NEW Sat April 19, 2014:
Farnborough Airport's Proposed Enlargement of Air Space to
Affect Ellisfield
Following on from their meeting on March 24, the Parish Council has today released a letter sent to them on March 10 from the Lasham Gliding Society. It can be viewed HERE.
The letter outlines the proposed enlargement to Farnborough Airport's air space and highlights that Ellisfield will most probably be affected if these changes are made.
There are now only 13 days left to send in feedback before the consultation ends on May 2. More details can be found on the Farnborough Airport's website and feedback on the area relevant to Ellisfield (Part B) can be entered HERE.
Fri April 4, 2014:
Maria Miller, Basingstoke MP
EDITOR: I know that we were thrown out of the Basingstoke constituency, but here
is an article about Mrs Miller's appearance in the Commons yesterday.
The first three
paragraphs are very funny, the rest are not.
Fri April 4, 2014:
Stocks on Lower Common?
EDITOR: Following on from the March 30 News item, Andy Trotter has informed me that
Bentworth already have stocks (Wikipedia tells me that, strictly speaking, it's a
"pillory") installed on their Village Green! (Click on the picture to view larger
imag.jpg "... click to view larger image")
e.)
Thu April 3, 2014:
Basingstoke to Alton and Alresford
Cycle Route through Ellisfield
A description of this route together with a link to Hampshire County Council's route
booklet have been added to the Local Information page.
Tue April 1, 2014:
"In The Fields" Article
The latest In the Fields ... article can be found HERE.
This month there is a Guest
Report by Ben Licence entitled "From Farleigh Wallop fields to the Great Plains of
America".
Mon March 31, 2014:
Parish Council Minutes for the Meeting held on February 3, 2014
These minutes are available to view HERE.
In future, Parish Council minutes will be
posted in this News column as soon as they are received (after being ratified at
the following meeting of the council).
Mon March 31, 2014:
New "Parish Council Highlights" Page
This new Parish Council Highlights page has been created today and is accessible
via the HOME page's Navigation Banner above.
Reasons for its creation are fully explained.
Sun March 30, 2014:
"Your Majesty, please grant us a new Magna Carta" (Telegraph Article)
EDITOR: This article, by David Thomas (a journalist at The Telegraph), is so interesting
that I thought I'd share it.
I wonder if we could get a grant to purchase and install
stocks on Lower Common? Perhaps we could ask the Parish Council to discuss this at
their next meeting ...
Sat March 29, 2014:
Civil War Soldiers seen in Ellisfield!
On this day, 370 years ago in 1644, the Battle of Cheriton was an important Parliamentarian
victory in the English Civil War. It resulted in the defeat of a Royalist army, which
threw King Charles I onto the defensive for the remainder of the year.
Just before
mid-
.
They will be arriving at Cheriton to coincide with the
start of the Memorial service on Sunday at 2.15pm and will be joined by members of
the British Legion for the final approach to the Memorial Site. At 3.15pm there will
be a reenactment skirmish.
(Click on a picture to view a larger image.)
Thu March 27, 2014:
The Fallen Tree in Church Lane which brought down a Telephone
Pole
Most residents who had been without their landline and broadband for at least a month
(and some for longer) have had their service restored.
Engineers were able to swop
around wires which had (presumably) been damaged when a tree in Church Lane came
down, pulling a telephone pole over and trapping the telephone cable (see picture
below).
There is some confusion as to who will remove this tree. Obviously, one presumes
that BT's Open Reach will want to restore its pole and cable but will they clear
the tree as well?
The exposed roots (right) are almost encroaching the highway, but
if the County Council clears just the root, that leaves the trunk and branches.
This
matter was discussed at Monday's parish council meeting (see March 24 News item below).
However, it's unknown whether anyone is coordinating a solution.
Thu March 27, 2014:
AGM of the Village Association (EVA)
Wednesday evening's AGM of the Ellisfield Village Association (EVA) went well, with
all the formalities being tackled at a decent speed!
Dee Haas was re-
In her report, Dee (see
right) proposed investigating the possibility of opening up the old Basingstoke to
Alton railway line as a bridleway and cycle path. She also suggested that EVA conduct
a survey of village trees lost in the recent storms with the aim of replanting where
possible.
Under "Any Other Business" there was a suggestion by Nicky Palmer that residents
still displaying Waste Not Wanted signs be asked to take them down as that campaign
had finished, with EVA now taking on a consultative role with the operator of the
Anaerobic Digester plant.
Wed March 26, 2014:
Latest Neighbourhood Watch Report
Hannah Houstin-
My apologies to Hannah for the nine day delay in uploading her report
and for then stupidly including the previous report's text (now deleted). Must do
better!
Mon March 24, 2014:
Ellisfield Parish Council Meeting
Happy talk, keep talking happy talk,
Talk about things you'd like to do,
You got to
have a dream, if you don't
have a dream,
How you gonna have a dream come true?
(Click musical symbol to hear "Happy Talk")
Most forms of public meetings hope to have more in the audience than on the stage. However, our Parish Council had only two residents sitting listening patiently to our six councillors talking their way through Agenda item after Agenda item after Agenda item ...
The "highlights" included:
- The proposed 1,000 tons of animal manure to be composted per annum at the Veolia
open-
air site in Busheywarren Lane (see the January 28 News item below). - The £1,000 contribution to parish funds from the operators of the Anaerobic Digester site, promised by the end of last December (see the September 22 News item below), which has not yet been paid.
- The "Website Working Party" which did not meet to discuss the Parish Council website (see the February 4 News item below and see the Website News page.).
- Hampshire County Council's commitment to providing at least 2Mbps broadband by the end of 2015.
- BT's (unfulfilled, as yet) promise (see the November 6 News item below) to "look at their Ellisfield assets" and to come up with a proposal for faster broadband
- Further discussion (started at the February 2013 meeting) about purchasing and installing new notice boards (giving priority to the one at the junction of College Lane and Bell Lane).
- A proposal by the TAG Farnborough Airport to extend their incoming and departure
airspace in order to handle a doubling of aircraft movements (from 23,000 per year
to 50,000 per year). If this goes ahead, it will restrict where the Lasham glider
tugs can fly and this could result in them coming over Ellisfield. The parish council
agreed to send out details to all residents.
(Feedback can be provided up until May 2, 2014.)
- A request from Cllr Guinness to discuss at the next Parish Council meeting (May 12) possible changes to the format of the two Open Forums.
- Wondering if anyone is planning an event to commemorate the commencement of the First World War.
- Discussing who is responsible for clearing away the Church Lane tree which has fallen into the field, bringing down a telephone pole and trapping the telephone line.
- That the Burial Ground now has only 15 consecrated full-
sized plots available (and that some of these may be unusable due to tree roots).
- Further discussion (it's now year 8 or 9) on providing additional Low Cost Housing in Ellisfield ...
And, all of this was just some of the large number of items discussed. Remarkable
for a village of 119 houses!
UPDATE (March 31): These highlights are now available
to view on the new Parish Council Highlights page.
Wed March 5, 2014:
Telephone Scam Call to an Ellisfield Resident
On Wednesday evening, PC Andrew Reid received calls from an Ellisfield resident and
a Tunworth resident, reporting that they had been called by a man proclaiming to
be a Detective Constable from the Metropolitan Police who stated that he had a man
in custody who had the resident's bank details on him.
Thankfully, both residents rang off without providing their bank details to him.
PC Reid says that, with this kind on scam telephone call, the story changes as does the name of the officer, his station, etc. However what is always there is the fact that the caller will advise you to call a number that he provides.
DO NOT CALL THIS NUMBER. Also, make absolutely certain that your telephone line is still not open.
Sat March 1, 2014:
"In The Fields" Article
The latest article from Seumas Foster, agronomist and Ellisfield resident, can be found HERE.
FLASH NEWS: Seumas reports that he has just noticed, for the first time, that there
is frog spawn in Hill Farm Pond.
WARNING TO CHILDREN: Don't try to look for it as
the pond is full and the sides are steep and dangerous ...
