FOREST FEVER

OVER 500 PEOPLE took part in the many and various events this summer and a good time was had by all. Thanks to all the Organisations and individuals who made it possible to run such a worthwhile fortnight this year and remember, book early next time, especially for the brickworks tours

THE NAME OF THE TRAIN

Fiona Chapman, Chairman of the Marston Vale Trust and Mel Banks, Commercial Manager Silverlink County, officially name the 'Community Forest'.

HAVE YOU TRAVELLED on the Marston Vale line recently? If not, why not? It has to be the most relaxed and friendly way to get from Bedford or Bletchley into the Marston Vale. There are stations through the heart of the Vale giving access to some lovely walks and particularly the Marston Vale Millennium Country Park. For your first expedition, hop off at Stewartby, walk to the Forest Centre and have a drink and a bite to eat, take in a walk in the Wetlands then stroll to Millbrook Station for your return trip. This is about 4 miles, plus 1 mile around the Wetlands. Its good for you and the environment, so why not give it a try? It's loads of fun to travel by train!

For timetable information contact Silverlink County on 08705 125240.

EDITOR'S COLUMN

Well the summer is over again and it's time to turn our minds to the winter months - tree planting, Halloween, and Christmas with Santa Claus, parties and presents. The Community Forest has something to offer for all of these - look out for details elsewhere in Commentree.

Some of you will have visited the sensory wildlife garden at the Forest Centre over the last year or so and watched it changing and slowly growing. We've finally decided that we should make it 'official' and we are really pleased to have HRH The Duke of Kent to open the garden. The ceremony will take place just before lunch - about 1pm - on Thursday 25 October. Do come along and see for yourself what a beautiful place the sensory garden has become.

Judith Feline

PUBLIC RIGHTS OF
WAY IN WILLINGTON

WE ARE CONCENTRATING rights of way in Willington this year and following a meeting with local people, improvement works have been identified. Kissing gates will be installed along the path between Balls Lane and the shops on the A603. A new bridleway bridge will be installed off Wood Lane. We hope to improve the path linking Cople from the A603 to Willington Parish Church and to clear and improve the path on the north side of the Ouse linking Willington to Renhold. The Definitive Map Team is investigating the creation of a public bridleway around the Grange Estate and finally, the bridleway from the Country Way via Dog Farm and on to Cople will have a new surfaced, safe crossing for the A603. The bridleway south to Cople has already been cleared to a 4 metre width.

Ian Foll

IMPROVED ACCESS TO
DOG FIELD, COPLE

ACCESS IMPROVEMENT WORKS have been completed at Dog Field with the laying of 500m of surfaced paths and a small area of car parking for disabled users. An old, steep sided pond has also been cleared to improve its wildlife value and safety.

The access work complements woodland and grassland creation work previously carried out by the Forest of Marston Vale, working with the community. Further tree planting will take place this winter as part of our National Tree Week programme (see elsewhere). Arts projects including Dog-shaped earth mounding which utilises the excavated soil from the path works, work with willows and the creation of benches are currently being organised to give the area more local distinctiveness.

Andrew Linguard

WE ARE TEN

IT'S OUR BIRTHDAY this year and to celebrate we invited some special guests to plant 10 oak trees in a ring in the Country Park. All of our 2000 Trees 2000 Bricks planters were invited to put their name forward and 10 lucky ones were chosen at random. The planting happened during Woodworks!

NO SOONER HAD the ink dried on the last Commentree, but we had my promised rarity, a 'Ring-Necked Duck' a species more at home in America. A pair of Garganey may have bred here for a second year.

The shallow muddy areas created for the reed beds have proven a magnet for passing waders, all summer. Flocks of Ruff, Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit as well as Knot, Little Stint, Green Sandpipers and a rare Wood Sandpiper have been seen.

Late August and we were graced with the presence of two Little Egrets who spent most of their two week stay in the wetlands catching small fish. These gorgeous, white herons were once hunted almost to extinction, but thanks to the efforts of the RSPB, they have fully recovered and now breed in England.

Recent strong northerly winds have blown coastal birds such as Little Gull, Sandwich Tern, Common Scoter and Kittiwake into the Park and a Manx Shearwater into Brogborough. Star of the show must be the osprey that gently drifted over the Park one bright sunny morning - FANTASTIC!

October, and soon to arrive will be those birds wishing to spend winter with us! Many ducks are already here; pipits, larks, finches and thrushes will arrive soon. Keep an eye out for the new feeding station near the Forest Centre; it should attract lots of birds.

So far an incredible 150 species have been recorded in the Park. Even on a quiet evening 40 to 50 species can be found. If you want to learn a little more about the birds in the Park, why not join us on one of our guided walks (Saturday 17 November 2001 and Saturday 26 January 2002).

Bob Hook (volunteer)

CHANGING LANDSCAPES: CHANGING LIVES,
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

THE PROJECT IS going very well. People's enthusiasm in coming forward to be interviewed will make the enterprise a success to be proud of.

We are looking for recollections of life in Marston Vale as far back as possible (1850 when the brick tax was abolished, is our start date!). By listening to the recollections of the oldest in our community, we can find out what life was like then.

Dave Parker from Cranfield recalls: "I can't remember my grandfather working in the brickyard but my father and his three brothers were all there. That was in the 1930's. His other two brothers were bricklayers and me father was the youngest one of the brothers and he was a labourer... He worked at Ridgmont when they were building the kiln. He was in the 'heavy' gang, digging it out and wheeling it out on top of the kiln for ballast in between the arches... They wasn't Hoffman kilns; .they used to have to light up every cycle, burning from one end to the other and then it was lit up again. Life was harsh then. They say it was the good old days but no, I don't think it ever was. People don't realise how lucky they are these days... there wasn't the work about... there was no such thing as unemployment (pay). In the thirties (father) told me that he used to go to Ridgmont and stand outside the gates and they used to pick so many men out each day.

"Some of them used to bike all the way from St. Neots and bring their own pick and shovel, the labourers... if they didn't get picked they had to walk back home. My dad used to walk to work from Cranfield to Ridgmont, cut across the fields through Holcot Wood. He used to set his snares on his way there and pick his rabbits on his way back. That was our dinners, 'cause me dad was a bit of an old poacher in his time. We used to have all sorts of rabbit, rabbit stew, baked rabbit, everything...".

If you are interested in being interviewed or in helping with the project as a volunteer touch-typist, please contact me at the centre.

Carmela Semeraro.
My direct line is 01234 762609

Email. carmela.semeraro@marstonvale.org

Thanks for the pictures
This edition of CommenTree is graced by some stunning photographs. Thanks to Barrie Mason and David Blundell for generously making their work available.