THE FARMBOROUGH FLYER - WELCOME TO THE NEWS MAGAZINE OF FARMBOROUGH VILLAGE - Issue No 172: February 2021 - Happy 2021!
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THE FARMBOROUGH FLYER
Issue No 172: February 2021
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much
Helen Keller
WELCOME TO THE NEWS MAGAZINE
OF FARMBOROUGH VILLAGE
Happy 2021!
Notes from the Editor Secondly, there has been graffiti sprayed in
places around the village. As one resident
Hello everyone. said, ‘This doesn’t happen in Farmborough.
I hope you are all well and are staying safe. It is not in the Farmborough Community
spirit’. Bored teenagers? Not on, people!
So, another lockdown and no end in sight,
…..yet! I am hoping that by the time you The general tone is positive. It must be, so
read this, something will have changed. please do carry on carrying on.
The vaccine is being rolled out and, hope- Enjoy reading this varied Flyer.
fully, the horrific, rising numbers of cases
and deaths we hear of every day will have Best wishes and do take care.
slowed. If we play our part, they will! Even
after the first vaccine jab, we still have to
Sandra Byrne
be vigilant and follow the strict guidelines farmboroughfler@gmail.com
as if we are infected! Only when we have 01761 753189
the booster will we, perhaps, be able to
relax. We cannot afford to be complacent. THE FLYER ADVERTISING RATES
The fabulous volunteer distributors all Businesses B&W Full Colour
agreed to get this Flyer out to you. Please B2 ½ page £30 £35
know that all precautions were taken as B4 ¼ page £20 £25
with the last April Flyer in the first lock-
Not-for-Profit Organisations
down. There are some amazing people in
our village. I highlight a few of them in N2 ½ page £20 £25
here. As usual, there are the odd COVID- N4 ¼ page £13 £17
19 related articles with information you Please contact the Editor
may have heard about on the news, or not. farmboroughflyer@gmail.com
And we say goodbye to two lovely people. 01761 753189
Our Shop is still open serving the commu-
nity; home schooling continues (there is an Word of the month :
article on being aware of what your chil- ‘egrarious’ - meaning ‘shocking, out-
dren are doing online) and, of course, out- standingly bad’ as in ’It was the
side of the village, our wonderful front-line most egregious act the government has
workers are battling on under very difficult ever perpetrated’.
circumstances. There is a article putting
into perspective how much we owe them
Did you know….
and how much our government owes
them . …that ‘unnecessary’ emails add to carbon
emissions across the globe? A new study
Unfortunately there have been several showed that unnecessary emails pump
complaints made to me about things hap- huge amounts of carbon into the atmos-
pening around the village. Firstly, it ap- phere, owing to the power needed to
pears that some people are ignoring their send electronic communications across
dogs poos on pavements and in the fields. the globe. So, what do you class as an
PLEASE be aware of what your dog is doing ‘unnecessary’ email? Mmmm…….
and pick up your dog’s excrement.
DEADLINE FOR THE Meanwhile, the virtual Sunday Service is
APRIL 2021 available on the Farmborough Village web-
FARMBOROUGH FLYER : site, www.farmborough.org.uk, and the
15th March 2021 weekly Monday@Nine short, reflective
service is available to join on Zoom. Please
Flag days—February and March 2021 let a church warden know if you want to
join in [or Sally Davis. See below].
February 2 Presentation of Christ in
the Temple (Candlemas) There really is light at the end of the tun-
6 Accession of Queen nel. I am a nurse, so I have had the privi-
Elizabeth II 1952 lege of participating in the vaccination pro-
17 Ash Wednesday gramme this week as I write, under the
19 Duke of York born 1960 twinkling lights of the Pavilion in Bath. It
really is the most joyous job I have ever
March 1 David - Patron Saint of
done! Yesterday, I vaccinated an amazing
Wales
lady - 100 years old she was, full of beans
8 Commonwealth Day
and plans for the year ahead - an inspira-
10 Earl of Wessex born 1964
tion to us all!
