RESIDENTS’ DROP IN DAY - 4th April 2009 from 10:30am – 2:30pm

Are you looking for a free trip out, intriguing, child friendly yet full of interest for all ages? Then come to the “Henley Residents’ Drop In Day” on 4th April from 10.30am – 2.30pm. The Centre is located in the High Street; the Henley-in-Arden Heritage and Visitor Centre is a museum of the town’s history from the Norman Conquest to the present day. Our photo right shows Ray Holding, Administrator and his wife Anne at the reception desk.

The children can enjoy an observation quiz that takes them around every room; adults will be able to locate artifacts that remind them of times gone by. For the more dedicated student there are original documents to be seen, a good example being the Charter granted by Henry VI in 1449 complete with the King’s original seal. You can start your visit by imagining life at the very beginning of Beaudesert and Henley when the Normans established a castle on the Mount. You can see the evidence for this discovered by Channel 4’s “Time Team” in 2002. You can experience the terrible tragedy which overtook the town after the Battle of Evesham in 1265 when most of the Henley men were slaughtered.

Follow this by becoming a frightened pupil in the Victorian Classroom at a time when teachers genuinely felt the only way to teach children properly was to humiliate them. Here you can learn about the history of education too. Pass by the children’s toys from days gone by, if you can, to meet the trades and businesses featuring the story of the famous “Henley Ice Cream” – still available to the discerning visitor - and Johnson’s Coaches, now 100 years old. The displays contain the seeds of a hundred journeys of research which can be developed using the material in our reading room. Pass through to the room which some believe is haunted to view historical clothing and household items stretching back to 18th century.

Take your time back down the stairs, see the architecturally important crown post which dates our house to 1345; note the main beams built from roughly cut branches of the sturdy oak. Move on to the refectory, faithfully creating the domestic conditions of times gone by and into the courtyard to absorb the genuine items from the 2nd World War. There are still some who can say “I remember that!” when they sit in the reconstructed Anderson Shelter.

Finally, no visit would be complete without a tour of the Guild Hall, pictured left, next to St John’s church, a splendid, restored, Elizabethan, half timbered building.

All this is yours to experience free, although we do welcome donations to help us maintain these hidden treasures right on our doorstep. Group visits are most welcome by prior arrangement. The Heritage and Information Centre is a community project staffed entirely by volunteers and we are always looking for more.

Please take a look round our website: www.heritagehenley.org.uk. We look forward to welcoming you.

Peter Crathorne - Reporting

Residents may have recently noticed posters proclaiming that the Annual Assembly for the Parishes of Beaudesert and Henley-in-Arden, will take place at the Baptist Hall on Tuesday April 14th at 7.30 p.m.

Brought together for one evening only will be the High Bailiff, our County and District Councillors, the Chairman of the JPC, the Chairman of the Town Improvement Committee and guest speaker John Stott of “Make Henley Greener”. After each of these speakers has made a short report, the residents will be able to ask the speaker questions.

All are invited to attend and it would be nice if more from Henley could be there this time, as they were outnumbered by their Beaudesert counterparts at the last Assembly. This is surely the most important event taking place in Henley on that particular evening and certainly it warrants your support. Switch off the television, put aside your book, postpone the trip to the pub and join the other townspeople for this evening of debate on important local issues.

Whether meeting in the pub, in the church, along the High Street or in the shops, people talk to each other about their concerns but this is the “once a year” opportunity to ask your questions and debate the issues with your local councillors – and on this occasion no time limit will be imposed. So, whatever your personal agenda – Council Tax, CCTV, dogs barking, refuse collections, litter bins, the condition of the pond by the Medical Centre, vandalism, the Railway Station car parking, under- age drinking, speed limits, road re-surfacing, road sweeping, bus services, flood defences, sports facilities, allotments, Guild Hall upkeep or any other local issues. This is an evening not to be missed .

