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Xxx | Xxx | Autumn 2015

SPRInG /SummER 2016 | news & views for the Chartridge community | newsletter@chartridge.org.uk

It’s AGM time

ARTICLE: pages 4-5

INSIDE:~ EU Debate . . . . . . p3

~ Berkeley Stores . . . p7

~ NHW Update . . . . p8

Member’s Tea phoToS:

pages 7

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SPRInG /SummER 2016 | President’s letter | Events calendar

WelcomeThis year has been a blur!

It’s gone by so quickly — and I can’t quite believe that my two years are nearly at an end.

Since the CVRA kicked-off we’ve had bingo nights, quiz nights, a race night, Christmas songs in the Reading Room, a Halloween party, a charity Dog Show, Members’ Tea afternoons, a Red Nose Day event, General Election and EU Referendum Question Time at The Bell, and chilly, but sadly not yet snowy, Boxing Day cricket matches on Franklin Fields. We run the Chartridge Café and put together this newsletter. It’s been fun.

In this issue we have photos of the Members’ Tea [p7] and news from our EU Referendum debate [p3]. And importantly we look ahead—across the centre pages— to the upcoming AGM, where we need to replace me! Rather than just have a boring meeting we’d like to invite you all to a village BBQ and, weather permitting, a game of rounders. We’ll cater for some food but please also bring along a picnic too, if you like. A quick meeting at 3pm on June 12, with fun on Franklin Field starting from to 3.20pm, or so.

It’s a little bit a case of “use it or lose it”. The CVRA has had some sterling volunteers over the last two years. Please can we have some more? Could it be you? :)

AlAn Booth

CV-RA President

CV-RA EventsDATE EVENT VENUE TIME

jUNE 12 AGM / VILLAGE BBQ Reading Rooms 3 pm

jULy 16 Pond Party Chartridge Pond from 2.30pm

sEPTEMBEr 18 Fun Dog show TBC pm

26 Full CV-rA Meeting The Bell 8pm

NoVEMBEr 19 Bingo! The Bell TBC pm

DECEMBEr 21 Christmas Gathering Reading Rooms 6.30 to 8pm

26 Boxing Day Fun Cricket Franklin Fields TBC am

zCV-RA Caption Competition

n Can you write a funny caption for the picture? Send in your answers to newsletter@chartridge.org.uk. There are no prizes but there will be eternal local humour glory!

zlast issue’s winning pick

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news | SPRInG /SummER 2016

F olloWING oUR successful hustings event for last year’s

general and local elections, we ventured into the politics of EU membership with our own Chartridge EU Referendum Debate. We secured four local representatives of the In and out campaigns. In the Remain corner were Tim Starkey (lab) and Dr Kirsten Johnson (libdem) and on the Brexit side David Meaker (ukip) and Michael Hoban (ukip). In the Chair was our very own Martin Cheeseman (cvra!)

once the panellists had set out their views the floor was open to questions and there were plenty of them.

Expected to last for only an hour the meeting was extended beyond the time limit and discussion continued for quite some time. Afterwards people shared their views with a drink or two.

The evening was both informative and entertaining and would not have succeeded thanks to excellent

community support. Thanks to all for attendanding and your contributions on the night. Thanks too for The Bell for hosting the CVRA for the event.

By the way we are clearly ground breaking as we have learnt that some of our neighbouring villages are thinking of arranging similar gatherings.

EU debate asks to stay or not to stay? That was the question

to know new friends. We are always in need of help so if you would like to lend a hand, please get in touch. We also need tombola prizes (see left) which can be left at The Bell, or the Chartridge Café on Fridays in the Reading Rooms, 8.00-10.00am, or with any committee member. Thank you for your support in the past and we are sure you will enjoy a great afternoon out.

