INKPEN AND COMBE BULLETIN

SEPTEMBER 2021

CHURCH LETTER

Just another summer ..

I am writing this on a grey, cool, mid-August day – for September publication. Perhaps we shall be enjoying an Indian summer as you read this. Or perhaps not.

When I was writing the Ministry Letter for July, mid-June – it was all to play for, all to strive for, in the football, Wimbledon, the Olympics and various Test matches.

And now? There will be many post-mortems taking place in top level sport for months to come. Scrutiny of film footage, review of tactics, thoughts around training, team selection, track and equipment technology etc. We’ve shared moments of hope, moments of glory, moments of despair and anguish with our teams and sporting representatives. And perhaps some moments of shame also, over what we have seen on our news screens of crowd behaviour, online trolling and abuse of individual players and athletes.

We’ve seen youngsters earning their places in the history books – and best of all – in the words of Emma Raducanu, at 18 the youngest British woman to reach the last 16 of The Championships, “having such a blast, just being here . . . I feel like I’m on holiday.” Before the tournament, her parents had said to her: “Aren’t you packing too many sets of match kit?” Well, she wasn’t . . . “I think I’m going to do some laundry tonight!”

Who didn’t warm to the combination of total rapt focus and sheer exuberance on 13-year-old Sky Brown’s face on that final run? Her dream? “I have so many dreams,” she says, “but my main one now is to go to underprivileged places and teach kids to skate, because I feel like skateboarding – and other sports – helps people who are struggling.”

We’ve seen Olympic officials making tough moral and political decisions over the forced return of an athlete to a totalitarian state. We’ve seen high jumpers Tambero from Italy and Barshim from Qatar reach a split-second, almost wordless decision to share gold rather than continue a jump-off –

2 with these heart-felt words from Barshim afterwards: “Humanity solidarity, unity . . . it’s just like peace coming all together. This is beyond sport, this is a true message.”

And all being played out against a background of record heatwaves and temperatures across the world; some of the worst wildfires ever seen; devasting floods, earthquakes and mudslides – all of which have claimed lives, homes, livelihoods and whole communities. The pandemic continues to wane and wax and evolve its own vaccine-evading strategies in different areas around the globe – sometimes making headlines, sometimes not – and always with governments and scientists in hot pursuit.

And meantime, inexorably it seems, the Taliban continue to advance in Afghanistan, stripping away the hard-won advances towards democracy made in the last twenty years by the government there.**

** I paused my writing on that mid-August day – leaving it to be completed in time for the deadline. And just over a week later, coming back to finish it off – what can I say? What can I say? The commentary on events in Afghanistan is pouring out on screen, in print, in parliaments – and will continue to do so, until everything has been said and re-said over and over again.

I met a neighbour – both out walking with our dogs – who said, “I suppose you’re praying about Afghanistan?” Well, yes. What else, at the moment, can we do? Jenny

NEWS FROM ST. MICHAEL’S

Plenty on this month as we return, at last, to near normal.

On Friday 17th we host the Newcomers Welcome Evening from 7pm onwards. If you have come to the village over the last two years or so you are most welcome to this very informal evening when, with a welcome drink, you can meet and mingle both with others and with leaders of some of the village activities. You will be given a Welcome Pack containing contact details and then at 8.30pm we see the film 'Black Legend' which 3 is written up in more detail on Page 5. We will also show the most delightful, entertaining and unique conversation between Jon Snow and Robert Hardy who when he was an undergraduate at Oxford in 1948 makes his first recorded appearance.

All in all, this offers the opportunity of a useful and entertaining evening. We need to know how many intend to come and we hope to have given personal invitations to those we know of by 13th September. But if you haven't heard from us by then or you would like to book your place now please contact me at [email protected]. There is no charge but if you decide to stay on for the showing we ask for £5 for each ticket.

Then on Friday 24th September Christopher Sears, who is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, will give a short demonstration and recital on our recently refurbished and enhanced organ. This is now a fine instrument for a village church the size of ours. The informal evening which we are calling 'A Musical Aperitif' starts at 6pm and will last for about an hour. There is no charge but there will be a 'plate at the door'. All are very welcome.

Next, we are holding our Harvest Festival Service on the 26th at 9.45. This is very much for the whole family and includes the moment when the children bring to the altar the gifts of produce which are either brought to the Service or to the Church when it is open for decoration from 10.30 on Saturday morning. Revd. Tim Wood will lead the Service to which all are most welcome. The produce is then taken to the Newbury Food Bank.

