Local News and Club Corner, February 2022
Pace Christmas Tree Collection
The total raised during the Pace charity Christmas Tree Collection in January was over £3000.
Pace say: “We would also like to say a huge thank you to Waste Removal UK for supporting this event by providing the amazing collecting team who collected over 250 trees! They are a great bunch, and we highly recommend their services.”
To learn more about Waste Removal UK, please visit www.wasteremovaluk.co.uk. To learn more about Pace and the children they support, visit www.thepacecentre.org.
The curious case of Cedric
If you’ve walked the Ridgeway you can’t have failed to notice a feathery rustle in the bushes as you go down Hogtrough Lane – a beak, a beady eye and a dash of brilliant colour announces Cedric the Pheasant running alongside in his field before he pops out at the gate to confront anyone, car bike or walker for daring to venture near his breeding harem.
Depending on his mood, and your level of alarm, he’ll escort you in close formation for a way but if you decide to confront him he’ll display an extraordinary level of derring-do as he’ll fly harmlessly at you.
It’s the most unusual behaviour for a bird normally at pains to avoid contact. He doesn’t like his photo taken either. So next time you’re up the road…look out for this extraordinary bird, and maybe take some seed to bribe your passage. I for one am hoping that February 1st comes around with this character safe from harm as he adds to the wonderful walking and hiking experience that our lovely town offers. Paul Gardner
Nightstop Aylesbury
Could you help keep Aylesbury Vale’s 17-25 year olds safe at night? Nightstop hosts open their homes to young people facing a night in an unsafe place. Youth Concern are looking for new Nightstop volunteers so that they can continue to offer this vital service in Aylesbury Vale. If you feel you could be a host or a driver, you can find out more at www.youthconcern.org.uk/what-we-do/homelessness.
Ashridge Home Care wins Best Employer
The prize was awarded at the National Small /Medium Enterprise Awards in December.
As a multi-award-winning care provider with over 30 years’ experience, Ashridge Home Care has the capacity to provide skilled, conscientious, and friendly carers to deliver safe one-to-one care to vulnerable and elderly individuals in the comfort of their own homes.
Wendover Bowls Club
The end of December and the start of the New Year was a very quiet time. We held an open day in early January which was a success, and eight people turned up to try out indoor bowls. Now eight might not sound very many, but it meant that they all received personal tuition and enjoyed it. Several said they would be back for more, and another open session will be arranged.
Really there is not much more to report. Internal matches between members continue, as do matches against other clubs. Don Knight
Wendover Horticultural Society
We are fortunate in having Clare De Carle, Chair of Bucks Gardens, who will speak about Maud Grieve, a herbalist who lived in Bucks and who had a large herb garden. With WW1 she expanded it into a plant nursery, supplying the herbs which were badly needed as medicines at the front, using the potential benefits of plants such as Henbane, Foxglove and Deadly Nightshade which would have also grown wild. We will learn a lot. Visitors are welcome at our meeting at 2.30pm on 3 February at St Anne’s Hall, price £3.00.
Neville Morton
Wendover Voices
Wendover Voices relaunch for the new year. We rehearse weekly at Trinity Community Centre, Tring Road.
We are a community choir set up by a group of local mums. We share a love of singing and hope to bring others together for music, new friendships and a cuppa (or a glass of wine!)
All female voices are welcome – no experience necessary and you don’t even need to be able to read music. We rehearse every Thursday in term time but we know work and family can get in the way so there is no expectation to make every single practice!
Music-wise we are fairly contemporary and have sung lots of well known modern songs (Eva Cassidy, Radiohead and Nick Cave in the mix!) plus Christmas carols and some spiritual music.
We ask for a small termly contribution to cover the cost of music but anyone can come and give us a try for free. There’s no pressure and we promise to make everyone really welcome!
www.facebook.com/groups/1636815949989213/
Annalise Smith
The Aylesbury Centre of the National Trust
The group runs a programme of social events for any NT members living in the Aylesbury Vale, with several members coming from Wendover and Weston Turville. Events include coach outings to National Trust and other properties (last year we visited Mottisfont Abbey, amongst other venues for instance), self-drive outings to more local venues such as Dorney Court, walks, and coffee mornings. Up to 100 members and visitors join us for the monthly programme of talks held at Broughton Junior School, Broughton Avenue HP20 1NQ on a Thursday evening. For further information about membership of the Aylesbury Centre NT, please contact the Hon Secretary by email to aylesburycentrent@gmail.com, or by phoning or messaging 07399 540626.
Wendover Library Reading Group
We are the Wendover Library Reading Group, a friendly group of local people that meet in the library meeting room from 7 to 8pm on the first Thursday of each month. The library provides us with a monthly set of books, so at each month’s meeting we discuss the books we have just read, pick up our new read and then just chat about other books that group members have been reading or had recommended. Any new members that would like to join can just turn up at a meeting and would be made very welcome!
Penny Miles
BBOWT fun in February
Winter is a great time to visit any of our five local reserves. Most are open all the time but in winter College Lake (HP23 5QG) with its visitor centre, shop and cafe is open from 10am to 3pm from Wednesday to Sunday. The hard surface paths here are good for winter walking and hundreds of ducks will congregate on the lakes. The reserve will also be hosting Nature Tots sessions for pre-schoolchildren on Wed 9 and Thu 10 February from 10.15am. Or on Tue 22 come and enjoy a family event ‘Brilliant Birds and where to find them’ starting at 10.30am and including some indoor craft and quiz sessions. Book online as early as you can please at www.bbowt.org.uk/events. Please use the same system to book a connection to this month’s Chilterns Group Zoom talk on ‘Rewilding Knepp Estate’ by Knepp guide and ecologist Laurie Jackson. This is on Tuesday 15 February at 7.45pm – all welcome at £5 per screen. For more events and Zoom talks please keep an eye on the BBOWT website events pages.
Richard Birch, BBOWT Chilterns Group
Wendover Cricket Club
The Girls Section started in 2021 and is continuing this year with an enhanced programme (of its own, but not signing up to the ECB Dynamos) – indoors from late February and outside from late April, both on Sunday mornings. We will also be offering some hard ball training on Fridays and teams have been entered into both soft and hard ball competitions. New recruits are welcome in school years 4 to 7.
We also seek people to help at and/or lead the girls sessions/groups, with cricketing knowledge an advantage; for the right people, we will pay or subsidise their attendance at coach training courses. The club has a history of helping young people fulfil their volunteering hours for their DoE awards, usually by helping with junior training. Any recruits and/or volunteers should contact Jonathan Seabrook on 07767-148 119 or jseabrook@talktalk.net.
A full programme of indoor training for all ages (male/female) is now under way. More info, contacts and news are available at www.pitchero.com/clubs/wendovercricketclub.
RSPB Aylesbury Group
The next indoor meeting is on Monday 21 February when Mike Wallen, the local county bird recorder, talks about “Skomer Island” that is known for its puffins and other amazing birds and wildlife. Held at the Prebendal Hall Community Centre, Aylesbury HP19 7QW, starting at 7.30 pm. More info at www.rspb.org.uk/groups/aylesbury.
Jonathan Seabrook (Wendover Cricket Club & RSPB)