Summer news from E&D

12 June, 20185 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

Don’t miss 1 July: visit the beautiful gardens of Coppid Hall, Binfield Heath

Thanks to the generosity of Jemma and Tristan Phillimore, the lovely gardens at Coppid Hall, Binfield Heath RG9 4JR will be open to the public on Sunday 1 July, from 1.30 to 5.30pm.

A rare chance to visit a private garden which is not usually open to the public. Don’t miss highlights including fine views from the terrace to the valley below, some spectacular spherical water features, a lake and arboretum, a potager and a full size yew tree maze. Entrance costs £4, and a lavish afternoon tea (said to rival Mary Berry!) will also be provided for just £4. Children under five go free, and a family ticket will be available for £12. Children’s teas £2. All proceeds to the Dunsden Village Hall. Sorry no dogs. To help with numbers on the day, please pre-book via Buytickets.at/dunsden

More classes added at Dunsden hall

After a smashing success at the hall’s re-opening celebration, the number of classes and other bookings at the hall has rocketed. The following range of classes is now available, with full details at www.dunsdenvillagehall.co.uk/regularactivities

Mindfulness: Mondays, 10 to 11am & 7.30 to 8.30pm
Stretch & Smile with Pauline: Mondays, 10 to 11.15am
Go Active Gold Keep Fit/Senior Circuits: Mondays, 11.30am to 12.30pm
Ashtanga Yoga: Mondays, 7.30 to 8.45pm
Vinyasa Flow Yoga: Tuesdays, 7.45 to 9pm
Step Dance: Wednesdays, 3.50 to 4.50pm
Slow Flow Yoga & Meditation: Wednesdays, 6.30 to 8pm
Pilates (Improvers): Wednesdays, 7 to 8pm and 8 to 9pm
WAT Country Dance: Every other Wednesday, 8 to 10pm
Tai Chi: Thursdays, 9.30 to 10.45am
Pilates: Thursdays, 7 to 8pm
Hatha Yoga: Thursdays, 7.30 to 9pm
Yoga 4 Health: Fridays, 10 to 11.30am
Pilates (Beginners, bad backs, over 65s): Fridays,
4.30 to 5.45pm

Midsummer Music at Holmwood

Sunday June 17, 5.30–9pm. Bring a picnic and enjoy an evening of classical and modern music in the beautiful surroundings of Holmwood, Binfield Heath. Tickets £25 from www.binfieldheath.org.uk or in Binfield Heath Stores.

An invitation to a series of Dunsden Owen Association talks to celebrate the centenary of the end of WW1

All are welcome at a fascinating series of illustrated talks to be followed by questions and refreshments. £4 on the door. More details shortly available at www.owenindunsden.org

Prof. Suzanna Rose – Tuesday 10 July
From Shellshock to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder – a look at responses to traumatic events over the centuries, including WWI shellshock, WWII battle fatigue and leading on to the formulation of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in the 1980s.

Inderpal Dhanjal – Tuesday 11 September
Indian Soldiers in the Great War – Inderpal leads the Legacy of Valour Society (legacyofvalour.org) which is a national community-based initiative which tells the story of the Indian contribution to the first world war. Over 1.5 million Indian service personnel served during 1914–18, being awarded 11 military crosses.

Robin Sanderson and Richard Crompton – Tuesday 9 October
Tunnelling for victory in WW1 – Descendants of WW1 tunnellers tell the remarkable story of their relatives’ remarkable contribution to the British war effort.

TBA – Tuesday 13 November
The Society of Friends and pacifism in WW1 – ‘War…involves the surrender of the Christian ideal and the denial of human brotherhood.’ Quakers in the First World War, and their response to conflict today.

70th Binfield Heath Flower Show

The Binfield Heath Flower and Dog Show is 70 this year. The show, the biggest annual event in the village, takes place on Bank Holiday Saturday, August 25th. www.binfieldheathflowershow.com

Dunsden Community Orchard

The orchard by Dunsden Green is planted with a carefully selected range of historic fruit trees, some available for sponsorship: orchard.blogspirit.com. Look out for details of an upcoming apple day.

