Friday 28 April 2017

More Chearsley FC Success!

From Chris Heap:

Further to my announcement in February, some more sporting success to report.

Following on from our unbeaten season and subsequent promotion to the Oxford City Monday Night Premier League, we've only gone and won the Premier League to claim back to back league titles!

The league was won with a game to spare (we drew our final match) with a record of:

P10 W8 D1 L1 F23 A7 GD+16 Pts17

The Bell will be turning purple again later in May!

Village Hall Fundraising

LOOKING FOR A BEAUTIFUL NEW VENUE FOR A FAMILY CELEBRATION?
~
WANT TO ATTEND A NEW YOGA, PILATES OR ZUMBA CLASS ON YOUR DOORSTEP?
~
KEEN TO MEET FRIENDS IN A LOCAL AND ATTRACTIVE SETTING?

Well from April next year, you will be able to do all these things in the beautiful, new, contemporary Chearsley Village Hall!

Work is due to start this July and will finish in March next year. The total cost of the new Village Hall is approximately £540,000 and the Village Hall Fundraising Committee has done a fantastic job so far. We are very grateful to all those in the village who have attended our events, organised coffee mornings, read our fundraising applications, appeared in our calendar and provided technical support and help.

However, we have £60,000 left to raise in order to ensure that the new hall will get built and provide many more services and activities for our village. So what is our fundraising plan?

Further grants have been applied for but we also need your help. We need to raise £20,000 by the end of May from the village and we are very grateful to the Vickers and Heybrook families who together have agreed to match every pound donated (with a ceiling of £25,000). In this way, we could raise over £40,000.

Your donations will help to purchase vital equipment for the new hall e.g. hearing loop (£1,500), new toilets (£240 each), a disabled wash basin (£300), hand driers (£240 each) a new loft ladder (£250), new flooring (£10,000) and equipment for the new kitchen.
The names of all donors will be recognised in our Giving Tree which will be permanently placed inside the front entrance of the new hall (we will be in separate contact with all donors about this). It will be beautifully designed by Clare McCormick – new Chearsley resident and art teacher at The Mandeville School.

 Example of a Giving Tree with donor names
There are a number of ways that you can donate:
Alternatively you can:
  • make a bank transfer to the Chearsley Village Hall
    Lloyds TSB bank account
    sort code 30-98-56 account number 00220198
        OR
  • write a cheque or put a cash donation in a sealed envelope and hand to one of the contacts below:
    Alex Wall Morris, Willow Corner, School Lane, Chearsley (alex@willowcorner.net Tel: 01844 202478)
    Antonia Stratford, The Old Granary, Chilton Road, Chearsley (antoniastratford40@gmail.com Tel: 01844 208469)
    Angela Gray, 8 Elm Brook Close, Chearsley (angela@grayemail.co.uk Tel: 01844 202105)
    John Lewis, Orchard House, Church Lane, Chearsley (johnlewis@cdoconsult.com Tel: 07780 600640)
With your support, we can finally get the new hall that Chearsley so badly needs.

Thank you!

The Village Hall Committee

Annual Village Meeting - 24th April 2017

A message from Nic Brown, Chairman of Chearsley Parish Council:

 “On behalf of the Parish Council, I would like to say a big thank you to the 90 or so parishioners who joined our Annual Village Meeting on Monday evening.

We welcomed the opportunity to share our vision for the future of Chearsley with the wider village community.

I know the audience enjoyed hearing from all our village groups who are working passionately to contribute so positively to the life of the village.”

The minutes of the meeting will be published in due course and a PowerPoint copy of the presentations made is available here (12MB).

The Parish Council will shortly be launching an online bulletin to keep parishioners updated with its work. If you would like to receive this information, please contact either John Lewis - johnlewis@cdoconsult.com  or John Howard - jnh@dbmc.co.uk

