Autumn 2000

The Wildlife Garden - National Trust Sheffield Centre - Life behind bars - A friendly face - Written in stone

The Wildlife Garden

If people voted for their favourite British wild animal, which do you think would win? The robin, or perhaps the hedgehog, or even the blue tit? Your guess is as good as mine, but undoubtedly, the magpie would not be amongst the winners.
Why should such a clever, successful and resourceful bird be so universally hated? Well, part of the answer must lie in the fact that they eat the eggs and nestlings of song birds, which for many of us, is a good enough cause to dislike them. In the near future, bird lovers in our region may have another reason though. Magpies in Byworth, West Sussex, have now learnt to break into house martins' nests and one can only wonder if this habit will ultimately be passed on to all British magpies.
But perhaps our aversion to these birds goes much deeper and is an echo of a more primitive time when we as hunters would see any successful bird of prey, scavenger or predatory animal as a rival for food.

Wolves are perhaps the ultimate expression of this world wide, while here in Britain, sparrowhawks and foxes are tainted with the same brush. Strange really, when you consider these animals kill only for food, not for pleasure, unlike cats. I can't remember how many times I've read that magpies should be controlled to help protect our song bird populations, but I've yet to read of anyone who dare suggest we should control feral cats or for that matter, woodpeckers or even red squirrels, which will also take the occasional nestling.

This ambivalent attitude to wildlife isn't just confined to larger predators. Many of us enjoy seeing butterflies, or may even grow plants specifically to attract them, but how many of us get upset if the butterflies end up as food for blue tits or swifts?
For most people, the prettier or more entertaining a bird, the more popular it is likely to be. This is understandable, as robins can be so trusting they almost appear to treat us as friends, whilst blue tits, besides being enthralling to watch with their acrobatic performances on the nut holder, must be one of the prettiest of our garden birds. I know of many a gardener who keeps nest boxes for blue tits and when the day comes for the family to leave, watches on tenterhooks, like an expectant parent, hoping all the fledglings will make it to the safety of nearby trees.

One of these gardeners will often talk endlessly about 'his' birds and the delight he has in seeing them, but is quite happy to spray all his garden plants at the first sign of an insect attack. He sprays his garden so often it smells like a chemical factory and I am surprised it hasn't been classified as a bio-hazard. Last year, all the blue tits in his nest box died and he blamed magpies or squirrels as being the cause. He has probably never thought, even once, that by eliminating every insect in his garden, he may have removed all the natural insect food that the blue tit parents rely on to feed their young. A hungry family of blue tits, not to mention all the other parent birds in the garden, will quite happily consume vast numbers of insect pests.
Whether he is acting simply out of ignorance I cannot tell, but he not alone. How many people put food out for birds in their gardens without thinking that their favourite moggy will lie in wait, patiently behind the nearest shrub, to ambush the birds when they come down to feed?

Someone I once knew, proudly boasted that he fed the birds in his garden as a ploy, so that his cats would have the opportunity to hunt them. He saw nothing wrong in this and considered it was good for the cats, as it helped them express their natural hunting instincts. Would he have objected if a neighbour of his enticed these same cats into his garden and then set dogs onto them? Is there any difference?

Despite gardeners like these, I am sure attitudes to garden wildlife have changed for the better over the last twenty years or so, but this is not the only gardening philosophy to have radically altered. Fired by numerous gardening magazines and style programmes, our gardens are no longer simply seen as places to grow a few flowers and vegetables, and enjoy a cup of tea on a sunny afternoon. They are now much more likely to be seen as extensions of our homes, an extra living and entertaining space, and above all, as a reflection of our personality. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this, but I wonder just how many of the various demands we make on our gardens are compatible. After all the barbecues, patio pots, statues, mirrors, swings and goal posts have been added, will there be any room left for wildlife?

We can only guess at the impact these present ideas will have on garden wildlife, but one thing is certain, we cannot simply view our garden as an isolated little island; we each directly effect our neighbours, whether we mean to, or not. Just like birds, butterflies or insects, smoke from a bonfire, noise from children playing, insecticide sprayed on a windy day or pests brought in with new plants, they never stay in one plot.

