ObituarySylvia Kingsbury

Sue Townsend

Sylvia was a longstanding member of the botanical society with a keen interest in keeping records. She was part of the original ‘mini flora’ group who assembled to keep good records and encourage each other’s accuracy under the guidance of both Charles Sinker and Ian Trueman. She was something of a pioneer, being employed as a virologist and actually discovered a new type of virus in the 1960s. Her natural history interests were very wide - she regularly submitted records of mosses and liverworts and was a member of the British Bryological Society. When I first met her back in the 1990’s she had retired to Shropshire and her mobility wasn’t what it was. In fact I only met her a few times at indoor meetings at Preston Montford where she attended with pleasure as she was, at that time, able to drive up from her home in Bishops Castle. She also had a keen interest in cecidology (the study of plant galls) and was an active member of the Plant Gall committee. She sadly died on Christmas Eve 2022 and I for one will miss knowing she is no longer there.

ObituaryPirkko Lisa Higson, 1937 – 2022

Ruth Dawes

Pirkko was born in Finland, but I knew her, and her surviving husband Neil, as the owners and dedicated carers of some exceptionally fine limestone grassland in Nantmawr. She inherited her love of plants from her mother, a keen horticulturist. Despite having health setbacks, Pirkko and Neil opened their meadows in aid of Shropshire Wildlife Trust in the summer of 2022 on a spitefully showery day. Kind local friends provided assorted good cakes for refreshments, but the highlight was the well planned signed walk past groups of tall, sturdy Ophrys apifera Bee Orchids in numerous places. In some years flower numbers have been in three figures. Well, how often do you see that in “just a meadow”? There were other commoner orchids too and herbs, including Clinopodium vulgare Wild Basil and Origanum vulgare Wild Marjoram and lots of Odontites vernus Red Bartsia, plus butterflies. Periodic visits from grazing stock help to manage the meadows. Thankfully, her family have promised that Pirkko’s legacy will be carried forward. Rest in peace, dear poetic friend.