CAUSEWAY OCTOBER 2020 Alternative Halloween Festivities The Ration Challenge One Summer in Walton
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Serving the communities of Thorp Arch and Walton Advertising Index Accountants Gillbeck Assoc Peter Howard
Hardware Douglas Yeadon
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Holiday Cottages Priory Cottages
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Kitchens Aberford Interiors
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Newsagents Supershop
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Electrical Services P Collier Edmunds Electrical
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Opticians Andrew Morgan Cameron Beaumont
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Estate Agents Beadnall & Copley
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PA/Secretarial Concierge David Bransby 27
Flooring Services Thorner Flooring
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Funerals Tony Barker
Plumbing and Heating Peter Norman 30 Thorp Arch Plumbing 28
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Gardening Lawn Keeper MK Landscaping
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Hairdressing Ian Blakey
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Alarms PGK Security
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Animal Care Clifford Moor Farm
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Architects McNicholas Architects Bed & Breakfast Four Gables
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Building Materials Kirbys
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Carpet Cleaning Wetherby Carpet
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Cars/MOT Westmoreland Cars
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Chimney Sweep Mooring Brothers Chiropody Boston Spa Chiropody
Contact: Emma Shellard, 07903 632590 emmashellard@outlook.com
Curtains, Furnishing Lou’s Threads
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Decorators Mark Hatfield Oliver Willard The Decorating Centre
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Elderly Support WiSE
Restaurants Fox and Hounds
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Retail Parks Thorp Arch Retail Park
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Tree Services Bardsey Tree Services
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Front Cover - Harvest Time - Victoria Etherington Causeway - Chair Ian Hall. Editors Lisa Sherratt and Victora Etherington. Designer John Pendleton Advertising Emma Shellard. Distribution (Thorp Arch) Jane Clayton (Walton) Gay Childe and David Spencer. Big thanks to the entire distribution team. Please refer to the Contacts Page for contact details. The Editor and Management Committee do not endorse any content of articles or advertisements in this magazine nor shall they be liable directly or indirectly for any damages which may arise from information or views contained in these pages. 2
From your Editors causeway.editor@gmail.com
Dear Readers
Welcome to the October issue of Causeway. The evenings have suddenly got darker and the trees are all turning those beautiful autumnal colours which show the change of seasons. Where has 2020 gone? We are certainly feeling as though we have lost several months this year and now it’s nearly over we’re trying to make the most of the time that is left. The annual Harvest Supper at Walton Village Hall has been cancelled for the first time that we’re aware of, as it seems such a shame to let this occasion go uncelebrated when lots of us have seen bountiful crops of our own this year (even if it’s mostly courgette and apple based!) so see page 13 for more details of how to celebrate at home whilst supporting the St Peter’s Church. It is also the time of year where we are looking for new advertisers for Causeway. Would this be a suitable way of advertising your business? See more information on page 17 and get in touch with Emma Shellard.
Contents
As ever we’re looking for your news and contributions. If you have anything you’d like to share for November please do get in touch. What traditions can you share for this time of year, do you have any great recipes for all the apples or any rituals you follow to bring in the darker evenings that you’d like to share with the local community? We’d love to hear from you! Editor’s Letter 3 Martin House News 6 News from our Churches 7 Clergy Letter 8 Sunday Services 9 Thorp Arch Parish Council 10 Local News 11 Halloween - Trick or Treat 12
If you have any contributions for the magazine or would like to join the team please email causeway.editor@gmail.com Blessings
Now available online at issuu.com/ causewaymag and LARGE PRINT VERSION AVAILABLE BY EMAILING CAUSEWAY. EDITOR@GMAIL.COM. Causeway is a voluntary community magazine which is published 10 times a year (monthly except for January and August). Contributions are considered by our Editorial Team and are invited to be emailed to causeway.editor@gmail.com by 10th of the month prior to publication.
