Although no longer at their best, there are still a few poppies to be seen growing along the Wom Brook Walk. The one above was photographed amongst tall grasses and ragwort in the fallow area below the point where the Railway Walk crosses the Wom Brook Walk. It is a reminder of one of those rare, warm sunny days experienced earlier in the year!

The Friends of Wom Brook met on Saturday morning in an attempt to tackle the problem of the ever-spreading Himalayan Balsam which is choking sections of the Wom Brook, particularly along the Rookery Road section.

Such was the magnitude of the task facing the Friends Group, that after filling some 40 black bin bags with Balsam, further uprooted plants had to be left at the side of the Wom Brook Walk, for South Staffordshire Council’s Landscape Department to remove later this week.

In the above photo, taken at one part of the Rookery Road section of the Wom Brook Walk, the area marked in green (numbered 1) indicates a section of the southern bank cleared on Saturday morning. The area marked in blue (numbered 2) points to the actual Brook, and finally in red (3), one of the piles of uprooted Himalayan Balsam.

In May, inspectors from the Green Flag award scheme surveyed the whole of the Wom Brook Walk from Rushford Bridge, close to where the Brook enters Wombourne in the east, to where it leaves the village in the west, at the edge of Poolhouse.

This formed part of the annual inspection process, and it is hoped that the village should learn soon the result of that inspection.

(Members of the inspection team are photographed above.)

This multi-coloured fibreglass model of a rhino would be an unlikely sight at the best of times, but the city of Chester has in the region of 60 + models located in and around the city.

‘Rhino Mania‘ is an interesting initiative which not only brings an endangered species to  prominence, but engages local groups in an engaging art project. Could a similar event be staged within Wombourne to promote the plight of the water vole?

For further information about ‘Rhino Mania‘ , please click on this LINK.

July
Saturday 3rd    Work Party
Thursday 15th     Work Party
Saturday 17th    Event: Butterflies of Baggeridge, led by David Jackson
Meet 10:30am Main car park Baggeridge, next to Rangers’ Office

August
Saturday 7th    Work Party
Thursday 19th     Work Party
Saturday 21st    Event: Wild Poolhouse-above and below water

In the photograph above, some of the younger members are assisted in the identification of their catches by the chairperson of the Friends Group, Anita.

..the above scene was familiar for some months from the centre of Wombourne, and visible from the Wom Brook Walk. Taken in February 2007, it shows the crane used during the building of Wom Brook Court.

Access points which allow walkers to see the Brook from various points along the pathway during the spring and summer have recently been cut along sections of the stream running through the centre of Wombourne.

Certain species of wild flowers and known water vole nesting sites  have deliberately been left uncut.

The photograph above was taken looking downstream (west) from the picnic benches. To the right of the photo, the normal height of the vegetation can be seen (averaging 30 cm in height).

This first ever event for the Friends of Wom Brook was staged in Wombourne Library, located in the Community centre.

The Friends Group would like to thank the  library staff for their support, and amongst others the RSPB, Staffordshire Wildlife Group, Staffordshire Police, Paul Wilkinson (Amphibians group), the BAT Trust, and Birmingham University.

There was also a resident cartoonist, who passed on some of his many talents to all ages.

In particular, the Friends Group would like to thank the younger members who ran an innovative competition to spot the water vole.

If a contributing group to the event have been missed out, please let us know via the comment section below, so that they can be included.

Painters (above) tackling the renovation work planned by the District Council earlier this year.

One of the above gentleman stated that a member of his family recalls the time when the same footbridge was painted yellow!