NATURAL ELTHAM
www.naturaleltham.official.ws
SEnine
The Dog Rose Jason Green
SEnine Naturalist
Among
the landscaping The Dog Rose, nothing to
alongside the M2 do with dogs, of course,
Rochester Way through SE9 is possibly is a deciduous shrub that
the most extensive planting of dog is common in English
roses in this corner of the country. hedgerows, if not naturally
occurring in these quantities.
As well as the attractive white and pink Unlike other roses, the stems
flowers during the spring, those walking have spines instead of thorns,
through the now-maturing shrubs and which are a type of branch
trees which soften the impact of the and sharp as daggers, a
motorway, there are swelling rosehips possible origin of the name.
which take on a bright orange glow
through the autumn. The flowers are often seen in
groups of one, two or three
rare song thrush and, for SE9, highly
Far from being poisonous, these hips flowerheads, each consisting of five
unusually, a bullfinch.
are actually among the best sources petals and in bloom throughout June

of vitamin C known to man, equally as and July.
From August to November, the plant
good as the trendy Goji berries.
produces the hips, sometimes called
Caterpillars of various moths, including
Dragons' Eyes. As well as the vitamin C,
Anyone over 50 will remember being the Little Thorn and Barred Yellow
they have been used as treatments for
spoon-fed rosehip syrup, along with cod have the Wild Rose or Briar, as it is also
colds and kidney and bladder problems.
liver oil; a less pleasing prospect, but known, as their food plant, as well as the
Children have used the seeds from
still recognised as a key ingredient for common malachite and thick-legged
inside the fruits as itching powder, whilst
healthy bodies. flower beetle. Birds feeding off them
adults made rosehip wine.
include the blackbird, increasingly
Community College
Major
changes to nearby Haimo and Eltham Centres. run an extensive range of courses for
the Greenwich However some of our specialist courses many years.
Community College courses will be have been re-located to our Greenwich
contained in their brochure for the Park and Burrage centres.” The full brochure for part-time courses
September term. for all centres for 2009/10 will be
The classroom-based courses that were distributed to homes in mid-August and
The Gordon Centre in Grangehill Road, held at the Gordon School, such as full enrolment details are available on the
a long-standing venue for courses over languages and local history, have been community college website at www.gcc.
many years, is being closed, with courses moved to the Eltham Centre or Haimo. ac.uk.
being transferred to the new Eltham
Centre and Haimo, in Westhorne Avenue. The bricklaying and gardening courses The subjects on offer include dancing
which have run for many years at the to local history and taiji at the Eltham
Principal Geoff Pine said: “The decision Gordon will move to Greenwich Park. Centre; at Haimo, the emphasis is more
has been made to provide as broad a For furniture restoration and domestic on practical skills including art, pottery
variety as possible plumbing, these courses will move to and calligraphy as well as architecture
at a time of tight financial constraints. the Burrage Centre in Woolwich. and clothesmaking.
The number of courses remains at a
comparable overall level for the next In addition, all textiles courses are now Enrolment for London Leisure College
year as it did for 2008-9. based at Greenwich Park and Burrage, and general interest courses will take
which also hosts the sugarcraft courses. place at the Eltham Centre on Wednesday
“Every effort has been made to make 2 September from 10am to 6pm
sure similar provision is available at our Greenwich Park and Burrage have both
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