By Beverley Yates
On Bank Holiday Friday evening, 24 May, 2024, a total of 36 boats arrived by road, sea and river at Waldringfield on the River Deben. Why were they all converging on this quiet village to moor up and sleep aboard or set up camp in the ‘top field’ above the Boatyard?
By Tristan McConnell
The River Deben Association (RDA) in late April brought together officials from Anglian Water and citizen scientists from the Deben Climate Centre for a frank discussion about river pollution during which facts about the often-poor quality of the Deben’s waters were presented, and solutions offered.
By Peter Jones
Background to this article
In 2022 Julia Jones took photos of some plants growing on the beach on the Bawdsey Side of the river deben and asked members of the RDA to help with identification [Plants of the Deben – a plea for help – River Deben Association].
Bawdsey Beach, July 2022
One of the problems of doing so was because some of the photos were not very sharp. The usual reason for this if they were taken on a smartphone is not the quality of the camera but because smartphones are very light, have to be held away from the body in order to see the screen, are difficult to keep absolutely still, particularly if it is windy (which it usually is at the seaside), so move very slightly during the exposure (the problem varies slightly with the lighting conditions – exposures are longer in lower light conditions, so even very slight movement can cause slight blurring).
I therefore offered to try to obtain clearer photos using my DSLR camera which is heavier and held against the face in use. I did not make special visits to take photos and it happened that I was never there when the few and sparsely scattered grasses were in flower, so they have not, so far, been included. There are also some patches of lichen to be found here and there and I have neither expertise nor reference books to enable accurate identification of these (I suspect this is a group of organisms, like some larger fungi, where amateurs make quick confident identifications but experts are more guarded.).
Below are photographs of 14 species of dicotyledonous plants but there are certainly more, including a vetch (or perhaps two) photographed along with other plants but unidentifiable because they were not in flower and some other plants which were either before or after flowering at the times of my visits. To compile a comprehensive list would require systematic searching of the area on visits at reasonably close intervals over an entire growing season or more.
Editors note: Dicotyledonous plants are one of the two main groups of all flowering plants. They typically have two embryonic leaves either side on the seed head Continue reading
By Gareth Thomas
If ever there was a woman with the River Deben in her blood and Waldringfield in her system it was Liz Kennedy who passed away on December 22nd2023, having attained the grand age of 94 and having retained true independence until just over a year before.
On January 25th 2024 her family, her friends, her recent carers and the residents of Waldringfield turned out in huge numbers at All Saints’ Church, overflowing into a packed Church Hall to celebrate her life. She was a true lover of the River Deben and well-known to many members of the River Deben Association.
Liz Kennedy at the helm of her clinker-built dinghy, Check (photo by Roger Stollery)
Date 24 April 2024
Time 7.00 for 7.30pm
Woodbridge Quay Church, Quay Street, IP12 1BX
AGENDA
End of Business
– – – –
Welcome refreshments will be provided.
Following the Annual General Meeting, there will be a panel discussion with questions from the audience on water quality in the river.
April 24th 2024, Woodbridge Quay Church, Quay Street, IP12 1BX
Following the AGM of the River Deben Association, there will be a Panel Discussion on water quality in the river, prefaced by short talks to set the scene from two speakers, both well-versed in the issues: Continue reading
By Gareth Thomas
From HOO to MELTON and BROMESWELL
It is best to read Part 1 before venturing further down river and, in particular, to refer to the time-line table.
Now I am neither a good photographer nor a professional historian, nor a geographer, cartologist or ecclesiast so there are very likely to be imperfections in my observations on the Churches of the Deben – massive imperfections, quite possibly. However, I am very happy to be corrected for that is a good way to learn. Continue reading
Report from the Second Fish Survey conducted by the RDA and the Institute of Fisheries Management September 2023
by Steve Colcough
A small group of RDA volunteers, led by Richard Verrill, have been working together with Steve Colcough from the Institute of Fisheries Management and others to collect up to date information about fish stocks in the Deben. RDA Journal readers will remember Richard’s report from August 2022 – Deben Fish Survey 2022
Now, following a second sampling session from higher up the river, Steve Colcough has produced a formal report available here — River Deben fish surveys 2023. Continue reading
By Julia Jones
A first glance Ramsholt Churchyard in September might look a little dull as the dry stalks of the spring and summer flowers die back toward the winter bleakness. But look just a little closer and there are plenty of small shy blooms continuing to offer specks of colour.
Can you help us identify them? Please fill in as many spaces as you can on the form and press submit. That will send it to me (Julia Jones) [email protected].
I hope to publish the results in the next edition of The Deben magazine.
I don’t think we publish enough articles about the plants of the river — the charming unobtrusive flowers and rich variety of trees. If anyone has expertise which they’d be willing to share, please get in touch.
Meanwhile the RDA Journal team are taking a break until mid-January and wish you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.
By Robert Deaves
WSC on its centenary (Robert Deaves)
The story of Waldringfield Sailing Club is a remarkable story. In 2021 the Club celebrated its centenary, 100 years of sailing on the River Deben, and as part of those celebrations started work on writing its history. The result is ‘A Century of Sailing – Waldringfield Sailing Club 1921-2021’, which has just been published. Continue reading
