CONTENTS:
A New Commemorative Tree
No Events Diary this Quarter
From the Chairman – New Car Parks Guidance
AGM 2019 – The Life Memberships
What is Visit Knowle
Community Services – incl Parking Update
Snap Proof Locks
Natural Environment News
Planning – incl High Street Lighting Plans
Local History – Exhibitions Update
Support Local Shops
Meetings and Social – on the Railways
Local Bus Survey
A Day Out – Brandon Marsh
Walk – 22nd July
In Conversation – Rachel Marston
Local Walk – Edstone Viaduct
Speaker Meeting – 20th July
Membership Update
Coronavirus Information
About the Society
NB: future events referred to in this issue may not take place so please check websites and watch out for announcements.
A New Tree in the Park to Remember Stella
Solihull Council’s Adam Noon and Natural Environment Chair Liz Hulse with the planted tree
On Thursday 12th March we planted a tree, in memory of one of the founding members of the Society, Stella Jarman. We were helped by Adam Noon of Solihull Council and his park ranger colleagues in planting the tree, a small leafed lime, in the Park.
It commemorates the fantastic conservation work done by Stella whose work resulted in the area around Purnells Brook being designated as a Local Nature Reserve. Indeed, without her hard work and contributions, Knowle would not be the village we know and love today.
There are reminders of Stella’s work, particularly in trees and wild flowers, wherever you are in the village, here to be enjoyed by generations to come. Stella will also be remembered by many by her bike, which she claimed she received for her 14th birthday. She cut a striking figure riding it frequently around the village until her later years.
Stella passed away in October 2018.
No Events Diary – Coronavirus
With the suspension of the Society’s Meetings and Walks Programme until July at the earliest and the postponement of the Fun Run, there are no Events for the Diary in this issue.
Other future events referred to in this issue may not take place so please check websites and watch out for announcements.
For some information on the local response to the Coronavirus crisis and how the Society will keep members informed over the coming months, please see here.
The Potential Impact of New Guidance on our Car Parks
Andrew Marston reflects on changes for ‘blue-badge’ holding
I am sure that we have all found ourselves in a car park looking for a space when, in fact, all that are available are those set aside for disabled – or ‘blue-badge’ – car users, whether passenger or driver.
This situation may well change because it now seems that new non-statutory guidance for Local Authorities, by the Government’s Department for Transport, has been adopted by Solihull Council, amongst others, following its publication. A significant increase in the number of blue-badges being issued throughout the UK is now anticipated.
Up until now, those who have been awarded blue-badges have been people with physical disabilities. However, this requirement is now being extended to those with non-physical (ie hidden) disabilities, for example autism and dementia. The obvious consequence is that there will be even more blue-badge holders wishing to use a limited number of parking spaces which, at present, are provided free-of-charge for such holders in each car park.
Needless to say, with the free period now extended to two hours coming in force in Knowle for all drivers from the beginning of April, it will be some time before it can be determined whether disabled space provision may have to be increased.
In the meantime, may I wish our members well, noting the pending possible increase in those who may be infected by the dreadful Coronavirus in the coming months.
Andrew Marston,
chairman@knowlesociety.org.uk
Two Society Stalwarts Receive Life Memberships
and other news from the Annual General Meeting
Norman Stanley and Phil Vince
A highlight of the Annual General Meeting on February 22nd was the presentation by our Chair, Andrew Marston, of Life Memberships of the Society to Norman Stanley and Phil Vince. He paid tribute to their long service and excellent, ongoing work for the Planning Committee, along with hopes that this continues for the foreseeable future.
This followed his Chairman’s Report, summarising the many achievements of the past year. He also thanked the Trustee Directors, committee members and all of our volunteers for their many and diverse contributions.
He closed with recognition of and thanks for the contribution of Liz Hulse, as she stepped down from her role as a Trustee Director, although continuing to lead the Natural Environment Committee.
Our Treasurer, David Watson, presented the last year’s accounts, which are now available on the website and reflect a healthy level of reserves despite a slight dip in membership. Our Independent Examiner of the accounts was also re-appointed.
Our four officers of the Society were re-elected for a further year. The members were then pleased to formalise the appointment as Trustee Directors of Dave Fraley and Gavin Allan, who had been co-opted during the previous year, and also to appoint new Library Friends Co-ordinator, Rachel Marston (please see ‘In Conversation’) as a new Trustee Director.
