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The Harwell News www.harwellparish.co.uk

Published by Harwell Parish Council Number 160 – February 2010

Parish Council Meeting

As well as agreeing the precept, for the comingfinancial year, the January meeting discussed itsresponse to the Vale’s latest Core Strategy planningdocument which has significant implications for theParish. The Open Forum at the start of the meetingheard from District and County Councillors and fromNorth Drive residents.

Our County Councillor reported the good news thatLittle Pippins Pre-School has been granted funding of£265,000 towards its new building project, subject tocompletion of the necessary paperwork.

A deputation of North Drive residents expressed theirconcern over the proposal to build 400 houses adjacentto North Drive. The Chairman David Marsh, explainedthe Council had no more knowledge than them atpresent, but comments they make to the Vale shouldinclude all the matters they feel might be relevant totheir case. The Council discussed the matter later – seebelow. Parishioners have until Feb 12 to makecomments to the Vale WHDC.

The December meeting had been a workshop to discussthe precept. A review of the current year showed thatincome had increased in several areas, and the oldstable building in the Freeman Orchard had been finallysold for a net sum after legal costs of £2257. Butincome is down in some areas, such as RecreationGround fees which are expected to be only 60% of thatbudgeted due to teams pulling out. Although the totalincome is increased, this has been offset by additionalsalary costs and Pavilion costs.

Looking at the projections for 2010-11, it was agreed tobudget £4k for the Sports Development project, smallincreases in various areas, but less for some, includingprofessional fees and equipment. To bring the new areainto the Cemetery requires some work but it was agreedthat at the same time some refurbishment of the pathsgates and fences was due. It was agreed that unlessgrants can be found, this should be paid for over 3years, and £3,300 was put in the coming financial year.

The January Council meeting reviewed amendedprojections from the December meeting and agreed tomatch the anticipated difference between expenditureand income from sources other than the Council Tax bya precept of £49,100. This will result in an increase inthe Parish Council’s part of the CouncilTax of about £5per year for a Band D property – more on this on p2.

Another lengthy item was the Vale WHDC's revisionsto its Core Strategy, on which it is consulting. You mayhave seen the exhibition on January 28th, postponedfrom earlier in the month. The Council agreed to thefollowing:To support the proposed Harwell Link Road, to runfrom the A417 near the Kingswell to Fermi Avenue, asa continuation of the Harwell bypass.

To support the Rowstock Western link, which links theA417 to the A4130 around the south-west of Rowstock.

To object to the proposal to require developments ofthree or more houses to include affordable houses, onthe basis that this threshold is too low.

On the proposal for 400 houses to be build at the northend of the Harwell site behind North Drive, the Councilagreed not to object to the proposal in principle but tolist a series of conditions which much be met before anyplanning permission is granted You can find moredetails of these in the draft response which can be seenon the Local Plans page of the parish website.

On the Youth Project, it was reported that donationshad been received from Didcot First for £150, and fromSt Matthew’s Church for £200, for which the ParishCouncil and Youth project members are very grateful.Also a grant has been received from OCC for £5650;this was applied for by members themselves, and willallow the Youth Worker to be re-engaged for 3 months.

Under Lands & Rec items, a timetable was discussedfor work in the Cemetery, beginning with removal ofthe redundant fencing in the next few months. It isexpect ed that the ground, excepting any specific areaagreed upon, will be consecrated in the autumn, and beusable thereafter, although refurbishing the existing areawill continue beyond this year.

The Chairman had, as agreed previously circulat edsome proposed terms of reference for the NewsletterEditor. These were discussed, and the editor, MartinRicketts, was unhappy with being put in the uniqueposition of being the only person in the Parish unable tomake a personal comment on a matter, as well as therequirement that nothing be printed unless a balancedview was presented. The item was deferred to theFebruary meeting, but you can see the draft proposals atthe end of the minutes of the January meeting on thewebsite.

Three bids had been received for the chain-saw, and astwo were equal, lots were drawn to decide the outcome.

Under AOB, the Clerk reported that a request had beenreceived for a dog-bin in the Broadway or The Park; theLands Committee will consider this in the first instance.

It was also reported that there is a new bus servicethrough Harwell; RH Transport is running an X36which is hourly in the morning towards Wantage, andhourly in the afternoon to Didcot. The timetable isprinted on page 3.

Mr Taylor reported that the Parish website had beencomplimented by people outside the Parish, and hethought the Council’s thanks were due to David Marshfor its excellence.

