Page 1 The Longstock Newsletter Issue No 251 Feb / Mar 2021 Thank you to our VILLAGE DIRECTORY in February 2021 deliverers for this issue: Church Warden 810 284 Veronica Ayers Peter Bramley Rev’d Philip Bowden, Rector 810 810 Charles Grieve Canon Paul Townsend (RC) 01962 852 804 Angie Filippa Community Sports Hall TV School 810 555 Geoff Merritt Boo Milne Garden Club 810 794, 810 432 John & Selina Musters Mayflies Youth Club (8-16s)(Liz Howard) Dane and Beth Oliver 07870 612 127 Gary Oliver Neighbour Care Scheme for Nigel Rugman Thank you also to everyone contributing or Stockbridge/Longstock/Houghton 0845 0943 713 checking articles & news. Parish Council Clerk 810 752 Please contact the Parish Clerk, on 810752, or Pilates at Leckford 810 549 e-mail [email protected] if Scouts Stockbridge (Mo Collins) 01256 895 534 you’d like to help with the newsletter in any way, and by Friday 19th March if you’d like to submit Village Hall, Badminton/Bowls 810 459 an article or announcement, give us some news, W.I. 810 603 or place an advert. EMERGENCY or USEFUL CONTACTS DUSTBIN COLLECTION Environment Agency Black Fri 12th, Fri 26th February Incident Hotline 0800 807 060 bins Fri 12th, Fri 26th March Hampshire Fire & Rescue 02380 644 000 February / Brown Fri 5th, Fri 19th February Floodline 0345 988 1188 March 2021 bins Fri 5th, Fri 19th March Southern Electric 105 Southern Water 0330 303 0368 Green bags are collected on Tuesdays of the of spring A promise Cole, Photo: E. same week as brown bins. To subscribe please Police non-urgent calls 101 Here we go again! contact TVBC on 368000. Neighbourcare Andover 336 020, 339 899 Sophie Walters, Chair to the Parish Council writes Foil is collected at Chilbolton’s West Down car Surgery 810 524 park & at Andover Garden Centre. Helpline for Carers (Freephone) 0800 032 3456 I know that the present situation is presenting yet more hurdles for us to navigate but we can Plastic pots are no longer recycled there. Hants County Council information 0300 555 1375 get through this nightmare. We have had and indeed do have some cases of Covid-19 in the Glass recycling. The PC is investigating suitable village, we are not impenetrable, everyone is at risk so please be careful. We send our thoughts sites for a bin in the village. Test Valley Borough Council 368 000 and prayers to all our friends and neighbours who are having to cope with the virus and its Glass, clothing and foil recycling bins are Citizens’ Advice Bureau 0344 411 1306 effects – we’re here to help if we can. avalable at Chilbolton Down car park, and at To call anonymously with information Andover Wyevale Garden Centre. about crime: Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 Longstock is a wonderful village and the feeling of community is truly heart-warming. I’ve spoken to people who are struggling but the recurring words that come back are “I’m ok, I’ve got fabulous There is a collecting box for clean TRANSPORT neighbours”. This is what a community is, ready to help, there when needed and able to listen. We are plastic milk bottle tops in the Stagecoach Stockbridge to Winchester church lychgate, and a separate one buses number 68 0345 121 0190 doubly lucky to also have Henry Smith’s Charity supporting us. Several cheques have been distributed to for batteries. Please don’t put either residents and I’m so glad to hear that this really does make a difference to people’s lives. Talking of Cango buses to Romsey have been replaced with in plastic bags. Batteries can also be Henry Smith, we usually have a great lunch for every resident over 60 around February or March. This is disposed of in supermarkets & should shared taxis to your door .Register on not go in dustbins. 01962 846 786 a highlight in the Parish Council’s year, it’s always very well attended, fabulous food, lots of chat and The batteries (small, not car!) will be taken for Traveline for countrywide travel info banter all washed down with whatever you fancy! Sadly, we will have to postpone this year – not cancel, safe disposal; and clean plastic milk bottle tops 0871200 2233postpone. We will try and organise an event sometime in the summer in lieu of the usual lunch. So, watch with the HDPE symbol will be recycled to raise Dial-a-Ride (Joyrides Stockbridge). Minibus to this space for dates and plans. funds for the Gift of Sight’s research into macular Andover. Register on 356 808 My feeling is that we are now the right side of Christmas, the evenings are getting lighter, Snowdrops degeneration. NO OTHER TYPES This runs through Longstock on Wednesdays at OF TOPS PLEASE