Student Filming in
Selsdon Wood 9th/11th November 2015
In November
our wood had a visit form a group of students in Filmmaking, at Kingston University. They were led by Jade
Lederer who was shooting an adaptation of "The Wonderful Musician", a
Grimm's fairytale as part of her assessed coursework. We gave her and her art
director a tour of the wood looking for suitable locations and after they had
cleared everything with the Council they came to film on 9th and 11th
of November. The weather was kind to them on both days and I saw them
shooting by one of our significant landmarks (see right) at the junction of Bluebell Grove
and The Wend on Monday and near the Monster Trees in Beech Grove on Wednesday (see below). We are told that the film will be available on the web in due
course and we shall be sure to let you know when it appears.
Beavers Litter Pick in Fox Shaw - 30th September 2015
Around 25 Beaver Scouts supported by 8 teenage Explorer Scouts and half a dozen leaders and parents assembled in Quail Gardens by
the footpath to Selsdon Wood at 5.30pm on Wednesday 30th September. The objective was a litter pick in Fox Shaw and also along a stretch of the London Loop and Vanguard Way running along footpath 515. The Croydon Clean and Green team handed out lots of litter-pickers, collecting bags and gloves and hi-viz jackets for the children to wear. All the children were also fitted with Fantastic Foxes badges (see right).
After about 30 minutes of successful litter hunting in Fox Shaw we regrouped (see the photo below) and walked into the wood and along Vale Border in the direction of Yew Tree Way. We stopped by the badger setts and fox holes where the lovely picture of a baby fox used on our badge was taken (by FSW member and Photo Competition regular Sheila Woolcock in the spring of this year). We showed the children the full photograph and explained where it was taken and pointed out the badger diggings. We then walked along the London Loop footpath to Goldfinch Road picking up a huge amount of litter along the way. We pretty much managed to fill the Council van with the results of our work and all went our separate ways at 6.30pm after a very fruitful hour.
A big thanks you to Diana Walters and the 5th Selsdon and Addington Beavers group and to Tracey Bellamy and the Croydon Clean and Green Team for all their support.
Open Day 2015 - 13th September - report from Ted Forsyth
Having watched weather forecasts slowly improving over the
last days and even hours before Sunday’s opening, it was with some optimism
that I got to the car park at 8.30am. I opened up the toilet block and the gates to the extension car park
then checked Linda’s marking out of the various stalls.
Over the next half an hour most of the
FSW Committee arrived with husbands, daughters and granddaughters in tow, joined by Richard Lock,
Simon Morris and Joseph Stone, and later one or two others who would help on
the stalls. Our trolley, with its
colourful new wheels, was in use to ferry gazebos and other heavy items from
the toolstore and, as the gazebos rose in their positions, a constant stream of
materials came from cars and store. I helped David erect his impressive display of the work we do in the
wood (see right) then directed the various stall holders to their places.
The woodworking group alone had seven
cars, all of which we were able to retain behind their marquee, as we did with
all the other stall holders vehicles. This helped to give an impression of a much bigger event and was only
possible because the grass cutting had been so well done this year. I was given the notice indicating where
to meet for the walks and was about to attach it to the bear when I saw that
the refreshment vehicle was stuck behind the entrance barrier which was still
closed as I had not expected a high vehicle. I soon managed to open that then got back to the bear only
to discover that the string had been cut last year and no longer fitted round
the bear. That was sorted out by
attaching a longer piece (and at the end of the day it was removed without
cutting!).
When I pay for items
using cash I frequently get a handful of 1p, 2p and 5p as change and usually
throw them into a container in a drawer. I had no idea what I intended to do with them eventually but decided to
spread them around the collection buckets so that we began with something in
the buckets to encourage others to donate.
By now it was getting close to the first walk so I wandered
over to the bear and was joined by a lady who said she walked in the fields but
did not like to walk in the woods unaccompanied. The group was completed by the addition of a couple and we
set off up Greenhill Way, chatting about anything which came to mind, including
some of the items for the children’s scavenger hunt. We had a good look at Ash keys and discussed the fruits of
Sycamores and Maples, then I began pointing out fungi. They must have been paying attention
for one of them pointed out a large number of fungi (Inkcaps) growing on
branches off the path just before we turned towards David’s Path. One of the ladies was Italian and we
talked about the effect of continental immigrants, who know what they are
doing, who pick fungi for consumption. Perhaps that is why I do not see some of the more interesting edible
fungi – they have got there before me! We followed an unplanned route through
Pool Grove, Linden Glade, Leafy Grove (Yellow Stagshorn), The Wend (Common
Earthballs), Smith Grove (Small Stagshorn), Great Field (Common and Turkey
Oaks), past Centenary Plantation (where the Broad-leaved Helleborine has
returned again and is now in seed) and back to the car park. The first lady had picked up a small
map from David and I had a spare map I had printed out, which I gave to the
couple, and at times we consulted the maps to show where we were. They seemed to enjoy the walk and I
certainly did. It took just over
one hour. 
I took pictures of most
of the stalls (see the gallery below) and was asked to supply a copy of the jam lady’s stall as she
never had a picture of the completed stall (see right). At the RSPB stall I was told that a large flock of House
Martins had flown over earlier. There was a moment of panic around 2.10pm when I thought the next walk
was to start at 2.00pm but a quick check confirmed 2.30pm. I discovered that Neale was encouraging
any intending scavenger hunters to join in on the walk so instead of the three
I had on the first walk I set off with at least 23. Neale had printed some of Heather’s scavenger sheets and
backed them with a copy of the map, then laminated them in case we had rain. My morning route changed to bring in
more of the desired items for the hunt so we were able to talk about
Pedunculate-, Sessile- and Turkey Oaks and Knopper Galls, the new Shaggy
Bracket fungus in Bluebell Grove, and the couple of dozen Common
Earthballs. Again the walk was
about one hour and everyone seemed happy.
