Crosspool News – crosspool.info
The Crosspool community website run by Crosspool Forum
Last night’s BBC Springwatch programme included a feature on a pair of long-tailed tits nesting in the Rivelin Valley.
The pair of birds have made a home in a holly bush. Springwatch visited in April to find out more.
You can watch the programme again until Thursday 13 June on the BBC iPlayer . The long-tailed tits bit starts at 42 minutes, 13 seconds in.
Watch the iPlayer Springwatch clip
Friends of Lydgate Green is a small group of local residents who are responsible for the upkeep of the green at the corner of Lydgate Lane.
With a pair of gloves, something to dig with and plenty of enthusiasm to bring pleasure to all who visit the green this summer, the staff from the Artisan restaurant and a dozen or so local people turned up at 9.30am on Saturday to plant around one thousand bulbs and plants.
Afterwards, everyone took up an invitation to go back to the Artisan restaurant for refreshments. Whilst enjoying well-earned drinks fresh cream and chocolate cake kindly provided by Artisan, everyone took the time to get to know one another and reflect on a job well done.
Rachel Bacon said: “A big thank you from the Friends of Lydgate Green to those who came and helped us on Saturday morning. All the plants are in and watered so let’s hope for a bit more sunshine to bring them on.
“Thanks to Richard from Valleyside for all his advice and for doing us such a great deal on the plants, to the Rangers for coming on their day off, to the boys from Artisan for digging in and for the coffee and cake (yum!) and to Ian and Crosspool Forum for their help and to Jane, Kate, George, Tim and Samuel for all their help!”
The Friends of Lydgate Green are organising a planting and tidy-up day from 9.30am on Saturday 27 April.
They would really appreciate your support and help to replant the beds and assist with some general maintenance.
Don’t miss this great opportunity to make a difference to this local green space and to meet other local residents. Bring a pair of gloves, something to dig with and some enthusiasm.
What’s more, the kind folk at Crosspool’s Michelin Guide-featured restaurant Artisan will be providing free refreshments!
Friends of Lydgate Green is a small group of local residents who are responsible for the upkeep of the green at the corner of Lydgate Lane.
Rivelin Valley-based Hillside Harvest have sent the following report and photos from their second open day of 2013:
Just recently, we held our second Open Day of 2013. This time our training session was on ‘plot planning’ aimed both at the beginner and the experienced gardener led by an expert from ‘Grow Sheffield’. Once again, a good crowd of new people turned up on a cold, but dry day! Even a few from the previous Open Day returned. There were also tours of the site, which was showing signs of life, despite the weather conditions.
As usual, lunch was a shared affair, centred on a vegetable stew. People are very generous, so there was more than enough to share.
We have a Growing Committee who draws up a plan of when certain activities have to be done and what time of year. But, because of the variable weather, it is still a bit of hit and miss as to whether the timing is right! Yet, we still see quite a bit of produce showing itself at the right times.
On the day a bridge and steps were built to make access easier to help everyone get from the Rivelin Valley Road car park to the lower plots in our block – so hopefully helping all the plot holders in the area.
We received help from a couple of students, who spent quite a few back-breaking hours getting them just right! Also tackled, were the putting up of supports for the fruit plants.
So, you can gather, even though hard work is involved, there is much fun and laughter and a sense of community. If anyone is interested in joining us, using their skills, even if they are not in the gardening area, there is always plenty to do, as well as making new friends, please contact Hillside Harvest via nick.rousseau@hillsideharvest.org.uk.
Rivelin Valley-based Hillside Harvest have sent the following report and photos from last weekend’s open day. Their next open day is all about plot planning and is taking place on Saturday March 16 from 11am.
On a sunny, dry Saturday in February, we came together for our first Open Day in 2013.
Apart from our members, we had a very eager group of students from the University of Sheffield, and a good number of other visitors. The students made quite a difference to the various areas of the site, including bringing back to life a number of plots.
The visitors were treated to an in-depth training session, by a local expert, on composting, learning such things as the importance of getting the balance between the right amounts of nitrogen and carbon-based products!
In the middle of the day, we all gathered for a shared lunch of a vegetable stew and a number of cakes (though not together!). It was also a time of getting to know each other and to share our joys and failures in composting and other gardening activities.
Budding and experienced gardeners will be interested in the Hillside Harvest Open Days in February and March:
For more information, including times and the availability of free minibus lifts for 16 February and 16 March, check the Hillside Harvest website. Places are limited, so please let the organisers know soon if you intend to come.
To sign up for a lift/workshop email info@hillsideharvest.org.uk or phone Nick/Eleanor on 0114 2301 406 or Gareth on 07940 533 603.
Crosspool residents can have their Christmas tree shredded free this Sunday morning, 6 January.
You can bring your Christmas tree to precinct between 10am and 12 noon where a tree surgeon will be on hand to shred it.
Valleyside Garden Centre is also offering to collect and recycle your Christmas tree over the weekend of 15 and 16 January for £3. Contact them on 0114 230 1925 for more information.
The Christmas trees and lights above the Crosspool shops are due to come down on Sunday.
The Friends of Bole Hills are looking for anyone with an interest in the Crookes park to get involved with their group.
Contact Liz on friendsofthebolehills@yahoo.co.uk or 07734 801082 for more information.
Their provisional 2013 meeting dates are:
The usual meeting venue is the Bowling Pavillion in the Bole Hills Park, starting at 7pm.
Have you noticed the influx of waxwings in the area? This great photo from by Kim Redgrave shows a pair of them eating berries from rowan trees on Tapton playing field last weekend.
Sheffield Bird Study Group explained that Crosspool usually attracts waxwings due to the large amount of rowen berries on Manchester Road. Photographer Kim also suggested that the berries in Scandanavia may have failed because of weather so they’ve come further south this year.
The RSPB estimates on their website that the number of individual waxwing birds usually present in the UK between October and March could be as low as 100.
However, this ITV News report says that over 2,000 of the birds have arrived from Scandinavia this month.
Rivelin Valley Conservation Group is the focus of this documentary from Russell Cavanagh. Watch it to find out more about the group, the history of Rivelin Valley and the work they do.
Crosspool News - crosspool.info 