SODC looks again at the possibility of mass housing development in Eye & Dunsden

Following doubts raised about the viability of housing at Chalgrove airfield, SODC is to re-examine the possibility of mass housing developments in a number of sites throughout the district, including several close to Reading in both Eye & Dunsden and Kidmore End parishes. A consultation timetable for this important reversal of the local plan process has also been announced. Local residents are recommended to follow this process as it could have major implications for the area.

The SODC news release includes the following statement:

“The council intends to reassess each of the main housing sites currently proposed in the Plan, along with previously-considered locations and some additional sites that have more recently been put forward by developers:

Additional sites submitted by developers: land at Emmer Green, Reading, Reading Golf Club, Playhatch at Reading, land off Thame Road, North Weston.”

Image of the interior of the village hall with tables set for dining

Spring news from E&D

14 April, 20185 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

Book now for Kate Howden ‘rooted in people, place & nature’: 28 April

Kate Howden is a singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist. She plays Guitar, Mandolin, Bodhran and Cajon. Her experience of writing, performing and recording spans over 16 years as part of acoustic duo howdenjones.co.uk. She returns to Dunsden on April 28 with her captivating blend of songs, tunes and stories in an evening to remember. Buytickets.at/dunsden

Re-opening of Dunsden Hall, 5 May

The new Dunsden hall will be officially re-opened by the Chairman of SODC on 5 May. A bust of Wilfred Owen will be unveiled. From 4 to 6pm you will be welcome to tour the building. Teas will be available.

Stunning wildlife photography by Bill Pound will be on show until Sunday at 5pm. From exercise classes to family celebrations and arts events, come along and find out how much our new hall offers!

All Ages Community Tea, 13 May

Join 1st Shiplake Scout Group for their event at Dunsden Village Hall from 3–5pm. More information from Ernie on 0118 940 3919.

Annual parish meeting & parish council AGM

Tuesday May 15 at 7.30pm · www.eyedunsden.org

Village hall AGM

Tuesday June 5 at 7.30pm · all welcome

Buy raffle tickets for hall, win prizes!

Don’t forget your raffle tickets from Binfield Heath Stores or committee members. Win champagne, a day at Nirvana Spa or dinner and a night at the French Horn amongst many others. Call 969 3633 for tickets.

Gladman inquiry at Henley Rugby Club from 1 to 4 May

A crowd-funding appeal (tinyurl.com/helpdunsden) has raised enough to pay for a barrister to represent local opponents to the building of 245 houses close to Dunsden. Please support the campaign and the inquiry. More at www.cagedunsden.org.

Rubbish tours at Bicester

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to your non-recyleable waste, the answer is that it is taken to Bicester for conversion to electricity. The state-of-the-art facility even offers a visitor centre for the curious. Find out more at www.viridor.co.uk

Live Well Social Services Directory

Live Well Oxfordshire brings together over 2,000 care services and activities in an online directory – from residential care homes and care services that help people stay living at home, to transport services to get them out and about and new hobbies to enjoy. Details: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/livewell

Local artists exhibit

Work by Dunsden’s Nacera Guerin and three other local artists is to be shown at Henley Old Fire Station. ‘La liberté d’Expression’ runs from April 19 to 24 and again at the Henley Arts Trail from 5 to 7 May. More including details of poetry & story-telling evenings at tinyurl.com/naceragu

River Litter Pick: Sunday May 6

Plastic waste of all kinds bobs and swirls in the Thames and where the water is quiet, accumulates in quantity. It is ultimately slowly broken down into tiny particles which are ingested by marine life and perhaps then eaten by us. By 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the ocean than fish. So why not clean-up the river? A gallant band from Shiplake have pledged to do just that. Shiplake Outloars (shiplake.outloars.club/river-thames-clean-2018 will be taking to the water at 11am on 6 May to clean-up the river between Shiplake and Sonning. A group from Sonning is planning to set off from the bridge at the same time, with the aim of meeting them halfway. If you have a boat, why not join them?

Whizz, bang, ahhh!

20 October, 20175 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

Have you booked yet for the fireworks?

Our family bonfire night, with professional fireworks, is a week today, on Friday 27th. The display is thanks to the generosity of Sonning Fireworks, an award-winning local company with a reputation for spectacular displays. The weather is forecast to be fine.

