2011 BACK TO LATEST NEWS
2011
30 Dec
Foot of Table: Fleet Town football club are
languishing at the bottom of the Evo-Stik Div one central league after playing
22 games this season. They have 17 points with only Marlow below them with 15
points.
23 Dec
New Takeway Anger: A new takeaway opposite elderly
peoples home in Linkway Parade, which has been given approval by the council,
has caused disappointment by local campaigners. The late night outlet replaces
Jarmans Bakery.
16 Dec
Station Inn: Premier Inn have lodged plans with Hart District Council to
build a new 70 bedroomed hotel on the site of a former car showroom and empty
two storey office in Fleet Rd near to Fleet Station.
9 Dec
New Centre: A feasibility study to replace The Harlington Centre and
Fleet library with a new community" hub" pulling together the main
community facilities in Fleet.
All Lit Up: A computer controlled display of
Christmas lights put up by Craig Colclough in frere Ave has more than 20,000
lights. Craig hopes to display will raise money for charity.
2 Dec
Dog Attacks Cows: A court has ordered a dog owner
in Fleet to be muzzled to prevent attacks to cows at Pondtail common.
Green Flag: Elvetham
Heath Nature Reserve in Fleet has been awarded the Green Flag award for the second
year running.
25 Nov
New Book On Sale: Local Author Cheyanne Kai's first book, All the Lost
Souls", a Science Fantasy story is on sale at Snips in Fleet High Rd at a
special Christmas price of only £5 for a signed copy.
18 Nov
Linkway Takeaway: An application has been made to convert Wrights Bakery
in Linkway Parade into a hot food takeaway .
New School: Plans have been revealed for a new infants school in the
former Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Church Crookham.
New Site: Harts leisure website has been redesigned
to give more content, extra news and event information.
11 Nov
No Torch: The Fleet and Church Crookham area residents will have to
travel to either Basingstoke, Guildford or Bracknell to get a glimpse of the
Olympic torch. There are no plans to run it through the Hart or Rushmore areas.
New Co-op: Pupils from Dogmersfield Primary school
have cut a ribbon to open a new Co-operative store in Kings Rd. The store has
put enormous pressure on the Pondtail Stores towards the Pondtail end of Kings
Rd who are finding it more and more difficult to carry on trading. They lost
their PO a few years ago.
Carnival Bridge Relocated: The 32 year old Fleet
Carnival bridge at Fleet Pond Nature Reserve has been re-positioned and
revamped. It was officially opened by the family of Charles Woodman to which the
original bridge was dedicated. The old plaque has been presented to the Fleet
and Crookham history group. A new bridge called The Flash has been built
alongside Fleet car park and the Brookly Bridge has been widened.
8 Nov
Local Child Sponsorship: Starburst is asking local companies to
dig deep and make a minimum £13 donation to sponsor a local child with special
needs to step into the enchanting world of fairies, forests and castles and
watch one of the nation’s best loved pantomimes. This small contribution is
what dreams are made of and will allow a special needs child and their family to
enjoy a festive night out at the theatre. If you are interested in finding out
more about this initiative or other ways of helping Starburst please contact
Paul Cook on 07011 000783 or marketing-team@starburst-theatre.org.uk
4 Nov
Golden Club: Fleet Rotary Club has celebrated
its 50th anniversary with a special event at North Hants Golf Club.
28 Oct
Station to Close: Fleet police station is to
close in an attempt to save £50million by 2015.
10k Winner: This
years Peter Driver Memorial 10K race was won by Paolo Natali with a time of 32
minutes. First lady home was Issy Menzies in a time of 38.56.
Horse Thieves: Attempt to steal and torture
horses from a local paddock have been reported by the horses owners.
Athletes Award:
World ranked wheelchair tennis player Lucy Shuker from Fleet has been named the
Women of Achievement 2011 award.
14 Oct
New Park Group: A
new community group is being formed to improve the town centre Calthorpe Park.
This is the fourth community group to be formed. For more info phone 01252
617621.
Aldershot Rd Improvement: The run down building at the junction of
Aldershot Rd and Kings Rd is to be replaced by a proposal by the Aldershot Rd
Community Ltd. The RJ Ford butchers are due to relocate next year.
7 Oct
Library Stays Open: Fleet library is one of a very
few libraries across the country to not have to reduce its opening hours.
Fit Youngster: 4 year old Isabelle Hutson has won
the Fit for Life Children of the Year 2011 award run by the Right Start life
magazine.
90 Year Old Footballer: Fleet Town FC veteran
goalkeeper Ron Sawyer has celebrated his 90th birthday at a surprise party held
at the clubs ground in Calthorpe Park.