Wednesday 26 April 2017

Village News

with Margaret Morbey : 01844-208913

Annual Village Meeting Monday April 24
There was a big turn out for this evening hosted by the Parish Council with over 50 villagers happy to enjoy a glass of wine and cake before settling down to listen to the reason of the meeting. Nic Brown, as chairman gave an outline of the work of the Council and introduced and welcomed Martin Hearman as a new councillor and flagman and also Robert Parkes who has been appointed Financial Officer.
John Howard listed the achievements of the Council during the past few months, which included work to the war memorial area with new flagpole, repair to the bus shelters, and the new notice board. Many other matters concerning speeding in and through the village, more HGV surveys, parking problems by The Green and throughout the village, kerbing in Dark Lane and other areas, resurfacing of the approach roads, the health of the chestnut tree and other trees, installation of the defibrillator, the phone box area and more are all ongoing concerns.
John Lewis, as Treasurer, explained funding and the Council’s decision to increase the village precept so that more could be done to improve Chearsley and anticipating a decrease in local council contribution. Comments from villagers included emptying of the rubbish bin by the bus stop, emptying of the dog bins, poor condition of the shop front, parking in Bernards Close and School Lane.
Reports were then given on the New Village Hall by Antonia Stratford, The Bell by Sharon, The Cricket Club by Terry Gadsby, The Classic and Vintage Fun Day by Andy Yorke, Chuf by Hannah Eames, The Church by Joy Payne, The Fete by Angela Gray, Reverend Richard Phillips and W.I. by Ann Lee. To go into the details of each report would take too long (and my pen was running out).
Being reminded of the wealth and importance of Chearsley businesses and activities that go on all the time, run by many enthusiastic, hard-working, caring villagers which all go to make Chearsley the lovely, loving, thriving, happy village it is, made me feel very proud and, I am sure, all other villagers, to be a part of it. An overwhelming plea which came from all reports was for everyone to continue supporting and contributing so that the clubs and groups, the Parish Council, The Bell, the Church, the shop, who all welcome your suggestions and comments, can survive.
The Parish Council put on a very successful , informative evening and they hope that their next meeting on Monday May 15 at 7.30pm in the village hall will be as well supported.

Death of David Coope
David, of Elm Brook Close, died on Thursday April 20 in a residential home in Bridgnorth. David had been suffering with cancer for some time, managing at home on his own until six weeks ago when he moved to a home near his God-daughter in Bridgnorth after the cancer had spread to his brain. David had travelled widely and was a teacher for many years in Africa. His final teaching post was at Ashfold School. On retirement, he volunteered by helping young offenders at Aylesbury Prison and helping at The Citizens Advice Bureau in Aylesbury and Thame.
His life in Chearsley was very active during his 35 years in Elm Brook Close, serving as footpaths officer on the Parish Council, an active member of the Village Hall committee and serving on the “Save The Shop” committee. A bachelor with no children or family, he was very independent and had made his own funeral arrangements to be laid to rest at The Jordans Woodland Burial Site.

Funeral of Rosemary Wallis
This will be held on Tuesday May 9 at 12.30pm (please note the change of time) in Chearsley Church. All her friends are most welcome to attend to say farewell and to celebrate her wonderful life.

London Marathon
Congratulations to Angela Gray and Natalie Babington who successfully ran and completed this race on Sunday. I hope that Lin Joiner’s son, Alex, who planned to run, also completed the course. Angela was running for Wheelpower and she has been amazed and delighted by the generosity of everyone who has helped her to raise over £3,300. By way of a thank you to all her sponsors, she would like to invite them to The Bell on Thursday from 7.30pm for a drink and sausages.

Flower Festival
“Village Life” is the theme this year of a Flower Festival which will be held in Chearsley Church on Friday, June 30 Saturday, July 1 and Sunday July 2. It is hoped that all groups and clubs from the village will be exhibiting to create a wonderful village floral display. In addition, on display will be old record books of births, deaths and marriages in the village. Refreshments (of course) including home made cakes will be served. Also plants for sale.

MeadowSong
Come with a rug or deckchair and enjoy a relaxing evening listening to Paul Shinar (Joy Payne’s brother) sing well known songs in the grounds of the village hall on Saturday July 8 from 6.30pm. A chance to say farewell to the old hall. Tickets cost £10 each, no charge for children. There will be a bar, barbecue, strawberries and cream and raffle. Please contact me, Margaret Morbey on 208913 or email margmorb@mail.com.

Chearsley Fruit and Flower Show will not be held this year. It will be back, even bigger and better, in September 2018 in the new village hall.

