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FHRA Index Click here |
Archived press releases for year 2005 |
November 2005 Message From the Chairman of the Flackwell Heath Residents Association. By the time you read this, the Christmas lights will be bringing festive cheer to the village and 2005 will be coming to a rapid close. For the Flackwell Heath Residents Association, this has been a really successful year with numerous fund-raising events particularly the Cherry Fayre. We have also become a registered charity and have worked closely with the local councils to help bring improvements to the village. We know that there is still much we can do and the more people who help us in our endeavours the better. Your committee members look forward to the challenges that 2006 will bring and, with your support, we will achieve still more. The only downside this year has been Craig Lewis’s unexpected resignation as Vice Chairman. Craig has been a stalwart supporter of the Residents Association for many years and has been a key figure in our fund-raising efforts most recently the successful Quiz Night. Craig has been an active member of the Police & Traffic Group throughout and will continue to bring his talents to bear in that forum. I would like to publicly thank Craig for his invaluable contribution and his sage advice which will be greatly missed by the Executive Committee. Finally, please note that annual subscriptions will be due from January and that our AGM will be on 28th March 2006 when we look forward to meeting you and hearing your views. Meantime, may I wish you all a Happy Christmas and all the very best for 2006. David Johncock. Police And Traffic Group Report The Crime Reporting System. The improved crime reporting telephone system went live on 1st November 2005 and provides a hot line for residents to report incidents in the village once it has been reported to Thames Valley Police. This 24 hour Hotline answerphone number is: 07871 825201 Please remember all crime must in the first instance be reported to Thames Valley Police By ringing: 999: For Serious Crime Beat Surgeries Will recommence from January 2006 a schedule will be published shortly. This is a chance for residents to discuss their concerns with their local beat policeman PC Peter Hearmon and our PCSO Alex Beever. New Pub Licensing Hours All public houses in the village have applied for extended opening hours. Police weekend working hours have been changed to cover this. Anti Social Behaviour. This subject will be discussed shortly with the CWPC and Dominic Grieve MP to identify what can be done to resolve these problems. Youth Group Report The FHRA has now put together a proposal for improved recreational facilities for the young people of our village. Discussions are underway with the local councils for authority to use the Recreation Ground and to obtain planning permission. There will be full Public consultation over the coming months whilst the FHRA seeks additional funding for this worthwhile project. Planning & Environment Group Report The planned public meeting on the Village Design Statement held on 1st November 2005 was well supported and generated considerable interest and comment. The committee still aim to have a rough draft by the end of the year. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Executive Committee e-mail address below.
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October 2005 Press Release. 2005 Events 12th November - Table-Top and Car Boot Sale. Saturday 12th Nov at Christ Church, Chapel Lane from 9-11am Admission 30p - under 12 free. Make extra money for Christmas - sell those unwanted items. Craft stalls - sell your Christmas cards/gifts. Why not start your Christmas shopping early. Refreshments available. Set-up from 8.30. Ring Elaine on 01638 810886 to secure table/car parking. 3rd December - Christmas Tree Lights Switch-On Ceremony. Gather around the Christmas Tree from 4.30 pm for carols and the switching-on of the tree lights. Tea and mince pies available as usual from approximately 5.00 pm. A donations box is now available in Unit 4 if you would like to contribute to this and other FHRA projects. 3rd December - Cabaret. The second Flackwell Heath cabaret night will take place in the Community Centre on Saturday 3rd December at 7:30 pm. Last year's event was a great success with music and fun for all ages. The audience had plenty of opportunity to join in by singing along to old favourites with Banjovi and Christmas carols on the accordion with Don Jarvis. In between we were entertained by local groups and singers. More of the same is planned for this year. Tickets will be available from the first week in November at Unit 4 or via Craig Lewis on 01628 528550 or you can book by emailing to flackwellevents@aol.com. Tickets will be £3 for FHRA members, £4 for non-members, and £1.50 for children. Only a limited number of tickets will be on sale so please book early to avoid disappointment. 17th December - Craft Fayre. Our first Craft Fayre is being held on Saturday 17th December in the Community Centre from 2 to 5 pm. Call Liz Johncock (01628 521495) or Margaret Adams (01628 521833) for further information. CHERRY FAYRE 2006. Your Village Needs You !!!!!! The vast majority of villagers agreed that this year’s Cherry Fayre was a great success and should be an annual event as it was in the distant past. It takes a great deal of work to lay-on a Village Fayre and it therefore needs the active support of dozens of people if it is to really succeed !! We also need to start planning now if we are to give ourselves adequate time to make the necessary arrangements. If you are prepared to give some time to this worthwhile village event, please call Dave Johncock NOW on 01628 521495. PAT Group. SID Survey Results. As promised in last month’s Grapevine, the results of the SID Survey are now available on the website, click here. The Crime Reporting System. The Police and Traffic Group wish to announce an important introduction to their crime monitoring procedures, along with the original procedures introduced in 2004. From 1st November 2005 we are providing a telephone hot line for residents’ use. This 24 hour Hotline answerphone number is: 07871 825201 So please can we urge everyone to use this number, and let us have details of any incident once it has been reported to Thames Valley Police. For some time we have been aware that a considerable amount of crime and traffic related incidents are not reported. To effectively combat this, we need to gather as much information as possible. Please remember all crime must in the first instance be reported to: 999: For Serious Crime Youth Group. We are in urgent need of speakers, amplifiers, mixers and CDs to improve the regular Disco evening for our young people. If you can help, please call Pam Mannering or Pauline Gibson - see details below. Planning & Environment Group - Village Design Statement. The next public meeting to discuss the Village Design Statement will be held in the Legion Hall at 7.30 pm on 1st November 2005. Come along and have your say on the future development of our village !! Can You Think of A Better Name For The FHRA ?? In granting the FHRA charitable status, the Charity Commission has recommended that we change our name to more accurately reflect our objectives and to remove the current confusion with the Community Association. We have therefore decided to run a competition to find a new name that will be put to a vote at our next Annual General Meeting in March 2006. Have a good idea - then forward it to Dave Johncock before the end of January 2006 and stand a chance of being awarded a prize for the winning entry. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Executive Committee e-mail address below.
