This spring's bad weather appears to have delayed the ripening of countryside fruits such as bramble, rowan and elder, conservationists warn. Blackberries, rowan and elder berries are all ripening much later this year than last year, according to sightings submitted to Nature's Calendar, a scheme in which the public records signs of the changing seasons. The delay in fruiting leaves wildlife and human wild food gatherers waiting impatiently for the start of the annual autumn feast in the countryside.
Apple harvest will suffer
Growers say their orchards have been blighted by frost, rain and hailstorms through this year's soggy spring and summer, meaning this year's crop will be dramatically reduced – and prices significantly higher. Favourite home-grown varieties such as Cox's Orange Pippin and Braeburn have been most affected.
Game Fair casualties
Businesses from across the Westcountry which were planning to exhibit at last month's CLA Game Fair, to have been held at Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire, are still reeling from the cancellation of the event. Many businesses have launched online sales and other initiatives to try to boost businesses.