Harvest Supper at Home 13 Apple Cake Recipe 15 Village Diary 16 Advertise in Causeway 17 Eating Like a Refugee 20 Summer in Walton and the Surrounding Area 24 The Birds in your Garden 26 Village Contacts 29
Available online at issuu.com/causewaymag and LARGE PRINT VERSION - EMAIL CAUSEWAY.EDITOR@GMAIL.COM. Causeway is a community magazine produced and distributed by a team of dedicated volunteers which is published 10 times a year (monthly except for January and August). Contributions are considered by our Editorial Team and are invited to be emailed to causeway. editor@gmail.com by 10th of the month prior to publication. 3
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Hospice Care News Martin House Marks Hospice Care Week
Martin House cares for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions from across West, North and East Yorkshire, including providing respite stays, emergency care, end of life care and bereavement support.
Children’s hospice Martin House is urging people to support its vital care to children and young people with life-shortening conditions as it marks Hospice Care Week this month.
It costs £9 million a year to run Martin House, and the hospice relies on fundraising and voluntary income for nearly 90 per cent of that figure.
Hospice Care Week, which runs from 5th to 11th October, is organised by national charity Hospice UK, and aims to highlight the work of the more than 200 hospices across the UK providing palliative care to thousands of people.
Clair added: “It still takes a huge amount of money to provide the kind of specialist care children and young people need, but with the effects of the pandemic, it also means that raising money is harder than ever before.
Clair Holdsworth, interim chief executive of Martin House, said: “Every year it takes an army of people to make the care we provide to families happen.
“The truth is, we can’t run Martin House without the support of our communities, and Hospice Care Weeks gives us the chance to remind people of how vital our service is, and what it takes to keep going.”
“This includes all the specialists that make up our care team, the fundraisers who bring in the money, and the staff and volunteers who support us to make sure Martin House can run smoothly.
To find out more about Martin House and how you can support its work, visit www.martinhouse. org.uk.
“But due to the pandemic, it also now takes so much more, as we’ve had to introduce new measures to protect our children, staff and volunteers, and we’ve had to adapt how we provide care to keep everyone safe.”
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News from our Churches
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Letter from the Clergy Autumn can often seem to be a wistful season. The leaves change colour, the weather turns, the days shorten and nights begin to draw in earlier. Usually, autumn is the time of year when the vibrancy of life suddenly appears to be a little muted.
I don’t say this to distress, disturb or depress, because the Bible also offers hope in these repeated stories. These disasters are awful elements of human history, but amid all of that there are other strands of humanity’s tale. In the Bible we learn that we are not alone and adrift. Time and again, God reaches out in love to offer justice and hope to those whose lives have been turned upside down, or who find themselves on the sharp end of history. In Jesus we see that God is not aloof from the tide of human affairs. Jesus came not as someone of political power or wealth. Instead, when God sent his only Son, Jesus, he sent him to a politically irrelevant backwater town of an occupied territory of a military superpower, as a carpenter who got his hands dirty in the very ordinary business of life and who chose to hang out with people of no particular significance to the world around them. Within forty years of his death and resurrection, many of his followers had dispersed around the eastern Mediterranean and beyond – some of them, indeed, as refugees fleeing Roman persecution - taking that message of hope with them and enriching the world as they spread the good news.
But this is a funny old year and the usual patterns seem disrupted. It is hard to write in advance with any certainty about what October might be like, but as nature changes before our very eyes in a familiar way, perhaps this is a good time to reflect on the changeable nature of life. This year has called into question many of our own certainties, and with this there is an opportunity to empathise with the plight of countless millions around the world who, every year, find their ways of life changed beyond all recognition. The sight of refugees on our screens and in our papers is so commonplace in the 21st Century that we easily lose sight of the human reality that these are people like us. Beyond the photos are people from all walks of life: doctors, teachers, artists, lawyers, engineers, musicians – any occupation you are to name, any walk of life which you yourself pursue. Many of them led lives of relative comfort before war, disaster, genocide, famine or political ineptitude swept through their lives. We should be in no doubt, especially after the months we have experienced lately, that famine, war and pestilence are human universals. In fact, the Bible is full of such tales of these three kinds of disaster (often accompanying one another in sequence!) sweeping through the ancient world.
