Driving home from fieldwork one day last week, I was dismayed to see that a Wokingham borough council mowing team had attacked one of the big roundabouts on the A4 near Twyford, as well as a stretch of central reservation in the dual-carriageway section between Twyford and Sonning. Before the onslaught of the lethal blades these were attractive expanses of rough long grass with plenty of spring flowers, chiefly cow parsley and buttercups. A vital food source for invertebrates as well as being very attractive in their own right. Now it looks dreadful, as though given a haircut by a particularly incompetent trainee barber. Unfortunately so does our back garden lawn since yesterday. We share the garden with a downstairs neighbour who finally decide it was time to ‘tidy’ the burgeoning meadow we had so enjoyed watching from our living room window.
Chris Foster 