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Sunday 30 June 2013

Rebuild of Trustees small tractor

30 June 2013
REBUILD OF TRUSTEES TRACTOR.
The rebuild of the tractor that two members of the trust bought is going well. The front grill has been repaired and the bracket painted. A new sealed beam is on order and the front is looking good.

The serial num,bers have all been found for the DVLA documentation but no V55/5 document has been received in the post from DVLA or the online ordering service.
The two members have spent the time whilst the documents arrive by cleaning up the machine. The seat has been removed and an outer cover is going to be made as the replacement seat is ridiculously expensive. The carburetor has been stripped cleaned and checked to ensure that it will run efficiently without leaks.

The two members are considering purchasing a new exhaust to keep the noise levels down whilst using the machine in the woodland . The old unit being very old and not efficient. The brake pads still need to be found and ordered and the bonnet cleaned up and repainted.

Baby Squirrels growing up in Speckled Wood

30th June 2013
BABY SQUIRRELS GROWING UP IN SPECKLED WOOD
The baby squirrels are now running around in Speckled Wood . They are learning fast to duck out of the way and are not at all like the ones in the Park which are semi tame.  The squirrels in Speckled Wood are of the species Sciurus carolinensis . They can often be seen darting above our heads as you walk through the woodland.

Saturday 29 June 2013

A lucky find in the Salvation Army in Ore

29th June 2013
A LUCKY FIND IN THE SALVATION ARMY
Today Kelly the secretary of the Trust found a brand new bird nesting box in the Salvation Army in Ore. The Trust has already erected two nesting boxes in Speckled Wood already which were put in time for the nesting season this year, this will make a welcome third. One of the Trust members has also offered to make an Owl Nesting box and these will all be erected in the woodland over the next few months so that next year they will have naturalized and we may get nesting birds in the.

The Trust is of to the Broomgrove adventure park this afternoon to meet the BIGLOCAL team.

Friday 28 June 2013

Exciting Meeting with Mallydams

28th June 2013
EXCITING MEETING WITH MALLYDAMS
Today the Trust met with Mrs Anna Herriven at Mallydams. The trust members had a very good first meeting and was in awe of how the centre now looks, saying that if we could have a classroom at the church street village green on the self build land The Speckled Wood site could become  hugely valuable to the schools in the area.

The chairman of the Trust said that it was their hope one day was that an outside centre could be built alongside Church Street to offer these facilities.

The Trust members also spoke to Mallydams about using Speckled Wood as a release site for the R.S.P.C.A. A further meeting has been scheduled.

Visit with a well known author

28th June 2013
VISIT WITH A WELL KNOW AUTHOR
Today members of the Trust met for the second time with leading historic writer Mrs Victoria Seymour. Victoria has been writing books about the History of Hastings for several years and has become an authority. She has several books published including Letters from Lavender cottage as well as several others on historic subjects.

You can view her catalogue here:

http://www.victoriaseymour.com/letters_from_lavender_cottage.html

Friends of Speckled Wood were happy to hear that Victoria has agreed to help Friends of Speckled Wood with their publicity giving her name and weight to help our cause.  The Trust welcome Victoria on board.

Victoria also said she would happy to nominate Friends of Speckled Wood Management Trust for the Hastings Observer Achievers award.

Thursday 27 June 2013

Campaign to reduce the speed limit in Frederick Rd

27th June 2012
CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE THE SPEED LIMIT IN FREDERICK RD.

Today a campaign was started by the Tressel Ward Councillors to reduce the speed limit in Frederick Road which is on one of the entrances to Speckled Wood. The matter had been brought to the attention of the Councillors by the Trust members who had witnessed dangerous driving in the cut through. The Campaign is being run on the Change.org website You can sign the petition here:

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/east-sussex-county-council-introduce-a-20-mph-speed-limit-and-lorry-ban-in-frederick-road-hastings-2

Please sign the petition and help.

