Village Life · 2019. 3. 17. · For a village of its size Aston Clinton has always punched above...

VillageLife

The community magazine for Aston Clinton, Buckland and Drayton BeauchampNo.41 April/May 2018

For a village of its size Aston Clinton has always punched above its weight. We have had our connections with the Rothschilds, Aston Martin cars, any number of famous guests at The Bell and, in Mark Webber, a man with nine wins and 42 podium finishes in F1 Grand Prix and who was FIA World Endurance champion in 2015. We now have reason for more celebration as local man David Malinowski has won an Oscar. He and his team were the make-up and prosthetics artists who transformed Gary Oldman into Winston Churchill for his latest film, Darkest Hour. You can read more of his story on page 6.

Someone else to celebrate is our just-retired editor, Alec Just, who has handed over the reins after seven years of producing this magazine. As I take over from him I can see how much he put into it and can really appreciate how well he has developed Village Life. I want to express my thanks to him and Jenny for handing over an enterprise in such good shape. Enjoy your retirement, both of you.

In his last editorial Alec made the point that he wanted to look forward rather than back and the new Village Life team want to embrace that idea. We want to bring you the stories you want to read about local people and events so please let us know what interests you. Please contact us through our new email address, [email protected] or visit our new(ish) website acvillagelife.weebly.com (no need to use www. first as with some systems that will not work).

If you have a story to tell but don’t want to write it yourself just get in touch and we can arrange that for you. I hope to hear from many of you soon.

Richard Vincent

Village LifeThe bi-monthly community news magazine for

Aston Clinton, Buckland and Drayton Beauchamp

The Editor is always pleased to receive local news of people,

clubs and events.

Website: acvillagelife.weebly.com Email: [email protected]

PRODUCTION TEAM

Editor: Richard Vincent Tel: 01296 631391

Advertising Manager: David Lonsdale Tel: 01296 631791 Email: [email protected]

Graphic Designer: Victoria Dicken Tel: 07968 180926 Email: [email protected]

James Adam, Andrew Andersz, Jean Kennedy & Helen Sharp

Published by St Michael & All Angels PCC 23 New Road, Aston Clinton Bucks HP22 5JD

Published every even month and over 2,400 copies distributed free to addresses in Aston Clinton, Buckland and Drayton Beauchamp.

Contributors and advertisers

PLEASE NOTE

Copy deadline for June/July issue: 30 April

Editorial contributions are welcomed subject to availability of space and Editor’s decision on suitability for publication. The publishers take no responsibility for statements made by contributors or advertisers.

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Cover: David Malinowski with his Oscar

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VILLAGE LIFE APRIL/MAY 2018 3

SPRING is my favourite time of year, baby animals appearing in the fields, gardens and hedgerows budding with the promise of what is to come, yes

Spring is the season of promise and New Life. In scripture Jesus demonstrates this with His

words, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies it bears much fruit’.

If the grain of wheat is not sown into the ground it will produce nothing, and will remain a grain of wheat on its own.

But if sown into the earth, the husk dies and from it comes new life, a root system, leaves, and of course ears of wheat. But, the most amazing thing of all, that one ear of wheat produces 50 fold, 50 new seeds.

All this got me thinking about Easter, the event that celebrates the promise of New Life.

Jesus willingly died for mankind, but here’s the thing, God didn’t leave Jesus dead. He raised Him from death to Life, Eternal, life that is never ending and complete.

And just as the grain of wheat died in the ground and from it came new life, so it is with the death of Jesus.

You see Jesus also said this, ‘whoever believes in Me, will not perish, but have eternal, never ending, complete Life’.

When we believe In and with Jesus, we will receive His NEW Eternal, never ending, Complete Life, here on earth and into eternity.

And do you know what the most amazing thing of all is that His death will produce not 50 fold but millions fold.

And guess what? All of us who believe in Jesus become His perfect, wonderful fruit.

Sue Leach.

Further thoughts from a Baptist DeaconNEWS ASTON CLINTON, BUCKLAND AND DRAYTON BEAUCHAMP

ASTON CLINTON BOWLS CLUB OPEN DAY

How about trying your hand at a new sport? Then the game of bowls could be the sport for you…Whether you are looking for a new sport to play, have played the game before, or are a complete beginner, you’ll learn the basics of the game during a short session with our qualified coaches. All bowls equipment provided, but please wear flat shoes (trainers or slippers are ideal). Sessions last about an hour and run throughout the day – no need to book – just turn up and play.

For further details about Aston Clinton Bowls Club and its activities, please contact the Secretary. Brian Clark 01844 351461or visit our website www.astonclintonbowlsclub.org

MONDAY 7 MAY 2018 10am – 3.30pm

Ever thought about playing bowls?

•Come along and try for free

•All ages and abilities welcome – from complete beginners to

experienced bowlers•

ASTON CLINTON BOWLS CLUB

Aston ParkLondon Road, Aston Clinton

HP22 5HL

VILLAGE LIFE APRIL/MAY 20184

A Fundraising Thank YouI am currently a year 7 student at The John

Colet School, Wendover. Each year group have a special charity to support and this year ours is Lepra, a charity working to beat leprosy. Today 600 people will be diagnosed with leprosy, more than 50 of these will be children.

To mark ‘World Leprosy Day’, which takes place on the last Sunday in January, all year 7 students were asked to raise money and awareness through sponsorship. Inspired by one of their campaigns ‘Lend your voice to Lepra’ I decided to combine my love of singing with the challenge of raising £24, this could train six village doctors to recognise the early symptoms of leprosy. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of leprosy are the most effective ways to prevent disability.

As a chorister at St Michael and all Angels I asked if I could sing at the end of a service, whilst everyone had coffee. I chose to sing Castle on a Cloud, Les Misérables without accompaniment and I am so very pleased to say, that with the overwhelming support of the congregation, I managed to raise £140, way over my initial target. Year 7 managed to raise £1809.84 in total, a great achievement by all involved.

I would like to finish by saying a ‘VERY BIG THANK YOU’ to everyone who gave so generously. Matilda Dicken

St Michael and All AngelsRegular Services: 9.15am and 6pm each Sunday

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Sun 29 April 11am NO SERVICE AT ST MICHAEL’S BENEFICE SERVICE AT ALL SAINTS BUCKLAND

Thurs 10 May 7.30pm Installation of Rev Sally Bottomer* St Michael’s

Sun 13 May Village Market Aston Clinton School

Sun 27 May 9.15am Benefice Eucharist St Michael’s REGULAR EVENTS

Monday 2 – 4.30pm Rhubarb Café (Closed on Bank Holidays) St Michael’s Church

* The service on 10 May will be the official licencing and installation of the Reverend Sally Bottomer as Rector of the Benefice of Aston Clinton, with Buckland and Drayton Beauchamp.

More details about these events on the church website: www.s-michaels.org.uk


NEWS ASTON CLINTON, BUCKLAND AND DRAYTON BEAUCHAMP

Kazuhiro Tsuji, Lucy Sibbick and David Malinowski, winners of the Best Makeup Oscar for The Darkest Hour pose with Gary Oldman.

Gary Oldman being transformed into Winston Churchill.

David Malinowski Oscar WinnerAston Clinton resident David Malinowski is right at the top of his profession as a prosthetic make-up artist for the film industry. This has just been recognised at the 90th Academy Awards ceremony, where David and his colleagues, Kazuhiro Tsuji and Lucy Sibbick, were presented with the 2018 Hair and Make-up Oscar for Darkest Hour. They had already won the BAFTA for the same film. David was particularly involved in transforming Gary Oldman, who also won an Oscar, into Winston Churchill.

This meant up to four hours a day applying prosthetics and very intricate make-up. David and the team then had to be on set for up to 18 hours a day to do running repairs and help remove the make-up. In total the make-up had to be applied over 60 times. Anyone who has seen the film will know just how effective it was

After leaving college, David first worked at Madame Tussaud’s, later moving into TV and film work. In the late 1990’s his early TV experience included programmes like London’s Burning and Casualty. More recently, David has worked on a succession of major projects, including Downton Abbey on TV, and films like The Revenant, Fury, Zoolander 2, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Breathe and Ready Player One.

David has his own company, founded in 2000, and in addition to working with other SFX professionals he also works on private projects. These can involve model making and wax figures as well as make-up and prosthetics. Some of his ultra-realistic body doubles have to be seen to be believed.

