Join us on Bank Holiday Monday 04 June from 12 – 3 pm. Bring your own picnic, chairs, rugs or gazebo. Dress up if you wish.
Please leave your dogs at home and sorry no BBQs. Come on foot as there is limited parking. Do come with your family, friends and neighbours. Make this a memorable day. We are raising funds for Help for Heros and the local Jubilee Care Trust.

Email if you can help on the day.

Nature Watch

Steven kindly send us photos taken recently of a fox visiting Russet House grounds from Moneyhole. Hope to post these on the website shortly.

Bluebells – the display is just gone past their best. Hope you managed to see this year’s show inspite of the rain. The bluebells are speading from Birchall Wood to Henry Woods. Send us your photos.

Woodland walk – Birchall Farm’s oilseed rape crop is in full bloom at the moment. The vibrant yellow carpet is quite spectacular in the sunshine.

Field Mice – These beautiful tiny creatures have been spotted in gardens around the Park.
Garden birds – recent visitors are wagtails, robins, various tits and collared doves.

Nature Trail

The recent rain, bicycles and trail bikes have taken their toll on several sections of the NT footpaths. Email us if you can help to relay wood chips when the weather improves.

Trail bikes

After a couple months of hiatus, the bikers are back churning up the footpaths. Please call the Police on 101 as they are a danger to park users and dogs.

——————————————————
Friends of Moneyhole
www.welwynhatfield.co.uk/moneyhole – striving for a cleaner, safer & inclusive park
Email: moneyholepark@gmail.com

Nature Trail (NT) repair 31 March

The core volunteers – the May family and yours truly kicked off this year’s first repair of the worn path.

Margot joined us and together we shifted 4 tonnes of wood chips. Mark, Linda, Margot and Erin deserved a big thank you for their effort. The trail footpath is holding up surprisingly well with this rain. Do go out and enjoy the mile long  walk.

Next NT repair will be on Sat 28 April  10am -12 noon weather permiting. Meet by Wyton Park entrance. Bring a rake, spade or barrow. Email us if you can help.

Nature Watch

Red Kites – Steven reported  a Red Kite flying quite low down over Chelverston Sat 7 Apr morning. A wonderful sight.

Sparrows – Where have the sparrows gone? A senior citizen in Tewin Village shop recently lamented no sparrows were seen in his garden for years. Is this your experience?

Tewin Village shop – a communty run shop. They stock the wonderful local Digswell sausages that are delivered every Thursday morning. Braughing sausages have changed hands and recipe.  Sadly the new recipe is a poor imitation and the shop stopped stocking it last year. Do visit and support both the village shop and Digswell butcher. They also sell local grown fruit, vegetables, home made cakes and free range eggs too. There is an outside tea room too.

Circular Walk – It is a great circular walk from Moneyhole Park to Tewin via Henry woods, Panshanger Aerodrome, follow signed footpath to B1000 and cross the Mimram Pooh Bridge. Up the slope and go through Lambs Dell Wood into Tewin pass the village shop towards the village green. Take a pit stop to sup at the Rose & crown before heading towards Archers Green. Pass Tewin Water Mill and then up the steep footpath to Panshanger Aerodrome and back into Bericot Way. There are two alternative routes back. The bluebells in Lambs Dell wood started to flower 9 days back. The wood anemones were in bloom too. Allow 1.5 -2 hours. Great views. Email for more directions.

Bluebells - Birchall Woods and an adjacent section of Henry Woods will be in flower in a week to two weeks time all being well. Should be a good show again this year if the rain continues. Keep us posted.

Queen Diamond Jublilee Big Picnic in the Park – Bank Holiday Monday 04 June. Dress up and celebrate this special event with your family and friends. A date for your diary. Do pass the message on.

Park Angels – The park and woods are cleaner thanks to the kind park users and residents.

Dog Mess – Sadly some irresponsible dog owners are still not clearing up after their pooches.

Follow us on Twitter @moneyholepark. Email: moneyholepark@gmail.com

SOMERSHAM – STIRLING WAY SECTION

The first repair session this year is on Sat 31 March 10am – 12 noon to spread wood chips over the worn path. Wood chips were kindly donated by Mark May, a local tree surgeon.

Please meet at Wyton Park entrance at 10 am.

If possible bring a rake, spade and/or a barrow .

Do pass this message on. Drop me a line if you can help.

Email: moneyholepark@gmail.com

Twitter:@moneyholepark

Queen Diamond Jublilee Big Picnic in the Park Monday 4 June

Come and celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jublilee at our community Big Picnic in the Park.  As it is unlikely to be another Diamond Jublilee in the foreseeable, come and make this a truly memorable day.

