Summer 2018 Edit 11

Miserden,Whiteway,The Camp Sudgrove & Wishanger Summer 2018

Butterfly Conservation is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It’s amazing to think that we have been helping to protect and enhance the UKs butterflies, moths and their habitats all this time. It started off in a very small way, as so often happens, with a few like-minded individuals keen to help the lepidoptera of this country. It has now grown to over 33,000 members countrywide and has 31 branches scattered throughout the UK. It recently held the 8th Interna- tional Symposium in Southampton earlier this month, so we are also linked with enthusiasts from all over the world. Sadly, all this effort has not led to a great increase in butterflies and moths – rather the reverse. However, a lot of this is due to loss of habitat due to agricultural changes in management, roads, houses, changes to woodland management, climatic change and probably a few things that we still don’t understand. Where effort had been made to protect some of the rarer species a turn-around has been seen in their fortunes but the fate of some of our more common butterflies is now becoming a concern. The Small Tortoiseshell, an iconic visitor to gardens dropped to ninth position in the Gloucestershire Big Butterfly Count last year, with the Peacock coming eighth. However, the Red Admiral had a good year and came second, following the Gatekeeper. Some of you may have visited the Butterfly Conservation Reserve – Rough Bank – which is very near to The Camp on Calf Way. The unimproved grassland on the Bank has been known for many years as an excellent site. So far, a total of over 1300 species have been recorded. Thirty-three butterfly species and about 630 moths have been recorded. It is a very rich biodiverse site. It is grazed by the National Trust herd of cattle in the autumn/winter, whereas the Myers fields (Little and Great) could have Belted Gal- loways on them at any time of the year. It was the very first site for the reintro- Chalk Hill Blue duction of the Large Blue but unfortunately this failed due to lack of synchronicity of the wild thyme and the butterfly. However, there are six other species of blue butterfly – Common, Chalk Hill, Holly, Adonis, Small Blue and the Brown Argus which also belongs to the same family. A regular transect (same route walked every week from beginning of April to end of September) is carried out by our Butterfly Record- er, Chris Wiltshire. The branch volunteers have done much work to reduce the scrub on

1 the site and to reclaim the grassland (a requirement of the HLS grant) and more recently some of the big trees along the bottom of the Rough Bank slope have also been removed. More will be removed next winter and some of the wood is being used to slow up the flow of water into the Slad Valley as part of the Sustainable Urban Drainage System project. We welcome visitors to the site at any time but would just ask that the gates are kept shut at all times. The other site with which Butterfly Conservation is involved is Bull Banks on the Miserden Estate, by kind permission of the Wills family. Students from the Royal Agri- cultural University have been helping with scrub removal, bracken control and other experimental work. This is also monitored throughout the spring and summer by a regular transect walker. Cattle are present on the site during some of the winter and various people have been involved in checking them while they are on site. The Cots- wolds Voluntary Wardens have helped with work on both sites. This has a permissive path through the estate. Miserden Bull Banks and Rough Bank are both included in the Back from the Brink (BftB) project (https://naturebftb.co.uk/the- projects/limestones-living-legacies/) which started last summer and runs Small Blue for four years, along with other sites in the Cotswolds. Various events are being organised, mostly free, in connection with land management, butterfly and larvae identification, moth nights, beetle and adder searches to name a few. If you are interested in potentially joining any of these activities, please contact Jen Gilbert, the BftB Engagement Of- ficer – [email protected] or on 07483039321.

News from Miserden School

It’s an exciting time at Miserden C of E Primary School. The school has restarted its pre-school on a Monday and Tuesday, and Mrs Murphy has joined the staff to support this. The school has also swapped rooms around to bring make leading Class 1 and pre-school more practical for Mrs Bartlett, the Class 1 lead teacher, and foster the family feel of the school. This move was a lot of extra work for the staff team, who cheerfully shifted tables and bookcases around the school premises, to create the wonderful new environment. Outside the classroom, the school is thrilled to have been generously given the use of field adjacent to the school for a playing field, by the Miserden Estate. A pitch is being prepared on the field, to the excitement of the children. A small school thrives on the support and engagement of parents and governors, and it is wonderful that new faces are giving their time and expertise to Miserden, as well as the ongoing, stead- fast commitment from established parents and governors. If you too would like to support our local school in any way, please contact the school office on [email protected].

