Brian Panter Welcome to the November edition of Hallmark We’ve had quite a few changes in glass - so swings and roundabouts I our council services recently: guess. The new surface of Main Road is The Parish Council have passed very welcome and looks very me details of changes that the good. Let’s hope that the County Council have made to the workmanship proves to be of Mobile Library Service. The County good quality and it doesn’t break Council have cut back from 5 up as soon as we get some hard mobile libraries to 3 and so Lacey frosts. Green will only get one visit per The new bin service has also month. See next page for times. started. I’ve understood what to With Christmas coming up I asked do with all the different bins a few of the local farm shops if they outside, but it’s difficult trying to would like to give us an article. I get organised in the kitchen. It’s a got two responses which are on I hope you all have a splendid right pain separating out the food the centre page (with a splendid Christmas, don’t forget to send in waste from the general waste picture of pig and piglets). your pictures!. when you’re trying to prepare and The Christmas Church services will clear up food. However I’m be held as usual even though we Mike Piercy pleased that they’re collecting have no resident vicar - details on Editor page 33. World’s biggest Coffee Morning

On Thursday, 19th September Greeting cards, and a Tombola came and supported the event the Village Hall Coffee Morning and Raffle. Many of the tombola and look forward to seeing you was given over to fund raising for and raffle prizes were donated at next year's event! Don't forget the Macmillan Cancer Support and we are particularly grateful you can join us for coffee every Fund. This annual event was very to the Black Horse for their prize. Thursday morning in the small well supported. Coffee and meeting room of the Village Hall. The event raised £765, part of biscuits were provided and there which came from generous Thank you all again, were stalls to browse for Bring donations from those unable to and Buy, Cakes, Handbags, attend. We thank everyone who Jill Baker, Joy Lawrence Lacey Green Singers

“Some enchanting evening” to a varied and challenging task. Congratulations to all ...... and the - an apt description for the latest Vitality, the essence that puts cakes were smashing too!! offering from LGS in a delightful sparkle into a show was there in and entertaining performance. abundance. Good soloist voices Brian Panter then set the seal on this very Fiona's responsive band of singers, pleasing musical occasion. chorus and soloists rose admirably Thanks to Norman for his pictures

2 What’s On Past Times of and On November 30th at Naphill Admission £3, children under 14 Village Hall 11am - 5pm, Pam years free. Teas available. Sat 9 Nov 7pm Smith is again exhibiting her Proceeds for Naphill Village Hall. ‘Past Times’ exhibition 2nd World War Music St John’s School Sunday Market Nov 28 - 30 Sunday cakes, jams, cheese, pickles and LGP Dinner Theatre Markets are held on the third meat raised in . The (see this page 9) Sunday of the month from 10 am next two Market days are 17th until 2pm in the High Street. November and 15th December. Stalls sell mainly local food and For more details contact Jackie Fri 29 Nov 2pm crafts. Produce regularly on sale Gunn 07761582937 or Christmas Fayre varies from month to month but [email protected] St John’s School usually includes local breads, Sat 30 Nov 11- 4 Hearing Dogs for the Deaf Christmas Market see advert on page 28 Sat 7 Dec 10 - 1 Church Xmas Fayre see page 33 Wed 15 Jan 8pm Horts Soc ‘Bee Keeping’ Village Hall

Mobile Library Service Eastlands 11.30 to 11.55 27 Nov, Fri 20 Dec, 22 Jan, 19 Feb, 19 Mar, 16 April

Parish Council 2 Dec 7.30pm Lacey Green 3 Feb 7.30pm Speen Princes Risborough Tree of Light

Dedicate a light on Princes Lights on the Tree will remain lit Risborough’s Tree of Light until the end of the year. The Tree of Light in the gardens at All proceeds will be shared the corner of New Road and Duke between the Iain Rennie Hospice Street in Princes Risborough at Home and Rotary charities. provides an opportunity to £4,000 was donated in 2012. honour, remember or celebrate Further information and sponsor the life of someone special by forms are available from David sponsoring a light on the Tree. Griggs on 01844 345554. The dedication ceremony will take Sponsor forms are also available place at 4.00 p.m. on Sunday 24 from the Princes Risborough November. The names of those Information Centre. being remembered will be Organised by the Rotary Club of recorded on display boards close to the Tree of Light, and will be Princes Risborough (charity no. 288786). published in the Bucks Free Press.

Community Planning Group Post Office news space, and this places some Little John and Robin We have just heard from the Post restrictions on our purchasing activities. Also it is important that Hood Office authorities that the re- Quite a few people use the opening of the Lacey Green sub- we avoid holding stock beyond its ‘best by’ date. footpath across the fields between post office has been postponed Lacey Green and , until 21 November. This is due to It would be useful to know what and it provides a very pleasant further electrical work required in our customers would like us to walk. Naphill, where the main Post have available. So if you have any Office branch is located. particular likes and dislikes, please However, recently I was slightly Hopefully there won’t be any tell us (preferably by coming into disconcerted to find that someone further hold up, but we can offer the stores – although we will had taken a horse along this no guarantees. accept emails or phone calls). We footpath - visible evidence do provide newspapers as long as included horseshoe imprints and a Lacey Green Stores they are requested in advance – small pile of dung. In the meantime, the stores so if you want to have your It isn’t a bridleway, and in general functions as usual. Our new favourite journal kept for you, it horse riders are not expected to County Councillor, Carl Etholen, is can easily be arranged. use footpaths, although the the most recent and welcome precise legal position is not addition to our volunteer Action: - the reader entirely clear. I was pleased that I workforce. We can always use didn’t meet a horse when I was on fresh faces to help run the stores, The book exchange the path because there really so if you would like to give it a go This operates in the lobby at the would not have been room to yourself, please contact me. entrance to the stores, and seems to be going well – indeed, as I pass. Action: – the reader write this, I notice that there has been an influx of more books for Tony Molesworth The store tends to stock goods Community Plan Steering Group that are in fairly regular demand, you to choose from. The shelves although we do sometimes are getting a little crowded, so you (01844 344975) manage to keep the odd rare may have to hunt harder to find [email protected]. breed. We don’t have a lot of the reading gem that you are seeking. Black Horse

