December 06 –January 08
Chair’s Report:
I am pleased to report another successful year in the Orchard. I am disappointed to see the loss of two valued volunteers. We also miss the regular presence of the children who came with them. We hope that they can visit from time to time so that they can see and eat the fruit they helped to plant and raise. We only wish more parents could see the benefits of spending a couple of hours a week in the fresh air with their children
We were particularly sorry to lose Melanie Robinson, who had been with us from the start. Melanie took over the Strawberry bed and happily admitted that she grew to hate it! Melanie now lives with walking distance of the sea in Queensland, Australia and works in a plastic bag factory, but is reunited with her family.
I am really pleased to report that despite the weather, most of the plants are doing very well. We look forward in 2008 to our first proper harvest.
Our grateful thanks go to everyone who helps in whatever capacity, including those who keep an eye out as they walk past every day.
Bob Elwood.
Committee Report:
Despite hoping to hold an earlier AGM at harvest time in 2007, work and volunteer commitments have meant a delay.
Fruit Trees: In last years annual report we mentioned that ‘the drought conditions’ and that ‘No tree shows signs of water shortage’ how quickly things change. Here we now hoping that the wet conditions will not harm the trees. We are delighted to report however the phenomenal growth spurts in 2007.
We have replaced approx. ten trees, mostly due to damage by deer and those near the gate that inconsiderate drivers use for turning and don’t seem to care too much what they knock over on our property! Some trees we thought dead or dying did in fact pick up, due we think to subtle pruning after the damage, so the replacements we re-ordered have been an addition to the orchard instead of replacements. The plums did so well that we agreed to plant even more of them and that has been done this year. More pruning has taken place and will continue gently through out the winter months. Most stakes have now been removed and tree ties loosened.
We are still well within the 5% expected loss.
Fruit Bushes: Some Blackcurrants have been replaced and are doing well. The anticipated work on the other soft fruit has not been completed, but now that the Orchard planting is complete, more effort and attention will be paid to it. The Blackberry continues to be tamed regularly, the other row is regularly cleared but yet to be wired in – it’s still a monster. The two Grapevines are still struggling. The Fig, twice thought to be dead, sprang to life and grew and grew this year.
The Strawberries did very well, but need a much bigger bed, the children particularly liked picking and eating them so this should be worth doing. The loss of Melanie means we need a dedicated Strawberry watcher.
Raised bed: The large raised bed was planted up with Garlic again and at present is being used as an ‘holding bed’. We still have to complete the other smaller bed and the long-term plan is to get the strawberries into them.
Other Plants: the entire perimeter fence (Bird Berry Border) has been planted up with wildlife friendly shrubs, Two thousand more bulbs have been planted – more Snowdrops and Dwarf Narcissi and Fritillary, Chiondoxia were added. Self-seeded Wild Chives grows in abundance. The Willow fence has sprouted and needs regular harvesting, we offered this to other Penhill Groups, in the end, Wroughton School were the first to respond and it was collected by them 7th February 08. Cyclamen have been ordered for the Autumn.
Bird Berry Border: A list of wildlife friendly plants purchased is attached. What to plant was well researched and agreed with the Seven Field Ranger. Other plants were donated. Some of it is doing well; others will take a few years to see the benefits. This planting should make a very pretty and useful frame to the rest of the Orchard in years to come.
Compost: One of the raised beds has been made into a compost bin, it has not progressed much during the year, and most of our waste is woody and unsuitable for compost.
Units: The Units are well used. We have still to finish painting them – the weather has been against us this year. Although most work party days are fine, they follow wet weather or wet weather is expected. Either that or it too hot to paint. This year the floor in the tool unit was replaced and it and the other two had a jolly good spring clean – we can actually find tools now!
Break In: We suffered another break in to the canteen in the summer. This was obviously children, as silly things were taken, however, annoyingly they took things like the First Aid Kit, and lanterns. We found some of the remains of this in the den in the Spinney.
Library: With the Awards for All lottery grant, we have added substantially to our Library, we have a good range of books about of fruit and wildlife.
