Latest news with #badgers
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- The Guardian
A new start after 60: I quit my job, bought a camera – and became a successful wildlife photographer
A few weeks ago, Michelle Jackson was in the Peak District, hiding beneath a camouflage net with her camera, waiting for badgers to emerge at sunset. For more than two hours she watched the skylarks and curlews, her hopes intensifying during the 45-minute window in which the light was perfect. At last the heather moved. A badger's head appeared. 'Their eyesight is poor, but they can smell you,' Jackson says. At 66, she has won national and international awards as a wildlife photographer. Although the desire to get the shot 'drives' her, for a while she simply watched. 'You want to embrace what's there. It's so special to see wildlife up close.' At least two of the shots Jackson took that evening are 'competition-worthy'. Yet she didn't pick up a camera, beyond a simple point-and-shoot, until she was 61. Jackson, who lives in Derbyshire, England, spent most of her working life as an engineer in the rail industry. In 1978, she was one of the first two women taken on by British Rail as design engineers. She designed carriage systems for the Channel tunnel trains, and regards the British Rail Class 91 high-speed electric locomotive as 'my baby'; she managed its emerging weight and balance. In 1994, she and her husband, also an engineer, moved from the UK to Sydney, Australia. She worked, or spent time with their two daughters. 'I didn't put aside time for myself.' Jackson retired at 56 when her hearing became impaired. 'Meetings were very social. Cafe environments, hard surfaces, clitter-clatter, people talking in the background. I realised I was missing too much. I didn't want to embarrass myself or the organisation I worked for. So I decided to give up,' she says. She didn't ask for adjustments to the meetings? 'I probably didn't want people to know.' In 2018, she and her family returned to England. 'What am I going to do now?' she thought. 'The emails went from 550 to 50, and 20 of them were junk. I needed something to stimulate me.' The following year, at 61, she bought her first DSLR camera and joined a local walking and photography group; then, when Covid hit, she enrolled in an online photography and Photoshop course. A history of pneumonia meant she had to shield, so she photographed whatever she could find indoors – still life, flowers, pets. 'If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it properly.' Jackson publishes under the name 'Emmabrooke', after years of being presumed male in engineering and mistakenly being called Michael. But she brings to her camera 'an engineering brain … I do everything in manual'. She has always loved nature. In her 20s, she hiked long distances, including the 268 miles of the Pennine Way in northern England. 'Nature, seeing the big picture of landscapes, has always been there. But I didn't use a camera,' she says. It was only after retirement that the camera became 'a means to capture what I'd seen. The things you take for granted.' Even planning a boat trip to see humpback whales, 'I didn't consider buying a decent camera. I was just enthralled by seeing: the fact you could see them, rather than have a photograph to remember them by.' Maybe there is a connection between hearing loss and wanting to 'capture' the environment she witnessed? Jackson's images are sharp and crisp, and the result of an acutely focused anticipatory vision. 'I have a mind's eye of what I'd like to get,' she says. She once waited hours for two gannets to bring their heads together in the shape of a heart. 'When you lose a sense, other senses get stronger,' she says. 'I've got my eyesight.' Jackson is preparing for her Master Craftsman award with the Guild of Photographers. She achieved her associate level with the Royal Photographic Society last year and is now aiming to achieve fellowship. She spends at least 20 hours a week in the field. 'I'm besotted with British wildlife. I get excited each time,' she says. Whether she is photographing badgers, ospreys, kingfishers or a golden eagle in the snow, she says: 'It's the thrill of them turning up. If you really want to seek them out, you'll find them.' You can see Michelle Jackson's work on her website, on Instagram and on BlueSky Tell us: has your life taken a new direction after the age of 60?
