Put bonfires on the back burner during coronavirus crisis

Don’t be a nuisance neighbour – that’s the message from East Hampshire District Council’s Environmental Health team during the coronavirus quarantine.

With so many people staying at home it is even more important that residents are respectful and considerate towards the people living around them.

Among advice on how to be a good neighbour during the lockdown the council is calling on people not to light garden bonfires and to keep noise to a minimum.

Wood smoke can have a serious effect on people with medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease.

It is particularly important that residents do not attempt to get rid of household waste by burning it, as this is likely to release toxic gases.

Cllr Ingrid Thomas, EHDC Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Quality Portfolio Holder, said: “Many people who would normally be out at work or school during the day are now confined to their homes either through sickness, self-isolation or from government requirements to work at home.

“That’s why we’re asking people to be particularly considerate of their neighbours.

“Bonfire smoke is not only anti-social to your neighbours, but it can also be seriously damaging to people that have respiratory difficulties – a major symptom of coronavirus.

“Please think about your behaviour and how it might affect others at this difficult time. That might mean turning the music down or limiting those noisy DIY jobs.”

Any garden waste can be either composted or collected until such time as other more appropriate disposal methods are available.

Household waste and recyclable waste should be put into the respective waste bins as normal to await collection.

If you have any concerns about environmental issues in your neighbourhood please contact the team on 01730 234360 or through the website www.easthants.gov.uk.

Community Spirit at the moment is exceptionally strong and Well Done to Deborah and Ciani in Clanfield who are the Administrators of the “Clanfield Corona Virus Community Support Group”. This was set up on Facebook just 4 days ago and at the time of posting this blog has a remarkable 413 members.

The objective for the group is as follows:

We have created a Clanfield Corona Virus Community Support Group on Facebook with a view to collate a list of available volunteers that would like to support vulnerable members of the local community in these unusual times.

This is a private group. Please join us if you think you might be able to help in any way: telephone support, admin, shopping, prescription collection etc.

We are currently in contact with other Hampshire organisations that are coordinating similar projects.

If you live in Clanfield / or the Northern end of Horndean then it is worth joining the group to see if you can offer assistance and can find them on facebook on this link here: Clanfield Coronavirus Community Support Group

I’m certain that we can post one good news story a day about community spirit and how businesses are looking to help out. The next one will be the Ship Inn in Horndean who are doing their bit and will be tomorrows blog. If you know of any other good news stories please comment on this post and I will be pleased to follow up.

In the meantime don’t buy all the toilet rolls, not everything on Facebook is true, Stay safe and find a reason to smile every day:

At the end of last year Brexit dominated the news in a way that no other story has and (leave or remain) we were all relieved when it came to an end. Covid19 has been the story of the day, week, month and probably the next 3 or 4 months.

Horndean business 4 London Road brought some good spirits to QA Hospital yesterday when they delivered 25 freshly baked pizzas to the emergency staff at the hospital to say ‘Thank You’ for looking after us and for being such amazing people.

The pizzas were so well received that they delivered another 25 today too.

The Pizzas, each with individual messages on the inside of the lids were a major boost to morale for a groupd of professionals who are going to have a very tough few months ahead.

It is great to know that when some human behaviour is to be extremely selfish and stockpile toilet paper and tinned food that there are people out there that are very happy to give something back instead. The Pizzas, delivered by Elio and his team, have a value of £650. When asked, Elios said “We love our community and the NHS and would like to thank the NHS for the support they give us all”

At the moment 4 London Road are still open and plan to continue doing so unless governments mandate full closure. Elio added that “Our customers are welcome as always but we do ask that if you are unwell or have symptoms of a cold or flu that you please get better and sympton free before joining us again”

4 London Road raised £10,000 for Rowans Hospice in 2019 and their 2020 charity is Minds.

All of the small businesses in Horndean will appreciate our support and while the government advice is to avoid pubs and social gatherings everyone will need to make their own choices and judgement. Please don’t go to them if you have symptoms of cold or flu and be safe everyone.

Do you know where your kids are and what they are up to?

Catherington Lith Arson and Criminal Damage.

In recent months there has been an increase in criminal activity by local gangs / groups of children including breaking windows and arson leading to the fire brigade sending out two tenders that might have been needed for a real emergency elsewhere.

The Arson attack on a derelict building at Catherington Lith Nature reserve took two teams of fire fighters over an hour to extinguish. CCTV footage from a nearby property was handed over to the Police who are carrying out their own enquiries now.

Incidents at The Lith include investigating a number of incidents where tyres and other rubbish have been rolled down Lith Avenue onto the A3 where a serious road accident or personal injury could have occurred. On one occasion a car was hit causing significant bodywork damage.

Jubilee Hall Vandalism.

Just yesterday Jubilee Hall which is owned by Horndean Parish Council was also vandalised. The construction works currently being undertaken adjacent to Jubilee Hall in Horndean is being targeted by a group of approximately 12 -15 youngsters on bicycles, who congregate on Jubilee Field and the neighbouring open space.

Residents have reported that this group aged between 11 – 15 yrs., regularly force entry into the construction compound causing damage to the partially built walls and climbing up on to the roof.

