Wendover News September 2025

HS2 CEO commits to reset relationship with Wendover

By Richard Byford

Mark Wild, chief executive of HS2, visited Wendover at the end of June to discuss improvements in his organisation’s relationship with the community. He met with local representatives, including Wendover’s HS2 Mitigation Action Group, MP Greg Smith, Wendover Parish and Buckinghamshire County Councils, and St Mary’s vicar, Rev. Sally Moring.

Mark, pictured at right, became chief executive of HS2 in December last year. He is faced with the challenge of balancing the need for delivering HS2 as soon as possible, while minimising cost to the taxpayer. In the past it is fair to say that HS2 has been seen as indifferent at best to the communities along the track in Buckinghamshire. On this visit, as the new leader of the company, he had a very different message.

To understand the relationship between HS2 and the people of Wendover, we have to rewind a few years. As far back as 2010, Wendover was the focus of attention for many organisations protesting against the approval of HS2. Even after the project had been given the go-ahead by Boris Johnson in February 2020, there was still optimism that it could be cancelled.

Within HS2 and their main contractors, Wendover may well have been strongly associated with protest and opposition. This may explain why, until now, most ‘engagement’

RAF Flypast

from HS2 and EKFB has generally been oneway, after-the-fact and mainly confined to notification of road closures, very vague engineering statements and PR events.

Benefits of dialogue

Reports coming back from the recent meeting indicate that Wild was very happy to listen to the wide-ranging local representatives, and that he was willing to address some long-standing grievances. Getting into the detail of some of the historic friction points, there was a recognition that HS2 could sometimes have benefitted from the active involvement of the people of Wendover, but that they may have been seen as opponents, rather than the source of good ideas.

Being in easy reach of London (by existing trains), it may be obvious that the area around Wendover is home to a

RAF Flypast

fair proportion of the best engineers and construction experts in the South of England. Indeed, some of them are associated with the Wendover HS2 Mitigation Action Group.

During the meeting, Wendover News understands that a number of examples were briefly discussed which illustrate how two-way engagement with the local community could have saved in delay, cost and major disruption for HS2.

Clean slate

Following the meeting, HS2 will now be engaging with the community of Wendover directly, via a ‘single point of contact.’ Interactions in future will be via two-way proactive conversations. Wild says he wants to stop problems happening, rather than sorting them out afterwards.

Mark Wild doesn’t need to be humble. He just needs to get the job done, as quickly as possible and without wasting money. The people of Wendover don’t want to create more difficulties, they just want HS2 finished, the area tidied up, reinstated and to be able to live with all the fast trains rushing past the town, as soon as possible. This ‘new’ CEO appears to have the right attitude. We can just hope that he is allowed to fulfil the high expectations that he has set.

For details of the work of Wendover HS2 Mitigation Action Group, see page 16.

To celebrate the completion of training at RAF Halton, a flypast will take place, weather permitting, at 13:30 on Wednesday 3rd and 17th September 2025

Wendover | Stoke Mandeville | Dunsmore | The Lee | Halton | Weston Turville | Aston Clinton September

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Contents – September 2025

HS2 new relationship ......................... Front

Local News .............................................. 7

Local Face: Hadi Kanbar ........................ 10

Laura Kyrke-Smith MP ........................... 13

Climate Action Workshop 14

WHS2 Mitigation Action Group 16

EKFB HS2 Update 17

Culture, performing and visual arts 18

Bucks Art Weeks 20

YardFest and Shedfest 22

45 Years of Brewing 25

Chalk Streams 26

Club Corner 31

From the Clock Tower Back

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WENDOVER MEMORIAL HALL

Great for Children’s Parties

Ideal for Weddings & Functions Excellent kitchen facilities

Enquiries : 07804 671445 angelawmh@aol.co.uk

ST ANNE’S HALL to hire

All enquiries to Angela German 07423 266713 stanneshallwendover@hotmail.co.uk

Events - September 2025

Yoga and Mindful Art Classes

Guide Hut, Manor Crescent, Wendover HP22 6HH

Mons 09:15 – 10:15am KundaDance www.happywellyoga.com/classes/ kundadance

Mons 10:30 – 11:15am Chair Yoga. www.happywellyoga.com/classes/chair-yoga Mons 11:30-12:30 Mindful HeART Class. www.artyparty.fun/mindful-heart-mondays

Yoga with Alice D

Mons, Halton Village Hall, HP22 5NG 7-8.15pm, Pregnancy Yoga, 8.30-9.45pm, Women’s Yoga.

Weds, Wendover Memorial Hall, HP22 6HF 10.30-11.30am, Mum and Baby Yoga, 12-1pm, Nurture Baby Massage. www.yogawithaliced.com

Simply Walks and Cycle Rides

Wendover – Tuesdays: weekly walks from Wendover Clock Tower, leaving 10am. You can socialise afterwards at Wendover Christian Centre.

Aston Clinton – Thursdays: from Aston Clinton Park, leave 10.30am. Meet beside “Your Café in the Park.” Refreshments available afterwards. Registration is 15 minutes beforehand at both locations. Aylesbury Cycling UK – Sundays. Easy pace: every first and third week of the month, about 30 miles. Newcomers: each second and fourth week and about 20 miles. www. cyclinguk.org/group/aylesbury-cycling-uk

Seated exercise classes

Mons, 2-3pm, Aston Clinton Baptist Church, HP22 5EX

Tues, 2-3pm, The Ark, Stoke Mandeville HP22 5UT

Weds, 1.15-2.15pm, Wendover Health Centre HP22 6LD

Thus, 2-3pm, Weston Turville Village Hall HP22 5RW

Details: www.activeinthecommunity.org.uk/ seated-exercise

All classes £3 per session, cash on arrival. Book in advance with amelia.evans@aitc.org. uk or 07399 748803.

Diamond Bridge Club

Tues, 6.45 for 7pm

Ellesborough Village Hall, HP17 0XA

A friendly club with an ethos of playing

Tailored book-keeping and accountancy solutions to suit you and your business

e-mail: paul@ph-as.co.uk

Tel:01296 621162 www.ph-as.co.uk

LEGACY FAIRS

Antiques & Collectors Market

Wendover Memorial Hall

Thursday 18 September 9am-2pm (Trade 8am)

For updates Tel: 07543 524212 or email: p.hetheringtonwh@gmail.com Entrance by donation to Charity

bridge in a relaxed environment. If you have any questions or would like to join, contact the membership secretary at DBCAylesbury@ yahoo.com

Cracklewick Morris

Tues, 8.15-10.15pm

Halton Village Hall, HP22 5NG

An all-inclusive mixed Morris side who meet most Tuesdays for dance practice. Everyone welcome – musicians and dancers. No experience needed to dance. Email cracklewickmorris@gmail.com

Kimble & Ellesborough Horticultural Society

Stewart Hall, Little Kimble, HP17 OXN Tue 2 , 8pm, Bulbs in Borders. Kerrie Lloyd-Dawson, garden writer, plantaholic and Plant Heritage Plant Guardian, will discuss her recommendations for how to add an extra layer of planting with bulbs and corms that remain in the border year after year. Sun 7, 2–4 30pm, Autumn Show. Beautiful displays including dahlias, chrysanthemums and vegetables. Enjoy delicious home-made cakes. If you are not a member and are interested in exhibiting, see the Autumn Show information at www.kehs.uk.

Wendover u3a Open Day

Wed 3, 10am-1pm, St Mary’s Church, Wendover, HP22 6NL

This year is Wendover u3a’s 25th anniversary More about the Open Day on p8.

Compassionate Café Wigginton

Wed 3, 1.30-3pm, The Sports Ground community café, HP23 6HH

A space for local people affected by bereavement to meet others.

Chilterns Light Network

Weds, 7.30 for 8pm

Wendover Memorial Hall, HP22 6HF

3; Persistent fears and myths in health. 10; Beekeeping and local honey. 17; Access your spiritual guidance. 24; Reducing conflicts in connecting with others – NVC. £5 non-members. www.chilternslightnetwork.org.

Wendover Horticultural Society

Thu 4, 2.30pm, St Anne’s Hall, Wendover, HP22 6JG

A talk by Edwin Rye, a local, enthusiastic and

Experienced piano teacher living in Wendover has a few vacancies for children and adults of all ages and levels, from complete beginner to post diploma level. Online lessons are available if you prefer. To arrange a free trial lesson, contact Denise Erlandsen on 07767 372049 or email: derlandsen@yahoo.co.uk

excellent horticulturalist. His subject is “The magic of moonlight.” Cost £3.00, visitors are welcome.

Charity Golf Day

Fri 5, 8:30am-5pm, Weston Turville Golf Club, HP22 5QT

Join Chilterns Neuro Centre for its second golf day of the year. Breakfast on arrival, 18 holes of golf, lunch, raffle, auction and prize-giving. www.chilternsneurocentre.org/weston.

Poetry Please

Fri 5, 10.30am

Wendover Christian Centre HP22 6JG

“Poems to save the world” is this month’s theme. Take a relevant poem to share or, if you prefer, a favourite poem of your choice. Refreshments and a warm welcome await you!

Wendover Music Concert

Sun 7, 3pm

St Mary’s Church, Wendover, HP22 6NL

Featuring performers: Matilda Lloyd and Richard Gowers. More details on p.18

Wills and Estate Planning Surgery

Tue 9, 12-2pm

Wendover Community Library, HP22 6DU

To book a slot email: iain@wanstallconsulting. co.uk or call Tel: 01296 415700

Fat Quarters Patchwork & Quilting

Group

Tue 9, 7pm

Great Missenden Memorial Hall HP16 9AE Talk by Gilly Mac: “Design Your Quilt.” Visitors welcome, price £5.50. Meetings on the second Tuesday each month. For a full programme of workshops and talks, and details of becoming a member email fatquartersmissenden@gmail.com

Craft Group

Wed 10 & 24, 10am-12pm

Wendover Christian Centre, HP22 6JG

Craft Group provides time, space, and friendly company to work on any kind of craft project. Please take your own materials or just go along to see what others are doing. Coffee served at about 11am.

Board Game Café

Thu 11 & 25, 2-4pm

Wendover Christian Centre, HP22 6JG

Board Game Café now meets twice a month! Enjoy a variety of games old and new or take your own to play with others. Open and free of charge for all ages.

Fitness and Fun for the Over-60s

Thu 11 & 25, 2-3pm, Stoke Mandeville Community Centre, Eskdale Road Every other Thursday afternoon.

When: 4th & 5th October 2025

Time: 10am to 4pm

Explore over 20 craft stalls in the woodland. Shop for original handmade gifts, something different for yourself, friends or family. Support independent and small local businesses while enjoying the natural surroundings.

