THE LARKHALL NEWS Produced by St Mark’s School
Issue 19, July 2012
A Church of England Business and Enterprise College
50
things children should do before they’re 11¾
&
St Mark’s The Valley Schools Report Wild about Garlic
Bryan Chalker discovers the wild side of cooking
Alice Park Community Garden It’s the people that bring a garden alive
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From the Editor Despite the endless downpours of rain that this summer seems to have bestowed upon us, it would seem that the enthusiasm for the quintessentially British summer gathering is still something that we all hanker for! The deluge of rain has tried to dampen the spirits of us all over the past few months, as our community has come together at a myriad of outdoor festivals, fetes, parties, workshops, music events and the like. I am thrilled to report that this edition of The Larkhall News is testimony to the desire, determination and down-right doggedness of so many to make sure that events like the Larkhall Festival, sports days, Olympic Torch Festivals, open days and the such continue to operate for the benefit of us all. There is so much going on in Larkhall over the summer, it was hard to squeeze everything in to just 16 pages, but I hope that we have provided a flavour of things to come! With so many activities and events to tempt us, I am sure that the children of The Valley Schools will have no problem in achieving their target of 50 things children should do before they’re 11 and 3/4 (page 5). I might even join them, with a slightly extended age range... With best wishes for a glorious summer!
In This Edition: The St Mark’s Offer Choose St Mark’s School
50 things children should do The Valley Heads get set for adventure!
Creating Valley Added St Mark’s Summer School
Larkhall Festival 2012 The Festival out-shone the rain!
Wild about Garlic
Bryan Chalker goes wild
Alice Park Community Garden What makes a garden special?
Paula Paula Hawkins - Editor Telephone:01225 312661 or 478416 Email: hawkinsp@st-marks.bathnes.sch.uk
Business Connect Book your place now for September
Friendly, helpful service
Published by St Mark’s School Editor: Paula Hawkins, St Mark’s School, Baytree Road, Larkhall, Bath, BA1 6ND Tel: 01225 312661 Email: hawkinsp@st-marks.bathnes.sch.uk Website: The Larkhall News is available online at: www.st-marks.bathnes.sch.uk/BusinessEnterprise/LarkhallNews
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. The publisher does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or errors in content. Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage. For advertising enquiries contact us on 01225 478416
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StMark’s S c h o o l
By Executive Headteacher, Raymond Friel The St Mark’s Offer is a summary of what we believe makes St Mark’s School a very attractive option for local children. I would encourage everyone in the local community to get behind St Mark’s and help to spread the word that it is a great school. Welcome to the final edition of the Larkhall News for this academic year. It has been a significant year in the life of the school, with new leadership and a new sense of confidence as we look to the future. We have continued our long tradition of working in and for the local community, with significant contributions to the Larkhall Festival, our ongoing links with local businesses through Business Connect and our partnership work with the Valley Schools. We will be developing our links with the local community with the development of a Goldies Garden on the site of the school, with work hopefully beginning over the summer.
Another major feature of our work has been our campaign to persuade more local families to Choose St. Mark’s as the best school for the education of their children. In this edition you will find the St. Mark’s Offer, which is a summary of what we believe makes St. Mark’s a very attractive option for local children. I would encourage everyone in the local community to get behind St. Mark’s and help to spread the word that is a great school with much to recommend it to local families.
Pictured: Wendy, Lizzy and Jade
In the autumn we will continue our efforts to promote the school with an Open Evening on Thursday 4 October and an Open morning on Tuesday 9 October. Please make a note of these dates in your diary and help us to spread the word about what St. Mark’s has to offer.
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50
things children should do before they’re 11¾ By Head of Swainswick Primar y, Louise Cripps
The children felt inspired by the Guides and Cubs as organisations that helped young people experience many of the things on the list. The children also felt that schools should play a pivotal role in enabling them to take chances with their learning and experience things that they would not normally have an opportunity to do.
