Temespan May 2019

CLOWS TOP & DISTRICT GARDENING CLUB

May for many gardeners is one of 10 till 12 noon.
the best months in the garden, with Our next meeting will be on
the freshness of spring and the Wednesday 22nd May, the
promise of an even better summer speaker for the evening will be
full of colour. A wide selection of ‘David Morgan’ with a talk on
summer bedding plants will be on ‘NGS Scheme in Worcestershire’
show at the nurseries and garden Diary Dates
centres. But, as in April, resist Wednesday 26th June, Useful,
buying too early unless you have Beautiful But Unloved, Roger
a frost free greenhouse, conserv- Umpelby, Rose & Sweet Pea Show
atory or cold frame to keep them Wednesday 24th July, The Dry
in, as the majority of these plants Garden, Ingrid Millington
are still quite tender. Saturday 17th August, Summer
The March meeting was also the Show
Spring Show, the Club would like Wednesday 28th August, Garden
to express many thanks to Derek Ponds & Water Features, Philip
Walker for judging the show. Aubury
The Show results were 3rd Chris Wednesday 25th September, Tea
Cowdell, 2nd Bob Marriott, 1st Bags, Bras & Tights, part 2, Darren
and Best Exhibit won by Marion Rudge, Autumn Show,
Wilson. Wednesday 23rd October, The Rise
If you’re not a member then come & Fall of Witley Court, Ray Sturdy
along and join us at one of our Wednesday 27th November, AGM
monthly meetings. It’s a great & Social Evening
opportunity for you to share your Clows Top and District Gardening
thoughts, ideas and advice with Club meet the 4th Wednesday in
other members. We have a great the calendar month at Clows Top
programme of speakers as well as Victory Hall; Doors open 7.30pm,
Evening visits to local gardens. Our for the speaker at 8 o’clock.
Garden Club has a very friendly Admission Fee: Members £2 or
atmosphere, everyone is welcome. Non-Members £4.
Don’t be afraid to come along, we Free Refreshments. Magazine
are a garden club not a horticulture swop. Members Flower of the
society, the membership is only Month Competition.
£10 pa. However, Non-members are Further Details Telephone Marion
welcome to any monthly meeting. Wilson 01299 270475.
Please come along to our PLANT Or email: clowstopdistrictgarden-
SALE & COFFEE MORNING on [email protected]
Saturday 11th May,

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Knighton-on-Teme Parish Council

A community litter pick took the parish greatly contributed to
place on Sunday 24th March in this reduction. We are installing
Knighton on Teme. The Parish 3 litter bins in the parish in the
Council would like to pass on a big next couple of weeks, where litter
thank you to all who turned up to and dog waste bags can also be
help. We successfully cleared all deposited. We are always looking
roads within the parish of litter, to encourage people to join us,
and enjoyed the sunshine and both on the litter pick and on the
fauna whilst keeping our parish parish council, so please contact
tidy. It was pleasing to see that us if you are interested in joining
there was less litter this year us. [email protected]
than last year, no doubt all those Thank you all once again
people who regularly pick litter
up during their walks around

Menith Wood WI

Menith Wood had some sad news to strengthen bones. In April
in March, one of the founder we had a ‘getting to know you’
members , Pauline Freeman, died. session, very illuminating, we
She was a familiar face around have some lovely talented women
Eardiston, Newnham Bridge amongst us.
and Menith Wood. A vivacious, The next meeting will be on May
friendly person, she will leave a 13th. at The Old Chapel, Menith
huge space. Wood at 19.30, this meeting is our
We have had two guest speakers - annual meeting and resolutions.
Louise Mawditt, in February, who
gave a talk on and demonstrated Deadlines:
rose pruning. Linda Renshaw
who came in March and talked For Temespan
to us about bone density, osteo- articles and ads
porosis, super foods that help is 6th of the month
combat this disorder and showed
us some simple Pilates exercises

