Henley Winner of National Art Competition

Creativity and an artistic eye have helped Henley Primary School win first place in the minimecard.com nationwide art competition, which had entries from across the UK.

The artwork created by Jessica Kennedy pictured right, a Year Six pupil at Henley Primary School, was judged by a professional artist as the overall winner.

‘We are so proud that Jess has won’ commented Elaine Field, who organised the competition, ‘and our lovely prize of a hedgehog house for our garden will help to attract hedgehogs to our grounds and help them to thrive. It will also help us to study our beautiful wildlife that is right on our doorsteps.’

Jess also won her own personal prize. She is to receive twenty Christmas cards from her own design.

Elaine Field reporting

JPC votes for Christmas Lights but not the Youth Club

The Joint Parish Council has notified organisations which applied for grants for the fiscal year 2012/3 of its decision. The grants for 2012/3 are shown right.

All applicants were successful in obtaining a grant with the exception of the Youth Club which receives nothing. The only applicant over £1,000 to be awarded the full amount requested was the Christmas Lights.

Peter Crathorne who is acting chairman of the Steering Group that masterminded the successful community takeover told Henley News, "I am shocked and disappointed that the Joint Parish Council has not matched their words of support with a grant. They have explained to me that they felt we had raised enough money and did not require the council's financial help. This conclusion was reached without consulting with Steering Group. The fact is the youth and community centre needs every single penny it can raise."

He continued, "The failure of the council to give the grant requested will mean that the tremendous group of supporters who have worked so hard to raise funds to ensure that Henley's young people continue to benefit from a well run and professional youth club will have to work even harder to replace the gap in the funds. Most other parishes in Warwickshire have found substantial amounts."

Peter Crathorne has issued an urgent appeal to the generous residents of Henley to dig even deeper to make sure that the centre has a sustainable future. If you want to help contact him at: peter.crathorne@gmail.com

Parish Clerk's Political comments

In the January 19th edition of the Stratford Herald, the JPC clerk, writing in a personal capacity, said "unlike district and county councils, parish councils are not held in a political format". The editor of the Stratford Herald added a post script; "Ms Walsh's assertion that parish council elections are not held in a political format is false".

In the same letter, the parish clerk endorses a group of the existing councillors: "The current parish council who in my opinion do an excellent job working under tremendous constraints from a small group who claim to represent the town when in actual fact they form a very small but vocal minority".

At the JPC meeting on Monday 16th January, the leader of the Henley Independents, Mike Willmott, reminded the JPC that Local Government officers such as parish clerks are not allowed to take part in political activities or promote any political party or group unless they first resign from office, which in this case has not happened.

Mr Willmott also asked that the JPC observes the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity and he pointed out that there were very specific rules during periods leading up to elections. Recent editions of the JPC Newsletter had been very biased and party political.

During the Council meeting a debate took place about correspondence between the Joint Parish Council and the Henley War Memorial Trust, which administers the village hall and the playing fields. In a confused speech Cllr George Matheou, right, said that when he joined the Henley War Memorial Trust several years ago, he told the then chairman of the Trust that he represented the parish council. Cllr Matheou maintained that this declaration meant that the whole parish council were trustees. Cllr Leech responded that whilst he could “represent” the parish council it did not make the whole parish council trustees. Cllr Leech said the Charity Commission rules were very precise and required that all trustees had to be “people”, not organisations.

Cllr Leech went on to say that it was unfortunate that the parish clerk had advised Councillors at their first meeting in December that the Councillors were trustees “in equal status” to the other trustees. Cllr Matheou, a former trustee, had described the Trust at the same meeting as a "shinking ship" and in his monthly blog Henley Times attacked the management of War Memorial Trust. Stratford Herald had used his article without checking its accuracy or asking for a response from the Trust. Peter Crathorne, the Chairman of the Henley War Memorial Trust, described Cllr Matheou’s Henley Times article as “a travesty of the truth”. After a lengthy debate without reaching any conclusions, the Councillors decided to move on.

At the end of the meeting, the public and the press were excluded so that Councillors could discuss an unspecified complaint by the parish clerk against an un-named councillor. No information on this secret discussion has been made available to the media or Cllr Leech.

Comments from a Knowledgeable Reader

As the Clerk to Henley and Beaudesert Joint Parish Council, it is Ms Walsh's duty to act as the Proper Officer during elections and facilitate the democratic returning of elected members to the council.  This must be an impartial function. 

As an informed reader, I think Ms Walsh ought to know her facts. What she states is utterly wrong.