Happy and trouble free gardening!
The only meat that is free to all people, is the smell of it cooking.
African proverb, but perhaps very fitting for the barbecuing evenings of summer.

Maggie Pie

National Trust Sheffield Centre

The Sheffield Centre of the National Trust was formed in 1972 as a local association of those who were already members of the National Trust, with the aim of providing in this area functions to further the work of the Trust.

We currently have a membership of some 350 and publish two Newsletters a year. Our programme consists of various events. Our Annual Luncheon in March, has a speaker from the national HQ of the Trust, or, perhaps, a person involved in heritage or conservation work. In the summer, we organise a number of coach outings to houses, castles, gardens or well-known homes. A Spring 4 or 5 day holiday has taken place for many years, usually to the south, but also to Scotland. This Autumn, for the first time, we have arranged a two-nights-away weekend in the Bath area. It was quickly booked up, so, hopefully, it may be an annual function.

We have seven autumn and winter meetings taking place at the Sheffield Friends' Meeting House, with talks, slide shows and a social evening with pea and pie supper. The winter meetings are afternoon events. At these we raise funds for the National Trust's appeals, recruit new friends and members and try to make membership of the National Trust more enjoyable.
The President of the Sheffield Centre is Sir Hugh Sykes K.B., D.L. We have a voluntary serving Committee, with an AGM in March. We continue to listen to people's ideas to provide further opportunities for us to learn and hear more about the National Trust - its coastline, houses, countryside and gardens. If you require more information, please get in touch with our Secretary, John Robertshaw on 236 0846.

Mrs J. M. Norris

Life behind bars

We've just had our first anniversary at the Castle and a good time has been had by all. We developed our Wednesday Quiz on August 9th into an anniversary quiz with lots of giveaways and presents. Beth and Dave celebrated winning a cash jackpot by throwing another prawn on the Barbie. (Obviously some antipodean tendencies there). Anton's bottle of wine went to a worthy winner in Stuart and several tables have been booked on the strength of the vouchers.

It's certainly been an eventful year with comings and goings (we wish Bev well in his new abode) and welcome Joss and Paul to the more immediate area. Keith and Barbara succumbed to the call of the Castle and have become neighbours. (Not close enough to borrow milk and sugar but close enough to walk the dogs to on a balmy summer evening.) Napoleon sends regards from the darkest outpost of Bradford and is settling in well at Queensbury Golf Club.

I am pleased to report that the Rev. Dudley has saved three fallen women and two fallen arches but is recovering well from his ordeal. Buff Mycroft seems to be coping well with John's retirement and we believe that William is soon to be a leaver (but not too far we understand). Lynne is now back at work after her dog walking fall and looks once again in the picture of health.
A big thanks to everyone who sent me information regarding the parochial history of Bradway and The Castle. I have been able to establish thanks to a cleric at Norton that indeed Bradway is not a parish but sits as part of the parish of Norton. Thanks also go to Pete Smith (late of H.M. Constabulary) for the very interesting background information. I am more and more convinced that the Castle was more railway than brickworks inclined but feel that we will never really know its true background.

Business has become so brisk at the Castle and poor Craig and Richard that our two excellent chefs are becoming so exhausted that Mike at the post office and I have developed a new sales initiative to try and help both my business and his after the devastating news that the Post Office lost £24 million last year. That coupled with the fact that we are getting fuller and fuller at the Castle prompted me to offer a postal service for our bar snacks. We are hoping to use the catch phrase "POST A TOASTIE" We haven't increased prices but have been able to absorb the cost of second-class post for any customer who has to leave before their meal is ready.

We also promise that if any customer has to leave more than an hour and a half after ordering, then the option is given to upgrade to first class post for an extra 20 pence per customer. Added to this Mike has agreed to provide Jiffy bags at a reduced rate if the meal includes sauce, gravy or in the case of desserts, custard in order to ensure a safer delivery.
The final part of the offer is that if a customer returns their plates to us we will wash them. We feel that this will generate enough income between us to put the Post office back in the black by December at the latest. The added bonus for Craig and Richard is that instead of fighting a time deadline for getting food on the table as some of our longer established competitors have done, all they have to worry about is catching the last post of the day.

