April issue

aroundYateley ONLINE MAGAZINE

#4

APRIL 2016

CLEAN FOR THE QUEEN

IN E

aro o n li

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eley

undYat

M AGAZ

INSIDE: DISABLED ACCESS AROUND YATELEY around Yateley 2016 April 1

THEaround

Yateley TEAM

cover photo: Kerry Dutton 2 around Yateley April 2016

Simon Bool, photography Jane Biscombe, correspondent Jenny Cole, writer, reporter Alan Cooper, writer, fishing correspondent Penny Hopkins, proofreading Tony Spencer, writer, editor, photography Rob Tillier, motoring correspondent Harvey Young, photography

Contents

4 disabled access around Yateley just how accessible is our town? Jenny Cole reports 12 safe driving

by Rob Tillier on road speed down Cricket Hill Lane 14 consultation corner elected councilors want your opinion 16

May Fayre

20

annual town council meeting

22

what’s on feature

23

what’s on in April

26

clean for The Queen

30

Yateley Utd Chairman’s dinner

34 Gig on the Green more information on the acts appearing 37

Willow Gardens

38

Yateley Bowling Club

39

Yateley Society AGM

41

police update

42 clerk wise thinking about wasting money on the inconsiderate 44

Yateley Community Speedwatch

46

walk around Potley Hill Road

53

Scott Rooney Charity fun day

55

essential contacts

56

groups in Yateley

58

girlguides rehearse

60

focus on Yateley wildlife

62 Yateley War Memorial part 4 part 4, initials G to H

around

Yateley Growth

This magazine is growing from strength to strength and this issue is our biggest yet. But keep the contributions coming.

If you belong to a group or activity that is not yet featured, give your group’s organisers a nudge to contact us and get involved. We want to be inclusive of all activities in and around our community.

Business

Local businesses are as much a part of our local community as our sporting clubs, mothers and toddlers or special interest groups. A thriving business community is essential to ensure we have local shops for our convenience and local tradesmen who can be trusted and are available for quick and efficient response.

The first half dozen of those businesses to respond to the call are included in this issue for the first time. Please support them ... otherwise we may lose them.

Supplements

This year we are producing a Gig on the Green special by breakfast on Sunday, featuring your images, impressions and reviews. So if you are at the Gig, during the day send us your stuff to @ AroundY551 or aroundyateley@gmail. com to view by Sunday breakfast. around Yateley 2016 April 3

DISABLED ACCESS AROUND YATELEY

by Jennifer Cole

Saturday 12 March was National Disabled Access Day — not something that is particularly widely celebrated or observed, but definitely an important issue for our community. I’ve been using a wheelchair since my teens and, although I am able to walk a bit with a stick, for the majority of the time when I’m out, I use my chair to get around. Access is always a big concern for people with disabilities, whether they use a wheelchair, walk with a stick, have a guide dog to help them or are unsteady on their feet. There’s a lot to consider when it comes to making our community accessible for everyone, but often just a couple of small changes can improve the lives of many.

I thought this would be the perfect time for me to talk about the issue of disabled access, so I decided to get out in my wheelchair (with my Dad for help!) and take a trip around Yateley. Along the way I discovered some great locations for disabled access, but also some places that could do better. I wanted to make this a balanced and useful article, in the hope it might help others access more of our community and bring about change to make that access even better. Obviously it’s impossible for me to list every single place in our town, so this is just a snapshot of what I’ve seen, and what others have told me about.

School Lane

In general, I’ve found School Lane pretty good. There are a lot of dropped kerbs, making it easy to get from one side to the other, and the pavements are fairly smooth, which is so important both for wheelchair users and people who struggle with uneven surfaces. However, there is one glaringly obvious problem, that I’m quite surprised still The pavement at Westfield Junior and Infant schools, no dropped kerb, for wheelchair or pushchair users 4 around Yateley April 2016

Westfield Junior and Infant schools, no dropped kerb, no way across without help

exists after so long. At the entrance to Westfield Junior and Infant Schools it is impossible to cross from one side of the pavement to the other because there are no dropped kerbs! It has been like this for more years than I can remember, despite the rest of the road being fitted out with dropped kerbs at every other junction some time ago. This makes going down that side of the road incredibly difficult for a huge number of people, including all the families with pushchairs who use it several times a day to drop off and collect their children from school.

Yateley School

Moving further down the road to Yateley School, there have been some adaptations made with regard to disabled access. In Reception, there is a lower desk, which is great, as there’s nothing worse than trying to peer over a counter twice as tall as you are whilst attempting to have a serious conversation with someone! There is also a ramp that leads up to a disabled toilet. Around the school some ramps have been installed, but there is still a lot of the school that is inaccessible to someone with mobility problems.

You may be aware that, as well as being a secondary school, the building is home to an Adult Education Centre, which functions on evenings and at weekends. They offer a whole range of courses, from Pet First Aid to Ballroom Dancing and from Digital Photography to Pilates. A member of staff asked me to draw attention to the fact that they do have disabled access, but that it helps a lot if people indicate they need it when registering on their sign up form. Ideally, this shouldn’t be necessary and disabled access should be available everywhere, but until that happens I thought it was useful advice to pass on.

Waitrose and The Co-Op

I’m a regular visitor to Waitrose, with it being just down the road from where I live, and, as far as disabled access goes, I’ve never had any problems. Wheelchairs around Yateley 2016 April 5

and scooters are always welcome, and they usually have a few wheelchairs by the entrance for customers to borrow. The aisles are a reasonable width, so it’s possible to pass another trolley comfortably if you’re in a standard sized wheelchair. There are usually lots of staff available, who are more than happy to help you reach items on higher shelves or find products if you’re struggling.

When you reach the tills, in my experience, the staff always ask if you need any help packing your bags and there is also the option of having your shopping carried to your car, which is a massive help. The only slight criticism is that the tills are all the same height, which can be a little too high when you’re in a chair.

The Co-Op also received good reviews when I spoke to members of the community on the Yateley Facebook group. I don’t visit it very often, but have been told the aisles are of a reasonable width and that the staff are always very accommodating.

Harpton Parade

One place that was brought to my attention on the Yateley Community Facebook group was Harpton Parade. If you’re new to the area, this is the parade of shops just behind The White Lion pub, which includes the Post Office, Boots and Perfection Hair Salon. I was told that there was no dropped kerb from the car park to the shops, so decided to head down there to check it out for myself. It turned out that this was partially true. There are two disabled spaces adjacent to the road, and from these there is a dropped kerb so customers can access the row of shops.

However, a lot of people who have disabilities don’t have a blue disabled badge, and so have to park in a regular space in front of the shops. In this case, there isn’t a dropped kerb from the carpark to the shops, so potentially someone would have to go out into the road, past any cars parked in the disabled bays and then up that dropped kerb.

Harpton Parade has two disabled bays, with easy access to the shops 6 around Yateley April 2016

However, there is no dropped kerb from any other bays

Path/Alleyway access

An issue that was raised again, on the Community Facebook group, that hadn’t crossed my mind before, was about some of the alleyways around Yateley. We have some alleyways that have a barrier at one end, usually to stop people taking things like motorcycles down them, but these can prove a challenge for wheelchair and scooter users. If there is a barrier at one end but not the other, someone in a wheelchair or scooter may travel the full length of the alleyway before they realise they cannot get out of the other end. This on its own is frustrating, but not the end of the world.

However, most of these alleyways are incredibly narrow, making it impossible to turn a chair or scooter around when someone finds they can’t get through. This therefore means the person ends up having to reverse the whole length of the alleyway just to get out, which believe me, is no easy thing in a wheelchair or scooter!

Yateley Jewellers

When I was planning what to write for this article, I put a message on the Yateley Community Facebook group, asking people to tell me about both the good and the bad when it comes to disabled access in Yateley. One community member who spoke up was the manager of Yateley Jewellers, who told me that access into and around her store is good. In the same parade of shops, I have visited The Little Shop of Coffee several times, and although it’s not a particularly large shop, there has always been plenty of space for my wheelchair. The staff there are also incredibly helpful and friendly, and there is a spacious disabled toilet at the back of the shop.

Lloyds Pharmacy

The pharmacy is situated in an old building next to the Dog and Partridge pub, and has access via a few (quite steep) steps. This is obviously a problem for wheelchair users and people with mobility issues, although there is a bell you can ring for assistance. I decided to pop into the store and talk to the staff about Lloyds Pharmacy, once the old wooden Post Office built around 85 years ago, now one of our treasured buildings around Yateley 2016 April 7

left: The bell for assistance at Lloyds Pharmacy

below: The bell is quite easily reached from a wheelchair.

Although not ideal, at least it enables a historic building to be used

their thoughts on Lloyds’ disabled access. The lady I spoke to was very apologetic about the lack of access, and said she has been pushing head office for some time to do something about it.

However, because it is a listed building, making changes to it comes with its own set of challenges. When I asked her what happens when the bell is pressed, she informed me that a member of staff goes out to the front of the shop to find out what the customer needs. The staff member would then go back into the store to find the items required, while the customer waits outside. Obviously this is far from ideal, but they do seem to be trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Yateley Common

The Common was another topic that came up when I posted on the Yateley Community Facebook page, with someone commenting that they wished it was more accessible for wheelchair users. There is actually a scheme called Accessible Countryside for Everyone (ACE) which basically does what it says on the tin, trying to make the countryside accessible for all. Some members of the community believed that the Common was in fact accessible, but that perhaps it depends on the type of wheelchair you use. I did a bit of research online and found that Yateley Common has 8 around Yateley April 2016

a Gravel Pit car park (off the A30 between Yateley and Blackwater), which gives access to a pond and to a network of paths through open heathland and woodland. Also, there are easy access paths across grassland, heathland and woodland, which lead from Blackbushe airport car park.

Dog & Partridge

I hadn’t actually planned to cover the Dog & Partridge pub, but as we were going past it, I noticed that the only visible entrances were the three doors at the front, all left: although hidden from view, there is disabled access to the Dog & Partridge

below: no disabled toilet at St Peter’s Church and the existing toilets aren’t big enough

reached by a few steps. As we were having a look and commenting on the lack of disabled access, a gentleman came out and informed us there was a side entrance for anyone that couldn’t use the steps. I must admit I hadn’t noticed it before, and it isn’t very well signposted, but it’s definitely good to know it’s there. While on the subject of this pub, although not technically ‘access’ as such, I thought it was important to mention that they have a good reputation for serving a range of gluten-free dishes.