The beauty of the election system in this country is that pretty much anyone over the age of eighteen can stand for election, with or without the backing of a political party. This includes all three tiers of Local Government. 

As it appears she does not understand her role as clerk and wishes to indulge in political views in the parish in which she works, I think she ought to know that she too could stand for election, subject to her resigning from her post and leaving a one year gap.

Look at what happens on a daily basis in countries that do not acknowledge the importance of democracy!

An Experienced Local Government Officer

Wellesbourne Parish Council

A new website, Wellesbourne Parish Council unravelled, has been launched.

The home page for this new site states that, "The Council is dominated by a few members who dictate the direction and policy of the Council. However, all members are responsible for allowing this situation to develop and continue, and we therefore believe that there should be a completely new Council. All it needs for these people to continue their stranglehold is for others to do nothing. We hope that this website will encourage those residents who agree with our commitments, alien to our present Council, to put their names forward as candidates for the forthcoming election."

Wellesbourne Parish Council unravelled

Guild Hall Trust announces first event for 2012

The Henley-in-Arden Guild Hall Trust announces its first event for this year's fundraising.

Dawn Leech of the Guild Hall Fundraising Committee said, "Last September we organised 3 quality events including the much appreciated Fashion Show. This year we aim to maintain the quality and provide true value for money with four outstanding events".

The first event will be a Sicilian Feast at La Dolce Piazza. Maria and Gamal will be preparing a mouth watering menu of Sicilian dishes and guests will be able to eat as much as they want.

The second event will be an evening to hear from WW1 Expert, Dr Douglas Bridgewater, stories about the gallant men of Henley who gave their lives in the First World War. After an interval, Margaret Murray from Help for Heroes will talk about modern day conflicts and her charity's help for today's heroes. A donation to Help for Heroes will be presented at the close of the evening which will take place in the Memorial Hall. The date of this second event will be announced shortly and there will be additional military items.

Please book your tickets now by using the link.

Henley NEWS publishes Jubilee celebrations leaflet

Henley NEWS is publishing a special leaflet about all the activities taking place to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, which will be circulated with the next edition of the Parish Church Newsletter. These include a dance in the Memorial Hall organised by Marijana and Duncan Bainbridge, 3 events organised by the Diamond Jubilee committee and a new edition of the Henley Telephone Directory jointly published by Henley Focus and Henley NEWS.

Jubilee Edition of the Henley Telephone Directory

Henley Focus and Henley NEWS are combining to produce a new Henley Telephone Directory to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The last directory was produced by the Court Leet in 2006 and the High Bailiff, John Tristram, has confirmed that the Court Leet will not be producing the next edition.

This new publication will be completed by the autumn and will contain a photo report of all the Diamond Jubilee events, along with articles about the history of Henley, the sports and cultural activities, etc. The publishers will be making donations from the proceeds to the Church Bells and the Hub youth club (which was excluded by the JPC from any grant this year).

Plans are already far advanced and a test version has been produced and was shown to the Diamond Jubilee Committee in December 2011.

Henley Focus and Henley NEWS will be be providing residents and businesses with details of how to apply Free of Charge to be included in the listings. There will also be advertising opportunities.

To be one of the first to register for a FREE listing, go to: www.tfaforms.com/224450

War Horse - The Movie

Steven Spielberg's latest film WAR HORSE is now showing at local cinemas. The story begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets—British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter—before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man's Land.

The First World War is experienced through the journey of this horse—an odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure. It is an outstanding film and depicts the horror of the First World War most vividly. 

Dr Douglas Bridgewater, our World War 1 expert and former High Bailiff, writes about:-

Warwickshire’s most notable War Horse

Over 1,000 horses went to war with the Warwickshire Yeomanry, over 300 going from the North Warwickshire Hunt alone. The Yeomanry was mobilised on 4 August 1914 and assembled in Warwick on 10 August.

After spending some months in Newbury and Norfolk, the Warwickshire Yeomanry was ordered overseas in April 1915. On 10 April the first party of the regiment left Avonmouth for Alexandria on HMT Wayfarer, together with over 700 of its horses and 195 officers and men. Some of the horses were accommodated on the main deck, the less fortunate being below. None of the horses were able to lie down during the voyage.

