The Farnham Society is once again organising a full programme of Heritage Open Days from 10th to 19th September. As in previous years, the Bourne Conservation Group is leading a guided walk as our contribution to understanding the heritage of our area.
Continue reading “Heritage Open Days 2021”News
The Group is pleased to be able to return to a regular Work Programme, which will be published on this website when finalised. The key factors in making this possible are:
- The ending by the Government of all restrictions on activity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The good news that our Chairman, Noel Moss, has been able to resume his involvement in running the Group.
To get the programme up and running again after the big effort we made for Farnham In Bloom, Calling Notices have been issued for four mini-sessions to allow us to catch up with urgent tasks:
They are:
29th July. Balsam Bash. A difficult but always enjoyable task in the nicest part of The Bourne Valley
1st August. Much needed trim in the Old Church Yard
3rd August. Footpath clearance in the Sturt Walk area
5th August. Check on the state of Middle Bourne Lane garden, including some hedge trimming.
Those who have signed up for these already are thanked. There are still vacancies, so any others please contact Noel without delay: info@bourneconservation.org.uk
Our intention to return to a published work programme for the Group has been put on hold because of the current indisposition of our Chairman, Noel Moss. Our existing commitments are being managed by members of the Committee and co-ordinated by Richard Sandars, who will continue to issue calling notices requesting members to help with work sessions.
Members and Friends of the Group have been informed by email about Noel’s health, which has necessitated a major operation followed by a long period of recovery. Many people have sent messages to Noel, and we all join in wishing him a safe return home and a full recovery.
We are pleased to announce that the Committee has been strengthened by the addition of Dr Wendy Scoble, who has recently agreed to join. She brings her knowledge and interests to the running of the Group and will be very welcome.
Our Vice-Chairman and biodiversity expert Dr Martin Angel recently gave an online talk to a local primary school about insects found in Farnham. He was representing the Farnham Biodiversity Group. We consider the quality and variety of photographs in his PowerPoint presentation are of potential interest to many members and others, so it is available on request from info@bourneconservation.org.uk
The photos of a stag beetle and dragonfly show two to be seen at this time of year.
Stag beetle Lucanus cervus 
Libellula depressa hawker dragonfly
Our winter this year seems to have been a series of unusually warm periods separated by chilly spells with particularly cold nights. This affected the migration or frogs and toads on Boundary Road to the extent there were only three nights when large numbers had to be rescued from the passing traffic. However, our teams went out most nights all through March just in case and we are extremely grateful to them and their helpers who did such a good job. The exercise was called off for this year on 1st April. Since then there has been much enjoyable spring sunshine which happily provided a wonderful day for the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral for which Windsor Castle looked absolutely stunning. The weekend of 17th -18th April also coincided with the easing of lockdown regulations, bringing out lots of people walking and driving, with the Fox car park once again noticeably full to overflowing. Daffodils have all died back now but the tulips at the
Crossroads are fully in bloom as pictured.
It is greatly to be hoped that Coronavirus remains under control in the UK in the coming weeks and that the Government’s cautious lifting of the restrictions on our lives continue as planned in the Road Map. This should allow the country and BCG in particular to get back to something like normality.
Continue reading “BCG Plans for Summer 2021”The Easter issue of the Parish magazine contains an illustrated article about the wildlife of the Old Churchyard, contributed by our Group. Thanks to Noel Moss and Martin Angel for providing it.
We are proud to maintain this historic and peaceful corner of The Bourne which is much appreciated by visitors, both people and wildlife. Our good relationship with the Church as owners of the site is important.
The magazine is available online here:
https://thebourne.org.uk/whats-on/the-bourne-magazine-online/
We have been given more of Fiona Walberton’s excellent photographs, which will be of interest to our members and friends. The first group is entitled “Restorative power of nature “ – pictures of Thursley Common recovering after the terrible fire last year. The second is “ My encounters with fantastic beasts…”.
Continue reading “The Recovery of Thursley Common”Anyone who happened to pass the Old Churchyard in Vicarage Hill on Saturday 23rd January would easily have known that some tree surgery was taking place by the large trucks parked outside. The job in hand was in fact the removal of two large trees growing in a very close clump of three trees. All the main work was very successfully completed in a single day and that almost concluded the protracted story of this felling operation. The word “almost” is used because there is still one element of work to be completed.
Continue reading “Tree felling in the Old Churchyard”In common with many other people, Fiona Walberton, who is the Group’s Treasurer, has been taking local walks during the current period of lockdown and has kindly shared her excellent photos for others to enjoy. We have them of three well known locations.
Continue reading “Local walks during lockdown”