Here we are October already; We will be doing the beer festival Ian and I shut the pub for the first time flies past so quickly. We had every year now and hopefully it time in 18 years to go to Tilly and our first beer festival in August, it will get more popular each year it Kevin's wedding. We thought we was a great success. Friday was goes on. had better shut as all our locals quiet and I wondered Oh Dear were going and we wouldn't have Well done to the Aunt Sally team; what are we doing here? anybody in. We had been invited thank you Ian and Lisa for all the to the whole day and we were not But when Saturday came it all hard work you have done trying to going to miss that. changed. The weather was kind get a team every week. some of the time but it also rained What a great day: the whole day on us a few times. That didn't stop A new season of dominoes and was lovely and everybody enjoyed crib has started and we wish both the bands playing and the BBQ themselves. All the best for the teams all the best for the future. going with people in the garden future to you both. It is a strange under umbrellas. We are now taking bookings for feeling to see all your staff grow our Christmas menu so take a look up, leave to go university, come A big, big, thank you to John Jones and maybe give us a try. back and then leave to get who organised all the music, married. It make’s me feel old. I you’re booked for next year John! Congratulations to Johnny and now have a new group starting, The music was fantastic. Thanks to Steph Dell on the birth of Dexter. Amy and Sam its a new era . Ian for doing a BBQ all day and to all my staff who worked so hard. Lynne A few reasons why I enjoy The enjoyment of watching the working with young children: end of term “showing” in our The wonder of simple things like 2.30pm music classes, slightly the bubbles we have in our early tempered by never quite knowing classes. what may happen next. Pirates can be very scary! The pleasure of seeing yourself as some of the children see you. Rebecca drew a picture of me. Tall, slim, and covered in gold glitter as she explained, her smiley face looking up at me. ( Not sure about the big head – maybe containing all my great thoughts!) Jenny Lacey Green Productions LGP has just helped Great However, as one of our members So please make a note in your Hampden Women’s Institute to put it, due to the advancing years diaries for Thursday, Friday, celebrate their 90th anniversary. of some of our members, we shall Saturday November 28th, 29th We performed a new murder need to write a murder mystery and 30th at the Village Hall. There mystery for them in Great based in a care home! is a licensed bar for each Hampden village hall and every performance. There will be free And so to our annual dinner member of the audience was nibbles available with the theatre. sworn to secrecy about the details Thursday night’s performance and of the murder mystery before they Our play this year is “Holiday a dinner theatre for the Friday and were allowed to go home! Snap” by Michael Pertwee and Saturday performances. John Chapman, who also wrote This is because we shall be For the latest on ticket availability some of the Brian Rix farces. performing this murder mystery please contact either 01844 again to help St John’s School PTA “Holiday Snap” is a very funny 347518 or 01844 347818. to raise funds on March 1st 2014. farce set in a timeshare in Portugal As always, LGP will be donating Plus there will be performances for in the early 1990’s. When the the profits from this production to the Wycombe Hospital’s timeshare is double booked by charity. If anybody knows of a Scannappeal in Gerrards Cross on two couples, who are both on worthwhile local charity looking February 22nd, and illicit holidays, and the man trying for donations, we would be more School PTA in their village hall on to sort it all out is rendered almost than happy to consider it. Please March 8th. blind by breaking his glasses, the contact either of the two numbers stage is set for a riot of mistaken Great Hampden WI were kind above or send an email to enough to issue an invitation to us identities and chaos. [email protected] to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 10 years. Peter Brookhouse Windmill WI We had a lovely ramble around garden looked beautiful - a real Our October meeting was our Speen led by two of our members English Cottage Garden. We AGM. Our President and at the end of July. It was a started with champagne and then Committee will stay the same. We beautiful summer evening and we dined on delicious sandwiches, also heard reports on our annual finished it off by having supper at cakes and tea. We all thoroughly activities from Pat Richards the Black Horse - always enjoyed ourselves. (President) and Daphne Williams enjoyable. (Secretary). Stella Boll our September was our 26th birthday Treasurer read out our financial At the beginning of August a meeting. Our speaker was William statement for the year. After the group of our members visited French talking about his time as a business was concluded we had a Frogmore at Windsor and the butler to Royalty. This was a very delightful talk from a local trader Saville Gardens. The flowers and interesting talk and we learnt a lot from Wendover - No.2 Pound gardens were beautiful and about the Royal Family and the Street, about our British Cheeses. everyone enjoyed themselves. Royal Yacht Britannia. We also She really knew her subject and saw many photos of the Royals on had brought lots of cheeses with Our monthly meeting for August their famous yacht. We finished her for us to sample and buy. was Jane Dunsterville talking the evening with cheese, wine and about Aspergers. We learnt some birthday cake. We had our bi-annual Jumble Sale very interesting facts about this in October which was well condition. In September some members attended and by the time you read helped at the Macmillan Cancer this article we will have organised In the middle of August we had Support Coffee Morning. We ran our 'Afternoon Tea Party with the Village Quiz in the Village Hall the tombola which helped Bubbles' in the garden of Doreen which is always a success. towards raising a wonderful total Lett one of our members. The of £760. weather was perfect and the Ann Bartlett

6 District Council and HS2 News This is intended to provide an for HS2. With Alastair Darling, Peter additional route through the town Mandelson and others openly centre which could eventually opposing HS2 it is likely that Labour replace the Abbey Way flyover and will ultimately turn their back on this allow the town centre to be ‘re- waste of resources, despite it united’. Work is still underway to originally coming from them. finalise which parts, if any, of the now partially-closed flyover can be At the time of writing, it is believed re-opened following the technical that up to 60 Conservative MPs evaluations of the structure. may refuse to support the Government in a vote on the HS2 Mel Foster Paving Bill, showing that the message is beginning to get through [email protected] – even though our own MP is still 01494 488905 bound by Ministerial code and cannot openly challenge the HS2 Update Government. A great deal has happened since the last edition of Hallmark, perhaps the With the Government admitting most significant development being that costs are likely to be around The new Waste Service Contract is that as a result of continuous £50 billion and many experts being implemented in the area and campaigning, barely a day goes by predicting that this could easily rise by now the new recyclable now without HS2 featuring in to £70 billion or more if precedents collections will have started - the mainstream news bulletins and like HS1 & the Olympics are official kick-off date was October almost always this shows a growing followed, it is becoming increasingly 28th. A number of people have and more credible sentiment clear that this project does not mentioned to me that the additional against the project. make sense. However, the bins add to your storage needs, but Government clings to its belief that hopefully this is more than Members of the Speen Area Action this vanity project is worth doing, so outweighed by the fact that WDC Group continue to act on your it is critical that residents continue now recycles a much wider range of behalf, representing the area at to help by pressing David Lidington materials, in response to residents’ Action Alliance group meetings and on HS2 – bury him in emails and demands. Also, running a combined have participated at the community letters on the wider issues, not just service with Chiltern District forums which have recently been the Chilterns. Council means that we are saving a run (as a cynical ‘box-ticking’ considerable amount of taxpayers’ exercise) by HS2 Ltd. The High Contact friends and relatives to ask money. Speed 2 Action Alliance have been them what they would rather have active during the political party the country spend £50 billion on – Great progress is being made with conference season and it is evident wherever they live they will have a the new Sports and Leisure that there are key changes in better idea than HS2 – and ask development at and attitude towards HS2 as a result of them to tell their MP what they construction has started on both the campaigning activity. think. The fight is not over. new running track at and the synthetic playing pitch at A Supreme Court appeal on a key John Hampden school. These new Judicial Review took place before 7 For more information , visit facilities will free the land needed Judges on October 15th and 16th http://hs2aa.org/ for the phased construction of the and represents a key milestone in http://www.51m.co.uk/ and new main facility which is the fight against HS2. The court http://www.hs2.org.uk/ scheduled for completion in 2015. decision is expected in mid – late November and could require a The development of High Government re-think on their plans. Wycombe town centre is moving Mel Foster ahead, with Planning Inspectorate Many political and public figures are Chair, Speen Area Action Group approval of the Masterplan and the now openly opposing or 01494 488670 recent release of detailed proposals questioning the scheme, including for the new road system in the most recently Ed Balls who has said town. that there will be no ‘blank cheque’

7 Horticultural Association threefold and thank them for their efforts. The photography section, selected by visitor’s votes, was won by Joe Ramage with a photograph of ‘Something in my Garden’, probably one of the youngest photographers entering.