A break followed the formal business, with a variety of Angela Bird’s delicious cakes washed down with tea and coffee, and, for some, an opportunity to meet our new MP and guest speaker, Saqib Bhatti.
Then, when the audience regathered after the break, Saqib talked of his background as an accountant in Birmingham, his work in board level roles with the Chamber of Commerce and Local Economic Partnership and his experiences of early weeks in Parliament, rubbing shoulders with so many people only previously seen so often on news bulletins.
What is Visit Knowle?
Visit Knowle is a new and emerging organisation formed by folk who love Knowle and the sense of community we feel when we are in the village. Local businesses, community groups (including your Society) and residents have committed to work together to improve and sustain the long-term success of the village centre.
We want to see it remain a vibrant place and continue to thrive as a sustainable hub of commercial and community life. We seek to encourage more visitors, whilst ensuring it remains a centre where people want to come to meet, eat and shop at the heart of an active and lively community.
We are working on a range of initiatives to retain the support and pride of our local community and promote the village as a place that others will want to come and visit. We have established four teams:
- Events, to plan and run some landmark events in the village centre and underline our sense of community;
- Marketing, to promote Knowle, its heritage, its much loved shops and businesses so that we attract more footfall, from near and far;
- Streetscene, to raise standards of appearance in the village centre through minor tidy-ups, pressing landlords and the Council and, eventually, some longer term projects;
- Business Support, developing networking and mutual support across the commercial heart of the village to sustain its resilience in the most challenging of times for our ‘High Streets’, nationally and locally.
Regrettably, at the time of going to press, it appears that the dreadful Coronavirus outbreak will not only interrupt these plans, putting our events and networking plans on ice, but also make them even more pressing when normality resumes. Meanwhile, to find out more or to get involved yourself, please contact me.
Dave Pinwell
deputychairman@knowlesociety.org.uk
Parking News – Good in the Car Parks, Not in Lodge Road
and other Community Services News
Lodge Road – on a Sunday! Could it be calmer on weekdays in future?
PARKING
As we are all aware, our High Street, like many others, is suffering a downturn and efforts are being taken to try and revive trade and attract visitors.
Some good news is that following our invitation to Cllr Ian Courts (Leader of the Council) and Cllr Ken Hawkins (Cabinet Member for Environment & Highways, incl Transport) to our Trustee Directors’ meeting in January, we were able to raise and discuss our concerns about parking. They also met with Visit Knowle on the same evening.
We subsequently heard that the Council will increase the free parking period in the village car parks back to two hours, from April 7th, with no increases to the charges for longer periods. We are very appreciative and, clearly, were listened to.
POLICE
Dave Fraley and I had a meeting with our CPSO, Akthar Ali Shah. He advises that vehicles are being stolen by individuals who break into homes to get keys. He advises installing ‘snap proof locks’ (see below) to prevent such entry. Knowle remains, though, a low crime area.
TRANSPORT
I have attended meetings of the group we have formed with Dorridge and District Residents Association to seek improvements to the A7/A8 bus service timetable. The group has launched a survey, available on our website. Do, please, take the time to fill it in, whether you use local bus services or not.
LODGE ROAD
Following three incidents in which buses were unable to get through, primarily due to parked cars on both sides of Lodge Road, weekday congestion there was also raised with Cllrs Courts and Hawkins. I declare an interest as I live in Lodge Road. I was present, with other residents, on two of these occasions.
In one case, chaos followed with some individuals being unpleasant and abusive to local residents. Eventually, with assistance from some more helpful drivers and using the pavement and private driveways, we got the buses through. It took over half an hour!
Several residents also emailed Andrew, our Chairman, highlighting further issues of parking on pavements, forcing mums with pushchairs to walk in the road, speeding and difficulties in seeing approaching vehicles whilst getting out onto the road.
The situation has noticeably worsened over the last few months. Lodge Road has become an accident waiting to happen, which Andrew and I have now met with Highways Management Officers to discuss. Options will be drawn up for implementation within 2020/21, following consultation with residents.
AIRPORT
Nick Barton, the Airport CEO, advised the Airport Consultative Committee Meeting which I attended on March 5th, that, following collapse of Flybe, it is hoped other airlines will take up many of the routes.
Lilla Baker
communityservices@knowlesociety.org.uk
What Are ‘Snap Proof’ Locks
As stated above, local police are recommending the use of ‘snap proof’ locks, but what are they and why are they important?