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September 2005 Press Release. Charity Registration. We are thrilled to be able to announce that the Charity Commission has accepted our application to become a registered charity with effect from 8th September 2005. Cherry Fayre Further to our previous article on the success of the Cherry Fayre, we can now proudly announce that we raised almost £3,500 for village projects. It has been decided that most of this money will be allocated primarily to the Christmas decorations on Acorn House and towards youth facilities - proposals still being detailed and costed. We are now beginning to plan next year’s event but, in order to improve on last year’s event, we need a greater practical involvement of residents in the organisational work. If you want to be part of another successful event, please call Dave Johncock as soon as possible - see contact details below. SID Results We are now able to publish the results of the SID survey that was conducted in April 2005. The results show: • Speeding is still a major problem particularly where there are no traffic calming measures. The percentage of vehicles speeding was:
• The speed humps have created a rat run along Chapman Lane, Green Dragon Lane, and Blind Lane. • The speed of vehicles was actually reduced during peak times simply, because of the volume of traffic. • The village is being used as a bypass for traffic using Junction 3 of the M40 so as to avoid Junction 4 [Handy Cross] and the ever increasing congestion along the A40. We believe the volume of traffic through the village is destroying the very nature of our village, and ruining the quality of life for our residents. The speeding issues have already been discussed with Thames Valley Police and we await developments. Planning & Environment Issues. 56 Straight Bit An appeal has been lodged by Shanley Homes against the decision of the WDC Planning Control Committee to reject their second planning application for this site. Along with the Parish Council, the FHRA has written to the Planning Inspectorate reiterating our opposition to the Shanley Homes proposal. VDS Production The production of the Flackwell Heath Village Design Statement is now well underway. Production group meetings are now being held regularly and the next public meeting is planned for the beginning of November - date and location to be advised. If you would like to help the team with this worthwhile effort or would like further information, please contact Graham Carter via Unit 4 or by e-mail him at: plan_environ@flackwellheath.net. 2005 Events 8th October - Quiz Night. Our next event is a Quiz Night incorporating a ploughman’s supper, which will be held in the Community Centre on Saturday 8th October. The event is being run jointly with the Community Association. The quiz night will comprise 10 rounds of varied questions to test your knowledge. Be prepared for a fun evening with plenty of friendly competition!! Can anyone beat last year’s winners, Chris Bull and the team from Christ Church? Teams will be limited to 6 people and tickets are available from Craig Lewis either by email flackwellevents@aol.com or by phone, 01628 528550. Demand is likely to be high so please book early to avoid disappointment. Don’t worry if you cannot raise a team of 6, speak to Craig and he will coordinate putting people together. 3rd December - Christmas Tree Lights Ceremony and Cabaret. Despite the fact that we have raised sufficient funds to purchase some new Xmas lights for Acorn house, we still need donations to cover the costs associated with the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. If you are willing to contribute, please leave your donations at Unit 4 or contact Elaine Parsons - see details below. We also need volunteers to entertain us at the Cabaret later the same evening and interesting raffle prizes. If you can help, please contact Craig Lewis - see details below. Tickets and programmes will be on sale in due course. PUT THESE DATES IN YOUR DIARIES !! The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Executive Committee e-mail address below.
