Author: Jez Wilson

Heyford Gardening Club – December 2020

Nether-Heyford-Garden-Club

I can tentatively announce that we hope to have a talk via Zoom from Philip Aubrey on “Ponds and Water Features” on the 7th December. This is the third attempt at getting a talk from Philip, the previous occasions being sabotaged by travel problems and the first lockdown. We hope that this will be third time lucky! Full details will be announced in due course.

Autumn Pleasures
This autumn so far has been rather soggy but the lack of cold weather has meant that many plants are still performing in November; we have a red dahlia full of flower, our raspberries are producing an occasional handful of fruit and the Eleagnus x ebbingei and the winter flowering viburnums are filling the garden with scent. I sowed some calendula seeds in August with a view to having them flowering in the spring but they grew so well that they began flowering at the end of September and are still in full swing.

Last year our winter jasmine produced no flowers at all despite a healthy amount of growth, and I suspected our horde of sparrows of having eaten the buds. However this year we are getting a show of flower so perhaps they were innocent. On the negative side I am seeing a lot of greenfly about the garden as the weather is mild but there are fewer predators around.

The joys of of being untidy
On my allotment I have a bucket which I use to steep comfrey leaves to make plant feed. When I came to remove the rotted leaves I discovered several maggots with long tails living there. These are “rat tailed maggots”, the larvae of one of the larger species of hoverfly. The “tails” of these grubs act as snorkels as they live in stagnant water where there is no oxygen. As these flies are useful pollinators I replaced the decaying vegetation and will have to wait until spring for my fertiliser. On another occasion I was splitting a log, part of which was decaying only to discover a very large grub in a hole in the wood. This looks to me very much like the larva of the stag beetle, a creature which is becoming rare because so little wood is allowed just to rot away naturally. Hopefully this particular grub will be able to eat its way further into the log which I left for it.

Things to do in December and January
Just take time to think about the past year and its successes and failures and use that to make plans for the coming year.

Don’t forget to take advantage of any good weather to look at the garden and see
how the shoots and buds will be already presaging the coming spring.

Mark Newstead

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www.heyfordgardenclub.com

For more information visit the Heyford Gardening Club & Allotments page

Nether-Heyford-Garden-Club

Community Wildlife Area – December 2020

View from The Wildlife Patch

As we move into the last month of 2020 our thoughts are of the approaching Christmas and the New Year of 2021.

At “The Patch” we are planning for 2021 already. We agreed from the start that our goal is to provide a haven for what is now termed “Bio diversity” and to make it accessible to all residents of Nether Heyford.

This is being achieved by providing a number of “Mini Habitats” joining to make one larger habitat. Earlier in November our management team of four agreed this is still the best approach to achieve our goal.

At the narrow end of the patch there are some young Elms which have died after falling victim to Elm Bark Beetle. When these become likely to fall we will cut these into logs to leave in strategic places as seats and to provide cover for insects other invertebrates. There is a mown patch at that end with a bench. That area will be planted with a few trees to form a very small spinney. The bench will be moved to the pond edge where visitors can sit to enjoy the rich pond life. It is known that ponds act as a sort of “Insect chimney” attracting many species of insect. These in turn encourage Bats and insect feeding birds among others.

We have all enjoyed the rich Flora and accompanying Fauna provided by the “cornfield Annuals” wild flower mix.. We agreed to maintain an “annual patch” by removing the vegetation form the current patch. We will then cultivate the soil and plant new seeds each year. These will provide a rich and varied diet for flying insects whilst instilling a sense of well-being into human visitors who choose to spend time there.

Another plot will be managed as “Meadow” This has already been planted with a native Meadow Seed Mix of native grasses and broad leaved plants. We intend to mow this with a Brushcutter each August. The action of this should be “scythelike” causing little harm to any insect larvae etc. attached to the grass. After drying out, the “Hay” will be piled up close to the hedge where it will become haven to vertebrates and invertebrates alike.

We will try to maintain a very short, even bare, earth patch for some species of mining bee that need that habitat. The pond will sit in the midst of all this – as it does now – and we will continue to add native plants to the pond and the pond edge as these become available.

