2015 Spring - Hedgerley Village

Transcription

SPRING 2015
£1.00
HEDGERLEY
VILLAGE
SHARING & CELEBRATING HEDGERLEY LIFE
Hedgerley
Village
SAYS
to gravel
extraction
FREE VILLAGE NEWSLETTER
Visit our website and sign-up for Hedgerley updates
straight to your inbox!
www.hedgerleyvillage.com
IN THIS ISSUE
04
06
08
14
18
24
28
62
70
74
78
Rector’s Reflections
Church Services
hello
HEDGERLEY
Emma’s Kitchen
I would like to take this opportunity to thank
John Lunn for many years commitment delivering
Hedgerley Magazine along Parish Lane. John has
decided to retire (who could blame him) and as a
result we are looking for another willing villager to
take on his round. If you have some time and would
like to get involved, please do get in touch.
You can look forward to David Vincent knocking
on your door as part of his campaign to be elected
to South Bucks District Council. I know that David’s
motivation is primarily to fight the proposed gravel
extraction application. It would be hard to name
others as passionate about Hedgerley and the Green
Belt as David, he is certainly worthy of your vote and
it will be good for the village to have him fighting for
us.
Hedgerley Family Fun Day will take place this year
on SUNDAY August 30th, a day earlier than usual.
Let’s hope the weather is better this year!
Please do get in touch with any contributions.
Contacts
All the best
Parish Council
Parish Register
District Council
Women’s institute
Historical Society
Scouts
Adam’s Garden
Jean
( 01753 784908
[email protected]
Hedgerley Magazine & Website aims to publish a magazine and website for the benefit of the local community. It is
a not-for-profit endeavour run by volunteers. Views expressed in the Magazine & Website are not necessarily the
opinion of the publisher. The publisher accepts no responsibility for the quality of services provided by any advertiser.
2 | HEDGERLEY VILLAGE
HEDGERLEY VILLAGE MAGAZINE
Hedgerley Village Magazine is published quarterly and delivered free to
all households by a group of enthusiastic distributors. A big “thank you” to
all our distributors, without whom we would not have a Magazine.
Distributors
Ron Stanmore
John Lovelock
Jackie Gilder
Elkins Road
Coppice Way
Longfield, Hedgerley Hill
Nicola Morgan
Hedgerley Green
Chris Woodwark
Kim Allen
Sue Livingston
Jones Way
Village Lane, Hill View
Wood End Close
Advertising
David Mitchell
Ann Dawes
Cottage Park Road
Andrew Hill Lane, Kiln Lane,
Collinswood Road, Hedgerley Lane
Maurice Ridgley
Brian Ascough
Stevenson Road
Robert Road, Gregory Road
If you would like to advertise please contact: Jean - T: 01753 784908
SPACE
RATE CARD
ISSUES
DEADLINE
Full Page
£200
Spring
March 1
Half Page
£140
Summer
June 1
Quarter Page
£100
Autumn
September 1
Website
POA
Winter
December 1
HEDGERLEY VILLAGE | 3
RECTOR’S
REFLECTIONS
REV’D GRAHAM SAUNDERS
What? No Big Bang!
Dear friends:
I have been a Christian for nearly
50 years and during that time I
could never get my head around
a literal view of the Bible Creation
stories. They were never meant
to be scientific but a means to
understanding the relationship of
God with humanity. These were
stories that could be memorised
and passed from one generation
to another. The stories still give us
much insight today.
We often speak of the ‘Glory
of God’ as Christians but the
glory of Humanity is the ability to
inquire and search out answers
and perhaps even discover some
meaning and purpose to existence.
So it is interesting that ‘the Big
Bang Theory’ that has dominated
our understanding of the beginning
of the universe is now under threat.
It is believed that the Large Hadron
Collider may generate miniature
black holes, which would reveal the
existence of a parallel universe.
If this happens, then for a reason
that is beyond me, there would be
no point where the universe began
and therefore, no Big Bang. Now
that would be a turn up for the
book! This shows the vulnerability
of our theories and how our picture
of the origins of the universe may
suddenly change.
I hope you can see how naïve it
would be to dismiss belief in God
because of the Big Bang Theory. In
fact, it would be naïve to dismiss
belief in God because of a parallel
universe. How exiting this all is
because it keeps us on our toes
and doesn’t provide us the comfort
of hiding behind what we think are
facts! But the glory of Humanity is
to never be satisfied with what we
think we know. We must always
go further in our exploration. We
must always be creative. We must
discover where we have come
from, what we are about today,
where we are going and why we
exist. To do less would be less than
human.
“
We should never take each other for
granted and let each other down.
We should exercise forgiveness and
generosity when things go wrong.
Over the years I have wondered
how God fits in to what we think we
know. The short answer is that this
is impossible to fathom. It is to any
scientific mind very annoying that
we resort to mystery when God is
mentioned. Some would even say
this is a cop out! But it seems that
we are prone to shift our thinking
anyway as new theories come to
light. If the Big Bang is wrong then
it is likely that someone in the near
future may disprove the existence
of a parallel universe. And so it
goes on! I believe that it is wise to
keep an open mind on all things
religious and scientific.
I have never waivered in my belief
that God exists. My faith is founded
on the Bible, which expresses the
faith of many witnesses. My faith is
also based on my own experience
”
of God in my life. But in terms of
my faith I continue to search for
a deeper experience of God. This
again is the glory of Humanity that
if we get a glimpse of something
special, we don’t dismiss or rule
out our experience. We explore
further in prayer and in study. In
this sense, our religious quest is no
different from our scientific one, for
this is what makes us fully human!
May God bless you all
Graham
Rev’d Graham Saunders
( 01753 643233
Church Services
Church
services
will resume
next issue
Percy’s Landscaping & Garden Services
We cover all aspects of domestic and
commercial landscaping including:
Paving
Fencing
Decking
Turfing
Contact Mark Allen:
T: 01753 324487
M: 07899 804734
E: [email protected]
www.percys-landscaping.co.uk
13 Stevenson Road, Hedgerley, SL2 3YD
Registered in England: 8676813
Fully Insured. References Available.
WE GROW AND BUILD WITH YOU
Extraordinary vintage
tea parties & china hire
Tea by Two, bakes and delivers delicious
homemade mouth-watering cakes and delicate
savoury bites for your special occasion
Anniversaries & Birthdays
Engagement & Hen Parties
Baby shower & Christenings
Wedding High Tea
Craft Afternoons
Wakes & Celebration of Life
Contact: Anna on 07786 386745 | Maddy on 07768 573450
Email: [email protected]
www.tea-by-two.co.uk
Find us on f
PARISH COUNCIL
The major news for the Parish
Counciland the village over the coming
months (and possibly years) is not
a welcome one. It was revealed at
the March meeting of the PC in a
presentation by D.K.Symes Associates
on behalf of RJD Ltd. that application
was going to be made for sand and
gravel extraction on a 25 Hectare site
at Slade Farm including a Mineral
Processing plant, site office and
concrete plant to be worked over a
period of 12 years.
This followed up by a well attended
exhibition the applicants mounted
in the Memorial Hall on 28th March.
It emerged the application is to be
submitted by end of April/ beginning of
June.
When this proposal was last mooted
in the minerals Subject plan in the late
1970s the village ran a successful
campaign against its inclusion .We will
have to consider how best to organise
one at our next meeting in April. Even
if as we hope the application is refused
by the County Council as it is not an
allocated site in the current Minerals
Plan there will still be the appeal to
contend with.
The Council will be considering
whether and when to appoint a
specialist Minerals Planning Consultant
and if so how that expense could be
funded.
A related matter has been the
Minerals Replacement plan consultation
from the County Council. Although this
was a tick box exercise with no site
specific content it could have important
PARISH COUNCIL
CONTINUED...
implications for Slade Farm and we
therefore convened a special meeting of
the PC to which residents were invited
to ensure our answers reflected this.
On a brighter note residents will have
noticed the new fence posts around
the pond are being erected.You will
also have noted that CCTV has been
installed at the youth club and we are
considering a kissing Gate which could
prevent motorised scooters getting
through into Kemsley Wood.
Following a suggestion raised at a
previous meeting we have been looking
at play equipment in the Stoke Poges
and Farnham common play areas with
a view to providing something on the
Green more suitable for older children.
Its not only national election time on
May 7th but also District and Parish
Council elections . We are sorry that our
South Bucks District Councillor Anita
Cranmer is standing down this time
. She will be sorely missed and has
Penny Harris (Parish Council Clerk)
( 01753 899268
[email protected]
served Hedgerely’s interests so well
but we have David Vincent standing
and hopefully if he’s elected will be
in a good position to represent our
interests. All existing Parish Councillors
are nominated to stand again. In
addition Marcus Orchard is also
nominated. Although nominations are
now closed the Parish Council still has
the option to co-opt Members for any
vacant seats after the election.
We will be leafleting the village about
the Best Kept Village in May. We are
defending the two trophies won last
year.
We held a successful Annual Parish
Meeting on Monday April 27th, thank
you to all those organisations and
residents that attended. n
Richard
Abraham
Picture
Framing
07712 841248
[email protected]
Based at:
&Elizabeth’s
Glenn
Home & Interiors
3 The Broadway Farnham Common
THE
PORTMAN
BURTLEY ESTATE
TENDER · FLAVOURSOME
DELICIOUS
• Local, organic beef
• Traditionally cured for tenderness & flavour
• Supplier to Waitrose & 5* hotels
Now YOU can buy direct, mixed 10kg boxes
delivered to your front door.
For more information on direct sales of beef
contact:
Michael Swerling
Hillmotts Farmhouse · Hedgerley Lane
