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WING
NOTES
19 DECEMBER 2006
ANN WEIGHT
This will be my last
Wing Notes for a while; I have decided that I would like a rest
but will leave the village representation in capable hands. Ruth
Fielder, an "A" level student, who hopes eventually to
follow a career in journalism, is going to take on the weekly
task and I hope that she will gain as much satisfaction from it
as I have. It has always been very gratifying when I have met
people in Wing who, on hearing my name. have said, "Oh, you
do Wing Notes." It gives me faith that people do read it and
that it is all worthwhile.
I hope that you will support Ruth as you have supported me in
sending her the news of your clubs and activities. Her email
address is
roofmonkey@gmail.com
and her telephone number is 01296 688044.
Inevitably this will be a quiet week in the village. However,
Claude Rothery and his Old Farts (Friends and Relatives' Tractor
Society) will have a New Year's Day run, starting from Cublington
at 10.15am, and reaching Park Gates at 10.30. There will be
between 20 and 30 vintage tractors so come along for a breath of
fresh air after the celebrations of the night before.
Joyce and her team in The Cupboard will be taking a well earned
rest and will re-open for business on 9th January.
And now a Merry Christmas to all readers and best wishes to you
all for health and happiness in 2007.
WING
NOTES
7 DECEMBER 2006
ANN WEIGHT
Most of this week's
news seems to be prefixed by the word "Christmas". It's
not just creeping up, but rushing. Sethi has had some very
attractive Wing calendars but seems to have had a rush on them.
He's hoping for a fresh delivery to satisfy disappointed
customers.
As part of its ongoing commitment to improving the environment
and to maintaining its parks and open spaces, AVDC is carrying
out a programme of hedge cutting throughout the district to
reduce the height of hedges which have become too large to
manage.
The project will see about 2,000 metres of hedge across the Vale
reduced to prevent overgrown vegetation creating potential safety
hazards and to increase their value for wildlife. Many of the
hedges earmarked for cutting are up to five metres tall with
overhanging branches, which could cause them to fall into gardens
and onto footpaths and roads, creating hazards.
The council is using two processes to reduce the hedges. The
first process is called ‘wildlife hedge laying’, which
involves cutting part of each stem and gently pushing over the
hedge. Once the hedge is down it is then compressed, which helps
to lock the hedge together and ensure its stability in the wind.
As a result, there will be better habitat to support the
nutritional and shelter needs of a wide range of dependant
species. The berry crop is also retained for birds and the hedge
still flowers in the following year.
The second method involves reducing hedges by up to three metres
where hedges are next to fences or where it is not practical to
carry out wildlife hedge laying. The council has written to
residents whose homes are affected by this hedge cutting to
inform them about the process.
AVDC has waited until the winter months to undertake this major
hedge cutting programme on its land to minimise disturbance to
wildlife. Spring and summer are avoided to protect nesting birds
and their young. The hedge cutting programme is expected to be
completed by March 2007.
In the meantime, it is hoped that the autumn leaves will once
again be swept up to make our pavements pleasanter for walking,
that is, if tonight's winds have not dispersed them for us.
Forthcoming events:
Monday 11th December: Scouts' postal service begins, Put your
local cards with 10p per card in one of the post boxes around the
village.
Tuesday 12th December: Church Mice Christmas party, All Saints'
Church 2-3pm
Friday 15th December: Rotary Club Christmas float will make tour
of the village.
Sunday 17th December: Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, All
Saints' Church, 6pm. Refreshments served afterwards.
Tuesday 19th December: Aged Concern Pop-in, Small hall, 2pm
WING
NOTES
23 NOVEMBER 2006
ANN WEIGHT
A plea from the
Parish Council: Would everyone please make an effort to return
their Parish Plan questionnaires, which appeared in "What's
on in Wing". They can be left at the Parish Council Office
in Charlotte Cottage or at Sethi's village shop.
The Parish Council still has a vacancy for Parish Clerk. This
would be for 15 hours per week and again, applications to
Charlotte Cottage.
