Brue Valley Rotary hosted another Coffee Morning in the Market House in Castle Cary. The town was quiet so we were not as busy as we hoped. However we made a credible £146.65 – refreshments £66.55 / raffle £51 / books and bric a brac £29.10.
18 Rotarians and families spent a couple of hours ‘de-tubing’ in Haddon Wood Alhampton. ‘De-tubing’ consisted of removing the plastic tubes around the young trees as well as the staks supporting them. The tubes and stakes were then neatly stacked into piles ready to be recycled. After ‘de-tubing’ a significant area of Haddon wood the valiant group retired to the Alhampton Inn for some delicious nibbles and bread followed by a lovely meal. A great time seem to have been had by all and a majority said that they would like to do it again. I was amazed by the number of trees that we managed to ‘de-tube’ in the time we had.
‘De-Tubing’ in Action
Separating and stacking the Tubes, Stakes and saving the Cable Ties
All trees in sight ‘De-Tubed’!!
The ‘De-tubers’
The rewards – Part 1
The Rewards – Part 2
And a thank you from the Chair of the Friends of Haddon Wood
My apologies for not writing sooner as I wanted to say what a remarkable amount of work your team managed to do last Thursday, and how very much we appreciate it. It’s important to us as we’re doing our best to minimise waste and recycle where we can, which the Woodland Trust isn’t always able to do if the removal of tree guards is carried out by their contractors. We take our tree guards to Evercreech Junction from where they’re sent on to Bristol and burned to create Energy from Waste. The stakes, entire opaque guards and cable ties we sell on as and when we can, and use the proceeds to benefit Haddon Wood.
As you know, we run public events to remove guards on the third Saturday of each month and any of your people are more than welcome to join us on those; we start at 9, work till 11, and people can join in for as much or little time as they like.
Once again, many thanks for the major contribution you’ve all made to us completing what is a major task for us. If any of your members is interested in joining the Friends of Haddon Wood, do please ask them to contact me.
Best wishes
Hilary
Hilary Harrison
Chair, Friends of Haddon Wood
The Bath and West Show has started. Sally, Chris and 3 Rotarians from Glastonbury and Street Rotary Club manned the Yellow gate on the first day. It was very busy but manageable. However it was very cold and the wind was a challenge as it tried to blow all of our wrist bands and brochures all over the place.
Members of Brue Valley Rotary, assisted by Rotarians from Frome Selwood club, manned the car park at King’s Bruton and were very busy all day ! The parking was at full capacity for most of the day until about 4.00pm with a ‘one out – one in’ system in operation. Drivers were extremely surprised, and pleased, that there was no charge for parking.
It was a very warm afternoon and some refreshment would have been very welcome, but in true Rotary fashion we did manage to find an outside water tap with which to replenish our water bottles …………………
In accordance with instructions received from our Commander in Chief, Colin J, the outpost team of Roger L and Andrew M reported for duty punctually at 9.30am in a remote field somewhere outside Bruton.
Unfortunately, no one had told the farmer we were coming on duty at 9.30am nor had any signs been erected signposting the park and ride facility.
On arrival of the farmer Steve with his tractor and trailer combo, we ascertained the “ride” part of our Park and Ride facility would stop running at 12 noon and not recommence until 3pm. This “downtime” curiously coinciding with what we had also been told would be our busiest time.
We dutifully informed our (few)customers of their “ride” options to find the majority did an about turn and headed straight to Bruton to add to the gridlock in the town.
Ever resourceful, your Rotarian colleagues set about persuading our customers of the virtues of walking on the riverside path into the town. Whilst initially proving popular, the arrival of a herd of cows oddly put many off!
The picture shows the product of the first hour and half of our labours – and you might recognise two of the cars!
Service above Self.
And later on in Bruton – The Kings Team
Supported by Brue Valley Rotary Club Bruton’s Militia confronted the Batcombites in 1640 in a re-enactment in Bruton by the English Civil War Society.
The Militia was led by the redoubtable Sir Charles Berkeley, an active Royalist, who lived in the Abbey House at the time. The Bruton Register records:
“All praise and thanks to God still give
For our deliverance Mathias Eve
By his great power we put to flight
Our raging foes the Batcombites
Who came to harry, burn and slay
And quite destroy our town this day.”
The English Civil War Society asked if we did not mind displaying the following on our blog.
RotaryMB_CMYK-C.eps
