Monday was a very special day in Catherington, many residents gathered to watch Lord Paddy Ashdown unveil a Blue Plaque to a Hero who had lived quietly in the community and whose actions were said by the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill to have shortened the war by six months.

Lt Col H.G Blondie Hasler, DSO OBE CdeG RM was the inspiration behind and leader of Operation Frankton (The Cockleshell Heroes) an audacious raid to disable Axis shipping in Bordeaux. An operation from which only two of the ten men who originally set out returned. Two men drowned and six men were captured, interrogated and executed.

Lord Paddy Ashdown was joined by Brigadier Richard Spencer Deputy Commandent Genneral RM and local man Commander Bill Evershed (Retd) to unveil a Blue Plaque on the family home of Blondie Hasler. Bill talked of the man he remembered as a boy, the man who fostered his love of the sea and inspired him to make the Royal Navy his career. Brigadier Spencer spoke of the strategic importance of this operation in maintaining the flow of shipping and goods to Western Europe and Lord Ashdown talked of the style of leadership that Blondie used and the creation of the Special Forces branch of the Royal Navy now known as the Special Boat Service that followed this raid.

The event was attended by the Royal Marine National Standard Bearer and Standards from the SBS and other Royal Marine Association branches who wished to represent their members. Many former Marines had travelled hundreds of miles to be present at this notable event including Lt Col Ewan Southby Tailyour, a close personal friend of the family, who has written Blondies biography. Hampshire District Council Leader Cllr Ferris Cowper, Chairman Cllr David Ashcroft and Chief Executive Sandy Hopkins were also present.

A contingent of local firemen have recently completed the ‘Cockleshell Challenge’, in which they recreated the journey of Blondie Hasler and his men by paddling from Gironde estuary to Bordeaux in canoes similar to those used in the original raid. The trip was the catalyst for Bill Evershed’s original idea for a blue plaque and they approached me for help. I was pleased to support the venture with monies from my Community grant fund. This was supplemented by monies raised by Catherington Village Residents Association.

The day was a real success with well over 100 people attending the event. The Blue Plaque looks superb and is now mounted on the front wall of 15 Glamorgan Road, a tribute to the man who lived there and the men who volunteered for this dangerous mission.

I would like to extend my special thanks to Greg and Sarah Hughes who now own 15, Glamorgan Road for supporting this project. After the ceremony the special guests joined the family for lunch together in Blondie’s former home.

Cllr Sara Schillemore

Photographs: Penny Plimmer, Richard J Veitch, Guy Shepherd

The next Neighbourhood Policing Team surgery is at Blendworth Church Hall on Thursday 3rd November between 10:00am and 11:00am. Our local team would like to welcome anyone who would like to ask about any policing issues.

Rowans Hospice welcome your support at their Christmas Fair on Saturday 12th November between 10am and 4pm at the Festival Hall, Petersfield.

The next Neighbourhood Policing Team Beat Surgery is at Horndean Library on Friday 28th October between 16:00 and 18:00. All are welcome.

Lord Paddy Ashdown is to unveil a plaque to commemorate Catherington’s ‘cockleshell hero’, ‘Blondie’ Hasler where a blue plaque will be placed on the family home of Lieutenant Colonel HG ‘Blondie’ Hasler, the driving force behind a daring World War II raid.

The event, on Monday 17 October, will be attended by senior military figures, including Brigadier R A W Spencer OBE ADC, Deputy Commandant General of the Royal Marines, as well as Blondie Hasler’s biographer Ewen Southby-Tailyour. Lord Ashdown, himself a former SBS officer, will unveil the plaque at 11.30am on the house in Glamorgan Road.

Lt Col Blondie Hasler DSO OBE CdeG RM planned and led Operation Frankton, a daring raid in 1942 to disable enemy shipping in Bordeaux by paddling canoes packed with mines up the Gironde.

Thirteen Royal Marines, dubbed the Cockleshell Heroes, after their canvas canoes, left Scotland in December 1942 in the submarine, HMS TUNA, bound for the Gironde estuary. One canoe was damaged while being unloaded through the submarine hatch so its two-man crew was unable to go. The remaining ten men paddled, under cover of darkness, towards the estuary.