2 BRINGING THE ROOF DOWN!

It was a beautiful day, a Bank Holiday as well; one of the hottest early May Bank Holidays for years. Yet six volunteers gave up their Bank Holiday morning to throw themselves wholeheartedly into ripping down the existing false ceiling, the functional lighting and the foam insulation at Miserden Village Hall. Fair to say that the glorious sunshine was sacrificed for showerings of cork tiles, itchy foam and suffocating dust! But what a difference a few hours of sweat and tears made; the main hall was transformed, and this was just the beginning. By the time that you are reading this, the major works to the Village Hall should be almost complete. Let us hope this is the case as the annual Folk Camp moves in over the weekend beginning 8th. June. So at last, after what feels like a very long time, your Village Hall is undergoing a remarkable facelift which will present it as an even more attractive venue. We are really excited about the planned alterations, and we are looking forward to a significant uplift in the use of the facility both by hirers and for locally promoted events. The exposed vaulted ceiling gives the main hall a more open and spacious feel. New lighting will provide a fresh and exciting atmosphere for various situations; freshly painted areas and full connection to the Miserden Estate biomass heating scheme will ensure an amenity fit for any and every occasion. Generous funding support from the National Lottery, Miserden Parish Council and Severn Wye Energy has enabled the Hall Committee to undertake the planned works in full. Plenty of fresh ideas have been pursued by the Hall Committee in recent months which are designed to not only enhance the Hall’s public face, but also to improve the day to day efficiency of administering and running the facility. The ambition is to estab- lish Miserden Village Hall as an excellent asset for the local community first and fore- most, and also as a desirable place for a wider catchment to use and to enjoy. The Hall Committee is still keen to recruit new members, so if you are interested then please contact Mark Round, Chair, on 01285 821297 or myself on 01285 821829. Alan Lord, Treasurer

3 This is the second and final part of an article about the building of a dream home worthy of Grand Designs in Whiteway. Maurica - Part II Richard Sales writes:

One of the many advantages of living on top of the Cotswolds is that stone is never far away. As we dug out the site of the old house to make the pond, we were fortunate in hitting lovely clean stone that we then quarried and rolled in layers to make a perfect level site for the foundations of the house to come. All through this project we made great efforts to reuse all materials on site, partly to save money but also to reduce waste.

Rather than conventional strip foundations we used an insulated raft foundation system called Isoquick, made from dense polystyrene foam modules that are prefabricat- ed and running right underneath the slab and up the sides. This is an important ele- ment in the design of the house by providing thermal mass to regulate the temperature, keeping it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Bill Morgan (also from White- way) and his band of merry men worked gallantly through a cold and miserable January installing all the steel reinforcing for the concrete slab. They certainly earned their fish and chips after a frenetic morning when the concrete was delivered and poured! In comparison to the groundworks and foundations, which used local talent, the superstructure was a northern affair. For speed of erection, we chose a timber frame construction made off-site in a factory in Lancashire. The walls were constructed using a closed panel system, with everything built in, including the insulation. We chose to avoid polyurethane insulation and opted instead for a breathable frame (to allow any potential moisture build-up to wick away), filled with rockwool insulation and clad with wind-tight wood fibreboard. It goes without saying that access for the four lorry-loads of panels was tight down the narrow Whiteway lanes, but two very ‘can do’ drivers from Burnley somehow managed to reverse their fully-loaded articulated vehicles the full length of Retreat Lane to our plot. A huge crane, producing a temporary landmark over Whiteway that could be seen from miles around, was enlisted to shift the panels. Using a combination of skill and considerable experience from the crane driv-

4 er (who had to negotiate overhead wires and winds), together with a team of timber fram- ers from Yorkshire, each panel was lowered and fixed into place. This was a very quick method of construction, with the main superstructure, including the roof, built in less than a week. The method we chose, using components built off-site, created a series of critical (and stressful) stages that would have been a disaster had any of those elements failed to fit together. For example, the drains coming into the house had to be in exactly the right place when the concrete slab was poured; the slab foundation then had to be exactly the same size as the timber frame when it was erected; and the windows had to be exactly the same size to fit the openings in the frame when they were delivered. Like most builds, the budget was tight. We were reinvesting all our savings and equity from selling our previous house, so we had a lot riding on this and had to make it work. Howev- er, our approach all the way along was to invest in the fabric of the building so we did not economise on the core items that could not be changed later. For other items we had to be more resourceful - basins, taps, kitchen appliances and even the kitchen sink were bought on eBay. The kitchen draw- ers and cupboards, together with our built-in wardrobes, were all bought from Ikea and were designed into the building, along with much of the fitted furniture and the work surfaces which we made ourselves. To keep labour costs to a minimum and to get best value from contractors, we did a lot of the donkey work ourselves - helping when they needed it, and more importantly leaving them alone when they didn’t. Except for the cedar boarded ceilings, we kept the finishes and materials as simple as possible. Floors (and outdoor terraces) are finished in a very practical polished concrete, walls are a plain painted finish, and we have simple tiles and mirrors in the bathrooms. However, if our project had been on ‘Grand Designs’ we would have been slaugh- tered because we broke all the recognised rules. We had no written schedule, no written budget and apart from the foundations, frame and windows, all the sub-contractors worked on day rates rather than fixed prices. Despite this, we managed to bring it in largely on time and on budget due mainly to committed contractors, good communica- tion, a sense of humour and an earful of ‘Absolute Radio’! Like any build, nothing is perfect, but through the hard work and commitment of many, we have ended up with a wonderful house that is a joy to live in. Building to Pas- sivhaus principles has resulted in not only a very energy efficient building, but also one that is very comfortable, providing stable internal temperatures, warm floors, no drafts, no damp and fresh clean air. We feel very lucky to have been able to build a comfortable sustainable house to our own design in a wonderful area of the country with great neighbours.

