FULMER NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2017 – Issue 62 www.fulmervillage.org
LIST OF ADVERTISERS
Chiropody, Adriana Rozek 01753 652754
Hamptons Estate Agents, Gerrards Cross 01753 886464
Hibiscus 01753 664166
South Bucks Physio, Wexham 01753 664114
Stoke Poges Memorial Gardens 01753 523744
We are very grateful to our advertisers, many of whom have been supporting the Newsletter for a number of years. Please remember to tell any of the advertisers that you have seen their advert here. The advertising income with a contribution from the Parish Council helps us fund the Newsletter and secure its future.
If anyone would like to advertise in a future issue, please contact
Susie Simkins on 662537 [email protected] INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the 62nd issue of the Fulmer Newsletter, and for those of you reading this edition for the first time, we also have a second newsletter every June.
We hope the content informs and also entertains our readers and as we are so often told, the Newsletter is an important means of communication in our Parish and if anyone would like to write an article, for a future issue, that would be very welcome. There is also our village website – www.fulmervillage.org.uk and the Nextdoor app – both offering different ways of finding out what is going on locally. Another important part of the workings of Fulmer are the Parish Council meetings, held each month (not August) where at the start there is a public quarter of an hour for anyone to come and air a concern or seek information. The dates and minutes of the meetings are on the website.
Our thanks, as usual, go to our contributors, loyal advertisers and the helpers who assist with delivering this newsletter to you.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Susie & Ronnie Simkins, Editors
LIST OF DUTIES IN FULMER PARISH Michael Saxby Chairman – report on county & district policies ([email protected]) 01753 662020
Parm Khanghura Deputy Chairman - Planning matters/finance group [email protected] 01753 662179
Ronnie Lamb FSCA Executive Committee/finance group ([email protected]) 01753 662662
Susie Simkins Newsletter editor/Gazetteer/press liaison/Fun Day ([email protected]) 01753 662537
Francesca Fulmer Village Website/St. James’ Fulmer Hall-Drinkwater ([email protected]) 01753 662295
Christine Owen Pinewood Studios liaison, Fulmer Infant School rep ([email protected])
Peter Kelly Parish Clerk, Finance Group, Council Administration FSCA; Notice Board; Allotments; ([email protected])
O T H E R S Richard Marshall BKV, Fulmer Conservation Volunteers [email protected]
Barbara Zoltowoska Fulmer Village Hall Chairman [email protected]
District Councillor Malcolm Bradford [email protected]
County Councillor Roger Reed – ([email protected])
Brian Weild Neighbourhood Watch; Police Liaison; Community Liaison - [email protected]
Karen Nelms Village Hall Lettings Secretary 07498 0412953
The Infant School, Fulmer Sports’ & Community Association, Fulmer Conservation Volunteers and other activities continue to be successful because of the dedication of all those concerned. Planning violations are still causing upsets. Highways & Footways’ maintenance are still resitricted by budget cuts at County level although there has been some progress. Thank you for all support received - Michael Saxby PERSONALIA
Deaths – Burials – Ashes – we send sympathy to the families of:
Susan Fitch who died on 28 July. Her funeral took place at St James, Fulmer on 11 August. Susan was a former Chairman of the Fulmer Branch of the RNLI.
Barbara Poulton who died on 21 September. A Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Barbara was held on 11 October. Barbara and her husband Kenneth worshipped at Fulmer for many years. Her Ashes will be buried with Kenneth in Fulmer Churchyard.
Beryl Mitchell-Gears who died on 29 July. A Celebration for the life of Beryl was held at Greenacres Chiltern Burial Park, Jordans, on 22 August. Beryl worshipped with Mitch in Fulmer for many years.
Elizabeth Jane Griffin who died on 17 October. A Service to celebrate the life of Jane was held at St James, Fulmer on 8 November
Derek Millis who died on 6 November. The funeral was held on 29 November at St James Fulmer.
Births – Baptisms – we congratulate
Wilbur Wilson, son of Helena Kirsten & Christopher James Wilson of Acton, West London, was christened on 13 August.
Georgina Stevens, daughter of Tina & Alan and sister of Jo of Billet Lane, Iver Heath, was christened on 3 September.
Luna Daphne Chitty born on 24 September to Louise (nee Simkins) and Tom Chitty. Luna is the first grandchild for Susie & Ronnie Simkins
Marriages – we congratulate
Nicolette Fiddian and Thomas Blyth of Wallingford, on 4 August; Nicolette is the daughter of Tricia and Alan Fiddian.
Holly Hanscott and Christopher Dubber of Wexham, on 26 August.
Angelina Manna Cheng and Michael Peter Matthews of Chalfont St. Peter, on 9 September.
Are you ready for winter? With the chilly days and frosty nights fast approaching, are you confident your home is setup to keep you warm and cosy? – Or does the thought of your winter heating bill leave you feeling cold? – We are here to help. Woking with your local council and heath service, The Affordable Warmth Helpline offers free impartial advice on reducing your energy bills, heating your home affordably and efficiently and can even help you with *free loft and cavity wall insulation. If you are worried about any of the above or have other home heating queries why not give our friendly energy experts a call to discuss your options. *subject to survey Call 0800 107 004 from 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday Email: [email protected] Website: affordablewarmthnetwork.org.uk
1. The Affordable Warmth Network The Affordable Warmth Network is funded by the NHS and district councils across Bucks and Oxon and is central to the regional Warm Homes Healthy People (WHHP) project. The Network aims to reduce the number of people in fuel poverty and improve health and wellbeing. The Network provides a free helpline, community outreach and training of front-line staff to help spot and alleviate fuel poverty.
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RONNIE & ROSIE – A Tribute ‘The Old Order Changeth, Yielding Place to the New’ When the poet, Alfred, Lord Tennyson was penning these lines, it would have been impossible for him to have had the village of Fulmer and its community in mind. Yet, as an observation it is timeless as it is the lot of humankind to live a lifespan of varying lengths in which most of us would hope to make a contribution to the wellbeing of the community in which fate has decreed that we should live. It is part fulfillment of our duty towards our neighboUr. In this respect our Fulmer community has been especially blessed by the highly active presence over the past 41 years of Ronnie & Rosie Lamb of Stoke Common Road. In the course of that time there can be few Fulmerites whose lives have not been touched and enriched by some act of kindness, which they have bestowed, together or individually, on one or more of us. I have witnessed myself over those years the love of Fulmer they generated between them and to give substance to that love, they have taken on roles in almost every corner of our Parish.