Tragically two canoes capsized in the estuary tide-races. Of their crews, two men were drowned and two soon captured. The crew of a third canoe were later betrayed and captured by the enemy.

Only two canoes reached their destination where they successfully attached their limpet mines to ships berthed in the harbor, disabling six vessels.

Of the ten men who had left the submarine only two finally returned. Two men drowned and the remaining six were captured, interrogated, tortured and executed by the Germans. Blondie Hasler and his partner Bill Sparks escaped over land, were sheltered by the Resistance and finally reached neutral Spain and Gibraltar.

This operation gave rise to the creation of the now famous Commando Unit, the SBS, within the Royal Marines Corps.

During the ceremony Commander Bill Evershed, RN Rtd, a friend of Blondie Hasler and his family will say a few words about the man.

Cllr Sara Schillemore, councillor for Catherington, arranged the event and donated £500 from EHDC’s councillor grant scheme towards the plaque. This was supplemented by funds raised by Catherington Village Residents’ Association.

She said: “Blondie was from Catherington and it is important that the sacrifices these men made are not forgotten.It was a highly-dangerous mission that was heavily reliant on the ingenuity and courage of the men involved and Blondie masterminded the whole operation.  The then Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, said their efforts probably shortened WW2 by six months.”

“The unveiling of the plaque has become a significant event for the village and for the Royal Marines and we will be delighted to welcome many high-ranking representatives to the ceremony. I’m delighted that one of Catherington’s most famous residents is being commemorated in this way.”

Sara and Guy invite you to our Quiz Night where we will feed and entertain you with our acclaimed quiz night. This massively popular event sells out very quickly and we have just a few remaining tickets. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday 15th October; 6:30 for a 7:00pm start at Catherington Church Hall.

The evening includes 8 rounds of quiz questions with a cash prize for the winning team. Also included is a Chinese buffet. Plates and cutlery are provided, but please bring drinks and deserts of your choice. There is a raffle too on the night with some great prizes.

We are looking for 12 teams of 6 and hope to see teams from the local residents associations, and perhaps the action groups who have supported us so well recently against some of the local development threats.

Entry is £12 per person on the night which covers the quiz prize, food and hall hire. If you would like to support us and have a great night out then please contact sara@schillemore.uk to book your team of 6, or let us know you are coming in smaller groups as there will always be numbers to make up.

Please confirm by email on sara@schillemore.uk advising the names of those attending and if you would like a vegetarian alternative to the Chinese buffet.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Cllr Sara Schillemore, Cllr Guy Shepherd

The South Down Group have invited Peter McDowell, a retired Geologist, to present a talk about our local geology, and how housing and oil extraction could threaten this and the water table. with an oil company looking at oil extraction just to the east near Finchdean and housing being built in our communities (LEOH) this is of strong local interest.

St Wilfreds Church Hall, Cowplain Wednesday 19th October from 7:30

East Hampshire District Council’s Annual Report 2015-16, which is called Overview, tracks the progress of the council in the last financial year, and there are many positives to take from it.

By finding alternative sources of income and making efficiencies during 2015-16, the council has been able to reduce its share of residents’ Council Tax by two per cent. EHDC is possibly the only council in the country to have done this.

The council is leading the way with the transformation of Whitehill & Bordon following the departure of the Army from the town. The town was awarded Healthy New Town status and this will make the town a blueprint for how other communities across the country can be healthier and more vibrant. Whitehill & Bordon is one of only 10 towns in the country to be named a Healthy New Town.

Over the year the council has delivered over 100 daily services to over 4,000 businesses and 116,000 people, with a keen eye on value for money and the needs of customers. The council has also achieved:

• Funding for sporting talent and apprenticeships, grants for local community groups and money into business start-ups that are supporting the district’s residents, businesses and visitors.
• Prudent investments in property that are providing better returns than low savings interest rates.
• Efficiencies are also being made, including joining with Havant Borough Council in an innovative procurement project to manage back office services that is forecast to save £3.8m over an eight year contract and a shared team managing a contract to deliver waste collection and landscape services.

Click on this link here to download the EHDC 2015 / 2016 Annual Report

Come on Horndean, it is time we put some of our stars forward for this!