Wherever we find ourselves and our lives this autumn, remember that in seasons of change, even dramatic ones, God is with us, and in Jesus God blesses us so that we might go and bless others. Bless you all. THE REVEREND NICK MORGAN
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Sunday Services
ALL SAINTS’ THORP ARCH
9.30pm
4th Oct
Holy Communion followed by AGM
9.30am
11th Oct
Parish Worship
9.30am
11th Oct
Holy Communion @ Walton
10am
18th Oct
Benefice Healing Service @ Saint Mary’s
10am
25th Oct
Bible Sunday Joint service with the Methodists at St Mary’s or the Methodist Church (To Be Advised)
9.30pm
1st Nov
Holy Communion
ST PETER’S WALTON
9.30pm
4th Oct
Holy Communion @ Thorp Arch
9.30am
11th Oct
Holy Communion
10am
18th Oct
Benefice Healing Service @ Saint Mary’s
10am
25th Oct
Bible Sunday Joint service with the Methodists at St Mary’s or the Methodist Church (To Be Advised)
9.30pm
1st Nov
Holy Communion @ Thorp Arch
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Thorp Arch Parish Council September 2020 News Bulletin
Rising Cases of Coronavirus in Leeds Over the last few weeks, the infection rate across Leeds has been rising, initially due to community clusters in specific parts of the city, but more recently there has been more general community transmission of single cases in different locations and demographics across the city.
New Noticeboard The Parish Council have recently purchased a new noticeboard for the Walton side of the village. Minutes, agenda’s, general information and community notices will be available for residents to view. The board is located at the end of Woodland Drive, facing Walton Road. If you would like to place a community notice, please contact: clerk@thorp-arch.org.uk
This has resulted in Leeds being named as an area of concern by the Government. Increased vigilance and adherence with the national guidance is thus especially important. Please protect yourself and protect our community. The advice being given is:
Don’t leave home if you, or anyone in your household, has COVID-19 symptoms Keep a safe distance from others Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds Wear a face covering over your mouth and nose on public transport and in indoor areas such as shops, places of worship, hairdressers, libraries and healthcare settings Volunteers and Helpers Needed
If you have symptoms book a free test at www.gov.uk/getcoronavirus-test. If you have a positive test, remember to isolate
Thorp Arch needs you! We all love our Village and want to keep it looking good all year round so we are looking for volunteers to help. If you think you could lend a hand now and again or just want to find out what it might involve then we would love to hear from you. Even something small like watering plants would be helpful. Please get in touch with any of your Parish Councillors or contact: clerk@thorp-arch.org.uk
The Leeds City Council’s Coronavirus page can be found here www.leeds.gov.uk/coronavirus
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Thorp Arch Parish Council Police Report
and consultation by Cllrs and local residents continue with Lovell Homes. It is expected that development will commence in the early part of 2021.
One crime reported for July: Burglary on the trading estate. Register for a community alert: For daily crime updates in your area please register for community alert.
Parish Cllrs are in discussions with Ministry of Justice Estates (HMP Wealstun) regarding community issues relating to the cycle path.
Here you will receive updates about crime in your area, and crime prevention advice. Visit www.wypcommunityalert.co.uk
Report a Problem Residents can report a range of problems online to Leeds City Council concerning potholes, street lighting, dog fouling, blocked drains, footpaths, bridleways, fallen trees and street signs.
Crime Reporting Please ensure that you report all crimes. For nonurgent issues and to pass on information, call West Yorkshire Police on 101.
Please make a note of the link and report problems directly at:
In an emergency (if a crime is in progress or you think the offenders are nearby), call 999.
www.leeds.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/ report-an-issue-with-a-road-or-pavement
Deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired people can use textphone 18001 101. Go to the West Yorkshire Police website - www.westyorkshire. police.uk
Newsletter Sign Up The Parish Council now produce their own electronic Newsletter. This can be accessed via our website: www.thorp-arch.org.uk
Click on the ‘Contact us’ button and a range of ways to report will appear including the 101 Live Chat System. Or click on the ‘Report it’ function and numerous types of crime which you can report online will appear.
