Thursday 19 September 2013

Village News

with Margaret Morbey

Steam Train through Chearsley
I know there are a few villagers who are always keen to have information about a steam train coming through Chearsley. On Sunday October 6th,  The Cathedrals Express Luncheon train with the locomotive Bittern (not the correct engine for this line my reliable informant regrets to tell me! But who else would know? ) leaves Paddington at 11.00am arriving at Stratford On Avon at 2.15pm. It is due to return from Stratford at 5.30pm to be in Paddington at 8.45pm. It is estimated that the train should pass through Chearsley just after 12 noon returning through Chearsley at approximately 7.45pm. But be prepared for a wait! As ever, there is the decision to be made about the best place to view the train – close up at Haddenham station for a second or two, or for a slightly longer glimpse from afar in a field. Let’s hope everything goes to plan and we aren’t all waiting in vain.

October in The Bell – the nights might now be drawing in and the evenings cooler, but The Bell has plenty of logs in store for the cosy woodburner. Sharon has some special events planned for October and is also happy to hear of any events that could be held in the pub. Tuesday October 1 – Bingo at 8.30pm. Players eat for £7.50; Sunday October 6 – Quiz Night at 8pm; Tuesday October 8 – Dessert Night (booking necessary); Tuesday October 22 Steak Night with choice of fillet, sirloin and rump steak (booking necessary): Tuesday October 29 - Best dressed Pumpkin competition – judging at 7.30pm. Thursday October 31 Children’s Halloween Party from 4.30 until 6pm - tickets available from the bar. Throughout the month from Tuesdays to Thursdays, The Bell offers 2 meals for £10 from a selected menu. Friday nights continue to be Fish Nights with 2 fish and chips and a bottle of wine at £25.

Quiz on Saturday October 5
A reminder that this is being held in the village hall starting at 7.30pm when Eric Carte will be the quizmaster, with proceeds in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. There are still some tickets available at a cost of £5 each with a maximum of 8 players per team. Tea and coffee will be provided. Please bring your own nibbles. Contact Tony Hall on 01844 208474 or email tazv.hall@tesco.net.

Vacancy for Parish Councillor - the deadline for 10 electors to request an election for this post has now been corrected and amended to October 1. If no election is to be held, the Parish Council will co-opt a new councillor at their next meeting on Monday October 14 in the village hall.

Recycling and waste collection dates – the very useful laminated sheet giving details and dates of collections has now finished and will not be replaced. Details of collection dates can be found via a link under the Village Diary header. Friday September 27 - the recycling bins and food bins will be collected. The following week, October 4 - the ordinary waste bins and food bins will be collected.

Cuddington Village Picture House
Cuddington is delighted to announce that after a lot of planning and hard work to equip the new cinema facilities, including a commercial sized 4.5m screen, high fidelity multi-channel surround sound system, the Village Picture House is now up and running. The first of a regular programme of big-screen viewings is on October 3 in the Bernard Hall when Iron Man 3 will be shown. Tickets priced at £4 for adults and £3 for under 18s, students and Over 60s for this have nearly all sold. In addition, Cuddington is one of 250 venues (and the only village hall) licensed to show live and pre-recorded filming of National Theatre productions. Tickets for these will be £10 each. The first screening is Othello, tomorrow September 26 which is now sold out. Tickets for the films can be bought at Cuddington Stores or online via Cuddington website where there is a calendar of films for October and November. The advice is to book early as seats are limited to 50 – newly upholstered with arm rests. There is a licensed bar selling wine, beer and soft drinks, coffee and tea, ice cream and snacks, catering by John and Elaine of Cuddington Stores.

The Silver Line – this is a new service spearheaded by Esther Rantzen, to support older people by linking them into varied services around the country, and offering a 24 hour, year round telephone befriending service, in the hope that those suffering from neglect, loneliness and abuse can be helped. This will operate in much the same way as Childline has helped abused children just by a phone call. There has been a very successful pilot stage in the North, Jersey and Isle of Man, funded by a BIG lottery grant of £5million with the aim of launching it nationally on November 25th this year. Donations from Comic Relief and support from BT still do not cover the costs of the running the helpline, of making sure every older person knows the Silver Line telephone number. £1 and half million still needs to be found from other trusts, foundations, corporate supports and public donations. Volunteers for the befriending service are needed. If you would like to donate or volunteer, please email amy@thesilverline.org.uk. Leaflets about this new service will soon be circulated with the number 0800 328 8888 that can be used at any time.

