Cublington Crier March 2023 #427

LATEST NEWS and UPDATES

Half Term Tree Planting

Ten local children with parents and grandparents planted trees on North Field during half term week, planting a number of Field Maple and Hornbeam trees. The next opportunity to plant trees will be on the morning of Saturday 11th March between 9.30am and 12.00 noon. Please let Martyn Waters know if you would like to plant a tree: martyn. waters@icloud.com M: 07973754356.

Wednesday 1st March at 11.00: Cublington Nursery will be planting a tree on North Field

Please come along and support the Cublinton Nursery as they plant a flowering cherry tree on North Field at 11.00am on Wednesday 1st March.

11th March 2023: Trees to be planted in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II

Tree Planting Morning: Saturday 11th March between 9.30am and 12.00 noon: refreshments will be served in the Pavilion

A joint Cublington Parish Council and Orchard Ground tree planting morning will take place on the morning of Saturday 11th March, meeting in the Biggs Pavilion from 9.30am to 12.00 midday. Each club and activity and interest group has been invited to come along and plant a tree. The trees have been provided by The Tree Council via a grant to Orchard Ground Association including Red Oak trees and Scot’s Pine trees to mark the life and reign of the Late HM Queen Elizabeth II. Please do come along and support this important initiative. Refreshments will be served in the Biggs Pavilion.

Planting Snowdrops ‘in the green.’

March is a good time to lift and divide plantings of snowdrops while they are still ‘in the green'. As snowdrops grow and spread, they can become crowded and cramped leading to smaller plants and fewer flowers. By lifting, dividing and replanting the snowdrops, space can be given to help them thrive. If you have any spare snowdrops these can be planted on North Field in the circle of spring blossom trees: hawthorn, flowering cherry and crab apple trees. If you would like some help with donating some snowdrops to North Field, please let Martyn Waters know; contact details above.

North Field working dates: 9.30am - 12.00 midday.

Saturday 11th March: planting morning

Saturday 18th March work party

Saturday 25th March: the end of the tree planting season

Please feel free to come along, even for just an hour. It’s a great way to meet up with people and to see how the planting of North Field is progressing.

Contact: Martyn Waters M: 07973754356

REMINDER: Orchard Ground car park closed from 1st to 25th March 2023:

The Orchard Ground car park surface is due to be resurfaced between 1st March and 25th March, between these dates there will be no parking on Orchard Ground.

• Your OG Committee currently is : Colin Antosiewicz, Chairman; Liz Smith, Treasurer; Vanessa Verity, Secretary; Jason Taylor, Maintenance; Bob Paine, Bookings & Allotments; Michael Reilly, Cricket & Parish Council; Gary Brazier, Tennis & General; Martyn Waters, North Field; Miranda Gregory, Events; Lucy Peck, General. All are volunteers.

New committee members always wanted . Please volunteer to help on this committee if you can spare the odd hour or two every month. Minutes of AGM available on Cublington.com

• The next committee meeting is Wednesday 22nd March 7.30pm Biggs Pavilion

Spring is almost upon us, and it is shot through with joyful anticipation for new arrivals (Can I use the term ‘shot through’? I do hope that it does not offend anyone’s sensibilities)

Arrivals are always balanced by departures and as a village, we are sad to mark the passing of John Eadie and David Parish. Both have been part of our community for decades and will be missed. John was part of the team that set up the Crier and has been involved in village clubs and activities throughout his time here. David was always the total gentleman when we met in the lanes, when he was out for his walks.

Departures can be for other reasons and a For Sale sign, replaced with ‘SOLD’ means that we are losing a family (Romy, Tom and Sophia are off to Norfolk) while we wait to welcome the new owners of The Old Post Office (one of them).

Spring brings flowers, ready for Mothering Sunday posies, and the new lambs should appear this month too. Thank goodness Bob was returned to his girls! We try to get the timing right, so that we have lambs on site, ready for the Easter Sunrise Service. Two years ago we got it wrong and the first lamb was born at 3pm on Easter Sunday. The service is a lovely way to welcome Easter, yes…it is an early start, but if the weather behaves, the view of the rising sun over the village is very special.

Don’t forget to get your plans ready for your garden and allotment, start to build up your fitness for sports and activities and just enjoy the wonderful community that we share.

Jane & Mike Alexander

Even more sad news....

Sadly David Parish passed away peacefully in hospital just as the February Crier was going to press.

He was frequently seen on his walks around the fields of Cublington, always giving a cheery hello. He will also be greatly missed around the village. Our sympathies go to Kathy, Rachel and James. Finally rest in peace David. The funeral will at St Nicholas church at 12 noon on Thursday 23rd February.

Apologies

In last month's Crier, we incorrectly stated that Di Eadie and Kathy Parish had started the Crier. It was in fact Ev Griffiths and Di Eadie. We apologise for this factual error and are happy to correct.

More apologies

Christmas Carols collection

We should have published the Christmas Carols collection amount in the February issue, but the email was so far back in the December folder, it got overlooked in January. Apologies for the oversight. The amount raised was a fabulous £324 shared by Friends of St Nicholas and the Winslow Food Bank.

Please come along for the North Field Work Parties

We'd love your help!

After a successful planting season, with most saplings surviving the hot summer, work is never ending on the North Field. Trimming, replacing dead saplings, thinning, cutting grass etc. We even have plans this year to plant a wild flower meadow, plant numerous feature trees, a second blossom circle with snowdrops and daffodils. Please let us know if you would be willing to spare an hour or two (or more!) helping achieve our ambitions for North Field.

Please fill in the below and return to either Martyn Waters or Charlie Toosey, or alternatively put your slip through the Biggs Pavilion postbox and we'll make sure it's collected and logged.

Yes. I would like to join a work party this Spring to help out on North Field.

Name:

Address:

Telephone: email:

If you would like to volunteer for the Cublington SpeedWatch group in the first instance contact Kevin Shults (Councillor, Cublington Parish Council, with responsibility for Road Traffic matters) at kevin.shults65@gmail.com

Congratulations Ben & Lucy

To Ben Joy and new wife Lucy who were married in Sydney, Australia on the 10th Feb, proud parents Mike and Sandy pictured here also with daughter Liz.

Lovell Fuels - 01844 202777

YourNRG 01525 643019

Certas Energy - 01296 561150

Watson Fuels 01438 721594

Saturday, 1st April No Joke!

