Crowthorne Community1 Magazine Crowthorne Eye [email protected] Community Magazine

Crowthorne Community1 Magazine Crowthorne Eye Crowthorneeye@Aol.Com Community Magazine

Eye Winter 2019 Edition

Crowthorne Community1 Magazine Crowthorne Eye [email protected] Community Magazine http://www.crowthornepc.org.uk/links.html

Issue 98

New Committee Members NOW Essential

We urgently need new committee members to work with the current committee with a view of taking over the reins during 2020. Most of the committee have been involved for over 20 years and would like others to take on the magazine after the 100th Edition.

By the time you read this CEye 98th edition, we will have had the General Election. We can only hope that the political situation has now become more predictable. This is so important for all walks of life, including businesses, schools, charities and service providers. Once again, we have the “Christmas Late Night Shopping” event” on Friday, 6th December from 5pm until 8.30pm in the High Street, which is a wonderful community event – a real family affair. An excellent way to start Christmas. On behalf of the Crowthorne Eye committee, we would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Also, we would like to thank all those who have contributed to this community magazine over the past year. Bob Wade, Chairman

THE TEAM: Bob Wade Chairman 772575 The Hermitage, 15 Heath Hill Road North, RG45 7BU Colin Corio Treasurer 772043 The Birches, Lower Wokingham Road, RG45 6BX Alan Bagshaw Distribution 776654 38 Cambridge Road, RG45 7ER Jack Shill 774170 41 Linkway, Edgcumbe Park, RG45 6ES Dick Robinson 772203 40 Larkswood Drive, RG45 6RL

Articles & Advertisements for Spring Edition

COPY DATE: Saturday, 11th January 2020 Please email contributions to [email protected]

Disclaimer: The opinions, accuracy and integrity of articles and adverts published in the Crowthorne Eye are not endorsed by, nor responsibility of, nor represent views of the committee, unless otherwise stated. All articles brought to our attention will be subject to editorial control, relevancy and space.

2 Crowthorne Eye [email protected] Community Magazine http://www.crowthornepc.org.uk/links.html

Issue 98

New Committee Members NOW Essential

Articles & Advertisements for Spring Edition

COPY DATE: Saturday, 11th January 2020 Please email contributions to [email protected]

3 Wokingham Borough Councillor Angus Ross Wokingham Without ward, Wokingham Borough Council As the leaves begin to turn and the rain has eventually come, I have been reflecting on our seasons, the climate extremes and the way the public and especially our youth are reacting. It is difficult to separate fact from extreme pessimism sometimes, but it is clear we all need to act to reduce the continuing impact of weather changes and the impacts of CO2 across the world. I chaired a Police and Triangle Forum meeting on 3rd October at the Morgan Centre. I hope many people did see the notices about this meeting around the village or on social media. The Police explained how they were getting on top of the recent increase in Anti- Social Behaviour and how the teams from the Bracknell and Wokingham sides do work together. Traffic and speeding issues were also raised. We heard a short presentation from senior officers from Bracknell Forest and Wokingham Boroughs covering development plans and highways issues. The Q&A session included Executive Members from the two councils which provided a good opportunity for the residents and parish councillors present to air their concerns, ask questions and get answers. I see our new Fire Station is becoming quite dominant on the High Street and I understand the construction is currently on time and budget! When complete next year, one benefit for the village will be the community room that will be available for local organisations to use. For many years I have played a very small part in supporting our local air ambulance (Thames Valley Air Ambulance) as a volunteer at community events, bucket collection at the Oracle etc. As with the Lifeboats, this service relies on our community contributions. Many residents contribute through the TVAA Lottery scheme. But in this part of Berkshire they are short of volunteers who are prepared to give a bit of time in a variety of possible ways. Those interested might like to look at the website at www.tvairambulance.org.uk –‘Get Involved’. As I write, we await the Wokingham’s decision about the planning applications for much of the planned housing south of the Wokingham to Bracknell railway line and on the Ravenswood site. We also await submission of the application for the planned extension of the Southern Distributor Road which, when completed, will run from near Coppid Beech roundabout south of Wokingham Town Centre to finish by Tesco’s on the Finchampstead Road, assisting keeping much traffic out of the town centre. This is planned for completion by 2021, but I believe it will take longer. Wokingham’s consultation on its Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) finished in September. We await the final draft early in the New Year. This is a statutory 10-year update planned for adoption in 2020. It takes up issues about our Public Rights of Way as well as new schemes. I have submitted ideas for recognition of some circular walks in our area. Angus Ross 07944 877806 [email protected]

4 Wokingham Borough Councillor Angus Ross Crowthorne and Crown Wood Cricket Club Wokingham Without ward, Wokingham Borough Council Crowthorne has a successful and fast-growing cricket club, As the leaves begin to turn and the rain has eventually come, I have been reflecting so come and get involved! on our seasons, the climate extremes and the way the public and especially our youth are reacting. It is difficult to separate fact from extreme pessimism sometimes, but it 2019 was another successful season for the Club, both on and is clear we all need to act to reduce the continuing impact of weather changes and the off the field. impacts of CO2 across the world. The 1st XI came third in the Berkshire Premier League with I chaired a Police and Triangle Forum meeting on 3rd October at the Morgan Centre. a very youthful team. The title chase went to the last match, I hope many people did see the notices about this meeting around the village or on when we could still have won the league, so congratulations to the team on an nd rd social media. outstanding season. The 2 XI and 3 XI – a mixture of youth and ‘experience’ – battled valiantly and can both look back on an enjoyable season, and forward with The Police explained how they were getting on top of the recent increase in Anti- confidence to 2020. Social Behaviour and how the teams from the Bracknell and Wokingham sides do work together. Traffic and speeding issues were also raised. Every week we had enough players to put out three Saturday teams and one Sunday We heard a short presentation from senior officers from Bracknell Forest and team – something we are very proud of in light of a recent decline in club cricket – Wokingham Boroughs covering development plans and highways issues. The Q&A and we hope to field a second Sunday XI in 2020. session included Executive Members from the two councils which provided a good The Youth section had its most successful season to date, with over 70 boys and girls opportunity for the residents and parish councillors present to air their concerns, ask (aged 5-15) training and playing regularly, with many young players developing to a questions and get answers. Berkshire county standard. The Club put out teams at U9, U11, U13 and U15 and I see our new Fire Station is becoming quite dominant on the High Street and I every team did the club proud. understand the construction is currently on time and budget! When complete next The U15 team came 2nd in their league, finishing just one point behind Wokingham year, one benefit for the village will be the community room that will be available for CC. The U13s went one better, winning their league and a place in the Division 2 local organisations to use. County Cup Final – a tremendous achievement. For many years I have played a very small part in supporting our local air ambulance We also put an all-girl team into a 6-a-side tournament, a first for the Club, and we (Thames Valley Air Ambulance) as a volunteer at community events, bucket are aiming to run a regular girls’ team in 2020. We would encourage any enthusiastic collection at the Oracle etc. As with the Lifeboats, this service relies on our girls to come and try cricket and potentially join this new team. Please contact Matt community contributions. Many residents contribute through the TVAA Lottery Jones (07949 783296), or look on our website, if you would like to know more. scheme. But in this part of Berkshire they are short of volunteers who are prepared to Crowthorne Cricket Club was founded in 1982 with a grant of £200 from Crowthorne give a bit of time in a variety of possible ways. Those interested might like to look at Parish Council. It was promoted as a community project to provide cricket for local the website at www.tvairambulance.org.uk –‘Get Involved’. players of all abilities. The Club has come a long way since then, attracting new As I write, we await the Wokingham’s decision about the planning applications for members and steadily climbing the many divisions of the Berkshire League. In 2014, much of the planned housing south of the Wokingham to Bracknell railway line and it merged successfully with another excellent local club to form Crowthorne and on the Ravenswood site. We also await submission of the application for the planned Crown Wood CC. While the Club is ambitious to achieve further success on the field, extension of the Southern Distributor Road which, when completed, will run from we are determined to remain friendly and accessible, with all ages and skill levels near Coppid Beech roundabout south of Wokingham Town Centre to finish by catered for. Tesco’s on the Finchampstead Road, assisting keeping much traffic out of the town The Club has fantastic facilities at our attractive St Sebastian’s home. We also have centre. This is planned for completion by 2021, but I believe it will take longer. privileged access to purpose-built, state-of-the-art training facilities at Wellington Wokingham’s consultation on its Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) finished College. Net practices continue during the winter months, and newcomers of all in September. We await the final draft early in the New Year. This is a statutory standards are warmly welcomed at any time. 10-year update planned for adoption in 2020. It takes up issues about our Public Rights of Way as well as new schemes. I have submitted ideas for recognition If you are interested in being part of this local success story, whether it be playing, of some circular walks in our area. coaching, supporting or introducing your children to the game, call Andy Taylor on 07799 038538 or Chris Foxon (Youth section) 07928 165405, or visit our website Angus Ross 07944 877806 [email protected] for more information: www.crowthorneandcrownwoodcc.co.uk

5 Redevelopment starting Jan 2020 Our vision To provide a flexible, multi- purpose building on Crowthorne High Street, which operates as a hub for the Church to meet and worship and as a space for community activities to thrive. Our new buildings will include a kitchen, modern toilet facilities 2 meeting rooms. The design will be far more flexible then we have at present. It will allow a much wider variety of activities to take place concurrently. The new buildings will be available to the community, providing a meeting place in the heart of our village. Current Activities Additional Future Activities Ark Pre-School Good Neighbours Advice workshops Craft Workshops HopeZone Courses CTC coffee mornings Zone 6 Community Groups Church Worship Groups/activities for Citizens Advice Bureau isolated or lonely people

6 7 CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION OF SEASONAL MUSIC AND READINGS ably supported by the children of St. Teresa’s School choir Sunday, 8th December 2019 from 4.00pm Corpus Christi Church Sturges Road Wokingham RG40 2HE. Tickets cost £5 and children enter free. They will be and refreshments, including mince pies and wine will be served at the end of the concert. Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Wokingham Town Hall Information Centre, Wokingham Library or by calling Chris Edney on 01344 779979. Tickets will also be available at the door. All proceeds will go towards “The Africa Fund” supporting a primary school in Nairobi, Kenya and an orphanage near Entebbe in Uganda. For further details visit our website www.southberkshiresingers.com or find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SouthBerkshireSingers/

9 The Best British Contemporary Crafts CROWTHORNE PARISH COUNCIL Although Craft-In-Focus will not be staging their popular Henley event this summer, the public has an opportunity to view and purchase work from around 100 of the finest www.crowthornepc.org.uk contemporary designer makers and artists in the UK at Wellington College - set in 400 acres, st this historical college provides the perfect backdrop for an event of this calibre. ♦ Parish Council Meetings held monthly - *1 Tuesday at 7.30 pm (January meeting - 2nd Tuesday)* Anyone that has never been to a Craft-In-Focus event will be surprised to discover the quality ♦ Members of the public may attend of products on offer, all made independently by professional craft makers. Unlike other craft ♦ events, no bought in or imported work is allowed and the organisers have a strict selection 15 minute public question time at each monthly meeting ♦ Parish Hall, Heath Hill Road South, Crowthorne, RG45 7BN procedure to ensure only the best of UK craftsmanship is represented at their events. Elected until May 9th 2019 A visitor at a recent Craft-In-Focus event commented, “The best quality/variety craft show I’ve been to in over 20 years.” Cllr Jack Bolton 01344 772486 This event will feature around talented designer makers showing jewellery, glass, fashion, Cllr Simon Butterworth 01344 769090 ceramics, textiles, artwork, interior accessories and furniture and is the ideal place to purchase Cllr James G Finnie 01344 774729 unique, hand crafted work of the highest standard. Cllr Bruce McKenzie-Boyle 01344 772255 To enhance the experience there will be live performances at the weekend by violinist, Miriam Cllr Tina McKenzie-Boyle 01344 772255 Kramer and acoustic guitar duo, Aquillo. Cllr Neil Kilvert Vice Chairman 01344 774714 Rarely is such a wealth of top quality work seen together at a single event. Cllr Richard Price 01344 771112 Cllr Gail Robertson 01344 775432 For further information contact Craft in Focus on 01622 747 325 or visit their web site at Cllr Simon Sever 01344 776442 www.craftinfocus.com Cllr Bob Wade Chairman 01344 777294 Opening times are: 4-6 September, 12 noon – 6 pm on Friday, 10 am – 5 pm on Saturday and 10 am – 4.30 pm on Sunday. Admission is £4.50 at Wellington College. Clerk to the Council, Adele Swadling 01344 771251 65 Deputy Clerk, Joanna Robertson

Email: [email protected]

For further details, please contact the Clerk to the Council at the Parish Office, Morgan Centre, Wellington Road, Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 7LD.

Crowthorne Councillors Surgery

CPC hold a monthly surgery to provide an opportunity for local residents to meet with their Parish Councillors to answer questions and discuss local issues. The surgeries will be held in the Parish Hall, Heath Hill Road South - Lower Conference Room, on the first Saturday of each month

from 11am-12pm.

