Irene Lavington

Doing the garden / digging the weeds / who could ask for more?

[Field Studies Council @FieldStudiesC]

From puffins to pine martens, which creature do you think should be on our next banknotes? 🐦️

The Bank of England has shortlisted 18 incredible UK species to feature on future £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes, and now it’s up to the public to help decide!

From the much-loved hedgehog and red fox to the colourful kingfisher and Atlantic puffin, even a humble bumblebee could soon be in your wallet. 💷

🗳️ You can vote for up to six favourites before 3rd July. While the final decision rests with the Bank of England, public opinion will play a key role.

Which would you choose? Find out more here: https://t.co/4YjhYdmoNM

[Irene Lavington @biscuitweevil]

If you have hyperacusis it's probably not a good idea to see a film about hyperacusis #TheTuner

[Irene Lavington @biscuitweevil]

Only just found out that Michael Keating (Vila from the 1970s TV show Blake's 7) had died. Sad times. Hoping the BBC will show a couple of episodes.

[Thames Chase @Thames_Chase]

Recently, the Thames Chase Conservation Volunteers have been hard at work at Valence House repairing their Anderson shelter. This replica Anderson shelter is a part of Valence House's World War II 'Dig for Victory' garden and provides an excellent learning resource for the many schools that visit the museum.

Unfortunately, over time, one side of the raised beds that form a part of the shelter had become rotten. With some good timber, excellent volunteers and a team effort, we were able to restore this shelter to look as good as new!

Thank you to the team at Valence House and to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for having us. We look forward to coming back soon.

If you would be interested in joining the Thames Chase Conservation Volunteers, please contact the Thames Chase Forest Centre: [email protected] or call 01708 642970. #thameschase @lbbdcouncil @ValenceHouse

[Kathryn Baird @Kathryn11Baird]

I live in a lovely village but 'my' postbox hangs out with a few unsavoury characters. #PostboxSaturday

[Leeds International Festival of Ideas @LeedsIntFest]

We're thrilled to reveal the first three names for #LIFI26 🎤

🎹 Tim Minchin
📚 Ashley James
🐦 Dr Mya-Rose Craig

Leeds Playhouse, 6–10 October 2026. Subscriber priority sale 4 June, general sale 10 June.

Full story 👇
https://t.co/8b2g7lstkA

[Irene Lavington @biscuitweevil]

#TheBookmarkProject 2026 charity auction opens on Tuesday 5 May at 6 pm. Choose bookmarks drawn by the famous, the talented, & the famously talented https://t.co/TiEN9LbOPU

[ALISON BRACKENBURY @ABRACKENBURY]

How big, bold and loud the House Sparrow is, although, sadly, still declining in England! This male, confidently calling from a low forest of greenery nesr the gate near a Cheltenham allotment, shows the joyfully untidy abundance of plantlife they prefer!

[Hookland @HooklandGuide]

Divination by cloud AKA nephomancy, is much practised in Hookland. In 'Old Mother Waldron's Book of Cloud-telling' – a classic on the subject – this formation is known as 'The Elephant Chaser'. It's said to represent someone pursuing big dreams without practical strategies.

[Irene Lavington @biscuitweevil]

@HummingBird_The No. What was the species?

[Happy Place Friends @HappyPlaceGang]

SUPER SQUIRRELLY - Red Squirrels think this fun feeder is made just for them. Not that they don’t find a way to claim every bird feeder. Squirrel VIP seating. An Eastern Chipmunk tiptoed along a flat platform where we also sprinkle seeds. #wildlife #nature #patioseasonishere
-Mom

[Thames21 @Thames21]

📸 Got a great shot of London’s rivers?
The London Rivers Week Photography Competition 2026 is live!
🌿 Capture nature, people, and water in one frame
⏰ Deadline: 1 May
🏆 Prizes up for grabs!
➡️ https://t.co/dPJz5FLTyy

[Irene Lavington @biscuitweevil]

Fifty years ago I went on a school trip with Miss Griffiths to the Shaw Theatre, Euston and saw Angela Pleasance as a rather mature Juliet #TheMoonTheMoonTheInconstantMoon

[Field Studies Council @FieldStudiesC]

Spotted any little volcano-like holes popping up in your lawn lately? 👀 You might have some special springtime garden guests…. 🐝

This fuzzy orange beauty is the Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena fulva), one of many solitary bee species that nest in the ground. The females have bright orange hairs on their abdomen, and special adaptations to help them dig into the ground.

They have strong back legs, with plates on them that help them to move around within the tunnels they dig. Plus, they have a tiny trowel-like tip on their abdomen, called a pygidium, to help clear out soil from their burrows.

They’ve evolved specifically for building nests underground, shaping little homes in our gardens, lawns and wild patches. 🏡

They’re fascinating to watch, so take a look at your lawn and see if you have any little fluffy residents. Let us know in the comments if you have these beautiful bees in your garden.👇️

Check out our opportunities and resources to learn more about insects and garden wildlife: https://t.co/PyFSnrO4Sc

#NationalGardeningDay #Bees #Entomology #GardenWildlife #Nature

[Thames Chase @Thames_Chase]

Check out this bold coloured Grape Hyacinth.
A small spring plant that pops with colour, the humble Grape Hyacinth is often overlooked. However, as a reliable source of food for early arriving pollinators it is excellent. Originating from the Mediterranean and central Europe, these small perennials are naturalised in northern Europe and like well drained soil, in either sun or light shade. Plant some in your garden this autumn, to see them sprout and bloom next spring! #thameschase @ForestryEngland

[Irene Lavington @biscuitweevil]

I misread the logo of a maintenance company as "Men in Bloom". I would certainly buy flowers from you if you diversified.

[Michael Sanders @HummingBird_The]

Nothing poses like a robin! 🐦🙂 At Warburg Nature Reserve yesterday morning #birds #birdphotography

[Thames21 @Thames21]

📸The London Rivers Week Photography Competition 2026 is now open, inviting Londoners to capture the beauty, wildlife and community life of our city’s rivers, canals and wetlands. 🧵⬇️

[Field Studies Council @FieldStudiesC]

Lawns don’t usually grow much over the winter but as we get into March many of us will be ready to tidy up our gardens. An early mow can benefit wildflowers hiding amongst the grass too.

Before the first lawn cut of spring, you should make sure temperatures are at least 8-10 degrees, the lawn isn’t waterlogged, and there are signs of new growth in the grass.
🌱 Your first lawn cut is one of our ten indicators of spring. Tell us when you first get your lawnmower out this year!
https://t.co/GhBTq0taVK

#SignsofSpring

[Michael Sanders @HummingBird_The]

Here're Mrs & Mr bullfinch having a morning bath, at Warburg Nature reserve last weekend. I had two males and one female visiting the pool several times during my visit. 🐂🐦🙂 #birds #birdphotography