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August 2005 Press Release. Cherry Fayre Further to our previous article on the success of the Cherry Fayre, we can now proudly announce that we raised almost £3,500 for village projects. It has been decided that some of this money will be allocated as follows:
SID Results As you know, the SID survey was conducted between 13th-19th April 2005 at various key positions throughout the village. With the valuable assistance of the schoolchildren from Carrington Junior School, we amassed a great deal of data which has now been analysed (full details will be published on our web site in due course). The results show:
We believe the volume of traffic through the village is destroying the very nature of our village, and ruining the quality of life for our residents. The speeding issues have already been discussed with Thames Valley Police and we await developments. Planning & Environment Issues. 56 Straight Bit An appeal has been lodged by Shanley Homes against the decision of the WDC Planning Control Committee to reject their second planning application for this site. Along with the Parish Council, the FHRA has written to the Planning Inspectorate reiterating our opposition to the Shanley Homes proposal. VDS Production The production of the Flackwell Heath Village Design Statement is now well underway. The first production group meeting was held at the end of July and was very well supported by residents. The meeting identified the likely content of the document and volunteers agreed to co-ordinate the drafting work for each subject matter area. Whilst the team is committed to production of the document, it must be representative of the Village as a whole if it is to carry any weight. The more people who get involved the greater the influence the document will have ! The next meeting is at the Royal British Legion Hall at 7.30 pm on 6th September 2005. If you want to help, please contact Graham Carter via Unit 4 or by e-mail to: plan_environ@flackwellheath.net. 2005 Events 8th October - Quiz Night. Our next event is a Quiz Night incorporating a ploughman’s supper, which will be held in the Community Centre on Saturday 8th October. The event is being run jointly with the Community Association. Teams will be limited to 6 people and entry forms will be available soon from Unit 4 and committee members. Demand is likely to be high so please book early to avoid disappointment. For further details contact Craig Lewis - see details below. 3rd December - Christmas Tree Lights Ceremony and Cabaret. Despite the fact that we have raised sufficient funds to purchase some new Xmas lights for Acorn house, we still need donations to cover the costs associated with the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. If you are willing to contribute, please leave your donations at Unit 4 or contact Elaine Parsons - see details below. We also need volunteers to entertain us at the Cabaret later the same evening and interesting raffle prizes. If you can help, please contact Craig Lewis - see details below. Tickets and programmes will be on sale in due course. PUT THESE DATES IN YOUR DIARIES !! Welcome We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mr Denash Chandra as the new owner of Unit 4. He has kindly agreed that residents can continue to use his shop for FHRA correspondence and donations.The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Executive Committee e-mail address below.
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July 2005 Press Release. Cherry Fayre Report What a successful day !! The weather was perfect - maybe too hot ?! - the people were fabulous and the variety of attractions were enjoyed by children of all ages -even those over 50 !! The parade included the Reading Pipe Band, a float from Carrington School (the undersea world), numerous vintage cars, and the star of the show - the Smart Car ??!! No !! - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Driven by its 72 year old owner, the car thrilled all the children that cheered it on its short route to the Recreation Ground.
The Fayre was opened by the Chairman of the Chepping Wycombe Parish Council - Peter Wheeler - who also rode in the front of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang accompanied by the 2 winners of the children’s colouring competition - Leanne Williams and Christopher Harvey. Numerous events took place in the central arena including several stirring sessions from the Reading Pipe Band. In addition, there were displays from the Amersham Garland Dancers and the Judy Shepherd Showcats. Mid afternoon, saw a fancy dress competition for the children and was won by Little Bo Peep. A Tug Of War competition was held between several village pubs and was won by the Green Dragon team. They were presented with a new trophy - the Richard Darby Shield - named after one of the more enthusiastic members of the Cherry Fayre team who sadly died several weeks ago. This new trophy will be competed for annually. A 5 aside football match was also held between Carrington and Juniper Schools with Carrington being the winner only on a penalty. Presentations were made by Janet Wheeler, Nancie Ross, Mike Appleyard and Dominic Grieve MP. Around the site were 40 stalls ranging from childrens’ amusements through to craft stalls. Numerous local organisations were strongly represented raising monies for their own projects and undertaking membership drives. The event was closed by the Chairman of the Residents Association - Dave Johncock - who thanked everyone for their support not least of all the major sponsors - Flyte Entertainments, Maidenhead Advertiser, Tower Garage, Radhuni Indian Restaurant, Woodman & Partners, The Cherry Tree pub, and Biffa Waste Services. In setting the date for 2006 - 16th July - Dave Johncock stressed that there needed to be greater involvement from the residents in the organising of the event. This year’s small team had devoted almost all their time over 4 months to make the Fayre a success. This is unreasonable and the considerable workload needs to be shared more widely. The FHRA intend to establish a Cherry Fayre committee comprising representatives from all local groups and Dave will be looking for volunteers shortly. Meantime, initial feedback from this year’s event has been extremely positive and people have stated how pleased they were that the Fayre had helped recreate a village feel and improve community spirit. We sincerely hope that we can continue to achieve this every year. Meantime, we all owe a great deal to the sterling efforts of David Onslow and Barbara Grierson who effectively masterminded this year’s event. Finally, a big thank you to everyone else who supported us on the day. We are sad to say goodbye to Damen and Sherien who have sold Unit 4 and are moving away from the village. Great supporters of the Residents Association since its inception nearly 3 years ago, Damen and Sherien have willingly and cheerfully allowed us to use their shop as a mail box, a recruitment centre, a crime reporting point, an advertising board and for collecting donations. Damen and Sherien - many thanks for everything and please don’t forget us !! We would like to welcome Dinesh Chambe who has taken over Unit 4 and is very keen to continue supporting the community. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Executive Committee e-mail address below.
