Hopefully many of you in Milford will have already noticed the improved neatness along the route the judges will be taking for the East Midlands in Bloom competition on the 6th July. This is thanks to the sterling efforts of the QTS contractors and the volunteers of Blooming Milford and the Milford Community Greenspace. As a reminder the route is as follows: Milford Social Club on Chevin Road – The Triangle – A6 (on left hand side) – Pelican crossing by Children’s Play Area – A6 (on right hand side) – Hopping Hill to Church Steps – Church Steps – Milford Community Greenspace – West Terrace – Church Steps – War Memorial – cross A6 – A6 (left hand side) to entrance to Hopping Mill Meadow riverside path – Spring Garden – community orchards – ramp up to Millers Way – Millers Way Community Garden.
The QTS lads ready to start work 27th June 2022
In an article in May we described how QTS, the contractors who have been working on the strengthening of the Swainsley Bank cutting by the railway off Chevin Road, said they wanted to give something back to the people of Milford as a thank you for putting up with the disruption. They did much heavy clearance of overgrowth by the river in Hopping Mill Meadow in May and this week they were back to help with the road clearance along the EMIB judges route. They have made a huge difference – in 5 hours they did what took 3 days for Blooming Milford and Belper Town Council to do last year. All of the kerbs and pavements along the A6 from Chevin Alley, past the Milford Mills complex, past the Children’s Play Area and up Hopping Hill as far as Church Steps, including round the War Memorial, have been completely cleared of weeds and debris. Most striking has been the improvement around the Milford Mills entrance and round the War Memorial, places that were particularly weedy before, as can be seen in the before and after photos below.
Clearance of Milford Mills entrance
Blooming Milford representatives thanked the QTS lads for their excellent work, as shown in the photo below, and also plied them with tea and homemade biscuits to keep them going!
Blooming Milford have followed on after QTS and have continued the path and kerb clearance, clearing (so far) The Social Club defibrillator area, Chevin Road from the Social Club to the A6, the A6 from Chevin Road to Chevin Alley, and Chevin Alley itself. They are halfway through clearing West Terrace. Two separate work parties were needed to tidy The Triangle community garden, removing mountains of bindweed, other weeds and dead bulb leaves, pruning bushes and cleaning between the cracks of the paving stones. The Triangle looks considerably better now, as can be seen in the photo below.
Triangle after weeding June 2022
Meanwhile, the Milford Community Greenspace volunteers have made huge efforts to clear their space too. The area has always been plagued with pervasive weeds such as comfrey and bindweed, but after taking on the extra allotment last year it has become even more difficult to keep on top of them. A fortnight ago the volunteers faced a daunting clearance task to make the place ready for the EMIB judges – probably more weeds to clear than in all the areas described so far in the rest of the village combined. Diligently the volunteers have worked on the space every single day and have already made a huge difference, as the pictures below show.
Greenspace before weeding June 2022
Raspberry bed tidied
Bean patch after weeding
Weed wall before weeding
Weed wall after weeding
They have also cleared Church Steps of weeds and all the ivy on the lower walls – a huge job.
Church Steps cleared by the Greenspace volunteers
Want to help in our efforts in the EMIB competition either this year or next? Want to help throughout the year? Blooming Milford can be contacted by e-mail via davidmoretonchevinbrae@gmail.com. They usually have work parties about once a month. Milford Community GreenSpace can be contacted via Kate Tuck on 07794268059. The Greenspace volunteers meet every Sunday and Monday on the Greenspace 9.30 – 11.30.
