Annual Parish Meeting
This was held on Monday April 20 with about 20 villagers attending. The following is only my notes on the meeting, not the official Minutes.
- Mike Edmonds, who has been our District Councillor for many years, is now standing for the Haddenham and Stone area, as the boundaries have been changed. He reported that finances had been tight, but the weekly refuse collection had been maintained with recycling increased. The Council was considered one of the best local authorities in the country and had been given a Gold award for savings made. Nic Brown, as chairman of the Parish Council, thanked Mike for his hard work and support he always had given.
- During the Chairman’s Question and Answer session, the problems of heavy lorries delivering to house extensions and alterations and damage caused by them to the village roads was again discussed and whether any active efforts to curb this had been made by the Parish Council. It was suggested and agreed that the Parish council stipulate the use of small lorries when they accepted future planning proposals.
- John Lewis reported that there had been no overspend of the budget this year, but that the village should expect the precept to increase in the future, as it had in many other neighbouring villages, to enable more projects to be financed, e.g. kerbing, upkeep of footpaths and benches.
- The Council would welcome anyone who would like to take on a particular project as contained in the Village Plan.
- The new village hall scheme is the only project where any progress has been made with thanks to Antonia Stratford of the village hall management committee. Antonia reported that after a positive village meeting concerning a new village hall, pre-planning advice was very positive. Further ideas and quotes for a new hall were currently being requested from other architects, as the cost of the ones shown at the public meeting were considered too high. Fundraising would be increased in anticipation of the new build in addition to funds from the new housing development and the village hall has joined easyfundraising.org.uk. The purchase of a new glazed notice board is being considered.
- Adam Lazaruk reported that the Cricket Club is flourishing particularly the Junior Section with 110 under-18 members, with 50% living in the village. The Club manages to be self-funded holding various fund raising activities in the year. The problems of dog mess on the field was highlighted; incidents could be reported to the dog warden.
- There was no Police Report.
- Sandra Towell and Clare Lazaruk are standing down from the Council and were thanked by Nic for their hard work over the years and he encouraged others to be prepared to do the same.
- Only two new nominations had been received to sit on the council, which means there is no need for an election for the Parish Council on May 7.
Chearsley Village Hall fund-raising
Although no definite plans for a new village hall have yet been decided upon, fund-raising towards the new hall has already started. The recent family quiz raised £900 and money collected in the charity bottle in The Bell over the next few months will go towards a new village hall. As a considerable amount of money will needed to be raised for a new village hall to be built, it is important to start fund raising now more seriously. One way in which everyone can easily contribute is by signing up to easyfundraising.org.uk. This generates free donations by around 3,000 retailers listed on the site – Tesco, John Lewis, Argos and Amazon – who will pay Chearsley Village Hall a percentage of your online spend – for free. In brief, users of easyfundraising pay the usual price and the retailer makes the donation. Once you are registered, you are ready to shop and raise money. Register by going to www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/chearsleyvh. I found that it is really is very easy to register and you can agree to download a tool from the site which will remind you to donate when you are shopping online. After a purchase, easyfundraising will send you an email telling you how much you have raised and will pass the donation to the village hall. The purchase itself will be dealt with by the retailer as normal. Have a look and register. If you are making a purchase anyway, then why not let the village hall benefit?
Please clean up after your dog
The groundsman for Chearsley Cricket Club has put out an impassioned plea for people who walk their dogs in the cricket field to please clear up the mess made by their dogs. The Cricket Club has a thriving junior side and the children are being put at risk from exposure to the dog mess caused by the thoughtless dog walkers. This has been an ongoing problem which has now become intolerable and it is being considered that the field should be made into a no dog area unless things improve. If anyone knows who the offending dog owners are, please let the Club know. It seems that the Cricket Club is not the only area in Chearsley experiencing problems with dog walkers and dog mess. At the bottom of Church Lane, there is a notice imploring dog owners to clear up any mess their dog may make and put it in the bin specially provided for this purpose by the Parish Council, close by in Church Lane.
Road Closure at Cuddington Mill Bridge
I am sure everyone is now aware of the closure of the road out of Chearsley towards Cuddington which is planned to last until May 26 for repairs to the bridge. Should you have any queries about this, please contact Bucks County Council quoting reference BH002G-5M-01094695/01. The 110 bus between Aylesbury and Thame is still running to a slightly different timetable which can be viewed via the link here (pdf). I have downloaded a copy of the amended timetable and put this on the notice board. Please note that the footpath is also closed, with metal barriers right across the road and verges, so there is no way of getting round the closure by foot or bike. It would have been helpful if Bucks County Council could have given villagers in Chearsley and Cuddington some warning of this sudden closure of the road, having already put up with a month of inconvenience at the bridge with one side of the road sometimes coned off, and with traffic lights, sometimes operating and sometimes not.
Please realize the affect the road closure is having on the business of the shop and pub in Cuddington and if you normally use them, please make the effort to continue giving them your vital custom. There will be no compensation for the inevitable loss of business which they will suffer for the next month. If it is a pleasant day, the walk across the fields to Cuddington is an alternative or a drive to park in Nether Winchendon and a walk along the paths and tarmac drive into Cuddington is an alternative.
Bingo at The Bell – Your chance to win some good cash prizes at April’s Bingo in The Bell will be on Tuesday May 5 with Eyes Down at 8.30pm. Last month, the full house prize on the last game was for £68. The amount which could be won on the snowball game has now reached nearly £200. The raffle which also has some good prizes raised over £40 for the charity bottle which for funds for the new village hall. Come early and have a meal at a special price for Bingo players.
Friday Coffee and Cake at The Bell – the weekly coffee and cake mornings are starting again on Friday May 1. Have a break from household and garden jobs to come up to The Bell and have a chat and natter while enjoying tea or coffee and home-made cakes. No booking necessary. If you don’t visit the pub for meals or a drink at the bar, this is a way of supporting this vital village amenity. You will be made very welcome by Sharon and her staff.
Sunshine Club Matinee Cinema – tickets for this highly popular bi-monthly event in The Bernard Hall, Cuddington will go on sale on May 1. High Society will be shown on Monday May 18 in the hall at 1.30pm with doors open at 1pm. The film is 111minutes long and stars Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra.
Entry is by ticket which includes tea and cake and costs £5 or £4 concession price. Please phone Liz Davies on 01844 299150 to book a ticket. Be aware, that the last showing was fully booked, so get your tickets in good time. Parking has caused problems for the school minibus, so visitors are asked to park in the Playing Field car park at the end of Bernard Close. This will leave room for disabled drivers to park near the hall and disabled passengers can be dropped off outside the hall before parking in the car park.
Church Services at St Nicholas Church:
- Sunday April 26 Family Service at 10am
- Sunday May 3 10am Family Communion and Junior Church. Rock Solid Camp
- Friday April 24 Chuf Quiz in the village hall at 8pm
- Saturday April 25 St George's Day meal at The Bell at 7.30pm. Booking essential
- Friday May 1 Coffee and Cake at The Bell 10 to 12pm
- Monday May 4 Bank Holiday Turn End garden open under the National Garden Scheme 2 – 5pm
- Tuesday May 5 Bingo at The Bell. Eyes Down at 8.30pm
- Thursday May 7 National and Local Elections in the village hall from 7am until 10pm.
- Saturday May 9 A Night at the Opera, at 7.30pm at St Mary’s Church Long Crendon
- Tuesday May 12 Late Spring Walk from 11 – 12pm at Turn End Garden
- Thursday May 14 Propagate your Own plants session 10 – 4pm at Turn End