The Valley Schools is an informal collaboration between the five schools of St Mark’s, St Saviour’s Infants and Nursery, St Saviour’s Juniors, St Stephen’s Primary and Swainswick Primary. The aim of the Valley Schools is to look for opportunities to give all the children attending the five schools chances to learn together and to use our relationship to celebrate this part of Bath.Through working together, we are able to create opportunities for children to learn inter-generationally about their local environment (in as rounded a sense as possible, not only its physical geography) and in the process, offer the wider community opportunities to become involved in the children’s learning. Inspired by the National Trust’s list of 50 things children should have the chance to do before they are 11 ¾, the Valley Schools Heads discussed the opportunities we would like all of our children to have experienced whilst they are children and how our locality might be able to assist us in providing these opportunities. Fundamental to this is, of course, the children and what their perception of a positive opportunity should be. As the children began to talk, it was evident that their outdoor experiences carried strong memories and clear stories with them. “I caught two crabs on a beach at the sea, after you’ve caught your crab you should put it back in the sea. Grandad taught me how to get crabs.”
We discovered, whilst talking to the children that one class had managed to complete 14 things on the list as a class group, enabling them to share the experiences with their friends. “I loved playing in the mud and climbing the trees. Felix made a spit for our pretend fire,” said Farrah. “We found a lobster, then we learnt that it was called a crayfish. It was about the size of Archie’s palm,” said George. “I enjoyed making a base camp. We did lots of spying,” said Archie. “I liked running through the long grass and falling in muddy puddles,” said Isabel. “I really liked the clay. I used lots of different objects to make patterns,” said Harry. “I liked making a dam. We got clay from the stream and made a wall,” said Sophia. This is just the start of an on-going conversation to which all ages of children can contribute. From these seedlings of discussion, we as adults can work to develop further ideas and opportunities for the children in all of the Valley Schools, opportunities that we can all share in.
The Valley Added Initiative is a project set up by the Valley Schools to do just this and to “When you look up at the sky and see turn many of these ideas and discussions a kite it feels good. You can fly a kite in into a reality, not only for children of all ages, your back garden or in Alice Park, or but also for older residents of our commuon the beach.” nity, local organisations and businesses. We look forward to sharing news of this project “You will always remember your special in future issues and hope that many of you times, you can share the stories with will take the opportunity to join in and share in the learning experience. your friends.”
The Valley Added Community Project The five Valley Schools have launched an innovative, Community Based Intergenerational Learning Project to take place during the Summer and Autumn. The project, known as “Valley Added”, will bring together children, young people and adults from all areas of the community to learn from each other and support the local schools and businesses through mutual benefits. The project is being launched in July, at a Summer School to be held at St Mark’s School with two further Saturday events being planned for the Autumn. Events will include a range of workshops for children, young people and adults, also to be held at St Mark’s. Merryl Elias, School Business Manager and Project Manager for “Valley Added”, said, “We are all very excited about this project, which will benefit the whole community and will look at new ways of educating learners of all ages. The students will have the opportunity to learn real life skills, and by co-operating with local businesses, will put their learning into context and hopefully inspire them to use their new skills in the future. It will also raise the profile of local schools and businesses and become a high impact, sustainable project for the local area. This project will draw on talents, gifts and resources across the community to inspire learners in ways they never thought possible.” Look out for posters and leaflets for “Valley Added” which will be on display across the community later in the Summer.
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A launch of Olympic dreams By student repor ter Br yher Jones On Tuesday 22nd May, nearly 500 pupils from eight schools gathered on the St Mark’s School astro, to commemorate the Olympic Torch coming to Bath. The children from St Mark’s, St Saviour’s Infants and Juniors, St Stephen’s, Swainswick, Bathampton, Batheaston and Bathwick St Mary’s, joined together to share their thoughts and expectations of this year’s forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games taking part in a ‘Big Dance’ and ‘Big Sing’. Each school also brought their own handmade Olympic torch. The event was supported by Paralympic swimmer, David Hill, and Adam Pengilly, Skeleton Bobsleigh and Olympic Torch Bearer, speaking to the children about the seven values of the Olympics: Friendship, Respect, Equality, Determination, Inspiration, Courage and Excellence. The event culminated in a fantastic release of
100 Olympic coloured balloons into the skies above Larkhall. Winter Olympian and London Torch Bearer, Adam Pengilly, said, “It was exciting to see the children getting so involved. I hope it helps them to be inspired to be the best that they can be at whatever they choose to pursue.” Paralympic swimmer, David Hill, added, "St Mark’s School Olympic Day was one of great significance with the Olympic flame passing by the city just hours later. All of the torches made by the children were fantastic, and it was inspiring to hear all that they have learnt about the Olympic and Paralympic values, and how they apply these to their own lives." The event was organised by Headteacher of St Saviour’s Infants and Nursery, Ed Harker and St Mark’s Sports Coordinator, Brendan Rouse.