Originally from Peterborough, David has lived in Aston Clinton with his wife and two cats since 2016.

Despite his recent successes, David will not be resting on his laurels and we can look forward to seeing more of his expertise on many more films to come. Later this year we can expect Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2. Richard Vincent


Dennis Davies Quiz The annual Dennis Davies Quiz took place in the Anthony Hall on Saturday 10th February. Table 7, led by Sally Bottomer, won by one point after a tense 4 way tie-breaker. The quiz is competed over five rounds of ten questions per round. Table 7 was way behind but did not play its Joker until the last round which we completed with a full house and double score.

Some £900 was raised for church funds, but the night was as much a social gathering with a shared meal between rounds. A brilliant time was had by all. Our thanks to Maggie who organised the evening, Janet Cato who has taken over the role of setting the questions and to all other helpers who contributed to its success.

Why is it called ‘The Dennis Davies’ Quiz? This is because Dennis was the first person to create the questions and without the use of computers and Google!

For those of you who did not know Dennis, his story will be told in more detail in a later issue of Village Life. Ralph Weston

Welcome to our first Colts Column!

We are Aston Clinton Colts JFC, a junior grassroots football club affiliated to the Berks & Bucks FA for children and young people aged 5-18. The Club was established in 1983 and currently has over 200 players from Aston Clinton and the surrounding area. You can find us at Aston Clinton and Weston Turville Parks most weekends during the football season. We have over 25 volunteer coaches & assistants plus a committee of ten. It’s been a great season so far (if a little muddy but that’s to be expected!) with some Colts teams at the top of their respective leagues and others showing a marked improvement this season. We saw some excellent manoeuvres on the dance floor at our annual Christmas Party in early December too.

Behind the scenes, work has already begun on our biggest event of the year, the Annual Summer Tournament, a ‘festival of football ’ which will take place during the afternoon of Saturday 30th June and Sunday 1st July at Aston Clinton Park. We will be welcoming over 1200 players and their families this year from all over the Herts, Beds & Bucks area and further afield too. We have worked hard to build our reputation for being a well organised and family friendly event and teams tell us that they are willing to travel to be part of it!

If you’d like to follow our progress you can find us at www.astonclintoncolts.co.uk, on Facebook at facebook.com/astoncolts or on Twitter @Astoncolts. If you are interested in being part of our community club whether it’s becoming a player or coach, please email Di at [email protected]

Jo Davis, Social Secretary

Two members of our team, Hilary and Roger holding the cup.


Two years ago, during a routine medical the doctor got to the subject I was dreading, “so Mr Andersz, how much exercise do you do each week?” I mumbled something about walking regularly but knew he wouldn’t be convinced that going up and down the stairs at home several times a day could be considered as exercise. He looked at me and said, “you need to go for a brisk, 30-minute walk three times a week. Goodbye.”

The walking started, first with some reluctance but then with some enjoyment and a noticeable improvement in fitness. Over time the distance increased until I was walking 10kms once a week. The route from Green End Street to Weston Turville, Wendover, Halton, down Stablebridge Road and back home was soon being walked in reverse. A steep climb up Stablebridge Road at the beginning of the walk is preferable to the long uphill drag through Wendover Woods in the other direction. A time of just under two hours seemed reasonable for someone closing in on 70 years of age with no recent history of exercise.

Then it all got a bit ambitious and silly. Taking part in a 5km cross country obstacle race last March seemed the ideal preparation for this year’s London Marathon so an entry into the race ballot was submitted. Meanwhile a combination of walking and gym sessions continued until the result of the ballot was announced in October. I had mixed feelings when my entry wasn’t successful, but my disappointment was far outweighed by my relief !

Having started exercising I now needed a reason to continue and to justify the gym membership. That reason became the much less ambitious but much more realistic 10km run at the MK Festival of Running on 11th March. Gym sessions during January followed by road running in February and early March would hopefully be enough to ensure that I finished the event in a time that could be measured by a stopwatch rather than a calendar.

The result? A respectable 1 hour, 20 minutes and 11 seconds and the awarding of a certificate for being a ‘senior’. It’s the first certificate I’ve received for something that required movement. Now, when does the ballot open for the 2019 London Marathon? Andrew Andersz

Walk before you runNEWS ASTON CLINTON, BUCKLAND AND DRAYTON BEAUCHAMP

1.20VILLAGE LIFE APRIL/MAY 20188

Have you been looking for posters for the Lindengate Fair and not seen any yet? Don’t worry it is just a little later than usual this year - Saturday June 9. Which means there will be more to see in the garden and more on offer on our produce stall, including cut flowers. We have invited local crafts people to sell their beautiful handmade arts, crafts and artisan foods, plus conservation and animal groups to come and share their knowledge of local wildlife. Some are bringing animals for you to meet: caterpillars with the Butterfly Conservation Society, Rosie the bat with the North Bucks Bat Group and you will have a chance to admire a barn owl with the Bucks Owl and Raptor Group and meet the donkeys from Road Farm Countryways. The cheeky ferrets are back by popular demand! All of which should work up a healthy appetite, so come prepared to enjoy a spread of delicious cakes and cream teas! Our BBQ team will be serving burgers, hot dogs and our famous halloumi burgers, with homemade salsa from the garden. Other attractions will include a tombola and a raffle with great prizes. Plus there will be lots to keep younger visitors happy with circus workshops, a magician, a storyteller and face-painting. So it should be a great day out, with lots to entertain all ages.

If you paint, draw or take photographs The Lindengate Competition this year is encouraging everyone to get creative with our ‘Mindful Message’ Competition. At Lindengate we know from experience how much contact with nature, flowers, trees and plants in a friendly social environment helps wellbeing. So we are looking for great images of nature or the garden combined with a caption of your own words, poetry or a quotation. Lindengate co-founder Charlie Powell explained that everyone enjoyed the Scarecrow competition so much

last year, that this year Lindengate wanted another opportunity to showcase local creativity; “The challenge this year is - can you help us explain how contact with nature helps good mental health? As well as a display of entries at the Fair, many of the images will feature on our Facebook and Twitter throughout the following year, so everyone who enters will be helping us promote “Lindengate and wellbeing.”

Prizes and the entry categories are: Under 10, Under 16, Adult and Group. Each category will receive a small prize, with the Lindengate Duck Trophy being awarded to the best overall entry. Entries must be original work and presented as A4 size. Prizes will be awarded and entries will be on display at the Lindengate Fair.

Submit entries by post or email by Friday June 1st to: Lindengate, The Old Allotment site, next to Wyevale Garden Centre, Aylesbury Road, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, HP22 6BD or [email protected] following information should be included on the back of your entry or in your email: Name, Category and email contact/phone number.

For more information about Lindengate follow us on Facebook or Twitter, www.lindegate.org.uk 01296 622443

The Lindengate Fair and Competition


There are many aspects of modern parenting that polarise us and one of them is that of pocket money. How much? How often? When should you start? As a mother of four, I have put off giving pocket money for as long as possible. I could justify this to myself - and them - on the basis that they don’t ‘need’ money as I provide everything they require. They would often receive money for birthdays and as a treat during the school holidays from their grandparents and were happy. It worked for years but now they are getting older, and they ‘need stuff ’ apparently.

Of course, I agree that children need to be educated about money. And I love the theory I’ve seen spread about on social media that for every pound they receive, they should be taught to save some, give some to charity and the rest is theirs for spending. Or something like that. It’s very worthy and of course a great idea. But in truth, it won’t work for me. I simply don’t have time to administer and oversee the process for they are cunning and can’t be trusted.

Some will argue that children should ‘earn’ their pocket money. Again, I say, absolutely. They should be helping out around the house as soon as they are able to. But I resent paying them to do the jobs that are just part of everyday life. No one else gets paid to unload

the dishwasher or put away the washing. And the trouble with a big household is that there will always be one who gets away with doing less because they are a) the youngest b) too slow c) too busy in their room ‘doing homework’ – to which there is no argument!