AN INVITATION TO The VILLAGeIT’S POND PARTY TIME: SAVE THE DATE 16 JULY

K eep the date free in your diaries for this year’s

Pond Party. We hope to stage another great time with music, stalls, BBQ by The Bell and our ever popular garden

games! Free to attend, so come out and enjoy a great afternoon. The Bell will be open—or bring your own drinks—and just chill. Meet-up with old friends and get

POND PARTY tombola appealBoTTlES lEFT UNDRUNK since last Xmas and now you’re on a detox? Another gift-pack of Old Spice for Dad taking up shelf space? You can donate surplus items to the CV-RA Pond Party tombola now! Email treasurer@chartridge.org.uk or call Barbara on 837443.

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THE AGM—It’ll be better than you think

IT’S NEARly TIME again for our residents’ association’s Annual General Meeting and I need to ask you all for

a favour. I genuinely need your help. The thing is, the CVRA is a new organisation, this is only its second AGM and frankly we need to find new blood. We need new people to come forward and volunteer.

oK, I can anticipate that you are starting to think about turning the page—perhaps to look at the upcoming events listing or browse photos of our previous events. That’s fair enough. But, please, just bear with me for a moment longer? Volunteering can be as little or as much time as you want to give. And everyone that helps out now was new to the

association when it set up in 2014 and everyone who has been involved over the past 25 months has brought varied and valuable skills to the table. Don’t think that you don’t have anything to offer. you do.

To look back to 2014 briefly, the CVRA was borne out of a spontaneous flowering of community desire to protect the Franklin Fields in Cogdells lane. It was feared that there was the spectre of development on the horizon and people wanted to push back and keep the valued resource that we all enjoy. After the initial campaigning period was over, the CVRA grew out of a hope to turn a positive out of that first negative. Not an easy thing to do.

Down the years the village has been fortunate to

have a variety of social groups. Societies which

have been led, and populated by, locals who have generously offered up their time to give something back. We still have the

horticultural society, the wine club and very importantly the village hall committee—a charitable trust run by local volunteers who ask for no thanks and receive no fanfare. But in certain cases in excess of 40 years dedication. They receive no reward and deserve our thanks.

But other groups—once well supported—have folded. There is no longer a local branch of the Women’s Institute, for example, and the Chartridge Sports Club exists in name only when once it was able to field a healthy village cricket team. The reasons for their stagnation were varied and complex.

So, when the CVRA came to set itself up, one point was central to its thinking. How do we find a healthy balance between giving back to the community and not getting stuck, for a long time, on a committee, if you didn’t want to? The CVRA’s constitution was therefore written to ensure that new leadership was needed every two years. I, as the current president, am required to step down at the upcoming AGM and a new president elected for the coming year. Each president can only serve for a maximum of two consecutive years before we need to elect a new one. That seemed to be a fair and reasonable way to ensure that a new direction was guaranteed to the membership on a regular

SPRInG /SummER 2016 | Annual General meeting 2016

basis. And also that volunteers were certain they would get a rest. Change is good.

Who can be the next president? The answer is ANyoNE at all. There is no requirement for prior experience. There is no requirement for having worked on the committee for either of the last two years. After all, I had nothing in particular to offer ahead of stepping up

beyond being the rent-a-gob closest to the job when it came up. The question is whether you think it’s a valuable thing to keep a local group going that organises occasional general social events through the year, puts out this infrequent newsletter, sometimes posts to the website or Facebook and supports a few charitable causes. of course, that is a simple view but in truth there’s about six to eight committee

meetings a year and the odd evening’s fun. Bingo, a quiz, a debate.

of course, there is also the question of who will be on the committee too? And the same job specs apply. No prior experience required. Just a good heart and a commitment to team work. Anyone can stand.

The nomination process is equally as simple. our constitution is written to encourage anyone and everyone to take part. All you have to do is put yourself forward. [Either at the AGM or, if you can’t make the meeting, by writing to the Secretary beforehand.] We’ve consciously chosen to not stand on ceremony or require any of the more traditional processes of being proposed and seconded.

