SWALLOWFIELD PARISH NEWSLETTER Spring 2013
The shortest, cheapest, and least popular route leaves New Parish Councillor the A327 somewhere close to Pudding Lane Nursery, passes the village centre, possibly by going straight The Parish Council welcomes Helen Lewis, who was through Henry Street Garden Centre, and would co-opted to the Council at their March meeting. Helen emerge back onto the A327 somewhere close to the grew up in Eversley but moved to Farley Hill three Langley Common Road roundabout, possibly going years ago with her husband and daughter. They now through T.H. Whites premises. This route would have a new baby son. Helen will be particularly certainly bypass the village centre and the roundabout focused on Farley Hill matters and the impact of the by the Bull and would ease the current congestion housing developments in Arborfield. there, but would do nothing to solve the longer term problems caused by additional traffic coming from the new development.
Plans Emerging for The Arborfield Bypass possible alternative, The planned redevelopment of Arborfield Garrison but “not with 3500 new houses, a new school, shops and a preferred” community centre is obviously going to create a lot leaves the more traffic. Wokingham Borough Council has finally A327 accepted what the surrounding parishes have been betwween saying for a long time: that the current road network Bridge is not going to cope. Farm and The Borough Council has developed a computerised Greensward Lane and runs almost parallel with road transport model for the complete Borough and Greensward Lane, cuts across open countryside just this has conclusively shown that the A327 through south of Arborfield Court and would rejoin the A327 Arborfield village will not have the necessary at the Langley Common Road roundabout. This route capacity to cope with the traffic. Cllr Keith Baker, would have a serious impact on the area, but could be the Council member responsible for highways, stated cheaper than the most popular route at a meeting held in Arborfield, that there would have to be a bypass. The most popular route, with Arborfield residents at least, is the longest, which would leave the A327 In many ways this is good news, because it has been between the bridge over the River Loddon and Bridge obvious for a long time that the road system is very Farm, then curve across the countryside passing close to breaking point and will need a lot of money between Tanner’s Farm and Whites Farm, and spent on it to carry the extra traffic. The problem is eventually join the Eversley Road close to the deciding where the new road is going to go. junction with Church Lane (the lane up to Farley Hill The Borough Council held a consultation meeting past Cow City). This route would have a very serious where local residents were given the opportunity to impact on Farley Hill. have their say about some of the details of the planned What we do not know at this stage is how big a road new development. One of the main issues discussed this bypass would be: it could be a single carriageway was where the new bypass should go. Four routes similar to the Eversley Road where it bypasses the were considered, three to the west of Arborfield village and one to the east, although it rather appears Continued overleaf that this one was just a formality and was never a real possibility. Feature Articles in this issue
A rather crude and poor quality map of the proposed Arborfield Bypass p.1 routes discussed at the Consultation meeting has been Riseley Village Tea Room p.6 circulated and it shows very approximate lines for the Mike Curwood - a Tribute p.7 three routes to the west of the village. Au Revoir to the Creation Project p.8
1 current Garrison or it could be a dual carriageway 3. A talk on the Link Visiting Scheme, a registered similar in size to the Swallowfield bypass. Ultimately charity offering a befriending service throughout it will depend on how much money is available and the Borough how convincing future traffic projections from the 4. Chairman’s Address: a summary of the Parish Borough’s model are! Council’s year by Cllr. Mrs Margaret McDonald
It was recently announced that the Government is 5. Arborfield Relief Road: PC members Mr providing money, via a loan of some sort, to pay for a Handley and Mrs Lewis will give a short new bypass for Shinfield, which is going to be presentation on the situation regarding the essential when the new building starts there. It is proposed relief road possible, and would be quite logical, to consider the Copies of the PC’s Annual Report will be available. Shinfield and Arborfield bypasses together and to build a new road that would sweep round the east of NB: Although convened by the Chairman of the Shinfield, cross the current A327 somewhere close to Parish Council, this is a community meeting - not a the Bridge over the Loddon, and then continue to the Parish Council meeting. All local government west of Arborfield. This could easily become a major electors in the Parish are welcome to attend and vote trunk road on the scale of the Swallowfield bypass, on any motions put forward on matters of local but in times when money is so tight, there would be a interest, decisions being made by majority vote of those present. serious temptation to skimp on the landscaping and other measures necessary to minimise the impact of In most cases any resolution will be persuasive only. the new road.
Although such a scheme might seem logical and Diary of Events April - June 2013 attractive, it would be altogether pointless unless a whole raft of other improvement were made. The Date Time Event Location most serious problem would be Eversley – because 13 April 8.45pm Jive night Swallowfield unless something was done to sort out the problems of Parish Hall the bridge over the River Blackwater by the Tally Ho 14April 2pm- Open Gardens for Round the and Eversley, which is very narrow and is already 5pm Yellow Book parish totally inadequate for the heavy traffic it carries, a 14 April Midday Sunday Lunch Victory Hall, shiny new Shinfield-Arborfield bypass could be a Farley Hill very expensive white elephant. 19 April 7pm – Murder Mystery Victory Hall, There is no doubt that Eversley really needs a bypass 11pm Evening Farley Hill too. Indeed there has been talk of building one since the 1950s, but it was dropped from the Hampshire 20 April 11.30am Nearly New Riseley Hall Plan some years ago as being too costly, and it seems Fashion Sale very unlikely that Hampshire County Council will 27 April 10.30am Gift and All Saints want to spend a lot of money now to solve what is, in – 4pm Appreciation Day Church their view at least, Berkshire’s problem. 30 April 7.30pm Annual Parish Swallowfield The Swallowfield Annual Parish Meeting will be held Meeting Parish Hall th on Tuesday 30 April in the Parish Hall. There will 12 May Midday Sunday Lunch Victory Hall, be a presentation on the proposed Arborfield bypass, Farley Hill hopefully with all the latest information, and time for questions and discussion. 14 May 10am- Book Club and Victory Hall, 1pm Coffee morning Farley Hill
2013 Annual Parish Meeting 17 May 7pm- Pub Games Victory Hall, 11pm Farley Hill th Tuesday 30 April at 7.30pm 24 May 8pm SP Events Group Swallowfield Swallowfield Parish Hall “In Praise of Parish Hall
Doors open at 7.00pm when coffee and tea will be Elephants” available 31 May 8pm Victory Hall Trust Victory Hall, AGM Farley Hill Programme 1 June tba Grand opening of Riseley 1. The theme of this year’s meeting is HEALTH, Riseley Village Memorial with more information on the new NHS Tea Room Hall arrangements and in particular the duties of the 8 June 2pm – Swallowfield The Mead new Health and Wellbeing Board 5.15pm Church Fete House 2. Annual Fun Run: a presentation by the Scouts 11 June 10.00- Book Club and Victory Hall, on their 10K and 3K event in September 1pm Coffee Morning Farley Hill
2 14 June 7pm- Quiz and Supper Victory Hall, Thanks to those residents who pursued this 11pm Night Farley Hill installation on our behalf.
15 June 2pm Farley Hill School Farley Hill Barring acts of god, this will be my last newsletter as Summer Fete and School chairman, as I am due to retire from this post in May Sports Day 2013. I have been chairman of the Parish Council for 15 June Evening The Strange Case Spencers two and a half years now, and it is usual only to be of Dr Jekyll and Wood chairman for a period of up to three years. I have done Mr Hyde Village Hall my best to put the interests of the entire parish high on 23 June 11am- Open Gardens Round the the agenda despite the hard work, though I often think 5pm parish it’s not enough, certainly not enough to please everyone. I hope to stay on as a Parish Councillor and to continue to support work on Flood Resilience and .Chairman’s Report Hall management.
March 2013 If I look back over the past few years, I am most
You might expect that an Easter newsletter would be pleased by the way we have managed to include so full of spring cheer - but not this Easter! Never before many of you in our discussions. We have formed have I felt winter has been so long and so cold and I many working groups that have given us the benefit have nothing but sympathy for those intrepid of different ideas. I hope this will continue and that gardeners who are throwing open their gardens on you will all take the opportunity to share your views th with us. April 14 in aid of charity. Let’s try to support them, even if it means wearing ski outfits! Over the last few years we have completely
And speaking of ski outfits, I should also like to thank refurbished Swallowfield Parish Hall and we hope we all those intrepid families who braved the cold and the have provided for a thriving preschool that will keep snow on Saturday March 23rd, to help with the annual the village alive with new life. The Parish Hall now litter pick. It was quite amazing that so many turned has three separate and discrete rooms for hiring. A lot up and that the entire parish was covered by their of work has gone into increasing the revenue heroic efforts. Many thanks also to Celia and Nigel generated from these and, to date, the signs look positive. Adams, who managed the day with so much good humour. Events like these make us proud of our While we work hard at maintaining our existing play parish. areas, we were delighted to achieve grants, during my
I’m sorry to say that I was too feeble to scramble into time as chairman, for the new teenage play space at ditches in sub-zero temperatures myself and spent the Swallowfield Rec. and the refurbishing of the toddler play area. All of these facilities are very well used. day serving teas and coffees to wet, exhausted but triumphant litter pickers. But I did pledge a rain The Fieldfayre building is still very much on our check and took away lots of bags to do my stint down agenda and we have not been idle, but solutions are Church Road and Part Lane when the weather is not easy. We now think we have discounted retail or better. commercial units behind the shop, as planning
If you were unable to help on the day, you too could permission, difficulty of access, car parking and extra offer to do this. The parish clerk has lots of spare traffic in The Street have been limiting considerations. grabber sticks and high Vis jackets in her office at Swallowfield Parish Hall and can give you special Our energies are now focused on Riseley and we hope litter bags that will be picked up by the regular waste the whole recreation area will be enhanced by the collection teams. That way we can keep our parish as developing orchard, for which we secured a grant, and free from litter as is possible. most of all, by the proposed Riseley Hall Tea rooms,
Wokingham BC also has a special helpline if you which we are supporting in many different ways. We wish to be a local litter picker (the "Adopt a Street thank Pam Wright, Tess Eagles and Clare Cartwright Scheme"). Call their helpline on 0118 974 6000 or and all their many volunteers, for their vision and email [email protected] commitment to this exciting new project and hope will send a litter picker, a set of green bags so that you you will all be there for the grand opening. If you are don't have to use your blue bag supply and a fluro- not already a volunteer on this community project, any help you can give, will be gratefully received! jacket should you wish to wear it. The following link explains more about this: I can never write my report without a tribute to the http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/transport/streetcare/lit few, hardworking volunteers of the Flood Resilience ter-information/?locale=en Group, who are still striving to make our parish safer.
