Midlands News & Views

12/08/2026

No clouds have passed over Ellastone, Staffordshire for many weeks - until the moment of maximum solar eclipse!!

11/08/2026

With ice cream demand expected to peak again later this week, as the summer’s fifth heatwave hits the UK, production is at full capacity at Daltons Dairy in Wootton, Staffordshire.

Following the sustained dry summer, Rosa Dalton, director of the dairy farm situated on the southern edge of the Peak District said: “We had a bumper first cut, but the grass has now stopped growing so we are starting to feed the cows winter forage”. 🍦☀️🐄 🍦☀️🐄

28/07/2026

A combine harvester gathers-in organic oats from fields in Nottinghamshire. Following the prolonged spell of dry weather, today’s cloud-cover creates ideal harvesting conditions at Grange Farm, Normanton on Soar, Nottinghamshire. Cooler temperatures help to preserve the oats’ weight and quality.

The farm’s agroforestry project is part of the Trees for Climate programme, demonstrating how farming and tree planting can work hand-in-hand.

14/07/2026

Flanked by blue cornflowers and daisies, cattle explore a field of golden pasture in Feanedock Woodland in the heart of the The National Forest near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.

10/07/2026

10/07/2026

Emma Crawford, harvests lavender from three acres of flowers which have come into bloom two-weeks earlier than usual because of the heat-wave.

After picking by hand the blooms are put into bunches and hung up in a drying shed at the family’s farm near Newport, Shropshire.

This is the fifth harvest at The Lavender Farm The flowers are sold as dried bunches for flower displays and weddings and made into essential oils.

09/07/2026

Golden crops as far as the eye can see see Sudbury, Derbyshire.

08/07/2026

Avoiding the heat of the day, a dozen volunteers get an early start removing Himalayan balsam from ancient woodland at Dimmingsdale, Alton, Staffordshire.

The invasive species, introduced in Victorian times, prevents other native plants from growing. Each plant can produce more than 700 seeds spreading when their seed-pods explode in late summer - the seeds can lie dormant in the soil for seven years.

Today’s efforts, organised by Forestry England, are concentrated on removing the plants from banks when where bluebells grow next to the river Churnet.

Lauren Tucker, community ranger for the The National Forest in North Staffordshire and Forestry England in the National Forest said: “We’re really helping the bluebells to survive. We do this every week from mid-May and encourage everyone to pull up Himalayan balsam whenever they see it - it’s so invasive - it’s everywhere and I have nightmares about it”.

04/07/2026

A little off-patch again but we couldn't resist sharing this mayhem...

Flymos are not strictly not permitted but this doesn’t stop competitors getting airborne as they charge around a dusty field in their lawn mowers - with blades removed - at the British Lawn Mower’s Association sprint races held at the Heddington & Stockley Steam Fair, Wiltshire.

BLMRA (British Lawn Mower Racing Association)