Marden News and Views – February 2016

Stapling Rota How to contact News & Views: Feb for Mar Carol Wingfield Editors :

Anne Thornewell,

42 Walkers Green, Marden, Hereford HR1 3DZ

Tel: 01432 880760

Caroline Cotton,

Hunters Oak, Marden, Hereford

HR1 3EU

Tel 01568 797493

email:mardennewsandviews@hotmail.co.uk

or there is a box at the Mace shop (please let us know if

you leave an article in the shop)

Mar for Apr Sandra Watkins & Joy Davey

Apr for May Bill & Veronica Wright

May for Jun Carol Steele & Anne Sperring

Jun for Jul/Aug Stephen & Margaret Locke

Aug for Sept Jane Keating & Angela Jones

Sept for Oct Michael & Katie Parkes

Oct for Nov Barbara Thomas & Mrs Gunby

Nov for Dec/Jan17 Janet & Frank Podmore

Jan for Feb Mary MacKay

Printers:

Mike & Wendy Steadman, Robin & Sandy Brook

All contributions received by the editor no later than the deadline on the 20th of the month, will appear in the next edition and

subject to space being available we will always do our best to get everything in.

COMMUNITY SCAN COPIER: The scan copier situated in the lobby of the Community Centre is available for anyone in

the Parish wishing to produce more than a minimum of 50 copies of the same sheet. Please ring us at News and Views on the

usual numbers if you wish to use it.

Disclaimer Articles and information submitted for inclusion in Marden News and Views are published without prejudice and in good

faith and should in no way be assumed to express the views and opinions of the editors. Articles submitted anonymously will

not be printed. News and Views can accept no responsibility for any information which is incorrect or subsequently changed.

Editors

Where Everything is this Month

Content Page Content Page

Chapel Speakers 3 Wildside of Marden 11

Typing & Stapling Rota 3 Lissa to Climb to Everest Base Camp 11

News from your Parish Church 5 Village Club News 13

News from your Parish Church 7 Herefordshire Councillor’s Report 15

Pre School Report 9 Parish Council Report 17

Garden Tip of the Month 9 Marden Village Trust 17

Wendy 9 New Community Facilities Working Group 19

Citizens Advice Bureau 9 News from S&A 21

Marden Chapel Speakers All Services at 3pm

February 2016

7th Peter Secombe of Bodenham

14th Jimmy Morrison of Wellington

21st Peter Dennis of Leominster

28th Keith Newman of Bolston

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Marden Community Centre Bookings If you would like to make a booking for the Centre, please contact - Chris Wathen on 01568 797876.

Alternatively, if no reply from the above number, please contact - Paula Barrett on 07985 576230.

Or email mardencommunitycentrehereford@hotmail.com

FLICKS IN THE STICKS Bodenham Village Hall at 7.30pm

12th Feb – The Water Diviner [15]

26th Feb – A Walk in the Woods [15]

11th Mar – Suffragette [12A]

8th Apr – Spectre [12a]

13 May – The Lady in the Van [PG]

Marden News and Views – February 2016

GARDEN TIP OF THE MONTH For a month now I have had daffodils and the odd snowdrop in bloom in my garden.

I hope that by the time you read this we will have dried out somewhat.

Complete the forking over of established beds by the end of the month, taking care to remove any perennial and other weeds,

break the soil down well. It would be a good idea to sprinkle some fertiliser - 2 to 3 oz per sq yd of 7-7-7, this is nitrogen,

phosphate and potash, things that all plants require. It is a good idea to rotate the crops as planting in the same place is not a

good idea due to disease carry over. If you have not planted any crops yet then you may be able to do so later this month but

get prepared.

Potatoes need to be chitting, place in a tray with the large end up, this has the "eyes" that will be the growth that you will see

above ground , it is on the bottoms of these stems that the potatoes will grow, the tubers may hang on up for several inches,

keep in a light frost free area.

Beetroot, carrots and lettuce can be put in, broad beans planted pre Christmas should be doing well, if not planted then get

them in. Parsnips are one that will do well planted now. Sowing seeds of winter greens sprouts etc is another that can be

done. Garden peas do best in deep dug soil that has been manured well. You can be looking to plant early potatoes in March.