The Wayfarer was only in the second day of its voyage when it was torpedoed some 60 miles northwest of the Scillies on 11 April with the loss of four men. The rest of the men got away safely in their lifeboats and were picked up by the Framfield, but the horses were left on the Wayfarer. However, the Wayfarer did not sink and a party of the Yeomanry under Major Richardson returned to the ship to look after the horses, while the Framfield towed the Wayfarer into Queenstown in the south of Ireland, which was reached on 13 April. The horses on the lower deck were standing in two to three feet of water during this time. Three of the horses on board did not survive their ordeal, but only 80 were fit enough to be sent on to Alexandria. The yeomen who had been on the Wayfarer and those 80 horses eventually reached Alexandria on HMT Lake Manitoba on14 May.

One of the horses was Clautoi, the best-known horse during the Great War in Egypt and Palestine, the scene of the last great cavalry campaign. He was referred to by W T Massey, the official correspondent of London papers with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, in his book The Desert Campaigns as “a war-scarred veteran with a great heart” and “the best charger in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force”. Clautoi belonged to Captain R F K Gooch of the Warwickshire Yeomanry, a trainer before the war.

In August 1915 the Warwickshire Yeomanry sailed from Alexandria for Gallipoli as infantry, leaving their horses and a third of their men behind. The following month, Clautoi won a race at the Sporting Club in Alexandria. On the return of the regiment from Gallipoli, they took part in the advance across the Sinai Desert, where Clautoi was twice wounded by bullets. He received a third bullet wound during a battle at Rafa in Palestine. During a lull in fighting prior to the first battle of Gaza on 22 March 1917, a major race meeting was organised on 21 March. It had originally been scheduled for 22 March, but was brought forward when it was decided to go into battle on that day. At this Desert Column Spring Meeting Clautoi came first in the Sinai Grand National, beating 38 other horses before a large crowd in a 2½ mile race over ground on which he had been wounded a few weeks earlier.

Clautoi was fortunate to miss the charge of two squadrons of the Warwickshire Yeomanry and two of the Worcestershire Yeomanry at Huj, to the north east of Gaza, on 8 November 1917. This was one of the last charges by British cavalry, a direct frontal assault on a battery of Turkish field and machine guns. In the course of it 15 officers and men of the Warwickshire Yeomanry were killed and 20 wounded out of a total of 76, while 45 horses were killed. The Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanries routed a force more than ten times their number. One of the field guns captured in the charge is now housed in the Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum.

Gooch also rode Clautoi to victory in the Palestine Grand National, a 2-mile race open to all horses in the Desert Mounted Corps, at 6th Mounted Brigade’s race meeting on 7 March 1918 and in the Grand Military Steeplechase later that month. In these races he was competing against the best that the other Yeomanry regiments and the Australian Light Horse could pit against him.

The race meetings were welcome breaks in an arduous campaign, which saw the Yeomanry fighting in the heat of the Sinai Desert in summer and the bitter cold of the Judaean Hills in winter. Horses were called upon to march for up to 25 miles a day on soft sand and could find themselves without water for up to 72 hours. In the course of the campaign Captain Gooch was awarded the Military Cross and it can reasonably be supposed that Clautoi played his full part in gaining that honour.

When the Warwickshire Yeomanry left Palestine for France at the end of March 1918 they were obliged to leave their horses behind, usually to be slaughtered or sold into a life of ill-fed drudgery. To give Clautoi a good chance of survival, Gooch presented him to Lieutenant-General Sir P W Chetwode (commander of the Desert Column and John Betjeman’s future father-in-law). The ultimate fate of Clautoi is not known, but the last recorded sight of the gallant horse was in June 1918, when he was seen being ridden by one of Chetwode’s ADCs on the Mount of Olives.

Dr Douglas Bridgewater

Henley Blood Donors exceed target

Our blood donation session happened at the Memorial Hall on Saturday 21st January: we had 95 blood donations, which was above our target of 80, and is a higher number than we usually get; this also included 14 new donors, which is also higher than usual.

We believe that a lot of this is down to the advertisement in Henley NEWS. Thank you for your support.

Trishna Tripuraneni
NHS Blood and Transplant.

County Council - 67th in Top Employer Ranking

Warwickshire County Council is one of the UK’s Top 100 employers when it comes to improving the workplace for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans staff. That’s according to national charity, Stonewall, who ranked the county council 67th in its Workplace Equality Index for 2012, which has seen the council shoot up the table from 90th in 2011. Submissions to the Index this year have been tested against new and tougher criteria, making the accomplishment even more impressive.

