Dorney Parish News February 2022 Planted for the Queen’s Green Canopy – a new tree proudly faces Dorney Common and Windsor Castle. ISSUE NO. 1/22 FEBRUARY 2022 EDITORIAL ‘I’ve started so I’ll finish…’ A letter writer in the Maidenhead Advertiser asserted that the bosses of National Highways had to be fans of ‘Mastermind’ as work presses on relentlessly to complete the not so smart M4 despite the government’s insistence on a ‘pause’ in the rollout of the scheme. Overnight before this column was written, noise levels in Dorney Reach seemed as high as ever and more disruption faces Lake End Road. National Highways’ appearance at the next Parish Council meeting is awaited with interest… Other sagas seem equally to be never ending. It seems we are not too far away from a planning decision on the future of the Orchard Herbs site, but the very welcome enforcement process against all those trucks seems to be proceeding slowly with worrying reports of new vehicles appearing on the site. Those who remember the issues raised by the construction of Dorney Lake and the Jubilee River will shudder at the phrase ’40 HGVs potentially travelling through Dorney per day’ but that seems to be the threat posed by Thames Water’s proposed pipeline construction on Dorney Common. Also without end is the call by worthy bodies for volunteers to come forward. We urge readers to respond to any or all of the calls in this issue. ‘Dorney Playground Needs You’ it says, so please consider becoming a trustee of the Playground Management Group and help to ensure its future. In these challenging times being a councillor must be potentially rewarding, so surely there is a resident reading this willing to be co-opted to fill the one remaining slot on the Parish Council. Finally, we all have seen what an ‘emergency’ looks like over the past two years. Communities are now very much encouraged to have in place an Emergency Plan in the event of flood, extreme weather events, power cuts or those catastrophes we hardly dare contemplate. Knowing available skills and resources in our community is the foundation of such a plan, so please come forward all those (to name but a few) medics, first aiders, mechanics, electricians, plumbers and tree surgeons and those with potential rescue equipment from canoes to chain saws. A little less momentous maybe, but the call is always there for new DDHS committee members, and, of course, writers (and advertisers) for this magazine. Talking of the ‘Hort Soc’ we hear there are definite plans to hold a Spring Buffet on March 18th in the Village Hall – more details in the next issue. A new writer for this magazine in this issue is our MP, Joy Morrissey. Now, with articles from politicians, it’s worth pointing out that old nostrum about editors not being responsible for the opinions of our contributors. But DPN will aways seek to highlight the concerns and policies of those who shape our community (most obviously, parish councillors) – maybe now we should issue an invitation to county councillors to grace these pages! Costs are increasing everywhere – for us, the cost we notice most acutely is that for printing. Not all costs are on the up, however. The precept – the charge we all pay alongside our Council Tax towards Parish Council expenditure – is not increasing this year. Another item of zero inflation is the subscription cost of ‘Dorney Parish News’, which remains at £5 for all ten issues to come in 2022. Make your distributor’s task easy by paying for this bargain at the first opportunity. Services in the Local Churches St James the Less, Dorney St. John the Baptist, Eton Wick St. John the Evangelist, Eton Vicar: Revd. La Stacey, The Vicarage, 69a Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6NE Tel: 01753 852268 email: revlastacey@gmail.com For information about our churches, activities and church history please see our parishes’ web site: www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk Methodist Church, Eton Wick Alma Road, Eton Wick, SL4 6JZ Minister: Rev Margaret Dudley, 01753 867117 Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Burnham Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Udoh, M.S.P. 01628 605764 Rev La Stacey writes: Something I read the other day made me sad. A student of philosophy was claiming Christianity taught that matter and spirit are split. As far as I know Christianity teaches no such thing. I thought it taught that the human who was Jesus lived out fully the divine calling of love in a totally integrated way. The material and the spiritual are never split in his life. Matter has spiritual significance. We’ve just come through the season of Epiphany during which time we have a series of bible readings telling of various people experiencing revelation: when looking at Jesus, the human being, they see the deepest of spirituality. We hear about the Magi from the East who fall at the baby’s feet in reverence; John the Baptist and all the folks with him in the desert experiencing the revelation like a voice from heaven telling that in Jesus human and divine are joined; Jesus himself standing up in the temple reading from Scripture and declaring to the people that in looking at him they are looking at God’s revealed truth standing on legs; and the season ends with Candlemas on 2nd February when the elderly Simeon and Anna, who had waited their whole lives for the revelation, recognise that in Jesus they are meeting the one in whom divinity will be given its full bodily human expression. Maybe what the philosophy student had picked up is that it is not an easy path to follow and much of what calls itself ‘Christianity’ gets somewhat skewed. Maybe we fail to notice that the first public miracle of Jesus is when he turns water into wine. This happened at an event celebrating marriage. In marriage we give ourselves in our totality to one another in full bodily expression, full trust and full commitment – surely one of the most sacred human experiences? We’ve heard a lot about the significance of wine at parties recently (!) and wine flows at this party too, in this instance as an expression of the flow of divine presence. Rather than duality, what Christianity teaches is Trinity, which people the world over find hard to comprehend, even people who are philosophy students. The concept of Trinity leaves space for wonder: God is Mystery who can never be fully comprehended with our rational minds. As a teacher of Christianity* has written: ‘God is dynamic—a verb rather than a static name. God is Interbeing itself, and never an isolated deity that can be captured by our mind.’ He goes on to say, ‘Christians believe that God is formlessness (the Father), God is form (the Son), and God is the very living and loving energy between those two (the Holy Spirit)…. the doctrine of the Trinity defeats the dualistic mind and invites us into nondual, holistic consciousness. It replaces the argumentative principle of two with the dynamic principle of three.’ No dualistic split here. Welcome rather to the world of embodied self-giving which is found to be sacred, and where matter matters because it is found to be an expression of divine love outpoured. *Richard Rohr. Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2013), 155–158. Church Services in February 2022 Wednesday 2nd February 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 6th February 9.30 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Any Family Service St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 13th February 9.30 am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 16th February 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 20th February 9.30 am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Morning Worship St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 27th February 9.30 am Morning Worship St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Help us to maintain and preserve Dorney church and churchyard At the heart of Dorney, tucked safely between the Village and the Reach, linking the two in spirit, is the very ancient church of St James the Less. It carries so much of the history of Dorney within its flint walls, from the Norman font, in which village babies have been baptised for 900 years, through 13th century retellings of the bible in wall-art, through traces of the tumultuous reformation years, through evidence of local 19th century philanthropy, through the village history of the 2 world wars, up to the present day. The beauty and peace of the place continue to speak comfort to those who have laid their family members to rest in the graveyard. And it continues to be a place of worship and prayer for the life of our community. All of this continues to require the support of those who live nearby and those who find a spiritual home here. We have some fabulous gardeners who keep the grounds neat. That costs around £3000 per year. Insurance, heating, printing, candles, staffing -all these costs, large and small, need to be met to the tune of about £20,000 per year in total. And on top of that there are always repairs needed to the fabric. If you would like to donate to these costs, here is some information about giving. Do visit our website too, to see all that the benefice offers -https://www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk/ Donate Online – via your mobile phone camera: http://easydonate.org/STJD Or by Text message To donate £3, text STJD to 70331 To donate £5, text STJD to 70970 To donate £10, text STJD to 70191 Thank you! Fundraising, payments and donations will be processed and administered by the National Funding Scheme (Charity No: 1149800), operating as DONATE. Texts will be charged at your standard network rate. For Terms & Conditions, see www.easydonate.org DORNEY SCHOOL RESPECT * COLLABORATE * GROW News from Dorney School At the time of writing, this country faces another political turmoil as press exposure of Downing Street lockdown parties fills our timelines. My heart breaks yet again as our collective focus is on inconsistency, dishonesty and sleaze and we are diverted from what really matters – health, economy, and education. These sectors have been severely affected by the pandemic and there are some aspects that may never recover. I have personally seen the impact of Covid on health as members of the community face serious illness and the loss of family and friends. I have cried along with parents who describe their loved ones on ventilators and uncertain about the outcome of treatment. I have helped families and friends who have lost their jobs, or are unable to work during these turbulent times and seen the impact of rising costs and low wages that are increasing even today as 1.8 million children are growing up in very deep poverty. That is equivalent to the population of Bahrain or Latvia! I am personally experiencing the impact of the pandemic on education, the one sector where my role should make a difference. However, it is well documented that many more children are experiencing poor mental health. Lockdowns and isolation periods have impacted on their progress and our youngest children are struggling with transition into schools. These are only a few of the issues we know about and there are so many more that I have not mentioned or will only be noticed in the longer term as our children grow up into adulthood. These are worrying times indeed, and there is a real need for strong, transparent, and ethical leadership to take us through and beyond these challenges. I believe in democracy and the democratic process, and I have hope that we will see an improvement in not only how our country is led and managed, but also that we have a long term plan whose main objective is a sustainable future for all. I must keep believing that our children will be the improved leaders of tomorrow. I must believe in a future where everyone thrives. I must believe that we eradicate child poverty and seek to redistribute wealth and ensure equality. In this, I see the role of our school, and all schools, to equip our children with the values, the aptitude, the knowledge and the skills so that these beliefs become reality. At Dorney School we marked Martin Luther King Day at school on 17th January 2022. It is a coincidence that this day is also the birthday of Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay; two significant members of the black civil rights movement. It was only a few weeks ago that we received the news of the passing of Sidney Poitier, a Hollywood legend who stood alongside Dr King and Muhammad Ali in dedicating their lives to activism. They used their popularity as a platform to stand up, raise their voices and be the channel for other voices that demanded equality and equal rights. Whilst learning about these historical figures, our children were passionate in identifying why we need to keep carrying this torch of righteousness. Our children talked about their commitment to create a moral platform where all voices are heard and included. They showed us their dedication to equality by working together and challenging inequity. I am so proud of our children because, even in these darker and uncertain times, their voices ring clear in the fresh spring air! Come and visit us and see what we do and achieve every single day at the Little Village School with a Big Heart! Email the school to book an appointment for a personal tour around the school. Our pupils would be delighted to show you around. Warmest wishes, Mrs Sharifah Lee, Headteacher Dorney Parish Council FEBRUARY 2022 Dorney Parish Council FEBRUARY 2022 Dents Field -misty sunrise Precept News At the January 2022 meeting the Finance Committee’s recommendation to keep the precept for the year to 31st March 2023 the same as last year was agreed. Due to a slight increase in the Band D tax base there will be a small decrease of 1.09% to residents. EMERGENCY PLAN CATTLE GRID NEWS RUTH SENIOR PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE Planned improvement Clerk at Dorney Parish to the cattle grid on AND PROVIDE DETAILS OF Council Village Road will ANY EQUIPMENT OR hopefully make it clerk@dorneyparish SPECIALIST SKILLS quieter for residents council.gov.uk close by. We welcome RJC Landscapes - our new maintenance company DPC needs another Councillor to join our team. Please contact our Clerk if you are interested in being co-opted. Clearance continues on the Orchard Herbs site. DPC continues to monitor the site and press Highways for the much delayed planning decision 1 Planning Ahead – Bucks wants your views! In July 2019 ‘Dorney Parish News’ produced a special edition because of the disquiet which was generated at a well-attended Parish Council meeting over news that Dorney Reach might lose its Green Belt status. The cause of all this was the Draft Chiltern and South Bucks Local Plan, 2016-36. A year later this Plan was killed off by the new Bucks Unitary Authority. Unmourned, the Plan’s demise was caused by Covid, a damning report by the Planning Inspectorate and the new government white paper, Planning for the Future. Bucks has started work on a new Local Plan ‘which will set out the Council’s planning framework for years ahead…responding to the Government’s planning reforms, identifying areas for growth, renewal and protection across Bucks.’ How far have they got? One fact leaps out. The population of Buckinghamshire is around 550,000 but by 2040 Bucks needs to build 55,000 new homes. On its website the County points out that 28,000 of these already have planning permission or are in existing Local Plans. Space for 27,000 still needs to be found. A local plan is intended to show where such development can happen and those protected places where it needs to be carefully controlled. Such a Plan becomes the prime consideration when determining planning applications. Rules or ‘policies’ are drawn up on issues like the right number and size of homes, creating good places to live with shopping and leisure facilities, the necessary infrastructure and the protection of the environment. Bucks claim that the Plan on which they are working will aim to deliver sustainable development, benefit people by such as getting the infrastructure in the right place at the right time and creating efficiencies through more prompt planning decisions and the need for fewer planning appeals. The Bucks Unitary Authority came into being in April 2020. They say that this means they must produce a new Local Plan within five years – by April 2025. The ‘formal plan process’ runs from 2022 to 2024. Consultation with the public should take place in late 2024. The Local Plan will cover the whole of Buckinghamshire up to 2040. Well, this is all a bit vague, but right now on the Bucks website is the message that ‘there are two ways in which you can get involved with the Local Plan’ – fill in a questionnaire and help in the identification of Brownfield sites. The closing date for the questionnaire is February 11th so this magazine may have barely arrived. The survey is to ‘help start early discussions’ and is about the issues residents ‘think are important in shaping the future of the area.’ I’ve completed it – it’s just that…where do you see yourselves living in future years, where should development be allowed, how do you define ‘good places to live’. Be a good citizen and fill it in…by the 11th. In December 2021 Bucks launched their second call for brownfield sites in an attempt to identify new sites suitable for ‘redevelopment or regeneration’. Bucks are making a ‘brown before green’ pledge. Examples of suitable sites would be empty retail units or garage sites, or indeed any site previously used for employment which is now vacant or under used. I trust Dorney residents will be asking themselves whether they really do use that helipad as much as they used to or whether their boats need quite such a big jetty. But, in all fairness, ‘brown before green’ sounds a pretty good mantra with which to start 2022. Peter Bowman Nicky Hutchinson – ‘We have lost a truly unique individual, who touched so many lives. She will be much missed.’ News from the Thames Valley Adventure Playground has frequently featured in these pages. That interest and affection is reflected throughout Dorney. Local businesses, and groups like the Horticultural Society, have all helped raise funds. Therefore, many in these parts will be saddened to hear that Nicky Hutchinson has passed away. Nicky had been TVAP’s Donations Manager for over 25 years until ill health forced her to leave in 2017. After a lengthy struggle with cancer, Nicky died peacefully in the Thames Hospice on January 5th. Garry Warrington, the Playground Manager said ‘It is no understatement to say that the Playground wouldn’t be where we are today if not for her. Her personable nature and incredible attention to detail together with her exhausting work ethic forged many of the community and business relationships that have sustained us over the years.’ Nicky clearly was a remarkable lady. She engaged local audiences over the Playground’s successes and challenges ‘often in draughty village halls.’ She insisted that supporters received individually worded letters. It probably helped that she was a ‘guru on all questions of etiquette, spelling and grammar.’ As Garry put it, she was ‘old school in the very best sense.’ We’ll be hearing more from TVAP in upcoming editions on plans for 2022, a year that sees the organisation’s 40th anniversary. Upcoming events can also be found on the TVAP website. Update on local Bird Flu outbreak Bird flu cases have unfortunately been found locally and to help reduce spread Defra has established a temporary disease control zone covering 3km (1.86 mile) in all directions from the Thames at Eton, where infected swans were recently identified. See map below. Dog owners must keep dogs on leads along the riverbanks. You are asked not to feed the swans near Dorney for the time being, in order to reduce public footfall at the riverside and discourage birds from congregating closely together to get food. Meanwhile, Swan Support are feeding the swans from boats on the water. This wonderful local charity run by Wendy can receive donations which go directly to buy sacks of bird food. Please do not touch dead or sick wild birds, just let Defra know on 03459 33 55 77 On 2 January 2022 avian influenza HPAI H5N1 was confirmed in captive birds at a premises near Eton, Windsor & Maidenhead, Berkshire. A 3km Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone has been put in place around the premises (please see map below). Dorney Emergency Plan – Residents’ Skills and Resources For the Dorney Emergency Plan that is in preparation, it is suggested by Bucks Council that we identify volunteers who may be able to help in an emergency / event. These may be individuals with specific skills or organisations or businesses who would be willing to support the community in some way. Voluntary organisations / groups / clubs may also be willing to help. Dorney Parish Council would like to maintain a confidential list of people with useful skills (with their consent). Together with the skills and experience offered by the above, an equipment list, including who owns it, is key to the whole plan. Dorney Parish Council would be most grateful if you would complete the form on our website – www.dorneyparishcouncil.gov.uk -and send it to the Clerk. Your information will be held confidentially and will only be passed to those people responsible for the Emergency Plan. Relevant Skills that we are seeking (in alphabetical order) are: Doctor, Electrician, First Aider (e.g. St John, Red Cross), Farmer, Fire Fighter, Mechanic, Nurse, Plumber, Radio amateur, Social Worker (qualified), Vet, Volunteer (e.g. Women’s Institute /WRVS) If you tick any of the Relevant Skills on the form on the website, we will contact you to better understand your skills and how you might wish to be involved in an Emergency situation. Relevant Resources that we are seeking (in alphabetical order) are: 4 x 4 Vehicles, Alternative Water Source or Operating Well, Boats (Rowing/Canoes/Ribs etc), Chain Saws, Heating & Fuel Stocks (Authorised Fuel/Logs/Red Diesel), Lighting (Freestanding), Portable Generators, Sandbags & Sand, Substantial Ropes (>10m), Tractors / Trailers, Water Pumps, Two – way Radios. If you tick any of the Relevant Resources on the form on the website, we will contact you in order to ascertain the specifications of the item, whether you would prefer to operate it yourself or you would permit a skilled operator to use it and any other conditions. We thank you, in advance, for your assistance on this important matter. Ruth Senior, Parish Clerk ‘First Wednesday’ – it’s back Life is returning to Dorney. We’re told that it just so happens that there are fresh faces in our community as new neighbours arrive. Landlord Chrys Fisher sounded a very cheerful chap as we talked about customers streaming through the door of The Palmer Arms and The Pineapple. Incidentally, members of my family who live elsewhere like to remind us how fortunate Dorney is in having two pubs when many villages have gone, perhaps mainly due to Covid, from one to zero. All this means that now seems a good time to revive the tradition of ‘First Wednesdays’, and we’re told that a goodly number of neighbours had a convivial evening in the ‘Palmers’ on, yes, the first Wednesday in January 2022. Maybe many people no longer relish the idea of walking into a pub on the off chance of coming across company. Many may be living on their own. Of course, there will be those newcomers who wonder about the best way of meeting their neighbours. That’s the idea behind First Wednesday -anyone who wanders into the Palmers from about 6.30 onwards on the first Wednesday of each month should be guaranteed to find kindred spirits. They should also find as the evening progresses that Chrys and his team rustle up some nibbles. Let’s hope lots of us give it a try to meet old friends, make new friends and make the acquaintance of all our neighbours. Our smashing village pub is nearer to where some live than others, but First Wednesday is for those from all parts of our far-flung parish. We’ve even heard that those who have moved on to pastures new return on this day to re-live Dorney hospitality. Cheers. It will be great to meet you. Strengthening our Magistrates to fight Crime and Antisocial Behaviour This week saw announcements from the Government that I hope will greatly benefit the towns and villages of my constituency. Tackling crime and antisocial behaviour is a priority for me, and the courts have a vital role in this process. What are sometimes described as “low level offences” do in fact have a profound impact on many people’s ability to feel safe and secure in their homes. The investment to support the recruitment of 4,000 new Magistrates may not have grabbed every headline, but it will make a difference to the everyday lives of many in our communities. Magistrates are the backbone of our criminal justice system, often unsung but vital in ensuring that criminals are prosecuted. Handling around 95% of all criminal cases, our Magistrates need the support and the proper powers to dispense justice on behalf of all of us. This is why I am so pleased that in addition to recruiting new Magistrates, we are doubling the maximum sentence that a Magistrates’ Court can hand down from 6 to 12 months. Allowing this greater power of sentencing will enable our Magistrates’ Courts to hear more serious cases and dispense justice more swiftly. One of the most important aspects of this change is that it will free up more time in the Crown Court, which deals with the most serious cases. Nearly 2,000 additional days of Crown Court time will be made available by these measures, allowing us to resolve a great many more of the most severe cases, stopping people waiting significant periods for trial, and bringing much needed resolution to victims of crime. During the Covid 19 pandemic, our courts have managed to keep going through incredibly difficult circumstances, and as we return to normal, we must do what is necessary to drive down the backlog. Joy Morrissey MP Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Justice House of Commons | London | SW1A 0AA | 020 7219 8708 Disraeli House | 12 Aylesbury End | Beaconsfield | Buckinghamshire | HP9 1LW | 01494 977505 www.joymorrissey.uk | @JoyMorrissey | fb.com/joy4beaconsfield Rewilding in Dorney Reach Driving down Marsh Lane on December 3rd I noticed lots of busy activity in the Thames Water Boreholes field. A crowd of hi-vis jackets in a normally deserted wasteland. This was the first planting session in what will turn out to be a significant rewilding project that may well have a major impact on our community. Just who was there? There was a team from Ecosulis, environmental consultants commissioned by Thames Water in 2020 to develop a ‘pocket rewilding vision’ for the Dorney site. Another company, Brown and Carroll, who will be supplying 12,000 trees to the project said that their visit that day ‘gave us a chance to grab a spade and get digging’. Also, there was Becky Elliott, Thames Water’s Biodiversity Manager who said ‘it was so exciting to be involved in the planting and I can’t wait to see how the site becomes wilder over the next decade.’ I rather hope Dorney will be hearing more from Becky about the project over the coming months. Alongside the official party, and perhaps indicating one important factor going forward with the project, was a small band of intrepid local volunteers. Initial activity seems to have been concentrated at the Marsh Lane perimeter with the planting of blackthorn whips but as work on the 22-hectare site continues Ecosulis promise oak, rowan, crab apple, lime, elder and dog rose. I’m told planting has continued through January. What is Ecosulis’ ‘rewilding vision for Dorney boreholes’? Even though I’m told that a few decades back the field was used for arable farming, the new scheme places great emphasis on its recent heritage as a grazing area. Since grazing ended, ‘nature has started to go its own way…without intervention, the site will succeed to dense scrub in 10 to 15 years…this will be of limited biodiversity value…’ The vision can be studied in depth at www.ecosulis.co.uk The intention is to steer these natural processes to create ‘a rich and dynamic rewilding area’. The process is intended to have three phases. Firstly, the boundary hedge along Marsh Lane will be widened using ‘natural regeneration techniques’ – hence the activity in December. The second phase involves working with existing patterns of vegetation pushing areas of sparse shrub back to meadow and steering developing scrub with that new planting towards ‘thickets, copse and oak groves.’ The third phase is to reintroduce natural grazing with small herds of ponies and cattle. All this will create a ‘precious natural asset for the community’. This is where the future of this site becomes intriguing, uncertain and possibly controversial. There is talk of ‘informal wandering and relaxation…therapeutic activities.’ Foraging, nature photography and wildlife recording will be bonuses for those who live near to the site. There is likely to be three access points, a permanent surfaced perimeter path and an informal route diagonally across the site. Monitoring rewilding changes is important it seems, and this provides an opportunity to involve ‘local citizens and students.’ It seems we will be out there with our smart phones and apps like iNaturalist and eBird. Ecosulis talk of the prospect of ‘relaxed summer evenings moth trapping with friends in the Dorney rewilding area’. The Thames Water Dorney Rewilding sounds exciting, progressive, inclusive and maybe even fun. But shouldn’t Thames Water be communicating directly with residents, especially Dorney Reach residents, about these significant plans for our neighbourhood? Peter Bowman ****** JANUARY SAILS ON DORNEY COMMON Hard frost and icy winds whip across the common as January sails to an end, with most working days that start with frozen fingers scraping icy frost from the windscreen with a plastic discount card that only gets 20% off. As Omicron scuppered our festive activities once again, hordes of people caused traffic jams right up the A4 to Salt Hill Vax, with a perpetual line of eleventy-eight people in a snaking queue. The Team that quenched the stampede were rotating shifts of SJA vaccinators and local pharmacists on our PCN side, working alongside each other out of twelve hubs, to support and satisfy demand. However, as 2022 arrived, these queues reduced almost overnight to a level of normality. Meantime, an announcement from the Head Office of St John Ambulance states that we all must take a further swathe of NHS e-learning modules to prepare for the start of vaccinating our five-year-olds and up. This now means further learning and yet more certificates as we study the processes for paediatric vaccination delivery and care. Back at the beginning of December, our Panto ‘Treasure Island’ was a sell out and thankfully a huge success, to help once again replenish the coffers of Maidenhead Drama Guild with some much-needed funds. The Dame in impossibly high red 9inch heels won the hearts of many, as the fast-paced action, special lighting effects and stage extension created a new dimension to the Holyport Memorial Hall. No major hiccups, but the nightly flying underpants amused our younger viewers, as they soared in many different directions with each show. The soiled crotch (acrylic paint) fabricated in our kitchen, looked too real! After the Christmas wrap, it was time once again, to pack our props, costume, and technical equipment to vacate Waldeck House, (another demolition to make way for flats) our home for the last 7 years. Originally housing just costume and set build, when we had lost the other Waldeck space, all worldly goods were squeezed into this small Tardis with little room for cat swinging. Two weeks later, skips bursting, a mass of January sales on eBay and vehicles laden for the charity shops or Thames Hospice, the best of the rest was moved into a large dry storage container in Wargrave. During the ruthless disposal of all goods that served no purpose other than nostalgic memories, I threw on the skip seven large acrylic paintings that appeared in the finals of the 2021 drama festival in Bridlington, as it was unlikely that they would be used again. The frame was made from spare wood in our workshop and the canvas recycled old backdrop fabric. I painted all seven huge canvases in one weekend, in our kitchen with LBC and many cups of coffee. Having never attempted that size before, it was fun to experiment with a palette knife including coating our kitchen surfaces and units with splat. Quick painting – good from a distance! Nevertheless, it was ‘bye bye’ time. It was quite a surprise that our Chair, Samantha Partridge, announced a week later, that she had fished them out of the skip where they lay sleeping under the debris of cast-off theatrical items, and sold them all on Facebook for a fair sum. After laughing out loud, I was pleased that this further added to the guild’s bank balance, as now, without a rehearsal space, every penny would be needed to hire halls. My husband Dave suggested I start a conveyor belt of paintings to bolster their lean times, then quickly realised that Sam had probably labelled them with a ‘MDG group hits hard times please help’ heading. Onwards and upwards, or rather backwards, but still heads above water, plans now forge ahead with a new production of ‘Stags and Hens’ written by Willie Russell. This Spring play will be opening at the end of March in a new venue for us, The Old Court (Windsor Arts Centre), a lovely 160-seater space but with limitations. The stage has virtually no wings, and only stage left exit and entrance, restricting the direction of play. Stepping back a bit on this one (fatigued by the toil of panto) I now look forward to attending the production in a comfy seat to enjoy our Team effort from that cushion for a change. I saw a Facebook post this month about ants, which was intriguing. A drop of water on a tree leaf attracted twelve ants to gather round to drink and the ants divided themselves into four groups of three. This was to maintain the balance of the water drop from tilting and running to the ground. Known apparently as an ant circle, they have the ability to work together in unison, in this case to stabilise the droplet and divide the share of water equally amongst them. A Team that works together has strength in its cohesive thinking. ‘No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it’ Professor H.E. Luccock I have always loved being part of a vibrant Team, where one supportive hand reaches out to another without the need to ask, very much like the tale of the geese by Dr Robert McNeish in 1972: ‘This fall, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along in ‘V’ formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in ‘V’ formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. When the Head Goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. Finally, and this is important, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshots and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly, or until it dies. Only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.’ Kristina Perkins Dorney Folk -Home Working The lights are on, and Dorney folk are home. Commuting’s out, Zoom calls in. Suits are off, pyjamas on. Kitchen table, study desk, coffee table, shed -we’re all hard at it, working from home. As many of us have been home working during the Covid pandemic, I thought it would be interesting to speak to Dorney folk, and share our experiences. But first, the history. It was the 16th of March 2020, when the PM said “now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact and travel”. On 23rd March, he announced the first lockdown in the UK, ordering people to “stay at home”. 26th March 2020 saw the introduction of official lockdown measures. And, after a few false starts, the start of 2022 saw the majority of us working from home again. Many local people believe there are a lot of benefits: It’s an opportunity to connect with the community. Meet the neighbours, take more exercise, rediscover hobbies, and get more sleep. A chance to notice the changing seasons. Watch a leaf wither and fall, experience the icy grip of winter. Quite different from the narrow slant of sky many of us see from our workplace window -sometimes the only reminder of the natural world. ‘It gives me time to daydream,’ a Dorney Reach neighbour said. ‘And dabble in painting.’ Another told me it gave him a chance to have a proper row with his wife, instead of snatching a few angry words before running for the train. Working from home sparked a divorce for one of my friends after he and his wife battled their way through lockdown, the longest period of time they’d spent together since their honeymoon. ‘And she expected me to take turns making lunch,’ he moaned. ‘Me! A CEO!’ Another close neighbour confided, ‘I swapped my vendetta with a colleague, who kept leaving my office door open, for a vendetta with a local riding school for never shutting the gates. Drives me bonkers. Now, the mere mention of a latch makes my blood pressure rocket!’ A particular joy of working from Dorney, has been discovering the local walks. I’ve hiked along the Thames and the Jubilee River, explored Burnham Beeches in autumn, and been newt-spotting in Dorney Wetlands. I followed the Freedom Trail and The Flower Pot route (all three ways), developed blisters in Walton-on-Thames, and twisted my ankle in Wraysbury. And what a pleasure, when lockdown allowed, to end up in The Palmer Arms! I’ve visited the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham (in a mask), dug a vegetable patch, overthrown an army of slugs, and written much of my novel. There are downsides to home working of course. Pet hates among my neighbours are: • Friends who drop round for coffee because they assume that, like them, you’re on holiday, or retired, or lonely • The family crisis you’re expected to deal with because you’re at home, and • Delivery drivers begging for help after their van’s become stuck on Dorney Common. Then there’s the suspicious boss who assumes you’re skiving, and the person who refuses to appear on Zoom unless you give them an hour’s notice to ‘fix their hair and make-up’. The broken internet. Rising fuel costs. And all the extra snacks (calories) lying in wait (weight) every time you pass the kitchen. Everyone’s got heavier, except for the neighbour who gave birth during the first lockdown. Loki, they called the baby. Research from the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) shows that homeworkers appear to be more or as productive as when they’re in the workplace, but cite the need for employers to support their mental health. My experience, and that of my neighbours, support their findings. We all work longer hours at home, and the line between work and home has become blurred. Those of us with mobile devices tend to respond to work emails at all times, not just during core office hours. And mental health? Some people I know have developed a fear of returning to the office, while others have experienced depression linked to loneliness, alcohol problems, and eating disorders. There’s no doubt that the routine of getting up and on with the day, whether at work or at home, is good for mental and physical wellbeing, as is mixing with real people. However, we’ve made the best of remote communications. And here I have to mention the ever-popular Zoom competitions: Who has the nicest house, the weirdest wallpaper, most badly behaved spouse/kids/pet seen on a Zoom call? Some of the best backgrounds are computer-generated of course -useful for hiding your location, messy rooms, or impressing others. With the click of a mouse, you can appear on a call flanked by Egyptian pyramids, or surrounded by sheep. On the surface of the moon, or perched atop the Empire State Building. Then there are the disastrous Zoom calls reported on the internet: A naked husband stumbling into view, clutching a bottle of Scotch, during his wife’s interview (via Zoom). A Jack Russell humping the hoover during a presentation to the company’s board about the gender pay gap. And my favourite anecdote? The sound a couple ‘making out’ in the hotel room next door while a contrite Managing Director apologises to his shareholders for breaking lockdown rules. And no one owns up to a wailing child, barking dog or mobile going off behind the scenes during an important call. And yet, we’re all looking forward to going back to the workplace. To those ghastly train journeys, rail strikes, and eye-watering ticket increases. Swapping the weekly fight with the local refuse collector for squabbles over desks, and the temperature of the office. Whether the window should be open or shut. Whose turn it is to descale the communal kettle. Or sit next to the colleague with B.O. Because, basically, we like our colleagues (mostly). We like the routine. The feeling that Friday’s special because we get to relax for two days. At home. With no work (if we’re lucky). We hope there will be more balance now. Hybrid working – pick ‘n’ mix -a few days in the office, a few at home, with flexibility on hours. And that lockdown walks won’t be abandoned, because, one thing we’ve learnt is that Dorney (and the surrounding area) is a lovely place to live and work, and that there’s much joy to be had in the simple things in life. Yes, the lights are on and Dorney folk are home. Mo Voaden John Farrell – a warm ‘thank you’ from the residents of Dorney Dorney’s ‘groundsman’ has retired. The sight and sound of John’s motorised mower will no longer be a feature of Dorney life. The news has been discussed at the Parish Council and reported here in the minutes. The Chair has thanked John. New arrangements appear to have been seamlessly put into place. Can ‘Dorney Parish News’ add to all that and thank John on behalf of the whole community? John Farrell has been a long-time resident of the village and has served as Parish Groundsman since 2010. We can think of three qualities that residents mention in talking of John. As was said at the Parish Council, John was always ‘going above and beyond his duties’ in Dorney. Alongside mowing, strimming, weeding and litter picking, he fixed things. Recently his efforts saw two smart benches back in the Memorial Garden with one having the Jubilee plaque expertly restored plus the renovation of the bench by the tennis court in Dorney Reach. We’re told that wife Kathy played a part here! As well as restoring the parish, he was a friendly chap. I can think of countless conversations with neighbours that started ‘I had a chat with John about that…’ Lastly, he was a reassuring presence…in this household the sound of John’s tractor regularly brought forth the remark ‘Ah, John’s doing the verges…’ John, thank you. Your efforts will be missed. Incidentally, an interesting successor has been rapidly lined up by the Parish Council. RJC Landscapes serve an extensive area surrounding its Slough base. Among its clients are local schools and Bray Parish Council. Peter Bowman DORNEY PLAYGROUND NEEDS YOU! After thousands of voluntary hours and having raised over £170,000 Dorney has a toddler and junior playground, a multi-use games area and a managed and maintained tennis court that Dorney can be proud of. The hard work of fundraising and building is complete, and it is now time for the current committee to stand down and hand over the running and maintenance of this valuable community asset to a new team. We are looking for volunteers to step forwards to form a new committee thus ensuring the continuation of these facilities that so many parents, carers and children enjoy. Please􀀁email􀀁Leanne􀀁(leanne@kittel.co.uk)􀀁to􀀁register􀀁your􀀁interest􀀁in􀀁ensuring􀀁that􀀁these􀀁 facilities􀀁can􀀁continue􀀁to􀀁be􀀁enjoyed􀀁by􀀁so􀀁many.􀀁Thank􀀁you.􀀁 Past members: Leon Williams, Andrew Purdie, Zoe Brooker, Trudi Harwood, Kelly, Alison Michael, Jo EllisCurrent members: Leanne Kittel, Emma Stanton, Miranda Scott, Lyndsey Oliver, Jane Dawson, Kris Purdie, MaryNelson, Adam Seels 2727 More of the Same or Something New The first warning was the red glow of brake lights and swerving vehicles seeking a way through whatever lay ahead on the M40. I braked the ambulance, instinctively switched on the four-way flashers and peered through the heavy traffic. Two cars lay across the outer two lanes at crazy angles, severely damaged, one to the front, the other to the rear. The hard shoulder was some way off, blocked as it was by traffic pouring off the M25, and the central reservation was similarly blocked by speeding cars anxious not to be caught in the impending jam. I stopped some way behind the scene, throwing on all the lights on the vehicle and braced for the impact I was sure was coming, but none did, and I ran to both vehicles as traffic streamed by, save for one brave soul in a van who tried to help. None of the occupants were bleeding out and all were breathing, so I ran back and waved at two slowing large lorries and asked the drivers to close all the lanes with their vehicles. “Sure Mate,” they both grinned as they swung the trucks across all three lanes. Now the only way through was the M25 upslip and I was staggered at the persistence, speed and recklessness of some drivers rushing past me. “Police emergency,” my phone stated as I struggled to hear over the din. “Where are you?” I shouted above the traffic the location as I knew it. “You’ll have to slow down Sir. I can’t hear you,” said the male voice I repeated the location more slowly as more lorries thundered past. “I’m not sure you’re in my area!” “Sorry?” I ventured. “I’m not sure you’re in my area,” my guide to salvation said, almost bored. “Look here. I’m standing on the M40 with lorries rushing past at grave risk. I don’t want to hear about which area I should be in…” and at that point a lady handed me her phone. “I’ve got them on mine,” she said, and after a while all was well. I am happy to report that injuries were not life threatening and all survived my NHS first aid, only one getting a ride in an ambulance. You may wander, dear reader, why I am telling you all this, particularly as the M40 is some distance from the lovely Dorney. Well wonder no more. We lucky people in Dorney have a motorway nearby with no hard shoulder at all, let alone one that was inaccessible by virtue of traffic and upslips, and I have to tell you that for a few minutes I was absolutely terrified that I, together with the three casualties, would be flattened by my ambulance being thrust along by thirty two tons of articulated lorry; and I was protected by a high visibility vehicle in clear dry conditions in daylight! Add a little fog, the dark, maybe a shower of rain, and the odds of calamity skyrocket. Do what you can to bury this madness for good please. It was quite a start for the new year as we bade a glad farewell to 2021, a year, I suspect, many of us will wish to forget. For me, the glass is usually half full and I hope for and expect an exciting year ahead with a gradual return to a new normality. The greatest of these returns will be the continued kindness and joy that most of us lately show to others. Having been through hard times, sometimes in isolation, on furlough and with less or no pay, we are at what appears to be the beginning of the end, enjoying a new masked freedom. I do hope we don’t lose that joy I see everywhere; or maybe it’s too many beers! Lots of the things we do so well will continue to return, indeed most have, including, I’m happy to say, the noble art of Church Bell ringing. I’m still staggered that every village, every town, and every city has at least one church which houses a massive musical instrument, even the smallest the size and weight of a large car, installed high on a tower hundreds of years ago by wonderful builders who had no modern tools. Some were built by generations who would never see the finished building. They stand today without cracks or subsidence. The wonder continues. Six, eight or ten, and sometimes even twelve bells are rung to music (called methods) devised by Monks and others to strict mathematical formulae in candlelight with a quill pen. Even the common methods baffle me now after a lifetime trying to understand them. Britain is the only country on the planet where one can hear bells rung in methods, save for our old Empire where churches were built and bells installed in places like Sydney, Australia. Sadly, it appears to be a dying art. A dear friend Eileen Stephenson, a skilled and stalwart ringer in our area, died on 3rd January, and for those of us privileged to have known her, she is sadly missed; a good friend and another ringer lost. Apart from World War Two, and Covid 19, church bells have called people to church for centuries, but it needs new blood to continue. So, if you’re looking for a new year’s resolution where you will trim your figure, make new friends and be part of a century’s old tradition, pop into Dorney Church on a Sunday or Monday evenings at 7.30. Ringers are a friendly bunch and what have you to lose? Have a brilliant New Year and continue to stay safe. Mike Quincey Set in the grounds of Dorney Court Estate, near Eton, visitors will find a unique and innovative garden destination offering a curated range of plants for all seasons, as well as inspired items for the home and garden. Our shop blends practical and stylish products from around the world with plants that are often difficult to source, particularly from garden centres. With a full nursery of garden and indoor plants, eco-friendly growing supplies, home and garden décor, furniture, firepits, and gifts, Crocus at Dorney Court seamlessly offers something for every home and garden. www.crocus.co.uk MINUTES OF THE DORNEY PARISH COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING TUESDAY 18th January 2022, 6.30 P.M. AT DORNEY SCHOOL. PRESENT: Finance Committee Members; Cllr. Euan MacLennan, Cllr. Robert Stopford and Cllr. StephenBaker. Cllr. Jill Dax and Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford. 1. Apologies for absence -none 2. Declarations of interest – none 3. To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 10th November 2020 – A note was made on the minutes of the meeting as follows: These minutes produced by the previous Councillors have been viewed by the new Councillors appointed in May 2021. We note the contents and agree for them to be signed off for legal purposes. No responsibility is accepted for the contents. Jill Dax (Chair) 18/1/2022. 4. Matters arising from previous minutes not covered elsewhere on the agenda – none 5. To review revenue and expenditure for 2021/2022 – Councillor MacLennan presented an overview of last years budget (set by the previous Council) and the expenditure against the budgeted figures. This was a difficult year as there were changes in the Councillors, Clerk and Groundsman. There was also a budgeted spend of £5000 for the Village Hall grounds work overpayment, however this was only £2500. Overall the year will end with an estimated deficit of around £2700. 6. To consider the budget for 2022/23 – Councillor MacLennan presented the proposed budget for this year which he hopes will be more settled with the new Clerk and grounds work contracts in place. The new budget will leave an estimated surplus of around £4000 to cover any unexpected expenses/projects. It was agreed for the Clerk to check with Buckinghamshire Council if the breakdown on the annual Council Tax statement includes anything specific on the Precept charge. It was agreed that the Clerk will investigate the general insurance for the Parish Council to remove or add any assets on the schedule. It was agreed that the Clerk will cancel the vehicle insurance. 7. To agree a precept for the year to 31st March 2023 to recommend to the Parish Council – The Finance Committee RESOLVED to recommend a precept of £25000 which is the same as last year. Due to a slight increase in the Band D tax base, there will be a small decrease of 1.09% for residents. 8. Any other business – none 9. Items for the next agenda -none Meeting ended at 19:16 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DORNEY PARISH COUNCIL HELD TUESDAY 18th JANUARY 2022, 7.30 P.M. AT DORNEY SCHOOL Present: Cllr. Jill Dax (Chair) Cllr. Anna Palmer Cllr. Euan MacLennan Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford Cllr. Robert Stopford Cllr. Stephen Baker Ms Ruth Senior (Parish Clerk) and 8 members of the public (including 5 via zoom) Open Forum Dean Stacey asked for an update on the Boveney Court Farm plans, these will be discussed further under item 5. Michelle Stacey raised concerns over parking issues on Marsh Lane and Boveney Road which is presumed to be walkers using Dorney Lake. This will be reported to Dorney Lake at the next meeting with them. This issue will hopefully soon be alleviated when Dorney Lake closes again for the summer (April to September). PC/01/22 Apologies for absence None PC/02/22 To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 16th November 2021 and matters arising These were approved with no amendments required and signed by the Chairman. There were no matters arising. PC/03/22 Co-option of councillor No candidate has come forward. The available position will continue to be advertised in the Dorney Parish News. PC/04/22 Items of business carried forward 04.1 The Orchard Herbs Site Cllr. Stopford updated on site activity. Highways are expected to respond this week to the proposed plans to enable a planning decision to be made. The enforcement notice is progressing slowly although a local resident has reported that some new vehicles have appeared on site. It was agreed that Cllr. Stopford will report this to Mitchell Pugh in advance of his site visit, scheduled for 24th Jan, where he will update Cllr. Stopford on the clearance progress and soil contamination. 04.2 M4 Smart Motorway It was agreed that Nick Cooper and Jim Stacey will be invited to the next Parish Council meeting to give an update. It was agreed that the Clerk will ask for an update on the Lake End Road bridge closure dates. 04.3 The Emergency Plan The Emergency Plan additional skills/volunteering form is live on the Dorney Parish Council website however to date only 2 people have completed the form to offer their services. PC/05/22 Planning Cllrs. Stopford and Baker spoke about the current planning applications for Dorney (listed below) and commented that although the proposal for 17 Harcourt Road is substantial, there appear to be no objections from residents of Harcourt Road and the Parish Council have no observations. The plans for the Boveney Court Farm development are due to be submitted to council this month. Reference: PL/21/4873/KA Date valid: 22nd December 2021 App type: Works to trees in CA Location: The Old School House, Village Road, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, SL4 6QW, Proposal: T1 Hazel -Tip back lateral limbs by 1m. T2 Cherry -Tip back lateral limbs by 2m and crown lift to 5m. T3 Birch -Section fell., T4 Deodar -Remove the lowest lateral limb back to source (approx. 1m). T6 Blue Atlas Cedar -Tip back the longest lateral limb by 3m., T7 Hawthorn -Fell. T8 Robinia -Fell/remove. (Dorney Conservation Area). Reference: PL/22/0086/TP Application type: Works to trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) Location: The Old School House, Village Road, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, SL4 6QW, Proposal: T6 Blue Atlas Cedar -Tip back the longest lateral limb by 3m. (TPO/SBDC/2008/38) Reference: PL/21/4395/TP Application type: Works to trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) Location: The Old School House, Village Road, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, SL4 6QW, Proposal: T4 Deodar Cedar -Remove the lowest lateral limb back to source (approx. 1m). (TPO/SBDC/2008/38)., Reference: PL/22/0007/FA Application type: Full Application Location: 17 Harcourt Road Dorney Reach Buckinghamshire SL6 0DT Proposal: Demolition of existing front and rear elevation and erection of front and rear elevations including garage conversion, part two storey / part first floor rear extension, first floor front/side extension, front porch, raising of roof ridge and changes to windows PC/06/22 Finance -To agree/ratify expenditure and income to date The cashbook was circulated prior to the meeting and approved. The Finance Committee Meeting took place prior to this meeting (18th Jan 2022), a Precept of £25000 was agreed, the same as last year. Due to a slight increase in the Band D tax base, there will be a small decrease of 1.09% for residents, this was agreed by the full Council. It was agreed that the Clerk will notify Buckinghamshire Council. PC/07/22 To discuss the upgrade of the Slough Treatment Works and the impact on Dorney Cllrs. Dax and Stopford attended a tour of the Slough Treatment Works on 10th December. The question of why the planned works are not taking the seemingly easier route of diverting water to the Jubilee river was answered, the improvement works have to be completed by March 2024 to avoid financial penalties and if new planning/licence applications were to be made to use the Jubilee, the work would not be completed in time. The details of how the works under Dorney Common will happen are yet to be confirmed. It was agreed that Cllr. Stopford will raise our concerns with Thames Water regarding up to 40 HGVs potentially travelling through Dorney per day and particularly across the already damaged cattle grid. This will also be reported to Keith Dolan. PC/08/22 To discuss and agree the new gounds work contract for RJC Landscapes Cllr. Dax expressed her sadness over John Farrell’s retirement after always going above and beyond his duties in the Dorney area however following the tender process we have good news, we have appointed a new local company RJC Landscapes for the work. It was agreed that we will contract RJC Landscapes for 3 years to start in February 2022. PC/09/22 To consider speeding issues around the village It was confirmed that the locations of 2 new Mobile Vehicle Activated Signs (MVAS) have been agreed by the Local Area Technician (LAT), Chris Nash and a funding application has been made to the Community Board for the signs. It was agreed that the Clerk will contact the LAT with regards to moving the existing MVAS near the Court Lane junction and to discuss possible options for reducing speed down the Lake End Road bridge hill towards the Pineapple pub. It was agreed that Cllr. Westcott-Wreford will download and analyse the existing data. PC/10/22 To consider parking issues around the village There appears to be two main parking issues in the village, one connected to Dorney Lake users parking on Boveney Road/Marsh Lane and people blocking pavements in those areas and also outside the Pineapple pub. It was agreed that Cllr. Dax will report the Dorney Lake issues back to the lake and speak with Chris Fisher and PCSO Angela O’Connell for some possible solution ideas for the pavement parking. PC/11/22 To receive an update on issues relating to the cattle grid Following Cllr. Westcott-Wreford’s meeting on site with Transport for Bucks, it was agreed that there is indeed a problem with the performance of the cattle grid and it should not be making the noise it does when every vehicle passes over it. Transport for Bucks have agreed to improve the rubber padding under routine maintenance. PC/12/22 To consider any complaints/comments from residents The Clerk informed Councillors of contact from a resident regarding some streetlighting issues, these have been reported to the contractor. PC/13/22 Items to consider for discussion at the next meeting on 8th February 2022 Continuation of using ZOOM or changing to Teams for online meeting viewing. Meeting ended at 8.25pm JOIN YOUR COUNCIL! Dorney Parish Council is seeking a dedicated and motivated member of the community to join the Council, helping to shape local services and providing a voice for its residents on local and regional issues. We’d like to hear from those who live or work in or around Dorney who feel they can bring skills and knowledge to support and strengthen the work of the Council. What’s involved? The role of a councillor is voluntary. Dorney Parish Council has a complement of seven councillors and meets on the third Tuesday evening each month. Prospective councillors will be expected to play an active role in the Council, participating in meetings, attending events and representing the Council on other bodies. Am I eligible? To be a member of the Council you must meet the following criteria: be at least 18 years old, and be a British citizen or an eligible Commonwealth citizen, and meet at least one of the following four qualifications: a) You are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector in Dorney from the day of your nomination onwards. b) You have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in Dorney during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election. c) Your main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of election has been in Dorney Parish. d) You have lived in Dorney Parish or within three miles of it during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination. Where can I find out more information? Visit www.dorneyparishcouncil.gov.uk Contact Ruth Senior, Parish Clerk: 07769 704010 Clerk@dorneyparishcouncil.gov.uk Dorney Village Hall www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk Dorney Village Hall has a large main area with stage, a smaller annexed room, and kitchen. It has recently been redecorated throughout. It is served by a large private car park and adjacent there is a tennis court, a multi activity games area (MUGA), playground and a playing field. It is used by residents for a multitude of activities such as dancing classes, keep fit, yoga, badminton, horticultural and hired out for parties, dances and weddings. The management committee welcomes non-residents, organisations, clubs, businesses, and societies to hire the halls. Main hall: 15 x 7.4m, ceiling height 7m Fixed stage with curtains: 4.5 x 6m Annexe: 9.8 x 3.5m, ceiling height 2m Licensed to seat 100 people Children’s tables and chairs available Beechwood suspended dance floor 75 space free car park From £13 per hour (minimum of 3 hours) for Dorney Parish Residents Email: enquiries@dorneyvillagehall.com Online on www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk Dorney History Group The Dorney History Group has no meetings, currently, but it has a wealth of information about Dorney’s past on its website: www.dorney-history-group.org.uk, with over 18,000 web visitors each year. Eton Wick History Group www.etonwickhistory.co.uk The Eton Wick History Group has been meeting regularly since 1992. Eton Wick and the surrounding area is rich in history and the village has a heritage dating back to 1217. Meetings are held at 7.30 pm in Eton Wick Hall, Eton Wick, and everyone is welcome. Refreshments are served, and there is a charge of £2.00 to cover costs. Visitors and new members are always very welcome. 2021 Programme 8th December ‘A Window on Windsor's Medieval Past’ with Dr David Lewis 23th February 'The History of Natural History at Eton College' with George Fussey 13th April 'Frogmore House in Windsor Great Park' with Joshua Lovell Further details from: Teresa Stanton teresams35@virginmedia.com Hedgerley Historical Society www.hedgerleyhistoricalsociety.org Hedgerley Historical Society (HHS) was founded in 1976. All evening meetings begin promptly at 8pm, unless otherwise stated. Arrival from 7.30pm is advised. 2022 February 16th History of the National Gardens Scheme Janice Cross March 16th The Harry Kirby Memorial Lecture Harvey Watson The first Blitz – Zeppelin and Gotha raids in WW1 April20th Widows of the Ice Anne Fletcher May 4th (Wednesday) Outing to the Boxford Heritage Centre and Boxford Roman Mosaic talk 10.30am Joy Appleton Booking required Closing date 30th April 2022 School Lane, Boxford RG20 8DX Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter Issue 2021/4 Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter Issue 2021/4 Neighbourhood Priorities Priority – Speeding The NH Teams have been out and about across the area carrying out speeding operations. In October we carried out checks on Marsh Lane, Taplow and Lake End Road Dorney after reports from local residents. In Marsh Lane 53 Vehicles passed the site within one hour between 8-9am and 1 vehicle was identified as driving over the speed limit. The highest speed recorded was 41mph. In Lake End Road, Dorney 10 vehicles passed the site within a one hour timeframe and no vehicles were exceeding the speed limit. In addition we now have two very active Community Speed Watch teams. This is a great opportunity for residents who wish to volunteer their time to monitor speeding in areas highlighted for concern by fellow residents. If you are interested in helping out then please contact the team or your local Parish Council. Priority – Burglary This quarter we have seen a decrease in Burglary which has reduced from 27 to 1 compared to last year. Now that the darker nights are here please remember to stay vigilant. Other News The NHPT have been working alongside local shops at the Bishop Centre in Taplow to tackle shoplifting and there will be an event with the local Community Safety Team on 30th November from 10.30am to promote this. Offenders Brought to Justice A male received a caution for possession of drugs in Marsh Lane, Dorney A male received a community resolution in relation to public order in Taplow A male received a community resolution for criminal damage in Burnham A male was issued a community resolution for assault in Burnham Beeches 38 Dorney Parish News Published monthly (except January and August) Editors: Peter Bowman, Tumbleweeds, 12, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODU peter.bowman@talktalk.net Tel: 07889 912714 Jean Spencer, Dorincourt, 45, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODT Tel: 01628 624213 Editorial Board: The Editors, Bill Dax, Thea Pine Production: Bill Dax Tel: 07802 365448 Distributors: Mr Cobb, Mrs Cox, Mrs Leishman, Mrs McCabe, Mr McGuinness, Mrs Oxlade, Mr Penfold, Mrs Stockwood, Mr Temple Miss Snook, Mrs Tuddenham, Mrs Tyler, Mrs Wood-Dow RATE OF SUBSCRIPTION: £5 per annum for 10 issues The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of correspondents expressed in letters or articles published in this magazine. Advertising in Dorney Parish News Dorney Parish News is an A5 newsletter that is circulated monthly (except January and August) to residents and businesses in Dorney Village, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End. Our current print run is 250. Estimated readership is around 400 people. There are approximately 300 residential properties in Dorney Parish. Rate Card: Advertising Rates Height mm Width mm 10 issues 1 issue Full Page 190 130 £90 £12 Half Page 90 130 £50 £7 Third of a page (Horizontal) 60 130 £45 £6 Quarter Page (Horizontal) 45 130 £40 £5 Contact: Peter Bowman, Editor peter.bowman@talktalk.net 07889 912714 SUSAN HANDYDANCE A Complete Dance Training FREE TRIAL CLASS BABY BALLET 18 MONTH+ PRIMARY BALLET PRIMARY MODERN PRIMARY TAP ACROBATIC ARTS BALLET BODY CONDITIONING CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE DANCE GCSE DANCE MODERN JAZZ TAP ADULT BALLET STRETCH ADULT BALLET ADULT CONTEMPORARY ADULT BEGINNERS TAP ADULT INTERMEDIATE TAP BOYS CLASSES FROM BABIES TO ADULTS W W W . S U S A N H A N D Y D A N C E . C O . U K ETON WINDSOR DATCHET OLD WINDSOR ETON WICK ICKENHAM WOKING RICHMOND office@susanhandydance.co.uk / 07515 270432 BHS &ABRS Approved Riding School and Pony Club Centre Ri:ling School & Liverv Elm Farm, Boveney Road, Dorney Common NrWindsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QD We are a family run Riding School based on Dorney Common established for over 40 years! • Qualified lnstructors • Lessons available from 7 years upwards • Pony Rides available for children as young as 4. • We offer very popular Birthday parties • Large Indoor and Outdoor schools • Pony Club and Own a Pony activity days • Open 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday Gift Vouchers available through the website For bookings and enquiries please call us on 01628 661275 www.spanishbit.co.uk Dorney Parish News March 2022 Storm Eunice hits Dorney: 18th February 2022 ISSUE NO. 2/22 MARCH 2022 EDITORIAL Emergencies happen quickly. OK, so the rubbish bins had to be righted and a fence propped up, but I might have said ‘I think it’s easing off’. Amazingly a builder was arriving to continue home improvement whatever the elements threw at Dorney Reach. He thrust his phone screen at us and said ‘look, a tree is down’. So, the credit for this month’s cover picture goes to Paul of Royal Ascot Roofing. In fact, it was sad and had been potentially dangerous for nearby housing. One of three stately poplars on the green patch adjacent to the Marsh Lane M4 bridge had gone, slowly and elegantly I’m told, blocked the road and caused major collateral damage to a bus stop sign and a litter bin. We rather liked them, and I was surprised to find they were only planted around the time of the M4’s original construction. More worryingly, nearby residents had been concerned about their stability for some time and Bucks Council had promised to undertake an inspection which never happened due either to Covid or complacency. There is still anxiety about those still standing – ‘take away the ivy that covers one of them and it will fall down’. Back to the idea of ‘emergencies’…Storm Eunice’s severity was well forecast, but the effect of a sudden gust still can shock and dismay. There will be more such events. Our Parish Council is wise to pursue the formulation of an official Emergency Plan for this village. Response to announcements in this magazine and on the council website has been paltry. Think what the effects of an even heavier storm might have been, not to mention flooding. If you can offer skills, facilities and equipment, please respond to those advertisements. This locality has faced another ‘emergency’ of a very different kind. I’m sure many readers very much appreciate what Norden Farm in Maidenhead has to offer. I believe this magazine used to publish their upcoming events – we’ll have to think about that. The emergency was nothing less than likely closure as RBWM council threatened to cut all ‘arts and culture’ funding in its 2022-23 budget. To widespread relief, a £115,000 ‘social investment grant’ has been announced for the venue. The prime saviour appears to have been a sober report from consultants Counterculture, but this episode was marked by two factors – an unprecedented popular response by several thousand residents to consultation on the budget and the intervention of Maidenhead’s MP. Turning from a former PM to the current premier, our MP Joy Morrissey has expressed a willingness to provide us with regular updates and many might be heartened by what she has to say on the Green Belt’s future in South Bucks. She has been recently appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, so can we hope that we are represented at the highest level in the land? Our world seems full of consultants’ reports and public lobbying. I recommend to you the exposure in this issue of Thames Water’s plans to transport treated water from the Slough Treatment Works across the Common to the Thames rather than to the adjacent Jubilee River. Also, of great interest to those local MPs, a reminder that consultation by the Boundary Commission on the replacement of our Beaconsfield constituency by the new ‘Marlow and South Bucks’ ends on April 4th. Services in the Local Churches St James the Less, Dorney St. John the Baptist, Eton Wick St. John the Evangelist, Eton Vicar: Revd. La Stacey, The Vicarage, 69a Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6NE Tel: 01753 852268 email: revlastacey@gmail.com For information about our churches, activities and church history please see our parishes’ web site: www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk Methodist Church, Eton Wick Alma Road, Eton Wick, SL4 6JZ Minister: Rev Margaret Dudley, 01753 867117 Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Burnham Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Udoh, M.S.P. 01628 605764 Rev La Stacey writes: There have been some wacky things going on in church over the centuries. We were talking about our custom of ‘passing the peace’ in the service the other day. From the earliest times in Christian worship there has been a practice of making sure that the congregation were at peace with each other. If you remember, Jesus had encouraged people to sort out feuds and grievances before going to worship: ‘If you’re on the way to offer your gift at the altar’, he had said, ‘and remember that your mate has something against you, then go and make things right, and then come back and offer your gift’. The letter writers in our Bibles told their congregations to ‘greet each other with a holy kiss’. I think at various times this kissing may have got rather eager, so a custom arose of passing round a board for people to kiss instead. Some of the boards would have been a simple flat piece of wood held out for the congregation on the end of a stick for them to kiss in turn. Some of them were rather more elaborate, like the one in the picture made of ivory. Doesn’t sound like a very healthy practice to me! We latter-day English folk mostly had the custom until recently of shaking hands in a polite fashion. Of course, with good pandemic protocol we now just look round to greet each other and wave in a distant way! I wonder if there was ever a pax board at Dorney? However wacky the custom though, the underlying thought is still valid. It is not a bad idea to have the discipline of reminding ourselves once a week that we aren’t the centre of the universe, that each person matters, and that the world doesn’t have to be seen through our eyes. When we get ourselves caught up in a tight spiral of worry and blame, it is quite handy to step away for a moment and connect with the peace that is both at the depths of our being and outside ourselves. That re-connection gives us a calm place from which to give another person the freedom to be themselves. It gives us the strength to realise that there are some things we can’t control, such as other people’s thoughts and actions, and in that realisation, there is peace. As we say, ‘the peace of the Lord be always with you.’ And we respond, ‘And also with you.’ Church Services in March 2022 Wednesday 2nd March (Ash Wednesday) 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton 7.00 pm Ash Wednesday Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney Sunday 6th March 9.30 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Any Age Service St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 13th March 9.30 am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 16th March 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 20th March 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Morning Worship (children welcome) St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 27th March (Mothering Sunday) 9.30am Morning Prayer St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Help us to maintain and preserve Dorney church and churchyard At the heart of Dorney, tucked safely between the Village and the Reach, linking the two in spirit, is the very ancient church of St James the Less. It carries so much of the history of Dorney within its flint walls, from the Norman font, in which village babies have been baptised for 900 years, through 13th century retellings of the bible in wall-art, through traces of the tumultuous reformation years, through evidence of local 19th century philanthropy, through the village history of the 2 world wars, up to the present day. The beauty and peace of the place continue to speak comfort to those who have laid their family members to rest in the graveyard. And it continues to be a place of worship and prayer for the life of our community. All of this continues to require the support of those who live nearby and those who find a spiritual home here. We have some fabulous gardeners who keep the grounds neat. That costs around £3000 per year. Insurance, heating, printing, candles, staffing -all these costs, large and small, need to be met to the tune of about £20,000 per year in total. And on top of that there are always repairs needed to the fabric. If you would like to donate to these costs, here is some information about giving. Do visit our website too, to see all that the benefice offers -https://www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk/ Donate Online – via your mobile phone camera: http://easydonate.org/STJD Or by Text message To donate £3, text STJD to 70331 To donate £5, text STJD to 70970 To donate £10, text STJD to 70191 Thank you! Fundraising, payments and donations will be processed and administered by the National Funding Scheme (Charity No: 1149800), operating as DONATE. Texts will be charged at your standard network rate. For Terms & Conditions, see www.easydonate.org DORNEY SCHOOL RESPECT * COLLABORATE * GROW News from Dorney School I am conscious that I am rather late for this publication. Being punctual is something I value, and I always feel as if I am letting someone down by not keeping to a deadline. My only saving grace, if you could call it that, is that this half term has been yet another roller coaster of a ride. There has been no let up as staff try to bring some form of normality to school amid rising cases of Covid in our primary aged children and trying to redeploy staff across school to cover staff absences. To say that it has been a challenging and anxious time is an understatement. What frustrates me, and many other school leaders, is the lack of consultation from the Department of Education on how to mitigate the impact of Covid and how best to support our children whose education has been continually disrupted for nearly three years. The latest announcements that all school testing in primary and secondary schools will go ahead as normal in its usual format fill schools with dread as we are dealing with an increased number of anxious children, families and staff who are suffering from poor mental health amongst other hardships. Teachers are continually assessing the gaps in learning and there is a large amount of catch up that needs to happen if we stick to the pre-Covid curriculum. There is no one reason for this scenario as every child’s progress and needs are unique. Many more families are facing economic and emotional hardships due to Covid, and rising inflation. Unfortunately, school funding is not matching education’s current needs and without proper investment, schools will be ‘catching up’ for many more years to come. However, as dedicated and committed educators at Dorney School, we face these challenges with our usual resilience, compassion, and pragmatism. In the eye of continual storms, we are the calm and steady ship. We steer strongly towards our vision of equipping our learners with values and knowledge that would serve them well in an unpredictable future. During a pandemic, political and economic turbulence, Dorney School pupils have succeeded in, among many other things, • Raising £3000 for Children in Need • Becoming national anti-bullying ambassadors • Getting silver in a national scheme for healthy lifestyle • Participating in regional sports events e.g. swimming gala • Participating in National Holocaust Remembrance Day • Participating in Children’s mental health week and safer internet day • Welcoming author Adele Bates, a specialist in building positive relationships At the time of writing, we are also looking forward to celebrating World Book Day and welcoming Laura Henry Allain, creator of the characters Jojo and Gran Gran (award winning CBeebies series) and author of My Skin Your Skin. Laura was awarded the MBE for her services to education. Our pupils will also be participating in upcoming events such as British Science week, Red Nose Day and our school council has plans to work closely with the local parish to serve our local community. We truly are a Little Village School with a Big Heart, and we have big ambitions for all our children. We will continue to face challenges throughout our journey in life, and especially at school. It is how we deal with these challenges that matter most. We stand up stronger, wiser, and smile brighter. We line our pockets, not just with pebbles and conkers, but with wisdom, perseverance, friendship and the knowledge that everyone is equal in law, and it is our responsibility to ensure equal rights are laid in the very foundations of our school community. Come and see us in action on our open events on Thursday 17th March and Monday 21st March 2022. Both events start promptly at 10am and will last an hour. You will be guided on a personal tour of our school, ending in the hall where there will be light refreshments and a question-and-answer session. Please email office@dorneyschool.co.uk to book a place as these are limited. Let us know which date you prefer and who will accompany you on the visit. Please be aware the dates are subject to change depending on any further rise in Covid transmission, but you will be notified by email if this happens. Do contact the school if you are unable to attend our guided tours and we can arrange school visits where possible. We look forward to welcoming you to our school. Mrs S Lee Headteacher Handa’s Surprise – The ever-popular children’s book in Reception. The fruit was donated by The Community Champion, Petra at Tesco Taplow Some artwork for Children’s mental health week Dorney Parish Celebrates the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee From Midday on Friday, 3rd June 2022 at The Palmer Arms, Village Road, Dorney Hog Roast, Burgers and Sausages, Vegan option, Salads, Strawberries and Cream Adults £15, Children 10 and under £7 Tickets will be available on Eventbrite in advance until 27th May 2022. More details will be available in the April, May and June editions of Dorney Parish News and on Eventbrite COPING WITH A CRISIS As we approach the second anniversary, and the ending, of restrictions to protect the country from the effects of Covid-19, I have been wondering about how the impact on our daily lives compares with that experienced during the last major crisis, the Second World War. There’s a very good book which tells us how ordinary people felt during that war, in their own words. Called “Blitz Spirit 1939-1945”, it’s a compilation of extracts from the Mass Observation Archive, to which contributors recorded their thoughts and experiences in diaries. It’s a great way to discover what was going on. In a time of crisis, Government exercises powers that would seem unthinkable in normal times. One of the most painful aspects of our present situation has been the enforced separation from loved ones for long periods, which left people isolated and lonely. At the same time, home working or furlough combined with home schooling meant families spending more time than usual in each other’s company. At the start of the war, mass evacuation brought over a million people out of the cities where bombing was expected into safer areas. Many of these were children, parted from their parents but accompanied by their teachers. In Dorney, as in many other places, the children were divided up round local families, and the school adapted by teaching one group in the morning and another in the afternoon. As the war went on, many adults also found themselves living away from home – office workers evacuated with their work, armed forces separated from their families for long periods. Rather than spending all their time with their closest family as many of us have done during the pandemic, the war meant long years of separation from nearest and dearest. One MO diarist wondered what effect the widespread break-up of family life might have on the next generation. There was, however, no restriction on weddings and funerals like we have endured. In September 1939, nightly blackouts were introduced, which made it illegal to show even a chink of light from a window after dark. This was strictly enforced, and fines were imposed for transgression. People hated the blackouts, which converted the winter months into a very dark time. Vehicles were not allowed to use lights at night, which was the cause of many fatal accidents, and so a limit of 20mph was introduced in built-up areas. A Dorney Reach man was fined £3 in February 1941 for driving at excessive speed during the blackout. If you were happy to find your way around in the complete darkness of the blackout, there were plenty of opportunities for entertainment during the war. Theatres and cinemas were initially closed when war began, but quickly reopened and stayed open throughout, along with pubs, restaurants and dance halls. It took some time before the wearing of masks or other face coverings was brought in to reduce transmission of the Covid virus. By contrast, gas masks were issued to every adult and child at the outbreak of war. Designed to protect against an attack by gas, your cumbersome gas mask in its cardboard box was supposed to be carried with you at all times, and fines could be imposed for failure to do this. Over time, attitudes became more relaxed. It could hardly have been imagined, at the end of the war, that failure to wear a mask would be similarly liable to a fine seventy-five years later. One feature of the beginning of the war familiar to us today was the phenomenon of panic buying. Then, hoarding was made illegal, but this did not stop the self-inflicted creation of shortages, and shop assistants were abused when customers couldn’t buy all they wanted. In January 1940 the need to ensure fair distribution of limited supplies led to the gradual introduction of rationing, of foodstuffs and later of clothing. We may have had nowhere to wear new clothes during lockdown; our forebears struggled to get new clothes anyway! To help with supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, the wartime Government encouraged people to “dig for victory”, sacrificing their lawns and flower beds, and many did so. It was perhaps different motivation that encouraged the increased popularity of gardening during lockdown, such that packets of vegetable seeds sold out in the spring of 2020. Rationing also applied to petrol, from September 1939, and motor fuel was withdrawn completely for private use in 1942. It was this that curtailed people’s ability to travel for leisure, unlike the lockdown requirement to stay at home. The result was however the same – a significant reduction in road traffic. During the war, public transport remained an option, but the trains were very crowded, not least with troops travelling around, and liable to be disrupted by enemy action. The diarists were critical of those they thought were obtaining fuel on the black market or going on holiday unnecessarily. In the early months of the pandemic, this household routinely tuned in to the 5pm press conference to hear the latest statistics and any news of future measures. Perhaps this was driven by uncertainty about the future course of events, trying to find something to hold on to. Such behaviour echoed the wartime habit of listening to the frequent information broadcasts on the radio. Then as now, people were sometimes sceptical about the Government’s policy or approach, and they grew weary of the restrictions on their daily lives as the years dragged on. One characteristic which shone through during the war and again in the spring of 2020 was the willingness of people to help each other by volunteering, either formally or informally. In September 1939, many Dorney residents were involved in the voluntary effort in such roles as air raid warden, auxiliary police driver, evacuation officer, Red Cross helper, ambulance driver, special constable, nursing auxiliary, stretcher bearer. Some had specialist skills to offer; others helped with organisation or passing messages. The same spirit of helpfulness has been in evidence during the pandemic, from offering to fetch shopping for those isolating at home to taking part in the vaccination programme. No doubt the same support will materialise for Dorney’s emergency plan. I wanted to focus in this article on the changes to normal life resulting from the war and the pandemic, but it would be wrong not to acknowledge the appalling loss of life underlying both events. During the Second World War, out of a population of 47.76 million the UK lost 450,900 citizens to the conflict, of whom 67,200 were civilians. As of 21 February 2022, the number of deaths with Covid-19 on the death certificate stood at 181,424, compared with a population (estimated June 2021) of 67.08 million. After the end of the war, Dorney – like other villages and towns – commemorated twelve servicemen who had died by creating the war memorial near the common. Will we, I wonder, in due course, decide to mark our losses to Covid in some way? Virginia Silvester Dorney Emergency Plan – Residents’ Skills and Resources For the Dorney Emergency Plan that is in preparation, it is suggested by Bucks Council that we identify volunteers who may be able to help in an emergency / event. These may be individuals with specific skills or organisations or businesses who would be willing to support the community in some way. Voluntary organisations / groups / clubs may also be willing to help. Dorney Parish Council would like to maintain a confidential list of people with useful skills (with their consent). Together with the skills and experience offered by the above, an equipment list, including who owns it, is key to the whole plan. Dorney Parish Council would be most grateful if you would complete the form on our website – www.dorneyparishcouncil.gov.uk -and send it to the Clerk. Your information will be held confidentially and will only be passed to those people responsible for the Emergency Plan. Relevant Skills that we are seeking (in alphabetical order) are: Doctor, Electrician, First Aider (e.g. St John, Red Cross), Farmer, Fire Fighter, Mechanic, Nurse, Plumber, Radio amateur, Social Worker (qualified), Vet, Volunteer (e.g. Women’s Institute /WRVS) If you tick any of the Relevant Skills on the form on the website, we will contact you to better understand your skills and how you might wish to be involved in an Emergency situation. Relevant Resources that we are seeking (in alphabetical order) are: 4 x 4 Vehicles, Alternative Water Source or Operating Well, Boats (Rowing/Canoes/Ribs etc), Chain Saws, Heating & Fuel Stocks (Authorised Fuel/Logs/Red Diesel), Lighting (Freestanding), Portable Generators, Sandbags & Sand, Substantial Ropes (>10m), Tractors / Trailers, Water Pumps, Two – way Radios. If you tick any of the Relevant Resources on the form on the website, we will contact you in order to ascertain the specifications of the item, whether you would prefer to operate it yourself or you would permit a skilled operator to use it and any other conditions. We thank you, in advance, for your assistance on this important matter. Ruth Senior, Parish Clerk Green Belt: How to save the lungs of London My top priority for 2022 is protecting our green spaces and particularly preserving our Green Belt land in the south of the county. The last two years have taught us how precious these spaces are, their importance to the character of our communities, and the vital role they play in all of our health and wellbeing. We are uniquely placed in south Buckinghamshire, in that the green spaces that mean so much to us, are also incredibly important to our neighbours in London. If you live in the west of the city and want to get out into the wonder of the English countryside, the chances are you will end up in Buckinghamshire. Without the green spaces that we provide there will be nowhere for people to go, nowhere for London to breathe. In many ways we are the Joy Morrissey in Dorney lungs of London in Buckinghamshire, but we can only continue to be so if we have proper protection for our Green Belt. My campaign is centred around getting more protections in place for our Green Belt. We are lucky to have some fantastic local assets in the south of the county such as the Colne Valley Regional Park and Burnham Beeches. These are the building blocks for securing our green spaces in the future. I was delighted, a few weeks ago, when the Prime Minister agreed to help me secure more protections for the Colne Valley Regional Park at PMQs. I think the best way to do this, and to secure the future of the lungs of London, is to extend the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to cover the Colne Valley Regional Park, Burnham Beeches and the surrounding villages. Joy Morrissey MP Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister House of Commons | London | SW1A 0AA | 020 7219 8708 Disraeli House | 12 Aylesbury End | Beaconsfield | Buckinghamshire | HP9 1LW | 01494 977505 www.joymorrissey.uk | @JoyMorrissey | fb.com/joy4beaconsfield DORNEY REWILDING: A PERSPECTIVE Rewilding – what a marvellous idea, our very own Dorney nature reserve! There’s a lot to like about Thames Water’s plans for the field at the end of the gardens on the south side of Harcourt Road. But a few questions do come to mind… Where did the consultants get the idea that this is former grazing land? Old maps which you can find on the Dorney History Group website show that at least by about 1800 the field was used for arable crops, except for a narrow strip of meadow alongside the riverbank. This was confirmed by the tithe apportionment of 1840. The land was still arable when put up for sale in 1919, and indeed when we moved to Dorney Reach in 1981, when it was growing field beans and maize for animal feed. A few years later, Thames Water took the bottom strip of the field for water extraction, and the remainder became grassland. The field was fenced around with a post and wire fence, some metres in from the perimeter, and for a few years was grazed by ponies – some said polo ponies, but I couldn’t say. This limited period of grazing is all that I’m aware of in the last two centuries. The ponies left, and the field quickly became a mix of tree seedlings and scrub, turning into a wild place all on its own. In 2015, a resident took on the field as a tenant with a view to providing horse grazing and the land was roughly cleared. This project did not however materialise, and since then the vegetation has grown unchecked. It may well be that the land has been the subject of a grazing tenancy for a number of years, but that does not mean it was grazing land, and certainly not meadow. Its underlying nature is cultivated land, and I imagine this means the seedbank in the soil is quite different from grassland. Does this, I wonder, affect the species of flora which rewilding is intended to encourage? Has the rewilding project carried out any survey of the fauna already using the site? Surely this is important to provide a benchmark for measuring the success of the scheme in the future. There are many creatures already living in or using the field – roe deer, foxes, rabbits, badgers, harvest mice, slow worms, grass snakes, pheasants, hunting owls and other birds of prey. Has any assessment been made of the impact on these species, and others, of the disturbance which might be caused by the clearing and planting involved in rewilding? Has the project looked at Peter Tyler’s biodiversity survey? I’m aware of the benefits of grazing large herbivores to develop particular habitats. I do wonder however whether this would be feasible in Dorney Reach. It would certainly require good fencing to be installed all round, and what about interactions between livestock and the many dogs which currently enjoy walks in the field? Might it be possible instead to encourage soil disturbance by the badgers who already visit? Has any consideration been given to adding one or more ponds to the site? Water is an attraction to many different species and would enhance the visual appearance of the area. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, who have been working to regenerate Salt Hill stream in Slough, are experts in this field and have a new initiative to encourage people to build ponds or mini-wetlands in their back gardens or other local spaces. Has the project talked to other organisations promoting good conservation practice, such as the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust or the RSPB? What are the implications of the plan for access to the field by residents of Dorney Reach whose gardens back onto it? For as long as anyone can remember, there have been gates into the field through our boundary fences. While there is no formal right of way, informally householders have always been permitted to enter the field from their gardens and make their way along the field edge down towards the river. It would be good to get answers to these questions. Even better would be an ongoing dialogue between the rewilding project and residents, to the mutual benefit of both. I’m sure we all want this exciting new development to work! Virginia Silvester Dorney Horticultural Society Spring Supper Evening with Guest Speaker Friday March 18th 7:30pm -10.00 pm Dear members and friends of the horticultural society, as you can see we are back. We will be holding our first event of the year in the village hall, Dorney Reach. Entrance is £10.00 per person and the evening will kick off with a splendid buffet supper (all home-made). This will be followed by a fascinating talk on gardening by Stefan White a local expert on gardening and gardening history. Members who paid their subscriptions back in 2020, this will carry over and you will receive your new membership cards through your door shortly. New members are very welcome, subscription is £10.00 per year and this covers the whole household. Why not bring a few friends and make up your own table, reserve your places with our secretary Peter Bowman at ddhs@btinternet.com or any committee member. Very best wishes to all on behalf of the horticultural society committee and we hope to see you on the 18th. Ron Alsworth - Chairman 19 DULCE ET DECORUM ON DORNEY COMMON Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori (Horace) Just as the pandemic has a seasonal remission, one gasp later, the Russian tanks trudge ruthlessly across Ukrainian borders to trample and bleak the future. ‘It is sweet and fitting to die for the homeland’, adopted by Wilfred Owen, but originally penned by Horace, a Roman lyric poet. As the Ukraine’s brave citizens stand solid to protect their country, sadly, it is no longer a joy to die for the fatherland, a futile waste, whilst a tangible horror sweeps across Europe. Our hearts bleed as we watch the media bring the brutality to our front rooms. A brutal man, who sits in a square of red blood, snuffs out the lives of many innocent victims. Having worked (assisted in a very loose way) for a few years in Moscow in the 90’s, (my boyfriend at the time a ballet promoter) coming and going quite frequently, meeting with business partners (sitting in on conversations), and socially mixing, it seems that the flower that gradually opened to bare its stamen, has petals which now seem to be decaying and brown, drop nearer to the ground as these invasive actions proceed. Our colleagues from various ballet organisations, Bolshoi and the Russian State Ballet, both dance just off Red Square, were proud, dignified people, with artistic perfection and hearts that are dedicated to their Art and country. At that time, the Artistic Director was an imposing, refined, and measured man called Vyatcheslav Gordeev, (Slava), previously married to Nadezhda Pavlova. When I first met him, he was Art Director for the Bolshoi but left to concentrate on his own company, the Russian State Ballet, (around the corner) where I had the great fortune to witness some of the loveliest modern interpretation ballet. His home address was number 1, Gorky Street, just off Red Square, and one day we were invited for lunch. He served up a suckling pig, and continuously topped up the shot glasses with excessively strong Russian vodka. Now, there was a problem here, as I am not a big drinker, so it would be fair to say that his house plants may have been a bit tipsy by the time we left. The Bolshoi Theatre was a hugely interesting place, housed in a building that was not in good repair externally, but remained internally wonderfully decadent, unaltered with its charming uniqueness. Inside the auditorium was beautifully grand, the boxes sumptuous, but the main seating furnished with individual wooden chairs. Luckily, we were fortunate to have a box, and the luxury of soft seats, to view many of their wonderful productions. One evening, December 1994 (I still have the newspaper clip from The Moscow Times) there was a demonstration before curtain up for ‘Giselle’, the artistes refusing to start the show (beginners to stage) for 20 minutes as a protest over contract changes which meant working even longer hours. The audience stood up (from their wooden chairs) and applauded support in a reserved fashion, for the entire 20 minutes. It hit the headlines as it was unheard of to disrupt a performance and was called an ‘embarrassment’. Having the opportunity to explore, I was shown that lying directly beneath the main stage, on a lower floor, was a full-size rehearsal stage identical to the one above. This is where the daily rigorous regimes and rehearsals take place, for many extended hours, until perfection and beyond is achieved. This is where I met his right-hand helper, a fabulous kindly lady, Olga Kokhanchuk, a dancing coach, who travelled on the tours to mother the artistes. I had fun one day, when one of the office girls, Marina Starostina, invited me to go have a dance on the main stage, so tramping with my size 7 snow boots centre stage, twirled in an ungainly fashion whilst hoots of laughter emanated from the wings. These were Boris Yeltsin days, his ideology aligned with liberalism. This is not support for Putin’s actions, but huge sorrow for the wonderful people who are now trapped in his administration. Following the arrival of Arwen, Barra, Carrie, Dudley and Eunice, it seems quite obvious this is an alphabetical storm in a teacup, which leaves us mystified exactly who decides on the name. Apparently, the Met office collaborate with Met Eireann and the Royal Netherland Met Institute to make a final decision compiled from choices sent in by the General Public from these three countries. A name is then given if the storm flags up an amber or red warning. Is this to soften and endear us to the violent forces that tear down our greenhouses and flatten our wooden fence panels? If your name begins with Q, U, X, Y or Z (Queenie, Ursula, Xavier, Yvonne, or Zena), don’t hold your breath as these five letters are never used! As March arrives the weather seems to become more lenient with us, the sun shining occasionally, so my husband Dave rushes out to mow eleventy-eight stripes on the lawn, whilst I wrestle an overgrown honeysuckle bush. Not only had it been swept 45 degrees sideways by Eunice, but it had also quadrupled its size since being planted two years previously. My good friend, Elaine, advised me to invest in a Hori Hori knife, which apparently is a very effective Japanese way of trimming large shrubs and other overgrown areas. It hasn’t arrived yet, but the shears did a fair job of trimming in the interim. Here in the village, new shoots have started to sprout, as Dorney & District Horticultural Society firm up their dates and organise events. Our first event is on Friday 18th of March, kicking off our 2022 programme with a Spring Supper Evening with Speaker, doors open at 7:30pm at Dorney Village Hall. This is an exciting moment, as the pandemic halted activity for such a long time, but it promises to be a warm and delightful evening, so do try and come along. You don't have to be a member to attend as you can join on the night. It does help to let us know food numbers so email or text any committee member (my email is down below). This village group needs all the support you can give it -remember, use it or lose it! We look forward to seeing you. Kristina Perkins Kristina.perkins555@outlook.com Dorney Village Hall www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk Dorney Village Hall has a large main area with stage, a smaller annexed room, and kitchen. It has recently been redecorated throughout. It is served by a large private car park and adjacent there is a tennis court, a multi activity games area (MUGA), playground and a playing field. It is used by residents for a multitude of activities such as dancing classes, keep fit, yoga, badminton, horticultural and hired out for parties, dances and weddings. The management committee welcomes non-residents, organisations, clubs, businesses, and societies to hire the halls. Main hall: 15 x 7.4m, ceiling height 7m Fixed stage with curtains: 4.5 x 6m Annexe: 9.8 x 3.5m, ceiling height 2m Licensed to seat 100 people Children’s tables and chairs available Beechwood suspended dance floor 75 space free car park From £13 per hour (minimum of 3 hours) for Dorney Parish Residents Email: enquiries@dorneyvillagehall.com Online on www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk Spotlight on Dorney Folk -The Many Colours of Joy: Mo Voaden meets Joy Richmond Joy Richmond, 82, has lived a fairy-tale ‘rags to riches’ life. Wealth, or the pursuit of wealth, however, isn’t what drives her. Joy is the epitome of kindness. She exudes a special quality that comforts and lifts the spirits. An hour in her company left me feeling refreshed, revived and ready to face the world. Born in Ruislip, Joy was the second of six girls, the eldest of whom was handicapped. Her sister’s disability affected the whole family, and Joy spent a lot of time caring for her, learning patience and resilience from her mother. ‘There were only three daughters when father went off to war. His homecoming present for mother was twin girls. Ten years later the last baby was born. ‘I think my parents kept going, hoping for a boy!’ Joy’s father worked long hours, mending roads. It was a hard life and left him tired and short-tempered. ‘As a child, I thought he could have been kinder, but I had no idea of the difficulties he faced.’ It was the proudest day of Joy’s life when she won a place at the grammar school in Wembley, and an unusual achievement for someone from her background. Her grandfather bought her first uniform but after that, she made do with hand-me-downs. Did you mind? I asked. ‘Not at all. I felt privileged. We wore a felt hat in winter and a straw boater in summer. Even children I grew up with called me ‘madam’ in the street. No, I didn’t mind until a girl told the class I wore ‘second hand clothes’ and word spread.’ Joy thought for a moment. ‘I took a little while to understand that it wasn’t something to be ashamed of. Poverty was a fact.’ Joy’s faith shone through when she spoke about the importance of not judging others. ‘We must suspend judgment if we want to be truly kind. It’s not for us to judge the right or wrong of another person’s situation, but to recognise the opportunity to be kind.’ She’s very proud of her two daughters who’ve grown into kind and generous women, and her late husband, Ken. Was it love at first sight when you met? I asked. ‘Oh no. I was a clerk and he was the head accountant who was going out with a very sophisticated P.A. She wore make-up and lipstick, which my father prohibited. Why Ken chose me I’ll never know!’ Joy and Ken arrived in Dorney Reach in 1966 after saving to buy a house. Their marriage was long and happy, and he introduced her to cricket, which she grew to love. They travelled to matches all over the world, and she learnt to score. Ken was chair of the parish council for years and wrote a lively column for Dorney Parish News. Joy has an eye for colour – as shown in her beautiful patchwork quilts, her décor, and cards she creates for friends. Three brightly painted nutcrackers stand above her fireplace, and colourful prints adorn the mantelpiece. ‘I soaked up books as a child, particularly Dickens where you can find plenty of colourful personalities and descriptions.’ Her favourite character is the Artful Dodger (‘Oliver Twist’), renowned for his cunning as a pickpocket, and leader of a gang of thieves on the streets of London. She likes him, despite his criminal tendencies, because he cares for his gang and treats the children with kindness. Joy believes in equality, which was one of her reasons for serving on South Bucks District Council for nearly ten years. When Peregrine Palmer encouraged her to stand, she told him, ‘Peregrine – the peasants have learnt to read,’ meaning the world had changed and people have become equal. Her main reason for joining the Council was to oppose Eton School’s plans to build the rowing lake. ‘They planned to use agricultural land, earmarked (because of its size) as a landing strip for planes from Heathrow to land in an emergency.’ With Eton planning further development, Joy hopes the local residents will enter into constructive dialogue so both parties can work together. ‘I chose not to join the parish council,’ Joy said. ‘Because Ken and I sometimes had different views, and we didn’t want to clash in public. Talk about airing your dirty laundry!’ Serving on the council’s housing committee was interesting, and she enjoyed visiting sites all over the district. Does anything stand out? I asked. ‘I was always shocked when people lied. Once we inspected some stables that the owner swore were derelict, but there was a new TV aerial on top! And a number of houses in Gerrards Cross were spectacular. Camp Hill, in particular. But the people were the same as you and me.’ When their children were born, Joy took a part-time job as a secretary in Ascot, bringing the respective baby along in a carrycot. ‘My form of ‘hybrid working’. It was a wonderful time. A group of us with young children went to the village hall in Dorney, which was an old wooden hut [a former army barracks]. There was a real sense of community. There still is, but there aren’t so many young people and children now.’ Joy was a prize-winning gardener and found time to help establish a ladies’ social club. ‘It was a good chance to meet others and listen to some interesting talks.’ We were back to colour when I asked Joy for her favourite book. ‘The Color Purple’ she said, without hesitation. Its publication sparked controversy and the novel was banned from schools in the US 1984 -2013 for different reasons, including religious objections, homosexuality, and African history. ‘It shows how to rise above adversity to find happiness and fulfilment, and I enjoy reading about different and diverse cultures.’ She remembers with great fondness the American soldiers who threw the girls gum (as well as kisses), and a strange fruit called a banana. ‘And the first gentleman of colour I saw was a Sikh selling door to door. Mother invited him in for tea and cakes and explained that as we were poor and lived in council houses, he was unlikely to make any sales.’ To finish, I asked my usual quick-fire questions: Do you prefer: • Chocolate or cheese? Definitely cheese! • Wine, spirits or beer? Wine please. • Letter or email? Letters. I love receiving Christmas cards and trying to guess the sender. And one life tip? ‘Collaborate. Talk. See the other person’s point of view. And remember to be kind.’ I was about to leave when Joy said, ‘Look. There are people at the bottom of my garden. They probably think it’s part of the field. Leave them -they don’t do any harm – like the daisies on the lawn.’ Mo Voaden ****** 2626 The Luck of the Draw You’ve all met my new friends Dudley, Eunice and Franklin. My relationship with them was brief but violent, as I suspect was yours, Franklin being kind enough to take several fence panels from my fence and stack them untidily in another part of the garden. My lovely neighbours and I now unwittingly share a sizeable plot, the main beneficiaries of this arrangement being Emily and Katie, my two roving cats that no longer have the inconvenience of having to climb the fence. So, whilst Dorney was being slammed by the three amigos, half term loomed and the glorious Cheryl needed a break from her charges, as did I, and we decided on a holiday. What can you do in a week when turmoil reigns weatherwise, and Mr. C still makes me think twice about flying anywhere, for fear of only being allowed back to spend ten days in a viciously expensive guarded room? So, flying to somewhere hot? No. Perhaps going on a local cruise? Once having been on a ferry from Hamburg to Harwich with my truck strapped down on the cargo deck below as we battled through a massive storm in the North Sea, I wasn’t keen to repeat the experience, especially as I would pay for the privilege and not BE paid for it as before. So no! Got it!!! A seaside holiday in February, preferably in an open topped car! “What about the three amigos?” I hear you ask. “Wimps,” I say. “Frightened of a little puff of wind?” And so we loaded what we could into the tiny boot of my classic Mercedes convertible (OK so I’m a poser! And showing off with it. Shocking!) and, hood very much up, drove through hammering rain and high winds to Exeter where, in a brief lull, we had a magical evening sitting round a fire in my son’s garden discussing important issues in life with remarkable nine and eleven year grandchildren, matters the like of which so often arise while gazing into the flames and embers, as owls hooted in the dark and silent trees that surround their home. A late start next day, necessitated by the effects of beer consumed the night before, and a sad farewell, meant that we arrived at our hotel that evening to start our tour of the Lizard Peninsular. The hood stayed firmly up as we drove through seventy miles an hour wind, parked near the first beach and walked away from the shelter of the high cliffs to be whacked as the full force hit us, staggering around like a couple of drunks, holding onto hats. We braved it to the cliffs and huge waves rolled in crashing onto the rocks, shooting water eighty feet into the air and covering our grinning faces in salt water. Before I had left, I saw news footage of idiots standing on beaches irresponsibly watching the huge seas. I thought, as I suspect you did, “Idiots! What on Earth do they think they’re doing!” and there we were, being irresponsible. Other brave souls were doing the same, and we all enjoyed the shouted conversations above the din, still relishing the freedom to meet and mingle now that Mr.C appears to have released us from his grip. We went to Mullion in the early evening, prematurely darkening in the storm. I knew it well as a small protected safe harbour for the thriving small fishing boats there, but even in this tiny harbour, the sea crashed around the walls and up the slipway, trying to claw back the boats that had secured at the top. A young couple crouched in the lee of the sea wall, a bottle of beer in hand, and we smiled at each other guiltily. Others there joined in the spectacle as we all watched mesmerised. The following day after a late breakfast we found a small coffee shop in Helston. An elderly couple sat on stools gazing over the rim of their cup out of the window as we entered. We ordered drinks and our host asked, “Where are you from?” “A village near Maidenhead,” I replied. “Actually, it’s nearer Slough, but we don’t mention that” I added cruelly. The lady at the window spun round at speed. “Did you say Slough?” she enquired. “I taught in Slough years back. We lived in Taplow. My husband worked in Taplow Court.” They moved to our table and sat for a delightful half hour or more while we discovered that the husband was in his nineties and worked in the same company at the same time as my late father; the time whizzed by and later long walks along the spectacular cliff tops and in the days following looking up old friends similarly inspired wonderful conversation and memories. As the week flew by, we explored new parts of the Lizard and came upon St. Anthony, a tiny hamlet at the end of a steep sided wood covered creek complete with thatched cottages, a handsome Edwardian pile and a Heavenly church. The sun was setting, the quiet was revitalising, and we sat, hand in hand like teenagers drinking it all in. “This is heaven,” murmured Cheryl as we watched in the calm of the recently departed mayhem. “Isn’t it lovely,” I agreed, watching birds swoop low over the rippling water, not wanting the moment to pass. “Aren’t we lucky.” She smiled contentedly as we reluctantly eased ourselves from the rock on which we had been sitting, and wandered back to the car, anticipating a drive through the dark twisting lanes, hood down with the heater on full. I turned on the ignition and the car radio rudely interrupted the peace. Russia had invaded Ukraine that day. We sat in silent rage listening to reports both desperately sad and frightening. I could not turn it off, drawn like a moth to the flame and felt guilty that I had enjoyed this peace while three days drive away, people like us were running from their homes clutching children and anything they could carry, wondering no doubt, if they would ever return. Lucky indeed. Stay safe. Mike Quincey DORNEY PLAYGROUND NEEDS YOU! After thousands of voluntary hours and having raised over £170,000 Dorney has a toddler and junior playground, a multi-use games area and a managed and maintained tennis court that Dorney can be proud of. The hard work of fundraising and building is complete, and it is now time for the current committee to stand down and hand over the running and maintenance of this valuable community asset to a new team. We are looking for volunteers to step forwards to form a new committee thus ensuring the continuation of these facilities that so many parents, carers and children enjoy. Please􀀁email􀀁Leanne􀀁(leanne@kittel.co.uk)􀀁to􀀁register􀀁your􀀁interest􀀁in􀀁ensuring􀀁that􀀁these􀀁 facilities􀀁can􀀁continue􀀁to􀀁be􀀁enjoyed􀀁by􀀁so􀀁many.􀀁Thank􀀁you.􀀁 Past members: Leon Williams, Andrew Purdie, Zoe Brooker, Trudi Harwood, Kelly, Alison Michael, Jo EllisCurrent members: Leanne Kittel, Emma Stanton, Miranda Scott, Lyndsey Oliver, Jane Dawson, Kris Purdie, MaryNelson, Adam Seels LET’S TALK ABOUT SOIL …. For the next 100 days I am writing this on Friday 18th February whilst watching the effects of storm Eunice from my office window. I think we are all aware of the changing weather patterns we are experiencing on our planet and the more extreme these events have become over recent years. I listened to a podcast a couple of weeks ago titled “Humanity’s Gravest Crisis – Which No One Is Talking About”. The take home message was an initiative to bring awareness to the threat of losing the planet’s healthy cultivatable soil within the next 45 to 60 years -approximately 100 more global harvests -by talking about soil for 100 days from 20th March 2022 – the Spring Equinox. Discussions at COP 26 in Glasgow in November 2021 focused on fossil fuel burning, carbon emissions and pollution. There is no doubt that fossil fuel burning, and carbon emissions need to be reduced. Both are important and have to be curtailed. But how can you address climate change, how you can address sustainability on the planet, without addressing SOIL? Healthy soil is disappearing fast. Agriculture, deforestation and other factors have degraded and eroded topsoil at alarming rates. Globally, 52% of agricultural land is already degraded. Much of what remains is stripped of organic matter resulting in dramatic declines in agricultural productivity of the soil. Soil is the habitat in, and on, which zillions of lives thrive, including humans. Soil is a living entity and as such requires care to stay alive. Compost – green organic garden matter is key to that care. “Soil is the biggest ecosystem on the planet and so few people know anything about it. One teaspoon of healthy soil contains more microbes than people on earth.” (Quote: Jane Goodall, Conservationist and Primatologist.) Soil is home to a quarter of all Earth’s species and is a highly sophisticated living ecosystem. It can hold 65% of the world’s fresh water. And it provides 95% of the food we eat. It is one of our most precious resources – and when we look after it, soil can make a huge contribution towards tackling climate change. Healthy soils act as a carbon sink by drawing carbon down into the soil and storing it – they have the potential to store more carbon than all the world’s plants and forests combined. Healthy soil promotes healthy vegetation, and healthy vegetation, by the process of photosynthesis, removes carbon dioxide naturally. Scientists agree 32-36% of global warming could be due to agricultural activity, especially ploughed soils being left open during summers with no shade and no cover or any living crop on top of it. The absolute minimum of organic content required to keep the soil alive is 3%. Rain forests’ organic content in the soil is over 70%. The microbial life in the first top 12 to 15 inches of topsoil is the basis of our existence. Soil becomes sand if you take away the organic content. What can we do to regenerate our soil? “From a very early age, my father (a vegetable gardener), taught me ‘the soil is your livelihood, look after it!’ All my life I have become obsessed with Soil Structure – its compaction, friability and fertility. A loose soil is able to breathe, drain and is essential to growing, hence the adaption by up-to-date gardeners of raised borders, a system of the commercial Bed system as used by Growers. In the 1920’s, (the horse era), my forefathers had contracts with large West London stables (J Lyons’ Cadby Hall, Knightsbridge Barracks), to clear their manure daily. This, before the days of artificial fertilizers, was used to bring their Middlesex soil to such a high standard in order to produce such early excellent crops of fruit and vegetables. This was a practise I used in my tenure at West Town Farm. Hence, its success. So with your gardens – Keep Off when wet and muddy. Add copious quantities of compost to encourage the worms and living organisms. Dig in green manure and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Bon aperitif!” Quote: John Barker, Dorney Resident and Agricultural Farmer, Advisor to RHS. Open soils ripped open by ploughing, open to sunlight, are the basis of destruction of microbial life, so focus should be on agriculture and seeing that land should be under shade as much as possible -natural grasses, herbs, bushes, trees. Farmers need to be committed to keeping their soil alive and need economic support to achieve this. Farmers are suffering right now, so the responsibility for the care of the soil needs to be supported by governments. There is a movement to encourage the government of 192 countries to bring in a law of a minimum 3% organic content in agricultural soil. 6% or higher, would be preferable, but 3% is a starting point. Organic content comes from only two sources, animals (manure) and green organic material (compost) produced from your land. Fortunately for Dorney residents we have lots of this available from local farmers and stables. Let’s get using it! Rewilding and biodiversity are to be encouraged. Thank you to the enthusiastic local volunteers who came out to lend a hand with the planting of the recent projects in Dorney. The Queens Green Canopy project to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee planted by the Palmer family is another great initiative in our village. Thank you to all involved. And whilst we’re on the subject of climate change, please take a moment to offer your skills and /or machinery and other resources to help produce a robust Dorney Emergency Plan for our community. Forms available online or through the Parish Council Clerk. Soil is not our property – it is our legacy, and it is our responsibility to pass it on to the next generation. Joanie Wraight References: Podcast – Humanity’s Gravest Crisis; The Conscious Planet https://www.consciousplanet.org/the-problem/ 5th International Agronomy Congress – Agricultural Scientists and Experts; United Nations; Soil Association; RHS Incompetence, mismanagement and deliberate obfuscation by Thames Water? Recent Freedom of Information requests to Thames Water and the Environment Agency regarding the bizarre plan to create a 1.7km outfall of treated water from the Slough Sewage Works to the main Thames River rather than using the part of the Thames River (a.k.a. the Jubilee River) next to the current Sewage Works outlet appear to indicate incompetence, mismanagement and deliberate obfuscation by Thames Water on this issue. When asked by DPN for “full details of the changes to the planning permission” required to enable the nearest part of the Thames (a.k.a. The Jubilee River) to be used, Thames Water replied “we’ve not determined the full details to the changes to the planning permission that would be required” and “It was concluded that a new discharge to the Jubilee River had no real prospect of being delivered within the timeframe required to meet our regulatory commitment of March 2025. As such a detailed review of the changes to the planning permission for the Jubilee River wasn’t considered necessary.” The Environment Agency responded that “we haven’t assessed what these are”. There appears to be nothing stated in the 340 pages of the 1993 Planning Inquiry that would prevent such planning permission being given. The reason for these responses appears to be that nobody in Thames Water has sought to establish what planning permissions might be required or the time that they might take. When asked by DPN for “the full details of the potential amendments to the licences, legal obligations and the procedures which the Jubilee River operates”, Thames Water replied, “We haven’t determined the full details of the potential amendments to the licences, legal obligations and the procedures which the Jubilee River operates”. The Environment Agency responded that they hadn’t been asked by Thames Water. When asked by DPN “what are the water quality requirements for any new discharge to the Jubilee River?”, Thames Water replied, “these would need to be determined through further detailed studies and investigations”. The Environment Agency replied, “It is a recommendation of this work that, if the Jubilee River did become a serious candidate for discharge [from Slough Sewage Works] more accurate flow gauging and water quality sampling would be required”. It appears that Thames Water decided not to examine more accurate flow gauging and water quality sampling processes. Thames Water asked environmental consultants, Jacobs, to provide a report in order to support a request for an Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Opinion from the local planning authorities, Buckinghamshire Council (South Bucks Area) and Slough Borough Council, in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 for the proposed upgrade to the Slough Sewage Treatment Works and the associated new outfall to the River Thames. Jacobs has carried out an assessment of the scheme on behalf of Thames Water Utilities Limited (TWUL) and prepared the report to enable Buckinghamshire Council (South Bucks Area) and Slough Borough Council to provide a formal Screening Opinion of the scheme. This comprehensive 233 page report (October 2021) included, as Appendix L, Outfall Option Route Plans. These, apparently, included the following options: • Route 1 – Romney Lock discharge point (Lock-Southern Gravity Route) • Route 2 – Romney Lock discharge point (Lock-Northern Gravity Route) • Route 3 – Boveney Lock discharge point • Route 4 – Jubilee River Discharge point • Route 5 -Roundmoor Ditch Unfortunately for those of us examining the apparent lack of justification of the proposed scheme, the Appendix page was blank except for the heading! Possibly redacted to avoid difficult questions? The brief comment in the Executive Summary of this report stated: “Route 3 was considered the preferred route as it ensures compliance by discharging to the River Thames and it is the shortest route diverting flow to the River Thames with the least interaction with stakeholders, infrastructure, and natural features.” Clearly, this conclusion would more accurately apply to Route 4 -discharging to the part of the River Thames closest to Slough Sewage Works – the so-called Jubilee River! The National Rivers Authority (now the Environment Agency) stated at the 1993 Planning Inquiry, regarding water quality, that "the new Flood Relief Channel [Jubilee River] would be a controlled water and an integral part of the Thames and the NRA would apply the same objectives to it as apply to the River Thames in the same area." Page 36 Item 2.185. The inevitable conclusion that one is forced to reach from the above facts is that there is no need whatsoever for the 1.7km pipe for treated water from Slough Sewage Works to the main part of the River Thames. A 30m pipe into the part of the Thames closest to Slough Sewage Works [a.k.a. The Jubilee River] would be quite adequate, considerably cheaper, less disruptive to the communities of Dorney and Eton Wick and would release significantly less carbon into the atmosphere during construction. Please start again, Thames Water – and apply some common sense and professionalism to the problem. Surely that’s not too much to ask? Peter Bowman and Bill Dax Set in the grounds of Dorney Court Estate, near Eton, visitors will find a unique and innovative garden destination offering a curated range of plants for all seasons, as well as inspired items for the home and garden. Our shop blends practical and stylish products from around the world with plants that are often difficult to source, particularly from garden centres. With a full nursery of garden and indoor plants, eco-friendly growing supplies, home and garden décor, furniture, firepits, and gifts, Crocus at Dorney Court seamlessly offers something for every home and garden. www.crocus.co.uk MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DORNEY PARISH COUNCIL HELD TUESDAY 8th FEBRUARY 2022, 7.30 P.M. AT DORNEY SCHOOL Present Cllr. Jill Dax (Chair) Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford Cllr. Stephen Baker County Cllr. Paul Kelly Cllr. Anna Palmer joined via ZOOM Ms Ruth Senior (Parish Clerk) and 9 members of the public (including 6 via zoom) Open Forum Lyndsey Oliver and Mary Nelson from the Playground Management Group reported that they are still actively looking for new volunteers to take over running the group and welcome anyone getting in touch. The playground insurance was questioned and the Clerk clarified no changes are being made to the level of cover on the insurance policy. Judith Barnard (Yr 6 teacher at Dorney School) presented a new outreach programme to make more links with the school and the wider community, this positivity was warmly welcomed by the Parish Council. PC/14/22 Apologies for absence Apologies received from Cllr. Euan MacLennan, Cllr. Robert Stopford and County Cllr. George Sandy. PC/15/22 To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 18th January and matters arising These were approved with no amendments required and signed by the Chairman. There were no matters arising. PC/16/22 Co-option of councillor We still have one vacancy for a Parish Councillor. Anyone interested, please get in touch with the Clerk (clerk@dorneyparishcouncil.gov.uk). Many thanks to Dorney Parish News for continuing the advert. PC/17/22 Items of business carried forward 17.1 The Orchard Herbs Site Elizabeth Aston, the Case Officer at Buckinghamshire Council has reported that a decision on the planning application for the hotel should be made very soon after Highways maintaining their objection. There is no update on the Certificate of Lawfulness as yet. A local resident has photo evidence and a log of vehicles moving in and out of the site which has been presented to Buckinghamshire Council. 17.2 M4 Smart Motorway We were joined via ZOOM by Nick Cooper and Jim Stacy to update on the Smart Motorway progress. Nick reported that the completion is still planned for the end of Spring and all Government requirements are being met, including the ‘stopped vehicle detection radars’. Jim updated on the project locally; Marsh Lane area -Buckinghamshire Council inspected on 14th Jan and overall were happy with the works with only one area of thick pavement joints to resolve. Reinstating areas of private land is now progressing quickly. Works on a shared cycle and footway into the Village Hall are going ahead plus extending the Marsh Lane to Meadow Way footpath. Lake End Road area – the overbridge completion is expected on 14th March however the expansion joint works will mean a full road closure for up to 2 weeks in late April. A request was made that the Parish Council and Dorney School are kept informed of any road closure dates well in advance. Overall the planting programme is moving on well and they are awaiting date confirmation from the Environment Agency for the sound proofing barriers. 17.3 The Emergency Plan Cllr. Palmer reported that Dorney Parish News will continue to promote residents filling in the additional/helpful skills form on the Dorney Parish Council website. The Parish Council would like to reassure anyone that this is fully GDPR compliant. PC/18/22 Planning There has been no update on Dorney Parish planning applications. We have contacted Buckinghamshire Council to offer support from the Parish Council to the objections raised regarding the development of 17 Harcourt Road. PC/19/22 Finance -To agree/ratify expenditure and income to date The cashbook was circulated prior to the meeting and approved. Following the budget review and Precept application, the Parish Council insurance policy was reviewed to ensure we have adequate cover and are not duplicating insurance, also to remove some items of grounds work machinery no longer in use. The Clerk clarified that no other changes are being made to the levels of cover on the policy. PC/20/22 To discuss the upgrade of the Slough Treatment Works and the impact on Dorney The link to the Environmental Impact Report for the project is available on the Parish Council website. Cllr. Westcott-Wreford is liaising with Keith Dolan (Buckinghamshire Council) and Jordan Harris Jones (Thames Water) regarding the traffic implications and possible damage to local roads and in particular the cattle grid. PC/21/22 To discuss the recommendations for works following the tree survey The survey was very positive with only minor work recommended on targeted reduction and dead wood removal. It was agreed that the Clerk will seek three quotes for the recommended work to 6 trees. Some orange fungus has been reported on one tree which will be checked when the works are completed. PC/22/22 To consider speeding issues around the village The Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter reported the some speeding operations happened around Dorney in October. There are two very active Community Speed Watch Teams now up and running who are looking for volunteers. Please get in touch and we can pass on your details. The funding application for 2 Mobile Vehicle Activated Signs for the village is being considered by the Community Board. It was agreed that the Clerk will seek information on the failed MVAS which is currently being stored by John Farrell. PC/23/22 To consider parking issues around the village The reported pavement parking issues outside the Eton Dorney Therapeutic School are being monitored by Cllr. Dax and PCSO Angela O’Connell. PC/24/22 To consider any complaints/comments from residents There have been concerns raised regarding the Thames Water re-wilding project and this area becoming a new attraction for visitors. Cllr. Dax is liaising with Rebecca Elliot and will raise these concerns on behalf of residents and the Parish Council. PC/25/22 Items to consider for discussion at the next meeting on 8th March 2022 Spraying of the oak trees for processionary moths. Thames Water re-wilding area. Continuing with ZOOM or Teams for meetings and costs involved. Goundsman -review of new contract and to ratify the purchase of machinery by RJC Landscapes from Dorney Parish Council. Meeting ended at 8.25pm Dorney Short Mat Bowls Club Every Sunday evening at Dorney Village Hall 7:00pm to 9:30pm Short Mat Bowls is played on a carpet 45 foot long and 6 foot wide. Dorney Short Mat Bowls Club has 7 members at the moment, and we can take up to 16 maximum. Bowls are available. You only need flat bottomed shoes, like trainers, to wear on the mat -not your ordinary shoes. We enjoy a social cup of tea and biscuits at half time. You get three free evenings before you decide if you want to join. Membership is £20 per year. And £4.00 an evening. Training is available. Please contact Dave Spalding if you would like more information: Email: d.g.spalding@hotmail.co.uk Mobile: 07707 818076 Little Learners Every Thursday morning at Dorney Village Hall 10:15am to 11:05am Little Learners messy play classes teach early writing skills by encouraging little ones to build their coordination, motor skills and core strength using their whole bodies. Join us for messy mark making, painting, play dough and many more opportunities to learn through play! Suitable for children 5 months to 5 years. www.littlelearnersuk.com Please contact Bernice Jackson if you would like more information: Email: bernice@littlelearnersuk.com Mobile: 07944478517 Dorney History Group The Dorney History Group has no meetings, currently, but it has a wealth of information about Dorney’s past on its website: www.dorney-history-group.org.uk, with over 18,000 web visitors each year. Eton Wick History Group www.etonwickhistory.co.uk The Eton Wick History Group has been meeting regularly since 1992. Eton Wick and the surrounding area is rich in history and the village has a heritage dating back to 1217. Meetings are held at 7.30 pm in Eton Wick Hall, Eton Wick, and everyone is welcome. Refreshments are served, and there is a charge of £2.00 to cover costs. Visitors and new members are always very welcome. 2022 Programme 13th April 'Frogmore House in Windsor Great Park' with Joshua Lovell 25th May The Early Medieval Monastery in Cookham with Professor Gabor Thomas 13th July A Woman of Wax with Tony Weston 14th September 'The Village History Through the Website' with Steven Denham 26 October 'The War Horse Memorial' with Alan Carr MBE Further details from: Teresa Stanton teresams35@virginmedia.com Hedgerley Historical Society www.hedgerleyhistoricalsociety.org Hedgerley Historical Society (HHS) was founded in 1976. All evening meetings begin promptly at 8pm, unless otherwise stated. Arrival from 7.30pm is advised. In Hedgerley Memorial Hall, Kiln Lane, Hedgerley Buckinghamshire SL2 3UZ 2022 March 16th The Harry Kirby Memorial Lecture Harvey Watson The first Blitz – Zeppelin and Gotha raids in WW1 April20th Widows of the Ice Anne Fletcher May 4th (Wednesday) Outing to the Boxford Heritage Centre and Boxford Roman Mosaic talk 10.30am Joy Appleton Booking required Closing date 30th April 2022 School Lane, Boxford RG20 8DX May 7th Your House Through Time – Research Launch Julian Hunt/Archivist May 10th (Tuesday) 11am Outing (Self Drive) to London Transport Museum Acton Depot Bookings close on 8/4/22 Dorney Parish News Published monthly (except January and August) Editors: Peter Bowman, Tumbleweeds, 12, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODU peter.bowman@talktalk.net Tel: 07889 912714 Jean Spencer, Dorincourt, 45, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODT Tel: 01628 624213 Editorial Board: The Editors, Bill Dax, Thea Pine Production: Bill Dax Tel: 07802 365448 Distributors: Mr Cobb, Mrs Cox, Mrs Leishman, Mrs McCabe, Mr McGuinness, Mrs Oxlade, Mr Penfold, Mrs Stockwood, Mr Temple Miss Snook, Mrs Tuddenham, Mrs Tyler, Mrs Wood-Dow RATE OF SUBSCRIPTION: £5 per annum for 10 issues The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of correspondents expressed in letters or articles published in this magazine. Advertising in Dorney Parish News Dorney Parish News is an A5 newsletter that is circulated monthly (except January and August) to residents and businesses in Dorney Village, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End. Our current print run is 250. Estimated readership is around 400 people. There are approximately 300 residential properties in Dorney Parish. Rate Card: Advertising Rates Height mm Width mm 10 issues 1 issue Full Page 190 130 £90 £12 Half Page 90 130 £50 £7 Third of a page (Horizontal) 60 130 £45 £6 Quarter Page (Horizontal) 45 130 £40 £5 Contact: Peter Bowman, Editor peter.bowman@talktalk.net 07889 912714 SUSAN HANDYDANCE A Complete Dance Training FREE TRIAL CLASS BABY BALLET 18 MONTH+ PRIMARY BALLET PRIMARY MODERN PRIMARY TAP ACROBATIC ARTS BALLET BODY CONDITIONING CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE DANCE GCSE DANCE MODERN JAZZ TAP ADULT BALLET STRETCH ADULT BALLET ADULT CONTEMPORARY ADULT BEGINNERS TAP ADULT INTERMEDIATE TAP BOYS CLASSES FROM BABIES TO ADULTS W W W . S U S A N H A N D Y D A N C E . C O . U K ETON WINDSOR DATCHET OLD WINDSOR ETON WICK ICKENHAM WOKING RICHMOND office@susanhandydance.co.uk / 07515 270432 BHS &ABRS Approved Riding School and Pony Club Centre Ri:ling School & Liverv Elm Farm, Boveney Road, Dorney Common NrWindsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QD We are a family run Riding School based on Dorney Common established for over 40 years! • Qualified lnstructors • Lessons available from 7 years upwards • Pony Rides available for children as young as 4. • We offer very popular Birthday parties • Large Indoor and Outdoor schools • Pony Club and Own a Pony activity days • Open 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday Gift Vouchers available through the website For bookings and enquiries please call us on 01628 661275 www.spanishbit.co.uk Dorney Parish News April 2022 Replanted Thames Water Field and additional boreholes site (P.20) ISSUE NO. 3/22 3/22 APRIL 2022 EDITORIAL The clocks have gone forward. The weather in late March was beautiful. We’re moving past Covid (just a little difficult proving that last one as cases rise). A rather apt metaphor for all these ‘new starts’ could be walking through the doors of the Village Hall into a beautifully redecorated community space. Congratulations to all involved. In fact, there’s been a bit of a focus on the Hall recently. A picture spread in the Maidenhead Advertiser this week reported on ‘an unparalleled celebration’ as ‘200 people danced in a burst of colour as they enjoyed a Holi Mela event at Dorney Village Hall’. Appropriately, the Hindu festival of Holi marks the start of Spring and celebrates life, love and diversity. In this issue we also report on the first Horticultural Society meeting for two years and the regular Sunday Short Mat Bowls Club sessions in that same Village Hall. The call for volunteers continues. Lyndsey Oliver again urged new trustees to come forward to aid Playground 4 Dorney before the last Parish Council meeting and DDHS kept up the call for new committee members before that memorable supper. One call has been answered as the Parish Council is again at full strength as William Voaden becomes a councillor. William has talked of his interest in Conservation and speaking of this it was encouraging to hear councillors express concern over the trend towards planning applications in Dorney Reach that seek to massively extend the area and size of dwellings. Such applications, and some that already have been granted, are arguably changing the nature of this part of the parish. More volunteering – driving along Marsh Lane I saw more planting going on for the Queen’s Green Canopy project which we’re told has moved towards completion. Thanks are due to James Palmer and teams from Smits, Form Plants and Maydencroft. More sadly, our report from Thames Valley Police and the Parish Council minutes highlights concern over the almost daily disruption caused by motor bikes along the tow path and into Trumpers Field. There seems no easy answer. But perhaps the most significant issue now facing our community, which prompted a host of questions at the March Parish Council, is Thames Water’s Rewilding scheme getting underway in Dorney Reach. One of the concerns was a perceived lack of consultation and information for local residents. Over the last two issues, Dorney Parish News has sought to give a general overview of the plan as we understood it, and to publish a first response from a resident. We would like to thank Thames Water’s Biodiversity Manager Rebecca Elliott for taking us through every aspect of the project (and for providing a number of striking visual images of the site in March) and we recommend to readers the statement in this issue from Thames Water which has emerged as a result. Hopefully, this will ease many concerns about the long-term ambitions of this ‘pocket rewilding vision’, but it appears that the next step will be a dialogue between Thames Water as the owners of the site, residents and charity stakeholders. 3 Services in the Local Churches Local Churches St James the Less, Dorney St. John the Baptist, Eton Wick St. John the Evangelist, Eton Vicar: Revd. La Stacey, The Vicarage, 69a Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6NE Tel: 01753 852268 email: revlastacey@gmail.com For information about our churches, activities and church history please see our parishes’ web site: www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk Methodist Church, Eton Wick Alma Road, Eton Wick, SL4 6JZ Minister: Rev Margaret Dudley, 01753 867117 Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Burnham Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Udoh, M.S.P. 01628 605764 Rev La Stacey writes: There’s a song, isn’t there, ‘ooh heaven is a place on earth’? Well hell is a place on earth too, much of it caused by President Putin and his henchmen, or by other bullies, large or small. We have been praying for Ukrainians in our congregations, and for those round the world caught up in other conflicts or disasters, for relief and for deliverance and for an end to horror. The awkward thing is that Jesus told us to pray for our enemies too. He is quoted as saying, ‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’ Really!? Pray for Putin and co? Why??? Well, maybe because it is better to act with the end in mind. The end that we want is for all countries and peoples to be able to live safe, free lives, with different cultures flourishing together. In praying, we are putting Putin’s ultimate comeuppance into the hands of God (however we understand that) and not taking it into our own. It gives us a distance from which to appraise. Acting with violent hatred feeds the fear and violence of any opponent and in this case, it could end in nuclear holocaust. It puts an end to any possibility of negotiation. I heard someone say that if we write him off as a madman, then we miss any hope of understanding where he is coming from and so miss the subtle moment or clue which may give an entry into a negotiating point. How on earth any negotiation is to happen is beyond me – peace is hard, delicate and courageous work. We need to work not just with the people of Ukraine to support them, but with the Russian people too who are prevented from access to real journalistic reporting. We need to work hard, not just in this situation, but more generally, to build in more resilience, both with regard to lasting peace and with regard to local provision for our food and fuel needs without depleting the atmosphere or exploiting others. That is the reality underlying our Lenten practices and fasts. Where does deep truth reside? What is the reality that matters? It is not found in power-posturing. 4 In the roots of our being is a knowledge of reality: of our worth and of love. Love is costly. It demands our commitment to it. It demands our whole selves. It refuses to exploit others for our own glory. It recognises the worth of each human being is a knowledge of reality: of our worth and of love. Love is costly. It demands our commitment to it. It demands our whole selves. It refuses to exploit others for our own glory. It recognises the worth of each human being – tiny or big, able or disabled, trapped or free etc. It allows space for others to be themselves. It gives of itself to enable another person just to be. I think this is what is going on when Jesus allows himself to be crucified. I think this is what is going on when we pray for our enemies. And as we saw with Jesus on Easter day, hatred doesn’t get the last word, life does. Let us pray! Church Services in April 2022 Sunday 3rd April 9.30 am Holy Communion 11.00 am Any Age Service Wednesday 5th April 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) Sunday 10th April (Palm Sunday) 9.30am Holy Communion 11.00am Holy Communion Wednesday 13th April 6.30 pm Passover Communion Thursday 14th April (Maundy Thursday) 7.00 pm Foot Washing and Tenebrae Service Friday 15th April (Good Friday) Walk of Hope: 9.30 am Beginning of Walk 10.30 am Middle of Walk: Good Friday Service 12.30 pm End of Walk Sunday 17th April (Easter Day) 5.45 am Sunrise Service 9.30am Holy Communion 11.00am Holy Communion Wednesday 20th April 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) Sunday 24th April 9.30am Morning Prayer 11.00am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St John the Evangelist, Eton St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St James the Less, Dorney St John the Evangelist, Eton St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St James the Less, Dorney St Mary Magdalene, Boveney St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St John the Evangelist, Eton St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick 5 The Return of Dorney Horticultural Society Horticultural Society On the evening of Friday March 18th, Dorney Village Hall was in a celebratory mood. Dorney Horticultural Society had, at last, met after an interval of just over two years. A good number – upwards of 40 – attended. Others, unable to come, had expressed continued support to the Society. Members mingled, members were welcomed with news of upcoming events, members enjoyed a ‘warm buffet’ provided by Jackie Williams and then they were entertained by an accomplished speaker. Most local organisations are seeking volunteers, and the call still goes out for new committee members for DDHS. John Wraight has come forward and will make a big difference. But events conspired on this particular evening to limit committee members present to two. Thanks are due to old friends who leapt into the breach. Jackie and Mary Baker performed wonders in the serving of the buffet. Liz Stockwood expertly manned the box office and Louise Whaley deserves credit for ensuring that the evening ran smoothly. The Society is keen to put on this year as complete a normal programme as possible. The traditional Spring garden visit also returns with a private conducted tour of Wind in the Willows Garden in Higher Denham. This will be on May 12th and, as always, the tour will be followed by tea/coffee and homemade cake. The first Annual Show since 2019 is scheduled for Saturday August 27th in the Village Hall. You’ve all been intending to enter each year. Make 2022 the year you do! Chair Ron Alsworth has reminded Dorney residents that once again, John Akerman is the man to beat. Our speaker, Stefan White, is an authority on gardening history. His talk Skulduggery in the family. John Tradescant the Elder was Charles I’s ‘Keeper of His Majesty’s Gardens, Vines and Silkworms’, having earlier been Head Gardener at Hatfield House and gardener to the royal favourite, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. The 17th century saw the introduction of familiar plants to English gardens after the likes of John Tradescant and later his son journeyed far and wide. He brought fruit trees from the Low Countries and travelled to Russia while John the Younger brought back magnolias, cypress, tulip trees, phlox and asters from Virginia. John the Elder assembled a collection of curiosities, natural history and ethnography and opened the first public museum housed in ‘The Ark’ in Lambeth. Eventually this came into the hands of one Elias Ashmole, whom our speaker did not approve of, and became the basis of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum. Do please join the Society and enjoy these events with us. Membership is only £10 per household and remember, presentation of a membership card gains 10% discount from our friends at Crocus. For more information, contact me or email ddhs@btinternet.com Peter Bowman Shrubbery focused on the ‘sad, true and fascinating’ story of three generations of the Tradescant 6 Book now: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Open Morning 6th May Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities Book now: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Open Morning 6th May Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities Dorney Parish Council APRIL 2022 Dorney Parish Council APRIL 2022 Beautiful sunrise followed some windy days. Thanks to RJC, our new maintenance contractor, who were out bright and early clearing lots of debris after storm Eunice swept through. Following a very detailed tree survey and quotes for ongoing maintenance of the trees in the Memorial Garden, Maydencroft, our local contractors, have been appointed to carry out the annual schedule of work required to keep these trees in good condition. Dorney Parish Council agreed to purchase the Union Flag bunting for Dorney in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration being held at The Palmer Arms on 3rd June Following reported sightings of Oak Processionary Moth nests last year, Dorney Parish Council advised the Forestry Commission. As a result of this they have included the trees in the Memorial Garden in their control programme of spraying in the Spring WILLIAM DISCUSSIONS VOADEN JOINS CONTINUE DORNEY REGARDING PARISH PAVEMENT COUNCIL PARKING MARSH LANE & LAKE END ROAD BRIDGES EXPECTED COMPLETION END OF MAY. OVERALL PROJECT IN JUNE 🤞 1 8 9 DORNEY SCHOOL RESPECT * COLLABORATE * GROW News from Dorney School WOW! I must start with our World Book Day celebrations in early March! What an amazing day we all had, which included the visit of Laura Henry-Allain, MBE. Laura is the author of My Skin Your Skin (as displayed) and, is the creator of the characters of Jojo and Gran Gran, a very popular children’s series on CBeebies. Her characters are based on herself and her grandmother as part of the Windrush generation who grew up and settled here. I loved to see the choices pupils made in choosing the outfits they wore and the books they read, and I enjoyed talking about stories and books all day. It is obvious that there is such a love for reading in our school and it is even more obvious how passionate our pupils are about inclusion and representation. Laura was eager to give me feedback after her visit about how welcoming the school was and how wonderful our school culture is. We truly believe there are no outsiders in our community; everyone is accepted, everyone is welcomed, and everyone is included! Do take a moment to wonder at the cultures, nationalities, languages, and beliefs represented in our school. The self-portraits you see truly reflect the community we serve. International Women’s Day On Tuesday 8th March, our pupils learnt more about the importance of celebrating this event. In our pursuit for gender equality, we have a moral obligation to ensure all our pupils have equal access to opportunities, regardless of gender and background. The theme for this year’s event is encapsulated in the paragraphs by the UN below: This International Women’s Day, 8 March, join UN Women and the world in coming together under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, and call for climate action for women, by women. With the latest data, we now understand the vital link between gender, social equity and climate change, and recognize that without gender equality today, a sustainable future and an equal future remains out of reach. Women and girls experience the greatest impacts of the climate crisis as it amplifies existing gender inequalities and puts women’s lives and livelihoods at risk. Across the world, women depend more on, yet have less access to, natural resources, and often bear a disproportionate responsibility for securing food, water, and fuel. As women and girls bear the burden of climate impacts, they are also essential to leading and driving change in climate adaption, mitigation and solutions. Without the inclusion of half of the 10 world's population, it is unlikely that solutions for a sustainable planet and a gender equal world tomorrow will be realized. world tomorrow will be realized. In the next few weeks, we also welcome Dr Ayesha Hassan, an immunologist who works for the NHS Education service. Dr Ayesha is a National Commissioning Manager for the NHS and is part of the Education Funding reform. She is exactly the type of keynote speaker and inspirational woman leader that our children, and our community, need to see, hear and celebrate. Dr Ayesha is a double refugee; she fled Somalia and was given sanctuary in a refugee camp in Yemen, only to become a refugee again when civil war struck the country. She arrived in England at the tender age of six, and through adversity, is now a national leader in her own right. Her story is heart-breaking, but it is also full of hope, especially in this time where many more families across our world seek refuge and help. As Dr Ayesha says, ‘no one chooses to be caught in conflict; no one chooses to leave their families and their homes. These are not choices; it is a matter of life or death.’ Year 5 Football Tournament A squad of nine enthusiastic Year 5 children represented our school in a football tournament against nineteen other schools at Claire's Court School. In the true spirit of Dorney we thrived on teamwork and respect. However, we came up against some tough opposition in our group games. Undeterred, the children battled against tough conditions of VERY muddy pitches and improved throughout our first four games. In our final game Dorney dominated the play but it finished in a draw and, we closely missed out on a win during penalties. Our children certainly showed that even in a little village school, we never, ever give up! What an amazing Red Nose Day we had at school with all our little and rather big superheroes! We raised over £200 by challenging ourselves in activities and games. Spring is truly here. The sunshine and birdsong cannot fail to lift even the most hardened hearts. As I reflect on the past year, I wonder if we are able to identify what has kept us, individually, and as a community, anchored and hopeful in the face of such national, and global adversity. For me, it is the children and the families I serve. It is in the smiles even on sad days or the laughter on especially bad days that help me understand that what we do together, will enable us to become stronger in the future. I wish everyone a beautiful and happy Spring; and may the sun shine in your lives as it does in mine. Warmest wishes, Mrs Sharifah Lee Headteacher 11 Dorney Parish Celebrates the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee From Midday on Friday, 3rd June 2022 at The Palmer Arms, Village Road, Dorney Hog Roast, Burgers and Sausages, Vegan option, Salads, Strawberries and Cream Adults £15, Children 10 and under £7 Tickets will be available on Eventbrite in advance until 27th May 2022. More details will be available in the May and June editions of Dorney Parish News and on Eventbrite 12 THE MYSTERY OF LITTLE CONNIE Sometime probably in the spring of 1907, a little girl named Connie was brought from her home in Aberdeen to spend two weeks with a couple living in Dorney. These people were her parents. At the end of the visit, Connie returned to Aberdeen and never saw them again. Who was Connie and who were her parents? Connie had been born in London on 24 December 1904. Her mother was Mary Agnes Smeaton and three weeks after giving birth she married Connie’s father. The following day, Mary travelled to Scotland, her home country, and left the baby in the care of Mrs Collie, a woman in Aberdeen who looked after illegitimate children. But Connie’s parents had married, so why didn’t they keep the child? The answer probably lies in the identity of Connie’s father, and it was to be many years before she discovered who he really was. The little girl was brought up in Aberdeen by Mrs Collie and then, after her death, by Mr and Mrs Bain, Mrs Collie’s daughter and son-in-law. Mary was supposed to send weekly payments to pay for her daughter’s care, but these eventually fell into arrears and then stopped. Twice Connie was taken to see her parents – the first time in Edinburgh when she was six months old and the second time in Dorney in 1907. Unsurprisingly, Connie later had no recollection of these meetings. Occasionally letters or presents arrived from Mary, and she appeared anxious at one point that someone might come making enquiries about Connie and maybe try to take her away. Mary asked Mrs Collie to burn this letter, but she didn’t, and she and Harry Bain kept enough clues to be able eventually to unravel the mystery. In due course, Harry made enquiries on Connie’s behalf, and all was eventually revealed in a court case in spring 1924. Mary met Connie’s father in March 1904, at a dance in Edinburgh where she lived. She was 19 and worked as a shop assistant. He was 21, a young officer in the Black Watch regiment. His name was Hubert Bowes-Lyon and he was a grandson of the 13th Earl of Strathmore, of Glamis Castle, from whom he had inherited £8,000. He could afford to set Mary up in a house in Edinburgh, where he visited her. Later, Hubert resigned his commission and the couple moved to live together in London, where Connie was born on Christmas Eve. Although Hubert and Mary married shortly afterwards, it was reported that Mary, at least, did not want her parents or Hubert’s family to know about the baby, because she had been born before the wedding. It is likely that the latter, in the end, did know about Connie, who may well have met Hubert’s widowed mother during the visit to Dorney, as she lived in Horton. After Connie had been left with Mrs Collie, Hubert and Mary continued with their lives. They seem to have lived in Maidenhead early in 1905, but by June 1905 they were living in Dorney Reach, in a house called Villa Etelinda which I believe is the present-day Riverdale. It was one of the houses on the riverbank newly built by Colonel Palmer for letting to upper class tenants, and Hubert and Mary may have been the first people to live there. The accommodation included a drawing room, a separate billiard room, and space for the servants – a servants’ hall and two servants’ bedrooms in the attic. The house was smartly furnished – oak and bamboo bookcases, a smokers’ cabinet, a mahogany card table, Wilton and Axminster pile carpets, skin rugs, cane and wicker easy chairs, Italian and French bedsteads. The spacious garden plus a section of riverbank beyond the towpath completed the picture. The author Jane Dismore, who wrote the story of Hubert, Mary and Connie in her book “Princess: the early life of Queen Elizabeth II”, believes Hubert named the house after the Villa Etelinda in Bordighera, Italy, owned by his uncle Claude, the 14th Earl of Strathmore. Dorney Reach at this time comprised only five houses. Three were north of Villa Etelinda, along the river towards Maidenhead, and two of these were rented out. Then there was one house next to the villa – Bray View (now Touchdown). Between the two, a path led to the river (not where the snicket is now routed) and the ferry over to Monkey Island. Bray View had been rented since December 1904 by Eugene Richard, the Swiss manager of the Hotel Metropole in Brighton. Hubert was sufficiently friendly with his teenage neighbour Stanley Richard to take him for a ride in his motor car. Although building work was starting on further riverside houses, the general environment was quiet and secluded. As Lt Col PDS Palmer later wrote, the early residents of Dorney Reach “came there for complete privacy with a river frontage in unspoiled rural surroundings. Their spendable income was such that they could employ and get resident domestic staff and with the resulting freedom and leisure enjoy the amenities of the river. Punts, canoes, rowing boats, white flannels, straw boaters, punting races at Maidenhead Regatta and so on were the order of the day on a river unspoiled by motorboats and riverside development. The towing path was little used and one met there only friends and neighbours. Public intrusion was limited to the passage of the infrequent river steamer. A whistle brought the Monkey Island ferry to meet you when you wanted.” Most of the residents must have had use of a motor car to get around, and Hubert had a 16 horsepower four-cylinder Argyll. Mary had been in trouble driving this in March 1905 in a narrow Surrey lane, when she hit two horses, injuring both them and their riders. One horse had to be put down. It was alleged that a witness to the accident was so incensed by seeing Hubert grinning in the passenger seat that he said he never met a gentleman who drove a motor car and that motorists were blackguards going about the lanes killing people. Hubert encountered similar doubts about the safety of motor cars after he moved to Dorney. In June 1905, he was accused of driving too fast, both up Marsh Lane near the Z-bend, where there were children playing in the road, and along the Bath Road towards Maidenhead, where there were a lot of other vehicles and bicycles. The magistrate commented than even 12mph was dangerously fast along a road where children were playing. Reportedly, Hubert was fined again, for reckless driving, following a smash at the time of Connie’s visit. This pleasant way of life in Dorney was not to last for Hubert and Mary, who were running out of money. By May 1907 they were living in Bourne End when their first son was born, and then in Maidenhead again. On 6 June 1907, the furnishings and contents of Villa Etelinda were put up for auction. The house was rented to a new tenant from 24 June 1907. By November 1907, Hubert and Mary were living in a flat in Maida Vale, and he was working as a motor agent. The following month Hubert was declared bankrupt, having spent all his inheritance and unable to pay his creditors in the Maidenhead area. Hubert and Mary went on to have another son in 1912. Mary died in 1914. Hubert served in the First World War and afterwards remarried and had another daughter. Meanwhile, their daughter Connie grew up in Aberdeen and went to work in a newsagents’ shop. She knew that her surname was Lyon; Harry Bain had had to obtain her birth certificate when she went to school and this named both parents. In the years after 1915, Harry began to make efforts to track them down and when she was eighteen Connie tried to contact her father, including through legal channels. He did not respond. Eventually, in 1923 Connie brought a case in the Scottish courts seeking a declaration that she was the lawful and legitimate child of Hubert and Mary Bowes-Lyon. Public interest in the case was heightened because Hubert’s cousin Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon had recently married the Duke of York -Lyon. Public interest in the case was heightened because Hubert’s cousin Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon had recently married the Duke of York – later, of course, to become the parents of Queen Elizabeth II. While Hubert failed to respond even to the court, he did not contest the case, and there was sufficient evidence for the judge to give the declaration that Connie sought. There was however no reconciliation with her father who continued to ignore her existence. Despite the lack of contact with her birth family, Connie appears to have found happiness in her life. In 1933, after a whirlwind romance she married a Scottish tobacco planter and settled in what is now Malawi, in Africa. The small part of her life played out in Dorney remains largely unknown, just another long ago incident in our village. Virginia Silvester 15 From Dorney to Chelsea It’s very likely that many readers of ‘Dorney Parish News’ have avidly followed events at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on TV. Many will have visited this magnificent event, back in 2022 to its traditional dates in late May. The same readers might well have visited Form Plants at Dorney Court. Jamie Butterworth, Form Plants’ Managing Director, has told us about their major involvement in this year’s Show. Form will be creating a sanctuary garden as well as supplying five leading designers with beautiful plants for their five gardens. Illustration of the garden by Sarah-Leigh Willis The Sanctuary Garden is being created for the children’s mental health charity, Place2Be. Every year, Form chooses a charity to support and this year Jamie is creating a planted haven called the ‘Place2Be Securing Tomorrow Garden’. Jamie, one of the youngest designers at the Show, says ‘I’m incredibly proud to be working with the Place2Be charity that does so much amazing work in helping support children’s mental health. This is a unique project for me and is very close to my heart – my mother is a teacher and my father a mental health nurse, so I know first-hand how important supporting children with their mental health is.’ The garden has been developed with input from staff and pupils at Viking Primary School in Northolt, West London, which has been working in partnership with Place2Be for 12 years. Place2Be’s expert teams work in school communities across the UK, offering one-to-one and group support to help pupils to cope with life’s challenges. The garden will aim to be safe and peaceful, a place where children can feel calm and are able to talk, while also taking in the beauty of plants and being outside. This connection with plants and the natural world is something that has proven increasingly important for mental health and wellbeing over the past two years. The garden uses a limited range of hard landscaping materials and majors on planting. The trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials help cool the space, slow the rate of rainfall onto the surface below, as well as bring diversity for nature. Jamie went on ‘The garden in essence is quite simple: stone, wood and plants. It’s about what the garden offers and delivers for children and Place2Be that’s really important. I’m so excited about getting the planting to work really well together, to give that feeling of security and sanctuary that is so needed.’ A team of ten is working at Dorney ahead of Chelsea to prepare 54 specimen trees and 15,000 home grown perennials. In 2019 Jamie won the four top awards at the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show and for the 2021 RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival he designed ‘A Garden for a Green Future’. Peter Bowman 17 Crime and Anti-social Behaviour in South Buckinghamshire In my discussions with people from across the constituency, there are certain issues that come up consistently. One of these is the impact of crime and anti-social behaviour. Recently I met with Superintendent Emma Burroughs, who has taken over as Area Commander for South Bucks, to discuss policing priorities in the area. There are some problems which are already clear in their need for attention. Anti-social behaviour, fly tipping, and vehicle theft are regularly brought up with me in correspondence with constituents and I have worked in a number of areas to bring together the police and community groups to coordinate reporting and response. As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the pattern of criminal behaviour is likely to shift, I want to hear from you about the problems in your area and where you think policing priorities should be focussed. Some residents will be receiving crime surveys, providing an opportunity to feed back on problems in your area, and I am always keen for constituents to get in contact with me directly with their concerns. I will use this feedback to build a detailed picture of the situation across the constituency, which will inform my work with the police on local priorities, and also my conversations with Ministers on national crime and policing policy. I have been very pleased to see the good progress we have made in increasing police numbers, with over 220 officers already recruited to Thames Valley Police, and the progress of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill which will give police the powers they need to protect us, as well as toughening sentences for serious violent and sexual offences. Joy Morrissey MP Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister House of Commons | London | SW1A 0AA | 020 7219 8708 Disraeli House | 12 Aylesbury End | Beaconsfield | Buckinghamshire | HP9 1LW | 01494 977505 www.joymorrissey.uk | @JoyMorrissey | fb.com/joy4beaconsfield 18 ©www.paulmitchellphotography.co.uk Dorney Lake Our grounds will be closed to the general public from Monday 11th April 2022. Following the trial period, unfortunately it continues to be unviable for our grounds to be open to the general public alongside our main day-to-day business, to operate as a centre for rowing, and as a haven for wildlife; particularly as we enter into spring and into the summer months. We are very mindful that you as our neighbours also incur unacceptable levels of anti-social behaviour in the neighbourhood throughout the spring and summer, and we want to avoid this. With these concerns in mind, we currently plan to re-open our grounds to the general public for leisure purposes in September 2022. The public footpaths around the perimeter of site remain unaffected. For those of you who would like to be kept up-to-date with events happening at the lake over the next few months, please see our calendar of events below from April to June. April Saturday 23rd – Private Regatta Sunday 24th – Runthrough/Active Training World Marathon May Sunday 1st – Wallingford Regatta Monday 2nd – Junior Sculling Regatta Saturday 7th – The Fix UK Triathlon Sunday 8th – Ball Cup Regatta Saturday 14th – Human Race Triathlon Sunday 15th – Human Race Triathlon Saturday 21st – Runthrough/Active Training World Triathlon Friday 27th to Sunday 29th – National Schools’ Regatta June Wednesday 1st – F3 Events Evening Triathlon Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th – Metropolitan Regatta Sunday 12th – Runthrough/Active Training World Triathlon & Run Saturday 18th – Marlow Regatta Sunday 19th – Private Regatta Sunday 26th – Private Triathlon From all of the team at Dorney Lake, we would like to wish you a joyful Summer and we look forward to seeing you all again in the Autumn! 19 Dorney Re-wilding Project At Thames Water, we care about the natural environment. As one of the largest landholders in the South of England, we have a responsibility to make a positive contribution towards nature recovery. We can do this by enhancing the biodiversity value of our land, alongside the operational tasks we perform every day. In 2019, Thames Water set an ambitious target to enhance the biodiversity value of 253 of our largest operational sites, across our 18 County estate, by a set target of 5% by 2025, using a biodiversity metric produced by DEFRA to demonstrate results. This is recognised by our regulators Ofwat as industry leading and requires alignment across all areas of the business. We are achieving this target by improving the condition of existing habitats through grassland restoration, and through the creation of new habitats with improved connectivity, such as wetlands, ponds, woodlands, and hedgerows. We’re also contributing to the planting of 11 million trees by 2030, alongside 11 other UK water companies. We are working with our colleagues in Capital Delivery to create a standard of 10% biodiversity net gain on all our engineering projects, whether permitted development or through planning permission. The Thames Water site at Dorney, that sits to the north of the clean water operational site, is one that was highlighted to Thames Water as an asset to be protected for biodiversity by a local landowner. There have been various internal discussions about development on the land, including a solar panel farm, over the last two or three years. A site visit took place in early 2020 with the local landowner, and representatives from Thames Water including the Sustainability Director, Property Director, Operational site manager and biodiversity team, where the destruction of locally important habitats through previous developments was highlighted to Thames Water and we were encouraged to focus efforts for biodiversity protection on this site. The biodiversity team were excited to take on the challenge and spent 2020-2021 negotiating to use this land for biodiversity protection which was finally secured in August 2021. After covid rules relaxed in Autumn 2021, the biodiversity team at Thames Water employed the services of Ecosulis Ecological Consultancy to meet with the Parish Council and to also establish a detailed ecological baseline of the site, including birds, bats, soil quality, as well as habitat surveys. We have also been presented with historic bird data from local recorders. The Ecosulis team came up with an innovative management plan which uses re-wilding on a relatively small scale to look at a ‘hands off’ technique as the preferred management approach for this site maintaining a mosaic of locally important habitats complementing the wetland and river community next door. This technique has been commended by the local wildlife trust, as this fits in with their nature recovery strategy for the area, and by Buckinghamshire’s local records centres ecologists, who are returning to the site in a few weeks to update their habitat survey records. The lack of active management on site over the years has led to much of the site naturally rewilding and creating a fantastic habitat on site for a variety of species, but the hawthorn and blackthorn scrub has expanded at rapid rates. If this continued, it would grow up in a uniform manner eventually covering up the important grassland areas; many areas which contain orchids. To prevent this becoming a single scrub habitat, Thames Water employed the services of local contractor based in Dorney to carry out the management 20 proposed by Ecosulis on their land and commenced ‘active re-wilding’. This included trimming back small areas of scrub outside of bird nesting season, planting copses and orchards of native trees and thickening up the hedgerow that runs parallel to the main road, protecting the animals and in time, protecting the site from the road. This would formulate the baseline of the re-wilding ‘hands off’ management approach. Through the Parish Council, local residents were invited to the tree planting event in December where they had the opportunity to chat and ask questions with Thames Water, who were hosting the event. Additionally, an engineering project to install the last borehole on site has commenced in February, which has led to a patch of vegetation to the south of the site being cleared on a temporary basis. All vegetation clearance for this project was done under the supervision of a technically qualified ecologist outside of nesting bird season. This is a separate project which has its own biodiversity net gain compensations including the planting of a native species-rich hedgerow around the border of the site. It is important to note that the land at Dorney is private land with no public liability insurance to cover the members of the public walking across the site. The Biodiversity team acknowledges this from an operational health and safety and legal concern, but also does not want to restrict access of those few local people who use the site for recreational purposes. The best way to achieve the best of both worlds is to restrict the site to locals only and have a charity group lease the site from us taking on this public liability. We are exploring a number of management models with the Wildlife Trust and other charity organisations to decide which one will work best for this site. This will enable further consultations with the public, with a local charity group leading on stakeholder engagement, who are able to take on board all of the questions and concerns that have arisen since we have adapted the management on our site and planted over 12,000 trees. Currently the Thames Water site is the same as it has been for many years, but with additional trees being planted to support nature recovery. We have no plans to make this site into a park with picnic benches; it is predominantly a site for biodiversity protection. Thames Water 21 Short Mat Fun on Sunday at the Village Hall on Sunday at the Village Hall Somebody said to me that the Village Hall, the Playground and Dorney School are the core of the village. Some people will be like me and, in normal times make many visits to the Hall – there’s Hort. Soc. meetings and in the past for me there was badminton and the Parish Council. But none of us probably appreciates the breadth of activities going on in the Hall. We thought ‘DPN’ should investigate. It seems there has always been one fixture, not least in this magazine when we published a ‘Social Diary’…the Sunday evening meetings of Dorney Short Mat Bowls Club. On a March Sunday evening, I went along to see for myself. The bottom line is simple. The Club wants more members. On the evening I went there were six players. They would be happy to more than double that number. It seemed a friendly yet competitive set up. My recommendation is to go along and give it a try. I’ve no doubt you’d enjoy it. A modern variation on traditional lawn bowls, it’s perfect for Village Hall Sundays. Designed for indoors, it’s played all year, unaffected by weather. Easily set up, it’s ideal for venues like the Village Hall, where normally lots of other activities are going on. I’m told it’s seen as the ideal exercise for North Sea Oil Rigs. The game is played on a carpet 45 feet long and 6 feet wide run diagonally across the Hall floor, corner to corner. You probably don’t need me to tell you that the object of individual players or teams is to take turns rolling ‘woods’ (lawn bowls equipment can be used) down the mat, getting their woods as close as possible to the ‘jack’ and closer to this target than their opponents. The Dorney club is run by a cheerful and welcoming chap called Dave Spalding. Dave told me that the sport is well established in these parts with his members (a good proportion of whom seem to be related to Dave and his wife) playing on week-nights for teams in leagues based on venues like Windsor Leisure Centre. Bowls might be seen as a traditional pass time, but the Short Mat variety only really took off in this country in the 1980s. Dave said he’d been playing since the 1990s, and the Dorney club started in the 2000s. Despite this relative novelty, Dave and his colleagues told me during the traditional and very convivial half time break for tea and biscuits that all clubs were very keen to recruit new members, particularly younger players. It was all taken seriously, with members having their own differently coloured woods. I did spot woods rolled aggressively to remove other woods, but it was more common to subtly roll the woods into spaces opening up as the ‘end’ progressed. This is quite definitely a game of skill. Dave reassured me that beginners were very welcome, tuition and encouragement would be given, and the Hall layout made it very feasible to operate not just one mat, but two, with one dedicated to the less accomplished. I hope Dorney residents will be encouraged to have a go. For contact details and how to become a member of the Club, please see the advertisement elsewhere in this issue. Peter Bowman 22 Dorney Village Hall www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk In January we completely redecorated the whole inside of the Hall. It is looking very fresh and welcoming. We also installed blinds to replace the old curtains. Dorney Village Hall has a large main area with stage, a smaller annexed room, and kitchen. It is served by a large private car park and adjacent there is a tennis court, a multi activity games area (MUGA), playground and a playing field. It is used by residents for a multitude of activities such as dancing classes, keep fit, yoga, badminton, horticultural and hired out for parties, dances and weddings. The management committee welcomes non-residents, organisations, clubs, businesses, and societies to hire the halls. Main hall: 15 x 7.4m, ceiling height 7m Fixed stage with curtains: 4.5 x 6m Annexe: 9.8 x 3.5m, ceiling height 2m Licensed to seat 100 people Children’s tables and chairs available Beechwood suspended dance floor 75 space free car park From £13 per hour (minimum of 3 hours) for Dorney Parish Residents Email: enquiries@dorneyvillagehall.com Online on www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk 23 Spotlight on Dorney Folk -Mo Voaden meets Sam Wood-Dow -Mo Voaden meets Sam Wood-Dow A pink baseball cap was the object Sam chose to illustrate his personality. ‘You can wear it any way you like – backwards, forward, sideways, on a slant… The possibilities are endless.’ Why pink? ‘It’s attention-grabbing. Bright. Positive and happy, like me!’ Sam is a successful entertainer on a prestigious cruise line. He can act, sing, dance, perform magic tricks and play several musical instruments, all to an exceptionally high standard. He grew up in Dorney Village where his talent for entertaining was quickly recognised. By his early teens, he was producing his own magic shows in the village hall. ‘My early experience gave me a good grounding. I learnt how to engage an audience and create a show from nothing but a box of tricks.’ He studied film, photography and theatre, and loved mixing with other creative students. ‘That was where I learnt that art doesn’t judge – something I struggled with growing up, and I used performing as a way of expressing myself.’ He set his sights on a performing career and applied to a US training scheme where allround entertainment skills are taught, with job placements at theme parks and on cruise lines. ‘Competition was fierce. I thought it was way out of my league, but as I progressed through the rounds, my confidence grew. I started to believe I could do this.’ The final audition was tough. In front of a panel of English and American judges, he had to perform a monologue, an improvisation, and present himself in a magical way. A magical way? I imagined unicorns and dragons but his idea was much cleverer. ‘I came on as a chef with a cake tin, which was actually a magician’s dove pan, and added lots of ingredients as if I was making a cake. I slammed the lid down and when I opened it, the tin was empty -except for a photograph of me. For any non-magicians, the gimmick of the dove pan lies in the lid’s design. The deep shouldered rim conceals an additional pan (or liner) that fits snugly into the main pan. When the lid is shut the liner is deposited inside, making it resemble the main pan when it was empty. What’s it like, working as an entertainer on a cruise ship? 24 ‘Fabulous. You meet wonderful people, travel to amazing places, and do what you love best -make people happy.’ The work is varied – during the same cruise he can be a game-show host, star in his own show, perform magic tricks, and appear in a huge deck extravaganza with dancers and actors, fireworks and zip wires, and pyrotechnics. But doing this day after day takes a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm. ‘There are times when you wake up and think – where will I find the energy today? Then I remember I’m here to entertain, to bring people joy and you never know what’s happening in people’s lives. They could have spent a lifetime’s earnings on the cruise, or it could be the last thing on their bucket list.’ And the life can be tough. The entertainers work every day for six months at a time, sacrificing sleep to keep up with their daily chores like washing clothes. The shows can be challenging too -complicated dance routines with lots of lines to learn, sometimes performed on a rocking ship in high winds. The whole cast could be sea-sick but the show must go on. When I asked how he’d sell the job to others, Sam said, ‘You’ll perform to your best ability, grow as a person, and improve every aspect of your craft. You will meet amazing people, travel the world and get paid for it!’ And his advice to a budding entertainer: believe in yourself. Be passionate. Don’t give up and don’t allow self-doubt to be the reason you fail. You have to learn to take criticism as constructive feedback. Don’t take it personally and do your very best. As well as being talented, Sam is highly empathetic and has the additional responsibility of training others, especially ‘new strugglers’. Confidence, he explained, can be a major issue for people who are struggling because performers are competing with each other. Constant comparison often leads to confidence issues. Once the strugglers understand that, they can accept themselves, and their talent shines through. Sam remembers his parents recounting their adventures in foreign countries, and longed to do the same. ‘I wanted to get out there, experience everything, and have my own funny stories to tell.’ And now he has his own anecdotes, including performances that crashed and misbehaving audiences, but one incident stands out. He was hosting a game show during which three couples are invited onstage. The men go to the bar, leaving the women to be questioned about their partners. When the men return they discover what had been said. The same happens the other way round, with the questions getting more interesting and more risqué. Sam told the men, ‘You’re stuck on a desert island with your partner’s family and you have to kick someone off. Who would you choose?’ One man, Barry, started ranting about his mother-in-law, cursing and swearing – which the audience loved of course. Then his wife returned and Sam asked her to guess whom Barry had chosen to throw off the island. 25 ‘No one. My husband loves every member of my family,No one. My husband loves every member of my family,’ she said. At that point, the mother-in-law herself arrived. Sam brought her on stage to join her daughter and Barry, with the audience chanting ‘Tell the truth! Tell the truth!’ Barry scarpered and might have gone overboard if Sam hadn’t intervened. By the time they returned, the show was over. Sam’s ambitions lie in producing and directing shows, preferably in an international theme park or entertainment space, because he loves their grandeur and scale. He explained that while theme parks are magical and whimsical places, there’s a very strong corporate side with a lot of investment and risk. ‘Growing the business fascinates me, but I still get a fabulous thrill when I step out to perform.’ And how do you see the future of mankind? He hopes there will be more acceptance, and that people will come to understand we can tolerate but not change each other. And what does your future hold? ‘I love coming back to Dorney to spend time with my family, and I’m here as often as my schedule allows, but it’s such a wonderful world out there, I don’t think I’ll ever stay still. My home is wherever I lay my hat – or my pink baseball cap, right?’ 26 DORNEY PLAYGROUND UPDATE At the March Dorney Parish Council (DPC) Meeting the Playground4Dorney committee requested the nomination of a trustee from the Dorney Parish Council. The DPC has had a councillor on the Playground4Dorney committee, since it's inception, and provides an important role in ensuring the ongoing collaboration and support of this valuable community asset. It was also requested that a trustee be nominated from the Village Hall committee. On many occasions those that hire the Village Hall, by extension, also make use of the playground and Multi-Use-Games-Area. However...... We are still seeking a minimum of 3 volunteers to join the committee. The hard work of fundraising and building is complete. We are seeking a minimum of three new volunteers (but the more the merrier) to help with the organisation and maintenance of this valuable community asset to ensure the continuation of these facilities that so many parents, carers and children enjoy. A full and comprehensive handover will be completed to ensure new volunteers are supported as they transition into the team. WHAT ARE THE TIME COMMITMENTS? Time commitments vary but, on average, committee members can expect to spend a maximum of a couple of hours a month on playground duties. WHAT WILL YOU GET IN RETURN? A wonderful sense of achievement, increased community spirit, teamwork and camaraderie! As a cohesive and aligned group you will ensure that the playground continues to remain at the heart of the village and means that this fun and valuable asset will continue to be enjoyed by the community for many years to come. Please􀀁email􀀁Leanne􀀁 (leanne@kittel.co.uk)􀀁to􀀁register􀀁your􀀁 interest􀀁in􀀁joining􀀁the􀀁committee􀀁and􀀁 ensuring􀀁that􀀁these􀀁facilities􀀁can􀀁 continue􀀁to􀀁be􀀁enjoyed􀀁by􀀁so􀀁many.􀀁 Thank􀀁you.􀀁 Not so Smug Now? My dear reader, bless him or her, may recall that in spite of leaving the first flush of youth way behind in the mists of time, I refuse to retire, and drive an ambulance three days a week. Sadly, not the blue lights and siren, CPR and white helmet type ambulance, no, not that; more the leg ulcer, day centre rehab, and lots of taking home from hospital. It’s just as vital, but less box office. Holby City does not appear to have one of me! In this role I have been through this pandemic unscathed in spite of being old and immediately behind the front line, helped, it must be said, by my brilliant employer (you don’t hear that very often these days – I’ll make sure they get a copy of DPN) who ordered me home when Mr. Covid was at his most active. Whilst I wore the pathetic PPE provided and increased the profits of Palmolive soap, and masked up like a baddy from The Sweeney, a few people coughed dangerously close, threw up spectacularly and fewer still shouted out of fear or something else; all of which passed me by as colleagues fell foul of the lurgy, and one tragically died. You may recall the matters in previous scribblings in this august journal But not me! I was invincible. You have surmised by the use of the past tense that this turned out to be not so. Two weeks ago, I had a torrid night where I was chasing impossible targets, first in a police car that morphed into an ambulance. I forgot where I had parked it and wandered around Bristol looking for it and the patients in it when I woke with a pounding headache, sore dry throat and an interesting cough. I padded miserably into the dark kitchen, frightened a cat and sat with that rod up my nose, sloshed it around in the liquid, dropped the two drops onto the little ‘Lego’ like brick and wandered off to go through drawers looking for year old Lemsip. On my return, banging the kettle, I cast a watery aching eye over the brick.Two little horizontal lines gazed viciously back at me, the positive getting stronger by the second. I refused to believe it, turned on the lights, screwed my eyelids in pain in the sudden brightness, and looked again. There was no mistake! Bum! Lemsip in hand, I returned to my bed and the aforesaid cat snuggled cosily against my lovely partner, both sleeping soundly. I eased the cat away in order to resume my rightful place, she yowled testily at me (the cat – not the partner!). “You alright Honey?” she enquired, (not the cat). “I’ve got Covid,” I declared dramatically “That’s nice,” she replied sleepily. The cat, unimpressed, moved between us and spread out, emitting little snores of satisfaction. I sat miserably in the dark sipping superheated lemsip, contemplated my pounding head and a hint of toothache, and felt sorry for myself, as one does in these situations. It was 4.45am. 28 In spite of the pounding head and a very bad case of man flu there were certain commitments to be cancelled and people informed of my demise, some of that at 6.00am that day. I sat back in the kitchen with the phone on quiet speaker in order not to wake either occupant of my bed, listening to an awful rendition of some minor classical work interrupted frequently by a voice stating the obvious. I was in a queue and would be answered by the next available staff! of the pounding head and a very bad case of man flu there were certain commitments to be cancelled and people informed of my demise, some of that at 6.00am that day. I sat back in the kitchen with the phone on quiet speaker in order not to wake either occupant of my bed, listening to an awful rendition of some minor classical work interrupted frequently by a voice stating the obvious. I was in a queue and would be answered by the next available staff! “I know that!” I muttered angrily as a lovely lady said, “Hallo,” and listened to my tale of woe with an occasional “Oh you poor dear” thrown in. She efficiently e mailed my boss who would be thrilled to walk into the problem an hour later, and having done that, sat at my laptop cancelling what had for me, been a busy week. I was once told by a Mum, “children get colds, men get flu, and women get on with it,” which perhaps explains apparent feminine reluctance to mop the author’s fevered brow at times of incapacity, but other peoples’ lives continued as before while I, if I’m honest, was pleasantly surprised at the apparent health I felt save for the interesting cough. I tested daily and was beginning to think I had a faulty test kit. “I should be back on Monday,” I told my boss on the preceding Thursday. “Sunday is the witching day when I should be negative. I’ll do a quick check again on Monday morning and come in.” “Be glad to see you,” came the cheerful response. Sunday evening was irritatingly positive and Sunday night, there I was, back in Bristol looking for an ambulance/police car full of patients. I staggered out of bed, barely made it to the bathroom, after which I sat on a lounge settee wrapped in a blanket complete with cat cursing the cough, sore throat, pounding head and stabbing teeth, watching a programme about the late Fred Dibnah. It was 3.30am. I hope dear reader, that you have a good supply of tissues, because matters did not improve and within hours I was rolling around in agony watching night-time TV with the cat whilst waiting for the diminishing supply of pills to go to work. Daytime was fun too as I struggled to function through pain. I learned a new heightened respect for my regular patients who struggle through continuing pain with far more courage than me. And now, two lines no longer mock me from their Lego brick. I now have just the one lonely line indicating that Mr. Covid has had his fun with me and is after another victim, preferably he hopes, unvaccinated, where he can wreak real havoc. So, for me, life will return to normal next week, and wild successes will thrill some while tragedies will befall others in Dorney and Ukraine as has happened to close friends of mine, while I was busy feeling sorry for myself. So, where Covid is concerned, not so smug after all. Stay safe and get vaccinated. Mike Quincey 29 30 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DORNEY PARISH COUNCIL HELD TUESDAY 8TUESDAY 8th MARCH 2022, 7.30 P.M. AT DORNEY SCHOOL Present Cllr. Jill Dax (Chair) Cllr. Euan MacLennan Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford Cllr. Robert Stopford Cllr. Stephen Baker Ms Ruth Senior (Parish Clerk) and 12 members of the public (including 2 via zoom) Open Forum Lyndsey Oliver from Playground Management Group reported that they are still actively looking for new volunteers to take over running the group and welcome anyone getting in touch. They would also like someone from the Council to be a Trustee as per previous years. Concerns were raised over the Thames Water field re-wilding project. It was reported that there has been a lack of information from them and there are issues over parking, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour and wildlife currently on site. Louise Whaley reported that there is still an abandoned vehicle on Oak Stubbs Lane which has been there since December and expressed an interest in flower planting on the two new motorway bridges. PC/26/22 Apologies for absence Apologies received from Cllr. Anna Palmer. PC/27/22 To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 8th February and matters arising These were approved with no amendments required and signed by the Chairman. There were no matters arising. PC/28/22 Co-option of councillor Dorney resident William Voaden applied for the vacant Councillor position following the February meeting. The current Councillors considered this application and unanimously voted to co-opt William into the position. We would like to welcome him to the Parish Council. It was agreed that the Clerk will complete the relevant paperwork and provide Cllr. Voaden with reading materials on Parish Council. PC/29/22 To discuss the Clerk position The probationary period of the current Clerk Ruth Senior has come to an end. The Councillors voted unanimously for Ruth to carry on with this position on a permanent contract and this offer was accepted. PC/30/22 Items of business carried forward 30.1 The Orchard Herbs Site Cllr. Stopford reported that Mitchell Pugh visited the site in February and was not satisfied, finding little to no progress on the clearance. The Council are now looking to take legal action on the matter. There is currently no update on the Certificate of Lawfulness. Liz Ashton confirmed to Cllr. Stopford that following the report that Highways were not in agreement with the hotel planning application, the applicant has since objected. 30.2 M4 Smart Motorway There was no official update on the motorway progress. It was agreed that the Clerk will ask for the latest news and report back on the Parish Council website. 30.3 The Emergency Plan In the case of an Emergency locally, nationally or internationally, the Parish Council must have an Emergency Plan in place. If you think you can offer anything at all to assist in an emergency; first aid, equipment, shelter, 31 please do complete the online form on the Parish Council website – this information is fully GDPR compliant. Local companies are also being contacted for the same information. As part of the plan, we hope to have a system in place of contacting individuals to ensure everyone is safe and to establish what needs to be done. It was suggested that the group developing the plan contact every resident individually to give more information on the plan and ask for skills and equipment to be listed. Dorney School have also asked to be kept informed of the plan. PC/31/22 Planning It was proposed by Cllr. Stopford and seconded by Cllr. Baker that the Parish Council will write to Buckinghamshire Planning objecting to the plans for knocking down the garages in Harcourt Close to be replaced with 3 houses. Concerns were raised over child safety, parking, additional traffic and construction traffic. It was proposed by Cllr. Stopford and seconded by Cllr. Dax that the Parish Council will write to Buckinghamshire Planning with concerns over the application at 17 Harcourt Road as the application is very extensive, a 48% increase in floor area. It was agreed that Cllr. Stopford and the Clerk will contact planning on both applications. PC/32/22 Finance -To agree/ratify expenditure and income to date The cashbook was circulated prior to the meeting and approved. Cllr. MacLennan confirmed that we have now received the insurance payment from the MVAS sign accident and we have received a payment of £850 from RJC Landscapes for the grounds maintenance equipment that the Parish Council owned. PC/33/22 To consider the proposal of gating the alley between the tow path and Trumpers Field from PCSO Angela O’Connell following reports to the Antisocial Behaviour Team at Buckinghamshire There have been numerous reports of youths riding around the alleys, footpaths and towpaths on mini motorbikes. PCSO Angela O’Connell has informed us that this is an almost daily problem but the youths have yet to be caught in action. It is believed that a gate may not work as they seem to kick open the gates in place at other locations, some suggestions were put forward to help; reinstating the ditch in the entrance to the village hall, CCTV installation, redeploying the posts from the M4 works to the towpath. It was agreed that Cllr. Dax will continue liaising with PCSO O’Connell and put forward the suggested ideas. In the meantime, residents are asked to report any incidents to the police on 101 or BurnhamFarnhamsTaplowNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk and to the Antisocial Behaviour Team at Buckinghamshire Council -anti-social-behaviour@buckinghamshire.gov.uk PC/34/22 To update on the Thames Water rewilding programme Cllr. Dax has been and will continue to be in contact with Thames Water regarding the programme and it was agreed that she will raise all the concerns that Dorney residents have regarding the wildlife on site, parking issues, overcrowding and the possibility of anti-social behaviour. Cllr. Dax confirmed that all residents should have been contacted by Thames Water with information on the plan. Thames Water are currently looking for a partner in the project, should the plan then go ahead, they will undertake a public consultation. We at the Parish Council can only put forward our concerns as ultimately it is Thames Water land. PC/35/22 To discuss funding for the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations Jill Palmer is organising a celebration for the Queen’s Jubilee to take place at the Palmer Arms on 3rd June. Please see the Dorney Parish News for full information. 32 It was agreed that the Parish Council will purchase Union Jack bunting to put up on the main streets in and out of Dorney for the celebration. PC/36/22 To update on the upgrade of the Slough Treatment Works and the impact on Dorney Cllr. Stopford confirmed there has been no further update but he will continue to chase. PC/37/22 To discuss the recommendations for works following the tree survey We received two almost identical quotes for the recommended tree works from R Watts and Son of Burnham and Maydencroft of Dorney. There was a unanimous decision to instruct Maydencroft to complete the work, mainly down to their understanding of the Oak Processionary Moth problem and their suggestion to wait until the trees have been treated by the Forestry Commission. It was agreed that the Clerk will contact both companies. PC/38/22 To update on speeding issues around the village We are currently awaiting the decision for funding new Mobile Vehicle Activated Signs for Dorney from the Community Board. PC/39/22 To update on parking issues around the village Cllr. Westcott-Wreford is currently in discussions with both the Pineapple and Palmer Arms regarding parking issues around both pubs and there are options being considered to discourage motorists from parking on the pavements. PC/40/22 To consider any complaints/comments from residents There have been a few streetlighting issues which have been reported to the contractor. PC/41/22 Items to consider for discussion at the next meeting on 26th April 2022 Playground trustee Closer Dorney School liaison Litter Neighbourhood Plan Wildlife awareness signs Cattle grid ***** A Helping Hand for Ukraine in BucksMartin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council, has sent several helpful emails about how we can ease the plight of guests from Ukraine right here in Bucks. Encouragingly, Martin says that our county has already recorded the second highest number of expressions of interest in the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme of all council areas. The Bucks website has links to the main programmes like the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ visa scheme and to the government site where those without existing links to a Ukrainian household can express interest in being a sponsor. There are dedicated ‘Helping Hand for Ukraine’ pages on the Bucks CC site. Perhaps of greatest immediate interest to the people of Dorney is the Ukraine Crisis Fund set up with Bucks CC’s partners Heart of Bucks to be found on the Total Giving platform intended to allow Bucks people to give direct help to Ukrainian families as they arrive in our county to set up a new life. Finally, if you can offer services ranging from toys for the children of these families to translation services, please email ukrainesupport@buckinghamshire.gov.uk 33 Thames Valley Adventure Playground is 40! This year Thames Valley Adventure Playground is celebrating 40 years of offering its unique range of adventurous, therapeutic and educational play activities in a safe, caring and stimulating environment, for both children and adults with all types of disability. Its humble beginnings were in the summer of 1982, when the charity began and was opened by Terry Wogan as a Summer Playscheme, with one playleader, supported by volunteers with just 12 children visiting. Compare that to today when they regularly welcome over 15,000 visitors a year -it’s been quite a journey. Over the years over half a million children have benefitted from spending time at the playground, plus of course their families and carers who enjoy their visits just as much. As the years have gone by many new facilities have been added, including specialist indoor and outdoor play areas, and recreational and learning facilities, including a large sandpit and wet play area. As a charity all these facilities are added and paid for purely by donations to the charity. They receive almost no funding from local or central government. To celebrate 40 years of supporting the local community with its unique range of services, the Playground will be running a series of events including an open day when any one can pop along, have a look around and find out more about what they do and how you could help. Keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for dates for all activities and events. If you want to help or do something to raise money to support them, they are always happy to talk to you and are always on the lookout for new volunteers and offers of help. No matter what you have to offer, they can usually make use of it! Why not pop along for a chat or drop them an email if you’d like to get involved. Keith Hanks, Engagement and Fundraising Manager Set in the grounds of Dorney Court Estate, near Eton, visitors will find a unique and innovative garden destination offering a curated range of plants for all seasons, as well as inspired items for the home and garden. Our shop blends practical and stylish products from around the world with plants that are often difficult to source, particularly from garden centres. With a full nursery of garden and indoor plants, eco-friendly growing supplies, home and garden décor, furniture, firepits, and gifts, Crocus at Dorney Court seamlessly offers something for every home and garden. www.crocus.co.uk 35 Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter Issue 2022/1 Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter Issue 2022/1 Neighbourhood Priorities Priority – Speeding Now that the weather conditions have improved the NH Teams have been out and about across the area carrying out speeding operations. In February we carried out checks on Marsh Lane, Dorney, Lake End Road and Hill Farm Road, Taplow. In Marsh Lane 25 Vehicles passed the site between 12.30-1300 hours and 3 vehicles were identified as driving over the speed limit. The highest speed recorded was 53mph. In Lake End Road, Dorney 84 vehicles passed the site between 11.30-12.00 hours, 9 vehicles were identified as being over the speed limit and the highest speed recorded was 45mph. In addition we now have two very active Community Speed Watch teams. This is a great opportunity for residents who wish to volunteer their time to monitor speeding in areas highlighted for concern by fellow residents. If you are interested in helping out then please contact the team or your local Parish Council. Priority – Anti-Social Behaviour This quarter we have had reports of increased antisocial behaviour around the Stomping Ground in Burnham where we have received reports of vehicles parking up and being a nuisance to local neighbours by playing music from their vehicles and littering. In addition we have had reports of motorbikes riding around footpaths in Marsh Lane and around the common in Dorney. To combat this the team are doing increased patrols at peak times and working closely with the local parish councils to look at other ways to prevent ASB such as gating. Other News Sadly we have had to say goodbye to Sgt Rachel Dale who has now moved to Didcot. Rachel was the NH Sergeant for this area for over three years and was always out and about in the community, she will be missed by us. You will soon be seeing our new Sergeant Hadley Gabriel who will be joining us from Slough at the end of March. In December you would have seen our Police Cadets escorting the parade at the Burnham Christmas Fayre. This is a lovely community event which we enjoy attending every year. Police cadets is a programme which aims to give young people between the ages of 13-18 years an opportunity to participate within the community, provides training which will encourage positive leadership skills and volunteering opportunities. If you would like to join police cadets please contact us at thamesvalleypolicecadets@thamesvalley.police.uk Have Your Say Events We have now started our Have Your Say events again so please keep an eye on our social media where we will advertise where we will be. Dorney – The Dorney Lake Car Park off Court Lane 36 Dorney History Group The Dorney History Group has no meetings, currently, but it has a wealth of information about Dorney’s past on its website: www.dorney-history-group.org.uk, with over 18,000 web visitors each year. Eton Wick History Group www.etonwickhistory.co.uk The Eton Wick History Group has been meeting regularly since 1992. Eton Wick and the surrounding area is rich in history and the village has a heritage dating back to 1217. Meetings are held at 7.30 pm in Eton Wick Hall, Eton Wick, and everyone is welcome. Refreshments are served, and there is a charge of £2.00 to cover costs. Visitors and new members are always very welcome. 2022 Programme 13th April 'Frogmore House in Windsor Great Park' with Joshua Lovell 25th May The Early Medieval Monastery in Cookham with Professor Gabor Thomas 13th July A Woman of Wax with Tony Weston 14th September 'The Village History Through the Website' with Steven Denham 26 October 'The War Horse Memorial' with Alan Carr MBE Further details from: Teresa Stanton teresams35@virginmedia.com Hedgerley Historical Society www.hedgerleyhistoricalsociety.org Hedgerley Historical Society (HHS) was founded in 1976. All evening meetings begin promptly at 8pm, unless otherwise stated. Arrival from 7.30pm is advised. In Hedgerley Memorial Hall, Kiln Lane, Hedgerley Buckinghamshire SL2 3UZ 2022 April20th Widows of the Ice Anne Fletcher May 4th (Wednesday) Outing to the Boxford Heritage Centre and Boxford Roman Mosaic talk 10.30am Joy Appleton Booking required Closing date 30th April 2022 School Lane, Boxford RG20 8DX May 7th Your House Through Time – Research Launch Julian Hunt/Archivist May 10th (Tuesday) 11am Outing (Self Drive) to London Transport Museum Acton Depot Bookings close on 8/4/22 37 Dorney Short Mat Bowls Club Every Sunday evening at Dorney Village Hall 7:00pm to 9:30pm Every Sunday evening at Dorney Village Hall 7:00pm to 9:30pm Short Mat Bowls is played on a carpet 45 foot long and 6 foot wide. Dorney Short Mat Bowls Club has 7 members at the moment, and we can take up to 16 maximum. Bowls are available. You only need flat bottomed shoes, like trainers, to wear on the mat -not your ordinary shoes. We enjoy a social cup of tea and biscuits at half time. You get three free evenings before you decide if you want to join. Membership is £20 per year. And £4.00 an evening. Training is available. Please contact Dave Spalding if you would like more information: Email: d.g.spalding@hotmail.co.uk Mobile: 07707 818076 Little Learners Every Thursday morning at Dorney Village Hall 10:15am to 11:05am Little Learners messy play classes teach early writing skills by encouraging little ones to build their coordination, motor skills and core strength using their whole bodies. Join us for messy mark making, painting, play dough and many more opportunities to learn through play! Suitable for children 5 months to 5 years. www.littlelearnersuk.com Please contact Bernice Jackson if you would like more information: Email: bernice@littlelearnersuk.com Mobile: 07944478517 38 39 40 Dorney Parish News Published monthly (except January and August) Editors: Peter Bowman, Tumbleweeds, 12, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODU peter.bowman@talktalk.net Tel: 07889 912714 Jean Spencer, Dorincourt, 45, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODT Tel: 01628 624213 Editorial Board: The Editors, Bill Dax, Thea Pine Production: Bill Dax Tel: 07802 365448 Distributors: Mr Cobb, Mrs Cox, Mrs Leishman, Mrs McCabe, Mr McGuinness, Mrs Oxlade, Mr Penfold, Mrs Stockwood, Mr Temple Miss Snook, Mrs Tuddenham, Mrs Tyler, Mrs Wood-Dow RATE OF SUBSCRIPTION: £5 per annum for 10 issues The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of correspondents expressed in letters or articles published in this magazine. Advertising in Dorney Parish News Dorney Parish News is an A5 newsletter that is circulated monthly (except January and August) to residents and businesses in Dorney Village, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End. Our current print run is 250. Estimated readership is around 400 people. There are approximately 300 residential properties in Dorney Parish. Rate Card: Advertising RatesHeight mmWidth mm10 issues1 issueFull Page190130£90£12Half Page90130£50£7Third of a page (Horizontal)60130£45£6Quarter Page (Horizontal)45130£40£5 Contact: Peter Bowman, Editor peter.bowman@talktalk.net 07889 912714 41 42 SU S A N HA N D Y DA N C E A Complete Dance Training FREE TRIAL CLASS FROM BABIES TO ADULTS BABY BALLET 18 MONTH+ PRIMARY BALLET PRIMARY MODERN PRIMARY TAP ACROBATIC ARTS BALLET BODY CONDITIONING CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE DANCE GCSE DANCE MODERN JAZZ TAP ADULT BALLET STRETCH ADULT BALLET ADULT CONTEMPORARY ADULT BEGINNERS TAP ADULT INTERMEDIATE TAP BOYS CLASSES W W W . S U S A N H A N D Y D A N C E . C O . U K ETON WINDSOR DATCHET OLD WINDSOR ETON WICK ICKENHAM WOKING RICHMOND office@susanhandydance.co.uk / 07515 270432 43 BHS & ABRS Approved Riding School and Pony Club Centre Ri:ling School & Liverv Elm Farm, Boveney Road, Dorney Common NrWindsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QD We are a family run Riding School based on Dorney Common established for over 40 years! • Qualified lnstructors • Lessons available from 7 years upwards • Pony Rides available for children as young as 4. • We offer very popular Birthday parties • Large Indoor and Outdoor schools • Pony Club and Own a Pony activity days • Open 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday Gift Vouchers available through the website For bookings and enquiries please call us on 01628 661275 www.spanishbit.co.uk Dorney Parish News May 2022 ISSUE NO. 4/22 MAY 2022 EDITORIAL As Andy Wiltshire is the subject of this month’s ‘Dorney Folk,’ for the May issue the front cover once again features Nancy Wiltshire’s long running illustration of St James the Less. Over the next month or so two events will take place that will be very significant to our Dorney community – the first Annual Parish Meeting since 2019 and Dorney’s own celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The APM is scheduled for Thursday May 17th at 8pm at Dorney School. Everyone in the Parish is invited to attend, and if you represent a local organisation or group, to give an update. If preferred, these can be emailed ahead of the meeting for the Chair to read. In years past these events have been very informative, so to hear the latest from the likes of Dorney Lake, the M4 upgrade or Thames Water, do please attend. In 1977 and 2012, Dorney celebrated royal jubilees in style. The opportunity to repeat this in 2022 will be the Dorney Parish celebrations at the Palmer Arms from midday on Friday June 3rd. Discussion continues to swirl around Thames Water’s Rewilding project as this issue demonstrates. It’s evident that the community is eager to know details about how the project will proceed and, even more, how residents can participate in the creation of a true asset for the village. We look forward to hearing how the project team, who are both dedicated and expert, are planning three-way co-operation between Thames Water, a charitable organisation and those who live near the rewilding site. Dorney Lake is now closed to the public for the summer. The Maidenhead Advertiser recently published a full report which in itself is pleasing, but the only member of the public quoted was not a Dorney resident but a Maidonian who ‘cycles the route along his morning commute’. The mantra so prevalent on social media in these parts, but not in Dorney, was repeated by the paper -that the closure should not happen because the majority suffer due to the misbehaviour of a ‘minority’. I rather think the reverse is true – the majority (the hundreds if not thousands in the Lake site on summer evenings in 2019-20) made life unbearable for the minority represented by those who live in Dorney and those who run the Lake. The Bursar of Eton College makes fair points like residents might even be relieved by the closure. This is regrettably true, but most residents probably long for a system to be devised between the College and the village that allows reasonable access to us, the Lake’s neighbours. Last month this magazine summarised Bucks County’s communications about how residents of the county could help through them refugees from Ukraine arriving here. We came across a local group who also deserve a mention. Maidenhead for Ukraine were found on Nextdoor and we made two trips to their then ‘hub’ which turned out to be the United Reformed Church in West Street. It was inspiring to come across a queue of donors, an energetic group of helpers and a large room filling up with piles of all sorts of goods and necessities ready to be packed into a 17year- old minibus part-funded by the Shanley Foundation, which has been ferrying essentials to the Poland-Ukraine border. Their latest activities are regularly updated on Facebook. Services in the Local Churches St James the Less, Dorney St. John the Baptist, Eton Wick St. John the Evangelist, Eton Vicar: Revd. La Stacey, The Vicarage, 69a Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6NE Tel: 01753 852268 email: revlastacey@gmail.com For information about our churches, activities and church history please see our parishes’ web site: www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk Methodist Church, Eton Wick Alma Road, Eton Wick, SL4 6JZ Minister: Rev Margaret Dudley, 01753 867117 Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Burnham Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Udoh, M.S.P. 01628 605764 Revd. La Stacey writes: Are you looking for a way to get fit and to engage your brain? Are you interested in keeping alive skills practiced in Dorney village for centuries? All for no cost? Actually, you even get paid sometimes!! Are you free on a Monday evening? Then look no further! Contact me through the website or on 01753 852268 and I will put you in touch with Janet, our bell-tower captain. We are recruiting bell-ringers – no previous experience necessary. I grew up in a country village in days before omnipresent screens provided entertainment, and bellringing was something we could do locally without having to cycle 3 ½ miles to the nearest station to catch the train into town. On wedding days, you could ring the bells and then go and join in the choir and earn some muchcoveted pocket money – definitely preferable to doing a paper-round. At Christmastime we formed the happy hand-bell team and used to do the rounds of the local hostelries ringing carol-tunes and collecting funds for charity. It may be that the ringing got slightly less accurate as the evening wore on! You will be hearing plenty of wedding bells ringing out over the coming month or two. Lots of couples choose our pretty church as the venue for exchanging their wedding vows. Is there still a sense that there is something sacred about giving our lives to each other in this way? Someone has defined love as a “non-possessive delight in the particularity of the other.” Non-possessive delight seems to reflect the sentiment that I observe in many of the wedding couples. ‘Rather than trying to change, manipulate, or devour the object of our affection, fierce love delights in the particularities of who they are’ and rejoices in making space for them and the fact that they are making space for us. If we have ears to hear, and can get beyond our distaste for ‘religion’, then this is precisely what Jesus was showing about the nature of God. His whole mission was to make space for others, for us, to ‘be’ and enable us to do likewise. The opening words of the wedding service say, ‘God is love and those who live in love live in Him’. Not a bad sentiment to dwell on as we swing into wedding season! Church Services in May 2022 Sunday 1st May (Feast of St James the Less) 9.30 am Holy Communion (BCP) St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am ‘Any Age’ Family Service St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 4th May 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 8th May 9.30 am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Holy Communion St John the Baptist Eton, Wick Sunday 15th May 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Morning Worship St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 18th May 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 22nd May 9.30am Morning Worship St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Thursday 26th May (Ascension Day) 9.30 am Holy Communion on the Tower St James the Less, Dorney Sunday 29th May 9.30 am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Holy Communion St John the Baptist Eton, Wick 26th May 9.30am Ascension Day Communion On the Tower Book now: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Open Morning 6th May Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities Book now: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Open Morning 6th May Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities Dorney Parish Celebrates the Platinum Jubilee To mark the Platinum Jubilee, the Dorney Parish celebratory event will be held at the Palmer Arms through lunchtime and the afternoon on Friday June 3. ‘Dorney Parish News’ has been talking to Chrys Fisher of ‘The Palmer’s’ about his plans and tapping into a few memories of past jubilees in this village. Past events are remembered fondly as great community occasions. Let’s hope that many of us join in, and in the future remember, these 2022 celebrations. You could say that after the last year or two, we do all deserve a jolly good time. In 2012 a high proportion of the village gathered in the Village Hall for a lunchtime get together on a Sunday. This magazine said at the time it was ‘an organisational triumph’ and went on to declare that ‘it would be great if the real village spirit thus created could be bottled and preserved’. Certainly, this writer remembers meeting lots of new faces and celebrations going on after dark in households around Dorney Reach. Of course, that was a special summer, with the Playground 4 Dorney group taking the lead and the impending arrival of the Olympic Flame in the village much anticipated. Chrys remembers a succession of hog roasts through that summer. A key memory we have heard was of the large screen TV on the wall of the Village Hall. The royal party looked cold and wet while ‘enjoying’ the river procession. We were all dry and tightly packed in the Hall. This week a neighbour asked on Nextdoor if Harcourt Road was planning a street party for this jubilee. Apparently, there was just such an event for the Silver Jubilee in 1977. Times were different then. One resident recalls a stream of locals hurrying from adjacent streets, carefully transporting the cakes they had baked and contributed. This sounds like the traditional ‘groaning board’ with all produce home produced. Children received jubilee mugs. The Palmer Arms car park was a cross between a fete and a fairground with stalls and games. As is traditional, the then vicar got soaked. Chrys asks that residents pick up their tickets in advance from the Palmer’s. The event will be centred on the pub’s garden. Should the weather of 2012 be repeated, Chrys forecasts that all customers will be sheltered. Many customers will be focused on that hog roast for lunch, but Chrys intends that food, music and a ‘party vibe’ will continue through to the end of the afternoon. This magazine is published a month or so before the event, so keep your eyes open for the announcement of other attractions and entertainments. This is a family event – no doubt children will enjoy the play area at the end of the garden. All pubs and restaurants, no doubt, will be open and hoping for additional business over that bank holiday. Chrys and Hannah assured us that their main ambition is to produce an event that all the residents of Dorney come to, enjoy and remember. Just like 1977 and 2012. Peter Bowman Dorney Parish Celebrates the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee From Midday on Friday, 3rd June 2022 at The Palmer Arms, Village Road, Dorney Hog Roast, Burgers and Sausages, Vegetarian option, Salads, Eton Mess Live Music Through Until 6 pm Adults £15, Children 10 and under £7 Tickets available Now from The Palmer Arms. Spotlight on Dorney Folk – Mo Voaden meets Andy Wiltshire When Wolves Roamed the Common… Andy Wiltshire, aged 60, was born and brought up in Dorney, and now lives in the same house his grandad owned. Andy is married to Lesley, and they have three children, one of whom, Elinor, will be the third generation to marry at St James the Less church this summer. Andy has been self-employed most of his life, running his own construction and landscaping business. One job he’s especially proud of is Dorney School’s pond, designed as a wildlife haven with dead logs for beetles and earwigs, and a special area for bumble bees. He hopes it will instil a lifetime’s love of conservation in the pupils. Although his business has taken him all over the UK, it’s Dorney he prefers because of the people and his memories. ‘I’ve worked on nearly every house in the area. Building, carrying out repairs, fencing – everything.’ When I mentioned he hadn’t been to us, he was quick to point out he installed the front fence before we moved in. His earliest memories of Dorney date back to the 1960s when ‘Flower Power’ was all the rage and things were a lot cheaper. ‘In those days, petrol was the equivalent of 50p a gallon at the White Heather garage.’ He was eight when he began milking the cows at Lake End Farm, which he took to immediately, and remembers the farmer leaving the churns by the road for collection by the dairy. Every year the cows had to be herded through Dorney to graze on the Common. Andy’s job was to cycle ahead and block the driveways to prevent the cows from trampling people’s gardens. ‘It was a big event, with everyone congregating outside The Palmer Arms to watch. When the farmers burnt the stubble in the fields, Andy, aged 12, used to ride his bike up and down, encouraging the flames with a petrol-soaked rag. ‘It was quite a skill to burn it in strips, and I wasn’t paid a penny!’ Local farmers got together for haymaking, and at Christmas, they hitched their trailers to the back of tractors and drove Carol singers around the village. In those days, a fairground came to Dorney every year, setting up rides and stalls in The Palmer Arms car park. There were country fairs too, opposite the church, which attracted visitors from miles around. Attitudes to a lot of things have changed since the 60s and 70s, which in many ways is a good thing. ‘Take dyslexia,’ Andy said. ‘My headmaster at Burnham Secondary didn’t believe the condition existed, even though I was formally diagnosed by a doctor in Harley Street.’ This only served to spur Andy on, making him determined to succeed and to discover books for himself. ‘I love reading now, especially sci-fi, so dyslexia isn’t a problem, but my spelling can be a bit dodgy!’ The best gift he ever received was a motocross bike. Andy was desperate to race, which he excelled at, winning championships all over the UK, despite his mum’s fears for his safety. There was no money to have the bike serviced so he taught himself mechanics; this stood him in good stead for his first job – mending lawn mowers. ‘My wife says there’s nothing I can’t fix.’ Andy isn’t a man with regrets, but does have some advice – measure twice, cut once. ‘I only wish the surgeon who operated on my hip had taken it. I ended up with one leg shorter than the other because he cut off too much, and now I have to compensate with a built-up shoe.’ Instead of being bitter, however, he laughed, explaining that his dad was born with one leg shorter than the other, and the family believes Andy is morphing into him. At this point in our interview I asked my usual quick-fire questions: Do you prefer chocolate or cheese? ‘Chocolate – I can’t get enough!’ Wine, spirits or beer? ‘I don’t drink anymore.’ Music or silence? ‘Depends where I am – I like being in garden listening to birds. In fact, if I could be any animal I’d choose a red kite because I’d be protected, fly wherever I want and be free.’ One of Andy’s biggest regrets is the loss of community spirit. In the 1960s and 70s everyone in Dorney knew each other and were encouraged to participate in local events. His parents raised money to build Dorney Village Hall by holding jumble sales and fetes. ‘My dad ran the ‘smash the crockery’ stand, mum sold home-made cakes.’ His mum, Nancy, was a talented artist who sketched the picture of St James the Less, which appeared on the front cover of the Dorney Parish Magazine for many years. She worked as a graphic designer for Executive Press in Burnham, and was in great demand as a portrait painter of children in Dorney. Despite all the claims on her time, Andy remembers her as a great mum. Alfred, his dad, played football (goalie) for Slough Town for a number of years and ran the Cub Scout Pack in Dorney. Alfred’s favourite game was to set a trail through the local area, using sticks, leaves and stones, for the cubs to follow. ‘On one occasion,’ Andy explained, ‘A boy became separated from the others beside the church. Hearing what he thought was a dog’s whine, he went to investigate, found a huge cage, and stuck his hand through the bars to pet it. An animal leapt forward and nipped his finger. It was a wolf, kept by Roger Palmer at Dorney Court. I found out that Roger and his wife kept wolves during the 1970s in Dorney, usually two or three at a time. They were passionate animal lovers and founded the UK Wolves Conservation Trust. It has been said that the Dorney wolves rivalled the church bells with their howling. ‘There were monkeys too,’ Andy added, ‘that used to chase the children down the road.’ There was a day, not long after that, when phones rang all over Dorney and everyone was ordered to stay indoors, windows locked, doors bolted. ‘It was a real lockdown,’ Andy said. ‘A dangerous animal was roaming the Common.’ All the villagers were accounted for, except Alfred and their family dog. Nancy, imagining the worst, was frantic, but after a couple of hours, Alfred returned with the dog, safe and oblivious to the panic. ‘We were playing,’ he explained, ‘with a huge dog on the Common. A shaggy beast.’ It was one of Roger’s wolves, of course. Out for a jaunt. SCENE FROM ABOVE A funny thing happened recently. Two young men who live up the road called round to say that their drone had gone AWOL and their control unit indicated it was in our garden. And there it was, marked by a little red light twinkling high up in a tree. The errant drone was retrieved with the aid of a long pole and departed for new adventures. These days, drones are commonly used to achieve a bird’s eye view of the world around us. Drone photography is a key element of films and documentaries. But aerial photography has actually been around for a long time. The first such images were captured by a French photographer from a balloon as early as 1858. Photographing the land from planes became widespread in the 20th century. Increasingly, old aerial photographs are being made available online, and these allow us to view Dorney as it was in the middle of the last century, before the arrival of the motorway, the Jubilee River and Dorney Lake. The website historicengland.org.uk hosts a growing collection of images which can be accessed using their Aerial Photo Explorer. Zoom in to Dorney on the map and you will find various symbols covering our local area. The rectangular shapes are a series of photos taken by the RAF in 1945. A sequence of three images shows Dorney village and Dorney Reach, north being at the bottom. Clearly visible is the anti-aircraft battery on the edge of the common beside Eton Wick. We can see the village before the post-war infilling, when Southfield Close was still a field. In Dorney Reach, there were few houses on the north side of Harcourt Road or in Meadow Way; there was no school and no Harcourt Close. A separate photo (north at the top this time!) shows the northern part of Dorney Reach. Pre-motorway, several houses were grouped where Marsh Lane (now Old Marsh Lane and Oak Stubbs Lane) intersected with Meadow Way. Several of these houses lay in the route of the new road and were demolished when it was built, the remainder divided on each side of the motorway. The foundations for the bridge over the river can be clearly seen, as construction had started before the war. The purple stars on the map lead to additional sets of photos. Some taken in 1949 show in greater detail the houses in Dorney Reach which were due to disappear under the motorway. Another set of shots picture the flooding close to the river in the winter of 1947, in Dorney Reach and Boveney. These floods resulted from snow thawing onto frozen ground. There is even one earlier image of flooding in Dorney in January 1936. The 1936 floods were caused by prolonged heavy rain and the Thames rose 4 feet 6 inches above normal at Windsor bridge, inundating much of the area between Maidenhead and Runnymede. The council provided a temporary footbridge for pedestrians between Eton Wick to Dorney, which would otherwise have been cut off. The newspapers published aerial photographs of the flooding, around Windsor Castle, on the racecourse and in Marlow. We have a lot to be grateful for to the Jubilee River! Finally, the red dots on the map are linked to more recent photos, taken in part to show crop marks used to reveal archaeological remains. One of these images is of the field where the rewilding project is underway. Earlier aerial photographs for Bucks Historic Environment Records had already shown indications of a Neolithic causewayed enclosure in the field, and fieldwalking revealed large quantities of Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age flintwork, evidence of people in Dorney between 10,000 BC and 701 BC. The photographs also showed what were thought to be late prehistoric to Roman field systems in the field. Most of the aerial photos taken for Bucks Historic Environment Records are not available online, but their website, https://heritageportal.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/map , does include a base layer of aerial photography, of recent date. Many of the photographs on the Historic England website can also be seen on www.britainfromabove.org.uk but this also includes a series of photos taken in 1936, probably in connection with the planned motorway route. One of these, EPW052025, shows Dorney Reach in its entirety, viewed from the Bray side of the Thames. These old images are fascinating to look at and to compare with the satellite view on Google Maps of Dorney as it is today. You may be able to spot your house in the photos, or the place where it was later built. For those of us who don’t have a drone, chances to look at our world from above are rare – a glimpse from a flight returning to Heathrow, perhaps. And in 2015, I remember, we had the rare privilege of being able to look down from the top of Dorney church tower. The view was fairly limited but nonetheless offered a different perspective – just like aerial photography. Virginia Silvester Dorney Annual Parish Meeting All members of the public are welcome to attend The Annual Parish Meeting will be held at Dorney School on Tuesday 17th May 2022 at 8.00pm This meeting is an opportunity for all residents of the parish to express their opinions or concerns regarding issues relevant to the parish. Please note that this is not a Parish Council Meeting, but it is chaired by the Chairman of the Parish Council in accordance with legal requirements. Councillors attend this meeting as members of the public. More details on the meeting are on: www.dorneyparishcouncil.gov.uk/annual-parish-meeting/ The Annual Meeting of the Parish Council and its usual monthly meeting will take place prior to the Annual Parish Meeting. ***** Introducing Dorney’s newest Parish Councillor I live on the Common in Dorney with my wife Mo. We thoroughly enjoy living here with our dog Tara, and two Maine Coon cats. I am a keen cyclist and have cycled all over the world. I started my working life as a Land Agent for English China Clays in the West Country, dealing with their agricultural estate and town and country planning matters, including appearing as an expert witness on various property matters. I was then transferred to the mineral side of the business, valuing assets and companies worldwide. I moved to London, becoming an equity partner in a property firm, and acquired a City mineral finance business which I ran for ten years before semi–retiring. Moving to Dorney in 2016 re-ignited my passion for building conservation to the extent that in 2019 I enrolled on a building conservation course at York University and was awarded my MSc in 2021. I hope my previous experience will assist me in my new role as a Dorney Parish Councillor. William Voaden ***** A Manager for Dorney Village Hall Dorney Village Hall have appointed a part-time Manager. The reasons for this appointment at this time are, firstly, that Bill Dax has stood down as the Bookings Person and, secondly, with the increasing demands required to manage the Hall successfully, Dorney Village Hall, like many other Village Halls, feels that the best way the Hall can be managed going forward is to appoint a paid professional rather than relying on volunteers. Ruth Senior (the Dorney Parish Clerk) has agreed to take on this part-time role effective 1st April 2022. Ruth is also the Parish Clerk to Taplow Parish Council and manages Taplow Village Hall, so she has experience of successfully managing a Village Hall. The email address Ruth will be using is bookings.dorneyvh@gmail.com. Ruth will be responsible for all day-to-day issues relating to managing the Hall -including bookings, cleaning, identifying maintenance problems and building additional revenues for the Hall. Ruth should be contacted on any matters regarding the Hall. Bill would like to thank all hirers both for their business and cooperation over the past few years. Bill will remain a trustee of Dorney Village Hall and will provide both Ruth and the trustees with whatever assistance he can in future. Greening up Dorney – and reducing our electricity bills! Recent comments about the Thames Water field between Dorney Reach and Dorney Lake being considered for a solar farm rekindled interest in possible ways for Dorney households to get help in reducing energy bills. The field is around 50 acres. According to the National Farmers Union, typically, developers and installers require about 2 hectares of land (5 acres) per megawatt of power, with most solar farms ranging from 0.5 MW to 15 MW in scale. Just fifteen acres (30%) would result in a solar farm on this field generating 3 MW of electricity. This would be able to provide Dorney’s properties plus quite a few more. And those properties near the solar farm might benefit from significantly lower electricity bills! Planning permission on green belt land could be an interesting challenge though. There are more secluded spots around Dorney where solar farms could be situated. There are around 90 acres between the rowing course at Dorney Lake and the Thames and around 20 acres between the Jubilee River and the M4, north of Lot’s Hole and to the west of Lake End Common, for starters. Such land is owned either by Dorney Court Estate or Eton College. Should a discussion commence? However, in the short term, solar power for every home is where it is most likely that Dorney residents can address high electricity bills. The numbers are moving rapidly towards the point where generating and storing one’s own electricity is cheaper, over a few years, than buying it from the existing energy companies. It may not always be aesthetically appealing – but it can contribute to lowering electricity bills. Hydropower. There are a number of locks on the Thames whose weirs have been fitted with substantial Archimedes screws to generate electricity – Romney, Osney, Sandford and Caversham. Romney, the nearest to Dorney, was designed to provide Windsor Castle’s energy requirements with any surplus going to the National Grid. The scheme consists of two 4 metre diameter Archimedes screw type turbines, occupying two bays in the Romney Weir. It generates around 1.4 million kilowatt hours (units) of electricity a year, enough to meet the needs of around 300 households. Osney Lock Hydro was set up by a group of local residents to enable the development of a community-owned hydro scheme in the heart of Oxford. It was the first community hydro scheme on the Thames. Sandford Hydro is a hydroelectric power plant near the village of Sandford, just south of Oxford. In 2016 Low Carbon Hub opened a community energy share offer and raised the funds to build Sandford Hydro. The hydro uses three Archimedes screws (similar to the ones in operation at Romney and Sandford Lock Hydro) to generate electricity from the flow of the river water. A number of other similar plans at Boulters Lock, Abingdon and Marlow locks were in planning but, in 2015, when the government changed the incentives for these schemes they were all put on hold. Given the recent increases in electricity tariffs and the fact that these schemes can produce electricity at under 5p per kWh, community interest may be revived. Given Dorney’s distance from Bray Lock or Boveney Lock it is difficult to see a similar scheme at these locks benefiting our community, unfortunately. The Jubilee River is closer, but the average current flow is unlikely to be sufficient to produce sufficient energy to be profitable. However, the current could be increased, if required! How might community electricity generation projects for Dorney residents come to fruition? Fortunately, there are national and regional community energy groups that are starting to make a local impact in this area. Nationally, Community Energy England (www.communityenergyengland.org) was founded in 2014 by practitioners within the community energy sector to act as the voice of the sector and help put people at the heart of the energy system. Regionally, we have Bucks Community Energy (www.buckscommunityenergy.org) whose purpose is helping the county of Buckinghamshire to become carbon neutral by partnering with businesses and community organisations to establish renewable energy generation and other low carbon technologies wherever possible. Not very far away, in Oxfordshire, we have a very well developed and resourced community energy organisation – Low Carbon Hub (www.lowcarbonhub.org) – who are considered one of the leading groups helping communities to reduce their carbon emissions. The disruptive force in this market is undoubtedly here now, with energy bills going up and a further significant rise coming in October. Kermit “It's beautiful, and I think it's what I want to be” – Bein’ Green song Comeandjoinustocelebratethe QueensPlatinumJubilee Thursday2ndJune 11amto4pm IntheWalledGardenwehave performancesby Borderline MorrisDancersat12pmand2pm MaidenheadConcertBandat 1pmand2.45pm Children’sActivitiesthroughoutthe day S ialJbil M DORNEY PLAYGROUND NEEDS YOU! Did you know Dorney Playground (Reachers Retreat), the Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and the tennis court are maintained and managed by a charity – Playground4Dorney? Every penny raised by the charity is re-invested into the facilities, and contrary to popular belief the charity sits independently of Dorney Village Hall. Over the past 12 years, after thousands of voluntary hours and having raised over £170,000 the current committee are standing down – mainly because our children are now either in secondary school or will be entering secondary school in September 2022 and the demands on our lives are changing. Committee members, past and present, have either lived in the Dorney community or been parents at Dorney school. Dorney School is a central part of the Dorney Community – and the playground is nothing without the children, parents and carers who enjoy this much-valued asset. As the hard work of fundraising and building is complete. We are now seeking a minimum of three new volunteers (but the more the merrier) to help with the organisation and maintenance of this valuable community asset to ensure the continuation of these facilities that so many parents, carers and children enjoy. If we are unable to secure volunteers, under the current lease, we have to return the land back to its original state i.e. grass! And, we want the playground to continue to exist, as we are sure that you do too. A full and comprehensive handover will be provided, along with ongoing support, to ensure new volunteers are supported as they transition into the new team. We've loved doing this and we are sure you will too. WHAT ARE THE TIME COMMITMENTS? Time commitments vary but, on average, committee members can expect to spend a maximum of a couple of hours a month on playground duties. WHAT WILL YOU GET IN RETURN? A wonderful sense of achievement, increased community spirit, teamwork and camaraderie! As a cohesive and aligned group you will ensure that the playground continues to remain at the heart of the village, and the school, which means that this fun and valuable asset will continue to be enjoyed for many years to come. Please􀀁email􀀁Leanne􀀁(leanne@kittel.co.uk)􀀁 to􀀁register􀀁your􀀁interest􀀁in􀀁joining􀀁the􀀁 committee􀀁and􀀁ensuring􀀁that􀀁these􀀁facilities􀀁 can􀀁continue􀀁to􀀁be􀀁enjoyed􀀁by􀀁so􀀁many.􀀁 Thank􀀁you.