At the end of evening, there will be an open forum similar in format to the BBC programme, “Question Time”. For this part of the proceedings, residents are invited to send in their questions in advance by e-mail to secretary@henleyassembly.plus.com or by hand to either 241 or 253 High Street.

The Henley officials for this year's Assembly will be:

Chairman - Bill Leech
Vice-Chairman - David Hadley
Secretary and Minutes - Gerrie Bruce

David Hadley - Vice Chairman
Henley-in-Arden Annual Assembly 2009

As part of their Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) day on March 5th, Henley High’s Year 8 students descended on Henley to undertake a community litter picking session. Sixteen Year 11 students gave up two hours of their time to support staff and the younger students and ensure that the youngsters were carefully supervised.

Each form group was allocated a section of the town and spread out to cover ‘their’ areas as thoroughly as possible. Lots of rubbish was cleared – with some surprising finds! Interestingly, litter associated with children and teenagers, such as sweet papers and drinks cans, was not the main find – cigarette butts, cartons and cellophane were by far the most common type of litter. This was particularly so outside some of the pubs.

The youngsters learned a valuable lesson about the impact of litter and enjoyed contributing positively to their community.

Lorna Gale - Reporting

I am sure all members of our community will wish to congratulate the students of Henley High School on an excellent project and thank them for their magnificent work.

Lorna has told Henley NEWS On-line, "We are a Bronze Award Eco School and aiming for Silver, then ultimately Green Flag status. Any evidence that I can gather will support our certification."

Please can you send your comments to Henley NEWS On-line and we will pass them on to Lorna.

Editor.

Over 250 people gathered at the Memorial Hall to celebrate the life of Reg Moon: potter, gallery owner and resident of Henley for 48 years – or as he liked to say “since the middle of the last century”. Reg, and now Mag, have run Torquil Shop in the high street as a successful business since they moved to the Midlands from Cookham in Berkshire in 1960. Reg made many friends and contacts through customers who came to the shop many times over the years – and then, when the gallery opened in 1985, they became visitors to the gallery as well.

It was decided to invite half the guests in the morning to the gallery and half in the afternoon to see photo-montages of Reg’s life and work as well as pots from different eras. Then, at 12.30, the whole contingent met at the Memorial Hall, which was only just big enough, to toast Reg with a glass of champagne and listen to friends and family talk about their memories of him.

The main address and role of compère fell to Paul Moon, son of Reg, who set a relaxed tone from the start. Speakers included local residents Neil Mathias, Jeremy Cahill, Irene Robinson and Pat Geraghty. Other speakers were Stanley Sellers, friend of over 40 years, Louise Darby, friend and fellow potter (former apprentice), Peter Wright, customer and friend of many years, Wendy Freeman, artist and art gallery curator, Bev Puxley, friend from Cookham days and Andrea Ward-Eversley, daughter-in-law. Renowned local poet John Alcock read a beautiful poem specially written for Mag and dedicated to Reg called ‘Vessel’. Clive Sheridan, artist, also read a piece specially composed for Reg. Catering for the event was thanks to Sue Dalby and Brian Westmacott.

Nearly £1,000 was raised for the Shakespeare Hospice (as part of their 10th Birthday fundraising drive) through donations and sale of commemorative mugs and bowls. Thanks to everyone who came and those who helped beforehand including Jayne, Neil, Teresa, Marion, Wendy, Linda, Andrea, Peggy, Hattie and Joe - to make the day so special.

Carey Moon

Henley in Arden’s Conservation Area was created just over 40 years ago. Conservation Areas are created by local authorities in any area of ‘special architectural or historic interest’. They cover not just the buildings but also the layout, paths, trees and gardens – all of which create the familiar local scene. Conservation Areas give the local authority extra planning controls concerning demolition, development and the protection of trees.

I would like to find out the views of the residents of Henley about their Conservation Area especially from people who live within it. What impact has the Conservation Area had on Henley? What are the Conservation Area’s failings and successes? Has the Conservation Area achieved its aims or has it failed to prevent unsympathetic developments?

