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Pang valley Flood Forum covers 10 West Berks Parishes: West and East Ilsley, Compton, Hampstead Norreys, Frilsham, Bucklebury, Stanford Dingley, Bradfield, Tidmarsh and Pangbourne.
The Pang Valley Flood Protection Exhibition, which was due to be held on Saturday 4 November, has now been postponed.
The exhibition will be rescheduled and further details will be posted once the new date has been confirmed.
The Flood Exhibition will be an opportunity to learn more about flooding and what can be done to reduce the risks. There will be stands with flood protection devices and an opportunity to see these in situ in a purpose built mobile demonstration vehicle known as the Floodmobile.
Further information on the rescheduled date when it is released will be announced here and on our social media channels. Please do follow us if you haven't already!
Since 1 January to 31 October 2023, bus passengers have been able to get on the bus for £2 (£4 return) due to the Government Single Fare Cap Scheme.
Now there is even more good news as the Government has announced that this scheme has now been extended to 31 December 2024. Its intention is to provide affordable bus travel for everyone across England and you can travel any time of day.
Even more incentive to use the bus to get to work, go shopping, attend an appointment, go for a bite to eat in the local eateries, take in some of the outstanding scenery, or meet friends and family. The list of participating operators can be found here.
The following services enhancements have been introduced:
- A new late evening service, operated by Newbury & District, between Newbury and Thatcham on Fridays and Saturdays called the 1e.
- Reading Buses Lime 2a has been extended to serve Mortimer every 2 hours on Sundays.
- Thames Travel’s X34 service now operates between Newbury and Harwell Campus/Didcot providing a link to employment and retail opportunities.
- These service enhancements have been made possible by funding from HM Government, given to West Berkshire Council after submission of a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) in October 2021.
The following tickets have been introduced:
- An early bird concessionary fare ticket has been introduced, allowing those with a valid concessionary bus pass to travel for discounted rates before 0930am Monday to Friday.
- A Connect Group Day ticket is available allowing unlimited use for up to 4 people on valid routes.
More information can be found on our dedicated local transport options page.
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Did you know:
- Pumpkins and squash are technically fruits, rather than vegetables.
- Beta-carotene, which gives pumpkins their orange colour, is an antioxidant. Our bodies convert ingested beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is essential for healthy skin and eyes, while also strengthening the immune system.
- Who would have thought that something so nutritional is 80 – 90 % water!
- The World Record Pumpkin (so far) was from Hampshire at 2,269lbs.
- Did you know a terrifying 14 million pumpkins are expected to be left uneaten this Halloween? Pumpkins aren’t just for carving, the flesh can be used in many recipes!
- Please don't dump your pumpkin outside in nature, as they can be harmful to hedgehogs!
Each year millions of pumpkins will go to waste.
Carve it, cook it and then recycle what's left.
If you’ve eaten too much pumpkin and don’t want to compost it at home, please place pumpkins inside your food waste caddy for collection. Food waste caddies are collected every week on your normal collection day. If you have lots of pumpkins to recycle, they can be taken to one of our household waste recycling centres (Newtown Road, Newbury or Padworth Lane, Padworth). Don't forget to book an appointment before visiting.
Don't let your pumpkin go to waste this Halloween!
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Noticing a chill in the air? Visit the Living Rainforest this October half term to warm up and explore and learn about the ‘Creepy Crawly Rainforest‘ with a daily program (10am – 3pm) of animal feeds, plant and animal walk and talks, quizzes, crafts including Halloween mask and decoration making, bug tasting and a children’s pumpkin trail around the rainforest. |
Are you ready to dive into the exciting world of climate action and energy savings? Ever wondered what's buzzing in your local area or how local businesses are going green? Intrigued by the Council's green initiatives?
Look no further! We're thrilled to introduce the newly launched West Berkshire Green Hub, your one-stop destination for all things eco-conscious, right on West Berkshire Council's website.
We hope the Green Hub will become your gateway to a greener, more sustainable world. Come on in, explore, share your ideas, and join us on this thrilling journey towards a brighter, eco-friendlier future! Environment and Climate Change - West Berkshire Council
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Swap Shop at the Corn Exchange
At the Corn Exchange Newbury on Sunday 29 October, the popular, environmentally friendly Swap Shop returns to the Balcony Bar between 12pm and 4pm. Simply bring along any unwanted clothes, children’s toys, or books and leave with some new wardrobe favourites or items for your family, for FREE ! All you need to do is donate a minimum of one item as an entry fee. Find out more on their website: cornexchangenew.com/event/swap-shop
Swap Shop is run by local Chef Breda Louise Glavin in partnership with the Corn Exchange Newbury.
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Wiltshire Connect is a new type of service that operates on pre-bookable, on-demand basis in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area. This service will be extending to include the Marlborough and Hungerford operating zone on Monday 30 October 2023. You will be able to pre-book a ride anywhere within this zone, including local journeys within Hungerford.