Fri February 21, 2014:
From the Ellisfield Village Association regarding a Planning
Application for the Veolia Composting Site
UPDATE: EVA sent out an email informing residents that they were objecting to a proposal
by Veolia (the composting company at the junction of Bushywarren Lane and the A339)
to extend their remit to include animal bedding (particularly from Marwell Zoo) containing
straw and animal bi-
Now that the deadline for objections has passed, the original News Item has been moved to the Village Association page.
Thu February 20, 2014:
Latest Neighbourhood Watch Report
Hannah Houstin-
Wed February 19, 2014:
Statement by the Chairman of the
Memorial Hall Committee
"The Ellisfield Memorial Hall Management Committee would like to announce the retirement of two key members who have together served an astonishing 43 years.
"Jane Evans has served 27 years as Bookings Officer, a title which does not do justice to the many and varied tasks she undertook. The village owe her a great deal for her hard work and devoted service over all these years.
"Christine Turner has served 16 years as Treasurer. She always produced detailed accounts for each Committee Meeting, which even the numerically challenged could easily comprehend. The Hall is in good financial health, due largely to Christine's careful management of our finances.
"On behalf of all those who use and enjoy our Hall, a big thank you to Jane and Christine."
Ray Reed, Chairman
Tue February 4, 2014:
Volunteer Group's Cutting Schedule
The 2014 Cutting Schedule has been released by Andy Swanston, chairman of the Ellisfield Volunteer Group.
Tue February 4, 2014:
Parish Council - Websites
During last night's parish council meeting, the fact that the council has concerns regarding their website and THIS community website was mentioned again.
However, they decided to have another meeting of their "Website Working Party" (comprising Cllrs Guinness, Cazenove and Park Weir) before commenting further.
Paul Turner, who created their website (and who is editor of THIS community website) remains, to put it mildly, bemused by this situation but has stated formally that he is still willing to continue to post Agendas and Minutes to their website and to continue hosting it on his private ISP server without charge until they decide on what action they intend taking.
As for THIS community website, business is as usual!
Tue February 4, 2014:
Parish Council Meeting in Church
The parish council meeting last night was held in St Martin's Church due to a prior
booking of the hall.
The picture above records this unusual event and shows Jacqui
Matthews (Clerk) and Cllr Tim Guinness (Chairman) facing the three other councillors
present; Cllr Gavin Park Weir, Cllr David Richards and Cllr Caroline Cazenove.
Also
at the meeting were residents Tracey Gilvear, Meg Freeman and (on the right) Dee
Haas who came to represent the Village Association. The fourth resident present,
Paul Turner, was behind the camera!
Wed January 29, 2014:
Two Resignations from the Ellisfield Memorial Hall Committee
Jane Evans and Christine Turner have resigned from the Memorial Hall Committee.
Jane
has served as the hall's Bookings Secretary for 27 years and Christine for 16 years
as Treasurer.
UPDATE:
Tony Matthews (381149) has agreed to take on the role of Bookings
Secretary.
Susie Deane (381261) will become the Treasurer, with (presumably) another
Ellisfield Village Association representative to be nominated to take her place on
the Committee.
Tue January 28, 2014:
Veolia Recycling Planning Application
Veolia Environmental Services, who run the Green Waste recycling centre at the top of Busheywarren Lane, have applied to Hampshire County Council (HCC) for permission to "allow a wider range of wastes" on the site.
Their application letter to HCC is available HERE. You'll notice that they mention "animal wastes, such (as) animal faeces, urine and manure which are often collected with animal bedding". The application can be viewed on the HCC website HERE.
This will be discussed at the Parish Council meeting next Monday (Feb 3) evening.
Tue January 28, 2014:
Borough Councillors Overruled
Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has given
Wates go-
Tue January 28, 2014:
"In The Fields" Article
The latest article from Seumas Foster, agronomist and Ellisfield resident, can be found HERE.
Sun January 26, 2014:
Ladies Club Burn's Night Supper
The supper held at The Fox last night for Ladies Club members and their partners was a resounding success.
The "Country Bar" was packed and there was even an overflow area in the raised section
of the main dinning room. Despite the power only coming back on at 6.45pm, Sue Dove
was able to serve the dinner -
Sue Self was awarded 1st Prize and Alison Swanston 2nd Prize for their Scottish themed attire.
Sat January 25, 2014:
Ellisfield Volunteer Group (EVG) AGM
The well attended (25 residents including the 5 committee members) Annual General Meeting of the Volunteer Group took place yesterday evening (Friday, January 24). As usual, it was held at the Memorial Hall, Church Lane.
The formal proceedings (including Any Other Business discussions at the end of the meeting) took just 32 minutes. An excellent example of the efficiency of the Group (and, it was pointed out, three minutes faster than last year!).
All current committee members were voted back on except for Steve Brown who had decided to stand down after a number of years of service to the Group. Graham Simpson was elected as coordinator for the Burial Ground and Ray Reed as EVG's representative on the Memorial Hall Committee.
The formal proposal that “EVG shall continue operations in 2014” was passed unanimously.
The meeting was followed by refreshments. A PDF of the Chairman’s Report is HERE.
Fri January 24, 2014:
Basingstoke Draft Local Plan
On January 30, borough councillors will be debating how many new houses are to be built between now and 2029 at a meeting of the Planning and Infrastructure Overview & Scrutiny Committee.
The maximum number now being proposed is 807 per year, up from the 748 set out in the original Draft Plan.
To put this in perspective, using the lower 748 figure, there would be at least another 13,464 houses built in the borough by 2029. Based on 2011 census data, we can therefore expect the borough population to increase from around 170,000 to over 200,000.
Mon January 20, 2014:
Horticultural Society Programme
The website page for the Horticultural Society has been updated with their 2014 Programme of Events.
Sat January 18, 2014:
Neighbourhood Watch Alert
Hannah Houstin-
Basingstoke burglaries
An increase in thefts from vans
Scam HMRC emails
Attempted horse
thefts
If you are not receiving Neighbourhood Watch emails and would like to be included on the distribution list, please phone Hannah on 381863 or email her by clicking HERE.
Fri January 17, 2014:
Ellisfield Resident Appointed Chairman of Hampshire Branch of
the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).
Dee Haas, chairman of the Ellisfield Village Association (EVA), has been appointed
as chairman of CPRE's Hampshire branch.
In a Basingstoke Gazette news article on Thursday,
Dee was reported as saying:
“I have been very taken with the wealth of expertise existing
in our voluntary and paid members and the way that they can respond quickly to help
people in their campaigns.
“The supportive, educational planning workshops are very
helpful, and I love the programme of visits and activities. The Countryside Awards
scheme is a great asset to the charity and its corporate supporters, so I would like
to see that developing in the future.”
Wed January 8, 2014:
Neighbourhood Watch Alert
From PC Andrew Reid:
May I please make you aware that we are experiencing a spate of thefts from motor
vehicles during the nights both in the town and rural areas. In Basingstoke over
30 cars were targeted in one night and, although two men have been arrested, we are
now having similar thefts from within the rural area. On Monday night four cars were
broken into Oakley and a further one in Kingsclere.
We are aware that one or two (possibly more) men are trying the door handles of parked cars in these areas and if anything such as the sat nav, laptop, etc. has been left in the vehicle it is being broken into and the items are stolen.
I ask if residents could please take ALL sat navs and other valuables out of the vehicles at night. PLEASE DO NOT JUST PUT THEM IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT.
Tue January 7, 2014:
The Fox
Graham & Sue Dove wish all their customers a "Very Happy and Healthy New Year” and also want to express their grateful thanks for all the support the village has shown them over the last six months.
Fri January 3, 2014:
No News Must Be Good News?
Editor: "I could blame BT for there being no new News items posted recently (my ADSL
broadband line has been dead since December 23!) but that would be untrue.
It seems
that the village is just very quiet at the moment, perhaps that's no bad thing ..."
Fri December 20, 2013:
Christmas Fayre Record Takings
Although it's been almost two weeks since the Ellisfield Christmas Fayre, monies only stopped coming in a few days ago! After a few expenses, the final sum raised (to be shared between the Memorial Hall and St Martin's Church) can be confirmed as £2,041.18. Congratulations to Caroline Cazenove and all the Ellisfield residents who worked so hard at making this event such a success.
