The Frightened Face of Nature

  • Man-Made Nature

    Man-Made Nature

    By Helen Jeffries – FFON’s London Correspondent. Since people have been allowed out for as much exercise as they want, and have been gradually returning to work, London feels more like itself. When I go out to work I see a lot more people about and there is also more noise of traffic. I’m sure…

  • Low Tide at Vauxhall

    Low Tide at Vauxhall

    By Helen Jeffries – FFON’s London Correspondent. Since the lock down I’ve started taking an interest in the tides of the River Thames. It’s possible to look up the tide tables for Tower Bridge and those are pretty much right for the surrounding parts of the river too. On my most recent day off I…

  • Made in Chelsea

    Made in Chelsea

    By Helen Jeffries – our London Correspondent.  As it was such a beautiful day today, and I had a day off, I went for a walk along the Thames through Chelsea.  Around this time of year the Royal Hospital, Chelsea (where the Chelsea Pensioners live) would normally be a hive of activity gearing up for the…

  • Greetings from London SE4

    Greetings from London SE4

    Looking North from Blyth Hill towards Canary wharf, my city in lockdown – so sad and weird. Oh the sound of silence and breath of clean air. An occasional plane, but hell is invisibly about. In the garden, a patient cat. I’m so pleased we have a garden – blue and great tits, robin, wren,…

  • Tales from the Riverbank

    Tales from the Riverbank

    By Helen Jeffries – FFON’s London Correspondent. Having unexpectedly got an extra day off on Easter Monday I set out in the freezing cold for a bracing walk along the Thames – across one bridge, along the Embankment, back across the bridge, and so home. While still on the bridge I saw two male mallards…

  • Bats, birds, bold foxes and stargazing: is nature reclaiming the city of London?

    Bats, birds, bold foxes and stargazing: is nature reclaiming the city of London?

    Written by Helen Jeffries – our London correspondent. Since the clocks went forward I’ve been seeing some beautiful dawns as I walk to work through deserted London. Because a lot of central London architecture uses glass walls, the dawn catches the glass and blazes in reflected pinks and yellows. It feels strange to go out…