grapevinegrapevine - flackwell heath community centre · we at the grapevine apologise deeply for...

8
THE NEWSLETTER OF FLACKWELL HEATH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Grapevine Grapevine 50p COMMUNITY NEWS IDEAS DATES SUGGESTIONS EVENTS POINTS OF VIEW NEWS THE April 17 1 FLACKWELL HEATH RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION AGM Thursday 6 April 7.30 for 8pm Royal British Legion, Common Road Table Top Sale Saturday 29 April 10am – 2pm Methodist Church, Flackwell Free entry Tea, coffee and biscuits any time Soup, rolls, curry available from 12 noon Table hire £8, phone 01628 528326 or 01494 673274 Apology - Easter Bonnet Parade Date We at The Grapevine apologise deeply for giving an incorrect date for the annual Easter Bonnet Parade by Carrington Infant School and the Carrington Pre- School. We said Friday 31 March when it was Thursday 30 March. By the time you see this, that date has probably passed. We hope lots of people saw the posters with the correct date, that the weather was good, and that a great time was had by all. The Chairman and Members of Chepping Wycombe Parish Council invite you to the Annual Parish Meeting to be held at the Council Chamber Cock Lane, Tylers Green on Wednesday 5 April 2017 at 7pm Flackwell Heath Community Association “We Run the Community Centre” AGM Monday 10 April 8pm in the Sarney Room, Community Centre Please come along to hear about the wide variety of activities that take place in the centre each week. Do take the opportunity to voice your ideas for improvements and any suggestions you may have to keep this lively hub in the village available for all. We are always in need of additional committee members to keep the centre running smoothly and we would love to hear from anyone who has some time to spare, even if only a couple of hours a month, as we can soon find a job for you that suits your skills. Who's this ? What's she doing in a Chilterns beech wood? Find out at a Local History Group talk on April 10th – see page 5. FINANCIAL HELP Do you find managing your finances to make ends meet challenging or would you like to manage your finances more efficiently so you can achieve a goal you have always wanted to? If the answer to either question is yes, CAP money could help you. Christians Against Poverty (CAP) provides free courses to help you achieve your financial goals. The next course will start on Tuesday 25 April. For further details, time and place contact the Area Co-ordinator Peter Lisle on 01628 523972.

Upload: others

Post on 29-Jun-2020

1 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: GrapevineGrapevine - Flackwell Heath Community Centre · We at The Grapevine apologise deeply for giving an incorrect date for the annual Easter Bonnet Parade by Carrington Infant

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F F L A C K W E L L H E A T H C O M M U N I T Y A S S O C I A T I O N

GrapevineGrapevine 50p

COMMUNITY NEWS IDEAS DATES SUGGESTIONS EVENTS POINTS OF VIEW NEWS

THE

April 17

1

FLACKWELL HEATH RESIDENTS’

ASSOCIATIONAGM

Thursday 6 April

7.30 for 8pm

Royal British Legion, Common Road

Table Top SaleSaturday 29 April

10am – 2pmMethodist Church, Flackwell

Free entry

Tea, coffee and biscuits any time

Soup, rolls, curry available from 12 noon

Table hire £8, phone 01628 528326 or

01494 673274

Apology - Easter Bonnet Parade Date

We at The Grapevine apologise deeply for giving an incorrect date for the annual Easter Bonnet Parade by Carrington Infant School and the Carrington Pre-School. We said Friday 31 March when it was Thursday 30 March. By the time you see this, that date has probably passed. We hope lots of people saw the posters with the correct date, that the weather was good, and that a great time was had by all.

The Chairman and Members of Chepping Wycombe Parish Council

invite you to the Annual Parish Meeting

to be held at theCouncil Chamber

Cock Lane, Tylers Green on Wednesday 5 April 2017 at 7pm

Flackwell Heath Community Association

“We Run the Community Centre”

AGMMonday 10 April

8pm

in the Sarney Room, Community Centre

Please come along to hear about the wide variety of activities that take place in the centre each week. Do take the opportunity to voice your ideas for improvements and any suggestions you may have to keep this lively hub in the village available for all.