Joe Ramage The next event for the society is our annual pumpkin super and social, which is already sold out. September saw our annual show Unfortunately we are limited to where a record number of the numbers of people we can members exhibited an excellent seat in the hall and to the size of selection of flowers, plants, our cooking utensils, so apologies The youngest winners vegetables and homemade to anyone who was hoping to produce. We had 254 entries examples of many different things come along. At least this year we from 47 entrants. 254 was the and gave us tips for extending the should have some good 2nd highest number of entries in growing season and ensuring that specimens for the weighing in and our history, but 47 entrants was one can make the most of your measuring as we have had a the highest we have ever had; the plants. He was truly inspirational reasonably warm season. Not that previous best was 41 in 2011. So and we are now members of the the weather last year prevented an excellent show all round from National Vegetable Society. some exceptionally large our members! The day began in examples being weighed in! We took part as a society in the full sunshine and ended with those Bucks Association of Horticultural left packing up in a flash flood and Despite a late start the garden has Societies Autumn Show, held this thunderstorm with hailstones. pretty much caught up. The apples year at Dagnall near Ivinghoe. Fortunately the weather was timed and plums are abundant this year Although we didn’t do as well as so that we got the best pick of the and the tomatoes taste as if they we hoped it was a truly team crops in before the rain began. have seen the sun. Already it is effort with several members Norman Tyler once again time to plant and plan for next baking, growing and advising on year, so if you need any inspiration recorded the event and you can the display of the exhibit. do come along to our talks. We see a selection of his photographs Afterwards we were offered some on the web site as well as some have had an excellent range of prize winning dahlias to try, so if subjects including a talk from a shown here. We missed our oldest anyone is interested in taking up member’s exhibits and everyone National Vegetable Society expert this offer please contact Adam who is completely self-sufficient in wishes Connie a speedy recovery. Heeley the Show Secretary. Next We did however, increase our salads and vegetables for the spring we will be hosting the show table. He brought along pots and younger members’ entries at the Millennium Hall. Do come along to our next events. On January 15th we have a talk on Bee Keeping, so should learn more about these precious insects that we all need to ensure that pollination takes place. For the AGM on March 19th we have had a cancellation and are planning some alternative social activities! Keep in touch to find out. Alison Shreeve Show exhibits Chairman

8 Windmill Under 5s After a beautiful, sunny summer They have also practised threading the children have returned to and are looking forward to Windmills bursting with energy. painting leaves and a visit from a local farmer! A new mud kitchen Goodbyes has been created by the staff and The ‘Princesses and Wizards’ party the children love it! We are now held at the end of the summer just waiting for it to rain and the term was a success. The children soil to turn into mud. All parents enjoyed entertainment by the are advised to send in a set of ‘Magic Man’, had pizza and all spare clothes. This term parents leavers received a gift and their have been encouraged to folders of work. For parents and highlight their child’s personal staff it was quite emotional, as achievements at home or what we expected! call WOW-moments, so that the children can share them, and the At the end of the summer term 15 WOW-board at Windmills is filling children moved up from Windmills up quickly. The children have to big school and we wish them all made good use of the new kindle Also, we are losing Alison, who the best for the future! We hope and the camera and video we has been a great Secretary and that what they learned in the were able to purchase last year again very generous with her time; ‘School Ready Sessions’ during the thanks to the £500 grant and we are losing our Vice Chair summer term at Windmills will Windmills was awarded, what a Sharon, who has been very now come in handy. great way to introduce them to involved and is a dab hand at technology. making pancakes! Three further Autumn committee members; Sarah, Julia, The next big event coming up at This term Windmills had 10 and Catherine, who have all put a Windmills is the Halloween party children returning and 14 new lot of work into making Windmills that will be held on Wednesday joiners, quite a big number! The a great place for the children, are the 23rd October. This event was staff have been busy introducing also moving on. We would like to the new children to Windmills and very appreciated by the children send a big THANK YOU to all of last year and the final preparations making sure they have settled in them on behalf of Windmills. You are currently under way. Amongst well. We still have an incredible will all be missed! team of staff looking after the other things the children can look children, and they are continually forward to apple bobbing, musical Thankfully, four experienced developing their skills. This term statues, hot dogs, sweets and committee members are staying they are attending first aid and dancing, and of course wearing on and four excited parents have food hygiene courses, and Annie their Halloween costumes! agreed to join the new committee. will continue to study towards her Furthermore, a number of parents NVQ3 and Elise towards her Level Thanks have already expressed an interest 5 degree. A big thank you has to go to all in helping out in other ways, so the parents who were on the that is a great start to the new The theme at Windmills this half- committee or helped out in other term and the year ahead! If you term has been fairytales and the ways last year, and dedicated time would like your child to start children have enjoyed ‘Goldilocks to help make Windmills the lovely Windmills before July 2015 we and the Three Bears’ and ‘The place it is for the children. On the only have limited spaces available Little Red Hen’, and the staff have committee we are losing Kay who and it is recommended that you made some fabulous decorations. has been a fantastic Chair; she has submit your child’s application The children have made a camp, been very involved and hands-on form as soon as possible. looked at the opposites big and and organised a number of little, played with porridge oats fundraising events and parties for Johanna Young - Chair and made teddy bear shaped the children. honey toast - this proved very popular.

9 Packing them in at the Pink! Since opening in July, around the are cosying down for the winter time of the last edition of Hallmark season. We’ve struck up a great (coincidence? I think not!), we relationship with the XT brewery in have been amazed – and thrilled - Long Crendon, and Russell and his at the level of local excitement at guys have been supplying us with having the Pink reopened. It’s fabulous local brews including a been fantastic to be able to truly delicious amber ale for welcome old friends of the pub – Remembrance Sunday called Lest mentioning no names Maggie We Forget. We also had a Robins! – and plenty of new faces. massively busy Kop Hill Climb weekend when we were thrilled to Haddenham, and he even uses the At the heart of our aim for the pub be serving Kop Hill ale from the lavender we grow in the garden to is to make it a friendly, quality Chiltern Brewery. scent our crème brûlée! Having local, a great place to meet friends recently launched our new for a drink or to have a brilliant, Coming up, we’re pleased to autumn menu, Carl, who works all well priced meal, and the announce, that due to customer his menus around what’s in feedback says that we are pressure, the Pink will be open on season, is looking to find a source succeeding in our aim! Having Christmas Day. We’ll be ready to of local game. ‘One of the best such a fabulous summer meant welcome walkers with a drink things about this time of the year that our garden, with its heated from midday, and because of is being able to create delicious deck area, really came into its demand, we’ll be serving a dishes with game – so if anyone own, and now the nights are fabulous Christmas lunch, booking knows of a cracking local source, drawing in and the weather has essential! I’m game if they are! started to do what we expect of it, Head Chef Carl is passionate we’ve lit the fires, pulled our new about locally sourced food – most Alice Hill - Landlady – and very beautiful –curtains and of our meat travels no further than

