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1 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Chairman’s Report – Autumn 2017
I am not usually the type of person to write in comic
book style, but after my visit on Bank Holiday Monday
to the re-vamped, relocated and re-energised
Swallowfield Show, I cannot think of any better way to
express myself regarding the superhero efforts by all
concerned.
I have often said that events, and the people that bring
them about within our parish, regularly “punch above
their weight”, but that does not do justice to the
achievements of the Horticultural Society and the plethora of volunteers who help them out. I am sure
that, in time, we shall get a more detailed analysis of
the show, but just eaves-dropping and hearing things
like “never heard of Swallowfield before – it’s really
pretty”, “this is the second trip back to the car with
things from the food tent” and “we must go and watch
the Essex dogs again” are certainly signs that people
were enjoying themselves. I am sure that everyone who
visited had their favourites – I always love looking
around the vegetable show and invariably promise
myself that I will enter next year!
An enormous vote of thanks should go to all involved,
especially Lord and Lady Bearsted, for allowing the
show to return to its original site on Swallowfield Park
after much of the previous site was sold for
development.
The next event that will showcase what is being
achieved in our Parish is the Swallowfield 10+3
organised by 1st Swallowfield Scouts Group on Sunday
17th September 2017. The Scouts group have been
very diligent in letting local residents know about the
road closures but just to remind you that roads in and
around Swallowfield and Farley Hill will be closed to
through traffic from 9:30am on 17th September
reopening at 2:30pm. There will also be delays to local
traffic at Brookside Nursery in Swallowfield at
10:30am to allow the races to start safely; traffic will
be held for 10 minutes at Swallowfield Park.
The Fieldfayre project continues at a pace and John
Anderson has written an article on the progress to date.
It is certainly an exciting project and I think that we are
all learning a lot as we move forward. Progress is good
and I would encourage you to register for our regular
updates and pictures. Simply give your email address
to the Parish Clerk or look at the “Local News” section
on our website. The PC is very proud of this project
and it will ensure a valuable asset will be kept for many
years to come.
The most common theme that I have made comment
on over the past four or so years is the constant
discussions and, more often than not, frustrations with
planning applications within or near to our parish.
Jonathan Wheelwright took over as Chair of Planning
in April and it has certainly been a baptism of fire for
him! His report later in this newsletter goes into greater
detail regarding the current situation, but I would just
like to ask that, if you are not supportive of a particular
development, you make your opinion and reasons
known to the appropriate planning authority.
Where possible, the PC organises leaflet drops to
residents trying to explain the planning process for a
particular development which is often far from clear.
Quite understandably most people do not deal with
these matters on a day-to-day basis as developers do.
Invariably, this is a fact that developers try to leverage
and the submission of two very similar sounding
applications only serves to confuse. The objection
cont overleaf
Feature Articles in this Issue
Planning applications: see Planning Report, p.2
and WBC report, p.6
Parish Council Vacancy p.4
Shop and PO services: see Properties Report p.4 & 6
Autumn 2017
2 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Diary of Parish Events September to November 2017
Date Time Event Location
12 Sept
10 Oct
14 Nov
10am –
12 noon
Book Club and
Coffee Morning
Victory Hall,
Farley Hill
12 Sept 7.30pm Parish Council
Meeting
The Rose
Room
17 Sept 10.30am
start
Scouts 10K, 3K, &
Duathlon event
Swallowfield
Parish Hall,
then villages
23 Sept 2pm -
4pm
Pre-School jumble
sale
Swallowfield
Parish Hall
23 Sept 6pm Horticultural Soc.
Summer Show
Swallowfield
Parish Hall
23 Sept
7 Oct
8.30am -
12 noon
Flu Jabs Swallowfield
Medical
Practice
26 Sept
24 Oct
28 Nov
7.30pm Parish Council
Drop-in sessions
on Planning issues
The Rose
Room
10 Oct 7.30pm Parish Council
Meeting
The Rose
Room
13, 14,
15 Oct
7.30pm Russell Players
Music Hall
Swallowfield
Parish Hall
4 Nov 6pm Sparks in the Park Swallowfield
Park
12 Nov 10.15 Remembrance
Day Service
Swallowfield
War
Memorial
14 Nov 7.30pm Parish Council
Meeting
The Rose
Room
Every
Mon
7.30pm
–
8.30pm
FHVS Pilates Victory Hall,
Farley Hill
Every
Wed
10.30am
-
12.30pm
Swallowfield’s
Coffee Corner
Davies Room
Every
Friday
7pm –
11pm
FHVS Friday
Evening Socials
Victory Hall,
Farley Hill
Chairman’s Report continued from p.1
letters/emails that you send do make a difference and I
would urge you to continue to respond in both the
volume and content that has been done historically.
Finally, I would like to introduce you to a new member
of the Parish Council team. Derek Norris has joined us
as caretaker when Mike decided that it was time to
retire and, rumour has it, spend more time gardening.
Knowing Mike, there are going to be a lot more
activities than tending the herbaceous border and we
wish him well. It is always a concern that when you
lose a valuable member of the team, will you be able to
replace them? Again, fortune has smiled on us and, in
Derek, we have a friendly and very capable new
caretaker. Welcome, Derek, and on behalf of the PC I
hope you enjoy a long and happy time with us.
So, as we head towards the “season of mist and mellow
fruitfulness” (hopefully to be made into a winner at
next year’s Swallowfield Show), on behalf of the PC, I
hope that you enjoy what is left of our summer.
Peter Sampson
Councillor Jonathan Sant
It was with great regret that the Parish Council received
the resignation of Cllr Jonathan Sant, due to a change
in his work commitments following promotion.
Jonathan has made a significant contribution during his
time on the Council.
Jonathan headed up the Recreation portfolio on the PC.
He was very active in a number of initiatives, including
the design and fitting out of the new Multi-Purpose
Games Court (MPGC), and looking after play areas,
the skateboard park and the recreation grounds. He was
the PC representative to the Riseley Tennis Club and
the Football Club, and oversaw the setting up of the
Parish Council information gazebo at the Church Fete.
A man of great initiative - he will be sorely missed!
We now have a vacancy for another parish councillor
(see page 4)
Planning Report Autumn 2017
In planning, the summer has disappeared in a blur of
speculative applications and appeals across the whole
of the Wokingham borough. There has also been
plenty of development ongoing as those commuting
around the county will know, with roadworks
appearing and reappearing with regularity.
Wokingham
Borough Council
(WBC) has been
investing heavily in
local infrastructure
and has major
construction works
planned and
underway. The south Wokingham secondary school
run by Bohunt in Arborfield was handed over to WBC
by the developer Dawnus Construction in June. It is a
superb facility for 11 - 18 year-olds and will hold 1200
students when full. It boasts superb classroom
facilities, an open timber-framed main hall, great sports
facilities that include an impressive climbing wall and
there is even a mini-amphitheatre. There’s a superb
aerial video of the school buildings at
www.tinyurl.com/bohunt .
The slightly misleadingly named Nine Mile Ride
Extension opens in September. This road is primarily
3 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
to provide access to the new school from the
A327. Development of the southern connection is in a
later phase of development and will link this new road
to the existing Nine Mile Ride at the Park Lane junction
– hence the name.
The Arborfield Cross Relief Road planning application
consultation has just finished. This is designed on
route B from the original consultation on the four route
choices. The relief road links the A327 at a new
roundabout south of Arborfield Cross and then will
travel pretty much as the crow flies to a new
roundabout on the A327 near Bridge Farm. There will
also be a new staggered junction on Swallowfield road
near Henry Street garden centre. The design is
maturing with site investigations, ecology surveys and
environmental impacts all being submitted with the
application. Construction is expected to start in 2018.
There is still no completion date for the Shinfield
Eastern Relief road, which has been delayed by quality
issues with drainage. This development is being
undertaken by Hocktief UK on behalf of (surprisingly)
the University of Reading. The road was originally
planned to open in summer 2016. Not surprisingly the
developer has spray-painted over the completion date
signs. The last update we had was that there would be
an announcement on the go live date at the end of
August.
More widely, there are the busy plans for the
redevelopment of Wokingham’s town centre, plans for
a new South Wokingham Distributor Road (also
known as the Eastern Gateway) that will cross the train
tracks to the east of Wokingham and also the next
phase of the Carnival regeneration. Updates on these
and more are available on Wokingham’s website
http://news.wokingham.gov.uk/news.
Wokingham Borough Council has a statutory
obligation to ensure that it provides sufficient housing
approvals to meet the objectively assessed housing
needs. To this end it has developed the Strategic
Housing Land Availability Assessment which provides
a list of development sites for the next five years. For
WBC, this means that they must provide for around
850 new dwellings per year. This is a challenging
target, so they have created the four strategic
development locations at Arborfield Green, Shinfield,
North Wokingham and South Wokingham to deliver
new housing quickly and efficiently and to make these
developments sustainable with investment in new
infrastructure such as schools and transport links.
Now, take a deep breath and stay with me as I try to
explain why there have been so many applications for
significant new housing development in Swallowfield.
The assessment of the delivery against that 850
houses/year is made on the basis of housing completed,
not on the approvals given for housing development.
There is no obligation for builders to actually build the
houses once planning approval has been given,
provided the development is started within three years.
Some developers hold off completing development in
the hope of getting a better price. Local parishes have
engaged with Alok Sharma, Minister of State for
Housing and Planning, to urge for new measures to
stop this ‘land banking’. In theory, this could mean
that WBC fails to achieve their target even though they
have apparently met their obligations to find enough
suitable development sites. So what, you may ask?
This allows for approval of applications on the
‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’
even if those sites are not identified by WBC in their
list of approved sites. What this means in practice is
that new sites outside of the village boundaries and on
prime agricultural land just might be considered for
development.
Thus we come to the planning battleground of WBC’s
carefully selected site list vs the opportunities that
might exist if Wokingham can be shown to be under-
delivering against housing needs. This leads to the
Stanbury House development in Spencers Wood. This
was an application for 57 houses by Coopers Estates to
the west of the Basingstoke Road. In itself the decision
on the application was reasonably straightforward and
it was rightly refused by Wokingham. However, on
appeal, the independent inspectorate decided that
Wokingham’s supply of housing was not adequate and
overturned the original rejection and approved the
development. Cue speculative applications on land on
Wyvols field in Swallowfield, land north of Part Lane
in Riseley and land west of Trowes Lane, all green field
sites outside of the village boundaries – but with this as
their central argument for approval.
The great news is that Wokingham took the Stanbury
House appeal judgement to the High Court and won by
proving that their land supply for housing was
adequate. This judgement should dampen down some
of the application speculative buzz around the
borough. However, we still have a number of
applications running, hoping that there is still an
opportunity to bypass Wokingham’s planning policies.
This brings us onto the Wyvols Field application by
Richborough Estates for 65 houses, which was
originally rejected by Wokingham but is now going to
appeal. This will be decided through a quasi-judicial
inquiry by the independent planning
inspectorate. Inquiries are a long drawn out process
with up to 12 weeks to validate the appeal before an
inspector is assigned and then up to another 32 weeks
for the inquiry itself to run. The final decision will then
follow – and this can be another 11 weeks. All in all,
it can take up a while. The Wyvols Field inquiry will
take place in early October. We shall watch and hope
for the right outcome. Local residents and the Parish
Council strongly objected to the application based on
4 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
sustainability of development in our village with its
limited resources.
Cove Homes’ application for 20 houses west of Trowes
Lane was likewise rejected and has gone to
appeal. They have also submitted a new application
which is running in parallel. Our thanks go to all the
residents who took the time to provide comments on
both these applications. The Parish Council has
likewise strongly objected to this application. This
appeal inquiry will sit in early December.
There is also the application for development on land
north of Part Lane. At the time of writing there has
been no decision. The Parish Council are confident
this will be refused as once again it is outside the
village boundary, is on a green field site and is
unsustainable. The Council are particularly concerned
about the safety at the entrance to the site as well as the
urban spread it would generate.
Finally, The Riseley Objectors Action Group (ROAG)
are exploring innovative options to overturn Hart
District Council’s approval for Gleeson’s development
of 83 homes west of Odiham Road bordering Riseley
on the south side of the Devil’s Highway. More
information from ROAG can be found on the Keep
Riseley Beautiful Facebook page.
