Temespan July/August 2022

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Teme Valley Wildlife Group

by Stephanie Mocroft

When writing about wildlife it in mere weeks and being able to
is easy to highlight well-loved travel for hundreds of miles on
animals and plants. Everyone thermal air-currents rising to six
likes owls, dormice and orchids, hundred miles above the ground.
but creatures considered to Not all greenfly are green, as
be pests are more difficult to anyone who has tried to grow
present in a flattering light. broad beans can attest. Brown
With that in mind I thought I and off-white are among the
would share some curious facts commoner colours. Other insects
about greenfly, otherwise known unloved by gardeners, such as
as aphids. Aphids have been whitefly, mealy bugs and scale
on earth for 300 million years insects are, perhaps unsurpris-
and have survived for so long ingly, close relatives. They all feed
because they are highly adaptable in the same way, by puncturing
creatures. 65,000 different aphid stems and leaves to suck up nutri-
species have spread out across ent-rich plant-sap. The plants
the globe with 1,700 having taken suffer stunted growth and become
up residence here in the United prone to infection. Aphids exude
Kingdom. Greenfly seem to part of the plant-sap as a sugary
specialise in big numbers, being secretion called honeydew. This
capable of breeding into billions may cause the growth of black

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mould on the plant’s leaves. them either by using physical force
Honeydew also attracts black ants or a method called companion
which have adapted to control planting. The former involves
and “farm” aphids in order to gain squashing the insects by hand
the honeydew for themselves. In or swooshing them away with
return they provide protection jets of water or weak solutions
against aphid predators. of washing-up liquid. Companion
It is widely known from school planting is designed to attract
biology lessons that aphid repro- hoverflies and ladybirds to eat
duction involves an unusual them up. Favourite plants to use
process called parthenogenesis for this are marigolds, tagetes
in which large colonies arise from and rudbeckias, but perhaps it’s
consecutive generations of unfer- better to just live with them and
tilised females. Young aphids can admire their achievements.
mature in as little as a week and it The next meeting of the Teme
has been calculated that if every Valley Wildlife Group will be at
aphid produced by a single female Stoke Bliss and Kyre village hall,
were to survive and reproduce for WR15 8RR, on Thursday July
up to 100 days then the ensuing 14th at 7:30pm. We welcome Terry
aphid mass would weigh in at Green of the British Hedgehog
10 million tons. Another large Preservation Society to talk
number. about their work. Everyone is
So what’s good about aphids? most welcome, it is just £2 on the
Well, it’s mainly that they provide door.
food for birds and other insects in For up-to-date information on
the great web of life. We’ve all seen what wildlife is being seen in the
blue tits hanging upside down to area, or to give us your sightings
get at greenfly but the larvae of or comments, visit our Facebook
ladybirds, lacewings and hover- page. Our programme of events,
flies hoover up a good quantity bird survey and archive photo-
too. Hoverflies may then be eaten graphs are available on our
by spiders which in turn may be website www.temevalleywildlife.
eaten by robins. This serves as co.uk We normally holds meetings
a good example of a biological on the second Thursday of the
food-chain. Aphids are preyed on month. All are welcome. Contact
by parasitic insects and fungi too. us by telephone on 01568 750413
Organic gardeners can control or by email at [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

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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.

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

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Pensax Parish Council
Clerk: Mark Kinross
[email protected]: 07398 586879

