Anne Clark Handmade – Diary of a creative person

Brambles and our Carbon Footprint

This year wild blackberries and brambles are struggling in many areas, as the extreme heat and severe lack of water cause the bushes to “panic”. While this has resulted in a much earlier harvest, the drought conditions mean many berries are shriveling on the branch before fully ripening. I have picked a few and put them in the freezer and hope I will find enough to be able to bake a few cakes. Unfortunately while doing this I managed to lose my new reading glasses amongst the bramble bushes near Aqueduct cottage on the Cromford Canal, so very expensive blackberries!

There are lots of bramble bushes appearing in our local churchyard. I am part of a community group who meet at the church to manage the area for both people and wildlife. As some of the brambles are enormous we have tried to cut back the largest, particularly where people walk and could get attacked by the thorns. We are however leaving areas where the bushes can continue to grow. I have recently having listened to a podcast by Isabella Tree and her daughter Nansy Burrells, from the Wilding project in Sussex https://knepp.co.uk/wildland-podcast/ . This helped me to realise how important plants like brambles, hawthorns and dog roses are for capturing carbon from the atmosphere.

Over the last few years we have heard a lot from the government about the importance of planting trees but not much about the importance of plants like brambles etc. During their rapid growth phase above the ground hawthorn, dog rose, and brambles actively pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, storing it in their woody stems and leaves. Below ground, up to 70% of the carbon captured by woody plants and shrubs is transferred beneath the soil. These plants have aggressive, deep root networks that lock organic carbon into the earth and also provide fantastic habitats for wildlife. I have to admit that because my own garden is small I am not keen on having a bramble patch at home, however I do have a hawthorn bush and let my grass grow long.

I am going to pick some more blackberries while being more careful with my new glasses. I have an idea for a cake that I want to try and if it works well I will post the recipe on this blog.

I will also bake a cake for our local blackberry competition.

Green Spaces

Sunlight delivers distinct types of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum: visible light (which allows us to see colours and our surroundings) and invisible radiation (such as infrared and ultraviolet rays). UV is responsible for causing sunburn and stimulating our bodies to produce Vitamin D and we perceive infrared radiation as heat. IR warms the Earth’s surface, regulates our climate, and maintains our planet’s temperature.

Green spaces naturally emit high levels of near-infrared (NIR) light because chlorophyll, (plants green pigment) reflects it. Spending time outdoors in these areas exposes you more infrared light, which can help stimulate mitochondrial function, cellular energy production, and overall well-being.

Plants absorb most of the visible light spectrum (like blue and red) to fuel photosynthesis. However, they strongly reflect NIR light, acting as a natural amplifier of this invisible wavelength. Because leaves reflect NIR rather than absorbing it as heat, you remain cooler when sitting under a tree. Researchers suggest that modern indoor lifestyles—where we lack this natural, green-reflected infrared—can lead to poor health outcomes.
Studies in physical health and psychology confirm that time spent in green spaces reduces cortisol levels, blood pressure, and the risk of chronic diseases. It also boosts positive emotions and overall well-being. In colour psychology, colours made up of long wavelengths are considered arousing or warm, whereas colours such as green that have shorter wavelengths, are relaxing or cool. The colour green can positively affect thinking, relationships, and physical health. Green is also thought to relieve stress and help healing.

Trees help people and nature thrive. The Woodland Trust says getting more trees in the ground will give us all a greener, healthier future, consequently they are giving away thousands to schools, councils, clubs and community groups to help make that happen.

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/

Fashion Revolution Week 2026

Fashion Revolution was founded in 2013 in the wake of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh. It was established to advocate for greater transparency, ethics, and sustainability in the fashion industry. The movement is known for its annual campaign, Fashion Revolution Week. This year it took place from April 22nd-28th. Belper’s first Fashion Revolution event took place in 2019, in St Peter’s Church on Friday April 26th. More information can be found on this blog post https://www.anneclarkhandmade.co.uk/fashion-revolution-week/

Clothes manufacturing is a major environmental polluter, responsible for roughly 8–10% of global carbon emissions, which exceeds the combined impact of international flights and maritime shipping

Recently I attended an interesting talk by Dr. Amy Twigger Holroyd, a Professor of Alternative Fashion Systems at Nottingham School of Art and Design. The title of the talk was “Historical Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion: Inspiration for Change” The lecture explored the history of sustainable fashion, providing examples of success stories and cautionary tales, covering materials, reuse, and manufacturing to inspire modern eco-conscious design.

