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Dear Readers Welcome to the April issue of
Inside this month’s issue
In and Around Denham And what a beautiful day it is outside. It’s felt as though the wind and rain have gone on for ever, so I’m celebrating the change with a nice load of laundry out on the line and the central heating finally being given a rest. I’m feeling the urge to retrieve the lawn mower from the shed and make that first cut whilst giving the bbq a quick once over to ensure it’s ready to replace the oven for cooking. Hopefully the slightly later start will mean we get an extended Summer, as I’ve got three new pairs of flip flops at the ready and they’re desperate for a test drive. Just as I thought we’d got all of the celebration piggery out of the way last month, pancakes eaten en mass and Mothers Day lunch packed down nicely, I’d obviously forgotten Easter. The last few years haven’t particularly impacted on the diet, as eggs stop flowing once you’re in a house full of adults. But, now there is little Summer -Hope, who at 18 months old has already picked her first egg off the supermarket shelf and placed it in my basket. I dread to think how this egg will multiply in numbers. Such a tiny person will never eat that lot on her own and as a selfless Nanny it will of course be my duty to give her any help I can and suffer the weight gain consequences later. Wishing you all a Happy Easter Until next month
.Angela & Sammy
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Beauty: Spring is in the air
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Denham Parish Council
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Karen Munro: Careers
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Short Story: The Easter Hedgehog
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Glasses to suit your face shape
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Health: National Stop Snoring Week
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Unusual Easter Traditions
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Denham Against HS2
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Interiors: Spring into Pattern
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Parenting: Treating Head Lice
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Puzzles
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Pets: Buying a hamster
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Wordsearch
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Motoring: Is a hybrid car right for me?
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Driving: Giving the right signals?
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Puzzle Solutions
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Quirky Britain
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The Great Garage Sale
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Finance: Open Banking
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Children’s Puzzle Page
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Gardening: Heavenly Herbs Clubs, Groups & Classes
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Citizens Advice Bureau
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Useful Telephone Numbers
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MAY COPY DEADLINE 15TH APRIL We are grateful for the support of local businesses whose adverts appear in this publication and whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors, omissions, claims made by advertisers or endorse companies, products or services. This publication, its contents and advert designs are © of In and Around Publishing. Any copying or reproduction in part or fully, is strictly forbidden without our prior consent.
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Dear Resident
2019 04
As I’m writing this the sun is shining after a few days of heavy winds, hail stones and rain. It never ceases to amaze me how we can experience four seasons in one day. Work has now finished on resurfacing the Pyghtle footpath and we have been approached by many residents thanking us for persevering in our efforts to get this actioned. It is also great to be able to say a big thank you to the Transport for Bucks (tfb) workforce who were extremely polite and considerate towards those still using the footpath whilst the works were in progress. A win all round! The A412 footpath continues to challenge us and despite the sandbags, water was flowing down the high road at such a rate of knots that the sandbags were overwhelmed. A survey of the drains along this stretch of road was carried out over two years ago and we are still awaiting notification of what course of action tfb will be taking as all the drains along this part of the A412 are blocked from previous road works or other debris and we will continue to pursue Bucks County Council / tfb to do remedial works. To the satisfaction of plot holders, we have placed a portacabin with toilet and storage facilities on site at the Denham Allotments. This was sponsored by Denham Parish Council and Skyline Management Company to whom we would like to express our gratitude for their generosity. Since we handed over management of the allotments to a plot holders committee they have gone from strength to strength and are being managed on a self-sufficient basis. This year is the Centenary of the allotments and their committee members are hoping to be able to hold an event to celebrate this. The two bus stops on the A412 near the junction with Village Road, have now had solar lighting installed which has made a significant im12
provement, besides the work we had done to stop them flooding. By the time you read this, our Outdoor Gym Equipment should be in place on the Way & Tillard recreation ground which is located off Cheapside Lane, behind Denham Infant School. It is planned to hold a special opening event during Easter, so keep a look out for the information posters and come and join us. On the third Sunday in March we held another Bingo and Social event in the New Denham Community Hall which was very much enjoyed by all who attended. We would like to thank the hall committee for again providing this venue free of charge and their continued support for this event. Many of you living close the Oxford Road have been experiencing the effects of dust around your properties resulting in dirty cars and windows and not being able to open windows. If you are concerned about the dust please call and report them to the 24/7 Environment Agency Hotline on 0800 80 70 60. We continue to work, alongside residents, on the Neighbourhood Plan and urge you to write in with your views if you have anything you wish us to take into consideration. Have you any concerns about future development in the area you reside? Would you be concerned if the house next door was replaced by a block of flats, or would you welcome that development? Would it concern you if the Green Belt was lifted? Should we provide more facilities for the youth or other sections of our community? Do you want more industry, office blocks & housing or Sports fields and a Community Centre? Please tell us your views. Do not miss this opportunity to influence future development plans. Please do not just leave it to others – GET INVOLVED contact clerk@denhambucks-pc.gov.uk now for more information even if you missed the meetings.
