News Letter Autumn 2008
Autumn comes too soon this year. It would be nice to look back on long, lazy summer days but mostly I can only recall lots of rain and the dubious bonus of overflowing water barrels. Every cloud has a silver lining, however, and for those of us growing vegetables on the community garden the rain has meant abundant crops with little effort apart from frequent, but very easy, weeding!
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
One of the main reasons for sending out an autumn news letter is to advertise our Annual General Meeting and encourage you all to attend! The only reason we exist as a group, able to draw down funding for all the different projects and initiatives we have undertaken since we set up in 2002, is that we hold an AGM, elect a committee and agree a constitution. We always try to keep the “boring” bits to a minimum, hope the slide show of our year’s activities is of interest to everyone and offer some liquid refreshment to keep the atmosphere convivial. Apart from all this, the AGM offers our membership the opportunity to get together, meet each other for a chat over a drink and share in matters of mutual interest. We also hope that one or two more people will stand for election to the committee. Committee meetings take place usually on the second Tuesday evening of the month, begin at 7.00, last for an hour and a half or so and members discuss and make decisions that direct and guide the work of the group. We may be a very small cog in a much larger wheel but we do have a voice and we have made a difference. Our committee allows for 12 members and we rarely have more than eight or nine who volunteer their services, so if you think you have some time to give and are able to take a more active part in our decision making, then find another couple of members to nominate and second you and return the slip enclosed for the purpose. This year’s meeting will be held on Wednesday 22 October at 7.15 for 7.30 in Bolsterstone Village Hall. A brief written report by Wendy Goodhind updating you on the Bolsterstone Castle Project will also be available at the meeting. Photographs showing the progress of this year’s dig will be on display at the AGM and Wendy will be available to talk to you about what has been discovered so far.
CHRISTMAS FAYRE
Exactly a month after our AGM – on Saturday 22nd November, we hold our Christmas Fayre in the village hall and St. Mary’s Church. As always, by this time of year, the preparations are well underway with all the stalls booked, mostly by local people including, for the first time this year, Bradfield Brewery selling both beer and a range of glasses. We hope our local schools will participate as usual and that the Art Society will mount a display in the Church. What we really need, however, is some extra help on the day and as many cakes, buns and mince pies as you are willing to donate. Donations of this kind may be brought to the Village Hall on the evening of the fayre or before the 10.00 start on the day of the fayre. These donations are really important as they provide the mince pies for our refreshment stall, create a really attractive cake stall that generates a good profit for the group and offers everyone who enjoys baking the opportunity to participate in the success of the event. While this is our one real money raising effort of the year and helps support the work of the group it also allows us to make charitable donations to good causes.
DROPPED KERB
Both this year’s AGM and Christmas Fayre will be made easier for anyone who uses a motorised chair or is a carer pushing a wheel chair by the newly constructed dropped kerb on the Heads Lane side of the Village Hall. As chair users have long known, it has always been difficult to access the area where the seats and an interpretation board are – not to mention actually attending an event in the hall itself. Well, thanks to a small grant of £400 from Northern Area Panel and a subsidy from Community Group funds, as well as hours of ‘phone calls to contractors, City Council and various other agencies we now have a dropped kerb giving disabled access to the village hall.
“IN BLOOM” ACTIVITIES
Our Spring Judging, which took place in April, felt a bit rushed as the judges were late – no signage at Deepcar – so turned towards Oughtibridge and then found Morehall Lane closed! By the time they arrived in the village we were running into preparations for the military funeral that afternoon. The judges were aware of these circumstances and seemed very understanding. Their written comments were most reassuring and encouraging. Our summer judging date fell late in July and for once, the sun, shone. The Yorkshire In Bloom Awards were held in Barnsley on September 16 and we are pleased to announce that we won Silver in our small village category. Thanks and congratulations to everyone who has helped around the village, with the spring plant sale and on the community garden.
The Lord Mayor’s Award
The Community Garden, rescued from an abandoned allotment by us two years ago, was judged in June and short listed for the Lord Mayor’s Award. Early in July the Lord Mayor herself paid us a visit along with her advisor in these matters, Roy Platts. Needless to say it rained all afternoon but we must have done something right because we not only won Gold but also a special trophy as best in category. Our “In Bloom” efforts have also been greatly supported by local residents in the “Individual Garden” category. This prize is given for any garden, patio or balcony that can be seen from the road. Bolsterstone took 2 silver gilts, 7 silvers – one of which was in Ewden village, 2 bronze and the Castle Inn also took a bronze award. This is a wonderful result and bears testimony to the efforts and support of local residents.