One of the projects Amy has been involved with is the Reknit-Revolution , this involved reworking of existing knitted items using knit-based skills. This work was initially created as part of her PhD research, and has been further developed since. It was showcased at her first major solo exhibition, Units of Possibility: The Reknit Revolution, at Rugby Art Gallery & Museum in summer 2017. I found this most interesting as I enjoy knitting and also really love altering clothes both those I have bought secondhand or things I have had in my wardrobe for many years.

One interesting and unsettling thing Amy said was that although there has been a rise of people buying secondhand clothing, overall clothing consumption remains high, representing a “complementary” rather than “substitutional” shift in consumer behaviour. The global secondhand market is expanding three times faster than the firsthand market however it has not displaced the production and consumption of new garments. This phenomenon, sometimes called “circular economy rebound,” means that consumers often buy used clothing in addition to, rather than instead of, new items. More information about her research can be found here, https://amytwiggerholroyd.com

Below are some examples of clothes I have altered.

The skirt was a skirt I had for a number of years and so I wanted to make it more interesting.

This was a pre-worn jacket I bought from Ebay and then embroidered.

Crochet, Trains and the Ripple Effect Dress

This may sound like a very strange mix so I will try to explain. I learnt to knit when I was young and as a teenager made my own jumpers. I find knitting relaxing, creative and social. I usually carry a small project in my bag so that if I find myself having to wait for an appointment or a meal, I can occupy myself with my needles and yarn. I enjoy knitting on long car, bus and train journeys and even while listening to music in the pub. It can be a way of starting conversations when someone asks what I am making as they are intrigued if I answer, a jumper for a mouse.

Since 2012 I have been using my knitting and creativity as a way of making pieces to be displayed in public.Yarn bombing is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colourful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn rather than paint or chalk. It is also called wool bombing, yarn storming, guerrilla knitting, kniffiti, urban knitting, or graffiti knitting.There are several posts on this blog about this.

To get back to the title of this post, I have recently decided to return to crocheting and try to get better at it. It takes up less room in my handbag and I can achieve different effects and patterns with this craft. One recent Sunday afternoon I was sitting in the cafe of the restored Wingfield Station enjoying a cup of coffee and listening to some talented local musicians while practicing making granny squares. The station is on the mainline running from Derby to Chesterfield and is a good place for some train spotting.

A customer came over to me and asked what I was doing and this started quite a long conversation. She informed me of a local community project called the Ripple Effect Dress. This is a creative project inspired by David Attenborough’s ‘Ocean’ film. People were invited to design and make a unique piece to be added to the Ripple Effect Dress. I wish I had known about it in time to take part as it sounds such a fantastic idea. However it will be possible to see the finished dress and be inspired by the work others have done on Friday May 8th. I do not have any more details at the moment but will keep an eye on their social media page Facebook, the Ripple Effect and Instagram. The Ripple Effect Dress

A bit more information about the trains part of this blog. The restoration of the Grade II listed South Wingfield Station, (one of the world’s oldest railway stations), was completed by the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust in late 2023. The project restored the building to its original 1840 appearance, featuring repaired stonework, restored fireplaces, and a new visitor centre in the adjacent Goods Shed. Wingfield Station is open to the public as a heritage centre, tea room, local community amenity, event space and is also available for private and business hire. The cafe is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday, more information and be found here www.wingfieldstation1947.co.uk

As far as the crochet is concerned, I am enjoying getting back to learning this skill but still have a long way to go. I find the website https://attic24.co.uk extremely interesting and helpful.

Candlemas Day

I love to make my own Christmas decorations and having spent weeks creating them I am not too keen to take them down after Christmas .