We are always in need of additional committee members to keep the centre running smoothly and we would love to hear from anyone who has some time to spare, even if only a couple of hours a month, as we can soon find a job for you that suits your skills.

Who's this ? What's she doing in a Chilterns beech wood? Find out at a Local History Group talk on April 10th – see page 5.

FINANCIAL HELPDo you find managing your finances to make ends meet challenging or would you like to manage your finances more efficiently so you can achieve a goal you have always wanted to?

If the answer to either question is yes, CAP money could help you. Christians Against Poverty (CAP) provides free courses to help you achieve your financial goals. The next course will start on Tuesday 25 April. For further details, time and place contact the Area Co-ordinator Peter Lisle on 01628 523972.

Page 2: GrapevineGrapevine - Flackwell Heath Community Centre · We at The Grapevine apologise deeply for giving an incorrect date for the annual Easter Bonnet Parade by Carrington Infant

NEWS FROM FLACKWELL HEATH RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Normally, at this time of year, the Residents’ Association committee would start to plan for the Village Fete and Picnic but this year we aren’t sure there will be enough of us to organise this event.

We would also be planning the purchase and installations of more Christmas lights so that the village centre continues to look festive in December.

We have appealed to members by email and the village at large via the Grapevine, social media and on our website hoping that new people would volunteer to join our committee to ensure that these and other much enjoyed occasions will happen again this year and in the future. Unfortunately, despite the size of the village, we’ve only heard from a couple of you. It would be an enormous shame for this work to cease simply due to a lack of volunteers.

There will be an immediate impact on these and other FHRA projects; the playground, the garden and planters and significantly, representing village interests on WDC’s local plan and its implications for Flackwell Heath.

I understand that the word ‘committee’ can be off-putting, but our meetings are quite sociable and friendly.

Our AGM is Thursday 6 April at the Royal British Legion, 7.30 for an 8pm start. We hope you’ll come along because we very much want the Residents’ Association to continue, without more help this might not be possible. We desperately need helpers, association members and committee members!

I would therefore ask again, PLEASE contact us if you can help and join the committee so we can keep the village a vibrant place to live.

Janet Smith 01628 520451

Chairman

www.f lackwel l res ident s .news/contact-us/

PLANNINGWe recently attended the latest Stakeholder briefing on progress with the New Local Plan. Since receiving over 3000 replies, including our own, to the Draft Plan Consultation WDC Officers have been very busy addressing these comments. Also projected housing figure needs have decreased and WDC have reviewed the report commissioned by Aylesbury Vale District Council before they agreed to take Wycombe’s unmet need. During this review some additional potential has been identified. Work now continues on the final version of the plan which will go to WDC’s Cabinet and Full Council for approval when completed and then to public consultation before being presented to the Inspectorate with all evidence collected. At this stage the council can suggest pre-examination changes to the Inspector but cannot change the plan themselves. At present no date has been fixed for presentation to the Cabinet.

Carolyn Leonard Chair of Planning and Environment Group 01628526512

[email protected]

2

NEW, easier to use eBooks service

There is a now a new way to access and read electronic books, that is designed to make enjoying eBooks easier than ever. The borrowing and downloading process has been simplified and a more intuitive navigation makes it easier to use and manage your loans and holds (reservations). The eBooks library offers more than 21,000 titles including 12,700 fiction and 1,500+ biography titles. eBooks may be loaned for up to 21 days (depending on the book) and automatically expire at the end of this time. All you need is your library card number and your PIN.

To get this new app, go to your appstore and look for ‘Libby’. This new app is still being improved, but we thought it was such an improvement that you would want to know about it now.

Do we have the books that YOU want to read?