Connection Support in Aylesbury is funded by Bucks County Council to enable people to be happy and well in their independent living accommodation. There are a number of volunteer opportunities available to provide company and friendship to elderly service users, or as drivers or support workers. Training and on going support is provided and travel expenses are reimbursed. Anyone interested should contact Milena Dixon on 01296 484322 or email milenadixon@connectionsupport.org.uk

Turn End House and Garden Open Day
An opportunity to visit this interesting architect-designed and award winning house and lovely garden in Haddenham on Sunday May 7 from 2 to 5.30pm. Cost is £15 with no charge for children. Places are limited. Email turnendtrustevents@gmail.com to book your place.

Turn End Art and Craft Workshop make a Spring Journal with Heather Hunter
This will be held on Saturday May 6 from 10 to 4pm at the Methodist Hall, Haddenham. £45 per person. Please email Turn End at email address above to book your place.

Haddenham Medical Centre therapists
On Thursday May 4 from 10.30 to 12noon, there will be the opportunity to meet private therapists who work at the Health Centre. These are an acupuncturist, a sports massage therapist and a physiotherapist.

Your Views on the future of Bucks Councils
There is an opportunity to complete a short online questionnaire giving your views on Bucks County Council’s future proposals at http://futurebucks.co.uk/yourviews/. Feedback will be provided to the government to help them consider the future of local county services in Bucks.

Services at St Nicholas Sunday:
  • April 30 at 10am United Benefice Service

Thursday 20 April 2017

Appeal for witnesses following arson - Haddenham

This is a message sent via Action Fraud Alert and has been sent on behalf of Thames Valley Police.

Thames Valley Police is appealing for information following an arson incident which occurred in Haddenham.

The incident took place on Monday (17/4) between about 3pm and 3.30pm in Manor Farm, next to Station Road.

The fire service attended a fire of two large hay bales in Manor Farm, which is believed to have been started deliberately.

Thames Valley Police officers attended the scene, and put road closures in place in order to carry out an investigation, and to protect residents from harm.

Investigating officer, Police Constable James Holmes, based at Aylesbury police station, said: “These fires could easily have caused people to be seriously injured, and had the fires continued to grow and spread, there could have been significant damage to the farm.

“I am appealing for anyone who has any information which they think could help our investigation to please call the Thames Valley Police non-emergency number on 101
.”

If you have any information relating to this case, please call 101 quoting reference '43170110615', or contact Crimestoppers anonymously.


Click for the Thames Valley Police website

Saturday 15 April 2017

Village News

with Margaret Morbey : 01844-208913

After the longest holiday Phil and I have ever had, we are now happy to be back home again to find that Chearsley’s diary is quickly filling up with events and occasions and more than time for me to get back to the computer and try to keep everyone informed and reminded of as much of Chearsley news and forthcoming events as I can.

Easter weekend in Chearsley
At the Church:
Easter Saturday 10am an invitation to help create the Easter Garden.
Easter Saturday 8pm Benefice Holy Communion and Service of Light
Easter Sunday 10am Family Communion and Easter Egg Hunt
At The Bell:
Easter Sunday 11am Easter Egg Hunt in the garden at The Bell. Tea, coffee, sausage and bacon baps
Bank Holiday Monday an Easter Panto based on the Trolls movie telling the Easter story at 10.30am in Cuddington Church. There is no charge and there will be refreshments and an Easter Egg Hunt.

One sad piece of news I have to share is the death of my brother, Mac who died a week before we came home. Mac always loved The Bell , then run by Danny and Ann McKay, becoming a 6 o’clock regular when he was home from working in Nigeria or Somalia and for a while living here with us or Mum in Bernard's Close. Many old customers of The Bell will doubtless remember him – a matter of once seen or heard, never forgotten. A very individual, intelligent and well educated ex-Cambridge graduate, Doctor of Botany, not suffering fools gladly and never holding back in letting his opinion be known. The cancer in his mouth diagnosed early last year had not responded to a course of chemo and although initially managing very well, since Christmas he had quickly deteriorated and he died in Swansea hospital on Tuesday March 28.