Sorry no joke this time as the only one I know at the moment is not for a mixed readership. Enjoy the summer.

Ken Cottrell

A friendly face

A friendly face will be missing when the new term starts next month at Sir Harold Jackson Infant and Junior School on Bradway Drive. Scores of teachers have come and gone since the school opened in 1967, and there have been four head teachers, but one person has been constantly present during the past 25 years as the school registers have been marked.
And for many hundreds of young Bradway children, the school day never really started until they received a warm "Hello Flower" or "Hello Sunshine" greeting from caretaker, later to be building supervisor, Jim Bardsley.
"I love the kids and crack the same jokes with them that I have cracked for 25 years, and they still roll about laughing ....... even though they are horrible jokes" he said.

Jim Bardsley also enjoys a reputation as being something of a "Mr Fixit", like a famous TV personality with the same Christian name.

His first visit to Sir Harold Jackson School coincided with a massive joint Scout and PTA gala on the school field on a July Saturday in 1975, and he began work at the school a few days later.

Jim has now retired from the post to live in Chesterfield after completing 40 years service with the Education Department, starting as a porter in the old College of Technology in Pond Street in 1958.

The school can claim recognition as the most important building in Bradway, something like a No 10 Downing Street, and Jim Bardsley, "living above the shop" in the words of a former formidable, handbag wielding Downing Street resident, gradually built up and came to enjoy an almost Prime Ministerial status on the site.

In his early days in Bradway, the school roll was in the region of 400 plus children, at the peak of the so called "birthrate bulge" years, while at the present time the school claims about 350 pupils.

During his quarter of a century residence in Bradway, Jim has been on first name terms with several thousand local children, although he has always insisted on being addressed as "Mr Bardsley" himself, and has enjoyed the rare opportunity of seeing complete generations of local youngsters grow up and move on.
Always a person to speak his mind, he admits that he is not altogether happy at the way the Bradway community has developed in recent years.
In line with Sheffield Education Committee policy, considerable changes over the use of the school grounds by the community at large have taken place during Jim's guardianship. At first the grounds were strictly "No go" territory out of school hours, with the gates often locked at night, but gradually use started to be made of the inviting area by normally well behaved groups of local youngsters.

"When I first came to Bradway, I saw a great waste of valuable land where local children could play in safety" he said. "There was an unofficial arrangement whereby they could enjoy using the school field without getting into harm, and I was happy for them to do so".

With the building of the Bradway Scout Centre adjacent to the school, the use accelerated with regular evening, meetings and lettings, as well as weekend activities. Jim remained in a high state of vigilance so far as dog walking was concerned, and kept a keen eye out for learner drivers getting, the feel of a car before venturing out on the road. He was also alert for early signs of rowdiness and vandalism.

The general question of access to and use of school grounds is now more free and easy, but Jim always maintained a presence around the school, and could be a formidable force to be reckoned with by any wrongdoers!
"But the general behaviour scene was changing" he said. "Gangs of youths who used to hang around the local filling station and the beer off-licence started to come into the grounds and when I went out to deal with then, I would be met with a load of abuse. We have had litter baskets taken out of concrete bins and thrown through classroom windows by local hooligans, with beer bottles smashed against the school walls, graffiti daubed around and gutter language used".

"My impression when I first came to the school in 1975 was that I had arrived at a private school, given the conduct of the children, and the friendliness of the staff, members of the Scout Group, and local people. Things began to change when the families that were Bradway at that time began to move out and the social evils began to catch up with the area. They had been professional people who took an interest in the school, their children and local organisations. The number of pupils fell and we moved into social decline".

"The school has stood out in the Ofsted reports as being excellent, and one for parents to aim at, but unfortunately we seem to have more learning difficulties now than we did formerly. Whether this is due to parents being out at work I do not know. I came from a one parent family myself, with my father leaving us at a very early stage, but my mother was very strict and knew about right and wrong."