These views are important since Stratford District Council are undertaking a review of all its Conservation Areas in order to determine whether planning applications preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area. Alcester’s Conservation Area Character Appraisal was adopted in September last year.

Next month The Association of Small Historic Towns And Villages of the UK is holding a conference day in Henley on 'The Future of Conservation Areas'. (ASHTAV members £8, Non-members £10)
Link to ASHTAV website

Link to Stratford District Councils site on Conservation Areas

Jonathan Dovey

Please can you send your comments to Henley NEWS On-line and we will pass them on to Jonathan - Editor.

Pickle and Pumpkin have joined forces with The Stratford Herald to offer three lucky readers the chance to win vouchers worth £40 to be redeemed against some silver jewellery personalised with your child's unique fingerprint or hand and foot print.

With an extensive range of charms, pendants, keyrings and cufflinks there is something for everyone.

To enter the competition look for the Mother's Day feature in this week's Stratford Herald and Midweek.

More information at:
www.pickleandpumpkin.co.uk
or 01789 296333

Cindy Brittan, Managing Director of Henley Ice Cream, has told Henley NEWS On-line that Ice cream shops all over the UK are giving away free scoops of ice cream to customers in exchange for a donation to the NSPCC.

‘Free Scoop Day’, organised by the Ice Cream Alliance (ICA), the national federation of ice cream manufacturers, takes place on Wednesday 1 April. This may be April Fools Day but representative of the Ice Cream Alliance Joe Doherty insists that it is no April fool’s joke. Cindy, pictured right, said “We really are giving away free scoops of vanilla ice cream in exchange for a donation of any amount to the NSPCC. Some people may say we are crazy but as members of the ICA we are drawing attention to the quality of our homemade ice cream and are proud to know that the vulnerable children in our society are benefiting at the same time. I hope all Henley residents will support us in this important fund raising."

Leona McEvoy, NSPCC corporate fundraising manager, said: “It’s fantastic that so many local ice cream suppliers have decided to help raise funds by giving away ice cream – that just doesn’t happen every day! We hope that people will go to claim their free scoop and make a donation. All money will help support local NSPCC services such as counselling in schools, support for young witnesses, domestic violence recovery and ChildLine, the NSPCC’s free helpline for children in danger or distress.”

Caroline Skinner, pictured right, is starting up a fitness class every Saturday morning from 9.30am to 10.30am.

The classes start Saturday April 4th.

The classes will be held in the Memorial Hall and are aimed at all fitness levels.They will consist of hi-lo aerobics and pilates inspired toning and will be delivered by a qualified Instructor.  Each session only costs £3.75.

The general idea is to get people fit and healthy and for them to enjoy themselves at the same time!

Each class is pay as you go and there is no obligation for people to block book sessions; they can just turn up as and when they wish. The class is aimed at all fitness levels.

Caroline told Henley NEWS On-line, "I am certain that a class of this nature will be beneficial to the village."

A Scout troop from 1st Henley and Wootton Scout Troup had a great adventure participating in the annual ‘Dove Trek Challenge’ in the Derby Dales.

'Dovetrek' has been a Scouting adventure since the late 1950s. It involves Scouts doing an 'unescorted' hike around the dales similar to Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. The route is carefully planned and is up to 12 miles in length, there are 9 checkpoints manned by trained scout leaders about a mile and a half apart.

11 Scouts from Henley were amongst the 70 from West Warwickshire who took part in the gruelling challenge. Some of the scouts were doing an unescorted hike for the first time; it is not unusual that they take a wrong turn and find themselves off the route. They had extensive training in survival techniques and map reading including overnight exercises in the Claverdon and Bearley areas.