􀀁 Two views from local residents regarding the Thames Water field: Thames Water’s Rewilding As Spring creeps across the country, buds and blossom competing for attention with daffodils and the smells of fresh mown grass, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to live in a still-green and leafy corner of South Bucks. Hemmed in by the M4 and the apocalyptic Orchard Herbs and overflown by roaring jets, our immediate surroundings provide inspiration, respite and protection. From the gnarled chestnuts of Court Lane to the wide expanse of the Common, the great arboretum at the Lake and the willowy banks of the Thames and Jubilee and still closer at hand innumerable pretty gardens, Dorney has a rich and varied natural tapestry. Thames Water now promise to elevate our surroundings by transforming the sixteen hectares of land that form the hinge linking Dorney and Dorney Reach at the heart of our community. The plans, spelled out in April’s Parish Mag speak of re-wilding and carefully curated environmental planning all sensitive to the locality. The alternative, hinted at in the same article conjures visions of a solar park or worse -concrete and urban development. As the anonymous “local landowner” mentioned in the article, I am an unapologetic and enthusiastic champion of this project which I have no doubt will prove a great boon to the village. Already a well-loved and well-kept secret, this land will now have a secure future as a fantastic habitat and serve as an asset not just to local wildlife but local residents. I hope the community will embrace the re-wilding project and enjoy all that it offers. James Palmer Dorney Rewilding -Who benefits? Wildlife or People? As I’m sure local residents are aware, or some maybe aren’t, Thames Water are undertaking a rewilding project in the field that runs along the back gardens of the houses situated in Marsh Lane and Harcourt Road. Although to many this sounds like a positive move, consequently a number of issues have been created. Thames Water put together an article in April’s issue of Dorney Parish News to try and address questions and concerns that many residents have. However I feel it necessary to address aspects of the rewilding project that have been left undiscussed. Local residents who respectfully use the field for recreational purposes, such as to enjoy a leisurely walk to unwind from a busy day, are most likely aware of the wide variety of wildlife that thrives in the field, with many taking pleasure in looking out for these unique animals that call that field home. One particular hidden gem of the field is the herd of deer that wonder through the grass. It is a beautiful sight to see them bounding around through the long grass that was there for them to shelter, munch upon and hide amongst, but has since very sadly been cut down, exposing them, which in turn has pushed them to seek out a new place to call home. This has been caused by the removal of shrubbery and a number of wellestablished trees, that have simply been replaced by new trees, and consequently many have run in the direction of Marsh Lane and have tragically been killed by vehicles traveling at speed. This unfortunately will only become a more regular occurrence due to the continued interference. The deer are not the only hidden gem within this field. There are hundreds of other animals that live there, including the unique wasp spider, skylarks and many other rare beetles. All of these live close to the ground, creating their various webs and nests. The wasp spiders in particular were clustered in one area of the field, and it is the area in which the vast amount of metal fencing has been erected in preparation for the borehole, combined with an extensive amount of vegetation being cleared and flattened. Although it was excellent to see that Thames Water took note of when the bird nesting season had completed, the Skylarks who are known for nesting on the ground have been side-lined. They nest in various areas of the field, predominantly in the middle, where they can be seen performing their daily routine of flying to a great height, and then dropping, but they too have been disturbed by the creation of new paths through the middle area of the field. All the other wildlife has been forgotten about. There has been much discussion surrounding a ‘hands off’ approach, and this would benefit everyone involved. Thames Water have acknowledged that the lack of active management has had a strong positive impact on the field and the wildlife together, and therefore I find myself asking the question of why anything needs to be done to the field. In fact, one might say that we have our very own natural managers-the wildlife themselves! The deer enjoy having a munch on the wide variety of plants, along with the birds, spiders, beetles, rabbits and foxes! Despite Thames Water trying to explain to residents that the idea of rewilding is a good one, residents still have many concerns, and the severe lack of communication has created a negative impact, with many residents still left without answers. The idea of Dorney having its very own nature reserve sounds wonderful, but the field was being managed perfectly fine without human interference. Everyone who lives locally wishes to see the field become a brilliant area for wildlife to thrive, and a place of tranquillity for local residents to enjoy and remain at the heart of the community. Lucy Fegan-Earl DORNEY SCHOOL RESPECT * COLLABORATE * GROW News from Dorney School It fills me with joy to open our school doors to visitors again! Several events have been held where we welcome current and potential parents into the corridors and classrooms of our wonderful school. For the first time in nearly three years, current parents were able to walk around school and visit their child’s classroom, looking at displays and work. Many parents exclaimed their enthusiasm as they were not able to visit the school when their child started in Reception two years ago. This must have been hard as they had to entrust their child into the hands of new teachers in a strange, new setting. This open event was truly successful and set a wonderful foundation for virtual parents evening the week after where pupil progress and pupil happiness were discussed. There have been some benefits to lockdown and the use of a virtual platform is one of them. Parents, staff, and pupils need no longer wait in long queues in the school hall for parents’ meetings. At the click of a button, or the touch of a screen, parents and teachers can log on from anywhere to discuss a common vested interest – their child. This is something we at school truly believe in; that we work together with parents and the community to ensure the best outcomes for all children. It still stands at Dorney School that ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. I am always interested in making links with local organisations in which a working partnership will positively impact our learners and education. Do reach out if you believe you are able to support our school, or if our school may support you or your organisation. If you wish to visit our school, do email office@dorneyschool.co.uk and we will arrange for our wonderful school ambassadors to show you around. These pupils are proud of the school they love, the community they serve, and the learning the teachers provide. Feedback from recent visitors talk about the pupils’ manners, knowledge, enthusiasm and above all, how these ambassadors reflect the values that visitors see for themselves as they walk into busy classrooms and bright corridors. They represent every child we serve as they talk about our important values of acceptance, equality, and justice. Come and see for yourself! As I write this, we have learnt all about the holy month of Ramadan and about Holy Week. We had Muslim children, and their parents talk about the significance of abstaining from food and drink between the hours of sunrise and sunset for a whole month. Our Religious Education subject leader, Mrs Ross Wood, organised a Holy Trail around school as all pupils participated in the re-enactment of the Easter story. Reverend La led a physical assembly on the significance of Easter celebrations which added further relevance to learning. By the time this article is published, we would have also celebrated Eid, Earth Day and commemorated the life and legacy of Stephen Lawrence. We also look forward to the visit by double refugee Dr Aayesha Hussain, who arrived in our country aged 6 and now works at the forefront of the fight against infectious disease in the NHS. On top of a very busy timetable, we are also preparing to learn more about disability and neuro diversity during our ‘Inclusion Week’ with keynote speaker Ellise Hollie Hayward, a 21 year-old motivational speaker with cerebral palsy. Ramadan 2022 Easter 2022 If this isn’t enough, our Year 6 pupils have been on their residential trip to Woodrow House – the first in 3 years. Honestly, they were amazing and had the time of their young lives and honestly, the staff that accompanied them were amazing in ensuring our children had the best time whilst remaining safe and secure. What never fails to amaze me is how trips such as these somehow change our young pupils into young adults. They somehow return to school wiser, more patient and resilient, mature, and readier for their next journey in life. Not long now before we prepare them for their transition into secondary school but to be honest, we started preparing them for life the minute they stepped into the Reception classroom. I am privileged and humbled to hold them in my vision for a little while, before they make their mark in our wonderful world. Mrs S Lee Headteacher DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. “I love that it is culturally diverse and that everybody is so friendly. It feels like a really positive place to drop off your children every day ” Parent Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. “I love that it is culturally diverse and that everybody is so friendly. It feels like a really positive place to drop off your children every day ” Parent Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first Easter Across the Parish The Revd La Stacey told ‘Dorney Parish News’ about a busy time in her Parish…. On Good Friday, The Cross is walked through from Eton to Dorney. A stop for hot cross buns is made in Eton Wick and the Easter Garden is planted, and The Cross also stopped at the RCCG Praise Embassy. At each venue part of the account of the events leading up to the Crucifixion is read and a hymn or two are sung. It is left on a quiet note nothing happens on Saturday -the quiet of waiting -and then very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, before the sun has quite risen, we light the bonfire at St Mary Magdalene’s, Boveney. The new Easter candle is lit at the bonfire and brought into the church, and the light is spread around the congregation who each have their own hand-held candle. Part way through the service we go down to the river and renew our baptismal vows (water is just sprinkled on folks -we don't go into the water -not a good idea methinks!), then we celebrate communion back in the church and then we have bacon butties and tea afterwards. The Easter candle is brought into the churches of Dorney and Eton Wick for the Easter services. This year we were particularly honoured to have the Area Dean, Janet Binns, to take the service at Boveney and the Bishop of Buckingham to take the two services at Dorney and Eton Wick. Good job too, because the vicar had gone down with Covid! Why Access to Cash matters for our High Streets The Covid-19 pandemic was a difficult period for a great many small businesses, not least those populating our high streets. There were many that contacted me over the last two years to ask for help to stay open, or even to stay in business at all. I have always endeavoured to help where I can and to feed up to the Treasury ideas and suggestions coming from businesses in my constituency. Now that we are emerging from the pandemic, pressures and priorities are changing and the challenges for many high streets are not what they were 6 months ago. Footfall has drastically increased as we have escaped lockdown restrictions and there are once again more customers for our local high street businesses. However, I have been noticing more and more difficulties for customers and communities alike to get access to cash. I was dismayed to find that a great many bank branches across my constituency, but particularly in Beaconsfield and Marlow, have been scheduled to close this year. This presents a real problem as many high street businesses are reliant on cash transactions to survive. When these branch closures were announced, I arranged crisis talks with the banks to make sure they had good reason to be closing, and that they had made proper arrangements for customers to be informed and have access to core banking services. I have secured assurances from them that they will individually contact the customers who use their banks regularly and facilitate alternative access to the services they currently use. For some this will be support to move to online or telephone banking and for others it will be alternative providers such as the Post Office. I am continuing to push this issue in Westminster as often as I can. I have written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to urge him to speed up the commitment made by the Government to legislate on securing access to cash. Some steps have already been taken in the Financial Services Act 2021, which was certainly a step in the right direction, ensuring access to cashback without a purchase. Just this morning I attended an event in Parliament looking at how we safeguard access to cash. For many constituents, and for High Streets everywhere, it is essential. Joy Morrissey MP Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister House of Commons | London | SW1A 0AA | 020 7219 8708 Disraeli House | 12 Aylesbury End | Beaconsfield | Buckinghamshire | HP9 1LW | 01494 977505 www.joymorrissey.uk | @JoyMorrissey | fb.com/joy4beaconsfield THAT FRIDAY FEELING Bin Collection Days to Change in Dorney According to a letter from Bucks Council, which we assume has reached everyone in Dorney, from week commencing May 9th our bin collection day is changing from Monday to Friday. ‘Most residents’ it says are likely to have the change. By the time this issue reaches our subscribers, the last of the ‘old’ collections will have passed. The last General Rubbish collection will be on Tuesday (delayed by the Monday bank holiday) May 3rd. The next such ‘new’ collection will be on Friday May 13th. We just hope you didn’t miss it, but there will have been a special mixed recycling (‘blue bin’), paper and cardboard plus garden waste collection on May 2nd.The next recycling collection will not be until Friday May 20th. Food waste collection remains weekly and, as now, if you have garden waste removed, it will be on the recycling Fridays. The letter is all very reassuring. These new rounds have been ‘optimised to increase efficiency, provide value for money and help future proof the service’ without explaining in any way how. These are all part of the innovations introduced by new waste contractor Veolia. Other such innovations so far have been to mastermind the disappearance into their carts of a number of green bins, as DPN reported last year, and to force customers to push near empty blue bins to the curb side while struggling with small but filled to the brim cardboard and paper boxes, a policy that seems unaware of what is generated by shopping on Amazon and the rest. ***** Burnham Health Centre Update Many readers have expressed concern about the problems of Burnham Health Centre. In simple terms, these are the apparent unavailability of appointments and perhaps even worse, the extreme difficulty of contacting the Centre by phone, the only contact option available. The Practice Manager wrote to Joy Morrissey MP who passed the communication to Burnham Parish Council, who posted it on the Burnham Residents Facebook pages. There is no guarantee of improvement, but at least people of influence are taking a critical look at the running of the Centre. There has been staff turnover during Covid – of three physician associates employed, two have moved on. Another has just joined, and more are being sought. The employment of a paramedic and two additional pharmacists has eased the staff situation. By the summer four new ‘salaried doctors’ will be part of the team. They have been ‘looking into upgrading the telephone system at the surgery’ but have encountered ‘a number of problems which have resulted in delays’. A new system should be installed in May 2022. They have been trialling a new dedicated phone line for nonemergency appointments, but their system has been unable to cope with the volume of calls. This trial will re-commence if a new system is installed. The Practice hopes all the familiar problems will be solved soon and undertake to consult with our MP if improvements do not occur by the end of May. Every Cloud Dear Reader, you may recall that last month, Mr. Covid and his chums finally caught up with me and clipped my wings somewhat for a few weeks, but as with most good stories, it had a happy ending. I don’t write good stories; if I did, my Bentley would be parked next to John Grisham’s in Santa Monica where in reality, my Mondeo sits next to my bungalow outside Dorney, and to prove the long-winded point, the happy ending was, so to speak, premature. “Honey,” my lovely partner muttered sleepily as dawn brightened the bedroom curtains, “I think I have a cold. Listen!” She sniffed theatrically, demonstrating the restrictions both real and metaphorical imposed by her new companion. Having just bravely suffered the severe rigours of a world-wide pandemic, a mere cold was unlikely to impress such an observer, and I haughtily muttered something about her being all right soon and offering to dip into the generous pile of Lemsip I had accumulated during my agonies. “Dad, I wonder if you could help me collect one fence panel? They want thirty quid to deliver it,” my youngest asked (he’s in his forties with a lovely family of his own, but still ‘my youngest’), and any excuse to natter, see the kids or scrounge a cuppa is always grabbed with enthusiasm. Next day I picked him up in the Mondeo, garden trailer in tow, (you’re never short of friends with a garden trailer!). He dropped into the passenger seat. “I feel rough,” he sighed. He works very hard and has three under six years old, and as we drove to the timber merchants, I expounded the theory, as fathers do. Panel collected and delivered, tea consumed over the lovely chat, I bade a sad farewell and returned smiling to the household chores. All was well for three days until a text announced, “Sorry Dad, tested positive,” a phrase likely to engender gloom and worry as, “your cheque’s bounced,” had done in the past. As certain as the next tide, three days later my old symptoms returned at 3.00am and the only difference a month had made was that I was now familiar with the location of Lemsip, paracetamol, cough linctus and tissues. Fred was there too, and the cat gave me a “You again!” look as I shared her darkened settee once more. Again, I sat miserably at the kitchen table watching the dawn come up with that rod up my nose and waited while the test did its thing and announced…...NEGATIVE! And again, in the evening and the following morning, the results were the same. It seemed my partner’s unwanted companion had beaten Mr. Covid in a photo finish; but the effect on me was the same and I suffered while she bounced through it. Well, I am a man, and it’s well known that we suffer more than the ladies, our pain threshold being much much lower. My son recovered too, but then he’s a bit younger. Once more, I cancelled what had been a busy upcoming week as I had before, but this time the nice lady who took my sick report had been replaced by some bored individual who’d had a dull night duty in the call centre, a situation not improved by me. “It’s only a heavy cold,” I thought in my stuffed head while guiltily overstaying my warm bed. “I’ll have a ‘phone consultation with my doctor, swallow a few antibiotics, and ‘hey presto!’ all better.” Ring ring. Ring ring. Click “Welcome to the Medical Centre, Due to Covid, if you are suffering a life-threatening malady, please dial 999 now. If not, why are you bothering us? ……. Still here? Then wait…... Due to high call volumes, the call queue is now full. Call back later. Your call will now be termina’ed……Beeeeeep” and with that the East Enders extra earning pin money ‘termina’ed’. I speed dialled three more times and got termina’ed each time. (In order that I and the editor hang onto our houses, I have to point out that the anonymous Medical Centre greeting is NOT verbatim, but a figment of my imagination. Any similarity to any person or organisation living or dead is purely co -incidental.) No help there then and I listened with increasing gloom to breakfast radio with a diet of disaster at home and abroad, waiting for pills to work. I contemplated my future as we all do at a certain stage in our lives, where perhaps, there are more years behind us than in front. Man flu does that! My contemplations increasingly brought…... a broad smile which I couldn’t stop turning into a huge deliriously happy grin as bright sunlight beamed through the receding cloud as I recalled that a day before this had all kicked off my partner and I were pottering in the kitchen clearing up breakfast. “There’s something on your mind,” she said, clutching an empty baked bean can on way to the recycle bin. We know how to live in Dorney outskirts. “I’m fine!” I replied off handedly from the sink, hoping that the enquiry would ricochet away. It didn’t. “We’ve been together nearly four years now. I know you well. There’s something on your mind. Please tell me what it is.” It wasn’t a plea, or a request, more a gentle command. “Put the can down please,” I asked as we began to hug. “Will you marry me?” “Yes,” she breathed gently into my neck. The hug tightened. Every cloud. Stay safe. Mike Quincey MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DORNEY PARISH COUNCIL HELD TUESDAY 26th APRIL 2022, 7.30 P.M. AT DORNEY SCHOOL Present Cllr. Jill Dax (Chair) Cllr. Anna Palmer Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford Cllr. Robert Stopford Cllr. Stephen Baker Cllr. William Voaden Ms Ruth Senior (Parish Clerk) and 7 members of the public Open Forum Lyndsey Oliver from Playground Management Group reported that they now have two new Trustees for the Group and Dorney School have sent out information to parents asking for volunteers. The Parish Council confirmed that once the accounts have been examined and any questions they have answered, they will put forward a representative. Anyone else interested in stepping forward, should contact the Playground Management Group directly. Residents requested an update on the Thames Water field re-wilding project. The Parish Council confirmed that the latest update on information was published in the April Dorney Parish News, there is no further news. It was agreed the Clerk will contact Thames Water with the details of Charities in Dorney. PC/42/22 Apologies for absence Apologies received from Cllr. Euan MacLennan. PC/43/22 To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 8th March and matters arising These were approved with no amendments required and signed by the Chairman. There were no matters arising. PC/44/22 Items of business carried forward 44.1The Orchard Herbs Site Cllr. Stopford reported that Mitchel Pugh, Enforcement Officer is aware of the new concrete mixing business on the site and he does not believe it is lawful in line with the inspector’s comments, he will be seeking to remedy the issue at the earliest opportunity. Cllr. Stopford attended the Burnham Parish Council Planning meeting, they will be submitting their own objections on the site. There is currently no update on the Enforcement Notice or hotel plan. 44.2 M4 Smart Motorway Nick Cooper and Jim Stacy from the project were unable to attend this month but sent an update. The project is still on track for completion by the end of Spring 2022. It was confirmed that there will be a 2 week closure of Lake End bridge from 9th – 20th May (not including the weekend of 14th 15th). It was agreed the Clerk will contact M4 Smart Motorway to question; the work still to be done on the sound barriers as there are gaps at Marsh Lane and Jubilee River, during the weekend of road closure will be it be single lane or both open, a bump/lip in the road surface which has appeared on the Marsh Lane bridge. 44.3The Emergency Plan The Chair confirmed that there is now a draft Emergency Plan and thanked the team for putting this together. It was agreed the Clerk will circulate the draft plan on receipt from Cllr. Palmer for discussion at the May meeting. PC/45/22 Planning Cllr. Stopford and Cllr. Baker updated on planning applications; 17 Harcourt Road has been refused, the Parish Council have submitted an objection to the Harcourt Close plan however there are currently no objections to this plan from residents. There are no objections for any other Dorney applications. It was agreed the Clerk will contact the Burnham Parish Council Clerk and Taplow Parish Council to agree a meeting for working together on any future large plans which will affect the area. PC/46/22 Finance -To agree/ratify expenditure and income to date The cashbook was circulated prior to the meeting and approved. PC/47/22 To update on Slough Treatment Works and the impact on Dorney Cllr. Stopford confirmed that the latest plans/update on the project will be available in June. PC/48/22 To discuss traffic speed across Dorney Common Following the deaths of 2 cows in 2021 and 1 accident this year, the question of reducing the speed limit across the common during the season when the cows are out was raised. It was agreed the Clerk will make enquiries of the possibilities and the option of having ‘cattle on the road’ signs erected at each end of the common. PC/49/22 To discuss the Dorney Annual Parish meeting (17th May @ 8pm) and invites The Annual Parish meeting is open for anyone to attend. There will be no refreshments at this year’s meeting due to the high covid cases and expected low attendance. PC/50/22 To discuss Councillor training opportunities and costs It was agreed the Clerk will make the bookings and payments for Councillor training. PC/51/22 To consider any complaints/comments received from residents Residents have questioned the disappearance of footpaths across the farm fields (North Field and the field behind Lake End Road) as the fields have been ploughed for planting. It was agreed the Clerk will contact the farmer to request the paths are fully reinstated asap. PC/52/22 Items to consider for discussion at the next meeting on 17th May 2022 -RJC Landscape’s plans for landscaping around the welcome to Dorney signs and concrete troughs. It was unanimously agreed to increase the RJC monthly invoice by £25 to cover the cost of cleaning the road bollards monthly (to ratify at May meeting). -Parking problems on Lake End Road. -Cllr. Voaden has been investigating the process and advantages of Dorney having a Neighbourhood Plan. He will circulate this prior to the May meeting for discussion. -For tickets to the Jubilee Celebration at the Palmer Arms, please contact them directly. -Dorney notice board replacement options as the existing board is becoming unsafe. -Cllr. Westcott-Wreford confirmed that there will be new, larger rubber pads fitted in the cattle grid to combat the noise problem. Meeting ended at 8.40pm Dorney Village Hall www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk In January we completely redecorated the whole inside of the Hall. It is looking very fresh and welcoming. We also installed blinds to replace the old curtains. Dorney Village Hall has a large main area with stage, a smaller annexed room, and kitchen. It has recently been redecorated throughout. It is served by a large private car park and adjacent there is a tennis court, a multi activity games area (MUGA), playground and a playing field. It is used by residents for a multitude of activities such as dancing classes, keep fit, yoga, badminton, horticultural and hired out for parties, dances and weddings. The management committee welcomes non-residents, organisations, clubs, businesses, and societies to hire the halls. Main hall: 15 x 7.4m, ceiling height 7m Fixed stage with curtains: 4.5 x 6m Annexe: 9.8 x 3.5m, ceiling height 2m Licensed to seat 100 people Children’s tables and chairs available Beechwood suspended dance floor 75 space free car park From £13 per hour (minimum of 3 hours) for Dorney Parish Residents Email: bookings.dorneyvh@gmail.com Online on www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk Dorney Short Mat Bowls Club Every Sunday evening at Dorney Village Hall 7:00pm to 9:30pm Short Mat Bowls is played on a carpet 45 foot long and 6 foot wide. Dorney Short Mat Bowls Club has 7 members at the moment, and we can take up to 16 maximum. Bowls are available. You only need flat bottomed shoes, like trainers, to wear on the mat -not your ordinary shoes. We enjoy a social cup of tea and biscuits at half time. You get three free evenings before you decide if you want to join. Membership is £20 per year. And £4.00 an evening. Training is available. Please contact Dave Spalding if you would like more information: Email: d.g.spalding@hotmail.co.uk Mobile: 07707 818076 Little Learners Every Thursday morning at Dorney Village Hall 10:15am to 11:05am Little Learners messy play classes teach early writing skills by encouraging little ones to build their coordination, motor skills and core strength using their whole bodies. Join us for messy mark making, painting, play dough and many more opportunities to learn through play! Suitable for children 5 months to 5 years. www.littlelearnersuk.com Please contact Bernice Jackson if you would like more information: Email: bernice@littlelearnersuk.com Mobile: 07944478517 Dorney History Group The Dorney History Group has no meetings, currently, but it has a wealth of information about Dorney’s past on its website: www.dorney-history-group.org.uk, with over 18,000 web visitors each year. Eton Wick History Group www.etonwickhistory.co.uk The Eton Wick History Group has been meeting regularly since 1992. Eton Wick and the surrounding area is rich in history and the village has a heritage dating back to 1217. Meetings are held at 7.30 pm in Eton Wick Hall, Eton Wick, and everyone is welcome. Refreshments are served, and there is a charge of £2.00 to cover costs. Visitors and new members are always very welcome. 2022 Programme 25th May The Early Medieval Monastery in Cookham with Professor Gabor Thomas 13th July A Woman of Wax with Tony Weston 14th September 'The Village History Through the Website' with Steven Denham 26 October 'The War Horse Memorial' with Alan Carr MBE Further details from: Teresa Stanton teresams35@virginmedia.com Hedgerley Historical Society www.hedgerleyhistoricalsociety.org Hedgerley Historical Society (HHS) was founded in 1976. All evening meetings begin promptly at 8pm, unless otherwise stated. Arrival from 7.30pm is advised. In Hedgerley Memorial Hall, Kiln Lane, Hedgerley Buckinghamshire SL2 3UZ 2022 May 4th (Wednesday) Outing to the Boxford Heritage Centre and Boxford Roman Mosaic talk 10.30am Joy Appleton Booking required Closing date 30th April 2022 School Lane, Boxford RG20 8DX May 7th Your House Through Time – Research Launch Julian Hunt/Archivist May 10th (Tuesday) 11am Outing (Self Drive) to London Transport Museum Acton Depot Bookings close on 8/4/22 Dorney Parish News Published monthly (except January and August) Editors: Peter Bowman, Tumbleweeds, 12, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODU peter.bowman@talktalk.net Tel: 07889 912714 Jean Spencer, Dorincourt, 45, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODT Tel: 01628 624213 Editorial Board: The Editors, Bill Dax, Thea Pine Production: Bill Dax Tel: 07802 365448 Distributors: Mr Cobb, Mrs Cox, Mrs Leishman, Mrs McCabe, Mr McGuinness, Mrs Oxlade, Mr Penfold, Mrs Stockwood, Mr Temple Miss Snook, Mrs Tuddenham, Mrs Tyler, Mrs Wood-Dow RATE OF SUBSCRIPTION: £5 per annum for 10 issues The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of correspondents expressed in letters or articles published in this magazine. Advertising in Dorney Parish News Dorney Parish News is an A5 newsletter that is circulated monthly (except January and August) to residents and businesses in Dorney Village, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End. Our current print run is 250. Estimated readership is around 400 people. There are approximately 300 residential properties in Dorney Parish. Rate Card: Advertising Rates Height mm Width mm 10 issues 1 issue Full Page 190 130 £90 £12 Half Page 90 130 £50 £7 Third of a page (Horizontal) 60 130 £45 £6 Quarter Page (Horizontal) 45 130 £40 £5 Contact: Peter Bowman, Editor peter.bowman@talktalk.net 07889 912714 SUSAN HANDYDANCE A Complete Dance Training FREE TRIAL CLASS BABY BALLET 18 MONTH+ PRIMARY BALLET PRIMARY MODERN PRIMARY TAP ACROBATIC ARTS BALLET BODY CONDITIONING CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE DANCE GCSE DANCE MODERN JAZZ TAP ADULT BALLET STRETCH ADULT BALLET ADULT CONTEMPORARY ADULT BEGINNERS TAP ADULT INTERMEDIATE TAP BOYS CLASSES FROM BABIES TO ADULTS W W W . S U S A N H A N D Y D A N C E . C O . U K ETON WINDSOR DATCHET OLD WINDSOR ETON WICK ICKENHAM WOKING RICHMOND office@susanhandydance.co.uk / 07515 270432 BHS &ABRS Approved Riding School and Pony Club Centre Ri:ling School & Liverv Elm Farm, Boveney Road, Dorney Common NrWindsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QD We are a family run Riding School based on Dorney Common established for over 40 years! • Qualified lnstructors • Lessons available from 7 years upwards • Pony Rides available for children as young as 4. • We offer very popular Birthday parties • Large Indoor and Outdoor schools • Pony Club and Own a Pony activity days • Open 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday Gift Vouchers available through the website For bookings and enquiries please call us on 01628 661275 www.spanishbit.co.uk Dorney Parish News June 2022 Into the Woodland Garden – Dorney Horticultural Society’s visit to ‘Wind in the Willows’ 2 2 ISSUE NO. 5/22 JUNE 2022 EDITORIAL We’re sorry – this edition’s timing is not perfect. If you’re reading this early in June, we hope you did enjoy/are enjoying your Jubilee celebrations! We’re wishing all the best to events we know about – at the Palmer Arms, Crocus, Eton Wick and Windsor. Last month we looked back at events 45 years and 10 years ago. In 1977, children enjoyed a sports day and received a jubilee mug. It’s good to read in this month’s issue that the school plans a ‘royal procession’ and a picnic on the school field. In fact, things are looking up for younger people – congratulations to Playground 4 Dorney for securing the future of the Playground by recruiting several new volunteers, and now there is the end-of-term summer party to look forward to. Virginia Silvester takes us back further in this issue. In 1887 and 1897, Dorney knew how to party at Jubilee time, even if back then Marsh Lane residents weren’t entirely happy with the arrangements. The ’first since 2019’ is becoming a bit of a theme. The Annual Parish Meeting returned after two years. Dorney Horticultural Society spent a wonderful afternoon at ‘Wind in the Willows’ in Denham; yes, the first garden visit for two years – an occasion marked by horticultural inspiration, good fellowship and chocolate cake. But alongside all this inspirational stuff, the mundane workings of everyday life intrude. All along Harcourt Road full green bins still stand like sentinels as their owners wonder whether they will win in the lottery that is Veolia’s new waste disposal contract, and their green bins will one day be emptied. Thinking of such matters, let us consider the case of two letters and two phone calls…. In the middle of May two letters arrived in Dorney Reach, one from Transport for Bucks and the other from Thames Water. ‘Footway improvement’ was promised by TfB imminently for Harcourt Road with ‘footway closure’ and ‘give and take traffic management’ and ominously ‘any inconvenience’ was apologised for twice in a short letter. There was no description of the exact nature of the work, the scheduling of work by households or whether restoring very uneven footpaths on the south side of the road would lead to any tree felling. Thames Water were even less specific – work related to boreholes would lead to an ‘increase in noise and traffic movement’. Both of these adjacent projects were scheduled to commence on May 16th and when the letters arrived Marsh Lane was extra busy due to the closure of the Lake End Road Bridge. ‘DPN’ decided to ring the help desk numbers quoted in the letters. With plenty of practice from contacting Burnham Health Centre, we were able to withstand the one hour plus wait to move from ‘number 3 in the call queue’ to a conversation with TfB. No, they had no details of the work, knew nothing of trees, said scheduling was decided on the Monday by the ‘foreman’ and, anyway, ‘look on the website’ for full details, which of course, had not been posted. By contrast, the friendly lady who answered for Thames Water seemed genuinely concerned that she knew no details and promised that someone of significance would call me. Within the hour, ‘DPN’ was called by the Communications Lead on the project who agreed that a ’standard letter’ was not ideal given the concern about the TW Rewilding project and volunteered the helpful thought that it was about time that her organisation moved towards providing more information for their Dorney Reach neighbours. Makes you think again about just how far we are from Aylesbury…. Services in the Local Churches St James the Less, Dorney St. John the Baptist, Eton Wick St. John the Evangelist, Eton Vicar: Revd. La Stacey, The Vicarage, 69a Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6NE Tel: 01753 852268 email: revlastacey@gmail.com For information about our churches, activities and church history please see our parishes’ web site: www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk RCCG Praise Embassy, Haywards Mead, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6JN Pastor: Olusegun Omotayo 07712 126334 www.rccgchurchatslough.com Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Burnham Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Udoh, M.S.P. 01628 605764 Rev La Stacey writes: We have just been on holiday in France, and it happened to be the week when Emmanuel Macron was installed again at the Elysée. I have to say, there was something of a sense of relief among people that a particular brand of ‘me first’ politics hadn’t got the upper hand. It so happens that we had also been in France on holiday the first time M. Macron was elected. We seem to have managed a few times to be in a place just when there is big political change: we were in Cuba in February 2008 when Fidel Castro was replaced by his brother, Raoul, and we were in Washington in November 2008 when Barack Obama had just been elected to the White House. Well, we’re back home in time now for what we hope instead will be a celebration of continuation -the celebration of 70 years of the reign of someone who has also eschewed a ‘me first’ approach, who seems to have put the service of others first. She has taken as her model one who said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.’ By co-incidence, or divine design – who knows – we celebrate the Platinum Jubilee on the same weekend as we celebrate Pentecost this year. The coming of the Holy Spirit was a moment of regime-change par excellence. It is acknowledged that no single human being, other than Christ, can have the place of ultimate judge. No person or institution can be given supreme power. Always, whether we hold the role of Monarch, President, Emperor, or Lord High Anything Else, we are subject to a greater power. It is power characterised counter-intuitively by humility and service, power we cannot master and to which we cannot dictate. The Spirit of this power is given to any who genuinely ask and who genuinely seek. Our Monarch’s long reign is a witness to that Spirit. We are told that the fruit of this Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I would say Elizabeth has shown a pretty good example of many of those fruits, wouldn’t you? The extent of regime-change that followed Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension rightly understood, cannot be over-emphasised. We are offered an invitation to live under a reign whose ways are ways of gentleness and whose paths are peace. It is a reign Elizabeth herself acknowledges, knowing that kingdom will even outlast her 70 years! With Pentecost blessings. La Church Services in June 2022 Wednesday 1st June 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 5th June (Pentecost) 9.30 am Holy Communion (BCP) St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Any Age service St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 12th June (Trinity Sunday) 9.30 am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 15th June 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 19th June 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Morning Worship St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 26th June 9.30am Morning Worship St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St Mary Magdalene, Boveney This beautiful church on the Thames is open daily. St Mary Magdalene Patronal Service -1600hrs on Friday 22nd July 2022 Christmas Advent Service by Candlelight -1500hrs on Sunday, 11th December 2022 www.st-mary-magdalene-boveney.org.uk A Gold Medal at Chelsea for Jamie and Form Plants! Jamie Butterworth, Kate Silverton and children from Viking Primary School in their Gold Medal garden at Chelsea Flower show Just as this issue goes to press, we heard that designer Jamie Butterworth had won a Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show. In our April issue, we told how Jamie and his team from Form at Dorney Court were creating a sanctuary garden ‘Place2Be Securing Tomorrow’ for Chelsea. On awarding the medal, the RHS called it ‘a beautifully planted garden’. It offers, they said, ‘a safe space where children and adults can take time to relax and talk’. Uniquely, Jamie worked in close consultation with pupils from Viking Primary School, West London where the garden will be relocated after the show. Jamie tweeted ‘I cannot begin with I describe how happy I am right now. Gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show thanks to an exceptional team.’ Book now: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Open Morning 6th May Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities Book now: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Open Morning 6th May Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities Dorney’s Annual Parish Meeting – A Personal View ‘Dorney Parish News’ enjoys the Annual Parish Meeting. This writer has reported on eight in a row. It’s pleasing that an APM was able to be held this month. In none of those previous eight did we have draft minutes, which now makes my task, and hopefully your reading of this issue, more enjoyable. The meeting was low key. There was a bit of a feeling of a fresh start and there was the impression of a community marking time. Low key? As I understand it, advice from on high was that if a Council co-ordinated an APM, that was a ‘good thing’ but that continued nervousness over Covid (this week there are over 2700 cases in South Bucks) called for modest gatherings with maybe less participation than normal. So, the Parish Council are to be thanked for arranging a meeting open to all villagers. This participant hopes that when full normality returns, proceedings will be less low key in terms of the range of those bodies and organisations who are willing to report on their activities which influence our lives. As this was the first APM since 2019, there was bound to be a ‘fresh start’. On the Parish Council sit six new councillors. They are supported and directed by a splendid new Clerk to the Council, Ruth Senior. In each of those eight previous APMs, we made the call for a fully functioning website and in www.dorneyparishcouncil.gov.uk we have one. Please use the site – it has updates, it has news. There is a new contractor for grounds maintenance, RJC Landscapes. Here we have the opportunity to once again thank John Farrell who has retired, and also to make a request often heard by DPN – would it be possible to have a schedule of maintenance work carried out by location and date? It seems the Council is financially secure, and indeed, this year the precept paid by residents has not increased. Our hard-working PCSO, Angela O’Connell gave a comprehensive round up. An experienced new sergeant is making a ‘fresh start’, but Sgt Rachel Dale will be missed. Ange confirmed burglaries remain the force’s priority and these are down 45%, while thefts from cars are up 25%, and the curse of motor bikes in this and neighbouring villages seems to be recognised. An innovation for this meeting and perhaps the item of greatest impact, was to have a local farmer, William Emmett, address the residents. West Town Farm had evolved through the stewardship of John Barker and the Emmett brothers, with different patterns of cropping and labour supply over recent years. Enjoy the full report in the minutes in this issue. We hope more of William’s words might appear in this magazine in the future. Please heed William’s concern over the growing dog population in this area. Regarding the M4 Smart Motorway, the ‘fresh start’ many of us yearn for is to see the end of the whole ill-starred project. Nick Cooper, speaking for Highways England, pointed in this direction – they are ‘on track to complete main construction in the next few weeks’. Normal running at the national speed limit with all the new safety technology operating should arrive by late summer. Depressingly, ‘footpath work around Marsh Lane is continuing’ but should be completed soon. The report from our County Councillor, George Sandy contained much that was new for an APM. In 2019, we would never have imagined that 1,000 refugees would be seeking visas with Bucks as their destination or that our parish magazine would be recommending the Helping Hand for Ukraine pages on the county council website. George said that Bucks CC would be carbon neutral by 2030, the refuse collection fleet would be made up of electric vehicles and half a million trees were to be planted. It seems the greenbelt is to be protected and the nomination of brownfield sites by the public is playing a part, providing potential for some 4,900 new homes. Bucks CC will encourage local areas like Dorney to produce neighbourhood plans. If a new language is being spoken at APM’s, why are we ‘marking time’? To some extent, Dorney is waiting to hear the plans and see the actions of others. Will residents find common ground with Thames Water over ‘rewilding’? Will the same organisation’s plans for a pipeline across Dorney Common be as disruptive as it sounds? We appear closer to a resolution of the multiple threats posed by the Orchard Herbs Farm site, but will it be to our liking? Will Eton College’s proposed development for housing on several sites around the parish finally come to fruition? It is encouraging that our council now has a regular dialogue with Dorney Lake, but will issues of access and parking, raised from the floor at the APM, be resolved? The construction might be over, but what will Balfour Beatty and Highways England leave behind where once was a semi-rural green landscape? Why do we hear no details of their planting plans? Innovation is in the air. The Playground 4 Dorney group has secured five extra volunteers, so they can make the future of their facilities secure. A working group is to be set up to progress a Neighbourhood Plan for Dorney. The Emergency Plan will soon be revealed. I was impressed to read in the APM minutes for Taplow about the progress of their Taplow Environment Working Party, and now on Dorney PC’s agenda is the subject of solar panel fields to provide cheaper electricity to Dorney, which was another subject raised from the floor at our APM. I have a feeling that the APM in May 2023 will not be ‘low key’. The venue might well be full. Peter Bowman LOVELY JUBILEE! This month sees us celebrating an historic occasion – the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Last month’s DPN recalled the way Dorney marked her jubilees in 1977 and 2012, and this June will surely create similar wonderful memories. To reign for 70 years is of course extremely rare, and the Queen will be the first British monarch to reach this milestone. But Dorney also celebrated the Golden and Diamond Jubilees of her greatgreat- grandmother. Queen Victoria came to the throne on 20 June 1837, when she was 18 years old. Preparations for a week of events commemorating the 50th anniversary of her accession in the Windsor area were well underway early in 1887, and Dorney’s vicar, the Reverend J Archer, was on the organising committee. A key feature was the installation of the statue of the queen outside Windsor Castle, which has since become such a familiar landmark. Dorney was one of the local parishes whose residents contributed to the costs of the statue and jubilee festivities. The Queen travelled by train from Windsor to London on 20 June for two days of celebrations, including processions through the streets of the capital, a royal banquet at Buckingham Palace, and of course the balcony appearance in front of huge crowds. Meanwhile, in Windsor there was a week-long programme of activities. Bands played, horse troops demonstrated their skills and an open-air concert was held. Sports featured heavily -cricket, football, polo, tennis and athletics, and a regatta and water sports on the river. In the evenings there were fireworks, torch lit processions, bonfires and an ox roast. Windsor bridge and the streets of Eton and Windsor were heavily decorated and illuminated at night, with electric light from the Round Tower a notable novelty. The Queen returned on 22 June and a grand procession took her from a formal reception at Slough railway station through Eton, where the College boys lined the road cheering, and into Windsor for the ceremonial unveiling of the statue. Among the representatives of parochial committees presented there to the Queen was Dr Waters from Dorney. The following day, seventy children from Dorney School were among over 6,000 school children aged 6 and over who were entertained to dinner and tea in the Home Park, where Punch and Judy shows, swings, see-saws and games kept them amused and the Queen came out in her carriage to greet them. Younger children and the “aged poor” in contributing parishes were provided with similar refreshments at home. The weather remained fine and sunny throughout the Jubilee week – the “Queen’s weather”, according to the Windsor and Eton Express. Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in similar but even more extensive style, festivities in Windsor and the surrounding area lasting from 19 to 30 June 1897. There was again a festival for local children in Home Park, 5,000 of them, attended by 51 from Dorney, with refreshments, entertainment and sports. The highlight of this event was the presentation to each child of a commemorative Jubilee medal, a gift from the Queen who paid a visit during the afternoon in her carriage, lifting her veil so that the youngsters could see her face. The newspaper recorded that “the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee will be a lasting memory for all who were fortunate enough to participate in it, and even the very youngest upon whom the Queen smiled so benignantly in the Home Park last Friday will not be allowed to forget such a red-letter day in the history of their young lives”. I wonder if any of the older Dorney families still has one of the medals? This time we know there were also celebratory events in Dorney itself. The school was visited by the 94 year-old Dowager Lady Palmer, grandmother of Charles Henry Dayrell Palmer who was Lord of the Manor at that time. Jubilee medals – presumably the same as referred to above – and a handkerchief were presented to each child, the girls also receiving an embroidered pinafore and the boys a cap. There was singing, accompanied by a zither, and the dowager spoke to each child before they sat down to tea. The occasion was also used to make a farewell presentation to the teachers, sisters Jane and Annie Trotter, who were leaving the school after five years (although they returned less than a year later). A week later, Charles Palmer gave a Jubilee dinner for 120 villagers in the coach house at Dorney Court. Catering was by the village grocers, Messrs Grove and Hart. The Dowager Lady Palmer attended and spoke to several of the oldest inhabitants. After toasts had been drunk and speeches made, a concert was given by both children and adults. Similar celebrations took place in surrounding villages, but the Maidenhead Advertiser published a (tongue-in-cheek?) letter on behalf of residents of Marsh Lane complaining that they had not been invited to any Jubilee events and felt they were in No Man’s Land. The writer commented that the smell from the dinner given in Dorney had been lovely and nearly broke their hearts. Meals with neighbours, fireworks, decorated streets, concerts – there are many echoes of the Victorian celebrations in the way we mark royal jubilees in our own time. Like our own Queen today, in later life Victoria’s mobility was constrained. She had to use a wheelchair to watch the fireworks in the garden at Buckingham Palace in 1887, and ten years later sat in her open carriage for a service of thanksgiving outside St Paul’s Cathedral. But the enthusiasm of her subjects saw great throngs of people turn out to snatch a glimpse of her as she passed and to celebrate her long reign – just as we still do today. Virginia Silvester Solar power It was interesting to read in the May DPN of the ideas for generating clean energy in Dorney. We installed solar panels (12) on the roof of our house in 2010 and have been very impressed by the results. Despite some shading by trees, the panels generate on average 1,835 kilowatts per year. This obviously varies from month to month. July is the best month, with an average of 271 kw; December generates the least electricity, averaging 28.5 kw. It’s surprising how much can be generated even on bright cloud days – it’s not essential to have full bore sunshine. We soon got into the habit of switching on appliances at times of peak generation, as any excess electricity goes into the national grid. Four years ago, we added a 13-kw battery in which we can store some of the excess and use it later. We received no grants for the costs of installation, but we do benefit from the good rate paid at that time for electricity supplied to the grid, guaranteed for 25 years. So, as well as reducing our electric bills, the solar panels earn around £1,000 a year. The financial arrangements are different now. There’s a useful article about the current value of installing solar panels at https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solarpanels . Coincidentally as I was writing this, through the letterbox came information about a Buckinghamshire Council initiative to encourage take up of solar panels and batteries. Worth thinking about, I’d say. Virginia Silvester 13 DORNEY SCHOOL RESPECT * COLLABORATE * GROW News from Dorney School I am always left amazed at humanity’s resilience in adversity, and this is reflected time and time again in the way our pupils learn and behave. Their tenacity to try their best, try again, and try even harder next time is grounded in our school’s belief that every child can be whoever they choose to be and that they are able to flourish, with the support of family, friends, their community, and their teachers. It takes a whole village to raise a child, and this is our aim at Dorney School. We pride ourselves as a school that is centred in its community, that works with and alongside every stakeholder, so that every child benefits and every child belongs. This is even more important today, in a world full of hardship and uncertainty. This month we welcome children who have claimed a haven in our country, our community, and our school. Dorney School is humbled and privileged to welcome refugee families from areas of conflict and supporting them to rebuild a life and future with us. This is one of the reasons why we invited Dr Aayesha Hassan, a respected immunologist and a National Commissioning Manager who also works for NHS Health Education England. Dr Aayesha and her sisters (both who are chemical engineers) arrived on our shores at a very young age after their experience of being double refugees. They had to rebuild a life twice over as they escaped war and conflict. Her story of grief, loss, love, and compassion touched all our hearts. Her message was clear, ‘Education changes lives and open doors you never even knew existed!’ She recognised that her success, although due to personal determination, was made easier due to teachers and family who believed in her and supported her. It is even more important today that our children hear and see role models such as Dr Aayesha, who leads through words and deeds. What an inspiring woman from a diverse background! Refugees are always welcomed here! We intentionally plan for our children to learn about the community they live in and belong to. This month, our pupils will visit local churches, mosques, gurdwaras and synagogues. Here is Year 5 at Guru Maneyo Granth Gurdwara in Slough: They learned so much from this experience and have already been asking their teachers if they are able to visit this beautiful place again. Even as we learn about our diverse communities and families, we also incorporate learning about traditions and the history of these isles. In the next few weeks, our school will put up the bunting and will be participating in a range of activities to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. On top of the cake decorating and other fun activities, our pupils and their families will walk to school together from the car park by the Jubilee River in a ‘royal’ procession. This Jubilee walk will end at school whereby all families are invited to a Jubilee Picnic on the school field. I know every child and their family will remember this special event in the years to come. Our wonderful staff have started running a variety of clubs for our pupils on top of external clubs provided by qualified sports coaches. We now have cosmic yoga, construction, board games, skipping, art, book, well-being, and a fantastic gardening club generously supported by Crocus at Dorney Court Garden Centre. This local business has contributed seeds, equipment, and everything else we may need to inspire little green fingers. I mentioned in a previous newsletter that we are welcoming visitors to our school again as all Covid measures have been lifted. Why not contact our school office for a visit to our school and see us in action? We may just delight you as our new to Reception children were delighted when they visited us in readiness for September. What I had failed to capture was their joy at meeting our pet hens and spotting the eggs that they had laid! I promise to include Ivy, Blueberry, Pinky Pie and Chip in the next edition of this magazine. I leave you instead with the ducklings that hatched at school recently. I am sure these will make you smile! Warmest wishes, Mrs Sharifah Lee Headteacher News from Year 6 Dorney School After a two-year hiatus, on Wednesday 6th April a group of twenty-seven Year 6 Dorney children set off to Woodrow High House for a long-awaited three-day residential trip. Excitable children could hardly contain themselves with what was in store at the venue -three full days of activities, two nights sleeping over with their friends, add a disco and campfire into the mix and we had a recipe for a fantastic time. What awaited us was a newly renovated 400-year-old property set in its own grounds on the outskirts of Amersham, enthusiastic instructors and chefs who know just how to cook good, wholesome food to feed a multitude of different taste buds. As our children invested their energy into the first activity -Scavenger Hunt, it was time for the adults to renew our love of Woodrow and discover just what the house had been up to for the last two years. Still very much part of the local community, it continues to offer swimming lessons, walking football, yoga and a place to come and feel safe and be adventurous for hundreds of young people. Following a successful afternoon and a delicious evening meal, the children donned their sparkling outfits and headed into the cellar for the disco. The old-fashioned tuck-shop was opened, and the dancing started. Unfortunately, part way through the disco, the phone providing the music was needed elsewhere and I realised that I was to be the sole provider of the music and with only 'Mum's Favourites' to hand it was with some trepidation that I hit the 'play' button. Thankfully, I did have some up to date tunes, along with a few classics, the dance floor filled up and the children had a great night. A quiet bus returned into the heart of Dorney Reach that Friday afternoon -expectant parents and siblings gathered and Year 6 children flung themselves into the arms of their family, alongside a suitcase of dirty washing! A fantastic time had by all and memories to last a lifetime. Goodbye Woodrow, we hope to see you again soon. Mrs J Barnard Year 6 class teacher Horticultural Society Garden Visit to ‘Wind in the Willows’ Every May Dorney Horticultural Society traditionally sets out on a Garden Visit, and this May’s, to ‘Wind in the Willows’ in Denham, was memorable because it was the first since 2019, because of the welcome we received from the friendly Ron James, owner of the house and three-acre garden for nearly 40 years, and because of the special character of his garden. The first impression through a tree lined entrance leading off a country lane was of a wisteria clad house. There are areas of woodland and informal areas of shrubs. It dawns on the visitor that here is a unique setting sandwiched between the River Misburne and its millstream, with what was once a watercress bed meandering through the centre of the garden. This creates what Ron described as a ‘mature woodland garden’. Around the house the shrubs include tree peonies, a fine ‘forest pansy’ tree and a growing collection of day lilies. Across the lawn are bearded iris and hellebores. Ron aims for year-round colour. Our visit was perfectly timed because by early summer, those meandering riverbanks become the focal point, being planted with many varieties of damp loving iris, hostas, and candelabra primulas. The party crossed over a Monet-style bridge leading to an oriental inspired area with acers, camellia, and bamboo. This area was part of the one-acre woodland garden. Under mature trees there are rhododendrons, magnolias, hydrangeas, viburnums and many shadeloving plants. Great fellowship was enjoyed by around thirty or so DDHS members who made the trip to Denham. Ron’s welcome to us was key to our enjoyment. Members appreciated his deep knowledge of the common and botanical names of his plants. He was engagingly modest, encouraging us all by referring to his garden as a ‘work in progress’. Gardening was after all a case of trial and error. Indeed, Ron aimed for a low maintenance garden. Members referred to the peace to be found in this garden with the stream meandering through it. Others admired the various areas of light and shade. There was the variety in the garden, some of which it seemed, like the oriental garden, to be inspired by Ron’s visits to Japan and other countries. There were lots of engaging touches. Yet another bridge led to a wild garden area with a damp meadow and a bog meadow to encourage butterflies and birds. It seems 13 species of the former and 65 species of the latter had been spotted in the garden. Endangered water vole had made their home here – shades of Water Rat in the book which shares a name with this garden. Even slug control seemed humane with the help of gravel paths and a group of resident mallard ducks. The visit was rounded off by another DDHS tradition, tea and cakes. This writer found the chocolate cake especially enjoyable. The party was inspired by ‘Wind in the Willows’ – inspiration comes in very handy as attention turns now to the DDHS Annual Show in August. In the words of our chair, Ron Alsworth, this had been a ‘great day out for garden loving amateurs’. (DDHS thanks Ron Alsworth, Jan Bowman, John Wraight and owner Ron James for their impressions and photographs) Peter Bowman DORNEY SCHOOL CLEANER (with light Caretaker duties) 35 hours per week, term time only, plus inset RESPECT * days & two weeks, totalling 41 weeks pa. COLLABORATE * Fixed term contract for one year initially. GROW * Bucks Pay Range 1-point 08 (Actual salary £15,635 pa) RESPECT * days & two weeks, totalling 41 weeks pa. COLLABORATE * Fixed term contract for one year initially. GROW * Bucks Pay Range 1-point 08 (Actual salary £15,635 pa) Required for September 2022 The Senior Leadership Team and Governors of this successful, ambitious and creative primary school are looking to appoint an honest, hard working enthusiastic and dedicated cleaner to join our team. The Role We are looking for a self motivated individual committed to providing a high quality of work to ensure the safety of our whole school community by keeping our premises clean and tidy throughout the school day, while also carrying out light maintenance/ health & safety duties. Key Responsibilities: • Keeping the school clean throughout the school day • Light Maintenece tasks • Periodic Health & Safety checks • Security check and opening and closing of the school, when required Our unique school offers you: • Children who are keen to learn and are highly aspirational • Supportive and active parents • Opportunities for professional development and career progression. • A rare opportunity to join a team of highly committed, talented and innovative staff • Opportunities for flexible working for the right candidate Please visit the school website for further information and an application form. Visits to the school are warmly welcomed and positively encouraged, please contact the school office on 01628 620871. Application forms should be emailed to office@dorneyschool.co.uk Closing date: 12 Noon, Thursday 9th June 2022 Interview date: Week Beginning 13th June Dorney School, Harcourt Close, Dorney Reach Maidenhead, SL6 0DY Tel: 01628 620871 E-mail: office@dorneyschool.co.uk Website: www.dorneyschool.co.uk Dorney School is a member of the Beeches Learning and Development Trust, and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share the commitment. All posts are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and other relevant employment checks. Let the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations begin! Flags courtesy of Dorney Parish Council. Tickets available for hog roast lunch at The Palmer Arms Friday 3rd June from 12 midday. At the first Annual Parish Meeting of this Council we were pleased to report that savings on maintenance and admin costs, along with a grant from the Forestry Commission for spraying the Oak Processionary Moth identified in the Memorial Garden trees, assisted in no increase to the precept. and finances are in a good secure position. EARLY REPORTING NEW ONLINE OF OAK INFORMATIVE BANKING MOTHS RESULTED IN WEBSITE AND UPDATED INCREASED EFFICIENCY GRANT FOR LOGO SPRAYING 2021/22 Actions: Re-established formal links with Dorney Lake Robust monitoring of Orchard Herbs in liaison with Burnham PC Emergency Plan in place in corroboration with two enthusiastic residents Continued dialogue with Bucks Council to address speeding issues. Two additional MVAS signs applied for via Community Board Councillors attend specialist training for planning, Common Land Work continues in applying for designated status Neighbourhood Plan and Village Design Scheme What does the Queen’s Speech mean for South Buckinghamshire? On the 10th of May, the Queen’s Speech marked the opening of the new Parliamentary session, setting out the Government’s programme for the year ahead. While there was a broad array of Bills announced, there are a number which will really help deal with some of the issues that matter most to people in my constituency. There are several Bills coming forward to help us fight crime and reduce antisocial behaviour. During the pandemic I was in regular contact with Thames Valley Police, including the Chief Constable, to help address some of the unique problems generated by lockdown restrictions. Now that we are mostly back to normal, I have been reengaging with constituents to make sure that police actions reflect the changing times again, meeting with our new Area Commander Superintendent Amanda Burroughs to discuss this recently. Looking ahead, I have asked for direct feedback from residents through the crime survey which many local residents will have received already. Another critical local issue is protecting access to cash, a problem which can have a devastating impact on our high streets. Towns across my constituency from Marlow, to Burnham, to Beaconsfield have seen a number of bank branches close in recent years, and the way in which usage of cash fell during the pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. In the last few months, I have been taking this right to the top of Government, writing to the Chancellor to ask him to bring forward legislation to protect access to cash. I am delighted to say that in this year’s Queen’s Speech, the Government has announced exactly this! Combined with the very encouraging announcements about supporting our high streets through local growth, I hope this will see a bright and busy future for our wonderful town centres. Joy Morrissey MP Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister House of Commons | London | SW1A 0AA | 020 7219 8708 Disraeli House | 12 Aylesbury End | Beaconsfield | Buckinghamshire | HP9 1LW | 01494 977505 www.joymorrissey.uk | @JoyMorrissey | fb.com/joy4beaconsfield DORNEY PLAYGROUND UPDATE We are delighted to announce that a new team of volunteers have stepped forward to support Playground4Dorney, to ensure that the Playground, Multi-Use-Games-Area (MUGA) and Tennis Court can continue to be enjoyed by local residents and visitors to Dorney, ensuring that these valuable, much loved and well-used assets continue to be preserved for the future. The current committee will be working alongside the new team over the next couple of months to ensure a successful transition and handover. We will also be working together in the organisation and running of our annual end-of-term summer party, which we have been unable to run since before the pandemic (more details to follow in the June edition of DPN). This event is a great fundraiser for the playground (100% of profits are re-invested) and is always a wonderful and joyful celebration at the end of the school year. Elizabeth Line stumbles to an opening – just! Dorney travellers have long been waiting for the arrival of Crossrail to whisk them quickly into central London. But huge delays to the project – not helped by a two -year pandemic – have left commuters wondering when they will be able to make full use of the track. The announcement that Crossrail would be completed in 2018 is now a distant memory, but 24th May 2022 marked a key milestone for the project as it officially launched in central London. But what does this mean for travellers in Dorney travelling from Taplow or Burnham stations? What happened on 24th May 2022? The central section of the Elizabeth line – from London Paddington to Abbey Wood in South East London – opened on that day. When will the western section of the line, including Maidenhead, Taplow, Burnham and Slough, link up with the central section? The above opening date will not have a huge impact on travellers from the west, as they will still have to change at Paddington to access the completed central tunnels. When the Elizabeth line opens it will initially operate as three separate railways. Services from the far west of the line in Reading, which will pass through Maidenhead, Taplow, Burnham and Slough, are not scheduled to connect until the autumn. How frequent will trains be on the Elizabeth line? From 24th May 2022, the line will operate 12 trains per hour between Paddington and Abbey Wood, Monday to Saturday from 6:30am-11pm. Services will not run on Sundays. When the western section connects to the central, frequencies will be increased to 22 trains per hour in the peak between Paddington and Whitechapel. When the full route opens, four Elizabeth line trains an hour (six an hour at peak times) will run from Maidenhead, Taplow , Burnham and Slough to central London. How long will it take me to get into London stations from Paddington when the full line opens? The new railway will connect Paddington to Canary Wharf in 17 minutes. This journey takes more than 30 minutes to complete using the existing Tube network. When was the line meant to be completed and why has it taken so long? The line was initially supposed to be completed in 2018, but Crossrail Ltd chief executive Mark Wild said it needed further time to complete software and safety works. Further delays then ensued over the following years before COVID-19 hit, which forced the project to delay even further. The latest setback was announced in August 2020 when it was confirmed the central section would not open until the first half of 2022, and the entire scheme in 2023. What other changes are being made? A total of 10 new stations are being created in central London as part of the Elizabeth line. Meanwhile, all services between Reading to Paddington currently operating as TfL Rail will be rebranded to the Elizabeth line. A series of upgrades have also been made to Maidenhead, Taplow and Burnham railway stations in conjunction ahead of Crossrail’s arrival. When will the entire Elizabeth line open, from east to west? Full services across the entire route will be introduced by May 2023, Transport for London says. With sincere thanks to the Maidenhead Advertiser for this article DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. “I love that it is culturally diverse and that everybody is so friendly. It feels like a really positive place to drop off your children every day ” Parent Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. “I love that it is culturally diverse and that everybody is so friendly. It feels like a really positive place to drop off your children every day ” Parent Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first Love is there even in the Darkest Hour Thirteen candles light the altar, flickering on the faces of the congregation. La Stacey, dressed in traditional clerical robes, stoops to wash the feet of her flock -an act of servitude and love. One by one the candles are extinguished in remembrance of Jesus’ betrayal and death. Darkness descends. This sacred Maundy Thursday service in St James the Less church, Dorney, is a favourite of La’s, whom I had the great pleasure of interviewing this month. La Stacey, vicar of Eton Wick and Dorney, mother, wife, occasional canoeist and Cambridge alumna, was born in a caravan. ‘My father built it from a kit. There simply wasn’t the money to pay for rented accommodation. There was no running water – we were sited in a field near Woodley Aerodrome’ A bright girl, she was the only pupil at her village school in Heckfield to pass the eleven plus exam in five years. She went to the grammar school in Basingstoke ten miles away (by bike, train and on foot), where she did reasonably well, and, to her surprise, won a place at Cambridge University. Quite a feat for a state-educated girl in the early 1970s. Family life was happy, but there was little money and few luxuries. Her mother, a trained nurse, was very capable which was just as well because La’s father was often away on business, leaving her to bring up La and her three siblings on her own. La describes herself as a headstrong, stubborn child, determined to get her own way. Very independent, she used to take the train to dancing class alone from a very early age. Her father, an expert on supersonic travel, was part of the team that designed Concorde. Its streamlined body with triangular-shaped wings and long pointed nose made it incredibly aerodynamic, allowing it to break the sound barrier. ‘It was fascinating hearing his stories about creating this spectacular aircraft.’ When I asked La how she became a vicar, she explained that it wasn’t until she went to Cambridge that she began to understand the incredible power of God’s love. A lady deacon invited her to bible study classes, and from that moment La started to look at things more seriously. It wasn’t until the death of her grandmother, however, that she realised she had no faith, and began asking the really important questions in life. ‘I didn’t want to delude myself. I wanted to face up to reality, and I launched myself into the unknown – the huge feeling of love that caught me was overwhelming. I came to realise that this is what Jesus is about -an immense sense of love. Understanding the bible is about knowing the worth of each human being. I wanted other people to know that. too. To know that everyone is loved.’ After that, becoming a vicar was a natural progression, but it took many years. In the meantime, La, together with her husband, has raised a family, taught, and served as a company director. She has spent time travelling, notably in Canada, where she developed her love of canoeing. One day, they were paddling up river towards what looked like a large black rock protruding from the water. ‘It wasn’t till we got closer that I noticed it was moving. The ‘rock’ raised its head, and we saw it was a bear. We froze, hoping we were mistaken, but it turned and looked right at us, before swimming away across the river. A moment we’ll never forget!’ Eton Wick and Dorney is La’s first parish after completing her training to enter the Church. She found it overwhelming, being responsible for everything – the services, the graveyards and managing multiple events, but quickly found she could rely on the help from the Church family and the local community. ‘It’s a huge privilege, being there at the significant moments in people’s lives – baptising babies, conducting weddings, comforting a grieving family. I couldn’t possibly do it without a selfless support network.’ I wanted to know if La had ever suffered a crisis of faith. Taking a moment, she explained that her whole world had been turned upside down by the death of her son at the age of twenty-three. ‘Grief tears you apart. Nothing is a comfort at a time like that. The only thing we had to cling on to was the sense that he was all right. That love is there even in the darkest hour.’ A typical week for La starts on a Saturday when she writes her sermon. Often based on things that have happened during the week, it’s geared towards the congregation and events in their lives. She checks her emails, prepares for upcoming weddings, funerals or baptisms and the following day’s services. On Sunday morning La takes two services, (Eton Wick and Dorney), then catches up on all the administrative tasks that come her way. Monday to Thursday she attends a variety of groups, meetings and school assemblies, and deals with other matters such as the replacement of a room at the Eton Wick church. There are toddler groups to visit, bible studies to take, as well as funerals to arrange and visits to parishioners in hospital. Friday is her day off when she visits her children who live nearby. The loss of her son affected the whole family, which made them closer but not co-dependant. ‘We can rely on each other but don’t need to be together all the time.’ To relax she likes to spend time gardening, seeing friends and walking. She used to do a lot of sewing and knitting, and enjoyed visiting the theatre, ‘but being a vicar,’ she explained, ‘is very intense.’ Freedom, reality, joy and love are the way La describes her faith, and when I asked which object or animal best describes her, she chose a cat, curled up in the sun, despite her intense life as a vicar. Her favourite time of year is spring, for the sense of renewal and light after the darkness of winter, and her favourite flower is the primrose. The best gift La has ever received are her babies and her best-loved hymns are ‘Before the Throne of God Above’, and ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’. La is due to retire next year, but is yet to make any plans. She does, however, know what her best memories of Dorney will be. ‘The care of the people in the church. There’s a real feeling of a family here, one that is welcoming and supportive, and kindness too. A great sense of faith, not strident or forceful, but gentle and sustaining. The people of Dorney care deeply for the community and for each other, and will be part of me whatever life brings next’ She would like her ashes to rest with her son in St John’s in the Vale churchyard in the Lake District. La Stacey left me with an image of another of her favourite services – Easter Sunday at the “Friendless” Church of St Mary Magdalene, Boveney, beside the River Thames. Five o’clock in the morning, a bonfire blazes outside the church, its flames warming the dark stones and lighting the open door. The congregation is waiting for the sun to rise, to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And then, the first light of dawn appears … Mo Voaden Set in the grounds of Dorney Court Estate, near Eton, visitors will find a unique and innovative garden destination offering a curated range of plants for all seasons, as well as inspired items for the home and garden. Our shop blends practical and stylish products from around the world with plants that are often difficult to source, particularly from garden centres. With a full nursery of garden and indoor plants, eco-friendly growing supplies, home and garden décor, furniture, firepits, and gifts, Crocus at Dorney Court seamlessly offers something for every home and garden. www.crocus.co.uk Dorney Village Hall www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk In January we completely redecorated the whole inside of the Hall. It is looking very fresh and welcoming. We also installed blinds to replace the old curtains. Dorney Village Hall has a large main area with stage, a smaller annexed room, and kitchen. It has recently been redecorated throughout. It is served by a large private car park and adjacent there is a tennis court, a multi activity games area (MUGA), playground and a playing field. It is used by residents for a multitude of activities such as dancing classes, keep fit, yoga, badminton, horticultural and hired out for parties, dances and weddings. The management committee welcomes non-residents, organisations, clubs, businesses, and societies to hire the halls. Main hall: 15 x 7.4m, ceiling height 7m Fixed stage with curtains: 4.5 x 6m Annexe: 9.8 x 3.5m, ceiling height 2m Licensed to seat 100 people Children’s tables and chairs available Beechwood suspended dance floor 75 space free car park From £13 per hour (minimum of 3 hours) for Dorney Parish Residents Email: bookings.dorneyvh@gmail.com Online on www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk MINUTES of ANNUAL PARISH MEETING held on Tuesday 17th May 2022 Dorney School Present Cllr. Jill Dax (Chair), Cllr. Anna Palmer, Cllr. Euan MacLennan, Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford, Cllr. Stephen Baker, Ms Ruth Senior (Parish Clerk), Peter Bowman (Dorney Parish News), John Barker, Christine and Roger Marrett, PCSO Angela O’Connell, Virginia Sylvester, Judith Barnard (Dorney School) and William Emmett (West Town Farm). 1 Apologies for absence Apologies received from Cllr. Robert Stopford and Cllr. William Voaden, County Cllr. George Sandy, County Cllr. Paul Kelly and Nick Cooper (M4 Project) and Lyndsey Oliver (Playground). 2 Report from Parish Council Cllr. Jill Dax -Chairman Good evening and welcome to the Annual Parish Meeting -the first one to be held since the Pandemic hit in 2020. Just by way of explanation the Annual Parish Meeting, with the exception of the past two pandemic years, is held in May and is, in legal terms, a quite separate body from the Council, but it is invariably the Council that arranges it. Its decisions are not binding on the Council. This meeting has its own minutes, which should be kept separately from the Council minutes, and these minutes can only be approved by the next Annual Parish Meeting which will, of course, not be held until the following year. Since the May 2021 elections your Parish Councillors are Martyn Westcott-Wreford, Euan McLennan, Anna Palmer, Robert Stopford (who sends his apologies), Stephen Baker and our latest welcome recruit William Voaden and myself. We are very ably assisted by our Clerk Ruth Senior and I take this opportunity to thank my colleagues for their time, enthusiasm, professionalism and commitment over the challenges of the past year. Our newly designed website is regularly updated with all Parish information and projects underway and current (and past) Minutes. A wealth of information! Financially we are in secure position given our current plans and we also managed to make some savings on administrative and maintenance matters for the current year. Cllr. Euan MacLennan -Finance Cllr. MacLennan confirmed the message from Cllr. Dax that the finances are in a good, secure position. The major changes over the past year have been savings on administration with the changeover of the Parish Clerk and also the retirement of John Farrell and savings from changing to a fixed contract for grounds maintenance. With these savings in mind, the Parish Council was very pleased to be able to keep this year’s precept the same, meaning no increase for Dorney residents. 