Open Spaces

Reading Tresspass Chapter x The Open Spaces Society was founded in 1865, initially as the Commons Preservation Society. This was expanded to ‘the Commons, Open Spaces and Footpaths Preservation Society’ before the current shortened title was adopted in 1982.

Bat Bunker

Bat Bunker made by the great Goz. Modeled on the one at Holton Hall Park, it has 2 bat bricks attached to the ceiling of the bunker, and an area for water catchment to encourage bat food to enter, mosquitoes.

Seed and scarecrow

The elders started making them, and the children caught on - I had not thought that scarecrows were no longer part of a child's knowledge base. It helped with a bit of modeling - so I got to make one finally, out of flower pots. Phil made the first, the great Gertrude, scarily real. Yesterday…

Land, water and sowing seed

I could not have wished for a better spring to plant in. So unlike the last two springs, this April is full of traditional April showers. It has smoothed the harsh ruts of the last plough forrows, and given succor to the newly planted hedging. After the joining of the land to the wood with…

Crispin joining up wood and land

Crispin came ostensibly to dig some trial holes into the land to test for clay for potential ponds. It turned into so much more. First the surprise geology - the amount of chalk peppered throughout. Second the thin line between clay and sand, less than a meter between the two. Then the joy of kinda's…

Les to the wood

Tempted Les out on a warm spring day, after a long time of not seeing - months perhaps, I wondered if it was not since last year. Stopped wood work (clearing up after Paul’s work back in January, that far back). so much catching up. “I’ll not see that in my life time.” He said…

Bunker fire and restoration

The great observer, jo, called just as Christina and I about to eat. A fire in your bunker, he said, shall I call the fire brigade? I went immediately, but could see as he did it was not dangerous and I fact diminishing. He’d seen some lads near by looking mischievous, smelt smoke and investigated.…

April ground works and planting

The increasingly used entrance to Kinda (some days 10 facilitators cars parked per day!) was finally completed, with type 1 filling in the potholes that the taxi's delivering AP children used to complain about. About £6,000 in total, including material, machine hire and uncomfortably expensive labour, that needed to fit in when Kinda not on…

Hedge plant with Paul and Diana

Paul came to help hedge plant, with Diana on photographs. He came with an excellent ditching spade, which he dug with while I planted. So much more productive and enjoyable working together.

Kids plant hornbeam

A call from Mell - which ones shall we plant? Hornbeam was an easy call, to continue the hornbeam hedge to protect the community garden - still very unformed. Here they are. I love this image