Reported widely this weekend was the news that conservation charities are warning that the widespread use of artificial turf on Britain's lawns is damaging the country's wildlife. As real grass disappears creatures which once found shelter there are being squeezed out. Also less real grass is bad for the environment in that less carbon dioxide is produced. Joy Wallis of the Dorset Wildlife Trust was quoted in the Daily Telegraph as saying, "Creatures can’t survive in the countryside because it is so full of chemicals and so they retreat into gardens. But birds get absolutely nothing from artificial grass, they can’t dig for worms or anything like that.
“An increase in the use of artificial grass will just add to the decline of wildlife. It seems a shame that people feel they haven’t got the time or the inclination to look after a lawn.”

A self-styled 'Guerrilla Groundsman' is cleaning around Cambridge city centre, in one-man public maintenance campaign reports the Cambridge News. Taking his cue from 'guerrilla gardeners' who plant flowers in public spaces, the mystery man instead does maintenance jobs such as refitting and cleaning up road signs and making them point in the right direction, brightening up dirty bridges, repainting parking signs, clearing brambles and footpaths and sweeping up rubbish. 'Bob' told the local paper "I would quite like it if more people did it. I just see a place that looks dirty and needs some work or looking grim and get to work cleaning it up. It's nice when people walk by and say thanks, like when I was cutting a bush that was hanging over a footpath."

And finally, the Marriot London 7's took place this weekend at Twickenham. The event is traditionally a big carnival atmosphere with fancy dress galore - and this year that wasn't just limited to the fans in the stands. Head Groundsman for the RFU, Keith Kent (@RFUGroundsman), posted the below picture on Twitter yesterday of himself and some of the crew decked out as some of the greatest heroes (and one villain) from a galaxy far, far away.