I hope that planning is quieter for the parish by the next
newsletter!
Jonathan Wheelwright
Properties Report Autumn 2017
Fieldfayre The construction phase of the Fieldfayre
redevelopment project started on 19th June 2017 and is
currently progressing to
schedule. The initial work
consisted of stripping out the
two flats in the main house
and demolishing the single
storey rear extensions. This
was followed by ground
clearance, site levelling and
excavations for the
foundations and drainage
associated with the two
bungalows and new rear
extension. Foundations have been laid and the concrete
floor beams installed. Work is now proceeding on the
brickwork and blockwork
of the main structures.
Parts of the drainage
solution have also been
put in. The foul waste
pumped storage tank has
been installed. This allows
foul waste to be stored up in flood conditions and
discharged slowly to the
main sewer when
conditions allow. Surface
water is a problem in
Swallowfield because our
clay soils mean that
soakaways are by and large
ineffective, so this water
has to go somewhere else. The surface water drainage
solution at Fieldfayre consists of an extensive granular
drainage blanket (looks like rubble sandwiched
between permeable membranes) located beneath the
paving surface. This granular drainage blanket does
two things. The first is to act as a filter to improve the
water quality of the surface water passing through it.
More importantly, the second is to provide a storage
facility as the granular blanket has approximately 30
percent voids which can store surface water run-off.
Then there is a facility that restricts the rate of
discharge.
Meanwhile, the two flats are being reconfigured to the
new design and to become the temporary home for the
shop / PO to enable construction work to proceed in the
current shop / PO area.
As with any redevelopment work, there is potential to
hit upon unforeseen problems hidden underground or
in the internal fabric of the original building, which has
been modified many times over the years. This project
is no exception and in our case the excavation work
5 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
revealed a disused cesspit in the line of one of the
footings trenches, and the stripping out of the flats
revealed structural differences from that which had
been anticipated. Both problems were easily overcome
by simple engineering design changes and as you
would expect the project budget contains contingency
to cover additional costs of this sort. Another “known
unknown” is the rendered sidewall of the existing shop
extension which may have to be rebuilt, but we won’t
find out until later in the project after the shop / PO has
relocated.
The relocation of the shop / PO into its temporary
location in the left- hand half of the building is likely
to occur in mid-October, provided all parties can
maintain their schedules. This will present a significant
logistical challenge as it involves coordination with the
Post Office and their subcontractors, who are
responsible for doing much of the work relating to the
PO facilities: Camelot for the lotto facilities, a shop
fitting company, the builder and of course our
postmaster, Mr Kumar. All the shop fittings, freezers,
chillers, stock and “what have you” will have to be
moved in tandem with the PO facilities. All this
activity must come together over a period of just a few
days! We have now just received information that it is
planned that the Post Office will be closed from 12
October to 14 October to allow all these activities to
take place.
I must remind everybody that the shop is heavily reliant
on custom continuing at near normal levels in order to
make ends meet, so it is incumbent on us to continue
using the shop despite any potential inconvenience.
Currently there are quite a few contractor vehicles
parking in the road despite encouragement to use the
hall car park, and this is mainly because they need easy
access to all their tools and equipment. This is likely to
continue until the shells of the buildings and
groundworks are complete. After this it is hoped that at
least a proportion of these will be able to park within
the site compound. The Council recognises that this
causes problems with visibility when parking in front
of the shop, and in the interests of road safety it is
advisable for anyone doing so to reverse into the space
so that they have better visibility when leaving.
On the financial front, Edwards Irish LLP, our
architects, check that the work is completed to the
specified standard and certify the associated progress
payments in accordance with the agreed pricing
schedule and standard practice. Now that the project is
in full swing, the Parish Council has to make quite
substantial progress payments each month. It is
keeping a close eye on the rate of spend and cash-flow
to ensure that funds are drawn down from the Public
Works Loans Board at the right time to meet expected
payment obligations. An application has already been
made to draw down the first tranche of the loan
(£350,000) since the funds allocated to this project
from the sale of The Marshes house will soon have
been spent.
The Parish Council is keen to ensure that residents are
kept as well informed as possible and had prepared a
communications plan with this in mind. As a part of
this plan and publicised in the update bulletins and on
the website and Facebook, I have been available in the
Rose Room at a set time each month so that residents
can come along to discuss Fieldfayre matters with a
Councillor. However, I have had a rather lonely time
since no-one turned up to either of the two sessions
held to date. I can only assume that the unpredictable
summer weather has been keeping you all away! These
sessions were intended to supplement the update
bulletins published on the website, Facebook and sent
out by email to those that have registered their interest.
Pragmatically, I hope the lack of attendance is an
indication that residents are by and large happy with
the level of information they are getting and the way
the project is being run. In view of this, it has been
decided to stop holding my monthly sessions in future.
In its place, anyone who has a project-related matter
that they would like to discuss should contact the
Parish Clerk (clerk@swallowfieldpc.gov.uk) in the
first instance, and this will be followed up with the
relevant parties as appropriate. Also, the current phase
of work will last for a number of weeks and so future
update bulletins will only be issued when there is
something new to report.
Any project of this sort is bound to give rise to
occasional minor incidents despite all the best
intentions, and the few that have arisen to date have
been raised with the Parish Clerk and dealt with
appropriately. Happily, none of these relate to health or
safety. Please remember that the Parish Council is the
customer and is not responsible for the actions of the
builder, subcontractors or delivery drivers. As you
would expect, the Council undertook “due diligence”
to establish the suitability of the main contractor and
has ensured that it is compliant with its health and
safety obligations by registering the project with the
Health & Safety Executive and meeting the
requirements of what the industry knows as the
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations,
which cover allocation of responsibilities, appointment
of key roles and safety matters.
As a reminder, contractor working hours are Mon – Fri
07:30 to 18:00, Sat 07:30 – 13:00, with no work on
Sundays or Bank Holidays. There may however be
occasions when an exception has to be made and
permission is granted to extend these hours to complete
a specific task to meet a critical deadline. Please be
aware that there will need to be work undertaken by
utility companies in The Street. The timing of such
work is determined by the utility companies and is not
6 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
under the control of the construction company or the
Parish Council.
The Parish Council once again thanks you in advance
for your forbearance during the construction works.
We can now look forward to project completion in
about 9-10 months’ time and will then be able to enjoy
a more attractive building that will enhance the village
centre, a larger and better-appointed shop and Post
Office, and a site that is no longer the eyesore that it
once was.
The photos in this article were taken on 22nd August.
John Anderson
Temporary relocation of Shop and
Closure of Post Office
The shop and Post Office will be closed from Thursday
12 October until Saturday 14 October while they are
temporarily being relocated to the left-hand side of the
building. However, we are working out the logistics of
keeping essential services going during this period with
Mr Kumar, such as newspaper sales and deliveries. As
usual, up-to-date information will be posted on
Facebook and on the web site, together with
appropriate notices at the shop. The shop and Post
Office will reopen for business as usual on Monday 16
October.
Please support our shop while the work is continuing.
Local Member Update Wokingham Borough Council
Striving for success - Wokingham means
business Entrepreneurs
have graduated
from the most
successful Strive
start-up business
training pro-
gramme so far in
Wokingham.
Wokingham Borough Council has joined forces with
local housing associations to hold the course over the
past three months with funding from the Scape
Reinvest programme.
Enterprise Cube, a social enterprise that aims to fill a
gap between disadvantaged people and business,
delivered the fourth annual Strive programme. The
course has been more successful than ever before with
more graduates, and a waiting list for online business
training that Wokingham Borough Council will be
running later this year.
Entrepreneurs graduated at a ceremony with
Wokingham MP John Redwood after rigorous training
on the skills needed to create a business, ranging from
market research to marketing and managing risk.
During the event, 17 entrepreneurs delivered a
presentation on their business to a panel of business
experts for feedback: Colin Willman from the
Federation of Small Businesses, Cllr Philip Mirfin, the
deputy executive member for business and economic
development and regeneration at WBC, Jill Caress
from Housing Solutions and Justine Thompson from
Bracknell Forest Homes. Business ideas were diverse
and wide ranging from video gaming to drone
photography and burlesque dancing.
All graduates were awarded a certificate of
achievement from Mr Redwood and constructive
feedback from the panel of business experts. The top
three entrepreneurs, decided by the panel, were given a
small bursary in order to help them set up their future
business.
It’s great to see local residents really realise their
potential and take control of their lives to use their
skills and passion to start their own business. As a
Council, we believe strongly in helping people to help
themselves and the Strive programme does this.
Andy Nicholls, economic development officer, said
that that this year’s programme has been the most
successful so far and we have a waiting list for online
business training later in the year.
Anyone interested in taking part in any future ‘Strive’
training programmes, can contact Andy Nicholls on
(0118) 974 6018.
Civil Parking Enforcement update
Wokingham Borough Council is currently completing
the transfer powers from the Department for Transport
to enable the Council to deliver Civil Parking
Enforcement (CPE) with its newly appointed parking
contractors, NSL, from early October 2017.
CPE powers will enable the Borough Council to take
over the police’s role to legally enforce parking
breaches. This covers double and single yellow lines,
loading restrictions, double parking or parking across
dropped kerbs, parking in a residents’ parking zone
without a permit, and overstaying in time-limited
bays.
Later in September local Councillors will be given a
fuller briefing before the go-live date.
Borough Council acting to protect strategic
planning process Wokingham Borough is
under constant pressure
from developers wanting
to build more and more
houses, no matter whether
or not the land is suitable
and allocated for housing,
and recent planning appeal decisions are forcing the
7 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Council to consider how it can defend its policy of
ensuring that development is coordinated and directed
to the right places.
Despite having allocated a lot of land available for new
homes (as it has to do to meet central government
requirements) and providing massive infrastructure
investment under its current planning strategy, the
Borough Council is still continually fighting appeals
against avaricious applications for developments that
are outside these allocated areas.
Most of these are applications are refused and most
appeals are successfully defended by the Borough
Council, but a number of disappointing decisions by
planning inspectors have led to the Council to review
what additional short term actions it can take to put it
in the best place to defend its decisions.
In some cases, inspectors have ruled that Wokingham
Borough does not have enough land on which housing
is either currently being built, or where housing will be
built on during the next five years. This is technically
known as having a ‘Five Year Housing Land Supply’,
which is a central government requirement for all local
authorities under the National Planning Policy
Framework (please see the government's Web Pages
for more details).
The council’s current planning strategy allocated a
small number of sites as a reserve supply to be used
should the supply of available land fall. Although the
Borough Council’s assessments show that it has a Five-
Year Housing Land Supply, it will continue to be
challenged at appeal by developers desperate to
undermine the Council’s defence. Therefore, the
Council’s decision-making executive released the
reserve sites and an additional site which forms part of
another allocation to boost supply when it met in July.
The extra housing land that could be released has
already been assessed as being suitable when originally
allocated.
Wokingham Borough Council’s deputy leader Cllr
David Lee is the lead on this and said recently in a press
release: “We have been extremely disappointed by
some Inspectors’ decisions and I am sure local people
would agree with us that enough land has been
allocated for housing at the moment and that houses are
certainly being built fast enough in the Borough. But
the national planning system is stacked massively in
favour of development and planning inspectors have
the power to make these rulings.
“If we bury our heads in the sand and ignore this issue
and just carry on with the allocated land as it is now –
which is the easy option – we would end up with
something close to a planning free-for-all. Instead we
have considered the difficult, but correct, route of
releasing our reserve sites to boost the land supply in
the short terms, helping our defence against unplanned,
unsustainable development.
“We are also lobbying Central Government to draw
attention to the fact that we are being penalised for
doing the right thing.”
In additional to releasing the reserved sites for housing,
WBC is in the process of producing a new Local Plan
that will set locations for where development can and
cannot take place up to 2036.
We shall continue to cooperate on the combined
initiative to persuade central government to force the
developers who are not building the approved
applications and slowing down supply.
The previous local plan allocated land for about 13,000
new homes in the Borough for the period up to 2026.
The majority of these are being built in the four major
development areas know as Strategic Development
Location at Arborfield Garrison, Shinfield area, North
Wokingham and South Wokingham.
And more on planning: Planning consultation
- Arborfield Cross Relief Road Wokingham Borough
Council is urging people
to have their say on its
newly submitted
planning application for
the Arborfield Cross
Relief Road.
