CONTENTS Editor's Column
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Editor’s Column Anne Fowler writes... Weather warming up – excellent. Don Fletcher our Distribution Manager has asked me to write a note of thanks for two long serving Benson Bulletin deliverers who have been with us for a very long time, but have re- cently retired from the delivery team. Our thanks to Mrs Joyce Jones and her hus- band Ron for all the time and effort they have expended/spent/given to distributing the Ben- son Bulletin since May 2000 until March 2011 where they delivered Crown Lane and Buck- ners Close. They were also part of the ‘bundling’ process which means dividing the Benson Bul- letins into the different rounds, and tying them up with string for individual deliverers. There is a lot of work involved and we thank you for carrying it out for the past 11 years. Our thanks also to Mrs S. M. Barker who has been delivering the Benson Bulletin to the Mill Stream flats since February 2002, until March 2011. Thank you very much for helping us keep the Benson Bulletin going. In fact we are grateful to all our deliverers who keep the Benson Bulletin appearing on CONTENTS doormats throughout Benson, RAF Benson, Ewelme, Preston Crowmarsh, Roke and Roke- Letters to the Editor ------------------------------- 2 marsh. I hope I have not left anywhere out. Save Benson Library ------------------------------ 6 All weathers, always a BB. County Council News ----------------------------- 8 District Council News ----------------------------10 Parish Notes ---------------------------------------12 Mill Stream Day Centre --------------------------14 Down the Garden Path ---------------------------16 Church Times -------------------------------------19 Bird Spot ------------------------------------------20 BEST -----------------------------------------------22 RAF Brook Clearing -----------------------------24 Benson Volunteer Helpline Brenda Passey at The Crown Inn -------------26 Mon-Fri 9-11am Potholes -------------------------------------------28 Call School News --------------------------------------30 01491 825992 to ask for help or to volunteer Local Clubs and Societies ----------------------32 Classified Ads -------------------------------------36 Diary ------------------------------------------------37 Cover Photograph Volume 17 No 7 Published by Personnel from 606 (Chiltern) Squadron, Benson Bulletin News Association RAuxAF working on Benson Brook. Printed by Photo by kind permission of Tom Stevenson. NP Design & Print Ltd, Wallingford : 01491 824827 BBBB 1 with no benefit to anyone at all. The only rea- son I can see is as a means to collect fines from Letters to the Editor local residents and this is not acceptable. 6. Charging commercial users £20 a day is also Dear Sir /Madam, beyond the means of local businesses (e.g. A I am a resident of Benson. I strongly object shop worker may only earn £20 per shift) Do to the proposed parking scheme amendments you really expect them to be able to pay this? proposed for ”Mill Stream” car park in Benson. In conclusion, this proposal will only harm the The proposals are as follows: local village community causing more conges- • To charge commercial /business users £20 per tion on the high street (which is all ready very day for parking. busy), and reducing the use of the car park. • Limit parking to 8 hours with no return within Russell Keys 1 hour during the day with a penalty of £70. The Parish Council have just received a copy I have listed my objections below:- of this notice. The original went to SODC. 1. I only found out about this today from another There are no changes as far as the Millstream local resident so clearly this has not been pub- car park is concerned to the 2008 regulations licised properly. 24 hour notice is not enough, which are in place. (The current consultation with objections to be placed by 4:30pm on exercise is basically a tidying up operation. The 18/03/11. This is not enough time for all inter- same consultation exercise was carried out in ested parties to respond I would have expected 2008 but it is reckoned that some things in the at least a month to allow for people who are orders were not as clear as they might be.) currently away on holiday etc.. to respond, and Anyone who wishes to complain should register that local residents using the car park had been to speak to the SODC cabinet 6pm on 7th April. informed properly so they can respond in due Phone 01491 823049 to register to speak . time i.e. by letter (not a notice on a lamp post). Sue Cooper 2. I have been using this facility since 1984 (27 Clerk to Benson Parish Council years)and as far as I can see there has never been a problem with the car park usage as it Dear Editor, stands at present. So why the need to change I cannot believe that Tom is asking this ques- the system? I would understand if there had tion. [The question in the March issue of the been problems with cars left long term unused BB was why female Smew and Goosanders but there hasn’t been any as far as I know. are called “red heads”. Keep up everybody. 