Tue December 10, 2013:
Neighbourhood Watch Alert
Following intelligence that an illegal "rave" may have been planned for this coming
weekend at Upton Grey, PC Reid is warning all residents in his area to be on the
lookout in case the location is switched to a nearby village!
He is asking all residents to please be extra vigilant and to contact the Police
on either 101 or 999 if you see:
Large amounts of vehicles being driven around in
the early hours of either Saturday or Sunday morning, and/or
Lots of people who appear
not to know where they are going (!), and/or
Bits of torn ribbon attached to trees,
hedgerows or sign posts.
These are all signs and markers to indicate that an unlawful
gathering might be in progress.
Sat December 6, 2013:
Neighbourhood Watch Alert
On Friday afternoon at about 3.00pm a white Ford Transit van AF13 NWC was seen in the grounds of a large house in Greywell. When approached by a member of staff the vehicle drove away despite having the opportunity to stop and speak to the man.
The van comes from Slough and a person linked to it has links with rogue trading such as tarmacing of drives. If seen, please give Police or Hampshire Trading Standards a call and think very carefully before allowing them to do any work at your home.
Thu December 5, 2013:
Christmas Security Advice from the
Police and Crimestoppers
The security advice given by Hampshire Police (with additional advice from Crimestoppers)
last December in the run-
Sun December 1, 2013:
This Website's First Birthday!
"
It seems astonishing that 15 months have passed since work started on this website.
"I was asked recently what I feel is the most successful and useful element of the website and my answer was the News and Events columns which I try to keep as up to date and accurate as possible.
"My thanks go to all the residents who contribute to making sure that the individual sections are made interesting and informative."
Paul Turner, Editor.
Thu November 28, 2013:
New Parish Council Website
A separate Parish Council website has been created at www.ellisfield-
As well
as going to www.ellisfield-
EDITOR: This item has been truncated. The
original text can be found on the new Website News page.
Tue November 26, 2013:
Parish Council Meeting
2014/15 Precept:
At Monday evening's meeting, the Parish Council went through the
2014/15 Budget and decided to keep next year’s precept (the total amount of money
required for the running of the council) at £5,521, this being the same as the previous
two years. Although the actual amount charged per property will depend upon its rateable
value, it means that the average cost per Ellisfield household will be £46.40.
Closed Meeting:
Whilst discussing the Agenda Item 7iii (Web Site), the Parish Council
made the unusual decision to discuss the Ellisfield Community Website (ellisfield.org.uk)
in private, after the formal minuted meeting had closed and the public had left.
The reason given was that of confidentiality.
Mon November 25, 2013:
Ellisfield Neighbourhood Watch
Hannah Houstin-
Mon November 25, 2013:
Hilary de Ferranti
It is with regret that we (belatedly) announce that Hilary de Ferranti died peacefully
at home on November 16, 2013. Much loved widow of Basil de Ferranti.
A Funeral and
Thanksgiving Service will take place at St Martin's Church, Ellisfield this Saturday
(November 30), at 11am.
Donations, if desired, to St Michael's Hospice in Basingstoke.
Hilary was a director of this hospice from 1992 until October, 2011.
EDITOR: Profound
apologies for not putting this News item up on the website sooner. I was unaware
of Hilary's death until it was mentioned at this evening's Parish Council meeting.
Sun November 24, 2013:
New Neighbourhood Watch Area Co-ordinator
Caroline Cazenove has agreed to be the new area co-
Scheme 263
is one of four Neighbourhood Watch areas in Ellisfield, all described on this website's
Neighbourhood Watch page.
Sat November 23, 2013:
Neighbourhood Watch Alert
It has been reported that a white male with grey hair (approximately 6' height, in his late 50s and driving a black car) is doing the rounds in Hampshire posing as a buyer of antiques.
This man drives around scouting at properties then knocks on doors hoping the owners
have antiques to sell. He will happily come in to your property and walk around offering
cash for items such as clocks, walking sticks, books, jewellery, furniture, ivory,
pictures, etc., all well below the estimated value. The man will offer a leaflet
with an East Sussex address and contact details.
EDITOR: If he says his name is Lovejoy
be especially cautious!
UPDATE: Hannah has just informed me that he also steals things
whilst the householder is distracted ...
Fri November 15, 2013:
The Fox - Food Bank Collection Point
Graham and Sue Dove have placed a basket just inside the pub's front door where you
can donate non perishable foods for the needy in Basingstoke.
All items donated will
be collected weekly.
Fri November 15, 2013:
The Fox - £309 Raised for Charity
The "Race Night" Event held at The Fox on Wednesday evening raised £309 for the Dreams Come True national charity for terminally and seriously ill children.
Thu November 14, 2013:
Christmas Fayre Contributions
Requests have gone out for contributions for both the Produce Stall and the Tombola
Stall. Details are in the Events column (see HERE).
EDITOR: Those Ellisfield residents
running the stalls at the Christmas Fayre on Saturday, 7th December are deserving
of our support.
Wed November 13, 2013:
Latest Neighbourhood Watch Report
Hannah Houstin-
Wed November 6, 2013:
The Fox - Christmas Menu
The Fox has just released its Christmas Menu (incorporating a Booking Form). This menu starts on Tuesday, December 3 but bookings can be made now.
Wed November 6, 2013:
Fast Broadband - Statement by
Ellisfield Parish Council
Ellisfield Parish Council
On Monday, October 14, this website ran a News item (see below) regarding the Hampshire
County Council (HCC) Big Picture Map which showed the proposed roll-
Those who looked at the map will have seen that it
showed the Herriard exchange being upgraded before the end of 2015. It also showed
the southern part of Ellisfield as being in the 2015 roll-
This map was discussed
at the Ellisfield Parish Council (EPC) meeting that evening and Cllr Julian Wright
promised to investigate and report back -
"A meeting was held on the 23rd October between EPC, HCC and BT to discuss the
provision of superfast broadband in Ellisfield. The following clarification was agreed:
"BT
will be providing superfast broadband (VDSL) via the Herriard cabinet (located near
the Fur and Feathers). Regrettably the VDSL technology is currently short-
"The rest of Ellisfield is served by the cabinet at the junction
of Church Lane and College Lane and is not currently included in the 2015 superfast
programme
"All of Ellisfield is eligible for some form of broadband upgrade by
the end of 2015 owing to the slow, sub 2 Mb, download speeds. Ellisfield is also
eligible for consideration as part of the 2017 superfast roll-
"BT, HCC and
EPC are now working together on how to best address Ellisfield’s broadband needs.
The first step in the process is for BT to conduct a detailed survey to inform a
second meeting to be held in a few months’ time."
Sun October 27, 2013:
Borough Council's £500K budget for "Marketing" Basingstoke
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s decision-
Council leader Cllr Clive Sanders stated that successful marketing of the town goes hand in hand with the administration’s ambition to improve the Leisure Park, revamp the Top of The Town and regenerate the Basing View business park. It would also build on the recent successes of bringing Airkix to the Leisure Park, Network Rail’s new regional hub to Basing View, and the new combined Waitrose and John Lewis At Home store to Basing View.
Before April 2013, all business rates collected by councils were sent to Government which redistributed the money back to local authorities using an extremely complicated formula. Under the new scheme, the borough council will keep 40 per cent of business tax.
Sun October 20, 2013:
Attempted Break-In, Friday at 2pm
There was an attempted break-
(Going down Green Lane and passing Lower Common on your left, The Conifers
is the last house on your right.)
A youth wearing black clothing attempted to gain access via the back of the property. He tried to kick down the back door and, on failing, then smashed a bedroom window.
The owner disturbed the intruder who made off over the garden fence into the wood behind.
If you heard or saw anything, please contact PC Andrew Reid (right) on 07768 776844.
Note: If you’re involved in or witness this type of incident, always telephone 999 immediately.
Thu October 17, 2013:
Willis Museum Exhibitions
There are a few interesting exhibitions being held at the Willis Museum (Market Square, Basingstoke) in the coming months which appear worthy of adding to the Events column.