Moving into a more contemplative mood Jim Bardsley went on: "I have had the best 25 years of my life in Bradway, but I cannot see things getting any better. I think there are going to be disciplinary problems in the primary schools. I know you cannot keep harping on about the old values, but until some of them come back there will be serious problems".

Roger Davis

Jim & Joan Bardsley were presented with special certificates by governors at the school to mark their retirement. Gifts from staff and pupils included a circular saw, a gardening encyclopaedia, furniture, china and engraving equipment.

Written in stone

If any town deserves to be in the limelight it is Wirksworth, Derbyshire, from which many a ton of limestone was quarried and burnt to produce lighting for 19th-century theatres and magic lantern shows. This method of illumination was actually so brilliant that limelight signals could be exchanged between Ireland and the west coast of Scotland.

But limestone, and indeed every type of stone, has moved with the times. As remarkable as it is commonplace, our entire modern way of life depends upon stone. Endless surprises emerge in the telling of its 4,600 million-year-old story, presented by the National Stone Centre at Wirksworth.

The venture is an educational charity, working with a wide range of national organisations including major firms in the quarrying industry and environmental bodies. An exhibition centre is set within dramatic site trails around six disused quarries and, naturally, Peak District stone has a high profile.

Throughout earth's creation, each period has left its mark in rocks and fossils; this very site contains one of the best fossil reefs in the country. Visitors can stand on the brink of the once wave-pounded reef and see evidence of volcanic activity, or wander around Sea Lily Meadow to marvel at unimaginably old fossils.

The continuing discovery of numerous pointed teeth gives tangible evidence of the small sharks which once prowled in tropical lagoons. Exhibits in the visitor centre show how deserts and glaciers also took turns in shaping the landscape, while the activities of hundreds of active volcanoes remind us that the earth's crust is still on the move.

Man entered the story of stone comparatively recently. Human hands fashioned stone into the earliest tools and weapons, while prehistoric burial mounds utilised the same types of stone that we still use for memorials. Each civilisation can be measured by its works in stone, from Roman roads to increasingly ambitious castles, cathedrals and palaces.
Our foes have had cause to curse British stone. Some had to face deadly Tudor cannon balls, Napoleonic prisoners-of-war were put to work crushing Dartmoor stone, and during World War Two a concrete 'mulberry harbour' played a major role in the Normandy landings.

Stone has been essential to our agricultural and industrial progress. Mile upon mile of stone walls have been built in different regions of Britain, often enclosing land improved by the addition of lime made by burning limestone - an old lime kiln survives on the site trail. Crushed stone went into road and railway construction, sea defences and docks, and Derbyshire millstones - made appropriately from Millstone Grit, were exported around the globe. One of the quarries at the National Stone Centre even supplied hundreds of thousands of tons of limestone for construction of the MI.

Each quarry face bears evidence of earlier lead mining, with remnants of lead ore and miners' pick marks occasionally spotted on the rock face. There were well over a hundred mine shafts on the site and one has been preserved as a feature. Today progress continues in the quarrying industry, with computer-controlled cutting to keep a competitive 'edge'.

We will each use twenty lorry-loads of stone in our lifetime; it finds its way into an endless list of the most surprising products from motor cars to beer. Stone enters our diet, cleans our water, treats our sewage, and gives us stone-washed denim. Who knows what uses are yet to be added to the list displayed at the National Stone centre?

The High Peak Trail gives walkers direct access to the Centre which also has its own free car park. A small charge is made for entry to the exhibition but the site trail is free. Gem panning facilities, fossil casting and fossil rubbing have particular attraction for children and family groups. A fascinating range of gems, fossils and minerals is on sale in the Treasure in the Rocks Shop. Disabled access and toilet facilities are excellent and light refreshments are available.

The Centre opens daily, 10 am to 5 pm in summer, 10 am to 4 pm in winter. Visits to a large operational quarry can also be arranged for organised groups. Enquiries should be made on 01629 824833

Julie Bunting

Go to Bradway Bugle Past Issues

Web site maintenance by
Stratton & English Software Ltd.