The consultation period for residents and businesses to
give feedback and make comments about the scheme
is open until Friday 15 September. The Council has
submitted full plans for the 2.3km road following a
public exhibition in June which was attended by more
than 100 people. I urge people to get involved once
again to see the exact details and have their say about
the scheme.
The proposed new road will help ease congestion in
Arborfield as well as offset traffic from the new 3,500
homes being built at the former Arborfield Garrison.
The planning application is for the construction of the
road, including a shared-use pathway, linking the A327
Reading Road in the north and the A327 Eversley Road
in the south east. It also includes two new roundabouts
linking to the existing road network on the A327, a new
staggered priority junction at Swallowfield Road and a
new shared-use green bridge.
Public consultation in 2013 attracted more than 1,300
responses – one of the Council’s biggest consultations
to date – with 70 per cent of respondents expressing a
preference for an Option B route.
Wokingham Borough Council agreed the Option B
route in 2014 following this consultation. Council
officers then carried out site investigations, ecology
surveys, and design and analysis for the environmental
statement and environmental impact assessment to
accompany the planning application.
8 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Please visit the Council’s planning portal on its
website to see the application and comment by entering
reference number 172209.
Superfast Broadband Coverage Set to reach
more than 99% High-speed broad
band coverage in
Wokingham is set
to pass the 99%
mark in the final
phase of a £40m
project. Superfast
Berkshire was
launched in 2011
under the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK
(BDUK) programme to roll out a high-speed service to
areas not covered by commercial plans of the private
sector.
Over the past five years the programme has driven up
superfast broadband capacity across the county of
Berkshire from 87% to 95% in two phases. Now a third
and final phase is underway after contracts were
awarded to BT and broadband provider Gigaclear. This
will extend superfast coverage to more than 99.5% of
properties in Berkshire by 2019 – making it one of the
best served counties for superfast broadband across the
UK, benefiting residents and businesses alike.
In Wokingham coverage will reach 99.53% - well up
on 90.4% in 2013 and 91.8% by the end of the third
phase of the project.
Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor, one of our residents and
the Wokingham Borough Council leader, said in a
recent press release: “Superfast broadband can
transform lives and deliver major benefits to the local
economy. We have worked very closely with our
partners in Superfast Berkshire and the programme has
been a great success. Its third phase will mean nearly
all homes and businesses in Wokingham will have the
opportunity to benefit from this vital service.”
Under the third phase BT Openreach will extend
coverage to 7,400 more urban premises and Gigaclear
will expand the network to 6,100 more rural premises.
Each of the six Berkshire Authorities will achieve
coverage of over 99%, providing much more equitable
access for all areas of the county.
However, the work doesn’t stop there as Superfast
Berkshire working with BT, Gigaclear and other
suppliers under their commercial plans strive to hit the
magic 100% target of total coverage for Berkshire, let’s
hope Swallowfield will soon have all the benefits.
In total, more than £40m will have been invested in the
Superfast Berkshire programme by both the private and
public sector to deliver superfast broadband.
Berkshire has seen the demand for faster and faster
broadband speeds with more and more businesses,
people working from home and normal family activity;
all with increasing numbers of applications relying on
fast internet access.
To find out more about the Superfast Berkshire
programme visit http://www.superfastberkshire.org.uk As I write this brief update, much warmer brighter days
and summer has returned just in time for the fantastic
Swallowfield Show. A big thank you to the whole team
of organisers and it’s so good to see the show “in”
Swallowfield village.
Stuart Munro
Member for Swallowfield
Wokingham Borough Council
Remembrance Sunday
12th November 2017
Remembrance Sunday will be marked by a service at
Swallowfield War Memorial on Sunday 12 November
at 10.15am.
This will be followed by a procession to All Saints
Church, where a Remembrance Service will take place
at 10.45am. Please note that the roads around the War
Memorial will be closed again this year for the duration
of the service.
All Saints’ Church
Autumn 2017
Travelling Days
I suspect that many of you will have taken the
opportunity to have a well-earned break over the past
few months, and done your fair share of travelling to
destinations around UK and the globe. Travel by any
combination of air, sea, rail, or road is so easy, if not a
little congested! Perhaps your preferred mode of travel
is foot or bicycle. Whatever it is, the world is your
oyster!
Since the distant days of the Grand Tour, when young
men and women were encouraged to visit Europe to
broaden their minds, and since the passing of important
employment legislation in the 20th C, we have become
a nation of holiday travellers.
We now enjoy the incredible ease with which
travelling to foreign shores has developed, especially
with the expansion of the EU over the past 40 years.
Travel writers say that Europe has become the most
popular destination of choice for hoards of travelling
bands of tourists from around the world.
Interestingly, we hear through the media, that for some
of the great cities of the world, the year on year increase
in tourist numbers has become a burden rather than a
joy, despite the positive economic benefits. Indeed, the
sheer weight of numbers, along with some of the
accompanying behaviours, has had such an impact on
the fabric of city environments, and on the way of life
9 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
of residents, that tourism has become incredibly
intrusive and undesirable. The upsurge in popularity of
Stag and Hen parties abroad, with their accompanying
strange behaviours, are but one example. Fortunately,
not all tourists behave in the same way!
Continuing with the travelling theme, I’d be surprised
if you hadn’t heard that we’ve recently had a visit from
a group of Gypsy travellers camping out at All Saints
car park. However, this isn’t the first time that
travellers have spent time in the neighbourhood.
According to the 1841 Census there was a small group
of “Gipsies in tents” somewhere in the parish, and the
1911 Census figures show that a larger group were
camping “In a field at Riseley”, seemingly involved
with labouring and agricultural work.
There is inevitably some concern these days when this
happens, as the travelling community has developed a
general reputation as being intrusive and undesirable.
They damage the fabric of the environment and impact
on our way of life. As it happens, by comparison with
other groups, our recent visitors were well behaved and
kept to their word about moving on.
I was interested to find out that these days this group
only travel during the school holidays, and have more
permanent accommodation in term time so that their
children can access the schooling that the adults among
them never had.
On leaving they bagged up the bulk of their rubbish, as
promised, and during their stay, although some of their
behaviours may have seemed unusual, and culturally
different, they were respectful of the church and
churchyard.
I had the opportunity to converse with them on a couple
of occasions, and as they were leaving for London,
gave them the following blessing:
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the gentle night to you.
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you.
Deep peace of Christ,
of Christ the light of the world to you.
Deep peace of Christ to you.
I offer the same blessing to you… and invite you to
travel to join us at All Saints’ whenever you’re able.
Rev’d Paul Willis
Rectory: 0118 988 3799
Mobile: 07857 309018
Email: Rev.Paul.Willis@LoddonReach.org.uk
Benefice office: 0118 988 5923
Email: Office@LoddonReach.org.uk
http://www.loddonreach.org.uk/
Swallowfield Church Fête June 2017
Looking at the weather forecast is often a rather
depressing pastime and, as we were about to begin
setting-up for this year’s fête, I was seriously
wondering if we should cut our losses and try to move
to an indoor location. I am so glad we didn’t, as in the
end we had a beautifully sunny afternoon, which no
doubt contributed to a record breaking fête – we topped
£5000 for the first time! Once again, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH to everyone for their contribution as
volunteers, visitors or both. It is very much appreciated
and I hope you enjoyed the community atmosphere
which is what makes it so special.
It was a pleasure to invite Dr Zilla Fraser to cut the
ribbon and open this year’s event – a moment captured
on the front cover of the July/August Loddon Reach
magazine. As a long-standing member of the Fête
Committee, organiser of the plant stall and sometimes
of the whole event, this was a fitting ‘thank you’ to her
for all her efforts over many years. The Morris Men
then led us all into the gardens with their cheerful
music and dance, before delighted us with ‘busking’
and arena demonstrations during the afternoon.
All the usual stalls were there again. A highlight, as
always, was the tea tent with its delicious cakes baked
by local ladies and appreciated by all. There was plenty
for children to do, with Punch & Judy, the magic show,
traditional sideshows (to which we welcomed a
number of new volunteers this year), the toy stall and
children’s races. Those of us in the local Tai Chi class
did not expect as good an audience reaction as we got
for our demonstration aimed at showing that anyone
can attempt this Chinese art – though not all can
undertake the masterful moves of the experts in their
fan and sword routines. Thank you, Eva, for leading
us so well.
Farley Hill School choir stole the show with their
excellent singing, which I am sure gets better every
year. Congratulations to them and to Miss Victoria
Howard, their teacher, who once again gave up her
Saturday afternoon to be there. The choir sang excerpts
from the musicals, and deservedly gathered quite a
crowd around them.
As the new houses are completed and we welcome
newcomers to the village, we are looking forward to
you joining us next year as volunteers and/or visitors. I
think you will enjoy the traditional nature of this event:
an English country parish fete with traditional activities
in beautiful and spacious gardens.
Thank you very much to Jean Clark Maxwell and her
family for their hospitality and we are looking forward
to next year’s fête already.
Barbara Stanley
Stanleyba01@gmail.com
10 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Swallowfield’s Coffee Corner
We continue to welcome friends and
neighbours from across the parish and
beyond for Coffee Corner at Swallowfield
Parish Hall (Davies Room) every
Wednesday morning from 10.30 to 12.30. We offer
freshly made ground coffee, tea, and home-made cake,
in return for a small donation towards running costs.
Sometimes our visitors need help with making the
journey to the Hall - if you feel you would like to try
us out, but can't manage to get there on your own, let
us know - we will work out a way! Call 988 5989 for
information. We would also love to see you if you're
using any of the other services at the hall. Perhaps
you're picking up a child from pre-School - why not
come a little earlier and meet your friends for a coffee?
The Coffee Corner Team
Riseley Village Tea Room
It's been a lovely long weekend and the tea room is now
closed on a Sunday evening after hosting a glorious tea
party. All ages from tinies in high chairs to Grandmas
and Grandpas have had a lovely time. The weather was
kind, so the recreation ground was just the ticket and
the children took full advantage of it. One tiny toddled
into the kitchen, gave us all a huge grin, waved and
exited by the fire door. I can honestly say that in our
four years at the tea room each and every child has been
well-behaved, well-mannered and has done full justice
to a Riseley tea room tea.
The Christmas event is being planned and this year we
celebrate the swinging 60s. I am sourcing
entertainment, we have planned the menu and spent
many an afternoon reminiscing over the washing up.
December 10th is our last tearoom day, then we clear
the decks and set up for the event:
The swinging 60s
December 16th 7pm-11pm
Tickets will be available from the tearoom on a first
come first served basis - £25 per head
A little mention to our treasurer Paula Martin, a Riseley
resident for many years, is long overdue. Every
Monday Paula and I get together to discuss the tearoom
week and sign cheques, pay suppliers etc, but it doesn't
stop there. Paula oversees every aspect of the financial
side of the tea room: taxes, licensing, wages etc, all
done from her home in her own time. A knowledgeable
savvy accountant with a big heart and a huge support
to Riseley Village tearoom - we couldn't do it without
her and a big thank you is very overdue. So, thank you
to our dear Paula, especially when I call asking if she
could cover at the tearoom as we have a busy day and
not enough staff.
This month we lose two of our long serving ladies,
Emily Eagles off to York Uni and Debbie Graham back
to her native Australia. We thank them for their hard
work; we shall miss them but wish them well for the
future.
September should see us more or less back to normal
with our ladies back to good health after a very testing
Spring and Summer. These things are sent to try us, but
determination and sheer bloody mindedness will
triumph in the end.
Pam Wright
Manager 0118 988 7028,
Riseley Village Tea Room 0118 996 7375
Russell Players – a Photograph Display
A spectacular display of various photographs taken
over our 40-year history has been created by Mags
Broadhurst and can be viewed in the Rose Room at the
Parish Hall. If you are in the Hall for any event, it is
well worth taking a few moments to go and see this
myriad of memories.
A successful Cheese and Wine social evening on 12th
July provided members with the opportunity to admire
the display; which evoked reminiscences and
recollections of the plays, music halls, youth
productions and pantomimes of days gone by.
