Events 2018
Putting up the lights at the Triangle
Putting the lights up at the Triangle
And taking them down again
We hope you enjoyed them.
Planting more bulbs by the trees in Walnut Way
Skipton Building Society very kindly donated funds to allow us to buy and plant more bulbs under the trees at the back of the car park in Walnut Way. We had a load of volunteers come to help get them planted. Thanks to all who came and helped.
Our July walk
During our June meeting we were talking about a site by Stoneham Farm; someone who lives nearby had voiced concerns that the building works on the field by Stoneham would destroy the oak trees and hedgerow. So when it came to decide where we would hold our July walk it was the obvious choice. We did a bit of preliminary research into the trees and hedgerow and found that the oak trees have a preservation order on them but that the hedgerow does not and that an access point through the hedge into the building site is permitted.
We were very lucky that Ray Clayton agreed to lead the walk. He knowledgably lead us down from the Triangle.
These are his notes about where we went.
GLOBE WALK TILEHURST AND VICARIGE WOOD
1. This walk starts from The Triangle, Tilehurst village but could be joined at any other convenient point.
2. Leave The Triangle and turn left along School Road as far as Park Lane Primary School then turn right along Downing Road.
3. Continue to the end of the road and enter the footpath near the Tilehurst British Legion Club, avoiding any side paths, to emerge into Beverley Road.
4. Walk the length of Beverley Road and again enter a footpath on to Pierce’s Hill.
5. Turn left and then cross to the other side of the road at the brow of the Hill where it is safer and there are good views of traffic approaching from both directions.
6. Turn right into Lower Elmstone Drive and at the roundabout go left into Dark Lane.
7. Shortly after The Sadlers and almost opposite Fairford Road turn left into Back Lane (Tilehurst Bridleway TILE/17/1)
8. Carry on beyond the end of the tarmac surface and up the incline to reach a cross track.
9. Turn right onto narrow path and immediately right again to emerge at a bend in Vicarage Wood Way.
10. Turn left and follow Vicarage Wood Way round to join Long Lane almost opposite the site of the proposed development.
11. Turn right a go as far as the junction with the end of Dark Lane, noting the two splendid oak trees the subject of Tree Preservation Orders, and the plan for the new access to the development between the two.
12. Turn left up the signed footpath opposite the end of Dark Lane (TILE/5/2) first with houses on the right and the proposed new development on the left, noting four further oak trees the subject of Tree Preservation Orders. Continue through a kissing gate and a Motor Cycle Inhibiter to reach open arable land.
13. Stay on this footpath to reach a cross footpath. Turn sharp left and follow signed footpath (TILE/6/2) to reach Long Lane near Stoneham Farm.
14. Cross over road and through gap in hedge on to Blackthorn Close. Turn right into footpath between houses towards the end of the Close to enter Vicarage Wood.
15. Follow winding footpath through Vicarage Wood to reach the junction with Back Lane, which was left earlier in the walk. Go straight over and enter footpath, created as part of the nearby development, through a kissing gate. This goes down hill, over a dried stream, and climbs again through Cornwell Copse to reach the Cornwell Centre in Home Croft and then Clements Mead. Follow Clements Mead round to the right to reach Chapel Hill.
16. Turn left and continue along Chapel Hill, (not turning down Westwood Glen) to reach a track just after Felton Way on the left.
17. Turn down this track and then right down an unsigned but narrow footpath on the right(READING FP42) between 66 & 68 Chapel Hill (Holly Cottage) to reach Lower Elmstone Drive.
18. Turn right and cross over road to enter Oak View following it first round to the left and then into a footpath on the right to reach the footpath near the Tilehurst British Legion Club. Turn right, along Downing Road and back to the start.
E&OE
Well you should be able to follow this walk for yourselves. It is certainly worthwhile. There are many pretty and unexpected sights to see on the route.
We hope to be able to produce a small map showing where the route goes. In the meantime you can have a good look on the openstreetmap website.
Our stall at Victoria Rec
For some years now we have taken a stall at the League of Friends fete at Victoria Recreation Ground. We did this year too. We like to have a theme to the event and this year we continued our "reuse and recycle" theme. Obviously we had a quiz too. This year is was "Odd one out". Again - it wasn't easy - why should it be? We say it is free fun!
Eventually I expect we will get the answers on the site! Here is the Quiz. And here are the answers.
Local businesses gave us prizes. Very many thanks to The Prince, The Plough, The Village Butchers, The Lemon Plaice. We really do appreciate your generosity. And indeed thanks also to Village Properties for all the photocopying they did for us.
Our stall at the library
Tilehurst library invited us to join them to make local people aware of the possibilities to reuse and recycle. John Venning had produced a really helpful chart of the places around Tilehurst where you can take items that are recyclable. Because people have found this chart to be useful, we have included it on this website too - click here to view it. We also handed out our leaflet about how long it takes litter to rot. You may remember that we did a quiz about this in 2016. Two years on, and it is still shocking - but we have made a few advances -= especially re3 and the red bin collections are now really good.
Rescue weekend
Again we invited volunteers to come and help clear litter from our local woodlands.
We had to cancel the event that was planned for the beginning of March because of the snow. Fortunately when we rescheduled the event the weather was a bit kinder. You can read a summary report about the event and a full report too. Thanks to all the people who came and helped and to the businesses who donated prizes for the raffle.
Planting wildflowers in the verge
Some time ago Kew Gardens gave us some wildflower seeds. We had a chat about where we would put them and decided to set up a trial area to see how they went. Paul did very well getting the seeds germinated and decided it was time to get them in the ground at the junction of Armour Road and Lower Armour Road. The weather had proved impossible and we had to cancel a couple of sessions but eventually we got them in. Fingers crossed!
And if all goes well we will plant some more around Tilehurst to brighten our days.
Planting snowdrops under the trees by Walnut Way
I looked back to see what we had done in previous years and found that this time last year we had planted some snowdrops and aconites in the grass here and that it had rained. I thought at the time that it was unusual for it to rain during our planting sessions. Not so. Two years running we have been rained on to plant the snowdrops. But at least we got the snowdrops on time!
We did get a load of helpers, despite the rain. And we got the snowdrops in in record time - no doubt urged on by the weather. Apart from the regular helpers Sally came - she had seen us working away and since she lives nearby she thought it only fair to help plant the snowdrops since she would get the benefit more that any of us.
And here is what the snowdrops that we planted a couple of years ago in front of the library look like this year. Yes, it is all worth while.
