Home Amenities Groups Parish Council Local Information

Website Contact: Paul Turner, Editor (01256 381269 or email HERE)                                          Ellisfield.Org.Uk: A Community Website

HOME PAGES

HOME PAGE (and News & Events) Ellisfield's History Fast Broadband? In The Fields ... Website News

General Information and News & Events Highlights

News

If you have news that should be in this column but isn’t, PLEASE inform the website editor
(contact details are at the foot of all pages)

NEW Wed July 16, 2014:
Parish Council Website Files handed
over to the Parish Council today

Now that the Minutes of the two May 12 Parish Council meetings have been received and the Parish Council website updated, Paul Turner has handed over to the Parish Council their website's source file and all associated folders (PDFs, images, etc.).
The current website does not now need to be updated until the September 1 Agenda is published.
It is presumed that the Parish Council will, at some stage, republish the website using their original ellisfield.gov.uk domain.
In the meantime, Paul Turner has agreed to continue to provide free hosting of their current website (which will also be available to view via this website's Parish Council page). Apart from this, he has now ceased his involvement with their website.

NEW Wed July 16, 2014:
Parish Council Minutes for the Two Meetings held on May 12, 2014

These minutes, which were signed off two weeks ago at the June 30 meeting, are now available to view HERE.

Tue July 15, 2014:
Woodmancott Solar Farm Refusal

Here is B&DBC's detailed refusal letter.
Their reasons might be very useful to note if another planning application rears its head!

Tue July 15, 2014:
Vintage Tea Party at Tanglewood

Suzanne Light reports that 60 guests attended the Tea Party yesterday afternoon and £602 was raised for Naomi House, the children's hospice in Sutton Scotney, near Winchester.

Friday July 11, 2014:
Review of Ladies Club Appearance
at the "Festival of Choirs"

Celia Lunn has written up a review of the Belles of St Martin's appearance at the Anvil last Sunday evening. This can be found on the Ladies Club page.
Celia also sent in a photo of the "Belles" and it's so good it's been reproduced below (click on picture to see a larger version).

Sun July 6, 2014:
Parish Council Website's Hosting Reinstated This Morning

For the last five weeks, the Ellisfield Parish Council website has been unavailable to view (either directly or via the Parish Council page on this website) because its hosting account had been automatically suspended.
This situation could not continue and so the free hosting has been reinstated. The parish council has been informed.
For further information, see the latest News item on the Website News page.

Mon June 30, 2014:
Presentation by BELECTRIC Solar Ltd
at Parish Council Open Forum

Seven Ellisfield residents (and one Herriard resident) were in the audience when Raoul Tufney gave a presentation of BELECTRIC's plans for the construction of a 19 megawatt solar "farm" at Manor Farm, Farleigh Wallop. The highlights were:

• BELECTRIC is a large company, with 23 offices worldwide and over 2,000 employees. Their own people (not contractors) will handle the construction, operation and maintenance of the site.
• They are hoping to apply to B&DBC for planning permission this coming August.
• The construction period (IF they get planning permission, of course) will be 16 to 20 weeks with an average of 10 or 11 deliveries a day.
• The actual panels will be from a U.S. company, First Solar. The panels are 95% recyclable, suited to overcast conditions, frameless and 40% smaller that the typical panel currently installed in the U.K.
• They are proposing the issue of Solar Energy Bonds to local residents. The minimum investment would be £60 and the bonds will be backed by the asset value of the site (which will be approximately £18 million). The annual return is expected to be around 7% per annum for the first 5 years, at the end of which they can be sold or held for the remaining 20 years (with a lower return of around 5%) that the site will exist.

There followed a Q&A session with questions ranging from screening, noise, delivery route for construction vehicles, assurances that the site wi ll re ve rt to agricultural use after 25 years, etc., etc.

The meeting's Open Forum ended at 9.00pm at which time all those in the audience left and the normal business of the Parish Council continued.

EDITOR: To provide an idea of what the panels will look like, the image below is of an installation that BELECTRIC constructed in the North Cotswolds. This site produces 3.8 megawatts so the proposed number of panels in Farleigh Wallop will be 5 times larger. (The actual site is 23 acres, compared to the 128 acres at Farleigh.)

Fri June 27, 2014:
Parish Council Website's Hosting Suspended since June 1, 2014

It is now four weeks that the Ellisfield Parish Council website has been unavailable to view (either directly or via the Parish Council page on this website).