As a community resource, we are dedicated to providing an efficient library service that includes the books and media that are most relevant to our customers’ needs. So, if you have a specific book title, or author or subject area, that you would like us to order for Flackwell Heath Community Library, then please let us know. Call into the library and give the details to one of our volunteers. We will consider all requests for our next monthly book order, and hope that we will be able to get the books that you want to read.

Please call into the library to see updated details of all our activities, Flackwell Local Area History Group events and any new events that may be arranged from time to time.

Flackwell Heath Community Library, Chapel Road, Flackwell Heath, HP10 9AA Tel: 0845 230232

email:[email protected] web: www.buckscc.gov.uk/libraries

Flackwell Heath Community Library

CWCHATTELWORTH

LIMITEDAll general building work plus

Full Decorating ServicePurpose-Made Joinery

Maintenance Free ProductsFirst class service at competitive pricesCall now for a no obligation estimate

Local Authority Approved

95a Queens Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP13 6AH

Tel/fax 01494 461544

Page 3: GrapevineGrapevine - Flackwell Heath Community Centre · We at The Grapevine apologise deeply for giving an incorrect date for the annual Easter Bonnet Parade by Carrington Infant

3

Saturday 8 April, 3.30 to 5.30pm – EASTER MESSY CHURCH! For all the family. There will be a selection of activities in the main hall, a celebration in the church followed by a meal.

Sunday 9 April, 11am – PALM SUNDAY SERVICE led by Alan Crowle.

Wednesday 12 April, 8pm – TENEBRAE SERVICE led by Rev Mike Hall. A traditional service of ‘increasing darkness’ for Holy Week.

GOOD FRIDAY, 9.30am An informal meditation service led by our midweek fellowship.

EASTER SUNDAY, 8.30am – HOLY COMMUNION led by Rev Angela Singleton followed by breakfast (please sign the sheet in the church if you would like to come to breakfast so we have an idea of numbers).

EASTER SUNDAY, 11am – ALL-AGE EASTER WORSHIP led by Rev. Angela Singleton.

EASTER SUNDAY, 6.30pm – We will be joining Christ Church’s Easter Songs of Praise service.

Sunday 30 April, 6.30pm – CELEBRATE! A lively music-based service for all the family, led by Rev. Chris Bull, including Holy Communion. This is a United Service with Christ Church at FHMC.

Please look out for the Try Praying banners and posters around the area!

Other activities and information can be found on our website www.fhmc.org.uk; or please contact our senior steward Suzanne Soper on 01494 673403, or our minister Rev Nick Thompson on 01628 483985.

www.fhmc.og.uk www.facebook.com/FlackwellHeathMC

[email protected]

Christ Church has three services every Sunday: a 9am traditional Holy Communion service; a 10.30am more contemporary service with children’s and youth groups, and a 6.30pm quieter evening service to end the day. There is something for everyone!

First Sundays at 10.30am are ‘Worship for Everyone’. It is what it says… worship for everyone… for all ages and all-stages! On Sunday 2 April there will an all-age Service of Holy Communion with baptisms and our ‘Elijah’ story on ‘God’s power to Protect’.

From Sunday 2 April Christ Church invites you to ‘Try Praying’, joining with Churches across Wycombe District using a 7 day prayer guide. The idea is ‘Why don’t you try praying for one week and see what happens?’ Get your free booklet from the Church Office.

This Easter... reconnect with the Easter Story:

Palm Sunday (9 April): Palm Crosses will be distributed during our 9am and 10.30am Holy Communion services.

Monday 10 April to Saturday 15 April: 7.30am: a short service of Morning Prayer for Holy Week, with a ‘Reflection for the Day’.

Maundy Thursday (13 April): 8pm Holy Communion and Foot-washing.

Good Friday (14 April): 11am to 1pm: TGI Friday – a creative Easter Story event for Children; and 12noon to 1pm: Devotional Service for adults.