St Peter’s Church

Overall, St Peter’s Church is fairly good for disabled access. Getting through the side around Yateley 2016 April 9

entrance is a bit of a challenge if you’re on your own, but more often than not there is a friendly face (or three) to help out. The congregation are very welcoming and accommodating whether you are attending a service, a group or visiting the coffee shop. However, the building has one major downfall; they don’t have a disabled toilet.

In the ladies there is a slightly wider cubicle, but I wasn’t able to fit my wheelchair in it when I tried. After doing a bit of background research however, I did discover that there are tentative plans to transform a cupboard presently used for storing chairs into a disabled toilet, so fingers crossed progress is being made.

Marks & Spencer

Although not technically in Yateley, I wanted to include Marks & Spencer at The Meadows, as I know it is a popular place for Yateley residents to shop. I’ve had both good and bad experiences at M&S, and this seems to be replicated when I’ve asked other people about their encounters. One positive is that they do provide wheelchairs and scooters for customers to use while they shop. However, a customer who has mobility problems informed me that the keys for these scooters are kept in the furthest sales desk from the main entrance. This means that you have to travel across the whole store and back again, just to get access to a scooter.

Once you do get into the store to do your shopping and perhaps want to try something on, they do have very spacious disabled changing rooms. These also have a button to press for assistance, and I have always found the staff to be very accommodating.

Unfortunately though, browsing the aisles may present a challenge, as a lot of them are incredibly narrow. I actually contacted M&S via Twitter a couple of Christmases ago to draw their attention to the fact that it was impossible to browse their Christmas range in a wheelchair, but it doesn’t seem to have brought about any change.

Ironically, these aisles are also too narrow to get a trolley down, and I’ve bumped into several shoppers who were irate about the fact they couldn’t get around the store!

Yateley Town Council offices are inaccessible, but they do have a disabled bell to press for assistance 10 around Yateley April 2016

Council Offices

The final place I visited on my trip around Yateley was the Council Offices, which are on the Green, next to the Reading left: Mo Daws assists Jenny below: one of three sleeping policemen in the car park

Road. The Council are already very much aware that their disabled access is pretty poor, and they have tried to make as many adjustments as they can. Unfortunately, to get to the offices you have to climb a rather steep flight of stairs, which I’m told are a nightmare when you don’t have problems with mobility!

As you enter the building through the glass door, there is a bell to press if you need assistance. There is also a CCTV camera, which the staff monitor upstairs, so they are able to see if someone is having difficulty getting into the building or ringing the bell. I spoke to a member of staff, who informed me that if someone requires a more private space to talk, there is an accessible room over in The Tythings, which the Council often uses.

I also discovered a bit of a problem outside the building in the car park. They do have a disabled bay, although it isn’t very well marked and as such, there is usually a car without a badge parked there. Also, it is quite difficult to actually get from the disabled bay to the Council building – you have to manoeuver your way over three sleeping policemen, which, in a manual wheelchair, is incredibly difficult!

And that marks the end of my journey around Yateley to investigate the state of disabled access in our town. As I hope you can see, there are some great places that have really embraced our whole community by making them accessible to all. But there are also places that could do better, and my hope is that the more we talk about these problems, the more likely it is that something will be done to improve them. It would be great if, one day, we could live in a world that everyone can feel an equal part of, without having to ask people to make adjustments for them. around Yateley 2016 April 11

0 Safe

Driving with Rob Tillier

Cricket Hill Lane Speed I have continued to follow the Yateley Community Facebook Group with interest and especially anything connected with roads/road safety.

Key issues highlighted recently have been: • Petition to reduce speed limits on Cricket Hill Lane • Cycling on the A327 Minley Road • Drivers and Horse Riders The one that has caused me most interest is the petition to reduce speed limits on Cricket Hill Lane.

Crashes on Cricket Hill Lane always cause a stir. Recently, Yateley and the surrounding district area residents have been asked to petition to reduce the speed limits on Cricket Hill Lane — 50 to 40, and 40 to 30.

Figure 1: Reported Road Traffic Collisions in area for which speed limit change is proposed (Data taken from www. crashmap.co.uk)

12 around Yateley April 2016

Area identified for proposed speed limit change

However, it would appear that the petition is driven by emotion rather than fact.

The number of crashes which occurred and were reported to the police (they have to be if injury occurs) for 2013-14 (latest data available) in the identified area was just 4 and all were deemed to be crashes resulting in just slight injury (see Figure 1).

As I review the statistics I find that between 2005 and 2014 (a 10-year period) there were no crashes in the identified area resulting in anything more than slight injury. The following table shows how many crashes there were in the identified area resulting in slight injury.

Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total

Slight injury crashes 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 9

Further there were 3 reported crashes, 2 resulting in serious injury in the 30 mph area of Cricket Hill Lane in 2013-14, so I fail to see how it can be justified to change the speed limits in a higher speed area when statistics show that there have been more serious crashes in a lower speed limit area.

Moreover, the leader of the petition identifies that just 0.8% of the population of Yateley signed the petition. But, many of the signatories were not Yateley residents so the number of Yateley residents who petitioned for the change is less than 0.8% I would contest that the figure is hardly representative of the whole population of Yateley and am somewhat disturbed that 2 councillors have taken it upon themselves to support this initiative given the clear lack of interest from almost all Yateley residents.

Does that really warrant a change or even consideration?

Rob Tillier has been a Yateley resident for 35 years and is the founder and owner of Accelerate Driver Training which specialises in teaching safe driving to 17-20 year olds.

He is a qualified driving instructor and holds the RoSPA Gold Advanced Driving Award recognising driving at the highest standard achievable as a UK civilian.

His main purpose in running Accelerate Driver Training is to prevent talented youngsters getting killed or seriously injured in a RTC (Road Traffic Collision).

around Yateley 2016 April 13

Consultation Corner

Our elected councillors can’t make up their minds what to do so they are consulting the residents on some choices, while on others they are not bothering to consult.

Here’s the latest consultation, which we reported on last month:

Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC)

This consultation began on Wednesday 16 March and continues until Wednesday 25 May. To have your say, go online to www.hants.gov.uk/hwrc2016 or obtain the “Shaping Hampshire” from The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UJ, detach and fill in pp16-22 and send in an envelope addressed to “Freepost HAMPSHIRE”, in time to be received by midday on 25 May. The point of the consultation is how to save £1.55m from HWRC, which is 1.58% of the £98m they need to cut from next year’s budget.

Hampshire County Council (HCC) have 24 HWRC, although two are in Southampton and Portsmouth and not included in the consultation, which follows on from a consultation in 2014, when they decided to charge for using the HWRCs, but the Government has since prohibited charges being made. The options are to make “considerable annual savings ... Broadly, the options under consideration involve reducing the amount of time sites are open for or full closure of some smaller or less busy sites.”

Of the 24 sites, the Hartley Wintney HWRC is the 22nd smallest site, among the seven most expensive sites to operate, one of the six least efficient in percentage of waste recycled, and the 18th busiest. It is also one of the 10 single level sites, where householders have to climb steps to deposit waste, which is now considered a risk area.

HCC state that they provide more HWRCs than other counties and open more hours and days than “some other networks”, as some justification for this planned reduction of service.

Proposal 1 is to reduce hours at all sites, close one day a week or close two days, saving between £400k and £800k of the £1.55m (between 25 and 50% of the saving).

Proposal 2 is to close 10 smaller sites during winter or have them open only at weekends Saturday to Monday, saving between £500k and £650k (32 to 42%).

Proposal 3 is to fully close one or more HWRC sites, by fully closing four sites to save £440k ( 28%), up to closing half the sites £1.85m (120%).

The only single option to save the whole of the £1.55m is to close half the sites, which would probably include all the seven most costly per ton sites (NB the footnote 14 around Yateley April 2016

says there are “8”, so either that figure is wrong or one of the figures in the chart is wrong, which possibly reflects a saving to the county in cost of proofreaders). So a combination of all three proposals will be needed, with the least disruptive being: (1) reduce opening by 2 days at all sites (£800,000), (2) close 10 smaller sites during winter (£500,000) and (3) fully close 4 sites (£400,000).

So, realistically, which four sites would close? They would be older single level sites, so how do they measure up against Hartley Wintney?

Alresford is the second smallest 0.17 acres (0.68ha) and recycles only 60%.

Bishops Waltham is twice the size but processes only 70% as much and 1% more landfill.

Fair Oak is almost four times the size, processes 82% but recycles 8% more efficiently.

However, these last two sites are in Eastleigh, so HCC unlikely to close both of them.

Hayling Island is the smallest site, about half Hart’s size, processing 56% of Hart’s throughput with a slightly improved recycling rate.

Aldershot is almost double Hart’s size, only handling 3% more waste, and 4% less efficient.

Casbrook is slightly bigger and processes 95% less, but is 12% more efficient.

Mmm, looking at this logically, the four sites that HCC will believe ripe for the chop are Alresford, Bishops Waltham, Hayling Island and either Aldershot or Hartley Wintney. So, please fill out the questionnaire with care, and stress in Question 5 the queues that would be even worse at Farnborough or Basingstoke should Hartley Wintney close. around Yateley 2016 April 15

May Fayre May Bank Holiday on Yateley Green

The voluntary event of the year

The Second of May is a must for your diary. The May Fayre on May Bank Holiday, organised by Yateley & District Lions.

This free-to-enter community event will commence with a Car Boot Sale opening at 8:00am. We have some great acts for the arena. t Team n tu S l a n o ti Mark Stannage’s long stunt a rn te n I e Stannag career began at the age of 14, in car, motorbike, fire and spectacular fall stunts. Mark and his family will perform their spectacular High Fall, Flaming High Fall Show and various motorbike, quad, fire and ramp jumping stunts.

