A little bit of your time could make a BIG difference to a local family! Be the Difference! VOLUNTEER TODAY! Are you a parent or grandparent with 2 -3 hours a week to spare? Why not use your experience and skills to help local families? Local family support charity HOME-START BUTSER is running a weekly Preparation Course to train volunteers to support families with at least one child under 5. Volunteers visit families going through a critical time to offer support and friendship. Supervision and out of pocket expenses are provided for all our volunteers.
The only requirement is parenting experience. We are also keen to recruit fathers and Grandfathers as well as parents from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
A week ago I posted about a spate of thefts from vehicles and this has continued. Between 21st and 22nd August a further 4 vehicles have been broken into in Clanfield on Redwing Road, Green Lane, Endel Way and Beech Road with possessions being taken in each case. Advice from the police is to keep possessions out of sight, lock and alarm the car, keep it on a drive if you can with good lighting. If you see anyone acting suspiciously around cars then please contact the police.
If you have any views on policing, would like to get advice on crime protection or speak to the local officers and PCSOs about any local issues then the Horndean Beat Team are holding the next surgeries at the Library on Five Heads Road from 16:00 to 18:00 on the following dates:
Finally, Michael Lane, the Police and Crime Commissioner, is looking for your feedback on his planned priorities before completing the Police and Crime Plan for 2016 to 2021. You can take part in the survey by following this link HERE
Over night last night 14th-15th August Three vehicles have been broken into and items taken in New Road and Aldridge Close in Clanfield. One of the vehicles was left unlocked. Please make sure that when you leave your vehicle even if it is parked on your drive that it is locked and secure even if you only leave your vehicle for a short time. If your vehicle contains tools please if possible remove all tools when leaving it over night. If that is not possible then investing in an additional external lock would be beneficial.
If anyone has any information concerning these incidents then please quote reference number 44160305258
Sara has asked me if I will post on her behalf but has given me permission to ‘tidy up’ her text. I fully expect this to be the last time I am given editorial licence but hope you support her very popular event. Guy.
This year, again, I am displaying all and warmly invite you to my greatest exhibition EVER! As well as historic photographs of Catherington, Clanfield, Lovedean, Horndean and people from 1890 on (photo – right) there will be a selection of historic records of births marriage and deaths (Quite possibly including me if the records are fully up to date and Sara reads this blog…) There is also a special display about Blondie Haslar, a Catherington Resident, who was one of the Cockleshell Heroes who lived quietly and anonymously in our community until he passed away in 1987. There is also a display of local artefacts going back to the Ice Age!
This will be at Catherington Church Hall on the Bank Holiday Weekend on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th of August from 10am to 4pm each day with a suggested entry fee of £2.50 which will be donated to Catherington Church to help maintain the building.
There will be a selection of priceless Church records from All Saints Church, Catherington and St James’ Clanfield giving an idea of life in small communities over 300 years. I am also hoping to display some Blendworth and Finchdean church record books. If you want to research any family history be sure to bring paper and a pencil to make notes as no ink is allowed near the books.
Catherington Archaeological Group have also been busy throughout the summer on a dig locally and will have on display many of the artefacts they have discovered from Stone Age tools to a Roman spur. It would appear that there was a Romano British site within Catherington with quite a bit of industrial work going on in the area. Catherington appears to have been more or less continually inhabited since the Iron Age. It is a really exciting discovery so if you would like to ask questions, local archaeologist Chris Healey and his long suffering wife Pauline will try to answer them. If you have an interest in local history and have the time to volunteer in the future they would be pleased to see you.
Local hero, Herbert George ‘Blondie’ Hasler OBE DSO CdG RMA, leader of Operation Frankton now known as the ‘Cockleshell Heroes’ film, lived in Glamorgan Road, Catherington. He led the Cockleshell Heroes on their vital operation to disable Axis shipping in Bordeaux in December 1942 during WW2. Having paddled up the Gironde river under cover of darkness over a period of five nights, Blondie and his men attached limpet mines to the vessels. Only two men returned from this daring expedition, two were drowned before they reached their target and six were captured, interrogated and executed by the Germans. Churchill was reported as saying this act of bravery probably shortened the war by six months. There will be a stand with photos and information about this act of bravery.
Tea and coffee will be available and you can sit and chat with people you maybe haven’t seen for years. In the past years people have discovered cousins living locally and one year a group of five men who hadn’t seen each other since they were at school over 50 years ago had the opportunity to share memories and recall past events. Many people like to remember how things were and the photographs really help to jog memories. People new to the area are keen to see how things have developed over the years. Everyone is welcome.
Did you know that Horndean has around 80 public footpaths many of which offer convenient access to the wonderful countryside around us? And that whilst Hampshire CC has overall responsibility for managing the network, its contractors only cut vegetation from 6 of those paths, leaving the balance to landowners and volunteers to keep them passable?
Horndean has a volunteer group that meets on the third Saturday morning of each Summer month to tackle these footpaths that need vegetation clearance. We would like to have as many volunteers as possible, so the load is spread and consequently we’d welcome new faces even if for only one workday each year. All cutting and safety equipment is provided. We often then retire to a local pub for lunch, so there’s a social element too.
If you would like to be added to our mailing list or have any queries, please let me know on jamie@tickell.biz
East Hampshire District Council caught out motorists misusing the Blue Badge scheme during a recent crack down.
The council’s civil enforcement officers spent a day focusing on drivers who misuse the badge, which offers free or preferential parking for people with disabilities. Working in partnership with Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire County Council officers checked the ownership of Blue Badges being used in car parks and on streets in Petersfield and Alton.
During the day, held on 22 July, four badges were retained for improper use. One had expired, one was counterfeit, and two were being used without the badge holder being present.
A driver also refused to produce the Blue Badge being displayed, and this case will also be pursued.
EHDC’s civil enforcement officers check Blue Badges as part of their daily duties to protect the disabled parking facilities for legitimate Blue Badge holders.
Since January 2016 the council has filed 99 reports to Hampshire County Council in conjunction with suspected Blue Badge misuse. Of these 46 have led to Penalty Charge Notices, and 84 saw the Blue Badge returned to the issuing authority.
Cllr Julie Butler, EHDC Portfolio for Customer Services, said: “We are the highest performing council for Blue Badge misuse detection and retention in the county. We are very proud of this title as it demonstrates to motorists that we are committed to protecting disabled parking provision. We also need to protect car park income to pay for repairs and maintenance costs they require on an ongoing basis.”
Over the last few nights between dates 01/08/2016 – 03/08/2016 there have been several vehicles broken into by unknown persons across Petersfield at the following locations: Herne Road, Marden Way and Horndean: Cypress Crescent, Roselands. First Avenue and Westfield Industrial Estate.
Various items have been stolen from the vehicles including tools and loose change. Please ensure you are vigilant at all times, calling police to report any suspicious activity, not just around your own property but anything suspicious in your residential area and community. In an emergency use 999 or 101 for non-emergency. It is not too late to report any suspicious activity to police.
•Do not store your car’s documents in the car. Please check your belongings to see if you can identify any unique etched code if so please sign up to immobilise at www.immobilise.com a national property register, this is free to sign up.