The greenhouse, if frost protected, can be where you have or can start off many crops. Make sure that ventilation is good and

open the door or roof lights on good days! Also watch out for aphids, do not over water things.

Do not rush to prune roses, as I have said before, do this March, the same goes for Buddleia, any bare rooted shrubs should

be in the ground by the end of this month. When winter flowering heathers, as for any heather, have finished flowering, just

trim the dead heads off, I do mine lightly with shears. Tidy up round the plants to keep every thing fresh. If your sweet peas

are planted inside, it is best to move them to a cold frame in readiness to plant out. Check that Dahlias and Chrysanths are

OK as it will soon be time to plant out. You can also take cuttings off the new shoots, pot them into a fine gravel type

compost, but not too wet and keep them inside. Fuchsias should by now be into good growth after being winter pruned and

hopefully repotted, but watch for aphid on fresh young growth.

Keep the pond free from ice, fish and frogs should be hiding in the mud at the bottom but still need clean air. Wash bird

feeders and water containers regularly to avoid build up of disease, and of course the old favourite, make sure that any

concrete or paving slabs paths are not slippery, you can buy a mixture for this or use Domestos in water as I sometimes do.

You should now be ready for hopefully, a good start next month.

Peter

Wendy For many years Wendy was full-time in Marden shop –

giving invaluable service in all spheres of the business

and also enjoying contact with the customers.

With her outgoing personality and love of the

countryside and walking. She supported the growing

number of dog walkers in the village.

Jim and his family wish to thank so many in the village

for their sympathy and support. Wendy is sadly

missed.

EG

Marden Pre-school would like to thank all members of

the community who supported us last year. Please join

us in celebrating our Outstanding inspection result

which we were awarded in which took place in

November 2015. On behalf of Marden Pre-school we

would like to wish you all a happy 2016.

For more information about the Pre-school please

contact Paula Barrett on 01432 880034 or

07985567230

SAVE YOUR HEREFORDSHIRE CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU

Herefordshire CAB has announced that this 49 year old service will close on 24 June 2016 unless new funding is forthcoming. In just the first 9 months of 2015/16 the service has helped to resolve over 8,500 problems and achieved over £3 million in financial benefits for people right across the county. Everyone can help raise the awareness of how important the service is to so many of Herefordshire's residents. Go to the website www.herefordshirecab.org.uk and click on HOW YOU CAN HELP. This will encourage you, in the first instance, to –

Sign the Petition

Write to your local County Councillor Share this message with family and friends - use Social

Media to help

Donate to the Campaign fund

Together we can prevent the closure of the CAB by using our voices to tell Herefordshire Council that Advice Services need to be protected and funded because access to justice is not a luxury service but an essential element of a fair and decent place to live.

Robin Brook

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Marden News and Views – February 2016

The Wildside of Marden The autumn was mild so the changing of the leaves took a long time then autumn seemed to turn into spring and the pigeons

were mating and the male blackbirds were fighting! primroses sprung into flower, hog weeds stood tall with flowers, even

some daffodils have bloomed, blossom had appeared on trees and hedges have budded right through into January.

Alongside this mild winter came the winds and rain that badly affected many parts of the country and eventually to Marden

with what most of us call our normal floods as the River Lugg burst its banks into the flood plains and over a few roads that

had to be shut. However, much of the water fowl enjoyed the vast expanses of water and the finding of worms and other

goodies coming up from the soil and as one gentleman said ‘It’s swan lake’. Like many folk in Marden we have been busy

filling our bird feeders and now winter has appeared and put on her chilly coat of white we have been delighted to observe

their antics. We have had the usual crowd of great, blue, coal, and long tailed tits in abundance. We have a beautiful pair of

spotted woodpeckers after the nuts and fat balls as well as the elegant nuthatches. The doves, pigeons, blackbirds robins,

chaffinches and dunnocks are happily pecking at the morsels that are falling to the ground. Plus those pesky squirrels and