2pm in the Biggs Pavilion

Stewkley Road, Cublington LU7 0LR

Donations very welcome.

Could you please bring donations - clothes, bric-a-brac, books, DVDs, etc - to the Biggs Pavilion on 1st April between 10am and 11.30am.

Sorry we cannot take electrical items.

If you have any queries, please ring me on 01296 681570.

All proceeds to Church funds

Cublington Crier the

Keeping you up to date on village life, news and events since 1984

monthly magazine of

village of Cublington - the village that moved.

More help required to mow the churchyard.

Become a true Friend of St Nicolas! As the grass growing season extends at both ends of the mowing rota, due to global warming(?), new volunteers are required for mowing of the churchyard in March and October. Can you please help?

Please contact Roy of you can spare just three hours once every year.

See new rota inside for contact details

Do you know of any local businesses who might like to advertise in the Crier?

Or do you have an idea for a fundraising project that we could help seed fund? Or if you want a pdf copy of the inserts mentioned above...

Contact Gary or Gill on email or 688548 for a media pack or see rates on inside of front cover.

Every issue delivered to you, by our dedicated team of helpers costs us about £1.40 to produce, the firms who advertise within these pages pay for this publication, so please remember to mention you saw their ad in "The Crier" . If you know of a company who you think might like to advertise in the Crier, please let us know. If you think you can help deliver the Crier as a back up to our regulars, please let us know. Keep sending stuff in, it is much appreciated.

Thank you. Gary & Gill

The Crier Editorial Rota

Please book your slot! Now booking 2024 (yes really!) -so plenty of time to think about it!

Many Thanks.

2023.. 2024...

May Mike Bush

June Pippa Cheetham

July Richard & Polly Thornely

Sept Jackie Farrands

October Vanessa and Jason

November Clare Hemmings

December The Merrimans

Crier Contact details

Jan ?

Feb ?

Mar Martyn & Avril Gates

Apr ?

May ?

June ?

July ?

Sept ?

October ?

November Penny Allen

December ?

To be the guest editor: You only have to design or find a front cover image, write an intro editorial of your choice and provide a few, or as many pages of content of your choice as you want. It's really not that bad or that hard. Go on please give it a go The more who do it - the less we have to ask. Thanks. Contact: Sandie Joy 01296 682446

The

the Buckinghamshire

CUBLI N GTON

FRIEN DS OF

Volunteers are required yet again please for our annual

Litterpick and village tidy up

Sad to say that people are still throwing litter from their cars as they speed through the lanes surrounding us. Please put this date in your diaries.

Sat 4th March 9.30am

Please email me on gary@cublingtoncrier.co.uk and I will allocate you a specific road along with other volunteers. It will be up to you to bring gloves/bags/pick up sticks. Further instructions regarding pick up of waste etc.. will be issued via email with confirmation response.

Gary

Greeting Cards for SALE

in aid of Rennie Grove Hospice.

If anyone would like a browse of various greeting cards, priced at 10p each, please contact Mary Keats on 07890129481 or email marykeats1@icloud.com

Thankyou to everyone in the village who has bought cards from me. You have been so generous. So far nearly £900 has been raised for this charity providing specialist hospice at home care to people in Bucks and Hertfordshire with a life limiting illness.

MORE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

2023

March

OG car park closed 1st - 25th

Saturday 4th Village Litterpick

PLEASE let us know of any event in the village you are running. If we don't know about it we can't help publicise it. By the 15th of every month before please.

Meet at Biggs Pavilion. 9.30am for briefing and allocation of roads

Tuesday 7th Parish Council meeting

7.30pm Biggs Pavilion

Saturday 11th Tree planting celebration

More info in OG section

Saturday 18th North Field work party

More info in OG section

Wednesday 22nd OG Committee meeting

7.30pm, Biggs Pavilion, all welcome.

April

Saturday 1st Jumble Sale

2pm Biggs Pavilion. In aid of church funds.

Wednesday 5th Cublington Winos Biggs Pavilion. 7pm for a start time of 7.30pm. See ad elsewhere.

Sunday 23rd Tennis Club Open afternoon Biggs Pavilion. 1pm -4pm

May

Saturday 6th Coronation Celebrations event TBC but we will do something.

June

Wednesday 7th Cublington Winos Biggs Pavilion. 7pm for a start time of 7.30pm.

Saturday 17th Cublington fete

Orchard Ground. 8.30am set up for 1pm opening

Belated Welcome

To John and Sarah, who moved into Silver Street a couple of month's ago now... welcome, we hope you'll love living here in the village.

Just a couple of questions...

Do you ... Play tennis? Cricket? Tread the boards? Drink wine? Fancy any of the many committees? Seriously. We'll let you settle in a bit before we really get you involved! Ed

1. What did you want to be when you grew up? Airline pilot.

2. What was your first job?

With the exception of a newspaper boy and a labourer where my dad worked, a mechanical engineering apprentice.

3. Who (alive or dead) would you like to have dinner with and why? (You can have more than one!) All the dearly departed members of my family to share the good times again.

4. What historical era would you like to have lived in and why? 1930's- 1950's Times of great social change and improving lifestyles.

5. Where would you want to live if not where you live now and why? Cornwall - a beautiful Celtic county!

6. What is the temptation you wish you could resist? Carrying on eating when I've already had enough!

7. What is your favourite book and why?

I enjoy reading 2nd World War aviation non-fiction accounts, but the best and most inspiring book was "It doesn't take a hero" by General Norman Shwartzkopf. The best President the USA never had!

8. What is your favourite song and why?

'You're just too good to be true" by Andy Williams. Just love belting it out!

9. What is the pet hate that makes your hackles rise? Political correctness, Wokeness and Arrogance ( Arrogance covers a multitude of sins)

10. What is the unlikely interest that engages your curiosity? Looking at anything man-made that is out of square.

11.How long have you lived in Cublington?

30 years (with a 6 year break)

What could be easier?

Answer somewhere in the Crier!

Please help us fundraise for Orchard Ground and the North Field Project anytime you shop online this Christmas - it really doesn’t cost you anything! If you’d like help setting it up please email bobpaine2002@hotmail.com who will be happy to help. Thanks

March

Birthdays

Happy birthday to you...