It was all change at this year’s and until the new year, these
Annual Meeting in Pensax with ideas will help the Parish Council
Alister Keron standing down as formulate a plan on how to make
chair and as councillor along with these funds work best for the
2 other long-standing councillors community, in the meantime, the
Heather Weston and Sharon funds will be invested to provide
Sanders. Incoming was co-opted the best return. Please do submit
Nancy Gould, joining Stu Meese your ideas.
as the new chair and existing The three BT Fibre Broadband
members Dave Abrahams projects were taken off the agenda
and George Rudd. Cllr. David having now reached a stage of
Chambers of Worcester County either completion or being ready
Council also joined the meeting. to be implemented. Thanks were
Alister wrapped up the year given to the residents who had
and reported that he had never coordinated and championed
missed a meeting in seven years these schemes and waded the
– quite an achievement. All those administrative mire to make
standing down were thanked for them happen.
their service. This leaves three Pensax council had previously
places for co-opted residents to bought a couple of dog/waste bins
join the council and help make for the Menith Wood Millennium
a difference to Pensax at an Green and arranged for Malvern
exciting time. Hills DC to collect – it seems they
The largest chunk of business had missed a couple of collections
to deal with was what to do making the bins overflow – a good
with the funds from the sale of sign they were being well used.
the village hall. The hall had MHDC are now on the case but
lasted over 100 years serving please report if they get over full
the local community and any again.
decisions should also reflect the It was also agreed to slim down
requirement to serve the whole the agenda, with each Cllr acting
community. An invitation for as a vice-chair should they be
ideas for a community project needed and the clerk has been
was drawn up and would be circu- given a new email and phone
lated to residents. At this stage, number.

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Rainbow to the Future
Flower Festival

Sue Thornley

After all challenges of the last 2 being our main sponsors.
years with Covid, St Laurence’s We hope that the Flower
flower team are well under way Festival will be well visited by
with their plans to celebrate locals and tourists and that it
all the amazingly good that brings a buzz to the town with
came to life in 2020 and 2021. some amazing floral displays,
This event will showcase how a community art exhibition
Ludlow and its surrounding and musical events every
areas rallied around to ensure lunchtime.
that the area took care of itself, We would be grateful to anyone
from the start of the pandemic who would like to take part in
to today. the festival, whether it is with
The flower team started the setting up of the display on
fundraising for the festival 6th to 8th July, or helping to
with Cake and Christmas keep all the displays watered
crafts at Ludlow’s Medieval while the event runs. If you’d
Bazaar, and are grateful to add like to get involved in any way,
sponsorship from Florabunda, please contact Sue Thornley
Twigs, Borage & Bloom and the 01584 872292.
Ludlow War Memorial Group The festival will be held at St
who are taking part in the Laurence’s from 9th to 15th
displays, as well as Churches in July 2022. Entry is free.
the Ludlow area. Our especial
thanks go to McConnels for

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Menith Wood WI

Our meeting on Monday 6th June Our next meeting is our garden
featured Sarah Hall speaking meeting to be held at the home
about Neal’s Yard Remedies and of Sharon and Tony Sanders,
all members were presented with Eardiston View, Menith Wood on
a box of samples to smell and Monday 4th July and for which
guess their fragrances and note we are hoping the sun will shine.
how they made us feel. This In August, on Monday 1st, we will
produced an interesting variety be back at Lindridge Parish Hall,
of responses as you can imagine!! 2.15pm for 2.30pm, when Liz Dove
Sarah then put us right, and will be speaking to us on “Picnics
gave further information on the made Simple”, and we are looking
origin of the ingredients and forward to sampling some of her
their benefit to our skin and suggestions in readiness for all
wellbeing. She explained how those planned picnics we have in
the company began and the ethics mind over the summer period!
of using natural ingredients from Visitors are always welcome, and
around the world, including the if you would like further infor-
UK, which then obviously helps mation about WI and our future
workers in other countries as well programme then please email
as caring for our environment. [email protected]

Knighton on Teme Parish Room
Grass Cutting

Many hands make light work so and vetches attracting insect life
help with cutting and clearing on sunny days. Please help keep
the grass from the verges at up the good work of the Parish
the Parish Room car park on Room’s conservation policy.
Saturday 16th July between 10am Either turn up or, if you want
and 12 pm would be very welcome. further guidance, ring Jonathan
The tidying of the vegetation Spilsbury 01585 781043 or Jane
at the Parish Room is left until Hogan 01584 781230. Your help
July to allow time for the wild will be much appreciated by the
flowers to seed. Many will have Parish Room Committee.
seen the abundance of primroses
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Teme Valley Robin Dean
Tote Teme Valley Tote Organiser

