• Two years ago, a pair of robins managed to nest in a hanging flower basket but it was a struggle for both the owner, who had to water daily, and the robins whose stress level was always on high alert due to human proximity. The end result was the abandonment of three unhatched eggs in a sodden nest. When the mating pair showed up again this year, the owner decided to head them off early. After several gentle interventions to discourage the nesting instinct, their persistence forced a more definitive approach. A glass jar was placed in the middle of the flower pot leaving “no room at the inn”. It was knocked over once but, after replacing it, the message got through.

• A young lad at Knowlton Academy had a student teacher who was enamoured with turtles just as much as he was. They talked turtle frequently and on her last day at school the aspiring teacher gave the boy a story book about a turtle. A few weeks later, a parcel came in the mail for him and in it were two turtle sweaters. Yes, turtle sweaters. Have you ever heard of such a thing? They were crocheted by the teacher’s mother and they fit perfectly over the lad’s turtle’s shell and fasten with a belt across the bottom. They even have spikes going down the back. A very fashionable reptile.

• If you thought you were dreaming that you heard the crowing of a rooster in the middle of Knowlton, you could have been wide awake and indeed hearing that comforting sound. An avid chicken raiser purchased three new and exotic young hens and it was only a couple of weeks later that, to his horror, one of them found his voice and started to proudly crow. Apparently, this young chick had been raised in proximity to a feisty and dominant rooster and, consequently, he was intimidated to try out his vocal chords. It was only in the freedom of his new Knowlton dwelling that he realized his crowing potential. Sadly, for all concerned, he had to be returned to his original owners and be replaced by a less vocal female.