This accolade comes in recognition of the commitment the council has made to tackling discrimination and improving the workplace for its lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) employees. An example of this includes the Council’s Family Friendly Policy which covers benefits and policies in relation to maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave and flexible working to explicitly include LGBT staff, and actively promotes equality of benefits to all staff. The Stonewall Workplace Equality Index is an annual benchmarking exercise that ranks the best employees for LGBT people in Britain. From the Index, Stonewall then produce their Top 100 employers. The Index was developed by Stonewall to challenge Britain’s leading organisations to improve and create a safe and inclusive environment for their employees, customers, service users and stakeholders. The Index is in its eighth year and received over 363 submissions this year from a broad range of industries.

Warwickshire County Council began to participate in the index in 2007; its first submission, in 2008 saw the county ranked 208th, subsequently moving to 132nd in 2009. 2012 marks the third successive year the council has reached the Top 100, and has seen an increase in its ranking from 90th to 67th.

David Carter, Strategic Director for Resources, and Warwickshire County Council’s equalities champion said: “We are pleased with such a significant increase in our standing on Stonewall’s Top 100 employers. Our ranking of 67th is testament to the hard work of all services and staff across the council who are promoting LGBT equality as part of their day-to-day work. Taking place in the workplace equality index demonstrates our commitment to LGBT employees, all our customers and service users.”

Portfolio Holder for Improvement and Workforce, Cllr Martin Heatley, has hailed the council’s achievement in achieving top 100 status in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index. Cllr Heatley said: “We are delighted to be included in Stonewall’s top 100 and are particularly pleased at our rise of 23 places. The County Council is committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity, this has driven our work and our position within the Index reflects this. The fact that the county council is so aware of its commitment to a diverse workforce is reflected in its resolve to provide quality services to every resident in all the county’s communities.”

Steven Haworth, Chair of Warwickshire County Council’s LGBT Staff Network said: “Being placed 67th in the Stonewall Top 100 is fantastic news for the LGBT Staff Network and for the organisation as a whole. The Stonewall Index was tougher this time round so it’s great to see everyone’s hard work over the last year being recognised with such a prestigious accolade.”

87% of WCC councillors receive special allowance

Back in 2008 when the MPs’ expenses scandal was unravelling, we discovered that many MPs regarded their expenses as an additional source of income. They felt they were underpaid and, as a result, abused the lax regime in charge of administering their expenses to rake in extra cash. This was clearly illegal, as former members have discovered to their cost. Parliament, and politicians in general, still have a long way to go to recover the public’s trust in them.

This morning I received a press release from a Conservative borough councillor in Rugby attacking Conservative-run Warwickshire County Council. Cllr Howard Roberts states that a massive 87% of county councillors receive a special responsibility allowance (SRA). These allowances are supposed to be paid to members who have to give up a significant amount of extra time to perform their duties, such as cabinet members and chairs of important committees such as planning. The SRA is paid on top of the basic allowance all councillors receive, which in Warwickshire is currently £8975.04 per annum.

According to Cllr Roberts, 17 county councillors receive an SRA for being a spokesman for their party. The Conservatives receive £14,000 to award to members of their group, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats receiving £11,000 each. A full list of recipients from last year can be found here.

Although Warwickshire County Council is not doing anything illegal in awarding the allowances, it is wrong for a numbers of reasons. When 87% of councillors receive an SRA, it inevitably devalues the system. To say almost 9 out of 10 councillors give up a significant amount of extra time to perform their duties is ridiculous. This is not what the SRA system was set up to do.

The system is also ripe for abuse. With so much patronage in the hands of the leaders of the three political groups, there is the possibility of some councillors being awarded extra cash for merely towing the party line; a quid pro quo. This money could be used to try and silence councillors who rock the boat.

It also may give the impression councillors have their snouts in the trough. Just as some MPs were seen to be abusing the expenses system for personal gain, the public impression is that these councillors are only interested in serving for what they can get out of it. It undermines the trust between voter and elected representative, and this is bad for democracy.

I am not suggesting councillors should not be recompensed for some of their time, although performing you duties out of civic pride is something we expect for all councillors. Everyone who is involved in political campaigning knows giving up some of your free time for the cause(s) you are fighting for is expected, and for the vast majority this time is given up willingly and freely.

Warwickshire County Council needs to review the way councillors are paid. SRAs should only be paid to those in positions of true responsibility, and not to those who occasionally speak for their parties.

Andrew Allison - The Tax Payers' Alliance
Campaigning for lower taxes and better government
www.taxpayersalliance.com/

"I would rather my Council Tax went towards our Youth Club rather than in special allowances to local County Councillors"

Hub supporter and Henley Council Tax payer

Celebrations at Henley Tennis Club

Henley Tennis Club held their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 11th January 2012. The meeting was well attended by club members and Peter Crathorne who is the Chair of Henley in Arden Memorial Trust. Attendees heard from The Chair, Treasurer and Head Coach.