Charity Concert in aid of The Hospice of St Francis - following last year’s successful concert in Tring when nearly £2000 was raised, The Oxford Fiddle Group Concert will be held at Victoria Hall, Tring on Sunday September 29 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10 in advance and £12 at the door. Please contact David Lonsdale on 01296 631791 or email lonsdales@hotmail.co.uk

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Bank card courier scam

Thames Valley residents are advised to be on their guard to a new type of scam which is becoming prevalent across London and is now spreading to other areas.
The courier fraud scam often targets the elderly and vulnerable and takes the following steps:
  1. The victim receives an unsolicited telephone call from fraudsters saying they are from their bank (or in some cases claiming to be the police), stating that their systems have spotted a fraudulent payment on their card or that their card is due to expire and needs to be replaced.
  2. The person may be asked to ring the bank back using the phone number printed on the back of their bank card. This helps to convince the person that the call is genuine. However, the fraudster has kept the telephone line open so even though the person has called the bank, the call does not go through. Instead they are unknowingly connected straight back to the fraudster.
  3. The fraudster then gains the person’s trust by pretending to be from the bank and seeming to offer assistance. In many cases the person is asked to provide their full bank card details and key in their PIN so that their existing card can be cancelled and their new one activated or authorised. The fraudster will then explain that the bank will need to collect the card.
  4. The fraudster will then attend the person’s address or send an innocent courier company driver to collect the card and sometimes provide them with a replacement card which is subsequently found to be fake.
  5. Therefore, the fraudster has obtained the person’s name, address, full bank details, the card itself and the PIN. The bank cards are then used fraudulently without the victim’s knowledge.
There are a number of variations to the scam, including:
  • Fraudsters pretending to be from the police cold calling members of the public and telling them that their bank account has been compromised by criminals. The fraudster suggests that the person should transfer their bank balance into a ‘safe’ police bank account.
  • Fraudsters pretending to be from the police attending people’s addresses and retrieving the person’s card and PIN.
  • Members of the public receiving letters on bank headed paper informing them that their account has been the subject of a fraud. The letter advises them to transfer their funds to a ‘safe’ account and that an official will be in contact to provide them with a new card and PIN.
  • Fraudsters contacting members of the public requesting them to cut their cards in half because their account has been compromised. They are then asked to post the cut card to an address where fraudsters simply tape the card together again and can use the details to commit fraud.
Between May and August, Thames Valley Police has received 17 reports of fraud of this type, all in the central Milton Keynes area.
Police advice is that if you receive such a call, end it immediately. If you have elderly or vulnerable family members, friends, or neighbours, let them know about the scam.
Please be aware that:
  • Your bank will never attend your home
  • Your bank and/or the police will never collect your bank card
  • Your bank and/or the police will never ask for your PIN
If you receive this type of call, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or via their website. In an emergency, dial 999

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Village News

with Margaret Morbey

Chearsley Show - this was held in the village hall on Saturday September 7 when a record number of 65 entrants exhibited their home grown fruit, vegetables, flowers, cakes, jams, models, photos, and handicraft. The children’s section was particularly well supported this year. The overall winner of the Vic Walker Cup was retained by Julian George, last year’s winner, who also won the Gadsby Trophy for Best Vegetables. Other winners were
  • Geoff Corpe : Best Photograph
  • Perry Smith : Best Model
  • Jean Wiles : Best Art Entry
  • Anne Pratt : Craft
  • John Howard : The Eli Godfrey Glass Plate for Men’s Jam Tarts
  • Julia Witcher : Wilfred Kind Cup for Best Domestic
  • Pauline Parkes : The Olive Ashworth Cup for Best Flowers
  • Alicia Howard : The Lane Bud Vase for Best Flower Arrangement
  • Anne Pratt : The Harry Gregory Cup for Craftsmanship
  • Joy Payne : Best Fruit
  • Fenella Tillier : Best Tomatoes
  • Margaret Morbey : best hanging basket. 
The Best Children’s Entry was Thomas Wall Morris who received the Harold Braley Cup and the children’s champion was Tessa Siddall. The Committee with Joy Payne as president , who was celebrating her birthday on the day,and particularly Anne Lewis, who has the difficult job of entries co-ordinator are to be congratulated on organising another successful village day, appreciated by the many entrants and other villagers who came up in the afternoon.
Thanks also go to all the exhibitors, particularly the children for putting on such a good show. If anyone would like to join the committee, or be able to help on the day, this would be very much appreciated. Please contact Joy Payne on 01844 208513.

