Dear Volunteers..… Issue 6, August 2009

We have been promised a fine, warm summer – so why have we had monsoon conditions this week? Hopefully, the promise of a long spell of warm weather and the media confidently reporting that Britons are taking their holidays at home this year will boost our visitor numbers. I hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter and if anyone has any ideas for content or a catchy new name please let me know! ––– Tracy NEWS AND WHAT’S ON? Exhibition of Pastel Paintings by Juliet Murray – this OTHER EVENTS exhibition of new works by the very popular Nutley-based CONSERVATION GROUP artist was opened to the public on Friday 31 st July. Last Sunday of the month (except August). East Sussex Libraries Children’s Summer Reading Challenge – Meet at the Centre car-park at th was held at the Centre on 6 August. The topic this year was 10.15. ‘the quest’. There were activities for the children, storytelling and a treasure hunt! STITCH ‘N’ BITCH Our monthly needlecraft group st th Explore Ashdown Forest 1 to 16 August 2009 – two weeks still meets on the 1 st Tuesday of of events in and around the Forest organised by the Ashdown the month from 19.00! Forest Tourism Association. For more information pick up a Meet at the Forest Centre. leaflet from the Information Barn or visit www.ashdownforest.com BUSHCRAFT AND SKILLS Lex the Roman – had a successful day on 29 th July (113 A day of survival skills, wild visitors to the Barn) and he is coming back to lead a further cookery, flint knapping and fire session on life in Roman Britain on Wednesday 19 th August – making – lean about how our from 14.00 to 17.00! ancestors lived - dates tba in early September 2009. Maiden of the - Same Sky artists in residence will be building a Maiden of the Weald for Ashdown Forest at the For up to date information on Forest Centre between Wednesday 12 th and Sunday 16 th what’s going on visit our website August. (This is an HLF project event.) Volunteers are or opening the Barn early this week and we hope it is an subscribe to the e-mail news interesting and exciting event! Visit www.samesky.co.uk for service on more information. www.ashdownforest.org/news

An Exhibition By Bill Glenister - Paintings by a Sussex artist with a national and international reputation opening on 11 September 2009. For more information on the artist visit www.williamdewilde.org

TALES FROM THE TILL

The Till - Nothing much to report on this front – just a reminder that, if you make a mistake or are unable to void items or cancel transactions please leave a brief note in the till explaining what went wrong. It makes it much easier at the end of the week to cash up the till correctly.

Stock - Please let me know if you notice stock is running low so that I can place orders quickly – a note in the diary is all that is needed.

New Team Members - A very, very warm welcome to our band of new volunteers – in no particular order: Ian Plumer, Pam Wilson, Veronica Withall, Martin Berry, Hillary Randall, Margaret Carruthers, Michael Wheeler, Lisa Joice, Jo Edwarde, Angela Philip and Richard Lowe – I hope you all enjoy working with us!

Record keeping - Please make sure you let me have a copy of your completed training sheet for our records and that you get, and wear, your Information Volunteer badges!

Forest Centre Events 2010 – Now we have a bigger band of volunteers it would be great to plan ahead and organise some events for next year. Perhaps during the school holidays we could have some bird watching sessions / short walks / story telling / crafts / face painting / create a nature table etc etc. If you have any suggestions or would like to do something specific let me know – perhaps we could have a planning session in January?

Advertising – How can we let more people know that we exist and that we have events taking place through the year – is anyone able to help out with mail shots, posters, adverts etc? Any ideas on how we can do things better?

Ranger Volunteers Get Together – Seven members of the team came along for cake and a briefing session. Hew talked about the plans for the Forest Centre. The session was a very useful chance to find out about what was going on and meet with fellow Rangers. Rich has pencilled in the next get-together for Monday 21 st September and thinks an evening meeting, so that those who work during the day can come along too, would be a good idea. He suggests meeting at the Red Lion, Chelwood Gate on Monday 21 st September! Notes from the last meeting will be sent out very soon – honest!

Summer BBQ – We had a bumper response to our invitation to the BBQ. Helped, no doubt, by the fact that we could, for once actually guarantee really great weather! A big thank you to Ros and her able kitchen assistants Anne Smith and Janet Wirdnam, our super chefs Chris Sutton and Mike Payne and our barman Rich Allum!