Refreshments afterwards. Contact: clerk@ stokemandeville-pc.gov.uk

Ride and Stride

Sat 13

A sponsored cycle around the historic churches in the area. For more details contact: www.bucks-historic-churches.org. uk/ride-stride

MBBKA Annual Honey Show

Sat 13, 1-3pm, Weston Turville Village Hall

Mid-Bucks Beekeepers will once again be holding their annual honey show. The exhibits of honey, bees wax, candles, mead and cake will be shown and judged in the morning, then the show will be open to the public afterwards. See p15.

Come & Sing Verdi Workshop

Sat 13, 10am-5pm

St Mary’s Church Wendover, HP22 6NL

Led by Adrian Thompson, this is a one-day choral workshop open to all singers and supported by professional soloists. www. aylesburyopera.org.uk.

Channel Relay Swim Fundraiser quiz

Sat 13, 6pm, St Anne’s Hall, HP22 6JG Cost £15pp include Maria’s homemade curry. See p15.

Breastival 2025

Sat 13, 7.30pm-midnight, Chiltern Forest Golf Club, Wendover, HP22 5NQ

Back for its third year! This fun-packed evening is in aid of Breast Cancer Now. If you can help in any way with donations or sponsorships, contact www.breastivaluk.org

Every donation and show of support helps raise vital funds for breast cancer research. This event is organised by the amazing Kate Miles, a Wendover local living with secondary breast cancer who has already raised over £50,000 for Breast Cancer Now. If you’d like to support Breastival or learn more about Kate’s journey, check out her JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ Kate-Miles10

Chilterns 3 Peaks Challenge 2025

Sun 14, 8.30am

Princes Risborough School, HP27 0DR

Whether you’re a seasoned hiker, a casual walker, or bringing the whole family (dogs included!), this is a fantastic day out in the Chiltern Hills. Every step helps Rennie Grove Peace provide specialist care and support for local people. www.bit.ly/45k8IkI

RSPB

Mon 15, 7.30pm, Prebendal Hall Community Centre, Fowler Road, Aylesbury HP19 7QW

The Aylesbury Group’s new talks programme starts with “Finding WH Hudson” by Conor Jameson. More info at group.rspb.org.uk/ aylesbury

BBOWT Activities

Tue 16, 7pm

Gt Missenden Memorial Centre, HP16 9AE The WIldlife Trust gears up in September. The Chilterns Group autumn programme of talks starts with Jon Mason, on how he has created a wildlife garden on his own property. Admission: £5 at the door, including drinks before the talk.

This is also the month when reserve work parties get busy after the summer recess. College Lake Reserve continues its intensive programme of events, many of them for children and young people. See www.bbowt. org.uk/events for details and how to book, and to volunteering see: www.bbowt.org.uk/ volunteering-opportunities

Aylesbury Centre for the National Trust

Thu 18, 7.30 for 8pm

Broughton Junior School HP20 1NQ

Karen Wiles speaks on “Women’s Voluntary Service.” Details from the honorary secretary on 07399 540626 or email aylesburycentrent@gmail.com or Facebook.

Book Club

Sat 20, 10.30-11.30am

Wendover Christian Centre, HP22 6JG

No set books. Just go along and hear what others have been reading and, if you wish, talk about something you’ve read – whether you loved it or not. Beginning with coffee and sometimes cake! All welcome.

Aylesbury Vale Stitchers

Sat 20, 2-4:30pm

Wendover Memorial Hall, HP22 6HF

Lucy Sugden – Woven Art with repurposed fibres. Lucy has loved all textiles since she was a child and went on to develop an interest in weaving.

She now weaves with a selection of good quality waste fibres, both natural and man-made. It is important to her to maintain a sustainable art practice by recycling and upcycling fibres. www.lucysugden.co.uk aylesburyvalestitchers@gmail.com

Thames Valley Air Ambulance and Cycling Sportive

Sun 21, 7.30am-3pm

RAF Halton, HP22 5PG

Join Thames Valley Air Ambulance for the first Cycling Sportive in collaboration with High Wycombe Cycling Club. Four routes departing from Nuffield Pavillion. See p31.

Compassionate Café, Great Missenden

Wed 24, 11.30am

Great Missenden Library, HP16 0AL Each session is facilitated by trained volunteers who ensure that the café offers a welcoming space and emotional support. www.bit.ly/3Zqn5RH

MacMillan Coffee Morning

Thu 25, 10.30am, The Ark, Risborough Road, Stoke Mandeville, HP22 5UW

Details email: bookingsattheark@gmail.com

Wendover Art Club

Thu 25, 7:30-9:30pm.

St Anne’s Hall, HP22 6JG

Chris Church, finalist of the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2019, will show how to capture a deer in watercolour pencils.

The Arts Society Ballinger

Thu 25, 7.30 for 8pm Ballinger Memorial Hall HP16 9LQ “Trannies, Taste and Teddy Bears: Uncovering the World of Grayson Perry”. Author and lecturer Jacky Klein reveals Perry’s techniques and sources, favourite themes and subjects, and his diverse artworks. Email: info@ theartssocietyballinger.org.uk or visit www. theartssocietyballinger.org.uk

Quiz Night in aid of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity

Fri 26, 7.30pm

Café in the Park, Aston Clinton HP22 5HL Organised by Wendover Fundraising Group. Tickets £12 from FNHC Shop, Wendover HP22 6DU. Up to eight people per team. If you do not have a team of eight leave your details at the shop. Bar drinks available, bring your own nibbles.

Oktoberfest at Bel & The Dragon

Fri 26&Sat 27, 7pm, High Street, HP22 6DU Live music from 8pm on both evenings. Oktoberfest themed quiz. See ad p5.

Weston Turville Historical Society

Fr 26, 7.30 for 8pm

Weston Turville Village Hall, HP22 5RW “Peaky Blinders – Fact or Fiction?” Speaker: Carl Whitmore. The Peaky Blinders TV series is one of the outstanding shows of recent years. Through the enigmatic character of Tommy Shelby and his family, the series has garnered a cult following. This talk delves into the fascinating history behind the show. Entrance: £2 members, £3 visitors.

Cream Teas

Sun 28, 3-5pmSt Mary’s Church Weston Turville, HP22 5SQ. All welcome.

SAVE THE DATE – OCTOBER

Fri 3. 6.45pm, Menopause, Me and My skin with Dr Lorna, Dr Naomi and Emma at BML Fitness. Free ticketed wellness event. Details: enquiries@wendovermedispa.co.uk

Planning ahead?

Here’s the Wendover News next production dates. To ensure we have enough space, email newsdesk @wendovernews.org or advertising @wendovernews.org to let us know as early as possible.

Issue deadline (18:00)

October 2025 10 September

November 2025 8 October Winter 2026 12 November

YOGA FOR ALL ADULT YOGA

Wednesdays

6.45 - 7.45 pm 8.00 - 9.00 pm

All classes at St Anne’s Hall, Wendover Email: sarahyoga@sky.com www.sarahyoga.co.uk

Register of Exercise Professionals Level 3

Local News

Charging ahead: Wendover’s on-street EV charging pilot Buckinghamshire Council is extending a pioneering pilot scheme in Wendover to make EV charging more accessible for residents. Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular, but for residents without off-street parking, charging at home can be a challenge.

Wendover residents who own an EV but don’t have off-street parking can now apply to join the scheme. This involves installing an in-pavement cable channel outside your house, allowing cables to be safely extended from a home charging station across to a car parked on the road outside. The council will fund the cost of the channel and any necessary planning permission costs.

The pilot scheme first started in Wendover in February 2024. The concept was inspired by a similar scheme in Oxfordshire and was brought to the council’s attention by local stakeholders, including Climate Action Wendover, a local resident, and Wendover Parish Council. Buckinghamshire Council took the lead in developing and delivering the project as a pilot, with funding support from the East Bucks Community Board and the UK Government.

For details see: www.buckinghamshire.gov. uk/wendover-IPCC-trial

World class mountain bike trail to reopen on

Aston Hill

The challenge and excitement of the nationally-renowned Aston Hill Bike Park will return in Winter 2025, following its closure four years ago when Forestry England had to manage ash die-back in the woods.

For over 20 years, Aston Hill was a top destination for downhill mountain biking, attracting riders of all skills from across the UK. Now Forestry England has partnered with Bike Park Chilterns, a local Community Investment Company, to redesign and rebuild a world class bike park with top tier trail design and facilities.

Simon Fowler of Forestry England is excited about the collaboration “The park had been

missed by riders and the work to rebuild and enhance the trails is now underway,” he says. “The goal is to restore Aston Hill to its former glory, while transforming it into a world-class facility for mountain bikers of all abilities.”

Chesham-based Bike Park Chilterns has been awarded a ten-year lease and aims to not only restore Aston Hill but to reimagine it as a modern, world-class bike park. The plan is to create a venue that rivals the best biking destinations in Britain, providing a challenging mountain biking experience for riders of all ages.

Ian Warby of Bike Park Chilterns emphasised the importance of restoring and enhancing the park to create a lasting asset for the mountain biking community. He pointed out that “As a Community Interest Company (CIC), Bike Park Chilterns is committed to serving the public interest. All revenue will be reinvested into trail development, maintenance, and community programs, ensuring the park benefits both riders and the local community.”

To help fund the project, Bike Park Chilterns has launched a public crowdfunding campaign and offer exclusive early memberships. See: www.bikeparkchilterns.com

Superheroes required for 2026 beer festival

The team that runs the Aston Clinton beer festival is looking for new superheroes, ready for its 14th event, which will be running in the summer of 2026. This year’s festival was so busy that they anticipate needing even more people behind the bar for the next one. As the popular beer festival now features a full programme of live music and other entertainment, they will also need additional volunteers to help with the set-up and take-down.

The 13th Aston Clinton Beer Festival ran over the weekend of Friday 1 August to the Sunday. All of the 3,000 tickets were sold, making it a sell-out. During the three days, 5,000 pints of cask ale, 3,000 pints of lager, 2,600 pints of cider and 1,000 pints of Pimm’s were consumed.

Organiser Dave Culliton stressed that not everybody was drinking alcohol – it was also

a family event, as it has been since the start in 2012. Then, four local people teamed up to beg and borrow the equipment needed to get the event up and running on a shoestring. After a lot of hard work, it started to take shape. Then, at a late stage, one of the organisations that originally wanted to put on the event, withdrew their support. With a sudden loss of funding, it was only able to go ahead because one of the team volunteered to pay for the beer on his credit card!

The organisation running the festival became the Aston Clinton Charitable Foundation, a registered charity. The team of trustees has changed over time, and Dave, an actual qualified beer sommelier and chair of the charity, is now the only original member. The charity still has a dedicated committee, and a great cohort of volunteers, including Dave’s wife and three daughters.

