Weybridge Society Your Residents’ Association – Working to keep Weybridge a pleasant place to live Spring 2011 Hon. Patron - Michael Aspel, OBE Why our river needs some TLS Would you like to join the Weybridge Society? ociety Chair, Barry Judd A survey of each area is under - By joining us you will be able to add your voice and weight to welcomed the 50 or so taken in a similar way to a our campaigns. The Society has been going for over 50 years members and friends to Conservation Area Appraisal, and and during that time has gained the respect of borough and the last meeting on strategies for implementing the S county councillors. We support new initiatives and guard December 8, and introduced Jason proposals are detailed. An exam - Debney, Co-ordinator of the ple of TLS work is the opening of against inappropriate development. We also work closely with Thames Landscape Strategy the view from Richmond Park to Neighbourhood Watch and the police to ensure a safe and (TLS) St Paul’s Cathedral – some 10 secure environment for all who live and work in Weybridge. Jason explained the background miles away. Towpaths are Please contact any member listed on Page 2 for details to the TLS which started in 1994, managed, litter collected, and even and covers the Thames area from the flotsam and jetsam left by full Kew to the middle of Hurst Park. moon high tides are gathered. The aim now is to increase this Jason Debney in Church Walk, This work has resulted in an 85% Blacksmith brothers retire area to Weybridge, ending at the Weybridge – an area he feels reduction in litter and is undertak - old Wey bridge and Town Lock of would benefit from a little TLS or en by volunteers, probation pris - the River Wey Navigation. maybe TLC oners and vulnerable young peo - The area around Richmond Hill landscapes in the world. ple. Vegetation is managed but not was known as the Arcadian Rural The TLS is not just a vision but ‘manicured,’ trees are cared for, Paradise, and the royal palaces a day to day link with potholes filled, street lights paint - along the Thames, with the other Environment Agency, National ed, scrub cleared, hedges layered large houses and estates connected Trust, and other funding partners, and planted. Biodiversity is man - the landscape for the nobility. 180 local groups, supported by a aged in different habitats – first by Gradually others enjoyed the rural grant of £76,000, plus £3,000 monitoring, then researching, and Thames, but over time the ‘rural from Surrey County Council and a then managed. The zebra mussel bliss and escape from the hustle generous £7,000 from Elmbridge from Russia is an example of a and bustle of city life’ was lost. Borough Council. There are three problem causing invasive species However, in 1902 local spaces members of staff, and £20m has – 5 years ago there were none, but were protected, and the landscape been raised since 2000. A stagger - recently in an area of one square connected, providing as Jason ing 160,000 volunteer hours have metre of river bed believed, the best parks and river been recorded. Please turn to Page 2 Thames Gate-Wey –still a way to go Tony Davis, the champion of the project on which from Walton Lane have been reduced to improve he has been working for more than five years sight lines and safety. writes that he has spoken with the environment Near the new moorings a large notice board Agency regarding the on-going maintenance of has been erected, and it remains to be seen if the new moorings and the plans to improve the Weybridge society will be able to display notices Fired-up for the last time, Derek and Ronald Anstead are finally car park by Weybridge Ladies Amateur rowing there – or if it will be purely for environment hanging up their hammers Photo by Simon Dray artist and photographer Club, also the bend by The Minnow (formerly Agency and bank-side information. MeMbers may remember es, 10 ship Yard, Weybridge. The Lincoln Arms Hotel) in Thames street. At the time of writing there are two directional that in the summer 2009 issue On 17 December 2010 they The environment Agency (eA) has undertaken notices – both pointing towards reading one in of the newsletter this business ceased trading – and ended a planting of trees and shrubs along the toepath each direction. It appears however to be a recy - was featured, with a photo - very long tradition of metal between this car park and the next one where the cled notice board from further up the Thames – graph of Derek and ronald work, ranging from the origi - picnic area and landscaping has already been very welcome in Weybridge nevertheless. Anstead taken by our mem - nal car body work to wrought undertaken. This work was through