The Burbridge family take top honours for the second year running at the 25th Annual Village Show. Well done to Jenny and David, Daniel and Lucy!
October/November 24
It is a me for change not the poli cal mantra, just the reality of things movingon.
Editorial community and have reaped much more than we contributed. Although we are on the doorstep of Milton Keynes, we are lucky to be in a rural community where we can all par cipate in events and get to know our local neighbours who will hopefully become friends.
This is my last issue of the magazine as its editor but I’m really pleased that every effort is being made by the Parish Council to keep its produc on going. My thanks to Carol Langham for stepping into the breachforthe mebeing. But there are other changes in our lives tooas Harvey and I will be leaving Haversham a er 40 years only for Stony Stra ord, mind, but into a loca on where facili es are on the doorstep for our older age. We haven’t yet exchanged contracts but are confident that it will go to plan some me! Maybe for Christmas….
This means relinquishing the various ac vi es we have been involved with over the years and passing on the baton to fresher faces and minds than ours!
We have both enjoyed being part of the local
The 25th Annual Village Show this year has been commented on elsewhere in the magazine, but I must add my own voice.Itwaswonderfulto see such a crowd of young, middling and old folk enjoying a truly special a ernoon, capped off by the very generous presenta on to myself and Ian Burgess at the end. My thanks to the Parish Council for my special award it made up for the failing computer programme which delayed the calcula on of the Show results and had my nerves jangling!! I do hope volunteers will come forward to ensure thattheShowremainson the calendar for the next 25years.
Amazingly,despitethreats otherwise, li le has changed in Haversham and Li le Linford over the years we have been here, or at least nothing which has taken away its overall ambience as a North Bucks village. But nothing stands completely s ll and, in the next 40 years, for sure there will be some changes. But let’s hopeitissmallandgradual and doesn't alter things toomuch!
The next big community event will be the Annual Fireworks Display on 2nd November. Aren’t we lucky to have this happen on our doorstep? Make a note of it in your diaries now!
LesleyGilbert
Opinions expressed by authors, and services offered by adver sers, are not specifically endorsed by the Editor or by Haversham and Li le Linford Parish Council.
Local
News
OPEN HOUSE LUNCH
Julia and Ian Cheetham, on behalf of St Mary’s Church, are providing an Open House Lunch at the Old Forge, on the third Monday of each month. The lunches are for any member of St. Mary’s and Li le Linford Churches and residents of Haversham and Li le Linford. The Old Forge is located on the High Street next to theGreyhoundPub.
Coffee will be available from 10.30am, lunch will be available at approximately 12.30pm and tea and cake on offer in the a ernoon un l 3.30pm. Maureen White on 07889 654906 has kindly agreed to provide transport for those who need help ge ngtoTheOldForge.
The Open House Lunch in October will be on Monday 21st October from 10.30am. The date for November is Monday 18th November. There is no charge for lunch and you will be warmly welcomed. For further infor-
ma on please call 01908 914318.
JUBILEE CLUB
In August we met for the last me at Woodpecker Co age for a ernoon tea. The weather was a li le cool so we assembled indoors and enjoyed a lovely a ernoon of convivial cha er. It was also the day when I let members know that the Club will be closing in December. Sadly I feel I cannot con nueand,asanatural successor has not been forthcoming, it seemed best to go out on a high and enjoy a final Christmas lunch together for ourDecembermee ng.
September saw our usual fundraising Chinese Aucon,thisyearforMacmillan Cancer Support as chosen by members. Everyone was very generous and we will be sending £50tothecharity.
Wednesday,11thDecember—Christmas lunch for members, our final mee ng.
LesleyGilbert
WHAT3WORDS
Did you know that every metre square of the world has been given a unique combina on of three words? All you have to do is download the app onto yourphone.
Then, if you need to tell someone your precise loca on, for instance if your car has broken down or maybe you’ve had a fall, the app will tell you the three correct words for that loca on and you canpassthisontowhoever needs to know. It’s really useful in an emergency but can also be used to directa deliverycompany, say, to your home address. All of the emergency services, breakdown services and many delivery companies use this veryusefultool.
It’s free to download and even works when you don’t have a signal or data.
Thanks to Ann Marshall for sugges ng I put this in the magazine it would have helped a friend of hers hugely when she broke down in an out-ofthe-wayloca on!
STAYING SAFE COLDCALLERS
Thames Valley Police have received reports of an increase in cold callers in Milton Keynes and the surrounding villages. Cold callers may knock on your door or contact you by phone, o en trying to sell goods or services, collect personal informa on, or gain access to your home. Please be cau ous and follow these safeguarding ps:
Do not open the door: If you are not expec ng anyone, do not feel obligated to open the door. Use a peephole or window to seewhoisthere.
Ask for iden fica on: Genuine callers will always have iden fica on. Asktoseeitandtakeyour
me to verify their creden als. If indoubt, close the door and do not let themin.
Do not share personal Informa on: Never provide personal, financial, or sensi ve informa on to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly, either inpersonorbyphone.
Use a door chain or intercom: If you need to speak with someone at your door, use a door chain or intercom system to keep a barrier betweenyouandthecaller.
Report suspicious behaviour: If you no ce suspicious callers or feel threatened, contact your local authori es immediately.
Trust your ins ncts: If something feels off, trust your ins ncts. It’s okay to say no and end the conversa on. If at any point, you feel threatened or in midated, please call 999.