Beaconsfield · Bucks · HP9 2SB
Email: [email protected]
HCV Spring 2015 update
Since the New Year HCV have held
two working party events in Church
Meadow East to clear the scrub
regrowth. This work was finished on
Saturday march 21st.
HCV have also been busy
carrying out woodland management
in Kiln Wood which has included tree
planting using trees provided by the
Woodland Trust.
Brambles have been cleared in
Church Meadow West and in late
summer HCV will once again be
n
joining forces with the Scouts as
part of Community Week. The 2015
Project will be to clear the pond in
Church Meadow west
Our focus has now switched to
the Best Kept Village Competition.
The first Litter clearance was held on
Saturday 21st. Four sacks of rubbish
were collected around the village
including several hub caps and a
garden gnome was rescued from a
ditch and has since been repatriated.
Future Litter Blitzes will be held on
Saturday 2nd and Saturday 30th May
2015. Meet at the Youth Club 10am.
The final task before the summer
break will be to clear thistles and
ragwort in Church Meadow East on
Friday 26th June 2015. Meet 7pm.
New members are always
welcome.
Further details from John Lovelock
( 647187
[email protected]
PARISH REGISTER
(from January to March 2015)
BAPTISMS
Frederick Childs
WEDDINGS
No weddings were conducted from January to March
FUNERALS IN CHURCH
Elsie Powell
Crematorium
No funerals from Hedgerley were conducted at crematoria from
January to March
Change on
the Horizon
We are moving rapidly into another
time of change. A General Election,
possibly changes in government and
certainly changes to all of us if all the
“promises” from all parties materialize.
We have been through “We never
had it so good” to” The Big Society
“which was supposed to engender
everyone caring for everyone else.
We have probably all become
slightly cynical rather than idealistic
anymore because promises don’t
always materialize and it is a truism
that we tend to get what is dealt to
us. However we are a democracy
through and through and a country
which takes its welfare responsibilities
seriously so, does it have to be a
situation where we have to accept
everything without question?
After 8 years as your District
Councillor I have learned a little
about what makes change, purely
and simply it is effort, research and
energy. Eight years ago we had the
spectre of the Motorway Service
Station looming. It seemed to be
the end of village life for Hedgerley
but, after a great deal of effort,
UPDATE BY
ANITA CRANMER
negotiations and a year of committee
work it is not the problem we thought it
would be at all.
The threatened EFW incinerator at
Wapseys similarly did not happen and
the landfill, whilst not our ideal, is set
to close relatively soon. We have had
green belt threats (buying the glebe
field was a stroke of wisdom ) and we
could have lost our local post office and
two village shops if we had not fought
for them. Recently there was a very
well attended meeting in the Village
hall regarding the proposed gravel
extraction at Slade Farm and there will
be robust protests to a very real threat
to the village if a planning application is
lodged.
These are all big issues affecting us
all but what happens when you have an
issue affecting just you and your family?
The mechanisms are in place for you
to fight and be successful, if your issue
is valid but you have to do it. The
Councillor system exists for that reason.
Your District Councillor or County
Councillor is your liaison with the
Council so you can make your requests
on two fronts, to the Council direct
or through them. Sometimes things
cannot be changed but very often
they can. I have countless instances
over the years of people concerned
about planning, enforcement, TPO`s
pot holes. Hedgerows bonfires, noise
Anita Cranmer,
District Councillor. Cabinet member.
( 01494 261186
) 07831 747346
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.southbucks.gov.uk
funding and more where we have got a
result. Nothing is perfect but it is better.
On very difficult to resolve matters your
MP can be approached by letter or in
his weekly surgery.
We do not have to settle for what
is not right or not working but it does
take effort. I have taken the very big
decision to step down as your District
Councillor. I have enjoyed all the 8
years I have put into Hedgerley on
the District Council and have been
proud where I have been able to make
a difference. But , people are slow to
put their concerns into action and miss
help that they could have. The system
should work for you.
Anita Cranmer
Distict Councillor. Cabinet Portfolio Healthy
Communities.
March 2015 n
Remembering....
John Cooper
All of us were very saddened to hear
that one of the village’s most respected
long term residents passed away
recently: John Cooper, aged 92. John
was a regular contributor to Hedgerley
Magazine on behalf of the Royal British
Legion, a charity that John supported
throughout his life. He was a member of
the Farnham Common Branch and held
the role of Standard Bearer, a position
that he held for a total of 21 years, during
which he took part in over 100 parades,
including the Festival of Remembrance
at the Royal Albert Hall.
John was of course very well known
and widely respected within the village,
and I was privileged to spend some
time interviewing John a couple of years
ago about his life in the village and
previously, his period of service during
the war. My own memories of John and
his history are something that I would
like to share with John’s friends and
neighbours in the village as our final
tribute to him.
John was born on January 2nd 1923
in Hampton, where his father was a
chauffeur to Lt. Col. Alhausen. Shortly
after his birth, the Colonel, along with
John’s family, relocated to Iver, and then
Stoke Poges for a short time, before the
Colonel purchased a large house with
grounds in Fulmer, where John spent
most of his formative years.
John attended the local school in
Fulmer up until the age of 14, from
which he went to Stoke Poges school for
another year. After leaving school, John
found temporary work in the area while
waiting for his “call up papers.”
John’s papers arrived in 1942,
when he was just 19, which saw John
Would you like
to advertise in
Hedgerley Village?
Contact Jean on
01753 784908
recruited into the Royal Armoured Corps
at Perham Down, where his training
began. After learning Morse code, John
was sent to Liverpool with other young
recruits, where he embarked upon The
Rangitikei, a commandeered ship from
New Zealand that had previously been
used for carrying meat. New Year’s
Day 1943 saw John on board the boat
in Freetown, Sierra Leone to take on
supplies, before travelling to Durban,
South Africa. Promised shore leave in
Durban did not materialise, and John
was instead seconded to a new ship, the
Nieuw Amsterdam, a fast American ship
that could sail unescorted, destined for
Port Tewfik on the Suez Canal.
The ship arrived at Port Tewfik on
January 30th, 1943, where John and
his colleagues joined a train destined
for El Geza. The journey was long
and uncomfortable, with hard wooden
seats and no windows, which made
the carriages very cold. Upon arrival in
El Geza, John transferred to the 45th
Royal Tank Regiment, before being
put on the India Draft in the middle of
February, thereafter swapping over to an
American ship, The Mariposa, destined
for Bombay.
The Mariposa docked in Bombay on
the 24th February, where John travelled
to Poona to join the Royal Armoured
Corps Camp, before embarking upon yet
another long train journey destined for
Ranchi and the 149th Royal Armoured
Corps, which would be John’s assigned
regiment for the duration of the war.
John remembered his time with the
149th Royal Armoured Corps as a whirl
of training, lectures, vaccinations and
sports, during which it became apparent
that John, along with several other
recruits, could not swim! Much to John’s
horror, he recalls his NCO handing him
a piece of bamboo as a supposedly
helpful floatation device!
In the April of 1944, John and his
regiment worked through the night
replacing tyre tracks for war tracks,
loading ammo, and filling up with petrol,
before heading out from the camp
on 12th April. The regiment arrived
in Dumapur, milestone 1, while the
Japanese were situated at milestone 43.
In order to traverse the muddy,
mountainous terrain in the area, the
regiment travelled by tank, and after a
near miss in which John’s tank nearly
toppled over, fortunately avoiding
disaster by resting against a tree, John
and his crew evacuated the tank quick
smart, but then had to wait for two or
Remembering....
John Cooper
three days until the necessary help
became available to get them back on
the road.
Milestone 109 was finally reached,
meeting the road on the Burma border,
at which John’s regiment turned around
and returned to Dimapur.
John’s regiment remained in the area
until after the war ended, and in March
1946, the regiment boarded The Morton
Bay, a slow boat that could only cover
300 miles per day, and finally headed
home.
John recalled being very glad to
be back home safely in England, and
the three months of leave that he was
rewarded with upon his return. After
leaving the military, John went to work
for Bedford Electricians in Slough, the
beginnings of his long civilian career in
electricals.
John met his future wife, Joan, during
this time, and the couple were married
in St. Mary’s, Farnham Royal on 4th
September 1948. John and Joan were
blessed with two daughters, Barbara
and Angela.
Electrical. John was quite rightly
incredibly proud of the fact that he was
never unemployed at any stage during
his life.
John and Joan spent 61 happy years
together before Joan sadly succumbed
to illness in 2009. The couple also
sadly lost one of their two daughters,
Angela, but the couple are survived by
their remaining daughter, Barbara, as
well as several grandchildren and great
grandchildren.
John lived in the same house in
Hedgerley for over 60 years, and said
prior to his death that it would be a lovely
place to end his days, surrounded by
friends and neighbours in the village that
he loved. Today, Hedgerley mourns the
loss of one of our most respected and
longest term residents, but we are all
truly blessed to have known him, and
spent some time in the presence of a