Ridgesidrye Falcon

16 around Yateley April 2016

An educational and humorous display, with audience hands-on sessions between flying displays, by one of the UK’s largest displays of falconry, with a static display of around 15 different birds of prey from all over the world.

The Sandhurst & District Corps of Drums was formed in 2005. The

band caters for the age range 10-18 years and welcomes both boys and girls. Their uniform is based on the Royal Marines Band, including a white pith helmet.

The band will perform many favourite tunes such as The Great Escape, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Yankee Doodle, When Johnny Comes s m u r D f o s t Corp c i r t Marching Home, Wipeout, Goodbye s i D & t s r u h d n a S Dolly, Congratulations and Dambusters, whilst carrying out a marching display. In addition, local dance acts will perform.

Other Events The arena events will finish with the very popular Open Fun Dog Show, where a large collection of pampered pooches will set out to win classes such as dog with the waggiest tail, the best behaved, most like their owner, most laid back, the most appealing face and the loudest bark. Don’t forget to bring your dog along and enter the competition on the day – no need to book. Eagle Radio will again be our excellent MCs, for background music, announcements and commentaries.

w

Sho g o D n u F Open

The stalls on the Green will be provided by many local societies and clubs, including activities which we are sure most regular visitors to May Fayre will be familiar with, as well as new ones to discover.

There will also be the usual refreshments provided by the scouts and commercial caterers.

Parking will be available off Firgrove Road, a donation to park would be appreciated. around Yateley 2016 April 17

A Charity Prize Draw is being launched this year, with over 30 prizes kindly donated by local businesses, including a flying lesson, 3-course

meals at the Greyhound and Casa, golf at Blackwater Valley, flight simulator ride.

Tickets are ÂŁ1 each and on sale from early April and at the May Fayre.

Yateley & District Lions hope families will join in and support all the attractions on The Green on May Day Holiday and have a great day.

18 around Yateley April 2016

© Mark Clarke 2016

Town Mayor Gerry Crisp’s Charity Dinner at the Casa

The Crisp Clan: Charmaine, Bebe, Gerry, Davina and Serena

9

around Yateley 2016 April 19

Annual Town Meeting

Yateley Town Mayor Gerry Crisp opened his report by saying he had visited all local schools, traders, voluntary organisations, and knocked on 4000 doors during the year to understand our community at first hand and how the Council could help.

He pointed out the huge drive forward in its work with young people. He thanked the Trustees of Vision 4 Youth, Graham Foxwell in particular, who now run evening above: poster for the meeting embellished by clubs in Darby Green on 9-year-old artist Oliver Aylen Wednesdays and Yateley on opposite page: presentation by Mayor Gerry Crisp Fridays. A special mention of of award to Andrew Sheldon in recognition of his 36 Sarah Goldring, the Council’s years of service to the British Red Cross Youth Development Officer, working closely with Graham and the volunteers to get the scheme up and running.

The Mayor referred to the Time Capsule on the wall by the door, containing everyday items supplied by Yateley & District U3A, to be opened in 50 years. He felt honoured to seal it on their behalf and entrust it to the guardianship of the town.

Councillor Crisp introduced Town Clerk Jane Biscombe, replacing Lawrence Smith, who retired after serving Yateley so admirably for 30 years. Jane is overseeing the reorganisation of the Council, and becoming more proactive with the community.

The Councillors held a strategic planning day recently, where as a body they looked at ways to keep our community one of the most desirable places in the country to live.

All policies have been overhauled, including grants of up to £1000 to local groups, the application for which can be viewed online.

Gerry enthused about this year’s charity projects. Of the two, Yelabus was probably the most familiar, for Yateley’s Elderly and Less Abled. The other, Aerobility, local people may be less aware of: they operate out of Blackbushe and give people with severe disabilities the opportunity to learn to fly solo, quoting their marvellous 20 around Yateley April 2016

slogan, “I may not be able to walk, but you should see me fly!”

The Mayor also raised £2000 in contributions last year with a free-fall parachute jump for CALM, the charity that supports young men contemplating suicide, which in 2014 was the single biggest cause of death in men under 45 in the UK. The boundless energy of our Town Mayor was also directed to assuage the appalling image we all remember of the poor Syrian child refugee washed up on the Mediterranean beach, an icon that spurred action from caring people all around the world. Cllr Crisp initiated Yateley’s humanitarian response, engaging with the Red Cross, to raise contributions for that crisis. Modestly, he thanked the volunteers who helped collect over £2100 in six days, without mentioning that he committed himself to collecting every one of those days. Finally, last Saturday, the Mayor’s Charity Dinner raised over £3000 for the two charities, with over 30 local businesses and organisations donating prizes for raffling and auctions.

He thanked volunteers who support our community, help their neighbours and are proud of where we live. He thanked Oliver Aylen who designed the poster for the meeting, and the Vision 4 Youth volunteers. That brought him to the award of scrolls to four volunteers he felt deserving of additional recognition for over 20 years of active volunteering within our community.

Three couldn’t be present: Andy Whitaker, chairman of Yelabus, Neighbourhood Care, VHMC, ex-Town Mayor and Town Councillor; Judy Divall, Yelabus driver, Hedgecroft, Discoveries, Cornerstone Counselling, and The Samaritans; Linda Bradley for her work with the Air Cadets. However, Andrew Sheldon, for 36 years with the Red Cross, was able to receive his beautifully inscribed scroll.

Clerk Jane Biscombe set out the Council’s immediate programme. Street lights, much of them a hangover from imposed planning applications in the 1950s and 60s, have been upgraded to modern efficient lamps, and now in the process of raising to County standard for adoption by Hampshire. Julian Higgins of HCC and Ian Pears of Design For Lighting Ltd explained and answered questions on the scheme, where 200 lamps would be added to the existing 600. The costs involved should allow us to break even within five years, eventually freeing up £26k/year. Plans were displayed showing The Tythings providing permanent Youth Provision and a café on the Green, in place by autumn, depending on planning permission. around Yateley 2016 April 21

What’s On Feature Girlguiding Show

Girlguiding in Blackwater Valley, which includes Hawley, Yateley, Frogmore and Darby Green, are putting on a show at the Princes Hall Theatre, Aldershot.

Across the three sections there are going to be 80 children taking part in song and dance, with a number of dance sketches ranging across jazz, shows, tap and marching, with Guides, Brownies and Rainbow age groups involved.

Part of the choreography, notably the black-and-white sequence and kung-fu fight scene, have been designed by the dancers themselves and is certain to be fun.

I was privileged to attend one of the rehearsals, held on Mothering Sunday, so a few of the participants were naturally missing, but the enthusiasm for the exercise was evident. More photos appear on pages 54 and 55.

For Leaders Louisa Chicken and Melody Spooner, this is the third show they have organised over the past six or seven years, aided by other Leaders and parents who were beavering away in a corner helping with making or converting costumes, like unpicking black and white leggings to be combined for one of the highlight numbers.

There is Guiding happening every night in the Blackwater Valley for Rainbows (age 6-7), Brownies (7-10), Guides (10-14) and Rangers (14 and up). Find the unit that suits you best through https://enquiryym.girlguiding.org.uk/ 22 around Yateley April 2016

What’s On in April

Friday 1 April Yateley Country Market 09.45-11.45 Monteagle Hall GU46 7RP

Friday 1 April Blackwater Friday Club 13.30-15.30 Darby Green & Frogmore Social Hall GU17 0NP

cards, bingo, curling, cross toss a ring, quiz, bring & buy, tea & biscuits (every Friday) Saturday 2 April Elesha Paul Moses 21.00 Dog & Partridge, Reading Road GU46 7LR

singer-songwriter, rock, pop, electronic, from BBC1’s The Voice 2014 Sunday 3 April Yateley Ladies United FC 14.00 Sean Devereux Park GU46 7SZ

Thames Valley Counties Women’s Football Division 2 South v Ascot Ladies Reserves Sunday 3 April Yateley Silverbacks Ladies Basketball 15.15 Yateley Manor School GU46 7UQ

Ladies’ home match against Aztec Suns Monday 4 April Line Dancing Classes 10.00-12.15 Yateley Village Hall GU46 6NG

advanced and beginners classes (every Monday) Monday 4 April Little Miracles 13.15-14.45 St Peter’s Church GU46 7LR

a new group for mums or dads and their babies (every Monday) Monday 4 April Children’s Dance Class 18.15-19.15 Yateley Village Hall GU46 6NG

children’s classes (every Monday) Monday 4 April INSANITY 19.30 Yateley Village Hall GU46 6NG

fitness class (every Monday) Monday 4 April Air Training Corps 19.30 Air Training Group building GU46 6NG

teenage activities (every Monday and Thursday) Tuesday 5 April Dog Activity Class 18.30-21.30 Yateley Village Hall GU46 6NG

dog activity classes (every Tuesday) Wednesday 6 April PIYO 09.00-10.00 Yateley Village Hall GU46 6NG

fitness class, PIYO is a mixture of yoga and pilates (every Wednesday) Wednesday 6 April INSANITY 10.00-11.00 Yateley Village Hall GU46 6NG

fitness class (every Wednesday) Wednesday 6 April K9 Planet 18.30-19.30 Yateley Village Hall GU46 6NG

dog training classes (every Wednesday) Thursday 7 April Tai Chi Class 10.00-11.00 Yateley Village Hall GU46 6NG

tai chi class (every Thursday) Thursday 7 April Yateley & District U3A 10.00 for 10.30 Sandhurst Community Hall GU47 9BJ

Changing the World — The Water Aid Way, talk by Dave Shurlock Thursday 7 April Scrabble Club 10.00-12.00 Yateley Library, School Lane GU46 6NL

Scrabble Club, only one board, so bring one along if you can (every Thursday) around Yateley 2016 April 23

Thursday 7 April Tythings Coffee Club 10.15-12.30 The Tythings, Reading Road GU46 7RP

Coffee morning (every Thursday) Thursday 7 April Yateley Lifesaving Club 19.30-21.45 Yateley School Pool, School Lane GU46 6NL

learn lifesaving, from age of 9 upwards (every Thursday) Thursday 7 April Air Training Corps 19.30 Air Training Group building GU46 6NG

teenage activities (every Monday and Thursday) Friday 8 April Senior Citizens’ Keep Fit Classes 09.30-11.00 Yateley Village Hall GU46 6NG

fitness class (every Friday) Friday 8 April K9 Services 12.00-15.00 Yateley Village Hall GU46 6NG

dog training classes (every Friday) Saturday 9 April Mini Strikers 10.15-11.15 Frogmore Junior School GU17 0NY

football training classes for Years R & 1 (every Saturday), all players must wear shin pads and bring a drink. Call Steve on 07786543957 for more info Sunday 10 April Yateley Archers TBA Frogmore Leisure Centre GU46 6AG

4 week training course, from age 8 up (under 14s must be accompanied by an adult)

www.yateleyarchers.org.uk or call -7534 173153 Sunday 10 April Yateley Ladies United FC 14.00 Sean Devereux Park GU46 7SZ

Thames Valley Counties Women’s Football Division 2 South v Thatcham Town Ladies Monday 11 April Y&D Gardening Society 19.30 for 20.00 Hedgecroft, Bracken Lane GU46 6JW

The Art of Keeping Bees, Geoff Galliver explains what is involved and why bees are vital for producing fruit and vegetables in our gardens. There’s also honey for sale.

