Recent heavy rain has run off the fields between the Vine public house and the start of the Wom Brook Walk, at the eastern section of the Brook in Wombourne. The above photo, taken by a committee member of the Friends of Wom Brook shows the extent of the flooding and the subsequent damage to the Wom Brook Walk. South Staffordshire Council’s landscape department have been informed.

There has been some substantial on earthing going on down by the brook recently. I am not 100% sure on this but my thoughts are that it is either for the planting of wild flowers or to help Bees who nest in that sort of habitat. What do you think, send us your views on it!

Thursday  19th   Work Party
Saturday  21st   Event: Home-made videos, quizzes & photos
10am Wombourne Methodist Church

February

Saturday  4th    Work Party
Thursday 16th   Work Party
Saturday  18th   Event: Bird-spotting along the canal. Meet 10am school lay-by Ounsdale Road

March

Saturday 3rd  SPRING WATCH 11am - 3pm at and in partnership   with   Wombourne  Library.

                                        NB No Work Party
Thursday 15th  Work Party
Saturday  17th  Event: Fishing,to test the water quality of the Wom  Brook

Furthermore, here are some lovely frost scenes taken around the Wombrook area:

Thanks to the sharp eyes of the finger post’s sculptor, the top half was recovered from the bushes beside a section of the Wombrook. However, the owl was missing. Thankfully the sculptor was able to carve a faithful reproduction, and at certain times of the day, the new owl stands out from the original wood carving in the hole at the top of the finger post.

In the photo above, the back of the owl is shown (arrowed in red), along with the 2 dimensional aspect of the sign.The other side of the sign is a 3D representation, and shows the new owl and the remainder of the sign to particularly good effect.

Residents are positively enraged by the mindless damage to a local Wombourne landmark. The ornate and very symbolic wooden carved finger post which marks the crossing point between the Wombrook Walk and the South Staffordshire Railway Walk was discovered to have had it’s top half forcibly removed. (See red arrows indicating that the top half of the board was forced in one direction).

The original finger board was not only an example of an excellent wood carving, but it had been carefully produced following careful research into the local history, flora and fauna associated with the village of Wombourne. Carefully captured within its imagery was a representation of the endangered water vole, a protected mammal resident along the Wombrook.

Unfortunately a minority criminal element exists in the community, possessing little intelligence and contributing nothing but problems to it. The reader is left to imagine the level of punishment furious local villagers were suggesting should be given to the individuals responsible for the damage.

It is believed that the vandalism occurred sometime between Sunday 25th September and Thursday morning, 29th September. If you were walking in the vicinity during those dates, and saw something connected to this crime, please contact Staffordshire Police on 0300 123 4455.

Any thoughts on the coming winter? Leave a comment, there is a mixed consensus as to whether the weather will be cold and snowy or wet and windy.

Addmittedly the above image was taken before this year’s spring growth of vegetation began along the Wom Brook. However, although not a ‘current’ image, it emphasises how the effects of weathering-particularly the prolonged periods of sub-zero temperatures that were endured during January and February this year, damaged parts of the stream banks along the Wom Brook.

The water infusing the banks of the Brook froze, and the resultant physical expansion of the ice within the soil caused parts of the banks to detach and fall into theBrook. There are now at least two areas along the Gravel Hill section of the Wom Brook Walk where the banks of the Brook have started to encroach upon the Wom Brook Walk.

South Staffordshire Council’s Landscape Department have been alerted.

Please come along and support this-based on last year’s event, there is plenty to see!