5 Sue Spielberg writes:

Unlike many who build their own home, Richard and I had time on our side. We couldn’t start building until we had sold our house in Cirencester, but because we had secured the plot at Whiteway, we were able to think long and hard about the garden and what we wanted from it, then start planning accordingly. We were also fortunate in having a large allotment at our disposal, which turned out to be invaluable as a holding bay for all the plants we wanted to bulk up. The checklist of desires for our new plot included a large wildlife pond, a fruit and vegetable garden, a large mixed border where we could progress and expand the planting schemes we had tried out in our much smaller Cirencester garden, and various seating areas to take advantage of both sun and shade (though precious little sitting seems to be done at the moment!). Admittedly it was useful to scribble designs down onto paper using an overlay of our topographical survey, but most helpful of all was to actually walk round the site - both inside and outside - and use our eyes, i.e. to consider which views we wanted to maximise and keep open, and which ones we wanted to close off. Until we demolished old Maurica, cleared the site of rubbish and pegged out the floorplan of our new house, which we moved further back to give us more south-facing garden, it was tricky to imagine just what our views would be, and how best to plant to them. Having settled on an overall garden design, which fulfilled all the above criteria, we set about planting as many bare-root trees, shrubs and hedging as we could afford in the first dormant season, using our to-scale planting plan to locate them. However, even the best laid plans can go astray - as we found out once the house was in place, and several of the key screening trees turned out to be 1m out! This didn’t matter where small whips were concerned as they were easily moved, but our beautiful 2.5m tall evergreen Phillyrea latifolia, which my father-in-law had propagated years before and which now had a root ball the size of a wheelbarrow, took three of us to manhandle into its rightful position where it now does an admirable job of shielding our living room from the neighbour’s upstairs window. Five years on and most of the trees we planted (all thirty of them) are now framing near and distant views, while the beech hedging plants around the house have just about knitted together. One concession we did make to our initial design was to plant a secondary hedge of yew alongside the west-facing terrace because we just felt too over- looked when cars and pedestrians passed along the adjacent lane. Although originally unintended, it turned out to be fortuitous as the entrance to the back garden from the drive now funnels you down a narrow corridor planted with spring bulbs and early summer perennials before opening out into the garden proper, which basically comprises four distinct areas - or five if you include the pond. The first of these we call The Double Border, bisected by a gravel path, which ex- tends from the seating just outside our living room up to an area at the top of the garden where we hope one day to rebuild the railway carriage, which made up part of the origi- nal dwelling on the plot. We knew the effect we wanted to create here as it had worked so well in our previous garden - groups of silver birch (Betula utilis jacquemontii) and or- ange dogwoods (Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’) for their winter effect, interplanted with a suc- cession of spring to late summer flowering perennials to give us waves of colour - in shades of white, blue, mauve and soft yellow - throughout the season. The plants I had

6 lined out on our allotment several years before all came back two or three times the size, which meant that after splitting them up I had enough to make two or three generous clumps of each variety. When I came to plant I made sure that what I positioned in one border, I had enough to plant in the other, but never directly opposite each other as I wanted a less contrived effect, but one that still flowed and had rhythm. This leads on to the next part of the plot, which we call The Gravel Garden - much more sparsely planted with low mound-forming shrubs together with spiky perennials and grasses, which form contrasting shapes through an expanse of low-maintenance gravel. Next comes The Brooch Garden, so-called because it takes its inspiration from a Scandinavian brooch Richard bought for me, which has an amethyst at its centre and crossing strands each terminating with a small silver ball. Here a large circular seating area catches the evening sun, and the adjacent borders are planted with cut flowers, fruit bushes and certain vegetables, such as maincrop potatoes and peas, in traditional lines. We wanted to create the feel of an old-fashioned kitchen garden so we have taken elements such as low hedges of box, lavender or teucrium, together with fine gravel paths, but used them in an abstracted way. Here, where each of the crossing paths ter- minate, six huge 1960s style concrete urns (bought on eBay) spill with courgettes in the summer.

The main path leads back towards the house, through a (soon to be installed) gate, between a pair of espalier pear trees and into our ‘proper’ vegetable garden, where nine raised beds are being maintained and cropped using a ‘no-dig’ approach. (If anyone is interested the following link is really inspirational: https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk). Although only in its second year, it has been a revelation and I wish I could spend many more hours than I presently have tinkering about here. Seven years on, I think you’d be hard-pressed to recognise it as the same plot because we have changed it so much, but it now gives us nearly everything we wanted from a garden. Installing the pond liner and filling it with water was transformational - in terms of the view from our house and the amount of wildlife it has attracted, but there is one major change that we hope to complete before the year is out - and that is to create a wildflower meadow in place of our Gravel Garden. But perhaps that’s another story...

7 PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

NEW COUNCILLOR; At our recent meeting, it gave Councillors great pleasure to welcome Richard Dangerfield as a member of the Parish Council. Richard lives in The Camp again now that he has returned from living and working in the Irish Republic. We look forward to his participation in local affairs on the Parish Council. I must apologise to previous Councillor Stephen Pritchard. In spite of referring to my notes at the recent Successful Assembly, I completely missed referring to Stephens contribution to the Council’s work over the years that he was a member especially the on going wildlife survey. I now wish to thank him and apologise again. As part of the Survey, Stephen has supplied the maps which form part of this edition of the Parish Post. Please keep them somewhere safe, as additions will be made in due course.

