Branchlines July/August Updates
BRANCHLINES AND OLD SCHOOL WOOD
25th ANNIVERSARY PICNIC. Saturday 4th July from 11.30am on Church Meadow in the wood. Bring your own picnic. The grass by the picnic tables will have been mown short. The new nature trail leaflet will be available plus children’s nature activities.
HAY DAY. Saturday August 22nd. 9.30 am to 1 pm. Meet in Church Meadow by the picnic tables. Come and help rake up the newly cut hay. It is an annual social event with refreshments in the church mid morning. Rakes are provided and gloves are advised. We usually have Mark Kiddy and his Ferguson tractor helping out too.
Working Parties have continued on most Wednesday mornings. Volunteers meet as usual at 9.30am by the benches on the main track.
Various tasks including aftercare for new trees, keeping paths and rides clear, perhaps some raking up; enjoying the fresh air, company and wildlife!
NEW VOLUNTEERS WELCOME. All tools and training provided. 11am refreshment break; bring a drink and dress for the weather.
Update.
The David Hilditch memorial bench is now installed by the main pond.
New entrance signboards with a site map are due to be installed this summer. These tie in with a new nature trail leaflet available on the village website. Many thanks to Helen Senior for all her work on the design and production.
As I write during a rainy June week, the smaller ponds are refilling after the exceptional spring drought. Changes have been made to the bird feeding regime in light of new recommendations by the RSPB in order to reduce the risk of spreading disease (trichomonosis).
Forest School has resumed in the summer term, with children from the village school spending some Friday mornings in The Glades. This area is out of bounds for dogs and should not be used for campfires or barbeques.
David Taylor
ST LAWRENCE CHURCHYARD
Working Party, Saturday July 11th.
We would value your help with ongoing general maintenance. Meet 9.30am in the churchyard. All tools provided, no special skills needed, and we stop for a chat and refreshments at 11am. It’s good for your mental and physical health to be outdoors with nature.
Hay Day, August 22nd, is when we rake up newly cut long grass in cooperation with Old School Wood. (see above)
Normal mowing is now in full swing. A special effort was made for the visit of the bishop. Various tasks are waiting to be done.
Our church is in the ‘diocese’ (administrative area) of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. They have a website which includes information on churchyard management for the benefit of people and wildlife. In the older part of the churchyard, we have war graves and protected trees. Important uncommon wild flowers include burnet saxifrage, meadow saxifrage and wild clary. The new graveyard is mainly lawn. Prohibited items are being removed in line with regulations.
Please keep dogs on leads in the churchyard. Dog poo in the church wheelie bins makes them pretty smelly, so could it go in the dedicated bin on The Street opposite the Old School House please – only 30 yards away.
David Taylor
