… from Peter Applewhite
The rose bush in this photograph has braved storms, rain, hail, sleet, snow, all that the first weeks of a new decade could throw at it, to brighten our days now with some perfect Spring blooms. It was kindly presented to my wife at the Summer Event last year on behalf of the Friends of the Biddenham Village Pond following my retirement from the pond management committee after 16 years as a member, for 12 of which I had the privilege of being chairman.

As well as the regular maintenance, repair and conservation work, pond dipping, frog foraying, youth group visits and much more, much new was achieved during that time, including the introduction of Splash, the six monthly pond newsletter, the first and later the replacement information boards by the pond, this website and the Facebook page to keep the pond in the public eye, and the splendid 20th, 25th, and 30th anniversary celebrations.
None of that could have been achieved without the support, practical and financial, of the Friends, of other friends and villagers, of the Parish Council and our local borough councillors, of the Biddenham Show Committee, of the First Friday Lunch, of all our volunteers and grass mowers, and of other unsung heroes.
May I take this opportunity to record my heartfelt thanks to them all, you all, and to my colleagues on the committee, for all your help and encouragement during my time on the committee, and to record too my grateful thanks to my wife and family for their support.
It’s been really good to see now new younger members joining the committee which bodes very well for its future work and for the long term future of the village pond within an evolving village. The best of good fortune to them all.
I’m very happy still to be volunteering down at the pond, and am keeping an eye on this website for the time being until taken on by a team member.