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The Ickleford Women’s Institute has always been proud to be part of the village of Ickleford, and it was with great gusto and forethought that we all came together, when it was decided in 2006, after the dry spell and hosepipe ban, that we should do our part for global warming.
Every year the flower bed in the centre of the village, had been carefully planted and nurtured by green fingered and water carrying ladies of the W.I., so much so that we felt it was unfair to still water our plants when everyone else was watching theirs slowly fade away because of the hosepipe ban. So our plan was born, to change it to a dry bed. Using only plants that required no watering, and covering the bed with shingle and rocks to conserve any rainwater. We drew up plans of shape and size, and what we hoped to achieve, and armed with this information, initially approached the Parish Council for support and financial help. The Parish Council not only helped us to acquire the good quality edging for the bed, but also helped us to apply for a grant from the North Herts District Council, entitled a ‘Discretionary Budget’, which would help us with the planting costs – and we were successful. Arrangements were also made with a local farmer to bring along his JCB when required, and husbands were put on standby for installing the edging and membrane.
So it was all systems go, and on a very wet and windy afternoon in May 2007, eight ladies, with rope, buckets and lawn edgers could be seen, bent double, measuring, marking and cutting the new triangular shape as traffic sped by; the drivers bemused as to what ladies dressed in wet weather gear were doing standing in the middle of an island shoveling what was now, mud.
After a great deal of deliberation, the shape had been honed, and we could now call on our friendly farmer to dig out to the desired depth using his JCB. A week later two husbands gave their time and energy to put the new membrane and edging in place. This work done, the shingle was then delivered and spread. Rocks and plants were then selected, and carefully planted to give a future effect and grass seed was spread. As I said at the beginning, we are proud to be part of the Village of Ickleford, we can also now hold our heads up and say we did our bit for mankind and global warming.
Kathy Goldie - President of Ickleford WI (May 2007)
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