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 2nd and 23rd July and 13th August. 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

Inkpen School Early Years Outside Play Area £5,000 Match Funding by Greenham Trust
Inkpen School PSA are thrilled that Greenham Trust have Granted them £5,000 match funding to support their campaign to raise the funds to improve the outside play area for early years. We just need to raise £5,000 by December to ensure we get the £5,000 granted. The outside area is much loved by the children, but the flooring is uneven and very tired, and the equipment needs updating.

Whilst this area is essential in the education of the early year children – research show that play improves the cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of children – this is something very low on the list of funding by the education department and so our fund raising is essential to make this improvement.

If you can support our fund-raising campaign on The Good Exchange with any funding please do visit our funding page, every £1 raised will be doubled with a £1 match funding by Greenham Trust.

The link to our page is: https://app.thegoodexchange.com/project/20445/inkpen-county-primary-school-psa-association/early-years-outside-play-area or simply Google the Good Exchange, click on the heading Charitable Projects and Search for 20445

If you have any events planned like a cake sale, coffee morning or bridge event or a challenge do please consider raising funds for our school which is so important to Inkpen.

If you don’t want to donate via the Good Exchange, get in touch with claire@clairejjones.com for other ways to donate. Thank you so much in advance for your support.

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 café has been going for 9 months and is getting established. Now that the summer appears to have arrived the folding doors are open wide and there’s a chance to sit outside and watch the swallows swooping over the cut grass. Not quite mediterranean but the English equivalent.

As always, the café is open on the first and third THURSDAY of each month, so 4th & 18th of July, and the 1st and 15th of August, from 10am to 12.30 at the Inkpen pavilion. Come and enjoy the much sought after cake or biscuits, with a cup of drinking chocolate, tea or coffee. Make a date in your diary. All comers are welcome. If you are in the history group or a stargazer, this is a good place and time to meet and share.

STARGAZERS
The first stargazers meeting was held on the 24th May. Around 20 residents have so far shown an interest. If you are interested contact us via inkpen.climate@outlook.com. Events are being managed through a group app so that we can make best use of those increasingly rare clear night skies.

If anyone has any photos of the recent aurora that they would like to share, please send them to the same email address, we’d love to see them. Combe Hill was choked with cars on the weekend of May 11th, and many cars simply turned away because there was no space to view from.

Don’t forget, it’s daylight that obscures the stars, well, and the clouds, but the night time is when we really see our place in the universe. Go have a good look for yourself.


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

In readiness for the summer sporting activity 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.

DOWSING DAY AT INKPEN

We had a good turn-out for our first dowsing day on the 22nd June, and the weather was surprisingly kind apart from being a little blowy. We’re hoping to repeat the event, possibly at Walbury Hill, in late August or early September.

The results of the dowsing are being analysed and compared with the geophysics results obtained last autumn. The full analysis will be presented at the next history group meeting, expected in September. You can find out more and keep up to date by visiting inkpenhistory.uk

STARGAZERS We now have a sizeable group, around 20, ready for this autumn’s stargazing. And almost all are signed up to the group app so that it’s easy for members to communicate with one another. Those interested in sunspots can view todays eruptions here https://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/sunspots/. For the moon it’s https://moonphases.co.uk/. And for the planets https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/@2648147. But there’s no substitute for viewing the night sky directly, so if you are interested come to our next meeting at the Inkpen pavilion, 7:30 on Friday 12th July. We’ll be demonstrating remote viewing using your own telescope and an image capture device. Don’t miss out.

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 July meeting is on Wednesday 3rd July at 7.30pm in Inkpen Village Hall. There is no particular activity planned so please just bring along anything you are currently working on and we can have a relaxed evening. Although the polling booths will be in the village hall ready for the next day the subject of politics will be banned! In August we meet on Wednesday 7th - same time - same place.

We are growing in numbers which is great but there is always room for more so please come along and give us a try. £3 for the evening which covers the hall hire and tea/coffee and biscuits. For further info please email me jan@honeydesign.co.uk

DARTS – COMING SOON…
Aiming to start Monday 30th September (evening) We're excited to announce the launch of a new social darts club at Inkpen Village Hall. This club is open to everyone in the community, regardless of your skill level. Whether you're a complete beginner curious to try your hand at darts or an experienced player looking to share your expertise and enjoy some friendly competition, we'd love to have you join us.

Our aim is to create a relaxed and welcoming environment where people can come together to enjoy the game of darts, make new friends, and have a great time.

We plan to start our gatherings on Monday evenings, but we’re open to adjusting the schedule to suit the preferences of our members. Once we have a better idea of what works best for everyone, we’ll finalise the meeting times. Refreshments will be organised too.

If you fancy yourself as the next Luke Littler, or perhaps you're more of a "crafty cockney" type, this is the perfect opportunity to get involved. Whether you're interested in playing regularly or just dropping in occasionally for a social evening to meet fellow villagers, we’d love to hear from you. For more details or to express your interest, please send us an email at inkpenvh@gmail.com.