Easter Eve (15 April): 8pm: Easter Eve Vigil

Easter Day (16 April): 9am: Holy Communion; 10.30am: Easter Family

Holy Communion with Easter Egg Hunt; and 6.30pm: Easter Songs of Praise – Christians in

Flackwell Heath are invited to gather at Christ Church to

celebrate, renew & refresh their Easter faith.

From Wednesday 19 April to Friday 21 April Rev Chris Bull will be leading a visit from Christ Church to the WW1 battlefields of Belgium. On behalf of the Parish Church, the Flackwell Heath Royal British Legion, the Local History Group and the people of Flackwell Heath, he will lay a wreath at the Menin Gate as well as visiting the graves of some of the Flackwell Heath fallen at Tyne Cot Cemetery.

Are you considering having your child christened? As a first step why not come along to an ‘Exploring Baptism’ event at Christ Church. Contact the Church Office for more details. Planning a Wedding in 2018? Have you considered getting married in Church? We would be pleased to assist you in your thinking. There is information and other helpful advice on getting married in Church on the Church website.

Please contact the Church Office for further information on any of the above (Phone 01628 533004: 9.00am – 1.00pm Monday to Friday or email [email protected]) or visit www.ccfh.org.uk

FLACKWELL HEATH METHODIST CHURCH

Selling and letting in the heart of your village

Your local property expert frostweb.co.uk

01628 532777 [email protected]

Page 4: GrapevineGrapevine - Flackwell Heath Community Centre · We at The Grapevine apologise deeply for giving an incorrect date for the annual Easter Bonnet Parade by Carrington Infant

4

Neighbourhood Watch News April 2017

SUMMER TIME IS HERE

The clocks went FORWARD by 1 hour on 26 March, marking the start of British Summer Time (BST). Many modern clocks and timers are ‘wireless’, obtaining their time signals from one of the various standard radio clocks, and such devices will automatically accommodate the change to BST. However, the more traditional mechanical and digital timers will need to be reset manually, and also have their ON/OFF periods adjusted to take account of the lengthening days. Have you adjusted yours?

TABLE TOP EVENT, CHRIST CHURCH

A successful table top display of safety and crime prevention information was held on 24 February at Christ Church. There was a steady flow of enquirers and a lot of interest shown in the information and products available. The next event will be on Tuesday, 9 May between 10am and noon. Make a note in your diary!

CURRENT CRIME

In March, a resident received a very authentic-looking letter in the post

claiming to be from the ‘People’s Postcode Lottery’.

The letter claimed that the recipient’s name had been chosen at random from the UK Electoral Roll, and that he had ‘won’ a significant sum of money, no doubt subject to payment of a ‘claim registration fee’! Fortunately, our resident recognised the letter as being fraudulent and was not taken in by the lure of a fortune. Remember the old Shakespearian line – ‘All that glisters is not gold’.

Another frequent scam has been the telephone call from BT or Microsoft or some other well-known network provider, claiming that ‘there is a problem with your router’ or some other such techie jargon, and that ‘you will be losing your internet connection very shortly unless……..’ The proffered solution is for you to give the caller access to your computer. If you receive such a call, the safest solution is to simply hang-up. Whatever you choose to do, NEVER let them near your computer.

Note: some of these contact numbers have changed!

For further information about any of these topics or about Neighbourhood Watch, contact:

David Gresswell – Area Co-ordinator, Flackwell Heath

(Tel: 525019 e-mail: [email protected])

Police General & Non-emergency number: 101

Public Safety Team (Anti-social behaviour): 01494 421087

Crimestoppers (Anonymous): 0800 555 111 – watch out for a ‘spoof’ Crimestopper site

Trading Standards (Consumer Direct): 0345 4 04 05 06 (NEW dialling code)

Cyberaware – www.cyberaware.gov.uk

ACTION FRAUD: 0300 123 2040 www.actionfraud.police.uk

The Information Commissioner's Office: 0303 123 1113

NHS: 111

MORNING WI

Our speaker for March was Dinah Latham who has written a book about her experiences as a District Nurse and Midwife and subsequent career including giving training lectures. She talked a little about her experiences but also on the difficulties she encountered in becoming a published author. The larger publishers wanted unwelcome changes made and amongst other things, an initial run of 2000 books, which, if not sold, are collected up and just pulped. Eventually an independent publisher was found who was much more user friendly (and less expensive). Getting a book sold by Amazon seems essential but they take 60% of the sale price and bookshops 40%.

