1st Brookwood Scout Group Registered charity number 1019247

Welcomes everyone to a Race Night

Saturday 7th February at 7.30pm First race at 7.45pm until 11.15pm

Brookwood Memorial Hall Race cards £7.50.

Price includes homemade curry. Please bring your own drinks and glasses.

(Note this is an adult’s only event) For further information, race cards etc.

Michelle Mealin - 01483 834242 Saf Ismail – 01483 486219

Frozen Canal - January 2009

Brookwood NewsBrookwood News February 2009

Brookwood’s Independent Local News Dear Readers, Firstly my apologies if you have sent me emails over the past month and I have not replied, or if you have sent me information for inclusion and I have missed putting it in. I suffered a computer failure and have been using sub-optimal equipment to try to keep informed. I now have a spanking new PC which I hope will keep working for the next couple of years - if I can ever get used to Vista! Ed. 01483 852410

This months newsletter is sponsored by Pirbright Tennis Club. Thanks to them for their generosity and continued support. If you would like to sponsor an issue, or to help part-pay for an edition of Brookwood News, or to donate funds to support its continuation, then drop me an email to: brookwoodnews@ntlworld.com for more details.

Picture John Crook

BOOKS FOR SIERRA LEONE

Susan has agreed to continue to collect any unwanted books you may have until the end of February. Information about this project at http://www.codep.co.uk/About.html. Any type of book; fiction or non-fiction; for adults or for chil-dren, the only stipulation being that they are not too tatty. Please drop them off to her at 158 Connaught Road.

Pirbright Tunnel Closure Update. In spite of intense chasing I still do not have a defi-nite date for the work on the tunnel but I believe that it will be sometime in February, and will go on for a number of weeks. Expect major delays and allow more time for your journey please. Ed.

Date for your diary

Brookwood Memorial Hall Notice of Annual General Meeting 8:00 p.m. on Monday 6 April 2009

Brookwood Village Association Final Annual General Meeting

of the current committee ****** PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE ******

Thursday 26th February 7:30 for 8:00 PM Small Memorial Hall

The present Committee are all stepping down at this meeting and this is your chance to do something positive for your local community. Why should I get involved? See inside pages.

DORIS LYDIA CURTIS 13 August 1920 – 11 January 2009

Doris, or Dee as she preferred to be known, was born in Hackney in London where she lived for nearly half her life. In 1942 Doris married Wally who was then serving in the army. After the war they started a family, having two daughters, Lindsay and Gaynor, and Doris became a full-time mother. In 1960 the family left London for life in the country and moved to Connaught Crescent in Brookwood. Doris became involved in village life, took up Scottish country dancing and, at the request of the Women’s Institute, took a refresher course in PE training and started a keep fit class in the village hall. At this point the Post Office also reappeared in her life. With both the girls at secondary school Doris took a part-time job as a counter clerk at Brookwood Post Office, and became Dee, the initial she put on all her paperwork. Over the next twenty odd years Dee made many friends working in the post offices in Bisley, Chobham and Knaphill, until she finally hung up her rubber stamp at the age of 67. (continued on page 2)

I have been asked to warn residents about a rise in distraction crimes locally in the Woking area. Please ensure that anyone you allow into your home shows you correct accreditation. Never allow anyone into your home unless you can confirm that they are

who they say they are. If you are at all suspicious then do not allow them in and ask them for an office number so that you can check. If you are worried or concerned then call the police.

I have been advised that our local area Sergeant, Andy Audsley, has moved onto the Woking town team. His replacement is PS Adam Smith who has told me that he is looking forward to his new role in our community. He will be at the next Panel Meeting in March.

My apologies to the resident who turned up at the school for a panel meeting and found the school in darkness. I now have the dates for the 2009 Panel Meetings which will be held at Brookwood Primary School. The dates are on the right and they are on Tuesday evenings at 7:30pm

Brookwood Crime Update

Remember - If it looks suspicious - it probably is - Ring 0845 125 2222 & Report it.

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2 1 3 2 5 8

8 2 9 1 3 2

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31st March 14th July and 17th November

Brookwood School Update

You may well have noticed that the school has a new sign and name to reflect the addition of the new Children’s Centre. The new name will now be Brookwood Primary School and Children’s Centre. Plans are be-ing made for a purpose built Children’s Centre, but this will not be ready for two years. The centre’s first activity, Stay and Play Sessions, will be-gin just before half term in the Pirbright Youth and Community Centre.

FOBS thanks everyone who kindly supported the School Christmas Fair in any way. A grand total of £1500 profit was made for the school - a fantastic amount for such a small school. Well done to all involved!

If you got a new mobile phone for Christmas why not drop your old one into the School for recycling. They get £2.50 for each recycled phone and all money raised is used for the benefit of the children at school.