Soon after they came to live in Dunrobin in 1976, the County was drawing up plans to extract more gravel, fitting into a National Plan to further the building of roads and housing for which there was a pressing need. This Plan included pretty well the whole of the Pickeridge Farm Estate. As Chairman of the Fulmer Parish Council I asked Ronnie to study the proposal, which abutted onto the property he had just acquired and then report to the Council on the possible problems which we might be able to avert through consultation. These included preventing heavy site vehicles passing through the village, protection of designated footpaths and wildlife, water courses and the introduction of noxious materials, methane gas, drainage, later checking the overall levels of toxic materials for industrial and domestic waste in the course of infilling after the ‘dig’ had been completed. This report was so masterly that I cannot think at this stage of any problem, once foreseen, which we were unable to avoid in our negotiations with the County authorities.
This gave Ronnie an early insight into the sort of issues that a small Parish Council has to face and, as a result, I had little difficulty in persuading him to seek nomination to the Council. In that capacity he was very helpful in furthering the 18 year campaign that the Council were involved in to bring Main Drainage into Fulmer Village; drawing up the Constitution of the new Sports & Community Association and so on. He, with Rosie, took on the Fulmer Christmas parties which always proved highly entertaining for all attending, especially if one was in good voice for the Carols; he was very active with the Fulmer Conservation Group whose work has been a significant factor in our many successes in the Best Kept Village Competitions. When working with them, Ronnie could be ‘lost’ in the shrubs on the banks of the Alderbourne stream or be seen hacking away at the undergrowth surrounding the Recreation Ground. He was a trustee of the Village Hall and a lesson reader in the Church.
Ronnie took over from me as Chairman of the Parish Council in 1991, and for a while he took over the Editorship of the Fulmer Newsletter; he would also pursue unglamorous issues such as the dumping of waste building materials and other rubbish. He received a lifetime award in the Civic Award Scheme and one could go on. His love of Fulmer was such that he would go out of his way to ensure that high standards were maintained throughout the Parish – for instance, if a tree was blown down, he and the faithful Don, would take the necessary action, without waiting to see if it was his responsibility. There was a job to be done and he, with Don, did it.
In community terms Rosie’s greatest asset was the loyal support she gave to Ronnie in all these activities. In addition many of Fulmer’s older and disabled citizens will recall with gratitude the small gift and sympathetic word to help them in their time of need, always delivered in a never-failing spirit of cheerfulness. In this I can recall one hilarious moment when she was playing a cameo role in one of Ken Peter’s famous ‘whodunits’ at a Harvest Supper. The cast, a la Poirot, was being questioned about their alibis at the time of a recent murder. Suddenly Rosie, in full tennis kit and swishing a tennis racquet, bounced onto the stage asking “Anyone for tennis?”. There was a stunned pause and then “Sorry – wrong play” and she pranced off stage again. It was a moment to savour!
Ronnie and Rosie have given us a fine example, over the past 41 years, of what can be achieved in a community, which is anxious to know each other and share the moments of joy when they arrive, and when they occur, in moments of sadness a comforting voice can be of great value. We are indeed grateful to them and wish them great happiness and good health in their future. But in terms of Fulmer community life one has to recognize that their departure is a very significant loss and there are others who have served Fulmer well in the past but the passing of years make a change in the Old Order inevitable. Fulmer has many long established traditions covering its parish, Church and Schools. The test of any community is its ability to sustain what is good into the future. My prayer is that the New to which, in due course, the Old Order will yield, will be composed of men and women to emulate the steadfastness and caring concern, which Ronnie & Rosie brought to our midst.
EDWARD GUINNESS So many, many thanks are due to Ronnie & Rosie’s acts of kindness and their contribution to life in Fulmer – we will miss them enormously – Editors
TO PASTURES NEW
Rosie has her little Lamb, As Fulmer folk could see, And everywhere that Rosie goes Her Lamb is sure to be. T’was quite a shock, when all seemed cosy, To find the pair about to mosey Off to Oxon’s spires, thence to the heather, Of Scotland fair – despite the weather. Their warmth and friendship charmed so many, It’s hard to find words meaning any- -thing that really say, just how much We’ll sorely miss them and their touch. Fulmer’s loss is Scotland’s gain, We’ll never see their like again, Goodbye Rosie, farewell Ronnie, Enjoy your new life, calm and Bonny.
Ken Peters
HIGHWAYS
The most effective way of getting action, if you see a defect in a road or pavement, is to make direct contact with the people who can do something about it - Transport for Buckinghamshire – Transport & Roads website or Email: www.buckscc.gov.uk/tell tfb Phone: Monday to Friday, office hours 01296 382416. Out of hours and weekends 01296 486630 • Rights of Way problems: phone as above. • Street Names. Unauthorised signs and changes. Contact as above. • Fly Tipping. Contact District Council: 01895 837362 • Lighting Defects. It is important to note the lighting standard’s number and then report this to Peter Kelly, our Parish Clerk on 01628 628183 or email: [email protected] Michael Saxby
The Unexpected Guest
Unexpected guests sometimes turn up on our doorsteps. We can receive them with a great welcome, not hesitating to invite them in, and at other times we’re cautious, especially if a stranger is at the door and it’s also dark outside. It’s especially poignant at the moment, as the world can seem a very dark place making us feel uncertain, even fearful in many of life’s circumstances. When it’s light, we have greater confidence, feel more assured and secure.
Light appeared at the very beginning when the world was formed. It’s the first thing God created and He said it was ‘good’ and separated the light from the darkness. It’s no accident that John’s gospel begins his good news story with an echo of the words from Genesis, often read at Christmas services: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Holman Hunt’s painting: ‘The Light of the World’, is installed in Westminster Abbey. It shows Jesus standing outside a door holding a lantern, shining the brightest of lights that illuminates its surroundings. It represents Christ the light who guides us. Christ, the light of the world, “shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” There is nothing that the darkness can do about it – its glow shines out brightly, pushing aside darkness. The artist, Hunt, attributes these words to his painting: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock”. Looking closely at the door, there’s no handle on the outside. The door is firmly shut and ivy and weeds have grown around it. The handle is on the inside and when Jesus knocks at the door he waits for the door to be opened. He will turn up as an unexpected guest inviting us to open the door of our hearts, to welcome him into our lives. There’s no force. Jesus waits patiently outside. We have to open the door from the inside and allow him to come in and he will shine his light into our lives, overcoming the darkness and fears we sometimes experience when we’re alone, or afraid. Jesus came into a world of darkness and took on the darkness but was not overcome by it; Jesus who carries our pains, the loneliness, trauma and oppression that happens in the world, turns hatred to love and darkness to light.
