Parish News

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Sunday Reflection

John Anderson, chairman of Hambledon Parish Council, contributes this week’s Sunday Reflection.

Under normal circumstances, at this time of year, the Parish Council would be welcoming Hambledonians to the Annual Parish Assembly and listening to updates from all the Village organisations.  However, this is not a normal year.  This year is very different, and yet, somehow it is the same, in the sense that our Village organisations are, as ever, delivering exemplary services to the Parish.

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Training offered in Hambledon for use of life-saving defibrillators

Training in the use of defibrillators (AEDs) is being offered to residents following the installation of one inside the former telephone kiosk at the Hydestile Crossroads.

This takes the number of defibrillators in the village area to five; outside the village shop, on the exterior wall of the Merry Harriers, at St Peter’s Church, at Hambledon Football Club’s ground at Badger Park, and now at Hydestile.

Alison Martin, a Busbridge Parish councillor who helped arrange for the AED (automated external defibrillator) to be installed in the traditional red kiosk – which has also undergone renovation in the process – has arranged for a training session to be held in the meeting room at St Peter’s Church, Church Lane, Hambledon, on Saturday September 28th.

The training will be given by an expert from the London-based Barts City Life Saver organisation, a charity that teaches life saving skills and originated from St Bartholomew’s Hospital. The session begins at 11am with basic life saving training, then AED training at 2pm followed by baby and child resuscitation at 3pm. Participants can opt to attend the whole session, or part.

AED’s are used on people suffering from sudden cardiac arrest and, along with Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, can greatly increase survival rates.

Training will be free to the Hydestile volunteers on the Busbridge Parish Council-sponsored rota, but to all others there will be a nominal cost of £20 per person to cover the costs of the trainer travelling to and from London and a donation to the charity’s work.

Anyone in the village can register to attend. Please contact Alison Martin at email [email protected] or by phone on 01483 893619.

If you would like to know more about the work of the charity please visit www.bartscitylifesaver.org

 

 

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NEW TEACHER REQUIRED AS ROSEMARY KILEY PREPARES TO RETIRE AFTER 27 YEARS

Hambledon Nursery School is looking for a new teacher following the decision by Rosemary Kiley to retire after 27 years.

Rosemary joined the school in January 1991, just after her own children finished at the nursery. She is a popular and respected member of staff. Head teacher Nicola Collett said Rosemary would be much missed when she leaves at the end of term.

In the meantime, she is seeking a new nursery practitioner to work four morning a week. Anyone who would like to apply should contact her at the school on 01428 684892 or by email on [email protected].

The nursery, at Rock Hill, Hambledon, occupies the buildings of the former Hambledon Church of England state primary which, like many small rural schools, closed in the 1980s. Residents were determined that it should remain a place of learning at the heart of the community and a campaign led to the acquisition of the Victorian schoolhouse and playground at Rock Hill.

It reopened as a nursery for children aged two to five and has gone on to be adjudged “outstanding” by the government’s inspection body Ofsted.

The nursery had not long been in business when Rosemary joined the teaching staff and she recalls that in those early days the admissions list was recorded on a piece of cardboard. With a small but dedicated teaching staff, a school secretary, and overseen by a locally-appointed Board of Trustees, it has gone from strength-to-strength and is sought after by parents from the village and further afield.

Nicola said: “A happy working environment is reflected in the longevity of service of Rosemary and, indeed, other nursery practitioners”.

In retirement Rosemary (pictured) plans to focus on her flower arranging and will be holding a small sale of her creations at the nursery school on Saturday December 9 at 10am. Recently she supplied arrangements for the current BBC television adaptation of the E.M Forster novel Howards End, much of which has been filmed in Hambledon.

Anyone interested in the new teaching position can find out more about the school by looking at

www.hambledonnurseryschool.co.uk

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FOND FAREWELLS TO CATHERINE MCBRIDE

Hambledon has said a fond farewell to its associate vicar Catherine McBride, who has left the village to become vicar of St Mary’s, Market Drayton, Shropshire.

Catherine arrived in Hambledon more than five years ago and quickly became a popular figure; among her congregation at St Peter’s and within the village as a whole. She will be much missed but goes with the best wishes and blessings of the many friends she made.