Business Connect ...making our corner of Bath a dynamic and vibrant place to do business
Business Connect is a local networking group for small to medium sized businesses and community organisations operating in the local area. It was set up by the Business and Enterprise Team at St Mark’s School to help develop further the links and relationships that the school enjoys with its local business community and to create an environment that would help other businesses to do the same. Since launching last June, there have been four well-attended events with very positive feedback. The events are free to attend and open
“We succeeded in making a very memorable day for nearly 500 children and staff. Not only did we have the sunshine, we met two Olympians, watched a high quality, inspirational performance from the St Mark's dancers, and we all danced too. Thank you to all the teachers who brought their classes along,” said Brendan.
to all members of our local business community. Our next event is due to be held on Thursday 20th September and will feature the usual opportunities for networking and making new contacts, whilst taking the chance to catch up with existing ones.
Book your place now for our September event at St Mark’s School For further information or to book a place, telephone Paula Hawkins on 01225 312661 or email:
businessconnect@st-marks.bathnes.sch.uk Places are free, but limited, so early booking is advised.
L &L arkhall
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The St Saviour’s Church Youth
ambridge
After a staggering 708 official engagements whilst carrying out his duties as Mayor of Bath, Cllr Bryan Chalker reverts to his work as Lambridge Ward Councillor, Member Champion for Heritage and Historic Environment and Artistic Director of the Bath Americana Festival, which kicks off at the American Museum on July 4. Bryan is also organising a third heritage day on Saturday, August 11, between 10am – 4pm at Bath City Football Club, Twerton. This exhibition will be called BATH’S INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE and exhibitors will include B&NES Heritage Services, the Museum of Bath At Work, River Corridor Group, Saltford Brass Mill, the Avon Valley Heritage Railway and Bath Heritage Watchdog, among others. Admission will be free and we look forward to seeing another ‘full house’, like April 7, which saw an attendance of around 1,000.
Cllr Bryan Chalker
Cllr Dave Laming is equally busy as Member Champion for Rivers, with his remit recently extended to include the Kennet Cllr Dave Canal within the B&NES boundary. Cllr Laming has recently departed the Conservative Party and joined Malcolm Lees, June Player and Doug Deacon as an Independent Party member.
Laming
Worker Fund was given a financial boost this year, thanks to the cycling efforts of Reverend Michael Norman. The Fund was launched to raise money to help develop and support the youth work within St Saviour’s Church and the surrounding schools.
Reverend Norman, a keen cyclist, organised the sponsored cycle across the Downs Link in Surrey and West Sussex along with three friends. The route, which goes from St Martha’s Hill near Guilford to Shoreham-on-Sea, follows largely dis-used railway line for 75.97 miles. The team managed to complete their challenge in 10 hours and 42 minutes and, together with one of the other team members, raised nearly £2000 for the Youth Worker Fund. Speaking to Larkhall News reporter, Ben Partridge, Michael said, “I would do a cycle ride again, but maybe a different route.”
By student repor ter Ben Par tridge
Police Beat Report
“I feel that I can do a lot more for the residents of Larkhall being independent and free from the major political party dogma,” said Cllr Laming. Cllr Bryan Chalker can be contacted on 01225 337368 or email: Bryan_Chalker@Bathnes.gov.uk Cllr Dave Laming can be contacted on 01225 445911 or email: Dave_Laming@Bathnes.gov.uk
Contact us on 999 in an EMERGENCY or 101 for NON EMERGENCY We have had a noticeable increase in vehicle crime over recent weeks with damage and vandalism to parked vehicles. In some cases multiple panels of a vehicle are scratched. This is not only a criminal offence but can come at a hefty cost and inconvenience to the victims. These acts of vandalism are generally occurring late into the evenings or early mornings and mainly at weekends. We would appreciate any information in relation to this, and remind everyone to remain vigilant. In some cases insecure vehicles have also been targeted and items of value, including small change, sat-navs, are taken. This can easily be minimalised by ensuring that any valuables are removed and that your vehicle is locked and all windows are fully closed. The Police Team in Larkhall and Lambridge are fortunate to have good links with the community and we are hopeful that these will, once again, prove valuable in tracking down the perpetrators of these crimes. We will work hard to further develop our relationships within the community and to continue to drive down crime in the area.This is an on-going effort and one that we hope will continue with success, long into the future.
