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.

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."

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Work in The Glade

30th May 2013

WORK IN THE GLADE.

Trust members have been very busy digging out the pond and building another dam, as we have found that the previous dam was situated in the wrong place, causing the pond to silt up. The dam has now been rebuilt up stream so that the water falls over into the pond keeping it from silting up. 
 
It is now looking a lot better, although a lot more digging is needed to get it looking right. We are hoping that we will be getting it a little deeper to allow for some waterplants can be reestablished. We are hoping to get this area looking beautiful, so that The Ore Church Mice nursery school and hopefully other groups of children and families can come down and enjoy a picnic by the pond.

Vandalism in Speckled Wood

28th May 2013

VANDALISM IN SPECKLED WOOD

Sadly on the 28th May the bench was destroyed by vandals kicking the back out of it leaving it beyond repair. Also 3 trees were ring barked meaning that they will now die which is awful.

The Trust contacted The Hastings Observer about this and a photo shoot took place that afternoon in the hope that someone might know who is doing this.

Friends of Speckled Wood Management Trust wish to thank Reverend Lee Duckett, Ore Church Mice, and Jo's Childminding and other members of the community who come out on that wet and muddy afternoon to show their support.

During the photo shoot for Hastings Observer. One of the kind residents of Greville Rd came up to the group and said that he would attempt to try to mend the bench. The Trust gratefully accepted this kind offer.