There has been plenty to keep us busy throughout the months of April and May this year. In part this has been due in part to our routine programme of site maintenance and in part to special events.
A key priority for maintenance was to ensure that the Old Churchyard was in tip top condition for the annual Palm Sunday service held there. We were helped by the magnificent showing of the crocuses this year which the Vicar referred to in her opening remarks.
Everyone was pleased on the day to see Twinkle the Donkey taking part in the procession once again after an absence for a couple of years. Elsewhere the maintenance load was increased by the exceptionally dry weather which made watering essential at the Crossroads and Middle Bourne Lane.
Other routine events included the re-start of the monthly Bourne Bee Transect programme on 14th May. We were also pleased to support Hive Helpers in the launch of their Bee Trail at the Museum. This is a signed route throughout the central part of the town and for which guide booklets are available at the Council Offices.
Other special events included the installation of our own signs at the start and end of the Millenium Walk which runs along the valley of The Bourne stream. These have been designed by our committee member, Clinton Bradshaw, and have already received favourable comments from the public. A third sign at the Crossroads draws attention to the importance of roadside verges in the support of biodiversity – an appropriate subject to address in “No Mow May”.
We also decided at short notice to enter a Guided Walk in this year’s Farnham Walking Festival. We entitled this “Exploring The Bourne Valley” and it went very well. One of the highlights was the brief stop at the Middle Bourne Lane Garden to see the moths caught the night before by our Biodiversity Committee Members, Martin Angel and Myung Hye Chun. The walkers were captivated by this and asked many questions.
As May draws to a close we are beginning to focus on the maintenance of the Middle Bourne Lane Garden which will be judged once again in early July, and also to think about Heritage Open Days 2025, the theme for which is Architecture. This will give us a chance to highlight some of the buildings and heritage of the place where we all live.