February 2017 Supported by The Newsletter and “What’s On” Guide for Residents & Friends of Chelsfield Village VOLUNTEER WITH US The Hedgehog 2 Miller Mutterings 4 5 A Red Kite Sighting Chelsfield WW1 Casualties 6 SAMARITANS BROMLEY AND Like an Allotment? 7 Artisan Flower Workshops 7 ORPINGTON Fast Broadband Update 8 Welcome Cosima 8 War Diaries 9 Valentines Day Fraud 9 Information and Selection Day Village Voice Archives 11 th Women’s Day of Prayer 11 Saturday, 25 February, 2017 Riding School Dates 12 Stay Safe 12 starting at 10 a.m. Dial 55 12 Name These Cathedrals 13 Local History Group 13 Useful Contact Numbers 15 To find out more about our Dates for your Diary 16 information day and to receive an TALK TO application pack, CHELSFIELD - Tell us about your please contact us: Events We need your news, reports, Email: stories, photos, diary events, cartoons, etc. to continue to [email protected] make the Village Voice interesting and useful Phone: Recruitment Line Please send anything you feel suitable for the March 2017 07802 633757 issue to: [email protected] or post to: Chelsfield Village Voice Our Recruitment Team will 2 Bucks Cross Cottages respond to you promptly Chelsfield Village BR6 7RN by Friday 24th February 2017 February 2017 Page 2 The Hedgehog It may be just me but I a resident hog would help to modern farming don’t think hedgehogs to keep the slug numbers techniques and (Erinaceus europaeus ) on my plot down allowing gardeners’ use of slug are very common around me to avoid using any pellets although many of these parts. You rarely chemical methods. That these profess to be even see their remains did not work. Another harmless to animals. squashed by cars and time I placed one in a that’s usually a good sign friend’s garden in The other obvious danger of their numbers, even if Shoreham, again without is the common motor car not for the hedgehogs any luck. So, numbers and in the past I can themselves! seem to be very low remember many although last year’s instances of seeing the My last recollection of a bumper crop of slugs flat remains of these hedgehog around the must surely have helped animals on country roads. village must be about their prospects. This is something I rarely twenty years ago when I see now although this saw a mother being The hedgehog is one of may be due to them followed down the those nocturnal animals evolving away from the footpath of a neighbour’s that we are all familiar defence mechanism of garden by three very with but, as mentioned, rolling up into a defensive small carbon copies of few of us are likely to ball and simply running! herself. The lead have seen in recent youngster had its years. The name is an Young hedgehogs lose attention attracted by obvious one from which their spines which are some trinket and all three to derive its origin as it replaced with new (adult) of the young became spends a lot of time in ones and this process is involved. The mother and about hedges. The called ‘quilling’ although strode on until eventually name was first used confusingly hedgehogs she realised her parade around the fifteenth have spines not quills. was no longer with her century and has other Quills are hollow, barbed and had to turn to names such as hedge-pig and can be released at recollect both their and urchin which is also will and porcupines have attention and her parade. the name of newly born these. Hedgehogs have But that was a long time hedgehogs while the spines (about 5000 of ago and since then I have collective noun is an them) which are solid and tried to attract hedgehogs ‘array’ of hedgehogs. cannot be released at with nesting/hibernation will. boxes on a number of Over the decades there occasions without any has been a slow decline Natural predators are success at all. At one in the numbers of badgers and foxes and time I placed a box on my hedgehogs in Britain. the scarcity of hedgehogs allotment in the hope that This has been put down may be due to the large February 2017 Page 3 number of both of these of death, usually guard against during this animals in the local area occurring during period are male (Badgers Mount didn’t get hibernation. With hedgehogs, which will its name by luck)! warming winters one sometimes prey upon the would think that the young. They are also vulnerable hedgehog’s fortunes to adders although in this would improve but a Over the years there case it is the hedgehog hedgehog that wakes too have been many news looking to kill and eat the early uses valuable stories about hedgehogs snake. Interestingly, like calories and may well die becoming a nuisance on opossums and moles, if the weather cools again the Hebridean islands. hedgehogs have some or their usual food The problem stems from natural immunity against sources are not available. the 1970s when a small snake venom. number of hedgehogs Courtesy of ‘The Wildlife Trust’ were introduced to control the slugs in the postman’s greenhouse. They soon escaped and began to breed using the eggs of nesting birds as a food source. Initially hedgehogs were culled but around 2007 a better plan of relocating the hedgehogs to the Scottish mainland was implemented and this programme continues to this day such are the difficulties of catching European hedgehogs When spring does arrive every last hog! may live to ten years of the young are suckled by age, although the their mother until they are average life expectancy able to hunt for Many people may have in the wild is three years. themselves. They are heard of St Tiggywinkle In the winter they build a born in litters ranging hospital based in rudimentary den to from one to eleven. After Buckinghamshire which hibernate although it is so about four weeks, the became the world’s first basic that there does not mother will take the bespoke hedgehog unit in appear to be a proper young out on their first 1985 and was named name for it, so maybe we foraging trip and after ten after Beatrix Potter’s Mrs should just call it a days, the family will Tiggy-Winkle character. It hibernacula! Starvation is separate. Among the rescues all sorts of the most common cause predators females must injured wildlife but its best February 2017 Page 4 known for its work with and there may be up to quickly from the thin hedgehogs after a 500 fleas on one container sides as the drought in 1984 when the hedgehog but the specific heat may have rapidly hospital was asked to hedgehog flea rarely radiated to the cold give advice to the nation bites humans. ground leaving the centre via the news media. By still liquid. As the ice sheer coincidence, my One last thing! expanded on freezing it Gt-Gt-Gt Grandmother An additional point of would move towards the (Sarah Nash – Nee interest this month is the centre pushing slushy, Fountain) was born in photo below of an ice rapidly freezing water up 1806 in the same village spike (for want of a better as it went. I imagine the (Haddenham near name). During the cold process was quite quick. Aylesbury, Bucks) as St spell in mid-January I Steve Fuller Tiggywinkle’s hospital noticed that my rainfall February 2017 before moving to London monitor had completely as a child. frozen and was sporting a spike from its centre. One last piece of advice: don’t leave bread and There were no milk out for hedgehogs as overhanging trees or they are lactose similar means by which intolerant. If you believe the ice could accumulate hedgehogs are in your via a process of dripping garden and you want to water but one means has attract them then leave a occurred to me. I believe little cat or dog food. that the thin plastic Also, be warned: container’s shape is an hedgehogs are well important factor. The known for carrying fleas water may have frozen Mutterings From The Millers Yet again the weather with the refurb of the old wild bird proof has been has been cold but bright office. As it has been so extended to 28 th during January, better cold, it has been great to February. Not sure how than last year when we be under cover and get long I will be able to keep had a fair amount of rain. on with the skirting etc. my girls in the The ground has been A carpet has now been greenhouse, depends on hard so enabling the boys laid so nearly ready for the weather, so will have to do a little hedge use. to make alternative plans. cutting. Mainly they have The yolks have returned been delivering hay and The date for keeping to a darker yellow straw and carrying on chickens under cover and fortunately but they are February 2017 Page 5 still trying to escape as family. Lane until her death on soon as I open the door. 15 th November 1957. We found a diary George died as a result The pea straw buyer belonging to Steve’s of injuries sustained in a failed to keep his order so Great Grandma, Emily collision between an as we needed to get it and she noted that she army lorry and his car at moved and our local co- moved here on the 10 th the junction of Court operative has found a April 1899.