N  E  W  S  L  E  T  T  E  R

OCTOBER, NOVEMBER  & DECEMBER 2009

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Workdays (10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2-4 p.m.)

East of the A38:     Sat.3 October: New Orchard on The Common

                                    Sat. 7 November:       Primrose Bridge & Old Orchard

                                    Sat. 5 December:       Manor Farm pond and tree planting

in hedge for National Tree Week

                                    Sat. 9 January:            Hedging and ditching by tennis courts

West of the A38:     Sat.19 September:      Turner’s Pond:  clear pond & tidy

around

Sat. 17 October:        a.m.  Clearing Coniston School pond

(with school) and p.m. Tree Enclosure on Tumps with youth group

Sat. 21 November.     Eagle Meadow and pond

Sat. 19 December:    Gorse Covert tidying

Sat. 23 January:         Gorse Covert hedge

Please contact any of those listed at the end of the Newsletter for details of where to meet for Workdays or check the information on the website

www.patchway-town.co.uk

Evening Meetings at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesdays each month in the Council Offices at Callicroft House, Rodway Road.  Combined with a meeting of Patchway Recycling Group:    15 September, 20 October and

17 November.

20 YEARS OLD

Patchway Conservation Group was set up in 1989, so we are 20 years old this year!   Were you one of the original group of volunteers who worked on The Tumps and Patchway Common, both of which were waist high in vegetation and covered in dumped rubbish?

We have done well, and kept going over the years despite having less helpers than we would like.   We are going to celebrate all that has been achieved in Patchway and all that we plan to do in future - what about Hayes Wood, which is to be preserved when the airfield in built on, for instance?!

We are planning a Celebration Meal on the evening of Tuesday 15 December, venue to be decided.   Please keep the evening free.  We would love to see as many people as possible who have been or are involved with the Group.

LOTTERY FUNDED PROJECT

Following a successful application to the Breathing Spaces fund of the Big Lottery, Patchway Conservation Group commissioned the Forest of Avon to deliver a programme of school and community natural environment engagement events in Patchway in July 2009.  This included:

•     Involvement of pupils from Callicroft Primary in Gorse Covert Local Nature Reserve
•     Involvement of pupils from Coniston Primary in The Tumps open space
•     Guided community Festival Walk along the Patchway Greenway
•     Family Activity Day in Gorse Covert
•     Bat Walk in Pegwell Brake

We were delighted with the success of this programme and hope to have a display of photos in the library in October.   34 children aged 5/6 years  from Callicroft School and 30 children aged 7/8 years from Coniston School spent a day of activities outside, learning about their local environment, playing nature awareness games and enjoying creative activities.  Well over 70 people attended the Family Activity Day in Gorse Covert, including at least 40 children and young people.   The Conservation Group provided cold drinks all day and a BBQ lunch, which was much appreciated by all.

Thanks to Rowena Kenny of the Forest of Avon for leading these activities and sharing her knowledge in such an enthusiastic and enjoyable way.

GARDEN SOCIETY EVENTS

Patchway Garden Society is organising a coach trip to the Victorian Christmas Market in Worcester on Sunday 29 November.  The cost is £10 and the coach will pick up at Patchway Community Centre and Stoke Lane at 9 a.m. and return at approximately 5 p.m.

Please ring Joe Hicks to book your ticket on 01454-898369.

The Garden Society invites all Conservation Group members to join them for their evening meetings on the 3^rd Monday of each month at 7.30 p.m. at the Casson Centre, Rodway Road:

19 October:               “Moscow and the Trans-Siberian Railway”, talk by

                                     Mr. B. Tapp

16 November:           “Butterflies of the Cotswolds and a look at butterflies on

our doorsteps”, talk by Mrs S. Dodd and Mrs S. Smith

21 December:           AGM with American Supper and a glass of wine.

                                    Special Prize Raffle

The Garden Society organised a party at the beginning of August for Joe who celebrated his 80^th birthday with a large group of friends.   Our congratulations to him and long may he continue running the Garden Society, the Garden & Flower Show and supporting Conservation Group work days with vigour!