BRACKNELL FOREST BOROUGH COUNCIL

Elected until May 7th 2015

Cllr Paul Bettison Little Sandhurst & Wellington 01344 778949 Cllr Dale Birch Little Sandhurst & Wellington 01344 778140 Cllr James G Finnie Crowthorne 01344 774729 Cllr Bob Wade Crowthorne 01344 777294

10 SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING IN CROWTHORNE It is now common knowledge that the very best form of exercise for the health of the physical body and for your general mental and social well-being is DANCE! With that in mind, you need look no further than St. John’s Scottish Country Dancing Club which meets in Crowthorne. We have a Children's Class (the only one for miles around) and an Adult Club. Both opportunities have free car parking and friendly, welcoming dancers and teachers. 1) St. John’s Children’s Class The Children's Class meets at The Parish Hall, Heath Hill Road South RG45 7BN on Saturday mornings at 9:30am from September to the end of June (roughly during school term dates – see website for exact dates). This is a great way to teach children to work as a team and improve their social skills and confidence. The Children's Class charges by term which works out at just £3.50 per week (no annual membership fee). Just pop in. Complete beginners welcome. Parents are welcome to stay and watch or you can nip into the village for a coffee. There is no need to book - just turn up - and your first few taster sessions are free! For more information, contact Deborah the Class Teacher at [email protected] or visit our website (see below). 2) St. John's Adult Club The Adult Club meets at 8pm on Thursdays in St. Sebastian's Memorial Hall which is at the junction of Nine Mile Ride and Honey Hill RG40 3BA. The season runs from September to the end of June. The pre-Christmas term ends on 19/12/2019 and we restart after the Christmas break on 02/01/2020. Why not make it your New Year's Resolution to start dancing with us! You don't need to have any Scottish ancestry and you don't need to bring a partner (but of course that would be nice) since our friendly members will be only too pleased to take you onto the dance floor. Complete beginners welcome. Just pop along on a Thursday and you will see what fun it is. There is no need to book - just turn up - and your first evening is free! There are no expensive charges as there are at the gym (and it's more fun). Our annual membership is £10. Members can enjoy an evening of social dancing with tea/coffee and a biscuit for only £3! The hall has plenty of free parking too. So, for some beneficial and fun exercise that won't break the bank, come and dance with us. For more information and contact details, please visit the St. John’s website at: www.warmweb.co.uk/stjohnssdc or call our secretary Kate Thomson on 0118 986 0681 or email Kate at [email protected]

We often ask ourselves; Can we make a difference? The answer is “yes”, we can, and we do. Regular readers will be aware that we were angered when the draft version of the Bracknell Local Plan dropped any reference to preserving the Strategic Gap between Bracknell and Crowthorne. This gap is intended to avoid Bracknell from expanding so much that it coalesces with Crowthorne. We were therefore concerned to find that on page 76 of a 287-page document, Bracknell Forest Council had quietly dropped any reference to maintaining the gap, probably hoping that nobody would notice. Well we did and we protested strongly. I’m pleased to report that in the revised version of the Local Plan, which came out for consultation on October 25th, that gap separating Bracknell from Crowthorne has been reinstated. Whilst it is difficult to engage residents’ interest in these long-term plans, they are important as they dictate the locations for new development in the future. An interesting and controversial plan has been submitted by Norwood, the charity that runs Ravenswood Village, just off Nine Mile Ride. They have applied for permission to redevelop Ravenswood and to raise funding by selling off land to a developer for the construction of 183 homes for sale on the open market. Whilst we have no objection to redeveloping the village, we strongly oppose the proposal to build 183 homes which would be totally isolated and cut off from support infrastructure. Traffic would be greatly increased at an already busy junction on Nine Mile Ride since residents would be reliant on using cars to get anywhere. Norwood is an extremely well supported charity, with a strong network of supporters across the UK. We would hope they could find alternative ways to raise funds for their redevelopment. Help required. CVAG plan to set up a Facebook group where members and other residents can discuss matters relating to developments in and around Crowthorne. Is there anyone out there with Facebook experience who could spare some time to assist us in setting up and administering this group? Please contact me, [email protected] Finally, at our AGM this year, we introduced a family membership, so that any family members over 18 living in the same household, may be included in the paying member’s membership for no extra cost. This will help to increase our membership. If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to email us for further information at [email protected]

• I asked my wife what she wanted for Christmas. She told me "Nothing would make her happier than a diamond necklace" So I bought her nothing! • The 3 stages of man: He believes in Santa Claus. He doesn't believe in Santa Claus. He is Santa Claus. • How did Mary and Joseph know that Jesus weighed 4.2 kg? Cause they had “a weigh in the manger”. 13 NEW BROADMOOR HOSPITAL UPDATE We thought you might find it helpful to have a brief update on the progress towards opening our new Broadmoor Hospital. The programme remains on track to move patients and staff into the new buildings by the end of the year. In September, we were visited by an independent external review team who rated our preparations for the move as green – the highest possible rating. This means the reviewers were confident that successful completion of the move on time appears highly likely and there are no major issues that appear to threaten delivery. The review team highlighted the consistent focus on the primacy of patient safety and security, an excellent risk culture, and levels of staff and patient involvement in the project as “exemplary.” They also recommended that the Trust’s work in building relationships with staff, patients and other stakeholders should be documented and shared with the wider NHS. In mid-October the first part of the new hospital came into operation, when we opened the new entrance building, which is accessed from the Crowthorne by-pass. Now, everyone entering the hospital – both the existing wards, and the new buildings – will come through the new entrance. The old entrance building has been closed. This has been a very important milestone for us all. If you like any further information about our progress, please email us at: [email protected]

15 Sebastian’s Action Trust has received an incredible donation of £126,734 from Wolseley Infrastructure (one of Wolseley UK’s brands). The money was raised at their annual gala ball. Jane Gates OBE, Sebastian’s Action Trust’s CEO, husband Michael, and Mark Courage, chairman of trustees, were among hundreds of guests who attended the glittering evening which had a ‘Night at the Circus’ theme. Jane said: “Everyone at Sebastian’s Action Trust is completely overwhelmed by this absolutely incredible amount of money from Wolseley Infrastructure, which has chosen our charity as the main beneficiary of its annual gala ball for the second consecutive year”. This donation will be used to build one new family respite lodge (to be named ‘Wolseley Lodge’) in the beautiful grounds of ‘The Woodlands’ site in Crowthorne. Sebastian’s Action Trust is planning to introduce two new cedar-clad respite lodges at ‘The Woodlands’ early next year. Both self-contained lodges will accommodate up to eight people and as well as bedrooms, will include specially adapted bathroom facilities suitable for children and young people with physical disabilities. Families staying in one of the new lodges will have use of The Woodlands’ onsite facilities during their stay, which include comfortable and safe leisure spaces within Sebastian’s Tree House, Ruby’s Den, Beech Lodge and Cedar Lodge.

16 Sebastian’s Action Trust has received an incredible donation of £126,734 from Wolseley Infrastructure (one of Wolseley UK’s brands). The money was raised at their annual gala ball. Jane Gates OBE, Sebastian’s Action Trust’s CEO, husband Michael, and Mark Courage, chairman of trustees, were among hundreds of guests who attended the glittering evening which had a ‘Night at the Circus’ theme. Jane said: “Everyone at Sebastian’s Action Trust is completely overwhelmed by this absolutely incredible amount of money from Wolseley Infrastructure, which has chosen our charity as the main beneficiary of its annual gala ball for the second consecutive year”. This donation will be used to build one new family respite lodge (to be named ‘Wolseley Lodge’) in the beautiful grounds of ‘The Woodlands’ site in Crowthorne. Sebastian’s Action Trust is planning to introduce two new cedar-clad respite lodges at ‘The Woodlands’ early next year. Both self-contained lodges will accommodate up to eight people and as well as bedrooms, will include specially adapted bathroom facilities suitable for children and young people with physical disabilities. Families staying in one of the new lodges will have use of The Woodlands’ onsite facilities during their stay, which include comfortable and safe leisure spaces within Sebastian’s Tree House, Ruby’s Den, Beech Lodge and Cedar Lodge.

17 At The Ark Pre-school, we are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Crowthorne Baptist Church as the church is preparing for a re-build at the back of the site, which has been home to The Ark for our 21 years of operation. The last year has been spent earnestly seeking an appropriate temporary home for the period that we will need to vacate the premises for the building work to take place. Set with the aim of firstly meeting safeguarding requirements, but also re-creating the welcoming and nurturing environment that has been found in our space at the rear of the church, and seeking a site within walking distance for most Crowthorne residents, there have been numerous contacts made within the community. We were also incredibly appreciative of all the help and guidance of local parish councillors, and the Early Years team at Bracknell Forest Council. We are delighted that Wellington College have kindly been able to host the setting for the Spring and Summer terms in 2020 (as we expect to move to the temporary premises in January 2020 and return to a new space at the church in September 2020, building project timelines permitting). The College offers a space in a modern, warm and secure pavilion at the rear of the site. This space will not have through-traffic and therefore will continue to provide a secluded and open space that children at The Ark have thus far enjoyed. In addition, we have the advantage of being able to spill out of the pavilion into the outdoor space and forestry that surrounds the building so children can take their learning outdoors in a natural environment. We will continue to operate the same term-time only session times (Mon - Fri 9.15am-12.15pm, with lunch clubs until 1.15pm Mon - Weds). We are extremely grateful to the college for the willingness to support us, and ultimately provide this space so the children’s early years’ learning provision will seamlessly continue. When we return to our site at Crowthorne Baptist Church (hoped to be in September 2020), we will return to a new purpose-built, modern facility where we can continue our pre-school provision to 2-4 years olds in the centre of Crowthorne High Street. If you would like to have more information about The Ark Pre-school, its provision, costs of sessions and availability, please contact our administrator at [email protected], or call 07827 892397. We would be happy to arrange a visit in our current setting and feel assured that the same offering will be found in our temporary home. The Ark Pre-school rated ’Outstanding’ by Ofsted (Sept 2016), is a member of the Early Years’ Learning Alliance, and is a registered charity (Charity Number: 1073525)

18 CROWTHORNE EDUCATIONAL CHARITY TRUST No: 300143 The purpose of the Crowthorne Educational Charity is to promote the education of persons resident in the Parish of Crowthorne. Did you know? Every year the Crowthorne Educational Charity Trust makes grants available to local organisations such as playgroups, scouts, Girlguiding, schools etc. The Trust supports young people in primary, secondary and further education. Can I apply for a grant? Yes, if you live in the Parish of Crowthorne. How can I apply? Contact the Parish Offices in the Morgan Centre. The Trust Administrator will send you an application form. Compete the form and return to the Crowthorne Parish Offices. Then what happens? The Trustees will consider your request and will inform you of the decision. Can you give me some examples of the successful applications? • Supporting educational visits • Supporting educational residential visits • Supporting extra-curricular tuition lessons (musical, sporting) • Supporting young people to fund their travel to places such a Africa or South America to work for charities (before entering further education) • Giving grants of money for equipment to aid students learning in school or at home More information can be found on the Website or from the Crowthorne Parish Offices. http://www.crowthornepc.org.uk/crowthorne-educational-trust.html

Crowthorne WI The Crowthorne Women's Institute is a group for ladies of any age. We are always pleased to welcome new members at our meetings on the third Wednesday of the month at 2.15pm at the Morgan Centre, Wellington Road, Crowthorne. Most months we have either a speaker or entertainer and always make time for tea and cake and chat. We also have raffles and competitions every month.

Why not come along and give us a try. Bring a friend or come alone. For further details please contact Helen Ricketts on 01344 773263

20 CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ONLINE Raise money for seriously ill children Sebastian’s Action Trust is encouraging people who do their Christmas shopping online to help them raise money to support seriously ill children. Sebastian’s Action Trust has a family outreach centre in Upper Broadmoor Road, Crowthorne, and supports 528 families from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Hampshire and Oxfordshire who have children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. The charity is asking people who shop via the Internet to use the AmazonSmile or Easyfundraising online shopping websites. When making an online purchase using these sites, donations can be made direct to Sebastian’s Action Trust at no extra cost to shoppers. Simply choose Sebastian’s Action Trust as your chosen charity when setting up an online account on both sites and start shopping. For every purchase made, Amazonsmile and Easyfundraising will make a small donation to the charity. It is such a simple way to support families of seriously ill children, at no extra cost. Millions of products are eligible for charitable donations on both websites. On AmazonSmile, all eligible products are marked ‘eligible for smile.amazon.co.uk’ Easyfundraising is the UK’s biggest charity shopping fundraising website, raising millions of pounds for good causes since 2005. There are 4,000 retailers to choose from when shopping online with www.easyfundraising.org.uk

Charity Golf Day at Mill Ride Golf Club raises over £6,500 Sebastian’s Action Trust’s annual charity golf day at Mill Ride Golf Club raised £6,500. Fifty players took part in the event held at the 18-hole course in Mill Ride, Ascot, Berkshire, last September. All the money raised will go towards Sebastian’s Action Trust supporting hundreds of families of seriously ill children. The players enjoyed brunch, a round of golf, followed by dinner, a raffle and auction in the clubhouse. Auction prizes included four ball games at Calcot Park Golf Club, St George’s Hill Golf Club, Sunningdale Golf Club, North Hants Golf Club, Mill Ride Golf Club and Swinley Forest Golf Club. There was also a golf hat signed by world famous golfer Rory Mcllroy, a golf lesson at Windlesham Golf Club and an overnight stay and dining voucher for the Casa Hotel, Yateley. For information about events organised by Sebastian’s Action Trust, go to www.sebastiansactiontrust.org

22 PARKS AND COUNTRYSIDE EVENTS IN BRACKNELL FOREST Booking and pre-payment: https://bracknell-forest.gov.uk/parks-and-countryside/events Please bring your booking reference to the event.

