bushley news

Every me I sit here wondering what to write on the front page I find myself thinking the same thing, that we are privileged to live in such a wonderful loca on.

The Snowdrops blooming, no doubt to be quickly follwed by Dafodills and Crocuses.

The occasional volery of Aegithalos Caudatus (Longtailed Tits to you and me), Blue Tits, Great Tits, not to men on Phil the Pheseant who struts his stuff on the pa o and the Great Spo ed Woodpecker that pecks at the wooden fascia to make sure I don't sleep too late!

All this and yet we live in a rural village on a short cut to nowhere and within easy reach of all the shops and facili es we need for modern life.

What a gi .......... long may it remain so!Ed.

No: 617February 2022

The Voice of the Village

Bushley News

First, a quick update on where we are with the building works at St Peter’s. The repairs to the tower stonework have taken much longer than expected, so the scaffolding remains in place un l that stage is completed. Meanwhile, I have had a mee ng with the loss adjuster regarding the internal plaster repairs, who has asked a firm of consul ng engineers to inves gate in more detail the damage caused by water ingress. That takes place on 1 February. I am hoping that, as a result, the insurance company will foot the bill for this par cular part of the works, the cost of which is es mated to be £18,000. I imagine that several months of work lie ahead, so we are unlikely to be back before Easter. We are also wai ng for permission from the Worcester Diocesan Advisory Commi ee, and from the Chancellor in London, to install a new soakaway on the north side of the churchyard. Our architect has advised that this will expedite the flow of water away from the building. Then there is the poten al stripping of the nave roof……..but I am unable to say anything useful about that at present!

February 2 marks an important fes val in the church year ‐ the Presenta on of Christ in the Temple, also known as Candlemas. Castlemorton School usually celebrates this by holding a Chris ngle Service in the church and the bright oranges, candles, red ribbon and sweets bring a welcome splash of colour and joy to what are o en experienced to be rather dreary days at this me of year. It so happens that I have a bap sm to perform on 13 February at St Gregory’s so I shall have this fes val very much in mind as yet another infant is presented to the Lord. When Jesus’ parents brought him to the Temple eight days a er his birth, they must have been astonished to hear the things said about him by Simeon and by Anna. Both these prophets were elderly but they realised that they had been allowed the ines mable privilege of witnessing the fulfilment of centuries of prophecies that had foretold the coming of a Messiah. Kings and prophets had spoken of these things but not lived to see them. Furthermore, Simeon could not have foreseen that the words he u ered on that occasion, known to Chris ans down the ages as the Nunc Dimi s, have been said all over the world every Sunday for two thousand years! Anna, having reached the age of 84, experienced the greatest moment of her long life as she spoke to all present about the significance of this child. Age is no barrier to being used by God, a great encouragement to us all!

So, for my verse of the month, I have chosen Luke 2. 29 ‐ 32. ‘Lord, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salva on, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revela on to the Gen lesand for glory to your people Israel.’

Rev. Chris Moss

01684 833152

07590 573519

[email protected]

The View from the Pulpit

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Jo ngs of a Re red Country GP

Educa on is a strange part of one’s life. Finish full me educa on and ‘the world is your oyster’, or so the saying goes. But once one finishes formal educa on learning begins. And so it is with medical educa on. The essen al learning of facts, drug dosages, links between certain symptoms and the knowledge of many illnesses is what medical educa on is about. But the real value of learning comes from experience which can be found before or a er the educa on period.Sixth form students are seeking ‘work experience’ at this me and many have applied to work in the NHS. They cannot expect to ‘do’ very much but the experience of joining a team and keeping their eyes and minds open can be invaluable for the future. A wise doctor made me put on a white coat and help in a children’s hospital for physically handicapped kids when I had just started pre‐clinical training. That exposure to hands‐on work with real pa ents was invaluable experience for life as a GP. I was not going to be a nurse, but insight into what was involved looking a er young pa ents for even a few weeks was invaluable learning experience.Once launched on my GP career, two experiences were helpful towards greater understanding of my work. Such experiences are the sort that we all come across and should use as a learning experience rather than a nuisance. The first was having my own family. Our own experience in bringing up our first born did help me understand the 24 hour commitment to a young family be er than any textbook or lecture. From this experience one learnt that the pa ent and his/her carer knows far more about what is wrong than all my knowledge and bookwork. First lesson – listen to the pa ent! The second episode

came a few months into my work here when I caught Infec ous Hepa s {Hep A or jaundice} from a family with this illness. I have never felt so ill! The experience made me realise just how unwell a sick person with a fairly common illness can feel and appreciate their suffering. Experience ‘on the hoof’, as it were, is so valuable!One is never too old to learn so long as you are willing to take in the experience as a learning curve rather than an inconvenience.