The next meetings of the Parish Council are onTuesdays 9th February and March. Items for the agendaneed to be with the Clerk, Mrs. S. Taylor one weekbefore this. Contact [email protected], on01235 820006 where messages can be left, or by post toPO Box 223 Wantage OX12 2DH. Note that the Clerkhas moved so do not deliver any HPC items to 1,Wantage Road. Office hours are 9am to 5pm Mondays.

Harwell News 160 February 2010

Planning MattersPermissions:HAR/20858/1 1-storey extension Burr House, Burr St.HAR/20948/1 1-storey extn. Hillcrest, Reading Rd.HAR/21012 Detached dwelling with garage etc. atDroke, Wantage Road.

New Applications:HAR/19692/3 Extension etc Greenbanks, Reading Rd.HAR/19931/3 Replacement of storage building inc.offi ce area Meadow View, Didcot Rd.

Appeal Decision:HAR/5169/3 The appeal in respect of a garage in frontof the dwelling at Fieldene, Reading Rd. was dismissed.

Parish Precept for 2010

One of the few real powers that the Parish Council hasis to set the precept. This is the money that is collectedas part of your council tax and which is allocated to theParish Council.Most of the money raised goes on staff costs (our Clerkand the grounds men), plus the equipment and servicesneeded for them to do their jobs, and there is very littlespare for discretionary spending on additional projects.Last year we added £4000 to the precept forcontributions towards the Sports Development Projectand it’s success ful application for outline planningpermission. This level of support will still be neededfor the project in the coming year.This in itself would lead to an increase in the precept,but we now have another project that needs funding: anextension to the cemetery. Some of you may havenoticed that the existing burial land is slowly filling up,but we do have a new plot available next to the existingcemetery. So we have to prepare this land and merge itinto the existing area.The work will mean removing the existing fences andadding new fences at the new boundary, preparing thearea, and laying paths that will give access as the land isutilised. We hope to be able to display these plans atthe Annual Parish Meeting.Estimated costs for the work vary, but we need tobudget for about £10,000 for the work. The councildecided to split this into three, raising £3,300 this year,and the same next year, and meeting the balance fromexisting reserves, some of which has been built upspeci fically for this project. What this means is thatwhen the details of the council tax are released you willsee a large increase in the Harwell Parish precept.

To put this into perspective, the Parish precept is but atiny amount of our council tax. In round terms, thisyear’s Band D council tax was just under £1,500, ofwhich the Harwell precept was just over £50. Putanother way, there are just over 1000 houses in Harwell,so the increase in precept to pay for the cemeteryextension this year is about £3.30 per household.We hope that this helps explain why the precept will beincreasing signifi cantly this year, but why it is actuallya very small amount that we are asking from eachhousehold.Do make a note of the date of the next Annual ParishMeeting on Friday 16th April, when you will be able tolook at the cemetery extension plans. More details aboutthe meeting will be in the next Harwell News, but wehope that it will also include news about the plans forchanges to the refuse collection in the Vale. If you havesuggestions for what else you’d like to hear about at theAnnual Parish meeting, let any of the councillors know,or contact the clerk.

David Marsh, Chairman, Harwell Parish Council.

Contact details - District Councillors:Mrs. M. Turner 15 Tyrrells Close, 821248Reg Waite [email protected] 7 Hengest Gate 861779

County Councillor:Stewart Lilly [email protected]

The Mobile Library will be in Harwell, at theVillage Hall between 9.15 and 9.40 on

Wednesdays Feb 3rd, 17th, March 3rd, 17th, 31st.Editorial Notes: Harwell News is published at the beginning ofalternate months; the editor is Martin Ricketts. Other than wherestated in reports of Parish Council matters any opinions expressed arenot those of the Parish Council. Items for the April issue should besupplied by March 21st. - email news@ harwellparish.co.ukDistribution is organised by Mrs. Pat Staples, tel. 01235 833660.Advertising queries to the Clerk, see page 1.

R H Fencing & GatesAll types supplied and erected

trees lopped & felled, stumps removedhedges trimmed, gardens cleared

walls – paths – drivessand, ballast, shingle suppliedfor free estimate tel 835397

Ray Hinchliffe – Polkerris, High St. Harwell


From Mr & Mrs Jim Liddiard, Wantage Rd, Rowstock.