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- The Guardian
A new start after 60: I quit my job, bought a camera – and became a successful wildlife photographer
A few weeks ago, Michelle Jackson was in the Peak District, hiding beneath a camouflage net with her camera, waiting for badgers to emerge at sunset. For more than two hours she watched the skylarks and curlews, her hopes intensifying during the 45-minute window in which the light was perfect. At last the heather moved. A badger's head appeared. 'Their eyesight is poor, but they can smell you,' Jackson says. At 66, she has won national and international awards as a wildlife photographer. Although the desire to get the shot 'drives' her, for a while she simply watched. 'You want to embrace what's there. It's so special to see wildlife up close.' At least two of the shots Jackson took that evening are 'competition-worthy'. Yet she didn't pick up a camera, beyond a simple point-and-shoot, until she was 61. Jackson, who lives in Derbyshire, England, spent most of her working life as an engineer in the rail industry. In 1978, she was one of the first two women taken on by British Rail as design engineers. She designed carriage systems for the Channel tunnel trains, and regards the British Rail Class 91 high-speed electric locomotive as 'my baby'; she managed its emerging weight and balance. In 1994, she and her husband, also an engineer, moved from the UK to Sydney, Australia. She worked, or spent time with their two daughters. 'I didn't put aside time for myself.' Jackson retired at 56 when her hearing became impaired. 'Meetings were very social. Cafe environments, hard surfaces, clitter-clatter, people talking in the background. I realised I was missing too much. I didn't want to embarrass myself or the organisation I worked for. So I decided to give up,' she says. She didn't ask for adjustments to the meetings? 'I probably didn't want people to know.' In 2018, she and her family returned to England. 'What am I going to do now?' she thought. 'The emails went from 550 to 50, and 20 of them were junk. I needed something to stimulate me.' The following year, at 61, she bought her first DSLR camera and joined a local walking and photography group; then, when Covid hit, she enrolled in an online photography and Photoshop course. A history of pneumonia meant she had to shield, so she photographed whatever she could find indoors – still life, flowers, pets. 'If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it properly.' Jackson publishes under the name 'Emmabrooke', after years of being presumed male in engineering and mistakenly being called Michael. But she brings to her camera 'an engineering brain … I do everything in manual'. She has always loved nature. In her 20s, she hiked long distances, including the 268 miles of the Pennine Way in northern England. 'Nature, seeing the big picture of landscapes, has always been there. But I didn't use a camera,' she says. It was only after retirement that the camera became 'a means to capture what I'd seen. The things you take for granted.' Even planning a boat trip to see humpback whales, 'I didn't consider buying a decent camera. I was just enthralled by seeing: the fact you could see them, rather than have a photograph to remember them by.' Maybe there is a connection between hearing loss and wanting to 'capture' the environment she witnessed? Jackson's images are sharp and crisp, and the result of an acutely focused anticipatory vision. 'I have a mind's eye of what I'd like to get,' she says. She once waited hours for two gannets to bring their heads together in the shape of a heart. 'When you lose a sense, other senses get stronger,' she says. 'I've got my eyesight.' Jackson is preparing for her Master Craftsman award with the Guild of Photographers. She achieved her associate level with the Royal Photographic Society last year and is now aiming to achieve fellowship. She spends at least 20 hours a week in the field. 'I'm besotted with British wildlife. I get excited each time,' she says. Whether she is photographing badgers, ospreys, kingfishers or a golden eagle in the snow, she says: 'It's the thrill of them turning up. If you really want to seek them out, you'll find them.' You can see Michelle Jackson's work on her website, on Instagram and on BlueSky Tell us: has your life taken a new direction after the age of 60?
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Moment writer shouts abuse and hurls bricks at badger before torching her wildlife loving neighbour's Land Rover