For further information, see the latest News item on the Website News page.

UPDATE (Fri July 4, 2014): With the Parish Council website still being unavailable to view, Councillor and Clerk Details have been added to THIS website's Parish Council page.

Thu June 26, 2014:
Ellisfield Listed Properties for Sale

Two of the eight Grade II listed houses in Ellisfield have just come up for sale.
The very attractive 8- bedroom 850sqm Old Manor in Church Lane is on the market for offers over £5,750,000 and it comes with 5.2 acres of garden and grounds, 27.4 acres of pasture and 45.98 acres of woodland.
The other property for sale is the pretty 137sqm Thatched Cottage in Ellisfield Green. For a more modest £525,000 this 4-bedroom cottage sits on a 0.2 acre plot.

Thu June 26, 2014:
Woodmancott Wind "Farm" Proposal Turned Down!

After a 4 hour session last night, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council's planning committee turned down this planning application for 6 massive 130 metre wind turbines at Woodmancott Common.

Wed June 25, 2014:
Horticultural Society's 3 Villages
Garden Competition Results

The winners of this competition are as follows:

Combined Vegetable & Flower Garden
  Julia & Steve Ayscough of Farleigh Wallop
Flower Garden
  Janette Palmer of Cliddesden
Vegetable Garden
  Dan Cleeve of Ellisfield
Garden Feature
  Hilda & Andy Small of Cliddesden
Pots & Baskets
  Debbie & Seumas Foster of Ellisfield

Mon June 23, 2014:
UPDATE: Woodmancott Wind "Farm"

The B&DBC Case Officer has issued her report and recommended to the Planning Committee that the application be REFUSED.
This planning application will be discussed and decided upon by the Planning Committee this Wednesday (June 25).

Tue June 17, 2014:
Spaniel

UPDATE: The spaniel which had been "on the loose" has now returned back to its owner (Mick Frankham of The Patches, Green Lane).

Mon June 16, 2014:
Bullington Cross Wind "Farm" Proposal Turned Down!

The planning officers at all three councils (Winchester, Basingstoke and Test Valley) had recommended refusal. This evening (6.50pm) at Winchester Guildhall the elected councillors on the planning committees agreed with their officers and turned down the planning application.

Mon June 16, 2014:
Magda Brownrigg

More sad news ...
Magda Brownrigg of Church Cottage, Church Lane has died.
Her funeral will be at 1.30pm next Monday (June 23).

Thu June 12, 2014:
Woodmancott Wind Farm Update

Hannah Houstin-Lacey has pointed out that this proposal to build 6 massive 130 metre (that's 420 foot) wind turbines at Woodmancott Common (which is just 4 miles from our parish border!) will be discussed and decided upon by Basingstoke & Deane's Planning Committee on Wednesday, June 25.
UPDATE (Tue June 17): As the Bullington Cross proposal has now been rejected, that may provide hope for all those (including many Ellisfield residents) who have objected to this wind farm being built.

Tue June 10, 2014:
Bullington Cross Wind Farm Update

The planning officers at all three councils (Winchester, Basingstoke and Test Valley) have recommended refusal. However, the final decision will be made by the elected councillors on the planning committees. The planning hearing will be on Monday, June 16 from 10.00am at the Guildhall, Winchester.
UPDATE (Mon June 17): This evening (6.50pm) at Winchester Guildhall the elected councillors on the planning committees agreed with their officers and turned down the planning application.

Thu June 5, 2014:
Memorial Service for Sally Adams

Sally's memorial service at St Martin's Church, and interment of her ashes in her parent's grave in Ellisfield's Burial Ground, will be on Saturday, July 26 at 11.00am.

