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ThornyHedges

@thornyhedges.bsky.social
1.4K followers 2.4K following 1.1K posts

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 📖 🏡 ☕️ 🐈‍⬛ 🐞 🪴 Family, friends, music, green spaces, horticulture & nature are my happy places with a book or two thrown in for good measure. #wildlife #trees #photography #nature #cats

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ThornyHedges @thornyhedges.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
A few years ago, I planted a Prunus 🌸 in our front garden which subsequently developed canker 😪. I recently discovered that when these houses were built a Sorbus 🌳 was planted in each front garden. Both are part of the Rose 🌹 family 🤦‍♀️. Cornus Midwinter Fire & Crocus have been planted instead 🤞.
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ThornyHedges @thornyhedges.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
A few photos of our garden...
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George The Station Cat @george-station-cat.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Night night sweet dreamies You’ve done enough for today. Whatever didn’t get finished can wait. Whatever didn’t go quite to plan can be left where it is. Tonight, be proud of the little things you managed, the kindness you showed, and simply the fact that you kept going
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Other work by the Ladybird artists ‘Work on the Farm in Late Summer’ Artist: SR Badmin
Finally detailed mixed media illustration looking down onto a small farmstead nestled into the countryside. The farm buildings are bustling with life as farm labourers go about their business, including herding a small herd of cows into the yard. 
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Ice cream in the rain Artist: Harry Wingfield (1965) #bankholiday
Two children without coats, bravely wait in a heavy rain shower to attract the attention of an ice cream man in his van
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Sometimes it's hard to work out why an illustration is so appealing. It just is. Artist: G Robinson (1959)
An illustration of a small tree branch with twigs and leaves and 12 light red cherries, set against a plain, neutral background. Underneath in hand-cut lowercase typeface the words “12 cherries”. 
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Back when tinned grapefruit (or a slice of melon or a glass of orange juice) was an ‘hors d’oeuvres’ - and signified the start of a posh meal
Photo illustration of a glass filled with a portion of tinned grapefruit, standing on a patterned coaster on a green tablecloth 
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Ladybird Book Nature Corner ‘Periwinkles’ A gem of a painting by artist Jill Payne ‘Seashore and Seashore Life’ (1964)
Close-up of seaweed covered in periwinkles like little jewels. The seaweed is growing on an old wooden post in the sand. Sand and sea are hinted at in the background. 
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George The Station Cat @george-station-cat.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Good morning & welcome to Whiskers Wednesday How to live a joyful life: Go do something fun for yourself. And then go do something nice for someone else. Repeat as needed. ❤️
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ThornyHedges @thornyhedges.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
We need to show rightwing newspapers that actions have consequences. Add your name: goodlawproject.org/s/abb8a1
goodlawproject.org
Jason Arday: Demand a public inquiry now | Good Law Project
Commission an immediate public inquiry into how to ensure a responsible press given its contribution to Dr Arday’s tragic death.
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
‘Great Inventions, 1961’ Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope Artist: Robert Ayton
Illustration from the endpapers of the revised edition of the book showing a detailed illustration of the dish set against a striking dark pink ground
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Other work of the Ladybird artists ‘Northern Ireland’ Artist: SR Badmin
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Other work of the Ladybird artists. ‘Eastbourne’ (circa 1950) Artist: Ronald Lampitt
View looking down on a very crowded beach, filled with people doing normal beachy things. The road is equally packed with colourful cars that look like Matchbox toys
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George The Station Cat @george-station-cat.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Good morning & welcome to Whiskers Wednesday Don’t let yesterday decide how today begins. Every sunrise quietly reminds us that fresh chances are given more often than we realise Meet today with hope, and let tomorrow take care of itself.
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Ladybird endpapers, “Finding nature in towns and cities” (1980) Artist: Christine Owen 'Nature in the Town'
A patch of land in an urban landscape which has been left to  grass and rubble. Wildflowers, insects and small creatures have begun to make it home
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George The Station Cat @george-station-cat.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Good morning and welcome to tuna Tuesday Never lose the part of you that believes life still has beautiful moments to offer. That quiet hope is priceless.