Tools: We have maintained our tool bank, more tools were purchased with the ‘Awards for All’ lottery grant, loppers, secauters, pruning saws and fruit picking scissors. We also purchased dusk masks to protect volunteers when spreading fertiliser.
Signs: We are waiting for the units to be painted to install more of the signs. The laminated signs (from a British Trust for Conservation Volunteers Manual) covering tool safety, protecting ourselves from weather and nature are displayed in the tool unit and have not deteriorated. They were admired by the Ranger volunteers and an e-copy has been sent to them, along with the Adder recognition Sheet and Human Safety Sheet.
Lease: the Lease runs out on 27th February 2010.
School Projects: We have been unable to work with Seven Fields School this year, they have had an upheaval, moving from their main building to the old Uplands School site, whilst the main school is rebuilt. We still have two barrels for them when they are in their new building. We hear occasionally that school children have been seen using the Orchard, and have asked for schools to feed back if they do, they have not yet.
Stop press: Wroughton School took our Willow and we have had an offer from Penhill Primary to help paint and hang our Bug boxes.
Charity Status: the charity return was completed on-line.

Visitors: This year we welcomed Sue Clifford and Angela King from ‘Common Ground’ along with a journalist and photographer from the Telegraph Magazine. The Penhill Orchard was used in an article to launch their book about Apples. . They spent all morning, talking to the group and taking photos. The feature ‘Let them eat Apples’ appeared in the Telegraph Magazine 6th Oct. The Ranger volunteers and a Neighbourhood Warden met for lunch on the Seven Fields Clean Up day, also attended by an Swindon Advertiser Reporter.
Display Boards In April our display was taken to the Swindon Eco Bash and we received a certificate for adding to the quality of life in the town and came second in the Community section of the Swindon Quality of Life Awards.
Publicity/Promotion: We have sent articles for every edition of the Penhill News, our work parties and events are advertised in the Swindon Eco news networks. Our leaflet was could do with updating. We held a community picnic in May and devised an ‘Apple’ Treasure Hunt, which we later also took to the Penhill Fun Day in September – our thanks to the Swindon Crime partnership for their donations towards the goody bags we gave to everyone who joined in the treasure hunt. Two Orchard game sheets have been printed and are handed out at events we attend.
Web Page: We keep trying to get a web page done! Ken Cox has a page on the Orchard on his personal web space and there is a thisiswiltshire page too.
Photo’s: We now have a good library of photos of the Orchard.
Bug Boxes: Boxes for Ladybirds, Lacewings, Bees, butterflies etc., have been purchased these are stored, paint has been purchased to tone them down before are hung in the Orchard.
Fundraising: In November 2006 we heard that we had been successful in our bid to the Lottery ‘Awards For All’ to replace trees and bushes, more bulbs and plants, bug boxes, to develop the Wassail and other events, Insurance costs, books, exploring sustainable energy. The award has been spent, but due to the loss and incapacity of our volunteers some projects had to be dropped, we were unable to hold the anticipated events. It was agreed that the money set aside for that could be spent on more tools, essentially for pruning. All bug boxes etc., were purchased as well as binoculars for bird spotting. We also had enough, and the lottery people agreed, that we could divert it to fencing to replace the damaged section and the rustic fence. The upper fence is not only required to stop ‘joy riders’, but to support and protect the plants now in that part. We were unable to complete the sustainable energy part of the grant although two solar water heaters were purchased; we have yet to have sun enough to really try them out. On 9th January 08 we heard we had successfully completed this Award. We had a visit from the Halcrow representatives to talk about our World Environment Day Award on 2nd February 08.
Work Parties: Apart form when the weather prevents it, we continue to hold work parties weekly, this enables us to have more continuity.
Volunteers: This has been a disastrous year for our volunteers. We have been unable to attract more and at some point all of us have been unwell (not due to the Orchard in any way!) To be fair, volunteers still turned up to work parties with strained muscles, aching teeth etc., even if not much work was done. Then Melanie left to return to Australia and another keen volunteer moved out of town. It’s not just the fact they are not at work parties now, but their enthusiasm for the principles of the Orchard are sadly missed too. Two new volunteers turned up on one of the National volunteering weekends and promised to return, they have not! Melanie Robinson emailed us to say she was staying in Australia and officially resigned from the committee in August 2007
Water Bill: We used no water direct form the supply in the Orchard this year.
