Tuesday 21 February 2017

Butterflies

As a result of a very mild and sunny Saturday 18th of February there was, in these parts, a bit of a flush of butterflies. Having noticed some myself and read reports from my email box I began to, once again, think about butterflies and the forthcoming summer. 

Since retiring I have spent quite a lot of my spare time in the summer doing butterfly transect walks in two local woods for the Butterfly Conservation Society. This involves following a pre-planned walk which is divided up into sections. The walker records all butterflies seen in each section and then submits them to the central records office. This has been going on for some thirty years and has provided very valuable information into the butterfly population in general and the winners and losers, in particular, each year. It is a very pleasant way of spending a few hours a week and takes place between April and September.I have become hooked because this butterfly watching business gets very addictive. There is the constant hope that a, hitherto, unrecorded specimen will present itself. I always carry a camera with me and can, most of the time, get a picture of anything special. 

My particular love of butterflies, as with many things that make me tick, goes all the way back to my childhood days in Kingsley in general and to Mrs. Morris, my school teacher,in particular. For, as I have mentioned in previous articles, Mrs. Morris had a great love of the outdoors and the creatures which could be found around the village, on the common and in the pond. Our class room was usually well supplied with jars, tanks, and boxes of caterpillars, eggs from various moths and butterflies, fish, tadpoles etc etc. For me this was a great and abiding influence for which I remain forever grateful to that lady. 

That said, I guess, that like most people when holiday time comes around I find myself looking for a book or two to take with me. I am not generally into novels preferring rather more factual stuff. So it was last summer when I began my usual search for a couple of decent volumes to accompany me across the channel and divert me from all of the other boring things like drinking and eating etc. which holidays demand. Well I came across a gem, at least I think it is. As I shall relate, it came as something of a great surprise to me as much of the book relates to matters around Kingsley and North East Hampshire. 

The book, In Pursuit of Butterflies ….A fifty Year Affair, is written by Matthew Oates. Whilst I had come across his name, probably in a magazine or something, I was by no means familiar with him or his work. Matthew worked for many years as an adviser to the National Trust, his expertise being in matters relating to habitat and butterflies and moths. The book deals extensively with his school days and the more I read the more I warmed to Matthew as much of his school days were spent in pursuit of the same creatures I and the other pupils of Kingsley school had also pursued. 

Matthew lived near Selborne for several years and during that period he scoured a wide area in search of butterflies. At the top of his list was the magnificent Purple Emperor. A butterfly, incidentally, that I have never seen in the flesh. I found this all the more surprising as Matthew refers to populations of this butterfly in Alice Holt Forest and in the Straits enclosure which were areas that I frequented during the whole of my time in Kingsley. Whilst I knew there were butterflies, in those days, in great numbers, all around those places, I was blissfully unaware of the Emperors presence. Noar Hill, near Selborne, and the East Hampshire hangers feature extensively in the book. 

Frankly I was amazed that I had not come across Mr. Oates before or learned of his work, but hey ho, better late than never. It was a joy to spend holiday time in France reading of my old hunting grounds and all of the wonderful species to be found in the area. An easy and pleasant style of writing with plenty of humour and loads of local interest, I have confidence that anyone with an interest in that part of Hampshire and the flora and fauna living within it will not be disappointed with this book. Oh, and if you happen to like cricket, Matthew is an avid fan and the book contains bits and pieces relating to cricketing events. Don’t miss it. 

Kingsley Parish Council - CANCELLED

I am very sorry but the Kingsley Parish Council meeting scheduled for this Thursday, 23 Feb, has been cancelled.

Major works are being carried out at the Kingsley Centre and so rooms are not available for the meeting.

The Centre had warned us of this last year and so we are sorry for any inconvenience (and disappointment!) caused by this last minute cancellation.

If there is any matter that you were going to bring up at the meeting which cannot wait until the next meeting in March, please feel free to contact me or one of the Councillors.

Best regards

Chris Rigden
Chairman, Kingsley Parish Council

Saturday 18 February 2017

Kingsley Parish Council Thursday 23rd CANCELLED

Kingsley Parish Council on Thursday, 23rd February 2017 in the Kingsley Centre at 7.30pm

AGENDA

1. Chairman’s Opening Remarks
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Declarations of Personal/Prejudicial Interest
4. Public Question Time
Public Questions
Consideration of agenda items which will be open to public participation

5. Approval of Minutes of the Meetings held on 26th January 2017
6. Matters Arising

7. Planning Applications
Applications ongoing:
TAG Farnborough Airport Air Space Change Proposal
Update from Cllr Lowe regarding CAA Consultation meeting on Feb 17
54919/001 Land at Kingsley Golf Club, Forge Road, Sleaford, Bordon
Erection of 7 houses and 6 flats with associated car parking and external works
30633/030 Frith End Sand Quarry, Grooms Farm Lane, Frith End, Bordon GU35 0QR
Variation of condition 1 of planning permission 30633/019 to allow the continued importation, handling and re-sale of aggregates until 31 December 2022
30633/031 Frith End Sand Quarry, Grooms Farm Lane, Frith End, Bordon GU35 0QR
Variation of condition 2, 5 and 24 of planning permission F30633/012/CMA to revise the approved timing, working and restoration of sand extraction operations
27396/048 Old Park Farm, Forge Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9LU
B8 storage building after demolition of existing grain store/dryer
57024 Bakers Court, Forge Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NZ
Two detached buildings for use as offices and workshop
52947/003 Old Park Farm (Land to the East of Kingsley Sport Club, Sickles Lane) Kingsley, Bordon
Change of use of land for the siting of up to six tourism pods, car parking and general landscaping
New application:
52947/003 Old Park Farm (Land to the East of Kingsley Sports Club, Sickles Lane), Kingsley, Bordon
Change of use of land for the siting of up to six tourism pods, car parking and general landscaping (Amended plan received 01/02/17)

8. St Nicholas Cemetery & Cemetery Chapel
To receive an update from Cllr Rigden

9. Transport, Highways and Road Safety
Speedwatch update
Lengthsman Scheme
Discuss and decide whether to participate in the scheme for another year

10. Commons, Village Greens and Rights of Way
Lower Green
Update from Cllr Rigden in regards of obtaining legal advice concerning liabilities for giving
permission of utility supplies to run along across footpath 6 to Dale House and new stables.

11. Community Resilience
12. Environment and Biodiversity
13. Kingsley Village Forum
14. Housing, Business & Commerce
15. Review of Capital Projects
16. Communications
The correspondence received this month was listed & circulated to all Cllrs prior to the meeting.

17. Broadband
To receive an update from Cllr Coury & Cllr Clayton

18. District Councillor
19. Procedures, Finance and Payments
To discuss digitisation of Parish Council legal documents
To agree final budget for 2017/18
Payments to be made & Accounts to accept
February 2017 Payments to be authorised

Payment
Date Payee
Payment
Mode Description Amount
28/02/2017 Karine Nana Yonko BACS Clerk's February 2017 expenses invoice 0011-2016/17 85.00
28/02/2017 Karine Nana Yonko BACS Clerk's February 2017 salary 332.20
28/02/2017 HMRC BACS PAYE February 2017 3.80
28/02/2017 Kingsley Organisation BACS Amended invoice no 13335 dated 15/11/16 700.00
28/02/2017 Euroffice Ltd BACS Invoice 3086390 37.21
28/02/2017 CCP Groundcare BACS Invoice 11734 supply & fix 21 post at the allotments site 312.00

Date of Next Meeting of Kingsley Parish Council –
Thursday 23rd March 2017 – 7.30 pm at the Kingsley Centre