genuine gentleman.
John loved Hedgerley, and his legacy
will live on in the village in his muchmourned absence for many years to
come.
RIP John Cooper, 1923-2015.
John worked right up until late
retirement at the age of 74, with his
final place of work being Edmundsons
Hedgerley W.I.
Not only is it the centenary year
of Agincourt, the Battle of Waterloo,
and the signing of Magna Carta – the
Women’s Institute is 100 years old this
year! The occasion will be marked by
celebrations and events throughout
the year, both nationally and locally.
The first WI meeting in the UK
was held in Llanfairpwll on Anglesey,
Wales, on 16th September 1915.
Since then, the organisation has
grown to become one of the largest
women’s voluntary organisations in
the UK with over 212,000 members
in 6,600 WIs. The WI was first
established to educate rural women
and to encourage countrywomen to
get involved in growing and preserving
food to help to increase the supply of
food to the war-torn nation. Education
and the sharing of skills have always
been at the heart of the organisation
and this remains true today.
The WI certainly has a lot to
celebrate – forget the Jam and
Jerusalem image! This fine
organisation is responsible for many
campaigns – “Keep Britain tidy”,
“Time to talk about organ donation”,
“SOS high streets and town centres”,
“More midwives”, “Equal pay for equal
work”, “SOS for honey bees”, “Breast
screening”, “School meals for all” – to
mention but a few. Then there was
the splendid work undertaken during
the Second World War in bottling fruit,
growing food, organising and caring
for evacuees and providing support for
women in the community while their
menfolk were at war.
Last year a baton was started on
its journey round every Federation
in England and Wales, and it will
eventually reach Buckinghamshire
at the end of April. On April 27th its
arrival in Stoke Poges will be greeted
with great excitement and festivities.
Everyone is welcome to join us for
the afternoon, and enjoy a tour of
Stoke Poges church and the adjacent
Memorial Gardens, finishing up with a
delicious tea.
There will be a Royal Garden
Party at Buckingham Palace in the
Betty Newcombe
presence of HRH the Duchess of
Cornwall, a W.I. member, on June
2nd. A ballot for tickets will take place
for one member from each Institute
around the country to attend; there
will be room for 8,000 members.
Hedgerley WI is sending a delegate
to the Annual General Meeting in
the Royal Albert Hall on June 4th,
where the speakers will be Dr Lucy
Worsley, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson
and Helena Morrissey. But those
members who are not lucky enough
to have a ticket to the AGM can watch
it via a live link at a local venue. This
should be a really interesting and
lively occasion.
Then on June 16th the
Buckinghamshire Federation of
WIs are planning a big event at
Waddesdon Manor to which all Bucks
WIs are invited. As about 1,000 ladies
are expected to go, it will be a great
party!
In the meantime Hedgerley W.I.
continues with our new programme of
speakers and events.
In January we enjoyed an
interesting talk by Mr Edward Dixon
about “Nursing Heroines”, following
their remarkable and brave work
in war zones over the past century.
And in February Mr Hugh Grainger’s
knowledge of the many important
and life-changing “Discoveries by
Accident”, which we now take for
granted, was enlightening and
entertaining.
At our April meeting we look forward
to a visual tour of the Amber Room in
the Hermitage, St Petersburg, with Mr
Mike Bartlett.
We enjoyed more “treats” in
February. Members celebrated
with a New Year’s Lunch at Biggles
Restaurant in Denham – our second
visit – and we hope for more; the
food was delicious and we were
well looked after. Then our Annual
Coffee and Pancakes morning on St
Valentine’s Day was a great success.
There was a massive turn-out of
support and Pat and Jenny in the
kitchen worked relentlessly, getting
pancakes on plates in record time to
be served swiftly by our waitresses.
200 pancakes (some of them heartshaped!) were enjoyed by over 80
satisfied customers.
We are thinking about Min Mitchell
who died just before Christmas.
Min was a long-standing and loyal
member of our Institute who will be
missed and remembered fondly. Our
thoughts are with Min’s daughter Sue
and family.
We are pleased to have welcomed
several new members recently. Our
meetings take place on the 3rd
Thursday each month, 2.30-4.30pm in
the Memorial Hall, Hedgerley, where
there is always a warm welcome for
everyone.
Further details from Jenny HarperJones (01753 643872) n
&Elizabeth’s
Glenn
Home & Interiors
Stunning range of
wallpapers & fabrics.
Made to measure:
curtains, blinds
& upholstery
3 The Broadway, Farnham Common.
Tel: 01753 644961
by John Lovelock
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
On Saturday 9th May at 8pm Hilary
Bradt MBE will present:
A thousand miles on horseback
through western Ireland
“I’ve never tried hitchhiking with a
horse before. It’s not easy...”
Since a pony-obsessed childhood
the publisher and travel writer Hilary
Bradt had aspired to do a longdistance ride. A few horseback days
on the precipitous trails of Ethiopia
and the Peruvian Andes were
mere dress rehearsals for the real
thing – a thousand mile solo ride
in Ireland undertaken in 1984. This
talk, illustrated by the photos taken in
1984 as well as more recently, brings
alive that adventure that took her
through western Ireland from Galway
to Limerick, her relationship with her
two Connemara ponies, Mollie and
Peggy, and a growing understanding
and appreciation of the complex history
and relationship between Britain and
Ireland.
Hilary Bradt founded Bradt Travel
Guides in 1974. The award-winning
company publishes guides to unusual
destinations as well as a series of
narrative travel books. Hilary has
remained involved in the company since
the beginning, receiving an MBE in
2008 for services to the travel industry.
Books, Connemara Mollie and Dingle
Peggy will be available for sale.
Booking required Tickets £12
On Wednesday 20th May at 8pm Dr
Mike Leggett will present:
Some aspects of Buckinghamshire
astronomy
Dr Leggett will look at the
contributions of selected individuals
with Buckinghamshire connections
including William Oughtred (Eton),
William Herschel and other
members of the Herschel family
(Slough), Robert Hooke (Willen)
John Lee (Hartwell House), William
Rutter Dawes (Haddenham) and
Rev James Law Challis (Stone).
John Lovelock
( 01753 647187
[email protected]
The talk will cover the emergence
of scientific and astronomical
societies, especially in the C20th
and Buckinghamshire observatories
past and present especially those in
the Aylesbury area during the C19th.
The Society for the History of
Astronomy (SHA) has launched
a county-based survey on
astronomical history. Mike Leggett
is the county co-ordinator for
Buckinghamshire and this talk
is based on research for the
astronomical survey.
Dr Mike Leggett is a member of the
Society for the History of Astronomy
(SHA) and is the county coordinator
for Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire,
Norfolk and Rutland in the SHA
Survey of Astronomical History of the
UK and Ireland. He has previously
presented talks about astronomical
history, including of Buckinghamshire,
for the SHA, Haddenham Museum,
Milton Keynes Astronomical Society
and other astronomical societies.
Dr Leggett has a long-standing
interest in local and family history and
is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical
Society/British Interplanetary
Society and a member of the British
Astronomical Association/ Planetary
Society.
He is a graduate in Chemistry and
Pharmacology from the University of
Nottingham and also holds a PhD in
Chemistry. He holds a Postgraduate
Diploma in Technical Authorship and
Communication and is Member of the
Institute of Scientific and Technical
Communicators.
Monthly Meetings of Hedgerley
Historical Society take place at
Hedgerley Memorial Hall, Kiln Lane
Hedgerley SL2 3UZ at 8pm and
visitors are most welcome.
Strong local
opposition
to gravel
extraction
plans.
A planning application is to be lodged with Bucks County Council at
the end of April by RJD Ltd. for the extraction of sand and gravel on
Green Belt land designated as an “Area of Attractive Landscape”. This
application is supported by the landowner, Portman Estate.
A public exhibition was presented by consultants, D K Symes
Associates, on Saturday March 28th in the Memorial Hall. The meeting
was attended by well over 100 concerned people, this was in spite
of the day chosen being the start of the Easter Holidays! The main
concerns and objections to the plans were:
1. The impact upon a rural community 2. The impact upon local flora and fauna, biodiversity, conservation
areas, a local wildlife site and medieval woodland. 3. The impact created by; noise, dust and traffic movements. At
times, traffic movements will exceed the capacity of the local
roads creating severe congestion at the roundabout serving the
Beaconsfield Service Area, access onto the A355 and onto the
M40 at Junction 2. The initial proposal is for the extraction of 1.25 million tonnes of sand
and gravel over a minimum period of 12 years. The processing plant
will include: machinery and equipment for the segregation of sand,
gravel and clay; settling ponds and a concrete “batching” plant.
The Area of Attractive Landscape includes two Conservation Areas
within 300 meters of the proposed workings. These have won the
“Best Kept Village” award on several occasions including 2014 when
the Community Award was also presented. The proposed site is
also close to a nature reserve. In addition the whole area has been
identified by Bucks County Council as an ideal area for protecting and
promoting biodiversity. It also borders areas of Ancient Woodland.
The proposed site is at Slade Farm, just to the north of Hedgerley
Village. The village has Saxon origins and Slade Farm and its
outbuildings are Grade II listed. In addition there are listed buildings in
the village of Hedgerley and Hedgerley Green.
Peter Hardy, Buckinghamshire County Councillor stated, “The
meeting has demonstrated how the local community is strongly
against this development and we should ensure that the planning
authorities take due regard of our concerns”.
