Crockham Hill Jul/Aug 2025 Newsletter - Flipbook - Page 3
Editorial
This double summer edition bursts with stories, reflections, and practical
details to keep us informed and connected. It begins with a quiet call to
mindfulness in the anonymous prose poem A Plea for Calm, alongside Sue
Dillon9s evocative photograph Scarab Beetle on Hydrangea. Trish
Proctor9s Garden Roses adds a gentle floral touch.
The heart of the newsletter is a patchwork of village life: WI activities and
Drop-in Café dates, Holy Trinity9s summer services and notices of three
memorials for beloved residents: Brenda, Janice, and Freda. Church and
club activities fill the calendar, from Discussion Groups to the CH Garden
Club9s visit to Woodmote. We have rich descriptions of our local
landscapes, small and large. Alex Maule9s essay Lewins Coach House
Garden reminds us of the biodiversity in our own backyards, while Pat
Davoll9s Polebrook Farm SSSI celebrates local wildflowers. We9re treated
to Birds in Crockham Hill by William Oliver, tracing species shifts over 25
years, a description of Min Reynolds9s Rogation Walk, and Chris Fenton9s
timely advice on what makes a photo special.
Several features shine with historical and local character: Churchill and
Crockham Hill explores Chartwell9s history and its ties to the village;
Oakdale Lane to the Present (Part 2) and Colin Hall9s Feedback celebrate
residents past and present.
Contributions range from the practical Nicola Spreckley9s Honeybee
Swarms guide and Walking with Dogs to the thought-provoking VJ Day and
a striking summary of Scrub Management from the Wildlife Society.
Finally, the Last Word laments the vanishing semicolon; a fitting reflection
on nuance in an ever-speeding world.
In particular, however, we draw your attention back to Colin Hall9s
Feedback article. We thoroughly endorse his idea of a section where you
could comment on articles or add to them. We have negative comments if
our articles are longer than a page and a half or so; that9s about 350 words
at the 16 point font we use. Is this your view? Do you accept editors using
their discretion or prefer contributors forbidding any alteration?
Do please let us know by emailing:
editorscrockhamhillvillagenewsletter@gmail.com.
After all, this is your newsletter
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