PACT Meetings
1 November 2012 - 6.30pm St Mark’s School
Lambridge Beat Surgery
4 August, 17 November 2012 10am - Midday at New Oriel Hall
www.avonandsomerset.police.uk
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Pictured left to right: The Gurning Competition at the Rose and Crown, Alice Park Community Garden and the Art Exhibition and Craft Fair at St Mark’s School
Where can you enter a gurning competition, tap your toes to bluegrass music, see choirs from three generations sing together, enjoy art worthy of the Royal Academy and much more within 10 minutes of your own front door? It can only be the Larkhall Festival, which took place over the May bank holiday weekend. Friday's Choir by Fire event, scheduled for the Back Fields, was threatening to become Singing in the Rain but a swift change of plan, and a couple of fans, a few pieces of yellow cloth, a couple of oil drums and some ingenuity resulted in fake fire baskets and a charming evening in New Oriel Hall. On Saturday night, the hall was packed for an-
other musical event, the final of Larkhall Xtra Factory, where the judging would have made Simon Cowell proud and excellent end-ofevening entertainment was provided by Velvet Jones and the Velvet Tones. On Sunday, with the smell of the previous night's lager lingering in the air, New Oriel Hall became a craft market selling beautiful handmade things from local crafts-people. Elsewhere, families got competitive at a mini Olympics, got creative at craft workshops and relaxed by the jam stage in Larkhall Inn. And the rain held off. Until Monday morning that is, when the organisers of the Party in the Park awoke to grey, rainy skies, and squelched
around Alice Park looking worried. But things were about to get better. Half a dozen teams defied the drizzle to join the petanque tournament. And then, at last, the sun came out! And over 1000 people gathered to enjoy music from performers including The Valley School Heads' Band and Port Erin. As well as all this, hundreds of people visited the open studios, went on the gardens' trail and took part in various other activities. Larkhall Festival is an event for the whole of the local community.To get involved next year, email festival@larkhall-festival.org.uk.
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New Oriel Hall If you were around in Larkhall Square on Saturday June 2nd you might well have seen a handsome black horse, pulling a smart carriage along St Saviour’s Road, as in days of old. In this case, the carriage in question was carrying a happy bride and groom from their wedding in the Guildhall to their reception at New Oriel Hall.
The horse-drawn carriage leaving New Oriel Hall with the Bride and Groom
Weddings in our venue have become increasingly popular over recent years, not least because the design of our building lends itself to creating beautiful, unique and stylish occasions. A wedding at New Oriel Hall allows couples the opportunity to create their own setting, decorating it to their own taste to create a truly tailor-made day. Our wedding packages are designed to support couples, providing lots of advice and experience to make their day perfect. So if you know a couple about to get hitched, please let them know about our fabulous venue. The Summer is the time when many of our regular classes take a break. Although there is still plenty going on, it is a good idea to check what is happening by visiting our website: www.neworielhall.org.uk for up to date information on events and classes. A one-off special event, Keyboard Taster Session, is being held on July 20 from 6.00 to 9.00 p.m. and will lead to a course in the autumn, provided there is sufficient interest. This class is ideal for anyone wishing to learn the keyboard, or to simply refresh long forgotten skills! The taster session is free and guaranteed to be fun. On Saturday July 21, there is gentle, relaxing all day Dru Yoga Workshop, suitable for everyone, including people with limited mobility. The session runs from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m and will leave you
feeling relaxed and calm. We are all taking a break from August 6 - 10 but are back in action with both Stagecoach Drama and Funky Arthouse running weeklong creative workshops for children, from August 13 - 17. Volunteering at New Oriel Hall We are a volunteer led organisation and rely on the goodwill and time donated by many. We have a great team of Garden Volunteers, who work together on a Saturday morning about once a month. If anyone else would like to join this group, or any of the other volunteer groups, please get in touch with Kathy on 01225 331858 Our two, most excellent DIY Volunteers are looking for one more person to join their trusty team. We would love to hear from anyone who is handy, lives locally and would consider helping out with general odd jobs now and again and in an emergency. During August we are hoping to create two new volunteer groups a Painting and Decorating Group and a Stage Crew Team. Volunteering is the perfect way to meet new people whilst putting something back into your own community. We would love to hear from anyone who has experience of painting and decorating and who would be prepared to offer a helping hand, once or twice a year, just for a few hours, to freshen up the interior paintwork. We would also love to find two or three people prepared to put up our sectional stage occasionally, before big parties and concerts. It takes about half an hour and we envisage this normally being required early evening on either Friday or Saturday, with the dismantling on the Sunday at a time to suit everyone. Here’s wishing all the people who have supported us throughout the year a pleasant summer. We hope to see you back in September, maybe for one of our many and varied regular classes and events!
