The latest local news.
The law - and frequently planning permission as well - regulates
the hours during which construction can be carried out, typically
between 8am and 6pm weekdays, 8am and 3pm on Saturdays, and not at
all on Sundays. Outside those hours you have the right to complain
to the council, who will come and investigate and may take action
against persistent offenders. Contact WBC at ehadvice@westberks.gov.uk
(Tel. 01635 519192) or planningenforcement@westberks.gov.uk
(Tel. 01635 519111).
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There has been a mobile library service in this district for at
least the past 40 years and at the height of its popularity there
were three library vehicles operating in West Berkshire. Over the
years our staff have been there for residents in rural areas,
offering books, advice and friendly words to their customers who
waited regularly for the Mobile Library to arrive throughout all
seasons.
Due to diminishing numbers of customers using this service in
recent years and the fact that our one remaining vehicle had
reached the end of its working life, we said goodbye to our Mobile
Library at the end of March 2025. Without doubt, fond memories of
the service will remain for many years to come.
Looking Forward - Although our Mobile Library will be
missed, West Berkshire Libraries will continue to work hard to
bring books to those who can’t get to their local library and
serve customers in rural and isolated areas.
Meanwhile, the digital resources and e-library services are
continuing 24/7 and understandably being very well used at this
time. Why not go to the Libraries page on our website and discover a new
book or magazine?
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The North Wessex Downs National Landscape.
There is a body, often referred to as the ‘NWD National
Landscape’, which is charged with doing its best to protect where
you live. It works alongside BBOWT, West Berks Council and several
other district councils, Natural England, Historic England and
lots of other bodies, and it meets just a few times a year to try
and work out what is happening to our natural green spaces, and
what to do about it. It really is important to your life, but I
would guess that you don’t know much about it, if anything.
Do take a look at their website,
https://www.northwessexdowns.org.uk/. There are events,
consultations and updates. What they do is especially important
given the way in which climate change is impacting the world, our
world. Get to know the way in which this body works for you, the
challenges it faces, both financial and legal. Considering the way
in which recent governments have at best sidelined the protection
of our green spaces and at worst put them under increasing threat,
let your local MP know that your environment is important to you.
Once green, natural spaces are gone, it is unlikely that we will
get them back again.
Switching off your Outside Lights
The North Wessex Downs NL ask people to switch off their outside
lights when they’re not absolutely necessary. Wildlife groups ask
the same. Neighbours living next to someone that keep their
outside lights on at night want the lights to go off and the
police tactfully suggest that leaving outside lights on simply
helps burglars. Switching off your outside lights helps the
environment and saves money.
Any suggestions about how to incentivise people to switch off
unnecessary outside lights would be gratefully received. Email
inkpen-climate@outlook.com.
Did you know?
It will cost around £160 to capture 1 metric tonne of carbon
from the atmosphere. Forty mature oak trees (or Beech, Ash, Willow
etc.) do that if you just leave them alone. Each tree is doing a
payback of £4 a year. They pay for their keep.
Silent forests devoid of life are a possibility within a
generation in our already deforested nation, according to a
panel of British experts.
"Ecosystem collapse", where trees suddenly fade and die,
could happen within 50 years, they warn. But the 42 experts said
if we act now we can avert the catastrophe. The large-scale loss
of forests hit by "wind, fire, pests and disease" has already
happened in continental Europe and North America. "A collapsed
forest would be heart-breaking, devoid of its essential life and
all the joy and benefits it gives to humanity," said Dr Eleanor
Tew of Forestry England and Cambridge University.
But she said we have time to make a difference and we know
what to do to make our forests more resilient "so they can
continue to thrive for future generations".
39 Ways to Save the Planet
Radio 4 BBC Radio Four, in partnership with the Royal Geographical
Society, presents 39 ideas to relieve the stress that climate
change is exerting on the planet. To tune in, click here.
Official reports suggest that our climate decline is rapidly
accelerating. Although we are a small community and many feel that
we are too insignificant in the grand scheme, there are things
that we can do to make a positive impact.
Obviously we can plant more trees and hedging and the IMPFT
is this month planting more than 300 hedging plants along Post
Office Road. But individually we can make a difference by leaving
some of our gardens to become wild spaces. We can be more careful
in our use of pesticides and herbicides and hopefully use insect
friendly alternatives. Remember, Your Climate Needs You.
Following on from the work of Bob May and Bernard Harris, to
encourage wild flowers on the Lower Green Triangle, we are hoping
to transform other areas of public land in Inkpen in the coming
years, with an emphasis on natural flora and their insect
inhabitants. Why not set aside a small patch in your garden for
beautiful, natural, wild flowers. Have a look at this to get a
bit of encouragement.
These links might also be of some interest. Trees and Insects. Remember,
insects are at the bottom of the food chain - if we lose them we
lose all that depends on them!
North Wessex Downs National Landscape
If you live in Inkpen, then you are within the NWD NL. This has
the same protections as a National Park but is administered by
area local government instead of having its own controlling body.
So, what do you know about the NWD NL, it’s management plan or its
protections? Have a look at https://www.northwessexdowns.org.uk/.
In the coming years, as global warming bites, this will become
more important to you. Do take a look at their website and see
what’s going on locally.
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Another month has sped by and there is plenty of exciting news to
share with you. At the beginning of March, it was World book day.
At Inkpen Primary School, we took this a step further and
celebrated Reading Week, which proved to be a wonderful experience
for all. This year’s theme was "Read your way" and we were
delighted to invite parents in for our “book tasting” sessions,
where parents and children sampled a variety of literature,
explored different genres, and shared their favourite texts.