DECEMBER 5 Community Litter Pick at Lily Hill Park, 2-3pm. Meet: North car park, off Lily Hill Road, Bracknell, RG12 2RX 14 Hazel Coppicing and Fire at West Garden Copse, 1pm-3pm. Meet: Jennett’s Park car park, off Swift fields, Bracknell, RG12 8DY. Booking required. 15 Heathland Magic at Wildmoor Heath, 10:30am-1:30pm. Meet: Wildmoor Heath car park, Crowthorne Road, RG45 7PP. Booking required. 17 Volunteer led walk - The Mince Pie Trail. A 5 ½ miles (2¼ hours) walk with refreshments and a festive mince pie afterwards. Meet 10:30am at Frost Folly car park, Weller’s Lane, Warfield, Bracknell RG42 6EN. 20 Festive Forage at South Hill Park, 10:30am-11:30am. Meet: Courtyard in front of South Hill Park reception, Ringmead, Bracknell, RG12 7PA. Booking required. Cost: £4. 21 Community Litter Pick at Westmorland Park, 11am-1pm. Meet: Westmorland Park car park, Westmorland Drive, Warfield, Bracknell RG42 3QP. JANUARY 11 Traditional Orchard Wassail, 5:30pm-7pm. Meet: North car park, RG12 2RX. Booking required. Cost: £4. 19 Heathland Management at Wildmoor Heath, 10am-1:30pm. Booking required. Meet: Wildmoor Heath car park. 20 Volunteer led walk - Winkfield Circuit. Up to 4miles (1¾ hours). Meet 10:30am at Winkfield Church, Church Road, Winkfield, SL4 4SF. FEBRUARY 6 Orchard Pruning, 10am-12noon. Meet: North car park, RG12 2RX. Booking required. 18 Half Term Wildlife Workshop at Horseshoe Lake, 10am-12noon. Best suited for 7yrs+. Meet: Horseshoe Lake car park, Mill Lane, Sandhurst, GU47 8JW. Booking required. Cost: £4. 18 Volunteer led walk - Shepherds Meadow & Around. A 5 ½ miles (2¼ hours). Meet 10:30am - Sandhurst Memorial Park car park Yorktown Road, Sandhurst GU47 9DP. 19 Help a hedgehog, 10:30am-12pm. Booking required. Meet: Jennett’s Park car park, RG12 8DY. MARCH 7 Community litter pick at Westmorland Park, 11am-1pm. Meet: Westmorland Park car park, RG42 3QP.

Afternoon Guided Spring Strolls (2pm-3pm) 11 South Hill Park. Meet: Courtyard in front of South Hill Park reception. Booking required. Cost: £4. 19 Lily Hill Park. Meet: North car park, RG12 2RX. Booking required. Cost: £4.

17 Volunteer led walk - Westly Mill then to the North & back via Cruchfield Lane. Up to 5 ½ miles (2¼ hours). Meet 10:30am at Jealott’s Hill Community Landshare off of Wellers lane, Warfield. 26 Skylark and Flower Walk and Talk at Cabbage Hill, 10am-12pm. Booking required. Meet: Cabbage Hill car park.

CROWTHORNE LIBRARY https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/libraries/library-events/activities-crowthorne-library The winter months are with us and there is no better time to curl up with a good book. Our new book stands are always kept up to date with the latest best sellers so make sure you stop by and browse our selection. Our full timetable of Adult activities which include Scrabble, French, German, Tai Chi, Meditation and our Crowthorne Clickers will help keep those winter blues away so please check out our events page on Bracknell Forest Libraries website which will keep you up to date. For all new mums and anyone with young children please come along and enjoy one of our Bounce and Rhyme or Tot’s time sessions. It’s a great way to meet other mums and keep getting out and about during the colder days. Bounce & Rhyme – Mon 9.30 and Tues 2pm (50p per child) Tot’s Time – Wed 9.30 (£1.50 per child). We also have our Lego and coding for older children. EXTENDED HOURS Apologies for the delay but please ask in branch for up to date timetables. We are really hoping that we will shortly (or already have) extended our opening hours and you can sign up to access the library 7 days a week. Sunday will no longer be a ‘no library day’ and if you’re looking for a quiet place to do some Family History research you can come along and use our computers where we have access to ‘Ancestry’ and ‘Find my Past’ free of charge. You will be free to browse our shelves and to Issue and Return books, which I am sure, for those of you who like ourselves work on a Saturday,could take the opportunity of turning a relaxing stroll into a hunt for the latest best seller. It will also mean that early birds and evening visiting will be available, so we can help everyone relax and enjoy all our the facilities. For full details on extended opening visit the website or ask any member of staff. Thank you once again for supporting the library. We look forward to seeing you. Sharon, Claire, Glynis, Maggie, Ann, Gaynor, Lydia, Margo, and Bibi

26 French & Spanish Lessons in Crowthorne

Small classes held locally Basic to advanced conversation All levels catered for!

1:1 home tuition also available

English lessons also available for foreign au pairs *** Contact Alba Flanagan BA, MA Tel: (01344) 466082

27 CROWTHORNE PARISH COUNCIL (CPC) QUARTERLY REPORT

The following highlights, essentially based on various Meeting minutes (Jul – Sept 19), should give residents some insight into the activities of CPC. If you require more details, please contact the Clerk, Melanie Saville on 01344 771251. It is noted that some of the events listed below may have already taken place prior to the distribution of the latest edition of the Crowthorne Eye.

LITTER SPLITTER BINS Further to the collaborative work between CPC, C.R.O.W. and BFC; BFC has now installed litter bins in the parish which enable the general public to separate their litter into ‘recyclable’ and ‘general’ waste thereby maximising the amount of waste saved from landfill and recycled.

CHRISTMAS CAROLS AND FESTIVE LIGHTS SWITCH ON The CPC planning for first community Christmas carols and festive lights switch on taking place on 24 November at 6pm is now well advanced. The Baptist Church will host the Christmas tree in their front garden, Breakaway Brass Band booked to play and Crowthorne Combined Churches Choir with various schools singing. CTC are providing clergy to lead the service and have been instrumental in working with the Clerk to coordinate the event. Local businesses have also been approached with requests to provide refreshments and to sponsor the event.

FOODBANK VOUCHER SCHEME CPC has become a ‘referrer’ to Crowthorne Foodbank. Those in need can now visit the Parish Office to request a Foodbank voucher which they can then present to the Foodbank at Wellington Business Park in exchange for Foodbank supplies. This scheme is particularly beneficial during the school holidays when those in need suffer food poverty and deprivation in greater numbers due to free school meals only being served during term time. BFC, local schools and churches already hold supplies of vouchers and this broadens the reach of the voucher scheme at times when other voucher providers are closed or inaccessible.

VE DAY COMMEMORATIVE CELEBRATIONS 2020 Next year’s May Day Bank Holiday will change from Monday 4 May to Friday 8 May to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day. CPC is collaborating with St John’s Church and other community groups to run a VE 75th event to mark the occasion. The Church has opted not to run its usual May Day event for 2020, instead joining in the VE Day celebrations. Additionally, the Royal British Legion and the Girl Guides have also expressed an interest in being involved. It was agreed that a date should be set and publicised to all interested residents and stakeholders for a steering group to form. The Morgan Centre and Recreation Ground could be used a hub for the event on 8 May 2020. Continued >>>

28 CPC Report continued

UPDATE ON THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN (NP) In accordance with Part 15 of the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations, CPC, as the qualifying body, has formally submitted the Crowthorne NP and accompanying submission documents to BFC local planning authority. BFC confirmed that all the statutory criteria have been met and consequently the plan proceeded to public consultation from 23rd September 2019 until 4th November 2019. An independent examiner will then be appointed to undertake the examination of the plan before it proceeds to Referendum in the new year.

UPDATE ON THE BUCKLER’S PARK COMMUNITY HUB PLANS The specification document received from Legal & General on what will/will not be included in the fitting out of the Community Hub at Buckler’s Park was regarded as being extremely disappointing and one that presents a problem as the cost of kitting out the Hub would be substantial and well in excess of what has been budgeted from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Comments with respect to this have been forwarded to BFC and L&G. Further updates will feature in future editions of the Crowthorne Eye as this exciting project progresses. It is anticipated that the new community facilities at Buckler’s Park will include not only a modern community hub building, but also sports courts, a community orchard, allotments and a café, all in close proximity to the SANG, which will vastly improve the community and leisure facilities for residents in the Parish.

APPOINTMENT OF A PART TIME PROJECTS AND EVENTS OFFICER A new role has been created for a Part Time Fixed Term Projects and Events Assistant for an initial period of one year to assist with the planning, costing, organisation and delivery of projects (including CIL projects) and events within the parish during the current period of growth. Miss C Greenwood has been appointed. She is a very experienced events organiser and will work a total of 15 hours per week between the hours of 2-5pm. This will also enable the Parish Office to remain open for longer and thereby benefit members and the wider community.

ANNUAL GRANTS 2020 – 13 Dec 2019 Deadline Each year CPC considers requests for grants from local organisations. Grant applications for 2020 must be received by the Parish Office by 13 December 2019, together with a copy of the latest set of annual accounts. Applications are then considered by the Council and successful grants are presented at the Annual Parish Meeting in March 2020. Grant forms can be downloaded from CPC’s website http://www.crowthornepc.org.uk/grants.html or by contacting the Parish Office on 01344 771251.

MONTHLY SURGERIES Monthly Surgeries are held on the first Saturday of each month, 11am-12pm at the Crowthorne Library in the High Street to provide an opportunity for parishioners to meet Parish Councillors and discuss local issues.

29 Our popular Afternoon Family Christmas CROWTHORNE PARISH COUNCIL Concert is on Saturday 14th December starting at 4.30pm. This will held in the www.crowthornepc.org.uk beautiful setting of St John’s Parish Church in Waterloo Road and we hope many of you, both young and not-so-young, will come and enjoy an afternoon of seasonal  Parish Council Meetings held monthly - 1st Tuesday at 7.30 pm music – there will be some familiar favourites as well as some new pieces and of (January meeting - 2nd Tuesday) course the opportunity to join in and sing some well-known carols.  Members of the public may attend  15-minute public question time at each monthly meeting We love to welcome children to our all Morgan Centre, Wellington Road, Crowthorne, RG45 7LD concerts to experience the thrill of hearing and watching an orchestra ELECTION Result - May 2nd 2019 playing live music, so tickets for those under 16 are free. There is usually no Cllr Simon Butterworth 01344 769090 shortage of youngsters eager to try their Cllr Neil Kilvert 01344 774714 hand at conducting the orchestra at the Cllr Bruce McKenzie-Boyle Vice Chairman 01344 772255 end of the concert and I expect there Cllr Tina McKenzie-Boyle 01344 772255 will be an opportunity for that again Cllr Richard Price 01344 771112 this year. Members of the church will Cllr Gail Robertson 01344 775432 provide refreshments in the interval Cllr Nicholas Robertson 01344 775432 and there will be a raffle too. As well as our usual ticket outlets (Decor Interiors in Cllr Simon Sever 01344 776442 Crowthorne High Street, and The Information Centre, Wokingham Town Hall) Cllr Clifton Thompson 01344 775349 tickets will be on sale at the Late-Night Christmas Shopping evening in Cllr Bob Wade Chairman 01344 772575 Crowthorne, £10 in advance (£12 on the door). Online purchases are available via our website. Clerk to the Council: Melanie Saville 01344 771251 Our Spring Concert is on Saturday 28th March at 7.30pm at The Old Gym, Assistant Clerk: Joanna Robertson Wellington College, when the programme will include two of Brahms’ most popular

Email: [email protected] works – his ‘Academic Festival Overture’ and the marvellous ‘Double Concerto for Violin and Cello’ with soloists Molly Cockburn (violin) and Michael Atkinson For further details, please contact the Clerk to the Council at the Parish Office, Morgan Centre, Wellington Road, Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 7LD. (cello). Molly played with us a few years ago and we look forward to welcoming her back; Michael is a long-standing member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Walton’s Crowthorne Councillors Surgery Symphony No.1 completes the programme. The first of Walton’s two symphonies, it was written in the 1930s and enjoyed an ecstatic reception from musicians, critics and CPC hold a monthly surgery to provide an opportunity for local residents public. The work was influenced by Sibelius and is a potent mix of musical and to meet with their Parish Councillors to answer questions and discuss local personal influences behind its devastating power and is among the best-known issues. symphonies by British composers. The surgeries are be held in Crowthorne Library, High Street, on the

first Saturday of each month from 11am-12pm.

Tickets for the Spring Concert will be on sale online via our website and also about

6 weeks in advance from the usual outlets in Crowthorne and Wokingham. BRACKNELL FOREST BOROUGH COUNCIL The orchestra welcomes new members subject to vacancies - if you are interested and are a competent player, even if you have taken a break from playing, please get in ELECTION Result - May 2nd 2019 touch. Our regular membership is over sixty players and we have a reputation as a friendly bunch with members of all ages. Weekly rehearsals are on Mondays in term Cllr Paul Bettison Little Sandhurst & Wellington 01344 778949 time from 7.45-10pm at Oaklands Junior School, Butler Road, Crowthorne. Visit Cllr Dale Birch Little Sandhurst & Wellington 01344 778140 our website for more information: www.crowthorneorchestra.com Cllr Tina McKenzie-Boyle Crowthorne 01344 772255 Cllr Bob Wade Crowthorne 01344 772575 Chris Gadsby

30 CROWTHORNE PARISH COUNCIL www.crowthornepc.org.uk

 Parish Council Meetings held monthly - 1st Tuesday at 7.30 pm (January meeting - 2nd Tuesday)

 Members of the public may attend  15-minute public question time at each monthly meeting Morgan Centre, Wellington Road, Crowthorne, RG45 7LD

ELECTION Result - May 2nd 2019

Cllr Simon Butterworth 01344 769090 Cllr Neil Kilvert 01344 774714 Cllr Bruce McKenzie-Boyle Vice Chairman 01344 772255 Cllr Tina McKenzie-Boyle 01344 772255 Cllr Richard Price 01344 771112 Cllr Gail Robertson 01344 775432 Cllr Nicholas Robertson 01344 775432 Cllr Simon Sever 01344 776442 Cllr Clifton Thompson 01344 775349 Cllr Bob Wade Chairman 01344 772575

Clerk to the Council: Melanie Saville 01344 771251

Assistant Clerk: Joanna Robertson

Email: [email protected]

For further details, please contact the Clerk to the Council at the Parish Office, Morgan Centre, Wellington Road, Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 7LD.

