Friday 15 November 2019

CHUF vacancy at Chearsley

CHUF have a vacancy at Chearsley for a pre-school assistant. The duties will include looking after 2 to 5 year old children in their development and preparation for school. General duties will include snack preparation and cleaning on a rota basis. The position is for a Tues and Fri morning 9 to 12.00 term time only, with additional overtime on offer to cover absences. All DBS checks will be carried out and paid for by Chuf. If interested or you need more details please contact or send your CV to info@chufpreschool.co.uk or ring 01844 299123 .

Thursday 14 November 2019

Locals Launch Childrens' Book

Chearsley’s Alicia Howard and Lindsey Kennedy of Cuddington, launch their new children’s book ‘Ruby Long Dog Visits the Vet’ in time for Christmas. Signed copies will be on sale at ‘Elevensies’ coffee morning on Saturday 23rd December from 10 till 1.00 at Chearsley Village Hall.

Wednesday 13 November 2019

BT Scam Calls

Cuddington villagers have once again been receiving calls from someone claiming to be from BT and saying that there is a problem with one’s internet connection.  There are also automated calls announcing much the same thing.

These are scams.  If you receive such a call, put the phone down immediately and on no account follow the caller’s instructions.

Tuesday 12 November 2019

Chearsley Parish Assets – Natural & Historic Environment

Parishioner, Ian Houseman has just produced a document entitled “Chearsley Parish Assets – Natural & Historic Environment”.

In discussions with the Parish Council, Ian generously undertook to produce this document to help us argue the case against any unwelcome new developments which may confront our community in the future. A case in point is, of course, the planned Oxford Cambridge Expressway with the associated plans for the development of new housing in our locality on a massive scale.

He has produced a resume of the ‘assets’ of Chearsley village under five separate headings:

1. Landscape
2. Cultural heritage
3. Nature conservation
4. Geology & soils
5. Road drainage the water environment

Ian, with a lifelong career in agricultural management and consultancy, is well qualified to carry out this work for our community. He stresses that this initial document is very much ‘work in progress’ and is already working on extending its coverage. He would also welcome any feedback from our community and suggestions for additional areas for investigation.

Ian’s report can be accessed on this link: http://www.chearsley.com/OCE/Chearsley_CP_Assets.pdf

Survey of Horse-Chestnut Trees

Ian Houseman has also just completed a survey of the Horse-Chestnut trees in and
around Chearsley Village. His work revealed that infestation by ‘leaf mining moths’ was
present in varying degrees in all the trees he inspected. As explained in his report, this tiny moth (Cameraria ohridella) arrived in the UK in 2002 and has already spread to many parts of the UK. Its presence will not kill the tree but renders the tree far more vulnerable to range of stress factors and results in early leaf fall. His report recommends that the positioning of ‘pheromone traps’ on the trees from April, to lure the male moths. Whilst this may not entirely eradicate the problem, it will have a significant benefit in limiting the damage caused by the moths. Clearing away and burning the leaf litter in the autumn is also advisable.

At their last meeting, the Parish Council agreed to undertake these measures around the
Horse-Chestnut tree at the main village junction. As many of the trees are growing on resident’s property, it was also agreed to publicise Ian’s report among our community and it can be accessed on this link: http://www.chearsley.com/OCE/Horse-Chestnut_Survey_2019.pdf

Ian is also very happy to advise residents on the best course of action to take in their
particular circumstances and can be contacted on ian.houseman@btconnect.com
The Parish Council is extremely grateful to Ian for undertaking this work, which, it is to be hoped, will limit the damage to the thirty or so Horse-Chestnut trees in our village, caused by this particular infestation.

Oxford-Cambridge Expressway Update

In the recent Parish Council survey, 80% of Chearsley residents expressed their opposition to the plans for the new Expressway and the major development of new housing which will follow in its wake, including the building of 65,000 new homes in an area designated ‘East of Oakley’, just a few miles from our village. Following this result, the Parish Council agreed to declare its formal opposition to the plans at its last meeting (21st October)

The PC has sent representation to recent ‘Stronger Together’ meetings under the aegis of the No Expressway Group (NEG). This has given our village the opportunity to ‘compare notes’ with many other local village communities who share anxieties about the new plans.

For more information on the No Expressway Group, visit their website at: https://www.noexpressway.org/

The NEG has just launched a petition calling on the government to abandon plans for a new Oxford-Cambridge Expressway.The wording of the petition is as follows:

“We demand that the Government abandons plans for an Oxford to Cambridge Expressway, which include aspirations for vast growth rates (3-6 times national average) for cars, houses and people. 

“The scale of development and urban sprawl will cause devastation to the environment, increased congestion that will harm local communities and wildlife, and a surge in air pollution that will damage our health for generations to come. Ecosystems and habitats are already stressed, with many species in catastrophic decline.

“With this scale and type of development, ‘net zero carbon’ targets are unattainable and ‘net environmental gain’ proven unachievable. We demand that the investment allocated to this project is put into public transport systems such as East-West Rail and its electrification instead.”

