�The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft a�gley� (Robert Burns)

Chancellor�s Farm is a Somerset Wildlife Nature Reserve notable for its unspoilt grasslands. The Group has used the Farm to study grassland fungi and also as a location where the Group Leader (Justin Smith) can bring microscopes in order for members to delve more deeply into the challenges of fungal identification.

In 2005, we chose to go to Chancellor�s Farm in late November hoping to study the waxcaps. Unfortunately, that day was marked by a severe overnight frost (-6 C) and all the fruiting bodies had turned to mush! This year we went in early November, but found the meeting room was unavailable due to redecoration and thus the microscopes remained unused. In addition, we were again thwarted by one of the earliest frost for many years. During a short walk on the grasslands, we found many, mostly spoilt, Hygrocybe fruiting bodies. We also found several examples of Rhodocybe gemina. This fungus has long been thought to be somewhat rare, but has been found twice this year, at Chancellor�s Farm and on Dolebury Warren.

Afterwards we diverted to the local woodlands. One remarkable, though apparently common find was Hymenochaete corrugata, a glue fungus, which grows on hazel, but can transfer to other trees when broken branches alight. During this process the hazel branches become stuck to the recipient tree by aerial mycelia. In our case the hazel branch was stuck to hawthorn. Another survivor of the frosts were some very large examples of Crepidotus mollis.