This is the moment a writer shouted abuse at a neighbour and hurled bricks at a badger before she torched his beloved Land Rover. Susan Lupton, 63, terrorised wildlife-loving Graham Lee when she mistakenly thought badgers he had rescued and cared for had killed a local cat. Lupton was caught on camera screaming 'your badgers kill cats' during one furious bust-up. Other footage captured by Mr Lee's dashcam showed her one evening wearing an apron and smoking a cigarette as she paces and points her mobile phone at his Freelander. In another clip, she films herself shouting at badgers at the dead of night who had taken refuge on his driveway before she chucks bricks at them. The row reached a terrifying ending on June 20, 2024, when Lupton set fire to a plastic container filled with white spirit and slid it under the Land Rover. Lupton, who has bipolar disorder and was going through a manic episode, claimed that a firefighter friend had told her how to start the blaze. She branded Mr Lee, 56, an 'evil badger man' and mistakenly believed the animals he cared for had killed another neighbour's pet cat. But Mr Lee, a wildlife volunteer, who would leave food out for badgers on his driveway in idyllic coastal village Freshwater Bay, on the Isle of Wight, said the moggy had actually died of old age. Susan Lupton, 63, terrorised wildlife-loving Graham Lee on a daily basis. In one eerie clip, she is seen wearing an apron and smoking a cigarette as she points her mobile phone at his Freelander The row reach a terrifying ending on June 20, 2024, when Lupton set fire to a plastic container filled with white spirit and slid it under the Land Rover When police arrived, Lupton, who has bipolar disorder and was experiencing an episode of mania, told officers: 'I did it. I'm responsible.' Lupton's arson caused £18,500 worth of damage and Mr Lee's Freelander was completely ruined by the blaze. Someone else's property was also damaged as the flames spread to a neighbouring house. Lupton, a writer, has now been banned from the village but avoided prison after admitting two counts of arson. Isle of Wight Crown Court was told Lupton set fire to Mr Lee's 4x4 on June 20, 2024, on a road in Freshwater Bay where homes average £400,000. Prosecutor Joanna Staples said Lupton set fire to a plastic container filled with white spirit and slid it under the Land Rover Freelander. The 4x4 was completely gutted by the fire, and someone else's property was also destroyed as the flames spread to a neighbouring house. A window, toolbox, guttering, cooker extractor and a Japanese Maple Tree at a neighbouring property were all damaged beyond repair. Mr Lee, a wildlife volunteer, who would leave food out for badgers on his driveway in idyllic coastal village Freshwater Bay, on the Isle of Wight, said the moggy had actually died of old age Mr Lee tried to extinguish the blaze with a hosepipe before firefighters arrived. He said the badgers have not come back to his property since the incident a year ago. Lupton, who moved to the UK from South Africa in 1980, admitted she was responsible when police arrived. She told them at an interview that she started the fire as an attempt to kill some badgers he was looking after which she believed had killed a cat owned by a local homeowner. Lupton claimed that a firefighter friend had told her how to start the blaze. Ms Staples said that Lupton had shared posts on her Facebook page claiming that the car owner was an 'evil badger man'. In a victim impact statement, Mr Lee said Lupton was a 'sick, twisted and manipulative individual' who had left him checking his security cameras numerous times a day out of a fear that she may turn up on his driveway with some matches. Mr Lee also described the loss of his 'pride and joy' Land Rover as 'beyond words' and said Lupton's actions had ruined his life. Mr Lee's wrecked Land Rover. The wildlife volunteer, from the Isle of Wight, tried to extinguish the blaze with a hosepipe before firefighters arrived He told the court Lupton had posted videos online of her hurling bricks at badgers and putting out a bowl of food 'laced with glass'. Neighbour Kavita Hayton's home was also damaged in the blaze. She said the attack had left her 'genuinely frightened' and in a 'state of fear for many months'. Lupton's barrister Jonathan Underhill told the court that Lupton had a single conviction for criminal damage on her record. She had bipolar disorder and Mr Underhill asked the judge to impose a suspended sentence to help her ongoing rehabilitation. Judge James Newton-Price said that the victims in the case had suffered a 'terrifying experience' and that Lupton had developed a 'fixation' with one of the victims and had became 'irrationally obsessed'. When sentencing, the judge told Lupton: 'You didn't like Mr Lee attracting badgers to the area, for reasons of your own. 'You had been harassing him online, calling him "Evil Badger Man" on Facebook.' The judge continued: 'You were sectioned after the fire because you were suffering from an episode of mania. Pictured here are some of the rescued badgers that Mr Lee had cared for. Lupton had branded him an 'evil badger man' 'Extensive damage was done. It was a terrifying experience for the victims. You, living nearby, watched the terrifying incident and told an officer, "I did it. I'm responsible". 'You said you did it because a badger killed a neighbour's cat. You said a firefighter friend explained how to start the fire. 'You developed a fixation on Mr Lee, him feeding badgers and believing they killed a neighbour's cat. 'You became irrationally obsessed with that and started posting your views on social media.' The judge added: 'You say you are horrified for what you've done. I believe you have a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, and that imprisonment would reverse your progress.' Lupton was ordered to pay costs of £1,000 and compensation of £7,835. Lupton was handed two years' imprisonment, suspended for two years, with a restraining order to stay away from Mr Lee. Lupton has also been banned from the village of Freshwater indefinitely.
