Author Archives: hvrawebmaster

Buckinghamshire’s HS2 Mitigation Blueprint

A blueprint outlining what Buckinghamshire needs to protect it from the effects of HS2 were described as the county’s “stake in the ground” at a rally this week.

Buckinghamshire’s Mitigation Blueprint – put together by anti-HS2 campaigners and endorsed by the county’s five main local authorities – was publicly launched at the Oculus building in Aylesbury on Tuesday.

Campaigners are still hopeful the building of the controversial railway line – set to cut through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – can be stopped, but the blueprint is their backup plan, giving details of what precisely needs to be done to stop the county’s residents being affected by the worst of the blight construction would cause.

Rosie Brake, Bucks County Council’s HS2 Engagement Manager, said of the blueprint: “It’s a whole community trying to present one cohesive voice for our community – our stake in the ground for the community.”

Referring to HS2, she added: “It should provide a fitting legacy once it’s in place. All it represents is all pain and no gain – it’s a bitter pill for Bucks to swallow.”

A copy was presented to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin in the House of Commons by Chesham and Amersham MP Cheryl Gillan last week.  Mrs Gillan asked Mr McLoughlin and Railways Minster Simon Burns if they would “undertake to consider carefully” the document, to which Mr McLoughlin replied: “I will study the document she has given to me and ask for it to be studied by officials in my Department. We will do all we can to minimise damage in her area.”

Another copy of the blueprint is on its way to David Cameron, Mrs Brake said, and county council leader Martin Tett said Aylesbury MP David Lidington would present a copy to Chancellor George Osborne this week.

View a copy of the Blueprint here.

Helping people with memory loss. “Neighbourhood Return” pilots in Buckinghamshire

Neighbourhood Return, the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network project which uses community volunteers to search for people with memory problems who have gone missing, has just received funding from Thames Valley Police to expand its pilot area to include Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

They are contacting us to ask if you would please consider volunteering to help search for people with memory problems who have gone missing.  All you need is a mobile phone, the ability to text, and to be 18 or over.   They would not expect you to get called upon very frequently to assist.

If you agree to assist,  the project’s call centre will contact you if someone with dementia goes missing in your local area to see if you are available to help look for them.  If you are, they will text you the details of the person you are looking for and give you instructions on where to search.  If you are contacted, you can always text back ‘no’ if you are not in the area, or are not available.  You can also join or leave the search at any point by contacting the call centre.  Searches never last longer than two-and-a-half hours, after which time Thames Valley Police take over.

Your help would be greatly appreciated even if you work full time – you may do shift work or be prepared to search after work or on days off.  To ensure the success of the project they need as many people as possible to opt in, so that they can be sure there are enough people to search.  Please do consider opting in to the Neighbourhood Return project and helping to support carers of people with dementia in our area and don’t forget to spread the word amongst friends and neighbours in our locality too.  You can join the scheme directly through the Neighbourhood Return website: www.ourturn.org.uk

 

Water Framework Directive and the Hughenden Stream

The Water Framework Directive is the most substantial piece of water legislation ever produced by the European Commission, and is providing the major driver for achieving sustainable management of water in the UK and other EU Member States now and for many years to come. It was transposed into UK law in December 2003.  What follows is just a summary of the Directive and its implementation and how it relates to Hughenden Valley.  Continue reading →

Woodland Archaeology Days at Pigotts Wood 1st & 2nd March

John Morris of the Chiltern Woodland Project will be leading two of his very popular Woodland Archaeology days in Pigotts Wood on Friday 1st March 2013 or Saturday 2nd March 2013. Each one-day course will start at 10.30 am and finish about 4.00 pm (depending on weather). Meet at Pigotts, North Dean. Each one-day course will include an illustrated talk, with maps and books, a woodland visit to see and identify archaeological features found in Pigotts Wood, and discuss techniques to map and record features in this fascinating ancient wood. Please bring:- Strong footwear and warm / wet weather clothing. Packed lunch (tea & coffee provided) Booking essential. Cost £30 per person (places limited). Tel 01844 355503 or email woodlands@chilternsaonb.org.