Mon June 2, 2014:
Peter Chilton

It was sad to hear of the death last Thursday of Peter Chilton, Churchwarden of Ellisfield's St Martin's Church. The funeral (at St Martin's) will be this coming Friday (June 6) at 2pm.
UPDATE (Fri, June 6):
Donations to:
St. Martin’s Church. Please make cheques payable to FARLEIGH PCC (and mentioning that it's a donation in Memory of Peter Chilton) and send to:
Farleigh PCC Treasurer,
4 Railway Cottages, Station Road,
Cliddesden RG25 2NL

Mon May 26, 2014:
European Election Results for the
South East Region

At 12.45am, the results of our region finally came in. The votes (of the parties that gained seats) were as follows:

751,439 - UKIP (32.14%)
723,571 - Conservative (30.95%)
342,775 - Labour (14.66%)
211,706 - Green (9.05%)
187,876 - Liberal Democrat (8.04%)

Under the proportional system, the 10 elected MEPs are now as follows:
4 - UKIP (Nigel Farage, Janice Atkinson,
      Diane James and Ray Finch)
3 - Conservative (Dan Hannan, Nirj Deva
     and Richard Ashworth)
1 - Labour (Anneliese Dodds)
1 - Green (Keith Taylor)
1 - Liberal Democrat (Catherine Bearder)

UKIP gained two MEPS, the Conservatives lost one and the Liberal Democrats also lost one.

Nationwide, only 34.19% of registered voters actually voted! Is it apathy, an unawareness of the EU issues, an assumption that democracy and freedom no longer need to be fought for? When people in some countries are risking their lives to vote, a 34.19% turnout in the UK (just over half the 65% turnout for the 2010 General Election) is shameful.
Would having compulsory voting (Luxemburg and Belgium had 90% turnouts), weekend voting (making it easier for working people to get to the polls) and being able to vote for "None of the Above" (to separate protest votes from ballot papers spoilt by accident or ignorance) make any difference? Discuss...

Sat May 24, 2014:
"In The Fields" Article

The latest article from Seumas Foster, agronomist and Ellisfield resident, can be found HERE.

Thu May 22, 2014:
Parish Council Minutes for the Meeting held on March 24, 2014

These minutes are available to view HERE.

Mon May 19, 2014:
Parish Council Newsletter

Here is a PDF of the latest Parish Council Newsletter.

Sat May 17, 2014:
Latest Neighbourhood Watch Report

Hannah Houstin-Lacey’s latest report has been posted on the Neighbourhood Watch page.

Wed May 14, 2014:
Woodland Trust Campaign
"Save our Ancient Woodlands"

Hannah Houstin-Lacey has asked that a link be published to the relevant Woodland Trust web page where you can read about the campaign.

Tue May 13, 2014:
Sally Adams - UPDATE

Sally's cremation will be held at Putney Vale Crematorium on Thursday, May 22 at 11.40am.
The date of the memorial service and interment in the Ellisfield Burial Ground has not yet been finalised.
If you missed the original News item on Friday the 9th, it is HERE.
NEW UPDATE (May 24): The memories of Sally as expressed by Edna Chilton, Susie Deane and Shirley Maunder in the latest issue of Hill & Dale were so moving that a PDF copy was produced and sent to Sally's friends in London.

Tue May 13, 2014:
Grammarsham Lane closed this Sunday and Monday (May 18/19)?

So far, the road has been open with traffic control.

Mon May 12, 2014:
Parish Council Vote Unanimously to
Cancel the Residents' Open Forum
held at the End of every Meeting

At Monday evening's Parish Council meeting, ALL councillors voted to stop having the Open Forum that, for at least the last twelve years, has been held at the end of each meeting.
In the first Open Forum, resident Paul Turner (editor of this Community Website) stated that the second Open Forum was the only opportunity for residents to ask for confirmation of what was discussed and decided upon in the meeting's Closed Session (during which residents CANNOT speak), whilst all councillors are still present.
He went on to say that the alternative, of writing to the parish council with comments and questions, would take up far more time, for both the resident and for the clerk who would have to respond.
When asked if the parish council had analysed how many comments and questions had actually been asked in the second Open Forum, the reply was NO. Paul Turner then provided the parish council with an analysis (available HERE) which showed that, for the last 22 meetings, there was an average of one comment and one question per meeting. For the last 8 meetings, the average number of comments doubled to two and the number of questions remained at one.
Paul Turner then pointed out that the typical time spent in the second Open Forum was two or three minutes, not much compared to the average parish council meeting taking just over two and a half hours on average!
When the council then formally discussed this matter in session, the chairman (Tim Guinness) stated that there had been email correspondence between him and Paul Turner about the second Open Forum. He then proceeded to read out aloud everything that he had said in HIS email but neglected to mention ANY of Paul Turner's responses (which included the statement that it was a Residents' Open Forum and that surely the matter should be discussed at the Resident's Annual Parish Meeting on May 23 for residents to vote on it by a show of hands).
All councillors then voted and the vote was unanimous, there would no longer be a second Open Forum.