More sad news is to learn of the death of Rosemary Wallis who had lived in Dark Lane in the house built by her husband Don in the 1950s. Rosemary had been unwell for a few months and died in Stoke Mandeville hospital a few days ago. The contribution Rosemary made to Chearsley life over many years is great. She was a stalwart of the church as Church warden, also organising the church flowers and running the Sunday School and allotments ; chairman of the annual fete committee; President of Chearsley W.I. for many years; the setting up of the annual village fruit and vegetable show and more recently her regular tea parties in her home for the older members of the village who enjoyed the social gatherings and delighted in her home made cakes. Since her childhood, Rosemary had been a member of Aylesbury Choral Society. A quiet, private lady who has loved and cared for Chearsley more than most people will realize. She will be greatly missed and our condolences go to her family.

Chearsley Church
The parishes of Long Crendon, Chearsley and Nether Winchendon joined together on Palm Sunday morning, a glorious spring day, to celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem for a combined service at Chearsley church. Proceedings began at Chearsley Village hall with a continental breakfast while the children made palm branches from old newspapers. Then, under a cloudless sky all processed down to the church led by Lottie, Alex Wall Morris’ sweet natured little brown pony, posing on this occasion as a donkey! Lottie was totally unphased by everything , even the wonderful pealing of the bells as the procession arrived at church. Thanks go to her minders, Livvy and Claire. Reverend Richard Phillips led a joyful Family Holy Communion Service to a full church.

W.I.
The W.I. held a very successful stall on The Green on Saturday April 8 when their overflowing table of home-made cakes, marmalades and jams quickly sold out. They would like to thank everyone who contributed and supported this fund raising venture which also provided the opportunity for villagers to chat and share news.

W.I. Next Meeting
This will be held in the village hall this Tuesday April 18 when Denise Beddows will be giving a talk on Buckinghamshire Spies and Subversives. Everyone is very welcome to attend. Please come for the talk to commence at 2.40pm. The cost is £5 to include tea and biscuits.

St George’s Day celebration meal at The Bell
Book your table now for Saturday April 22 when The Bell are offering a 2 course traditional English meal for £16.95 or 3 courses for £19.95. Expect a hearty sing song and much patriotic flag waving. Please let Sharon know if you would like to come as soon as possible.

Parish Council Village Meeting Monday April 24 
A reminder that the Parish Council is inviting everyone to hear what the Parish Council has planned for Chearsley for the coming year, including wine and nibbles at 7:00pm in the village hall before the meeting starts at 7.30pm. Also included will be an update on the progress of the the new village hall and contributions from other village groups. Please come to support the Council who are doing what they think is necessary for the benefit of us all. Your opinion and contribution would be very much appreciated by them. Please email the clerk, Helen Spurgeon at helen.v.spurgeon@gmail.com or phone 01844 202107 if you plan to come.

Fete
Another date for the diary is Saturday June 24th when the fĂȘte will take place on and around The Green. More volunteers are needed to help run the usual array of stalls and activities and to help before hand and on the day. Please contact Angela Gray at angela@grayemail.co.uk. if you can help or have any suggestions to make the day a great fundraising success.

Meadow Song Farewell to the village hall Saturday July 8
There will be another wonderful concert by Joy Payne’s brother Paul with his friend Laura on Saturday July 8 as a farewell event to the old village hall. Please make a note of the date. More details of time and tickets will be available in due course.

Chearsley Classic & Vintage Fun Day
This now regular yearly village event will be held this year on Sunday September 10 in the grounds of Chearsley Cricket Club when it is hoped that more than 200 vintage and classic vehicles will be on show and the Battle of Britain Flypast will again make an appearance. Last year was the largest show yet when over £5000 was raised for the village junior cricket academy. The website www.ccvfd.co.uk with more details has been updated and is ready for anyone to register to bring along their car to the show.

Chearsley Cricket Club
The 2017 season is about to start for the Cricket Club with Junior Coaching starting on Tuesday April 18 from 6.30 to 8pm and the first match of the season on Saturday April 22 at 1.30pm when the 1st XI play Amersham Hill. James Veness, Captain of Chearsley Cricket Club, writes that in order for the Club to have a competitive 1st and 2nd XI, the club needs greater squad depth and also needs to increase efforts in coaching and motivating the many promising youngsters in their ranks. A major recruitment drive is under way.
The club would also urge all members and supporters to encourage aspiring cricketers they know to choose Chearsley as their Club. Please contact Peter Redfern on 0775 618929 or Adam Lazaruk on 07865 093154.