The weather was kind to us as we celebrated our annual
barbeque hosted by John and Angela King in their
delightful garden. The cooks, John King and Nigel
Adams, proved themselves to be first class barbecue
chefs and the variety of salad, dessert and wine
completed the menu. The relaxing atmosphere, tranquil
surroundings,
good food and
wine provided
the perfect
setting to
while away a
summer
afternoon with
friends.
Roland Digital Piano
We are delighted to have been appointed guardians of
a gift donated by Peter Sampson in memory of his
Father. The Roland Digital Piano is in situ and we have
11 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
it on good authority that it “plays beautifully”. It is
currently being enjoyed by everyone rehearsing for the
Russell Players Music Hall, which will be performed
in October and is being directed by Mags Broadhurst.
On 15thSeptember an official Presentation evening will
be held and the Russell Players will formally thank
Peter for his wonderful donation. We will be good
custodians of his bequest and are mindful that he is
keen for it to be made available to other Hall users.
October Production – Music Hall
Rehearsals are well underway for the Russell Players
Music Hall. A comprehensive programme is planned
with a view to bringing you an enjoyable evening of
songs, sketches and laughter. So, take a step back in
time and enjoy a repertoire of traditional music hall
entertainment performed with great enthusiasm by the
Russell Players.
The performance dates are 13th, 14th and 15th October
and tickets can be purchased in advance from the
Russell Players Box Office number 07555 073 597.
The release dates of the tickets will be announced
shortly.
Pantomime
The Russell Players are excited to announce their next
pantomime will be the much-loved children’s classic
The Wizard of Oz. Under the imaginative direction of
Maggie Uttley, this promises to be another fun filled
production for all the family.
The performance dates are Friday 2nd February,
Saturday 3rd February, Friday 9th February and
Saturday 10th February. Look out for further
information regarding the pantomime.
We are always looking for new members, so if you
would like to join the Russell Players please contact:
Mitch Mitchell (Chairman) 07710 500 491
mitch.mitchelll@btinternet.com
Do visit our Web Site www.russellplayers.co.uk for up
to date information about our activities.
Juliet
S.P.E.G. news
S.P.E.G. (Swallowfield Parish Events Group) has been
taking a sabbatical for most of 2017, but we are making
plans for 2018 now. These are still to be finalised, but
we are looking at two shows for the Spring season. The
first, a world première, is a play with live music by Neil
Salvage. Titled "Oysters", it is based on the passionate
and often violent character of the great composer
Johannes Brahms. If all you know of Brahms' music is
his famous "Lullaby", think again! A lively evening is
in prospect, and following the success of the "Medals"
concert held in All Saints' Church last January, we are
delighted to have the opportunity of using this beautiful
building once again for this prestigious event.
Later in Spring we bring you a show co-written by the
best-selling author of "Mortal Engines", Philip Reeve.
Some of you may know that that book is being turned
into a major movie, on release next year. Here's your
chance to see an earlier work by Reeve and co-writer
Brian Mitchell, a musical comedy entitled "The
Ministry of Biscuits", which will be coming to
Swallowfield following a run of performances in
Brighton.
These two shows give us the opportunity to see top-
class professional theatre in our own village, at a very
reasonable price! Given the astronomical cost of going
to the theatre nowadays, we think these events offer
fantastic value for money, and a brilliant night out too.
Full details of dates, ticket prices and all other
arrangements will appear in the next Parish newsletter
and around the area in the Autumn, so look out for our
publicity.
Hilary Fraser and Mags Broadhurst
Swallowfield Local History Society
Our project to gather and save the Childhood
Memories of Living in our Parish of Swallowfield,
Riseley and Farley Hill started with great success on a
lovely sunny afternoon in June, having tea and cake
together while our guests reminisced, talked, laughed
and remembered. We were surrounded by memorabilia
which had been found in boxes kept in cupboards,
under the stairs, in lofts and almost forgotten until we
asked them to tell us about their childhood memories
of living or visiting family who lived in Swallowfield.
They evoked so many thoughts and stories that we
know we have a wonderful archive on which to take
our project forward.
The photograph
shows our Guests
and Members
absorbing the
various hidden
treasurers brought
along by people
who had so many
tales to tell. How
to save this rich
bank of recollections before it is lost in the mist of
time? We plan to visit some of our guests and gather
their stories on a one to one basis - easier to record -
and make sure the anecdotes and tales are correctly
noted.
Our walk on a very hot day in July with Sally Ballard
started in All Saints Church. It was interesting to start
with the origins of the church and to see the grave of
Mary Russell Mitford. Our route took us over Pitt
bridge and down Part Lane; we paused under an oak
tree where they turned in the past when beating the
bounds - hence the name Bound Oak - down to the
Devils Highway with talk about the Roman route to
Bath via Silchester. Along to the ford, historically we
12 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
were unusual in having two Roman fords. Past the
confluence of the Whitewater and Blackwater, then
various interesting buildings in Nutbeam Lane.
People agreed they had learned something they didn't
know before about the village of Swallowfield.
August 27th and 28th took us once again to the
Swallowfield show, where we mounted an exhibition
of the history of the Swallowfield Horticultural Show.
This created lots of interest and discussion.
On 21stSeptember we are so pleased to have
persuaded one of our members to speak to us again.
Barbara Stanley will talk about some aspects of the
tumultuous last hundred years of Irish history through
the experiences of her extended family. The 1916
Easter Rising, the recent Troubles, the EU and the
signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement all feature, with
a walk-on part for George Bernard Shaw, an elopement
and a cautionary tale of a George Brown-like
microphone problem. Her presentation is called
‘Personal experience of growing up during the
Troubles in Ireland’.
Mike Round, our Treasurer, has been researching and
collating information about the two cemeteries in
Swallowfield connected to All Saints Church. On 19th
October he is going to tell us about some interesting
and surprising facts found during his research.
We are delighted to welcome Hazel Gillingwater on
16th November, who will tell us how she gathered her
collection of Historical Costumes. Her wealth of
experience in the world of ‘costumes’ knows no
bounds and we are so lucky to have her in the village,
using her expertise to costume our pantomimes and
plays. She is fun and we know we shall have an
entertaining evening.
We meet on the third Thursday of the month in the
Rose Room at the Swallowfield Parish Hall. Visitors
are always welcome. Any queries please contact Ken
Hussey (Chairman) on 0118 988 3650 or Maggie
Uttley (Secretary) email kcuttley@aol.com. Visit our
Web Site for the full programme for the year.
www.slhsoc.org.uk
Maggie U
Swallowfield Art Group
We have just survived putting on our Exhibition at the
Swallowfield Show – nearly 400 people voted for their
‘Favourite Picture’– a young lad from Tilehurst won
£10 for taking part; everyone got votes, which is a great
boost to our confidence, and Jane Pratt won £10 for the
most votes in the competition.
Some of us sold a few pictures too – which means we
can buy yet more art materials to add to a growing
collection. Several of us were lucky enough to win
prizes with our pictures in the Horticultural Show show
tent too.
If you missed us at the Swallowfield Show we shall
also be taking part in the Shinfield Parish Crafts
Festival on Saturday 21st October – our pictures will be
exhibited at Spencers Wood Village Hall from 10am
till 4pm.
Autumn term starts on 18th September, with back to
basics drawing for two weeks followed by autumnal
themes, mostly in watercolour.
There are spaces in the tutored group - please call the
number in Reach for further details. We meet at the
Parish Hall on Mondays from 2pm to 4pm.
Jenny Boddington
Swallowfield Badminton Club at Swallowfield Parish Hall
Mondays from 8.00 to 10.00pm
We are a friendly group based around the
Swallowfield, Riseley, Spencers Wood and Shinfield
region, who would warmly welcome new members to
our Club. Our playing standards are varied and we are
a non-league club.
Joining a badminton club is an ideal way to keep fit
safely through low impact exercise and make new
friends
We hope to see you soon.
Please contact Martin:
Tel: 0118 988 2671
e-mail: martin.griffin47@gmail.com
PS: Ask about our first free ‘taster’ evening!
By the time you read this our club will have ended our
season of over 50 friendly inter-club matches and have
finished all our club competitions.
I am very pleased that nearly all the eight new bowlers
that joined our club this year have been playing in our
friendly matches as well the club competitions.
Our green closes on 18th September. However, if you
would like to pop in to have a look at the clubhouse and
our green, with a view to possibly taking up bowls next
year, and maybe coming along to one of our monthly
winter social activities, please contact Bill Dowling,
Club Secretary, on 01344 772130 or e-mail
billdowling@farleyhillbowlsclub.org.uk
Farley Hill Bowls Club is at the Victory Hall, Church
Road, Farley Hill RG7 1TR
For more information please see our website:
www.farleyhillbowlsclub.org.uk
Bill Dowling
13 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Farley Hill Cricket Club
With the season fast approaching its end, there remains
only a handful of games left to play. The Saturday side,
having found some form only to have it interrupted by
the weather, is still pushing on and eying a midtable
finish. The end in sight, a home fixture on Saturday 2nd
against IBIS Mapledurham, and with Thomas Hale
posting the best figure in the Division, 7 wickets for 37
against Emmbrook and Bearwood, Farley Hill are
hoping that a home advantage will help them end the
season on a high note.
The Sunday side has been
in recent form with a
winning spell, at the time
of writing, of 10 wins in
12! Some excellent
performances include a
club first five-for achieved
by Kieran Thorne and an
impressive 10,000 club
runs knocked up by Ali
Jalil. The team continue
with a full month of fixtures through September
including two home games on Sunday 3rd, vs. Egham
Roses, and Sunday 10th, vs. Waltham St. Lawrence.
The previous month saw Farley Hill notch a second
win against representatives of the Thames Valley
Police in a T20, after a final ball win in the 40-over
match earlier in the season.
The final match of the season will be the annual Oldies
vs. Youngies on Saturday 30th September. The Oldies
have been pertinacious in their defence of the title,
which they have held for four years. The Youngies will
be hoping that this year they can turn the tide and
secure a much overdue win.
Andy Marr
www.farleyhill.play-cricket.com
Farleyhillcc@gmail.com
Farley Hill Village Society
Now that Love Island is a distant memory and
MasterChef and The Great British Bake Off have
returned to our screens I took a look through our
updates to this fine publication and noticed that food
and the sharing thereof seems to keep the members of
the FHVS quite busy. Well let me tell you dear reader,
that most certainly is the case.
The Great Get Together (a bring and share food event)
celebrating community in memory of Jo Cox was
fantastic. Fantastic in attendance, weather (we sat
outside!) and the food… oh the food! The food was
amazing and it just kept coming and coming. It has
been quite a while since I have eaten until it hurts in an
Augustus Gloop fashion, but I am ashamed to say I did.
Whilst others rubbed my bloated tummy, I reminded
myself that A.A. Milne once said: “What I say is that,
if a man really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent
sort of fellow.” So I guess I must be a decent sort of
fellow as I quite liked the potatoes.
On a whim, my daughter decided to judge the food on
offer that evening. The winners were all well
deserving. My efforts, however, must’ve fallen short of
the mark. Instead of praising her father’s mini toad in
the holes, with wholegrain mustard batter no less, as a
dutiful daughter should, she quoted Abraham Lincoln
when he quipped “If this is coffee, please bring me
some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some
coffee.”. Oh, I do love being a parent.
OK already, we had another food event and this time
following what seems like a great method of bringing
and sharing, we enjoyed an evening of street food from
around the world.
The hall was decked out in a casbah style, evoking
memories of sultry summer evenings in the tropics
when the Empire was a thing. All the attendees also
came with home-made treats inspired by travels.
Phileas Fogg could have circumnavigated the globe in
food in just 80 minutes.
Now we are looking forward to First Friday Food
and Sunday Lunches as the autumn takes hold. I love
food! For details of all regular events, please see Diary
or email events@fhvs.org.uk)
Christiaan
Swallowfield Parish Orchard
As we enter September and head towards Autumn, the
younger generation start another year of education and
harvest time is upon us across the country. Closer to
home, the Swallowfield Parish Community Orchard is
less than giving in this regard and instead, receiving
some TLC.
After a few years of flood, draught, moles,
waterlogging, and ‘letting nature take its course’, many
of the yearling trees have had branches and even their
slender trunk broken by the wind, deer and simple
mindlessness. A small amount of money remains from
the original lottery grant, so with the use of this and
help from the local community and businesses, we
have a plan to give our orchard a mini make-over.