It's ironic that the councillors discussed how they could encourage more residents to attend meetings, whilst at the same time taking away the only method for residents to provide feedback on a meeting that they'd just spent the previous two and a half hours sitting through!

Fri May 9, 2014:
Sally Adams

There will be many in the village who will be saddened to hear of the death last Friday of Sally Adams who (mentioned only for the interest of newcomers to the village) lived at her parents' house Wyckens, an original Ellisfield bungalow, now redeveloped, on the corner of the Axford Road and College Lane. Although she spent time at her house in Clapham, Sally was always in Ellisfield as much as possible and was one of the prominent residents of this village. If a village event did not have Sally present, her absence was always felt and remarked upon!

For many years Sally wrote the Ellisfield entry in the Gazette's community news, a task that came very easily to her as journalism was her profession and indeed she taught hundreds of "would be hacks" in London. (EDITOR: In the picture above, it looks as though Sally is saying "what's that idiot saying about me?". Click the image to see a larger version.)

Sally is being cremated in London but her remains are going to be interred in her parents' grave in the Burial Ground. The date and time has not been decided yet but will be publicised here as soon as it's known.

Edna Chilton will be doing a piece about Sally in the June edition of Hill & Dale and has requested that residents contact her (by Wednesday the 14th please) with any details of Sally's life that they'd like to share.

Fri May 2, 2014:
Neighbourhood Watch News Item -
Property Register Scheme

PC Reid would like to raise awareness and encourage residents to consider using IMMOBILISE, the Nationwide Property Register scheme, at www.immobilise.com.
Residents can register their valuables for FREE and then the Police can check the register from anywhere in the UK if they impound items they think might have been stolen.
Why not consider registering your mobile phone, bicycle, computer, camera and any other valuables?

Wed April 29, 2014:
Farnborough Airport's Proposed Enlargement of Air Space to Affect Ellisfield - Consultation Closing Date
extended by 10 Days (now May 12)

The ability to send in feedback regarding the proposed enlargement to Farnborough Airport's air space (an air corridor which would be TWICE the size of Gatwick's which deals with over 34 million passengers each year!) has been extended to May 12.

As mentioned in the March 24 News item outlining the Parish Council meeting that evening, TAG Farnborough Airport wish 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 is allowed to go ahead, all other aircraft would be squeezed to the side or beneath this new air corridor, which would affect Ellisfield. The primary impact would be noise, either from airborne traffic in general or the noise from the Lasham tugs unable to operate east of the Golden Pot and therefore biasing all aero-tows to the remaining permitted airspace (ie, over Ellisfield).
In addition, due to the pinch points which would be created in the new airspace regime, it is felt that there could be an increased risk of collisions.

UPDATE (May 13): The consultation period has now closed.

Mon April 28, 2014:
May 22 European Parliament Election
Parties and Candidates for the UK's
South East Region (10 MEPs)

A list of the Parties and Candidates for the South East Region has now been published.
For those interested in knowing how the votes are subsequently split after you've put your ONE cross against your chosen party, HERE is an explanation (happy reading!)
(Currently, the political split is as follows: 5 Conservative, 2 Liberal, 1 Labour, 1 UKIP and 1 Green.)
EDITOR: The outcome of this particular European Parliament Election may be quite interesting! As soon as the South East area results are available (late on Sunday, May 25 because other EU countries vote over the weekend!), they'll be posted in the News column.

Thu April 24, 2014:
Notification of proposed Solar Farm
at Manor Farm, Farleigh Wallop

First reported on August 10, 2013 in this News column, Belectric Solar Ltd have now begun developing plans for a solar "farm" on land at Manor Farm, Farleigh Lane, Farleigh Wallop, RG25 2HR. The scheme is likely to consist of an up to 19MW solar "farm" on a 52 hectare (128 acre) site at Manor Farm in Farleigh Wallop (click on map below to see a larger image - the solid red area is a temporary construction compound) and will be submitted to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in summer 2014.

