The British Hen Welfare Trust rescues its 100,000th hen
One hundred thousand hens can now enjoy fresh air, green grass to scratch and space to ruffle their feathers, thanks to the hard work of The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT).
The Devon-based charity celebrated the impressive feat earlier this month, when Instow based Gabby Hews and her son Jack picked up newly named Lucky to join their garden flock.
Lucky’s change in fortune marks the 100,000th rehome in Devon alone, with another 630,000 hens finding new owners elsewhere in the UK.
On this day...
Happy Halloween! The 31 October celebration began some 2,000 years ago and is marked around the world on the eve of All Hallows' Day. Halloween began as the festival of Samhain, part of the pagan traditions of the Celtic religion in Britain and other parts of Europe. The Celts believed Samhain marked the night when the door between this world and the next was open and spirits could pass through.
Walkers warned to be ‘tick aware’ after brain disease found in UK for first time
Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed cases of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks from Thetford Forest and an area on the Hampshire-Dorset border.
The infectious disease is spread to people by tick bites. It is already circulating in mainland Europe and Scandinavia, as well as Asia.
Most people who catch the virus will little or no symptoms, but the disease can progress to affect the brain and central nervous system and can sometimes be fatal.
PHE says the risk to people is still ‘very low’ and it is monitoring the situation to identify how common the infected ticks may be.
And finally... Painted pumpkins prove popular
Painted Halloween pumpkins have swelled in popularity this year, with many swapping the carving knife for a brush.
And if you're not naturally creative, artist Kate Elgood recommends spray painting a pumpkin and then covering with an old pair of stockings for a surprisingly effective look. Plus it saves the tights going into landfill, so offers a green (or should that be orange?) alternative.
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Uniquely unique? The Yorkshire grain silos transformed into a home that's a symphony in glass, steel and curvesAmid the beautiful countryside of North Yorkshire, on the edge of the Castle Howard Estate, The Silos is a property for which the word 'house' simply doesn't cut it. And that's not the only way in which it's made us throw out the dictionary.
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Polluting water executives now face up to two years in prison, but will the new laws make much of a difference?The Government has announced that water company executives caught covering up illegal sewage spills could now be imprisoned for two years, under new laws — but many still have their doubts.
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The brilliant tractor tribute to the NHS from a group of Warwickshire farmersPeople around Britain have been paying tribute to the efforts of our NHS workers at the time of the coronavirus pandemic — but few have been as creative and clever as this one.
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London's iconic red bus at risk and 6,000 year old chewing gum gives clues into our DNA historyCuts to industry subsidies and an increase in fares has left bus use at its lowest point ever, while DNA extracted from ancient 'chewing gum' allows scientists to decipher the genetic code of a Stone Age woman.
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90-million-year-old 'swimming dinosaur' skeleton found by dogs out walking in Somerset, and the nonchalant moths who don't bother fleeing enemiesA superbly intact dinosaur skeleton — described as being 'museum quality' — has been discovered on a beach in Somerset.
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Battle to ban 4x4s from the idyllic Lake District spot bequeathed by Beatrix Potter, eagle fights octopus and the 'snail's pace' climate talksThis morning we look at Little Langdale's fight for peace, reflect on the climate change talks in Madrid and discover the soundtrack for Brexit.
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Country Life Today: How Greta Thunberg shifted the dial on climate change — and the backlash shows just how muchThis morning we ponder whether Greta Thunberg is the Joan of Arc for the environmental movement, look at a key election — one from 19 years ago — and ponder the marvel of 'dad tidying'.
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Country Life Today: Great news for those who love our great country pubs — the years of decline are overThere is a great sign of health in the pub industry, we look back at Edward VIII's abdication message and fret about Greenland's melting ice.
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Country Life Today: Spain accused of being 'a deplorable choice' for UN climate conferenceA no-holds-barred assault on the Spanish fishing industry, Banksy raising awareness of the homeless and the woes of the Christmas jumper are in today's news round-up.
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Country Life Today: 'This is perhaps the ultimate wake-up call from the uncontrolled experiment humanity is unleashing on the world’s oceans'In today's round up, we examine why oxygen loss is putting oceans at risk, discover that action to cut air pollution brings almost immediate benefits to human health and find out which bird's arrival marks the start of winter in Gloucestershire.
