No trip to Gerald Moore’s would be complete without some detailed explanation of origins of words. Take for example, this afternoon, when observing a bumble bee go about it’s revisionary path around the garden where we were sat. Do you know the origin of the word bumble bee asks Gerald? Failing to come up with anything remotely funny to do with bums, I had to admit I didn’t know. The name actually originates from the word ‘humble’ and is to do with their liking for solitary and humble dwellings as opposed to living in a hive with other bees. The humble bumble bee… must also be to do with bumbling about..

Picture of Gerald Moore, famous also for his roast potatoes… described as being ‘out of this world’

Shortly after, we heard the wren and Gerald asked again if I knew the origin of this little birds name. Again, i had to admit i didn’t know. It’s to do with the middle English name given to a stallions paddock or ‘wrenna’. As a defining feature of the wrens appearance is it’s erect tail this was thought to be quite stallion like…hence the name wrenna or wren. A little addenda here is origin of the name Wrantage which, according to Gerald, was the place of stallion pasture.

I do wonder sometimes if Gerald just makes these things up.

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