Belectric Solar Ltd have written to Ellisfield Parish Council offering to attend the next parish council meeting. In the meantime, Ellisfield residents may wish to go to an open Public Consultation Event being held in the Hatch Warren Community Centre (Youth Wing), Longcross Lane, Hatch Warren, RG22 4XF next Wednesday (April 30) between 3.00pm and 8.00pm to learn more about this proposal.

Wed April 23, 2014:
St George's Day
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 image.)

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.

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-day today, anyone outdoors at the top of the village would have been bemused to witness a squad of pikemen, musketeers and a drummer marching down Green Lane and then turning off up the path to Bedlam Bottom wood on their way from Basing House cross country to Cheriton.
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-elected as Chairman, Hannah Houstin-Lacey as Secretary and Tony Simons as Treasurer. Alison Swanston was appointed as EVA's representative on the Memorial Hall Committee and both Susie Deane and Katie Spraggs were re-appointed as committee members.
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 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-product.

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-Lacey’s latest report has been posted on the Neighbourhood Watch page.

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 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-ahead for 310 homes on Kennel Farm (see right), off the A30 Winchester Road, after overruling the wishes of Basingstoke and Deane borough councillors.
EDITOR: The Localism Bill was unveiled in December 2010. The Bill was supposed to contain a package of reforms devolving greater powers to local authorities and their communities. Yet here's another example of "we know best" government.

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 - including (optional) haggis - with only the smallest of delay.

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-Lacey has sent out an email from PC Andrew Reid with detailed warnings regarding:

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-up to Christmas is, of course, still valid. The website page can be displayed HERE.

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-pc.org.uk and its contents are currently identical to the pages that were on this site.
As well as going to www.ellisfield-pc.org.uk, you can also view it by clicking the main Parish Council navigation button on this site.

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-Lacey has agreed to stay on as the Ellisfield Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator for another year.

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-ordinator for Ellisfield Scheme 263 which is Northgate Lane, The Green & Green Lane down to Sylven Lee.
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-Lacey’s latest report has been posted on the Neighbourhood Watch page.
EDITOR: Do read it. Worryingly, there have been three burglaries in Ellisfield within the last month so we all need to be vigilant.

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

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-out of superfast broadband throughout Hampshire.
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-out.
This map was discussed at the Ellisfield Parish Council (EPC) meeting that evening and Cllr Julian Wright promised to investigate and report back - here is his statement (emailed out this morning):

  "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-range and will not support superfast broadband over long copper connections. In some cases lines in Ellisfield are up to 7 km long in the lower part of Ellisfield (some of the area marked in green on the map). The existing ADSL broadband service will however remain in place.
   "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-out.
   "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-making Cabinet has earmarked spending £200,000 in the next financial year, followed by an annual £100,000 until April 2018 for "marketing Basingstoke" to business decision makers.

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-in at 2pm on Friday (October 18) at The Conifers in Green Lane.
(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

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 2-4 hours.

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-owned village shops.“

Tue September 24, 2013:
Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator
Needed

After many years of sterling service as our Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator, Hannah Houstin-Lacey has decided to stand down and hand the job on to someone new.
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-enter the farm road/track network.
“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.”
EDITOR: As soon as the actual dates are announced, a notice will be put up on this website.
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-du-Pape.
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 - Request for scoping opinion for proposed solar park at Manor Farm, Farleigh Lane, Farleigh Wallop.
This comes after another planning application, which is now closed (13/00419/ENSC), in May requesting a “screening opinion for proposed solar park”.
EDITOR: In the spirit of chicken and egg, which comes first, the Anaerobic Digester or the Solar Farm? Answers on a postcard to …

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-sevens class for his beautiful pot of marigolds and dad Andy won the Barker Challenge Trophy for best rose bloom.
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.
The above is the Ellisfield & Farleigh Wallop report by Jacqui Matthews for the Basingstoke Gazette, published Thursday, August 8.

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

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-opening of the Fox Inn by the new licensees, Graham and Sue Dove.
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-committee members
  Alison Swanston and Ted Dowson) for
  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-Lacey’s latest report has been posted on the Neighbourhood Watch page.
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-SAT   12 to 3 (food 12 to 2.30)
                   5.30 to 11 (food 6 to 9pm TUE-THU
                                     and to 9.30pm FRI-SAT)
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.
The pieces displayed ranged from sculpture (including three beautiful maquettes - example below - produced by the Ellisfield sculptor, Adam Roud), 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-open the Fox Inn at 6.00pm this coming Friday. The new menus are being created and they plan to start serving food NEXT week.
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 - Vehicles going up and down Green Lane at only 20 miles per hour!