Our Community Garden Open Day
The community garden has been a great success but only six of us regularly use it. It is true to say, however, that mainly thanks to Jean Hawke’s gardening skills and generosity, far more people in the village have benefited from the produce than a mere half dozen! Thanks to the Bridge Shop we have received grants that have helped to pay for the seating area and the surfaced path besides the raised beds and we mustn’t forget the hard work of the landscaping and maintenance crew who repair, renew and innovate! With all this in mind we hoped to have a lunch time barbeque early in September, but after a day of torrential rain and a bad forecast for the day itself, we reluctantly cancelled the event – then, as the weather brightened and remained fine, wished we hadn’t. Nevertheless, we did go ahead with the open afternoon and everyone who came was pleased and impressed with the difference we had made to the site. Do remember us when you are splitting plants this autumn. We still have plenty of space in our borders for hardy perennials!
Village Boundary Stones
The village boundary stones, depicting the conservation area of the village, are also 2 years old this autumn. All four have now been adopted and their carers’ individual stamp is being put upon them. Returning to the area after a three year sojourn in Norfolk, Dorothy Kirbyshaw volunteered to look after the sign on Cockshots and has also taken on the planting and maintenance of the children’s sensory garden in the Village Hall Yard. Phillip and Judy Verhamme volunteered to look after the sign on Yew Trees Lane and seem to be increasing their area of care all the time. David Rogers and John Williams look after the area around the Stonemoor Road sign where John is working on a heather garden. John and his daughter Jane have taken on the care of the Sunny Bank Road sign. This, like the others, is situated upon highway verge but we have had some problems trying to discourage parking in front of it. A parked car not only obscures the sign but damages an area where bulbs are planted and we also fear the increased risk of someone backing into the structure.
Bulbs
Do you fancy a spot of bulb planting? We can offer free bulbs (mainly daffodils), courtesy of Street Force to anyone who is willing to plant up the grass verge near their house. Or, alternatively, you could always come and help us clear troughs and plant bulbs on our next village work morning. Warm clothes and gardening gloves will probably be necessary but we can provide spades etc. We’ve been asked by City Council to trial a special bag of different kinds of daffodil bulbs designed to flower sequentially and so extend the flowering period. These will be planted somewhere near the village where we haven’t planted before. We plan to have a work morning on Saturday, 1st November, to begin planting bulbs and distributing them to those of you who would like to collect a bag. To help plant or collect bulbs please meet at the Community Garden at 9.30 or during the morning. Otherwise please ring the number at the top of this letter to order a bag.
Spring plant sale success
Despite late snow and freezing conditions the weather warmed up in time for our annual spring plant fair and volunteers worked hard to plant up the village plots, tubs and troughs. Stocksbridge Garden Society were kind enough to donate to the Community Group all the plants left over from the fayre and these were used to fill out adopted plots in the village and create a flower bed on the community garden. Since then we have had word from Michael Clifton that he and Jim Roache raised, through the sale of plants they had grown themselves, £220 which they donated to Macmillan Cancer Support. Well done to Michael and Jim and thank you to everyone who came and supported the event.
MOREHALL LANE
The collapse of part of this lane has proved inconvenient, to say the least, for a good many people. We have continued to keep in touch with SCC regarding its repair and, at one point, were told we could have a copy of the Engineers Report which was published a month or so ago. Since then we have been informed this is now no longer available for general distribution as SCC and their insurers are in negotiation concerning the contents which are considered “commercially sensitive”. We have, however, continued to press for information and the latest news is that the resurfacing of the top section of Morehall Lane and Sunny Bank Road has been delayed for health and safety reasons. The closure of Morehall Lane, due to land slippage, would require the contractors to reverse articulated vehicles 1.5 km down Sunny Bank Road, a manoeuvre they consider too dangerous to contemplate. It is proposed, therefore, that the resurfacing work will be carried out after repairs to Morehall Lane have been completed which will then allow vehicles to be driven through the site. Repairs to the land slippage and road are due to start shortly and it is estimated that the work will take four months to complete. This may be progress but we will still be driving to town via Bradfield or bouncing along the reservoir road to reach Manchester Road well into the New Year at this rate!
EWDEN VALLEY
You may remember that we approached the Northern Area Panel last year regarding the
lack of a proper maintenance and management plan for the Ewden Valley. It has to
be said that very little happened until another meeting was convened in May this
year. Here Councillor Martin Brelsford suggested that the Recreation and Environment
Sub Committee of Stocksbridge Town Council could have a standing item to discuss
such matters and invite key players from time to time to ensure full involvement
and co-
PLANNING
Bank Cottage
The on-
Land at New Mill Bank
We have been following closely the contravention of the covenants that applied to the sale of land
sold in lots at the Storth House Farm sale last November. The land in question is on New Mill
Bank. These covenants, laid down by Sheffield City Council who owned the land and farm,
stipulate that the new owners should, amongst other things:
i) Prevent damage to trees and hedgerows.