Tue October 15, 2013:
Memorial Hall - Lower Hourly Rates
It was decided at the meeting of the Memorial Hall Committee that the Hire Charges would be reduced to £9 per hour for Ellisfield Residents’ personal use, Village Groups and Regular Users, with all other hirers being charged £15 per hour (it was £20 per hour).
To book the Hall for a party or event, contact Jane Evans on 01256 381470.
Mon October 14, 2013:
Fast Broadband - Area Map Published
by Hampshire County Council
by Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council (HCC) have published what they call "The Big Picture Map" (click to display the relevant HCC page in a new tab) showing the areas in Hampshire that will benefit from superfast broadband coverage in a countywide scheme to provide a high speed network.
The map shows planned coverage by the end of 2015 and HCC will be publishing more detailed maps as each phase enters deployment.
This map was passed on to Ellisfield’s Cllr Julian Wright last Friday and, at this evening’s Parish Council Meeting, he promised to investigate the ramifications for Ellisfield residents and pass on his findings to this website.
Fri October 4, 2013:
Bushywarren Lane Traffic Disruption
From Wednesday 9 (for 3 days)
(Anaerobic
Digester Deliveries)
Deliveries of silage to the Anaerobic Digester (see News item, dated September 12, below) will take place next week, as follows:=
Wednesday, 9th: 9.30am to 9.00pm
Thursday, 10th: 7.30am to 9.00pm
Friday, 11th:
7.30am to 9.00pm
It is hoped to have completed the deliveries by the end of Friday. However, if it
runs over into Saturday then it should be for only 2-
During the operations, the mud on roads will be monitored and washing trucks brought
in as necessary
Village residents and visitors may like to take an alternative route
and avoid Bushywarren Lane during these times.
Wed October 2, 2013:
Preston Candover Shop
With the owners of the village shop in Preston Candover (pictured right) thinking
of closing down, Ellisfield residents are being asked by Preston Candover Parish
Council to complete a Survey regarding their possible use of a proposed new “community
shop”.
If you would prefer to complete the Survey online, click HERE.
For those who
are interested, the Plunkett Foundation published a very informative PDF Report in
May, entitled “A Better Form of Business; Community-
Tue September 24, 2013:
Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator
Needed
After many years of sterling service as our Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator, Hannah
Houstin-
As well
as being the village coordinator, Hannah is also the area coordinator for two of
the four village area schemes, namely “Ellisfield Green” and “Lower Common” (Roger
Graham handles the “Upper College Lane, Bell Lane & Church Lane” scheme and Peter
Hopwood handles the “Axford Road” scheme).
If you’d like to know more, have a look
at the Neighbourhood Watch page on this website.
Anyone interested should, without
obligation, have a chat with Hannah (381863) or the parish clerk, Jacqui Matthews
(381149).
Sun September 22, 2013:
£1,000 Contribution to Parish Funds
It came as a pleasant surprise to read in the Parish Council newsletter that Barfoots (the operator of the Anaerobic Digester) have offered to make an annual contribution of £1,000 to Ellisfield’s Parish Funds, starting from when the Plant is commissioned in December.
Sun September 22, 2013:
Parish Council Newsletter
The newsletter has been (or will be very soon) delivered to all Ellisfield houses.
Those
on the Parish Council email list received it this (Sunday) evening and it’s on this
website’s Parish Council Newsletter page.
Mon September 16, 2013:
Harvest Festival Supper Cancelled
Statement by Debbie Scholey:
We have had to take the decision today to cancel the
Ellisfield Harvest Supper planned for Sept 28, due unfortunately to insufficient
ticket sales so close to the event. Thank you to those who had paid (we will provide
a refund) and to those who had offered to provide food, etc.
EDITOR: I am reminded
of the time when you had to get in quick to buy tickets for this event.
This cancellation
and the recent death of Rev. Tom Kime brought back memories of his highly popular
Harvest Festival Supper poetry performances, especially the one that managed to include
every Ellisfield house and its occupants.
There was also the memorable occasion when,
dressed as a cowboy complete with stetson in hand, he hesitated for a second, looked
down and carried on with his poem. He then had to endure Chris Lonergan shouting
out “He’s reading from his hat!”. As, indeed, he was …
Thu September 12, 2013:
Bushywarren Lane traffic disruption
at end of September or
early October
(Anaerobic Digester Deliveries)
Statement by Cllr Julian Wright:
“At the end of September (or possibly early October)
there will be, over a period of 3 days, 300 deliveries of Maize crop to the new Anaerobic
Digester site.
“Approximately 5,000 tonnes of Maize (silage variety) from farms on
the Herriard Estate will be transported via farm road and track utilising tractor/trailer
combinations. When they meet the crossing point of Bushywarren Lane (opposite the
entrance to the Solar Park) they will cross the road and follow a purpose built farm
track.
“Due to ongoing construction works with site traffic and maintaining good site
safety, as a one off event for this year only, Ellisfield Parish Council have agreed
to Barfoots sending the empty tractor/trailers back off site and down Bushywarren
Lane (approximately 320 metres distance) before they re-
“Ellisfield Parish Council have requested that no farm traffic enters the
road network heading towards Ellisfield before 8:30am on working days to minimise
conflict with local traffic.”
To summarise the above statement, 100 large
farm vehicles will (probably starting before 8.30am) be crossing over Bushywarren
Lane every day for three days. After delivering their load of Maize, the same 100
vehicles will then travel down Bushywarren Lane towards Ellisfield in order to get
back onto the same farm track. So, 200 vehicle movements per day!
How will this affect
Ellisfield residents? Well, hardly at all if (although very inconvenient for some)
we stay well away from Bushywarren Lane for the three days in question (although
there will probably be a fair amount of noise which may affect those living in Winslade
Lane, College Lane and Bell Lane).
Those residents who choose to still use Bushywarren
Lane will, obviously, need to be very careful, especially if it rains because then
one would presume that the farm vehicles will deposit a LOT of mud on the road!
Mon September 2, 2013:
Rev. Tom Kime
There will be many in the village who will be saddened to hear of the death of The
Rev. Thomas Kime, Rector of what was “Cliddesden and Ellisfield with Farleigh Wallop
and Dummer (Winchester)”, who retired at the end of November 1994.
He died, aged 85,
last Tuesday afternoon (August 27), very peacefully according to his wife Julia (her
address is 6 Morley Close, Market Street, Winchester, SO23 9LF).
The funeral is 2.15pm
on Friday, September 13 at St. Lawrence Church, Winchester.
Sun September 1, 2013:
Reviews of The Fox Required
A website for The Fox is being created and a section entitled “What our customers
say about us …” will feature on the home page.
If YOU would like to help Graham and
Sue Dove in their quest to make The Fox a success, please email your review to thefox@ellisfield.org.uk.
All
emails will be acknowledged.
It is hoped that the new website will be launched within
the next 10 days.
Thu August 22, 2013:
Bell Ringers Wanted!
A few years ago there were quite a few Ellisfield residents learning how to ring
the St. Martin’s bells. There is now only one, Steve Brown of Penny Cottage, Green
Lane.
Peter Willis (who lives in Basingstoke) is the tower master and he would very
much like to hear from anyone who is already proficient or who might be interested
in learning (practice sessions are most Fridays starting at 7:30pm, and Saturday
mornings are also being considered).
For more information, do have a look at the Ellisfield
Bell Ringers page on this website.
If YOU are interested in knowing more, without
any obligation, please contact Peter (either email him HERE or phone him on 01256
472505) or have a word with Steve Brown (381420).
Tue August 20, 2013:
Social & Wine Tasting at The Fox
The village bar was packed at the Wine Tasting held at The Fox pub on Tuesday evening.
All present sampled a (very nice) sparkling rosé, followed by a number of white wines
and then red wines, finishing up with an excellent Châteauneuf-.jpg "click for larger image ...")
All the wines
were presented and described by Lucy and Clare (see picture, right), licensed trade
wine experts.
Graham and Sue Dove put on an excellent buffet and everyone certainly
seemed to enjoy the evening enormously.
Sat August 10, 2013:
Solar Farm in Farleigh Wallop?