Once the grass has been cut, we will be moving several
of the smaller trees which are clearly not quite happy
with their current position across the site, and have a
further 13 trees arriving from the original supplier,
Bernwode Fruit Trees www.bernwodeplants.co.uk. A
couple of the new trees are to replace some original
varieties lost to the elements with several being more
hardy to cope with the extremes of the ground (6x apple
Cornish Gilliflower, Golden Pippin, Breedon Pippin,
Tom Putt, Grand Duke Constantine and Winston, 1x
quince Vranja, 3x cherry Smoky Dun, Honey Cherry
and Crooked Billet, 2x plum Warwickshire Drooper
14 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
and Marjories Seedling and 1x pear William Bon
Chretien) most being local Berkshire varieties. As the
current footpath is an unsightly, straight, mown path
dissecting the left of the site in the driest part, we will,
courtesy of local waste recycling company R Collard
Ltd, be applying approx. 12 tonnes of recycled wood &
bark
(www.rcollard.com/content/recycled_aggregate_prod
ucts.php) to create a new footpath towards the right of
the orchard which will bend through the plot making a
more appealing walk. In addition to this, we have
different wild flower and seed varieties including a
Bird, Beed & Butterfly Mix and a Wet Meadow Mix
being sown across the orchard in order for them to take
root and hopefully spread their seed next year. A few
of the apple varieties are bearing fruit this year, but
time will tell if our organic orchard will mature into
an idyllic place from which we can make our own
cherry pies, Perry or cider!! Look out for the info labels
on each tree once we get ourselves back in order.
Chris Morrissey
Swallowfield Horticultural Society
Swallowfield Show is
over and life can return
to normal. The relief is
enormous and we can
move forward knowing
that we can afford to run
again in 2018. The
weather can only be
described as a little miracle that ensured we could set
up the Show and we could all enjoy it thoroughly. Over
9,000 people turned up and we thank them all. It was a
new site, so some things were not quite perfect; but we
have a list and we learn quickly.
Now, we gardeners can pick a courgette without
wondering whether it measures approximately 150 mm
or not. We can love our roses without fretting about
whether they will keep all their petals for three more
days. Once again, we can observe sunshine and
showers without calculating how wet it leaves the field.
Instead, we can turn our attention to the next event
which will be the autumn Show, to be held in
Swallowfield Parish Hall on Saturday 23rd September.
This is a surprisingly good time for a horticultural
show. Everything in the garden seems to come back to
life again after the trials of an English summer. Added
to this are all the berries and seed heads that are at their
best now. The tables are brimming with ripe fruit all
red and golden, the squashes strut their stuff, quite
outclassing the other vegetables with their glamorous
colouring. Tall purple and blue Michaelmas daisies and
impressively deep coloured dahlias dominate
everything.
This event will be followed on 21st October by the
Three Society evening, the three being Shinfield,
Arborfield and ourselves. There will be a table
competition, food and some sort of short entertainment.
This year we are hosting which does mean that we have
to do the cooking. We do hope that some of our new
neighbours in the Parish will join in with these events.
Tickets are available from Val on 9883594. You do not
have to be a gardener, you just need to like stuff
relating to gardens and plants generally.
The first talk for autumn is ‘The scented Garden’ by
Anthony Powell. These talks are held with SAHGA,
the Shinfield group, in Shinfield Parish Hall on the
second Thursday of the month at 7.30 pm. It costs a
pound to get in, and everyone is welcome.
For further information on anything above, please ring
Val on 9883594 or me on 9882736.
Roberta Stewart www.swallowfieldshow.co.uk
Swallowfield Pre-School 07771 184982
info@swallowfieldpreschool.org.uk
www.swallowfieldpreschool.org.uk
We said a fond
farewell to the
children who left the
Pre-School at the end
of July to embark on
their new adventures
in primary school
and have started the
Autumn Term by
welcoming back familiar faces and new friends.
Highlights of
the Summer
Term
included a
visit from
local
firefighters,
Sports Day
and our
Leaver’s
Ceremony. The firefighters of Whitley Wood Fire
Brigade spent time showing us around their fire
appliance explaining what each piece of equipment is
used for in an
emergency and then
helping us aim water
from a fire hose. Our
Sports Day included a
mix of running and
novelty races for the
children and the now
customary Mums and
15 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Dads races which seem ever more competitive! As we
handed out medals to all the young athletes, we sang
farewell to the children moving on and presented them
with Certificates as a memento of their time at
Swallowfield Pre-School. The Event concluded with
delicious refreshments, side stall games for the
children and an incredible Silent Auction; all of which
helped raise funds to support the Pre-School.
The Autumn
Term has begun
with us all
getting to know
each other; we
have shared
stories of our
Summer break,
made colourful
rainbows with
each colour representing something about ourselves
and our families, and investigated the toys and learning
resources within the Pre-School. We have measured
ourselves and have made hand prints – we will see just
how much we have grown when we repeat the exercise
in the Summer Term! We have continued learning new
rhymes which incorporate phonics sounds, practising
our counting skills and using maths as we play; we
have experimented with paints and colours and have
made the most of our outside spaces with ride-ons on
the patio, digging in the mud pit and ball games on the
multi-purpose games court.
Our Autumn Jumble Sale will take place on Saturday
23rd September, 2pm in Swallowfield Parish Hall.
Good quality jumble may be dropped off on the
morning of the sale between 8.30am and 11am only
(sorry - not in the days preceding please due to storage
limitations, and not after 11am as we are unable to
process the items prior to the start!). We look forward
to seeing you there!
Swallowfield Pre-School offers morning sessions,
Monday-Friday at Swallowfield Parish Hall 9.15 -
12.30. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage
curriculum, are a fully inclusive setting and have been
rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted. For more information or to
arrange a visit, please contact us at
info@swallowfieldpreschool.org.uk or call 07771
184982.
Helen Coulter, Swallowfield Pre-School
Registered Charity No: 1025250
Swallowfield Parish Allotment
Association (SPAA)
At the time of writing the allotment crops are in full
swing, and we’re enjoying delicious, flavoursome,
fresh fruit and vegetables either consumed right away,
or dried, pickled, or frozen for the winter months. Not
only is there great satisfaction in harvesting your own
fruit and veg, but you can’t beat the wonderful taste.
Every day is a learning day, and this is especially true
with allotments. Learning what to grow and when and
where to grow it can make a big difference. We’re
already planning what crops to grow next year, and
how early we’re going to start it off. Our Open Day in
May was a great success where we sold young plants,
such as runner beans, tomatoes, and some unusual
crops, such as tomatillos, and inca berries. For our
Open Day next year, we will be growing many more
plants of certain types as we sold out quickly. Please
let us know if you have any suggestions of seedlings
you’d like to buy at the spring open day.
If you’d like an allotment or a half plot, now is a great
time to get started, and if you’d like to find out about
getting an allotment, get in touch through
secretary@swallowfieldpaa.org.uk
Bev Marshall-Smith 0118 988 6946
Secretary@swallowfieldpaa.org.uk
www.swallowfieldpaa.org.uk
The Swallowfield Calico Trust
The Calico Trust is a longstanding charity that is
specifically and solely for people living in
Swallowfield Parish who are in conditions of need,
hardship or distress. Subject to some minor restrictions
the Trust can make grants of money or can provide or
pay for items, services or facilities calculated to reduce
such need, hardship or distress.
History: In 1993 the Charity Commission oversaw the
amalgamation of three local charities, two of which had
been founded before 1785 and one from 1817 that had
been a fuel allotment. The two older charities had
originally distributed sheets and pillowslips, but when
they were amalgamated it was agreed they would all
have a more modern relief-in-need charitable status.
Two of the charities still owned small parcels of land
which were passed on to the Trust and the income it
receives from renting this land is today used to carry
out its functions.
The Board of Trustees comprises the Vicar, two
nominated trustees appointed by Swallowfield Parish
Council every four years and two further co-opted
trustees. Marina Goldsmith, who has worked tirelessly
for the Trust, has recently taken more of a back seat
and we would like to take this opportunity of thanking
her for all her hard work over the last 24 years, which
has been much appreciated.
If you, or someone you know, feel the Trust could be
of assistance please let us know.
Contacts:
Celia Adams 988 4661 (email: celia8844@gmail.com)
Ros Riddell 988 2014 (email: ros.riddell@btinternet.com)
16 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Farley Hill Horse Trials
The third Farley Hall Horse Trials took place in
Swallowfield Park on 24-25th June 2017. The event
saw bumper entries having to turn away 400 extra
entries that could not be accommodated, leaving 600
competitors for the
two days. The
competition was
moved into the
main Hundred
Acre Field,
meaning you could
see almost the
entire course from
one vantage.
The new Intermediate course attracted a high standard
of entry from international athletes including the
Queen’s granddaughter, Zara Tindall, who ran her
Olympic horse High Kingdom round the Open
Intermediate. Other Olympians from many countries
also took part, using the event as a warm-up run for
their advanced horses and a qualifying run for younger
horses. Winners included Andrew Nicholson, a New
Zealand international athlete, who won both Open
Intermediate sections, and the top prize of the weekend
went to British Olympic team member Kitty King, who
won the Advanced Intermediate with her horse
Vendredi Biats.
The Tally Ho Farm Amateur Novice section was also
popular.
Eventing is
normally a
sport where
amateurs and
professionals
compete as
equals,
because the
qualifications
are based on the horse, not rider. However, it does
make it hard for amateur working riders to be
competitive, so this section gave these riders a chance
to compete against their peers. The amateur prize was
taken by Melissa Vernon.
The Farley Estate team worked tirelessly in a near-
drought to produce superb going across the Park, which
was praised by riders. The move of the dressage to
beside the entrance road from the village made this
phase more accessible and gave a nice atmosphere.
Future plans for the event include expansion of the
trade-stands, more family entertainment and possibly a
second show-jumping arena, which may enable the
event to run over three days.
Natalie Gaibani
Swallowfield 10+3 & Duathlon 2017
Sunday 17th September
Presented by 1st Swallowfield Scout Group
Preparations for the eighth consecutive Swallowfield
10+3 & Duathlon event are well underway; local
residents are stepping forward with offers of help, road
closure notices have been issued to residents in receipt
of the Parish Newsletter and entries are rolling in! This
annual community event is organised by 1st
Swallowfield Scouts with a focus on local community,
fun and licensed measured routes, to raise funds for the
Group and its activities.
We have a race to suit all abilities - running club pros,
fitness fanatics, those embarking on first events and
children out to set personal best times – with finisher’s
medals for all those past the post; we hope to receive
your entry soon!
New for 2017 is individual chip timing for the 10K and
Duathlon races; with both Gun and Net Times
available in a live feed, progress can be tracked along
the way!
Please join us as an athlete, helper or spectator; enjoy
the live commentary, spot familiar faces, cheer on
friends, and sample the freshly prepared refreshments.
Please visit our website to discover more about the
event, to find out how you can get involved and to
make contact with our sponsors who include David
Cliff Estate Agents, Henry Street Garden Centre,
Colas, Farley Farm Estates and One Pension
Consultancy - www.swallowfield10plus3.com
We are again hoping for a record turnout for the races
which comprise a 10K road race around the parish, the
Duathlon consisting of a 6.7K run through Farley Hill,
followed by a 18.4K cycle across rural West Berkshire
and finishing with a flat 3.7K run around Swallowfield,
and a 3K off road race through Swallowfield Park for
those aged eight and over.
As usual, the roads will be closed to traffic during the
road races, making a safe environment for runners and
spectators. Please help us by not parking on the route
during the duration of the races, and please be patient
and courteous to the marshals who will be positioned
along the course and at road closure points.
Please contact us at info@swallowfield10plus3.com if
you are able to help during the weekend of the races or
require any further information. Online booking for
runners and riders is now open – we look forward to
receiving your entry.
www.swallowfield10plus3.com
Registered Charity 306101
Group Scout Leader: Paul Cobbold
Race Director: Angela Morgan
17 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Swallowfield Community
Responders
The Parish Council would like to
congratulate Swallowfield
Community Responders, who
have been awarded the very
prestigious Queen’s Award for
Voluntary Service. This well-
deserved recognition has been
awarded for numerous reasons:
• for the team’s hard work in providing extensive
999 medical emergency cover
• for attending many local fetes and fairs to promote
awareness and demonstrate CPR training
• for delivering the Heartstart Training, and
• for placing so many AED’s into the local
community.