14 Mothering Sunday
17 Patrick - Patron Saint of With best wishes,
Ireland
Catherine Taylor
19 Joseph of Nazareth
25 The Annunciation All Saints’ Church notes
28 Palm Sunday
• If you would like to receive the virtual
A letter from the Church Warden, services directly by e-mail please contact
All Saints’ Church Chris Lovell at chrislovell805@gmail.com.
Dear friends, • If you would like to be included in Mon-
day@9 via Zoom please email Sally Davis
Sadly, the three churches in the Benefice
sally_davis@bathnes.gov.uk for details.
of Farmborough, Stanton Prior and Marks-
bury are closed again. Although the clo- • On Thursday evenings during Lent (17th
sure was not compulsory during the cur- Feb—3rd April), there will be a short Zoom
rent lockdown, the church wardens of all meeting on the theme of “Journeying to
three parishes agreed this was the safest Easter”. See the virtual services for details.
course for our congregations. Also for the
locum clergy we are using for services, as
Carol singing report
they, not only need to travel to our In spite of the dismal weather in Decem-
churches but, are mostly retired, so are in ber, several people joined us en-route for
a vulnerable group. The new variant of carol singing around the village and many
COVID-19 is much more contagious and so households opened their doors to join in.
we need to be super careful.
Without us knocking on doors, people still
The church wardens plan to meet again generously donated £360, which will be
(via Zoom) on the 16th February to review split between the Children’s Society and
the closures. This is the day after the Gov- NSPCC. Many thanks! Chris Lovell
ernment reviews the lockdown situation.
Obituary – Peter Lewis contain this rise in cases”
(born 1 October 1928, died 3 January 2021)
The message is as the Government has
Peter Lewis, my father, arrived in Farm- asked: Stay at Home. Protect the NHS.
borough from Bristol with his wife Doreen Save Lives. Only leave your home to go to
in 1983 and lived here ever since. Doreen, work IF you cannot work from home; for
my mother, sadly passed away in 1987. essential [note, essential] shopping or
She is buried in All Saints’ churchyard. medication and once daily exercise [see
article on people living alone with a dog].
In 1997, Peter married Marion and she Wash your hands frequently, wear your
still lives in the same house in Rectory face mask inside and stay 2m apart from
Close, Farmborough. others, always.
Peter was a very private man, but he did This is all over the news, so I am sure peo-
enjoy attending the meetings of the ple in our village are very aware of it. It is
Goodwill Club in Farmborough. He was a requested that people hear the message,
musician and he loved his music. take note and take action to contain the
He was a wonderful father, grandfather virus. Editor
and great-grandfather.
Using the RUH A&E Department
Peter will be sadly missed by his family
“The RUH is very busy, treating both Covid
and all who knew him. The funeral was
and non-Covid patients, and attendances
held on the 22nd January at All Saints’
at our Accident and Emergency Depart-
Church with COVID restrictions in force.
ment remain high.
Martin Lewis
We would ask people with an urgent medi-
Appeal to everyone in the B&NES Area cal problem who are thinking about com-
ing to our emergency department to con-
Dr Bruce Laurence, Director of Public
tact NHS 111 first.
Health, Bath & North East Somerset Coun-
cil has issued an appeal to all residents in Experienced 111 clinicians will assess their
B&NES, which was flagged up on Facebook, needs over the phone and direct them to
but it is so important, it is reprinted here. the most appropriate local service, poten-
tially avoiding an unnecessary trip to hos-
The number of people with coronavirus has
pital.
more than doubled across the Bath and
North East Somerset area since Christmas. People with very serious or life-
threatening health conditions—chest pain,
Dr Laurence says: “We’ve seen a rapid rise
severe bleeding or loss of consciousness—
in the number of Covid cases across Bath
should still continue to phone 999.”
and North East Somerset. The Clutton,
Pensford, and Temple Cloud areas are par-
ticularly high, with a rate of over 800 new
cases per 100,000 in the week ending 6th It is the month of
January. This is mostly in people aged be-
tween 20-59 – those of working age. We LOVE!