June’s prize draw of the Tote was Eastham (266)
decided when Rev’d Julia Curtis
rolled the dice on 2nd June to 3) £20 Sally Baker of Pensax
select the set of random numbers (343)
and the starting point. As a result, If you have any queries – please
the prize winners are as follows: contact Robin Dean on 01886
1) £50 Mr and Mrs Jason 853295 or by email (robin.c.dean@
Spencer of Pensax (344) gmail.com). If you still wish to
enter the new series, please
2) £30 Carole Gardener of contact Robin.

Stanford History Group

Simon Marriott

A warm welcome awaits you • The American Consti-
at the Stanford History Group tution
which meets on Monday evenings • Ukraine & Poland
for two hours in autumn at Sapey • Energy from Russia, and
Village Hall. WR6 6EU. We are a Nuclear Power
diverse group with an interest in Full details available on our web
understanding the past, to better site h t t p s : / / s t a n f o r d h i s t o -
appreciate today and how we got rygroup.com
here! Do come and join us – there’s
We have another interesting coffee, biscuits and discussion
program of 10 lectures, in five too! We start on Monday October
subject areas - you can come 3rd at 7.30pm, £60 the 10 lecture
for any one or all. This year course or £10 per lecture all
we have expert lecturers from payable at the door.
Birmingham and Worcester Simon Marriott s i m o n @
Universities. adamswoodfarm.co.uk
• What have the CIA been 01886 853412
up to since WW2
• Brazil 63

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Stanford History Group 2022 Program

This year’s theme – “Some history of key global areas”

Monday evenings at 7.30p.m. Upper Sapey Village Hall, Upper Sapey WR6 6EU

Date Subject Presenter
3th October
The Golden Age: CIA from Birth to the Golden Age to Dr. Steve Hewitt - Ass. Prof North
10th October Its Downfall in the 1960s and 1970s American History, Univ of Birmingham
17th October
24th October Resurrection: CIA from the War in Afghanistan to the Dr. Steve Hewitt - Ass. Prof North
31st October
7th November War on Terror and the Cyberwar against Iran American History, Univ of Birmingham
14th November
21th November Brazil, Inside Out: Colonial Foundations, Dr Courtney Campbell - Asst Prof in Latin
28th November Independence, and Empire (1500-1887) American History, Univ of Birmingham
5th December
12th December Brazil, Inside Out: Foreign Relations and Cultural Dr Courtney Campbell - Asst Prof in Latin
Identity in the Republic (1888-present) American History, Univ of Birmingham

The Essentials of American Republicanism and the Dr Wendy Toon - Senior Lecturer in
Creation of the United States of America American History, Univ of Worcester
Rights and The Rule of Nine
Dr Wendy Toon - Senior Lecturer in
Old Empires and Nationalism: The Making of Modern American History, Univ of Worcester
Poland and Ukraine (1795-1939)
Dr. Anca Mandru - Dept of History, Univ of
Birmingham

New Empires and Nationalism: Poland and Ukraine Dr. Anca Mandru - Dept of History, Univ of
from the Second World War to the present Birmingham

How Did Western Europe Come to Depend on Prof Frank Uekotter - History and Cultures,
Russian Gas? Univ of Birmingham

The Rise, Fall and Resilience of Nuclear Power Prof Frank Uekotter - History and Cultures,
Univ of Birmingham

End of Term Party: Discussion Evening

COSTS: The full course £60 or £10 for an individual lecture - payable on the door

CONTACTS: Simon Marriott 01886 853 412 [email protected]
Karon Jamous 01886 853 674 [email protected]
Rosemary Smart 01905 621 895 [email protected]
Robert Lane 07720 616 543 [email protected]
Alan Stuttard 01886 853 465 [email protected]
David Kirrage 07899 817490 [email protected]

