The one where I got to name a couple of hoglets
Although I still have plans to write a prequel at some point in the future, the Hedgehog Hollow series concluded in December. I loved writing this series for so many reasons but one of them has been meeting Ann and Angela from Wolds Hedgehog Rescue in 'the real Hedgehog Hollow' on the Yorkshire Wolds where I set my series.
L-R, Ann, me, Angela on my first visit to the Hog House
After Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow was released, Angela messaged me to say that she'd been drawn to the book because of the hedgehogs and had loved it. What she really appreciated was the accuracy and the research that had clearly gone into it. This was the first time she'd ever reached out to an author and I was so grateful that she decided to do that.
In November 2021, I made my first visit to the rescue centre's Hog House.
I've now visited on several occasions and have held a poorly hedgehog while Ann prepared medication and have fed a hoglet under Angela's guidance. Hedgehogs never get handled unless they're being fed (in the case of hoglets), issued medication, or their crate is being cleaned as they are wild animals so human contact should always be kept to a minimum, so what a privilege to have these opportunities.
Yesterday, I'd arranged to meet Ann and Angela for lunch to celebrate the end of the Hedgehog Hollow series, but I received a call en route to ask if I could divert via the Hog House instead as they'd had an emergency hoglets admission. Two tiny hoglets had been left overnight on someone's doorstep and the poor little mites were severely dehydrated, cold and covered in flystrike. They were lucky to still be alive. I'm sure leaving them in a box on someone's doorstep was well intentioned but if the person has no idea they're there, how are they supposed to help them?
Anyway, I arrived while Angela was removing the fly eggs and giving them rehydration fluids. They would have been in desperate need of food but giving it can be fatal at this stage. Dehydration could have caused damage to their organs so it's vital that they're rehydrated first before food is introduced. Fortunately, both took their first round of fluids really well.
I was honoured to be given naming rights. As they were a brother and sister, I named them after my brother and sister team, Fizz and Barney, from the Hedgehog Hollow series. Fizz is one of the main characters in the series, first appearing in the second book – New Arrivals at Hedgehog Hollow – although Barney is only mentioned in the series. He is the hero of spin-off book Healing Hearts at Bumblebee Barn.
Fizz and Barney were warmed on a heat pad and then placed in an incubator to keep them warm. Angela is the hoglets nanny and she has an array of cuddly toys which the hoglets cosy up to as a surrogate mum. Cuddly toys give them warmth, comfort and a safe space under which to hide.
Angela was also treating another hoglet called Andrew who'd been found on a farm on his own. He was responding well to formula.
All three of them needed attention again two hours later so they stayed warm in their incubators while we had lunch, and then we returned to the Hog House so Angela could feed Andrew again and give more fluids to Fizz and Barney. They had massively improved in colour and size after that first round and it was so lovely to see them eagerly responding to more rehydration fluids, their front paws padding up and down as though they were pressing against their mum.
Fizz and Barney had a dog toy Christmas tree in their incubator. If you look carefully at the photo, you can just see Barney in the fleecy blanket on the left, peeking between the blanket and one of the red legs on the tree. Fizz is under that leg – what initially looks like a shadow.
The reason I'd invited Ann and Angela out for lunch (unbeknown to them) was that I'd made Wolds Hedgehog Rescue my charity of the year and wanted to present them with a donation to continue to support the incredible work they do. They spend a lot of money on food and hold an annual fundraising event in the spring which, in the past. has helped buy more incubators. The biggest expense is medication and certain meds are particularly pricey so my donation will help keep them in medication for a little while.
Me giving my donation to hoglets nanny Angela
Angela then needed to get the hoglets home in time for their next feed/fluids. They all travelled in a portable incubator together, safely strapped into the front seat of their car. The hoglets are safely hidden beneath their soft toys.
As Angela packed up, she showed me the cutest item in her hoglets kit. If somebody told me I'd coo over a small measuring jug, I'd have laughed at them but, oh my goodness, how adorable is this? It can hang over a regular-sized jug filled with hot/warm water, therefore warming any fluids in it. Cute or what?
I'm so honoured to have found Ann and Angela's friendship, to have got to know a team who dedicate their lives to helping this vulnerable species, and who are so generous with sharing their time and knowledge, so this was my way of thanking them.
Even though it is the end of the Hedgehog Hollow series, I'll stay in touch with my friends at Wolds Hedgehog Rescue and eagerly follow their Facebook posts. You can find them on Facebook here.
On the way home, I nipped into one of two local garden centres – Dean's Garden Centre on the outskirts of Scarborough – and was thrilled to see a stock of Family Secrets at Hedgehog Hollow in there (book 3). There weren't any other Boldwood authors' books so I grabbed a shelfie of mine.
What a lovely day out. Thank you Ann and Angela for everything and here's hoping Fizz, Barney and Andrew continue to do well.
Big hedge-hugs
Jessica xx