Dinah was accompanied by her well behaved bearded collie named Harriet who is also now trained as a sheep dog.

Next month is our 25th Birthday Meeting with a finger buffet lunch to follow the speaker, Nigel Eagling, on ‘Fags and Frustrations in the Regional Crime Squad’.

EVENING WI

Speaker Colin Oakes told us about ‘British

Coronations through the Ages’. He started with William I and finished with our own Queen. A surprisingly large number of probable heirs did not succeed to the throne.

Several members went to an Investigation and Discovery Day organised by the Bucks Federation of WIs. There were some really good speakers, very knowledgeable and able to explain advances to non-scientists. Dr Adam Kucharski, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine showed ‘How to fight epidemics with maths’. Modelling the Ebola outbreak showed that sending in medical aid did help, but would have been even more effective a month earlier. Dr Denise Smythe-Wright, an oceanographer, told us about her life’s work studying the oceans, in particular the major currents. Dr Giles Yeo, Head of the MRC’s Metabolic Diseases Unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, spoke on ‘Are your genes to blame when your jeans don’t fit?’ (The short answer is partly, perhaps, but you still play the cards you are dealt). Fascinating!

Seven members took the opportunity to visit Kwikfit after hours to learn more about their own cars. First came a talk on safety and what to do in an emergency. Then we got into overalls (much laughter as they were mostly too big) and members of the Kwikfit staff gave us one-to-one tuition on how to check oil, how to top up windscreen wiper fluid, how to adjust the lights – all those things we should know but….. They managed not to make us feel idiots and it was great.

No meeting in April, as it would fall on Maundy Thursday.

Brenda Aldridge and Sue Arnautov

Flackwell Heath Women’s Institute

Page 5: GrapevineGrapevine - Flackwell Heath Community Centre · We at The Grapevine apologise deeply for giving an incorrect date for the annual Easter Bonnet Parade by Carrington Infant

5

FLACKWELL LOCAL AREA HISTORY GROUPOur next talk at the Flackwell Heath Library will be on Monday 10 April. 7.30pm

Buckinghamshire Spies and Subversives with Denise Beddows.

Our county has a 600 year history of subversion, sedition and espionage and has been home to radical plotters, heretic hunters, agents provocateurs and informers. Two World Wars brought spies, secret agents and saboteurs to the county. Many of our stately homes accommodated wartime code-breakers, eavesdroppers, boffins, intelligence chiefs and even a Nazi officer. A surprising number of women spies were incarcerated. Flackwell Heath’s own subversive was incarcerated, ‘in which he could neither stand nor lie down straight’. Bucks author DJ Kelly (Denise Beddows) takes us on a journey from religious martyrs and gunpowder plotters to Cold War traitors and the ideological domestic terrorists of modern times – this county has seen it all.

This is a ticketed event. The tickets are available at the library, and are £5 (£3 to friends of FHCL).

Please note that tickets will not be available on the night.

The next date for the Fact Finding Forum at the Flackwell Heath Library is 8 May, from 7.15 – 9pm Local Area Pubs – We have lost many pubs over the years. They have either been converted into accommodation, or have been demolished. Do you remember how many pubs there used to be in the local villages? What were their names? Were they owned by a brewery? We would love to have your memories, and photos if you have any. Please come and join us

for a chat and cuppa.