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JUNE 2005 VILLAGE DESIGN STATEMENT Standing Room Only !! That was the situation at the first public meeting on 9th June at the Legion Hall to discuss the production of a Village Design Statement (VDS) for Flackwell Heath. With the support of Peter Wheeler (Chairman of the Chepping Wycombe Parish Council) and Rebecca Coy (an Urban Designer from WDC), over 100 residents participated in the consultative process to identify what was good and bad about the way in which the village was developing. People’s opinions were also sought about the way in which the village should evolve in the longer term. The full list of views given on the night will be posted on the website and be available in the library. In summary, people felt that Flackwell Heath is a friendly and “real” place to live with much to commend it. However, there are strong feelings that the village’s continuing development must be carefully managed if it is to retain its Chiltern Village identity and not become “just another suburb”. The key areas of concern centred on inappropriate building development, traffic and public transport issues and the need to protect our diminishing green space. The village will change and our design statement must be a positive tool that ensures the best features of the current village are maintained whilst guiding development to enhance “our village of the future”. This was a very well supported and productive meeting, and was the first in a series of such meetings that will aim to see the draft VDS published by Christmas. Thanks to everyone for attending and a special thanks to those who have offered to help with the production work. 56 STRAIGHT BIT Thanks to the support of the local residents, our Parish and District Councillors - Barbara Hunt and Julia Langley, we managed to persuade the Planning Control Committee to reject the latest proposal from Shanley Homes. We cannot stop redevelopment of this site but we hope to be able to agree a compromise with the developers along the lines of our VDS - see above. YOUTH GROUP NEWS 10 Pin Bowling. We have received permission for our Youth group to use the bowling alley at Daws Hill Air Base. All those interested, please call Pam Mannering or Pauline Gibson. Disco. We are pleased that regular discos continue to be held at the Royal British Legion on the last Thursday of each month. Pool. We are pleased that the British Legion is continuing to offer pool facilities for the youngsters from 6pm – 7pm Thursday evenings. NEW TOILET BLOCK The new, improved toilets have now been opened for some weeks and seem to be appreciated by residents of all ages. Another success for the Residents Association !!
Click on image for larger view SITUATIONS VACANT Youth Group Member. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association Youth Group organises various events for the young in the village. We need more adults willing to take an active part in originating, organising and supervising activities. Please ring Pam Mannering or Pauline Gibson - see FHRA Contacts List. Print Manager. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association needs a volunteer to undertake routine print jobs for the Association - printer and materials provided. Please ring Pauline Gibson - see FHRA Contacts List. Cherry Fayre Support Staffs. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association urgently needs volunteers to help with the running of the Cherry Fayre on 17th July 2005 as follows: If willing and able, please contact David Onslow on 01628 819108 or Barbara Grierson on 01628 522514. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Executive Committee e-mail address below.
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May 2005 ARE YOU REALLY A MEMBER OF THE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION ?? There seems to be some continuing confusion about whether people are actually members of the Residents Association ? Some people believe that, by subscribing to Grapevine, they automatically become members of the Residents Association and this is not true !! Grapevine is produced by the Community Association who very kindly allow the Residents Association to use it as a means of publicising its activities. In this regard, the Residents Association would like once more to publicly thank the members of the Community Association Exec Committee and the Grapevine editor for their support and assistance, not forgetting Irene Walker and her team of delivery people. To further clarify the differences between the 2 Associations, the constitution of the Community Association basically constrains their activities to the running and maintenance of the Community Centre. On the other hand, the constitution of the Residents Association has been specifically written to allow us to represent the village at meetings with local councils and other government agencies to “promote the preservation, development and improvement of the character and amenities of the village”. Joining the Residents Association is one way to ensure that your opinions get heard in the right places - so please join today !! Membership of the Residents Association is only £3 per year. Application forms are available from the Flackwell Heath website and from many outlets in the village including Unit 4, the Library, Doctors Surgery, and