When do you take your Christmas decorations down? Contrary to popular belief, the Christmas season can continue right through to Candlemas on 2nd February – so there’s no real reason why you should remove them any sooner. This ancient festival marked the mid point of winter, any Christmas decorations not taken down by Twelfth Night (January 5th) can be left up until Candlemas Day and then packed away until next year.

What is Candlemas and who celebrates it?

It was an ancient pre-Christian holiday celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere to mark the midpoint of winter, exactly halfway between the Winter Solstice (December 21st) and the Spring Equinox (March 20th).

Candlemas, given its occurrence in the beginning of February, also became a day on which people would prognosticate the arrival of spring according to its sunny or cloudy skies, as the lyrics of one old English song goes.

If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will have another bite. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter is gone and won’t come again.

Is Candlemas in the Bible?

Candlemas, and all other liturgical days, are not mentioned in the Bible directly with the exception of Christians worshipping on Sunday (the Lord’s Day). Candlemas is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the Purification of Mary. It’s the end of Christmastide/Epiphany for Western Christians.

As Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the temple 40 days after his birth, Candlemas is celebrated 40 days after Christians celebrate Christmas. The earliest reference to the festival is from Jerusalem, where in the late 4th century a Western pilgrim attended its celebration and wrote of it.

On this day, Christians used to take their candles to their local church to be blessed, hence its name, and then used for the rest of the year. Snowdrops, which flower in this month, are also known as Candlemas Bells.

In the Middle Ages Candlemas Day was one of the Holy Days when working people were expected to refrain from work. The pattern of medieval life cannot be understood without reference to the church. The word ‘holiday’ comes from ‘holy day’, and reminds us that days away from work were prescribed by the church and based on the Christian calendar.

Three other traditional holidays were:

May Day, (May 1st) which marked the beginning of Summer, halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It is an ancient festival often including the gathering of wildflowers to weave into garlands, dancing round a maypole and the crowning of a May Queen.

Lamas or Loaf Mass Day, (August 1st) when a loaf of bread, baked from the new wheat crop was brought to the church to be blessed. It was also a day for making corn dollies and enjoying a feast with family or friends.

All Saints Day, (November 1st) a day when all saints, particularly those who do not have their own special feast day, are honoured in Catholic and Anglican churches.

Prospect Cottage and Dungeness

It was a wet, extremely windy day when we decided to drive to find Prospect Cottage. Prospect Cottage is a turn of the century fisherman’s hut which sits on the shingle at Dungeness. It is easy to find on the road to the lighthouses and power station with its black walls and yellow paintwork. Getting out of the car however was a battle against the strong wind and it took two of us to open the drivers door. The bad weather did however mean we were the only visitors looking around the cottage.

Derek Jarman moved to Prospect Cottage in 1986. The cottage soon became a source of inspiration to all who visited and a creative hub where his artistic practices and collaborators came together. Prospect Cottage was, and continues to be, a place that inspires artists, and creative minds of all varieties. By booking one of the limited places you can step-inside the cottage and soak up the atmosphere of this unique building.

Who was Derek Jarman? Michael Derek Elworthy Jarman was an English artist, film maker, costume designer, stage designer, writer, poet, gardener, and gay rights activist. He was born in 1942 and died at 52 of an AIDS related illness. He made feature films, short films and music videos. He is credited in 55 films, including “Jubilee”, “Caravaggio”, and “Blue”.. To be honest I had not heard of him until I heard of his home Prospect Cottage near the power station at Dungeness.

We were unable to look inside on the day we visited but as there was no-one around we looked through the windows. It was however the garden that I was most interested in. Those who have visited Dungeness will be familiar with the very un-English prospect of encountering private gardens without fences. Regulations in the protected nature reserve mean that fences are mostly forbidden, so property boundaries remain blurred. The weather conditions meant we were the only people about and once we were able to stand against the wind we could enjoy the area. It was April and so no poppies or roses.

