contents

local news updates

West Berkshire Council InfO

police update and scams

Building restrictions

library

climate change

school news

playing field news

INKPEN village hall

Other inkpen News

useful links






Local news updates

For your latest local and regional news, as provided by the BBC, click here. Hungerford and area news can be found here.

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Mental Health Support for those of 11-18 years
West Berkshire Council has set up a dedicated telephone helpline for young people experiencing issues and concerns relating to the pandemic - 01635 503587.

The helpline, which is linked to its Emotional Health Academy (EHA), will offer the district’s young people self-help support, advice and guidance from trained EHA workers. It came into operation on 6 April, and will be open between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday, providing an opportunity for children and young people (aged 11 to 18) to express their concerns and talk about issues directly affecting them during the current Coronavirus crisis. EHA workers will use active listening skills to support young people in dealing with difficult feelings around Covid-19 and provide signposting and self-help support for their general wellbeing.

This local helpline is a short-term service and will be available only during the pandemic, to provide ‘in the moment’ support to children and young people. It will provide access to trained EHA workers who can offer advice and self-help tools and provide support to manage ‘low level’ problems. It is not a crisis line and does not replace other services such as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

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The latest West Berkshire Council weeknote is available here.

RiM, Recovery in Mind is a community organisation, where adults living in West Berkshire get the opportunity to learn life long skills and tools to improve and manage their mental health and wellbeing. Details can be found here.

West Berkshire Council are asking residents across the district/borough to think of others and not light bonfires. Anyone having a domestic bonfire that causes a nuisance  may be prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. To report an incident of a bonfire please use our on-line reporting form here.

Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of any waste or rubbish on public land or sites which are unauthorised to accept waste. If the rubbish is dumped on private land, the landowner is responsible for removing it. If you find or receive notification of fly tipped material on private land you will need to inform the landowner. Landowners unfortunately will have to pay for the cost of disposal of fly-tipped materials. To report an incident of fly tipping please see links on PPP website here.

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Police report

A message from the Police and Crime Commissioner is available here.

Online Fraud. New scams are coming to light all the time. Police guidance is given here.

Local Police News.
As we approach the end of Harvest, we find this is the time of year when we see an increase in rural crime offences. Particularly hare-coursing and poaching. We are already receiving reports of this nature in other areas not far from here. Please be mindful of this when driving through open countryside and report suspicious behaviour to Police. Ideally a vehicle make, model and index.

Recently in the local area there have been reports of cooking oil being stolen from rural businesses as well as small amounts of metal, mainly lead. Please keep an eye out for vehicles / persons acting suspiciously and report to the Police.

Have you heard about THAMES VALLEY TEXT ALERT? Sign up today www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk/ to receive free texts or emails about crime in your local area and relevant safety advice.

You can now follow us on twitter @TVP_westberks.
If you would like any further information or advice please contact me on 07814852137 or email Joanna.king@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

SCAMS

Be aware of scams. Download "The Little Book of Big Scams".  For home security, download "Secure your home".

Message shared on behalf of Thames Valley Police -  We have been informed by Thames Water that a number of “Contractor” Identification Cards have been lost in transit. The cards have been deactivated so they cannot be used to gain access to any Thames Water sites but there are concerns that they could be used for criminal activity known as “Distraction Burglaries.” Please be very cautious and verify with Thames Water any Thames Water person’s details before letting anyone into their property?

The real NHS will not ask you to:    1) provide bank details or payments, 2) give details of any other accounts, such as social media, 3) set up a password or PIN number over the phone, or 4) call a premium rate number, such as those starting 09 or 087

People who shop at Tesco have been warned not to fall for a scam email claiming to give them free shopping and vouchers. In emails addressed to customers of the supermarket, scammers have attempted to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis by offering them the chance to shop for free online or in store and to click on a link to register their details.

Similar scams too purporting to be from Morrison offering free vouchers and other scams such as free Dettol or Gillette samples or competitions. They are all trying to get you to like or share which gives them details on your contacts etc. Never click on any links from uninvited emails. If in doubt on any scams, please contact your Bank or other organisations to check whether they have been sent by them.

Other recent scams are a text from O2 saying that a payment had failed and to avoid fees, visit the website using the link in the text and to then sign on using another screen asking for all the security details that the person used followed by credit card and bank account details. The fake website looked exactly like the O2 official site so some people could easily fall for this scam.

Royal Mail scams via email advising that your parcel has arrived but the Courier was unable to deliver the parcel to you. The email then asks you to pay £3.95 for this to be re-delivered and to click on a link to give your bank and other details.

