" Show us the newts!"

Every time children visit us, like today, the cry goes up: “show us the newts!”
This is the signal for M to go to the garden pond, dredge up a net full of pondweed and everyone watches the newts come scurrying out. 
 
The more adventurous ones ask to hold a newt then squeal with alarm at the speed with which it tries, and usually succeeds , in escaping.

Newts are good for the garden, devouring slugs and snails but I do wish they wouldn't gobble up the tadpoles.