Macmillan at The Coffee Shop – 25 September 2020 he Coffee Shop came to the rescue of my up on the ground – but the sun shone and the T usual Macmillan Coffee Morning this year customers came thick and fast. A fantastic when it became impossible for me to host it at £1,028.60 has been raised for Macmillan to home. A phone call from Ken was my lifeline. remember Cheryl McGhee, Danny Spurrier and After a couple of meetings with Suzy (who I’d met George Penney. I could not have done this a couple of times during refurbishment) we had it without massive help and assistance from Suzy, organised. It was touch and go whether it would Natalie, Michaela and all those who contributed be inside or outside but, in the end, we opted for raffle prizes – and of course everyone who braved outside. Balloons were blown up, bunting was the cold to sit outside and support this very hung around the fence and with Suzy’s hard work worthy cause. Thank you very, very much. organizing the tables and Natalie’s help, we were Gill Fearon up and running by the 10 am start. The team consisted of Suzy serving the cakes, Natalie on the raffle and Michaela dispensing complimentary tea and coffee to accompany the cakes. Masses of friends and Macmillan supporters provided us with the cakes and there was a huge selection, They ranged from traditional chocolate, coffee and walnut, fruit cake and Victoria sponge to more unusual chocolate and courgette, pineapple and cherry. There was a mouth-watering concoction topped with Ferrero chocolates – that one soon disappeared! The weather was windy – and we did have one casualty when a gust of wind took a whole box of homemade scones and ended L-R: Hazel Ball, Gill Fearon and Suzy Nixon Shopping online can benefit charity Christmas shopping online? Your donations will soon make a difference, Do you shop with Amazon? especially in the lead up to Christmas. There are no administration charges and the anonymous With your simple change to Amazon Smile, donations will be paid out to the charity each Sherfield Village Hall (Reg. Charity 272385) could quarter. now receive donations from your purchases, at no cost to you. How do I sign up? How will the Village Hall benefit? When you first visit smile.amazon.co.uk you will be prompted to select a charitable organisation, so By shopping with Amazon Smile, your Village please select Sherfield-on-Loddon Village Hall. Hall will receive 0.5% of the net purchase price Or, you can activate AmazonSmile on your (excluding VAT), without costing you a penny! Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android You’ll find the same prices and shopping phone (found under ‘settings’ on your app once experience as at the main Amazon site, with the you have selected a charity for the first time via a added bonus that you are supporting your Village web browser). Hall, a self-funding charity. Thank you for using Amazon Smile. Page 10 Page 11 Page 24 Page 25 carried out a wide range of work, Sherfield on Loddon Village Green including but not exclusively: tidying the harvest hedges created, the cricket green was prepared clearing paths and the Sherfield Cricket Club putting chippings on the reformed. In 1974 the playground was paths behind the created, trees were planted and a community pavilion and concrete path wide enough for a pram the path round Jubilee was laid, while in 1976 the pond now Pond known as Jubilee pond was created as planting and maintaining the land in this area was boggy. The the hedge along Goddards football pavilion was built in 1977. Lane The Village Green Volunteers (VGV) clearing ditches, e.g. Centre The VGV re-started in its present form Ditch, the ditch from in 2016 to help reduce the cost of Golden Pond to the maintenance of the village green. An Plantation, tending of the appeal for volunteers was made in the planters along Reading Loddon Valley Link magazine. Road Volunteers came forward consisting of weeding and planting the beds round the creating specified “wild areas” istory local residents and some parish councillors, and War Memorial, and making the area tidy for creating bat, bird and owl boxes H Under the Scheme of Regulation for the VGV were re-established. They have always the Remembrance Day service Sherfield Green, dated 20th August 1971, the given and continue to give their time and efforts strimming many areas, such as around the For the Conservation Trust project 2017 three management and status of Sherfield Green free to work on the green, which has saved dragon’s teeth and benches Pond Champions were appointed. Two champions changed in that commoners no longer thousands of pounds for the Parish Council and removal of ragwort were trained and licensed by the Amphibian and benefited from grazing rights and from other