ISSUE 110 DECEMBER 2002 See inside for a special letter to you See page 2 from the Lost Child Village Hall Committee Found

Family thanks the Neighbours and Park resi- dents for their support uy and Vicky G Broadbank, of Park, would like to thank all the Traffic jam on Church Hill people who helped in the search for Harry when he disappeared Successful on October 5th, to know how grateful they are. Harry had Jumble Sale been playing with his See Page 10

(Continued on page 2) twin, Sam, Vicky had to turn her back for a moment, and when she PARISH CLERK PLEASE looked again Harry was gone. The fter five years conscien- police brought tracker dogs, and all A tious service in January the neighbours came to help; even- Rita Angell will be giving up tually a tracker dog and a police- the job of Parish Clerk which woman found him playing with the she has discharged so dili- conkers near to the gate onto the A4. gently, and she will be a hard Having had a minor accident of ur- act to follow. We have for gency he had hygienically removed decades had a Clerk who lived all his clothing and left it neatly in in the village, and have not yet the ditch. He was quite all right, given up hope that some other but his mother is extremely grateful resident will now be willing to for the support she was given, espe- take on the role. If you have cially by the Gibbs family from any questions I am sure that Midgham Park Farm. Harry’s fa- Rita, telephone 9714517 will ther, who had omitted to take his answer them for you, and will mobile phone with him that morn- advise you what to do if you ing, only learned what had happened are willing to help. The parish when he got home in the evening. councillors are gentle souls Both parents are still shaken, but who will appreciate your work. eager that everyone should know how much the universal support and concern was appreciated. EDITORIAL here never seems to be an is- T sue when there is nothing to report and although I started putting Don’t forget this one together in the expectation THE SUE RYDER of having space to spare I find my- self as usual wondering how I am PARTY /SALE going to cram everything in! Sunday December 1st in As usual in December I want to the King George V Hall wish everyone a very happy Christ- mas, so send you all a Christmas greeting on page 4. Also as usual from 12 noon to 2 pm. on the reverse of that greeting is a Contribution Reminder, which I am sure you will be as pleased to return to me with your helpful gifts or subscrip-

tions as I shall be flattered to see that you want the Midgham News to carry on.

The Midgham Mites annual party takes place on December 27th and will again be run by the Mums who did

such sterling work last year. I am ______collecting money for presents for the children, and if it is convenient you can just send me one cheque for both Midgham News contributions and Postcode present offerings, just saying how much is meant for the children. Of- ferings of party fare should be sig- nalled to Vicky Broadbank at 971 3455 or Maria Bird at 971 ****, ad- ministration is in the capable hands of Becky Hannam at 971 ****, so if she hasn’t already spoken to you please ies to let her know of children or grandchil- dren who will be coming. The age- range this year is slightly different this year, from three to the eleventh birth- day unattended, under threes when accompanied by a parent or grandpar- ent. We have a growing number of children in the village, which is a healthy sign from the population point of view, but takes more space. This will be the Première use of the Cheques/Postal Orders should be payable to the Midgham News and sent

changing village hall, but it will not Mrs J Dutton, Midgham Court, Park, Reading, . RG 7 5 UG yet be totally ready for its official State Opening. Still, something of interest will have happened and it will Contribution/Subscription Form Residents : I wish to contribute £___ the production of Midgham News. Mr/Mrs/Miss ______of ______be taking shape. residents : I enclose my subscription of £2 / £___ to the Midgham News. Please send cop- - June Dutton . Non Mrs GWENDOLINE BUY ovember 9th was a sad N day for Midgham when an almost full church of villagers and members of the family paid our last respect to Tilly as she was affectionately known to all of us. Born on Novem- ber 4th 1918 she headed for many WE WISH ALL years our list of most senior villag- OUR READERS A ers, living here since her birth in the cottage on the Green, no.18, where she lived with her sister Dorothy and VVERYERY brother Ron. In later years the fam- ily moved to West Lodge, near the MMERRYERRY church, and later on to 1 Birds Lane. During those years she attended the village school and later on she, to- CCHRISTMASHRISTMAS,, gether with her mother, worked at OLLOWED BY the school to make sure it was in a FOLLOWED BY clean condition. Some of the present villagers, who attended the school at AA HHAPPYAPPY that time, remembered Tilly always having some sweets with her for the children. After she married Harold in 1940, of course in Midgham's Church, they moved into 12 Birds Lane. Harold worked after the war at and Tilly worked at Midgham House and Hill House for the Black family but together they still found time to look after our churchyard for many years. After Harold died in 1984, Tilly eventually moved into one of the three new cot- tages near the church. We will miss her. Just takethiswholeletterout,pages5to8 will be updated regularly. This is your opportunity to contribute to the community centre and really share the ownership of your Village Hall. We are happy to do the buying for you, all you have to do is ring Rita Angell on 9714517 or email her at [email protected] and say what you want to give. We will then be happy to make arrangements to purchase the equipment in your name. Thank you for your continued support.

