Cropwell Bishop Village Parish Plan

Non-stop action with Sherlock Holmes (16-4-10)

Some people were disappointed by tonight's showing of Sherlock Holmes at the Cropwell Bishop Cinema - because they were unable to get tickets! Once again the Old School was packed out after tickets were sold out 4 days ago.

Those who were there, thoroughly enjoyed the action, comedy, scenery and special effects of the film - which was closer to a James Bond film than the Sherlock Holmes mysteries that appear on TV.

Many familiar faces were in the audience, as well as people from nearby villages who have also discovered the great atmosphere and value of our Cinema nights.

Organisers are emailing the 'regulars' with details of future showings and the small advertising signs near the Memorial Hall are attracting more new people every time.

This website will also advertise future films. For dates and brief details, you can look at the Diary page right now. If you havn't already been to our own Cinema, why not get tickets for the next film - but don't leave it too late or you too may be disappointed.

Tony Jarrow

Village represented on Gardeners Question Time (14-4-10)

You may well be familiar with the long running radio program, Gardeners Question Time on BBC Radio 4. Well it was recently recorded at Radcliffe-on-Trent.

The audience was organised by Radcliffe Gardening Club and, through our close association with them, Cropwell Bishop Gardening Club was also invited to attend.

The panel consisted of Bob Flowerdew, Pipa Greenwood and Bunny Guinness with Eric Robson in the chair. Each attendee at the event was invited to write a gardening question on their ticket. Much to her consternation, Sue Ward of Cropwell Bishop was chosen to ask her question!

Those who attended had a rewarding evening, uncovering secrets of successful gardening.

Sue is pictured with Bob Flowerdew and Pipa Greenwood.

The programme is to be broadcast on April 30th, at 15.00hrs. If you miss it, you will be able to hear it on BBC i-player at www.bbc.co.uk.

Eddie Ward

Wild about flowers on Memorial Hall field (14-4-10)

Cropwell Bishop Parish Council, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Cropwell Bishop Gardening Club are bringing wildflowers to our village!

On Sunday morning April 11th, members of the Gardening Club and the Parish Council worked with children and families from the village to create a wild flower meadow strip on the Memorial Hall field.

The event was organised by villager, Janice Bradley of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust who is also a member of the Gardening Club Committee.

The area was sprayed with Glyphosate a week before then rotovated and harrowed by Smalley's of Cropwell Bishop two days prior to the seeding. The wildflower seed came from Naturescape at Langar and the preparation and sowing was done by nearly 40 village volunteers - so a very local affair.

After members of the Gardening Club dug in the Blue Butterfly Scheme posts, everyone took a container of seed and scattered it along the prepared beds. This was then raked over to evenly spread the seed and. hopefully, hide it from birds.

Alan Wilson thanked Janice and the Wildlife Trust for providing the village with yet another major achievement as a direct result of the Parish Plan. The Plan, published in January 2009, revealed that villagers wanted to create a better environment for Wildlife and also improve the biodiversity within Cropwell Bishop.

This wildflower area will not only create a colourful spectacle later in the year, it will also attract a wide variety of birds and insects to feed on the flowers' nectar and seeds.

The seedlings should be coming through in 7 - 14 days - just watch this space. As we were leaving I definitely heard someone praying for rain!

Judy Thomas (Cropwell Bishop Gardening Club)

Cropwell Music Live at the Old School (14-4-10)

It was Cropwell Music Live Night at the Old School last Saturday, 10th April.

Wild Flower Planting - Sunday 11th April (7-4-10)

In Partnership with the Wildlife Trust and as part of the Blue Butterfly Scheme, on Sunday April 11th we shall be planting a Wild Flower Meadow Border along the back hedge of the Memorial Hall field.

We are hoping that as many of the village as possible will be involved in this event to help improve our environment and biodiversity.

We shall be meeting up at 10.30 am to put in the Blue-butterfly Scheme posts and invite anyone to help with these.

What we would like is lots of people to come along at 11.30 am, to sow the wild flower seeds. All this will involve is each person getting a pot of seeds and sowing them along the prepared seed bed.

So please bring your friends, neighbours and especially children to this village event at 11.30 am. Then, in the coming months, watch the wild flowers grow bringing more colour, butterflies, birds and bees to our village.

Judy Thomas (Cropwell Bishop Gardening Club)

Growth for a better future (6-4-10)

Anyone driving into Cropwell Bishop during April will be greeted by a wonderful display of daffodils – no matter which direction you come from.

Each year their numbers multiply and they look so natural in their setting. Maybe, but their setting is far from natural. They are there to be enjoyed by us because villagers made the effort to go out and plant them.

Over the last 25 years or so, Play-groups, Brownies, their Mums and, in the last two years, members of the Gardening Club and, in the case of Newberry Close, residents, have gone out with their trowels and bulbs and invested their time and effort to give us all a bit more joy in our daily lives.

Do you know of anyone who has planted a native tree in Cropwell Bishop. But then why should they? Surely native trees shouldn’t need our help, they should reproduce naturally without needing any help from us. OK, so have you seen any young native trees growing; 2m high oaks or 1m high horse chestnut trees - in the hedgerows maybe? I haven’t, at least not in Cropwell Bishop. In nearby Cropwell Butler and Colston Bassett hundreds of young trees have been planted – you can see them from the Fosse Way and near the old church in Colston Bassett.

In the 20th century, agricultural methods did not allocate space for the majestic native trees that once dominated our countryside. Just fifty years ago, fields were small and hedgerows contained a multitude of trees. Not now. Disease wiped out the Elm trees and humans have chopped down most of the rest.

We do have some fine trees around the Church - and Hoe Hill contains an ancient wood. But who is planting the trees for our grandchildren to enjoy? Next time you walk around our village or even when you are driving towards it, look for trees. On a recent 10 min trek from the centre, I stood on a path and there was hardly a tree for half a mile in any direction.

Our World is warming up because of rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The carbon stored in coal has been released by generations of Cropwell Bishop residents – and still is when we use electricity generated at Ratcliffe-on-Soar.

If we in Cropwell Bishop were to plant acorns and conkers and let then grow into mature trees, we would eventually be storing thousands of tons of carbon for many years to come. We would also leave a more beautiful landscape for future generations. It won’t save the World’s problems but at least it will be a step in the right direction

The planting of daffodil bulbs has been a great success: can we achieve even more with acorns and conkers? What are your thoughts?

Tony Jarrow

Evening Post drop by (2-4-10)

John Greenwood and the Parish Council are pleased to have the opportunity to nominate Tony Jarrow for the Radio Nottingham/Evening Post 'Reach Out' Community Awards 2010.

A photograph of Tony and an article describing some of his excellent work for our village appeared in the Evening Post on Wednesday 31st March.

If you missed it, you may read it on the Evening Post web site by clicking on this link: this is nottingham

The Awards will be judged at a ceremony on 13th May and we appreciate the opportunity it has given to publicise the good work of Tony and the many volunteers who help to make Cropwell Bishop a great place to live.

John Greenwood