The Sun
03-07-2025
- The Sun
Woman who torched neighbour's Land Rover because she thought his rescue badgers killed local cat is spared jail
A WOMAN who torched a neighbour's Land Rover because she thought his badgers killed a local cat has been spared jail. Graham Lee, 56, saw his Freelander destroyed as his furious neighbour attempted to kill the badgers living on his driveway. 5 5 5 Susan Lupton, 63, dubbed her neighbour the "evil badger man" as she believed the animals he cared for had killed another neighbour's pet cat. The arson took place at the coastal village of Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight, causing £18,500 worth of damages with Lee's Freelander destroyed. Another property was also damaged as the blaze spread to a neighbouring house. Police arrived to Lupton, who has bipolar disorder, having a manic episode, telling officers: "I did it, I'm responsible". She has avoided prison after admitting two counts of arson but has been banned from the area. Isle of Wight Court heard how Lupton set fire to Lee's Land Rover on June 20, 2024. She had set fire to a plastic container filled with white spirit before sliding it under the Freelander, according to prosecutor Joanna Staples. The vehicle was completely gutted and a window, guttering, cooker extractor and a tree were all damaged beyond repair on a neighbouring property. Lee, a wildlife volunteer, would leave food out for the badgers on his driveway, tried to put out the blaze himself before firefighters arrived. The badgers haven't returned to the property since the fire, he said. Lupton, who moved to the UK from South Africa in 1980, told police she had started the fire in an attempt to kill the badgers he was looking after. She believed they had killed a cat owned by another neighbour. Lupton also claimed she had learnt how to start the fire from a firefighter friend. The court heard how she had shared posts on her Facebook page claiming Lee was an "evil badger man". Moment dad calmly stretches as he's snared for shaking baby daughter to death In a victim impact statement, Lee said that Lupton was "sick, twisted and a manipulative individual". He added how she had left him constantly checking his security cameras out of fear she may appear on his driveway with some matches. Lee went on to add that his Land Rover was his "pride and joy" and said Lupton's actions had ruined his life. He told the court that Lupton has posted videos online of her throwing bricks at badgers and lacing bowls of food with glass. Neighbour Kavita Hayton, whose home was damaged by the incident, said the attack had left her "genuinely frightened" and in "a state of fear for many months". Lupton's barrister Jonathan Underhill told the court that Lupton had a single conviction for criminal damage on her record and that she had bipolar disorder. He asked the judge to give Lupton a suspended sentence to help with her rehabilitation. Judge James Newton-Price said the victims had suffered a "terrifying experience" and Lupton had developed a "fixation" and had become "irrationally obsessed". The judge added during sentencing: "You say you are horrified for what you've done. "I believe you have a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, and that imprisonment would reverse your progress." Lupton was ordered to pay costs of £1,000 and compensation of £7,835. She was handed two years' imprisonment, suspended for two years and was given a restraining order to stay away from Lee. In addition, Lupton has been banned from the village of Freshwater indefinitely. 5 5
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Telegraph
Neighbour set fire to Land Rover because she thought owner's badger had killed cat
A woman set fire to her neighbour's Land Rover, as she mistakenly believed a badger he cared for had killed a local cat, a court heard. Susan Lupton, 63, set fire to Graham Lee's Land Rover in an attempt to kill badgers living on his driveway, who she blamed for the feline's death. Mr Lee, a wildlife volunteer, would leave food out for the animals in the coastal village of Freshwater Bay, on the Isle of Wight. He told the court the cat had died of old age. The arson caused £18,500 worth of damage, and Mr Lee's Freelander was completely ruined by the blaze. Lupton, a writer, was spared prison after admitting two counts of arson but has been banned from the Freshwater area. She has since moved to the nearby village of Newport. Isle of Wight Crown Court was told she set fire to Mr Lee's 4x4 on June 20 2024, in an area where homes average £400,000 – nearly double the national average. Joanna Staples, prosecuting, said Lupton set fire to a plastic container filled with white spirit and slid it under the car. The 4x4 was completely gutted by the fire, and a separate property was also destroyed as the flames spread to a neighbouring house in the village. A variety of items at the neighbouring property, ranging from a cooker extractor to a Japanese maple tree, were all damaged beyond repair. Mr Lee tried to extinguish the blaze with a hose pipe before firefighters arrived. He said the badgers have not come back to his property since the incident a year ago. Lupton, who moved to the UK from South Africa in 1980, admitted she was responsible when police arrived. The court heard she has bipolar disorder, and had shared posts on her Facebook page claiming that the car owner was an 'evil badger man'. It was also heard by the court that she claimed a firefighter friend had told her how to start the blaze. In a victim impact statement, Mr Lee said Lupton was a 'sick, twisted and manipulative individual' who had left him checking his security cameras numerous times a day out of a fear that she may turn up on his driveway with some matches. He also described the loss of his 'pride and joy' Land Rover as 'beyond words' and said Lupton's actions had ruined his life.