Chearsley Classic Car and Fun Day - the rain held off for most of the afternoon to enable over 500 visitors to enjoy the day when over 100 classic cars were on display and there was a busy afternoon of entertainments including a fun fair, go-karting for kids, a Pets’ Corner, 2 dog agility displays by Fracas, jazz performances by Eddie Takes Five, face painting, wool spinning, sheep shearing – lots to see as well as a car boot sale. Trips around the local area in a classic bus proved very popular. Tea and cakes provided by Chearsley W.I. did well, and the bar run by Perry Smith and his team.
Almost £2,000 was raised by the event, which was the original idea of Fred Crawford, who with his team of Mark Haynes, Adam Lazaruk, Larry Greenfield and John Fowler worked very hard to make it all happen. The money will be invested in developing the Junior Cricket at the Club which had 80 youngsters signed up during the 2013 season. It is planned for the event to take place next year on Sunday September 7 – make a note.

Chearsley Cricketers
Aunt Sally
Richard Veness has very proudly told me: “At last, Chearsley Cricketers have something to shout about. After a season of under-achievement on the cricket pitch, the Aunt Sally team has come up trumps. They won 11 out of 14 league games, finishing top of Division 5 of The Hook Norton Bicester and District League. Captain Adam Lazaruk’s average would grace a team in a much higher league and Paul “masterchef” Kingsman’s food is undoubtedly the best in the Division by far. Well done to all those who played throughout the season. They will receive their trophies at Finals Night at The Black Bull in Launton on Friday September 20.

Harvest Festival – this will be held on Sunday September 22 at 10am at St Nicholas Church with Andy Bell followed by a bring and share lunch

 Baby CongratulationsPeter and Sue Grimsdell of ElmBrook Close are proud to have become grandparents for the second time. Scarlett Grace Grimsdell was born in Herford, Germany to John and Heidi on Friday September 6, a sister for Holly Rose. Congratulations and best wishes to the Grimsdell family.

Vacancy for Parish Councillor
A vacancy has occurred in the office of Councillor for the Chearsley Parish. If any 10 electors for the parish write to the Returning Officer by October 15 requesting that an election be held, the vacancy will be filled at a by-election. The Returning Officer is Andrew Grant, Electoral Services, The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury Bucks HP19 8FF. If a by-election is not called for, the Parish Council will fill the vacancy by co-option of a suitably qualified person at their meeting on Monday October 14.

Theatre in the Villages - Friday October 18 at Chearsley Village Hall
The trustees of the village hall are very pleased to host another performance this year as part of this scheme funded by Aylesbury Vale, South Bucks and Wycombe District Councils. Come and enjoy an evening with The Pooters for comedy and song with pianist Wendy Norman. It is a new adaptation of George & Weedon Grossmith’s classic comic Victorian novel of suburban life, which strikes many contemporary chords. The titular nobody is Charles Pooter, a clerk in 1880’s London who records in his diary the aspirations, trials and tribulations of his life both at the office and at home. The performance starts at 8,00pm. A bar will be open for drinks beforehand and during the interval. Tickets cost £12 and are available from me, Margaret Morbey on 01844 208913 (email margmorb@mail.com) or Tony Fleetwood on 01844 201176 (email fleetwood@btinternet.com) Please book early as seats are limited.