Olivia Lea 12 on the 10th

George Stopher 1 also on the 10th

CUBLINGTONRECOMMENDED TRADEDIRECTORY

If you have recently moved to the village and want us to include your children - please let us know. Once children reach 15 they are automatically removed from the list. If you know of anyone who has moved away - also please let us know. Surprisingly we don't know everyone in the village!

Gary & Gill

Need a plumber, a carpenter, a builder, a decorator or electrician?

I hold a directory of tradesmen who have been recommended by someone using them in the village.

You can pass on recommendations in confidence or even better if you are happy to show off their excellent handiwork to others or be called to provide a reference, please let me know that as well.

Contact Tom Gadsby on 07527 989639

Support Group Renamed as Cublington Life WhatsApp group

going out or have a long-term a challenge with Covid 19? support to offer you! callMike Joyon 07711290169or ask someone to drop off this Unicorn) and we will collect it.

The support group has changed its name to reflect the ongoing situation. Useful information on power cuts/ broadband issues and the like get posted on here.

Let me know if you'd like to be on the Cublington Life group WhatsApp, send me your telephone number and I can make sure the administrator knows and adds you. Admins are: Martyn Waters, Catherine & Charlie Toosey, Gary Brazier, Liz Smith and Miranda Mercado Gregory

Cublington Cricket Club Indoor Winter Nets

The first hour will be for the U11 and U9 teams (softball) with the following two hours for both the U13 and U15 together with the adults (both ladies and men). The venue has 4 nets.

If your children, or the neighbours children are interested or curious or plain bored do encourage them to come along as we are running 3 junior sides this season and hoping to combine a fourth with North Marston.

Costs will be a bargain £5 per session for the adults, U11 and U13 and just £3 for the younger kids attending the first hour. Martin Middleton (CCC Treasurer) has applied an early bird discount of £20 for all 4 sessions in keeping with his growing reputation for being fiscally astute.

Thomas Freemantle School, Winslow

When the floodlights are off, villagers may notice a glow from within the church...no, not on fire, but we are leaving the tower light on, it makes the building look alive an loved. Sponsored by the Alexanders

£12 - COVERS A WHOLE WEEKS LIGHTING!

Main Contact: Penny Allen 01296 682006

If you would like to, please contact Penny direct on 682006 or djandpallen@gmail.com or to The Crier with a dedication. Gift Aid envelopes are available from the Church and pub (when open) porches and this will enable us to recover 23p for every pound donated.

Thank you

ST NICHOLAS CHURCH LIGHTS SPONSORS

Penny and Dennis are sponsoring the church lights in memory of Dennis's Uncle Joe who passed away a year ago.

Church Services in March

Mothering Sunday. 19th March

Family based service for all, with posies for flowers. 9am in church. Tea and Coffee at 9.45am

Easter Day 9th April

Sunrise service (time to be confirmed...but it will be early! 6am ish) held at the Sheep Sheds, Ridings Way

Easter Family Communion service, 9am, in church.

Orchard Ground car park closed from 1st to 25th March 2023:

The Orchard Ground car park surface is due to be regraded and relaid between 1st March and 25th March, between these dates there will be no parking on Orchard Ground. Orchard Ground is pleased to have received a grant of £7,000 towards the cost of this work from the Ivinghoe and Wing Communities Board, Buckinghamshire Council.

From the Rector

A seasonal reflection

By the time this article appears in village newsletters we will be into the season of Lent. As is customary among many churches we have a Lent discussion group which, this year, is thinking about some of the very final words that Christ said from the cross on what we now commemorate as Good Friday. We are using an accompanying book, specially written for Lent this year, that focuses on seven such phrases from across the four gospel accounts in the New Testament.

One of these is the two-word phrase ‘I thirst’, which the crucified Christ utters among his final words in John’s gospel. The author of the book points out that, in Hebrew (the main language of the Old Testament), the same word can mean both ‘soul’ and ‘thirst’. There are several points in the Old Testament especially where spiritual desire is paralleled with the idea of an intense thirst, and often a thirst for ‘righteousness’, which meant the remaking of right relations among each other, between us and creation and between us and God.

The author also points out that the one who is here saying ‘I thirst’ is the same one who, earlier in the same gospel, has said ‘let anyone who is thirsty come to me’. Christ invites people to have their spiritual thirst quenched in and by him, but in the agony of crucifixion he expresses a share in that thirst – a full share in our humanity and in our trials. The author then asks a more psychology-centred question: namely, to what extent are we willing to examine the origins of our thirsts and desires? How might they be misinterpreted and even clash with those of others? Finding a common thirst is not always as easy as we might like it to be, especially when the nature of individual preference and motivation is probed. In some cases it even takes a crisis for communal agreement to surface.

To the author in question the crucifixion symbolizes, among other things, such a crisis point – the Latin word for cross, crux, being in this sense related to the way in which we speak of getting to the real crux of a matter. Individual desire needs shaping for the good of the community, and this is a particularly seasonal message for Lent and Easter, since they are a journey of growth fittingly paralleled with the development of Spring. The journey starts, on

Ash Wednesday and the early part of Lent, in a wilderness, moves towards a city (Jerusalem) and then moves just outside it for the crisis point or crux of the matter on Good Friday, and then into the spring of rising, living water in the Resurrection moving into Eastertide. Life flourishes if individual aspects of that life thirst for what they need in proper relation with one another, which is why Lent does encourage individual self-discernment and examination of conscience, but always within the bigger picture of a thirst for communal flourishing and new life.

With all best wishes as we progress through the season

Andrew Krauss

Easter Choir, to include anything useful for Coronation!

We will meet to rehearse for Easter Sunrise, Easter Day and maybe for Coronation, depending on what happens...suspect there may be a beacon or some sort of shindig. We hope to learn 2 new pieces of music, simple but enjoyable singing. Start date to be confirmed (we need to recover from the Panto first) but likely a Monday or a Tuesday early evening.

