Brill Parish Council Newsletter

June 2023 (vol 3, issue 6)

June’s Community Market

Something very special for June’s market; a pop-up performance by the Brill Brass Quartet.

The Brill Brass Quintet was formed by the late Chris Whiteman in 2014; Brillites will recall their wonderful charity concerts in All Saints Church in years past. The surviving members of the band are still playing and keen to perform in public but in a less formal setting than previously - hence their visit to the Community Market on June 17th.

Come along on Saturday, buy breakfast and a cup of coffee and listen to the band before browsing our guest stalls for gifts and treats: greeting cards, handcrafted jewellery, organic soaps, locally-grown cut flowers, personalised fancy goods, and hand-crafted wooden signs.

Hot Weather Safety

It’ll probably be raining when you read this - but, even so, please don’t let’s underestimate the harm that high temperatures can cause to the elderly, the vulnerable, and our pets.

A few days ago, the Met Office and the UK Healthy Security Agency issued a Heat-Health Alert which we shared this with you through social media and a special edition of this newsletter. One of the key messages was to keep a close eye on older people, young children, and people with long term health conditions; their bodies can struggle to cope with the heat and they are at greater risk.

If you have a dog, you’re probably well aware that dogs die in hot cars. You may not know that dogs may also die on hot walks. Please click those links to read advice from the RSPCA, including how to spot signs of canine heat exhaustion.

Finally, here are some suggestions for Shady Walks near Brill.

Living Verges in Brill

You may have noticed that some of our village open spaces and roadside verges have been left un-mown this month. This is an informal collaboration between Brill Parish Council, Bucks Council Highways, Aspire (our grass-cutting contractor) and residents to take a bold and beautiful step towards transforming local verges into wildlife havens.

From the Good Verge Guide:

If we get the plants right, all other wildlife has a chance of thriving. Road verges are essential refuges for the wild flowers that support our wildlife and their value in the fight to conserve bees, butterflies and beetles cannot be underestimated.

This project is NOT

• about saving money on grass cutting

• about “re-wilding” Brill (yes, we’ve heard the rumours!)

• something wild and wacky dreamt up by your parish council!

This project IS

• a small step towards meeting our obligations as a public body under The Environment Act of 2021 and leaving the world a better place

• in line with actions taken by many other local councils from Cumbria to Kent

• a scientifically-backed, clearly thought-out process to establish ecological networks to support the recovery of nature

How it works (with thanks to the Good Verge Guide)

Annual management is essential. Some form of verge management is essential to maintain flower-rich habitats. Without regular management, studies have shown that most grassland flowers disappear rapidly. Even if the grass is left uncut for a single year, coarser vegetation will start to become more dominant. All open spaces will therefore be cut at least once a year, usually in August.

Grow, flower, seed, mow. Plants need to complete flowering and set seed in order to thrive. Generally, most flowers take roughly six to eight weeks from flowering to successfully shed viable seed. Cutting plants down in full flower deprives invertebrates of nectar and pollen and stops plants reproducing from seed.

Remove the cuttings. Removal of grass clippings plays a major role in maintaining species-rich vegetation on verges, curbing the growth of vigorous plants that smother their neighbours and helping to reduce soil nutrient levels. It also removes the thatch of dead vegetation, exposing underlying soil and giving seeds room to germinate.

Mix it up. Different plants, insects and animals require different ecological conditions, so verges with a diversity of open areas, scrub and woodland will support more species. A mixture of long and short grass will also benefit invertebrates. Even if the whole width of the verge is cut, some long grass left standing at the back of the verge will provide essential habitat.

Let it Bloom June! Fancy your own Living Verge?

Although both Bucks Highways and Aspire have comprehensive biodiversity policies, their default is to mow according to contract - unless told otherwise. This is why we’re inviting Brill residents to erect one of our bespoke, hand-worked wooden notices on the green areas you treasure.

Two things to keep in mind:

• Please consider your immediate neighbours and have a chat with them about your plans before putting up a notice

• Be aware of obscuring sight-lines for drivers emerging from gateways

Email Councillor Liz Sparks to reserve your sign - or have a word with her on the parish council stall at the community market on June 17th. Signs are free to Brill residents and come ready-mounted on a stake. Our sincere thanks to Tony Bostrom of North Hills for producing these beautiful signs.

Award for Brill with Ukraine

The annual Proud of Bucks Awards celebrate Buckinghamshire’s communities that have demonstrated care, creativity and commitment to their local areas. The awards recognise and applaud outstanding community contributions carried out by local volunteers.

Brill with Ukraine, a mutual support group set up in 2022 to welcome refugees from the war in Ukraine, was awarded Highly Commended at a ceremony last week. This dynamic and self-sustaining group of 35 or so residents and Ukrainians won their award for "exceptional support for Ukrainian refugees”, in particular finding accommodation, jobs within the NHS plus excellent community liaison and provisional of emotional support.

Brill Parish Council is incredibly proud of the group - and Emi Slater and Jennifer Tuffley, the two councillors involved from the onset.

Community Conversations & Training

Although these two events are organised by Brill Church, everybody is welcome regardless of belief.

Brill Windmill Update

A message from Cllr Liz Sparks, Chair of the Brill Parish Council

Many of you will have seen the buzz of activity around our beloved windmill and may wonder what's going on. After the damage done by the previous storms, an in-depth survey was commissioned to assess the current condition of the mill and flag any potential future issues before they could develop into catastrophes; an MOT of sorts, if you like. The information provided by this survey has enabled the Brill Society and Brill Parish Council to work together on a new maintenance and care plan to protect and preserve our wonderful landmark.

Phase one has been to remove the two older sails to inspect them for any rot or damage, strip back the paint and treat them with protective oil. We would love for this to be a project to bring the village together, so if you fancy rolling up your sleeves and lending a hand to sand or paint the sails - or would like to get involved in other ways including opening the windmill to the public - please email your contact details and availability to Andy Fisher, chair of the Brill Society.

Finally …

Please tell others about this e-newsletter. Lots of people aren’t on Facebook or comfortable with social media, and we want to reach all parishioners equally. We also value the opportunity to give something extra to subscribers - longer explanations or different perspectives - than is possible on the website.

Tell friends, family or neighbours to email hello@brillparishcouncil.co.uk or fill in the newsletter form on the Brill Parish Council & Community website. Alternatively, if they’d like to read a paper copy, please tell them there are always copies of the newsletter in the pouch on the door of the Old Library in the Memorial Hall, on the table at the back of All Saints Church, and (sometimes) in Brill Stores.

Remember you can read past issues of the newsletter on the Brill Parish Council & Community website.

All good wishes
Brill Parish Council