Please look out for further information on how you can help and join
the campaign.
MAMIL Invasion
Anyone who is a film fan will know
all about invasions. These tend to be
not so little and not so green men
from outer space who seem fine
from the outside but hide deep, dark
secrets such as humans on toast for
tea. While this all belongs in the world
of science fiction I feel it my duty to
warn the good people of Hedgerley
that we are in the midst of an invasion
of our very own!
There is no need for widespread
panic, as yet anyway, but strange and
disturbing sights around our village
are being reported on an increasingly
regular basis. At first they were
dismissed as figments of the
imagination caused by three too many
at the White Horse but now the rather
frightening photographic evidence has
emerged we have to take this threat
very seriously.
Yes dear readers, MAMILs have
arrived in Hedgerley and it seems
the epidemic is spreading fast. For
those who aren’t as up to date on hip,
urban jargon as yours truly you may
well be wondering “what is a MAMIL”?
It is an acronym for something that
pains me to even write it due to the
shiver inducing mental images the
term conjures up; Middle Aged Men
In Lycra.
It seems that there has been some
kind of mass resolution amongst the
middle aged male members of our
village to get fit. Unfortunately for us,
they have chosen cycling as their
sport of choice, giving rise to the
amount of lycra now on display which
some seem to be enjoying wearing a
tad too much for comfort.
I am no gossip but the hard nosed
journalist in me has found an outlet in
this ground breaking story and faced
with a selection of images from my
‘narks’ I feel it is my duty to name and
shame. Without further ado I present
to you the Hedgerley MAMILs.
We all know Guy who runs his
own electrical business. We also
know that he is a fitness fanatic who
will spend as much on a bike as
the rest of us will spend on a mode
of transport with 4 wheels! In an
exclusive interview with his wife Karen
who wished to remain anonymous
(damn! Sorry Karen!) she spoke of
how this obsession is reaching epic
proportions and he has now seconded
an entire drawer for his selection of
cycling shorts.
Steve the jazz drummer is also
guilty of CAL (Crimes Against Lycra;
see what I did there?) Wife Katie
says that while he has always been
a serious biker the love of lycra is
becoming a tad unhealthy for her
liking.
Dan is a mild mannered
management consultant who lives
in bliss with wife Hannah. Show
him a frame, 2 wheels and the
most uncomfortable seat known to
mankind however and Dan morphs
into SuperBiker; minus the cape. His
competitive streak knows no bounds
and he even logs onto a website
for other lycra lovers, sorry cycling
enthusiasts, and logs his times in
order to compare his exploits with
other like minded souls.
CONTINUED...
Paul the builder has the reputation
of being the best cyclist in the village
and boasts a shedful of bikes. As you
can imagine this doesn’t sit well with
the likes of SuperBiker above, and
competition has grown fierce. There
is an upside to this however as wife
Marie reports that our local chemist
is rubbing his hands in glee at the
soaring sales figures for Sudocrem.
Local farmer Andy is relatively new
to the sport but has taken to wearing
lycra and applying the aforementioned
Sudocrem with gusto. Wife Emma
reports that to justify to himself the
cost of a shiny new bike to match the
other MAMIL machines he sent his
son out with his old one and told him
not to come back until it had been
stolen. This heinous crime was not
GET READY FOR SUMMER!
Limited
Special
Offer
£51
Half Leg Wax,
Bikini Wax
& Pedicure
t: 01753 647111 w: ultimateinbeauty.co.uk C
Ultimate in Beauty, 1 Hedgerley Hill, Hedgerley, SL2 3RP
CONTINUED...
reported to the local police as he was
terrified it would be recovered and
returned to him.
Please watch out for these
creatures when going about your daily
business. Traumatised dog walkers
have told of them appearing from
nowhere and having to retire to the
White Horse to get over the shock of
seeing them from behind. You are
unlikely to see a lone MAMIL, they are
very much pack animals who perform
best in a group whilst at the same
time boasting about their latest gadget
or top of the range shorts.
I do think that all this activity
could be put to good use and am
encouraging our MAMILs to organize
a sponsored bike ride – a long one,
a very long one to raise money for a
much needed local cause – Hedgerley
Memorial Hall. How about it?
WILL YOU VOTE?
We are a nation of disaffected
voters. The last three elections have
seen the lowest turnout in living
memory and there’s no indication that
2015 will be any different. With the
threat of a hung parliament, a drastic
shake-up of the Union… it seems a
hopeless time for politics.
Hopelessness is not something we
can afford, much less subscribe to.
So it will be important to think about
the key issues: the economy, debt and
austerity; Europe and immigration; the
environment; the NHS; education.
Taking the trip to the polling
station once every five years is not
the beginning and end of political
engagement – we all have a
responsibility to help transform the
future. And we should support those
that get directly involved with the
political process.
It is right that we should campaign
to seek change for a faulty system as
well as address its injustices. Please
don’t think that your vote won’t count
- the last general election numbers
communicate very clearly that you
can make a difference.
10.7 m Conservatives
8.6 m Labour
6.8 m Liberal Democrats
15.9m NON VOTERS
We are in the second safest
Conservative seat in the country.
Polls suggest that it is 99% probability
that the status quo will remain. It is of
course appreciated that that will not
be everyone’s view, quite rightly so
– it is important to vote for what you
believe.
However on May 7th there is also
the District Council elections and
to that end we are supporting and
asking you to vote for David Vincent.
David will be known to many of you,
he has lived in Hedgerley all his life.
Was educated at Farnham Common
Junior School, Burnham Grammer
School and Leeds University. David
grew up in Shell House, where his
father Donald still lives. He is the
Chairman of Hedgerley Youth Club
and Secretary of Hedgerley Youth
Football Club. Regular attendees
at the Family Fun Day and Church
BBQ will recognize David as the BBQ
man, having served the village with
sausages and burgers at various
events for over 30 years. David is a
keen gardener and home brewer and
has been known to bag a few prizes
for his horticultural efforts over the
years.
David is a passionate about the
preservation of our village and the
Green Belt. It is primarily for this
reason that David
is standing for
election at
the up and
coming
South
Bucks
District
Council
elections.
Whatever your
political leaning, we
certainly need a District Councillor
that will fight for Hedgerley and
champion causes important for our
village.
The gravel extraction planning
application is a massive threat to
our way of life and one that we
need to pool all our expertise and
resources to fight. Getting David
elected on May 7th will be an
amazing asset for the village. So
please vote.
A belated Mother’s Day
Tribute to Hedgerley Mums.
Our annual calender is now littered with
special days to celebrate and show our
appreciation of loved ones. There is Valentine’s
Day, Grandparent’s Day, Father’s Day and the
recent biggie; Mother’s Day.
Being a mother is often described as the
hardest job in the world; and the only one that
comes without any kind of remit or instruction
booklet. There are tears and tantrums abound,
and you little ones can really act up as well!
Once they are tucked up in bed however all
the trials of the day are forgotten as you kiss
their downy heads and crack open a bottle of
wine.
As children grow older and become
independent young people the gifts inevitably
get larger and more expensive as they want to
show their appreciation for the woman who did
everything from wipe their nose and patching
up their injuries to taking on the world should
she believed her child has been wronged.
They say hell hath no fury like a woman
scorned, who ever wrote that clearly had
never seen a mother protecting her children.
There is nobody like a mum to burst with
pride at every achievement, however small,
or feel every bit of your pain when things go
wrong? They will miss out on things to ensure
their children have what they need and will
always put their children first.
How many mums reading this still have
those precious cards made at school and
carried home as if they were the crown
jewels? This is the true meaning of Mother’s
Day; the unconditional love from a child for
the one person in the world they know will
always be there for them, whatever they say
or do. Children are a mother’s gift to the world
and whether they be a nuclear physicist or fill
shelves in a supermarket she will love them
just the same.
This may have been your first ever Mother’s
Day of your fiftieth, but the sentiment will never
change. If you were one of the lucky ones to
get one of those special cards with your child’s
words inside then you have the right to feel like
the most special person on earth; as to them
you are.
A few special mentions from Hedgerley Kids
for their much beloved Mums.
Eileen
I love my Mum because she is always there for me
and I get to tell her what clothes look good and bad
on her – I am her fashion stylist! Love Millie.
I really love my Mum because she cooks me
delicious dinners and helps me with my homework
when I am stuck. Most of all though she is always
there when I need her and makes me fell happy.
Love Harry.
Katie
My Mum is kind, caring and always backs me up.
She is a very good cook and a fantastic saxophone
teacher (it is very convenient). She keeps our entire
family from being late and helps transport me and
my bother harry to and from our activities and
hobbies. She is the best Mum I could ask for.
Love Jasmine.
Karen
I love my Mum because she is beautiful and she
always tucks me in at night. Love Finley.
I love my Mum because she kisses my nose and she
bought me a toy doggy. Love Emily.
Hannah
I love my Mum as she is always there for me and