LITTER; I have been asked to pay tribute to the unsung heroes { you know who you are} who make a point of picking up the regular supply of coffee cups, drinks cans, crisp packets etc, carelessly discarded on roadsides and footpaths without any thought for the environment. These heroes make a huge contribution to making this one of the best kept Parishes in the County.

THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING recently took place at the new look Whiteway Colony Hall. Over 40 attendees were enthralled to hear John Crowther from the Hedge- hog Hospital give a fascinating insight into the behaviour of hedgehogs and the dangers that they face, mainly from Badger predation and from garden strimmers. The star of the show was undoubtedly the hedgehog who made a tour of Colony Hall much to everyone’s delight. During the open forum, a number of issues of local concern were raised A note was made of these, and the Parish Council will address them wherever possible. Martin Ractliffe {Chairman}

Local Art

It was suggested to me that it would be a good idea to display artwork by local artists for readers to see. So here is the first piece, a stained glass window by Mike Hawkes from Whiteway. - Ed

“I have chosen this stained glass window which I now have on display in my home. The col- ours brighten a dark corner in the room. The window was made in the early 50s at Stroud Art School where I was tu- tored by Mr Edward Payne.” Mike Hawkes

8 Miserden Parish Nature Maps by Stephen Pritchard

Introduction

You may have noticed that the Miserden Parish Council (MPC) website (www.miserdenpc.org.uk) has a section about nature in the parish. At the moment the information is limited to a number of maps and a key prepared by the Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records (GCER), which we would like to expand. The purpose of this article is to give an introduction to these maps and encourage people to submit information about the parish (this is discussed below).

The maps and keys

Map 1 is an aerial map of the parish that highlights the notable features in our landscape. These are the:

* Two areas of the Cotswolds Commons and Beechwoods National Nature Reserve(CCB),

* Rough bank nature reserve, now part of CCB but owned and managed by Butterfly Conser vation,

* Seven key wildlife sites,

* Five scheduled ancient monuments, and

* Important geological site.

From this map the parish landscape can be seen to consist predominantly of arable agriculture and woodlands, dominated by the Miserden Estate that has shaped our landscape over hundreds of years.

Map 2 expands upon Map 1 by taking a cartographic view of the parish landscape by identifying notable features, which are numbered and linked to a Key on the website that provides further information.

Map 3 is derived from records held by GCER of rare and protected species. Records show that notable clusters of species exist in four locations in the parish (i.e. molluscs (Roman snails), butterflies and moths (e.g. Adonis Blue), and bats (pipistrelle). A full list of records is provided in attached table.

9 Map 1

10 Source

Natural England Priority Habitat Inventory v2.1 2016

English Heritage Scheduled Ancient Monuments layer 2016

GCER CRV layer

English Heritage Scheduled Ancient Monuments layer, 2016

Natural England Priority Habitat Inventory v2.1 2016

English Heritage Scheduled Ancient Monuments layer, 2016

GCER RIGS layer

English Heritage Scheduled Ancient Monuments layer, 2016

Ordnance Survey 1:10000 colour raster

Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local 2015

Ordnance Survey 1:10000 colour raster

Ordnance Survey Vector Map Local 2015

Natural England Priority Habitat Inventory v2.1 2016

Status

National Nature Reserve (NNR), SAC, Priority Habitat

KWS, possible Priority Habitat

Grassland SSSI, Priority Habitat

Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAM)

Priority Habitat

SAM

Priority Habitat

KWS, Priority Habitat

SAM

RIGS

SAM

Priority Habitat

KWS, Priority Habitat

Type

NNR, SAC Deciduous woodland SSSI

Key Wildlife Site (KWS) Deciduous woodland

NNR, SSSI

Long barrow

Grassland

Barrow

Deciduous woodland KWS

Deciduous woodland

Long barrow

RIGS Quarry

Bowl barrow

Motte and bailey

Allotments / gardens

Parkland

Open water

KWS Deciduous woodland

Name

Cotswold Commons and Beechwoods SSSI,

Down Wood and Famish Hill Plantation

Rough Bank

The Camp Long Barrow

Whiteway Conservation Road Verge

New Seal Wood Barrow Bowl

Barn Wood KWS

New Seal Wood KWS

Fishcombe Bank

A long barrow

Park Farm Quarry

Miserden Bowl Barrow

Misarden Park Motte and Bailey Castle

Miserden Nursery

Misarden Park

River Frome

Misarden Park Lake

Bull Banks Lake (mostly in parish)

Fox Wood

Waiteshill Plantation (Parson's Hill) and Ashcombe Bottom

Important landscape and ancient monument features within Miserden Parish; each numbered featured refers to map 2.

