Category Archives: People

Colin’s Charity Walk – Donations Welcome!

Fund Raising, People

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Colin Gray (pictured above), Chairman of Fleet Pond Society, writes:

“To support Fleet Pond Society’s Clearwater Campaign towards the restoration of Fleet Pond, I aim to do a circular walk to as many wildlife important sites as possible within one day. The sites will include Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Local Nature Reserves, Sites of Importance for Conservation and Special Protection Areas (a map of the route is given below).

As 2013 is my 75th year I felt it was about time that I left my desktop for a while, stopped going on about Fleet Pond and went out in the open air to raise some money for my favourite nature reserve. The walk covers at least 21 miles including open country, footpaths, canal towpaths and minor roads.”

The walk is scheduled for Sunday 22 September 2013.

To donate, please go the Virgin Money Giving page here.

TripleSI Route 2013

The route map – 21 miles is a long way!

Further information on the walk can be found here.

Have You Seen The Creative Carvings?

Miscellaneous, People

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A Heron Eyeing Some Fish

David Pottinger writes:

If you came to the Wildlife Open Day at the Pond in May this year, you may have seen the wood carving talking place. The carvings are still there and being greatly appreciated!

They’re near the picnic area (see map of Fleet Pond on the About page above for details).

For example, a recent visitor to the Pond, Jean Belgrove, writes:

We have spent such a happy weekend exploring Fleet Pond with children.

Particularly, the wood carvings at the picnic area were fantastic fun.  We spent ages there enjoying and identifying the carvings and playing balancing games on the logs surrounding this area.

To have logs of different sizes on the ground for children to play balancing games and appropriately lengthened poles for them to make dens was a wonderful facility.

Many thanks to you all for a heavenly experience.

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A Handy Place To Sit And Listen To Some Wise Words

If you have some time and are looking for something different to do, why not pay a visit to the Pond and take a look at the carvings and seats?

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Can You Guess What This Is?

Photo credits: David Pottinger

The Pirates Of Fleet Pond

Fund Raising, People

Cathy Holden writes:

The sun shone and the crowds turned out along the Fleet Road to witness this year’s Carnival with the theme ‘Musicals’.

We took the theme ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ and tweaked it to ‘The Pirates of Fleet Pond’. Congratulations to Terry Austin and his crew for building the fabulous ‘Black Swan‘ which won Second Prize in the Motorised Float Section.  The attention to detail was fantastic and the meerkat crew enthralled the children along the route.

Carnival 2013 - Crew and the Black Swan

The Pirates of Fleet Pond with their galleon the Black Swan readying themselves to invade Fleet Carnival

Carnival 2013 - Meercats on deck

The meerkat crew on deck keeping watch

Carnival 2013 - Walking the plank

One scurvy knave doesn’t do his job and has to walk the plank…..

Carnival 2013 - Halt on Connaught Road

Carnival jam on Connaught Road

Carnival 2013 - Pirates on High Street

Pirates on Fleet High Street!

Photo credits: Cathy Holden and Louise Greenwood

Bugs, Boatmen And The Brownies

Education, People

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Pond dipping at the new platform

On an evening in early June, a group of 24 Brownies, together with their 3 Leaders, visited Fleet Pond to go bug hunting and pond dipping (see sample pictures above and below).

Vikki Oldham, a Leader with 6th Fleet Brownies, writes:

“As part of their Wildlife Explorer badge, on 5th June the girls from 6th Fleet Brownies headed down for a bit of fun at Fleet Pond. Thankfully we were blessed with a warm and sunny evening, perfect for a spot of bug hunting and pond dipping!

They were all eager to get going and soon set too, poking, prodding, lifting and dipping until their bug pots were full and their nets overflowing. They had a fantastic time and, I’m relieved to say, everyone caught something…even the Leaders! I know the saying goes that little boys love slugs and snails but I can certainly attest that our girls love them too! They also now love weevils, centipedes, water boatmen, worms and backswimmers!

The Brownies had a great time with Colin and Louise, who were fabulous and really got the girls interested in the creatures they were finding. They were proudly telling their parents what they’d caught as they headed for home. I’d never thought I’d hear a child so excited to find a maggot!”

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Investigating what’s there

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It looks like they’ve found something!

The new dipping platform was sponsored by Fleet Townswomen’s Guild, and built by volunteers from Fleet Pond Society. The platform was officially opened by ladies from the Guild at the recent Wildlife Open Day.

The platform is situated at the corner of the Pond in the vicinity of the Dimension Data building and Fleet Railway Station (see below).

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The new pond-dipping platform

Photo credits: David Pottinger

Fleet Pond Wildlife Open Day A Sunny Success

Conservation, Education, People
Dipping Platform Opening Ceremony
Dipping Platform Opening Ceremony

Cathy Holden writes:

The sun beamed down on the Fleet Pond Wildlife Open Day as families enjoyed the multitude of activities and walks on offer. These ranged from guided insect walks, to demonstrations of chainsaw artwork – with the chance to part-take of delicious refreshments provided by Odiham Scouts.

Fleet Pond Fish
Fleet Pond Fish

The new dipping platform, sponsored by the Fleet Townswomen’s Guild, and built by volunteers from the Fleet Pond Society was a roaring success.  The platform was officially opened by ladies from the Guild, and for the rest of the day there was a constant stream of adults and children dipping the provided nets into the waters of The Flash.

Dipping Platform in use
Dipping Platform in use

Congratulations to Fleet Pond Ranger, Louise Greenwood, and her colleagues at Hart Countryside Services for organising such a great day – including the weather!

Photo credits: Cathy Holden