Nominations are now open for the East Hampshire Sports Awards 2017, which recognise sportsmen and women at every level, and the coaches, officials and volunteers who work behind the scenes to help athletes and clubs succeed. The deadline for nominations is Friday 6 January 2017 and elected finalists will be invited to an awards evening on Thursday 16 February 2017 at Old Thorns Manor Hotel in Liphook.

The winners of the district awards will be put forward to compete for the 2017 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Sports Awards.

Councillor Julie Butler, councillor responsible for community, said: “The glamour of the Olympic and Paralympic games with two massive medal hauls for Team GB and Paralympics GB was the culmination of thousands of hours of dedication from the athletes that took part. But behind every great sporting achievement is a large group of supporters that make it possible. At the 2017 awards we will not only be recognising East Hampshire’s outstanding sportspeople in a range of categories, but also the coaches and officials. I would encourage anyone who has seen outstanding sporting dedication over the last year to nominate that person or team for an award.”

Nominees are assessed by a judging panel and winners are required to meet criteria specific for each category.

These annual prestigious awards are co-ordinated by East Hampshire District Council to publicly recognise sporting achievement in the following categories:

• Junior Sportsman & Junior Sportswoman

• Senior Sportsman & Senior Sportswoman

• Masters Sportsman & Sportswoman

• Junior Disability Sportsperson

• Senior Disability Sportsperson

• Coach of the Year (Male or Female)

• Volunteer of the Year (Junior & Senior)

• School Team of the Year

• Team of the Year (Junior & Senior)

• Official (Male or Female)

• Service to Sport (Male or Female)

• Club of the Year

• Outstanding Personal Achievement

To download the guidance and nomination forms Click Here For more information contact Kirsty Cope, EHDC Community Project Worker, 01730 234015.

Five councils – united by their vision to deliver improved, more affordable services – are on their way to a projected £40 million of savings as services enter new contracts with Capita and VINCI Facilities.

Under the two shared contracts, Hart District Council, Havant Borough Council (with services already shared with East Hampshire District Council), Mendip District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council have joined forces to provide a range of services in a move that will provide great value for money for residents.

The councils’ corporate services, including HR, IT and finance will be provided by Capita, one of the UK’s leading business process and support companies. Facilities management, property services and parking services will be provided by VINCI Facilities, with experience across the UK and Europe. In partnership with VINCI Facilities partners, Arcadis are delivering property services and Indigo delivering parking services.

Involving five districts up to 85 miles apart, the two nine-year contracts mark the first time a group of councils have looked beyond their immediate neighbours to share services in this way.

The extensive experience the two companies have across the public and private sectors will allow the councils to continue to improve services for residents while also delivering enormous financial savings at the same time.

The two contracts started in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse in August 2016 and will be phased in between September 2016 and October 2017 for the remaining councils.

Councillor Richard Millard, Deputy Leader of East Hampshire District Council and Portfolio Holder for Contracts, said: “By including the services we already share with Havant Borough Council in the Five Councils contract, East Hampshire District Council is forecast to save £3.8m (over the length of the contract). While we will continue to seek opportunities to generate income – like our expanding property portfolio – this is an example of our on-going commitment to finding efficiencies and savings where opportunities arise.”

The contracts are being managed by a single client team set up by the councils, including staff from across the organisations.

To ensure the new services are delivered as efficiently as possible, staff could be asked to relocate to centres of excellence operated by the two companies. The councils and both companies are providing staff with support, advice and training throughout the transition to the new contracts.

Speak your mind on waste collection and environmental services
A new survey is giving residents have the chance to have their say on East Hampshire District Council’s bin collections and other environmental services.

The council is keen to get views on its waste and recycling collections as well as street cleaning, ground maintenance and public toilets.

The survey can be completed online on EHDC’s website on this link here: Rubbish Collection Survey
EHDC Deputy Leader Cllr Richard Millard, Portfolio Holder for Contracts, said: “We would like to hear our residents’ opinions on a number of services provided by contractors on behalf of the council. We are looking at how these services can be provided in the future so understanding how our residents feel about these services at the moment is very important to us.”

The survey will run until Friday 28 October.