For many of the Henley Scouts it was their first attempt at this. Some of the Scouts were as young as 10½.   Although one troop of six lost its way for a time their training and equipment meant that they were not in any real danger. Each patrol is equipped with a GPS/Telephone tracker device which sends signals to the base control which shows exactly where any patrol is at any time. The Scout leaders man mobile patrols check on the team’s progress and help them to map read to the next checkpoint. The challenge for the patrols includes map reading and compass work as well as role play incidents at each checkpoint where they have to show their first aid and survival skills and show how they can work as a team.

Scout Leader John Johnson said “It is a challenging exercise similar to one I went on when I was 14 years of age. All of the Scouts completed to course and although tired enjoyed it immensely."

Troup leader Imogen Corrie said “When we realised we were lost we knew exactly what to do. It was very tough but great fun.”

The next challenge for Henley Scouts will be a 26km canoe down the river Severn in July when they also hope to raise funds for a children’s leukaemia charity. 1st Henley and Wootton Scouts together with Beavers and Cubs are active, busy and fun organisations and although heavily subscribed have a few vacancies. For more information call John Johnson on 01564 792073

Clive Corrie - Reporting

My first year as Chairman was approached with some trepidation as Margaret Twigg had set an extraordinarily high standard. It is with some relief that I can report that the year has been a most successful one but this is entirely due to the work of our superb committee who could not have been more supportive. The Society membership and attendances have steadily grown throughout the year as word gets round of our entertaining speakers, our enjoyable outings, our jolly parties with delicious food and the friendliness of our members.

The year started with a talk by the charismatic Gerald Lesinski, Master of The Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick. He had us all itching to go, which was just as well because Margaret had arranged for our 40th Anniversary Party to be held there. Our thanks go to Margaret for making this a great success. A most enjoyable coach visit to The Jewellery Quarter Museum and Soho House was meticulously arranged by Lesley Eastward. An outing to Weston Cider Mill and Wilton Castle was arranged by Margaret. In September I gave a talk on Local WW2 Land Girls, which was very well attended and then Ray Holding gave us a fascinating history of Henley. Equally entertaining was Shirley Davies’ talk on the history of Wootton Wawen. The Christmas Party was another sell out with Peter and Jeanette Cook keeping us laughing while trying to digest our delicious supper. Our thanks go to committee members and the dedicated band of ladies (not forgetting the hardworking men folk) who made it so enjoyable. A further talk was a History of Johnsons’ Coaches and many more talks and outings are planned.

The aims of the Society are to provide a social meeting point, to foster community spirit and to safeguard the character of our town with regard to its history, architecture and tradition. To these aims John Stott and Graham Pearce, who was co-opted to help, have been active in helping to modify the intrusive CCTV pole placed on our High Street, Jonathan Dovey and Margaret have worked to restore the Milestone and now we are working on an Information Board for the Market Cross in conjunction with the JPC. We have a Heritage Centre to be proud of in Henley and the Society feels that reference should be made on the information board, to the replica in The Heritage Centre, as an illustration of how the Market Cross would have looked. We have made grants to The Milestone Restoration (picture right), The Henley Youth Club, for their fundraising Christmas meal for The Warwickshire Air Ambulance, Henley News-on-Line, Henley Heritage Centre and The Wildlife Society.

We have been most fortunate in our committee members this year: Barbara Colclough is our Speaker Secretary, John Stott is Vice Chairman, not in charge of vice but doing reports and taking charge of matters technical, as well as looking after CCTV and standing in when I am away. We have a most professional secretary in Pat Kench, Margaret Twigg has done the publicity, Anita Currie supervises catering for our monthly meetings, John Rutherford, is Membership Secretary, Lesley Eastwood is Outings Secretary and Jonathan is Treasurer as well as being our very knowledgeable and supportive historian. Our Honorary President is The High Bailiff Roger Sutton who took over from Ray Holding, both of whom have attended committee meetings and have many links with organisations in the town with a good insight into the life of Henley. We have co-opted Pam Ford. Each of our committee members has a role to play and I am keen that the work shall be shared between us with no ‘committee- sitters’.