100 YEARS OF THE VILLAGE HALL.
You are cordially invited to join us for a quintessential English celebration to mark 100 years of the Inkpen Village Hall! To commemorate this milestone, we're hosting an afternoon of indulgence and nostalgia.

On Sunday 29th September, noon – 4pm, come and enjoy a vintage high tea, complete with delicious finger sandwiches, scones, and sweet treats.

But that's not all… Our outdoor Beer Marquee will be brewing with a selection of local ales and snacks. Anyone wishing to help on the bar, do let us know. Also, if there are any local acoustic musicians (young or old), that would like to perform a number or two to add to the buzz, do let us know. We’ll provide cover, a mic and and amp.

Weather permitting, we’ll have some outdoor games for children to play with so we hope this will be a lovely event for all.

You’ll also be able to stroll down memory lane and to that end, we're inviting the community to share a photo and a memory of their time at the hall to help us mark this special milestone. Whether you're a past resident, a current member, or simply have fond memories of visiting the hall, we want to hear from you. Please submit your photo and story to be included in our special commemorative book and exhibition.

This cannot happen without you so please do dig out your photos and share your favourite memories of weddings, parties, community events, or simply hanging out with friends at the hall. A small paragraph describing your photo would be fabulous. If you have a memory but no photo, please do submit that too. Help us celebrate 100 years of history, laughter, and community spirit.

If you have something you’d like to share, please do so by emailing inkpenvh@gmail.com or call / text on 07568284750. We look forward to hearing from you. Helen

TABLE TENNIS
Inkpen Table Tennis meets every Wednesday from 4:30pm - 6:00pm in the Village Hall. We have three tables and all the equipment necessary. The group is friendly, thriving and enjoys a good session of social (rather than highly competitive) table tennis whereby everyone plays everyone else in singles or doubles according to numbers. New members and guests are always welcome. There is also a U3A Table Tennis session on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the Month from 1:30pm - 4:00pm in the Village Hall. Hungerford U3A members are welcome. For more information, please contact Mike Gilbert - 07717 355030 or Linda 07774 775599.

CARPET BOWLS
Inkpen Carpet Bowls is a friendly group of members from Inkpen and surrounding communities.

Very few of our players have ever played any form of bowls prior to joining the club. As the bowls are much smaller and lighter than those used for "Green", "Indoor" or "Short" Bowls they are more manageable than their counterparts. No skills, level of fitness or equipment is necessary. You don't need to be sporty, all you need is a good sense of humour.

There are defined rules of etiquette set out by the English Carpet Bowls Association, however we tend to be more relaxed which makes for fun meetings. New members are always welcome. If you are unsure if this is for you why not come along one afternoon to give it a try. If you can't commit to every Thursday afternoon or for the full three hours don't worry as the arrangements are flexible. If transport is a problem, then get in contact as we may be able to help.

We meet most Thursday afternoons at 1.30pm until 4.30pm, in the Village Hall with a weekly charge of £2 to include tea/coffee and biscuits except for Polling Day, 4th July, when we will meet on Friday 5th. If you would like more information then contact: Sandy on 01488 668336, email - sandy.r.wilson@gmail.com or Jenny, email holsworthysumpters@hotmail.com

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

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Other inkpen news

THE JOAN OF COMBE
Joan Brookes (Lovelock) Born 25 Feb 1934 Wexcombe, Wilts.

She was the eldest of four children. Joan’s father Herbert worked for A.J. Hosier one of the foremost pioneers of modern farming techniques who was renowned for inventing the mobile milking parlour.

On the back of his success Hosier bought the Combe valley, which consisted of very poor land covered in trees/shrubs and gorse, which most notably was inundated with rabbits. The latter proving to be a very profitable extra crop during the war years.

Herbert was tasked with clearing the land with the help of a bulldog tractor and making it much as it is today. Joan’s early years revolved around school and helping with numerous bonfires which seemed to be burning pretty continuously. Hosier used Combe as a test ground for novel ploughing methods. He would rig up two large steam engines on opposite sides of the fields and using a cable strung between the two, drag a plough back and forth. Joan moved to Combe in 1942, when Box Cottage became free. The village shop, selling everything anyone wanted, including paraffin for lamps and housing the post office. Mr Fosbury was at the centre of everything that happened. He also provided a “school bus” service in his van when the school in the village, which closed shortly after their arrival, moved to Faccombe. It was also the centre for all news and gossip- which might explain why Jon Snow the newscaster took over the shops (by then converted to a house!).

There were 15 at the Faccombe school, with 6 from Combe. This was closed in 1944 and Joan was given a bicycle with 4 other older children on which to ride to Vernham Deane. The younger ones continued in Mr Fosbury’s van. In 1945 she moved school to Andover. This was a different and higher level of education, not to Joan’s liking. Fortunately, the Hampshire council discovered after 4 years that the Combe cabal were in fact from Berkshire, so were thrown out and had to go to Hungerford, which was a much more relaxed regime.