A Big Community Picnic will be held instead of a QDJ Fete. Sadly insufficient volunteers came forward to help with the fete.
Bring your own picnic, tables and chairs. Do contact us if you wish to have a stall. Put this on your calendar and bring along some friends. Dress up in costumes or put your glad rags on. Ideas welcome. We still hope to raise funds for Help for Heros or the British Legion.

Visit the website for future updates.

Nature Trail Repairs 31 March: Somersham – Stirling Way section

The first repair session this year is on Sat 31 March 10am – 12 noon. Give yourself a free workout!

Please meet at Wyton Park entrance at 10 am. Bring a rake, spade and a barrow. All help will be appreciated. Drop me a line if you can help.

Nature Watch

A Birds and Wildlife Sighting page has been added to the website by Will. Lesley has kindly submitted a super write up of her recent sightings. Do submit your sightings to us for inclusion. Share your experience.
02 Feb – Tina reported spotted one of the Red Kites over Elizabeth house , drifting slowly towards Rivenhall End. She also saw 4 Long-tailed Tits in her garden in Russettwood 2 days previous.
05 & 09 Mar - We heard the unmistaken sound of a woodpecker in Henry Wood twice this week after an absence of a year.

Twitter - Follow us on @Moneyholepark

We’ve just added a new poll, please vote if you have an opinion. Cherry trees and other fruit trees are thriving around Panshanger, should we also have some in the park?

Comments and ideas are welcome as always.

Eugene kindly submitted these photo’s taken on early Sunday morning. Enjoy.

(Click on the photo’s to enlarge them)

Sunday 5th of February

Moneyhole park play area

'In the bleak mid-winter...'

This snow has been on the ground for a full week now.

Please send us your photos to share.

A community wide event that everyone can join in. Together we can make this a great day to remember.

• We need volunteers, stall holders, display teams and sponsors.
• Do you have organisation skills?
• Is there a community choir available to lift our spirits?

Proposed charity this year is Help for Heros or the British Legion.

Email moneyholepark@gmail.com

Royal Veterinary College Blood Donor Programme

RVS is looking for potential cat donors. If you live within 15 minutes of the RVC and your healthy cat is between 1-7 years old, please call the blood donor line 01707 666 511 or email blooddonor@rvs.ac.uk. Dog donors are also welcome.

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch Sat 28 & Sun 29 January

A fun event. Spare an hour to note the highest number of each bird species seen on the ground and submit findings on RSPB website. It can be in your garden, local park or any site. download a form from rspb.org.uk/birdwatch

Attacks on Guide Dogs

Attacks up from 3 a month to 7 a month.  http://bit.ly/oqjPRH

It costs £28,000 to train a Guide Dog. Many are too traumatised to work after an attack.

Email us on moneyholepark@gmail.com

Send us a message or retweet our tweets.

Joyous Yuletide greetings

Easter Fete 23 April – This year’s fete was held on one of the hottest Easter Saturday seen for many years. We had a wonderful turnout of residents, families and dog owners. There were more stalls, inflatable slides and competitions. £418 was raised for the Guide Dogs and St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital. Our sincere thanks to the volunteers, stall holders, sponsor and visitors for making this another success fete.

Nature Trail (NT) – the mile long nature trail has been repaired and overhanging branches cut back by kind, dedicated volunteers several times this year.

• Sat 19 Feb – Four UoH MBA students – Dominic, Luke, Mo & Peter braved the rain to kick off the first repair along Stirling Way and Leysdown.
• Sun 12 June – The May family (Mark, Linda, Erin), Lyn and Zulfigar Ahmed relaid half of the Birchall Farm section.
• Fri 12 Aug – Nick, Janet, Sarah and Colin spread 2 tons of wood chips along the Birchall Farm stretch.
• Sun 21 Aug – Mark, Linda, Erin and Ray completed the Birchall Farm path and started the Henry Woods section.
• Fri 14 Oct – Ray & Margot continued the work along Henry Woods.
• Sat 15 Oct – Keith, Valerie, Linda, Erin & Mark completed Henry Woods and half of the Wyton to Leydown stretch. Over 4 tons were spread.

We like to thank all the volunteers who re-laid the wood chips along the Nature Trail. Our gratitude also goes to Mark May, a local tree surgeon (07725 415209),who kindly donated all the wood chips. We shall start again in the New Year to continue the work by these wonderful volunteers. Please email us if you can spare an hour or two to maintain this all season  footpath around Moneyhole.

Nature Watch – A pair of red kites nesting by the Lafarge estate were spotted throughout summer. They were last seen on Monday 02 Dec.