Friday 15 April The Turn 21.00-11.30 The Cricketers, Cricket Hill GU46 6BA

four-piece band playing classic rock, with 3-part harmonies, guitar solos and tight rhythm section Saturday 16 April Murphy James 21.00-23.30 Dog & Partridge, Reading Road GU46 7LR

an evening of acoustic entertainment from 60s to now Sunday 17 April Yateley Silverbacks Ladies Basketball 15.15 Yateley Manor School GU46 7UQ

Ladies’ home match against Farnborough Phantoms Tuesday 19 April Endeavour Reading Group TBA Yateley Library, School Lane GU46 6NL

daytime reading group. Ask staff for details. To book a place call 01252 875728. 3rd Tuesday of each month Friday 22 April Jukebox Junkies 21.00-11.30 The Cricketers, Cricket Hill GU46 6BA

four-piece band including female vocalist, playing rock covers Saturday 23 April Who Let The Dads Out? 09.00-11.30 St Peter’s Church GU46 7LR

for granddads, dads, male carers and kids up to 7, babies welcome, bouncy castle, train & car sets, bacon rolls, kids’ food. Give Mum a lie-in and have fun with the kids!

Saturday 23 April Guiding Blackwater Valley Show 18.30 Princes Hall Theatre, Aldershot GU11 1NX

Girl Guides, Brownies and Rainbows put on a show *** SEE FEATURE PAGE 18 *** 24 around Yateley April 2016

What’s On in May Monday 2 May May Fayre 10.00-17.00 Yateley Green

the main event of the year for the community of Yateley, with he vast majority of the stalls set up by the various volunteer and special interest groups in the town. There are refreshments and plenty of things to keep the children amused. *** see Special Feature on pp 16-18 *** Monday 2 May Y&D Gardening Society 10.00-17.00 Yateley Green

Annual May Fayre, meet members of the society, buy home grown plants, vegetables, chat to members and get the answers to your questions.

Thursday 5 May Scrabble Club 10.00-12.00 Yateley Library, School Lane GU46 6NL

playing Scrabble, only one board, so bring one along if you can (every Thursday) Thursday 5 May Yateley Lifesaving Club 19.30-21.45 Yateley School Pool, School Lane GU46 6NL

learn lifesaving, from age of 9 upwards (every Thursday) Friday 6 May Blackwater Friday Club 13.30-15.30 Darby Green & Frogmore Social Hall GU17 0NP

cards, bingo, curling, cross toss a ring, quiz, bring & buy, tea & biscuits (every Friday) Friday 6 May Gary Roman as Elvis 21.00-11.30 The Cricketers, Cricket Hill GU46 6BA

rock & roll solo artist Sunday 8 May Scott Rooney Charity Fun Day 12.00 Sean Devereux Park GU46 7SZ

football matches, bouncy castle, face painting, whack a rat, sweets and cakes, and lots more. All money raised going to The Great Western Air Ambulance Monday 9 May Y&D Gardening Society 19.30 for 20.00 Hedgecroft, Bracken Lane GU46 6JW

Plant Heritage, Sarah Quaterman, the National Plant Collections, UK cultivated plant conservation charity Thursday 12 May Yateley & District U3A 10.00 for 10.30 Sandhurst Community Hall GU47 9BJ

From Opera to the Musicals, talk by Simon Gilbert Saturday 14 May Tetnus Jab 21.00 Dog & Partridge, Reading Road GU46 7LR

covers band playing an eclectic mix of various styles Tuesday 17 May Endeavour Reading Group TBA Yateley Library, School Lane GU46 6NL

daytime reading group. Ask staff for details. To book a place call 01252 875728. 3rd Tuesday of each month Saturday 21 May Who Let The Dads Out? 09.00-11.30 St Peter’s Church GU46 7LR

for granddads, dads, male carers and kids up to 7, babies welcome, bouncy castle, train & car sets, bacon rolls, kids’ food. Give Mum a lie-in and have fun with the kids! around Yateley 2016 April 25

Volunteers assembled for the litterpick at Blackbushe Airfield

Yateley Common Big Spring Clean 2016, part of the Clean for The Queen campaign, held on Saturday 27 February, saw 149 volunteers take part in this worthwhile exercise, made up of 81 adults and 68 children. Altogether they clocked up a total of 329 man hours, cleaning up litter and fly tipping from Yateley Common Country Park.

The volunteers, working out of three bases, Blackbushe Airport, Stroud’s Pond and

Among the debris, pulled from thick scrub, an axe

Wyndham’s Pool, cleared 106 bags of rubbish, 11 tyres, two car batteries, a gas canister, lawn mower, various car and motor bike parts, scrap metal, and a piece of carpet; plenty of other waste was collected and removed.

The most noteworthy litter I found was an extremely rusty Wickes’ axe buried in brambles, only the black handle partially visible.

26 around Yateley April 2016

CLEANING THE COMMON FOR

photos © Kerry Dutton 2016

THE QUEEN

y b r a D p & u e y r d o i t m s g e o i r n F Brow d n o P n s e ’ Gre t Stroud a

around Yateley 2016 April 27

CLEAN GREEN

FIT FOR THE

QUEEN Y

TC

Britain is choking in litter. It is estimated1 that local authorities spend £717m to £850m per year clearing up litter in England. Because of councils’ cutbacks, due to reduced Government funding, litterpicking budgets have been cut by 16% in real terms since 2010, varying from –3% in better off areas, down to –28% in the most deprived areas.

Keep Britain Tidy estimate that there is an indirect cost of £348m for crime “associated with litter”, £526m for mental health and £70.6m for litter/refuse fires2.

Yateley Town Council organised a litterpick on Friday morning 4 March of its three main greens, Frogmore Green, Darby Green and Yateley Green. Volunteers were council officers, councillors and members of the public. They managed in a short space of time to collect a large amount of rubbish, which was properly disposed of by Gavin Jones, our maintenance contractors.

After they removed a car seat from Darby Green pond, a frog jumped out and was carefully carried back to the pond!

1 House of Commons HC607, Communities & Local Government Committee 7th Report 10 March 2015 2 Keep Britain Tidy (LIT 0065) paragraph 3

28 around Yateley April 2016

top left: Paul Dauven, Cllr Gill Hennell and Mo Daws with Darby Green litter and rubbish bottom left: rusty petrol can top right: plastic pot dumped on Darby Green right: plastic bread basket

Š Alison Blanchard 2016

below: litter at Yateley Green collected by Duncan Peacock, Peter Hall, Cllr Chris Barnes, Cllr Graham Cockarill, Jane Biscombe, Cllr John Keane, Jane Harris, Kate Cockarill and Mrs Hall

around Yateley 2016 April 29

YATELEY UNITED CHAIRMAN’S DINNER at the Casa Hotel

Great Western

Air Ambulance Charity

An enthusiastic turnout for the first Yateley United Chairman’s Charity Dinner, on 26 February, held at the Casa in aid of the Sean Devereux Children’s Fund. Chairman Colin Ive introduced Mark Chatteron, a trustee of the charity. Sean’s mother Maureen Devereux attended the dinner.

Mark Chatteron was with Sean at the Salesian College and said that in 1975 he and his wife Maureen holidayed with Sean at his aunt’s house in Texas. However, Sean didn’t regard this trip as a holiday, he spent time coaching local kids how to play “soccer”, telling them that Mark was Ian Rush of Liverpool and he’d sign autographs after the training session! That was typical Sean. He spoke about the latest SDCF scheme, teaching 60 children in Liberia, and organising a fun run in Farnborough on 26 June. The charity are holding a Charity Ball at Wellingon College in June.

Colin thanked Mhairi Hutchisonfor putting the show together. KFC, one of the club’s sponsors, was in attendance. It is hard to believe how far the United club have come, he said, since Yateley, Yateley Green, Yateley Juniors and Beaulieu Boys combined in 2013. The club has 28 youth teams and 6 adult teams, including a Ladies’ team for the first time. They started well, winning their first game against Thatcham Town Ladies 13-0, although the rest of the season has been more down to earth. Now, thanks to Gig on the Green, they own Sean Devereux Park and look forward in a five-year plan 30 around Yateley April 2016

to have a new club house, floodlights and a new pitch, and 4G pitch. It has been a bit of a shock, doing their own maintenance, and they are on a steep learning curve but the efforts have assured football will thrive in Yateley for the next 100 years at least.

Colin thanked Alan Baines and Richard Pascoe for their long and continuing efforts down the years.

He presented the new Clubman of the Year award to two men, Colin Rowe and Clive Jones, for their work during the year.

Lawrie Sanchez, former professional football player, was the guest speaker. He began his career as a 16-year-old schoolboy, playing for Reading FC for 7 years, then 10 years with Wimbledon, scoring the last goal of the season which won them promotion to the First Division in 1986 and the winning goal in the 1988 FA Cup Final against Liverpool. He was also an international player with Northern Ireland. As well as playing for Swindon Town, he managed Wycombe Wanderers, Fulham and a Greek side, as well as Northern Ireland. He waived any fee for his frank and entertaining talk.

