We are extremely grateful to Andy B and Joe – again – who braved the hill tonight to grit it. Those of us who either got up or tried to this pm will know how tricky it was. I left a meeting in Exeter two hours early just after 3pm – as usual much to the amusement of others who could see no reason to do so.
Despite all the grit Andy and Joe have spread, any more snow or run off may well leave icy patches, so please take care.
However, we are seriously short of people who have a vehicle with a tow bar. People aren’t always available to go out – work, family commitments or illness – please consider offering to help to keep the hill safe to use. You never go out on your own, there’s always a helper.
We’re meeting up at Seven Acre Farm on Sunday Dec 10th at 11am for a recap and training session, do come and see if you could join us. Anne Mayes
Gritting Update – Wed 29 Nov
Winter has arrived and two of our volunteers went out tonight to grit the hill. Our thanks to Joe and Andy H who braved the cold to do this for us. However, we are seriously short of people who have a vehicle with a tow bar. People aren’t always available to go out – work, family commitments or illness – please consider offering to help to keep the hill safe to use. You never go out on your own, there’s always a helper.
We’re meeting up at Seven Acre Farm on Sunday Dec 10th at 11am for a recap and training session, do come and see if you could join us.Anne Mayes
Cheriton Bishop & Teign Valley Patient Group
YOUR PATIENT GROUP – GET INVOLVED!
The Patient Group (PG) provides a facility for two way communication between the practice and registered patients. The group can provide feedback to the practice on patient’s needs, concerns and suggestions, and can also constructively challenge how our healthcare is delivered. The group can also develop projects and events to promote good health and lifestyle practice and awareness.
The PG comprises volunteers registered with the practice and members of the professional team. It works very closely with the practice, but is an independent group. We meet 3 to 4 times a year and occasionally more frequently when projects are in progress. The group endeavours to have a membership which represents the population covered by the practice, both demographically and geographically.
The group has been running since 2011, but since the Covid lockdown of 2020 has not been active. We now wish to re-energise and restart the group, and we are looking for new group members. If you wish to be involved, contact Steve Colderick at colderick@btinternet.com to register your interest. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and any particular areas of interest or skills (but these are not essential, a commitment to active involvement in the group is more important!). Responses by Friday 24th November, and we will contact respondees in early December.
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Roadworks Wednesday 11th-13th October Affecting 360 Bus
The roadworks on the valley road between Wednesday 11th and Friday 13th October will affect the 360 bus in the village.
Country Bus have advised that the first two buses of the day (07:15 and 09:25) will run from Bridford. And the last two buses from Exeter – Sidwell St (16:15 and 17:55) will also run to Bridford. However, the two buses in the middle of the day will terminate at Teign House.
Parish Council Questionnaire
The Parish Council is looking for input. Please complete their questionnaire by following the link or scanning the QR code.
Gritting Update – Tues 2 May
I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly thank the Snow Team for being available and wiling to go out and grit the hill again this winter. Their efforts are really appreciated. Highways have just stopped sending out daily updates so we can conclude that winter is officially over! The gritter is still work in progress, no luck so far in fixing it. Anne Mayes
Bridford Wildlife Warden – May update
Monthly Wildlife Challenge – May’s Challenges
No Mow May
This month’s challenge is to put away the mower for the month of May. Letting your lawn grow gives flowers such as daisies, dandelion, selfheal and clover the chance to flower, providing much needed nectar for a wide range of insects including bees, butterflies and beetles.
No Mow May is a national campaign to encourage people to leave their lawns for a month. A tight clipped weeded lawn has little value for wildlife and collectively, lawns cover a large area of land in the UK (approximately 988,421 acres, which is bigger than England’s national nature reserves combined), so by reversing the trend for manicured lawns, we create a significant area of habitat. The campaign has really taken off over the last few years, with many people now choosing to mow less.
If you’re not keen on the longer grass, a mown path through it creates a more managed look and in fact different lengths in a lawn provide a great range of habitats – the longer grass gives nesting sites for species such as hedgehogs and toads, a mid length meadow mowed 2-3 times per year outside of April-August allows knapweeds and scabiouses to flourish, and the shorter grass allows Bird’s-foot-trefoil to flower, providing a fabulous food source.
If you don’t have a lawn, why not encourage someone you know to let it grow, or have a look at where you work and see if there is any scope there. Bridford is taking part in No Mow May with its verges, which will remain uncut other than paths, till later in the year. We will be doing a survey of the flowers on the verge in May/ June. See No Mow May for more information and resources.
Give pesticides a miss
A recent study has shown that pesticide use in gardens is having a negative impact on bird populations. The study found that there were 25% fewer house sparrows when glyphosate was used regularly. It also found that where the recently banned metaldehyde slug pellets were used, house sparrow numbers were down by almost 40%. Bird populations are under threat on a number of fronts including habitat loss and bird diseases, with breeding UK populations down by 19 million since the 1960s. Pesticide use is a relatively new addition to garden management and re-embracing a wilder garden with a few nibbled leaves, gives these birds a haven that they very much need. There is useful advice on gardening without chemicals at DWT chemical free gardening
[email protected] / 01647 253641
Rural Households Survey
CANCELLATION OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING 13 MARCH 2023 AT 7.00PM
DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE MEETING OF BRIDFORD PARISH COUNCIL DUE TO BE HELD AT 7.00PM ON MONDAY 13TH MARCH, HAS BEEN CANCLLED
Gritting Update – Tues 7 March
Change of personnel so the hill has been gritted earlier than initially expected. For that we thank AndyH and Colin. Hopefully that will have set us up for whatever the weather sends us tonight and first thing tomorrow. Anne Mayes