Explore, primarily, West Sussex with us as we take in the glorious downs, woodlands and beaches of our home county, usually accompanied by our beloved border terrier.
Due to their cinematic nature, our videos are best watched on a large screen such as a TV, to fully appreciate the visual detail and immersive aural experience we try to convey.
So much of our history, nature and heritage is being lost due to over-development, particularly here in West Sussex. We hope to capture and share some of the beauty of our countryside, coastline and wildlife with others before it is too late.
Since late 2022, our videos provide a combination of aerial drone views and traditional camera footage, which we hope enhances the viewer's enjoyment.
Note: Our videos are produced solely for artistic content; a hobby for which no income is received. We operate the drone in a responsible manner and are registered with UK CAA. Whether using camera or the drone, we are respectful of people's privacy.
Fabulous filming. Loved every second of it. Thank you for such professional, interesting, and beautiful topics. It is so lovely to see such beautiful countryside that has been captured so well that you feel you could actually be there ❤. That bird 🐦 song too 🎵 .. wow . X
Beautifully captured. I was there only two weeks ago. I fell in love with Slindon. My partner and I are both Cornish but she lives in Littlehampton now so im up there quite a bit. We're both exploring West Sussex bit by bit. Good to come across your channel. Regards, Andy.
Thank you for your comments Andy; we're pleased you enjoyed it. If you are able to seek out the less spoiled areas, West Sussex is beautiful. Hopefully you will get some ideas from the channel ~ John & Diana
It’s a treat when one of your videos is posted! I loved this early morning walk through the West Sussex countryside- the birds like to sing in the early morning! And it looked dry underfoot for a change. Thanks for an enjoyable stroll!
Another jewel ! I used to go on group walks around Slindon, especially when the local farmer had the display of pumpkins in autumn. Grateful thanks, Brian from Chichester.
Thank you for another lovely video. The videography, as always, was superb - I'm sure I could smell the honeysuckle! I've never seen a woodpecker filmed at a bird feeder before, so you did well to catch that, as well as the more "natural" shot later. Back in the late 1940s, my grandmother used to take me and my sister to Slindon woods to go "nutting", and we would gather quite a lot of hazelnuts. I'm not sure whether that was actually permitted or not. Good to see that the village still has its pond. I hear that far too many villages have lost their traditional ponds, which add so much to the English rural scene.
Thank you for your comments, Jim. I think the woodpeckers, like most birds, are opportunists, so a bird feeder is an easy option! We think it was drinking rather than eating from the tree. Not sure about the "nutting"; I suspect the National Trust would take a dim view of this now! From the information board adjacent to the pond, it looks like much effort has gone in to maintaining it and keeping it healthy. A few years back it looked anything but. Thank you for watching, as always.
I just love Slindon. Pretty, peaceful and unspoilt. I have had some lovely holidays there staying at the Camping & Caravan site on National Trust land. As always, Thank you for another lovely video.
The conservation area shown in the walk is beautiful, but the village has been destroyed by the mass of new housing built over the past few years which now surrounds it.
Beautiful as always. As I approach 90 I find my old legs will not allow me to do these walks any more so you take me round with you. Thank you also for the identity of the birds and insects - very informative. Please keep up the good work ! My sincere regards, Brian from Chichester.
Thank you for your kind comments, Brian. We are pleased that you enjoy the walks; it's doubtful we will be doing them if we reach your age! We have three walks filmed with one of these nearing completion. John
😍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏How lovely ! This is where I lived ages ago while I looked after my uncle's ponies at Cowdray Park Polo Club. A gorgeous town ! Muchos saludos, Mariano Scotti Olivos, Buenos Aires, Argentina 🇦🇷🇬🇧🇦🇷🇬🇧🇦🇷🇬🇧🇦🇷🇬🇧🇦🇷
Hi, I am the chair of Ferring Conservation Group and would like to show your walks during the tea break at our Group monthly meetings. Is there any copyright restrictions I need to consider?
Hi Pete, all visual and ambient sound is recorded by us, so no problem using that. The music is copyright-free, though we find for many tracks we have to go through the RU-vid dispute process to have invalid claims removed. We have been through this process for the majority of videos on the channel so, again, no issue. And certainly no problems with those published since Jan 2023 when we switched to 4K resolution. Since these invalid claims relate to the RU-vid platform, as long as you show the videos from that platform there should be no copyright restrictions.
Another lovely walk - thank you! When I worked in Arundel in the 1960s, it was impossible to walk along Mill Road without seeing numbers of water voles all along the stream. Sadly, they seem to have vanished now, but you certainly managed to capture a lot of other wildlife, all beautifully filmed as usual.