are asking you to work with us urgently to
Farmborough Parish Council Update Dave Stone for making such a fantastic job
of this - what a difference a Dave makes,
The Parish Council continues to meet
indeed!
monthly on the second Tuesday of every
month via Zoom. The next meeting will be The Parish Council has an ongoing pro-
on 09 February 2021. All our meetings are gramme of work and projects and is happy
open to the public and all details are avail- to hear from any villagers with regards to
able on the PC website, on the notice- realistic, achievable and sustainable sug-
board in The Street or from the Clerk. gestions and ideas.
The Parish Council is made up of 11 Coun- Trudi Gilbank
cillors and we have been carrying a couple Clerk to Farmborough Parish Council
of vacancies for some time now. In Decem- clerk@farmboroughparishcouncil.org.uk
ber 2020 we welcomed Steve Hawes to fill 01761 753566
one of the vacancies. At the time of writing
we do have one remaining vacancy but are
PRETEND IT DIDN’T HAPPEN!!
hoping to fill this shortly. Anyone interest- Expert advice on how to behave
ed in the work of the Parish Council or after receiving a single dose of any
becoming a Councillor please contact the of the coronavirus vaccines. Most
Clerk or the Chair of the Parish Council, vaccines require booster doses to work.
Michael Woods (01761 470255).
So, that means you still have to go by the
David Judd has worked as the Parish guidelines Hands, Face, Space and stay at
Sweeper since 2016. He has done a bril- home to protect the NHS and save lives,
liant job looking after our lovely village, one of which could be yours, even if you
keeping things spick and span and always have had that first dose!!!! Editor
going above and beyond his remit. It is
with much sadness that we report that
David and his wife Pauline are leaving the
Hands
village for pastures new further west. We Wash your hands
would like to say an enormous thank you repeatedly to pre-
to David on behalf of the whole village for vent infection
all his hard work, enthusiasm and dedica-
tion and wish him and Pauline much luck
and happiness in the future. You will be a Face
hard act to follow, David! Wear a face cov-
This obviously means we have a vacancy ering indoors in
for the Village Sweeper! Anyone interested crowded places
in the position please contact the Clerk.
[See advert on page 7 here]
Space
Many thanks to everyone who has been in
Maintain social
touch with the Parish Council to express
their thanks and appreciation regarding
distancing always
the new bridge into the Rec from
Brookside Drive. Enormous thanks to
Good Dog News for our Farmborough exploitation team, Operation Topaz, said:
Dog Lovers “Our focus in Avon and Somerset is engag-
China made ing with and supporting child victims of
moves towards abuse and their families, as well as dis-
ending dog meat rupting offenders.
markets. “We need parents to help too. The recent
China's agriculture reports of younger children being target-
ministry an- ed should be a wakeup call to all those
nounced that parents who think their kids are only play-
"dogs have gone ing with their friends online. Are they? Do
from being traditional domestic livestock you know this for sure? Are they in the
to becoming 'specialised' as companion room with you whilst they are online?
animals. Internationally, they are generally There’s also never been a better time to
not considered to be livestock and it is not review your parental controls on all of
appropriate for them to be managed as your household devices.
livestock in China either."
We don’t want to alarm parents unduly.
The UK government recognised that some Please take a look at the websites and re-
dogs need more exercise than one walk a sources available [listed in the document
day. Previously, multiple people from the above] to help and keep the lines of com-
same household could use their daily exer- munication open with your children. There
cise to walk the same dog, but dogs living is loads of advice and support for parents
with one person were restricted to a single and young people out there.”