You may be enjoying the new bus shelter outside the After six years we have achieved a lot and, thank medical practice in Swallowfield. This was provided goodness, in the wettest period known for the past for and installed by Wokingham Borough Council. few years, we have all remained safe. But there is 3 much to do still and too much is being left to too few. by our Borough’s primary school children for this While the Parish Council have dug and maintained September. our ditches, we do beg others to do the same. The In December the Council agreed a primary provision river in the park is moving faster now, taking flood strategy action plan for 2013/14 to create an water away, due to the work done on the weir at additional 150 school places per year at six school Arborfield, but we are still trying to energise locations in the south west of the borough in Wokingham Borough Council and the Environment Shinfield/Spencers Wood; in Wokingham Town at Agency to view our parish holistically and to look at Woosehill and Winnersh, and north in water coming through Riseley, down the Devil,s Twyford/Charvil. Highway and to the top of Part Lane. We understand The remaining places needed in Shinfield and how anxious all of you who live in these parts are and Spencer’s Wood will be created at Shinfield Infants if anyone can join the group and help us, we would and Junior School and Grazeley Parochial School. welcome support. For all these reasons, the Parish The new single storey school buildings will Council will continue to oppose development on our accommodate a reception class, a food science room, flood plains. six new classrooms, a library and ITC area, and a hall. Finally, may I urge you to attend the Annual Parish th The facilities have also been designed for community Meeting on Tuesday 30 April. The first part of the use. The schools will take 30 children each evening will be devoted to health matters and September, over a period of six years, until they reach Swallowfield Medial Practice will be informing us of full capacity of 210 pupils. the changes to the NHS that affect us all. In the second part of the evening, two Parish Councillors Good News for Wokingham Borough will make a presentation on the proposed Arborfield Libraries bypass that could run through Farley Hill and we Usage of the Wokingham shall try to take forward any fears and questions you Borough’s libraries is on the up, have to the appropriate authorities. If you want your bucking the national downward voice to be hard it is vital you attend and make your trend. The Annual Chartered views known. Institute of Public Finance and The future will be challenging as we try to keep Accountancy (CIPFA) statistics Swallowfield rural and a buffer zone between the have shown that nationally, visits huge developments that are coming to Arborfield and to libraries have fallen by 3.4 per cent during 2011/12. to Shinfield. Please do attend council meetings on the The Good News however is that visits to Wokingham second Tuesday of each month and make your views Borough libraries have increased by nearly two per and your support known, especially if you are cent during the same period with 7,000 extra visits, an interested in joining the council. increase for the second year in a row.
Let us hope that by the time this newsletter is Staff at the Borough’s libraries make it a top priority published, the weather is warmer, we can get into our to welcome members of the public and encourage gardens and our allotments, and we are worrying them to become members. It’s free to join and about too little water and not too much. I hope we all members have access to a wide range of services, have a wonderful summer, we deserve it - and enjoy including free access to the internet, a free book loan lots of champagne teas at Riseley. See you there! service, DVDs and audio books to hire and access to Best wishes, Margaret McDonald reference materials, newspapers and magazines.
Libraries also have a varied programme of activities Local Member Update for all ages. Activities for adults include knitting, craft, bridge, cribbage and board games clubs. And Wokingham Borough Council most libraries now have their own book groups where Green Light to Build New Primary Schools customers can discuss best sellers, classics and favourite books each month. Some of the Borough’s Building work on three new primary larger libraries also host author talks, costume schools for the Wokingham Borough presentations, musical evenings and murder mystery will start during the next few weeks, evenings. after members of the planning committee gave planning consent on catered for with a wide range of activities on offer March 27th. including storytime and rhymetime sessions, Manga groups, holiday activities and an annual summer Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor, one of our local reading challenge. residents and executive member for children’s services at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “This Wokingham Borough libraries also have a scheme for is a pivotal and exciting moment in our plans to the under fives; the Little Explorers Book Club, which provide the additional primary school places needed 4 is designed to encourage frequent use of the in WBC's top level planning document "The Core borough’s libraries by under fives and their parents. Strategy" which is already adopted.
There is also a special service for people who are The main purpose of the MDD DPD is to: home-bound or have a disability; trained library staff or volunteers provide a home delivery and collection Establish policies designed to ensure that service for books including large print and also development proposals respect the character and spoken word cassettes and CDs to qualifying build upon the attractiveness and features of the residents. area Identify areas of land for small to medium Diamond Jubilee Legacy Grows and Grows housing developments, commercial development The final English oak sapling and community facilities. to mark the Queen’s Diamond Set settlement boundaries (development limits) Jubilee has been planted. 60 around the borough's settlements and town and saplings have been planted at village centres.
44 sites across the Wokingham More information is available on the WBC web site Borough, as a lasting reminder here of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Wokingham
Member for Swallowfield Then you have to state your reasons. Wokingham Borough Council Hence this is NOT about reopening the debate and arguments that led WBC to reach the conclusions that Planning Report are recorded in the document. It is more a matter of whether WBC went about it in the correct way. Your opportunity to defend the Parish from What is the procedure and timetable? inappropriate development...
WBC's MDD DPD document is now scheduled to go The process is not like a full public enquiry; it is to the final stage of review on its path to being relatively low key, informal and short duration. The officially adopted by WBC. This stage is called approach is inquisitive with the Inspector "Examination in Public". asking questions across a desk, not adversarial involving barristers and cross-examination. What is the MDD DPD? The Secretary of State appoints an Inspector to The acronym stands for Managing Development conduct the examination, assisted by an independent Delivery Development Plan Document. This is an Programme Officer who manages the day-to-day important document that builds on the policies set out arrangements of the examination process. Anyone
5 needing advice or information about the examination What needs to happen now and how can you help? should contact the Programme Officer, The Parish Council intends to make further Lynette Duncan at lynette.duncan@wokingham. submissions to the Inspector rebutting both challenges gov.uk or on 07855 649 904. and claiming that WBC acted properly in reaching
The Hearing sessions will open at 10.00am on its decision to exclude these potential development sites. Tuesday 14 May 2013 at Waterford House, 2nd Floor, Erfstadt Court, Denmark Street, Wokingham, RG40 The Parish Council wants to produce a coordinated 2YF. response on behalf of those residents who take the
The Inspector has published a list of matters and same view but are not allowed to respond in issues for the Examination. These are based on person, aggregating the comments into a single coordinated submission. previous responses supporting or challenging the legal compliance or soundness of the Anyone wishing to contribute is encouraged to engage document and there is now an opportunity for with the Parish Council and contact the Parish Clerk previous respondents to respond to these matters and or the Council's Chair of Planning, John issues, the deadline being Friday 19 April 2013. The Anderson, in the first instance. Inspector encourages groups with like-minded views John Anderson to combine their response into a single submission.
Participation in the examination process is only open Riseley Village Tea Room to those who made a representation on the official I can now announce with due fanfare and form in August last year and it is only drum roll ... possible to request the opportunity to speak at the hearings if you are proposing a change to the We have the go ahead from the Parish Council and document. can proceed with our plans for a Traditional Tea Room in the Memorial Hall Riseley. Furthermore, responses must only address the specific challenges that have been made as to whether WBC The PC were agreed in principle if we could show it has complied with the tests of legality and was a community project. We just asked the Riseley soundness. It is important not to digress from the Residents to step forward and there they were. specific matters and issues up for consideration Our taste of Riseley held on March 9th was a huge because to do so is likely to result in that success and 57 people signed up as volunteers. This submission being discounted as irrelevant. did not include the many who contacted us to offer
More information is available on the WBC web site: their support and although they couldn’t attend,
What are your Parish Council's concerns? here in Riseley. We thank them all for their support and endless enthusiasm, we can’t do it without them. Various interested parties have made submissions to the examination. All of these submissions can be Our thanks to the Parish Council, we have their full found here:
Your Parish Council made a submission supporting The volunteers will clean and paint the hall, it will be the draft that has been put forward for examination on furnished and run as a traditional tea room with china the grounds that its content treated the Parish and linen, a relaxing cup of tea, sitting in library favourably. No potential development sites from corner for an hour or two. Cabinets will display local within the Parish were included. (web site reference crafts and collectables for sale. The gardens will be planted and outdoor seating for the warmer days. 0068). We need china, cake stands etc, anything to do with However, there have been submissions from tea rooms, all financial donations most gratefully interested parties (e.g. landowners, developers) received. Contact Pam on 0118 988 7028 challenging the exclusion of a couple of potential development sites in the Parish. These are: It will be a helter skelter ride with ups and downs, smiles and tears, but we will make this project work. Land to the west of Trowes Lane, opposite We have the ability, strength, community spirit and Foxborough in Swallowfield - a potential site for pride in Riseley. To quote a Riseley resident: about 20 houses (web site reference 0088). Can we do it? YES WE CAN Land to the south and west of Lambs Lane Business Park - a potential site for about 100 Pam Wright and Tess Eagles houses (web site reference 0087). Riseley Village Tea Room
6 Mike Curwood – A Tribute determined to ensure that every villager should have the chance to know what was afoot, the politicians The Parish Council was very sorry to learn of the changed the goal-posts. Mike chaired the meetings death of Mike Curwood on 4 January 2013. An we had where we decided that we would hold to our informal farewell for Mike was held at the Mill House original brief and fight our corner for the design Hotel on 24th January, with time for quiet reflection. statement people wanted, and that is what we did. Mike’s widow, Ros, has given us this tribute. And everyone in the team played to their strengths,
Mike was a funny, loyal and compassionate man, very and we created a VDS we were proud of: it was a learned and deep-thinking. He never took very satisfying moment when the VDS was ratified. information for granted and his views were based on And Mike was so good at joking things along and research, which he checked and re-checked then making sure that people had what they needed to do decided for himself anyway, and this trait was so their bit. He was such a committed and reliable person. useful for all the things he undertook. Mike gathered friends all along the way of his life, but no new He had a wonderful time living in Riseley, walking friends were more important than his old ones. When the countryside with the dogs, meeting fellow dog- he gave his heart, it was for keeps, as he gave his walkers, putting the world to rights, and in the earlier heart to Bristol Rovers when he was a lad, and never years he loved being host to just about all the youth in faltered in his loyal interest in them: rain or shine, win the three villages, all at once sometimes. He was such or lose, they were his team. And his home, family a help to people with his engineering knowledge, he and friends were his team too. always had something in his shed that would be the
He gave the same interest and loyalty to his work; his ideal thing to fix someone's problem (usually on the father had been an aircraft engineer, and Mike became floor just inside the door ,but that's another story) and an apprentice when he left school, and stayed with would amble off and return later with a grin and another problem sorted. Alas, no more. BOAC, then BA until retirement. He even did his National Service in the newly formed Army Air Mike was a friend to be proud of, a lovely, loving, Corps, and he and a handful of similarly newly eccentric, infuriating super person, very very sadly qualified apprentices made a strong contribution missed. towards getting it off the ground, so to speak. He To view the Riseley Village Design Statement, please worked on all the major developments in aircraft clik on this link: swallowfieldpc/gov.uk. Then engineering and so, with his family history, had links/local planning/Riseley VDS known aviation from flying-boats to jet airliners to supersonic Concorde. When everything stopped everywhere for Concorde flying over at 11.00, and he Annual Parish Clean-Up was on early shift, I knew that Mike had signed her out as safe to fly.
