The Hedleyhope Pages

The Hedleyhope Pages Hedleyhope Parish Council and Hedleyhope Community Association,The Village Hall, East Hedleyhope, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL13 4PS Hedleyhope is a small rural Parish one mile west of Waterhouses and eight miles from Durham City. It includes the small village of East Hedleyhope and a number of outlying farms – about 80 houses in all.
Hedleyhope Events
Little Green Hut Art Group Every Wednesday, Village Hall, 10 am – 12.00	Costs £2 - to cover the cost of Hall hire and 2 guest artists per term. ‘We work out a programme for each term between us so that everyone has an input into what we study. We like to study at least one artist per term. So far we've looked at Cezanne, Braque, Klimt, Beryl Cooke, Norman Cornish and Breughel. Anyone can join. You don't need experience just enthusiasm.’ For more information contact - 01388 730113

Works on the Nature Reserve.	Everyone welcome – you don’t have to be fit. Just work at your own pace and enjoy the craic! We can provide the tools. Saturday 17th October, 10.00am Hay raking near Village / Moving Soil off the Red Bridge / Litter Pick Meet near the double picnic tables. Bring your own rakes, wheel-barrows, pitch-forks etc if you have them! Saturday 14th November, 10.30am River Clean Up Meet at No 5 Rose Terrace. Walk back towards East Hedleyhope. Bring wheelbarrows, wellies, waders etc if you have them. Getting in the water is optional! Saturday 6th February, 10.00am Coppicing Trees and Clearing Branches Meet at No 5 Rose Terrace.

Children's Nature Club	Nature Club is most suitable for children under 10. Includes sessions inside and outside what ever the weather. Please wear clothing suitable for playing outdoors. Costs £1. Contact Clare Ross 01388 731553. 24th October ,6.00pm – 7.30pm Halloween Join us on a torch-lit walk to visit the Wizard of the Woods. Bring a torch and wrap up warm! 21st November, 10am – 12 noon Pets Party (NB as numbers of kids has fallen recently this will be the last under 10’s Nature Club session!) What is the difference between your pet and British wildlife? Bring your small pets – hamsters etc if you have them for the 1st session. Look out for wildlife in the outdoor session - followed by Christmas/final Party

Young Rangers NEW for 2010!	30th January 2pm Meet at East Hedleyhope Village Hall Outdoor Activities for older children including conservation work such as tree planting and fun activities such as orienteering. Young Rangers which is affiliated to Durham Wildlife Trust is suitable for 10 year olds and over. PLEASE BRING OLD CLOTHING AND WATERPROOFS. Costs £1 to cover refreshments etc. First session may involve tree planting in East Hedleyhope


Hedleyhope News
	Goodbye Nature Club… Due to falling numbers of children attending Nature Club we have decided to close this club for the time being after the Christmas Party on the 21st November. Since Nature Club started in September 2006 we have run 23 sessions with 38 different children. We have made bird boxes, planted trees, gone on bug hunts, introduced the Easter Egg Rolling competition and the annual Halloween event and lots more. Nature Club was also included in the Big Lottery film and was featured in several magazine articles. Unfortunately numbers of children attending Nature Club has fallen since this May, due in part to the sad loss of one of our Leaders - Liz Henderson (who went to live in Newcastle) the infrequency of the club (being bimonthly) and competition from lots of other Saturday morning activities (especially football coaching). So a big thank you to everyone who has attended and supported the club over the last 3 years. Hello Young Rangers… However some time ago we did make a commitment to try running a nature type club for the over 10’s. We will be running this from 2pm on Saturday afternoons. Young Rangers will still be bi-monthly as the Leaders often have other commitments at the weekends. The Young Rangers will also still continue to be affiliated to, and the Leaders checked by, Durham Wildlife Trust. With Young Rangers there will be an emphasis on meeting friends and enjoying the environment. There will not be any adult-led craft activities as hopefully the Young Rangers will set their own priorities for the type of projects they would like to get involved with. The first Young Rangers event is in January 2010. See the events listing. Works to Hedleyhill Colliery Wood Woodland Management The Forestry Commission have asked us to apply for a Woodland Improvement ‘Reversing Woodland Bird Decline’ Grant. The RSPB are a partner with the Forestry Commission in this Grant and it is the RSPB that requested that the Forestry Commission get us to apply for this funding as they believe we have a number of the 14 ‘declining’ bird species. We think we have at least three of these species visiting the Nature Reserve but If you are out and about and see any of the following throughout the year please let us know,: Redstart, Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Lesser Redpoll, Spotted Flycatcher, Woodcock, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Marsh Tit, Bullfinch and the rarer Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Hawfinch. You may have seen Matt Baker on ‘Countryfile’ a few weeks ago at his parent’s Farm, across the road from our Wood, advertising this grant. Mike Riley, from the Forestry Commission, who was seen with Matt, is our Forestry Commission adviser. Mike, the Woodland Officer, has always been incredibly helpful and supported our work over the last few years. Mike is now asking us not only to create a series of small clearings at the top of the wood but also to carry out thinning throughout the Wood, especially of the Silver Birch at the Rose Terrace end, over a period of several years. There are also other specific operations that we can do to help woodland birds. Funding for this will hopefully be available next Winter ie in 2010/2011. In the meantime we may do a small amount of coppicing ourselves over this winter – see events. Path Repairs As mentioned in the August Newsletter we had arranged to carry out improvements to the main path through the Wood. This work was to fill pot-holes and hollows and attempt to try and drain and improve the notorious muddy section. Unfortunately the weather was extremely unkind to us when the work was being carried out. After one of the driest and warmest September’s on record the heavens opened on the first day that the work was being carried out resulting in very wet and difficult conditions for the contractor. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the current muddy condition of the path and ask you to bear with us while the path and Wood settles down again.

As Seen on Youtube.	The Big Lottery Fund film made about the Community Association in November can be seen on Youtube. The real star of the show, showing BAFTA-like-talent was Geoff Dixon as the Wizard of the Woods (and himself also). Seven people were interviewed on the day and many people were filmed working and playing - but unfortunately not everyone who was filmed on the day could be shown in the final 3 minute video. Thank you to everyone who took part in the filming including the Ladies Club for providing hospitality for the film crew.

The Nature Reserve
	Hedleyhope Community Association manages a 28ha nature reserve on land leased from Durham County Council. The Nature Reserve, called Hedleyhill Colliery Wood and Meadow, includes woodland, meadow and riverside and incorporates two Sites of Nature Conservation Importance. The Association is currently seeking the designation of the Reserve as a Local Nature Reserve to secure its long-term legal protection. Volunteers from the Community Association regularly carry out a range of public events and conservation tasks on the Nature Reserve such as tree planting or coppicing. A children’s Nature Club also holds events on the Nature Reserve at least 7 times a year. For more information on the Children’s Nature Club, conservation tasks, walks, talks and meetings related to the Nature Reserve see the Events listings. He For more information on paths and what to look out for on the Nature Reserve see the Nature Reserve Leaflet For more information on the Nature Reserve contact – 07789352474 on Tue, Wed or Thurs during working hours.
Newsletter	October 2009
Hedleyhope Parish Council and Hedleyhope Community Association thank Waterhouses Community Association for kindly hosting "The Hedleyhope Pages"