STUDENT FRAUDS
Going back to school, college, or University? Do you know about the top
frauds targe ng young people?
New data reveals almost 69,000 reports were received from people aged between 11yrs and 29yrs. Ac on Fraud, the na onal fraud and cybercrime repor ng service, has launched a Student Safety Campaign, revealing the top frauds to look out for and how to prevent yourself from becoming a target.
In 2024 the top five frauds reported are:
Investment fraud: with a total loss of £29,509,631: Criminals will target Students looking to make quick wins with available cash through cryptocurrency, or schemes with a promise of high return investment. They usually use social media and other online pla orms where many genuine investment schemesoperate.
Fake job fraud: with a total loss of £149,719: Students looking for job opportuni es can be targeted by fraudulent adver sements aimed at stealing personal informa on or money. Stu-
dents might be asked for an upfront payment for a fake consulta on or extra helpfindingajob,butthe fraudster does not deliver.
Rental fraud: with a total loss of £4,270,255: Rental fraudsters o en target students looking for university accommoda on. The fraudsters ask students to pay fees in advance,withoutseeingthe property first, and as a result they lose money as well as somewhere to live.
Online shopping fraud: with a total loss of £9,199,951: O en fraudsters will create fake websites or replicate legi mate online stores to trick customers into providing their personal and financial informa on for a purchase that isn’t real. This can lead to those details being used forcriminalac vity.
Ticket fraud: with a total loss of £1,053,493: Fraudsters will use opportuni es, like highly indemand events, to target students by selling fake ckets. Students looking
for cheap deals for freshers’ events can also be targets.
Fraudsters will also use these fraud types as cover stories to try and gain access to your bank account. This is known as becominga‘moneymule’ and is not a fast way to make extra cash. Allowing your bank account to be used (unknowingly or knowingly) to pass criminal funds through can result in your bank account being closed, you beingunabletogetamobile phone contract or other credit facili es and acriminalrecord.
Further informa on can befoundatMoneyMules h ps:// www.moneymules.co.uk/
REMEMBERTOCALL 101
If you want to give police informa on about a crime that is not currentlyinprogress.
To contact a local police officer, such as someone from your Safer Neighbourhoodteam.
If your property has been stolen or damaged but it
is not a crime in progress.
If you suspect drug dealingoruseinyourarea.
ONLYCALL999IF:
A crime is in progress or you suspect a crime is in progress.
There is a serious incident, which needs immediatepolicea endance. Someone suspected of a crimeisnearby.
Someone is injured, being threatened or is in danger.
There is a risk of injury to someone or a risk of seriousdamagetoproperty.
If you have been a vic m of fraud or cybercrime, report it at www.ac onfraud.police. uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
Parish Council News—The View from the Chair
The last two months have flown by, and now we are seeing the last ves ges of summer and the onset of autumn, but hopefully a few warms days s ll to come. As always, the Parish Council have been working on a number of things around the Parish in the last couple of months and I will try and cover them all in this update.
PARISH MAGAZINE
I have to start by thanking Lesley Gilbert, who has edited this parish magazine since its incep on thirty years ago. This issue marks her last, and I am sure that she has witnessed many changes across the Parish as she has read the various contribu ons of so many and wri en her own editorial each me. I would also like to thank Harvey Gilbert, who over the last several years has been the adver sing manager and
who is also ending his roleatthis me.
We have been seeking volunteers to take over theeditorandadver sing manager roles for some months but sadly no-one has come forward for either role. However, in order to keep this muchloved magazine going, whilst we con nue to look for a long-term soluon, Cllr Carol Langham has agreed to take on the editor role, supported by myself and the Clerk who will manage the adver singside.
WithLesley’sblessing,we are intending to do a bit of a refresh, both in terms of look, but also, we would love to have some new contributors. We are not necessarily looking for someone to contribute every issue, so ifyoufancywri ngsomething occasionally, then please get in touch with yourideas.
MK CITY PLAN 2050
As reported last issue, MKCCareundertakingthe first stage of consulta on (called Regula on 18) for the MK City Plan 2050, the Local Plan, that will, once adopted, set out how MK will develop up un l 2050, across housing, employment areas and many other aspects ofthecity’sgrowth.
AtourrecentParishCouncil mee ng we had an extended public forum to allow residents to ask ques ons and make comments, and then discussed and agreed our representa on that we will submit in advance of thedeadlineof9October.
All residents and other interested par es have the opportunity to comment on the dra plan and those comments will be taken into account as the plan is updated and progressed through the various other steps of the process.
All the documenta on, including an interac ve map, evidence materials and various topic papers can be found at h ps:// www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/city-plan. The site also has a portal for submi ng your comments.
NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN – ALLOCATED SITE
I know many of you are keen to stay up to date with the progress on this site in the old village. There is however li le to report at this me as the developer con nues to work through the preapplica on phase and prepare the full planning applica on. We understand that the date at which the formal applicaon will be submi ed is going to be later than previously reported as working through the various aspects of design is taking a li le longer than expected. As and when we hear more, we will share it via h ps:// www.havershamli lelinfo rdpc.gov.uk/npsitenews.
HIGHWAYS AND ROAD SAFETY
The main Highways news is, of course, the implementa on of the 20mph zone on Wolverton Road and its side streets, plus the associated 50 mph limits. We are chasing for the white lining to be completed and have also fed back to MKCC some other concerns, including re-itera ng the ask for 40mph south of the village. We await further feedback, but we have no ced a reduc on in speeds – although not by everyone.