He fell in love with rural life when he first saw Moorside in the spring of 1969 just before our first child was born. It was a spring when hawthorn, roses, laburnum and bluebells were all out at the same time, and he loved the house on sight. Part Lane was home to a lot of very large pigs at that time, very clever at shorting out the electric fence and visiting us in our garden especially when the apple-trees were fruiting, so we had exciting times. Before the 'Good Life' went on screen we were keeping goats, chickens, ducks and Saturday March 23rd - it had been bucketing down bees, we grew our own fruit and vegetables and made with rain the previous day, we awoke to see the our own beer. Mike was a masterly brewer, so some ground covered in snow, and the temperature barely of this time may have been seen through a rosy rose above freezing all day. What better day to have haze.... the third annual Parish Clean-up? We were advised by Wokingham to cancel because of the weather but Mike loved the village and the countryside, and was Swallowfield, Riseley and Farley Hill people are built very protective of the environment: he always took of sterner stuff and since so much work had gone into part in efforts to keep the countryside rural. So when organising the day we decided to go ahead anyway villagers were invited to participate in a Village even though it continued to snow for much of the day. Design Statement, he agreed to help and for four And the people of the Parish responded - 40 residents years he co-ordinated the processes we needed to gave of their time to help clear rubbish from the follow, and found ways to keep us all informed of verges, ditches and roadside. where and what we were up to. Halfway through this process, which took a long time because the team was 7 Our thanks to all those who came out in such We need your skills: The PLANT stall needs home- inclement weather - a huge amount of rubbish was grown plants to sell, the CAKE stall needs home- cleared during the day. Something in excess of 80 made cakes to sell. The TEA-TENT also needs home- black bags were filled and plenty of other things made CAKES to sell. Last but not least, the including around 60 or so dumped car tyres. Among TOMBOLA stall needs unused items which you may the more unusual items collected were two toilets, a discover nestling in your storage cupboards. There deer skull and antlers, a jar of digestion pills, an will be a door to door collection for the Tombola electric kettle, a very large bagful of shoes, a builder's during May. sign, a large number of (postman's?) elastic bands, old We need Manpower: Some people who help at road cats eyes, a child's car seat, a handbag and purse, Swallowfield Fete have been doing so for as long as it and a set of mattress springs. has been at Mead House, but each year the Fete grows Our thanks to the Parish Council, who provided and numbers of helpers dwindle, so we find ourselves refreshments, and to others who gave donations in need of new, enthusiastic and energetic helpers. If towards it. The struggle against litter seems to be a you feel you could help with one of the major never ending one, but at least the efforts on this day community events in Swallowfield, please contact have made a real difference to the Parish. We'll be Terry Pitt (details below) for more information. holding the event again next year, so if you are fed up e-mail: [email protected] - phone: 0118 988 with the amount of litter you see around why not 4629 - mobile: 07966 397781 come along for an hour or two and help to make that difference. We'll advertise the event in the Parish “Au Revoir” to the Creation Project Newsletter, so please look out for that.
Nigel Adams - event organiser During the last month, and with considerable sadness, it has been decided that the odds are stacked too
steeply against us to enable The Creation Project to be (For information on how you can help keep areas developed as a community project in St. John’s, litter free through the adopt-a-street scheme, please Farley Hill. However a number of those involved feel contact the Parish Council) that it was much too good an idea to be totally
discarded and so we are investigating the possibilities WHAT? It can’t be – it isn’t – it’s only April – of developing a similar project in All Saints Church, but yes, I am afraid it is …… Swallowfield. We have hopes that the plan to spread HERE WE GO AGAIN – All aboard information, education and inspiration in local arts for Mead House Garden and crafts within our community might rise phoenix- like from the ashes of the original idea to become a Planning and preparations for the All Saints Church reality. th Fete on June 8 2013 in the grounds of Mead House In the meantime I would like to express appreciation are already underway, in an attempt to make it even and thanks to those who devoted their vision, time more splendiferous than the previous 33 or more and efforts in an attempt to make The Creation Project Garden Fetes held there!!!!! All the usual attractions a reality. It would have been a very valuable will be included with some additional highlights, contribution to local community life and it remains a including a performance (or two) of the Swallowfield great idea. It is to be hoped that at least some of the Mummers play (hopefully in conjunction with some concept can be realised at All Saints. Morris Dancers), and a Treasure Hunt with a prize for Terry Pitt every child who solves all the clues.
As in past years, we are asking for your support in a All Saints’ Gift and Appreciation Day number of ways, to guarantee that this will be an th event not to be missed. Saturday 27 April
We need your past treasures: The Fete provides a Someone once told me, way back in 1978, that buying valuable service to all local households, by providing a boat (which we were at the time) was like standing a ready market for all those goods and chattels which on a cliff and throwing £5 notes into the sea. They have become surplus to requirements for one reason weren’t wrong and I have to say that trying to or another. Now is the time to de-clutter and recycle. maintain a Grade 1listed, beautiful and historical We are waiting to display your goodies for sale on our ancient church is very similar – but nowadays we GIFTS and COLLECTABLES, BATHROOM AND would be throwing £50 notes off the steeple!
COSMETICS, TOYS, BOOKS, and BRIC-a-BRAC Anyone who has visited All Saints this winter will be stalls. There will be the usual collection point only too aware of the constant challenge we have to organised for you to drop off your donations of goods keep the Church warm and welcoming in the coldest, other than perishables, on the Saturday morning dampest months. I am sure you all have experience of before the Fete the increasing costs of heating your homes, so you 8 will not be surprised to learn that church heating is liked to see in that building we think we can achieve one of the biggest demands on Church funds. The in All Saints. Watch this space. other major expense we have to face at All Saints is Swallowfield churchyard has been greatly the need to replace the roof within the next few years transformed, many have been involved in that, in and the cost to do this will be equally demanding. particular Malcom (Brad) Bradley, Richard Watson The GIFT DAY we are holding in All Saints on April and Tom and James Halson th 27 from 10.30 am to 4.00 pm will enable you to see In Beech Hill after a great deal of hard work, and in why we are so keen to preserve this building and the face of some determined opposition (but not the provide our Community with a wonderful location for majority) the community shop has now opened in the all those momentous events in life which are so church, and has been an instant success. There remain important to families and friends and we hope to stage some things to resolve. We want to create a genuinely a small exhibition of how All Saints has played its private and quiet space for spiritual reflection – this part in the life of our Community. Of course, you can will be something new, there was not such a space in be assured of a warm welcome and delicious the church before. We are also working at a means of refreshments and we hope you will be keen to support entirely silencing the chiller and freezer cabinets us in our efforts to preserve and improve this during services without risking forgetting to turn them building. We’ll also take you through some of our on again! The project to provide a garden of planned developments to achieve our goals. remembrance with some additional parking in the After months, even years, of discussion (dare we say glebe land behind the church is now simply awaiting prevarication), we have decided we need to face up to plans so that we can submit them to W Berks (who the necessary expense and go for it!!! This will may or may not grant permission!) We already have a involve a range of initiatives: cutting down on formal recommendation from the appropriate draughts; adding more heating pipes/radiators to authorities for the church internal planning procedure utilise the maximum output of the heating system; (a faculty application) ideally, putting in secondary glazing over the very In Shinfield the process of erecting some internal beautiful windows; and ultimately resuscitating the security gates to the vestry so that we can have the roof and adding a layer of INSULATION. church open during the day has begun. They are being In the last year we have made a start on the roof fund made by the blacksmith (Anvilworks) in Farley Hill but, in terms of the financial mountain to be climbed, and are really a feast for the eyes as well as being we have barely reached the foothills. Our intent is that functional. We will be open for all during the day by next winter we not only provide a warm welcome from mid-April. but a warmer church – we won’t have completed all So, with the Café in Spencers Wood and the Shop in of the work, but enough to have made a difference. Beech Hill and with Terry Pitt opening Saints on Terry Pitt Thursday afternoons, we shall soon be in a position to have all our churches open for some of part of every Benefice News week for visitors and those seeking a quiet place to pray. By the time this hits the streets of Swallowfield Parish quite a few of you will have seen or met my successor This will be my final Benefice News. I have greatly The Revd Peter Jarvis, and you will see him at more enjoyed being an honorary member of the events over the summer. He formally becomes Team Swallowfield Community. May you all go from Rector on June 30. The process for recruiting strength to strength. Béatrice’s successor is also underway. If the timetable Maurice Stanton-Saringer expected is achieved, we hope for a new Team Vicar in place in early September. Swallowfield Parish Events Group
St John the Evangelist Farley Hill has finally closed. ELEPHANTS AT THE PARISH HALL...? Sad, but it was clear the level of support we needed to retain two church buildings in the one parish was not The next event in our series of touring theatre there. We had hoped to retain it in community use, productions will be a new show made especially for but it now looks unlikely. Aside from not being able village halls by a company from Farnham Maltings. to negotiate meaningfully over the use of the car park, Called 'In Praise of Elephants', and written by Kevin there were additional factors that made it clear that Dyer, it is described as 'a play full of surprise, music our vision for that building could not be achieved and biscuits, about dignity, and how the world will be without significantly more person power than we a poorer place when some things are gone...a could muster. I certainly regret that but it is not for celebration of the greatest animal on the planet, and a want of trying on the part of the church member who touching story of a quiet man turning 60 trying to had the vision for its future and the others who tried to make sense of the world.' The play is touring all over realise it with him. Some of what we would have England and Scotland, and once again S.P.E.G. is 9 very pleased to be able to bring an exciting new show We meet every 3rd Thursday of the month in the Rose to our area. The date for your diary is Friday 24th Room at 7.45pm for an 8o’clock start. All are May at 8 p.m., and ticket prices are a very reasonable welcome. Why not come and join us. £10 for adults and £8 for under-16s. Bar refreshments will be available. Please call 0118 988 5989 or 0118 973 4017 or email [email protected] to book. Please note that the play is suitable for older children and adults, but is not intended for very young children. Following a highly successful Pantomime ‘Red A reminder also that Spencers Wood Village Hall will Riding Hood’ the Players would like to thank be welcoming the Watermill Theatre Company's everyone for their support. We all had a great time production of 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr rehearsing and planning for the show and were so Hyde' on Saturday 15th June - further information can surprised to receive an unexpected visit from the be had from Ann Symonds on 0118 988 3483. Author of the Pantomime, Bob Hammond. He saw
the show and was delighted with the production and Local History Society was particularly enamoured with the chicken chorus,
I was hoping to start this article with thoughts of who were one of the best he has seen – accolade indeed. spring and summer on its way, but unfortunately it appears that winter is back with a vengeance. We After various play readings, our Director Chris have, however enjoyed some excellent meetings over Partridge has now chosen and cast the main the last few months. production for the year. This is to be ‘The Odd Couple’ (female version) by Neil Simon. The play is Our Christmas meeting was celebrated by 33 of our a comedy set in New York in the eighties, it is the members enjoying a superb meal at The Mill House alternative to the male version made famous by Restaurant - hopefully now to be a regular event. Walter Mathau and Jack Lemmon in the film of the The society met in January and, amid the snow, same name. welcomed the intrepid members to a talk by Alan Pritchard on "the Humble Brick" (this was a Florence Ungar has just broken up with her husband. replacement as our booked speaker was unable to With nowhere to go, Florence is urged by her friend attend). Alan's vast knowledge took us from the very Olive to move in with her, at least for a while. The beginning thousands of years ago right up to the only problem is that Florence is neat, tidy, and present time. The presentation was very interesting, neurotic, whereas Olive is slovenly and casual. detailed and well collated. The ensuing friction between the two makes for a hugely funny and entertaining play and one not to be At our February meeting we were entertained by Val missed at any price.The performance dates will be Batt-Rawden with her talk and display on Victorian 20th, 21st and 22nd June. Costumes. She came dressed in full regalia and was The Swallowfield Mummers Play will again be happy to show us her petticoats and bloomers that she th was wearing! performed at the Church Fete on the 8 June following its successful ‘tour’ last May. This tradition Our March meeting proved to be one in a million. The having been brought to life again will, we hope, be a presentation by Philip Littlejohn on "The Titanic regular feature each year at the Fete. Memorial Cruise - 1912-2012" was everything we Plans are already in hand for the Youth Group’s next hoped for - and more. From the texts and emails that Production, which will be performed on 4th & 5th were received after the evening it was obvious it was October. thoroughly enjoyed by all. If you would like to be placed on our mailing list, His presentation covered his grandfather's position on please contact the Secretary Maggie Uttley on 0118 board Titanic as 1st class steward, through to his dive 988 2954 or email her at [email protected] down in a Russian submersible in 2001, where we shown photos of the actual wreckage lying on the seabed two and half miles down! He continued Swallowfield Horticultural Society by telling us how he was then invited to join other Last Saturday, 24th March we had the smallest Spring passengers on the Memorial Cruise last year. Show entry ever. Daffodil and narcissi classes usually How can we follow that! Well, hopefully we can with flood the hall with their yellow and gold. This time a very interesting and diverse programme for 2013/14 there were only a few although they were very lovely that includes a talk on The Vine, a visit to and unscarred by slug or frost. As a result we have Swallowfield Park, the history of Girdlers and much now learnt, should this weather repeat itself, we just more. Please keep a lookout for the dates of these and need to bring the stems inside in close bud to allow all our other meetings. them to open perfectly for the day and hour. That of
10 course is the really tricky bit. As with so many things countryside throughout the period and has produced a in life: timing. number of county players. We are a small friendly
Nothing is a greater challenge in timing than opening club with big ambitions to grow and advance the sport the garden early in the year for the Yellow book, the in the area.