10 Cricket Club

All in all this was a pretty good year for cricket at Mark won Most Improved Player at the end of Lacey Green. Despite a wedding and stag do season dinner. This prize will be hotly contested next (Congratulations Kevin and Tilly), we still managed to year with Will Carter also scoring his first 50 this field two teams for every game this season. year, and Charlie Williams and Akaash Khan showing a great deal of potential. The 2nd XI, led by Tim Page, finished strongly, winning their last 8 games in a row. They were 1st XI player of the year was awarded to David unlucky to end up in 2nd place, 3 points behind Highgate, who was also the Club’s highest run Bradenham, and would surely have won the division scorer, with 419 runs at an average of 29.9. had they not had two games rained off. Leading wicket taker was Luke Weston with 29 The 1st XI finished in 4th position with some good wickets at an average of 13, and Roger Whipp was wins along the way. After reporting in the last edition 2nd XI player of the year with 303 runs and 23 of Hallmark that we didn’t score enough runs, the wickets. criticism was answered with some of the highest scores that I can remember. Luke Weston The highest score of the season ended in defeat, with a below strength team managing to score 256 runs, but were unable to defend it on Knotty Green’s postage stamp ground. Congratulations go to Mark Janes, who smashed 101, including a cheeky reverse sweep for four that drew cheers from his team mates and two fingers from the bowler. A SURFEIT OF SENIOR MOMENTS

When you've reached your ripest years When someone says "You've told me" And your footsteps tend to veer As you launch into a story Until your progress down the street resembles tacking. And the tone implies quite clearly "Several times." When buttons prove elusive It would seem you've undergone To fingers growing useless What is now politely known And the daily round revolves around the plumbing. As another of those bloody senior moments. When shop staff fail to speak up But such jargon words apart And you feel the need to turn up They still mean tedious old fart. The volume button on the television. What the hell, it isn't that important. Your hearing aid's mislaid Because what matters in the end Your glasses too have strayed Is the steadfast love of friends And your teeth are none too firmly in position. And shared laughter to shrug off those senior moments. Brian Panter

11 Ten Mile menu The business offers the missing convenience factor to shopping locally, order online (from organic veg boxes to a wide selection of meat, including locally shot game) and have your shopping delivered for free at your convenience. The quality of the produce is fantastic, for example you’ll only find traditional and rare breed meat on the menu, much of which comes from farms you’ll no doubt of heard of. The big news is that by mid-October, the ‘Ten Mile Christmas Shop’ will be live, offering you a one-stop Introducing Ten Mile Menu - a new way to get your shop to cater for an amazing and very local, regular fix of great local produce. Chilterns Christmas. There will be a broad range of festive food to choose from, including very special Based in neighbouring Speen, Ten Mile Menu is a Copas traditional turkeys. new online supermarket for quality-led, independent local food producers. Similar in principle to Ocado Once ordered through the site, all of your shopping but with a local twist, all food sold on the website is for the festive period will be delivered free of charge produced and delivered within the Chiltern area. on either the 23rd or 24th December. Established in January 2013, the business has already To find out more about our new online supermarket won ‘Best Online Retailer’ for Bucks & Oxon in the that champions local produce, visit Muddy Stiletto awards, and in September its www.tenmilemenu.co.uk. founder, Steven Sidhu, was delighted to be named ‘Food & Drink Hero 2013’ at the very glitzy Ten Mile Steve & Berkshire Life Food & Drink Awards. 07967 328 455 Westlands A “It’s not as easy as Monty Don says…” keep it weed free and flourishing. He was very proud of his plot and told me that the mixture of My companion was leaning on his garden fork clay and chalk soil could be made into good surveying an immaculate allotment plot which he productive earth once a good bit of compost is had just dug over at the end of the growing incorporated. season. Michael is the senior allotment owner at the allotments at the bottom of Westlands. He He recounted stories of many enthusiastic people explained that he is retired and able to devote the over the years who had taken over a plot, full of time required to keep on top of a large plot and enthusiasm and then had wilted over the gardening year, unable to find the time and commitment to convert a previously overgrown plot into a productive garden. “Too many people see Monty Don on the television turning over some lovely crumbly weed-free soil and think it looks easy. They change their minds when they realise that they have to dig up each entire weed root rather than just pulling off the shoots above the ground.” Looking around I could see half a dozen plots which were being loved and full of plants; however the majority of the plots had lost the battle against the weeds and wild bushes and are overgrown.

12 Pickels Farm Pickels farm is a family run small holding situated on the Lee Road, near Princes Risborough, just along from the golf club. Our farm started 6-7 years ago as a hobby for a gentleman who sadly passed just over a year ago, with most the animals introduced to the farm as pets or gifts for his wife. Many of these pets are still happily grazing our land but as things developed and animals bred we decided to take things a step further and we now find ourselves with a great little farm shop that is just over 4 years old, living on in memory of a great man. We have a passionate and regular customer base, who we would like to think of more as friends and our farm which provides some fantastic venison and we certainly take pride in bringing ‘proper pork’ to are an absolute pleasure to watch in the fields. the area with our own hand reared, free range, happy pigs, lambs and deer; not to mention the donkeys, With Christmas upon us and in hindsight of 4 years wallabies and rheas, which are all visible from the of fantastic business in the festive season, there’s bad shop and along the footpaths surrounding the farm. weather on the horizon but plenty to do and so much available to make for a fantastic Christmas. Our Pigs are the Berkshire, Middle-white and Don’t forget Pickels farm for your Christmas trees, Gloucestershire Old Spot traditional breeds. Dawn, holly reeves and even festive gifts and decorations! Alice and Marilyn gave us an impressive 40 piglets between them in the last couple of weeks and it’s a Pickels farm shop with parking on site is open from joy seeing so many young running round. We also 9.30-5pm Weds/Thurs/Fri and 9.30-1pm Saturday. have a friendly herd of Jacobs sheep with a very boisterous Ram called Tyrone, who in hindsight Pickels Farm, Lee Road, Lee, Princes Risborough, HP27 9NU Tel: 07789 015 049 should have been named Tyson! We are also proud of our established herd of Red and Fallow deer on E-Mail: [email protected] ds Allotments I spoke with Pam Dell who is the Secretary of the leased out for a nominal annual charge. Pam Allotment Society and she told me that 13 of the explained that the Society has not been actively plots are allocated and paid for, but not all of these marketing the unlet plots as they are very are being actively maintained. overgrown and will need a lot of remedial work before they could be brought into cultivation. So it Pam explained that the Allotment Society was sounds like if you are a retired person with plenty formed in 1926 when 20 villagers clubbed of time and with a couple of strong young sons to together and bought the 2.75 acres of land for the clear the plot – then it could be the Horts Show sum of £20. The original register lists the names prize table for you! Mike Piercy and it is easy to see the familiar surnames of the long standing village families who bought in. Each of the owners got a large official share certificate to prove their ownership. These shares have been passed down the family tree as the original owners have died. Pam has records of who owns the certificates now though record has been lost of a couple of certificates, perhaps they’re in a tin box in your loft! Unfortunately the shares can only be sold for their original £1 face value so there is no fortune awaiting. Some of the share holders do actually run the plots themselves but the majority of allotments are