The remainder will be a “Tussock” type of habitat. That is mostly long grass, not cut at all on any regular basis. This type of habitat has the potential to be the most biologically diverse next to the pond. providing homes for Voles, Shrews, Mice, Large Ground Beetles and many more. These otherwise would not thrive on the patch. This tussock habitat will comprise several patches of ground joined up by narrower corridors to connect the whole into one larger habitat.

As now footpaths will remain cut into the sward to enable visitors free passage from habitat to habitat. All will converge at the pond.

We need to place bits of wood, bark,stone etc. lying around for insects, Woodlice, Centipedes, Amphibians etc. to hide under.

We look forward to seeing you there in 2021.

On behalf of the Team may I take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Mary, Mark, Pauline & Dave

Heyford Scout Group – Christmas Card Postal Service 2020

Heyford Scout Group Christmas Card Collection

Heyford Scout Group are still planning to offer a Christmas Card delivery service this year, but organised a little differently due to current restrictions. There will be no door to door collections but we hope to have some post boxes in key village locations, with extra hygiene precautions for handling and posting out the cards.

Further details will be in the December Prattler.

November edition of The Prattler 2020

The group intend is to offer a Christmas Card service to the village this year, assuming that the current national coronavirus lockdown is lifted on December 2nd. However if at time of publication the lockdown has been extended we regret we will not be able to go ahead.

If we can proceed the collection will work differently this year.

From 2nd December postboxes will be placed in the One Stop Shop, Heyford Meats, the Foresters and the Olde Sun. There will also be a post box in Bliss School. Last posting date will be 16th December.

If you have cards you would like delivered please post in one of these, in a sealed bag with your payment of 20p per card. All cards will be sorted and then quarantined for at least 48 hours before they are delivered by adults from the group on the weekend 19th/20th December, we will take appropriate hygiene precautions during delivery.

We will keep you updated via the Prattler website and village/Scout Group Facebook pages, if the post boxes appear in their locations that means we are going ahead !

Heyford Scout Group wish all of the village a Happy Christmas.

December edition of The Prattler 2020

Latest Update: Heyford Scout Group Christmas Card Collection

Regrettably, following notice of Northamptonshire being placed in Tier 2 until at least Dec 16th, and taking into account advice from our local councillors, Heyford Scout Group have had to cancel our Christmas Card Collection this year. We are sorry for any disappointment this causes, but hope you understand why we have had to make this decision. We wish you all a happy and safe Christmas and look forward to being back next year.

Shirley Waterhouse on Facebook 28th November

Flood Watch – December 2020

Flood Watch

Wet, wet, wet describes October’s weather with storm Alex at the beginning of the month and storm Aiden in the closing days of October into the start of November. Although October is normally the wettest month in a year this year has been exceptional with nearly double the normal average,even exceeding the February high. Strong winds from Atlantic lows resulted in unsettled weather patterns with local wind speeds of 30 mph whilst areas of the UK experienced 70 mph,heavy rainfall and flooding. The remainder of November will see daytime temperatures around 10 degrees centigrade with a small risk of overnight frost. With daylight hours continuing to fall, currently at 8 ¾ hours,changing at 2 minutes per day this will continue until 21st December, the official start of winter when daylight hours will start to increase. As winter is characterised by periods of stormy weather the next UK named storms will be Bella, then Christoph, alternating names being male then female.

The anticipated blue moon at Halloween was obscured by night clouds although the moon rise in the east formed an impressive sight as the Nene Valley was flooded with bright moonlight, circa 5.30 pm.