A planning opinion request which is currently “under consideration” by Basingstoke
Council will be of interest to Ellisfield residents:
13/01246/ENS -
This
comes after another planning application, which is now closed (13/00419/ENSC), in
May requesting a “screening opinion for proposed solar park”.
Thu August 8, 2013:
Horticultural Society Summer Show
(Report by Jacqui Matthews)
HORTICULTURAL dynasties in the making:
Last Saturday’s summer show had more than 250
entries (100 more than last year) and four local families did particularly well.
Emma
Ilsley won the Elsie Price Challenge Cup for Best Entry in the children’s class for
aged seven and over, producing the most beautiful necklace made from vegetables,
and mum Michelle won first prize for the best hanging baskets in the ‘best gardens’
competition.
Oliver Webb won first prize in the under-
The
Gilvear family will be busy polishing silver trophies all winter – Adam won cups
for best vegetable garden, best large onion, longest runner bean, and highest number
of points in vegetable classes and the whole show, while sons Archie and Basil won
second prizes in the children’s classes for their age group.
Fletcher Cooke won the
Children’s Challenge Cup for his display of grasses in a jar, while sister Dariah
and granny Pat Gould must be given first prize for delicious refreshments, enjoyed
by all visitors.
Thu August 1, 2013:
New Fixed Price Lunch Menu at
The Fox Inn, Green Lane, Ellisfield
Sue Dove, landlady of The Fox public house, has announced that a Fixed Price Lunch
Menu will be introduced as from Wednesday, August 7 and will be available between
12 noon and 2.30pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
The daily changing menu will
have a choice of four starters, four main courses and four puddings. These menus
will be set at £8.50 for either a main course and pudding or a starter and main course.
To
see an example of a lunch menu, go to The Fox web page.
Sat July 27, 2013:
Cyclists on “Big Wheel 21” Event
On Sunday (July 28), cyclists on the 63 mile circular route of the Big Wheel 21 event
(raising funds for Basingstoke’s St. Michael’s Hospice) will be coming up Green Lane
from around 12.00am (riders who belt around the route) through to possibly 4.00pm
(riders who stop at every pub on the way!).
(Timings kindly provided by an Ellisfield
resident who has experience of such things.)
Sat July 27, 2013:
Planning Application for 6 x 130m Wind Turbines at Woodmancott
.png "click for larger version ...")
Objections to the proposed development of 6 x 130m wind turbines under 5 miles away
from Ellisfield at Woodmancott (click on map to see how close they’ll be) need to
be with Basingstoke Council by August 14.
Full details of how to object can be found
on the Save Our Scenic Hampshire Downs website (where there is also a very comprehensive
overview of this proposed development).
Numbers of objections are very important now
that new government planning guidance states: “opinions of local communities on proposed
windfarms should be taken into consideration”.
See the Events column for details
of meetings being held in Preston Candover (August 5), Dummer (August 7) and Lower
Wield (August 8).
Tue July 23, 2013:
The Fox - Publicity On This Page
A number of very positive reviews have been received by this website’s editor following
the re-
The pub is
a vital village amenity and it’s important that the Doves are successful.
So, to assist
them (albeit in a small way), publicity information (opening times, a link to their
menus and The Fox’s location) has now been incorporated on this Home page, above
the Events column..
Sat July 20, 2013
(and updated Mon July 22, 2013):
Another Successful Wine Walk
Jane Evans has calculated that 75 residents were on Friday evening’s Wine Walk. After expenses, the event raised £330 which will go towards the upkeep of the Memorial Hall.
Congratulations to all the hosts:
Ed and Laura (Mulberry House)
Howard and Jayne (Woodfalls)
Graham and Diane (Foxhill
House)
for making everyone feel so welcome and a big thank you to the Memorial Hall committee members for organising this event::
Jane Evans for storing the wine, laminating
notices and putting them up in the village
notice
boards, distributing the wine and soft
drinks to the hosts and picking up and
returning
the glasses to Sainsbury’s.
Christine Turner for buying the wine,
distributing (with
Jane) the wine and soft
drinks to the hosts, organising floats for the
hosts and
counting/banking the takings.
Susie Deane for creating the flyer.
Ray Reed for organising
the printing of the
flyers.
Joanne Thomas, Travey Gilvear and Meg
Freeman (also
non-
delivering the flyers
and selling tickets.
EDITOR: Events such as this strengthen the community spirit of our village, as evidenced by the number of residents “walking the Walk”, the hosts who opened their gardens (and generously supplied excellent “nibbles”) and the nine (see above) who all did their part in organising this event.
Mon July 15, 2013:
Mobile Phone Found Outside Hall
An older style Nokia phone (which is in a leather case) has been found on the grass
near to the Memorial Hall’s entrance.
Please contact Jane Evans (381470) if it’s your
phone.
Mon July 15, 2013:
Latest Neighbourhood Watch Report
Oil Tank Security Information
Hannah Houstin-
It
will be of special interest to those residents who may be concerned about the security
of their oil tank. PC Reid has provided crime prevention advice for your information
and consideration.
Sun July 14, 2013:
Horticultural Society - Seed Orders
The Horticultural Society have received the seed catalogues and they can be collected from Marilyn Smith (462584) as usual. The earlier the orders are completed the better!
Wed July 10, 2013:
Fox Inn - Opening Times & Menus
The opening and food times of the Fox Inn are as follows:
MON Closed
TUE-
5.30 to
11 (food 6 to 9pm TUE-
and to 9.30pm FRI-
SUN
12 to 8 (food 12 to 4)
There are four menus. The Board Menu consists of nine Starters & “Lite Bites”, four
Chef’s Specials, three Salad Bowls, nine Pub Favourites and three Grilled Steaks.
There are seven items on the Puddings Menu.
There is a Snack Menu of sandwiches, jacket
potatoes, salad bowls and cheeses.
Lastly, there is a Children’s Menu of five main
meals and three puddings.
To view the menus, click HERE or click on the image of the menu above.
Mon July 8, 2013:
EVA Art Exhibition - A Great Success
All credit must go to Dee Haas and the rest of the EVA (Ellisfield Village Association)
committee in putting together a three day exhibition of over 100 works of art, all
produced by Ellisfield residents..png "click for larger image ...")
The pieces displayed ranged from sculpture (including
three beautiful maquettes -.jpg "click for larger image ...")
oud), paintings (watercolours, pastels and oils), drawings (pencil and charcoal),
sugarcraft, photography, calligraphy (see Susie Deane’s brilliant watercolour booklet
displayed above), poems, embroidery, doll making and painted plates.
There was a special section displaying art produced by the children of the village.
The
winner of the Friday evening raffle (there’s ALWAYS a raffle!) was Zani Robinson
and the prize (Celia Lunn’s sugarcraft cake) was presented to her by James Arbuthnot,
our Member of Parliament.
(Click on an image to see a larger version.)
Tue July 2, 2013 (at 11.30am):
Graham and Sue Dove are the New Licensees of the Fox
Inn
EDITOR (Wed July 10): The opening times, meal times and menus have all been received.
The website will be updated very soon.
EDITOR (Tues July 9): The pub DID open as promised.
I’m waiting to hear from the Dove’s in regards to opening times, meal times, menus,
etc., etc.
—––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The rumour that Mr and Mrs Dove are
returning to the Fox Inn as licensees is TRUE.
They are in occupation now and talking
with suppliers.
They wish to announce that they will re-
EDITOR: I’m sure everyone will agree with me that this is VERY good
news.
I have decided that it would be correct to remove from this website all references
to the previous licensee (other than the original April announcement) so that the
Dove’s start with a clean slate.
(Graham and Sue are aware that there is a clash with
Ellisfield Village Association’s opening party of their Art Exhibition on Friday
evening in the Memorial Hall but hope that those residents attending this event will
call in at the Fox Inn afterwards.)
Tue June 18, 2013:
Horticultural Society’s “3 Villages Best Garden Competition” Results
Held yesterday (Monday, 17), the results of this competition are as follows:
Combined (Flower & Vegetable) Garden
Pat Doel, Cliddesden
Flower Garden
Hilda
Small, Cliddesden
Vegetable Garden
Adam Gilvear, Ellisfield
Feature
John Lurcock,
Cliddesden
Pots & Baskets
Michelle Ilsley and Nick Riley, Cliddesden
Congratulations to all the winners. (However, as this IS the Ellisfield site, a special round of applause for Adam Gilvear!)