Finally, it is good to be able to report that from the 1st of the month the Church returns to opening seven days a week from 9.30am to 4pm. Within that there are of course regular services which for September are given on Page 6.

Gerald Atkinson. Churchwarden.

4 BLACK LEGEND

As far as I know there are few internationally recognized names associated with Inkpen. But one of them is John Schlesinger who as a Film Director won two Oscars and many other awards during the 1960s to 80s. When he was at Oxford University in 1948 his parents lived in Inkpen and he at age 24 made his first feature length film about the events that led up to the one and only execution using the Gibbet above Gallows Down. It was a silent black and white production using handheld cameras with the cast made up by Oxford Undergraduates and more importantly people of Inkpen and Combe. It is for this reason that Schlesinger dedicated and gave the first copy to, as he puts it, "the villages of Inkpen and Combe and to all those for miles around whose unbounded goodwill was sufficient to bring the story of the gibbet to the screen."

Though amateur it was, through various contacts, seen by professional film critics who were unanimous in their view that Schlesinger's talent would blossom as it truly did in such films as 'Far from the Madding Crowd' and 'Midnight Cowboy'. He entrusted this copy to Inkpen Parochial Church Council for its care and performance.

The film we will show is the same: but it is also very different. With the full agreement of the John Schlesinger Estate in the U.S. it has been rescued by digital re-mastering and enhanced by a soundtrack with commentary by Robert Hardy and a sequence of appropriate music. So, although some three copies are held by the British Film Institute, the one you will see is unique. Then to complete the evening we are showing the live conversation between Jon Snow and Robert Hardy that we organized when our film was shown at The Watermill in 2011. As you will agree when you see it, they are both at the height of their not inconsiderable powers.

The Film and Conversation will be shown at 8.30pm in St. Michael's Church on Friday 17th September. But as mentioned in the News from St. Michael's the showing is primarily for Newcomers - most others in Inkpen who want to see it already have. But non-Newcomers are very welcome, providing you book to ensure that we have enough room.

5 Please do this by emailing me on [email protected] before 13th September. As always, there is a charge of £5 per person.

CHURCH SERVICES FOR INKPEN AND COMBE

INKPEN

Sunday 5th : Traditional Holy Communion at 8.30am

Sunday 12th : Parish Communion at 9.45am

Sunday 19th : An Evening Service based on Compline but enhanced with additional hymns, prayers and music at 4pm

Sunday 26th : Harvest Festival at 9.45am

COMBE

Sunday 19th : Holy Communion at 11.15am

Other Services in the Benefice are on the Website which is www.walburybeaconbenefice.org.uk

CHURCH CONTACTS

Associate Priest: The Revd. Tim Wood – Tel. 01488 669261; Mob: 07927352847; Email: [email protected].

Benefice Administrator: Alex King – 01635 226 064, part-time at the Benefice Office Email: [email protected].

Churchwardens: Inkpen: Gerald Atkinson (tel. 668375). Combe: David Russell (tel. 668229), Katherine Astor (tel. 668284).

6 CHURCH SERVICES AT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN

Our Lady of Lourdes, Priory Road, Hungerford RG17 0AF Parish Priest - Fr Zbigniew Budyn 01635 40332

Sunday Mass - every Sunday at 9.00am Weekday Mass - every Wednesday at 10.00am

For further information contact Paul Burrough 01488 668882 Mobile 07836 292976 Email [email protected]

PLAYING FIELD TRUST UPDATE (IMPFT)

Get Active

Any activity ideas that can use the pavilion or playing field and get our community active please do get in touch with [email protected].

We now have Yoga on a Thursday evening and many of our youngsters have been enjoying a Junior Football coaching session run by Darryl who has very kindly come from Reading and donated his time for a few weeks in August. We continue to look for a coach for some weekend coaching so if you know of anyone please do let us know.

Playground & Woodland Playground

We have been successful in getting the funds we need to replace the playground equipment which failed the latest ROSPA report. This funding came from WBC and the Lottery.

We are looking at using recycled plastic as the structure for the playground equipment. This not only uses recycled plastic but is guaranteed for 30yrs so all good for the environment.

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CAR BOOT SALE

Saturday 25th September 10am – 1pm at the Playing Field

Please support our Car Boot Sale. All proceeds going to the projects at the playing field. If you can bake a cake for the cake stall that would be much appreciated.