Over the years I have started countless motivational tick charts that I stick to the fridge with good intentions. It usually takes approximately two hours before one child has lost their potential pocket money earnings for the forthcoming seven years. Weeks roll by before I ever have the right cash to hand out and then how can I NOT give it to the one who has driven me to the edge of a breakdown but who, at this very moment is offering me a Malteser and telling me they love me? Some would say why not set up a direct debit straight in to their bank accounts but then I wouldn’t be able to withhold it as a punishment for undesirable behaviour - which is precisely how I’ve managed to get away with not paying out all this time. What’s more, my children are all close together in age, so everything must be fair and equal or else. You see where I’m going with this?

I’ve noticed that my children behave very differently when they are quids in. There is one who will instantly bank it. One who has already spent it. One who thinks they left it on the table but can’t really remember. And one who goes to Smiggle and comes out with 50p change from a tenner and four banana scented pencils and a motorised rubber to show for it. I despair.

The one financial lesson that I have diligently instilled in my kids since they were young though is that of the ‘mummy tax’. Whenever they have sweets or treats I have insisted they give one to me, thereby explaining the concept of paying tax in very real terms. Unsurprisingly this one, I’ve managed to stick to. Kelly Cornish


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Music has always been an important part of school ethos. This is because we recognise that learning music, whether it is an instrument or singing, has many positive benefits for the learner.

Research has shown that listening to music and playing a musical instrument can stimulate your brain and increase your memory. New research suggests that regularly playing an instrument changes the shape and power of the brain. Evidence continues to grow that shows musicians have organisationally and functionally different brains compared with non-musicians. The part of the brain that controls motor skills, hearing, storing audio information and the memory actually grow and become more active.

Another benefit of music is that making music in any form is relaxing. Singing lowers stress levels as it releases stored muscle tension and decreases the levels of a stress hormone called cortisol in the blood stream. It also improves mental alertness by improving blood circulation and an oxygenated blood stream allows more oxygen to reach the brain which tends to promote a good mood.

In school there are several different opportunities for music learning across the classes. An example of this is in year 3, where

all the children participate in the Wider Opportunities music programme where they learn a musical instrument. This year, the children are learning the ukulele. They thoroughly enjoy their lessons where they sing and accompany themselves on the ukulele.

Another example is that in late January, I had the privilege of accompanying a group of children to the O2 Arena to sing in the 2018 Young Voices concert. This is at least the 10th year we have been providing the children with an opportunity to sing in a choir of over 7000 children from across the country. The singers had to learn thousands of words as well as different tunes and some complicated actions at school before we went to the O2 for the rehearsal and main event. Our children sang magnificently. They came back exhausted, but with a memory that they will never forget.

So if you want to help your child learn better and relax more, consider letting them learn an instrument or take up singing. This will enhance what we offer them in school! Helen Shepherd

Aston Clinton SchoolHead: Mrs Helen Shepherd


Aston Clinton’s Surgery NewsJanuary 2018 saw a change for us at ACS with the retirement of Dr Gwen Williams and the addition of our new GP Dr Alex Parsons. We wish Gwen a happy and fulfilled retirement and welcome Alex to her new “family”.

The community police informed us in January that there had been a bogus caller to a person’s home pretending to be a GP on a home visit. Please be assured that GPs from this surgery make home visits when they have been requested by the patient on the day. If the GP was going to make an unplanned visit the surgery would telephone the patient prior to the visit. If you have not requested a visit or had a phone call from the surgery to say a GP will be calling; do not let this person into your home. If you are in doubt please call the surgery to confirm.

On a happier note it is also the time for people to start to plan or go on their summer holidays. If you are planning to travel further afield don’t forget to allow yourself enough time to get whatever travel vaccinations you may need. On our website www.westongrove.com there are links to access information to decide if you need vaccinations and our travel nurses are very knowledgeable and can help you with which ones are necessary. Forms are also available on our website to apply for this non-NHS service. You will need to submit your form at least 8-10 weeks before your travel date to be sure you can receive the vaccinations in the correct time frame as some of them need to be administered at specific intervals before travel.

It is already hay fever season and may soon be a lovely sunny summer so please take care in the sun and remember that you can buy sunscreen, medication and nasal sprays that

may help your hay fever symptoms from the pharmacist who can also give you good advice on alternative methods to deal with the symptoms. When you are properly sun screened and medicated you will be better able to go out and get some natural Vitamin D and enjoy some healthy exercise not forgetting to take your water and stay well hydrated; drinking fewer sugary drinks in favour of water and moderating alcohol. Best wishes for a lovely summer from all at Aston Clinton Surgery. Tina Moran

Two More Qualified Walk Leaders for our Simply Walk Group

Our local Simply Walk group continues to go from strength to strength. January saw another milestone for the group when it welcomed its 1,000th walker and, more recently, two of our regular walkers have now qualified as Walk Leaders. Karen & Steve have both been walking with the group for some time and, following the temporary loss of two of our other Leaders due to personal circumstances, they have kindly stepped forward to help us maintain the number and type of free walks we can offer.


Fiona Broadbent (centre), congratulates Steve (left) and Karen (right) on achieving their ‘Walk Leader’ qualification. Edward Kempton


Karen is from Aston Clinton and has a lot of experience in outdoor exercise. Steve is from Ivinghoe and has previously used our walks to help him return to fitness following a serious illness. Steve’s face may be familiar to those who have already seen the new Bucks CC ‘Simply Walk’ Video, which is now available to view free on the internet at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5SzaP1NCGU or via the Simply Walks website. After our walk on 15th February Karen and Steve were both personally awarded their Leaders certificates and hi-viz jackets by Fiona Broadbent, who is the Simply Walk Lead Co-ordinator for Bucks CC.

So, if you’d like to start getting yourself back on the road to ‘feeling a bit better’ and make some new friends at the same time,

why not join us by simply popping along to Aston Clinton Park on any Thursday morning? Walks are all free and start at 10:30 prompt but, if it’s your first time, please arrive a bit earlier so that you can get the chance to meet the Walk Leader and make sure you’re on the right type of walk for you. Just look for the person in the hi-viz jacket near the cafe entrance.

For further information on these and other gentle walks in Buckinghamshire, you can either talk to one of our Leaders, or take a look at the Simply Walk website: www.buckscc.gov.uk/simplywalk, or contact Fiona Broadbent on 01494 475367 or by email to [email protected]

Village Life crossword no.26Crossword compiled by Helen Lonsdale (SOLUTION ON PAGE 25)

1 2 3 4 5 6

7

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18

23

8

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20 21 22

24

15 16

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CLUES ACROSS1 Angel (6) 5 Cry of sheep (3) 8 Flour mill in Tring (8) 9 In company of (4)10 Wasted effort (12) 12 & 20 Retiring editor (4,4)13 Equipment (4) 17 Fruit (6) 19 Alnus tree (5) 20 see 1221 Drayton Beauchamp’s

ancient lane (8)23 Finale (3) 24 Walk like a duck (6) CLUES DOWN2 Cuddle (3) 3 Confirm (6) 4 Starting points (6)5 Bandy (3,6) 6 Caper/fling (5) 7 Antenna (6) 11 Captivated (9) 14 Pilot (6) 15 Nut (6) 16 Simple song (6) 18 Entertain (5) 22 Night bird (3)


1st Aston Clinton Guides & Rangers Spring Term Residentials We try to give the girls lots of different residential opportunities within the year, to develop their independence and challenge them in different ways. The Spring Term weather gives us the least opportunities, but we have managed to get away twice already in 2018.

In January, the older Guides teamed up with some of the Rangers to camp at “Fire and Ice 2018” at Tolmers camp site. This is a big activity camp, but one of the most challenging elements is camping in the conditions. It was extremely wet, extremely muddy and very cold at night. As well as the tent doors icing over, we even had heavy snow at one point during the weekend. The girls coped extremely well with the miserable conditions. There are a whole host of activities on offer and they tried a few but the relentless cold and rain saps the enthusiasm and it becomes easier to sit and huddle around the fire. All the girls survived and some of them even enjoyed the experience!

We hope that it will encourage our older Guides to move into Rangers and take on some more new challenges.

