The Teddington Society NEWSLETTER No. 53 — MARCH 1986 TWO ITEMS FROM THE CHAIRMAN Are you aware of your environment? Of the wildlife that goes on around you in spite of the suburban hustle and bustle? We would like to stimulate your interest by having a competition in which we would ask you for a year to keep a nature diary, or some sort of record of a project: grey squirrels, bats, foxes, etc. The eighteenth century vicar of Teddington, Stephen Hales, suggested to Gilbert White that he keep a nature diary, and in a letter to Dames Barrington, White wrote, “If I was to attempt anything it would be somewhat of a natural history of my native parish — comprising a journal for a whole year and illustrated with large notes and observations. Such a beginning might induce more able naturalists to write the history of various districts.” In this area alone we have churchyards, railways sidings, Bushey Park, and the river. Professional naturalists rely on amateurs for much of their knowledge, so if you are interested contact me, Pat Counsell on 977 3735. Richmond Upon Thames Arts Council runs a poetry competition every year - this year’s is the 16th - for young people, aged between 11 and 18. To be eligible you have to either live or study in the Borough of Richmond. Each entrant may send in as many poems as they like for 50p, and entries must be in by 27th March. If you know of anyone who would like to enter a poem, please send their entries with 50p which goes towards the cost of the hall for the prize-giving and the prizes, to me, Mrs. P. Counsell, 19 Grove Terrace, Teddington, and I will send them to the judge, Brian Louis Pearce, Librarian of Richmond College in Twickenham, who is also a published poet. TREES AND GARDENS Teddington in Flower This year the need for more members of the Teddington Society to volunteer to open their gardens to the public for “Teddington in Flower” on the 22nd June, is urgent. Three of the gardens which have been on show over the past few years will no longer be available and what is a very popular event in the Society’s calendar may easily be in jeopardy. There must be lots of members who have attractive and interesting gardens, large or small, which they would enjoy showing to admiring visitors. The owners who already do participate get a lot of pleasure out of it and say it makes a target to aim for. Maybe you have a neighbour you could approach if you feel he or she fits the bill. Please do telephone me, Joan Freeman on 977 5767, before the end of March, which is when things start moving behind the scenes. I shall be so grateful. Gardeners’ Fair: Many of you will have remembered that as spring is coming, so is Gardeners’ Fair. This year it will be on Wednesday, 7th May. We shall need as many plants, rooted cuttings, seedlings and surplus garden stock as possible, as well as tools and equipment to fill our stalls. As before, there will be a Home Produce stall, and so jams, marmalades, cakes, biscuits, sweets etc. will be welcome. Last year the ‘buying’ was good, but could have gone on longer if there had been more ‘bringing’ ! Experts will be there to answer your gardening queries, be they about lawns, flowers, fruit or vegetables, and to identify unknown species (please bring a cutting). Squires and the Hospital League of Friends will be taking stalls, together with other organisations. Sue Stevens. 2. MEMBERSHIP Over three hundred paid-up members to date. Would it be too much to hope for the rest before the next newsletter? One or two conscientious members have paid twice - if you have a GREEN card you are already fully paid up until September 30th 1986. Any other colour is out of date! Mary Bennett PLANNING GROUP I was pleased to attend a meeting organised by the local residents association to discuss the High Street/Vicarage Road development with the architect. The drawings and slides shown confirmed my view, already expressed at the CAAC meeting, that the scheme is a vast improvement over the previous design and will greatly enhance that part of the town. Four sketch schemes, hastily prepared, for the development of St. Albans Church proved somewhat academic as the Public Inquiry has been postponed and formal planning submissions will now be made in due course giving people adequate time to fully study the proposals Of the informal schemes submitted I commented at the CAAC meeting, that two had design potential whilst the remainder should not be supported by the Planning Committee. One of our group is engaged on