Boots and other equipment for Ukrainian soldiers ready to leave Penn Street. Picture: Mariusz Fultyn.
PETE Gilbert, landlord of the Potter’s Arms in Winchmore Hill,Penn Street, raised £3,000 in one day from fellow members of a cryptocurrency group and bought boots, clothing and equipment from army surplus stores – enough to equip 30 Ukrainian fighters. The goods were delivered by his Polish friend Mariusz Fultyn who made a 15 hour journey to the Polish border with Ukraine. Mr Fultyn had just returned from taking a van load of baby supplies and food to the area.
More supplies – Another lorry load of medical supplies, tinned food and blankets donated by Hazlemere residents went to the Polish border at the weekend to be handed to Red Cross officials. The goods were collected at the Three Horseshoes pub at Hazlemere Crossroads and delivered by a local family with Polish connections.
Scouts help – Penn and Tylers Green Scout Group is working with Bucks Scouting and the Thames Valley Rotary Club to collect medical supplies for Ukrainian people. Items can be left at Tylers Green Village Hall or Adrian and Heather Cooper’s house at 22 New Road, Tylers Green. See the end of this blog for the items requested.
Sing for Humanity – A fund raising night entitled Sing for Humanity, with performances by local singers and entertainers is being held at Hazlemere Community Centre on Saturday (19 March). All money raised will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal. Bar staff are also donating their evening’s wages to the appeal.
Pets appeal – Geoff and Hazel Perfitt, of Oaktree Close, Tylers Green, who are active fundraisers for Stokenchurch Dog Rescue, have written to the Bucks Free Press highlighting charities helping abandoned pets in Ukraine.
MP’s plea to HS2 – Penn MP Sarah Green is urging HS2 to cut ties with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska whose Austrian construction company, Strabag, has contracts with HS2. The Government has already issued an asset freeze and travel ban on Mr Deripaska.
Bid to stop Russian gas – Buckinghamshire Council leader Martin Tett said lawyers were looking at how the council could extricate itself from an energy contract with the Russian firm Gazprom in protest at the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Writers protest – Author Frederick Forsyth and a number of local writers held a Ukraine fund raising evening in Seer Green’s Jubilee Hall on Friday (11 March) which included readings, speeches and socialising.
Bell-ringers’ solidarity – The bellringers of St Mary’s in Beaconsfield rang a quarter peal to mark solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Churches throughout the area held special prayers yesterday (Sunday 13 March).
Local news
Cup winners – Penn and Tylers Green women’s first team won the Berks and Bucks Women’s Trophy final yesterday (Sunday 13 March) beating Caversham United 3 – 0, a stupendous achievement for a village team formed just a few years ago.
New village memorial trees – As part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations 16 memorial trees are to be planted on various sites around the front and back common in Tylers Green, commemorating those from Penn and Tylers Green who died in action in the Second World War. They will complement the memorial trees already in place throughout the village commemorating those who lost their lives fighting in the First World War. Details of where to plant the trees are under discussion.
Jockey’s landlord search – Star Pubs, part of the Heineken group, has renewed its advertising for a landlord to take over the running of the Horse and Jockey in Tylers Green. The company has planning permission to extend and modernise the pub but won’t go ahead until they have an approved landlord in place. Meanwhile the parish council has applied to renew the Horse and Jockey’s status as a “property of community value”, a measure that gives the pub additional protection should it be bought and attempts made to convert it into housing.
Flipping Mary – TV cook and former Penn resident Mary Berry visited Tylers Green First School on Shrove Tuesday to show the children how to make pancakes.
Office move considered – Councillors are to consider moving the Chepping Wycombe Parish Council offices from the current base in Cock Lane, Tylers Green to Dereham Park in Loudwater. The council is also considering quotes for refurbishing and refitting the Cock Lane offices after a water leak in December caused considerable damage.
Big cycling event – Penn House has been chosen as the venue for one of British Cycling’s major events, the Archer GP road race. Hundreds of cyclists from around the country will be racing on roads in the area on 10 July.
Cases up – There were 100 new coronavirus cases in Penn, Tylers Green and Hazlemere reported in the week to 6 March, a slight increase on the previous week. Unconfirmed figures show the number rose again in the seven days to yesterday (Sunday 13 March)
Church concert – Wycombe Chamber Choir is holding a concert of largely European folk songs in Holy Trinity Church, Penn from 4pm on Sunday (20 March).
Tree checks – The Woodland Trust has been using drones to check the condition of every tree in Penn Wood and Common Wood following the winter storms.
Vacant plots – Ashley Drive allotment site currently has six full plots and two half plots available.
Graveyard repairs – The council is to spend £5,500 repairing pathways at the Hammersley Lane Garden of Rest and St Margaret’s graveyard.
Regional news
Dashcam appeal – Three men armed with baseball bats and a meat cleaver threatened staff at Elite jewellers in the centre of Beaconsfield last Thursday (8 March) and stole £200,000 worth of jewellery. Police are asking for anyone with dashcam footage in the Burkes Road area between 10.15am and 10.30am to contact them.
Plug pulled – Oxford has officially ended its town-twining arrangement with Perm in Russia in protest at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its bombing of civilian targets
Ageing population – Revised figures show that Buckinghamshire’s population is expected to increase by 13,000 over the next eight years. Within the next decade officials say the number of children in the county will decrease by more than four per cent while the number of people aged 85 and over will increase by 38 per cent. The number of people aged over 65 will increase by 19 per cent.
Council boss sacked – Slough’s chief executive Josie Wragg was sacked for gross misconduct after the council fell deeply into debt and the Government had to bring in commissioners to run the town. The council is expected to sell up to £600m of its assets to cover the debt. The chief executive of Essex has been brought in to oversee services.
Covid consequence – Buckinghamshire Council was told that during the pandemic social workers saw a 73 per cent increase in the amount of child protection work.
Helping Ukraine
THE local scouts are requesting medical supplies to assist medical professionals in the Ukraine. These include:
Dressings; sterile bandages; non-sterile bandages; adhesive plaster; medical cotton wool; first aid kits; sterile wipes; non sterile gloves; head torches with batteries; disposable nappies.
Any item has to be sterile, unopened and in date.
A Ukrainian support group working with Rotary will transport the goods to Poland where it will be handed to volunteers to distribute in the Ukraine.
Collection points at Tylers Green Village Hall (9am to noon – collection box available at other times), 22 New Road, Tylers Green; and Scout hut, Ashley Drive on Fridays between 5pm and 9.30pm.
You can contact this blog at peter@pennandtylersgreen.com The next scheduled update is on 1 April.