In February, we took the Guides to a two night indoor holiday at Heron’s Lodge, a Guiding centre in Milton Keynes. As our leader Laura is due to give birth in the next few weeks, we themed the event “Laura’s baby Shower”. The camp patrols were each given an egg to take care of all weekend. At first they didn’t realise that we had hard-boiled them. There were lots of baby related challenges to earn “egg points”, like guessing baby names, tasting baby foods, making a sling to walk the baby “egg”, building an “egg bridge” and finally making something so that the egg could be dropped without damaging it. As well as all the challenges, we watched the movie “Three Men and a Baby” and had appropriate bed-time stories, ate a finger-food lunch and had a good long walk in the sunshine. If the eggs were left unattended, they were “eggnapped” and a ransom note was given asking for a forfeit before the egg could be returned. There were minus points if the egg baby was stolen or neglected. A lot of fun was had with eggs disappearing and reappearing all over the place.

As always, there are challenges. For some girls this is going away with new people for the first time, or making the bed themselves, eating slightly unfamiliar food or keeping their kit in their own bag. For some the challenge of caring for something else, even if it was only a hard-boiled egg, encouraged a sense of responsibility and selflessness. Caring for someone else is definitely a skill they need to develop. It is a good job there is not an “eggline”, because those poor egg babies were pretty bashed and battered by the end of the weekend!

Sue Wall


Guides and Rangers at Fire and Ice 2018 making the most of the conditions


Fun & Games at 1st Aston Clinton Brownies

We have had a very busy start to our new term & the New Year, starting work on our Fire Safety badge with a scheduled trip to see a local Fire Station in action and learning safety around fire. For our “Brownie choice” night the girls chose a Bake Off theme with cupcake decorating. We’re lining up some fun activities for the lighter evenings to come, making sure our girls are part of the decision making process. Even a pack holiday with 2nd Aston Clinton Brownies has been pencilled in.

Popular games include Wink Murder, Corners & Ladders (the old ones still seem the best!!!) while trying some different games that our new helper has introduced.

Girlguiding aims to be an organisation that is inclusive, fun and relevant, working together as a team and caring for the individual. We are always looking for like-minded volunteers (we couldn’t run our sessions without them) who fancy helping to flip pancakes or make paper glitter flowers, trying new foods and leading rounders in the park to name a few activities, and to help inspire young girls to be the best they can be, especially in a world so dominated with social media and online presence.

At the beginning of half term, sadly, we said goodbye to our Brown Owl, Lesley Butcher, who has led our girls for the past few years, and has done such a fantastic job of making our sessions current, engaging and fun. We would like to thank her for all her time and effort, she will be missed. Big shoes to fill and our team of two leaders and two young helpers are taking on the challenge. Lots to look forward to. Jo Johnson, Kingfisher Jo Marsh, Puffin, 1st Aston Clinton Brownies If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at our unit, please register your interest at: www.girlguiding.co.uk Brownies working together and getting ‘hands on’

making shortbread

Village Life distribution co-ordinatorUnfortunately, our distribution co-ordinator, Geoff Plowman, is moving away from the area so we are looking for someone to manage the team that distributes this magazine six times per year.

We have a reliable team of 40+ distributors who very kindly give of their time to collect the magazines from St. Michael’s Church and distribute them to their local streets.

The co-ordinator role is not too onerous; it involves sending an email to the distributors about a week before the publication and then spending about two hours every second month with the rest of the production team sorting the magazines into local delivery rounds. Normally there is a second visit to the church about a week later to make sure everything has been collected.

If you feel you would like to make this vital contribution to the success of the magazine, or would like to be a local distributor, please contact: Richard Vincent 01296 631391 or email [email protected]


Every year, a friend has a book sale to raise funds for prostate cancer. Every year, I intend to get rid of a great number of unwanted books to this good cause, and every year the date comes round before I’ve done anything about it. I grab a few obvious candidates, and the greater task remains undone. But this year I managed a slight improvement.

I have lived in the same house for over 40 years, and I think it would be fair to say that I have a tendency to hoard. The rooms where other people might go are reasonable, but there are bookcases everywhere, and one room full of books and all those other things that you don’t really want but you don’t know quite what to do with. There always seems to be something more pressing than going into that room and sorting stuff into charity shop, tip and dustbin heaps. It’s actually quite a depressing thing to do, for me anyway.

I pondered why it is so difficult, and for me books are the most difficult of all. My dad was a book binder at Hazell, Watson and Viney, so I was brought up with a love of books and strict rules about respecting them – no turning down page corners or breaking spines so that they’d lie flat. So a book was always a special thing, and for birthdays and Christmas they were what I loved most – better than all the toys and dolls.

I have a lot of interests, and the bookcases reflect that. My parents encouraged my interest in the natural world, I have a great love of literature and poetry, and I’ve been lucky enough to travel a lot. Just those three subjects alone generate a vast number of volumes. I’m also a great fiction reader, and buy novels, some of which I think I may want to reread. Then there’s the courses: I have done a lot of Open University courses, and they all came with excellent accompanying books. So much time and effort went into them, but I doubt I will ever look at them again. And each book has special memories attached: where I bought it, sometimes where I was when I read it, with the field guides the excitement of tracking down an unknown bird, flower or butterfly, the travel guides recalling the excitement of foreign travel and a wealth of traveller’s tales. Then there’s the walks books, the cookery books, the photography books, the books people buy you that they think you’d like and you don’t, the ones you always meant to read and now accept you never will, and all the ones that don’t fit into any category, but are often much loved.

But this time I tried to be ruthless. I have several teetering piles of books ready to go, perhaps a hundred in total, and I know I must get them out of the house today, otherwise I will go back and start going through them, thinking ‘oh no, I must keep that one..’ And the whole exercise has made surprisingly little space on the overcrowded shelves. Could do better, as my school reports so often said. Next time. Alison Beck


On trying to clear out books“ So many books, so little time.”

Frank Zappa


Getting to know Aston Clinton’s junior golf championCallum Powell lives in Aston Clinton and goes to Aylesbury Grammar School but is no ordinary teenager. While his friends may prefer to relax at weekends the 14-year old will spend 20 of those weekends this year on a golf course competing on the British Junior Golf Tour attempting to defend his title.

Like many of today’s successful professional golfers, he started playing at a very early age, four years old in his case, and played in his first tournament just one year later.

Village Life caught up with Callum to talk about his life of golf.

“ Golf is a great sport for many reasons. Firstly, it is fun. Secondly, I get to spend time with my dad.

It is a sport that I can always play with my dad for a lifetime and there are not many sports you can do that. It’s also great that I can spend time outdoors and not in front of my computer screen playing games. Golf teaches you life skills like integrity, discipline, persistence and also maths. And I get to travel and meet lots of different people and make friends. I am a

member of Weston Turville golf club. It’s a great club, very friendly and I would love to see more teenagers playing there or at any of the other nearby golf courses. As for the future, well I hope that golf will help to get me a scholarship to a top university.”

As well as the British Junior Golf Tour this year Callum will also play in the Graeme Storm Junior Open in Hartlepool which raises money for The Finley Cooper Fund. He’s then off to Las Vegas to play in the World Stars of Junior Golf Masters which will feature the 70 top 13 and 14-year old golfers from round the world. What a year lies ahead for Callum. We wish him good luck. Andrew Andersz

Chiltern Forest Golf ClubThe Ladies section of the Chiltern Forest G C are holding an open day and coffee morning on Monday 8 May at 10am. The club promises friendship, health and competition. Try 9 holes for free and find out more about lessons. Any lady joining on the day will receive 50% off the usual membership fee.

Whether you are a current or aspiring lady golfer you can get more information at [email protected] or call 01296 631267

For a digital version of Village Life visit our website.

acvillagelife.weebly.com


The Aston Clinton Branch of the Royal British Legion had a successful Christmas Bingo at the Rothchild’s Arms in Weston Road. Despite the snow and ice, they made us very welcome.

All Branches take part in the Poppy Appeal every year around Armistice day and Remembrance Sunday, though monies are raised throughout the year towards it. In 2017 our branch has raised £5,417.11 out of an Aylesbury total of £79,206.12. This goes to a range of projects in the support of injured and disabled ex-servicemen. There is now much more recognition on mental support and PTSD. This is something that can manifest itself sometime after a serviceman has left the service of his country. If you would like to become a Poppy Appeal collector this year, please contact Emma Bone.

This winter has been a sad one, as we have lost three faithful members: Beryl Rowley, Catherine Letton and Ken Rainbach. We shall miss them and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends.

GREAT PILGRIMAGE 90 (GP90)In the biggest membership event in its

history, The Royal British Legion is recreating its 1928 pilgrimage to World War One battlefields.

