In 1999, Rob had his first letter published in The Times. 126 to date, he hasn’t stopped bothering the Letters Editor on environmental issues. See this blog as to his thoughts (at times cryptic) incl pointers on writing a short letter
Tooth and claw script
latest batch: bird of prey predation | farmland wildlife and access | wildlife/renewable energy| kites and kestrels.
Eagle, wildflower, ranger
In no particular order or date……
- On sea eagles,
- Farmland wildlife
- National Parks US-style rangers
- wildflowers and The Archers
- Rural housing challenges. Times letter headlining ‘The Week’
- Farming challenge post Brexit
- Little owls and storm petrels (102nd) Jan 15
- Times letter Sir Peter Scott’s love of nature

Cow, hedgehog, flood
- Indoor cows
- Hedgehogs ‘fiddling in gardens’
- Two early letters (fox hunting) from 2000
- Racetracks and skylarks
- Farmers and flooding
- Ecosystems and food – farming is the new challenge
- Urban foxes
Bracken, badger, food
- Spinning nature for members
- Songbirds
- Conifers and turbines
- Bracken control
- Food and State of Nature
- Ash die back (1 of 5)
- Badger cull and moles
- GM and butterflies
- Culling deer
- Unaffordable food
Dairy, bees, fungi
- Conservation grazing
- Dairy rich diets
- Horsegate
- Insects, benzene, bees and neonics
- Letters ‘triggered’ by Simon Barnes – re grouse shooting, gamekeepers, food prices and biodiversity offsetting
- 100th Times letter (trees and fungi)
- Carluccio’s mushroom letter

Trees, hedges, deer
- Stop being fussy over trees A conversation thread.
- Farming, forestry, hedgehogs, rural housing
- Red kites, farming
- Woodcock
- On badgers
- Farmland flooding
- Hedgerows
- on deer fencing and birds
- Wildlife, renewable energy trade-offs
- a gang of them hedgerows|Ag bill | forestry | farmland birds | flooding |deer fencing | badgers | heather burning |trees in hedges
- More coming….
A retrospective #blackgullview
See retrospective (note, today’s enviro issues) via Twitter under hashtag #blackgullview of letters in date order (from 1999 – 2022)
1&2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25&26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30&31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126
Return to Home page