Work progresses on the 20mph scheme for the High Street, which is s ll awai ng the statutory consulta on. The consulta on regarding the closure of the gated road across Stanton Low to reduce An -SocialBehaviour, has been completed and since no objec ons were raised, we understand this will nowgoahead.
We haveorderedthetwo Speed Indicator Devices (SIDS) devices that will be installed along Wolverton
Road and we would hope this will be done in November.
We con nue to chase on the various items of highwaysmaintenanceandfor a resolu on of the flooding issues. Don’t forget to use the Report It page on the MKCC website, h ps://www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/pay-report -and-apply/report-it if you seeamaintenanceissue.
OTHER NEWS
Village Show: IknowJackie will be sharing a detailedupdateelsewherein the magazine, but I wanted to say how great it was to see so many of you at the show, on what was a lovely Saturday a ernoon, as well as seeing the numerous wonderful and crea ve entries across the various classes – congratula ons to all the winners! I also enjoyed my role judging the best novice award – there were many excellent novice entries, so it was not an easychoice!
Normally it is also my role as Parish Council Chair to award the Rose-S mpson Cup for the ‘Resident of
the Year’ chosen by the Parish Council. However, this year we could not iden fy a suitable candidate for the cup who had notreceiveditpreviously, so next year we will be seeking nomina ons from residents for this award. As a result, we decided to be a bit different and present a permanent and personal trophy to two of our residents, recognising their huge contribu ons over many years to the community of Haversham-cum-Li le Linford.
Firstly, to Ian Burgess, who a er being a Parish Councillor for almost 25 years, stepped away in May 2023. Ian was also a school governor, an ardent exhibitor at the Village Show, as well as helping out with many things too numerous to men on.
And secondly, to Lesley Gilbert, who was for many years our Parish Council Clerk, edited 180 issues of our Parish Magazine, ran the Jubilee Club, supported the Social Centre Charity and
been a key member of the team that organises the Village Show and manyotherHSCCevents. Itwaslovelytobeableto present these awards at the show they have both supported so much, as well as doing so in front of so many of the parish residents.
Running events such as the Village Show takes a lotofeffortandtheHSCC Charity is always on the lookout for more people to help. If you would like to get involved, even if for just one event, then please drop an email to volunteer@havershamsocialce ntre.org.uk
Li er Picking and Community Speedwatch: we ran our latest parishwide li er pick on Saturday 14 September, col-
lec ng sixteen bags of rubbish and repor ng two incidents of flypping. Thanks to the volunteers who support thisac vity.
Cllr Langham con nues to run regular Speedwatch sessions in both the old and new villages along with the volunteer team of trained operaves. Both of these ac vi es would not happen without the people that give a small number of hours of their meto the community each month orso.
Please contact the Clerk (email details below) if you want to get involved and help out with these worthwhile ac vi es. We would really welcome yoursupport.
MK Connect: you may have been aware that
MKCC was running a rural pilot for the Demand Responsive Transport or DRT service called MK Connect. This pilot split the city into zones, requiring a change of vehicle for certain journeys. The pilot has ended and MKCC are returning to the original non-zoned service.
Councillor Vacancy: whilst our numbers are now six, given the coop on of two councillors in the last few months, we s ll have a vacancy for one more councillor. If you might consider joining the Parish Council team and are interested to find out more, then pleasecontacttheClerk.
PLAYGROUND PROJECT UPDATE
And now to finish with some great news! A few days ago, we heard that wewere successful inour recent applica on to the FCC Communi es Founda on, a not-for-profit business that awards grants for communi es through the Landfill Communi es Fund, for a substan al grant to rejuve-
nate the playground. We now have the £100,000 we need to undertake this project and can progress the work on the detailed design and plan to start the implementaon in the spring – all depending on the weather. As plans and designs progress, we will share updates via our website at h ps://
www.havershamli lelinf ordpc.gov.uk/playground -project. We are excited to be able to finally get the project underway –although there is now a lottodo!
We have also now submi edtheseparatefunding request to the MKCC Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF) for 2025/26 for the allowed 50% of the costs of the replacement path – we
will hear about this in the new year. Thanks to those that completed the survey we shared in the last issue as this helped us with the evidence we neededtosubmit.
CONTACTING US & HELPING OUT
As well as this regular ar cle, we use our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ HcLLParishCouncil and website www.havershamli lelinfo rdpc.gov.uk to share news and useful informa on - so please do follow us on Facebook and visit the website regularly. We are currently exploring using email as another route to share news with residents –more on that in due course.
If you have any issues, sugges ons or ques ons for us, or would like to volunteer to help with oneofourini a ves,then please either message us via Facebook or email the Parish Clerk at clerk@havershamli lelinf ordpc.gov.uk. We do our besttorespondpromptly. Iwishyoualltheverybest for the autumn and rather
scarily when I next write this ar cle in a couple of months, we will be in the run-uptoChristmas!
Richard Pryor Chair
mee ngsareopentothe public. Thenextmee ngsare: Monday, 21st October Monday, 18thNovember
ParishCouncilmee ng agendasarepublished onlineandontheparish no ceboardstheweek beforeeachmee ng.
Addi onal news & informa on can also be found on the Parish website at havershamli lelinfordpc.gov.uk
Saturday 2nd November
Haversham Social & Community Centre
Gates open 6pm ~ Display at 7pm
CASH ONLY
£6.00 for all over 18 years
£2.50 for 5 to 18 years old
FREE for children under 5
FAMILY TICKET
£15 for 2 adults + 2 children
Refreshments available from 6:15pm in the Social Centre.