Air Ambulance, the Red Cross or any other charity. What do we do? We have OPEN GARDENS for the Yellow Book on We meet throughout the summer up to three times a 14 April, in 17 days from the time of writing. The week to play lawn bowls or for social functions. The weather forecast is for at least another week and a half game is played according to the rules laid down by of extremely cold weather. This leaves my plants World Bowls Ltd. The sport is international and approximately seven days of as yet unknown but, by played throughout the world. The principle is very inference at least, warmer weather to bring out the simple. You have to try to get your bowls closer to the flowers on the six camellia bushes and allow the jack (the little white ball) than the opposing team can. development of hundreds of different bulbs from a bit After the usual number of ends (18 or 21), the team of green poking through to fully fledged blooms. We with the most points is declared the winner. The gardeners are an optimistic lot but this is really length of practice games are agreed between players. pushing my confidence to the limit.
th How do we do it? Should you have missed the 14 by the time you read rd We play approx 50 matches a season against other this, please put Sunday 23 June in your diary for the local clubs, home or away, normally within a 15 mile next village opening. I am confident there will be radius. Each team has up to 15/16 members split into plants in full bloom in all the gardens by then. groups of 3 or 4. Each group has a mix of abilities and The soil is currently alternating between being plays a similar group from the opposing club. After saturated and frozen solid Yesterday the lawn looked each match we sit down to a tea/supper and socialize as if there were small feathers all over it, but on closer with the opposition for the day. inspection, there were hundreds of platelets of ice about a two penny piece across resting on the top of Why do we do it? the grass, never touching the ground, very pretty and Numerous reasons come to mind including quite new to me. It stayed like that all day. enjoyment, socializing, exercise and fresh air. Bowls can be for all ages from teenagers to octogenarians Our thoughts have to go out to our farmers. Even here including handicapped players. Special equipment is which has been sheltered from the worst of the winter available for those that find it difficult to get down to we drive constantly through water streaming off bowl. The social side of the club is very important and sodden fields and from our house we have a good throughout the winter we hold functions such as club view of the sheep around Swallowfield Park where dinners and socials. All are well attended. the water can cover the entire field and very quickly, isolating sheep too easily and too often. Finally our Where do we do it? best wishes to the allotment holders. Courage, the jet Our green is situated at Victory Hall in Church Road, stream must eventually come back up north from the Farley Hill RG7 1RT where all our home games are Mediterranean where it is apparently parked at the played. We maintain the green ourselves and we have moment just as we would all love to be. exclusive use. The Victory Hall is managed by five local trustees and is used by a number of different Our next talk on 9th May at 7.30 in Shinfield is on organizations as well as the bowls club. The facilities Growing your own vegetables. The ground might include good parking, changing rooms, kitchen and a have warmed up enough by then to do it. bar. The central heating has recently been updated and repairs to the roof are imminent if not already in Swallowfield Show 2014: We need a co-ordinator progress. The trustees have a programme of ongoing for our 2014 Dog Show. Can you help us to find improvements. someone?
Can we invite you to try it? Roberta Stewart New members of all abilities are always welcome at the club and we have an open day planned on Sunday Farley Hill Bowls Club 5th May from 3.00pm. Coaching is available from experienced members to help beginners and all other The Who’s, Why’s and Wherefore’s of levels of ability. Our annual fee is only £50.00, the Lawn Bowls lowest in the area. If you are interested you do not have to wait until May, contact us now. Who are we? The Farley Hill Bowls Club was formed over 60 years John Atack – club secretary. Tel 0118 988 5611 ago as an offshoot of the Farley Hill Social Club, [email protected] itself founded in 1919. The club has been successfully www.farleyhillbowlsclub.org.uk promoting lawn bowls in the south Berkshire 11 RSF Tennis Club new fashion clothes for the sale, where people can either donate their clothes for the sale or take a 50/50 Below is a synopsis of the Club’s first share of any sales of their clothes. If you have new quarterly newsletter, whose aim is to let the unworn or nearly new good quality fashion clothes members, know what is going on within the club. filling your wardrobe then why not donate them to
This year RSF will be holding its first ever LTA this good cause. Then please come along to the sale singles ratings tournament, which is open to all LTA and refill your wardrobe!! registered members. Lax Mayani ([email protected])
Courts: We are working on the condition of the Chairman courts, particularly courts 1 and 4 in conjunction with the Parish Council, and are exploring possible sources Farley Hill Cricket Club of grants. It seems unlikely that the new surfaces will Well, it feels like Winter is slowly disappearing and be laid before July and the committee has decided to Spring is finally upon us. All our players and carry out re-lining to court 1 as soon as possible. We supporters are hoping for a lovely hot and dry summer are also keeping an eye on the chain-link fencing. to play lots of good cricket.
Coaching: Our coaching programme is run in This year our two big social events against the Riseley partnership with Ash Taylor Tennis and lots of you Dads are as follows: would have met our new coach Chris. We currently have term time coaching sessions running after school Twenty-20 Game on Tuesday 18th June starting on Tuesdays and on Sunday mornings for children at 6pm from the age of 3. If you haven’t yet tried the 40 Over Game on Sunday 7th July starting at 2pm coaching feel free to book your child in for a FREE The bar will be open throughout both games, so taster session to see if they like it before committing everyone is welcome to come along and support to booking a course! For details of the coaching either the Farley Hill Cricket Club or the Riseley programme visit www.ashtaylortennis.com or call Invitational XI. The Riseley Dads have had fantastic Louise on 01189 680827 or email support in the past, so let's hope this continues this [email protected] to book a free taster year! session. Chris is also running four mornings of tennis We are also fortunate to be able to host one Berkshire camps over the Easter holidays, a great way to keep County Championship Over-70's game this summer. children active. Spaces are limited to 8 per group. The date is Wednesday 12th June, and we are looking Visit www.ashtaylortennis.com/ holiday-camps for forward to a great game of County cricket that day. details and easy online booking! Here is our list of Trophy Winners for last summer Upcoming Events… (2012): Look out for the RSF New Website launch. The Henry Lee Award: Batsman of the Year First Fridays start 5th April 2013. Everyone is Matt Salter welcome, food will be served after a Round robin The Bill Streak Memorial: Bowler of the Year: American doubles tournament Andy Lancaster This Year’s Club championship will be held the The Captain’s Player of the Year: Ali Jalil weekend of 28/29 June The Player’s Player of the Year: Matt Salter Keep an eye out for the Club Annual General The Bennett Cup: Sunday Player of the Year: meeting, attendance is required if you want those Ali Jalil Wimbledon tickets The Fred Luker Cup (Clubperson Award): RSF in the community Greg Coney
Former junior member Sarah Mitchell will be Fixture cards will be available from the cricket club, embarking on a six day trek next August through the Lockey Farm Shop and Swallowfield Parish Stores Peruvian Andes to Machu Picchu with the aim to raise for anyone who would like one. We always welcome at least £2,850 for the charity Practical Action. The new players to our friendly village cricket club. We Quiz was well attended and despite a ’tough’ Quiz it need players of all abilities who are looking to play was a great evening that was enjoyed by everyone and both full-time and part-time either in our League raised some £800 towards Sarah's target. Saturday side, friendly Sunday games or mid-week Charity "Nearly New" Clothes Sale on Saturday Twenty-20 games. Please contact Potts on 20 April 01189889046 or email [email protected]. RSF members Claire Weir and Wendy Denning are For more information visit our website which has lots organising a charity "nearly new" fashion clothes sale of information about the club and the upcoming in aid of Woodley Age Concern at 11.30am on season. www.farleyhillcricket.co.uk. Saturday 20 April at the RSF memorial hall. Claire Potts Connolly and Wendy are currently collecting new and nearly
12 Farley Hill - Victory Hall The hall was built for the residents of Farley Hill and over the years it must have seen lots of visitors and a variety of events, so it is satisfying to see it again full of local people enjoying themselves whether at an FHVS wine tasting, a Sunday lunch, children’s Easter
party or watching sport on the big screen.