A date for your diary: Loudwater in The Great War Monday 15 May, from 7:30pm

Mike Dewey and John Gurney will speak about, and show pictures of, the village of Loudwater at the time of WWI and also relate stories about some of the local soldiers who either perished or survived during the Great War.

Local Lacemakers

Wooburn and the surrounding villages were famous for lacemaking as a cottage industry, providing income for women and their families. In 1880 Eliza Bowler, Wooburn midwife and lacemaker, was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ at the Windsor Exhibition. Her work was greatly admired by Queen Victoria, a supporter of cottage industries. The Queen ordered lace jabots for her ladies-in-waiting. Now, over 130 years later, Bourne End Lacemakers are a small group keen to keep local lacemaking alive as a craft.

Do you make lace, or have you made lace in the past? Perhaps you have inherited a bee pillow or

bobbins and would like to use them. The group are looking for more lacemakers to share interest and knowledge. Why not take a break from the 21st century rush and join us once a month to indulge in an afternoon of this absorbing craft.

Lacemakers from the group will be making lace in Flackwell Heath Library on 23 May, from 10:30am - 12noon.

For more information phone Pat on 01628 529103 or Elizabeth on 01628 521666

Family History Research - To arrange a research session at the library please contact Jan Fanning on 01628 527506 or by email [email protected] The sessions cost £2 for 50 minutes plus the cost of any photocopying.

Like us on f a c e b o o k /

Flackwell Heath & Loudwater Local History Group

www.localhistorygroup.org.uk

Flackwell AmblersIf you would like to join us on Sunday 23 April, The Flackwell Amblers will be going for a walk at Littlewick Green, Maidenhead. We will be meeting at the ex-Budgen’s car park at 10am. This walk will last approximately 2 hours and is undertaken at your own risk. Please wear walking boots or strong shoes. NB This walk may be subject to change at short notice due to prevailing weather conditions. New walkers always welcome, just turn up on the day. The next date for your diary is Sunday 21 May, 2017.

C. Barker

Page 6: GrapevineGrapevine - Flackwell Heath Community Centre · We at The Grapevine apologise deeply for giving an incorrect date for the annual Easter Bonnet Parade by Carrington Infant

6

Right now, in front of you a person has collapsed, or you have found somebody lying still but cannot be roused. What do you do?

Call 999. Now. Every second, every minute counts.Then start CPR...cardiac pulmonary resuscitation. Not sure how to do it? Don’t worry, anything is better than nothing. Spread your fingers and lock your hands together, knuckles up, and rock forward firmly down 5 or 6 centimetres, hard and fast, twice a second in the centre of the person’s chest. This pushes blood around the body, especially to the heart and brain.

And remember help from the emergency services is, thanks to your prompt call, already on the way. In Flackwell Heath, usually just minutes away.

Now the hard facts:

Contrary to what you see on television ,successful resuscitation is not ‘a given’. It does happen, but the chances are low, even by emergency responders who have the kit, the training and the drugs that might make the difference.

But every life matters and prompt CPR is recognised as being the most important factor in a successful outcome to a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Your providing it could make all the difference. In fact it doubles their chances. Go for it.

Watch Vinnie Jones at: http://www.nhs.uk/video/pages/vinnie-jones-how-to-perform-cpr.aspx

Would a defibrillator as used by the emergency services make a difference? Truth. It might.

Two-thirds of events occur in the home and are not usually witnessed and as a consequence the chances of a successful

resuscitation are exceptionally low. Of the other third who experience a sudden cardiac arrest (not to be confused with the much more likely event, a heart attack) about half will not have a ‘shockable-rhythm’ and would not benefit from its use.

Remember, time is of the essence. 999 and CPR are the keys to survival.

Given the likely incidence of a sudden cardiac arrest where do the ambulance service and the British Heart Foundation think defibrillators should be placed?