He was followed by Steve Day, a deaf comedian, who made light of his disability in a unique and amusing set. Local magician Ian Gray was applauded for performing magic tricks at the tables between courses. Photographer Mark Clarke was also on hand to record the occasion.

around Yateley 2016 April 31

© Mark Clarke 2016

The club ran a raffle, which raised £535, and the silent auction, for signed prizewinning photographic prints of Stonehenge and stars over Wimbledon, amounted to a further £500, which was presented to Maureen Devereux for the charity.

32 around Yateley April 2016

LOCAL BUSINESS FEATURE

accelerate

Driver Training

inspiring confidence & competence Safe driving for the whole of your lifetime Safe driving to preserve your life and that of others

Yateley resident trainer/coaches from accelerate I’d like to thank you and Jan for teaching me the skills needed for the road.

Jan was a brilliant instructor, always positive and always giving advice. It is because of him that I passed first time with only one minor fault.

Elliott Owen-Halley, Yateley, April 2015 From the beginning we were impressed with how accelerate operate, the home visit from Rob was very informative and gave us as parents the confidence to proceed with accelerate.

Sandra Owen-Halley, Yateley, April 2015

We would like to thank Louise for making Zoe’s learning experience stress free and enjoyable. Louise was patient, calm and reassuring throughout the whole course which made Zoe feel safe and in control while learning to drive. Lessons were well structured and the written feedback given at the end of each lesson helped us as parents to track her progress and areas for improvement. Zoe is now an independent driver who with Louise’s training and guidance is confident enough. Jeanette Cashmore, Crowthorne, July 2015

You too can be delighted with our comprehensive and excellent service.

Contact us now!

07749 725332 • info@go-accelerate.com • www.go-accelerate.com around Yateley 2016 April 33

GREEN

© England’s Dreaming 2016

Saturday 25 June and Sunday 26 June 2016

YATELEY

ENGLAND’S DREAMING are a five-piece band performing rock and punk covers. Based in Farnborough, they perform the most popular tracks from the punk era as well as some of the greatest rock and pop hits of acts like The Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Clash, Temple Tudor, Buzzcocks, Pulp, Kings of Leon, The Killers, Green Day, AC/DC, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Oasis, Black Keys, Stereophonics and Foo Fighters.

© Tony Spencer 2016

THE ED SHEERAN EXPERIENCE the amazing one-man band by Jack Shepherd. The world’s only Ed Sheeran impersonator brings you an amazing live performance that will leave you as exhilarated as if you were watching the real thing!

34 around Yateley April 2016

HENRY FRICKER is Yateley’s brightest rising singer/songwriter star, with voice and piano. Only 18, in January he issued his first single “Nobody”, then in February he hosted a one-man concert at Prospect Theatre, Farnborough and in March he played at Yateley Town Mayor’s Charity Dinner at Yateley’s Casa.

ULTIMATE ELTON the music of Elton John by Paul Bacon & the Rocket Band, winners of National Tribute Awards 2013. Paul has been singing Elton’s songs since the 80s and you won’t believe your ears or your eyes! © Jess Petrie Photography 2016

ONE STEP BEHIND are the UK’s No 1 Masters of Madness tribute band and have been playing them since 1993.

TRENCHTOWN EXPERIENCE the music of Bob Marley & The Wailers, back by popular demand from 2014. An 8-piece band made up of top musicians who are also fans, that will play all the iconic numbers that’ll get you up and dancin’!

Early Bird tickets are on sale now: Adults (18 and over) Children (8 to 17) Infants (0-7) Gazebo pitch (limited number)

Weekend pass £22 £15 Free £60

Saturday only £15 £10 Free £35

Sunday only £10 £6 Free £35

Standard tickets 3 May- 24 June: Adults (18 and over) Children (8 to 17) Infants (0-7) Gazebo pitch (limited number)

Weekend pass £29 £18 Free £60

Saturday only £20 £12 Free £35

Sunday only £12 £8 Free £35

Saturday only £25 £15 Free

Sunday only £15 £10 Free

On the gate tickets 25-26 June: Adults (18 and over) Children (8 to 17) Infants (0-7)

Sponsors for this year’s Gig on the Green include Romans estate agents, who have been a constant throughout the GOTG’s six years’ existence. KFC Yateley are on board for the second year and are joined by first-timers: Everyone Active (Frogmore Leisure Centre), The Casa Hotel and Michael Usher Mortgage Services. around Yateley 2016 April 35

UNWINDGIG SUNDAY on the GREEN

Saturday 25 June and Sunday 26 June 2016

YATELEY

JUNCTION 4 BIG BAND are an 18-piece band formed in 2011 and based in Surrey.

They are an enthusiastic blend of amateurs and professionals playing big band, jazz and swing music from the greats, Buddy Rich, Basie, Ellington and Miller.

THE ALTER EAGLES are an authentic tribute band playing the whole repertoire of 35 years of the Eagles’ tracks, from full harmony country blues to the hard rocking numbers, showcasing the Eagles’ trademark duelling guitars.

36 around Yateley April 2016

© Alter Eagles 2015

© Junction 4 Big Band 2016

© Toni Lee 2015

SO CLOSE the voice of Karen Carpenter by Toni Lee. The Carpenters were the biggest-selling group of the 70s. The sensational voice of Toni Lee is an uncanny resemblance to Karen Carpenter and will take you on a musical journey through the wonderful hit songs of The Carpenters.

Toni Lee’s voice is considered by many to be the finest and most expressive in popular music; she is praised for her control, sense of pitch, and the subtle nuances of personal expression she conveys to a melody.

© Anchor Homes 2015

HAMPSHIRE LAKES WILLOW GARDENS

What do I think? asks Yateley Town Mayor Gerry Crisp. I think it’s a wonderful journey in witnessing the transformation from empty land, to what we now see as an amazing development, providing a fantastic opportunity for folks in the Autumn of their lives, to enjoy a new Spring time of pleasure and leisure within their retirement years.

Hampshire Lakes is a great vision on how to provide a service of care, for all those who may or may not not need it now, but as times goes on and other lifetime needs grow, all residents are then provided with whatever care support is needed for their future years.

I love the Willow Gardens’ project in providing for residents’ interesting social interaction, the opportunities to meet new friends and build lifetime relationships.

Also to be involved in the wider community of Yateley — not to be separate from, but very much part of!

Staff, too, are provided with excellent training to meet the care needs of residents and for other areas of management, administration, maintenance, catering, gardening, the list goes on and provides many opportunities of employment for local people.

So well done indeed, Anchor Homes and for choosing Yateley for this 5 star development and in providing this wonderful facility for the whole community to enjoy! around Yateley 2016 April 37

Did you know that Yateley has its very own Lawn Bowls Green?

No? Neither did we until last year.

Located in the heart of the community on Yateley Green is the Yateley Bowls Club (YBC) with a green regarded as one of the best in North Hampshire. Frequently used for County matches with

Yateley Bowling Club the most recent being Hampshire vs.

Middlesex last summer. Hidden behind the hedgerow is a thriving hub of activity, be it the great playing surface of the six-rink green or the welcoming clubhouse. There is always a friendly face around offering a drink, a chat or a practice match.

The days of lawn bowls being a pastime for the retired are well in the past and at Yateley we are continuing to break this mould. Nearly 40% of club members are under 65 and our youngest member is just 10 years old. Although it’s worth highlighting that Lawn Bowls is a hobby for life, with our oldest player turning 99 years old this year and still playing regularly. The growth and drop of the average age of the players is indicative and can be identified by the woods that the younger players are using; gone are the regular black woods and these have been replaced by a host of colourful bowls from Neon Pink through to Bright Orange and everything in between.

Yateley Bowls Club boasts three qualified coaches and runs regular coaching sessions to fit in with the busiest of lifestyles. The Club has over 80 active players and runs three men’s teams playing in the Aldershot & District League on a Tuesday evening. The ladies’team play in the Friday night Blackwater Valley League. The club offers a host of internal competitions, including: Singles matches, Pairs, Rinks (four players per 38 around Yateley April 2016

side), Handicap competition (ensuring the newest bowler has an equal opportunity with the most experienced) and a Married Pairs competition. These competitions are open to all members, both new and old, and we would encourage all to try their hand at the competitive side.

Alongside the bowls, during the closed season Yateley Bowls Club offers weekend breaks away to other bowls resorts around the country and this winter we have been to the 5* Dorset resort and a venue on the Isle of Wight. Further trips and social events are also organised, including skittles evenings, club presentations, meals out, and the famous candlelit bowls nights.

The club opens its doors for players to use the green from early April and has our annual open day planned for 23 April, when our top coaches will be on hand to offer a taster session. Don’t be shy to come down from 11am and speak to any of our members, they will all be more than happy to welcome you to the club and show you around.

For more information: https://yateleybowlsclub.sharepoint.com

The Yateley Society The AGM was held on 25 February, at the Red Cross Hall, where chairman Roger Coombes gave his report on the year.

The largest project ongoing is “Yateley in the Great War”, which is scheduled to publish in 18 months. At present they have a team of 12 working on the project.

It was thought that some of the older books that the Society has in stock, particularly those produced many years ago, are in need of revisiting, as they are very much of their era and need bringing in line with the improvements in producing short run books and papers.

Plans for the coming year were announced. In April the Society are to make a presentation to the Yateley Townswomen’s Guild. At the May Fayre the Society would have their usual stall and do a presentation of Yateley in 1926, in light of the Queen’s 90th birthday. In June they are planning a walking history tour and celebrating VE Day, which was first held in 1946. Surrey Heath History Club have requested a tour of Yateley in July. It was suggested that new photo views be taken for postcards and a calendar. around Yateley 2016 April 39

LOCAL BUSINESS FEATURE

Yateley Village Hall is available to hire for all occasions:

Christenings, Weddings, Evening Parties and Children’s Parties

Kitchen for your use and a fenced off garden so safe for children Plenty of room for a bouncy castle Telephone to view the facilities and for further information 01252 870707 or email on yateleyvh@gmail.com 40 around Yateley April 2016

Blackwater & Yateley Police update Blackwater & Yateley Police report that PC Caroline Owen (from Beat 2) has transferred to Basingstoke. A new PCSO is expected to be advertised for to fill this position.