3 Community Udates PCSO Angela O’Connell -Thames Valley Neighbourhood Police’s Report Firstly I would like to welcome Sgt Hedley Gabriel who has now joined us as the Neighbourhood Sergeant for the area replacing Sgt Rachel Dale who has now moved away to Oxford. Sgt Gabriel joined us from Slough having served with Thames Valley Police for the last 12 years. PC Trevor Walker has also now retired from Thames Valley Police after having served 16 years as the Neighbourhood Officer for Dorney. Crime statistics cover Burnham/Farnham’s/Taplow and the rolling 12-month figures from April 2021 – 2022 shows the following. Burglaries continue to be a major problem and is still the forces no 1 priority. Over the past 12 months there has been a reduction in reported incidents from 47 to 26, this equates to a 45% decrease. Burglary remains TVP’s top priority and as in previous years we will be teaming up with our Neighbouring forces including the Met Pol, Hampshire and Surrey. These operations are targeted, intelligence led high visibility proactive patrols to detect and deter those responsible Theft from motor Vehicles, there’s been an increase in theft from vehicles from 99-124 which equates to a 25% increase. To combat this NH teams are regularly patrolling our scenic car parks and raising awareness via clear car campaigns. Theft of motor Vehicles, there has been a slight decrease in reports incidents from 38 to 39, this equates to an increase of 3%. These stats also include the rise in keyless thefts which were previously recorded in the Burglary figures. Has a response to any potential rise in these types of crimes the NHPT hope to continue with their joint awareness campaign called “Clear car” and working alongside Bucks County Council. Also, crime awareness signage being placed in locations being targeted by offenders. The NHPT are preparing to take part in a number of Police led operations designed at tackling the core issues such as Burglaries, Vehicle crime as well as speeding and anti- social behaviour. This operation will continue to run throughout the rest of this year and into 2023. Antisocial Behaviour, we have seen an increase in Antisocial Behaviour around the tow paths, Dorney Common and Amerden Lane with regards to scrambler bikes which we are working closely with the Environment Agency to resolve. Unauthorised Encampments, this is a regular issue in this area and now that the pandemic restrictions have eased, we will no doubt see the number of unauthorised encampments increase. The NH teams have been making contact with local landowners to ensure they are making their land as secure as possible. A Land Watch WhatsApp group has also been set up for local landowners which is being managed by Beaconsfield Council, Tabish Wazir, if you are interested in joining, please contact him on Projectsupport@beaconsfieldtowncouncil.gov.uk William Emmett – West Town Farm My family has been farmers and growers in this part of the Thames valley since the early 1900s. I own the business that occupies the land at West Town Farm and also rent the land around Dorney owned by the Palmer family, in total adding up approximately 400 acres. The land at West Town Farm was formerly owned by two gravel companies, until its sale to the merchant ventures of Bristol in 2014. West Town Farm was farmed by the Barker family between 1958, incidentally the year before the pre M4 road was started and 1985. During that period the Barkers grew a wide range of horticultural crops predominantly for the wholesale markets in London, which mainly served the retail greengrocers before the days of the mega supermarkets. My late brother John and I took on the tenancy in the 1990s and our main focus until 2005 was growing a range of salads and vegetables including iceberg lettuce, all types of coloured lettuce, spinach, leeks, salad onions, parsnips, cabbage and kale for companies such as Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsburys, growing, harvesting, packing and delivering throughout the country. Being expected to deliver every day except Christmas Day. A further change of cropping style came in 2005 when John and I sold our horticultural business to the management who relocated it to Spalding in Lincolnshire. My brother then saw an opportunity to start a business producing herbs, in particular for the discerning ethnic market which has rapidly expanded, growing coriander, fenugreek, dill, parsley, thyme, tarragon, spinach, chillies, tender stem broccoli and many more. Following his untimely death at the young age of 71, I have continued growing those crops alongside potatoes for Walkers crisps and milling wheat in a crop rotation. The land around here is good, free draining land overlying gravel making it suitable for growing a variety of crops as mentioned, the water coming from shallow artesian bore holes across the land. Growing fresh produce has always been very demanding, both on quality and volume and requiring a large labour force as most crops are hand harvested. In as much as the crops produced have varied over the generations but so has the workforce required to plant and harvest the crops. In the years before our EU accession, it was local labour. As we went into Europe Italians and Spanish came to the UK. Following those countries prosperity, the Asian community became the major part of the workforce. Then as Eastern Europe came into the EU many Polish, Lithuanian and other eastern countries filled the job opportunities. Following our withdrawal from the EU, young people are coming in via Government supported schemes but numbers nationally are well short of what is required. The last few years have proved very challenging dealing with the smart motorway improvements which show no sign of handing back land south of junction 7 but I hope we have not caused too much inconvenience with our farming operations as we are trying hard to produce your daily fresh foods for you. Nick Cooper – M4 Smart Motorway We are making good progress and are on track to complete main construction in the next few weeks. Opening the motorway to traffic i.e. normal operation will take place in stages over the summer. Further details will follow in June. The key focus will be on ensuring that the new technology is installed, tested and operating as expected before we move to the national speed limit and the removal of all traffic management. We have one more weekend closure between Junctions 6 and 8/9 scheduled this weekend, 20-23 May. There are no weekend closures currently planned in June due to the summer events season starting, but there will be some overnight closures. The work at Lake End Road is already completed ahead of schedule and the closure has now switched to traffic lights which should be removed earlier than planned. Footpath work around Marsh Lane is continuing and should be completed soon. 4 Report from County Council County Cllr. George Sandy Firstly, I’d like to thank the Parish Council for undertaking to read this short report to Dorney Parishioners. It comprises a few words about County activity over the last 12 months and and a little about the Council’s aspirations. The situation in Ukraine is dire and refugees are arriving in Britain. Close on 400 have found refuge in Buckinghamshire and there have been many generous offers to provide shelter from residents. If you, or anyone you know has spare capacity in their homes and willing to provide temporary accommodation please check out the Helping Hand for Ukraine pages on the Buckinghamshire Council website. We are currently aware circa 1000 refugees have applied for visas with the destination being Bucks. The Government’s target to combat climate change is to be carbon neutral by 2050. County is to achieve this by 2030 which means all premises and vehicles under county control will be converted or replaced. The Council’s fleet of refuse collection vehicles are to be renovated using a £578,000 grant from DEFRA. By converting to electric vehicles 10 tonnes of greenhouse gases will have been saved from polluting our air. There is a target to plant 543000 trees so suitable sites must be found and you should suggest any you believe to be viable. You will have likely heard that the boundaries commission has been working on a restructuring of electoral wards throughout the country and for Buckinghamshire it is proposed there will be 50 wards broadly containing between 5000 and 10000 electors and for every 5000 electors there will be one county councillor. This means that Cliveden Ward comprising Burnham Lent Rise, Dorney and Taplow which has a population of just over 8000 electors will have two seats instead of three. Across the County the number of seats will be reduced from 147 to 98. As part of the consultation the boundaries commission carried out prior research prior to ascertain how much time councillors spent on council activity and their findings indicate that there is quite a lot of spare capacity. With which I personally agree. In effect fewer Councillors will still be able to represent their voters efficiently and at a lower cost to the tax-payer The last few months have seen increased engagement with the community boards. They are the local meeting point for residents, schools, and a variety of Businesses, clubs and parish councillors all of whom can propose ideas for projects they believe will enhance their activities, and which might benefit from some financial support. The CB has special committees dealing with Highways and Infrastructure, and Adult and Youth, Health Well-being. Tougher measures against the unlawful establishment of Travellers encampments have resulted in a significant reduction of such across the county. From 38 encampments in the year 19/20 to 18 in 20/21, and only 14 in 21/22. Fingers crossed that Dorney parish will also benefit from the general reduction of such incursions. Buckinghamshire’s Conservative County Council is determined to protect the greenbelt. In a recent call to local residents to nominate brownfield sites resulted in 275 sites submitted which are now being assessed for their suitability, availability and achievability for development. The outcome is subject to the final assessment but it was encouraging that the initial estimate of new homes on the sites submitted showed potential for approximately 4900 new homes. A second call for brownfield sites was launched on the 6th of December 2021 which remains open and it will do so as long as possible. An additional 47 sites have already been submitted for assessment. As a consequence, it is hoped that development pressure upon the greenbelt areas around our ward will be correspondingly relieved. Drafting of The Buckinghamshire Local Plan is still waiting for the government’s proposed planning reforms so nothing can be finalised until these are known. Meanwhile an attitude survey was conducted as part of the discovery and exploration phase of the local plan for Buckinghamshire. It closed in February and attracted 3439 responses which is a very healthy response rate at such an early stage of plan preparation and they are currently being analysed. County is keen to see local areas produce neighbourhood plans and it takes a proactive and positive approach by providing advice and support to those communities that are interested in producing their own; neighbourhood development plans, neighbourhood development orders, or community right to build orders, as part of its duty to support. Each parish should decide whether it should create its own Neighbourhood Plan. Gully cleaning and the repair of pot-holes are the subject of frequent complaints. In either case, or if you have any complaint relating to highways and footways, please register them online using the Fix my Street App. 70800 gully’s have been cleaned at least once in the last year, but if you see any that need attentions, please do report them. There really is so much more one could add, but if parishioners wish to ask questions, please address them through the parish clerk and they will be answered. 5 Questions from the floor on Parish/County issues Judith Barnard asked if William Emmett would be happy to do a similar talk for the children at the school which he confirmed he is happy to do. Judith Barnard asked if it is possible for the school children to be involved in the tree planting as mentioned in County Cllr. George Sandy’s report, this question will be forwarded. Virginia Sylvester asked that the gully cleaning programme be commended as very successful. This comment will be forwarded. Virginia Sylvester asked for an update on the terrible road surfaces on Village Road and Marsh Lane as we were assured by County Cllr. Dev Dhillion that this would be resolved after the M4 works. These are major cyclist routes and are becoming very dangerous. This question will be forwarded to County level along with the question of criteria for a ‘failed road surface’. 6 Any other business William Emmett raised the point of problem dog walkers in the area letting dogs run amongst the growing crops and not clearing up after them, this is an ongoing problem he asks that residents please be more aware and careful. Virginia Sylvester asked who will be responsible for the maintenance of local footpaths when the M4 project has been completed. Cllr. Dax is forwarding a footpath map to Virginia to mark the footpaths in question. The Clerk will then confirm ownership. William Emmett questioned the Parish Council view on the closure of Dorney Lake causing parking issues in other areas of the village. Cllr. Dax confirmed that dialogue with Dorney Lake has been reactivated and we are in regular contact with them, so will forward the concerns raised. John Barker enquired about the possibility of using land around Dorney for solar panel fields to provide cheaper electricity to residents. This will be added to the June Parish Council Meeting Agenda and also forwarded to County for consideration. The Parish Council thanked everyone for their updates and attendance. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DORNEY PARISH COUNCIL HELD TUESDAY 17th May 2022, 6.30 P.M. AT DORNEY SCHOOL Present Cllr. Jill Dax (Chair) Cllr. Anna Palmer Cllr. Euan MacLennan Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford Cllr. Stephen Baker Ms Ruth Senior (Parish Clerk) and 2 members of the public Open Forum Peter Bowman asked if anyone knew why the books have been removed from the phone box on Harcourt Road – Cllr. Dax confirmed she will ask her contacts as this was not Parish council. PC/53/22 Apologies for absence Apologies received from Cllr. Robert Stopford and Cllr. William Voaden. PC/54/22 To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 26th April and matters arising These were approved with no amendments required and signed by the Chairman. There were no matters arising. PC/55/22 Items of business carried forward 55.1The Orchard Herbs Site Liz Aston from Buckinghamshire Planning has confirmed that the official decision on the application for the hotel should be completed by 10th June 2022. 55.2 M4 Smart Motorway Nick Cooper from the project answered the questions previously asked regarding gaps in the sound barriers and the bumps in the road on Marsh Lane bridge. “There will be small gaps in the barriers for access to utilities and in line with the design”, “we are checking the newly installed expansion joints by monitoring them over the next few weeks. If problems like this persist, then they will be rectified”. It was agreed the Clerk will question gates being installed in the barriers rather than having gaps. 55.3 The Emergency Plan It was unanimously agreed that the draft Emergency Plan that has been proposed can now be completed and published. PC/56/22 Planning It was agreed that the Parish Council has no comments on the plans submitted for 16 Harcourt Road and 4 Old Marsh Lane. The Clerk confirmed that Burnham and Taplow Parish Councils are happy to join forces should there be a planning issue which effects all three parishes. The number of plans for Harcourt Road was raised. Cllr. Baker confirmed that if these were to be staggered timewise to stop too much building activity at once, it would mean a planning application refusal and re-application. PC/57/22 Finance -To agree/ratify expenditure and income to date The cashbook was circulated prior to the meeting and approved. It was agreed that the Clerk will contact RJC Landscapes regarding invoicing. It was agreed that the Clerk will investigate the devolved services payment. PC/58/22 To consider a Dorney Parish Councillor becoming a Playground Management Group representative Lyndsey Oliver confirmed prior to the meeting that they now have 5 new Trustees in place to take over the Playground Management Group from the end of this school year which is great news. The Parish Council agreed that we would put forward a representative for now until the new Trustees are established, at which point we will re-assess and look at having a Trustee from the Parish Council instead. Proposed Cllr. Baker and seconded Cllr. Westcott-Wreford, Cllr. Anna Palmer for the representative role. Cllr. Palmer accepted this proposal. It was agreed that the Clerk will inform Lyndsey Oliver. PC/59/22 To confirm the Dorney Emergency Plan It was unanimously agreed that the draft Emergency Plan that has been proposed can now be completed and published PC/60/22 To consider Dorney progressing with a Neighbourhood Plan Cllr. Voaden has been investigating the benefits and processes of Dorney having a Neighbourhood Plan. There has been a positive response from Buckinghamshire Council who have encouraged the process and offered their support. It was agreed that on the June agenda the Parish Council will decide on a Working Group to move the plan forward. PC/61/22 To update on Dorney Common speeding/signage The Clerk confirmed that the questions of reducing the speed limit across the Common and cattle warning signage have been asked of the various departments at Buckinghamshire Council and will update as soon as answers are received. PC/62/22 To discuss the RLC Landscapes ideas for planting around the Village RJC Landscapes proposed a plan for planting at the welcome to Dorney signs around the village, which was circulated to Councillors prior to the meeting. It was agreed that the Clerk will ask for alternative planting options which would last throughout the year rather than seasonal plants and reduce maintenance costs. The possibility of asking Form Plants or Crocus to provide and sponsor the planting areas was discussed. The overall view is that planting is a good idea both for aesthetics and speed reduction. PC/63/22 To update on the Oak Processionary Moth treatment The Clerk confirmed that the Forestry Commission’s first spray took place on 10th May and the second spray will happen within 2 weeks. PC/64/22 To discuss options for a new village noticeboard next to the Palmer Arms The existing notice board is old, warped and becoming dangerous. Cllr. Dax presented an option from Creative Solutions Direct which is a basic metal, 4xA4, lockable, wall mounted noticeboard for £135.96. It was agreed that unless there is a wooden option available for a similar price, we will go ahead with a black frame metal option. PC/65/22 To consider any complaints/comments received from residents The Clerk confirmed trying to resolve an issue with the Gatehouse streetlight on Village Road which has been an ongoing problem for many months, reported by resident Alice Foxley. The electrical contractor has confirmed that there is no electricity supply to the light. It was agreed that the Clerk will continue to chase this problem with SSE. PC/66/22 Items to consider for discussion at the next meeting on 21st June 2022 To consider the Parish Council having a ZOOM subscription for continued online streaming of the Parish Council meetings. To discuss the road surfaces on Village Road and Marsh Lane. Dorney History Group The Dorney History Group has no meetings, currently, but it has a wealth of information about Dorney’s past on its website: www.dorney-history-group.org.uk, with over 18,000 web visitors each year. Eton Wick History Group www.etonwickhistory.co.uk The Eton Wick History Group has been meeting regularly since 1992. Eton Wick and the surrounding area is rich in history and the village has a heritage dating back to 1217. Meetings are held at 7.30 pm in Eton Wick Hall, Eton Wick, and everyone is welcome. Refreshments are served, and there is a charge of £2.00 to cover costs. Visitors and new members are always very welcome. 2022 Programme 13th July A Woman of Wax with Tony Weston 14th September 'The Village History Through the Website' with Steven Denham 26 October 'The War Horse Memorial' with Alan Carr MBE Further details from: Teresa Stanton teresams35@virginmedia.com Hedgerley Historical Society www.hedgerleyhistoricalsociety.org Hedgerley Historical Society (HHS) was founded in 1976. All evening meetings begin promptly at 8pm, unless otherwise stated. Arrival from 7.30pm is advised. In Hedgerley Memorial Hall, Kiln Lane, Hedgerley Buckinghamshire SL2 3UZ 2022 June 8th London’s Great Railway Stations Oliver Green ZOOM June 15th Britain’s Forest Story Julian Hight ZOOM June 23rd (Thursday) Coach Outing – Windsor Great Park & Savill Garden £35 Closing date 18th May Meet 10am Spar SL2 3RP July 7th (Thursday) Guided Tour of Hatfield House £16. Closing date 8th June Meet 11am Hatfield House AL9 5HX July 13th (Wednesday) Guided Tour of Church Gardens £10 (includes Tea). Closing date 8th June Meet 2pm Harefield UB9 6DU July 30th (Saturday) Mikron Theatre – Red Sky at Night £15 (£13 concessions) 7pm Hedgerley Memorial Hall SL2 3UU. Outdoor performance – indoor if wet. Bookings http://www.mikron.org.uk 01484 843701 Dorney Parish News Published monthly (except January and August) Editors: Peter Bowman, Tumbleweeds, 12, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODU peter.bowman@talktalk.net Tel: 07889 912714 Jean Spencer, Dorincourt, 45, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODT Tel: 01628 624213 Editorial Board: The Editors, Bill Dax, Thea Pine Production: Bill Dax Tel: 07802 365448 Distributors: Mr Cobb, Mrs Cox, Mrs Leishman, Mrs McCabe, Mr McGuinness, Mrs Oxlade, Mr Penfold, Mrs Stockwood, Mr Temple Miss Snook, Mrs Tuddenham, Mrs Tyler, Mrs Wood-Dow RATE OF SUBSCRIPTION: £5 per annum for 10 issues The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of correspondents expressed in letters or articles published in this magazine. Advertising in Dorney Parish News Dorney Parish News is an A5 newsletter that is circulated monthly (except January and August) to residents and businesses in Dorney Village, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End. Our current print run is 250. Estimated readership is around 400 people. There are approximately 300 residential properties in Dorney Parish. Rate Card: Advertising Rates Height mm Width mm 10 issues 1 issue Full Page 190 130 £90 £12 Half Page 90 130 £50 £7 Third of a page (Horizontal) 60 130 £45 £6 Quarter Page (Horizontal) 45 130 £40 £5 Contact: Peter Bowman, Editor peter.bowman@talktalk.net 07889 912714 SUSAN HANDYDANCE A Complete Dance Training FREE TRIAL CLASS BABY BALLET 18 MONTH+ PRIMARY BALLET PRIMARY MODERN PRIMARY TAP ACROBATIC ARTS BALLET BODY CONDITIONING CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE DANCE GCSE DANCE MODERN JAZZ TAP ADULT BALLET STRETCH ADULT BALLET ADULT CONTEMPORARY ADULT BEGINNERS TAP ADULT INTERMEDIATE TAP BOYS CLASSES FROM BABIES TO ADULTS W W W . S U S A N H A N D Y D A N C E . C O . U K ETON WINDSOR DATCHET OLD WINDSOR ETON WICK ICKENHAM WOKING RICHMOND office@susanhandydance.co.uk / 07515 270432 BHS &ABRS Approved Riding School and Pony Club Centre Ri:ling School & Liverv Elm Farm, Boveney Road, Dorney Common NrWindsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QD We are a family run Riding School based on Dorney Common established for over 40 years! • Qualified lnstructors • Lessons available from 7 years upwards • Pony Rides available for children as young as 4. • We offer very popular Birthday parties • Large Indoor and Outdoor schools • Pony Club and Own a Pony activity days • Open 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday Gift Vouchers available through the website For bookings and enquiries please call us on 01628 661275 www.spanishbit.co.uk Dorney Parish News July/August 2022 22nd July 2022: St Mary Magdalene’s Patronal Day. Patronal Festival Service -1600hrs on Thursday, 22nd July 2022 At the Church ISSUE NO. 6/22 JULY 2022 EDITORIAL Dorney faces lots of issues, but how important are they, really? People are suffering horribly in Ukraine and Afghanistan. Closer to home food banks proliferate. As we lobbied Bucks Council through June about our unemptied green bins, I half expected a harassed help desk employee to point out the trivial nature of our complaints. But a parish magazine can only deal with little local inequities and inefficiencies that affect us day to day. Let us just hope that the efforts of lots of people will sort out the bins and report that the Harcourt Road resurfacing we expressed doubts about appears to have been carried out by a diligent and painstaking team. Let us know if you disagree. Maybe we might have benefitted from a traditional ‘street party’ on June 3rd, but the many locals who attended a very happy and sociable afternoon at the Palmer Arms will thank Chrys Fisher for providing a memorable Platinum Jubilee celebration. Crocus at Dorney Court described on social media their events twenty-four hours before as a ‘fabulous day’. Over the winter, considerable concerns were expressed about the future of the Playground, but now we hear that a new team of trustees has been installed as one generation of Dorney School parents makes way for another – and they have their End of Term Summer Party to look forward to in July. Talking of events which it’s good to welcome back, this magazine unreservedly urges all residents to exhibit at, or at least come along to, the Dorney Annual Show returning on August 27th after those two lost years. Let’s hope the revamped Village Hall is full to the brim. Many will believe that another cause for celebration is the refusal of the application to build a 416-bedroom hotel on the infamous Orchard Herbs Farm site in Lake End. Local councils and many residents should be proud of the cogent arguments they put forward against this absurd proposal. Alas, not everything is celebratory. We have talked about the DNA of Dorney. Part of that might have traditionally been the good works centred on the Vicarage or Eton-Dorney centre. Media as mainstream as the BBC and the Mail have recently carried disturbing reports summed up by the headline ‘Abuse, assaults and big profits’ about an investigation of serious shortcomings at special educational establishments run by Calcot Services. Some of the more extreme cases concerned Eton Dorney School. Calcot are adamant that the stories have no foundation, and I imagine residents will hope that they are correct. It is hard to believe that those Olympic Games which for a few days focused the world’s attention on Dorney, or more precisely ‘Eton-Dorney Lake’, took place almost a decade ago. In fact, on July 10th 2012, the Olympic Torch was carried aloft by the intrepid Mary Baker around the Lake shores. It seems that the events of 2012 should be celebrated in our next issue. Please share your memories, and your photographs with ‘Dorney Parish News’. Alas, that will have to wait until the first week of September. This magazine takes a break in August. In the meantime, let us wish all our readers a truly memorable summer. See you again with the September issue. Services in the Local Churches St James the Less, Dorney St. John the Baptist, Eton Wick St. John the Evangelist, Eton Vicar: Revd. La Stacey, The Vicarage, 69a Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6NE Tel: 01753 852268 email: revlastacey@gmail.com For information about our churches, activities and church history please see our parishes’ web site: www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk RCCG Praise Embassy, Haywards Mead, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6JN Pastor: Olusegun Omotayo 07712 126334 www.rccgchurchatslough.com Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Burnham Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Udoh, M.S.P. 01628 605764 Rev La Stacey writes: This is baptism time of year. People like to have their babies and children baptised in the summer so that they can have a party in the garden afterwards – weather permitting. Of course, baptism is a naming ceremony amongst other things. We’re given our Christian name. Have you ever watched the film Toy Story? The little boy Andy has written his name on the foot of his favourite toy, Woody. It’s a sort of leitmotif that runs through the Toy Story films that comes up from time to time when there is a threat of Woody’s position as favourite toy being usurped, or when there is a threat of abandonment. It’s written in permanent marker so that it can never wash off and there can be no doubt who Woody belongs to. The special relationship cannot be effaced. There’s a similarly poignant verse in the prophecies of Isaiah that says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands”. Reading the ancient text of Isaiah with hindsight, we can’t help but see in our mind’s eye the marks Jesus’ special relationship with us has left on his hands. Not so much that Jesus has written his name on the soles of our feet, as that he has our name engraved on the palms of his hands. Nothing can ever rub that out. Baptism is a sacrament, an enactment of a spiritual reality. Whilst we may not always be consciously aware of it, the love of God is indelibly present with us and, at certain moments, might come to the fore, when challenges to our ego present themselves for example, or when despair threatens to engulf us. If you’re interested in cultivating a deeper understanding of what it may mean to have an identity in Christ, there’s a Spiritual Journey series of videos by Fr Thomas Keating you can find on the merry internet which are worth watching in your quiet moments this summer. And when you’re splashing in your paddling pool or watering the garden, remember your baptism! With blessings La Church Services in July and August 2022 Sunday 3rd July 9.30 am Holy Communion (said BCP) 11.00 am Any Age Family Service Wednesday 7th July 10.00am Holy Communion (said BCP) Sunday 10th July 9.30am Holy Communion 11.00am Holy Communion Sunday 17th July 9.30am Holy Communion 11.00am Morning Worship Wednesday 21st July 10.00am Holy Communion (said BCP) Monday 22nd July 4.00pm Patronal Festival Service Sunday 24th July 9.30am Morning Prayer 11.00am Holy Communion Sunday 31st July 9.30am Holy Communion 11.00am Holy Communion Wednesday 3rd August 10.00am Holy Communion (said BCP) Sunday 7th August 9.30 am Holy Communion (said BCP) 11.00 am Any Age Family Service Sunday 14th August 9.30am Holy Communion 11.00am Holy Communion Wednesday 17th August 10.00am Holy Communion (said BCP) Sunday 21st August 9.30am Holy Communion 11.00am Morning Worship Sunday 28th August 9.30am Morning Prayer 11.00am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St John the Evangelist, Eton St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St John the Evangelist, Eton St Mary Magdalene, Boveney St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St John the Evangelist, Eton St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist Eton Wick St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St John the Evangelist, Eton St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St James the Less, Dorney St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Rubbish Collection? Well, it hasn’t been very good…. Green garden waste bins went unemptied in these parts from late April to mid-June and the many local subscribers to this paid for service have let Bucks Council know they are livid. In our May issue, DPN pointed out light-heartedly that another refuse innovation was coming (‘that Friday feeling’) as Dorney’s collection day switched to Friday from May 9th. Little did we expect that what happened next, or didn’t happen, would lead to so much online comment focused on the Council’s defects. Indeed, the hitherto becalmed Nextdoor enjoyed something of a comeback as updates were shared. To bridge the gap between old and new schedules, an interim recycling collection was scheduled for May 2nd, but despite assurances from the refuse helpdesk, green bins went unemptied. The first scheduled day for recycling, May 20th, was the same, and the fun started. Dubious that online reporting of this omission was working, various help desk numbers were rung by many residents. There were two problems here – harassed staff could only give uncertain or conflicting advice and the ‘wait times’ were enormous. I was patient when 27th in the call queue but gave up when a second attempt put me on 39th. Problems were reported throughout the old South Bucks district, but here and in Burnham the main issue was the sudden cessation of the paid for service. To cut a tedious story very much shorter, several dates were promised, especially Sunday June 12th, and this household’s bin was finally cleared on June 18th. In all fairness, the Leader of Bucks Council, Martin Tett, now seems determined to solve all the new contract’s problems and has been communicating with those who complain. I think those in Dorney who subscribe to the garden waste service would remind Mr. Tett that we have not been getting what we pay for – subscribers have notionally lost about £10, and we’d like to be kept honestly informed. The Bucks Free Press even reported that the Council were contemplating breaking the ten-year contract awarded to Veolia in 2020 in competition with South Bucks’ previous contractor, Biffa. The official line seems to be that Veolia have not managed the transition well. But, we wonder… Dorney Parish Council has been informed that correct addresses in South Bucks are not being regularly passed to Veolia (and parish councils are offering help). This backs up what Bucks helpdesk staff have been saying to callers. Either the county website has not been allowing the recording of missed collections, or information thus collected cannot be shared with Veolia. Could this issue be part of the difficult transition from separate districts to the Unitary Council? It has been impossible for some months to renew subscriptions for the gardening service, yet I was asked how I could expect to have my garden waste collected when I hadn’t subscribed. Furthermore, one of the collection crew removing regular refuse told me that green bins had been taken away from South Bucks and handed to Wycombe – his expression implied that was enough to explain our difficulties. It is only with this new contract that those in Wycombe and Chiltern districts are paying for garden waste as South Bucks has for almost a decade. On June 23rd, a further update was issued in the name of Martin Tett. Call centre staffing needs had been underestimated (all this coincided with many calls about the government’s £150 support grant) and 17 staff had just been added. Garden waste now is recognised as a specific problem. They were working to ensure that ‘those with a chargeable Garden Waste collection service can be compensated by extending the subscription without further charges if the collection is reported missed’, and this was to be done via the ‘missing bins’ section of the Bucks website or by calling 01494 586550. Had the ‘FAQs’ now on the Bucks site been there a month or so ago, Dorney residents contemplating the long lines of full up bins on their verges might have felt a little less in the dark. Peter Bowman Get in touch: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities “Pupils are highly successful in their academic achievement.” ISI 2022 Conveniently located in Old Windsor Get in touch: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities “Pupils are highly successful in their academic achievement.” ISI 2022 Conveniently located in Old Windsor Refused! Outline permission for re-development of existing partial brownfield site into renewable energy park with high capacity battery storage, 416 bedroom hotel (Use Class C1), two office units (Use Class A2), biogas waste digester energy unit, advanced educational facility, two-storey car park and associated landscaping | Orchard Herbs Lake End Road Dorney Buckinghamshire SL4 6QS Nearly two years ago, in August 2020, an outline planning application was made for an extraordinary development at the Orchard Herbs site just outside the Dorney Parish boundary in Lake End Road. On the 17th June 2022, this outline application was refused by Bucks Council. An appeal is possible, but the Case Officer’s report and the Decision are pretty damning. These may be read in detail on the Bucks Council website for South Bucks applications. Reference PL/20/2020/OA. The following is a precis of the reasons for this refusal from the Case Officer’s report. Approximately 60 representations in objection to the application were received from Dorney Parish Council, Burnham Parish Council, Eton Town Council and a large number of Dorney residents. Comments from Dorney Parish Council were received in September 2020, January 2021 and July 2021. In summary, the Parish Council objects to the application as the site lies within the Green Belt and is not a brownfield site. Also concerns expressed in relation to contamination which may exist on the site; the precedent the development may set; the applicant has failed to assess the impact of the proposal on designated heritage assets, the Dorney Conservation Area, flood risk, transport and traffic and the openness of the Green Belt; and there is no demand for a hotel in this area. Permission was refused for the following reasons: 1. The proposed development would constitute inappropriate development and will result in spatial and visual harm to the openness of the Green Belt and will lead to conflict with one of the purposes of including land in the Green Belt, namely safeguarding the countryside from encroachment. The benefits of the scheme taken together do not clearly outweigh the harm and the other harm identified. 'Very special circumstances' have not been demonstrated to justify this inappropriate development in the Green Belt. 2. The proposed development, by reason of it scale and height would be out of keeping with and harmful to the character of the site, adjoining development and the locality in general and would fail to make a positive contribution to the character of the surrounding area. 3. Insufficient information has been submitted with the planning application to enable the highways, traffic and transportation implications of the proposed development to be fully assessed. The site has only limited access by non-car modes of travel and given the absence of adequate infrastructure it is likely to be reliant on the use of the private car. 4. Insufficient information has been submitted with the planning application to enable the impact of the proposed development on the significance of designated heritage assets to be fully assessed. 5. Insufficient information has been submitted with the planning application to enable the impact of the proposed development on flood risk, surface water drainage and the existing water and foul water network infrastructure to be fully assessed. 6. Insufficient information has been submitted with the planning application to enable the Council to conclude that there are no suitable and available sites within a town centre or edge of centre location, which would be sequentially preferable, to accommodate the proposed development which includes uses defined as main town centre uses. The report also notes that “there is also ongoing enforcement action being taken in respect of some of the current operations on the site.” This enforcement action relates to the illegal truck and container storage together with the relatively recent ready mixed concrete operation and even more recent airport car parking operation (https://www.free2move.com/en-GB/parking-lots/ub-corporation). As can be seen from the minutes of Dorney Parish Council, the Council continues to address all of these issues with determination. Bill Dax THE NAME OF THE ROSE When we moved into our house in Dorney Reach some 40 odd years ago, we inherited a mature garden. Yes, it needed plenty of tlc, but it had a strong structure, divided into sections with paths and beds. Towards the end stood a sturdy shed, beyond which we discovered the bases of a greenhouse and a cold frame. Some previous resident had clearly been a keen gardener. Among the established plants were several rambling roses. Trained over an archway at the end of the lawn were two pink roses. These were quickly identified as American Pillar and Dorothy Perkins, both popular varieties well before the house was built in 1924. To the left of the lawn two large and vigorous specimens of another rose clambered up free standing trelliswork. This rose bore large creamy yellow flowers once a year, flowering early in the season. I could not work out what variety this rose was. Fast forward to 2022, and the roses have given us many years of pleasure. The yellow ramblers have had some hard pruning from time to time, and are now beginning to show their age, but remained nameless. Then this summer I visited a garden open for Uppingham in Bloom, and for the first time saw our yellow rose growing somewhere else. The 92-year-old owner retrieved her planting plan from 25 years ago and revealed its name – Easlea’s Golden Rambler. I was unreasonably delighted with this information! Searching online, I learned that Easlea’s Golden Rambler had been bred by Essex nurseryman and rose expert Walter Easlea and came to the market around 1932. Then I remembered that one of the old books found in the shed was the 1936 Rose Annual of the National Rose Society. Opening it up, I discovered that this edition included a list of the twelve best wichuriana ramblers recommended by the society. I should have looked at this earlier, for there in the list was Easlea’s Golden Rambler, along with American Pillar and Dorothy Perkins. Easlea’s Golden Rambler had also received a first-class certificate from the society’s trial ground in 1935. The report on the 1935 trials commented that it was the King’s Silver Jubilee year. This was King George V, the present Queen’s grandfather. How fitting to discover the name of the rose in another royal jubilee year! It does not seem too much stretch of the imagination to suppose that some earlier resident of our house planted these three roses based on the recommendations in the Rose Annual. Indeed, I have long suspected that another rambler on the list, Albertine, is the rose I found in another bed. In 1936, our house was unoccupied. It was sold in 1939 to a retired banker who had spent most of his working life abroad. He and his wife and teenaged daughter were living there in September 1939. Did they decide to plant the roses? If so, they did not remain long to enjoy them, as the house was sold again in 1942, and rented out. Each of us leaves an imprint on the gardens we occupy. We have rebuilt the greenhouse and the cold frame, and the rose trellises and arches have been renewed. I planted a new bed with old rose varieties that would have been available when the house was built. The garden is full of plants given by other people, filling it with memories. It continues to evolve. But I remain grateful to that long gone person who left us with Easlea’s Golden Rambler. Virginia Silvester Your Village Show Needs You Please come along and support us The Sixty-seventh DORNEY ANNUAL SHOW Saturday 27th August 2022 In DORNEY VILLAGE HALL Everyone Welcome Special Children's Section Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter Issue 2022/2 Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter Issue 2022/2 Neighbourhood Priorities Priority – Speeding This quarter we had a slight delay in doing monthly speed enforcement as we were awaiting our new Bushnall speed guns. These have now arrived which meant that the team were able to carry out speeding operations at the following locations during June: • Lake End Road, Dorney – 120 vehicles passed the check site and 6 vehicles were identified as driving over the speed limit. The highest speed recorded was 40.MPH. • Marsh Lane, Taplow – 39 vehicles passed the check site and six vehicles were recorded as driving over the speed limit. The Highest speed recorded was 53 MPH. Priority – Burglary This quarter we have seen a reduction in burglaries with only 20 so far this year. However, this is a slight increase from last quarter, as the community returns to normality, in a post-pandemic phase. This has seen fewer residents working from home, and so increased opportunities for burglars. . In addition we also run a proactive operation which specifically floods rural and cross border areas of the LPA with proactive patrols during peak offending times. This has helped us to detect crime and apprehend cross border offenders who use arterial routes to enter our policing area and to protect residents living within South Buckinghamshire. This quarter we have seen some amazing results with • 5 Arrests • 7 Vehicles seized • 2 Stolen Vehicles recovered Priority – Anti-Social Behaviour This quarter we have had reports of increased antisocial behaviour around the Stomping Ground in Burnham where we have received reports of vehicles parking up and being a nuisance to local neighbours by playing music from their vehicles and littering. In addition we have had reports of motorbikes riding around footpaths in Marsh Lane and around the common in Dorney. To combat this the team are doing increased patrols at peak times and working closely with the local parish councils to look at other ways to prevent ASB such as gating. In addition our designated Antisocial Behaviour Team also meet on a monthly basis with partner agencies to jointly tackle the most entrenched cases of ASB. This group is led by Buckinghamshire Council, and in which we are a key contributor. Other News In April PC Trevor Walker retired after serving the Burnham, Farnham, Taplow & Dorney Neighbourhood for 16 years. He is soon to be replaced by PC Dan Terry in September this year who is joining us from Maidenhead. 12 Jubilee River Marsh Orchid display Dorney Parish Council continues to pursue robust action from the Enforcement Officer in relation to Orchard Herbs. Further information to follow after the recent visit to confirm the latest illegal operations there. DPC AGREE A DONATION FOLLOWING A RECENT BIN (NON) TOWARDS THE MEETING, COLLECTIONS PURCHASE OF A This problem has been DORNEY LAKE elevated by your South NEW BBQ FOR CONFIRM Bucks Association of Local USE BY THE Councils with confirmation OPENING from Bucks all is being PLAYGROUND done to improve service SEPTEMBER AND ANY LOCAL MARCH EVENTS Investigations into the state of the footpath alongside the M4 are underway Draft Emergency Plan now available on the website. Can you add your name to any of the relevant boxes…? Next meeting 16th July -no meeting in August Dorney Reach: A Childhood in the ‘Sixties’ and ‘Seventies’ In 2023 my family will have owned and occupied the same house in Harcourt Road for 60 years. The house itself should be celebrating its centenary about now, too. Inspired by Andy Wiltshire’s reminiscences about growing up in Dorney in the 1960s (DPN, May 2022), I’ve taken to reflecting on my own childhood in Dorney Reach and asked my brother what he thought has changed. ‘Very little in the physical environment, if you think about it’, he said, ‘which is rare in this area’. He’s right: people have come and gone, houses have been extended and refurbished, trees have grown and spread, but even with the recent upgrading of the pavements, Harcourt Road would still be instantly recognisable to its 1960s denizens. The Jubilee River and Eton-Dorney Rowing Lake are the most obvious innovations further afield. The M4 was already in place when we arrived in 1963, providing us with an escape to Bray over the motorway bridge during the long summer holidays. Otherwise, our wanderings took us along the towpath to Bray Lock, or to the wooden bridge over the Cress Brook for tadpole ‘fishing’ in jam jars. In late summer we would crawl through the ripened wheat crops in the field at the end of the garden (the Thames Water Rewilding project now) to carve out a maze of hidden passages and ‘camps’. My father warned us that the local farmer would get his shotgun out if he caught us. He never did, but the risk was all part of the fun and excitement. Closer to home, our local playground was the old ‘Rec’ with its slide, roundabout and swings now replaced by the tennis court and the more adventurous Dorney Playground in Trumper’s Field. When the Village Hall was built in 1970, virtually every child in striking distance was commandeered to appear in the opening ceremony pageant. Scripted by the local historian Mr. Roche, this theatrical spectacle represented a chronology of episodes in Dorney’s history. I was assigned the role of a farmer’s wife living on Dorney Common when Queen Victoria’s carriage lost a wheel and she unexpectedly came to tea. My mother received a pair of discarded curtains from which she had to fashion a Victorian costume for me to curtsey in at the appointed moment and say ‘Ma’am as in Spam’. My moment in the limelight was then spent trying not to trip off-stage amid reams of heavy curtains. For much of our childhood we were a ‘two village’ family; we had moved from Berry Hill below Taplow village where my brother Paul had already started school and my father had begun his life-long service (or ‘penance’ as he often thought of it) as church treasurer at St. Nicolas Taplow. When the moment came, I too was despatched to St. Nicolas C of E primary school, despite having moved to within walking distance of Dorney School. Paul and I were also press-ganged into St. Nicolas Church choir, with Friday night choir practice and weddings on Saturday afternoons (worth 50p to sing ‘Love Divine…’) in addition to morning and evening services on Sundays. A large part of our time was thus spent trundling to and fro along Marsh Lane, across the A4 and up towards the hallowed spire of Taplow Church and back. But school holidays were spent almost entirely in Dorney Reach, interspersed by our annual holidays in France or Spain. This is where life has changed the most: hardly anyone expected to, or went abroad on holiday then, apart from via pre-paid package deals to the Spanish Costas. Currency controls prevented many from being able to pay for foreign hotels and we were endlessly reminded how lucky we were to drive off every year to stay at a friend’s villa in the South of France. For the rest of the summer, children were expected to entertain themselves, unsupervised, but always under the threat of dire punishment if we did anything foolish. In a pre-mobile ‘phone and tracking app era, we enjoyed enormous freedom. As soon as breakfast was done, we were let out to run amok, provided we obeyed the 3 Golden Rules: 1) Don’t wander off on your own; 2) Be back by tea-time; 3) Don’t accept sweets from ‘funny old men in raincoats down by the river’. The third rule was, inevitably, the most intriguing. Setting off on our bikes in a little local gang, we reasoned that it might be OK to sample the sweets, so long as we didn’t do so on our own (Rule 1). Alas, neither the sweets nor the raincoats ever appeared along the towpath, even though we were always on the look-out for ‘funny old men’ lurking in the undergrowth. Other rules were made for bending if we could get away with it. Whenever my parents went out for the evening, the wonderfully indulgent Mrs. Bowler from Harcourt Close would come to baby-sit. As soon as the front door had closed, we’d tell her that ‘Mummy and Daddy said we can stay up to see “Coronation Street” and “Till Death Do Us Part”’ -the very same programmes we’d just been told not to watch. It was never entirely clear what the problem was with ‘Coronation Street’ (deemed dreary), but it certainly was with Alf Garnett and Co, who would be banned today. Parents with children of similar ages in Dorney Reach all knew each other, as did the children, so there was always someone whose doorbell could be rung and asked ‘out to play’. On rainy days, we’d concoct all sorts of make-believe games in each other’s houses, but it was extremely rare for parents to get involved. We had our own rules of engagement when we teamed up, with my brother, as the eldest, invariably calling the shots. Once I had a school friend from Taplow to visit for the day, whose mother ‘phoned up midmorning to ask how things were going. ‘I’ve no idea’, my mother blithely replied, ‘They all headed off towards the river a couple of hours ago….’ -at which point the other, near hysterical mother threatened to send for the police or a search party. Clearly, Dorney Reach Rules didn’t apply north of the A4. When I was very young, I absorbed another Dorney Reach anomaly: we children all called our mothers ‘Mummy’ or ‘Mum’, and they -the Mummies -all called each other ‘Jean’. One day I caught my mother referring to a fellow Mummy as ‘Margaret’ and remonstrated with her, ‘But she’s a Jean!’ (‘No, she’s not’; ‘Yes, she is’…. until the mystery of my logic was unravelled). Thinking back, there were at least 4-5 Mummies called Jean living in Dorney Reach at the time, two of whom (my mother included) still live here. There were many more social events and clubs too, as highlighted by Andy, amongst which Brownies, Cubs, Guides and Scouts for the children, and the Dorney Women’s Social Club and W.I. for the mothers. According to my mother, the W.I. was dominated by the ladies of Dorney village, some of whom were very grand, and like the delightfully named Grizel Hartley and Bridget Ames, were often associated with Eton College. The Social Club (which we soon dubbed the ‘Socialist Club’ to annoy our Telegraphreading parents) met at individual members’ homes in the evening. When it was my mother’s turn to host the group, she banished us upstairs, telling us not to make any noise. From Paul’s bedroom immediately above the sitting room, we silently - as instructed - dangled a plastic spider on a long piece of elastic to frighten all the ‘Jeans’ through the window. As we reached our teenage years, Dorney Reach gradually became too small a universe and secondary schools beckoned. But there was still plenty of local entertainment. In addition to local paper-rounds (Paul cycling for miles in the mornings, me with a local evening paper after school), Paul took on the daily job of feeding Roger Palmer’s wolves at Dorney Court. ‘How come you didn’t get bitten?’ I asked him, pointing to Andy Wiltshire’s account in the DPN. ‘There was a string pulley at the entrance to lower the door of the inner cage, which you had to make sure was securely down before it was safe to enter the outer area with the daily rations. The wolves snarled, but it was perfectly safe’, he assured me. ‘So, was it you that let that wolf escape, then?’ If looks could kill…...but I do recall Paul telling me that one of the Dorney Court monkeys did once chase him down the road as he peddled frantically off on his bike. I took up the safer option of bellringing at Dorney Church, and together with Judith next door, went along every weekend to volunteer at the Eton-Dorney Project’s ‘Sunday Club’ for local children from Slough and beyond. At the Old Vicarage we played football outside and devised art projects and indoor games for when it rained; through my school choir, I also went on to sing in the chorus of a production of Purcell’s opera ‘King Arthur’ at Eton College. Was this the beginning of a life of community-inspired endeavour, perhaps? Not quite, the common denominator of all these activities was the forbidden fruit from down the road: Eton College boys. Whether bellringers, volunteer footballers or operatic tenors, they were all delightfully well-mannered and quite a few were exceptionally handsome. But that’s a whole different story…. Claire Spencer Set in the grounds of Dorney Court Estate, near Eton, visitors will find a unique and innovative garden destination offering a curated range of plants for all seasons, as well as inspired items for the home and garden. Our shop blends practical and stylish products from around the world with plants that are often difficult to source, particularly from garden centres. With a full nursery of garden and indoor plants, eco-friendly growing supplies, home and garden décor, furniture, firepits, and gifts, Crocus at Dorney Court seamlessly offers something for every home and garden. www.crocus.co.uk DORNEY PLAYGROUND UPDATE It is with great pleasure that I can announce and welcome the new Playground4Dorney team, who will continue to ensure that the Playground, Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) and tennis courts remain a much loved, well maintained, and valued community asset. New committee members – as of 10th June 2022: Chairperson: Janae Beaulne Secretary: Richard Hall Treasurer: Jackie Seels Trustee & maintenance lead: Adam Seels Trustee & grant lead: Sam Smith Trustee: Ettie Brand Trustee: Brett Smith Trustee & DPC representative: Anna Palmer Committee members – prior to 10th June 2022: Chairperson: Leanne Kittel Treasurer: Miranda Scott Secretary: Lyndsey Oliver Trustee & maintenance lead: Adam Seels Trustee & grant lead: Kris Purdie Trustee: Emma Stanton Trustee: Jane Dawson Trustee: Mary Nelson Trustee & DPC member: Andrew Purdie There will be a transition of handover activities to the new team, which will be completed by 19th June 2022. We will also all be working alongside each other to jointly run the end of term summer event, which we have been unable to run for the past couple of years due to Covid-19 restrictions, which is a great fundraiser and will be a wonderful way to celebrate this transition from old to new. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve the community over the past 12 years alongside a wonderful team of volunteers and friends and I wish the new committee all the success for the future. Leanne Kittel S A V E T H E D A T E 1 9 T H J U L Y 2 0 2 2 E N D O F T E R M S U M M E R P A R T Y 1 9 T H J U L Y , 2 0 2 2 3 : 1 5 P M - 5 : 3 0 P M D O R N E Y P L A Y G R O U N D 1 0 0 % O F A L L P R O F I T R A I S E D A T T H I S E V E N T W I L L B E R E - I N V E S T E D I N D O R N E Y P L A Y G R O U N D A f t e r t w o - y e a r s o f r e s t r i c t i o n s P l a y g r o u n d 4 D o r n e y i s a b l e t o r u n i t s a n n u a l s u m m e r e v e n t . T i c k e t s a r e n o w a v a i l a b l e t o p u r c h a s e f r o m t h e p l a y g r o u n d t u c k s h o p a n d c o s t £ 7 i n a d v a n c e a n d £ 1 0 o n t h e d a y . Yes, it's back! T i c k e t p r i c e i n c l u d e s u n l i m i t e d a c c e s s t o : N e r f g a m e s , i n f l a t a b l e a s s a u l t c o u r s e , d a s h ' n ' g r a b , g l a d i a t o r d u e l , g a r d e n g a m e s , s h o o t t h e b a s k e t b a l l & o t h e r c h a l l e n g e s ( w i t h p r i z e s ! ) p l u s l o t s m o r e . B B Q , i c e c r e a m s , d r i n k s a n d s w e e t s w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e t o p u r c h a s e , a s w e l l a s f a c e p a i n t i n g b y o u r r e s i d e n t a r t i s t E m m a . DORNEY SCHOOL RESPECT * COLLABORATE * GROW News from Dorney School This is a special edition of our school celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. A massive thank you to Mr. Shymansky, from Shymansky Portrait Ltd based in Dorney, for the brilliant photographs during our school’s Jubilee celebrations and picnic. It is certainly true when they say that a picture paints a thousand words. The words that come to my mind are community, friendship, joy, inclusion, children, and life! What are yours? The photos below definitely ask us to enjoy life, be kind, be generous as we are all here together to ensure we look after each other. Our lives are precious, what will we do with it each passing day? Perhaps we can learn from the Queen duty to others. It may be easier when we live a life of privilege, but with privileges come responsibilities and an awareness that freedom, justice and security is for everyone. A day of fun, laughter, happiness and celebration! Warmest wishes, Mrs Sharifah Lee Headteacher 20 News from Year 6 Year 6 have been out and about on a few school trips in the last few weeks. They have had an amazing Jubilee craft experience at Busy Buttons in Windsor, an Ancient Greek workshop at Eton College and also visited the Jamia Mosque in Maidenhead. Such brilliant opportunities in the wider curriculum! Do read their reports here: Year 6 Leaving a Legacy for the Platinum Jubilee Recently, Year 6 were invited to work on a creative piece of artwork, to be displayed on the Long Walk in Windsor during the Jubilee celebrations. We joined together with a local charity call Busy Buttons, who had designed a huge orb covered in bicycle wheels denoting all the Commonwealth Countries. Australia was the country chosen for our Year 6 and one group used recycled plastic milk bottles to make the Wattle Flower -a native flower of Australia, whilst the other took inspiration from key landmarks and animals of the country to create flags. Both pieces of artwork were attached to the bicycle wheel and subsequently attached to the giant orb. Busy Buttons is an inclusive charity helping each child find their unique potential using creativity and imagination. It was a pleasure to work with them and our children had a fantastic morning https://www.busybuttons.org/ Looking to the Ancient Greeks Passing away the morning in the superb grounds of Eton College and their Museum of Antiquities was the way Year 6 were treated to a potted history of the Ancient Greeks recently. As part of their History topic this term, our children had the opportunity to review artefacts and hear some of the legacies that the Ancient Greeks left us, including The Olympic Games and the Archimedes Screw (one of the earliest hydraulic machines). In addition, some Greek language was practiced and a brief reminder of all of the myths and legends that so many children come to love through reading the Percy Jackson books. Building our community links with the Maidenhead Mosque Last Wednesday, we travelled a few miles to the Mosque in Maidenhead to cement our knowledge of the Islamic faith and discover more about the working of a mosque. We had a very informative morning starting with the outer buildings of the mosque and their significance and then enjoying all of the beautiful interior of the prayer room and the Wudu (the ablution room) -understanding more about the life of a Muslim and the commitment they give to their faith. Taking this visit during our teaching of this faith in RE helped the children to put into perspective what they learn in the classroom. DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. “I love that it is culturally diverse and that everybody is so friendly. It feels like a really positive place to drop off your children every day ” Parent Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. “I love that it is culturally diverse and that everybody is so friendly. It feels like a really positive place to drop off your children every day ” Parent Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first DORNEY SCHOOL CLEANER (with light Caretaker duties) 35 hours per week, term time only, plus inset RESPECT * days & two weeks, totalling 41 weeks pa. COLLABORATE * Fixed term contract for one year initially. GROW * Bucks Pay Range 1-point 08 (Actual salary £15,635 pa) RESPECT * days & two weeks, totalling 41 weeks pa. COLLABORATE * Fixed term contract for one year initially. GROW * Bucks Pay Range 1-point 08 (Actual salary £15,635 pa) Required for September 2022 The Senior Leadership Team and Governors of this successful, ambitious and creative primary school are looking to appoint an honest, hard working enthusiastic and dedicated cleaner to join our team. The Role We are looking for a self motivated individual committed to providing a high quality of work to ensure the safety of our whole school community by keeping our premises clean and tidy throughout the school day, while also carrying out light maintenance/ health & safety duties. Key Responsibilities: • Keeping the school clean throughout the school day • Light Maintenece tasks • Periodic Health & Safety checks • Security check and opening and closing of the school, when required Our unique school offers you: • Children who are keen to learn and are highly aspirational • Supportive and active parents • Opportunities for professional development and career progression. • A rare opportunity to join a team of highly committed, talented and innovative staff • Opportunities for flexible working for the right candidate Please visit the school website for further information and an application form. Visits to the school are warmly welcomed and positively encouraged, please contact the school office on 01628 620871. Application forms should be emailed to office@dorneyschool.co.uk Closing date: 12 Noon, Thursday 9th June 2022 Interview date: Week Beginning 13th June Dorney School, Harcourt Close, Dorney Reach Maidenhead, SL6 0DY Tel: 01628 620871 E-mail: office@dorneyschool.co.uk Website: www.dorneyschool.co.uk Dorney School is a member of the Beeches Learning and Development Trust, and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share the commitment. All posts are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and other relevant employment checks. Celebrating The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Over the long bank holiday weekend, people from all across my constituency have come together to voice their congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee. It was a remarkable few days, with picnics, parties, and even a 1950s themed festival marking this amazing royal milestone. It has been my great pleasure to attend as many of these events as possible, and to see so many of my constituents. Thank you to everyone I've met for making this such a memorable and exciting time! Her Majesty has not been a stranger to our area over the many years of her reign. The Queen has visited Buckinghamshire 22 times since she ascended to the throne in 1952. Her first recorded visit to Beaconsfield was as the seven-year-old Princess Elizabeth, visiting Bekonscot Model Village a day before her eighth birthday. Her Majesty visited again in 1934, with her Grandmother Queen Mary in 1936, and again with Princess Margaret Rose in 1940. After the Coronation, this tradition continued, as The Queen's children followed in her footsteps, visiting over the years. I began my own Jubilee journey with the lighting of the Beacon in Hedgerley, which I was delighted to set ablaze at the appointed hour. Next up was Marlow's ‘Party Like the Queen’, an amazing 1950s themed event, with live music, fantastic food, and some brilliant fifties costume in evidence. The Beaconsfield Jubilee Drinks Party was a roaring success -it was fantastic to see so many of you there. Saturday saw the brilliantly successful Gerrards Cross ‘Picnic in the Park’, supported by the community, local businesses, and local charities. On the Sunday of the Jubilee weekend, I was honoured to be asked to read at the Beaconsfield Civic Service for the Platinum Jubilee. It is always great to be in Richings Park, and this weekend was no exception. It was wonderful to catch up with local residents and see the bowling green in action. I rounded out my Jubilee celebrations with a Royal Tea at St Peters Church in Iver Village. I know that a great many people have been involved in organising these fabulous local events, either through local groups or with their communities. This is an incredibly important way for us to give back to our towns and villages, so I want to say a personal thank you to each and every one of you who had a hand in making the Platinum Jubilee such a success in the south of Buckinghamshire. This will be a once in a lifetime event and I really think that we can hold our heads up high, with a programme of celebration to rival anywhere else in the country. Joy Morrissey MP Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister House of Commons | London | SW1A 0AA | 020 7219 8708 Disraeli House | 12 Aylesbury End | Beaconsfield | Buckinghamshire | HP9 1LW | 01494 977505 www.joymorrissey.uk | @JoyMorrissey | fb.com/joy4beaconsfield Dorney’s Annual Show Returns – for the Sixty-Seventh Year. ‘See you all in 2020.’ With those words, we signed off our review of the Sixty Sixth Dorney Annual Show way back in 2019. But we didn’t…the Sixty Seventh show will now take place in Dorney Village Hall on Saturday, August 27th. After a two-year wait following what we described then as the ‘best-ever Show’, let’s hope that more residents than ever enter and, exhibiting or not, come along to meet friends and neighbours at the afternoon prize giving ceremony. After this gap, and with newcomers arrived in the village, let’s remind ourselves of how this lovely event works. The Annual Show is organised by committee members of Dorney Horticultural Society, but Horticulture is by no means the Show’s only focus. Entry is not limited to Society members. You need never have attended a meeting. On the programme it will say ‘Everyone is welcome’ and that includes junior contestants in the special Children’s Section. Entry is free. In 2019, 50 competitors contributed over 200 separate exhibits. The Show comes towards the end of the school summer holidays and those long empty days give masses of opportunity for young hands to be busily preparing entries. Last time we noted that the Show was increasingly becoming a family affair. In 2019, one dad was judged Best Newcomer while two young family members won awards in the ‘children under 8’ section. As we write, the committee is updating the show programme. Before too long, that programme will be distributed to just about every household in the village. Should you be without a programme, email ddhs@btinternet.com. Division 1 on that programme has traditionally been for Home Grown Vegetables and Fruit, everything from parsnips to potatoes and pears to pumpkins. Yes, of course, ‘oddest shaped vegetables’ get a look in here. Division 2 covers Home Grown Flowers. In recent shows it’s the non-horticultural classes which have been growing. This is not just a show for gardeners. Division 3 is the Domestic Section, with jams and preserves and pastries and cakes. Division 4 takes in knitting, needlework, photography and painting.In these divisions awards were given last time for tarragon pickles, ginger biscuits, a very large black and white photograph and a handmade yacht. Entrants to the children’s section can build Lego models, decorate pebbles, ‘grow their own’, decorate cakes and much more besides. Over the summer, study the programme and decide on your entries. Fill the entry details into the form provided. Turn up at the Hall with your exhibits on that Saturday morning between 10.00am and 11.30am. Doors close then until 2.00pm while the longstanding team of judges deliberate intently. Then receive your prize at 2.30pm or, at least, applaud the successes of your friends, neighbours or offspring. Inspect all the exhibits, chat to other residents, and all agree that the sixty-seventh Show has been the best ever and resolve to enter even more classes in 2023. So, see you on August 27th! Peter Bowman Tour Dorney Court in August Widely regarded as one of England’sfinest Tudor Manor Houses, Dorney Court welcomes visitors from near and far to join a guided tour this August 2022. Concessions for visitors (and up to 3 friends) who bring a hard copy of Dorney Parish News. Opening Times In August 2022 Dorney Court is open every day Doors open in the afternoon at 1230 with last admissions at 1500. Tours take an hour Admission Prices ADULT CHILD (10-16YRS OLD) CONCESSION House, Garden & Grounds £10.00 £5.00 £9.50 There is no need to book tickets in advance as you can simply pick them up from the front of the House on the day www.dorneycourt.co.uk EDUCATING RITA ON DORNEY COMMON The only person who acts sensibly is my tailor. He takes my measurement anew every time he sees me. Everyone else goes by their old measurements. George Bernard Shaw As the Summer Solstice passes, our sunny days exceed the long grey damp ones, and so we embrace the short window of warmth. Each year brings more unpredictable weather and a new variety wardrobe which includes a seasonal mix of thick and light clothes as dictated by our smart phone forecast apps. As life at the cottage meanders on, rehearsals on the back lawn for the Maidenhead Drama Guild summer charity day proceed at full throttle. This year my co-director, Julia and I are mid-flow with our production of ‘Educating Rita’ by Willie Russell, following last year’s success with Abigail’s Party. This funny nostalgic play is still a delight, with witty wordage and exposed emotions, so consider coming to support this event. However, a reconstruction of the Wildflower Paddock has shifted the Wildflower Theatre across to the other side, so the sun is not in our actors’ eyes and altogether is in a better position to view, a new purple gazebo adjacent, to harbour our Che Guevara drinks bar. Quenching thirsts and lounging in the grassy florals is an ideal way to wile away a Sunday afternoon. For several months I have been mowing the paths that meander within the wildflower paddock, enjoying the fun of creating circular walkways, a stage space, a cast shady wing under the horse chestnut tree, and a tech corner for our sound effects. The audience sits within the stage space, close and personal to the action… also a necessity due to overhead holiday traffic that pierces the sky with silver bullets. This two-hander play is a charming bitter-sweet tale of a professor, Frank, and his young fresh faced student Rita, who between them strike up an unlikely bond of friendship and intimate honesty. Frank reluctantly enlightening Rita to gain her academic aptitude, and for Rita, to achieve her goal of understanding the formatted structure that passing exams requires. Creating the set, mainly from ‘Marketplace’ and other recycle platforms, I help from my boyfriend Bob, who is busies himself to carpenter up a tall study window, and a door in a frame that facilitates the only entrance and exit, along with eleventy-eight little jobs that he undertakes with a large selection of man tools in the back of his red van. The garden at Dells Cottage was way behind the schedule of normality, some plants only just poking their noses out, and some growing up but without much floral activity. So, at last as the warmth strips off their dressing gowns, at last reveal some eye candy of colour. Having now learnt to manoeuvre the sit-on tractor and drive stripes up and down the lawn, my pink jobs merge with blue ones to make mauve things along. Having been unable to contribute much to the Dorney Horticultural Society due to life circumstances, it is time to concentrate on the Annual Show that looms on Saturday 27th August, so entries for classes would be very gratefully accepted so that we can come back this year with a prolific show of delights from our village green fingers. No matter how big or how small your carrots are, give them a go in our classes, as they say, size does not matter! Meantime, place a ‘save the date’ note in your diary or on your wall calendar, to pop along to Dells Cottage on Dorney Common, (opposite the road to Boveney) to enjoy a glass or two and sit in the sun to enjoy the day on SUNDAY 14th AUGUST: Gates open at 13:00 free entry -charitable bucket donations for MDG gratefully received Bring a light picnic, rug / folding chair Che Guevara Bar and Tea Rex café refreshments 15:00 Education Rita Intermission: Watlington Uke Band Gates close at 18:00 Take that leap: there is an old riddle that says five frogs are sitting on a lily pad. One decides to jump off, how many are left? If your answer is ‘four’, thank your maths teacher for your excellent maths skills, but unfortunately, this is not a test of your maths abilities, it’s a life problem. The correct answer is ‘five’, as all five are still sitting there on the lily pad, the one frog only decided to jump but hasn’t. Life is not a spectator sport, there are no practise sessions, and you have been in the game from Day One. As cliché as it seems ‘The journey starts with a single step’ and not by thinking about taking that step. Be the frog who not only decides to jump off the lily pad but actually jumps. ANON Kristina Perkins Withering Contempt Back in the sixties and seventies, the arrival of the M4 in Dorney must have been about as welcome as broken wind in a spacesuit, but it’s the gift that just keeps on giving. Back in those days, I resided in a sleepy village near Reading, and we were as thrilled as were you at the arrival of our new noisy, destructive intruder; but time is a great healer and after the screaming frustration and injustice of it all had dissipated, we learned to accept it, along with the drone and dust on dry days. By means of a circuitous route, years later I moved to Iver with my young family to be greeted after two years of bliss, by the M4’s dad, the M25! It was just like going home after the noisy construction had been completed and someone noble drove the first car (a classic something or other as I recall) along its smooth surface applauded by some hired sycophants as we furious locals glared at what had been a pretty farm. Still, as I say, time is a healer, and again we adapted to the noise and drone, and as the promised screening of trees matured, we forgot it was there save for the odd emergency service siren rising above the familiar drone. What we did not have however, was a renewal of hostilities that Dorney has suffered when some moron decided to upgrade the M4 from ‘dangerous’ to ‘lethal’ by the removal of the hard shoulder refuge. I likened it at the time to a cruise liner smashing up the lifeboats to fit more people in. At the time of writing, Mr. Google says that sixty-three people have been killed so far and near misses have skyrocketed on these death traps. So, I hear you ask, “Why is he banging on about our shiny new not so smart (digital if you please) motorway again?” Well quite apart from the noise day and night, the dust, the now panoramic spectacle of the Slough Sewage Works now we’ve got rid of that pesky screening, to say nothing of the vandalism of destroying thousands of trees in a climate crisis and the sucking up of building materials at any price, poor Dorney had its two roads from the West closed at various stages for over a year. “Comes with the territory,” I hear some say, and so it does, but if you’re in any doubt as to the esteem Highways England (or whatever snappy name ‘the man’ is calling it at the moment), just consider the history of Lake End Road. It was closed for months after the old bridge had been demolished. Bet ‘the man’ didn’t realise all the bridges save the M25 would have to be rebuilt to fix the ‘digital’ bit. I don’t understand why either, but what the heck, it’s your money they’re spending. What convinced me that they really don’t give a damn about us is that the traffic light system remained for weeks after completion, and the 30-mph speed limit for months, protecting nonexistent workers who had long gone from Mavis slogging along at 40mph. And then, bang in the heart of the picturesque village, a proposed roundabout more suited to Spaghetti Junction was shown the door to be followed by (you couldn’t make it up) more closures, more traffic lights and more speed limits as the thing appeared to be in need of repair already, all left in situ after the works had finished. If you want to prove that Highways England treat you with withering contempt, look no further than Lake End Road, and as you’re looking, take note of the yard full of dead lorries that are still there. On a lighter note, I was given one hundred and fifty quid the other day, with the promise of more crumbs falling in my direction from the ‘man’s’ table by virtue of my crumbliness in old age. “Thank you very, very much Sir,” I mumble as I respectfully touch my forelock as He goes by… but wait, what’s this? Why, it’s an unsigned letter from, apparently, Buckinghamshire Council. It seems that I pay my Council Tax by Direct Debit (the Capital Letters are theirs) and because of this I have failed their ‘payment verification’ and ‘will need to provide your bank details and proof of identification’ in order that these crumbs fall in my direction. I do not recall failing any ‘payment verification’ when I am paying them money so surely they must have my bank details. I hesitate, gazing with creased furrows on my brow at the computer and the box demanding my bank details along, of course, with my name, date of birth, blood group, the name of my father’s first real love, mother’s maiden name if not the same, my first car, my favourite pet, and of course, a password, and surmise it could be a scam seeing as how I’m old and vulnerable and in need of succour from ‘the man.’ The council have even provided me with a lovely number to their Customer Service Centre (0300 131 6000 if you’re really bored) but warn me quite sternly in heavy type so my ailing sight doesn’t miss it that this is only for those who cannot fill in the online form and cannot get assistance to do so. That’s me! I’ll phone the Council and seek reassurance that all is well. I only want to know if it’s a scam! “Ring ring. Ring ring,” A machine answers and tells me I have no less than manifold options! Yes, MANIFOLD! Sadly, none of these fit my enquiry, but they do assure me that even if I get through, they won’t be able to help fill in the form. I have to go elsewhere for that. Two phone calls and an hour later I give up and send an email. The auto reply (another machine) assures me I’ll get a reply in five working days. I’ll let you know, but don’t hold your breath. It’s very like trying to get a doctor’s appointment, or perhaps an ambulance, or maybe a policeman. It’s all smoke and mirrors. Still, the weather is lovely, summer is here, and a pair of blue tits are beavering away feeding their chicks in a birdbox I made a couple of years ago, and my cats now sport collars with loud bells on them. They too are singularly unimpressed. Enjoy the summer and stay safe. Mike Quincey Dorney Village Hall www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk In January we completely redecorated the whole inside of the Hall. It is looking very fresh and welcoming. We also installed blinds to replace the old curtains. Dorney Village Hall has a large main area with stage, a smaller annexed room, and kitchen. It has recently been redecorated throughout. It is served by a large private car park and adjacent there is a tennis court, a multi activity games area (MUGA), playground and a playing field. It is used by residents for a multitude of activities such as dancing classes, keep fit, yoga, badminton, horticultural and hired out for parties, dances and weddings. The management committee welcomes non-residents, organisations, clubs, businesses, and societies to hire the halls. Main hall: 15 x 7.4m, ceiling height 7m Fixed stage with curtains: 4.5 x 6m Annexe: 9.8 x 3.5m, ceiling height 2m Licensed to seat 100 people Children’s tables and chairs available Beechwood suspended dance floor 75 space free car park From £13 per hour (minimum of 3 hours) for Dorney Parish Residents Email: bookings.dorneyvh@gmail.com Online on www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DORNEY PARISH COUNCIL HELD TUESDAY 21st June 2022, 7.30 P.M. AT DORNEY SCHOOL Present Cllr. Jill Dax (Chair) Cllr. Euan MacLennan Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford Cllr. Robert Stopford Cllr. William Voaden Ms Ruth Senior (Parish Clerk) and 2 members of the public The Chairman opened the meeting with an apology to the residents of Dorney Reach for not having any flag bunting for the Jubilee celebrations other than at Dorney School. This was down to mis-communication on positioning. Open Forum Lyndsey Oliver confirmed that the Playground Management Group now has a new full board of Trustees and Volunteers. They asked for a contribution towards a new BBQ for Playground and other community events, it was agreed in principal, proposed Cllr. Westcott-Wreford seconded Cllr. Dax, to be ratified at the July meeting, that we would contribute up to £200. The group are now looking at ways to improve the playground facility and constitution and Lyndsey will provide the Clerk with a list of the new contacts. Peter Bowman expressed concerns over bin collections not happening, especially the green bins, which are paid for by Parishioners. Cllr. Dax attending a meeting with SBALC and was told there will be a settling period for the new contractors who say they have not received correct addresses. Cllr. Dax suggested at the meeting that this may be something that the Parish could help with. PC/67/22 To elect a Chairman and Declaration of office of Chairman Cllr. Westcott-Wreford proposed, Cllr. Stopford seconded, Jill Dax as Chairman, who accepted the role. AGREED – all in favour. Declaration of office completed. PC/68/22 Apologies for absence Apologies received from Cllr. Anna Palmer. PC/69/22 To elect a Vice Chairman Cllr. Dax proposed, Cllr. Stopford seconded, Martyn Westcott-Wreford as Vice Chairman, who accepted the role. AGREED – all in favour. Declaration of office completed. PC/70/22 Declaration of office signed by each elected Councillor This was duly completed with the exception of Cllr. Baker who was absent. PC/71/22 To review constitutional documents These were reviewed with amendments to the Financial Regulations to include the new online banking system and payments by bank transfer and the Standing Orders changed to show meetings take place on the 3rd Tuesday of the month where possible. PC/72/22 To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 17th May and matters arising These were approved with no amendments required and signed by the Chairman. There were no matters arising. PC/73/22 To agree meeting dates for 2023 These were agreed with one change. The Annual Parish Meeting will be held separately next year as Dorney Lake have kindly offered the use of their Lake View room to host the meeting. The date will be confirmed by Cllr. Dax. PC/74/22 Items of business carried forward 74.1The Orchard Herbs Site Planning permission for the hotel development has been refused. Cllr. Dax offered her appreciation for the robust objection letters submitted by Dorney Parish Council and Eton Town Council. Buckinghamshire Planning are still working on the Certificate of Lawfulness. Mitchel Pugh, Buckinghamshire Enforcement, visited the site last week to inform the concrete and car storage businesses that they are operating illegally. It was noted that these are creating a noise disturbance to the local community. 74.2 M4 Digital Motorway It was agreed that the Clerk will contact the motorway team for an update on the re-planting on the Dorney Lake Bridge area. Thea Pine asked for information on reinstating the footpath from Meadow Way across the back of Trumpers Field. It was agreed the Clerk will ask Thea Pine for photos and further clarification of the exact area. 74.3 The Emergency Plan The Emergency plan has now been produced and is now ready to be published. The only additions are contact details and a note informing people who have been upgraded to fibre broadband that their telephone lines will not work in the case of a power cut. When this has been added, it was agreed the Clerk will publish on the DPC website. PC/75/22 Planning Cllr. Stopford confirmed there are no new applications to note other than tree works. He also updated on the Local Plan proposed land for re-development which is open until September. This will be assessed throughout 2023 before recommendations are put forward. The planning permission application for Boveney Court Farm is expected to be submitted next month. PC/76/22 Finance 76.1 To agree/ratify expenditure and income to date -The cashbook was circulated prior to the meeting and approved. The Clerk confirmed that the insurance payment following the car accident with the MVAS sign on Lake end Road has been paid and will instruct the installation company to go ahead. 76.2 To receive and approve the 2021/22 accounts and return -It was agreed to approve the accounts and annual return for 21/22. The Clerk will send the accounts to PKF Littlejohn for audit. PC/77/22 To agree a Neighbourhood Plan Working Group and terms of reference Cllr. Voaden met with Taplow Cllr. Roger Worthington and Buckinghamshire planning for advice regarding the plan. Buckinghamshire gave positive feedback and information on achieving the first level of designation. It was unanimously agreed that we should push forward with the plan which should give more authority to the Parish Council on planning applications in the Parish in the future. It was unanimously agreed that a working party for the plan should begin, with Cllr. Voaden, Cllr. Stopford and Cllr. Dax volunteering for this. The Clerk will complete the terms of reference for the working party. PC/78/22 To consider ZOOM subscription To activate a ZOOM account for the Parish Council would cost £120 per year. It was agreed that now meetings are face to face and the numbers online recently were dwindling, the Council will not purchase the licence and instead encourage members of the public to come along to the meetings in person. PC/79/22 To discuss surface problems on Dorney Roads County Cllr. George Sandy reported prior to the meeting an update from Chris Nash, the Area Technician. It has been confirmed that Lake End Road and Village Road are set to be resurfaced in 2023. It was agreed that the Clerk will check the same is set for Marsh Lane. PC/80/22 To consider options for having solar panel fields in Dorney It was agreed that if private land owners in the Parish wish to investigate installing solar fields, the Parish Council will consider each proposed area on its location and suitability. PC/81/22 To update on speed limit and cattle signs for Dorney Common Awaiting an update. PC/82/22 To consider any complaints/comments received from residents It has been reported that Trumpers Field is not being cut by Buckinghamshire Council, it was agreed that Cllr. Dax will investigate what has or has not been done and the Clerk will then follow up with Council. The motorbikes using the footpaths and field around Dorney are still causing a nuisance and we encourage every incident to be reported to the police. PC/83/22 Items to consider for discussion at the next meeting on 19th July 2022 Nuisance motorbikes in the village. Speed and cattle signs for Dorney Common. Treatments works – the work plans should be available by the end of June, in the meantime there are flood monitors being installed. Ratify Playgound BBQ purchase. Noticeboard replacement. Meeting ended at 9.25 pm Dorney Short Mat Bowls Club Every Sunday evening at Dorney Village Hall 7:00pm to 9:30pm Short Mat Bowls is played on a carpet 45 foot long and 6 foot wide. Dorney Short Mat Bowls Club has 7 members at the moment, and we can take up to 16 maximum. Bowls are available. You only need flat bottomed shoes, like trainers, to wear on the mat -not your ordinary shoes. We enjoy a social cup of tea and biscuits at half time. You get three free evenings before you decide if you want to join. Membership is £20 per year. And £4.00 an evening. Training is available. Please contact Dave Spalding if you would like more information: Email: d.g.spalding@hotmail.co.uk Mobile: 07707 818076 Little Learners Every Thursday morning at Dorney Village Hall 10:15am to 11:05am Little Learners messy play classes teach early writing skills by encouraging little ones to build their coordination, motor skills and core strength using their whole bodies. Join us for messy mark making, painting, play dough and many more opportunities to learn through play! Suitable for children 5 months to 5 years. www.littlelearnersuk.com Please contact Bernice Jackson if you would like more information: Email: bernice@littlelearnersuk.com Mobile: 07944478517 Dorney History Group The Dorney History Group has no meetings, currently, but it has a wealth of information about Dorney’s past on its website: www.dorney-history-group.org.uk, with over 18,000 web visitors each year. Eton Wick History Group www.etonwickhistory.co.uk The Eton Wick History Group has been meeting regularly since 1992. Eton Wick and the surrounding area is rich in history and the village has a heritage dating back to 1217. Meetings are held at 7.30 pm in Eton Wick Hall, Eton Wick, and everyone is welcome. Refreshments are served, and there is a charge of £2.00 to cover costs. Visitors and new members are always very welcome. 