Category: Green Spaces

LGBC E-NEWSLETTER JULY 2020

Most of us are suffering from this prolonged hot and dry spell so spare a thought for the young trees our Council have planted.  We have noticed a few saplings with leaves turning brown through dehydration.

The Council does have a contractor to look after watering but as you can imagine they are quite stretched at the moment.

Can we appeal to those green-fingered residents who happen to have a young tree outside of their property to ” adopt” this tree and help to keep it alive during dry weather.  Most of these have a green hydration bag attached. If you could give these a couple of watering cans of buckets of water every few days it would be a great help.

Thank you

The Open Spaces Society held their virtual AGM on July 9th consisting of the minimum statutory business and with all voting by proxy. We saw a similar number of participants using the online voting facility as voted by post in previous years. There are a number of significant changes to the board and the draft minutes with all of the detail from the event are on our website. https://www.oss.org.uk/agm2020-2/

Thank you to all of our members who adapted with us to make our 2020 virtual AGM a success.  AGM 2020 We held our virtual AGM on July 9th consisting of the minimum statutory business and with all voting by proxy. We saw a similar number of participants using the online voting facility as voted by post in previous years. There are a number of significant changes to the board and the draft minutes with all of the detail from the event are on our website. Read the full AGM story Our Campaigning Works! One of our members, Andrew Osborne of Faversham in Kent, has played a crucial role in saving a public footpath from being deleted from Kent County Council’s definitive map of public paths Read about the challenge he faced here. Saving Open Spaces The book is currently out of print but available now to read on our website, so there is no need to miss our general secretary Kate Ashbrook’s narrative that charts the society’s activities over the years. Read at your leisure here. More than 50 supporters have subscribed to the society’s You Tube channel and over 200 have watched our new legacy video already.  If you haven’t already, click here to watch it now, we think you are in for a treat. Find out how to show your support on You Tube Covid-19 We continue to post Welsh and English government updates here on our website. To stay safe, stay legal and stay informed refer to this page regularly as the guidance changes frequently. Stay informed about the outdoors. Supporting the work of the Open Spaces Society We couldn’t keep fighting to protect commons, greens, open spaces and public paths without our members. We rely on member subscriptions to fund our work and provide a mandate for action.Many thanks for your continuing support. Tell me more about gifting membership P.S. A member from the Midlands told us recently, ‘you are part of a noble effort to preserve the heritage of our divine British countryside’. What do we fight for?  |  Can we help you?  |  What can you do?  |  Need to know more? Our mailing address is: Open Spaces Society 25a Bell Street Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 2BA United KingdomAdd us to your address book

Following many messages from residents, Cllr. Puddifoot has announced that the Lido Beach will be closed, once again, from Monday 1st June.

No date, or criteria for any future re-opening, have, as yet been confirmed.

The latest Green Belt Newsletter is attached here:  LGBC E-NEWSLETTER MAY 2020

It is a very busy time at the moment for our feathered friends. Watching house sparrows and starlings visit their nests under the eaves of my roof has become one of my favourite pastimes. Constantly flying in and out, to feed their chicks; do they ever rest?

The best part is when you spot a fluffy baby bird, just about to fledge. I consider myself very fortunate to have them here, since both birds are red-listed as a species of high conservation concern.

The UK house sparrow (the other species of sparrow in the UK is the tree sparrow), has declined by around 70% from 1977 to 2008.

It’s not all bad news though – more recent surveys suggest that numbers are once again on the increase in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In terms of identification, male house sparrows look a little smarter than the females, with their black bibs and white cheeks.

As for the starling, research shows a decrease in numbers by about 66% from the mid seventies. In the summer, their glossy black plumage shimmers with a purplish-green wash. They also have yellow beaks. In winter their plumage is spotted with beige.

Starlings are known for murmurations – when large numbers of starlings flock together – diving and swooping, forming immense patterns in the sky.

Today, the best places to see murmurations are in more rural areas such as Middleton Moor- Derbyshire, Brighton’s derelict west pier and Gretna Green in Scotland.

Have you got sparrows or starlings in your garden or street?

Indoors Activity

Why not join in with the RSPB bird watching challenge – https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-families/family-wild-challenge/activities/go-birdwatching/.

Outdoors Activity

Or, make a home for starlings – https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/garden-activities/createacosystarlinghome/

Diana Williams, local resident who helps with ‘Classroon in the Woods’

It’s spring….
…….and Ruislip woods is full of wood anemones and bluebells.
The woods anemones arrive first, beautiful and delicate white, star like, flowers that open wide in the sun and off a sweet-smelling scent. Large sections of the forest floor are covered with them; which is amazing given that this plant is very slow to grow – six feet in a hundred years!
The wood anemone is also the county flower of Middlesex – when the suburbs were built, woods, such as Ruislip woods, were by-passed and preserved allowing the wood anemone and other plants to continue to bloom.
Don’t touch this flower though, it may be beautiful, but it is also poisonous to humans.
The bluebells create their own carpets, but can also be seen amidst the wood anemones – an artistic and joyous splattering of white and deep blue. Nearly half the world’s bluebells are found in the UK, and conservation organisations have worked hard to protect the English bluebell from the Spanish bluebell. The Spanish bluebell, which is lighter in colour with flowers on both sides of the stem, grows more quickly and therefore can out-compete the more delicate English bluebell. It takes 5 to 7 years for a bluebell colony to establish and, akin to the wood anemone, please don’t pick them – they are not poisonous, but it is illegal to do so.

Outdoors Activity

What Spring flowers have you noticed growing in your area? See if you can find some of the attached spring flowers

Which is your favourite? You can paint or photograph it and email to webteam@eastcotera.co.uk and we will put them up on our website.

Alternatively you can use the photo of wood anemones and bluebells to create your own picture. Try using different media to create your own style.

Indoors Activity

Try making some of the flowers you see using materials such as tissue paper/card/paper and wire.

If you need help with this there are plenty of tutorials on the internet such as: https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/folding-paper-flowers-8petal.html

Diana Williams, local resident who helps with ‘Classroon in the Woods’

Yes, Eastcote House Gardens is still open including the Walled Garden.

However when the Council Green Spaces team are working in the Walled Garden they lock the entrance gate to ensure social distancing whilst they work. Generally they plan to work, at various times, in the Walled Garden, on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.

This picture was taken on 25th March (during a permitted outdoor walk),

it is great pity that by the time this health emergency is over most of the radiant colours will have faded.

I have thanked LBH Green Spaces and FEHG for producing such an uplifting display.

Stay safe.

Jeff Duley
Eastcote Royal British Legion

From time to time, here is some planning content that provides a design and a critical appraisal framework.
The now archived document ‘Shopfronts’ from London Borough of Hillingdon has some good guidance on Shopfront Design.
In section 8.5 Advertisements Advertisements are defined as the fascia, lettering, any signage within the ‘signable area’ and above this in the upper floors of buildings, and posters and advertising materials affixed to windows.

Fig 1 Shows Acceptable Examples of corporate lettering
adapted to suit its position.