Wendover News Summer 2026

The King honours our Founder!

His Majesty King Charles III has honoured Jane Larkham, widely regarded as the founder of Wendover News , in his birthday honours list. She was awarded the British Empire Medal for her invaluable contributions to the Wendover community.

To find out what was happening in Wendover in late 1989, you would have needed to visit the Wendover Enterprise Centre above the Post Office on the High Street, where Jane Larkham and Tom Getley had established Wendover News. Jane handled the editorial work and managed advertising sales. These days, Wendover News is published by a virtual team of volunteers, including Jane. She provides continuity, inspiration and her wisdom.

Jane arrived in Wendover in 1981 after marrying Peter, who was already a resident. Since then, she’s been the secretary of Wendover Mother and Toddler Club (later Toddler and Carers), successfully campaigned and raised funds to improve Wendover’s playing facilities and founded Tiny Tots – an ecumenical group for pre-school children to learn Bible stories. In the early 1990s, Jane became chair of the Pastoral Council for St Anne’s Roman Catholic Church and served as a lay representative in Churches Together in Wendover.

A chemist by profession, Jane previously worked freelance for a PR company in the prescription pharmaceutical industry. In 1994, she retrained as a part-time chemistry teacher. As a member of the Wendover

Dementia Alliance, she supported the foundation of Wendover Dementia Support by Dr Pippa Moreton, Jane’s former GP. Later in 2009, she became a founding member of the charity group ‘Rotary in Wendover & District’. She did all this while still being editor of Wendover News and the mother of two daughters.

Jane retired in 2010 to care for her mother and godfather.

In 2023, she faced the unfortunate prospect of ceasing publication of Wendover News and shutting down the website.

July Mystery Object at the Antiques Centre

May’s was a pickle fork

£10 Gift voucher for the winner

To address this, she reached out to her trusted contacts in Wendover and invited them to a supper at the Red Lion’s upstairs room. This choice was significant as the room has hosted Wendover’s most historic meetings, allegedly dating back to Oliver Cromwell’s battle planning.

Jane was determined to ensure that local people had access to information about everything happening around and about and was very concerned that the legacy of her 35 years with Wendover News might not be preserved. She had seen how the magazine had helped to build community spirit, encouraged connections and brought out the best in people.

She wanted to make sure that it would not just continue, but also grow and serve the community even better, in the right hands. The meeting was successful, and several individuals were persuaded to establish a community interest company (CIC) to continue Wendover News ’ legacy.

The CIC was formed and the transfer completed. While some original members have since left and been replaced by new trustee-directors, the team at Wendover News are delighted to report that Jane remains a valued volunteer and writer, bringing a strength to the team that can only come from experience.

While the King is undoubtedly the ideal person to award her the accolade, the Wendover News team are the first to offer her their applause.

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

Summer 2026 FREE

A community-owned company.

Editorial Team: Richard Byford, Sean McCarthy, Jo Durden-Moore, Simon Eccles, Jane Larkham, Jon Theobald and Wynne Byford

Coordination, ads, social media and online: Wynne Byford

Production: Richard Byford, Jon Theobald and Wynne Byford

Accounts: James Harrington

and deliveries: Tony Fanthorpe and around 70 other fantastic volunteers!

Wendover Community News CIC is a regulated media company funded entirely by advertising revenue. Please support our advertisers.

RAF Flypasts: To celebrate the completion of training at RAF Halton, flypasts will take place, weather permitting, at 13:30 on Wednesdays 8 & 22 July & 19 August

July Events

Kindred Countryside

Thurs 2, 9 & 16, 4.30-6pm, Road Farm, Aylesbury Road, Gt Missenden, HP16 9LS

A special after-school club for one younger (age 8+) and one older family member to enjoy together. Relaxed, intergenerational sessions, growing food, staying well, and learning from one another in a friendly, inclusive setting. Families sign up for a block of sessions, payable on arrival. £15 per family of 2 for the 3 week course To sign up, visit www.trybooking.com/uk/GMUO.

Gusto Café Art Club Exhibition

Fri 3-31, Castle Park Rd, , HP22 6AE

Everyone is welcome to see the exhibition of floral-themed watercolour work from Jaany Ravenscroft-Hull See p17.

Poetry Please

Fri 3, 10.30am

Wendover Christian Centre HP22 6JG

The theme will be poems read in translation, or perhaps poems influenced by other cultures. Everyone welcome!

Chilfest 2026

Fri 3-Sat 4, Cow Lane, Tring HP23 5NS

On Friday a tribute band lineup kicks off weekend festivities. Saturday will see Chilfest’s mainstage graced with favourite bands from the 80s and 90s. See p19.

Muir Residency

Sat 4 & Sat 11, Discover Bucks Museum

The Muir Residency, honouring former Weston Turville Resident Alastair Muir, took place in June 2026 with textile artist Jane Charles inspired by the Saxons exhibition. In association with the Exhibition and Residency, there will be a workshop on Saturday 4 and a talk on Saturday 11 July. For details see www.discoverbucksmuseum. org/whats-on/the-saxons-an-immersiveexhibition-in-buckinghamshire/.

Tring Choral Society Concert

Sat 4, 7.30pm, Tring Church, HP23 5AE

The choir will sing ‘The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace’ by Karl Jenkins, a piece by Benjamin Britten - ‘Rejoice in the Lamb’, and first performance of a choral piece by local composer, Matthew Wren, with professional soloists and regular orchestra. Tickets from a choir member or www.tringchoral.org.uk

WENDOVER MEMORIAL HALL

Great for Children’s Parties Ideal for Weddings & Functions

Excellent kitchen facilities

Enquiries : 07804 671445 angelawmh@aol.co.uk

Drop in and grow session

Mons 6 & 20, 1.30-3pm, Road Farm

Great Missenden, HP16 9LS

Countryways’ CIC is launching a new community Drop In & Grow session, regenerating the Inspired to Grow project - to help cultivate and care for plants in the polytunnel and orchard. Open to all, green fingered or complete beginners. Please note: children or anyone needing support must be accompanied by a responsible adult or PA. August dates tbc & will be posted here: www.roadfarmcountryways.com/growing

WPC Ivy Volunteers

Tues 7 & 21, Meet 10am, Clock Tower

Supporting Wendover Parish Council: protecting trees. 1st and 3rd Tuesday each month. Equipment provided but feel free to bring your own favourite tools and gloves.

Board Game Café

Thu 9 & 23, 2-4pm

Wendover Christian Centre, HP22 6JG

Enjoy a variety of games old and new or bring your own to play with others. Free for all ages.

Wendover Cricket Club Open Day

Fri 10, 2-7pm, Tring Road, HP22 5PN

See the new facilities and hear about the archaeological dig. See ad p1 & p38.

Yardfest

Sat 11, Hampden Meadow, Wendover Entertainment, food and music. See p17.

Woodland Market

Sat 11/Sun 12, Wendover Woods

The seasonal markets bring together the best of local makers, bakers, and creatives If you are interested in holding a stall at Wendover Woods for one of the woodland markets. email wendoverwoods@forestryengland.uk

Saturday Sleuths

Sat 11, 10-11.30am

Wendover Library HP22 6DU

A discussion around The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, considered to be the first hardboiled detective story. Members can recommend their favourite crimes titles and take part in a book swap. Free to attend. Email carol@the-investigator.co.uk for a copy of the reading list for the term.

Wendover Tea Dance

Sat 11, 2-4pm

St Mary’s Wendover HP22 6NL

Dancing, singing and refreshments. Everybody welcome. See ad p5.

Afternoon Tea for TV Air Ambulance

Sat 11, 2.30-4.30pm, Damien Hall, 23 High St, Great Missenden, HP16 9AA Raffle, Gift and Produce stalls. Tickets £10, incl tea and cake, from Samways/The Post Office, Great Missenden. If you are a party of 4 or more, would like to make a donation or to buy Raffle Tickets, contact: Jill York: 07846 534301, jillelizabethyork@yahoo.co.uk

Purssell Path volunteers

Tues 14 & 28, 10am, Purssell Path Sign

Helping maintain this natural space and pathway. 2nd and 4th Tuesdays each month. Bring your own tools and gloves.

Wills and estate planning surgery

Tue 14, 12-2pm, Wendover Library, HP22 6DU

To book a slot email: iain@protrustconsulting. co.uk or tel: 01296 415700.

Fat Quarters Patchwork & Quilting Group

Tue 14, 7.30pm

Great Missenden Memorial Hall HP16 9AE

For the past ten years guest speaker Jan Allston has travelled the world Quilting And

Cruising providing guests on board with tuition inspired by the sights they see on their travels. Visitors Welcome cost £6. Meetings held on the second Tuesday each month. For a full programme and details email fatquartersmissenden@gmail.com

Craft Group

Weds 15 & 29, 10am-12 noon Wendover Christian Centre HP22 6JG Craft Group provides time, space and friendly company to work on any kind of craft project. Take your own materials or just go along to see what others are doing. Coffee served about 11am. Newcomers always welcome.

Wendover Talks

Thu 16 2.30-4pm, Wendover Library

‘English as She is Spoke’. Speaker: Val Brown A canter through the history of the English Language. Val has kindly agreed to present her talk again, although she insists this will be the last time! Ask one of the volunteers at the library counter to add your name to the attendee list.

Murder Mystery with the Quaintwood Players

Fri 17, 7pm, Wendover Memorial Hall

Live Production of ‘Murder on the Ocean Princess’: Interaction with the actors; your chance to interrogate the suspects; prize for the winning team. Bar and Raffle

Ticket includes a large grazing board per table, homemade cake and a welcome drink. Tickets are £20 each or a table of 8 for £145. Purchase from: fnhospice.org.uk/event/ murder-mystery-with-the-quaintwood-players

Gusto birthday celebration Bar-b-q

Sat 18 and Sun 19

Castle Park Rd, HP22 6AE

BBOWT Reserve Visit

Sat 18, 10am-12pm, Aston Clinton Ragpits Volunteer wardens will take you on a guided walk looking for chalk grassland flowers, butterflies and other wildlife. £5pp. See p38.

Book Club

Sat 18, 10.30-11.30am

Wendover Christian Centre HP22 6JG

What will you be reading this summer?

Get inspiration by hearing what others are reading and, if you wish, talk about something you’ve read – whether you loved it or not. Begin with coffee and sometimes cake. All welcome.

Race the Light

Sat 18, Wendover Woods

Chilterns Neuro Centre in partnership with Runaway Racing. Set against the backdrop of Wendover Woods, Featuring a 10k and 5k trail run and an accessible 1.5k trail. www.chilternsneurocentre.org/racethelight

WENDOVER

Aylesbury Vale Stitchers

Sat 18, 2-4.30pm

Wendover Memorial Hall, HP22 6HF

Claire Bullock - Felt Maker and Textile Artist and her creative journey into discovering these skills and sharing them with others. email: aylesburyvalestitchers@gmail.com.

Big Green Picnic

Wed 22, 12-2pm,

Wendover Christian Centre, HP22 6JG

Local community groups and families can enjoy a free, inclusive event designed to help people living with dementia, their carers and loved ones. Featuring nature inpired activities, music and bingo. See p24

Discover Bucks Museum Summer Adventures

Wed 22 Jul -1 Sep

Discover Bucks Museum, Aylesburyy The centre of this year’s summer programme is The Great Dragon Adventure. Families can also see the Saxons exhibition. More on p19.

Wendover Horticultural Society

Thursday 23

No meetings in July and August. OUTING on 23 July to The Old Rectory, Albury, Thame, 2-4pm. £18 Members//£20 Non Members. Please contact Diane Smith 07966155775 to book and if you need transport.

Wendover Talks

Thu 23, 2.30pm-4pm

Wendover Library HP22 6DU

‘My life is Murder’. Confessions of a policing journalist and crime fiction fan. Carol Jenkins will lift the lid on her life reporting on crime and policing and her love of true crime fiction and TV cop dramas. Ask one of the library volunteers to add your name to the attendee list for this talk as places are limited. See p25.

Wendover Repair Café

Sat 25, 9.30am-12pm, Wendover Library

Bring your beloved broken stuff that you want to keep and the experts will do what they can to repair them. Anything from clothing, toys, ornaments, jewellery, gardening tools to electrical & mechanical items. Tea, coffee and cake while you wait. For further information contact frances@ spokenwordltd.com or jenny.summerfield@ hotmail.com

Cream Teas

Sun 26, 3-5pm, St Mary’s, Weston Turville Homemade Cakes and Scones. All welcome

SHINE Summer Family Fun

Mon 27, 10–11.30am (+ 10 & 24 Aug)

St Mary’s Church, Wendover, HP22 6NL Families with children age 0–11 are invited to enjoy crafts, and games. See ad p5 & p18.

The Arts Society Ballinger

Thu 30, 7.30 AGM, lecture at 8pm, Ballinger Village Hall, Ballinger, HP16 9L Time Machines: Clocks in Art and Literature from c1300 to the Present Day. Christina Faraday’s talk explores the visual and literary uses of the clock and the varied meanings it could hold throughout the ages: as an ominous symbol of oncoming death but also as a metaphor for the soul, for capitalism and the good use of time.For more details email artsocballinger@gmail.com or visit www. theartssocietyballinger.org.uk

Brew’s Company Café for Over 60s Fri 31, 10am-12.30pm, The Bull pub, Risborough Rd, Stoke Mandeville HP22 5UP Jason Savage who runs Aylesbury Community Bingo will lead a bingo session. Mayor Cllr Sherrilyn Bateman will talk about her work raising money for Aylesbury Homeless Action Group. Free refreshments and a free raffle. If you would like to speak or give a demonstration or have any questions email caroljenkinsnews@gmail.com. No Aug mtg.

AUGUST

BBOWT Reserve Visit

Sat 1, Aston Clinton Ragpits Volunteer wardens will take you on a guided reserve visit to Yoesden. £5pp. See p38.

WPC Ivy Volunteers

Tues 4 & 18, Meet 10am, Clock Tower 1st and 3rd Tuesday each month. Equipment provided but feel free to bring your tools.

Wendover u3a Talk

Wed 5, 10am, St Mary’s Church, Wendover HP22 6NL

Talk by Neil Hanson Inn and Out at the Top.

Poetry Please

Fri 7, 10.30am,Wendover Christian Centre

All welcome at the August Poetry Please. The theme will be ‘Colour’.

Wendover Summer Picnic

Sat 8, 12pm–5pm, Hampden Meadow!

Live Music, Food & Drink, Market Stalls Dog Show, Games. See back page.

Saturday Sleuths

Sat 8, 10-11.30am, Wendover Library

Discussing Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie, the first book to feature sleuthing exploits of the iconic fictional detective Miss Marple. Email carol@the-investigator.co.uk.

Politics Book Club

Mon 10, 7-8.30pm, Wendover Library

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. In his prize winning book, Diamond asks why human history has unfolded so differently

across the globe and what it can teach us about our current crisis. Contact frances@spokenwordltd.com for more information.

Summer Family Fun Mornings

Mons 10 & 24 10–11.30am

St Mary’s Church, Wendover, HP22 6NL Families with children aged 0–11 are warmly invited to enjoy crafts, games and refreshments in a welcoming environment.

Purssell Path volunteers

Tues 11 & 25 ,10am, Purssell Path

Helping maintain this natural space and pathway. 2nd and 4th Tuesdays each month. Bring your own tools and gloves.

Craft Group

Weds 12 & 26, 10am-12 noon

Wendover Christian Centre HP22 6JG Work on any kind of craft project. Please bring your own materials.

Board Game Café

Thu 13 & 27, 2-4pm, Christian Centre Enjoy a variety of games old and new or bring your own to play with others.

Book Club

Sat 15, 10.30-11.30am, Christian Centre No set books. Instead, everyone has a chance

to talk about a book they’ve read. In this way, we travel through time and around the world!

Aylesbury Vale Stitchers

Sat 15, 2-4.30pm, Wendover Memorial Hall Open Meeting. Stitching session. Take your own project to work on. No fee. Sales table, raffle and refreshments.

