A Tumultuous Year

It's been a tough year for the woodland in Three Cornered Copse.

Earlier this year we were visited by Storm Eunice, which brought down a few branches and several trees. Then we had the surgery inflicted by the Ash Dieback team, hundreds of trees felled and shredded, rapidly followed by some more "treatment" for Dutch elm disease. More recently. at the beginning of November. another storm has brought a huge beech branch down onto the grassy area. Thankfully this was during the night. when no one was around. Another job on the work list for the Friends of 3CC.

Our previous work day was focussed on a tidy-up after the summer growth. We cleared around the commemorative plaques, the coronation stone and the two jubilee slates. They were starting to be overgrown by brambles and ground ivy. The steps between the two higher paths are in need of some attention: the work on the actual steps will need to be for another day. We cut back the shrubs on either side to increase access. There are four park benches in the copse, plus two perch benches, which we installed in recent years. Of the park benches, only two of them are actually useable, the others are subsumed by vegetation, the wood is rotten and in need of replacement. We cleared around one of them, but further work is needed to bring it up to scratch. We may have one further work day this year, please see the website for any announcement.

Three tents have appeared in the dense woodland at the top of the copse near Dyke Road Avenue; at least two of them show signs of occupation. (The council has been informed, they have a tents department and a process for this. apparently. Please contact the council if you have any concerns.) A large degree of desperation must be required to drive folks to camp in a British park as winter approaches. It's cold and damp. and the wind up there can be very strong. Clearly the visitors are in need of help. Let's hope they find a more comfortable refuge as Christmas and the bitter winter approaches.

It's been a while since we had wintry scenes in the copse. but the autumn colours are still with us and well worth a look when the sun shines. Have a very merry and peaceful Christmas, from all of the Friends of Three Cornered Copse.

Simon Baxendale