Author: Jez Wilson

Community Wildlife Area – June 2019

Some readers will be aware that a group of vacant allotments have been taken out
of commission to be used as a “Wildlife Area”. In the same way that the Community Orchard is a project undertaken on behalf of the community as a whole, this Wildlife Area is also a Community Wildlife Area. The following is brief explanation of the “Hows and Whys” of the project to bring readers up to date with progress and to outline plans for the future development of this area.

Who is doing this? Under the umbrella of the NHPC Allotment Committee Mark and Mary Newstead and Pauline Musson with me overseeing are using our knowledge and expertise to plan, manage and develop this project from concept to fruition. We expect to involve others when necessary as appropriate as the project develops.

What are we doing? We are providing a safe area where local wildlife will be able to live, flourish and be enjoyed by our Community.

Why are we doing this? A recent study by 30 scientists has concluded that Right now our Natural World is at more risk than at any time since Human Beings first walked this Earth. Whilst we cannot change the world, we can change a bit of Nether Heyford to form an area where our local wildlife (plants and animals) will be safe and able to increase rather than decrease. Not only will this benefit our wonderful wildlife but it has been proven that being able to spend time in such an area (however small) benefits our own health and well being.

Where are we doing it? A patch of about 5 vacant allotments forms a rough triangle toward the Sports Field end of the Allotment field along the Watery Lane Hedge Border. This patch has been taken out of allotment use to form the Wildlife area.

How are we doing this? It is a known fact that if one provides the habitat, the wildlife will move in to make use of it. For example, nesting boxes were in use within hours of being put on our site. With this in mind we have chosen to provide a range of connected habitats that seek to restore the area to a state in which it may have been many years before it was ploughed or became allotments.

We know that a brook ran down that side of the field. We cannot provide a brook so we have planned a Wildlife Pond in the Area. There will be three other main
habitats. Sown along the length of the hedge, to a depth of up to 3m will be plants associated with hedgerows. This will be mown once a year. Other areas will be Wildflower Meadow which will also be mown once a year. We intend to establish “Tussock Areas” which will not be mown at all. These latter provide invaluable habitat for small mammals with many insects and other invertebrates benefiting from the undisturbed life. There will also be a wildflower lawn square with seating, surrounded by small trees to provide a peaceful area. This will all be achieved by using purpose designed seeds mixtures which are readily available on the open market and good management.

When will we do all this and how long will it take? We have already started the work and are busy recording the current Flora and Fauna for future reference. The area has been fenced off and pathways cut into the grass and the seating area has been mown. We have no wish to destroy any wildlife that already occupies the area and all development will be gradual, enabling life to move to suitable areas as patches become bare before replanting. If you were to visit this summer there will be an allotment size patch of old fashioned Arable Field Wildflowers in bloom. This patch will be re-sown with a Meadow Mixture in autumn to grow on in 2020.

The Pond should also be in place and some planting and landscaping around it.
There will be areas covered in plastic sheeting. This is to kill the present flora in order for us to sow these areas with appropriate mixtures in autumn 2019. We don`t expect the whole area to be sown till the autumn of 2020 or even 2021.

Unfortunately we have not yet established safe and sensible, unescorted public access to the Wildlife Area. This will come in the future. In the meantime we would be very pleased to welcome interested visitors. If you would like to visit the area please feel free to contact me on 01327 344461 or e-mail davemusson073@gmail.com

I would be glad to arrange an escorted visit with myself or another team member.

Dave Musson

Heyford Gardening Club – June 2019

Heyford-Gardening-Cluband-allotments

At our May meeting we had the pleasure of a talk by Teresa Wedderburn of Branch
Out MK, a not for profit company which provides gardening therapy for people with
learning difficulties and autism. They are based at York House in Stony Stratford
and anyone passing that area is welcome to call in and see their work for
themselves. They also have a range of goods for sale including cut flowers, herbal
teas and pot pourri’s.

Spring Flower Show
Due to an administrative mix up a number of members arrived with entries for a
spring flower competition which should have been cancelled, so we went ahead
anyway with an impromptu show which was won by Anne Haynes’ lush display,
closely followed by Maureen Wright’s elegant pink flowered lily of the valley.
Our June 10th meeting will feature a talk on bonsai by Steve Brown and we
definitely will have our annual rose show, which has two classes; single flowered
varieties and cluster flowered varieties, in the first case a single bloom is required; in the second a single spray.

New Arrivals
Recently we spotted in our garden an unusual looking bumble bee. This turned out
to be a tree bumble bee, a recently arrived species from the continent which has
been spreading rapidly through the country mainly because it doesn’t have the
natural enemies of our native bees (which are mainly a race of parasitic bumble
bees called cuckoo bees). These tree bumble bees, as the name suggests, like to
nest in holes high in trees and sometimes use empty bird boxes. Rather less
welcome, we found on our allotment some brightly coloured beetles with a black and white cross pattern on their backs and red heads and legs. These are asparagus
beetles, so if you grow asparagus look out for this pest as they can cause a lot of
damage.

Weather
The warmest Easter on record has been followed by the coldest May bank holiday.
Britain has four seasons; spring, summer, autumn and winter, but not necessarily in
that order! However this year despite the weather all the carrots I have sowed have
germinated and grown well, unlike the previous year when I managed to produce
the magnificent total of two carrots.

Some Things to do in June
1. Start to take soft wood cuttings of shrubs and perennials
2. It’s now safe to put out tender bedding plants and vegetables
3. Prune spring flowering shrubs.