A decade after the end of WW1, veterans and war widows visited the battlefields of the Somme and Ypres before marching to the Menin Gate in Ypres on 8 August 1928. Exactly 90 years later, thousands of Legion members will recreate The 1928 Great Pilgrimage to visit the same battlefields and then, on 8 August 2018, carry their standards along the same route to the Menin Gate, to commemorate the last 100 days of WW1 and represent an entire generation that served while defending their country. Our Branch is

sponsoring our chairman Lee and our standard bearer George to represent us by taking our standard along the same route.

Over the weekend of 27th /28th April Lee, our chairman is bag packing at Tesco on the Tring Road, Aylesbury to raise funds. You may like to support her and Lee is also looking for volunteers to join her.

Our next major fundraising event will be at the Aston Clinton Village Market on Sunday 13th May, where we shall be raising funds for both the branch and the Poppy Appeal. At our stall, we plan to hold a “Knit and Natter” session so that members of the public can come and get to know us better. There will also be a raffle and tombola.

Our Summer Social event to which all are invited will be held on Friday 29th June with details to follow.

Members and representatives from our village have attended the Annual Battle of Britain service at St Paul’s cathedral – Sunday 16th September this year. Our president has again obtained tickets for our branch. If you would like to go, we will be running a coach, please contact Mike Collins on 01296 632039. This year is the 100th anniversary of the RAF so it will be a big occasion.

Finally, we have been approached about WW1 crosses in our Churchyard. There are three service graves but I think any wooden crosses would have rotted long ago. If anyone can shed light on this piece of history we would dearly like to know.

We meet every second Tuesday of the month in the Parish Council office at 7.30pm and welcome new members. Ralph Weston


Royal British Legion


Our monthly general meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at the Anthony Hall, from 2.30pm until 4.30pm. The February meeting was taken up by our AGM including the election of officers for the coming year. Retiring committee members Ralph Ludlow and Ron Batts were given a vote of thanks for all the hard work they have put in over a large number of years whilst Clive Dancer and John Robinson were welcomed as new members of the committee. The chairman also thanked the committee, group leaders and other helpers for all they have done in making 2017 a very successful year for ACU3A. At the forthcoming meeting on 17th April there will be a talk on “Great American Art”, and on 15th May the talk will be entitled “A Life In Music”.

Following recent interesting trips to The Neasden Hindu Temple and “Tourist London”, in April we will be visiting the Postal Museum in Farringdon where, among other things, we will have the opportunity to ride the Mail Rail, the underground rail system which connected London’s main sorting offices for 75 years until 2003. Then in May we have a visit to The Imperial War Aviation Museum at Duxford where we will be able to get up-close to some of the most famous aircraft in the world, including the Lancaster, Spitfire, Concorde and Vulcan.

Our individual interest groups continue to thrive with three new groups starting up in recent months. Firstly, there is a French Refreshers Group which is designed for those who are a little beyond complete beginners but who want to build their confidence in the four basic skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Secondly, there is a Making Music Group, which is for anybody wishing to join with others in playing an instrument or singing along. It does not matter whether you are a

complete novice or an accomplished musician, the aim is to help each other learn whilst having fun and enjoying ourselves. The third group is a Book Group who will be reading and discussing various books over the coming months.

The Wildlife Group will be visiting the Green Dragon Rare Breeds Farm and Eco Park in April and the following month will be going to Docky Wood to view the bluebells. The Bird Watching Group are planning a visit to the London Wetland Centre in April.

On the social front we recently enjoyed a trip back to the sixties, dancing along to all the old hit music and recalling the “good old days”. Our next event is a St. George’s Day Lunch on 22nd April where we will have the chance to join in a “Last Night of the Proms” style patriotic singalong.

If you are no longer working full-time or raising a family, now is the time to make the most of life. U3A gives you a chance to develop your interests, make new friends and enjoy yourself. For more information visit our website: www.acu3a.weebly.com Jeff Meek

Aston Clinton U3A news

Please mention Village Life when responding to our advertisers.



Q. How long have you, and your family lived in Aston Clinton?A. I moved here 11 years ago, from Berkhamsted, but prior to that lived in Bierton. Tring and Wilstone. I was born in London and stayed there until I was in my late 20s.

Q. What is your ‘day job’?A. I am a barrister, specialising in international law, and work in-house advising on international corporate, compliance and employment issues. Sounds dull but isn’t! I have been lucky enough to travel widely – something I love doing.

Q. How long have you been a Parish Councillor?A. Since May 2015.

Q. How often does a Parish Councillor have to be re-elected?A. Every four years, so the next elections will be in May 2019.

Q. What prompted you to become a Parish Councillor?A. I founded, with others, Preserve Aston Clinton Village Environment, an action group whose aim was to attempt to stop so many houses being built in the village. This led to me being co-opted on the newly formed Neighbourhood Plan sub-committee of the

Parish Council. I then started coming to Parish Council meetings, found it interesting and thought as a lawyer there were areas I could help with. I hadn’t intended to be chairman!

Q. What does your role as chairman of the Parish Council entail?A. It’s very varied. I obviously chair the main monthly Parish Council meeting, but while most people think that is it, vastly more goes on. Aston Clinton is a large parish, and has committees from the Neighbourhood Plan one, to planning, facilities, finance and sports and recreation (and that’s not all). I have chosen


Village People

Liz Tubb - chairman of Aston Clinton Parish Council.

This is the first in a series about the people of Aston Clinton, Buckland and Drayton Beauchamp. Not just the people who live in these villages but also the people who are a part of the daily life of the villages.


to sit on all, so I know exactly what is going on. I need to be able to understand all the issues facing the council (and there are many from legal ones to tendering for the grounds maintenance contract to dealing with anti-social behaviour), so I can ensure the main Parish meeting is given the correct information so that decisions can be made based on correct facts. We are lucky as we have two excellent clerks, who ensure this process runs smoothly. Being a Parish Councillor is certainly not a role that takes only a couple of hours a week, but it is rewarding and I think great fun (and we have a vacancy!). It is unpaid, so we are all volunteers.

Q. What are the biggest challenges facing Aston Clinton Parish Council?A. Ensuring that the needs of all types of residents are met. Since this Parish Council started in 2015, we have either assisted or established many things which cater for the varied ages groups in the village. With our help, the youth club was re-started, a Tuesday lunch club established and we now have a fabulous tenant in the Café in the Park. With monies from

the housing developments (calculated by AVDC, it’s money we don’t want but need to spend wisely) we have built a multi-use games area, the new all-weather pitch, ensured access via paths for all to the park, added play equipment that children of all abilities can use, and built a skatepark. We also started Astonbury – a free music festival for all age groups.

So, I would say the biggest challenge is ensuring we do the best for all in the village and spend the money we receive from our allocation of council tax and from the housing developments wisely. The other main challenge was developing and completing our Neighbourhood Plan, which is now in its final stages.

Q. Do you have time for hobbies? If so what are they?A. I do. My wonderful daughters (if that counts!), travel with my partner and vintage and classic cars.

Q. What’s your favourite music?A. Hard one this – varies from AC/DC to Elgar, to David Bowie to BB King.

Q. What’s your favourite film?A. Don’t really have one – but saw the Darkest Hour recently and loved that and Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool – fab!

Q. What was the first car you owned?A. A Renault 4 van!!

Q. What do you drive now?A. Day car a VW Touareg, and for fun at weekends, a 1994 Porsche 911.

Q. What changes to village life have you noticed in recent years?A. Sadly, the huge increase in the size of our village. The positive is that this has bought people together to fight against it, but I preferred the village when it was smaller.

Interview by Andrew Andersz Photo by Marion Mason

Ensuring that the needs of all types of residents are met.



It has been good to see the new year starting with some of our planned projects taking place: the car park surfacing is finished and looking fantastic in time for the Easter holidays. The new All-Weather Pitch is up and running with lots of bookings. The skate ramp has also been re-worked and I am told the skateboarders are much happier with it now. As I write, the repairs to the Trim Trail, the reinstatement of the ground mats and the repairs to the ‘beach’ bridge are underway. We have recently closed off the tendering for the annual Grounds Maintenance contract which produced eight bids, and we are currently working on the specification for surfacing and re-working the driveway into the Park. The timeframe for this is to have it completed by the school summer holidays so we are ready for the busy days and for Astonbury.