Jesus the Light of the World promises us a new day, a day when there will be no more darkness, no more fear and no more war or conflict. In this we can have hope, the promise of a new day, a new life when Jesus returns and darkness will be no more. During this period of Advent, a time of preparation for Jesus’s coming into the world, celebrated at Christmas-time, and also Jesus’s return, let us open our hearts to the light that Christ wants to shine in and through us to the world, so that:
“Where there is hatred, let there be love; Where there is fear, let there be hope; Where there is darkness, let there be light.” Revd Jill Roth, St James, Fulmer Fulmer Day
Thanks to everyone who made Fulmer Day 2017 such a fantastic success! A total of £4,999 was raised with £3,500 donated to the following local Organisations and Charities; donations of £500 were made to each: Carers Bucks PACE South Bucks Riding for the Disabled Association Leonard Cheshire Fulmer Village Hall Fulmer Newsletter Contact the Elderly
A special thanks to the Committee for all their hard work throughout the year to ensure the event went ahead. Also thanks to Howard, Rachel, Jane and the Team at the Black Horse for their continued support. The weather was kind, which encouraged young and old alike to enjoy the amusements, bungee trampolines, petting zoo, stalls and a drink or two at the Black Horse.
Planning for this year’s event is now under way, please put the date in your diary: Saturday 7th July 2018 Please remember the road through the village will be closed from 11am/6pm.
Darren (Fulmer Day Committee)
South Bucks District Council - Fulmer & Wexham Ward
The District has seen many changes this year, one of those being a change of Leadership in October with the appointment of Cllr Nick Naylor as the new leader and Cllr John Read as deputy Leader. South Bucks District Council also introduced a new joint lottery scheme with tickets now available to buy online, the first draw took place on 25 November. There has been no decision from central Government on the proposal from South Bucks for a Unity Authority for a north and south management proposal.
South Bucks local development plan remains on track to deliver the best solutions to meet our target and provide more homes and employment generating sites for our residents. There has been a number of schemes considered, including developing on green belt sites. Slough Borough Council have mentioned their preferred option to build in south bucks known as the Northern Extension. The proposal is for 10,000 new homes and I will support SBDC to stop this plan from being approved.
The Pinewood Liaison group is looking at a sustainable travel aspiration for a cycleway and footpath from Pinewood Studios through Iver Heath and Iver villages past Iver station and Richings Park, and potentially onwards to Heathrow airport. Stage 1 of the project has funding so far of £500,000 from Pinewood Studios and the group are looking for developer contributions to pay the whole scheme, which could cost £5m.
The challenges continue to deliver our services and reduce the cost, (which remains a key focus for the Councillors), without compromising the quality and making savings through shared services with other local authorities.
Fulmer Parish is one of the most beautiful villages in Bucks with the surroundings of natural beauty and I remain dedicated to supporting the Parish with all their challenges.
Cllr Malcolm Bradford
Fun times in Fulmer! Please join us for Christmas!
Every year in Fulmer since 1981, the year of the royal wedding of Charles & Diana, for one day in early July, the road through the village is closed to through traffic and the whole village comes out to celebrate with games, laughter, drinks and other activities. The objectives are to raise money for charities and for everyone to have fun! This year Fulmer was home to many stalls, bungee trampolines, a fire engine, and an animal petting zoo!
As a local church, St. James continues to build relationships in our community. The Church is open on Fulmer Day with extra special flowers, organ playing, thanks to Peter Dorling and Bell ringing, thanks to Celia Thomas. Another central hub of the community is the school. Fulmer Infant School is always involved in Fulmer Day. This year with a number of stalls, a raffle and an auction; the parents had a gazebo in the Church grounds selling ‘Kids Food & Juices’. The St. James Kids team added in crafts and activities for the children to play. The school children also take part in other Community celebrations, concerts and services at St. James, Fulmer. In June, several children joined in our ‘Celebration of Summer’ Concert, singing songs and reciting a poem. Revd. Jill Roth is involved in assemblies at the school including leading prayers at the annual Harvest and Nativity productions. Several kind individuals in the Village go into school to assist the children with their reading. This year Fiona Gray, a Church choir member, became a School Governor. Also, Isobel Dorling who was a long-time member of St. James before moving away to be closer to her family, will finish her almost 40 years as a School Governor. We continue to hold regular Thursday coffee mornings, after the school drop-off, giving Mums, Dads, Grandparents and carers an opportunity to socialise and meet other parents. In the summer we said a fond farewell to a number of Mums & Dads this year as children move onto “big” school. We are pleased to say we have welcomed several parents whose children started school in September. At our Harvest Service on October 1 we had a lovely group of children, friends, brothers and sisters sing and read to us. We are planning another Children’s tea on a Sunday afternoon – date to be confirmed! As we approach Christmas time, everyone is welcome to join us at our various services. We look forward to seeing you and your family joining the celebrations. Sunday 17 December 8.00am Holy Communion 11.15am Advent 3 6.00-6.30 Carols by Candlelight 24 December 4.00pm Christingle 9.30pm Holy Communion 25 December 8.00am Holy Communion 11.15am Family Service
Francesca Hall- Drinkwater - Church Warden
The children settled back in September and there was a welcome brunch, organised by the PA, for all the new families in Reception.
The term has been very busy. Years 1 & 2 have had school trips to Iver Environmental Centre learning how food grows and exploring different habitats observing aquatic and woodland mini-beasts closely. Children from Years 1 & 2 had a wonderful morning at Dair House playing in a football tournament and winning two out of their three matches. The school has supported a variety of charities and has raised nearly £800 for MacMillan cancer research, Jeans for Genes, Stripes for Stanley and Children in Need. We also sent donations of food from our Harvest festival to SHOC, the charity in Slough for the homeless. In keeping with our Eco school status two children from year 2 led an assembly encouraging children to save water. The school will also be supporting switch off fortnight.
The children have been taught how to use our roads safely by our Footsteps Training team led by Mrs Davey, a retired specialist teacher who volunteers at the school every Thursday. The school marked walk to school week with 100% of our families making an effort to park a little further away and walk to school. The message on keeping ourselves safe was also reiterated by our local CPSO, Paul Dobbins, who led an assembly on road safety, e-safety and stranger danger.
The school celebrated Black History month with a spectacular whole school drumming session. Each class had a workshop and performed at the end of the school day to parents and carers. The children wore bright clothes and had great fun. Our garden has had a complete makeover thanks to one of our fathers, Mr Robinson, and Sue Kirby, our Chair of Governors. Every Friday the children look forward to their session in our garden with our Chair of Governors who teaches the children how to grow food. The food is then sold to parents who cook the produce for their families.
