Grainne Stables, Leisure Projects Officer contacted our group to draw our attention to the planning application for the new leisure centre in Longwell Green. She said that one of the key aspects of this development is a sensitive quality landscaping scheme which will enhance the local area. She said that the council had appointed Grants Associates as Landscape Architects. Grainne Stables said that she wanted the Friends of Cock Road Ridge to become involved from the start and liaise with the landscape architects.

A dog walker who visited the Ridge recently has reported that when he got home he found a Tick on his dog. Tick is the name of a small animal which is related to mites, spiders, and scorpions. The Tick is oval in shape. It is a parasite, which means that it lives on other animals.Ticks and mites cause various diseases in human beings and in domestic animals. Ticks often carry certain disease germs in their bodies and transfer these germs to the blood of their victims. When returning from the Ridge please examine your dog carefully and if a Tick is found seek advice from your vet.

The Friends split up into two groups. One group visited the Community Pond and removed the Duck Weed that was covering the whole of the pond. Adam turned out again to help us. He helped to clear the Community Pond.The other group remained on the Ridge to prepare the Oak Tree Pond for major work later in the year. It is proposed to remove the silt that has been building up over many years by using a mechanical digger. Great care will need to be taken when using this machine because the pond has a clay bottom which must not be disturbed. It was previously reported that an old rubber lining is at the bottom of the pond together with large pebbles. This information was found to be correct. The young Alder trees that were growing around the pond near to the water input had to be cleared to make way for the mechanical digger.A group of about twenty walkers showed an interest in our work and were giving a leaflet each containing information about our Workday. Our Treasurer, who is also a keen walker, gave them a conducted tour of the Ridge. However at mid-day rain interrupted the work and Paul Humphreys (BTCV) (who, no doubt, is use to this kind of weather) erected a canopy so work could continue. The canopy must have been effected because a pot of tea was made for everyone.The mechanical digger will be provided by a local resident and enquiries are being made to see when it will be available.This may lead to members being called out at short notice.

On this day we all met at the oak tree at around 10am. We placed a Little Owl box in the oak tree, which was purchased from the Hawk and Owl Trust. We cleared the remainder of the bramble from the wildflower garden and planted daffodil bulbs in ground near the oak tree. The bases around many of the trees in and around the orchard were cleared.The weather was beautiful all day. We had a young man named Adam who was working with us who is taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Adam said that he enjoyed the work. He worked very hard throughout the day and his contribution was greatly valued. It was clear to see that work on the pond is greatly needed. It is planned to clear the pond on our next workday.

On our Workday on 24th July 2004 our Chairman and Vice Chairman together with a number of our members met Grainne Stables together with David Finch and Robin Snowdon architects from Grant Associates to discuss their plans for the area. It was a very interesting meeting and Grant Associates promised to come back to us with their proposals. The Chairman and Vice Chairman said that they were impressed with the presentation put forward by David Finch and Robin Snowdon and looked forward to future meetings. Grainne Stables said that she would try to attend our next meeting to bring us up to date with progress made.

A Spring Clean took place on Saturday 8th May 2004 on Cock Road Ridge and six members took part. The work began at 10am and finished at 2pm. Gloves and plastic bags were provided by South Gloucestershire Council. The Ridge is a safe and clean place to visit. However, litter was found that had ended up in difficult out of the way places and some items were heavy. Visitors to the Ridge usually remove litter during their walk across the Ridge but the items that were found during the Spring Clean would not have been seen by the casual visitor.

Eleven members turned out on this beautiful day and it was a very successful Workday. All the newly planted trees around and close to the Trig Point were watered. The water was provided by a friend of Cock Road Ridge, Rose Farmiloe, whose home overlooks the Ridge.Work also took place at the bottom of the Steps which during the winter months become very muddy and difficult to walk.Chippings were placed down on the last few steps. The chippings were donated by Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) in Wick and collected from them during the morning.The lorry was provided by Andy Cook whose home also overlooks the Ridge.A visit was paid to a number of local residents who have expressed concern about the activities that have taken place on the Ridge and the proposed opening of the gate leading onto the Ridge. This is a difficult problem and the concerns of local people will need to be taken on board by the Friends of Cock Road Ridge.There is a lot that needs to be done to ensure that the security of properties bordering the Ridge are not undermined when work is carried out.Representatives of the group made it clear to residents living close to the Ridge that it was the aim of our group to improve and enhance the environment in which we live for everyone.

On Saturday 15th May 2004. We spent time in the Community Garden clearing away from the base of newly planted and well established trees. We also cleared around the hedge close to Kingsfield Farm. The wood chippings did not arrive so this will have to placed around the trees on another day. When the work was finished a neighbour from Tyler Close asked us into his home for a glass of beer. This was a very kind gesture. He said that he wanted us to know that the work the group carried out in the area was much appreciated

A Workday was held on Saturday 17th April 2004. The weather was excellent. Eight people turned out on this occasion. Three new steps were built along the Tractor Path to enable a difficult part of the path to be safely and more easily walked. The path had become overgrown so work had to be carried out to remove some of the bramble. When we left the path was in excellent condition. The afternoon was spent in the Community Garden. The liner in the pond was attended to and some of the trees were re-staked. All litter was removed. A number of cowslips were discovered close to the pond. It is hoped that the cowslips will be allowed to stay where they are. Wild flowers are often removed from their natural habitat and moved into private gardens. Invariably they do not thrive so please leave them where they grow best. The bramble was removed from around the Community Pond, however, the Rasberries were left to grow.

