All posts by David Pottinger

Volunteer Event This Sunday, 8 May

Conservation, Volunteering

There will be a volunteer event at Fleet Pond this coming Sunday and all are welcome to attend (see below for registering).

Colin Gray, Chairman of Fleet Pond Society, writes:

“The task for Sunday 8th May will be bank repairs along the Gelvert Stream. Some of you will need to wear wellies for this one, although bankside work will also be needed.

As usual please meet at the Countryside Workshop at 9.00 a.m. for a 9.15 a.m. start. If you come later, Guildford Road is probably your nearest access point. Straight ahead as you cross the bridge and turn left at the stream.”

For further information and booking for this event (which is essential as tools and resources have to be planned beforehand), please contact Hart Countryside Services:

Phone: 01252 623443
 Email: countryside@hart.gov.uk

The Sunday volunteer tasks are supervised by a Hart Countryside Ranger, Nick Macfarlane, together with members of Fleet Pond Society.

Bluebell Update

Conservation, Plants and Animals

2016-05-02_2

The bluebell patch at the pond, mentioned in a previous post, has now come out – not quite a ‘sea of blue’ but rather nice anyway! Instructions for finding the area (you will not see it on a standard walk around the Pond) are here.

2016-05-02_4

It’s also interesting to compare and contrast the two bluebell varieties, the native ones (as above) and the so-called Spanish bluebells which are the ones often planted in domestic gardens. See here for some tips.

2016-05-02_1

Building the Chestnut Grove Jetty: 40th Celebrations

Events, History, Volunteering

This year sees the celebration of the 40th birthday of Fleet Pond Society. As part of this we are are having an Exhibition in the Hart Shopping Centre as well as producing occasional articles that illustrate some of the major pieces of work carried out by the Society over this period. A previous article described the creation of the circular route round the pond (see here) and this one describes the building of the familiar and very popular Chestnut Grove jetty.

Cathy Holden writes:

“Along with the circular path, one of the first major tasks undertaken by the volunteers of the new society was the construction of a concrete jetty at Chestnut Grove.

Up to that point there had only been a small jetty created from railway sleepers.

B76 Chest Grove jetty 1

The jetty was constructed using pre-mixed concrete and on the first run 200 sacks were filled by hand from the pile dumped in the road by the mixer.

C77 chestnut 2

The sacks were then lowered into position in the freezing water by Bill Wain and Peter Martin, the only people who owned waders.

C77 chestnut 4

However, by the time the mixer came round with the second load a much more labour efficient system was in place. The sacks were filled with the cement as it came down the shute and the volunteers formed a production line to get them out to Bill and Peter.

C77 chestnut 7

Further concrete was poured into the middle and then levelled out.

C77 chestnut 5

This jetty has been altered over the years to include an extension out to the right. It is still a favourite spot for visitors to feed the swans and other water birds, or just to look out over the Pond.

Chestnut now

With thanks to Peter Martin for the use of his book ‘Fleet Pond Society 1976 – 2006’ for reference. This interesting book is still available from the Society.”

Photos courtesy of the FPS Archives.

FPS at the Hart Centre: 40th Celebration Exhibition

Events

Cathy Holden writes:

“Fleet Pond Society (FPS) is about to reach its 40th birthday. To celebrate, a display of the pictorial history of the Society will run in the Hart Shopping Centre over three days from Thursday 28 to Saturday 30 April. There will be photos and press cuttings from our very first year up to the current day.

Members will be on hand to answer questions about the Society and its history and, if you are suitably impressed, you will be able to sign up and join FPS in support of our continuing work.

Hart Countryside Service will be manning their own stand. They will have games for children to enjoy, such as colour your own bird glider or make your own butterfly.

We are grateful to the Centre management who have generously allowed the use of the vacant El Giardini area. Displays will be there for all three days during normal opening times of the Shopping Centre.

We look forward to chatting to you.”

An Emerging Sea of Blue

Plants and Animals, Walks

2016 Bluebells 3 s

David Pottinger writes:

Earlier in the week I decided to see how the bluebells were doing and to take a few ‘progress’ shots. They’re slowly coming out (above) and the general area is becoming a lush green (below). I’ve written about the volunteering that goes with the bluebells here, this article also explains the interesting differences between the native and Spanish varieties.

2016 Bluebells 2 s

If you take a standard walk around the pond you will not come across the bluebell patch. Instead keep a lookout for the large interesting tree in the picture below (in the region of the picnic area) and go up the incline. At the top you’ll soon come across a pleasing sea of blue!

2016 Bluebells 1 s