Update - Wed June 5 (at 11.35am):
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

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-officio” committee members:
   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).
EDITOR: Now that, for the first time in many years, the Memorial Hall has a full complement of committee members prepared to give of their time, I am sure that everyone will agree that we look forward to seeing the Hall regain its status in the village.

Update - Fri May 24, 2013:
Ellisfield Road Closures - New Dates

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 - they now say that the road will be closed for 1 or 2 days between Wednesday May 29 and Friday May 31.
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) - 1,674 (39.57%)
2. Peter Johnson (UKIP)  - 1,008 (23.82%)
3. Ian Tilbury (Ind) - 1,002 (23.68%)
4. Yegor Ryazenov (Lab) - 289 (6.83%)
5. Jeff Teagle (Lib) - 258 (6.10%)

In 2009, the results were:
  Conservative - 2,709 (54.15%)
  Independent - 1,238 (24.75%)
  Liberal Democrats - 798 (15.95%)
  Labour Party - 258 (5.16%)

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-way traffic on the very narrow Bell Lane (which also has a number of blind bends).
UPDATE (Feb 28): Cllr Julian Wright spoke to Hampshire Highways and “the official diversion will now be down College Lane as opposed to Bell Lane”. Probably not as good as closing Bell Lane off at the Bagmore Lane end (because those with satnavs or who know the village may still go up Bell Lane) but, all in all, a success!

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-closure notice  for a period of up to one month from the 6th of March 2013, during which time an emergency access will be maintained for the three emergency services, however this will not be open to local residents.
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 - 07768 776 844 or 01256 389 050.

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 - if - they phone back as promised, their statement will be put up on this website.
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-ordinator of the Gravel Pits) and Graham Simpson.
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-Lacey, our Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator, emailed out to residents a link to a Survey Form produced by the office of the Hampshire Police & Crime Commissioner. If you did not receive her email, the link is HERE.

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

To read this (common sense) advice either click on the Navigation button above or click here.

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.

Welcome to Ellisfield

Ellisfield is a village of just under 2,350 acres, tucked away within Hampshire farmland and woodland. It is situated six miles south of Basingstoke centre and two miles west of the A339, the Basingstoke to Alton road.

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2013

As you can see from the map above, Ellisfield is ideally placed within a quiet rural location but with good road and rail links within easy reach. Junction 6 of the M3 is just six miles away (25 miles to the M25) and you can catch fast trains from Basingstoke station (London Waterloo in 45 minutes).

The Domesday Book recorded eight villagers, four smallholders and four slaves and now, 947 years later, there are 250 or so adults (no slaves!) and around 40 children, living in 119 houses. These houses are well distributed along almost ten miles of sometimes single track road and so the village has a feeling of spaciousness about it.

The village of Ellisfield has grown around a number of separate small settlements. The oldest of these (Ellisfield Green, Ellisfield Manor, The Old Manor and Merritt’s Farm) are now in a Conservation Area, within which are eight Grade II listed properties (plus the church, St Martin's, which is Grade II*). To view a map (it's 1.7Mb) of the Conservation Area, click HERE.

Ellisfield has a vibrant community spirit, with residents taking advantage of the following village amenities and groups:

 Church (St. Martin’s), which publishes a monthly magazine called Hill & Dale (which contains adverts for local services and excellent “village news” sections for Ellisfield and the neighbouring villages of Dummer, Cliddesden and Farleigh Wallop).
  Pub (The Fox), which swiftly regained its reputation following the arrival of new licensees, Graham and Sue Dove, at the beginning of July 2013. Opening times are on the top right of this page.
  Village Hall (the Memorial Hall), which has a committee made up of representatives of all the village organisations. They ensure that the hall is well maintained and also organise events such as the annual Wine Walk, the Christmas Fair and also entertainment evenings. The hall can be hired.
  Parish Council, made up of six local residents elected as parish councillors and an excellent Parish Clerk, Mrs Jacqui Matthews.
  Horticultural Society (shared with neighbouring villages), which meets monthly, has both a Spring and Summer show and also organises visits to gardens of interest.
  Ladies Club, which meets monthly and which also organises trips.
  Village Association, which, although initially formed in 2011 as a group of residents protesting against a proposed development in a nearby village, organised a highly successful three-day Art Exhibition in June 2013.
  Neighbourhood Watch Group, which encompasses the entire village, working closely with our local rural policeman, PC Andrew Reid.
  Volunteer Group, made up of 30 or so residents who mow and strim the parish land (Lower Common, Gravel Pits and Burial Ground).
  Bell Ringers, who are currently advertising for new members.
  Recycling Initiative, whereby a number of residents have bins at their front gates for specific types of recyclable materials
  Oil Syndicate, which is a community-based project which exists to allow its members to purchase domestic heating oil at a reduced price.

