We start with some very sad news: Les Stapley, one of our founder members, passed away on 29th March. When our
group first formed, our monthly meetings were held in the scout hut on Cotswold Avenue, by the obelisk. At that time,
Les was the caretaker there so had to open up for us and lock up again when we had finished. He seemed to like what
he heard and what our plans were, so stayed with us during that first meeting and joined in at each subsequent one.
Even when we finally changed venue from the scout hut to a meeting room at Chesterton Primary School, and then,
due to Covid, to online Zoom meetings, he stayed with us. His presence throughout was always valued and he will be
much missed.
We have found an early photo from our very first event, 2012 or 2013, which was an open to all barbecue on Four
Acre Field – basically an unashamed effort to make ourselves known and drum up support.
That’s Les on the right in the blue jacket making sure he got noticed. A nice memory.
However, he would want us to carry on as we always have and so we continue with our usual newsletter format.
AMPHITHEATRE
The stone base for the information plaque close to Querns Wood has weathered and eroded as time has passed but has
unfortunately also had considerable assistance over the years with pieces being chipped away. It has suffered further
in recent months (picture left): the picture on the right is what it looked like when first installed in February 2016.
The slopes and pathways were given their first cut of the season at the end of March and it is fascinating to watch the
remote control robot mower at work.
QUERNS WOOD
Basic tree and other maintenance work, but otherwise nothing exciting.
FOUR ACRE FIELD
By the end of August 2024, all the work we had put into maintaining the hedgerow earlier in the year, seemed to have
been in vain, as it was all badly overgrown again and we did not have the resource to tackle it once more. Therefore,
we were very grateful to have a group of volunteers from St James’s Place, late October, to help prune and clear along
the whole length. It was a cold, drizzly few hours, but they set to work with enthusiasm and good humour, and really
made a huge difference. Thanks guys.
We ourselves were able to follow this up this year with a pre season work party on a Saturday morning at the
beginning of March, particularly focussing on clearing rubbish and unwanted growth at the base of and behind the
shrubs. For a group of enthusiastic amateurs, we do pretty well and, at the time of writing this, it’s all looking good.
Of course, give it a couple more months……….
The new stretch of pathway at the entrance from Chesterton Lane really proved its value during a prolonged wet and
muddy period, particularly January, and has made a significant difference to both safety and comfort for those who
come to/through the field.
Regular users will have seen the picnic table which was installed by the town council. This has survived so far with
only a minimum amount of graffiti (since removed).
Also a town council initiative has been the installation of a goal post. This has proved a great success and on the very
first evening after the net had been attached to the posts, there was a group of 8 kids out there enjoying a kick around
and it is a very rare day that it is not being used at some point by kids or kids with parents
.We have been asked on several occasions why there is only one, but it was never the intention to encourage games
with two teams as this would dominate the whole centre of the field and affect the enjoyment of other users of this
shared space.
Just a couple of other pictures from Four Acre Field: magnificent blossom on one of the cherry plum trees at the end
of March, and was that a werewolf I just heard?
OBELISK
Our first obelisk work party of this year was early April. The area on the Cotswold Avenue side of the pathway had
become something of an overgrown jungle but the town council had given it a serious haircut sometime prior to our
session which took out the height and much of the density which has made life
Even so, the first work party of the year always looks somewhat daunting with the snowberry and few flowered leek
making a bid for world dominance.
Our work parties are held on the first Tuesday of every month (May to September) 6pm to 8pm. We’d love for you to
join us sometimes – for more information, please contact Alison at aqivasec@gmail.com
