Valley Conservation Society
Holder of the KCC Award for Volunteering Excellence
Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund
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MEMBERS NEWSLETTER No 95 _ January 2009
Notice of
Annual General
Meeting
HAPPY New Year and welcome to our first newsletter of 2009! Firstly, a reminder that the arrival of the New Year means that it is time once again to renew your membership of the Society.
The subscription stays the same as last year just £2 for an adult and 50p for a junior member (over 14s only). You will find a membership renewal form on the back page.
(Those new members who only joined the Society in the last two months of 2008 are deemed to have also joined for 2009 and so need take no action.)
We would ask you once again to please make sure that you sign up all your family individually as members. When we come to negotiate on your behalf with the borough council or other official bodies, the more members we can claim, the more they are likely to listen to us.
The Annual General Meeting of the Society will take place at the Eling Court Community Room, off Hilden Shaw, Maidstone, on Valentines Day, Saturday, February 14, starting at 10am.
All members are invited to attend.
The main item on the agenda will be the appointment of the new executive committee for 2009.
Under the terms of our constitution, all the existing committee members will step down although they may seek re-election. The format is that Members will be asked to vote by a show of hands first on the appointment of the officers of the Society: the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. Then the meeting will elect up to, but no more than, eight other members to sit on the executive committee.
Any full member can stand for office, but the Secretary must receive nominations in writing no less than 14 days before the AGM, ie by 10am on Saturday, January 31, 2009. No nominations can be taken at the meeting.
Only those who have renewed their membership for 2009 can vote or stand for office.
If you wish to nominate a member for the committee, please check that they are willing to stand first. It is also permissible for a member to nominate him- or herself. It is NOT necessary to obtain a seconder. Send your nominations to The Secretary, Valley Conservation Society, Bockingford House, Cripple Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6DN
Meanwhile, anyone considering standing might like to attend the February executive committee meeting in order to get a feel for what their duties might involve. See below:
Other items on the agenda will include reports on the Societys activities in the past year and an open forum discussion. If any member would like a particular topic discussed at the AGM, please notify the Minutes Secretary, Maggie Davis, on 01622 674001, or by e-mail to Maggie_davis@btinternet.com, so that it may be placed on the agenda.
Remember this is your AGM and your chance to raise any issues of concern. The meeting should last no more than two hours. Please make an effort to come.
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Eling Court can be approached from either Broadoak Avenue or Mayfair Avenue.
Changes to the constitution
PROPOSALS for any changes to the Constitution of the Society require special notice. The executive committee is not proposing any changes. However, if any Member wishes to propose a change, they should notify the Secretary as soon as possible, and no later than Saturday, 14 January, so that the requisite notice can be given to all Members. A copy of the Constitution is available to Members from the secretary on request.
Valley Conservation Limited
THE Society also operates a Company Limited by Guarantee. All executive committee members of the Society are entitled to become directors of the company, although it is not compulsory to do so.
A Company Limited by Guarantee works like a charity. There are no shares and no remunerations are paid to directors. The purpose of the Company is to act as a legal entity to hold land on behalf of the Society. VCS Ltd is the legal owner of Treacle Wood and the Reeds and Lower Crisbrook Millponds in Cave Hill.
Tovils connections with the Crimea
WE HAVE all heard how Florence Nightingale fought against the outrageous conditions that awaited the British sick and wounded during the Crimean War.
But did you know that Tovil has its own medical hero who spoke out against the situation?
Chilley Pine was born in Tovil in 1810. He joined the army as an assistant surgeon in 1833 and saw service in Bengal and Australia, as well as the China War of 1841 and the war against the Maoris in New Zealand in 1845.
But it was while serving in Crimea that he gave out to Lord Raglan, the Commander in Chief of the British expedition. Shortly after the Battle of Inkerman, Raglan visited one of Pines field hospitals. Pine had by now risen to the rank of Chief Surgeon to the Second Division.
Raglan asked him: How are you getting on with the sick in your division, Mr Pine? and received the unexpected answer: Nothing could possibly be worse, my Lord! Pine then went on to list his complaints: lack of hospital accommodation, shortages of medicines, clothing, blankets and transport.
A startled Raglan responded: Whom do you mean to insinuate the blame lies with, Sir, for these insufficiencies? To which Pine responded: Everybody my Lord. All the heads of departments. I have reported all these deficiencies and the injurious consequences arising from each and have sometimes received no answer and in every case, no help.
Raglan later ordered Pine to give him a detailed report, promising immediate action. But it was too late for many. Four times as many men died from disease as from wounds during the war. And a few months later Pine was one of them. He died from typhus on 6 March 1855, aged 44. Lord Raglan followed him three months later a victim of cholera.
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British soldiers at rest in the Crimea: 1854
Pine had asked to be buried in his beloved Tovil. That was not possible and his remains lie at Sevastopol. But fellow officers paid for a memorial stone to be erected in the Anabaptist Burial Ground, in Burial Ground Lane, just above the Tovil Waste Transfer Station. It is still there today.