This year’s festival included beers from several local breweries. Jim Whewell, owner of Wendover Beers not only put in time behind the bar, he also co-brewed one of the craft beers on the legendary Keg Wall at the festival.

As we went to press, figures were still being finalised, but it looks like at least £30,000 has been raised to help local organisations. These include Aston Clinton School, WheelPower, Bucks Mind, Chilterns Neuro Centre and Rennie Grove Hospice.

If you would enjoy being a volunteer for

Photo: Neil Hawkins

the next festival, get in touch by emailing

News from Wendover Community Library

Ron Melville, from the Friends of Wendover Community Library, writes: Wendover Community Library hopes that everyone has enjoyed all the activities which took place over the summer in the newly refurbished premises.

As the weeks rolled by various new equipment appeared to improve the library experience. These included table, chairs, parasol and bug-hotel in the back garden, and what a useful outdoor space it proved to be! The meeting room was also often in use and has been fitted with blackout blinds. It is awaiting a new pull-down screen and sound bar which will enhance the OnScreen experience henceforth. In addition, there are two new seats for the library, and Lindengate is making two new benches for the front courtyard with financial support from Lionel Abel-Smith Trust.

The 2025 photography competition has been sifted by the FOWL Committee and the final 30 have been on display in the library for the public to judge their favourite. The winner together with the Short Story winners, will be presented at our 2025 WAFTAs in Real Magic Books on Thursday 20 November. The

closing date for the Short Story Competition is at the end of September so make your final amendments and submit on time, please.

The ever popular Annual Library Quiz and Chips will be held in St Anne’s Hall on Saturday 29 November (tables of eight people) and our Annual Charity Golf Day is at Whiteleaf Golf Course on Thursday 2 October. We need raffle prizes for the latter, which can be handed into the library.

Regular Autumn events continue as schools open again, see: https://bit.ly/3JnnNt9

Wendover u3a Open Day

Ian Crookall writes: This year is Wendover u3a’s 25th anniversary and once again we are holding an Open Day to showcase what we do. This year we have been holding a number of events to celebrate our achievements over the years, and we are making a special effort for our Open Day in September

If you want to learn new things or brush up on older ones as part of a friendly and informal group of over 500 local people, come along and learn about what we do. If you are retired or semi-retired, have you thought about joining Wendover u3a? You would be part of a national network of like-minded people who enjoy keeping active in the company of others and making new friends in the process.

On Wednesday 3 September, we will be

holding our open day at St Mary’s Church. This will be an opportunity to meet some of our members, and to see and hear what our various interest groups do. These range from art, bowls and computing through to table tennis, ukulele and walking. And with 50+ groups, we hope we can offer something for everyone!

In addition to interest groups, we arrange holidays, visits to places of interest, trips to the theatre and social events. Each month we have a main meeting in St Marys, where members have a chance to meet, chat, have a coffee and enjoy a presentation from experts on topics of broad interest.

Why not come along to St Marys between 10.00am to 1.00pm for a no-obligation chat and coffee? You can be assured of a warm welcome and we hope you like what you see. Alternatively you can find out more on our new website at wendover.u3asite.uk

Visitors from the Iron Age

It’s not unusual to find people coming to Wendover from far away, but not from different millennia!

Recently, three people from over 2,000 years ago visited Wendover Woods. Well, they weren’t actually from then, but they certainly looked as if they were.

On Friday 1 August, Forestry England ran a ‘Step back into the Iron Age’ day with a

guided walk around Boddington Hillfort in Wendover Woods.

As seen above, Fox Turner (L), Tim Eagling (M) and Siân Hammerton-Fraser (R), dressed in Iron Age clothing, and explained to visitors what life would have been like in Wendover and the surrounding area, during that era.

Scarecrow Trail 2025

Beryl Hunter writes: Throughout the summer, Wendover Community Library, Wendover Christian Centre, Gusto and Real Magic Books in Wendover High Street have been supporting people who wanted to make scarecrows for this year’s trail, whose theme is ‘Children’s Books.’

Now the time has come for the makers to display their work and for the community to admire it. The Scarecrows will be in place from Saturday 30 August until Sunday 14 September.

This year, the Scarecrow Trail is fundraising for Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. You can go into its shop at 4-5 Kings Head Parade in the High Street to collect a Trail Sheet (donation £2) which will show you where to go.

The sheets are also available at Picnic in the Park (Hampden Meadow) on Saturday 30 August and from supporting local businesses. Don’t forget to return your entry as there are prizes for makers and viewers alike! Categories include:

• Judges’ choice

• People’s Choice

• Contestant with the most correct guesses Winners will be announced in the next issue of Wendover News.

Obsidian Art is moving out and popping up

After 23 years, the Obsidian Art gallery of British-sourced hand-made artwork, crafts and furniture at the Goat Centre is closing on 5 September. Customers are being offered 15% off all prices until then.

The adjacent Buckinghamshire Craft Guild gallery will close a few weeks later at the end of September.

Obsidian’s founder-owner Trisha Woodcock told Wendover News that skyrocketing business costs are a factor, but the biggest problem has been the frequent road closures by HS2, which is building its flyover only a few tens of metres away. “People don’t know we are still there,” she says.

With the closure of other arts and crafts related businesses at the Goat Centre in recent years, she says that visitor numbers are now too low to support her own business.

The business is definitely not closing, she stresses, but for the time being she will mainly be trading online (www.shop. obsidianart.co.uk) , while planning a series of “pop-up” galleries every month or two at her own farm in Swanbourne, plus other local venues.

Trisha is also hoping to find a new permanent gallery site, hopefully with room for the Bucks Craft Guild too (see www. buckinghamshirecraftguild.co.uk).

All gutter & roof problems solved

Conservatory maintenance

General household repairs

Painting (interior and exterior)

Damp problems solved

Hedge trimming / lawn mowing

Bird / squirrel guards

Pressure washing

Soakaway maintenance

Call Martin on 01844 340383 or 07768 333810 (mob)

Local Face:

Hadi Kanbar, Wendover Pharmacy

By Jane Larkham

Do you remember the relief all round when Lloyds Chemist closed and Wendover Pharmacy opened in September 2023?

Since then it has been managed by Hadi Kanbar as an independent pharmacy, marking a big change from the Lloyds chain-store approach.

Hadi is highly qualified as a health practitioner, listing his MPharm (Hons), Master of Pharmacy and Postgraduate Certificate in Independent Prescribing (Level 7). He is proving very committed to enhancing the healthcare and wellbeing of Wendover residents.

Wendover was lucky not to lose its pharmacy altogether, after the confusing times of Covid and a further year when Lloyds was running down. That would have meant locals having to travel to receive advice from a trained professional, as well as medicines. In turn, Hadi says he is very thankful to all the local people who have put their trust in him and his staff to serve them well from the beginning. A major drive has been to keep queuing to a minimum by efficient pre-preparation and being fully organised with stocks of medications. This is backed by

Stoke Mandeville village marks its history with blue plaques

Jo Durden Moore, writes: The history of this tiny village dates back to the Doomsday era, with some surviving buildings as old as the 1400’s. The heritage board designed and installed on the village green a few years back was the first attempt by The Stoke Mandeville Village Society, in collaboration with the Parish Council and funding by the Bucks Community Board, to remind young and old of how historically important the village, squeezed between Aylesbury and Wendover, used to be and in many ways still is. Sadly, the Parish Council never managed to

Hadi’s commitment to keep staffing levels high to ensure a reliable and slick service.

When he took on the business in autumn 2023, the main threat of Covid was coming to a close, but many people were still frightened to come out for person-to-person service. On-line seemed to be the coming thing, but an impersonal tick-boxing computer service, even with the much-hyped AI, can never replace the reassurance of face-to-face conversation with an expert. This is the reputation that Hadi is building.

Wendover Pharmacy is pleased to offer a prompt delivery door-to-door service for the housebound, same day if at all possible.

The practice is already connected to the electronic prescription service from local GP surgeries. To facilitate this, Hadi has developed a Wendover Pharmacy App (including reminders) and is fully approachable through the NHS App and Patient Access. Don’t hesitate to ask the staff about these services, especially for repeat prescriptions including contraception. The simplest system of dropping a paper prescription request with your GP also still works.

As an independent pharmacist, Hadi is

achieve conservation area status to protect the village and despite repeated efforts recently can no longer obtain such status due to the large-scale changes and loss of historically important buildings and space. Therefore, finding ways both big and small, to remind us of the history is really important to the society.

not limited in the stockists he can use so it is easier for him to chase stockists than chains that are limited to their own supplier.

The shelves of Wendover Pharmacy are stocked with essentials and more, including a wide range of first aid dressings. The non-pharmaceutical space is limited, but Hadi only gives space to products he believes in and he says he is always considering new products, such as creams and vitamins, especially if they have reduced preservatives or are organic.

Previous tenants had neglected the fabric of the building but renovations are underway, and are almost complete. Furthermore, Hadi is now organising parking space for customers.

The popularity of installing blue plaques seems to wax and wane like the moon, but as so much of our history is being threatened due to incessant development, large infrastructure projects and all-round rapid changes in our environment, it’s wonderful to see examples of history being protected.

The society has after much effort successfully installed three blue plaques in the historic area of the village and hopes to be able to install more over the comings months, to protect the heritage and ensure protected buildings are clearly identifiable.

Manor House, situated next to the village school, now proudly displays a blue plaque not only reminding everyone of its age, but of those who used to live there. The Bull public house has another of the three, celebrating its

age, while soon to be installed is the historic Yew Tree Farmhouse.

Those visiting Oak Tree House, location of a Victorian scandal known as the ‘Partington Affair,’ already has a plaque, installed by a previous owner. The Society is looking for nominations for more properties to recognise as historically of interest and/or important to recognise.

There are a few other blue plaques in Wendover and surrounding villages, so in the next issues we will be featuring more around the distribution area of Wendover News, and welcome all suggestions and ideas for where perhaps more plaques should be installed, if not to remind us now but for the future generations.

FRANK FENNELL

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Alcoholics Anonymous Worried about your drinking?

Call our local AA helpline, open 24/7 01628 530055

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National helpline 0800 917 7650 www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Your local Aerial and Satellite Specialist Old Aerial & Satellite removal service including old cables and clips. Call Rob: 01296 330621 / 07816 659644 rob@justaerials.co.uk

CHILTERN FOOT HEALTH SERVICES

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Foot Health Practitioner (Wendover - based)

Home visits - 01296 623851

Surgery at the Belmore Centre 01296 612361

Registered member of the British Association of Foot Health Professionals

Update from Laura Kyrke-Smith MP

Last year’s general election also marked the first rollout of new parliamentary constituency boundaries. For the first time in 192 years, Wendover and some of the surrounding villages were not part of the Aylesbury constituency, but in the newly invented Mid Bucks. However, some villages covered by Wendover News remained in the Aylesbury constituency, including Aston Clinton, Buckland and Weston Turville.

