Page 52 - apr2023

April 2023 April 2023

OVER THE HILL chlorine being added to comply with
safety regulations. There are solar
covers which keep the residual heat
What is happening with our weather? In the March magazine I wrote about the in overnight and raise the water
buds bursting on the contorted hazel by our front gate, buds on roses, hydrangea, temperature during the day from a
and also on the hawthorn on wayside hedges but what is the situation now, at a chilly 16C to a more comfortable 20C
later date? The answer is very little. What looked as a very early spring awaiting us, plus . The pool measures 35 metres
turned out to be a very cold few days and getting colder as we near the middle long and 10 metres wide and it is
of March. As you read this in April I hope that the weather has improved before claimed to be the largest freshwater
the frost damages all this early growth. outdoor pool in the south west.

It hasn’t all been depressing, we have seen a wonderful display of snowdrops on I spent a while with Barnaby Dicken,
the roadside, in gardens and in the Turnerspuddle churchyard. There has also the enthusiastic chairman of the
been a wonderful display of celandines for weeks, again on the roadsides and committee and its secretary Marion Symes. They shared with me their natural
anywhere where grass grows and especially in the Bere Regis churchyard, where enthusiasm and passion for the pool and their plans for the future. The pool is now
there is a wonderful display and although the flowers are normally fairly short owned by Chagford Council and run
lived, in the churchyard they appear to be lasting a long time. This may be by Chagford Pool committee which is
because the flowers have in fact been in a sleeping mode for long periods. The affiliated to Chagford Recreational
petals of mature celandines have remained closed for most of the cold days. On Trust thus gaining tax relief from any
Thursday 9 .March I was quite surprised to see all the celandine flowers closed up income and building work.
th
at almost two pm in the afternoon, I hope these blossoms can survive for a while
yet. In fact I think we should be praying for a resurrection of these wonderful It had of course been a very poor
spring blossoms, even though they are growing in the churchyard, however on summer with many challenges to
Sunday 12 March after leaving the church around 12.30am, the celandines were overcome. The pool had to be filled
th
in a glorious array of wide open blossoms even though they did not know I was three times in May before it opened in
going to be there?. one of the few periods of fine
We must however move on to other things and I want to mention the lack of wild
birds in our neighbourhood. Even wood pigeons now seem to be a rarity and
smaller birds such as robins, tits of all kinds, sparrows, finches all seem to have weather. No admission charge was
deserted us. Is this common to all local areas or is it just us? I would be very made on that first day, but £800 was
interested to what you have to say. made on donations, season ticket
It is not often that I ask for answers but occasionally I can become a good listener sales and refreshments. The pool
and in this case I can try hard. I haven’t been listening recently but I have been does a steady trade in tea, coffee,
watching, That is of course on television, for example I have been watching that and flapjacks as well as selling its
wonderful, 96 year old great famous Chagford Pool mug.
environmentalist, Sir David Wetsuits are available for hire for the
Attenborough at the start of his less hardy and there is a thriving
new series Wild Isles, and Chris bring and buy rack of second hand
Packham, who is a local, being books!
a resident of the New Forest and The committee has certainly been busy organising various fund raising events.
to change to a much younger There is to be a coffee morning and a pudding evening, a tribute band later in
20 year old, Swedish lady, Greta November and they were organising an end of season barbecue on 23 .
rd
Thunberg, all three of whom are September, the last day of the season. The day after my visit there was to be a
truly great conservationists and model boat day where patrons were being invited to bring their boats and have
present wonderful programmes. a picnic.

46 51