although the wind did try and destroy my squirrel defenders with the help of Ducktape they are working and actually

keeping off the marauders. In view of our house we have a telegraph pole and it is visited by the green woodpeckers and we

have had a few visitors from the thrush family visiting the garden too especially a song thrush and we have had a group of

gold finches at the seed feeders. Another resident from Marden has been delighted to welcome extra birds into his garden

and these include a black cap and a gold crest the smallest bird wild in the UK. We have a little jenny wren who lives under

our long porch tucked up in a corner in a disused swallows nest. If you go out of the front door at night she sometimes pops

out to see you especially if you have disturbed her by putting on the light. We observed that she knew it was going to

become colder when she collected and pulled more moss into her nest. We did not have any swallows nesting under the

porch this last summer but we had several broods in our field shelters. I did notice that they gathered later to leave as

September turned warmer and I saw the last at the beginning of October before they flew to warmer climes. However, our

winter visitors arrived and the orchards are full of chattering redwings and the odd field fare. As for the furry creatures I

have seen many weasels and stoats and of course the rabbits but I have not seen a sign of any hedgehogs so I am hoping

they are tucked up in my pile of leaves I left for them or in the hedgehog house as with the colder spell they should be

trying to hibernate. Most of the animals and plants must be so confused with the erratic climate. The snowdrops are

appearing in the churchyard in Marden a little ahead of time if the cold snap lasts they may last through February but

warmer weather will see them pass very quickly. If you see something of our wildlife that you want to share with us please

email me on jessica.tidball@btconnect.com .

Help Lissa O'Callaghan make a difference On August 22nd I and a small group of students from the University of Exeter will be trekking to Everest Base Camp in

support of Children with Cancer UK.

Please help me support this charity, by sponsoring me with a donation of as much or as little as you can. The more people

that know about the charity, Children with Cancer UK, the greater their impact, so please spread the word!

Children with Cancer UK is the leading national children’s charity dedicated to the fight against childhood cancer. Almost

4,000 children and younger people are diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK. The charities aims are to determine the

causes, find cures and provide care for the children with cancer.

We begin our journey in Nepal and will spend three weeks trekking across the Himalayas. We will fly to Kathmandu, then

on to Lukla airport which is considered the Gateway to Mt. Everest. From here we will trek our way to Everest Base Camp

at Gorak Shep and beyond to Kala Platter, the highest point in our trek at just over 18,000ft! The purpose of this trip is to

raise money for Children with Cancer UK.

If you would like to sponsor me, please use this link: https://fxueverest.everydayhero.com/uk/lissa-o-callaghan

Help Lissa O'Callaghan make a difference

fxueverest.everydayhero.com

Please show your support for Lissa O'Callaghan's cause by

giving through their Supporter page and sharing to spread the

word about Children with Cancer UK

or alternatively if you'd prefer, please send the donation to:

Woodvale House

Marden

Hereford

HR1 3EW

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

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Marden News and Views – February 2016

Village Club News

MARDEN ARTS & CRAFTS At this month’s meeting Wendy Steadman will be demonstrating Making Stamps for Craftwork. As this will be a hands-on

session, you will need to bring scissors suitable for cutting plastic, a pencil and plain paper for sketching designs. Any other

materials will be provided

Looking forward to seeing you in the Community Centre on Monday February 22nd at 7.45pm. Visitors are always welcome.

SB MARDEN HISTORY SOCIETY The first meeting of this year will take place on Monday, 15th, at 7 45pm. in the Community Room at Marden School. It will

be a slide presentation, by the Society, of a collection donated by Mr Hill. The period covered is the “late 80’s/ early 90’s”

and represents an opportunity for villagers to help identify many of the people and times of each picture. It includes such

events as the fire at Newhouse farm, village social events and sheep droving through the village. Non- members are invited to

join us for the small charge of £2.00 to include tea/ coffee and biscuits.

The society is looking forward to the visit to Taylors Loughborough bell foundry later in the month to witness the progress

on the church bells prior to their reinstatement in the Marden church tower.

