Views from the Summerhouse

Watching birds in winter – is there anything interesting to see?  Surely it’s all blackbirds, robins and seagulls at this time of year? In this episode, again recorded in lockdown but with the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 29th to 31st January in mind, Susie, Tiggy and Ann are joined on zoom by their friend,  Jane, to chat about the birds they have seen this winter.  Jane lives at the coast and so is able to bring a different perspective from the Liskeard gardens and farmland. Winter is often the best time to see birds if this is a new hobby for you because you can see them so easily without any leaves on the trees – and lockdown walking and a little bit of seed in the bird feeders have brought some surprising bird sightings for our podcasters; Jane also reports a range of night time noises; Susie and Ann identify more unusual birds with distinctive markings; and Tiggy tells us how her bedroom is full of unexpected companions! Our podcasters hope you will have time to try the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this week end (see below).  And they apologise for omitting the spectacular starling murmurations that Susie and Ann have been to watch this winter at Rough Tor, near Camelford – well worth a visit at sunset. Apologies too for the usual interference from outside activities – this time a delivery of logs forces an interruption to the recording! Notes and mentions: Useful Bird Guide:  Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe  (Available from Amazon during lockdown) Big Garden Birdwatch, 29-31 January, 2021    rspb.org.uk   The Cornell Lab Merlin bird identification app - free Bird feeders:  Kingfisher Traditional Bird Feeding Station on OnBuy ;  Gardman Wild Bird Flip top Nyger Thistle Feeder (swallowaquatics.co.uk)  Affordable binoculars: see the range offered by the RSPB e.g. RSPB 8x42 Puffin Binoculars: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo  Tawny Owl Calls: Wikipedia: .  Tawny Owls can make a variety of calls but the most familiar are their "kee-wick" and "hoot" sounds. The hooting or “twoo” sound is usually made by the male and is a territorial call. You can sometimes hear a female responding to a male's “twoo” call with a sharp “kee-wick”. But they make more noise than the other four species put together during October and November. And all this extra shieking,  hooting and 'kee-wick'- ing is down to one thing: territory. Young birds are reaching maturity and looking for new homes while older birds are fighting to hold on to their patch.  Do please e-mail us if you can with a question about ‘adventures in Cornwall’  or with something new you might be trying in lockdown at:  viewsfromthesummerhouse@gmail.com  Audio attributions: Happy Boy Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3855-happy-boy-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Boy End Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3854-happy-boy-end-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Painting and drawing – the perfect activity for chilly winter days! In this episode, recorded just before Liskeard moved into Tier 3,  we start 2021 with a self indulgent look at all the fun you can have just sitting down with your paints or a sketch book and pencil. Painting and drawing is the perfect activity for this time of year and whether,  like Susie, Tiggy and Ann you are coming back to it after your working life,  or whether you are starting from scratch, it is probably hard to beat sitting down at your kitchen table with a mug of tea, Radio 4 on in the background and just playing around with a bit of paper and some sort of drawing or painting utensil.  Susie,  Tiggy and Ann talk about how they have learned this year that it doesn’t matter what you do with your paint,  or what the result looks like – and it doesn’t matter what materials you use (a fork and a bit of old wallpaper or an Amazon box is as good as anything else) you can still have the best possible time.  They also talk about how much fun it was sitting out in the garden during the summer chatting with a box of watercolour pencils and attempting to give the impression of some of the lovely flowers they were surrounded with. Apologies again for the external noises (hail showers this time) around the open-sided summerhouse. Notes and mentions: Louise Fletcher,  This Painting Life, facebook group of would-be artists This Painting Life (facebook.com) Lewis Noble, abstract landscape artist and courses: Lewis Noble Artist Art classes with Jennie Boniface in and around Liskeard (not currently running because of Covid restrictions)  Art Classes with Jennie Boniface : Liskerrett Community Centre Tips for beginners – Ann’s  YouTube Channel:  DrinK in a Hand Art - Ann Kinahan - YouTube Ann's Instagram: DrinK in a Hand Art - Ann Kinahan - Instagram Inexpensive art materials available locally in Cornwall:  Liskeard - Trago Mills Do please e mail us if you can with a question or with something new you might be planning to try in 2021 at:  viewsfromthesummerhouse@gmail.com Audio attributions: Happy Boy Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3855-happy-boy-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Boy End Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3854-happy-boy-end-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Yoga, probably not for me? In this episode we interview Susie’s, daughter, Emily who runs her yoga business, EmilyRuthYoga. Emily, trained in India and is an experienced and sought after yoga trainer, normally based in the French Alps but currently running her classes on line.  We thought this was a great opportunity to find out more about yoga and to ask her specifically whether it can be recommended for older people who possibly are a little stiff and unbending after a lifetime of sitting at a desk or similar and probably will not be able to put their leg behind their neck, etc. We also find out about where and how to do it for a range of budgets. Apologies again for the wind whistling round the open-sided summerhouse. This episode was recorded just before the November lockdown. Mentions: Emily’s Yoga business (on line yoga classes): https://www.emilyruthyoga.com Emily demonstrating her yoga poses on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyruthyoga Yoga with Adrienne – free yoga videos: Free Yoga Videos (yogawithadriene.com) Yoga classes locally to Liskeard: Shukha Shala Yoga https://www.facebook.com/sukhashalayoga Do please e mail us if you can with a question or with something new you might have tried in Cornwall at: viewsfromthesummerhouse@gmail.com Audio attributions: Happy Boy Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3855-happy-boy-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Boy End Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3854-happy-boy-end-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Sport? Me, really? In this week’s episode,  again recorded before the November lockdown (and at the mercy of some very noisy squalls of rain outside the summer house - apologies),  we discuss what is involved in taking up a new sport, even if you don’t have a history of being sporty; why you might give it a try; the social and health benefits it can bring; and where this could lead. We are delighted to be interviewing Anne Bennett who relatively recently found she enjoyed triathlon and has now worked her way up and competed for the British Age Group Team at both the European and World Triathlon Championships. Notes and mentions: On line painting work shops with Bob Burridge  robertburridge.com Serpentine Running Club   www.serpentine.org.uk Club LaSanta,  Lanzarote,   triathlon training camp  www.clublasanta.co.uk British Triathlon  www.britishtriathlon.org Eton Dorney Sprint Triathlon  www.dorneytriathlon.com Hever Castle Triathlon www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk Cornish Tri Series https://intotri.com/cornish-tri Couch to 5K running programme www.coachmag.co.uk/couch-to-5k Do please e mail us with a question or with something new you might have tried in Cornwall at:  viewsfromthesummerhouse@gmail.com Audio attributions: Happy Boy Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3855-happy-boy-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Boy End Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3854-happy-boy-end-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