walk a day. Now, if you are living alone
you can walk your dog more than once a Apps parents might want to research:
day, but you should limit this where possi- Only Fans - lures young people in with the
ble. This is covered by the exemptions for promise of making money in exchange for
animal welfare and exercise. photos
Online sexual predators of children Among Us - popular with primary school
are on the increase aged children, rated PEGI 7 (Pan-European
Games Information). 7 means computer
As internet use has risen due, in part, to games with this rating are safe for 7 year
the current restrictions, there has also olds or above. Beware. If settings are pub-
been an increase in reports of young chil- lic, children can chat with people they
dren being targeted by sexual predators don’t know whilst playing online.
online. The police are asking parents to
please read and distribute the document Omegle – Talk to strangers! The Internet
AS-children-as-young-as-11-being-targeted is full of cool people; Omegle lets you meet
-by-sexual-predators-online.pdf, which them.
contains advice on keeping children safe Tinder – not just for adults. Some children
online and warnings on sites to avoid. in primary schools years 5 and 6 have an
DCI Larisa Hunt, lead for Avon and Somer- account.
set Police’s internet child abuse and child Stay safe.
Farmborough Parish Council is looking for a Parish Road Sweeper Duties will include: the removal of all litter and debris around the village the sweeping of road gutter areas the sweeping and litter picking of pedestrian areas the removal of litter from village amenity areas the emptying of Parish Council owned litter bins All equipment will be provided. Currently the hourly rate for the job is £9.00 but this will be re- viewed in April 2021. We are looking for someone to work 10 hours per week. If you are interested in the job, or would like some more infor- mation please contact the Clerk to the Parish Council, Trudi Gilbank on clerk@farmboroughparishcouncil.org.uk or on 01761 753566
This isn’t really a Volunteers Corner sub- I was brought up in a Christian church-
mission, although the person whose story going environment, so it was church three
follows has volunteered in countless ways times on a Sunday—Matins, Sunday School
over his many years living here in Farm- and Evensong. I guess it’s not surprising I
borough and Bath! This is the story I have was in the choir at the age of six, learnt to
been badgering the Farmborough Flyer’s ring bells at ten, crucifer at fifteen and
erstwhile editor to submit. It is big! I hope occasionally played the church organ -
you enjoy reading Patrick Bridges’ story badly. As a boy chorister I sang solos and
as much as I did. Editor turned down an opportunity of a voice trial
for the Wells Cathedral choir. I’m still an
Patrick Bridges—Making a difference active bell ringer as well as keeper of the
in a vanishing world! church clock and flagman. For a good num-
The Bridges’ family has been firmly estab- ber of years I was a member of the Paro-
lished in Farmborough since the 17th cen- chial Church Council and Social Secretary
tury and my great, great grandparents, organising garden fetes, bazaars and har-
with 90 grandchildren, made the ‘Bridges’ vest suppers.
name the most dominant in the village. Having failed the eleven plus exam (most
There are places and things we remember Farmborough school pupils did), it was
from our lives, some have changed, some Timsbury Secondary Modern School for
are gone and others may not even have me, where I became a proud member of
existed. Eighty two years is a long time to the school orchestra, playing first violin, a
be associated with one village. It is….., very young prefect, and eventually Head
well, a lifetime! Boy. It soon became clear that I was des-
tined to be a leader rather than being led
I was born on 10 April 1938 in the cottage and, what’s more, I was wanting to make a
where I now live in Church Lane, Farmbor- difference.
ough. Most babies were born at home in
the 30s and 40s. It was pre-NHS. At the I was due to leave school Easter 1953 but,
age of four I was off to Farmborough not having a clue of what I wanted to do in
School to be educated. There were no the world of work, I stayed on with the
school dinners, no packed lunch or satch- intention of leaving in the summer. How
el—just a gasmask in a cardboard box fortunate that turned out to be. The then
attached to a piece of string slung over my Chairman of the School Governors, Reggie
shoulder. It was wartime and despite the Ingle, an ex-Somerset County Cricketer and
struggle my parents had to make ends partner in a Bath firm of Solicitors, F.S. &
meet, life was sweet for me. Queues were R.A. Ingle, made it known to the headmas-
a way of life, chocolate was scarce, bana- ter that he was looking for an office boy
nas and oranges a pipe dream and the only and surprise, surprise, I got the job. Initial-
source of entertainment was the radio ly my work was making tea, answering the
which was powered by an accumulator phone, running errands and delivering
battery which always died during Chil- letters by hand around the city. As a coun-
dren’s Hour. But as a boy growing up try bumpkin, unfamiliar with Bath, I was a
there was still fun to be had. ‘Helping out’ very small frog in a very large puddle; my
on local farms was a great joy. wage was meagre but I gained a fortune in
lifetime experience.
