South Oxfordshire
Dear villagers and supporters,
You may have seen the nature garden site is looking a little different. Now we need your skills and energy to take the transformation even further.
On Saturday 30 October and Sunday 31 October please donate some time to plant thousands of bulbs.
Please reply to kieronhumph@gmail.com if you can come for 30 mins … or all day! (So we can buy the right amount of biscuits.)
Over the weekend of 25-26th September we started the landscaping work on the nature garden site. The grass was removed to leave earth for the woodland shrubs, perennials, and native ground cover. The massive concrete foundations from the old playground equipment were dug up and removed from site. Smaller hardcore has been retained to form the base for the seating area and some paths. Some of the rubber matting from the slide area was also re-purposed as path base.
There are two sets of trenches where hedges will be planted. One hedge is between the meadow (bus stop) end and the seating area, and the other is the new boundary behind the village hall. NB there will be a gate in the hedge there too, even though the trench is continuous for now. The big pile of wood chippings next to the nature garden site will be used as toppings for the paths through the woodland area
So, what is the plan?
The Upton Nature Garden project aims to create a haven for wildlife and people that is a focal point for community activities involving biodiversity and the environment. Walk through the woodland glades; spot insects, fungi, flowers, birds and the tracks of small animals. Sit and relax whilst youngsters try out the log trail and babies enjoy the flickering sunlight through the leaves and branches. Enjoy the wildflower meadow spectacle in summer.
Inside the nature garden site, we already have
Mature copper beech, horse chestnut and field maple
Well shaded bank with hazel, willow and hedgerow beech
An area that has been dog excrement free for many years
Oxfordshire Conservation Charity recommended we plant blossom and berry bearing bushes, shrubs, and wildflowers; that we renovate the hedge along the roadside; and that we include boundary hedges that have edible fruit for birds (and people) to eat.
The final garden design has three areas that wrap around the village hall.
(1) In the Forest Sub-Canopy there are native shrubs and woodland bulbs around the perimeter, and perennials and ground cover over a mound in the centre. The winding paths and log trail loop around the trees, and log piles and dead hedges return nutrients and encourage fungi, bugs, and insects.
(2) The Open Glade, where the slide used to be, is bounded by new native hedge for seclusion. Part of the existing concrete base has been re-used for the seating area, which is surrounded by flowers and berry bearing shrubs. There will be shallow rooted plants near the hall and two clusters of fruit trees between the seats and the road.
(3) In the sunniest part of the garden nearest the bus stop, in the Meadow, there are wide mown paths for pushchair and wheelchair access, and a wide variety of meadow flowers to support pollinators like queen bumblebees who need that early nectar for the energy to find a nest site.
The garden will develop over the next few years and increase in interest as the plants grow and the wildlife moves in. There are information posters about the planned work schedule and design pinned to the boundary fences. More information and pictures on nature-garden.co.uk
Over 300 people came from far and wide to Upton recreation ground on the first Saturday in September to enjoy all the fun of the fete.
There were Morris men, gymnasts and a fun dog show in which it seemed that just about every dog in Upton got a prize. An impressive array of classic cars glinted in the occasional flashes of sun and for those with an appetite (and this included almost everyone!) there were burgers, pizzas and fabulous home-made cakes plus, of course, gallons of tea.
Then there was the usual group of stalls including books, preserves, a kids’ corner and a tombola of 1001 prizes!
In short, it was a lovely afternoon and many thanks are due to all who helped in so many ways, including putting it all up and taking it down again, looking after the stalls, selling programmes, arranging parking….the list goes on! It was not only a great social occasion but the event raised over £3,300 for the Village Hall and St Mary’s Church.
Keep your diaries free for Saturday, 3rd September 2022 when it all happens again!
Paul Batho
Really excellent news on the funding front this month – we’ve now raised over £7K for the nature garden.
Huge thanks to the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment which provided half our total with support from Grundon Waste Management Limited.
And a massive thank you to our County Councillor, Sally Povolotsky, who approved an application for £2.5K from her Councillor Priority Fund.
Here’s why Sally selected the project:
‘Supporting Upton Nature Garden is one of the wonderful legacy projects that I am proud to assist with a donation from my Councillor Priority Funding. The great outdoors, nature recovery, ‘green’ therapy as well as biodiversity net gain is at the core of my agenda, and I am over the moon that I could help the team.
Sally Povolotsky – Hendreds & Harwell Division Elected Member
(Oxfordshire County Council)
Thanks also to the generosity and support of local donors, Sherfield Flooring and Strictly Wine, and the many villagers and local organisations who have pledged time, plants, logs or support in kind.
We’re getting cracking later in September. Look for the signs on the garden fence (or visit nature-garden.co.uk) for more details.
Green refills – reduce plastic
We create 2.4 million tonnes of plastic waste in the UK each year. But less than half gets recycled.
The good news is there’s an easy way to cut down on plastic waste – by refilling your own containers with cleaning products.
Better still, you’ll be able to do this in the comfort of your own village hall later this month. Honorary villager Frankie Jacklin has kindly agreed to run a refill station for the village as part of the national Great Big Green Week event – a celebration of nature and efforts to combat climate change.