On Thursday 30th November the Carnival Committee will publish the
1st of 4 saints' picture quizzes, this one being the St Andrew's
Quiz. It costs £1 per entry and you can download the quiz from
www.wingvillage.co.uk-noticeboard.
Forthcoming events:
Tuesday 28th November: Church Mice, All Saints' Church, 2-3pm
Parish Council, Small Hall, 8pm
WING
NOTES
16 NOVEMBER 2006
ANN WEIGHT
Our new vicar, Derek
Witchell, led the Remembrance Service at Wing last Sunday. It was
very heartening to see the church packed to capacity, and
fortunate, too, since the central heating had broken down and we
needed to keep each other warm. The members of the Scout and
Guide movement were out in force and they acquitted themselves
perfectly. Their appearance and conduct was impeccable. The
Scouts had even made their own wreath, which the Beavers had
decorated with poppies, a gesture which must mean a great deal in
thought and effort.
The All Saints Christmas Fayre will take place on Saturday from
10am to 2pm in the Village Hall. This has become an important
event on the village calendar and in the fund-raising efforts for
the maintenance of the church. Perhaps this year's proceeds may
have to be dedicated to the heating!
Any donations will be gratefully received, but otherwise come and
have a morning's fun with the usual range of games, including a
new whisky raffle. The cake stall is always a great attraction,
with cakes, home-made bread and other home-produced items. Doug's
pickles are always very popular. Another new venture is Christmas
puddings from a reputable firm in the Lake District, and highly
recommended by Rod, himself. Refreshments will be available, so
come and meet your friends for lunch.
Nominations to stand for Wing Hall Trust must be handed to Joyce
Brooker either in advance of, or just before the AGM on 27th
November. The Hall is a great asset to the village but only the
minority offer to be actively involved. The committee requires 9
members and new volunteers would be gratefully welcomed.
Members of Buzzard Flyers, who meet in the library on 2nd and 4th
Mondays, please note that there will be no meeting on 27th
November. The next meeting will be 11th December.
Forthcoming events:
Tuesday 21st November: Age Concern Pop-in, Small hall, 2-4pm
Saturday 25th November: All Saints' Christmas Fayre, Village
Hall, 10am-2pm
Monday 27th November: AGM Wing Hall Trust, Wing Hall, 8pm.
Tuesday 28th November: Church Mice, All Saints' Church 2-3pm
Parish Council, Small Hall, 8pm
WING
NOTES
9 NOVEMBER 2006
ANN WEIGHT
A message from
Trading Standards in Aylesbury:
There is a scam e-mail message currently targeting email inboxes.
The message, titled "Winning Notification", leads the
recipient into believe that he or she has won a substantial sum
of money from the UK National > Lottery.
This scam closely impersonates the UK National Lottery to the
extent that it includes the genuine address and contact details.
It is very easy to be fooled into thinking that the message is
authentic."
The scam firstly asks the recipient to file a claim by clicking
on an embedded link which appears to go directly to the UK
National Lottery claims team. Instead it takes the victim to a
spoof site and then persuades him or her to part with personal
information which allows the scammers to carry out identity theft
and access personal bank accounts. Embedded links can easily look
legitimate because they contain all or part of a company name.
However, as in this instance, they can take you to spoof sites,
which ask you to update personal information. To stay safe from
such scams we would also advise people:
Not to click on links in unsolicited emails
Never to disclose personal information or financial information
via email or a 'claims' or 'verification' form
Never to send any up-front fees required to "claim" a
prize'
"It is important for people to remember the old adage 'if it
seems too good to be true then it usually is!'"
The date printed in last weeks LBO for 3 Counties Radio visiting
Wing has to be amended to 15th November.
