CLUB CORNER

Whitchurch Morris

Whitchurch Morris will only dance out again once it is safe to do so. In light of the current ongoing Coronavirus crisis, it is unlikely that we will be dancing anywhere until at least June. We will keep you posted. Please visit our Website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages for latest news.

We have been having Zoom meetings each practice night to keep contact with everyone. These consist of chatting and singing and the playing of Morris music. We have also been showing off our kitchen skills to make others envious of what has been put together.

We had a Zoom meeting on 1 May. One of our men danced in his garden at 5.30am (no bells to upset next door) - lovely bird song. Others danced during the meeting.

Please find a list of the events we have missed and are likely to miss on www.whitchurchmorris.org.uk.

Stay safe everyone. We hope to see you all soon. Nigel Cox

Wendover Bowls Club

Is there a spark of light at the end of this COVID tunnel? It looks as if some sports will have a relaxation in lockdown. I can see how it would work with things like golf but separation in bowls matches would more difficult to handle. We will just have to be patient. Like many organisations our members have taken to Zoom to keep in touch and I feel it speaks volumes that there is so much concern for each other’s wellbeing. It shows that the Club means so much to its members.

Last month I mentioned that we have been running for 117 years. It occurred to me that we must be one of the oldest institutions in Wendover (apart from the Church) that is still performing the function it was set up for after all this time. Now I am sure that someone will prove me wrong, but it is a thought. Looking back at our history, we were founded in 1903 behind the Railway Hotel, which is now The Shoulder of Mutton. It flourished and admitted ladies in 1933; until then it was not considered quite right for ladies to enter in competitive sport. We ran right through the war years, but by 1945 membership had dwindled to 6 and the club went into cold store. In 1951 negotiations began to get the site in Dobbins Lane. The move and the construction of the new green took until 1954.

Since then, we have maintained a healthy membership of both men and ladies but are always looking for more. So when this difficult time is over, come and give it a go. I am sure you will enjoy it. Meanwhile keep healthy and safe. Don Knight

Wendover Cricket Club

After two years of HS2 Ltd telling us virtually nothing and ignoring anything we said, Wendover Cricket Club finally had a constructive meeting with them in mid-April, albeit with particularly disconcerting news. We were presented with 2 options – a 5 metre high retaining wall along the western boundary, or a 3 metre high wall; the higher would take less land permanently but more temporarily, whilst the lower one had the opposite land-take effect. A third option was to create a bund in front of the wall, but this would take even more of our land; nonetheless, this is the best option as it would mitigate against the worst effects of a retaining wall. Within a week of being told this, we then learnt that we might not have any option and be told what height the wall will be.

Whilst the change to remaining at the Ellesborough Road ground wasn’t intended to impact on the cricket, it’s now almost guaranteed that we’ll have to temporarily relocate at least some aspects, and possibly from the middle of next year. We are still waiting for clarity on the programme. HS2 Ltd also appear to be planning on removing just about all our hedgerows, as well as the ones along Smith’s Lane and when the time comes, replacing them with 1-metre saplings. The Ellesborough Road diversion work is likely to start in late summer/ autumn and we expect our land to be temporarily possessed this summer.

Many aspects of the design that affects our land are unsatisfactory, but we hope at least some modifications will occur to improve the outcome for the club. We are liaising with Buckinghamshire Council in the hope that some pressure can be applied through the planning process.

The bypass fence at the Ellesborough Road ground has now had the netting reattached and so is ready for cricket, whenever a resumption happens.

Enquiries to Jonathan Seabrook on 07767 148119. Jonathan Seabrook

BBOWT Soldiers On!

We have had to cancel our events till the end of May but it may be possible to restart in June or July - please check on www.bbowt.org.uk for the latest news on planned walks at Aston Clinton Ragpits on 14 June, Bacombe Hill on 27 June, Dancersend on 11 July and Pitstone Fen on 19 July. Of course you can use any of our reserves at any time for healthy exercise and enjoying nature, though there are some parking restrictions. There was no plant sale in May so please help prepare for the one on Sunday 18 October by getting plants potted up during the summer. BBOWT, like all charities, has lost a lot of income while the expense of reserve maintenance, grazing animals and administration by a skeleton staff in Oxford continue - donations to help keep us going will be gratefully received online.

Many people are enjoying walks close to home and spending more time in their gardens. Conservation organisations are very interested in hearing about the animals and plants you are finding away from the wildlife hotspots where most records are made. Why not make your time outside more interesting and enjoyable by trying to identify the things you see and, where possible, take photographs? You can then report your sightings to organisations like Upper Thames Butterfly Conservation (for butterflies and moths), Bucks Bird Club or the Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Environmental Records Centre and add to the knowledge about wildlife distribution in the county. An internet search will produce websites for these organisations. BBOWT is also interested to hear about your wildlife sightings and any special places you find, whether they are our nature reserves or elsewhere. Richard Birch, BBOWT Chilterns Group

1st Wendover Scouts

The 1st Wendover Scouts are delighted to have been able to secure a more sustainable future for the Scout Hut in Clay Lane, Wendover, by installing a large solar panel and battery unit with the help of funding from HS2. This project aims to reduce dependence on the National Grid and has been an aspiration for the last 10 years. Until now, however, adequate funding has been out of reach. All the savings will be ploughed back into improving experiences for young people by investing in enhanced training for leaders, activities and equipment.

The Scout Hut is home to nearly 200 young people aged between 6 and 18 years who attend the popular Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts and enjoy an exciting and diverse range of activities, and to another group of much younger children who attend the Jack-in-the-Box Playgroup. By channelling potential savings on electricity costs into improving the quality of their offering to young people in the community, it is hoped that this will boost the quality of the lives of many, and that it will make a real contribution to the environment at a time of Climate Change crisis. In the course of their weekly activities, the Scouts will actively engage in promoting understanding of how we can all reduce our carbon footprint. Andrew Inkley