I know she will always help me no matter what.
Because that is what Mums do! Love Abby.
I love my Mum because she loves me. If Mums were
chosen I would pick mine. Love Maisie.
Clare
I love my Mum because
she helps me with my
homework and makes great
food, but sometimes she
wants me to eat food I don’t
like – yuk! Love James
I love my Mum because she
is gorgeous and helps m
become better at running.
She is always there for
me and I am her little
coach. Love Grace.
Liz
I would like to thank my
Mum for all she has done,
organizing events for me
to enjoy and for being my
taxi service. She is a great
Mum, look how I have
turned out! Love Robert
I love my Mum for her
patience and taking me on
fun outings, teaching me to
cook and giving me hugs.,
She is the best Mum in the
world. Love James
Jill
I love my Mum because
she gives the best hugs in
the world. Love Lydia.
Russell Wendover
28th March 1938 - 25th February 2015
By Bud Wendover
We meet today to remember and give
thanks to Almighty God, as Russ did
often, for the life of a husband, father,
grandfather, brother and friend of many,
because it was a truly fulfilled life.
Russ was born in1938 in Stanmore
north London. Our father worked for the
Westminster bank in Lombard Street
and our mother raised us at a time of
great privation we were not bombed
but can recollect nights spent in the
Morrison shelter in the garden.
After the war our father retired and
we moved to Exeter Russ and I went to
the Prep. Department at Exeter school,
meanwhile David arrived.
Russ did well at school becoming
head of his house Buller and a member
of the first XV.
He went to Birmingham University
to read metallurgy although it was felt
that he did a considerable amount of
practical and research work at the “Gun
Barrels” adjacent the campus.
After University he started to work for
Alcan and was posted to Newport South
Wales, where he entered fully into the
social life of the area say no more!
Then there occurred the most
significant event in his life He had the
tremendous good fortune to meet
Felicity Todd. She eventually consented
to be his wife and theirs has been a
marvellous loving marriage. It would
have been their golden wedding this
year.
Russ and Flea went to live for four
years Guyana where he was involved in
mining bauxite
Before long “les Girls” Penny Lucy
and Rosy started to arrive and the
family came to live at “Morning side” in
Hedgerley.
Russ eventually became an expert
on the international metals markets and
worked for a firm based in Germany
where he became a good German
speaker.
University friends Peter Bulman, Ian
Wilkie, Geoff Hogbin and Peter Long
commenced the construction of a 30 ft
Chayworth Masters design Trimarin “
Freya of Crowle”
This vessel sailed an enormous
distance over many years and its
adventures round the Channel Islands
and the North coast of France are
legendary.
Its final berth was in Mudeford near
Christchurch and I felt personally that it
could sail unaided to the Divers Arms
in Alderney. As a Methodist I was
A tribute....
Russell Wendover
comforted to know that according to a
plaque on the Pub wall John Wesley
called for a pint several years earlier so I
always knew they were in good hands.
In addition to his maritime activities
Russ was a great “outdoors man” who
loved cycling and walking. He David and
I made several trips to Snowdonia with
the Scouts and the “Lads” walking group
and to other destinations in the UK and
abroad on an annual basis. His last trip
was in the spring of 2014.
Russ was noted for his strong views
on contemporary issues and something
of a polemicist and many pleasurable
hours were spent in sorting out and
reorganising the British establishment
and the Anglican Church among
other topics, at his local in Hedgerly
accompanied by his beloved dog Boris.
Russ had gifts as a poet and he
would write Odes to celebrate family
occasions. He entered the Bath Poetry
festival on one occasion with “Mixed”
results. His last Ode was last summer
to celebrate Rose’s 40th Birthday.
With typical entrepreneurial flair
Russ developed the production of pipe
tobacco for home consumption. The
bathroom and kitchen at Morningside
provided ideal curing facilities, as did
the availability of a supply of young
female labour to cut press and pack it.
Russ quit smoking soon after perhaps
influenced by the quality of the product
Russ had to be doing and so he
started Trent Garden Services, became
a beekeeping expert, grew his own
vegetables and with Ben produced
the most delicious smoked salmon
and honey under the brand ”Estimable
comestibles”) I am told that in Hedgerly
they still speak of nothing else.
Russ and Flea played a very active
part in the social Life of the village
especially the Annual Hedgerly week.
They had a large number of friends and
gave many parties He was described
by one correspondent as a “Village
Institution”.
The decision to move to Bath
although a wrench was very wise
and Russ’s last years were spent in
the bosom of the family, which now
numbered twelve including six grand
children all living within the City.
Russ had the blessing of a strong
Christian Faith, which prompted him to
action. He was a prison visitor although
few knew. He was a devoted servant
of the congregation in Hedgerly Parish
Church where he acted as sexton and
on occasion Reader and choir member.
He had considerable gifts as a pianist.
He had as much as any one could
wish, a deeply fulfilled life, a devoted
marriage and a large and happy and
united family who surrounded him with
tender love during his last days.
Well done Good and Faithful
Servant. Rest in Peace.
By Rev’d Graham Saunders
‘I will always remember Russell’s
energy and enthusiasm for the life of
the church and the village. He was
a man of great faith in Jesus Christ,
which was very evident in his life and
in his death. He was a deeply caring
man who gave much of himself to his
family and his friends. I remember
when I first arrived and we held a PCC
meeting in the church vestry. At a quiet
moment Russell spoke up: “listen to the
nightingale!” As we listened I knew that I
had come to a special place with special
people. Russell regularly challenged
us all to think about our faith when
discussing church business. He would
say: “I don’t see any mention of Jesus
in this document!” We loved him for
his liveliness and his sense of humour.
There are few of his kind who are
prepared to give so much. I remember
how on one occasion we were on
pilgrimage in Greece. We were scaling
a hill to reach the hippodrome at Delphi.
It was Russell who arrived first and his
energy and fitness put us all to shame! I
will always remember Russell for being
a strong character who had strong
opinions. However, when we disagreed
he would always be thoughtful and give
alternative views careful consideration.
When Russell and Felicity left Hedgerley
we were very sad to see them go but
we all understood how important it
was for them to be with their family in
Bath. This has been essential in latter
days. He was a wonderful man and a
great friend to us all. He was confident
in his faith and he is now with his Lord
and, I imagine, with much energy and
enthusiasm for the eternal kingdom of
heaven. When I last spoke to him he
said: “I have had a good life and I am
very thankful.” We wish Felicity and her
family much comfort and peace.’
The Wendover Way
By a Local Parishoner
All of Russell Wendover’s many
friends in Hedgerley and elsewhere,
were saddened to hear that he passed
away after a long illness, bravely borne.
Russell was a village institution –
always working hard for the benefit of
A tribute....
Russell Wendover
our community. Much of his work was
to maintain the fabric of St. Mary’s and
the surrounding graveyard. When you
next go into St. Mary’s, look up at the
beautiful oak cross which he made
and hung above the chancel. It is a
wonderful example of his faith.
His many interests embraced:
gardening, poetry, smoking (salmon) to an excellent secret recipe, compost,
sloe gin – from hidden locations, honey,
bee’s wax polish, Boris (his much loved
dog), and the Slade Charity amongst
others. He kindly came to fertilise our
lawn one June and stupidly I had left
out the wrong bottle for him, we were
both browned off that summer! His
poetry was apposite, beautifully written
and widely published. He wrote and
dedicated a poem for us which we have
framed.
Amongst his other loves were sailing
- he and three friends built a trimaran,
Freya of Crowle, in which they sailed
the Channel and France with their
families for 40 years. These were often
undertaken in tough conditions at night,
even crossing the Channel without a
compass. He was also keen on walking,
climbing and cycling with friends, who
sometimes cycled into canals. He
was a wonderful companion, always
steady and calm in the face of whatever
problems we faced.
He always had robust views and
loved an argument on his own deeply
held religious belief or his favourite topic
the, Euro.
His wonderful wife and family were
at the forefront of his life and in the
later years led Felicity and he to move
to Bath. But he kept in touch with
Hedgerley with many visits and by
offering his hospitality to friends who
visited them in Bath.
The Wendover Way which winds its
way through the woods down Hedgerley
Hill sums up Russell. He formed a
group which wanted to celebrate the
Millennium, so funds were raised for 3
years at Hedgerley Funday under his
leadership. Permissions were obtained
by him from the three owners of parts
of the route, he then organised the
planning and creation of the pathway
including a diversion of a stream to
preserve it. His gang of fund raising
labourers were well managed and he
worked them hard. He had been told
it was not possible so he ignored the
advice and got on with it. That was
typical of how Russell approached life The Wendover Way.
We all loved him and miss him, our
thoughts and prayers are with Felicity
and his family.
Finding the Almighty
By Russell Wendover
Finding the Almighty is all the rage these days,
Though Dawkins says it’s just a trick the human psyche plays.
Creationists fight scientists with total lack of piety
And Darwin’s never had so much posthumous notoriety.
The ancients knew where God was, in holy tree or stone,
Or as a worshipped God-king, resplendant on a throne,