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Teme Valley Wildlife

by Stephanie Mocroft

Worms! What are they for? When pits dug and 12,010 earthworms
were they in the news? Why counted. 77% of pits had at least
am I writing about them? Well, one worm and 58% had all three
back in February, just as I was types, but 21% of fields had no
helping with a local farmland bird surface worms and 16% fields had
survey, another farmland wildlife no deep-burrowing ones.
survey hit the news. My survey Why are worms important, and
involved a quiet stroll with a pair should we be concerned that
of binoculars and a pencil, but some fields didn’t have all three
the more energetic farmer-sur- types? Earthworms have long
veyors of earthworms found been known to be necessary to
themselves digging multiple pits maintain productive, humus-rich,
across arable fields, counting well-aerated soil. They were
shallow-burrowing, deep-bur- extensively studied by Charles
rowing and surface worms, and Darwin. He found them not
trying to gauge the health of their only to be vitally important,
soil. This year’s survey is under but sociable and intelligent as
way and the results of last year’s well! Their habit of burrowing
work were reported to the press. and drawing down leaves and
In spring 2018, 1318 hectares of other plant matter deep into the
fields, mainly wheat, and mainly ground, mixes the soil, improving
in East Anglia, had 1260 soil its structure, increases the avail-

55

Domestic
Cleaning
Service

Spring Clean
Builders Clean
Weekly or fortnightly
Telephone

Spit & Polish

tel. 01584 781719

Lynne Evans

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ability of nutrients and creates not to mention badgers, moles,
good drainage. Worms facilitate foxes and hedgehogs. Although
the decomposition of organic earthworms are hermaphrodite,
matter by other organisms too. they choose to mate with another
Fewer worms make for less fertile worm to fertilise their eggs. Each
soil, and fewer worm-eating partner then deposits its eggs
birds, such as song thrushes. The in the soil, inside a special egg
good news is that increased crop capsule.
rotations and organic matter Woken your interest? Then watch
applications are thought to have out for World Worm Week. It
the potential to reverse any happens in March, when earth-
decline. worms are at their most active.
Earthworms are found on every The next meeting of the Teme
continent except Antarctica. Valley Wildlife Group is on
Australia is home to an enormous Thursday May 9th 2019 when we
species an inch wide and 13 feet welcome back Jim Almond (also
long (and I thought they’d just known as The Shropshire Birder)
been invented for the horror whose talk is entitled “Nature
film Tremors!). Europe has 200 in Focus”. Do join us at 7:30pm
different species, Britain has 26. at Stoke Bliss and Kyre village
Darwin estimated that there are hall, WR15 8RR. It is just £2 on
53,000 earthworms per acre of the door and everybody is most
land and it has been calculated welcome.
that, every year, they shift 100 For up-to-date information on
tons of soil per hectare. what wildlife is being seen in the
The largest British earthworm, area, or to give us your sightings
reaching 14 inches in length, is or comments, visit our Facebook
called Lumbricus terrestris. It page. Our programme of events,
is probably easiest to observe bird survey and archive photo-
when it comes to the surface of graphs are available on our
your lawn at night. It feeds and website www.temevalleywildlife.
mates above ground, but always co.uk We normally holds meetings
has to keep a foothold in its on the second Thursday of the
burrow, in case it needs to beat month. All are welcome. Contact
a hasty retreat. It is much loved, us by telephone on 01584 881397
(as a snack!), by blackbirds, or by email at [email protected]

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58

PAINFUL FEET?

Call The Foot Nurse

• Routine Nail trimming
• InGrowing Toenails
• Hard Skin reduction
• Verrucae
• Diabetic Footcare
• Fungal Nails
• Corn Reduction
• Cracked Dry Heels
Contact: Anne Hull, BA(Hons), RN,

DipCFHP, MPSPract.
Anne is a registered nurse and foot health
practitioner.

E: [email protected]
W: www.foot-nurse.co.uk

Complete Footcare - Nurse your feet at home

Area covered: Tenbury Wells, Ludlow, Cleobury Mortimer, Bromyard, Leominster,
Far Forest and surrounding areas

Tel: 07929 115 084

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Carpet & Flooring megastore

Brintons
Brockway
Adam
Victoria
And many more..
CARPETS Karndean
FLOORING Ted Todd Hard wood
Wineo
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&

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Clubs and Societies
I: Information - T: Telephone - E: Email - W: Web

