On Saturday we went on a fungi foray organised by the Mersey Valley Countryside Warden Service. We assembled near Sale Water Park and headed off around Hardy Farm and Chorltonville so pretty much the route we cycle down towards the river. The mushroom count was pretty low – it was a really warm day and the conditions were not quite right. Still we saw a few and I managed to spot the first; a Clustered Domecap:

We also saw a Weeping Widow, Turkey Tail, Dead Man’s Fingers, Stinking Dapperling and Artists Fungus. Photos here.

Because the French, Italians and Eastern Europeans have a much longer history of foraging for Wild Mushroom, they tend to have a lot more common names. In Britain, because the mushroom has always been slightly feared, we are really lacking in non-Latin names. So much so that the British Mycological Society had to invent some common names.

On Sunday we took our vast coconut shy expertise to the Heaton Mersey Farmers Market. It was a really great day and we raised about 100 quid (minus the cost of the coconuts!) for charity.

It was more exhausting that we thought. I suppose spending 5 hours with kids is knackering. Plus all the stalls were giving away sweets to anyone who didn’t win so by the end they were even more hyper.