2022 Programme 13th July A Woman of Wax with Tony Weston 14th September 'The Village History Through the Website' with Steven Denham 26 October 'The War Horse Memorial' with Alan Carr MBE Further details from: Teresa Stanton teresams35@virginmedia.com Hedgerley Historical Society www.hedgerleyhistoricalsociety.org Hedgerley Historical Society (HHS) was founded in 1976. All evening meetings begin promptly at 8pm, unless otherwise stated. Arrival from 7.30pm is advised. In Hedgerley Memorial Hall, Kiln Lane, Hedgerley Buckinghamshire SL2 3UZ 2022 July 7th (Thursday) Guided Tour of Hatfield House £16. Closing date 8th June Meet 11am Hatfield House AL9 5HX July 13th (Wednesday) Guided Tour of Church Gardens £10 (includes Tea). Closing date 8th June Meet 2pm Harefield UB9 6DU July 30th (Saturday) Mikron Theatre – Red Sky at Night £15 (£13 concessions) 7pm Hedgerley Memorial Hall SL2 3UU. Outdoor performance – indoor if wet. Bookings http://www.mikron.org.uk 01484 843701 Dorney Parish News Published monthly (except January and August) Editors: Peter Bowman, Tumbleweeds, 12, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODU peter.bowman@talktalk.net Tel: 07889 912714 Jean Spencer, Dorincourt, 45, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODT Tel: 01628 624213 Editorial Board: The Editors, Bill Dax, Thea Pine Production: Bill Dax Tel: 07802 365448 Distributors: Mr Cobb, Mrs Cox, Mrs Leishman, Mrs McCabe, Mr McGuinness, Mrs Oxlade, Mr Penfold, Mrs Stockwood, Mr Temple Miss Snook, Mrs Tuddenham, Mrs Tyler, Mrs Wood-Dow RATE OF SUBSCRIPTION: £5 per annum for 10 issues The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of correspondents expressed in letters or articles published in this magazine. Advertising in Dorney Parish News Dorney Parish News is an A5 newsletter that is circulated monthly (except January and August) to residents and businesses in Dorney Village, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End. Our current print run is 250. Estimated readership is around 400 people. There are approximately 300 residential properties in Dorney Parish. Rate Card: Advertising Rates Height mm Width mm 10 issues 1 issue Full Page 190 130 £90 £12 Half Page 90 130 £50 £7 Third of a page (Horizontal) 60 130 £45 £6 Quarter Page (Horizontal) 45 130 £40 £5 Contact: Peter Bowman, Editor peter.bowman@talktalk.net 07889 912714 SUSAN HANDYDANCE A Complete Dance Training FREE TRIAL CLASS BABY BALLET 18 MONTH+ PRIMARY BALLET PRIMARY MODERN PRIMARY TAP ACROBATIC ARTS BALLET BODY CONDITIONING CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE DANCE GCSE DANCE MODERN JAZZ TAP ADULT BALLET STRETCH ADULT BALLET ADULT CONTEMPORARY ADULT BEGINNERS TAP ADULT INTERMEDIATE TAP BOYS CLASSES FROM BABIES TO ADULTS W W W . S U S A N H A N D Y D A N C E . C O . U K ETON WINDSOR DATCHET OLD WINDSOR ETON WICK ICKENHAM WOKING RICHMOND office@susanhandydance.co.uk / 07515 270432 BHS &ABRS Approved Riding School and Pony Club Centre Ri:ling School & Liverv Elm Farm, Boveney Road, Dorney Common NrWindsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QD We are a family run Riding School based on Dorney Common established for over 40 years! • Qualified lnstructors • Lessons available from 7 years upwards • Pony Rides available for children as young as 4. • We offer very popular Birthday parties • Large Indoor and Outdoor schools • Pony Club and Own a Pony activity days • Open 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday Gift Vouchers available through the website For bookings and enquiries please call us on 01628 661275 www.spanishbit.co.uk Dorney Parish News September 2022 My Dream Garden – Isobel Palmer Winner Children’s Section (8+) – BEST EXHIBIT The Dorney and District Horticultural Society Annual Show was held on 27th August 2022 For report and results, please see Pages 14 to 17 ISSUE NO. 7/22 SEPTEMBER 2022 EDITORIAL What a strange summer it has been. After a month’s interval for August, our pages reflect a time of contrasts. The apparently hopeless set against some hopeful developments. In her regular article, the vicar of St James the Less feels moved to urge us to help others by sharing and directs readers to the website of the Windsor and Maidenhead Foodshare scheme. In similar fashion, our local Head Teacher reflects the fears of her profession across the land that children will come to school ‘hungry, tired and cold’ as winter approaches. Mike Quincey, a columnist who sometimes makes us chuckle, tells how in his ambulance driving, he has witnessed the effects caused by the closure by some councils of day centres. One hears that fire brigades are becoming regular visitors to this parish, and a few Sundays back, in common with other rural areas, we had our own extensive field fire near Dorney Wetlands on the Jubilee River. It’s just the right time to be able to publish more details of the proposed Dorney Emergency Plan. Rising temperatures had other effects. In our last issue we rejoiced that the new trustees of the Playground were looking forward to their first Summer Party for three years. Hopes were dashed for the allotted date, July 19th, saw what must have been Dorney’s record ever temperature as over 38C was recorded. Talking of the unpredictable, one word ‘Refused’ in our last issue notified a rare victory in the long tussle with the owners of the infamous Orchard Herbs Farm site as outline planning permission for a 416-room hotel was withheld. We would not have predicted that another front would be opened up as much of the site, and all too often the surrounding roads, became a Heathrow bound park and ride. Prompt action may well have halted that little money spinner in its tracks, but prompt action seems foreign to our friends at Thames Water. The bursting of a three-inch main midway along Harcourt Road was reported to them on May 5th. Only now, well after dark on a Bank Holiday Sunday, as these words are being written, are noisy repairs being undertaken. It seems our MP was only recently told by the company that as the main served our school, the window of opportunity for repair has been limited. Meanwhile, just don’t mention the hose pipe ban introduced on August 25th …. But against this background, this issue is intended to be very positive. We’re happy to carry lengthy reports on two joyous occasions. As we go to press, the Dorney Annual Show has returned after missing two years. Would interest remain after an eventful two years? Would any produce survive those temperatures and an ongoing drought (not, it seems, ‘unprecedented’ as an interesting reader’s letter points out)? The answer to both questions was ‘yes!’ Dorney residents also turned out in good numbers for a fine dramatic production as Maidenhead Drama Guild performed Educating Rita by the side of the Common. Finally, it was a deep pleasure to recall with Mary Baker the events surrounding the Olympics in Dorney just about a decade ago. We rather hope that it is positive events like these which will eventually outweigh the effects of all those disturbing events and trends that have seemed so prevalent through this long, hot summer. Revd. La Stacey has asked us to clarify that the new Church Room, see pages 6 and 7, is situated in Eton Wick, but is not just for Eton Wick. It is a resource for the whole benefice, serving some of the purposes for which Dorney vicarage was used. There will be room for holding meals, for example, and there will be a church office. Services in the Local Churches St James the Less, Dorney St. John the Baptist, Eton Wick St. John the Evangelist, Eton Vicar: Revd. La Stacey, The Vicarage, 69a Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6NE Tel: 01753 852268 email: revlastacey@gmail.com For information about our churches, activities and church history please see our parishes’ web site: www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk RCCG Praise Embassy, Haywards Mead, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6JN Pastor: Olusegun Omotayo 07712 126334 www.rccgchurchatslough.com Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Burnham Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Udoh, M.S.P. 01628 605764 Rev La Stacey writes: ‘Give us today our daily bread’. That is what we pray every morning in our prayers for the parishes. It is a line from the prayer Jesus taught his followers, of course, which itself drew on ancient traditions of Jewish prayers. It’s a prayer you will find on the wall of Dorney church, handily written out in the 18th century for all to read and learn by heart. My brother had a ration card when he was born. By the time I came along rationing had ended and I have so far lived my life without having to worry too much about where the next meal was coming from. I remember being really hungry as a child – what child isn’t? – but there was never a meal of some sort lacking. The story for many families bringing up children now in our country seems to be different. In my role I am making more frequent referrals to food-share schemes. Food banks seem to have become a familiar feature of our social landscape, with even Gov.uk websites directing people to them. Food insecurity for the world is increasing rapidly. Looking at the UN food report, ‘Nearly one in three people in the world (2.37 billion) did not have access to adequate food in 2020 – that’s an increase of almost 320 million people in just one year.’ It also says, ‘Globally, 149.2 million (22.0 percent) of children under the age of five years suffered from stunting in 2020.’ And that was before the recent droughts, fires and floods, and before war in Ukraine. We cannot pray that we might be given our daily bread, while not caring that there are those today who will have no bread. It is ‘our’ daily bread we pray for. I’ve been re-reading something by someone who learnt about Christ’s teaching by following Mother Teresa for a while. He said, ‘I will never forget learning one of my best lessons in economics --from a homeless kid in India. Every week we would throw a party for the street kids, kids 8-10 years old who were homeless, begging all day to survive. Each Tuesday we would get about 100 of them together and throw a party, play games, eat a big meal. One week, one of the kids I had grown close to told me it was his birthday. So, I got him an ice cream. He was so excited he stared at it mesmerized. I have no idea how long it had been since he had eaten ice cream. But what he did next was brilliant. He yelled at all the other kids and told them to come over. He lined them up and gave them all a lick. His instinct was: this is so good I can’t keep it for myself. In the end, that’s what this whole idea of generosity is all about. Not guilt. It’s about the joy of sharing. It’s about realizing the good things in life – like ice cream – are too good to keep for ourselves.’ (Shane Claiborne) If you would like to help locally, the Windsor and Maidenhead FoodShare scheme serves our area and are always needing donations. Check their website for current needs: https://www.foodshare.charity/donate. Church Services in September 2022 Sunday 4th September 9.30 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Any Age Service St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 7th September 10.00am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 11h September 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 18th September 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Morning Worship St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 21st September 10.00am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 25th September 9.30am Morning Worship St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St Mary Magdalene, Boveney This beautiful church on the Thames is open daily. Christmas Advent Service by Candlelight -1500hrs on Sunday, 11th December 2022 www.st-mary-magdalene-boveney.org.uk Dorney Lake The management team at Dorney Lake have confirmed to ‘Dorney Parish News’ that the site will be reopening to the general public for ‘leisure purposes’ from Monday 5th September. They point out that there will be days when they are closed for sporting events – and they’ve given us a list of these from September to the end of 2022. There may also be other last-minute closures for filming or private hire, but they will keep their website updated: September Sporting Event Timings Saturday 10th The Fix UK Morning Only (until 1:30pm) Sunday 11th Arctic One Triathlon All Day Saturday 17th Human Race Morning Only (until 1:30pm) Sunday 18th Human Race All Day Saturday 24th Belron Triathlon -Votwo Events All Day Sunday 25th Votwo Triathlon All Day October Sporting Event Timings Sunday 2nd Active Training World Full Day Sunday 16th Run UK Morning Only (until 1:30pm) Saturday 29th Votwo Night Run from 5:00pm November Sporting Event Timings Saturday 19th Votwo Night Run from 5:00pm Sunday 27th Alzheimers Santa Run 8:00am to 4:00pm December Sporting Event Timings Sunday 4th Winter Wonderwheels 2:00am to 11:00pm Saturday 10th RunThrough/ATWDuathlon & Run Morning Only until 1.30p.m. Saturday 17th Votwo Night Run from 5:00pm They tell us that they are currently working on a new website which will be very exciting. This should go live mid to late September. We’ve been asked to advise readers that is important to renew car park passes after September 5th if necessary. It’s crucial that they hold the correct car details as these details need to be held on the database that they manage which is shared with the car park enforcement patrol team. Failure to do this, they say, may result in a parking notice. Get in touch: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities “Pupils are highly successful in their academic achievement.” ISI 2022 Conveniently located in Old Windsor OPEN DAY FRIDAY30THSEPTEMBERGet in touch: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities “Pupils are highly successful in their academic achievement.” ISI 2022 Conveniently located in Old Windsor OPEN DAY FRIDAY30THSEPTEMBER Buckinghamshire Council and Orchard Herbs: A tragedy of errors The Orchard Herbs site, to the west of Lake End Road on the approach to the M4 bridge, has had a lengthy and colourful planning history. Records indicate that a Mr Sweeney rented a small section of the current site alongside Lake End Road from 1985 to 2003 and used it for the “storage of machines and materials” connected with his construction business. A Planning Inspector reported on 16th April 2010 that such use by Mr Sweeney appeared to be lawful. So far so good. In 2003, members of the Ball family, from Burnham, acquired the whole site. Since 2006 Buckinghamshire Council has issued a raft of Planning Enforcement Notices – none of which have been fully successful. Pressure from Dorney Parish Council over recent months has resulted in a significant reduction of the storage of commercial vehicles – but that reduction appears to have ground to a halt. New, recent unauthorised additions to the use of the land have been the storage and distribution of items associated with readymix concrete and a significant airport parking business. On 11th August Bucks Council, following pressure from Dorney Parish Council, issued a Temporary Stop Notice to the owners and operators of the three businesses listing the breaches of planning: Without planning permission, a material change of use of the land to a mixed use comprised of open storage (Use Class B8) of plant, machinery, vehicles and miscellaneous commercial articles, airport car parking and shuttle services (Park and Ride) and the storage and distribution of aggregates and preparation and distribution of readymix concrete (the ‘Unauthorised Use’). Unfortunately, in the specific businesses listed in the Notice, Bucks Council omitted the Readymix concrete business! According to the government, temporary stop notices are “a powerful enforcement tool that allows local planning authorities to act very quickly to address some breaches of planning control, such as unauthorised activities, where it is expedient to do so. A temporary stop notice may prohibit a range of activities, including those that take place on the land intermittently or seasonally. A temporary stop notice requires that an activity which is a breach of planning control should stop immediately. A temporary stop notice must state the date the temporary stop notice has been served, the activity that has to cease, and that any person contravening it may be prosecuted for an offence.” The “stop date” in this case is 11th August 2022 and it ceases to exist on 8th September 2022. To date, the businesses appear to be continuing to operate although the bookings website for the parking appears not to be accepting future bookings. A similar airport parking operation run by the same person (Kevin Vardet) was set up near Gatwick Airport a few months ago. The site is within the Tandbridge District Council area. This council decided to use the more effective High Court injunction route and the injunction was issued on 7th June 2022. The government states that the use of such injunctions “are the most serious enforcement action that a local planning authority can take because if a person fails to comply with an injunction they can be committed to prison for contempt of court. Additionally, once an injunction has been granted, it cannot be discharged except where there has been a significant change of circumstances since the order was made. In these circumstances a local planning authority should generally only apply for an injunction as a last resort and only if there have been persistent breaches of planning control over long period and/or other enforcement options have been, or would be, ineffective.” Given the myriad of failed Enforcement Notices issued by Bucks Council against the owners of Orchard Herbs over the past 16 years one might have hoped that, instead of a tame temporary stop notice, they might have gone for the bazooka of a High Court injunction. But, unfortunately, they didn’t. Their clear reticence to spend legal fees to resolve this 16 year issue is very difficult for residents to understand. Has it anything to do with the fact that this problem is taking place in a parish far away from Aylesbury where only a small number of voters live? Prior to lockdown there were some interesting articles and letters in Dorney Parish News about the possibility of Dorney and Taplow opting to move from Buckinghamshire Council into the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. It was suggested that we should wait for the new Unitary Council to “bed in” before considering this further. It appears to have “bedded in” and no change on this matter has been identified. Has that time now arrived? Dear Editor The “Unprecedented” Heatwave of 2022 and a Hosepipe Ban As I write the heatwave has subsided, but the promised thunderstorms and deluge have yet to arrive in Dorney Reach. The cloud cover is here retaining the ground heat, much of which had been dispersed under the former clear skies. The water still flows from the mains in Harcourt Road although the harbingers of impending repairs, “Road Closed” signs, have appeared then disappeared; thus far no actual remedial action (as of 24th August). Against my better judgement, in early August I posted a reply on a certain “social media” site in response to an on-posted article headed “Source of the Thames dries out ‘for first time’ during drought”. My attempt to assuage the concerned party by referring to the 1976 (and 1995) drought backfired as is mostly the case on these sorts of platforms. I subsequently checked for information about the article headline. Over the years the actual, nominal source of the Thames has dried out a number of times, migrating eastward in periods of low rainfall. The River Thames has multiple sources from tributaries and ground drainage along its course. (Thank goodness). In recent times the word “unprecedented” has become overworked and denotes a laziness in checking history. One could go back in time to the Permian and Triassic Periods when areas of what is now our country were deserts like those of the Arabian Gulf with Salt and Gypsum being deposited in the then high temperatures. But that is way outside human experience given that Homo sapiens only evolved around 200,000 years ago and related ancestors say 2 million years ago. Closer in time there was the Mediaeval Warm Period (around 905 to 1295); no thermometers then to give a definitive view of temperatures in the United Kingdom but in essence it was hotter than today. This was followed by the Little Ice Age estimated to have occurred between 1600 and 1850 as we have seen depicted in paintings of the Thames Ice Fairs and described by John Evelyn. The latter can also lead to water shortage, locking it away as ice in the waterways and the ground. We are living in an Inter-glacial. So, to return to the matter of water scarcity: what defines a drought? First it relates to a lack of precipitation – measured in the UK by the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI). A Drought is any dry period of over 21 days with less than 30% of the normal precipitation. An Absolute Drought is deemed to be a period of 25+ days without any precipitation. 1976 was the longest with 40 days of absent rainfall. It does not necessarily mean water shortage unless there is insufficient storage for demand. If one wants to understand empirically about drought and its impacts, John Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath” describes in depth the US Dust Bowl of the 1930s that affected much of Kansas and Oklahoma and other States, leading to mass migration West. Based on the longest weather records from the Radcliffe Institute, Oxford work by Burt, S and Burt, L since 1767 there have been over thirty important droughts identified. There have been about seventeen noted droughts in the United Kingdom between 1890 and 2022. Of the eleven since World War II, and the advent of broadcasting, only 2022 has been reported in hysterical terms, with deep crimson maps (before they always used to remain green) and much hyperbole. The impact of drought in the UK has varied over time because of changes to the way the majority of the population lives. In the 1890 to 1910 drought period: WCs, plumbed in baths would have been rare and showers almost unheard of. Most of the water demand would have been for drinking, cooking and hand-washing of clothes. In Northallerton (N Yorks) in 1895 it was reported that only two feet of water remained in the local reservoir in February, yet the inhabitants had been keeping their taps running day and night to prevent the taps and pipes freezing (stopping their sole source of water). I can recall as late as the 1950s my aunt living in a terrace house with only a cold water tap, there was no bathroom and the closet was at the top of the yard and it was certainly no WC. So, here we are today with a high proportion of citizens with bathrooms with WCs and showers, washing machines, some with dishwashers and some with cars that they like to keep well washed. Consequently, our per capita consumption of water has increased multi-fold and expectations are such that restrictions by way of hose-pipe bans create outrage. There has been a changing understandingofwhatis ‘normal’waterconsumption. In other parts of the World their normal is very different. In true British fashion, we never prepare for things that happen from time-to-time, such as: unusual snowfall; hot weather that may buckle railway tracks; energy supply shortages, lack of rainfall, and dare I say it, forewarned pandemics because the expectation is that “it’ll be over soon or something will turn up” and “it’s not economical investing”. The population has risen, more homes have been built, water consumption has grown but the provision for water storage in man-made reservoirs has remained near static for almost 30 years. Thanks mainly to our forebears in the 19th and early 20th Century there are about 570 reservoirs in the UK. The newest nearby, the Queen Mother Reservoir, was built in the mid-1970s and inaugurated in July 1976 (coincidentally at a time of drought). The last open-air reservoir to be built was at Carsington (Derbyshire) in 1991. Thames Water built in London the underground Ring Main between 1985 and 1993. Privatisation of the various water authorities took place in 1989. So, I think it is safe to say that our current water companies have not commissioned any new, major water storage facility. (I am ready to stand corrected on that matter). It has been estimated that around 25% of water delivery capacity is lost to leakages; not surprising given the age of much of the infrastructure. However, some objectives of privatisation were to bring more efficiency and investment into the industry. Did this happen? One thing it did not bring was competition, for obvious, practical reasons, therefore each company is a monopoly supplier in its region. Also, there is little apparent intercompany cooperation. If there was, they would have created a network whereby those with ample reserves could sell volume to those with shortfalls. Such an idea was considered in 1976 but it was shelved once Dennis Howell brought the rains. If the energy industry was able to construct major networks for the delivery of natural gas and petroleum products to distribution points, why can’t the water industry? If there was a leak of gas or oil, there would be fast action. Butwater doesn’tconstituteahazard, does it? Well not until underground erosion causes road collapse or a leak is so severe that people have no water for days and hygiene becomes an issue – as those in High Wycombe experienced recently. Perhaps when water company executive bonuses are linked to stopping leaks, preventing sewage leaks and providing service to their captive customers both in times of rain and drought, maybe the ineffectual hosepipe ban will be a thing of the past? Clive Randle I have to acknowledge some of my sources of information – historicdroughts.ceh.ac.uk; www.countryfile.com/countryfile/great-drought-of-1976-what-happened-and-what-was-the-impact-on-britain Peak District – The Lost Treasures of Ladybower Journal of Historical Geography – July 2009 – Drought is Normal Dr Veronica Edmonds-Brown And inevitably – Google and Wikipedia Dorney’s Annual Show – A Welcome Return The 67th Dorney Annual Show, organised by the Horticultural Society, went ahead on August 27th in the Village Hall after a gap of two years. It was a successful, busy and happy occasion. At 10.00am the tables were laid out ready to receive entries in 80 different classes, but they were empty. Would old friends and new entrants turn up after that unwelcome and enforced interval? Added to that concern was the heat and the drought. Had Dorney only withered runner beans and shrunken tomatoes to offer? For the first time we had a distinguished horticultural guest arriving to hand out prizes. With what an array would we greet him? An hour later, cheerful and enthusiastic entrants, often in family groups, were streaming through the door. We had a Show! Indeed, the total number of entries was similar to 2019. John Barker, our judge for Vegetables, Fruit and Flowers, said entries he had judged were pretty good given the summer we have had. Andrea Alsworth, judge in the Domestic section had to sample 50% more jams, pastries and cakes. Jan Bowman, our third judge, singled out the quality in the Knitting and Needlework class. The two special children’s sections are sustained by a small number of families and the scale of entries is still a disappointment. But the omens are good. Members of the school PTA and the Playground Group came forward to suggest a concerted push with the Show organisers to enthuse younger Dorney residents to enter. To list memorable moments and entrants on the day runs the risk of not highlighting many deserving a mention. DDHS chair Ron Alsworth, as always, masterminded the day and achieved the amazing feat of engraving all the plaques awarded with winners’ names in time for the prize giving as well as appealing for some of those enjoying the day to join the committee. The number and quality of entries from the legendary John Akerman is the bedrock of the Show, and he deservedly again won both the DDHS Cup for most entries and the Dorney Show Cup as Overall Show Winner. The quality of tomatoes on show impressed all who saw them, and those entered by Anna Snook were of prodigious size. Winifred Lipscombe won a best exhibit award for a remarkable entry featuring multiple knitted figures. Isobel Palmer’s ‘My Dream Garden’ painting won an award and a featured spot on this month’s front cover. Ophelia Mawdsley’s swan photo was a winner with brother Henry also winning an award. Form Plants is a horticultural business based at Dorney Court and we were proud to welcome managing director and Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal winner Jamie Butterworth to hand out our prizes. Visitors to the Show warmed to Jamie’s expression of his love for quintessentially English annual shows like ours and enjoyed his tale of his Chelsea success for his Sanctuary Garden for the children’s mental health charity Place2Be. Jamie, we thank you, and hope to see you back at DDHS again. Thanks also to all who entered or supported the Show on the day, all who he helped out (thanks to Liz Stockwood for manning the registration desk and to Joanie Wraight who assisted the judges), and also the Playground tuck shop who served up ice cream on a memorable, sunny summer day. Peter Bowman DORNEY & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY BEST EXHIBIT OVERALL WINNER JUDGES SPECIAL AWARD BEST EXHIBIT OVERALL WINNER BEST EXHIBIT IN JAMS & PRESERVES BEST EXHIBIT IN PASTRY AND HOMEMADE OVERALL WINNER BEST EXHIBIT OVERALL WINNER BEST EXHIBIT OVERALL WINNER BEST EXHIBIT OVERALL WINNER EXHIBITOR WITH MOST ENTRIES BEST NEWCOMER OVERALL SHOW WINNER Awards 2022 DIVISION 1 ‐FRUIT & VEGETABLES Tomatoes Cucumber DIVISION 2 ‐FLOWERS Mixed Flowers in One Vase Floral Decoration for a Table DIVISION 3 ‐DOMESTIC SECTION Strawberry Jam Fruit Crumble DIVISION 4 ‐ADULT HANDICRAFTS Knitting DIVISION 5 ‐CHILDRENS SECTION Children under 8 years old ‐Swan Photo Children under 8 years old Children 8 years old and over ‐Painting Children 8 years old and over OVERALL SHOW WINNERS DDHS Cup Judges' Special Award Dorney Show Cup Anna Snook John Akerman John Akerman Jill Palmer Linda Hackett Jan Bowman Christine Griffin Christine Griffin Winifred Lipscombe Kate Dunlop Ophelia Mawdsley Henry Mawdsley Isobel Palmer Isobel Palmer John Akerman Christine Griffin John Akerman Ready for the Judges The Prizes Some of the Winners! Anna Snook Linda Hackett Winifred Lipscombe Jan Bowman Jill Palmer Henry Mawdsley Ophelia Mawdsley Isobel Palmer Christine Griffin John Akerman DORNEY SCHOOL RESPECT * COLLABORATE * GROW A new season Welcome back September! I always look forward to standing on the school gates again at the start of the academic year, welcoming current and new pupils, and their families, catching up on news and wondering how some children seem to blossom and grow over the long summer days. Alongside welcoming back the school community is the sense that change is in the air. The shorter days, cooler mornings and evenings, the golden leaves signal the season of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’. I have enjoyed the long summer days in the wonderful sunshine, although part of it was affected by Covid isolation, and now I look forward to autumn days, full of a different kind of promise – the promise of harvests, festivals, and celebrations. The Autumn term at school is always busy with staff getting to know children new to their classrooms, helping them get used to routines that may be different from previous years. It is exciting, inspiring, and school corridors will once again be filled with chatter and laughter. It is a term that sets the standards and expectations for the rest of the school year, so extra time is taken to build positive, trusting relationships between adults and children, and vice versa. Only when children feel safe and happy, can they then thrive. This is the ethos of our school and I hear this echoed in the feedback from parents, old and new. Our school believes in supporting the unique child and staff adapt what, and how they teach, to ensure that every child is supported, challenged, and loved. Every child needs a champion, every child is entitled to nurture, and every child has the right to an excellent education. The values of our school are reflected in every classroom and corridor – Respect, Collaborate and Grow. Our mission is to ensure that everyone feels represented and accepted in our school. And yet, our school’s commitment to ensuring every child receives an excellent education is being shaken by what every school, and every family, is being faced with – an impending financial crisis that will rock and destabilise our society, and every community, unless more is done to support public services such as education. School budgets are set nearly a year before the new academic year. Government funding for schools is calculated based on the number of pupils registered at a school, and some extra funding rightly goes to schools that serve disadvantaged areas. There is currently no extra funding ringfenced for the rising costs of fuel, energy, and food. There is no extra funding for the rise in salaries for all school staff (welldeserved after 12 years of pay freeze), and there are currently cuts to children’s services including services for pupils with additional needs. Schools are being asked to deliver the same standard of education without additional funding or increased investment. Some school leaders are already predicting staff redundancies and holding back on school improvements such as fixing leaking roofs or replacing inefficient heating systems. They are also anxious about having to compromise the quality of hot dinners as food prices have risen to unsustainable levels and many more, including myself, are wondering how many more families will face crisis point this coming autumn, if they have not done so already. Most schools are already under-resourced and serving many more pupils facing hardships with increased mental health issues, means that schools require more staff, not less. The current crisis highlights further the inequality in our society as I have personally observed how many more families can no longer afford to feed their children, heat their homes let alone equip their school aged children with basics such as uniform and books. I worry that many people will be faced with hardships that many have never experienced before, that children will attend school hungry, tired, and cold. This is not fiction; this already reality for so many and will become reality for so many more. So, when the government talks about being ambitious for schools, and for schools to provide a world class education, I cannot help but shake my head in despair as this will only be possible when there is a stable economy, an improved infrastructure for all families to thrive, and proper funding and investments not only in schools, but in all public services including health and social care. The ins and outs of national policies are not within the remit of schools, but schools are impacted and affected by decision makers. It does not really matter which party leads the country, but how they lead will signal the direction of our collective future. Even as I ponder on the issues that will affect schools and society in general, I cannot allow these issues to affect what we do at school. No matter the uncertainties of perhaps a ‘winter of discontent’ or the many difficult paths and decisions ahead, the staff and me cannot waver from our commitment to our pupils and their families. Somehow, I know that the chatter, laughter, learning and love will carry on and I also know that we will always do our best by our children, as we will always be their champions. That is a promise; just like the promise that every season will turn and change “Trust the wait. Embrace the uncertainty. Enjoy the beauty of becoming. When nothing is certain, anything is possible.” — Mandy Hale Mrs Sharifah F Jelany-Lee Headteacher Dorney School DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. “I love that it is culturally diverse and that everybody is so friendly. It feels like a really positive place to drop off your children every day ” Parent Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. “I love that it is culturally diverse and that everybody is so friendly. It feels like a really positive place to drop off your children every day ” Parent Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first Set in the grounds of Dorney Court Estate, near Eton, visitors will find a unique and innovative garden destination offering a curated range of plants for all seasons, as well as inspired items for the home and garden. Our shop blends practical and stylish products from around the world with plants that are often difficult to source, particularly from garden centres. With a full nursery of garden and indoor plants, eco-friendly growing supplies, home and garden décor, furniture, firepits, and gifts, Crocus at Dorney Court seamlessly offers something for every home and garden. www.crocus.co.uk Dorney Village Hall www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk In January we completely redecorated the whole inside of the Hall. It is looking very fresh and welcoming. We also installed blinds to replace the old curtains. Dorney Village Hall has a large main area with stage, a smaller annexed room, and kitchen. It has recently been redecorated throughout. It is served by a large private car park and adjacent there is a tennis court, a multi activity games area (MUGA), playground and a playing field. It is used by residents for a multitude of activities such as dancing classes, keep fit, yoga, badminton, horticultural and hired out for parties, dances and weddings. The management committee welcomes non-residents, organisations, clubs, businesses, and societies to hire the halls. Main hall: 15 x 7.4m, ceiling height 7m Fixed stage with curtains: 4.5 x 6m Annexe: 9.8 x 3.5m, ceiling height 2m Licensed to seat 100 people Children’s tables and chairs available Beechwood suspended dance floor 75 space free car park From £13 per hour (minimum of 3 hours) for Dorney Parish Residents Email: bookings.dorneyvh@gmail.com Online on www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk Jubilee Trees in Dorney With South Bucks increasingly resembling the Serengeti, with cows on the Common standing in for Wildebeest, there are now seven emerald-green exclamation marks dotted through Dorney and Dorney Reach offering welcome respite from the fifty shades of brown. These seven Jubilee Trees are flourishing thanks to the sterling efforts of a team of dedicated ‘waterers’ who have had more than they bargained for with the searing heat and dry conditions. From a great lime by the Village Hall to a magnificent Liquidambar by the cattlegrid, a Tulip Tree on Court Lane and a cherry opposite the old vicarage with three more unique specimens scattered across the community, planted as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy and to celebrate the jubilee, this living legacy celebrates a great occasion. Thanks to the sponsors: Crocus; Eton College, Form, Maydencroft, The Palmer Arms & Pineapple Pubs, Smits Nurseries and Pigeon House Farm who provided everything and covered all the costs. Even greater thanks to Jason Finlay (Smits), Jamie Butterworth (Form) and Richard George for the backbreaking efforts with the planting and enduring appreciation to those who are continuing to look after the trees and ensuring they endure. So why an Emergency Plan? Put it this way, if there was a total electricity blackout in your street/area of Dorney would you need help? Would your next-door neighbour need help? Do you know if they would? From the elderly couple who depend on their stair lift to get them up to bed to the young couple who have a new baby who needs to be kept warm and fed, we all of us might need help in any one of the ‘Emergency Situations’ that have been identified in the Dorney Emergency Plan. If the last two years had taught us anything, I think we have all learnt that sometimes we need our neighbours to help, or even just to chat to, and they probably need us as well. In light of the events of the last two years and again bought to mind by the recent winds and storm damage locally, there is obviously a need to work together as a more cohesive group within the parish and to support the Parish Council in the implementation of The Dorney Emergency Plan. A group of us have been working on this plan and are now hoping that with the support of the Parish Council and everyone in the Parish we can at last implement the plan. As a number of people have found out over the last couple of years – to define Dorney as a single entity is like asking the Blind Men in the Indian fable to describe an Elephant. Everyone’s perception of what Dorney Parish is like as an entity differs according to where they live. So, what each person considers they might need in the event of an emergency is dependent on whereabouts in the parish they live. In fact, Dorney is a very complex Parish. It consists of Dorney Village, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End. Thus, in trying to form one plan for the parish you need to take into account all the different points of view of a dispersed population. It is because of this diversity, that it has been necessary, for the Emergency Plan, to divide Dorney Parish into Zones. With regard to these zones, it would be less than practical to expect everyone to be involved in reacting to an emergency that only affected one small area of the Parish. Equally it would be impractical, in the case of an emergency evacuation to expect a resident of Dorney Reach to go to the centre of Dorney Village if it were possible and safer to offer shelter in the Village Hall at Trumper’s Field. Despite the decision to divide Dorney into 4 Zones the Emergency Plan as a whole will not work without the cooperation of the whole village. We must work together to support each other and the vulnerable in our community. We must all be prepared to contribute to a cohesive response to any emergency within the parish – an inclusive response will be called for but one where each person is supported and/or helps to support the whole community. We have looked at other Parish Emergency Plans (at least the parts that are published – as much of such a plan will of course be confidential and known only to the Parish Clerk and those trusted people in each Zone.) I have also thought about other local villages and in so many cases realised how their village is so much simpler to plan for as a whole than Dorney is. So, the emergency plan, with Zones, has come together – it is based very much on the suggested format by Bucks Council and will be made easier by the help of the community. We now come to the part where it is necessary to ask for help from all the residents. In previous editions of Dorney Parish News we have been asking for those people with specific qualifications and expertise to come forward and volunteer to do their part and we also need those people who have useful equipment to volunteer the use of this in the event of an emergency. Now we are looking for the individuals in each street, road or small area to be willing to respond to help others on a very local level. Could you possibly be responsible for a few houses near you? Do you know who would need help? Please do let us know – or let your local parish councillor know or even just suggest someone you know who could be a help. Thea Pine *** EDUCATING RITA ON DORNEY COMMON ‘Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today’ Malcom X Through the summer the grass beneath our feet turned brown and crackled like slices of toast underfoot as the persistent heatwave and drought scorched our gardens. Rehearsals for ‘Educating Rita’ took place once a week in the evening, cooler and more tolerable. Our two actors, Tori and Cameron, played the part of Frank and Rita in this delightful two-hander play, and despite a minor setback of Covid, embraced the challenge to recreate this wonderful play. Fortunately, as partners in real life, they were able to carry on rehearsing, reporting back that they often remained in character whilst at home. By the beginning of August, we had moved from the back lawn to the Wildflower Theatre, our stage set in place, covered in tarpaulins to prevent bleaching from the hot unrelenting sun by day and avoiding the damp dew fall at night. Despite hurdles, our small team enjoyed the banter that accompanied the journey, and occasional hiccups brought laughter to our faces. My boyfriend Bob had the hardest job, which was to make the freestanding door (hammered into the ground with deep slats of wood) remain in a perfect rectangle to enable the cast to slam in and out, with the door staying closed when it should, and opening smoothly when it should. On the day it behaved perfectly well, with the entrances and exits flawlessly executed through the eleventy-eight comings and goings. Under incessant scorch, the garden at Dells Cottage slowly withered under the intensity of the heat, the first casualty being the lime green courgettes, which paled yellow and refused to grow beyond a dry stunted stub -an error in planting, as they should have gone straight into the earth in a semi-shaded spot but planted in wooden half barrels the soil could not retain enough moisture. However, the Sun Gold tomato plants took off in a big way and seemed not to mind the aridness and produced abundant fruit. With the dryness came the moulting of browned leaves from the trees, to survive the drought. The premature change to a crispy brown leaf scorch took place as they put all energy into enduring the dehydration, an Aridzona of singe. Mowing now took on a different meaning, hoovering up brown leaves! On the day of our charitable event, my co-Director, Julia Ashton, and I, sat about contemplating that an audience might not appear. We had delayed the start by three hours to attempt a cooler time, but this last-minute decision might have confused some and others could be put off by the weather. Our stage was set, the bar was stocked, the sound tech tested, and our Uke band tuned up, but would we have anyone brave enough to bear the searing heat? Julia Ashton (L) and Kristina Perkins (R) Half an hour before the event started, a car arrived, then another and yet another. Joy of joys our front drive filled up and the paddock overspill in demand. Around an amazing 60 folk supported our day, and the barman (Tim, such a super fellow) was in full flow with back-to-back drink serving. Our day made a fantastic £360 (profit £220) which was a gratifying result for our two chosen charities, Maidenhead Drama Guild and Alexander Devine (children’s cancer hospice). THANK YOU to everyone who came and supported our event. Now that the end of August is in sight, the drama guild prepares for ‘he’s behind you’ time with a production of Beauty & the Beast. Once again, the Desborough Theatre remains a vaccination centre, so we are back at Holyport Community Centre, with our stage extension so our chorus can stretch their legs fully. By now the DDHS annual show must all be done, perfect pumpkins and correct carrots admired, and prizes distributed to those that battled with growing produce in the heat. Sadly, away on a venture I have missed this event but will return to give my willing hands to help facilitate our forthcoming Christmas Supper event on Friday November 18th. With the usual Chrys Fisher spectacular food this is one not to miss. The run up to festivities start with this event so be sure to save the date in your diary. Kristina Perkins Theresa “By the time you read this...” says the old cliché, the gloriously problematic summer will be cooler and wetter. I do hope you enjoyed it, but I would ask you to consider this. She was stunning in her own way; slim, a vivacious red head with eyes that shone in her undoubted enthusiasm for life. She had a fulfilling job, with her own business card, never sick and with a rare ability to turn on the lights as she entered a room. She made her wheelchair glamorous as she bustled around the humming workshop at Go Well, an organisation attached to a garden centre run by, and for the benefit of the mobility impaired and those in need of a little support. Ladies and gentlemen toiled at benches doing various menial tasks guided and encouraged by Theresa. The whole thing was managed by Antonio, an early forties handsome Italian. Most Monday mornings I collected John, another supervisor, Theresa’s neighbour and friend, and took him there in the adapted minibus hired for the purpose and driven by me. Over the years we had become good friends inside and outside our organisations. It was dull, drizzle floating in the air, cold and inhospitable, and he answered my knock moments later, speeding his electric wheelchair out onto the shiny surface. “You’re a sight for sore eyes,” I ventured. “Ain’t you got any mirrors in your house?” he grinned. Suddenly serious, he said, “Go Well are packing up Mate. No more funding.” “What will you do?” I asked. “I’ve been offered a job with the local authority,” he stated, “but as for the others, well I can’t say.” Weeks later, I collected John as workmates parted for the last time among tears and awkward hugs. Days later still as I passed, the garden centre and workshop were being destroyed, along with the dignity of work to all those who worked there. Months later in the course of my duties, I collected a youngster from a day centre, and there was Theresa at a table, colouring in with a few teenagers. The vivacity and shining eyes had gone, and the image haunts me years later. Antonio moved to a nearby day centre, but I understand that has since closed too, and Antonio has died. John continues in his work, and we occasionally meet in a large supermarket café for coffee and a natter. The place was quiet at two pm, as I had hoped, the lunchtime office rush was over and we enjoyed our drinks while catching up with news and gossip. Alone at a table on the other side of the large room, a male in his fifties was scrutinising his knuckles from a distance of a couple of inches, gently rocking to and fro, while raising his eyes from time to time to look aggressively at his surroundings before returning to the close examination of his knuckles. Nearer to us an old man sat alone, cup of tea going cold in front of him, greeting nonexistent people or things, and laughing loudly at something no one else could see. John was way ahead of me, recognising my puzzlement. “This is the only place they can come to now,” he said matter of factly. “Most of the day centres are shut.” I raged at my inability to do anything about such an injustice and, like most others, in time moved on. I am an avid news junkie, and like all bad habits, I can’t get enough, until the constant barrage of doom and despair makes me ill and I seek solace in my beautiful partner, my family and classical music. As I drive my ambulance, the radio in it provides opportunities for indulging my addiction almost constantly, although classical music takes precedence when patients are on board who do not want to talk. Thus, as I returned from Dorney, a ‘phone in’ was discussing the massive energy cost increases and the poverty that would be visited upon some who never expected it to happen to them. “Hi Garry,” said the lady presenter. Garry was in his late fifties and living in his car. He had lost his home in the Covid lockdown while working self-employed in construction for local estate agents, smartening up houses for sale, erecting boards and the like. House sales dried up as did his customers and the bank wanted their house back. To add to his difficulties, arthritis had returned and his ability to drive was in doubt. The loss of his licence would be the fast track to sleeping in bus shelters. He explained that he and others meet to share the river with rats to wash, constantly search for places to park and sleep without being moved on, and frequent the more promising bins for food after the shops had closed, the favourite it appears, is wrapped sandwiches. I was surprised how well he sounded, clear and articulate without a hint of ‘poor me’. “We were searching the bins together when a lady, perhaps in her thirties arrived in company with a small boy. ‘My Mummy’s going to find me a nice sandwich,’ he said to me,” and at that point, Garry’s voice trembled and choked. He said he gave the mother all he had, a ten pound note and she said she would buy the boy a MacDonalds which was nearby. After trying to get Garry to agree to stay on the line to get assistance, she said, “And thankyou Garry from Maidenhead.” Someone wiser than me once said that society is judged by the way it cares for those less able to look after themselves. Stay safe. Mike Quincey A very memorable day for Dorney – a decade ago ‘It was the best time of my life!’ We thought that this magazine should mark a decade passing since this great event. Well, not quite a decade…to be precise it was July 10th, 2012. On that day, Dorney’s very own Mary Baker ran through parts of Maidenhead carrying the sacred Olympic flame on a small part of its journey. We all recall what happened later in the day. With the flame passed on to the next in line, Mary returned home, with her torch, to be greeted by a host of local well wishers gathered on the shores of Dorney Lake. Perhaps the largest contingent were the pupils of her beloved Dorney School. Later, some of the crowd along with the torch, found their way to the Palmer Arms, where many of us had a chance to hold that torch aloft. Talking to Mary a decade later her pride in her role that day, and her undimmed enthusiasm for life and helping others, shine through. But we wanted to know just what it was that made the run up to the Olympics in Dorney the ‘best time’ for her. Mary showed us a letter that she had received from LOCOG (remember them?). Her ‘moment to shine’, they said, was only a few weeks away. She was amazed to have been first nominated, and then selected to carry the torch a couple of months before the Games. It was intended that nominations should be decided by local communities and those deserving the credit for Mary’s nomination were her colleagues at Dorney School. At that time, Mary was a tower of strength for our local school. She was a dinner lady. She was active in road safety training. But most of all, having been given by the Head the task of setting up the ‘Walks to School’ alongside another teacher who will be remembered fondly, Nick Pitson, the scheme had been a great success. On the day, she was shuttle bussed from Bisham Abbey into town to carry the flame for about a quarter of an hour in the Marlow Road/Nicholson’s Lane area. With military precision, she was to start at 11.12am. She admits that she thought ‘I can’t keep this up’ but caught up in the excitement of the day, she found herself running enthusiastically. Mary recalls a period longer than just this July day a month or so before the Games. She pays generous tribute to the efforts of others to build up Dorney’s response to the Games. We recalled Leanne Kittel’s Dorney Olympic Countdown Group and it’s ‘programme of events for everyone to enjoy’. Yes, I can remember being part of a smaller gathering at the Lake for an afternoon of dragon boat racing in April. In April and July, Dorney residents were already perfecting the ‘Dorney Roar’! Of course, there were also those Olympic themed school walks, usually led by Mary. Mary hails from Belfast. She arrived in Dorney in 1970 after spells at catering college and working for British Airways. Supported by husband Gerry, she’s been active in community life from the start. She’s a long-term member of the congregation at St James the Less and tells us that she’s fascinated by the faiths and beliefs of all her fellow humans. 2012 even seemed to increase her appetite for community involvement – she told us of her role as a Windsor Ambassador and how she was looking forward to wearing the red uniform at the upcoming Battle of Britain service. Mary said she loved that long day a decade ago and the build up to it. She remembered it all as an ‘explosion of happiness’. Now, that does seem to us to be an anniversary worth celebrating. Peter Bowman in conversation with Mary Baker Peter Tyler 2 August 1935 – 21 June 2022 This tribute is based on the eulogy delivered at Peter’s funeral by his son Gerald. We thank the Tyler family for sharing this with us. Peter, apiarist, artist, biologist, bassist, tuba player, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. A friend and inspiration to many. Here are a few of my thoughts. My father was born in Slough in 1935. His parents were Sydney, an engineering draftsman who worked on Slough trading estate and Dorothy, who had lived in rural Norfolk for many years. He developed twin passions that he maintained all his life, insects, and music. As a boy he spent his free time observing and collecting insect specimens in the fields and woods of Stoke Poges and Windsor. He also learnt to play the tuba, and later the double bass, with the Boys’ Brigade. After Slough Grammar School, he joined the Pest Infestation Control Laboratory in Slough, as a Laboratory Technician. At the age of eighteen, he left Slough for his national military service. He spent two years playing music around the country and in Europe with the Royal Signals Band. On returning to Slough, he continued his education as a biologist and became a specialist in the treatment of insect pests in stored grain. He met Jean, a photographer and work colleague, and they married in 1961 and moved to Dorney. In September last year, they received a message from the Queen to mark their diamond wedding anniversary. Sue and I were born in the 1960’s. In 1968, Peter was offered an unusual job, which transformed his life. The family moved to Botswana for two years and Peter set up a programme to educate farmers in better handling and storage of grain. At the time Botswana was one of the world’s poorest countries and travel was difficult. He often had to camp on visits to remote parts of the country. The insects and other wildlife were fascinating. Peter observed all kinds of creatures attracted to the lights on the house. I can recall him catching snakes in the flower beds and we kept some chameleons on the bushes by the path to the house. Peter had developed a passion for Africa, and this shaped the rest of his career. On returning to the UK, he moved from the Ministry of Agriculture to work for the Ministry of Overseas Development. In the following 25 years he visited most of sub-Saharan Africa and many Caribbean and Asian countries too. He amassed a collection of wooden masks from his travels, which he displayed on the wall. Graham Child referred to the collection as Peter’s CV. As a practical biologist, Peter kept bees. I can remember we all helped to extract honey using an ancient centrifuge and steel tanks. The bees were really always in control. It was a constant challenge to prevent swarming or attacks by mice or wasps. But Peter considered the honey was worth it. Peter has always loved music, although overseas travel often interfered with rehearsals and concerts. He was for many years a member of Slough Philharmonic Society and played in the band for local amateur musicals. In retirement, he played with brass bands in Burnham and Maidenhead, with friends he had known throughout his musical life. He also commenced his second career. He applied his skills as a woodworker to repairing and trading in double basses. He developed a reputation in this specialist field and met musicians from across the UK and abroad. He even wrote a book called: ‘About the double bass.’ Throughout his life Peter was an accomplished artist. He had a keen eye and produced well drawn cartoons and paintings of insects and landscapes. Peter and Jean loved to travel, and together visited new countries that he had not seen through his work. They also enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren Dan, Lauren, Robert, and Chris, and passing on their interests. Peter was a father-in-law to Linda and Stuart and delighted in his six great-grandchildren. Lately Parkinson’s diseases limited Peter’s ability to follow his hobbies, although he still enjoyed listening to music. We will all miss him, a much-loved man. Peter Tyler – A Dorney Perspective It is a privilege for this magazine to publish a tribute to the late Peter Tyler based on the words of his son Gerard. In that we hear of this gentleman in his family and professional capacity. But there was an immense public contribution that Peter made to life in Dorney that we also wanted to salute. Let’s start right here, with the magazine. With his passion for the natural world, especially insects and birds, there was no better authority to be the nature columnist. Typically modest, he insisted that these articles appeared under the pseudonym ‘Wayfarer’, a fitting name because Peter and Jean will be remembered as persistent walkers around these parts, continually inspecting daily changes to fauna and flora. We know that Peter developed his interests as a schoolboy and his articles could retain a youthful enthusiasm for humble creatures like stag beetles, ants and squirrels. Yet in recent articles he was facing head on what he called ‘current environmental issues facing this parish’ – global warming and climate change. Alongside this, he provided wise counsel to the rest of Dorney Horticultural Society’s committee. Traditionally the DDHS year would kick off with a quiz and recently he had been the (to some a little too rigorous) quizmaster. His ‘table quizzes’ which greeted members as they took their places in the Village Hall were legendary and loved. He could be more ambitious – one year, as a Christmas entertainment, he shared reading of literature about gardening with the late Geoffrey Atkinson. Peter was an authority, a thinker and a writer on things Dorney. In 2000, as a Millennium project Peter wrote the Natural History of Dorney Parish. Peter was as aware as could be of the pace of change, and these environmental developments featured in a 2018 update. There is reflection on a beautiful neighbourhood with photos by Jean Tyler, lists of species locally identified but also ‘Environmental and Conservation Challenges in the Parish’. Peter was also instrumental in a survey by Bucks Bird Club and the RSPB of Dorney Birds 2000-2018 based on sightings at Dorney Lake and Dorney Wetlands. These two publications can be read on the Dorney History Group website and are recommended. Peter played a leading role in preparing the first, and so far, only Dorney Parish Plan in 2005. This was based on research – a Parish Appraisal sent to 300 households in 2000. The Plan reflected a community ‘subject to many developmental pressures’ which would have to ‘accommodate significant changes’. Ten sections were covered with issues identified, appropriate actions decided upon and achievement targets set out. The Plan can be found on the Dorney Parish Council website. We hope this short tribute adequately demonstrates the enormous legacy left to Dorney by Peter Tyler. Peter Bowman MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DORNEY PARISH COUNCIL HELD TUESDAY 19th July 2022, 7.30 P.M. AT DORNEY SCHOOL Present Cllr. Jill Dax (Chair) Cllr. Euan MacLennan Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford Cllr. Robert Stopford Cllr. William Voaden Cllr. Anna Palmer 2 members of the public Minute notes for this meeting taken by Cllr. Westcott-Wreford in the absence of the Parish Clerk. PC/84/22 Apologies for absence Apologies received from Cllr. Stephen Baker. PC/85/22 To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 21st June and matters arising These were approved with no amendments required and signed by the Chairman. Cllr. Westcott-Wreford met with Transport for Bucks on 23rd June regarding the cattle grid. The grid remains under Special Project Inspection for a 3 month inspection. Works have been agreed to place significantly increased rubber sound insulation to the grid, date to be agreed. PC/86/22 Items of business carried forward 86.1The Orchard Herbs Site Cllr. Stopford stated nothing to report on concrete/parking on site. Burnham Parish Council have not seen any decision on the hotel. It was agreed that advice on how to proceed with a robust approach to Buckinghamshire Council will be sought. 86.2 M4 Digital Motorway An update from Nick Cooper, National Highways The motorway between J3 and J8/9 is now in the commissioning phase at 60mph and we anticipate opening at the national speed limit in September. Monitoring of the bridge expansion joints at Marsh Lane and other bridges is ongoing and we will report back on the results at the end of summer. Regarding the replacement path running from Meadow Way, this is being amended to include a like for like sloped access as before. Regarding 2 Meadow Way, the work is ongoing to reinstate the access and prepare for property sale/let. It was noted that the update did not include any information of the replanting scheme. 87.3 The Emergency Plan Cllr. Dax reported that this needs more detail but is up to date. PC/88/22 Planning There was only one application to note – 20 Dorney Reach Road – After 20 years of extending the granted permission, the new owners have presented a new design. The Council suggested that more information on the new design is required before it can comment – it was agreed the Clerk will contact planning. PC/89/22 Finance To agree/ratify expenditure and income to date The cashbook was circulated prior to the meeting and approved. It was noted that the insurance renewal of £1100 is high and could be excessive. Cllr. Westcott- Wreford questioned the schedule. It was agreed that the Clerk will forward the schedule to Councillors before the next meeting. PC/90/22 Neighbourhood Plan update Cllr. Voaden stated that we have a letter of Application Designation. It was agreed the Clerk will submit this application. PC/91/22 To update on nuisance motorbikes Cllr. Stopford stated that the bikes are still active, the Environment Agency is aware and working with Buckinghamshire Council. They have confirmed that the paths need to remain fully open and stiles are no longer permitted. Cllr. Stopford confirmed that if registration numbers of the bikes or vehicles transporting them are made available to PCSO Ange O’Connell, the police will take action. PC/92/22 To update on Slough Treatments Works No further update, Cllr. Stopford will continue chasing. PC/93/22 To ratify the Dorney Playground BBQ purchase The Council agreed unanimously to the funding of £200 to assist with the BBQ purchase. PC/94/22 To agree the replacement noticeboard Cllr. Dax reported that a timber framed noticeboard will cost in excess of £500 to display 4 X A4 sheets. It was agreed that a black painted aluminium version at a cost of £158 would be sourced. PC/95/22 To consider any complaints/comments received from residents It was noted that there was a comment regarding the concrete blocks having been deposited in the area adjacent to the M4. It was agreed that the Clerk will write to the Environment Agency whose land they appear to be on. It was noted that expectations of any action were low due to the fact that the blocks have been in situ for approximately 20 years. PC/83/22 Items to consider for discussion at the next meeting on 20th September 2022 None noted. Meeting ended at 8.12 pm Educating Rita “Because I think your marvellous. Do you know you’re the first breath of fresh air that’s been in here for years.” – Frank in awe of Rita I wonder if ‘DPN’ has ever had a drama critic. There must have been reviews back in the halcyon days of the Dorney Players. Well, a performance like that which a gratifyingly sizable audience, mainly of Dorney residents, enjoyed in August on the Common deserves a review. We’ve certainly never had a social correspondent and maybe the social side of this event was even more significant than the dramatic. Our host Kristina writes vividly elsewhere about the day, so we’ll make just two social points. Firstly, it was an absolute pleasure to see so many residents, especially as everybody seemed to be friends. It’s a long time since I can recall seeing so many ‘mates’ in the same place, especially as most seemed to be in family groups. We mustn’t look back, but there was a sense of release after the isolation of recent times. Secondly, it would be wonderful if of our new friends from Maidenhead Drama Guild could be persuaded to make this a regular annual event, hopefully in the same venue. Since the apparent demise of Bucks County Council’s series of plays in village halls, we have been starved of live drama in the village. It would appear that an enthusiastic audience exists. Last year the same team presented Abigail’s Party, and this year a much larger audience saw Willy Russell’s Educating Rita. The two main players last year and the only two players this year were the marvellous Tori Tomkins and Cameron Kinross. They must have faced quite a problem in that many in the audience would remember the TV production in the 1970s of Abigail and for Rita how do you match up to a celebrated movie starring Julie Walters and Michael Caine? In both cases it seems to this viewer that any such problem evaporated after a few minutes. Tori seems to specialise in feisty ladies. Beverly last year who is middle class, from Essex and socially aspiring and Rita is working class, from Liverpool, and culturally upwardly mobile (‘yeah, that’s what I’m trying…to sing a better song...’). Poor Cameron is just too good at disappointed middle-aged men whose dreams are being crushed – Laurence, the estate agent last year and Frank, the university lecturer in English Literature who finds himself ‘educating Rita’. Another problem – Frank’s study where all the action in the play takes place is enclosed and dusty, like him, but we witness the play in the open air in blazing sunshine on the wide open Common. Again, this is dealt with – by the skills of the actors primarily, but also by little devices in the play’s set; piles of little read books, ever present whisky glasses and, best of all, a lone door unconnected to a wall which either sticks unopened or slams. Thanks, Bob…. So, a triumph for two actors, the two directors, but primarily a joy for a very appreciative local audience. I think I’d better book those panto tickets now. Peter Bowman Working with Thames Valley Police to champion local priorities Since my election in 2019 I have always had a focus on making sure that police resources are deployed to tackle the problems my constituents are most concerned about. This varies across the towns and villages of Beaconsfield but there are always some common themes and some issues that are particular to the locality. Working with police at both an area and a neighbourhood level has been vitally important to ensure that the right focus is prioritised in the right area and at the right scale. This year I have been sending out my own crime survey to give people an opportunity to highlight their local concerns to me and I want to say thank you to everyone who has and continues to respond. It is a great way for you to quickly have your say and for me to hear from you directly. Whether it is vandalism and antisocial behaviour in Flackwell Heath, traffic offenses and fly tipping in the Ivers, or illegal encampments in Taplow, letting me know your concerns helps me stand up for what you want delivered. We are very lucky to have great officers working in our area, and hopefully these will be bolstered by some of the 442 more police officers joining Thames Valley Police in the last few years. Nationally, 13,790 extra police have been recruited, which puts us well on the road to reaching our target of 20,000 more officers by the end of this Parliament. I am determined to make sure this is not just a numbers game but leads to real improvements for local communities. Alongside more officers, we need the police to have the powers they need, and the courts to be able to hand down appropriate sentences. This is why I was so pleased to vote for the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act which received Royal Assent earlier this year. With more police, tougher sentences and a focus on local issues, I hope we can make everyone feel safe on their streets and in their homes, as they should. Joy Morrissey MP Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield Assistant Whip House of Commons | London | SW1A 0AA | 020 7219 8708 Disraeli House | 12 Aylesbury End | Beaconsfield | Buckinghamshire | HP9 1LW | 01494 977505 www.joymorrissey.uk | @JoyMorrissey | fb.com/joy4beaconsfield Dorney Parish News Published monthly (except January and August) Editors: Peter Bowman, Tumbleweeds, 12, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODU peter.bowman@talktalk.net Tel: 07889 912714 Jean Spencer, Dorincourt, 45, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODT Tel: 01628 624213 Editorial Board: The Editors, Bill Dax, Thea Pine Production: Bill Dax Tel: 07802 365448 Distributors: Mr Cobb, Mrs Cox, Mrs Leishman, Mrs McCabe, Mr McGuinness, Mrs Oxlade, Mr Penfold, Mrs Stockwood, Mr Temple Miss Snook, Mrs Tuddenham, Mrs Tyler, Mrs Wood-Dow RATE OF SUBSCRIPTION: £5 per annum for 10 issues The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of correspondents expressed in letters or articles published in this magazine. Advertising in Dorney Parish News Dorney Parish News is an A5 newsletter that is circulated monthly (except January and August) to residents and businesses in Dorney Village, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End. Our current print run is 250. Estimated readership is around 400 people. There are approximately 300 residential properties in Dorney Parish. Rate Card: Advertising Rates Height mm Width mm 10 issues 1 issue Full Page 190 130 £90 £12 Half Page 90 130 £50 £7 Third of a page (Horizontal) 60 130 £45 £6 Quarter Page (Horizontal) 45 130 £40 £5 Contact: Peter Bowman, Editor peter.bowman@talktalk.net 07889 912714 SUSAN HANDYDANCE A Complete Dance Training FREE TRIAL CLASS BABY BALLET 18 MONTH+ PRIMARY BALLET PRIMARY MODERN PRIMARY TAP ACROBATIC ARTS BALLET BODY CONDITIONING CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE DANCE GCSE DANCE MODERN JAZZ TAP ADULT BALLET STRETCH ADULT BALLET ADULT CONTEMPORARY ADULT BEGINNERS TAP ADULT INTERMEDIATE TAP BOYS CLASSES FROM BABIES TO ADULTS W W W . S U S A N H A N D Y D A N C E . C O . U K ETON WINDSOR DATCHET OLD WINDSOR ETON WICK ICKENHAM WOKING RICHMOND office@susanhandydance.co.uk / 07515 270432 BHS &ABRS Approved Riding School and Pony Club Centre Ri:ling School & Liverv Elm Farm, Boveney Road, Dorney Common NrWindsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QD We are a family run Riding School based on Dorney Common established for over 40 years! • Qualified lnstructors • Lessons available from 7 years upwards • Pony Rides available for children as young as 4. • We offer very popular Birthday parties • Large Indoor and Outdoor schools • Pony Club and Own a Pony activity days • Open 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday Gift Vouchers available through the website For bookings and enquiries please call us on 01628 661275 www.spanishbit.co.uk Dorney Parish News October 2022 God Save the King! 2 ISSUE NO. 8/22 OCTOBER 2022 EDITORIAL Twenty odd years ago it was fashionable to point out that there was an old Chinese curse, May You Live in Interesting Times. The curse was most likely a myth, but it does feel as though we are living in a time which is ‘interesting’. That word, of course, comes nowhere near the sadness that many have felt as, since our last issue, interesting times have become tragic times. This magazine can only pass on our sympathy to the family of the late monarch. ‘Interesting times’ are, indeed, a curse for parish magazines. If only our pages were made up of regular reports of gardening, model railway and sporting clubs plus the WI. It’s hard for a small editorial team to make profound comments on significant and sad events like the passing of a monarch and how our communities are coping with a cost-of-living crisis. We’d like to hear more from our readers. There is in this issue a small but moving indication of Dorney’s reaction to royal events in Mike Quincey’s article with a description of the muffled bells of St James the Less. But one piece of advice we did hear about royal coverage was that it would be fitting if a range of readers could give their reactions to the past fortnight thus providing a Dorney standpoint. One article this month shares personal memories of contact with the youthful heir to the throne half a century ago. We hope that other such reactions will follow from readers in subsequent issues. Some said that the death of Elizabeth II severed a link with the past. In particular, the memory of the wartime and post war experiences would become dimmer. In addition, many chose to exalt in the late Queen’s record of dutiful service. Others saw that long reign as a focus for a country united rather than fragmenting. Local events reported in the pages of a humble parish magazine may seem trivial set alongside these great themes. But the best tribute we can pay is to amplify these characteristics. Residents regularly explore and recall Dorney’s past, hopefully nurturing memories of long-time residents and informing newcomers. This issue is no exception. We want to take pride in the service of residents to the village. This month we have the first update direct from the new Playground Committee, obviously eager to continue the sterling work of their predecessors. In terms of community, we will boost events like the Annual Show. After the detailed report in last month’s issue on the Show, it was a pleasure to see the generous headline in the Maidenhead Advertiser, ‘Villagers flock to Dorney Annual Show’. Here's a couple of requests from the magazine to its readers. The issues will be more fully reflect the views of Dorney if more residents and nearby neighbours contribute articles. Finally, we’d like to hear what is liked about the magazine and what is not so popular. Why not send us a ‘reader’s letter’? The Autumn is this column’s favourite season in beautiful Dorney. We hope you enjoy it, despite those ‘interesting times’ 3 Services in the Local Churches Local Churches St James the Less, Dorney St. John the Baptist, Eton Wick St. John the Evangelist, Eton Vicar: Revd. La Stacey, The Vicarage, 69a Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6NE Tel: 01753 852268 email: revlastacey@gmail.com For information about our churches, activities and church history please see our parishes’ web site: www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk RCCG Praise Embassy, Haywards Mead, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6JN Pastor: Olusegun Omotayo 07712 126334 www.rccgchurchatslough.com Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Burnham Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Udoh, M.S.P. 01628 605764 Rev La Stacey writes: One of the titles Charles inherits as monarch in this land is ‘Defender of the Faith’, ‘Fidei Defensor’, the F.D. on our coins. It is a title which raises questions in this day and age. When Charles was Prince, it was something that troubled him. In 2015 he is quoted as saying, “I mind about the inclusion of other people’s faiths and their freedom to worship in this country, and it’s always seemed to me that, while at the same time being Defender of the Faith you can also be protector of faiths.” https://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/promotingand- protecting The title reflects the fact that, in our current constitution, the monarch is the Supreme Governor of the established church. The reactions of Commonwealth countries to this title are interesting. In Canada, for example, where there is no established church, they nonethe- less retain the title, because they feel the civil authorities should defend the right to believe in a supreme being if people so wish, “and that there could be no reasonable objection from anyone who believed in the Supreme Being in having the sovereign, the head of the civil authority, described as a believer in and a defender of the faith in a supreme ruler” https://www.monarchist.ca/index.php/about-us/frequently-asked-questions There is a story doing the rounds, now attributed to Queen Elizabeth II, but previously linked with Queen Victoria (and in language more suited to that era) that, after one of her chaplains had been preaching on the Second Coming of the Lord, in conversation afterwards, the Queen exclaimed, "Oh! how I wish that the Lord would come in my lifetime!" "Why," asked the chaplain, "does your Majesty feel this very earnest desire?" The Queen replied with quivering lips, and her whole countenance lighted up by deep emotion, "I should so love to lay my crown at His feet." Whether there is any truth in that story or not, it was apparent from her Christmas messages that Elizabeth felt the need of a relationship above and beyond herself, that she felt supreme power did not rest with her, nor with any human institution. Interesting too that our new Monarch continues to recognise a similar dependence: In his accession speech 4 he said, ‘In carrying out the heavy task that has been laid upon me… I pray for the guidance and help of almighty God’. I think there are frequently times when all of us would like a bit of divine help. Maybe there truly is a benevolence in the universe that works with us as we entrust ourselves to it. As we work generously together in community, goodness begins to flow and creates more. Do you know the children’s song, ‘Love is something if you give it away -you end up having more’, like a magic penny which as long as you spend it, multiplies?. The Church of which Charles is now Supreme Governor holds that Jesus gave his whole self away in order that goodness could multiply in and through us. It is a faith that some of us hold and, in my view, one worth defending. Church Services in October 2022 Sunday 2nd October (Harvest Festival) 9.30 am Holy Communion Harvest Festival St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Any Age Family Service St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 5th October 10.00am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 9th October 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 16th October 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Morning Worship St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 19th October 10.00am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 23rd October 9.30am Morning Worship St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 30th October 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St Mary Magdalene, Boveney This beautiful church on the Thames is open daily. Christmas Advent Service by Candlelight - 1500hrs on Sunday, 11th December 2022 www.st-mary-magdalene-boveney.org.uk 5 Benefice of Eton with Eton Wick & Boveney & Dorney Harvest fEstival St James the Less, Dorney 2nd October 9.30 a.m. Supporting: & Get in touch: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities “Pupils are highly successful in their academic achievement.” ISI 2022 Conveniently located in Old Windsor Get in touch: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities “Pupils are highly successful in their academic achievement.” ISI 2022 Conveniently located in Old Windsor This notice was placed on our website on 8th September 2022 HM Queen Elizabeth II 21st April 1926 –8th September 2022 It is with great sadness that Dorney Parish Council has learned of the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth II. We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family on behalf of the residents of Dorney. 8 Summer updates: Orchard Herbs Following the issuance by Bucks Council of a Temporary Stop Notice in August, it is encouraging to see that the airport parking operation has been closed down: However, the two other operations – Ready Mixed Concrete and redundant commercial vehicles and containers – appear to be continuing to operate. The Temporary Stop Notice terminated on 8th September 2022, so it is unclear what additional actions Bucks Council are planning to clear this site once and for all. Dorney Parish Council will continue to put pressure on Bucks Council and Burnham Parish Council to accelerate this process. Jubilee River Swimming The Environment Agency, following a number of fatalities over the years, have installed this sign at Lake End Road at the entrance to the Jubilee River. DPC are checking to see where other signs have been placed. It is hoped that people will take notice of this serious warning. Dangerous Trail Bikes along the Jubilee River paths and in crop fields As has been noted in recent minutes, Dorney Parish Council have been working with Thames Valley Police, the EA and local farmers to try and stop these trail bikes. From the picture it can be seen that one rider had an accident recently and walkers who have tried to remonstrate with other riders have been treated to abusive language. We have identified some of the main access and egress routes that the trail bikes appear to be using and are seeking ways, with the Police, in which the trail bike riders can be dissuaded from such inconsiderate and careless actions which cause alarm, distress and annoyance to members of the public. 