THE FOX PUBLIC HOUSE
GREEN LANE, ELLISFIELD
RG25 2QW (01256 381210)

MON          Closed
TUE-SAT  12 to 3 (food 12 to 2.30)
                   5.30 to 11 (food 6 to 9pm TUE-THU
                                     and to 9.30pm FRI-SAT)
SUN          12 to 8 (food 12 to 4)

The Fox at Ellisfield is a country pub, offering residents and visitors alike an informal, comfortable drinking and dining experience.

Events

THURSDAY EVENING
Thu July 24 (7.45pm):
Horticultural Society Meeting
Millennium Hall, Cliddesden

The society's fourth Lecture of 2014 is by Stephen Oaks and will take place on the above date in Cliddesden's Millennium Hall. The subject will be: The World of Woodpeckers.

SATURDAY MORNING
Sat July 26, 2014 (11.00am):
Memorial Service for Sally Adams
St Martin's Church, Church Lane

Sally's memorial service at St Martin's Church, and interment of her ashes in her parents' grave in Ellisfield's Burial Ground, will be on Saturday, July 26 at 11.00am.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Sat July 26 (from 2.00pm):
"ELLISFIELD WEEKEND"
Croquet and Tennis Competitions
at Brocas and Winslade Farm

CROQUET COMPETITION:
This will take place from 2.00pm up until 4.00pm at Brocas (Ellisfield Green, opposite the post box), courtesy of Bernard and Caroline Cazenove. After 4.00pm there will be the semi-finals and finals up until 6.00pm.
This will be "Golf Croquet" (see internet for rules) and there will be a modest entry fee of £2. There will be tea, drinks and cakes available to purchase from 3.00pm for competitors and spectators and anyone who wants to can look around the garden. Entry fees and any profit on the refreshments will be donated to St Martin's fabric fund.
DOUBLES TENNIS COMPETITION:
This will take place from 2.00pm at Winslade Farm (junction of College Lane and Church Lane), courtesy of Tim and Beverley Guinness. Pimms and Strawberries & Cream free to entrants and £2 each glass or bowl for spectators.
The finals will take place at Brocas.
Any resident who is interested in playing should phone Tim on 381348 or email him.

SUNDAY AT NOON
Sun July 27 (12 noon):
"ELLISFIELD WEEKEND"
Ellisfield Village Barbecue
Memorial Hall Garden, Church Lane

Tickets for this event (£10 or £5 for under 10s) are available from Ali Swanston (381171) or Susie Deane (381261) up to Monday, July 21. Please let Ali or Susie know if one or more of your party are vegetarians.
Cheques payable to: Ellisfield Memorial Hall
Please bring your own plate, bowl, knife, fork and spoon and your own drinks.

Sat August 2 (2.00pm to 3.30pm):
Horticultural Society Summer Show
Millennium Hall, Cliddesden

A chance to enter prize produce from the garden and/or your favourite images from your cameras. Or, just go along and view the best efforts of others.
Here is the Entry Form. It must be handed to any committee member by 6.00pm on Wednesday, July 30. They can also be e-mailed to Marilyn.
For further details of the classes and times: Spring/Summer Show Schedule.
Superb refreshments are on offer at minimum cost, so a good afternoon can be had for all the family for a modest expenditure.
Staging is between 9.20am and 10.40am and public viewing is between 2pm and 3.30pm, immediately followed by the presentation of awards.

Mon August 4, 2014:
100 Years Ago Today,
Britain Declared a State of War with Germany

Following Germany's invasion of Belgium, at 11.00pm on August 4, 1914, Britain declared a state of war with Germany.

