Well, it’s amazing how much energy it takes to find stuff out. Apparently we at HBUF have been giving out an official postcode (for giving any blue-light services an idea of whereabouts we were) that actually belongs to Clive Parade, up near the Moonrakers. No wonder no one could find us, using that postcode. I rang the official Royal Mail postcode line (something like 50p a minute – correct me if I’m wrong) to find out what postcode we had. Surprise, surprise – we can’t have a postcode as Royal Mail can’t deliver mail anywhere that doesn’t have a letter box. Hmm. That’s obvious, really. So any really large areas of land have to use the postcodes that are adjacent to them. Even somewhere as locally famous as Coate Water. Though since that is on local maps, and is well-known locally, blue-light services would have no difficulty in finding it. But just saying.
So the reason that we needed to know our ‘official’ postcode was that we have been looking at applying for grants to help us realise our ‘Ten Thousand Trees’ project. It seems so straightforward, doesn’t it? We are an urban forest – our remit is to plant trees. Who can argue with the good reasons for planting trees? Apparently woodland is one of those things (can it be called a ‘thing’) that promotes good mental health. Just as (sweeping statement here, but does anyone really want me to cite chapter and verse and this study and that study?) being in a place where you can see green open spaces can promote healing. By the way, I can find out those studies, if you wish. It’ll just take a little longer.
‘Ten Thousand Trees’ needs to have a consultation exercise, so expect to be consulted in the near(ish) future. ‘ish’ is a very useful suffix, isn’t it?
It is all very exciting but, at the same time, a drain on one’s patience. Growing trees is a decades-long notion, so when I feel as though things aren’t moving fast enough, I have to remember that oak trees can live for hundreds of years, yew trees (we weren’t thinking of planting yews, by the way) can live for thousands, and willow trees can be a bloomin’ nuisance, dropping branches whenever they feel like it.
Don’t forget, all you people who live out there in the greater Gorse Hill and Pinehurst community, we have regular meetings at 7.00pm at St Barnabas small hall on the second Monday of every month (though we didn’t have a meeting in December 2017), and anyone is welcome. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, and no one will force you to do anything either. If you enjoy the space and amenities of the Hreod Burna Urban Forest, then come and talk to us. You could even become a member …