Glowsticks for sale
Please do not bring any personal fireworks or sparklers onto the grounds
The three decades years of reless dedica on by Lesley Gilbert to the Haversham and Li le Linford Magazine has provided our small community with a cohesion and communica on much welcomed by our few hundred inhabitants. This includes the happy survival of our Greyhound Pub, and the consideraon of the many - and some mes large – planning applica ons including the proposal to plant rus c pastures with imposing wind turbines. In such cases the publicaonhasprovidedauseful conduit for opinions o en resul ng in effecve ac on to preserve our green and pleasant land and a quintessen al ruralambience.
I moved from London into Li le Linford in August 1994 just as the inial issue was being prepared. In my first weekof exploring the local countryside I met Lesley by chance walking on what
is s ll called “The Prairie” by Li le Linford Wood. We talked at length during which she suggested I might like to write an ar cle for her nascent crea on. The result was an ar cle en tled “From East Sheen to East Lodge” which extolled the virtues of rural spacious blues skies compared to an oppressive London haze and living under an increasingly congested Heathrow flight path. Li le then did I expect to remain here for three decades and become thirty years older! I s ll enjoy living in this rural jewel although I wonder if I can accept the ever faster ageing years.
I hope the spirt of the Parish and its magical countryside can survive the advance of Milton Keynes and the evergrowing needs for new houses including the o ignored concomitant infrastructure like schools and medical centres. The
firstshouldnotbeincompa ble with the la er and withcareandconsidera on we can have both although anyone currently trying to see their GP mighthavetheirdoubts. HereistotheParishmagazine’s next thirty years although it is just possible I may not be here in 2054 to update this arcle.
Patrick Upton
NEXT ISSUE OF MAGAZINE
Thenextissueisfor December/January. Copydatewillbe 17thNovember andthemagazineshould bereadyfordistribu on onoraround 30thNovember. All contribu ons welcome. Please pass them to: Carol Langham, 108 Wolverton Road, Haversham. Tel: 01908 316450 Mob: 07961 047142 e-mail: carol.langham@ havershamli lelinford pc.gov.uk
October this year will see Leo Antiques turning 21 years old!
And, although we had to downsize earlier this year into Rose Court, we still have our regular visitors which is always a pleasure, together with newcomers.
So we may be smaller but we still have lots to offer. If you are looking for something a little different from the run of the mill, then Leo’s is where you’ll find it.
A reminder of our stocks: paintings, prints, mirrors, silverware, glassware and small occasional furniture and, of course, our beautiful collection of pre-loved jewellery, all authenticated for your peace of mind.
Do come along for a visit, you will always be made most welcome. 1 Rose Court,
Open Tuesday to Sunday 11 to 4pm
Social & Community Centre News
The Village Show was held on the first Saturday in September and was very successful. There were 70 entrants; there haven’t been as many since 2004 so we celebrated our 25th anniversary in style. As always, I am impressed by thequalityanddiversityof the entries and thank you to all those that entered. There is a full report of the day in the centre of the magazine with lots of photos.
The major prizes were awardedasfollows:
The Photography award was won by Jenny Burbridge. There were some brilliant photos on display, very impressive. Jenny also won the Horculture Cup. We had a lot of entries in this class which was surprising a er the very wet Spring. Pam Furniss won the Shield for the Fruit secon and Graham Paley won the Floral Cup. The Domes c Cup was won by me (that was a surprise). Arts & Cra s Cup was won by Phoebe Jes ce and the Wood & Metal went to Ian Burgess, both were worthy winners.
In the Children’s sec on the Toddler award was
won by Verity Crosby; the Junior award by Erin Clarke;theChildren’sMiddle was won by Lucy Burbridge and the Inter mediatebyDarceyWatkins.
The Special awards were asfollows:
The Bill Bedford Trophy for the best photograph entered by a child, as judged by Russell, our photography judge, went to Lucy Burbridge and she also won the Pat Brightman award for her cupcakes. This was judged on behalf of the Brightman family by Shula Jackson and is for the entry that is judged best in all the children’s classes. The Parish Council’s Novic e Award went to Noah Ridley for his finger pain ng and was judged by Richard Pryor and Pamela Wiliams. The HAGS award this year was awarded in the Floral sec on and was judgedbyIrenePaton,our Floral Judge. She awarded it to Jenny Burbridge for her lovely display of garden flowers in a jug. The Best Exhibit in the Show as judged by the trustees of the Social Centre was Margaret Fanning for her
very imagina ve floral arrangement on the theme of an arrangement in an unusual container. This was a beau ful arrangement on a walking s ck.
The final award is given to the person with the most overall points in the Show. In 3rd place with 23 points was Lucy Burbridge, in second place with 27 points was Gill Paton and finally in first placewasJennyBurbridge with 38 points. Congratula ons to all the winners in the different classes and tothosewhowonthe majorawards.
The Parish Council did not award the Rose-S mpson Cup this year, which is given to the person who has done most for the village during the year, but instead gave a Special Parish Award to Ian Burgess and Lesley Gilbert for all they have done for the
village through many years.Thiswas presented to them by Richard Pryor, the Chair of the Parish Council. In the past both Ian & Lesley have won the Rose-S mpson Cup so the Parish Council felt their service should be recognized in a different &permanentway.