If you haven’t yet visited the Victory Hall why not Phoenix Roofing Services are renovating the make it a resolution for 2013? The FHVS would love Victory Hall roof to hear your ideas for events and further improvements. It’s your hall, belonging to the people It was a significant day for the Victory Hall and its of Farley Hill. It’s open every Friday evening from trustees when the roofers arrived early in March. The 7pm. Entry is free for FHVS members and costs just building is getting close to one hundred years old and £3 for non-members. a few years ago it was showing its age. For more information you can email Since the current trustees took over the management [email protected] or telephone Cliff on of the building many improvements have been made. 07970 208026 or come along on a Friday night. An updated central heating system; cavity wall You can also see times of the monthly coffee insulation; replacement double-glazed windows; a mornings and book club meetings on the Victory Hall refurbishment of the snooker room and the bar area; website, www.victoryhalltrust.com. If you’d like to new units and oven in the kitchen; a new fridge for hire the hall, contact Emma on [email protected] the bar; painting, decorating and more. However the biggest task of re-roofing seemed out of reach. The Victory Hall is owned and run by the Victory Hall Trust (a registered charity) on behalf of Farley But last year, thanks to the managing trustees and Hill residents. their supporters, the unimaginable sum of £40,000 was raised with 90% of it from the Biffaward scheme Victory Hall Trust AGM and 10% from the Farley Hill Village Society The Victory Hall Trust will be holding its AGM on (FHVS). Removal of the hundred-year-old slates, and 31st May at 8pm in the hall. On the agenda are the up-to-date insulation being put into place, is a big part Chairman’s report, the Treasurer’s report, and in the renovation of this building. It should soon look Questions and Answers. Everyone resident in Farley Hill over the age of 18 is entitled to attend and vote. as good as it did when it was originally built in 1918 in celebration of victory in the First World War. Sheila Chatten
News from Swallowfield Medical Practice
Welcome to the first new style quarterly www.myvisiononline.co.uk. To use this service you newsletter from Swallowfield Medical must first register for it by completing and signing an Practice! authorisation form, which can either be downloaded
This newsletter is produced jointly by the Practice and from the ‘Appointments’ page on our website the Patient Participation Group in response to www.swallowfieldmedicalpractice.co.uk or collected feedback from a recent survey. The aim is to improve from Reception. Following receipt of your completed communication with our patients. We will be form you will be emailed your login details, usually covering lots of different topics including new within five working days. Please note this is for GP services available in the surgery and the on-going appointments only - for Practice Nurse or HCA changes in the NHS. This edition will cover the PPG, appointments you will still need to speak to a online appointment booking and, of course, our Receptionist. This service is in addition to the ‘Patient doctors. Partner’ automated telephone booking. Retirement – Some of you may already be aware that Patient Participation Group (PPG) – comprises Dr Niall Riddell is retiring at the end of June after 28 eight patients, one GP and one manager from SMP. years at Swallowfield. He came to us after working The objective of the PPG is to work with the practice as an army doctor. to improve services, promote good health and improve quality of care. We also have a virtual group Dr Riddell says: “I have enjoyed my many years here. – Patient Reference Group (PRG) whom we contact I hope I have helped some of you along the way and via email for wider consultation. many of you have become friends as well as being patients. I feel that I am leaving behind a very strong Online Appointment booking – GP appointments at and competent team at the Practice. It’s been a all three surgery locations can now be booked (and privilege to live much of my life in this lovely part of checked or cancelled) online at the world with so many good people.” 13
With the return of Dr Julia Lyons from maternity In response to enquiries from a number of patients, leave later this year, and having also appointed Dr we have set up a ‘retirement fund’. If you wish to Praneetha Naluvala and Dr Brigitte Smith towards the contribute, please contact Fran Leafe at the end of last year, we will still have a full complement Swallowfield Surgery. The surgery telephone number of GPs, so appointment capacity will be unchanged. is (0118) 988 3134.
Our Doctors
Dr Niall Riddell is the current Senior Partner at Swallowfield having joined in
1985. He is due to retire at the end of June this year. He has a special interest in Gastroenterology.
Dr Helen Hegarty has been a Partner at Swallowfield since 1993. Her special areas of interest are Paediatrics and Women’s Health. She is also the Primary Care Clinical Governance lead for the whole of West Berkshire and is involved in
monitoring and improving standards of healthcare in primary care.
Dr Will Beacham joined the Practice as a Partner in 2002. He has a special interest in Diabetes, Care of the Elderly and Minor Surgery. He is also a member
of the board for the Wokingham CCG which will be responsible for commissioning patient services.
Dr Raju Prabhakar joined as a Partner in 2004. Prior to this he worked as an associate specialist in Cardiology and Elderly care at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. With his valuable expertise he is also the primary care lead in Cardiology for the whole of West Berkshire.
Dr Julia Lyons is currently on maternity leave, returning to work part time in
No July. Dr Lyons has been with the Practice since 2005. She is experienced in all photo aspects of general practice and has a special interest in Family Planning. available
Dr Aamir Ansari joined the Practice in 2010. He works full time and has a
particular interest in Respiratory Medicine, Sexual Health and Minor Surgery.
Dr Praneetha Naluvala joined Swallowfield Medical Practice in October 2012. Working Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, Dr Naluvala has a particular interest in Women’s Health.
Dr Brigitte Smith joined us in November 2012. Dr Smith works Mondays and
Thursdays and enjoys all aspects of family medicine. She is particularly interested in Paediatrics and Care of the Elderly.
Andy Button, Practice Manager
14 Jive Dancing Lessons Swallowfield Pre-School
Jive dancing lessons (for beginners) are to be held 07771 184982 from 8pm – 8.45pm before the regular free jive nights. Look out for notices in the Parish Hall and on the web for forthcoming dates. The next one is on Saturday 13th April in Swallowfield Parish Hall.
Cost - £5.00 for the lesson and another £5.00 if you want to stay and dance for the rest of the evening. A bar will be available.
The instructor is Chris from Dance Affinity – for more information go to www.dancexaffinity.co.uk It’s been a chilly start to a Further information – Swallowfield Parish Council busy year, but that hasn’t 988 5929 or email [email protected] stopped the children of Swallowfield Pre-School making the most of our Nearly New Fashion Sale garden area. Wrapped up against the elements, the in aid of Woodley Age Concern children have enjoyed digging in the mud, Come to our Nearly New Fashion Clothes Sale and experimenting with ice, playing with snow, building help to raise money for a local charity sand castles, finding bugs and playing with a range of
th traditional ball games. The show will be on Saturday 20 April from 11.30am in RSF memorial hall. We were delighted that one of our Mums helped us celebrate Please call 0118 988 5255 if you would like further the Chinese New year in style information. by cooking some delicious
noodles which the children sampled…using chopsticks! Great British Fish and Chip Supper They listened to Chinese music and each received a Friday 17th May 2013 lucky red Chinese money wallet containing a chocolate coin. Want to do something different? Want to raise money where you live or work? Want to eat Fish and Chips, Valentines Day saw the children making cards and while raising money for charity? Hold a fish and chip writing messages to the special people in their lives supper on Friday 17th May 2013 whilst raising and was closely followed by Mother’s Day – another awareness of spinal cord injury and supporting SIA’s opportunity for the children to show their artistic talents, with cards and a place mat featuring each information and support services. child’s art work, photograph and message. You can hold a fish and chip supper in your own home, at work or hold a larger supper at your local The children have helped community centre. SIA will provide a fundraising create colourful scenes from pack containing hints and tips, recipes, invitations and two of their favourite books - donation envelopes. By inviting 7 friends and asking ‘Winnie the Witch’ and Super them to donate an additional £5.00 you will raise at Worm’. We are delighted that least £35.00 from your supper, but we will also give the children’s montage of you additional fundraising ideas to raise even more ‘Winnie the Witch’ is on money for SIA. display in Spencers Wood Library. The children loved listening to the story and ‘Winnie’ has become Since 2009 we have raised over £20,000 and it has one of our favourite characters. The children used a become our flagship community fundraising event. range of techniques and materials to create the works We want to raise £10,000 from this event in 2013 so of art. we can provide more support to spinal cord injured Our March Jumble Sale was another success – thank people. you to all those who helped set-up, serve and clear For more information or request a fundraising pack away, to those who provided jumble and to those who call Elizabeth Wright on 0845 071 4350 or email supported our event. The next Jumble Sale will be on [email protected] or visit Saturday 28th September 2013. www.siafishandchips.co.uk
15 We have been busy creating Spring themed pictures – Of course since the two days of blissful dry weather including coloured flowers, cotton wool lambs and and sunshine we have had rain and more rain. finger print chicks and have been on several nature Undeterred we have proceeded with planting seeds at walks; discovering emerging bulbs, daffodils, buds on home secure in the knowledge that at some stage, not the trees and birds beginning to nest. too far distant, the plots will be workable and the landscape on Calico Field will change daily. The end of the Spring Term came to a close with an Easter bonnet We are happy to report the full take up of the plots on parade at which the children sang a Calico Field - our latest recruit signed up this week. number of Easter songs in front of He has been at the plot three times, the first occasion friends and family. They then went we had bright sunshine, the second an Arctic wind on an Easter egg hunt, organised by straight from Siberia and the third torrential rain, so if the Easter bunny himself! that’s not a good introduction I don’t know what is.
Do come along and support the SPAA Open Day. We
We are looking forward can promise you a warm welcome and a lot of fun. to welcoming more new Pam Wright faces to the Pre-School Secretary after the Easter break, Swallowfield Parish Allotment Association and have fingers crossed for some warmer weather! View from the Hill
For more information on the Pre-School, to arrange a A topical look at farming issues at Farley Farms, visit, or to register your child for a place in the future, Farley Hall, Farley Hill please contact [email protected] or call A lack of sunshine, horsemeat and rural villains ….. 07771 184982. Registered Charity No: 1025250. Occasionally there is a temptation to look up to the
sky and plead, Helen Coulter “OK, OK, enough is enough. Swallowfield Parish Allotment We know you are omnipotent and all that and we’re sorry for whatever we’ve supposed to have done, but Association can we now get on with a bit of farming?” Part Lane, Swallowfield With heavy rain followed by freezing or near freezing Open Day Sunday 9th June temperatures, many of our crops look very, very sorry
The allotmenteers are holding an open day on Sunday for themselves. Wind scorched oilseed rape has been June 9th as a fund raiser for the association.The SPAA pigeon grazed to within an inch of its life where the scarecrows will be appearing again, the theme this standing flood water has not already drowned the year is “My Hero”. Come along and join the fun see crop. Wheat has suffered at the hands of the chill what a resourceful lot we are. Plants, crafts, delicious winds and all our crops are in desperate need of some home- made cakes, tea and coffee will be amongst warm, dry weather - just bit of sunshine would be nice! items for sale.
