Winter has arrived here in the valley this week and it's been cold and frosty most mornings which should give the bugs a nasty headache and kill off the midges that were still swarming up till the beginning of the month.  The 'not to be missed' event recently has been the Horton parish party with the usual WI panto featuring some very strangely dressed residents all being very silly.  I tried my hand at a comedy routine this year, but I do think that perhaps stand up comedy is not really my forte.  Still it seemed to go down well.  Talking of parish parties there seems to be an ancient tradition of MAA involvement in these events and a long time ago the club participated in the annual Christmas 'do'  organising uplifting readings and monologues as well as community singing round the piano.  One item just shows how much times have changed in the past 100 years as it concerned  a novelty act entitled 'nigger dancing'!!  Yeeees!

There was a fascinating article in the paper on Wednesday with an amazing photograph.  It would seem that the proprietors of a trout farm down in Hampshire were growing increasingly concerned about the high level of apparent predation at the farm during the winter and the loss of mature brown trout so they set a wildlife photographer to keep watch and record anything unusual.  What he saw just illustrates the power of native instinct.  The holding pond at the farm is fed by a six inch pipe about 3 feet above the waterline. The trout were leaping up into the pipe and swimming against the flow for 30 feet to emerge in the supply channel which is a tributary of the Itchen.  it would seem that the fish regarded the inflow as a waterfall and instinct was encouraging them to move up in order to spawn. The photo accompanying this article shows 4 large brownies caught in the act of leaping into the pipe in a bid for freedom.  Sadly this emulation of the great escape has now been stopped as a grill  has now been fitted to the supply pipe.

I will bring this remarkable photo along to the AGM, it should provide some interest and amusement (probably more than the Parish party).

See you next week.

Ian