First, where the likelihood of a SCA event is most likely. Typically where there are lots of people: bus and rail stations, airports, supermarkets, shopping malls, stadiums and leisure centres. (The Flackwell Minors Football Club have a defibrillator inside the Green Dragon Lane Rec. clubhouse. It was provided by the Club with generous assistance from the Flackwell Heath Golf Club. I understand another one may be installed at the British Legion Club. - Ed)

Second, where the emergency services will take longer to reach, rural villages for example.

The Parish Council, drawing on the experience of Seattle and others who have the world’s highest rates of survival from SCA, is very happy to financially support CPR training in the community. The council will also provide funding for the maintenance of defibrillators provided for public use, either after a SCA event or when batteries and consumables need replacing. Contact the Clerk for details.

Jeff Herschel

Minutes to save a life

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

APRIL

Wednesday 5 Annual Parish Meeting, Council Offices, see page 1

Thursday 6 Flackwell Heath Residents Association AGM, see page 1

Monday 10 Flackwell Heath Community Association AGM in Sarney Room, 8pm, see page 1

Monday 10 Local History Group talk on 'Buckinghamshire Spies and Subversives', Library, 7.30pm, see page 5

Saturday 28 Table Top Sale at Methodist Church, see page 1

MAY

Monday 8 Local History Group Fact Finding Forum, see page 5

Tuesday 9 Neighbourhood Watch stall at Christ Church, 10am – noon.

Monday 15 Local History Group talk: 'Loudwater in The Great War'

Tuesday 23 Lacemaking demo in Library, 10.30 – noon.

OSTEOPATHIC CLINIC Michael Thornton ND, DO

Treatment for pain in the back, neck, shoulders, knees and hips Sports injuries and headaches

25 Heath End Road 01494 433072 or 07799713117

Page 7: GrapevineGrapevine - Flackwell Heath Community Centre · We at The Grapevine apologise deeply for giving an incorrect date for the annual Easter Bonnet Parade by Carrington Infant

7

A few weeks ago, twenty of us went by coach to visit the Bombay Sapphire Distillery. The trip was organised by Richard Chalmers (Richard was featured in the February edition of Grapevine) for the Oasis Bereavement Group.

The tour is designed as a ‘Self-discovery experience'; at six locations there were information points which we accessed using the microchips inside our maps. We learnt about the history of Laverstoke Mill, the site of the distillery, which The Bombay Spirits Company bought in 2010, opening the distillery in 2014.

The River Test, one of the purest chalk streams in England, runs through the site and is greatly loved. I was very surprised to learn that there are only about 200 chalk streams in the world, 80% of which are in England. The river is a haven of wildlife with many species of fish, birdlife and even otters (which sadly we didn’t see).

The glasshouses were amazing structures having been designed specifically for the site. You have to see them to appreciate their beauty and individuality. I have never seen anything like them before. Inside we could see some of the botanicals used in the gin-making process.

One of the rooms I found most fascinating was the Botanical Dry Room. In here there are 22 scented jars. We had to lift the lids off, smell the aromas, and choose about 4 – 6 which we liked the best, clipping the appropriate numbers of the cards we were given. Some of the aromas were lovely, my favourite being lemon, but some of them did not appeal to me at all. We kept the cards for later.

From the Dry Room we were taken on a tour of the Still House. We saw 2 huge stills named Thomas and Mary and were told about the process of distilling the gin. The actual recipes used are a closely guarded secret, handed down by word of mouth, to only a few of the employees who are total experts in testing the progress of the contents of the stills to see when they are ready to move to the next stage. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and interesting and gave us lots of information and answered any questions we had (apart from the recipe!).

Next was the Mill Bar. Here we handed in our cards from the Botanical Dry Room and were given a cocktail mixed according to our preferences. I had only drunk gin with tonic, but really enjoyed my cocktail which was Tri-Mai Chai. I picked up a recipe for it in the shop, but it does look very complicated to make. Sadly we were only give one! Just as well I suppose. Finally we went to the gin shop where you could buy a variety of sizes of bottles of gin, Bombay Sapphire of course, and a selection of glasses.