Also Emails saying that the recent payment for your vehicle tax failed because there is not enough money on your debit card and that your vehicle is no longer taxed. They suggest you use a credit card instead to avoid any other consequences and again this is a way of trying to obtain your Bank details.

There are various ways of reporting scams.

A new initiative called Cyberawaregov has launched SERS – the suspicious email reporting service. They say that if you have received an email which you are not sure about, to forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk There is further information on the website: www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious-emails

Scams can also be notified to Action Fraud on 03001232040 or via their website or to the National Trading Standards Scams Team on 03454 040506.

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Out of hours Building works

The law - and frequently planning permission as well - regulates the hours during which construction can be carried out, typically between 8am and 6pm weekdays, 8am and 3pm on Saturdays, and not at all on Sundays. Outside those hours you have the right to complain to the council, who will come and investigate and may take action against persistent offenders. Contact WBC at ehadvice@westberks.gov.uk (Tel. 01635 519192) or planningenforcement@westberks.gov.uk (Tel. 01635 519111).

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Library - Pass It on

The mobile library van will call at Inkpen on November 5th. The van stops at: Craven Rd. Inkpen 2.20-2.50pm and at Inkpen School at 3.05 – 4pm. Please visit the library as we are lucky the service has continued to be supported by West Berkshire Council in view of the budget considerations for 2024.  .

If you need large print books, please contact library services on  01635 519900

The Libraries Service are also offering a new online service to residents so that they can continue to enjoy new books and to share their love of reading without leaving the house. They have set up a new Facebook group called West Berks Reads, which is a useful, alternative way for people to share their thoughts and pick up ideas for what to read next.

Meanwhile, the digital resources and e-library services are continuing 24/7 and understandably being very well used at this time. Why not go to the Libraries page on our website and discover a new book or magazine?

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Climate change

Did you know?
It will cost around £160 to capture 1 metric tonne of carbon from the atmosphere. Forty mature oak trees (or Beech, Ash, Willow etc.) do that if you just leave them alone. Each tree is doing a payback of £4 a year. They pay for their keep.

Silent forests devoid of life are a possibility within a generation in our already deforested nation, according to a panel of British experts.

"Ecosystem collapse", where trees suddenly fade and die, could happen within 50 years, they warn. But the 42 experts said if we act now we can avert the catastrophe. The large-scale loss of forests hit by "wind, fire, pests and disease" has already happened in continental Europe and North America. "A collapsed forest would be heart-breaking, devoid of its essential life and all the joy and benefits it gives to humanity," said Dr Eleanor Tew of Forestry England and Cambridge University.

But she said we have time to make a difference and we know what to do to make our forests more resilient "so they can continue to thrive for future generations".

39 Ways to Save the Planet
Radio 4 BBC Radio Four, in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society, presents 39 ideas to relieve the stress that climate change is exerting on the planet. To tune in, click here.

Official reports suggest that our climate decline is rapidly accelerating. Although we are a small community and many feel that we are too insignificant in the grand scheme, there are things that we can do to make a positive impact.

Obviously we can plant more trees and hedging and the IMPFT  is this month planting more than 300 hedging plants along Post Office Road. But individually we can make a difference by leaving some of our gardens to become wild spaces. We can be more careful in our use of pesticides and herbicides and hopefully use insect friendly alternatives. Remember, Your Climate Needs You.

Following on from the work of Bob May and Bernard Harris, to encourage wild flowers on the Lower Green Triangle, we are hoping to transform other areas of public land in Inkpen in the coming years, with an emphasis on natural flora and their insect inhabitants. Why not set aside a small patch in your garden for beautiful, natural, wild flowers. Have a look at  this  to get a bit of encouragement.

These links might also be of some interest. Trees and Insects. Remember, insects are at the bottom of the food chain - if we lose them we lose all that depends on them!

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school news

We are thrilled to share the fantastic activities that have taken place at our school as we embark on a busy and exciting Autumn term. The term kicked off with a wonderful8 celebration of the European Day of Languages, where our students indulged in a delightful food tasting event. This occasion not only allowed us to share culinary treats from various cultures but also fostered a love of languages among our pupils and their families. It was a joy to witness parents engaging with their children's learning in such a vibrant way.

In addition to our language festivities, the entire school is participating in weekly Forest School sessions, where the students are having a wonderful time exploring the beauty of our natural surroundings. These sessions are not only educational but also encourage teamwork and resilience as they engage in various outdoor activities.