2011 saw many changes at the club. In December 2010, following 18 months of preparation, the club received the news that the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) were offering a grant of £40,000 and an Interest free loan of £38,000 to complete a new facility project. This cash injection was added to club monies raised through membership fees and fundraising to rebuild and resurface three courts including new floodlights. New fencing was installed around three other courts. This means that the club now has floodlights on all seven courts, two of which also have Astroturf. Work began in February and thanks to good weather by June the club were delighted to welcome Roger Draper together with several members of Warwickshire LTA for a Grand Opening. Juniors put on a display of cardio tennis while adult members donned Edwardian dress to take part in a wooden tennis racket tournament. The evening concluded with cucumber sandwiches and strawberries washed down with Pimms!

Despite the recession club membership has risen slightly from last year. It is hoped that this reflects the clubs improved facilities and members who are friendly and approachable. There are 272 juniors regularly taking part in coaching sessions. The coaches have worked hard to increase the amount of match play that juniors undertake. This has resulted in far more opportunities for youngsters to play with brilliant results; the club’s 14 and Under team won Division 2 group A in the Aegon Team Tennis Awards. They also received the Midlands and Welsh nomination from the LTA for the Sports Club of the Year awards in London and received a Highly Commended certificate in their category. However the club recognises the need to increase the amount of youngsters starting tennis particularly in the mini tennis age group. To address this, the club now offers two sessions a week for children as young as 2 ½ to encourage early childhood development and basic co-ordination skills. Over the year the club had a total of 74 regularly competing juniors who completed over 300 internal tennis matches. With this in mind Henley are in 11th place on the Warwickshire junior league table, which has over 50 clubs listed.

During the year our coaches have also provided tennis or sports coaching to over 600 school children during curriculum time by linking to 9 schools. They also run four after school clubs located at local primary schools on a regular weekly basis.

The three men’s teams have all undergone team changes but are active within their respective leagues. There are five ladies teams in winter leagues, four in Stratford and District League and one in the Birmingham Veterans League.

The Club now has a wealth of experienced coaches with two Level 4 Coaches, two Level 3 Coaches and two Level 1 Coaches. They are well supported by young leaders who have undertaken training to achieve a qualification which enables them to volunteer to support the coaches during the busy Saturday morning junior coaching sessions.
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During the year between 65 to 80 adults took part in regular group or private coaching sessions including two cardio tennis sessions a week, four group coaching sessions and one doubles tactics group. This has encouraged more members and has helped with the amount of adults playing on a regular basis. Two all day adult coaching days with approx total of 16 adults attending were held which proved to be very popular even the one in January 2011 which was held in subzero conditions!

The club continues to thrive with good links with other sports and social clubs in Henley in Arden and Warwickshire. It also has good links with the Town’s War Memorial Trust and Parish Council. All this activity and development would not be possible without the hard work of the Committee and Coaching Team; in recognition of this our Club Chairman Judy Wilde has been short listed as a finalist in the Club Volunteer of the Year category at the 2012 Stratford-on-Avon District Sports Awards. The club is also short listed for “Club of the Year” and “Team Leaders of the Year” at the WALTA awards (Warwickshire Association LTA) to be held at the Botanical gardens this February.

For further information about the club please contact Judith Mathias 01564 792378

Sian Corrie reporting

Coolsportz is looking forward to a great year

Activity based company Coolsportz is excited about the forthcoming year with the ever expanding junior coaching and development programme. Coolsportz who help run the tennis programmes at four local tennis clubs including Henley in Arden, Warwick, Claverdon and Rowington are looking forward to kicking off the new year in style. They will start the year off with many of their team attending the Warwickshire Annual Lawn Tennis Awards at the end of January where Claire Pomfret (pictured in light blue) has been nominated as Coach of the year and Henley in Arden Tennis Club as Club of the Year.

Pictured are some of the coaching team all sporting their new Coolsportz Clothing range and once again welcome sponsor Zicam Security to the programme.

Zicam is a national Security company based in the Midlands. Zicam supply install and commission CCTV access control, intruder alarms, gates and barriers. In February they will hold their Half Term Sports Camp held at Warwickshire College in Henley in Arden from Mon 13th – Fri 17th Feb for 4 – 14 year olds. The OFSTED registered programme which accepts childcare vouchers will give all children the chance to take part in a real mix of activities whilst interacting with other children in a fun indoor and outdoor setting.

