Autumn 2016 - Swallowfield Parish Council · risk of flooding to name but a few. As with the Willow Tree Works development, my request of residents is that when the time is appropriate

1 www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk

Chairman’s Report – Autumn 2016

Here we go again!!

To misquote the iconic soccer commentator Ken

Wolstenholme in the 1966 soccer World Cup “we

thought it might be all over, but it’s not now!” I refer

to the number of developments being pursued locally

in unsustainable locations away from Wokingham’s

already planned infrastructure improvements. John

Anderson goes into much greater detail in his article on

planning but it is particularly galling that the main

justification given for these developments is from

“ambulance chasing” developers looking to challenge

future housing supply plans from Wokingham

Borough Council, and in the case of the Riseley

development, Hart. Little or no regard seems to be

given to whether the site is actually viable. Anyone

driving on our local roads, or trying to catch one of the

infrequent buses, knows that there is already an

unacceptable impact on our lives and I dread what it

will be like with several thousand additional cars on the

roads over the next few years from developments

already agreed. The Parish Council are working

tirelessly to meet with the appropriate people, highlight

our areas of concern to them and protect local residents

from the genuine fears they have in areas such as the

intolerable congestion of traffic, ever increasing

waiting times for medical services and the heightened

risk of flooding to name but a few. As with the Willow

Tree Works development, my request of residents is

that when the time is appropriate you also make your

feelings known to the planning authorities.

On a more heartening note, it is very satisfying to see

some of the projects that the Parish Council have been

working on for a while come to fruition. A new MPG

court is now available and Swallowfield Hall has been

redecorated with new LED lights installed that will not

only reduce the amount of electricity we use but will

provide better quality illumination especially for the

many sports-related clubs that use our facilities. I was

in the main hall last week after the work was completed

and it looked fabulous – especially after our caretaker,

Mike, had done a first class job on the Jarrah wood

floor. We have plans to further improve both

Swallowfield and Riseley Halls and will keep residents

informed. In all of these projects our Clerk, Liz, bears

the greatest burden of getting quotes, scheduling the

work, dealing with issues as they arise - and, oh boy,

do issues arise!!

As I have just mentioned our hard-working Clerk, I

should also mention that she has just passed her CiLCA

qualification. For those of you that do not immediately

know what CiLCA stands for, and I guess there might

be one or two, it is a Certificate in Local Council

Administration. None the wiser? Well, suffice to say

that in the world of Parish Councils it is a very

important qualification for Liz to have as it allows us

to continue working, as we did with Celia our previous

CiLCA qualified Clerk, to offer the best possible

facilities and services for the local community. If you

get a chance, don’t forget to say “Congratulations” to

Liz and, on behalf of the Parish Council, we are both

proud and grateful of her achievement.

I have often mentioned that I would like to find ways

of increasing communication between the Parish

Council and you, the community, whom we represent.

Doing this in a more informal setting than coming

along to a Parish Council meeting suits many people

that do not want to attend such meetings where

discussions are minuted. Our latest initiative was to

have a gazebo at the Church Fete back in June which

was manned by both councillors and representatives of

Thames Valley Police. Both TVP and the Parish

Council thought this was a great success and many

thanks to all those that came for chat. cont.p.2

Feature Articles in this Issue

Threats of Development (see Planning Report) p.2

The Marshes Local Nature Reserve p.6

Black Box recycling tips p.24

Autumn 2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Wolstenholme

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Wolstenholme


Diary of Parish Events September to mid December

Date Time Event Location

7 Sept 8pm Shinfield &

Swallowfield

NAG meeting

Shinfield

Parish Hall

13 Sept 7.30pm Parish Council

Meeting

The Rose

Room

15 Sept 6pm-

7pm

MUGA (multi use

games area) Grand

Opening

Swallowfield

Recreation

Field

16 Sept 7.30pm SPEG “The Bard” Swallowfield

Parish Hall

18 Sept 10.30am Scouts 10K, 3K, &

Duathlon

Brookside

Nursery, then

villages

18 Sept day Post Swallowfield

10K BBQ

Victory Hall,

Farley Hill

24 Sept

8 Oct

8.30am –

12 noon

Flu Clinics Swallowfield

Medical

Centre

24 Sept 2 - 4pm Swallowfield Pre-

School Jumble

Sale

Swallowfield

Parish Hall

25 Sept 7.30pm The Farley Singers

concert

All Saints

Church

8 Oct 9am-12

noon

SPAA Open

Morning

Allotments

Part Lane

7, 8, 9

Oct

7.30pm Russell Players

“Funeral Games”

Swallowfield

Parish Hall

9 Oct 10.00 Mountain bike

orienteering/

Second Sunday

lunch

Victory Hall,

Farley Hill

11 Oct 7.30pm Parish Council

Meeting

The Rose

Room

27 Oct 10am -

4pm

Emergency

Services Fun Day

Arborfield

Garrison

Community

Centre

29 Oct 6pm Sparks in the Park Swallowfield

Park

8 Nov 7.30pm Parish Council

Meeting

The Rose

Room

13 Nov 10.15am Remembrance Day

Service

Swallowfield

War

Memorial

13 Nov 12 noon Second Sunday

lunch

Victory Hall,

Farley Hill

2 Dec 7pm -11pm First Friday

Food

Victory

Hall,

Farley Hill

7pm First Friday Food Victory Hall,

Farley Hill

10 Dec 7.30pm SPEG: “Gilbert –

No Sullivan”

Swallowfield

Parish Hall

13 Dec 7.30pm Parish Council

Meeting

The Rose

Room

Chairman’s Report (cont)

We also plan to be at the 1st Swallowfield Scout

Group’s 10+3 run on 18th September 2016, so please

come along and take the chance to talk over matters

that concern you, find out what the Parish Council does

or even what it is like to be a Parish Councillor and

think about joining. As always, if you have any ideas

or suggestions on how we can serve you better, please

contact the Parish Office.

Whilst it still feels very much like summer, my very

best wishes for the season of mists and mellow

fruitfulness!!

Peter Sampson

Chairman

Planning Report Autumn 2016

Threats of Development Many parishioners will be acutely aware of several

proposals for development on land that is outside but

adjoins the current settlement boundaries of

Swallowfield and Riseley. These are:

a) land (“Wyvols Field”) to the east of the

Basingstoke Road bounded by The Street,

Swallowfield Street and the open space that forms

part of the Bellway Homes / Winkfield Works

development – a proposal for 65 homes;

b) land to the west of Trowes Lane – a proposal for

up to 20 homes;

c) land to the west of Odiham Road bordering

Riseley south of the Devil’s Highway – a

proposal for 80 homes.

The circumstances of the Riseley proposal are

somewhat different to the others because the land is

within Hart District.

In addition to the above proposals, the Riseley

Business Park has already secured permitted

development rights allowed under central government

planning policy to convert from business use to 80

apartments. There is no right to object to applications

relating to permitted development except in very

narrow circumstances.

These proposals should not be considered in isolation;

if all these developments were to go ahead, it would

result in a substantial increase in the local population

which would be difficult to assimilate into the existing

local community. When commenting on sustainability

issues such as travel and distance from amenities and

employment, it is worth highlighting the aggregated

effect of all these proposals.

An outline planning application relating to Wyvols

Field has, at the time of writing, just been submitted to

Wokingham Borough Council. The application is for

access to be considered for a development of 65 homes

with all other matters reserved for subsequent

applications. You should not be misled; this is not

simply a matter for highways consideration since, by


association, it would also establish the principle of a

development of 65 homes for which the access is

required. The Parish Council strongly objects to

development on this site, is working on its own

response and is engaging with Borough Councillors

and officers to ensure that its objections are fully taken

into account. The consultation period ends on 23rd

September 2016. Residents are encouraged to write in,

email or use the online form on the WBC website to

submit comments – the application number is 162360.

Individual responses are generally more effective than

a collective response and even a one-liner is better than

no response. The application covering letter (accessible

on the WBC website by using the “search planning

applications” tool and entering the application number

in the relevant search box) summarises the applicant’s

position in relation to the key issues and makes some

highly questionable assertions. It provides a useful

basis for structuring a response. It acknowledges that

the application would be a departure from current

planning policy but contends that there is a shortfall in

housing land supply which renders the policies out-of-

date, thus justifying an exception. The background to

this situation is explained further below.

As far as the Swallowfield proposals are concerned,

they are indeed both contrary to WBC’s current

planning policy and therefore any planning application

should rightfully be refused. If WBC was to grant

permission, this would open the flood-gates to endless

“me too” development proposals in the countryside

which, once having set the precedent, would be nigh on

impossible to refuse. However, prospective developers

are always on the lookout for opportunities to

challenge and overturn planning policies, if necessary

on appeal. Common grounds for a challenge, as is the

case in the Wyvols Field application, include a shortfall

in the identified supply of housing land capable of

delivering the housing need for at least 5 years or a

failure to deliver new housing in line with targets. In

cases where there has been under-delivery in the past,

a further 20% is added to the land supply requirement

and WBC claims to have an adequate supply which

includes this contingency. However, it appears that

developers have sensed a window of opportunity

following a recent appeal decision relating to land at

Stanbury House, Basingstoke Road, Spencers Wood

which called into question WBC’s calculation of land

supply. WBC profoundly disagrees with the Planning

Inspector’s decision and conclusions which it

considers to be flawed and has taken steps to mount a

challenge in the High Court. This process is likely to

delay any decision on similar applications pending a

ruling from the High Court. Swallowfield Parish

Councillors and the Clerk had a meeting with Cllr

Mark Ashwell (Executive Member for Planning,

Regeneration & Communities), Cllr Stuart Munro (our

ward councillor) and planning officers to discuss the

situation and the Parish Council is committed to

support WBC’s stand against this appeal decision in

every way possible.

The situation in Riseley regarding the Odiham Road

site is different in so far as the decision on any future

planning application will be a matter for Hart District

Council (HDC). Clearly the site is remote from any

facilities provided by HDC and is more closely

associated with Riseley and infrastructure provided by

WBC and Swallowfield Parish Council. HDC is in a

particularly weak position because it does not currently

have an adopted Local Plan and is in the middle of

preparing its Strategic Housing Land Assessment.

HDC withdrew its draft Local Plan in 2013 after the

Planning Inspector conducting the enquiry that

precedes formal adoption wrote to say that Hart had not

complied with its duty to co-operate with other local

authorities in preparing the strategy and declared it was

not sound in terms of overall housing provision. It

seems that co-operation with neighbouring authorities

is still lacking and it is ironic therefore that we should

be faced with the threat of development on our very

borders in the absence of any consultation. HDC is

reliant on saved policies from their old Local Plan (to

2006) which are now so old that they could easily be

challenged. Swallowfield Parish Councillors met with

representatives from Heckfield Parish Council who

had already written to HDC to object on sustainability

grounds. It is clear that there needs to be effective

consultation between HDC and WBC so that

sustainability and other issues can be fully addressed

and taken into account. The problem is that boundaries

(and the Devil’s Highway forms a Parish, District and

County boundary) tend to create a sort of no man’s land

yet the Localism Act requires local authorities to

consult with their neighbours, acknowledging that

there should be a coherent joined-up approach. It

appears that no such engagement between the

authorities took place when the pre-planning

application was considered. Note however that pre-

planning applications are not thrown open to public

consultation and are solely to provide the applicant

with an officer’s opinion on certain matters which is

not binding and without commitment. I have written to

representatives in HDC and WBC to highlight the

concerns of our parish and to request that the necessary

cross-border consultation occurs going forward.