Welcome All

This wonderful local resource is FREE

Not just books - your library card gives you access to a wealth of FREE online resources - including magazines and newspapers ___________________________

Library Elf

Never forget to return an item againregister here for a FREE email reminder https://www.libraryelf.com/base/Signin.aspx

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Date for your Diary

Tuesday 25th April 2023 7.30pm An evening with local author

Dave Sivers

Villages Art Group

CALLING ALL ARTISTS

To see these pictures in colour - go to issuu.com and search for Cublington Crier

(ANY LEVEL)

Come along and paint and sketch and learn together

- EVERY MONDAY 2-4pm (EXCEPT BANK HOLIDAYS):

Venue : Biggs Pavillion, Cublington

Dates : Every Monday

Please come along with your paints, pencils, easels etc and join us working side by side for a couple of hours

Tea/coffee and biscuits to sustain us! Small donation appreciated.

All very welcome! We know there are more of you out there so don't be shy!

Recent work shared by the group

Ha Ha - well spotted someone..

John Statham Eadie

15th December 1940 - 21st January 2023

'Bridget and Tom Eadie would like to thank everyone in the village for the lovely cards, letters and messages we have received since John's death in January and the grand turnout at his funeral. We have been inundated with stories of his kindness, grumpiness and practicality and it's lovely to know, more fully, the part he played in the life of the village'.

For those who missed John Eadies funeral, here in part is his brother Donald's eulogy.

I can almost hear John smiling, “So you’re going to speak brother? Oh well, get on with it, keep it short, and no weepy stuff, you old fart!”.

John and I arrived in our parents’ home in Bradford from the opposite ends of the country, John from Newcastle in 1940, me, earlier -Herne Bay in Kent in 1939. We lived knowing we were born to different birth mothers, adopted and we knew nothing more- that’s how it was then.

We grew through being loved, we were loved children, loved equally and differently. Without our knowing it, a bond was formed which John recognised and described as ‘a bond thicker than blood.’

John was the practical one, helping Dad with things technical, electrical- while I held the ladder.

John was mischievous, prone to playing pranks; on one occasion, placing a loudspeaker on top of the water cistern in what Dad insisted in calling ‘the lavatory’. Our grandmother, on visiting the said lavatory was shocked to hear a booming voice, ‘Big Brother is watching you!.’

Our parents encouraged us to be curious, to ask questions about everything, the universes beyond universes, the spider’s web glinting in early morning dew, where butterflies come from, how babies are made, what happens when we die? Anything, everything.

They taught us to love nature, camping on the banks of the river Wharf in the Yorkshire Dales, where we swam, built dams, caught tiddlers in jam jars, crossed the river in Skylark our rubber dinghy assured that if we picked enough mushrooms mum would cook us a bacon and egg breakfast. While staying on a farm on the isle of Skye, Dad took John and I into the Cullen mountains where we were like a couple of puppies. In his ageing John has enjoyed reminding me, “And I got to the top first, brother!”

At school John was a star of the swimming and gymnastics team and on the rugby field he was a gentle giant, often first in the following pack, often found at the bottom of the collapsed scrum, later playing for Yorkshire public schools and, while being a teaching assistant at Wood House Grove school, he played for Bradford 1st XV. John excelled. While training to be a teacher at Westminster College

Oxford John met Diane, who spent a year in the John Radcliffe Hospital with TB Meningitis, and after completing her teacher training, taught in France.

They married in the Church in Ton Pentre in South Wales, it was the Saturday England won the Football World cup. They chose to teach in Uganda, on a British Government education scheme, in Mbale. They enjoyed the company of the Catholic Fathers in a neighbouring religious community, playing bridge with them, drinking whatever and telling stories. Many years later John looked equally at home with the monks in the Cistercian monastery of Mount St Bernard’s Abbey. They found each other in their humanity, in their affectionate humour.

Returning to the UK after Diane, John’s plane was recalled back to Entebbe airport by General Amin, Mum and Dad turned to their High Wycombe MP and also the Foreign Office to secure his safe passage home.

The Cublington years were Bridget and Tom years During the past year John and I have had more time to listen to each other’s stories, laughed, wept, returning again and again to our gratitude for our parents. When John’s consultant’s told him of his diagnosis early last year also his estimated life prognosis his response was, ‘Well, that’s a bugger!’

A week or so before John died, we shared three days together. He was weak and managed to communicate only in whispers. Before I left, he reached toward me “Donald, I want to say something to you” and I waited nervously! “I love you and want to kiss you!” then, “and you’re out of my reach-thank God!”. On leaving I kissed him and said, ”See you later brother’. His last words as I left his room were, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’ John entered his homecoming gently, beautifully, first home, first yet again!

On learning of John’s death, a friend who knew Dianne and John in Oxford sent these words from a novel by Thornton Wilder, words I don’t yet fully understand but want to: “We ourselves shall be loved for a while and forgotten. But the love will have been enough; all those impulses of love return to the love that made them. Even memory is not necessary for love. There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning”.

From The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder

David Parish 1942 – 2023

It is sad to record that David Parish died peacefully during the night of Wednesday 25th of January.

David and Kathy have lived in Pump Cottage in the very centre of Cublington since 1977. David was very supportive of village activities and organisations but he was always at his happiest striding across the local fields with trusty stick in hand and cheerfully chatting to anyone he met in the course of his walks.

His knowledge of local landscapes and historic events was considerable and reflected his lifelong interest in antiquities. This interest was fundamental to his work as an archaeological conservator at the Bucks County Museum in Aylesbury, where he was employed for many years and where he was extremely highly regarded by many of his colleagues; his views on antiquities were often sought by those working in other museums throughout the country.

David met Kathy, a nurse, whilst he was in South Africa working for the Cape Town Museum and following their return to the UK, they married in 1974. After moving into Cublington they raised their two children, Rachel and James (Jim); now both happily married and with children of their own, Rachel lives in Reading and Jim in Nottingham.

David loved living in Cublington and was always interested in what was going on in the village; though naturally reserved, he thoroughly enjoyed talking to all those who he got to know whilst out on his regular walks. In addition to his wide knowledge of local geography and archaeology, he was also a keen photographer and took many fine pictures of the local landscape.

David’s funeral took place on the 23rd of February at St Nicholas church.

4th March 2023, 2pm

•Offering a flexible service to suit all your barbering needs •

-Based in Wingrave, covering local and surrounding areas

-Fully mobile and home set up

-Competitively priced

- Appointment times tailored to your convenience

1st April 2023, 2pm Could

•Contact Emma to book your appointment: 07881 871896 •

Fb business page: Blaker’s Blades

Keepers Corner, Moat Lane, Wingrave, HP22 4PQ

Thank you all so very much for helping with last year’s mowing. Same again this year?