But all faiths down the ages share in one belief
That God in one or many forms is present here on earth.
As Eastertide approaches it is right to think of God,
Though to our scientific minds it does seem rather odd,
That though we’ve looked above the earth, in the universe where space is,
We haven’t found the Lord’s abode or any Heavenly places.
We’ve listened deep in outer space with radio telescopes
But not a single squeak is heard to raise the scientist’s hopes.
Christians say that God was man, born as Jesus Christ.
Then to redeem us from our sin, He was sacrificed.
Now His Holy Spirit is present in our lives
But try explaining all of that to the under-5’s.
Little kids are hardest “I heard God was in your heart”
Said clever little Billy, not trying to be smart.
“But my Dad’s heart is rubbish - it’s his valves, not full of sin,
So when he gets his transplant, will God go in the bin??”
Then up spoke little Johnny, whose confidence had grown,
“I know where God lives, in the bathroom at our ‘ome
A tribute....
Russell Wendover
‘Cos when my sister’s ages, with her face and doing her hair,
Dad stands outside and hollers - God, are you still in there!”
Should we look for God instead, in a different place?
In the heart of matter there’s a huge amount of spaceWay past atoms structured like a mini-universe
With a nucleus for splitting as a benefit or curse!
Down in that surreal world of quantum physicists
Where unknown particles obey Heisenberg’s uncertainties,
Where bosons fight neutrinos and interact with quarks
And mass annihilates itself in tiny showers of sparks.
Energy and matter the Laws of Newton floutEven Hawkins says he doesn’t know what it’s all about!
“Dark Matter” is the problem - it has energy and weight,
But defining it has baffled all of science up to date.
Gravity depends on it - it holds the stars in place,
It fills completely all our world and every inch of space,
Defies attempts to measure it, though it’s known to be the key
To that Holy Grail of science - Unified Theory.
It’s a sort of liquid energy from which everything is made
Creating laws of physics which Newton’s world obeyed.
They’re busy crashing protons, deep underground at CERN,
Euro-billions spent just to see if they can learn
When the proton flies apart, from the bits that scatter,
Is there one new tiny bit that can explain “Dark Matter”?
All confirmed in theory, to Professor Higgs’ fame,
In fact the “Higgs Boson” is its unromantic name.
Some call it “The God Particle”, for if it can be found,
It will explain the Universe and all that is around.
Supposing, just supposing all this energy is God!
Set your fertile brain to work, though conclusions may be odd.
God’s not in the Holy Mountain nor in the Sacred Tree,
God IS that Holy Mountain and God is you and me.
God’s the world around us - every land and every nation
And God’s Professor Dawkins, despite his protestations.
God does not “come in our lives” for we are parts of Him.
Failing to acknowledge God - is that Original Sin?
But God has put in each of us a bit that we call “Self”
Which controls our thoughts and actions, our desire for fame and wealth,
Which makes us feel important, shapes our personality
But above all makes us selfish, individually.
Although we are entirely God, His voice to us is quiet,
Just loud enough to heed, or if we wish, deny it.
We call His voice our conscience, knowing right from wrong
(Though Humanists say we learn it from the tribe where we belong).
How often do we agonise about some moral choice
Making rational judgements without recognising God’s voice?
Eastern mystics strive towards the Self’s complete negation,
Transcending earthly practices through silent meditation.
Striving to Nirvana, inner energy release
In reaching unity with God, the one-ness that brings peace.
Do we insult Almighty God with ideas such as these?
Or does He bless our thoughts to wander as they please?
Might He even show a route down which to point us,
That we can safely tread, by-passing the blasphemous?
For we are trespassing upon the nature of our Lord
A tribute....
Russell Wendover
When all we need to know is printed in His Word.
Venturing one step further though, could that energy all be Love?
Then it’s Love that’s deep inside us, not sent from Heaven above.
Love lives in every atom, just waiting to be free The wise, omniscient God is Love in you and me.
When Bill Sykes loves his Bulls Eye is that love from Heaven above,
Or just a brief retrieval from his reservoir of love?
To us the anti-social dosser seems the meanest, foulest man,
Might we not find he loves his dog as only a loner can?
That love might be a sliver of God in place of the heavy load
Of bad things done and hurt and guilt with which his soul is bowed.
Perhaps we should not preach at him, to cast away his sin,
But tell him of the love of God, that he has God within,
And tell him he should seek this love, to let it grow and shine,
Until this love bursts out of him like the Gospel’s best New Wine!
Jesus Christ was flesh and blood and undeniably man,
Then God chose that one moment to launch Salvation’s plan.
The love of God burst out from Christ to show how life could be,
That God could make the lame to walk and make the blind man see.
God’s shining love so threatened man, man’s selfishness prevailed,
And so Almighty God in man was to a crude cross nailed.
And God in man put up with it, this foulest, darkest crime.
No angels called from Heaven for punishment Divine.
So God shows His forgiveness for the worst that we can do,
His love will overwhelm the sin and wash the sickness through.
Then Almighty God in man on Easter Day arose
And strode about and showed Himself and sat and ate with those
Who feared that all was over and their Christ was dead
But found new power inside them for the Gospel news instead.
FARNHAM JUNIOR
COMMON SCHOOL
“e-Wareness Network!”
A Community Initiative Promoted by Farnham Common
Junior and Infant Schools, St. Mary’s Farnham Royal
and Farnham Common Community Library.
The Working Party met recently
to develop its’ strategy to help
keep our children safe when they
are using the internet. Much of
the work is ongoing as part of the
school curriculum, however new
technological developments are
coming to the market all the time
and our teachers are very good at
keeping abreast of these innovations
to stay in tune with the children’s
interests and to ensure that their
teaching remains relevant and up to
date.
Bucks County Council – The
Education, Skills and Children’s
Services Select Committee
presented a report on “Children’s
Internet Safety” to the BCC Cabinet
on 13th April. All recommendations
were accepted and so we anticipate
more work and support will come
from that direction in due course.
You may like to know that at
Bletchley Park, also the home of the
code breakers, and which is only 40
miles from Farnham Common, there
is a new McAfee Cyber Security
Exhibition and Tutorial Centre which
has opened recently for the public. If
you would like to have an interesting
and a fun day out with your family
do look up www.bletchleypark.org.
uk and start to plan a memorable
day at this national facility. It would
be great if your children might like
to write a short article for the next
Parish Magazine about what they
learnt there.
On a much lighter note!
Daughter: “Dad, I’m in love with a
boy who is far away from me. I am
in Australia and he lives in the UK.
We met on a dating website, became
friends on Facebook, we had long
chats on Whatsapp. He proposed to
me on Skype and now we’ve had two
months of relationship through Viber.
Dad, I need your blessings and good
wishes.”
Father: “Wow! Really!! Then get
married on Twitter, have fun on Tango,
buy your kids on Amazon and pay
through Paypal. And if you get fed up
with your husband ell him on Ebay”.
EXPERIENCE A SCHOOL RUN THE AFRICAN
WAY BY TAKING PART IN A 5KM RUN/
WALK ON SUNDAY 5TH JULY 2015
IN GERRARDS CROSS
Every day, across Africa, children
as young as six walk three miles, or
even more, to school. No rush-hour
traffic for them, but often no books
or pencils either. School Aid is a
local charity in Hedgerley, which
recycles good quality books and
educational materials to send to
schools in Africa.
To help to raise funds with its
ongoing programme of library
development in South Africa,
School Aid is organising a 5km
sponsored cross-country run/
walk on Sunday, 5th July 2015.
Registration is from 9.30 am at
the Bull Hotel with a start time of
10.30 am from the Bulstrode Park.
This is a circular off road run/
walk (going through Hedgerley) for
individuals or families. In addition
to the main event there will also be
a shorter 2km Early Years run/walk
for younger children. Dogs on leads
are welcome on both routes.
Entry fees are £10 for an
individual on the day or £8 in
advance, teams are £8 per person
on the day or £6 in advance and
families £18 on the day or £15 (in
advance). Prizes will be awarded
across several categories.
If you are interested in taking
part in this event, please go to
our website www.school-aid.org/
schoolrun or ring the School Aid
office on 01753 883853 for further
details.
School Aid is also looking for
further volunteers to help sort and
pack books, whilst having great fun,
at their very friendly warehouse
in Hedgerley. Hours and days
are flexible to suit your needs. If
you are interested in becoming a
volunteer, please ring the School
Aid office on the number above.
Sc ool Aid
Do you have a few hours to spare?
School Aid is looking for volunteers to help sort and pack unwanted
books and educational equipment to send to schools in Africa.
Our very friendly warehouse is open from 9.30 am to 3.00 pm Monday
to Friday
Hours are very flexible – you can choose to come in on any of the days
we are open for either a morning or an afternoon.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in,
then please give us a ring on 01753 883853.
School Aid is at Hammer and Harp Farm, Wapseys Lane, Hedgerley, Bucks, SL2 3XJ
You can also e-mail us at [email protected]
Please also visit our website www.school-aid.org
On behalf of 1st Hedgerley Scout Group we want to commend
Hedgerley for being awarded the Best Kept Village Award in
2014.
It takes a lot of effort throughout the year from volunteers in the local
community to achieve this award and in particular we would like to mention