SHINE Summer Activity Programme

Tue 18– Thu 20 | 10am–2pm

St Mary’s Church, Wendover, HP22 6NL

A free three-day holiday club for children aged 6–10. See ad below & p18.

Wendover Repair Café

Sat 22, 9.30am-12pm

Wendover Library HP22 6DU

The team will be there for you in the summer, Bring your broken items and the experts will try to repair them. Contact frances@ spokenwordltd.com or jenny.summerfield@ hotmail.com.

Wendover Talks

Thu 27, 2.30-4pm, Wendover Library

Speaker Graham Williamson. ‘The Rise of the Metropolitan and Great Central Railways’. Discover the golden age of steam and speed See p25.

CROW & CO

ARTISAN COFFEE

Coming Soon: Crow & Co

Stoke Mandeville Station

A New Artisan Coffee Experience by Crowfly Cars Opening Thursday 31st July 2026

Fresh artisan coffee • Collagen coffees

Wellness drinks • Fresh juices

Premium teas • Pastries • Cakes

Grab & Go options for commuters

A fresh, welcoming local coffee hub for commuters, residents, businesses and visitors

“Great Coffee, Local Community.” 07981 119379

Cream Teas

Mon 31, 3-5pm, St Mary’s, Weston Turville Homemade Cakes and Scones. All welcome

REGULAR EVENTS

Yoga and KundaDance classes

Guide Hut, Wendover, HP22 6HH Weds, 9-9.45am & 10-10.45am Chair Yoga chair-yoga

Fris, 9-10am Slow Flow Yoga Fris, 10.15-11.15am, KundaDance www.happywellyoga.com/all-classes

Special offer: free first KundaDance class available all summer!

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.

Knit and Stitch at Gusto 2pm, 3rd Monday of the month Castle Park Road, Wendover, HP22 6AE

Enjoy a relaxed afternoon of knitting and sewing. gusto-world.com/

Yoga with Alice D

Mons, Wendover Mem Hall, (term time)

10-11am, Mum and Baby Yoga

11.15am–12pm, Yoga with Movers 12.15–12.50pm, Yoga Tots

Mons, Halton Village Hall, HP22 5NG 7–8.15pm, Pregnancy Yoga

8.30–9.45pm, Women’s Yoga

Weds, Wendover Mem Hall, (term time) 10.30–11.30am, Nurture Baby Massage 12–1pm, Women’s Yoga Sat, Wendover Woods, (Spring to Autumn) 8.15–9.30am, Women’s Yoga in the Woods Website: www.yogawithaliced.com

Busylizzy classes:

Mons, St Mary’s Church, Wendover 1pm, Baby Massage.

1.45pm, Postnatal Yoga (babies welcome). Tues,St Anne’s Hall, Wendover 10am, Postnatal Pilates (babies welcome). Thurs, Wendover Memorial Hall 10am,Postnatal Circuits (babies welcome). 1.15pm, Baby Music.

Contact Emma to book on 07418 609829. www.busylizzy.co.uk/wendover

Yoga with Sarah St Anne’s Hall, Wendover Mons, 7.15 - 8.15 pm

Weds, 6.15 - 7.15 pm & 7.30 - 8.30 pm

Thurs 9.30 - 10.30 am. Email: sarahyoga@sky.com

Simply Walks and Cycle Rides

Wendover – Tues: Weekly walks from the Clock Tower, leave 10am. Socialise after at Wendover Christian Centre.

Aston Clinton – Thus: Leave Aston Clinton Park at 10.30am. Meet by ‘Your Café in the Park.’ Refreshments afterwards. Register 15 minutes beforehand at both locations.

Aylesbury Cycling UK – Weekly Sunday rides: Leisure Rides - about 20 miles, suit new riders or those wanting a relaxed ride. Easy paceabout 30 miles and a bit faster. More information at: aylesburycuk@ gmail.com or www.cyclinguk.org/group/ aylesbury-cycling-uk

Knit and Natter

Tue, 2-4pm,Wendover Library Meet 1st Tuesday each month.

Liz Brown Yoga

Tues, 7pm, Wendover Memorial Hall Fris, 10.30am, St Anne’s Hall

1:1 Yoga Therapy by appointment. Also online classes. www.lizbrownyoga.co.uk 07941 425187.

Diamond Bridge Club

Tues 6.45 for 7pm,

Ellesborough Village Hall, HP17 0XA

A friendly club who play bridge in a relaxed environment. Any questions or if you would like to join, email barbara.barnes@me.com

Cracklewick Morris

Tues, 8.15-10.15pm

Halton Village Hall, HP22 5NG

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

Compassionate & memory cafés

Wigginton: First Wed, 1.30-3pm, The Sports Ground Community Café, HP23 6HH

Great Missenden: Last Wed, 11.30am, GM Library, HP16 0AL

The Memory Café, Chiltern Neuro Centre: First Fri, 10am-12pm, run by Ashridge Home Care. email Abbi at hello@ashridgehomecare. co.uk

Chilterns Light Network

Weds, 7.30 for 8pm

Wendover Memorial Hall

What’s going on in the world? Explore new perspectives through talks and discussion in this lively and open-minded group. £5 non members. Check schedule on www.chilternslightnetwork.org or email ChilternsLight@proton.me

French speaking/listening at Gusto 10.30, 1st & 3rd Thurs

Castle Park Road, Wendover, HP22 6AE gusto-world.com/

Halton Art Group

Thurs,1.30-3.30pm

Halton Village Hall, HP22 5NG

Join the fun with a small local Art group. £15 per session. A tutor attends every 5 weeks. Refreshments provided. Tel: 077538 41590.

Fitness and Fun for the Over-60’s Thurs, 2-3pm, Stoke Mandeville Community Centre, Eskdale Road Every other Thursday afternoon. Refreshments afterwards. clerk@ stokemandeville-pc.gov.uk.

Planning ahead?

Here’s the next Wendover News production dates. To ensure we have enough space, email newsdesk @wendovernews.org or advertising @wendovernews.org.

If you want to be included, let us know as early as possible.

Ad and submission deadline (18:00)

September 2026 10 August 26

October 2026 7 September 26

November 2026 12 October 26

Winter 2026 9 November 26

DRAGON The Great Adventure

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Head students at John Colet School

By Jane Larkham

Recent headteachers have made it clear that they want all students in John Colet School (JCS) to feel that they are part of its community.

This impression comes over very strongly on meeting the new Head Students. They made it very clear that the reason they wanted to come to JCS in the first place and then stay on into the sixth form was this spirit.

They see it as their responsibility to emphasise the vertical relationships within the school. They are backed up by a series of Prefects who take on specific leadership roles such as Eco, PR (public relations) and Sports and they in turn lead representatives from all years.

It means that all pupils have access to likeminded individuals committed to continual improvement within the school and a voice which can be heard.

This cohort entered secondary school in September 2020 so they are part of the “Covid generation” yet their resilience and confidence shows that they are strong and

able to face the difficulties of being a young adult in these unsettling times.

As 21st century people, they use every digital assistant to assist with smooth communications between themselves and with others in the school to augment the essential face to face meetings which humanise us all.

It will be interesting to see how government initiatives impinge on their social media connectivity. The education sector (and others) is under financial pressure so the students have to fund raise to support their events, bearing in mind that charges must be realistic to make a profit.

All these activities are very real-world preparations for adult life. The students have to think carefully about the cost of a university education compared with gaining a place on an apprenticeship scheme, let alone the qualifications.

Variously individuals are involved with World Challenge, Duke of Edinburgh Award at Gold Level and schemes such as Young Enterprise and locally Carbon Heroes sponsored by EKFB and HS2.

A major target for this year is to fund the purchase of a canopy over an outside paved space which will give more social space for sixth formers as there is little room on site and no budget at all for building or improving non-teaching spaces.

This year’s Head Students are:

Harry Blake is in charge of Sports as a way of keeping many students engaged in the school and is planning a sixth form game of Rounders for a relaxed and entertaining end to this school year. He is studying Physics, Computer Science and Geography and hopes to gain a place at Pilot School with a backup as an apprenticeship for cyber security or software engineering.

Bella Lynn is the Google Forms expert, listening to Student Voice. She is studying Sociology, History and Politics and preparing an EPQ (extended project qualification) on women in religion.

She is leaning towards religious studies or philosophy at university and then working in the public sector like the civil service.

Archie Richardson is the person with responsibility for social media, especially Instagram and aims to encourage a positive culture in which students can be proud to study.

He is studying Maths, Psychology, Product Design and Computer Science. He is keen to take an apprenticeship in cyber security to enable him to work in that area which includes AI security.

Abigail Reilly-Wheeler really wanted to stay at JCS for sixth form because she feels very comfortable and supported here.

She’s studying English Literature, Sociology and Politics with a view to Sociology at University then domestic social work. She is much trusted as she handles the accounts and banking for the Head Students.

Darsh Wright logs everything online so they all have access to their discussions and decisions. He joined JCS in year 8 so he understands the difficulties associated with breaking into established friendship groups.

He is studying Maths, English and Psychology with an ambition to be a film editor after a degree at Trinity Saint David Swansea, or Bristol.

Harry Blake, Bella Lynn, Archie Richardson, Abigail Reilly-Wheeler and Darsh Wright.

Photo: John Colet School

Local News

What the flip am I voting for now?!

Residents of Stoke Mandeville have recently received polling cards for a seemingly mysterious vote in early July. Eligible voters in all parish wards are being asked to visit their local polling centre on 9th July 2026 to answer the question: “Do you want Buckinghamshire Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Stoke Mandeville to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

The vote is actually the ‘Referendum’ process and marks the final stage in delivering Stoke Mandeville’s long-awaited Neighbourhood Plan. A majority vote “YES” on 9th July will immediately legally enshrine the Plan and its key components, such as recognising and defining 13 public green spaces across the parish. Importantly, it will also formally establish a ‘Settlement Boundary’ along the southern edge of the parish.

This boundary provides a ‘hard edge’ to existing developments and requires any new development proposals – such as the controversial 650 homes behind the Woolpack pub and along Wendover Road – to meet significantly more stringent planning conditions than would be applicable without the boundary.

Wendover News encourages all voters to exercise their democratic rights and give legal weight to this document. It will help both local parish and county planning committees challenge speculative development. For further information on the Plan itself, visit www.stokemandeville-pc.gov.uk/ neighbourhood-plan. We respectfully request eligible readers and their friends, family and neighbours to vote “ YES” on July 9th.

Don’t forget the public consultation for the Local Plan

The previous edition of the Wendover News featured an article explaining how residents can influence the area’s development over the next two decades. Buckinghamshire Council has completed much of the detailed work for the new Local Plan and will open a public consultation in late July.

Due to increased housing demand, the council has had to include more housing development than originally planned. They’ve applied all available processes to minimise the impact of government targets. This public consultation is the final opportunity for Wendover residents and surrounding villages to shape the area’s future over the next 20 years. If you don’t still have your copy of the June issue, you can see it online by going to https://wendovernews. org/print-editions/

Greg Smith MP

Reliable Lady Gardeners Garden tidying Regular garden maintenance

Tel: 07732 484545

to see the Government’s target delivered through densification of bigger towns, not blight to our smaller towns and villages.

“The Government’s targets are made much worse given there is no money (yes you read that right), no money for infrastructure alongside the homes. That means Buckinghamshire is somehow expected to magic doctors, schools, roads, and other infrastructure out of thin air. It is just unacceptable.

“Please do keep making your voice heard too – numbers matter. If there is a planning application you feel is wrong, object to it. We can win these fights together.”

Laura Kyrke-Smith MP

Greg Smith, member of parliament for the Mid-Bucks constituency, gave Wendover News his opinion about what is needed. He wrote: “I have always been very clear –homes should only be built on brownfield sites in the larger towns and cities of our country.  The countryside has frankly taken enough of a beating over recent decades and the loss of our natural beauty, nature and food producing farmland must stop, full stop.  CPRE, the Countryside Charity, have identified enough brownfield land in England alone for 1.3 million homes – so expanded across the whole of the United Kingdom will easily see enough land for their (over ambitious) target.

“My working week is dominated by these matters. Most recently I have formally objected to the Rectory Homes plans on farmland off Halton Lane and have written to the Planning Inspectorate urging them to uphold Buckinghamshire Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for 650 new builds in Stoke Mandeville. More widely, I am working to ensure the new Local Plan for Buckinghamshire keeps to the current plan

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It is always good to have a second opinion and in the interests of impartiality, we invited Laura Kyrke-Smith, who is the MP for Aylesbury for hers. Her constituency includes Weston Turville and Aston Clinton, which is in our readership area. She commented: “Buckinghamshire Council’s Local Plan will shape Aylesbury and nearby villages for decades to come. Too many people are locked out of the housing market because of lack of supply and affordability, and too many people are waiting for social housing. But it’s equally vital that new houses are built in the right places, in the right way.

“I worked closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to shape the National Planning Policy Framework, which set the expectations for Councils’ Local Plans. I believe that it is very clear on two crucial points.

“First, we are not just building homes, we’re building communities. And we’re building alongside existing communities, which can’t suffer because of new homes. This means planning infrastructure, services, schools and jobs from the outset. We know from past developments what happens when this goes wrong; just look for example at Kingsbrook, in many ways a model development but the promised GP practice never materialised and Poplar Grove surgery still doesn’t have the funding to expand its

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provision, despite their and my best efforts.

“Second, we need to protect our natural environment. We are rightly proud of our historic villages with unspoiled stretches of countryside. We need to preserve that character for future generations while also building the homes of the future. We need to ensure that we keep access to green spaces, protect our biodiversity, and consider essential flood resilience.

“I urge all residents to share their thoughts on the Local Plan with Buckinghamshire Council. I will also continue to press the points above and to ask them to listen to residents’ feedback.”

As we go to press, the exact start-date of the public consultation and guidance for the public have not been published by Buckinghamshrie Council. We will put them on wendovernews.org and our social media accounts as soon as they are available.

Wendover flooding raises questions

Heavy rain on Monday 2 June once again flooded the Aylesbury Road near Wendover’s Clock Tower, disrupting traffic and causing anxiety for nearby residents and businesses. Those who suffer the consequences know the stakes. One resident reported having to get up during the night whenever heavy rain falls to clear public drains by hand, fearing that filthy overflowing storm water could flood their home.

This was not river flooding. Wendover is neither a riverside nor coastal town. Instead, this was pluvial flooding from localised rainfall with surface water overwhelming the road drainage systems. The same location suffered similar flooding in 2017, raising questions about whether enough has been done to prevent a repeat.

While the main roads are not the responsibility of Wendover Parish Council, a local

parish councillor is now pursuing the issue with Buckinghamshire Council. The problem is that responsibility for flooding often falls into a bureaucratic grey area involving drains, road surfaces, gullies and maintenance schedules. Residents are left wondering who is actually accountable.

This incident should be seen as more than an isolated drainage problem. Climate scientists warn that intense rainfall events are becoming more frequent as the climate changes. As Professor Hayley Fowler told viewers of ‘The People’s Emergency’ briefing recently screened by CLAW at St. Mary’s Church in Wendover, “We currently have the least extreme climate you will experience in your lifetime.”

If that is true, then local authorities need clear responsibilities, effective maintenance programmes and long-term plans for managing surface water. Delivering sandbags after floodwater has receded is not a strategy. Extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent and more severe. The question is not whether Wendover will face further flooding, but whether we will be prepared when it happens.

Wendover u3a to host annual open day this September Residents in Wendover and surrounding villages who are looking to enrich their retirement or semi-retirement are invited to an open day hosted by Wendover u3a on Wednesday, 2nd September at St Mary’s Church, Wendover from 10am to 1pm.

The u3a (University of the Third Age) is a UK-wide movement focused on ’learning for pleasure’. There are no qualifications or exams to pass. Instead, members share their skills and life experiences in a friendly, social environment. The Wendover u3a currently has over 500 members from Wendover and surrounding villages.