The Parish Council is currently considering the need to

allocate a budget in case it should become necessary to

get legal representation or mount a legal challenge.

Wokingham’s Local Plan Update As reported in the previous newsletter, WBC has

initiated a Local Plan Update that will refine the current

Core Strategy from 2006 to 2026 to provide the

strategy for the Borough from April 2013 to March

2036.

WBC’s call for sites has now completed and an “Issues

and Options” public consultation is underway, closing

on 30th September 2016. In addition, a list of all


suggested sites and a distribution map will be

published on the WBC website on 21st September

2016. It should be noted that these sites will not have

been assessed at this stage and following assessment

some will be rejected or excluded from the updated

plan as unsuitable. However, advance publication

gives the Parish Council the opportunity to provide

input at the beginning of the assessment process.

John Anderson

Properties Report Autumn 2016

Fieldfayre Good progress continues to be made. Building

regulations approval has been successfully obtained,

albeit with a few conditions that were to be expected,

and these will be addressed at the appropriate time. The

Parish Council is currently reviewing the detailed

specifications prepared by the architect, paying

particular attention to fixtures, fittings and finishes.

Meetings have taken place with the Post Office and Mr

Kumar and outline proposals for the move of the Post

Office and Stores into temporary accommodation and

then back into the new enlarged premises have been

prepared. More work is required to complete the

detailed arrangements. Looking ahead, the intention is

to convert the left hand half of the main building over

both floors for use as temporary accommodation for

the shop whilst work on the existing shop area to

extend it and construct the accommodation above is

completed. It is anticipated that some demolition and

groundwork will have to be completed to the rear of the

building ahead of this. However, there are several

months of work to complete at the very least before a

building contractor can even be appointed.

Once the detailed specifications have been reviewed,

revised and signed off, the Quantity Surveyor will

prepare the detailed costings and the tendering exercise

can be initiated. The detailed costings will help us to

refine the requirement enabling the application for

authority to borrow from the Public Works Loans

Board since funding must of course be secured before

a contract can be let.

If you would like to be kept informed of future

progress, please inform the parish clerk and let her have

your email address: [email protected].

John Anderson

Swallowfield Parish Stores

Our shop is dependent on your custom, but

unfortunately it is not being used sufficiently.

Since May we have started to promote some very good

offers, which last from the 1st to the end of each month.

Posters are put in the shop window each month and

leaflets are also available from the store. As our

customers say, you cannot beat these prices! We look

forward to seeing you here.

Naresh Kumar

Local Member Update Wokingham Borough Council

Kingsbridge Swallowfield - Bridge number 142

Following my note in the Summer newsletter, the

temporary red and white structure will now be replaced

by permanent bollards at either end of the bridge during

October.

The new bollards are to prevent heavy vehicles from

crossing the 128 year old structure and to help to

protect and retain the bridge, an important piece of our

local heritage.

Loddon Viaduct work

finishes early Work by Woking-ham

Borough Council on the

A3290/A329M Loddon

Viaduct has finished

ahead of schedule, and

was opened on Saturday 20 August, with all lanes

running as normal from 6am.

This major improvement and maintenance scheme

started on 22 July, and was due to finish some six

weeks later. However, due to good weather, the bridge

deck requiring less repair work than anticipated, and

the hard work of contractor Balfour Beatty Living

Places, it has finished two weeks ahead of schedule.

This £1.1million scheme is a major project which has

seen the old and noisy bridge joints on the viaduct

replaced, new permanent safety barriers installed,

drainage improved, waterproofing the bridge deck, and

resurfacing the carriageway.

The Borough Council repaired and upgraded the

northern (eastbound towards Bracknell) carriageway of

the viaduct two summers ago. Like then, work this year

was carried out during the school holidays when roads

are traditionally quieter.

This work means the bridge shouldn't need significant

maintenance for some time. Find out more about this

highways project and others on the interactive map on

WBC’s website.

Planning for the future of the Wokingham Borough

- Housing and Infrastructure – Local Plan Update.

As is mentioned in

more detail by Cllr

John Anderson’s

report earlier in this

newsletter, work is

underway on an

update to Wokingham

Borough Council’s Local Plan which will shape the

future of Wokingham Borough.

Residents are being invited to join the discussion and

have their say, as the first formal consultation on the

plan runs from Thursday 4 August to 30 September.

http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/roadworks-and-new-roads/current-roadworks-and-road-closures

http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-travel/roadworks-and-new-roads/current-roadworks-and-road-closures


The Borough Council is aware that we will have to plan

for more housing, but will also need more land for

employment, schools, roads, parks, shops and

community facilities to create places people want to

live, work, play and do business. It is in the early stages

of producing this plan and expected to complete by

2019.

More information about the Local Plan Update can be

found on the council’s website.

New Arborfield Secondary School – Update

A topping out

ceremony to mark

the highest point of

construction has

been held at the new

£32.5million Bohunt

School Wokingham

building, attended by

one of our local residents Cllr Charlotte Haitham

Taylor, Executive Member for Children’s Services at

WBC.

Work on the school has progressed well despite wet

winter conditions and the new building at the former

Arborfield Garrison site is on schedule to be finished

for September 2017.

As previously reported, more than 100 students will

join the school when it opens in September this year.

Initially they will use the well-established legacy

buildings, adjacent to the new school building being

constructed, on the former Arborfield Garrison site.

Attention now turns to finishing off the internal

features of the new school building such as the learning

spaces and considerable IT infrastructure for learning

designed to meet every requirement of modern

teaching.

The state-of-the-art school will cater for up to 1200

pupils. Within the building there is a suite of

customised STEM (science, technology, engineering

and science) rooms, science labs, a drama theatre, and

large light and open plan areas which will house the

school’s impressive, ICT, art and learning resource

centres. All this coupled with the sports facilities in the

adjacent sports centre, 3G Astro-Turf and tennis and

netball courts make the new school a fantastic facility

for the borough’s young people.

And Finally ...AT LAST

Swallowfield By-Pass Resurfaced – closed at night

from 25 August until 16 October

The A33 Swallowfield By-

Pass, between Welsh Lane

and Mereoak Lane, will be

closed between Thursday 25

August and Sunday 16

October (Monday to Friday,

8pm to 6am). This is to allow the LONG AWAITED

Wokingham Borough Council contractors to carry out

noise reducing resurfacing works in safety. A

diversion will be sign posted via Basingstoke Road.

As I write this brief update, warm days are still with us,

swallows are still in the sky, but there is a nip in the air

in the mornings as autumn is approaching. I hope you

all had an excellent summer and managed a break.

It was particularly pleasing to see the glorious weather

on the final day of the Swallowfield Horticultural

Show this year, many congratulations to Roberta

Stewart and her committee for another excellent show,

I understand that not only did she manage to arrange

perfect weather, but this also coincided with her

birthday on Sunday - Many Happy Returns.

Stuart Munro

Member for Swallowfield

Wokingham Borough Council

Remembrance Sunday

13th November 2016

Remembrance Sunday will be marked by a service at

Swallowfield War Memorial on Sunday 13 November

at 10.15am.

This will be followed by a procession to All Saints

Church, where a Remembrance Service will take place

at 10.45am. Please note that the roads around the War

Memorial will be closed again this year for the duration

of the service.

Parish Recreation Grounds

It’s great to know that although the evenings will soon

be drawing in we shall once again be welcoming teams

of young footballers to the recreation grounds in

Riseley and Swallowfield. The pitches have been

“wormed”, the grass cut and white lines marked out.

Our recently installed MUGA (multi use games arena)

will have a grand opening on the 15th September from

6 – 7 pm. Reading FC will be attending and running a

free football coaching session and we are hopeful that

Reading Rockets basketball team will also attend. This

is open to everyone young and old, so please come

along and enjoy the new facility.

We are also very much looking forward to hosting the

Scouts annual 10k + 3k run and duathlon. This take

place on Sunday 18th September 2016. Roads in and

around Swallowfield and Farley Hill will be closed to

through traffic from 9:30am on the morning of the run

and reopening at 2:30pm. There will also be delays to

local traffic at Brookside Nursery in Swallowfield at

10:30am to allow the races to start safely; traffic will

be held for 10 minutes at Swallowfield Park. We

apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Good

luck to all competitors.

The council will again be in attendance, watch out for

our new yellow gazebo that will be erected on

Swallowfield recreation ground. Please don’t be shy

http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/localplanupdate


and come along, show your support for the runners and

seek out the council. This is a good opportunity to meet

us, mention any concerns you have about any issues

such as planning, traffic or rural crime or just come

along to say hello, we really don’t bite!

It is such a shame that I have to mention mindless

vandalism once again. Please can I ask all parents to

discuss this with their children? We believe that a small

group of local youths are causing trouble at both

Riseley and Swallowfield recreation grounds. Broken

beer bottles are now a regular occurrence and are a real

danger to children playing and dogs being exercised. A

bench and a bin have been broken and stolen and now

money, your money, will have to be spent on repairs or

to replace. The Police are aware and increasing patrols,

but we can ALL play a part. If you see anything please

report it at once to the Police. If you leave it to tell the

Parish Council the next day, it is too late.

REPORT IT STRAIGHT AWAY TO THE

POLICE on 999

Vandalism is a criminal offence and we would hate to

see a local youth receiving a criminal record for such a

silly act, so PLEASE can we all do our part to stop this

before things get more serious and someone gets hurt?

Jonathan Sant

MUGA GRAND

OPENING!

You are all welcome to attend the grand opening of our

new MUGA (multi use games arena)

THURSDAY 15TH

SEPTEMBER 2016

6pm – 7 pm

Swallowfield Recreation Field,

Swallowfield St, Swallowfield Reading Football Club and Reading Rockets will be

offering a free coaching session for all to join in,

so please come along for a fun evening.

The Marshes Local Nature Reserve

In the early 2000s some residents who live near The

Marshes approached the Parish Council with a

suggestion to enhance the wildlife in and around The

Marshes Common situated in School Lane, Riseley –

an area already owned and managed by the PC.

Initially this idea was based on increasing the wetland

habitat that already existed in the area, but as the

project grew it expanded considerably, resulting in two

new ponds being created and the whole of the then

grazing field being transformed into a wooded area and

planted with 1,500 native trees and shrubs by local

volunteers. A boardwalk was erected over one of the

ponds and a path has been maintained throughout the

area to allow for public access. Since the planting in

2004, most of the trees and shrubs have grown

considerably and some wildlife surveys have been

undertaken.