Thu June 13, 2013:
The Purefoy Arms Wins “Good Food Guide” Regional Title
The Purefoy Arms in Preston Candover has been named the South East’s Readers’ Restaurant
of the Year by The Good Food Guide.
Elizabeth Carter, consultant editor of The Good
Food Guide, said: “It may be a textbook country pub – pretty village location, winter
fires, beer garden – but it’s the quirky but appealing modern cooking and genuinely
lovely hospitality which makes this pub so popular with our readers.”
The overall
winner (there are nine other UK regional winners) will be announced at a ceremony
in London on June 19.
UPDATE: Delifonseca, a restaurant, deli and food store based
on Liverpool’s dockside, has been crowned The Good Food Guide Readers' Restaurant
of the Year for 2014.
Sat June 8, 2013:
Ellisfield Road Closures
EDITOR: Well, that was fun, wasn’t it?
I have a sneaky feeling that they might be
back because there is still the bit of road opposite Hill Farm Pond which they didn’t
do (because of all the tradesmen’s vans clogging up the road?).
MAJOR BENEFIT -
Update - Wed June 5 (at 11.35am):
Ellisfield Road Closures
Ellisfield Road Closures
Guess what? They’re early and road closures are from NOW until (possibly) Friday.
Residents
will still have access, it’s just that we might have to turn around and come and
go by a more indirect route through the village.
Update - Thu May 30, 2013:
Ellisfield Road Closures - New Dates
Ellisfield Road Closures -
The road closure notices have been changed AGAIN. They now say that roads will be closed on Thursday and Friday, June 6 and 7.
Sat May 25, 2013:
Memorial Hall Committee
At Friday evening’s AGM, the following were elected and appointed to these positions:
Joanne
Thomas (Secretary)
Christine Turner (Treasurer)
Jane Evans (Bookings Secretary)
As
well as the three “ex-
Rector (Rev. Stephen Mourant)
Churchwarden
(Bernard Cazenove)
Churchwarden (Peter Chilton)
the nominated representatives of
the following village organisations were formally appointed:
Horticultural Society
(Meg Freeman)
Ladies Club (Tracey Gilvear)
Parish Council (Cllr Rose Taplin)
Village
Association (Susie Deane)
Volunteer Group (Ray Reed)
and Ray Reed agreed to take
the Chairmanship (this will be ratified formally at the Hall’s next committee meeting).
Update - Fri May 24, 2013:
Ellisfield Road Closures - New Dates
Ellisfield Road Closures -
Update: The road closure notices have been changed again!. They now say that roads
will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, June 3 and 4.
Anyone affected by the Road Surfacing
will have received a letter from Hampshire County Council describing the process
and offering householder advice. You’ll have noticed that the actual date of the
work was not given, just “in the next few days”.
Sun May 19, 2013:
Three New Website Pages
Three new Groups have been added to this website.
Following on from the Annual Parish
Meeting presentation of this website, Ted Dowson sent in copy for the Oil Syndicate
which in now live.
At the same time, pages have now been created for the Ellisfield
Allotment Gardeners Association and the Bell Ringers (which have been moved out of
Amenities/Church to have their own page in Groups). These last two pages have not
been populated yet but will be soon.
Sat May 18, 2013:
Ellisfield 3G Fast Broadband Initiative
As presented at the Annual Parish Meeting on Friday evening, Julian Wright has offered
to bring a selection of 3G devices to an Ellisfield resident’s property to discover
what kind of fast broadband speeds can be obtained.
UPDATE: The 3G equipment on loan
is being returned soon so appointments need to be made before the end of the month!
Contact Julian on 381757 or email him HERE.
The charge of £30 will be donated to the
Great Ormand Street Hospital for Children.
UPDATE (Wed May 15, 2013):
Green Lane Road Works
The road works which took place on Tuesday were, it seems, NOT to do with the road
closure (see below). They were widening and deepening all the potholes and more workmen
filled them in today (Wednesday).
The road closure (for road surfacing) is, apparently,
still planned to take place between May 29 and May 31.
Posted Fri May 10, 2013:
Green Lane Closure
The road closure notices erected recently at the top and bottom of Green Lane have
been altered -
The last two sets of notices disappeared (without
the road being closed). We will just have to wait to see if it’s for real this time!
Posted Thu May 9, 2013:
Basingstoke Home Library Service
Do you, or someone you know, love reading but can no longer get to the library due
to ill health, disability or caring responsibilities? Basingstoke Library may be
able to help by arranging for a volunteer to deliver books or audio books to your
home. This service is free.
Interested or want more information? Contact Jill or Lois
at Basingstoke Library on 01256 478670 ext 293032.
Posted Fri May 3, 2013:
County Council Election Results
With a 36.11% turnout (4,231 votes cast out of an electorate of 11,716) the results were as follows:
1. Anna McNair Scott (Con) -
2. Peter Johnson (UKIP) -
3.
Ian Tilbury (Ind) -
4. Yegor Ryazenov (Lab) -
5. Jeff Teagle
(Lib) -
In 2009, the results were:
Conservative -
Independent -
Liberal
Democrats -
Labour Party -
So, in this year’s election, it would appear that the 1,008 votes cast for the UKIP candidate came almost entirely from disaffected Conservative voters!
Posted Wed Apr 24, 2013:
Memorial Hall AGM and the Ellisfield Wine Walk - Dates Now
Confirmed
Information has been posted in the EVENTS section opposite. The hall’s AGM (see HERE) is on Friday, May 24 and the Wine Walk is on Friday, July 19.
Posted Fri Apr 19, 2013:
Ellisfield’s Fox Inn
The new licensee is Scott Standen (right), backed by his father Shaun.
The Fox Inn
is being managed by 20 year old Stuart Fraser, with the help of locally recruited
bar staff when busy.
The opening hours are 11.30am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and
11.30am to 9pm on Sundays.
Posted Fri Apr 12, 2013:
Fast Broadband Update
Statement by the Parish Council
Following on from the discussion in the Open Forum at the last Parish Council meeting
(on Monday, April 8), the council has sent out a summary of the points covered.
This
can be found via the “Fast Broadband Updates” navigation button above or by clicking
HERE.
Posted Mon Mar 25, 2013:
HCC Broadband Contract Signed
Hampshire County Council (HCC) has awarded a £13.8 million contract to BT to deliver
their broadband plans for Hampshire.
Work will start immediately on the project and
the first premises will be connected by the end of 2013.
HCC state: “Without the intervention
of the Hampshire Broadband Programme around 20% of premises in Hampshire would not
have been able to access fibre broadband services by the end of 2015.”
It is well
known that parish councillors Tim Guinness and Julian Wright are determined to ensure
that fast broadband reaches Ellisfield. Whether or not this HCC/BT contract helps
them to fulfil their wishes remains to be seen.
Posted Thu Mar 14, 2013:
Broadband Users - Read and Weep!
From late Spring 2013, Openreach (in partnership with the borough council) will be
offering “fibre to the premises” to customers in Basingstoke town. This will bring
330Mbps broadband to those who have already got “fibre to the cabinet” in their area.
Meanwhile,
we in Ellisfield don’t even get 2Mbps!
Posted Thu Mar 14, 2013:
Cango Bus Saved
The Cango rural bus service running between Basingstoke and Alresford via Ellisfield
has been saved from closure by Hampshire County Council. Doubt was cast over the
future of the Cango bus when operators RJB stopped trading in January. However, the
county council have stepped in to invest £123,000, which will see the service run
for at least another four years.
Posted Tue Mar 12, 2013:
Coffee, Tea, Cakes, Books and Cards
At the Farleigh Wallop
Club
Sue Binstead would like to thank all the contributors and helpers, everyone who attended the “Tea Party” last Friday morning and all those club members who bid for the remaining cakes at the raffle in the evening. Over £260 was raised and it has been split between the Alzheimer’s Society and the Club.
