NWN-18062020

NEWBURY NEWS THATCHAM NEWS

Thursday, June 18, 2020 24

Newbury Weekly News

VE Day party to be held – a year later than planned Council pledges support for event after Covid caused cancellation of original celebration

THATCHAM Keeping in touch

Have you got a story? Contact our Thatcham reporter JOHN HERRING, on (01635) 886633, or email: john.herring@

newburynews.co.uk Twitter @johnh_nwn

News updates from Thatcham are now available online throughout the week. Go to newburytoday.co.uk and select the district pages

or The Moors Playing Field. He said: “We would probably need eight weeks to get it to a standard where we could say we are confident this event will be of a standard Thatcham Town Council would want to put on, and the safety concerns as well. “It’s really difficult to third guess what might be happening in July or August with regards to Government recommendations. “One thing is social distancingwill still be in place until there’s a vaccine. “I think 90 per cent of us would say that’s pretty likely. “In August there might be a restric- tion on the size of public gather- ings.” If social distancing measures are not lifted, options included events that could allow safe social distancing or to create a short online film. Mr Sackett said this could include asking people to send in pictures of their window displays made to support key workers. He said: “ I don’t think we should be going to sleep, so to speak. We should be showing that people are doing things in their community.” Fun on the Broadway includes a treasure hunt for people to visit shops

need to booked again for next year. They also voted to move £10,000 from reserves to support next year’s event. The town council also holds Fun on the Broadway at the end of August before children return to school and to provide a boost to local businesses. This year’s theme was around the climate emergency. Discussing whether to hold the event or merge it with a mini-fun day, events manager John Sackett said that current social distancing guide- lines would prevent a large event, but the situation could change by the end of August. He said that a small event or picnic in the park could be staged, but eight weeks’ notice would be required to deliver an event, ideally at the Thatcham Memorial Playing Fields “ It would be a shame to abandon the whole idea and go with something new when it could be one of the big

in the town. Mr Sackett said this could be run in a digital format to try and minimise contact. Ellen Crumly (Con, Thatcham Central) said:“ I think digital is excel- lent. I think digital is the way to go for this one.” Mr Boyd said the council should look at “something that can be done in a short space of time when the picture becomes a lot clearer”. He said: “It seems an awful lot of work to be organising somethingfor it fall flat on its face because social distancing means it can’t happen.” Town council leader David Lister (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) said that £5,000 would be allocated to a small- scale event. He said the council was under pres- sure with its budget because of reduced revenue, but added: “I think it’s really important for us as town council to engage with the public.” But deputy leader Jennifer Walker (Lib Dem, Thatcham Central) said that £5,000 was quite high of r a digital or small-scale picnic event. Simon Pike (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) said that £5,000 would be the ceiling, adding: “I’m sure he [Mr Sackett] won ’t spend it unless he has something good to ofer.”

A COMMUNITY event to make up for the loss of this year’s Thatcham Family Fun Day VE/VJ spectacular will be held in some form. The Waterloo Band and Buglers of the 7 Rifles, a Lancaster bomber flypast and The ‘ Poppy’ Parachute display team were all booked for the event, which was themed around the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe in May. Thatcham Town Council, which organises the fun day, cancelled the event because of the coronavirus pandemic restrictions. A VE Day concert at St Mary’s Church, featuring the Newbury and Thatcham Rock Choir, has been post- poned until November 28. Councillors discussed whether to hold the war-themed event next year or to go with something new at a recent meeting. Deputy mayor John Boyd (Lib Dem, Thatcham Colthrop and Crookham) said: “I would be very much for it to be 75 plus oneas somuch work went into what was happening this year. “It would be a shame to abandon the whole idea and go with something new when it could be one of the big commu- nity events we can hold at this time.” Councillors voted to stick with the theme, although all displays would

Free tennis coaching FREE tennis coaching will be coming to Thatcham next month. National Tennis Association has partnered with Thatcham Memorial Playing Fields to provide the coaching. Lawn Tennis Association qualified professionals will serve up the sessions from July 4. Anyone wanting to pick up a racket can benefit from a one-month free pass, giving up to 25 people a complete month to take part in professional tennis coaching. Starting from July 4 and every week after: 9am to 10am for five to seven-year-olds; 10am to 11am for eight to 10-year-olds; 11am to noon for 11 to 14-year- olds; noon to 1pm for adult beginners; 1pm to 2pm for adult intermediates (can rally and play points). Due to current restrictions, only five players can be accepted per group and places will be offered on a first come first served basis. For more information, visit www.newbury.nation- altennis.org.uk/ and to register online visit https://form.jotform.com/200063891127349

community events we can hold at this time

The visiting grass snake

A curious muntjac

Michael Nash in his garden

Taking a walk on the wild side in a Cold Ash garden

MICHAEL Nash has created an area at the bottom of his garden in Cold Ash that is like his own ‘private nature reserve’. Mr Nash said: “We decided, five years ago, that we wanted to create a natural habitat at the bottom of our garden and let nature take over. “I put the pond in and bought some aquatic plants to go in it – I had no idea what would survive, but five years on they have thrived.” When the pond was first put in Mr Nash says the only other thing they added to it was about 20 water snails. “We now have thousands of them,” he explained. “They keep the water fresh and clear.” The pond has since attracted all

“Nature is definitely coming out of the woods, so to speak,” said Mr Nash. “We’ve particularly noticed a lot more hedgehog activity, which is great to see. “We think there must be a family in the undergrowth somewhere because of the droppings on the lawn in the mornings.” Mr Nash, who works from home, supplying air conditioning units, said: “I will quite often go down there and just watch – there is so much going on – it’s a great thing for the grandchildren to enjoy too.” You can watch a video of the animals that have visited Mr Nash’s garden on Newburytoday’s YouTube channel.

sorts of wildlife, including dragon- flies, frogs, crested newts, deer, an abundance of cross orbweaver spiders and more recently a grass snake. “I first noticed the snake about three years ago,” Mr Nash said. “It is definitely the same snake that comes back each year as I recognise its markings. “It comes to the pond and feeds off frogspawn, which is why there is a big lump in the middle of it in the video I took.” Mr Nash says his garden backs on to a neighbour who also has a wild area adjoining his property, which means wildlife and habitation can flourish and he says he has noticed a lot more activity during lockdown.

Cross orbweaver spiders

A toad sufraces in the pond