Hilltop News) Are Also Hospital Last May
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December 2007 & January 2008 KEEP A WELCOME IN Included in this issue… THE HILLTOPS Off to Africa Follow Fred Baxter on his Charity Bike Ride inutes after Angela and I moved and the adventures of Toby Thwaites as he into our Hilltop cottage 27 years sets out to conquer the world! Mago, a chap walked through our gate and said to me in a typical Bucks Yum yum… drawl, ‘I know you’. I looked back at the Our school children get their teeth into smiling, ruddy-cheeked face and replied ‘I healthy food. know you too’. It was Alan Brown and we Ghostly tales had played cricket against each other (if Strange goings on at The Black Horse. you play cricket against Alan, you tend to remember). I was from now destined to Cricket Club looks to the future play with Alan at H&CCC: and he still does Our colts get their just awards. his best to get local people to play, as well Are you inspired? as working harder than ever to keep the If not, Valerie Schuch may change your life! ground in tip top condition. Alan’s was not our only friendly A splendid century! welcome. The late Bert Gomm introduced Mrs Gobell’s special birthday celebration. me to the History Group. Near neighbours, Memorial Gates the Firths and the Yees, could not have John Farmer gives the background to the been more helpful. I like to think this new gates at Cholesbury Church. courtesy is extended to all newcomers to the Hilltop Villages, and that they may join Our regular features the many and various clubs and societies Nature’s all black and white to Chris Brown. we have to offer. Jim Hetherington delves into the lives of Which reminds me: when in 1985 I was our local mice. asked to produce the cricket club’s Our Curvaceous Cook serves up a double centenary brochure, part of this was to treat for Christmas. research and write the club’s history. What …plus all the news from our churches, stood out to me was that, in the 1950s, the clubs, council and societies. Hilltop Villages had two cricket clubs (H&C and St.Leonards), two football clubs should like to say how much I (Cholesbury and St.Leonards), a tennis and appreciate the help and support I a bowls club. Only H&CCC remains on the Ihave received from neighbours and sporting front, but other clubs and societies friends since my return home from (all represented in Hilltop News) are also hospital last May. ‘Getting going’ again thriving and these help make our Hilltop has been made so much easier and I am Villages so special. now taking short walks up and down the lane. Writing however, still takes a Happy Christmas! long time and therefore I shall not be Graham Lincoln able to send local Christmas cards this year. However, I should like to wish everyone in the Hilltops a very Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year. Daughne Driver Buckland Common Hilltop News 3 ghost is usually friendly. Since he has been picnic tables for outdoor dining or seen in the bar area, staff bedrooms and socialising. The garden and patio are out of kitchen doorway, she has concluded that he sight at the rear with tranquil views up the has been pleading for attention. Whenever vale toward the hills above. For those who he has been present he has appeared in very suffer from Crackberry type addictions, free dark clothing. An unidentified visitor to the internet access is available. inn claimed that he had been raised there as Food service is an important part of what a child. He confided that previous residents The Black Horse has to offer. It is a rolling have handed down the legend that this menu of traditional English cuisine. There highwayman was having an affair with an are always pies that are homemade in their incumbent landlady hundreds of years ago. kitchen from ingredients whose provenance After he was caught, he was shot to death. is known to them. Vegetarians should be Nevertheless, he may never have been far pleased by the several options available to away since. them at any time. With a full time kitchen * * * staff of three including a chef, the inn serves Janet and Mick have been very effective lunch and dinner seven days a week. in tastefully creating a clean and cheerful Since the Black Horse was previously a interior décor with a fascinating display of Benskins property, it is now owned by Punch their collections of plates including local Taverns, and the landlords are leaseholders. commemorative series and many horse Their policy is always to offer a choice of at LOCAL AND GHOSTLY Given its age and the constant flow of brasses. Their