9 Charles, The Clown Prince In the late 1960s, when we were both young men aged around twenty, I would have seen Prince Charles (as he was then) on a near daily basis. He won’t remember me. We were never formally introduced. When the nation was invited to reflect on recent royal events, I reflected that I had been only yards away when the new King was to be seen sitting, in public, in a dustbin. We were undergraduates at the same time at the same college, and for a brief while, reading the same subject. It had been decided that Charles should become the first member of the royal family to study for three years for a university degree. It would not have been a difficult decision to select for him the largest college in the world’s finest university - Trinity College, Cambridge. It is said that the Palace preferred a tailor-made course that would ground a future monarch in constitutional and political matters. He held out for a standard course, Anthropology and Archaeology. The first, he said, would help him understand the lives of peoples in lands all over the planet and via the second he wanted to know of the world before recorded history. To me, these are absolutely admirable sentiments. The Prince later switched to History, the subject I stuck to for three years, having arrived a year ahead of him in 1966. It may be hard to believe in an august setting like Trinity, but the heir to the throne’s student career coincided with the explosion of flowery fashion, psychedelia and student protest. I and many of my friends did our best to embrace this revolution. Charles did not. Or could not, had he wanted to. He was always surrounded by a group of similar young men in tweed sports jackets and cavalry twills. Most of his contemporaries would have thought then, and continued to think over the years, ‘I wouldn’t swap places with him…’ But there was one glorious exception to this – student drama. We were both members of Trinity’s Dryden Society. I had a few small parts in avantgarde plays, the Prince had a real talent for both performing in and writing comic revues, drawing on his own love of the Goons and the Cambridge tradition of the Footlights, Jonathan Miller and Peter Cook. We were never on stage together, so I don’t quite remember how I came to be in the wings to see his renowned sketch portraying a dustman. A story had been leaked that Charles had remarked that he was unused to the early morning whistling and clanging about of the local refuse men and had been woken up. I dread to think what social media and the vicious tabloids would make of that now, but then he was able to laugh at himself and with the dustmen. Photographs and personal recollections show that a drama society let him be himself and be normal. If that real self embraces an interest in all the world’s cultures and a flair for comedy, then I would say that there were two pretty good qualifications for a head of state. Peter Bowman This article is a personal response to recent royal events. We hope that our readers might have similar recollections to share with Dorney Parish News. 10 Set in the grounds of Dorney Court Estate, near Eton, visitors will find a unique and innovative garden destination offering a curated range of plants for all seasons, as well as inspired items for the home and garden. Our shop blends practical and stylish products from around the world with plants that are often difficult to source, particularly from garden centres. With a full nursery of garden and indoor plants, eco-friendly growing supplies, home and garden décor, furniture, firepits, and gifts, Crocus at Dorney Court seamlessly offers something for every home and garden. www.crocus.co.uk 11 News from Dorney Playground Management Committee We were all very disappointed that we had to cancel the end of term summer party, but with temperatures of 38˚C predicted, it was too much of a risk. However, as promised, we are in the process of arranging a Halloween-themed party / disco, to be held at Dorney Village Hall on Friday 21st October. The new management committee has now taken over and we would like to thank the previous committee for all their hard work and their support. So, on Friday 21st October we are holding a Halloween-themed party / disco. We will have a professional entertainer. There will be dancing, competitions (including best costumes), prizes and a magic show for the younger group. Everyone is encouraged to dress-up for Halloween. The party will run as follows: KS1 17.00 -18.00 Food and drinks for sale 18.00 -18.30 KS2 18.00 – 19.30 Tickets are priced at £7.00 and can be obtained, in advance, from the tuck shop by the playground, which is normally open between 15.15 and 16.00 (Monday to Friday). Due to the restriction in numbers allowed in Dorney Village Hall, tickets will not be sold on the night. All children need to be accompanied by a responsible adult throughout. All proceeds go to maintaining, and hopefully, improving Dorney Playground. On another theme, you may have noticed that the Olympic mascot, which was at the side of the playground, was damaged, and has now been removed. The mascot is now sitting in a shed, feeling sorry for itself. The suggestion has been made that we just bin the mascot. Ideally, we would like to see the mascot repaired, but if this isn’t possible, does anyone out there have any ideas of what to do with it other than take it down the dump? Dorney Parish Council very generously gave us a grant to buy a new gas barbecue to use at our events. We see this as more of a Dorney Community barbecue, so if you are part of a group in Dorney and need a gas barbecue, give us a ring. The new committee is mostly made up of working parents with young children, so obviously their lives are busy. So, if anyone out there could lend us a hand, it would be greatly appreciated, no matter how little. Our main fund raising for the playground is through the tuck shop situated outside Dorney School. We normally open Monday to Friday 15.15 to 16.00. We will be closing on 21st October, re-opening on Monday 17th April. If there is anyone who could help us out with the tuck shop at any time, please contact us. It’s not an arduous task, although I do admit taking a pen and paper with me to help add up the items!! Dorney Playground Committee Email: Playground4Dorney@gmail.com 12 Dorney Reach: Teenage Years in the ‘Seventies My reminiscences of Dorney Reach as a child in the ‘Sixties (DPN July/August 2022) seem to have inspired some interest in knowing what happened next in my teenage years. Well, there’s a short version: as every teenager between the ages of 13 to 18 knew in the 1970s, a life stuck living with your parents, facing an endless stream of exams before you could hope to escape was ‘boring, boring, boring’. It was doubtless the lack of heating that caused the phrase ‘the Damp Dump of Dorney Reach’ to enter my vocabulary sometime in the early 1970s. I remember endless Saturday and Sunday afternoons trying to do my homework or exam revision with numb fingers sticking out of mittens and the sleeves of woolly jumpers. This was the solution of choice for my Great Depression era father to the conundrum of when, where and how heating should be turned on. Most of the 1920sbuilt houses in Dorney Reach didn’t have central heating, which my father only installed after we moved in, then rarely used. An open fireplace was the answer for chilly evenings and nothing at all for long winter afternoons (‘go for a walk if you’re cold’). Even today, nothing conjures up Christmas more immediately for me than the smell of dust rising from the dining room radiator. It was turned on, annually, on Christmas Eve, and was already ticking its way back to cold metal by Boxing Day. From 1972, of course, we had no choice: it was the era of miners’ strikes, power cuts and the 3Day Week. In my memory, this seemed to go on forever: homework by candle-light, no electricity for hours and heated discussions over Sunday lunch littered with phrases such as ‘wrack and ruin’ and ‘this country didn’t win the Second World War to give in to…. etc. etc.’. It was all quite exciting in its way, but now blurs with the cold house of teenage memories. I’ve been subsequently surprised to learn that the official 3-Day Week only lasted a few weeks before the whole country ground to a halt and a new general election was called in 1974. A modern day parallel to be drawn from this, perhaps? Dorney Reach activities continued in the form of Girl Guides, with the ever-resourceful Gill Langston acting as our ‘Cap’n’ in charge of everything from badge collecting to an ill-fated camping trip up near Cliveden. With other local Guide groups, dozens of us spent the night under canvas in a line of old army tents, rain dripping on us like oil on a tin of sardines: there was no escape. With the recent sad loss of HM Queen Elizabeth II, I am also reminded of how close to our daily reality our Girl Guide promise ‘to serve the Queen’ was: we all knew she lived just down the road. One day a group of us were herded along the towpath to Boveney Lock to see HM the Queen progressing up the river by boat. From memory, this was prior to the 1977 Silver Jubilee, but was nevertheless striking: no sooner had we spotted her brightly coloured hat from the lock-side than it started to sink lower and lower until all we could see was its flat top and brim. Her Majesty’s boat was passing through the lock as we arrived, so until I met the Queen in person many years later, craning my neck over the side was the closest I ever got to bowing to royalty. In 1977 we all received the famous Silver Jubilee mug: I’ve still got mine, as has my neighbour Judith. The rest of our time was primarily spent in trying to get out of Dorney Reach, and back again, without our parents ruining our plans. This was no easy feat even with a half-hearted bus service 14 from the top of Harcourt Road that never seemed to go when or where we wanted, or was capable of returning us without ththe top of Harcourt Road that never seemed to go when or where we wanted, or was capable of returning us without the endless refrain ‘Dad, can I have a lift….?’ The first priority was getting to and from school. The 1970s was a time of educational and county boundary changes (another recurrent theme?), which had a material impact on where we could go to get educated. As residents of Bucks, we still had the option of grammar schools, but not always where they were wanted. My mother was mortified that I could no longer go to the girls’ grammar school in Maidenhead (in Berks, which had switched to comprehensive schooling), but to Slough, which was still then located in Bucks. In the event, Slough High School for Girls was every bit as academic and university-oriented as my parents could have wished, and I thrived there until, aged around 16, I also ‘got bored’. But that’s yet another story. My brother Paul secured a place at the more adventurous option of Sir William Borlase in Marlow. Even with a school bus from Maidenhead this was an hour-long trip, taking the No. 22 bus early every morning from the top of Harcourt Road. By his later teens he was cycling there, 9 miles each way. The Slough High School girls of Dorney Reach had it much easier: perhaps rashly, in hindsight, Charles Cody offered Debbie Belcher and me a daily lift to the A4 on his way to Taplow Station to commute into London. On countless occasions we must have missed his train for him as we scrambled into to his still revving red Mini outside our front drives. A very belated apology and thanks, Charles! By the age of 14 or so, boys were very much on my agenda, but not on that of my parents, so a certain amount of subterfuge was in order. Adventures with Eton College boys were very chaste: King Arthur (of Purcell’s opera fame) invited me to tea at Nell Gwyn’s tea house in Windsor, which as a ‘wench’ in the chorus of Eton College’s production of King Arthur, I readily accepted, but saw as a delicious irony of place and circumstances even then. The charming ‘King Arthur’ went on to Clare College in Cambridge and later invited me along to the College Summer Ball which gloriously went on until dawn. But by then I had picked my side in the battle raging between punk rock and the hippy revivalist movement of the mid-1970s and was firmly on the side of the new-age hippies. I invested what little money I earnt from my part-time jobs on flared trousers, cheese-cloth shirts and darker-than-dark eyeshadow from the Biba store in High Street Kensington (this being the only thing, beyond our train fare to get there, my school friends and I could actually afford to buy in Biba). Suitably equipped in platform shoes, I would then defy parental advice and march along the towpath to the creaking old Skindles Hotel by Maidenhead Bridge whenever a live band was scheduled to play there. At the time, Skindles’ future was in the balance, and its reputation very louche, which, along with all the long-haired young men I met there, suited me just fine. But….there was always the necessary curfew of a lift home. My father had already earned himself quite a reputation for turning up at heaving teenage parties in Burnham, turning on the lights and very publically demanding that I come home. Thus, with reluctance, I always made sure I was outside Skindles at the appointed hour. By the age of 16, I acquired a boyfriend who had a car, which became the source of even more parental tension. But at 17, I quickly learnt to drive, passed the test, and the focus shifted to haggling over borrowing a parental car to take up weekend jobs and evening classes in Windsor, or whatever outing I could get away with. I suddenly found that Dorney Reach was no longer the isolated riverside marshland of my earlier teenage years, but handily close to Junction 7 of the M4 and a gateway to the wider world. It’s this, among many other things that has kept me coming back. Claire Spencer 15 DORNEY SCHOOL RESPECT * COLLABORATE * GROW “To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven” The Byrds, ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’ 1965 Every year in late August, I start looking forward to a brand-new school year, full of hope and optimism. This Autumn of 2022 was no different, even with the cost-of-living crisis looming for all households including schools. I was optimistic that schools will not be left in the lurch to fend for themselves. Surely in the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’, in the season of plenty, the government would place schools on a priority list for help and support. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, this is still not to be and in our small, community school, we anticipate our energy bills to increase by 100% as a minimum, amid the rise in costs for all good and services. I am the eternal optimist so myself, and all national school leaders await with bated breath for an increase in funding to ensure that teachers and staff can deliver the best education to all our children without having to turn the heating or lights off this winter. If you are interested in how the financial crisis will impact on schools across the nation, do read this article posted by the Headteachers’ Roundtable https://headteachersroundtable.wordpress.com/ Thus, coming back to school with some difficult financial messages to staff and the families we serve, we then hear of the death of the Queen. As a school, we marked the sad event with a week of learning about the Queen, the monarchy, and its wide-reaching impact. We discussed and debated the high and low points of a constitutional monarchy and we also created memory books and a beautiful wreath in recognition of a life dedicated to serving her country for 70 years. No matter what individual perspectives are, this was a time for respectful reflection as we remember how the Queen touched lives, and what the future will hold for the new King, and for this kingdom. Many of our families made their way to London or Windsor to observe the funeral procession and one of our children was privileged to share the news that her grandfather helped to design the Queen’s hearse which had been kept in storage for over a decade, ready for the day it would be required. Ruby’s grandfather passed away 11 years ago, and yet his legacy lived on in a faultless, solemn and beautiful ceremony on Monday 19th September. It is not all doom and gloom! In early September, I had the privilege of meeting the daughter of the late Shirley Hughes, whose books and illustrations have been read, and loved, by generations. If you have shared the stories of Dogger, Lucy and Tom, or Alfie and Annie Rose, you will know that your life has been touched by one of our nation’s greatest children’s author and illustrator https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/mar/02/shirley-hughes-childrens-author-and-illustrator-diesaged- 94 Shirley Hughes died in March this year, aged 94. I visited the family home in Notting Hill to collect a selection of hardbacks to be enjoyed by the pupils of our school for generations to come. It was like walking back in time; touching the large mahogany table she used to work on, the mismatched chairs her family used, the dozens of paintings and illustrations which covered the walls of a well-loved family home. This is the legacy Shirley leaves behind. Her daughter, Clara Vulliamy, and author/illustrator herself became tearful as she knew that her mother’s works and stories will always be remembered. I would like to extend the same generosity to you as Clara extended to me, and invite you to visit our little school with a big heart. We have dates for open events in the next few months. Do visit our school website for more details on how to book https://www.dorneyschool.co.uk/ 16 I leave you with the full lyrics of “Turn! Turn! Turn!” A poignant ode to thTurn! Turn! Turn!” A poignant ode to the passing of time, and of loved ones, and the constancy of seasons and of life’s changes: To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven A time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven A time to build up, a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together Mrs Sharifah F Jelany-Lee Headteacher Dorney School To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven A time of love, a time of hate A time of war, a time of peace A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven A time to gain, a time to lose A time to rend, a time to sew A time for love, a time for hate A time for peace, I swear it's not too late 17 DORNEY SCHOOL Respect • Collaborate • Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first. 46% success in 11+ exams (2020) Part of Beeches Learning and Development Trust with Burnham Grammar School Open Events Thurs 13/10 5.30- 7pm Tues 22/11 10.30 to 11.30 Weds 11/1/23 1.15 - 2.15 DORNEY SCHOOL Respect • Collaborate • Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first. 46% success in 11+ exams (2020) Part of Beeches Learning and Development Trust with Burnham Grammar School Open Events Thurs 13/10 5.30- 7pm Tues 22/11 10.30 to 11.30 Weds 11/1/23 1.15 - 2.15 What can we learn from trees? Friday 21st October 2022 – 6.30pm to 9.30pm Burnham Park Hall, Windsor Lane, Burnham, SL1 7HR Guest speakers: Martin Boiling, The Woodland Trust Helen Read, Conservation Officer, Burnham Beeches Chair of Meeting: Zoe Hatch, Burnham Parish Councillor and Chair of Climate Emergency Working Group Doors open 6.30pm Dinner served at 7.00pm £20 per person to include 2 course meal – Shepherds Pie (Meat or Vegetarian) served with vegetables followed by French Apple Tart served with cream To book your place or for further details please contact Viv Nicholas Tel. 01628 661887 mrviv.nicholas@btinternet.com With thanks to SEGRO and Burnham Parish Council for sponsoring this event 19 Dorney Village Hall www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk In January we completely redecorated the whole inside of the Hall. It is looking very fresh and welcoming. We also installed blinds to replace the old curtains. Dorney Village Hall has a large main area with stage, a smaller annexed room, and kitchen. It has recently been redecorated throughout. It is served by a large private car park and adjacent there is a tennis court, a multi activity games area (MUGA), playground and a playing field. It is used by residents for a multitude of activities such as dancing classes, keep fit, yoga, badminton, horticultural and hired out for parties, dances and weddings. The management committee welcomes non-residents, organisations, clubs, businesses, and societies to hire the halls. Main hall: 15 x 7.4m, ceiling height 7m Fixed stage with curtains: 4.5 x 6m Annexe: 9.8 x 3.5m, ceiling height 2m Licensed to seat 100 people Children’s tables and chairs available Beechwood suspended dance floor 75 space free car park From £13 per hour (minimum of 3 hours) for Dorney Parish Residents Email: bookings.dorneyvh@gmail.com Online on www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk As a sailor might navigate by finding the north star so, for the last 70 years, has the world cast its gaze, in times of joy and crisis, to Queen Elizabeth II for a bright and consistent light in the firmament. The loss we feel as a nation at the dying of that light is shared by many across the Commonwealth and throughout the world. Her Majesty represented the very best of us in her devotion to duty, her love of country and her desire to reach out to people across the world. We will miss her, and we will celebrate her life, her achievements, and her incredible influence over nearly three quarters of a century. For a great many of us a part of being British was calling Elizabeth II our Queen, but Her Majesty has spent a lifetime demonstrating how to adapt and change for the better, always keeping calm and measured in the face of adversity. So, it is in celebration of the past and with confident hope in our future that we depart the Elizabethan Age and welcome our new King Charles III. God Save The King. Joy Morrissey MP Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield Assistant Whip House of Commons | London | SW1A 0AA | 020 7219 8708 Disraeli House | 12 Aylesbury End | Beaconsfield | Buckinghamshire | HP9 1LW | 01494 977505 www.joymorrissey.uk | @JoyMorrissey | fb.com/joy4beaconsfield 21 In Drag on Dorney Common With cooler weather rapidly descending through September, the grass on the Common and in our back yards gradually returned to a shade of bright green. That time of year again which brings new Autumn boosters and seasonal flu jabs, so across the country clinics open to receive those that need protection. Two new vaccines, Moderna Bivalent and Comirnaty Bivalent, cover the latest Omicron variant, bringing hordes of people out to grab this latest offer. Switching from Birch Hill Medical Centre to Burnham Health Pharmacy just at this time, cut my journey from 40 to 8 minutes, to embrace the extra morning snooze time. In the first week, more than 170 jabs / day as the incredible footfall was relentless. The pharmacy is run by two lovely fellas, Dalvinder (Dal) and Harpreet (Harp), and as a new vaccination enterprise, I joined and brought in two colleagues to help cover the weekly rota. Each shift delightfully brought in some familiar faces, local villagers and previous Salt Hill customers. The last few months of my summer was spent driving and looking at cars, not my usual remit as I am totally devoid of automobile knowledge. This was all down to my boyfriend Bob who owns a classic car, a very beautiful 1957 red Corvette, which he rather foolishly let me drive, culminating in driving the racetrack at Car Fest North and then later in the summer Car Fest South. After the initial apprehension, the whole experience was great fun, so sat in on other wonders of the auto world, a Rat Rod with industrial cross hilly billy in appearance, and a 70’s Comaro car that spun multiple donuts. My heart in mouth enjoyed every minute! Two issues came up unexpectedly whilst driving solo in the little red Corvette. One was whilst driving solo down the M40 towards very sharp sun, the bright light blinding my vision to leave only one hand on the steering wheel, whilst using the other hand as a shade to my eyes, since the open top Corvette did not have pull down sunshades. Lesson number one: always wear polarised sunglasses on a sunny day. On another day, this time driving an hour from one venue to another, the strong wind whipped my hair to the front like a thick curtain, which again was restricting my view. Lesson Two: always wear a woolly hat so restrain migrant hair. Bob’s love of motor cars spanned most of his life, starting with drag racing in the 80’s. I had no idea what this was at first… was this running around as fast as can be in a dress? However, soon learnt that this meant racing Hot Rods that achieved way beyond 200 mph down a quarter-mile raceway. At an incredible speed these nitromethane fuelled cars were fast! What? Why? And then there were the Jet cars, supercharged fuel-injected Jet cars using fuel made from kerosene (similar to diesel fuel) known as ‘Jet-A’, some capable of 22 exceeding 300 mph. Unlike other drag cars who race for class domination or championship points, these are only exhibition cars, really for people like me who wonder at the sound and sight. I really would like to see them! Back in the 80’s when New Wave dominated the charts, Bob had a car which was an American coupe made by a company called Willy-Overland Motors. This company had a history of producing a series of cars including sedans, coupes, station-wagons or pick up trucks. The coupe being the Hot Rod choice, and Bob’s car was named ‘Slick Willy’, the chassis original but the engine super-charged by a Hemi engine. To show me exactly what the sport was like we scooted off to the European Finals at Santa Pod near Wellingborough. I can only say the sound was absolutely deafening (ear defenders required), the cars and bikes colourfully decorated with beautiful eye-catching art, which spewed out volumes of smoke from their backsides and tyres. I finally saw the jet cars that looked like laid down rockets with huge shots of fire coming out of their rear end. The noise as they left the start line shook my insides like a road drill, the fire hot on my face, the roar and vibrations made my heart bounce as they took off down the raceway at an unbelievable lick. The last Saturday in September saw the Kop Hill Climb, a charitable day for classic car owners, where there is a steep hill climb in Princes Risborough. The climb was originally established in 1910, but due to a minor accident involving a spectator on the public road the event ceased on 28 March 1925. The RAC then banned all motorsport on public roads, making this climb the last. However, in 2009, Kop Hill has been the focus of an annual revival, run as a noncompetitive charity event. The hill length is 903 yards (826 metres) with a 1:6 gradient leading to a steep 1:4 at its steepest point. This revival now showcases cars and bikes that date back to the competitive era, as well as more modern cars of interest and heritage. We attended this day, both taking a turn to drive a passenger who paid a charitable donation, up the famous steep Kop Hill and then down the super steep hill stretch. One of the last car events of the year, and I reflect how much I have enjoyed all of them. Back home at Dells Cottage, the garden is made ready to embrace the chill of forthcoming winter, beds turned down and border pillows plumped. It was not an ideal summer which brought such drought, but it is amazing how a late autumn sprout of colour brought beauty at the eleventh hour. No cars are chasing around here, just the gentle hum of a distant motorway and the cows lowing on the Common. Kristina Perkins 23 Community Safety Consultation This message is sent on behalf of Buckinghamshire County Council Share your community safety concerns to help us keep Buckinghamshire safe The Safer Buckinghamshire Board is a local Community Safety Partnership that brings together experts from the police, fire service, probation, health and social care services. The Board develops an annual action plan to reduce crime in Buckinghamshire and help keep it a safe place to live and work. To develop this plan, the Safer Buckinghamshire Board is conducting an annual Community Safety survey to hear resident views on: -The impact of crime, anti-social behaviour, drug and alcohol issues where you live or work -Your experience of reporting crimes -How safe or unsafe you feel in Buckinghamshire The survey is open to anyone living or working in Buckinghamshire and will be running from Monday 5 September until Sunday 16 October. Have your say and complete the survey below for a chance to win a £100 supermarket voucher*: https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/communities/safety-2022/ The results of the survey will be combined with an analysis of all crimes that happen in the county to help Safer Bucks set priorities for the year. *Terms and Conditions apply Message Sent By Jo Howland (Police, Neighbourhood Policing Administrator, Aylesbury Vale) 24 25 8 September 2022 Letter from Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council Dear Resident, I hope you’ve managed to enjoy a good summer and have coped well with the hot, dry weather. As we move into autumn there’s one issue above all others that stands out and that, of course, is the current cost of living pressures, especially where energy and food bills are concerned. This is impacting everyone; businesses, residents and particularly those who are already struggling. I know for some households the prospect of what winter will bring is extremely worrying. I know many people are in need now and want to know what extra support is coming in the winter months. So today I’m letting you know about some of the actions your council will be taking to help residents with the cost of living. It’s a package of support that will continue to develop over the coming months and we will keep you updated throughout. Support available to those who need it Helping Hand Our Helping Hand team at the council offers advice, help and information to people who need it, including financial help to cover the food and energy costs to households in crisis, as well as helping with paying for other essentials like sanitary items and nappies. The team is available to help individuals or families in need, those on low incomes and those who are experiencing a financial emergency or crisis. Our Helping Hand programme provides support to local individuals and families who are experiencing financial hardship. If you need to contact the Helping Hand team, please call us on 01296 531 151 or by using our online contact form. The Helping Hand team is about to begin issuing food vouchers to some 8,000 pensioners in Buckinghamshire who are in receipt of Council Tax reduction or who have previously been 26 supported by Helping Hand; letters should be arriving with eligible households shortly to ensure there is support available to those who need it most. shortly to ensure there is support available to those who need it most. ‘Welcoming Spaces’ We will be joining forces with other organisations across Buckinghamshire to create a network of welcoming spaces this winter, to assist when the weather turns colder. Starting with our own libraries, these locations will provide a warm, welcoming and supportive space for anyone who needs it. Anyone who comes in from the cold will be welcomed and will be guaranteed respect, dignity and warmth; the aim is to offer a friendly ear and overall, to create places that help people save on their heating bills and that also offer advice and support. I’ll update on this initiative in the coming weeks. If you want to offer some space to form part of our network, find out how to add a facility to our list of welcoming spaces by getting in touch with your local community board manager. Information and advice Our fantastic network of volunteer groups and charity organisations plays a vital role in providing community support and specialist advice and information. We have created a ‘Cost of Living’ section on our website to make it easier to find the advice and information you need. You can also search our Family Information Service website for more information on the wider support and advice available to any households that need it We also have a number of incredible community projects that offer help in different ways. For example, take a look at the ‘Grow It, Cook It, Eat It’ project that the council supports. This offers local growing space for free for anyone to grow their own produce, plus any surplus goes towards local foodbanks, and anyone can also turn up to find out more about how to grow their own food, a fantastic initiative that both helps with the cost of food and is good for the health and environment. Local initiatives like this play a vital part in the overall general support available to residents who need a helping hand. As well as the council’s own cost of living actions, I do want to also underline the support also on offer from central government this winter. This is the current package already announced and we are watching out for further announcements this week now the new Prime Minister is in post. • Cost of Living payments to eligible residents in receipt of disability benefits will receive an £150 cost of living payment from next week (20 September). • All households in Great Britain will receive a £400 discount from their electricity bills this winter, which will be applied in six monthly instalments, automatically coming off bills, starting in October. • In addition to this, households on means tested benefits including Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Tax Credits will receive a Cost of Living payment of £650 this year. You can find out more about these payments on the government’s website and access wider information about the overall support available to households via their website – this contains information on transport and childcare costs too. And a final point; it’s useful to us all to do as much as we can to save energy, so do take a look at the websites of the main energy providers as they contain lots of valuable tips about how to save energy in the home. 27 How you can help Crisis fund With our partners Heart of Bucks, we have established a Crisis Fund to raise money to help Buckinghamshire families in need. We absolutely appreciate the rising costs are impacting everyone. We also know the incredible generosity that exists in Buckinghamshire and that in times of crisis, it drives many of our residents to want to help or offer financial assistance. So, with Heart of Bucks, for those in a position to do so, we are inviting people to donate what they can into this fund so the money can be best channelled to get support to the people in our communities who need it most. If you are in the fortunate position to give even a small amount or donate the government support if you feel you don’t need it yourself, please go to our ‘Cost of Living’ web pages to find out more and to donate to the Crisis Fund. Other ways to help There are also many other ways to make a difference; you can donate to a foodbank or community fridge or donate your time by volunteering. We have many wonderful local initiatives that are currently being staffed by volunteers such as the FoodCycle programme in Aylesbury, which offers a free three course healthy meal to anyone who needs it, once a week. You can also consider volunteering at Citizens Advice Bucks to help run this essential support service, at a time people are heavily relying on such important organisations. Take a look at their website to find out more. We still have guests from Ukraine arriving in Buckinghamshire too, so perhaps you have a spare room and can consider offering accommodation as part of the Homes for Ukraine programme. A monthly ‘thank you’ payment of £350 is available from the government; to find out more please check our website. You can access information on how to donate either money, food, or your time on our website. Regular updates I don’t doubt we are entering an extremely challenging winter, and I know for many people, it’s an anxious time. I hope this update helps outline the support the council is offering; we ourselves are not immune to the considerable hike in costs and I’ll also be updating you further on how you can also feed into our own budget planning for next year, in what will be a very difficult and turbulent economic climate. As ever, your input on how we spend your money is vital and is appreciated. It's my intention to keep you regularly updated in the coming weeks and months as we navigate this difficult time together and once again see our communities come together to support each other in the best way they can. Lastly, if you have a friend or family member in Buckinghamshire who doesn’t receive these residents’ newsletters, please suggest that they sign up for them on our website. It’s a great way of me keeping you in touch with the latest news. 28 Regeneration You would expect from me perhaps a recognition of the remarkable last month or so, and much, may I suggest a little too much, has been said of these events that have and will touch us all, even here in sleepy Dorney, suffering as we have with Covid, ‘smart’ motorways, lively local meetings, the demise of one prime minister and a never ending selection of a successor right through to the death of Queen Elizabeth, may God give her eternal rest. During all this I made some new friends recently when least expected, and my partner Cheryl and I were soon in comfortable conversations over an excellent dinner as if we’d known each other for years. They owned a dairy farm in Essex and the family dog Lauren, a golden Labrador, had the run of it. My eyes rudely started to glaze over since, as my regular reader may recall, I am not a dog person, except of course Floyd the police dog. Lauren the Lab suddenly went blind, but coped well in spite of it over months, albeit occasionally howling lonely. One of the cows gave birth as expected, but about twenty five minutes later, a second calf unexpectedly appeared. The baby cow was weak, and Mum didn’t want to know, so my new friends picked her up, carried her into the house, shooed Lauren out of her bed and laid the struggling calf in it. The wife then went off to prepare milk in a bottle and returned to find Lauren licking the calf clean and generally fussing over her with the calf seeming to respond. They became inseparable as the calf thrived until the sudden death of Lauren, but the happy ending is that the calf grew up to have calves of her own. “Ahhhh!” I hear you sigh. I did the same. Add the late Lauren to the list with Floyd. You may recall in a previous offering the story of Barbara Allen; specifically a World War 2 Allen scythe I rescued from a barn in which it had been buried under logs since 1984. It was given to me by an elderly uncle, and with wild enthusiasm, I brought it home and lovingly took the engine apart to find out why the ancient Villiers air cooled motorbike engine that had propelled it had failed to start in 1984. It sat in my little workshop for about a year with a box of bits sitting on the fuel tank, taking up far too much room, so much so that its digs were downgraded to a tarpaulin in the garden. Visions of cutting long grass at a friend’s pile soon faded, and there Barbara stayed, collecting dust and damp. 30 Some friends not in the first flush of youth are bravely raising their grandson who, like other boys, is fascinated by anything mechanical. like other boys, is fascinated by anything mechanical. Their garden is a treasure trove of broken lawn mowers, leaf blowers and small petrol-powered tools which he lovingly repairs and modifies. They are his life. Having fallen over Barbara Allen once too often, I had dark thoughts of scrap yards, when suddenly the realisation dawned on me. “Barbara and the boy are made for each other!” On a gloriously sunny day with an approving if reluctant nod from Grandma and Grandad, we three pumped up the tyres and wheeled her the short distance to their home; it’s a stone’s throw from me. The box of bits followed minus the lethal cutting bar I had removed and kept until later. I returned to my summer labours when about two hours later, the excited scream of “Mike!” echoed across the gardens followed by the “Phut phut phut phut,” of a WW2 motorbike engine followed by a little blue smoke. This twelve-year-old had it running, albeit in roughly two hours after a 38-year slumber. Next day we were invited to witness the repeated event in the company of a greasy faced lad with a broad grin. Regeneration twice in one month, and what a month to do it. We rang the bells at Dorney half muffled for our dead Queen, a haunting desperately sad sound that always makes my eyes water. I don’t suppose anyone heard it save the faithful who attended the Sunday service, but it was beautiful in its serenity and gets me every time. You won’t hear half muffled bells often, only the death of the monarch, or the local archbishop or a bell ringer. We also ring half muffled before and up to midnight to signify the death of the old year, and open for the birth of the new one. See you in the dark on 31st December around half past eleven. Stay safe. Mike Quincey 31 Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter Issue 2022/1 Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter Issue 2022/1 Neighbourhood Priorities Priority – Speeding This quarter our roads policing spent 17 hours during June and identified 340 offences across South Bucks and the fixed cameras have identified 55 offenders. During July they spent 22 hours conducting speed enforcement and identified 250 offences and the fixed camera caught 250 offenders. Neighbourhood spent a day monitoring the following locations in August where we spent 45 minutes at each location. Dropmore Road, Burnham where 85 vehicles passed the check site and the highest speed recorded was 36mph. Lake End Road, Dorney had 114 vehicles pass the check site with only two vehicles being recorded at 45mph. Marsh Lane, Taplow saw 27 vehicles with only one vehicle being recorded at a speed of 42mph. Priority – Burglary This quarter we have again seen a reduction in burglaries dropping from 20 to 11. To combat this we have increased our patrols around the following locations; Green Lane, Bingham Road, Burnham. Hag Hill Rise, Taplow and Harcourt Road, Dorney. Fairfield Lane, Home Meadow and Forge Drive Farnham Common. To continue to combat this we have been carrying out proactive operations which specifically floods rural and cross border areas of the LPA with proactive patrols during peak offending times. This has helped us to detect crime and apprehend cross border offenders who use arterial routes to enter our policing area and to protect residents living within South Buckinghamshire. Please remember these tips to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of burglary especially as the nights are now drawing in. • Cut back your shrubs and hedges to aid visibility • Set timer switches to turn your lights on when away • Avoid leaving valuables in plain view e.g. laptops and tablets • Set any house alarms • Lock side gates to prevent access to the rear of your property • Keep any tools and ladders stored safely away in a locked garage • Don’t advertise that you are away and that your home is empty, by ‘checking in’ or posting your holiday snaps on social media • Resist uploading any holiday pictures to social media until you have returned home • Don’t leave windows open at the front of your property when you are in the garden Please take a look at Thames Valley Police Website for further crime prevention advice or contact your local Neighbourhood Team. 32 Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter Issue 2022/1 Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter Issue 2022/1 Priority – Anti-Social Behaviour This quarter due to the heatwave we have concentrated our efforts around our waterways where we have been raising awareness around water safety. We have carried out daily patrols around the Jubilee and River Thames as well as joint river boat patrols with the Environment Agency. In August we held two water safety events at River Road, Taplow and on the Jubilee River at Lake End Road, Dorney with Bucks and Berks Fire and Rescue where they demonstrated various water rescues, how to float to live and even showed some residents how to throw a life ring which proved harder than it looked. Over the summer we have also seen an increase of reports of mopeds and dirt bikes riding at speed around Burnham Park. PCSO’s have been patrolling the park on a daily basis and this resulted in one male being seen riding around the park and he received a S59 warning for his behaviour, if he is seen again the bike will be seized. The Neighbourhood team are also working with the Parish Council to look at other options to prevent the bikes accessing the park. After reports of a homeless male camping in Taplow and begging at Sainsbury’s where he was causing concerns to members of the public and the local farm where he had set up camp. PCSO’s worked jointly with the land owner, Sainsbury’s and Outreach to give the male support, and he was also issued a Community Protection Warning in relation to the begging. This has resulted in the male moving on. A male was seen by local residents riding a moped on the footpath around Taplow Village after providing detailed information the Neighbourhood team were able to locate the individual and issued him a S59 warning. Other News During routine patrols in the evenings around Amerden Lane, Taplow PCSO’s came across a vehicle parked up and a very strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle. Upon stop search of the individuals cannabis was found and two people were issued community resolutions for possession of cannabis. Have Your Say Events We have now started our Have Your Say events again so please keep an eye on our social media where we will advertise where we will be. In addition to overcome gatherings we have identified areas for us to be present, visible and whilst completing our never-ending paperwork. We want the areas to be key points in each community where people are able to see us safely, varying times throughout the month and locations. Due to various reasons, on demand, operationally commitments and to prevent large gatherings we will not be publishing times and dates. however we wish to make the community aware of these locations and if you see a Police vehicle or officer at these locations, we are there for you to speak to us, please come and say hello and help us identify any concerns you have or any information, you may feel will assist us. Dorney – The Dorney Lake Car Park off Court Lane 33 Dorney History Group The Dorney History Group has no meetings, currently, but it has a wealth of information about Dorney’s past on its website: www.dorney-history-group.org.uk, with over 18,000 web visitors each year. Eton Wick History Group www.etonwickhistory.co.uk The Eton Wick History Group has been meeting regularly since 1992. Eton Wick and the surrounding area is rich in history and the village has a heritage dating back to 1217. Meetings are held at 7.30 pm in Eton Wick Hall, Eton Wick, and everyone is welcome. Refreshments are served, and there is a charge of £2.00 to cover costs. Visitors and new members are always very welcome. 2022 Programme 26 October ‘Nancy Astor & The Cliveden Set’ with Mr Nigel Smales 14th December ‘The Fights over Cookham Commons (1799-1852)’ with Mr Keith Parry Further details from: Teresa Stanton teresams35@virginmedia.com Hedgerley Historical Society www.hedgerleyhistoricalsociety.org Hedgerley Historical Society (HHS) was founded in 1976. All evening meetings begin promptly at 8pm, unless otherwise stated. Arrival from 7.30pm is advised. In Hedgerley Memorial Hall, Kiln Lane, Hedgerley Buckinghamshire SL2 3UZ 2022 October 1st (Saturday 10am – 4pm) BLHN Conference 2022 Education in Buckinghamshire – Bookings via BAS website October 9th (Sunday) Guided Tour of Eton £15. Closing date 21st Sep Meet 11am Eton Visitor Centre SL4 6AA October 19th Beckonscot Photographic Archive Cathy Sturrock ZOOM October 29th (Saturday 12pm – 3pm) Autumn Lunch and Walking Forward, Looking Back Members only Booking required £17 – Closing date 19th October Talk at 2pm – Free admission D Latham November 16th Tales of a House Detective Marian Miller ZOOM December 21st From Source to Sea Tom Chesshyre ZOOM 34 35 36 Dorney Parish News Published monthly (except January and August) Editors: Peter Bowman, Tumbleweeds, 12, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODU peter.bowman@talktalk.net Tel: 07889 912714 Jean Spencer, Dorincourt, 45, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODT Tel: 01628 624213 Editorial Board: The Editors, Bill Dax, Thea Pine Production: Bill Dax Tel: 07802 365448 Distributors: Mr Cobb, Mrs Cox, Mrs Leishman, Mrs McCabe, Mr McGuinness, Mrs Oxlade, Mr Penfold, Mrs Stockwood, Mr Temple Miss Snook, Mrs Tuddenham, Mrs Tyler, Mrs Wood-Dow RATE OF SUBSCRIPTION: £5 per annum for 10 issues The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of correspondents expressed in letters or articles published in this magazine. Advertising in Dorney Parish News Dorney Parish News is an A5 newsletter that is circulated monthly (except January and August) to residents and businesses in Dorney Village, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End. Our current print run is 250. Estimated readership is around 400 people. There are approximately 300 residential properties in Dorney Parish. Rate Card: Advertising Rates Height mm Width mm 10 issues 1 issue Full Page 190 130 £90 £12 Half Page 90 130 £50 £7 Third of a page (Horizontal) 60 130 £45 £6 Quarter Page (Horizontal) 45 130 £40 £5 Contact: Peter Bowman, Editor peter.bowman@talktalk.net 07889 912714 37 SUSAN HANDYDANCE A Complete Dance Training FREE TRIAL CLASS BABY BALLET 18 MONTH+ PRIMARY BALLET PRIMARY MODERN PRIMARY TAP ACROBATIC ARTS BALLET BODY CONDITIONING CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE DANCE GCSE DANCE MODERN JAZZ TAP ADULT BALLET STRETCH ADULT BALLET ADULT CONTEMPORARY ADULT BEGINNERS TAP ADULT INTERMEDIATE TAP BOYS CLASSES FROM BABIES TO ADULTS W W W . S U S A N H A N D Y D A N C E . C O . U K ETON WINDSOR DATCHET OLD WINDSOR ETON WICK ICKENHAM WOKING RICHMOND office@susanhandydance.co.uk / 07515 270432 BHS &ABRS Approved Riding School and Pony Club Centre Ri:ling School & Liverv Elm Farm, Boveney Road, Dorney Common NrWindsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QD We are a family run Riding School based on Dorney Common established for over 40 years! • Qualified lnstructors • Lessons available from 7 years upwards • Pony Rides available for children as young as 4. • We offer very popular Birthday parties • Large Indoor and Outdoor schools • Pony Club and Own a Pony activity days • Open 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday Gift Vouchers available through the website For bookings and enquiries please call us on 01628 661275 www.spanishbit.co.uk Dorney Parish News November 2022 World War l – St James’ Church World War ll – Memorial Ground ISSUE NO. 9/22 NOVEMBER 2022 EDITORIAL A neighbour rang the other day. Inevitably conversation turned to one of those local items. The sort that turns up in the pages of this magazine. Probably it was concerning the interminable M4 Smart motorway project – oops, sorry ‘digital motorway’. I keep forgetting. So as to be better informed I turned to the National Highways website. The name change was explained in paragraph after paragraph of technobabble. It seems that digital roads will deliver an ‘enhanced customer experience for all’. Well, those that survive the journey, I suppose. It’s interesting that we’re not ‘drivers’ or ‘passengers’ anymore but ‘customers’. But they do ‘support growth’, so we wouldn’t want to be anti-growth. I digress earlier than normal. We both agreed that it seemed strange to talk about small, local, or ‘parochial’ if you like, issues. For months it seems we have been witnesses to history be it royal transitions or unprecedented convulsions at Westminster – not to mention war in Europe or deepening worldwide recession. But cheer up, as the song says, things can only get better. I hope this magazine can always avoid party political controversy, but I sometimes wonder how those politicians on all sides who behave so abominably at PMQs or prioritise factional fighting can sleep at night knowing the problems which beset us all in our day to day to living. In a recent issue Mike Quincey raised the issues of day centre closures and we thank Lesley Honey-Green for picking up so spiritedly on that topic from personal experience. It was also good to hear of some public policies within Bucks that might be said to work. An encouraging development is the adoption by the Parish Council of the ambition to create a Neighbourhood Plan. The notion of a working group with potentially wide membership around the Parish reporting to the PC on the priorities held by residents going forwards has much promise. I’m not sure how much of a precedent it is but I have the 2005 Parish Plan, along with the 2009 update, on my desk beside me. The issues raised then flowed from a village Appraisal Questionnaire circulated earlier in the century. I wonder if a similar exercise would be repeated. One finding I do recall was that Court Lane was voted the favourite village feature. Returning to the idea of everyday matters, I read somewhere that the way to keep well balanced in these hard times was to develop a ‘sense of wonder’. For me the best source of that is great writing. I’ve discovered an American novelist, Elizabeth Strout, who chronicles the everyday lives of the citizens of modest communities in New England. She was expected to win the Booker Price this year but didn’t. No, we’re not introducing book reviews but while Elizabeth’s name must have filtered into my consciousness via the book pages, the actual discovery was in the ‘library’ which is to be found, when it hasn’t been mysteriously stripped bare, in the Harcourt Road telephone box. Thanks to whoever deposited a book of hers there. I like the idea of finding ‘wonder’ in a humble, redundant GPO facility. Services in the Local Churches St James the Less, Dorney St. John the Baptist, Eton Wick St. John the Evangelist, Eton Vicar: Revd. La Stacey, The Vicarage, 69a Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6NE Tel: 01753 852268 email: revlastacey@gmail.com For information about our churches, activities and church history please see our parishes’ web site: www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk RCCG Praise Embassy, Haywards Mead, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6JN Pastor: Olusegun Omotayo 07712 126334 www.rccgchurchatslough.com Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Burnham Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Udoh, M.S.P. 01628 605764 Rev La Stacey writes: Our bible story in church this week was the parable of the unjust judge. You know the one? Jesus is telling his disciples not to give up and encouraging them to be like the widow who keeps coming to the judge with her plea. His judgements are unjust, but the widow persists, and in the end, gets justice through her perseverance. It just so happens that I was sitting in front of a judge this week. I’m very sure he wasn’t an unjust judge, but the decision we were appealing against had felt unjust. The policy about school transport in RBWM is not easy to understand. Parents in Eton Wick can get caught out because the ‘nearest school’ for application purposes is not the same as the ‘nearest school’ for school transport purposes. Recent changes in transport policy mean that if you get it wrong, you could end up paying £702 per year for the school bus for your child when you didn’t expect to. I felt great sympathy for people who find themselves on the painful end of a decision. You need a lot of energy to keep making appeals, navigating computer forms, trying to get through telephone systems, negotiating the traffic along the A4 to get to a hearing… and this wasn’t a life-threatening situation. What about people who are trying to combat the injustice of something that is deeply damaging for society as a whole, like the repression of women in Iran or Afghanistan, how much more difficult is that? And dangerous? How do you persevere and continue to stand up for those who get caught in the cogs of a system and get squashed? We were thinking about gospel music and the songs that the people caught in slavery used to sing. ‘Tell Old Pharoah to let my people go’, ‘I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield down by the riverside, I ain’t gonna study war no more’, ‘O Mary don’t you weep’ and so on: powerful words of scripture turned into song which gave oppressed people courage to withstand until eventually an unjust system was changed. Who knows when we might need such courage again? The story of Jesus will always speak courage to the oppressed and challenge the oppressor. Church Services in November 2022 Wednesday 2nd November 10.00am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 6th November 9.30 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Any Age Service St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 13th November (Remembrance) 9.15am Holy Communion with Remembrance St James the Less, Dorney 10.55am Remembrance Service St John the Evangelist, Eton 3.00pm Remembrance Service with scouts St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 16th November 10.00am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 20th November 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Morning Worship St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 27th November 9.30am Morning Worship St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St Mary Magdalene, Boveney This beautiful church on the Thames is open daily. Christmas Advent Service by Candlelight -1500hrs on Sunday, 11th December 2022 www.st-mary-magdalene-boveney.org.uk Benefice of Eton with Eton Wick & Boveney & Dorney Service of remembrance St James the Less Dorney November 13th starting 9:15 am in graveyard Get in touch: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities “Pupils are highly successful in their academic achievement.” ISI 2022 Conveniently located in Old Windsor Get in touch: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities “Pupils are highly successful in their academic achievement.” ISI 2022 Conveniently located in Old Windsor Join us for Coffee Morning Every Wednesday 10:30am to Midday in the Church Room St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Everyone welcome! Benefit advice and help with filling in forms every 1st Wednesday of the month www.crocus.co.uk Better Lives 2022-2025, a Strategy for the Future of Adult Social Care in Buckinghamshire I began to write this article in early September, but these tumultuous times have delayed my further thoughts until now. When reading the September edition of the Dorney Parish News, I was spurred on by Mike Quincey’s article ‘Theresa’ in relation to his concerns regarding the closure of day centres for adults with learning disabilities. His final comment, that society is judged by the way it cares for those less able to look after themselves, made me reflect on my personal experience of these concerns. My daughter Jeni has multiple complex learning disabilities, and a sense of belonging is of the essence for her well-being. I started my teaching career in 1971; and with 38 years of experience in twelve very different Primary schools/ Early Years settings but have always believed in the ethos that for every school there is a community and I extend my view to the day centre setting as a community for my daughter and her friends. The closure of day centres as well as respite care mainly due to financial pressures and bankrupt councils, as well as the constraints of Covid, leaves vulnerable adults without a community, a place to go. I wonder why it’s the vulnerable that lose out first, sometimes with little warning, leaving families in despair. When my husband Colin (sadly passed away) and I moved to Dorney Reach over 37 years ago, we hoped to make this our home for life. Ben was born in 1985 and Jeni arrived in 1987, making her entrance in an ambulance by the Sycamore tree outside our house and bringing with her a range of disabilities. How family life changed at that point! Jeni has needed special support all of her life. Dorney Reach has always been a supportive and caring community with many kind friends and neighbours. The local community were amazing in helping out, as well as families of Ben’s classmates at Dorney School. Sadly some of our local community have passed away or moved on. A paediatrician very early on in Jeni’s life suggested that if we moved a couple of miles down the road to Maidenhead, the multi-services she required could be met through a single Council authority. However our preference was to stay where we were, keeping Maidenhead in postcode terms only. Thus begun a liaison with a network of services, meeting and interacting with many pro-active professionals and amazing people who went ‘the further mile’ for Jeni. I cannot begin to explain in this article the masses of people who have been involved in making Jeni’s life important. In the same edition of the Dorney Parish News, the article ‘Buckinghamshire Council and Orchard Herbs: A tragedy of errors’, suggested that the time may have arrived to opt to move into the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead as the new Unitary Council had made no change to the concern. Whilst I fully endorse the sentiment regarding the Orchard Herbs battle, I must highly commend the effective strategies being implemented for the future of Adult Social Care in Buckinghamshire, through the ‘Better Lives’ focus. When Buckinghamshire became a Unitary Authority, the two long-standing issues were addressed for vulnerable adults with learning disabilities, these identified as day centres and respite care provision. The support offered changed to a geographical footprint North, East, Central and South. The day centres became known as ‘Short Breaks’ reflecting a respite care approach for carers, but also offering a range of activities based on the individual client’s abilities and strengths. Jeni has been attending the day centre (now Burnham Short Breaks) since 2007. In the past there have been on-going concerns as to the likelihood of closure when it was part of South Bucks, but as a Unitary Authority, it seems that provision has now gained equal status to other areas. The gains for Jeni have been considerable. She has an almost bespoke existence! Should our local area become part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Jeni as a vulnerable adult could be added to Mike Quincey’s list. We already reside in a mishmash of boundaries in the area and have to find a successful way forward. Jeni requires 24/7 care to meet her needs and care to give her a good quality of life. She is fortunate to receive an appropriate care and funding package provided through Buckinghamshire. Lesley Honey-Green *** Two War Memorials, seventeen names. Our front cover this month features Dorney’s two war memorials. Between them, the memorials commemorate 17 brave men with strong connections to this village. In St James the Less in Dorney is a memorial plaque honouring 5 men who died in the Great War. Maybe that list is mercifully brief. It is on a brass plate on a litany desk or kneeler. In the Memorial Garden in the heart of the village is another plaque with the names of a further 12 casualties, this time from World War 2. I have always believed that it was not common for the public remembrance in a village to be more extensive for 1939-45 than for the earlier conflict. Can anyone confirm that? In recent times, Virginia Silvester and myself have published several articles in Dorney Parish News detailing what is known about each of the war dead from Dorney. Much of this information is collated on the Dorney History Group website with further input from Bill Dax. Please visit the site for more information about two world wars and much else besides. Can we relate these names to a recognisable Dorney of today? Two Poolman brothers, Percy and Albert died in the Great War. Their father had been a shepherd at Pigeon House Farm. The 1901 census had Percy living at ‘Dorney Village Cottage’. Albert lived before the war with a wife and children at 1 Vicarage Cottages. Bertie Belcher, a farm labourer, had lived at Manor Cottages, Dorney Common. Richard Vernon Cholmondeley, who was killed in 1940 in France, had settled in 1938 in the Old Pond House, Dorney and with wife Margaret raised two young daughters there. Percy Evins who was killed in 1944 had lived with his parents at Sunnyside on Boveney Road before he enlisted in the Royal Sussex Regiment. His father, Percy Snr, later became one of the founder members of the Dorney Memorial Society which was set up to look after the memorial gardens. I wonder if any other similar church memorials bear the name of the vicar’s own (and only) son. Revd Moriarty had become vicar in 1914 (the family then moved from Devon) and his son James Moriarty, a Lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery died in France in 1915. Early in the conflict, ‘Jack’ Moriarty was mentioned in dispatches & returned home to recuperate from wounds. It seems he then sketched a design for a stained-glass window, which remains in St James to this day. Early in the Great War, a shepherd named James Eustace was living in Dorney at Court Farm Cottages. His son Robert Eustace had emigrated to Canada to farm and had become a Canadian citizen. He enlisted in Moose Jaw, joining the Saskatchewan Regiment. He returned to Dorney to recuperate from wounds, died in hospital and is buried in St James churchyard. Where did they see service? Andrew Clinch was a Colonel with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and died in 1942 in Malta. Reginald Leslie was a RAF Wing Commander who died in 1943, having been awarded a DFC alongside other decorations and is buried in Tunisia. John McCartney was a lieutenant with the Indian Armoured Corps in the Burma campaign – killed in 1945 he is buried in Myanmar. William Poole whose parents were from Taplow was killed in Germany two months before World War 2 ended and is buried there. Benjamin Rolfe, also with parents from Taplow was a gunner with the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry and died in Holland in 1944. Edwin Sprackling was with the Royal Army Service Corps in Germany and died barely a week from the end of the second war. Harold Stevens was with the RAF in North Africa and died in 1941. Harold Thomas was with the Royal Navy on HMS Ullswater and died in 1942. Peter Ingram, also with Taplow parents, was with the RAFVR. He died in 1941 and has no known grave. Alan Comyn was a Royal Marine Commando and died in 1942. Going back to the Great War, Percy Poolman died in Belgium and his brother Albert was a prisoner of war who was buried in Kassel, Germany. Bertie Belcher fought in Mesopotamia, and he is buried in Amara, Iraq. James Moriarty is buried near Calais. Thinking again of World War 2, Richard Cholmondeley was killed in France and Percy Evins died in the bloody battle of Monte Cassino, Italy. The Dorney War Memorial was created in the early 1950s on the south side of Village Road, adjoining Dorney Common. The site was originally a large pond. The twelve oak trees planted on the site commemorate those twelve fallen servicemen who died in World War 2. The Dorney Memorial Society was set up in 1954 to help Dorney Parish Council to care and tend throughout the years to come for the War Memorial ‘with pride as a fitting and enduring token of their esteem for their fallen parishioners who gave their lives for their country in the War’. It is not known when the Society disbanded but the conservation of the War Memorial is now managed by Dorney Parish Council. In 1996 the War Memorial Ground was refurbished and in 2016 local resident Jeff Day repainted the lettering on the War Memorial stone. Two other names are memorialised in Dorney. Lieutenant Courtney Trace Lindsay is buried in St James graveyard and his grave is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. He died in 1916 at Burnham Abbey which we believe was acting as a hospital in the Great War. He is buried in Dorney, but his name is on the Burnham memorial. The Friends of St Mary Magdalene, Boveney are particularly proud of the memory of Lance Corporal Frank Church, a choir boy at the church and a scout master in Eton Wick before the Great War. A plaque commemorates his death during the Battle of the Somme having bravely volunteered to bring in the wounded from no-man’s land. Peter Bowman Update from the National Highways M4 Junctions 3 to 12 upgrade project Overall, the project is due for completion by the end of this year, and we expect to switch the eastern section of the M4 from Junctions 3 to 8/9 back to the national speed limit imminently. We would like to thank the local community for their patience while we have carried out this work over the last few years. Marsh Lane bridge A further programme of work is required in order to replace expansion joints on several of the new bridges that the project has installed. Expansion joints allow the concrete on bridges to expand and contract with the temperature in order to avoid cracking. On these structures, including Marsh Lane bridge, we have identified some performance issues within the installed expansion joints and these require correction before the winter. There's no impact on the safety of the bridge but local drivers may have noticed bumps on the joins between the bridge and the local road -that's part of what we need to address. There will need to be five overnight full closures of the bridge for this work. The closures will start at approximately 20:00 and finish by 06:00. A diversion route will be in place for vehicular traffic utilising Lake End Road bridge, while pedestrian access will be maintained along Marsh Lane. This will be in November, and we'll write to the local community, the school and the parish council to update you on the precise dates. Planting It was a very difficult summer for anyone with a garden or who is trying to look after plants, but on the M4 upgrade project we faced a huge issue from the lack of rain as we were trying to establish thousands of young trees and plants. Our first big planting season for the eastern half of the scheme was over the autumn / winter of 2021 / 2022 and as you probably saw we suffered from significant loss of saplings and seedlings over the course of a very intense heatwave in the Summer. The good news is that the project's landscaping and arboricultural contractors Tihill (www.tilhill.com/) have responsibility for maintaining the planting for 5 years after completion of the project. This includes replacing trees and plants as required every year to ensure sufficient coverage. Naturally this planting will take time to establish, and we are at the early stages of this process. The team is soon to start the new planting season for 2022 / 2023 -hopefully next year will be a milder summer. Despite the issues, nature is quite resilient and with the return of decent amounts of rain, quite a lot of the planting is re-emerging alongside the natural growth that establishes itself. Pedestrian access from Trumpers Field We are also about to start construction of the pedestrian ramp that will provide more convenient and step free access from the field to the pedestrian route along the motorway to the River Thames. This should be complete by the end of the Autumn. Nick Cooper, Engagement and Communications Manager to the M4 project www.dorneylake.co.ukAdults -£19.95Under 3's -£6.9515 Christmas at Dorney Lake Festive events for all the family, join us at Dorney Lake to celebrate the magic of the season Christmas Parties Celebrate the festive season with one of the most unique Christmas parties in Berkshire. Enjoy a fresh take on the traditional with our festive street food market stalls serving range of cuisines from Scandinavian and Bavarian delicacies to delicious sweet treats. You can also enjoy a tipple from our gin bar, fun casino, live DJ, and more. Shared Christmas Party, Saturday 10th December 2022 £55 per person Exclusive Christmas Parties, November and December 2022 £65 per person Breakfast with Santa Saturday 17th December Both children and adults can enjoy a hearty and delicious breakfast, with activities for the kids and of course, a very special visit from the man himself. Children (aged 3 to 13 years) -£14.95 Festive Afternoon Tea Sunday 18th December The classic indulgence with a festive twist. Enjoy sweet treats and savoury delights whilst overlooking our 400 acres of grounds & rowing course. Adult Afternoon Tea -£23.95 Prosecco upgrade + £5.50pp Junior Afternoon Tea -£13.95 info@dorneylake.co.uk | 01753 832756 | The Studios School Lights Up Dorney Village Hall Something rather special, and in my opinion, rather inspiring, is happening in Dorney’s own Village Hall twice weekly. ‘What I really want to teach here is kindness.’ Those were the words of Corinne Carlisle, Principal of the Studios School of Performing Arts. That ambition was expressed when Dorney Parish News visited one of her classes. Thursday evening is when the Youth Classes for boys and girls aged 12 to 18 take place between 6.00 and 7.30pm while on Saturday mornings between 9am and midday there is the Performing Arts School. The Thursday evening classes cover ‘everything drama’ and the teaching is by very experienced industry professionals. Those who attend the Saturday School can chose from a menu of courses including Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre with classes running simultaneously. We recommend that those interested in finding out more – and you should! – consult the school’s website or Facebook pages for details of timings, fees (which can include sibling discounts) and the courses on offer. Corinne says she’s proud to have six members of staff and one of those experienced teachers was taking the class as we talked to Corinne. Drama tutor Barry Callan was as passionate about the aims of the classes as was Corinne. Barry, who has years of experience in drama workshops and youth theatre, plus being a renowned theatrical academic, told me how he had been working with the ‘teens’ attending the Thursday class in imagining themselves in various scenario’s he had drawn from John Buchan’s ‘Thirty-Nine Steps’. On that evening, there was no doubt the participants were having the time of their lives. Although Corinne has much experience of drama coaching, she readily assured us that this is ‘not a stage school’. The benefits which could flow from her classes were many, and she believed this was particularly true as young people put the experience of lockdowns behind them. Supportive friendly classes can improve selfconfidence, overcome anxiety and teach new skills while, of course, making friends and having lots of fun. Corinne is fond of saying that the classes help her youngsters to ‘shake off the week’. She quoted many examples of how individual participants had blossomed and thrived, socially and even academically. The Thursday evening classes often linked into GCSE and A Level set texts such as Shakespeare while preparation classes for LAMDA exams could be included in the Saturday sessions. It’s very exciting when Corinne talks of the future of drama in Dorney. She rates our Village Hall highly as a venue – her classes have moved down from Taplow fairly recently. She can foresee shows being put on for residents. She has an ambition to extend her classes to adults – I think I’d sign up! There’s more good work to be done – young people’s usage of social media could be made safer and more positive by training in enhancing their online presence via creative video blogs and the like. Corinne grew up in Dorney. Her parents continue to live here. Many will remember her as Corinne Comer appearing in drama events while a pupil at Dorney School. She told us how happy she was to come back to Dorney and especially the Village Hall. She remembers that back then the Village Hall was indeed the school hall, and she recalls filing out of one building to take her place in the next-door building. Corinne has had a lengthy and very varied career in many aspects of theatre and TV. She has excelled in everything from Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Regan in King Lear with the Cambridge Shakespeare Company to being a guest presenter on shopping channel QVC. She has worked with Bill Kenwright at the Theatre Royal Windsor and appeared in TV commercials. She told me that she had played in Snow White many times and has taught at film school and been an agent. It's great to have the Studios School active in Dorney. It’s lovely to have Corinne back in her home village. It’s a matter of pride that such events are going on in the Village Hall. But best of all is the obvious joy that Corinne’s classes bring to those young people who take part in them. Peter Bowman Dorney Playground Management Committee – what do we do? A few people have said to us that they don’t really understand how the playground works, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to explain. Dorney playground is situated in Trumpers Field, outside Dorney School and next to Dorney Village Hall. It is managed by a group of people known as the ‘Dorney Playground Management Group’. The idea of a children’s play area was first suggested in May 2008, and a Management Group – a group of volunteering mums and dads – was established as an independent charity. After thousands of voluntary hours, £170,000 of fundraising and numerous successful grant applications, the playground was established. The responsibilities now include the playground equipment, the picnic tables and benches in the playground area, the MUGA (Multi-use games area) and the tennis court. This Management Group is totally independent of the Parish Council and is fully responsible for all costs, including maintenance, inspection and repairs. However, we do work closely with Dorney Parish Council and appreciate their support (please see point 3 below). We would also like to thank the Dorney Village Hall Committee for their support. The Village Hall provides us with a room from which to run the tuck shop. They have also agreed to let us use the Village Hall for our Halloween Party at no cost. So, what do we do? Our main responsibility is to keep the playground, MUGA and tennis court in a good and safe condition. A member of the group will do a weekly playground check which includes picking up any litter, emptying the bins if required and a general check of all equipment. Anything that needs doing is noted and arrangements are made to get the work done. A more detailed three-month check is done, and once a year we pay PlayDale to do a professional playground check. In order to keep the playground, MUGA and tennis court in good condition, the Management Group are also responsible for fund raising. We have three potential sources of income. 