residents over the past four years. Until Covid-19 maintenance of the Burial Ground where Reptile Conservation Trust to record newts, one rights of common. Management became the there were regular open meetings for the VGV to this is not covered by contractors was trained for pond dipping and one for pond responsibility, initially, of Basingstoke Rural discuss work needing to be done, submit replanting of gorse bushes management. The Parish Council organised District Council, which became part of the much proposals for future work, report on emergency removing excess reedmace from Jubilee training and certification for the use of chain saws larger Basingstoke District Council, later work done since the last meeting and provide pond (2018) and brushcutters for two parish councillors. All Basingstoke Borough Council and now known as updates on work done to the Parish Council for rescuing the duck house in Horsepond VGV have read and agreed to the Risk Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. The approval and information at Council meetings. (2019) Assessments and follow the protocols. Two parish Village Green was now for the enjoyment and These are part of the recorded Minutes of the councillors have been trained as tree wardens. recreational use of the inhabitants of Until this year there were monthly Saturday the district and neighbourhood. They afternoon sessions in the summer. As well as the VGV Events had a right of free access to every part work detailed above the volunteers also undertook The Village Green Volunteers also run events for of the Village Green, with the Lords of specific environmental/ecological work, including the Community such as coffee mornings and tea the Manor retaining their rights to the but not exclusively: afternoons outside the Cricket Pavilion, and the soil, substrata, mines and minerals and Reindeer Trail at Christmas. They have also to any game. It is Lords of the Manor, clearing the area provided bunches of homegrown flowers for the because two branches of the same of pygmy gorse in housebound during the lockdown in 2020. family hold title to different parts of Middle Green (with Hampshire Brambles the Village Green. In line with Despite reports to the contrary there is no Newtown Common (Newbury) and & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust) intention, nor has there ever been any intention, to Silchester Common, which are subject to the same Parish Council. Copies were put on the VGV’s remove all brambles on the village green. There are byelaws, management of Sherfield Green was noticeboard at Jubilee Pond. Reports of activities making wood piles and insect small areas managed around the green to delegated by Basingstoke Borough Council to were submitted and printed in the Loddon Valley encourage the spread of wild flowers. Sherfield-on-Loddon Parish Council on 23rd Link. hotels for insects March 1978. The first action of the Parish Council and amphibians For more information contact the Clerk - 2020 has been difficult but emergency works have publishing trails [email protected] was to form a Village Green Management been carried out such as dealing with fallen trees Committee. In 1973 the junior football pitch was of trees, flora and and branches. In previous years the VGV have butterflies for children Page 26 Page 27 and commercial rubbish, white goods as well as garden waste, As Winter Time Approaches including in hedgerows, grass verges and woodlands. Dumping waste By Margot Konitzer is not acceptable or permissible just because it may eventually compost down. Fly-tipping is a serious criminal offence for which you As winter time approaches, can be prosecuted. Please dispose of all waste responsibly. They worry they’ll catch flu. Sherfield on Loddon Parish Council 01256 842662 Older people daren’t go out, Email: [email protected]. For fear of Covid too. herfield Park Parish News Speedwatch at Sherfield Park Some often go out walking, S Meeting Dates Parish Council members are still busy placing the An Unusual Hobby Or cycling to keep fit, speedwatch equipment at strategic points and times Others are quite lonely, Sherfield Park Parish Council continues to meet around Sherfield Park. If you feel there is a specific remotely, and the next meeting will be on Wednesday ome people collect items as a hobby - stamps, Whilst in their chairs they sit. road that would benefit, please email the clerk at books, antiques and so forth. David Rawden, a 11th November at 7.30pm. The agenda and [email protected]. The Parish S They cannot see their loved ones, supporting items will be available on the Parish Council has also helped with speedwatch locally at member of the Probus Club of Basingstoke, collected hills. They Some friends have sadly died.