by Sarah Hammett

Saturday March 27th dawned chilly but fine as we set about our final preparations to celebrate our neighbour Gwen Apsey’s 100th birthday.

Gwen has lived in Ehelburt Avenue for 60+ years and may be the first resident to achieve that age (does anyone know different?). Gwen was born and has always lived in Hampshire. Aged 18, she joined the Ordnance Survey, a job she thoroughly enjoyed throughout the 40 years she was there. As well as a long service award, Gwen was given the Imperial Service Medal, awarded by the Queen, for “meritorious service” making the maps needed by the Armed Forces in the Second World War.

We thought that a good way to mark the event would be a bench, with an appropriate plaque, placed on our green near her house, so Gwen’s neighbours and friends could sit on the bench and chat with her, watching the world go by. This would also be a nice facility for all to make use of.

We invited donations and were delighted to eventually raise £270 (our thanks to everyone who contributed) and received a big bundle of birthday cards for her!

Gwen had family visiting that morning, so we let them into the plans, and they kept her busy until the appointed time, when she came out of her house and saw her bench.

She was a little discombobulated by it all, but grateful for everyone’s efforts, and as luck would have it, her birthday card from the queen was delivered just then, which really delighted her.

I think we may have under-estimated how daunting Gwen would find all the attention that day, but she’s recovered now and we hope that the warmer weather will help her to make good use of the community bench that bears her name.

Not only has our new secretary had to resign for personal reasons, we have learnt that our treasurer is moving from the area. If you want to save HCERA from an untimely death, please consider volunteering for one of these positions. Send an email to find out what is involved. If you have some experience with accounts, you should find ours a doddle.

There will be a litter-pick over the weekend of 8th-9th May. The equipment is being borrowed from the Council. This will be conducted under the present “Covid-19 rule of 6 or 2 households out of doors”. To volunteer and find out the arrangements, please email HCERA.

As agreed at the last HCERA AGM, there has been a new RIG survey of the views of people in Ethelburt Avenue. A copy of the results has been delivered to all the houses in the Avenue. There is negligible support for tarmac, with a large majority wanting it to be kept as gravel and more trees gets very strong support. No other specific proposal gets more “agree” than the combined “disagree” and “maybe”. A parking scheme for residents is very unpopular. An electronic version of the report and the questionnaire are on the HCERA website.

Herbert Collins Estates Limited is now in a position to look at their policy and to decide if they need to make any changes.
As the Company was set up through the Residents Association they think that residents should be consulted before they make any decisions.
You should have received a copy of the questionnaire either by email or through your door. If you haven’t, email hcel@herbertcollins.co.uk to request one. The questionnaire was due for return by 21st April but if you have missed this date, a completed form from you would still be welcome.

If you are new to the Estate and have not yet received a Welcome Pack from your street rep, please email HCERA.

Swaythling Lawn Tennis Club is a small LTA affiliated, members only, club with two grass courts located by the lower green in Ethelburt Avenue. We welcome all standards of players, including beginners and juniors, who are able to make use of the courts once they have joined. Our season starts on Saturday 1st May, depending on the weather, and runs to the end of September. When we open, due to the Covid 19 restrictions, play will only be possible by members booking a court. We should also be able to offer coaching to beginners, improvers and juniors using the LTA guidelines for organised activity. Later in the season as the rules are relaxed in line with the Government road map, we hope to return to our usual pattern of mix ins with other members and friendly matches with other clubs.

Subscription rates for the new season are: Adult £75 (£70 if joining before the end of May), Junior £25, Family £150 (£140 before the end of May). Juniors are entitled to 6 coaching lessons at £4 per lesson instead of £8. For more information please contact John Green, phone 023 8067 1016 or email: green.john@btinternet.com

by Ray George

Our village green is no more. Those who have not lived here a long time will have no idea what this is all about. Over the years, this has been chronicled in our Newsletter. See www.herbertcollins.co.uk/2007/10/19/update-on-transit-site-2/ for the first mention of “Village Green”. The land in question is the field on the east side of Stoneham Way between the Junction 5 roundabout and the railway arch. The final step in this saga was only recently brought to my attention. On the 17th April 2019 the Regulatory Committee of Hampshire County Council refused to grant “Village Green” status to the part lying within the County’s jurisdiction. This follows a non-statuary public enquiry on 5th and 6th February 2018. The inspector concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support the registration as a village green. What about the part within the City boundary? No time limit is imposed by law, and the Council has failed to progress the application. But no doubt, the same evidence would also be inadequate. The applicant, Janet Ticehurst died in February this year.