Thank you for your kind comments; we are pleased you enjoyed it. We are always on the lookout for water voles as, on the face of it, Mill Road would appear to be the perfect habitat for them. A number of factors may have impacted them; environmental change, increased number of predators, increased number of people - with dogs that they allow to interfere with the wildlife. On a positive note, you are right, lots of other wildlife and it was so great to be able to enjoy it.
@@walkingwithjohnanddiana Dogs are a big problem here, too. It used to be that dog owners were almost all responsible people who considered others (and the wildlife), but now many of them have no idea of correct behaviour and just think their pets are entitled to go anywhere and do anything. I did read somewhere that water voles are returning in some areas of the UK, perhaps where dogs are banned, and I hope they come back to Mill Road. I used to see them in other places like Patching Pond, but Mill Road was a real centre for them.
Totally agree regarding dogs, another symptom is "don't worry, he/she is friendly". Not everyone likes your dog as much as you do! Our dog is quite old and has dementia, and fails to respond to other dogs normally. Consequently she is at risk of being attacked. Quite often we have to pick her up in the presence of other dogs. What people fail to realise is that the beaches and countryside are recreational spaces for humans (and dogs), but for all the creatures that live there, their very existence is at stake.
Very enjoyable de-stressing video! It is so nice to hear the different species of birds that flourish in Sussex! We have lost so many here. The thrushes were constantly attacked by blackbirds. The chaffinches,greenfinches & bullfinches just disappeared! The other night the front garden and path were covered in snails( a lot of baby snails) - we’ve never seen anything quite like that! The harlequin ladybirds apparently are cannibals & eat our native 7 spot & other varieties. We are still having rain showers here & it is very wet underfoot hence the abundance of snails! Hope it is drier there! Thanks so much!
Thank you for your kind comments. Sadly, the problem is most likely loss of habitat due to development. The area immediately around Arundel is pretty well protected, but where we are just a few miles away, there is massive over-development with the inevitable loss of habitat and species. Lots of slugs and snails here, too! And still plenty of rain! The harlequins are definitely an invasive species, but it is too late now, as I believe they have populated the entire UK.
Thank you so much for this beautiful video. It’s so nice to see it dryish underfoot & the sun shining too. I must say I was surprised to see the oil seed rape everywhere seemingly unaffected by the constant downpours we endured & I glimpsed another crop springing up too. We had a lark here - used to arrive around April & he would sing his heart out but absent for now 3 yrs.We always saw swallows if you sat outside- just a handful last year- the skies would be riven with them. It is so sad. We do have a heronry here- do we see them flying anymore? If anyone had a pond they would be sitting on the roof. I saw one last October 30+ mins away. Too many houses being built taking away the available habitat. There is nothing better than seeing a churchyard full of bluebells- beautiful! I appreciate your close-ups of our insects too. For about 4 weeks we get the bee flies visit our porch area- because of the rain I haven’t seen any. They like to feed on the aubretia - am hoping they will return next year. I used to think they were a type of bee but found out they were a type of fly- so clever to evolve like that! (When I finished watching I came away thinking I actually recognised most of the wild flowers! How unusual was that & on reading the comments I see someone asked what they were- I hope you don’t mind if I tell her what I think - don’t want to take over in any way- just want to help?)
The oilseed rape was rather wet, and we got wet and covered in pollen as we walked through it! We are still fortunate to have quite a few larks locally, though their numbers have decreased significantly in recent years. The same problem exists here for all the wildlife; habitat loss due to over-development. I see your other comment that you have identified the various flora - quite happy for you to do so! Thank you for your comments, and we are pleased you enjoyed the video.
So beautiful! I’m watching from Texas and I’m an avid birdwatcher and pollinator gardener. I would love it if you could or would identify some of the beautiful flowers in the videos. Thank you so much for doing these 😊
Thank you for your comments. We did caption many of the flowers in our early videos but thought they became a little distracting. We will bear in mind your request, though sometimes we are not certain of the species ourselves! So good that you are a pollinator gardener - the insects are vital to our own existence, and deserve all the help they can get as we increasingly encroach on their natural habitat.
Hello just to say I think I could identify most of the flowers featured: 2.44 unsure it is common & a weed as they mostly are! 3.06 buttercup 3.10 unsure but think Queen Anne’s Lace 5.41 bluebells in churchyard 5.56 horse chestnut blossom 6.36 Kanzan ornamental 6.42 hawthorn blossom ( also called ‘May’) 7.14 wild garlic ( also called ‘ransoms’) 7.41 close up of above 9.19 forget-me-not 11.07 wild geranium ( cranesbill) 11.25 forget-me-not 11.31 lesser celandine 11.39 white campion 11.54 bluebell 12.09 unsure 12.13 bluebell. Not perfect but hope it helps.