Thu August 7 (from 7.30pm):
Social & Entertainment Club
Millennium Hall, Cliddesden

Film: Le Week-End ( 2013) ****

Le Week-End is a 2013 British film directed by Roger Michell and written by Hanif Kureishi. A magically buoyant and bittersweet film, starring Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Duncan and Jeff Goldblum.

A long-married couple revisit Paris for a long weekend for the first time since their honeymoon, hoping to rekindle their relationship or perhaps to bring it to an end. In their own very English way the couple go through a painful process of looking at the love, loss, regret and, disappointment in their marriage. A film that's both emotionally rich and very funny. Certificate 15.

The bar opens at 7.30pm and the film (which is 93 minutes long) starts at 8pm. There will be an intermission half-way through (ice creams and confectionary are available!). Admission is only £2 per person.

Sat to Mon August 23-25:
August Bank Holiday
Ellisfield Scarecrow Festival

This event, organised by the Ladies Club, will be open to all villagers, young and old, to make and create a scarecrow and proudly situate it outside the front garden for passers-by to admire and enjoy.
PC Andrew Reid has agreed to judge all the scarecrows on the Saturday (August 23) morning and there will be a prize for the winner!
UPDATE (July 22): Entry forms have been distributed around the village. They need to be returned to Theresa Webb at Dragons Holt by August 10 (there is a nominal entry fee of £1 per household). Scarecrows need to be on display by 9.00am on the Saturday morning.

Mon September 1 (7.30pm):
Ellisfield Parish Council Meeting
Memorial Hall, Church Lane

See local (non-political) democracy in action! There is an Open Forum (where any resident can speak and ask questions) near the beginning of the Parish Council meeting (which, on average, lasts two and a half hours.
Note: The second Residents' Open Forum has been permanently cancelled by a decision of all councillors on May 12, so there is now no opportunity to comment or question the council at the end of the meeting.
Diary date: The next meeting date has not yet been agreed.

Thu September 4 (from 7.30pm):
Social & Entertainment Club
Millennium Hall, Cliddesden

Film: Keeping Mum ( 2005) ****

Niall Johnson directs this 2005 film which stars Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Maggie Smith and Patrick Swayze.

The film is set in a quiet village where the Reverend, his wife, Gloria and their two children, await the arrival of their new housekeeper. Gloria is struggling to cope. Her teenage daughter's a nymphomaniac, her young son's the target for the local bullies, and her marriage has dwindled into monotony. What this family needs is salvation. It comes in the form of Grace, a gentle motherly woman with a smile for everyone. Certificate 15.

The bar opens at 7.30pm and the film (which is 103 minutes long) starts at 8pm. There will be an intermission half-way through (ice creams and confectionary are available!). Admission is only £2 per person.

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.

Wed September 24 (7.45pm):
Horticultural Society Meeting
Memorial Hall, Ellisfield

More information nearer the event.

Sat September 27 (10am to noon):
Ellisfield Ladies Club
"World's Biggest Coffee Morning"
Memorial Hall, Church Lane

Come and join us for Coffee and Cake and a chat to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
So many people have been touched by cancer in some way or another and Macmillan nurses give the support that is needed to people so that they feel more in control of their lives. From the moment a patient is diagnosed, through treatment and afterwards they are there to lend a hand.
If you are willing to help in any way, or make and donate a cake, please contact either Pat Gould on 381280 or Celia Lunn on 381373 who would be glad to hear from you.

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.

Sat October 18 (7.45pm):
Hog the Limelight Evening
Memorial Hall, Church Lane

"Heros", a WW1 play adaptation by Tom Stoppard. More information nearer the event.

Thu October 30 (7.45pm):
Horticultural Society Meeting
Millennium Hall, Cliddesden

A joint meeting with the Candover Valley Gardening Club. There’s usually a Table Quiz followed by nibbles and wine.
All members are welcome for an evening of interesting facts (long forgotten probably) and happy socialising.

Thu November 27 (7.45pm):
Horticultural Society AGM
Millennium Hall, Cliddesden

A review of the year’s events, the accounts perused, any suggestions for next year, an election of a Committee and then some socialising with wine and nibbles.
Another year endeth ....

ELLISFIELD VILLAGE HALL CHURCH LANE, ELLISFIELD
RG25 2QR (01256 381149)

Ellisfield's Memorial Village Hall is available to hire for regular meetings and one-off events at very reasonable hourly charges.