Patrick’s story continued….. Club, catering for young people aged 13 to
21; organised youth table tennis leagues
In the course of my work I was required to
and was in caving and motorcycle groups (I
attend court from time to time and it was
rode a Vespa scooter).
on one such occasion I witnessed a man
convicted and sentenced to death for capi- I have promoted dances, balls and jive
tal murder. It was an experience I shall sessions; produced and directed concerts
never forget and helped shape my view of and the infamous Farmborough Music
human justice. Hall; been a member of the Memorial Hall
and carnival committees and for many
I joined the staff of the Bath Magistrates’
years organised the Christmas celebration
Court in 1958 where I advised Magistrates
at The Batch in aid of the NSPCC. I’ve
on points of law, trained generations of
spearheaded a £20,000 church restoration
lawyers, helped many young people on
scheme; restored the church clock and
work experience and dealt with thousands
raised funds for more charities than I care
of offenders. My life has been greatly en-
to remember. Where do I stop, the list is
riched by that. Apparently I had the ’tag’
endless? But none of this could have been
of being ‘the friendly
achieved without the help and support of
face of justice’. I
many people. Now is the time to say thank
retired from the
you to them.
court service in 1999
and was awarded Beyond the village I was in charge of caving
the MBE for service at the Charterhouse Activity Centre; Secre-
to the Magistrates’ tary to Chew Valley’s Youth Scheme, re-
Court and the com- storing Chew Magna’s Old Schoolroom and
munities of Bath and converting it to a youth centre; a member
Wansdyke. of a jury voting for a song for Europe in
1977; played in a dance band, ‘The Collegi-
Throughout my career I’ve met many emi-
ans’ and assisted in organising Bath’s first
nent lawyers. I was in awe of Jeremy
gay nightclub. There, my secret is out or
Hutchinson QC who was Recorder of Bath
perhaps it wasn’t such a secret after all!
until 1971, when 800 years of local justice
was brought to an end by the implementa- I’ve always been motivated by public ser-
tion of the Courts Act. vice, but there has been no design to my
life at all; no plot, no plan. I have lived by
The best testament I have received for my
the skin of my teeth, taking chances, al-
court work is a postcard written by a vis-
ways hoping for the best. I’ve flown by the
iting Magistrate which reads, ‘You really
seat of my pants but I guess I’ve been
create an exceptional atmosphere in the
lucky, falling on my feet most of the time.
courtroom, which probably does more to
What I have learnt in my life is that you
change the outlook of offenders than any
can’t always get what you want. How true
formal process!!!’
that is.
In my other life I researched and co-wrote
Have I made a difference? If I have, it has
the village history; edited and published
been my pleasure. Patrick
the Farmborough Flyer for 13 years; was
16 years as leader of Farmborough’s Youth Patrick, we salute you! Thank YOU! Ed
Farmborough Community Shop News
Despite the challenging circumstances we
have all had to endure this year, the Com-
munity Shop has sought to serve the ever-
changing needs of the village. We have
endeavoured to maintain fully stocked
shelves throughout the pandemic, sourcing
new suppliers on products hard to come by
(such as flour for the baking frenzy last
Spring!).
