History tells us that it is an ancient monument, but compared with its former glory what remains demands imagination to guess what it was. In fact a visitor approached a resident and asked, "What is it?" When told "It's a very ancient market cross" the reply was "But it's not a cross!"

For more than 20 years, attempts have been made to have it restored, but English Heritage has not been co-operative as it is a listed ancient monument. Many believe if it was restored, we would have a distinguished landmark.

The original cross was erected circa 1440 and stood some 30 ft high. It is one of few still existing in this country and is of exceptional interest. Composed of local stone, the shaft and raised base of three steps are now all that is left. The top had four recessed niches under cinquefoil-headed canopies, resting on a knop or ring, borne up four angel figures at the angles, each holding out a shield bearing a cross. The niches, as late as 1815, exhibited in relief first the Rood, second the Trinity, third St Peter with his key, but the sculpture of the fourth was worn away by the action of time and was not distinguishable. It was probably the Virgin and Child. Unfortunately the top fell off in about 1894.

The Market Cross in c 1899, shortly after the top had fallen off.

Should the Market Cross remain as it is or should it be restored? You can see from the illustrations below what it was like compared with its sorry state today.

Initially a small team has agreed to do the work needed to develop the Market Cross Project. Kathryn Clarke, a resident of Henley, requested this project in the recent Parish Plan. George Atkinson, Parish & County Councillor, has tried from time to time to preserve and improve this focal point.

Councillor George Atkinson has asked Henley NEWS on-line to organise an electronic poll to ascertain the opinions of its readers. George Atkinson told Henley News on-line that the remains of the original cross could be moved to the new Guildhall Garden or the Heritage Centre.

ELECTRONIC POLL (Click on the proposition below which you support).

Were you born in 1926 and now live in Henley in Arden? 

If so, the High Bailiff and Sue Bridgewater would like to invite you and your partner to join them for a celebration tea party on Friday 21st April 2006. 

Please contact them on 793633 for your invitation.

In December of last year, the Warwickshire Education Business Partnership invited The Rotary Club of Henley in Arden to support their programme designed to prepare pupils for the world outside school. The programme provides practice at being interviewed in mock interviews and poses realistic problems found in day to day business management for pupils to solve on “Enterprise Days”, and is offered to all pupils in Year 10.

The Rotary Club’s job, along with other local and national business representatives from among others, Ford Motor Company, The National Grid and Amec, was to provide experienced interviewers and business experts from among their members to work in the schools of South Warwickshire including Henley, Stratford, Kineton, Alcester and Studley. The project was taken up so enthusiastically by the Henley members that the club was nominated for an award which was presented to their Vocational Chairman, Alec Halliwell seen here with Rotarians Brian Mitchell, Keith Ford and David Brain at The Quality Awards Conference at the National Agricultural Centre at Stoneleigh on March 7^th.

The A.G.M. was held at the beginning of March and the Committee was elected for 2006.

Chair          Gordon Trinder
Secretary    Rosemary Lydiatt
Treasurer    Pat Williams
Committee  Joyce Dunscombe, Joan Hurst, Joyce Puga and Muriel Wanklyn.

Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month in the Parish Hall, Beaudesert Lane at 2.15 p.m. A varied programme for the year has been arranged together with various outings. A party of 40 members will be going to Eastbourne  for a week on the 6th May.
 
The Evergreen Club is a self supporting group and receives a little help from the Joint Parish Council.
 
The Membership is around 80 but we are always looking for new Members. If you are interested in joining, please contact Gordon Trinder. Membership is £5 for the year. At most meetings, you will pay 25p for tea and  there is a raffle.
 
Gordon Trinder.

Congratulations to the organisers of the Supper Dance that was held in the Memorial Hall on Saturday night. The hall was decked out in its finery. The 3 course meal started with Antipasti followed by Lasagne finishing off with an array of delicious puddings – trifle, meringues with strawberries, a mouth-watering pear and ginger pudding to name but a few The Likely Lads Band then started to play and the dance floor was heaving through until midnight.

90 people attended and a great time was had by all. Our photo gallery shows some of the guests who enjoyed an excellent evening.

Brian Twigg and his party	High Bailiff and  his party
Ray Holding and his party	John Stott and his party
The Likely Lads
Marijana announces the raffle winners	Jan Wright, one of the lucky winners

A Henley NEWS on-line reader is very concerned that there is an accident waiting to happen at the Traffic lights in the High Street.

On four separate occasions, two cars have gone through the red light at speed unable to stop in time. Whilst crossing on another two occasions, our reader was narrowly missed being knocked over.  

Has this happened to anyone else in Henley?  We need to make sure there isn't going to be a fatal accident at some time in the future.

Please send your reports to editor@henleynews.co.uk

Warwickshire Museum is delighted to be able to display a cast of the footprint of a big cat taken in Barford in November 2004. This was recently donated to Warwickshire Museum by the tenant farmer of Wasperton Farm

A gamekeeper at the farm had a spine-chilling encounter with what he thought was a big black panther that had just caught a pheasant. Big cat reports are regular occurrences in Warwickshire, but this time the creature left a footprint in wet mud.

Warwickshire Police took a cast of the print and sent it to experts who confirmed that it was made by a big cat, probably a black leopard.

Steven Falk, Keeper of Natural History, said “We are pleased to receive this donation of the big cat print. Although reports of sightings of big cats are not unusual in the county this evidence is fascinating proof that something did exist.”

The print can be viewed at Warwickshire Museum in Market Place on Tuesdays to Saturdays between 10am and 5pm.

Henley Goes Greener

Can you tuck your curtains in behind the tops of radiators below windows? Doing this reduces the temperature in the space between the curtains and the window and cuts down the amount of heat lost via the window. This saves you money but costs nothing to do. If you are having new curtains make them long enough to tuck in.

For more information about The Henley Goes Greener project, click here.

John Stott

And always remember - if it looks too good to be true, it probably is!