This year, in common with just about everything else, responding to Poppy Day is going to be difficult.  No house-to-house collections are allowed; no-one can wave a tray of poppies at you until you put some money into a tin.  So we are going to be dependent on trays and collection boxes at a few static collection points across the village – and on people having some actual cash in their pockets! – or online giving. 

An early-flowering bluebell on Hydon’s Ball, caught on camera this week by Mary Grove. Many more will follow in the glades and woodlands in and around Hambledon in the next few weeks.

Now please read on…

When speaking to anyone (and yes, we still are – whether talking on the phone or shouting, at a social distance, of course, across the road or over the garden fence), the first comment is always “Isn’t the Shop doing a fantastic job!”.  What an understatement.  On any one day, up to 50 households, which is well over 10 per cent of Hambledon, are now taking advantage of the on-line delivery service.  This doesn’t just involve the volunteers who put the orders together and deliver them.  Suppliers that are still in business have to be sourced;  goods have to be taken in and categorised;  methods of remote payment (including from all of us shoppers) have had to be devised.  And, on top of all that and the many other behind-the-scenes tasks, there’s a detailed (and regularly up-dated) on-line Shop Product List on the website.  Does any other village have it so good?

Several villagers have responded to the challenge set by the web team to take our minds off lock-down.  Various videos have been posted during the past week, ranging from how not to waste food to a live quiz.  Plus a to-do list to remind us of the chores that need doing (and which most of us continue to put off).  

Those of us who’ve lived longer than others in Hambledon will still have fond memories of Joan Hardy.  It’s now over three years since she moved to a nursing home in Ross-on-Wye, to be closer to her nephew, Phil Bancroft.  It’s one of those nursing homes that looks after people superbly and treats them like real people. 

Despite a good deal of physical and mental deterioration (not surprising, at the age of 97), Joan remains well and happy.  She enjoys her food;  recovers from whatever minor illnesess nature chooses to throw at her;  and participates in all the activities which the home offers, including opportunities  to interact with visiting children and animals – which she really enjoys.  She appreciates family visits and has just revelled in becoming a great-great-great-aunt on 2 December (do we see the Guinness Book of Records looming?).  And in spirit, she remains very strongly rooted in Hambledon.

So, from all her friends in Hambledon, “Happy Christmas and happy new year, Joan”.

This year the general appeal kicks off on Saturday 26 October.   To make it incredibly easy for everyone in Hambledon to contribute to this important and ever-popular cause, on 26 October no-one need go any further than Hambledon Village Shop where poppies will be flowering and collection boxes will be manned from 09.30.  So please don’t buy your poppy from Sainsburys or Waitrose – home-grown is by far the best!   

Christine Campbell, who for many years acted as the local organiser of the Royal British Legion Poppy Day appeal, has reluctantly decided to stand down and I have volunteered to take over (for a second time – not that many of you will remember me in this role during the 1990s!).   But I only stepped in at the beginning of October, which hasn’t left much time to organise this year’s appeal.  

I have, however, decided to pass on house-to-house collections – times have moved on since this was the principle way of attracting donations and nowadays most people tend to contribute at local sites.  

For those of you who can’t join in the official launch at the Village Shop, could I please encourage you to contribute via the collection box that will remain there for a couple of weeks;  or via the boxes at the Merry Harriers, St Peter’s Church and Phillips Garage (as well as at St Dominic’s, the Nursery School and the Cheshire Homes).    The Football Club has also volunteered to hold collections at home matches to be played at Badger Park on 26-27 October, 2-3 November and 9 November;  and there will, of course, be the usual collection at the Remembrance Day service at St Peter’s Church on Sunday 10 November.

If you have queries please contact me on 01428 684213 or email j.woolley881@btinternet.com.

Hambledon Surrey or Hambledon Hampshire?  Unfortunately, neither.  As is mentioned at the end of an article on page 33 of the “Surrey Advertiser”, 9 February, a warship named “HMS Hambledon” isn’t associated with either village:  it was allocated to HRDC – ie Hambledon Rural District Council – in 1942.

Nothing was known about this until the ship’s badge was delivered to Cdr. Tony Coates RN, Royal British Legion, Hambledon, Hampshire, in 2017 by a couple who were thought to have been from Hambledon, Surrey.  That was not in fact the case;  but it did lead Cdr. Coates to contact me, as our then-Parish Clerk, to see whether we knew anything about the ship and its history.  I had a sneaking feeling that we should have Hambledon Rural District Council in our sights;  and this has been proved by my subsequent researches in the HRDC archives which are held by the Surrey Hisrory Centre.   It’s a fascinating story, still in the making;  but a bit of preliminary background may help avoid any further confusion.

Hambledon Rural District Council comprised the villages that in 1974 were combined with Farnham and Godalming to form what is now Waverley Borough Council.  Its headquarters were in Guildford, in what are now the offices of Guildford Borough Council.

During WWII Warship Weeks were organised as part of National Savings campaigns to raise enough money to build ships.  Towns and villages focused on cruisers and destroyers and from 14-23 March 1942 the HRDC villages organised a Warship Week to raise the quarter of a million pounds that were needed to build (and permit you to adopt) a destroyer.  In the event 11 villages, including our Hambledon, plus Godalming and Farnham raised over £500,000 and became the adopted parents of “HMS Hambledon”, a Hunt Class destroyer, and her crew.  The District Council immediately commissioned (and paid for) a suitable badge and it’s pictured in the “Surrey Advertiser” article.  Presumably it stayed with the ship until she was broken up in 1957;  but what happened to it afterwards?   To try and find out, Cdr. Coates decided to contact local Surrey media.

There’ll be a fuller story in due course, drawing on the ship’s naval record, the HRDC minute books and any other verifiable information that may come to light as a result of other enquiries that have already been put in hand.  There’ll also be a bit of correcting to do to some of the information that currently appears on line!

Unfortunately, there was a break-in at 3 Hambledon Park, at a time between 15.30 and 20.25 hrs on Wednesday 1^st November.

After trying to force several potential entry points at the rear of the house, the intruder entered by forcing open the kitchen window at the back.

The police forensic officer and investigating officer have been at the house this morning. If anyone recalls anything that he or she may have seen yesterday, Wednesday, near or at 3 Hambledon Park, that you believe could be related to this crime, please report it to the police by telephone, dialling 101 and quoting incident reference number 45170121479.

This is a worrying incident and we ask you all to be vigilant and ensure that your home is secure, with doors and windows locked.