the involvement of children from 1st Hedgerley Scout Group who, as part
of their Community Week activities the previous summer, assisted the
Hedgerley Conservation Volunteers with various projects. The Beavers
(aged 5 – 8) cleared holly from Kemsley Wood, the Cubs (aged 8 – 11)
helped remove ivy from the trees surrounding the green and the Scouts
(aged 11 – 14) assisted with pond clearance and tree cutting in Glebe
Field behind the Church.
An additional award within the Best Kept Village competition is a trophy
(the Baile Trophy) for young people who have made a contribution towards
a community’s effort in securing the Best Kept Village win. The judges felt
that the contribution by 1st Hedgerley Scouts should be recognised and
consequently awarded the trophy to the Group, an achievement that we
are very proud of and our thanks go to everyone who took part.
Work hasn’t stopped there and the youngsters once again supported the
Volunteers during Community Week 2014. Last October Cubs took part in
a national scheme from Keep Britain Tidy to clear rubbish from the Green,
surrounding woodland and areas surrounding the Scout Hut and Youth
Club. It is hoped that the Group will continue to support local projects so
all that remains to say is “Well done 1st Hedgerley and keep up the good
work!”
CONTINUED...
Patrol Camp at the Willow Tree Centre, Harefield
I remember being told by my Mum
that next weekend was going to be
freezing. Then it came to me that I
had patrol camp that same weekend.
Great! Camping outdoors in the icy
winds, cooking on open fires and
freezing to death whilst collecting the
dreaded fire wood.
Actually we all had a brilliant
time. Yes, it was chilly but sitting
around our brilliant, warming fire
controlled the frosty weather. The
secret to having a good fire is making
sure you collect enough wood to
last the weekend on the first day.
We came back with handfuls of this
light, dead wood which is amazing
for burning. Then we realised that
this wood that we were lugging back
to camp didn’t need to be carried;
we could just bung it in the trolley.
So that’s what we did. Of course this
heavy trailer was quite easy to get
across the field but my patrol came
to some difficultly when we reached
the chicane style fencing. We decided
against going through it when
somebody suggested that we just go
around the side; which, as it turns out
was a lot easier.
We collected a weekends
worth of wood which only lasted
about five minutes. We kept filling up
the pile until it became too big and
toppled over. Every trolley full of wood
was easier than expected to collect
and our patrol’s fire was the biggest,
warmest and quickest to start.
After we had breakfast and lunch
which consisted of pancakes,
bacon, eggs and hot dogs we were
told we needed to complete some
pioneering – not our strongest factor,
it consists of attempting to construct
a structure out of the bamboo and
string we were given (no knots are
allowed- only lashes) . So we planned
to make a drying rack for our washing
up but it didn’t quite go as planned.
We decided not to have any legs and
stand it on top of two logs and this
drying rack became a pile of string
and bamboo plus a mini wobbly table!
Other groups made flag poles and
entrances to their patrol’s camp.
At around four o’clock we were
advised to start cooking (it takes
longer on a campfire). I wanted to
put the water on top of the fire to
boil because (from experience) it
takes a long time on camp! However,
because our fire was very hot the
water boiled quickly and the pasta
was ready by around four forty-five
pm. So we ended up eating really
early then moving on to dessert
before any of the other patrols had
even started eating. Our dessert
was ice cream cones stuffed with
marshmallows, chocolate and
biscuits wrapped in foil then left on
the fire for about one minute before
unwrapping and eating. No-one
had tried this before so cooking the
cones became quite an issue seeing
as most people’s cones were burnt
(luckily we had spares).
At night we built up the fire, sat in
front of it with marshmallows and hot
chocolate. Delicious!!
The next morning some scouts got
up earlier to build up the fire again
and begin to cook breakfast. I had
started to make the pancakes as
the rest of the scouts got up hungry!
So we ate. There were sausages,
pancakes, fried bread, fruit, eggs,
omelettes and a failed attempt at
eggy bread.
After breakfast we had to
pack away and put out the camp fire,
it was quite sad to see everything be
put down but as all the scouts sat
around for sandwiches we played
a game. This game was called one
word story; we all sat in a circle and
each person says a word that makes
sense as a sentence and the end
effect is really funny. I am looking
forward to our next camp with scouts.
Who needs a five star hotel?
Flo Morris, Patrol Leader
Goodbye Andy, Emma and Family
Well-known local farmer and
regular propper up of the bar at
The White Horse Andy Allan (and
family) will be saying their goodbyes
this month, having decided to
relocate after 14 years of service
on the estate. Andy and wife Emma
are heading north, to Yorkshire, in
order to run a farm on behalf of the
Morrison (of supermarket fame)
family.
Andy himself originally hails from
Northumberland, and is looking
forwards to moving closer to his
family in the area. Andy and Emma’s
son and daughter, James and Becca,
will be branching out on their own for
the first time too, with James heading
off to university, while Becca will
remain in the local area to pursue her
career in London.
Andy spent the last 14 years
farming the Portman Burtley
Estate, 2,000 acres of farmland
and woodland, which makes it the
biggest in Buckinghamshire, as well
as one of the most picturesque. While
most of us simply view the estate as
something that we take for granted,
few are fully aware of the work that
goes into maintaining and farming
the estate, something that Andy has
been familiar with for well over a
decade!
The Portman Estate prides itself
on its self-sufficiency, growing all
of the feed for its award-winning
herd of South Devon cattle on their
own land, producing organic meat
using a method that Andy refers
to as “from gate to plate.” The
cattle on the estate are primarily
bred for the Waitrose supermarket
chain, and the estate is certified
by organisations including the
RSPCA’s Freedom Foods initiative,
the Red Tractor farm assurance
scheme, the Organic Farmers and
Growers Association, and the LEAF
marque.
Andy will be packing his bags for
Yorkshire in May, while Emma will
remain in the village to clear the
house and do the real hard work,
before joining Andy in July.
As mentioned, when Andy is not
knee deep in cow muck, he is one
of the regular fixtures and fittings of
The White Horse, where he is often
joined by his partner in crime, Alan
Pearce. Despite referring to Alan as
“the village idiot” (it’s a tough job,
but somebody has to do it)! Andy
has secretly admitted that he will
probably quite miss Alan, along with
the usual bunch of reprobates who
join them of an evening in the bar.
Andy is particularly sad to know
that he’ll be missing their stunning
performance in the Jingle Tingle at
Christmas, as well as of course the
spirit of friendship and community in
the village that has been his home
for well over a decade.
Where the Portman Burtley Estate
is concerned, business will go on
as usual, with Andy being replaced
upon his departure by Mike
Swerling, who spent the last year
as Andy’s assistant. Mike knows
that he has some big (and probably
unspeakably dirty) boots to fill, but
is well up to the task, despite being
a young whippersnapper of just 21.
Mike’s family background is in
beef and arable farming, making
him well placed to take over care of
the herd, which currently includes
over 100 calves (including two sets
of twins) all of which can be seen
happily charging around the fields
enjoying the spring weather. Mike
has already begun the spring work
of ploughing for the coming barley
planting, which goes some way
towards explaining the inimitable
odour of muck spreading that
is pervading the village at the
moment!
Hedgerley will of course be
sad to see the loss of Andy and
Emma; Kevin at The White Horse is
particularly mourning the projected
drop in takings; but rest assured,
the farm will be safe in Mike’s
capable hands, and I am sure that
everyone in the village will join us
in wishing both Andy, Emma and
Mike, the very best of luck in their
respective new ventures. n
Wassaling in the
community orchard.
The community orchard is now
in its third year and all the trees
are thriving. To celebrate the third
season a Wassailing event was
organised, which we hope will
continue as a tradition. It was also
a great opportunity to prune the vast
majority of the fruit trees.
The background to Wassaling is
explained below, but in essence it is
a ritual, hailing from pagan times to
help ensure a good harvest in the
year to come and to chase away evil
spirits with a drink and a toast!
Neil Coxhead suggested the
event, which was organised by the
Hedgerley Community Orchard
Committee and supported by several
kindly Hedgerlyites. It was really
well attended by local residents in
south bucks. Especially welcome
was Jenny Lovelock and friend from
Burnham who had some traditional
wassailing instruments which really
added to the atmosphere during
the toasting. The event was also
supported by Local cider producer,
Salt Hill Cider who kindly brought
some of their wares for all to sample.
A bonfire was lit, sausages were
cooked and glasses of mulled cider
and apple juice were raised and
downed! As is traditional, toasts
– literally toasted bread dunked in
cider – were raised up into the trees,
and to crown the event, two mini
Webb’s were crowned Wassaling
“princesses”.
Background
Wassailing is one of the oldest
English traditions. Its origins date
back to the Saxons and Norsemen.
There are many local variations but
mostly the aim is to make merry!
One variation is when a wassail bowl
is taken around to individual houses
in a village so neighbours can
partake as friends. This tradition has
morphed into carolling at Christmas
time. Another variation is orchard
wassailing, where toasts are raised
and noise is made to promote the
wellbeing of the fruit trees, and