• Bird Survey – jays, wrens, robins, collared doves, wood pidgeons, blue tits, great tits, sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, magpies, woodpeckers, red kites, seagulls were seen.
• Foxes – Many fox sightings were reported this year. More fox droppings were seen this year on the fields pointing to a likely rise in numbers.
• Rabbit – my first sighting of a rabbit this year in Henry Woods on 20 Dec.
• Fungi Walks – Tree Wardens organise two woodland fungi walks in Sherrardwoods each Autumn. They will consider a similar walk in Moneyhole if there is sufficent demand. A small charge is levied to raise funds for trees conservation. Please email to express your interest.

Picnic in the Park Sat 02 July – This was our 6th annual picnic for all park users and residents.

Park Angels – Moneyhole and the surrounding woods are much cleaner year on year thanks to the constant efforts of the park angels. These kind residents and park users pick litter on the quiet. Once again big thank you from the community.

Finesse carry out litter pick by the carpark and playareas.

Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) – the number of ASB reported have fallen this year. This is positive news and a step in the right direction.

• Replacement fence – After many years, a broken fence was finally re-erected between Moneyhole Park and Russett House in Spring thanks to Steven Seager’s months of persistence. This should help to deter ASB trespassers plaguing nearby residents.
• Trail and Quad bikers – Unlicenced bikers are still causing a nuisance riding along footpaths, woods and the park. Do call the police on 101 for immediate action to prevent accidents to walkers, dogs and children. A trail biker was apprehended in last month after being reported.
• Unprovoked Attack – a couple’s night out ends in violent attack near Moneyhole entrance made WHTimes’ front page news on 14 Sep.  The attack happened on 10 Sep shortly after the local street lights are switched off at midnight. Please pass any information of the attackers to the police.

Dog & Litter Bins -

• A dog bin was added in the middle of the park courtesy of the local Community Fund.
• The offer of another dog bin was swapped for two litter bins along Bericot Way and by the Bericot Way/Lincoln Way footpath junction.
• Overflowing bins – email E.Nicholls@finesseleisure.com or Contact-WHC@welhat.gov.uk,

Health & Safety

• Tunnel slide (Multi Activity Area) – the exposed concrete blocks at the slide base were reported to Finesse and WHBC in early Spring by Mrs Smith and Mrs Rose. This issue was finally resolved and fresh wood chips relaid by 22 August.
• Dead trees – the dead trees in a cluster and few along the Nature Trail were removed by Finesse.
• Please contact Finesse or WHBC if you spot any H&S issues.

Other Neighbourhood Issues –

• Litter & Pot Holes – In February, Cllr Sara Johnston came on the FoM’s inspection tour of nearby streets. WHBC was galvanised to remove the worse of the flytipping and accumulated litter in the tree belts along Sylvan Way, Moors Walk and Panshanger Drive.
• Bericot Way & Sylvan Way -  The frost damaged pot holes along these roads previously reported by FoM were also temporarily patched up after Cllr Johnston kindly chased these up. Our grateful thanks go to Cllr Johnson. New pot holes have since reappeared and now require attention. If more residents do report these, then Hertfordshire Highway may be more inclined to act. See contact website below.
• Black Fan Road - The various pot holes reported were eventually patched.
• Panshanger Drive – Numerous dangerous sections of footpath were repaired this year when reported to Mid Herts Highways. Fallen Autumn leaves,which tend to become mushy and slipperry underfoot, were also cleared recently along this stretch.

Next Year

• Queen Diamond Jubilee fete 04 June 12 – A possible event when we find a sponsor and partner. Participants  and stall holders please contact us to express your interest . Help us to make this a truly memorable day. Email us on moneyholepark@gmail.com
• Nature Trail (NT) repairs – We will resume when we get another donation of wood chips.

Useful numbers and website

• New Police non emergency number – 101. This is a flat rate charge of 15p. Remember to ask for a unique reference number (URN).
• WHBC Contact Centre – email Contact-WHC@welhat.gov.uk litter issues, bin requests;  tel: 01707 357000
• Finesse Leisure – email E.Nicholls@finesseleisure.com for all park related issues .
• Fixmystreet.com – an excellent site to reporting local faults, litter and issues to WHBC and Herts CC. Moneyhole Park post code is AL7 2RT. Highlight the spot on the map. Broken glass on pavement, flytipping and litter have been resolved previously.
• Hertsdirect.org – for Highway related faults like pot holes and damaged pavements - http://www.hertsdirect.org/actweb/hfr/default.cfm

The authorities are fairly prompt in dealing with reported issues but only if you report them. With some, perseverance pays.

Lastly we like to thank everyone who supported the Moneyhole Park community throughout the year.

Wishing everyone A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

——————————————————
Friends of Moneyhole
www.welwynhatfield.co.uk/moneyhole – striving for a cleaner, safer & inclusive park

Email : moneyholepark@gmail.com