Opening hours will remain as 9-5 Monday- their hands at the door coming in and go-
Friday and 9-12 Saturday for the foreseea- ing out and we now have the large plastic
ble future, which we feel adequately meets screen around the till - all to minimize the
the needs of keeping the village supplied. opportunity for close contact between
volunteers and customers and so reduce
If you haven't visited us for a while, you
the risk of transmission of the virus.
may be surprised at the extra range the
shop now stocks. Throughout the year we We will continue to make every effort in
have started stocking many new items meeting the needs of the village in the
which customers have enquired about, year ahead.
including an expanded refill range which
Christopher Bullock, Shop Manager
now includes Faith in Nature shampoos; a T: 01761 471811
larger frozen department; items for home
E: manager@farmboroughshop.co.uk
baking; jigsaws; books; games and many
www.farmboroughshop.co.uk
other treats.
We are always looking for new volunteers
so, if time allows you to fill a 2-3 hour slot
each week/fortnight, please let me know.
Gov.uk/coronavirus advice is this:
Volunteering
You can leave home to provide voluntary or
charitable services. You must volunteer
from home unless it is not reasonably pos-
sible for you to do so. The most important
thing you can do to fight coronavirus is to
follow social distancing guidance. This will
help control the virus and save lives.
The shop is a COVID safe shopping venue.
We continue to only let one person/
household enter the shop at a time; they
must wear masks unless they have a medi-
cal reason not to; we ask them to sanitiseReady, steady, census!
The decennial [happening every ten years]
census is almost upon us.
Households across Farmborough will soon
be asked to take part in the nationwide
survey of housing and the population. It
has been carried out every decade since
1801, with the exception of 1941.
Information from the digital-first census
will help decide how services are planned
and funded in your local area. This could
mean things like doctors’ surgeries, hous-
ing or new bus routes.
It will be the first run predominantly
online. Households will receive a letter
with a unique access code in the post, al-
lowing them to complete their question-
naire online. Paper questionnaires will be
available on request.
There’s a tea for that!
Census day is March 21 2021.
Liquorice root tea may not
The census will include questions about be ‘everyone’s cup of tea’
your sex, age, work, health, education, but, “It can be considered to be a staple
household size and ethnicity. And, for the for reducing cough, congestion and fever.
first time, there will be a question asking It is also known that regularly consuming
people whether they have served in the this detox drink helps to reduce the risk of
armed forces, as well as voluntary ques- heart diseases and it cleanses your lungs”.
tions for those aged 16 and over on sexual Nmami Agarwal
orientation and gender identity. Celebrity Indian nutritionist
Results will be available within 12 months, Suitable tea to try in winter and during a COVID
pandemic? However, an excessive intake of
although personal records will be locked
liquorice can cause many toxic effects, so go
away for 100 years, kept safe for future
easy on the tea! And please note, liquorice
generations. should not be used during pregnancy.
For more information, visit census.gov.uk. Editor
Liquorice is an extract from the Glycyrrhiza
Did you know…. glabra plant. For thousands of years G.
…that Air Force One—the USA President’s glabra has been used for medicinal pur-
special aircraft in which he travels - is ac- poses. The United States Food and Drug
tually one of three Air Force Ones? They Administration believes that foods con-
always fly at the same time so that it is not taining liquorice are safe if not consumed
known which one the president is in. excessively. Source: WikipediaObituary - Jeffrey R. Sluggett courage to say it. He was loved by many,
(born January 1940, died 16 December 2020) feared by a few and respected by all that
knew him. His sudden death came as a
Straight forward, no nonsense, fun loving,
huge shock. He will be sadly missed.
artistic, talented, dedicated and caring
would be words that all fit the man who Jeff is survived by his wife Linda, from
died suddenly at his home just a few whom he was separated, his two children,
weeks short of his 81st birthday. Simon and Cath, and three grandchildren.
Jeff, with his wife Linda and their two Patrick Bridges
children, moved to Farmborough in the
1970s. The Sluggett family became active St Mary’s Surgery—regarding COVID
members of All Saints’ Church where Jeff Vaccinations
served as Social Committee Secretary for The surgery’s allocation of the vaccine has
many years. been delivered and patients are being con-
Jeffrey Sluggett was born and brought up tacted, starting with the eldest and work-
in Exeter. He studied stage management ing backwards. The reception team are
at the Bristol Old Vic School and he very busy, as normal surgery is taking
worked in a number of theatres around place, so they [and other surgery’s too] ask
the country. He later joined BBC Bristol that you DO NOT phone the surgery to ask
as a floor manager and was involved in when you will receive the vaccine, as you
many regional productions. will be contacted when your time comes.