Wednesday 26 June 2013

First Flyers created for the Big Local paperwork

26th June 2013
FIRST FLYERS CREATED FOR THE BIG LOCAL PAPERWORK.

The Trust created flyers for its notice boards today to advise the public how to fill the Big Local forms in as they do not ask you specifically what you want the money spent on.

The Trust has developed the Posters to show how to fill this in. Please send them back once you have done this.

This is the first stages in a consultation with the public and we all know how long they can take. please do not get complacent with this as it could give us a real chance to buy the woodland and take the developers out of the equation.

Tuesday 25 June 2013

The Trust have been busy working in the wood and attending meetings

25 June 2013
ATTENDING MEETINGS
The Trust members have been busy this morning with a meeting with the South East Area Rep for the BIG Local . The meeting was arranged to try to get a working conversation going with some leading people in the area with specialist skills to talk about a neighborhood plan and how to get one for ORE. Mr Jim Boot came along and gave some good advice after the Trust members had met
him at the BIG Local event a few weeks ago.  The meeting was not as successful as the Trust members had hoped as the feed back from the invited members was not what the Trust had hoped for. The Trust will try again after the latest press release they have been working on.

THE TRUST BUSY WORKING IN THE WOOD 
 This afternoon the Trust moved eight tipped water tanks from different places on the site to one location. They will be using this location as a photo location on Thursday and hope that the hard workers who have worked hard in the woodland will attend as their work in the woodland is very much appreciated. A special thanks to those members that moved the tanks a s a lot was filled with concrete .

The Tractor the two members of the Trust is now back in Ore. Work has also been going on to make the tractor road worthy.  This has included fixing the Gear leaver and repairing the battery box . These have both now been fitted and the is a small list of things to resolve before the tractor is road worthy. The Trust members are also still awaiting the registration information from DVLA.

Thursday 20 June 2013

Woodland Clearance becomes a possibility.

20th June 2013
WOODLAND CLEARANCE BECOMES A POSSIBILITY.
A small Tractor has been bought and secured by two of the Trust members as the Trust is heading for charity status very soon when the paperwork hopefully next week is completed this means we cannot sell items belonging to the trust and earn income from them. The Two Trust members are really pleased with the purchase and hope to have paperwork number plates and insurance sorted soon. The cutting deck has been removed for use in the woodland and we are hoping to borrow a small trailer to tow behind it. This will make clearing the woodland potentially more feasible.
The unit is a mere 1m x 1.6m x 1m so has a very small footprint and a powerful 11hp motor it should easily be able to navigate the paths.
The Trust is very excited about the outcome of this and want to thank the members who were involved with this and managed to pull it off despite all of the odds against it.
The Trust have seriously been let down last minute We need to move something from one side of Hastings to Ore tonight. We need the use of a transit or trailer and a tow for it . 

We are trying to move some machinery for work on speckled wood which is 1m x 1.6m x 1m without this we will not be able to do much more to save it as our plans relied on the woodland being clear and a woodland again. If you can help please get in touch ?

Wednesday 19 June 2013

More metal removed today

19th June 2013
MORE METAL REMOVED TODAY
The Trust members removed another barrow load of metal from the woodland this afternoon. putting more material into the skip .
A spokesperson said that we are now getting their on the bottom section. We have also been trying to purchase a mini tractor to use in the top and middle sections that will enable us to move more material more safely to a main collection point where it can then be decided what is to be done with it. We hope to give you news of this when we manage to obtain this equipment.
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Incite on vandalism?

19 June 2013
INCITE ON VANDALISM?
Today Trust volunteers had to remove more tipped rubbish that was thrown in to the pond in Speckled Wood. This is very sad news. The act is thought to have come from the statement by an adult to two children telling them they can do anything what they want to in the wood at the weekend.

Monday 17 June 2013

Work continues more dangerous sharp metal removed from the stream.

17th June 2013
WORK CONTINUES MORE DANGEROUS METAL REMOVED FROM THE STREAM.

