Johny Kingdom

[coasty]

Well I think the guy is great, Ok he isnt very politically correct but he is honest and cares for the countryside.. I cant help thinking about the Vis character Farmer Palmer every time I see him.

[witham]

I don't know much about establishing a mahusive pond like that, only smaller garden ones, but I was surprised when he said it was full, I thought he was leaving it again for the clay banks to harden and I expected there to be a bit more water in it, the banks seem very steep and there's not much flatter space left for animals like deer etc to drink from it.
I also agree that definitely wasn't Ray, maybe his first cousin twice removed Ray

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by PMG

I think I too have been won over after last nights prog - I haven't changed my mind about Johnny's character - and he is a character - I'll bet he;s got up to 'all sorts' in his time - but he's essentially a 'showman' I don't know whether thats a good or a bad thing but there's no denying his enthusiasm. If earning money on the telly, guiding folks around etc has netted him enough to buy some LAAAAANNNND then good luck to him. Whatever he does with it or at it will increase its diversity - the pond is a good idea - as they are being filled in all over the country. Just why he's dug it like a pit and doesn't appear to have shallow bits and why so steep sided must be down to inexperience. Maybe he won't ask for advice on how to do things - tho there;s plenty books and written advice on all aspects of countryside 'creation'. Maybe 'serious' sorts of folk won't help him - or maybe he doesn't like these kind of folk and wants things his way - on his LAAAnnd!! Whatever as they say!

Ooooh errr Chris - you got me worried now about Christine - cos I look and sound quite a bit like her

Pauline

You had better not look what I said about Christine then..

The vegetation will eventually grow over the banks so small mammals and amphibians will get in and out..As for the deer they may get stuck and drown It will probably flood in winter too..

Those red deer were gorgeous..

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

You had better not look what I said about Christine then..

The vegetation will eventually grow over the banks so small mammals and amphibians will get in and out..As for the deer they may get stuck and drown It will probably flood in winter too..

Those red deer were gorgeous..

That's what I mean I'm like her - I get mistaken for a bloke too - but in my line of work its better than being small, slender and looking frail

Pauline

[Meta menardi]

I could forgive him a lot after the lampreys last night. He has an eye for some things, but I think his pond is a potential disaster.

[Dan Salter]

Back to the badly designed pond...my hunch is that the digger driver if he has had any sort of experience digging ponds/lakes before i bet they were "fisheries" lakes stocked with carp when this kind of profiling would be fine...normal...almost like a reservior...but clearly its totally wrong for wildlife...the vegetation will help a little eventually but thats a long way off considering the tiny amount of plants he put on a half acre pond (and all in one blob then another blob on the island?)...pond design/profile is a bug bear of mine as we now have 4 so called wildlife ponds on our college campus that are all breaking every rule in the wildlife pond profile book! and even after myself and many others mentioning this to the lecturers...there is now pond number 5 being built on our countryside training area which looks more like a sunken jaccuzzi with sides to steep even i wouldnt be able to get in or out? i just dont get it....its not exactly rocket science...but the fact lectureres are teaching it wrongly makes you realise why so many ponds out there are built wrong (for wildlife)...
its simple.....think tea saucer(with a deep centre)....and NOT casserole dish !

[snowdrop]

Perhaps he could get one of those lovely builders to knock him up a sloped or stepped gadget for wildlife access to his pond as a short term answer until the vegetation takes a proper hold? Though I have to agree it seems a bit too sparse and high up to be of use.

He;s touched lucky with .. His Laaand .. what with all manner of bird including kites and otters, deer and badgers. Will there be enough of ..His Laaand left to cope at the end of the series, I wonder.

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

I could forgive him a lot after the lampreys last night. He has an eye for some things, but I think his pond is a potential disaster.

I liked the lamprey bit too, I used to catch them along with bullheads in a local stream when I was a kid.

He liked having the deer on his land didn't he?

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Back to the badly designed pond...my hunch is that the digger driver if he has had any sort of experience digging ponds/lakes before i bet they were "fisheries" lakes stocked with carp when this kind of profiling would be fine...normal...almost like a reservior...but clearly its totally wrong for wildlife...the vegetation will help a little eventually but thats a long way off considering the tiny amount of plants he put on a half acre pond (and all in one blob then another blob on the island?)...pond design/profile is a bug bear of mine as we now have 4 so called wildlife ponds on our college campus that are all breaking every rule in the wildlife pond profile book! and even after myself and many others mentioning this to the lecturers...there is now pond number 5 being built on our countryside training area which looks more like a sunken jaccuzzi with sides to steep even i wouldnt be able to get in or out? i just dont get it....its not exactly rocket science...but the fact lectureres are teaching it wrongly makes you realise why so many ponds out there are built wrong (for wildlife)...
its simple.....think tea saucer(with a deep centre)....and NOT casserole dish !

I have only ever built one pond I copied Alan Titchmarsh's Design..On an old gardeners world I think. JK's looks like an old quarry that is near me it has JCB's the lot, they came to work on it one day and it had filled with water overnight. So they left it. It's now a fishing lake..

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by snowdrop

Perhaps he could get one of those lovely builders to knock him up a sloped or stepped gadget for wildlife access to his pond as a short term answer until the vegetation takes a proper hold? Though I have to agree it seems a bit too sparse and high up to be of use.

He;s touched lucky with .. His Laaand .. what with all manner of bird including kites and otters, deer and badgers. Will there be enough of ..His Laaand left to cope at the end of the series, I wonder.

I agree, although the Red Kite was not on his land it was on the land where the hares came from and then later he went to wales to view them