You can fill up on washing-up liquid, laundry detergent, cleaning products, hand soap and other essential (plastic-free) products. Cash or credit card payments welcome.
All you need to do is bring your empty bottles to the village hall meeting room on Thursday 23rd September, 5.30 to 7.30pm.
Overflow cemetery
We had a great time mowing the hay in the overflow earlier this month.
The next job is to take out the grass thatch and reduce the soil fertility to make it suitable for wildflowers. We had a go at doing this with a reasonably powerful garden rotovator but it’s clearly a job for a bigger machine.
A compact tractor and rotovator would make short work of the area – do you have one or know someone who does? Please get in touch if you’d be willing to lend us your horsepower!
Kieron
Exciting finds on the nature garden site next to the village hall last month: a pyramidal orchid, several field voles, and a slow worm!
We’re aiming to prepare the ground in September ahead of planting in October and November.
We haven’t been given the final grant figure for the garden by Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment yet, but we know there’s going to be a shortfall in the amount of funding we receive for shrubs and plants. So we need your help! Could you donate any of the following native species:
Foxgloves (digitalis purpurea); honeysuckle (lonicera periclymen); ivy (hedera helix); sweet briar rose (rosa rubignosa); wild privet (ligustrum vulgare); spurge laurel (daphne laureola); guelder rose (viburnum opulus); spindle (euonymus europaeus); barberry (berberis); juniper (juniperus communis); dogwood (cornus sanguinea); holly (ilex aquifolium).
We’d prefer smaller plants – ones grown from cuttings or seeds of your own stock would be ideal – because these can adapt and establish themselves to the conditions in the nature garden more easily than mature plants.
We’d also like your logs or stumps to provide high-spec homes for insect families. If you’re planning to fell a tree, please call Brian or Kieron, or email us at support@nature-garden.co.uk
Kieron
The village fete is on! Keep the date free and come along to the village hall and recreation ground at 1:00pm on 4th September to enjoy some old-fashioned fun and frolics just like we used to back in 2019!
Some of the confirmed attractions include:
A fun dog show. No need to pre-book, just turn up with your dog on the day for the chance to win a prize.
Gymnastic display by local children in the ring, from 1:30
A dazzling display of local classic cars and vintage bikes
A barbeque, pizzas, teas and home-made cakes on the village hall terrace
Music from the Wantage Silver Band
Lucky programme prize
A range of stalls including second-hand books, plants, home-made preserves, Fair Trade produce, tombola, wine club and ice cream
A special children’s area with a coconut shy, lucky dip and other fun things to do
We look forward to seeing you on the day. Volunteers are always needed so if you’d like to help, please contact one of the committee members.
Brian and Giulia Rippon, Jessie West, Gloria Hancock, Paul Batho, Jacqui Reid, Ben Shaw.
Cakes Needed
Brian and I will be organising the Cake Stall at this year’s fete. We are seeking cake and biscuit donations – in the past we have had an amazing response and the resulting mouth-watering spread is always popular. We’ll be looking to sell whole cakes as well as slices to be sold alongside the teas/coffee. Cakes, traybakes, muffins, fairy cakes, cookies and biscuits all welcome.
Please bring offerings to the Village Hall from 11.30am onwards on the day, or beforehand you can drop off at Autumn Leaves in the High Street (immediately opposite Church Street).
If you are able to help out on the day, please contact either Giulia (giulia@rippon.net 07789 777381) or Brian Rippon (brian@rippon.net 07768 224467).
Drop In
The village Drop In is up and running again on alternate Thursdays at 3.00pm The aim is to meet at people’s houses, although we are not in the village hall as in the past we very much want this to be open to all villagers. Please come along if you want to have a nice friendly chat over a cup of tea or coffee. Please email me at richmondbinov@gmail.com if you’re interested and to find out the venue for the meetings which this month are on the 1st, 15th and 29th.
Richard Burrow
Thanks to everyone who’s shown enthusiasm for the plan to create a wildlife-friendly space beside the village hall. We’re delighted that Upton Parish Council has formally approved the nature garden project.
The village Drop In is restarting on Thursday May 20th at 3.00pm at Margaret Maytham’s house (Toad Hall at the junction between Church Street and Stream Road). The aim is to meet every Thursday, or possibly alternate Thursdays thereafter at people’s houses.
Although we are not in the village hall as in the past we very much want this to be open to all villagers. Please come along if you want to have a nice friendly chat over a cup of tea or coffee. Please email me at richmondbinov@gmail.com if you’re interested.
Richard Burrow
Upton Village Fete, Saturday 4th September
With any luck, and assuming the pandemic continues its retreat, we will once more be able to hold the village fete. As usual, the date will be the first Saturday in September, the venue is the village hall and recreation ground and the time will be 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
In a more normal year, we’d be well advanced with the planning by now but as it is, we’re just starting. The success of the event relies totally on volunteers both in advance and on the day. We’d love more help with the planning, which will involve monthly early evening meetings of no more than one hour between now and the end of August. If you feel inspired to volunteer, you’d be very welcome! Please let me know by calling 851251 or dropping a line to pjsbatho@btinternet.com.
Paul Batho