It rained for the
Coronation of King Charles III. But what else should we have
expected, the Met Office tell us that it has rained on every
Coronation Day since records began 120 years ago!
The post box topper that appeared survived the rain, and it did not
dampen the enjoyment of those who ventured out for the celebratory 'big
bash' in the High Street in the afternoon, though it may well have
curtailed how many people turned out.
Congratulations to Prince Edward, now appointed Duke of Edinburgh.
Our
village library was saved from closure 10 years ago when it became
a Community
Library staffed by volunteers.
A celebration was
held at the beginning of December attended by our MP, the Rt Hon
Michael Gove, Pat Tedder, the Mayor of Surrey Heath, Valerie White,
local Councillor and chair of the library's trustees along with
those involved with running the library and members of the public.
St Anne's Church hosted a village Christmas Tree Festival at the
beginning of December. This was a whole-village event with
over three dozen trees sponsored and decorated by local businesses and
organisations. The proceeds were shared with the Shooting Stars
children's hospice.
Last
year I recorded that the scourge of 2022 had
been the disruption caused by the laying of fibre optic cable.
That seems to have finished only to be followed by more road
issues.
The
bypass suffered significant surface damage during the winter
and early spring. The cause is classic - water gets into cracks in the
surface and then freezes during the cold spells (which have been more
severe this year than we have had for a while). Ice expands and so
further damages the tarmac surface. Traffic does the rest, breaking up
the road surface, a process that continued long after the frosts
ceased. The council patched up the worse places but were on a
loosing wicket with the same problem occuring throughout the county.
I am pleased to say that it has been resurfaced in time for
this
winter. Let's hope that a utility company does not come and
dig
it up too soon because that will trigger the problem all over again.
The photo of French marigolds has got nothing to do with this topic,
but I thought something a bit lighter might be appreciated.
The
speed limit on the A30 through the village is 40 mph and there
have been fatalities. There has been a public campaign to get
this reduced to 30 mph and some while ago we were told that a reduction
has been approved. We are now waiting for it to be introduced. Social
media is awash with duff information as to when this will actually
happen.
Still with roads, or more particularly the footbridge
over the M3 to Lightwater Country Park. Without warning we
discovered it was blocked off due to being 'dangerous'.
Various
explanations emerged including being hit by high-sided vehicles which
was then moderated to 'at risk of being hit'. A few weeks
later
the motorway was closed for a weekend and the bridge removed.
We
don't enjoy the motorway being closed as the diversion is the A30
through the village - you can guess what the congestion was like.
As far as I can make out, the root cause is that when the
motorway was widened from 3 to 4 lanes the fact that the bridge is
convex with the outside lower that the middle was overlooked and the
outside did not provide the required clearance above the new lane.
The motorway is going to be closed again early next year to do
carriageqay and drainage repairs. Oh the joy!
Bagshot Community Pre-School / Playgroup was started in 1982
by a group of parents who wanted a follow-on from a Mother &
Toddler group. The playgroup initially met
in the
BPFA Pavillion at the far end of College Ride, then from 2005 in the
original building at the Infants
School. It was, from the start, a not-for-profit organisation
and registered as a charity (no 1023351)
in 1993. Unfortunately it wound up earlier this
year.
June Green, a journalist and prolific author, has been a frequent
contributor to this website and village life. It is with
sadness
that I record that she passed away this year.
There
was a bit of a fuss on social media when notices appeared on
several graves in Bagshot's cemetery that the headstone was
deemed
unsafe and would be laid flat if those responsible for them did not
address the problem. The fuss especially featured the grave
of
Emily
Jane Popejoy.
The local council (who are responsible for the
cemetery)
have an obligation to periodically check for headstones that may be
unsafe - however it is the descendents of the interred who
are
responsible for the graves themselves, not the council.
Needless to say, few can now be contacted.
Five graves,
including Emily's and Bagshot's first vicar (Rev Frederick Aylmer
Pendarves Lory), have been deemed as
heritage memorials and will be secured by the council, with the
remainder being laid down.
Flat
headstones have been laid down in a manner that I think is quite
acceptable. But some, like this one (which is not Emily's)
have
been dealt with in a manner that I personally think is disrespectful.
The
children's play area in the School Lane field has had a significant
make-over, and new adult fitness apparatus has been installed.
The other play areas in the village will also get make overs.
Thanks to the Mayor of London introducing the extended
ultra-low-emission zone we have an excellent new bus service. As
bizzare as this sounds it is the case. Heathrow airport is
(just)
within the zone and so airport and airline workers with older
non-compliant cars would have to pay £12.50 a day for the privilage of
going to work. So the airport is sponsoring a number
of new
bus routes to facilitate access. One is Flightline
730, a
coach service that runs between Heathrow, Bagshot, Camberley, Frimley
and
Basingstoke. Perfect for travel and a welcome additional
service.
Ten EV vehicle chargers are being installed in the village
centre car park.
Bob Chapman has added to the information about Moscow Villa.
Enquiries
Kaye asks about an odd structure along Green Lane in
the 1960s.
I've
been asked how and when Jenkins
Hill got its name. I've no idea, do you?
Steve asks if anyone has any information about the Hughes
family who
lived in Brookside (opposite the back of the Three Mariners pub).
[Nov 23]
A
photo
album has been found in a shed behind one of the houses between the
White Hart and the viaduct on Guildford Road.
The finders would like to
return it to the family.
Alongside are two images that they hope will
be recognised. It is thought that they are Jean and Michelle
Davy and that they lived in Bagshot in the 1950s and 60s [Nov
23]
It rained for the
Coronation of King Charles III. But what else should we have
expected, the Met Office tell us that it has rained on every
Coronation Day since records began 120 years ago! 
Last
year I recorded that the scourge of 2022 had
been the disruption caused by the laying of fibre optic cable.
That seems to have finished only to be followed by more road
issues.
There
was a bit of a fuss on social media when notices appeared on
several graves in Bagshot's cemetery that the headstone was
deemed
unsafe and would be laid flat if those responsible for them did not
address the problem. The fuss especially featured the grave
of