The Open Day will showcase more than 60 interest groups that make up this thriving local community organisation. Visitors to the Open Day will be able to explore over 60 displays and meet representatives from diverse groups including Art, History, Latin Gardening and Wine Appreciation. Visitors can also discover new interests and learn about active outdoor groups such as the Walking Strollers or social initiatives like MOTO (Members on Their Own).

You will be able to chat with current members about the benefits of joining, which

include a monthly Speaker Meeting and Social Outings as well as national u3a benefits including a programme of online learning events, competitions and challenges.

Entry to the Open Day is free and no pre-booking is required. There will be complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits served from 10.30am.

“Our Open Day is the perfect opportunity for anyone no longer in full-time work to see exactly what we do,” says Barbara Lashmar, the event organiser. “Whether you want to pick up a new hobby, stay active, or simply meet new people in the Wendover area, there is something here for everyone.”

For more information on how to join or to view the full list of groups, visit the Wendover u3a website - wendover.u3asite.uk/ membership. Also see advertisement on p7.

Ashco Local on Wendover High Street!

Jane Larkham writes: Don’t you just miss Wendover Hardware which used to be on the Manor Waste? Good news! as she was leaving Wendover, Jan mentioned to Ashco in Aylesbury High Street that she was closing and Garry immediately started negotiations to open an “Ashco Local” in Wendover. He has recently been in touch to thank the residents of Wendover for their warm reception.

“Ashco Local officially opened on Wendover High Street on 1st December 2025. We had a fantastic start in the lead up to Christmas and were genuinely overwhelmed by the support we received from local residents. The welcome we received exceeded our expectations and gave us great confidence that we had made the right decision in choosing Wendover.

“Like many small independent retailers, the first few months of the New Year were

challenging, and trade was quieter than we had hoped. However, the encouragement, kindness and loyalty shown by the people of Wendover have kept us positive and motivated. We truly believe in the village and are committed to becoming a long-term part of the community.

“We have finally installed our Ashco Signage which has helped increase awareness that we’re here and we’ve already noticed more people popping in to see what we offer. We are very grateful for that.

“The gentleman who runs the shop day to day is my father Jaktar. There’s actually a lovely story behind this shop. One day he told me, “Son, I’m bored sitting at home. Find me something to do.”

That conversation planted the seed, and before long we found ourselves putting down roots in Wendover. Since then, he has become a familiar face in the shop and he enjoys helping customers as well as getting to know local residents.

“For a little background, our family also runs Ashco on the High Street in Aylesbury, a well-established independent store that has been serving the local community for almost 40 years. We stock a huge range of products including hardware, DIY supplies, electrical items, tools, household goods, stationery, kitchenware, party supplies and much more.

Our aim has always been to offer friendly service, good value and a place where customers can find a little bit of everything under one roof.

“We hope to bring that same approach to Wendover through Ashco local and become a trusted part of village life for many years to come.

If you think we can help community initiatives or village events, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d be delighted to help where we can.”

Triple Cheers from The Chiltern Brewery

The local Chiltern Brewery, based just outside Wendover at Terrick, has won three medals from this year’s Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA) Indie Beer Awards.

The awards were for three different categories with a gold in the Bottle & Can British Dark Beers for their ‘300’s Old Ale’. The other medals were for the low-alcohol beer category with ‘Barely There’ and Here Comes the Sun in the ‘Pale Ales’ category.

George Jenkinson from the Chiltern Brewery said “The local connection matters to us. We are very grateful to customers, pubs, shops and local supporters who continue to champion independent brewing. National and Regional awards are always lovely to receive, but it is the encouragement from local supporters that keeps the barrels rolling day to day.”

A new chapter for The Bell as village pub re-opens as Sports Bar

Jo Durden-Moore writes: A familiar village pub has entered an exciting new chapter, as The Bell in Stoke Mandeville re-opened its doors on 15 June as a dedicated sports bar and community venue.

Located on Lower Road, The Bell has been through a significant transformation under new management, with a focus on live sport, social events and bringing local people together.

The venue officially welcomed customers in after a busy period of preparation and refurbishment, with the new owners sharing regular updates across social media as they worked towards opening day.

The new-look Bell aims to offer something different for the area, combining the traditional atmosphere of a village pub with a modern sports bar experience. Visitors can enjoy live sport shown throughout, alongside playing pool and darts and a programme of events designed to attract both regulars and new customers.

The team behind the relaunch say they are keen to create a welcoming community hub where people can gather to watch sport, enjoy a drink and spend time with friends and family. In updates posted online ahead of the opening, they spoke of their ambition to breathe new life into the venue while preserving its place at the heart of village life.

The new pub has entered into a partnership with local food truck ‘The Taco Joint’ who serves up a fantastic array of delicious snacks and food, perfect for grazing on whilst watching or playing sport. Tacos, nachos, wings, jackfruit bites, loaded fries, mac ‘n’ cheese bites with more options available.

For local residents looking for somewhere to catch the big game for the World Cup and beyond, meet friends or simply enjoy the atmosphere of a newly refurbished venue, The Bell’s re-opening marks an exciting new addition to the area’s social scene.

Stoke Mandeville joins the ‘Repair Club’ club!

Saturday 15th August is the day to get your broken, not working or damaged items from the loft or garage and take them to The Bull for Stoke Mandeville’s inaugural Repair Café. Hosted by pub co-owner and local SM parish councillor, John Gates, the idea came about from a discussion with the Stoke Mandeville Village Society and the nearby Weston Turville repairers. They were seeing a reduction in items coming in and thought that setting one up in the parish ‘next door’ would provide not only a new community service, but keep everyone involved busy with a steady flow of extra repairs.

The Stoke Mandeville Repair Café will be on the third Saturday of the month, from 10am until 12 noon and the Weston Turville Repair Café is the first Saturday from 10am to noon.

In fact with Aston Clinton repair café on the second and Wendover on the fourth Saturdays, there’s one every week in the area! For more details check the Bucks Council family information service website for other repair café locations and timings. https:// directory.familyinfo.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/

Stoke Mandeville Repair Cafe Needs You! Are you good at DIY? or enjoy mending things? Can you fix a toaster? Repair an old chair? and want to do something fun and good for the environment... then we need you!

If you are interested to know more contact: racheljblackmore@gmail.com or message Rachel on: 07792 475094 or pop in to a café.

By Richard Byford

The graveyard at St Mary’s church in Wendover may not be the first place you would think of for a gentle, peaceful walk, but for many people, it’s easy to access on foot, and it is well worth the visit. It’s well paved and kept in exceptional condition by a small team of volunteer groundkeepers.

On a hot day you will appreciate the shaded line of yew trees, found by turning right at the bell tower. There, you can see the oldest part of the grounds, now a lawn, edged by remnants of the original hedge line. There are a just a few gravestones remaining here. The practice of erecting gravestones only became common in the UK in the 19th century, but it is interesting to look for ones with earlier dates.

You may notice a memorial that looks very different to the others. Difficult to understand at first, you start to make out that it’s a statue of a young boy, holding a cap and wearing a neckerchief. Sadly, today it is broken, with the body leaning against the base and the head missing. What’s the story?

The uniform is that of the Wolf Cubs, which was the original name for the junior branch of the Boy Scouts. Nowadays they are more usually called Cub Scouts, and their elders are just Scouts.

One hundred years ago this July, a ten-year-old Wendover wolf-cub, Norman Ray, was playing with friends on the pavement in Aylesbury Road, near the junction with Chiltern Road. Suddenly and unexpectedly, he ran across the road and into the path of a large six-seater touring car driven by motor engineer Eric Maclaren. Norman died instantly. The driver was held to be blameless, and this was confirmed by a coroner’s jury, who returned a verdict of misadventure at the inquest.

Norman’s parents, Edgar and Gertie Ray, were active supporters of Scouts and so their boy was interred with full Scouting honours. On 16 July 1926, a funeral procession assembled near the scene of the accident in Aylesbury Road.

Assistant scout master, Harry Floyd, was a professional funeral director, and arrangements were placed in his hands. According to Harry Floyd’s memoirs, Norman’s father Edgar was the station master at Wendover station, and tragically the couple had also lost their only other child, an infant girl, just a few years earlier.

Additional detail, given in the book ‘Scouting in Wendover,’ published in 2000 by Jim Cobley, notes: “Norman’s parents requested that his cub cap and scarf were placed on the coffin to be buried with him. There were more than 82 wreaths of flowers. The cortege made its way past the Clock Tower and up the High Street. Scouts J Felgate, L Edmunds, F Harding, J Floyd, C Heels, F Oakley, H Fowler and E Gurney walked beside the coffin, with staves (wooden walking poles, part of the scout uniform) carried in the ‘reverse’ position. The wolf cub pack, led by Cyril Woodward, followed the carriage of the chief mourners and the rest of the scouts.

“The body was borne to its last resting place by patrol leaders F Parsons, R Duggin, E Duggin and J Cannon. Following a service in the Baptist Church, Norman was laid to rest in St Mary’s churchyard. Rose petals were “very beautifully” arranged in the grave by cub leader Miss Janet Vessey.

A stone statue of a wolf cub in full uniform was later erected over the grave and remained undisturbed for more than half a century.” (photo above).

The wording on the plinth says “He did his best,” a reference to the enduring Scout motto, taken to mean that you should always put all your effort into everything you do. An alternative interpretation is that you should always forgive yourself for your own imperfections and strive be the best person you can be in the future.

By 1977 the wolf cub statuette surmounting Norman Ray’s grave in St Mary’s churchyard had been vandalised. Mrs Cribley, who was also an active member of the supporters’ association, organised a sponsored table tennis evening which raised £160, half of which was used to repair the memorial. The head of the statue was retrieved for safekeeping, but its location is now unknown.

Thanks to Mike Floyd for providing access to the original funeral photograph, from his family’s collection.

Photo: Richard Byford

Wendover Guide’s Hut gets garden makeover by RAF Halton bikers

After many years of hard use, the garden area at the Wendover Guides Hut on Manor Crescent needed some tender love and care to bring it back to its fruitful potential. So, who better to call on for help in this garden makeover than the RAF Halton Motor Bike Club. In rides Corporal Dan Anderson, Royal Air Force Regiment and the Halton Motorbike club. “The motivation behind this project stems directly from our core values, both within the Royal Air Force and our motorbike club. We are committed to supporting our communities and providing help where it is needed. The Wendover Guides Hut is a wellused community space, and it was clear that it would benefit from some improvements to its appearance and usability”

And so, on a very hot Sunday morning the bikers got to work, clearing brambles, building raised beds and wheelbarrowing tons of fresh soil.

Corporal Anderson had planned the assault on the garden well. Enlisting support from generous individuals at local organisations who contributed everything that was needed for a successful makeover, Dan had special thanks for Joe’s Home Improvements, providing vital transport logistics, without which the project may not have got off the ground.

From turnaround to thriving:

In an interview with Jenny Shaw, Stoke Mandeville Headteacher, Eileen Stewart, reflects on the last 12 years

After 36 years in education and 12 transformative years at the helm of Stoke Mandeville Combined School, headteacher Eileen Stewart is preparing to hand over the reins and embark on a well-earned retirement.

When Eileen joined the school in 2014, she arrived at a challenging time. Stoke Mandeville Combined had experienced significant leadership changes, with Eileen becoming the tenth headteacher in ten years. The school had recently been rated ‘Requires Improvement’ by Ofsted, and rebuilding confidence within the school community was a priority.

Over the following decade, Eileen led a remarkable turnaround. Today, the school is thriving, consistently oversubscribed and recognised for its strong sense of community.

Matt Rodda at Lindengate Charity gets a special mention for supplying flowers and veg as well as much valued horticultural expertise. Not to be outdone, Suzi and the team at Chiltern View Garden Centre also contributed a variety of plants and compost along with the planters to put them in. To give that extra special bouquet appeal, the Flower Gallery on Wendover High Street donated some stunning arrangements to add a beautiful floral welcome to the hut, the bikers were truly touched by all the flowery gifts.

But the work was not all about flower arranging, Corporal Anderson and his team had persuaded some hard-core businesses to help. Some materials and tools from B&Q Aylesbury store manager Jacob with vital water butts and storage benches from Aylesbury Wickes. Holding the whole show together were the pallet collars for the wooden planters and compost heap (a great idea by the way) generously donated by Jake at Extra Pallets Aylesbury.

Now everything was ready for planting except one vital element, for which the team would especially like to thank Garry at King’s

Reflecting on her achievements, Eileen is quick to praise the staff who have supported the school’s success. “I may be the head, but I’m only as good as the people around me,” she says. Among the innovations introduced during her tenure, Eileen is particularly proud of the school’s commitment to British Sign Language (BSL).

Originally taught to support deaf pupils, BSL has since become the school’s modern foreign language, with children now working towards achieving BSL Level 1 by the time they leave Year 6. Her guiding philosophy has remained simple throughout: “Happy children, happy parents, happy staff – and happy children learn.”

Eileen also treasures the school’s rich history. Stoke Mandeville Combined holds handwritten logbooks dating back to its opening on 3 October 1893, providing a continuous record of school life for almost a century.

Every Armistice Day, Eileen reads entries from the historic records to pupils, helping connect across the generations through shared memories.

Then there is the much-loved tradition of

Farm, who supplied loads of soil without which this project could not take root.

Corporal Dan Anderson and his biker gang will make the Guides and anyone else that uses the hut and its garden extremely grateful that they can see nature close up, grow healthy vegetables and learn about flowers and gardening.

To that end, on Monday 22 June, the RAF Halton Riders Motorbike Club organised a meet-and-greet with the children at the hut. The session included showing the children around the grounds, planting the remaining flowers, and presenting embroidered badges, the latter generously donated by Ian at Print Labs Aylesbury.

Dan was keen to add “Our aim is to create an environment that encourages teamwork, responsibility and growth, where young people can safely learn, develop, and even grow their own fruit and vegetables. Ultimately, we hope to help foster a space that the children can truly feel proud to call their own”. The ongoing responsibility of garden maintenance was not lost on Dan as he rode off on his bike calling out “I’ll be back.”

As retirement begins, Eileen and her husband plan to travel the country in their campervan with their dog. Yet she knows she will remain connected to the school she helped shape. “I am a chapter in this school’s history,” she says. “Now there will be a new chapter, with a new headteacher, exactly as it should be.”

Hot Chocolate Friday, where Eileen spends time each week chatting with around 35 children.

Corporal Dan Anderson (2nd from left with cap) from the RAF Halton Motorbike Club with other volunteers before the garden makeover

New boutique enjoys strong start in The Barn Courtyard

By Jo Durden-Moore

A new ladies’ fashion boutique, MooMoo2, is proving a hit with shoppers after opening its doors in The Barn Courtyard, just off Wendover High Street. The boutique, run by Aston Clinton resident Joanne Farrell, has been welcoming customers for the past three months and is already attracting a loyal following.

After many years working in retail, Joanne decided it was time for a new challenge and opened the business earlier this year. She offers a carefully selected range of women’s clothing sourced from suppliers in France, Italy and Spain as well as individually curated homewares, accessories including shoes, handbags and individual pieces of jewellery.

“I wanted to do something for myself,” said Joanne. “I’d been thinking about it for several months and decided to take the plunge. So far, it’s gone really well.”

The boutique specialises in affordable fashion, with new stock arriving regularly. Joanne says she is now placing her fifth clothing order in just 12 weeks, reflecting

strong demand from local shoppers.

Enquiring on the unusual name, she explained that it was based on the nicknames of her two grandchildren, who inspire her creativity and passion for beautiful items.

Rather than competing directly with other retailers in the area, Joanne aims to offer something different, stocking styles that appeal to a wide range of ages, shapes and sizes. She also works closely with customers, listening to feedback and ordering additional sizes or colours where possible.