Crowthorne Councillors Surgery

CPC hold a monthly surgery to provide an opportunity for local residents to meet with their Parish Councillors to answer questions and discuss local issues. The surgeries are be held in Crowthorne Library, High Street, on the

first Saturday of each month from 11am-12pm.

BRACKNELL FOREST BOROUGH COUNCIL

ELECTION Result - May 2nd 2019

Cllr Paul Bettison Little Sandhurst & Wellington 01344 778949 Cllr Dale Birch Little Sandhurst & Wellington 01344 778140 Cllr Tina McKenzie-Boyle Crowthorne 01344 772255 Cllr Bob Wade Crowthorne 01344 772575

32 The Charity was founded by Crowthorne Stroke and Disabled Club and the Combined Churches of Crowthorne, and this original and innovated idea very quickly took off, and the fruits of the hard work put in by the founders has given the elderly and disabled residents of Crowthorne a wonderful asset. We now have circa 180 passengers registered to use the bus and some of them have been taking trips for well over 20 years. The bus is out and about virtually every day of the week and offers to our passengers an opportunity to socialise with many friends and enjoy some lovely trips. If you are interested in joining as a passenger, live in Crowthorne are over 65 or disabled we have a dedicated telephone number which you can call and is absolutely free 0800 567 7090 - and when not manned leave a message and we will quickly return your call. If you are interested in joining our team of volunteers, we are always seeking drivers and helpers again just call us. For more information you can visit our web site: www.ccminibus.org.uk and there you will also find a link to our Facebook page. David Hobbs – Chairman

Wildmoor Heath School in Crowthorne has been able to celebrate a year of extremely hard work by both staff and pupils and are delighted that all their pupils are making excellent progress. The school has celebrated its best year ever with record results in all phases. 96% of the pupils passed the Year 1 national Phonics Awareness Check, compared with 82% nationally. Similarly, the school achieved 77% in Key Stage combined results, well ahead of the national of 65%. The school is very proud of its community partnerships, which include nature walks on the heath with Thames Basin Heaths Partnership; choir visits to local care homes; safety visits to Barrett’s new Cricket Field Grove development; Fire Service visits, plus strong links with local churches and Crowthorne Foodbank. Mrs Semper, Headteacher, stated, “Our rich curriculum prepares our children by nurturing their personal and social development, enriching their knowledge of the wider world and developing their ‘cultural capital’. In addition, we are privileged to be located adjacent to Wildmoor Heath, allowing us to embed outdoor learning in our daily teaching – so vital for healthy young minds and bodies.” This term we had two sessions in November for parents to visit the school for children starting school in September 2020. Please call 01344 772034 for further information.

Wildmoor Heath is an academy and part of the

34 SPONSOR A CHILD THIS CHRISTMAS Sebastian’s Action Trust is inviting community groups, schools, businesses and organisations to get involved in this year’s annual ‘sponsor a child for Christmas’ campaign. Every year, Sebastian’s Action Trust - a charity based in Crowthorne that supports families of seriously ill children and young people - organises a fantastic Christmas party. Hundreds of people attend, and for families facing an uncertain future with their seriously ill child, the day creates a wonderful opportunity for precious memories to be made. It costs around £30 per child for the Trust to create a spectacular party, full of festive sparkle. Among the many attractions, families will enjoy are Christmas themed arts and crafts, a face painter, a sensory area, petting farm, disco, BBQ, and the chance to meet real reindeers. And of course, all of the children who come along will receive a special gift from Father Christmas. In the lead up to the Christmas party, we encourage everyone to get into the festive spirit and make a donation to enable us to make it a day for our families to always remember. If you would like to organise a fundraising event rather than making a direct donation, we would love for you to contact us with your ideas. We can give you all the support you need to make a contribution towards this fantastic festive occasion. To find out more about Sebastian’s Action Trust’s Sponsor a Child this Christmas Campaign, email [email protected] or call 01344 622500.

CONTACT THE ELDERLY-BRACKNELL needs a group Co-ordinator/driver for a few hours a month. Can you make a difference to elderly people in your community and enjoy a very happy Sunday afternoon?

We take out 6-8 local elderly people once a month, 12 months a year, to tea parties; our guests are 75 into the 100’s. Local family hosts welcome the group into their homes for a tea party. This regular monthly outing makes a huge difference to the life of an isolated person and gives them something to look forward to. Often, we are the only social outing in their lives. For more information please contact:

Suzan Hyland, National Volunteer Support Officer on 0207 881 2361 Email: [email protected]

Registered charity in England and Wales (1146149) Scotland (SC039377) Company Number (07869142)

THE RUGBY TEACHER’S HOLIDAY ǇůĂƌĞĞǀĂŶ ,ŝƐŵƵƐĐůĞƐďƵůŐĞŝŶƐŝĚĞŚŝƐƐŚŝƌƚ͕ ,ĞĐŚĂƌŐĞƐƚŚƌŽƵŐŚƚŚĞŵƵĚĂŶĚĚŝƌƚ͕ /ŐŶŽƌŝŶŐŐĂůĞĂŶĚŚĂŝůĂŶĚŚƵƌƚ͘ He’s more a giant than a man, ,ĞĚƌŝǀĞƐĂƌŽĂƌŝŶŐ͕ƌƵƐƚǇǀĂŶ͕ ,ĞǁĞĂƌƐƚĂƚƚŽŽƐďĞŶĞĂƚŚŚŝƐƚĂŶ͘ ŶĚƐĐĂƌƐĂĐƌŽƐƐŚŝƐďƌŽŬĞŶŶŽƐĞ ŶĚŵĂƐƐŝǀĞďŽŽƚƐǁŝƚŚŵĞƚĂůƚŽĞƐͲ It’s just as well that no one knows͘ tŚĞŶƵŐƵƐƚĐŽŵĞƐǁŝƚŚƐƵŵŵĞƌƐŚŽǁĞƌƐ͕ ,ĞƚĂŬĞƐĂďƌĞĂŬĨƌŽŵƐƵƉĞƌͲƉŽǁĞƌƐ ŶĚƐŝƚƐŝŶĚŽŽƌƐĂŶĚƉƌĞƐƐĞƐĨůŽǁĞƌƐ͘

COATS makes an important contribution to Crowthorne and the surrounding area by providing a centre for our Senior Citizens. A friendly and committed team of qualified staff and volunteers create a safe, welcoming and stimulating environment for up to 40 visitors each weekday. From November 2019 we will be back in our newly refurbished centre in Pinewood Avenue. With modern up to date facilities we offer a great environment for our Visitors. We are happy to welcome new Visitors on any weekday. Your first visit will be free. Contact our Centre Manager Bernie on 01344 773464 OUR REFURBISHED CENTRE – BUILDING A BETTER COATS We are planning several events to publicise the opening of our centre following completion of the Building a Better COATS project. This will include a number of open days to give prospective Visitors the chance see our new-look premises and chat to our staff and trustees about what we have to offer. Look out for further information in the local press, library posters and Facebook for details in the coming weeks. We are also planning a grand opening ceremony where the village can come along and celebrate with us the opening of our fantastic new facility. www.coatscrowthorne.org.uk Registered Charity No 1152306

37 Tribute to Dr Rodney O’Donnell The news of Rodney’s recent death was received with a special sadness by all those associated with COATS. Over the years his enthusiasm, support and forward thinking played a huge part in making COATS what it has become today. As a long serving and very active and well-loved village doctor he was well placed to understand the needs of the elderly and the increasing support this growing section of the population required. He and his wife Maura associated themselves with local organisations involved with the elderly, made over their walled garden for meetings and cream teas and put on barbecues for volunteers. He was instrumental in the building of the Day Centre, in the purchase of the first minibus, and understood the need to have a successful charity shop. He led from the front and was fully prepared to get stuck in and get his hands dirty. He was a caring man with boundless energy and infectious enthusiasm. When in 2003 the Centre was faced with closure because of changes in new Care Standards, Rodney devoted a great deal of time and energy to the problem. He set up a small team and at the AGM in 2004 he was made Chairman. The new charity shop was opened and he saw how the upper rooms of the house were a potential source of income. In 2005 he was instrumental in finding a part time manager. Little by little, as money became available, the Centre opened first one day a week, then two. By 2007 it was open 5 days a week, and the future of COATS was assured. Having successfully steered the charity through some turbulent times Rodney resigned in 2007. He had the satisfaction of knowing that his efforts had been successful, and that a very important service to the elderly of Crowthorne was secure. Sadly, he did not live long enough to see the refurbishment, enlargement and modernisation of our building, enough to take us through the next 50 years. Without him it may never have been possible. It is an important legacy of which he would have been proud. Freemasonry in Crowthorne Since December 1905 The Heather Lodge has been associated with the village of Crowthorne. Originally the lodge was primarily for the tradesmen. Nowadays members come from all walks of life but the tradition of Wednesday meetings, five times a year, continues. Local charities continue to benefit from donations, both from Heather Lodge, and the Berkshire Masonic Charity. In addition to raising charitable contributions the lodge provides support, friendship and social events for members and their families. Freemasonry is a society whose approach to life is based on integrity, tolerance, kindness, honesty and fairness. If you would like to make a positive contribution to society and your local community, make lasting friendships, learn skills and have an enjoyable social life, please email [email protected] or phone 01189 787625 or 01344 774735 or visit the web site, www.berkspgl.org.uk

39 Forthcoming Events Diary 22-Nov-19 RNLI – Quiz Night 7.30pm COATS Centre 24-Nov-19 Christmas Light – Official Switch on 6pm, High Street 27-Nov-19 RBL Women’s Section 2pm, RBL Club 30-Nov-19 RNLI – Charity Christmas Fair 10am-1pm COATS Centre 02-Dec-19 WWPC – Full Council St Sebs Mem. Hall, 7.30pm 03-Dec-19 CPC Council Meeting Morgan Centre, 7.30pm 04-Dec-19 Death Café 7- 8.30pm Beatons Tearooms & Bookshop 06-Dec-19 CTA - LATE NIGHT SHOPPING 5-830pm High Street 07-Dec-19 CPC Surgery 11am – Noon, Library 07-Dec-19 Crowthorne Musical Players: “It’s Parish Hall, Saturday. 7:30pm Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas” Saturday & 2:30pm Sunday 07-Dec-19 Christmas Trees (7th and 8thDec) 11am – 3pm Annual Sale Edgbarrow Woods Car Park 07-Dec-19 Sebastian’s Action Trust – Xmas Market 12-4pm, Woodlands 08-Dec-19 RNLI Gourmet Raffle (Tickets required) 12-2pm, COATS Centre 08-Dec-19 RNLI – Gourmet Raffle (ticketed) 12-2pm COATS Centre 08-Dec-19 S Berks Singers - Music&Readings, 4pm Corpus Christi Church, Wokingham 13- Dec-19 CPC Annual Grants DEADLINE Send to CPC, Morgan Centre 14-Dec-19 WBC Surgery St Sebs Mem. Hall, 10-12am 14-Dec-19 Crowthorne Symphony Orchestra 4.30pm Family Christmas Concert St John’s Church 14-Dec-19 Muscular Dystrophy – Poems & Pies 3pm, Parish Hall 14-Dec-19 Sing Healthy Choirs – Concert, 7.30pm St Crispin’s School, Wokingham 14-Dec-19 Wokingham Choral Society's 6pm, All Saints' Church, Family Christmas Concert Wokingham 16-Dec-19 BFC Planning Meeting – New Date 7.30pm Times Square. Bkll 18-Dec-19 Crowthorne WI – Party (by invitation) 2.15pm, Morgan Centre 18-Dec-19 Bkll Choral Soc. – Handel’s Messiah 7pm Wellington College Chapel 20-Dec-19 Cecilia Singers – Xmas Past & Present 7.30pm St Michaels Church Sandhurst 03-Jan-20 CPC Surgery 11am – Noon, Library 04-Jan-20 CPC Surgery 11am – Noon, Library 06-Jan-20 WWPC – Full Council St Sebs Mem. Hall, 7.30pm 11-Jan-20 WBC Surgery St Sebs Mem. Hall, 10-12am 13-Jan-20 WWPC – Full Council St Sebs Mem. Hall, 7.30pm 14-Jan20 CPC Council Meeting Morgan Centre, 7.30pm 15-Jan-20 Crowthorne WI - Talk by Catherine 2.15pm, Morgan Centre Sampson - ‘Georgian Cookery’ 16-Jan-20 BFC Planning Meeting 7.30pm Times Square. Bkll 17-Jan-20 CBA Skittles Evening 7.30pm, COATS Centre 18-Jan-20 Volunteer Recruitment Fair 10am-1pm, Town Hall, Wok’n