30 Sep
Pond Donation: Fleet Carnival has donated £2,500 to the Clearwater Fleet
Pond campaign following this years Carnival.
Taxi Death: A fleet taxi driver has been found
guilty of causing death by dangerous driving following an accident on the A30
near Virginia Water.
Shop to reopen: Fleet's Phyllis Tuckwell is to be
re-opened by actress Raquel Cassidy following a fire five months
ago.
23 Sep
Centre May Move: Hart Leisure Centre may be replaced by a new complex
situated in the new development across the Rd in Hitchens Lane. The centre was
built 40 years ago as part of the Calthorpe Park School.
New Nursery Centre: An 80 place day nursery is set
to get the go-ahead to be built at Blue Prior Business Park in Church Crookham.
New Crossing: A long awaited pedestrian crossing
has finally been completed on Reading Rd North just by the entrance to Calthorpe
Park.
Ward Boundary Change: Voters in the Fleet North
ward who currently form part of James Arbuthnot's constituency may be shifted to
Gerald Howarth's Aldershot ward.
16 Sep
Coast Challenge: Fiona and Tony Harris are taking
part in the Nokia coast to coast challenge which entails running, cycling and
canoeing across 100 miles of Scottins country side from east to west. To donate
visit www.judstgiving.com/anysizesofa
Loonies Conference: The Monster Raving Loonie party
is holding its annual conference at the Links Hotel on Sep 23 and 24.
Allotments Gone: The proposed allotments that were
to be made available as part of the Hitchens Lane development are to make way
for a new leisure centre.
Swinging: CHI Mortgages in Fleet have broken the
world Guinness Record for the Most People Playing Swingball. 166 employees and
their families swung for the required 10 mins.
Hair Creativity: Dan Spiller from the Marc Antoni
salon has won the Visionary category in the Creative HEAD List awards as the
champion of cutting edge hair creativity.
Radio Challenge: Fleet actress Raquel Cassidy is to
play a leading role in the BBC's serialization of Vasel Grossman's Life and
Fate.
9 Sep
Parking Scheme Success: Hart District's Council telephone parking scheme
is being used by three thousand drivers just three months after the scheme was
extended to Fleet. Users can prebook parking by going to www.wanttopark.co.uk
Canal Fishing: Anglers from around the country
arrived at Basingstoke canal to fish the Division 2 National Angling Championships.
Winner, Darren Hutchinson, weighed in at 10.580Kg fishing a peg at Glen Rd.
Local angler Stuart Levers came second with 10.220Kg fishing below Pondtail
Bridge and third place was taken by Lee Tomlin with 5.790Kg also fishing below
Pondtail Bridge.
New Drama Group: Actors from 8 to 18 have taken to
the stage at the new Sketch Youth Theatre group at Elvetham Heath Community
Centre. Phone 07708166276 for more info.
New Garden Group: National charity Thrive is
opening a free gardening group in Church Crookham to work outside and improve
green spaces in the community. Ring 01189885688 for more info.
2 Sep
Too Loud: Officers from the environmental health dept have removed music
systems from the rented house of a man in Holland Gardens because of the noise
misery his neighbours were subject too.
That's Cleaner: Members of Hart Council were joined
by public volunteers to clean up area's of Fleet on Fleet's annual action day to
improve the towns appearance. Areas of Fleet Rd, Basingbourne and Calthorpe were
given the full treatment. To help next year ring 01252 625246
New President: Malcolm Inglis has become the new
president for Fleet Rotary Club. Malcolm a former scientist moved to the Fleet
area in 1966.
26 Aug
Parking Fury: Local trader Kevin Whibley has attacked new parking
restrictions planned by Hart District Council who want to prevent public parking
in loading bays along Fleet Rd from Mon to Fri. Currently parking is allowed
after 3pm.
Young Ballerina: 11 year old Lucy West who goes to
Elvetham Heath Primary school has been selected by the English Youth Ballet to appear
in Coppelia at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking.
19 Aug
Homes Approved: Despite objections from a number of groups a development
of 12 new homes at Elmsfield in Redfields Lane has been given the go ahead.
CCTV Relocated: Harts CCTV control at present in Fleet may after to move to
Winchester to save money.
12 Aug
Massive Cash Boost: Fleet Pond has been handed a £363,000 cash bonus by
Hart Council to fund important restoration work.
Legend Angler: John Wilson MBE will be visiting Tackle
Up in Fleet Rd this Saturday.
40 Years: Fleet electronics firm Rohde &
Schwarz have celebrated 40 years of service in the town.