Plotters Progress The block of 75ha of land around the George & Dragon was destined to be planted with winter barley It’s hard to think that we are at the end of March, as I last autumn. The ground never dried sufficiently in write this the rain is hitting my cottage windows with the autumn to allow us to plant anything. We such force I fear for their safety, the wind is howling managed to plough the land in mid-February just and a river of water rushes down Part Lane. All is before it snowed! Today, finally, we are planting cosy and snug indoors, not so at the plot. some spring wheat in the hope of harvesting a crop of I had the good fortune to utilise the two days of feed wheat later in the year. sunshine this month and enjoyed a general tidy up on A year ago the cows were out grazing, a hosepipe ban the plot whilst looking forward to Spring, which I am had just been imposed and we were pleading for rain assured is just around the corner. On those glorious to water our parched crops. days this month it was an absolute joy to be back at the plot, nothing too strenuous - just a good few hours I guess the motto is, “be careful what you wish for”! spent sorting and tidying, anticipating a week or so of What a difference a year makes! getting everything ship shape.
16 The recent revelations concerning the content of This operation generated some very good results, processed foods have drawn attention to the including three people dealt with for drug offences. traceability of produce once it goes beyond the farm- Although the plant thieves were not apprehended at gate. It has been shocking for many to learn there was the time, Police have subsequently followed up some so much uncertainty over where, how and what firm leads in the hope making some arrests. products were contaminated. With farmers forced to Credit for masterminding the operation must go to comply with ever increasing so called red tape the PCSO Susie Carr and her Sergeant, Matt Foskett, spot-light must surely turn onto the supermarkets & from Loddon Valley Police Station. processors to comply with the standards they seek to It has proved to many that working with the Police to impose so readily on others. gather information does bear fruit. What was It is perhaps no surprise that as the price of beef meat incredible was to learn of the amount of ‘activity’ on increased dramatically last year and with the a Sunday evening whilst most were tucked up in front supermarkets ever keen to ensure they are seen to be of the telly! offering their customers “everyday low prices” cheap Mark beef (or as we now know it horsemeat) found its way into the food chain. Mark Robins Estate Manager, the Farley Farms Estate What was depressing were the lengths each and every [email protected] supermarket went through to distance themselves from the scandal, blaming everyone else in the supply chain but themselves. @farley farming
It even took our own M&S, to whom we supply fresh milk from our dairy herd, until 1st March to publically The Calico Trust declare that they were unaffected by the scandal that had engulfed others on the high street – almost six Many people visited the Calico Trust exhibition at All weeks after the scandal first broke. Saints in June 2012, as part of the Jubilee Celebrations. For those who were unable to be there, Supermarket pledges to work more closely with here is a brief summary of the Trust. British farmers are now splashed all over the th newspapers and shops. This could be a turning point It began in the mid-18 century when three affluent for British farming – but I for one will not be holding gentlemen of the parish donated sums of money for my breath! In the meantime, I gather several pubs in the poor in the community and set up a fuel allotment London are now doing a roaring trade serving up charity whereby parishioners could forage for wood horsemeat burgers to eager punters in the capital. and peat for their fires. The Land Enclosure Act of 1801 meant that this was no longer possible. Pieces In a policing operation named ‘Festive’, undertaken th of land were then purchased to be used as allotments. on Sunday17 February, Keith, our Keeper, joined The money generated from the allotment rents was other members of the local farming and rural given to the poor so that they could then buy their community actively patrolling rural areas and calling fuel. Here we are, 250 years on and again the rent any suspicious activity directly through to a Police from the allotments in Part Lane, owned by the Trust, control room set up locally and specifically for the is used to help local people. operation. Officers committed to the operation were then deployed directly to any activity the community But why is the “Calico Trust” so called? Throughout th ‘spotter’ found suspicious. the 19th and 20 centuries, yards of calico were given to the needy families for bedsheets; the amount Around 20 members of the rural community attended commensurate with the number of children in the the briefing at Loddon Valley Police Station where family. The Trust paid for the calico which was they were deployed to specific locations. Some issued from trestle tables and this continued up until patrolled with PCSOs. World War 2. Today the Trust is overseen by the As a result of the operation, several cars were stop Charities Commission. Help can be given in many checked. One vehicle seen on a By-Way in Farley different ways for a diversity of reasons.
Hill was, at the time, suspected to be involved in The Trustees comprise the Chairman, Dr Beacham, poaching. The vehicle sped away when approached the Treasurer and Secretary, a member of the Church by the Police but crashed moments later and the and three other co-opted members. Our contact occupants made off. The vehicle was found to have telephone number is listed in the Loddon Reach, this been involved in theft of a piece of valuable plant Newsletter and at the Swallowfield Medical Practice. equipment. There were numerous other good All enquiries are dealt with in the strictest confidence investigative leads to come from the evening that is so if you think we can help please do not hesitate to now being followed up. The plant equipment has been contact us. recovered. Marina Goldsmith (Secretary) 17 Around 20 members of the rural community - Walk the Path 2013 farmers, game keepers and livery yard owners - were deployed to specific locations, some patrolled with We usually put in details of the annual Blackwater PCSOs. Valley Walk the Path event, to be held this year on 28th April. However, they have been overwhelmed Several cars were stop-checked and a vehicle with people wanting to come and so have had to close suspected of poaching tried to get away from police, down applications as they already have 160 walkers - but crashed into a ditch and the occupants ran off. The far more than they have ever had in the past. Sorry! vehicle was found to have been involved in theft of plant and equipment. There are numerous good leads that are being followed up and the plant equipment and a vehicle have been recovered. The Link Visiting Scheme is a local charity that aims to help Three people were dealt with for drug offences. A people who feel lonely to make man was stopped with an air weapon; a vehicle was friends and engage again with their stopped that was suspected of fly tipping and there community. Loneliness and feeling was a stolen vehicle that was set alight. Although the that you would like more company plant thieves were not apprehended at the time, arrests can have a negative effect on our health. It can lead to will be made shortly and the property involved has mental health problems like depression, stress, been recovered. Police have also identified several anxiety and a lack of confidence. It also affects our vehicles that could be involved in crime and they are physical health and there is growing evidence to now building an intelligence picture. suggest that feeling lonely is as bad for us as smoking Preventing and detecting rural crime is one of the 15 cigarettes a day. priorities of Thames Valley Police. Improving the
The Link Visiting Scheme aims to combat the effects confidence of the rural community to ensure that any of social isolation by arranging a volunteer visitor to suspicious activity is reported to police is vital, so that visit an elderly person for a couple of hours once a they may act on information at the earliest week. Spending quality time with someone can be opportunity. transforming and we’ve had the pleasure of seeing many lives hugely improved by friendly volunteers regularly visiting elderly people who see very few A Note from the Resilience Group people from week to week. Spring 2013 We have over 160 volunteers throughout the borough Spring when if it arrives will be most welcome to put engaging with people and taking them out to coffee in an appearance! As I write this piece thankfully we shops and garden centres where possible. We also have had a little respite from further significant have a growing program of social activities aimed at rainfall since Christmas. During the recent litter pick encouraging older people to venture out and meet around the parish on Saturday 23rd March heavy their peers in a safe, friendly environment. These prolonged rainfall led to further flooding in Part Lane include regular pub lunches, learning how to use the later that day and other places around the parish. computer, singing, bowling, a film club and lots more! If you would like to volunteer for us, we would Having joined the various volunteers around the love to hear from you! We ask for a regular parish inevitably my litter picks centred around the commitment of a couple of hours once a week at a ditches where all manner of household rubbish was time that suits you. If you feel that you’d benefit from plucked from various ditches and culverts throughout our service please be encouraged that there are many the parish, which sadly appear to be treated as bins by people in your community who care. There are people road users. who would love to help and we would be so pleased We responded to a call to hear from you. Do get in touch. from a householder in
Call us on 0118 979 8019 or email Riseley later that same [email protected] www.linkvisiting.org afternoon to look into the Donations welcome. 6 Shute End, Wokingham causes of a significant RG401DA. build-up of surface flood water entering their rear garden. On arrival at the Operation Festive house and no more than one hundred meters down- A Police Success stream of the property we found a mass of newly cut conifer cuttings blocking a culvert which was causing On the night of Sunday 17th February Wokingham the ditch to overflow and back up over a significant police ran operation Festive. distance.
18 We spent the next half The water depth at one point was above our boots and hour emptying the at that level the floodwater is likely to cause ditch of the garden significant damage to modern cars, so best take waste and the ditch another route!
drained back to near Environment Agency normal levels over the Despite our best endeavours progress with the EA has next hour. been unsatisfactorily slow. We are pressing the EA to
consider our issues with the local rivers and During our regular meetings with both the watercourses as a priority, I fear we sit and the end of Environment Agency and Wokingham District a very long list however. I hope to be able to report Council we are told by their experts that part of our some progress in the next newsletter. resilience in Swallowfield relies on the regular Lee Atkins maintenance of our ditches. Can I urge all Chair, Swallowfield Resilience Group householders and landowners to be aware of any green waste left near the ditches, if you use contractors to cut trees and shrubs please ensure they Understanding Computers are commissioned to take away the waste and dispose Are you rather of it responsibly. The dumping referred to above had confused by the potential to cause flooding to several properties. computers, or are you Green waste tipped into ditches and left on verges is frustrated with the treated the by the authorities the same way as fly one you have? tipping and action can be taken against contractors or householders responsible for such incidents. Would you like to send and receive Ditch Maintenance emails, or maybe shop on line? Please remain aware of your responsib- Perhaps you want to talk over the internet to distant friends or family – for free? ilities to maintain and upkeep ditches on or You may just simply want to be able to write a letter, in some cases or store the photos from your camera. adjacent to your If so, why not consider joining our Understanding property boundary. It Computers Club, in Spencers Wood Pavilion, on is crucial that all Tuesday mornings, starting early summer. ditches are free flowing and clear of obstruction. Our computer sessions will provide individual Also please keep an eye open for problems such as training, at your own pace, on whatever you want to the debris noted above, there is a field access beside learn - all for a donation of £3 per session towards the blocked culvert in the picture and I am sure expenses and equipment. someone is regularly tending to the horses, if anyone spots a problem please contact Wokingham Direct on The sessions are run by the Shinfield Parish Volunteer 0118 974 6000 and report it. It would help our work Group, and are available to everyone in this area of Berkshire. too if any such reports were copied to Celia Adams in the Parish Council office on 0118 988 5929. If you are interested, and want to find out more,
Driving through Floodwater please call 0118 988 3400, and either leave a message While the photograph below is an old one from the with your name and telephone number, or talk to one archive, Part Lane was again flooded and under deep of the Shinfield Parish Volunteers – please mention water towards the Church Lane junction on the 23rd the Computer Club when you call. You can also send March with water overtopping the ditches and flowing an email to [email protected] – either way, we down the road. Having cleared and left the the mess will get back to you for a brief chat about what you noted above we were then engaged trying to clear a want to learn. blocked manhole at the Swallowfield village end of Alternatively, you may be a confident computer user, Part Lane which was preventing water flowing into and be prepared to give a couple of hours a week to a the drains either side of Part Lane. really worthwhile and rewarding project. You will
While we were present in the area a number of cars need to able to listen well, and to explain computer were passing through the flood some at such speed processes in clear and simple terms to people who are that spray reached up to the roof line on their vehicles. keen to learn, but unfamiliar with a lot of technical Can people please consider the effect these washes terms. Please use the contact details above if you have on adjoining properties. would like to volunteer.