Her departure was marked in several ways: at her final Sunday services on October 15, at a farewell tea party hosted at Feathercombe, and at a get-together at the Merry Harriers a few days earlier on October 12.

She then took a short holiday in Iceland before returning to pack her bags at Mervil Bottom, her Hambledon home, in preparation for beginning her new life and challenge in Shropshire, close to the Welsh borders from where she hails.

She takes up her responsibilities in Market Drayton with her licensing service on November 22. In the meantime, the Busbridge and Hambledon Benefice has started the process to find a replacement and interviews will be held later this month.

Before moving last week Catherine told the village website: “I can honestly say that Hambledon has been the most amazing place to live and work. I have been extremely happy here and it is in no small part due to the wonderful community in the village, who made me feel so welcome. I feel I have made some good friends here, who I am sure I will keep in touch with.

“I would encourage everyone to cherish the village and what it has to offer: continue to be a warm and loving community, which looks out for each other and where everyone ‘does their bit’ so that Hambledon can continue to thrive.

“I’ll take some very special memories with me of the times when I’ve had the privilege of being part of significant moments and occasions for Hambledon families and will certainly keep you all in my prayers.

Many thanks and God bless”.

At her leaving party at Feathercombe, the home of Ion and Muriel Campbell, she was presented with a cake made by Katherine Frogley, which was decorated to illustrate some of Catherine’s passions; the church, rugby, the Welsh dragon – and a pint of bitter.

Farewell speeches were made by Simon Taylor, rector of Busbridge and Hambledon, churchwardens Alan Harvey and Liz Cooke and PCC treasurer Alison Martin.

At her farewell party in the Merry Harriers, where Catherine would enjoy a pint of Surrey Hills bitter and take part in quiz and music nights, she took to the microphone to give a rendition of the Tom Jones hit Delilah, accompanied by Mike Blanchard on key board. See photograph below. Many villagers were in attendance.

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Parish Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer – Hambledon Parish Council

£15.00 per hour
20 hours per month working from home including attendance at evening meetings

Hambledon Parish Council is looking to appoint a Parish Clerk & RFO with the drive, determination and organisational skills to manage a varied workload.

In addition to managing the day-to-day work of the Parish Council, the post holder will work closely with Councillors to plan and implement the aims and objectives of the Council.  

The ideal applicant will have financial & administrative experience, the ability to deliver projects on time and within budget and be able to demonstrate enthusiasm for working with residents and local organisations.

To download an application pack including a Person Specification, Job Description & Application Form to apply, please visit http://www.sussexalc.org.uk/vacancies.asp. Please note that CVs will not be accepted: applicants must complete and return an application form to apply.

Closing date for all applications: 30 September 2017

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Merry Harriers – Hellos and Goodbyes

The Merry Harriers is undergoing refurbishment under its new ownership, beginning with a striking new sandy-coloured forecourt surface already labelled by locals as “the beach”.

International businessman and entrepreneur Peter de Savary and his family acquired the pub a month ago from previous owners Colin and Julie Stoneley. Regulars at the 16th Century freehouse said a fond farewell to Colin and Julie, who ran the pub for nine years, taking over from the Beasley family, who had been in residence for the previous 40.

 

In a Facebook posting as they prepared to depart the Stoneleys wrote: “We hand over the Merry Harriers to the next “caretakers”. It has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of its 427 year history and to have worked with, met and served so many fabulous people. Thank you for your support…and keep supporting your village pub for many years to come.”

Their final weekend on May 20th and 21st was celebrated with live bands and the Stoneleys said that they were proud of the variety and quality of the music sessions staged during their time at the helm.

Colin and Julie Stoneley

The de Savary family, who recently moved into the area, have ambitious plans for the Harriers and Peter de Savary is expected to attend a forthcoming meeting of the parish council to outline his proposals. In the meantime a great deal of work has been undertaken, including the new surface, a sprucing up of paintwork and signs, new benches, landscaping and kitchen equipment.

 

 

 

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Primary School School Places

The Parish Council has for some time been concerned that families living in Hambledon find it difficult to get their children into primary schools within reasonable distance of the village.  It has raised the problem with the Surrey County Council, the local education authority;  and it has become clear that,  if it is to make any headway, it needs more information about actual, as opposed to perceived, needs.