1. We open a tuck shop (sited in Dorney Village Hall) every school day between the beginning of the summer term – normally April – to October half term, between 3.15 and 4.00ish. All profits from the Tuck Shop go into the Playground fund. 2. We try to do an end of year summer party and Halloween party, with all profits going to the Playground fund 3. We apply for grants and awards. This year Dorney Parish Council gave us £200 to buy a barbecue to use at the parties and they also pay the public liability insurance for the playground as part of their own DPC insurance. We are very grateful for this as, if the Management Group had to take out this as a single insurance, it would be much more expensive. In the year ending 2021, the total income for the year was £2066.00, with an expenditure of £2807, so on a year-to-year basis, without grants, we can only maintain the playground as it is. The i-play in the playground is no longer working (that’s the structure in the playground that says hello to you when you pass by). It has been ‘repaired’ several times but keeps breaking down. The Management Group would like to have it removed and replaced by another swing structure but the overall cost will be about £25000. In order to do this, we will need to get some grants, but these are becoming more difficult to get and, as a new committee, we are finding this quite challenging! So, if there is anyone out there who has experience of raising funds, or who doesn’t mind trying – your help would be appreciated. You don’t have to become a trustee of the charity unless you want to. So if you would like to be part of the Playground Group, either as a trustee, or just a supporter, please contact me and you will be welcomed with open arms. Dorney Playground Management Group -Ettie Brand 07737053409 Email: Playground4Dorney@gmail.com BELOW STAIRS The Victorian era was the heyday of employment of domestic servants in Britain. In 1851, three quarters of a million women and about 100,000 men worked in private domestic service in England and Wales. From the great households with a hierarchy of flunkies to the lone drudge in a middle-class semi, anyone who could afford it provided themselves with help in the home. Dorney, a small agricultural village, was no different. Who were these servants and what were their lives like? There were no great mansions in Dorney, but at the top end of the scale in 1851 were two households which would have been considered the homes of gentlemen. At Dorney Court, the Palmers were served by a footman, a cook and two housemaids living in the house. Thomas Panther, who was probably their coachman, and several gardeners lived elsewhere in the village. Like Dorney Court, the Vicarage had no young children at this time, and their household was even more modest – cook, footman, coachman and gardener. Probably someone living in the village would have come in to clean. Typically for gentlemen’s servants, these staff were predominantly not local and had been born all over the country – Northants, Banbury, London, Egham, Shrewsbury, Hampshire. Several of the young men found their brides while living in Dorney. Live-in staff were expected to remain single although exceptions could be made – the cook at the Vicarage was married but had to live apart from her husband. Marriage was an easier option for outdoor servants such as coachmen and gardeners who lived in separate accommodation. For some, this job would be a stepping-stone in a career in service, moving on after a period of years to a better paid or more senior position. Others changed occupation. The footman at Dorney Court went on to work as a porter, a coachman and a painter. The gardener at the Vicarage, who originally came from near Aylesbury, moved to London and became a hay salesman, ending up with two servants of his own. The remaining servants in Dorney in 1851 all came from the local area, some from Dorney itself, others from Eton Wick, Wooburn, White Waltham and so on. Joseph Trumper, a large local tenant farmer, employed three young women to help his wife with their five young children. Two other farmers had 6 or 8 farmworkers living in, and each employed a middle-aged unmarried woman to cook and clean for the household. For these women, their jobs provided accommodation and food as well as a wage. Sometimes circumstances meant that even less well-off households had to employ help. Richard Curtis was a farm worker, widowed with three young children, and he had taken on an older unmarried woman as housekeeper. Eliza Bunce was also widowed, with three very young children, and needed help because she worked as a laundress. Her house servant was Elizabeth Burnham, aged only 11. Another young girl, aged 14, worked for blacksmith George Hawkins, probably to help look after his four young children. Both these teenaged girls were luckier than their counterparts in big cities, because their families were living nearby. There were several laundresses living in Dorney at this time and some if not all did laundry for Eton College. Maybe it was this connection which enabled Elizabeth Burnham to move on to a job as kitchen maid at the College before she married. The pattern of domestic service in 1861 was very similar, although only two servants who had been working in Dorney in 1851 were still there ten years later. The main difference was at the Vicarage, where the new vicar, Lambert Edwards, had dispensed with the genteel trappings of his predecessor and employed only two housemaids to assist his wife in looking after three young children and catering for four students also living there. Unusually, the lady’s maid at Dorney Court was a local girl, Harriet Hazell, and aged only 19. A lady’s maid was expected to be skilled at fine sewing and hairdressing and would typically have had previous experience in a different role. But Harriet was the daughter of a gardener at the Court and must have come to the notice of the Palmers as a suitable individual. She was obviously successful, as in 1871 she was working for the Dowager Lady Palmer at Dorney House, alongside the cook Matilda Shaw who had also previously worked at Dorney Court, and Harriet’s older brother Henry who was Lady Palmer’s coachman. Their father William Hazell was still a gardener at Dorney Court. Harriet’s brother George also worked as a gardener on the estate as a boy and their sister Anne was Joseph Trumper’s housemaid in 1861. There were no fewer than four coachmen in Dorney in 1871 and none remained so long term. Henry Hazell had been in service in London in 1861 and later moved back there, working first as a cabman and then a gardener. James North was born in Dorney where he was a carter on a farm before obtaining a post as coachman to a wealthy incomer. After marriage, he settled in Lake End and worked on farms and as a gardener. In a sign of changing times, in 1901 his son-in-law was a motor driver. William Keepence came from Wiltshire where he was a groom and then a farm worker, before moving to Burnham where he also kept a beer house for a time. After a spell as coachman at Dorney Court he returned to Burnham and labouring work. Charles Wyeth was born in Basingstoke and started his working life as a farm worker and then a bricklayer’s labourer in Reading. For some years he was a coachman or groom, but spent his later years working in a biscuit factory in Reading. For all these men, domestic service was an interlude rather than a career, in contrast to Thomas Panther who was in service his whole life. Decent wages plus tips meant that a lifelong gentlemen’s servant could save towards a comfortable retirement. Susannah Hazell, mother to Harriet and Henry and widow of William, was housekeeper at Dorney Court in 1881, but was able to be self-supporting when she retired, in an era long before old age pensions. She was the only servant in the house at that time because the Palmer family was elsewhere, in St John’s Wood with a cook, two housemaids and a German governess. In 1901 the Palmers were at Dorney Court, with six indoor servants – housekeeper; two parlour maids who would have answered the door and served meals in the absence of a footman; a housemaid; and two kitchen maids. Their ages were very young – the oldest was the housemaid at 29 and the two kitchen maids were only 14. The gardener lived in the garden cottage and the coachman/groom in the coachman’s cottage. By 1901 the number of domestic servants in private households in England and Wales had risen to one and a half million and remained the main occupation for working women. For many girls, it provided a job and a grounding in the skills needed to run a household in married life. Those domestic servants who spent time working in Dorney often did not have roots in the area and were a transient part of our population. An exception was the Hazell family, who as we have seen worked for the Palmer family for many years. William Hazell was born in Pinkneys Green and came to Dorney as a young man, certainly by 1834 when his first child was born. He worked as a gardener at Dorney Court until his death in 1880. His wife Susannah was recorded as schoolmistress in 1851 and 1861, presumably at the school provided by the Palmer family for the children of their tenants and employees. At least three of William and Susannah’s children started their working lives in service at Dorney Court. This family of servants became a part of Dorney life and is commemorated in the graveyard where they were laid to rest, on a headstone erected by the Dowager Lady Palmer as a tribute to William Hazell’s long service in the family. Two further memorials were put up in the 20th century by Colonel CHD Palmer in appreciation of long service – Thomas Saunders who worked as gardener for 30 years, and James Alfred Watson who began his 64 years’ service as a farm worker and ended as the colonel’s coachman. Valued servants indeed! Virginia Silvester The Palmer Arms Festive Menu 2022 (From 29th November 2022) £27.95 -3 Courses / £23.95 -2 Courses Complimentary Crackers Starters Lamb Samosas with a Mint Yoghurt Dip Pumpkin and ginger Soup with Crusty Bread Beetroot & Dill Gravadlax with Watercress Duck Liver & Port Parfait with a Caramelised onion Chutney Vegan Meatballs, tomato and basil sauce, croutons (VG) Mains Pork Belly with Crackling, Apple Cider Sauce, Roast Potatoes, Cabbage & Bacon, Gravy Beef Wellington with Spinach Duxelle, Dauphinoise Potato & Buttered Carrots, Beef gravy (+£4.00 Supplement) Pan fried Seabass with Crushed New Potatoes, Prawn Garlic Butter & Wilted Spinach Turkey Breast with Pigs in Blankets, Roast Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables & Red Wine Gravy Roast Sweet Potato, Marmalade and Pumpkin Seed Tart with Roasted new potatoes and mixed leaf salad (Ve) (GF) Desserts Christmas Pudding with Brandy Custard Chocolate fondant with vanilla Ice cream Peacan Tart with salted caramel ice cream Apple & Plum Crumble with Custard Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream Optional 10% Service Charge will be added to the bill Terms & Conditions Apply One Chance in Thousands In this week of all weeks, I could bang on about government, or lack of it, Ukraine, Covid, inflation and if all else fails, smart motorways, but frankly, I need a break, and hopefully so do you, so here for your delectation, is an adventure from my youth, always remembering of course, that the older I get, the better I was. It is the year of our Lord 1971, and, following an unremarkable scholastic career culminating in a single ‘O’ level, my meteoric rise in the world of work seemed to be following a depressingly familiar path, albeit I was happily unfamiliar with the Labour Exchange, unemployment and ‘signing on’; the good fortune continuing throughout my life to even today in my mid-seventies where I am still working and loving it. The difficulty was that there seemed no structure or future in my endeavours, and while I was blissfully content pounding my employer’s tipper lorry around Reading, driving huge earth scrapers at mega money building motorways (not Dorney’s bit) and lots of other adventures… no structure. I know my parents worried, as perhaps you do if your offspring or their offspring are treading this path. Perhaps I can reassure you, or perhaps not. I had glamorous females in my family (sadly bypassing the males), and June was a stunning cousin; and still is in her late sixties. My parents lived in an Edwardian pile in a remote part of the New Forest, a heavenly place for Christmas, and it was there that my family, all unmarried and childless at that point, (Mum and Dad excepted!) met for celebrations, weather permitting, often around large bonfires and long bouts of inebriated ember gazing and, on this occasion, June attended with her current suitor Graham. He was charming, self-effacing and ultra-smooth, as expected, and we found ourselves sitting together, bottled beer in hand in the dark gazing into the embers as others threw on logs and topped up beer. Occasionally in life, one meets a stranger and conclude after a few minutes, “If we live to bea thousand, we will not get on,” whereas the reverse applies, perhaps less frequently, and you are chatting like old friends, and so it was with Graham. Within minutes, we were chatting about our lives and our hopes and fears for our long futures. We chatted amiably about seemingly everything, our lives to date and our ambitions. “What do you do for a living?” I asked in the flickering fire light, as June seemed to be attracting a new admirer nearby. “I play the ‘cello,” he stated matter of factly. I was, indeed still am, a classical music bore, and rather patronisingly imagined an amateur band somewhere in the leafy suburbs scratching out The Enigma Variations. “Oh really,” I replied rather pompously, “who do you play for?” “The London Symphony Orchestra,” he replied. Caught on the hop, I hurriedly reconsidered the course of the conversation I had planned, as he asked, “And you?” “I drive a lorry,” I ventured sheepishly. The LSO had just finished a tour in Hong Kong and he was about to commence another in the USA. I had been busy running sixteen-ton loads of ballast from Mortimer into a new business park in Reading, which up to that point, seemed fulfilling, at least for the time being but the same little voice niggled through the alcohol, “Where’s the future in that?” “How interesting,” said Graham. I was preparing to be patronised. “We need a lorry driver!” “Sure you do,” I mumbled, “the LSO needs a lorry driver? Sorry Graham, but why?” “For our instrument van. I think it’s what they call a heavy goods vehicle. Have you got a licence to drive one of those?” “Well er, yes. I have, but I’m not sure.” “Well, here’s the address and the name of the manager. Write to him anyway. What have you got to lose?” And so, dear Reader, I did just that, on Mum’s finest Basildon Bond and in my very best handwriting, wrote, “Dear Sir, I understand from one of your musicians that you are looking for a lorry driver. I am a lorry driver, and if such a vacancy exists, I would like to apply for the position. Yours faithfully,” And I waited and waited, scouring the post each morning, until three months later, a garish red headed letter ‘London Symphony Orchestra’ arrived. “Dear Michael Thank you for your letter. Our current Transport Manager would be glad to see you at the Kingsway Hall, Kingsway, London on this date for interview. Please reply at your convenience. Yours The Manager My brother drove me and my new suit to London in his freshly gleaming old Jaguar, and bang on time, I arrived nervous as a kitten in the hall as dozens of men walked by me into a huge room at the rear. “Are you here to see Danny?” a cheerful balding stick thin man smiled. “Is he the Transport Manager?” I asked. He grinned, “Yes, and the driver and general dog’s body. You’re Michael? Mind being called Mike?” I followed him to a side street, and there stood the ultimate poser vehicle, a large black and gold removal van with ‘London Symphony Orchestra’ emblazoned down each side. “Hop in,” he said climbing into the passenger side. “You’re driving.” It was smaller than the tipper and presented no difficulty as we threaded through traffic as I noted the envious glances of other drivers and pedestrians. “Smoke?” he asked, and passed me a lit Benson and Hedges. “It’s bloody hard work and they’re very demanding. Don’t get it wrong, be late or careless and you’ll be fine. I like your driving. When can you start?” “What?” I was incredulous. “Well, I have to move up to London, find somewhere to live, but there must be more to it than that?” “No,” he said. “I’ve been asked to check your driving and have a chat. You’ll be fine. You’ll have an interview with the manager, but he’ll go with what I tell him.” We returned to the Kingsway Hall, and as I bade farewell to Danny, a huge orchestra crashed into The Enigma Variations. I had found home. Stay safe. Mike Quincey *** Dorney Horticultural Society's Annual Christmas Supper Friday 18th November 7-30pm Dorney Village Hall Roast Turkey Supper with all the trimmings supplied by the Palmer Arms Followed by Christmas Pudding Live Festive Entertainment Bring your own drink and glasses Please come and join us all welcome Tickets £15/head Book your tickets now with any committee member: Ron Alsworth 01628 669988 Peter Bowman 01628 623228 Janet Messitt 01628 664307 John Wraight 07785 532284 Kristina Perkins 07971 816130 Louise Whaley 01628 625589 DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first. 46% success in 11+ exams (2020) Part of Beeches Learning and Development Trust with Burnham Grammar School Open Events Thurs 13/10 5.30- 7pm Tues 22/11 10.30 to 11.30 Weds 11/1/23 1.15 - 2.15 DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first. 46% success in 11+ exams (2020) Part of Beeches Learning and Development Trust with Burnham Grammar School Open Events Thurs 13/10 5.30- 7pm Tues 22/11 10.30 to 11.30 Weds 11/1/23 1.15 - 2.15 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DORNEY PARISH COUNCIL HELD TUESDAY 18th October 2022, 7.30 P.M. AT DORNEY SCHOOL Present Cllr. Jill Dax (Chair) Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford Cllr. William Voaden 1 member of the public Cllr. Anna Palmer Cllr. Robert Stopford Cllr. Euan MacLennan Cllr. Stephen Baker Public Forum The fallen tree at the end of Harcourt Road was raised, the removal of this has been requested and will continue to be chased. One of the new road layout signs has not been collected by Highways, near the Jubilee River car park, which will be reported. PC/97/22 Apologies for absence There were none PC/98/22 Declaration of interest on any items of business on this Agenda There were none PC/99/22 To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 19th July 2022 These were approved with no amendments required and signed by the Chairman. PC/100/22 To receive the Clerk report There was no report for this meeting. PC/101/22 Items of business carried forward 101.1 The Orchard Herbs Site The applicants of the hotel development have 6 months to appeal the decision which expires in mid-December. Mitchel Pugh (Planning Enforcement, Buckinghamshire CC) is still putting together the paperwork for further legal action against the site. The Certificate of Lawfulness is going to the court of appeal however there is no date set for this as yet. It was agreed that Cllr. Stopford will attend. 101.2 M4 Digital Motorway Nick Cooper (Digital Motorway) sent an update prior to the meeting confirming that the whole project is still due for completion by the end of the year. There will be further overnight closures for 5 days on the Marsh Lane bridge for works on the expansion joints in the next month, dates to be confirmed. It was agreed that the Clerk will ask for more information on the planting programme and maintenance of planting, the walkway into the village hall and confirm project completion date. 101.3 The Emergency Plan Cllr. Palmer has contacted various companies and individuals in Dorney regarding what they could do and provide in case of an emergency and if they would be happy to be a part of the plan. 101.4 Playground A formal agreement between the Parish Council and Playground Charity is being developed following a meeting in September with Cllr. Dax, Cllr. Palmer, Ruth Senior and Ettie Brand. Cllr. Palmer will continue to be the representative for the Parish Council on the Playground Committee. It was agreed that the Clerk will clarify bin emptying at the playground and that litter collected only from direct use of the village hall will be deposited in the village hall bin. PC/102/22 Planning Cllr. Stopford confirmed that the majority of applications for the last two months has been applications for tree work. There are however two planning application for building work, which we should review as follows Reference: PL/22/3037/FA -Application type: Full Planning Permission Location: Piemans Way , 4 Old Marsh Lane, Dorney Reach, Buckinghamshire, SL6 0DZ Proposal: First floor side extension and change to front elevation window following removal of existing dormer and porch. Reference: PL/22/3043/VRC -Application type: Removal or variation of a condition following grant of planning permission Location: Tirra Lirra , 20 Dorney Reach Road, Dorney, Buckinghamshire, SL6 0DX Proposal: Variation of condition 8 (approved plans) of planning permission PL/19/3486/FA (Demolition of existing dwelling. Erection of detached dwelling. Construction of front boundary wall.) to allow changes to design. It was agreed that the Parish Council will support the objection lodged by a neighbour of Tirra Lirra. PC/103/22 Finance To agree/ratify expenditure and income to date The cashbook was circulated prior to the meeting and approved. Cllr. MacLennan reported that there was a mistake in the AGAR results, this was a small error of copying the wrong year’s figure into one box and was rectified immediately. PC/104/22 Neighbourhood Plan update Cllr. Voaden confirmed we now have Neighbourhood Plan Designation and will proceed with the full plan as soon as possible. The Parish Council have established a Working Party and welcome Dorney residents to join this party for a wider input of views. Please contact the Parish Clerk for more information. PC/105/22 To update on and discuss the MVAS installations The application to the Beeches Community Board for 2 more Mobile Vehicle Activated Signs (MVAS) has been successful and the exact locations are now being decided. One will be on Marsh Lane and one on Lake End Road close to the Pineapple pub. PC/106/22 Installation of white gates on entering Dorney and Dorney Reach It was agreed that the Clerk will seek clarification from the Local Area Technician on specifications for the gates and agreement of locations before proceeding. PC/107/22 To consider options regarding the Oak Processionary Moths Local company Maydencroft are investigating the Oak Processionary Moth situation in the Memorial Gardens, they have identified 9 nests and will provide a quotation for the nest removal and the installation of bird nest boxes. PC/108/22 To discuss the annual insurance premium It was resolved to assess the insurance premium in full before the next renewal. PC/109/22 To consider the remembrance wreath purchase It was agreed that the Clerk can purchase the annual remembrance wreath from the Royal British Legion at a cost of £26. PC/110/22 To consider any complaints/comments received from residents There were none PC/111/22 Items to consider for discussion at the next meeting on 22nd November 2022 Slough Treatment Works update Meeting ended at 8.50 pm Neighbourhood Plan for Dorney Parish Why a Neighbourhood Plan? The principal reason is to allow the Parish Council and the residents of Dorney to have a greater say in the future development of the Parish. 1) Neighbourhood Plan Designation • Neighbourhood Plan designation – the application was submitted on 1st August 2022 and was approved by Buckinghamshire County Council on 5th September 2022 • The detail of the submission and designation will be posted on the Dorney Parish website 2) What next? • The Council has set up a Neighbourhood Plan Working Party to consider how we can benefit from the designation and plan • Currently the working party comprises three Councillors: Jill Dax, Robert Stopford, and William Voaden • We are calling for residents to step forward, if you would like to be on the working party, please contact the Parish Clerk. We are looking for 3 residents to take the working party up to 6 in total (clerk@dorneyparishcouncil.gov.uk) 3) What sort of issues would the working party consider? • What type of future housing developments should be considered for the Parish? For instance, should future development be environmentally friendly, such as built with timber frames, greater insulation and with ground heat pumps, thus reducing the huge material wastage of brick and mortar? • Should there be a review of speed limits throughout the Parish? • Should the Dorney Conservation area be extended? • Greater access to re-wilding and consider other areas for re-wilding • What is missing in Dorney that residents would like to see? Ruth Senior Parish Clerk Dorney Village Hall www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk In January we completely redecorated the whole inside of the Hall. It is looking very fresh and welcoming. We also installed blinds to replace the old curtains. Dorney Village Hall has a large main area with stage, a smaller annexed room, and kitchen. It has recently been redecorated throughout. It is served by a large private car park and adjacent there is a tennis court, a multi activity games area (MUGA), playground and a playing field. It is used by residents for a multitude of activities such as dancing classes, keep fit, yoga, badminton, horticultural and hired out for parties, dances and weddings. The management committee welcomes non-residents, organisations, clubs, businesses, and societies to hire the halls. Main hall: 15 x 7.4m, ceiling height 7m Fixed stage with curtains: 4.5 x 6m Annexe: 9.8 x 3.5m, ceiling height 2m Licensed to seat 100 people Children’s tables and chairs available Beechwood suspended dance floor 75 space free car park From £13 per hour (minimum of 3 hours) for Dorney Parish Residents Email: bookings.dorneyvh@gmail.com Online on www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk Dorney Parish News Published monthly (except January and August) Editors: Peter Bowman, Tumbleweeds, 12, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODU peter.bowman@talktalk.net Tel: 07889 912714 Jean Spencer, Dorincourt, 45, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODT Tel: 01628 624213 Editorial Board: The Editors, Bill Dax, Thea Pine Production: Bill Dax Tel: 07802 365448 Distributors: Mr Cobb, Mrs Cox, Mrs Leishman, Mrs McCabe, Mr McGuinness, Mrs Oxlade, Mr Penfold, Mrs Stockwood, Mr Temple Miss Snook, Mrs Tuddenham, Mrs Tyler, Mrs Wood-Dow RATE OF SUBSCRIPTION: £5 per annum for 10 issues The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of correspondents expressed in letters or articles published in this magazine. Advertising in Dorney Parish News Dorney Parish News is an A5 newsletter that is circulated monthly (except January and August) to residents and businesses in Dorney Village, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End. Our current print run is 250. Estimated readership is around 400 people. There are approximately 300 residential properties in Dorney Parish. Rate Card: Advertising Rates Height mm Width mm 10 issues 1 issue Full Page 190 130 £90 £12 Half Page 90 130 £50 £7 Third of a page (Horizontal) 60 130 £45 £6 Quarter Page (Horizontal) 45 130 £40 £5 Contact: Peter Bowman, Editor peter.bowman@talktalk.net 07889 912714 SUSAN HANDYDANCE A Complete Dance Training FREE TRIAL CLASS BABY BALLET 18 MONTH+ PRIMARY BALLET PRIMARY MODERN PRIMARY TAP ACROBATIC ARTS BALLET BODY CONDITIONING CONTEMPORARY CREATIVE DANCE GCSE DANCE MODERN JAZZ TAP ADULT BALLET STRETCH ADULT BALLET ADULT CONTEMPORARY ADULT BEGINNERS TAP ADULT INTERMEDIATE TAP BOYS CLASSES FROM BABIES TO ADULTS W W W . S U S A N H A N D Y D A N C E . C O . U K ETON WINDSOR DATCHET OLD WINDSOR ETON WICK ICKENHAM WOKING RICHMOND office@susanhandydance.co.uk / 07515 270432 BHS &ABRS Approved Riding School and Pony Club Centre Ri:ling School & Liverv Elm Farm, Boveney Road, Dorney Common NrWindsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QD We are a family run Riding School based on Dorney Common established for over 40 years! • Qualified lnstructors • Lessons available from 7 years upwards • Pony Rides available for children as young as 4. • We offer very popular Birthday parties • Large Indoor and Outdoor schools • Pony Club and Own a Pony activity days • Open 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday Gift Vouchers available through the website For bookings and enquiries please call us on 01628 661275 www.spanishbit.co.uk Dorney Parish News December 2022/January 2023 St. James’ Church at Christmas Time (with thanks to Paul Humpleman) “I don’t know what the essence of a Dorney Christmas is, but the most vivid picture to me is that walk to the midnight service down the Richmond Path, across the pitch-black fields as Christmas Day approaches. It’s always a pleasant shock as the lights of St James and Dorney Court appear like beacons behind the trees.”– Peter Bowman, DPN Editorial, December 2021 ISSUE NO. 10/22 DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023 EDITORIAL – A REVIEW OF 2022 A review of the last twelve months as witnessed by the pages of ‘Dorney Parish News’ is jolted up to date by events within the month since our last issue. Eton College have applied for planning permission to build twelve new homes on the Boveney Court Farm site, and the deadline for responses from the public is 9th December 2022. The profound effects we believe that this application and other likely local Eton projects will have on the future of our parish are set out elsewhere in this issue. As a green oasis bordered by urban sprawl, this threat is the latest in a very long list. Issues are pressing to we residents, but 2022 was the year when our local considerations were necessarily compared to deeper suffering elsewhere. When we wrote our review of 2021, we did not predict that by May our District Councillor would be telling us of one thousand visas issued to Ukrainians to come to Buckinghamshire as refugees from invasion or that we would write about the county’s Helping Hand for Ukraine and Maidenhead volunteers driving aid trucks to the Polish border. Neither did we anticipate that our vicar, Revd. La Stacey, would appeal in her regular articles for us to help stock local FoodShare schemes or that we would highlight Bucks CC’s schemes like ‘Welcoming Space’ intended to help our neighbours keep warm in a time of fuel poverty. Wider events that produced both joy and grief revolved around the late monarch. In June, many enjoyed a wonderfully friendly, and sunny, Jubilee celebration courtesy of Chrys Fisher at the Palmer Arms. Bunting bedecked much of the village and by year’s end seven Jubilee Trees planted as this year began as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy were flourishing as ‘seven emerald-green exclamation marks’. Her Majesty passed away three months later. Mike Quincey’s description as a bellringer at St. James of the pealing of muffled bells in our parish is as moving as anything we have published. Of perhaps greatest long-term significance is the climate crisis and the environmental future. Maybe green enterprises have taken up fewer pages than we expected this year, even though in May we set out several local options for generating cheap electricity in response to the idea championed locally for a solar farm to be installed on suitable land in the Parish. Cllr George Sandy informed residents that Bucks County would be carbon neutral by 2030, that refuse would be entirely collected by electric vehicles and that the County was planting half a million trees. In February, Storm Eunice terrifyingly felled one of the venerated poplars gracing the corner of Marsh Lane and Oak Stubbs Lane, creating a striking front cover. Dorney records were undoubtedly broken as the temperature on July 19th hit in excess of 38C, causing a longawaited Playground Group party to be cancelled. We reported an increase in fire brigade visits to the parish to deal with field fires. Oak Processionary moths blighted the war memorial gardens, and the Forestry Commission made a grant to deal with them. It seems appropriate, therefore, that the Parish Council should have developed its Emergency Plan this year. Details of how to be involved can be found on the PC website, which we recommend our readers to consult on all local matters. At the start of the year there was a vacancy on the Council that has now been filled by William Voaden, who has himself begun the development of a Neighbourhood Plan having achieved Designation status. A questionnaire is likely to be issued to residents in 2023, an exercise last completed in 2005. This year the precept was maintained at the previous year’s level. RJC Landscapes have completed a full year as the PC’s contractors. The chair of the council was in the chair for a revived Annual Parish Meeting in May which was useful but sparsely attended. Surely more will attend in 2023. The Boundaries Commission seem likely to switch Dorney from the current large three county councillor ward of Cliveden to a single member ward with Taplow, but that same Commission seems to have abandoned plans to dismember Joy Morrissey’s Beaconsfield constituency. We appreciate our MP’s regular contributions and support for the Green Belt in Bucks. The Orchard Herbs Farm site remains a disgrace. At least outline planning permission for a 416-room hotel was refused in June. A temporary stop notice seems for the moment to have halted the site’s use as a Heathrow park and ride (it should have been a High Court injunction), but Bucks seems powerless to remove the hundreds of trucks and concrete mixing business despite Enforcement Notices in place since 2006. Almost equally long running has been the ‘upgrade’ to a SMART M4 or rather the new 2022 description ‘digital motorway’. Last year we predicted ‘they would be gone’ after Christmas. This year we’re forced to repeat those words. Dorney has learnt all about ‘expansion joints’, problems with which led to repeat closures of both our motorway bridges, with Marsh Lane closed overnight in November. Depressingly all the newly planted foliage wilted in the summer drought. Tihill, ‘the leading provider of nature-based solutions’ have been awarded a five-year contract to solve this. Sometimes in 2022 there was too much water and sometimes too little. A breakage in a three inch water main and the resultant minor flood in Harcourt Road was reported in May and repaired (rapidly) in September. Such a sight made the hosepipe ban imposed in late summer, and only lifted as we go to press, that little bit more exasperating. We revealed Thames Water’s plans to ‘rewild’ their borehole field next to Dorney Reach. Thames Water made a statement that they were seeking local partners in the project and before this enterprise went quiet, we published forthright views for and against rewilding. As the year ends another question is what is happening with the company’s plans announced last year, and denounced in these quarters, to pump treated water from Slough sewerage works across Dorney Common into the Thames. There was trouble with bins too. Early in the year, they were disappearing as old trucks swallowed up new bins. Our refuse collection day switched from Monday to Friday. A new collection contract awarded to Veolia caused chaos across the county. Our version of that disorder was a cessation of paid for green bins collection for almost two months. We note that the Christmas break with no green collections has been extended. This time last year there were dire predictions for the future of the playground as a whole new committee of trustees was needed and almost the best bit of local news is that a new group is now very much up and running, although they tell us more helpers are always required. The first Annual Show since 2019 was a great success in August with organisers, Dorney Horticultural Society, likewise revived. Jamie Butterworth of FORM Plants at Dorney Court won a Chelsea Show gold medal. The ‘First Wednesday’ at the Palmer Arms returned and we urge readers to join in the fun. An OFSTED re-inspection labelled Dorney School as ‘Good’ in many categories. In August, an outdoor performance of Educating Rita attracted a large audience and much praise. Dorney Lake avoided crowds and chaos and we settled into the regime of closure between April and September, wishing that Dorney residents could be welcome all year. The Village Hall was splendidly redecorated with new lights and curtains. Finally, thanks to our regular writers Mike Quincey, Kristina Perkins, our historian Virginia Silvester, and to Mo Voaden for her splendid series on ‘Dorney Folk’. This year we lost a longterm contributor on natural history and much else with the passing of Peter Tyler. Thanks to our readers for their loyalty, support and subscriptions. Happy Christmas to all and we will return in February. Eton College developments within Dorney Parish Following the completion of Dorney Lake in 2006, Eton College has continued to ensure its commitment, made in 1929, to surround Eton, Eton Wick and Dorney with a “green belt” which would “preserve open countryside south of the Bath Road”. This preceded the Green Belt Act of 1938. This commitment was enacted, in the case of Dorney, by Eton College (with the assistance of the Dorney Court Estate) purchasing Dorney land from Map of 1930 showing, in blue, land to be acquired by Eton College around 18 existing landowners which resulted in all of the land in Dorney Parish (excluding residential properties) being owned in 1931 either by Eton College or the Dorney Court Estate. It has to be said that this “green belt” has protected Dorney from outside developers for over 90 years and has ensured (together with common lands) that Dorney has, largely, retained its rural character. Over recent years Eton College have, understandably, started the process of seeking to convert listed and non-listed barns and “previously developed land” into residential use – due to the fact that there is no other valid use for such buildings. However, ironically, for such schemes to make financial sense (recognising the costs of changing a listed barn into a suitable house) it appears that additional new houses may be required within certain schemes to make the sums add up, which then run into the successor of the Green Belt Acts – the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – that makes new buildings on Green Belt land virtually impossible except under “very special circumstances”. 1. Boveney Court Stables, Boveney (SL4 6QD): PL/19/3527/FA Converting the barn at Boveney Court Stables (PL/19/3527/FA), near Rambler’s Car Park, to a house was originally put forward to Planning in 2016. It was conditionally approved on 24th January 2017. It was not actioned within the three year limit, so was resubmitted in 2019. Again, it was conditionally approved on 13th December 2019. It appears that no work has yet started so it is possible that it will be resubmitted to Planning before 13th December 2022 or be allowed to lapse. This application struggled to get past the NPPF rules regarding Green Belt. It managed to squeeze through on “very special circumstances” which permitted it only because it was a listed building at risk of falling into further disrepair. 2. Court Farm, Dorney (SL4 6QA): PL/19/4260/EU The next scheme that Eton College put forward, in 2019, was for 20 new houses at Court Farm (PL/19/4260/EU), first buildings on the left hand side of Dorney Common when leaving Dorney towards Eton Wick. They applied for a Certificate of Lawfulness in order to determine whether the barns and outbuildings would be considered as “previously developed land”. This was agreed by Planning in 2020, thus providing Eton College with a possible planning route for the 20 new houses. We can assume that a planning application may well be tabled shortly but is likely to challenge Green Belt rules. 3. Boveney Court Farm (not Farmhouse), Boveney (SL4 6QG): Planning permission for 12 houses (seven in existing buildings and five new buildings) was submitted in early November 2022, following a public exhibition of initial plans in November 2021 at Dorney Lake. The date for last comments is currently set at 9th December 2022. A number of residents’ comments have already been submitted. These followed on from the feedback from residents at the consultation in 2021. The major concerns raised were: • An apparent failure to consider the relevant parts of the published Dorney Parish Plan (2005) • A failure to act on residents’ views following the November 2021 presentations. • Doubling the current number of properties (12) in this isolated hamlet which appears to be in breach of NPPF Green Belt legislation. • A possible breach of NPPF Green Belt legislation in regard to the five new buildings. • Failure to provide visitor parking spaces appears to be in breach of Policy TR7 of the South Bucks Local Plan 1999. • Failure to address the multiple issues regarding Boveney Road as a busy, rural, single track lane bounded by common land which results in the planning application appearing to be in breach of Policy TR5 of the South Bucks Local Plan 1999. • Failure to conduct a comprehensive traffic survey over a twelve month period regarding the use of the busy single-track Boveney Road access to the site, including visitors to St Mary Magdalene, the Thames Path and other walking routes, together with increased delivery van drivers. A simple peak hours algorithm in the Transport Statement is definitely inadequate given the relative massive size of this development in an isolated hamlet and the seasonal variety of traffic. • Failure to assess the ability of the bridge over Cress Brook on Boveney Road to be able to support the increased traffic – including the construction traffic that will not be able to use the Lake emergency access at Boveney. 4. Land between Oak Stubbs Lane, Marsh Lane and the M4 (SL6 0DW) In order to finalise the new Bucks County Local Plan through to 2040, Bucks have called for landowners and others to nominate "brownfield” sites which could, in their opinion, be used to build houses on. Eton College have nominated the horses’ field, which they own, opposite the houses in Oak Stubbs Lane for residential housing – even though it is part of the Green Belt and not “brownfield”. Based on national averages this 1.48ha site is likely to be considered for around 45 new build properties. Again, if planning permission comes forward it is very likely that it will be, as the other three schemes, another challenge to current Green Belt legislation. It is encouraging to see the article this month in Dorney Parish News from our MP – Joy Morrissey – addressing the important issue of defending the Green Belt in this, her constituency. It is also interesting to note that, if the above schemes totalling around 78 houses all come to fruition, Dorney’s population would increase from around 750 to about 950, an increase of 26%! Impact of Eton College possible housing developments on Dorney Parish Houses Possible new Houses %age Eton College Possible Developments Current Eton Coll. Houses Future increase Dorney Village (inc. north of Cress Brook) Court Farm 100 20 120 20% Dorney Reach Oak Stubbs Lane 171 45 216 26% Lake End 19 0 19 0% Boveney (south of Cress Brook) Boveney Court Stables and Boveney Court Farm buildings 12 13 25 108% Totals 302 78 380 26% In the Parish Plan (2005) the following were put forward by residents: • Need to maintain the rural character of the Parish. • There is very strong resistance to any sort of development in the Parish. • The Green Belt designation of the area is to be protected. • Prevent future development that will erode the character of the Parish and safeguard the existing properties and the environment. Despite those comments being raised 17 years ago, there’s no indication that they would have changed significantly during the intervening period. In fact, they might be expressed more strongly in today’s world. Bill Dax and Peter Bowman As another year draws to a close it seems a time to reflect on what has been happening in our Parish. For such a small Parish (consisting of Dorney, Dorney Reach, Boveney and Lake End) we seem to have been targeted with some considerable challenges. The latest of which is the planning application by Eton College to develop existing farm buildings into seven houses and adding five new build houses at Boveney Court Farm. It was agreed at the November meeting that DPC will be calling for this to go to a full planning committee and raising the many reasons why green belt and conservation areas should not be allowed to be over developed amongst many other queries relating to this proposal. Comments from residents and DPC’s submission can be viewed on the South Bucks Planning Applications website – Ref: PL/22/3562/FA . Cattle Grid: In spite of Bucks budget cuts, we will continue to press for the agreed works to be carried out as soon as possible. We remain committed to reviewing various speed limits. FOLLOWING A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION TO THE COMMUNITY BOARD, FULL FUNDING WAS AGREED TO PROVIDE 2 NEW MVA SIGNS. ONE FOR DORNEY VILLAGE THE OTHER FOR DORNEY REACH. WE AWAIT DETAILS OF SPECIFIC LOCATIONS Robust approach with Bucks has led to greater action to be taken with the Orchard Herbs site. We await date details for the appeal on the Certificate of Lawfulness and Enforcement Notice COUNCILLOR PALMER, AS DPC REPRESENTATIVE FOR DORNEY PLAYGROUND, REPORTED ON A SUCCESSFUL FUND RAISING EVENT ORGANISED BY THE NEW COMMITTEE. WE WISH THEM EVERY SUCCESS GOING FORWARD WITH THIS GREAT COMMUNITY FACILITY The local works on the M4 Digital Motorway have at last been largely completed. It will be interesting to watch the substantial planting mature and good to know that the contract will be in force for 5 years to replace any vegetation which has not survived the hot summer we experienced and any other loss of plants/trees over this period We are delighted that William Voaden joined us earlier this year and has successfully completed the first stages of registering Dorney on the Neighbourhood Plan scheme. Next meeting 17th January 2023 -no meeting in December. 1 Get in touch: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities “Pupils are highly successful in their academic achievement.” ISI 2022 Conveniently located in Old Windsor Get in touch: sjb.admissions@sjb.email 01784 494 053 EXPERIENCEA SCHOOL LIKE NO OTHER Preparatory School for boys 3-13 years SJBwindsor.uk Est. 1888 + Outstanding academic results + Small class sizes & individual care + Large estate with superb facilities “Pupils are highly successful in their academic achievement.” ISI 2022 Conveniently located in Old Windsor Services in the Local Churches St James the Less, Dorney St. John the Baptist, Eton Wick St. John the Evangelist, Eton Vicar: Revd. La Stacey, The Vicarage, 69a Eton Wick Road, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6NE Tel: 01753 852268 email: revlastacey@gmail.com For information about our churches, activities and church history please see our parishes’ web site: www.stjohnstjamesed.org.uk RCCG Praise Embassy, Haywards Mead, Eton Wick, Windsor, SL4 6JN Pastor: Olusegun Omotayo 07712 126334 www.rccgchurchatslough.com Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, Burnham Parish Priest: Fr. Joseph Udoh, M.S.P. 01628 605764 Rev La Stacey writes: If you wanted to make a stand for something you felt strongly about, how far would you be prepared to go? Around the globe, great heroism seems to be demanded of people at the moment. I wonder whether I would have the courage of those Iranian girls taking off their head-covering to protest at the place of women in that society, or if I would be brave enough to display a handwritten placard on a state TV broadcast in Russia saying, ‘No War’? Would I have been one of the people protesting in Hong Kong against increased oppression, joining with the singing of ‘Sing Alleluia to the Lord’ (which was the way they could let their protest be heard)? Would I do any of these things knowing I risked imprisonment? Or risked losing my life? I wonder what level of sacrifice I would be prepared to make. Would I be prepared to sacrifice a day’s pay? Would I be prepared to lose my freedom? Would I be prepared to risk life and limb? I suppose it might partly depend on how important the matter was and how strongly I felt. We have just remembered all those in our community who gave their lives in the two world wars and those who sacrificed so much at that time. We seem to be at a juncture in the history of the world, where bravery is needed again on a wide scale. We need to be brave to take steps that will protect the most vulnerable. It may require some risky actions and creative, bold, thinking. There are many people in this village who are good at thinking of ways to build community and help each other. It feels as if this caring spirit is going to be needed more and more. At Christmas time, that is the spirit of our celebrations. Our Christmas story tells us that God stepped out of heaven and mucked in with the rest of us. There he was, visible to everyone in the tiny baby laid in the animal trough. That has usually been considered the supreme way of us knowing that even the tiniest little ones count. Stepping out of heaven and putting your life on the line for others is the high calling Jesus followed. In small or not so small ways, we may find ourselves needing to do something along those lines. We might need a bit of divine help to do it! You will find information about groups where our communities can meet and enjoy time together elsewhere in this magazine. Do come along and join in. There are details about our Christmas services too. And On New Year’s Day we’ll be doing a shared meal at 12 in Eton Wick Church Room. Let me know if you can come so that we know how many places to lay! With blessings for a peaceful Christmas and New Year. Church Services in January 2023 (December 2022 Services on next page) Sunday 1st January 9.30 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Any Age Family Service St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 4th January 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 8th January 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 15th January 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Morning Worship St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Wednesday 18th January 10.00 am Holy Communion (said BCP) St John the Evangelist, Eton Sunday 22nd January 9.30 am Morning Worship St James the Less, Dorney 11.00 am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Sunday 29th January 9.30am Holy Communion St James the Less, Dorney 11.00am Holy Communion St John the Baptist, Eton Wick St Mary Magdalene, Boveney This beautiful church on the Thames is open daily. Christmas Advent Service by Candlelight -1500hrs on Sunday, 11th December 2022 www.st-mary-magdalene-boveney.org.uk Supporting TearFund Wayne Dixon (CCiS) The DASH Charity The Children’s Society …to celebrate Jesus’ birth! 11th December 3.00 pm Advent Carols, St Mary’s Boveney 15th December 7.00 pm Joint Churches Carols and Mince Pies, EW Village Hall 18th December 11.00 am Holy Communion Carol Service, St John’s Eton Wick 4.00 pm Carols and Mince Pies, St John’s Eton 6.30 pm Nine Lessons and Carols, St James’ Dorney 24th December -Christmas Eve 3.00 pm Christingle Service, St James’ Dorney 4.30 pm Christingle Service, St John’s Eton Wick 11.30 pm Midnight Communion, St James’ Dorney 25th December -Christmas Day Family Communion 10.15 am St James’ Dorney 10.15 am St John’s Eton Wick Join us for lunch on Mondays Midday to 2pm in the Church Room St John the Baptist, Eton Wick Beginning on Nov 14th Everyone welcome! supported through RBWM and Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System (ICS) Protecting the Green Belt in South Buckinghamshire Since my election in 2019 I have made protecting the Green Belt my top priority. I have argued for more protections for green spaces, agricultural land and wonderful local parks such as Colne Valley Regional Park and Little Marlow Lakes Country Park. I have made these arguments to planning committees, planning inspectors, Ministers and even the Prime Minister. In the Ivers there is the triple threat of Pinewood Studios, a proposed motorway service area and a raft of data centre applications. Last year I founded the Iver Action Group, to bring together local councillors, resident’s groups, and local people to find coordinated solutions for the problems faced in the Ivers. Through that group we have organised a coordinated campaign to hold back these completely unnecessary and damaging projects. Currently we are fighting several major applications from first instance to appeal. I am engaging with Buckinghamshire Council, the Minister for Roads, the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd to make sure that if these developments have to happen, it will be somewhere suitable for the purpose, rather than the Ivers. I know that there is great strength of feeling from residents in and around the area of the proposed Marlow Film Studios in the Little Marlow Lakes Country Park. I have been to see the area many times and its importance to the local landscape, wildlife and biodiversity make it the wrong place to site such a development, a view I made abundantly clear in my objection to the application. There are times where the fight against inappropriate development goes beyond the planning application and developers seek to appeal the decision of democratic local representatives. This is the case with the Beeches Park development in Beaconsfield, which seeks to place a significant amount of new housing on beautiful green fields, trampling ancient woodland in the process, when there are brown field sites available. I have been in close contact with Buckinghamshire Council on this process and I am pleased to say that they are committing full and comprehensive resources, appointing one of the most experienced planning consultants in the country and retaining Kings Counsel to fight the appeal to show how seriously we take this issue. My commitment to you is that I will continue to fight for you and your communities to protect our stunning countryside. Joy Morrissey MP Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield Assistant Government Whip House of Commons | London | SW1A 0AA | 020 7219 8708 Disraeli House | 12 Aylesbury End | Beaconsfield | Buckinghamshire | HP9 1LW | 01494 977505 www.joymorrissey.uk | @JoyMorrissey | fb.com/joy4beaconsfield 14 Dorney Lake CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS 2022 Dorney Lake will be open every day throughout the Christmas and New Year period. Our gates will be open from 7.30am to 6.00pm, but please do exit by 5.30pm to ensure that the gates do not close on you. SPORTING EVENT DAYS Please check our website for the most up to date information. Additional event days may be added at any time. Merry Christmas FROM THE DORNEY LAKE TEAM www.paulmitchellphotography.co.uk The Celebrations Begin – Dorney Horticultural Society’s Christmas Supper Dorney Horticultural Society’s Christmas Supper was a truly memorable occasion which was enjoyed by a packed Dorney Village Hall. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the supper evening was held in mid-November this year, but there was a buzz of excitement as members looked forward to our first Christmas Supper possible since 2019. The society's chairman Ron Alsworth was very pleased to welcome regular faces and commented on the number of new faces who he hoped to see again, as 2023 would be back to a full programme of events. He also introduced our special guest, Jamie Butterworth. Back by popular demand was Chrys Fisher and his team from the Palmer Arms serving up a superb Roast Turkey supper with all the trimmings….and, of course, this was followed by Christmas Pudding. Singer/guitarist Dean Dyson entertained the guests, singing from his enormous repertoire. As more than one guest declared to me, the ‘Hort. Soc’ has a unique place in Dorney social life – no other body offers an event like this, and the revamped Village Hall offers a superb venue. As 2023 looms, the society aims to build on all this support and return with a strong programme of events. That is where our special guest comes in. Jamie Butterworth is Managing Director of FORM Plants based at Dorney Court, is an RHS ambassador, a gold medal winner at the Chelsea Flower Show and is a champion of mental health charity Place2Be. Jamie first met up with the Society when he presented prizes after the Annual Show in August, and now he has agreed to be our patron. We will benefit from access to Jamie’s experience, knowledge and contacts which will enable us to move up a level and it’s fitting for the Society to work with a local horticultural venture. This is all reflected in plans for the first meeting of 2023. Now, the details of the programme are still being finalised, but the plan for our first get together next year is for an afternoon meeting on February 24th, to be held at Crocus at Dorney Court, with Jamie as our speaker. Details will be announced shortly. The May garden visit in 2022 was an absolute delight as a happy throng of members visited ‘Wind in the Willows’ in Denham. Plans are afoot for a similar outing in 2023. A full programme for 2023 with membership cards will be available early next year when we will invite existing members to renew and new members to join us. The Annual Show, again the first for three years, was a splendid day back in August. How can it be improved further? Well, judged by residents’ reactions, by avoiding the Bank Holiday weekend. Next year, we’re scheduling the Show for September 2nd, a date for your diary. The supper finished with a very successful grand raffle, with Jamie drawing the winning tickets. Many thanks to Chrys Fisher for donating not one but two meals at his two pubs and also to Jamie for donating a signed copy of his book plus, for one lucky winner of the star prize – who happened to be Charles Cody, a long-time supporter of the Society and ex-editor of this magazine -a magnificent tree. Jan Bowman with Jamie and book! Ron Alsworth and Peter Bowman www.crocus.co.uk Dorney Playground Group Halloween Party On Friday 21st October about 100 4–11 year-olds celebrated an early Halloween at Dorney Village Hall. After the disappointment of having to cancel the Summer Party due to extreme heat, we were determined that nothing was going to stop everyone enjoying the Halloween Party. The barbecue, which was kindly purchased by the Parish Council for this type of community event, was put to good use for our Sausage Sizzler! As well as hot dogs, the children were able to have a Halloween ‘tattoo’, purchase sweets, glow toys, Halloween lucky dip bags and more besides. We had fantastic entertainment provided by Non Stop Kids Entertainment and afterwards prizes were presented to the children (and parents) with the best Halloween costumes. We are delighted to report that we raised over £800 for the Playground 4 Dorney charity. This will go towards ongoing maintenance of our wonderful Dorney community Playground. We would like to thank everyone who helped arrange the party and those who helped on the day. We would also like to thank Dorney Village Hall who allowed us to use the hall at no charge. Dorney Playground Group DORNEY SCHOOL RESPECT * COLLABORATE * GROW As we close in on 2022, I would like to use this opportunity to reflect on what our school has achieved even through the on-going energy and economic crises. I start with a re-inspection by Ofsted in early September in which a monitoring inspection was converted into a full two-day inspection as the inspectors could see the school’s rapid progress in such a short time. His Majesty's Inspector (HMI) recognised the unusual decision by Ofsted for an early monitoring visit, six months after the last full inspection report was shared with staff and parents in February 2022. Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is now securely 'Good'. The school has also retained the judgement of 'Good' in Behaviour and Attitudes' and 'Good' in Personal Development'. In fact, the HMI deliberated for some time on whether these areas should be judged as 'Outstanding' and identified minor areas for improvement, that the school was already aware of, to secure such a judgement. This seems like a good occasion to thank all staff, parents, governors, trustees and the community for their unfailing support and commitment to all our children. Finally, I would like to thank the children - they are honest in their feedback of our school and their passion for learning, their compassion, and their commitment to social justice are unparalleled. Dorney School prides itself in delivering not only excellent education, but we are also proud of our children’s participation in the wider curriculum and in the community. Just before we broke up for the autumn break, 19 girls from Years 3 and 4 participated in an allgirls football festival at Fulmer sports ground. Bathed in brilliant sunshine, over 200 girls found a safe space to enjoy and learn football skills from professional and dedicated coaches. On the back of the national Women’s team winning Euros 2022, this was an amazing experience. The best comments I heard that morning from pupils of Dorney School were, “I have never seen so many girls!”, and “This was the best day ever!” Elsa from Frozen even turned up for a photo shoot with the girls as the Disney Corporation is part of the FA sponsorship deal along with Barclays Bank. Such great partnerships are vital if we want our girls, and all our children, to be exposed to such opportunities. At the time of writing, our Year 5 and 6 girls will be attending a similar event in early December. Our Remembrance Assembly, led by the Year 6 and attended by our families, is a poignant reminder that if we do not mark such days, events and weeks, there is a chance that we will forget; that we may not remember that we must stand together against injustice, discrimination, and intolerance. The words ‘We sacrifice our today for your tomorrow’ held more meaning this year as we reflect on recent events globally, and closer to home. The pictures below tell its own story of the legacy left behind and the price of sacrifice. Our Year 6 pupils stood together, along with their families and the rest of the school to remember family members who may have paid the ultimate price or indeed, the significance of a person’s sacrifice. 20 Our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) did it again! The annual fireworks event was a resounding success. The school playground was filled with so many families, friends, and children who were totally spellbound by the fireworks. The treats on offer and the raffle prizes went down a storm. The event raised £3.5k – this is vital additional funding for a school severely impacted by the school funding crisis. All leftover food items were donated to the local foodbank. Members of our school council organised a Bring and Buy sale and sponsored challenges that each pupil had to complete. So far, we have raised over £1000, part of which will be donated to Children In Need, whilst some of it will go towards much needed school refurbishment. Take a look at what we did! As I write this last paragraph, we are now busy preparing and planning for a myriad of seasonal and Christmas activities. From Nativity plays, carol singing, pantomime and visits to the local church, December promises to be a busy and productive month in the life of our school. Yet, as we start getting festive, a lot of our learning will also centre on the true meaning of Christmas. In this time of hardship, many families may be spending less due to the rising cost of living. Some may be thinking of ways to keep a home warm this season. The work we do at school centres on compassion, understanding, kindness and love. We will also be spending time listening and reflecting on the story from over two thousand years ago, of a small family, finding refuge in an unknown land in uncertain times. This story is as relevant today as it was when the Child King was born. Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Dorney School would like to wish all readers a peaceful and joyful Christmas, and may we each find joy in the company of the ones we love. Best wishes, Mrs S F Jelany-Lee, Headteacher 21 DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first. 46% success in 11+ exams (2020) Part of Beeches Learning and Development Trust with Burnham Grammar School Open Events Thurs 13/10 5.30- 7pm Tues 22/11 10.30 to 11.30 Weds 11/1/23 1.15 - 2.15 DORNEY SCHOOL Respect•Collaborate•Grow"A little village school with a 'Big Heart' and a warm welcome" •Beautiful grounds and excellent facilities •Ample parking for everyone Visit our website at www.dorneyschool.co.uk and telephone in to book your school visit 01628620871 office@dorneyschool.co.uk Published results above local and national schools, over the last three years. Warm, inclusive, nurturing community that places the child first. 46% success in 11+ exams (2020) Part of Beeches Learning and Development Trust with Burnham Grammar School Open Events Thurs 13/10 5.30- 7pm Tues 22/11 10.30 to 11.30 Weds 11/1/23 1.15 - 2.15 We would like to invite you to our Christmas Market on 8th December 6pm -9pm come along and support local businesses and enjoy a bit of Christmas under our stretch tent. Activities for the children and mulled wine and mulled cider will be served at our outside bar. Free entry. We can't wait to see you. The Palmer Arms Festive Menu 2022 (From 29th November 2022) £27.95 -3 Courses / £23.95 -2 Courses Complimentary Crackers Starters Lamb Samosas with a Mint Yoghurt Dip Pumpkin and ginger Soup with Crusty Bread Beetroot & Dill Gravadlax with Watercress Duck Liver & Port Parfait with a Caramelised onion Chutney Vegan Meatballs, tomato and basil sauce, croutons (VG) Mains Pork Belly with Crackling, Apple Cider Sauce, Roast Potatoes, Cabbage & Bacon, Gravy Beef Wellington with Spinach Duxelle, Dauphinoise Potato & Buttered Carrots, Beef gravy (+£4.00 Supplement) Pan fried Seabass with Crushed New Potatoes, Prawn Garlic Butter & Wilted Spinach Turkey Breast with Pigs in Blankets, Roast Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables & Red Wine Gravy Roast Sweet Potato, Marmalade and Pumpkin Seed Tart with Roasted new potatoes and mixed leaf salad (Ve) (GF) Desserts Christmas Pudding with Brandy Custard Chocolate fondant with vanilla Ice cream Peacan Tart with salted caramel ice cream Apple & Plum Crumble with Custard Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream Optional 10% Service Charge will be added to the bill Terms & Conditions Apply CHRISTMAS PAST Dorney is approaching another Christmas, one hopefully free from the restrictions of the past two years. Families and friends will be preparing to enjoy the festivities together. Decorations will emerge from storage to brighten our houses inside and out. Parents and grandparents will watch their children’s Nativity plays and take them to see Father Christmas. The post-box will be fuller than usual. Old traditions will be revived and new ones created. St James’ church will welcome villagers to Christingle and midnight services and the ancient church in Boveney will once again be filled with candlelight and the sound of carols. How, I wonder, did Dorney celebrate Christmas in times past? Christmas really became the celebration we know and love today in Victorian times. Many features were popularised by Queen Victoria and the Royal Family, such as the Christmas tree bedecked with candles, decorations and gifts. Sending cards, decorating the house with more than greenery, singing carols and eating turkey for Christmas dinner all developed into the traditions associated with the big family get-together. In Dorney the church has always been the focal point for Christmas, and the Windsor and Eton Express reported that the Christmas services in 1904 were unusually bright, the singing by the choir boys greatly improved under the instruction of the new organist. No doubt the congregation joined in with the processional hymn “O come all ye faithful”. In 1897 a Christmas party for 250 children was put on in the coach house at Dorney Court. The room was decorated and there was a Christmas tree. A tea was provided at 4pm, followed by a concert performed by both children and adults. Who knew that the comic song “Daddy wouldn’t buy me a bowwow” was already popular that long ago! Afterwards the children were given prizes of warm clothing and presents of toys and sweets and were sent home with a bun and an orange each. The tea was served by local ladies including the wives of the vicar and the doctor, and the event was funded largely by the Dowager Lady Palmer. She was renowned for her generosity and kindness not only to the children but also the poorer folk of Dorney and Lake End. It was recorded that at Christmas 1900, shortly before her death, she had given them her customary gifts – 70 pounds of tea, seventy sacks of coal and 200 yards of flannel to make clothes. Then as now, charity was very much to the fore at Christmas, when good causes solicited contributions to help those less fortunate. On Christmas Day in 1850, even the inmates in the workhouse and the prisoners in gaol were treated to beef and plum pudding, thanks to charitable donations. By 1910, the workhouse celebrations had become more elaborate. The wards were decorated with evergreen foliage and paper streamers and the tables with flowers and plants. There was a Christmas tree and stockings full of presents for the children, who sang carols in the chapel and round the infirmary wards, largely filled by the elderly. Dinner was roast beef with mashed potatoes and parsnips followed by Christmas pudding, with oranges, sweets and nuts for the children, tea and sugar for the women and tobacco and snuff for the men. Food has long been an important element of Christmas festivities. For much of the 19th century, a key feature locally was the displays of meat in the butchers’ shops in Windsor, Eton, Slough, Burnham and Maidenhead. Much of the beef and lamb had been bought at Slough livestock market, some prize beasts being reared by Dorney farmers. Beef was the meat of choice at this season for Queen Victoria who often spent Christmas at Windsor with her family and guests. But pork and ham, poultry and game were also in demand. Sausage meat for stuffing turkeys was advertised as being made fresh every few minutes during Christmas week. The descriptions in the local press of the butchers’ and grocers’ shops evoke the words of Charles Dickens in “A Christmas Carol”. A shop in Eton was said to be “literally covered with fat turkeys, geese, capons, hares, pheasants etc”. At the grocers, oranges and lemons from Spain and Italy were artistically arranged alongside French apples and plums, preserved figs and crystallized fruit. Dried fruit, nuts and citrus peel were being advertised for Christmas in mid-November, no doubt so that the Christmas puddings could be made. Stuchbery and Thompson, grocers in Maidenhead, delivered free to Dorney on Mondays. High street shop windows from bakers and confectioners to drapers, stationers and toy sellers were all designed to tempt the customer looking for goodies or gifts. Post offices were reported as being super busy with parcels and Christmas cards. On Christmas Eve in 1893 – a Sunday – Maidenhead Post Office had to take the exceptional step of organising a second delivery to deal with the large quantity of perishable items. Another perennial desire is for a white Christmas but hopes often seem to have been dashed. At Christmas 1857, “the unusual warmth of the weather was the remark of everybody”. On Christmas Eve 1910 it was observed that “there is no sign of what people love to call ‘the good old-fashioned Christmas’ with which frost and snow and the yule log are all associated.” Instead, the Thames had “suddenly been transformed into a swollen torrent” and riverside towns and villages including Dorney and Eton Wick were suffering from floods. The following year there was still no snow and a green Christmas was predicted. Regardless of the actual weather on 25 December, Christmas card manufacturers continued to depict snowy backgrounds to their seasonal greetings. The few days off work over Christmas provided the chance for different activities. The editor of the Windsor and Eton Express on Christmas Eve 1910 commented “everybody is talking of the holidays and how and where they are going to spend them….people whose time is fully occupied with the cares and trials of a strenuous life allow themselves a little relaxation”. In 1893 Burnham football club had matches on 23 and 26 December. Boxing Day was also the date for sports such as an afternoon pigeon shoot at the Palmer Arms in 1906 and competitive cross country running in 1910. Christmas holiday excursions by train to London on Boxing Day 1906 were advertised at 2s 6d from Windsor and Eton. Evening entertainments were also on offer. In Windsor, there was a big audience at the Wellington Music Hall during the evenings of Christmas week in 1869 while the Theatre Royal put on a Christmas pantomime in 1870 which was so successful that the run was extended. While pantomime remains popular, some shows would not be repeated today. In December 1893, the Burnham Minstrel Troupe performed at various venues, including Dorney schoolroom to raise money for the Dorney Reading Room – “the room was well filled by an enthusiastic and delighted audience”. Morris dancers from a nearby village performed in the streets in Eton for Christmas shoppers in 1857.However we spend Christmas, it remains an occasion to celebrate just as it was for the Victorian residents of Dorney. I wish all readers of DPN and their families a happy holiday. In the immortal words of Tiny Tim at the end of “A Christmas Carol”, “God bless us, every one!”. Virginia Silvester COLD FEET WARM HEART ON DORNEY COMMON ‘Cold feet are often symptomatic of a legitimate intuition that you may be heading for the wrong place at the wrong time’ Suzanne Fields (American Journalist) Nearly a full year has passed, a tumble of seasons bringing intense heat to chilling wind and thrashing rain. Just as the rain soaked our land through to its core did I hear that the hosepipe ban was soon to be lifted. Always look on the bright side, those of us that have water meters will be gladdened that we had such a long dearth of brown toasted lawns. As the wind and wet whisked across the common, pooling in places and mulching the paths to mud, recent increases (or should I say doubling of prices) of our utilities shocked most of us to turn down our thermostats and reach out for our Bridget’s. Here at the cottage, it was the moment to have the chimney stacks swept, the Jotul fire burners lit, and thick curtains closed. Quite a draughty old place meant multiple sweaters and bed socks at night-time, no time to consider glamour or fashion. Outside, the dark descends before reaching home from work, to rush in and hunker down for the night. Working at Burnham pharmacy, we still saw a continuous stream of eleventy-eight customers per 9-hour shift, to see many deltoids pricked with seasonal winter jabs. My friend David, a fellow jabber, lapped up as many shifts as he could, exclaiming that it would be better than turning on the heating at home. I have no idea of my jab count, but David passed his 6000th this last week, which set me thinking, since I started 6 months earlier, it’s quite possible I may have stabbed many more people! Ouch! Our WhatsApp group always contains unique reflections, we are deltoid bores, discussing subjects such as, how many did you do today, how do you count how many you have done, which needle slides in smoothest, don’t you think the orange top ones bend too easily, did you notice how the new safety syringe dosage lines are hard to read, can you squeeze 7 doses out of a 6 dose bottle of Pfizer, and the most prolific, how many times did the internet drop today. Having recently seen the shrinkage of our Dorney and District Horticultural Society committee members, it has been a wonderful year where we have been joined by not just one, but two new committee members, firstly witty John (Wraight) swiftly followed by the lovely Lou (Whaley), who have breathed fresh air into our ailing lungs. The buoyancy of this society now invigorated with energy, and has renewed enthusiasm for the future, with a fantastic programme of events for 2023. Note, today I read we have a possible third new joiner… my lips are sealed for now. However, I can reveal we have a new Patron, and that is Jamie Butterworth from Form Plants, a true ambassador for our group. You all might know we lost dear Peter Tyler this summer, feeling down in our hearts, we have now turned a corner where the light at the end of the tunnel shines brightly. Our finale for the year is always the best event and this year was no exception, with a good gathering of villagers, a fine Christmas Supper supplied by Chrys Fisher, coupled with copious drinks, laughter, and merriment. It was an exceptional occasion, and like my newly swept log burners, a roaring success. We have finally arrived on the brow of Christmas; how did that happen? Such a busy year at the cottage, such a fun time with my boyfriend Bob who has supported the morale at Dells in such a positive way. Onwards and upwards to 2023, it is nearly here. Take a moment to consider the dilemmas of this festive season, this is my opinion only, just a personal choice: Christmas Trees – fake or real? Real! I love the scent of a real tree, not too big, and I really don’t mind sweeping up the needles, I am a dab hand with them after all. Shopping – on-line or in town? Both! I love shopping, I love to wander the streets, enjoy coffee and cake, but I also like to curl up on a sofa and surf the net through the sea of gift ideas. Paper Cards or E-Cards? Both! The paper cards are great to send to someone you rarely see or is far away, but E-cards are eco and a lifesaver when you have forgotten to send a paper one to a good friend. Turkey or something else? Well difficult to say… if cooked by Chrys it would be turkey, if not I would let my family choose, after all, it’s the joining in and good times spent that count. Presents – Cut back or blast off? Depends, I can’t say, I try to be careful, but it doesn’t always work out that way, try to bear in mind, is this a useful thing… (doesn’t always work, failure rate quite high in my case). As we gently roll down the hill of December, Maidenhead Drama Guild struggles to put on another Panto, this time ‘Beauty and the Beast’, once again at Holyport Memorial Hall. Sadly, due to a busy year, I was not involved in the production, but will support by going to watch the dame and his magnificent dresses delivering saucy inuendoes, and how the beast magically transforms into the most handsome prince. Good news however, seats are all but sold out! However you celebrate Christmas this year, make sure to raise you glass for all those that are not able to do so, for one reason or the other, and I raise mine to all the villagers that keep villages like ours a safe and happy place, cheers! ‘What is Christmas? It is the tenderness of the past, courage for the present, and hope for the future’ Agnes M Pahro Kristina Perkins ***** The Light in the Tunnel It was so sad. It always is. Half–muffled bells on Remembrance Day does it every time, and we rang them saddened and lost in thought -as we do every time. Dignified too was a group gathered around the war graves in Dorney Church’s graveyard, respectfully watched by we bell ringers from the road after the ring. I had sacrificed my Sunday lie in, the only one of that week, and felt a little hard done by until I saw the silent group gathered respectfully in the early morning sunshine as they remembered those who had given up far more than their Sunday lie in, and I felt ashamed. It was a quiet solemn picture that was repeated across the Country and the former Empire, and I too recalled my parents, Pa in the RAF and Ma in the Land Army. Mention of Pa’s war service could sometimes produce a watery far away look in his eyes. He would not talk about it. Ma would get agitated and distressed at the sound of air raid sirens on TV or radio, and we youngsters would dive for the off switch before the end of the credits in ‘Dad’s Army.’ Her mother, my grandmother, died in the same air raid that badly wounded Ma. Both my parents were scarred both physically and mentally until the day they died, as I strongly suspect some of yours were too. They hid it stoically. In many ways, they were the lucky ones. They survived and lived their lives, but the gathered group, and we ringers were honouring the others not so lucky who gave their tomorrow for our today. My quiet reflection was interrupted by the shattering of the silence by a small black hatchback howling at speed through the parked cars in a low gear and high revs producing the cacophony through the ‘inferiority complex’ exhaust. I suppose he was enjoying the ‘tomorrow’ so bravely bought by other people’s ‘today’ but if he knew, and it was a man child, I don’t suppose he cared. But that’s freedom for you, so expensively paid for. As my reader may recall, I was a news junkie and go ‘cold turkey’ from time to time, still in rehab if you like, but of late I am growing tired of raging at the news in whatever form, and the constant stream of unremitting gloom makes my ‘weaning off’ all the easier. I have taken to burying my head in the sand. Maybe when I extract it, it will all have been a bad dream, much as in ‘Fawlty Towers’, and like Basil Fawlty, if I bang my head on the desk to wake up I will find too, “No! It’s not a dream. We’re stuck with it!” and of course, so we are. In many ways, we too are in a war. Not a shooting war! I don’t want to frighten the animals (save of course for the moron in the black hatchback), but as I see it, a combination of successive poor leadership with cronyism and hints of corruption thrown in, a world pandemic followed by a proper war three days drive away, a shortage, perceived or real, of power, oil, food and common sense resulted in our position today; and if we survive all that, well, there’s global warming with all the foretold catastrophe that goes with it. “What can I do about it?” I hear you ask. Here’s the ray of sunshine. You’re already doing it! We’re being kind to each other (don’t mention black hatchbacks again.. please!) I now think before I turn on a light, and turn it of again PDQ. The thermostat enjoys more attention now than it’s ever had. If I pop to Sainsbury’s, I take a walk and leave my beautiful car in the drive. I’m saving the planet! And while in Sainsbury’s I’m saving the planet again by closely exploring what my lovely partner refers to as ‘The Cheapy Counter’ if, that is, I can lever her out of the way. We’re saving waste! Greta Thunderbirds would be proud of me. Maybe the King would care to bestow?…..well, perhaps not. But we’re doing it! On a more personal level, I notice people are kinder and more willing to help each other and certainly me. The builders next door are charming in many ways and permit me to raid their skip for the goodies. Maybe it’s the gin, but I really feel a sort of collective weary acceptance of ‘We are where we are’ and we find a way round it. “Huh! The Economy!” they huff shrugging shoulders in collective acceptance and friendship. What can we call this feeling? The Dunkirk Spirit perhaps? But that was a real problem with every expectation of Nazi invasion. I only have the astronomical cost of fuel, of which I now use less, and the rise of everything else. Easy for me to say. I don’t have a young family and a mortgage. We get by as we have done throughout history. Our climate: it’s not really a climate, just weather, makes us bloody minded, which is why we are good at winning wars, and we’ll win this one. Believe me! The Bulgarians have a saying that ‘The light at the end of the tunnel may be the train coming the other way’ but not in Britain, or Dorney for that matter. Well, I’m off with my hurricane lamp and candles to hunt down a few frugal items for Christmas presents. I’ve heard that a local supermarket is doing a new line in festive gruel which I can place in my little basket while being battered by Slade singing ‘Merry Christmas’. I might even get a little dry bread to go with the gruel! Your Editor has invited my lovely partner and I to a festive supper in the village hall and I do hope my reader will be there too, when I can wish you a very Happy Christmas, but if you’re not attending, please have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. The clocks go forward soon, the days lengthen and Spring is on the way. Stay safe. Mike Quincey Dorney Village Hall www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk In January we completely redecorated the whole inside of the Hall. It is looking very fresh and welcoming. We also installed blinds to replace the old curtains. Dorney Village Hall has a large main area with stage, a smaller annexed room, and kitchen. It has recently been redecorated throughout. It is served by a large private car park and adjacent there is a tennis court, a multi activity games area (MUGA), playground and a playing field. It is used by residents for a multitude of activities such as dancing classes, keep fit, yoga, badminton, horticultural and hired out for parties, dances and weddings. The management committee welcomes non-residents, organisations, clubs, businesses, and societies to hire the halls. Main hall: 15 x 7.4m, ceiling height 7m Fixed stage with curtains: 4.5 x 6m Annexe: 9.8 x 3.5m, ceiling height 2m Licensed to seat 100 people Children’s tables and chairs available Beechwood suspended dance floor 75 space free car park From £13 per hour (minimum of 3 hours) for Dorney Parish Residents Email: bookings.dorneyvh@gmail.com Online on www.dorneyvillagehall.co.uk Baby and Toddler Group St John the Baptist Thursdays 10am –12noon in the warm room behind St John the Baptist Church Eton Wick (near the school) We have activities, toys, crafts and songs MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DORNEY PARISH COUNCIL HELD TUESDAY 22nd November 2022, 7.30 P.M. AT DORNEY SCHOOL Present Cllr. Jill Dax (Chair) Cllr. Anna Palmer Cllr. Martyn Westcott-Wreford Cllr. Stephen Baker Cllr. William Voaden Clerk Ruth Senior and 7 members of the public Public Forum Boveney resident Cynthia Gordon presented objections to the Boveney Court Farm development and was thanked for her thorough investigations, findings and summary. This is also being discussed under point 6. PC/112/22 Apologies for absence Cllr. Euan MacLennan Cllr. Robert Stopford PC/113/22 Declaration of interest on any items of business on this Agenda Cllr. Palmer declared an interest in the Boveney Court Farm plans and will refrain from any decision making on this point. PC/114/22 To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 18th October 2022 These were approved with no amendments required and signed by the Chairman. PC/115/22 To receive the Clerk report The Clerk reported on the update from the Digital Motorway scheme, the bridge planting has been contracted to Tihill to maintain for 5 years from the completion of the motorway and the access ramp works to Dorney Village Hall has started. It was also confirmed that the Playground will only use the bins at the village hall when they are hiring the building. The remembrance wreath was purchased at the slightly reduced cost of £23, not £26 as previously reported. PC/116/22 Items of business carried forward 116.1 The Orchard Herbs Site No update although it was noted that there are many more vehicles appearing on site again. 116.2 M4 Digital Motorway No update 116.3 The Neighbourhood Plan Cllr. Voaden is currently putting together all the information needed for the next stage of the plan including preparations for a resident’s questionnaire during 2023. 116.4 The Emergency Plan Cllr. Palmer will continue to chase local companies for their agreement for inclusion in the plan. 116.4 Playground The playground confirmed a successful Halloween party in October. The weekly tuck shop is now closed for winter. The annual safety checks will be taking place in December. PC/117/22 Planning Boveney Court Farm development has 2 planning applications, PL/22/3562/FA and PL/22/3563/HB for a total of 12 dwellings on the site which will double the number of homes in Boveney raising the question of over development of the area. This is the largest development in Dorney since the 1970s. It was unanimously agreed that Dorney Parish Council will formally object to the plans and will ‘call in’ the development to County Council. It was agreed that the Clerk will liaise with County Cllr. George Sandy. It was agreed that the Clerk will write to Buckinghamshire Council regarding the proposed ward boundary changes in a similar vein to Taplow Parish Council, suggestion that Taplow and Dorney become a one Councillor ward rather than being split with Burnham and Lent Rise. PC/118/22 Finance To agree/ratify expenditure and income to date The cashbook was circulated prior to the meeting and approved. PC/119/22 To agree One Drive storage space It was agreed that the Clerk can purchase additional storage space on One Drive for documents at a cost of up to £60. PC/120/22 Installation of white gates on entering Dorney and Dorney Reach It was agreed that the Clerk will look into costings for gates and what is needed. PC/121/22 To consider any complaints/comments received from residents The Clerk confirmed that investigations into the Gatehouse light continue. PC/122/22 Items to consider for discussion at the next meeting on 17th January 2022 Precept agreement Cattle grid update Greens maintenance Lake End Road and Court Lane resurfacing Slough Treatment Works update 37 Dorney History Group The Dorney History Group has no meetings, currently, but it has a wealth of information about Dorney’s past on its website: www.dorney-history-group.org.uk, with over 18,000 web visitors each year. Eton Wick History Group www.etonwickhistory.co.uk The Eton Wick History Group has been meeting regularly since 1992. Eton Wick and the surrounding area is rich in history and the village has a heritage dating back to 1217. Meetings are held at 7.30 pm in Eton Wick Hall, Eton Wick, and everyone is welcome. Refreshments are served, and there is a charge of £2.00 to cover costs. Visitors and new members are always very welcome. 2022 Programme 14th December ‘The Fights over Cookham Commons (1799-1852)’ with Mr Keith Parry Further details from: Teresa Stanton teresams35@virginmedia.com Hedgerley Historical Society www.hedgerleyhistoricalsociety.org Hedgerley Historical Society (HHS) was founded in 1976. All evening meetings begin promptly at 8pm, unless otherwise stated. Arrival from 7.30pm is advised. In Hedgerley Memorial Hall, Kiln Lane, Hedgerley Buckinghamshire SL2 3UZ 2022 December 21st From Source to Sea Tom Chesshyre ZOOM Dorney Parish News Published monthly (except January and August) Editors: Peter Bowman, Tumbleweeds, 12, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODU peter.bowman@talktalk.net Tel: 07889 912714 Jean Spencer, Dorincourt, 45, Harcourt Road, Dorney Reach, Maidenhead. SL6 ODT Tel: 01628 624213 Editorial Board: The Editors, Bill Dax, Thea Pine Production: Bill Dax Tel: 07802 365448 Distributors: Mr Cobb, Mrs Cox, Mrs Leishman, Mrs McCabe, Mr McGuinness, Mrs Oxlade, Mr Penfold, Mrs Stockwood, Mr Temple Miss Snook, Mrs Tuddenham, Mrs Tyler, Mrs Wood-Dow RATE OF SUBSCRIPTION: £5 per annum for 10 issues The Editors are not responsible for the opinions of correspondents expressed in letters or articles published in this magazine. 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