Hedgehog's Interests
This website was first started as my Personal Skill Development section of my Queen's Guide Award. Over the years it has changed in appearance and purpose. Originally it showcased 5th & 8th Newbury Brownies, as they were the Units I was helping with and the work I was doing for my Queen's Guide Award. In recent years pages have been developed to explain about the many Rainbow, Brownie and Guide Units in the area. This latest version started in September 2011 now has a new page, the one you are currently reading!
The aim of Hedgehog's Homepage has always been to promote Girlguiding and to share ideas, receiving input from Girlguiding UK members and following Girlguiding UK's world wide web guidelines. This page is dedicated to my interests outside of Girlguiding which often appear in the activities that I do with Brownies. If anyone reading this would like to find out more about any of these things then please follow the links.
The aim of Hedgehog's Homepage has always been to promote Girlguiding and to share ideas, receiving input from Girlguiding UK members and following Girlguiding UK's world wide web guidelines. This page is dedicated to my interests outside of Girlguiding which often appear in the activities that I do with Brownies. If anyone reading this would like to find out more about any of these things then please follow the links.
Snelsmore Common
Snelsmore Common located to the north of Newbury is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Pictured is one of Snelsmore's registered herd of Exmoor ponies they help with the management of the common.
Snelsmore is an amazing place with a huge range of insects, birds and animals. It also attracts a huge number of volunteers and I am proud to be a Snelsmore Old Scrub Basher. The Snelsmore Old Scrub Bashers meet at 10am on the 2nd Sunday of each month to help the Ranger, Keith Tomey, with a practical task on the Common, it might be clearing birch scrub, pulling bracken, clearing the pond, laying gravel paths or other work that needs to be completed. It is great fun no matter what the weather is and during the winter we are known to cook a few potatoes in the fire to keep us going.
If you are not feeling quite so active then just get out and enjoy the Common, there is a tarmac path that runs in a loop from either end of the car park so you can not get lost. Or you can follow the gravel tracks across the Common and head out to Donnington Castle, Bagnor or Winterbourne.
West Berkshire Council's webpage for Snelsmore Common
Snelsmore is an amazing place with a huge range of insects, birds and animals. It also attracts a huge number of volunteers and I am proud to be a Snelsmore Old Scrub Basher. The Snelsmore Old Scrub Bashers meet at 10am on the 2nd Sunday of each month to help the Ranger, Keith Tomey, with a practical task on the Common, it might be clearing birch scrub, pulling bracken, clearing the pond, laying gravel paths or other work that needs to be completed. It is great fun no matter what the weather is and during the winter we are known to cook a few potatoes in the fire to keep us going.
If you are not feeling quite so active then just get out and enjoy the Common, there is a tarmac path that runs in a loop from either end of the car park so you can not get lost. Or you can follow the gravel tracks across the Common and head out to Donnington Castle, Bagnor or Winterbourne.
West Berkshire Council's webpage for Snelsmore Common
17th Century Civil War Re-enactment
My friend and fellow Brownie Guider, Little Owl, got me involved in re-enacting in 2005. Her boyfriend (now husband) had been with the Sealed Knot since a child, their relationship had got to a stage where he felt he could share this unusual hobby and invited her to a muster at Cheriton for the August Bank Holiday. Knowing that I enjoyed camping and was reasonably good at sewing, Little Owl asked me to join and we are still members.
We joined the Earl Rivers Regiment of Foote (The Sealed Knot) part of the original Royalist regiment were based at Donnington Castle for most of the 17th Century English Civil War and therefore the modern Sealed Knot regiment finds it home in this area. To read more about the Civil War, the original Rivers Regiment and what the SK regiment does today please visit www.earlrivers.org.uk.
We joined the Earl Rivers Regiment of Foote (The Sealed Knot) part of the original Royalist regiment were based at Donnington Castle for most of the 17th Century English Civil War and therefore the modern Sealed Knot regiment finds it home in this area. To read more about the Civil War, the original Rivers Regiment and what the SK regiment does today please visit www.earlrivers.org.uk.
The National Needlework Archive
The National Needlework Archive moved to The Old Chapel at New Greenham Business Park (previously Greenham Common Air Base) a few years ago. It is a wonderful organisation working to preserve objects and to encourage people to learn the various needlework and textile skills. They hold a number of exhibitions during the year and run various workshops. I have just signed up for a needle felting course and I will add some pictures of what I create. If you have any interest in textiles then it is worth a visit - www.nationalneedleworkarchive.org.uk.
West Berkshire MuseumI used to work here with Fox, within a few weeks of Fox starting at the Museum I had manged to recruit her to help at Brownies. I will always have a soft spot for the amazing buildings in The Wharf, Newbury that house the vast collections of objects. The Museum is currently being redeveloped so no visitors at the moment but keep an eye out for when it reopens. www.westberkshiremuseum.org.uk
| Thatcham Town CouncilFor my day job I work at Thatcham Town Council, I organise the majority of civic and community events hosted by the Town Council to find out more currents visit www.thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk.
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