Gary Clark, coordinator of the Community
Responders, commented: “I am today a very proud
person and on behalf of the team I would like to thank
the person who nominated us and the people who gave
letters of support for the nomination, I am sure that they
really did make a difference. And, of course, I would
like to thank you – our supporters - as without the
support of the community we would not be here”.
News from Swallowfield
Medical Practice
Autumn 2017
Welcome to Autumn news from Swallowfield
Medical Practice, provided jointly by the Practice and
the Patient Participation Group.
Flu Clinics – it’s that time of year again!
Saturday 23rd September & Saturday 7th October
8.30am until 12 noon.
A vaccine is available every year to protect those
people who are at most risk of complications or who
aren’t able to fight off flu as easily as others.
If you are in one of the following at-risk groups: Heart
disease; Stroke; TIA; MS; Asthma; COPD; Diabetes;
Kidney disease; Liver disease; Immunosuppressed;
aged 65 years or over; a Carer or are Pregnant, then
please come along to one of our Flu Clinics to get your
free vaccination - no need to book
Staff Update
In August we said a sad farewell to Dr Julia Lyons and
one of our practice nurses, Meryl Peckham. Dr Lyons
has been with the Practice for 12 years and has seen
many changes along the way, not least of which is the
arrival of her two boys! Meryl has been here for 3 years
and has been the backbone of the respiratory team. Ali
Henderson also left us in July. We wish Julia, Meryl
and Ali well in their new ventures. They will both be
missed by all. Recruitment for a new nurse is underway
and we are fortunate to be able to retain our current
locum, Dr Choudry now that Dr Dugmore has returned
from her maternity leave.
Extension At long last - the building work is scheduled to start on
Monday 2nd October!! We envisage the work will take
at least nine months. We shall try and keep disruption
to a minimum, but apologise in advance for any
disturbance caused whilst our extension is being built.
The patient car park will still be available for your use
Shinfield Relocation
Our proposal to relocate our Shinfield branch surgery
was submitted to Berkshire West CCG in June.
Negotiations are still ongoing but we are hopeful of a
positive outcome. We shall, of course, keep you all
posted if we hear any news.
Travel Vaccinations
Please be aware that you need to book your travel
vaccinations at least six weeks in advance of your
travel date. This is to ensure that a) we have the correct
vaccines in for you and b) to allow enough time for the
vaccine to work prior to your departure.
There is currently a global shortage of both Hepatitis A
& B vaccine. We are unable to source any for travel
purposes and would advise any patients to contact the
local travel clinics as they may have larger residual
supplies:
Boots, Broad Street, Reading 0118 957 1135;
Superdrug, Broad Street, Reading 0333 311 1007;
MASTA, Reading 0330 100 4292
Booking an appointment to see a GP at
Swallowfield Medical Practice
We recently conducted a survey to discover how
patients felt about our appointment system and how
quickly they would like to be seen by a GP. Analysis
of the results indicated that generally patients would
like to be seen within seven days and for more urgent
conditions would like an appointment the same day or
the following day.
At Swallowfield Medical Practice we have always
offered patients the convenience of booking
appointments up to four weeks ahead. Following the
outcome of our survey we introduced an additional
system enabling patients to book seven days ahead.
Missed Appointments
Between April and June this year 368 patients
failed to attend their appointments. This wasted
over 61 hours of clinical time. If you really do not
need your appointment please, please let us know
so that your appointment can be given to someone
who really does need it.
18 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
These appointments are released just after midnight the
week before and can be booked in the same way as our
normal, routine and ‘on the day’ appointments. Our ‘on
the day’ appointments are also routine 10 minutes
appointments available for all patients to book.
All GP appointments can either be booked online or
via our automated telephone booking system Patient
Partner. Patients need to be registered for the Online
service. Please come in to Reception at Swallowfield
to complete a registration form, bringing along two
forms of identification, including a photo ID i.e.
Passport or Driving Licence and also proof of your
address, eg utility bill or bank statement. You can book
appointments via Patient Partner on 0118 976 9606.
No registration is necessary for this service.
New routine ‘on the day’ appointments are released
just after midnight. If you are not able to use the
systems at this time you can try as soon as you are able
the following day. All available appointments stay on
these systems until they are booked.
If you feel you need to be seen on the day for urgent
care medical matters, we have an Acute Illness Team
in our surgery. Please phone and speak to reception.
When booking this type of appointment, the
receptionist will ask you a few questions about your
symptoms, so that you can be directed to the most
appropriate member of the Acute Illness team. You
will be allocated a time to come to the surgery to sit
and wait. A clinician will see you as soon as possible.
If you are not able to use any of the above systems,
please call the reception team on 0118 988 3134 and
they will be happy to help you with booking
appointments and answering your questions or queries.
Repeat Medication
We have over 5000 patients who are on regular repeat
medication, 2000 of these have four or more repeat
medications each month. This, along with our acute
dispensing, means that we dispense over 7000 items
each month. It is especially important that you order
your repeat medications in plenty of time to allow time
for the processing of the request, sorting out queries,
raising of the prescription, getting a GP signature and
dispensing the medication itself or transmitting the
prescription to your nominated surgery via the EPS
system. Thank you to everyone who does this in good
time. However, in July alone we had 500 patients who
phoned to say they had now run out of medication and
needed their prescription immediately. This adds to the
already considerable workload. We would therefore
please recommend that you order your repeat
medication at least three full working days prior to
running out – ideally it would be better to give seven
days’ notice. Thank you for your cooperation.
Is this you?
‘Is this you?’ is a series of articles focusing on
the most common acute and chronic clinical
conditions that affect our patients.
This is the first article, written by Dr Prabhakar, whose
specialist area of interest is cardiology.
Each doctor will be giving you their SMP experiences,
opinion and advice about one of these conditions
within their specialist area. We are confident you will
find this series of articles both informative and
beneficial and a basis for discussion.
Is this You? - HEART
FAILURE.
Heart failure is one of the most
wide-spread medical problems
encountered by most GPs -
SMP is no exception to this.
The NHS Choices website
defines Heart Failure like this:
“Heart failure means that the heart is unable to pump
blood around the body properly. It usually occurs
because the heart has become too weak or stiff. Heart
failure doesn't mean your heart has stopped working –
it just needs some support to help it work better. It can
occur at any age, but is most common in older people”.
The main symptoms of heart failure are:
• breathlessness after activity or at rest
• feeling tired most of the time and finding exercise
exhausting
• swollen ankles and legs
Some people also experience other symptoms, such as
a persistent cough, a fast heart rate, and dizziness.
Symptoms can develop quickly (acute heart failure) or
gradually over weeks or months (chronic heart failure).
Heart failure is a long-term condition that tends to get
gradually worse over time. It can't usually be cured, but
the symptoms can often be controlled for many years.
We have approximately 11,760 SMP patients, of whom
77 have some kind of ongoing ‘heart failure’, so it is a
subject that I am dealing with and discussing with my
patients every day of the week.
The common drugs taken for heart failure are:
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)
inhibitors. A drug that widens blood vessels
to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow
and decrease the workload on the heart.
Examples include Ramipril, Lisinopril,
Perindopril
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers. These
drugs, which include Losartan and Valsartan,
have many of the same benefits as ACE
inhibitors. They may be an alternative for
people who cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors.
19 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
• Beta blockers. This class of drugs not only
slows your heart rate and reduces blood
pressure but also limits or reverses some of the
damage to your heart if you have systolic heart
failure. Examples include Bisoprolol,
Atenolol.
• Diuretics. Often called water pills, diuretics
make you urinate more frequently and keep
fluid from collecting in your body. Diuretics,
such as furosemide, also decrease fluid in your
lungs so you can breathe more easily.
• Aldosterone antagonists. These drugs include
Spironolactone. These are potassium-sparing
diuretics, which also have additional
properties that may help people with severe
heart failure live longer.
ACE inhibitors and diuretics are started on diagnosis.
Kidney functions are monitored closely.
Here is some useful advice for patients with heart
disease:
a) Any patient with heart disease who feels short of
breath or develops leg swelling should seek advice
from a doctor to rule out heart failure.
b) During summer if you feel dehydrated and you are
not short of breath you could leave water tablets on
and off for few days.
c) If you feel very dizzy you should get your BP
checked as all these medications drop your BP.
d) We also have access to community heart failure
nurses who are highly trained to start medications
and monitor patients at home. Patients are usually
referred to them if they need close monitoring.
“Treatment for heart failure usually aims to control the
symptoms for as long as possible and slow down the
progression of the condition”. So, you must often be
ready for a long haul which needs your calm
commitment on a continuous basis. As patients, you
can help to manage your condition by managing your
medication properly; ie. taking the directed dose
accurately, consistently and if necessary adjusting it
yourself to optimise how your body and mind feel.
It’s interesting to note that the top treatments for heart
diseases usually include lifestyle changes – including
eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and stopping
smoking. So, there is an important long-term, self-help
or DIY element for each of us to manage and stick to
because experience tells me that treatment will usually
be needed for life.
£136 per year – what can you buy?
• 11 months’ pet insurance (it costs £151 to insure a
rabbit)
• 6 months’ mobile phone use
• 5 months’ Sky TV family bundle
• Less than 3 tanks of fuel for a car
• Coffee on your way to work for 3 months Or…
…one year of funding per patient for the average
general practice.
Yes. £136. Less than the cost of pet insurance, or a
mobile phone, or Sky TV, or 3 tanks of fuel. And many
practices get far less than this.
And what do you get for your £136?
• As many consultations with your GP or other
practice staff as you need
• Prescriptions organised and signed
• Blood tests and other tests e.g. ECGs
• Hospital referrals
• Pre-hospital and post-hospital care
• Home visits if required
GPs use this money to:
• Pay for their premises
• Pay doctors and nurses
• Pay their reception and admin staff
• Pay for electricity, gas, phone bills
• Buy/maintain surgery equipment and drugs
• Pay for CQC inspections
• Pay for accountancy, legal advice
• Pay for professional insurance
It’s not much, is it?
GP funding has fallen by nearly 1/3 in the last five
years. General practice is in crisis – without better
funding, we cannot continue.
What can you do to help?
• Please don’t waste appointments. If you can’t
make your appointment, cancel in good time
• Think about if you really need an appointment
– could the pharmacist help?
• Order your repeat prescriptions in good time
rather than at the last minute
• Only request a home visit if you are genuinely
housebound
• Contact your MP. Tell them how much you
value your GP surgery
Flood Resilience Group
The Flood Resilience Group has been active over the
summer clearing village balancing ponds and culling
Himalayan Balsam infestations along local water
courses. A work
party of
volunteers
including Parish
Council members
and the Parish
Warden spent a
busy Sunday
morning digging
out silt and root
systems from the Curly’s Way and Foxborough
balancing ponds. Further groups of volunteers spent
20 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
two evenings in July clearing Himalayan Balsam to
prevent it spreading further and faster next year.
Looking like a giant Busy Lizzie, this is the largest
annual plant in Britain. It grows to 2.5m and spreads
rapidly, smothering surrounding vegetation as it goes
and leaving banks vulnerable to erosion when it dies
back. Because it
flowers, sets seed,
then dies within a
year, the best
method of control
is to destroy the
flowers in July
before they go to
seed. Volunteers
for next summer
are welcome!
Despite some seriously heavy thunderstorms and
rainfall in the area over July and August, there have
been no reported incidences of flooding in the
Parish. This is a tribute to all those who have worked
to improve the drainage infrastructure across the Parish
since the 2007 flood event, also to those who continue
to monitor and maintain the ditches and drains to
ensure they work whenever they are needed.
The FRG has produced an Advice Sheet that gives
some historical background, explains how the flood
plain works and provides advice on how avoid or
reduce the potential impact of flood events. Copies of
the leaflet are available from the Parish Council office
at Swallowfield Parish Hall.