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Other work of the Ladybird artists ‘Chester’ Railway poster, circa 1955 Artist : SR Badmin
A travel poster showing the classic view of Chester town Centre viewed from the high portico towards the half timbered shops
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National Trust @nationaltrust.org.uk · 20/07/2026
One of our favourite nature facts is that a group of ladybirds is called a 'loveliness'. 📷 Rob Coleman
Close-up photograph of a cluster of bright red ladybirds with black spots gathered on the sloping wooden surface of a bug hotel or stacked logs. Around 30-40 ladybirds are resting together in a sunlit triangular recess between weathered pieces of wood, with warm natural colours and shallow depth of field creating a softly blurred background.
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The modern world in old Ladybird books. The mail train Artist: John Berry (The Postman, 1965)
The railway carriage has been designed as a sorting office. Several men, with shiny Brylcreem hair, dressed alike in long brown dust jackets, stand in the carriage sorting letters into pigeon holes
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Ladybird books in the spotlight. ‘Garden Flowers’ (1960) Artist: John Leigh-Pemberton
Front cover of the ladybird book, showing a cluster of summer flowers including Lupins, sweet William and Nigella
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Other work of the Ladybird artists. ‘Scarecrow’ (Look and Learn Magazine) Artist: Ronald Lampitt
A scarecrow viewed from the back stands in a summer field. It is wearing a rugged brown coat and brown hat.
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Vita Sackville-West @thegardenvsw.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Botanically related to the Ixias, since they both belong to the iris family, are the Sparaxis. The best known is the Wand Flower, S. pulcherrimum, now Dierama pulcherrimum, a graceful but rather untidy thing for which I know I ought to, but cannot, entertain a deep affection.
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St Edmundsbury Cathedral @stedscath.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
The Bury St Edmunds Art Society will hold their Annual Summer Exhibition in the Cathedral Cloisters from Tuesday 14 to Monday 26 July. Join them 10.00 am – 4.00 pm with free admission.
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Nursery Rhymes, 1966 The terrifying ‘Goosey Goosey Gander’ Artist: Frank Hampson
At the top of an elegant spiral staircase in a mansion, an enormous goose holds a man hanging upside-down in the air over the banister rail. The man is dressed in a striped waistcoat and blue breeches.
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ThornyHedges @thornyhedges.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
M6 J38 CLOSURE PLANNED FROM 2027 FOR 4 YEARS! PLEASE SIGN PETITION (SEE PHOTO) & SHARE.
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Froglife @froglife.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
The Woodland Trust are giving away 1000s of free tree & hedge packs! Whether you're part of a local community group or school, why not green up your area to help grow a healthier future & support wildlife? Hurry, applications close in Aug! ow.ly/QtYm50Zi9Fa
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ThornyHedges @thornyhedges.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Please click on photo for full picture of my unruly and wildish front lawn. 🍀☘️🌱🌼🌸🕷🦗🐞🪲🐝🐜🐛🦋🐌🐦‍⬛🦔🦡🥰
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Ladybird Book of Trees, 1963 Walnut and Dogwood Artist: SR Badmin
Finely-detailed mixed-media illustration of a walnut tree in summer. The picture focuses on the rough bark of the tree. The dogwood is in the background in a meadow.
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George The Station Cat @george-station-cat.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Good morning & welcome to #Caturday A happy life begins when you decide to be happy in each moment. Positivity is contagious. Make sure you are spreading it.
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The Ladybird shed (Helping at Home, 1961) Artist: Harry Wingfield
In a shed, a couple of small children help their pipe-smoking dad to tidy the tools
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Carl Bovis @carlbovisnature.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Hey everyone, can I ask a favour. ❤️ Please go and have a look at my little bird shop here; www.carlbovis.com/shop-3 🙏 It's been very quiet for a while... 🐦 No obligation to buy anything of course, but you may just see something you'd like. 😊🐦❤️
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George The Station Cat @george-station-cat.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Good morning & welcome to fish for tea Friday Not everyone will return the consideration & kindness you give, but that’s a reflection of them, not you. Keep being the person who makes the world a little brighter & don’t forget to be just as kind to yourself.