Parking Shop Information

Don’t be caught out by the CPZ parking permit re-minder, now that Woking BC have taken over from The Parking Shop, because you won’t be getting one and will be subject to a statutory fine if you forget. Check your car to make sure yours hasn’t run out.

Brookwood Hotel

Villagers may have noticed that the Brookwood Hotel has been closed for a number of weeks now. I have made enquiries but have not been able to find out anything definite about what is happening, although I have heard that it is closed for refurbishment !!! I understand that the someone is still living on the premises but I am not sure who it is. If you know what is happening then please let me know.

All Change at the Taxi Rank We would like to welcome Brookwood Taxi’s who have taken over from Alpha Taxi’s in the centre of the village. They have refurbished the premises and put a warm seating area for customers to wait in.

Their new number is 01483 905906

DORIS LYDIA CURTIS

Retirement did not mean inactivity. Dee had always been a keen gardener, and, together with her friend and neighbour, Joan, she devoted hours to propagating and raising hundreds of fuchsias that filled every corner of their two small gar-dens. She had more time for listening to music and poetry, lifetime interests which were reflected in her remembrance service. In addition to this, of course, there was always a dog to look after. Dee was an animal lover, interested in wild-life, especially birds, but she was a dog lover first and foremost and from childhood there had always been a dog in her life. Many Brookwood residents will remember meeting her on the Heath with Gelert or Sam and even at the age of 85 she was still walking Alfie twice a day and feeding home-made liver cake to all the dogs they met.

In 1998 when Wally died Dee adapted to widowhood with her usual pragmatism and with great support from friends and neighbours. In the last two or three years increasing frailty and deteriorating eyesight led to several falls and spells in hospital and in March 2007 Dee moved to Cedar Lodge Nursing Home. Here, despite being wheelchair bound, she set-tled in, made friends, encouraged the birds to come to her balcony for biscuit crumbs, and started a keep fit class for the wheelchair users. Dee passed away on Sunday January 11th and will be much missed by her family and all her friends.

Brookdoku

Bags2School Just a reminder that the next Bag 2 School day will be on Tuesday 3rd February 2009. The blue bags are available from the school office, so keep collecting any old shoes, handbags, clothes, curtains etc. If you run out of blue bags or can't get to school to collect them, just use black sacks. All filled bags should be brought to Brookwood school by 10.30am on 3rd February. If you have a bag and can't get to the school, just phone Judith on 01483 835044 and we can arrange for somebody to collect them from you.

Thanks to Jon Davies from Knaphill Print 01483 474900 for printing Brookwood News

If you need help or assistance with transport locally just call 07931 239365 between 10:00am and 12:00 midday Monday to Friday for help.

Brookwood Village Association

Why do we need a Residents Association? It’s probably worth just providing a brief reminder of what a resi-dents association does. Quite a lot goes on behind the scenes in representing Brookwood Village over things like the road, the traffic lights and planning applications to ensure Brookwood’s voice is heard. The BVA;

Represents the views of villagers A collective body carries more weight with Woking Borough Council, Surrey County Council and

with other bodies that may want to develop, alter and change our local environment.

Examines information from the Council (and challenges bad proposals!) Reviews planning applications and proposals for changes in local roads, green belt land, etc.

Some proposals can greatly affect our lives, amenities and property values. When these are not in the village interests, the BVA can represent the village to oppose them.

Puts the collective Village view to our local Councillors and MP To do their jobs, they need good contact with a body aware of village views and problems. Also

we need to hear news from them and discuss what they are doing for us.

Support of the local contacts with the Police Maintains relationships with the Police and Neighbourhood Watch to report on local crime, rele-

vant information, emergencies etc.

Sponsors of Village activities Supports existing village activities, or can help start up new ones. The Annual Brookwood Chil-

dren’s Christmas party is sponsored by the BVA. The new committee may decide to promote more village activities. Should we have a Village Social Committee to promote events in the Me-morial Halls and to bring our community closer together?

The future of your local village association and also Brookwood rests in your hands and on what you, as local residents, decide at the meeting. Please attend and have your say.

A New Resident’s Association - Why your village needs you now.

I reported last month that the present BVA committee have now been in post representing the village for a number of years and for personal reasons, the entire committee are standing down and wish to pass on the “baton” to a new committee who will have fresh views and new ideas to move things forward in 2009. The residents committee is all voluntary and current Chair Neil Thomas said that he was calling an early AGM to allow villagers to decide on the future of the BVA and its new direction. The new committee will have to de-cide how they want to take the residents wishes and the association forward.