Posted Sat Mar 9, 2013:
Announcement of a “Countryside Art Exhibition” to be held
July 5 and 6
by Ellisfield Village Association (EVA)
Details can be found at the bottom of the Events section. (Click HERE to display the EVA publicity poster and click HERE to display and print out the Entry Form).
Posted Thu Mar 7, 2013:
Landlords leaving the Fox Inn
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Karen and Paul are leaving the Fox Inn. Karen made
the following announcement to this website:
“We would like to thank everyone who supported
us in our short stay here. A. special thanks to Sylven Lea for keeping the villagers
informed and running a book on us. We would love to see you all for a farewell drink
this weekend”.
Posted Fri Mar 1, 2013:
PC Reid: Suspicious Black Nissan Navara, Registration No.
AV09 AEC
This afternoon, at about 1.30pm, a black Nissan Navarra (AV09 AEC) was seen in Powntney
Copse near Upton Grey containing three white men. The vehicle comes from the Wokingham
area and we have knowledge of it and some people linked with it, usually offering
to do various “'household jobs”.
I ask if anyone sees this vehicle to give us a call
as soon as possible.
Posted Wed Feb 27, 2013:
PC Reid: Suspicious Silver/Grey Car
There have been a number of burglaries to properties in rural areas around Alton
and Basingstoke over the last month and Police are asking for members of the public
to report any suspicious activity, particularly with regards to silver coloured vehicles
at private properties during the day.
I am aware that between 8.30am and 9.00am on
Monday, February 18 in Church Street, Upton Grey, a silver car was seen parked and
two suspicious men were seen looking into a house through the windows. This may well
be the same vehicle seen at a burglary at Brown Candover in November.
I ask that if
anyone has seen any silver/grey car, most possibly a VW, in suspicious circumstances
to please give me a call on 07768 776844 or 01256 389050 as soon as possible.
Please
be extra vigilant and report (using the above phone numbers or 101) anything that
looks suspicious. For emergences, please use the 999 number.
Posted Tue Feb 26, 2013:
Anaerobic Digester (AD) Update (2)
Open Session of the Parish
Council
The first Open Session at last night’s PC meeting was, as expected, primarily about
the Anaerobic Digester. The tree work has been completed and road widening is still
scheduled to start on March 6, with Busheywarren Lane CLOSED for up to a month.
Residents
expressed extreme concern regarding the possible increase in two-
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2013:
Sainsbury’s Is “Horse Free”!
Sainsbury’s, the village’s “local” supermarket, has announced that “after around
250 tests, no horsemeat has been found in any of our products”. Their full statement
is HERE.
Posted Feb 17, 2013:
Phantom Road Works !!!
Road closure signs have appeared twice in the last fortnight at the top and bottom
of Green Lane and then, after a few days, mysteriously disappeared.
It’s now been
discovered that road works are planned in Nutley (just north of Axford), to start
on Monday 18, on the main road AND on an unnamed slip road which is known locally
as Green Lane!
It’s more than possible that the man dropping off the signs presumed
that it was OUR Green Lane that was having the work done.
Mystery solved? Perhaps!
Posted Feb 12, 2013:
Anaerobic Digester (AD) Update
A meeting was held on Friday 8th February between Barfoot Energy and village representatives (Ellisfield Parish Council supported by Ellisfield Village Association) to discuss the impending work for the new AD plant on Bushywarren Lane. In summary the work will be conducted in three phases:
1. Tree work commencing on Monday 18th February, lasting all week, prior to widening
the lane in two places. Unlikely to involve road closure but there will be caution
signs warning of men working in road.
2. Road widening of Bushywarren Lane, constructing
2 passing places, subject to a road-
3.
Road salting and attention to Bagmore Lane route to A339 will be organised via a
local farmer should we face inclement weather during the works.
Site construction
completing in December.
The next Ellisfield Parish Council meeting on 25th Feb will focus on providing as much detailed information as is available, as well as giving everyone the opportunity to ask questions and conduct an open discussion.
Posted Feb 10, 2013:
Ellisfield Reported Crimes in 2012
Nine crimes were reported in Ellisfield last year. Although this was ostensibly an
increase of four over the five reported in 2011, it did include three garage doors
broken open on the same night!
These nine reported crimes consisted of a theft of
the lightening conductor from the Church, the theft of lead from a house being renovated,
three thefts of heating oil (twice from the same house!) and (as mentioned above)
three garage doors broken open.
Lastly, PC Reid saw a car parked up in an isolated
area and, when spoken to, the driver produced some cannabis and enforcement action
was taken.
Conclusion? Make sure you have good security (locks, alarms and lights)
for your garage and oil tank!
Posted Feb 8, 2013:
Attempted theft in Northgate Lane
PC Reid would be grateful for any information which you may have about an attempt
to steal a quad bike from an alarmed garage in Northgate Lane LAST THURSDAY (February
1) between the hours of 02.15 and 02.30 hrs.
Please telephone him should you be aware
of anything -
Posted Feb 1, 2013:
GREEN LANE - ROAD CLOSURE ?????
The road closure notices (Monday 4th for four days) at the top and bottom of Green
Lane have disappeared. Contact has been made with the Highways Department and they
don’t know why!
When -
UPDATE (Feb 5): Heard nothing… So, notices possibly erected in
error?
Posted Jan 31, 2013:
New Chief Constable
Andy Marsh, currently Hampshire Constabulary’s deputy Chief Constable, will take
over from Alex Marshall next Monday, Feb 4.
Speaking after his appointment, he said
“I look forward to working with the police and crime commissioner in building and
developing a policing service that focuses on the needs of all those within our communities”.
Posted Jan 25, 2013:
Ellisfield Volunteer Group’s
2013 Cutting Schedule Released
To view the 2013 Cutting Schedule, visit the Group’s web page HERE or click HERE. Currently, there are only three slots available and residents who have not already volunteered are urged to contact one of the Area Contacts (details can be found on the Schedule).
NEW FEATURE (from Jan 25, 2013):
In The Fields … articles
The monthly articles by agronomist and Ellisfield resident Seumas Foster will now appear on this website, subsequent to their publication in Hill & Dale. This new feature can be found via the ”In The Fields …” button above.
Posted Jan 12, 2013:
Ellisfield Volunteer Group AGM
The well attended AGM was held on Friday evening, Jan 11, at the Memorial Hall. The
formal proceedings (including Any Other Business discussions at the end of the meeting)
took just 35 minutes. An excellent example of the efficiency of the Group!
All current
committee members were voted back on except for Seumas Foster who had decided to
stand down after many years of service to the Group. Two new members were then voted
onto the committee; Margaret Evans (who is already the co-
The formal proposal that “EVG shall continue operations
in 2013” was passed unanimously. The meeting was followed by refreshments.
A PDF of
the Chairman’s Report is HERE.
Posted Jan 8, 2013:
Theft from Hill Farm Cottage
AT AROUND 9PM ON MONDAY EVENING (Jan 7), Hill Farm Cottage (opposite the pond near
the top of Green Lane) was broken into and had items stolen.
A white van was seen
parked outside the cottage at that time and PC Andrew Reid urgently wants to hear
from anyone else who saw this van.
PC Reid can be contacted on 07768 776 844.
Posted Dec 18, 2012:
Horticultural Society 2013 Events
The 2013 Events Programme can be viewed HERE.
Posted Dec 18, 2012:
2013/14 Precept
Ellisfield Parish Council
At the Parish Council meeting on Dec 10, it was decided to keep next year’s precept (the total amount of money required for the running of the council) at £5,521, this being the same as the 2012/13 year. However, if the annual grant provided to Ellisfield by Basingstoke Council is drastically cut, the Parish Council retains the right to revisit the matter (but it is not expected this will be necessary).
Posted Dec 12, 2012:
Police & Crime Commissioner
Survey Form
Hannah Houstin-
Posted Dec 5, 2012:
Fast Broadband in Ellisfield?
A link to Hampshire County Council’s fast broadband update information pages has been added to this website. Just click on the navigation button above or click HERE.
Posted Dec 1, 2012:
Christmas Security Advice
from Hampshire Constabulary
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Posted Dec 1, 2012:
Ellisfield.org.uk Goes Live!