Many thanks, Roy Shons 01296 682787 077752 043145 royshons@btinternet.com

W/C Name

03rd April Roy Shons

10th April Colin Justice

17th April Kevin Shults

24th April Mike & Sandie Joy

01st May Michele Packer & Haime

08th May Dennis & Jack Allen

15th May Abbie & Lee Stopher

22nd May Barry Sim

29th May Gill & Gary Brazier

05th June Tom & Harry Gadsby

12th June Sophie & John Law

19th June Maggie & Chris Brandon

26th June Sarah & Jason Keane

03rd July Tim & James Taylor

10th July Martin Gibby

17th July Jason & Vanessa Taylor

24th July Susan & Mike Bush/Paddy

31st July David Bradbury

07th August Mike Alexander

14th August Caroline & Mike Lightfoot

21st August Mike & Sandie Joy

28th August Ev & Gerry Griffiths

04th Sept Mark Cheetham

11th Sept Kevin Shults

18th Sept Gill & Gary Brazier

25th Sept Geoff & Bernadette Johnson

02nd Oct James Francis

09th Oct VACANT

If you want to buy a ticket online for this round of ten draws starting in May, then please contact me direct at bobpaine2002@hotmail.com or call

on 01296 680483 and we will organise it.

Your continued support is very much appreciated.

Bob & the Orchard Ground Committee.

Celebrate and remember loved ones with Forever Forget-Me-Nots at Waddesdon Manor

Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity has partnered with the magnificent Waddesdon Manor to launch a very special Forever Flowers event to celebrate and remember loved ones this spring. A stunning, temporary display of 1,000 bespoke metal Forget-Me-Not flowers will be installed in the Aviary Gardens at Waddesdon Manor, near Aylesbury in April. Each flower will represent the life, love and memories of a loved one.

The charity is offering you the opportunity to be a part of this event by dedicating one of these limited Forever Forget-Me-Nots, which also includes an invitation to a private viewing of the display on Monday 17th April whilst the grounds are closed to the public. The Forever Forget-Me-Nots installation will then remain on display to the public for two weeks. Once the installation is removed, those who have dedicated a flower will be able to take it home to display as a forever keepsake.

By dedicating a Forever Forget-Me-Not you will be helping the charity to provide excellent local hospice care and be there for more patients and families across Buckinghamshire and its borders. To dedicate a Forever Forget-Me-Not visit https://www.fnhospice.org.uk/foreverflowers or call 01296 429975 for more information.

Cublington Wombles.

We have a team on Ultra Challenges and, no, we don’t dress up as Orinoco or Uncle Bulgaria, but gained our name from our wombling as we train. The amount of rubbish chucked into the local hedgerows is disgusting and regular litter picks helps to keep it under control and gives us a breather if the hill has been a bit steep! We support several charities, with Parkinsons UK for the Winter Walk in London, and this year, Macmillans for the ‘North Downs 50 ‘walk when the team are doing a 25km saunter and one of us will doing the full 50km!

Cublington Bags

All proceeds go to village causes 20 already sold, £200 donated to the North Field trees project

£10 each or 2 for £18

Interested? Then please contact us now.

email: info@cublingtoncrier.co.uk or call Gary on 01296 688548

BABYSITTING DIRECTORYall listed are 14+

Alice Gadsby - 680452*

Charlotte Keane 688133

Katie Keane 688133 or 07803939530

Hannah Alexander - 681104

Izzy Law - 688019 or 07896 894914

Maisy Parsons 01296 68230 007368 26143

Charles Powell 01296 680467 *School or

Answer: Graham Dunn

Rental Rates

Village Residents and fully paid up members of Cublington clubs and organisations.

£8 per hour

Outside Cublington Clubs and organisations regularly using the facilities. £10 per hour

Discounts for block bookings

Dances, discos & parties

(There should be at least one adult present for teenage parties)

Cublington residents £70 Non Villagers £100 Weddings etc. (Whole day - 9.00am - midnight)

Cublington residents £250 Outside of village £300

A refundable deposit of £25 is required at time of booking. Deposit will be returned if no costs are incurred with regard to cleanliness or damage to property, fixtures or fittings.

Extraordinary NOW 6Just left new to the village?

YOUR VILLAGE’S HISTORY... IN PICTURES

The fascinating pictorial history of the village is currently still in stock - but only seven remain. It has not yet been decided whether we get a second reprint.

"Cublington in Pictures Old and New"

Priced just £15 - (£10 from every sale goes to the upkeep of St Nicholas Church)

Contact gary@cublington.com for your very own copy.

So far over £300 has been donated to the church from sales.

The 100 Club Draw

Apologies. For some reason we think due to the early December deadline for the January issue, we don't believe that the January 2023 winners were published. A full list of the whole year's winners is published elsewhere.

January 2023

1st Prize - £50 - Sean Taylor.

2nd Prize - £40 - Duncan Tomlinson.

3rd Prize - £30 - Gillian Antosiewicz.

4th Prize - £20 - Jack Allen.

If you want to buy a ticket for the next round of ten draws starting next May then please contact me direct at bobpaine2002@hotmail.com or call me on 01296 680483 and we will organise it. Thank you!

Phrases that need to be cut from our language...

Cut From…..might encourage another Merchant of Venice moment

Swanning along…. Most swans may look serene but they are grumpy and their little feet are probably doing overtime.

Out for a Duck…. What sort of duck? And why is it out?

Boys will be boys…until they decide otherwise

Fight the Good Fight…..advocating violence

Don’t throw pearls to swine…..Defra would have a fit.

Don’t cry over spilt milk….the Lactose intolerant are not complaining if the milk gets spilt.

Toast always falls butter-side down …..vegetarian version required, and would need testing too, margarine may have different aerodynamics

Only fools and horses work…..tell that to Bod

Hi everyone!

As we enter the second half of 2023’s first term, spring seems to finally be in the air and we definitely have a spring in our steps here at nursery. We like to get outside as much as possible with the children, but this has been a little ‘challenging’ with all the bad weather, so it will be so nice to get them out for lots of lovely fresh air again and for them to experience all the new life popping up around us.

One way we will be doing that going forward is by taking the children to help us grow lots of lovely fruits and vegetables as we tentatively start off our new kitchen garden. It’s definitely still in it’s infancy (with only garlic planted so far!) but we hope to be adding lots more so the children can get outside and get green fingered.