Nine members turned out on Sunday and it was a beautiful day. Work was carried out on the orchard below the steps. All dead wood was removed from the apple trees and some of the Elderberry trees were removed to give the apple trees more light and more room to grow. This is the firt time we have visited this part of the Ridge for a long time so a lot of work had to be carried out. All the branches that were removed were placed in a heap to one side to make a home for wildlife. The Heron, that visited the Ridge on our last workday made another appearance but it was chased away by two seagulls. This was one of our most successful workdays. One days work on the Ridge is better than all the keep-fit lessons many people go to and it does not cost anything, only your time. Watch this page for details of our next workday and make an effort to come along. I can guarantee that you will enjoy the work and the company.

Our Chairman, Bob Seddon has visited the Ridge and repaired one of the benches. He said that when weather permits he will repair the remaining benches in the same way. Below is a photograph of the bench taken at different locations. Click onto the picture for a larger image.

Out Chairman has reportd that when walking on the Ridge on Sunday 22nd August 2004 he found rubble had been tipped on ground near the Copse Path near Belcher Drive. The council will be contacted with the view of removing the rubble and an effort will be made to identify the people responsible.

Oldland Parish Council has donated £200.00 to our group.

A wild Orchid, in full flower,has been found growing on the Ridge. See Photo Album under Views for photograph.

A Buzzard was observed in the Oak tree. However, the Kestrels did not succeed in rearing young. A squirrel was seen near the nest and may have been responsible for the lack of success. Quite a few of our bird boxes have been used by Great Tits.

The Chairman has been busy again and has planted a further 60 trees around the Ridge. When I walked the Ridge on the last Workday (17/4/04) all the trees that were planted in the past few years are thriving. Three Pheasants have been seen on the Ridge and in the allotment. Wessex Water has donated £2500.00 to the Friends of Cock Road Ridge. This money will be used by BTCV on our behalf. This is a generous donation by Wessex Water and we thank them for recognizing the valuable work we do on behalf of the community and wildlife. Our Chairman went to Bath on Monday the 19th January 2004 together with our past Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary to accept the cheque for £2500.00. It was presented to our Chairman by David Bellamy. See Photo Album.

A rabbit was seen in the Community Garden (June 2004). Many reports are being received of the odd rabbit being seen but they are struggling to make a comeback. A fox is often seen in Kingsfield Lane close to the Community Garden.

The Chairman has informed me that 5 ton of chippings has been collected from Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) and a further 5 ton is availabe to use when required. Five ton was placed down on top of a muddy part of the Ridge and this has made the area more accessible. Further chippings will be placed down at the bottom of the steps in the wooded area and along the path close to the Trig Point.

Members often report observations of various animals and birds on the Ridge.For the most recent observations see Wildlife Page.

A Workday took place on the Ridge on Saturday 22nd November 2003 when it was planned to clear the Oak Tree Pond. The log seat was fixed to the ground to prevent it from being moved. It was then decided to rod the pipe feeding the Oak Tree Pond. It had become blocked preventing water from reaching the pond. The work began at about mid-day and was completed at 3.30pm. It was a five-minute job that took nearly four-hours to complete. It was not possible to clear the pipe with the rods - it was firmly blocked half way. Nine metres of piping had to be taken up. However, Paul Humphreys (BTCV) would not allow us to remove the blockage until he was satisfied that all wildlife had been removed from the pipe. Over thirty live frogs were removed from the pipe, none no bigger than one inch long. The pit shaft feeds the Oak Tree Pond and is near the pond in the allotment. It does appear that when the frogs left the pond in the allotment they fell into the pit shaft and then were washed down through the pipe to the Oak Tree Pond. Unfortunately the pipe became blocked and they became trapped. They were in fact going by tube from one pond to the other. When we came to remove the blockage, after much effort, we found numerous branches, lengths of timber, one child's football, one baseball bat and ball, one toy car and a many unidentified objects. We put everything back in place and called it a day. Bob Seddon has returned to the well(pit Shaft)and placed a cover over the beginning of the pipe feeding the Oak Tree Pond to prevent further rubbish entering it.

On Saturday 27th September, 2003. A further Sixteen bird boxes were sited around the Ridge making a total of 26 bird boxes being placed on the Ridge during 2003. These boxes will make ideal roosting places for small birds during the winter months. During our work a pair of Buzzards were observed flying overhead and they spent most of the time in the wooded area. A pair of Jays also visited the Ridge and spent their time in the oak tree. A Green Woodpecker was observed in the orchard. A Heron flew overhead and made its way towards the Moat. It returned later in the day and flew off towards Kingswood. A number of members observed a Jay busily removing acorns from the big oak and then hiding them in the grass. However, the Jay was unaware that he was being closely observed by a squirrel. When he had finished hiding the acorns and gone back to the oak tree for more the squirrel stole the acorns and ran off with them.

Peter Gulliford was nominated by our group for a Community Award and was chosen as one of the winners of the award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the South Gloucestershire community as a volunteer. Peter attended an Awards Cermony at Tortworth Court on Friday 5th March 2004 and was presented with his award.A photograph of Peter receiving his award from Councillor Sue Walker and David Swire of SITA is shown below.