When Derek first moved to the cottage and started gardening he had hoped to surround himself with roses but most of the ones he planted could not cope with the exposed salty conditions. He turned instead to native plants – sea kale, wild peas, viper’s bugloss, teasels and sea holly. He used items he found on the beach and his neighbours were a little concerned that something occult was afoot. “People thought I was building a garden for magical purposes,” Jarman said at the time, “a white witch out to get the nuclear power station.” Driftwood totems now rise above shaggy tufts of sea kale, strings of pebbles dangle from rusting iron posts, and metal balls of fishing floats emerge from clumps of gorse.

Dungeness is home to the world’s smallest passenger railway as well as the largest shingle beach in Europe, and it’s a haven for wildlife and over 600 species of plants a third of all the plants found in the UK. Dungeness is host to many insect species. It is one of the best places in Britain to find insects such as moths, bees, beetles, and spiders.

Trees are Amazing

Trees are amazing, we need them in so many ways. In Japan people are encouraged to spend time de-stressing amongst trees. Japanese doctors promote forest bathing as a relaxing break from hectic urban life. If you’ve been in a forest, listened to the birds and watched the sunshine filtering through the leaves, you’ve already participated in one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental well-being.

Trees help us breathe, they take in CO2 and give out the oxygen we need to live. They keep us cool by absorbing water and releasing it as water vapour and give us shade and shelter. It’s estimated that trees can reduce the temperature in a city by up to 7°C. They also improve air quality and remove pollutants that could otherwise contribute to health problems. I remember seeing a TV programme about a city school that planted trees around its boundaries, air quality improved, the temperature cooled, noise reduced and most importantly children’s health improved. It’s thought the UK’s ancient woodlands absorb 1.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

At St Peter’s Church in Belper we are lucky to have 96 trees, at times when branches and leaves have to be cleared it may not always feel like this. Trees are homes to organisms which range from bacteria to fungi, lichens, free algae, mosses, vascular plants, invertebrate animals, birds and mammals. They are also fun, in the National Trust’s list of 50 things to do before you are 11 3/4 the first is, ‘Get to know a tree.’ When I was younger I loved climbing trees and I had a favourite tree in all the woods local to where I lived.

Scientist now believe trees communicate with each other by a common mycorrhizal network. This is an underground network found in forests and other plant communities, created by the hyphae of mycorrhizal fungi joining with plant roots. Harvard University has done some experiments which confirm that trees are indeed communicating and sharing nutrients through their roots, forming a complex system sometimes referred to as the “wood wide web.”

My favourite tree is the English Oak. Oak trees provide a rich habitat and support more life forms than any other native trees.” A single oak tree hosts 532 species of caterpillars. A single oak tree also shelters 147 species of birds, 120 species of mammals, and 60 species of reptiles and amphibians. Dead trees and logs also provide shelter and habitats for fungi, wood-boring insects, woodlice, beetle grubs, wood wasps, spiders, frogs, toads, hedgehogs and birds. A simple pile of logs can very quickly become a flourishing wildlife community, including, ants, beetles, snails and squirrels. Its is possible to provide a small log pile in the smallest garden and a delight to watch birds such as the wren looking for food in this habitat.

I have noticed King Alfred’s Cake fungi on the trunk of the odd shaped tree on the south side of St Peter’s church Belper. The fungus gets its name from the traditional tale of King Alfred who lived in the 9th century when parts of Britain had been over run by Vikings. The story says that the king was taking refuge from the Vikings in a peasant’s home in 878 AD. He forgot to watch some cakes baking on the hearth and was scolded by the women when they burnt. Looking at the fruiting bodies, it’s not a stretch to see their resemblance to burnt buns. This species is also known as a tinder bracket. It has been used for thousands of years as portable fire lighting material. Once a spark is created by hitting flints together or creating friction between pieces of wood this fungi can easily catch fire. It is said to have been used to carry fire from place to place as it burns very slowly. It may look as though it has gone out but once blown on, flames appear. It is also known as ‘carbon balls’ or ‘coal fungus’.

Bees of the uk

As I write this blog at the end of March I have already seen a few bees in the garden. I have a fondness for bees of all varieties but struggle to identify many of them. This is not really surprising as there are over 270 bee species in Britain ranging from the well known honey bee, to bumblebees and solitary bees.

