THOSE who blame the decline in garden birds on the rise in the number of domestic cats may take heart from the tale of the pair of blackbirds which, this year, chose to build their nest high in a broad-leafed evergreen.

The tree stands by the party fence of a pair of semis, each of which has a resident cat.

From the start, the blackbirds made it clear they would defend their territory not only with loud alarm calls but also by "dive-bombing" the cats if they ventured too close to the tree. Their flying was impressively accurate.

A week or so ago, the last of the fledglings left home. All had been taught to fly in the semis' gardens, while two totally cowed cats found urgent business elsewhere.

Big is beautiful

SOMETIMES even the quiet corners of the local weekly press prove a dodgy place to work, as one of Spectator's colleagues found during a visit to the insurance broker's for a house and contents quotation.

All seemed in order and the quote was very reasonable, but when it came to the form filling and "occupation", the reply "journalist" brought an intake of breath.

Luckily, the only matter which seemed to concern the insurer was whether the publication involved was a tabloid newspaper. What a good job this is the Darlington and Stockton, and not the London, Times, then.

Blooming cheek

SPECTATOR takes issue with last week's correspondent who, in response to a recent note, suggested that the overgrown lawn and flower border outside Northallerton railway station should be sacrificed to parking spaces.

With Northallerton doing its best in the Yorkshire in Bloom stakes, the county town surely needs more, not fewer, attractive corners for the judges' visit. All it needs is for somebody to get their green finger out. TransPennine Express, is anybody listening?