Keeping prices accessible has been a key part of her business model. Many dresses retail for around £35, allowing customers to refresh their wardrobes without breaking the bank. “I want people to be able to buy two or even three dresses rather than just one,” she explained.

The boutique is open from 10am to 4pm

on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with additional opening hours on some Thursdays.

For Joanne, who recently celebrated her 64th birthday, the venture is both a business and a passion project. With plans to expand into children’s clothing and as Joanne says, judging by the enthusiastic response from customers so far, Wendover’s newest boutique is off to a very stylish start.

Culture, Visual and Performing Arts

Written and compiled by Jo Durden-Moore

It’s been a busy month and, with a bumper summer of events and things to do, we have given them a section of their own on the facing page.

On one of the hottest days at the time, Lindengate played host to Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley (photo right) in aid of the mental wellbeing charity. The event sold out within 48 hours, with additional outdoor tickets released to meet demand.

More than 130 people gathered to enjoy the beautiful gardens before Tony performed an unforgettable 45-minute set. Afterwards, he generously spent time meeting fans and learning more about the charity’s work. The event raised nearly £5,000 towards Lindengate’s mission of supporting mental health through nature.

Tony said he had “a superb time” and, despite never having performed in a polytunnel before, loved every minute of it.

Tring’s sustainable fashion show, Refashioned Finds, enjoyed a spectacular evening in aid of Tring Together (photo below).

The event showcases impressive upcycled and refashioned creations from local A-level students alongside community groups specialising in crafting, amateur dramatics and millinery.

Local shops and charities also contributed to the event, which celebrated everything repurposed, reimagined and reworn as part of The Great Big Green Week.

Choral’s singing workshop series explored The Golden Age of Hollywood over three weeks, culminating in a performance at The Red Lion.

More than 40 participants were put through their paces quickly learning two songs in two hours in four-part harmony under the guidance of dynamic Musical Director Kenton Brigden. Many were amazed by what they achieved in such a short time, while also enjoying the opportunity to make new friends and embrace the challenge of fast-track learning.

Wendover Arts Festival welcomed more than 2,000 visitors to St Mary’s Church during its three-day celebration of creativity, textiles, visual arts and refreshments.

The festival opened on Friday evening with a special preview attended by dignitaries including the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, the newly elected Mayor of Aylesbury, Councillor Sherilyn Bateman, and Greg Smith MP.

Throughout the weekend, visitors enjoyed artwork from talented local and regional artists, with the church transformed into a vibrant gallery space and the festival café proving a popular hub for visitors to relax and socialise. More than 1,000 pieces of artwork were sold, while the event raised over £22,000 in support of St Mary’s Church, highlighting both the scale of the festival and the community’s generosity.

A festival spokesperson said: “The atmosphere throughout the weekend was wonderful. From preview night through to the final visitors on Monday afternoon, there was a real sense of warmth, creativity and community. It has been fantastic to see so many people supporting the arts and

enjoying everything the festival has to offer.”

Mikron Theatre Company returned to Lindengate with its latest production, Top of the Wold, a heartwarming musical adventure set in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The talented quartet of actors entertained more than 100 people with a magical evening of pop-up theatre in the sunshine, surrounded by the charity’s beautiful grounds.

Real Magic Books celebrated Independent Bookshop Week with insightful conversations hosted by owner Carl Gosling. Guests included Babak Ganjei discussing his debut novel On the Bus Without a Phone, and musician and writer Owen Williams, who spoke about his debut non-fiction work Atrocity Exhibitions: Grieving in the TikTok Underworld. The evening concluded with Owen performing a preview of songs from The Tubs’ forthcoming album.

Real Magic Books is also curating a new ‘Old Magic’ section and is inviting donations of pre-loved books. Carl said: “We would

Wendover

love any special old paperbacks, mid-century fiction and non-fiction, vintage children’s books, curiosities and esoterica, 70s weirdness, cool 80s, lovely books on nature, politics, philosophy, poetry and more. If it’s not right for us, we’ll make sure it finds a home. This is a great way to support Real Magic, and we’re excited to see what comes through the doors.”

The annual Bucks Art Weeks festival once again transformed Buckinghamshire into a vibrant countywide celebration of creativity.

As the county’s largest visual arts event, Bucks Art Weeks brings together hundreds of contemporary artists, makers and craftspeople exhibiting in studios, galleries, churches and community venues. Wendover and the surrounding villages were particularly well represented, with a diverse range of local artists opening their studios and exhibition spaces to the public.

Wendover’s independent gallery, a little bird told me, showcased the contrasting work of artists Jay Nolan-Latchford, Chris Noel and Heidi Ines. Local artist Christian Twelftree opened his Chiltern Road studio, while Ingleton & Freemantle welcomed visitors to their studio at Boddington West.

Party in the Park returned to Stoke Mandeville Village Community Centre and Park for its fourth year. Despite poor weather,

families turned out in their hundreds.

BBC Three Counties Radio presenter Andy Collins hosted throughout the day, with three headline live music acts performing alongside a range of local community performers. MP Greg Smith attended and spoke enthusiastically to residents about the event and listened to their local concerns.

A very popular change to the event this year was the introduction of £1 rides by the organisers. Cllr. Dean Field said that they received feedback from last year that the main attractions were too expensive, so the Parish Council decided to have a £1 token instead which was redeemable at all the main rides.

Parents and carers welcomed the change which kept everyone happy. The event also provided a huge selection of other attractions such as a BMX stunt display, dog show, go karting and other children’s activities, as well as crafts and food vendors.

By the time we went to press, Wendover Singers was just days away from its special summer concert honouring Armed Forces

Make the most of Summer: events, adventures and days out near home

By Jo Durden-Moore & Wynne Byford

From festivals and family fun to outdoor adventures, theatre, art and community events, there’s plenty happening across Wendover and the surrounding villages this summer. Whether you’re looking for a day out with the children, a cultural experience, or simply somewhere to relax and enjoy the sunshine, here’s our guide to making the most of the season.

Key Summer Events

YardFest, Hampden Meadow, (11 July)

Following the tremendous success of its debut event last summer, YardFest returns to Hampden Meadow, Wendover with an even bigger programme of entertainment, food and community fun. Organised by the Craftyard team, the festival brings together live music throughout the day, a wide variety of street food vendors, independent traders and activities for all ages.

Families can enjoy children’s entertainment while adults relax with friends and neighbours in the festival atmosphere. With a licensed bar, great music and a beautiful

setting in the heart of Wendover, YardFest is set to be one of the highlights of the local summer calendar.

Gusto Café Art Club Exhibition (3–31 July)

Local artist Jaany Ravenscroft-Hull’s (photo right) Friday Art Club will be exhibiting a collection of floral-themed watercolours throughout July. The exhibition showcases the creativity and talent of local artists who meet regularly at Gusto Café, creating a welcoming environment where people can develop their artistic skills and share ideas. Visitors are invited to drop in, enjoy the artwork and perhaps take inspiration for their own creative projects. The exhibition also offers an opportunity to support local artists while enjoying one of Wendover’s most popular cafés.

Fame the Musical, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre (2 August)

A large cast of talented local performers will bring the iconic musical Fame to life in

Day and raising funds for its chosen charity of the year, Wendover Dementia Support.

The concert sold out within days, reflecting the strong community support enjoyed by this popular choir.

Audiences can look forward to an evening of well-known, toe-tapping favourites, a children’s performance, refreshments and home-baked cakes.

support of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. Packed with memorable songs, energetic dance routines and a powerful story about ambition, friendship and following your dreams, the production promises an uplifting evening of entertainment. Alongside showcasing the remarkable talent within the local performing arts community, the event will raise valuable funds for one of the area’s most cherished charities. Whether you’re a fan of musical theatre or simply looking for a great night out, this promises to be a memorable performance.

Lindengate Nature Camps (3–7 August and 17–21 August)

Based within Lindengate’s beautiful Community and Education Hub, these popular nature camps offer children aged 5–12 the opportunity to explore the outdoors through hands-on activities, games and creative projects. Young participants will spend their days discovering wildlife, developing confidence, making new friends and connecting with nature in a safe and supportive environment.

The camps are designed to inspire curiosity and creativity while encouraging children to spend more time outdoors away from screens. For many local families, the camps have become a much-anticipated part of the summer holidays.

Wendover Picnic in the Park, Hampden Meadow (8 August)

Wendover Parish Council invites residents and visitors to this popular event, taking place on Saturday 8 August at Hampden Meadow. Bring a blanket, pack a picnic and enjoy a relaxed afternoon in one of the village’s most beautiful green spaces.

Designed as a celebration of community spirit, the event offers the chance to spend time with friends, neighbours and family while enjoying entertainment and activities in a picturesque setting. Whether you’re new to the village or a lifelong resident, it’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with the community and make the most of a summer afternoon.

SHINE Summer Holiday Club, St Mary’s Church (18–20 August)

Children aged 6–10 are invited to join St Mary’s church for three days of free summer fun. Packed with crafts, sports, music, games and creative activities, SHINE offers a welcoming environment where children can make new friends and enjoy a memorable holiday experience. Led by an enthusiastic team of volunteers, the programme combines fun, creativity and community spirit, making it a popular fixture in the summer calendar. See ad p5.

Aston Clinton Beer Festival (22–24 August)

Beer lovers can enjoy a wide selection of local ales, craft beers and ciders at this popular Bank Holiday event (photo above). Alongside the drinks, visitors can enjoy food stalls, live music and a lively community atmosphere that makes it one of the area’s best-loved summer gatherings.

Dramarama Summer Theatre Camp (17–29 August)

For aspiring performers aged 8–17, Dramarama’s Summer Theatre Camp provides the chance to spend two exciting weeks rehearsing and performing Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. Participants develop skills in acting, singing and dance while building confidence, teamwork and friendships.

The programme culminates in a fully staged performance, giving young performers the thrill of appearing in front of a live audience and creating memories that will last long after the summer ends.

Lindengate Art Exhibitionists Art Fair (27–31 August)

Artists will take over Lindengate’s gardens during the August Bank Holiday weekend for a unique celebration of creativity. Visitors can browse a diverse range of artwork, watch live demonstrations, participate in workshops and enjoy talks from exhibiting artists.

Set against the backdrop of Lindengate’s beautiful gardens, the event offers a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere for art lovers of all ages. Importantly, half of the gate proceeds will support Lindengate’s ongoing work promoting mental health and wellbeing through nature.

Food Future Festival, Lindengate (5 September)

As part of Lindengate’s new Seeds of Change programme, this community event celebrates growing, cooking and healthy eating. Visitors can enjoy cooking demonstrations, food tastings, gardening advice, firepit cooking, seed sowing activities and practical tips for growing vegetables at home.

Designed to inspire healthier lifestyles and a greater connection with food production, the festival promises to be both educational and entertaining for visitors of all ages.

Matisse’s Garden Art Workshop, Lindengate (11 September)

Artist Jaany Ravenscroft-Hull will lead a day of creativity inspired by the life and work of French artist Henri Matisse. Participants will explore art history, sketch in Lindengate’s beautiful gardens and create their own watercolour paintings or lino prints to take home. Suitable for artists of all abilities, the workshop provides a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in art, nature and creativity in a peaceful and inspiring setting.

Family Fun throughout the Summer Wendover Woods Laser Tag (Weekends throughout summer)

For families looking for adventure, Wendover Woods offers exciting outdoor laser tag sessions in a purpose-built woodland arena. Players work together to complete missions and outsmart opponents using infrared laser equipment in a safe and exciting environment.

Suitable for ages eight and above, the sessions provide 90 minutes of action-packed fun and are ideal for families, groups of friends and birthday celebrations. Combined with the woodland trails, café and play areas, it makes for a fantastic day out.

(Selected summer dates)

The much-loved children’s story comes to life with special character appearances inspired by Julia Donaldson’s popular book. Children can meet the friendly Witch, enjoy themed games and activities, take photographs and immerse themselves in the magical world of the story. Face painting and interactive activities add to the fun, making it a perfect day out for younger children and their families.

St Mary’s Family Fun Mornings (27 July, 10 August and 24 August)

Families with children aged 0–11 are warmly

Room on the Broom at Wendover Woods

invited to enjoy crafts, games, refreshments and time together in a welcoming and relaxed environment.

The first event on 27 July will take the form of a family picnic, encouraging families to bring their own food and enjoy a morning of community fun. These sessions provide a valuable opportunity for parents, grandparents and carers to meet others while children enjoy a variety of activities.

Discover Bucks Museum Summer Adventures, Aylesbury (22 July–1 September)

Discover Bucks Museum is offering a summer packed with adventure, history and hands-on family fun. At the centre of this year’s programme is The Great Dragon Adventure, where young explorers can follow a trail through the museum, solve challenges and help recover missing treasure.

Families can also step into the immersive SAXONS exhibition, coming face-to-face with lifelike Saxon warriors, remarkable archaeological discoveries and interactive displays that bring the past to life.

Special events include the Festival of Archaeology on 18 July and the Saxons Weekend on 1–2 August, which will feature re-enactors, family-friendly performances and combat displays.

No visit would be complete without exploring the much-loved Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery, where children can crawl through Fantastic Mr Fox’s tunnel, discover the Giant Peach and explore the world of the BFG through imaginative hands-on exhibits.

Lindengate Rest & Refresh Pop-Up Café (July–September)

A favourite destination for many local residents, Lindengate’s Pop-Up Café offers homemade cakes, refreshments and live entertainment within the charity’s flourishing gardens.

Throughout the summer visitors can enjoy performances from choirs, musicians and local entertainers while relaxing among the flowers and wildlife. It’s a perfect place to unwind, meet friends and experience the calming environment that makes Lindengate such a special local resource.

Gusto Gelato Café Summer Activities (Throughout summer)

As well as serving its award-winning gelato, Gusto is helping families make the most of summer with picnic blanket hire, outdoor games including badminton, boules, footballs and frisbees, plus children’s picnic activity bags.

Visitors can also enjoy new menu additions and special competitions throughout the holidays. It’s a simple but brilliant way to encourage families to head outdoors and enjoy Wendover’s parks and open spaces.

Waterside walks and days out

If you’re looking for a peaceful summer stroll, there are plenty of waterside destinations close to Wendover. The Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal offers miles of traffic-free towpaths ideal for walking, cycling and wildlife spotting. Along the route visitors can watch colourful narrowboats pass through locks.

Closer still, Weston Turville Reservoir provides an easy circular walk and excellent birdwatching opportunities, while Tring Reservoirs offer beautiful trails and a remarkable variety of wildlife. Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the reservoirs attract birds throughout the year and provide a wonderful escape into nature. Whether you’re looking for a family picnic, a gentle walk or simply somewhere to relax by the water, these nearby locations make excellent summer destinations.

Worth the short journey

Chilfest, Tring (4–5 July)

One of the region’s most popular music festivals returns with a packed programme of live music, tribute acts, food vendors and family entertainment. With its friendly atmosphere and strong local following, Chilfest has become a firm fixture in the summer calendar and attracts visitors from across the Chilterns.

Tring Carnival

(11 July)

A traditional community celebration, Tring Carnival features a colourful parade through the town, entertainment, stalls, food vendors and family attractions. The carnival brings together local organisations, schools and community groups in a day of celebration and fun.

Waddesdon Manor Summer Programme (Throughout July and August)

With its spectacular gardens, woodland

walks, family activities and world-famous collections, Waddesdon Manor offers something for visitors of all ages. Summer is one of the best times to visit, with the grounds in full bloom and a range of seasonal events providing even more reasons to explore this remarkable Buckinghamshire landmark.

The much anticipated brand new adventure playground will open on Saturday 1st August and there’s no extra cost (included in admission or free for National Trust members).

Wild Wood Adventure Playground is a unique series of exciting features crafted from wood - complete with towers and tunnels, slides and swings. Designed for 2 and 12-years old.

Kop Hill Climb, Princes Risborough (19–20 September)

One of Buckinghamshire’s most celebrated events, Kop Hill Climb attracts thousands of visitors each year. Historic, classic and modern vehicles tackle the famous hill while visitors enjoy displays, exhibitions, trade stands and family activities. The event also raises significant funds for local charities, combining motoring heritage with community fundraising.