The majority of the funding for the project came from

grants and it was the intention that the area would

eventually be designated as a Local Nature Reserve

(LNR). This has now happened and the Parish Council

is pleased to announce that we now have two LNRs in

our parish. The benefit of it being formally recognised

as an LNR is that it helps protect the site for wildlife

and for the enjoyment and environmental education for

local people, as well as helping to attract further

funding for maintenance and improvement works. It

also helps to strengthen both the Parish Council’s and

the Borough’s biodiversity aims.

The future will see a new management plan put in place

and some maintenance work carried out. This will

include maintenance to the boardwalk and the addition

of some signage and perhaps a bench or two. In

addition some of the wild seeded willows and oaks

need to be removed before they take hold.

If anyone is interested in helping with the management

of the site – or the other LNR at Swallowfield

Meadow – please contact the Clerk.

All Saints’ Church

Autumn 2016

I’m writing this at the end of August, as summer is

coming to its natural end. After the long holiday,

teachers, schoolchildren, students and families are all

making their various preparations for the beginning of

the new academic year. Anyone involved in any aspect

of education will be gearing themselves up to face the

many new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

In some ways the future might appear a little daunting,

but might non-the-less hold a tinge of excitement. I

wish you well in whatever your future holds.

As we enter the month of September, the natural

rhythms of the year give the merest hint at transition.

Nights almost imperceptibly draw in; an occasional

early morning nip is in the air; the trees subtly begin to

change colour; all of this suggesting the onset of

autumn. Memories of colourful summer holidays begin

to fade in our minds too, and we rely on photographs

and memorabilia to confirm that we actually did do

what we think we did!!

Passing of seasons and fading memories of summer

remind me of an aspect of All Saints’ work in the


community which you might like to know about. You

may or may not know that for some years the church

has been visiting Woodbury House in Farley Hill to

lead residents and staff in worship.

After a short break to consider the content of the

service, in particular thinking through how sufferers of

Dementia and Alzheimer’s might more easily engage,

we re-introduced the service a couple of months ago in

a new format. We’ve developed a service that includes

a short bible reading, prayers and the singing of a few

well-known and loved hymns that lasts about 15-20

minutes.

Mags Broadhurst provides the piano accompaniment to

the hymn singing, which makes a hugely positive

difference, and after the service she leads the

‘congregation’ in the enthusiastic singing of music hall

hits! This has proved a great success with both

residents and staff, and I have to confess that I find

myself enjoying singing along to songs that resound

with wonderful double entendres and humour from a

bygone era. Bygone era? Maybe, but like the old

hymns, music hall songs seem to find a deep resonance

in the memories of those who come.

If you have time and inclination to join us to boost the

singing, and perhaps stay to chat with the residents for

a while, you’d be more than welcome. We meet at

Woodbury House on the second Monday of each

month at 10.45 for an 11am start. Please get in touch

– contact details below.

Finally, I’m pleased to announce the appointment of

The Reverend David Little as Team Vicar, and our

ministry team is back to full strength. David was

licensed to the Benefice by the Bishop of Reading at

the Bishops residence in July. Blessings & peace.

Rev. Paul Willis

Team Rector, Loddon Reach Benefice

Rectory: 0118 988 3799, Mobile: 07857 309018

Email: [email protected]

Swallowfield Church A celebration of our village church

We are so very fortunate to have our lovely parish

church and a large body of supportive people who help

in so many practical ways. They work, together with a

smaller band of regular churchgoers, to keep the church

available for people to come to worship, to mark life

events and the passing of the seasons in the same way

that village people have done for hundreds of years.

We are holding a special service of thanksgiving on

Sunday 18 September at 7 pm and we would invite

anyone to come to sing familiar hymns and to listen to

bible readings and other prose and poetry about the

place of the church in village life.

It would not be a proper celebration if it was not

followed by refreshments which we hope to have

outside if it is a warm September evening!

Judy Gillis

Swallowfield Church “Royal 90th

Birthday Fete June 2016

Swallowfield is, as you are

aware, a very active

community with many

people who contribute a lot

to keep it this way. I was

able to thank you all in the

article I wrote for the

summer Loddon Reach

magazine, but it is never

overkill to make sure that everyone realises how much

we appreciate their efforts by saying again THANK

YOU and WELL DONE!. For a full account, complete

with front cover picture of the Morris Men and ‘royal

carriage’, please look at your Loddon Reach.

One of the aspects which I think appeals to both

volunteers and visitors is the traditional nature of the

event. An English country parish fete in a beautiful and

spacious gardens (thanks to the Clark Maxwell family),

with tea on the lawn, side shows and stalls, children

singing and the Morris Men capering with bells a-

jingling. Not a computer game in sight (though plenty

of spreadsheets behind the scenes, courtesy originally

of Lorna Collender) and the ancient and beautifully

stylised arts of Tai Chi being the nearest thing to

combat.

There is a real place for this in our fast moving and ever

changing world. Of course we have updated some

things, and I’m appealing through this newsletter for

comments and suggestions on how we can combine the

best of tradition with new ideas, please.

So much has happened since then, but do cast your

mind back to that ‘royal celebration’ day in mid-June.

The weather was relatively kind, especially

considering how wet the early summer was. Mary

Bayliss, our own immediate past Lord Lieutenant,

opened the fete with grace, ably introduced by the

Reverend Paul Willis, our former Team Vicar, but

performing one of his first functions as our new Team

Rector. Despite the many other events that weekend,

it was very well attended and it was a joy to see so

many people enjoying themselves.

For me, one of the star moments was when a

miscommunication meant that there was no music for

Farley Hill School choir, but they sang, if anything,

better than usual. This showed the power of having to

rise to the challenge of doing it unaccompanied, with

the strong encouragement from their teachers who had

given up a Saturday to bring them. I appreciated the

help of Rev Cath Spence and the Cresswell girls with

the children’s races, after the Punch & Judy, magic

show, traditional sideshows and toy stall which had

kept the children occupied all afternoon.

I always tended to find nice things which would have

been good for the fete stalls just after the event, so I

now keep an old suitcase in the garage and put into it

mailto:[email protected]


decent but unwanted items throughout the year. Please

can I suggest a similar ‘fete squirrel store’ to you, so

that we can make next year’s fete as high quality and

well supported as this year’s.

Once again, thank you for making the fete such a

successful part of Swallowfield’s busy traditional

calendar.

Barbara Stanley [email protected]

The Crown

Something has changed in Swallowfield, the sun is still

shining but there is new life in the pub. Yes, that’s right

- The Crown has a new landlord and landlady in Wayne

and Dawn Morris. They moved in and took over at the

start of the summer along with their two girls and their

dog, a German Shepard called Dexter.

They have been in the pub trade for over a quarter of a

century, having completed their training under royal

approval at the Kings Arms opposite Hampton Court.

Some of you may already know them as they have been

running The Jekyll and Hyde for over 20 years and in

all that time Wayne achieved 100% on his cellar audit,

something that no other landlord achieved at Hall &

Woodhouse. You can certainly taste his cellar expertise

too, with new beers added to the regular favourites

going down well.

Wayne has good connections in the local music scene

and has regular band nights on at the pub. Being a bit

of an old mod, his taste in music is focused around The

Who and The Jam and he would love to learn to play

the guitar. The next band will be strumming their stuff

on Saturday 24th September from 4pm to 8 pm, so get

your dancing shoes ready!

The family have all settled in well and all love being

part of village life, with Dexter the dog enjoying a

swim in the river to cool off.

Food is back on Sundays with roasts going down well.

Many pub favourites are available from Ham, Egg and

Chips to Lamb Wellington - all served with a big smile

and warm welcome. So next time you’re hungry or

thirsty pop along and enjoy a night out at The Crown.

Jonathan Sant

NB: the Winter Parish Council Newsletter will feature

an article on the Bull at Riseley – Ed.

S.P.E.G. presents…..

Our first show at the Parish Hall in early autumn is

“Your Bard” - grammatical pun intended – a new

piece by an old favourite, Nicholas Collett. Fresh from

a highly successful American run, the show is a robust,

humorous look at the place of Shakespeare in our

modern world.

Professor Nother is giving a

talk about Shakespeare

authorship in the function

room at the Shakespeare pub

– but he doesn’t believe the

man from Stratford wrote

those plays.

That’s Will’s cue to kick the

door off the hinges and

defend his reputation. Come and meet the man himself

and take the lid off a legend in your local. He’ll tell you

all about his family, what it’s like on tour and the glory

days at the Globe. Queen Elizabeth I, Christopher

Marlowe and Ned Alleyn – you’ll meet them too.

Intermingled with a few of his greatest hits - and maybe

a sonnet or a song.

There’s no fourth wall here – we’re all in this together!!

Ladies and gentlemen raise your glasses – Your Bard!

Swallowfield Parish Hall will do its best to become

the ‘Shakespeare Tavern’ for the evening. Join us for

Elizabethan entertainment old and new in the year of

the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s demise. No prior

Shakespeare knowledge necessary!

Save the date: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH 2016

at 7.30 p.m. (doors open at 7pm) Tickets: £10 from Swallowfield Parish Stores, or ring

Hilary on 0118 9885989 or Mags on 0118 9734017.

Our second show, on SATURDAY DECEMBER

10TH, will lead us nicely into the Christmas season.

Titled “Gilbert (No Sullivan)”, it’s a show by

newcomers to Swallowfield, The Foundry Group. A

rollicking adaptation of three outrageous, absurd and

hilarious stories (and two ‘Bab Ballads’) by the master

of ‘Topsy-Turvydom’ Sir W. S. Gilbert, is brought

lovingly to the stage by Radio 4 regular David

Mounfield and co-writer and performer Brian

Mitchell. “Gilbert (No Sullivan)” is the perfect night

out for dedicated

‘Savoyards’, and

a great

introduction for

the uninitiated to

one of England’s

wittiest writers.

You can see more

about the Foundry

Group at www.foundrygroup.co.uk, where there is a

link to a promotional trailer. Full details of the time of

performance and ticket prices will be available in the

autumn – in the meantime, do put the date in you diary,

and watch out for posters and other publicity in

November. Details of S.P.E.G. shows can be found on

the Parish Council’s website,

www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk .

Hilary Fraser and Mags Broadhurst Swallowfield Parish Events Group (S.P.E.G.)

http://www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk/


Riseley Village Tea Room

The Riseley Village Tea Room continues to flourish.

We have had a summer full of parties and family events

as well as lots of people just dropping by. As we

approach the autumn our diary is filling with bookings

for - dare I say it - the Festive Season, but as the sun is

still here we shall enjoy it while it lasts and think about

the cold weather another time.

Our quite delightful

news this summer

was hearing from

This England magazine saying we

had been nominated

for a Finest Tea

Room Award, and

they were delighted

to say we had been

successful. We are

now in proud

possession of a

beautiful framed

certificate "in

recognition of establishments that provide a warm

welcome, excellent service and who continue to uphold

the typically English tradition of Afternoon Tea".

