Sunday 31 May 2020

Sustainably Reared Chearsley Beef

Per her new Down on the Farm blog, Rose Dale of Manor Farm is now selling very local beef from her longhorn herd.

"I expect many of you have seen and admired our small herd of beautiful pedigree English longhorns. They arrived on the farm last April aged around 2, having been born and reared on an organic farm in Cheshire.  In May last year, they were introduced to our handsome bull, Curly, who came from a farm near Banbury that also has a herd of pedigree longhorns.  So far, we have had 18 lovely longhorn babies. We have our first batch of beef coming soon (not from the calves!) – sometime next week I believe.

The beef is basically organic (we are in transition to organic with a year to go), grass fed (meaning it’s high in omega 3 and conjugated linoleic acid and higher vitamin and mineral levels – all good for your health - see the Pasture for Life website- and obviously very eco as there are very low food miles!  It will be sold through Sandy Lane organic farm shop in Tetsworth but I thought people might like to book a one-off delivery to the village. If there is enough interest, we could do this next week. It will be fresh and suitable for freezing. Mince and steak in 1kg packs (sorry, none smaller as butcher is short-staffed due to Covid), steaks in packs of 2 and joints from 1-2kg.

Prices as follows – It is not the cheapest but is high quality and extensively reared in a wildlife friendly, natural system. I hope you will find it good value and delicious. Payment will be based on the actual weight of the beef per kg. We would invoice in advance of delivery and ideally take payment by bank transfer although I am sure we can sort something out if you are keen and can’t do that.
For orders, please email me on rose@daleandheybrook.com
All the best,
Rose

Steak
All in packs of 2, sold per kg

Sirloin £30
Rump £23
Fillet £36
Rib-eye steaks £30

Joints -
Per kg

Topside £16
Silverside £13.50
Brisket £12

Below in kg packs-

Chuck steak £12.50
Shin £10
stewing steak £9
Mince £9



Down on the Farm 31st May 2020 Issue

Down On the Farm is a new occasional blog from Rose Dale.
Rose, Mike Heybrook's daughter, has taken over the running of Manor Farm in Chearsley with a focus on sustainable farming.

Wildflowers
The wildflower meadows are marvellous now, standing tall with the early summer flowers. The meadow is alive with insects and is a valuable resource for pollinators. Each year, it is mown around late July and the grass is removed to reduce the soil’s fertility.  A low-fertility soil reduces the vigour of the grasses and, therefore, actually provides better conditions for the wildflowers that grow amongst the grass.  Traditional hay meadows were treated like this for decades and this is why they are such amazing matrixes of wildflowers, with up to 40 species in a single square meter. Newer meadows take a long time to reach this equilibrium but even leaving your lawn unmown will soon result in wildflowers springing up, with plants like dandelions, clover and daisies sprinkling the surface and providing valuable food for bees and other pollinators.

Plantlife, a charity that supports Britain’s wild plants, has launched a campaign encouraging people to mow their lawns less often – dubbed No Mow May, it explains how doing this is so beneficial to insects like bees. It’s called Every Flower Counts, you might like to have a look, there is a short animation and activities that children can do (counting flowers!)
https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature

The field above the church was planted in about 1998 by my parents as a permanent meadow. Every year, a slightly different mix of flowers comes up with different species gaining prominence as it evolves. Oxeye daisies, also called dog daisies, are the tall and showy white daisies you can see now. Mum (Suzie) says there is also yellow rattle, buttercup, beaked hawksbeard, bird’s foot trefoil, Lucerne, red clover, and common vetch and that they are best seen by the footpath to the churchyard.

The paddock by the road, along our drive, was awash with lovely cowslips this spring. There were so many, you may even have seen them from the car! It was planted about 19 years ago. Last year we found 3 pyramidal orchids there which was exciting. They were not planted, they just appeared in a mysterious way, perhaps from the old seedbank of seeds lying in wait in the soil, sometimes for decades. We wonder whether they will be back this year. They flower in June and July.

