NEWS
Despite the Rain, things are happening…
Read the February newsletter and find out… See Dates for your Diary there and on the Events page.
Closure of the Horse Rides, 1st March
In order to maintain their status as Permissive Rides the Rides must be closed for 24 hours each year when no riding on the Commons is permitted. This will take place from dusk on 1st March to dusk on Monday 2nd March.
Another Year Ends
We started a new financial year on 1st November, thank you to all those members who have renewed their subscriptions. The last year was a good one, financially, for HCCPS thanks to the generosity of our members. Our accounts have been finalised and you can find these, together with the Treasurer’s report, here. They will be presented at the AGM on 21st April.
Pre- Christmas sale at the Cricket Club - Saturday 22 November
Thank you to all those who supported the Sale in the miserable weather. Once again, it was a great success and of enormous help in funding the annual work on the Commons. Many thanks too to the Cricket Club for the use of their clubhouse.
and.. our first Photographic Competition!
And the winners are…. Isobel Clark - First Prize, David Dennis - Second and Stephen Tricks - Third! That is, according to Andy Harris, our judge, but they were all excellent. Thank you all for your entries. Sadly, no children joined in - dispite the promise of a cash prize; pocket money must be too high! You have a whole year to take a good photo for the 2026 competition.
Commons Report
Janet Hopkinson provides occasional reports of life on the Commons (thank you, Janet) to be seen here.
‘Our Important Polinators’:
John Catton and David Dennis, Bee, Butterfly and Moth experts, gave excellent talks on the decline in insect life both globally and locally prior to the AGM last year. If you have not read their commentary you can find it here. Its well worth reading.
Emperor Moth caterpillars
Following the success of the first year, David Dennis and Isobel Clark continued their efforts tin 2025 to breed and release Emperor Moth caterpillars and release some on the Commons . Hopefully, we will see increasing numbers of them next year on their favorite hawthorn trees. See more on the Conservation pages
Heather on the Commons
Following some great work by Janet Hopkinson and a team of helpers last year all the bracken was removed from the heather beds and these were wonderful last Autumn, thank you! But, as bracken does, it has come back, so more work has been done. This will be one of the jobs for a working party next year, so we will be looking for volunteers.
Last year, before, during …. and after!