CB MARDEN WI At the January meeting, our President, Celia Clutterbuck, wished all members a Happy New Year and reported on the

produce and craft stall we held at the Hereford Christmas Charity Market in December. Although it had been quite successful

the wet and windy weather had been against us. Members voted on resolutions to go forward to the AGM in June.

Our speaker, John Turrell, then gave us a very interesting talk on Children’s Traditional Games, Songs and Rhymes. He has

researched into the subject mainly in Herefordshire and Worcestershire but also spoke about the variations in many

playground games which can still be found across the country and took members back to their childhood mentioning a

variety of skipping and ball bouncing rhymes as well as games such as hopscotch, marbles, what’s the time Mr Wolf and tag

and modern updates of traditional playground songs. He was thanked by Anne Sperring.

At this month’s meeting we shall hear about Orchard Origins from the Nature Heritage Trust so we look forward to seeing

you on Thursday 11th February at 7.30pm in the Community Centre. Visitors are always welcome.

SB

MARDEN & SUTTON OVER 60’s “Have a tale to tell.”

Perhaps we would like to hear it. Contact Jean Price Tel: 01432 880398

Meeting dates for February 4th & 18th

JP

Guides News 1st Marden Guides had a very successful panto in December. ‘Tell Me a Story’ was a combination of many fairy stories,

including Rapunzel, Cinderella, Shrek and Grease! All the girls worked really hard, and I hope you will agree that it was a

very enjoyable evening. Thank you to everybody who supported us.

Lydia Donnelly won the Pantomime cup for her performance as Cinderella, and Rebecca Hall was presented with the Jenner

Award for Good Guiding.

This term we will be celebrating Thinking Day at Hereford Cathedral, completing a Space challenge, looking at the

importance of being yourself, and, of course, doing some Easter crafts. We will also be planning our camp for later in the

year.

If you would like to join us at Guides, please phone Alison on 01432 880094, or email mardenguides@outlook.com

Alison Thomas, Guide Leader

MARDEN GARDENERS Our January meeting was well attended and we had 5 new members join the club.

We enjoyed a very interesting talk by Hilary Twigg on “Easy rules of pruning”. How to get the best growth and desired

shape form our trees, hedges, shrubs and plants.

Our next meeting on February 9th will Be “Ponds, marginal & bog gardens” with Duncan Coombs.

Visitors are welcome for a small fee of £2 to include tea & biscuits.

CR

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Marden News and Views – February 2016

Herefordshire Councillor’s Report Highways Matters

Re: C1122 – Flood Gates & Closure of Haywood Lane UPDATE

I am most pleased to report that the recent operation of the Flood Gates has been SUCCESSFUL! As far as I am aware there

have been no incidents of drivers getting stuck on the Level Crossing or in the flood. The Balfour Beatty Team on duty

closed the road in a timely manner when I reported the flood on 31st December 2015 and the road was opened (passable with

extreme care) on 18th January 2016 & then had to be closed again on 19th January 2016 due to the extreme icy conditions &

flood.

Reporting Potholes

With the wet and cold weather potholes may become more prevalent therefore to report a pothole, please use the Report a

pothole service on Herefordshire Council’s website. Potholes which have been reported and are in progress or have been

completed can be viewed on the potholes map. This service is for reporting potholes on roads in Herefordshire Roads.

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/transport-and-highways/maintenance/potholes

Cold weather alert - advice issued Cold weather - grants for loft and cavity wall insulation are available

As part of the Government’s Cold Weather Plan, Keep Herefordshire Warm (KHW) is encouraging residents to prepare for

the cold weather. Advisors are on hand to provide advice on keeping warm throughout the forthcoming cold period and

beyond. KHW is Herefordshire Council’s affordable warmth service, a partnership between the council and local energy

charity Marches Energy Agency.