Make the most of Summer

Whether you’re seeking outdoor adventure, family entertainment, creative inspiration or simply a chance to relax with friends and neighbours, Wendover and the surrounding villages have something for everyone this summer.

From village picnics and festivals to woodland adventures, theatre productions and cultural experiences, there are countless opportunities to create lasting memories close to home.

So pack a picnic, gather your family and friends, and make the most of everything our wonderful area has to offer this summer.

Building a musical community in Wendover

By Jo Durden-Moore

Wendover Choral’s recent musical theatre workshops may have ended with an enthusiastic performance at the Red Lion, but for Musical Director Kenton Brigden they represent something much bigger: a vision to place the choir at the heart of the local community.

Wendover Choral is looking to the future with a renewed focus on community, musical excellence and bringing people together through a shared love of singing classical music.

That vision was brought to life recently through a series of musical theatre workshops celebrating songs from classic Hollywood and MGM musicals. Open to singers from across the area, the initiative ran over three weeks, with participants learning a selection of well-loved songs during intensive two-hour sessions before performing them in public. The workshops culminated in an informal concert at the Red Lion in Wendover, where singers entertained an appreciative audience of friends, family and local music lovers.

“We just wanted people to come together and have fun singing fantastic music,” said Kenton. “It’s music that people know and love, and it was a wonderful opportunity to share that experience.” For Kenton, however, the workshops were about more than simply learning songs. They form part of a wider strategy to make choral singing more accessible, attract new members and strengthen the choir’s connection with the local community.

Founded around 1960, the organisation recently rebranded from Wendover Choral Society to Wendover Choral, reflecting a desire to create a fresh identity while

maintaining the high standards for which the choir is known. “We wanted it to feel like a fresh page for the choir,” Kenton explained. “We want to maintain that quality but also create a real sense of family and belonging.”

With around 45 members, Wendover Choral performs major concert works alongside professional soloists and musicians, many of whom are drawn from the local area.

Looking ahead, Kenton hopes to expand the choir’s role within the community through collaborations with other local groups and by creating opportunities to support young musicians. “My vision is for the choir to be part of the fabric of the community,” he said. “I’d love us to be a shining light for music in the area, supporting local musicians, collaborating with other groups and creating opportunities for young people.”

The choir’s next season begins in September as rehearsals get underway for its Christmas concert in December. New singers are always welcome. “We want people to know we’re here,” said Kenton. “There is so much musical talent in Wendover and the surrounding area, and we’d love more people to come and be part of it.” For more information see wendoverchoral.co.uk.

And there’s more ... with world-class musicians now heading to Wendover.

Music lovers are in for a treat this autumn as Wendover Music presents a series of special concerts and events at St Mary's Church.

Thanks to a generous legacy from an anonymous donor, the organisation is launching a new programme of organ recitals in the beautiful 14th-century church.

The first concert takes place on Sunday 13 September at 4pm

and features acclaimed organist Peter Holder, Director of Music at Christ Church, Oxford.

Peter previously served at Westminster Abbey, where he played for both the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Being able to experience the skill and musicianship of a world class organist, in Wendover's very own St Mary's Church is something exciting indeed.

Additionally, families with young children can look forward to the return of the popular Mini Mozart show on Monday 14 September, offering interactive musical fun in partnership with Sparklers.

This musical season concludes on Sunday 4 October with, an award-winning young wind ensemble, ‘Lumas Winds’, who recently triumphed at the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition.

They will be performing at St. Mary's church and have been described as being 'effervescent and lively in their performance style and enterprising in their choice of repertoire'.

Tickets are lower in price due to the support from the legacy, adults £10 and under 18's/students £5.

Tickets and further information, can be purchased at Just on Wendover High Street, or at www.wendover-music.org

Emergency Briefing

By Anna Taylor, Climate Action Wendover

Around 90 residents in Wendover and surrounding villages attended a screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing, a film on the effect of the changing climate on life in the UK. The screening was at St Mary’s Church in Wendover on Wednesday evening 18 June.

The free event, organised by Climate Action Wendover (CLAW), a community-led environmental group, was one of the first screenings of the film in Buckinghamshire and attracted strong interest from the community.

With more than 1,500 screenings of the film, which launched in April 2026, this community event is part of a nation-wide campaign gathering momentum called ‘the People’s Emergency Briefing’ or ‘the National Emergency Briefing’. Campaign organisers and supporters are calling for the public to be given a clearer briefing on the climate crisis and for stronger action to improve the UK’s preparedness and resilience at all levels of the community.

In the film, leading UK experts discuss the impact of climate change on everyday life, including extreme weather, food security, health and the cost of living. It also looks at the steps that can be taken to respond.

At the time of writing, neither Mid Buckinghamshire MP Greg Smith or Aylesbury MP Laura Kyrke-Smith, are included on the public list of over 100 MPs and politicians that have signed the “Parliamentary

Local co-op to help homeowners combat rising energy prices

With energy prices on the rise again, Buckinghamshire Community Energy has launched Energise Buckinghamshire, a project to give 200 local homeowners energy security and independence through a community-owned free solar and battery system for their homes.

The energy systems will be community-funded through the community energy co-operative. Anyone can invest from £100 and make a financial return.

The host homes will pay a monthly subscription to use their installed energy system and will get free solar and cheap battery power. The homeowner will also get paid to export excess electricity to the National Grid – and so can make savings from the start.

28 homes in Haddenham and Weston Turville have already applied to join the scheme and are being assessed for eligibility right now.

Scan the QR code for more information.

Call for a televised Emergency Briefing”. You can see the list of those who have at www. nebriefing.org/parliamentary-call

Buckinghamshire residents are encouraged to find their nearest screening of the film via the People’s Emergency screening map (‘nebriefing.org/screening-map’ ). For instance, a screening at Princes Risborough’s Wade Centre is on 15 July.

You might also want to sign the petition created by TV environmentalist Chris Packham calling for the Government to “Hold a UK-wide briefing on climate and nature risks” (Search for ‘Petition.Parliament.UK’)

David Blackmore, Chair of Climate Action Wendover, said: “Without question, the changing climate will have a significant impact on our lives and those of our families, friends and neighbours. The interest in our event in Wendover, as across the UK, shows that the public want action to be taken to help the country to minimise the impact, and to prepare and adapt. While the film message is shocking it is also encouraging. There are compelling economic reasons for acting now on Net Zero and we can and must respond with urgency and commitment.”

Attendee Melanie Collins, Wendoverbased teacher, said of the event: “I found it inspiring. As a geography teacher, these are things I teach every day but tonight was a good reminder that these lessons aren’t just for an exam, this is real-world, ultimately a matter of life and death. It was great to see familiar TV faces using their influence to help make people sit up and take notice, because we should be treating this as an emergency.”

Wendy Teverson, local business owner (Bread and Brew Café in Wendover),

CLAW EV car share project

Four local parish councils are investigating an EV project that has been a success in Haddenham to understand if it could also work in Wendover, Weston Turville, Halton and Stoke Mandeville. Look out for a link to a questionnaire in the next edition of Wendover News

The project in Haddenham is run by ZIMBL which provides a sustainable, electric car rental service. Offering cost effective and convenient, by-the-hour car hire, it aims to provide a viable alternative to car ownership, particularly for little-used second (or third!) cars. Users book a car via the app, which then also functions as their key, and pay only for the time they use the vehicle and any electricity over and above the 5kW included in each booking (roughly 15 miles’ worth).

There are no joining or membership fees.

The unique feature that sets the ZIMBL service apart from car clubs you may have

added: “The messages from last night have really stayed with me and I think we need to get them to the younger generation so they can help drive change. I would love to see the film screened at festivals to help reach a more diverse audience. The messages on food particularly resonated with me as a food business owner, and we will continue our drive to support local suppliers, reduce waste and increase our sustainability. Watching this screening made me want this more, not just for the business but for my children and grandchildren.”

Following the film, the audience discussed their reaction and what they feel can or should be done in response.

Climate Action Wendover members also briefly outlined local environmental projects, including: the launch of Energise Buckinghamshire, a new community energy offering (see below); an EV car share pilot scheme (see below); ‘Sustainable Streets’, an initiative supporting clean travel in Weston Turville; local biodiversity projects; and efforts to identify land for Community Growing to help reduce food security risk.

seen in larger towns and cities is that delivery is included in the cost. So the car is dropped off at your door before the booking starts and then collected afterwards. First-time users also receive a full briefing on how the car and the app work. The delivered model is much better suited to more rural areas and means the service could cover the four parishes with a small fleet of cars initially.

The aim is to provide residents with a service that could potentially save them significant sums of money over car ownership, whilst also helping them to driver cleaner, more environmentally friendly vehicles. At the same time, the parishes as a whole could benefit from a reduction in the number of parked cars on the streets.

Richard Williams: Helping shape the next chapter

Wendover News is delighted to introduce Richard Williams, who recently joined the Board of Directors of the Wendover News Community Interest Company (CIC) and is expected to be formally appointed Chair at the Board's July meeting.

As Wendover News continues to grow following its transition to community ownership, Richard brings extensive leadership experience, professional expertise and a long-standing commitment to local causes. His appointment comes at an exciting time as the organisation looks to strengthen its position as a trusted source of local news while exploring new opportunities to engage readers and support the wider community.

Richard has lived in Wendover with his wife Helen for almost 30 years and raised their three sons here. During a legal career spanning nearly 35 years, he advised boards on governance, strategy and decision-making. Since retiring, he has dedicated more time to local organisations, including WRAP, WAVUS, St Mary's Church PCC, the Wendover HS2 Mitigation Action Group and Aylesbury Grammar School.

In his own words he told us: "I am really excited to be joining the board of Wendover News. I love what it does and have always been an avid reader. I am looking forward to helping oversee the running of the business behind the magazine and online platforms and enabling the editorial team to get on with what they do best – providing an amazing service to our community."

Richard describes himself as “one of those who do” and his track record certainly bears that out. Whether helping local organisations navigate challenges, supporting families resettling in the area, or helping secure funding for important community projects,

P KERNAN

he has consistently sought ways to contribute to village life.

In addition, Richard's passion for Wendover is clear ... "Wendover is a place that has a fantastic community. The High Street is brilliant. Everyone wants to help everyone else. It's a friendly place and there's nowhere I would rather live. The surrounding villages are equally wonderful with so much to offer. "

Looking ahead, he sees opportunities to attract younger audiences, embrace digital channels and ensure Wendover News continues to thrive.

"I think Wendover News is a brilliant asset for the community and I'm really looking forward to making it work even better than it does now."

For anyone considering becoming involved, whether through writing, photography, digital content, social media or supporting the organisation in other ways, Richard has an open invitation:

“What I’ve seen so far is a great team and one you would really want to work with.

Contributing to Wendover News is a really valuable thing to do for the community.”

As Wendover News prepares for its next chapter, Richard's combination of professional expertise, community leadership and enthusiasm for the area will help ensure the whole organisation continues to inform, connect and celebrate local communities for years to come.

TREE SURGERY LTD

You are not alone: Dementia support close to home

By Jo Durden-Moore

Memory loss and dementia can affect not only those living with the condition, but also their families, friends and carers. As the number of people living with dementia continues to grow, a range of local organisations are providing valuable support, helping people stay connected, active and informed. For those seeking friendship and informal support the Memory Café at the Chilterns Neuro Centre Oakwood Close (Wendover HP22 5LX) provides a free monthly gathering. Run in partnership with Ashridge Home Care, the café meets on the first Friday of every month from 10am to 12 noon. Visitors can enjoy quizzes, puzzles, singing, refreshments and conversation, while carers can access practical advice and information about supporting loved ones living with dementia. Attendance is free and parking is available on site. For more information, contact hello@ ashridgehomecare.co.uk.

Memory Pathways at Lindengate welcomes anyone living with memory loss or mild to moderate dementia, together with their

carers. Held on the first, third and last Fridays of each month from 10.30am to 12.30pm, the sessions offer nature-based activities, arts and crafts, singing, poetry and reminiscence in a relaxed outdoor setting. Participants can attend with or without a carer, where appropriate. Sessions cost £5 per person and include tea, coffee and homemade cakes. For further information contact referrals@ lindengate.org.uk

Carers can also access dedicated support through the Carer Support Group Aylesbury, facilitated by a Dementia Adviser. Meeting on the third Wednesday of each month at the Community Wellbeing Hub on the Bucks New University campus Aylesbury, the group provides a safe and supportive environment to ask questions, share experiences and gain practical guidance. Places can be booked by contacting 01296 718956 or emailing bucks. memorysupport@nhs.net

The Big Green Picnic On 22 July at Wendover Christian Centre will celebrate nature, connection and Dementia support. Local community groups and families can enjoy a free, inclusive event designed to help people living with dementia, their carers and loved ones. Part of a nationwide initiative led by Dementia Adventure and supported locally by Right at Home Aylesbury Vale, it was designed to help people living with dementia, their carers and families enjoy the benefits of nature and community

connection.

Wendover Dementia Support holds weekly Monday Club Café sessions for friendship, fun and a sense of well-being at the Christian Centre, Aylesbury Road, Wendover. Participants are invited to spend time with friends, enjoy games and crafts and maybe sing or dance to live music, or just enjoy a coffee and a piece of cake. Their award-winning service also includes professional advice and support for those who need it most, including families. For more information see www.wendoverds.org.uk

All of these services offer far more than activities and information - they provide reassurance, understanding and companionship. For anyone affected by memory loss or dementia, the message is simple: you are not alone, and support is available close to home.

Foot Healthcare

By Dawn Smith

Wendover Library Summer 2026

By Francis Tipper and Jane Larkham

Summer is here so the library is overflowing with activities...

There is a Short Story Competition for anyone over 16, to be submitted by the closing date 30 September 2026. This year the stories must be on the theme of crime

Stories must be the original and unpublished work of the entrant and not previously entered in any other competition.

Authors should create their own story title and the story should be on the theme of crime and include a library book and a train ticket.

The author’s name should NOT appear on the submitted document.

Manuscripts must be typed in 1.5 line spacing and submitted as a Word document

The word limit is 1,000 (excluding title) with the wordcount entered at the end of the story.

This FREE TO ENTER competition is open to everyone over the age of 16 (at the closing date). Only one entry per author.

Failure to comply with any of the rules could result in the entrant’s work being withdrawn from the competition.

Entries should be emailed to fowlmembers@hotmail.com with ‘Short Story Competition’ in the subject line.

Other activities organised by Bucks Library Service will include a Reading Challenge and lots more to be announced in future.

Say “cheese!”

Every year, Wendover Library holds a Photography Competition and entries for this year can still be submitted up to the closing date of 31 July.

There is no specific theme for the photographs - they just have to demonstrate the beautiful landscape, events and wildlife in and around Wendover and local villages.

The only technical restriction is that they must be in landscape, not portrait, format and high resolution for printing.

Your photos which will be judged by library users when they are displayed in the library following the closing of the competition and the winner announced at the WAFTAs later in the year.

Please send your submissions to Ron Melville at fowlmembers@hotmail.com

If you haven’t visited the library yet, it’s just off the High Street (HP22 6DU). You can find full details by searching for “Wendover Community Library” on the Buckinghamshire Council website.

Upcoming Wendover LIbrary talks

The Rise of the Metropolitan and Great Central Railways

Discover the golden age of steam and speed and how two visionary railway companies changed the face of British travel forever.

Step back in time and join local railway enthusiast Graham Williamson for an unmissable talk on Thursday 27 August from 2.30pm when he will be exploring the extraordinary story of the Metropolitan and Great Central Railways.

Graham will explore with you key railway themes including the development of The First Commuter Belt and discover how these pioneering lines expanded the Metropolitan Line to Rickmansworth and created the modern commuter lifestyle in the beautiful Chilterns.