13 The Way We Were It was a historic and most memorably enjoyable day in our village hall when our village history group had their second Open Meeting. Some people travelled quite a distance to see the displays and meet people. There was much chatting and joking in the hall from beginning to end of the afternoon. The day started for the public around 1pm in the smaller room near the entrance, where Joan Leigh Axe had edited the sat devouring them, with plenty of West had put together most of a recordings and added chat. The raffle was then run. Family Tree display on view. photographs, some modern and Visitors, unfamiliar as well as At 3.50pm another presentation some substitutes to keep it visual. familiar to current residents, on Loosley Row by Rita Probert He admits he probably got some studied the family tree displays and Joyce Walker was observed houses in the wrong place. with keen interest all afternoon. with interest. It was presented on a big screen, Around 2pm in the main room, Then 6 minutes of Pink Road first covering the east side of Rosemary Mortham introduced shots, with information provided Lacey Green's Main Road from the the day. by Daphne and Edwin Williams. Whip pub to Slad Lane, with Members of the History group – commentary by ex-resident John Thanks must go to everyone Rita Probert, Joyce Walker, Doug Brandon from his memories, then mentioned and to Rosemary Tilbury, Dennis Claydon and the west side of the road. Mortham, the project leader, for Gordon May - had put together a There were plenty of photos of all the work & time they've put brief history of their memories of into collecting and displaying the previous residents and classes of when they were children around information, photos and facts. up to 30 schoolchildren, with and the 1940s. They had walked round Pictures of the event are on without their teachers. The the villages recording their www.laceygreen.com. There is audience of at least 60 sat with memories of what was there back their eyes pinned to the screen. talk of the presentation (with then. There were fewer houses corrections) being available There were plenty of smiles. and roads. Houses had been online, fingers crossed. extended, road and house names Around 3.00pm visitors chose tea, changed. Roads had sometimes coffee and home-made cakes, Norman Tyler been just tracks. taking them to nearby tables and

14 On The Farm

Mid October and as the weather will be good for us. Milk prices are more waiting in the wings, waiting turns more autumnal we can currently higher so we hope for a for their first calf to be born. Must reflect on the past summer. reasonable winter. The cows have seem a strange time for them! Largely we have had a good been calving at quite a rate. We Last autumn we were unable to period of weather. Generally dry currently have about eighty on calf plant winter oilseed rape so had to for harvest, with warmth in June milk powder. This is mixed twice a plant spring rape. This is not our and July to improve the grain day and put into individual clean choice as it does not yield as well. quality. Quite the reverse of last buckets. The challenge is to get The result was that instead of year! them to put their head down to starting harvest with it, it was the drink (their instinct is to put their That’s the good news. However, last to bring in. We were head up to the udder). They will because of the poor planting extremely lucky as on the day we suck your milky fingers and with conditions last autumn, together cut the very last field at Naphill luck you can lead them down. with the low quality of the seed there was a weather phenomenon They are not always obliging so it corn, Britain has had a wheat that I have noticed numerous is a job to be done by someone harvest well down on average. times before. We had a torrential with the patience of a saint. You The bad news for us is that world storm in Lacey Green, with wind, just get fond of them and then supply is looking abundant. This hailstones, the lot. It didn’t last they move on to dry food, but has led to a price drop in the long. I saw a loaded trailer go more will be born to challenge region of 25%. down the drive and thought it you. would be drenched, and we really Ironically this is less than last year The new young cows (heifers) don’t want that. When I when the wheat was much poorer having had their first calf are being commiserated with Richard he quality. The local mill to whom we brought into the herd for milking. said that they had had no rain. send much of ours, last year This too can be a testing job, again There was a line somewhere bought a big percentage of their calling for patience. Quite a few across the road from Walters Ash requirements from Germany and will kick the milking units off as to Lacey Green, dry on their side, Canada. This year they can find soon as you are not looking, or wet on ours. Other farmers were more good quality locally. One kick you, or even turn around so not so lucky and fared far worse, more example that we are not just the herdsman will find that instead as hailstones shattered the rape an island but very much part of a of looking at her udder he is pods and up to 80% of their crop world market! looking at her head. It is surprising was lost. A reminder that farmers On the plus side this will help the however, how quickly they settle should never count their chickens cows. With wheat prices coming into the routine. At this time of the before they hatch! down, reduced animal feed costs year though, there are always The maize harvest is imminent. It comes later than everything else. We are just waiting for some dry weather to avoid bringing much mud onto the roads. It had a very slow start due to the exceptionally cold spring but the hot weather has helped. It looks quite acceptable now. The farm is getting ready for its winter routine. Maybe you are all getting organised for Christmas. I guess that is what I had better think about soon too. Hope you all have a lovely one. Joan West

John Sherlock 15 Happy Wanderers The Happy Wanderers' walk on the at which point the short walk 28th July was preceded by a period members left us to take a more direct of fine, settled weather which boded route back to the car park. The rest of well. However, on the day showers us pressed on around Winter Hill and were forecast and the weather on to a long, gradual descent with conditions were variable. At least the magnificent views over the Thames ground was dry and the sun shone valley to and beyond. The brightly as 17 members assembled at route then followed the Thames path, the National Trust car park in past the Bounty Public House and Cookham. Ahead of us were 5 miles finally back through the golf course to of varying terrain over and around the start point. Just as we reached our Winter Hill. The walk leader Peter cars the first heavy shower arrived. Clee and his wife Jo explained the Good timing! route to be taken, including a shorter Some of us adjourned to the Crown walk of 3 miles for those who preferred a more gentle stroll. hotel for a welcome lunch over which it was generally agreed that it had The walk took us on to the Golf been a most enjoyable walk. course initially, with some quite busy fairways to be negotiated. This was Peter and Joe Clark followed by some open countryside

Our walk on Sunday 25th August along the wide Saunderton Valley was led by Ron Collins and Neil to Saunderton Lee near Lodge Hill Cooper. We met in the road and then up to the Ridge leading to Saunderton Station and road. The intention was to make our numbers were somewhat our way down to Radnage smaller than usual - not sure Church and then to climb back whether that was due to the up to . However, holiday season, the fact that Ron the leader gave the group the tends to incorporate a number of choice of the extra mile or so or steep hills into his walks, or the shortening the walk. Our stalwarts somewhat poor weather forecast! were no longer stalwarts and In any event the stalwarts made off decided that the call of Sunday in cloudy conditions with a bit of lunch was too great and opted for drizzle, hoping for improvement as the reduced mileage. Despite the the walk progressed. abridged version it was a pleasant walk with good company and we The walk which was planned to be didn't get wet. What more could some 5.5 miles or 8.5 km long was one ask. in contrast to many in the Chilterns as it was very open and took us Ron Collins

On Sunday 29th September, 21 scenery, there is old farm Happy Wanderers went to machinery plus other attractions college Lake at Bullbourne, near to be seen. It was a most Tring. enjoyable hour and a half. The walk was led by Roger Walker This is a nature reserve and has a and followed up in the rear by two mile walk around the lake Ian Goodearl. perimeter, with some stunning views. The weather was fine and Ian Goodearl quite warm. Apart from the

