Remembering Staines Air Disaster

Remembering the 118 victims of the Staines Air Disaster

The flag at Spelthorne Borough Council’s Offices will be flown at half-mast in memory of the 118 people who lost their lives in the Staines Air Disaster on 18 June 1972.

Cllr Susan Doran, the Mayor of Spelthorne, said: “The thoughts of this Council are with the families of the 118 people who lost their lives in the worst aviation accident this country has ever seen. We also pay thanks to the emergency services at the scene who dealt with the sheer horror of the tragedy. 18 June will remain a dark day in Spelthorne’s history and today is a day to reflect and remember.”

The aircraft, a Hawker Siddeley Trident referred to as Papa India, took off from Heathrow at 16:08 but, after entering a deep stall, crashed just 150 seconds later. The crash remains the deadliest air accident to have taken place in the United Kingdom; the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 that killed 270 people was a result of terrorist action. Among the dead were 29 Americans, 29 Belgians, 28 Brits, 12 Irish, four South Africans, three Canadians and one from French West Africa, India, Jamaica, Latin America, Nigeria and Thailand respectively.

The public inquiry made several recommendations to improve aviation safety. These included the installation of cockpit voice recorders and, today, regulations state no unnecessary activities or conversations in the cockpit should take place below 10,000 feet.

There is a memorial to the crash in Waters Drive on the Moormead Estate and a commemorative stained-glass window which depicts a dove at St Mary’s Church, Staines-upon-Thames, which also houses a memorial book to the crash. St Mary’s will be holding a 50th anniversary services on 18 June at 11am, followed by an ‘Act of Rededication’ at the Memorial Garden in Waters Drive, TW18 4RP at 2pm. For more information and to register please visit: www.accf.co.uk/events/the-trident -papa-india-50th-anniversary-memorialservice

At a Council meeting on 26 May 2022, Councillors paid tribute to those who lost their lives. You can listen to the recollections here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GzmJbyjfY4

The Humble Bumblebee (and friends)

Why we all need to make a beeline to our buzzing friends,who are pivotal to the future of our planet.

The bee population (bumblebees and the 25,000 other recorded species that exist), have been too regularly dismissed in the past as simply the overseers of pollination… and of course useful if you want to spread a bit of honey on your toast.

Yet the reliance both we and the wider environment have on bees moves them straight to the upper echelons of some of the planet’s most valuable entities.

Consider that at least 30% of the world’s crops and 90% of all plants require cross-pollination to spread and thrive, and suddenly our perception of bees takes a di erent slant.

Unfortunately, bee populations around the world are in decline. Climate change causes some flowers to bloom earlier or later than usual, meaning bees have fewer food sources at the start of the season. They suffer habitat loss from development and a lack of bee-friendly flowers, and some colonies collapse due to plants and seeds treated with pesticides.

The good news is that protecting these little wonders is not just good for the environment, but a joy in itself. Several organisations run bee initiatives; from Bee Walks, in which volunteers traverse set routes to map out observations of bee activity; to community and education groups at libraries, stalls and fetes that raise money and awareness. You can also create a buzz in your own back garden, by laying a foundation to encourage bees into the space, where what’s around them will thrive:

Bee-friendly plants

Use bee-friendly plants, patio pots, herbs in a planter, with hanging baskets and crocuses creating colour and helping bees flourish.

Gracious greens

Consider adding fruit and veg to your garden, where possible; bees will be instantly attracted.

An annual a air

Try to keep planting throughout the season in order to provide food and shelter for bees. They actually require nectar and pollen across all four seasons, while keeping the grass long o ers great refuge.

Arrest the pesticides

Obviously, removing or greatly reducing the use of pesticides in your garden will have a hugely benefi cial e ect on the bee population, so don’t be afraid to throw away that ‘bug gun’ and let nature do its bit.

New arrivals

Also consider welcoming in ‘beneficial insects’ such as hoverflies, beetles and ladybirds, as these perfect partners will all help your bees flourish.

Why not start a buzz in your community, and help nature in the process!

Greenfingers… the Alan Titchmarsh column

We all want our outdoor spaces to be as beautiful and as thriving as possible, yet by employing a host of natural ways to put pests off, we can keep our courtyards canny, and our green spaces chemical free.

The best way to do this is to think about natural barriers. These, if done well, can comfortably eradicate snails and slugs and all those little creatures who slide and slime over our prized plants. Any type of copper can be used to make a wall that electrically shocks their body, deterring them from moving further forward, while wood ashes or crushed eggshells also work to put those meddling molluscs off their lunch.

While most people consider sprays and pesticides as the best way to keep unwanted intruders away, there are a range of natural squirts that do the same thing. For instance, garlic and chilli may be a culinary staple, but they hold a secret power for gardeners looking to dispose of invaders in a natural manner.

Combine crushed garlic and chilli (powdered chilli will do if you don’t have fresh) with one tablespoon of vegetable oil and a small amount of dishwashing liquid or soap flakes. Leave to soak overnight in a jar, then strain and spray on plants. The spray is very effective towards aphids and caterpillars – but keep away from kids, avoid contact with your skin and eyes, and use within a fortnight!

It’s also worth reminding ourselves that not all bugs and beasties are bad news, and done well, you can encourage some into your garden. Plant mint, fennel, dill, yarrow, sunflowers and dandelions will attract ladybirds, hoverflies and lacewings, all of which will happily feast on your aphids. Birds and hedgehogs eat slugs and snails, beetles and insects… as do frogs and toads.

Finally, try a trap. Earwigs can devastate seedlings, so if they do pose a problem in your garden, try filling a few plastic flowerpots with straw and balancing them upside down on sticks to attract the pests.

The earwigs crawl up the poles and take shelter in the pots at night and you can humanely dispose by emptying them in the morning.

Removing pests and critters the natural way takes effort, imagination and no small amount of patience, but opening your garden to nature’s bounty, whilst preserving as much life as possible, is surely the best and most satisfying way to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

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