Local News
Visit the Local News section of PP website for this week’s Local News, which includes horses, Visions, benches, bridges, trustees, grants and road signs.
Local Events – see below
Local Activities
• Easter holiday activities for kids – see events below
• April floristry workshops, Inspirational Spring Cooking Weds 26 Apr, Weekend Nutrition Course, 29/30 April.
Recommendations
• Sophie from Newbury recommends Elite Garage Services: ‘I always use Elite now and really trust them.’
• Fay from Marlborough recommends dance lessons with Alison at Cheek2Cheek “Alison is a fabulous teacher, she makes everyone feel welcome, we look forward to our lesson every week.”Click here for upcoming class schedule in Lambourn, Boxford & Wantage
Special Offers
• wide range of special April offers from Hogan Music in Newbury.
• half-price dental hygiene sessions for children at the Lambourn Valley Dental Practice if booked during April.
Property
• new three-bedroom South Fawley Cottage to rent from May. £1,200 pcm. Lovely rural location just 5 miles south of Wantage.
• if you own woodland of any size you are invited to a one day workshop on Weds 3 May to learn how to Make Your Woodland Work for You
• Click here for a range of properties to rent and for sale in Hungerford.
See the Property News section of Penny Post for a range of property-related articles.
Local Jobs
See the Penny Post website for local jobs including: Pharmacy Technician or Dispenser, Ramsbury (closes 26 April) • Waiter/Waitress, Chilton Foliat • Stockperson, Lambourn • Car Mechanic, Newbury • Assistant Management Accountant, Lambourn • Teaching Assistant, Padworth • Library Trustees, Hungerford • Waiter/Front of House Supervisor, Inkpen • Full-time Care Assistants, West Berkshire • Occupational Therapist, West Berkshire • Massage Therapist, West Berkshire • Cleaners, West Berkshire • Charity Shop Volunteers, Hungerford • Homecare Assistants, throughout West Berkshire
• interested in becoming a teacher? Book a 30-minute appointment on Thurs 27 April at John O’Gaunt School, Hungerford to learn about the Excalibur Train to Teach programme.
Local Businesses
Family Life • Food & Drink • Health, Beauty & Wellbeing • House, Garden & Pets • Legal & Professional • IT, Media & Web • Visual & Performing Arts • Retailers • Travel & Tourism • Tuition & Training
Please support the businesses which support Penny Post!
• welcome to The Media Marketing Co based in Newbury – one of the oldest social media marketing agencies in the UK• if you’re looking for an experienced, bright and literate part-time PA click here.
Charity Plugs
• please Swindon teen Ash Cleverley who is sky-diving to raise money for the Rainbow Trust in memory of her best friend Erika Cowie who recently died aged 18. The Rainbow Trusts supports families whose children have terminal illnesses.
• the Forever Hounds Trust is looking for a solicitor who could volunteer to help revamp its legacy materials. Please email [email protected].
• local family-support charity Home-Start West Berkshire needs volunteers to encourage and offer practical support to parents with young children. Their next training course starts 28 April in Newbury. If you are interested please call 01635 760310 or email [email protected].
• if you want to raise money for your local group, enter the Newbury Rotary Sponsored Walk on 7 May.
• see this week’s Local News section for a list of just some of the people who’ve helped to raise money for good causes recently.
Four (and two) Legged Friends
• grazing & stable available to rent in Hungerford from 1 May
• great news for poultry keepers in the high-risk bird flu areas (including Thatcham and Swindon), from today the sanctions are being lifted by DEFRA so all chickens can go outside now.
• I don’t know if it’s a coincidence but one of our hens was badly pecked during bird-flu lock-down. Her injuries were stomach-churning but we administered first aid spray and she is making a good recovery. Animals at the bottom of the food chain seem to be programmed not to show pain because it would make them more vulnerable to predators. Not like alpha males at the top of the food chain who seem to feel, and vividly describe, every little twinge…
• when is it acceptable to break someone else’s car window? When there is a hot dog locked inside? This Bath Chronicle article discusses the pros and cons of taking such drastic action.
• Newbury Dogs Trust Easter Fair from 11am to 3pm on 23 April at its rehoming centre at Hamstead Marshall.
• see this week’s Local News for more on the mounted police coming to Hungerford on Mon 24 April.
• Natural Pet Diet & Nutrition Training Workshop Sun 23 April in Swindon
Competitions & Quizzes
Seasonal Snippets
• I have just been treated to an amazing week in Bali by my very kind godmother. One of the highlights was a cooking demonstration of Satay Lilit – it’s a versatile satay recipe which can be made with minced fish, pork or chicken and cooked either on satay sticks or as patties/fish cakes.