The burial ground is now in the care of Tovil Parish Council and inquiries to visit it should be made to the parish clerk, Alison Chew, on 01622 675628.
*Pines medical notes and correspondence from 1841 to 1854 are held at the National Army Museum. Some notes from his earlier career are held by the National Maritime Museum.
Linton re-discovers its boundaries
WITH satellite navigation and global positioning, we shall never need them again, but that doesnt mean we should forget about them.
The boundary stones that marked the limits of each parish once played an important role in local administration and were a useful guide to travellers.
A hardy band of volunteers at Linton have set us all an example. Led by the parish councils vice chairman, Jerry Whitmarsh, they have embarked on a project to discover all the stones still remaining and take what steps they can to preserve them.
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Mr Whitmarsh said: The current series of OS maps has 11 boundary stones marked for Linton, but we thought there might be more and indeed it turned out that there were. Because the boundary of Linton has changed several times over the centuries, we have more than you might expect for a relatively small parish.
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By examining maps back to 1870, we have found 62 stones marked, of which we have so far located 32 on the ground. We believe there may still be more to find. The volunteers found that many of the stones were in poor condition. Many were uprooted, some buried in the ground, some flung into ditches and one used to hold a house name-plate. Because Linton shares a common boundary with Loose, many double as Loose boundary stones, marked Loose on one side, Linton on the other. Mr Whitmarsh is urging other villages to undertake similar projects. He said: It would be a great pity to let any stones that remain just moulder away. Weve all had a lot of fun finding and preserving perhaps the oldest and most hidden part of Linton Parishs historical heritage. |
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*To find out more about the Linton project visit: http://lintonkent.org/boundaryproject
Tovil Post Office
CUSTOMERS of Tovil Post Office have been pressing the sub-post master to start issuing car tax. But Kanagasundaram Prince, who took over the post office business three and a half years ago, said the decision was not down to him.
He said: Ive expanded the services we do here. We now have the full range of Parcel Force services and we do dollar and Euro foreign currency on demand. I would dearly like to offer road fund licences too, but Post Office Ltd wont let me.
Since the closure of the East Farleigh and South Park post offices, Tovil is providing services to more people than ever, but a spokesman for Post Office Ltd said the number of branches providing car tax nationally was limited by the terms of their contract with the DVLA. He said the only way for Mr Prince to get the business now would be if another local office that was currently issuing car tax closed.
The public can petition Post Office Counters for a change to its service by writing to Post Office Customer Care, FREEPOST, PO Box 740, Barnsley, S73 02J
*Mr Prince was originally named Prince Kanagasundaram. Ever thoughtful, he swopped his names around by deed poll, to give his English customers a better chance of pronouncing his surname.
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Get your skates on THERE were some pre-Christmas high jinks one frosty morning in Cave Hill last month. A patch of ice just on the bend by Upper Crisbrook Mill caught out motorists. Between 7am and 9.30am on 11 December, a total of 11 vehicles lost control in six separate incidents. The wall of Upper Crisbrook Mill was struck, the railings around the cottages opposite were damaged and the KCC salt bin clobbered. The bin has since been removed, somewhat ironically in the circumstances. Fortunately nobody was injured in the accidents. Members would be well advised to take extreme care when traversing that bend if we have freezing conditions again.
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Hayle Mill extra parking places
PJ Livesey Ltd has submitted a new application in respect of Hayle Mill this time for permission to create an extra 11 parking spaces. Their original permission allowed for 67 spaces to serve 43 units, but they now complain they cant sell the larger units with only one allocated parking space.
The new spaces will be either side of a Tarmac access road at the northern end of the site heading for the patch of land still owned by Simon Green. The plans can be seen on the MBC website under application number 08/2387. The application will be considered at the next meeting of the executive committee, but if any individual members would like to make their own responses, they should do so before 19 January.
You can either write, quoting the application number, to: Development Control,
Maidstone Borough Council, Maidstone House, King Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME15 6JQ
or respond by email via the councils website: www.digitalmaidstone.co.uk
Website: You can visit the Societys website on www.valleyconservation.org.uk
You can email the chairman on bryncornwell@yahoo.co.uk or phone him on 01622 746514.
Valley Conservation and Climate Change
By Jim Williams
LVCAP: The Loose Valley Conservation Area Partnership, an informal association of groups with an interest in the conservation area, has been reflecting on the future of the valley, and duly commissioned a biodiversity report by the Medway Valley Countryside Partnership as part of the Lottery Heritage Fund (Ponds) Project.
MVCP Report: This report, entitled LVCA: Conservation and Enhancement Plan 2010-2020, asks a few questions to open the debate about exactly what it is that we (collectively) wish to conserve and enhance in the valley in the context of a rapidly changing climate, and how we might best achieve our common objectives. The report is available at the LVCAP website http://www.loosevalley.org/ . The VCS executive committee will be discussing the report early in 2009 so your comments would be most welcome.