As usual there are so many people to thank for their help on the day. Firstly, thank you to our judges, Irene Paton (Floral);SarahWebb(Arts &Cra s);KathleenDodds (Woodwork & Metalwork plus Domes c); Photography (RussellGreen)and finally Vegetables & Fruit
(Frank Wykes) plus their stewards who were Julia Cheetham, Louise Reid, Holly Sains plus Annabelle, Chris ne Sythes, and Natalie Jarman. However, the person who did the most work was Lesley Gilbert who produces all the paperwork and does the calcula ons from the scores given by the judges - not an easy task especially when, as happened this year, the computer program doesn’t perform as it should. We will miss Lesley so much when she and Harvey move to their new home. I have relied for many years on her sound common sense, judgement and her experse with the computer. Thank you, Lesley, for all thatyouhavedoneforus.
The a ernoon display also saw a record a endance and special thanks go to Shula and St Mary’s
2024 VILLAGE SHOW
Overall Top Points
Best Family
TOP AWARDS
Parish Council Award- Best
HSCC Award - Best Exhibit
HAGS Award -18 Best Floral
Pat Brightman Trophy
Bill Bedford Award
MAIN CLASSES
Photography
Hor culture
Fruit
Flowers
Domes c
Arts & Cra s
Wood & Metalwork
CHILDREN’
Toddler under 3
Junior 3-6 yrs
Middle 7-9 yrs
Intermediate 10-13 yrs
Many thanks to Laura White for taking Congratula ons to
Novice
SHOW AWARD WINNERS
AWARDS
Jenny Burbridge Burbridge family
Novice Noah Ridley
Margaret Fanning
Jenny Burbridge
Lucy Burbridge
Lucy Burbridge
CLASSES
Jenny Burbridge
Jenny Burbridge
Pam Furniss
Graham Paley
Jackie Brown
Phoebe Jes ce
Ian Burgess
CLASSES
Verity Crosby
Erin Clarke
Lucy Burbridge
Darcey Watkins
taking the photographs this year.
to all the winners!
Swansway Self Storage Containers
¨ 20ft containers available to hire in Haversham
¨ High security locks, well-lit area with CCTV
For information, contact Rachel 07710
Church who organised and served refreshments for us, which was a tremendous help, and also cleared up a erwards which was even be er. Thank you also to those who donated cakes for the refreshments was much appreciated and helped to contribute to the overall profit made by us.
Finally thank you to all of you who came and supported us and made this the most profitable VillageShowever.
As men oned before, we have big changes afoot in our organisa on and our new Bookings system will soon be going online, hopefully by the end of September. Kim Irving has resigned as Bookings Secretary and, in the interim,
bookingscanbemadevia me, or Richard Pryor; contact details can be found at the end of the magazine. We will be appoin ng a new Bookings Secretary once the new system is up and running. We will adver se the post on our Facebook page and the Parish website in due course. We would like to thank Kim for her many years of service and support to theSocialCentre.
We will also be adver sing for a new Treasurer, as Natalie Jarman has resigned from that role. Again, we would like to thankherforalltheyears that she has given to the Social Centre, not only as Treasurerbutasanac ve and competent commi ee member who always gave 100% support toallourac vi es.
On November 2nd we will holdourAnnual Fireworks display and, fingers crossed, the weather will be kind and there will be no rain! If the display is as good as the previous two, we will be in for a magical evening courtesy of Ben Hazell, Jim Wortley and their team. We will also be hos ng our Christmas Bingo and Wreath Making Workshop; details will appear in due course on our Facebook page and theParishwebsite.
Jackie Brown Chair
Nature Notes
Just how has it got to September? It’s completely perplexing as to where the days go. As the days roll by so the seasons turn and already there is touch of autumn in the air. Summer is slipping away and what a strange one it’s been. We seem to have had the whole gamut of weather to contend with but on the whole it’s not been too awful. For sure it’s been very dry; the small amount of rain we have had not enough to percolate into the ground. I know that my garden is very dry and many plants have not done well. If you have an allotment I expect the summer has been very tes ng for you; watering and more watering… Farmers we hope have done a bit be er with the dry weather; there must have been somelovelyhaymadethis year as good weather came at just the right me. Over the past few weeks all the arable crops have been harvested with the combines, huge growling monsters chuck-
ing up great clouds of dust, creeping their way across the fields gathering up the corn. The big field at the end of the village here was planted up with oats. From ny sprouts of green in spring to the pale gold ears of ripeness. The oats, stalks sighing and rustling, formed waves of gold in thewindasitblewacross the field. All that loveliness is gone now; the oats away to the mill or storage. The straw le from combining wassoon gobbled up by the baler clanking its way across the fields packing the straw into huge compact bales before spi ng them out behind. You may have seen the immense stacks of bales from the roadside as you’ve been out and about. The bales await collec on from the hay
and straw merchants who take huge loads to sell on to farmers in areas where presumably straw for winter bedding is in short supply. In the depths of winter it must be like opening a bale of trapped summersunshine!