Its nice to be popular but there is a downside i.e. the dog owners who persistently let their dogs foul. Whilst we are pleased to report that incidents of anti-social behaviour in the park have reduced from 25 in 2016 to just five in 2017, following installation of the CCTV, incidents of dog fouling though are still a huge

problem. We need members of the public to report dates, times and locations. Once we know this we can look at the CCTV footage with a view to imposing a fine which can be up to £1000. We have also recently implemented a rule that dogs in the churchyard must be kept on a lead, following some persistent fouling.

As we look ahead to the new financial year, and the final year in office for this council, the Parish Council focus will shift to fundraising for the new Community Centre. There is still a shortfall in the funding and with a vacancy still on the council, we are particularly interested in hearing from applicants who may have fundraising or financial experience.

As you can see, less than a quarter of expenditure is on admin, salaries etc and more than three-quarters goes in premises, projects and programmes to benefit the village. The councillors and clerks do try to work hard to ensure the needs of the village are met and value for money is maintained. Gill Merry

Parish Council Clerk’s Report

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Mon 30 July TBC Play in the Park Sat 18 Aug TBC Astonbury Festival

Where your money went in the year to March 2018 (as at 28/2/18)

16% Salaries (inc. HMRC & Pension Payments)

6% Admin (inc. Office, Training, Mortgage, Computer etc)

2% Street Lighting

2% Bins Wheelie, Dog & Park

15% Premises (inc. Repairs, Maintenance, Utilities, Electrical Contractor etc)

10% Grounds Maintenance Contract

7% LED Replacement

38% Projects & Events (inc. S106 projects)

6% Neighbourhood Plan, Planning Matters


Buckland Ladies Luncheon Group was formed in 1977 when a dozen or so of the village ladies agreed that, after the various village social events commemorating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, it would be enjoyable to continue meeting regularly to exchange news and views on village life. It is now well over forty years since the group first met and in that time there have been regular monthly lunch-time meetings with members taking turns to host the event in their homes.

Inevitably there have been many changes in membership over the years but the group continues to flourish and currently has an active membership of around a dozen Bucklanders, confirming the original decision on the best size for such an informal group.

A small subscription has enabled the Group to support various charities such as the Florence Nightingale Hospice and the Air Ambulance, and also to make donations to help in providing flowers for All Saints Church. In addition the Group has provided two public benches in the village, the first in All Saints churchyard and the second opposite Buckland Village Hall.

The Village Hall provides the venue for the Christmas / New Year meeting when invitations are extended both to husbands and a small number of guests from the village and beyond. Maureen Ridler

The Buck PubThe Buck pub will be returning over the last Bank Holiday weekend in May. Join us at the Village Hall to eat and drink in aid of charity. More details of opening dates and times on Facebook and local noticeboards.

All Saints’ BucklandRegular Services: 8am Holy Communion each Sunday 11am Family Communion – First and Third Sundays10am Midweek Communion each Wednesday9.00am Morning Prayer each Thursday

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Sun 29 April 11am Benefice service All Saints’ Church

Sun 27 May NO SERVICE AT ALL SAINTS’ TODAY BENEFICE EUCHARIST AT ST MICHAEL’S DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Thurs 19 April 2 – 4pm All Saints Afternoon Tea* Pink HouseThurs 19 July TBC Lunch and Bridge St Cecilia’s Hall

* All Saints Afternoon Tea at Pink House, 25, Beaconsfield Road. If fine, in the garden. A fund-raising event for flowers, oasis and sundries for All Saints Church. Home made tea and cake £2. All welcome. Raffle and Bring & Buy sale. Contact Frances Farley 01296 630072.

More details about these events on the church website: www.allsaintsbuckland.org.uk

Buckland Ladies Luncheon Group

ASTON CLINTON, BUCKLAND AND DRAYTON BEAUCHAMP NEWS


St Mary the Virgin Drayton BeauchampRegular Services: 10.45am each Sunday

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Sun 29 April 11.00am NO SERVICE AT ST MARY’S. BENEFICE SERVICE AT ALL SAINTS BUCKLAND

Sun 27 May 9.15am NO SERVICE AT ST MARY’S. BENEFICE EUCHARIST AT ST MICHAEL’S DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Sat 23 June 7.30pm Summer Concert St Mary’s Church

Thurs 19 July TBC Lunch and Bridge* St Cecilia’s Hall

* Lunch and Bridge at the Cecilia Hall, Puttenham, in aid of St Mary’s church Drayton Beauchamp. To reserve your place telephone Rosemary Brooke 01296 630446.

More details about these events on the church website: www.s-marys.org.uk


Leaving Drayton Beauchamp By the time you read this (if all has gone according to plan) I will have delivered my last bundle of Village Life magazines and my husband and I will have moved from Drayton Beauchamp.

We are not moving far – only to Tring – but before real old age and decrepitude set in it seems sensible to move from this beautiful but rather isolated community to a house within walking distance of the shops and other amenities, all currently a car journey away. Having a garden of only ¼ acre to look after instead of a full acre may also be a wise plan!

We have lived in our converted barn home since July 1982, coming to the village with children aged 14 and almost 12, so as you may imagine it is a considerable wrench to leave. We have always enjoyed being in the centre of village activities – Tom as Chairman of the Parish Meeting and I with my years of research

into the history of the parish which culminated in the creation, with David Lonsdale, of the “village book” in 2011. (Only 4 copies remain from the 400 printed.)

One final exciting event concerning village history was on March 28, when Jim Cheyne arrived from his home in Arizona after several years of correspondence with me. He was delighted to be able at last to visit St Mary’s Church and to see the recently restored statue of his ancestor William Cheyne, Viscount Newhaven, the last Cheyne Lord of the Manor to live in Drayton Beauchamp. With the help of Margaret Dean and Anne Eardley, Churchwardens, and Rosemary Brooke who was very much involved in the restoration planning and process, I am sure he goes back to Arizona with lasting memories.


I very much welcomed the introduction of Village Life, having discovered whilst interviewing villagers during the preparations for writing the book that some (particularly non churchgoers) felt rather socially isolated, there being no shop, school or village hall to act as a meeting place and centre of local news. As a result, I have always believed it crucial that every single dwelling in the parish should receive a copy of Village Life. “Elderly papergirl” though I may be, I have enjoyed delivering the magazines to some of the more spread out corners of the lower section of the parish since the very first issue.

My round will be divided between Chris Dunbar and Erica Godman. Tom and I extend our very best wishes for the future to everyone in the three parishes and we are leaving Drayton Beauchamp with many happy memories of our years in the village. Margaret Ross

Drayton Beauchamp Parish Meeting Annual Litter blitzThe Annual Litter blitz will be held on Saturday April 14. Volunteers are asked to meet at Lower Farm at 10.00am wearing brightly coloured jackets, gardening gloves and waterproof footwear. The customary refreshments will be served after the traditional litter clearance of the verges and ditches of the village lane.

For more information, contact Meryl Nodes 01296 630396.

Drayton Beauchamp Annual Parish MeetingThe Annual Parish Meeting is to be held on Thursday April 26 2018 in St. Mary’s Church at 8.00pm. It is an opportunity to be updated on local issues by our District and County Councillors. Refreshments will be served after the Meeting. All parishioners are welcome.Meryl Nodes, Clerk to the Parish Meeting.

Summer ConcertFor the first time in over 30 years of Summer Concerts we are delighted to welcome a guitar duo- two outstanding performers from the Royal Academy of Music.

Emmanuel Sowicz and Giacomo Susani will present a wide-ranging programme of music featuring work by lesser-known composers as well as the more famous (Mozart, Bach, Debussy). The concert will include a UK première which will appeal to a wide audience.

Do join us for a summer evening of wonderful music.

Tickets £15:00 from: Anne Eardley 01296 434357 or 07890 798476, Rosemary Brooke 01296 630446 and Guy Moores 01442 826241

CROSSWORD No.26 SOLUTION

Across 1.Cherub 5.Baa 8.Heygates 9.With 10.Inefficiency 12.Alec 13.Gear 17.Banana 19.Alder 20.Just 21.Holloway 23.End 24.Waddle

Down 2.Hug 3.Ratify 4.Basics 5.Bow legged 6.Antic 7.Aerial 11.Enchanted 14.Airman 15.Cashew 16.Ballad 18.Amuse 22.Owl

For a digital version of Village Life visit our website.