Also learn about the Metropolitan Miracle and how joining the Metropolitan Line with the Buckingham to Aylesbury Line created the biggest “Underground” network

Discover England’s Mighty Lost Mainline – how the creation of the Metropolitan and Great Central Joint Railway connected our towns to a network spanning across the Midlands and the industrial North.

Coming up to date discuss how the Track Returning to the Public and the Aylesbury to Marylebone Line joining the Nationalised Network in Autumn might impact your train travel?

Whether you are a dedicated railway enthusiast like Graham or simply love local history, this journey through the past is for you.

My Life is Murder - Confessions of a policing journalist and crime fiction fan. It would be a crime to miss our talk on Thursday 23 July when journalist Carol Jenkins will lift the lid on her life reporting on crime and policing and her love of true crime fiction and TV cop dramas.

Carol will explain why she is known to police for all of the right reasons when she provides an arresting insight into her

action-packed career that has spanned 30 years.

During this time, she’s written about some of the most notorious crimes including the Yorkshire Ripper murders, the Soham murders and the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation.

She’s interviewed many of the top detectives and experts whose specialist skills have helped solve these challenging investigations and she’ll outline what skills and qualities that are needed to be a successful detective.

Her talk ‘My Life is Murder’ will provide a whistlestop tour of her career not only reporting about crime cases but also how she set up her business, The Investigator which provides training for detectives from the UK and internationally in a range of crime disciplines including digital forensics and financial investigations.

Carol will give a personal insight about her love of crime fiction and authors which include Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, James Ellroy, Lynda La Plante and Minette Walters.

She’s also a big fan of TV crime dramas including Murder She Wrote which stars Angela Lansbury as her sleuthing alter ego, Jessica Fletcher.

She’ll regale us with tales of how she secured a personal meeting with Angela Lansbury backstage at a London theatre and how she was lucky enough to interview her idol crime drama doyenne Lynda La Plante in the author’s kitchen.

The talk will feature tales about her brief time as an extra on the hit TV show Midsomer Murders in which she got to see

first-hand how the popular drama is filmed against the backdrop of some of the most picturesque villages in the Chilterns.

Audience members will be invited to discuss why they think crime fiction and TV crime is so popular and to share their personal favourites.

The talk will start at 2.30pm and will provide more details of the Saturday Sleuths Crime Fiction Book Club that Carol runs at the library on the second Saturday of each month. Contact: carol@the-investigator.co.uk Places are limited for both talks so ask one of the volunteers at the library to add your name to the attendee list or contact frances@ spokenwordltd.com

Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

By Richard Byford

If you are interested in HS2 you may have seen the news that Mark Wild, CEO of HS2, announced the initial conclusions of his work to ‘reset’ the project. The headline was that the cost of HS2 may go up to £102.7 billion, and it may not open to passengers until 2039. But what does this mean for Wendover, Stoke Mandeville and the surrounding areas?

Wild acknowledged that this would be a huge disappointment to taxpayers and the affected communities. He said, “From the budget set in April 2020, it was £42 billion or £43 billion. The numbers have doubled in five years.” He spoke at a progress update session to a Commons Select committee on 20 May.

The national media made a bad-news story out of the cost and schedule announcement but omitted some details. In the meeting, these were explained as the ‘worst case’, with the estimated cost and completion ranging from £87.7 to £102.7 billion and completion between Old Oak Common and Birmingham’s Curzon Street between 2036 and 2039.

He and his team have been working to establish a detailed baseline since he took up the job fifteen months before the meeting. He took on the role after successfully completing a similar task on Crossrail (now called ‘The Elizabeth Line’). His focus has been on establishing future needs and status of the project, rather than looking into past failures. In the update meeting, he was careful not to criticise people involved in the past, though he made comments about counter-productive practices and approaches he has changed.

What about Wendover and Stoke Mandeville?

You may well imagine that HS2 is all about digging holes, moving earth around and building big concrete structures. That’s how it has been in Wendover for the past five years. This civil engineering phase is the first stage of building the railway, and the most disruptive. Civil work is scheduled to be finished by the summer of 2029, at which point all structures should be complete, the green tunnel backfilled, and all spoil material placed into its final position. Most construction compounds will be removed, areas restored, and final landscaping and planting completed. The

worst of the visual impact of HS2 on the local area should be over, and the area should start to recover.

The civil work completion date of 2029 depends on the weather. There is still work to move spoil and reshape the landscape. Dump trucks used for moving spoil between excavations and stockpiles – and vice versa –can only be used between the end of March and October when the haul road is dry. Last year was a good one in that respect. The estimate of completing civils before 2029 is realistic and includes a reasonable allowance for bad weather.

Ellesborough Road has always been a pinch point, because the cutting is narrow, and all site construction traffic has had to go under the Bailey Bridge, not being allowed on public roads. Large lorries in the area have been carrying pre-cast concrete components from Derbyshire, or crushed rock, and other materials ‘imported’ to the site from one of the railheads inside the M25.

All spoil that is destined to be used north and south of Ellesborough Road is already

there. Spoil needed to make up the Small Dean North Embankment between the viaduct and Bacombe lane will be carried over the road and railway by trucks going over the viaduct itself. By the time you read this, the conveyor system that crossed the road just beyond the viaduct just outside Wendover will be being dismantled. This will include overnight closures (8.30 pm to 5.30 am) scheduled from Friday 3 July to Thursday 9 July. Some of the concrete barriers from along the side of the road will also be removed.

Changing the view

Over the next three years, the landscape around HS2 will change. In many cases, it will be restored to its former levels, but in some cases, the land shape will change permanently.

From Great Missenden to the Rocky Lane, high land on the edge of hills will have been cut through and other areas raised by building embankments.

The Wendover Dean viaduct, halfway between Wendover and Great Missenden, will

Photo: Richard Byford

be the most conspicuous construction. Others include bridges over HS2 for minor roads, bridleways, and footpaths.

The road coming into Wendover from the south will look different. To get the rail track up to the deck level, it will be on a new embankment over the Rocky Lane underbridge, growing higher as it reaches the viaduct.

The location of the track, noise barriers, and other elements will be slightly higher than they are now. Being on the western side of the road, this should not cut out much light from the road, but it will cast some shadow over the road, especially in winter when the sun is low in the morning.

The trackbed on the Wendover side of the viaduct, where HS2 starts running parallel to the Wendover bypass, will be on an embankment. The noise barrier will be visible from the area of St Mary’s church, but an earth rampart and the existing trees will hide much of it. This embankment then gets lower until, as it nears Bacombe Lane, it enters the green tunnel.

EKFB are making good progress on the main structure of the green tunnel. Most of it has been straightforward, but joining the two sides under the restricted height of the Bailey and nearby utilities bridges requires a purpose-made crane (see photo on the right).

Once the final pieces are in place, the backfilling beside and over the green tunnel will be completed. The Bailey bridge won’t be removed any time soon: completion of the backfill, re-routing of utilities, and reinstatement of the original road may take another two years or more.

Beyond both ends of the existing prefabricated tunnel, EKFB will construct slightly flared structures with specially positioned apertures to reduce the sound created when trains enter and leave the tunnels. These acoustic portals will remain uncovered, but should be hidden be hidden from view from most angles. Both ends of the tunnel will have access points from the bypass and also low-height buildings to contain machinery and maintenance facilities.

Stoke Mandeville

From the northern (Stoke Mandeville) end of the green tunnel, the track will stay in a cutting until about 400m beyond the new Nash Lee Road bridge. Also in that cutting will be the Stoke Grove auto transformer station. Auto transformers will be sited every few kilometres along the track and regulate the power feed to the railway.

The railway will expand from two to four tracks for about 1km, over the area which was formerly the original village of Stoke Mandeville and St Mary’s church. A substation (Nash Lee package) will be sited at the Stoke Road end. This area will be visibly shielded by trees, and between the Old Risborough Road and Marsh Lane, by earthwork banking. Battles have been lost to HS2 in the past –Jones Wood is a notable case – but we expect EKFB to do a good job of restoring all other disturbed land to a state that it will eventually start to merge in with the natural landscape. The Wendover HS2 Mitigation Action Group, The Chiltern Society, various parish councils, and other groups have kept pressure on HS2 decision-makers over the years.

What happens after EKFB leaves?

When EKFB leaves, only the EK part of the consortium will demobilise. The ‘FB’ part, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall joint-venture, will start the next phase of HS2 under a different contract for the railway systems.

They will oversee the design and construction of the HS2 track infrastructure, manage construction logistics, and support the testing and commissioning phase. As the principal contractor, they will be responsible for most aspects of the railway from Old Oak Common to the terminus at Birmingham Curzon Street, including the design and construction of the Infrastructure Maintenance Depot at Calvert and substantial works at the northern end of the line.

The main strategic site for the installation of the railway in our area will be the Infrastructure Maintenance Depot (IMD) at Calvert, north of Aylesbury. It will initially serve as a construction railhead, using its connection to the existing rail network. This opens the possibility of long welded rail and concrete track slabs arriving by rail, rather than by road.

The railway

The sequence of installation will begin with the erection of the structures for the overhead catenary

systems, which will hold the cables supplying electricity to the trains. Once these are up, the track bed will be prepared ready for the placement of the pre-cast slabs that will hold the rails.

Railways have traditionally been laid on to wooden or concrete sleepers, over crushed rock ballast for drainage and to prevent movement during freezing conditions. Like most high-speed railways, HS2 will be using pre-cast slabs, made off site, except in the stations, where concrete will be poured directly.

At this point, the long welded rails will be put in place and joined into a continuous length using an in-situ high temperature process. Once the railway is usable, it will carry construction vehicles that will create troughs for cables. This will be followed by rigging the overhead power cables.

Lastly all the other line-side equipment will be put in place for signalling, control systems, communications and monitoring. Multiple teams will work on the route simultaneously, meaning that the installation of the railway and its associated control, power and communications system, could be installed in less than three years.

From the outside, the railway might look finished by about 2035, except for the absence of regular trains. Every element of the HS2 will need to be tested for safety, operational efficiency and maintainability. These processes could take another three years in total.

Hopefully, by then the communities along the line, the landscape and natural environment will have gone a long way in the process of adapting to the ‘new normal’.

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A specialist crane was built for the task of lifting the green tunnel segments into place where there is limited headroom. Photo: Ken Darvill

HS2 update

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

In Stoke Mandeville, structural works at the new pedestrian and cycle underpass on Risborough Road continue to progress. The main concrete deck is now in place and waterproofing will begin shortly ahead of the backfilling later this year.

Nearby, we have also completed the concrete deck pours for the SMA/9 overbridge and have started installing parapets. This structure will carry a public right of way as well as provide access for nearby landowners. Both structures are expected to open to the public in 2027.

Further north, the Aylesbury embankment is advancing well and landscaping works are progressing across the site. In May, sections of a new pedestrian and bridleway bridge were delivered, the largest sections of steel seen in our area, and the two parts of the SBH/19 steel truss bridge will be assembled and installed later this summer. This structure is also due to open to the public in 2027. You can view the delivery of the steel on the HS2 website.

Alongside construction activity, we remain committed to supporting local communities. With a busy programme of summer events ahead, we are pleased to be sponsoring a number of local initiatives, including YardFest Hampden Meadow in Wendover, Party in the Park in Stoke Mandeville, and The Lee Flower Show.

If you would like to read more about the works and view the advance works notices and maps, then please go to HS2 website www.hs2.org.uk and click the ‘in your area section’ to view the interactive map. Alternatively, if you have a question about HS2 please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@ hs2.org.uk

Green Tunnel getting closer

A large red crane is now being used to install the final section of the concrete tunnel shell under the Ellesborough Road bridges (photo bottom left). The 64 wheeled crane was specifically designed for this job and means that there is no need to divert local traffic from continuing to use the bailey bridge over the cutting.

Small Dean Viaduct now in use

A significant project milestone is that the viaduct is now being used to allow dump trucks to cross over the A413 and Chiltern Line allowing material to be moved to form the Small Dean North Embankment (photo above). The huge size of the trucks can be seen in the space between the safety kerbs that will accommodate two railway tracks in future. This means the green conveyor system installed in 2022 is now redundant and will be removed with nighttime closures of the A413 from 3 to 9 July.

Rocky Lane Closure

Large concrete parapet wall sections need to be installed on the bridge over Rocky Lane and this will need a full 24 hour closure of the road for about two weeks from 27 July until 10 August. The traffic diversion is using the A413 to Missenden, Frith Hill and Kings Lane.

Spring Chamber completion

By the time you read this the construction of the “Spring Chamber” in the meadow close to Kings Farm Shop should be completed, and increasing the flow of water into Stoke Brook.

Bowood Lane bringing into use

Pedestrians and cyclists have been able to use the new bridge at Bowood Lane for some time. A full closure of the lane is currently planned for 7 to 16 July to modify the road layout for all traffic. With Leather Lane also

closed for bridge construction, walkers will be able to use Rocky Lane to get from the A413 to The Lee. We’ve confirmed that if there are changes to the plan that there will always be one route available.

HS2 Project Reset

The long awaited HS2 Project Reset findings were announced in May with two key features from a Wendover perspective. Firstly, that HS2 are expecting all the civil engineering to be completed to allow handover for the ‘Railways Systems’ installation to start in 2029. This means that all the earthmoving, tunnel, cutting, embankment, bridge and road realignment works will probably be finished in 2028 with just the final landscaping and fencing the year after. Secondly, that train services between Old Oak Common and Birmingham are now expected to start running at some point ‘between May 2036 and October 2039’. With the Railway Systems being delivered along the route from Calvert, there should be no real impact on the local community for about 10 years.

Looking ahead…

We’re busy now on the landscaping and future train noise mitigation issues identified as the key community priorities, as the designs will get finalised this summer. We’re not happy with the current proposals, so have increased the pressure on the decision makers. In the last month we’ve had technical challenge sessions with the HS2 designers, meetings with Bucks Councillors and Officers, formal escalation to the HS2 Chief Executive, and MP Greg Smith asking the DfT Secretary of State in the House of Commons to get more done on our behalf.

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.

A strip of land beside Wendover (part 2)

By Richard Byford

In part one last month, we looked at the changes that had been made to land next to Wendover in the 20th century. The piece in question is currently the construction site for the HS2 green tunnel. Now we go back to the 19th century, when there was little to see on the western side of Dobbins Lane, except open fields and a few sheep and cows.

During the 1800s, the country was caught up in the busiest phase of the industrial revolution. Up until then Wendover, Stoke Mandeville and Weston Turville would have looked like little villages, relying mainly on agriculture. At the end of the previous century, the canal had connected Wendover to markets of London and other parts of the country, and hay for the city’s horses was one of the town’s main exports. Wendover was only really a ‘town’ because in 1464 it was given a royal charter from King Edward IV to hold a weekly market.

A horse-drawn coach ran from Wendover to Holborn daily, but there were no busy roads going out in any other direction. No cars, of course, just carts and carriages drawn by horses and oxen.

The contrast with London would have been dramatic. Most of the business of the country was done in the city. It was also one of the largest ports, which in turn needed labour and industry. It was odorous, unhygienic and not somewhere most people wanted to live. Then steam trains were invented and people with money realised that they could live in the country and travel into the city to work.

On Tuesday 18 March 1890, a large crowd of people assembled in a field called ‘Long Piece’ near the Shoulder of Mutton pub in Wendover. There, General Philip Smith, the lord of the manor, broke the first sod for construction of a new railway line that would extend the existing Metropolitan line further out from London, and beyond the posh new suburbs, as far as Aylesbury.

It is said that there were many speeches, expressing confidence in the future of Wendover. When the speeches were over, a large steam excavator started digging the first proper part of what would soon become the largest cutting on the whole railway going into London. The machine – more often known as a ’steam navvy’ - lifted huge chunks out of the ground, replacing many of the human navvies that only decades earlier would have been using picks and shovels and loading the excavated material into horsedrawn carts.