Summer sunshine is just what Swallows revel in and we’ve had many, many of these lovely birds around here this summer. We think it must have been a good year for them, probably with second broods too, as there have been so many. The twi ering call the Swallows make is especially lovely though we’ve picked up on a change in the call when a predator is nearby. The call becomes higher pitched and very rapid and is an instant alert. Looking up we invariably saw a Sparrow hawk on a fly-by, or twice
a Hobby, this quite rare bird being a consummate aerial hunter of Swallows and House Mar ns. Twi ering fran cally, almost hysterically, the Swallows gather ‘en masse’ to give chase to the intruder and see it off. For some reason known only to themselves the Swallows took to gathering on our roof, television aerial, gu ers or any other bit of house they could cling on to and always at the back. They took to swooping in low over our outhouse, in between the house and the wall, and then up onto the roof or
wherever they could land. All the me there was a great twi ering commo on and jostling of placesun l theywould all suddenly take off. A few minutes later they would be back twi ering almost as if it was just a jollygoodgame!
Oneverywarma ernoon wewereinandouttothe garden and had the garden room doors wide open. I was much surprised when coming indoors to find a Wren perched on the back of a chair! I stood very s ll and the Wren didn’t move. It didn’t move at all.Watchingthe nybird closely it appeared to be gasping so I assumed it had been flying around, probably in a panic, for some me and was exhausted. Ian came and managed to catch it; it didn’t protest. We put it
in a small box with a lid and put it in the garage whereitwascooland quiet, and le it for a couple of hours. Later we sat in the garden and carefully opened the lid whereupon the Wren flew out, perched flee ngly on the lid and flew to the gu er on the garage. It sat there for a minute or two, gathering its thoughts, then flew off and into the pear tree, seemingly none the worse for its mishap! We see, and hear, Wrens regularly in and around our garden and they are such a joy to watch, so busy andinquisi ve.
Having returned from an early morning dog walk I let the dog off the lead in the garden. I looked over our fence into the paddock and to my surprise sawahenPheasantsi ng on the top rail of our neighbour’s fence. It had been quite a rainy night and she was looking very wet and bedraggled so had taken the top rail in
the sunshine to dry out. To my amazement she didn’t fly away but just eyed me cau ously, l ng her head from side to side, looking at me and then down into the field. A er a few moments she made a low cheeping noise to which there seemed to be an echo. There was a slight movement in some grass stalks and a chick appeared! About the size of a Robin, the chick moved confidently through the grass pecking at insects and seeds. Then another appeared, and another un l there were five chicks creepingaboutinthepaddock with the hen bird calling to them and they in turn calling back. It was quite late in the year for Pheasant chicks of this size to be about so I wondered whether itmightbe a second brood or that she had lost a first nest to the very wet spring or
perhaps her nest had been predated. Five chicks is asmallbroodfor a pheasant, eight would be a more usual clutch size. The nest, normally hidden in thick vegetaon, consists of a scrape inthegroundlinedwitha bitofdrygrassintowhich the olive brown eggs are laid. The chicks are nidifugous, that is they leave the nest as soon as they are hatched. They are covered with a fine down which is mo led buff and brown to provide camouflage and the chicks feed themselves straight away. The hen Pheasant had done well to get her chicks hatched and raised as ground nes ng birds are so vulnerable and at risk not just from bad weather but the whole gamut of predators from foxes, rats, crows, magpies and any other watchfulmealseeker.
In our last ‘notes’ we wrote about the large Grass snake lurking in a hole at the side of our pond. Well we think the following might be related. John Tarbox, our neighbour,sawsomething on his garden path which he took to be a bit of wire or plas c. However when he picked it up it proved to be a very dead, very dried up, very young Grass snake. He was most surprised! Oddly, a few dayslaterhefoundanother one in his garden in the same condi on. John wondered if something had killed them as being so small, they are easy prey.Wewonderedifperhaps the small snakes, thinner than a pencil, succumbed to the dry weather and lack of easy food. Could it be that the large lurking rep le in the hole by our pond was the mother of these babies? The young grass snakes wouldn’t have travelled farsoit’spossiblethatthe Grass snake had found a suitable nest site, ro ng damp vegeta on or compost heaps are favoured, somewhere not far away. The ro ng process of the
vegeta on creates warmth which incubates the eggs and did you know that Grass snakes are Britain’s only egg laying snake? The large lurker was seen for only a couple of days before disappearing. Ian was most disappointed… I pretendedtobe!
Talking of small things, we had a lodger for over a week; a very young Hedgehog. My daughter and I were driving home along the road through the top village when she suddenly told me to stop! We were almost opposite the bus stop at the top. She dived out of the car and ran back down the roadside, picked something up and got back in the car. I was completely discombobulated! What on earth… she had seen a small Hedgehog by the side of the road and had
to rescue it and it was now si ng on her lap in my car! My daughter, Rebecca, is, and always has been, beso ed with Hedgehogs. Over the years we’ve had various Hedgehogs to care for in various states of health and disrepair;somecame from Margaret at the Wildlife hospital in Bradwell to release and some just lived in our garden, one in par cular had three legs and not many prickles having beenrescuedfromabonfire. This most recent foundling seemed fairly healthy but very small so a box became its temporary home. Boy, did it eat! Tiny bits of chicken, mince, soaked dog biscuits, raw egg, pear; it wolfed it down! It must have been starving so all it did was eat, sleep, repeat. It became much more alert, so much so thatwefoundittrundling round the kitchen having escaped the box! Rebecca eventually tracked down a lady at Deanshanger who runs Milton Keynes Hedgehog Rescue who said that she would taketheHedgehog
with a view to releasing it into the wild when it was big enough. Off we went to Deanshanger where the lovely lady had other small rescued Hedgehogs. We were sad to see it go but knew that it would have the best chance of survival with the rescue lady.