Longhorns
I decided to convert the farm to organic cultivation with the main emphasis on pasture.  I selected Longhorns as a hardy, old-fashioned breed that can forage on mixed plants and survive well outdoors throughout the winter. I would like the system to be as un-intensive and natural as possible, using a minimum of feed and tractors – by planting trees on the farm and replanting permanent pasture, we are aiming for zero-carbon beef!  I found a lovely group of young heifers on an organic farm in Cheshire.  They arrived last spring and have recently been calving for the first time after a 9 month pregnancy like ours.  A female cow remains a heifer until she has produced a calf. So far, we have had 18 calves. One was stillborn, so we bought a replacement to suckle the mother from a local organic dairy farm – easy to spot, she is entirely black, we have called her Midnight.
The others all have to have names beginning with U for their pedigree registration as English Longhorns. 2020 is U and I suppose 2021 will be V!
So far, we have Una, Uno, Ursula, Ulysses, Undine, Ulli, Ulf, Usiah, Ulrik, Uriel, Umberto, Umbrose, Ubi, Unity and Urquhart. An unnamed bull calf arrived 2 days ago and a heifer calf last night.  Any suggestions of names for the last few to be born will be gratefully received – I must admit we are running out of ideas! Only one more to calve now. Fingers crossed it arrives safely, the first calving is the most risky.


The photo above show the latest to arrive, a gorgeous heifer calf who we hope will join the breeding herd,

Saturday 30 May 2020

Sale of Vegetable Plants May 31st Sunday morning

Julian George is selling plants to help raise funds for the village hall.

"Okay, all you veg growers and allotmenteers - new or otherwise, I have the solution to your need for veg plants: A sale of them outside Furze Farmhouse in School Lane.

There will be Tomatoes (both Cherry and normal types) Corno de Rosso peppers, Cucumbers and Brussel Sprouts. All of these will be at £1 a plant.
In addition there will also be some Savoy Cabbage, Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Cavalo Nero, all of these will be 50p as they are less well developed.

Please put the cash in the container provided.
I will have them outside on Sunday Morning May 31."

Wednesday 27 May 2020

Rabans Lane Recycling open 29th May but read the restrictions ...

Press Release from Buckinghamshire Council

27 May 2020

Traffic control measures allow last four Bucks recycling centres to reopen this Friday 29th May


Four Buckinghamshire household recycling centres that have remained closed since the coronavirus lockdown was enforced are set to reopen this week with traffic measures in place to manage queues at busy times.
The sites at Aylesbury (Rabans Lane), Burnham, Chesham and Langley will reopen on Friday 29 May, which will mean that from that date all nine of the county's recycling centres will once again be open. Residents still need to carefully consider whether their trip is essential and only visit these sites if they cannot store their waste or dispose of it in another responsible way. These four sites will resume their normal summer opening times, that's 9am to 6pm. Langley is open seven days a week and the other three sites are open every day except Wednesday and Thursday.
The number of people allowed to visit any site at one time has to be limited to ensure social distancing, so queues will build up during busy times. In the case of the four sites that are set to reopen on Friday, the local road layout means queues would be likely to affect the flow of traffic near the sites and potentially be a safety risk to other road users. To alleviate this, traffic control measures are being put in place by Transport for Buckinghamshire around each site:
Aylesbury (Rabans Lane) - Temporary parking restrictions will be in force on Rabans Close to stop queues blocking the road
Burnham - Residents can only access the site via Walton Lane. When exiting the site residents must use Crow Piece Lane or Allerds Road. Diversion signs will be in place.
Chesham - Temporary stop/go traffic management will be in place on Latimer Road to keep traffic flowing. If the site is full, residents should visit at a quieter time. Please do not queue on Latimer Road.
Langley - Residents can only access the site from north end of Trenches Lane. There is no access to the site from the B470 (Langley Park Road). Diversion signs will be in place.
Residents are asked:
  • Carefully consider whether the trip is essential. Only visit if the waste cannot be stored or disposed of via a registered waste contractor.
  • Bring proof of address. Only Buckinghamshire residents will be allowed entry, though Burnham and Langley sites will also admit residents of Slough, who must also bring proof of address.
  • Check waiting times online to avoid busiest times.
  • Don't arrive before the sites open - a queue makes it difficult for site staff to get to work and open on time.
  • Remember social distancing measures are now in place, which also means no assistance for unloading can be provided.
  • Don't bring a trailer. The permit system is still in place, but trailers will not be accepted at any site.
  • That only one person gets out of the vehicle whilst on site.
  • Remember that non-household waste will be charged for in the usual way.