The Trusts work continued today as a rusty sharp piece of metal had appeared out of the bank from the heavy rainfall that we had had .  The metal had thought to have been a bath or bell but was disintegrated with the power of the water  coming through the stream.

The Trust members spent over an hour freeing it up from the river bank  before planting the area with some plant species found in the area.

The Trust was very happy they had managed to get it out and a spokesperson for the Trust said that we will always try our best to make things like this safe as soon as we are notified. The Trust hop the area is much safer .

Sunday 16 June 2013

Work Continues clearing metal from lower area of Speckled Wood

16 June 2013

WORK CONTINUES CLEARING LOWER AREA OF SPECKLED WOOD
Today volunteers of the Trust were busy again clearing tipped metal and rubbish from the lower stream area of Speckled Wood. This was lovely in the sunshine and four barrows full of rubbish was moved. The skip was looking fuller today and several large pieces were removed. The Trust hope to move back to the top area full time next week. We are also considering purchasing a small Westfield Tractor unit to help move the large quantity of tipped material to one site. If you can help with this please let us know.

Saturday 15 June 2013

Our benches final resting place as Vandalism rises its disgraceful head again

15 June 2013
OUR BENCHES FINAL RESTING PLACE
MINDLESS vandalism strikes again in the beautiful idyllic woodland Speckled Wood today. Members of the Trust were at a loss today to find the remnants of the bench that sat in the woodland for over a month tossed into the stream in a monstrous disregard.animal life.

The Trust decided to leave the Bench in the woodland so that the local residents could see the damage that had been done.  This now has come to a climax again as large rocks have been overturned on to the path and red spray paint daubed onto the trees all along with parts of the bench being thrown in to the stream.

A Trust member said he had to wonder how any land owner would realistically have any chance to develop the site considering this much destruction was brought on something useful. It is not surprising Ruddy Developments went bankrupt when doing the ground work for the lower valley..

The Trust is reviewing the situation with the bench and is undecided whether to replace it! As a replacement will cost between £300.00 - £800.00 pound and has no guarantee it will stay there.

Molluscs found in pond in Speckled Wood

15 June 2012
MOLLUSCS FOUND IN POND IN SPECKLED WOOD

Two different types of molluscs have been found in the Speckled Wood pond.

One of the species has still not been identified and we are hoping someone can identify the molluscs (left) on the Speckled Wood Facebook site.

The Second  mollusc is a species of the Limnaea (Great Pond Snail) which is another good indication of the fresh water in the stream.
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Thursday 13 June 2013

The Trust Meet the Big Local

13 June 2013
THE TRUST MEET THE BIG LOCAL
Members from the Trust went to the North East Hastings Big Lottery Gateway Event this evening. This was well attended with at least 40 or more people. We had a presentation of the Big Lottery Overview and how it will work in practice in our area.  Our Chairman stood up and gave the presentation for his group during the group activities and  the feedback was very good and well thought out. This is the first of the preliminary meetings with the Steering Group for the committee that has been put in place to engage with the community. 

Wednesday 12 June 2013

More tipped rubbish is put in a heap.

12th June 2013
MORE TIPPED RUBBISH IS PUT IN A HEAP.

The Trust have been putting more metal and rubbish that they have picked up in the woodland today . the heap is starting to grow in side as material has been picked up and left at this point.

The Trust have ordered a brush cutter that will arrive in July allowing them to make a route for the skip lorry in to the woodland so that this material can be took away. Another site in the middle of the woodland is also being used to collect this material . If you walk through the woodland regularly please pick something up and take it to one of these piles.

Thank you everyone who has helped already.