If residents wish to sign up for the petition, they can do so by visiting this link on the NEG website: https://www.noexpressway.org/petition-signup

There is also the opportunity to sign up for regular updates from the NEG team.

The NEG have also advised us that they are holding a ‘Call to Arms’ rally this weekend to help publicise their campaign. For any residents wishing to attend, it will take place as follows:

Date: Sunday 17th November
Timing: 11.00 – 12..00 (please arrive a little early)
Location: Brill Common (HP18 9TJ)

Monday 11 November 2019

Could you be the next Chair of Chearsley Village Hall ?

The Village Hall AGM is fast approaching (Thursday November 21) and now is your opportunity to throw your hat in the ring to be chair of this small charity and manage one of the village’s best loved assets.

If you are a stay-at-home parent, newly retired or just have a little time on your hands and are looking to brush up on your management and leadership skills or understand how a small charity is run – then this role is for you!

The task of being chair is not an onerous one and would only involve 1 hour a week at most. With an electronic booking system in place (managed by Martin Hearmon), finances looked after by Keith Turnbull, the quarterly meetings and AGM managed by Margaret Morbey and the grounds by Ruth Holland, your job really is to keep on top of the annual building maintenance and trouble shoot any issues as and when they arise.

If you would like any further information about the role, please contact the current Chair -  Antonia Stratford on 01844 208469 or email antoniastratford40@gmail.com

Chearsley Remembrance Day Service

A well-attended Remembrance Day service took place in glorious autumn sunshine in Chearsley on Sunday. The service was led by our lay minister (LLM), John Scholefield. A number of children from the village joined Air Marshal Sue Gray in laying a wreath and commemorative crosses at the base of the War Memorial.

The Poppy Collection. Joy would like to thank Ruth Holland and Gill Wight who helped her with the house to house collection for the British Legion Poppy Appeal, as she could not have managed it without their help.

A further collection organised by Joy Payne raised £115 for the services charity ‘The Not Forgotten Association’ during the reception in the Village Hall, which took place after the service.

Thank you to all those who donated so generously.

Thanks also go to Antonia and her helpers who served refreshments to warm everyone up!

A pair of tortoise frame glasses were found on the grass, Joy has them. Tel: 208513




Tuesday 5 November 2019

Village News+

November 5 2019  by Margaret Morbey 01844 208913  email margmorb@mail.com

Thames Water Works Cuddington Bridge
PC Chairman Nic Brown visited the considerable works currently underway at the Chearsley - Cuddington bridge area and spoke with the site manager and team who were keen to stress that they are doing everything they can to ensure the works are completed ASAP but it is a massive job that’s being undertaken. All the old above ground pipes that handle fresh water supplies in the Winchendon, Cuddington, Chearsley area are being dismantled as they are very old and creating leaks so temporary diversions are being put in place so that the old pipes can be removed and new underground pipes installed. The works are scheduled to go on to April 2020 and Richard the site manager is available to chat with and he’s very keen to get both the pipe works done and the road kept as clear as possible including ensuring the traffic lights are working at all time’s !! 

New Homes at 3-7 Winchendon Road, Chearsley 
Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust have advised that they have selected Edgar Taylor (Buckingham) Limited to build the new homes at 3-7 Winchendon Road and works are due to start the week commencing 4" November 2019. They recognise that building work can cause disruption and whilst every effort will be made to reduce this, there may be operations during the development that could cause temporary inconvenience to those living nearby and wish to thank all in advance for their patience during this process. For enquiries about the shared ownership properties or the larger one for sale please contact Anne-Marie Anne-Marie.Humphreys@vaht.co.uk . The rented ones will be let through Bucks Home choice. Should you have any questions or concerns please contact via Development Team Contact Centre: (01296) 732600 Email: developmentteam@vaht.co.uk

Service of Remembrance  will be held at 10.45am at the War Memorial followed by refreshments in the Village Hall. A collection for The Not Forgotten Association will be made.   Joy is to be praised for her efforts to visit every house in the village selling her poppies. Poppies are also on sale in the shop and The Bell if you have missed her.

Festival of Remembrance   The idea of having a Chearsley Royal Albert Hall type celebration in the Village Hall will not be taking place this year. Fred Crawford hopes that plans for this will be ready next year and would be interested to learn from villagers if they would consider coming to such an event.

50 Years of Heybrooks in Chearsley   Mike and Susie recently celebrated living in Chearsley for 50 years, coming to live at Manor Farm in 1969. They are to be congratulated for all the many contributions they and their family have made to Chearsley during that time – the fete, Playgroup dances,  Parish Council, The Memorial Field, The Cricket Ground amongst many more. Many villagers will also remember with fondness when their farm was open for soft fruit picking, and many who spent happy hours there working in the fields.

Dashwood Trophy Presentation for Best Kept Village in Buckinghamshire   On Monday October 21 at the Village Hall, Nic Brown on behalf of the Chearsley community,  was presented with a trophy  by Sir Henry Aubrey Fletcher, President of the Best Kept Village in Buckinghamshire Award .  The Dashwood Trophy is awarded for the Best Runner-Up in the smaller village category with populations between 500 and 1.500 inhabitants. The trophy, a silver watering can is on display in The Bell.