the Christ Church. One form is required for each individual (because of the Gift Aid rules) and must include a full name and address with house number as well as name. NEW PATRON Although those who attended the AGM will have heard, it is with great pleasure that we can say that Lord Carrington has kindly agreed to become our second patron. EVENTS JAZZ EVENING - 13th MAY Our Jazz supper evening on Friday 13th May was a sell out success and we may well repeat this again next year. Thanks to Mantra Jazz and everyone involved - especially Pam Mannering who did most of the work. OPEN GARDENS - 19th JUNE We are pleased to announce that 9 residents have kindly agreed to open their gardens to other villagers between 2 and 5 pm on the afternoon of the 19th June. Wendy Bull has also kindly agreed to provide afternoon tea on the lawn at the Vicarage. Maps/passes cost £2.50 per adult (children free) and will be available from outside Christ Church. Anyone wishing to purchase tickets in advance should contact Elaine Parsons on 01628 810886. CHERRY FAYRE - 17th JULY WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP URGENTLY !! Arrangements for this revival of the old Cherry Fayre are continuing to take shape but at a much slower pace than should be the case. Despite previous pleas for help, we continue to rely on a very small group of dedicated - and now overworked - volunteers. If you can give just a little of your time to this very worthwhile cause it would be most appreciated and you will enjoy the experience and the company of a nice bunch of people !! Just to remind everyone that the Cherry Fayre will kick off with a parade from near the allotments and travel along Chapel Road and Straight Bit to the Recreation Ground. Led by the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the parade will include a number of floats as well as a Scottish Pipe Band and other artistes but we do need vintage or veteran vehicles and floats from interested groups or organisations. At the Recreation Ground, there will be an arena for displays and competitions such as a Tug-of-War competition between village pubs, a Dancing Display, a 5 A-Side-Football competition between Carrington and Juniper Schools, and a Children’s Fancy Dress competition which will include a Children’s Cherry Hat Competition. Around the arena there will also be a children’s fun fair, Bouncy Castle, skate boarding, Punch and Judy, Tombola, a variety of stalls and normal refreshments, including a bar. The Fire Brigade will be providing a fire engine and, of course Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will be on display. Entry will be by programme only and the Scouts will be selling these in late June. We still have vacancies for stall holders at this event This is going to be a great afternoon of fun for everyone of all ages – but we need your help now to make it happen. So please contact either Terry Darby on 01628 523375, David Onslow on 01628 819108 or Barbara Grierson on 01628 522514 We would like to thank our major sponsors for their generosity: Radhuni’s Restaurant in Flackwell Heath, the Maidenhead Advertiser and Tower Garage, Marlow. VILLAGE DESIGN STATEMENT How Would You Feel If They Knocked Down The House Next To You And Built A Block Of Flats ??!! Our guess is that you would probably not be very enamoured !! However, there is increasing need to build more and more homes and, if we are to avoid repeated encroachments into the green belt, this means that councils must look at “back-filling” - knocking down an existing property and replacing it with several new homes/flats. If we are to prevent haphazard and inappropriate development of sites around the village, we must put in place what is called a Village Design Statement (VDS). This will say to potential developers what is and what is not acceptable to the whole village. However, for the VDS to carry any weight and to be adopted by WDC as a supplementary planning document, we need to show that it reflects the views of villagers. We need your views on 9th June !! Now is your chance to make your feelings known so that they can be incorporated into our proposed VDS. With support from WDC and Chepping Wycombe Parish Council, we intend to hold our first public consultation at 7.30pm on 9th June 2005 in the British Royal Legion Hall. This is important, so please support this significant local initiative. STOP PRESS As part of our fund-raising activities, Aktar Miah of Radhuni’s Restaurant has agreed to hold a Charity Dinner in his restaurant in June. Look out for further details soon !! SITUATIONS VACANT Events Organiser. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association organises numerous fund-raising events not least of all the Cherry Fayre - see above. We need a dedicated and efficient organiser to help co-ordinate all these events. Do you have the leadership and managerial skills needed and can you spend a few hours each week making a difference to village life. If so, contact Craig Lewis on 01628 528550. Youth Group Member. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association Youth Group organises various events for the young in the village. We need more adults willing to take an active part in originating, organising and supervising activities. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Executive Committee e-mail address below.