The largest species of bee in the UK is the Garden Bumblebee, it is a long-tongued bee which uses its long face and tongue to pollinate hard-to-reach tubed flowers such as foxgloves. There are also many species of short tongued bees in the UK? They have short pointed tongues and often nest in soils. These bees collect pollen on the underside of the abdomen and on their legs. This is the reason why it is a good to grow flowers of different shapes so that your garden can be a feeding ground for a variety of bees and pollinators.

Most bumblebees are social insects forming colonies with a single queen. The colonies are smaller than those of honey bees, growing to as few as 50 individuals in a nest. One of the species which nests in bird boxes and lofts is the Tree Bumblebee. With this species you may often see ‘swarms’ of bees flying around the nest, this is perfectly normal as these are male bees flying around waiting for queens to come out so that they can mate. Male bumblebees cannot sting, so there is no need to be alarmed.

I love the fact that male bumblebees often have a yellow moustache. It gives them a comical look but it can also be a useful way to tell a male bee from a worker of the same species.

A waving bumble bee is said to mean GO AWAY!

There are also species of Cuckoo Bumblebees. Just like the cuckoo bird they take over the nests of true bumblebees. A female cuckoo bee will go into the nest, kill the queen, and take it over for herself. A cuckoo bee does not produce any workers, just new females and males.

Most bees to be found in the UK are solitary bees and have some fabulous names such as The Patchwork Leaf-cutter Bee. The females cut discs out of leaves, gluing them together with saliva in order to build the ‘cells’ in which their larvae live. The patchwork leaf-cutter bee is on the wing from April to August, and feeds solely on pollen and nectar.

Another of my favourite bees is the Hairy-footed Flower Bee. The hairy-footed flower bee can be seen in spring and summer, visiting tubular flowers like red dead-nettle and comfrey. As its name suggests, it has long, orange hairs on its middle legs.

The Wool Carder Bee is a very distinctive bee with yellow spots down the sides of their abdomens. They are one of the few bee species in which the male is larger than the female. Females comb wool fibres from plants to use as nesting material, while males fiercely guard areas of these plants for potential mates. Male Wool carder bees may not have a sting but they do come equipped with a set of spikes on their tails. They will fiercely guard a patch of flowers and chase, head-butt and wrestle any other insect, which dares to enter their territory.

The Ashy Mining Bee is one of our most distinctive spring-flying solitary bees with striking black and grey/white markings. Female Ashy-mining bees excavate small tunnels in the earth to make their nests. They can occasionally be found nesting in large groups, but are also found in small groups or as single females. Males have similar markings to females, although they are smaller and not quite as noticeable. They have more obvious light hairs along the side of the thorax and also at the top of the abdomen.

When you hear a buzzing in the garden this year take a closer look as bees come in all sorts of shapes, colours and sizes. There are some good sites to look up bee identification.

www.friendsoftheearth.uk/nature/bee-identification-guide

www.bumblebeeconservation.org/bumblebee-species-guide

Bees are great indicators of a healthy environment. But right now, they’re at risk due to climate breakdown and habitat loss. Shifts in the seasons are disrupting flowering times and the availability of food, shelter and nesting sites. Climate change also brings extremes of drought, heavier rainfall and flooding.

We can all do our bit to help bees, this website is full of useful advice, www.thebeeconservancy.org/10-ways-to-save-the-bees/

Dandelions are Important

Like so many familiar wild plants, the dandelion has a rich traditional history. They are thought to have evolved about 30 million years ago, long before humans inhabited the earth. Dandelions used to be woven into spring wedding bouquets to bring good luck, and to dream of dandelions promised a happy relationship. I am writing this blog as earlier this week I dreamt of dandelions and I then discovered April 30th is now officially dedicated to the flower as International Day of the Dandelion.

Children love to blow the seeds of the dandelion clock and it was also used as an indicator of love by those still unmarried. The favourite was ‘he loves me, he loves me not’, a process that also applied to plucking daisy petals, dandelions are in the daisy family. Seeds floating away were thought to carry feelings of affection to the loved one.

