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Issue 107 25p June 2002 The Good News—It’s BLUEBELL TIME for Bad News— page 5 hat a splendid year it’s W been for bluebells! The village was able to hold its annual walk in April, which is early, and the blue carpet, as the picture shows, was magnificent. children and dogs busily keeping up Unfortunately it must have been with both ends of the file of walkers too early for the butterflies, as the simultaneously. Once the bluebells orange tips which usually accom- have come we know summer is pany the walkers were inconspicu- about to start. ously absent. It must be admitted All the odd flowers scattered over that the walk began in a light driz- the pages were captured during the zle, which might walk. also have kept the butterflies away. It didn’t discourage the deer, however, who watched warily from a safe distance, nor did it daunt the energy and en- thusiasm of the 1 PARISH A G M PARISH COUNCIL ll the parish councillors and a he AGM was, as usual, fol- A goodly number of villagers T lowed by a meeting of the were present at the Annual Gen- Parish Council, for which all the eral meeting when Robert Strad- members of the public stayed. As ling was unanimously re-elected soon as the introductory business chairman. It was decided not to of minutes of the last meetings and have a Vice-chairman this year; if a brief comment on the new con- necessary a substitute chairman straints put on councillors the would be picked from the council- Chairman suggested that we lors present. The other council- should move to item 6 on the lors expressed appreciation of the agenda, which was Public Ques- time and energy Mr Stradling has tion Time. Five members of the given to the job since he first took public then voiced their concerns it on. about a new application for plan- After the financial report showed ning permission which would de- that we had been able to build u p molish three houses on New Road a small contingency fund and that Hill and build fourteen in their the accounts had been acceptable place. The concerns covered the to the auditors it was learned that loss of privacy, the impact on se- in future the council should look curity, the damage to and removal to provide its own auditor, and it of mature trees on the site, the im- seems likely that one of our resi- pact that terraced housing would dents will undertake the job. have on on-street parking, the total Mrs Angell, our Clerk, was also change of character of the pro- congratulated and thanked for the posed development, the impact work-load she has patiently coped this would have on the rest of New with this last year, when there Road Hill, the effect on the build- have been new regulations to im- ing line, and the inadequacy of the plement as well as great frus- current infrastructure to provide tration from the lack of for growth of this nature. Mr support available from Stradling explained the anomaly in the District Council in that extra housing is not allowed in certain respects. Midgham because it is not a settle- ment, but this land falls into the Woolhampton settlement area though legally part of the parish of Midgham. Consequently Wool- 2 hampton Parish Council are pensive. On the credit side also involved; they are be- use of the hall is increasing, lieved to oppose it. Mr and the programme for im- Hanslip Long, who looks after provements has been moving the New Road Hill planning steadily forward, with the ves- matters, was not in favour of tibule and entry plans to be this plan, pointing out that it started in the near future. was only an outline applica- Successful events lately have tion, but not very clearly con- been the Dog Whisperer and structed or drawn. The coun- the Computer Classes, cur- cillors were unanimous in rec- rently being repeated with the ommending that Midgham applicants who did not get into should object. the first course. Another application was for a In view of the amount of work development on Siege Cross Farm during the last month it was de- land for five hundred houses, It cided the roads review and the re- is believed that objections should sults of the footpath surveys be received by the West Berkshire should be postponed until the next Council by May 28th to strengthen meeting, which will be at 7.30 on the force of the objection WBC June 11th, as the first Tuesday is intends to make. Mr Clarke has the Jubilee holiday, . the address to which objections should be sent. Midgham PC will object, but the more letters of ob- jection West Berks gets the more THE VILLAGE HALL likelihood there is of their deci- he Annual General Meeting sion not being overruled. T of the Village Hall Commit- Mr Angell, Village Hall Manage- tee started buoyantly with a re- ment Committee Chairman, was sumé from the re-elected Chairman able to give an account of devel- Steve Angell of all the things that opments in the upgrading of the have happened during the last year, Village Hall, where the authorities the Garden Party in September, the seem to have re-thought the offi- bonfire in November, the Christ- cial view of the asbestos originally mas parties, one for everyone and used in its construction, and are one for children, the visit from the now saying that it should all be Dog Whisperer, most recently the removed. This is now a specialist Computer Course which is being activity and likely to be very ex- repeated for those for whom there wasn't room the first time, and all 3 the time in the background work on the improvements and the con- stantly recurring house-keeping jobs of cleaning, gardening, and minor maintenance. Although this newsletter regularly invites all residents to share in the chores as well as the social events it is al- most invariably the committee members who do the work as well as organising the functions, and in Do we really want this? the last year of so worrying about ago. This could well prove too specifications, regulations, quota- disheartening for the committee, tions and funding. who have worked extremely hard However there are new clouds on for the last three years to save the the horizon in the form of changed hall, but are beginning to feel that Buildings Regulations which, be- many residents have no interest in cause of the asbestos originally nor desire for a hall which re- used in the building, could poten- quires their active participation. tially increase the costs of what June Dutton has to be done. The primary goal of the committee is to make the Hall ready for a Public Entertain- ment Licence. Advice coming DOMESTIC AFFAIRS from both West Berkshire Council Two culinary delights to titillate your and the Community Care for Berk- tastebuds this issue. The first, from shire Offices indicate that the Hanslip Long looks amazingly easy eventual decision to be made and very tempting. might be that the hall must be en- ast week I was pressurized by tirely replaced. The cost of that L the Editor (his arm is mending would be extremely high. If the nicely, thank you. Ed). I now know provisional work the Village Hall how potatoes feel in that team are doing leads to this result, extraordinary gadget busy then we might need to have a sec- housewives have in their kitchens. ond village meeting to discuss dis- One day I must learn how to use posing of it, but there would not be them. Meanwhile to placate June the opportunities following such a here are two recipes, (possibly the meeting that existed two years only two I know!) (I am keeping one back for the next issue when it 4 will be very seasonal. And I think risk is entirely your own. Ed.) that in future I may well address Mr Next, from Francine Gibbs in the Long as Spud! You can see above Park, we get a succulent summer cake which has me drooling at the why. Ed.) keyboard! Liver Pâté Hazelnut Meringue Cake Either carefully wash and keep a 4 egg whites few jars from boughten pate before 9oz caster sugar you start, or beg or borrow them drop vanilla essence from friends or relations. You ½ teaspoonful white vinegar could buy some, but don't steal! 3½ oz ground hazelnuts One Onion, sliced thinly. Fry until 8 fl oz double cream cooked, but do not burn! Blend in icing sugar the Magimix until chopped very Raspberries or strawberries fine but not a paste. To prepare the cake tins you The Liver is the key to the flavour, need foil, flour and melted butter so choose carefully. Pheasant, or lard. duck or even poultry liver is better Set the oven to 375°F, gas mark (stronger) than pig liver, and this in 5. turn is stronger than lamb. Prepare two 8" sandwich tins by 8 oz Liver. Cut into small pieces brushing with the melted butter and fry until cooked. Magimix as (or lard) and dusting with flour. with the onion into small pieces. Line the base with foil and dust Now mix the two ingredients to- again with flour. gether in the pan, add 3 oz butter, Whisk the egg whites until stiff one or two bay leaves, and mixed and gradually beat in the castor Italian herbs.