SteveSteve AngellAngell –– ChairmanChairmanChairman SheilaSheila andand LaurieLaurie TytelTytel MoriaMoria RusbridgeRusbridge –– ViceViceVice ChairmanChairmanChairman CarolCarol CantwellCantwell

DaveDave CantwellCantwell –– TreasurerTreasurerTreasurer JackieJackie CollinsCollins SueSue PikePike –– SecretarySecretarySecretary FrinFrin CarterCarter AuriolAuriol JacksonJackson RitaRita AngellAngell ChrisChris SteadStead FrancoiseFrancoise PatemanPateman

Essential Items

Safety Flooring £311.72 Electrical Work £343 Homebase 3x 3m worktops £107 2 Tubular heaters £50 ea Argos Sharp R244W Microwave Oven £74 Neat Ideas 50 cup Urn £64.61 Argos 2kw Glen Convector Heater £15.50 Neat Ideas 4 Paper Towel Dispensers £8.21 ea Neat Ideas 1 case Paper Towels £24.60 Safety Shop Signs for Hygiene and Safety £24.43 Homebase Fire Blanket £19.99 Homebase Smoke Alarm(light + long battery) £21.99 Lockhart 6 Non slip Trays £14.98 ea Steelite Simplicity 50 cups £2.16 ea Steelite Simplicity 50 saucers £1.49 ea Steelite Simplicity 50 tea plates £2.13 ea Steelite Simplicity 4 jugs £4.83 ea

Steelite Simplicity 2 sugar bowls £2.13 ea Lockhart 3 Insulated coffee pots £16 ea Lockhart 3 60oz teapots £34.33 ea Lockhart 24 glass tumblers £17.82 Lockhart 5 Plastic Jugs+lids £8.18 ea Lockhart 2 pairs flameguard oven mitts £16.50 ea Argos Teardrop Knives Forks Spoons+box £92.00 Argos Chrome large pedal bin £34.99 Argos 2 small chrome pedal bins £7.99 ea B&Q Brush £4.9Homebase Mop £13.99 Bucket £6.99 Homebase Storage boxes + Lids £7.68 ea Vacuum Wet and Dry vacuum Cleaner eg Argos Vax £146 Fast Food Systems Small fly killer £96.10 Neat Ideas 3 Non Slip Door Mats 4’X6’ £52.86 ea Savacentre 2WC Chrome Brushes £9.99 ea

MIDGHAM VILLAGE HALL Registered Charity No: 1029223

Dear Villager, ou will be pleased to know that work on the Village Hall kitchen is well under Y way, but the asbestos and new building regulations have raised the building costs above our budget for the whole kitchen! The remainder of the money raised so far has had to be used to cover running expenses and to put towards grants for further necessary improvements to bring the Hall building completely into line with current regulations. But in order to get the kitchen fully equipped so that we can all use it as soon as possible, we need a lot of fairly ordinary domestic items. We have researched what is available and made a list of what is needed to equip the hall as it and you deserve and are sending the list to everybody. We thought you would perhaps like to buy a present for your new hall for Christmas. The things listed below are essential and have been chosen for quality at the best price and they should last a long time. If you can you add the Village Hall to your Christmas List this year, we would be de delighted to hear from you. The List can also be found on the Midgham website, at www.midgham.com,where it