Hello, We live along the Wantage Road at Rowstockand have been reading the various proposals beingconsidered for additional roads in the area withincreased housing, traffic and development.

We all know that the traffic can be ext remely busy atthe rush hour periods. Having moved here about threeyears ago I was very aware of this, but our choice tomove here was balanced by the beauti ful countrysidesurrounding us in particular the many tracks and trailsgiving immediate access to the rural farmland and areasof outstanding natural beauty towards the downs andRidgeway.

It therefore gives me great concern that the so called"Rowstock Western Link" keeps appearing inproposals. If this was implemented, it would not onlyruin this peaceful area, it would cross and damage thetrackway traditionally known as the Golden Mile or OldHungerford Way which runs southwards into theDowns East of the Wantage Road.

We wonder how many of the locals are fully informedof this actual proposal. I regularly walk and run alongthese tracks and see it in daily use by locals, some withdogs, some riding or cycling or some just enjoying thepeace and scenery.

It has been suggested that this would remove traffi cfrom passing the houses in Rowstock. Well maybe, butonly to a degree. The sacri fi ce would be great, the gainsmall and the damage irreversible to the countryside.

Everyone moving here knew it was a busy place atcertain times and naturally so with the Harwelllaboratories, Milton Park and A34.

Please don't ruin our countryside and please register ourcomplaint against the Rowstock Western Link.

Thanks to Bob’s …

I would like to thank the staff at Bobs who during thebad weather made sure that all their vulnerablecustomers were looked aft er and delivered their suppliesto them via sledge.

I suspect that a number of villagers who may notnormally use the local shops were appreciative of beingable to walk to Bobs and the newsagents when theywere unable to get out of the village due to treacherousconditions.

Please support our village shops all year round whenyou can. Many Thanks

Name and address supplied.

New Bus Service X36

This is run by RH buses, who also run the Sunday 32A.Website: www.rhbuses.com.

Monday to Friday, Mornings

Didcot Stn 06.55 07.55 09.00 10.00 11.00 12.00

Broadway 06.58 07.58 09.03 10.03 11.03 12.03

Harwell 07.03 08.03 09.07 10.07 11.07 12.07

Rowstock 07.05 08.05 09.10 10.10 11.10 12.10

EHen Plough 07.08 08.08 09.13 10.13 11.13 12.13

WHen Hare 07.10 08.10 09.15 10.15 11.15 12.15

Wantage Mkt 07.15 08.15 09.20 10.20 11.20 12.20

Monday to Friday, afternoons

Wantage Mkt 12.55 13.50 14.50 16.15 17.10

WHen Hare 13.00 13.55 14.55 16.20 17.15

EHen Plough 13.02 13.57 14.57 mRd mRd

Rowstock 13.05 14.00 15.00 16.25 17.20

Harwell 13.07 14.02 15.02 16.27 17.22

Broadway 13.10 14.06 15.06 16.31 17.26

Didcot Stn 13.12 14.09 15.09 16.34 17.32

MRd = Main road only, doesn’t stop at Plough

Northmoor Trust Lambing Weekends

March 20th, 21st, 27th and 28th March, 10am – 4pm.

Come and see our adorable lambs and maybe see alamb being born. Tractor trailer rides, sheep dogdemonstrations, children’s activities and games.Delicious teas on sale in the Poem Tree refreshmentbarn. Family £10 (2 adults and up to 2 children), Adults£4, Children £2. No booking necessary.

Hill Farm, Little Wittenham, 01865–407792;www.northmoortrust.co.uk.

Harwell Dental PracticeCurie Avenue, Harwell, OX11 0QQ.

01235-831889 www.harwelldental.co.uk

Fully independent local dental careEasy free parking

ANTIQUES - Wanted

Single items or deceased effects clearedJewellery, silver, china, etc.

Furniture Pre 1930Telephone 01235 221152


We welcome Josie Dormer, Lewis Parlett,Keigan Redman, Rowan Cockburn, Louis Harrison,Samuel Hughes, Claire Frankum, Danny Phi llips,Charleigh Preston, Christopher Chapman andViolet Hogan-Thomas, who have joined our groupover the past few terms; we hope they enjoytheir time with us.We hope you all had a good Christmas and wishyou a Happy New year although it seems such along time ago now!!!

We would like to say a big “Thank-You” toeverybody who organised and supported us withour Christmas fundraising. In total we raisedover £2200!