catalogueing the worst excesses of advertisement hoardings whilst another member is investigating shop signs in Broad Street and the general decline of that street’s frontages. It is hoped that certain events can be organised for Environment Week ‘86 in the form of an exhibition/activity walk/talk as this is a unique occasion for making people aware of their environment and encouraging them to join the Teddington Society. David Skipper ROSALIND SANFORD In the last newsletter Rosalind was thanked for her work as Editor over the years and now, as she takes a well-earned rest from the committee, it seems appropriate to remember some of the other ways in which she served the Society. As a founder member and an active member of the History group she has served on the committee throughout the first ten years acting for a time as treasurer and later membership secretary as well as editing the newsletter. But it is not so much for her work in office as for her indefatigable service behind the scenes that we have to thank her. Until recently it was always she who booked the hall and, on the afternoon of a meeting, collected the keys and such helpers as were available to set out chairs and screen and see that heating was turned on in the hall for the evening. She too organised the team of coffee servers and made sure that the equipment and ingredients were available for them to do the job (nobody has yet been found to take over this job) and at the end of the evening she would be among the last to leave, making sure that the lights were out and all safely locked before she returned the keys. In the early days when funds were scarce, her annual Book and Bric-a-Brac sale helped to keep us out of debt as did the trouble she took to keep down the expenses of printing the newsletter and membership cards and her enthusiasm and support for such imaginative events as Barn Dances and Cockney Evenings organised by the social working party at the time. The Society has much to thank her for and we hope she will long continue to enjoy with us the activities she has done so much to stimulate. 3. PROGRAMME OF EVENTS - SPRING/SUMMER 1986 All talks are illustrated by slides and take place at the St. John’s Ambulance Hall in Park Road at 8.00pm. Admission is 30p for Members and 50p for non-Members Friday, 21st March Talk: “The History and work Speaker: Mr. J.L.S.Keesing of Kew Gardens” of Kew Gardens Friday, 18th April Talk: “Burma Pilgrimage — Speaker: Mr. Alec Gibson, 40 Years On” ex-Chindit and P.O.W. Sunday, 27th April Visit to Crane Park and Guide: Mr. Robert Hills, our of Island Warden. Meet at 2.30pm at the Shot Tower. See below. Wednesday, 7th May Gardener’s Fair At the Methodist Church Hall at 8.00pm Wednesday, 21st May Visit to church and garden Meet at 2.00pm at entrance to of St. Mary at Lambeth (the church. See below. Tradescant Trust). Friday, 30th May Talk: “The Plight of the Speaker: Mrs. Zyllah Cooke, Mute Swan Founder of Save our Swans and Swan Nurse Sunday, 22nd June Teddington in Flower Gardens to be announced. Visits - How to get there Crane Park, 27th April : Meet at the Shot Tower, Crane Park (see map).The Park can be reached from Ellerman Avenue on the Whitton side which is useful for parking or by a No. 202 bus, and from the Hounslow Road, Hanworth, on the No. 111 bus route. Instructions received from Robert Hills say that stout footwear is advisable! St. Mary at Lambeth, 21st May : Meet in front of the church which is opposite Lambeth Bridge, south side on Albert Embankment. This can be reached easily by No. 507 bus from either Victoria Station or Waterloo Station, approximately 15 minutes ride. Bus stops opposite or outside church. Alternatively, by walking along the Embankment from Vauxhall Station (slow trains and very heavy road traffic). All we need now is to be favoured with fine weather for the outdoor events and good attendances at all. Eileen Hayden. 4. RIVERSIDE WORKING PARTY This group continues to meet on the second Wednesday of alternate months. The next meeting will be at 8 o’clock on Wednesday, 12th March at 83 Teddington Park Road. New members are always welcome. Attempts are still being made to persuade the Council to improve the seats in Manor Road Gardens, so far without much success. The Upper Tideway group of the River Thames Society, to which we belong, normally meets regularly on the last Tuesday of each month at the Fox Church Road, Twickenham, but the AGM on February 25th will take place at the Dysart Arms, Petersham Road, Richmond.