Shearing Day May 29 th saw excellent weather and over 100 visitors (despite the council closing the road for resurfacing works!). A very busy and successful shearing day. Thank you to Louise, Ruth and Cathy! Why not visit the blog at www.ashdownforest.org/blog.php

On the South Chase – Roger Beal On the West Chase – Rich Allum

This year, we shall be bracken mowing, repairing Scallywag and I have been as busy as ever on the rides and constructing barriers. The overhanging West Chase (!). We have resurfaced Long car park branches on the ride sides will be removed and car to get rid of all the pot-holes. We spent a couple of parks mowed and sight lines strimmed. Hopefully in weeks repairing and draining the rides, particularly November we shall be starting clearance in the around Long car park and the Old Airstrip as well as vicinity of the Airman’s Grave. Later this month I the bridleway that runs from Beaconsfield Road to am going on a Dormice handling course, so that I can the ‘Folly Bridge’ where the bridleway fords the obtain a licence to monitor and weigh these Millbrook. We have built a smart new culvert bridge delightful creatures. I shall continue to deal with in the northern section of the Vachery where the all byelaw breakers. We had a bit of a success old one had collapsed. Colin (our tractor driver) is recently where one resident had acquired a chunk of continuing the bracken mowing across the West Forest by putting a deer fence around it and in so Chase. We have incorporated many new areas doing added to his garden. He has now removed the during the last couple of summers and been able to fence but a purpose built compost heap and a relax the mowing regime in other areas where it is garden seat remain. The resident thought it was an having the desired effect. Contractors will be unused bit of Forest so he didn't think it mattered; spraying bracken in Millbrook East and Churlwood in WRONG. Myself, ‘Ranger Dog’ Fleur, and ‘Ranger early August, and spraying Gaultheria shallon and Wife’ Louise had two fantastic weeks in North Rhododendron ponticum in Chelwood Vachery, Wales, where we looked at, among other things, Braberry Hatch and Chelwood Common. Butterfly self-closing gates on the Mawddach Trail, deer transects are a great excuse for a nice walk on the mirrors in the Coed y Brenin Forest and bridge, seat Forest. This summer has been a better one for and CP construction at Beddgelert. I am continuing butterflies with record numbers of Painted Ladies to run down to retirement, with only 18 months to and lots of Ringlets. There’s been a smattering of go. When it was several years away I couldn't wait, Silver-studded Blues as well. but now I am not so sure.

On the North Chase – Mike Yates On the East Chase – Chris Sutton

On-going maintenance to the North Chase includes a Work on the East Chase this summer has involved a make over to Warren car park thanks to Chris, Rich lot of bracken mowing on Bunkers Hill. This follows and Michael (estate team) on the vibrating roller! the clearance undertaken last autumn and hopefully Ride repairs have been made at Tabell Ghyll and a we will soon see an increase in the amount of new causeway built at Shepherds Gate. Four heather, which has declined rapidly in that area. A sleeper bridges have been replaced by culverts at major sewage leak was discovered below the Horder Shepherds Gate (courtesy of Sutton’s Ground Centre in June which came from their 50+ year old Works!) This year’s Higher Level Stewardship work system which was thankfully dealt with very quickly will include trees on the Ridge Road, between by their maintenance team under my watchful eye! Lintons and Broadstone, being cut to improve the Ride maintenance has been carried out in the Crows wonderful view from the road across Broadstone Nest area and to some bad erosion scarring heath. Sussex Probation Services have been working adjacent to Kidds Hill. Lots of water comes off hard on the Forest since January and they will be Kidds Hill in the major rains we now seem to get. cutting logs and kindling which we (sorry you!) will Water either goes straight down the road or onto be selling by the bag in the Information Barn this the Forest as it really should but this has meant Autumn. This winter our contractors will be clearing erosion problems for us. Hopefully this has been the heathland below Townsends and the roadside resolved! Other major tasks have been the planning trees along the Ridge Road which will make a huge and installation of bridges and culverts around the difference! Forest to bring them up to 21 st century standards. This has needed extensive liaison with the

Environment Agency & Natural England to ensure they are suitable for use and compatible with the Forest environment. Calendar of Forest Work We are often asked what work is going on across the Forest at various times of the year. Below is the draft chart that lists all the main, broad, areas of Forest work that takes place throughout the year. There is, of course, a bit of leeway in start and end dates and much of the work is often weather or staff dependent, so we cannot provide specific start dates. Sometimes unexpected things such as dealing with deer, dangerous trees, flooding, staff sickness or mechanical failure can disrupt the schedule. The flowchart is still being developed and amended. It will be available to the volunteers and eventually to the public (in a much bigger format) via the website – www.ashdownforest.org