6 Aug
After 3pm Parking to Stop: Proposals from Hart Council that the current
Fleet Road public parking from 3pm should stop and the parking bays stay as
loading bays from 9am to 6pm from Mon to Sat has shocked local traders who fear
that Fleet is becoming a deserted area due to increasing parking costs and
restrictions.
29 July
Gypsy Site Approved: Hart District Council has
approved an application for three Gypsy sites in Crookham Village.
Best Writer: 13teen year old Court Moore pupil
Priya Dhami has won the Rotary Clubs of Britain and Ireland Young Writer of the
year award.
Radio Show: BBC's radio show Any Questions has been
held at the Harlington Centre.
Mountain Climb: Fleet's Tom Dent has returned home
after raising thousands of pounds for charity by climbing to the top of the
19,000ft Mount Kilimanjaro.
Kilimanjaro>>>
Loser: Robert
Royle has won a trip for two to Australia after losing more than 8 inches from
his waistline whilst following the Tony Ferguson Weight loss Programme and was
picked as Britain's Biggest Winner by TV presenter Dr Christian Jessen.
Green
Flag Award: Elvetham
Heath Local Nature Reserve has won a Green Flag for the second year running as
one of the best Nature Reserve in the country.
<<<Elvetham Heath Nature Reserve
July 21
Best Writing: St Nicholas School pupil, Henrietta Meyer, has been awarded
first prize in a young writers competition organised by Jane Austen's House
Museum at Chawton.
15 July
New School: Talks are going ahead to build a new school on the Queen
Elizabeth Barracks minitown to be built near Sandy Lane.
Hollytrees Anger: A development of three four bed
houses behind 8-12 Hollytrees in Church Crookham has come under fire by local
residents claiming it is a back garden
development.
Hollytrees>>>
New Charity: A Foodbank has been
launched in Hart. Food is collected from individuals and organisations and
vouchers issued by doctors, social services, job centres and churches to those
most in need. The Fleet Foodbank will be based at Fleet Methodist church. For
more info contact 01252 812275.
Best Dive: Fleet's Gemma Marsh who is at Court Moor
school has won a national title and gold medal in the 1m springboard dive event
at the British Gas National Age Group Championships.
8 July
Gypsy Site Bid: Hart District Council has been
recommended to approve three permanent gypsy sites in Crookham Village. Gypsies
moved onto land at the A287 and Crondall Rd junction in 2009.
Little Lambs Raise Cash:
Tiny Tots from Fleet's Little Lambs group have collected hundreds of pounds
after taking part in a Barnado's Big Toddle event.
River Cottage in Fleet:
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall turned up to play a charity cricket match against
Fleet CC to raise £10,000 for the Macmillan Cancer Support. Fleet won by three
wickets.
Hugh>>>
1 July:
Apartments Objection: Plans to build 46 apartments for the elderly by
knocking down three houses in Branksome Road have been objected to by local
residents.
Police Station to Go: Fleet's Police station is to
be closed as part of a review by Hampshire Council.
Toothless: Police are looking for witnesses after a
man lost a tooth when he was assaulted at the Jaxx Nightclub.
Pond Walk: Mandy Saxby has completed a 24 hour walk
round Fleet Pond to raise money for the Ponds Clearwater Campaign.
23 June
Marathon Winners: Penny Abbott, Rebecca Brennan,
Anita Salter and Janet Leggett have won the South Downs marathon relay. The team
from the Fleet and Crookham Athletic Club completed the course in three hours 22
mins.
New Crossing: A signal controlled pedestrian
crossing on Reading Road North is set to be built this summer, in response to
heightened local concerns about pedestrian and cyclist safety. Work will start
in July, soon after the annual carnival has taken place.
Tree Damage: Southern
Gas Network have been ordered to pay £2,000 after damaging a protected Oak tree
whilst laying a new main to serve the Campbell Close residential development in
Reading Road North.
Fleet Hit The Bottom: Fleet
CC are lying bottom of the Thames Valley Div 1 league. After playing 7 games
they have lost 6 and won only 1.
Only A Matter Of Time:
Free parking on Sundays has come to an end as Hart Council bring in charges. At
the same time telephone parking is being introduced.
<<< Fleet Cricket Ground
10 May
Grant to Support Lucy: Hampshire Council have rewarded a grant to
women’s wheelchair tennis player Lucy Shuker of Fleet to support her
preparations for the
2012 Paralympics. Lucy is the highest ranking woman in the sport in Britain
following a motorbike accident in 2001 which left her paralysed from the chest
down. Lucy is also currently ranked 7th in the world for singles and 6th in the
world for doubles.
Lucy Shuker>>>
17 June
Park Friends: Following
the success of the Friends of Oakley Park and Ancells groups residents are
getting together to start friends groups for Basingbourne and Calthorpe Parks.