It’s a small-scale, family-friendly event with hot-dogs and other snacks served in the small hall. The rest of the hall is fenced off during the current building works. There’s a licensed bar serving wine and Loddon Brewery ales. Parking is at Dunsden Farm.

You can now book tickets quickly and easily online. They are also on sale at Binfield Heath Stores and at the Shoulder of Mutton in Playhatch. The event begins at 6.30pm.

More village hall news

Don’t forget, there’s also a great programme of musical performances at the hall coming up in the next few months, starting with the fantastic Whalebone on Saturday 11 November. Theirs is a unique style of eclectic acoustic music, which you can sample here. Tickets are just £10 from our online box office, including snacks with a full bar featuring Loddon Brewery ales available. Don’t miss it!

On 26 January we will be hosting a show by award-winning folk duo Ninebarrow, who have been described as ‘stunning’, ‘damn fine’ and ‘perfection’ by critics including The Telegraph, Radio 3 and Mike Harding.

The hall’s exciting programme of re-building works is on track for completion before Christmas. The new extension to the main hall, with its attractive terrace and fully-equipped kitchen will be a great asset for social events of all kinds.

The hall’s management committee is looking for new people to help them run the building. Experience is not necessary, and the time commitment is not heavy, but the work is very rewarding. With the new hall heading for completion before Christmas, now is the perfect time to get involved! If you are interested, please contact Ginny.

Raising the Playhatch Road

Oxfordshire has not been successful in its bid for funding for the next stage of this project, which was to prepare a complete design scheme. Locals in Sonning Eye were concerned that the scheme (which is intended to keep the road open in times of heavy floding) could make their flooding worse, and cause considerable disruption during its construction. The Parish Council is to poll residents for their views on this issue and on the Third Thames Bridge.

Proposed Third Reading Bridge

A group led by Reading East MP Matt Rodda continues to press for a new bridge. The scheme has the active support of representatives of Reading and Wokingham, with South Oxfordshire and Oxfordshire representatives keeping a watching brief. The scheme’s objective is to get 55,000 vehicles out of Reading, with onward routes including Caversham Park Village and the B481 through Sonning Common. What are your views? Look out for our online poll.

Henley Road closure

The work is on schedule and on target, expected to be completed by the end of the first week in November. New views have opened up across the fields as a consequence of the installation of shuttering which should prevent the road breaking up in future.

Gladman Homes appeal against planning defeat

Gladman Homes have appealed against the refusal of planning consent for 245 houses in fields close to the AONB near Dunsden after a long campaign by the group CAGE Dunsden. The process will run to a strict timetable which has yet to be announced.

SODC Councillor offers grants

Our District Councillor, Paul Harrison has around £500 to offer for a specific project in the parish. The council will discuss this at its next meeting, but possibilities include the conversion of the phonebox on Dunsden Green to an information point and book exchange, or the installation of a defibrillator in the village hall.

Tarmac gravel extraction

A liaison group was told this week that gravel extraction is expected to begin next week. Oxfordshire’s monitoring officer will be visiting the site on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the planning permission. Kevin Browne is the local plant manager who can be contacted concerning problems with the work.

Image of the village hall under renovation

Autumn news from Eye & Dunsden

26 September, 20175 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

Full steam ahead for a brighter hall

Dunsden Village Hall’s exciting transformation continues apace, with the old foundation stone now set into the wall of the new sun room extension. The work should all be done by the end of November.

Meanwhile, there are some excellent events coming up at the hall, including the ever-popular family bonfire night, with professional fireworks, which this year is on Friday 27 October. You can now book tickets quickly and easily online.

There’s also a great programme of musical performances at the hall coming up in the next few months, starting with the fantastic Whalebone on Saturday 11 November. There’s is a unique style of eclectic acoustic music, which you can sample here. Tickets are just £10 from our online box office, including snacks with a full bar featuring Loddon Brewery ales available. Don’t miss it!

The hall’s management committee is always looking for new people to help them run the building. Experience is not necessary, and the time commitment is not heavy. Now is a perfect time to get involved! If you are interested, please contact Ginny.