On the fundraising front, our Parent and Staff Association (PSA) has been exceptionally proactive this term. They recently organised a 'Break the Rules Day,' which proved to be a hit with the children (albeit a little less so with myself as headteacher!).

Moreover, we are delighted to welcome nine new children and their families into our school community this term. It is heartening to see our community grow. Our after-school clubs, including Football Club and Pottery Club, have also commenced, providing our children with fantastic opportunities to pursue their interests and make new friends. Here’s to a rewarding term ahead.

INKSPOTS

At Inkspots we have been so busy thinking about our Mathematic skills - Using gravel, which makes a great sound. The children have been thinking about What can they find? What can they pour? What noise does it make? What does it feel like? How high can you fill the jug? Is it heavy or light? Learning new language, volume, capacity. The children have become experts at this. The children have all been working so hard thinking about our new topic, spring and making such wonderful craft.

Come and see some of the children’s amazing sun catchers at our Preschool ‘spring themed’ window.

What amazing little artists. So much fun & lots of learning.

Volunteers
We are currently looking for volunteers happy to join our friendly Inkspots committee. We are responsible for supporting the growth and development of our precious pre-school as a collaborative little team. It is a lovely opportunity to offer input specific to your natural skill set, and rest assured nothing will be asked of you that you don’t enjoy or feel happy to offer or commit to. Should you like to know more, please do connect with us, it would be lovely to have a chat. Please email inkspots@inkpen.w-berks.sch.uk

Daisy Chains
Contact Jenny on 07775883318 or Anna on 07785 184808.

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playing field trust (impft) news

POP-IN CAFÉ
The Pop-In Cafe continues its normal first and third Thursday of the month openings with many new faces over the summer months.

For the two cafes in August, we suggested that all donations go to causes which seem uppermost in most peoples mind: MacMillan Cancer Support and Dementia UK. For MacMillan Cancer Support we raised £60 and for Dementia UK, £102. A big thanks to all those that donated.

Now, at the first September cafe we will be raising funds for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance. That’s on September the 5th. Please do come and join us. You don’t have to donate unless you want to, just come for a cuppa. All donations are privately made. This will be the last fund raiser until Christmas time. Thank you for supporting us in this.

In case you haven’t been to the cafe before, it’s at the Inkpen playing field pavilion, first and third Thursdays of each month, 10am till 12:30. All are very welcome. Join us and bring a friend if you can.

STARGAZERS A few of us watched the Perseid meteor shower amongst the backdrop of the northern lights. Some beautiful results and video clips. Thank you all. We’re now approaching the period of dark evenings when stargazing comes into its own. There will be lots to see, provided the weather is kind to us. If you are interested in joining in, email inkpen.climate@outlook.com. No experience is required, but always helpful. To help all of us that are looking at the night sky, please turn off any of your unnecessary outside lights. They really do limit what we can see. Give us a helping hand. Thank you. Our Next meeting is on Friday 18th October, 7:30 pm, at the Pavilion on the Inkpen Playing Field. Do come and join us. Entry is just £3 per person.

INKPEN HISTORY SOCIETY
Well, at long last, we have been able to find weather suitable for our LiDAR survey of Gallows Down and Inkpen Hill. This is a monumental piece of work taking days for us to achieve a full 3D model of these hills. We’ll present our findings at the next meeting (11th Oct). The key thing is that having got these data, it is now much easier to plug in other surveys including spectral surveys.

On a less technical level, many will remember taking part in a dowsing day. This seems such a long time ago now. Well, we’ve plotted the crossover points for all dowsers and the results are very revealing. Those taking part in the dowsing day were mainly first timers, that is to say, they had no previous experience of dowsing. It’s probably fair to say that most participants thought it was just going to be a bit of a laugh. Following the experience, I think most, if not all, are much more accepting of the technique. Again, these data will be presented at the next meeting which will be on Friday 11th October, 7pm, at the Pavilion on the Inkpen Playing Field.

Dendrochronology work will hopefully begin in the next few weeks and the oak tree measurement work needs a few extra helping hands to get it back on track.

One of the medieval Latin documents has been translated thanks to the efforts of an Inkpen resident. This is hugely time consuming and difficult work but sheds a light on how Inkpen was managed in the few centuries after the 1066 conquest. Several extracts of other documents remain to be translated. If you know anyone willing to have a go at translation, please get in touch.

The next meeting (on the 11th of October) will be a more streamlined meeting that the previous ones so do come along. As always, there is time for a cuppa and a chat within the meeting. Entry is just £2 per person. This is all part of your history, please come and join us. See you there.