This will be a fantastic learning opportunity for all the children. Not only will it help them with their understanding of the world around them, the environment and where their food comes from, but it can encompass all the seven areas of learning from literacy when reading and writing the tags for the plants, to early maths skills when counting the seeds and offer wonder activities for their physical and personal/social development.

And hopefully it will get those little taste buds exploring lots of different flavours, textures and tastes.

Early maths skills is something that is very important in the EYFS and it is something we like to weave into our routine and activities at every opportunity, but this term we have used numbers as our first topic of the term. We like our children to have a solid understanding of numbers and be able to recognise, match and sort.

To help with this the children have been using numbers in all sorts of different and wonderful ways, even seeing how many sticky spaghetti hoops they could pick up on a chopstick, counting them and then comparing how many they had to their peers!

And only a few got eaten!!

from everyone here at Cublington Nursery x

Cublington Nursery offers flexible sessional care for 2,3 and 4 year olds. Funded and non funded places are available. For more information or to book a visit please visit our website www.cublington nursery.co.uk

Ridings cottage

Dear Crier

Another brilliant read, thank you.

I share your views on the planning app. A compromise is required and hopefully, without too much persuasion, the planning department would wish the development to be in character with the village. The appearance of and the number permitted are visually acceptable as the new houses in Swanbourne.

I was involved in roofing cottage style houses with second hand peg tiles and by packing the battens on odd rafters, created undulations in the levels. The interior was designed and built in a similar vein. All modern energy saving systems produced homes that conformed yet looked old. The developer should be able to achieve a good return by building fewer larger units.

As you say the property cannot be listed so this seems the only route to take.

I have tried to find Ridings Way in old documents without success but I did find that the Biggs family came to Cublington when Christopher Biggs from Great Horwood married Elizabeth Gates in 1735. You probably know this!

I can provide a copy of Benjamin Biggs will in 1840 should you wish.

Kind regards

Graham Banfield Wingfield Farm.

11th March 2023: Trees to be planted in North Field in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II

Orchard Ground Association has received a grant of £1,869.00 from The Tree Council to buy 35 trees to mark and celebrate the life and reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Trees include seven red oaks to mark seven decades of her reign and nine scots pines to mark the nine decades of her life. The scots pines being a reminder of Cublington's links with Queen Victoria whose scots pine trees can be seen off Reeds Lane; these were given by her in 1897 to mark her diamond jubilee. Queen Elizabeth II was Queen Victoria’s great great granddaughter. Other trees to be planted include English Oak, Hornbeam, Field Maple, Crab Apple, Hawthorn and Bird Cherry, all of which will help to give some height to the copse and woodland areas on North Field.

A joint Cublington Parish Council and Orchard Ground tree planting morning is planned for Saturday 11th March meeting in the Biggs Pavilion from 9.30am to 12.00 midday. Activity groups and clubs in Cublington will be invited to plant a tree. There will be opportunities for village families to plant trees and also for grandparents and their grandchildren too. To enable as many families, grandparents and grandchildren to take part as possible, trees can be planted before 11th March including during the February half term week. Please let Martyn Waters know if as a family, or as a grandparent along with your grandchildren, you would like to plant one of these trees: martyn.waters@icloud.com M: 07973754356.

Cublington Crafters ABROAD

After a 3 year wait, we are making a long awaited visit to the ladies in Vaalawater, and supporting the local craft group. I managed to meet up with them in 2022 and gained better insight into what we can help with and what skills we can help develop. Diane and Jenny will be checking their sewing machines. We will be there for a week, and able to join the local church for the Sunday service and get to know the community further.

Big bag of yarn donated, filled one suitcase!

The Cublington Crafters Outreach Group are visiting the Crafters group in South Africa, to provide support and tuition for the ladies there. I was able to join them in November and get a better idea of how we can help and encourage them, to enable them to generate a sustainable income.

The Crafters meet every Friday 3.30pm - 5pm in the Unicorn.

We are looking for help with the PostBox Topper, ready for King Charles' Coronation. All very welcome.

JOIN YOUR LOCAL TENNIS CLUB

New season from May 1st

Come along for our open afternoon 1-5pm Sunday April 23rd

Enjoy superb faciliities at OG

Tennis is the perfect sport for all round fitness, cardio health and mental wellbeing. Give it a try.

New members always very welcome.

Courts are once again busy with members enjoying social tennis. League Teams feature in the Aylesbury & District League. If you’d like to join, please contact us - details opposite.

LTA affiliated club y categories of membershipsingle/couple/family/junior/oap Coaching organised see ad elsewhere.

•2 great all weather courts

-free floodlights for members

• This Winter 4 league teams in ADTL

•Fun Club Sessions and Tournaments

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY

Caroline Lane 01296 681373 carolinelane@btinternet.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND NON-MEMBER COURT BOOKINGS

(£10 PER HOUR) : Gary 01296 688548 or 07713 723788 or email at gary@cublington.com

SAFEGUARDING OFFICER

Jean Barnett 01296 392471

To be contacted if you have any concerns about safeguarding.

Bit rusty or seriously want to improve?

TENNIS COACHING

sessions every Friday evening with Paul Hobday LTA level 4 coach. Members now £6 per session Non members £7 per session

Rusty rackets 6-7pm Intermediate/Advanced 7-8pm

NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED

NOW BOOKING FOR SPRING SESSIONS STARTING APRIL 21st

email gary@cublington.com to put yourself on a waiting list!

Cublington Tennis Club

Cublington Winos

Greeting from the winos (hic!).

For those that don’t know, each event is hosted at the Biggs Pavilion by two people but with the usual help of others.

Sandra and Nigel hosted the 1st February get together which was an Italian themed evening. Great fun was had by all, Martyn and Maggie are hosting the next event on the 5th April

Provisional dates for our next planned events are as follows.

7th June, 2nd August, 4th October, 6th December. Doors normally open at 7pm for a start time of 7.30pm.

If anybody would like to join us please contact Jackie Farrands - 07968 672707 - and you will be added to the Whatsapp group.

Steve and Jackie

When you Shop Online... help raise funds for the village.

THANK YOU to the 44 AMAZING SHOPPERS who have so far raised a STAGGERING £1,888.85. for Orchard Ground projects by simply clicking online when they shop!