(ii) Prevent removal of dry stone walls.
(iii) Protect the habitat of any plant or animal protected by statute.
(iv) Protect stone gateposts.
(vi) Prevent tipping or spreading of paper pulp sludge or similar materials.
(vii) Protect the ecological value of watercourses.
(viii) Prevent the proliferation of field shelters, stables etc. designed to accommodate horses.
Sheffield City Council promised that if these covenants were broken they would take action. Many of them have been and we believe Planning Enforcement is acting – but very slowly!
ENERGY ISSUES
The thorny problems of energy production and energy saving have been under serious consideration recently. As a community group we reaffirm our constitutional aim to “conserve the environment”. How best we do this, however, is the real bone of contention. What is sure is we can all make more effort to reduce our energy needs. It is the intention of the committee and the In Bloom Forum to look at ways we can work towards making energy savings as a community. In the meantime we realise that we need to know how to respond to planning applications which seek to place what can only be described as industrial units in the green belt. The Sheephouse Heights application is only the first of what is likely to be several more and so we sent out a short questionnaire to our membership in the hope that your answers would guide our response to both this application and future ones. So far we have heard from over 50% of our membership. This is a fantastic result and we are most grateful for your responses and comments. The results at 17 September, 2008, are as follows:
1. Application for wind turbines at Sheephouse Heights For 30 Against 86 Would you be generally for or against the following?
2. A similar application to the above in the vicinity For 20 Against 54 3. Small turbine/s to power local needs For 47 Against 34
Full results including the number of abstentions and a list of comments made will be available at the AGM. In the meantime the results of this survey, as they stood on 17.9.08, were given to the Northern Area Panel so that they would be made available to SCC’s planning board meeting to discuss the Sheephouse Heights proposal on the 23 September 2008. Up to date results will also be passed on to Barnsley Planning Authority.
RING OF STONE
Those of you who are familiar with Steve Tivey’s photography and local greetings
cards may be interested to know that a collection of his local photographs now feature
in a hard-
LEADER PROJECT
In the Spring newsletter I mentioned the setting up of the East Peak Innovation Partnership which is being set up by Yorkshire Forward as a government led initiative to attract funding into rural areas to encourage social and economic regeneration. We are grateful to our secretary Tony Peers and committee member Chris Prescott for attending Partnership meetings and keeping us informed of the progress made. Graham Silverwood and Tony have recently been nominated representatives for North Sheffield and will attend the Innovation Board meetings once the group has been properly set up. Graham will circulate information via Stocksbridge Forum and we will try to keep our members up to date with developments via the newsletters and Village Life published in Look Local each month. The Rural Villages Forum holds its next meeting at Dungworth Village Hall on Monday 8 October at 6.30. The evening includes a presentation from Street Force on future “In Bloom” plans, and update on the Leader Project mentioned above and a discussion of the resource needs of the Rural Villages Forum itself. This is an open meeting and everyone with rural matters at heart will be welcome. Refreshments and a buffet will be offered during the evening.
We hope you have found something of interest in this newsletter. If you would like to contact us on any matter please ring the number in the heading or email bcg@bolsterstonevillage.fsnet.co.uk. A diary of events follows.
DIARY OF EVENTS – AUTUMN 2008
FRIDAY 3 OCT HARVEST CONCERT – ST MARY’S CHURCH, 7.30 -
SATURDAY 4 0CT HARVEST AUCTION – THE CASTLE INN – money raised for good causes – donations of goods and services gratefully received.
WEDNESDAY 8 OCT RURAL VILLAGES FORUM – DUNGWORTH VILLAGE HALL, 6.30 – rural issues and buffet – everyone welcome
WEDNESDAY 22 OCT BOLSTERSTONE COMMUNITY GROUP
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
BOLSTERSTONE VILLAGE HALL – 7.15 for 7.30
Refreshments, slides and Bolsterstone Castle Project display
SATURDAY 1 NOV VILLAGE WORK MORNING and BULB PLANTING/ COLLECTION – 9.30 – meet
on Community Garden -
SATURDAY 22 NOV BOLSTERSTONE CHRISTMAS FAYRE – 10.00 until 4.00 Volunteers needed for all manner of things! Please bring offerings of cakes, mince pies etc. either evening before between 6.30 and
7.30 or before 9.45 on the day. It will be much appreciated if cakes etc. for sale are covered, priced and labelled.
NB Other events will undoubtedly be taking place at some time before Christmas – please keep an eye on the notice board outside the village hall and Look Local Diary.