Thank you for the help and kindness of all our members. I am genuinely proud to be the elected chairman of such an enthusiastic and supportive society.

Pam Kearsley

Victoria was still deeply missed and the country was still in the grip of a dark and immovable mourning so any good news was welcomed with a huge display of enthusiastic fervour. On a national scale the good news for folk reaching the age of seventy was that, thanks to Lloyd George, they were to receive a weekly pension of five shillings (25p); wow!

At a local level, 1909 was the year that Johnson’s started in business and ‘opened’ up the trails to such exotic destinations as Birmingham, Stratford, Warwick and Leamington. So, with the prospect of war in Europe an ever growing threat, people needed a fillip, and the folk of Henley got theirs in spades!

As mentioned in Part 1, Oscar Asche and Lily Brayton were ‘hot’ property and both the official opening of the Hall and the first stage performances were given enormous coverage by the Stratford Herald. The contributing journalists hurled superlatives around like confetti in a bid to ‘large-up’ the event and I list just a few passages for your enjoyment:

Stratford Herald 31st December 1908 – “The concert hall is a spacious room, capable of seating 430 and is well lighted. The walls are coloured in a pleasing tone with dado, and the ceiling is match-boarded, which of course, improves the acoustic properties. The stage, 69 ft by 28 ft, is constructed on modern principles with inclined floor, the electric system of incandescent lighting known as Telphos has been adopted. There is also a substantial gallery, a commodious reading room, a billiard room handsomely fitted up and upholstered, while a rifle range, 92 ft by 8 ft wide, runs along one side.”

And of the performance of The Taming of the Shrew - Stratford Herald 8th January 1909 – “Mr Asche’s Petruchio was one of much merit, a performance which satisfied Shakespearean scholars and will long live in the memory. Miss Lily Brayton’s Katherine deserves the highest praise and she enacted the scene with requisite forcefulness. Mr and Mrs Asche belong to that class of people, perhaps not numerous, who receive pleasure from giving pleasure to others” - To be continued.

Ray Evans - www.hads.org.uk for more information about the play.

Students at Warwickshire College’s Henley-in-Arden Centre are planning their third bi-annual Fashion Show in aid of Comic Relief and Marie Curie Cancer Care. All are invited to the students’ charity fund raising fashion show and tickets are now on sale for the spectacular event which is being held on Friday, March 20th.

The show is an exciting catwalk event with a charity auction of one-off celebrity items, big raffle prizes, a tombola, stalls, a singer and dance performances by students. The event will also showcase the work of different departments at Henley-in-Arden including theatrical costume design, fashion design, and theatrical hair and make up.

More than 30 students will be appearing as models on the catwalk wearing clothes designed by Henley-in-Arden students and also supplied by stores including Tesco for the evening. The celebrity items which will be auctioned off include a top worn by Simon Webbe, formerly of the band Blue, in "I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here", signed photos of tennis star Martina Navratilova and a signed copy of "How to Dress" by Gok Wan. The raffle will feature dozens of prizes including a Golf Four Ball worth £140, a Sunday lunch at the Nuthurst Grange near Henley-in-Arden, three months of college gym membership, a paella dinner for eight, and a signed Rugby ball and a Rugby shirt from Graham Rowntree the former English Rugby player.

The fashion show is being sponsored by Proto-col skin care and cosmetics company and James Grenwell from the firm will compère the night along with Lisa Clarke, Programme Area Manager for Sport. Proto-col products will be among the raffle prizes and the firm’s makeup will be used on the models for the evening. Students are also doing most of the work backstage to make the evening a success. There will also be lots of stalls selling items such as makeup, jewellery and craft items.

Tickets for the fashion show, priced at £5, are available IN ADVANCE ONLY from the college reception, or from Amanda Austen-Jones on 01564 797839. Doors open at 6pm.