Gladman Homes defeated at SODC Planning

A scheme to build 245 houses in fields close to the AONB near Dunsden was thrown out by SODC’s planning committee on September 6th, after a long campaign by the group CAGE Dunsden. As reported in the Henley Standard, so strong were feelings that two coachloads of protestors attended the meeting, with the support of local MPs John Howell and Matt Rodda. An appeal in the next six months is now possible.

Dunsden fly tipper caught on camera

SODC have successfully prosecuted a repeat fly tipper who was dumping building waste in Church Road, Dunsden. Reading-based Sam Smith carried out four substantial fly-tips, and was ordered to pay more than £5,000 after being repeatedly caught on CCTV.

Where should Wilfred go?

1 March, 20175 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

The Wilfred Owen Association has generously offered to give Dunsden a sculpture by Anthony Padgett of the famous WW1 poet Wilfred Owen who lived here 1911-13.

The Committee of the Wilfred Owen Association favours a position where it can always be seen. The church, parish council and village hall committee favour an indoor position because the green is already cluttered and because of the risk of crime.

The result of this poll will be considered when the Wilfred Owen Association makes a final decision later in the year. Please vote online now and share your view!

Image of local councillor David Bartholomew

County Councillor publishes objection to Gladman plan

12 December, 20165 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

Councillor David Bartholomew has lodged his objections to the Gladman Developments plan for 245 houses in Eye & Dunsden parish.

Objection

The county boundary was revised in 1977 to reflect the actual boundary of the built-up area of Reading. This proposed development straddles urban Reading and rural South Oxfordshire thus compromising the county boundary and destroying the clear distinction between urban and rural areas.
The development would cause severe harm to the rural character of the area.
The development would clearly be part of Reading in practical terms, but would fall into the Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and Eye & Dunsden Parish Council areas of administration. This would present serious issues in terms of funding and management of resources for all councils concerned.
There is little employment in the immediate area and it is highly likely most residents would need to cross Reading Bridge or Caversham Bridge to get to work directly or via the mainline railway station. Most of this travel would be by car. Reading Borough Council has already identified both these bridges as being used well beyond their capacity and the increase in congestion would be substantial, conflicting with the objectives of sustainable development.
This area is not scheduled for major development in the SODC Local Plan.
The Sonning Common Neighbourhood Plan has been ‘made’ and while this site isn’t within the area of the plan, it is immediately adjacent to it, so should be taken into consideration. The rural character of the site is as important to Sonning Common residents as it is Emmer Green residents.

Image for proposed development in the local area

Development to swamp Eye & Dunsden parish?

7 December, 20165 May, 2023DavidLeave a comment

The population of Eye and Dunsden could triple if developers are given the green light to build along its border with Emmer Green. Gladman Developments have applied to SODC for outline planning permission for a minimum of 245 houses on land in the parish adjoining Emmer Green.

The village of Dunsden, together with Playhatch and Sonning Eye, between them consist of just 140 houses. There is a church and village hall but no shop, school or health centre in the parish, making the application unsustainable, according to a group of representatives of all the adjoining parishes and residents’ groups that met this week.

There are concerns about the impact on narrow and already overcrowded local roads and about the added pressure the development would place on Sonning bridge.

The housing is proposed for an attractive green field site directly adjoining Emmer Green, with the main access on to the rural part of Peppard Road. At a meeting of local parishes and residents’ associations, strong objections were expressed to breaking into unprotected ancient countryside. Attendees were concerned that the application might eventually lead to piecemeal development linking Emmer Green to Sonning Common which if unchecked could possibly connect as far as Binfield Heath and Shiplake.

The development company Gladman has a turnover of £200m nationwide with a record of active promotion of speculative green field development. The company is working with the Phillimore Estate, which owns over 1,400 hectares of land in the area with potential for tens of thousands more houses.

“We fear this is could be the thin end of an unstoppable development wedge,” said David Woodward, Chairman of Eye & Dunsden Parish. “This beautiful countryside offers Emmer Green a green window on to the Chilterns. Its development would cast a blight on Eye & Dunsden that would overwhelm a much valued landscape for ever.

“This threat should not just be allowed to slip through because of the current weakness of SODC housing supply. It would not meet South Oxfordshire’s housing needs. We urge anyone who cares about this lovely landscape to go on to the SODC website and register their views as quickly as possible.”

SODC planners will consider the application on February 1. Register your comments on the SODC website now.

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