Please note that if you don’t have your own PC, e-mail access is available at the library. Alternatively, you can write to us care of |
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April 2005 Part 1 |
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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Our first AGM turned out to be a great success and there was a great deal of discussion about future plans for the District and how we can use our proposed Village Design Statement to influence WDC thinking. A copy of the minutes will be posted on the website in the next 10 days along with a copy of the presentation given by Mike Knott from WDC’s Planning Department. These will also be available in hardcopy form at the Library in a similar timescale. Many thanks to all of you who braved the inclement weather to support your Association. EVENTS A FEW TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE !! On Friday 13 May a Jazz supper evening will be held in the Christ Church Hall from 7.30 to 10.30. Enjoy a two course meal and listen to Mantra Jazz (Flackwell Heath’s answer to Jamie Cullum). Bring your own booze, all your friends and have a party !! Tickets will be £12 per person (£10 per person if FHRA Member). For further details and reservations - contact Pam Mannering on 01628 525317 CHERRY FAYRE - 17th JULY NOW WE NEED YOUR HELP URGENTLY !! Arrangements for this revival of the old Cherry Fayre are now taking shape with the grateful support of other village organisations such as the Scouts and WI. We have confirmed that the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will be leading the procession along with a Scottish Pipe Band. The new Indian restaurant in the village - RADHUNI - is sponsoring the band but we still need other sponsorships and donations as well as raffle prizes. We also need people to help organise individual events and stalls, and we are still looking for any equipment left over from the original Fayre - cherry ladders etc. plus maps or display of the old cherry fields. Finally, there is a limited amount of advertising space available in the programme so contact us today if you want to reserve space for your business ! This is a great opportunity for everyone in the village to get together and have fun !! So please add your support to this community project. If you can help in any way, please call Terry Darby on 01628 523375. OPEN GARDEN AFTERNOON - 19th JUNE WE STILL NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS TO OPEN THEIR GARDENS !! Are you prepared to open your garden to the general public for 1 afternoon ? This is not a competition but will be used to help raise much needed funds for the community. If you are prepared to open your garden, please contact Elaine Parsons on 01628 810886 as soon as possible. GROUP NEWS YOUTH Disco. Regular discos are to be held at the Royal British Legion on the last Thursday of each month. Pool. British Legion from 6pm – 7pm Thursday evenings. We are pleased to report that numbers are now swelling which is very encouraging. Youth Club. Every Friday evening at the Methodist Church. PAT GROUP Police Reorganisation. Under the new police reorganisation “Challenge and Change”, Supt Nora Holford - the Local Police Area Commander for Wycombe - will now be responsible for Flackwell Heath. We are also pleased to see one of the new PCSOs - Alex Beever - regularly patrolling the village. Amongst other things, she is taking a particular interest in the illegal parking often found at the Sunday car boot sales in the Community Centre. Speed Indicator Device (SID). In conjunction with the Bucks County Council Safer Roads Team, the Pat group organised a Mobile Speed Indicator [SID] survey in the village from 13th to 19th April. With the active support of some of our District and Parish Councillors, as well as the Carrington and Juniper Hill School governors, we have collected vast amounts of data about speeding traffic at various black spots throughout the village. The results will be published in next edition. This exercise took a considerable amount of organising and we thank all those who volunteered to help. If you are prepared to help with future exercises of this nature, please call one of the committee members - see below. PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT Village Design Statement (VDS). The first public meeting to discuss plans for the VDS and to elicit the views of residents on future developments in the village will be held on the evening of 9th June 2005 - venue to be confirmed. 56 Straight Bit. Shanly Homes have resubmitted their planning application for 56 Straight Bit and, whilst they have clearly recognised some of the previous objections, the revised proposal remains unacceptable for the locality. We are objecting to the proposal and have alerted residents living nearby who may also wish to register their views. The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Executive Committee e-mail address below.
Please note that if you don’t have your own PC, e-mail access is available at the library. Alternatively, you can write to us care of |
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April 2005 Part 2 |
ARE YOU REALLY A MEMBER OF THE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION ?? There seems to be some continuing confusion about whether people are actually members of the Residents Association ? Some people believe that, by subscribing to Grapevine, they automatically become members of the Residents Association and this is not true !! Grapevine is produced by the Community Association who very kindly allow the Residents Association to use it as a means of publicising its activities. In this regard, the Residents Association would like once more to publicly thank the members of the Community Association Exec Committee and the Grapevine editor for their support and assistance, not forgetting Irene Walker and her team of delivery people. To further clarify the differences between the 2 Associations, the constitution of the Community Association basically constrains their activities to the running and maintenance of the Community Centre. On the other hand, the constitution of the Residents Association has been specifically written to allow us to represent the village at meetings with local councils and other government agencies to “promote the preservation, development and improvement of the character and amenities of the village”. Joining the Residents Association is one way to ensure that your opinions get heard in the right places - so please join today !! Membership of the Residents Association is only £3 per year. Application forms are available from the Flackwell Heath website and from many outlets in the village including Unit 4, the Library, Doctors Surgery, and the Christ Church. One form is required for each individual (because of the Gift Aid rules) and must include a full name and address with house number as well as name. |