Electoral Registration Forms – an opportunity to earn extra cash
Every year AVDC send out a registration form to every household in the area to update the Electoral Register. They need people to work for a few evenings or weekends from December 6 until January 20 (with a 2 week break over Christmas) to deliver canvass forms to chase up responses. Contact Jo Sara on 01296 585051 at AVDC, Electoral Registration, The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury HP19 8FF for more details.

Saturday 7 September 2013

Heybrook Planning Proposal

Rose, Francis and Laura Heybrook invite all residents of Chearsley to
the second and final

Presentations of their proposed Housing and Village Community Initiative

at The Village Hall, Chearsley.

Thursday 12 September 7pm – 9pm

Formal presentation with questions afterwards.

This is YOUR opportunity for us to listen to and address your comments.

We hope you have all received a copy of our draft proposal delivered to every household in Chearsley.  If not,and you would like to receive one, please contact Laura as below.

DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS SUNDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2013

PRIOR TO SUBMISSION OF A PLANNING APPLICATION


The Village Picture House

The Bernard Hall Management Committee in Cuddington is delighted to announce that the work to equip the new cinema facilities is now complete and that the Village Picture House web page is now live.
  • High-definition video on a commercial-sized 4.5 metre screen
  • High-fidelity, multi-channel surround sound
  • New upholstered seating with armrests
  • Licensed bar for wine, beer and soft drinks
  • Freshly ground coffee, tea, ice cream and snacks
  • Catering courtesy of John and Elaine Moore at Cuddington Stores
The film schedule begins on Thursday 3rd October with a screening of Iron Man 3.  This is the first of a regular programme of big-screen viewings for local people.  They will be showing a range of films including action, drama, sci-fi, children’s, art house and romantic comedy movies, including both recent releases and older films, so hopefully they will have something for everyone.  Tickets for films are priced at just £4 for adults and £3 for under-18s, students and over-60s.

The Village Picture House has scored a significant coup – they are one of just 250 venues in the UK (and the only village hall) licensed to show live and pre-recorded filming of National Theatre productions.  These screenings have been hugely successful and attract sell-out audiences in large venues across the UK and around the world.  The first event will be on Thursday 26th September when they present a live screening of Othello with Adrian Lester in the title role.  National Theatre prices are set at £10 per person, the lowest price we are allowed to charge under the terms of our contract.

You can buy tickets at Cuddington Stores (cash only, please) or book online using PayPal, a debit or credit card.  There are only fifty or so seats per night, and they expect most events to sell out very quickly.  Book early!  To make sure that you receive priority email updates about new Village Picture House screenings:
  • Sign in to the village website
  • Click the ‘Your Preferences’ tab
  • Tick the box labelled Village Picture House
  • Click the ‘Submit’ button at the foot of the screen

Friday 6 September 2013

Village News

with Margaret Morbey

Proposed Heybrook Planning Development - the evening presentation held in the village hall on Monday September 2 was well attended with around 50 to 60 interested residents there to hear about the proposals, see the plan and voice their opinions – several with strong feelings and anxieties, particularly that if this development was permitted, it would lead to other large developments being given the go-ahead, putting even more strain on the already failing old sewerage and water pipes in the village and other consequential problems of an influx of residents. Laura and Rose who presented the evening together with their planning consultant were thanked for openly discussing their proposals with the village and actively seeking to amend or adapt according to points and opinions felt about the number of houses and whether a new village hall should be built etc. The scheme would allow for a new village hall/cricket club/playgroup, play area,and carpark to be built by the Heybrooks, registered and run in trust for the village, or money would be given towards updating the existing hall. Regarding the lease of the Heybrook land now used as a cricket field, it was confirmed that this lease would be extended for a considerable number of years whether or not the proposed housing development went ahead. If you missed this first meeting, another evening presentation will be held in the village hall on Thursday September 12 at 7pm. The Heybrooks can be contacted at Manor Farm or by email to laura@daleandheybrook.com.

Village Draft Plan – Your comments and opinions are needed. The latest date for comments is Friday September 20.

