St Mary’s is taking part in this year’s Season of Creation during the month of September, and details of our events can be found below.
The Season of Creation is a global and ecumenical Christian movement, established in 1989, to celebrate and care for God’s gift of Creation. Each year, from 1st September through to St Francis Day on 4th October, Christian Communities from all over the world come together to pray and act for our common home.
This Cèilidh edition of St Mary’s News starts with Revd. Heather looking at how ten years of Archbishop Welby’s call to prayer through his ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ message has fared. It then continues with:
As I write this, in the churches we are in the 10 days between Ascension, when we remember Jesus returning back to heaven after the resurrection and Pentecost, when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The Dawn Chorus 2024 walk , which is taking place on Saturday 18th May, will be led by Steve Hallam. Organised by the Friends of Hillhouse Wood, this walk affords the opportunity to see Nightingales and many other brilliant dawn choristers. Steve says:
If you haven’t tried this you’ll find it a rewarding and delightful experience at a very special time for the wood’s varied birdlife.
It will mean an early start, meeting at the Old Church at 3:45 am (weather permitting). You are should bring warm clothing, stout footwear, a flask of hot drink and a torch.
This walk follows on from the recent Spring Flowers Walk.
Report of the 2024 Spring flowers walk
Wouldn’t life be boring without some variation and unpredictability? You can rely on the Hillhouse Wood guided walks to provide this – even the ones that are supposed to be the same, such as the Spring flowers walk. This year’s walk was no exception, both positively and less so.
The Next Guided Walk at Hillhouse Wood is the Spring Flower Walk
Following the successful Winter Bird Walk in March (see report below), the next Guided Walk is the annual Spring Flower Walk on Saturday 27th April. Steve Hallam will lead the walk in and near Hillhouse Wood. Previously called the Bluebell Walk, it has become difficult to pick the optimum ‘bluebell’ date for the walk although there will always be plenty of Spring Flowers to see. The walk will start at the Old Church at 2pm.
Other upcoming Friends of Hillhouse Wood activities are:
Dawn Chorus Guided Walk on Saturday 18th May, and
Stall at the Village Fete on Saturday 6th July.
Winter Birds – Steve Hallam Reports
Of all the guided walks that I lead, the winter bird walk is the most unpredictable. The weather can be variable and off-putting, whilst at this time of year the birds move around looking for food. So, you can be never sure which species you will encounter and whether you will be able see or hear them through the driving rain or howling gale.
The Parish Council has noted there to be quite a lot of interest in Ditches and responsibilities on Social Media. It is hoped that you will find the following of use in understanding this topic.
Q.
What is a ditch?
A.
A ditch is defined as a man-made feature which has been created in order to drain an area of land. Historically these were normally dug by a landowner at the edge of their field and the spoil deposited on their land, on which hedges grew over time
Q.
What are watercourses?
A.
Watercourses are natural features which drain the surrounding catchment and normally have some water flowing in it, typically rivers, streams etc.
Q.
Who is responsible for the maintenance of watercourses and ditches?
A.
It is generally the responsibility of the owners of the land on either bank. This means that they have both rights and responsibilities associated with the ditches, or other watercourses, flowing through or adjacent to their property.
The Next Guided Walk at Hillhouse Wood is a Winter Bird Walk
Following the successful Fungus Foray in November (see report and video below) the next Guided Walk is the annual Winter Bird Walk on Saturday 2nd March.
Steve Hallam will lead the winter bird walk in and near Hillhouse Wood, offering a chance to see resident woodland and meadow species and some winter visitors.
Skylark seen in 2022
Great Spotted Woodpecker Seen in 2022
The walk will take in Hillhouse Wood and surrounding hedgerows. Strong boots or wellies should be worn, as we may encounter wet conditions underfoot! To join the walk meet at the Old Church ready to leave at 10 am.
The first Fungus Foray for several years took place on 25th November on a crisp, bright ‘n breezy morning. Seventeen took part, hunting down fungi ranging from bellcaps, measuring perhaps a couple of millimetres across their caps, to these birch polypores which are up to 20cm across. They feature in an Alpine tale of a bronze age killing. Among the deceased’s possessions were strips of the very same fungus we were observing 5,000 years later, demonstrating the value he placed upon it. It exposes things which our modern educated minds have largely forgotten, things like:
West Bergholt continues to actively campaign against the National Grid Pylon project as part of the Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk Pylons Group (ESN). On Tuesday 13th February we were pleased that Cllr Brian Butcher and Parish Clerk Laura Walkingshaw were able to host a site visit from James Ryan, NSIP1 Project Manager, Colchester City Council (CCC) and CCC Cllr Sara Naylor.
Statutory Consultee
As many of you may know, the CCC are the statutory consultee on the Parish Council’s behalf to the Government on this project. Given that, our working relationship with James and his colleagues are vital to being able to explain the impact that it will have on rural life for us and our neighbouring villages.
