There is something fascinating about collecting. It becomes addictive and if you allow it to, it will become a huge part of your life.
As a child I collected penguins. I fell in love with these comical black and white characters after countless trips to a local zoo and was soon surrounded by ornaments and plush penguins of all sizes. This spread to books, key rings and mugs. At Christmas and on birthdays my presents would be heavily penguin dominated.
1991 was an important year for me as at the age of 14 I began to explore the world of rock music. I recall my first CD purchased through the Britannia music club – Guns N’Roses Use Your Illusion 1. Then came Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten. Listening to Appetite to Destruction took me to Led Zeppelin and I began to realise that the Beatles were more than 4 men with stupid haircuts. The bands came thick and fast. Names from the past : The Who, The Clash. The Kinks, Love, Black Sabbath to the contemporary Smashing Pumpkins, MegaCity Four and Teenage Fanclub.
“. One afternoon I spotted something attached to the side of a tree – a large shelf. I looked up and noticed there were lots of them. This is how it started. I now know that these are brackets. ”
Then BritPop EXPLODED. So many bands, not all great, but all a vital part of that amazing time when anyone could pick up a guitar, master six chords and create not just a song but an anthem. Blur, Oasis, Pulp, Sleeper, Suede, Supergrass along with my favourites Radiohead have had such a huge impact upon my life. But it wasn’t just the music itself. My CD library had started to take off.
It became impossible to walk past HMV or Our Price without diving in for a quick rummage. Charity shops were great for discovering unheard of groups and for the occasional bargain. At home shelves, drawers and racks were overflowing. I became desperate to complete the back histories of key bands and would spend time endlessly filing and reordering the collection.
Unfortunately for my long suffering partner my CD obsession continues even in the technological world of iTunes and MP3s. However my latest collecting hobby is ..mushrooms.
The humble Mushroom
It started before lockdown. I was falling apart mentally and found it hard to go out. Looking for something while out walking helped to distract me and gave me a focus. One afternoon I spotted something attached to the side of a tree – a large shelf. I looked up and noticed there were lots of them. This is how it started. I now know that these are brackets.
From here I embarked upon a quest to find and identify as many fungi as I could. I
downloaded an App and away I went. It’s amazing how many varieties and colours of mushrooms there are in just one part of the country. Bright yellow willow brain, Black witches’ butter, pretty pink wood ear and blue blewits. I didn’t know about any of these! Now whenever I’m out in the countryside I am constantly on the look out for my new friends. Finding a new type feels like a real achievement and I am learning to recognise the different sorts.
Mycology (the study of mushrooms) is such a good hobby for autistic people as all the senses are stimulated. The smell of mushrooms in a forest, the feel of the jellies and caps ( be careful as some are toxic!) as well as the visual wow factor from scarlet elf caps or a cluster of blue and yellow turkey tail. Best of all the mushrooms live well away from people and it is a hobby you can do totally alone and of course in the fresh air. Just like my CDs I am able to arrange photos of my fungi in an album and record their names. My App gives me information at a click on each of them. I am now looking to go on some walks with an expert and am planning to learn about foraging.
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