There has been a bit of debate at “Turtle Towers” this week about British-ness; perhaps it’s the feverish electoral cries of “broken Britain” that have got us mulling this over but the one thing we can all agree typifies British-ness is the slightly barmy things we do when the sun comes out.

Not only do we have a propensity to fling clothes (and modesty) to the wind when the weather sneaks above 18^oC but we also seem to believe ourselves imbued with superhuman powers as soon as the days lengthen (I like to call this May madness). What other explanation could there be for flinging yourself down a hill after a cheese (unless you were very, very hungry) or seeing shin-kicking as sport. We are lucky enough that “Turtle Towers” is nestled in the Cotswolds and it seems (whether by accident or design I wouldn’t like to speculate) to be the epicentre of quite a lot of the “crazy” and we love it.

Heading out towards Gloucester at Coopers Hill we have the now infamous cheese rolling (which will be missed this year) on the spring bank holiday. I was lucky enough to be there last year, right at the top jostling for position with the German and American TV crews and could only marvel at the recklessness that leads men and women to hurl themselves down that hill into the waiting arms of the local rugby team.

Even closer to us are the Tetbury Wool Sack Races also on the bank holiday weekend at the end of May, where teams and individuals carry 60lb wool sacks up a 1 in 4 gradient hill – this is Tetbury’s idea of a race; a tradition arising from rivalry between the two local pubs The Crown and The Royal Oak. I shall be attending this year, for the first year, come rain or shine so will hopefully have some pictures to add to this and later blogs.

Finally, an event I attended for the first time last year (and will attend again this year) Robert Dover’s Olimpick Games on 4^thJune, where the self-explanatory shin-kicking competition takes place. Villagers and tourists alike venture to a field just outside Chipping Campden to see all sorts of events, most notably competitors kicking each other’s shins (ouch). The culmination of this fabulous evening is a firework display and a torchlight walk back into the heart of Chipping Campden where a band entertains the assembled crowd.

The greatest thing about these events (aside from the camaraderie of wincing at someone falling down a hill or cracking their shin) we believe is their support of rural traditions, practices and businesses; whether this be Smarts Farm of Churcham Gloucestershire, the makers of the much chased Double Gloucester or the Tetbury and Chipping Campden pubs which benefit from increased trade.

Makes me proud that I as well as Turtle Mats are “Made in Britain”.

We are passionate about wildlife and not just our feathered friends in the “Turtle Towers” garden; we believe marine conversation is an important and often overlooked area too.

Following the recent explosion and subsequent sinking of the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, marine conservation and the impact this event will have on marine life has come to the fore; as there is increasing concern about both the short and long-term damage the continuing spill of oil will have on the area’s wildlife.

Figures from the Marine Conservation Society show that well over 30 turtles have already washed up dead along the Mississippi coast after eating food contaminated by oil.

Sea turtle species are highly vulnerable to events such as this and with important nesting beaches along the coastline, the impact is felt even more keenly.

So what can we do? As you may have spotted in our catalogues, we have been supporting the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) for a number of years, specifically in their vital work to save marine turtles from extinction and now could not be a better time to get involved too.

This Sunday is World Turtle Day and one key way to make a difference is to Adopt a Turtle with the MCS – with only 1 in 1,000 baby turtles making it to adulthood in some parts of the world, due to various factors including the black market trade in turtle eggs and destruction of habitats your support can make a real difference.

Visit http://www.mcsuk.org/ to find out more about the great work the Marine Conservation Society does both here and abroad and how you can get involved.

Adopt a turtle for World Turtle Day with the MCS - http://www.mcsuk.org/support_mcs/Join Donate Adopt/Adopt a turtle/Adopt a turtle