NEWSLETTER – 4 FEBRUARY 2019

Dear All

Just a reminder about the ……..

Litter Pick in the Gorge, 

on the Warmsworth side near the fish pass 

and on the Sprotbrough side on Nursery Lane 

on Saturday 9 February from 9 am to 12 noon

We would love to see you there.  Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.  Meet either near the Fish Pass or near the Boat Inn.  Equipment will be provided.

To add to the news about the missing litter bins last week, we have had another incident of vandalism this week when one of the hides had its windows, ledges and seats smeared with black grease.  It almost makes you want to cry that some people are so intent on causing damage and being so disruptive of people’s simple pleasures in this way

SPROTBROUGH ORAL HISTORY (SOH)

Our meeting last Friday 1 February at St Mary’s Church Hall was once again a great success.  Sixteen people turned up, despite the snow and cold, to spend two hours chatting and remembering amid laughter and amazement that such things were possible.  Sheets of paper were spread around the room with lots of different topic headings so that people could write their memories down, and a couple of interviews were begun with scribes doing the prompting and writing.  Since then, I have spent a day and a half typing these up so that their stories can be continued at future meetings or in individual interviews. 

We agreed we should meet monthly and this will take place on the last Friday of each month until April 2020.  The next meeting will take place on Friday 22 February 2019.  We have a long list of people wanting to be interviewed and their memories will play a large part in the book that is produced at the end of that time. 

Meetings are open to anyone interested in sharing or learning about the history of Sprotbrough Village from 1925 to 1965, so do feel free to come and meet other enthusiasts, as well as to tell others about it. 

For information, the address for the SOH Blog which provides all the news about this can be found as follows:

https://sprotbroughoralhistory.blogspot.com/

Or just by searching for Sprotbrough Oral History

Do look us up and follow our activities.

TREE FELLING

If you have visited Sprotbrough woods in the last week or two, you will have noticed that quite a lot of tree felling has taken place.  I have already written what I know about it on the blog, so please check it out.

Liz Reeve, Secretary

Tel: 01302 313030

Email: lizreeve@dongorgecommunitygroup.com

Website:  http://www.dongorgecommunitygroup.com/

Blog:  http://dongorgecommunitygroup.blogspot.com

TREE FELLING IN SPROTBROUGH PLANTATION

I thought I should try and clarify what is happening in Sprotbrough Plantation.  This part of the wood is not considered a SSSI and is managed by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust on a long lease.  No work had been done in the woodland for many years and, therefore, many trees had grown too close together, thus restricting the growth of them all.  Since they took over the lease, the Don Gorge Conservation Volunteers have helped YWT with thinning over the past two or three years near the top on the right-hand side of the right-hand fork.  Apparently, YWT considered it also needed doing on the left-hand side as well and a contractor has been hired to do this.  I agree a lot has been taken out, so this is not really thinning and it does look awful at the moment.  I can, however, agree with Dave Glover's comment that this will let in lots of light and should promote growth of plants and flowers which has been restricted for a long time now.

Having had a conversation with one of the contractors, I am told some re-planting will take place, though I haven't had this confirmed by YWT.  The wood taken out, which has been many lorry loads, will be used for firewood as apparently it was not good enough or big enough to plank.

At present, I haven't been able to locate who is responsible for the felling near the bridge on Nursery Lane.  I will write again when I hear back from those I have contacted.

In the meantime, a SOLD sign has appeared on the woodland on the right-hand side corner of Nursery Lane and Cadeby Lane.  The purchaser is not yet known, but there are some Tree Preservation Orders on this land and the biodiversity officer at DMBC informs me that they would not agree to felling taking place here.

I hope this clarifies the situation to some degree.  I was shocked when I saw all the timber coming down the lane past my home and went to see the large area of land cleared, but we can only hope it is worth it in the end.  No doubt the next thing will be the electricity board contractor clearing trees under the power line which goes up the wood.  Last time they didn't just take a swathe under the lines as normal, but cleared the land right to the footpath edge!

Liz Reeve, Secretary, Don Gorge Community Group