Forthcoming events:
Thursday 16th November: Wing WI birthday party, meal and
entertainment in Small Hall, 7.30pm
Monday 20th November: 20th century poetry course, Linslade, tel
01296 688193 for details
Tuesday 21st November: Church Mice, All Saints' Church 2-3pm
Pop-in, Small Hall 2-4pm
Wednesday 22nd November: Lunch Club, Village Hall, 12.30pm
Saturday 25th November: All Saints' Fayre, Village Hall, 10am-2pm
WING
NOTES
2 NOVEMBER 2006
ANN WEIGHT
November and December
already look to be very busy months on the village calendar. On
Thursday 9th November there will be divided loyalties. The new
priest-in-charge, Derek Witchell, will be licensed at Wingrave
Church. However, Derek will be Wing's Parish Priest, too, and
will live in the Vicarage on Aylesbury Road. On that same night
there will be a Charity Quiz in the Sports and Social Club, on
behalf of the Royal Star and Garter Home for disabled servicemen,
a very worthwhile cause and one that we think of at this time of
year with Remembrance Day on the horizon.
Remember the All Saints' Fayre on 25th November. Any donations of
gifts, books, produce, good bric-a-brac, can be made at the
church. And do mark the date in your diaries to come along to the
Village Hall. Christmas gifts, cards etc will be on sale, as well
as a new venture: Christmas puddings.
Parish Council
Last week's Parish Council meeting was held on Halloween and I
can't help wondering if this simple fact caused the low turn out,
both by the Parish Councillors and the public. Once the meeting
got underway, with the substitute Secretary and Chairman, it
proved to be quite interesting. A faithful member of the public
brought our attention to a graffiti episode on the Recreation
Ground, which occurred between 3.00pm and sunset on Sunday.
Happily our Community Police Officer dealt with it quickly and
will be on the lookout once more. A pity this, after all the hard
work put in during the summer by the youngsters on youth service.
Gems within the District (Netta Glover) and County (Quentin
Ings-Chambers) Councillors' reports were the visit of 3 Counties
Radio to the village Hall on 12th November for a broadcast from
1.00pm to 3.00pm and the revised salting schedule for the roads.
The 3 Counties Radio show is all about Wing and will have a live
audience - no invitation needed, just turn up and become part of
the show. The reduction to salting is the consequence of the
Government moving funds around the country and leaving Bucks with
a £16 million pound deficit against its previous plans. Although
the major routes will continue to be treated the assumption this
year must be that secondary routes may be icy. Maps will be
placed on the Parish notice boards and details are available via
the BCC web site under Highways.
The Parish plan questionnaire has been published in 'What's on in
Wing' - please complete it and return it via the collection
points or directly to the Parish Council office. It's your
village's future which is at stake.
Anyone who drives through our neighbouring villages will be aware
that sections of the A418 'improvements' to remove congestion are
the subject of opposition. Those analysing the responses to the
consultation are aware of this and will be looking out for
multiple returns and any other abnormal results. Such opposing
views will probably cancel each other out and allow a balanced
decision to be reached.
I find myself reporting vandalism more often than I would like
but, although we deplore it and know that it costs money to
rectify, we do not know the precise cost. The Parish Council
intends to track these costs and hopes to be able to show what
could have been achieved in their plans if the money had not been
diverted. The only problem is that the Council still has not been
able to recruit a Clerk. If you are interested please apply. It
is rewarding work in the service of your community.
Forthcoming events:
Tuesday 7th November: Church Mice, All Saints' Church, 2-3pm
Wednesday 8th November: Senior Citizens' Lunch Club, Village
Hall, 12.30pm.
Thursday 9th November: Licensing of Derek Witchell, Wingrave
Quiz Night, Sports and Social Club, 8pm, tel 01296 688449
Sunday 12th November: Remembrance Day Service, All Saints'
Church, 10.45am
WING
NOTES
26 OCTOBER 2006
ANN WEIGHT
Robert Woollard,
Chairman of Buckinghamshire County Council, is running an award
programme to recognise unsung heroes and the role they play in
our communities. You
can nominate someone for an award by clicking on to the website
address below, which contains the form. The closing date for
nominations is 18 December 2006. These awards are particularly
targeting the people we probably do not hear about at NAG and
GC2C meetings; they are people who are quietly getting on in
their local communities with work that reduces vandalism, keeps
children off the streets, enables people to retain independence
or generally make life easier for individuals and groups of
people in the community. It is an initiative that is worthwhile
being considered by Parish Councils and anyone else who would
like to nominate someone worthy of recognition.
http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/get//assets/docs/Heroes.pdf
Wing Bowls Club donated their prize money from the Wing in Bloom
competition to the War Memorial Restoration Fund, which at the
moment stands at approximately £6500. The donation was
gratefully accepted by Steve Naghi, who is leading the fund
raising. We will soon be gathering at the Memorial for
Remembrance Sunday. It is essential that the necessary money is
found to give the Memorial another 50 or 60 years of life to
commemorate those who fell in 2 World Wars.