Label

20 11 Map 2

12 Map 3

13 Map 4 shows that the parish is comparatively isolated in terms of nature conservation because it is on the fringes of strategic nature areas (SNA) in the county. Yes, the parish is part of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), but the Local Nature Partnership has identified only one nature improvement area (NIA) that includes the parish landscape, the Cotswold Scarp NIA. However, these SNA are significant and need protection: they are the woodland mosaic and the lowland calcareous grassland; the latter is in decline in the county. Map 4

14 Map 5 demonstrates the potential for the rural sustainable drainage initiative, a partnership between Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Stroud District Council is also of strategic importance because it seeks to mitigate flood damage lower down the River Frome and Slad Brook with “permeable defences”. These defences are often trees that have been felled and placed across the water courses to allow a build-up of water that minimises the risk of flooding further downstream. In addition to the barriers on the Miserden Estate, there are some earth bunds in the fields above Rough Bank that serve a similar purpose. Map 5

15 Future plans …

In 2014 MPC initiated a survey of the parish, known as a Phase I survey designed to identify the main habitats in the area; this survey was not completed. Now it may be possible to complete the survey by using aerial photography, which can be interpreted to identify habitats. An example of such a map is shown below, which suggests that there is very little lowland calcareous grassland in the parish. Such colour coded maps help us understand the ecology of the parish by showing how habitats are connected (or not).

MPC intends to complete the Phase I survey this year and it would be helpful if you could contribute to its efforts by sending us your photographs of the landscape and wildlife in the parish, contributing information about its historical buildings, and offering to help complete the Phase I survey. Please send any comments, photos, stories about the parish to the Clerk ([email protected]). And if you are interested in helping complete the survey please contact the Clerk as well.

16 The Food Column At the end of autumn last year, I obtained some bags of spent mushroom compost from Dominic of Fungusloci of Stroud’s Micro Mushroom Farm, who grows Oyster mushrooms on coffee grounds collected from local cafes, - https://fungusloci.cscic.org/mushroom-coffee-compost/ However, a combination of the uninspiring weather, followed by my immobility put paid to me doing anything with them. These unattractive bags sat against the hedge, until one day we noticed mushrooms sprouting from the side of them. Since then we have had such a feast. I gave some away and dried a large amount of them. I have now made some special beds and added in the remainder of the compost and noticed that they are still producing mushrooms. We now have to be quick though as a large amount them are nibbled away at night, which I can only put down to slugs. I am curious to see if we can keep the beds going by adding to them regularly. A case in point of when best to do nothing… For this issue the editor’s wife Sally, asked me if I would do some authentic Leba- nese recipes for this issue.

Recipes:

The first is Tabbouleh which is a healthy, rich and super-green salad with pure Lebanese origins that is known for its spicy-tangy kick. In traditional Lebanese cuisine, Tabbouleh (sometimes spelled and pronounced as Tabouli) is usually served along with Mezza which is a host of appetizers and hors-d’oeuvres. This has a different look and taste that what you would have had in non-Lebanese restaurants, - all down to the Leb- anese 7 spice that can be bought from most large supermarkets, but you could make your own - Lebanese 7-Spices contain equal proportions of the following ground spices: Allspice, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, Ground Nutmeg, Fenugreek, Pow- dered Ginger. Short cut: If you wash your herbs, dry in a salad spinner before chopping.

Authentic Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad (serves 6) Ingredients: 4 bunches flat leaf parsley (chopped finely, drained) (a bunch = about 1 oz or 25 grams) 1 bunch mint (fresh green, chopped finely, drained) (a bunch = about 1 oz or 25 grams) 1 Persian cucumber (chopped finely, if using regular cucumbers, use only up to 4 inches of it) 5 tomatoes (medium sized, chopped, drained) 1 white onion (small, chopped finely) 1/4 cup burghul (fine cracked wheat) * 1/2 cup olive oil (quality) 1/2 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed) 2/3 tsp salt 1/3 tsp spices (Lebanese 7-)

Method: Rinse all vegetables and let dry, especially the parsley and mint. Cut stems off parsley then chop finely. Spread chopped parsley on paper towels and let rest for a few mins in order to get rid of the moisture. Parsley needs to be dry of moisture before adding it to the mixing bowl. Cut stems off mint, and finely chop the leaves. Lay them on a paper towel and let dry Chop tomatoes into small cubes of less than 1/2 in then place in strainer to rid them of the juice.

17 Finely chop onions and mix with 7-spices Finely chop the cucumber

Serving and Tips: Once mixed, Tabbouleh gets soggy rather quickly, so it’s best if you mix it immedi- ately before serving. Moreover, make sure that when you add the chopped veggies to the mixing bowl, that they are dry (no moisture or juice) otherwise your salad turns soggy. Ideally you want the juice in the salad to be mostly from the lemon juice and olive oil. Use only freshly-squeezed lemon juice. So, if you want to prepare the ingredients in ad- vance, do the chopping, then dry with strainer/paper towels/or spin in a salad spinner, then place ingredients in individual bowls and put in the fridge. Once ready to serve, add the lemon juice on top of the dry Burghul, add the olive oil and salt all over the ingredients and then mix lightly with a fork and avoid over-mixing so it doesn’t turn soggy. Having the Tabbouleh served on a lettuce or cabbage leaf is traditional. It also goes well with French Fries.

*Burghul, if you are allergic to gluten or simply want a gluten-free version, try substituting the Burghul with Quinoa. I haven’t tried it myself, however I heard from a few folks that it’s a good gluten substitute.

Loobiya is a green bean stew with cubes of beef (or lamb) in a tomato sauce. It’s super healthy and flavourful. An easy to make dish, Loobiya is served with Arabic Rice and a side of yogurt. If you need a quick meal though you can use frozen beans and canned tomato sauce. Just reduce the cooking time after you add the green beans. By simmering the beef cubes for 20 minutes before adding the other ingredients you’ll be sure to have super tender meat!