If you would like to receive the newsletter and other information directly from the us, then please sign up via the website.
Contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team to speak to a local officer about community issues:
The Newsletter sign up box can be found on the Homepage.
Email: nel.npt@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
Date of Next Parish Council Meeting
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WYPLeedsNorthEast
The next meeting will be held remotely on Monday 12th October 2020 – 7pm to 9pm.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/WYP_LeedsNE
If you would like to join the meeting, please contact the Clerk on clerk@thorp-arch.org.uk
To give information anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Housing Developments The Chartford Homes/Homes England application (18/07278/FU) for 26 dwellings continues on site. The development is well underway with three homes now occupied. Homes England/Lovells (17/07970 for 119 houses). Ongoing discussions 11
Reclaiming a Fun Festival Halloween, Trick or Treat?
Friendlier Alternatives
Although most people in Britain accept Halloween festivities, they may have mixed feelings and some discomfort about trick or treating.
Visit a neighbour (during daylight) to say hello and ask how they are, do they need help with anything? Watch a film such as Harry Potter with your children and use it as an opportunity to talk about the difference between fantasy magic and the occult. With the young people I work with I suggest that this is to do with choice and control. If you are casting a spell you can choose whether it is for good or evil. If you are summoning a spirit you have no control over what might happen.
Many communities in Britain are concerned about antisocial behaviour and criminal activity hidden under the cloak of trick or treat. The number of police forces who mount special operations around Halloween illustrates the potential for trouble either real or perceived. The practice of trick or treat may place children in danger, even if they go around in small groups. Many parents who would normally keep a close eye on their children’s whereabouts allow them to walk about the streets, calling at stranger’s doors and demanding treats. Sadly, there have been a number of incidences of contaminated candy over the last few years.
Carve pumpkins and talk about how the light from the candle can get out through the smallest of cracks and holes in the pumpkin. Love is like that, it doesn’t need much of a space to shine out. Visit some websites such as www. bakerross.co.uk/halloween-2020 or www. thebestideasforkids.com/halloween-crafts-forkids/ and do some of the crafts together.
We also need to ask, who is having the ‘fun’ in this context? Is it fun for those who choose not to take part, the elderly or those who feel intimidated and frightened? The fear for many elderly people is so great that charities now offer help and support specifically for Halloween.
Play traditional games such as apple bobbing as a family – it is surprisingly hard! As a bonus you might get some fruit into your children!
If we are involved in the lives of children and young people, we have a number of choices; ignore Halloween altogether; go along with it without making any comment; protest and be labelled as killjoys; or to reclaim the festival for ourselves.
Cook together, I am not convinced about pumpkin pie, but cooking and icing biscuits with a Halloween theme is always a tasty option. Get dressed up and go trick or treating to a few trusted houses that you have agreed to visit beforehand. This way you can be sure it is safe and fun for both the adults and the children.
Here are a few ideas of things you might do instead of trick or treat this year. Whatever you do, I wish you a safe and blessed Halloween this year. VICTORIA
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Walton Harvest at Home Harvest Supper at Home
Why not make it a special occasion, decorate your table, get dressed up, make your favourite meal or the meal that really means “Harvest Festival” to you, open a nice bottle of wine and have the excuse to celebrate for an evening.
Instead of the usual annual Harvest Supper at Walton Village Hall we would like to invite you to hold your own Harvest Supper, whatever that looks like to you with your own family and friends at home during the month of October.
If you’d like to join in please call Doreen Lister on 842344 or Anne Kilby on 842561 and they will get a donation envelope delivered to you.
Whilst the church has remained mostly unused during the last six months it still requires upkeep, and fundraising for the building is still vital. If you’d like to join in at home we are suggesting a hostess ticket price of £5 per person to be donated. The hostess can of course take her own costs out of the price too!
