Cople Village Trust

Working Group for Cople PlaygroundMonday 28th November 2022

This is a summary of the meeting, the full minutes can be found at the following address: - https://tinyurl.com/copletrust281122

• Marie Hinkley welcomed people to the meeting and introduced the attending members of the Cople Village Trust and Catherine Bayliss (Chairperson of the CVT) explained the function of the Trust and gave details of its funding and outgoings included the statement that any upgrade of the playground could not be financed by the Trust and would have to be resourced from grants.

• Marie outlined the purpose of a play area, and a Power Point slide was shown covering the aspects of safety that require consideration. Marie also provided a summary of feedback to a survey carried out earlier in the year.

• An outline of the requirements sent to contractors was given to the meeting. Despite sending our requirements to 7 companies, only 3 responded with plans as follows: -

Timotay; Wicksteed; HAGS

Marie explained that we are not obliged to take the plans as presented but can request alterations. Whilst we can retain some of the existing equipment this could inhibit aspects of the new design.

• Attendees were given the opportunity to view all the plans, followed by a count of hands as follows: -

Timotay - 3 votes; Wicksteed - 2 votes; HAGS - 15 votes

In light of the feedback given, the Trust will return to HAGS with suggested amendments and confirmation on the surface being used.

Marie managed attendees’ expectations by pointing out: - a) It is unlikely any major developments will happen in the next 18 months. b) It is necessary to apply for grants and two possible sources of funding are Rural Funding and Belway Homes based in Milton Keynes.

Residents, who would like to take part in the working party that will take the plan forward, are very welcome to contact any of the trustees of the Village Trust.

My contact details are as follows:Jane Barnard 01234 838004 or JaneB2014@hotmail.com

Gardening March 2023

The sudden dramatic changes in temperature are making life a little tricky for gardeners at the moment although it is heartening to see the first signs of spring daring to reveal themselves; forsythias, in some gardens at least, going into flower, primroses illuminating the gloom and for some lucky people, aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) are glistening like scattered jewels.

Related to buttercups these enchanting, waxy, though highly toxic flowers, provide much to gladden your eye. Of course, the real harbinger of warmer, brighter times is of course the daffodil and their annual blitzkrieg upon our senses is imminent. Forgot to plant any? Ready grown options are available and work their wonder in exactly the same way and I urge any of you struggling with the state of the world currently to treat yourself to a couple and place in locations where you will see them most frequently. The easiest way I know of planting some sunshine!

Last month’s just for fun question asked, your next-door neighbour cuts a shrub their side so that in time, the material growing on your side will wither and die leaving you to have to get rid of the material. Are you legally within your rights to throw the debris back over the fence? In short, the answer is ‘no’. Although a resident is permitted to cut material that overhangs their boundary, throwing the cut material back over the fence is absolutely not what the law instructs us to do. The responsible and law abiding citizen is, supposed to offer the debris to the owners of the host plant and if they do not wish to accept it, the responsibility of disposal lies with the person who cut it. In my experience, simply throwing clippings over a boundary is universally disliked and a very easy way of souring relations, even if the problem was created by the neighbours in the first place.

This month’s just for fun question is, which one of these is the common name of a plant: Stink Horn, Stinking Bishop, Stinking Iris. And what, if anything, are the remaining two? Answer next month!

For all those that have asked, the answers to this year’s Christmas Quiz are as follows: -

1. Which plant takes its name from the Italian phrase for beautiful women? Belladonna.

2. Which grain is used to make semolina? Wheat.

3. Which plant, widespread in Britain, if touched causes a serious chemical reaction which makes skin hypersensitive to ultraviolet light? Giant Hogweed.

4. Which kings lived at Kew Palace at Kew Gardens? George II & George III.

5. Which garden plant in the17th century was exchanged as a form of currency? Tulips in The Netherlands.

6. What is the art of cutting shrubs into ornamental shapes called? Topiary.

7. Soil can be acidic, alkaline or what? Neutral.

8. Where is the biggest tree in the world, giant sequoia, found? California, USA.

9. What fruit hit, or more likely fell, near Isaac Newton and helped him develop the law of gravity? Apple.

10. I am a woody stemmed plant, usually branched near the base and lacking a single trunk.... what am I? A shrub.

11. On which continent did broccoli originate? Europe.

12. What herb beginning with ‘A’ has soothing properties? Aloe Vera.

13. Roughly, how many varieties of avocado are there? 5, 50, 500 or 5,000? 500.

14. For how long can seeds remain dormant? Months, a few days, years or one season? Years.

15. How long does it take to produce asparagus the first time you plant it? 2 to 3 Years.

If you have any similar words of wisdom, as always, please send them to me and I will include them in future articles.

All correspondence can be emailed to lawndocgardens@aol.com or posted to: - Lawn Doctor Garden Services, 14 Sand Lane, Northill, SG18 9AD. As usual, please contact me with any gardening queries or tasks you may have.

Tree Care, Planting, Weeding, Hedge Trimming, Turfing, Jungle Clearing, Landscaping, Lawn Improvement, Patio/Drive Pressure Washing/ Weedkilling, Holiday Watering etc., etc.

Knit & Stitch

Contact: Hazel Shreeves

Tel: 01234 838817

Mothers Union

Contact: Jill Ebbs

Tel: 01234 838659

Cople Village Trust

Chair: Catherine Bayliss

Tel: 01234 838704

Cople Sports & Social Club

Chair: David Hughes

Tel: 01234 838669

Tuesday Club

Contact: Joy Duthie

Tel: 01234 838407

Cople Carpet Bowls Club

Contact: Pauline Baynes

Tel: 01234 838102

Cople Web Site

Contact: Ian Whiting

Tel: 01234 838347

Email: ian@cople.org.uk

Web Site: www.cople.org.uk

Village Agent

Wendy Worgan

Tel:0800 039 1234

Mobile: 07717 269440 wendyw@bedsrcc.org.uk

Cople Parish Council

Clerk: Anne Pape

Tel: 01234 376645 clerk@cople-pc.gov.uk https://cople-pc.gov.uk/

All Saints Church

The current contact details for Cople Church are as follows:Tel: 01234 974722. email: cmwvicar@gmail.com

Churchwardens

June Thomas Julie Scherrer

34 Grange Lane 26 Grange Way

Cople, Beds Willington, Beds

MK44 3TT MK44 3QW

Tel: 01234 831705 Tel: 01234 838623 juneshanahan748@btinternet.com julie@scherrer.co.uk villagehallenquiries@cople.org.uk or phone 07967 830790

Website: www.cople.org.uk/village hall