Forthcoming events:
Tuesday 31st October:P Parish Council, Small Hall, 8pm
Sunday 5th November: Bonfire, Overstone School
Tuesday 7th November: Church Mice, All Saints' Church, 2-3pm
WING
NOTES
19 OCTOBER 2006
ANN WEIGHT
This week seems to be
very quiet in Wing, very little happening during the school
half-term holiday. Last week, I reported on the open evening at
All Saints church when the bell ringers opened the tower to the
curious. The Saturday before last, the 14th, they were in action
again with a group of 11 travelling around the district, south of
Wing, ringing the bells in other towers. It was an early start to
get to Ivinghoe for 9.30 am and then every 40 minutes or so it
was off to another tower; Marsworth, Aston Clinton and Wendover
before a welcome, delicious and copious lunch at the Chilton
Brewery. Fully refreshed it was on to Stoke Mandeville, Dinton
and Hardwick.
And the verdict? Everyone enjoyed the outing - there was some
really good ringing, the churches were interesting, the ornate
choir stalls lit by candles in the style of King College, the
beautiful stained glass and the different architecture ranging
from stone to brick. All the bells were lighter than Wing, with
some that were so light as to cause problems for the Wing players
used to their own very heavy bells At the same time there were
short ropes and long ropes and 'difficult' bells. A great day out
and another reason to ring out and be happy.
Wing WI had a disappointing meeting last Thursday when the
speaker, due to speak on the islands around Britain, did not turn
up. Undaunted, the ladies enjoyed an evening in each others'
company, planning for future events such as the birthday party in
November, the Carol Party in December, theatre visits, January
meal and even discussed next summer's outing.
Forthcoming events:
Tuesday 24th October: Church Mice, All Saints' Church, 2-3pm
Tuesday 31st October: Parish Council, Small Hall, 8pm.
How nice to see
the recreation field being restored to looking the way it did
many years ago.
Since the spring and thanks to the efforts of the main sports
organisations using the rec, we can once again be proud of, and
enjoy, an attractive area of the village that is not spoilt by
graffiti or damaged buildings. Why don’t the best kept
village judges come round now! The bowls club has been repainted
and the combination of their manicured lawn and floral display
earned them a well deserved runners up prize in the Wing in Bloom
competition.
The refurbishment of the tennis courts and repainting of defaced
walls has made a noticeable improvement to that corner of the
field. And the football club – their work in replacing
damaged doors and windows, and also redecorating the inside of
the pavilion, has been quite outstanding by giving the centre of
the field the impression of a community keen to maintain
traditional standards. While plaudits quite rightly go to those
three organisations, we shouldn’t forget others who have
played a part. The Parish Council has replaced the whole fence,
kept the grass cut, replaced broken seats and generally kept an
eye on proceedings.
The Aylesbury Vale probation service, acting on the initiative of
our Police Community Support Officer, has provided supervised
offenders on the Community Payback Scheme, and most of all, the
regular users who have picked up their litter! It’s so nice
for people using the ‘rec’ to do so in pleasant
surroundings, but we shouldn’t forget the hundreds of
visitors who come here to play tennis, bowls , football, or
attend any other function on the recreation field. They must now
go away with the impression that Wing is a village that cares.
Surely we all want to keep it that way. Following on from sorting
out vandalism of previous years, the Carnival Committee have
recently met to consider how to go ahead following the damage and
financial loss of this year’s Carnival. Under the
Chairmanship of Steve Naghi , the team’s faith in human
nature has been well and truly restored by the overwhelming
support of parishioners. Financial donations from local
commercial firms – look in Novembers What’s On, help
from the Buckinghamshire Foundation to replace destroyed
marquees, and the many individual messages of condemnation
against the actions of those who caused such a set back to
community activities means that the Carnival team can go ahead
with their normal arrangements for village activities.