This year the event will walk ‘Route 7’ starting at St Mary’s Church in Denham Village and returning down the Pyghtle to Denham Village Green where tea and cakes will be provided.
Sunday 19 May 2 – 5pm
Jazz on the village green by ‘Love that Jazz’ Vocals by Lea Lyle Denham Parish Council meets on the 2nd Monday of every month (except August) at 7.30pm in the Parish Office at the rear of Denham Village MemoMake a note in your diary to attend. This event is rial Hall, Village Road, Denham. Residents are being held in the Denham Village Memorial Hall, always welcome to attend. Village Road, and we hope there will be some community stalls.
Wednesday 8 May 7:30pm Annual Parish Meeting
Sunday 12th May 3-5pm Afternoon
Social with Bingo, New Denham Community Centre,
Sunday 19 May 2pm
Beating the Bounds Please join us for this pleasant annual event which takes place over a ten-year period with each yearly walk taking in another part of our boundary.
Marilyn Heath Chairman, Denham Parish Council Our grateful thanks to ‘In and Around Denham’ for providing this Platform for us
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Sols pg 81
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HS2 Starts to Dismantle Our Ancient Heritage
By Frank Partridge Denham Against HS2
They took their time about it, but the earthmovers, bulldozers and HGVs have finally arrived – in spades - at various blackspots around Denham and Harefield. The HS2 project is now running about a year late, and even though not an inch of line will be laid for many months to come, an estimated seven billion pounds has already been spent preparing the ground between London and Birmingham, and buying land and property in the railway’s path. Our hopes that this grand folly will be abandoned are now pinned on an eleventh-hour U-turn by the government - or a post-Brexit change of leadership (or government) that sweeps away existing projects. Already Underway Largely out of sight of the passing traffic, a sprawling, unlovely construction compound has sprung up next to Denham Water Ski Club off the A412. High fencing and round-the-clock security prevent close inspection, but we’re told that this site is where Align, the company contracted to design and build the UK’s longest railway viaduct across our ‘lake district’, is carrying out tests on the sub-soil to ensure that the viaduct piles will be stable when they’re sunk into the ground. Other sites are undergoing ‘vegetation clearance’ – a fairly primitive operation that destroys every living thing growing in the clearance area – and more drilling is being carried out to check on the risk of water contamination. Worse to Come? But all this will pale in comparison with the works being planned on and around the site of the main Chiltern tunnel construction complex, which will stretch from Tilehouse Lane to the verge of the M25, where a slip road for spoil-carrying HGVs has been completed and a section of the over26
head powerline is being buried in advance of the main work, scheduled for this summer. Running alongside most of the farmland that’s been taken by HS2 Ltd is Shire Lane, an historic footpath, fringed by trees and hedgerows, that’s been used by walkers, and more recently cyclists, for generations. The path’s full name is ‘Old Shire Lane’, reflecting the fact that it’s been around for the best part of a millennium, and in Saxon times formed part of the border between the ancient kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia. These days it marks the Hertfordshire-Middlesex county boundary. Shire Lane is a classic example of an English ‘sunken path’, beaten down below the level of the adjoining fields by countless farm-workers and rambling folk. The section of the path running uphill from the A412 across Tilehouse Lane, is especially attractive, constantly changing shade and colour with the seasons; the hedgerows teeming with wildflowers and birdlife. At the top of the hill the terrain levels out, and the visitor is rewarded with sweeping views across the Colne Valley and the wide open sky.