19 Community Repaint The match attracts 1,500+ spectators and is a great day out for all of the family. The timetable is: Green Machine is a company based in Bracknell Friday 31st May 2013 - Starting from 11.00am which retrieves usable paint taken by WBC residents 12.30 - Colts Game to either Smallmead or Longshot Lane amenity sites 14.30 - Eversley CC vs Lashings World XI and resells it to anyone from a unit in Longshot Lane, 16.30 - Chuck-A-Duck Competiton Bracknell. 17.00 - Eversley CC vs Lashings World XI Green Machine, which is a charity, employs those 19.30 - Raffle and Presentations who may not otherwise get employment to help run the unit and at the same time helps reuse paint, For further information about the day, please check thereby diverting it from disposal. out www.eversleylashings.com
For more information, below is a link to the Community Repaint web site: .What’s On in Spencers Wood Library http://www.communityrepaint.org.uk/ April, May June 2013
Peter Baveystock, What’s On for Adults Waste and Recycling Manager, WBC tel: 0118 974 6338 [email protected] Pages in the Wood Book Group* Monday 22 April 6pm to 7pm Monday 27 May 6pm – 7pm Swallowfield Heating Oil Club Monday 24 June 6pm – 7pm
A heating oil club has recently been formed covering New Book Group* Swallowfield parish. The Oil-Club is an independent Monday 13 May 6pm to 7pm Monday 10 June 6pm – 7pm organisation and has no links to any of their suppliers. Its aim is simple – reduce the cost on your wallets and Knit and Natter - Drop-in for knitting and a chat. the environment as much as they can. Thursday 2 May 3pm to 4pm Thursday 6 June 3pm to 4pm It is an internet only organisation in the effort to keep costs low. As a member you will have access to the Crafts and Laughs - Drop in for embroidery and messaging system or online chat if you require getting other crafts and enjoy a chat. in touch. Thursday 23 May 3pm to 4pm Thursday 20 June 3pm – 4pm The savings you can achieve vary depending on the time of the year you place your order and how often Tea in the Afternoon – Drop in for a cup of tea and you order. meet the staff and find out what's on offer at your
As a village club membership gets local library bigger, so the number of deliveries will Thursday 27 June 3.30pm to 4.30pm
increase. For example a village with 30 What’s on for Children
members will likely have 3 to 5 deliveries per annum, whereas a village Storytime - For under 5’s. Free Every Monday 4pm to 4.30pm with 100 members would probably have one a month or more. A village with 100 members will save Additional Easter activities information : around 150 to 180 heavy duty vehicle trips a year There is also a Pets Galore treasure trail in Spencers through your village. Wood Library designed for children aged 12 and
Membership is 100% free and the site is easy to use. under. This will task visitors to find letters hidden in Members benefit from bulk discounted oil rates the building to discover the name of a pet. There are regardless of quantity. For more information or to ten different treasure trails can be completed at every apply for membership, see the web http://www.oil- library across the borough – one per library. If you club.co.uk/heating_oil_clubs/the_swallowfield_in_ complete one treasure trail you receive a sticker. berkshire_heating_oil_club.html Finish three trails and get a free audio visual loan voucher. Do all ten libraries to be entered into a draw offering a selection of pet-themed story books. Eversley Cricket Club vs Lashings *For events marked with an asterix, please call World XI Spencers Wood Library (0118) 988 4771 to book Once a year, Eversley Cricket Club take on the your place. For events available in other libraries visit mighty Lashings World XI - a team made up of www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries. international cricket stars, past and present. This year this event takes place on Friday 31st May
20
Part Time Summer Work Skateramp and Cycle Tracks
Valley Produce Ltd are based on Trowes Lane, A reminder to parents that you are strongly Swallowfield. We grow a range of herbs supplying encouraged to ensure that children wear the correct supermarkets and markets. protective clothing, especially safety helmets, when
We are looking for a part time worker from late using the concrete skateramp at Riseley and when Spring until late Summer. The work will involve riding bicycles in the parks and on the road.
general gardening and horticultural work around the farm for approximately 2 -3 days per week. We are very flexible on days worked and hours per day. WBC Blue Refuse Bags If you might be interested please come and have a chat. Call Pete Sawday on 07545 208196 or Chris If householders need additional blue refuse bags, they Daking on 07887 527781. will be available from Swallowfield Parish Stores at £4 for a roll of 10. Your annual sack allowance of 80 bags for the period of April 2013 to March 2014 should have been be delivered during February/March Three Steps to a Greener Home 2013. If you have not received the bags by then,
Holding on to more of the heat you pay for is a please call 0118 974 6000 or email your full address sensible way to reduce your energy bills. In an older to [email protected] or home 3 key steps will help to achieve this:
1. Draught-proofing Dates of Mobile Skip Arrangements
Start by draught-proofing doors, windows, You can use any of the locations below for domestic letterboxes, keyholes and cat flaps. Install extractor rubbish, or the Recycling Centre at Smallmead for fans in kitchens and bathrooms so you don't need to both domestic rubbish and recyclable items open windows. (www.re3.org.uk). The centre is open seven days a
2. Insulation week 8am-8pm (1 April-30 Sept) or 8am-6pm (1 Oct- You’ve put 270mm in the loft. Now to the walls. If 31 March).
they aren’t cavity walls which are easily insulated, Swallowfield (February, April, June, September)
solid wall insulation may suit. Adding it externally 20 April 2013: 08.00 – 09.30 Parish Hall should be easier following a recent change in 15 June 2013: 08.00 – 09.30 Trowes Lane planning advice. If not, internal wall insulation adds 21 Sep 2013: 08.00 – 09.30 Parish Hall real comfort and is best installed just prior to 15 Feb 2014: 08.00 – 09.30 Trowes Lane redecorating. All these approaches are supported by 15 Feb 2014: 09.30 – 11.00 Spring Lane the government’s Green Deal. Farley Hill (June, September) 3. Improved Glazing 15 June 2013: 09.30 – 11.00 King George V Energy efficient glazing is now available to replace Playing Fields single glazing, even in original sash window frames. 21 Sep 2013: 09.30 – 11.00 King George V If upgrading isn’t affordable, consider removable Playing Fields secondary glazing. Failing that a thick pair of curtains helps! Riseley (April, May, November) 20 April 2013: 09.30 – 11.00 Yeosfield You can see these and other improvements in 18 May 2013: 08.00 – 09.30 Village Green exemplar homes in March and September when 18 May 2013: 09.30 – 11.00 Riseley Common SuperHomers host free events around the country. For (school Road) more information and to meet a homeowner who has 16 Nov 2013: 08.00-09.30 Yeosfield already had the work done, see 16 Nov 2013: 09.30- 11.00 Riseley Common www.superhomes.org.uk (School Road)
Riseley Paper Bank
Please note that as the black boxes are collected every week, the paper bank at Riseley Memorial Hall is very seldom used. It has therefore been removed by WBC. The Swallowfield paper bank has already been taken away.
21 USEFUL LOCAL INFORMATION Local Local Local Outside regular users users commercial users
£/hr £/hr £/hr £/hr Household refuse collection: All households have been issued with an annual Weekdays up to 6pm supply of 80 blue plastic bags to be used for the Swallowfield 8.00 12.00 16.00 20.00 weekly household waste collection. However, if Parish Hall anyone has a problem with volume, please ring the Davies Room 5.50 7.00 8.00 9.00 waste services team at WBC on 0118 974 6338. WBC recommends that the blue bags are tied up and put out Sun to Thurs after 6pm in your black dustbin to avoid animals getting into Weekends up to 6pm them. £/hr £/hr £/hr £/hr Swallowfield 10.50 16.00 24.00 32.00 Recycling collection: Parish Hall To take part in the kerbside recycling scheme call Davies Room 7.00 8.00 9.00 11.00 0118 974 6302/6303 and you will receive your two Friday and Saturday after 6pm free black boxes. This is a weekly service. Swallowfield 16.00 24.50 32.00 39.00
Garden refuse: Parish Hall Davies Room 9.00 10.50 13.00 16.00 Annual charge of £60 per property for fortnightly collections from a wheeled bin. Sign up by calling: The Rose Room, Swallowfield 0118 909 9360, or email: wokingham.enquiries Daytime up to 6pm £15/hour @veolia.co.uk with a contact telephone number. You Evening after 6pm £10/hour can share a bin with your neighbour Half day £50 Full day £80
Bulky Items:
If you need to get rid of bulky items such as Victory Hall, Farley Hill household furniture, carpets, etc. you pay £25 with an Weekdays up to 6pm: £7.50 per hour appointment or £20 without an appointment for up to Weekdays from 6pm-11pm and weekends up to 6pm: five items. The charge for up to five TVs or computer £10.00 per hour monitors (which are classed as hazardous waste) is Fri/Sat evening from 6pm-11pm: a flat rate of £90.00 £25 with an appointment or £20 without an Minimum hire period is 2 hours appointment. The charge for one fridge, freezer or Farley Hill residents receive a 10% discount combined fridge/freezer is £20 with an appointment Commercial rates and other times and needs by or £15 without an appointment (concessions for senior negotiation citizens). For further information, call WBC’s contractor Veolia on 0118 909 9360 or email: Parish Council and Planning [email protected]. Meetings in 2013
With the exception of the Annual Parish Meeting, all Halls for Hire and Hall Fees meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in
Swallowfield Parish Hall: the Rose Room, Swallowfield Parish Hall starting at 7.30pm. Dates for the remainder of 2013 are: Capacity: Main hall - 200, Davies Room – 20, Rose Room – max 30 9th April
30th April Annual Parish Meeting Riseley Clubhouse – 60 th 14 May NB: Please note that Riseley memorial Hall is no 11th June longer available to rent th 9 July Victory Hall, Farley Hill (licenced premises) – 13th August th about 100 10 September 8th October Booking information: 12th November Emma Shepherd on 0118 988 5444 for Swallowfield 10th December Parish Hall and Riseley Memorial Hall bookings Mike Goldsmith on 0118 988 2490 for Riseley Planning committee meetings are usually held every th Clubhouse bookings 4 Tuesday of the month, starting at 8.00pm in the Emma Tweed on 07774 703416 and at Rose Room. [email protected] for Victory Hall bookings (NB:Planning Committee meetings are not
The following fees apply from 1st September 2012: necessarily held every month, so check noticeboards
22 or website for further information. Agendas are The Loddon Bridge/Central Reading Park and posted three days before the meetings.) Ride scheme is now operating again. For full
AGENDAS AND MINUTES OF MEETINGS details see their website: wokingham.gov.uk/transport/parking/park-and-ride. Agendas are posted on the noticeboards three days before the meetings. Copies of the minutes are The service operates every 15 minutes commencing available from the Parish Office (adjacent to 6.45am weekdays and 8.02am Saturdays (no service Swallowfield Parish Hall), the Parish Stores, on the on Sundays or public holidays). Saver fares and website or they can be emailed to you by request. season tickets are available.