16 St John’s School Parents Association service without the support of the This term we have already held a parent helpers, teachers, midday successful family Barn Dance. A supervisors and particularly Karen great time was had by everyone Lyon in the kitchen. Thanks also to who supported Louise Brooks- Marc Maslin and his team from Usher and her team – thank you. the kitchens at Princes Risborough The school gardening club won Upper School, who produce and two prizes at the barn dance for deliver the food to us every the funniest veg - runner beans morning. and for a bowls of fruit - grapes. On that note – a plea By the time this goes to print the In order to continue to offer this children will have enjoyed their service effectively and efficiently end of half term disco. This is we do need regular additional always a popular evening for the School meals volunteer help. children to put on their party We have enjoyed a busy start clothes! back to term with the highlight for This is a lovely way to get involved the children being the new school with the school community; it is good fun and a fulfilling Christmas is coming hot meals. We are delighted by The run up to Christmas again experience. Ideally we need two the success of the new hot school promises to be a busy one with volunteer helpers per day from lunch service at St John’s. The our annual Christmas Fayre on 11.45 to 13.45. If we are able to parents, children and staff have all Friday 29th November. Everyone secure help from a pool of twenty embraced the new system and we is welcome to attend from 2pm in or thirty people we will only need are astounded by the numbers of the school hall. This a highlight for to cover one or two lunches per meals booked every week. We the children who get to meet month each. are now on average serving 150 Father Christmas, buy family meals every day which has If you would like to become presents in the “secret room”, play exceeded all of our expectations. involved please call or email Kate games and enjoy tombolas, raffles, One of the most delightful Collet-Fenson, the parent lunch the toy and book stall, as well as consequences of the service is project co-ordinator on 07970 lots of crafts and refreshments for seeing how excited the children 547999 or email the adults! [email protected]. are when they arrive in the dining If anyone has surplus homemade room. We have all been Harvest Festival Jams & Chutneys we would impressed by the way they have always welcome these for our We have also held our annual embraced the service with craft table. Please drop into Harvest Festival Church Service, enthusiasm, and without school office during school hours where the children are invited to exception they are polite and very – thank you! well behaved in the queue. bring in non-perishable goods. These were gratefully received by Hopefully the children will still Their table manners are exemplary local charities in Princes have enough energy left to and the efficient way they cope, Risborough and Saunderton. perform the much anticipated with everything from the decision Christmas plays before they all Our Parents Association has now making to the clearing of their break up for a well earned break. plates and helping those around held its AGM. Karen Hodghton them has helped to make this has stepped down from Chairman Wishing you all a Merry Christmas project worthwhile. after three years and many more and a Happy New Year. helping the PA, she will be sadly A special thank you to the children missed. We welcome our new Julia Spittles of year 6 and Mrs Thomas who Chairman Jodi Sangster and Parents Association Secretary have worked out a rota system to Heather Breed remains as provide help to the children in key treasurer. stage one. We could not run the

17 Linking Lacey Through Knitting I moved into the village in May also Health Extension Workers 2013 and am delighted to be here. (HEWs); these are local women I have been very lucky having met who receive basic health many people; I was invited to the education, and care for women Woodfield street party not long having babies at home or in local after moving into the village. I health posts. (Photo bottom left) have met others through circuit training at Woodbyne and local The training for HEWs runs over 2 days and we teach about 60-80 friends. We regularly meet at the during each course. They love the Whip or the Pink and Lily for a training and the fact we spend social evening and obviously a wombs and red material; these time teaching them in a very glass of wine. items are used for illustration and interactive way. We also provide practical hands-on emergency Now onto the reason for the each of them with a basic delivery skills training. article in Hallmark! I am a midwife kit to ensure the women they are by profession and work in a large caring for have a clean and So we come to the reason for the maternity unit, as well as being therefore safer birth. The contents title of the article, are there any involved in a charity, of the kits are sourced locally and keen knitters out there who would midwives@Ethiopia. Six midwives we make them up in the evenings like to knit for midwives@Ethiopia. from across and Wales once we have finished the We use knitted wombs (photo embarked on a new adventure in teaching. above) as part of our teaching to February 2012 and set up the teach midwives practical skills on The training for midwives is longer charity with the aim of helping to how to manage an emergency reduce the number of women and and we run this with midwifery situation and therefore reduce the lecturers from the regional babies dying in childbirth in chance of women dying because colleges and universities. The Ethiopia; we do this through of a haemorrhage. We also give course we run for lecturers is 2 education. Sadly the number of one to every midwife who attends days and the midwives then join women who die due to the training, so they can train their complications in childbirth is over for 3-4 days. The course is a colleagues and students. Over the mixture of lectures and hands on 600 per 100,000 births compared course of a year this equates to to 12 in the UK. approximately 100 wombs. We have key midwifery partners We do not have time to do this as in Ethiopia who we work closely well as running the charity and with and this is an important part producing teaching materials. The of our success. They bring so midwives see these teaching aids much to the charity and ensure we as very valuable and we are sure are culturally aware and teach they make a real difference to Ethiopian midwifery rather than learning, and therefore reducing UK midwifery - this is very the likelihood of women dying important. during childbirth. We visit Ethiopia twice a year to If you would like to help we would provide training for midwives and be very grateful. I have a pattern and if you need wool I can practical sessions and we do an provide this; I frequent the local assessment to determine how charity shops which are a great much they have learned during source of wool. Thank you for the course. reading about my story and in You can see from the photo above advance for anyone willing to that the teaching is done in small help. My email is groups using teaching aids such as [email protected] or dolls, medical models, knitted phone 07714658063.

18 Wildlife Notes Well the good news is that the ash Boxing Day you knew that a roving the rugged coasts of Wales, dieback disease that I wrote about horde of starlings would have it Scotland or Cornwall, to the wilds in an earlier issue has not yet picked clean within a couple of of Dartmoor and Exmoor or - for reached us. This time last year the days. Since then starling numbers the less adventurous - to the Tower threat to ash trees was splashed have plummeted (partly perhaps of London. But now you need go across virtually every newspaper because insecticides have killed off no further than the Pink Road. and news programme, but the one of their favourite foods, the Although it could be mistaken for a media tend to have very short daddy longlegs, which also used to crow, you can recognize a raven by attention spans when it comes to appear in swarms in the autumn) its much larger size, its diamond- environmental stories and now it and the carcass will probably stay shaped tail and the fact that it often rarely gets a mention, perhaps there until the foxes or rats find it. flies much higher than crows and giving the impression that the Similarly, as soon as you topped up rooks, usually alone or in pairs. But problem has gone away. Sadly it your garden bird-feeder a large, most characteristic of all is its call, a hasn’t and the number of infected noisy flock of house sparrows deep ‘cronk’ which makes the sites across the country has almost would immediately turn up to crow’s ‘caw’ sound positively doubled in the past year, reaching empty it for you, but now they are effeminate. Since Celtic times the nearly six hundred, including two just as rare as starlings. raven has been respected for its which are little more than twenty intelligence (the Norse god Odin But of course not all modern miles away: a short hop for a wind- for example employed two of them changes have been for the worse. borne fungal spore. to travel the globe and report back We can now enjoy seeing re- to him so that, even before Twitter, So the bad news is that it seems introduced red kites, with their he could keep up with what was almost inevitable that at some point impressive five- or six-foot going on in the world). Now, after ash dieback will arrive and affect wingspan, soaring and gliding over an absence of many years, there many, if not all, of our local ash the village again for the first time in are reckoned to be at least ten pairs trees, along with the wildlife that generations. of ravens nesting in the Chilterns, they support. But harmful as it No one can have failed to notice including one within a mile of the might be this is just the most recent the return of the red kite (even if Pink & Lily. It’s well worth keeping in a long list of changes that our some don’t welcome it), but there an eye, and an ear, open for them countryside has seen. Looking back is another bird which has crept when you’re out walking. just two hundred years our back almost unnoticed within the hedgerows and woods would have So the arrival of ash dieback may last ten years or so, and has done it been dotted with towering elms be the latest change in our entirely under its own steam. Not untroubled by Dutch elm disease, countryside but it certainly won’t so long ago your best hope of our squirrels would have been be the last. It is almost impossible seeing a raven was native reds rather than imported to predict what changes are still to to travel American greys, no one would come, but let’s just hope that to even have heard of muntjac deer or someone reading this in fifty years’ edible dormice, and horse time won’t have to ask what a chestnuts wouldn’t yet have arrived starling, a sparrow or an ash (so if you wanted to play conkers tree looked like. you had to make do with snail shells). John Tyler More recently, within just one lifetime, our wildlife has continued to change, with species arriving, disappearing and reappearing. In the Seventies clouds of several thousand chattering starlings were a common sight flying over our fields at this time of year, as they poured in to escape the harsher weather in Europe. If you put your Christmas turkey carcass out on