chase away the evil spirits from the
orchards, as well as drinking the
health of cider apple trees in the
hope they might better produce fruit.
Wassail is often held on Twelfth
Night (5th January) but in some
parts of the West Country it is held
on the old Twelfth night which is 17th
January. It is not however a fixed
date - and local customs prevail.
In Hedgerley the custom is to
wassail on the second Saturday in
January.
Like many practices devoted to
the defence against evil, wassailing
has always been seen as a
festive activity and has often been
associated with partying and making
merry! In Saxon times “Waes Hail”
was a greeting meaning “be in
good health”. In the twelfth century
it became “to your health” ... and
now shouting “Wassail!” is much the
same way as saying “Cheers!’ today.
Toasts
“Here’s to thee, Old Apple Tree,
Whenst thou mayst bud
and whenst thou mayst blooom
And whenst thou mayst bear apples enough!
Hats full! Caps full!
Bushel, Bushel, sacks full!
And my pockets full too!
Was Hail”
“Wassail the trees, that they may bear,
Many a Plum and many a Pear,
For more or less fruits they will bring,
As you do give them Wassailing.”
ADAM’S
GARDEN
Prune down any perennials that
haven’t yet been done or that were left
to catch the frost. This includes any
grasses that die down for winter. Use
secateurs or hedge shears and prune
down to about 1 inch from the ground.
Begin sowing fruit & veg seeds,
search out early harvest varieties. You
can space out the sowing to provide a
steady supply later on in the year. Take
care with some plants that aren’t keen
on frosty temperatures, some may need
a warm windowsill or greenhouse to get
going.
Take great care when hoe-ing borders
early in the season, your bulbs &
perennials will be emerging and can
easily be damaged. It’s best to avoid
any hoe-ing until all your plants have
sprouted and can easily been seen &
identified.
To keep a tip-top lawn apply a feed,
weed & moss killer in spring. Raking
out any dead weeds & moss will allow
the grass to grow into these areas.
Normally lawns can be fed every six
weeks but this varies from product to
product.
Find room for a compost heap! They
do not smell, require much care or
provide a home for rats and snakes. A
hidden spot of the garden is fantastic.
They can be constructed usng
wooden pallets. Not only will you have
somewhere to put all your garden waste
but once a year you will have a load of
free home made compost. Its a win-win
situation. An electric garden shredder is
perfect for the larger branches, etc.
If you plan on jet washing paving,
walls or garden furniture; try to do so
before summer really gets underway as
the long hot days bake the algae & dirt
into the stone/wood and it will be harder
to remove. Don’t forget to re-treat any
wooden furniture after jet washing.
When bulbs such as Daffodils,
Snowdrops, etc have finished flowering,
do not prune down or remove the
emaining leaves until they are
completely dead
and brown. The
energy in the
leaves is taken
back into
the bulb and
used for next
years growth
and flowers. If
you remove this
energy you will end
up with weaker, smaller
plants.
Osteospermum is a fantastic bedding
plant for the garden. I had some planted
in a half barrel outside my front door
last year which flowered continously
from April until November. I honestly
can’t recommend them enough! They
originate from Africa so can cope with
dry conditions throughout the summer,
requiring significantly less watering.
Great plants for spring flowers are-
( 01753 824429
) 07834 073611
M @apgardens
[email protected]
www.apoolegardens.com
CONTINUED...
Sarcococca Confusa
Rhododendron, Camellia, Forsythia,
Ribes & many viburnum species.
A particular favourite of mine is
Sarcococca Confusa, a slow growing
shrubs with tiny, delicate white flowers.
The flowers are out in late winter to early
spring and have a wonderful fragrance.
Early spring is the ideal time to prune
Roses before they really kick on and
grow. Always prune to a bud facing away
from the centre of the plant. It’s also a
good idea to prune out crossing stems
and any dead wood too.
Mulch, mulch, mulch! Putting a layer
of compost or bark over your borders
works wonders for the plants. Not only
does it add nutrients to the soil (compost
works quicker than bark for this) but it
also helps retain moisture in the ground
for the coming (hopefully) drier months.
What a perfect time after all that winter
rain we had! Well rotted horse manure is
also a great garden mulch.
Towards the end of spring is the ideal
opportunity to prune and trim any spring
flowering shrubs. Quite easy to plan- any
plants that have flowered in Feb/March/
April and have finish flowering can be
pruned immediately after.
Be vigilant for early signs of pests and
diseases in the garden. Catching and
treating them early can stop any bad
infestations before they really take hold.
The same applies for weeds, spotting
them early really helps for the rest of
the year. Some of the quicker weeds will
easily grow and spread their seed with a
couple of weeks!
If you would like any help with things
mentioned in this article or another
gardening matter, please feel free to
contact me using the details found on
our advert in this months magazine. n
s
’
a
m
m
E
KITCHEN
Emma Marshall
( 01753 648093
) 07976 530523
[email protected]
www.emmamarshallcatering.com
Cooking at this time of year, as the days get brighter gets more exciting as
the fresh harvest of vegetables and fruit arrive.
I love cooking warm and cold salads and using all the fresh herbs from the
garden. I have really enjoyed trying out new recipes which are lighter and
still full of great taste.
One particular favourite which is so quick and easy is making broccoli
mash and serving it with fresh cod and some roasted vine cherry tomatoes.
You could use any fresh white fish available or salmon. The mash is so
fast to make, is really tasty and if you are trying to avoid carbohydrates is
extremely satisfying and you do not feel you are missing out.
Roasted
Cod with a
broccoli,
ginger and
basil mash
INGREDIENTS
2 heads of broccoli cut into florets
(about 450g)
1 tsp sea salt
2 heaped tsp grated ginger
2 tbsp coconut oil/olive oil
A handful of fresh basil
½ to 1 red chilli deseeded and
chopped
A splash of water from cooking the
broccoli
1 – 2 tbsp fish sauce
6 x 200g cod loins
A squeeze of lemon juice
Serve with grilled cherry tomatoes
on the vine
DIRECTIONS
Serves 4-6
Add the grated ginger to the coconut oil in
a small pan and gently cook through for a
few minutes. Put to one side
Cook the broccoli in boiling water with the
salt added for 4 minutes, then drain.
In a food processor blend the broccoli with
the ginger and coconut oil, the basil, chilli
and the fish sauce and if you need a little
splash of water. Add salt and pepper to
taste.
Preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4
Put the cod into a large piece of foil on an
oven dish, drizzle a little olive oil and salt
and pepper. Bring the foil together to make
a parcel
And cook for 20 minutes. At the same time
on a baking tray lined with parchment put
the cherry tomatoes in the oven.
When ready to serve reheat the broccoli,
lay on the plate, top with the cod.
Lay the tomatoes to one side on
the plate.
Put a squeeze of lemon on the cod
and top with a sprig of basil
Pears poached
in a citrus syrup
INGREDIENTS
4 pears (get the ripe and ready
to eat pears), peeled
200g granulated syrup
Peeled zest and juice of 1
lemon
Peeled zest and juice of 1
orange
1 cinnamon stick or star anise
DIRECTIONS
Serves 4
A great way to make pears an interesting
pudding is to poach them in a citrus syrup.
The following recipe is so easy and can be
served with double cream, greek yoghurt or
crème fraiche.
Put all the ingredients except the pears into a
saucepan that is just large enough to hold the
pears. Pour in 500ml water and bring to the boil.
When the sugar has dissolved reduce the heat
and lower the pears into the syrup.
Simmer gently for 10 – 12 minutes until tender,
then remove from the heat and leave to cool in
the liquid.
Serve the pears with double cream, crème
fraiche or greek yoghurt. n
CONTACTS
Church
Office01753 644130
Rector
Rev’d Graham Saunders
01753 643233
WardenRuth Brogden01753 892076
PCC Secretary
Helen Bones
01753 644093
Emergency
Police Emergency999
Non-Emergency101
Thames Valley0845 4505505
Crime Stoppers0800 555111
Electricity Southern Electric
08000 727282
Gas British Gas08001 070275
Water Affinity 0845 7823333
Floodline Environment Agency
0845 9881188
Animal Welfare RSPCA0300 1234999
Transport for Bucks Bucks County Council
0845 2302882
Wapseys Wood Landfill Veolia
0800 0482704
Healthcare
Hospital Wexham Park
01753 633000
NHS NHS Direct111
Farnham Road Surgery01753 520917
Southmead Surgery01753 644414
Threeways Surgery01753 643445
Councils & Government
Buckinghamshire County Council
0845 370 8090
South Bucks District Council
01895 837200
Parish Council
Penny Harris (Clerk)
01753 899268
Dominic Grieve MP
House of Commons
0207 219 6220
Constituency Office01494 673745
(
Helplines
Citizens Advice01895 839551
Samaritans08457 909090
Victim Support0845 3030900
Frank (Drugs)0300 123 6600
Drinkline0300 123 1110
Age UK0800 1696565
Carers Direct0300 123 1053
MIND0300 123 3393
National Domestic Violence
0808 2000 247
Family Lives0808 8002222
Schools
Farnham Common Infants
01753 645899
Farnham Common Juniors
01753 642923
Clubs & Organisations
Women’s Institute
Jennifer Harper-Jones 01753 643872
HedgehogsMary Lane01753 646926
Mother’s Union
Mary Lane
01753 646926
Evergreen Club
Pam Powell
01753 644816
Conservation Volunteers
John Lovelock
01753 647187
Historical Society
John Lovelock
01753 647187
Royal British Legion
Naomi Arnold 01753 663305
ScoutsPhil Anstey01753 646813
Tracy TrustBrian Fenn01753 642190
Memorial Hall
Sue Livingston
01753 647227
Youth Club
Debbie Anstey
01753 646813

2015 Spring - Hedgerley Village

Transcription

Similar documents

Directions to Ardgillan Travelling north from Dublin

Offham Parish Council “Our Village” photo competition

007 Kardamyli (Wikipedia)

VM - Village Market

versione PDF - Appartamenti Casa vacanza Kaporo

Belstone - Dartmoor National Park

Dalmatisch stenen huis | U823 (6+2)

Ela Public Library

Bluffton-Low Country Village Flyer.indd

village ii - Henry S. Miller