To book your place for Feb Half Term or find out further information about Coolsportz range of activities including kids Birthday parties please visit www.coolsportz.co.uk or call Neil on 0791266 44 26, email neil@coolsportz.co.uk

Henley and Beaudesert Society January Meeting

Your Local Cheese and its History

In a most interesting talk David Fowler of Fowlers Cheese Company of Earlswood told a packed meeting something about the history of his family business and cheese making in general.

Evidence of cheese making in parts of the Middle East goes back to at least 8000 BC but it wasn’t until after the Roman occupation of Britain that cheese was introduced to this country. And it took the Norman conquest before cheese making developed on any scale. Cheese used to be made by Cistercian monks but after the dissolution of the monasteries in the early 1500s its production moved to small farmhouses. Bedrooms were often the favoured place for making cheese because of warmth and the absence of draughts through open farmhouse doors.

Going back to 1670 and now into its fourteenth generation, Fowlers proudly claim that they are the oldest cheese making family business in England. Originating in Derbyshire, economic circumstances persuaded the family to move to its present farm in Earlswood in 1918. There they are continuing the tradition of handcrafted cheeses and currently produce many mouth-watering varieties. They have a herd of approximately 160 Friesian cross Jersey cows on their 180 acres with milk production at its optimum in early Summer after the cows have calved.

With the aid of some slides we were given a brief lesson in cheese making. Firstly the milk is pasteurised at 72˚C to kill off harmful bacteria. Culture is then added followed by rennet with the mixture being left to set. Next the coagulum is cut to allow the solids and liquid to separate. The curds and whey are then stirred before the whey is drained off. Salt is added to the curds which are then packed into moulds to make ‘green’ cheese. At this stage various spices such as sage or black pepper might be added before pressing the moulds removes any remaining whey. The cheeses are then left to mature in their cellars until at three months they can be eaten as a mild cheese. The longer they are kept, the more mature they become with the extra extra mature being stored for in excess of 24 months.

Following David’s talk, the meeting was invited to sample some of Fowlers’ cheeses. Amongst others, we tasted some Original Sage Derby, Fowlers Garlic and Parsley, and Warwickshire with Onion and Chives. All whetted our taste buds and to accompany these delicacies the Society thought it more appropriate to provide a glass of wine rather than our more usual refreshments. With the evening ending on a most cheerful and convivial note, everyone departed feeling they had been both educated and entertained.

The Society’s next meeting is on Thursday 16th February at 8.00 pm in the Baptist Church Hall. The speaker will be Jo-Ann Gloger on ‘There is More to a Needle than Meets the Eye’. Visitors and new members are very welcome.

Further details from Pat Kench on 795419.

Andrew Yarwood reporting

Stratford Parkway station contractor appointed

Warwickshire County Council announced the appointment of Mott MacDonald Limited to produce the outline designs for the new Stratford Parkway Station scheme. Mott MacDonald was appointed after submitting the most competitive proposal for the works and by demonstrating strong experience in the design of new railway stations. The firm has previously designed the successful Warwick and Coleshill Parkway stations in the county.

Cllr Peter Butlin, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport and Highways, said: “This appointment of a contractor with such a good track record is a key milestone in the delivery phase for the Parkway Station scheme, after funding was awarded to the county council by the Department for Transport last year. The outline design work is expected to be complete by early summer 2012 and remains in line with our goal to open the new station by December 2013.”

Mark Alton, Divisional Director for Mott MacDonald Limited, said: “We are delighted to be appointed as designer for Stratford Parkway Station which completes our hat-trick of Parkway stations in Warwickshire. We have been associated with Parkway stations in the county for well over ten years now. Our first Parkway Station design was the highly successful Warwick Parkway which we designed in 2000 and more recently we prepared the outline design for Coleshill Parkway which was completed in 2007.”

Warwickshire County Council is being supported by experienced rail industry consultants in the delivery of the scheme. SLC Rail has been appointed to oversee the rail elements of the project including design development and procurement of the new station, and enhanced train services. SLC Rail will be supported by project and programme management provided by Right Results Project Management and Central Programme Management respectively. Work on delivering the scheme is progressing well and it is anticipated that a package of new Saturday and weekday evening train services will be announced in due course. A whole raft of sustainable travel measures are also to be announced during 2012, in preparation for the station opening the following year.