Abberley Angling Club Coarse the month at St Lawrence’s church,
fishing club with own pool in Abberley. Lindridge, 7.30-8.30pm, singing at
Seniors - I: Dave Yemm Parish communion on the first Sunday
T: 01299 896 737. of the month, plus other special
Juniors - I: Colin Bates services. We are a friendly group, no
T: 01905 798 225 prior experience is required, so if you
Clows Top Garden Club meet on the love singing why not come and join us?
4th Wednesday of each month at the I: Andrew Barker
Victory Hall, Clows Top. E: [email protected]
I: Marion Wilson T: 01299 270 475 Teme Valley Childrens Centre
E:clowstopdistrictgardeningclub@ run a number of relevant events for
hotmail.co.uk children and parents.
Eastham Garden Club this has T: 01905 622 354
been recently set up with occasional E: [email protected].
meetings at Eastham Village Hall uk
I: Diana Clarke, Secretary Teme Valley Geological Society meet
T: 01584 781 505 monthly at the
E: [email protected] Martley Memorial Hall
Lindridge Art Group Art for I: John Nicklin T:01886 888 318
everyone - meetings at Lindridge E: [email protected]
Parish Hall every Tuesday at 3.00pm. blog: www.geo-village.eu
We have an excellent tutor and your Teme Valley Historical Society meet
first lesson is free. monthly on the last Tuesday in the
E: [email protected] month at Abberley Village Hall I:Mike
Knighton Friends meet 3rd Harley T: 01584 881 194
Wednesday of each month in the Teme Valley Wildlife Group
afternoon for meals, garden visits, boat meet 2nd Thursday each month at
trips etc. I: Sheila Bragger Stoke Bliss and Kyre Village Hall
T: 01584 781 190 Stoke Bliss WR15 8RR
Menith Wood WI meet generally on I: C. Roseman T: 01584 881397
the first Monday in the month at the E: [email protected]
Old Chapel Hall T: 01584 881 102 W: www.temevalleywildlife.co.uk
Rock Bridge Club We meet every Tenbury Rambling Club
Sunday at Rock Village Hall at 7.00 I: Ian T: 01584 876 698.
pm. New members welcome whether Tenbury Town Band meet for
on own or with partner. The meetings rehearsals at Penlu Sports Club on
are very sociable and relaxed. We do Sundays (Apprentices 4 – 4:30 and full
not play Duplicate Bridge. band 4:30 – 7:00)
I: Luke Grant T: 07854 951 330 I: Mel Parker
St Lawrence’s Church Choir meet T: 01584 881 683.
for rehearsals the last Wednesday of W: www.tenburytownband.co.uk

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The Parish of Teme Valley North

Priest in Charge of the churches of Knighton, Lindridge, Pensax, Stockton,
Abberley, Great and Little Witley, Shrawley
Reverend Ted Whittaker

The Rectory, 1 Chiltern Close, Great Witley, Worcester. WR6 6HL
Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01299 890100 or 07791 484774

Reader 01584 781094 [email protected]

Marjorie Workman

Church Wardens Lindridge St Lawrence

Vickie Melling 01584 881086 [email protected]

Dianne Smith 01584 881893 [email protected]

Church Wardens

Knighton St Michael and All Angels Vacant

Pensax St James the Great Vacant

Stockton St Andrew Vacant

Church Contacts: Gill Morgan 01584 781412
Sandra Jabbett 01584 881 217
Knighton-on-Teme Jean Rudd 01299 832 513
Stockton-on-Teme
Pensax

PCC Details above [email protected] Chair
01584 881086 [email protected] Lay Chair
Revd Ted Whittaker 01584 881086 [email protected] Secretary
Vickie Melling 01584 881274 Treasurer
Chris Melling
Bill Andrews

Baptisms Weddings and Funerals

See page 27

Children's Worker

Elizabeth Whitehead 01584 781651 [email protected]

Stourport Deanery Church Officer
Ms Vikki Day 01905 621022 [email protected]
Mission Developer
Temespan 07917 783159 [email protected]
01584 881274 [email protected] Editor
Pete Thorp 01584 781230 [email protected] Advertising
Bill Andrewes 01584 881086 [email protected] Knighton Church
Jane Hogan 01584 881563 [email protected] Lindridge Church
Stockton Church
Vickie Melling
Sally Webb

Robin Dean 01886 853295 [email protected] Teme Valley Tote

Parish Website - www.temevalleynorthparish.co.uk Webmaster

Chris Melling 01584 881086 [email protected]

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Opening times: Edgar Estate

Monday-Friday: 8am Berrow Green Road

until 5pm Martley

Saturday: 8.30am WR6 6PQ
until 1pm Tel: 01886 888948

www.estatecountryfeeds.c

At our feed mill in Martley, we have a convenient country store
which stocks a full range of specialist feeds, supplements, and a
variety of parasite treatments for all animals including horses, dogs

and cats, as well as a large variety of farm animals.

We pride ourselves on our friendly yet professional reputation,
building strong relationships with our customers.

Our qualified staff are available to offer nutritional advice as well as
holding an SQP licence to sell animal health products.