Parking in Haddenham
 I learn from Christina of Haddenham who still voluntarily contributes to the Bucks Herald villages section for Haddenham, that Transport for Bucks has notified Haddenham Parish Council that line marking proposals for Thame Road near the railway station have now been commissioned. On Tuesday April 18 it is planned for cones to be installed on site to keep drivers from parking in the road to enable the lining to take place on Wednesday April 19. This should be completed within 2 days, weather permitting. Signing works for the new clearway zone to the west of the railway station and the clearway extension on Pegasus Way up to the A418 roundabout are also due to start on April 18 taking 2 days.

Sunshine Club Spring Bazaar
 This will be held on Saturday April 22 at 2pm in the Bernard Hall, Cuddington. This is an annual “recycling” event. A great opportunity for bargain hunters. Stalls of home-made cakes, white elephant, bric-a-brac, good second hand clothes, books, toys. There will also be refreshments and a raffle. Entrance costs 20p. Children are free. Contributions are welcome at the hall in the morning, or please ring 01844 299150 to arrange collection.

Saturday 8 April 2017

Cakes today!

Please support your local Chearsley branch of The Women’s Institute by buying delicious home-made cakes at our stall on the Village Green today
Saturday 8th April
12.00 am – 2.00 pm

Friday 7 April 2017

Chearsley Annual Village Meeting

What’s happening in our village?


Find out at
Chearsley Annual Village Meeting
Monday 24th April at the Village Hall

Come and hear about your Parish Council programme for the coming year, an update on our new village hall, plus contributions from many other village groups.

Get involved and let your voice be heard – together we can make a difference.

Reception with wine and nibbles ~ 7.00 pm
Meeting ~ 7.30 pm

RSVP to Helen Spurgeon: helen.v.spurgeon@gmail.com or 01844 202107

Thursday 6 April 2017

Fraudsters claiming to be from BT

Following a report from a Chearsley resident, a reminder that not all telephone calls are what they seem.

From BT's Help pages:
We're aware that some customers are being contacted by individuals fraudulently claiming to be from BT or acting on behalf of BT. This type of fraud is an industry-wide problem that we're actively working to tackle. For the latest developments please check www.bt.com/scams

Please be very careful as criminals have been trying to trick customers into giving out their bank details.
  •  They might try to convince you that you owe money on your bill and threaten to disconnect your phone line immediately if you don't pay them over the phone. BT will never disconnect a phone line during the call
  •  They might say that you have a fault or virus on your computer and then try to scare you by suggesting that your computer will stop working if you don't take action. They then try to persuade or coerce you into installing software, or ask you to perform commands on your computer with the intention of gaining remote access to your device
These fraudsters 'spoof' the number they're calling from so if you dial 1471 you might see a fictitious number that masks the real destination. They may also offer you a call-back number to confirm the legitimacy of their call and will then answer as if you're calling BT.

Please remember that you can always check your account online to see if there are any problems. Just go to www.bt.com/mybt
If you're unsure about the caller, here's what you can do:
  • Be suspicious of unsolicited calls relating to a security or system problem, even if the caller claims to represent a respected company
  • If we’re getting in touch about your bill, it’ll usually be from either 0800 328 9393 or 0800 028 5085
  • Ask security questions about your account before continuing the call. If the caller can't answer, they are not legitimate
  • Never give out personal information, such as credit card or bank details, to an unsolicited caller
  • Don't type anything into a computer, install software, visit any websites or follow any other instruction unless you are confident that the call is genuine
  • Don't agree to sign up for anything and under no circumstances let the caller take control of your computer system. This allows them to gain access to your personal files and harvest information
  • If you use a public or shared computer, be security conscious. Remember, each time you exit your account you should sign out completely by clicking the Sign out link. This means anyone using the computer after you won't be able to access your account
If you suspect you've been a victim of a phone scam or are concerned about the security of your accounts, please see our Scams advice to see who to contact.

We constantly monitor the network to safeguard our customers. If we detect suspicious account activity, which makes us believe that your account may be compromised or at risk, we'll act to secure the account immediately. We'll prompt you to change your password when you next log in. We never charge for support of this kind.

Remember: this doesn't just apply to BT - fraudsters and scammers operate using a range of false identities.