Cooksbridge, Offham & Hamsey

HAMSEY CHURCH: On Sunday it will be the second summer Evensong at Hamsey Church at 6pm. There will be no 8am Communion.

HOT DOGS: during the heat wave we were not the only ones wilting, as I had a few calls asking if I knew someone who did dog grooming as their dogs were needing attention. It so happened that I was able to give them a local one who used to live in Allington Lane but moved to Cooksbridge where she has just started up her dog grooming again. Lindsey’s Dog Grooming Tel: 07947 133577.

RAGWORT: The NFU is reminding livestock farmers that they need to watch out for ragwort. As many livestock owners will know it is a toxic plant that poses a risk to animal health, with fatal consequences in horses and other livestock. If it is found on land, the first step is to contact the land owner or manager. After that, Natural England can be notified and will investigate where it might spread to neighbouring land. Some years ago we had it blowing down from the Downs into our fields and when I contacted the farm manager, who was in charge of the area and rented it from the National Trust, I was told to pop up onto the Downs and clear it. You can imagine what my response was. The trouble is once it goes to seed and there is wind, it blows all over the place and before you know it, takes root again.

NEONICOTINOID NEWS: The NFU has expressed concern about the European Commission’s proposal to extend the ban of the insecticide to non-flowering crops. The neuro-active insecticides are widely used throughout the world but some reports suggest that pesticides cause damage to nature and are contributing to the decline in bees. However, the NFU defends this and believes there is no compelling evidence that the seed treatments are causing widespread declines in bee populations. A ban would severely impact winter cereals, sugar beet and vegetable production. The NFU Vice President has said: By denying UK farmers these key crop production tools, our competitors who have access to these produces are being gifted a market.

N WATCH: Although a lot of changes have taken place in the past few years regarding policing, I still have the faithful little team of Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators who are still the eyes and ears of our area. We no longer have a newsletter that used to keep us up to date. Unfortunately the age of the computer took over and those that do have one are expected to go online to find things out. Everything has to be done by email etc., which many people don’t like doing or won’t or can’t do. I used to regularly give an update on the list of co-ordinators and have recently been asked to do so. The following list is the names of the co-ordinators and the area that they cover, but I will not give their telephone numbers or addresses as they are all well known and we all know one another. Miss P Burchett, Chandlers Mead and Little Mead, Cooksbridge; James Thomas, Beechwood Lane, Cooksbridge; Marilyn Davis, Deadmantree Hill, Cooksbridge; Sue Wilson, Hamsey; Peta Brown, Hamsey; Sally Ann Smithson, part Cooksbridge; Jean Styles, part Offham; and myself (all of you know how to get in touch with me). All of the above co-ordinators were approved by Lewes Police. I originally started N Watch in 1983 for St John Without and then Offham wanted to be part of it, with Hamsey and Cooksbridge following on. The good thing is, after all these years, we all look after one another and keep in touch so that we all know what is going on around the area.

PLANT RECORDS: Have you ever spotted people with clipboards wandering along public footpaths, looking closely at the ground, scribbling something down and then wandering away? This strange behaviour is linked to a detailed study of our wild flowers by amateur botanists, as they gather plant records for the third Atlas of Britain and Ireland, organised by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI). All species are recorded, with lists generated from each two kilometre Ordnance Survey square. Unusual, threatened or rare species are recorded using a hand held GPS. But all records help to build a more complete picture of Britain’s flora. Around 15 million records have been collected by volunteers since 2001. Fieldwork finishes in three year’s time and it is not too late to get involved. If you know of an unusual plant on your land, or wish to know more about how you can contribute to the Atlas, please get in touch with Peter Stroh at [email protected]

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