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We have seen another busy year for EGRA; ongoing projects came to fruition; changes in the committee as well as routine duties. 2012 proved an exceptional summer nationwide and Emmer Green kicked off the celebrations with its Diamond Jubilee Picnic in the Park extravaganza on June 4th. A year in the planning, the weather held out and from the feedback we’ve received, all those who attended enjoyed the afternoon. Those of you with access to the EGRA website will have seen one batch of photos from the Jubilee picnic http://www.egra.co.uk/diamondjubilee/index.html A book has been published using different images and can be browsed online at http://www.blurb.co.uk/books/3392192 A printed copy can be seen at St Barnabas Parish Centre.

AGM AND CAVING & CLIMBING IN EMMER GREEN We thank The Grace Church for the use of their hall for the last three years. Please note this year’s AGM is in St Barnabas Hall, Grove Road. There will be photographic displays, and an opportunity to see the new Clayfield Copse waymarks. The formal business will be followed by an illustrated talk plus wine and nibbles at the end. Two new EGRA members have stepped forward to join the committee to replace those who left last year. We look forward to working together.

The enterprising 89th Reading Scouts must be unique in the UK in having a mine directly beneath their meeting hall. Add to that the recently acquired climbing wall and in future long journeys to the Brecon Beacons may well be unnecessary. We are lucky enough to have guest speaker Chris Butlin, Group Scout Leader, who did so much, with his team of helpers, to make our Jubilee event a success last year. His talk will focus on ‘The Scouts: our mine and a village’

TREE INITIATIVES Following on from neighbourhood tree planting (in partnership with RBC) in Courtenay Drive, Spring 2012, the project was rolled out into two nearby streets. The BLOSSOM project has been the work of local residents in Courtenay Drive, Brooklyn Drive and Burnham Rise (photos overleaf). EGRA has been very happy to support this and has agreed to fund a beacon tree at the junction of Courtenay and Burnham. Sadly we lost another landmark tree. The Rosehill Cedar. We understand a replacement will be installed in the near future. Emmer Green is indebted to volunteers from Caversham Globe. Spring 2013 saw more tree planting in the Buckingham Drive / Evesham Road area.

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Over the weekend of 23rd / 24th February local volunteers planted 1500 saplings on the Caversham Park Estate (photo far right), home to BBC Monitoring. Head gardener Neil Melleney explained this is part of a scheme to reintroduce wildlife to the area. Much has already been achieved in this respect, with kestrels nesting, badgers creating setts, wildflower meadows and hedge planting.

RESCUE LITTER PICK

Following the success of the RESCUE litter pick in 2012, committee member Jasmine Waters, together with Mark Hutchings, are leading tasks in the woodlands off Marshlands Square (where Duke of Edinburgh Award participants will assist) and the area between Stuart Close and Surley Row. These are due to take place on 23rd/24th March.

WAYMARKS FOR CLAYFIELD COPSE

The six waymarks for Clayfield Copse by Berkshire and Mid-Thames Woodcarvers have been completed and will shortly be installed in the woods.

EGRA’s ANNUAL YOUTH PRIZE In 2007 EGRA committed to a five year community awards project for pupils of Highdown School. A total of £250 has been donated. We wish to continue rewarding local youngsters, and are exploring other avenues in this respect. Head Teacher Tim Royle retired December 2012 and we wrote wishing him well. We look forward to a continued link with Highdown and the new head.

PLANNING EGRA continues to monitor Reading Borough’ Council’s weekly planning lists. During the last year Vanessa Cozens has taken on this role. We also keep a close eye on any threat to the South Oxfordshire countryside and work closely with CADRA. At the end of last year many residents were informed of a proposal to build a number of houses on a paddock off Gravel Hill. EGRA encouraged members to feedback their responses and our letter to the developers reflected their strong opposition. An application was submitted in February 2013, by the owners of Pond Cottage, to demolish the current structure and rebuild. EGRA believes this to be of interest to the wider community and has requested, via our Councillors, that the application is heard by the Planning Committee and also that they visit the site before their meeting. A statement is being prepared reflecting the views of the EGRA committee.

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PARKING Micro Park and Ride Car Park Thanks to the voice of common sense, proposals to upgrade the car park at Clayfield Copse last summer were abandoned. EGRA listened to members’ concerns, then worked with the Peppard Ward Councillors to fight the proposals. EGRA, supports the idea of Park and Ride but it needs to be properly considered. We hope the Council continues to work with South Oxfordshire to find a solution. Shopping Precinct Car Park It is probably now false hope to imagine there will be major improvements to the surfacing of the car park. It appears financial constraints mean that the filling in of potholes is probably the most we can expect in the foreseeable future.

OUTINGS The visit to the Police Museum, Sulhamstead in April 2012 was very well attended. This year’s venture will be to Mapledurham Mill and House, which will be opened up for a guided tour exclusively for our group. The date to be announced at the AGM, is likely to be during June. Barry Prior is taking names. Tel: 0118 9461150 or email barry.prior@backhouses.co.uk

TRADESMEN’S LIST & NOTICEBOARD Secretary Jane Handley managed the 2012 overhaul and the revised list was distributed to members last June. Please forward new recommendations. Jane also manages our team of volunteers, who keep the community notice board in good condition. We need another helper to assist once a month. Jane’s contact details: Tel: 0118 9484775 or email lukdan@hotmail.co.uk

MEMBERSHIP Please note that minutes of last year’s AGM can be viewed through the EGRA website. Some hard copies will be available at the AGM. For those of you on the EGRA email list, you should be receiving monthly links to web updates, the annual report, plus two newsletters a year. If you are not, and your address has changed, then please inform us at egra.members@gmail.com If your subscription was due in 2013, first reminders were sent in December 2012. We thank all those who have already paid. THERE ARE STILL A FEW SUBS OUTSTANDING. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO RENEW. For those who have not renewed by June 2013, we can remove your entry from the database prior to the Summer Newsletter.

THANK YOU Four committee members left during the autumn of 2012 due to heavier than expected work commitments. We thank Jennifer Leach, Richard Hammond, Andrea Robinson and Julie Robbins for their contributions. Margaret Ormonde, Barry Prior, Jane Handley, Bill Harper, Jasmine Waters, Vanessa Cozens and Vera Bodman have put their names forward for another year. Mark Hutchings and Linda Glithro have offered to join the committee. Please let us know if you too wish to help out on the committee. Thanks to all the committee for their continued dedication; thanks to our auditor Janette Joyce; thanks to other non-committee members, such as our team of committee supporters, web manager, newsletter deliverers, noticeboard carers, graffiti cleaners. And last but not least to partners/family of committee members, without whose support most of us couldn't manage. Margaret Ormonde, Chair. Tel: 0118 9470922 email: egramargaret@gmail.com

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