Watching that was the highlight of my week - thank you! It's a walk that I never thought to do when I lived in the area, but it's so great to see that the rural scenes are still there (although I'm sure they've been encroached upon in some parts). Many decades ago my cousin was a police officer and was based for years in the police house at Poling, beside the terrible A27. I see that the house is still shown on Google Maps, but I don't know if it still has its original use. Ron (my cousin) became great friends with the then Duke of Norfolk since his area covered Arundel, and was chosen by the Duke to take part in his funeral procession when he died in 1975. So many memories are stirred by your walks, and I hope you will continue to show them. They are much appreciated.
Thank you kindly for your comments, Jim; we are pleased you enjoyed watching. Police houses, I believe, are a thing of the past, as are the majority of police stations except in large towns and cities! If they exist, they are manned for just a few hours per week! The terrible A27 has only got worse - it's not unusual for traffic to queue from Arundel/Crossbush to Poling Corner. Sadly, Angmering has been destroyed by the building of thousands of new homes. In a year's time those views of the western edge of the "village" will have changed forever with the current construction and further hundreds of new homes currently trying to pass planning. Hopefully, Poling will remain an isolated hamlet for at least a few more decades.
@@walkingwithjohnanddiana Sad to hear about all the building. Yes, people need homes, but it seems that uncontrolled immigration is the main cause of all the loss of countryside. I hope there's still enough for you to do your walks for a while yet!
thank you! how far in advance do you do your walks before showing them? I did this round today believe it or not!! Lovely to see your drone shots and different angles. cheers
You're welcome; pleased you enjoyed it. Usually it is no more than around 2 weeks from filming to release, though this one was longer due to other commitments. It is a lovely walk, and one that we often do (but don't film).
Beautifully filmed! It’s so cold here today- no bird or insect activity! The bluebell woods in Sussex are second to none! Have you ever smelt a wood full of snowdrops? They are not as strong as bluebells - more subtle but still a wonderful experience! Usually we have those bee flies hovering round our porch but haven’t seen any this year. They are only out & about for about a month so I may not see them this year! When I first saw them I thought they were some sort of bee- very apt description! You captured so much wildlife. Again we’ve hardly seen a butterfly- I think the birds must be having difficulty finding food for the babies. Having said that we have no nests in the garden as yet. Thank you for sharing that lovely walk!
Thank you for your kind comments, Diana. We are not aware of any snowdrop woods locally, so have not had the pleasure of experiencing the scent. Our weather has been very hit and miss, and whilst it was not too good for this walk, the sun did shine enough to capture the butterflies. Today is cold and wet, and barely an insect to be found! We are fortunate to have blackbirds and dunnocks nesting in our garden this year.
Thank you - that was brilliant. It's such a long time since I was last there, but the place hasn't changed much, thankfully. Coincidentally, this morning I watched someone's video of the bluebells in Clapham woods, very close of course to where you were. One memory I have from the "old days" is that Clapham and Patching were famous for their torchlight costumed parades on November 5th and always had a big bonfire at the end with fireworks. I still have a photo I took 60 years ago of the fireworks taken from across Patching Pond with their reflection in the water. Happy days!
Thank you for your comments, Jim; pleased you enjoyed it. Thankfully, there still remains a few patches of ancient woodland in Sussex where the bluebells and wood anemones thrive. I think the torchlight parade to which you refer ended before our time in this part of Sussex, as I have never heard it mentioned. It's great to have these photographic reminders!
@@walkingwithjohnanddiana The parades with flaming torches and everyone in costume were really something, but I guess that "Health and Safety" would prevent most of it now. It required a lot of work throughout the year by the community, and sadly the rural areas such as Clapham and Patching have changed a lot in character in the last 50 years. Apparently there is still a big celebration in Lewes on November 5th each year and still with processions through the streets with flaming torches, so the tradition has not totally died.
I watched the Lewis Parade live on the night- someone filming live! In an upstairs window in Lewis!!! The mannequin this year was Rishi Sunak! It is a great shame these traditions have fallen out of favour.
Thank you, Richard. Yes, sadly, these pockets of ancient woodland are becoming increasingly isolated due to mass development. As is often the case, some do not appreciate the value of something until it is gone, and it is too late!