Great Hampden WI Programme 2013

The Great Hampden WI have an interesting and varied programme of events for 2013, their 90th anniversary year. Click on the image for details. New members very welcome. Meetings are held at 7.45pm in Great Hampden Village Hall. For further information contact Val Firth (President) on 01844 346735.

Valley Wives Report – February

From Joan Steel

Jill welcomed us to the meeting then read some amusing quotes about children. After making the announcements Jill introduced Krissie Streatfield.a member of the Wycombe Beekeepers Association who’s slide talk was entitled “Buzz about Bees”. Krissie has kept bees for six years and at the moment has thirty-two hives, some locally in the Cryers Hill area and a small number at Waddesden Manor. The exact location of the hives is kept secret because the bees are very valuable. In a brief history of bees we learned that they are known to have been around for at least twenty thousand years. Egyptians used honey to embalm their dead. In Medieval times they discovered that the wax made good candles and in the First World War honey was used for healing wounds because it has antibacterial properties. Examples of different types of hives were shown to us and different types of actual dead bees. Krissie explained how the bees live and how the honey is harvested. About twenty thousand bees live in each hive, there is only one queen bee who is the mother of all the bees. She has a long body and after mating with the fluffy looking drones, who then die, she lays two thousand eggs every day. The worker bees feed her on royal jelly, which is a protein from the head of the worker bees the only bee to be fed on it, and she lives for about five years. Worker bees are the smallest, they feed the drones, of which there are about two hundred and fifty per hive, their only function is to mate with the queen. The workers, nearly two thousand, clean the hive, throw out the dead bees, do the foraging in an area of about one and a half mile radius, care for the brood, and decide when to make new bees. Krissie explained how and why bees swarm, and some of the diseases and pests that effect bees. They live an incredibly fascinating and organised existence,a nd although extensively studied they still have some behaviours that are a mystery. The speaker was warmly thanked for her most interesting and infomative talk. Honey from Krissie’s bees is on sale at Hughenden Village shop.

Please feel free to join us for our next meeting at 8pm in Hughenden Village Hall on March 1st when Valerie Statersfield is speaking to us on”Being a Head Teacher–a way of life”. The interesting object competition is for something beginning with the letter G.

HAGA Programme 2013

from Joanna Hughes The HAGA programme for 2013 is:

Fri 22nd Feb 8.00pm Talk: Curiosities ‘In Town Tonight’ by Alan Copeland

Fri 22 Mar 8.00pm Talk: Activities of the Chilterns Society by Ray Challinor

Fri 26th Apr 8.00pm Talk: The Eden Project by Roger Hailwood

Fri 31 May 8.00pm Talk: Chenies House & Gardens by Mrs V Edwards

Sat 8th June Visit: The Savill Garden & RHS Wisley (see HAGA 2013 visits flyer for details)

Fri 28 Jun 8.00pm Talk: ‘The Spice of Life’
Gardens of S. India & Tea Plantations by Gwen Barton

June 14th – 17th June: Short Break to Somerset.
See HAGA Somerset Holiday Flyer for details including how to book, and hotel details.

Sat 17th Aug Visit : National Memorial Arboretum (see HAGA 2013 visits flyer for details)

Fri 27th Sept 8.00pm Talk : Colour in the Garden by Edwin Rye

Sat 5th Oct Visit: Stourhead in the Autumn (see HAGA 2013 visits flyer for details)

Fri 25th Oct 8.00pm Talk: God’s Beautiful World by Anthony Powell

Fri 29th Nov 8.00pm AGM followed by refreshments

Fri 31st Jan 2014 8.00pm Talk : Making Space in the Garden for Wildlife by John Tyler

New members are always welcome and you don’t need to live in Hughenden to be eligible to join. Just come along to one of our meetings, held on the last Friday of the month (except for July, August and December) at Hughenden Valley Village Hall. The annual fee is only £2 and membership even allows you 10% discount at Hildreths on certain gardening goods!