When the war came, life in Combe did not change. Being a rural community, food was never short. The rabbit keeper- a full-time job- sent literally tons of rabbits to London to feed the population. It is interesting to note that there are no rabbits in Combe today although many hares. There were two searchlight emplacements, manned by airmen. These locations were off limits to all children who were kept well away.

Five men in the village formed the Home Guard and the only known excitement was when an off track V2 rocket landed in the 90-acre field leaving a massive crater which can be seen today. Hitler only killed a few rabbits with that one but did succeed in blowing out all the windows of the manor. A German plane crashed on top of Woody Down but no one was allowed near it or to see anything. A missed PR opportunity or dark arts misinformation? Joan left school at 15 in 1949 to help her farther with the farming, and particularly the milking. Long days exemplified by early starts. Life in Box Cottage was decidedly basic by modern standards. There was no electricity in Combe and paraffin and candles were the only light sources. Fosbury supplied batteries for radios. These were very eco and rechargeable once flattened. The radio was for the news, King’s speeches and listening to the highly popular “Dick Barton- Special Agent.”

Romance duly blossomed when Joan met Ted Brookes at a village party at Faccombe. Ted was a gardener and bandsman. Joan cannot remember whether it was his Euphonium or trombone that tipped her over the edge! They married in 1956 and moved into 4 Slate Cottages and Ted started as a tractor driver for Hosier. Despite this, neither of the couple learnt to drive. They bicycled everywhere and Joan bought a horse from Michael Stewart who lived at Lower Farm. She looked after his other horses. They never moved. Joan is still there nearly 70 years later.

Highlights were: 1. The odd gathering at Faccombe. This was despite Mrs Butler-Henderson being rather fierce- confiscating wild strawberries they picked in the wood below the school. 2. The occasional package trip by bus to Weymouth or Bournemouth organised by Edgar’s Bus company in Inkpen. 3. Cinema in Hungerford. 4. Joan’s mum used to bicycle there once a week to get her hair done. 5. See Crime below.

Family. Joan’s first child, Jacqueline, sadly died shortly after birth, with a congenital heart defect. The Health Service was amazing and whisked them up to Great Ormond Street where very sadly she died in the middle of an emergency operation. She then had two sons and a daughter. Jackie still lives locally and has always been involved with horses, her daughter in turn works in top eventing circles. Both sons became soldiers. Stephen in the Household Cavalry. He still works with horses in a stud and Kevin, the Marines, fought in the Falklands- he had a better arrival than Jacqueline being born in the car on the way to hospital.

Church was an important part of life and she was responsible for lighting the big potbelly stove which was in Combe Church, before services, but inevitably it made only a marginal difference- although it got red hot.

Crime. It did not exist, and a policeman was hardly ever seen. The only exception to this was when the Great Train Robbers decided to hide some of their swag in the hedgerow behind Slate Cottage. When it was found, it caused quite a stir although no one in the village was implicated even though Ronnie Biggs may have had a relation living here. Joan always denied that it was her and says that any similarity between Biggs and Brookes is entirely coincidental. Police retrieved most, but not all of it. There may be more to be found so look carefully when on the footpaths as they always hid loot close to them for easy retrieval.

Joan has just celebrated her 90th Birthday. A lavish affair, some wonder if Uncle Ronnie helped, but we look forward to reporting on future developments as they happen. 4 Slate Cottage always has a kettle on the go and if anyone wants to hear the odd riveting yarn about her life and East End relations, take some biscuits and she will provide the tea. Offers of garden help will be much appreciated as Joan only operates on crutches these days and the weeding is a challenge. E&OE the transcriber David Pemberton

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

His Majesty King Charles, Patron of CPRE.


CPRE - the countryside charity The Newbury & Hungerford District Branch of CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) is delighted to announce: His Majesty has kindly agreed to be Patron of CPRE, a role that the late Queen held for many years. CPRE has held Royal patronage since its founding in 1926, and this continuation shows the important, unique role that they play in the nation’s discourse as the only charity dedicated to opposing bad planning and inappropriate development in the countryside.

CPRE, like you, have a common interest to protect the countryside from 'inappropriate development', safeguard the distinctive character and help you to defend the environment and quality of life for future generations.

For further details on the work of CPRE Berkshire and the support it provides for Parish Councils and members, please visit the website: www.cpreberkshire.org.uk

Homepage - CPRE Berkshire
CPRE Berkshire is working to enhance, promote and protect Berkshire's countryside. Love Berkshire's beautiful rural areas? Find out more and get involved. www.cpreberkshire.org.uk

The Asian Hornet - Coming to a village like ours?
There is a serious threat that the Yellow Legged Asian Hornet will make its way to our village in the near future. It has already been sighted in Hampshire. Many of you may not know why this is of concern, despite it being highlighted on national TV, so please do your own research and respond as necessary. A good starting point is www.nationalbeeunit.com . Suffice to say that we should all be aware of this 3cm long creature. Below is an illustration to help identify it. The main feature to distinguish it is its Yellow Legs.


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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