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec LIST OF ACTIVITIES Forest Centre opening – winter (weekends only) Forest Centre opening – summer (including weekdays) Board meeting Commoners Annual Meeting Parish Liaison Meetings Riding permit year and half year start Ashdown Forest Life published Dangerous tree felling Heathland restoration – scrub/tree clearance Wood cutting by Commoners and permit holders Reptile transects Main fire season Butterfly transects Spraying Commoner’s livestock out in grazing area Hebridean flock on Forest Hebridean flock lambing Bracken spraying Bracken mowing Ride mowing/maintenance Litter clearance - weekly Bye-law enforcement Car park maintenance – resurfacing Conservation Committee meeting RPA Committee meeting FGP Committee meeting Forest boundary walking by Rangers Litter clearance – major roadside effort Acknowledgement Rent & Commoner’s Rate due Finance report publication Finance budget setting Car park maintenance – strimming, ditching Ride and footpath maintenance Annual Report publication Volunteers events

Conservation Group The Conservation Group in July was cancelled as Hew was away on holiday in la belle France! As usual, there is no get together in August. The next meeting will be on Sunday 27 th September 10.15 for a 10.30 start. Hew reckons there will be a great deal of work for the group to get stuck into – so come prepared and the more the merrier! Information Barn Extra Chris Sutton, our Health & Safety guru, has asked if Volunteers (when closing at the end of the day) could leave the door between the radio room & the main barn open. Apparently the thermostat sensor for the hot water system is located in the radio room and once it reaches a certain temperature it shuts off – not an ideal system (especially in winter) but we are currently stuck with it!

Request from the week-end duty Rangers - when closing up please wait for them to get back to the Centre so they can lock the front gate & the back door. If you need to make a quick get away please let the Ranger know at the start of your duty so he can be back at the Centre in good time.

Can’t make the week-end shift? We all know the best laid plans go awry – if you can’t make it in to do a shift at the week-end please call the duty Ranger on 01342 822846 as soon as you can to let him know - any e-mails sent on a Friday after 16.00 won’t get picked up until Monday morning – THANKS!

“The WagLog #6” I had a good day at Newick Cricket Club last Sunday I can’t believe I missed the barbeque the other – I met Piers Morgan and Jerry Springer (who I week - I’m sure you missed me! Apparently I am not assumed was Pier’s spaniel until I saw him). I timed to be trusted around hot coals, and just because I my arrival perfectly to coincide with tea. There was burnt my mouth on a very hot sausage that slid off a myriad of plates scattered all over the ground the barbeque last year. offering sandwiches, scones (with cream), fairy cakes, rice-crispy cakes and my favourite mini-rolls I bet ‘him indoors’ tried to charm the pants off all – I didn’t know where to start! I can’t understand the ladies from the barn as usual (not literally!). what all the consternation and confusion was about; I thought that if plates were on the ground they Things have been a bit hectic for me over the past were fair game! few weeks. My mum has damaged her knee and is hobbling about on crutches while waiting for an Bye for now – love and licks Scallywag operation. That means that I’m trying to hold down two jobs at the moment. I have to get up extra early in the mornings (which I’m not too keen on) to turn out and muck out all the horses before coming to my real job as Forest Ranger. Worst of all, I have to go and muck out and bring in loads more of those overgrown, smelly beasts after work. Sometimes I don’t get my dinner until after 10 o’clock, which I think is a bit harsh.

I have a new ‘friend’ in the office – ‘Dottie’. She doesn’t seem to have taken to me at once – she has snarled and barked at me so far, but I’m sure that I’ll be able to win her over with my cheerful demeanour and good looks.

ON THE FOREST FLOOR - the exhibition by Pamela Hurwitz who used found objects to create artworks has proved to be an inspiration for adults and children alike. The exhibition finally came to a close on July 20 th and we hope Pamela enjoyed her time at the Forest Centre and will keep in touch.

