The Lickey Hills Society

Future Society Events:

Saturday 22nd April 10am–12.30pm Lickey Hills Visitor Centre, Rednal
Spring Litter Pick

Our twice-yearly litter picks have, over the last few years, become an essential part of our effort to keep the Hills up to the standard that we wish to see. Our work in clearing the Hills sets a standard that we believe encourages the general park user to be more responsible. In other words, when visitors see a tidy park they are less likely to drop or leave litter. So our work is not just clearing up after people but a form of education or encouragement to help keep the countryside tidy. Because we are now re-cycling the litter we pick, we do not cover the same amount of ground and so we are more in need of your help. Please play your part and support the Society by turning out on the day when a couple of hours will make a real difference to the appearance of the Hills. Members will require strong shoes, appropriate clothing, which might get snagged, and determination. For those who can manage it, there is a need for some picking on slopes and in ditches. Just turn up at 10am on the day at the Lickey Hills Visitor Centre – you do not have to stay for the whole session so you can leave as your other commitments demand. (If you cannot make the date, there is nothing to stop you from picking litter at a time suitable to yourself. No one needs permission to pick litter). The Lickey Hills Visitor Centre is in Warren Lane, off Rose Hill, Rednal.

Monday 5th June 7.30pm
A Visit To The Bournville Carillon

The year 2006 is the centenary of Bournville Junior School which is the school George Cadbury built for his employees' children. It is also the centenary of the Bournville Carillon, which sits atop the school tower. A carillon is a set of tuneful bells (48 in the case of Bournville) that are played from a "keyboard". This enables a wide range of music to be played with expression and differing tempos unlike the usual peal of traditional English church bells. Given the affiliation that many of us feel exists between ourselves and the ideals of the Cadburys, not least for their generous gift of the Lickey Hills to the people of Birmingham , this centenary presents us with the opportunity to join in the celebrations by making an evening visit to the Carillon. There is limit on the numbers of people that can be accommodated so it will be a case of first come first served. As access to the Carillon is by means of many stairs (including a narrow spiral staircase) you need to be reasonably fit and agile to make the climb and will need to wear appropriate clothing and footwear (high heels, for instance, would get stuck in the open patterned cast iron steps). The cost is £3, which includes a souvenir booklet for each visitor. If you wish to take part, please ring one of the above numbers to book your place and to discuss travel arrangements/ car sharing.

Other News

Telecommunication masts: We are pleased that our long and lonely fight to get pre-application consultations with mobile phone companies regarding sites for masts has borne some fruit. As members may well remember, we have corresponded for a long time with planning authorities and the Mobile Operators' Association (MOA). We pointed out that the industry and some local planning departments had not taken up the government minister's request that organisations, such as ours, should be involved in pre-application planning. We told these organisations that we were intending to write to the minister pointing out that the voluntary system was not working and that he ought to consider making his request a statutory requirement. The new Chief Planning Officer of Bromsgrove DC, Peter Allen, has now responded to our many letters with a Telecommunications Register compiled by the Planning Department showing existing and proposed telecommunication mast sites in the Bromsgrove area. Part of this "Register" lists the organisations that the Planning Department recommends the telecommunication companies may wish to consult for pre-application discussions. In his letter the Chief Planning Officer said that he had instructed his officers to send the list to all prospective mast developers but he could not instruct developers to consult the interested organisations. This is as far as he feels able to go but, happily, we have also received assurances, again after numerous requests, from the MOA that we shall be involved in any pre-application consultations regarding mast sites. We are not getting too excited as experience has taught us that organisations take time to change, or fail to meet their aspirations! Even if we, and other organisations like ours, are involved in pre-application discussions, it does not, of course, mean that our requests will be acted upon.

The Lickey Hills Country Park: Joe Hayden, the Chief Ranger, reports that as part of the annual site safety inspection, and in view of the tragic accident in Cannon Hill Park, the Lickey Hills Country Park is reviewing how it carries out its tree safety inspection As a result, concerns have been raised over the condition of many beeches along Twatling Road. A number have already been felled and it is highly probable that many of the other beeches in this vicinity will either be felled or have boughs removed owing to their unsafe condition.

A Profile Of Committee Member Rob Amos

Born in 1953, I lived in Gloucestershire somewhere near the bottom of Birdlip Hill near the place where mad people chase cheeses down a steep hill. I spent a lot of time on relations' farms and while growing up, we kept chickens, ducks and pigs at home. I trained as an agricultural engineer and worked for a Danish company travelling in the UK and Europe as a service engineer and demonstrator until the early 80's. I worked with a number of engineering companies including B.W/ Batricar. (BW you will see on the top of electric trains on the pantograph). After a couple of years they had had enough of me and sent me to the USA for 4 months. Later I decided to leave and try something else and so went to work for the partner of someone I had met in the US selling boats and security equipment to the armed forces and police. Leaving to come and sell boats, as far as you can get from the sea, I eventually took over Hollywood Marine, selling it 2 years ago. We live at Cofton Church Lane where we have a panoramic view of the Lickeys. We rear chickens and ducks, and also pheasants which we release into the locality. We have cleared the pool at the end of Cofton Church Lane creating an area for wild life, only slightly managed, and we have had moorhens and mallards nesting there. So you might say I am back to my roots living at the foot of a hill rearing chickens and ducks!

Recent Events

Our thanks: to Colin Jones who on the 30th January entertained us with fascinating demonstrations about and the history of the manufacture and use of ropes… And also to Mike Brooke who was the ever challenging quiz master at our well supported annual Lickey Hills Society Quiz Night on the 3rd March. Our thanks to him and his team for all of their hardwork, which led to a very enjoyable evening as well as raising £146 in the raffle, which has been donated to the church roof fund for St Michaels' Church, Cofton Hackett.