We firstly would like to thank everyone involvedin making the Christmas Tree Festival a success.We would especially like to thank our sponsorsInhabit Architects and Chinnor Garden Centrefor supplying the beautiful trees. Thanks to theBaggs Tree Buskers and Harwell Young Singersfor performing. We would also like to thankeveryone who spent hours handcrafting thedecorations, and everyone who supported us onthe day. There were 11 fantastic entries butthe trophy for the Best Tree in Show this yearwent to The Gardeners Club with their locallygrown produce tree, closely followed by LittlePippins, and the Women’s Institute.

We would also like to thank you to everybodywho came out to see and donated to Santa onhis Sleigh around the vi llage and to Achi llesLimited for their sponsorship.

We will be holding a Parents Induction Eveningduring term 3 for parents of our new startersand for those ‘not so new’ parents who want tocome along and see how we operate - date to beconfirmed.

Our Annual AGM is to take place on Monday 8th

March at Little Pippins. We wi ll have a guestspeaker and all are welcome.

Little Pippins Pre-School welcomes chi ldrenfrom two and half with an adult present andfrom age three on their own. We offer aBreakfast Club, both morning and afternoonsessions, lunchtime sessions and use of the

Harwell School’ s After School Club 3 days aweek. Please contact us on 01235 821741 formore information.

Term 3 ends on Friday 12th February and weare back for the start of term 4 on Monday22nd February.

Nicky Mercer, Pre-school Supervisor

Harwell RBL Club

Are you looking for accommodation during the day torun classes, hold Conferences or have meetings of anykind?

We are able to offer facilities at competitive prices thatwe are prepared to negotiate to suit your budget.

If you would like to see our accommodation and speakto us about what we can offer your organisation/clubthen please contact the Club Secretary Mr John Fisheron 01235 835870 daytime or phone our Club Premiseson 01235 221126 evenings from 7.30 – 11.00

Little PippinsPre-School


Harwell Women’s Institute

In December there was mulled wine and mince pieswith very little business! The whole club madedecorations for the Little Pippins Christmas Treedecorating competition and our offering came third.We then had a very festive and entertaining eveningwith Gay & Alan Cooper and their team of Hand Bellringers. They were wonderful but I think the rest of uswere ‘rubbish’ when we ‘had a go’. Members alsoattended the annual Concert of Christmas Songs inOxford Town Hall.

Unfortunately the recent snow curt ailed our Januarymeeting and it had to be cancelled at the last minute.We look forward to seeing Peter Hearn with ‘TheMagic of Poetry, Story and Song’ at a later date.

On 10 February Dr Gillian White is giving her talkabout Elizabeth Cavendish, better known as ‘Bess ofHardwick Hall’.

There is no open meeting in March as it is our annualAGM. After the business, the members will be treatedto a talk byThornton’s Chocolates complete with EasterEggs. New members joining in February will be able toenjoy the chocolates after the AGM!!

The Committee has nearly completed the programmefor 2010 which promises to be entertaining andinformative and will be available shortly.

Come and join us. Visitors are always welcome.Meetings are on the second Wednesday of the month at7.30pm in the Village Hall. For more information,contact our Secret ary, Penny Marsh, on 01235 835430.

HARWELL ACTIO N GRO UP

The Harwell Action Group for ABC – Against BreastCancer, is holding another fund raising evening for thischarity and linking up with the Male Cancer CharityORCHID.

It is a Classic Comedy Film Evening showing thewonderful Marilyn Munroe and Tony Curtis film‘SOME LIKE IT HOT’.

It is being held at Harwell Village Hall on Friday 26February 2010. Doors open at 7pm with the filmshowing at 8pm. The cost is £5 per person.

There will be a Bar, Tombola and Raffle.

Tickets are available now from Bob the Butcher, HighStreet Harwell, Barbara on 835698 or Harwell School.

Oyez, Oyez, Oyez, It's time to elect a new Lord Mayorof London says Chris Stott - turn over for Panto pics>

BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS & FURNITUREMade to measure from solid reclaimed pine

and new English oak

Building Services, Extensions, windows, doorsCarpentry and joinery

www.fox-wood.co.uk tel: 01235 835553Email: [email protected]

Imaginative useof fruit & veg.in theGardener’s ClubwinningChristmas Tree,at Little PippinsTree Festival.Photo – SaraLee.