19 St John’s Church Advent and Xmas Regular Services at St. dates for the diary: John’s Church Sunday November 10th SUNDAY 10am Remembrance Service. 8.00am Holy Communion(1662) Sunday November 17th 1st, 2nd, & 4th Sundays 10am A Presentation of Gifts for 10.00am All age Worship Children to the Salvation Army, Communion and a talk from a SA member. 1st Sunday of the month. Thursday November 21st 10.00am Parish Communion 10am Christ the King. 2nd, 3rd, 4th, (&5th) Sundays 6pm Team Confirmation with the Junior Church at 10.00am – all Bishop of Buckingham. Our Harvest celebrations were services other than 1st, held in excellent this year! The flower Sunday December 1st upper room. team had done a wonderful job 6pm Advent Carol Concert - NOTE – Evensong will be held decorating the Church and we conducted. ONLY at key points during the had our usual Communion Church year. Service on the Sunday morning Saturday December 7th with the children (and adults) Christmas Fayre – in the Village TUESDAY bringing baskets of produce. Hall from 10am till 1pm. Usual 9.30am. Communion Service in After the service we went to the stalls plus some new ones, plenty Lady Chapel at St. John’s. This is a School Hall for a Bring and Share of refreshments too. quiet time for peace and reflection lunch with approximately 40 Come and support us and buy of your own Spiritual journey. people enjoying a lovely array of those extra Christmas presents. food. We were joined by Rev Plenty of Christmas Cheer and Ho 2.00pm Toddler Praise – Nick Molony and his wife Beryl. Ho Ho ! Toddlers meet Tuesday afternoons After lunch Graham King led an during term time. Dads and auction of the Harvest produce Sunday December 8th Grandparents are very welcome. raising in excess of £200. 10am Service with Archdeacon Karen Gorham. WEDNESDAY Rev Nick had taken the 10am 10.30.am Team Communion Service and had talked about a Sunday December 22nd Service at Chapter House, St. project he had been involved with 10am service with Bishop Alan Mary’s Church, Princes Risboro’ in Kimberley in South Africa. He Wilson. had visited there last Autumn and 6pm Nine Lessons and Carols If you know of anyone who would told of the real poverty and Service. like to receive Holy Communion unemployment there. It was Tuesday December 24th at home, or would like a home decided to give half of the visit, or to book Weddings, 3.30pm Crib Service. proceeds of this auction to this Christenings or funeral services: 11.15pm Midnight Service. charity. please contact churchwardens Mrs. Pat Richards on 01844 In the evening we had a Harvest Christmas Day Dec 25th 345452 or Mr. Dick Field on Thanksgiving service where 10am All-age Sung Communion 01494 562231. baskets of seeds, roots and Business as usual. We have had vegetables, flowers, harvests of some exceptional visiting Clergy On the last Sunday in the month the fields and fruits were to conduct our services during the our 11 – 15 year olds are presented. A lovely service with Interregnum, and we do thank welcome to attend ‘LATER’ from the traditional Harvest hymns was them sincerely for their time, and 6-8 pm at Jim and Gill Taylor’s very much enjoyed by all who for being so interesting, sincere, house in 26 Summerleys Road, PR attended. and friendly. Fun, laughter, food, making friends, crazy games, being there!

20 If you do not know who our Police under our climbing frame and Baker at the forge in Loosely Row. and Crime Commissioner is, or swings. I think that the shape of these what he does, there will be a shelters resembles the tents at a To complete our work on the public meeting on 27th November medieval pageant and, to me, they playground this year we are at 19.00 at Wycombe Guildhall represent the spirit of the Festival where you can meet him and replacing the worn out seats on of Britain and the optimism that the swings. Our plans have ‘hear about policing and crime in we felt in 1952 at the time of the attracted the interest of Carl your area’. Queen’s Coronation. Graham Etholen, our County Councillor, Baker denies any historical If you need to contact the police who has generously offered to pretention, he said that they just the non-emergency number is make a contribution from his came up with a design that would Community Leadership Fund to 101. For emergencies dial 999. work! Their design certainly works help us improve these facilities for and it is a good example of their the children of Lacey Green. Children’s Playground craft skills in welding, casting and For some time we have been wrought ironwork. looking for a long term solution to Bus Shelters the potential trip hazard presented This year it was decided that it was Our most colourful bus shelter is by the gaps in-between the black time to refurbish our bus shelters remote from the village; it is the rubber tiles that make up the and in the Spring we carried out one opposite the RAF base at safety surface in the children’s minor repairs where necessary Bradenham. It has a white interior playground. We were faced with and repainted four of the shelters. with a seat in cyan and a ceiling having to lift and dispose of the There are five bus shelters in the painted in grey which matches the old tiles and lay an entirely new parish: one in Speen, one opposite uniforms of the neighbours. I rubber surface. This process the RAF base at Bradenham, a don’t know who was originally would be expensive and modern shelter at the village hall responsible for the colour scheme environmentally wasteful. and, my two favourites, the metal but it is cheerful and we have shelters at the Whip and the decided to keep it the same. We are pleased that a local firm School. provided a solution which retains To contact the Parish Council the existing rubber tiles and by These two are unique. They were please visit our website laying synthetic grass sheeting commissioned by the Parish http://www.laceygreen-pc.org.uk/ over them, like a carpet, provides Council to celebrate the Queen’s an attractive and safe surface Jubilee in 2002 and designed and John Sherlock built locally by Geoff and Graham