Friday 22 May 2020

Bucks Recycling Centres and Covid testing news


An extract from Martin Tett’s (BCC leader) recent email. Apologies if you have already seen.

HRCs
I’m really pleased to let you know that all of our Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) will be open from next week – Friday 29 May. We already have the sites at Amersham, Aston Clinton, Buckingham, Beaconsfield, and Wycombe open, and the HRCS at Aylesbury, Burnham, Chesham and Langley will also be open from Friday 29 May, 9am-6pm. Please remember that Aylesbury, Burnham and Chesham are closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

All sites will operate the same social distancing measures that we have in place at those already open. It’s harder to manage long queues safely at some of these sites so can I please ask that you avoid visiting at busy times. You can check the website for up to date waiting times and remember to bring some ID to show that you live in Buckinghamshire. Thank you to you all for your patience while we’ve worked hard to get this service fully operational again for you.

Coronavirus testing in Buckinghamshire
Anyone over the age of 5 who has symptoms of coronavirus can book a test to see if they have the illness. The main symptoms are a new continuous cough, fever and a loss of, or changes in your sense of smell or taste.

Tuesday 19 May 2020

Soul Spark - this week



If you would rather not follow the clues, here are the locations of the stations.  
Note, there are 3 in the churchyard.



Chearsley PC Meeting Recording

The recording is at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihugv3DG0Vg . This link had to be changed at the last minute so apologies for anyone inconvenienced. Any PC questions or comments to the usual address chearsleypc@chearsley.com. Any technical queries to webmaster@chearsley.com

The best way to be notified of live streams is to subscribe to the PC YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH2LPdVRs56H9PnAZImdM-g

Monday 18 May 2020

Updated Village Map

John Lewis has kindly updated the village map originally derived from Ted Hooton. It shows current house names and locations and is on the lower right of the main blog page when viewed on a large screen device or the direct link is here

Tuesday 12 May 2020

Next Virtual Parish Council Meeting Monday 18th May 7:30

The Agenda and virtual meeting joining details are all here

For convenience the joining details are also repeated below:

The PC meeting will also be live streamed on YouTube to enable public participation. The link to watch on is https://youtu.be/IY8LSHd_M_g

You can also subscribe to the PC YouTube channel and see previous meetings at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH2LPdVRs56H9PnAZImdM-g

Public input will be taken only during the Question Time sessions. Please email your questions to chearsleypc@chearsley.com or use the chat in the YouTube stream session to submit questions immediately before or during the meeting.

Monday 11 May 2020

St Nicholas Church Appeal

St Nicholas Church

Please read the attached letter from vicar, Richard Phillips, and churchwardens, Alicia Howard and Joy Payne by clicking on this link.

The temporary closure of the village church to comply with guidance from the Church of England and the government’s ‘social distancing’ guidelines has, unsurprisingly, caused significant financial challenges.

The church is immensely grateful for all the financial support it already receives from regular church-goers – not to mention the endeavours of the dedicated team of ‘volunteers’ in the village, who regularly help with the upkeep of the church and churchyard.

All would agree that the church fulfils a unique role not just for regular and occasional churchgoers but for the village as a whole and it is so important that we ensure its future as a continuing part of our community and its heritage

If you are already providing financial support to our church, then please ignore this letter.

