As you can tell from the title above, my moan this week is about leaflet & charitybag drops – or more specifically – the people who do the leaflet & charity bag drops.
I can just about cope with the quantity of junk leaflets we receive, even the rather frequent charity bag drops. I can also just about cope with them taking short cuts across neighbours gardens, or gawking in the living room window as they walk past, but the one that really gets me is when they don’t use the post box.
Our post box isn’t hidden, it’s bright and clearly marked ‘post’ and is totally unobscured – and is there because we have ruddy huge dog – and he likes to sleep behind the front door, under the letter box.
I really don’t want to stick masking tape or black tape all over the outside of my letter box – I feel that having a clearly marked post box, right next to the front door should be enough, but I’ve lost track of the amount of people who still attempt to shove leaflets and charity bags through my letter box.
Am I wrong? Should a post box be enough? Does a post box just mean post delivered by Royal Mail or does it mean everything that would otherwise normally get shoved through a letterbox?Should I seal up the letter box?
Any comments, please feel free to add them below.
After reading the article about 18 year old amputee, Imogen Holland, in this weeks Newbury Weekly News (2nd Sept), that states her intention of completing a 100ft charity abseil at Battersea Power Station, I just had to post my support for this inspirational person.
Why do I consider Imogen as an inspiration? She not only has to overcome a fear of heights, she will also have to do the abseil without her prosthetic leg – as phantom pains in her stump prevent her from wearing it until her course of injections have finished. She also made a choice to have the amputation at the age of 15, after starting to get problems, after being born without ligaments in her knees.
Imogen wants to raise £500 for MAG (Mines Advisory Group) – and I really think she can smash this target, so to sponsor her, visit http://www.justgiving.com/Imogen-Holland
It’s a little off topic, but I figure if there is any local business out there ,that needs help with traffic, this is ideal for you. In fact, I have just decided to start a new category for local business – so this can be the first post!
Over the course of the last week or so, I have found this excellent traffic getting system. It uses free traffic sources, so you don’t have to pay to get the traffic – also the system itself is currently on a stupidly low $1 trial price – you’d be insane to miss out on this, so I would recommend that you click on the link to view it now! https://promedia.infusionsoft.com/go/salesvideo/spjwhite/
Here is the last part of the timeline of Thatcham. At the beginning of 2000, there were 19,500 inhabitants in Thatcham. Here is the timeline from 2002 to 2007.
2002 Thatchams revived market started trading again.
2003 Cotswold Archaeology excavated a site at Harts Hill and found iron workings. These were carbon dated to 1,000BC – 250 years before the Iron Age was supposed to have started.
2004 West Berkshire Community Hospital opened at Henwick. Population is now over 24,500.
2005 Thatcham Park Primary School opened
2006 Thatcham Crematorium opened
In 2007 areas of Thatcham flooded after receiving 3 times the average July monthly rainfall in just 24 hours. The volume and speed of the water was so great, it couldn’t enter the town’ drainage system. The flood has a return rate of 1 in 169 years and caused damage to approximately 1100 houses. Many roads were impassable and hundreds of pupils were stranded at Kennet School on the last day of term. A rope was tied across Stoney Lane to enable pupils to cross through the floodwater to their parents.
The flood itself was actually classed as a flashflood, as it was caused by runoff from farmland to the North of Thatcham, including Ashmore Green, Upper Bucklebury and Cold Ash. A shop sign from Upper Bucklebury actually ended up outside Thatcham Station!
The houses in Kennet Heath were flooded by water from Station Road, when a Culverted Watercouse got overloaded by the sheer volume and speed of water, due to the run off from the North Thatcham. The houses at Kennet Heath stayed flooded for 24 hours, whereas the water in the rest of Thatcham subsided quickly after the rain stopped.
The Nature Discovery Centre and several buildings at the Sewage Works were also flooded.
It is now known that the extent and duration was made worse as parts of the town’s drainage system were blocked.
Thatcham is twinned with Nideggen in Germany. So, what do we actually know about Nideggen?
Nideggen is located on the River Rur, in the Eifel hills, 15km from Duren, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is also located at the banks of the Rurtalsperre – the second largest dam in Germany.
It is famed for its ruined, part restored castle – Burg Nideggen – and the sandstone rocks along the river Rur.
Nideggen was created in 1972 after the amalgamation of eight independent communities.
as at 2008, the population was 10,772.
St Thomas the Martyr seemed popular in Thatchams past – there was a Chapel built in his name as well as a Fair held in his honour.
In 1222 King Henry III issued a fair to be held on the eve and day of the feast of St Thomas the Martyr (6-7th July). This was later abandoned, being replaced by two separate one day fairs during April and September. This then continued until 1888.
Near the end of the 13th century, as Thatcham was thriving, the Abbot of of Reading encouraged King Edward I to grant Thatcham ‘borough’ status (possibly to help with financial difficulties the Abbot was said to be suffering!).
In 1304 it was established that the existing nave and chancel was inadequate for the needed requirements, so the chapel of St Thomas the Martyr or St Thomas’ Chapel (now know as The Old Bluecoats) was constructed near the boundary division of Colthrop Manor estate (now the A4).