Keep Herefordshire Warm offers free impartial advice to Herefordshire residents. For more information on grants for loft and

cavity wall insulation or for any matter relating to energy please visit

www.herefordshire.gov.uk/energyefficiency or call Keep Herefordshire Warm on 0800 677 1432, or email

khw@mea.org.uk

HEREFORD & WORCESTER Fire Authority – Update ref: Full Authority Meeting 16/12/16

Police Community Support Officers working as Retained Firefighters Earlier this year Service officers working with their counterparts in West Mercia Police agreed to develop a joint Police/Fire

initiative which would offer Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) the opportunity to become retained (on-call)

firefighters in both Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. A joint pilot

scheme has since been developed with fourteen initial applicants leading to eight successful PCSO candidates who will start

an intensive recruit training course in early 2016.

I along with other Herefordshire Council Members raised concerns about this pilot scheme, which in particular, might leave

rural parts of Herefordshire exposed and lacking police cover. However, the Chief Fire Officer reassured Members that this

was a complementary community safety role for the PCSOs and as it was a pilot project at this stage it would be closely

monitored.

Cabinet to consider budget proposals As part of the council’s draft financial strategy, it is proposed to increase council tax by 3.9% in 2016/17. The increase wi ll

provide 1.9% (£1.6m) to protect council services, including safeguarding our vulnerable children and 2% (£1.7m) to alleviate

the significantly rising costs of adult social care for the county’s higher than average ageing population.

The council has experienced substantial funding reductions from central government since 2010 and is aware that funding

reductions from central government will continue; all but being eliminated from its current level of £26m to less than £1m in

2020. This means an additional £28m will need to be saved by 2020; a total of £87m over ten years.

In 2016/17, the council’s funding from government will reduce by a third (£9m), so taking into account rising adult social

care costs, savings of nearly £11m will need to be achieved. Cabinet will make its recommendations for approval by full

Council on Friday 5 February 2016.

Temporary closure of Hereford Library & Museum Update Herefordshire Council have now had confirmation that the asbestos removal work at the Hereford Library and Museum

building will commence on 1 February and is expected to last 5 to 6 weeks.

(Please contact me with any queries you may have on the above issues on: Tel: 01432 830577 or Tel:01568 -797148

email address kguthrie@herefordshire.gov.uk)

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Marden News and Views – February 2016

MARDEN PARISH COUNCIL The Parish Council met on 14 December and 11 January. Various matters were considered including: - Issues with various footpaths - As no comments had been received regarding the proposed budget and precept for 2016-17, Precept Requirement of £27,500 has been submitted to Herefordshire Council - Process of a new community centre, size of land to be gifted agreed with landowner, architects’ brief and lottery bid - Parish gain from Solar Farm - Parking outside school – see below - Changes to Marden Post Office - Changes to emptying of public litter bins. Planning applications P153063/F, White Gate Farm, Marden, HR1 3EZ – Proposed single storey rear extension and associated alterations – Supported. P153680/K, Wisteston Farm, Marden, HR1 3EU – Proposed silage clamp – Supported. Sandbags In case of flooding during the coming months, sandbags are available to collect from New House Farm. Please contact Glyn Owens on 07970 160898 to arrange to collect sandbags. Next Ordinary Parish Council Meeting Monday 8 February 7:30 pm in the Community Centre – All welcome. New Community Facilities Working Group The next meeting is on Wednesday 3 February at 6:00 pm in the Community Centre to decide on an architect to recommend to the PC – All welcome. See separate report on the activities of this Group on page 19. Speedwatch If you are concerned with speeding through Marden and have a few hours a month to spare, please contact the Parish Clerk and become a Speedwatch volunteer. Training is given. Parking outside the school The Parish Council have been informed that there is a problem getting onto the C1124 (the main road through the village) from side roads, due to the number of cars parked on the road at end of school time. Please consider other motorists when you decide where to park. The safety of all road users, particularly the children, is vital. Franklands Corner There was a site visit in early December with Ward Cllr Guthrie, Parish Cllrs, local residents and representatives from Balfour Beatty to discuss concerns. The Parish Clerk is collecting information about non-injury accidents at Franklands Corner that are not reported to the police. Please contact the Clerk if you know of incidents at this site. Marden Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) The NDP has now finished the Regulation 16 Consultation and the Steering Group are waiting for feedback from Herefordshire Council about any amendments that might be required to take the Plan to the next step, which is external examination by a Planning Inspector. Marden Village website Keep up-to-date with news, agendas and information for the parish – go to the parish website (www.mardenvillage.co.uk) and sign up for the notification service. If you have a news item you think should be shared on the website, please use the contact form on the website – www.mardenvillage.co.uk – or email the Clerk at mardenclerk@gmail.com