If you won’t be there selling and have an hour to help on the morning, please get in touch [email protected]

Community support for this event would be much appreciated and please pass the word via social media or just tell everyone you know! Thank you £10 per Car

Forthcoming Events

INKPEN CAR BOOT SALE: 25th September 2021 10am – 1pm

WALBURY HILL CLIMB: 26th September

QUEEN’S JUBILEE 2022: 2nd – 5th June 2022. Let us know your thoughts on possible activities across the four days or if you would like to join the committee putting together plans for the weekend please email: [email protected]

Book the Pavilion.

If you would like to hire the pavilion or any of the facilities email [email protected]

8 Hiring the pavilion and facilities enable us to maintain them as a ‘not for profit’ charity

Hire Charges are on the IMPFT website (www.impft.co.uk) and on the notice board at the pavilion or email Gloria for details. We also now have a Facebook page and Instagram account so please do follow us Inkpen Pavilion & Playing Fields

We are still fund raising for the resurfacing of the courts and the artificial cricket pitch so if you can donate no matter how little please do, it would be much appreciated.

Google search: The Good Exchange

Inkpen Court Resurfacing; Ref: 18890 https://app.thegoodexchange.com/project/18890/inkpen-memorial- playing-field-trust/inkpen-games-courts-resurfacing

Inkpen Cricket Astro Strip; Ref: 19064 https://app.thegoodexchange.com/project/19064/inkpen-memorial-playing- field-trust/inkpen-cricket-astro-crease

Alternatively, you can donate to IMPFT by cheque or bank transfer just contact Claire ([email protected]) for details.

INKPEN 92 GROUP

****** 14th September 2021 at 2.30pm ******

The Inkpen 92 Group is back in action for our first meeting for over a year. It will be lovely to see everyone again - past members and guests are all welcome to attend the meeting for a small donation of £2pp.

We have a new programme of speakers and are starting again in September with Beth Asbury, the Assistant Archaeologist at West Council, who will reveal all the archaeological and heritage work that has taken place in W Berkshire.

9 We are meeting, as before, in the newly renovated pavilion at Inkpen Playing Field with a large TV screen to project the images presented during the talk. Masks and social distancing are at your discretion, so please come and join us at 2.30pm on Tuesday 14th September. GK

EVENTS AT INKPEN VILLAGE HALL

INKPEN STITCH AND KNIT

It was lovely to meet up in August and see both familiar and new faces. With the windows and doors open for most of the evening I think we all felt safe. Our next meeting in on Wednesday 1st September at 7.30pm in the village hall and will be a general stitch, knit and natter evening. Tea, coffee, biscuits and hall hire charges all included in the £2 fee for the evening.

10 For our October evening on Wednesday 6th October, Alex King will be giving us a demonstration on braid making as well as the opportunity to have a go ourselves. Alex is very talented in many crafts as well as in weaving. I'm sure this will be a very enjoyable evening and worth putting in diaries. If you need any information, please contact me, Jan Honey on 07584122388 or email [email protected]

INKPEN MARKET

Wow, amazing! Thank you to everyone that came and supported the re- opening of the Inkpen Food & Craft Market. September's market will be held on Sunday 19th September from 10:00-12:30. We will be welcoming back Tropic with Tracey, The Bunting Basket, Sadlers Woodhouse and many more. So please come along have a coffee and catch-up. We look forward to seeing you again.

If anyone would like to donate any items or gifts to the Tombola or the Christmas Raffle, please let us know.

Thanks Debbie & Georgina. [email protected]

KINTBURY BALLET SCHOOL

Ballet classes at the Coronation Hall, , have taken place since 2011. Ballet classes for all ages taught by Alex Foley, who trained at the Royal Ballet School, and was a professional dancer with English National Ballet, The Royal Ballet, National Ballet of Canada and the Deutsche Opera, Berlin.

Having retrained to become a teacher at the Royal Academy of Dance she has taught all over the world and when she moved back to the UK, she taught for five years at White Lodge, Royal Ballet School. Kintbury Ballet enters children for Royal Academy of Dance exams and have performed at the Arlington Arts.

Children’s classes on a Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. Adult Ballet on a Friday. For more information contact [email protected]

11 LETTER IN SUPPORT OF AFGHANISTAN

During the early and dark months of the Covid pandemic, residents across Inkpen came out to help their neighbours. New friendships were formed, as was a village wide sense of community.

A month or so ago, a neighbouring parish asked for our support with a planning problem. They also asked for help from other nearby parishes. All agreed. Most of the Inkpen councillors consented and our help was freely given.

You will, I’m sure, have heard on TV or radio something of what’s been happening in Afghanistan. You may have felt powerlessness to help, even embarrassed at how we have let them down. I did. The prospect of women and girls about to lose their few freedoms and even lose the right to control of their own lives.