Many residents associations go through active and less active periods dependant on local circumstances and local issues. The present committee have helped to promote the local Brookwood Assisting Neighbours and were foremost in helping to challenge the initial Brookwood Farm development, protecting Brookwood and Sheets Heath from over development. Many local villagers attended the heated meeting called by the BVA at the Memorial Hall, which was attended by WBC’s Chief Executive and our local Councillor. The crowded meeting helped to put a block on development, showing the strength of community feeling against the devel-opment. But Brookwood Farm has not gone far away! I have already heard rumours that it is being looked at again, in light of the present climate!!! Can we afford to allow the local residents association to disappear? Ed

Brookwood Assisting Neighbours

333 Connaught Road, Brookwood

Telephone: 01483 489100 Fax: 01483 487652

BENTLEYS GARAGE

Servicing, Repairs, Welding & MOT’s Specialists in LPG Gas Conversions

B r o o k w o o d N e w s

Final copy for the March newsletter needs to be with the Editor by Friday February 20th Local problems contact me directly on 01483 852410 or email brookwoodnews@ntlworld.com

Please keep the news and events coming so that I can advertise and help.

Serenity Health & Beauty

by Cheryl Marriott – professional sports & beauty therapist

Relaxing treatments in peaceful & private surroundings

Waxing, Manicure, Pedicure, Eve Taylor facial treatments, Swedish & sports massage, Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Indian head massage, Eye treatments.

Ladies only, Gift vouchers also available. Please call for an appointment

Brookwood – 01483 481076

Canal Cycle Path - Local Residents Have Their Say.

One view, what’s yours? You may have seen signs on the approaches to the Basingstoke Canal for planning per-mission. Below is one view expressed, there may be others but what’s yours?

What is to change? The proposal includes surfacing the towpath to create all weather access which will benefit visi-tors of the canal. The current plans show a path width of 2m with a further 0.5m of soil reinforcing/tieing into the bank giving a total width of 2.5m clear of vegetation.

Is there reason for concern? Should the full width of 2.5m be applied, there would be the loss of some mature vegetation between the Sheets Heath and Pirbright bridges. A by-product benefit is that this will serve to protect and develop the SSSI ecology along the canal by reducing the canopy cover. Other considerations for a widened path i) Speed increase from cyclists using the towpath as a raceway, ii) improved access to vandals and; and iii) an increase in the noise of traffic.

Concerns raised to the council on the submission also include i) a lack of demonstration of the need based on the current levels of usage; ii) comments from similar schemes along the canal; and iii) consideration of the future maintenance costs., (the last thing desired is for a new path which will run to disrepair due to a lack of funds to keep up maintenance).

What happens now? The opportunity to raise formal comments has now passed however any views may still be ex-pressed to our local councillor Glynis Preshaw or Katie Dunk in the Woking borough planning department.

Brookwood Community Update from Councillor Glynis Preshaw

Following a request from local residents the red telephone box in Connaught Road has now been adopted by Woking Council. BT announced last year that 10 red phone boxes in Woking were now surplus to requirements and would be removed. The Brookwood kiosk is the only one in the Borough to be adopted. Two local residents have undertaken to restore and maintain it after the telephone equipment has been removed so that the iconic red box will remain a feature of the village street scene.

As many of you are aware Woking is now a designated Cycling Town and work is well underway to improve the existing Woking Cycle Network and upgrade the Basingstoke Canal towpath to provide a high quality east-west off road walking and cycling route via the town centre with links to schools and neighbourhoods. A major obstacle to the continuity of the route is at Hermitage Bridge where the towpath changes from the south side to the north side. At this point the existing footway over the bridge is narrow and unsuitable for cycling. A new bridge is planned to the west of Hermitage Road Bridge, subject to planning permission, and it is anticipated that the new bridge will be constructed during 2010/2011.

Planning permission is currently being sought by Sustrans for the “widening and resurfacing of the canal towpath that covers Brookwood Bridge and Sheets Heath Lane, Pirbright Bridge to Hermitage Bridge and Monument Bridge to Sheerwater Bridge and associated accesses.” Brookwood residents are understandably very concerned about the pos-sible effects of the proposals on the mature vegetation and trees that border the canal and also the safety aspects of pedestrians and cyclists sharing the towpath.

I have been in contact with the Planning Officer handling the application and understand that currently it is only pro-posed to remove a very limited number of smaller trees. She has also requested more information from Sustrans relat-ing to tree conservation and the possible damage that the works themselves could cause to vegetation on the towpath. Please rest assured that I will continue to ensure that the views of local residents are put forward to the Planning De-partment. I have also been in touch with Sustrans and have been told that those directly affected by this application will be fully consulted. I very much hope that this will be the case. Please contact me if you have any concerns on 01483 757641 Kind regards Glynis