New Website - Volunteering England Volunteering England is an independent voluntary agency committed to supporting, enabling and celebrating volunteering in all its diversity. It has an interesting online e-magazine, Information Banks and Good Practice Banks,

and a Frequently Asked Questions section. All are great resources for volunteers and for those of us who look after volunteers! You can also find a multitude of web links to other interesting volunteering sites such as www.do- it.org.uk/, www.timebank.org.uk/ and www.csv-rsvp.org.uk. Web Wandering! There is a new housing development in Fiddlers Canyon, Cedar City, Utah called – Ashdown Forest – judging by the picture you can only ask – why?? Did you know that if you Google the term Ashdown Forest you get 172,000 hits and in 1962 there was a rip-roaring TV series called “Richard the Lion-heart” - episode 3 was rather excitingly called “The Robbers of Ashdown Forest”. Sadly there is no synopsis of the plot or a DVD available!

Birds of Ashdown Forest Below are some of the photos taken by Ashdown Bird Group member, Peter Johnson, this year. They are: crossbill, stonechat and woodlark. You might find it interesting to look at the Bird Forum entry on the Ashdown Forest, produced by the Bird Group, online at www.birdforum.net/opus/Ashdown_Forest . Sue Phillips

A Bridge Too Far! The Forest Centre recently had a delivery of some very, and I mean VERY, large pipes to be used in bridge repair works – here are some photographs of the team re-building the ride bridge near Shepherd’s Gate on the North Chase. It took several days to get the job done and the team needed to hire and drive a mini-digger and they also had a go at dry-stone walling! A few weeks on and you would never have guessed that the digger had ever been on site!

Work about to get underway – nice weather for it! Mini-digger driving for beginners!

Dim at the end of the tunnel – or Mike doing his Bond impersonation Ed demonstrating a bit of dry stone walling

WEALD FOREST RIDGE HERITAGE LAUNCH EVENT

This event took place on 19 th July at Calverley Grounds in Tunbridge Wells as part of the popular Tunbridge Wells Mela. 2,500 visitors had an opportunity to find out about the unique heritage of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Same Sky ran arts workshops; there were demonstrations of bushcraft skills, rural crafts, flint knapping, cookery and bird box building. Our display stand was next to the Bhangra Drumming workshop! Even so we managed to talk to about 250 people about the Forest.

The Weald Forest Ridge Heritage Landscape Scheme is a £3.2million programme of activity, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and being delivered between 2009 and 2012. Up to 325,000 people live within the Ridge and its eight neighbouring towns: , , Haywards Heath, East Grinstead, Crowborough, Uckfield, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge.

The Scheme aims to enable people to reconnect with their local landscape; more easily access and enjoy the Ridge; understand its unique natural, cultural and built heritage; take part in caring for it; and leave a legacy for future generations. To find out more why not visit the HWU website www.highweald.org/text.asp?PageId=404

The HLF webpage on the HWU website

HLF Project News – Historical Conservators minute books to go on line The Board of Conservators is very lucky to be in possession of a complete set of minute books dating back to May 1887. An exciting project is now underway to transcribe these documents into a searchable format and make them available to the public via our website. The books, which are written in immaculate copperplate (see illustration), contain a real wealth of fascinating information and unique detail for the local and family historian – recording place names, personal names, disputes, encroachments and bye-law breaches. The project will take a little while to complete so watch

this space. An example of copperplate from Minute Book 1 – May 1887 HLF Project News – First in a new series of walk leaflets to be trialled The first, of hopefully many, new walks leaflets is just about ready to be trialled by the public! Our most popular leaflet “Two Pooh Walks” has been given a major revamp with new maps, photographs and a smaller format. Two weather-proof dispensers will be located at Gills Lap car park and the public asked to take a leaflet, try the walk and give us their feedback – once trialled any tweaks and

adjustments will be made and the leaflets printed .

What is the Maidens of the Weald project? Same Sky will be working across the Weald Forest Ridge to create four giant ‘Maidens of the Weald’. There will be a maiden for each of the four medieval forests in the area (Ashdown, St Leonards, Waterdown and Worth) that will join together for a celebratory fiery event in Park, Crawley, on Saturday 3 rd October at 7.30. Members of the public can visit the maidens while they are being created by a Same Sky artist in residence. If you’d like to help create a maiden, you can book onto a session on a Saturday or Sunday in August from 1pm-4pm by calling Bec on 01273 571106, or by emailing [email protected].

The Ashdown Forest Maiden is being created from Wednesday 12th to Sunday 16th August between 11am-4pm at the Forest Centre.