As one of the many villages in the area which does not have its own primary school, Hambledon has to depend on its neighbours.  Two of these, Chiddingfold and Grayswood, are in charge of their own admission arrangements and would have to be asked direct if they could consider taking more children from Hambledon.

Admission arrangements for the primary schools in Witley, Busbridge and Milford are managed by Surrey which has categorically stated that it would not afford priority to children living in Hambledon.  This is not what the Parish Council is seeking – it just wants a level playing field for all children within a reasonable radius of these schools.

However, if the Parish Council is to ask for a rethink when admission arrangements come up for consultation in October, it needs to have a case.  So could all families who have children starting school in autumn 2018 and who would like them to go to a local primary school please get in touch with the Parish Clerk (Jane Woolley), if possible before everyone disappears for the summer holidays, so that, if appropriate, the battle can be continued.

 

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Hambledon Gets Busy

cricket1

It’s that time of year when Village activities come along thick and fast. To help you keep track, the Village web site maintains an up to date calendar. On the right hand side of the Home page is a list of the closest upcoming events, to see the whole calendar, click on the “Calendar” tab in the menu at the top of the page. Once you’ve accessed the full calendar there’s also an option to subscribe to the calendar, this will create a copy of the village calendar on your own computer or mobile device.

If you know of an event that is missing from the Calendar, please let the web team know.

Some events of particular note coming up soon:

Saturday 16th April – Hambledon Cricket Club kick off their season with a friendly match at home against Grayswood

Thursday 20th April – Hambledon Peddlars first ride of the season (meet at The Village Hall at 6pm)

Thursday 27th April – The Annual Parish Assembly (at the Village Hall, doors open 7:30pm)

Saturday 29th April – Hambledon Village Clean Up followed by BBQ at the Shop

Monday 1st May – Morris dancing at dawn on Hydon’s Ball followed by breakfast at The Harriers

Saturday 13th May – Hambledon Village Hall Spring Quiz

 

 

 

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Save a Life in Hambledon

aed1

Following two successful AED training courses courses earlier this year, we will be running another on:

Saturday 3rd September at 10.30

and possibly a further course, on

Saturday 24th September at 10.30

AED’s (Defibrillators) are simple to use but may seem intimidating in an Emergency Situation.  Join us to learn how to use them and help save a life….

Learn/refresh your life saving skills and familiarise yourself with an AED….. we have TWO in the village, positioned outside the Village Shop and outside the Church.

Training: £20 per person, lasting approximately 3 hours.  You will leave feeling confident that you will not be a “bystander” but a “lifesaver” in an Emergency…..

Please email Jenny on

[email protected]   or call 01483 414837 for more information and to book your place.

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Louis de Bernières in conversation – Video 30 minutes


007Screen Shot 2016-06-18 at 19.24.45Louis de Bernières, award winning author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, returned to Hambledon, the village of his childhood, to open the fete and to talk to the village website on camera.

He speaks candidly about his book Notwithstanding, set in Hambledon, and posed beside a Morris Minor, a car which, with nuns behind the wheel, struck fear into the hearts of any motorists they encountered on village lanes.

For accounts of this and other reflections on his life growing-up in our village view the 30 minute video below:

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Hambledon Parish Plan

Following a good debate at the Parish Assembly on 14 April, the Parish Council agreed at its meeting on 17 May that, as was the case with the 2003 Plan, its preparation should be overseen by a steering committee. Robin Knibb has kindly agreed to lead this, but he will need a handful of dedicated villagers to help with a wide variety of tasks.

The Parish Council has decided that, if the new Plan is to have official credence, it should be based on responses to a questionnaire. The one that was delivered to all households as a prelude to producing the 2003 Plan remains a useful model but it will need to be re-visited and up-dated so as to elicit details of Hambledon’s current demography, developments affecting the village that have occurred over the past 13 years and ideas that have so far emerged as to topics which the new Plan might cover.

The original questionnaire was hand-delivered to and collected from individual households in the village but this time it should be possible to offer everyone the option of receiving and returning a paper copy or completing it on-line via the village web site. Jon Petersen has very kindly agreed to produce the new questionnaire and to input and analyse data provided by the responses.