For the garden of your dreams –consult a professional

MARY ANN LE MAYGARDEN DESIGNS

Blissetts West Hagbourne OxfordshireOX11 0NDTel: 01235 850523 Fax: 01235 851153


Dick Whittington PantomimeThis was performed to 3 packed houses and awonderful show was given by an enthusiastic cast tovillagers and friends of the cast.

We would like to thank every one of the cast, andthe supporting cast also, for making our dreams forthe panto come true.

Also thanks to Bobs & Jayne Newman for ticketsales.

Photos are avai lable to view and order via theHarwell Parish Website. And a DVD is beingproduced and wi ll be on sale in due course fromBobs.

Janice Markey, Producer & Janet Spence, Director

Photos down the left-hand side –>Teacher Sue Greatbanks and those cheeky urchinsToby Wilkinson, Jake Cobb, Andrew Convery, WillHeason and Max Rippington.

>The Tradesman Ben Harris, Cath Convery, KatePhi llips and Mike Pepper help young Dick, played by

Alice McArthur, onhis way to London.

>Mrs Sourdoughplayed by MartinSpeed with youngAlice Fitzwarren,Georgia BrennanScott, with sai lorslooking on.

>The BeautifulBarbary Dancers.


Photos clockwise from above left:-

>A motley crew of sai lors played by JoyceDoughty, Martin Gibson, Katie McIlroy Speed,Tony Baker, Katey Storey and JohnBainbridge.

>The Rat Pack

>Mr Fitzwarren, played by Jack Wilkinsonwelcomes young Dick Whittington to his home.

>It's custard pie time for urchins Wi ll Heasonand Jake Cobb

>Urchin Andrew Convery enjoying his custardwith Toby Wilkinson looking on.

>And finally below the whole cast of DickWhittington

Proceeds from the Panto are not finalised yet,but wi ll go towards Vi llage Hall renovation.

The retiring Collection for the Haiti DisasterFund raised £208.57.


ADVANCE Notice!Please make a note in your diary now: on Saturday 9th

October, 12noon - 4pm, there will be an event inHarwell Village Hall in aid of Money for Madagascar,a small, extremely well-run charity which supportsvital, individual projects in Madagascar, now one of thepoorest countries in the world.Attractions (so far) will include: plate/mug paintingprovided by Creative Corner (Abingdon) who will thenfire your works of art; a video/slide show about MfMand live information from a family who have had linkswith Madagascar for several generations; quilts largeand small; exclusively designed Christmas cards ... andmuch more, of course! We also hope to providerefreshments. For more information – and for offers ofhelp! – please contact Caroline Jackson on 832753.

HARWELL SCOUT GROUP

QUIZ NIGHT

VILLAGE HALL, MARCH 6TH

7pm for 7.30

£5 per person6 people maximum to a team

(Teams can be made up for those whoapply in ones or twos)

Bar raffle snacks

Please book your place bycontacting

Lesley Saunders tel: 834815

Pr ofessional C arpet and Flooring Installations

* All Types of Flooring Supplied and Fitted* Free Quotation and Sampling* Local, Friendly and Reliable Service* Fit Only Available

07967090788 01235 [email protected]

[email protected]

01235 813777Your Local Independent Estate Agents

If you are thinking of selling, would like a freemarket appraisal or expert advice then please

contact us.

Loud Group has moved to Harwell’s historic Cherry Barns, bringing its uniqueblend of creative PR and communication services to this charming Oxfordshirevillage.

The company has moved from Milton Park to larger offices which willaccommodate the continued growth of the business. The beautiful Grade II listedthatched building, which used to house Harwell’s famous cherry sales, is theperfect setting for the company. It has recently been renovated to provide modernfittings and first-class office facilities, yet retains its original charm.

Loud specialises in communication of all kinds and has expertise in PR,copywriting and design for traditional and new media campaigns.

Commenting on the move, Loud’s Managing Director Helen Freeman said: “ As afun and dynamic organisation we were looking for exactly the right environmentto match our creative approach to public relations and design. We are delightedabout the move to Harwell and are all really looking forward to being part of thelocal community here.

“For those inquisitive about Loud Group do feel free to call in and find outmore.”

Harwell Safari Supper 2010This popular village event will take place on March 27th. There has been anincredible response and we are now full with a total of 96 people taking part!

Please email debbie.greenfi eld@st fc.ac.uk i f you would like to be added to thewaiting list.

Harwell Parish Photo QuizHow well do you know

Harwell? From where was thisTaken last September?