PATCHWAY COMMON INTERPRETION BOARDS

The four new interpretation boards have now been installed and they are fantastic, so do go and have a look!   The boards, which have been the subject of much discussion in our group meetings, have a map, history panel and illustrations of important buildings, some of which are no longer there, such as   Manor Farm, Green Farm, Bowsland Farm and Primrose Cottage.   Many thanks to Gordon Wilmott for his sketches of these old buildings based on paintings done many years ago by his brother, Bob.

We are very grateful for the grants we have received to cover the cost of making and installing these boards from South Gloucestershire Council, Patchway Town Council and Bradley Stoke Town Council.

The boards can be found at the following locations:  Junction of The Common with Bradley Stoke Way;   Manor Farm Pond;   Junction of The Common with Brook Way;  Pond Farm.     So now everyone who walks down the Common will be able to read about the history of this valuable area.  

PATCHWAY FESTIVAL

Many thanks to everyone who helped with the Flower & Garden Show or joined us for the evening walk, bat walk or family activity day.     All were a great success and your support was much appreciated.  If you would like to help with the planning of next year’s events, please contact any of those listed at the end of the Newsletter.

We plan to reprint the Patchway Greenway leaflet including details of the 30 stone plaques erected recently throughout Patchway and Bradley Stoke as part of the Living Landmarks project.  These plaques mark the sites of important buildings for the history of our area.   The preparation of  the leaflet is our next project and, when complete, all members will be sent a copy with the Newsletter.

ORCHARDS IN SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

(AND PARTICULARLY PATCHWAY COMMON)

Members of the Conservation Group attended a meeting in June to discuss future plum, apple and pear related projects in South Gloucestershire.  There was an exchange of information on the care of traditional orchards and newly-planted community orchards, such as we have on part of Patchway Common.   It was encouraging to learn how much effort is now being put into preserving orchards and the traditional types of fruit trees which were once common but now rare.   Orchards are also ideal habitats for wild flowers, bee hives, moths and butterflies and rare fungus.   Everyone enjoys the produce - cider and perry, too!  

There is an Orchard Harvest Day on Sunday 11 October at Winterbourne Medieval Barn, Church Lane, Winterbourne, which we are planning to go along to.   If you would like a lift, please ring one of the contacts overleaf.   The day, celebrating the richness and variety of English fruit, runs from 10.30-3.30 and there are children’s activities, local produce stalls, apple identification, lots of other events and refreshments. 

We have had an orchard assessment carried out of our community orchard and this has advised that the trees should be thinned out and the height of the hedge between the orchard and the Common should be reduced to allow more light.   The trees have all been pruned in January and produced good fruit this autumn.   We hope to work on laying the hedge over the winter.

PATCHWAY LOCAL HISTORY

Of great interest to anyone who wants to know more about the history of our area is a talk by Dr. Martin Davis, son of Farmer Davis of Little Stoke Farm, to be held at Patchway Library on Wednesday 30 September at 7.30 p.m.  Admission is free but limited due to space, so please call at the library for a ticket or ring them on 01454-868006.   Martin will be introducing his new book, “The Farmer and the Goose with the Golden Eyes”, which traces the history of the farm and his father’s involvement in the establishment of the Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust.  Copies of the book will be on sale as the discounted price of £10.   Part of the profit made on book sales is being donated by Martin to Patchway Conservation Group, for which we are very grateful.

GORSE COVERT

We are pleased to announce that South Gloucestershire Council has obtained government funding to improve the trim trail alongside the woodland and create an attractive area for young people.   A focus group is being set up of individuals and organisations with an interest in Gorse Covert to plan and oversee the project, which must be completed by the end of March.  If you would like to be part of this group you would be very welcome.  Please let us know.

You will see landscaping works taking place on both sides of the wood over the next few months and a cycle route along the side of the wood at the end of Swallow Drive.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE CONSERVATION GROUP FROM:

Les Brooks,                           Joe Hicks,                                   Lucy Hamid,

64 Callicroft Road,               30 Bourton Avenue,                   50 Eastfield Road,

Patchway.                               Patchway.                                    Westbury-on-Trym.

Tel: 0117-940-0020             Tel: 01454-898369                   Tel: 01454-868530

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