Covid has been an experience for many, me included. Most have felt no worse than a bad sore throat and a heavy cold. The most common features of Omicron are apparently sore throat, runny nose and general aches – loss of smell is way down the list. But do not be fooled! Covid can be as lethal as ‘ordinary’ flu. It can turn damaged lungs into a hotbed for pneumonia which, if added to other ailments that the pa ent may already have, becomes a serious ma er needing hospital treatment. This may include X‐rays of the chest, regular physiotherapy to shake the rubbish out of the lungs, constant oxygen to keep up the level in the blood enough to keep the body func oning, or even a move to ICU. Here the pa ent is put into an induced coma and oxygen is fed directly into the lungs. This is pre y drama c stuff involving lots of staff and equipment, and takes a lot out of the pa ent. Why risk this scenario? Get the jab and don’t overload the emergency services, don’t imperil those around you or more par cularly don’t risk your own safety.For my Covid experience I got away with only a sore throat for a couple of days and a lingering light cold. The worst part is the isola on, which is in itself a learning experience – to keep oneself mentally and physically ac ve.

Andrew Crowther3

Another dry month with hardly a frost worth men oning. Going into February with mild weather forecast for the first week or more leaves me wondering when winter will come this year. Personally, I prefer winter weather in December and January rather than March, but as we all know, we have to take, and cope with, what comes. One worry is that, ‘when it rains it won’t know when to stop’, as happens so o en these days. Ben has had sheep grazing our meadows for several weeks, which have done a wonderful job se ng the grassland up for the spring. The last thing we want is a late, prolonged flood, messing up the good work done.Details of the latest systems delivering farm support in England are slowly coming through. As this is delivered by the devolved governments, Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland have different schemes. The proposed Agriculture Transi on schemes will phase out and eventually replace the Basic Payment Scheme, which was implemented across, and funded by Europe. They will place a greater emphasis on environmental ma ers than food produc on, but at a lower rate. This has obviously raised concerns over ‘food security’ and the future viability of many farms. Successive governments since the Second World War have subsidised farmers so that plen ful, cheap food could be produced, prices not fully reflec ng the cost of produc on, arguably more so now than ever before. Among farmers there seem to be two trains of thought; No. 1, embrace the new schemes and ‘milk’ them for all they’re worth. No. 2, ignore the schemes and go for all out produc on. I don’t think that this is

the outcome most people would hope for, and more work needs to be done to offer a range of schemes to deliver a be er result. The past year has seen “incredible levels of public support for domes c food”, according to NFU

president, Mine e Ba ers, “The future depends on farm businesses being profitable and resilient.” Now is not the me to mess that up!The UK government has ‘signed off’ the trade deal with Australia, agreed in principle a few months ago. The NFU believes it will “heap pressure” on UK farm businesses, while doing li le to prevent imports of sub‐standard food. There seems to be “extremely li le to benefit Bri sh farmers” in a “one‐sided deal”. “The Australians have achieved all they have asked for and Bri sh farmers are le wondering what has been secured for them.”DEFRA has announced that 30,000 visas will be available for seasonal workers to come to the UK for up to six months to pick seasonal crops, mainly fruit and vegetables, but including flowers for the first me. They also added that the numbers will be kept under review as part of a transi on to “employing and priori sing domes c workers.” Good luck with that! In addi on, up to 800 visas will be available for skilled overseas butchers to help clear the backlog in the UK pig supply chain. It is es mated that 30,000 pigs were wasted by December because of the labour shortage.We are no longer in a badger cull zone, having been in the ini al West Gloucestershire area since the pilot cull started 9 years ago. What was learnt from the ini al culls formed the basis of the TB eradica on policy in England, which now covers over 30,000 square kilometres

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View from the farm

Cont’d on page 5

A ernoon Talks at Castlemorton Parish Hall

These talks are given by volunteers to raise funds for

the maintenance and improvement of the Parish Hall.

They last about an hour, with an opportunity to talk to

the speakers and ask ques ons.

15 February 2022 2.30pm

A Hitchhikers Guide to the NHS

Ben Kent ‐ Prac ce Manager, Upton upon Severn Surgery

This talk will cover topics from the new NHS structure, plans for the future of primary care

and simple steps you can take to prepare for an appointment with your GP. Ben will also

explain how local GP Surgeries are changing and what that means for pa ents.

