September at NWT Thorpe Marshes

The warm days of summer giving way to the cooler breezes of autumn, a vibrant palette of autumn colours … this is a typical description of September. There is some truth in this, though visually early September at NWT Thorpe Marshes is more a continuation of high summer’s flowering peak. 

September is certainly a good month for insects – and is the month for ivy bees, which time their emergence to feed on flowering ivy. Ivy bee is also known as ivy mining bee, and though it’s defined as a solitary bee, they ‘mine’ in aggregations. They like sandy ground, which can include lawns. Ivy bee is such a familiar part of the September scene that it’s easy to forget that it was first recorded in the UK as recently as 2001, reaching Norfolk by 2014.

Ivy bee. Ivy in Whitlingham Lane, the approach to Thorpe Marshes, can be a good place to see these.

September is an ideal time to see three species of odonata – dragonflies and damselflies – namely migrant hawker, common darter (both dragonflies) and the willow emerald damselfly.

Migrant hawkers were once called scarce hawkers, reflecting their former rarity. Now, not only are they an established breeding species in the UK, these hawkers’ strong flight means they can be seen far from water. As the British Dragonfly Society notes, this species has increased its range dramatically northwards in recent decades, linked to climate change. A typical view is a glimpsed, fast-flying and mostly blue patterned dragonfly, at least for a male. If you’re lucky they will land and ‘hang’ on vegetation when they can be quite approachable. Look out for a ‘golf tee’ mark on the thorax – which is also a feature of browner females.

Migrant hawker (male).

A red dragonfly in September is likely to be a common darter, and ‘common’ really is apt. The older they are, the redder they look – and that also goes for female common darters. A feature of this species in autumn is that they absorb warmth from wooden structures, so if you see a dragonfly on a bench or a fence it’ll almost certainly be a common darter – especially so in the cooler months of October and November.

Common darter, soaking up some warmth from a wooden rail.

Common darter.

Willow emeralds, it’s fair to say, are a rather special damselfly. They are in a small group of damsels called spreadwings, the name describing how the wings are held, in contrast to most other damselflies where the wings are held roughly parallel to the body. Many emerge as adults in August, though September is their peak month. The best place to look for them is on the edge of bushes or plants overhanging permanent open water, such as a ditch at Thorpe Marshes. Look very carefully on a thin branch over water, often a willow, and you might see a female doing what is special to this species: they scratch a small groove and lay their eggs in the bark of waterside trees, not under water like most damselflies. Like the migrant hawker, the willow emerald’s occurrence here is driven by climate change: their spread across England this century has been sensational.

Willow emerald damselfly, in characteristic 'spreadwing' pose.

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Chris Durdin lives in Thorpe St Andrew. He runs Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays www.honeyguide.co.uk and is the guide for the monthly guided walks at NWT Thorpe Marshes. This blog was first written as an article for Just Thorpe St Andrew. 

Golden anniversary for Norwich barbershop singers

Fine City Chorus tuning up for 50th birthday concert 

Norwich’s male barbershoppers, Fine City Chorus, are celebrating the group’s 50^th birthday this year. Based at Lionwood School in Thorpe Hamlet, Fine City Chorus, also known as Norwich Barbershop Harmony Club, is a vibrant a cappella group specialising in four-part close harmony arrangements. 

They perform a diverse repertoire of popular British and American music, ranging from classic hits to contemporary favourites. The chorus actively participates in various events, including concerts, festivals, and charity fundraisers, both locally and further afield.

Fine City Chorus on stage in Bournemouth in May 2025 at this year's barbershop convention. Fine City Chorus received its highest score ever from the judges.

The chorus has several members from Thorpe St Andrew, including chairman Bob Ledwidge and me, writes Chris Durdin, and is always eager to welcome new members. It often hosts ‘Come and Sing’ events to introduce people to the joys of barbershop harmony.

The club started in 1975 as an evening class in Norwich for men who wanted to learn to sing in the barbershop style. A local music teacher, Rosemary Kimmins, was asked to take it, and, to understand more about this kind of harmony singing, she went to the US airbase at Mildenhall, where the American servicemen organised a sing-out session specially for her. She was inspired, and she quickly grew the Norwich barbershop singers from an initial 8 to 25 singers. Jeff Jordan was one of the original group and is still singing with Fine City Chorus.

Flashback: this photo from 1986 shows then chorus director Doug Clark and the full chorus. Two of the current chorus, Ken Mays and Chris Durdin, are pictured. Ken is in the back row, second from right: Chris is in the middle row, also second from right.

The name ‘Fine City Chorus’ was chosen by the members in the 1990s, reflecting the group's connection to Norwich. Over the years, the chorus has seen the formation of several successful quartets.

One notable achievement was in 2005 when Fine City Chorus was ‘Small Chorus Champions’ at the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) annual convention. That’s unlikely to happen again, for a good reason as membership has grown.

The chorus appointed Carol Logan as their Chorus Director in 2009, a role she continues to fulfil, guiding the chorus to further musical development. In 2025 Fine City Chorus achieved its highest-ever score from the judges at the BABS Convention in Bournemouth with a total of 67%. There were 27 competing choruses this year and Fine City Chorus was placed 13th.  

Taking part in barbershop conventions is a way of continuing to improve. Fine City Chorus will attend next year’s convention in Harrogate and is currently considering going to a barbershop convention in Spain in 2027.

To mark the 50th anniversary, Fine City Chorus is staging a special concert at the Assembly House in the city on Sunday 28 September.

Together with our sibling mixed chorus Mosaic and special guests, the concert will celebrate 50 years of popular music in a cappella four-part close harmony: from the Everly Brothers and Beach Boys via Les Misérables, Monty Python, Queen and Sting to Ed Sheeran and the 21^st century! All the proceeds will be going to FCC’s charity this year, Emmaus Norfolk and Waveney.

Promotional poster for 50^th anniversary concert, 28 September 2025.

This blog was first written as an article for Just Thorpe St Andrew and draws on Fine City Chorus's history page.

Chris Durdin www.finecitychorus.org.uk