Jeff soon became a huge asset to the Please wait for your letter!
Farmborough Amateur Dramatic Society Are you struggling with stress during
(FADS) where he stage managed produc- this lockdown?
tions and occasionally performed.
There are many online remedies., includ-
When the FADS folded in the 1980s, Jeff ing yoga and mindfulness—classes that
turned his attention to the Timsbury The- you can take in your home. I have found
atre Group where his professional experi- focused breathing is the most useful in
ence made him invaluable. He was in- stressful situations. Try this box breathing.
volved in every aspect of amateur theatre Editor
production and for his dedication and
outstanding service to the group he was
made an Honorary Life Member.
On formation of the Conygre Trust he
immediately became one of the Trustees
and remained so until his death. He in-
creasingly played an active part in the
Conygre Hall’s management, eventually
taking on the role of Hall Manager.
He was quick to smile, quick to help those
in need, and quick to say what everyone
else was thinking, but didn’t have theWWF—the World Wide Fund for
Dog trafficking into the UK
Nature—had “quite a year” in 2020
Up to 1,000 dogs are being trafficked into
Britain each week from unlicensed Irish
puppy farms, an Irish animal welfare chari-
ty says. The ISPCA said huge numbers of
puppies were being bred illegally in Ireland
specifically for the UK market. Many dogs
are bred in conditions that fail basic wel-
fare standards and are infected with para-
sites and disease.
Ireland has now introduced a licensing
scheme to avoid illegal breeding.
Source: BBC News online
And as we know, it is not only from Ireland
that dogs are being trafficked but from the
continent too. Be aware, before you buy.
Editor
Farmborough Good Neighbours
As you know, Farmborough Good Neigh-
bours (FGN) has suspended most of its
services owing to COVID-19. But now, as
the vaccine becomes available, we realise
that some Farmborough residents may
require transport to the vaccination cen-
tres. So, some members of FGN have made
themselves available to supply lifts.
In the circumstances, please contact Mal
Allen on 01761470277, and we will try to
arrange transport and be COVID-safe.
In other urgent cases we will try to arrange
transport to local hospitals and doctors’
surgeries. We can also pick up prescrip-
tions, if required.
Mal Allen
www.farmborough.org.uk
is YOUR Farmborough Community Web-
site for events, news, village facilities, ser-
vices and more. To add an event or news,
please email: news@farmborough.org.ukNotes from the Tower Valerie Webster, local author accepted by
Kindle for 3 novels, tells her writing story
There is something typically English about
the sound of church bells. Apart from bells Many years ago, I made my first foray into
half-muffled for sadness and mourning, it writing, by scripting a Nativity Play for the
is mostly for joy and celebration. local church.
Since March of last year church bells have, Later, I resumed play-writing for the chil-
for the most part, fallen silent across the dren I taught in Year 4. We did several plays
UK owing to the restrictions imposed by for Christmas, Easter and lastly a mystery
the pandemic. It is my fear that some bell story about ancient Egypt. Everyone helped
ringers will not return to their towers with scenery and costumes - parents, other
when the emergency is over. So, it will be members of staff and children alike. We put
necessary to entice the next generation to on several performances, so not just par-
ring in order to keep this very English tradi- ents could attend, but virtually every living
tion of church bell-ringing going. relative and friend!
As a campanologist of 72 years, I can’t wait Such was the pleasure that, the next year,
to get back to some serious bell ringing. I went on a course called ‘Writers’ Holiday’.