We’d love to see your celebrations too so please send any photos of your evening over to causeway.editor@gmail.com so we can share them next month.
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South African Recipe Apple Cake - Cape Town
Cream the butter with the sugar until fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; scrape sides as you go. Add the lemon rind and vanilla, then the flour – don’t overmix. Stir the larger apple chunks into the batter and pour into the pan, smooth with a fork to even the top. The smaller apple pieces go on top in an even cover.
In South Africa they refer to it as ‘apple pie’ – more like a cake with apples incorporated in the dough. I based this recipe on one I found online, on inmamaskitchen.com, contributed by Joy Johnson. The caramel glaze is her recipe, but I’ve changed the rest substantially; I found it works well to have apples inside the cake as well as on top of it. The caramel glaze is a bit special and worth the effort, though the cake is nice even without it, with a lashing of cream or ice cream. I’ve also come up with an alternative topping (probably harking back to my German heritage): a custard-like mascarpone layer. Your choice! Note: the pictured version is with the caramel glaze, and I’ve replaced some of the apple pieces on top with a good handful of brambles (blackberries).
If you’re going to top it with the caramel syrup, combine the cinnamon with the sugar and sprinkle it over the top. If you’re making it with the mascarpone topping, whisk or beat the ingredients for that together until evenly combined and spoon it over the top, smoothing it with a fork or back of a spoon to get an even cover, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 45-50 mins, until cake tester comes out clean. Make the syrup, if using, while the cake is baking. Combine the sugar and milk and bring to the boil in a medium-sized pot, then reduce temperature and boil, stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken – this will take around 20 minutes. Don’t leave it unattended, as it has a tendency to boil over – which is why a medium-size pot is better. Stir in the caramel essence. If your syrup is finished before the cake is done, turn off the heat and reheat briefly when the cake comes out of the oven. Spoon evenly all over the cake as soon as it’s baked, let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes before removing the springform side. Cool completely or serve warm.
23-cm cake, serves 8-10 6 medium dessert apples 175g butter, softened 175g caster sugar 4 large eggs Grated rind of 1 lemon 1 tsp vanilla extract 175g self-raising flour 1 tsp cinnamon mixed with 2 tbsp sugar Caramel Syrup 125g sugar 200ml whole milk
ANNE WATTS
1 tsp caramel essence Alternate topping: Mascarpone Custard 250g mascarpone (fat-reduced is fine) 50g sugar 1 large egg ½ tsp vanilla extract Pre-heat oven to 170 C (convection). Prepare a 23-cm springform pan – butter or spray with oil, line bottom and sides with baking parchment. My procedure for this is to set out all the ingredients for the cake batter, and then I prepare the apples: peel and core them, and cut half of them into about 2-cm chunks and the other half into 1-cm chunks or slices. This way you can stir them straight into the dough as soon as it’s ready. 15
Village Diary
Things change so please check with the organiser before setting out. Have you an event? Please send brief details (preferably following the format below) to causeway.editor@gmail.com in plenty of time!
NOVEMBER 7th November Government restrictions permitting, we plan to hold Walton’s third Bonfire Night party, there will be updates soon.
2020 POPPY APPEAL The Royal British Legion (RBL) has had to make changes to minimise the impact of Covid-19 on the Poppy Appeal 2020. This year’s Appeal will operate in a different way to ensure the safety of the volunteers, staff and the public. To follow the current restrictions and social distancing guidelines, no house to house collections are allowed to take place. Poppies will however be available at The Pax in Thorp Arch and The Fox and Hounds in Walton. Poppy boxes can also be found in local shops and supermarkets. The RBL continues to support our veterans, serving men and women and their families, particularly at this difficult time for so many of the Armed Forces Community. As in previous years, there will be the Service of Remembrance at Thorp Arch War Memorial on Sunday 8th November at 10.50am, with a collection taken for the Poppy Appeal 2020, subject to government restrictions. JENNY BENTLEY
The Thorp Arch Tennis club 200 draw winner was ticket number 81, Ian and Gaby Morrison. 16
Ian & Gaby Morrison
Notice Board
Advertise your business here! Do you run a small business that you’d like more people to know about? Causeway has advertising space available for 2021 and we would love you to advertise with us. We encourage advertisers to have advertorial within the magazine as well as their individual adverts and are always happy for you to contribute.