I think the fact that we were unaware of the nomination

and that a lovely lady from Ash in Surrey had taken the

time to write to the magazine has made the award all

the more rewarding. I have traced and contacted the

lovely lady and thanked her for thinking of us. She

responded saying we deserved recognition and was

delighted we had been chosen - just brilliant.

I must mention the background team at the tearoom

who share this award: our wonderful bakers, of course,

and our outdoor team led by our gardening Guru

Caroline Cotton. In the three years we have been open

and the six months prior to that Caroline and her

husband David have toiled ceaselessly in the area

around the Memorial hall. What was once an

overgrown shrubbery has now been replaced by a

pretty herbaceous border surrounding the building,

interspersed with flowering shrubs and roses. What

passed for soil has been removed and good composted

soil has replaced it. The watering system cleverly

installed by David is working a treat - it has been three

long years with a lot to contend with, notwithstanding

a pony and trap riding across the newly planted borders

and the constant littering.

Working alongside Caroline and David is Gilbert

Morris, an absolute gem. Gilbert trims, prunes and

carts away. Throughout the summer months Gilbert

ensures the watering system is on and the tubs and

containers fed and watered. We are always thrilled

when people remark on the transformation in the area

surrounding the Memorial Hall.

I must not forget to mention Ray, our DIY guy we go

to when anything is needed from collecting supplies to

sourcing furniture and fittings, all manner of repairs.

The list is endless, we couldn't do it without him; and

although he does have the occasional moan we know

he loves it really.

Finally as I write this with the sun beating down on a

glorious August afternoon we are planning the

Christmas event. So far nothing has been confirmed as

to theme, but the date will be

Saturday December 17th. How we can better last year’s

event I don't know, but we shall certainly give it a go.

Pam Wright

Manager 0118 988 7028,

Riseley Village Tea Room 0118 996 7375

Our next production is ‘FUNERAL GAMES’ by

Joe Orton, which will be performed on

Friday 7th, Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th October

Like all of Joe Orton's plays, this is a black comedy.

Cult leader, preacher and con artist Pringle hires the

thuggish criminal Caulfield to investigate an

anonymous report that his wife Tessa is having an

affair with a defrocked Catholic priest. It seems as if

the report is mistaken, and Tessa's visits to the priest

McCorquodale are innocent..... to tell you any more

would ruin the plot! The play is being directed by

Nigel Adams and rehearsals are in full swing. Please,

make a note of the dates and come and support your

local Dramatic Society. A light supper will be served

during the performance.

Tickets £9 available from Swallowfield Parish Stores

and from our Box Office, tel. no: 07555 073 597.

Do visit our Web Site www.russellplayers.co.uk

which gives you the full catalogue of the Society both

in photographs and text, together with up to date

information about our activities.

Next year is an important milestone in our history as

we will be celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the

Russell Players performing to our local community.

We have several events planned to mark this special

year and are very keen to make contact with people

who have been involved with Russell Players during its

40 year existence, so that they can be invited to all

occasions. Do make contact with us by either emailing

or telephoning Maggie, our Secretary:

Maggie Uttley (Secretary) on 0118 988 2954 or at

[email protected]

For details about how to join the Russell Players,

please again contact Maggie or alternatively:

Mitch Mitchell (Chairman) on 07710 500 491 or at

[email protected]

http://www.russellplayers.co.uk/




Swallowfield Art Group

The pet portraits we did at

the start of the Summer

Term made an appearance

at the Swallowfield Show.

There were multiple

versions of the tabby which

all the class did together – it

made for an interesting

comparison. Two weeks later the class put what they

had learned into practice on portraits of their own or

friends’ pets – and some of these were visible both in

the Art exhibition tent and in the Horticultural Society

Show Tent.

Thank you to those of you who popped in to our Art

Exhibition Tent. I hope you enjoyed seeing our pictures

on display and in the main Horticultural Show

Competition. More than 400 visitors over the weekend

filled in our little prize draw slip with their favourite

picture – one visitor is a lucky £10 winner; Jane Pratt

won £10 for the largest number of votes overall and

Jenny Spencer won £10 for the most

votes for her picture of a cow

called Noah. All the artists

will gain confidence from the

votes which were cast for

their work.

Our Autumn term with tutor

Jonathan Newey begins on September 12, starting with

landscapes and buildings using different media –

watercolour pencils, sepia pen and wash, different

papers, pastels.

We might have space for one or two new members –

beginners are welcome. Please contact me if you are

interested. Jenny Boddington

Swallowfield Art Group

(Swallowfield Parish Hall on Mondays from 2-4pm)

Swallowfield Local History Society

We thoroughly enjoyed Mike Cooper’s ‘The Abbey

and the Castle: Reading in the Middle Ages’ on 19th

May, with updates on the latest developments to the

Abbey site. It was very interesting evening full of facts

and anecdotes in Mark’s usual style. To see early maps

showing how much land the abbey controlled in

Reading, and to hear snippets about the tradesmen who

served the abbey, as well as a central kitchen which

may have been Reading's first takeaway! A telling

contrast was made between the Benedictine Abbey in

the east of the town, which was wealthy, and the Friars

living in their chosen poverty to the west. There were

also some early insights into future ideas to focus on

the "abbey quarter" in conjunction with the grant that

has now been secured to preserve and make safe the

abbey ruins. It is hoped that modern methods may

reveal a lot more, although whether Henry I really is

under a car park remains to be seen.....

Another good evening on 21st July when Richard

Marks gave his first talk to the Society called ‘Arrival

of Railways in Reading’. His presentation was

interesting in that he went on to debunk some of the

most notable historians’ theories on the effect of the

railways bulldozing themselves across the country

side, notably Dan Snow’s recent TV series on the

subject. As he said, the railways wanted to use the most

cost-effective way of getting routes into cities and

towns. He used Bath and Reading as examples of how

the tracks were routed into them. In each case they did

not come into the centre of the towns and used land that

was readily available on the outskirts. Most routes

when they came across habitation went round or

bought land as part of slum clearance. A lot of this land

was owned by the church or slum landlords. It stirred

up lots of interest shown by the number of questions

and the lively discussion that followed.

We’re looking forward to welcoming Barbara Stanley

to our next meeting on Thursday 15th September. Her

presentation is entitled ‘150 years of girls’ education

in schools such as The Abbey School, Reading’.

This is a subject very close to her heart and as she has

recently retired as Head Mistress of The Abbey School

she comes with extensive knowledge of this important

development in our history.

This will be followed by the Hon.Mary Bayliss on 20th

October, who will give a talk entitled ‘The Berkshire

Lieutenancy‘ which is based on her experience as the

Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. Both these ladies live

locally and we are so pleased we have been able to

persuade them to come and talk to us.

Our Web Site www.slhsoc.org.uk gives the full

programme for the rest of the year.

New members and visitors are always welcome. If a

subject attracts your attention, just come along and join

us for the evening. The Rose Room, Swallowfield

Parish Hall, 7.45 for 8 pm. If you would like to know

more about the History Society, please contact either

Ken Hussey (Chairman) on 0118 988 3650 or Maggie

Uttley (Secretary) on 0118 988 2954, or email

[email protected] .

Maggie

Swallowfield Badminton Club

We are a friendly group based around the

Swallowfield, Riseley, Spencers Wood and Shinfield

region who would warmly welcome new members to

our Club. Our playing standards are varied and we are

a non-league club.

Joining a badminton club is an ideal way to keep fit

safely through low impact exercise and make new

friends. Please contact Martin: tel: 0118 988 2671, e-

mail [email protected]. We hope to see you soon

PS *Ask about our first free ‘taster’ evening!

http://www.slhsoc.org.uk/




The Farley Singers Concert

For those who don't know who we are, The Farley

Singers is a small local chamber choir founded and

directed by David Walder.

Our forthcoming concert, on 25th September at

7.30pm, will be in the lovely setting of All Saints'

Church Swallowfield. The programme will feature

favourite English and Irish choral classics, including:

Ralph Vaughan Williams - Serenade to Music

Charles Villiers Stanford - 3 Motets

Charles Wood - Hail Gladdening Light

William Henry Harris - Bring Us O Lord

Herbert Howells - Requiem

We do hope that you will come and support us!

Our concerts are always friendly and relaxed occasions

with refreshments available in the interval. We are

raising money this time for Swallowfield church and

for Macmillan Cancer Support but, as always, we

make no charge for admission. Please put the date in

your diary and come along on the night!

Farley Hill Cricket Club

Since the last article a month into the season, Farley

Hill Cricket Club has continued its great start in the

Saturday league and following the last game in August

have become Berkshire Cricket League Division 2

champions for 2016! The season finished on a high

with an excellent well fought win against close rivals

Shinfield, to get us to 10 wins in 14 games. The team

spirit has been amazing and with a couple of new

players, the availability of players has been much more

consistent this year. Ali Jalil scored 485 runs in the

league to top the whole of Division 2 and we had three

bowlers in the top 10. We are excited by the prospect

of being back in the heady heights of BCL Div 1 in

2017.

The Sunday side have also had another fantastic season

with some great wins and some good performances to

achieve some narrow losses, but most importantly a lot

of fun - there are further games in September before the

closing Oldies v Youngies club day on Saturday 24

September. Even though the season is coming to an

end, we welcome new players or spectators to our

scenic ground, so do get in contact on

[email protected] if you would like to know

more.

Simon Longfield

Farley Hill Bowls Club News

Autumn 2016

By the time you read this our 2016 Bowls season will

be over and our Green will be closed after a successful

programme of bowls and social events.

We are a unique bowls club because we only play

friendly matches against many different local clubs and

do not get involved with the hectic world of county

leagues. More importantly, we do not have a selection

committee, so if you put

your name down in good

time you will be playing

in that particular game.

All bookings for

matches and social

events, as well as the

displaying of the

teams, are done online

through our compre-

hensive website:

www.farleyhillbowlsclub.org.uk.

We always welcome new members, whether you are a

bowler or would just like to join the social side of the

club. There is a programme of social events during the

winter months, which this year will include a Victorian

Christmas Games evening and an exciting Race

Evening. Social membership is only £10 a year;

whereas Bowling membership is currently £60 a year,

plus match fees.

To find out more about the Club please do not hesitate

to contact Bill Dowling (01344 772130,

[email protected]).

PS *Ask about our first free ‘taster’ evening!

Farley Hill Village Society

It feels like the summer has been very kind to the good

folk of the Farley Hill Village Society. After an

absolutely stunning tea party to celebrate the Queen’s

90th birthday, our good friends Jeanie and Charlie

welcomed two additions to the world in Elliemae and

Elizabeth, we wish them all the very best.

Continuing the welcoming theme, The Farley Hill

Bowls Club also welcomed all comers to several “open

.


http://www.farleyhillbowlsclub.org.uk/



evenings” over the summer. All those that were able,

were given some instruction and then let loose on the

perfectly manicured grass. We now know that a

bowling lane of the herbaceous variety is known as a

rink! Bowling seems like a very sedate way to spend a

lazy afternoon. Unfortunately it takes a maddening

amount of skill to make it look like a sedate way to

spend a lazy afternoon!

What could be seen as a celebration of the end of

summer (or summer holidays at least) took the form of

an impromptu BBQ in the guise of First Friday Food,

hosted by top BBQ chefs Adam and Russell.

It’s great to see what a mailing list, some nice weather

and a few able volunteers can achieve. A gathering of

the community always makes for easy company now

we have become more than just neighbours, through

the great work of FHVS.

Upcoming events…

18 Sept - Post Swallowfield 10K BBQ. After helping

Swallowfield Scout Group by participating in their

annual fundraiser, runners and those interested in

running will meet back at the hall for an informal get

together.

09 Oct - Mountain Bike orienteering and Second

Sunday lunch. The Hatfields are setting a course

around Farley Hill, starting at the hall with lunch after

if you don’t get lost. 10am meet for orienteering with a

12pm lunch.

13 Nov - Second Sunday lunch. 12pm

02 Dec - First Friday food from 7pm

Bar open every Friday evening from 7pm. All

welcome. See you there. Christiaan

Swallowfield Horticultural Society

The relief, the relief,

we are not facing

bankruptcy. At last

after two disastrous

years the sun has

shone on a full day of

Swallowfield Show,

and the other day had

some bearable

showers, short and sharp. I may go on a lot about the

weather, but if it does not work for us, a whole year of

work comes to very little and our base fund is

hammered.

So we are all sleeping well again and eating and

drinking at normal times. The sunburn of the outdoor

teams is easing off a bit and everyone’s tired legs have

had a rest. It was great to see the Showground really

full once more on the Monday. And to know that with

luck we are back in the black

During the day we did a little informal surveying to see

what people felt would improve the Show. It would be

interesting if you have thoughts on this from this year

or previous ones. Every event has to keep evolving and

one of the ways we have not so far is in our publicity.

We know we should be doing much more through

social media, but no-one on our current committee is

confident enough to take this on. So if there is a

volunteer for this we would love to hear from them.

This year too, as you will all be aware, we lost our main

parking area. As a temporary measure the Horse Show

moved to Saturday, but it is not our intention to do that

permanently. We would be very interested to hear any

comments from people who parked in what will be our

usual parking, the field across Yew Tree Lane. How

did it work for you? Please email comments on this and

any other aspects of the show to me:

[email protected]

It only remains for me to say a huge thank you to all

the coordinators, to all their helpers who never attend a

single talk on horticulture but are always there for the

Swallowfield Show week of hard work. Each team

takes their responsibility and produces their part in the

process. Problem solving is quick and efficient and

communication clear. The committee will now start

working on the 133rd Show and they are ready to go as

soon as we have had our wash up meeting to analyse

the good and the less good this year.

Finally, we would all like to say ‘Happy 90th Birthday’

to Margaret Webber, who was not quite well enough to

get to the surprise party we had planned for on the last

day of the Show.

Roberta Stewart

Farley Hall Horse Trials

We were very sad to have to cancel the annual Farley

Hall Horse Trials in Swallowfield Park on 25-26th June.

The site was looking perfect on the Wednesday, but by

Thursday evening we had seen a month’s rainfall in a

day, not just over the Park but upriver in Guildford and

the southeast. That water reached us on Friday and our

cross country fences were two feet underwater!

It was a real shame not to be able to showcase our new

Intermediate course, as we had very prestigious entries

with most Olympic teams coming for a warm-up run

pre-Rio. They had to re-route elsewhere, but all

expressed their dismay and intention to come back next

year. In fact all entries were phenomenal, being

oversubscribed by nearly 400 entries. This was

following a very wet April and May when lots of events

were cancelled, so everyone was looking for a run!

We are making substantial changes next year to avoid

the same situation. Whilst we cannot control the

weather, we are going to move the cross country course

into the heart of the park, utilising Great Wood and

more of Hundred Acre field (the great big one!). We

could have run the event this year if we had used those

higher parts of the park, albeit it would have been a bit

muddy! Swallowfield Park has a centuries old drainage

system which we shall start to gradually restore, so you

may see some diggers moving around, but we’re not


making any changes, just clearing and renewing some

blocked and damaged ditches and drains.

We are grateful to our sponsors and supporters who

were all very understanding of the cancellation, and

hope to welcome them and all our visitors back next

year with our new layout and hopefully weather-proof

site! We had a horse and carriage planned to give rides

which will return next year, and some other attractions

that will be added too now we have another year to

plan! Please email [email protected] if

you would like further information or follow us on

Facebook.

Natalie Gaibani

Swallowfield Baby and Toddler Group

We have had a lovely few months at Swallowfield baby

and toddler group. On 11th June we attended the

Swallowfield Fete at Mead house and held an arts and

crafts table for children of all ages to take part in. We

had a lovely stream of visitors all enjoying making

flowers with cupcake cases and Father's Day trees

using hand prints. We would like to say a huge thank

you to everyone who popped along to say hello and, of

course, to all who helped out.

We have had several table top sellers attending

toddlers. We find this is a great way to get a little bit of

shopping done while the children have a play. We

regularly have the following companies pop in:

Phoenix cards, Osborne books, Love Viva and Forever

Living, Please keep an eye on our Facebook page for

dates.

At the end of July we held our annual teddy bears

picnic, which ended up being an indoor picnic thanks

to the weather. A great time was had by all, none the

less, thanks to the bouncy castle, face painting and

cake.

We have two more special events coming up before the

end of the year:

Friday 28th October: Photographer and Halloween

party. As this falls on half term it's an ideal

opportunity to bring older siblings for a

photograph, which will be delivered to the group

in time for Christmas.

Friday 16th December is the Christmas party - this

is a ticketed event so make sure you grab yours

early.

We have been closed for the past few weeks while the

lighting in the hall has been updated. We reopen Friday

2nd September.

With the start of a new school year we have to say

goodbye to a number of regular visitors as they head

on to preschool or school. We all wish you the best of

luck in your next adventure. Sadly we also have to say

goodbye to the parents, grandparents and carers who

have been attending, many of whom have helped make

the group what it is by either helping with the running

of the group or becoming a committee member. We

thank you all.

We also wish Mel the best of luck in taking on being

the new chair of the group.

We hope you have all had a lovely summer and we look

forward to welcoming you back.

Swallowfield baby and toddler group committee

Swallowfield Pre-School 07771 184982

[email protected]

www.swallowfieldpreschool.org.uk

The end of the Summer term was a blur of activity

within the Pre-School – visits from new children and

primary school teachers, transition visits to the various

local primary schools, a visit from Whitley Wood Fire

Brigade and our Sports Day and Leavers Ceremony.

As the large red shape

of the fire appliance

swung in to the car

park, the excitement

levels of the children

rose! Members of

White Watch battled

the torrential rain to

enable all the children

to board the appliance

and take turns at the

steering wheel. As

the rain ceased, they

answered questions

and then helped

everyone to use the

massive hoses. It was

a fantastic morning and all the children, some dressed

as fire fighters, talked about the visit for days to come.

The weather was kind for

our annual Sports Day

and Leavers Ceremony.

The children took part in

favourite races – running,

egg and spoon, and

novelty hat – and watched

with amusement as first sibling toddlers, and then

Mums and Dads ran for the finishing line. All the

children were awarded a medal for their stirling efforts.

We felt very proud as we sang ‘Good Bye’ to our

leavers and presented them with ‘Graduation

Certificates’; we wish them all well on their new

journeys at primary school.

September will see the start of another term packed full

of fun and learning; we look forward to welcoming

back familiar faces and to meeting our new starters.

Our Autumn Jumble Sale will take place on Saturday

24th September, 2pm in Swallowfield Parish Hall.

Good quality jumble may be dropped off on the

morning of the sale from 8.30am (not in the days


http://www.swallowfieldpreschool.org.uk/


preceding please due to storage limitations). We look

forward to seeing you there!

We offer morning sessions, Monday-Friday at

Swallowfield Parish Hall 9.15 - 12.30. We follow the

Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, are a fully

inclusive setting and have been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted.

For more information or to arrange a visit, please

contact us at [email protected] or

call 07771 184982.

Helen Coulter, Swallowfield Pre-School

Registered Charity No: 1025250

Swallowfield Parish Allotment

Association The allotment gardening community of

Swallowfield Parish

Open Mornings

All Welcome

Saturday 3rd September 2016 & Saturday 8th October 2016

9am – 12 noon

Swallowfield Allotments, Part Lane, Swallowfield

Your chance to visit the allotments:

Wander round and chat to plot holders

Enjoy the refreshments on offer

Find out more about taking on a plot

o Want to ‘grow your own’?

o Looking for a family activity?

o Interested in meeting new people from the

local community?

Lend a hand with our Autumn ‘all hands’

maintenance working party

For more information

regarding SPAA, please

contact Bev Marshall-Smith

(Secretary) on 0118 988 6946

or write to Swallowfield

Parish Allotment Association

(SPAA), c/o Swallowfield

Parish Council, Parish

Office, Swallowfield Street, Swallowfield, Berkshire

RG71QX

Swallowfield Parish Allotment

Association

The plotters have had a good summer with produce in

abundance. The mix of sunshine and rainfall has seen

good crops on the plots.

As we head to the autumn we have a couple of plotters

giving up their plots as they leave the local area for

pastures and possibly plots anew. If you are interested

in taking a plot at our site on Part Lane, do get in touch.

We shall be happy to show you round and even arrange

a taster session to help you decide.

I have been secretary since the onset and have had six

lovely years in the role, but I have decided to hand on

the baton to Bev Marshall-Smith. Bev and her husband

Neil have been stalwart supporters and keen

plotters since day one and happily work their

allotments growing a mix of fruit, veg and flowers and

will be more than happy to help newcomers to

allotmenteering.

Happy plotting and signing off as secretary.

Pam Wright Contact details for Bev

[email protected]

Bev Marshall-Smith 01189886946

News from Swallowfield

Medical Practice

Autumn 2016

Welcome to the autumn newsletter from Swallowfield

Medical Practice, put together jointly by the Practice

and the Patient Participation Group.

Flu Clinics Autumn 2016

Saturday 24th September & Saturday 8th October

8.30am - 12 noon

A vaccine is available every year to protect those

people who are at most risk of complications or who

aren’t able to fight off flu as easily as others. If you are

in one of the following at-risk groups then you really

should have your immunisation:

Heart disease; Stroke; TIA; MS; Asthma; COPD;

Diabetes; Kidney disease; Liver disease;

Immunosuppressed; aged 65 years

or over; a Carer or are Pregnant.

Please come along to one of the Flu

Clinics to get your free vaccination

– no need to book.




Children’s Flu

Protecting children can stop flu spreading to others in

the community, especially babies and grandparents

who may be at higher risk from flu. Most children

receive a nasal flu spray which is painless and easy to

have.

We will be holding separate flu clinics in the autumn

for children in the at-risk groups and those who are

aged 2, 3 and 4 years as at 31 August 2016. More

information will be available shortly so please look out

for adverts in the surgery or on our website for details

of clinics

CQC - A Good Practice

It’s official! – Swallowfield Medical Practice has been

classified a ‘Good’ Practice by the Care Quality

Commission (CQC). All GP practices in England are

being inspected by the CQC and on 8th June this year

five inspectors descended on the practice for the day.

They undertook in-depth inspections into the quality of

care provided and management of the Practice under

the following headings:

Are services safe? Are the services effective? Are the

services caring? Are the services responsive to people’

needs? Are the services well led?

After a presentation to the inspection team, members

of staff working on the day were interviewed,

processes, policies and procedures examined, and

evidence gathered. Patients were also interviewed as

were representatives from the PPG. It was a gruelling

and stressful day for everyone in the practice but our

hard work and commitment has paid off with a ‘Good’

result in all the categories measured. Our thanks to

everyone involved and to those patients who completed

CQC comment cards, all of which were favourable! A

full report is available on our surgery website or on:

http://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/1-199752536

During April to June 2016 421 appointments were lost

to non-attenders. This equates to 70 hours of clinical

time being wasted. Please do let us know if you can’t

attend so that we can re-allocate your appointment.

Antibiotics - A Growing National Concern

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat both humans

and animals. Before antibiotics were introduced people

often died from infections such as pneumonia or

meningitis. Simple medical procedures were risky

because of the chance of infection. That changed with

the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s. Since then,

these medicines have enabled us to fight infections and

save millions of lives.

BUT antibiotics are becoming ineffective against

many infections because as a nation we aren’t using

them properly:

We take medicines that we don’t need. Antibiotics

don’t help viral infections including most coughs

and colds.

If antibiotics are prescribed we often don’t take

them exactly as prescribed eg missing doses, not

taking the whole course, saving some for the future

or giving them to someone else.

This is leading to Antibiotic Resistance and is one of

the biggest threats facing us today.

What can you do to help?

Don’t ask for antibiotics – treat your cold and flu

symptoms with pharmacist advice and over the counter

medicines. Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed,

never save them for later, never share them with others.

Spread the word – tell your family and friends about

antibiotic resistance.

Staff Update

Farewell: We have seen several changes to our

reception and admin team over the past three months.

We’ve said farewell and many thanks to receptionists

Mandy Smith, Juliet Devon and also to Sid Underdown

and Steph Prosser who’ve both left us to begin their

maternity leave. We wish them well with their

forthcoming arrivals and hope to see them both and

their new babies soon.

Welcome: We’ve recently appointed two new

receptionists and have pleasure in welcoming Claire

Dean and Robin Slone.

Medical Receptionists require a tremendous amount of

knowledge to be able to perform their role efficiently,

so please bear with us during the training period for our

new staff. They aren’t able to work as quickly as the

experienced receptionists and will need to constantly

check with other team members to ensure they are

giving out correct information. This will inevitably

slow the reception team down and we appreciate it may

take longer to get through on the phones at times, so

we thank you very much for your patience.

Community Navigator

A community navigator is a trained volunteer who is

able to help patients identify any community support

needs they may have. They will signpost you to

appropriate sources of social support and other non-

medical services within the community. Linking with

these organisations can help to improve your general

health and well-being, reduce feelings of isolation and

allow you to meet others who share your diagnosis. For

information on Carers Support across Wokingham

Borough contact Rhiann Jivani, email: Rhiann.Jivani

@involve.community or call 01344 304404

Smoke Free Life – Berkshire You can do it! Over the twelve month period from

April 2015 – March 2016 there have been a total of 857

‘4 week’ quits in GP Surgery clinics across Berkshire.

To find out more about the Smoking Cessation Clinic

we have here at the Swallowfield Medical Practice

please contact Reception for details on 0118 9883473

Letter from the Doctors to all Patients of Swallowfield

Medical Practice

Dear Patients

http://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/1-199752536




The NHS and General Practice are increasingly under

pressure and we would like to share some of the issues

we are facing with you, so that you might understand

our difficulties. We know that you are waiting longer

for appointments and know how frustrating this is. The

demand on our services has been growing for many

years and we find ourselves in a position where we are

unable to provide you with the level of service that we

have been able to in the past. We are working in an

unsustainable situation where we are constantly being

expected to do more and more work, without the

funding and resources to support this. Did you know

the average GP practice receives an annual payment of

just £136 per patient from the government?

Why are GPs busier than they used to be? Life

expectancy is greater than ever before, and older

people have far more complicated medical and social

problems. Hospitals are discharging patients earlier

after admissions and many conditions which were once

managed in hospital now fall under the GP’s remit.

Hospital services are also under pressure with long

waiting times – this has a knock on effect as GPs are

having to plug the gap while patients wait for

appointments eg: by prescribing pain relief, injecting

joints, providing sick notes etc. As GPs, we are not

only managing patients who are ill; we also do a lot of

work on disease prevention and treating conditions like

high blood pressure, diabetes and raised cholesterol to

stop them causing life threatening illnesses in the first

place.

In the hours before, after and between surgeries the

doctors check their test results (there could be upwards

of 50 each day), follow up letters from the hospital (all

have to be checked against patient records and changes

in medication etc put in place), sign prescriptions,

organise referrals, liaise with district nurses, hospitals

and social services, do home visits for house bound

patients and ensure that the necessary admin has been

completed and everything has been done for our

patients.

Some people think that GPs should work a bit harder

or see a few extra patients each day. The average

working week is 50 hours + already and we work in the

evenings and at weekends to ensure that paperwork is

up to date. Working longer hours would make it unsafe

for us to make life and death decisions. During our 10

minute appointments we see a range of conditions from

back ache to brain tumours, diabetes to domestic abuse.

We have to spot whether a cough is just a cough or

something more sinister, decide if bruises in children

are a result of neglect or just normal play.

At Swallowfield we have already introduced our Acute

Illness Nurse-led clinics which has relieved some the

pressure on GPs for minor conditions. This is a really

important area where you could help too. Many

conditions could be self-managed. Before phoning us,

we strongly urge you to consider whether anyone else

can help you. Below are some areas for you to

consider:

Your local pharmacist may be able to give you the help

you need so you won’t have to spend time trying to get

an appointment. Pharmacists are highly trained health

professionals who are experts in medicines. They can

offer advice about minor ailments, coughs, colds, sore

throats, aches and pains, upset stomachs, medication

queries as well as contraceptive advice and lifestyle

advice.

You may be able to manage your condition yourself

using reliable internet sources such as

www.nhs.uk/conditions or www.patient.co.uk. They

offer excellent advice about when you need to be

concerned, how long an illness should last and when

you should contact your doctor. Make sure you have a

thermometer at home – when you or our child are

unwell, knowing what your temperature is makes a big

difference to any advice given. Have simple remedies

at home – PARACETAMOL is great for easing pain

and lowering temperatures. Pick up our Self Care

leaflet when you are in the surgery – this gives handy

tips on treating common ailments.

We are not the only GPs feeling the strain – this is a

national problem. We can’t provide a platinum service

without the resources so we ask two things from our

patients to help us. Firstly consider whether you can

manage your health in other ways as suggested above,

and secondly that you be patient with us and our staff

if we can’t always give you what you want when you

want. We are doing our very best in a very difficult

climate.

Thank you for your continued support.

Dr Beacham, Dr Prabhakar, Dr Ansari,

Dr Hegarty, Dr Dugmore, Dr Smith

Useful Numbers and Contact details

Main Line: 0118 9883134

Appointments: 0118 9883473

24hr Automated System: 0118 9769606

Dispensary: 0118 9883459

Fax: 0118 9885759

Web site: www.swallowfieldmedicalpractice.co.uk

Fran Leafe, Practice Manager

Have you ever Considered

Voluntary Work?

Autumn can be the season of renewal for many of us

so if volunteering is something you may be thinking

about doing then we may just have a role to suit you.

We’re looking for a new Voluntary General Manager

to help run Shinfield Car Service, a small, well-

established local charity based at Spencers Wood. Our

office there is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday

mornings, and is wheelchair accessible with nearby on-

street parking.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions

http://www.patient.co.uk/

http://www.swallowfieldmedicalpractice.co.uk/


The role primarily involves ensuring the smooth day-

to-day operational running of the Car Service which

takes around 20 flexible hours a month, based between

Office and home. We offer thorough familiarisation

training and we pay expenses. You’ll need to enjoy

being a good communicator, IT Literate and have

experience of team management.

The Voluntary Car Service (Charity no: 1152423) has

been successfully running for over six years. It was set

up to help less able residents of Shinfield Parish to get

out and about and to help bring eligible patients to and

from the Swallowfield Medical Practice surgeries.

“We wouldn’t be without it” “I feel independent again”

“I can get to the doctors much easier now” are some of

the typical comments we hear from our clients.

“You meet such lovely people” is another comment

we hear frequently at the Car Service but this time it

comes both from our clients and from our drivers! So

you might like to consider a role in voluntary driving if

voluntary General Manager is not for you. You’ll need

your own car, to enjoy meeting and talking with people

and to have around four hours or more a week to share.

Drivers choose when and where they drive so it can fit

in well. Training and expenses are given.

To find out more about either role please leave your

name and number on 0118 9883400 for me, Sandy

Smith, to get back to you for an informal chat.

Sandy Smith

1st Swallowfield Scout Group Swallowfield Races 2016

18th September

Don’t forget that on 18th September 2016 a worthy

follow up to the Rio Olympics will take place with

Swallowfield’s seventh 3K fun run, 10K road race and

Duathlon! We are again expecting a record turnout for

the races, which are organised by Swallowfield Scouts

as a community event comprising three races:

A 10K road race, open to everyone over 14

“The Duathlon”, a 6.7km run through Farley Hill,

followed by a 18.4km cycle and finishing with a

flat 3.7km run around Swallowfield

A 3K run on grass, which runs through the grounds

of Swallowfield Park itself. This race is open to

anyone eight years or over

If you can help on the day please contact Paul Cobbold

on 0118 988 3369. If you want to run in one of the races

download an application form from the race website at

www.swallowfield10plus3.com .

As usual the roads will be closed for the duration of the

morning please see the letter distributed with this

newsletter. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Paul Cobbold, 1st Swallowfield Group Scout Leader

A33 Resurfacing

WBC has advised the Parish Council that resurfacing

works will take place on the A33, prohibiting any

vehicle from driving in a northbound direction between

the junction with the B3349 Riseley Roundabout and

the junction at Mere Oak Lane.

The alternative route will be via the B3349

Basingstoke Road (Riseley, Swallowfield and

Spencers Wood) and Basingstoke Road (Three Mile

Cross) then back onto the A33. Access to properties

located within the boundary of the closure will be

maintained where possible.

The Order came into operation on 25th August and will

continue for a period not exceeding 18 months. The

closure will be undertaken overnight, during the hours

of 8pm to 6am, and it is anticipated that all the works

will be completed by 16th October.

WBC apologise for any inconvenience that this

restriction may cause.

Bull Lane Underpass Lighting

Wokingham Borough Council has been alerted that the

lighting in the underpass has failed. As it is now

getting dark earlier, this may well cause concern to

drivers and pedestrians. After a site visit, WBC has

advised us that the current lighting fittings are now

obsolete. They are now sourcing alternative LED

lighting and this will be installed as soon as possible.

Roger Norris

Caretaker’s Corner This last summer quarter has been exceptionally busy

in and around the hall with painting throughout the

inside and new LED lighting inside and out. The new

MPG (multi purpose games) court was completed at

the end of August, and very smart it is too.

Lost Property

There is a cupboard in the hall’s main kitchen for

storage of lost property. Items that are found are placed

here, by me, until claimed. At present we have a man’s

large grey jacket with an Italian label and a bunch of

keys inside one pocket – please get in touch if it’s

yours! Other items include a badminton racket; two

umbrellas, one fold-up, the other full-size with a nice

shoulder strap attached; a sturdy duffel bag; a small

boy’s Nike jacket; two kids’ baseball caps; and one

kiddy’s sunhat. There is also a BT phone; four drinks

containers; a set of gold bangles; and last but not least

TWO foxy bikes! One is a Silver Fox, the other a

Muddy Fox, the latter being in very good condition.

If you think that any of the above may belong to you,

please contact the Swallowfield Parish office and speak

to me, Liz or Emma. Items that remain unclaimed will

go into the Pre-School jumble sale within the next few

months.

Mike Nibbit, CSPH

http://www.swallowfield10plus3.com/


What’s On in Spencers Wood Library September, October, November, early

December 2016

What’s On for Adults

Knit and Natter – Drop in for knitting and a chat.

First Thursday in each month 3pm to 4pm

Crafts and Laughs – Drop in with your crafts and

have a laugh.

Third Thursday in each month 3pm to 4pm

Litwits Book Group* Second Monday in each month 6pm to 7pm

Pages in the Wood* - Book Group

Fourth Monday in each month 6pm to 7pm

What’s on for Children and Families

Rhymetime - Rhymes for babies 0 to 18 months.

Thursday 6 October, 3 November, 1 December 10.15am

to10.45am

Storytime – Stories and rhymes for children aged 5 and

under. Free.

Monday 3 October, 7 November, 5 December 4pm to

4.30pm

* For events marked with asterisk please phone Spencers

Wood Library on 0118 988 4771 to book a place.

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/wokinghamboroughlibraries

Twitter @WBC_Libraries

Website: www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries

Blog:https://wokinghamboroughlibraries.wordpress.com

Opening hours: Mon 2.30pm-7pm, Tue 2.30pm-5pm,

Thurs 10am-12.30pm/2.30pm-5pm, Sat 10am-12.30pm

Tel: (0118) 988 4771

re3 Recycling Centres

New charges for some non-household waste at

re3 Recycling Centres From 30th September, re3 recycling centres will be

introducing charges for the disposal of some non-

household waste as part of a programme to make

essential savings and provide a more efficient and fair

waste management service.

Non-household waste includes items from the repair

and alteration to homes and waste from landscaping or

garden remodelling. Councils are entitled to charge for

the disposal of these types of waste and, in order to

produce much-needed savings, re3 has taken the

decision to do so. Residents can still dispose of all other

household waste free of charge at the recycling centres.

A full list of charges is available in re3’s Waste

Acceptance Policy, available from www.re3.org.uk.

Payments will be by credit, debit or pre-paid payment

card only, and visitors to the sites will be asked to agree

the charge and pay before depositing their waste.

re3’s recycling centres in Bracknell and Reading will

continue to accept all other household waste free of

charge including garden waste, white goods, large and

small electrical items, wood, bric-a-brac and bulky

household waste such as furniture, carpets and

mattresses. Items that are brought in and are still in

good condition are donated to Sue Ryder to fundraise

for hospice care. For more information on what is

accepted at re3 recycling centres, please visit

http://www.fccenvironment.co.uk/re3-household-

recycling-centres.html

New commercial vehicle permit scheme A new commercial and commercial-type vehicle

permit scheme is being introduced by re3, as part of a

crackdown on the dumping of trade waste at recycling

centres.

From 30th September residents driving commercial and

commercial-type vehicles (e.g. vans or vehicles with

larger trailers) will need to present a permit when

visiting the re3 recycling centres in Longshot Lane,

Bracknell, and Island Road, Reading.

re3 has calculated that if even just 1% of what is

deposited at the recycling centres comes from traders,

it would cost the re3 partnership councils £68,000 a

year to process it.

If you own, or are borrowing or hiring, a commercial

vehicle, you will need to apply for a commercial

vehicle permit before every visit. An online application

form will be available shortly. When you’ve completed

the webform, you will be provided with a single-use

permit that you can either print out or store on your

phone or other mobile device. Please bring your

driving licence photocard or a council tax or bank

statement, or a credit card or utility bill, confirming

your re3 residency, and show the permit to staff at the

entrance who will record it.

http://www.facebook.com/wokinghamboroughlibraries

http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries

http://www.fccenvironment.co.uk/assets/files/Revised%20WAP%20v5.pdf

http://www.fccenvironment.co.uk/assets/files/Revised%20WAP%20v5.pdf

http://www.re3.org.uk/

http://www.fccenvironment.co.uk/re3-household-recycling-centres.html

http://www.fccenvironment.co.uk/re3-household-recycling-centres.html


Recycle your batteries: Place your used batteries in

the red box located in the kitchen at Swallowfield

Parish Hall. Most types of batteries can be collected

including:

All AAA and AA cells

Size C and D

Button batteries e.g. watch, hearing aids

Mobile phone batteries

Laptop batteries

Powertool batteries

Rechargeable batteries

Waste disposal:

Weekly blue bag collections: WBC carries out a

weekly collection for waste and recycling and

residents who are either elderly or infirm can apply

for an assisted collection. See also black box

recycling tips on the back page of the newsletter.

All waste types: Take to the household waste

recycling centres at Smallmead, Island Road,

Reading, RG2 0RP or Longshot Lane, Bracknell,

RG12 1RL where up to 80% of waste can be reused

or recycled

Garden waste: This can be home composted or

residents can opt into the kerbside garden waste

collection scheme.

Bulky household items: You can organise a

collection for as little as £28 for up to five items by

calling Veolia on: (0118) 909 9360, or email

[email protected].

Halls for Hire and Hall Fees

Swallowfield Parish Hall: Capacity: Main hall - 200, Davies Room – 20,

Rose Room – max 30

Riseley Clubhouse – 60 Victory Hall, Farley Hill (licenced premises) – maximum 200

Booking information:

Emma Shepherd on 0118 988 5444 for

Swallowfield Parish Hall and The Rose Room

bookings

Lax Mayani on 0118 988 8336/0777 0275344 for

Riseley Clubhouse bookings

Emma Tweed on 07774 703416 and at

[email protected] for Victory Hall bookings

The following fees apply from 1st September 2016:

Please note that Local Users rates are only available to

residents of Swallowfield Parish, which encompasses

Swallowfield, Riseley, Farley Hill and Stanford

End. If you do not live in the Parish you will be

charged at the Outside User rate. If you are unsure

about whether you qualify for the local user rate, please

contact the Parish Office.

Local Local Outside &

regular users users commercial users

£/hr £/hr £/hr

Weekdays up to 6pm

Swallowfield 8.90 13.40 23.70

Parish Hall

Davies Room 6.20 7.85 10.40

Rose Room* 17.30 17.30 17.30

Sun to Thurs after 6pm

Weekends up to 6pm £/hr £/hr £/hr Swallowfield 11.75 17.90 36.70

Parish Hall

Davies Room 7.60 8.90 12.70

Rose Room* 11.00 12.95 17.90

Friday and Saturday after 6pm Swallowfield 17.90 27.30 44.80

Parish Hall

Davies Room 10.00 11.80 18.45

Rose Room* 11.35 13.40 20.30

The Rose Room Half day all users * £59.75

Full day all users * £92.70

NB: *Fees for the Rose Room are exclusive of VAT

Victory Hall, Farley Hill Weekdays up to 6pm: £8.00 per hour

Weekdays from 6pm-11pm and

Weekends up to 6pm: £11.00 per hour

Fri/Sat evening from 6pm-11pm: flat rate of £110.00

Minimum hire period 2 hours. Farley Hill residents

receive a 10% discount. For commercial rates see the

website: victoryhalltrust.com/hire

Parish Council and Planning Meetings

2016

With the exception of the Annual Parish Meeting, all

meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in

the Rose Room, Swallowfield Parish Hall, starting at

7.30pm.

Dates for the remainder of 2016 are:

13 September

11 October

8 November

13 December

When it is necessary to hold a separate Planning

Committee Meeting, this will usually held on the 4th

Tuesday of the month.

AGENDAS AND MINUTES OF MEETINGS

Agendas are posted on the notice boards three days

before the meetings. Copies of the minutes are

available from the Parish Office (adjacent to

Swallowfield Parish Hall), the Parish Stores, on the

website or they can be emailed to you by request.

CONTACTING THE PARISH COUNCIL

Members can be contacted through Liz Halson, the

Parish Clerk. Telephone the Parish Office – 988 5929,

or email [email protected] or check the

PC’s website: www. swallowfieldpc.gov.uk

USEFUL LOCAL INFORMATION





Transport Information

Copies of Wokingham Borough Council’s Transport

Map and Guide are available from the parish office.

All Travel Enquiries: 0871 200 2233 Calls cost 10p per minute 7am-10pm 7 days a week

Local Buses Detailed timetables are available from the Parish Stores

and the Parish Council Office.

7 & 8 (formerly 72 and 82) both operated Monday to

Saturday by Stagecoach, tel: 0845 1210190, enquiries

0871 2002233, www.stagecoachbus.com/south

7: Aldershot/Reading/Aldershot

8: Farnborough/ Reading Farnborough, both via

Riseley and Swallowfield to Station Road Reading.

Monday to Friday: Departs The Bull Riseley at:

06.19, 06.59, 07.32, 09.13, 10.13, 11.13, 12.13, 13.13,

14.13, 15.13, 15.53 (no.8), 16.33, 17.03 (no.8), 17.43,

18.43, departs the Crown Swallowfield 5 minutes later,

plus an extra service at 08.07.

Saturday: Departs The Bull Riseley at:

08.08, then 13 minutes past each hour from 09.13 to

17.13, 18.40, depart The Crown, Swallowfield 5 minutes

later. Journey time to Reading Station: 36 minutes from

Riseley and 31 minutes from Swallowfield.

82: The 82 evening service operates from Reading

Station to Riseley via Swallowfield at 19.25 Monday to

Friday, and also at 21.45 and 22.45 Thursday and Friday.

112 Operated by Reading Buses tel: 0118 959 4000

Spencers Wood/Reading/Spencers Wood via

Shinfield, Whitley Wood.

154 Thursday and Saturday only Operated by Horseman Coaches tel: 0118 975 3811

Stratfield Saye/Reading/Stratfield Saye via Beech Hill,

Loddon Court Farm, Grazeley, Morrisons

Park and Ride Information: tel: 0118 951 1412

Mereoak Lane/Reading Station

Operates on average five times an hour from Mereoak

Lane, Grazeley on Monday to Saturday. Last admission

for parking at 6.15pm; car exit available at all times.

Some journeys travel direct to Reading town centre, and

others stop at Reading International Business Park,

Madejski Stadium or Kennet Island. Fares: Adult £2

single/£3.50 return. Solo (age 5-18) £1.20 single/£1.70

return, plus 50p per day parking charge. .Concessions

apply. For further information 0118 9594000, or

www.reading-buses.co.uk.

Madejski Stadium/Central Reading

Operates every 7/15 minutes

Concessionary Bus Passes can be used on this service.

There are also concessionary fare options - contact the

Fares Information Line on 0118 974 6807/0118 974 6813.

The Loddon Bridge/Central Reading Park and

Ride: for full details see their website:

wokingham.gov.uk/transport/parking/park-and-ride.

The service operates every 15 minutes commencing

6.45am weekdays and 8.02am Saturdays (no service on

Sundays or public holidays). Saver fares and season

tickets are available.

Trains Information: tel: 0845 748 4950

www.nationalrail.co.uk or

www.southwesttrains.co.uk.

Two trains an hour run each way between Reading and

Basingstoke, stopping at Mortimer station. Some parking

at the station. Journey time from Reading to Mortimer 10

minutes approx. and to Basingstoke 24 minutes approx.

Keep Mobile (leaflets available at the Parish Office)

Information: tel: 0845 544 0850

Keep Mobile offers to provide transport for all your needs

that is accessible for people who find ordinary buses or

trains difficult. The service offers:

Dial a ride up to 15 miles from home - fixed fares

Day excursions

Shopping trips

Community Group hire, Disabled access

Useful Contact Details

Parish Office (phone and fax) 0118 988 5929

Parish Stores: 0118 988 5138

All Saints’ Church, Swallowfield:

Team Vicar Rev’d Paul Willis:

[email protected]

Benefice secretary Mrs Karen Eaves: 0118 988 5923

Nutbean Cemetery: all enquiries to the above

Swallowfield Medical Centre: 0118 988 3134

Appointments: 0118 988 3473

(www.swallowfieldmedicalpractice.co.uk)

Swallowfield Community Responders 0118 988 4384

Citizens Advice Bureau: appointments 0118 988 3134

Royal Berkshire and Battle 0118 987 5111

Hospital Trust: or 0118 322 5111

Wokingham Hospital: 0118 949 5000

Police general non-emergency: 101

*This number is for all non-emergency calls, you

should still dial 999 in genuine emergencies

Thames Water emergency: 0800 714 614

24hr Flood line Service 0845 988 1188

Southern Electricity emergency: 0845 770 8090

Gas Emergency: 0800 111 999

Flood Resilience Group: [email protected]

Farley Hill Primary School: 0118 973 2148

Lambs Lane Primary School: 0118 988 3820

Spencers Wood Public Library: 0118 988 4771

Local cinema, Winnersh Triangle: 0118 974 7711

Readi-Bus: 0118 931 0000

Reading Buses: 0118 959 4000

Train enquiries: 0845 748 4950

Heathrow Airport: 08700 000 123

Gatwick Airport: 01293 535 353

http://www.stagecoachbus.com/south

http://www.getreading.co.uk/all-about/grazeley

http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/




Art Group: Jenny Boddington 988 5804 mail: [email protected]

Badminton Club: Mixed Chris Broadhurst 973 4017

Ladies Val Payne 988 3594

Bell Ringing: Tower Stephen Jenkins 01189 885312

Captain and Secretary: [email protected]

Calico Trust: Marina Goldsmith 988 2490

Farley Hill Bowls Club: Bill Dowling 01344 772130

email: [email protected]

Farley Hill Cricket Club: Potts Connolly 988 9046

www.farleyhillcricket.co.uk

Farley Hill Village Society:

web: www.victoryhalltrust.com


Fishing Club: Russ Hatchett 07766355989

History Society: Maggie Uttley 988 2954

web: [email protected]

Horticultural Society: Val Payne 988 3594

Pilates: Hazel Boxall 0788 1951296

Riseley & Swallowfield

Women’s Institute: Zilla Fraser 988 4543

Riseley Village Tea Room: Pam Wright 988 7028

Tea Room 996 7375

Russell Players: Mitch Mitchell 07710 500491

www.russellplayers.co.uk

RSF Tennis Club: www.rsftennisclub.co.uk

- membership Chrissie Myhill


- bookings Lax Mayani 988 8336/0777 0275344

Swallowfield Church Choir: Judy Gillis 988 2437

Swallowfield Parish Allotment Association -

SPAA: Bev Marshall-Smith secretary 988 6496

Swallowfield Scout Group:

Beavers Kate Arnott 976 0110

Cubs Paul Harrington 976 0506

Scouts Paul Cobbold 988 3369

Waiting list Tanja Maskell 988 6582

Swallowfield Sewing Bee: Sue Hames 988 6875

Email: [email protected]

Swallowfield Baby and Toddler

Group: Gemma Hinze 07780 615200

Swallowfield Pre-School: Mon-Friday 9.15–12.30

Helen Coulter 0777 1184982

[email protected]

Swallowfield Wasps

Football Club: Nathan Stevens 07747 118709

Table Tennis: Lorraine Fraser 988 5208

Whist Drive: John Done 0118 976 1604

Victory Hall Book Club: [email protected]

Zen Kyo Shin Taijutsu: Jim Hey 01494 525403

Zumba Dancing: Dayana Sanchez 07411 827772

Please refer to the Parish Council web site for more

information on when and where the clubs and societies

meet and for links to their web sites where available:

www.swallowfieldpc.gov.uk

If any parishioner would like to receive via email

copies of parish council minutes, agendas and

newsletters, and any important updates, please send

your email address to the Parish Clerk, Liz Halson

([email protected]). You will still receive

a hard copy of the quarterly newsletter.

Advertising

If you are a small local business and would like to place

an advertisement in the Parish Council newsletter,

please contact the editor, Gordon Collender,

[email protected] or phone the Parish

Clerk on 0118 988 5929.

The newsletter is published four times a year. The

price for placing an advertisement in four issues with

effect from the spring 2016 issue is £80.00 including

VAT.

Copy deadline dates for the next four issues are:

Winter 2016 issue: 25 November 2016

Spring 2017 issue: 28 February 2017

Summer 2017 issue: 31 May 2017

Autumn 2017 issue: 31 August 2017

Disclaimer: Articles that have been signed and submitted to Swallowfield Parish Council for inclusion in

this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the

Parish Council. Any parishioner wishing to comment on

such articles should contact the author directly

Newsletter Contributions

The newsletter is produced by Swallowfield Parish

Council, editor: Gordon Collender. The winter 2016 issue

will be printed and distributed by mid-December.

We welcome contributions from parishioners, and if you

would like to submit articles or material for inclusion in the

summer issue, please email your copy by 25 November

directly to

[email protected]

or deliver it by hand or send by post to

The Clerk, Swallowfield Parish Council

Parish Office, Swallowfield Street,

Swallowfield, RG7 1QX

clerk@ swallowfieldpc.gov.uk,

telephone: 0118 988 5929

Contact details for Clubs and

Societies


http://www.farleyhillcricket.co.uk/


http://uk.mc863.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected]

http://www.russellplayers.co.uk/









Parish Council

Peter Sampson - Chairman

John Anderson - Vice Chairman

Gordon Collender, Bill Dance, Margaret

McDonald, Roger Norris, Jonathan Sant,

Jonathan Wheelwright

Planning Applications, borough planning, core strategy, design statements

John Anderson – Chairman

Jonathan Wheelwright – Vice Chairman

All members of the PC are on this committee

Working Groups and Areas of responsibilities:

Area Members

Finance Budgets, investments, sinking fund, grants

Asset management, H/S

Risk Assessment, Insurance

Peter Sampson - Lead

John Anderson, Gordon Collender,

Jonathan Sant

Recreation Play areas; Swallowfield, Riseley, Farley Hill, skateboard park

recreation grounds; Swallowfield, Riseley, Football pitches

Jonathan Sant – Lead

Bill Dance

Peter Sampson

Environment & Rural Affairs The Marshes, Van Demans, Swallowfield Meadow, Community

Orchard

Links with WBC, Biodiversity Plan,

Footpaths, Waste, NAG, RCAG

Peter Sampson – Lead

Bill Dance

Margaret McDonald

Human Resources 4 members of staff

Appraisal, recruitment, staff training

Gordon Collender - Lead

Margaret McDonald, Peter Sampson

Jonathan Sant

Health and Well-Being Local health and well-being issues

WBC – Health and Social Care, SCAS, Responders, Heartstart, Clinical

Commissioning Group, CAB, Calico Trust

John Anderson – Lead

Roger Norris

Transport Road issues, speeding traffic, public and private transport

Roger Norris – Lead


Communication Newsletter, Website, Annual Report

Media communication – press, television, radio

How do we communicate face-to-face

Gordon Collender – Lead

Jonthan Sant


Resilience Flooding issues, ditches, rivers, sewerage

Wider involvement with issues relating to public safety.

A working group of residents with PC representation

Margaret McDonald – Lead

Bill Dance

Roger Norris

Peter Sampson

Halls General maintenance

Marketing group, Website design, Involvement with Users

Margaret McDonald - Lead

Property Fieldfayre

John Anderson – Lead

Peter Sampson, Jonathan Sant


Parish Council Members and Areas of Responsibility


Advertisements

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Qigong/Chi Kung

Gentle exercises for health & long life

Wednesdays & Thursdays

Taijiquan – Tai Chi Chuan Internal Martial Art harmonising

body, mind & spirit Thursday mornings and evenings

Through Qigong and Taijiquan you can * Relax your body & mind * Boost your immune

system * Improve your balance & posture * Strengthen your muscles & bones * Enhance your sense of well-being

Balance for Life Improve your balance through exercises

based on Qigong and Taiji Tuesday mornings

All lessons are held at Lambs Farmhouse, Swallowfield

Chinese Internal Arts Association

contact Eva on 0118 988 9856 or [email protected]

www.ciaa.org.uk

www.cia.org.uk



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Parish Electronic Database

Documents

Autumn 2016 - Swallowfield Parish Council · risk of flooding to name but a few. As with the Willow Tree Works development, my request of residents is that when the time is appropriate