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

Abberley Angling Club: Coarse group, no prior experience is required,
fishing club with own pool in Abberley. so if you love singing why not come
Seniors - I: Dave Yemm and join us?
T: 01299 896 737. I: Andrew Barker
Juniors - I: Colin Bates E: [email protected]
T: 01905 798 225 Teme Valley Childrens Centre: Run
Clows Top Garden Club: Meet on the a number of relevant events for
4th Wednesday of each month at the children and parents.
Victory Hall, Clows Top. T: 01905 622 354
I: Marion Wilson T: 01299 270 475 E: [email protected].
E:clowstopdistrictgardeningclub@ uk
hotmail.co.uk Teme Valley Geological Society:
Knighton Friends: Meet 3rd Meet monthly at the Martley Memo-
Wednesday of each month in the rial Hall
afternoon for meals, garden visits, I: John Nicklin T:01886 888 318
boat trips etc. E: [email protected]
I: Sheila Bragger Blog: www.geo-village.eu
T: 01584 781 190 Teme Valley Historical Society :
Lindridge Art Group: Meeting at Meet monthly on the last Tuesday in
Lindridge Parish Hall every Tuesday the month at Abberley Village Hall
at 3pm. I: Mike Harley T: 01584 881 194
I: Mike Harley T: 01584 881 194 Teme Valley Wildlife Group: Meet
E: [email protected] 2nd Thursday each month at Stoke
Menith Wood WI: Meet on the Bliss and Kyre Village Hall Stoke
afternoon of the first Monday in the Bliss WR15 8RR
month at the Lindridge Parish Hall I: A. Hardy T: 01568 750 413
E: [email protected] E: [email protected]
Rock Bridge Club We meet every W: www.temevalleywildlife.co.uk
Sunday at Rock Village Hall at 7.00 Tenbury Rambling Club
pm. New members welcome whether I: Ian T: 01584 876 698.
on own or with partner. The meetings Tenbury Town Band meet for
are very sociable and relaxed. We do rehearsals at Penlu Sports Club on
not play Duplicate Bridge. Sundays (Apprentices 4 – 4:30 and full
I: Luke Grant T: 07854 951 330 band 4:30 – 7:00)
St Lawrence’s Church Choir meet I: Mel Parker T: 01584 881 683.
for rehearsals the last Monday of W: www.tenburytownband.co.uk
the month at St Lawrence’s church, Wyre Forest Lacemakers
Lindridge, 7.30-8.30pm, singing Meeting from 11am-3pm on 3rd
at Parish communion on the first Saturday each month at St Michaels
Sunday of the month, plus other and All Angels Church in Stourport.
special services. We are a friendly E: [email protected]

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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

Reader [email protected]
[email protected]
Christine Clarke
Mark Wild

Church Warden: Lindridge St Lawrence

Vickie Melling 01584 881086 [email protected]

Church Wardens

Knighton St Michael and All Angels Vacant

Pensax St James the Great Vacant

Stockton St Andrew Vacant

Church Contacts: Vickie Melling 01584 881086
Vickie Melling 01584 881086
Knighton-on-Teme Vickie Melling 01584 881086
Stockton-on-Teme
Pensax

PCC Details above [email protected] Chair
[email protected] Lay Chair
Revd Ted Whittaker 01584 881086 [email protected] Secretary
Meryl Roberts 01584 881086 Treasurer
Chris Melling
Vickie Melling

Children's Worker

Elizabeth Whitehead 01584 781651 [email protected]

Temespan 07917 783159 [email protected] Editor
01584 881274 [email protected] Advertising
Pete Thorp 01584 781230 [email protected] Knighton Church
Bill Andrewes 01584 881086 [email protected] Lindridge Church
Jane Hogan 01584 881563 [email protected] Stockton Church
Vickie Melling
Sally Webb 01886 853295 [email protected] Teme Valley Tote

Robin Dean

Parish Website - www.temevalleynorthparish.co.uk Webmaster

Chris Melling 01584 881086 [email protected]

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Call to book on 01299 896677