Trim and tidy

The pond hedge is looking trimmer now, thank you very much to our volunteers.

Keep taking care and keeping safe, everyone.

Events cancelled

You will not be surprised though it is with regret that the Frog Foray on Friday, 3 April and the work morning on Saturday, 4 April have now been cancelled.

But better we all do our very best for ourselves and everyone else to stay healthy.

We will publish again as and when it is possible to arrange a work morning.

A big thank you …

… 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.

 

 

 

 

The generally now misnamed Frog Foray!

If you’re free on Friday, 3 April at 9.00 pm what better thing to do than popping down to the pond for the first great Frog Foray of the new decade, led by Chris Jones, our very own wildlife expert.

Please bring a torch, and wellies would be good too, but no dogs please. And children please bring a responsible adult.

We look forward to seeing you then and hopefully toads, newts and a range of other pond life and, who knows, maybe even some frogs attracted by the the welcome fullness of the pond at long last. Although don’t hold your breath waiting for the frogs!

 

The day before Ciara

The violets have been making the most of this afternoon’s sunshine before tomorrow’s storm arrives.

One tree has decided not to wait for the winds and has already fallen down of its own accord.

The pond sits serene, feeling reasonably full of water considering.

Looking into the field beyond the pond it’s hard to visualise the dovecote that once stood there, not to say the Coffin Path that once was a real path.

Spring work morning

There’s a chance for you to help, please, on Saturday, 4 April at our Spring work morning down at the pond from 10.00 am to lunchtime.

Any help you can give us would be very much appreciated. Please wear stout footwear, and bring your gardening gloves and any tools you think will be useful for trimming and tidying the pond site after the Winter, making it ready for the Spring and Summer.

And apart from healthy gentle exercise in the fresh air, the other good news is there will be hot drinks and biscuits!

We’ve entered this new decade with a healthier level of water in the pond than we’ve had in recent years, and our volunteers have been busy driving back the reeds that have been encroaching across the pond. With these benefits we hope the pond will continue to look like a pond for everyone to enjoy as Spring turns to Summer, and Summer to Autumn.

Autumn work morning

Our Autumn work morning to prepare the pond and the surrounding area for the Winter will take place down at the pond on Saturday, 9 November from 10.00 am to lunchtime.

Any help you can give us would be much appreciated.  Please wear stout footwear, bring gardening gloves and any useful tools. Hot drinks and biscuits will be provided.

Thank you.

The Friends of the Biddenham Village Pond Management Team

Spring cleaning

Will and Tom have made a start with a great job trimming the hedge back to open up the path by the field, and some neat strimming, thank you to both of them. And there’s a chance for you to help too, please, on Saturday, 6 April at the Spring work morning down at the pond from 10.00 am to lunchtime.

Any help you can give us would be very much appreciated. Please wear stout footwear, and bring your gardening gloves and any tools you think will be useful for trimming and tidying the pond site after the Winter.

And apart from healthy gentle exercise in the fresh air, the other good news is there will be hot drinks and biscuits!

And today, a duck made the most of the sunshine relaxing on the jetty before Storm Gareth arrives.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Autumn work morning

On a happily sunny morning after a wet night, nine merry volunteers, including some new faces, gathered at the pond on Saturday, 10 November for the Autumn work morning.

Some good work had already been done the day before. Chris and a friend had fired the bonfire and the pile of branches, etc, was gone by Saturday; and the farmer had kindly included the pond hedge amongst the hedges he was trimming, opening up views to the fields and church beyond.

The volunteers on Saturday improved that view further, cutting back branches in the triangle and brambles and branches overhanging the path from Gold Lane, thus giving a view of the pond and beyond much earlier than before as you walk down the path.

The reeds previously cut were removed from the pond, which has a little more water in it now, and other trimming and pruning was completed to leave the site looking much tidier as Winter approaches. Now we just need more water!

A big thank you to all the volunteers, to the kind lady who has brought cakes before for the excellent brownies, and to the Manor Hospital for the most welcome drinks and biscuits.

Planning decision

At its meeting on 29 October the Borough Planning Committee refused Lioncourt’s application to build houses on the land off Gold Lane.

This is a good first step for the village but quite probably not the end of the Lioncourt story. And Policy 19 is still lurking in the latest draft Local Plan, so we must all keep watch and be alert.