The common name dandelion comes from the French dent de lion, meaning lion’s tooth and refers to the dentate leaf edges. The dandelion has many names among them bitterwort, blow-ball, telltime, cankerworth, witch’s gowan, milk witch, Irish daisy, monk’s head, priest’s crown, swine’s snout and white endive. The French themselves have adopted the plant’s traditional reputation as a herbal diuretic, calling it pissenlit – literally, wet-the-bed.

While dandelions are around for much of the year, late spring and early summer is when they are most visible. This year they seem exceptional and I have seen people post strange photos on social media where several have joined together, (both the heads and stems) to create giant flowers. The dandelion you see most often is Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion, however there are more than 230 species of dandelion in the UK and the differences between them are small and very complex.

Dandelions are an early, easily available source of food for pollinators. Bumblebees, solitary bees and honeybees all visit dandelions, along with hoverflies, beetles, and butterflies such as the peacock and holly blue. Goldfinches and house sparrows eat the seeds.

Dandelions are good and useful for us as well. The leaves can be used to flavour salads, sandwiches and teas. The roots are used in some coffee substitutes, the flowers to make wines, dandelion jelly and honey. In the past, dandelion roots and leaves were used to treat liver problems. If you have allergies, you still need to check with your health care provider before consuming any dandelion product.

This year the Wildlife Trusts have called on people to make it a year of the dandelion spring, and I think the flowers themselves must have heard the news as the world seems to have turned yellow. They are so important for pollinators and wildlife. It is worth remembering we cannot survive without insects but if we were wiped out they would be fine, we need these beautiful wild flowers for our survival on earth.

A Rose by any Other Name …

Shakespeare had Juliette use the phase ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’, meaning that the names of things do not affect what they are. I am fascinated by the names of wild plants which vary in different parts of the country. All plants have scientific names but these, most people are unlikely to remember.

One of my favourite bushes is the Hawthorn which is also known as May, the month the flowers usually appear. There is an old saying, ‘Ne’er cast a clout till May be out’ and although some think this refers to the month of May I think it is more likely to mean the May flowers of the Hawthorn. There is often confusion between the Sloe Bush (Blackthorn) and Hawthorn. The flowers of the Blackthorn arrive before the leaves, whereas the flowers of the Hawthorn (May) open after the leaves.

Spring sees the arrival of the Cuckooflower, its upright stem bears delicate, small, pale pink or mauve flowers. Each flower has four petals, although double-flowered varieties can appear. The Cuckooflower gets its name because it appears around the same time as the cuckoo bird arrives. It is also known as Mayflower, Lady’s Smock and Milkmaids.

The Wild Carrot, (ancestor of cultivated carrots) also known as Queen Anne’s Lace, Bishops Flower and Birds Nest. Queen Anne was well versed in lace making and while sewing she pricked herself with a needle. A drop of blood fell unto her lace, leaving a single dark red/purple floret in the centre of the flower.

In the 18th century, English courtiers referred to this flower as “living lace.” According to this legend, the “living lace” name came from a contest that Queen Anne hosted for her ladies-in-waiting. She challenged them to produce a piece of lace as delicate and beautiful as the flower—but none could make lace to outshine the real thing.

The flower also referred to as “Bishop’s flower,” symbolises safety, sanctuary, and refuge. Another interpretation is due to the flower’s resemblance to a bird’s nest when it goes to seed—it then becomes the perfect symbol of the sanctuary of a happy home.

This year I have noticed an abundance of Cowslips. The cowslip has many folk names due to its historical importance and fame, including key of heaven, paigles, bunch of keys and herb Peter. Cowslip is actually a distorted pronunciation of ‘cow slop’, so named because the flowers are associated with cow pats in meadows and fields.

Similar to Wild Carrot is Cow Parsley with its tall stems and white lacy flowers. This plant is related to both wild carrot and parsley. The rather dismissive English name, Cow Parsley, simply means an inferior version of real parsley.