Loobiya - Lebanese Green Bean and Tomato Stew (serves 4) Ingredients: 3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil, divided 10oz (300g) beef or lamb, cut into bite size pieces 1 tbsp (15g) salt 1 bay leaf 2lbs (1kg) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces 2lbs (1kg) tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped coriander 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup chopped red onion 3 tbsp (45g) tomato paste

Method: Heat 2 tbsp (30ml) oil on medium high in a large pot. Sauté onions until soft and slightly caramelized (10 minutes). Add garlic and coriander. Sauté until garlic becomes aromatic (1 minute). Remove from saucepan and set aside. Brown beef with remaining oil. Add 4 cups of water, salt, bay leaf and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat. Remove bay leaf. Add green beans, tomatoes, tomato paste and onion mixture. Return to boil on high heat then reduce to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until green beans are tender Serve over warm rice and with thick yogurt. Continued on next page

18 How hard can it be to make the perfect bowl of any rice? The recipe and technique are so easy! So, just follow directions and remember - DO NOT STIR! A quick note on the rice: for the tastiest Authentic Lebanese Rice, use Basmati, or if none, try Jasmine.

Perfect Lebanese Rice (serves 4) Ingredients 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1/4 cups Vermicelli Noodles 2 cups Basmati Rice (Jasmine will also work) 4 cups Water 2 tbsp Butter Salt

Method: Rinse the rice and drain. Sauté the vermicelli in vegetable oil until golden brown. Add rice and toast for 2 minutes. Add water and salt. Stir. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork or rice paddle. Stir in the butter. Cover the pot with a clean dish towel and replace the lid onto the pot. Allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes before serving.

This works well with Loobiya, or many other veg stew dishes. Nicky Akehurst Miserden Texels

Thank goodness Spring and Summer eventually take over from Winter, especially this year. Lambing went so well, with the first 140 ewes lambed in six days, with the help of wonderful staff, but then the threat of heavy snow a week later meant keeping 140 ewes with their lambs inside until it had passed. Animals have a wonderful sense of knowing when they are well off. There was little mis-mothering and most survived their incarceration well, although they would have preferred to be out in the fields, but it would have been tantamount to murder to have turned them out with the weather we were to have. Sadly it didn’t just come once, but bad weather came in continuous bouts. Eventually there was no alternative but to turn out the biggest, strongest as we still had a second lot to lamb and space was at a premi- um.

Continued on next page

19 Continued from previous page It’s at times like this that you realise how great friends and neighbours can be. Our lambing staff had moved on to work for others and Aub and I, working alone, were so tired with extra work thawing water troughs and battling through snowdrifts to feed that the thought of bedding up the sheds every day, when the rain and snow had soaked the straw, was hard. Then Susie and Tim, our closest neighbours, rang, offering any help they could. Arriving Saturday morning with freshly ground coffee and bacon rolls they allowed us the time to do all the outdoor feeding and bottle lambs while they bed- ded up the sheds and pens, giving the stock “clean sheets” for the night. It was wonderful and so kind and generous of them. That night it snowed again, the snow penetrating into every available nook and cranny, the beds soaked again the following morning. Then who should arrive but our lovely neighbours to bed everything up again! Thank you both. Eventually the weather has improved, the sun is shining and the grass has ap- peared green and succulent. The lambs are now starting to go on, although the setback from the weather will still bear its scars. Let’s hope that in a months time the lambs will be looking as good and they usually do.

Sheep Worrying

It’s what it says, worrying the sheep because they are faced with something they don’t know or understand. Our land at Sudgrove is covered in footpaths, which are well used, especially by local people. Please be aware that when sheep are in the fields they are “worried” by strange people and especially strange dogs on their territory. This worrying can be seen in many ways, from sheep that are lying in the shade of the trees on hot days standing up to look at threatened dangers to animals being distressed, damaged and killed by loose dogs. I’ve been amazed these last few months at how many dog owners feel they can ex- ercise their dogs through our fields, running loose. When approached and asked to put their dogs on leads they rarely have a lead with them and often seem amazed of our concern. “Oh my dog won’t chase sheep” is a common comment. It may not, but it will wor- ry the sheep because it is something they don’t understand. When our dogs run round them in the fields they are under instructions to move the sheep and do this gently and sensibly, stopping when the sheep are moving too fast, guiding them in the direction they should go. The sheep know to run ahead of the dogs to change fields or come into the yard, but these moves are done quietly and sensibly. Your dog, chasing around, will move the sheep and there are very few dogs that do not give chase when something runs away from it. All our gates have signs on them asking people to keep their dogs on leads. PLEASE follow this request. I don’t care if you’ve got a tiny Chihuahua or you’re walking your pack of gun dogs, they should be on leads when you go through fields with stock in, and you may not see the stock as you enter the field, but your dog may find them! Our latest casualty was a month old lamb, discovered on a Sunday afternoon, with a deep bite taken from his backside, probably after someone had walked their dog loose and it had run off! Two weeks of daily cleaning the wound and administering strong drugs and painkillers eventually paid off and the lamb has recovered. Often they don’t. Please be aware of the signs on the gates and keep your dogs on leads when on farmland. Sue Andrews