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George The Station Cat @george-station-cat.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Good morning & welcome to Tippetty Tap Tap Thursday. Take a moment today to lift your chin, breathe deeply and look up and appreciate the little things. The world has a funny way of looking brighter when you do
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
A wall in the hot, July sun. Artist: CF Tunnicliffe What to Look for in Summer, 1960
This image focuses on a close-up of a couple of square foot of old dry stone wall in full sun. It is covered with Ivy, Pennywort and small creatures including butterflies, a lizard and a thrush with a snail.
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Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
People quite often ask me on here "Which of your books should I read first?" so I've written a little guide here, which also includes a way to order them, internationally, without paying any postage: www.tom-cox.com/a-brief-guid...
tom-cox.com
A Brief Guide To My Books
Villager is where I'd advise you to start if you wanted to read one of my novels. It's also the one people most frequently tell me they reread. It's set on a fictional moor which just happens to be in...
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Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Bit troubled that I spoke to someone on Saturday who saw this photo on Instagram the other day & assumed it was AI - "Oh, that was really in your house?" - which I think says less about the photo & more about terrifying things that are currently happening to people's brains because of the internet.
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Brian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Ribblehead Viaduct and Whernside, Yorkshire, photo by landscape photographer Paula Beaumont.
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
‘The sweet shop’ Artist: Martin Aitchison, We Have Fun, 1964
Two children, Peter and Jane, are in a sweet shop. They are holding white packets and have clearly bought their favourite sweets. A laughing Jane teases their red setter dog with a boiled sweet.
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Summer storm Artist: CF Tunnicliffe (What to Look for in Summer, 1960)
Farmworkers hurry to cover a hay wagon as a storm breaks, splitting a grey sky with lightning. Set against the dark grey in the foreground are some cheerful fox gloves and other summer plants.
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ThornyHedges @thornyhedges.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
St Andrews Botanic Gardens
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ThornyHedges @thornyhedges.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
www.lightningmaps.org
lightningmaps.org
Real Time Lightning Map
See lightning strikes in real time across the planet. Free access to maps of former thunderstorms. By Blitzortung.org and contributors.
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Froglife @froglife.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Invasive plants can harm wildlife too. Himalayan balsam crowds out native vegetation and can damage riverbank habitats used by amphibians and reptiles. Healthy habitats mean healthier wildlife. #InvasiveSpeciesWeek #HimalayanBalsam #NatureRecovery
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Ben Dolphin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❄️⛰🌲 @countrysideben.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The sight & sound of flowing water this PM, for those of you who are feeling overheated and/or land-locked 🥵 Hasn't actually been that hot here today (nudged 27.5C), but it was the warmest of recent days. It's been dry the last week or so, but it's nice to see more water in the Dee this year 🙂👍
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The modern world in old Ladybird books. “Fleet Street - the Street of Ink” (The story of Newspapers, 1969) Artist: Ron Embleton
A colourful scene in Embleton’s distinctive high-contrast style looking down on a busy Fleet Street in semi darkness, brightly lit by shops and traffic
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Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Minor disaster on the Blackwell's website which you could say is a double-edged sword. The book is currently showing as sold-out. Please ignore that. It's a glitch. And if you check back tomorrow it will be re-available to order...
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Everyday Ladybird things (1978) Peg dolls
Photograph from a 1970s series of Craft project books showing 2 Peg dolls dressed like a Victorian lady and gentleman in top hat
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The Ladybird fan. Mind your fingers Artist: Gerald Witcomb (1976)
A photo realistic illustration of a three bladed propeller fan set against a plane beige background
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Helen Day @lbflyawayhome.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
‘The Inquisive Harvest Mouse’ (1949) Artist: PB Hickling
From the grass of a meadow, a harvest mouse looks up towards a five bar gate where a thrush is perched
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ChrisGibsonWildlife @chrismothman.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
c.org/zJhSnx48VJ PLEASE consider signing this. I have visited many botanic gardens in Britain and Europe, and this is one of the best. It would be a travesty for an 'educational' institution to be allowed to desecrate it. Living heritage like this is arguably more important than fusty old mansions.
c.org
Sign the Petition
Save Dundee Botanic Gardens and cafe
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