Tuesday 11 June 2013

Yobs flatten memorial bench for the second time on consequcutive Mondays

11 June 2013.
YOBS FLATTEN MEMORIAL BENCH FOR THE SECOND TIME ON CONSECUTIVE MONDAYS.

MINDLESS Yobs  which are UNCONTROLLED BY THEIR PARENTS flatten bench in beauty spot Speckled Wood  for the second time on consecutive days. The first vandalism last Monday was covered by the Hastings Observer Newspaper , The Chairman of the Trust offered a reward but only the names Jessie, Tom, Joe, Arron Luke and Ashley where given forward as the vandals names all believed to be 15-16 years old , but no other information was offered to either the Trust or the Police.  The Chairman of the Trust was visibly shocked to see this MINDLESSNESS That fly's in the face of public opinion to protect the woodland . The trust is attempting to obtain a further bench but timescales for this could put this past the end of this summer. The matter has again been reported to the Police.

Thank you Letter taken to The community shop

11th June 2013
THANK YOU LETTER TAKEN TO THE COMMUNITY SHOP
Friends secretary took a thank you letter to the community shop thanking for their collection and telling them what the total was which  they had collected.

The donations given totaled £57.26.

The Trust wish to thank the Community shop and its volunteers and the community for its kindness.

Sunday 9 June 2013

Mallydams Contact the Trust regarding bats

9th June 2013
MALLYDAMS CONTACT THE TRUST REGARDING BATS
Today the trust contacted Anna at Mallydams  Wood - Wildlife centres in response to a welcomed answering message . Anna has offered the Trust use of their detectors and help to locate the bat roosts in the woodland. The Trust is very pleased to have this help and look forward to working with Mallydams. the Trust has also been in contact with The Bat Conservation trust in East Sussex. The Eptesicus serotonis has already been heard in Speckled Wood.



Friday 7 June 2013

Collection bucket recieved from The Community Shop

07 June 2013
COLLECTION BUCKET  RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY SHOP.
Today a collection bucket was kindly received from the Ore Community Shop who had been collecting donations for the Friends of Speckled Wood Management Trust . Every pound of this money given goes to providing resources to keep Speckled Wood open to the public.

Friends of Speckled Wood Management Trust want to thank the public in Ore and surrounding areas who gave and will continue to give their kind donations enabling the Trust to continue the fight. The Trust also wishes to thank Karen and her team at the Community shop for their kindness in providing a location for this collection in their shop.

Thursday 6 June 2013

Over zealous Council department de-mark land

6th June 2013
OVER ZEALOUS COUNCIL DEPARTMENT DE_MARK LAND
Today The Trust was informed that the concrete spurs which were put in yesterday on the village green where put in by the Estates Department of the Council.

A Council Spokes person said:"Unfortunately, estates seem to have been rather over-zealous with their use of concrete posts!  We do ideally need permanent markers it seems, so if it comes to any disputes with adjoining landowners, it’s clear that we’ve marked out the land we own without actually fencing it.  So what they’re going to do is cut off the posts at ground level, and paint the tops white, so they’re still easily found as boundary markers, but not so obtrusive."

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Letters from a Mr Cooks solicitor in Hastings sent out

5th June 2013   
LETTERS FROM A MR L COOKS SOLICITOR IN HASTINGS SENT OUT
According to Trevor a resident of Ore and another resident Chris and Wendy : Residents in Ore may have received a letter from this gentleman in reference to purchasing their house and this individual or solicitor from Hastings purchasing it. The letter also mentions this gentleman daughter lives in Frederick Rd with her two children.

Some of the residents have also had a bald well built male on their door talking about the possibility of selling their house and if they do not it could be compulsory purchased. We believe this is a scam to buy an entrance into Speckled Wood for development. Please do not sell using this method it is not safe . If you want to sell your house use the normal estate agent channels.

If you are at all concerned please report this to the police contact.centre@sussex.pnn.police.uk

Posts arrive on Village Green

5th June 2013.
POSTS ARRIVE ON GREEN
Today the trust found strange stakes more than twelve driven into the Ore village Green and concreted in. These were all on HBC land  We have asked our local Councillor
to comment as there is no information to be found anywhere in relation to these being put in and who by.

We will attempt to find out what these are being put in for and by who.
The posts are small around 350mm high and have two holes through them. They are not level with each other and do not sit with level tops .