It is likely that the excavation would have

been started in an area where the station is now. Chalk would have been taken from the slightly rising ground to build up the lower land in the direction of Aylesbury. A temporary railway track would have been used to transport the spoil as the permanent way would not have been laid until later.

Less than 30 months later, on 1 September 1892, an even bigger crowd gathered to celebrate the line opening. It had taken 30 months to build the line out to Amersham and then on to Aylesbury, including building four completely new stations, all the bridges, level crossings and signal boxes. The bill for the whole project was said to have been over £350,000 pounds! Times have changed.

If you would like to know more about the Metropolitan railway and its effect on Wendover and the surrounding area, make a note in your diary to hear local railway enthusiast Graham Williamson talk about it, at Wendover Library on Thursday 27 August. See page 25 for details.

Construction camp?

While all the work was going on, the constructors would have needed places to accommodate the workers, store materials and repair equipment. They would also have needed somewhere to feed and rest the horses, plus coal and water to keep the steam excavator fed and watered.

In previous decades much more work was done by humans and horses, and it was normal practice to set up ‘camps’ along the route. These would have been of huts and tents, much as you will have seen in ‘wildwest’ films. Very often workers would take their wives and families with them.

The use of the steam navvies would have reduced the need for manpower considerably, but not to the extent that a camp would not have been required. It is quite likely that our strip of land’ was used for that purpose. It was reasonably flat, had access to the North via Nash Lee Road for workers and materials arriving from the existing railway at Aylesbury. One very important thing that is always required for a camp – even today – is a source of water.

There was, of course, the canal. But much closer to the possible site and hidden from view for the best part of a century, was a ‘draw well’ which seemed to have no real purpose to be there otherwise. To put it in a modern context, it was not far from the

corner of the former cricket club grounds and about 250m from where the Bailey bridge is now.

Until HS2 came along, it was said to have been covered by a steel sheet, but not many people would have known that there was a well underneath. When the trench for the green tunnel was excavated, it was left sticking up in the middle like a pyramid and easily seen from the temporary Bailey bridge. HS2 had been using the well to monitor underground water levels.

Maps through the years show the changing field boundaries and hedgerows. On the 1620 map of Wendover, the area was covered by an array of small and medium sized fields. Not all of them had hedgerows as boundaries, but hedges were cheaper than fences and didn’t need maintenance. They were also useful for growing timber and tree crops. Ralph Ludlow who was born and brought up at the nearby Wellwick farm, remembers a proud row of Elm trees along the field boundary nearest the cottage he lived in. By the turn of the century, many of the field boundaries had disappeared and it seems quite likely that the ‘Narrow’, as our strip of land was called, was only useful for rough pasture.

Bringing in the steam plough

According to Ralph, the Narrow may have come under the plough for the first time in the late 1920s or 1930s.

He remembers his father telling him that Fred Spittles, who then farmed the area, hired a steam plough team to turn over the soil, ready for planting.

A five-person steam-plough team would have brought with them two big steam tractors, each with a powered spool of rope or wire mounted under the boiler. A heavy double ended plough would be dragged on the rope to the other end of field, then tractors would move forward a set distance, the ‘jib’ dropped to bring the other ploughshares into contact and the other tractor would draw it back.

“I remember dad telling me”, said Ralph, “that the gang leader dismissed the idea that his rope wouldn’t be long enough, because it was half a mile long. They ended up having to do it in two goes!”

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Hedges - nature’s enduring value

By Sean McCarthy

Walking in the beautiful countryside around Wendover and the other lovely local villages, it is impossible not to notice the abundance and diversity of hedgerows but how many of us really understand the true value of this ubiquitous feature? Did you know hedgerows are our countryside’s largest and most diverse wildlife habitat, vital to reversing the decline of biodiversity and tackling climate change.

Hedgerows are a multi-talented natural asset that sit at the intersection of landscape history, farming, ecology and local identity. Not only have they traditionally marked field boundaries, kept stock in and cattle rustlers out, they are also a refuge, larder and thoroughfare for a huge variety of wild animals and flowers.

Some of these animals are rare and endangered. For example, the hazel dormouse, song thrush, yellowhammer and the whiteletter hairstreak butterfly, to large extent rely on hedgerows for their survival. Hedgerows act as wildlife corridors, often being the main route for animals that traverse long distances through the hedgerow network. For them, crossing an open field leaves them vulnerable to predation. Interestingly, bats such as the common pipistrelle are thought to use hedgerows as navigation routes at night.

In the post war years, in a period of agricultural intensification with hedges being grubbed out to create larger fields with access for heavy equipment, England was thought to have lost up to 500,000 linear miles of farm hedgerows, removing maybe up to half the total amount of hedges from the pre war period. Farmers are now encouraged to restore and conserve hedgerows and their habitats by the Government. However, there are still strong debates over how farm hedges can be managed economically, balancing the environmental needs and the practices of the farm. This balance includes how frequently and how severely a hedge should be cut. Fortunately, the farmland around Wendover and much of the Chilterns did not suffer the same fate as some of the “prairie land farms” found in other parts of England. The medieval

field boundaries are still seen in much of the local farm landscape, and local farmers are keen to protect and restore these valuable natural assets, even encouraging old practices of hedge laying on their land.

Not all hedges are created equal. Because farmers can receive payment for repairing and restoring traditional hedgerows, Natural England and ecologists have had to define what is meant by a hedgerow. In the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan “a hedgerow is any boundary line of trees or shrubs that is over 20 meters long and less than 5 meters wide”. Crucially, this definition states that a hedgerow is not just the bushes; it is also any earth banks, ditches, trees and native wildflowers within two meters of its centre.

The official farmland hedgerow definition is fine, but it would not include the miles of less agricultural hedges such as a stretch of recently planted beech hedge around an industrial park or the thousands of miles of hedgerow along our local roads, railways and canals. Obviously, a medieval farm hedge is probably more ecologically beneficial than a new garden hedge, primarily because the former creates a corridor between diverse habitats. A newly-planted hedge is like a newly-built housing estate. An ancient hedge is like an old village that has accumulated residents, traditions and connections over many generations.

But why should we be concerned about protecting and restoring hedgerows? One challenge is that “linear priority habitats” including hedgerows and field margins, are not always taken into account in planning applications and even Natural England does not include the full extent of hedgerows in their priority habitat reports.

Even though a hedgerow is one of the most characteristic features of the Wendover local environment, they do not appear in detail on most maps and only as recently as 2025 has Natural England worked with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Wallingford to create a comprehensive map of the country’s hedgerows. Given the adage “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”, environmentally vital hedgerows are often not properly considerd in development plans.

With the huge amount of development taking place in our region, the public should be aware of the cumulative damage caused by removing hedgerows. Road building, construction of new homes and of course HS2 have all led to the destruction of ancient hedgerows. Local conservation groups including the Chilterns Conservation Board have frequently identified the shortcomings

of the planning system that does not consider the true economic and environmental benefits of hedgerows destroyed by major civil projects.

In addition to providing habitat benefits, hedgerows offer an often-overlooked environmental service, significant carbon capture and storage within both the above-ground plants and the soil biome.

Not surprisingly an ancient hedgerow with its extensive root network and dense above ground bushes store 40 tonnes more carbon than adjacent grassland, but even when compared to new woodland, hedgerows have a three-dimensional linear structure, sunlight is never scarce. This allows them to capture carbon at up to twice the annual rate of some standard woodlands. The implication being that it may be preferable to direct resources at planting and restoring hedgerows as opposed to new woodlands, with the added benefit of not taking additional land from food production or other uses. However, planting both hedgerows and woods should be encouraged. Other, little considered environmental services of hedgerows during planning applications include acting as windbreaks, reducing dry soil degradation and loss. Hedgerows and their associated ditches help reduce flooding and manage water resources, they can act as sound barriers alongside roads, and visible screens to mask the presence of unattractive infrastructure.

One of the intentions of this article is to raise public awareness of the many important benefits provided by the common or garden hedgerow, so often ignored because they have always been with us and hopefully encourage the local community to take seriously any threats to our hedgerows and be ready to protect these wonderful countryside features if and when the need arises.

If you would like to learn more about hedgerows, it is worth looking at the national organisation Hedgelink (www.hedgelink. org.uk) who run the annual Hedgerow Week and have excellent resources for researchers, schools and general nature enthusiasts. Other local organisations with an interest in hedgerows include Chilterns National Landscape; Chilterns Society; Climate Action Wendover; the Parish Councils and Bucks Council.

Future articles about hedgerows in Wendover News will touch on topics including hedge laying, historic boundaries, foraging for food in hedgerows and future restoration initiatives.

Princess Mary Hospital – what’s in a road name?

By Sean McCarthy

If you walk up to Wendover Woods through Princess Mary Gate, or live on the development, you may have noticed some intriguing road names along the way. Many are obviously associated with the RAF and, because the development was built on the site of the RAF’s Princess Mary Hospital, most of the newer roads are directly linked to senior medics who either worked at the hospital or had a notable impact on RAF medical services.

Because aviation was still new and dangerous, the injuries suffered by RAF airmen often required pioneering treatments. As a result, when it opened in 1927, Princess Mary Hospital attracted remarkable doctors, surgeons and nurses whose achievements are now commemorated in the road names at Princess Mary Gate.

The original road names established at the hospital included Babington Road, named after Air Marshal Sir John Tremayne Babington, Station Commander of RAF Halton and Commandant of No. 1 School of Technical Training from 1935, who helped establish the famous aircraft apprentice scheme at Halton. Ironically, Sir John Babington should not be confused with Dr Anthony Babington, a senior RAF officer who became a leading specialist in artificial limb rehabilitation but is not thought to have been involved with Halton.

The other original roads include Lambe Road, named after Air Vice-Marshal Sir Charles Lambe, a First World War hero and Commandant of RAF Halton from 1924 to 1928; Longcroft Avenue, after Air Vice-Marshal Sir Charles Longcroft, the first Commandant of the RAF College Cranwell; Portal Road, commemorating Air Chief Marshal Viscount Charles Portal, operational

head of the RAF during the Second World War; Scarlett Avenue, after Air Vice-Marshal Francis Scarlett, the first Commandant of RAF Halton; and Trenchard Avenue, named for Marshal of the RAF Lord Hugh Trenchard, widely regarded as the “Father of the Royal Air Force”.

Following the closure of Princess Mary Hospital in 1996 and the construction of new housing from 2008 onwards, additional roads needed new names. It was decided to honour the distinguished RAF medical heritage by using the names of RAF hospitals, including Uxbridge, Cosford, Ely and Nocton Hall.

More individual recognition was given through road names commemorating heroes of RAF medical history, especially some remarkable women. Ogilvie Close is named after Sister Iris Ogilvie MBE, one of only two female PMRAFNS nurses among the first to land in Normandy and later help liberate Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Cruickshank Drive is named after Dame Joanna Cruickshank, the distinguished military nurse who founded the Royal Air Force Nursing Service in November 1918 and oversaw the establishment and high standards of nursing services at Halton. Likewise, Giles Road commemorates Dame Pauline Giles, Matron-in-Chief of Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service.

Scientists and medical innovators have also been remembered in local road names. Fleming Road honours Sir Alexander Fleming, the globally acknowledged discoverer of penicillin, first used on a large scale at Princess Mary Hospital before going on to save millions of lives worldwide.

Cade Place is named after Air Vice-Marshal Sir Stanford Cade, the brilliant cancer specialist who greatly improved the efficiency and standards of the RAF Medical Branch from the Second World War onwards.

Jackson Place commemorates Wing Commander Sir Ralph Jackson, who led the team that developed and implemented the first mobile renal unit capable of being transported into combat zones anywhere in the world, enabling advanced renal treatment to be available globally.

There is also McIndoe Drive, named after the world-famous Sir Archibald McIndoe, who pioneered reconstructive surgery for badly burned RAF airmen during the Second World War, transforming survival rates and laying the foundations for modern plastic and rehabilitative surgery. However, there is some local controversy as McIndoe never worked at Halton, whereas Air Vice-Marshal George Morley worked alongside McIndoe in pioneering reconstructive surgery for injured RAF aircrew and later developed RAF plastic surgery services at RAF Halton. Perhaps George Morley, a very local hero, may yet be commemorated in a future road-naming project.

For completeness, there are two further roads, Wood Lane and Oakwood Close, which are assumed to derive their names from the beautiful, wooded hillside above Princess Mary Gate.

In addition, there are three roads for which the author has been unable to identify the provenance: Caudrey Place, Jeannie Arm Road and Parrin Drive. If any reader can shed light on the origins of these names, the team at Wendover News would be very grateful.

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Club Corner

New padel club serves up community spirit in Weston Turville

By Jo Durden-Moore

Four local entrepreneurs have brought one of the world’s fastest-growing sports to the heart of the Chilterns with the opening of a new padel facility in Weston Turville.

Padel King officially opened its doors on 15 June at Aylesbury Rugby Football Club, the result of a collaboration between local founders Garry, Matthew, Steve and Nigel, who saw an opportunity to create a highquality sporting and social venue for the local community.

The four founders had all experienced first-hand the growing popularity of padel and the lack of facilities close to home. “We were all travelling quite a distance to play,” explained Nigel. “There was nothing local. We were driving to places like Chesham and Great Missenden, and we knew there was demand for something closer to home.”

Work on the site began last November, with the team originally hoping to open at Easter. However, unexpected drainage issues delayed the project by several weeks before the courts could finally welcome their first players.

Despite the setbacks, the founders never lost sight of their vision: creating a facility that is about much more than simply hiring a court. “We’re trying to build a club atmosphere,” said Garry. “People can pay and play, but we also want to create a real community around the sport.” That community focus runs throughout the project. Membership packages are available, but casual players

are equally welcome, and the club plans to organise regular social events, coaching sessions and mix-ins, where players of similar abilities can meet and play together.

Padel, which is usually played in doubles on an enclosed court, has exploded in popularity across Europe and is now experiencing rapid growth throughout the UK.

“It isn’t a game of power,” explained one of the club’s coaches. “It’s a game of skill. People can pick it up quite quickly and enjoy it almost straight away.”

The accessibility of padel is one of the reasons the founders believe it appeals to such a wide audience. “You don’t have to be as fit as you might need to be for tennis,” said Matthew. “It’s easier to learn, it’s very sociable and people can be having enjoyable rallies within a short time.”

The club’s coaching programme is being led by head coach and facilities manager Jeremy Shayler, an experienced Lawn Tennis Association-qualified padel coach. Group sessions, beginner courses and individual coaching are available, helping players of all ages and abilities get involved.

The founders are particularly keen to encourage young people onto the courts. “Padel gets children off screens and active,” said Nigel. “We recently saw an eight-year-old player who would have beaten most adults. It’s a sport where young people can improve quickly and really enjoy themselves.”

Partnerships have already been established with local schools, with discounted sessions being offered to encourage wider participation. The founders hope more schools across the area will take advantage of the facility in the coming months.

The relationship with Aylesbury Rugby Football Club has also been central to the project’s success. “We wanted somewhere that already had a strong community spirit,” said Matthew. “The rugby club wanted a social facility for its members, and we wanted to create something that would benefit the wider community as well.”

As players finish their matches, they can make use of the club’s bar and social facilities, helping to strengthen the sense of connection that the founders believe sets the venue apart.

Padel King is based at Aylesbury Rugby Football Club, Ostler’s Field in Weston Turville. The club offers four outdoor padel courts, coaching sessions, social events, leagues and membership packages for players of all abilities. Courts can be booked online via the Playtomic app, where players can also register for coaching sessions, join social mix-ins and connect with other local players.

Membership options start from £10 per month, while pay-as-you-play bookings are available for occasional players. For more information, visit www.padel-king.co.uk.

Looking ahead, Garry, Matthew, Steve and Nigel hope Padel King will become a place where friendships are formed as well as matches won. “The aim is to have fun,” said Nigel. “If people enjoy themselves, stay active and meet new people along the way, then that’s a success.”