INKPEN PLAYING FIELD - BREAKING NEWS - HAVE YOUR SAY
There is lots more happening at the Inkpen Playing Field and Pavilion. In addition to the update given at the recent Annual Parish Meeting, the Trustees would like to hear from you.

Please access the short questionnaire below, asking for your feedback on Activities /Clubs that you want at the pavilion.

This Questionnaire is also hosted at www.impft.co.uk and detailed below. Just click this link:
https://forms.office.com/r/U2zGepzWiM?origin=lprLink

Let us know your views. This is your pavilion and playing field. Please provide your contact details so that we can follow up for further details. We look forward to hearing from you.

The pavilion is available to book on 7 days of the week:
Meeting Room at the pavilion: for up to 60 people with access to a TV screen.
Party bookings: have been popular this summer – football parties, tennis parties and playground parties- there is still time to book a place if you are having a family event. A fully stocked kitchen with double oven, dishwasher, fridge/freezer and microwave. All the benefits of a home kitchen.
For more details: and booking information please contact the Parish Clerk: parishclerk@inkpenvillage.co.uk

Apart from the wide range of sporting activities, there are some improvements happening at the Inkpen pavilion.
• Improved energy management with the installation of Rooftop Solar Panels - as the pavilion is dependent on electricity. This will allow for cost savings to be obtained from a more structured approach to shutting down heating, lighting and electric showers.
• Door Access Control and a light timer for the overhead lights at the hard court for tennis, football and netball.
• Improved sporting activity from a grant to enable a range of sports to be undertaken for our young (and older) residents with professional coaching on hand.
• A questionnaire for residents to determine future activities and interests to be provided in the village.
• Volunteers are needed - if you can spare a little time to help out, please speak to Brian Cox, Chair of the Memorial Playing Field, and help to make the village one of sporting excellence and recreational activity.

YOGA IN INKPEN
Inkpen Village Hall - Tuesday mornings 9:30-10:30am
Inkpen Pavilion - Thursday evenings 7.00-8.00pm

Yoga which is suitable for beginners and experienced. Classes are £10 pay as you go. Contact oliviaboydall@gmail.com 07554446502 for additional info and requests to book on to a class.

Yoga classes not only bring strength, and a sense of freedom and mobility to our physical bodies, they also leave us feeling calm, aligned, with a settled mind. Through movement, postures, breathwork and meditation you will leave the mat with a new sense of energy and a permeating feeling of deep rest physically and mentally.


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evENTS AT INKPEN village hall

INKPEN STITCH AND KNIT
Our October meeting is on Wednesday 2nd October at 7.30 in the Village Hall. We are fortunate enough to have a demonstration on leatherwork and an opportunity to make a leather key ring. As there is some preparation for this meeting and places are limited, we will need to know in advance if you are coming along for the first time.

Moving on to the Village Hall 100-year celebration wall hanging - this is now coming together but unfortunately it will not be completed until October. It is lovely that so many members are contributing to it to represent various activities that have happened in the hall over the years.

Our November meeting is on Wednesday 6th and we look forward to welcoming you. Jan@honeydesign.co.uk for further information.

INKPEN MARKET
Hello everyone. Thank you for coming to the Market. It was great to see everyone, and the traders all did well, and the café raised some good funds for the various charities.

We are thinking of making some changes, running the market next year on a quarterly basis. We would be interested to find out what the residents think. Email: info@inkpenmarket@hotmail.com . We are going to run a Christmas Market on 17th November usual time 10am to 12.30pm. Cakes, Gifts, all the Goodies and a Christmas Raffle

Chrissy 07767480777 & Tracey 07867667723

PILATES
The Pilates class is still on a Thursday at 11.30am. Cost of a 6-week course is £66 and the first taster class is free. For more information, please contact Caroline - caroline@backinbalancepilates.com

YOGA
For Yoga, please contact Keri Elkins springyoga.withkeri@outlook.com who is taking Olivia’s place for 3 months. Olivia will be back… Olivia Boydall oliviaboydall@gmail.com

To find out more about what's going on at the village hall, go to https://www.inkpenvillagehall.org/

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Other inkpen news

CHAIN
Not heard about CHAIN? I’m sure a lot of us haven’t.

Well CHAIN helps those of us that can’t easily get around because of a lack of transport. They provide transport to Doctors, Dentists, Chiropodists, Hospital appointments, and more. Their volunteer drivers collect residents from their home and take them to the appropriate appointment, stay with them and take them back home afterwards. They can also take you to do your weekly shop or whatever.