In the last issue of this magazine I talked about the miserable Autumn and Winter with a heavy fall of snow before Christmas. Now we are experiencing another extreme weather period with easterly air flow and wind coming from deep inside Russia. I hope that you all got dressed up properly against the wind chill.

While this sort of weather is said to bring growth to a standstill it is surprising the number of plants that are still growing. Most of them are bulbs. My snowdrops have been flowering since Christmas. I have hardy cyclamen, aconites and crocus also in flower. Winter flowers are not confined to bulbs. Hellebores, especially the white ones make a good show once they are established. Again, despite the inclement weather, my daffodil and tulips bulbs have quietly been growing away. The blanket of snow will keep them warm from the icy winds so that when the warmer weather returns they will leap ahead into flower.

It is said that a cold winter will kill off many of the garden pests. Don’t get too excited though, the slugs and snails will be hiding in the ground and will appear again during the spring.

The frosty weather was a good opportunity to turn over the vegetable patch ready for planting. The frost and snow will have helped break down the rough earth into a fine tilth. Shallots and onions should have been planted in February.

My potatoes have been laid out for chitting and will be planted in April. Potatoes can be grown in large tubs and bags in small gardens. They will produce potatoes earlier, but they must be watered regularly because the leaves shelter the pots and bags from natural rain which is something the media and commercial interests fail to mention so that many are disappointed. This is the beginning of the fruit and vegetable year so there is not much that can be harvested now. There are some hardy greens such as curly kale which have overwintered but coming into season now is rhubarb. And you will find a seasonal recipe on page 27.

In the last magazine I described a number of trees and bushes very suitable for small gardens. Since then I have bought and planted two trees, one is a maiden cooking apple and the other is a ‘Prunus Serrula’ which I wanted for its colourful bark. Both were bare root trees that needed planting straight away. The apple tree has been pruned to develop a bush tree (making it easy to prune and harvest fruit in the future). The Prunus Serrula arrived already pruned into a multi-stemmed tree as can be seen in the picture. I will probably prune out some of shoots later to give a three or four stemmed tree.

Now is the time to buy and plant out your garden, however small. Go to reputable suppliers whether locally or on line. There are some suggestions in the Feb-Mar issue.

Horticultural Society NewsNEWS ASTON CLINTON, BUCKLAND AND DRAYTON BEAUCHAMP

Snowdrops Alan Newland


The first of our shows is on Saturday 7th April. This will be our 22nd Annual Spring Show and Plant Sale and is held in the Aston Clinton School Hall and opens at 2pm. Though principally it is to show the wide variety of daffodils, there are a wide range of related classes. There will also be a large range of plants for sale. Do come along and see what we are doing to encourage Gardening in this area; there will people about to give advice and guidance. The show was promoted on Wycombe Sound last month when Ralph gave a telephone interview about allotments and shows in Aston Clinton. On Sunday April 29th, Sue Lipscomb and Jacki Connell are opening their Gardens under the National Gardens scheme. They both live in Green End Street, Sue at 101 and Jacki at Lantern Cottage. They will both have plants to sell and Jacki will also be selling refreshments. Do go along and support them.

This year our Summer Show is a week later than usual, on the Bank Holiday Saturday 25th August. It will be held in the Aston Clinton School Hall and not in the park as last year.Our complete diary for 2018 is available on our website. Do come along, you will be made very welcome especially at our shows. Ralph Weston

Date and Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients: 6 oz self-raising flour3 oz margerine4 oz caster sugar8 oz rhubarb

4 oz chopped dates1 large egg 4 tbsp milk

Method: 1. Sift flour, add fat and rub in2. Stir in sugar3. Wipe rhubarb and cut into small cubes4. Stir in rhubarb and dates and bind with

beaten egg and enough milk to give a fairly soft consistency.

5. Bake on centre shelf at reg 5, 190°C, 375°F for 1hr 15mins to 1hr 30mins

6. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins

I use an 8 inch tin, 2 inches deep, and I line the base with baking parchment. If you don’t have caster sugar, granulated will do.

I have been asked to provide a recipe related to the season and I have chosen one of my wife’s favourites – Date and Rhubarb Cake. This is a soft fruity cake which does not keep well but is very tasty. However, the recipe does not produce a large cake and being ‘moreish’ does not last very long in our house.

Prunus Serrula


A few weeks ago, the media was alive with stories about suffragettes as it was the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, an Act of Parliament that gave women the vote – or more accurately those middle-class ladies who were over 30 years of age and who owned property. It wasn’t until 1928 that all women and men were given the vote from 21 years of age. So maybe we should really be celebrating in 2028.

We have all heard of the Pankhursts, Emmeline, Sylvia and Christabel, but there are many whose names are not so widely known. The suffragette movement and the WI are inextricably linked. Many of WI’s first members were suffragists. At the onset of World War I Mrs Pankhurst persuaded her members to halt all militant activity and put their energy into the War effort.

In 1915 the WI was formed, and I would like to focus on those women whose names are not so widely known to the public. Lady Denman was the first National Chairman of WI and had been a member of the Women’s Liberal Federation and an active supporter of the suffragettes. The WI’s centre of education located in Oxfordshire is named after her.

Many of the early leaders of the WI had been active in the women’s suffrage movement and to them it was important to encourage full participation of women in public life. At the end of World War I there were 700 WIs and by the end of 1919 there were 1,405. During the war with the men away, women had shown their ability to cope, working the land and in the factories. Belonging to the WI had given women freedom and the ability to meet others socially across class boundaries.

Edith Rigby, President of a WI in Lancashire, had been a suffragette and was jailed seven times and forcibly fed.

In 1921 a WI member, Margaret Withingham was only the second female, and first English born woman, to take her seat in Parliament. In 1922 she was also elected to the Executive Committee of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes. A resolution at the national AGM that year was to stop the Government from disbanding the women who had been recruited as police officers during the war. The Government’s opinion was that these women were no longer needed now that the men had returned from fighting and that they should return to their domesticated lives.

The WI continues to this day to vote on resolutions of national importance at our AGMs. Last year the subject of the resolutions passed were about “Alleviating loneliness” and “Banning Plastic Soup.”

Grace Haddow was vice chairman of the National Federation from 1917 to 1940 but was also a founder member of the Oxford Women’s Students for Women’s Suffrage. She said “It looks as if one of the results of going to war was going to be the grant of the parliamentary franchise to women.” Grace felt it essential that women learned to take responsibility and learnt how to run an organisation democratically.

The WI and the Centenary of SuffragettesNEWS ASTON CLINTON, BUCKLAND AND DRAYTON BEAUCHAMP

Margaret Withingham and Lady Astor, the first two women to take their seats in parliament.


She was largely responsible for drafting the WI’s constitution.

With leaders who had been so deeply involved in the suffrage movement, it is not surprising that the main aim of the WI then and now was to educate women. It remains a vital part of the WI. We have speakers at our monthly meetings who always inform as well as entertain us.

Locally, in 1930 the ladies of Buckland Village formed a WI and not long after that the ladies of Drayton Beauchamp asked to join them. Although we don’t have records to show exactly when or how, the ladies of Aston Clinton joined together with Buckland and Drayton Beauchamp to make the longest WI name in Buckinghamshire. We celebrate our birthday every year in December and we have a thriving, active membership of around 40.

I have spent time over the years telling my daughter, and now my granddaughters, about the reason why we need to use our vote at any election because of the sacrifices made by the suffragettes. But, as a reasonably new member of the WI, I have only recently come to recognise the links the organisation has with the suffragettes. Claire Castle

WI Buckland, Drayton Beachamp and Aston Clinton WI meet the first Wednesday of every month at the Anthony Hall at 7.45pm.

Our speaker in April will be Paul Burrit who will be asking “Is Birdsong Music.” In May we have a meeting to discuss the National Federation Resolutions which this year include Mental Health Matters. At this meeting we then give our voting instructions to our delegate who will be attending the National AGM in Cardiff. Our walking group have decided to walk the Aylesbury Ring which we will start doing in small bites from April and our lunch

group continue to meet each month. We are also planning a visit to Tiggywinkles in June.