‘Snapping’ has become a preferred method of entry to homes with cylinder locks, as pictured here. Statistics indicate it is used in a significant proportion of burglaries. The ‘snapping’ breaks the lock in a way that allows household tools to be used to then gain access. It can take as little as ten seconds.
‘Snap resistant’ models have a built in weakness, known as a ‘sacrificial line’, near the outside face of the lock. When an entry attempt is made the cylinder snaps at that point, which is one at which the main mechanism remains inaccessible. Such locks are produced to the TS007 Security Standard and carry that Kitemark.
Pond, Triangle, Wild Wind, Trees and More Daffodils
in this edition’s Natural Environment News
First flowering for some of the latest bulbs The triangle – after the deluge
Unfortunately, the recent torrential rain has caused yet another challenge for the plants in the Local Nature Reserve triangle. Pond plants would have been happy, but not the woodland plants we were trying to encourage! We will have to see, over the coming months, what has survived the deluge. Meanwhile, evidence of the wild, windy weather can be seen in the background of the photo above right!
Looking forward, we want to plant more trees in Knowle. If you know of any land locally where new trees would be valued, please let us know.
The newly planted daffodils, as seen in the photo above left, are brightening up the entrance to the High Street. Our thanks to all of those who helped.
We have been advised by Solihull Council that the finances should be available for substantial improvement works to be done on the pond in our park. We will keep you informed as we receive further details.
Meanwhile, here is a further picture from the planting of the tree to commemmorate Stella Jarman and her work with our local natural environment on Thursday 12th March.
Liz Hulse
environment@knowlesociety.org.uk
The Reducing Involvement of our Council’s Committees
And new Street Lamps in news from the Planning Committee
Sample of the planned High Street lamps
Your Planning Committee has considered quite an incredible number of planning applications during the past three months. Regrettably, however, the results, when measured in terms of the Council agreeing with our views, have been somewhat mixed.
The most disturbing matter was that, despite the requisite number of public objections alongside our own, and even when coupled to the support of one of our Ward Councillors, the decision was recently made not to put one particular application to the Council’s own Planning Committee.
A lack of opportunity to voice our point to the Council’s Committee, in objection or support, although invariably in objection to an Officer’s recommendation to approve, is regrettable. The decision not to let our views be heard is left to the Planning Case Officer together with the Head of Planning and the Chair of Planning Committee. Consequently, this tends to result in an inevitable approval being issued by the Council.
I look back to the time when all applications were put to Committee. Whilst acknowledging both the consequential delay in decisions being made, despite the Council having created two Planning Committees with each attending one meeting a month at that time, there was no need for delegated powers being made available to the planners themselves.
Under such a system, the Members of the Council’s Committee had opportunity to consider for themselves the Officer’s Reports, as prepared for each application. Furthermore, residents could make their views known to the Members before a decision was made. This ensured that the decision regarding each application considered was made in a true democratic fashion.
This system was, I believe, abandoned due to the adverse impact of delays between applications being received and decisions being issued, as well as the cost incurred by the Council in holding two, full, Committee Meetings each month.
Similarly, this Council used to convene a regular meeting of its Conservation Advisory Committee. It was here that the impact of those applications which related to local Conservation Areas would be considered in isolation from the impact of other planning matters.
As time has passed, however, the frequency of these meetings has slowly diminished and the latter Committee has just ‘faded away’!
Unfortunately, judging from the reaction of residents, it now appears that an ever-increasing number of decisions being made under delegated powers by Planning Officers is not necessarily reflective of such a fair ‘system’ as might have been seen to be in the past.
I finish with a matter on which a Highways Officer consulted with your Planning Committee. This concerned proposed changes to the lighting of the High Street. With considerable assistance from one of our Ward Councillors, it has been concluded that not only should we be provided with new, matching, street lights but their number should be increased. Furthermore, they will be located in more appropriate positions so that none of the Listed Buildings, or those deemed to be Positive Buildings, should suffer from adverse location of these new lights.
We are told that funding is now in place and the work will soon be underway and I am pleased to include a picture of the chosen new model of street lamp. I also offer our thanks to both the Councillor and Officer concerned for their efforts.
This does, I think prove the point of what can be done when Council, Ward Councillors and The Society work together as a team.