The answer to the last one wasjust up the hill south ofRowstock.

A new home for Loud Group atHarwell’s Cherry Barns


Consultation for Village and Freeman Halls

The Village and Freeman Halls need renovation. TheFreeman Hall was erect ed in 1972 for the youth clubwith a design life of 20 years and despite beingextensively repaired over the years needs replacing. Thevillage hall is 80 years old and a village landmark and iswell used. Extra storage space is urgently needed. Thereare two car parks with the Freeman Hall using the carpark behind the hall in Westfields.

We need to know your views so we can provide suitableaccommodation in the future for current and futureusers. The halls are licensed for the sale alcohol.

The current activities include Ballet, tap and IrishDancing classes, Fun club and busy bees for infants,Our Street Corner youth club, Keep fit and weightwatching, Pilates, Short Mat bowls, Drama classes,Quiz nights, Weddings, Adult &Children's parties,Pantomime and occasional plays, Gardening club, WI,RAOB, Wood turners, Taekwondo , Mosaics, Stampcollectors, RSPB meetings, Great Western Society,Thames Valley Police consultations, Polling station &Emergency Harwell Feast location!

In addition we want to develop adult education. Beforethe committee proceeds to explore options for the hallswe need your opinion on:

Would you like to see a refurbished Village HallBuilding and the Freeman Hall demolished and theVillage Hall extended to incorporate a second hall andmeeting room?

Would you like to see the main Village Hall replacedwith a complex of two halls and meeting rooms?

The Freeman Hall rebuilt on the existing site whileleaving the village hall as it is?

We want your comments! Please tell us your needs andusage for the village halls. Are there other activities youwould like to see? Please send any comments you haveto the village hall where there is a letter box, Bobs thebutcher or email [email protected] users are being consulted separately.

Keith Beswick - Chairman of the Village HallManagement Committee.

www.harwellvillagehall.co.uk

Harwell Village Hall

The village hall management committee can now granthirers a licence to sell alcohol. This allows more eventsto take place as we are no longer confined to twelveevents a year. The new licence includes the staging ofplays and pantomimes. Where there are disco’s andbands noise levels have to adhered. Freeman hall usersplease park in the Westfields car park.

The village halls management committee is looking atimproving the halls. There is a survey form in thisedition of Harwell News. Please let us have your views.Regular users will get a more detailed questionnaire.

We are looking to improving the sound system startingwith a lapel microphone for speakers to use.

Harwell Gardeners’ ClubFeb 1st see our club celebrating its 30th anniversarywhere our own members will entertain us with theirgardening knowledge and expertise. The competitionwill be ‘An Old Gardening Friend’

March 1st will be a talk entitled ‘A Calendar Of BritishWildlife’ given by Dennis Bright. The competition willbe ‘Hellebores’.

April 12th will be a talk on‘The Gardens Of CotswoldWildlife Park’ by Tim Miles. The competition will be‘Spring Flowers’

Visitors are always welcome. Our meetings are held inthe Village Hall at 7.30 p.m.If you like gardening at any level you will enjoy thisfriendly club.

Harwell Village NewsSpecial Offers from Your local Newsagent:

Milk 2 Litre only 95p! KingsMill Bread only 95p!6 Free Range eggs only 95p!

Open Mon to Sat 6.30 am to 8pm, closed 1 -3pm,Sunday 6.30 am to 1pm

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHOP

USE IT OR LOOSE IT!

REMLOC PLUMBING & HEATING

Trading Standards ApprovedGas Safe RegisteredCIPHE Registered

Boiler Servicing Central Heating Installations General Plumbing No job too small Free Estimates Emergency call-outs

Contact: 01235 536345 / 07709 961 655www.remlocplumbing.co.uk

email: [email protected]


Dog Walkers

The Parish Council would like to thank all thoseresponsible walkers who clean up after their dogs havefouled and put their bags in the designated bins. Thereare still some people however who are not abiding bythese simple requests and there is a great deal ofevidence particularly on the playing areas of un-cleareddog mess. There is evidence to support that somepeople are bringing more than four dogs (and even fivein some cases) to exercise and are not able to controlthem while they all run about. We do not want to haveto consider banning dog walkers from our recreationground but we are not prepared either to jeopardize thehealth and safety of young sports people and others onour football and rugby pitches. We will be taking agreat deal of notice therefore over the next few monthsand monitoring the situation. Please help us to stampout this revolting practice.

