Local Lynx No.151 August/September 2023

position but, as some of you may know, I no longer live in
Bale and feel it would be more fitting for a resident of Bale
to take over. The number of hours you would need to
commit to the role are very few as there are only six editions
per year. Bale has several regular contributors so, unless you
want to, you do not need to write articles yourself. However,
you do need to know how to use a computer and Word.
If you would like to have a chat with me about the role,
please contact me on 07753 743542 or nab me at Fish and
Chips, Bale Oak Bar or any other event at Bale village hall.
I am happy to work with you until you feel confident to go it
alone. I look forward to being overwhelmed with offers.
Maggie Thomas
TRIBUTE TO ANTHONY RICHARD
HAYWARD OF BALE
Anthony was born in the village of Trunch but was
brought up on the family's remote farm at Little Fransham
from the age of two. He was educated at St. Felix School,
Felixstowe, and Oakham School, Rutland. He then studied
at the College of Estate Management in London for two
years and, after working at Tunbridge Wells for a year, he
returned to Norfolk in 1964.
Anthony was a Chartered Surveyor, Agricultural Valuer
and Auctioneer and, upon his return to Norfolk, joined
Andrews & Dewing (who later became Case & Dewing) at
Wells-next-the-Sea. He moved to Bale in 1967.
In 1989 Anthony started his own professional business
and concentrated on what he most enjoyed doing, surveying
and reporting on all types of buildings, until his retirement.
He was a much-respected surveyor and his considerable
knowledge of the area, its geography and byways, fuelled
his love for his role as Parish Clerk, initially for Gunthorpe
with Bale and later for Brinton with Sharrington. The
former he served for 35 years and the latter 27 years, both
positions fulfilled with passion.
Anthony is remembered fondly in the village for his
dedication to his work but also for his horse, "Leap", which
lived to the age of thirty.
He passed away very peacefully, after a long illness,
with his wife, Dawn, by his side. He was a source of
valuable work for the parish and a much trusted and reliable
fountain of knowledge for our region. His expertise and
smiling disposition will be sorely missed.
AJE
WILD BALE
Purple Emperor
It is high summer and a cascade of purple shimmers over
the ‘master tree’ in a woodland glade. A battle ensues
between the males as they circle around the treetops in
search of a passing female.
The Purple Emperor is one of our
most attractive and rare butterflies. It
is found in small colonies in large
woods of mature oak and beech trees
with damp areas where Goat Sallow
grows, the food plant of the larvae. The adult butterflies feed
on honeydew from the Goat Sallow leaves and from
wounds in the bark and take salts from puddles on the
ground.
The second largest butterfly found in the UK, the Purple
Emperor male has a wing span of 7.5cm and the larger
female a span of 8.4cm. The sheen on the upper side of the
male’s wing is a vivid purple, the females being a sooty
black; both have splashes of white. The underside of both
sexes is an orange, brown and white pattern with a large
‘eye’ on the forewing. The eye is thought to replicate a
predator, so providing some protection from attacks by
small birds.
In July and August the male perches high in a tree
waiting for a female to pass. They then glide together and, if
the female is receptive, they mate in the top of a tree and the
female flies on while the male waits for the next female.
The adult female will travel some distance to find a Goat
Sallow or Common Sallow and lays a dozen or so eggs on
the leaves, normally in the shade. The eggs hatch after ten
days or so and the caterpillars will feed until their second
larval change in November. They then form a silk home on
the bark and remain there until spring when they emerge
and feed, again as a caterpillar, until May/June when they
form a chrysalis under the surface of a leaf, finally emerging
as adults in July.
Purple Emperors are restricted to southern England, the
Midlands and East Anglia and, along with all British
butterflies, have declined over recent decades. However, the
population now appears to be increasing and expanding in
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