What about that generous offer of £1000 for anyone who can
‘finger’ the culprits – that would make a nice
Christmas present, even if it was split four ways! The crime
incident number is AM 9500895-06 and the number to ring with
information is 08458 505 505. The Carnival team’s decisions
- we are going to have a Carol Service on December 8th , so put
that in your diary now. Who can resist the Overstone Choir? We
are going to have a Carnival next year – Saturday 14th July,
and the ‘good cause’ donation for 2006 will go to
subsidising the Senior Citizens Christmas lunch. We do seem to
have a great community spirit in Wing – let’s keep it.
WING
NOTES
12 OCTOBER 2006
ANN WEIGHT
Just over 2 weeks ago
All Saints bell ringers held a tower open evening and barbecue to
give people a chance to see how they make their music on Fridays
and Sundays and special occasions. There was also a chance to try
ringing at first hand. There was a steady flow of interested
people from the start at 6.30 pm to the finish at 9.00. In
addition to the displays of ringing and the computer programmes
there were video links from the belfry to the ringing room and
the display area. Anyone who wants to take their interest further
will be welcome to the practice sessions on Fridays at 7.30 pm.
Overstone School PTA would like to thank all those who supported
its recent coffee morning in support of Macmillan Cancer Relief.
£135 has been donated to Macmillan as a result.
The PTA also ran a successful cake stall at Leighton Buzzard
market at the weekend, raising more than £100 for PTA funds.
Thank you to all the parents who donated the delicious cakes, and
thank you to all the shoppers who bought them!
The All Saints' Barn Dance was a resounding success and £180 was
raised for the church. By popular demand the event will be
repeated next year. Thanks are due to those who organised the
evening and served the refreshments. Remember that the next major
occasion on the calendar is the Christmas Fayre on 25th November.
This has become a popular event with entertainment for young and
old. This year Rod has a new venture lined up- Christmas
puddings, which I have been assured, are delicious. So give the
major outlets a miss this year and try these!
On the subject of Christmas, since the shops seem to be filling
up with cards etc, Sethi has some very attractive Wing calendars
for old friends who have moved away, or even friends abroad.
Forthcoming events:
Tuesday 17th October: Age Concern Pop-in, Small Hall 2-4pm
Wednesday 18th October: Senior Citizens' Lunch Club, Wing Hall,
12.30pm
Thursday 19th October: Scouts' textile collection, no bric a brac
please.
Friday 20th October: Wing Players' Quiz, Wing Hall, 7.30pm
Tuesday 24th October: Church Mice, All Saints' Church, 2-3pm
WING
NOTES
5 OCTOBER 2006
ANN WEIGHT
The next meeting of
the NAG (Neighbourhood Action Group) is at 7.00pm on 16th October
in the small hall. Attendance is by invitation only. When the NAG
was announced earlier this year the police held an open meeting
in Wing Village Hall. At the close of the meeting interested
parties were invited to register to become members of the group.
If anyone wishes to make a comment to the meeting they are very
welcome to contact Netta Glover, who will be more than pleased to
take up the matter on their behalf and report back.
If anyone else wishes to join the group she will ask for their
name to be put forward.
Contact Netta Glover at http://www.bucksinfo.net/councillor_netta_glover
Jill Newman, a local
singer, will give an evening's entertainment at All Saints'
Church on 14th October. The repertoire will consist of songs from
the shows and from opera, and proceeds will be shared between the
church and Helen House hospice for children. Tickets are £5 and
£3 for concessions, available by phoning 01296 688442.
The Scouts are now delivering bags for their textile collection,
which will begin on 19th October. They need clothes but no bric a
brac, please.
Forthcoming events:
Tuesday 10th October: Church Mice, for pre-school children, All
Saints' Church, 2-3pm.
Saturday 14th October: Concert, All saints' Church.
Tuesday 17th October: Aged Concern Pop-in, Small Hall, 2-4pm
Wednesday 18th October: Senior Citizens' Lunch Club, Wing Hall,
12.30pm