Plans are already complete for this year's Henley Rotary Club Charity Walk taking place on Sunday 24th May. Last year's event was a great success and all the signs are that this year will be even better. Starting from Warwickshire College, walkers will travel the six miles to Lowsonford Village Hall where they will be greeted by a jazz band and pig roast. They will then have the option of returning to Henley on foot to complete the 10 mile walk or taking a shuttle bus kindly provided by Johnson's back to the college.

The charities to benefit from the walk are Cure Leukaemia and the club's own local charities but 75% of all sponsorship money will go to the individual's own nominated good cause. Below are pictures from last year's successful event.

Full details and entry forms are available from John Latham on 0121 627 5858 or by e-mailing John Latham They will also be published here on Henley News On-line, one of this year's sponsors.

Mike Redman - President

Stratford Observer in Administration

The publisher of the Stratford Observer, Observer Standard Newspapers Ltd, has gone into administration.

In 1989, Chris and Pat Bullivant established Observer Standard Newspapers. Their aim was to produce quality local newspapers with high readership and offering unrivalled coverage of local and national advertisers. The company has grown from one to now eighteen weekly editions that are delivered to around 500,000 homes in Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Coventry, The West Midlands, North Herts and South Beds. The company also produces magazines (Inside Out, Christmas Times, Your Wedding and the award winning In Loving Memory) local directories (01527 etc.) and quarterly periodicals. Observer Standard is now one of the largest free newspaper groups in the country and the company has expanded to include Observer Standard Distribution and Observer Standard Design.  Over time it became the UK’s 14th largest newspaper group.

Henley NEWS On-line had established an excellent working relationship with the editor, Clare Fitzsimmons and her staff, and we wish them all well.

Council spends £6,000 fitting sat-nav to its Mowers

Leicestershire County Council has spent £6,000 on satellite navigation systems for its fleet of ride-on lawn mowers. The technology has been fitted to 14 machines to help drivers find the next patch of long grass.

Leicester County Council said the satellite systems would help to deal with an "unprecedented amount of growth" on its verges and playing fields.

Launching the Leicester system David Parsons, leader of the Tory-led council, said wet weather and sunny spells last year had led to problems keeping the grass cut. 'Keeping Leicestershire's grass verges neat and tidy is important and I'm pleased we are embracing innovative technology,' he added.

But Lib-Dem councillor Adrian Smith, who represents Burbage South in Leicestershire, described the idea as 'mad'. 'A lot of people in our borough and other areas had to complain about the state of the grass last summer,' he said. 'But the satellite system idea seems mad to me. You would think there would be better ways of doing things. I'd question whether the council should be lavishing taxpayers' money on things like this during a recession.'

Susie Squire of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'At a time when ordinary people are struggling to put food on the table frittering away public money on this sort of nonsense shows just how out of touch this council has become. It's high time councils worked harder to deliver savings to taxpayers and focused on good frontline services and cutting waste.'

The prosperous nature of Henley-in-Arden and surrounding areas belies the fact that many local people, especially in these turbulent times, are faced with some tricky financial problems. A combination of low stock market levels, low interest rates, and less disposable income means that it has arguably never been more important to review matters thoroughly.

Local insurers NFU Mutual, with their Henley High Street office, are offering assistance by providing an ‘Open Surgery’ with their NFU Mutual Financial Consultant, Mark Perkins, pictured below.

‘There are a tremendous number of worried people at the moment looking for somewhere to turn’, says Mark. ‘Typically people who rely on an income from their savings have seen a significant drop in that income, for example. My colleagues at the Agency have come up with the idea of holding a ‘drop-in’ day so that people who may not otherwise have thought of meeting a Financial Consultant can do so informally and in private.’

The opportunity is not restricted to those directly involved in Farming as NFU Mutual widened its customer base some years ago to include people from many other backgrounds. The Mutual is planning its Surgery for the 1st day of May and hopes to restrict initial meetings to around 20 minutes. ‘If people need more time we can arrange that on request’, adds Mark. ‘All the advice we provide is without obligation. I advise on the products of NFU Mutual and, in special circumstances, those of other providers.’