Custody centres, where offenders will be processed and retained after arrest are being reduced from 13 in Hampshire to just 3, with our nearest being Basingstoke.

Mostly, the change is for economy: saving of Custody Sergeants apparently outweighs the journey times, fuel and arresting PC’s time, as the cautioned will be dealt with by the custody centre, releasing the officers back to the beat almost immediately. In practice, more arrests, cautions and interviews are being conducted at the roadside, or in the cautioned person’s house etc, then released from custody pending processing of the paperwork.

Yateley Police Station is shared with Thames Valley Police, who’ve closed local Berkshire stations. Although the building remains closed to the public, there is a permanent police presence here. PCs of other counties are licensed to deal with an incident in Hampshire, say a road accident or pub brawl, etc, and might arrive first on scene and handle it until a Hampshire police unit or officer arrives on scene. The exception are PCSOs, who only operate in their own county.

JCB-type road diggers and farm tractors are a common item stolen nowadays. They are often left in isolated spots and it is not unusual to see them being transported around on low-loaders or even pickups for the smaller models. Recovery rates are only 5% (ref The National Plant & Equipment Register). Thousands disappear, going abroad before anyone has reported them missing!

One example, in March last year a check on a low loader with a broken taillight, revealed the two new John Deeres aboard were stolen, worth £115,000. The gang followed the low-loader to the Police pound, broke in and restole them, including the evidence against the driver. They were recovered this January, in ... Australia!

Cannabis possession is a warning first time or, if under 18 then the parents are informed. There is no evidence of needles and hard drugs locally.

Dispersion order at St Peter’s Church. A Section 35 Dispersal Order is a power given to police inspectors under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. These are only in force for a maximum of 48 hours.

The gate at Hearsey Gardens is owned by Sentinel. There have been 3 burnt out motorcycles on this SSSI site as the gate was insecure. The land behind is owned by a large number of inherited owners, who have a common legal representative. around Yateley 2016 April 41

Clerk

Wise

Yateley Town Clerk Jane Biscombe clerking about

Throwing away YOUR money I’ve spent many a long hour this month poring over budgets. This year’s, next year’s, I’ve even looked at the one for 2046! (Although I rather hope to be enjoying my retirement on a golden, sun-drenched beach by then.) Whilst swimming in figures it struck me that your money, the money that you entrust to us to make your area the best it can be, could be much better spent by us. There! I said it! Yateley Town Council spends money on things it shouldn’t be spending money on.

Before I get the sack, let me explain....

Each morning I despatch our three wonderful litter pickers out to pick up rubbish, and every Monday morning our contractors do a big litter pick up for us. That costs you all (as Council Tax payers) about £124 a week. And that doesn’t include clearing up fly-tipping. That’s £6,448 every year clearing up rubbish people can’t be bothered to put in a bin (either the bins on the greens or at their homes.)

Litter is not the only unnecessary cost YTC has to bear. We clear up dog poo from play areas, we repair vandalism to our community halls, we put in security measures to try and stop vandalism and we chase people who don’t pay their bills.

In short we do a lot that we shouldn’t have to.

In my very humble opinion, YTC spends at least £15,000 per year doing things we wouldn’t have to do if people weren’t a bit inconsiderate and made better 42 around Yateley April 2016

choices in where to throw their rubbish, what to do when they are bored, and how to be a good neighbour.

And why does this behaviour grind my gears?

Because every week, good, honest, upstanding people ask us to make their lives a little better, and their experience of Yateley, Darby Green and Frogmore a little more enjoyable. With that £15,000 we could buy two large pieces of play equipment; we could plant 130 new trees (or even a community orchard!); we could completely remodel both Yateley Green and Darby Green ponds into free youth fishing venues; we could put at least ten new street lights into areas that don’t have lighting, like some of our alleyways; we could completely re-surface and re-mark the tennis courts and add in some basketball hoops to make a multi-use games area; we could increase our grants budget and support double the number of community groups we do now.

Yes, we could do so much, but instead we have to spend the money clearing up other people’s mess.

If you’re a litter dropper, or if your kids are, please use a bin.

Next time think of that empty can as your money you’re throwing away, or that crisp packet could have been a new swing, or that bag of dog poo chucked in the bushes might be an apple tree.

Please think of all the things we can do if we can stop litter. I’m thinking about that community orchard ... I’m thinking about it a lot....

Your one-stop shop for advice.

Hart Citizens Advice Bureau

www.hartaccesstoadvice.org.uk around Yateley 2016 April 43

COMMUNITY SPEEDWATCH

30

SPEED WATCH NEEDS YOU

40

Yateley Community Speedwatch was launched in April 2015, following planning and training with the support and assistance of PC Knaggs in particular. The £2000 set-up costs were half-funded by the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner office and the balance from the Yateley Lions, Yateley Town Council and grants organised by Councillors David Simpson and Adrian Collett.

Although eight potential sites were identified and risk assessed by the police team, we were initially only able to operate at three locations because of the limited number of volunteers. With some increase in numbers, we have been able to operate at five sites in Yateley – Chandlers Lane, Cricket Hill, Hall Lane, Monteagle Lane and Reading Road – and we hope soon to operate on Sandhurst Lane now that the roadworks have been completed. There is already much evidence to suggest that our efforts have been worthwhile. A few examples of speeds recorded at various sites since the Introduction of Yateley Community Speedwatch are as follows (session duration – 45/60 minutes): 08/12/15 Cricket Hill Lane, 21 out of 210 cars logged doing 35 mph and over 04/12/15 Chandlers Lane, 10 out of 78 cars logged doing 35 mph and over 30/10/15 Reading Road, 33 out of 347 cars logged doing 35 mph and over 16/10/15 Monteagle Lane, 16 out of 174 cars logged doing 35 mph and over The highest speeds recorded during recent sessions at the following locations are: Cricket Hill Lane 43 mph; Chandlers Lane 41 mph; Reading Road 46 mph; Monteagle Lane 42 mph; Hall Lane 38 mph.

As indicated above, volunteer numbers grew slightly as we became established and by the end of 2015 we had a team of 15, although not all 15 volunteers were actively involved.

44 around Yateley April 2016

Inevitably, because of individual commitments, some volunteers have been able to offer more time than others. It is important to say that the commitment required is only two hours per month, although some volunteers will offer more. Rotas are prepared for three or four months at a time so that last minute requests to participate are avoided.

The current situation, however, is unfortunately not as promising as we would like. The number of active volunteers has fallen to 60% of the total, and very few new volunteers are coming forward, despite our best efforts. So for example, in February, we were unable to operate as a shortage of volunteers meant we did not have complete teams. We are aware, also, that speeding on Cricket Hill and the speed limits there are a current concern for local residents.

In this context, we appreciate the efforts of Councillor Adrian Collett in trying to galvanise support for Yateley Community Speedwatch among the residents of Cricket Hill. As a result, there has been some interest shown by individuals, but in most cases, this interest has not been translated into action. Our efforts are appreciated by many; we know this by the many passers-by and drivers who stop when we are on Speedwatch duty to ask us what we are doing and to inform us that our efforts are really valuable because of the high incidence of speeding on local roads. Many also suggest (or tell us) where they would like us to base ourselves, often suggesting locations where speeding affects them personally. However, when we suggest that they might like to join the team of volunteers, the response is, at best, indifferent.

You will be only too aware that concern about speeding on local roads is widespread and the aim of the Speedwatch scheme is to help to reduce speeding and improve driver behaviour through deterrence and education, thus helping to make our neighbourhood safer and improving the quality of life for all.

However, in order to sustain the success achieved so far and to extend it, additional volunteers are urgently required. It seems only fair that a range of volunteers, representing different parts of our community, should support a scheme that is for the benefit of the whole community.

Any potential volunteers are invited/encouraged to contact Helen Maxwell at helenemilymaxwell@hotmail.com . Helen will be able to supply more information and an application form.

We are also writing to all Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators, asking them to promote involvement in the scheme, and posters are being displayed around the locality served by Yateley Community Speedwatch. Hopefully between us, we can expand the team and together promote and ensure a safer local environment, which is clearly a high priority for us all.

Sophie Williams, on behalf of the Yateley Community Speedwatch Team around Yateley 2016 April 45

Walks around

Yateley

46 aroundLooking Yateley west April along 2016 Potley Hill Road close to the start

The Original Reading Road

Part 1: Potley Hill Road FINISH START

Looking at old maps of Yateley, you realise that the original B3272 road running East-West between Aldershot and Reading, was not as straight as it is now.

The road originally meandered along the Potley Hill Road to the foot of Cricket Hill, ran through and along Plough Road, and at the bottom of Tindal Close (when it was part of Hall Lane), it ran down Vicarage Road until after Moulsham Lane.

Too much to do in one walk, so I have split it into three. The first part from

Award Winning Estate Agents WATERFORDS

Formed in 1995 by Brendan Cox and Gary Brook, Waterfords is an independent, premium local agent, trusted for our reliability and recognised for providing outstanding customer service.

LOCAL BUSINESS FEATURE

Our network of offices includes five Sales and Lettings branches, plus a dedicated Land & New Homes division covering the Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire borders, the M3 and M25 corridor and eastward towards London. These branches work closely with The Mayfair Office and network of affiliated brands throughout the UK. Praised by industry experts for being “unafraid to innovate”, we embrace changes in both technology and the market place, and adapt our service accordingly to ensure we deliver the most relevant and appealing information to our buyers, tenants, landlords and vendors.

As well as our longevity, our involvement with the community through regular staff volunteering and fundraising for organisations such as; Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Waterfords Estate Agents Christopher’s Smile, to name just a few, has earned us a wellRosebank Parade respected position locally. Over 74% of the business we procure on 35 Plough Road, Yateley sales and lettings comes from customer recommendation or former GU46 7UW clients of Waterfords.

01252 870222

We continually aim to innovate, inspire and re-build a positive yateley@waterfords.co.uk attitude towards estate agency and this has been recognised in numerous national and local awards. www.waterfords.co.uk

around Yateley 2016 April 47

Frogmore Campus to Yateley Lodge. I started by parking in Frogmore Campus car park and headed west along Potley Hill Road. The road is an attractive curving one and at the

start there is only a pavement along the south side of the road.

