Local News

Wendover Community Library refurbishment project

Following the public engagement day held in October, a number of good suggestions were put forward to help enhance the scheme. These included improving the front of the building and surrounding area. The process of seeking additional funding to potentially incorporate this as part of the improvement works is underway. This has led to further planning amendments which unfortunately has caused a delay. Building works should start in August with a view to a December reopening. An interim library will be held in the main meeting room, subject to agreement from the contractors.

Wendover Warm Café

Churches Together in Wendover and Wendover Parish Council would like to thank all the volunteers who supported Wendover Warm Café during the coldest months of the year. They are also looking at what other activities might be helpful to the wider community as we continue to face the cost of living challenge. These might include debt management and budgeting advice, provision of ethical finance services (including establishing or working with an existing credit union), cooking classes for nutritional meals on a budget, provision of hot meals, other food related projects (for example establishing a community fridge or communal pantry). If you have ideas about this programme or other ideas which could be helpful to the wider community, please contact via ian.sansbury@stmaryswendover.org.

Community Car AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the Wendover Community Car (known as Wendover Action Group) will be taking place on Friday 12 May 2023 at 6.00pm in the Scout Hut, Clay Lane Wendover HP22 6NS. Everyone is welcome. This is an opportunity for Wendover residents to learn about what we are doing and how we are meeting the needs of Wendover and nearby communities. We welcome anybody who would like to hear about what we do or make a contribution to our work. All you need to do is to put the date and time in your diary and you are very welcome to come along.

Wendover Football Club

Wendover Firsts recent fixtures culminated in a ferocious League Cup quarter final at St Leonards. Highlights include Luigi Passaro falling victim to a disgraceful challenge, with the ensuing chaos resulting in a straight red for club veteran, cousin, and old enough to know better, Bruno Passaro. Ultimately Tom Cheeseborough shook off injury to heroically make two penalty saves in a tense shootout victory. Wins against Ludgershall, Tring

Athletic Zebras and a point against Elmhurst makes it four unbeaten plus a semi-final place. Drama for the Reserves saw them narrowly miss out on their own semi-final in the Reserves Cup despite a last minute equaliser by Matty Hodges forcing Prestwood Reserves to extra time. Elsewhere, Box-to-box midfielder Callum Thomas scored and missed penalties within five minutes against the ten men of Thame C, drawing the game 1-1 in the process. Mixed results see the Reserves comfortably mid table.

Pace BIG Walk

This year’s Pace BIG Walk routes will take in the ancient Ridgeway Trail. There is a choice of 18m, 12m, 6m or The Superhero Mile route — something to suit all ages and abilities. This is a great opportunity to set yourself a challenge for 2023 and have some outdoor fun.

By taking part in the BIG Walk, you will not only have the opportunity to explore this beautiful countryside in a completely unique way, but you will also be helping Pace to provide life changing support to babies, children and young people with neurodisabilities. To sign up visit https:// thepacecentre.org/event/the-big-walk/

Wendover Horticultural Society

The April meeting takes place at St Anne’s Hall at 2.30 on Thursday 6 April. Speaker Roger Reynolds is an award-winning botanist and plant illustrator, talking on “The Illustration of Flowers and Fruit”, which played a big part in scientific research and plant breeding. Admission £3.00.

Lindengate Mental Health Charity celebrating its 10th Anniversary

In 2013, hoping to operate a pilot scheme that would provide horticultural therapy for local adults with mental health issues, Lindengate’s founders asked for a small plot on an underused allotment adjoining Wyevale Garden Centre near their homes in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. Instead the garden centre offered them the entire five acre site. The site was waist-high in thistles and brambles, broken greenhouses and sheds. 10 years on the weeds have gone, the sheds are repaired and painted, two huge polytunnels have been constructed and there is a yurt (which you can hire). The secret garden is now a stunning six acre wildlife garden with a Heritage Orchard, Nature Reserve, Kitchen Gardens and two RHS Chelsea Gold Award Winning Exhibits based next to Dobbies Garden Centre.

Every year Lindengate supports over 2000 people through their nature-based wellbeing programmes, sessions and Open Garden visitors. They provide adult wellbeing sessions, programmes for schools, young people, anyone needing support with low to moderate mental health, as well as those living with dementia and memory loss and their carers. Alongside this they now have a dedicated staff team and over 200 volunteers from horticultural experts to people who just want to get their hands dirty and meet new people.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary, volunteers and staff are currently transforming part of the gardens into a brand-new Apothecary Garden (photo above). Yew Trees are now in place, with landscaping and planting due to commence shortly. The Apothecary Garden will contain herbs and flowers grown for their natural healing properties. The new garden will create a new space for visitors and participants to learn, work and relax. Next to the Heritage Orchard, they are creating a swale. Swales are a type of sustainable drainage system which slows run-off, intercepts and filters pollutants as well as helping natural infiltration into soil. They will enhance the swale habitat by planting and sowing wildflowers and other native wetland species. It will also provide shelter and food for invertebrates, birds and mammals. Both gardens should be completed by the end of April.

See advert page 2 for an event in May and visit www.lindengate.org.uk for more information.

Wendover Canal Trust

In February the Wendover Canal Trust held an event at the headquarters of the Dunstable & District Boat Club at Cheddington to thank their volunteers for the continuing hard work in restoring the canal. The DDBC has been very supportive of the Trust and have raised over £7000 towards the restoration costs.

Various Trust Officers gave a progress report on the restoration including Clive Thompson, Chairman, Mikk Bradley, Site Manager and Peter Elwin, Partnerships Director who has been very successful in securing £762,500 of funding for the towpath upgrade starting at Wendover together with £155,000 towards removal of the Old Tip at Little Tring. In recent weeks the Canal & River Trust, owners of the canal, have been clearing weed growth, starting at Wendover, to improve water flow.

Further applications are in process of being submitted including to the Heritage Lottery Fund. There are concerns that work may have to be suspended after 2024 if further funding is not obtained.

Wendover Cricket Club

Wendover Cricket Club is preparing for the new season. Indoor training is coming to an end in March and then the focus will switch to outside after the Easter weekend. 13 junior and 2 girls only teams across 8 age groups will be playing some 130 matches as well as in several tournaments.

The senior teams will on Saturdays be competing in the CMB Premier and the Mid Bucks League Division 2; there will also be a full Sunday programme of matches.

Our game cannot run without officials - Umpires and Scorers. Do you fancy doing either to help the club, especially on Saturdays?

New junior and senior players are welcome and in particular any girls in the 9 to 13 age range, although some junior groups are at full capacity. If interested or able to help with the umpiring and/ or scoring, contact Jonathan Seabrook on 07767 148119 or jseabrook@talktalk.net.

The Village Cup will be running again during May to July at Witchell. More Information and contacts can be found on the website www.pitchero.com/ clubs/wendovercricketclub

In the background is the ongoing development of the new ground at Tring Road. The archaeological works on the site are finally likely to start in April after a completely avoidable year’s delay; meanwhile most of the designs have been completed although the pre-start planning conditions remain to be cleared. There are still some further obstacles to resolve with HS2 before any construction can begin.