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Wild
about
Garlic Unusually for someone born during the Second World War, I have loved garlic since early childhood and my late father, Alfred, whose hobbies were homeopathy and herbal remedies, taught me about the diverse qualities of this remarkable plant. Garlic is a little like Marmite; you either love it or hate it in equal measures. My wife and I are lovers of all types of garlic, except perhaps for the elephant variety, which we find just a little too mild (bland even) and does nothing to enhance the flavour of a meal. Wild garlic, on the other hand, is about as good as it gets and absolutely free for the taking if you know where to look and are prepared to wait until April or May to harvest it. Wild garlic grows in abundance in and around Bath and can be found near Sham Castle, Midford, Royal Victoria Park, Monkton Combe, St. Catherine’s, Freshford, Prior Park Gardens (where they encourage you to pick it) and Larkhall, if you look carefully on land surrounding the old Harvester pub, where it merges with the grounds of Pitman Court. I am hopeful that wild garlic will soon be introduced to the Community Garden at Alice Park. This delightful green space was well liked by Queen Mary and she visited there on a number of occasions in 1942 to plant fruit trees. This robust herb springs to life from late January, looks very similar to lily-of-the-valley but is instantly identifiable by its pungent aroma and delicate white flowers. Every part of wild garlic can be eaten but if you desire an annual crop of leaves and stems, then do not disturb the deeply rooted bulbs. If, on the other hand, you fancy your own supply of wild garlic, then remove the entire plant from the ground with a strong garden trowel and replant as quickly as possible in the garden or allotment – and
In a departure from his customary Larkhall-based historical features, Cllr Bryan Chalker writes about GARLIC, the wild variety in particular, and highlights its wide culinary and medicinal uses.
wait. My wife and I have tried this on a number of occasions in our own small garden and the wild garlic plants ‘take’ within a matter of days and if allowed to mature without disturbance will re-seed and you’ll soon have an ample bed of leaves and stems to enjoy raw or cooked. WHAT’S IN A NAME? This remarkable plant is known under a variety of names. Including ramsons, buckrams, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, devil’s garlic, bear’s garlic, gypsy’s onions and stinking Jenny but its binominal name is the much more refined Allium Ursinum. This Latin name alludes to the brown bear’s taste for the bulbs and its habit of digging up the ground to get at them. Wild garlic is also a favourite of wild boars. Wild garlic is a relative of chives native to Europe and Asia. In the British Isles colonies of wild garlic are frequently associated with bluebells, especially in ancient woodland. In some European countries ramson leaves are also used as fodder and cows fed on wild garlic leaves yield milk tasting slightly of garlic and butter made from this milk was popular in 19th century Switzerland. In Russia the stems of wild garlic are preserved by salting and eaten as a salad. The first evidence of human use of wild garlic comes from the Mesolithic settlement of Barkaer in Denmark, where an impression of a leaf has been found, whilst in the Swiss Neolithic village of Thayngen-Weier there is an abundant concentration of wild garlic pollen in the settlement layer, interpreted by some archaeologists as evidence of the use of wild garlic leaves as fodder. Wild garlic (or ramsons) starts growing underground in late winter and its striking white flowers appear between May and June, con-
trasted against lush green foliage. Flowers are hermaphrodite (they have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by bees and other insects. Seeds ripen in July, when the plant dies back completely, allowing other plants to grow in the same place. It is easy to cultivate but prefers moist and slightly acid soils. Because wild garlic closely resembles lilyof-the-valley (which is toxic to humans), it is advisable when foraging to pinch and rub the garlic leaves to release the characteristic aroma to be on the safe side. Ironically wild garlic is a member of the lily family – Liliaceae. For many years my wife and I had been fans of the garlic of Provence – or wet garlic – and still make great use of it in pasta and meat dishes but wild garlic, when in season, has become a great Spring and early Summer favourite in the Chalker household. It might lack the ‘bite’ and ‘zest’ of the Stinking Rose, as the more familiar garlic is known in certain quarters, but wild garlic can still hold its own in the kitchen. As a member of the lily family, garlic