Friday 5 September 2008

9 Things To Do to Encourage Birds to your garden

 

  1. Put up a Bird table (in a clear space far enough away from cover where a cat might hide) or feeders.

  2. Provide a wide variety of food including seeds, nuts, fruit and suet blocks.

  3. Provide water for drinking and bathing. Consider putting up a bird bath.

  4. Plant trees and shrubs which bear attractive berries in the autumn, such as Elder, Rowan, Holly, Ivy, Fire Thorn, Cotoneaster, Hawthorn, Privet and Spindle which will provide food for many species of birds.

  5. Plant trees and shrubs which attract insects and are good for refuge and nesting for birds.

  6. Put up nesting boxes.

  7. Do not use slug pellets as these are harmful to all animals including your pets.

  8. Do not use pesticides as these kill the insects the birds feed on.

  9. Start a compost heap which will become alive with invertebrates of many types. It will also stay frost free in winter providing a food source for birds.

Wednesday 27 August 2008

Make the Most of Your Car

 

Get better mileage (& reduce pollution) by following these simple rules:

  • make sure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure (this is up to 10% more fuel efficient) & check them once a fortnight & before long journeys. For safety ensure your tyres are in good condition, not worn or damaged, that the treads & tyre walls have no flaws or sharp

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    objects in them.

  • drive smoothly anticipating road conditions and avoiding fast acceleration and sharp braking.

  • make your car as light as possible by emptying your boot of unnecessary items (every 45kg / 100lbs of unnecessary weight reduces fuel efficiency by 1%).

  • drive at 55 mph (88 kmph) when it is safe to do so (this is the most fuel efficient speed to drive at and up to 25% more fuel efficient than at 70 mph).

  • get your car tuned each year (this gives up to a 5% fuel advantage).

  • use radial tyres (they are up to 4% more fuel efficient than cross-ply).

  • use quality oil & change it as often as the manufacturer recommends. (The better the quality the more fuel efficient your car will be as engine friction is reduced).

Sharing your car – Car Share Registers

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One of the major environmental problems affecting Colchester and the world at large is the gridlock of our transport systems. The major problem is caused by the number of cars on the road. Many of them with only one occupant. It would be very beneficial to the environment if we could reduce the number of car journey's we make.

Car sharing would have a big impact and can be achieved with a bit of thought and here are some ideas for car sharing to get you started:

  • Travel to work with your colleagues. Travelling to work is responsible for the rush hour gridlock.
  • Pick up your children's friends when you drop them off at school or clubs. The school run is a major cause of congestion throughout the country. Have you noticed how quiet the roads are in the school holidays.
  • Take your family friends or neighbours with you when you visit the superstore.

And if you wish to share a journey but cannot share it with your existing acquaintances why not register your needs with one of the car sharing services below. However, make sure you make suitable enquiries and satisfy yourself that you will be safe if you intend to share your journey with a stranger.

You shouldn't charge for sharing your car journey's but it is reasonable to share costs.

National Car Share Tel: 01344 861600

Liftshare Tel: 0870 0780225

My Street Car

Car Pool World

www.carclubs.org.uk
This is the website for the Community Car Share Network. it has details of its RideSmart scheme, which will allow its member organisations to use internet technology to handle bookings for their cars.

City Car Club

Shareacar

Freewheelers

Saturday 5 July 2008

Allotments

 

It might be thought that vegetables are hardly worth growing but there are many advantages. Take the question of freshness - there can be no doubt that home-grown produce, freshly picked, has a quite different flavour to shop bought produce and with a family there can be quite a saving on greengrocery bills. It can also be very enjoyable to plan for and produce a regular supply of vegetables. A well cared for vegetable plot has its own visual appeal.

The 5 Main Benefits of keeping an allotment:

  1. Eat well - When you grow your own you can enjoy the taste of delicious fresh vegetables grown without the use of pesticides or addition of chemicals.
  2. Save money - It will greatly reduce greengrocery bills.
  3. Keep fit- The exercise involved in tending an allotment is a good way to keep fit and healthy, but don't do too much too quickly.
  4. Make friends - Most allotment holders are happy to offer advice to newcomers and to share their surplus plants.
  5. Relax- Many people find that an hour or two spent working on an allotment can be very therapeutic.

10 Top tips for new allotment holders.

  1. If you have no tools only buy the essentials at first- spade, fork, hoe, rake and trowel.
  2. If your plot is weedy or full of grass it is best to remove as much vegetation as possible before you start to dig.
  3. Don't rush digging - it can be hard work on the back! It is best to start in the autumn.
  4. As you dig make sure you remove the roots of plants such as docks, dandelions, thistles and couch grass.
  5. Draw up a plan. consider what you want to grow and where. Make sure you don't grow the same crop in the same place in consecutive years. This is called crop rotation.
  6. Don't sow seeds too early. Wait until the ground warms up in April/May.
  7. When watering do it thoroughly. If done sparingly it will cause the roots to come to the surface.
  8. Make sure you support the plants that need it, such as peas, tomatoes and runner beans.
  9. Visit your allotment every few days to keep the weeds at bay by hoeing.
  10. Start a compost heap to take all vegetable waste matter. This will produce excellent compost to be dug in next year.

You can rent an allotment through Colchester Borough Council and sites are listed below. To enquire about availability write to Leisure Services, P0 Box 331, Town HaIl, phone 01206- 282909 or call in to Angel Court. In the villages allotment sites are usually administered by the parish councils.

Colchester Borough Council Allotment Sites

  1. Stanway near New Farm Road

  2. Lexden near Back Lane off Lexden Road

  3. Hazell Avenue near Gosbecks Road and Layer Road

  4. Irvine Road near Drury Road

  5. Drury Road

  6. Highfield Drive off Lexden Road

  7. Sheepen Road near Colchester Institute

  8. Bergholt Road near North Station

  9. Severalls

  10. Mercers Farm near the Superbowl

  11. Notleys off Harwich Road

  12. New Fairfield bottom of East Street

  13. East Bay bottom of East hill

  14. Brook Street

  15. Grants Meadow Hythe Area near Parsons Lane

  16. Littlebury Gardens near Barn Hall Avenue

  17. The Willows near Thomas Lord Audley School

  18. Blackheath behind Finchingfield Way

Sunday 29 June 2008

Timebank

 

What is a time bank?

Time banks use time as a currency. You can earn a time credit for each hour you spend doing things to help others. You decide how often and what you do.

What can you do with Time Credits?

Spend them on a whole range of skills and opportunities on offer from other participants.
Save them up for future use.
Donate them to another participant.

Who can earn Time Credits?

Anyone! Age, lack of finance or limited mobility do not prevent you from joining the Time Bank.

These are the kinds of help or services people are giving and receiving

Administration, Basic Repairs, Baking, Dog Walking, Fundraising, Gardening, Ironing, Knitting, Letter Writing, Music Lessons, Reading, Shopping, Teaching Languages, Visiting, Mobile phone and computer skills. Yoga and many more!

What next?

When you join we will open an account for you. Your hours will be recorded and we will send you a regular statement of the time you have given and received. Time credits do not affect any Benefits you may receive. Time Banking is a local information system about who can do what, who is available when and who has special needs. You give a few hours of your time, when you can, doing what you want to. In this way everyone participating can gain help to receive the services they need or want. It also enables everyone to feel able to give. If you are prepared to exchange time there is an abundance of skills available!

Interested?

See the website