The £8.8 million Stratford-upon-Avon Local Sustainable Transport Project has the support of London Midland, Centro and Network Rail, rail users, potential passengers, both Stratford District Council and Stratford Town Council, Sustrans, the Shakespeare Line Promotion Group and Rail Future. It is forecast that the project will attract 114,000 new rail trips to the new station and the existing town station by 2024/2025. The extra revenue generated will help fund more trains during weekdays, on Saturdays and provide a regular evening service to both Stratford stations.

HS2 - High Speed Rail is coming

At Lodders Solicitors we have a team of lawyers dedicated to giving advice to clients about HS2 writes David Lodder, pictured right. We hope that the information set out below will assist you, but if you have any queries please click on the link at the right of the page and let us know. We aim to respond to your queries within ten working days.

What is HS2? HS2 is a proposed high speed railway line, which will connect London Euston railway station to the Midlands and North of the country. It will run along purpose built tracks built along a new route. Just in case you were wondering, HS1 is the high speed railway line which opened in November 2007 to link London St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel.

Is my property on the route? Please use the attached link to view the official route map. If you type in your postcode to the search field, you will be taken to the correct page of the route map.

Has the final route been decided? Not quite. The government recently undertook their Public Consultation in which the preferred route was announced. Following this Public Consultation the government will make a decision whether to go ahead with HS2. Minor changes may still occur to the route as a result of the outcome of the Public Consultation.

When will it be built? It is proposed that the first train will run in 2026. The key dates in the timetable for HS2 are as follows:

Late 2011 – Government decides whether or not to proceed with the proposed high speed rail line. Late 2011 – Lodders briefing; date to be confirmed 2011 – 2013 Further detailed design and assessment of the route. 2013 – Further public consultation 2014 – Hybrid Bill laid in the House of Commons 2019 – Possible start date for construction 2026 – HS2 could open.

Can I claim compensation? To determine whether or not you are entitled to compensation a number of factors need to be taken into consideration. You may be entitled to compensation under the exceptional hardship scheme or for statutory blight. If the government needs to purchase or use your land for HS2 then as part of the compulsory purchase process you will be compensated. In order to ensure that you are properly compensated you should seek the assistance of our advisory team.

What is exceptional hardship? The exceptional hardship scheme is available to property owners who are in desperate need to sell but have been unable to do so as their property value has been substantially affected by the announcement of the proposed high speed rail link. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can require the government to purchase your property at the unaffected realistic market value. Ensuring you meet with the eligibility criteria in order to make a successful claim can be difficult. If you are affected by HS2 in this way, we can assist you with a potential claim, in conjunction with a specialist valuation agent.

What is “statutory blight”? If your land or business is close to the route you may be suffering from ‘general blight’ – the reduction in value of your property due to the imminent construction of the railway. Land or business owners usually can rely on compensation due to “statutory blight” but this is typically only possible when a Compulsory Purchase Order has been made or land has been allocated in a local development plan. If statutory blight applies, the landowner can serve a blight notice to force the local authority to purchase the land. At the moment, as the HS2 scheme is not finalised, you cannot seek compensation for statutory blight. When HS2 passes the Hybrid Bill stage (see 4. above), if your land or business is affected we can advise you whether or not to serve a blight notice.

When will Compulsory Purchase notices be issued? A compulsory purchase notice is also known as a “notice to treat”. These will be issued shortly after the Hybrid Bill has been passed in parliament. It is likely that the acquisition of the land and the necessary interest in it will be set out in an Act of Parliament, as happened with London’s Crossrail scheme.

Is there a deadline for claiming? The exceptional hardship scheme will end once it is ready to be replaced by new support arrangements for property owners. Statutory blight will become available at this stage. Compulsory purchase compensation deadlines will be governed by the notice to treat which is served on you. If you receive a notice, we can advise and assist you in preparing your response.

What is safeguarding? Once the final route of HS2 has been determined, in order to safeguard the route, the Secretary of State will issue directions to local authorities. This means that once a planning application is submitted which will affect the route then the local authority must notify certain bodies, including the Secretary of State for Transport. These bodies will then assess the impact of the proposed development on HS2, which in turn could lead to the application being turned down.

What is the difference between CPO and Blight? If you are subject to a CPO, your land will be acquired from you in return for payment of market value. If your land is not required for HS2 but is affected by it, you may be able to claim compensation for blight. Of course, it may be that part of your property is made subject to a CPO while the remainder is blighted. We can assist you in obtaining the best outcome

Do I pay tax on any compensation? While Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is payable in the ordinary way when land is sold for HS2, CGT roll over relief is available if the proceeds of a compulsory purchase are reinvested in other land and buildings. There is no requirement that either the old or new land is used in a trade, but relief may be lost if you reinvest the proceeds in property which becomes your main residence. Also, if you previously made known your willingness to sell for HS2, roll over relief is lost even if the land is ultimately acquired by a CPO. We can assist you in mitigating any CGT which is payable.