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Prices start at just £60 for an eighth of a page, if you’d like to get more information contact Emma Shellard on emmashellard@outlook.com or call 07903 632590.
Quarter page £100 per year plus £30 artwork charge (no bleed 93mm high x 128mm wide) Eighth page £60 per year plus £20 artwork charge (45mm high x 62mm wide) The artwork charge doesn’t apply if you can supply a high resolution pdf.
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The Ration Challenge Eating Like a Refugee
of society with a home, a family, friends, a job and meaning in life to being part of a ‘problem’ in need of a solution.
Over the years my youngest daughter (now aged 20), has supported me in a number of activities designed to raise money and awareness for a range of charities.
No one is offered a choice about where they were born, nor does being born in a wealthy and politically stable country indicate some sort of superiority or worthiness in comparison to those born in countries ravaged by war or famine. To be born British is quite simply a massive gift that most of us never realise we have received.
After the last one she asked me to return the favour by doing the Ration Challenge (go. rationchallenge.org.uk/20-01/) with her. Whilst nobody in their right mind would call me a foodie, I do enjoy my food, so it was with great reluctance I agreed. It would not be overstating the case to say I was dreading the week; it felt like a big dark cloud on the horizon. As I write this I have one more meal to go, and the experience has been every bit as bad as I thought it would be! At the start of the week my main fear was being hungry, but I hadn’t realised just how much rice 1.92kg is; the meals were boring and tasteless, but my stomach remained full. However, eating a diet that largely consists of refined carbohydrates and vegetable oil offers little nutritional value and so as the week went on I have felt increasingly tired and unwell. Today I am cold, even though the thermostat says the temperature in the room I am seated in is 20°C. I am nauseous to the extent I don’t want to eat, despite knowing that I will feel better for the food even if it is unappetising.
Reflecting on this gift of security and stability during this week has troubled me greatly. It is not something I have given a great deal of thought to previously; but I am resident in a country that is home to less than one percent of the worlds displaced people and which seeks to tighten its borders still further. In response to the increase in numbers of people attempting to cross the channel this summer, Priti Patel stated she wants to make this route ‘unviable.’ Unviable? Getting into a crowded inflatable boat to travel 20.7 miles in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world is viable?
Food, although crucial for survival, is only one element of the refugee experience. These are people who have been forced out of their homes, their jobs, and have lost family and friends. Through no fault of their own, their entire social world has been destroyed.
Where does this leave me as a Christian? This question applies both personally and professionally; as a youth minister, my choices, actions and opinions will carry weight with the young people I work with. There is no simple answer. On the one hand the Bible appears to be unequivocal, that we should welcome the stranger. The Israelites found themselves strangers in foreign lands; perhaps in response to this Deuteronomy includes specific provision
As I cooked yet more rice, I wondered how it must feel to go from being a productive member 20
Could you do it?
