FLEET POND LOCAL NATURE RESERVE

The early days of Fleet Pond. Part 3 Formation of the Society.A further selection of old photographs.

These include late-20th Century ones, from the time leading up to the formation of Fleet Pond Society in 1976.

We would like to record our thanks to Freddie Tuck, the first voluntary warden for Fleet Pond, for donating his file of press cuttings, letters and council

minutes to the Society archives Added for your further amusement and enlightenment may be a cartoon or

two.

The Pond becomes Council property.

•In January 1973 Fleet Urban District Council bought Fleet Pond from the Ministry of Defence for ₤10,000.

The Gelvert Stream 1974.

Soon after purchase the Council decided to widen and straighten the Gelvert Stream to allow a bridge to be built at Sandy Bay.This extended the footpath network but there was still no path along the northern edge.Photograph by Bill Wain

Gelvert Stream 1974 after straightening

• Photograph by Bill Wain

Before the Gelvert Stream was restructured to create a deeper, straight channel, it flowed into Fleet Pond by three distributary channels which formed a delta at the Pond edge.This helped to settle out some of the heaviermaterial before it reached the Pond main body. Photograph by Bill Wain 1974.

The risk to Fleet Pond of silting was recognised

very early in its life.

This is a press article from December 1975.

Volunteers try to make a difference to silt.

To try to protect the wildfowl roosts on Fir Tree Island, volunteers made several attempts to dig silt out of Sandy Bay. Freddie Tuck, the first Pond

Warden, organised a Scout Group for one such attempt. 1975

If fact they used wheelbarrows rather than buckets, but it was a big task and they could only hope to move a relatively small quantity.

Concern for the future of Fleet Pond grew throughout 1975.

Silt threatened to fill the pond and vandalism and rubbish dumping threatened the land areas.

More threats to the survival of Fleet Pond made headlines.

February 1976.

Pollution was another concern that increased public awareness and initiated the drive for an organisation that would speak for Fleet Pond and ensure its future.

Was 1976 going to see a new dawn for Fleet Pond after all the concerns?

January 1976 saw the first steps towardsprotecting Fleet Pond.

Kings Road Area Residents Association took the initiative and the subsequent meeting cost was met by Fleet & Crookham Civic Society.

A public meeting was called in February 1976 and the decisionwas taken to from a new group.

Interest in the formation of a new voluntary group to care for Fleet Pond was very encouraging.

The headlines in May 1976 suggested thatthere was new hope and enthusiasm for

the Pond. At last something positive wasbeing done to secure its future

The Nature Conservancy Council(later called English Nature and now

Natural England) gave their blessing.

On 28th April 1976 Fleet Pond Society was founded and Fleet Pond now had a group of people dedicated to ensuring its future for both local people and the wildlife to which it gave sanctuary.