Oxford Cambridge Expressway    The Parish Council has considered the results of its recent survey which was completed by over 100 residents and resulting in 80% calling for the Parish Council to oppose the plan. The Parish Council unanimously agreed to adopt a position of formal opposition to the plan and has communicated this view to a range of political and other contacts at both local and national level. 

Reporting Potholes and Road Issues   The Parish Council would like to request that villagers report road issues directly to Transport for Bucks via the website https://www.fixmystreet.com/ as well as sending an email to the Parish Council. This website can also be used for reporting issues outside of Chearsley eg  fly tipping.

Bingo At The Bell will be held on Tuesday November 5. Eyes Down at 8.45pm. A chance to win some good cash prizes (the more players there are, the greater the prizes). Raffle during the interval.    Bingo players can eat beforehand for a special Bingo price. Come along; you might get lucky.

Quiz at The Bell  will be held on Sunday November 10 at 8.00pm.  Everyone welcome, in a team or on your own.

Parish Council November Meeting   will be held on Monday November 18 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

Chearsley W.I. Meeting   Tuesday November 19 in Chearsley Village Hall    The Speaker this month will be Alan Mitchener, well known Chearsley resident who will be giving a light-hearted exploration of how travelling by water has developed through the centuries entitled “From Dugout Canoes to HMS Queen Elizabeth”.  His talk begins at 2.40pm after the W.I. Annual meeting at 2.00pm until 2.30pm.  Everyone is welcome, whether or not a member of the W.I.  Men are welcome too! Non- members will be charged £4 which includes refreshments with home-made cake.  For more information, please contact Anne Lewis at annelewis@cdoconsult.com or phone 01844 201011

Village Hall Management Committee   The AGM will be held on Thursday November 21 at 7.45pm in the Village Hall. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Elevensies   Saturday November 23 from 10am to 1pm in the Village Hall.  There will coffee and cake and a Christmas Food Fair with seasonal decorations, gifts and goodies, plus a prize raffle. Proceeds to St Nicholas Church Chearsley and The Children’s Society.

Christmas Wreath Making    Monday December 2nd at 7.30pm until 9.30pm in the Village Hall   Joy is again holding an evening for you to create a beautiful festive decoration for your door, using natural foliage. All you need is to bring some florist scissors or garden secateurs. Everything else is supplied.  Please let Joy know if you would like to book a place. The cost is £25.  Proceeds from the evening go to St Nicholas Church, Chearsley and a donation to charity. Please contact Joy at joychearsley@gmail.com or phone 01844 208513

Calamity Jane at Cuddington Matinee Cinema    On Monday November 25 at 1.30pm (doors open at 1pm) in the Bernard Hall, Cuddington, the 1953 American Technicolour Western Musical “Calamity Jane” will be shown. Based on the life of the Wild West heroine and her alleged romance with Wild Bill Hickok, the film stars Doris Day and Howard Keel. Well known songs include “Secret Love”, “The Deadwood Stage” and the Black Hills of Dakota”.  Everyone welcome to come. Entry is £5 and includes tea and cake during the interval. The book, please phone 01844 291526 (office hours) or tickets might be available on the door.

Red Kite Radio  are raising funds to buy equipment which will enable them to broadcast live from outside local events. Their present equipment only allows them to record “soundbites” at any event such as a village fete, beer festival, Kop Hill Climb  and send them back to the studio at Haddenham Garden Centre for broadcast later. A crowdfunding appeal on https://www.spacehive.com/ has been launched. If you are able to donate to help out our local radio, please go to this website and search for Red Kite Radio. Payment is through your bank account or via PayPal and money will only be taken if the target of £5,600 is reached by November 25. Red Kite Radio can be found at 107.2 all day every day.

Services at St Nicholas Church:

Sunday November 10      Holy Communion  at 9am  followed by Service at The War Memorial at 10.45am

Sunday November 10      Messy Church Bonfire 4 to 5.30pm

Sunday November 17      Chearsley Praise

Sunday November 24       Evensong at 6pm

Diary Dates

Saturday November 9     Long Crendon Fireworks  5pm onwards, ignition at 6pm   https://www.tickettailor.com/events/longcrendonpta/308429

Sunday  November 10      Quiz at The Bell at 8pm

Saturday November 16   Chearsley Cricket Club Dinner and Dance at The Oxford Belfry

Monday November 18     Parish Council Meeting at 7.30pm in the Village Hall

Tuesday November 19     Chearsley W.I. Meeting 2pm in the Village Hall

Thursday November 21   AGM of the Village Hall Management Committee

Saturday November 23    Elevenses and Christmas Food Fair  10am to 1pm in the Village Hall

Monday November 25    Cuddington Matinee Cinema   Calamity Jane  at 1.30pm at Bernard Hall

Monday December 2        Wreath Making Evening at the Village Hall at 7.30pm