This is a very short summary of our trip and does not include all there is to see and learn, in particular a room with an amazing variety of glasses.

If you enjoy gin, then I would recommend a visit to the distillery. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Kathy Barrett

Bruce Jacob is running the

MarathonAs many of you know, I am passionate about fundraising for children less fortunate than others. This year I am running the London Marathon and have chosen the charity Children with Cancer as this is close to my heart after a friend suffered with cancer last year and is still in recovery. For me my challenge has to be a real challenge, as the children for whom I raise money have their own challenges everyday, whether it's cycling up the Alps or running a marathon. Thank you for your donation in helping me help these children, it means so much.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity. www.justgiving.com/brucejacob

Bruce Jacob

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE DISTILLERY

Page 8: GrapevineGrapevine - Flackwell Heath Community Centre · We at The Grapevine apologise deeply for giving an incorrect date for the annual Easter Bonnet Parade by Carrington Infant

Editor: Sue Arnautov 58, Chapman Lane, Flackwell Heath,

HP10 9BD • 01628 523907 email: grapevine@

flackwellheathcommunitycentre.org.ukDelivery: Pauline Cooper 01628 522562Design: [email protected]: M Patel 01628 528101

The Grapevine is printed by Spot On Print using vegetable inks on

Cocoon silk recycled paper.FSC certified and totally chlorine free.

Flackwell Heath Community Association

Chairman: Chris Cramer 01628 526129Secretary Chris Thomas 01628 520361Treasurer Alison Harvey 01628 530186Centre Bookings Please use bookings enquiry page

to be found on website - www.flackwellheath communitycentre.org.uk

Keyholder Express Video ShopReg Charity No. 1044870

GrapevineGrapevine

8

Local dancer strides outTim Woodford, who lives in Flackwell, loves dancing – and he's very good at it! At just 14, he typically enters ballroom dance competitions as a Junior (up to 16 years). At the most recent National Championships he was ranked top six in the country, and has also represented the UK at an international level, competing against dancers from as far afield as China and the USA.

He began ballroom dancing at the age of 5, following the inspiration of his parents who are keen dancers themselves. At age 7 Tim began competing.

Ballroom dancers are judged as couples, so the right partner is essential. Not only do they have to get along well, but there are also considerations of height, age, style and opportunities to train. Competitions in distant places use up time at weekends and parents have to cope with a lot of transport commitments.

Tim's first partnership lasted 4 years. After a couple of other pairings, he teamed up with his current partner, Tallulah, who lives in Reading. He and Tallulah have been dancing for two years and the families have become firm friends.

Locally, Tim and Tallulah are putting their dance skills to good effect, and lent support to the Lymphoma Research Trust by performing at the Lisa Lear Fund Charity Ball in Beaconsfield in March (organised by Suzanne Lear MBE, who featured in The Grapevine, February 2015 - Ed).

Tim chose to go to Borlase, partly because of the school’s strength in performing arts. There, his dancing extends to contemporary and lyrical styles and he has been recently helping an A-level student prepare for the choreography module of her exam.

Dance is not Tim's only pastime – being light on his feet helps with hockey, of which he enjoys the physical effort and being part of a larger team. Along with this, Tim's working towards his Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and GCSEs are of course on the horizon. Tim dives in with enthusiasm and he loves to teach what he has learned about dance. Whatever direction he follows, he’s sure there will be performance in there somewhere. At 14, the world lies open before him.

Sue Arnautov

Ashton OpticiansO P T O M E T R I S T S

1 Acorn House, 12-16 Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath

PRIVATE AND NHS EYE EXAMINATIONSSPECTACLES & CONTACT LENSES

Your independent practice in Flackwell Heath

for value, style and personal service

01628 530420

www.ashtonopticians.co.uk

Partners: Mr. M. W. Ashton BSc.(Hons), MCOptom, Mrs R.V. Ashton BSc.(Hons),MCOptom