for treating strangers with care and maintaining their dignity. Jeremiah 7.6 is very clear, “do not oppress the sojourner” and Mt 25. 31-40 casts Jesus in the role of every stranger in need. Throughout history these injunctions have coexisted with behaviours such as pogroms against the Jews, slavery, crusades, imperialism and colonialism, all of which seem to have a biblical mandate, but which demonstrate a very different approach to the stranger. Many Christians today see the issue as one of legality. There is no lawful route to enter Britain in search of asylum, so refugees are law breakers and should be returned. Others see it as more of a utilitarian issue, if we continue to accept refugees can we support our existing population? Still others argue it is a matter of reparation; the actions of the UK have led to the displacement of people, through warfare, climate change or trade and so we owe people safe haven. Applying biblical principles to contemporary political situations and policies is not straightforward and Christians will find themselves on both sides of the debate. You may disagree, but for me a refugee is above all else a child of God, and so the Bible is clear and unambiguous. “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Rom.13.8 VICTORIA
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One Summer in Walton Summer in Walton and the Surrounding Area Connie and I have had a wonderful couple of months enjoying the sunshine and the local countryside as well as our own back garden so we thought we’d share some of our mini adventures as the summer ends and we have to find activities to do inside instead! We’ve been making good use of the new track from Thorp Arch Trading Estate over the viaduct and discovered a great little paddling area in the river, nice and shallow along the edge and Connie loved it so much we had to bribe her out with a promise of an ice lolly when we got home! I’ve always loved paddling in streams and water so it’s great fun having my little companion to join me! Having the cycle path available so close to the village is great motivation to get moving, we especially love watching the red kites flying over and watching as they swoop and dive for prey, a great lesson in how nature behaves and so beautiful to watch! Connie will now walk much further than she has before, although walking towards the next blackberry bush is good motivation! Finding summer activities to do in the garden has also been fun, especially finding out that Connie is really quite good at boules! The paddling pool has been well used and we finally got a hammock - keeps Connie contained and quiet for ages, we should have got one a long time ago! We love summer in the village, so much to enjoy and our garden is full of fruit to pick and beautiful flowers to smell, it’s a wonderful place to live as a young family. LISA
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One Summer in Walton
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The Birds in your Garden Bird Flocks in your Garden
flocks are mixed. Greenfinches, Chaffinches, and occasionally Bullfinches are the most common companions, but Siskins, Bramblings and maybe even the odd vagrant can get involved. It’s always worth a second (and third) look, particularly if your binoculars are handy.
Autumn is with us, and winter approaches, and this is the time of year when some garden birds form flocks. Birds normally only do things that help them survive, and it’s generally thought that flocks help with protection from predators (more eyes to spot them and a swirl of targets to confuse them), roosting warmth and locating food.
If you do see a flurry of small-bird movement, take a few moments to look and see whether it’s just a few sparrows arguing, or whether it’s a larger flock of something else moving through. It’s not just finches that flock, either. Tits have the same tendency, so again, have a second look. It may seem as though they are all the same, but Long Tailed Tits and various assorted other species often get mixed in.
Species behave differently, but whatever they get up to, the result can be spectacular as anyone watching a Starling murmuration will witness. Reserves such as Potteric Carr and Saltholme are good places to see murmurations, but they occur all over the country involving anything from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands. I’ve heard a couple of suggestions for the choice of the collective noun; one is that it is from the sound of myriad wings in flight, and the other that it comes from the noise they make after they have settled. Take your choice!
In most cases, birds in a flock tend to be very restive. Life in a flock is rarely particularly harmonious, and if birds get too close to each other, especially when feeding, there will be a flurry of aggressive calls and much fluttering of wings. There are always one or two nervous characters in there, and if it is a mixed flock, there’s a good chance that some of the movements will be a group of the same species, helping you work out what’s included. Look at body shapes and beaks as well as colour, they are probably the best way of sorting out who is there.
Less dramatic, but well worth a closer look, are the finch flocks which are around at the moment. Breeding out of the way, so no need to compete, and with juveniles in abundance, and often large numbers of migrants here for our less intense winters, they get together in flocks that can vary from a dozen to hundreds. Migrant finches tend to feed out in the fields, so those you see in your garden are most likely residents.
If you find the lives of our garden birds to be of interest, and would like to join in and count the feathered occupants of your garden, please contact the BTO Garden BirdWatch website (www.bto.org/gbw). Mike Gray gbwmike@gmail.com.