The PA has also been extremely active and has already raised more than £600 with a marvelous pumpkin party and a bag2school event. The PA are currently organising a Christmas Fayre, which promises to be a lot of fun. If you would like to support the school we have an easy fundraising site, which you can join. It’s very simple. All you have to do is: 1. Go to: httpps://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/invite/EG93VX/LDD5US 2. Enter Fulmer Infant School in the search box 3. Click Join Us and enter your details and click on Create My Account 4. Choose from over 3,000 retailers, do your online shopping as normal and our cause will receive a free donation at no extra cost to you for every purchase you make There are no catches or hidden charges and the school will be really grateful for your donations. Thank you so much for your support. And a huge thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who help the children read, your help is very much appreciated by children and staff. CATHY HUNT, HEADTEACHER 1st Gerrards Cross & Fulmer Scout Group Since my report last November we now have 90 children attending each week, 4 Sections at our HQ in Fulmer and 2 Sections in Gerrards Cross and an increase in uniformed Leaders to a total of 14 to run the Scout, Cub and Beaver sections. The addition of Leaders is very encouraging as they will follow their children through the group and this will provide continuous leadership and ensure the strength of the group.
As scouting encourages girls to join I am very happy that we now have 5 girls in the Scout section, 7 in Cubs and 3 in Beavers.
Our Fund Raising last year was at the Gerrards Cross Christmas Lights Festival in December where the girls and boys had great fun selling a vast amount of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Station Road in a very short period of time.
Then later in December we bag packed at Tesco GX on a Sunday morning when most of the children came and this helped our funds considerably. We will be at Gerrards Cross again this year for the Lights Festival and Bag Packing.
We always celebrate Remembrance Day at the GX Memorial Centre Sunday Service and will be there this year, it is very pleasing to see that we have at least 30 of our children attending which is a great effort.
During the last 12 months the Girls and Boys have enjoyed a large range of activities in all sections with the emphasis on camping skills and using the outdoor facilities we have at our Fulmer HQ. Even in the winter we do try and run evening activities outside as much as possible.
In May we attended the District Camp at PACCAR Chalfont St Peter which was a fun packed weekend of activities and stayed over 3 days, we had 32 of our Scouts and Cubs staying and on the Saturday 23 of our Beavers came for a day visit which ended at about 9pm with all the other Groups in the District singing camp songs around a very large fire.
The popularity of scouting is shown by the fact that nearly 500 Scouts, Cubs and Beavers came for this District Camp
Yet another good year for our group with the new sections consolidating, higher numbers throughout the group and improved adult support.
Please don’t forget we still need adult help from 18 - 80 years old and you don’t need any scouting experience, just some enthusiasm, so get out of your chair and join us as we are only ‘up the hill’ from the centre of the village!
Or, if you prefer we need help with admin jobs (no uniform) for a few hours a week so please contact me!
Mark Shaw – Group Scout Leader (07788 891 232) / [email protected] / www.gxscouts.co.uk
Fulmer Brownies visit Downing Street and meet Larry, the Downing Street Cat
It has been another busy term for Fulmer Brownies. We started the term with our own Great British Bake Off challenge when each Brownies decorated her “show stopper” cakes. During half term we went on pack holiday with Farnham Common Brownies and stayed at a Girlguiding house in Bedfordshire, set amongst 14 acres of countryside. The Brownies completed the “Magical and Mythical Challenge” during the course of the holiday when they made their own fairy doors and unicorn cupcakes, held a myths’ and legends’ quiz and, of course, no Brownie pack holiday would be complete without a singsong around the campfire. In October we were very excited to visit the Museum of Childhood in London, where a Michael Morpurgo exhibition was held. Amongst the many wonderful exhibits, the Brownies saw the puppet of Joey the horse from the War Horse theatre production. Brownies spent a fun evening at the workshop of the Chocolate Libertine in Farnham Common, where they made Halloween themed cat lollypops – we tried really hard to not lick our fingers or eat too much chocolate during the evening! Fulmer Brownies have been taking part in Parliament Week activities, which culminated in a trip to London with Farnham Common Brownies joining us for the day. We started the trip with a visit to Downing Street. It was such an honour to walk into Downing Street and talk with some of the police and personnel, we even got to meet Larry, the Downing Street Cat – I think the Brownies were quite happy to have meet Larry and weren’t too disappointed that Mrs May was not at home that day. We were at the Cenataph at 11.00am on 11 November and saw poppy wreaths being place; a really moving experience for adults and Brownies alike. We also did a tour of the Houses of Parliament. Our newest Brownie, Tabitha Dearsley, made her Brownie Promise in front of the Dearsley Window at Parliament, which made the day very special for her. To finish our special day we had afternoon tea in the Parliament restaurant – very scrummy - and Brownies loved their Big Ben biscuits. Back at Fulmer the Brownies wrote their own manifesto and held a two party election. I was really touched by the thoughtful manifesto promises which the Brownies devised themselves. These included the abolition of fees for senior citizen’s residential care homes, and equal pay for women. Brownie Madeleine was voted Prime Minister of Fulmer Brownies.
As so often happens with my Brownies I was surprised by the thoughtfulness of Brownie Abi, who was the other candidate in our election. Abi told me she had voted for Madeleine as she felt Madeleine’s manifesto promises were better than her own. To me this is the essence of Guiding and reminds me of the Brownie Law that I was taught when I was a Brownie myself, “Think of others before yourself and do a good turn every day”.