What does our community want for its future? Long-established residents, new arrivals, different household types and different age groups will all have their particular wish lists. It is really important that all of these are reflected in the make-up of the steering committee. So, even if you haven’t so far thought of getting involved in village activities, do stop for a moment and consider whether you could contribute to an exercise whose aim is to ensure that Hambledon remains the kind of village that persuaded you to move here in the first place.

You can contact Robin direct by e-mail, [email protected], or telephone 01428 683800/07836 228671; but if you would first like a bit more background to help you make up your mind please contact Parish Clerk Jane Woolley ([email protected]; 01428 684213).

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Arts & Crafts Group

Art_640x640St Dominic’s School would like to form an Arts & Crafts Group with the local community.  We have an equipped Art and Media Suite with a kiln, photographic studio and Apple Mac computers, and can offer clay modelling, painting, life drawing, sculpture, photography and digital media classes.

In order to gauge the interest in this, you are invited to come and view our pupils’ and students’ Art Exhibition on Tuesday, 28th June between 5pm – 6.30pm.  After viewing the exhibition we will be offering refreshments and cake, and will talk about our ideas for the Arts & Crafts Group and you will have an opportunity to say what you would like from the group and we can discuss the preferred timing of classes.

If you would be interested in attending our Art Exhibition on 28 June, please let Therésa Jones know, either by email to [email protected] or by telephone on 01428 684693, extension 280.  We would be grateful if you could confirm attendance by Monday 20th June at the latest so that can organise the catering.

If you would be interested in forming an Arts & Crafts Group but are unable to come to the Art Exhibition, please also let Therésa Jones know, either by email or telephone, and we will send you further details.

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Hambledon House Weddings

Hambledon House will again be the venue for outdoor weddings this summer. Some of the immediate neighbours will already have received a letter from Vanessa Swarbreck together with a visit from Blank Canvas, the company that will be managing  the events, advising that there will be no repetition of what occurred last July;  but the general level of concern  throughout the village has suggested that considerable reassurance is required.  Heidi and Lyn, from Blank Canvas, were therefore invited to come along to the Parish Council meeting on 17 May and the following is a summary of what they had to say.

Blank Canvas will be managing five events that were directly booked with Hambledon  House some time ago; they therefore have to honour some of the obligations that went with the bookings.

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Hambledon’s 503 bus reprieved

Hambledon’s only bus service, the 503, is set to be reprieved by Surrey County Council, reversing a decision to scrap the route as a cost-cutting measure.

This is a victory for the campaign mounted by Hambledon Parish Council and local residents to save the service.

Following the SCC Local Transport Review earlier this year, aimed at finding savings on council-subsidised rural routes, the 503 was one of a number of services to be scrapped, subject to public consultation.

The parish council vociferously opposed the proposal and many villagers raised objections during the consultation process.  SCC has listened, and at a meeting of its Cabinet on May 24th, members are expected to endorse the review team’s recommendation that the 503 continue.

The parish council argued that it was wrong to withdraw the only bus route serving the village, leaving residents without any public transport. The 503 is a lifeline for a number of elderly or infirm residents who rely on the bus to get to shops, supermarkets, banks and surgeries in Milford, Godalming and beyond.

village bus

Agenda documents for the May 24th meeting, available on the Surrey County Council website, state that the council recognises “the important role that bus services play for our residents”, adding: “To address some of the concerns expressed during the public consultation exercise it has proven possible to recommend some enhancements to the original proposals.”

These include reversing the decision to scrap the 503. The 523 Milford hospital service from Godalming has also been reprieved.

Currently the 503 operates on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, twice in each direction, beginning and ending at Lane End. The recommendation is for the service to continue on at least Wednesdays and Fridays and possibly on another day to be determined.

The parish council has asked to meet with SCC planners to discuss ways of increasing passenger numbers, perhaps re-routing the service to take in new areas of development. In the documents the council states that it is “working to stimulate patronage on bus services and reduce the need for council funding.”

The 503 is operated by Stagecoach but subsidised by Surrey County Council. The transport review examined services across the county. Faced with cuts in Central Government funding, SCC is looking save £2 million on its transport budget by next year.

The recommendation to be voted on on May 24th will enable SCC to achieve the required savings needed from the review, documents state.