains go for the most part unmaintained, often filling with debris to the point where many are becoming redundant. The forest is returning to a more natural boggy state.

Ch ch changes.......or not.

Carved 95 years ago, so what's changed since CB made their mark on this mature beech in 1929. Well, what was going on in 1929? It was the beginning of the Great Depression, the beginning of a devastatingly period of poverty and decline, there was violent conflict between Jews and Arabs in Mandatory Palestine which saw hundreds dead and injured, across Europe nationalism and fascism on the rise, and around the world change bubbling up. Well, they do say history repeats itself don't they. They also say if we don't learn from history we're condemned to repeat it, looks like we weren't paying attention, eh. Is that proof of the Strauss-Howe hypothesis?

Legion Son of X: Invasive Exotics (X Men Legacy)

 

He's going to keep his fathers' dream alive, though going to do it 'his' way. Following the untimely death of his father Professor Charles Xavier, David Charles Haller known in certain circles as Legion continues to follow his path towards redemption, whilst wrangling control of the myriad powers running rampant in his head and pursuing a relationship with his new found love Blindfold, a student at The Jean Grey School. And there's still the issue of the powerful and frightening interloper lurking in the shadows of his mind, who is it, what it's game? Full of twists, turns and surprises Legion Son of X: Invasive Exotics (X Men Legacy) by Simon Spurrier, Tan Eng Huat and Paul Davidson is a fabulous read. Superb writing by Spurrier, who portrays David in an unusually sympathetic way, an engaging story, witty and clever, and one which ensures this volume is a real page turner, though Huat and Davidsons' lovely illustrations keep you lingering on the page. Oh the dilemma.

Of birds and berries

 

I was talking to this old guy who lives right out in the forest, he noted that there were fewer birds about than usual, something I'd noticed too. As evidence he pointed to the number of berries left on the surrounding trees, something I'd not considered, though yeah, with holly particularly noteworthy. Climate change? Who knows. The old guy suggested it could be the return of Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) to the forest after an absence of over a 120 years.  Apparently there are 45 pairs in the forest, as successful breeders that number could rise quickly. They're top of their local food chain, a big hawk, as big as a buzzard, and a formidable predator too, predating on other birds of all types and sizes, they'll even take out other raptors (the old guy mentioned he'd found a couple of dead owls which looked Goshawk-ed) and a whole range of mammals, earning themselves the moniker the 'Phantom of the forest'. I couldn't say whether he's right, it's interesting though, conservation as we practice it can be myopic, prioritizing the welfare of one species over the interests of the wider community.

Burley Old

Burley Old

Bomb store track

 

In the hollow of Magpie Bottom the last remaining section of the Second World War concrete track way which ran between the Bomb Store at the Corner of Holmsley Enclosure and the dispersal pans on Plain Heath. The majority of the track way has had it's concrete surface grubbed up, now just bare gravel. I think this section only survived due to the boggy nature of the bottom here, the removal of the concrete would've rendered the track impassable.

Mycelium Wassonii: Norma Tenega by Brian Blomerth

Recently a friend of mine kindly lent me a copy of Brian Blomerths' Mycelium Wassonii: Norma Tenega. Beautifully illustrated in Blomerths' 60's 70's underground comic stylee it enjoys an engaging quaintness and tells the psychedelic adventures of pioneering mycologists R. Gordon and Valentina Wasson  and their expeditions to discover rare psychedelic mushrooms, indigenous mushroom rituals and exploring their effects. It's a really lovely story, sad, but definitely lovely.  A recommended read for both comic and mushroom lover alike.

Nursery blocks

 

I mentioned a ways back that silver birch were commonly grown in nursery blocks with longer lived hard woods such as oaks and beech amongst them, the quick growing birch affording shelter and protection. The sheltered trees being big enough to go it alone their birch defenders are for the most part cleared.

Ramsons

Bang on time the arrival of February sees the first emergence of that perennial wild food favourite the Ramson (Allium ursinum). A ramson woodland in full flower is a wonder to behold, you'll need to wait a couple more months yet for that though.

Green wood

There's a lot of forestry going on about the forest at the moment. Some mature blocks are being clear felled, some previously cleared blocks replanted and there's a lot of thinning happening too; here juvenile Beech have been removed from amongst their more senior Oak. Our forests are unimaginatively managed, or at least could be managed more productively. Imagine if we managed and utilized our forests to their fullest as a huge diverse sustainable resource, if we used traditional skills to produce traditional and contemporary products for a modern world. A huge amount of things can be made of wood.

Imbolc

 

Imbolc is here, enjoy the first feast of spring and the excitement it brings. With the first signs of life renewed, our hearts with light and love imbued. Said to mean 'in the belly', a reference to the pregnancy of ewes, Imbolc more broadly represents the imminent burgeoning of spring. Blessings at this time of new beginnings y'all.  

Spawn

 

It's that time of year again. Frog spawn usually arrives early in these parts, it has and they've been busy too. Spawning this early can be a risky business, I've seen huge clumps of spawn devastated by frost. They're hedging their bets with the quantities they've produced though.

MM 1944

 

There are those in the nature loving and pagan communities who'd pour scorn on folk who'd scar and mark trees, and in some circumstances I've got a degree of sympathy for that. Though I have to say that for the most part I enjoy graffiti. Be it profane or mundane or profound, someone had been moved enough to spend time and effort on it's carving. Fair play. One type of graffiti that never fails to move me is wartime graffiti, and particularly that of American servicemen here only fleetingly during World War Two. I've often wondered the fates of the carvers. To me the imagine of young men thousands of miles from home, fully cognisant of the possibilities ahead on the eve of the unknown wishing to leave some mark before they go, no matter how ephemeral, is a powerful image. MM did just that in 1944, no doubt just before D-Day. There used to be ten or so pieces of American WW2 graffiti I knew of in Burley Old, though as the years go by they're slowly being reduced by time and the elements. 

White Shoot reflections

I stared for a while into the reflection cast by the sky and a gaggle of silver birch in a forest pool, the scene appeared to take on the appearance of an oil painting to me.

Black Water

 

This stretch of Black Water above Gravelly Ford has always been a favourite of mine. Before they deer fenced a large portion Rhinefields Sandys, we'd regularly  park in the old car park on the ridge a wander hereabouts. Our walks often taking in both Ober Water and Black Water, and the mosaic stands of Rhinefields Sandys enclosure running between the two. It was good walking. Still is. Although as you'd imagine, the imposition of a large chunk of the enclosure being securely fenced and inaccessible really affects your roam.