PRESS RELEASE for March 2005 |
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EVENTS “Is Friday 13th May lucky for you ?!” On Friday 13 May a Jazz supper evening will be held in the Christ Church Hall from 7.30 to 10.30. Enjoy a two course meal and listen to Mantra Jazz (Flackwell Heath’s answer to Jamie Cullum). Bring your own booze, all your friends and have a party !! Tickets will be £12 per person (£10 per person if FHRA Member). Numbers limited to 72, so don’t delay - book today !! For further details and reservations - contact Pam Mannering on 01628 525317 CHERRY FAYRE - 17th JULY
This year’s Fayre to go with a Bang-Bang !! The highlight of our first Fayre for many years will be the appearance of the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car that was used by Dick Van Dyke in the film. A childrens’ colouring competition will be held and 2 winners (1 boy and 1 girl) will ride in the car at the head of a procession. We expect a limited number of village organisations and residents will take part in the procession and fuller details will be published as soon as possible. There will also be lots of traditional attractions but we urgently need sponsorship to help fund the event and volunteers to help both in the organisation and on the day. We particularly need raffle prizes and, in addition, any equipment left over from the original Fayre - cherry ladders etc. plus maps or display of the old cherry fields. If you can help in any way, please call Terry Darby on 01628 523375 OPEN GARDEN AFTERNOON - 19th JUNE
Are you prepared to open your garden to the general public for 1 afternoon ? This is not a competition but will be used to help raise much needed funds for the community. If you are prepared to open your garden, please contact Elaine Parsons on 01628 810886 as soon as possible. FUTURE DATES FOR THE DIARY
QUIZ NIGHT - OCTOBER Further details to follow. XMAS TREE LIGHTS PLUS FAMILY CABARET - 3RD DECEMBER Can you sing, dance or entertain in any amusing way ?? If so, please call Craig Lewis on 01628 528550 GROUP NEWS
YOUTH Disco. Congratulations to Emma West & her crowd for the great discos she has organised on 17th March. We hope these will be a regular event with a variety of music to appeal to all. This is a brilliant example of the young people of the village doing something for themselves once they are given the opportunity & we thank the British Legion for their support in offering the premises. Pool. British Legion from 6pm – 7pm Thursday evenings. Youth Club. Every Friday evening at the Methodist Church. Mobile Skateboard Park. Carrington School on 29th March for one day. See Noticeboard in Fish & Chip shop for future events. Hanging Baskets. We have been trying to arrange for flower baskets to be installed around the village centre but we have been coming up against the normal bureaucracy !! In view of this it has been decided to defer this to 2006 and concentrate this year on extending the Xmas decorations to Acorn House. PAT GROUP Thames Valley Police Reorganisation. There will be 5 Basic Command Units BCU’s within Buckinghamshire and Wycombe District will be a Local Police Area [LPA] within the Bucks BCU. Flackwell Heath will be part of the Wycombe LPA has been established with 5 PCSO’s. Flackwell Heath will share its PCSO with Bourne End and Wooburn. The powers of PCSO’s are restricted to such things as parking offences, stop and search, the stopping of vehicles for testing and the dispersal of groups. You may already have seen our new PCSO around the village which is an encouraging sign. As before all calls to the police will be through a central call centre. Speeding Traffic. A Speed Indicator Device (SID) survey will be carried out in the village from 13th to 19th April. Volunteers are needed to assist with the survey: Contact David Onslow by E-mail at policeandtraffic@flackwellheath.net or write to him C/O FHRA, Police and Traffic Group, Unit 4 Newsagents, Straight Bit Flackwell Heath HP10 9NB PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT Village Design Statement (VDS). Within the next few months, we will be hosting a public meeting to discuss plans for the VDS and to elicit the views of residents on future developments in the village. RESIDENT ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP
After 4 months, membership is growing steadily but we know that there are many people out there who want to join but just haven't got round to filling out the form. Can we please urge you to do so before the AGM. We want to represent the views of everyone in the village and therefore really need you to join - membership is only £3 per year. Application forms are available from many outlets in the village including Unit 4, the Library, Doctors Surgery, and the Christ Church. One form is required for each individual (because of the Gift Aid rules) and must include a full name and address with house number as well as name.
Please note that if you don’t have your own PC, e-mail access is available at the library. Alternatively, you can write to us care of Unit 4 Newsagents, Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath, Bucks HP10 9BN |
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PRESS RELEASE for February 2005 |
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The last month has been very busy for all the groups within the FHRA and looks like continuing that way. 2005 is going to be an exciting year, we’re looking at running a jazz evening, quiz night and a cherry fair on top of the Christmas events of the tree lighting and cabaret evening. Our aim as always is to improve the community atmosphere within Flackwell Heath. We also want to make Flackwell a safer and better place to live in. To succeed in these aims we need as much help as we can get. You can help by:
AGM The first AGM of the association will be held in the community centre on Tuesday March 29th commencing at 7:30PM. At the meeting each of the groups will report back on what has been achieved over the last year and what is planned for the future. The planning and environment group will also be displaying plans of the village design statement, these show the village from the late 1800’s to the present day and what is planned in the future. Policing Issues The police continue to insist that Flackwell Heath is a low crime area, however we know that many crimes continue to go unreported for many reasons (lack of confidence in the police, being too busy and it being very difficult to report to the police) This then leads to the police thinking they can get away with giving us very few resources. The police force is being restructured and there will be police community support officers (PCSOs) available in the near future. To ensure we get our fair share please make sure you report all crimes. Beat Surgeries Attendance at Beat Surgeries