You may be aware that Girlguiding is totally reliant on volunteers to run the programmes for our young girls. I am still running Fulmer Brownies as a lone leader. If it were not for the help of parents who stay to help, I would not be able to run the Fulmer unit. If you are reading this and feel that you would like to volunteer to come along on a regular basis to help as a Leader, then please email [email protected] You can find more information about volunteering on the Girlguiding website https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved/ I have been a volunteer with Girlguiding for 18 years now. It is a fun and rewarding experience which you too could be part of! I look forward to hearing from you. Angela Hurlstone Leader – 1st Fulmer Brownies
Fulmer Village Bonfire Night Thanks to everyone who supported the Bonfire and Fireworks’ party at King George’s Field on 3 November. The event attracted in excess of 450 people, which was a record turn out. Everyone enjoyed the bonfire, fireworks, BBQ, DJ, bar and kiddies amusements. The bonfire was a replica of the Houses of Parliament with Guy Fawkes in attendance; he, of course, met his fate in true tradition on the bonfire. The fireworks display was fantastic and truly lit up the night sky. The event raised circa £3,800 - much needed funds for the King George's Field & Recreation ground in Fulmer. Special thanks to all the volunteers who gave up valuable time to make the event such a huge success, especially, Andrew, Paul, Brendan and Steph who worked day and night to build the bonfire. Planning is already underway for next year’s event. Please make a note of the date, which is confirmed as Friday 2nd November 2018. We look forward to seeing you there. Bonfire and Fireworks Committee
GX & Fulmer Football Club As GX&F FC continues to develop into a vibrant FA Charter Standard football club here is the club’s Vision Statement; • GX & Fulmer FC provide quality, safe, fun and good value-for- money opportunities from 5 to 18 years of age to learn and enjoy playing football • To help these young people to use football to realise their potential, develop fitness, personal skills and self-confidence • To do this regardless of age, gender, religion or ethnic background • To improve the performance of players, coaches and their assistants, within the club • To ensure that our club is regarded as a well-run organisation, that champions sporting behaviour on the pitch and excellent community relationships away from the game. We currently have over 210 young boys and girls playing football every week while adhering to the FA Charter Standard criteria. We have almost 40 volunteers helping make this happen, with the majority acting as team managers, coaches, assistants and first aiders. We now have a well-established and competitive U13 girls team and plan to form additional girl’s teams playing on a Saturday. However, overall demand from potential players for our established Sunday teams continues to outstrip our playing capacity. It’s great to see that we have some 24 youngsters in our U6 ‘nursery’ group already and our other mini-soccer age groups are equally busy. Our playing capacity is limited by pitch availability at our home venue at King George’s Field (KGF). Phil Mooney does an outstanding job in making optimal use of KGF ensuring that we get maximum playing time whilst protecting the pitches. In 2016 we had a free ground inspection and health check offered by the FA which led to the club bidding for a grant from the Premier League & FA Facilities Fund to acquire new ground maintenance equipment to keep KGF in tip-top condition. The bid was successful, and we will take delivery of the new equipment. However, the conditions of the grant mean we have to pay 33% of the cost (some £8,200). We have also had to invest in enhancing the security of the storage facilities at KGF that will house this equipment as we have been the subject of a number of attempts by thieves to break in to the steel containers by grinding off hasps and locks and other extreme measures. Hopefully new monitored alarm systems and barriers will deter these anti-social elements. This investment (in addition to the £16,000 we expend annually on pitch maintenance & repair) although funded by the football club, will benefit not just GX&F FC but also FCC and all users of KGF; we will continue to work closely with the Fulmer Sports & Community Association (FSCA) in the overall management of KGF. We are also grateful to Fulmer Parish Council for their help in making this latest investment possible. On a more serious note, as a FA Charter Standard Football Club, we take the safety of all our players very seriously, but you will be aware that in recent times the subject of child safeguarding has been brought in to focus not just in football but many other areas. A new and revised safeguarding framework was implemented in November 2016 by all organisations involved in football in England, The FA, Premier League, EFL, PFA, LMA and PGMOL. This new framework, which GX&F FC must follow, is outlined in the document ‘Keeping Football Safe and Enjoyable’ – it describes football’s united safeguarding strategy to: o Implement preventative safeguarding measures and create fun, safe football environments; o Make the reporting of concerns as easy as possible; o Ensure safeguarding and child protection concerns are investigated swiftly and thoroughly in conjunction with statutory agencies – and with demonstrable outcomes. This document can be found on our web site at www.gxffc.co.uk/clubdocuments.aspx Finally, as ever, a big thank you to all our players who equipped themselves so well throughout the season, representing the club and our playing ethos. Keith Gupwell – Chairman Stoke Common During the summer months, practical work on Stoke Common is always greatly reduced to ensure the wildlife remains as undisturbed as possible, especially during the breeding season. This however does not mean that there isn’t anything going on during this time.
In early spring staff and volunteers conducted the annual reptile survey to establish numbers and spread of the four common species that are found on the site; grass snake, adder, slow worm and viviparous lizard. The presence of these animals helps to indicate the overall health of the habitat and the good news is that all species were found and have been spreading into the newly restored heathland areas, reflecting the fantastic continuing recovery being made by the habitat. The survey would not have been possible had it not been for the time and dedication of our volunteers who went out repeatedly to check monitoring points. The reptiles aren’t the only things doing well on the common; this summer two typical heathland species, woodlark and stonechat, were seen and of course the heathland itself continues to increase in both quantity and quality. Although found a few years ago, a rare fungus (Hebeloma laetitiae) has now been identified as a species which is only known from three collections worldwide; this one and with the other two being in Italy (sometimes it can be a complicated process to establish the true identity of a fungus!).
After another successful year of grazing on both main sides of the common, the cows were removed in October to be replaced in November by our Exmoor ponies on north and then west common. As part of the continuing grazing project on the site, another 350 metres of fence line will be replaced this autumn/winter.
In October further clearance of young silver birch was carried out on north common to give the already improving grass and heathland in that area more opportunity to expand and thrive. Much of the cut timber will be stacked to make a second ‘hollow’ log pile. These piles are built to replicate the conditions found in fallen hollow trees and are not only great for the invertebrates that need dead wood as part of their life cycle, but are also of value to amphibians, mammals and reptiles. Please do not disturb the piles of logs on the site.
There were several reports of youths building camps on the common over the summer months and whilst we want to encourage everyone to enjoy the common, these camps often bring with them litter and, most worryingly, camp fires. Thankfully none of the fires found actually spread into the wider scrub, but we are exceptionally keen to ensure that no fires, accidental or otherwise, are allowed to cause some of the terrible damage that the common has seen in the past. Please keep vigilant if you visit and let us know of any problems you spot. The current management plan runs out at the end of 2018 so next year the City of London will start to consult local people about plans for the next ten years of management on the site – keep an eye out in this publication, the Burnham Beeches and Stoke Common web site, e- news, Facebook and Twitter feeds for further details. As mentioned above, many of the jobs that we do on the site (such as the reptile survey) are not possible with our volunteers and our doors are always open to new members of the Burnham Beeches and Friends of Stoke Common (FOSC) groups. Tasks are either on Thursdays or Saturdays and you can come for all or part of a day – the choice is yours; all tools, and as much tea or coffee as you can drink are provided. If you have some spare hours and would like to participate in looking after this fantastic open space take a look at www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/burnhambeeches www.friendsofstokecommon.org.uk – or call 01753 647358.
Chris Morris, Senior Ranger Open Spaces and Heritage Department | City of London Corporation 01753 647358 (Ext 6684) [email protected] www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/burnhambeeches Subscribe to our e-newsletter
Fulmer Cricket Club www.fulmercricketclub.com The cricket square has been put to bed for the winter so it is timely to reflect on the 2017 season and look forward to 2018.