But if you would like to become a regular giver or make a donation, all the necessary information is included in the attached letter.


Do help if you can.

Tuesday 5 May 2020

May 8th VE (Victory for Europe) day remembrance

This Friday, May 8th,  marks the 75th anniversary of VE day when World War II finished in Europe. We are asked to mark a 2 minute silence at 11am, in whatever way we chose, to reflect on the past sacrifices of those who battled both at war and on the home front to win freedom. And to reflect on how we can support todays frontline, especially those in the NHS and in hospital, to meet an equally tough but very different challenge.

There is a more detailed note from our friends at the British Legion of the various livestreams they are showing  here  The BBC website also has a full programme of activities.

We thank all those both past and present for their service, both past and present.






Five Bucks household recycling centres set to reopen Weds May 6th with restrictions

(Editors note- Please read all the small print - especially proof of address requirement !)
Buckinghamshire Council has confirmed the reopening of five of its nine household recycling centres to give residents the chance to dispose of waste that cannot be safely stored at home.
From Wednesday 6 May, the Amersham, Aston Clinton, Buckingham, Beaconsfield and High Wycombe sites will open seven days a week, 9am-6pm - the usual summer opening hours. The other four sites will remain closed for the foreseeable future. To stay within the government's coronavirus guidelines on essential travel, however, it is important that journeys to these sites during lockdown are only made if waste cannot be stored for longer at home without causing risk to health or safety. 
The health of residents and staff is always the highest priority, so everyone visiting the reopened sites will be expected to observe the new social distancing measures that have been put in place. This includes traffic management to control the number of visitors at any one time. The Council warns that this could lead to extensive traffic queues building up at site entrances, so it's well worth delaying a visit until things are a bit quieter.
Bill Chapple OBE, Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: "The decision to reopen the recycling centres has been taken after listening to residents' concerns on extra waste accumulation during the lockdown period. We want to ensure that people who have been struggling to manage their waste are able to dispose of it properly.
"However, I must warn visitors who do feel that a trip is essential that their visit will be different from normal due to the measures we are putting in place to protect both visitors and our staff. I would also stress that we are only open for residents of Buckinghamshire and will be asking visitors for identification to prove their address.
"As part of the need to ensure social distancing, we have had to limit the number of visitors on site at any one time, so long queues to access the site are likely. I'd ask people to bear in mind that the five sites that are reopening will be open from 9 am to 6 pm seven days a week, so it isn't necessary to rush there at the first opportunity.
"Staff will be on hand to ensure that the social distancing guidelines are adhered to, therefore we urge all visitors to be patient and leave plenty of time for their visit.
"Fly tipping is a crime. Buckinghamshire Council takes a zero tolerance approach to fly tipping and will prosecute wherever possible. However, there has been some concern amongst residents that the closure of the recycling centres has led some people to either fly tip or hire unlicensed individuals to take away their rubbish. With the reopening of five sites, it means that anyone with accumulated waste that cannot safely be stored can now dispose of it properly."
These are the things to remember when visiting the reopened household recycling centres:
  • You should only visit the site if you cannot safely store your waste at home.
  • All residents visiting the site will need to observe the social distancing measures now in place. This also means no assistance for unloading can be provided.
  • There will be limits on the number of vehicles allowed on site to allow for social distancing. There may be delays accessing the site and possibly queues of waiting vehicles.
  • Only one person per vehicle where possible.
  • Residents will be asked for their proof of address. Only Buckinghamshire residents will be allowed to use the sites.
  • The existing permit system is still in place, but trailers are temporarily banned from sites.
  • In line with Public Health England guidance, residents who are vulnerable, or who are showing symptoms which may indicate coronavirus, should not visit household recycling centres.
  • We will continue to charge for non-household waste brought to sites.
  • Because of the higher staffing levels required to ensure social distancing, we cannot open Aylesbury (Rabans Lane), Chesham, Burnham and Langley sites for the time being. These sites remain closed so please do not visit.

