I have reached the half way point in my Heritage Lottery Fund project at the museum researching the volunteers for the Great War. Every day throws up something to fascinate me and take me off exploring another avenue on the chase for detail. Amidst the sad stories I also come across stuff that just appeals to my sense of humour. Here is a perfect example.
Trawling through the back copies of the local paper for 1917 I found this call for help from the children of Tenby. Of course I understand that the desire then was to maximise crops for the war effort but the picture it conjures up of children running all over the place with nets and the paraphernalia to wipe out the Cabbage White in West Wales just makes me smile, especially as the following week's paper carried the report that 'Up to date 1350 white butterflies have been destroyed by Tenby schoolchildren'. If they all collected their 2d they'd so far earned about 4 shillings and sixpence by my reckoning and probably decimated the populations of species like the Wood White or the Green Veined White that are in decline today. I doubt they stopped to check which white butterfly they were murdering for their 2d!
It's a great example of how times change and how our thinking is so different today, knowing what we now know. Today, because of the conversation that ensued from this article, I found out that the museum has an extensive moth and butterfly collection in trays stored away. I can't believe I didn't realise that until now and could kick myself for not finding out before. Still, there is a plan to show me everything next week sometime and I am excited already. I'm also off on a Bumblebee Identifcation training day on Friday and I'm excited about that too. So many things still to do. So little time.
4 comments:
I wonder how much of the cabbage crop was saved as I can imagine all those feet trampling on the greens in their effort to catch the butterflies. Reminds me of the 6d per tail offered for any grey squirrels caught and killed at one time. I never got a 6d and I don't think the grey population is any less anyway for all those poor tail less squirrels. How times change!
Hopefully the mild winter and glorious weather we have this Spring will be good for the butterflies ... and the bees - I am very envious of you going on the Bee I'd course. I can name a few bee species now, but there are so many variations!
Really pleased to have an update on your museum project as I find it all so interesting.
Catching up again Lesley. Lots of interesting posts. What a shame about the woodpecker but an opportunity for a close look. I once found a tiny deceased pipistrelle on the bonnet of my car, such a shame, but a wonderful opportunity to handle one. We've seen them flying round here for a couple of weeks now. You also jogged my memory about the cabbage white. I seem to remember my grandfather encouraging us to catch them. Luckily I don't remember actually doing so!
Post a Comment