We welcome new members at any of our meetings, come along and try us, you will receive a warm and friendly welcome. Or for more information please contact me by email [email protected]

Claire Castle, Secretary Buckland, Drayton Beauchamp and Aston Clinton WI

Aston Clinton Ladies’ GroupOur next meeting will be at the Guide Hall on 18 April at 8pm. The talk will be given by the Bucks Owl and Raptor Group.

On 16 May, also in the Guide Hall at 8pm, the talk will be on Flower Arranging and the speaker is Val Truby. New members are always welcome. For more information please contact Sue Sanders 01296 630740 or Janet Watson 01296 631014

Rare Sighting of Fieldfares

A Fieldfare in our garden in early March. Apparently they are a bit rare in the UK but particularly rare in gardens. It was probably the snow that attracted them in and they disappeared with the thaw. Richard Vincent


BUILDING SERVICES C D Lane Contractors 63 Charles Church 31 Dom Walker 49 GP Renovate 38 Hands-on-Handyman 47 K-Lin Woodwork 61 M D Marriott decorators 39 Mike & Kym decorators 39 N R Green 41 P Greville 51 R & G King 50 Smashing Windows 47 Telnik Roofing 52

BUSINESS SERVICES Actopia IT support 44 Pop Design Inc 50 Practical Computing 55 Virtual PA services 37

CARE & CARE HOMES Age UK 42 Leonard Pulham 57 Your Own Home Care 40

CARS & MOTORING Blue Ribbon Chauffeurs 41 Butlers Cars 61 Executive Voyager 44 Roy Chapman 54 Tyre Changers 55 Wendover Autobodies 64

CHILDCARE Barnowls Nursery etc 40 Marsworth Preschool 48 PACE Charity 60

ELECTRICAL Circuitfix 53 E Sharp (Electrical) Ltd 46 Kinn Electrical 52 MJ Electrical 41

GARDENS Arbocare 50 Buckland Landscapes 34 Gatemakers 37 Greg O’Callaghan 39 Merryweather Mowers 39 Passiflora 53 R B Treecare 49 R D Leonard 39 Town & Country 40

HOUSE & HOME A Brighter Home Carpets 56 A Brighter Home Ovens 48 Bailey’s Bedrooms 57 Elizabeth Anne Blinds 60 Galaxy Aerials 46 Johnson Sewing Machines 39 Stitch & Mend 39 Warren ovens & carpets 37 Yeardye Bathrooms 36

HEALTH & FITNESS A C Dental Clinic 43 Aston Park Tennis Club 52 Helen Mulhall 39 Jazzercise 35 Tai Chi 42 Wendy Hilliard 35

HAIRCARE Hair by Sharon Gates 61 La Vita Hairdressing 51

HOTELS/RESTAURANTS/PUBS Haldi Restaurant 59 The Oak village pub 2 West Lodge Hotel 49

LEISURE & TRAVEL Adams Travel 42 Chiltern Archery 58 Complete Outdoors 48 Travel Impressions 62

PETS Bojangles Pets 55 Dogs Yard, The 45

PLUMBING & HEATING A C Plumbing & Heating 38 Dom Walker 49 Express Heating 39 G.Collins Plumbing & Heating 62 L V Holman 60 Shaun Oliver 58

RETAIL P E Mead Farm Shop 35 Tring Brewery 46 Village Wines 62

SPECIALIST SERVICES Aston Wine Club 45 F R Jeffery coal 51 Sophy Winfield Councelling 34 Sue Beuttler (Piano) 39 SSAFA 56 Tring Market Auctions 57

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CONTACT DETAILS ORGANISATIONS AND SOCIETIES

HEALTHAston Clinton Surgery 01296 630241Aston Clinton Dental Clinic 01296 323090Amersham Hospital 01494 434411 www.buckshealthcare.nhs.ukJohn Radcliffe Hospital 01865 741166 www.ouh.nhs.uk/hospitals/jr/Stoke Mandeville Hospital 01296 315000 www.buckshealthcare.nhs.ukWycombe Hospital 01494 526161 www.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk ENERGY SUPPLIERSElectricity Emergency 0800 7838 838 Gas Emergency 0800 111 999Water Emergency 0845 9200 800 CRIMEPolice Emergency 999Police Intelligence Non-Emergency 101Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 The Neighbourhood Team comprises PC Thom Piercy, PCSO Megan Harriett and PCSO Ken Stephenson. Please remember if you wish to report an incident that is not an emergency, or submit intelligence anonymously, please call 101. In case of an emergency, such as a crime inprogress, please dial 999. More information at www.thamesvalley.police.uk

OrganisationsA – ZAston Clinton Rainbows / Brownies / Guides * www.girlguiding.org.uk/interestedAll Saints’ Friends email dist. list Peter Elwin 01296 630454 [email protected] Hall (Bookings) Janet Brassington 01296 630229 [email protected] Clinton Badminton Club Maureen Davison 07958 479690Aston Clinton Baptist Church Church Secretary 01296 631824Aston Clinton Parish Council Gillian Merry 01296 631269Aston Clinton School Helen Shepherd 01296 630276 Aston Clinton U3A John Bullard 01296 436403Aston Clinton Youth Club Teresa Smith 01296 631685 Aston Park Tennis Club Sue Hoey 01296 630826 [email protected] Aston Wine Club Julia Norman 01296 630531 Ballet, Tap and Jazz Classes JoAnn Latus 07800 518654 www.jolatusdance.co.ukBallroom Dancing Yvonne Domican 01296 630467 Baptist Church Hall Valerie Owen 01296 630303 Bosom Buddies Tracey Norris 079102 58259 [email protected]

Emergency


ORGANISATIONS (A – Z) continuedBowls Club Rosemary Stratfull 01296 631339 Buckland Book Group Barbara Fletcher 01296 631111 [email protected] Buckland Bridge Club Janet Cato 01296 630552 [email protected] Buckland Villge Hall (Bookings) Paula Graves 01296 630310 Buckland Parish Council Fiona Lippmann 01296 626073 [email protected] Buckland Society Childline Kelly Cornish 01296 632119 or 0800 1111 Cricket Club Mike Parsonage 01296 631788 Drayton B’champ Parish Meeting Meryl Nodes 01296 630396 Environmental Health Out of hours 01296 585093 Environmental Health Fly tipping Helpline Hotline 01296 585605 or 0845 330 1856 Football: Aston Clinton FC Ian Middleton 07831 501300 Football: AC Colts Ray Lucas 01296 630076 Green Park Life Saving Assocn Liz Youens 01296 622895 Highways (out of hours) 01296 486630 www.buckscc.gov.ukHorticultural Society Maureen Ridler 01296 633376 [email protected] Group Sue Sanders 01296 630740 Bucks County Bill Chapple OBE 01296 426814 [email protected] Aylesbury Vale District Bill Chapple OBE 01296 426814 [email protected] Vale District Mike Collins 01296 632039 [email protected] Vale District Carole Paternoster 01296 630710 [email protected] Marsworth Pre.School Group 07506 179658 Neighbourh’d Watch Administrator Diane Brown 01296 396262 Neighbourhood Watch, Buckland Edwin Domican 1296 630467 Neighbourhood Watch, DB Elizabeth Dutton 01296 631613 NHS Direct 111 www.nhs.ukPolice Non emergency 101 Pre School Pam Borrows 01296 630877 RAF Halton (Mon.Fri) 0800–1700 01296 656367 RAF Halton All other times 01296 656211 Rector St Michael’s office 01296 632488 Royal British Legion Mike Collins 01296 632039 Scouts, Cubs and Beavers Nigel Pinder 07951 168556 [email protected] SSAFA Forces Help Ann Smith 01296 631030 Tot Spot (Baptist Church) Susanna Lamport 01296 631824 Trading Standards 0845 4040506 Turpin’s Charity Hayley Lewis 01494 758843 [email protected] Veterinary Centre 01296 630600 Women’s Institute Claire Castle 01296 706908 * To register an interest in joining the Rainbows, Brownies or Guides, visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/interested Any error or omission in this list should be notified to the Editor.


Village Life · 2019. 3. 17. · For a village of its size Aston Clinton has always punched above...

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Transcript of Village Life · 2019. 3. 17. · For a village of its size Aston Clinton has always punched above...