round here, except for the New Zealand Pygmyweed, which is in nearly every bit of
water and certainly something we could do without. However, this is definitely not the
fault of the local nurseryman.
Bob is good at spotting other plants too. In the middle of Upminster he found three
huge Water Poplars by the side of the local school playing field, and also the little Wall
Lettuce in the nearby parish churchyard. Having been told where they were, I went to
see them, but I cannot believe how I missed them before, as I thought I had looked
thoroughly in my own area. I must go round much of the time with my eyes shut!
The first half of August got very hot, and on the 10th the temperature broke all British
records with a sweltering 38.5°C (101.3°F) at Brogdale, Faversham, Kent. Trains had
to go more slowly or were cancelled as rail lines buckled, some people drowned while
trying to cool down in water, and high rates of absenteeism caused widespread problems.
The hot weather was not restricted to southern Britain, but much of Europe was suffering
staggering temperatures and drought, with serious loss of crop yields and many wild
fires.
Here we had fires too. I was with a group of BTCV volunteers in Belhus Woods Country
Park one day and we heard crackling and smelled smoke. Some folk went to see, and
one used his mobile phone to call the staff. Four small fires could be seen along the far
side of a field, burning the dry hay. The staff arrived with a 300 gallon water bowser,
and gradually 13 fire engines arrived, from Grays, Hornchurch, Ilford, and even Stansted.
The engines were refilled from the adjacent lake to fight the fires. It took several hours,
and a few hectares had been destroyed. Two hours later was another alert, and two of
the fire engines returned to stop fires in another area. Probably the same arsonists were
to blame. Not only did the country park lose revenue from the lost hay, but also young
trees were killed, a large part of the patch where the scarce Yellow Vetchling grows was
burnt out, and the whole patch where the Burnet-saxifrage grows was destroyed. I
hope there is sufficient of the Yellow Vetchling left unharmed for seeds to grow next
year, but I am less sure of the Burnet-saxifrage. It is a perennial, and the fire went so
fast that I hope some of the rootstocks survived, but the flowering stems were in flower
and young fruit, so I fear the rootstocks may have been exhausted. The heat and the
continuing drought do not help recovery.
Walking in Hornchurch Country Park a few days later there was evidence of fires there
too. It seems that arson is a major problem at this time of year, in public areas all over
the country. Bored youngsters arc tiring of the long summer holiday, and go outdoors
in the fine weather to have an adventure. We all know people who enjoy having bonfires
in the garden, and it is easy to understand the pleasure in the power of fire as such.
However, the police rarely catch these daytime young arsonists, and it is hard to know
what can be done to deter them.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 43, January 2004
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