is related to onions, leeks, scallions, chives and spring onions and its official name ‘allium’ is Latin for ‘odorous’, and the Celtic ‘al’ means ‘burning’ but it need not be as harsh, for the ultimate flavour of garlic depends on the way in which its sulphurous element – the source of its pungency – is released, the effect can be as crude or subtle as you wish. Garlic, wild or otherwise, has been more than just a culinary flavouring. In the course of its history garlic has been worshipped by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, inspired the first recorded industrial strike, had binding oaths sworn upon it, been used as hard currency, to ward off the plague and the Evil Eye, to diagnose pregnancy and was reputed to cure anything from cancer to receding hair. It has also been used to preserve meat and corpses,
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temper steel, fortify in bed and on the battlefield, keep pests from crops and vampires from virgins. During the Great War, when drugs were in short supply, cloves of raw garlic were applied to open wounds as an antiseptic and antibiotic to fend of gangrene. In the former Soviet Union, garlic’s medicinal potency was so well regarded that it became known as ‘Russian Penicillin’ and it is only over the last fifty years that the bulb’s medicinal applications have begun to be scientifically evaluated. GARLIC AND THE ANCIENTS Garlic is believed to have originated in the Siberian desert, been brought to Egypt via Asia Minor by nomadic tribes, and from there back through India via the trade routes to eastern Asia, then westward to Europe. It was carried by Phoenician traders and Viking sailors to fortify them on their journeys and to treat any illness that struck on the voyage. For all these cultures, whether Indian or Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Russian, Hebrew or Chinese, garlic was almost important an element of their daily lives as salt. Had the Roman ruling classes been less snobbish about the bulb’s pungency so beloved of their populace, we might now be receiving an ‘alliary’, instead of a salary (salt-derived). In ancient Egypt 15lb would buy a slave; and, up until the middle of the 18th century, the Siberians paid their taxes in garlic: fifteen bulbs for a man, ten for a woman, five for a child. For the ancient Egyptians, the garlic bulb represented the Cosmos; its outer skins the various stages of heaven and hell, the arrangements of its cloves the solar system. Eating it, therefore, symbolised the union of man and the universe, nourishing not only the body but also the spirit. Small wonder that the builders of the fabled pyramids went on strike when their garlic ration was cut! By the time of Horace, garlic was
frowned on in upper class Roman households but consumed by the people in great quantities. Garlic was especially popular with the army, who planted it wherever they went, and it soon became a symbol of military life. Nevertheless, any young man of a good Roman family who wanted to enlist was told “Allia ne comedas” – don’t eat the garlic. A favourite garlic dish of that time – and who is to doubt that it was introduced to Roman Bath? – was ‘moretum’, a blend of pounded garlic, herbs and rind of a cheese. Marco Polo recorded the Chinese using garlic to preserve their raw meat and detoxify – and disguise the taste of – any that had begun to putrefy, while the Egyptians used it as part of the mummification process, and buried it with their dead. Several cloves of garlic were found in Tutankhamun’s tomb, while painted clay models of garlic bulbs have been discovered in pre-pharaonic burial sites. So you can see that garlic in its many guises is a pretty amazing plant and the more we eat, the better we’ll be physically and mentally. If you’re at all worried about ‘garlic breath’, simply chew a generous bunch of fresh parsley but remember, the more garlic you eat, the less you will smell. It’s worth noting that a laryngitis-based sore throat can be quickly alleviated by chewing and swallowing a fat clove of chopped raw garlic, helped down with a teaspoonful of honey! Where wild garlic is concerned, its season is short so make the most of it and experiment by eating it raw and using it in cooked dishes. My own special delights were six lightly pan-fried king scallops, with thyme, parsley and fennel sprinkled over and placed on a bed of freshly picked wild garlic leaves. Delicious! Pictured opposite page from top left: wild garlic in flower; top right: a typical wild garlic spread in local woodland. This page: complete ramsons plants ready for re-planting or eating raw or cooked.
The Larkhall
Village Kitchen
The column that puts creativity back into cooking with the majority of ingredients sourced from Larkhall shops, gardens or allotments.