Andrew Marston
planning@knowlesociety.org.uk
Exhibitions Now and Planned For Later This Year
and other Local History Centre News
EXHIBITIONS
Our first exhibition of 2020, entitled ‘Pubs & Inns of Knowle – Past & Present’ is now in situ in our Local History Centre, upstairs in Knowle Library. Although we say it ourselves, it really is worth a visit to view it at any time during Library opening hours. Volunteers are on duty every Saturday morning to answer exhibition or any other local history queries.
The subsequent exhibition, from the beginning of May, will be ‘Knowle Celebrates’, taking a look at the way our village used to celebrate big events. It follows nicely from the Pubs exhibition as they were always very involved, especially with the big ox roasts they did to feed the revellers.
Other exhibitions planned for later in the year are ‘Canals’ and ‘Knowle’s Hall of Fame – The Actress, the Artist & The Sculptor’. We cannot give definite dates for these two as we are still not sure when we will be moving downstairs.
We must apologise, though, for exhibition changes and cancellations over recent months, mainly due to illness and personal commitments. Hopefully, we are mostly sorted now, although could still do with more Saturday morning volunteers to help out.
VE DAY
On Friday 8th May, we have been asked to take part in the VE Day celebrations at Knowle Royal British Legion. These will be opened by the Mayor of Solihull at approximately 11.00am. We shall be providing a display of photographs of our own choice.
We know which are our favourites but if you, our readers, have any preferences from our well over 2000 photographs, the first one being from the 1850s, please let us know and we will do our best to include them. There will of course be a wide range of activities for children and adults including a barbecue. Watch out for posters giving more details.
THANKS
Thank you to Jill Chape for the most interesting documents she has donated to us about the Knowle Hall archaeological dig, which she took part in a few years ago. Watch this space, we think they might make for an informative and interesting exhibition.
Thanks also to Geoff Roberts who donated several photos of past shops on the High Street, including Curtis Electrical where Geoff was the repair engineer. The shop used to be where One Stop is now. Geoff was accompanied by his lovely wife, Barbara, who was Knowle’s district nurse – a village romance!
Both of them will be remembered with fondness by many people in Knowle, Geoff especially for his rendering of many operatic songs which rang out loud and clear when you walked through to the repair department. It was never difficult to find him.
Janet Eržen
history@knowlesociety.org.uk
Talking About Keeping Local Railways Moving
Ian Kay reflected on his career at our January meeting
Our January speaker evening was a wide ranging and fascinating reflection of Society member Ian Kay’s lifetime career in and passion for our local railways. A chartered engineer, Ian told us of joining British Rail at the outset of many years at the heart of keeping the network running.
He talked of the practicalities of managing rolling stock maintenance and showed photographs of the range of engines and multiple units he worked with. These were mostly diesel, although some were electric, and particularly from seven years of responsibility for keeping the fleet available for the tracks at Tyseley Depot.
He told of times of change following the break up of the railways in 1995, and moves to Central Trains, Wessex Trains and then London Midland. Also, of a migration from operating companies owning and maintaining rolling stock to leasing trains and leaving the maintenance to the manufacturer. This saw Ian himself move into project management, selecting, testing and introducing new trains into the network.
He also talked of changes in demand, showing a graph of passenger numbers. From 1920 through until 1955, demand for tickets progressively fell. Since then, however, a more rapid and resurgent growth has seen the use of trains grow to its largest level ever, a trend which regular commuters can undoubtedly confirm.
Arguably the most intriguing train we were shown was the small Parry People Mover unit, which plies Europe’s shortest branch line, at about 0.8 miles in length, from Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town and back (a three minute journey each way). This, he explained used a flywheel to store energy going downhill for re-use going uphill!
Ian concluded his talk with a digest of local railways which are not part of the national network and are worth visiting. There are a lot, a few of which some of us had not heard of, such as the Perrygrove Railway, in the Forest of Dean, the Battlefield Line near Bosworth Field and the Chasewater Railway.
Unfortunately, our March meeting was one of several that have had to be cancelled as a result of the Coronavirus crisis. There will be no more meetings until July at the earliest. For those looking forward to the talk on Zeppelins, be assured that our speaker will be invited back for a date in the 2021/22 programme.
Meanwhile, the truncated 2020/21 Programme accompanies this Newsletter and interesting talks about the heroes who carried out field medicine and surgery during World War One and Bristol Harbour’s historic ship, SS Great Britain, are in prospect, virus precautions permitting.