With saturated ground conditions the river levels respond rapidly to new rainfall and more rapid run-off. This is a reminder to assess your own potential flood risk both from the river, brook or flash flooding and poor surface water drainage. In my own case the Easter 98 floods initiated an assessment of my own property risk resulting in a three tier system of protection. Tier 1 resulted in the creation of a relatively water tight enclosure across the full width of the property by removing gateways in a low level wall to create a single entry/exit point which is permanently protected by a flood barrier permanently fitted. This comprised a timber structure with glued joints using copper pipe lagging to form a compressible seal. In the event of leakage a submersible pump can be employed to remove unwanted water. As the garden has tiered levels a second wall can be similarly protected should the need arise. In the unlikely event that flood water reached the house the vulnerable entry points above dpc level, such as door openings or patio doors can be similarly protected. In the latter case the flood guards can use polythene sheet applied across the opening before installing the guard. A guard was produced for each opening and the wall predrilled and plugged in readiness for a rapid response should the need ever arise. To protect brickwork and provide a waterproof seal the area of walling 18 inches above ground level was treated with a clear silicon sealant.

Since 1998 only tier 1 and the use of the pump on one occasion has needed to be employed, maintaining leakage levels below 1 inch! These precautions may seem excessive but with increasing risk from climate change I feel well prepared.

J.Arnold

The Story of Heyford (Extra): Dear Diary – December 1959

December 1959

Dear Diary,

This year has been special to me because I went on a school trip to Germany for 10 days. I didn’t think I’d be able to go as it cost £20 but mum, bless her, got a job in the kitchens on the M1 building site where the offices are, so that she could pay £1 a week. I saved the £6 pocket money we were allowed to take by running errands for Mrs. Davis at The Olde Sun over to Sid Capel’s butchers shop. There were 12 Marks to the Pound so we had to work out roughly how much things cost. We had to take extra clothes including spare shoes, 2 handkerchiefs and a full change of underwear. I bought a 12 film for my Brownie camera. We stayed in Boppard on The Rhine, visiting several interesting places including Cologne Cathedral where I have a photo of me and Jane at the top with a view of The Rhine. I’ll never forget this wonderful experience.

Christmas is nearly here and the girls in my class each made a Christmas cake at school, a picture of which was in the Chronicle & Echo. This year I have some money to buy my own presents so I’m meeting my friend Janet in town on Saturday to shop. We’ll start at Woolworths I think. Mum and Dad are planning an evening at the pub because they are open until 11 o’clock, half hour more than other nights so I shall write out my Christmas cards and wrap my presents when I get home. I hope we’ve got plenty of brown paper and string.

On Sunday we are having a Christmas concert in church and the choir have been rehearsing. It’s mostly Christmas carols, just one short anthem, and everybody joins in. I’m looking forward to this. The crib is in place where everybody can see it and the ladies will fill huge pots with Christmas roses and holly. Mum and Dad are even coming for a change.

I warned the chickens that they don’t have long left as dad is hoping to pluck and draw one for Christmas lunch. I dare say I shall help him. He’ll wring its neck, which I don’t watch, then he gets me to hold it while he pulls out its innards (they don’t half stink), then there’ll be feathers everywhere when he plucks it. He’ll pick the Brussels ‘yuk’, carrots and spuds from the garden and the Christmas pudding is made – we all had a stir for luck. Hope I get the silver thrupenny bit again this year, it’s usually in my piece, I must just be lucky. If my cousin comes I bet he’ll get one as well, though he’s only 4 so he could swallow it.

We have a huge table in our living room so we can seat us all round it for dinner. We have some home-made Crackers to pull, a tin of salmon for tea plus the Christmas cake I made, and plenty of coal in the shed for the fires, one in the living room and one in the front room, which is a rarity. After dinner I bet we have a sing song. Mum will play the piano and we join in the songs we all know. Her latest favourites are Three Coins in a Fountain by Frank Sinatra and Oh My Pappa by Eddie Fisher, then she’ll revert back to the good old War songs that the oldies know, and Christmas Carols of course. I wish she’d learn to play a bit of Elvis Presley.

After this the grown-ups will fall asleep, especially if they’ve had a beer or a glass of sherry and I might help my cousin do a bit of colouring because he will no doubt get a new colouring book and pencils for Christmas, that’s to keep him quiet for a while I expect. I might read my School Friend with Dilly Dream which my auntie usually buys me and my cousin will probably get a book as well. Neither of us know what else we’ll get because we don’t get to choose, we get whatever our parents can afford, but we drop hints. All we need now is a bit of snow.