Global Warming: The threat from global warming is significantly worse than many people think. The evidence of current warming is already overwhelming at global scale. And it is clear from a series of recent scientific meetings and publications that climate scientists are now extremely concerned that the accelerating rate of warming will take our children into the sort of world that humans would prefer not to have to live in, later this century. We need to do very much more both to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for all the changes already in the pipeline. This is chastening stuff and we should all be getting political about it for the sake of the next generations and for VCS?
Questions: For VCS and other similar groups, the situation poses several important questions. What will the climate be like 25 years from now, and then in 50 years? How will this affect the Valley? How much of the existing habitat and biodiversity can possibly be conserved long term? If the future climate is to be significantly warmer and drier than present (as expected) then when might the Loose stream run out of water and become dry in summer? What might we do about it? Should we be introducing stands of new vegetation better able to cope with a warmer world to give the local fauna more time to adapt? Should we be reducing the number of trees (which use more water) and prioritise for the conservation of the pond and wetland habitats that are relatively rare? Should we move to protect future abstraction of water the pressure to irrigate local farmland for example, may become pressing. Or should we not bother because the longer term outlook is already too grim?
Eco-System Approach: It would seem that in order to ensure a future of quality in the Valley it is essential that groups and landowners all work together within an eco-system approach. Late in 2008, Professor David Macdonald, a conservation biologist in the wildlife conservation unit at Oxford University, said: "Next year, the focus of biodiversity conservation in England will shift from individual species to a more integrated eco-system approach, incorporating climate change adaptation principles and establishing complementary species and habitat conservation." http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/dec/28/wildlife-animals-conservation
Local farmers will be part of the ecosystem approach to biodiversity and food. They are already much affected by climate change along with about 50% of farmers throughout the UK. For them the challenge of sustaining long-term agriculture in a hotter, drier climate along with greater weather (and pest) extremes is daunting. They need our support. There is a relevant report about the UK Food Council and the need for a radical rethink about food and the real costs of its production (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7795652.stm). It includes the suggestion that "We are going to have to get biodiversity into gardens and fields, and then eat it. We have to do this rather than saying that biodiversity is what is on the edge of the field or just outside my garden."
Local Food: One good way to support local farms (and reduce food miles) is to purchase local produce. Valley residents have the option of buying produce from local farm shops, such as Pympes Court Farm in Busbridge Road. (Though not all farm shops concentrate on local produce: the radishes that I bought recently at a more commercial farm shop came from Holland.) Another way to support local farms is to arrange for regular home delivery of a vegetable box. We get a small box weekly from the Old Dairy in Langley (see http://www.lovekentshop.com/ ) which suits two people very well. Extras can be ordered for delivery (with the box - Thursday afternoon/evening in SW Maidstone) such as bread and cakes from Plaxtol village bakery, or milk and cheese from local producers. The meat is absolutely superb too. Much of the produce is organic and it is all fresh (= muddy) and tastes great (especially the Brussels sprouts and the chard). Moreover, we feel better from eating more vegetables and feel positive that we are doing more to support local farms ... and local biodiversity.
So much food for thought there, and plenty of scope for New Year resolutions!
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Chalkfoot
return
THE Chalkfoot Theatre Company, who gave us their version of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists in October 2007, return this March to give us their dramatized interpretation of The Riddle of the Sands. Based on the exciting book by Erskine Childers perhaps you saw the 1979 film, featuring Michael York the story is often described as the first modern espionage thriller. Chalkfoot manage to combine edge-of-the seat suspense with humour in a story of sailing and spying set shortly before the Great War Tickets are available at the advance price of £8 for adults and £4 for children and are on sale now from 01622 751926. This show is NOT subsidized by our usual patrons, the Applause company, so we would appreciate members giving their maximum support by booking early. Tickets bought in the last week of the show will cost £10 and £5.
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Tuesday, March 17, at
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Bryn cleans up
BRYN Cornwell and David Hill represented the Society at a buffet reception laid on at the Town Hall by Maidstone council as a thank-you to the various organizations that had taken part in the boroughs Clean Sweep campaigns throughout the year.
Next committee: All meetings of the Society are open to all members to attend. The next meeting of the executive committee will be on Wednesday, February 4, at 7.30pm. The venue will be Flat 3, The Manor, Hayle Place. Call 751926 for directions.
Valley Conservation Society
doing nothing is not an option
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION 2009
I/We should like to join the Society:
(Please include your title and first name)
Name: 1) ........ ..
2) ....... ...................... .......
3) ................................................................. .......
4) ............................................................. ...........
Address:
Postcode
Phone: E-mail: ..
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Signature(s)
Membership is £2 per year (or 50p for young people aged 14 to 18). Send your application form and your cheque made payable to Valley Conservation Society to:
Colin Holman, Membership Secretary, Flat 3, The Manor,
Hayle Place, Cripple Street, MAIDSTONE, ME15 6DW
I enclose a cheque/cash for £ .. (Donations welcome)
If you are able to play an active role in the Society, tick the box you are interested in:
Leaflet delivery work parties fund-raising
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Office use only:
Issued: Donation: £ Membership Nos
Printed and published by Alan Smith, Bockingford House, Cripple Street, Maidstone, ME15 6DN.