People often complain that the normal bus is too large especially for country lanes and not sufficiently frequent. They ask ‘why isn’t there a minibus or something’ – well there is and this is it. It is privately funded and relies on volunteers.

The CHAIN Office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 to 11am and the volunteers who ‘man’ the office are there to help you with any bookings or other queries. Call them on 01488 683727.

If you think you can help them, give them a call. As with all such ventures, they rely on support, your support, financial and otherwise. But at the end of the day, they are here to help you.

THE CROWN AND GARTER
Do please come and join the quiz nights every last Wednesday of the month plus all England's matches in the Euros (we hope this remains relevant by the time the Bulletin goes to print..). We have started doing BBQs on some weekends which we announce on our social media. Keep and eye on Instagram or call us on 01488 668 325 for more information.

THE HUNGERFORD AND LIGUEIL TWINNING ASSOCIATION
Hungerford and Ligueil (near Tours), have been twinned for over 40 years. We regularly organise exchange visits, so why not get involved? You don’t have to speak fluent French to take part; in fact you would be surprised how many twinners communicate without the benefit of a shared language, but of course a smattering of French helps.

We hope to host our French visitors at the beginning of September. If you have a spare bedroom, you can host a French family, a couple, or an individual to suit your circumstances. But if you don’t have room, you can still be involved with helping to entertain our guests. You can join as many of the organised events as you wish, including for example, half day tours of local breweries, vineyards or full day trips away in a coach.

Families and individuals from both countries enjoy a rich cultural experience as we alternate playing host at twinning exchanges and many close friendships have been established between Hungerford and Ligueil families.

We also hold a monthly conversation morning at Hungerford library to socialise and improve our spoken French (all abilities welcome) and to share our love of French culture. To find out more, please contact Penny Brookman on 01488 683314, pab3udc@gmail.com or Meg Atkins on 01488 668 253, megandtonyatkins@gmail.com

NATIONAL SCHOOLREADERS
National children’s literacy charity, Schoolreaders, is looking for volunteers to listen to children read in primary schools in the West Berkshire area. 1 in 4 children are leaving primary school unable to read well so our service is in great demand. No qualifications are required to join Schoolreaders, just a love of reading, a few hours each week in term time and a willingness to go where children need you most. Apply now and you could be ready to start in September. To find out more go to www.Schoolreaders.org

RAMBLERS’ WELLBEING WALKS
The Kintbury group of Wellbeing Walks meets every Tuesday morning at 10am. On the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesday of a month the walk starts from the Kintbury Coronation Hall and ends with coffee at the Bowling Club. On the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, the walk starts at 10am from the Crown & Garter Pub at Inkpen and ends with coffee at the Honesty Bakery.

If you would like to start walking, explore the local footpaths and meet new people just come along or to find out more contact John Noble on 07895 034552 or Janet Taylor on 01488 658225.

Kennet Valley Wetland Reserve
The Town and Manor of Hungerford charity would like your thoughts on its proposal to create a wetland reserve on a site known as Undy's Meadow, between Charnham Park road and the river Kennet. The proposed wetland will be within walking distance of Hungerford town centre, will be open to the public and will include an Education & Information Centre. As a village close to Hungerford, we would like your thoughts on this proposal.

Your feedback is important to ensure we make this project as relevant and appealing as we can. Your responses to our survey (https://tinyurl.com/hungerfordwetland-Survey) will remain anonymous – only the statistics from the surveys will be used. It will only take 5 minutes or less to complete. Thank you.

If you would like to find out more about out proposal do visit our website page on: https://townandmanor.co.uk/wetland-reserve 

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Useful links

Many thanks to Tim and Ali des Forges, editors of the Inkpen and Combe bulletin, for providing bulletin copy for this website.  You can contact Tim and Ali by phone or email thus - aliedesforges@yahoo.co.uk or ring them on 01488 668496. You can also  download a copy of the Inkpen and Combe bulletin here

To report potholes, go to www.westberks.gov.uk/pothole. For other road or pavement issues including overgrown verges, go to www.westberks.gov.uk.

To join Laine's heating oil delivery club, email Lanie.

To report a water leak, go to www.thameswater.co.uk and for loss of electricity, go to www.ssen.co.uk. Both Thames Water and SSE provide priority services for those needing help to cope should there be a loss of service. This includes the elderly and those with special health needs.  Thames Water priority  service can be accessed on-line, here and for SSEN, the details are provided here.


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