We’ve spoken to Mid Bucks Conservative MP Greg Smith several times in the past year; now it’s time to hear from his Aylesbury constituency neighbour, Laura Kyrke-Smith. She is not only her constituency’s first ever Labour Party MP, but its first female MP too. She sent Wendover News this reflection on her first year as an MP, and her hopes and aims for the future.

“I’m delighted to write my first column for Wendover News. It’s now just over a year since I was elected to serve as the Member of Parliament for Aylesbury constituency.

If you live in the constituency of Aylesbury, you may or may not have voted for me, but I aim to represent you all. I promised to be an accessible and active MP, and I’ve been out and about across the villages that are part of the constituency, meeting residents and supporting local organisations.

Recently, I met Mr Choudhary, owner of Aston Clinton Stores and Post Office, seen with me (photo top right). He had issues with unexpected road maintenance works outside the shop and deterring business. The works were delayed and ineffective. I am on the case with Buckinghamshire Council.

I have also met with Buckland Parish Council to talk about the speeding and road safety issues on Tring Hill and Buckland

Wharf. I’m worried about the risk to residents – I was caught in the aftermath of an accident there not so long ago. Again, I am following up on this with Buckinghamshire Council.

The issues raised by residents have helped inform my work in Parliament, where I’ve spoken more than 100 times in the last year to raise the issues that matter to you.

For example, I met Jess and Hannah from Aston Clinton, who are doing brilliant work to encourage parents to delay giving their children smartphones. I know from my own kids how hard it is to navigate smart phones and how important these parent-led initiatives are. Off the back of my meeting, I raised this issue in a parliamentary question to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle MP, who assured me the Government is actively looking at how we can act to keep children safe and benefit their welfare. I will pay close attention to this.

Bus provision is another important issue. Earlier, this year I launched a Aylesbury constituency bus survey. I wanted to understand residents’ experiences of local bus services, so as MP I could push for better, more accessible public transport for everyone in our community. A recurring theme among respondents from Aston Clinton was the disappointment felt by many regarding Arriva’s decision to cut yet another bus service, the X5.

I wrote to, and subsequently met with, Red Eagle bus company to see if they could adjust the timetable of their 500 bus service. I’m grateful that it did, boosting the number of services for Aston Clinton. I know there are some ongoing teething issues with the new timetable which Red Eagle is working on and I’m in touch with Aston Clinton residents about this.

The bread-and-butter work of an MP also includes answering correspondence from residents and helping them solve issues they're having. My small and dedicated team helps me to reply to the large volume of letters and emails that come my way. We have processed over 7,000 enquiries since the election, and I have corresponded with constituents on a wide range of subjects from animal welfare to potholes, HS2 to fly tipping.

We have also held five village ‘Meet and Greet’ events so far in Ivinghoe, Edlesborough, Cheddington, Wing and Bierton, and a ‘Meet Your MP’ village hall event in Slapton. These provide an informal opportunity to meet with me and discuss issues both local and national.

These are some of the things I've prioritised in year one. I am always open to feedback and ideas. Let me know what you'd like me to focus on in year two.”

Climate Action: How you can make a difference

Only a decade ago, many people were talking about the idea of climate change; whether it was real, based on conspiracy theories, or else claiming that it would only affect other areas of the world. The past couple of years have dispelled most of those myths.

The finer aspects of scientific research may still be debated, but nobody can argue against the dramatic extremes of weather that we have seen in foreign news reports and now even started to experience, here in the middle of Buckinghamshire.

However, individuals often feel helpless, as it seems that anything they may do is too small to make a difference. This is where groups like Climate Action Wendover (CLAW) come in, as they have been steadfastly working to persuade people in the community that both individually, and collectively, they could have a positive impact.

The survey, and the results In spring of this year, CLAW conducted its first sustainability survey of residents in Wendover and surrounding villages. 83 people responded to questions covering their views of actions being taken relating to sustainability and biodiversity in the area. Well over half (59%) of respondents to the survey declared that they were more worried about climate change than they were a year earlier, and 80 percent said that they think

about it regularly – including many (41%) who think about it daily. Three quarters (74%) of respondents reported that climate change is affecting big family decisions, that it is affecting their lives and that they want positive change.

Heavy rainfall and flooding, biodiversity loss, and extreme heat in summers came out as the top three areas of concern for residents. The data indicated demand for systemic climate action alongside practical support to help people ‘green’ their homes and raise awareness in the community.

CLAW is keen to share the insights from its survey and has already engaged with councils, businesses, individuals and sustainability groups locally, to influence their strategy and future direction.

The chance to make a difference CLAW wants to encourage people and to help show them how to do all the little things, individually and collectively, which can create big change.

On Saturday 11 October, it is inviting people to join them at a day-long workshop which has been organised by Climate Action Weston Turville.

The workshop will bring together representatives from the four parishes of Wendover, Weston Turville, Halton and Stoke Mandeville. Places on the free day-long workshop in Weston Turville Village Hall are now available. The workshop has been commissioned from Community Climate Action.

The four parish councils have each contributed to the costs of the workshop and a follow-up programme. In addition, the organisers have successfully bid for £6,000 of National Lottery Communities Fund support.

Following the workshop there will be a series of nine monthly zoom meetings to firm-up on projects, plan delivery and complete funding bids with the support of the Community Climate Action team.

ROZELLE SCHOOL OF DANCING

Classes for children from 2 years

Tap Classes for adults

Wendover Memorial Hall

Wharf Road HP22 6HF

For more information

Telephone 01296 622001

email: suerozelle@gmail.com www.rozelleschoolofdancing.co.uk

About the workshop

The organisers say “The workshop will explore stakeholder mapping, shared values, health and wellbeing, themes to build climate resilience and projects to take forward in the community.

Community Climate Action workshops are participatory, fast paced and interactive; with the community of anchor institutions, residents and businesses collaborating to write their resilience plans and adapt to the climate and ecological emergency.

This approach ensures that plans are designed by the community, for the community. Being started ground-up from the grass roots, they will build capacity in the community – enabling leaders and volunteers to enact the plans.

The free in-person event will feature interactive sessions, expert speakers, and hands-on activities to help participants understand the impact of climate change –and discover practical ways to take collective action in the community.”

Project areas will include…

• Keeping residents comfortable economically and without wasting energy, by retrofitting eco-friendly technologies.

• Generating energy locally by creating community renewable energy resources.

• Creating ways to make the food supplychain more resilient.

• Improving biodiversity by increasing green spaces and re-wilding.

• Promoting the development of footpaths, cycleways and shared transport and other activities to improve health.

For more details, and to book a place at the workshop see www.bit.ly/3VcYr3D

To find out more about Climate Action Wendover, visit the website at www. climateactionwendover.org. You could also sign up for its email newsletters.

For all your building requirements from patios and driveways to alterations and extensions

Building locally for 25 years

Please call 01296 582215

Mid Bucks Beekeepers’ Annual Honey Show

Mid Bucks Beekeepers will once again be holding its annual honey show at the Weston Turville Village Hall. The show this year will be on Saturday 13 September. Exhibits of honey, bees wax, candles, mead and cake will be staged and judged in the morning, then the show will be open to the public from about 13:00 until 15:00. After the judging is complete, visitors can view the exhibits. Some exhibits can be judged visitors too, including the most favourite photograph, craft item and honey based treats.

Alongside the honey show will be displays providing information about bees and beekeeping, a live observation hive and local honey for sale.

Thames Valley Air Ambulance afternoon tea

Jill York writes: A huge thank you to everyone who came along to the Afternoon Tea on 12 July in the Damien Hall in Great Missenden, in aid of Thames Valley Air Ambulance. A very enjoyable time was had by all with wonderful food and good company.

The main attraction of the afternoon was the raffle, with amazing prizes supplied by local businesses and individuals. If you were one of those who donated items to the raffle, please accept my sincere thanks for your generosity. Thanks also to the anonymous donor for his substantial cash contribution. My gratitude also goes to the many helpers before the event and on the day - too many to mention by name.

The total raised by the event was £1,301 which will help TVAA, within minutes, to bring the expertise, equipment and treatment of the hospital to the most critically ill and injured patients across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

Maria Bray - Channel Swimmer

Did you know that we have an aspiring Channel Swimmer in our midst? Maria Bray, a long-term resident of Wendover has signed up to participate in a relay swim from England to France in June 2026. She has already started the arduous training required and has organised a fund-raising quiz to cover

the associated costs, which include training and team coaching fees; safety equipment and support boat; event entry fees. If you would like to support her, bring your friends (tables of eight) along to St Anne’s Hall on 13 September from 6 to 10.30pm. The cost is £15 per person and includes Maria’s homemade curry. For tickets, email Maria on mariaswimjoy@gmail.com with the number required, dietary requirements, and if you want a specific table. She’ll contact you directly for payment and confirmation.

Maria is a lifelong keen outdoor swimmer who joined the wild water swimming group The Bluetits Chill Swimmers’ Milton Keynes Group, in May 2021 to continue this activity in the safety of a group. She is now confident enough to have committed to the Channel Relay swim to raise funds for the Channel Relay with any excess given to this group.

Halton House Heritage Day update

There will not be a Halton House Heritage Day this year – normally it is open to the public for one day in September. Wendover News understands that an inspection of the building found that parts of it were unsafe, and so the RAF Officers’ Mess and accommodation have been moved elsewhere on the RAF base. Repairs are apparently being considered, but given the planned, if frequently postponed closure of RAF Halton, it’s possible that this may also be postponed indefinitely.

As the house is listed Grade II*, this imposes conditions on how it can be modified or disposed of.

Halton House was originally built by Alfred Rothschild in the early 1880s. His nephew and heir Lionel put it up for auction in 1918 and it was bought by the RAF for £115,000 as an addition to the adjacent lands it was already occupying as an airbase.

It is no longer the base HQ, but for many years it was an upmarket Officers’ Mess with accommodation and extensions, though most of the grand downstairs rooms and the great hall were kept in near-original condition. It was often hired as a film set over the years.

Sqn Ldr Tim Hynes, OC Base Support Squadron, RAF Halton, said: “A recent structural survey of the Halton House Officers’ Mess, RAF Halton, identified some safety concerns. To ensure the safety of our personnel as a precautionary measure the building has been temporarily closed while further assessments are conducted.”

Wendover Manor progress

Wendover Manor, the new care home being built at World’s End by Salveo Care, is progressing well. The old house has been demolished and cleared, with the trees and wildlife protected. Construction started in August for what the company calls “a stateof-the-art, purpose-built care home, with a focus on wellness, community, and creating a beautiful environment for residents to live and staff to work.”

Salveo Care currently runs the Cherry Tree House in Dobbins Lane. It was National Care Home week in June, and to mark this Cherry Tree House organised three events for residents, visitors and locals.