Additionally, we engaged in a delightful range of book crafts,
including sewing and pottery, which encouraged creativity,
allowing students to express their interpretations of their
favourite stories.
Our “Food Art” initiative provided a platform for young artists to
create edible masterpieces inspired by books. Finally, we had a
surprise visitor and the Muntjac children enjoyed “Tea with a
Tiger”, an enchanting gathering where children enjoyed stories
over a cup of tea and some delectable treats. Following closely on
the heels of Reading Week, we were excited to celebrate Science
Week. This year, we had the incredible opportunity to engage in a
live lesson hosted on the BBC by astronaut Tim Peake, who shared
his remarkable experiences in space. Furthermore, we organised our
very first science fair, where students showcased their innovative
projects and findings, fostering a sense of inquiry and enthusiasm
for the sciences. We were amazed by the effort that clearly went
into these projects, inspired by this year's theme Adapt and
Change, and were so proud to see the children sharing their hard
work with other children and parents. Our youngest learners were
tasked with designing and making a boat that floats and enjoyed
testing them at the fair. Again, we were delighted with the effort
that had clearly gone into making these.
I look forward to updating you next month but in the meantime,
please look out for our exciting adventures on our social media
pages.
INKSPOTS We give a warm welcome to all our new
children and families that have joined Inkspots over the past few
weeks. As we head into half term, the children have been so busy
learning all about Autumn.
One of our main focus's is Habitats. The children are super busy
in class, making their autumn habitats. We’re thinking about where
hedgehogs live, and what might their habitats look like. The
children are busy learning the importance of shelter, water, food
and space within a habitat. Also learning about how, within an
animal's home, they'll have everything they need to be able to
find food and successfully raise their babies. Focusing on autumn,
the children are exploring colour, and texture. What can we see,
and where might we see these arrays of colours.
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Lunar
Eclipse 14th March 2025 – The Stargazers met on the 21st of March to take a look at our new Seestar S50 smart telescope, and to view some of the images that we’ve taken so far. If you are a stargazer, someone that steps outside at night just to take a look at the awesome night sky, then come and join us. Email us at inkpen-climate@outlook.com We’ve recently launched our new http://stargazers.inkpenvillage.co.uk website. Thank you to all those that have tried it out. Any comments are welcome. If you would like to join us and come to our meetings, you would be very welcome. Just keep an eye on the stargazers’ website. The date of the next meeting will be posted there in early June and held at the Inkpen pavilion, but regular stargazing continues relentlessly. |
INKPEN STITCH AND KNIT
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 2 April at 7:30 p.m. in
Inkpen Village Hall. We're a group of ladies from Inkpen and a few
from further afield, who have an interest in various forms of
handiwork - knitting, sewing, tapestry, macrame, crochet. We
occasionally have demonstrations. Past demos have included
leatherwork, book covering, Japanese knot bags, ribbon wreaths,
Christmas decorations and bunting. We'll be working on our own
projects this month. If you would like to join us, come along. We
charge £2 to cover hall costs and tea/coffee. Or, if you want any
further information, ring Stephanie (07713 097609), our
communications contact.
Inkpen Darts Club
The Arrows team set off down the hill with excitement and a hint
of nerves for our very first tournament since the club was founded
just a few months ago. Our destination was Kintbury FC, where we
were set to face a formidable team in what promised to be a
thrilling evening of darts.
As the matches got underway, the competition was fierce. The
singles games were hard-fought, with both teams matching each
other point for point. By the time the doubles matches came
around, everything was still to play for the overall winner would
be decided in these final rounds. With eight determined players
representing Inkpen, we gathered ourselves for the crucial last
stretch. A few drinks helped to steady the nerves, while the
traditional pickled egg or two was said to sharpen our focus. As
the final darts were thrown and the scores tallied, we could
hardly believe it—we had done it! An away win, our first win, and,
so far, our only win for our fledgling club.
A huge thank you to Kintbury FC and their clubhouse for hosting
us; the hospitality was fantastic, and we’re already looking
forward to the return match.
If you’d like to give darts a try, whether you’re an experienced
player or, like most of us, a complete beginner, we’d love to have
you join us. We meet at the village hall every other Monday at 7
pm. Full details, including upcoming dates, can be found on the
village hall website. Come along and be part of the fun!
THE VILLAGE HALL - INKPEN OPEN DAY
📅 Date: 18th May | ⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM | 📍 Venue: Inkpen
Village Hall
On Sunday, 18th May, an Open Day will be held at Inkpen Village
Hall to showcase local clubs, groups, and community activities.
This event is designed to provide both new and longstanding
residents with insights into the various opportunities available
within the village.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet organisers, learn
about local initiatives, and engage with fellow residents over
refreshments. With the recent arrival of new families in Inkpen,
this event serves as an excellent occasion to foster community
connections and participation.
Many thanks to Tim and Ali des Forges, editors of the Inkpen and
Combe bulletin, for providing bulletin copy for this
website. You can contact Tim and Ali by phone or email thus
- aliedesforges@yahoo.co.uk
or ring them on 01488 668496. You can also download a copy
of the Inkpen and Combe bulletin here
To report potholes, go to www.westberks.gov.uk/pothole.
For other road or pavement issues including overgrown verges, go
to www.westberks.gov.uk.
To join Laine's heating oil delivery club, email Lanie.
To report a water leak, go to www.thameswater.co.uk
and for loss of electricity, go to www.ssen.co.uk. Both Thames
Water and SSE provide priority services for those needing help to
cope should there be a loss of service. This includes the elderly
and those with special health needs. Thames Water
priority service can be accessed on-line, here and for
SSEN, the details are provided here.
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