The Trust make further improvements to the pond


5th June 2013
THE TRUST MAKE FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO THE POND.
Friends of Speckled wood Volunteers were busy in the Wood today Removing two very large and extremely heavy stones from the stream and using them to re-enforce the dam in the pond.  Two stones where selected from an area which was blocking the stream.

This went very well as the heavy stones were lifted from the stream and the put on a wheel barrow to move them onto their new location. The stones raised the water height falling by 8cm . The Trust hope this will help the fall of the water to allow the stream to excavate the pond as it used too before it got silted up. Several pieces of metal where pulled out from the pond floor and taken to the skip. Whilst we was working we was lucky to see damsel flies buzzing around the pond.


The Trust still needs more volunteers to help with the clearance. If you would like to help please contact us and we will arrange for a brief discussion to explain working arrangements.

If you would like to see more pictures and information about what we did this Wednesday . Please Join  Our Trust.

Tuesday 4 June 2013

Trust repairs dry hedging

4th June 2013
TRUST REPAIRS DRY HEDGING.
The lower valley dry hedging was removed from the side of the pathway in the entrance to Frederick Rd and thrown across the stream today.

 It is thought that children have been doing this . The Trusts ask them to please leave this alone as it is not only them that use the wood and the animals use the dry hedging to hide in amongst. Please remember this if you are attempting to move wood. The trust is trying to keep the lower area clean and has to bring a skip back in to clear more tipped material which has appeared.

Trust Repair Kissing Gate

4th June 2013 
TRUST REPAIR KISSING GATE
Martin from the Trust and Chris worked hard this afternoon to put the kissing Gate back in position after youths had used it as a swing and pulled it down . So that people on the pathway could no longer easily get under it. The Trust want to thank Chris for his help.

The Trust have a new skip delivered

4th June 2013
THE TRUST HAVE NEW SKIP DELIVERED


A skip was delivered to the Frederick entrance of Speckled today, after the last one had to be removed before we had chance to complete the clear up it Speckled Wood.

Please do not make complaints to French's Skip Hire about this, as it was kindly donated to us so that we can make the woodland a more beautiful and safer place for the community to enjoy. We hope if your available that you will come along and help at any one of our volunteer sessions 2:00pm on Wednesday every week.

.If you would like a Skip, French's Skip & Grab Hire are the way to go and can be contacted on 01424461660

Monday 3 June 2013

Nesting Time

3rd Jun 2013
NESTING TIME.
many of the birds in Speckled Wood have started nesting. Last month The Trust put up some donated bird boxed in the woodland in an attempt to help the birds find somewhere  to nest. We are hopping that  these will be used .

The Trust publish thier June Newsletter

3rd June 2013
THE  TRUST PUBLISH THEIR JUNE NEWS LETTER.

Kindly our secretary Mrs Kelly Pelaou agreed to write up the June News Letter for the Trust this is the first Newsletter that we have had written and we hope this will be appearing each month. The first edition is available in the Ore Library.

The Newsletter is also available online: http://www.friendsofspeckledwood.org.uk/gb/news/2013-06-03%20-%20FOSWMT%20newsletter.pdf

Sunday 2 June 2013

Fox Cubs

2nd June 2013 
FOX CUBS
Fox cubs where again spotted in the Woodland. This was lovely to see as they were in the middle area playing hide and seek. They spotted one of our trust members who managed luckily to get a shot of these beautiful creatures. We are very lucky to have them share the habitat in Speckled Wood. Please be careful if you see them in the woodland as they are wild animals.

Saturday 1 June 2013

Litter



1st June 2013
LITTER
The Trust seem to spend much of their time litter picking in the wood, which is taking up time that could be used doing more constructive things, so we ask you please to take your rubbish out with you and place it in the litter bin. There are bins at every entrance of the woodland. Another big problem is dog fouling in the woodland. Please clear up after your dog and take it out to the bin when you leave. This will be very much appreciated Thank you.