On Tuesday 17 March at 4.30pm the group was seen within the compound throwing large stones at the windows of Jubilee Hall resulting in 3 large windows being broken. This being the third occurrence of such damage.

The Chief Officer of Horndean Parish Council attended the site and spoke to 2 members of the group who were openly discussing their ‘exploits’, after an exchange of words the group quickly disbanded.

The ongoing replacement of the windows is costly, and it is unfortunate that the youngsters are oblivious to the fact that the cost of the repairs will be paid from the public purse, to which their parents contribute.

If members of the community have any information or witness any further acts of trespass and criminal damage please could the matter be reported to the police or the parish office- Email: contact@horndeanpc-hants.gov.uk or Tel: 02392597766.

And the Parents?

These are serious crimes with incurring real costs with the potential for serious injury and worse. How well behaved do you think your children are when they are out with their friends and if they will do this when they in their teens and younger, what will they grow up like?

Please be clear, CCTV footage fomr some of these incidents has been handed over to the Police and some families have already been spoken to. Due to the age of the children (who were in School Uniform at the time) the images can not be re-posted here.

Do you know where your Children are and what they are doing?

Horndean Parish Council ahve taken the difficult decision to postpone the Defibrillator training that was planned for April. Please keep an eye out here for a revised date when things are back to normal.

HPC are hosting a South Central Ambulance Service training session on how to use the multiple defibrillators that are around Horndean, Clanfield and further afield. This is on Thursday 16th April at 7pm and at Jubilee Hall – and of course free to attend with everyone welcome.

On the 4th February 2020 Horndean paid tribute to two brave young Australian pilots who died after their Mosquito crashed in Horndean after returning from a bombing mission over Germany in 1945. The dedication was held on the 75th anniversary of the tragic event with a service led by Wing Chaplain, Padre Charles Lewis assisted by Revd Angela Johnson and Wing Chaplain, Padre Phil Hiscock. The Venerable Gavin Collins Archdeacon of the Meon gave the blessing.

Over 300 people joined together to remember these two men at the new War Memorial in Five Heads Road. Detachments of servicemen from Thorney Island, Oswald (Billy) Mountford and Edward George (Teddy) Wickys base whilst they were in England and RAF Odiham represented the Air Force. Vice Lord Lieutenant Rear Admiral Iain Henderson CB CBE DL, the Queens representative in Hampshire  and Squadron Leader Cameron Robottom from The Australian High Commission. In addition to a number of attendees from the Armed Forces, there were representatives from EHDC, HCC and the RAAF. A troop of CCF cadets from Churchers College and children from Horndean Junior School who have parents in the Armed Forces also paraded.

Thirteen Standard Bearers were present in support and we very much enjoyed the musicians from the Royal Marines School of Music who played before and after the service and led the hymns and anthems.

The monument was manufactured by specialist stone workers from Yorkshire, J Rotherham Ltd who also made the very complicated replacement for the Memorial in the village square a few years ago.

We were thrilled to welcome nine members of the Airmen’s families who had travelled half way round the world to see their relatives honoured. They said they were very grateful to the people of Horndean for the magnificent memorial and service and had looked forward to this day since they had first heard of the plans.

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Real thanks must be given to the Children of Horndean 1940s for their vision and persistence in pursuit of their dream. For fourteen years they have been trying to raise the money for this cause and some of them are no longer with us – but they have finally ‘made it happen’

Thank you to BBC South Today for covering the event with a brilliant feature and for allowing the clip to be used.

Thank you also to the private donors who gave so generously as without their support this would not have happened.

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  This passage is one that is often heard at remembrance services, because it sums up the philosophy of the armed services.  When Jesus said this to his disciples he was looking forward to the time when he would be killed on a cross and then rise again in glory on the first Easter day.  If we look in depth at this passage, we are told that we are Jesus friends if we do what he commands, in other words accept God into our lives.

This caveat allows us all to be a friend of Jesus and a friend of all peoples.  We say that we are part of the RAF/RAAF family, we are part of the family of the church and as such these people are our friends.  75 years ago, two young men, Edward Wicky and Oswald Mountford, gave their lives for their friends in this wider sense.

They had come from the other side of the world, as members of their families have come to be here today;  they had come to fight for the United Kingdom against the evil of the axis powers and like all service men then and now were aware that their service could result in the giving of their lives.  On that fateful night their aircraft, a De Haviland Mosquito, serial number PZ452, had been damaged by enemy action and had chased a V1 rocket during their sortie and on the approach to the then RAF Thorney Island it is thought that the aircraft ran out of fuel.  All attempts to glide back to their home station failed and the crew took action to avoid centres of population on their flight path and they managed to avoid most of Horndean, although demolishing the roof of the then village hall which was, thankfully empty, before crashing into fields just outside the village.

Their bravery had been recognised by the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross only a week before their death and is an indication that their attempts to avoid civilian casualties was not an isolated act of bravery but part of their normal behaviour.

These young men, whom we honour today, certainly gave their lives for their friends and truly deserve the praise of us all and the accolade of hero.

As we remember with thanksgiving the sacrifice of Jesus for us all let us also remember the sacrifice of these two young men and the many thousands like them.

Amen.

Padre Charles Lewis