If you want to, you can stand —just think about it, chat with your nearest and dearest and then put yourself forward. It’s that simple. As far as the election process is concerned it will be conducted by a simple show of hands at the AGM itself.

on a personal note, I can report that it’s been rewarding and I’m very glad to have met many more people than I could have hoped for otherwise. I intend to carry on volunteering at the weekly café and also help with this newsletter. So you don’t need to worry about getting roped into those. Unless you want to :)

THE CARROT & THE STICKSSAVE THE DATE— JUNE 12th, 3pmBe assured that even the acronym of aGm invokes a yawn from the most enthusiastic committee member. But it’s the rules! We have to have one so that can have a bank account and then do what we we do. With all the sleep-inducing concerns in mind, the idea was suggested to host the aGm alongside a much more fun village event. so, please can we informerly invite you to a BBQ too. and maybe a game of rounders. Bring a few drinks and any other picnic items you want—i promise we will rattle through the formalities as fast as possible—and then we’ll have a bit an informal social, burn some meat and run around looking daft. are you in? seeing you there?

by Alan Booth | SPRInG /SummER 2016

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SPRInG /SummER 2016 | membership

Why not join us?

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members’ tea | Berkeley Stores Interview | SPRInG /SummER 2016

THE BRAR FAMIly have now run the Berkeley Stores in Berkeley Avenue for

just over a year now—since taking it over in March 2015.

They were living and working in Southall when they heard of the opportunity in Chesham and when Dad, Ben, came out to look at the shop and location he liked the feeling of the community here, hoping to serve the local area and in turn to be supported by it in their new venture.

I spoke to son Raj who runs the store with his father. Raj had spent time working in liverpool before coming down to help the family with the business. I asked him about any future plans the family might have with regard to their business and he said they are hoping to be able to extend the shop

and to include fresh fruit and veg and also to further their range of fresh Indian foods (they currently offer freshly made meat or veg samosas in their range).

—Jackie Claridge

n They offer extended opening hours (Please see advert on p8 for details).

Local store’s new family

Members’ Tea 2016

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SPRInG /SummER 2016 | Services & notices

Neighbourhood Watch Update!

P lANS FoR THREE, NEW, DISTINCT, Neighbourhood Watch areas—along the length of the village—are nearing

completion.Following a meeting

held in the Reading Rooms, in April, and attended by our local police officer, PC Matt Cummings, NHW co-ordinators and deputies are now place who will act locally for these three areas:

n Cogdells area to The Bell pubn The village green (next to the pub)

down to old Sax lanen old Sax lane to the Chesham sign

The NHW team will be delivering their own information leaflet in the near future.

Berkeley Stores Ltd. Berkeley Avenue. CheshamoPEN: Monday–Friday: 6am to 9pm;

Saturday: 6am to 8pm and Sunday: 6am to 5pm

Call: 01494 783469

French TuitionNative French University graduate gives French tuition to any level. Children or adults. Reasonable fees. Call Elvire 01494 782878

Pilates with HeidiReading Rooms, Chartridge lane. Tuesday: mixed-ability class at 9.45 and 10.45: £10/session | Thursday: Mother & baby class at 10am: £60 for a six week course. Call Heidi Cook on 07512836058 or email heidicook528@gmail.com

Village Noticeboard

Partner sPonsor

Chartridge Village News is published quarterly and delivered free by the Chartridge Village Residents’ Association.n To join the CV-RA visit our website at www.chartridge.org.uk or email the Treasurer: treasurer@chartridge.org.ukn To advertise in Chartridge Village News email president@chartridge.org.uk

Chartridge Mission ChurchCHAPEL LANE, CHARTRIDGE, CHESHAM, HP5 2TH

Chartridge Mission Church, also known as Chartridge Chapel, is a

Christian Fellowship drawn from differentbackgrounds which shares the concern

that the Biblical Gospel Message faithfullytaught here since 1844 continues to beshared in its entirety despite changing

trends in a changing world.

You are welcome to join us forworship every Sunday at 6pm

Telephone (01494): Sheila 837451; Keith 776481; or John 783505

Probably the best coffee in Chartridge