Alison Sutton, Marden Parish Clerk. Tel: 07789 322771. Email: mardenclerk@gmail.com 7 John Davies Place, Westcroft, Leominster, HR6 8JD

Marden Village Trust Meeting

The next meeting of the Village Trust is Monday,

1st February at 7.30 in the Community Centre.

All are welcome to attend and contribute to the

meeting during the Public Forum session of the

agenda.

The agenda and minutes of the last meeting are on the

Village Website or contact Robin Brook: 01432

882382

RB

Leominster Priory

invites you to a celebration

ORGAN RECITAL,

marking the completion of the restoration of its fine Nicholson Organ,

given by HILARY NORRIS It will include popular organ favourites and works by J S

Bach, Franck, Rheinberger and Vierne. Sunday 28th February 2016 at

3.00pm, at the Priory. Everyone welcome.

Free entry with retiring collection. Interval refreshments.

17

Marden News and Views – February 2016

The New Community Facilities Working Group (NCFWG) is working on what facilities are needed in a new centre, how it can be funded and everything that is needed to get the project completed so there is a new building for everyone in the parish to use and enjoy. The NCFWG has regular meetings that are advertised on the parish notice boards and on the website and everyone is welcome to attend. If you would like to assist the Group or undertake a role to help the process – it might be delivering leaflets, fundraising or providing specialist knowledge and advice to the Group – please come to a meeting or contact the Parish Clerk on mardenclerk@gmail.com or 07789 322771. Following the successful Community Consultation event in December 2015, the NCFWG has drafted a brief for architects, which was agreed by the full Parish Council. In January the Group had discussions with a number of architects, as a concept drawing and rough costings are needed for the lottery application. At the next meeting in early February, the NCFWG will be deciding which architect to recommend to the PC to take the project forward. The lottery application has already taken time and effort – and this is only the Stage 1 application! If you have experience of writing lottery applications, the Group would be very grateful for your help. It is expected that the application will be submitted by the end of February. If it is accepted by the lottery and Marden is asked to submit the Stage 2 application, detailed plans and costings are then needed, so the Group will be working closely with the chosen architect. The Stage 3 application is the final document to be written if the project is accepted at Stage 2. The whole process can take up to 18 months, before a grant is finally awarded. At present, the final shape and room space of the building is unknown, though the Group have looked at a number of possible layouts. It will be interesting to see how the architects take forward the ideas in the brief to suggest concept drawings and then detailed plans and whatever else, it is an exciting project for the parish.

Community support is vital!

Next NCFWG Meeting Wednesday 3 February at 6:00 pm in the Community centre

– All welcome

Get involved – suggest a catchy name for the new building, maximum 4 words

Send your suggestion to the Parish Clerk by 15 February – by email mardenclerk@gmail.com or phone 07789 322771

A new Community Centre for Marden –

the next steps

19

Marden News and Views – February 2016

Operational update All departments experienced a busy Christmas period which has resulted in good sales and delivery performance to our customers. The New Year is already presenting a challenge due to the unseasonably warm weather which could have an effect on our early strawberry crops and asparagus crops. Seasonal worker update The number of workers currently residing on the Brook Farm campsite is 174. A further 60 workers will arrive before the end of February in time for planting the summer crop. S&A’s recruitment team in Bulgaria is currently very busy conducting interviews to secure the required number of seasonal workers for 2016. We are expecting a high number of returnees this year. The prediction is for broadly the same number of seasonal workers at Brook Farm as in 2015.

JUDE NORCOTT, Community Relations Officer – S&A Produce (UK) Ltd.

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NEWS FROM S&A

21