It is perhaps fi ng that we should men on our daughter Rebecca for it was she who began wri ng the ‘nature notes’ for the village magazine. When exams took over, Ian and I said we would con nue as so many people seemed to enjoy the ‘notes’. Some twenty years later we’re s ll at it! However, as we believe thismaybethelastmagazine, Ian and I have decided that this would be a mely end to our ‘notes’. We have wri en of many things overtheyears from our observa ons and happenings which cost us nothing and con nue to put a smile on our faces no ma er how many mes we have seen them before. Some of you have sent us li le ar cles of things that you have seen
too. We like to think that our ‘notes’ have given pleasure to many of you and perhaps a view on a world that is not so accessible to all. Perhaps if the magazine isresurrected at some point, somebody out there would like to take up the reins once more. There’s much to see out there; today I found a beau ful Red Kite tail feather with the most wonderful coloura on and Ian, when moving
some paving slabs, found a medium-sized Toad who seemed very put out about being ousted from his hidey hole. A new damp home in a safe place was found for Mr Toad. Atthesame me, a Great Crested newt was discovered so that too was carefully re-homed under some old logs near the pond. So you see, wildlife and nature can be found close by. It doesn’t require long
walks and heavy binoculars, just a few minutes here and there to look at what is around you. You will be pleasantly surprised!
Gill&Ian Burgess
C. P. Locks
54 Church Street , Wolverton, MK12 5JW Tel: 01908 225954
Your local key cutting and DIY store stocks a wide range of home decorating materials as well as a good range of gardening products, including potting compost and garden pots. Our opening hours as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9:00am-4:00pm; Saturday 10.00am to 4.00 pm. Closed Wednesday & Sunday
Haversham Village School
I hope this newsle er finds you well and in good spirits, especially a er one of the chilliest summers I can recall. It's hard to believe we’re already wellintothethirdweekof the academic year. Time trulyflies!
Mrs. Perschky, our dedicated caretaker, has been hard at work throughout the summer holidays to ensure everything was in perfect shape for the children’s return. Hallways have been freshly painted, classrooms deepcleaned, paths pressure washed and even some roofrepairscompleted.
Those of you with a keen eye may have spo ed the arrival of a magnificent new structure on the school grounds—a Victorian train carriage! This beau ful addi on is set to become our new, dedicated library space. I’m hopeful that the carriage will be fully ready in the
coming weeks, offering the children an inspiring place to explore books. I’ll keep you updated on its progress in my next newsle er!
We've had an energe c start to the year, and the staff have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming the children back. A er the calm and quiet of the summer break, it’s wonderful to see the school buzzing once again with energyandexcitement.
Over the past couple of weeks, our class teachers have hosted "New to Year" group mee ngs, giving parents the opportunity to visit the school, meet their child’s teacher, and explore the classrooms. It’s always a pleasure to share the exci ng learning journeys and experiences that await the children throughouttheyear.
TheAutumnterm iso en a season of transforma on and growth. As always,we’ve had the joy of welcoming our new Founda on children into school. The Founda on Stage team has done an
excep onal job ensuring that our youngest pupils feel safe, happy, and ready to embark on their learning adventure. It’s heartwarming to see how quickly they’ve been embraced by the wider Haversham Village School family, se ling in seamlessly.
As I write, prepara ons are already in full swing for a variety of trips and enriching educa onal experiences. Our teachers are working hard to create hands-on, immersive opportuni es that will complement and enhance the children’s learning. We’re excited for what’s tocome!
There are plenty of exci ng plans for this academic year, and I can’t wait to share them with youastheyunfold.
BestWishes
Mr David Ley & all the staff of Haversham Village School
BAPTISMS, MARRIAGES, FUNERALS and PASTORAL NEEDS
For informa on about Christenings, weddings, funerals or if you would like a visit for any reason, please contact: Rev.AdrianLow,TheRectory,HighStreet,Haversham,Milton Keynes, MK19 7DT. Telephone 07883 717642 or email: rev.adrian.low@gmail.com.
Please contact Fi Jones on 07946 615218 or by email at fipwmum@gmail.com.
UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON CHURCH SERVICES AND EVENTS
CheckouttheLAMPgroupwebsiteat h p://thelampchurches.com orourFacebookpageat www.facebook.com/stmaryhaversham whereyoucanlotsofother detailsaboutourworship.
HAVERSHAM MORNING WORSHIP
A er each 11 o'clock service, members of the congrega on are invited to stay for refreshments.
We went to the Na onal Trust park at Stowe yesterday. Excellent. Grandchildrenlovedittoo. There, doing its thing in one part of the grounds, was a small robo c lawnmower. Anyone who knows Stowe will surely think that one such mower is not going to hack it for 250 acres of mainly grassland. However clever they seem, they are just following a program, with a touch of randomness as they waddle around mulching the ps off the lawn.
I don't have the stamina, focus or s ckability to mow 24/7, but I do have free will, which the robot does not have. Unlike the robot, I can make conscious judgments about where to mow, learn what to avoid (molehills) and when to take a break, etc.
Free will is something us mammals have - the further up the evolu onary tree we are, the greater the free will. I can't say definitely, but I doubt a
single-cell amoeba has much in the way of free will.
We are wonderfully, and awfully made and God seems to have passed control, at least in some things, completely over to us. It's like when we loosen the strings of parenthood and passfree will on to our children. But there are some people that I really wish had no free will at all. Be er, instead, that they were robots under the direct control of God. Put God in charge of leaders in Russia and the Ukraine war would be over, same with Israel and Pales ne, Syria, Somalia, Myanmar, Mexico and so on. Every day, and every Sunday par cularly,weChris ans pray for peace. If only God would take back the free will, but no - instead it seems to me God guarantees it to us as a gi given,inlove.