Nettle Pudding There are still people out there who do not know that stinging nettles are edible and nutritious, even though they are a little hard to pick without experiencing a little discomfort. Nevertheless, a pair of gloves (rubber or otherwise) will alleviate the problem and if you harvest young nettle tops rather than the older leaves, you’ll have the basis for soup or, in this case, a traditional pudding which can be traced back to ancient Scotland and was revived during World War Two. Ingredients: 2 heads of broccoli 1/4lb of rice 2 good-sized leeks or onions 1 gallon of young nettle tops Pinch of salt Pinch of black pepper Method: Thoroughly wash the nettle tops, discarding any ragged leaves. Clean and finely chop the broccoli and leeks/onions and mix with the nettle tops. Place them together in a muslin bag in alternate layers with the rice and tie the bag tightly. Boil in salted water long enough to cook the vegetables, the time varying according to the initial tenderness of the vegetables. When cooked serve with gravy or melted butter. In case you hadn’t realised, the ‘sting’ disappears with cooking and nettles can also be boiled like spinach!
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Alice Park Community Garden It’s the people who bring a garden alive All kinds of activities are bringing new faces from across the community into the Alice Park garden. Schoolchildren, willow weavers, parents with toddlers, carpentry experts and learner woodcrafters, pond-builders and the regular volunteers who keep the garden flourishing every week – this spring and early summer have seen the community garden bursting with energy and people. Enthusiastic volunteers set up the Spring Training Garden, and enjoyed the fruits (well, spuds, beans and lettuces) of their labours as a thank you. A willow-weaving workshop in May proved so popular that a second one is being organised for the summer. You will be able to make natural structures for peas and beans to grow over, among other projects. Fortnightly carpentry sessions have already produced a reclaimed wood seat and a threebay composting area. Following on from a
pond-making workshop, the garden is looking for volunteer diggers in August, to help create the wildlife pond being funded by a grant from Wessex Water. Transition Larkhall raises the funds to keep the garden thriving and run community activities through grant applications and donations. At the Larkhall Festival £100 was raised – a big thank you to everyone involved. Alice Park Café won the beautiful hanging basket made and donated by Jan Evry in the auction. These donations go towards everyday garden necessities, from tools to seeds.The garden also welcomes other donations – if you have a rose that could grace an arch for Bath in Bloom in July, to commemorate Larkhall’s oldest resident, then please contact Kathy Cook. Plenty of children are enjoying the garden, including the Wild Things group, where parents can develop growing skills while the younger visitors have fun with nature and craft activities (dates are on the website). The garden also welcomed a group of five and six-year-olds from St Saviour’s Infants School as part
of Healthy Living Week. In July, there is a two-part workshop aimed at young people aged 13-26, hosted by Permaculture teacher Sarah Pugh of Shift Bristol. Find out all about guerrilla gardening, how to make a seed-bomb and make our public spaces more beautiful and edible. Fiona Williams, volunteer development co-ordinator, says: “Our workshops are open to the whole community to learn practical, hands-on skills for green living.Transition is all about using resources sustainably, from growing your own to using natural materials.”
Workshops Contact Fiona Williams (info@aliceparkcommunitygarden.org) to book and check last-minute availability. July, date TBC: Willow Weaving – with environmental artist Julie Starks (details TBC). Mon 23 July, 5-9pm: Urban Permaculture – community action and community spaces (13-26s; FREE). Mon 30 July, 5-9pm: Guerrilla Gardening (13-26s; FREE). Sat 25 August, 9am-1pm: Sensory Gardening – aromatic and healing herbs with Zoe Hawes, medical herbalist and herbgrower (FREE) Sat 1 September, 10am-2pm: Grow/Cook/Eat – edible gardening with Kathy Cook, founder of Alice Park Community Garden. Includes a lunch of garden produce (FREE but donations accepted for produce). Current volunteering sessions for the summer: Every Sunday – 10am-2pm. Every Wednesday – 6pm-7pm.