The buildings in any street develop and change over time. So the first place that caught my eye was Hawksmoor House on the south side of the road.

It is a large house built in the 1920s or 1930s and currently appears with boarded up and bricked up windows

Yateley Grange

On the north side of the road opposite is Yateley Grange, which is a late Victorian, or more likely Edwardian, building now split into three terraced dwellings.

Next to it is White Gables, another large attractive building hailing from the early 20th Century.

Jesse Close on the left is a modern estate. A private drive leads up to 48 around Yateley April 2016

Cross Oak Cottage

pending a couple of extensions being built. Planning permission for a two-storey front and single storey rear was granted in 2014.

Also on the south side of the road is Cross Oak Cottage, which dates back to at least 1567, when it was mentioned in the Crondall Customary, and possibly built much earlier. It is a Grade II timber framed thatch house with a saddle ridge.

White Gables

Staplens Cottage, another Grade II listed building (see left).

When I reached Round Close on the left, I decided to follow that around, and return on the walk back along Potley Hill Road. At the start of the Close, there are a couple of houses that date from the 1930s, one Staplens Cottage

of them washed with pink paint (left).

Hilfield is a modern estate which runs off to the left. I decided to follow the older route of Round Close.

The road is so narrow at the beginning that there is only room for a

footpath on the left. The dwellings are a mixture of houses and bungalows, some new and some pre-war.

At the crossroads, Cobbetts Lane runs left, with open views to farmland along the south. Stevens Hill runs due south, with modern developments on the righthand side and various farmers’ fields to the left.

Then Round Close continues along the right hand fork of the crossroads. I took this road and continued along the Close.

As can be seen from the photos at the top of the opposite page, there is a range of different and attractive buildings around Yateley 2016 April 49

At the start of Round Close

Junction of Round Close, Cobbetts Lane and Stevens Hill

LOCAL BUSINESS FEATURE

At the next bend, round to the right, a turning on the left leads to Caswall Ride, another new estate.

At the end of Round Close, on the left and on the corner of the Close and Potley Hill Road, is a house called Half Pennies, but it was almost invisible from the road, so it was impossible to assess its age. Although in a recent planning application the house was described as a “locally grade listed house”, it doesn’t appear in either Yateley Society’s list or in British Listed Buildings.

Potley Hill Road runs down hill towards Cricket Hill Lane and Yateley Lodge by the roundabout along the Reading Road, which again reverts to a country lane

Fascinating Occasions Handcrafted

in Yateley

My homemade greetings cards are on sale at Busy Lizzies Florist, next to the White Lion Pub Leza Sellings Fascinating Occasions, Yateley lezas@sky.com

50 around Yateley April 2016

with a footpath on the left hand side only. I retraced my steps but the part between the start and finish of Round Close were rather unremarkable.

This part of Yateley is what it is, a mixture of old and new, not all of it

planned clearly but parts of it are rather attractive, and it is a lot quieter than the Reading Road that now bypasses it.

It was a short but interesting walk, only 1.63km long and taking less than 20 minutes to complete, but it was certainly the driest underfoot of our

The west end of Potley Hill Road

excursions so far, and the sun shone the whole way round!

So that is the first part of our walk along the old Reading Road. Next month I will walk the current part of the road, along Plough Road up to Church End Green, Another short walk, but full of interesting places to look at and, last but not least, a couple of pubs. around Yateley 2016 April 51

Potley Hill Road 52 around Yateley April 2016

Scott Rooney Charity Fun Day on Sunday 8 May at Sean Devereux Park Great Western

Air Ambulance Charity

The event is a celebration of the life of Scott Rooney, 22, who was drowned in tragic circumstances in the centre of Bristol.

Yateley born and bred, Scott spent his first 20 years in his home town, attending Yateley School and playing football with Yateley Pumas, a team coached by his father Steve Rooney. Many of Scott’s friends live in the area.

It all kicks off at Noon at Sean Devereux Park GU46 7SZ

4 football matches 4 bouncy castle 4 face painting 4 whack a rat 4 sweets and cakes 4 and lots more All money raised is going to The Great Western Air Ambulance around Yateley 2016 April 53

LOCAL BUSINESS FEATURE

Platinum Contract Cleaning Platinum Contract Cleaning, established over 20 years ago, pride themselves on high standards. They operate in Yateley, Fleet, Aldershot, plus throughout Berkshire and Hampshire.

The staff, trained for all types of cleaning, are uniformed and supervised and firmly believe communication is essential for customer satisfaction and strong working relationships.

They offer: q Office/Works Contract Cleaning Services, including offices, veterinary surgeries, industrial, schools, medical surgeries, charitable organisations q Pre / End Tenancy Lets House Cleaning Services (7 letting agents) q Carpet Cleaning Services (using Steampro Powermax) q House & Rubbish Clearance q Specialist Floor Cleaning (vinyl, terrazzo, thermoplastic, rubber, linoleum, PVC, quarry tiles and many others, woodblock flooring using two types of liquid waxes (Johnson’s & Selden) to provide a ‘high shine’ finish) q Communal Cleaning, for stairways, rest homes, residential areas, and lease-hold establishments etc, on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis q Jet Washing Services, including: block paving, patios, brickwork, paths, cladding, moss removal, loading bays q Window Cleaning, equipped with a ‘High Reach Tucker Pole System’ with extension tubes for up to 15 metres reach. This system is also equipped with purified water system allowing for a streak-free shine on glass and other surfaces such as: conservatory roofs, gutters and fascias, shop fronts and signage, lead-light windows, window and door frames, sills etc Should you wish any further information then please do not hesitate to contact Jane on 07766813138 or the office number 01252 874998 email enquiries platinumcontractcleaninng.com 54 around Yateley April 2016

Essential Contacts GOVERNANCE Member of Parliament, North East Hampshire (Yateley) Ranil Jayawardena MP

House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. 020 7219 3000

ranil.jayawardena.mp@parliament.uk Member of Parliament, Aldershot (Frogmore & Darby Green) Sir Gerald Howarth MP

House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. 020 7219 5650

geraldhowarth@parliament.uk Hampshire County Council

The Castle, Winchester SO23 8UJ. 0300 555 1375

www3.hants.gov.uk Hart District Council

Civic Offices, Harlington Way, Fleet GU51 4AE. 01252 622122

www.hart.gov.uk Yateley Town Council

Council Offices, Reading Road, Yateley Green GU46 7RP. 01252 872198

www.yateley-tc.gov.uk EMERGENCIES Fire, Police and Ambulance 999 Childline 0800 1111 Silverline (helpline for older people) 0800 4 70 80 90 Samaritans 116123 UTILITIES Southern Electric (SSE) 0800 783 8866 Gas 0800 111 999 South East Water 0333 000 0365 Southern Water 0330 303 0277 or 0800 0270800 Thames Water (sewerage) 0800 3169800 Floodline 0345 988 1188 TRANSPORT Hart Shopper (book 1 to 6 days ahead, cost £5 or £2.50 concessionary) 07719799263 Sainsbury’s Watchmoor Park (Thursdays only, pick up Vigo Lane 09.47, Monteagle Lane 09.48, St Swithun’s 09.55, Manor Park 09.59) YELAbus Tracey 0771 9799263 Yateley Neighbourcare 03000 05 05 05 around Yateley 2016 April 55

Activities & Societies Blackwater Friday Club

Meet every Friday 12.30-15.30 Darby Green & Frogmore Social Hall GU17 0NP for playing cards, bingo, curling, cross toss a ring, quiz, bring and buy, tea and biscuits.

Contact Gillian Foster 01276 34100 or Jean Armstrong 01252 860584 Camberley & Yateley Friendship Centre for over 50s

Meet third Thursday each month 14.00 Hedgecroft, Bracken Lane GU46 6JW and first Thursday for pub lunches at 12 noon. Contact Barbara Brown 01252 876615 Guiding Blackwater Valley (Yateley, Hawley, Frogmore and Darby Green)

There is Guiding happening every night in the Blackwater Valley for Rainbows (6-7), Brownies (7-10), Guides (10-14) and Rangers (14 and up). Find the unit that suits you best through https://enquiryym.girlguiding.org.uk/

Always looking for volunteers, they don’t have to be every week. If you would like to join or talk about volunteering, try https://enquiryv.girlguiding.org.uk/ Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Organise monthly walks during the summer. Contact Lyn Deavin 01252 879255

www.hiwwt.org.uk K9 Planet dog training

Dog training at Yateley Village Hall, every Wednesday 18.30-19.30.

Contact dog.training@kpplanet.co.uk K9 Services dog training

Dog training at Yateley Village Hall, every Friday noon-15.00.