More information is available from the Mutual office at 44a High Street or on 01564 792215.

Claverdon Close the Gap

After defeat last week to close rivals Birmingham Exiles, Claverdon knew that nothing but victory would do against bottom side Highley. This potential banana skin was always going to be tricky with the away side missing several 1st team regulars but the club showed it has strength in depth with good showings from the players that stepped in.

After the near 90 minute journey Claverdon arrived at Highley’s new ground ready to battle for the points and after winning the toss and deciding to play down hill with the wind the 1st half soon got on the front foot. Good play from Arris and Edsall kept Claverdon going forward before forcing the home side to concede a penalty, up stepped the impressive young teenager Barton who stuck it well in very windy conditions only to see it smash the post and rebound safe. It wasn’t long though before Claverdon took the lead and after a series of breaks and quick ball, scrum half Wyllie put up a clever blind side box kick which the speedy full back Daws collected and scored in the corner. The extra points were missed. The away side buoyed by the try continued to attack but conceded a turnover deep in Highley’s 22 and the home side broke quickly and, despite desperate attempts from Daws and Barton, scored in the corner; the kick was missed. In what was becoming a bitter match it was Claverdon’s no.8 Paul Carruthers who lost his cool first and was binned for a push to his opposite man’s face. Claverdon though despite being down to fourteen continued to put pressure on Highley and from a scrum on the 22 and, despite having only seven against eight in the scrum, the Lions scored their second try, makeshift 8 Darren Ariss picked up and drove blind before releasing his skipper and scrum half Wyllie who beat his man to score in the corner; again in strong wind the conversion was missed. 10 – 5. With time running out in the first half Claverdon extended their lead further when Barton struck a penalty half time. 13 – 5.

The second half started with disaster for Claverdon as they made unforced errors that put them under pressure. First fly half Horswill miss-kicked his 22 drop out straight to the opposition winger who beat his man to score in the corner for an unconverted try 13 – 10 to Highly, then tight head Dave Carruthers followed his brother to the sin bin for a very late tackle. Claverdon needed fresh legs now and Knight, Austin and Gill, making his first team debut, all came on. Claverdon battled hard and their graft was rewarded with a penalty 25 yards out and into a strong wind. But up stepped the impressive Barton to deliver a perfect kick to put the away side back in front 16 – 13. The rest of the half was scrappy with Highley themselves losing a man to the bin for a punch but the determination of the Claverdon side to hang on in made the difference and the game finished 16-13 to Claverdon.

Whilst not the greatest game ever, it’s only the winning that matters at this stage of the season.

Team- Daws, Barton, Westmacott, Marsh, Irvine, Horswill, Wyllie, Carruthers P, Ariss, Thorndale, Joyce, Edsall, Carruthers D, Grimsley, Pigdon. Subs Gill, Austin, Knight.

Scorers
Tries Daws, Wyllie
Pens - Barton x2
MOM - Edsall

Ian Wyllie - Reporting
Will Barns - Photo

John Garner's Business Column

Holidays!

Let’s cheer ourselves up! The sun’s shining (as I write this) and it’s almost Spring. Let’s talk about holidays! If you’re self-employed you may just about remember what they are: something your employees probably have a lot more of than you do.

There’s another reason to raise this matter now – it’s almost April 1st. No, this is not a spoof, it’s time to remind you that the “statutory minimum paid leave entitlement” is about to change again. You may remember that for the past year you must by law have given your employees at least 24 days paid holiday if they work a 5 day week.

Starting 1st April this year all employees are entitled to 28 days paid holiday if they normally work a 5 day week. Part time employees are entitled to the same pro-rata so someone working, say, a 3 day week would be entitled to 16.8 days paid leave. It’s capped at 28 days though so anyone working a standard week of more than 5 days would still be entitled to 28 days.