effort has extended to the least three real ales at any one time with a inn trade traffic, there has been ample exterior of the inn where the walls, signage fourth frequently available. A good opportunity to acquire the presence of and flowering hanging baskets have all selection of wines is available by the glass. THE BLACK HORSE INN, ghostly spirits. And so it is that there are been renewed. Looking forward to milder Bill Ingram 758258 THE VALE two visiting ghosts or spirits according to a weather, there is an ample garden with 1999 report that was written following an With the return of Janet and Mick Goodchild inspection visit by The Ghost Club Society. as our hosts at The Black Horse Inn a year One is an old lady about five feet tall with a ago, the Hilltop Villages can now boast that hunched back wearing a white house bonnet and displaying prominent white we have four first class pubs with loads of cuffs. She resides in one of the first floor atmosphere and all with good food and bedrooms. The second spirit is that of a drink selections. Happily for us denizens of coachman or footpad who frequents the the Chiltern peaks, each has a distinctly bar. A psychic has portrayed him as a tassel haired youth named James. His likeness is on different character which can lend variety to view beside the fireplace. These spirits are our outings. only casual visitors who make sure the building remains at rest. The inn is said to t over 500 years old, the Black Horse is achieve its friendly atmosphere as a result of said to be the oldest inn in the Chilterns. their guardianship. The original core of the structure is A The Ghost Club Society had conducted an bounded on the south end by a deep inglenook inspection following persistent reports of a fireplace which is the focus of the main bar area. ghostly highwayman who appears from The inn’s accommodation rooms were above the time to time after last orders. He seems to entrance and bar. Over time and in stages, the be a touchy sort of character who opens building has been extended in three directions then slams doors and throws objects about. to provide dining and kitchen areas as well as a A previous landlady of the Black Horse, Lyn residence on the first floor. Hawkes, has been quoted as saying that this 4 Hilltop News Hilltop News 5 numbers that come to the common on FUTURE LOOKING Thursday evenings throughout the summer, BRIGHT FOR CRICKET this help is vital. Our thriving colts section is CURVACEOUS COOK CLUB now beginning to produce boys who are I asked my neighbour in the office, capable of stepping up into the senior teams Gail, for a different recipe for Hawridge & Cholesbury bade farewell to the and improving the overall standard of the Christmas, and this is what she club. Mid Bucks Cricket League (having been serves for non-Christmas-pud- The award for the Under 12 batsman-of- loving Christmas dinner eaters. members since 1993) and look forward to a the-year went to George Haggerty, and the Looks seriously celebratory! new challenge next season in the Chilterns bowling award to Jonty Wager-Leigh. Under Gail’s Spiced Christmas Fruit Salad League. 14 batsman-of-the-year was Gary Emery and bowler Jonathan Channer. The overall colt-of- 4 comice pears peeled he Saturday First the-year prize was awarded to William Jones. and cut into chunks XI couldn’t quite A special achievement award went to young 4oz dried ready to eat apricots Tmatch the Ben Marsden. (halved) previous season’s height Here’s to a bright future for Hawridge & 4oz white seedless grapes (champions!) but Fourteen year-old William Jones (wearing new Cholesbury Cricket Club. 8fl.oz dry red wine finished as creditable club cap) accepting his award for ‘colt-of-the- Graham Lincoln, Secretary, Hawridge & 3oz dried cherries runners-up. Oh, but for year’ from Club Chairman Tony Smith. Cholesbury Cricket Club 758449 the rain! Five matches Zest and chopped flesh of large were rained off, navel orange and its juice including one vital 1 cinnamon stick weekend when the 2fl.oz honey eventual champions, Widmer End, played and 2fl.oz ruby port achieved maximum points when all other matches that Bring all ingredients (except port) day were cancelled. That was the difference. During the to the boil. season, of 18 league matches played we won 10, lost 2, Simmer for 20 minutes drew 1, gaining 305 points, 17 behind the winners. Add port and simmer for The Saturday Second XI finished sixth in further 10 minutes Division 3, an improvement on the previous season, having won 3, lost 5, drawn 2, with 6 Will keep in the fridge games rained off.