A View from the Hill - August 2017
All is Safely Gathered in, ere the winter storms
begin…………
A line from one of my favourite hymns. However, I
think for this Summer the words were written the
wrong way around; we seem to have had the winter
storms first and now the harvest is complete. Reading
through my last contribution to the Newsletter, I did
mention the weather quite a lot then, so apologies for
the repetition, but the mixed bag of rain, hail, wind and
sun since then has provided much fodder (pun intended
– see below) for discussion within the farming
fraternity. The South of England as a whole has shown
a general pattern of too little rain when cereal crops
needed the water to plump up the grains and too much
water when the sun should have been shining to enable
harvest to proceed. With an almost obsessive checking
on my part of the BBC and Met Office websites, I have
been willing the screen to show me if one of them was
in fact wrong and there was going to be a break in the
downpours to enable harvest to progress smoothly. We
got to the finishing line in the end and as I write this
article, I can report that the combine harvester has
completed the final field of wheat. Our contractor,
Steve Thompson, brought over from Wokingham a
rubber tracked combine to ensure the ground wasn’t
damaged too much on the wetter clay land of Farley
Hill. Soil is a very important and valuable asset and
must be treated with care to reduce problems growing
crops the following year.
Delays in harvest have seen wheat grains in the ears
starting to sprout, dramatically reducing the quality of
the wheat, making a lot of it only suitable for livestock
feed and not bread making quality. Sorry, Mr.
Warburton!
It is easy to think that now the grain is safely in the
store, it can look after itself. Wrong! A sentence my
wife dreads at the moment is ‘I am just popping to the
grainstore, back soon’, as I am usually gone for hours
ensuring the moisture content and temperature of the
grain are correct for safe storage at least up until Easter
next year, by which time most of it will hopefully have
been sold and taken to its final destination. If the
conditions are not correct then sprouting, mould and
unwanted creepy crawlies will be the result and the
grain rejected by the grain merchant. It’s a real science
and very interesting; well for me anyway.
The celebration of harvest is traditionally associated
with wheat, barley and other cereals. However, for
Farley, harvest of our forage crops to feed the dairy
cows is as equally important. As I have indicated in
earlier ‘View from the Hill’, a wide variety of forages
are grown, with Lucerne being the latest addition to the
repertoire. We have been very pleased with the results
so far and I am planning on growing a further two fields
for 2018, giving a total area of around 32 hectares (78
acres). Each field has a productive life of four years
and we aim for five cuts per year at its peak production.
The yield from the pea and barley whole-crop silage
was very good and the smell of the fresh peas when
harvested was simply exquisite. We will be growing
an increased area also next year, but the clover-rich
grass leys remain the core of the cows’ diet, both in
terms of grazing and for silage production. Harvest of
third cut silage has just finished with six hundred black
plastic neatly wrapped bales stacked at the dairy farm
ready for winter feeding. If the Autumn proves to be
mild, we may be able to take a fourth cut from some
fields. The partridges on the Estate will be pleased
with this, as they are not keen on long wet clover as
their winter habitat. Maize will be the last to be
harvested, but probably not until towards the end of
September and the indications at the moment show that
this should produce a very good crop.
For the past three years the fields adjacent to the
George and Dragon pub have been growing a mix of
red clover and grass. Clover is a ‘legume’, so as well
as producing high protein silage for the cows, it also
fixes nitrogen into the soil. This should mean that the
wheat being planted over the next few weeks should
21 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
grow very well, helped not only by the nutrient boost,
but also by the clover root system having improved the
soil structure. Can’t wait to see the results!
The UK imports around 3 million tonnes of Soya each
year, the majority being processed and going into
livestock feeds. There is an increasing volume being
used within the human food chain, but it is not very
eco-friendly, having a high carbon footprint and it is
often grown in areas of the world where deforestation
has taken place. Every soya bean has to be boiled or
go through a high-pressure steam processing to allow
it to be edible (like kidney beans), which is quite an
undertaking given the volume imported. Over the last
few years a company called Soya UK Ltd has been
pioneering the development of soya varieties that can
cope with the UK climate and produce respectable
yields. Having been to a couple of very interesting
field visits, I am intending to grow about 25 hectares
(60 acres) next year, planting the crop at the end of
April/beginning of May for an end of September
harvest and then going to a processing plant in
Oxfordshire for ‘cooking’.
The dairy cows have also been sensitive to the recent
fluctuating weather pattern. A couple of weekends ago
we had a thunder storm and the milk produced went
from a total of 8,000 litres per day down to 7,000 litres
overnight. Thankfully, the milk yield is now
recovering. We have also very recently purchased a
further 36 cows from a farm dispersal in Shropshire.
Our Dairy Farm Manager, John, hand-picked the cows
from this very good herd which was another
unfortunate casualty of the poor state of UK dairy
farming I have previously mentioned. John reported
that the famer was in tears seeing his life’s work
disappearing. A very sad situation, but his cows have
a good home here at Farley and they will help to
introduce a new line of genetics into our existing herd.
I am sure there will be a separate report within this
Parish Newsletter regarding the Swallowfield Show,
but I would just like to convey Farley’s congratulations
to the organisers for a such great event. There was a
superb atmosphere around the showground; the Park is
an ideal location and the weather (despite my earlier
comments) was definitely a bonus!
September is upon us, signifying it is time to brush off
the tweeds for the start of the shooting season. We
have a very busy season ahead and as it progresses the
next thing we know it’s Christmas. How many
shopping days…………?
Andrew Haslock
Estate Manager, the Farley Estate
www.farleyestate.co.uk
Come join our team
Local charity the
Community Council for
Berkshire (CCB) is looking to recruit new Trustees
onto our Board
CCB is an independent charity with over 40 years’
experience in community development work. CCB is
the Rural Community Council for Berkshire and works
to strengthen and support local communities
throughout Berkshire. Our core mission is to inspire
communities in Berkshire to thrive. Our vision is for
all communities in Berkshire to be strong, sustainable
and able to take control of their own futures.
Your skills and experience will be put to use to make a
lasting difference in the communities in which you
work or live. Perhaps you have some time on your
hands due to retirement or other circumstances, or have
ideas and skills that would bring benefits to local
communities. We are seeking a range of Trustee skills
and experience to fulfil roles on our Board so whether
you have plenty of time and energy to commit or you
have other obligations but can attend an evening
meeting once a quarter and help make key decisions we
would love to hear from you.
This is an opportunity to enhance your CV, expand
your network, meet new people and open doors to
possible new career paths!
Honorary Treasurer
Are you a number cruncher? Do you have a head for
figures and a heart open to volunteering for a local
independent charity?
CCB is seeking to appoint an Honorary Treasurer,
following the retirement of the current post holder.
This is a key voluntary position and the post holder will
also sit as a Trustee/Director (see below) on CCB’s
Board. Ideally the post holder will have a professional
qualification in accountancy or finance, but a sound
financial knowledge and experience would suffice.
The Hon Treasurer will be a point of contact for expert
financial guidance for our other Trustees and Chief
Operations Officer. You will need to be available for
occasional discussions via telephone or face-to-face.
For a full job description, please e-mail
admin@ccberks.org.uk
Trustee
A non-remunerated post, however, out of pocket
expenses are payable. Appointment initially for three
years and up to a maximum of six years.
CCB is seeking to recruit new Trustees to our Board.
We are looking for people who have an interest in our
work and, ideally, particular experience or knowledge
in one or more of the following fields:
Governance/Trustee Responsibilities, Campaigning,
Charity Law, Health & Safety knowledge, Marketing
& Sales experience.
22 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Trustees need to have an interest and enthusiasm for
working to improve community life in Berkshire and
the ideal person will also have strong networks or
alliances within the County. Post holders will be
expected to attend 4 (mostly evening) Board Meetings
per year. In addition, there may be a small number of
other meetings to attend, including the Annual General
Meeting and a Board/Staff Away Day.
For further details, please e-mail
admin@ccberks.org.uk or to find out more about us
please visit our website: www.ccberks.org.uk.
Thames Valley Police Garden Shed Security
After recent incidents of theft from garden sheds, one
Low cost effect solution is a PIR “Shed alarm”. These
could be used within the shed space; the alarm is a
battery-operated Passive Infrared (PIR) alarms which
sound an 110dB siren when movement within the
space is detected. The aim of the alarm is to repel the
offender whilst alerting the property owner. They are
easy to install; you literally hook them on to a suitable
wall and switch them on. Key pad operated to disarm
the alarm. Manufacturers and suppliers of these alarms
can be found by searching the internet for PIR Shed
alarms.
You can also get a PIR shed alarm which has a keyring
RF key fob, which makes it easy and quick to arm and
disarm your alarm. It has an even more powerful
130dB siren along with an entry/exit delay.
What’s On in Spencers Wood Library September - November 2017
What’s On for Adults
Knit & Natter: Drop in for knitting and a chat.
Thursdays 7 Sep, 5 Oct, 2 Nov 3pm to 4pm
Litwits Book Group
Mondays 11 Sep, 9 Oct, 13 Nov 6pm to 7pm
Crafts and Laughs Thursdays 21 Sep, 19 Oct, 16 Nov 3pm to 4pm
Pages in the Wood - Book Group
Mondays 25 Sep, 23 Oct, 27 Nov 6pm to 7pm
What’s on for Children and Families
Rhymetime: Rhymes and songs for children aged 5
and under: Thursdays 7 Sep, 5 Oct, 2 Nov, 10.15 to
10.45am
Storytime: Stories and rhymes for parents and
children to enjoy together. For children aged 3 to 5.
Just drop in!
Monday 4 Sep, 2 Oct, 6 Nov 4pm – 4.30pm.
Please call the Library on 0118 988 4771 to book a
place on the events: Spencers Wood Library,
Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood, Reading, Berks,
RG7 1AJ
Email: libraries@wokingham.gov.uk
Website: www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries
Opening hours: Mon 2.30pm-7pm, Tue 2.30pm-5pm
Thurs 10am-12.30pm/2.30pm-5pm, Sat 10am-
12.30pm
Recycle your batteries: Place your used batteries in
the red box located in the kitchen at Swallowfield
Parish Hall. Most types of batteries can be collected.
Waste disposal:
• Weekly blue bag collections: WBC has a weekly
collection for waste and recycling. Residents who
are elderly or infirm can apply for an assisted
collection.
• All waste types: Take to the household waste
recycling centres at Smallmead, Island Road,
Reading, RG2 0RP or Longshot Lane, Bracknell,
RG12 1RL where up to 80% of waste can be reused
or recycled
• Garden waste: This can be home composted or
residents can opt into the kerbside garden waste
collection scheme.
• Bulky household items: You can organise a
collection for as little as £28 for up to five items by
calling Veolia on: (0118) 909 9360, or email
wokingham.enquiries@veolia.co.uk.
USEFUL LOCAL INFORMATION
23 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Halls for Hire and Hall Fees
Swallowfield Parish Hall: Capacity: Main hall - 200, Davies Room – 20,
Rose Room – max 30
Riseley Clubhouse – 60 Victory Hall, Farley Hill (licenced premises) – maximum 200
Booking information:
• Sue Howorth, Bookings Clerk, on 0118 988 5444
for Swallowfield Parish Hall and The Rose Room
bookings
• Lax Mayani on 0118 988 8336/0777 0275344 for
Riseley Clubhouse bookings
• Emma Tweed on 07774 703416 and at
vht1919@gmail.com for Victory Hall bookings
The following fees apply from 1st September 2017:
Local Users rates are only available to residents of
Swallowfield Parish, which encompasses
Swallowfield, Riseley, Farley Hill and Stanford
End. If you do not live in the Parish, the Outside User
rate applies. If you are unsure about whether you
qualify for the Local User rate, please contact the
Parish Office. Local Local Outside &
regular users users commercial users
£/hr £/hr £/hr
Weekdays up to 6pm
Swallowfield 9.20 13.80 24.40
Parish Hall
Davies Room 6.40 8.10 10.70
Rose Room* 17.80 17.80 17.80
Sun to Thurs after 6pm &
Saturday, Sunday up to 6pm
Swallowfield 12.10 18.45 37.80
Parish Hall
Davies Room 7.85 9.20 13.10
Rose Room* 11.35 13.35 18.45
Friday and Saturday after 6pm
Swallowfield 18.45 28.10 46.15
Parish Hall
Davies Room 10.30 12.15 19.00
Rose Room* 11.70 13.80 20.90
The Rose Room
Half day all users * £61.50
Full day all users * £95.50 NB: *Fees for the Rose Room are exclusive of VAT
Victory Hall, Farley Hill
Weekdays up to 6pm: £8.00 per hour
Weekdays from 6pm-11pm and
Weekends up to 6pm: £11.00 per hour
Fri/Sat evening from 6pm-11pm: flat rate of £110.00
Minimum hire period two hours. Farley Hill residents
receive a 10% discount. For commercial rates see the
website: victoryhalltrust.com/hire
Parish Council and Planning Meetings
2017
With the exception of the Annual Parish Meeting, all
meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in
the Rose Room, Swallowfield Parish Hall, starting at
7.30pm.