www.aliceparkcommunitygarden.org www.facebook.com/aliceparkcommunitygarden
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Summer at Plain Ham Well, the season may be over - and the Larks ended a creditable third in the league - but there's still plenty going on at Plain Ham. In mid May they held their annual End of Season Presentation night. This is a chance for the club to reward the players as well as those who work so hard behind the scenes, and to celebrate their achievements during 2011-12, including an historic run in the FA Vase that took the Larks to the last 16 of this national competition. The first team and the reserves received their awards, including the Young Player of the Year, the Players' Player of the Year, the Manager's Player of the Year and, last but not least, the Supporters' Player of the Year. A great night was had by all. (The picture shows the first-team captain Nick Hudson receiving the Stan Rampling Cup.) They've had welcome news on the team front for next season too. Although competitive matches don't start until 4th August, a number of players are so keen to play for the Larks next season that they have already signed on the dotted line. They are delighted to an-
nounce that nine of the current first-team squad have re-signed, and have also recruited a new player from Frome Town FC. Since then the team at Plain Ham have been busy getting sponsors for next season, advancing their plans to extend the clubhouse, and continuing to fundraise to do all the necessary work to make them eligible for promotion to the Southern League. The club is still seeking additional sponsors and if any readers are interested in supporting the club - which can range from a ÂŁ75 ad in the match day programme to full-scale shirt sponsorship - please do contact Tracey Hill on 07825 774683 or email: traceh_99@yahoo.com. They would be very pleased to hear from you!
First-team captain, Nick Hudson, receiving the Stan Rampling Cup
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Ironart at the Eden Project
The Ironart workshops in Larkhall have been a hive of activity recently and the team are busier than ever making bespoke metalwork, garden furniture and structures, as well as some prestigious restoration projects. Their magnificent Flower Arch (pictured) has just been installed at the Eden Project in Cornwall. If you're visiting the Eden Project this summer you'll find it just outside the Mediterranean biome.The enormous asymmetric arch was created in the workshop in 2011 by artist blacksmith Jim Purry, it comprises of long tapered forged bars, textured steel, beautiful flowing organic shapes and forged flower details. Ironart are moving out of their Larkhall workshops temporarily this summer to refurbish the place. You'll be able to pop in for the usual repairs and advice though as they're only around the corner in Kensington Place just off the London Road where it will be business as usual. T: 01225 311273 W: www.ironart.co.uk
Park Life!
Not content with filling the pages of that other highly esteemed publication, here I am dropping a few lines for The Larkhall News to tell you what’s coming up in Alice Park over the summer.
Big events are thin on the ground, however we are already looking forward to our second Marque In The Park Classic Car Show on Saturday 2 September. If you have, or know someone with, a rather special piece of automotive history, get in touch with me at the usual address, tony@alicepark.co.uk. The next Brocante will be held on July 14 and is sure to be exceptionally popular, with loads of great French antiques and bric-a-brac. It’s like a very posh car boot sale and is great fun so do pop along. The Very Big Telly is back out again for the sporting season, so no need to sit at home watching the match – just load up the kids, stick them in the park and enjoy a beer or two. There are plenty of other things in the planning and as always, the best and most accurate way of getting to know what's going on in your favourite park is to register on the website www.alicepark.co.uk. As you know, we specialise in amazing atmosphere, brilliant coffee and lovely staff. So, whatever the weather, and whatever the day, it is always worth popping in and saying ‘hello’. We hope to see you in the park over the summer – whatever the weather! Tony and the gang
Ticks By Mark Minkler, Senior Vet, Beaufort Veterinary Surgery If you have a dog or a cat, or keep sheep, then it is likely you will have some knowledge of ticks. They are horrible parasites that can transmit infectious disease; they attach themselves to an animal (including humans) for about a week whilst they engorge themselves and then drop off to lay their eggs.They are usually only a problem in spring and autumn months, as they require very humid environments to survive. But with the odd weather we are having recently, I thought it might be useful to highlight the problem of ticks in case it becomes a good year for them! Firstly, as I mentioned, they like humid environments so animals going through vegetation soon after rainfall are most at risk. A small immature tick looks a little like a small spider; they climb up to the tip of a blade of grass or other vegetation and wait for a host to pass by. They then hop on to the animal, crawl around for a while, and find a place to attach themselves.The bite seems to be painless, they probably have saliva that acts like a local anaesthetic to numb the skin, and they also seem to be able to cement themselves to the skin. If you find a tick on your animal, get professional advice, as simply pulling the tick off will result in the tick's mouth parts remaining in the animal and causing an abscess, (there are special devices that can be used to avoid this problem). However, as always, prevention is better than cure. Be aware of ticks and use an effective product routinely to prevent them attaching. If you do find a tick call or drop into Beaufort Vet Surgery, we are happy to remove them and supply a special tick removal tool, and show you how to use it, all for free!
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