20 The Red Pill, the Blue Pill and Wireless Technology - which will you choose? In the cult film The Matrix (1999), main character Neo is offered the choice between a red pill and a blue pill by rebel leader Morpheus. The red pill will allow him to escape the enslavement and exploitation of a computer-simulated dream world (The Matrix). By escaping he will find freedom in the real world with all its hardships and brutal truths. The blue pill on the other hand offers a return to the dream world and a life spent in the blissful ignorance of illusion. Lost a little faith recently in social media over the safety of your personal data? Wondering whether, in today’s wirelessly connected world, it’s more than just your privacy at stake? Ready for the red pill, or happy with the blue? Here’s some product information to help you choose: First, the Blue Pill* · Wireless networks are easier to install than wired ones. · Wireless gives you increased mobility: you can sit anywhere in a building and still access your files over the internet. · You can add more users to a wireless network without having to spend money on additional cabling. The risk of tripping over trailing cables is eliminated. · Staff can bring their own computers to work, saving businesses money on hardware. · With wireless you can increase productivity: staff can work while they’re on the move, or at home in their own time. · Wireless hotspots enable people to connect to the internet when they’re away from the office or from home. You are rarely out of touch. · Wireless technology allows you to make free international calls and connect to anyone. · Fifth Generation (5G) wireless technology will be even faster than 4G and provide more reliable internet speeds. · Wireless technology can reduce business travel thus reducing carbon emissions. · Non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emitted by wireless devices is harmless and there is no plausible mechanism by which cell phones or Wi-Fi devices could cause cancer. Electro-hypersensitivity (EHS) is psychosomatic. · People who say wireless radiation is unsafe don’t understand the difference between ionizing and non- ionizing radiation. · We are now making everything wireless, from drones to hearing aids and tampons. In future we will be able to connect everything and everyone to the ‘Smart Grid’. 5G technology will make all of this possible.

Before you swallow, here’s the Red Pill: · Hundreds of peer-reviewed, non-industry funded scientific studies show that EMR emitted by mobile phones and phone masts, Wi-Fi routers, cordless phones, smart meters, baby monitors, fitbits etc. is harmful to human health and to the environment. · We are all electrical beings. Nerve impulses are electrical energy signals. We not only have electricity coursing through our bodies (from billions of nerve impulses), we generate and radiate our own electromagnetic fields. Man-made (MM) EMR interferes with these fields and disrupts our health and wellbeing. It also interferes with the navigation systems of bees and migratory animals. · EMR affects human nervous systems, brain chemistry and the blood-brain barrier. We have known this for decades. It can break DNA strands and is a cancer promoter. It causes infertility. Many people experience sleep disturbance, headaches, blood pressure variations, heart arrhythmia, tinnitus, impotence, mood swings and anxiety after exposure to wireless devices and phone mast EMR. · Between 3 and 5% of the population are now so sensitive to EMR they are unable to live a normal life. Wi-Fi is everywhere. So are mobiles. Sweden recognises EHS as an environmental disability; the Council of Europe want member states to provide white zones for EHS people. · Lloyd’s of London and Swiss Re consider wireless radiation to be among the most serious emerging risks for insurers. · MM EMR is different from natural background radiation. It pulses as it carries packets of information (e.g. videos, photos) and it is polarised. Humans and wildlife have not evolved to cope with it.

21 · MM EMR levels are now one quintillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000) times greater than natural levels and are rising each year. Current levels are ‘safe’ according to 1998 guidelines from the International Commit- tee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). ICNIRP is a private organisation with strong ties to the telecoms industry and the military. · Safety limits in the UK are based on ICNIRP guidelines. Other countries have abandoned these guidelines for far lower radiation exposure levels. · You cannot object to mobile phone masts on health grounds. · Last month (April) the UK government received £1.4 billion from telecom companies when it auctioned off 5G frequency bandwidths. It received £2.3 bn for 4G and £22.5 bn for 3G. · Focussed millimetre waves are being used by the military as non-lethal weapons for crowd control and defence. Radiation causes pain by triggering nerves in the skin. Future 5G networks will use the same frequencies. · The Cyprus government has produced YouTube videos on the dangers of EMR as part of a national public health information campaign. South Tyrol State Parliament (Austria) has voted to replace existing wireless networks in schools, preschools, hospitals, nursing homes and other public facilities with wired networks. France has banned Wi-Fi for under threes in nurseries, and is banning phones in schools from this September. In the UK a near media blackout exists on coverage of health risks. · In Quebec a Class Action suit has been filed against 50 respondents including the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of Quebec and around 40 corporations and manufacturers for their roles in exposing Canadians to harmful levels of wireless radiation. · In 2015 the wireless ‘cloud’ generated around 30 megatonnes (mt) of CO2 compared to 6 mt in 2012—the equivalent of 4.9 million new cars on the road. Energy consumption continues to rise. · More than 200 international scientists and experts have called for a moratorium on the rollout of 5G until safety issues surrounding wireless technology have been addressed.