Bookings can be made via their app or by telephone:01225 712900.
Wiltshire Connect also operates a number of timetabled services, and from Monday 30 October 2023 the 110 service will operate between Hungerford and Marlborough via Bedwyn. Passengers may board the service without a prior booking at most locations where a time is shown on the timetable. Please check whether you should book a trip before you travel.
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The hedge laying volunteers have been busy out in West Woodhay for a local farmer.
The purpose of hedge laying is to create a thick stock proof barrier, typically used to contain livestock and there are different county hedge styles to work to. Existing shrubs/trees are partially cut through and their branches bent near ground level. The resulting stems must still run slightly upwards to allow the sap to rise and keep the plant alive. The process encourages new growth from the base and can rejuvenate an old hedge. The newly lain hedge will be self sufficient, requiring no watering or further support and create an ideal habitat for many species of wildlife.
New members typically learn from the older sages! So at first you might be coppicing a few hazel trees to gather the laying resources. But soon you’ll be helping with the laying itself, it's a great skill to learn and there’s nothing quite like the site of a newly lain hedge.
Please get in touch if you would like to have a go and learn new skills: enquiries@westberkscountryside.org.uk Website: www.westberkscountryside.org.uk
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One of Britain’s renowned long-distance routes, The Ridgeway, crosses West Berkshire through the parishes of West and East Ilsley, Compton, Aldworth and Streatley. This historic droveway became a National Trail in 1973, and to celebrate these 50 years a new illustrated leaflet has been produced showing some of the main places and possible activities along the full 87 miles from Avebury to Ivinghoe Beacon. The stretch that tops the scarp slope of the Berkshire Downs offers wonderful views as well as access to many archaeological monuments, but the full breadth of what The Ridgeway offers to visitors can be seen in this year’s blog on the Top 50 special things, from chalkland flowers to horses, and sarsen stones to the novels and artworks inspired by the landscape.
The Ridgeway Information - National Trails
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Established in 2020, Purley Sustainability Group (PSG) are a not-for-profit community group, and have been active in setting up 2 community allotments in Purley on Thames, a monthly repair cafe, monthly recycling of hard to recycle items, regular litter picking around the village, and most recently held a community lunch, sourced from allotment produce and held its first apple pressing.
www.purleysustainability.co.uk is their new website that contains further information about their aims, funding, current and future initiatives and a link to get involved.
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They are a friendly bunch and always welcome new volunteers. Get in touch: info@purleysustainability.co.uk.
Over the weekend of the 22-24 September, 5,871 people came together and surveyed the health of their local rivers, submitting over 3,600 surveys on the River Trust app.
- 60% of Big River Watch participants said that this was the first time they’ve taken part in citizen science.
- 54% of participants saw signs of pollution whilst conducting their Big River Watch survey.
- 61% of participants shared that their river survey site looked natural, 8.5% unnatural, 30% mixed, and 0.5% weren’t sure.
Date for your Diary: Big River Watch will take place twice a year, so please mark your calendars for the Spring Big River Watch Weekend, on 5 - 7 April 2024.
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West Berkshire Wild Verges – October Wildflower Focus |
Autumn feels as though it is finally here to stay. The weather is taking a turn to the cold and grey, there has been a little frost, and British Summer Time is soon ending. Despite there being fairly few flowers still out on our verges, there are plenty of fruits around. From Haws on Hawthorn, to Sloes on Blackthorn. There is a lot going on out there still and wild fruits are especially important for our incoming winter migrants. Amongst others, Redwing, Fieldfare and Waxwing will soon be arriving from Scandinavia to enjoy our milder climate and bountiful hedgerows.
This month we have a rundown on rose hips: the rosy red fruit of a rose. The most common place you’ll find them in England is hedgerows and waysides (verges included!). Our two most common species of rose are Field Rose and Dog Rose. The former named for where it’s often found, and the latter for the ancient belief of it to be, as recorded by Pliny the Elder, a restorative for the bite of a mad dog. The ‘hip’ part comes from the Old English ‘heope’ and other European, especially Germanic sources, meaning something to the effect of thorn or briar and a crowd or heap. So, though slightly lost in translation somewhere, it makes sense to be the fruit of a heaping briar. In other fanciful ancient tellings, it was the belief of some European peoples that these fruits allowed fairies to turn invisible!
Keep an eye out for these Autumnal hedgerow highlights on verges near you.
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If you'd like to help wildlife at home this Autumn, BBOWT have tons of tips, guides and useful information on their website. From how to create areas for insects to shelter over-winter in, bird feeding, hedgehog homes and Winter gardening ideas to try, click on the button below to find out more. |
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Thank you for subscribing to our Environment Newsletter. If you missed any, you can view our past copies here
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And finally....
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Keep up to date with the development of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Berkshire – the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead are leading the project with the support of Natural England and the other Berkshire Local Authorities, including West Berkshire. There is a wealth of up to date information available online.
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