THE GARDEN time is sure to kill off the SLOT grass until it restarts into rmchair growth in the spring. A A gardening may power mower with the well be the only blade set high can be used option should the to clear leaves with the persistent rain of added benefit that it chops November continue up the leaves ready for over the next few weeks. Catalogues composting. from all sorts of plant specialists can Attention can then be turned the fruit be obtained though a click on their garden. Fruit trees benefit from a web site and armed with this winter wash (spray) of Tar Oil to kill information plans can be laid for the off many of the pests and diseases next season. There is always which lurk in the crevices. January something new to try out in the plant is a good month to carry out pruning. world but some amongst us may be The pruning saw and secateurs will going a step further with a garden be needed with redesign. There is a wealth of particular attention information available through being paid to the television programmes and books or cutting out of can- you may call in one of the many kers on Apple and professional designers who advertise Pear trees, keeping their services. I have a view that the centre of the some of these designers are strong on trees “open” and on older trees the hard landscaping and immediate encouragement of new growth. effect but weak on the long-term Plum and Damson should not be maintenance requirements and lack winter pruned as this leads to disease the local plainsman’s knowledge of problems and the appearance of a what grows best in the area. condition known as Silver Leaf. For Opportunities will arise for outside those of you wishing to unravel the work and there are a number of jobs mysteries of fruit tree pruning click that will need doing. Perhaps top of on to the list is the clear- www.crosslanesfruitfarm.co.uk. ance of leaves off The farm can be found at Mapledur- ornamental lawns. ham, Reading and in January and A covering of February they run one day courses soggy leaves left on the subject which concludes with for any length of the class of the day being let loose on REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY he weather T this year deprived Midgham of its traditional two minute silence around the war memorial in the JUMBLE SALE churchyard, and ven a village hall needs an income instead of the E in these degenerate days, and usual muffled peal of bells there was when the bonfire had to be cancelled only the steady tolling of the tenor because of new insurance regulations ringing out in respect to Mrs Buy, the Committee realised that the funds who died earlier in the week. Our built up over the last few years would remaining veterans of the 1939-45 hardly cover the ongoing costs of rates, war read the passages now traditional electricity and maintenance as well as for the occasion, and we thought meeting the increasing building costs. sadly of the names on the war memo- So at very short notice they organised a rials throughout Europe of the young Jumble Sale, which was very successful. men deprived of the chance to see The sign pictured on the front page how their homes have changed. Let drew the attention of passers-by to the us hope that our growing numbers of event, as did an advertisement in the young residents never have to face Newbury Weekly News, some very hard such a catastrophe, whilst appreciat- work by the committee members filled the table with jumble, and the results ing those, like the Burgess boys, who were a traffic jam on Birds Lane (also are willing to fight for their country. on page 1) and the addition of £267 to the committee’s coffers, which will go a long way towards meeting the running expenses.

Satisfied Customers got what they wanted! VILLAGE CHAT sustained serious loss. The circum- he advantage of having a for- stances point to an incendiary as the T eign correspondent on the staff cause of the fires and although the of Midgham's newsletter is that you police took prompt action, enclosing might hear about our village in other the district with a circle of patrols, newspapers. And this is what I read no arrest has been made. in 's Chronicle about what The first alarm was given at half- happened 100 years ago, of special past twelve when Messrs Adams interest considering the present fire- and Attwood were standing in the men's strike: "A series of fires broke street at Woolhampton and noticed out at farms in the Kennet Valley in the reflection of a fire on the New- the neighbourhood of Midgham and bury side of the village. The young Woolhampton during Saturday men went towards the reflection and night. At three different points seri- found that ricks were on fire in the ous fires were simultaneously in yard of Hall Court Farm, occupied progress and the respective owners by Mr J Harman. They went to call

MIDGHAM RAINFALL 2002

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Series1 99 100 116 100 38 27 87 73 72 130 30 47 Month Mr Harman, who lived half-a-mile away, while Mr Attwood, mounting a bicycle , rode into New- bury to summon the Volunteer Fire Brigade, who quickly turned out with their steamer and pro- ceeded to the scene of the outbreak. Mr Adams had gone back to the village and he saw the reflec- tion of another fire, which he ascertained to be at Mr Brown's rick yard, which was all ablaze. Mr Brown called up Sergeant Harmsworth, who promptly started out his bicycle in pursuit of a man who had been previously seen coming from the direction of the first fire. As he rode towards Reading , the sergeant saw there was a third fire on the north side of the Bath Road, just opposite the Rising Sun, at Hillfoot Farm. Ser- geant Harmsworth rode on to Reading and roused the Reading County police who despatched men on bicycles and wired to the surrounding towns so that by four o'clock a cordon was es- tablished over a wide radius. Superintendent Robotham drove over from Newbury and took charge of the activities. Also 100 years ago, “the harvest thanksgiving service was held in Midgham Parish Church on Thursday evening last. The Church was prettily decorated with corn, fruit, vegetables and flowers by Miss Sharpe, Miss Mathews and Mrs. Aldridge. There are perhaps few churches that show off the labour be- stowed on them in the way of decorations more than this pretty edifice. A good congregation assembled, and in the absence of the vicar, the service was conducted by the Rev R Dunn, of Beenham. The musical part of the ser- vice was bright and hearty." So much for Midgham 100 years ago. What news to-day? Newcomers to the village are Graham and Nicola Mitchell, who moved into Water Oak, the ex-home of the Turners, on the Green. They have 2 sons: Ned, who is 3 years old and goes to Home Farm School in Woolhampton, where Sue Evans (Birds Lane) is the head mistress. Harry, the other son, is 18 months old. Nicola is expecting twins in Decem- ber. She is no stranger to our area since she grew up in Woolhampton, CONTACTS ℡ where her parents, Annie and Pat June Dutton 0118 971 2049 Gardner, still live. Graham is in the wine business and operates from his Sarah Henderson 0118 971 3956 office in Thatcham. Sheila Tytel 0118 971 2151 Charles Jager Charles Jager 01635 860998