For a sport built around teamwork and sociability, Weston Turville’s newest sporting venue looks set to serve up exactly that.

About Wendover Youth Centre

by Richard Byford

Imagine being too young for the pub, yet no longer seeing yourself as a child. As you navigate the challenges of growing up, you simply want a place to spend time with others going through the same stage of life. In Wendover, one place fits that need perfectly.

Wendover Youth Centre is on the main school campus just beyond the swimming pool. It runs a programme of activities tailored to meet the needs and interests of young people, by providing a safe and social environment away from school. Organised sessions are run for age groups from nine to eighteen. There’s even special provision for neurodivergent young people and those with special educational needs.

Trustee Paul Hammett explained: “It’s all about empowering young people in Wendover and the surrounding area to discover themselves and realise their potential. We create an innovative safe and social environment to support their transition into adulthood.

“Our activities are varied to be attractive to groups of different ages and needs and include arts and crafts sessions and others to support mental health.”

Although the building opened in 1986, it was only in 2011 that it was adopted by local people, who formed Wendover Youth Centre Ltd after the county council withdrew youth work services. The company is an incorporated charity and run entirely for charitable purposes. It is still governed by a team of local community members, including the latest, Clive Gallagher, who is also chair of Wendover Parish Council. The volunteer trustees meet approximately six times a year to guide and support the smooth running of the centre.

In 2015, the charity successfully employed its first full-time youth worker and now has four staff. It provides trainee roles and now has a part-time assistant youth worker alongside its primary worker. In addition, over fifty community volunteers have contributed to running youth activities at various times.

To manage larger activities, the Centre employs additional people on a sessional basis. Some young people who originally joined as members stay on, or return as young leaders, helping to run sessions and in turn gaining useful experience that will enhance their employability. Some are using it to fulfil parts of their Duke of Edinburgh Award requirements. Their involvement also ensures that young members have strong role models to follow.

The Friday Night Youth Club meets weekly between 6.15 and 8.15 pm during term time, welcoming around 50 young people from school years four to eight.

Paul continued: “We are hoping to offer a junior football coaching course to students at The John Colet as an after-school activity. Once trained, we hope they will use their skills to coach young people from Junior School.

“The acquisition of a couple of 3D printers will hopefully allow us to run a summer 3D printing workshop and maybe continue it in the Autumn. The focus of activity on Friday nights may make you think that the centre is under-used. The opposite is true. It is in use almost every day providing valuable support for groups who otherwise might become marginalised.

“The Youth Centre has several partners that provide specialist sessions. One of these is ‘Loop’, a weekly support session specifically designed for teenagers who find socialising difficult or are currently struggling to attend school. Established by a group of local parents, Loop provides a safe low-demand and zero-pressure space for members to meet other young people.

“The Centre also launched ‘The Hangout’ on Thursday nights earlier this year, funded by a Children in Need grant. This relaxed environment offers young people with SEN or undiagnosed neurodivergence issues a chance

FRANK

FENNELL

PLUMBING

to connect, through board games, arts and crafts and other creative activities.

“The accent is on nurturing wellbeing, skill-building and fostering friendships with like-minded peers. Above all it’s a low-pressure space where everyone feels comfortable being themselves while developing tools and strategies to support their mental health. In the Autumn we plan to expand our range of daytime activities, particularly for young people with SEN or undiagnosed neurodivergence or those needing school support. “

The Centre has expanded its offerings to other pupils at local schools. These courses cover topics like transitioning to secondary school, boosting self-esteem, building resilience and managing exam stress. It also serves as a local hub for Premier, a provider of comprehensive care, holiday clubs and primary school PE.

The Centre wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without invaluable local partnerships. These provide essential funding and support for various activities. The Lionel-Abel Smith Trust, Wendover Parish Council, Buckinghamshire Council, Heart of Bucks and The Rothschild Foundation, among others, have all contributed significantly.

Despite its success and the generosity of funders, the team at Wendover Youth Centre regret not being able to run the popular Summer Youth festival this year.

Paul Hammett concluded: “We are always looking for volunteers. It’s fun working with the young people and seeing them develop into confident, sociable young adults. But we also need people behind the scenes as trustees. No specific skills or experience are needed for either role, and your involvement can be matched to your availability and interests. Get in touch with Miranda, our administration manager by emailing admin@ wendoveryouth.co.uk.”

Wendover Bowls Club

Don Knight writes: Months only seem to last a few weeks now as time slips by so fast.

Our Friday Open Evenings in May were well supported with between ten to fifteen visitors in each session trying their hand at bowls. Their enthusiasm usually results in a few new members so we shall see.

Lists are out for our internal competitions with two or three inter-club and League games every week, life at the Club is busy.

Our Gala Day is also looming, when we invite a dozen clubs to come and do battle for substantial prizes. The event involves a huge amount of organisation with Sandy Sevens retiring to a darkened room when it is all over. However, it is a great way to show off what we are all about, as well as a welcome boost to Club funds.

This year we can be really proud of our green. All that winter toil has resulted in it looking and playing superbly. It is far and away the best club green that I have played. As an added bonus our fox and crow friends seem to have taken up other hobbies than digging holes and have left us alone. I hope I’m not tempting fate.

Jane Andrews and her team continue to raise funds for charity with coffee mornings and now a splendid fry up Brunch. Watch it, Jane, some of our bowlers are quite rotund enough. Now I’m in trouble!! Bye.

Wendover Cricket Club

By the time you read this, Wendover Cricket Club should have taken possession of the pavilion and car park at its new ground, next to Wendover Heights Vets on the Tring Road (postcode HP22 5PN). Handover was delayed, mainly due to issues with connecting utilities.  Play on the cricket ground will not be possible until spring 2027 but other facilities will be in use from July this year.

Chris Watts writes: Recognising the significant interest in the new ground from the wider Wendover community, we are holding a Public Open Day at the new ground on Friday 10 July from 2.00pm - 7.00pm, to which all are welcome (subject only to unexpected further delays in taking possession).  The archaeologists, who spent 3 months working on site, will be available throughout showing some of their finds. You will be able to look over the new facilities and get a drink at the bar, but there will be no access to the cricket playing areas and surrounds. All dogs on leads please and not in the pavilion.

The season has started well for Wendover’s senior teams, with both Saturday teams finding the Thames Valley League (to which they are new this year) to their liking.  The standard of opposition, quality of facilities and friendliness of other clubs has been notable.  At the time of writing, the first eleven has won three of its first five completed fixtures and the second eleven has won four of its first five.

Notable performances include George G’s 93, Ryan Greer’s 91, Puneet Kapoor’s 85 and Harry G’s 70. Whilst in the bowling, Nathaniel C took 5 for 31 and Joel Heritage 4 for 53; the leading bowlers are Thomas Duff (10) and Jonathan Seabrook (16). The Sunday team has won four of its six matches.

In the junior section the recent rain has frustrated some fixtures, after the early season good weather but there has been plenty of good, competitive cricket among the 15 junior teams, with 50s for both Harry G and Harry S among the highlights.

While the Club currently runs girls’ teams, it is also looking to start up a women’s section and will be staging a taster session on Sunday 5 July from 9.00 to 11.00 a.m. at the Witchell Ground (HP22 6EG) with refreshments provided at 10.30. Please do come along and give cricket a try. Expressions of interest to wccwomenscontact@gmail.com  See ad P39.

If you are interested in participating in either junior or senior teams, or in just giving cricket a go, in sponsorship or to generally assist, the club would like to hear from you. Please text Club Captain, Jonathan Seabrook on 07767 148119 or email jseabrook@ wendoveremail.co.uk

Aylesbury Centre NT

Tony Fanthorpe writes: Aylesbury Centre NT (National Trust) members have enjoyed a wide variety of activities already this Summer with more to come.

Monthly talks have covered a diverse range of topics from Wallis Simpson to the History of the British Fire Service. Outings have taken place to Houghton Mill (NT) and Anglesey Abbey (NT) in Cambridgeshire with a lunch stop in between at St Ives.

A canal cruise from Kings Langley involved three locks which members were able to operate. Leisurely walks have been enjoyed at Towersey, Weston Turville, Cuddington and Wilstone, with convivial lunches to revive any aching legs.

Further talks will be held from September to November, followed by the AGM and Social

in December, with outings to Knole (NT) and the British Wildlife Centre in July, and Hampton Court Palace (with guided tour) in October, plus a self-drive visit to Grafton Regis in August.

Members pay £3 entrance to talks, which includes refreshments. Visitors are welcome and pay a small supplement. Annual membership is £12.

For more information or a membership form, please contact the Hon. Secretary at aylesburycentrent@gmail.com or phone/ message 07399 540626. We hope to see you

BBOWT Chilterns Group ramps up guided visits

Richard Birch writes: Many local enthusiasts have enjoyed visiting our reserves to see the orchids that typically flower in May and June. But a different suite of flowers and butterflies awaits the visitor in July and August and our volunteer wardens are also keen to show those to you on guided reserve visits to Aston Clinton Ragpits on Saturday 18 July and Yoesden, near Bledlow, on Sat 1 August.

For £5 a head you can get the lowdown from the people who know these reserves best and contribute to maintaining these exceptionally rich Chiltern habitats. Go to www. bbowt.org.uk/events to find full details and make a booking.

At the same time keep a look out for College Lake events and make the most of the visitor centre and reserve at HP23 5QG, open every day except Monday.

Volunteering at Wendover Swimming Pool

Jackie Brown writes: Are you a competent swimmer and comfortable going underwater? Do you fancy helping your local community swimming pool?

Wendover Swimming Pool plans to run courses for new lifeguards (NRASTC) in July and September if there is sufficient interest. All training is paid for by Wendover Swimming Pool on the understanding that volunteers commit to helping approximately 4 hours per month for the duration of the certificate (2 years). Candidates should be over 16 by the course date.

We are also looking for someone to help support Mel with the recruitment and induction of volunteers on our reception desk. The person will ideally have a current DBS and be confident working with young people aged 13+. This role involves some admin (including scheduling), communication with parents and young volunteers in person and via phone/messaging and ensuring adequate safeguarding procedures are in place.

For an informal chat about either role or to learn about other roles at the pool that might interest you, please contact Mel on 07546550540 or Jackie by email at jackie@ wendoverswimmingpool.co.uk

Women and girls in sport

By Sean McCarthy

We are constantly being told how beneficial sport and physical activity are for maintaining our wellbeing, and we are fortunate to live in an area with excellent facilities to help people keep fit. However, according to recent research, around 64% of girls drop out of organised sport during their teenage years.

Evidence presented in 2024 to the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee suggested that many girls leave sport because of confidence, body image and social pressures, rather than any lack of ability or interest.

Economic and social pressures on many women, particularly while balancing work and family life, can also make it difficult to participate in traditional club sports, which are often time-consuming and located away from residential areas. By contrast, shorter activities such as gym sessions, running in the park or swimming can be fitted more easily around a busy modern schedule.

There is also a sense that many traditional sports clubs were originally established mainly to cater for boys and men. This has

often been particularly true of football, rugby and golf clubs. However, some local clubs are now attempting to address issues that may discourage girls from joining organised sport. For example, Ellesborough Golf Club has established a Ladies’ Academy, providing a structured route for women to develop skills, gain confidence and connect socially with other women and girls learning together.

The club also operates a Junior Academy pathway, ensuring younger players are nurtured and supported from an early stage. In addition, Ellesborough Golf Club hosted its first Junior Girls’ Taster Day on 14 June, offering girls a dedicated opportunity to experience golf in a welcoming environment.

Not everyone wants to compete at the highest level, and this is often especially true for girls who simply want to enjoy themselves, socialise and improve their health.

High-profile sporting successes such as the Olympics or the England Lionesses can provide a short-term boost to participation among girls, but as Tanni Grey-Thompson recently observed, inspiring elite moments alone are not enough: “What’s really important is that we have a generation of fit and healthy women.” The aim should be broad participation and wellbeing, rather than focusing solely on producing elite champions.

Of course, girls and women enjoy many

different forms of physical activity. The popularity of street dance, ballet, Parkrun and padel demonstrates there is no shortage of enthusiasm for exercise. However, some women may feel discouraged by the culture sometimes associated with traditional sport, including excessive competitiveness, banter or an “us and them” atmosphere.

It is encouraging to see that, across the Wendover area, many sports organisations are now rethinking how they attract women and girls. Local football, rugby, tennis, cricket, golf and fitness-based activities are all adapting to changing lifestyles and social expectations. That can only be a positive sign for the future.

Wendover Cricket Club

We are setting-up a Women’s team which starts with a fun, relaxed and social training session. All are welcome to join us. 5th July 2026

WOMEN’S CRICKET

Witchell Pavilion (HP22 6EG)

9.00am -11.00am

Softball Cricket. No experience or kit required

CHILTERN FOOT HEALTH SERVICES

Ian Phipps MCFHP MAFHP 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

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.org/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.

Wendover Parish CouncilView from the Clock Tower

Wendover Picnic in the Park –Hampden Meadow

Circle it on your calendar - Saturday 8 August. Join the rest of Wendover for an afternoon of summer fun at Wendover’s much-loved community picnic - a free event for all ages with activities for the whole family. The picnic starts at 12pm and goes on until 5pm. There will be loads of fun attractions and we encourage people to bring their own picnics, blankets and chairs.

There will be food stalls and concession stands including a variety of street food, stalls and talented local makers, crafters, and small businesses as well as local community stalls and games with fun activities in support of local groups and charities.

Of course, no event would be complete without an inflatable bouncy castle. For many, the highlight will be the Dog Show. This always gets the local mutts to put their best paw forward.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the live entertainment, or get up and dance as the mood takes you, to performances from local groups Spice and Sugar, a local duo singing 1990’s party and chart hits and Hartbeats a vibrant African Drumming group that will get plenty of audience participation. Then be enthralled by the beautiful voice of Lily-Mae our local West End musical theatre performer and highly talented singer/songwriter.

You must also look out for the colourful Cracklewick Morris dancers of Halton who will be performing their exhilarating dances

to traditional Morris music.

Bucks Radio will be hosting the event, and you can see the Bucks Bear on the day. Huge thanks go to the Radley Events Team who are supporting the live acts with sound and as always are providing this to our community event FREE OF CHARGE!

Free Parking on the day at Wendover Library Car Park. Thanks to Buckinghamshire Council for supporting the event.

Wendover Parish Council would also like to thank the official sponsors : Numbers Chartered Certified Accountants; BML Fitness Studio; Red Carpet Hairdressing and Christopher Pallet Estate Agents.

Recycled coffee grounds

Give your gardens a coffee powered boost. The WPC Recycled Coffee Grounds scheme that launched April 2026 has been hugely popular!

Used coffee grounds are a great addition to your garden. They contain minerals that support plant growth, including nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus and magnesium. They can also help improve soil, attract worms, and may help deter pests such as slugs and snails

The local scheme works by participating businesses collecting their used coffee grounds in biodegradable pouches for residents to take away free of charge. When you are out in Wendover, simply look for the sign in participating shops, pick up a pouch, and use the coffee grounds in your garden or

compost. Supply is available on a first come, first served basis.

You can currently collect coffee grounds from (subject to availability) Bread and Brew; Lady Grey Tea Room; Whitewaters; Tres Corazones and Gusto.

Find out more about the benefits on wendover-pc.gov.uk/recycle. This scheme reduces commercial waste and supports local gardeners.

Thank you to the businesses for taking part and for everyone who has helped to make this a ‘grounds-breaking’ success.

Wendover Parish Council l The Clock Tower, High Street, Wendover HP22 6DU

Wendover Local Produce Market

Sat 18 July & 15 August, 10am–2pm Manor Waste

Contact estates@wendover-pc.gov.uk

clerk@wendover-pc-gov.uk www.facebook.com/wendoverparish

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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

Next Parish Council meeting: 7 July & 4 August, 7.4 0pm Main Meeting room, Wendover Library Information about upcoming meetings: www.wendover-pc.gov.uk

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