One thing I do know is that love requires free will, otherwise love is not love at all, it is forced
affec onandthatisabuse and pain. You really can't force love. When I conduct a marriage, it must have the free will of both to consent. That free will to love is a gi each gives theother.
I know that God constantly influences, encourages and reaches into our consciences, but God refuses to be in direct control of every single thing all the me. God, instead, hands that remote control to us as a gi to see what we can do with it in our lives. By using it to love, rather thantograbforourselves, we become a bit more God-like - part of the loving in the world. That is something incredibly precious and I so want Vladimir Pu n and other selfserving leaders to discoverthat.
Meanwhile, the rain has held off and the motor mower is outside looking idle, so I'd be er stop wafflingandgetgoing.Actually, if I look very busy wri ng parish le ers, Jo-
anna might mow the lawninsteadofme...
Bestwishes.
News from the Pews
MEMOS FROM ST MARY’S
Change is never easy to cope with; most of us have found it a struggle at some point, whether it is something we desire, or things out of our control. Our weather has changed recently, going from the veryhottotheratherchilly.Thenightsge ngdarker as we move officially into the Autumn period and everyone is reaching into the back of the wardrobe to find that elusive coat.
One change which had been planned for some me is the redecora ng, replastering and deep cleaning of St Mary's Church. This has been a big job to organise for our Worship Team, PCC and Church Wardens as everything which could be moved has been moved out of the main body of the Church for the work to begin. A huge thanks areduetoallinvolved.
St. Mary’s Church Haversham is a Grade 1 listed building in which people
have worshipped for in excess of 860 years. Being an ancient building, maintenanceofthestructure becomes inevitable. It is due to the generosity of the congrega on, people of the parish and available grants, that major works have recently been able to be undertaken.
The leaking roof was a priority, a sec on of the South Aisle having been reroofed to an excellent standard. The use of lead was at the insistence of the Oxford diocese. Flaking plaster and crumbling interior masonry have necessitated the building to be filled with scaffolding thus enabling access totheupperreaches.The whole of the interior has been repainted to a high standard, under the direc on of the church architect. Curtains cleaned and floor polished will add to the “Icing on the cake”.
Toallowworktoprogress worship has been taking place invarious loca ons,
but on 6th October 11:00am Morning Worship will be back in St Mary's. Please do come and view the refurbished interior.
Many thanks are due our Church Team who dispensed refreshments and cakes to all those who enjoyed another successful Haversham and Li le Linford Village Show on Saturday 7th September. Well done to all and a big thank you to Shula Jacksonforherorganisa on.
Thank you also to the 'mopper-uppers' on Sunday 8th September at Li le Linford Church. Following a cloudburst, torrents of water cascaded down the path and church steps as Mr Richard Jones mopped valiantly. His skills have beennoted!
Our next Open House provided by Ian and Julia for any member of St Mary's and Li le Linford churches and residentsof Haversham and Li le Linford will be on Monday 21st October from 10.30am. There is no charge for lunch and you
will be warmly welcomed.
Eco-Tip from Kimonie –
Blessed is he who considers the poor (Psalm 41:12). We are currently in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight. Please look for Fairtrade labels when buying food and consider purchasing Fairtrade products in preference to something else if you are able.
The bible reminds us that we all go through a transi on and only God is unchanging. Perhaps this prayer will help: “O God, grant to us the serenity to accept that which cannot be changed; courage to change that which can be changed, and wisdom to know the difference. Amen.”
Jan Bell
NEWS FROM ST PETER'S, TYRINGHAM
We celebrate our harvest service as the magazine goes to press. A full sung evensong is planned with the favourite hymns we have sung at St Peter’s for many years. Our flow-
er arranging ladies are poised to fill the church with the colours of autumn from the fruits of their gardens and hedgerows.Ourmanythanksto Joe Geary who has supplied uswithtwosheaves of corn for longer than eitherheorIcanrecall.
Our service on 20th October will take the form of a Memorial service at the usual me of 9.30a.m. In the past this has been a Group service but it has been decided by the LAMP Group PCC’s that this year each church will hold their own. If you have lost a loved one (it doesn’t have to be recently), and you would like them remembered in the service by having their name read out, or you would like to light a candle in their memory, please let Ingrid know on 01234 711566 or ingrid_hans@b nternet.co mby13th October.
The Le Tour de Tyringham Cycle Ride is almost upon us, Saturday 5th October. The entrants set off at various mes from 8.30am and return
around noon. Do come and support them and give them a cheer. Raffle ckets for the toilet fund are on sale; there are someexcellentprizes.
I am sure everyone who contributes to this publica on are sad that Lesley’s services end with this edi on. Members at St Peter’s have felt very privileged to be part of the publica on. I am personally very sorry that Lesley’s tenure in the post is coming to an end, I have been sending in the reports for as long as Lesley has been the Editor, prior to that I wrote in a publica on Mrs Lowndes produced. Lesley has been so kind correc ng me when I foolishly sent in the previous bimonthly copy instead of the correct one, reminding me when the copy date was due and going out of her way to make sure the magazine arrived at Tyringham when on the few occasions we couldn’t collect it. Thank you, Lesley; I wishyouwell.