Contact info@k9services.co.uk Primrose Club

For senior citizens, meet WI Hall, Reading Road GU46 7UH

Contact Ann de Courcy on 07913 633790 or 01252 501182 Ramblers Association (NE Hants)

www.nehantsramblers.hampshire.org.uk Rotary Club of Hart

Meet Thursdays 19.30 for 20.00 North Hants Golf Club, Fleet GU51 1RF

www.rotary-ribi.org.uk Theatre 64

Theatre drama group, meet Monday & Friday evenings Frogmore Junior School

www.theatre64.org.uk 56 around Yateley April 2016

The Yateley Society

Meet monthly except January 19.30 for 20.00 Red Cross Centre, Monteagle Lane GU46 6LU and at Yateley Green for May Fayre.

www.ydgs.org.uk Tythings Coffee Club

Meet every Thursday morning for a gentle chat, quizzes and raffles, and regular outings 10.45-12.45 The Tythings GU46 7RP

Contact Ann Kern on 01252 872975 or email: akoffice@o2.co.uk Yateley & Crowthorne Big Band Society

Meet monthly second Tuesday 19.45-22.30 The Tythings GU46 7RP

01252 661037 Kay Sealey or kay.sealey@talk21.com Yateley & District Gardening Society

Meet monthly except January 19.30 for 20.00 Hedgecroft, Bracken Lane GU46 6JW and at Yateley Green for May Fayre.

www.ydgs.org.uk Yateley & District University of the Third Age (U3A)

Meet first Thursday each month 10.00 for 10.30 Sandhurst Memorial Hall GU47 9BJ

www.yateleyu3a.org.uk Yateley & Hawley Bridge Club

Meet Wednesdays and Fridays 19.20 Memorial Hall, Fernhill Road, Hawley GU17 9BW

www.yhbc.org.uk or contact Alan Brown 01276 27354 or Judy Douch 01483 475133 Yateley Bowling Club

6-rink green and clubhouse The Bowing Green, Reading Road GU46 7RP

https://yateleybowlsclub.sharepoint.com Yateley Choral Society

Rehearse monthly Mondays 19.45-21.45 Drama Hall, Yateley Manor School GU46 7UQ

www.yateleychoral.org.uk email: info@yateley-choral.org.uk Yateley Lifesaving Club

Meet every Thursday TBA Yateley School pool, School Lane GU46 6NL

Contact Pat Brewer on yateleylifesavingclub@hotmail.com Yateley Morris Men

Meet Tuesdays (October-April) 20.00 Drama Hall, Yateley Manor School GU46 7UQ

www.yateleymorrismen.org.uk email: squire@yateleymorrismen.org.uk Yateley Neighbourhood Watch

Assists residents in reducing the opportunities for crime and passing info to police.

www.yateleynw.org.uk

around Yateley 2016 April 57

Guides put their best foot forwards Rehearsals for the Guiding Blackwater Valley Show at the Princes Hall Theatre, Aldershot, are in full swing.

Organised by Leaders Louisa Chicken and Melody Spooner, this is the third show they have put on over the last few years and should be a spectacular event.

I had the privilege to attend a rehearsal and my overwhelming

58 around Yateley April 2016

and-white dance, actually designing the choreography themselves. They even made up a kung fu fighting scene on the day!

From the opening number, marching on-stage with purple pom-poms, through quieter moments around the campfire, these singers and dancers will make their parents very proud.

LOCAL BUSINESS FEATURE

impression was that the 30 girls attending were full of smiles and having an enjoyable time working through the routines together and, in the case of the black-

Yateley Drawing Service Ltd  Planning Permission  Building Regulations  Approval for new builds  Extensions  Garage & loft conversions Architectural Services Established 12 years 21 Coppice Gardens, Yateley GU46 6EF Telephone: 01252 660136 Mobile: 07717 743125 Email: Chris@YDS-ltd.co.uk Website: www.YateleyDrawingService.co.uk around Yateley 2016 April 59

F

Yateley CUS ON wildlife with Simon Bool

Pheasant at Moor Green Nature Reserve A common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) seen at Moor Green Nature Reserve. First recorded in England in 1059, the pheasant is believed to have been introduced by the Romans. It almost died out by 1830 but was reintroduced. Some 30 million are released by gamekeepers every year.

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla Grey Wagtail at Horsehoe Lake cinerea) at Horsehoe Lake, first recorded in 1771. They range across the UK, except Shetland and tend to winter in South England and migrate to the north in summer.

Green Woodpecker (Picus Green Woodpecker at Moor Green 60 around Yateley April 2016

viridis) at Moor Green are a common bird that is extremely sedentary, rarely moving out of its range of about 500m Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) seen at Swan Lakes, described as the most loathsome bird in Britain, producing

Canada Geese at Swan Lakes

LOCAL BUSINESS FEATURE

droppings, containing 100 different bacteria immune to antibiotics, every 40 seconds, introduced in 1665 by Charles II. Numbers have quadrupled since the 1960s.

Gulls at Swan Lakes, probably black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), which have white heads most of the year.

Gulls at Swan Lakes

Fascinating Occasions Handcrafted

in Yateley

I design and create elegant fascinators and hair decorations for those who wish to add the finishing touch to their outfit for any occasion.

Each item is bespoke ensuring it complements your outfit and suits your style and personality.

Leza Sellings Fascinating Occasions, Yateley lezas@sky.com

around Yateley 2016 April 61

Yateley War Memorial

Archibald Goodall Archie Goodall was a Sapper 24429 with the Royal Engineers, G Coy (7th Field Coy).

Archie was born in 1895 in Swallowfield, Berkshire. and died 30 November1915 age 20.

He was buried in St Peter’s churchyard, Yateley, the son of house painter William Goodall (1869-1917) and Mary Annie Smith (1860-1937) of Eversley Lane, Yateley.

He was living in Stratfield Saye in 1901, at the Club House, between New Street and Forelands Farm, his father caretaker of the clubhouse as well as employed in his housepainting work.

By the 1911 census, the family lived in Wedman’s Lane, Rotherwick, with 16 year old Archibald no doubt working with his father as a house painter.

He married Florence Elsie Thomson (1891-1985) on 3 April 1915 at St John the Evangelist, Sandown, Isle of Wight. By 30 April 1915 he was in France, according to the medal roll index cards. He was awarded the British medal, Victory medal and the 1915 Star.

He was wounded at Armentieres by the explosion of a bomb on a house, but died of his wounds in hospital at Epsom, Surrey. He was buried on 3 December 1915 St Peter’s Yateley, in a military funeral, with wreaths from his wife, his parents, Bert and Kit (his brother & sister in law), Gladys and Ada (his sisters), and from niece and nephew Marjorie & Ronnie (Bert and Kit’s children).

His daughter Gwendoline Archie Goodall (1916-1982) was born at Eversley Lane, Yateley on 14 January 1916, and baptised in St Peter’s on 5 March 1916. His widow Florence, who had lived in Ilford from the age of 5, moved back to Ilford Essex, and remarried on 9 March 1918 to Conrad Shammas Swain (1891-1954) in Romford Registry Office.

62 around Yateley April 2016

“Frederick” Grainger Fred Grainger was killed in action on 7 July 1916, age 21, in France and Flanders. He was a Private in the Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire) Regiment, 1st Bn, No 23388. Fred had enlisted at Hartley Wintney.

Fred was the youngest son of agricultural labourer William Grainger (born Frimley, baptised 21 December 1851-1928) and Ann Cathrick (birth registered in Farnborough in 1st Quarter of 1850 as Ann Cattrick, baptised as Anne Catrick in Yateley 27 January 1850-??). Fred was born in 1895 and both registered and baptised on 27 May 1895 in Yateley as Fred Grainger.

On the 1901 census he was listed in Yateley Green as Fred, age 6, the youngest of 10 children.

When he was 7 he was 1 of 13 boys out of 160 praised for not missing a day of school (H&BG, Saturday 9 August 1902, p6 col 5); and 1 of 23 boys out of 150 praised for not missing a day of school the following year (H&BG, Saturday 1 August 1903, p7).

In the 1911 census Fred was listed as 18 and at home in Vigo Lane, Yateley, doing housework; the census form was filled in by his 20-year-old sister Florence.

Fred’s effects amounted to £2 4s 1d, sent to his father William on 30 October 1916, and his War Gratuity of £3 sent 8 September 1919.

He is listed on the Thiepval Memorial, Departement de la Somme, Picardie, France, Mark Hammond Able Seaman Mark Hammond 197787 (RFR/PO/B/1379). Killed in action 1 November 1914 on HMS Good Hope in the Battle of Coronel, Chile. The ship, under the flag of Rear Admiral Cradock, faced impossible odds when they caught up with Vice Admiral Graf von Spree’s Pacific raiding fleet. One of Good Hope’s major defects was that it couldn’t use its main 6in guns in heavy seas and had to rely on just 2 9.2in guns. The ship was hit by at least 35 armour-piercing shells from the Scharnhorst and went down with all 919 hands within an hour of engaging with the enemy.

He was the son of John Hammond and Ann Cordery of Cricket Hill, Yateley. Born 21 September 1882, he was a bricklayer’s labourer in 1911, and age 31 when he died.

Married Ellen Nina Davis (b1883, baptised 29 November 1883, Basingstoke) in Yateley 1907. Ellen was the daughter of James and Eliza Davis, who lived on Yateley Common 1891, and at Brandy Bottom as laundry maid in 1901. Fred Davis, who died in Le Havre on 3 June 1915, was his brother in law.

They had two children, Ellen Hammond (1908) and Ella Frances Hammond (19092001).

No known grave, so on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. around Yateley 2016 April 63

aroundYateleyacknowledgements Each individual photograph, artwork image and writing contained in “around Yateley online magazine” is the copyright (© 2016) of each individual contributor.

If you are interested in using any of the above material, please contact the editor on aroundyateley@gmail.com with your contact details and your request will be passed on to the copyright holder.

April 2016issue PHOTOS/ARTWORK WORDS Cover, Kerry Dutton 2,12-13,15,21,22,26,28,29tm,30-32tbr, 34b,42,46-52,58-59,62 Tony Spencer 4-11, Jenny Cole 16-18, Yateley & District Lions 19, Mark Clarke 20 (artwork), Oliver Aylen 27, Kerry Dutton 29b, Alison Blanchard 32bl, Mark Clarke 34t, England’s Dreaming 34m, Jack Shepherd 35t, Paul Bacon 35m, Jesse Petrie Photography 35b, Trenchtown Experience 36t, Toni Lee 36m, Junction 4 Big Band 36b, Alter Eagles 37, Anchor Homes 38-39, Yateley Bowling Club 60-61, Simon Bool

4-11, Jenny Cole 12-13, Rob Tillier 14-15, Tony Spencer 16-18, Yateley & District Lions 22,226-32,34-36, Tony Spencer 37, Yateley Town Mayor Gerry Crisp 38-40, Yateley Bowling Club 41, Tony Spencer 42-43, Jane Biscombe 44-45, Sophie Williams 46-51,58-59, Tony Spencer 62-63, Tony Spencer

May2016issuenews Out on 1 May, we will feature Foodbank, Crafty Tots, final details of the May Fayre, more acts for GOTG, final reports from Yateley United, and the launch of the Yateley Cricket Club season.

©2016 around Yateley online magazine is published monthly by Tony Spencer 10 Dumas Close Yateley GU46 6XZ • aroundyateley@gmail.com • @AroundY551 • 01252 409041

64 around Yateley April 2016