as these are the only 9.30, returning at noon, for £5 return, or £3 for have been sighted and the Daffs are pushing their way up – a sure sign spring is on the way. Keep positive ones accepted now, and PLEASE don’t put bus pass holders. For more information, ring everyone we have a vaccine to get us through this. Let’s get the elderly and vulnerable protected and batteries in with bottle tops.The consequences John Musters 810 459 or Dane Oliver 810 slowly, slowly we will get back to some semblance of normality. If you are feeling low, alone or just in are DIRE! 839. need of a chat do please call your patch leader who will be happy to chat and help in any way they can. Just ask! The deadline for newsletter submissions is Friday 19th March if you’d like to submit any news or comment, or offer to help! [email protected] Page 2 The Longstock Newsletter Issue No 251 Feb / Mar 2021 Issue No 251 Feb / Mar 2021 The Longstock Newsletter Page 2 Recreation Ground – The Rec is still open for Parish Council Report Parish Council Parish Councillors: by Mark Flewitt, Parish Clerk residents, but everyone is reminded to observe the latest government guidelines, including social Meeting Dates Monday 8th Feb – at 7.00 pm Chairman: Sophie Walters Parish Council (PC) Meetings – the PC continues distancing, hand sanitising etc. [email protected] 07740 443 460 to run its regular meetings on a virtual basis via Streetlights –The final phase of the replacement of Monday 8th Mar- at 7.00 pm Zoom. All residents are very welcome to join and the streetlights throughout the village is now These meetings will be held as virtual Councillors: view the virtual PC meetings. Information is meetings via Zoom. All residents are welcome David Burnfield, [email protected] complete, following the delivery and installation of to view and contribute provided on the village noticeboards and on the PC the further 9 LED streetlights for Roman Road, 810 529 website. John Eastwood [email protected] Southside Cottages and Houghton Road. 07880 644 977 PC Finance – The financial review as at Dec 20 Traffic Speed on the Bunny – The PC is working Newsletter editors wanted! Angie Filippa, [email protected] shows that the PC finances are in line with the on the process to reduce the speed limit to 30 mph 07817 576 346 budget projection of a year-end bank balance in Mar The Newsletter editorial team is looking for help Ivan Gibson, [email protected] 810 002 across the whole length of the Bunny. Further with text editing. This is a fun job that helps to 21 of £2.5k, following the final installation of and updates will follow. Charles Grieve, [email protected] payment for the new streetlighting. maintain the village community. 810 580 War Memorial and Benches – In view of the Selina Musters, [email protected] The PC has decided to increase the annual Precept We use Microsoft Publisher/Swift Publisher for text grime and dirt that has accumulated on the War editing so a basic level of computer skills is required 810 459 amount collected through TVBC from £8k to £8.5k Memorial and the 3 adjacent benches, the PC will in addition to a bit of time every two months. Clerk Mark Flewitt with a view to gradually rebuilding a stable PC arrange for them to be cleaned. It is important to reserve of £5k. Training, tools and support provided! [email protected] 810 752 maintain and protect this important and iconic space Colin McIntyre, [email protected] The PC has agreed to an approx. 10% increase in the in the heart of our village. Do get in touch with us at advertising rates for the Newsletter. This should [email protected] District Councillors: enable the Newsletter to be self-financing again Census 2021 – The 10-yearly National Census is Ian Jeffrey, [email protected] due to be held on 21st March 2021. The PC is 01794 388872 following the introduction of colour pages in 2020. providing assistance in the communication process This Newsletter is published by Longstock Alison Johnston, [email protected] Neighbourhood Plan (NHP) – the NHP Steering to our residents. Further information is provided 01794 517939 Parish Council and delivered free to every household in Group are reviewing the Housing Needs Tony Ward, [email protected] elsewhere in this Newsletter. Longstock. Assessment, prepared by consultants AECOM, and 01794 389649 TVBC are helping to analyse the more than 90 Disused Chalkpit on Bottom Road – This plot of land is an asset of the PC, and the PC is intending to Anyone else may subscribe at £10 a year by contacting County Councillor: responses received on the Housing Needs Survey.