Polly

Letter published in The Prattler – December edition 2020

Nether Heyford Tennis Club – December 2020

NetherHeyfordTennisClub_Logo

NEW to the tennis club in December – WALKING TENNIS

This is a slowed down version of the traditional game. Who is it for – anyone! No membership or tennis skills required.

Benefits:  Playing walking tennis can bring real benefits, aside from the physical health gains, players benefit from the boost of being outdoors with the mental health benefits of exercise, interaction with others, and a sense of achievement of developing new skills.

Starting ASAP Mondays – 10.30 am to 11.30 am at Nether Heyford Tennis Courts. Equipment will be provided and there will be no charge.

For further information and to book a space please contact Jo on 01327 349094 / 07749 822016 or find us on Facebook 

Email: jodickson@btinternet.com

Website: clubspark.lta.org.uk/NetherHeyfordTennisClub

Full facilities and location details can be found on our Nether Heyford Tennis Club page.

Flower Society – December 2020

Bugbrooke and District Flower Society

Like all groups we have missed meeting with friends and our monthly ‘fix’ of beautiful flower demonstrations as well as various outings and events during the year. It is difficult to comprehend that we last met in February. The committee have held two zoom meetings, which was a new experience for some, with the intention of being ready should the situation improve; alas this has not been the case.

A few months ago, one of our members, an ex-National Demonstrator, gave us a wonderful evening by providing a demonstration via zoom – with over 70 of us watching all over the area it gave us a real boost.

As it seems likely we will be unable to hold our Christmas Workshop, which we always enjoy, we are looking at the possibility of holding a step-by-step lesson on zoom.

We very much look forward to the day we can welcome everyone back to enjoy friendship through flowers. Until then we send Seasons Greetings to all for the Christmas period and a healthy and peaceful year ahead.

For more information please follow us on Facebook or contact Dianne on 01604 830063 or Simone on 01327 342167.

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The Bugbrooke and District Flower Society meet every fourth Monday in the month in the Village Hall. Our meetings start at 7.45pm and usually take the form of a Demonstration when a qualified demonstrator will create several floral designs which are raffled at the end of the evening and lucky members take home the beautiful flowers.

Flower Society affiliated to the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) promoting Floral Art. www.nafas.org.uk

The Story of Heyford (Extra): Bob Smith’s Memories

Lower Heyford known now as Nether Heyford is a village steeped in history. When I first moved here in October 1964 the village was quite different to what it is today.

We moved into 75 Furnace Lane, a chalet bungalow, opposite was the dairy field with a big house owned by the sisters Green. There were 2 big houses as you came down the road from the A5 on the right hand side, and a bungalow owned by Pinky Lilley on the left. From the bungalow, the field reached down to the council houses.

On our side of the road we were next to the big houses. Our houses had just been built by Mr Howe, a former constable who came from Luton. I think that there were six chalet bungalows built in all. They led down to the council houses on the right of Furnace Lane.

Coming into the centre of the village was the Green which is I’m told is the largest green in the country. Surrounding the village green were thatched houses, the Baptist chapel, school, village hall and a few houses. Opposite Furnace Lane is Church Street where I now live.

There was a shop on the corner which once was owned by Major and Mrs Blaney. Next to the shops was a house that used to be a chapel and when we moved into the village, an old thatched house was next to a bigger chapel that used to be run as a Youth Club. The shop next door was owned by Mrs Court but was run by Mrs Highfield and there was a small fish and chips place just between the chapel and the shop.

The 3 storey house next to the shop had a row of houses which are now no more and next to them was an old forge which was used later for a garage. The thatched house was beautiful and had a well with wrought iron covers just inside the entrance.

This is the true centre of Heyford.

On the road to the church, there was a bakery which used to cook the congregations Yorkshire puds while they were in church, a wheelwright, the co-op and another small shop next to the jitty and also a ladder makers as well.

NetherHeyfordBobSmithMap

NetherHeyfordBobSmithMap2020

Bob Smith

Letter published in The Prattler – December edition 2020