CONTACTING THE PARISH COUNCIL Trains Information: tel: 0845 748 4950 Members can be contacted through the Parish Clerk www.nationalrail.co.uk or (Celia Adams). Telephone the Parish Office – 988 www.southwesttrains.co.uk. 5929, or email [email protected] or check the PC’s website: www. swallowfieldpc.gov.uk Two trains an hour run each way between Reading and Basingstoke, stopping at Mortimer station. There Transport Information is some parking at the station. Journey time from Reading to Mortimer 10 minutes approx. and to All Travel Enquiries: 0871 200 2233 Basingstoke 24 minutes approx. Calls cost 10p per minute 7am-10pm 7 days a week Keep Mobile Countywide Travel: 01256 851009 Information: tel: 0845 544 0850
Local Buses Keep Mobile offers to provide transport for all your Detailed timetables are available from the Parish needs that is accessible for people who find ordinary Stores and the Parish Council Office. buses or trains difficult. The service offers
Dial a ride up to 15 miles from home - fixed fares 112 Operated by Reading Buses tel: 959 4000 Day excursions Spencers Wood/Reading/Spencers Wood via Shopping trips Shinfield, Whitley Wood. Community Group hire 154 Thursday and Saturday only Disabled access
Operated by Horseman Coaches tel: 975 3811 Leaflets are available at the Parish Office Stratfield Saye/Reading/Stratfield Saye via Beech Hill, Loddon Court Farm, Grazeley, Morrisons Useful Telephone Numbers 72 Monday to Saturday Operated by Fleet Buzz tel: 01252 851 009 Parish Office (phone and fax) 0118 988 5929 Parish Stores: 0118 988 5138 Aldershot/Reading/Aldershot via Fleet, Hartley Wintney, Riseley, Swallowfield, Spencers Wood Swallowfield Medical Centre: 0118 988 3134 Appointments: 0118 988 3473 82 An hourly bus service between Reading and (www.swallowfieldmedicalpractice.co.uk) Farnborough via Swallowfield, Eversley and Yateley. Swallowfield Community Responders 0118 988 4384 The 82 timetable can be downloaded or viewed on Citizens Advice Bureau appointments 0118 988 3134 web site www.countywidetravel.co.uk. Royal Berkshire and Battle 0118 987 5111
145 Tuesday only Hospital Trust: or 0118 322 5111 Operated by Fleet Buzz tel: 01252 851 009 Wokingham Hospital: 0118 949 5000 Three Mile Cross/Wokingham/Three Mile Cross Police general non-emergency: 101 via Riseley, Swallowfield, Finchampstead, Barkham, *This number is for all non-emergency calls – Langley Common, Winnersh Sainsbury’s. On the you should still dial 999 in genuine emergencies return journey the bus will set down at any point on Thames Water emergency: 0800 714 614 the outward route as required. 24hr Flood line Service 0845 988 1188 Southern Electricity emergency: 0845 770 8090 Park and Ride Gas Emergency: 0800 111 999 Information: tel: 0118 957 9425 All Saints Church, Swallowfield - Team Rector:
Madejski Stadium/Central Reading Revd. Maurice Stanton Saringer 0118 988 3363 email: [email protected] Operates every 7/15 minutes Nutbean Cemetery: All enquiries to the above Concessionary Bus Passes can be used on this service. Farley Hill Primary School: 0118 973 2148 There are also concessionary fare options - contact the Lambs Lane Primary School: 0118 988 3820 Fares Information Line on 0118 974 6807 or 0118 Spencers Wood Public Library: 0118 988 4771 974 6813. Local cinema, Winnersh Triangle: 0118 974 7711
23 Readi-Bus: 0118 931 0000 Table Tennis Ann Seager 988 4068 Reading Buses: 0118 959 4000 Whist Drive Paul Webber 988 4273 Train enquiries: 0845 748 4950 Young Farmers Club Kate Cripps 07780 974785 Heathrow Airport: 08700 000 123 Victory Hall Book Club Gatwick Airport: 01293 535 353 Mary Van Reyk 0118 973 1103 Zen Kyo Shin Taijutsu Jim Hey 01494 525403 Zumba Dancing Tracy Clements 07790178891
Contact details for Clubs and Societies
Please refer to the Parish Council web site for more information on when and where the clubs and societies meet and for links to some of their web sites: www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk Stop Press: Those of you who were unable to
Art Group Roberta Stewart 988 2736 attend the performance of Nogging the Nog at the Badminton Club: Mixed Chris Broadhurst 973 4017 Parish Hall yesterday evening missed a treat! The Ladies Val Payne 988 3594 enthusiasm and spontaneity of the performers and the Bell Ringing: Tower Captain participation of the audience - young and old alike - & Secretary: Jean Clark Maxwell 988 3548 ensured a fun-filled evening. How we loved cheering Calico Trust Marina Goldsmith 988 2490 the heroes and booing the villain. Who would have Farley Hill Bowls Club John Atack 0118 988 5611 thought that a giant dragon could be so lovable and Farley Hill Cricket Club Potts Connolly 988 9046 those evil crows so dastardly! Watch out for the next th www.farleyhillcricket.co.uk production on 24 May brought to us by the Farley Hill Society Cliff Chatten 07970 208026 Swallowfield Parish Events Group. Web: www.victoryhalltrust.com The Editor
email: [email protected] Fishing Club Secretary 0118 988 2821 History Society Frances Starman 01256 763479 Web site: [email protected] Horticultural Society Val Payne 988 3594 Jolly Babies/Music Erica Scott 0118 933 2078 With Mummy Pilates Hazel Boxall 0788 1951296 Rainbow Club Sarah Stevenson [email protected] Riseley & Swallowfield Women’s Institute Pam Harwood 988 6039 Russell Players Chris Partridge 988 8851 RSF Tennis Club - membership Janice Thomas 988 4885 - bookings Mike Goldsmith 988 2490 Swallowfield Church Choir Mary Sangster 988 4015 Swallowfield Parish Allotment Association - SPAA Pam Wright secretary 0118 988 7028 Swallowfield Scout Group: Beavers Kate Arnott 976 0110 Cubs Paul Harrington 976 0506 Scouts Paul Cobbold 988 3369 Waiting list: Tanja Maskell 988 6582 Swallowfield Toddler Rachel Whiting Group 07710740044 Swallowfield Pre-School: Mon-Friday 9.15–12.30 Helen Coulter 0777 1184982 [email protected] Swallowfield Wasps Peter Hawtin 07795 277013 Football Club
24 Liaison Parish Council Members
Margaret McDonald: Chairman Newsletter Editor: Gordon Collender John Anderson: Vice Chairman and Chairman Church Liaison: Barbara Stanley Highways: Edward Handley of Planning Committee Local Clubs, Outside Organisations etc.: All Carolyn Clark members Gordon Collender Representatives: Edward Handley Angela King * Wokingham Borough Association of Local Helen Lewis Councils, BALC, Wokingham Borough/Parish Peter Sampson Conference: Angela King, Margaret McDonald Barbara Stanley * AWE Local Liaison Meetings: Jeff Moss
Areas of Responsibility Advertising Lead Councillors:
Planning (J Anderson): Applications, borough If you are a small local business and would like to planning, core strategy, design statements place an advertisement in the Parish Council Working Group: E Handley newsletter, please contact the Editor, Gordon Collender ([email protected]) Finance (G Collender): Investments, budgets, sinking or telephone the Parish Clerk on 0118 988 5929. fund, grants, properties, asset management, health & safety, risk assessment, insurance The newsletter is published four times a year. The Working Group: J Anderson, C Clark, A King, price for placing an advertisement in four issues is P Sampson £63.00. Copy deadline dates for the next four issues are: Parish Vision (A King): Parish Plan, future of the Parish Summer 2013 issue: 30 June 2013 Working Group: J Anderson, M McDonald Autumn 2013 issue: 30 September 2013
Recreation (E Handley): Play areas, recreation Winter 2013 issue 21st December 2013 grounds, skateboard park, football pitches Spring 2014 issue: 31 March 2014 Environment (P Sampson): Swallowfield Meadow, The Marshes, Van Demans, Community Orchard; Disclaimer: Articles that have been signed and Links with WBC, biodiversity plan, footpaths, submitted to Swallowfield Parish Council for recycling inclusion in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect Working Group: A King, M McDonald the views of the Parish Council. Any parishioner Human Resources (B Stanley): Appraisal, wishing to comment on such articles should contact recruitment, staff training the author directly Working Group: M McDonald
Transport (E Handley: Road issues, speeding traffic, public & private transport, police liaison, virtual beat. Newsletter Contributions NAG – P Sampson Working Group: A King The newsletter is produced by Swallowfield Parish
Communication (G Collender): Newsletter, Annual Council, editor: Gordon Collender. The Summer 2013 Report, Web Site, REACH, media communication issue will be printed and distributed early July 2013. Working Group: C Clark We welcome contributions from parishioners, and if you would like to submit articles or material for Resilience (M McDonald): Flooding issues, ditches, inclusion in the Spring issue, please email your copy rivers, public safety by 30th June directly to Working Group: A King, P Sampson, Parish residents [email protected]
Halls (M McDonald): Swallowfield Parish Hall, or give it by hand or send by post to The Clerk, Riseley Memorial Hall, The Rose Room. General Swallowfield Parish Council, Parish Office, maintenance, marketing group, website design, Swallowfield Street, Swallowfield, RG7 1QX involvement with users clerk@ swallowfieldpc.gov.uk, Working Group: C Clark, A King, P Sampson tel: 0118 988 5929
Business (P Sampson): Links with Parish businesses, Business Forum. Farming – A King Working Group: C Clark
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27 SWALLOWFIELD PARISH NEWSLETTER Spring 2013
Published by
Swallowfield Parish Council
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