40 01-Feb-20 CPC Surgery 11am – Noon, Library 01-Feb-20 Sebastian’s Action Trust – Burns Supper 7pm, Berystede Hotel Ascot 04-Feb-20 CPC Council Meeting Morgan Centre, 7.30pm 08-Feb-20 WBC Surgery St Sebs Mem. Hall, 10-12am 13-Feb-20 BFC Planning Meeting 7.30pm Times Square. Bkll 18-Feb-20 SE Berks Gang Show (18th – 22nd Feb) 7.15pm SHP - Sat Mat. 2.15pm 19-Feb-20 Crowthorne WI - Talk by Angela & 2.15pm, Morgan Centre Graham O’Connell, Nat’l Garden Scheme 21-Feb-20 Antiques Evening 7.30pm, COATS Centre 02-Mar-20 WWPC – Full Council St Sebs Mem. Hall, 7.30pm 03-Mar-20 CPC Council Meeting Morgan Centre, 7.30pm 07-Mar-20 CPC Surgery 11am – Noon, Library 08-Mar-20 Crowthorne Musical Players (8-14Mar) 7.30pm, Wilde Theatre The New Half of Sixpence South Hill Park 14-Mar-20 Sing Healthy Choirs – Faure’s Requiem TBC 14-Mar-20 WBC Surgery St Sebs Mem. Hall, 10-12am 16-Mar-20 WWPC – Annual Parish Meeting St Sebs Mem. Hall, 7.30pm 18-Mar-20 Crowthorne WI AGM followed by Talk 2.15pm, Morgan Centre by Andy Rodgick -‘History of Bracknell’ 19-Mar-20 BFC Planning Meeting 7.30pm Times Square. Bkll 19-Mar-20 CPC – Annual Parish Meeting Morgan Centre, 7.30pm 20-Mar-20 Quiz Night 7.30pm, COATS Centre 27-Mar-20 RNLI – Know-It-All Quiz 7 for 7.30pm COATS Centre 28-Mar-20 Crowthorne Symphony Orchestra 7.30pm Wellington College 28-Mar-20 Wokingham Choral Society's 7.30pm, Great Hall, Spring Concert University of Reading 29-Mar-20 Bkll Choral Society - Concert 7pm Reading Univ Great Hall

ADVERTISING RATES from January 2020 **

Width x Height 4 Issues (1 issue) Quarter A5 page 6cm x 9cm = £190 (£60) 12cm x 4.5cm Half A5 page 12cm x 9cm = £300 (£90)

Full A5 Page 12cm x 18cm = £560 (£170)

Copy Dates middle of month: Jan Apr Jul Oct Delivery first week in: Mar Jun Sep Dec Event Diary covering: Mar-Jun : Jun-Sep : Sep-Dec : Dec-Mar

Email: [email protected]

Any Advertising Queries call Colin Corio 01344 772043

** Note the advertising rates have been increased due to the ever increasing costs of printing, postage and public liability insurance etc.

Organisations selling tickets may be asked to contribute 50% of the rates above

42 IT’S ALL HAPPENING AT WOKINGHAM VOLUNTEER CENTRE! Are you looking to make a change that will improve your health and happiness in the New Year? Why not consider volunteering with a local charity? Searching online can give you an overwhelming amount of information – or nothing that is pertinent you as an individual at all! So why not come along to: Volunteer Recruitment Fair Wokingham Town Hall Saturday 18th January, 10am – 1pm Meet 15 local charities that support children, young people, the elderly, education including literacy/numeracy, employment, substance misuse, people with mental and physical health issues and disabilities, animals, gardening, transport schemes, befriending, sport, environment and conservation - there is something for everyone. In volunteering as in life, different roles suit different people. Some want regular hands-on activities, while employed or recently retired professionals can offer invaluable strategic help. As charities increasingly take on delivery of front-line services, they are badly in need of hands-on volunteers in all manner of roles, as well as trustees with business experience. If you can’t get to the Volunteer Recruitment Fair, do please get in touch with us at the Centre – we have recently moved and are happy to arrange face-to-face sessions at our new office at Indigo House, Mulberry Business Park, off Fishponds Road in Wokingham RG41 2GY. You are welcome to contact Christine or Helena at Wokingham Volunteer Centre on 0118 977 0749, email: [email protected] or visit our website www.wokinghamvolunteercentre.org.uk

43 Grant Applications are NOW OPEN! Priority Areas and Schools Programmes

School-based Work - Apply for Funding up to £2000 For projects that can assist schools to improve the opportunities available for disadvantaged children and families. This could be equipment for sessional activities, trips and residential breaks etc provided they are delivered outside the standard curriculum Priority Areas - Apply for Funding up to £5000 For projects that work to support the three most deprived communities in our ‘area of benefit’ (Norreys Estate, Gorse Ride Estate, St Sebastian’s area in Wokingham Without). Applications with a strong community involvement are particularly welcomed Eligibility - To be eligible for a Grant, the organisation… • must reside or assist those who do reside in our Area of Benefit • must not have received funding from us since 1st April 2019 • must have returned all Monitoring Forms for any previous Grant For details contact: http://wokinghamunitedcharities.org.uk/grants/grants.htm or email: [email protected]

7145 SUPERMARKET CAR PARK DISTRACTION THIEVES Thames Valley Police have received several reports of shoppers being targeted by “supermarket car park distraction thieves”. These thieves often prey on shoppers who enter supermarkets with a shoulder or handbag. They follow the victim through the store and stay close by as they enter their PIN number at the till. Having obtained the PIN number, two or more of the thieves follow the victim and wait until the victim has loaded their shopping and handbag into their vehicle. They then approach and as one engages the victim in conversation another thief quietly and unnoticed opens a car door and steals the handbag/wallet. Often the stolen bank card and PIN are used to withdraw cash from an ATM. To reduce the risk of becoming a victim, ensure that whenever you use a “Chip and Pin card” that you cover the keypad as you enter the 4-digit number so that no one can see/record it. Make sure your handbag and wallet are always secure. If you have any information or would like to report a crime, please visit www.thamesvalley.police.uk or call the police non-emergency number 101. If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org Please encourage your friends, family and neighbours to receive these types of messages by registering at www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk

47 tŽŬŝŶŐŚĂŵtŝƚŚŽƵƚWĂƌŝƐŚŽƵŶĐŝů ǁǁǁ͘ǁŽŬŝŶŐŚĂŵǁŝƚŚŽƵƚͲƉĐ͘ŐŽǀ͘ƵŬ Ğ͗[email protected] DĞĞƚŝŶŐƐƐƚĂƌƚĂƚϳ͘ϯϬƉŵƵŶůĞƐƐŽƚŚĞƌǁŝƐĞŶŽƚŝĨŝĞĚŝŶĂĚǀĂŶĐĞ͘ ůůŵĞĞƚŝŶŐƐĂƌĞŽƉĞŶƚŽƚŚĞWƌĞƐƐĂŶĚWƵďůŝĐ Howard Palmer Room, St Sebastian’s Hall, Nine Mile Ride RG40 3BA ůůƌŽƌĞĞŶǇĞ ϬϭϯϰϰϳϳϲϰϬϯ ůůƌZŝĐŚĂƌĚ&ĞŶŶǇ ϬϭϯϰϰϳϴϬϱϲϯ ůůƌ>ĞƐůĞǇ&ŽǆǁĞůů sŝĐĞŚĂŝƌŵĂŶ Ϭϭϯϰϰϳϳϲϵϰϲ ůůƌZŽďĞƌƚ'ŽƵŐŚ ϬϭϯϰϰϳϳϰϴϮϮ ůůƌƌŝƐ>ĂŶĐĂƐƚĞƌ ϬϳϳϬϮϬϮϭϱϮϴ ůůƌĂƌƌĞŶ>ĂƚŝŵĞƌ ϬϭϯϰϰϳϳϭϰϮϱΎ ůůƌEŝĐŚŽůĂƐDĂƌƚŝŶ ϬϭϭϴϵϴϵϱϰϲϬ ůůƌ<ĞŶEĞǁůĂŶĚ ŚĂŝƌŵĂŶ ϬϭϯϰϰϳϳϱϬϵϲ ůůƌĂƌŽŶWůƵŵĞ ϬϳϳϭϯϭϲϮϵϱϴ ůůƌ:ĂŶĞƚZŽŐĞƌƐ ϬϭϯϰϰϳϳϳϭϮϵ ůůƌWĂƵů^ƚĞƉŚĞŶƐ ϬϳϴϯϲϲϱϮϮϯϭ ůůƌ^ĞŽŶĂdƵƌƚůĞ ϬϭϯϰϰϳϲϮϴϮϲ KEsĂĐĂŶĐǇ͕ƉůĞĂƐĞĐŽŶƚĂĐƚdŚĞůĞƌŬĨŽƌŵŽƌĞŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƚŝŽŶ͘ ůĞƌŬ–<ĂƚǇ,ƵŐŚĞƐ ϬϭϯϰϰϳϳϭϰϮϱΎ WĂƌŝƐŚKĨĨŝĐĞ WŝŶĞǁŽŽĚĞŶƚƌĞ͕KůĚtŽŬŝŶŐŚĂŵZŽĂĚ͕tŽŬŝŶŐŚĂŵZ'ϰϬϯY ϮŶĚĞĐĞŵďĞƌϮϬϭϵ &ƵůůŽƵŶĐŝů ϭϯƚŚ:ĂŶƵĂƌǇϮϬϮϬ &ƵůůŽƵŶĐŝů ϯƌĚ&ĞďƌƵĂƌǇϮϬϮϬ &ƵůůŽƵŶĐŝů ϮŶĚDĂƌĐŚϮϬϮϬ &ƵůůŽƵŶĐŝů ϭϲƚŚDĂƌĐŚϮϬϮϬ ŶŶƵĂůWĂƌŝƐŚDĞĞƚŝŶŐ tŽŬŝŶŐŚĂŵŽƌŽƵŐŚŽƵŶĐŝůůŽƌƐ ůůƌŚƌŝƐŽǁƌŝŶŐ ϬϳϳϭϬϬϳϬϯϴϵ ůůƌWĂƵůŝŶĞ,ĞůůŝĂƌͲ^ǇŵŽŶƐ ϬϳϳϭϰϮϮϲϳϳϱ ůůƌŶŐƵƐZŽƐƐ ϬϳϵϰϰϴϳϳϴϬϲ ŽƌŽƵŐŚŽƵŶĐŝůůŽƌƐŚŽůĚĂŵŽŶƚŚůǇƐƵƌŐĞƌǇŽŶƚŚĞ ƐĞĐŽŶĚ^ĂƚƵƌĚĂǇŽĨĞĂĐŚŵŽŶƚŚĨƌŽŵϭϬĂŵƚŽŶŽŽŶĂƚ ,ŽǁĂƌĚWĂůŵĞƌZŽŽŵ͕^ƚ͘^ĞďĂƐƚŝĂŶΖƐDĞŵŽƌŝĂů,Ăůů͕EŝŶĞDŝůĞZŝĚĞZ'ϰϬϯ

49 Cecilia Singers Christmas Concert

“Christmas Past and Present” Friday 20th December at 7.30 pm Church of St Michael and All Angels Lower Church Road, Sandhurst GU47 8HN There has been a church on the site of St Michael and All Angels for 800 years and this year’s Christmas concert by Cecilia Singers will reflect this in the hamper of favourite carols and songs on offer. The concert will feature excerpts from Handel’s Messiah and music by Whitacre, Stopford and the ever-popular John Rutter. Interspersed with seasonal readings, the concert will also include the St Michael’s Belles, the church’s very own handbell group. There will be plenty of opportunity for audience participation, an essential ingredient of any good Christmas concert and refreshments will be available in the interval. Admission is FREE, but there will be a retiring collection in aid of Winspire, a project at the church to repair the windows at the west end. We hope to see as many of you as possible, at what promises to be a joyous and suitably festive treat.

SEENAGER! I just discovered my age group! I am a Seenager ("Senior Teenager"). I have everything that I wanted as a teenager, only 50-60 years later. I don't have to go to school or work. I get an allowance every month. I have my own pad. I don't have a curfew. I have a driver's license and my own car. I have ID that gets me into bars and the wine store. The people I hang around with are not scared of getting pregnant, they aren’t scared of anything. They have been blessed to live this long, why be scared? Brains of older people are slow because they know so much. People do not decline mentally with age; it just takes them longer to recall facts because they have more information in their brains. Scientists believe this also makes you hard of hearing, as it puts pressure on your inner ear. Also, older people often go to another room to get something and when they get there, they stand there wondering what they came for. It is NOT a memory problem; it is nature's way of making older people do more exercise. SO THERE!

CROWTHORNE & WOKINGHAM DISTRICT R.N.L.I.

RNLI - CHARITY CHRISTMAS FAIR

Saturday, 30th November 2019 10.00 am - 1.00 pm

COATS Centre, Pinewood Avenue, Crowthorne RG45 6RG

Christmas Cards, Calendars and diaries, Gifts, Crafts, Cakes, preserves and much more.

Light refreshments.

Come and shop early for Christmas. We hope to be joined by COATS, Therapy Dogs Nationwide, Thames Valley Air Ambulance, Cats Protection, Compassion in World Farming and Muscular Dystrophy U.K. charities.

RNLI - GOURMET RAFFLE

Sunday, 8th December 2019 12.00 noon-2.00 p.m.

Coats Centre, Pinewood Avenue, Crowthorne RG45 6RG

Ticket price £8.00 Includes free glass of mulled wine, buffet

and two free raffle tickets.

