FROM US TO YOU - Good to SHARE

A feel-good musical, a plain-looking pooch and plovers making a comeback

- ANNABEL KEMP

Baby boom

The ringed plovers of Alderney have had a golden year, with a record number of fluffy chicks born at the last breeding season. This outcome is largely due to newly protected areas for nesting sites. Nine chicks from six breeding pairs fledged successfully. The population is the last in the Channel Islands, and it is hoped that with the ongoing support of the community and the Alderney Wildlife Trust, these birds can thrive."
* Visit alderneywildlife.org

A KNOTTY PROBLEM

Can you recognise Japanese knotweed? Knowing what to look for is important, as the invasive species spreads quickly and damages buildings. Its reddish-purple shoots emerge in spring, resembling asparagus spears, while its rolled-up dark green or red leaves open out into heart shapes with pointy tips, and flower tassels appear in late summer. If you spot it in your garden, find out how to treat it at gov.uk

On this day in history

'Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble...' Shakespeare's famous play of witchcraft and treachery, Macbeth, was first performed in public at the Globe Theatre on 20 April 1611. Legend has it that Shakespeare researched real spells when writing his witches' chants, which include the powerful ingredients of fenny snake, eye of newt and toe of frog.