Rent: In 2007 we paid the rent on our Lease until 2010.
Fences: We have tried repairing the fencing after trees (usually Elms) have fallen on them from the Nature Reserve and repaired several holes made by children using the Orchard as a short cut to make dens, these are particularly annoying as they appear from time to time anywhere.
Wassail: We intended to hold a Wassail at some time over the Christmas/New Year period, and one planned 2006/2007 had to be called off at short notice due to the appalling weather. This winter we did not even try, again due to the prolonged wet weather. Health and safety being an issue, even if a dry day, the ground is still wet. We held a small work party Wassail in January 2007. The children put mince pies in the trees and the oldest trees got their drink of cider.
Rubbish: We continue to pick litter when needed, the Orchard does remain remarkably litter free. A motorbike was burned out and did damage to a fruit tree.
Nature Notes/Recording wildlife: We continue to enjoy the presence of wildlife in and around the Orchard, and nearly every week something remarkable happens. Records are kept on our work party sheets.
Events: We organised another Bats, Moths and Bug evening, however again this had to be cancelled due to the weather. A community picnic was good, but the Scarecrow competition had only one entry.

Development on Penhill: We are still very concerned about the in filling of our open spaces, putting every other green space under more pressure. The news of a new academy built on the Pinehurst Peoples Centre site brings fears that the children will use the Orchard and the Nature Reserve as a short cut to that school.
Other Groups: From time to time, we have enquiries from other organisations regarding using part of the Orchard, much as we would like to encourage this, we are restricted by our Lease, which will not allow us to sub-let. Also we ask them to consider that our commitment to leave the Orchard open at all times, leaving any work they do there vulnerable.
SBC Grass Roots Grants Consultation: We responded to this consultation.
Bird Berry Border Plants.

Aucuba Japonica - variegata
Berberis Linearfolia - Orange King
Berberis thumbergii - atropurpur
Berberis thumbergii - Harlequin
Buddleia dav. White Profusion
Callicarpa bodinieri - Profusion
Callicarpa Bondi - Profusion
Caryopteris clandonensis Heavenly blue
Caryopteris clandonensis Heavenly blue
Caryopteris clandonensis Heavenly blue
Carypoteris Cland - Dark Night
Ceanothus Concha
Ceonanthus pallidus Marie Simon
Ceonanthus pallidus Marie Simon
Ceonothus Concha
Cercis canadenisis Forest Pansy
Chaenomeles species - Clementine
Chaenomeles species - Clementine
Chaenomeles x superba 'Pink lady'
Clerodendrum Bungii
Corylopsis pauciflora
Cotoneaster Lactes
Cotoneaster Lactes
Deutzia - Pink Pompom
Deutzia - Pink Pompom
Enkianthus campanulatus
Garrya elliptica
Gunnera Manicata
Gunnera Manicata
Gunnera Manicata
Hamamelis intermedia Orange Beauty
Honeysuckle heckrotti Goldflame
Honeysuckle henryi
Honeysuckle periclymeus
Lonicera periclymenum - Belgica
Loniceria henryi
Mahonia Media - Charity
Mahonia Media - Charity
Partenicissus Veitchii Robusta
Potentilla Tanger/Hop Orange
Potentilla Tanger/Hop Orange
Pyracantha Golden Charmer
Pyracantha Red Column
Pyracantha Red column
Sambucus Black Lace
Sambucus Nigra Madonna
Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold'
Sarcococca Ruscifolia
Sarcococca Ruscifolia
Tamarix tetrandra
Viburnum Opul Sterile.Roseum
Viburnum Opul Sterile.Roseum
Viburnum Tinus
Viburnum Tinus
Viburnum x burkwoodii
Viburnum x burkwoodii
Weigela florida - Wine and roses
Weigela Kosteriana Variegata