This website went “live” this morning. Thank you to all who helped with supplying
the content.
Anyone who goes to the old ellisfield.gov.uk will be automatically redirected
to this website’s Parish Council home page.
THE FOX PUBLIC HOUSE
Thu April 24 (7.30pm for 8.00pm)
Ellisfield Ladies Club Darts Match
The Farleigh Club
With Sue and Don of the Farleigh Club our hosts, we do hope members and their partners
or guests will join us for the revived Ellisfield Ladies Darts Match.
The cost will be £3 for members and £3.50 for non members (payable on the night). This event will include a raffle, a Ploughman’s Supper and, of course, drinks can be purchased from the bar. And, there is a trophy to be won ...
It would help the Committee and our hosts enormously if they could get an idea of numbers for the catering of the Ploughman’s Supper. So, if you are able to come, could you please let either Pat (381280) or Maggie (381419) know as soon as possible (definitely before Monday, April 21).
Thu May 1 (from 7.30pm):
Social & Entertainment Club
Millennium Hall, Cliddesden
Film: The King's Speech (2010) ******
T
he absorbing story of how King George VI was helped to cope with a life-
Tom Hooper's The King's Speech stars Colin Firth as George VI, Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth, and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue.
Widely praised by critics, The King's Speech received 12 Academy Award nominations,
winning Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Tom Hooper), Best Actor (Colin Firth),
and Best Original Screenplay (David Seidler).
The bar opens at 7.30pm and the film (which is 118 minutes long) starts at 8pm. There
will be an intermission half-
Sat May 3 (7.15pm for 7.45pm):
Ellisfield Ladies Club - Concert with the Heritage
Orchestra and Soloist
Queen Mary's College, Basingstoke
Queen Mary's College, Basingstoke
Open to Ladies Club members and guests (£12 a ticket). Celia (381373) and Theresa (381045) have kindly offered to organise tickets for the concert so do please let them know if you would like to go along. It is a charity concert on the theme of the First World War. Drinks can be purchased from the bar, but please take your own nibbles for the table.
This is the same orchestra that has offered to play at the 40th ELC celebrations next year so it's a good opportunity for a sneak preview if you don't already know them!
Sun May 4 (8.00pm):
Quiz Night at The Fox, Green Lane
Starting at 8.00pm, there will be two sessions, each with 25 questions. There will
be a half hour break after the first session for supper.
Teams of 4 (or less, even
a “team” of one!). Entry is £1 per person and this will go to the Prize Fund. The
cost of the supper will be £4 per person.
This will be the last quiz before a summer
break. The next quiz will be on Sunday, 7th September. So, no quiz in June, July
and August.
Mon May 5 (Bank Holiday)
Starting from 10.00am to 11.00am:
"Off the Beaten Track" Walk
from
Home Farm Barn Car Park, Farleigh Wallop
"Off the Beaten Track" is a just over 3 mile walk on the private land of the Portsmouth
Estate (by kind permission of the Earl and Countess of Portsmouth and Viscount Lymington),
to raise money for St Martin's Church in Ellisfield and St Andrew's Church in Farleigh.
Pre-
Back at Home Farm Barn there will be lunch (Hot Dogs and Hamburgers) for
sale. There will also be a Book Stall run by Hannah Houstin-
Pre-
Sun May 11 (1.00pm):
Horticultural Society Plant Sale
Jolly Farmer’s Garden, Cliddesden
Members’ contributions of surplus plants for sale will be very much appreciated and will help to pay for future funding for lectures, etc. Please drop off plants from 12 noon.
Mon May 12 (7.30pm):
Ellisfield Parish Council Meeting
St Martin's Church, Church Lane
The parish council's Annual General Meeting (for the election of the chairman, etc.)
will take place prior to the usual meeting.
See local (non-
Tue May 13 (7.30pm):
Ellisfield’s Memorial Hall AGM
Memorial Hall, Church Lane
This meeting is open to all residents. More information nearer the event.
Thu May 22 (7.00am to 10.00pm)
European Parliament Election
Memorial Hall, Ellisfield
An opportunity to exercise your democratic right to vote, irrespective of your views on the UK's membership of the EU and your possible distaste for an election using proportional representation to elect a block of 10 MEPs to represent the whole of the South East.
Fri May 23 (7.30pm for 8pm start):
Ellisfield’s Annual Parish Meeting
Memorial Hall,
Church Lane
This is the annual meeting of the residents of the village. The chairman of the parish
council chairs the meeting but it is NOT a parish council meeting!
All village organisations
(and the local constable, PC Reid) will be giving a short presentation and can be
questioned by any Ellisfield resident present.
There will also be ample opportunity
for residents to raise any matter that they believe to be important to the village.
Wed May 28 (7.45pm):
Horticultural Society Meeting
Memorial Hall, Ellisfield
The society's third Lecture of 2014 is by Peter Chivers and will take place on the above date in Ellisfield's Memorial Hall. The subject will be: Easy to Grow Plants for Greenhouse and Conservatory.
Thu June 5 (from 7.30pm):
Social & Entertainment Club
Millennium Hall, Cliddesden
Film: Shirley Valentine (1989) *****
A 1989 British-
Starring Pauline Collins, Tom Conti, Bernard
Hill, Julia McKenzie, Alison Steadman, and Joanna Lumley. Directed and produced by
Lewis Gilbert. Another masterpiece by Willy Russell who wrote the play, the screenplay
and the music.
P
auline Collins plays a bored, long-
Nominated for two Oscars, awarded Bafta for Best Actress, British Comedy award for Top Comedy film.
The bar opens at 7.30pm and the film (which is 108 minutes long) starts at 8pm. There
will be an intermission half-
Sat June 7 (10.00am to 3.00pm)
Sarah and Jayne's Summer Cookery
Memorial Hall, Church
Lane
This is going to be a very popular event and is for Ladies Club members only. Numbers
will be limited to 35, so first come, first served. Please give your name to Jayne
on 381686 as soon as you can in order that you are not disappointed.
It will follow
the same format as the Winter Cookery event whereby we arrive in time for coffee
and then see Sarah demonstrate to us all her cookery skills. We then partake of the
wonderful food fayre that has been provided.
Bring your own wine/drinks for the table.
A raffle will be organised so bring a few extra pennies. The cost of this lunch with
friends will be £15 per head and should be given to Jayne in advance please.
Fri June 13 (from 7.00pm):
Ellisfield Wine Walk
More information nearer the event.
Mon June 23:
Horticultural Society
3 Villages Garden Competition
More information nearer the event.
Mon June 30 (7.30pm):
Ellisfield Parish Council Meeting
Memorial Hall, Church Lane
See local (non-
Diary
date: The next meeting is on September 1.
Sun July 27:
Village Barbecue
Memorial Hall, Church Lane
More information nearer the event.
Mon September 1 (7.30pm):
Ellisfield Parish Council Meeting
Memorial Hall, Church Lane
See local (non-
Diary
date: The next meeting date has not yet been agreed.
Sun September 7 (8.00pm):
Quiz Night at The Fox, Green Lane
Starting at 8.00pm, there will be two sessions, each with 25 questions. There will
be a half hour break after the first session for supper.
Teams of 4 (or less, even
a “team” of one!). Entry is £1 per person and this will go to the Prize Fund. The
cost of the supper will be £4 per person.
Sun October 5:
Basingstoke Half Marathon
Road Closures in Ellisfield
As per last year, the route of the 13.1 mile Half Marathon takes the runners up White
Hill from Cliddesden. They then turn left at Church Lane, right at College Lane,
right again up Green Lane and then left at Grammarsham Lane and on to Farleigh Wallop.
Felicity
Edwards, Race Director for Destination Basingstoke, said:
"It took months of organisation
and planning which, judging from feedback we have had, paid off. What we couldn't
plan for was the amazing support of the good people of Basingstoke, Cliddesden Farleigh
Wallop, Ellisfield and everywhere for making the runners welcome and cheering and
encouraging them. We wanted the event to showcase our beautiful part of Hampshire,
but it also showcased our wonderful local people.
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