The only thing I could think to do was to write a letter to our local MP asking that appropriate support be made available. On Monday 16th August, prior to the recall of parliament, I spoke to the chairman (or their deputy) of neighbouring parishes to ask if they would be a co-signatory to the letter. All agreed without hesitation. The letter was sent to both houses of parliament and to our MP’s constituency office (see Newbury Today). By that afternoon I received a reply on behalf of our MP and on the 17th, details of her approach were published on Newbury Today. There was not time to consult all councillors and that is why the letter is on behalf of the chairman alone.

Subsequently, not all Inkpen Parish Councillors agreed with the intervention and you may feel the same way. But I hope that you will feel that it was a compassionate thing to do and that our letter reflected your values. Remember, you hire us, and you can fire us. Copies of the letter are available on request via the parish clerk.

David Thomas

12 ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY COLLECTION

The house-to-house poppy collection will return this year. The withdrawal from Afghanistan has had a huge impact on the mental health of many of those in the services and their families.

Those who suffered injury or lost fellow servicemen or family are reliving the trauma and needing help from the likes of the Royal British Legion.

So, if you can please put aside any coins you have for the collection and donate in October/November. We will have some contactless machines but not enough to cover the whole village.

Thank you in advance for your support. If you can help with the collections on your road, please do get in touch with [email protected].

COPY DATE

Please email [email protected] or call 01488668496 by Friday 24th September with any features, news, or events.

13 FOXGLOVE CARE FARM PROJECT

14 PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

Planning Applications: 21/01484 Leyfield, Upper Green - replacement dwelling and associated works. Previous planning application 21/00233/FUL was withdrawn; revised plans have now been submitted for consideration by WBC; 21/01745/FUL Walbury Cottage, Upper Green awaiting a decision - removal of existing dwelling and garage. Erection of replacement dwelling and garage with associated parking turning, landscaping, private amenity space and access; 21/02143 No 5 Great Common – Ground floor rear and side extension with internal alterations- demolition of existing conservatory, first floor rear extension & ground floor front extension. Planning Application granted by WBC: 21/01614 at No. 4 Haslewick, Upper Green- single storey rear extension, internal alterations and associated works to include new enclosed porch to front elevation. Planning Application refused by WBC: 21/00164 New Mill, Inkpen – proposed boiler folly building, the siting of six underground gas tanks, and new access track. All planning details and reports can be found on the WBC website www.westberks.gov.uk New Government Planning Policies: New requirements have been set out by Government in the updated and published NPPF 2021(National Planning Policy Framework) and in the new National Model Design Code documents, which sets out that new development needs to reflect local character, as well as protecting and enhancing the environment and mitigate climate change. Improvements to biodiversity should also be integrated into design. Development, which is not well designed or fails to reflect local character/design is liable to be refused. Permission should be refused for major development within the AONB other than in exceptional circumstances. An important insertion is the contribution that trees make to the character and quality of the environment. For reference www.gov.uk Speeding Vehicles: All Parish Councils have been offered the opportunity to use the SID (Speed Indicator Device) which monitors the speed of passing traffic/vehicles. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer SID operator, please let the Parish Clerk (contact details below) know of your interest i.e., Name, Address, Email, contact phone number. Volunteers will be offered on-line training by WBC and the equipment can be loaned and set up on those roads which have experienced passing fast vehicles. If you have incidents to record, please make the Parish Clerk aware.

15 Changes to the local bus services: From Monday 31st August there will be some changes to the local bus services in - timetables for routes operating in Newbury and surrounding areas will change. Please check the WBC website or the bus operators. Dog Warden- if anyone has issues with dog fights, dog fouling etc etc. the Public Protection Partnership has arranged for the animal warden to be contacted on 01635 519171 to discuss specific issues or problems that you may have. Defibrillator Awareness in September: Please contact the Parish Clerk for a session on awareness in using the defib. at the Inkpen pavilion for a session to be organised in September. You can significantly increase someone’s chance of survival – it’s a life saving device located at the Inkpen pavilion, that can be used for both adults and children over 1 year old. Inkpen Parish Council meetings are advertised on the village notice boards and on the official village website in advance of the meeting - see www.inkpenvillage.co.uk . The draft minutes of all meetings are recorded on the Inkpen website. Gloria Keene, Clerk to Inkpen Parish Council (I 668960), Email: [email protected]

WAITING FOR A SUN DAY ..

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