21 Heavenly Bodies Welcome to the start of the new above the planet to create a So it will be fairly low in the winter viewing schedule: featuring wonderful spectacle. eastern sky at about 10-11pm early evening romance, must-see during November, becoming It’s hard to imagine when looking drama after the 9 o’clock higher at the same time in at such a serene sight that Venus, watershed, and a Christmas December, January and February. special. about the same size as Earth, is on a par with Dante’s “Inferno”. This It’s in the constellation of Gemini As the sky darkens in the late seething rock is the hottest place – up and left of the famous afternoon, it will begin to reveal in our Solar System at almost constellation of Orion (see sky the second brightest object in the 500°C, is covered in extinct map). Jupiter will also be bright, night sky after the Moon. A large, volcanoes, craters and lava flows, and binoculars (10x magnification) sparkling white ‘star’ low in the has an atmosphere mostly of will show its four large moons. I south-western sky. carbon dioxide, rains sulphuric took the picture of Jupiter inset on acid and the air pressure is 92 the sky map last winter. This is our ‘sister’ planet Venus, times greater than Earth’s (the named after the Roman goddess While Jupiter ascends the skies, same as 1km underneath the of love. It grows more prominent the so-called “Comet of the ocean). during the second half of Century” continues to hurtle November and early December as But be sure to see Venus before towards the Sun at a current it drifts further away from the Sun the second half of December speed of 79,000mph. Comet as we see it. when it begins to drift back ISON recently passed within the towards the Sun and gets lost in orbit of Mars and is due to swing Do wait until the Sun has set the twilight glow. around our star on November before trying to spot the planet, 28th. which will be difficult to miss at Just after 9pm during November, dusk because it will be very bright. Jupiter rises above the eastern If it survives this sizzling encounter In fact, Venus gets so bright, it can horizon and climbs steadily (at a re-estimated 825,000mph!), it cast shadows on a dark, moonless throughout the night. Earth is may become bright enough in our night. And every year, some catching up with the gas giant as early morning skies to see with the people (who haven’t read they both circle the Sun, until naked eye from the first part of Hallmark) mistake it for a UFO. Jupiter reaches ‘opposition’ (when December, during part of the it will be closest to us) on January night over Christmas, and A thin crescent Moon lends a 6th. throughout the night in January. helping hand on November 6th and December 5th when it hangs Predictions are very difficult as comets are so unstable – some reports in October said Comet ISON has lost some brightness, but that it should survive its slingshot around the Sun. At the time of writing, NASA’s website was closed during the US’ “shutdown” but there are other reliable sites to visit, including: www.isoncampaign.org and www.mattastro.com/ison/ . Looking at the night sky this winter might even be better than watching the telly. Chris Dignan

22 Organisation Meetings Contact Phone Email address

Happy Wanderers Walking Club Full walk last Sun of the month 10.30 Ronnie Lewin 274961 [email protected]

Happy Wanderers Walking Club Short walk (2-3 miles) 2nd Wed 10.30 Linda Taylor 345261

Horticultural Society 3rd Wed of Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Alison Shreeve [email protected] Nov. 8pm Kinder Gym & Melody Minors Baby to 5 years. Fridays during term. Jenny Stothard 344441 [email protected] After school classes for up to Year 3 Gabby Kenny 07793 80745 LG Singers Thursday evenings in term time Denise Kinnard [email protected]

Lacey Green Productions Theatre, drama, and sometimes food [email protected]

Windmill Under 5s Mon-Fri 9.00-12.00 or 1.30 if your child Paula Cunningham 07502 198405 [email protected] stays for lunch Windmill WI (evenings) 1st Wed of month except Jan. 7.45pm Daphne Willash 01494 562455 [email protected]

High Wycombe & District U3A 4th Wed afternoon of the month Margaret Graham 01494 630713 Margaret@margaret- graham.com Youth Club Alternate Fridays - see laceygreen.com Joan Smith 342322 [email protected] web site for details 7.30pm Over 50s Pub Lunch Club Black Horse. First Tuesday of the Betty Tyler 344606 month Yvonne Axe 345216 Short Mat Bowls Club Monday 2pm Leigh Axe 345216 [email protected]

LG Sports Club Secretary Stephanie Dell 07768 831196 [email protected]

LG Sports Club - Cricket Jonathan Dell 07786 386912

LG Sports Club - Tennis Ian Ward 345567 [email protected]

LG Sports Club - Football Ben Foster 344906 [email protected]

Karate Monday evenings Stephen Fincham 07540 531034 [email protected]

Whiteleaf Bowmen Wed, Thu & Fri evenings, Apr to Sep Brenda Cordwell, Sec 01494 485037 www.whiteleafbowmen.org.uk

Pilates Classes Tuesday mornings Sue Croxford 346656 [email protected]

Wycombe District Council Mel Foster 01494 488905 [email protected]

Bucks County Council Paul Rogerson 01494 488315 [email protected]

St John's Church Pat Richards 345452

LG Community Planning Group Tony Molesworth 344975 [email protected]

Scouts (Naphill & Hughenden) Peter Byerley 01494 565955 [email protected]

Parish Council Susanne Griffiths 275912 [email protected]

LG Post Office Currently closed

LG Windmill Sundays & Bank holidays 2 to 5 pm Michael Hardy 275871 [email protected] May to September g.uk Millennium Hall Clive Hodghton 343113 [email protected]

Millennium Hall bookings Karen Hodghton 274254 [email protected]

The Black Horse Quiz night last Sunday of every month Lynne Comley 345195 [email protected] at 8pm Police Andy Ralph 101

23 Hallmark is published quarterly by Our aim is to mirror the mark that We welcome news from all the the Lacey Green & Loosley Row the Village Hall makes upon our Village clubs, societies, church and Millennium Hall Management community, to publish the school, stories of local interest and Committee, although opinions activities of all Village entries for the Village Diary. expressed in comment or organisations, and to provide a A version of this printed Hallmark contribution do not necessarily forum so that the rights, the may be found on our website represent the collective view of wrongs, the well-being of village www.laceygreen.com, which also that committee. life can be aired. has breaking news and many additional articles & photos.

HALLMARK EDITOR Mike Piercy, Malmsmead, Kiln Lane, Lacey Green, Bucks HP27 0PU ( just before the pond on the right) 01844 344021 Email [email protected] ADVERTISING MANAGER Chris Baker, "Woodpeckers", Kiln Lane, Lacey Green, Bucks HP27 OPT (past the pond on the left) 01844 275442 Email [email protected] VILLAGE HALL BOOKINGS Clive or Karen on 01844 274254 (answering service)

LACEY GREEN POST OFFICE VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Currently closed Clive Hodghton (Chair) LACEY GREEN STORES Rachel Panter (Vice-Chair), Village Hall 8.30 am - 1pm every week day Sue D’Arcy (Secretary), COFFEE MORNINGS Yvonne Axe (Treasurer), Held in Village Hall 10am-12 noon Thursdays. Karen Hodghton (Booking Sec.), Friendly chatting with tea or coffee & biscuit Chris and Jill Baker, THE FOOT CLINIC Leigh Axe, Stella Boll, Chiropody services with Cathy Maynard. Tel 274521 Tuesdays by appointment Jane Brown, Ginnie Brudenell, Cathryn Davies, Bette Tyler

LACEY GREEN WINDMILL Lacey Green Windmill will reopen on May 4th 2014. Email: [email protected] Phone: 01844 275871

Printed by PK Inprint Ltd 01494 452266 CLOSING DATE FOR COPY FOR THE FEBRUARY EDITION JANUARY 17th 2014

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