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Improving our local Environment

Issue 43: February 2019

Welcome to our occasional newsletter for a roundup of our activities, projects, events and volunteering opportunities

Donkey Lane Community Orchard
It is not often we are lost for words but we have to confess to being completely speechless (almost) regarding the change that has already been made to the Community Orchard by the dedicated group of volunteers during the recent working parties.

Most of the fruit trees are clear of Ivy as far up as can been reached. We have probably cleared about 70% of our planned first stage. As we can now see the fruit trees properly, it is obvious that these are the trees in the original photographs standing in the garden of the cottages. Some of the trees are a bit wobbly (but then so would you be if you had been standing for 150 years).

Our objective is for every fruit tree to have it’s own 'Management Plan' with the first stage being to remove the Ivy and brambles and to provide support in the form of crucks. We have made a significant start on this. With respect to the underground den that was onsite, when we turned up for our first working party on Saturday 9th February, we found that some of the den’s supporting timbers had been removed and with the the recent spell of wet weather, the roof had collapsed. Later in the year we will have a small working party to ensure this area is made completely safe. The tree house is still standing. We carried out a structural survey and were disappointed to see that the floor is completely rotten and dangerous to use. To ensure the safety of our volunteers we removed a few insecure timbers. A plan for the tree house will be made at our next meeting. The priority is to ensure that none of our children or grandchildren come to any harm from the structure and perhaps plan for a safe replacement that will give maximum, safe community enjoyment. Read more ...

See 'Dates for your Diary' below for next meeting and working party dates.

Spring Community Litter Pick
Believe it or not next month will see our our 15th litter pick. These biannual events have made an amazing difference towards removing unsightly mess spoiling some of our popular walks.

Once again we are linking up with The Great British Spring Clean. We meet
on Sunday 31st March at White’s Field Car Park at 10:00 am and split into groups where a leader will guide small groups to a variety of places to clean up.

There are varying lengths of footpaths and public places to be cleared so if you can only spare an hour there will be an area for you.

If you have a particular area you think needs a clear up, let us know!

Make sure you bring suitable clothing including gardening gloves (or similar) and suitable footwear. All other equipment supplied

Walks Leaflets
We are delighted that the first of the Chinnor Parish walk leaflets produced by Greening Chinnor with sponsorship from Chinnor Parish Council and support from Chinnor and Thame Friends of the Earth has now been published.

Copies can be found at the Parish Office or be downloaded here. This first walk, which takes in Emmington, will be the first of a series of 5 or 6. Watch this space for details of the next walk leaflet which we are sure will be familiar to some of our fellow villagers.

Chinnor Parish Paths - Henton
We're delighted to report that the overgrown wasteland behind the houses on the left hand side of the main street in Henton (Footpaths 13 and 44) have now been cleared by the South Chiltern Path Maintenance Volunteers (SCPMV affiliated to the Chiltern Society) working alongside our Parish Path Warden. Read more ...

Our AGM will be held on Wednesday 1st May 2019 at White's Field Community Hall from 7:30 pm.

We intend to start with a short meeting and then would invite you to come and celebrate with us all the astounding things that have been achieved with the help of our amazing volunteers and supporters.

Seed & Plant Swap
Our next highly popular Seed & Plant Swap will be held as part of the Chinnor & Thame Friends of the Earth Green Fayre at Mill Lane School, Mill Lane, Chinnor, OX9 4RF on Saturday 11th May 2019 between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

We are already planting some items of interest which we will hope will tempt you to come and join us and make it as big a success as last year when about 1000 plants changed hands. You know how it works now. Bring something to swap or make a small contribution towards costs.

A request to all of you gardeners out there. We are all trying to cut down our use of plastic or recycle it. Well if you have any spare 3” (7.5 cm) plastic flower pots (3” is diameter at top) then we can use them for our pricking out. If you have any available please email us at greeningchinnor@gmail.com and we'll collect them.

Repair Cafe
We are now planning for our next next Repair Café which will be held on Saturday 29 June 10 am – 1pm at Chinnor Village Hall.

This is a great place to meet up with those with DIY skills to show others how to mend things.

At the Repair Cafe, we try to fix broken household items in a collaborative and social way. The idea is to help you learn how to repair items and that you gain knowledge from the fixers. Items we are able to fix will depend entirely on the expertise of our volunteers on the day. This is a brilliant way to prevent waste and save you money and to enjoy our tea and cakes in this most sociable activity.

Some of the things we have mended in the past include: CD players, speakers, ceramics, waxed jacket, lamps, children's toys, tools, food mixer, clock, repairing textiles and replacing buttons, etc.

We like to repair small portable broken electrical items, household items and clothes but we are dependent on our volunteers and are always on the lookout for more electricians/engineers and people with general DIY skills.

If you like fixing things and would like to take part in this exciting and social event, please email me at the address below.

Edible Chinnor
Station Road Community Garden & The Pavilion Planter
We will be shortly putting some new stock into the planters and wake them up from their winter hibernation. It is good to see that people are still taking a few sprigs from the herb planter by the Pavilion. That is exactly what it is there for.

And we all think the Station Road Community Garden looks wonderful with the the addition of the 'Lest We Forget Bench'.

Sweet Pea

Gardening with an environmental slant

Well Spring is sprinting towards us and we are starting to run out of time to do those winter jobs. So hurry up and get that digging or rotovating done to get the benefit of those last winter frosts which will break up the ground to a lovely plantable tilth.

When digging make sure that the annual weeds are well dug in. You do not want to waste any of that lovely green manure. We are getting towards the time for the first Spring sowing for broad beans. Before you do, make sure that you have some horticultural fleece laid down to start to make sure that the ground is warming up. It also gives excellent protection against mice and pigeons and only needs removing once the plants are about 4” high. Otherwise the tiring work is reading the seed catalogues and starting growing in the greenhouse in propagators. Of course you may think that it is a lot easier to visit our Plant and Seed Swap in May and let Sweet Pea do some of the initial growing.

For more information on any of our events or items listed here please visit our website at www.greeningchinnor.blogspot.co.uk, or subscribe to our occasional newsletter

Linda Brawn
Greening Chinnor
email: greeningchinnor@gmail.com | website: www.greeningchinnor.blogspot.co.uk

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Greening Chinnor are proud to be part of:

The Oxfordshire Repair Cafe Network

and

Oxfordshire and Community Action Groups network http://cagoxfordshire.org.uk

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