You can include public holidays in this total if this is normal in your industry but for most sectors this will mean giving each employee an additional 4 days paid holiday per year. Any outstanding leave can be carried over to the next leave year (for one year only) but cannot be paid in lieu. It’s now unlawful to do that. You will only be able to make a payment in lieu for outstanding holiday when a worker's employment ends.

Not only is this yet another cost burden on businesses but there is the danger of unwittingly transgressing the new rules. Yet again.

John Garner - Business Correspondent

To download a FREE copy of the Small Business Guide to Employment 2008 (valid until the end of this month) go here. The April 2009 - March 2010 version will be available shortly at a price of £4.97

Grumpy Old Woman Comments

Am I missing something here or is there a calamity lurking in each and every corner of this fragile planet, just waiting to strike us down?  And I don't mean climate change, although this is pretty damn serious enough in itself because it is part of the same problem and we are responsible. In my garage I have a collection of recycling to be proud of; so much so that my dustbin (old fashioned size) need only be collected every other week and is nowhere near full even then! What I do have though is a mountain of plastic packaging, margarine containers, yogurt pots, polystyrene foam, lids of all sizes and descriptions, sauce bottles and countless other plastic rubbish which is not, repeat not, acceptable for recycling and yet and yet, I am told on good authority, it is not beyond the wit of 'man' to use an alternative product in the light of the energy required to recycle recyclables! You may well ask, what do I intend to do with this indestructible rubbish which may well last for a thousand years?  And my glib reply might be 'I  know what I should like to do with it' but the truth is, I'm not yet sure.  
 
Take plant pots for instance; those greenest of green containers which are no such thing! Thousands upon thousands are disposed of into landfill all year round when, for the extra cost of 10p per plant, these could be made from cellulose based materials grown from the earth for return to the earth with a clear conscience.
 
Babies' plastic feeding bottles are toxic, so why don't we DEMAND glass bottles, the kind used in my day for everything from sauces to milk until a cheaper version came along? Manufacturers must have thought it was Christmas and counted their blessings when public acceptance accompanied this new and cheaper throw-away innovation, and without so much as a whimper too.
 
I believe that if we could see what plastic bags and packaging are doing to this good earth, to innocent wildlife and to people's health, we should refuse to buy anything contained, wrapped or supplied in this awful stuff and the powers-that-be would soon do something about it. At least let us hold up production and sales by unwrapping and leaving as much of it as possible at the till. Supermarkets CAN be moved and WILL move manufacturers, IF WE DO IT TOGETHER.
 
The technology is there but not the will or, they would say, not the cash!  We cannot blame manufacturers for taking the cheapest and easiest way out, for thinking that we don't know the implications or worse, that we don't care..........or can we?  

Grumpy Old Woman

Make Henley Greener
Save Money - Help Save the Planet

Dry washing outside.

Now that the fine weather is here, dry washing outside whenever possible. Drying washing in a tumble drier is the most expensive in terms of money and the most environmentally damaging in terms of CO2 emissions, but even drying washing inside on an airer or clothes horse or on radiators consumes heat which means that the heating system burns more fuel than it would if the washing was dried outside.

For the technically minded, evaporating the water out of the clothes requires a certain amount of heat energy known as the latent heat of vaporisation. You’ll have noticed that once you’ve hung up your washing the wet clothes feel cold. Heat flows into the clothes from the warmer air in the house to be consumed as latent heat until the clothes are dry. The heating system has to replace the heat taken from the air.

Drying the washing indoors in a gas heated home will result in about 700 extra bucketfuls of CO2 per year being created by the heating system to supply the latent heat. Tumble drying creates about 5,000 bucketfuls per year.

Drying the clothes outside creates ZERO bucketfuls of CO2.

John Stott - Make Henley Greener

Stratford District Council

Planning Applications - Search on-line Stratford on Avon District Council Website

Laurence Marshall

Stephen Thirlwell