THE Friends of CROOME PARK 3 1
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THE Friends OF CROOME PARK 3 1 e u s s I 0 1 0 2 N Photos: John Hodson M U T John Hodson Worcestershire Wildlife Trust U Something in the water... A any visitors to that arable crops do. Nature Reserve in Redditch. the park this When any one of these At Croome they were first Msummer will factors disappear the algae seen at Snape Wetland on have noticed the large dies off; its presence this 8th August followed by huge R amount of algae on the year doesn’t mean it will numbers on the Croome lake and river. occur in such profusion River. The species was E Algae occur in many forms again. Trying to remove it by observed along the entire and are present in most hand would be futile and soul length of the river and the water bodies - becoming destroying as it is capable of population was estimated to T obvious when ideal growth multiplying faster than it can be in excess of 200. Egg conditions simultaneously be removed. laying was observed and it is T occur. All is not doom and gloom hoped they survive to Most of us have forgotten as this year the lake hosted emerge next year. The last E the hot dry spring and early an extremely rare insect: sightings were on the lake on summer that helped trigger small red-eyed damselflies 12th Sept. L the algal growth. Algae thrive spend a lot of time sitting on Another notable insect in in sunlit, warm shallow water; floating vegetation, the form of a bumble bee S you may have noticed that in especially algal mats. (Bombus ruderatus), first the shade of overhanging First found in Britain on the recorded in Worcestershire trees the water was free of Essex coast in 1999, they this year, was observed in algal mats and the water was were locally abundant in the good numbers in the hay W extremely clear. southeast by 2002 and have meadow south of Westfield A major factor in its rapid since spread west and north. Lane feeding on the E growth is agricultural runoff, The first Worcestershire abundance of red clover. something Brown couldn’t record occurred in 2006 at contemplate when planning a Ryall when up to 8 N reflecting lake. Algae uses individuals were found. chemicals such as nitrogen Nothing much was then seen and phosphorous (in artificial until this year when a few fertilisers) in the same way were seen at Ipsley Alders £1 where sold www.friendsofcroomepark.org.uk Pg 1 WELCOME Chairman’s Note Welcome to your Autumn 2010 s I write in mid- ASeptember we are newsletter. looking back on a rather disappointing summer as far Thanks to all of as the weather is concerned, you who have but Friends’ enthusiasm is too robust to be affected by the contributed to very “British” weather and this latest there have been some good edition. There’s days when the sun has shone on Croome. One of these so much going on days was Sunday, 8th August, Our Patron & President at the at Croome at the when Michael led a walk Rising Stars concert in June around the outer eye- moment - and so catchers. You can read more enterprise was launched over the many memories to about this in Paul Stanley’s account August Bank Holiday weekend. be shared. I on page 9. With the help of a band of willing hope you’ll enjoy The Park was the setting for a Friends volunteers, a second-hand highly informative walk in April with bookstall made a modest but this latest edition Katherine, the Garden and Park significant profit which encourages - and perhaps put Manager. In May Nigel Matthews us to look forward to a more pen to paper to gave Friends the benefit of his permanent “shop” where we can knowledge of “A Changing extend what Croome has to offer share some of Landscape”. A very enjoyable May visitors while at the same time your own in holiday in Kent and a visit to raising funds to assist the work of the property. future issues. Compton Verney in July gave members the opportunity to explore The Croome we enjoy today is further afield and to compare other Happy reading! largely the outcome of the properties with Croome. inspiration and imagination, above Wendy Our President, Sir Roy Strong, all, of the 6th Earl, ‘Capability’ spoke to Friends at the reception Brown and Robert Adam and their before a successful “Rising Stars” ability to see Croome in the round concert in late June. We’re also while set in a wider landscape. Just Your Committee: grateful to Sir Roy for agreeing to as Brown no doubt looked out to the be one of the speakers at an Malvern Hills, for example, and saw Chair: important National Trust fundraising beyond the Park he was to create, Eric Jones