Phone Ann Howlett – 01344 773458 This is a ticket only event and numbers are limited

RNLI - Know-It-All-Cup QUIZ

Friday, 27th March 2020 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm

Coats Centre, Pinewood Avenue, Crowthorne RG45 6RG

Teams of 6

Tickets £8.00 per person, available from 01344 773458

Licensed Bar & Raffle

BRING YOUR OWN SUPPER

51 Help Your Community this Festive Season There are hundreds of charitable organisations across Bracknell Forest that always require support from volunteers in order to continue the great work that they do. With so many different volunteering roles, there are hundreds of ways you can get involved and help out in your community: From administration and receptionist work in a comfy office, to getting outside and active, by doing something like stewarding at a regular sporting event or helping to maintain a community garden. You could become a fundraiser, organising various events to raise vital funds, or, if you’d prefer to help out behind the scenes, you could apply to be a trustee, and use your professional skills to make positive changes to the way a local organisation operates. You could look for a role based on either the skills you already have and wish to share, or skills you want to learn or expand upon. This way, you can find an opportunity (or various opportunities!) that you enjoy based on what you want to do, rather than just focusing on the cause your role will be supporting. There are so many great charities that need all sorts of help from various volunteers. This means you can find lots of different volunteering roles for lots of different types of charities. You could fundraise for an organisation that funds vital research for a certain disease or condition; Become a driver for a charity that helps elderly or disabled people to get out and enjoy activities with new friends; Mentor children or young people with their school work or emotional issues; Or just design and create promotional materials for an organisation that aims to make the local area a better place. There are so many different roles and organisations to choose from! Do something brilliant today and make a difference to your own life as well as others, by signing up to volunteer. At involve Community Services, we can help you find the perfect volunteering opportunity and, if you need it, support your integration into a new voluntary role. Get in touch with us if you’d like to find out more, or alternatively visit our website. T: 01344 304 404 E: [email protected] W: bracknellforestgetinvolved.org.uk

Wellbeing in Wokingham Are you feeling stuck and don’t know where to turn? Need to find local services to help your situation, but don’t know where to start looking? Contact your local Community Navigation Scheme! Continued >>>

52 Involve – continued >>> Community Navigation is a social prescribing scheme that helps people find social or physical activities in their community. The service is free for Wokingham Borough residents and enables you to access local and national community and voluntary groups/support. Our Community Navigation Officers have time to talk you through possible services, help you access hard to find information and know what’s available to help you. Community Navigators will assist you by: • Searching for local organisations, charities and community groups that can meet your needs • Finding out what you need based on what you enjoy doing and your availability • Keeping in touch to make sure you’ve settled into an activity

Community Navigation can help you in various areas. It aims to help improve people’s general health and wellbeing and reduce feelings of isolation. You could find local self-help groups, clubs and befriending agencies while meeting others who share your experiences. Alternatively, we can find support for housing, employment, benefits, debt and legal advice. For further information or to make a referral, please get in touch: T- 01344 304 404 E- [email protected] W- involve.community/community-navigation

53 54 Raise Money for Sebastian’s Acton Trust this Christmas

As the nights draw in, Sing Healthy community choirs in Bracknell and Wokingham are already well into their Christmas rehearsals. It’s one of the busiest times of the year for the singers, who get asked to perform at many events, from local caroling to established festival days at Windsor Castle. Of all their festive events, the one that perhaps best demonstrates the inclusive spirit of the organisation is the annual Christmas Concert, held at St Crispin’s, Wokingham. Every year, the combined forces of the choirs come together with regular collaborators Ascot Brass, where they are joined by the young singers of St Michael’s Easthampstead School Choir and the enthusiastic members of the Sing Healthy CLASP choir. The choirs raise money for local causes throughout the year, donating nearly £600 to their nominated Christmas charity Berkshire Lowland Search & Rescue in 2018. The choir members take a direct role in the selection of the charity they support. This year, the Christmas Concert will raise money for Crowthorne-based charity Sebastian’s Acton Trust, which supports families of seriously ill children. The concert, this year held on Saturday 14th December at 7.30pm, will include many winter classics. As 2019 marks the bicentenary of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s birth, the choirs have also taken the opportunity to explore some lesser known works from the Victoria era. Concertgoers can expect festive favourites, audience carols and dazzling brass. Tickets will be available online at www.singhealthy.co.uk/tickets and on the door

55 NHS Trust Hands Over Sports Pitches to Crowthorne Rugby Club West London NHS Trust has formally handed over 3.8 hectares of newly refurbished sports pitches and a clubhouse to Crowthorne Rugby Club; as part of the S106 agreement between Barratt Southern Counties and Bracknell Forest Council. The official opening event took place on Saturday 17 August, hosted by Crowthorne Rugby Club and opened by Simon Amore, Head Coach of England 7s Team. Two rugby matches took place, where the ladies (Thorns) and the men’s (Crows) teams played against President’s invitational sides, consisting of old players and friends of the club. Joining in the community spirit, players at this event included Jimmy Noakes, Deputy Director of Nursing at Broadmoor. Vanessa Lee, Head of Property and Major Transactions at Broadmoor Hospital, comments: “Running in tandem with construction, the land sales programme is not only vital to redevelopment funding but will also bring about significant benefits and a legacy for the local community. The sports pitches cater for a variety of sports, including rugby and football, and will ensure the long-term future of Crowthorne Rugby Club and will support their aspirations for growth. We wish them every success in their new home.” Ian MacLeod, Chairman of Crowthorne Rugby Club, comments: “It is with great anticipation and excitement that we now take over the lease for this facility. We would like to acknowledge and thank all of the agencies and organisations involved in this sports field development, including West London NHS Trust and Barratt Southern Counties, and look forward to generating a community sporting facility for the wider Crowthorne population to use and enjoy.” (L-R): Colin Pole (President of Crowthorne Rugby Club), Kerry Munday (Barratt Sales Adviser), Ian MacLeod (Chairman of Crowthorne Rugby Club) and Simon Amor (England Rugby Coach) Barratt Southern Counties has also provided suitable alternative natural greenspace in order to reduce the pressure for public recreation. Further, Barratt has contributed £234,470 towards the future BFC costs of maintaining and managing this land. Lynnette St-Quintin, Sales Director for Barratt Southern Counties, comments: “We are pleased to have been involved with the construction of the new sports facilities, and it was fantastic to see the pitches in use at the club’s official opening. We hope everyone enjoys this new recreational area for many years to come.”

57 CROWTHORNE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Gerald Cooper, Secretary, 36, Greenwood Road, Crowthorne, 01344 773890 This year has been a difficult year for gardeners and was reflected in the 2nd Flower Shows the Society holds. The number of exhibits and exhibitors were down, but the standard of exhibits was high. The judges were pleased with what they had to review. A talk on Green Gardens, presented by Alan Gould of Henry Streets Garden Centres, was given to the Society on Friday 11th October 2019. This proved to be a popular topic as it covered what the Horticultural Trade was doing about Climate change and reducing the amount of plastic used by the Horticultural Trade. An example of this was a 6” flowerpot made using Bamboo. It is claimed that this type of plastic flowerpot can be composted. At present these pots are heavy and expensive. It is however a step in the right direction. We will keep you informed of any other developments. At the time of writing it is dull, cloudy and rain is on the way again. This means we are not able to get into the garden as often as we would like. Seed and plant catalogues are now readily available. Study them and make your choice as to what you are going to grow in 2020 - get your order in early. The Chairman and members of the Crowthorne Horticultural Society wish all readers of the Crowthorne Eye a Merry Christmas and a happy good gardening New Year. ENJOY YOUR GARDEN

58 59 Quarterly Report from Wokingham Without Parish Council (WWPC)

Christmas Message It’s been a busy year for the parish council, as you will see from the report below, we have achieved a lot this year and are already making plans for a very active 2020. As the year draws to a close, we’d like to wish all our residents a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Land Adjacent to the Memorial Hall This year we successfully completed the purchase of a parcel of land adjacent to the Memorial Hall. Plans are currently being made to bring this land forward for public use and we look forward to updating the community further in early 2020. Improvements at the Pinewood Centre Children love the exciting playgrounds at the Pinewood Centre and next year the Parish Council plans to improve these facilities further with enhancements to the toddler play area. The plans are in the early stages, with the intention to have the new playground equipment installed for next summer - your ideas would be very welcome! Fit for Life We are proud to report our joint initiative with Wokingham Borough Council and Places Leisure, designed to combat loneliness and inactivity for our older residents, has proved to be one of the most successful community classes of its type. We will be celebrating our first year in January! New members are welcome, please just pop along to the Memorial Hall any Wednesday at 10:45 am. Neighbourhood Plan We are pleased to report our Neighbourhood plan is underway, and the first Community Meeting will be held shortly – please keep an eye on our social media channels for further announcements! Quality Council Status WWPC is working toward achieving Quality Council status. This scheme has been set up by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), and will demonstrate that we meet the standards set by the sector and have put in place the conditions for continual improvement. Our application has been submitted and we hope to be able to report our success in the next issue. Continued >>>

60 WWPC Quarterly Report – continued Council Grants We are delighted to report that this year the Parish has had a record number of successful grant applicants. This is a result of the Council’s efforts to reach smaller community groups delivering valuable projects in the local area. Councillors This year the Parish gained three new councillors. All your councillors are working hard to engage with the local community through the website, newsletters and social media channels. They continually seek to enhance the local community and work behind the scenes to resolve ongoing issues. Venue Hire (daytime slots available) The Memorial Hall at St. Sebastian’s is a superb venue for parties, exhibitions, club meets etc. However, if you require a smaller more intimate venue then the Howard Palmer Room offers an excellent space. To make an enquiry please contact the Parish Office on 01344 771425 or email [email protected] General Information You can follow parish activities on the parish website and on our Facebook page. www.wokinghamwithout-pc.gov.uk and www.facebook.com/WokinghamWithoutPC/ also on twitter www.twitter.com/W_W_P_C Blue Waste and Brown Garden Waste Sacks Wokingham-Without Residents Sacks are available from Wokingham-Without Parish Office (10am –12 noon) and Rogers Hardware Store in Greenwood Road

POEMS AND PIES - 2019 Festive fun for ALL the family

Merry Christmas Songs, Readings, Refreshments, a Raffle and (of course) Mince Pies plus A visit from Santa Claus !

Saturday, December 14th at 3.00 pm

Crowthorne Parish Hall, Heath Hill Road South

Donations (at the Door) for “Muscular Dystrophy UK”

Details: Nicky Bevan - 01344 776871

63 SANDHURST GARDENING CLUB

The wheels of the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round… I’m not sure there was much singing on the way to Aston Pottery, but the members were certainly glad that the wipers didn’t have to go swish, swish, swish as they made their way to this little known but stunningly colourful garden and pottery in Oxfordshire. The beds, as one member described them, ‘look as if the rainbow has just been thrown up in the air and dropped wherever’ – creating a rampant riot of colour. There doesn’t appear to be too much organisation, but this belies the huge amount of work that must go into creating such an unstructured but impactful look. There were some areas of structure though – the walk into the pottery from the car park was along an avenue of large pots filled alternately with Eucomis and Agapanthus - a striking combination. Also, quite stunning was the walk from the pottery down to the large beds – two long borders that just seemed to go on and on as they melded into the large beds at the end. There really aren’t enough adjectives to describe this garden; it really is one that must be visited. As well as the gardens there is the pottery and the gardening club enjoyed a talk explaining how the pots are made and glazed – it was quite astounding just how many different patterns were produced – suffice to say a few purchases were made! And, just to make the day complete, the café served the most wonderful cakes (and sandwiches – tasty but not as interesting as a good cake!). The club visited in July, but the pottery’s own website shows that the displays are seasonal and definitely worth a visit earlier in the year; the tulip displays look especially good. While August is a relatively quiet month for the club in that there aren’t any meetings, members were clearly hard at work preparing for the Autumn show. There were a wonderful 380 entries across 90 classes, with the vegetables impressing the judges, both in terms of quality and quantity – the most seen at any show this year, as one judge remarked. Praise indeed for the members to bask in. Mention should also be made of the strawberries, and in a different class the floral arrangements. Examples of these fine entries can be seen on the club’s website – do have look and perhaps it will inspire you to join the club! http://www.sandhurstgardeningclub.co.uk/

64 65 CHURCHES TOGETHER IN CROWTHORNE Associated with Churches Together in Berkshire

Churches Together in Crowthorne (CTC) is run by representatives of all the churches in and around Crowthorne, working together to provide shared worship, prayer, learning, service and evangelism. We invite you to join a service at any one of the various churches where a warm welcome is awaiting you.

Carol Singing - our popular carol singing will take place on the High Street outside the Co-Op on Saturday 14 December from 10 – 11 am (weather permitting), followed by fruit mince pies and refreshments at the Baptist Church. Everyone is very welcome to join in!

Christmas Services – for individual times of services please see the inserts from each church in the Crowthorne Eye or their websites or keep a lookout for the posters in the village.

Further information may be found on the churches websites or by contacting them:

Crowthorne Baptist Church http://www.crowthornebaptist.org.uk 01344 774085 Crowthorne Methodist Church http://www.crowthornemethodistchurch.org.uk 01344 411417 Holy Ghost Catholic Church- http:/www.crowsand.co.uk 01252-87 6820 St James’/St Mary & St John California http://parish.finchampstead.co.uk 0118 973 0133 St John’s Church http://www.crowthorneparishchurch.org.uk 01344 761521 St Sebastian’s Church http://www.stsebastians.org.uk 01344 761050 Wokingham Vineyard Church http://www.wokinghamvineyard.org 01344 780087

CTC coffee mornings are held at the Methodist Church (on Tuesdays) from 10.00 a.m., and the Baptist Church (on Thursdays) from around 10.30 a.m. to 12.00 p.m., serving coffee, tea and cakes. These coffee mornings are open to everyone!