Mark Newstead

www.heyfordgardenclub.com

For more information visit the Heyford Gardening Club & Allotments page

Heyford-Gardening-Cluband-allotments

Village Signs – June 2019

Village Signs

The planting is now finished and the signs are complete in Nether Heyford. We just need to now make sure that they are watered regularly. If you are passing, please give them a drink.

The Upper Heyford one will be done once the sign is replaced by the Council.

Thanks to Steve Corcoran, Anita Taylor, Rona & Ron Wade, The Foresters Arms and the Parish Council and also everyone that has donated bulbs and other items.

If you are interested in joining us, please either speak to Jill Garratt or check in at our Facebook page:  Heyford Entry-preneurs  

Jill & Sue

Bugbrooke Guides – June 2019

Bugbrooke Guides – Join us!

Bugbrooke Guides have spaces available for girls to join us from the surrounding villages! Guides is suitable for girls aged 10-14 with a range of activities carried out throughout the year. We also a waiting list for girls who have not yet turned 10.

We meet each Thursday 7pm – 8:30pm at the Sunday School Rooms in Bugbrooke.

Activities include working towards badges, cooking, crafts, trips and camping, plus much more! Recently we have enjoyed Mothering Sunday crafts, cooking outside, working on badges and we are busy preparing for our summer camp.

If you’d like more information or to join us, please email:

bugbrookeguides@gmail.com

 

Letters: Julie Clewett – June 2019

Julie Clewett

Tony, Ian, Chris and Becky and families wish to thank all Julie’s friends from the
village for the wonderful show of love and respect at Julie’s funeral on 17th May and
for all the cards and messages of condolence and support. It has been a wonderful
display of love and affection for Julie and we are all so grateful.
Thank you

JulieClewett

 

Nether Heyford W.I. – June 2019

WI-Logo

On May 2nd Nether Heyford W.I. ladies went to visit Rugby School. Sadly, due to a
swollen ankle I couldn’t go but I am reliably informed that it was a very interesting
and enjoyable evening with the Chapel earning a special mention. Unfortunately the
weather was not at its best but I’m guessing that the laughter still flowed!

At our meeting on Thursday June 6th Analiza Jones is coming to talk to us about the
making of hand woven bags from the Philippines. The fibre of stalks from locally
grown plants, like Abaka and Buntal, end up as vibrantly coloured bags which are
not only light and strong but also water resistant. It should be interesting to find out
about the hard work that goes into the harvesting, drying and weaving these lovely
bags so, if you would like to join us for the evening, we will be in the Village Hall at
7.30. The cost for non-members is £5 and refreshments will be included.

Our July meeting will be a talk on ‘Antiques and Collectables’ by Denise Cowling.
This was scheduled for last year but Denise was ill and unable to come so we are
very much looking forward to seeing her in 2019.

A reminder (just in case you have missed all the others!) that our Village Fete is on
Saturday June 8th. The W.I. will be having a produce stall as usual and we hope you
will come and meet us and support our Village Hall. How lucky we are to have such
a beautiful centre to our village and a hall that allows us to take part in so many
different activities. All we need now is the sun!

Mary Rice – Heyford Lodge – 01327 340101

 

URGENT – The Prattler’s Future

The Prattler’s Future

Due to an large unforeseen increase in the Prattler’s printing costs, we are having to look at all the options for the Prattler to continue. This could be producing editions Bi-monthly instead of monthly, cutting down on the articles and pages, charging or the worst option of all, which would be ceasing altogether.

We will be having a meeting in the next few weeks to decide the best way to continue. However, in the meantime, if anyone has any suggestions as to how we can avoid those scenarios, please get in contact with me via text or e-mail.

Many thanks

Sue Boutle

Editor

01327 342519

heyford_prattler@yahoo.co.uk

Parish Church of St. Peter & St. Paul – June 2019

Nether Heyford Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

Dear Friends.

Evidence of the divisions in our world seem to have come to the fore in recent days. There has been the controversy around the death of a participant on The Jeremy Kyle Show – ‘entertainment’ that seemed to depend on exploiting divisions within families – resulting in the termination of this programme by ITV. Elsewhere, the Institute of Fiscal Studies has launched a major enquiry into equality in the UK, suggesting that there are widening divisions between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ which threaten our democracy. Politically, the issue of Brexit is again highlighting divisions not just in the country, but also within the two major political parties themselves. And internationally, rising tensions between the USA and Iran again reminds us of the divisions that exist between nations. Human history would suggest that we are very good at division. It seems as though we need to choose sides, to identify ourselves as ‘us’, and have a ‘them’ to oppose. Our social inequalities and power structures somehow suggest that division is an intrinsic part of our humanity. Sadly, religions are not free from this tendency towards division. Differences in dogma, interpretation or emphasis create divisions within religious groups. In Christianity, for example, different denominations and opposing viewpoints on some of the major talking points of our day demonstrate that the Church is not immune to division. This is nothing new, for in the earliest church, deep divisions existed between believers from Jewish and Gentile backgrounds.

And yet, in Chapter 11 of The Acts of the Apostles, St Peter is told and shown that there is no place for division in the Kingdom of God, when God’s Spirit descends on a Gentile family, and they begin to worship God. Indeed, the Holy Spirit ignores all human divisions – social, cultural, religious and so on – and falls on all who believe. God’s Kingdom is all about removing divisions and creating one new community.

At the beginning of June, churches across the world will come together in praying ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ in a global prayer initiative started a few years ago by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. I will be taking time to add my prayers to those of people around the world, praying that we might see more of the unity characterised by God’s Kingdom; in our families, our society, our churches, our politics and the world. In the Kingdom, there is no place for division, and we are all offered the same identity, as the children of God.

Yours in Christ,

Stephen – 01327 344436