Tony’s lob - Tony hopes to recruit volunteers from ber raymond spary iron gates, fencing and bying of elmbridge borough Council and the eA Weybridge society to do some maintenance work, The brothers had our arti - railings, not to mention the on behalf of Weybridge society, which resulted in such as cutting back scrub and litter picking cle enlarged, and displayed many repairs to metal toys the eventual excellent outcome of this now much along our stretch of the towpath, once or twice a in the works for all to see. and household items! used area. stunning views of the river have been year. Please let him or the secretary know if you After many, years of work Their skills and friendship opened up, and the hedges around the entrance would like to help. and service to our area, the will be greatly missed, and it is Ansteads decided to retire certainly the passing of an era l Do you have a contribution for inclusion in the next newsletter? Maybe you or your friends are upon the ending of the lease – we wish them every involved in a local activity that may be of interest to our members. Email your contribution with on their blacksmith’s premis - happiness in their retirement. photos if possible to: [email protected] . Starting with WS in the header field. Carolyn Pennycook Please make a note of this date in your diary as this AGM, there are panel groups for education, transport, newsletter serves as the formal notice of the AGM. planning and marketing and the chair or lead representa - YOUR NEXT AGM The agenda, minutes of the previous AGM and chair - tive of each panel is a member of the main committee. The Annual General Meeting of Weybridge man’s report will be presented at the meeting. All those currently on the main committee are willing Society will be held on Following the business part of the meeting, members to stand again – Barry Judd, Derek Lindfield, Andrew are invited to submit ‘Any Questions’ to the officers, com - Davis, Carolyn Pennycook, Maggie Alderman, Anne Wednesday, April 13, 2011 mittee and panel members present. Lindsay, Raymond Spary, Richard Marshall, Annette at 8pm If you have a detailed question to which you would Davies, Trevor Tarring and Joe Hall. Officers (Chair, like an in-depth reply, please submit it to the Secretary in Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary) are elected at the in The Hall of Christ the Prince of advance of the meeting. Also any resolutions or nomina - first committee meeting after the AGM from the members Peace Church tions to serve on the main committee may also be sub - elected then. Individual responsibilities such as off Portmore Park Road, Weybridge mitted to the Secretary in writing before the meeting. In membership, distribution, events, etc, are also addition to the main committee which is elected at the confirmed at this meeting. www.weybridgesociety.org.uk or write to us at: Weybridge Society, PO Box 492, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 8WX 2 The Weybridge Society Newsletter – Spring 2011 Thames Landscape Strategy Remember women on March 8 Continued from page 0ne: 15,000 comments. hen i suggested a people from the village (that were found! Himalayan Balsam, All the strategies which had piece to mark the Weybridge then was) came to an extremely invasive plant, is been and continued to be imple - international feast, dance and leave their trou - cleared by volunteers. A rare mented in the Kew to Hurst Park Women’s Day bles behind. species, the ‘German hairy snail’ section of the Thames were W (iWD) centenary on 8th March, l Amy Gentry: Born in 1904, was discovered, and is now pro - anticipated for the Hurst Park to my Editor said fine but make it Amy learned her way around a tected and monitored. Bird Weybridge area, and a report relevant to Weybridge. My boat holidaying on Hamhaugh boxes are erected, and it is hoped would be drawn up by sum - heart sank. Not oNE cam - The Mimosa flower, a symbol of island. Women were not allowed to build a sand martin bank mer2011, when it would be pub - paigning KT13 woman sprang International Women’s Day to row competitively so there which will be monitored by web- lished after consultation. Jason to mind. Happily the wonderful small gift or flowers or wear a was no real outlet for Amy’s tal - cam. Bats are protected and mon - explained that involvement of staff at Elmbridge Museum Mimosa buttonhole to show ents, already very apparent itored street lights affect them local groups and volunteers was came to my rescue (thank you) solidarity with women in the when she took part in a regatta and a project to put up ‘bat essential for the success of the producing four, two of which World still fighting against in 1914.