Dave Pinwell
meetings@knowlesociety.org.uk
A Day Out from Knowle – to Brandon Marsh Reserve
Exploring lakes and spotting birds on the outskirts of Coventry
Once it was farmland on the banks of the River Avon now it is a popular visitor attraction with ten lakes and eight bird hides connected in a network of over 3 kilometres of accessible paths and boardwalks. This is Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve to the east of Coventry. It is home, at various times of the year, to over 200 bird and wildfowl species.
The transformation started with subsidence, caused by the workings of the nearby Binley Colliery. As a result, the waters of the Avon spilt in to form a large lake. Subsequent sand and gravel extraction widened the area under water by forming additional pools and attracted more wildlife. Designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1973 offered protection for the future and its care and maintenance was handed to Warwickshire Wildlife Trust in 1989.
The network of pools, reedbeds and woodlands gives shelter to a wide variety of residents from kingfishers to otters. There are also neighbours that call by, such as muntjac and mink, and a host of less frequent visitors. Some of these are much sought by bird watchers, for instance osprey and bittern.
As with all outdoor attractions, Brandon Marsh is at its best when the sun is out. If you are going, be sure not to forget your binoculars or camera. The Reserve is accessed from Brandon Lane, which is left turn from the A45 just beyond Coventry. It can be found immediately beyond the filling station, which is itself not far from the complex Tollbar Island junction where the A46 turns north on the corner of Baginton Airfield.
Be wary, though, the narrow junction can be easily missed in the fast moving traffic. The Nature Centre is then prominently signposted, about a mile along Brandon Lane, on the right hand side.
Whilst enthusiasts take root for the day, the casual visitor can easily fill half a day wandering the marked out paths and taking breaks in the hides to watch the activity around the water. That is not to mention, of course, a call at the spacious Badgers Tea Room in the Visitor Centre, very popular for breakfasts, hot lunches and snacks. For more traditional pub dining, there are the Royal Oak at Brandon or Rose and Crown at Wolston, both found by driving further along Brandon Lane, and both highly rated.
In Conversation … with Rachel Marston, new Trustee Director
Dave Pinwell talks to the Society’s Library Friends Co-ordinator
Rachel Marston was appointed as a new Trustee Director at the AGM in February, having previously agreed to take over from Bill Bohanna in co-ordinating the Library Friends.
So, Rachel, how long have you lived in Knowle?
I was born here and went to our local schools. After University, I lived in Olton for five years but moved straight back to Knowle as soon as I could. I love living here, it is such a lovely village and it has a great community feel.
And where did you go to University?
I went to York, another great place to live. It is a fantastic city. I read Economics and Economic History, which set me up for my career in pensions. I support the Trustees of various pension schemes and lead a team that calculates member benefits when they reach retirement.
I see, do you work locally?
My job is based in Birmingham. The office is just a short walk from Snow Hill Station. That is another great thing about living in Knowle, it is so easy to walk down to Dorridge Station and catch the train, either to work, or even further if I am off to a meeting of Pension Fund Trustees somewhere else in the country. Mind you, that is fine when the trains run as is intended. Unfortunately, there are quite often fewer carriages than there should be and then it is like travelling in a sardine can, particularly on the evening return journey from Snow Hill.
Now, please tell us about the Library Friends.
We have a pool of about 30 volunteer Friends. I run a rota which schedules two of us to keep the Library open from 1.00pm to 3.00pm each Saturday afternoon. It is important to keep the Library open as long as possible and we see a lot of people during those two hours who would otherwise not have the opportunity to come.
Many of them enjoy a quick chat and its nice to have the opportunity to engage with them, as well as meeting other Library Friends we may not have been on duty with before. We have also been having an annual Library Friends Afternoon Tea, which is a chance for us all to get together, and I am planning to continue that tradition.
Do you need more Friends?
Not immediately, but we have vacancies quite regularly and it would be nice to have a few people waiting in the wings to take over. So, if anyone is interested I would love them to get in touch via library@knowlesociety.org.uk.
What do you want to achieve as a new Trustee Director for the Society?
I hope to bring a fresh pair of eyes. I also want to make a contribution to local priorities, which I see as keeping the High Street alive and making sure that Knowle continues to be seen as a place with a great community spirit.
And with all that going on, do you find time for any other interests?
Being glued to a computer much of the time at work, I like to get away from that, so I go dancing twice a week, doing Ballroom, Latin, Modern and Tap. Mostly, that is in community halls but I also take part in an annual show with one of these dance schools at the Core Theatre. I have also just completed a beginners’ art class, which was good fun. It might take a while, but I shall be working on that as a new skill.