Events included a sports day with The Children’s Room day nursery on South Street; then a historical talk of “the three Matildas” (queens of England) by historian Tim Owen, followed by an arts-related regional wine and cheese tasting presentation called “Sip, Taste & Paint,” by James Grant (below), owner of the No.2 speciality delicatessen on the corner of Dobbins Lane and Pound Street Wendover.

Finally on the Friday was a garden-themed event with Cherry Tree House’s expert gardener, Charlotte Catlett.

HS2 update

By Murray Cooke

HS2 CEO visits Wendover site

Mark Wild, the new CEO of HS2 Ltd, visited Wendover to get our feedback about the project. We discussed a range of avoidable issues that had come about due to lack of consideration of the community impact when HS2’s contractor EKFB planned local works.

Examples include the ongoing ‘Spring Chamber’ and ‘Small Dean Bridleway’ issues. We agreed an action plan, and for the first time in the history of the project, this is ‘owned’ by a nominated HS2 Ltd senior engagement manager, with regular reviews by Mark Wild’s office.

This degree of focus probably stems from the Secretary of State’s insistence that HS2 get a grip of the project costs and timescales. It appears that the delays associated with getting the cutting through Ellesborough Road mean that the Wendover Green Tunnel is now a critical bottleneck in the entire project. A follow-up meeting with Greg Smith MP is scheduled for late October, so it will be

interesting to see what’s happened by then.

Wendover Green Tunnel progress (and dust)

One of the most obvious outcomes of HS2’s concern is the rate of progress that has been made with the Green Tunnel cutting, with about 300,000 cubic metres of chalk being excavated between Bacombe Lane and Ellesborough Road in four months.

This required about 12,000 dump truck loads to move the material north, with some going to a ‘mega-stockpile’ near Aylesbury. This will be moved back to restore the landscape at Bacombe Lane once the tunnel is in place. At the same time convoys of dump trucks have moved clay from Great Missenden to form a massive stockpile just north of Ellesborough Road. This is expected to cover the north section of the tunnel, levelling out the slope of the fields.

The height of the stockpile (which is visible from Dobbins Lane) coupled with the recent dry weather and westerly winds resulted in dust clouds descending in the village, along with the noise of the bulldozers involved. We escalated the issues and steps have been taken to monitor and stop the dust.

During August a very large mobile crane was needed to replace one of the pre-cast segments of the tunnel shell. The three-day task involved lifting the 40 tonne concrete segments over the rest of the built tunnel, with a reach of about 30 metres.

Now completed, the walls are being secured into place with pouring of a concrete deck and waterproofing the exterior of the tunnel shell.

The HS2 programme reset

To get control, Mark Wild has decided that the entire HS2 project plan needs to be revised based on

detailed understanding of all the elements (so that the costs can be accurately predicted) and that the existing ‘effectively cost plus’ construction contracts are to be renegotiated, so that there is some incentive for the contractors to finish the job. He’s agreed a target date of April next year to start using the new plan. Meanwhile priorities have been set to progress critical items (like the Green Tunnel) along with the delays experienced on other tasks (such as the Nash Lee Road bridge and Wendover Dean Viaduct).

With the need to minimise the overall project timescale risks, Mark is also revising the scope of the initial railway to be the ‘minimum viable solution’ meaning the ‘simplest version of the service that demonstrates the core functionality and value to the customer.’

This probably means initial services restricted to only run between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street; and reduced train speeds due to the use of current-generation signalling technology.

At this time we don’t know what this means for Wendover but should have better information to share later on this year. We’re pretty certain that we will not experience 18 trains an hour in 2033, but that could still happen at some point in the future.

Nash Lee Road closure

The most significant recent community impact has been the closure of the B4009 Nash Lee Road between the A413 bypass and the Chiltern Brewery near Terrick. This was done to allow excavation for the ‘Low Permeability Wall’ through the temporary road; at each side of the Bailey Bridge. 24-hour working was approved by Bucks Council to minimise the length of the closure, and HS2 loaned air conditioners and provided earplugs to local residents who might need to keep their bedroom windows closed at night. This will be the last section of the wall to be built. It is designed to stop the Coombe Hill aquifer pouring onto the track north of the Green Tunnel. The next step will be the excavation of the North Cutting for the track bed, between the walls.

People l to r; Murray Cooke, Joel Skyes, Maddelyn Sutton, Greg Smith, Mark Wild, Andy Band, Henry Robinson, and Kim Birtwistle. Photo: Leigh Porter

Wendover Green Tunnel Cutting at Ellesborough Road - 1st August. Photo: Steve Walker.

Waterproofing the shell - 25th July. Photo: Steve Walker.

Information provided by EKFB, the prime contractor for HS2 in the Wendover and Stoke Mandeville area.

We’re delighted to report that by the time you read this, Rocky Lane will have re-opened! The new, permanent alignment will allow for traffic to pass through the underbridge structure.

The team has worked hard to succeed in achieving the target reopening date. Following the reopening, a plant crossing with two-way traffic management will facilitate the movement of our plant vehicles.

Please note that our colleagues at Align will shortly be commencing work on the new Leather Lane overbridge, following several years of community engagement and re-design to significantly reduce the impact on mature trees and protect the bat flightpath.

This new structure will take more than 12 months to complete and it will be necessary to keep the road closed during this time.

New works entrance via Wendover Bypass

During the autumn, we need to construct a new entrance to our Wendover green tunnel site directly from the Wendover bypass

September A413 closure

Over the weekend 19-21 September there will be night time closures of the A413 to allow the transfer of 3,700 tonnes of rock to rebuild the ground level under the Small Dean Viaduct, while the Chiltern Line is closed for maintenance. Further details will be available on the HS2 website (www.bit.ly/41bV5S6)

Small Dean Embankment

The final major civil engineering task is to construct the Small Dean North Embankment, which will become clearly visible next to the Wendover Bypass between the South

Street roundabout and Bacombe Lane. Currently there is a very large hole in the ground near Grove Farm as they dig down to the solid rock strata.

Issues with HS2?

If you’re affected by the construction activity, please contact the HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 (which is available 24 hours a day) or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk to get your issues resolved. It helps if you have photographic evidence and please get a complaint reference number so that we can follow up issues as needed.

Need our help?

If you need further help, want to join us, or have ideas and suggestions that would mitigate the community impact, then get in touch at enquiries@whs2.org

We need your help!

We are always keen for new members. If any of you are interested in joining us, see whs2. org. We are looking for volunteers to help us further with our public communications, challenging HS2 over noise issues and making sure we build up a decent case of returning land to its natural state and not being developed.

(northbound) to facilitate our next phase of works. We will be undertaking overnight works on the bypass across several dates between September and October. We will publish an advanced works notice once the details have been confirmed and keep all highway disruption to overnights, to limit the traffic impacts.

Community involvement

We are committed to supporting communities to make a positive impact.

In recent examples, the newly-built Wendover Skate Park was awarded £40,000 through the HS2 Community and Environment Fund (CEF).

Additionally, we contributed £1,000 to support YardFest, the festival held in Wendover on 19 July.

If you are in a local community group or business seeking support from HS2, the CEF and the Business and Local Economy

Fund (BLEF) schemes offer up to £40m of funding throughout the construction of HS2, supporting community-led projects. To find out more, please visit: www.hs2.org.uk/ in-your-area/community-funding/

If you would like to read more about the works and view the advance works notices and maps, please go to HS2 website www. hs2.org.uk and click the ‘in your area section’ to view the interactive map. (HS2 in your area – HS2)

Alternatively, if you have a question about HS2 please contact the HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@ hs2.org.uk

The crane, replacing the defective segment - 1st August.

Photo: Murray Cooke

Rocky Road re-alignment before it re-opened in August. Photo: EKFB

Culture, Performing and Visual Arts

Durden-Moore

It’s been a bumper summer with much going on across Wendover and villages, here’s a round-up

School of Rock - The Musical for the Florence Nightingale Hospice

In August the Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury played host to two sold-out, high-energy, insanely spectacular performances of School of Rock – The Musical, brought to life by Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity.

Based on the hit film, this hilarious musical followed Dewey Finn, a failed wannabe rock star who posed as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school.

The show was put together in just 10 days of intense rehearsals where 110 children came together with the charity’s own dedicated creative team to work alongside professional adult actors Joe Payne, Jill Neenan, Paul Hamm and Charlie Harper.

The result was spectacular. The talent, energy, vocal range, choreography and performances was mind-blowingly brilliant, more importantly the excitement and happiness in every child’s face was plain to see.

This was the charity’s fourth production at Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre, after a string of sell-out successes which have raised funds for specialist palliative and end-of-life care across Buckinghamshire and its borders.

Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity launched their in-house On Stage productions in 2022, and since then has raised over £200,000 for the hospice. More than just fundraising, these shows bring the community together, uniting performers, volunteers, and audiences and creating something truly special.

Happiness is Scottish country dancing

Liz Mitchell, chair of the Lucy Clark Scottish Dance Club, writes: “Our final event of the

year was a wonderful informal dance, with a super band, prosecco, strawberries and shortbread and a record attendance.

We were also delighted to hand over our fundraising donation of £1,319 to ‘Bank Farm Riding for the Disabled’ and to learn that this had enabled them to buy another horse! He’s called ‘Hero’, and will no doubt be regarded as such by another disabled rider.

It's been a memorable year, with tickets for our two main dances being sold out and our three popular informal dances being much enjoyed by our less experienced dancers. We also participated in the national ‘Let’s Dance’ Campaign spearheaded by Angela Rippon to encourage everyone to appreciate the health benefits of dancing. Several types of dances were showcased during a local event, and our ceilidh session prompted a few new dancers to join us. There’s been much variety this term: our French-theme evening when everyone arrived suitably dressed, a guest teacher for our combined class – and a defibrillator demonstration!”

Liz continues: “The new season of classes starts Thursday 24 September. Scottish country dancing is particularly good for physical and mental fitness and beginners’ classes will be included.

All information is on our website where you’ll find useful information about class content, teaching videos and photographs. There will be another Ceilidh Dance in aid of St Michael’s Church Open House Project on Friday 3 October in The Red Kite Pavilion in Aston Clinton. Live music and an MC will ensure it’s a great evening.” More details can be found at lucyclarkscottish.org

Lindengate Garden Days

Lindengate Pop-up Summer Garden Days hosted home-made cakes and teas, with wonderful displays of Morris Dancing in the gardens, musical bands and Scottish dance demonstrations over the summer.