Services were held in the chapel for nearly 250 years before being left in a state of disrepair and ruin for approximately 150 years.
Lady Fances Winchcombe, widow of Sir Henry Winchcombe, bought the rundown chapel in the early 1700′s, gave the order to have the repairs and alterations made and then handed the chapel to trustees, in order for them to create a Blue Coat School.
Her wishes weren’t carried out immediately, as The Blue Coat School wasn’t opened until 1713 – however, it stayed as The Bluecoat School until 1914.
There were various improvements in services, new buildings and three recipients of the Victoria Cross in the 1900′s. Here is a brief timeline of events.
1902 During the Boer War William House was awarded the Victoria Cross
1905 Thatcham Police Station is opened
1907 Thatcham Parish Hall was built
1911 Tomlin Memorial Fountain and Shelter is erected
1912 The first public telephone box was installed in Thatcham
1913 Council School (Francis Bailey) is opened
1915 Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously to Alexander Buller-Turner
1918 Cropper & Co take over Colthrop Mills
1920 Thatcham Electric Lightworks is established, the War Memorial is dedicated and workmen found the remains of the Mesolithic village
1921 Thatcham Road Transport Services is founded
1928 Local roads are officially named and numbered
1931 mains water is supplied from Cold Ash Reservoir
1940 Army Depot in Station Road is opened
1942 Victor Buller-Turner is awarded the Victoria Cross
1945 Thatcham’s population was 4,500
1947 Memorial Playing Field comes into use
1951 Thatcham’s population was less than 5,000
1957 Kennet School was opened
1961 Thatcham had approximately 2,300 households
1962 High Street relief road is completed
1964 Thatcham’s population was 7,500
1964 St Mary’s Primary School (Park Lane) is opened & St Mary’s Infant School in Broadway is closed
1969 Thatcham Police Station is closed
1971 Thatcham’s population was over 10,000
1972 Thatcham won first prize as Berkshire’s Best Kept (Large) Village
1972 Whitelands Park & Parsons Down schools are opened
1974 the parish council designated itself a town council
1978 Thatcham Health Centre and Thatcham Catholic Church are opened
1980 the original Thatcham Children’s Centre is opened
1981 Thatcham had over 5,000 households & the new library is opened at Walnut Close
1983 Thatcham Police Station is re-opened & the new Town Council Offices are opened
1986 Kingsland Shopping Centre opened
1987 Thatcham had over 7,000 households & Thatcham Station is opened, along with Thatcham Baptist Church
1988 the last wood turnery in Thatcham closes & Kennet Sports Centre is opened to the public
1989 Spurcroft School is officially opened
1995 Thatcham Discovery Centre is opened
1996 Henwick Worthy Sportsground came into use
1999 Northern Distributor Road and Thatcham Depot were both closed
When the weather gets a bit sunnier and warmer, more and more people go out walking – whether it’s with dog, children or loved ones. The Thatcham Nature Discovery Centre is an excellent place to visit for any of the above reason – plus you get to see some lovely scenery and wildlife.
We regularly take Bear (our German Shepherd) for a walk around the Discovery Centre (and past the surrounding fishing lakes). It’s quiet, tranquil and, for the most part, clean and tidy.
I know I have apreviously moaned about the dog poo around here, but on the whole, it is usually gone by our next trip ot the Discovery Centre.
They have had some local press and even a Facebook group for negative reasons – as they wanted to start charging for entry. Ok, I know this is a big ‘no no’ as it’s not a theme park – if they need money they should increase separate paid events down there – however I think we should all make more use of this lovely local attraction.
So, grab your walking shoes, the dog, kids and anything else you want to grab, and head down to the Nature Discovery Centre for a lovely evening stroll.
My moan this week is about ungrateful drivers – you know, those people who don’t acknowledge you after you’ve let them a) let them out b) let them into the queue ahead of you c) cut you up etc etc.
There seem to be alot of these drivers living in our immediate vicinity – and they’re not all boy racers (although they are quite bad for various other reasons). Some of the older folks and especially women are some of the worse offenders.
So, come on drivers – remember your manners and thank that lovely driver who has just done you a favour!
In 1125 King Henry I granted the manor of Thatcham to Reading Abbey. He let the Abbots run it and allowed them to run a market in the church on Sundays.
This caused a rivalry between the men of Thatcham and the new town of Newbury, that was set up after the Norman Conquest.
King Henry II issued three charters confirming the weekly market and compelling men to attend it – or else suffer a fine!
In circa 1160, the jealous men of Newburys’ market trashed Thatchams’ market. King Henry II subsequently issued an order preventing them from injuring or interfering with the market in any way.
The rivalry between the men folk of Newbury and Thatcham continued until at least Queen Elizabeth I’s reign – although some say it still continues now.
In 1218AD Henry III ordered the market day to be changed from Sunday to Thursday.
in 1348-1350 the bubonic plague, or Black Death, decimated the population of Thatcham, almost wiping out the entire populations of Thatcham, Newbury, Greenham and Crookham and by 1540 the market of Thatcham was considered valueless.
In 2002, Thatcham’s revived market began trading again, being run now on a Friday.
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