Ken Harwood report- Hedgecourt Lake May 2008
Photo courtesy of Ken Harwood. Our resident swans have produced another 5
cygnets this year. Mum is out on the water showing off her brood. It's interesting to see
cygnets actually climb up onto mum and nestle under her wings completely put
out of sight. At first glance you think she's lost some of her brood, but they
suddenly pop out! Well worth a walk down to the lake.
There are some beautiful Terns flying over the lake at this time.
When the sun is out the light hits their wings when they are in flight and
gives off a magnificent light blue effect. They are very active at the
moment fishing. Their flight movements are brilliant to watch, their
body shape similar to a swallow but much larger. There are four at the
moment.
Surrey Trading Standards Press Release "Buy with confidence" scheme
Michele Manson tel 01372 371750 (email: michele.mansonsurreycc.gov.uk)
April,2008 – Trading Standards South East (TSSE) today announced
a promotional programme to help increase awareness and boost membership of
their ground-breaking "Buy With Confidence" scheme. Consumers and businesses are set to see and hear a great deal more
about the only Trading Standards approved scheme to promote and support good,
reliable, local businesses; and to improve consumer protection by providing the
public with a choice of local businesses they can trust.
Regional radio, press and online
advertising along with a range of local promotional initiatives, will all
feature the real benefits to consumers and businesses of using or becoming
members of the scheme. From local endorsement, promotion and support for member
businesses through to reducing the risk of rogue traders ripping off consumers,
the "Buy with Confidence" scheme makes perfect sense.
“We’ve had great success in growing the
membership and use of the scheme since it launched in the south east nearly 10
years ago,” says Michele Manson, who heads up the Trading Standards team
responsible for the "Buy with Confidence" scheme in Surrey. “But we hope this campaign will get us to the
next level and increase the number of quality businesses involved and make our
website and phone number the first choice for consumers looking for local
contacts, whatever the job, big or small.”
The "Buy with Confidence" scheme is the only one run by local Trading Standards Officers and includes a
wide range of business types – almost 1,500 in the south east – from
accountants to yacht charters, architects to web designers and a host of home
improvement businesses and motor traders. That means all members are carefully
checked and approved by Trading Standards.
The "Buy With Confidence" scheme has two primary aims: to promote and support good, reliable, local
businesses; and to improve consumer protection by providing the public with a
choice of businesses they can trust – and it doesn’t cost consumers a thing.
This scheme, for consumers or potential new members, is available by calling 08454
04 05 06 or online at www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk
where a searchable database of member businesses is available.
The "Buy with Confidence" scheme – local businesses approved by Trading Standards Michele Manson can also help with setting up interviews with
traders local to your publications distribution area.
For more background on the normal "Buy With Confidence" scheme, please visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk
Relief Road Route Option Revealed
Click here for
email from Tandridge District Council.
A proposed route has been set out for a relief road The route is part of the East Grinstead Area Action Plan, which includes 2,500 new homes to the west and south west of the town. Mid Sussex Council
sites the relief road from A264 Doves Barn Felbridge to Gullege, around the new homes to Turners Hill Road, and onto the A22 near Forest Row. A formal document will be submitted to the full council in October
click here for more
Puffin Crossing
The Puffin Crossing is finally working Click here for official comment from Ken Harwood
Your Drive- and your rights
Ken Harwood June 2007
Some two weeks ago, a company descended upon Copthorne road and started
digging up the grass verges along that road to lay an optic fibre
cable. When they reached one driveway of a resident. He
questioned the company as to what they were doing. He was told that all
houses had been leafleted. That is not true. He told
the company they were not to dig up his driveway and he contacted
me. I made enquiries of Surrey County Highways and informed
them of what was happening. I asked for clarification as to whether the
company could in fact simply dig up someone's driveway without prior
notification. Meanwhile, the company involved simply moved onto another
job leaving the pipe unfinished at this driveway I
have now received confirmation from Surrey Highways that the company can
do this work. However, in the reply was the threat that if the resident
obstructed the work he could become the subject of a police
prosecution. Both I and the resident take exception to this
heavy handed response from Surrey, to what was no more than a request
seeking clarification. Surrey have ended their reply with the
comment that the resident should liaise direct with the contractors. The
only problem is, the resident has no idea who they are, because they
have been back in contact with him! From my perspective...."
This started out as a simple enquiry of Surrey highways, as to whether
this company could in fact, come along and simply dig up someone's
driveway without prior notification. Surrey's heavy handed response
with the threat of police prosecution if a resident interferes, clearly
shows they have no respect for the residents who they are supposed to
serve".
Report from Jeremy Clark Felbridge History Society
Do you know what an e-petition is?
Last November (2006) Downing Street took another big step along the "Hi-Tech" road by introducing an "e-petition" website called http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ .The site, hosted on the Downing Street website is designed to make it much easier for anyone (so inclined) to start a petition on just about anything, subject of course to the "Terms and conditions" laid out on the website or you can just add your name/email address to an existing petition.
St. Johns Ambulance Courses
Details of public training courses for Felbridge and East Grinstead areas can be found on their website ( click here)
Battle of The Swans
By email from Ken Harwood 30th Jan 2007.
Each year I get people knocking on my door & phoning, expressing concern (and in some cases distress)
about what goes on down at Hedgecourt Lake at this time of year. We have a pair of swans who have
been resident for as long as we have been here (15years). Each year that we've been here that they have
been here, they have successfully raised a succession of broods, ranging in number from 4, to last year's
record of 9 youngsters. They give the youngsters their undivided attention for almost a year, teaching them
all the skills to survive in the wild.
Then... comes January, the adults systematically chase the youngsters' off the lake. That is just before
the female builds a nest for this years new arrivals. The confrontation between parents and young is very
brutal, and if seen without the knowledge of what is happening, can be distressing for people, watching what
is effectively adult swans attacking younger ones. The 'battle' goes on for days and sometimes weeks, until
the parents get their way and exclude their young from what is seen by the adults as their territory.
(Oh! if only humans could do that I hear?) Once the young have gone they never return. This year we had a
tragedy down at the lake, as some weeks ago a group of interlopers arrived on the lake and there was a
pitched battle between the resident swans & the visitors. In the process one of the youngsters was killed
by the interlopers. Such was the ferocity of the battle. Territorial rights play a big part in the lives
of these creatures. This email is to alert people as to what is going down there, should they see this
chasing & harrying on. It's nature & sometimes nature is cruel to watch. There is nothing that can be done
to stop it.
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