The apothecary gardens with tinctures on display and pond-dipping were real highlights of the summer calendar, encouraging more people to explore and delight in the beauty of this special gem nestled in the local area. As the autumn threatens to arrive there will be lots more activities and events taking place see lindengate.org.uk

Coming up this autumn…

Wendover Music concert: Matilda Lloyd and Richard Gowers Jane Larkham writes: Matilda Lloyd (see right) will be performing in St Mary’s church, Wendover at 3.00pm Sunday 7 September.

A true champion of the trumpet, Matilda is a European Concert Halls Organisation (ECHO) Rising Star with 18 recitals on Europe’s most prestigious stages, including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Musikverien Wien, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and Philharmonie de Paris. Playing with intense expression and warmth, she impresses audiences with her virtuosic skill and panache and produces a seamless legato, a wide range of colour and shapes the music like a fine singer. See also https://www.matildalloyd. com/.

She will be performing with Richard Gowers, principal conductor of the London Handel Orchestra and Choir of the 21st Century, and director of music at St George’s Hanover Square, Handel’s church in London. Richard is a pianist, organist and singer. He has enjoyed solo engagements with leading orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony, London Philharmonic,

The dress-French evening... Photo: Lucy Clark Scottish Dance Club

‘Hero’. Photo: Lucy Clark Scottish Dance Club

Written and compiled by Jo

Tincture shopping at Lindengate

Philharmonia and Ulster Orchestra, and has appeared in recital at Toulouse Les Orgues, Westminster Abbey, Washington National Cathedral, Nikolaikirche, Leipzig, Brisbane City Hall, St. Eustache, Paris, and King’s College, Cambridge. See also https://www. rgowers.com/

They will perform a selection of pieces for trumpet and organ including Bach, Beethoven, Florence Price, Martini and Mendelssohn.

“At the Borders of Sleep” by Richard Barnard is a new piece composed specially for Matilda Lloyd and Richard Gowers and it will feature on their CD ‘Fantasia’ which will be released later this year.

Paper tickets are on sale at the Just Shop at 11 Wendover High Street, HP22 6DU or you can buy them online at www.ticketsource. co.uk/wendover-music/t-noajmxn. Tickets are also available at the door, cash or card. Prices are Adult (over 18) £20, Under 18s and full-time students £5. There will be refreshments available during the interval, as well as tea and cake after the concert but you can also bring a picnic and enjoy the beauty of the church and its surroundings.”

Wendover Artist Afternoons at The Art Room

Upstairs at Real Magic Books, Wendover, the beautiful light space has been transformed into a community art hub. Local artist Jaany Ravenscroft-Hull runs a friendly art group where people bring their own projects to work on and get 1:1 teaching and guidance. Whilst beginners are welcome, it’s perfect for those who have lots of art resources but need a dedicated space, motivation or help to produce their artwork.

Term starts in September on the second Friday of every month from 1.30–3.30pm. Pay-as-you-go, £18 at Real Magic Books, High Street, Wendover.

The Wizard of Oz comes to town Auditions are taking place on 28 September for this much-loved musical, made even more popular since the epic movie Wicked arrived earlier this year. Adults and children are wanted for this wonderful show, directed

by Neil Gurney, with performances at the Dembe theatre in May 2026. More details at valemusicalsociety.co.uk or email vmswizardofoz@gmail.com

Jesus Christ Superstar

Rehearsals are ramping up as the show comes to the local area in October. It will have a 96-person cast and will show at Berkhamsted’s Centenary Theatre. The vast majority are from in and around Wendover, so come and support your local actors and performers, in one of musical theatres bestloved shows from Andrew Lloyd Webber.

There will be a British Sign Language (BSL) performance which adds another dimension to the spectacle. Tickets are available at centenarytheatre.com

Magic Mini-Festival around Wendover

Plans for the next mini festival are already in progress, with dates confirmed for 14–16 November. It will feature many magical and fascinating readings, talks, music, and concerts. Food and drinks will be on offer. Keep an eye on Real Magic Books’ social media for updates or pop into the shop on Wendover High Street for more information.

It might seem a little early for Christmas, but if you want to be assured of tickets for the best shows, you need to buy them early… Here’s some events to put in your diary.

Wendover Singers Christmas Concert

Back for a second year, singing popular and much-loved seasonal carols and songs, 100+ strong Wendover Singers, and its popular

Children’s Choir will be performing at St Mary’s Church on Saturday 29 November. Tickets will be on sale through ticketlab.co.uk and at Just on the High Street, further details can be found at wendoversingers.com.

Wendover Choral Society Christmas Concert

Aptly named ‘An English Christmas’, this concert will be held at St Mary’s Church on 6 December. It promises to be a gently rich, English choral programme, full of warm harmonies and seasonal reflection. Repertoire includes ‘The Nativity’ and ‘Jesus Christ the Apple Tree’ by Poston, ‘Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day’ by Gardner, ‘In Terra Pax’ by Finzi and Stopford’s ‘Lully, Lulla, Lullay’. More details on their website wendoverchoral.co.uk

Vote For Father Christmas

The Vale Musical Society is collaborating with west-end legend and local resident, Gary Wilmot. He has written book, music and lyrics for this brand-new, family Christmas musical. Tickets are already on sale, with more to be released in the coming weeks. Tickets will be available for a special sneak ‘World Premier preview evening (8 December), BSL performance (10 Dec), a gala performance with special guests (12 Dec).

In addition, there will be a special relaxed and accessible performance on the afternoon of 14 December. The show promises to bring a smile to your face and perhaps for many children who find the festive season difficult. All profits for the show are going to children’s charities ‘Inspire Bucks’ and ‘The Pepper Foundation’. Tickets can be booked at dembetheatre.org.

Back in April the exuberant Sing Out For Mental Health concert held at Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre combined three choirs and more than 200 singers to raise money for mental health charities.

On 18 July, Mind UK with Buckinghamshire Mind, Lindengate and Space mental health charities were presented with cheques totalling more than £22,000, raised by the

event. The gardens of Lindengate hosted to a small gathering of some of the concert singers, charity staff, sponsors and organisers.

MD Jill Neenan devised the concept and worked closely for eight intensive months with her three choirs: Wing Singers, Wendover Singers and Wendover Children’s Choir.

Matilda Lloyd Photo: © Geoffroy Schied

Bucks Art Weeks in and around

Wendover

by Jo Durden-Moore

When the last issue of Wendover News was going to press, this popular festival was drawing to a close and we were only able to briefly report on its attractions. Now it’s finished, we can look back on the festival and review some of the venues and artists in the Wendover area.

The gorgeous ‘a little bird told me’ gallery participated throughout the month as well as hosting two featured artists. Obsidian Art and The Buckinghamshire Craft Guild at the Goat Farm, Stoke Mandeville, hosted six artists, previously featured in Wendover News June.

Nestled in the courtyard of Wendover Antiques, ‘a little bird told me gallery’ normally stocks the work of many local artists, as well as jewellery, illustrations, paint, vintage items, books, cards and gifts.

For the Bucks Art Weeks, featured artist Jay Nolan-Latchford hosted her work upstairs, with stunning watercolours and illustrations, each beautifully displayed. She also ran workshops and demos for budding artists

and stocked beautiful paints and materials for purchase. These workshops were well attended, and she changed her displays throughout the month.

Also upstairs with Jay was Marjolein Trewavas, with her ‘Room for Change Vintage’ pieces. Her upcycled creations and unique approach to creating fabric ‘taxidermy’ style animals demonstrated both imagination and gentle humour. She had been working with mixed pre-loved materials for many years, long before the popularity of upcycling took off and each piece has a story to tell. As I looked at her work, she talked of her love of finding new life in a small scrap of fabric, an old book or some feathers. I fell in love with a bird cage full of foraged goodies all beautifully put together to create an artistic and totally unique story.

Studio D based at Loudwater Farm (also home to Kings Farm Shop), showcased stained and fused glass art pieces by local artist and craftsman David Medcalf. The glass dragonflies in the flower planter blew softly in the wind and the variety of unique pieces on display were quite delightful. Inside the workshop many other original pieces of glass art, in a variety of sizes were displayed, demonstrating how David clearly has a flair for this medium.

Being able to meet artists at their studios is a special treat. Richard Ingleton opened his

home studio based up Hale Lane for visitors to enjoy his collection of beautiful art. He had previously exhibited at Wendover Arts Festival where he had sold many pieces of his work. His impressionistic works were striking and imaginative and his Cornish seascapes were quite breathtaking.

A particularly interesting offering was his collaboration with photographer Martin Annand, whose images are interpreted by Richard into large oils on canvas. To see the two images on different media by two different artists is quite something.

Well-known and much-loved artist Chris Twelftree exhibited also at his home studio in the heart of the village centre. His trademark love of capturing beautiful woodscapes boosted his considerable collection with a sense of lightness and touch which makes his pieces fascinating to the eye.

This county-wide festival, organised by Visual Images Group, is one of the largest multi-venue art shows in the country and will run in Buckinghamshire next year for its 41st time, between 6 and 21 June 2026. All the artists mentioned are available for private viewings and commissions.

As Wendover News went to press came the sad news that the Obsidian Art and the adjacent Buckinghamshire Craft Guild are closing and will trade online while they seek a new permanent space. See News page 9.

Marjolein Trewavas' fabric animals.

Stained glass outside Studio D.

More of Marjolein Trewavas' whimsies.

Upstairs at a little bird told me.

Bucks Craft Guild at the Goat Centre.

Jay Nolan-Latchford's art supplies.

Obsidian Art sells all-British artists' work.

Richard Ingleton's home gallery, including some of Martin Annand's photos interpreted in paint

Bucks Craft guild features local creatives.

Glass on display at Studio D. Poster for Obsidian's overflow gallery.

Hand-made items at Bucks Craft Guild.

YardFest 2025 report

Words and photos by Jo Durden-Moore

Craftyard owners Darren and Sarah (photo below) were keen to do something for their Wendover community, given they have been made so welcome since their arrival a few years ago, and boy did they deliver! Their aptly named one-day YardFest provided a fantastic line-up of music and food at Hampden Field on Saturday 19 July.

“It was an incredible day filled with music, laughter, and that unbeatable Wendover community spirit,” said Sarah.”We were absolutely blown away by the 1,468 amazing people who came out braving the weather and bringing the good vibes.”

Fortunately the threatened rain had cleared by the lunchtime start, but there was a giant awning in place just in case!

Darren and Sarah’s passion for ‘shining a light on Wendover’s vibrant local scene’ really did pay off as independent businesses and acts were given the chance to get creative and connect with a wider audience.

“Huge shoutout to all the staff and volunteers who made the day run so smoothly we honestly couldn’t have done it without

you,” Sarah said. “Massive thanks as well to @dayladrinks for getting us set up and ready to go, and to Wendover Parish Council for their continued support.”

A full day of disco beats, live music, craft drinks, great food, good vibes and festival fun for the whole family, celebrating local talent, small business magic, and everything that makes Wendover what it is, was on show throughout the day. Even the weather was kind despite a poor forecast. Children danced, dogs barked along to the beats, young and old mingled and happily socialised together.