3. What’s the point of this action? Is this purely AF] Probably he has seen more of these than a commercial decision to create a revenue anyone else in the village as he has been count- stream, will someone be employed to enforce ing ducks and geese on the Dorchester lakes for the fines? I can’t see this as commercially re- years. I reckon that he must only do this when sponsible with our council tax as will probably it is very dull and wet! The female Sawbills, cost more to implement than the revenue re- Goosander (fresh water) and Merganser (salt deemed. water) both have reddish brown heads. 4. This will drive local residents to park in the [The other question was why there are more high street taking up spaces used currently by females than males. AF] Now for the interest- delivery vehicles and shoppers. The vehicles ing bit, Goosanders and why are there more displaced will not simply disappear but will females. Well, put simply they are in different be relocated causing more congestion in an- places. As everyone knows, the female does all other location e.g. roadside parking. Wouldn’t the graft of bring up the ducklings. Goosanders it make more sense to encourage cars to use the breed in Britain but very few in Ireland, and as car park rather than force them to use roadside far as I know none in Oxfordshire. What does parking? the Gander do? Like some other ducks they 5. Why 8 hour limit what purpose does this move to favored areas to moult. In the case of serve? In my view it’s just causing inconve- Goosanders, they do not do things by halves, nience for local residents and village shoppers but head Northeast to the extreme north of Nor- 2 BBBB Continued overleaf.... Fyfield Manor Bed and Breakfast JEM * 3 large period rooms * From £65 - £75 per night inc. full CHIMNEY SWEEPING breakfast for 2 as double/twin COMPANY From £50 - £60 per night inc. full NO FUSS•NO MESS•NO PROBLEM breakfast single occupancy Oxford 01865 772996 Tel 01491 – 835184 Stadhampton 01865 400244 Fax 01491 – 825635 Deddington 01869 337500 Email [email protected] Mobile 07711 443050 www.fyfieldmanor.co.uk WALLINGFORD Chris Jones General Building Work St Mary’s Church Brickwork, Patios and Fencing Market Place Interior & Exterior Decorating Wed. 7.30pm Call Jill on 07866 924 866 Call [email protected] Daytime: 07766 881004 Evening: 01235 819441 S G Locksmith Services your friendly local locksmith Mini Digger / Skip Loader With Operator Lock Opening, Replacement or Repair Key Cutting Emergency Entry Door Maintenance Phone: Steve on 07788 595451 STEVE WILKINSON LB Plumbing PROPERTY MAINTENANCE toilets, taps, showers immersions, leaks Painting, Plastering, Stonework, and more Fencing, Patios, Repointing, fully insured • free estimates Carpentry, Garden Tidying Etc. for fast friendly reliable service tel 07981 642688/01491 834484 Telephone: 01865 891554 7 days a week Mobile: 07885 538514 BBBB 3 would not be visible to the photographer. Letters to the Editor Pity. I would love to know what it looked like. (Cont.) Yours, Geoffrey Harcourt way/Russia to moult and are absent from their breeding areas in the UK from June to August. Dear Editor, After the moult up to 35000 gather in the Tana Do I think Benson Library Fjord (just West of the White Sea) in Septem- should be closed? ber before moving back down south. By con- In mine and many other people’s opinion, trast the females are much more conservative Benson Library should not close. I have many and remain in the UK, only wandering 200 good reasons which I hope you will understand -300 miles. and possibly agree with. Another factor would be cause of death. There My first reason is that my Dad has a long jour- are two main factors; they are regarded as a ney to work every week day, so he gets audio pest by fishermen and in particular fish farm- books from the library, but if it closed he would ers who can obtain a license to control numbers have to go all the way to Wallingford and you and do shoot them during the breeding season. know how much diesel costs these days and This accounts for 83% of returned bird rings. he certainly cannot walk, he doesn’t have the Another 9% have been accidently caught in time! fishing nets. However birds do have a better My second reason is that there are many elderly chance of surviving in Britain; elsewhere they people in the village, who I bet love reading; are not protected in any way and are frequently however, they probably can’t get out of the vil- shot as game.