Phenomenal!! You could do the same!

Please join in for your village - it costs you absolutely nothing and helps us a lot!

1st - Gwyneira Waters - £289.66.

2nd - Sarah George - £233.08.

3rd - Martyn Waters - £223.84.

4th - Maggie Brandon - £198.19.

5th - Kevin Shults - £167.63.

6th - Bob Paine - £123.39.

Daylight Robbery!!??!!

Going through my large draw full of various hose attachments amassed over the years, would you believe I couldn't find what I was looking for... eventually did at Homebase... for £7.00!!!

Is it just me or am I expecting that a small plastic moulded item should cost less than this or am I so totally out of touch these days? I think it's outrageous - no wonder inflation is what it is. Blatent profiteering I would suggest!

Phrases to annoy your doctor (or vet)

He's Not Himself…..well, who is he? Boris Johnston?

Burning Up….Use the fire extinguisher first, then phone the Fire Service.

She’s on a Raw Diet….I do hope that you have washed your hands.

He’s been unwell for 3 weeks and we are going away tomorrow….

Ohh, no, I can’t have conventional medicine, my crystal chakras have just been realigned. (why have you come to see me, then!)

I’m on a Gluten-free diet… (apart from eating …)

I defleaed him last week, it cannot be fleas

(followed by…He must have picked them up in your waiting room)

That’s not what Dr Google said

I have a print out from the Internet from a Californian shaman, who say’s that my obesity is due to a wayward leyline, you will want to read it. (Oh, no, I won’t)

Lots of fun on offer.

Did you know your local Scout Group is looking for some volunteers?

We are looking for more volunteers because of the increased demand for children and young people to learn “skills for life”. We have a wide range of opportunities available: these include volunteering with Squirrels (boys and girls aged 4 and 5), and Explorers (boys and girls aged 14 to 17); keeping the Group HQ in good condition; or managing the Group’s finances. Some of the activities children take part in range from archery to holding birds of prey, cooking to hiking, science to sleepovers, and first aid to overseas expeditions. There are plenty of roles working with children aged 4 to 17, managing people, looking after the Group’s equipment or being a trustee. Whatever skills you have, we can find you a role. However, you might want to try something different and we can arrange that for you.

There is progression for all of the children; Squirrels might make a fruit kebab whilst Explorers might make a meal that incorporates an ingredient for every letter of the alphabet; Beavers might visit the fire station whilst Scouts might visit the House of Commons.

Cub Scout Amelia Doyle said, “I’d never been camping before, but the adults ensured we had a brilliant time. We helped to pitch the tents and then we had a game followed by hot chocolate. On Saturday, we did some science experiments, cooked on a real fire, and had a sing-song around the campfire. On Sunday, we had a water fight and did some climbing. The whole weekend was terrific.”

Adult volunteer, Samantha Fabbro said, “I began volunteering with Beavers but then decided to go out of my comfort zone, so I volunteered to take 36 Explorer Scouts to a World Scout Jamboree. I had never slept in a tent before and had to get used to it. I wouldn’t change any of that experience, it was just brilliant.”

For more information about getting involved in Scouts please visit www.scouts.org.uk/join

We prepare young people with skills for life Reg istered Charity No: 1018127

Cublington Cricket Club

WE NEED PLAYERS AND GROUND MAINTENANCE VOLUNTEERS FOR 2023

Cricket has been played in Cublington for over 150 years, with the first recorded game played in 1863. The club as it is today was founded in 1955, and in 1997 a new pavilion was built with assistance from the National Lottery & Sports Council. Our Orchard Ground facility is the home of cricket, tennis and local community events, and was extended in 2005 to include a fabulous score box. Until the late 1990’s friendly fixtures were played on Saturdays or Sundays and it was not uncommon for the Captain to be found scouring the village to try and find a full complement of players around lunchtime on the day of the match.

Since then, Cublington Cricket Club has grown substantially, guided by four Core Values: Youth & Women’s cricket development - Community - Sustainability - Enjoyment

The club has now graduated from its casual beginnings to being in a position to field;

• Two Saturday League sides;

• A Woman’s team evolving as a pathway for our junior girls;

• Sunday friendly side;

• A thriving diverse junior membership (girls and boys). Junior Teams from U9s to U17s providing competitive cricket for up to 100 budding young cricketers.

• We are an All Stars Hub, providing a safe environment each Summer for children aged between 6 and 8 years of age to enjoy cricket

Cublington CC are ECB Clubmark Accredited and all our officials are validated by the ECB Safe Hands Management System.

The 1st and 2nd XIs compete in the Four Counties Cricket League and, with the Sunday Team, the Club provides an environment in which junior players can start to play adult 40-over cricket. On average, the club’s teams play 20 matches per season. In addition, members from our Junior section are regularly asked to represent Buckinghamshire at County and District levels.

The Club’s home is the Orchard Ground, an outstanding example of an English cricket ground carved and nurtured from agricultural land, admired by visiting teams and spectators, including those who attend the inter-county games we host each season.

WE ARE A VOLUNTEER CLUB SO IF YOU WANT TO PLAY OR HELP PREPARE THE GROUND

(JUST AN HOUR OR TWO A WEEK!) please contact Michael Reilly at mtcreilly@aol.com or phone 07876593434. Full equipment training provided.

Member of the Four Counties Cricket League

Member of the Home Counties Women’s League

Member of the Buckinghamshire Cricket Board Junior League

www.cublingtoncc.org

TUTOR UP TO GCSE

Cublington-based

FORALLOFYOUR DOMESTIC CLEANING

YOUR  LOCALSTEWKLEYBASEDCOMPANY

CHOOSEFROM  WEEKLY OR FORTNIGHTLY FULLY  INSURED

ALLSTAFFPOLICECHECKED

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CONTACT  CHRIS  STEVENITT  FOR  MORE  INFORMATION

ON:

OFFICE:  01525-­‐242042

OR

MOBILE:  07850-­‐540393

EMAIL: chris@exquisitecleaning.co.uk

WWW.exquisitecleaning.co.uk

With more of our expert team in your local area than ever before, if you have a plot of land, county or equestrian property to sell, please get in touch with your local Alexander & Co team.

Aylesbury: 01296 710200

Winslow: 01296 715386

Whatever your property aspirations, we’re here to help every step of the way.