So what about gardening? In this week’s episode,  again recorded before the November lockdown,  we discuss what is involved;  how you can begin even if you know nothing about it; what are the benefits, etc.  and then we take a look at some tasks we can get started on this autumn. Mentioned 1. Jewellery workshop:  I Love Handmade Things,  sarah drew jewellery 2. Tartendown Nursery,  www.tartendown.co.uk 3. Robert Burridge American Artist  robertburridge.com 4. Plymouth Breakwater Swim   Race event | Plymouth Breakwater Swim | Racecheck 5. Fowey Valley Cider Company  Fowey Valley Cider E mail us with a question or with something new you might have tried in Cornwall at:  viewsfromthesummerhouse@gmail.com Audio attributions: Happy Boy Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3855-happy-boy-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Boy End Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3854-happy-boy-end-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Ever thought about cycling? In this week’s episode,  again recorded before the November lockdown,  we discuss how we started with cycling, the benefits,  how to find a group that suits you and which are the best local cafes for when out on a bike ride.  We also talk about e bikes and how you can give cycling a go if you are a very nervous beginner. Mentioned 1. Bob Burridge  (American artist)  robertburridge.com 2. Liskeard Velo  (local cycle group)   www.liskeardvelo.org.uk 3. Cycle friendly cafes:  Olive and Co,  Siblyback Lake, PL14 6ER;  Darite Village Hall, Darite (Saturday mornings) PL14 5JH;  Island View Cafe,  Hannafore,  PL13 2DJ; Cycle Hub Cafe, Lanhydrock, PL30 5AD 4. Jewellery workshops – I Love Handmade Things  sarah drew jewellery 5. Books – We Bought an Island,  Evelyn E. Atkins (about Looe Island) E mail us with a question or with something new you might have tried in Cornwall at:  viewsfromthesummerhouse@gmail.com Audio attributions: Happy Boy Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3855-happy-boy-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Boy End Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3854-happy-boy-end-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

If you are wondering how to make the most of your free time in Cornwall this might be the Podcast for you. This week we introduce ourselves,  Tiggy, Susie and Ann (with Pete our sound engineer)  in our summerhouse just outside Liskeard in Cornwall. We talk about the purpose of our podcast over the coming weeks – to share the huge range of adventures in Cornwall available to women no longer held back by work, both those that we have already tried and those that our guests can tell us about.  We hope to cover everything from yoga, through growing vegetables to sky diving, gig racing and swimming off our beautiful coastline.  We have found the range of activities available to us incredibly exciting and we hope to be able to share some of that excitement with you. Huge apologies that our podcast recorded from our summerhouse before the November lockdown,  sounds as if it has been recorded at the coast! This is in fact the wind outside because, in order to be Covid safe, the summerhouse has no walls.  We are so sorry if this interferes with your listening. Mentioned: 1. Walk at Meldon Reservoir,  Dartmoor, EX20 4 HN.  50 mins by car from Liskeard, car park http://www.gps-routes.co.uk/routes/home.nsf/RoutesLinksWalks/meldon-reservoir-walking-route 2. Child friendly beach at Delford Bridge, St Breward, Bodmin Moor, PL30 4 NL (known as Delfi Bridge), free car park 3. Fowey Kayak Hire http://www.foweykayakhire.co.uk/ 4.   Courgette cake recipe:  https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/courgette-cake-recipes E-mail us with a question or with something new you might have tried in Cornwall at:  viewsfromthesummerhouse@gmail.com Audio attributions: Happy Boy Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3855-happy-boy-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Boy End Theme by Kevin MacLeod This section is an excerpt of the original Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3854-happy-boy-end-theme License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/