Pinehurst Residential Home We continue to host a monthly Ecumenical service for the residents of Pinehurst on the last Sunday of each month at 3 p.m.

Grateful thanks go to the many willing volunteers and dedicated clergy for all the services provided to the community.

For more information email at: [email protected]. Or our website: www.Churchestogetherincrowthorne.org.uk

Wishing you a blessed Christmas and New Year!

67 LEXICON - REGENERATION - NEXT PHASE A multi-million-pound makeover of Princess Square commenced in October as the latest stage in the town centre’s regeneration gets underway. The comprehensive programme will transform Princess Square into a modern, light, bright and airy centre to house new brands, as well as give many of the current stores a brighter, lighter new space from which to trade. Once works complete, anticipated to be in Spring 2020, customers can expect to see new escalators and lift lobbies, an impressive ceiling space with feature lighting, new customer seating and toilets and overall a brighter and more welcoming environment to shop, eat and relax. The next major milestone in Bracknell town centre’s regeneration was secured following the signing of a legal agreement earlier this year between Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) and its development partner, Bracknell Regeneration Partnership (BRP) – a 50/50 joint venture between Schroders UK Real Estate Fund and Legal & General Capital. The new look Princess Square will provide customers with the perfect blend of convenience and destination shops and eateries, as a natural extension and next phase of the regeneration, which saw the launch of The Lexicon just over two years ago. A further investment phase, to turn the old Bentalls unit into a vibrant new covered public space to be known as The Deck, will conclude the town centre works soon Allotments - it takes all sorts after, with new food and retail units linking The Lexicon directly with the revitalised This is my 4th year at Pinewood Allotments, we are soCOMPUTER COMPUTERlucky to have such Princess Square. With planning works already well underway for this phase, The Deck facilities within our village. The allotments have been a longstanding feature of is due for completion in 2022. the Pinewood site, some of our members have been there since they were In total, the refurbishment of Princess Square and development of The Deck represent established in the 80’s, other like me are newbies. I think we allLESSONSLESSONS enjoy our plots a further £30m of investment by BRP and BFC in affirming Bracknell’s position as for different reasons, mine is an escape from busy life and an activity to share the leading town centre retail destination in the area. The arrival of The Lexicon has with my two sons. It’s also a place to having a good chatHelp and with soakPC / MAC up / IPADthe / TABLET / PHONE already lifted the town to number 29 from 255 in the Trevor Woods Associates experiences of people from various walks of life. Email, Internet, Apps, Cameras, Skype, Print, Scan rankings for best shopping destination in the UK. This year so far my courgettes have been particularly successfulNeed to but improve potatoes Word, Excel, PowerPoint? Is it time to organise your Pictures & Files? and tomatoes have suffered with the very damp weather we have had recently FLOWER FESTIVAL 2020 with many plot holders suffering blight. It is fair to say that having an allotment is not without its frustrations but I think the rewards are worth it. The look Don’ton my despair 2020 is Carnival year and that means the return of the spectacular sons face as potatoes pop out of the ground is priceless; but he still won’tHelp eat the is at hand flower festival at St John’s Church. The theme for the Carnival is “The Olympics: Past, Present and Future” and this will also be the courgettes! We have a good range of members from the old hands to youngPersonalised families. 1 to 1 lessons We - all levels of experience theme for the Flower Festival. grow a huge variety of things between us and in differentSpecial tuitionways, for BeginnersI’m of all ages An information evening will be held in March and those groups who have previously experimenting with “No Dig Gardening”, sounds too good toLearn be at true….look your own pace it  up Gift Vouchers on request Phone / Remote Access support also available participated will receive an invitation to this in due course. Participation from new on the internet! groups is always welcome. If your organisation has not been involved before and If you’d like to find out more about our allotments then please contactCall me Juliet on would like to take part please contact the below. [email protected]. 01252 845 882 / 07788 595 555 Alison Vacher, Flower Festival Committee Chair Matthew Cook - Pinewood [email protected] Association Email: [email protected]

68 LEXICON - REGENERATION - NEXT PHASE A multi-million-pound makeover of Princess Square commenced in October as the latest stage in the town centre’s regeneration gets underway. The comprehensive programme will transform Princess Square into a modern, light, bright and airy centre to house new brands, as well as give many of the current stores a brighter, lighter new space from which to trade. Once works complete, anticipated to be in Spring 2020, customers can expect to see new escalators and lift lobbies, an impressive ceiling space with feature lighting, new customer seating and toilets and overall a brighter and more welcoming environment to shop, eat and relax. The next major milestone in Bracknell town centre’s regeneration was secured following the signing of a legal agreement earlier this year between Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) and its development partner, Bracknell Regeneration Partnership (BRP) – a 50/50 joint venture between Schroders UK Real Estate Fund and Legal & General Capital. The new look Princess Square will provide customers with the perfect blend of convenience and destination shops and eateries, as a natural extension and next phase of the regeneration, which saw the launch of The Lexicon just over two years ago. A further investment phase, to turn the old Bentalls unit into a vibrant new covered public space to be known as The Deck, will conclude the town centre works soon after, with new food and retail units linking The Lexicon directly with the revitalised Princess Square. With planning works already well underway for this phase, The Deck is due for completion in 2022. In total, the refurbishment of Princess Square and development of The Deck represent a further £30m of investment by BRP and BFC in affirming Bracknell’s position as the leading town centre retail destination in the area. The arrival of The Lexicon has already lifted the town to number 29 from 255 in the Trevor Woods Associates rankings for best shopping destination in the UK.

FLOWER FESTIVAL 2020 2020 is Carnival year and that means the return of the spectacular flower festival at St John’s Church. The theme for the Carnival is “The Olympics: Past, Present and Future” and this will also be the theme for the Flower Festival. An information evening will be held in March and those groups who have previously participated will receive an invitation to this in due course. Participation from new groups is always welcome. If your organisation has not been involved before and would like to take part please contact the below. Alison Vacher, Flower Festival Committee Chair Email: [email protected]

69 New support for carers in Bracknell Forest People who provide care to loved ones or friends in Bracknell Forest are now able to benefit from a range of services offered by a new support provider. Funded by Bracknell Forest Council, Signal aims to make the lives of unpaid (non- professional) carers in the borough that little bit easier. The service will provide free signposting, information, guidance, networking and learning support to all unpaid carers who look after a friend or loved one in Bracknell Forest. A carer can be someone of any age who provides unpaid help and support to someone but many people may not recognise they are in a caring role. Signal aims to reach these people too by helping them identify themselves as a carer and ensure they are able to access the support they may need. Cllr Dale Birch, executive member for adult services, health and housing, said: “You could be caring for a partner, child, relative, friend or a neighbour who is ill, frail, disabled or who has mental health or substance misuse problems; if these circumstances apply to you, you are carrying out a caring role and the Signal service is designed to support you. “Our goal at Bracknell Forest Council is to enable a healthy, happy and independent community and carers play a crucial role in making that vision a reality. It is important that people who are caring for a friend or loved one recognise their role as that of a carer and are aware of the support available to them to ensure their own health and wellbeing.” Signal is run by The Ark Trust Ltd, working in partnership with Wokingham, Bracknell and District Mencap and is funded by Bracknell Forest Council. MODESHIFT STARS BRONZE AWARD! The Ark Trust works with people with disabilities and/or long term health conditions, with carers of people withDuring disabilities the Autumnand/or long term term last health year, conditionschildren at and Oaklands with young Junior people who are not in education,School employmentwere enthusiastic or training. participants in a Wokingham competition to produce a snap band with the theme, “Be bright, be seen”. To find out more about SignalTo our and delight, the help one available of our toYear unpaid 4 pupils carers was in Bracknellthe overall Forest, winner. call 01344 266088 or visitThis http://www.signal4carers.org.uk/bracknell resulted in all pupils in the school receiving-forest a luminous snap band, from Wokingham Borough Council, of our Year 4 pupil’s winning design. The competition encouraged pupils to consider the importance of being seen during the dark winter days. Whilst receiving the award from Wokingham, their Active Travel Officer, Wendy Measures, introduced us to the Modeshift STARS award; this is an award that is given to organisations that promote a sustainable way of travel. As a school, sustainable travel has long been considered a priority. We recognised that many of our everyday practices and our Oaklands’ mindset did, in fact, promote sustainable travel. Many annual initiatives, such as the Walk to School week every year during May have traditionally been used to promote healthy and friendly competition between classes. This has encouraged children, with school and parental support, to use more sustainable methods of travel to school. In addition, we are aware of congestion around the school at the beginning and end of the school day and are very keen to limit this impact around the school and for our neighbours. This meant that we were very willing participants and keen to start our journey towards the Modeshift STARS Bronze award. In March and April 2019, for the first time, we took part in the Big Pedal, ran by Sustrans. This event encourages pupils to walk, scoot or cycle to school instead of arriving by car. On each day, our pupils heard an interesting fact which supported sustainable travel to school. Despite Year 4 pupils being on a residential trip during the timescale and, therefore, unable to fully participate on some of the days, we managed to achieve third place in Wokingham. In a separate initiative, Oaklands Junior School has been developing an all-weather Daily Mile track, to promote physical fitness / exercise, as well as improving focus / concentration. During the summer we installed a sustainable all-weather track around our school field, so that pupils and staff can run around the field all year round, rather than being restricted to the playground during the autumn / winter months; we have also seen the potential to use the track to support sustainable travel. During this term, as a new initiative to encourage cycling to school, and to support National Cycle to School Week, each year group has been allocated a day when they can use the new Daily Mile track to cycle. We hope this will encourage more children to consider using sustainable ways to travel to school. At Oakland Junior School, we have found that we can use the Modeshift STARS award as an effective way to promote sustainable travel for pupils and staff, as well as encouraging us to continue to consider how we can improve our environmental footprint. We will now be looking to achieve the Silver award! Kerry Davidson, PSHE Subject Leader

70 New support for carers in Bracknell Forest People who provide care to loved ones or friends in Bracknell Forest are now able to benefit from a range of services offered by a new support provider. Funded by Bracknell Forest Council, Signal aims to make the lives of unpaid (non- professional) carers in the borough that little bit easier. The service will provide free signposting, information, guidance, networking and learning support to all unpaid carers who look after a friend or loved one in Bracknell Forest. A carer can be someone of any age who provides unpaid help and support to someone but many people may not recognise they are in a caring role. Signal aims to reach these people too by helping them identify themselves as a carer and ensure they are able to access the support they may need. Cllr Dale Birch, executive member for adult services, health and housing, said: “You could be caring for a partner, child, relative, friend or a neighbour who is ill, frail, disabled or who has mental health or substance misuse problems; if these circumstances apply to you, you are carrying out a caring role and the Signal service is designed to support you. “Our goal at Bracknell Forest Council is to enable a healthy, happy and independent community and carers play a crucial role in making that vision a reality. It is important that people who are caring for a friend or loved one recognise their role as that of a carer and are aware of the support available to them to ensure their own health and wellbeing.” Signal is run by The Ark Trust Ltd, working in partnership with Wokingham, Bracknell and District Mencap and is funded by Bracknell Forest Council. The Ark Trust works with people with disabilities and/or long term health conditions, with carers of people with disabilities and/or long term health conditions and with young people who are not in education, employment or training. To find out more about Signal and the help available to unpaid carers in Bracknell Forest, call 01344 266088 or visit http://www.signal4carers.org.uk/bracknell-forest