dinner to be held in the Court in so I hope we can follow his eyes and vision, seeing the British Vice-Chair: November. We are fortunate to have a distinguished President who countryside we are blessed with in John Henderson is so willing to support the Friends a rounded and holistic way; our and the Trust. National Parks need to be Treasurer: safeguarded, our wildlife and our Alan Lee We look forward to other Friends coastline protected and the rural events to come, including the Secretary: way of life understood and annual and very popular visit to the appreciated. Croome, which is Tony Perfect Walled Garden, a quiz evening in cared for so lovingly, should remind October and, in November, a talk by us of all that is part of our precious Membership: Leonard Edwards, “The Croome I Diana Skeys national heritage and is beyond the grew up with”. We hope that property’s confines but deserves Leonard and future speakers will the same care and appreciation. Officers: have the assistance in the Christine Adams acoustically difficult Canteen of a Eric H. Jones Wendy Carter new PA System which the Friends Eileen Clement intend to purchase. Chairman, Friends of Croome Park Graham Evans The Oral History Project continues September 2010 Nigel Matthews to flourish and a new and different Geoff Sherwood Jill Tovey Patron: George Coventry (13th Earl of Coventry) President:Sir Roy Strong Pg 2 Nick George Spring Break Friends of Croome Park member his year’s spring holiday was a very happy affair, well arranged by Connie with her usual Tthoroughness. We visited eight properties from very grand houses and castles to beautiful gardens, many of which were owned by the National Trust. We all had opinions as to which we liked most - they all had different things to admire and were very interesting. Our hotel was on the hillside above Maidstone - the evening breeze was very welcome as the temperatures during the day were in the upper 20s! The accommodation was very good and the staff most helpful. This is the second holiday I’ve been on with the Friends and I look forward to others in the future. The holidays are really enjoyable so why not come discovering new places and joining a group of people with similar interests? Events - join in! A reminder of our autumn events ... Dates for your New Year diary (booking forms available from Wed 20th Oct, 7.15pm - 1940s Canteen mid-November) ... Quiz evening with Paul Stanley Tue 18th Jan 2011 Wed 10th Nov, 7.15pm - 1940s Canteen Festive meal “The Croome I grew up with” talk by Leonard Edwards whose father was caretaker at Croome Wed 16th Feb, 7.15pm - 1940s Canteen “The Story So Far” (followed by finger buffet) talk by Sarah Kay, Project Curator, Croome Court Sat 26th & Sun 27th Feb Tour of Croome Court with Michael Smith Thur 24th Mar AGM Pg 3 Membership renewals Alan Lee Treasurer, Friends of Croome Park number of friends have asked if it is Direct Bank Transfers are available. Apossible to renew membership directly into the Friends bank account, avoiding the use of Any Friend wishing to use either method can cash or cheques. contact me ALAN LEE on 01386 750498 or email deffordalan62 @tiscali.co.uk . Well the simple answer is YES. If you prefer to continue to use cash or Both Standing Orders and cheques please remember both will still be available. Sarah Kay Getting into a scrape... Project Curator, Croome Court nnabelle Monaghan, a Both standpoints are valid about jumping to premature Apainting conservator, is and whichever camp you fall conclusions because paint coming to Croome in the next into, what is certain is that the layers can vary in different few months to open up some room’s current paintwork areas. For example... Did the paint 'windows' in the Dining provides a useful and painter happen to clean off his Room. stimulating talking point, brush on a particular patch of This involves, in a limited causing some heated and wall and in so doing put more and controlled way, carefully passionate debates. This is paint on it? Was this part and gradually removing great and goes to show how touched-up when it got marked successive layers of paint right much people care about or damaged? Did they test out back to the substrate of wood Croome and how fascinating, different colours on this area? or plaster to see, literally, how and important, its story is. So we try to select protected many layers and colours there We already know from or higher-up areas for are. documentary sources that examining the layers, where there is a long history of green they are less likely to have The aim is to help us been interfered with.