Are you a parent or carer for a toddler or a baby or evena mum-to-be? Come along to Harwell Fun Club andyou can make new friends. We meet each Tuesday ofterm time at the village hall between 9:30 and 11:30 am.

Craft activities are provided for the toddlers andchildren (up to 5 yrs). We have a wide range of toys forall ages & at the end of the session we sing some songs.

The cost per session is just £1 per family and includes asnack and drink for all children and adults. Your firstvisit is free.

For more information please contact Penny Curtis on01235 831558

Many thanks to everyone who braved the last vestigesof snow to attend our Pelvic Partnership Quiz Nightwhich was held at Harwell School in Oxfordshire onSaturday 16th January. We had a fantastic responsewith supporters attending from the village and alsocoming from as far away as Reading. Congratulations tothe winning team, 'The Other Half, and well done toeveryone else who took part, especially to 'Where arethe Hartleys?', who lost by half a point and are stillarguing about how long Jack and Vera were married!With such great support, we were able to raise animpressive £680.00 so a very big 'thank you' toeveryone involved.

The Harwell school hall was packed on the night withgood humoured quizzers and they were veryunderstanding when the beer ran out! Luckily, SarahFishburn, who chairs the Pelvic Partnership, heroicallydashed out and replenished the supplies. As well asthanking all those who came to take part, we would liketo extend our thanks to Martin Gibson who came alongto act as the Quiz Master for the evening, to PeterCansell, Headmaster of Harwell School, for enabling usto use the venue and to Danyelle and Bob for displayingpublicity and to Danyelle for helping to count themoney!

The £680.00 raised from the Quiz will help the PelvicPartnership to continue in its work to raise awareness ofpregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP) and toprovide information and support to women andhealthcare professionals. Although the PelvicPartnership is a national charity (registered in England,no: 1100373) it operates from Harwell and has just asmall committee to run it, so it really relies on moneyfrom fundraising and membership to keep it going.

PGP affects one in five pregnant women and can resultin pain and decreased mobility if it is not diagnosed andtreated promptly. However, the condition responds wellto treatment from experienced manual therapists. ThePelvic Partnership's Committee will use the moneyraised to help the charity to continue to provide freepacks of information to women and healthcareprofessionals. Thanks again for your help and support -more information about the Pelvic Partnership can befound at www.pelvicpartnership.org.uk

The PelvicPartnership’s Quiz

in Harwell

Baby andToddler

GroupNews


Harwell FeastThis will be held on Bank Holiday Monday May 31st.It’s not too early to think about your organisationentering a float in the parade.To book your tractor and trailer contact Janice Markey832802.

Our Street Corner

We are pleased to tell you that the young people wererecently success ful once again in making a further bidfor financial support from the Youth OpportunitiesFund.This has enabled us to employ the services of GaryHibbins, the youth worker who spent a month with us inthe summer holidays, for a further 3 months. He will betraining up some young people in Youth work andsupporting the members with community projects aswell as running drop in sessions for them in theFreeman Hall.Welcome back Gary.

Harwell Women’s Institute

A modern voice for today's woman

The WI offers women the opportunity to make newfriends, learn new skills and campaign on wide-rangingissues. Visit www.theWI.org.uk for more informationor www.w.i.harwellvillage.info for the Harwell WIwebsite.

Harwell WI is a lively group who meet on the secondWednesday of each month at 7.30pm in the VillageHall. We have a wide range of interesting and amusingspeakers along with various outings throughout theyear. You can join in with as much or as little as youlike and all for £29.50 per year. For further informationphone or email our President, Joyce Doughty on 01235221600 - email: [email protected] or ourSecretary, Penny Marsh on 01235 835430 - email:[email protected]. Do come along and give usa try. Visitors are always welcome.

Love food hate waste

UK households are throwing away 8.3m tonnes of fooda year, most of which is perfectly edible. A typicalfamily with kids bins £680 worth. Equally unsettling isthe environmental cost - the wasted water and energy ingrowing and transporting uneaten food and the methaneit produces in landfill. So, how can we do better?

1) Send less food to landfill: WRAP, the UK authorityon waste & recycling, recommends that we plan meals,manage portions, keep an eye on 'use by' dates, andfreeze surplus (See lovefoodhatewast e.com).