Playing performance in 2017 We turned the tables this year when we won more matches than we lost. Won 18, lost 11 and there were 16 matches cancelled by us, or our opponents not being able to raise a side or the weather. Good to be back on the positive side of the win/loss ratio after a couple of years on the other side. We didn’t try to flog a dead horse when it looked like we would manage only one side out for a weekend and we were successful in having seven weekends when we played matches on both days. A few of our traditional opponents, Rivets, Vultures and Yeading have been dissolved. While this is disappointing we are pleased to be able to field regular teams and on a ground, which teams love to visit. As mentioned getting sides out is not always easy and the brunt of this work fell to Ali.
The web based Fixtures List is a good source of opponents but you are not sure of what type of team you get until they appear. Not all teams play with same spirit of as we do. We had a couple of real nail biters, one being Phoenix where we lost by 2 wickets and the other being the President’s match. The annual President’s match saw a win for the club again, after 2 losses, by a margin of 20 runs. We made a reasonably competitive score of 229. However, the President’s XI were looking pretty good until a couple of their better batsmen got out to good straight balls. We had another excellent day and our thanks once again to Edward, Peter and Kiki for their support with excellent food from the farm. We had 24 players who played 5 or more matches and 31 other players.
Ground and Off Field activities We owe a great debt to Paul Colloff for all the work he puts into the square and field. Our playing conditions are the envy of many league sides. However he went AWOL for 6 weeks to attend the Lions’ Tour in New Zealand so it was down to Derrick Randall, Tony King and Peter Box to hold the fort. A special word of thanks must go to Derrick who has put in a huge amount of hours mowing the field and keeping things rolling. Ian Fisher has done a great job with keeping the statistics up to date, manning the bar and managing our finances. We should also mention Ben Fisher who attends each home game and manages the kitchen and bar while the match is in progress; he also does a great job with packing up at the end of the day and making sure the pavilion is properly secure before leaving. Armando Borges does a lot of work behind the scenes as a Hon Secretary and keeping the player database up to date. It is pretty challenging as not all players volunteer their contact details. Our skippers Ali, Tony, Simon and James play a big role in getting out teams and managing our playing performances. The introduction of a WhatsApp group seems to have made it easier to communicate with our players. Awards for 2017 - We had a very successful awards night on 13 October with the winners receiving their well-deserved cups. The award winners were: Batting Most runs – Ali, 731; Highest innings – Ali, 119; Best average – Ali, 52.21 Bowling Most wickets – Julian Gibbs, 28; Best in a match – Danny Randall, 19-4 Best bowling average – Manan Kapila, 10.0 Qualitative Manu Kapila Award for Best Young Player – Manan Kapila Most improved – Julian Gibbs Best fielder – Peter Bradford Most valuable player – Kalai Players’ player – Kalai Duck Cup – Peter Bradford Outstanding contribution – Ben Fisher Chairman’s award – Derrick Randall As you can see Ali had a great year with the bat while the bowling awards were well spread. Kalai was new to the Club this year and fitted in very well. He played in a lot of games but sadly, for us, his work contract in the UK has finished and he has returned to India.
New Players Welcome We have excellent playing facilities and are a very friendly Club. New players, of whatever standard, are always welcome. Please refer to our website for contact details www.fulmercricketclub.com 2018 Season The season will kick off with indoor cricket nets in March and early April with the first match away to Little Marlow on 21 April. Please refer to our website for updates on fixtures and other useful information.
PETER BOX
Iver Heath Health Centre, Trewarden Ave, Iver, SL0 0SB 07966 426627/01753 652754 And: Chiropody Clinic & Footcare, 020 8749 3456 424 Uxbridge Rd, Shepherds Bush, W12 0NR -
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AN OLD COLONIAL BUFFER – contd …….
Readers may recall that I bored you all with my reminiscences of parts of our old Empire. This was before the advent of modern industrialisation, communications and mass tourism, that I was privileged to experience. I started off with Hong Kong, then Singapore, and I am now temporarily moving out of the Far East to Cyprus.
I first saw Cyprus from the deck of a troopship as we unloaded a Marine Commando ashore in Limassol (a rather scruffy port) just as ENOSIS (Union with Greece) was starting to be a nuisance. It was the mid 1950’s - we anchored offshore and were not allowed onshore. A couple I met on board told me that they had spent their honeymoon in Cyprus and it was a paradise. It certainly did not look it from the deck of the ship on a rather dull winter’s day. Four years later I was posted to Cyprus as ADC to the Commander in Chief Middle East; a huge command which stretched from Gibraltar in the west to Pakistan in the east. I had a somewhat unusual arrival as I was met by the Governor’s ADC and taken straight to Government House in Nicosia. Sir Hugh Foot was the Governor of the island (one of a family we used to call “the feet”, as Michael was to become Leader of the Labour Party and Dingle, Attorney General in UK). Archbishop Makarios, the Greek Cypriot leader, whom we had, in a typically British way, exiled to the Seychelles, had just been flown back to the Island and together with Raef Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot leader, was in an adjoining conference room in Government House with Julian Amery. They were just starting to try and work out independence for Cyprus - I found it an interesting start.
Nothing can quite describe better how idyllic Cyprus was in those days than two of my favourite books I would thoroughly recommend, Lawrence Durrell’s,“ Bitter Lemons of Cyprus“ and John Guthrie’s “A Bell in Bellapais”. I was lucky enough to have spent many happy evenings in John’s and his wife Vivian’s wonderful house in Bellapais which they bought for £200 in 1951. ENOSIS was almost finished although we still had a lot of soldiers based around the island. They were commanded by General Ken Darling GOC Cyprus who was based in Ledra Street, Nicosia (where so many soldiers and civilians were shot) whose surrounding streets were still regarded as dangerous. Later that day I drove with my predecessor on the narrow single- track roads to Episcopi in the south. There were very few two-way roads and driving was exciting. If you met an oncoming car, which was rare, one played “chicken“ to see who gave way first and pulled off to the unmade side of the road. I learned never to try it with the taxis! In preparation for independence we had established two Sovereign Base Areas; one at Episcopi and one at Dhekelia in the south east of the island next to Famagusta. We were slowly withdrawing our troops into these areas which were entirely governed by us. We also had a huge airbase RAF Akrotiri, near but not joining Episcopi. When I think back we had more soldiers in Middle East Command in those days than exist in the whole of the British Army today. Our Mediterranean Fleet alone had more ships than in today’s Navy and I shall never forget counting 13 British Admirals once at a cocktail party in Malta. I was fortunate to live with the General in his house on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterrnean with our own private beach (for Generals) below. I can just see the Sun/Mirror/Mail headlines if such a thing happened today. Because of the size of the Command and the amount of travel we did, we also had a private VIP Hastings aircraft to get around our parish, driven by an outstanding pilot called Paddy Delaney. I am tempted to digress on our amazing travels and the extraordinary people we met but this article is about Cyprus.