So what’s it to be, the red pill or the blue pill? In the next edition of Parish Post you can either skip to the adverts or find out how to reduce your exposure to wireless EMR and keep your family and pets safe. Meanwhile, red pills (and information) are available from: the International EMF Alliance; the Environmental Health Trust; InPower Movement; Electrosensitivity UK and Stop Smart Meters UK. For blue pills contact: Wikipedia; the Public Health England; Cancer Research UK; the national press; the UK Government, major political parties and all trusted retailers with conflicts of interest. D.L. Britton

*Spot the two false statements. I wrote this piece because it’s clear to me that most people are unaware of what’s being called ‘the asbestos of the 21st century’. I wasn’t aware of this unfolding catastrophe myself until I started to join the dots. Three years ago I considered myself fortunate to be a fairly healthy individual. Then I started to get unusual symptoms - things that I had never experienced before like headaches, tinnitus, low energy, heart palpitations and a general feeling of malaise. These symptoms were worse in certain places and at certain times. I had a basic knowledge of the biological effects of EMR due to my scientific background and, wanting to learn more, I bought an EMF meter and began exploring my environment. The results were eye opening. I was able to work out why I was feeling so unwell, which devices were radiating and to find ways of reducing my exposure through alternative technologies and practices. Unfortunately I had to leave my home in Stroud as I was unable to tolerate my neighbours’ Wi-Fi and mobile phones and the EMR from a local phone mast. I found a house that needed renovating and moved to Whiteway where background levels of EMR are lower. The considerate and accommodating nature of Whiteway colonists means that I can lead a relatively normal life in the community - but only as long as I stay away from sources of EMR. Man made EMR is everywhere and levels will continue to increase in our homes and in the environment until the costs to humans and wildlife become so high we will have to pull back from the brink. Blanket coverage of the planet with Wi-Fi and 5G is on the cards – and with it unknown consequences to life - unless people become aware of the risks, weigh up health and wellbeing against convenience and join other communities around the world who are speaking out and demanding safer technology.

22 Editors Comments As always, thanks to all contributors including Stephen Pritchard for his work on the Miserden Parish Nature Survey Maps. It has been placed in the centre pages so it can be easily extracted and kept for future reference by anyone interested. During editing of this edition I had a bit of a panic as I managed to get locked out of the Editor's email address. After finally tracking down the person who knew the correct backup information I was able to gain access again. So for future reference for all contributors the Editor's email is fully reinstated. We have here in the parish of Miserden many talented artists, so it was suggested to me (by my wife) that the Parish Post might be a good place for artists to show their work - a favourite piece or one that has special meaning for them. The first is Mike Hawkes who lives in Whiteway. Finally, there follows a link to an article in the Daily Mail about the 3500 acre Knepp Cas- tle estate in West Sussex, which has been allowed to return to the wild. ‘Wilding’ is a very inter- esting and illuminating article, challenging many accepted conventions around both nature conservation and farming and well worth reading. I am afraid the link is rather long, but worth pursuing: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5640191/How-letting-Mother-Nature-reclaim-prime-farmland- produced-breathtaking-results.html Ed MISERDEN VILLAGE HALL

Hire Rates: If you reside within the Parish our Rates are as follows:- £9 per hour or £50 per day without the Kitchen facilities. £13 per hour or £75 per day using the Kitchen.

If you reside outside the Parish our Rates are:- £12 per hour or £70 per day without the Kitchen facilities. £16 per hour or £100 per day using the Kitchen. Book online at: [email protected]

23 PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS YOUR PARISH COUNCILLORS These are held on the 4th Thursday of each month at 7.30 pm. All members of If you need to contact your Parish council- the Parish are welcome to attend. Partici- lors for any reason please use the following pation is at the discretion of the Chair- contact details: man. Martin Ractliffe (Chairman) PLANNING APPLICATIONS Spindleholm, Sudgrove, Miserden,GL6 7JD Plans of any applications for property in 01285 821322 this Parish may be viewed by appointment [email protected] with the Parish Clerk. Email: [email protected] Russ Coles-Jones (Vice Chairman) Yew Tree Cottage, Wishanger, Miserden, GL6 7HX Miserden Parish Community Library 01285 821792 (at the Attic) [email protected] has moved for the Summer 2018 Rebecca Cameron (Clerk) to Whiteway Colony Hall and garden Saxon Cottage, Miserden, GL6 7JA [email protected] Opening times for everyone Wednesdays, 3.30 - 5.30 Gideon Duberley Norman Cottage, Miserden,GL6 7JA Book Group - 4th Thursday of the month 01285 821753 2.30 - 3.30 [email protected] Craft Group - to be arranged Jo Tait Wayside, Whiteway, GL6 7ER Volunteers always needed, always wel- 07515 395627 come! [email protected]

Richard Dangerfield DISCLAIMER Glade View, The Camp, GL6 7HN The views expressed in this magazine are not 07519 354108 necessarily the views of the Parish Council [email protected] except where specifically indicated. The editor reserves the right to edit or omit material. No PARISH POST CONTACT liability is accepted for any loss or damage Email:[email protected] arising from any omission of copy or Tel. - 01285 821872 (Hugh) or 821829 advertising. (Alan). A Friendly, Family Run Service

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