1 March 2022 2.30pm

Shamus Heeney, poet ‐ An extraordinary man in ordinary clothing

David Fawbert – re red Modern Languages Teacher and former Head of The Chase School

David offers insights into the background and poetry of a man born into a modest Mid‐

Ulster minority Catholic farming family in 1939 who was awarded the Nobel Prize for

Literature in 1995.

Admission is £5

Tuesdays 2 for 2.30pm

Tea and coffee provided

[about 7.5 million acres] in 63 zones. The number of new confirmed outbreaks of Bovine TB on farms in 2020 was 67% lower than the average of the 4 years preceding the cull, a much greater reduc on than originally predicted and back to levels of 20 years ago. Farmers in this area are being

offered vaccina on of badgers to guage the effec veness and, hopefully not lose the benefit gained, as the badger popula on recovers in numbers.Let’s hope that spring is on it’s way!

Tim Perry

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Cont’d frompage 4

6

Queen Elizabeth 2 Pla num jubilee is celebrated throughout

2022Bushley Parish, like many others will be plan ng

trees to mark the occasion.

The queen’s silver jubilee was marked by us, by

the dedica on of an exis ng young Oak tree

growing alongside the double bench seat on the

‘Green’ opposite the Millennium Stone.

This jubilee, trees will be included in ‘The

Queen’s Canopy’ ini a ve. It is proposed to

plant ten trees upon ‘Windmill Tump’. The trees

will be seven English Oaks and three Sweet

Chestnut reflec ng the earlier plan ng. The

exis ng trees are in steep decline with some

standing dead others already gone; I remember

the lost trees, all English Oaks. The remaining

trees are Mostly English Oaks, with one Sweet

Chestnut and growing from the spot of the

ancient mill’s post is a Turkey Oak. Turkey Oaks,

it is believed were introduced from 1735 and

were extensively planted throughout the

wealthy estates. Maybe these trees were

planted to celebrate a George 11 or George 111

achievement, or perhaps William Dowdeswell’s

appointment as Chancellor of the Exchequer in

1765. But then it was Thomas Dowdeswell

towards the end of the 18th century who

modernised the old Pull Court building and Deer

Park.

Right, so I currently have the baton, and this is

an effort to move it forward. We currently have

permission from the Forthampton Estate to

plant the trees, with some provisions. We must

look a er the trees, not least by effec vely

guarding them against animals [££££s].

Total cost to us will be around £750.00, that is

something over three pounds each; however,

there is already about £250.00 promised, how

about being part of our effort, please? There is

something else, the plan ng is DIY and the

guard posts will take some knocking in; dates to

be arranged. If you are able to help in any way

please message me or one of our councillors,

Mar n Roberts

Tel 01684299457

e‐mail mar n958roberts@b nternet.com

7

In one of Mar n's splendid pieces about our local area he men oned the "trees at Windmill Tump" and it has been suggested that some folk may not actually know where that is. So Nigel has kindly provided a map loca ng that for us.Actually I rather like coming across unfamiliar names and places and then researching them before actually visi ng them. Ed.

Concluding our cycling ac vi es for 2021 we were joined by our long suffering ‘other

halves’. I should quickly add, not on their bikes, but at our Christmas bash in The Farmers Arms Birtsmorton. As ever, Neil did us proudly with a 4 course feast, gallons of Old Hooky and concluding with a glass or 2 of his finest port ! It is a very special pub and although the mood in the country is for change please leave the delights of our country pubs alone and importantly do support them.Our mileage during the winter is restricted to 20 plus a few due to short days and a respect for the age of our group. The loca on of the lunch refreshments reflects this excuse but there are s ll some great pubs to visit within this range. The nearest pub to Bushley, The Hunters Inn, has changed ownership and is now run by Geof and Kate. We will miss Caroline and wish her every happiness in the future. The menu does not seem to have changed and is fine, I had the lasagne which did not suit me but that is my palate as everyone else enjoyed it. You may have come to a false conclusion that our ride was just 4 miles. Wrong, we do always put a loop in and work up an appe te to jus fy our intake. Our journeys are normally on the west bank of the Severn as there is remarkably less traffic. I saw an advert in the Tewkesbury

press that The Royal Hop Pole had a Burns Lunch on their menu. T R H P is not generally on our visi ng list. Having checked before we set off that they had necessary supplies, we peddled off. We cycled through Forthampton, Chacely, Tirley, Apperley, Deerhurst, Stoke Orchard, Tredington arriving at T R H P having done 19 miles. It is not normal for us to lock our bikes up but it is be er to be safe than sorry and we did not