Thank you so much for your kind comments; we are pleased you enjoy the videos. Muchas gracias por sus amables comentarios; Nos complace que disfrutes los videos.
After seeing the news on Monday night I was worried that you had been flooded. And then you put this wonderful video up taken during a beautiful sunny,dry,calm Easter Day ( I think). It was a tonic to see it. I hope you are ok but we have rain yet again today & grey skies! I loved that circular seat around the tree- wanted to sit down on that! Everything looked beautiful- the bluebells( ours are just beginning to show) primroses,celandines,( front gdn have quite a few- none in the back)& the birds,lizard & insects! I liked the Easter display at the shops & what an unusual elegant P.O. Thank you so much- hope you are not flooded- take care!😢
We are okay, thank you Diana. Sadly, some people in Arundel and Climping, just a few miles from us, have been flooded. We saw fields today under water that never normally flood. This video was filmed on Easter Saturday - the weather was perfect, which is a rarity these days. You may have seen on the plaque, the tree around which the seat is sited was planted to commemorate the marriage of HRH Prince Charles and Lady Diana. We have been checking out the local bluebells, and estimate mid next week should see the majority open - assuming we have more sunshine rather than rain! The lizards and brimstones were fabulous, and definitely the highlights of the walk for us. As a regular viewer, we would be interested to know your thoughts on the 'Coming up' section set to the music. We are trying to increase our viewer retention by showing a few highlights upfront. We are also considering eliminating or shortening the opening and closing drone sequences. Yet again, we are struggling to coincide our walks around work and good weather for filming. Thank you for watching and for your kind comments.
Thanks for asking my opinion on the content. I honestly don’t know the answer. Maybe there is a bit of repetition with the intro but the photography is so good that it’s a pleasure to see it twice! I don’t know how to attract viewers & keep them. I would say just keep doing what you’re doing. Not very helpful! I couldn’t read the plaque on the tree with the bench so thanks for letting me know what it commemorated! Apologies for the emoji . I think my hand must have caught it by accident. ( oh no as I went to upload this that emoji was there again!!!!)
Thank you for your comments. As you suggest, I think we will continue along similar lines. There is so much competition on YT, with most walking/nature channels done in vlog style, and we wanted to be different. The emphasis is not on us, but producing high quality imagery of what we see, presented in a relaxing manner. 'Talking head' pieces or commentary, we feel, would detract from this.
I love all your walks, but that one was a bit special. I lived in Worthing before moving to NZ, so Findon was right on my doorstep and a place I visited often. It used to be very famous for the racing stables, which produced Grand National winners, and for the annual Sheep Fair on Nepcote Green, which I remember well although I last saw it over 50 years ago. I was pleasantly surprised to see, after checking on Google, that the fair is still going. A highlight of this video was the (short) shot of the lizard. I used to love watching those creatures, although it was never easy to spot them. You did well to get it on camera, and the other wildlife scenes were all great as usual. And spring looks as wonderful as it always did. Thank you!!!
Thank you for your kind comments, Jim. You are right, the lizards are very difficult to spot - though that one was very obliging. I managed to capture a few minutes of footage, but it is about striking a balance within the video. The history and fame of Findon is nicely encapsulated on the village sign. Spring was here for a couple of days but we have had yet more rain and storms recently. Thanks for watching, and we are pleased you enjoyed it.
Thank you! Yes, the water will disappear if there is no further rain for a few weeks. The area is a flood plain for the River Arun but during the summer months very quickly drys out.
What a lovely video! Amberley village, with its stone walls and thatched roofs, used to be one of my favourite places to visit, and the Wild Brooks (interesting name) a great place to walk and observe nature. You had some great wildlife shots again (monopod rather than tripod this time, I think), and I was particularly interested to see the jackdaws. My mother used to tell how her brother had a pet jackdaw (about 100 years ago, and clearly not an option now) and even taught it to say a few words. The flooding was a familiar sight. I remember sometime in the late 1960s it was particularly bad, and a caravan site at Houghton Bridge was flooded and a person there was drowned. I'll look forward to your next adventure. Thank you again for what you do.
Thank you, Jim, for your kind words; pleased you enjoyed it. Many of the stone-built cottages are from stone stolen from the castle ruins a few hundred years ago. You are right about the tripod - sometimes we have to travel lighter and go monopod or hand-held as we also have to carry our dog from time to time! Interesting story about the Jackdaw; they are highly intelligent and amusing to watch. Since the 1960s the flood defences have been significantly improved at Houghton Bridge. Yet again, we are having very poor weather and, on the days it is sunny, it seems we have to work.