Monday 4 May 2020

Message from Nic Brown, Chairman of Chearsley Parish Council

As the village of Chearsley faces our seventh week in lockdown, it’s important that all our residents can obtain support and information on important issues, either locally or nationally. There are some issues of local concern on which information is not readily available, so I thought it prudent to mention some of them in my latest report

Fouling footpaths:
There have been widespread concerns expressed about the increased amounts of ‘dog poo’ being left on the ground on many of our lovely village footpaths to neighbouring communities such as Cuddington , Ashendon , Notley and others. We have been gifted these pathways over many centuries and owe this legacy a duty of care and must all do our best to maintain their condition by bagging up any dog wastes and placing them in one of the many bins provided by the Parish Council. Should you feel the need to report any unsatisfactory behaviours, please email the Parish Council (chearsleypc@chearsley.com) and this will be dealt with confidentiality.

Rubbish and wastes:
There is much clearing, tidying and building work going on in the village at this time but unfortunately some of those who have purchased or rented a skip to keep their own rubbish well managed have reported that others have been depositing their own wastes in them without obtaining permission.

Please hang on to your own rubbish until normal waste services are resumed or make proper arrangements for its disposal. We recently received information from Buckinghamshire Council that they are hopeful of resuming ‘green’ collections of garden waste and re-opening the waste sites in the county from 11th May.

But, by all means, have a word with the owner of a skip and request permission to deposit a few items if space is available.

We have also received reports of fly tipping and other unpleasant activities taking place on The Baulk – at the sharp right-hand corner on the bend of the Winchendon Road, a quarter of a mile or so outside the village, and the footpath towards the Chilton , Ashendon , Brill areas. If you come across evidence of any such unsavoury activities, please report them to the Parish Council or, alternatively, make your own report to Buckinghamshie Council: https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/waste-and-recycling/fly-tipping/report-fly-tipping/

Chearsley Pub Revival Day:
In March, the next initiative to be carried out under the banner of the ‘Historic Chearsley’ programme was the Chearsley Pub Revival Day was announced to be taking place on Saturday 13th June:
https://chearsley.blogspot.com/2020/03/chearsley-pub-revival-day-saturday-
13th.html

In compliance with current ‘social distancing’ rules, this event will now not take place on the previously scheduled date but it is hoped to announce a new date in the near future.

‘Good Neighbour’ Scheme:
As reported previously, the Chearsley COVID 19 Volunteer Assistance Scheme is now providing a comprehensive support service in our village – courtesy of Susan Olding and her team of 50 volunteers.

If you require any support or are aware of others who may need help or assistance in these challenging times, please contact Susan at Assistance@chearsley.com

Thanks all,
Nic Brown

Stay Vigilant , Remove Rubbish , Respect the Community

Potholes in the village are getting fixed - keep reporting them !



We’ve heard of a couple of recent examples of a very impressive response by Buckinghamshire Council in fixing potholes in the village. In one case, the time from a villager reporting to being fixed was just one week !!

If you are concerned about any potholes on roads or pavements near your property, please file a report on the special ‘Fix My Street’ link. BCC are definitely monitoring and responding quickly.


As regards potholes and poor surfaces in the approach roads into our village, the Parish Council has been in long term dialogue with Transport for Bucks, the recent concern being, in particular, the deteriorating condition of the Aylesbury Road between Chearsley and Cuddington. We continue to push for this issue to be addressed sooner rather than later

Saturday 2 May 2020

Thank You for all your food bank contributions to date





A massive “THANK YOU” to all those who have placed food and toiletries in the Food Bank collection box in the bus shelter. The contents of the box are regularly delivered to the vicarage doorstep where they are combined with Long Crendon’s donations, and then shared between the food banks in Aylesbury and Thame. Be assured that the box is regularly cleaned with disinfectant to prevent any spread of the virus, but in addition please wash hands before and after making donations. Keep up the good work – it is much appreciated. Please keep them coming !