2) Compost food waste:Over 30% of average householdwaste could be composted. Peelings and tea bags can beconverted into rich food for your garden. Homecomposting doesn't starve waste of oxygen so it releasesvery little of the potent greenhouse gas methane.

3) Recycle food containers: On average the UK residentsends 2000kg of waste to landfill every year. Why notrecycle? Aluminium cans are one of the most costeffective materials to recycle. Compared to manufacturefrom scratch around 95% of energy can be saved. 80%of all glass sent to recycling reappears in the UK,mostly as new bottles and jars.

For more green, money saving tips, call the EnergySaving Trust on 0800 512 012.

Recycling: start them young!

Facts and figures provided by WRAP - Waste &Resources Action Programme (wrap.org.uk). Energy

Saving Trust endorses and promotes the advice suppliedby WRAP. WRAP aims to help individuals, businessesand local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more,

making better use of resources and helping to tackleclimate change.

*Garden Makeovers *Driveways *Patios *Groundwork*Fencing *Garden Clearance

Tel: 01235 810242 / 07966 411378E-mail [email protected]


The Seasonal Gardener

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you’ve had a lovelyholiday and Father Christmas brought you lots ofenthusiasm for the new gardening year. It’s the time formaking and breaking resolutions and one of my gardenresolutions is to start doing what I advise others to dothe garden. How many times, when out and about doyou say to yourself“ I must do those hanging baskets”or “ that weed’s got big, I’ll get it out later” only to findyoursel f saying the same thing the next day and the dayafter? So my resolution is to do a quick task when I seeit and not put it off. I have to say though, in January Iwasn’t hugely successful, with all that cold weather,snow and general post holiday lethargy. But now thesnow’s gone, it’s February and I can already see signsof growth in the garden that spring is on it’s way sothere is still hope for me keeping to it.

A job for now is to clear away all the seed heads andgrowth that was left on over winter to feed the birds andlook pretty in the frosts. It’s all been flattened by thesnow and stripped of seeds by the birds so it’s notlooking great. Clearing it all away now is easy andmeans the new growth has a good start and won’t bedamaged by errant secateurs! The spring bulbs in theground are not quite poking their heads above ground soshouldn’t be squashed by a large welly boot either! I’llalso be looking to prune any overgrown shrubs andapple trees before the sap starts to rise and the birdsstart to nest. Then a good layer of mulch and asprinkling of blood fish and bone around my beds andand on the surface of my pots and it will look like agarden again!

Once that’s all ship shape, I’ll head to the greenhouse.Making sure its all tidy and starting to prepare for thebig sowing season. This month I’ll be pinching out thesweet peas sown late last year and sowing some more.Also I’ll be trying for an early crop of peas by sowingin the greenhouse to keep them slightly sheltered. Thisis a good time to choose and buy seed potatoes for thisyear from certi fied seed stock.

This ensures the best chance of avoiding some diseases.Putting them eye side up in the light triggers theirgrowth (chitting). The jury is out on whether this isnecessary or not, but my opinion is if you already havethe seed potatoes then you might as well chit them!.

On the vegetable plot, I have a bin over one of myrhubarb plants forcing growth to get some early tenderstems. This is quite stressful for the plant so I alternatebetween my three clumps each year to let the othersrecover. I’m planting some shallot sets too, althoughI’ll keep an eye on them as those hungry birds like thenew green shoots and can pull the whole set out of theground. My autumn fruiting raspberry canes will be cutto the ground for a good crop on fresh canes this year.Word of warning though, don’t cut your summerfruiting raspberry canes now otherwise you’ll not get acrop this year!

That’s what I’m hoping to achieve in February but I’mnot going to be too hard on myself i f I don’t manage itall. In these cold months, lets do what we want to do inthe garden and the essential stuff and leave the rest untilits warmer out! Before we know it we’ll be rushed offour feet again so until next month keep warm and happygardening!

Sara Southey 07773 333972

www.southey-garden-solutions.co.uk

The Cherborne Gallery& Pictures Framing Service

www.thecherbornegallery .co.uk

Artist and Framer with 25yearsexperience offers a visiting service

in your home.Approx 10 mile radius of Harwell.

Services include Tapestry Stretching,Old Canvas Stretching, Picture Cleaning

And Renovation,Football Shirts & Memorabilia,

Coins & Trophies

Please ring mobile number, allow to ringtwice, and I will call you backASAP

No order paid for unlessentirely satisfied

Call CHERRY on07765 345 992

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