We are constantly being told to exercise I attended for several years, until the peo-
more and improve our mental health. ple who ran it retired. Well known authors
Well, bell ringing does both (and more)! It came and gave lectures and workshops. I
requires a little strength and, for the art of learned a huge amount about writing so,
‘change ringing’, some skill too. And then during a long, dark evening after my hus-
there’s the social side. You make new band’s sudden death, I decided to start a
friends and bell ringing practice usually Writers’ Circle in Farmborough village. It
ends with a trip to the pub! has been the best fun ever, and we can’t
wait to meet again.
With church attendance in serious decline,
it cannot be relied upon for the church to I have written two volumes on my own
supply new recruits. I feel something needs Country Dances and an educational vol-
to be done to ensure this part of our na- ume, co-written with a friend on the life of
tional soundscape survives. You don’t need a black African slave in 1780-1790 called
to be a church-goer to ring the bells! So, Ignatius Sancho. He came to this country in
please, give it some thought and if you shackles, but was granted his freedom by a
want to know more, give me a call. duke. This book has sold around the world.
Patrick Bridges, Tower Captain And now, owing to the dreadful corona-
H: 01761 471074/ M: 0797 5655 989 virus, I was back to depressing evenings. I’d
P.S. As the Flagman of the tower too, I had a story worming its way into my brain
would like to thank Sally Davis for donating for a little while, so…. I wrote it! And it re-
a replacement pennant and Tom Cook for cently got accepted by Kindle. It is called
the new Flag of St George, flown for the ‘Learning to be a Grown-up’. By the way,
first time on Christmas Day. Thank you, I’m 45,000 words into the follow-up novel,
too, to you, the residents of Farmborough, and they’ve asked for another to round off
who tell us how much you love to hear the the set of 3. So exciting! I hope more peo-
church bells ringing. ple give writing a go. It is fun! ValerieThe NHS is not coping…. We aren’t criticising the workforce, making
so many sacrifices and working harder
We have been warned again and again
than ever. Saying that the NHS is no longer
that “the NHS is on a knife edge”, that “the
a service providing universal care feels like
next week or so will decide whether the
kicking those people while they are down.
NHS can cope”.
But, by acknowledging that in order to
But the mental model we are applying to
maintain and rebuild the promise of a uni-
the question of whether the health and
versal health and care system, one that is
care system “collapses” is the wrong one.
resilient to future disasters, we need to
The NHS and social care are not a shop or a start arguing now for massive investment
machine. They are people. Hundreds of in all parts of the system.
thousands of people working harder than Adapted from an article written by Dr Charlotte
ever before, to the point of exhaustion and Augst, CEO of National Voices.
beyond - upset, traumatised, committed.
National Voices is a coalition of health and so-
But these people won’t stop. And we all cial care charities in England formed in 2008. It
owe them a massive debt of gratitude for has more than 150 organisations in member-
that. But that means the “collapse” of the ship which represent a diverse range of health
NHS won’t look like the collapse of a retail conditions. It has a prominent role in repre-
chain on which the banks have pulled the senting patients and service users with national
plug. policy makers. Wikipedia
The NHS is a promise, a contract between Note from the editor: As I go to print, I
the people of this country and its govern- have been made aware that Southmead
ment, that health services will be there to Hospital in Bristol and the RUH have called
look after you, should you fall ill or experi- in the military to help exhausted and re-
ence ongoing ill health. This is the promise duced in numbers NHS staff cope because
of free and universal healthcare. they are so overwhelmed with COVID pa-
Because of its incredible workforce, of the tients. All routine operations have been
steely determination of everyone working postponed, for the time being. Editor
in patient care to not give up, the NHS will
never close. What does happen, however,
is that good quality health and care is with-
drawn from millions of people who need
it.
But, we are we doing a favour to exhaust-
ed doctors and nurses, to care assistants,
physios, to cleaners and porters, if we ask
the question whether the NHS will cope. It
is not coping; it is not meeting some very
pressing needs of people living with ill
health or disability now. However, we
want to acknowledge, with thanks, some
people are still getting very good care.You can also read