want to walk home. The pub was heaving with people, young mums pushing prams, grannies pushing zimmer frames and us! We are normally joined by a couple of less athle c ex‐cyclists who eventually found us in a small screened off area si ng around a round table to

which we added 2 more chairs. Our techie ‘non ‐wheel changing’ buddy tried several

mes to use the pub app but finally decided that we were going to die of thirst and famine it was taking so long. A walk to the bar to order the haggis etc for 5 and fish and

chips for one and within minutes it had arrived. One Beer included followed by a second @ 99p a pint. Meal plus drinks £9.00 each, unbelievable! Tim Mar n may not be everyone’s cup of

tea but Wetherspoons provides an amazing experience of warmth, inexpensive food and drink for folks who would not be able to afford the alterna ves in town. T R H P is a wonderful building but could do with be er ligh ng, one of our non‐ cyclists could not find us in the doom and returned home to a plate of cold food!

Happy and safe cycling.Keith Davis

A View from the Saddle

8

Trees in GardensMar n is wri ng in this issue about trees in the landscape, and we’re all thinking about trees for Her Maj in this the very important Jubilee year.

We all know the importance of trees in providing habitat, enjoyment, shelter and carbon capture. So how to choose trees for the smaller garden?

I have planted various trees here and have to be careful that they don’t outgrow their space. Fruit trees are gra ed onto various different rootstocks and it’s important to choose a rootstock that allows the tree to not outgrow whatever space you have. Most apples are grown on rootstocks which have a number a er an M (M being for Malling where the science of rootstocks was promulgated in the last century. Maddeningly the numbers don’t follow a progressive numerical sequence but reflect the date when that rootstock was developed. M25 is vigorous—plant it at your peril. But M27 is extremely dwarfing. M9 is the best known… however, labelling by nurseries gives you the informa on that you need about what the ul mate height is likely to be and other considera ons, such as what sort of soil to plant in. Never fear, however, just plant them and let the next genera on worry.

Ornamental trees are also an asset to your garden and can be planted in the ground, or indeed some in suitable containers. Looking on the internet gives a whole host of ideas of trees that can be grown in containers.

Hedges too are a good source of habitat, shelter and carbon capture. Another way of greening up your space, adding coolness and shade in this increasingly warming climate.

All trees, shrubs and hedges need some sort of maintenance and I have just been pruning the apple and pear trees. I remember the 80 year old lady who worked on the farm opposite where I lived. You’d see her at this season out

there, respectably dressed in skirt and jacket, ‐‐ no modern nonsense with trousers on the nether regions of a Female Form—whipping along the lines of Coxes in the orchard and reducing them to orderliness in a twinkling or jiffy.

Meanwhile, apparently Valen ne’s Day is the day when the dreaded slugs and snails go about their hermaphrodi c endeavours to increase their numbers and is the me—if you use slug pellets—to do so. I try, as far as possible, to garden organically but there are some things that have to Be Dealt With.

I’ve decided this year that I won’t be growing sweetcorn as the local squirrels, pigeons and pheasant are a force to be reckoned with. So, I’ve just bought some Pink Fir Apple spuds ready to chit and plant out a bit later. They’re buried, you li le blighters, so go elsewhere for sustenance.

Ge ng back to hedges, the garden maintenance team have done some severe renewal pruning on a beech hedge that shields our Biodisc. The hedge had got so fat (I blame Covid) that it was a danger to Man and Machine when it came to chopping. Cu ng severely back into one side and the top has worked its magic and no doubt renewal will take place very shortly. Surprising how you can hack at something and the something just shrugs its li le hor cultural shoulders and just keeps going. Nature is pre y marvellous, ain’t it?

My neighbour was an absolute star on my birthday invi ng me to breakfast—the Full English, long me since I’ve had Black Pudding, And then insisted on buying me a Tree Peony which I have planted in the front so she (and Archie, her dog) can enjoy it too.

Just as well it wasn’t a bamboo—did you read that story in the press of the house that was almost terminally damaged by a neighbour’s bamboo coming through the floors and walls?

Penelope Tubbs

9

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Castlemorton Environmental Ac on GroupEnvironmental Forum

Living with a Heat Pump

Oil and gas boilers are being phased out in order to decrease CO2 emissions and reduce global warming.

Would you like to find out more about air and ground source heat pumps?

A brief introduc on will be given before the discussion. The event is not related to any commercial interest. Just come and

talk to local residents who have done it and bear the laurels and the scars!