I will pass over our military existence and concentrate on the delights of an unspoilt undivided Cyprus. Limassol, our nearest town, was a bit of a dump. None of today’s modern hotels existed and there was little or no beach. It was essentially a port where Greeks and Turks lived happily side-by-side. Niazi, a Turkish friend, was running his kebab stall in a garage forecourt and throwing the kebab sticks at the begging stray dogs. His kebabs were delicious and we used to follow these in the market with delicious loqamades (sweet potato paste, grilled in oil with honey). He later opened a hugely successful restaurant in Limassol and then after the Turkish invasion was forced to the north where he took over a Greek hotel, which was an even bigger success. There were some very seedy nightclubs where the girls moved from there to Beirut, Cairo and Baghdad, not the best of circuits. The one good restaurant where you could dance was east of Limassol by the stony shore. Going west from Episcopi the coast was untouched; one passed Aphrodites rock along a very narrow windy single track coastal road until you reached Paphos, which then consisted of a few fishermen’s cottages. North of Episcopi you had the Troodos mountains. The General, the Air Marshall and the Governor all had mountain chalets where we could escape the summer heat and have wonderful walks in the beautifully cool pine scented air in the summer and ski in the winter. Apart from Lebanon, it is the only place where I have been able to ski and swim in the Mediterranean on the same day. Just below the mountains was a beautiful village called Platres where we could eat delicious meals in a very friendly family owned restaurant.
Cyprus was and still is full of the most amazing archaeolgical sites as well as countless monasteries, the most famous of which is, Kykko, in the foothills of the Troodos range. All these places were only accessible by very dusty unmade roads and in my day some of the Orthodox priests were known to be a liitle bit too familiar with the ladies. We as an occupying power did our best to get on with both Greek and Turkish communities; the Greeks made our life difficult with ENOSIS but the Turks were more loyal. I had friends in both camps. In the country districts the donkey was still a major means of transport and one often saw women staggering along the narrow roads with huge bundles of firewood on their heads or backs. Turkish men were distinguished by their Shalvars, or big baggy trousers. Tractors were few and far between and much of the farming was done by hand. To me the North of the island was always the most beautiful and picturesque and we would escape there whenever we could. There were very few Brits living permanently in Cyprus in the 50’s and most of them were either in or near Kyrenia. The majority of them were ex servicemen who had served or had taken leave from Egypt or other Arab states, and decided to settle in paradise. Col and Mrs Simmonds ran a wonderful flower farm in the pass between Nicosia and Kyrenia and provided most of the flowers for the services. The Dome was and I think still is the main hotel in Kyrenia; it was rather tired in the 50’s. Bellapais and the Pan Handle were my favourites. To the east and west of Kyrenia there was no development and many lovely unspoilt beaches. The Harbour Club in a corner of Kyrenia harbour was a beautiful old balconied fishermen’s house and our favourite watering hole. It was run by a couple of retired actors, Judy and Roy Finlay. He was very crusty and a terrible snob. If he did not like your face or your regiment you would never get past the front door. A title got you the best table. Although untitled he seemed to like me, and my girlfriends, (I was not married) even more so.
Speaking of girlfriends, in those days Cyprus had replaced India in terms of the “Fishing Fleet”. In the summer and most other holidays they would pour out from UK to stay with parents or relatives as there was still a large number of eligible service officers in the field and girls still got married in their early 20’s. If you reached the age of 25 you were on the shelf.
I was lucky to have the use of a very simple house right next to Durrell’s house above the village in Bellapais. I still vividly remember the joy of waking early on a summer morning as John Guthrie describes so well in his book “The Abbey bell chimes for sunrise, shutters open to a view across the orange groves and the Turkish Taurus mountains across the sea, buckets clatter, cocks crow, donkeys bray, boots clump on flagstones, women chatter, men shout and the beautiful smell of woodsmoke drifts upwards“. Bellapais was totally untouched with none of today’s development, and I was surrounded by all the characters in Durrell’s book.
I have since been back to Cyprus many times since those early happy days. I have seen them suffer the invasion by Turkey, which was brought on partly by the stubbornness of the Greek Cypriots. It is sad to realise how both my Greek and Turkish Cypriot friends have suffered, how the Greek Cypriot south has massively developed, and my sadness that this beautiful island is still divided.
JOHN SANDERS
Thank you John for sharing wonderful reminiscences of a bygone Cyprus – very evocative and entertaining! Editors
NEWS FROM PINEWOOD
PHASE TWO - The Studios were granted outline planning permission in June 2014 to expand production facilities and PSDF Phase One, comprising five sound stages with supporting workshops and office space, became operational in June 2016. Phase One has been fully booked since opening and there is increasing demand for Pinewood Studios to continue with its expansion plans. Phase Two, which has been given permission to proceed, proposes three more stage buildings (two of which are designed to be divided into smaller stages if required), workshop buildings, an office block, parking, roadways, access and landscaping. The Studios are currently in talks with contractors to carry out the work commencing Spring 2018.
REMEMBRANCE SERVICE - Every year, Pinewood Studios holds a Remembrance Service on the Friday nearest to November 11 and we invite the local residents to join us at this event, however, on speaking to a few that attended, it became clear that the connection between Pinewood Studios and Remembrance Day was a mystery! During the Second World War, Pinewood Studios was the headquarters, production and training center of the Army Film and Photographic Unit (AFPU) that shot well over 350 hours of film and an impressive 200,000 plus photographs, which are now preserved by Imperial War Museums. Amongst those attending were family and friends of the AFPU, guests from the Imperial War Museum, members of the Iver Heath Branch of the Royal British Legion, local residents and staff and tenants of the studios. Our oldest guest was George Bickers, holder of the French Croix de Guerre who is 103 years old (pictured below along with 2 other members of the Royal British Legion.
CAREERS EVENT - We will be holding a Careers Event on 22 January 2018 for those interested in careers within the creative industries, including the Pinewood Group. Details of how to get tickets early next year have been sent to all Secondary Schools and Colleges within a 5 mile radius of the site. This event is not a recruitment drive, but more of an insight as to jobs and careers within the film and television industries.