has been disappointing, as this is an opportunity for residents to express their concerns to Thames Valley Police. Higher echelons of Thames Valley police are now commenting on the low level of attendance, and that it shows a sign that residents are not really interested. The PAT Group believe it may also be due to the lack of confidence in Thames Valley Police. Following cancellation of the visit of the Mobile Police Office due on 11th December 2004, it is hoped to reinstate this in the near future. CCTV The cost for CCTV cameras in the village have been obtained, and it is hoped to begin discussions with local authorities to ascertain who pays for them Crime Following recent robberies and anti-social behavioural incidents, letters have been sent to Dominic Grieve, our MP, and Superintendent Nora Holford of Thames Valley Police demanding that something be done about the low level of policing in Flackwell Heath. At a recent meeting of the Wycombe Partnership, this subject was raised yet again, and we hope for some developments shortly. Traffic Issues Speeding We are still receiving complaints about speeding traffic through the village, and the PAT group are investigating the use of a mobile Speed Indicator Device [SID] to warn drivers of their speed. The police have erected a speed check area sign at the bottom of Treadaway Hill. This has been done as residents further up the hill have been suffering through speeding vehicles for several years. A brief survey of residents identified that many don’t realise it is a 30MPH limit. Illegal Parking Continuing illegal parking around the village is still being reported, especially around Budgens, where several near misses have occurred. While every effort is being made by the Pat Group to obtain a greater police presence in the village, we would like to remind residents it is also their responsibility to abide by the speed limits and parking restrictions [especially Double Yellow Lines], so that what police presence we do have can be targeted at more serious crime. The responsibilities of the police and traffic group are expanding and therefore we’re looking for more members. If anyone is interested in helping out please contact David Onslow Events Our fund raising group is now known as Events as this seems far more appropriate. Following the resounding success of both the Christmas tree lighting up ceremony and cabaret evening we’re looking to repeat both events this year. The provisional date is Saturday 3rd December 2005. We’re proposing discounts for members of the association for future FHRA ticket events. Cherry Fair We have now booked the recreation ground for Sunday 17th July for the first modern Cherry Fair! Originally the 7th of August was suggested but this has been changed as many people are likely to be away on holiday. Plans are in their infancy so watch out in the next edition for some exciting updates! If anyone would like to help out with this event please telephone Terry Darby on 01628 523375. Decorations Elaine Parsons has now taken over the chair for the decorations group, Karen Williams is still involved as secretary. This continuity will allow us to build on the success of last year and plans are a foot to add in a few little extras, again watch this space for further details. The group will also be talking to Wycombe District Council regarding the possibility of hanging baskets for the village.
Please note that if you don’t have your own PC, e-mail access is available at the library. Alternatively, you can write to us care of Unit 4 Newsagents, Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath, Bucks HP10 9BN |
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PRESS RELEASE for January 2005 |
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Recent Events Last year ended in style with the lighting up of the Christmas tree on December 4th followed a couple of hours later by the inaugural cabaret evening. The lighting up event attracted a large crowd which joined the Reverend Bull from Christ Church in the singing of several well known carols. Jan Churchouse provided the accompaniment. Our thanks go to Karen Williams and her group for organising the event and The Cherry Tree Public House for donating the tree and to Bob Beale for putting the tree up. The cabaret evening organised by Ian Leeds at the Community Centre proved to be a great success and entertained all age groups. All the participant groups contained at least one local resident. The evening started with the excellent Banjovi Revival group who entertained with well known sing-a-longs. Next up was Kelly Stuart and her group who sang well known pop songs brilliantly. During the break the raffle was drawn (prizes donated by local businesses) and the two winners, the Patel’s from the post office and the Cherry Tree kindly donated their prizes to be auctioned. This raised a further £35! 12 year old Nerys Lewis sang three songs unaccompanied including the popular Snowman. The local group Mantra gave a polished performance showing both humour and musical excellence and the performance ended with Don Jarvis and his accordion which had everyone joining in with well known carols. A bar was provided by the Cherry Tree who kindly made a donation of £60 towards the Resident Association funds. Future Events Discussions are underway to resurrect the Cherry Fayre. Following the resignation of Ian Leeds a new organiser has been approached. We’ll let you know more details in the next issue. We hope to build on the success of the Christmas events and will also be looking at other events throughout the year. These events have proved very worthwhile and it is lovely to hear people saying it is improving the community feeling. However, we still desperately need more helpers for the fund raising group. Youth Planning Police and Traffic Meeting with Bucks CC Transport Staff Wycombe Transport Symposium Thames Valley Police Beat Surgeries and Crime Reporting Neighbourhood Watch AGM The first Annual General Meeting of the Resident’s Association will take place at 7:30 pm on 29th March 2005 in The Community Centre. All residents that have joined the Association are entitled to vote and take part. Any member wishing to stand for any of the committee positions should send their nomination duly proposed and seconded to the Vice-Chairman, C/O Unit 4 (Newsagents). Although our membership is increasing this still represents only a small fraction of the village population so can we urge those of you who have not done so to join us now so we can be truly seen as representing your views.. Forms are available from Unit 4 or the Membership Secretary.
Please note that if you don’t have your own PC, e-mail access is available at the library. Alternatively, you can write to us care of Unit 4, Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath, Bucks HP10 9BN |
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