Stratford District Council on HS2 decision

Stratford-on-Avon District Council is disappointed with the Government's announcement to go ahead with the High Speed (HS2) rail line, initially between London and Birmingham and then on to Leeds and Manchester.

Councillor Jennie Ellard, Stratford-on-Avon District Council's representative for HS2 says: “Although Stratford District Council has no objection in principle to High Speed rail, the announcement is still a very sad day for the British countryside. District Council members hold the belief that upgrading existing lines is a better option thereby using the current transport corridors.

We must now be concentrating on protecting the interests of people affected by this decision. The legislation surrounding compensation for these people must be fair, reasonable and fully inclusive.

I still hope that in the near future the government will amend further the revised proposals, and it will see fit to align it with the M40 corridor to minimise detriment to our beautiful countryside. As a Council we must continue to do all we can in our capacity as guardians to protect the beautiful area we represent and live in. In the meantime Stratford District Council Members will continue lobbying to maintain and improve services on the existing rail infrastructure."

Stratford-on-Avon District Council is one of a number of Councils opposing HS2 proposals and together with other Councils in the Warwickshire area and nationally (51m alliance) vowed to continue to fight against the scheme.

Do you know Mr Padaraic Foley?

I am trying to track down a Mr Padaraic Foley who, to the best of my knowledge, used to live with his parents in Buckley Green.

They had a company called Steel Support Systems based near Birmingham and sponsored me on a week's initiative training exercise whilst I was away at school in 1987. I have often wondered how he's been. A mutual good friend has returned from Australia and I plan to re-unite the 3 of us this summer!

Kier D Rogers, Herefordshire

The editor will pass on any replies

St Mary’s Visit to Space Centre, Leicester

St Mary's went to the National Space Centre in Leicester to learn more about our topic this term ‘Space.’

One of the first things we did was go to the tranquility base which is part of the moon. Firstly, we went on a machine where you push off and it made you feel like you were walking on the moon. When you looked up you could see yourself moon walking.

Secondly, we went into a room of planets. We saw Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Mars and many others. We learned that if you had a big enough bath and put Saturn in it, it would float in the water. We also learned that if a space shuttle got sucked into a black hole it would have to go round and round until it got to the middle.

We enjoyed everything about the trip but one of my favourite things was the 360˚ cinema because the screen was the whole ceiling and we enjoyed answering all of the questions. Another interesting thing was learning what it was like to live in a space shuttle and how the astronauts coped with living in such cramped conditions.

We would do it again. For marks out of 10, we would give the trip 11.

Charlotte Taylor, Ellen Rafferty and Olivia Freeman reporting

Solihull School set to extend its transport service

Solihull School is to offer an easier route to first class education for boys and girls living in the West Midlands and Warwickshire by widening its bespoke transport service.

The leading co-educational school, praised by the Independent Schools Inspectorate this year for being “outstandingly successful”, is drawing up plans to improve accessibility to those families living in and around Stratford-Upon Avon, Henley-in-Arden, Warwick, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, Balsall Common and Edgbaston. Routes and stops are being planned with a major coach company for September 2012.

Solihull School currently runs buses from Sutton Coldfield in the north and Claverdon in the south.

Headmaster David E J J Lloyd said: “We aim to provide a reliable, secure and convenient service to parents that wish their children to enjoy the outstanding learning environment and facilities at the region's leading co-educational independent day school.” He added: “As an increasing number of our 7 to 18-year-old pupils live outside the borough and away from regular public transport, we believe that our plans will be appreciated by parents that would otherwise have to drive their children to and from school each day.”

This is amazing - Hudson River Landing

A computer generated reproduction of the flight generated from the data recovered from the black boxes...

US Airways Flight 1459 In the Hudson River. Click here

This is very real -- like you are right there......

Henley Market Waiting Restrictions lifted

Henley Market is no longer in operation and as a result the market day parking restrictions are no longer required. Warwickshire County Council has published an order to revoke the existing market day restrictions in Arden Road, Brook End Drive, Fieldhouse Close, Glenhurst Road, Harris Close, Prince Harry Road, Riverside Gardens

In the interests of road safety WCC proposes to introduce short sections of No Waiting at Any Time on Prince Harry Road from the junction with Warwick Road north for 46 metres and for 10 metres each side of the entrance to the Car Park at the end of Prince Harry Road.