Up to this point, damage to the lane has been minimal, but all too soon the picture changes. As the footpath winds towards the distant M25, progress becomes increasingly difficult, impeded by felled trees, hacked hedgerow, barbed wire, staked-off areas, protective fencing and carelessly dumped mounds of earth and spoil. Eventually the path loses its identity and disappears altogether - amidst a clutch of signs warning the public to keep off. This shocking example of eco-vandalism has been carried out despite an explicit instruction from a House of Commons Select Committee in 2015 that tree-felling and hedgerow cutting should be kept to a minimum to preserve the integrity of the lane.
The pictures tell the dismal story - what’s been lost can never be put back, and the northern section of centuries-old Shire Lane has been brutally consigned to the history books. And the alarming prospect is that there may be much, much worse to come.
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Two exciting events coming to intu Uxbridge this Easter children’s favourite will be doing four hours of meets and greets from 11am-3pm. There are plenty of slots available but will be limited, so book your child’s slot now at www.intu.co.uk/uxbridge/ whatson so you don’t miss out – nobody wants an un-hoppy child! There’s no need to book for accompanying adults. Natasha House, marketing manager for intu Uxbridge, said: “This is where the fun’s at this Easter holiday! Come along with your family and join in with our fab events – all put on to keep families smiling during the holidays. Make sure you’ve joined our free family club for an extra special something too. We hope to see you there!” And don’t forget, every Monday is a fun day at intu Uxbridge, thanks to the popular Monday Fun
Days! Taking place every week from 9.30am-12.30pm, this is a chance to take part
in different child-related activities, for FREE, with your preschool-aged family members. There are crafts, colouring, soft play, children’s entertainers, reading and toys – and you don’t need to book, just turn up. Plus, there’s even first aid training for mums and dads, free of charge, but for that you do need to book at www.intu.co.uk/uxbridge/ Make your way to intu Uxbridge with a hop and a events/monday-fun-days. Mondays aren’t so skid this Easter, because two exciting events are dreary anymore! coming to town that your little ones are going to be crazy egg-cited about – and they’re completely Plus, there’s the Odeon IMAX cinema where the free! whole family can see Easter blockbuster releases including Disney’s Dumbo and Wonder Park. And From 8-13 April, go-karting will hit the shop- with 16 delicious restaurants and coffee shops ping centre. If your little racer is aged 4-11 years that cater perfectly for tired mums, hungry dads old, and fancies themselves as the next Hamilton and fussy kids within and around the centre – not or Rosberg, this is their chance to get behind the to mention a whole host of places to stock up on wheel and be a speed demon. With four electric Easter chocolate – intu Uxbridge has you totally go-karts and a five-minute slot, your child will be covered this school holiday! able to race, skid and turn corners around the fabulous track located on the third floor of the car Families can join the intu family club for free and park. There’s no need to book – just turn up and receive exclusive offers, discounts and be the first you’ll be guaranteed a ‘wheely’ good time! to learn about events. Sign up at the customer information desk in intu Uxbridge. Then on Saturday 20 April, Britain’s bestloved bunny, Peter Rabbit, will be making a For more information on our family offering, star appearance at intu Uxbridge! The classic visit www.intu.co.uk/uxbridge/families 38
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