The Village of Wark

Archive for August, 2010

Wark Notes 6th August, 2010

August 3rd, 2010 |

Author: admin

A few members of the Town Hall Committee gathered in the Hall last Saturday to clear out the little office/ meeting room upstairs. That room has been used as overflow storage for quite a number of years, but now that the Library has been fully restored it seemed to make sense to get this small room next door refurbished as well. The intention is that the walls and ceilings will be re-plastered in the next few weeks. It is amazing how much rubbish had collected in that room over the years. Vicky and Steve Herod had already sorted the paperwork from the Mid Tyne Community Trust, but most of the rest was destined for the tip. One thing worth having is a whole series of lever arch files, box files and manazine storage boxes. If you’re interested in having some of those free of charge, you can contact Vicky herod on (01434) 230180.

Those of you with a keen eye may have spotted that Himalayan Balsam seems to have sprouted in the bank of the North Tyne. Himalayan Balsam is an introduced plant which has escaped from gardens and is rapidly colonising river banks and other areas of damp ground. It is an annual plant which grows to about 2 m with purplish-pink slipper shaped flowers around now. When the seed pods are mature, they explode when touched, scattering the seed. It is likely that the seeds are further spread by water movements. Himalayan Balsam forms dense stands which suppress the growth of grasses and native British plants leaving the banks bare of vegetation in autumn and winter and liable to erosion. To make sure it doesn’t end up covering the banks of the river completely it is worth pulling out any plants now and destroying them. Because it re-grows from seed every year, trying to control it after the seed pods have formed will not make any difference. The good news is that there is only a limited amount so far, mainly between the Creel and the bridge and if plenty people keep an eye out and pull them out when they do see any, it should be possible to get on top of them within a couple of years.

The Town hall will host a jumble sale on the afternoon of Saturday 14^{th August 2010. Always popular, this must surely be the cheapest entertainment in the region: for just 50p you get a chance to have a nose through and perhaps spot a great bargain, and for that money you get a cup of tea or coffee as well. The Jumble Sale starts at 2 p.m. and is in aid of Town Hall funds.}

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