By now the main car park and the extension car park had filled up with cars. It was soon time to pack up and materials began drifting back to stores and cars, gazebos came down and were packed away, and visitors’ cars disappeared – except for one which was parked at the far end of the extension car park. When this happened on a previous occasion we left the gate between the car parks looking as though it was closed but put a message on the car windscreen as explanation. We considered doing the same but as we stood talking as the last car was filled with David’s display, etc, the owners of the vehicle arrived so we were able to close the gates, including the height barrier, and leave the site (at last!). It had been a long day but the predicted rain had not appeared so we did not have the problem of dismantling gazebos in the rain and later having the problems of drying off wet ones.
(As we waited at the end a very large flock of House Martins flew over as they hunted for insects over Vale Border).
Report on the Kid's gazebo and Scavenger Hunt from Sarah Malins
We enjoyed ourselves, it was fun and we did work together as a team. Neale went round and gathered troops for the story and the scavenger hunt, which was good for us. Once we got going we were joking with the kids and the parents.
Some of the parents, when they knew it was free,
wanted to donate something. We
directed them to the collection bucket in the FSW gazebo. A separate bucket in the Kids area would be good in future. The parents were as enthusiastic as the kids and they were all so nice
and very polite. They did put effort into it.
The easier Scavenger Hunt sheet was better, the
children were mostly 7/8 and below. However the other sheet was good in that it gave hints of where to find the items, so it was useful to have both. Lots of children didn't find pine
cones, but then lots did.
They kids liked the
badges and Neale has recorded what prizes were most popular. It was a good idea to have samples of the items to be found, especially as I didn't know what sloe (is that how you spell it) was. However all the adults seemed to know it was connected to gin!
The children enjoyed looking at the skulls but there was no great interest in colouring activities - we just has 2 kids that coloured in. We did put some pictures in their bags. That was it. People were interested in maps of the wood and the leaflets.
Sophie enjoyed talking to the kids and thought the kids liked adding their names to the list of participants that she maintained. She thought we should get their ages next time. I think there were over 40 names on the list.
I think it went well and around 50 children were involved at one time or another.
Financial Report from Treasurer Sandra Crapper
Buckets £48.38
Tombola + Bric-a-Bac £245
Calendars £80
Stall holders £50
Memberships + Donations £150
So we did very well - raising almost £600 to fund our work in the coming year.
Recruitment
The FSW display and recruitment tent was organised by David Malins with the support of Janet, John and Ted. Subs were paid by 17 new members and 3 renewers (£95) and there were donations totalling £25.
A Thank You from FSW Chair Heather Govier
I was unable to attend Open Day this year and I would like to offer a personal thank you to everyone who made it so successful. The main work of planning and preparation was all down to our secretary and Open Day Organiser, Linda Morris so we owe her a huge vote of thanks. Ted (see above) and all the rest of the FSW Committee - and members of their families - worked hard on the day and my thanks to each of them for their efforts.
On behalf of the FSW, I should also like to say thank you for prizes and sweets donated by Snappy Snaps, Vintage 62, Clarks Newsagents and Friends. Thanks too to John Wren of Croydon Council for arranging for the grass cutting and subsequent clearing. Everyone commented on how well it all looked.
See the gallery below for photographs of many of the stalls. Thanks to Ted Forsyth for these.
Those of you who live in Courtwood Lane may well have noticed that the stretch of Selsdon Wood running beside the road from Cascades to the end of Markfield is a real magnet for litter - see the “before” photograph top left. The main culprits seem to be those households who persist in putting general rubbish in the street bins and the foxes that pull this into the wood and spread it about the area known as Court Wood. The litter is especially visible at this season of the year when the trees are bare and so this was a perfect time to get in there and clear it up.
The FSW organised a community clean up in the area at 10 am on
Saturday February 7th. Croydon’s Clean & Green team were eager
to support us by supplying posters to advertise the event. News got out via the
Forestdale Forward group and we also notified the Head at the nearby Courtwood
Primary School. As a result we were approached by several individuals keen to
help and also by the leader of the 5th
Selsdon & Addington Scout Group and the Pinewood Seahorses Explorer Scouts who
offered the support of his young charges working toward their Community
Challenge badges.
It was a great success - see the “after” photograph top right!! We had around 20 volunteers and managed to clear up Court Wood really well:-) There was an unbelievable amount of litter - see the photograph below showing what we collected. Tracy Bellamy, Croydon’s Clean and Green Street Champion Coordinator, and a squad of Enforcement Officers set up a table with posters and T-shirts and provided litter pickers, gloves, bags and bag holders for the volunteers to use and even T-shirts for all who wanted them. The Enforcement Officers also delivered fliers around the neighborhood with information about the Don’t Mess with Croydon campaign. There was a caged vehicle where the collected rubbish could be deposited and we more than half filled it! The event was scheduled for 2 hours but most of the work was completed by 11.30 am when we all got together for the group photograph showing what we had achieved. There was a total of half a ton of litter, which was taken away to landfill.
Thank you so much to everyone who came to helpJ I have had complementary remarks from many local residents who have noticed our lovely clean woods.