Music acts Slipped Disco, Abba’s Angels, The Nashville Nights Band, Lawrence Hill, Hayley Chart and DJ Ganjya all performed and sung their hearts out and as the sun set over the Chilterns, everyone was in happy mood.

Sarah says “It went really well and we’d definitely like to do it next year, maybe a week earlier in the calendar. We’ll wait until summer’s over and then talk to Wendover Parish Council about whether we can do it again!”

Shedfest photos right and below by Simon Eccles

Shedfest rocks the allotments

Simon Eccles

Another summer event in July was Shedfest, a Saturday evening of music, food and drink in the field next to Wendover Shed, in the WPC allotments off Hogtrough Lane. This was the first event of its kind, drawing an appreciative invited audience of 55 Shed members, family and friends.

They were entertained by the versatile rock band Stroke, headed by Nick Gilbey (a ‘Shedder’). He was backed on some numbers by the ad hoc Shed House Band including Millie Andrews, Keith Woodman, Bruce Wallace and pro musician Robin Boult. Penny Mosley, daughter of ‘Shedder Paul’, performed solo to great appreciation. The covered working area outside the main “Hog” shed was converted to a useful stage.

Shed chair Bob Duggan said that this was a trial run on the site, with the hope of opening up to a wider audience for future events.

Meanwhile Wendover Shed’s normal purpose of providing a friendly and welcoming workspace, for like-minded people to meet and get on with practical projects, continues to attract new members. Early August saw the 90th member join the group.

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45 Years of Brewing

By Simon Eccles

Chiltern Brewery in Terrick celebrates its 45th anniversary during September, and fittingly one of its regular beers has just won an excellence award to go with it!

Fortunately customer access via Nash Lee Road has just been restored to normal, after a month when it was closed at the Wendover End so HS2 could dig its trench. The Brewery Tours have re-started recently too – see the schedule at https://shop.chilternbrewery. co.uk/collections/brewery-tours.

It was September 1980 when Richard Jenkinson brewed the first beer, Chiltern Ale, in the new Chiltern Brewery that he set up together with his wife Lesley. They’d been planning it since the previous year when they bought what was then a smallholding in Terrick.

The germ of the idea was planted in Richard’s mind in 1979, as he waited in the Victoria Bar at Marylebone Station, with a pint of Ruddles - not a very local beer. Would a good beer from a new, local brewery, with locally inspired names, and brewed only with UK malt and hops, build steam and gain traction?

He caught the train home, discussed his idea with Lesley, and together drew up a plan to brew in the barns up in the yard. It is hard to imagine, but buying the equipment was not so simple as it is now.

There were no brewery suppliers that fledgling breweries could call for equipment. So novel were micro-breweries then that there was only a handful in the country – and not one in Bucks, or the Chilterns. In fact, the term micro-brewery wouldn't even exist for another 20 years!

As well as equipment, he also needed a licence so HMRC could administer the Duty from the beer. Although issued by Customs & Excise officers, they had never had to issue one and were flummoxed to receive his application for a brewing licence.

As a home-brewer when living in Weston Turville, Richard knew the step from homebrewing to real brewery would require being trained and this too was scarce. Most brewers went through university, followed by an apprenticeship.

Wanting something hands-on and at a more modest scale, he found a retired head brewer, still keeping his hand in, in a small brewery in his back garden! After a couple of very James Herriot-esque brew days, on museum-worthy brewing kit, Richard set about building his own brewery.

Everything Richard and Lesley needed had to be sourced from dairy farms, and then adapted. Or Richard could fabricate and weld them together himself – experience coming from his Sheffield steel family’s business.

Two of his 1980 welded items are still used today – the grist case, a container that the malt is tipped into at the start of the brew, and a stand to support the mash tun – the first vessel of the brew.

Aside from pioneering the Brewery, Richard applied the same energy and determination to innovative ways to growth. Chiltern Brewery was the first to set up a brewery shop in 1989, and to offer brewery tours. These were quickly followed by the idea of creating beer-based exclusive to the Brewery, using local producers, if they could be found in the pre-Internet days!

In 2005, the Brewery’s 25th year it opened a new brew house and celebrated the opening of the “brewery tap” in Aylesbury at The King’s Head, which sells Chiltern Brewery ales on tap or in bottles.

Richard and Lesley are retired now and the Brewery is managed by their sons George and Tom. They continued to grow it despite the challenges of Covid five years ago. There are about nine regular beers and ales, and frequent short-run specials produced throughout the year. Six of the regular brews are certified gluten-free.

“In 2020, for our 40th year, we began the first phase of our brewery expansion, the largest project since founding the Brewery,” says George. “In 2022, we realised a long-held dream to brew with Bucks-grown malting barley. Ours is grown just up the road on the Waddesdon Estates. It is also grown regeneratively. As far as we know, we are the only brewery brewing with regeneratively, locally-grown barley in the UK.”

Last year saw the re-opening of the Tudor-era Great Hall at the Kings Head, after a lengthy renovation financed by Chiltern Brewery, although the property is actually owned by the National Trust.

“This year, we are celebrating 45 years, with a series of special beers from our Brewery archives,” says George. One of these, Original Gravity, is due to go on sale in September.

Among other good news this summer was the Great Taste Award for Chiltern Brewery’s Beechwood Bitter, following an award from the Guild of Fine Food last year. “Beechwood Bitter has been with us since 1982, and it’s still our most bought beer, as well,” says George. “A smooth, nutty amber beer made with Bucks grown barley and English hops, it's more than tradition — it's our signature!”

Founder Richard Jenkinson in the Brewery yard.

Tom and George learning their trade!

The Fermenting Room in 1980, with condition tanks at right, and fermenting vessel at left.

Tom on the lorry, helping with the first steel barrels.

Chalk streams: the Chilterns’ precious resource

By Sean McCarthy

We are fortunate, living on the edge of the Chilterns, to be able to enjoy one of the rarest environments on Earth. There are about 250 natural chalk streams in the world and over 85% of those are in England, with nine major streams rising in the Chiltern Hills. Unfortunately more than two thirds of the country’s chalk streams do not meet the ecological standard of “Good” and most are in a poor state of health.

Because the water that forms the streams is filtered through layers of chalk in aquifers below the hills, the springs give rise to especially pure river water, that is cool and slow moving. This creates a unique ecology with a very rare web of life taking advantage of the benign environment.

Rich diversity

The Chiltern chalk streams, which include the Heron Stream in Wendover, are host to a wonderfully diverse range of flora and fauna. The kingfisher, otter and freshwater brown trout, as well as water voles (the character Ratty in Kenneth Grahame’s “Wind in the Willows” was in fact a water vole) are all predominant inhabitants of local chalk water streams, but equally important are the plants and smaller creatures that make up the foundation of the food web. Caddisfly, stonefly and plants such as water crowfoot (ranunculus, a relative of the buttercup) are all vital elements of a healthy chalk stream. However, much of the flora and fauna is very sensitive to changes in water conditions, such as alkalinity, temperature, speed of flow and pollutants. A chalk stream’s inhabitants are so sensitive to these conditions that measuring the health and abundance of the flora and fauna in chalk streams is often used as an ecological indicator to gauge the overall

wellbeing of the wider environment and water catchment area.

All streams are at risk

The fragility of the chalk stream ecology means that human as well as natural activities over many years has led to long term damage of the Chiltern chalk steams. Historic canalisation, more recent home building, the over abstraction of drinking water, agricultural and industrial pollution, and just poor past management of the streams, has caused most of them to be at risk.

Locally, in the 1800s, some Wendover chalk streams (expecially the Heron) were modified to feed the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal, while around the same time the Weston Turville Reservoir was constructed, also using water from local streams to supply the canal network. This has meant that many of the Wendover streams lost their natural flow and shape.

Now, the restoration of chalk streams, along with general disquiet about the poor state of the country’s water resources, has floated to the top of the political agenda both at local and central government levels.

including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top government priority ... Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is part of our overall programme of reforms for the water sector. Alongside this, we are continuing to direct investment to projects that will improve chalk streams.

“Through the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), over 1,000 improvement projects are planned within chalk stream catchments between 2024–2029.”

Protective legislation stalled

There is strong cross-party support for the Government to introduce legislation in the form of the Chalk Streams (protection) Bill, sponsored by Ellie Chown of the Green Party. However, that Bill seems to have stalled, with the parliamentary committee examining the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The committee concluded that powers in the Local Nature Recovery Strategies and habitats regulations assessments provide sufficient protection without needing explicit inclusion in the Bill.

Recently local MPs, including Greg Smith (MP for Mid Bucks including Wendover) raised concern about chalk stream conservation as an issue with the DEFRA Minister. They received the following reply from the Government: “Cleaning up our waters,

One of the difficulties in organising the restoration of chalk streams is the large number of ‘stakeholders’ involved including water companies, landowners, local authorities, DEFRA and the Environment Agency, volunteers and environmental campaigning groups as well as engineers, technical experts

The Heron Stream eventually feeds the Wendover Arm Canal.

Photo:Simon Eccles

and academics. The chalk streams often extend across planning authority boundaries leading to challenges in coordinating responsibility for action.

One such stakeholder is the Chiltern Chalk Streams Project, a partnership of statutory agencies, local authorities and voluntary bodies committed to conserving the chalk stream environment. The Project is hosted by the Chilterns National Landscape and for more than 25 years, the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project has worked to conserve, enhance, and raise awareness of this globally important habitat. The project carries out practical conservation and river restoration work, offers management advice to riverside landowners, provides training and conducts surveys of wildlife and habitat condition. The project also arranges school visits and provides educational resources working with local communities to raise awareness of chalk streams and the threats they face.

HS2 chips into Misbourne fund

The Chilterns Chalk Stream Project (www. chilternstreams.org) has recently secured £1 million of investment from the HS2 Additional Projects Fund towards the “Mending the Misbourne” programme. Including additional funding from partners, the £1.7 million initiative will deliver a wide range of projects over the next five years aimed at improving the health of the river and its surrounding catchment.

Restoration of chalk streams can take many forms and is highly dependent on location and the causes of stream degradation. In the case of the Misbourne, work will focus on improving flows, improving water quality and nature recovery.

In other locations remediation has ranged from the engineering of a more natural meandering form to a stream, especially after any historic canalisation of the waterway, the removal of overhanging shade trees or the introduction of natural “islets” such as fallen tree trunks to create a more natural environment and reconnect the waterway to the flood plain. In some restorations “river daylighting” is carried out which means

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uncovering a river or stream that has been buried in culverts, pipes, or under roads/ buildings, so it can flow naturally in the open again. This restores natural hydrology, allows sunlight to reach the water, improves habitats, and can reduce flood risk.

