Harry! Wally! Put that deadly nightshade down; it’s not safe to handle!” At the age of 10, Ted had learned enough about poisonous plants from his gardener father to warn his schoolmates about their dangers.
Just like today, children in the 1940s were curious about Nature. They made daisy chains and Ted constructed a long one which he threaded through the spokes of his bicycle. But alas, these young people did not understand the dark side of the natural world like Ted did, which made him a very useful school pal to have.
Ted’s favourite plants are sunflowers and goldenrods. Interestingly, the latter can be classed as either a weed or as an easy-to-grow flower.
Farmers could also classify birds as friends or foes. Ted worked for a farmer in Hethel who was trying to grow peas, but greedy jackdaws were helping themselves to the tasty crop. Ted, a man of many talents, saved the day by making a scarecrow out of sticks and rags.
In addition, farmers kept the pesky birds away using a carbide gun. This consisted a plastic pipe containing the chemical, calcium carbide, which made a shotgun-like sound when a few drops of water were added.
However, this ‘bang’ could be so loud that avians not causing any trouble in neighbouring fields would also take fright and then take flight. And there were certain feathered friends which were very welcome on the farms such as pheasants, peacocks, and partridges. Indeed, Ted knew a farmer who bred local cock pheasants with imported ones to get bigger eggs.
Ted is a great fan of the various rhymes and songs which have been made about robins, such as When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along. He especially likes the recording that Doris Day made of this song, as she was also his late wife’s favourite singer.
Ted’s favourite birds are the blue tits because they are as chatty as he is! He really likes it when they puff up their chests to fluff their feathers. Guinea fowls are his favourite birds that can swim. And he is partial to wild cockatoos – well, they do have a few choice words to say!