Bingo at The Bell – the first of a new season of Bingo was held on Tuesday September 3 with a good number of hopefuls – some there for the first time and some old regulars. The final Full House prize of £60 was won by a first timer, so it is hoped to see her again next month! Andy, unable to be there, was missed by us all. Paul, the caller, managed very well with Tracey, Andy’s better half, standing in, who was able to keep all the balls in their right places! £38 was raised by the raffle in aid of the charity pot. The next Bingo session will be on Tuesday October 1.

Chearsley W.I at The Bucks County Show
Chearsley W.I. recently entered the annual Craft and Design competition run by The Bucks Federation of Women’s Institutes. The theme of the competition was “Musical Highlights” and Chearsley chose “Mary Poppins”. All the entries were displayed at the Bucks County Show on Thursday August 29 and marks were given for an appropriate hat, cake, flower arrangement and sweets as well as presentation. There were a large number of entries and the Chearsley representatives were delighted to be placed in the first 5. This was the first time Chearsley W.I. had entered this competition and the excellent comments from the judges were very encouraging.

September Meeting for Chearsley W.I. – this will be held on Tuesday September 17 in the village hall when Elizabeth Thomson will give a talk on the “Early Life and times of Frank Markham” – an early 20th century MP who represented three parties in Parliament. Meetings start at 2.00pm. Visitors are welcome at a cost of £4.

Warning – feral cat!
A ferocious attack on a dog took place a few evenings ago in the old Millennium field, Chilton Road by a large feral tabby cat, resulting in several open wounds requiring stitches and costing its owner a vet’s bill of almost £250. Does anyone know anything about this cat, which was last seen on that evening attacking cattle in a field in Chiltern Road? If you have any information, please contact me.

Quiz – a Quiz is being organised to raise funds for The Royal National Lifeboat Institution to be held in Chearsley Village Hall on Saturday October 5 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5.00 per team member with a maximum of 8 per team. Eric Carte will be the Quiz Master. Tea and coffee will be provided. Please bring your own nibbles. Contact Tony Hall at The Cottage, Church Lane, Chearsley HP18 0DH, phone 01844 208474 or email tazv.hall@tesco.net for more information and to book your tickets.

Kop Hill Climb - Now an important fixture on the historic motor sport calendar, The 5th historic Kop Hill Climb will take place at the weekend of September 21 and 22 at Kop Hill Princes Risborough, when over 400 period cars and motorcycles take it in turn to try, and mostly succeed in getting to the top of Kop Hill from a dead start. The hill starts with a gradual slope and is 1 in 6 at the halfway mark. The road then eases off before getting even steeper at 1 in 4 for a short section just before the summit – quite a challenge for driving skills and vehicle performance. There are viewing points for spectators in the field alongside part of the hill. Come along and cheer them on. Runs start at 10am until 12.45pm and from 2pm until 4.45pm each day. There will be motor sport demonstrations from 12.45pm until 1.00pm and from 16.45pm until 17.00pm . On the Sunday there will also be a Battle of Britain flight – schedule and weather permitting. Other attractions include A wall of Death Motorcycle, soap box challenge, Laurel and Hardy, static display of classic cars, traders, children’s entertainment, food and Kop Hill ale. Last year, a record crowd of over 14,000 attended enabling over £37,00 to be distributed to local charities. There will be 2 entrants from Chearsley this year – Phil Morbey in his 1951 Riley 2 ½ litre, supported and encouraged by Podge and myself on the Saturday , and Jonathan Hirst of Church Lane who will be sharing the driving duties with his father Richard Hirst of Haddenham in their 1935 Railton Light Tourer. For more information about the day, admission charges and opening times etc. please see their website at www.kophillclimb.org.uk

Home Sweet Home Art Installation – video mapping of “a slice of life” in Aylesbury Last year, on the night of the Paralympic Flame Celebration, the Court House in Market Square in Aylesbury was transformed by Shared Space and Light into a canvas of images featuring Paralympians talking about their inspirations. This company have now been invited back by AVDC with funding from Arts Council England to create a video mapping installation of a “slice of life” in the Aylesbury Vale area, combining residents’ stories and opinions and views with transformations and juxtapositions of architectural styles of the area from different eras. The final work will be played in a 10 minute loop under the Arches of Market Square during evenings in the Autumn. AVDC are looking for residents willing to be filmed talking about where they live and what is good about living in the Aylesbury Vale. Casual interviews will be held on Thursday September 12 at The Queens Park Arts Centre between 12pm and 8pm. There will be 20 minute slots for people to book. If you are interested and happy to be filmed, please contact Jessica Rabone at AVDC The Gateway phone 01296 585939. The Paralympic Flame celebration can be seen at www.sharedspaceandlight.com/projects/flame.