• apologies on behalf of my husband, left in charge of the shop last week, for having directed your attention to local ‘Sparking (sic) Chardonnay’. The word he was groping for was, of course, ‘sparkling’. In a further correction, the local winemaker tells us that it is in fact sparkling English wine, ‘a classic combination of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay using a method Champenoise.’ That’s two mistakes, then. I won’t be going on holiday again.
• funny the things you notice when you’ve been away for a week – a few more grey hairs on our black cat and the smell of nettles in the garden (which will soon be turned into nettle soup andnettle beer).
• before I went away I was lucky to spend an afternoon with a local sheep farmer and witness a lamb being born.
• kids getting enough/too much chocolate? Check out Hungerford Bookshop’s charming Easter-themed Instead of an Egg book list
• see this week’s Local News for the usual mix including plans for Hungerford’s town plan, football, roadwork and police news and the forthcoming Newbury Vision Conference: meanwhile, the plot thickens in The Case of the Missing Post Box…
• well done to the residents of Hungerford who lifted a total of 10,977.5 kg at the LiftYourMIND Roadshow. They beat Thatcham’s total but it’s Newbury’s turn next on 22 April and then Marlborough on 13 May.
Happy Easter!
Penny
[email protected]
PS: If you know anyone else who might also enjoy this week’s Penny Post, please click here to forward it them!
Local Events
Fri 14 Apr
Many Clouds Lambourn Open Day from 8.30am – visit racing yards all morning and enjoy the entertainment in the afternoon
The Pheasant (near M4 J14) will be open for breakfast (including takeaways) from 7.30 am and then serving meals all day from 12pm
For more events, see the Penny Post Calendar.
Easter Saturday 15 Apr
Vegetable Plant Sale 10am – 4pm East Garston Village Hall
Steaming Weekend 10.30am – 4.30pm Crofton Beam Engines (Sun & Mon too)
Duck Derby, 3pm East Shefford Farm with tea afterwards in Great Shefford Village Hall
Easter Sunday 16 Apr
Great Lydiard Park Easter Egg Trail 10am – 4pm Lydiard Park, Swindon
Easter Sunday Lunch 12 – 2pm Blandy’s at Inglewood – lovely tasting menu in stately surroundings – £24 for 2 courses, £30 for 3 courses.
Vince Freeman from The Voice LIVE 8.30pm The Pheasant. Food from 12pm until 8pm. Cocktails available all evening.
Easter Monday 17 Apr
Cazenove Capital Point to Point Gates open 10am, first race 2pm Lockinge near Wantage
Fri 21 Apr
The Slimline Shufflers 7.30pm The Wheatsheaf, Chilton Foliat for fab New Orleans R’n’B
Sat 22 Apr
LiftYourMIND Roadshow 9am – 2.30pm Newbury
Treloar’s Spring Fair 10am – 12.30 Ramsbury Memorial Hall. Coffee, cakes, pastries, preserves, plants, books, raffle, tombola, etc.Entrance £1 (children free) in aid of the Treloar Trust, an educational establishment for physically disabled young people
Easter Holiday Activities
Giant Easter Egg Hunt in Newbury 8 – 22 Apr
Weds 19 Apr Family Easter Egg Hunt 9 – 11.15am Lambourn
Weds 19 Apr Youth Drama Taster Sessions for 4 – 14 yr olds Corn Exchange, Newbury
Thus 20 Apr Samba Drum Workshops for 7 yrs upwards nr Thatcham
Thurs 20 Apr Family Easter Egg Hunt 9 – 11.15am Hungerford
Thurs 20 Apr Lambing Walk 10.30am – 2pm Sheepdrove Organic Farm
Sat 22 Apr Mothers & Daughters: Make A Skater Skirt 10am – 4.30pm, Hungerford
Weds 19 & Fri 21 Apr Easter Club at Riverside Community Centre, Newbury
Free Junior Golf Tasters & Lessons at Marlborough Golf Glub see link for dates
Easter Climbing Extravaganza for Juniors at Rockstar Climbing in Swindon 10 – 21 April
Easter Sessions at Reading Climbing School (inc daily Easter Egg hunts)
Hogan Music Workshops. For more information call 01635 496 57
Coming Soon…
Thu 27 & Fri 28 April The Empty Nesters’ Club by John Godber, Corn Exchange – one for the mums and dads.
Sat 29 & Sun 30 April Weekend Nutrition Course, Newbury
Sat 6 May WB MENCAP’s Growing4All Open Day near Kingsclere
Sat 6 to Sat 20 May – Newbury Spring Festival.