With the challenges from the impact of climate change, competition for land, increasing pollution, the loss of biodiversity and pressure on budgets to protect chalk streams, it is difficult for individuals to know how they can help ensure beautiful landscapes such as our chalk streams are protected now and enjoyed by future generations.

Chalk streams are part of the wider water ecosystem and we can all help by reducing fresh water waste, reusing water from the kitchen on the garden, and remembering not to pour fat or other pollutants down sinks or drains. Other simple steps that help reduce the amount of water abstracted from chalk aquifers might include turning off the tap when cleaning your teeth and taking shorter showers or installing a rain butt for the garden, mulch the soil and let lawns brown in the summer.

There are many organisations in the Chilterns and local area that are keen to hear

from volunteers to help protect our very special and unique chalk stream environment such as the Chilterns Chalk Stream Project and Wendover Climate Action Group

Watch this space for more water

This article is the first part of a series that will explore issues around water and its use affecting local residents and organisations. If you have any particular views on issues such as flooding, pollution, canal and river management please contact the editor of the Wendover News.

Water mills such as Nether Mill in Wendover, were often built over 'tamed' chalk streams. Photo: Simon Eccles

This short chalk stream runs next to the cricket ground, into the Heron Stream.

Photo: Simon Eccles

Little Acorns pre-school ranked among top five in the UK Little Acorns Kindergarten, based on the schools campus in Wendover, has been nominated as one of the top five pre-schools in the UK at the national Nursery World 2025 Awards.

Established 35 years ago as a charitable organisation, it has been providing care, education, and support to families for generations. The national recognition places it among the very best in the country and highlights its commitment to excellence.

“We are honoured and thrilled to be shortlisted among the top five pre-schools in the UK,” said Mel Armstrong, manager of Little Acorns. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our team, the incredible children we care for, and the community that continues to champion us. Our heartfelt thanks go to our families past and present, and to everyone who has believed in what we do. Being recognised nationally is a powerful reminder of the impact that small settings like ours can have.” The winners of the Nursery

World 2025 Awards will be announced later this year, but for the team at Little Acorns, this recognition already marks a proud moment to celebrate.

Award recognition for Stoke Mandeville Combined School

Stoke Mandeville Combined

School

was honoured at the third annual Buckinghamshire School Awards, an event hosted by Buckinghamshire Council to celebrate excellence across local schools.

A group of our staff represented the whole team on the evening, where they were delighted to discover that our school had won two awards: The Inclusion Award and Senior Leadership Team of the Year.

In the Inclusion Award category, judges commended the school for being “a beacon of inclusion that celebrates diversity and ensures every pupil feels welcomed and valued.”

As reported in the summer edition of Wendover News, the school pioneers British Sign Language (BSL) as a modern foreign language from Reception to Year 6, supporting up to ten deaf pupils. Mentioned in the House of Commons for its inclusive practices, the school was commended as an exemplary model of inclusion. With adaptive teaching methods, visual phonics, and a total communication approach, the school ensures all pupils thrive.

In the Senior Leadership Team category, judges praised the senior leadership team for having “implemented a clear, ambitious vision rooted in high expectations, inclusivity, and enriched learning. Serving a diverse cohort, including many pupils with additional needs, the team prioritise academic excellence and holistic development. Their transparent, collaborative approach engages the school community through regular communications and the active Parent Forum. Parental feedback highlights the personal and welcoming experience, with children feeling valued and supported from their very first day. By setting measurable targets and reviewing progress, the Senior Leadership Team has significantly improved outcomes, making their vision a lived reality for staff, pupils and families.”

Stoke Mandeville Combined School winners twice over!

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Club Corner

Wendover Bowls Club

Don Knight writes: What a scorcher July was. Very sensibly, several matches had to be postponed. After all you can’t have parboiled pensioners keeling over in the heat and disrupting the game. Luckily the temperatures were much more reasonable for our Gala Day when we played host to a dozen visiting clubs. The day was a huge success and several visitors have said they will be back next year.

We would like to give a big “thank you” to the many local businesses who gave prizes for our raffle. It is heartwarming that they were so generous in these difficult times. Our splendid caterers, the Catlins and their crew, pulled out all the stops to provide a lovely lunch and cream tea to all the players and visitors. But once again our biggest cheer must go to Sandy Stevens and her band of helpers who made the day a triumph.

We had another celebration with our President’s Day, hosted by John Brooks as our shiny new President. Once again a full house with more than 60 members enjoying a sumptuous buffet. At both of these events it was good to see so many friends as well as club members joining in.

In between all these gastronomic excesses

we do play the occasional game of bowls. Lots of club games as well as league and cup competitions, with mixed fortunes as you would expect. We are looking forward to the visit of The Chelsea Pensioners at the end of this month. I am on bar duty on the day and have been warned that the Pensioners are partial to a drop of ale so expect to be busy, but it should be a memorable day.

Cycling Sportive supports Thames Valley Air Ambulance

Becky Stamp writes, “Join Thames Valley Air Ambulance for our first Cycling Sportive in collaboration with High Wycombe Cycling Club on Sunday 21 September, and experience a scenic journey through quintessential English countryside.”

Starting at RAF Halton, there is a choice of four routes: 50km, 100km and 140km road routes, and a 56km offroad adventure.

“By taking part, you’ll be helping to fund advanced medical care for patients who need it most” Becky writes.

“As an independent charity, we receive no funding from the government or National Lottery and rely solely on the generosity of supporters.”

Wendover Cricket Club

Jonathan Seabrook writes: “Reflecting on Wendover Cricket Club’s junior season, the Under 10s & Under 17s both won their divisions, whilst four runners-up spots were also achieved by U11, U12, U14 & U15. These and other age groups and the girls section played a lot of cricket and matches, with just a few games and tournaments left.

Meanwhile the senior 1st XI is top of the Mid Bucks League Division 1 with three games to go, and the club’s youth have played a key part in the teams. Senior fixtures continue to the end of September.

The cricket camp at Witchell in late July was well-attended and successful. There are a few places left on the next camp starting on 26 August. Book at www.tinyurl.com/2pdxkz94 or contact Matt on 07365-264 956.

The new ground at Tring Road is progressing – most of the levels have been regraded/contoured, but the continuing drought has caused delays to the drainage and seeding; that aside, the layout of the whole site is now clear to see. There are two contractors on-site, with Boom Construction building the pavilion where the foundations have been poured.

There have been supplier delays to the works at Witchell – the store and new nets are now due to be completed in September.”

All enquiries to Jonathan Seabrook on 07767 148119.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not necessarily the views of the editor. If you have a complaint or concern about content in Wendover News, please visit www.wendovernews.co.uk/complaints

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When you have finished reading this edition of Wendover News, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it responsibly.

STRATEGY

Wendover Parish CouncilView from the Clock Tower

The Parish Council has refocused on making improvements for Wendover, with an updated strategy and projects focused on delivering that strategy. The Parish Council will work to ensure Wendover is a thriving market town in which people want to live, trade, and visit. We will develop community, enhance the environment, and promote prosperity and wellbeing, whilst being an efficient functioning council. This will guide our priorities and how your money is spent. All of our works should support this vision and mission but we are consulting on the key projects that we will be undertaking over the coming decade (naturally, these will be routinely reviewed and revised as circumstances may dictate). We are seeking feedback on these priorities and any other feedback or ideas over September. For further details, please see www.wendover-pc.gov.uk/ vision-and-mission-statement

STREETLIGHTS

We are now seeking feedback on the final options for the planned introduction of partial night-time streetlighting. The Parish Council is looking to save around £5,000 to £6,000 per year in electricity costs and plans to use every penny saved towards parking and road safety issues in Wendover.

Partial night-time streetlighting is now proven to save not just energy costs, it also

reduces carbon emissions, restores the natural behaviour of nocturnal pollinators and wildlife and reduces the adverse effects of light pollution on human health.

The main road streetlights along High Street, Pound Street, Aylesbury Road, and Tring Road (B4009) will not be changed at night.

We are circulating a questionnaire to seek your views, with details also on our webpage www.wendover-pc.gov.uk/ streetlight-switch-off

WENDOVER PICNIC IN THE PARK

Hampden Meadow will be buzzing with excitement on Saturday 30 August as the Wendover Summer Picnic returns from 12pm to 5pm. This much-loved community event is a highlight of the local summer calendar, bringing together friends, families, and neighbours for an afternoon of music, food, and fun.

Visitors can enjoy delicious street food, browse market stalls from local makers, try their hand at community games, and soak up the atmosphere with live music throughout the day. Younger guests will love the traditional fairground rides and free Punch and Judy shows by Professor Diamond.

Dog lovers won’t want to miss the ever-popular Dog Show, with prizes generously donated by The K9 Chiropractor. Registration is now open, you can also enter

on the day of the event by 1pm – download the entry form here: www.wendover-pc.gov. uk/picnic-in-the-park

We’re also delighted to welcome a special guest, Bucks Bear from Bucks Radio, who will be joining in the festivities.

So, bring a blanket, gather your friends and family, and join us for a day of community spirit and summer celebration. Entry is free, and everyone is welcome!

Please note: No tents or gazebos can be erected, and all dogs must be kept on a lead. Help us protect the environment by taking your litter home with you.

EVENTS 2025

Below are details of other events that the Council and Events Working Group are organising for 2025.

Quizzes – We are looking into quizzes for everyone, for the Mastermind and University Challenge fans, and for families to get together and have fun, look out for more information to follow.

Halloween – the Council will be partnering with a local business to throw a very popular and well-loved annual Halloween event. Christmas (We know it’s early, sorry!) – save the date!

Wendover Christmas Light Switch OnSaturday 29 November

Carols Around the Tree - Friday 12 December

Wendover Parish Council l The Clock Tower, High Street, Wendover HP22 6DU l Tel 01296 623056 clerk@wendover-pc-gov.uk www.facebook.com/wendoverparish

Wendover Local Produce Market Sat. 20 September, 10am–2pm Manor Waste

We're looking for new traders! Contact estates@wendover-pc.gov.uk

Stay informed about local news, events, and parish matters – sign up to receive our monthly newsletter straight to your inbox! Subscribe here: https://welcometowendover.co.uk/#subscribe

Sunday Church Services in Wendover

• St Anne’s: 9am Mass

• St Mary’s: 9am and 10.45am

• Wendover Free Church: 10.45am

St Anne’s Roman Catholic Church – 07753 633713 stanneswendover.uk

St Mary’s Church of England – 01296 696136 / 623123 stmaryswendover.org Wendover Free Church – 01296 622354 wendoverfreechurch.org.uk

Next Parish Council meeting: 2 September, 7:4 0pm Main Meeting room, Wendover Library Information about upcoming meetings: www.wendover-pc.gov.uk

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