Free entry with tea or coffee and biscuits provided.

Castlemorton Parish Hall Tuesday 22nd February at 7:30

This event is sponsored by Castlemorton Parish Council

Come and talk to the people who actually have them:• the advantages.• the problems.• the results.• the pi alls on the route to success.• the running cost.

In Touch with NatureThere has been lots of Rooks joining in the

fun with the Jackdaws over Moss Green

wood, I did wonder if the Rooks might

consider the Lime trees as poten al nes ng

sites. A close look at the twig structure at the

branch ends suggests a lack of density and a

certain fragility, so perhaps not the best

choice, how we all miss the tall Elms.

I think it was storm ‘Barra’ that finally

brought down that beau ful dead Oak that

had stood naked for many years upon

Windmill Tump. Dead trees whilst s ll

standing, provide the eye with fascina ng

pleasure, they also provide a renewed wildlife

resource; of course, in a public space they are

considered dangerous. Once a tree has fallen,

Nature thrives on its decomposi on.

TV’s Winter Watch has highlighted the

demise of the common Eel; as a youngster I

well remember baths full of elvers being sold

door to door at half a crown a pint; bootlaces

[ small eels] were a posi ve nuisance to us

boys fishing, and in the ‘fish pool’

enumerable big Eels for the ea ng. Just

another nature disaster as a result of our

ac vity.

Up early and at the

kitchen window, there’s

an unusual bird beneath

the feeders, need my

glasses, it’s a Jay, now in the plum tree, what

a beau ful crow, obviously trying to figure

out how to get at the peanuts; a Great

spo ed woodpecker is on the feeder,” got it,

you chip the peanuts and I’ll pick the pieces

off the ground”. Another new visitor to the

garden this Winter is a Moorhen, regularly

foraging below the feeders and spending

me in the garden ponds; wrecking the

ornamental vegeta on around the fish pool

faster than the Heron can eat the Goldfish.

Spring is approaching, what will it bring us?

Will some of our countryside be allowed to

support more wildlife through an agricultural

land management scheme, or will the higher

ground a ract residen al development, what

a thought.

S ll the guns should now fall silent, at least

for the Pheasants; the scavengers will now

have to rely on traffic to provide the carcases.

Best sigh ng has been the Jay, several mes.

Mar n R

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An

ENJOYABLE SOCIABLE EVENING

INDOOR BOWLS

We’re Happy to say welcome to 4 New Members!!

Come and Join us

MONDAY EVENINGSBUSHLEY VILLAGE HALL

PHONE Terry Clark on 01684 274 329 for more informa onOr pop along on Monday a er 7.30 pm

You will be most welcome.

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The Ancient Parish of Ripple Trust

Are you interested in suppor ng your local community?Would you like to be involved with this historic charity?

Can you spare 6 hours per year?

The Ancient Parish of Ripple Trust is looking to recruit two new Trustees.As a registered charity, the Trust provides valuable support to local

residents. Income from financial investments and land rental is used to provide financial support to those in need and educa onal grants to

students.

The Trust currently has six Trustees and meets no more than 3 mes a year. If you live in the Parishes of Ripple, Bushley, Queenhill or Holdfast

and would like to find out more about becoming a Trustee, please contact the Clerk to the Trustees

Mrs Vicky Woodham, tel: 01684 591567,e‐mail: vwoodham09@b nternet.com

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If you have an item of news

please send it for considera on to the

editor at:

[email protected]

The views expressed herein are not

necessarily those of the editor unless

signed Ed.

In accordance with editorial policy the

editor’s decision is final.

The Bushley Village News may also be

viewed online at

h ps://e‐services.worcestershire.gov.uk/

MyParish/Publica ons.aspx?ParishID=60

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Day Date Event Time Loca on

Mon 14 Indoor Bowls Club 7:30pm

Bushley Village Hall

Tues 15Cra Workshop

(collabora ve S tch Story)7:30pm

Weds 16 Pilates9:30 ‐ 10:30 am10:30 ‐ 11:30 am


Weds 23 Pilates9:30 ‐ 10:30 am

10:30 ‐ 11:30 am


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THE BUSHLEY DIARYYour guide to Activities in the Village

February

March

Day Date Event Time Loca on

Fri 4 Cricket Club Social Evening 7:30pm

Bushley Village Hall


Weds 9 Pilates9:30 ‐ 10:30 am

10:30 ‐ 11:30 am


Tues 15

Cra Workshop(paper folding to make Kusudama flowers)

7:30pm

Cricket Club

bushley news

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