Goldfinches are probably the species most often seen in flocks these days, with their numbers being on the increase in contrast to those of Greenfinches and Chaffinches, which are well down, due mainly to trichomonosis, and still falling. If you do see a Chaffinch flock, have a look to see whether it is predominantly composed of males or females. Linnaeus in 1758 named the species Coelebs (bachelor) because wintering birds in his native Sweden were almost exclusively male. The females gathered elsewhere, usually to the west and south! Sounding something like a tinkling of bells the Goldfinch’s song en masse has earned them the rather lovely collective noun, ‘Charm’. Look more closely though, and you’ll see that most 26
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BOSTON SPA CHIROPODY PRACTICE 140 High St, Boston Spa, LS23 6BW 01937 842058 HCPC Registered / Home visits available
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For any detail changes, please contact Lisa Sherratt or Victoria Etherington, Causeway.Editor@gmail.com
CONTACTS FOR THORP ARCH & WALTON ORGANISATIONS THORP ARCH All Saints’ Church Rev. Tricia Anslow 844789. Priest In Charge for Bramham Benefice, Rev. Nick Morgan 849471, 07387 728009, revnjmorgan@gmail.com. Parish Office 844402
WALTON St Peter’s Church, Village Church Council Clergy: See All Saints’. Church Wardens: Doreen Lister 842344, Bill Kilby 842561. Secretary: Anne Kilby 842561. Treasurer: Fiona Robinson 843338, fionarob@outlook.com. Flowers & Cleaning: Liz and Geoff Harrison 845978
All Saints’, Parochial Church Council Church Wardens: Kathleen Sanderson 844818. David Spurr 842772, david@mulberrycroft.me.uk. Secretary: Georgina Squires 849747, Treasurer & Covenant Secretary: David Spurr 842772. Flowers: Margaret Smyth 841181
Walton Cricket Club Chair: Caroline Hobson 07860 615154, caroline.hobson@btinternet.com Walton Parish Council Chairman: David Aspland. Vice Chair: Brodie Clark CBE. Clerk: Helena Buck, secretary@walton-pc.gov.uk. Members: Stephen Sharp, Edward Simpson, Mark Wake, David Taylor.
Lady Elizabeth Hastings School Head: Michele O'Donnell, secretary@thorparch-leh.co.uk Friends of the School Chair: Hayley Cullen 07712 175178
Walton Village Hall Booking: Brian Eldred info@waltonvillagehallwetherby.org
TABS Cricket Club Chair: Adam Gough 07725 047555 Thorp Arch Community Association Secretary: Ian Hall 842665, ian.m.hall1@gmail.com
THORP ARCH & WALTON Wetherby Ward Councillors Norma Harrington 01133 788 557. Alan Lamb via The Fox and Hounds. Linda Richards 0113 3788557 linda.richards@leeds.gov.uk
Thorp Arch Parish Council Chair: John Richardson, Clerk: Tina Wormley 0113 289 3624, clerk@thorp-arch.org.uk. Members: Ian Grainger (Co-opted), Steve O'Loughlin, Nicola Midgley (Co-opted), Charlotte Dyson (Co-opted)
Causeway Magazine Chair: Ian Hall ian.m.hall1@gmail.com. Secretary: Jane Clayton 843153. Editors: Lisa Sherratt and Victoria Etherington causeway. editor@gmail.com. Design: John Pendleton jlp@proportionmarketing.co.uk. Advertising: Emma Shellard 07903 632590 emmashellard@outlook.com.
Thorp Arch Tennis Club Chair: Neil Brooks. 07960 934497, brooksneil@hotmail.com. Secretary: Jill Tarr. 07709 893046, tarrhigh@hotmail.com. Treasurer: Rob Seldon 541797
Yorkshire Countrywomen’s Association (YCA) Chair: Judith Symonds 541799. Sec: Fiona Spence 520271 tawyca@ outlook.com, Treasurer: Fran Bowers 01423 880112
Thorp Arch Village Society Chair: Gaby Morrison 843376, gaby.morrison@outlook.com. Secretary: Sue Clayton 843181. Treasurer: Shirley Davies 541976.
Leeds City Council general.enquiries@leeds.gov.uk
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