Hungerford in Bloom 2019

Armed Forces Day on Saturday, 29th June 2019 was celebrated in
Hungerford with a parade by 6 Armoured Close Support Battalion REME, with
the Mayor, Cllr Helen Simpson; High Sheriff of Berkshire, Lucy Zeal and her St
John's Ambulance cadet, Maisy Pink-Costello; Constable, Nick Lumley and
Bellman, Julian Tubb taking the salute.
Following the parade, a barbecue was held at the Royal British Legion
for REME and their families, to which all were welcome. Live music was
provide by the band, Pope.
Our thanks go to Christian Alba Butcher who provided the meat for the
barbecue and to Tesco for also providing refreshments and to all who worked
hard to make the day a success.
Hungerford war memorial has benefitted from a grant of £1,120 from War Memorials Trust Grants Scheme supported by the First World War Memorials Programme and other voluntary contributions from supporters.
The money enabled cleaning and re-pointing of the memorial and cleaning and application of a protective wax to the memorial bronze plaques.
With this year commemorating 100 years since the end of the First World War, the Council felt it was important the war memorial was clean and looking its best as it will provide a focus for these commemorations. They applied for a grant which helped towards the cost of employing a specialist contractor (IMI) to undertake the work. The "before and after" photos show what a great job IMI did.
The annual remembrance day parade will take place as usual this year and in addition, the Council will be lighting a beacon to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War at the Triangle Field, Priory Road. This event will start from 6.30pm with the Last Post played at 6.55pm prior to the beacon being lit at 7.00pm. Everyone is welcome to this event.
CHARITY URGES CANAL VISITORS TO FEED DUCKS HEALTHY SNACKS
The Canal & River Trust, the charity that cares for the Kennet & Avon Canal, is urging visitors to Hungerford Wharf to ditch the bread and feed healthy snacks to the ducks.
Working with Hungerford Town Council the Canal & River Trust is asking local people to help improve the diets of ducks and swans by feeding them natural treats such as leafy greens, sweetcorn, oats and vegetables.
Hungerford Wharf is a great spot for families to enjoy but feeding bread to ducks is bad for their diets. Any leftover bread attracts vermin and having too many birds in one place creates an excess of bird droppings. Bread is often left floating in the water encouraging algae which can be harmful to birds and fish.
Caroline Robson, from the Canal & River Trust, said: “Getting up close to the wildlife on our waterways is one of the simple joys of being on the canal and feeding the ducks is a great family activity. We would like visitors to think about what they are feeding the ducks and to ask them to make a small change to improve their diets. Ducks need a varied diet and feeding them bread is a bit like giving them a pizza everyday which isn’t good for their health.”
Helen Simpson, Mayor of Hungerford Town Council, said: “Hungerford Wharf is a really popular spot to feed the ducks. However, we have noticed that left over bread has been attracting vermin, such as rats and feral pigeons, which isn’t nice for the visitors. By changing what we feed the ducks our wildlife gets to enjoy a healthier diet, and we also reduce the problem of having left over bits of bread and food at the wharf area.”
For more information on the Canal & River Trust, including finding out how you can support our work by donating money or volunteering with us visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
-ENDS-
At the full Town Council meeting on Tuesday 8th
May 2018 Cllr Helen Simpson was unanimously elected as Mayor for 2018/19 with
former Mayor, Cllr Keith Knight, being elected as Deputy Mayor. Both
Councillors have been instrumental in negotiations to keep Hungerford Library
open by leasing it from West Berkshire Council and it is hoped this issue will
be finalised in the not too distant future.
HUNGERFORD saluted its civic
heroes this week in the annual Freedom of the Town awards on Tuesday 14th
June 2016 at The Corn Exchange, Hungerford.
This year’s recipients, who were presented with their medal and
certificate by Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire,
James Puxley, are Janette Kersey, David Clayton and Neale Marney.
Janette has been the town mayor twice and she has worked for the
CHAIN charity for many years, currently as chairwoman. In addition she has been head of the
Hungerford Primary School board of governors.
David Clayton has chaired and directed the Community of
Hungerford Theatre Club since 1991 and his dedication to the dramatic arts in
Hungerford has enabled many young people to excel, gain self-confidence and set
them on the road to a successful future”.
David is the driving force behind the Young Performers, Youth Theatre
and children’s theatre from which many have gone on to study dramatic art and
some to earn a living in the profession.
Neale Marney has been dedicated to Hungerford and to civic
duties, from his work installing defibrillators to being a “mainstay” of the
annual Victorian Extravaganza. Mr Marney
was chairman of Hungerford Primary School governors for many years and is a
former president of the town’s Tuesday Club.
He is also a chorister and churchwarden at St Lawrence Church.
Thank you to the volunteers who attended the Annual Litter Pick on Sunday 26th April 2015. Two very productive hours were spent clearing the station area, alleyways and back streets not covered by the West Berks street cleaners. Many bags were filled and hopefully the residents of Hungerford will appreciate the time spent by the volunteers and help to keep the town tidy!