Well, all the best with that and also for your time as a Trustee Director. Thank you for telling us a bit about yourself.
A New Marina and the Longest Aqueduct in England
Walking the Stratford-Upon-Avon Canal from The View
Did you know that the longest aqueduct in England was on our doorstep? This two and a half mile stroll takes you across it.
The start/finish point is The View, a breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea stop which opened last year, but has quickly become popular. It sits alongside a not much older marina on the Stratford Canal and the long drive down to them can be found as a right turn off the A3400 about three quarters of a mile beyond Wootton Wawen.
After, or before, sampling the cafe’s excellent fare, go through the gate at the far end of its patio and stroll diagonally down across the field to a distant gate onto the canal. (NB: There may be no signage at the café end of the path across the field here, but there is at the other, confirming this path as a pedestrian route from the canal to The View.)
Join the canal, turning left, and walk to the next bridge. Here, walk up the slope to the road, cross the bridge and continue up the driveway. Before reaching the gate to the house, you will see a metal gate leading into the field to your left. Pass through this and turn right along the field’s edge. Having passed the house, and before reaching the end of the field, another gate in the hedge will lead you to the adjacent field.
Turn left and continue to yet another gate in its corner. Pass through this and walk to the right of a line of trees and intermittent hedge that leads down the hill to yet another gate. On the opposite side of this field is a railway and, with it, a relatively rare feature, a public footpath that traverses the tracks. Take care as you cross this, the Snow Hill to Stratford line, and continue straight across two more fields, through a hedge and turn left onto White House Hill.
Follow this down the hill and, as it becomes Salters Lane at its junction with Newnham Lane, you will see the aqueduct crossing the road at the bend ahead. Immediately after passing between its pillars, you will find a set of steps to the right in the corner of a small parking area. Climb these to reach the canal.
Turn right onto the towpath, cross the Edstone Aqueduct, whilst wondering at the 475 foot long feat of early nineteenth century engineering, and return to The View with its waiting refreshments.
New Members and Maintaining Membership
The Society welcomes the following new Members, who have joined since the last edition of this Newsletter:
Mrs A M Nixon
Mr & Mrs J McFie
Mrs D Salmons
Mr S Cheshire
Mr & Mrs B Dean
Another contact details reminder – if you have changed your email address or telephone number since joining – or if you have moved and wish to continue your Membership, please let me know. If you do move away, don’t think that you need to resign.
We are very happy to have as members anyone who is interested in Knowle. We have Members all over the place, even in the USA! On the other hand, if you do move and wish to leave, please add me to the long list of people who need to be told so I can remove your records.
Leighton Jones
membership@knowlesociety.org.uk
CORONAVIRUS – KEEPING SAFE
In our current circumstances, it is even more important to be able to keep in touch with each other and, if we can safely do so, offer help with the practicalities of life. It has been great to see how many individuals and groups have stepped up and offered help.
Some are based around the streets/estates which they share, others are more widely based. For Facebook users, there are long established groups such as the long established ‘B93’s the Place to be’. Others have sprung up, like the ‘B93 Coronavirus Support Group’.
Thanks to Arden Academy, a new website, bringing together the community initiatives on offer in our local area has also been launched.
Knowle Society will not be duplicating such initiatives, they are working very well. However, we will keep you in touch with our activities (and cancellations, unfortunately) through our email system – if we have your emails and permission to use them for this purpose. If you do not get these bulletins already, please send your email address to membership@knowlesociety.org.uk with a request to be included and I will add you to the list. We will also be posting on Facebook at ‘Knowle Society’.
Unfortunately, responses to this crisis are not all good. There are scammers and tricksters around, so we do need to be cautious about accepting offers from people we don’t know and from people arriving at the door with requests for access, claiming ‘we are testing for the virus’ etc. Don’t ‘drop your guard’. Take emails, texts and phone calls at face value and don’t let anyone, especially strangers, over the doorstep – even in this time of crisis.
KEEP SAFE and see you around after the world returns to normal.
The Knowle Society
We have over 2800 members. If you are not a member and have enjoyed reading this Newsletter, published exceptionally in this format during the Coronavirus crisis, you could have your own copy delivered every quarter by becoming a member for just £5 (Individual) or £7 (Joint).
You can find an application form here on our website.
The Knowle Society is a company limited by guarantee, registered number 05514023.
Registered Charity number 1111085.