2018 - It’s been a busy year at the Studios, which has been at full capacity all year long. May we take this opportunity to wish all our friends and neighbours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
KATHRYN DONOVAN – Group Community Liaison SLOUGH – MECCA FOR HORTICULTURE
I hear you thinking – “Is he joking? Slough, a gardeners’ dream? Never“, however you may be surprised to know that for the best part of 100 years, it was. Poor old Slough has been much maligned, ever since the area, which is now The Slough Trading Estate - a large flat site next to the main Great Western Railway Line - was taken over by The War Department during the Great War in 1915. Setting it out as they did into great square or rectangular plots, marked on each corner with half buried Napoleonic Cannons and then proceeding to Dump war damaged military vehicles etc. in their respective plots for reconstruction. Hence the reason why it became known as The Dump and until recent times synonymous with Slough.
Before The Dump, Slough had been a delightful Market Town for some 300 years, surrounded by huge farming estates, the houses of which many are still with us today, such as Langley Park, Stoke Manor Park, Stoke Place, etc. They were not there only because of easy accessibility to London, but because of the rich arable land that was once The Slough.
Slough has a long and diverse history, due mainly to its Geographical location and Geological content. Evidence has been found of people living in these marshes for several thousand years. When the Eton College Rowing Channel was recently dredged, prehistoric remains were found of the people who lived in this vast marshland area in stilted homes, at a time when the River Thames was tidal (as it had been from the beginning of time), depositing rich silt, which in some parts was 4-5 ft deep. Much later, of course, at the early part of the Roman occupation, they built a road to link the ports of London and Bristol and their straight line took them through the middle of The Slough (as they called it) – The Bath Road or A4. Historically there is much evidence of history, of Saxons at Dorney Court, a Viking sword found in the Thames (now in the British Museum) etc.,etc.
Fast forward to the 19th and early 20th centuries and the rebuilding and expansion of London; the advent of Railways, bridges, viaducts etc. and a huge insatiable demand for bricks. The large deposits of yellow clay located around Stoke Road running up to Iver and Richings Park, gave a wonderful pale gold stock brick. Millions of bricks were produced, and such was the demand, a spur from the Grand Union Canal had to be built from Cowley to Slough to transport them into London.
It was, however, the start of the Victorian era that intensified the British people’s love of gardening to new heights. It ceased to become the realm only of the Aristocracy and wealthier classes and spread through to all classes; horticulture became the most prolific and coveted hobby of the Victorians and continued to do so through much of the 20th century.
In the early 1840’s nurseries began to spring up in and around Slough; it was the perfect location – easy access to London by road or river (later by train), level terrain, with deep rich soil, and an abundance of water, a gardener’s dream. Demand was high, particularly for new plants and new varieties and very soon large numbers of nurseries sprang up in this area east of the Thames. Unfortunately I can only name a few. Sir James Veitch, who travelled the world looking for new plants (many bearing his name), set up a nursery in Middle Green, later this became Allgrove’s Nursery specialising in fruit. Black & Florrie, also in Middle Green – Spec. Orchids, both these were in business up until about 1985, Bloms Seeds; Suttons Seeds; Macmillan’s Nursery in Salt Hill – Cut Flowers; Farnham Royal Nursery – Carnations and Chrysanthemums; Rochfords – Tomatoes, Melons Cucumber; Artiss Nursery Cippenham – Alpines; Barrs Nurseries Bath Road, Burnham – Specialising in Asters-Michaelmas Daisy Cultuvars; William Woods of Taplow – famous for trained trees and landscaping. And who could forget Turners Nursery, Langley – Fruit Trees. The foreman, Mr Cox, found a seedling apple growing on the nursery compost heap, which was the Coxes Orange Pippin, an apple of unknown parentage. So many nurseries that grew all that you could have wanted.
Next time you leave Fulmer and drive to Slough, when you get to the junction of Hollybush Hill, try to imagine how it was 150 years ago; very few houses, the road sloping down and on a clear day you can see Windsor Castle and the other side of the valley. The road continues to drop steadily until just past Wexham Park Hospital and you are then in The Lea (Upton Lea) – Pursers Farms as was, in fields of gold. If you turn right through Shaggy Calf Lane on to Elliman Ave, then into Oatlands Drive you would have driven down a gravel road they called Oatlands Way. If you turn left from Shaggy Calf Lane into Stoke Road the Canal end is on your left and between there and the railway if you turn off into any road, either side, the roads drop off sharply down, you are now where the brick fields were. Enjoy your Garden ……
Eric Price
Thank you Eric for the most fascinating horticultural history of Slough in such different, and almost unimaginable, times – Editors
MY RAF TIMES OF WAR First, some words of warning - never mention the Royal Air Force in my presence; otherwise you will be deluged with accounts of my experiences. So head me off by claiming you have read this article. In 1940, aged 15, I enlisted as an Aircraft Apprentice for two years intensive training to become a Fitter Airframe. As soon as I was 18 I volunteered and was accepted for aircrew. A year elapsed before training began, but I was able to fly on air tests after major inspections. Early in 1944 I was pilot training on Tiger Moths. After 7 hours it was ruled that I needed more time and the Air Force was not prepared to give it. I was categorised as Navigator/Bomb Aimer/Wireless Operator. My own instructor wrote me a note of commiseration saying I had the potential. Odd to think that, much later, it took 10 hours of tuition to pass the driving test.
Time dragged. I got so fed up doing fill-in jobs while waiting for training that I volunteered to do bomb damage repairs in London, June 1944. Good timing! The Doodle Bug (V1) raids began. Fortunately nothing came too close to me. Come September the V2 rockets began to fall. The luck of the Saxby’s appeared in time for me to escape to Lincolnshire for Wireless Operator training. After qualifying, I was posted to a Pathfinder squadron, but in my ground trade as a temporary measure. In April I was asked to be Wireless Operator on a Lancaster for a flight over the UK. Odd to think that I flew 40 hours during the war – none of them operational; and only one air raid that was much too close for comfort.
It would be 1948 before I became a Mosquito navigator in occupied Germany and I experienced far more close shaves than during the war. Michael Saxby
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH MESSAGING SERVICE
A month ago, Microsoft Windows loaded a Windows 10 update onto my computer. This resulted in a serious disruption of my Microsoft Outlook e-mail service and associated address files. I have had to re- build my address book including my Neighbourhood Watch & Messaging group files. I think I have now resolved most of the issues concerning my circulation group files, but it is possible that I may still be missing one or two addresses. Consequently, I would ask that if you have previously been receiving ‘Watch’ messages, but have not received any during the last month or so, to contact me and I will reinstate you to the circulation list. To join E-Watch and Fulmer Village Messaging Service please send an e-mail with your contact details to: [email protected] To join Fulmer Next Door go to https://fulmer.nextdoor.co.uk
Brian Weild, Fulmer Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator