The History Bit

From The Newbury Weekly News, July 1999:    Grahame Murphy

CHADDLEWORTH'S latest parish council meeting opened with a discussion regarding the proposed 30mph speed limit.

All villages in the West Berkshire area were to be included. and councils were advised to consider carefully the positioning of the street furniture which would go with the new limit.

The feeling of the meeting was that road markings where possible would be preferable to street furniture as this tended to urbanise essentially rural areas.

• Fly tipping is still a problem. There was due to be a meeting between one of Chaddleworth council's agricultural advisers Mr Roger Lovejoy and West Berkshire Council to discuss the matter in certain problem areas around the village but this had not yet taken place.
• Chaddleworth has decided to conduct a housing survey through Mrs Karen Anderson of the CCB. This organisation had commissioned a project to address the housing needs of West Berkshire. More than three years ago, the parish council approached Sovereign Housing Association to build some more 'low cost' housing in the village. At that time, it did not have the funding for such a project, but it was thought that some housing for the elderly was needed. A comprehensive survey will be undertaken over the next month or two so that the correct. housing is built.
• The chairman, Mr Neville Patterson, announced that. the council will be giving £500 to the Village Hall Committee to help meet ever-increasing costs.
• The St. Andrews School Millennium project will be given another £500 to build up its trust fund for the refurbishment of the building.
• Mr Grahame Murphy reported on St. Andrew's SchooI. Councillor John Mills asked why teacher training course had to be held during term time as the school recently shut for a day to enable staff to attend. Mr Murphy said he would raise the question at the next meeting he attended.
• Mr Dennis Hunt read out an offer from West Berkshire Council to fund half the cost of any signs required in the village. The council wished to know how much the signs would cost and agreed that only one needed replacing. That was the sign at School Hill. It had been wrongly named School Lane in previous exercise in the early 1980s. Parishioner Mr Graham Miles also pointed out that Nodmoor had been wrongly named Nodmore by Wantage Rural District Council when the housing estate was built in two phases from 1948-1952.
• The council has received complaints about recent verge cutting. The contractor had removed the herbage and much of the topsoil causing unsightliness. This had been communicated to Babtie, which apologised and stated that clearer instructions would be given to the contractors in future.
• The 1873 parish map of Chaddleworth is with the framer and will be presented on loan to St. Andrews School soon.
• Mr Patterson paid tribute to everyone who had been involved in the annual village dance. This raised more than £1,000 which would be shared between the village hall and funds for the Millennium party. The workhorses were: Mrs Val Hepplewhite, Mr Michael Pooley, Mr John Mills, Mssrs. Brian, Chris and Mrs Cynthia Jordan, Mr Robin Fishlock, Mr Roger and Mrs Dyane Lovejoy, Mrs Anne Egerton, Mr Grahame and Mrs Heather Murphy, Mr John Perou, Mr Keith Turner, Mr Gary Pounds, Mr Ray and Mrs Liz Young, Mr Paul and Mrs Jane Donneley, Mr James Bunn, Mr Michael Cooper, Mr Peter Cole, Mr Donald Heavon, Mr Michael Fagg, Mr Dave Munday, Mr Tony Mills, Mr Derrick Hill, Dr Chris Jones, Mr Derek Mewton and Mr Ray Doncaster.
• ONCE again Chaddleworth showed it was a village prepared to ‘put some in' and over the last two weeks a sizeable proportion of the village both worked and played. A voluntary task force weeded, pruned and dug to clear up the Hadland Memorial Garden which had become the worse for several years of inattention. The gang of 17 volunteers were led by parish councillor Mr John Mills and spent three hours of their Sunday morning carrying out the transformation. A fortnight later and Mr Derek Mewton organised a village funrun to raise funds for the millennium party be held at the Ibex on New Year's Eve. This is to be an exclusive party for all the village and a marquee will be erected in the Ibex car park. The event started with Morris dancing by an impromptu group of locals, there was then a tour of the village by 'Lady Godiva'. The fun-run started in earnest with five categories. The first home was Mr Simon Barrie, who won the prize for the first male winner, the first female winner, who was third overall, was Miss Jenny Hogan. The first youngster (boy) was Lee Edwards, the first youngster (girl) was Clare Donneley, the first veteran (over 50) was Mr Ken Compton. The first fancy dress adult was Miss Tracy Hope and the junior was Miss Tia Collier. The best fancy dress prize went to Mr David Coffield and Mr Mike Ridgway dressed as bride and groom in Mr Coffield's wife's (Christine) dress. The prizes were presented by Mr Chris Brasher (of London Marathon/Four Minute Mile fame) and the cups were sponsored by the kind courtesy of Wantage Trophies. After the race was over more fun was had in the Ibex with garden games and a barbecue. Over £360 was raised for the Chaddleworth Millennium fund and there is more to come when the people who made pledges finally pay up, All monies should be with the Millennium committee by Saturday, June 19, when the annual midsummer dance at Purley Fram Barn takes place. Tickets are available from the village shop.