This blog is due to be next updated on 4 June…
THE DATE of the Chesham and Amersham constituency by-election, which includes Penn, has been fixed for Thursday 17 June.
It comes following the death of Conservative MP Dame Cheryl Gillan, who had a 16,223 majority at the 2019 general election.
The Conservatives have chosen businessman Peter Fleet to fight the seat. The Liberal Democrats, who came second last time around, have selected Sarah Green, a communications consultant; while Labour has chosen Slough councillor Natasa Pantelic. The Green Party has selected anti-HS2 campaigner Carolyne Culver to represent them.
There’s a crop of candidates representing smaller parties, including former diplomat Brendan Donnelly from the Rejoin EU Party (the constituency voted 55 per cent Remain in the 2016 referendum); Alex Wilson, an anti-HS2 campaigner who used to work for HS2, from the pro-Brexit Reform UK; Adrian Oliver from the Freedom Alliance, an anti-lockdown party; and Carla Gregory from the Breakthrough Party which was formed earlier this year as “a democratic socialist party led by the younger generations set to inherit a world in crisis.”
Village memorial trees highlighted on forces website
THERE’S an in-depth article with pictures about the Penn and Tylers Green First World War memorial trees on the British armed forces website, published last week and written by Greg Allwood, a producer with the British Forces Broadcasting Service, who was brought up in the village.
You can find it here https://www.forces.net/long-reads/doorstep-history-memorial-trees-village-tylers-
green
Meanwhile a small wreath-laying ceremony marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion was conducted by members of the Hazlemere branch, which includes Penn and Tylers Green, at Holy Trinity Church, Hazlemere last week.
Couple’s thank you to hospital for saving baby’s life
“40.008 steps. 18.2 miles. Four very tired legs,” is how Sam and Amy Cunningham, of Hammersley Lane, Tylers Green described their feelings after a sponsored walk by the River Thames between Henley and Maidenhead. But it has proved very worthwhile.
So far the couple have raised £4,600 for the Oxford Hospitals Charity as their thank you to staff for saving their baby Edie’s life. As mentioned on this blog a month ago Edith was only a few days old, and obviously very poorly, when a twisted intestine was diagnosed. She was rushed to John Radcliffe Hospital in the middle of the night and a surgical team worked through the night to save her.
Now, as you can see, she’s bonny and bouncing.
Sam and Amy’s Just Giving fund raising page is still open if you would like to contribute:
Voting fraud still happening claims MP
WYCOME (and Tylers Green) MP Steve Baker has welcomed the Government’s intention to change the law so that every elector is likely to need photographic evidence when they vote in future, but he fears it may not go far enough to prevent electoral corruption.
He has been a leading proponent for the move after he was convinced of bribery and corruption in the constituency at the last general election. This week he claimed it was still evident in this month’s local elections.
Following the last general election Mr Baker told the House of Commons: “We have received reports from electors in Wycombe that activists working on behalf of particular candidates have sought to procure votes for as little as £10, a free taxi ride or a free pizza.”
His majority slumped to just over 4,000, the lowest in his nine years as the local MP, at a time when the Conservatives were increasing their vote in other parts of the country. The police were investigating the allegations but as yet there have been no charges.
Police, meanwhile, are also investigating allegations of postal vote fraud in the local election campaign last month in our adjoining Totteridge and Bowerdean ward.
Mr Baker said this week: “I welcome the Electoral Integrity Bill but given my experience in Wycombe I worry it might not go far enough. Introducing voter ID is only part of the solution. We must go further to stop abuse in our country’s elections. Over the weeks ahead we will be paying close attention to the bill.”
Briefly…
A Covid-free day – For the first time since 26 July last year, there were no new daily Covid cases reported in the whole of Buckinghamshire on Tuesday. A single case of the new Indian variant was reported in the South Bucks area on Monday.
Bins overflow – Dog waste bins in Tylers Green have been full to overflowing this week after the company contracted to empty them failed to turn up. The parish council is trying to make new arrangements but in the meantime is asking people to take their dog waste home.
Wildlife pond – Mr and Mrs Andrew Hillier, owners of Little Penn Farm, Gravelly Way, Penn Bottom, have applied for permission to create a 525 square metre wildlife pond – about a third of the size of Widmer Pond on the common – in a natural hollow alongside their boundary with Common Wood.
Next mayor – A mother of three who was brought up in Hazlemere and went to school in Holmer Green is to become the next mayor of High Wycombe. Andrea Baughan, an independent councillor for Ryemead and Micklefield, is a maternity care worker at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
New opponents – The Football Association announced a complete restructure of grassroots football club leagues this week which sees Penn and Tylers Green FC’s men’s first team move from the Hellenic League Division 1 East to the Spartan South Midlands League Division 1. It means they will now be mainly playing teams north of the village, including Amersham Town, Thame and Bedford.