71 ZKtd,KZEDd,K/^d,hZ, ϭϬƵŬĞƐZŝĚĞ͕ƌŽǁƚŚŽƌŶĞZ'ϰϱϲ>d DŝŶŝƐƚĞƌZĞǀĞƌĞŶĚ^ŚĂƌŽŶ'ĂƌĚŶĞƌ dĞů͗Ϭϭϯϰϰϳϳϰϵϲϳ Z'h>Z^Zs/^Ed/s/d/^͗ ^ƵŶĚĂǇ DŽƌŶŝŶŐtŽƌƐŚŝƉĂƚϭϬ͘ϯϬĂ͘ŵ͘ǁŝƚŚƌŽǁƚŚŽƌŶĞĚǀĞŶƚƵƌĞƌƐ dƵĞƐĚĂǇ tŽƌƐŚŝƉĂƚϭϬ͘ϬϬĂ͘ŵ͘ŝŶƚŚĞŚƵƌĐŚ dƵĞƐĚĂǇ dŽĨĨĞĞDŽƌŶŝŶŐϭϬ͘ϰϱĂ͘ŵ͘ƚŽϭϭ͘ϰϱĂ͘ŵ͘ dƵĞƐĚĂǇdŝŵĞĨŽƌdŽƚƐĨƌŽŵϭ͘ϯϬƉ͘ŵ͘–ϯ͘ϬϬƉ͘ŵ͘ dƵĞƐĚĂǇ ,ŽƵƐĞ&ĞůůŽǁƐŚŝƉŵĞĞƚƐǁĞĞŬůǇĂƚϴ͘ϬϬƉ͘ŵ͘ tĞĚŶĞƐĚĂǇ ϮŶĚtĞĚŶĞƐĚĂǇŝŶƚŚĞŵŽŶƚŚ͕^ĞƌĞŶĚŝƉŝƚǇ'ƌŽƵƉŵĞĞƚƐϮ͘ϬϬƉ͘ŵ͘ dŚƵƌƐĚĂǇdĞĚĚǇůƵďĨƌŽŵϵ͘ϯϬĂŵ͘ƚŽϭϭĂŵ͘ dŚƵƌƐĚĂǇŝďůĞ^ƚƵĚǇŵĞĞƚƐǁĞĞŬůǇĂƚϳ͘ϯϬƉŵ͘ &ƌŝĚĂǇ Men’s Group meets&ƌŝĚĂǇĞǀĞŶŝŶŐŽŶĐĞĂŵŽŶƚŚ͘ &ƌŝĚĂǇ ϭƐƚ&ƌŝĚĂǇŝŶƚŚĞŵŽŶƚŚ–ŝďůĞ^ƚƵĚǇEŽƚĞƐ'ƌŽƵƉŵĞĞƚƐ &ƌŝĚĂǇ dǁŽ&ƌŝĚĂǇƐŝŶƚŚĞŵŽŶƚŚ–&ŝůŵůƵďĨŽƌzĞĂƌƐϱΘϲ;ƚĞƌŵƚŝŵĞͿ ĚǀĞŶƚΘŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ^ƵŶĚĂǇEŽǀĞŵďĞƌϭϬƚŚϭϬ͘ϯϬĂŵZĞŵĞŵďƌĂŶĐĞ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ &ƌŝĚĂǇĞĐĞŵďĞƌϲƚŚ>ĂƚĞŶŝŐŚƚƐŚŽƉƉŝŶŐ͗ĚǀĞŶƚΘŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐ wreaths, refreshments and children’s crafts tĞĚŶĞƐĚĂǇĞĐĞŵďĞƌϭϭƚŚϳ͘ϯϬƉŵŽĨĨĞĞĂŶĚĂƌŽůƐ ^ƵŶĚĂǇĞĐĞŵďĞƌϭϱƚŚϭϬ͘ϯϬĂŵEĂƚŝǀŝƚǇ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞt ^ƵŶĚĂǇĞĐĞŵďĞƌϮϮŶĚϭϬ͘ϯϬĂŵĂƌŽů^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ ŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐǀĞϰƉŵŚƌŝƐƚŝŶŐůĞ ŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐĂǇϭϬ͘ϯϬĂŵ&ĂŵŝůǇ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞt &ŽƌŵŽƌĞĚĞƚĂŝůƐ͗ǁǁǁ͘ĐƌŽǁƚŚŽƌŶĞŵĞƚŚŽĚŝƐƚĐŚƵƌĐŚ͘ŽƌŐ͘ƵŬ

DĂǇƚŚĞ'ŽŽĚEĞǁƐŽĨŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐďƌŝŶŐǇŽƵ ƉĞĂĐĞĂŶĚũŽǇ͗/ŵŵĂŶƵĞů–'ŽĚǁŝƚŚƵƐ͊

Join a Male Voice Choir Bracknell Forest Lions Club For camaraderie, meeting new friends, fun and musical Bracknell Lions would like to encourage more members from achievement, join a Male Voice Choir. the Crowthorne area so that we can better understand the needs The Hart Male Voice Choir, currently with about 70 choristers, of people in Crowthorne. Despite having 13 active members is always looking for new members. As one of the foremost now we currently only have 1 from the Crowthorne area and choirs in southeast England, we are in constant demand for concert would like to increase this number. performances. Bracknell Forest Lions Club has been in existence for 45 years but last year looked In 2011 we were invited to sing with Lesley Garrett at the Isle of Wight Music like it was going to succumb to closure as it was down to just 5 members. Following Festival and the following year we were invited back again to sing with Aled Jones. a successful recruiting campaign in the Bracknell area we recruited 8 new members who have now integrated fully with the longer serving members and would now like In 2013 we sang on MV Balmoral and in April 2014, our President, to do the same in Crowthorne. Alan Titchmarsh, will compère our Young Singers Concert. Members now are from all walks of life – male and female in roughly equal numbers In September 2014 we will be performing in Portugal. with ages ranging from mid-twenties to late sixties. We meet just once a month at The Gareth Malone series on TV has provoked huge interest in choral singing. the Forest Park Community Centre, Horndean Road, Forest Park, RG12 0XQ at Although previous choral experience is an advantage, it is not necessary as group 19.45 on the second Monday of the month and the meetings seldom last longer than voice-coaching and rehearsal CDs are provided. 90 minutes unless we have a guest speaker. We also arrange regular social events for If you are thinking of joining a choir, come to our….. our members - perhaps just meeting up socially for a drink or a meal. So if you want to find out more about Lions and, in particular, Bracknell Forest Lions Club please Taster Evening visit our website www.bracknellforestlions.org.uk, or phone/email club secretary Mike on 0845 833 7837 or [email protected]. th

Wednesday 19 March 2014 at 7.30pm Lion Mike Hendy, Club Secretary Cross Barn, Palace Gate, Odiham RG29 1JX

For further information and to register interest, please contact:

Martin Rickards – 01344 771302 – Email [email protected]

Growing your own fruit and vegetables is still a very popular form of enjoyment and exercise, and for those with small gardens, renting an allotment plot is the answer. Unfortunately, council plots are very hard to get, wherever you live, and there’s usually a very long waiting list for a piece of ground without any basic amenities. Heathlands Grow Your Own Association is centred at the Wyevale Garden Centre, in Heathlands Road, off Nine Mile Ride in Crowthorne. Many of the plot holders here are members of the Association, and we welcome non-plot holders too. By joining our Association you’ll enjoy social events and educational talks from guest speakers etc. And of course, help and advice is always available from our friendly and helpful members. For more information, please email our Secretary, Steve at [email protected] Or visit our website at http://www.heathlandsgyoa.co.uk/index.html

74 Join a Male Voice Choir Bracknell Forest Lions Club For camaraderie, meeting new friends, fun and musical Bracknell Lions would like to encourage more members from achievement, join a Male Voice Choir. the Crowthorne area so that we can better understand the needs The Hart Male Voice Choir, currently with about 70 choristers, of people in Crowthorne. Despite having 13 active members is always looking for new members. As one of the foremost now we currently only have 1 from the Crowthorne area and choirs in southeast England, we are in constant demand for concert would like to increase this number. performances. Bracknell Forest Lions Club has been in existence for 45 years but last year looked In 2011 we were invited to sing with Lesley Garrett at the Isle of Wight Music like it was going to succumb to closure as it was down to just 5 members. Following Festival and the following year we were invited back again to sing with Aled Jones. a successful recruiting campaign in the Bracknell area we recruited 8 new members who have now integrated fully with the longer serving members and would now like In 2013 we sang on MV Balmoral and in April 2014, our President, to do the same in Crowthorne. Alan Titchmarsh, will compère our Young Singers Concert. Members now are from all walks of life – male and female in roughly equal numbers In September 2014 we will be performing in Portugal. with ages ranging from mid-twenties to late sixties. We meet just once a month at The Gareth Malone series on TV has provoked huge interest in choral singing. the Forest Park Community Centre, Horndean Road, Forest Park, RG12 0XQ at Although previous choral experience is an advantage, it is not necessary as group 19.45 on the second Monday of the month and the meetings seldom last longer than voice-coaching and rehearsal CDs are provided. 90 minutes unless we have a guest speaker. We also arrange regular social events for If you are thinking of joining a choir, come to our….. our members - perhaps just meeting up socially for a drink or a meal. So if you want to find out more about Lions and, in particular, Bracknell Forest Lions Club please Taster Evening visit our website www.bracknellforestlions.org.uk, or phone/email club secretary Mike on 0845 833 7837 or [email protected]. th

Wednesday 19 March 2014 at 7.30pm Lion Mike Hendy, Club Secretary Cross Barn, Palace Gate, Odiham RG29 1JX

For further information and to register interest, please contact:

Martin Rickards – 01344 771302 – Email [email protected]

75 Christmas Concert - Handel's Messiah Bracknell Choral Society's Christmas concert this year will be a performance of the ever-popular seasonal favourite, Handel's Messiah. The choir will be joined by the British Sinfonietta Orchestra and professional soloists: Alexandra Stevenson (soprano), Sarah Champion (mezzo), Will Wright (tenor) and Will Harmer (bass). The concert will be conducted by our professional Musical Director: Greg Hallam. With the Crowthorne Carnival AGM now behind us the way is clear to start the count down to the 2020 Carnival. Now is the time to start thinking about what you can do The concert takes place on Wednesday 18th December in the magnificent to help and how to join the celebrations; in particular, the design of the costumes and surroundings of Wellington College Chapel, Duke's Ride, Crowthorne RG45 7PU floats that will make up the Carnival Parade. The theme for the Carnival week is the at 7pm. Tickets will cost £18 (accompanied under -18's free) to include a programme Olympics, Past Present and Future, so whether it’s a float or floral display in the and mince pie with wine and soft drinks available. Tickets can be bought via our Church there is plenty of scope for the imagination. website www.bracknellchoral.org.uk or from choir members. The AGM was held on the 29th October and for those unable to attend it the following key points were made; Bracknell Choral Society, now in its 59th year, is a very friendly, • It is estimated that the weeks activities will cost about £19k. non-auditioning choir of over That’s a lot of money to raise! • Local support and sponsorship are essential. 120 members. We strive to - if you think you can help please get in touch. deliver high quality concerts, • The plan is to try introducing some new events during the week and on the performing a wide variety of Parade field in order to provide something for all. music. We are led by our - if you want to run something let us know how we can help. inspirational Musical Director • The committee are looking at how the environmental impact of the Carnival Greg Hallam, ably assisted by might be reduced by promoting recycling for example. our expert piano accompanist Nick Austin. Both are professional musicians who • Volunteers are needed to help run the many events – 46 just for the procession ensure that we work hard to achieve musical excellence. • Schools are to be asked to help with the design of the Programme front cover. • The Carnival Princess We have a lot of fun as a Society too, with an active social programme. Rehearsals competition is being dŚĞŽŵŵŝƚƚĞĞ are held from 7:30pm to 9:30pm on Wednesday evenings during school term time at organised by Fiona’s. Newbold College Church, Binfield RG42 4AN, with a mid-rehearsal refreshment • As the picture shows the break. New members are always welcome to join us and are invited to attend two Carnival is organised by a rehearsals prior to joining. For further information visit our website www.bracknell small group of volunteers – more help is needed. choral.org.uk. Full details of the Carnival and FUTURE DATES: what is happening; how you can Sunday March 29th, 2020 7.00pm Wednesday 20th May 2020 7.45pm help or provide sponsorship can Carl Orff Carmina Burana Fund-raising concert for SHP be found on the Carnival Alexander L ‘Estrange Ahoy! Songs from the Shows website : Great Hall, Reading University Wilde theatre, South Hill Park https://sites.google.com/view/crowthornecarnival/home

Sunday 10th July 2020 7.30pm You can email us at [email protected] or contact us via Facebook Summer Concert 'A Sprig of Thyme' on a folk song theme https://en-gb.facebook.com/crowthornecarnival Lambrook School Steve Loudoun on behalf of the Crowthorne Carnival Committee

76 With the Crowthorne Carnival AGM now behind us the way is clear to start the count down to the 2020 Carnival. Now is the time to start thinking about what you can do to help and how to join the celebrations; in particular, the design of the costumes and floats that will make up the Carnival Parade. The theme for the Carnival week is the Olympics, Past Present and Future, so whether it’s a float or floral display in the Church there is plenty of scope for the imagination. The AGM was held on the 29th October and for those unable to attend it the following key points were made; • It is estimated that the weeks activities will cost about £19k. That’s a lot of money to raise! • Local support and sponsorship are essential. - if you think you can help please get in touch. • The plan is to try introducing some new events during the week and on the Parade field in order to provide something for all. - if you want to run something let us know how we can help. • The committee are looking at how the environmental impact of the Carnival might be reduced by promoting recycling for example. • Volunteers are needed to help run the many events – 46 just for the procession • Schools are to be asked to help with the design of the Programme front cover. • The Carnival Princess competition is being dŚĞŽŵŵŝƚƚĞĞ organised by Fiona’s. • As the picture shows the Carnival is organised by a small group of volunteers – more help is needed. Full details of the Carnival and what is happening; how you can help or provide sponsorship can be found on the Carnival website: https://sites.google.com/view/crowthornecarnival/home You can email us at [email protected] or contact us via Facebook https://en-gb.facebook.com/crowthornecarnival Steve Loudoun on behalf of the Crowthorne Carnival Committee

Conservative Party Branches - Crowthorne

Chairman: Michael Pim 01344 762777 Deputy Chairman Political: Cllr Bob Wade 01344 777294 Deputy Chairman Membership: Cllr Simon Sever 01344 776442 Treasurer: Cllr Bruce McKenzie-Boyle 01344 772255 Wokingham Without Chairman: Cllr James Kay 07768 410731 Dep. Chairman Membership: Cllr Karen Sollick 07920 780874

Deputy Chairman Political: David Sleight 01344 775673 www.bracknellconservatives.com

Sandhurst & Crowthorne Branch Labour Party Chair: Dr Roy Bailey 01344 779771 3 Chaucer Road, Crowthorne RG45 7QN Secretary: Tim Jinkerson 07765 696134 104 Foxcote, Finchampstead RG40 3PE Treasurer: Dick Turpin 01344 776065 42 Mickle Hill, Sandhurst GU47 8QP Membership Secretary: Nikola Mansfield 4 Fielding Gardens, Crowthorne RG45 7QW

http://bracknelllabour.org.uk/index.php

Crowthorne Liberal Democrats Team

Steve Pope Mike Forster 51 Napier Road, Diana Cottage, Thibet Road Crowthorne RG45 7EJ Sandhurst GU47 9AR

01344 778843 07968 996217

www.bracknellibdems.org.uk

79 80