Dates for the remainder of 2017 are:
12 September 10 October
14 November 12 December
When it is necessary to hold a separate Planning
Committee Meeting, this will usually held on the
fourth Tuesday of the month.
AGENDAS AND MINUTES OF MEETINGS
Agendas are posted on the notice boards three days
before the meetings. Copies of the minutes are
available from the Parish Office (adjacent to
Swallowfield Parish Hall), the Parish Stores, on the
website or they can be emailed to you by request.
CONTACTING THE PARISH COUNCIL
Members can be contacted through Liz Halson, the
Parish Clerk. Telephone the Parish Office 0118 988
5929, or email clerk@swallowfieldpc.gov.uk or check
the PC’s website: www. swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Transport Information
Copies of Wokingham Borough Council’s Transport
Map and Guide are available from the parish office.
All Travel Enquiries: 0871 200 2233 Calls cost 10p per minute 7am-10pm 7 days a week
Local Buses Detailed timetables are available from the Parish Stores
and the Parish Council Office.
7 & 8: Monday to Saturday operated by Stagecoach,
tel: 0845 1210190, enquiries 0871 2002233,
www.stagecoachbus.com/south.
7 (Aldershot/Reading/Aldershot) & 8 (Farnborough/
Reading/Farnborough, both via Riseley and
Swallowfield to Reading.
Monday to Friday: departs The Bull Riseley at:
06.19, 06.49, 07.25, 09.20, 10.03, 11.03, 12.03, 13.03,
14.03, 15.03, 16.40, 18.05; departs The Crown
Swallowfield 4 minutes later, plus an extra service at
08.00.
Saturday: Departs The Bull Riseley at:
08.03, then 3 minutes past each hour from 09.13 to
18.03, depart The Crown, Swallowfield 4 minutes
later. Journey time to Reading St Mary Butts: 34
minutes from Riseley and 30 minutes from
Swallowfield.
Sundays & Public Holidays: Reading Buses operate
no. 7 service departing Riseley 10.30, 12.30, 16.30 and
18.30 arriving Reading station 26 minutes later
24 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
82: this evening service operates from Reading
Station to Riseley via Swallowfield at 19.25 Monday
to Friday, and also at 21.45 and 22.45 Thursday and
Friday (all subject to change).
112 Operated by Reading Buses tel: 0118 959 4000
Spencers Wood/Reading/Spencers Wood via
Shinfield, Whitley Wood.
154 Thursday and Saturday only Operated by Horseman Coaches tel: 0118 975 3811
Stratfield Saye/Reading/Stratfield Saye via Beech
Hill, Loddon Court Farm, Grazeley, Morrisons
Park and Ride Information: tel: 0118 951 1412
Mereoak Lane/Reading Station
Operates on average five times an hour from Mereoak
Lane, Grazeley on Monday to Saturday. Last
admission for parking at 6.15pm; car exit available at
all times. Some journeys travel direct to Reading town
centre, and others stop at Reading International
Business Park, Madejski Stadium or Kennet Island.
Fares: Adult £2 single/£3.50 return. Solo (age 5-18)
£1.20 single/£1.70 return, plus 50p per day parking
charge. The WBC concessionary bus pass can be used
on this service, so that only the 50p parking is payable.
For further information 0118 9594000, or
www.reading-buses.co.uk.
Madejski Stadium/Central Reading
Operates every 7/15 minutes
Concessionary Bus Passes can be used on this service.
There are also concessionary fare options - contact the
Fares Information Line on 0118 974 6807/0118 974
6813.
The Loddon Bridge/Central Reading Park and
Ride: for full details see their website:
wokingham.gov.uk/transport/parking/park-and-ride.
The service operates every 15 minutes commencing
6.45am weekdays and 8.02am Saturdays (no service on
Sundays or public holidays). Saver fares and season
tickets are available.
Trains Information: tel: 0845 748 4950 www.nationalrail.co.uk or
www.southwesttrains.co.uk.
Two trains an hour run each way between Reading and
Basingstoke, stopping at Mortimer station. Some
parking at the station. Journey time from Reading to
Mortimer 10 minutes approx. and to Basingstoke 24
minutes approx.
Keep Mobile (leaflets available at the Parish Office)
Information: tel: 0845 544 0850 Keep Mobile offers to provide transport for all your
needs that is accessible for people who find ordinary
buses or trains difficult. The service offers:
• Dial a ride up to 15 miles from home - fixed fares
• Day excursions
• Shopping trips
• Community Group hire, Disabled access
Useful Contact Details
Parish Office (phone and fax) 0118 988 5929
Parish Stores: 0118 988 5138
All Saints’ Church, Swallowfield:
Team Rector, Loddon Reach Benefice:
Rev’d Paul Willis: Rectory 0118 988 3799
email: Rev.Paul.Willis@loddonreach.org.uk
Benefice secretary Mrs Karen Eaves: 0118 988 5923
email: office@loddonreach.org.uk
Nutbean Cemetery: all enquiries to the above
Swallowfield Medical Centre: 0118 988 3134
Appointments: 0118 988 3473
(www.swallowfieldmedicalpractice.co.uk)
Swallowfield Community Responders 0118 988 4384
Citizens Advice Bureau: appointments 0118 988 3134
Royal Berkshire and Battle 0118 987 5111
Hospital Trust: or 0118 322 5111
Wokingham Hospital: 0118 949 5000
Police general non-emergency: 101*
*for non-emergency calls, dial 999 for emergencies
Thames Water emergency: 0800 714 614
24hr Floodline Service 0845 988 1188
Southern Electricity emergency: 0845 770 8090
Gas Emergency: 0800 111 999
Swallowfield Flood Resilience Group:
swallowfieldfrg@gmail.com
Farley Hill Primary School: 0118 973 2148
Lambs Lane Primary School: 0118 988 3820
Spencers Wood Public Library: 0118 988 4771
Local cinema, Winnersh Triangle: 0118 974 7711
Readi-Bus: 0118 931 0000
Reading Buses: 0118 959 4000
Train enquiries: 0845 748 4950
Heathrow Airport: 08700 000 123
Gatwick Airport: 01293 535 353
25 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Art Group: Jenny Boddington 988 5804 email: jenny.swallowfield@btinternet.com
Badminton Club – Mixed: Martin Griffin 0118 9882671
Ladies: Val Payne 988 3594
Bell Ringing: Tower Stephen Jenkins 01189 885312
Captain and Secretary: s-jenkins@live.co.uk
Calico Trust: Celia Adams 988 4661
Ros Riddell 988 2014
Farley Hill Bowls Club: Bill Dowling 01344 772130
email: billdowling@farleyhillbowlsclub.org.uk
Farley Hill Cricket Club: Simon Longfield 973 4056
www.farleyhill.play-cricket.com
Farley Hill Village Society:
web: www.victoryhalltrust.com
email: farleyhillsoc@yahoo.co.uk
Fishing Club: Russ Hatchett 07766355989
History Society: Maggie Uttley 988 2954
web: slhsoc@yahoo.co.uk
Horticultural Society: Val Payne 988 3594
Pilates: Hazel Boxall 0788 1951296
Riseley & Swallowfield
Women’s Institute: Freda Poole 976 0444
Riseley Village Tea Room: Pam Wright 988 7028
Tea Room 996 7375
Russell Players: Mitch Mitchell 07710 500491
www.russellplayers.co.uk
RSF Tennis Club: www.rsftennisclub.co.uk
- membership Chrissie Myhill
email: membership@rsftennisclub.co.uk
- bookings Lax Mayani 988 8336/0777 0275344
Swallowfield Church Choir: Judy Gillis 988 2437
Swallowfield Parish Allotment Association -
SPAA: Bev Marshall-Smith, secretary 988 6946
Swallowfield Scout Group:
Beavers Kate Arnott 976 0110
Cubs Paul Harrington 976 0506
Scouts Paul Cobbold 988 3369
Waiting list Tanja Maskell 988 6582
Swallowfield Sewing Bee: Sue Hames 988 6875
Email: susan.hames137@gmail.com
Swallowfield Baby and Toddler
Group: Gemma Hinze 07780 615200
Swallowfield Pre-School: Mon-Friday 09.15–12.30
Helen Coulter 0777 1184982
swfpreschool@googlemail.com
Table Tennis: Lorraine Fraser 988 5208
Victory Hall Book Club: farleyhillsoc@yahoo.co.uk
Zen Kyo Shin Taijutsu: Jim Hey 01494 525403
Zumba Dancing: Dayana Sanchez 07411 827772
Please refer to the Parish Council web site for more
information on when and where the clubs and societies
meet and for links to their web sites where available:
www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Contact details for Clubs and
Societies
26 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Parish Council
Peter Sampson - Chairman
John Anderson - Vice Chairman
Gordon Collender, Bill Dance, Chris Morrissey,
Margaret McDonald, Roger Norris,
Jonathan Wheelwright
Planning Applications, borough planning, core strategy, design statements
Jonathan Wheelwright – Chairman
All members of the PC are on this committee
Working Groups and Areas of responsibilities:
Area Members
Finance Budgets, investments, sinking fund, grants
Asset management, H/S
Risk Assessment, Insurance
Peter Sampson - Lead
John Anderson, Gordon Collender,
Recreation Recreation Grounds and Play Areas: Swallowfield & Riseley;
Skateboard Park; Allotments; Football Pitches
Lead - TBA
Bill Dance
Peter Sampson
Environment & Rural Affairs The Marshes, Van Demans, Swallowfield Meadow, Community
Orchard
Links with WBC, Biodiversity Plan,
Footpaths, Waste, NAG, RCAG
Peter Sampson – Lead
Bill Dance
Margaret McDonald
Chris Morrissey
Human Resources
Four members of staff
Appraisal, recruitment, staff training
Gordon Collender - Lead
Margaret McDonald, Peter Sampson
Health and Well-Being Local health and well-being issues
WBC – Health and Social Care, SCAS, Responders, Heartstart, Clinical
Commissioning Group, CAB, Calico Trust
John Anderson – Lead
Roger Norris
Transport Road issues, speeding traffic, public and private transport
Roger Norris – Lead
Jonathan Wheelwright
Communication Newsletter, Website, Annual Report
Media communication – press, television, radio
How do we communicate face-to-face
Gordon Collender – Lead
Jonathan Wheelwright
Resilience Flooding issues, ditches, rivers, sewerage
Wider involvement with issues relating to public safety.
A working group of residents with PC representation
Margaret McDonald – Lead
Bill Dance
Roger Norris
Peter Sampson
Halls General maintenance
Marketing group, Website design, Involvement with Users
Margaret McDonald - Lead
Property Fieldfayre
John Anderson – Lead
Peter Sampson, Jonathan Wheelwright
Parish Council Members and Areas of Responsibility
27 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertising
If you are a small local business and would
like to place an advertisement in the Parish
Council newsletter, please contact the editor,
Gordon Collender,
gordon.collender@btinternet.com or phone
the Parish Clerk on 0118 988 5929.
The newsletter is published four times a
year.
The price for placing an advertisement in
four issues with effect from the Spring 2017
issue is £84.00 including VAT.
Copy deadline dates for the next four issues
are:
Winter 2017 issue: 30 November 2017
Spring 2018 issue: 28 February 2018
Summer 2018 issue: 31 May 2018
Autumn Issue: 31 August 2018
28 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk
Newsletter Contributions
Contributions for the Winter 2017 newsletter should be sent to gordon.collender@btinternet.com, or to the
Parish Council Clerk, Parish Office, Swallowfield Street, tel: 0118 988 5929 by 30 November 2017
Disclaimer: articles that have been signed and submitted to Swallowfield Parish Council for inclusion in this newsletter
do not necessarily reflect the views of the Parish Council. Any parishioner wishing to comment on such articles should contact the author directly
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