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Emergency Services Open Day - Sept 14th

The Waddesdon Neighbourhood Policing team is organising its annual Emergency Services Open day.

The event will take place on Saturday 14 September and will run between 10am and 3pm in front of Waddesdon Manor on the High Street.

The neighbourhood policing team will be accompanied by the Fire, Ambulance and other emergency services.

As it is the Heritage Day, there will be free entry for members of the public to the Waddesdon Manor and surrounding grounds. PCSO Denise Grayburn said: “The neighbourhood officers will be out and about, offering crime prevention advice and raising awareness of how people can sign up to the two-way communication system - Thames Valley Alert.

“On the day we will be supported by two horses from the Milton Keynes Mounted section. We encourage members of the local community to attend this free event and this will be a great opportunity to meet your local neighbourhood officers for a chat about any concerns you may have.

“We will be located in front of the manor, so you can’t miss us. We anticipate this will be very a successful event, with a huge turnout likely.”

Monday 2 September 2013

Reminder - Heybrook Planning Proposal

A quick reminder that the Heybrook Proposed Housing and Village Community Initiative is on view today in the Village Hall, with a formal presentation beginning at 7:00pm.

Free Bike Marking Event - Saturday 7th September

Aylesbury Vale residents are being urged to take advantage of a free service that aims to reduce bike thefts in the district.

A free bike marking session will be held at Halfords in Broadfields, Aylesbury, between 11am and 1pm on Saturday 7 September 2013.

New bikes purchased at Halfords are free for marking as well as those that are old that are brought along on the day of the event.

Following this event,  bike marking will be available to all new bikes purchased at Halfords whilst security marking stocks last. Free bike marking upon purchase of a new bike from Buckingham Bikes will also be available for a limited period whilst security marking stocks last.

The security marking shows who owns the bike and cannot be erased or removed. It acts as a permanent deterrent to bike thieves because it can be easily checked by police.

If the bike is stolen and then recovered, the police can easily trace the rightful owner and make sure it is returned to them. It also means they can prosecute the person they catch riding the bike for theft or handling stolen goods.

The bike marking event has been organised by Aylesbury Vale District Council’s community safety team in partnership with the Thames Valley Police Neighbourhood Team.

Councillor Pam Pearce, AVDC Cabinet Member for Community Matters, said: “Bikes are often very valuable possessions and it can be  very upsetting when they are stolen. It is vital to secure any bike which is going to be left unattended – even if the owner is only going to leave it for a short period of time. We are working very closely with the police to remind people to lock up their bikes so we can work together to reduce the number of incidents in Aylesbury Vale.”

Top tips for cycle security are:
  • Always lock your bicycle wherever you leave it – it only takes seconds to steal an unsecured bike. Make sure it's locked in a well-lit public area with lots of people passing.
  • Only use a good quality D-lock. A poor quality lock at the lower end of the market can be easily sawn through or bolt cropped in seconds. It certainly pays to invest in the best quality lock you can afford (At least £30 -£40).
  • Always lock your bicycle to something immovable, an object a bicycle cannot be lifted over and cannot be broken, cut or removed i.e. chain link fencing, grilles, gates or trees.
  • As many as half of all bicycles are stolen from the owner's home – investing in a ground anchor and attach it securely to a wall or concrete floor.
  • Insure your bicycle on your home contents insurance – don't forget to cover it for thefts away from home.
  • Register your bike on the property database Immobilise. Immobilise helps police identify the owner of lost and stolen property thousands of times each day.
  • Before registering your bicycle on Immobilise.com, take a photograph and record the frame number/key details such as make and model.