Bedfordshire

Buckinghamshire

Oxfordshire

Northamptonshire

www.alexanderandco.co.uk

We are looking for patients from the Wing, Whitchurch and Winslow surgeries to join the

3 W F r i e n d s

You will be supporting our practices by helping with fundraising which we use to support requests for equipment, enabling us to enhance patient care, comfort, and treatment.

Patient Support Service

Provided by: 3W Health, Ashcroft, Waddesdon, Edlesborough and Pitstone Surgeries

We are a Social Prescribing service, here to support you with social, emotional or practical needs, focussing on improving health and wellbeing.

We can help you find what matters to you most and then direct you to services that might help.

For more information please contact; Jan Lewis – 07835461361

jart.lewis@btinternet.com or Amanda Tofield – 01296 640100 ac.tofield@gmail.com

Looking forward to hearing from you.

We work alongside a range of health and social care professionals, local services, charitable and voluntary organisations

To refer yourself or someone you care for, please phone or email the team

Tel: 01296 713434 (option 6)

Email: Contact@NorthBucksPatientSupport.info

Or make enquiries at your GP Surgery

Tel: 01296 670777

Email: enquiries@jrplumbingandheating.co.uk

Website: www.jrplumbingandheatingltd.co.uk

A Professional Gas and Heating Company

• Fully Qualified Heating Engineers carrying out all aspects of plumbing and heating work.

• Specialising in boiler changes, offering up to 10 years warranty under the Worcester Bosch accredited installer Scheme

• Full central heating systems, including design and installation

• System upgrades, servicing and repairs

• Landlord gas safety inspections and certificates.

• Radiators, towel rails and under-floor heating systems including electric systems.

• Conventional and unvented hot water systems.

• Complete bathroom/shower room renovations including design and installation

• All GAS, LPG and OIL work undertaken.

“I would just like to say how impressed we are with you and your team. You are one slick and professional operation, so to speak! Your guys worked hard all day, were extremely pleasant and did a brilliant job” (Customer Review).

Martina collects my ironing every Tuesday and returns it on Thursday. Great job, never had any problems. Martina is always reliable, accommodating and cheerful. When my washing machine broke Martina took all the laundry and ironing, a great service, I can not recommend her highly enough. Debbie (Cublington resident)

Unit 2 Ladymead Farm, Quainton, HP224AN

info@cublingtoncrier.co.uk

Pinocchio – A Pantomine

From Our Man in the Stalls: “What a triumph! The roar of the greasepaint! The smell of the crowd!”

This year’s production was a directorial triumph from Cecil B. de Waters and featured an all-star cast. The title character was played with pathos and feeling by Di Grace complete with a nose that occasionally wandered off. Chris Brandon clearly had fun as a whittling Gepetto, while Vanessa nearly stole the show with her Blue Fairy. Nearly, but not quite. Also in the running for show-stealer was Steve Markham as a frankly disturbing Caroline. Those purple pants can never be unseen, but the stand-out, for your correspondent at least was Will Bentinck as the evil ringmaster Stromboli, complete with outstanding cod-Italian accent (or was it Welsh? Indian? We’ll never know.) Think Brian Blessed with an indecipherable accent.

Linda Justice and Michael Alexander made a fine pair of clowns, Jackie Farrands as Dumbo (in Pinocchio?) was word perfect with her lines and Penny Allen nailed the huge role of ‘Mouse’. Martin Waters was a very convincing Tai Chi and Gerry Griffiths excellent as a policeman teacher. We enjoyed seeing newcomers Sandra Loli as Ella (Grass! Snitches get stitches!) and Nigel Loli as ‘Erbert, while the vicar Howard Robson did a fine turn as Tiger.

The show relies on a fantastic support crew. The music is led by Cublington’s top Maestra Evelyn Griffiths. Kim Walls as the prompt was as busy as ever, despite more crib notes (on palms of hands, blatantly in books, anywhere) than a desperate GCSE crowd. The costumes, the scenery, the sound and lighting all combined to make a wonderful production. Many thanks to all involved. Can’t wait for next year.

Pantomime 2023

The raffle at the four performances of this years’ pantomime raised £582 for the Riding for the Disbale sssocation, another £100 was donated during the village lunch on Sunday 19th February.

Those attending this years’ pantomime will have missed Bob (stage manager) climbing a ladder to sort out the old sgae curtains, missing the chants of, ‘Bob the Builder, can he fix it.’ And his responses which are unprintable in our village magazine. Following a grant of £1,000 from the Arnold Clark Community Foundation, new curtains were made by Maggie Brandon, new curtain track fitted and new canvases purchased for the scenery backdrops. Thanks to Maggie Brandon for making the new curtains which look magnificent, to Bob for arranging for the new curtain tracks to be fitted and to Martyn Gates who will be sorting out the new scenery canvases.

SPOTTED!

PLEASE keep your eyes peeled ... If you spot anything, and we really do mean anything of interest (silly or serious or even just slightly interesting) in the village - please let us know.

Spotted

The hunt in the fields behind Ridings Way - Bod spotted them for sure!

Spotted

Thanks to the Parish Council who heard the plea for lights to illuminate the pathway round the play area. They're brilliantthanks a lot.

Spotted

Interesting new crop in the field down the Whitchurch Hill !

Spotted Weds 8th Feb: We took a photo on the courts this morning as it was such a lovely February day and the courts were both fully occupied. Something I thought would be nice to go in the Crier. Court One: myself Julie M, Liz B, Caroline and Natalie Court Two: Bob & Liz, Steve & Jackie.

Spotted Cracks in the new road surface (Stewkley Road) before it had even opened. We send these in to Bucks CC and they are being dealt wåith as a defect notice to the contractors. Well done. Good spot!

Spotted The Cublington Luvvies in full-on Panto mode... see full review and pictures inside this edition.

Spotted Beautiful snowdrops starting to be planted around the churchyard. They are always a delight to see at this time of year.

Spotted Groups of people planting trees in North Field over half term... great stuff.

Found these two lost souls we recently found in the churchyard when planting out said snowdrops!!

Spotted

Big crack appeared in the church gate wall - looks expensive!

Spotted Also the first daffodils are out - actually have been for a month now - whilst others recenty planted in memory of Ian Bundock are starting to emerge... please watch where you tread on grassy verges arounf the village!