The council has said it would be happy to support new "Friends" groups
for the parks.
Fete Success: The revival of Elvetham Heaths village fete has been judged a
success and the organiseres thank everyone who came along to join in the fun.
June 11
Best in the South East: WC Bakers ironmongers store
has been voted the best local trader in the SE of England. More than 20,000
members of the Which Local Business of the Year praised the store which is
located in Fleet Rd.
MP to Stand Down:
James Arbuthnot, MP for the NE Hampshire constituency, has announced he is to
step down at the next General Election.
PM Sent Book: A local
children's book has been sent to David Cameron's daughter Florence. A family pet
called Zooby inspired a Fleet family,
Wendy and Alastair McLean to write the book called Play Colours with Zooby.
June 2
Trimmed Down: Fleet's
Robert Royle has been named as one of Britain's great losers after losing so
much weight that his waist shrunk from 44" to 35.5" following the Tony
Ferguson Weightloss Programme.
Mind That Garden: A
gardening team from Fleet is setting up a lawn cutting service due to a donation
of £400 from Eagle Radio. For more info call 01252 815652.
27 May:
Centurion: Emma Marshall who lives at Marlborough Hse Nursing Home in
Aldershot Rd has reached the grand age of 109.
20 May
New Playground: Fleet Town Council chairman Bob Schofield has opened a
new £60,000 children's play area at Ancills Farm
New Community Group: Following the success of the
Oakley Park and Ancells Farm community groups a meeting has been held to discuss
a Friends of Basingbourne group.
Lead Thieves: Crookham Infants School has been
raided twice by thieves stealing lead from its roof.
Files Found: Bills, invoices, names and addresses
and receipts were among various papers found in an open skip in Victoria Rd car park.
The files, found by Stuart Goodburn, were from Hart Council officers
Lottery Funds: Tweseldown Playgroup has been
allocated £9,861 lottery cash to transfer an area of unused land into a
mini-nature reserve.
Carnival Princess: Tess Ebnor from Church Crookham
Junior School has bee voted this years Carnival Princess.
Dr Who Part: Fleet actress Raquel Cassidy has
landed a part in the latest Dr Who two part special.
May 12
Diving School Opens: A new Scuba Diving school based at the Harlington
Centre has been opened in Fleet by Scuba Training and Travel
Charity Shop Fire: The Phyllis Tuckwell Shop in
Fleet Rd has been the subject of a possible arson attack after a fire damaged thousands
of pounds worth of stock.
6 May
Last Game: Fleet Town FC won their last game of the season to finish 13th
in the Eco-Stik Div1 Central league.
Top Lady: Deborah
Harvey of Fleet based catering company Pabulum has been included in Woman 1st's
Top 100 Most Influential Woman in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism
industry.
April 28
Manager of the Year: Dawn Abrey from Elvetham Heath Nursery has been
named winner of the Casterbridge Nursery Manager of the year.
Winning Ticket: Adrian Tate, one of 12,000 drivers
to be given parking tickets for parking in the Fleet Rd loading bays, has won
his appeal after he got booked when going to buy his daughter a birthday balloon.
Fatal Accident: Kilsatree O'Neill has died
following an accident in Fleet Rd near the junction with Victoria Rd when she
collided with a Royal Mail van.
April 22
Care Concerns: The Care Quality Commission has found four key areas of
concern at the Sunrise Operations Care Home in Church Rd. However they also
reported that the residents said they were happy with the quality of care and
support they received and that the staff are approachable and spoke to the
residents in a polite and respectful way.
Women's Institute Celebration: The Elvetham Heath woman's
Institute is celebrating its second year. Members are aged between thirty and 70
years old
8 April
New Care Home: Freelands Croft Nursing Home in Church Crookham has been
opened by Morella Kayman vice presidents of the Alzheimer's Soc.
Thrown Out: A scheme to replace 4 bungalows with 14
new homes in Bowenhurst Rd has been stopped by Hart District Council.
Headmaster Dies: John Scarborough who was
headmaster of Crookham Junior School for 21 years from 1968 to 1989 has passes
away aged 79.
New Name: Velmead community Centre is no more -
after 19 years it has been renamed Zebon Copse Centre. Its management has been transferred
from Hart Council to Crookham Village Parish Council.
Dragons Hope: Wildlife Rangers at Elvetham Heath
nature reserve are hoping to see the return of dragonflies and damselflies after
the restoration of ditches and ponds. To book a guided walk of the reserve
phone 01256 381190
Dragon Fly at the Reserve >>>
1 April
Litter Pickers: Zebon Copse Residents Association have collected a
mountain of litter after organising its annual litter pick using local
volunteers.
New Master: Local pilot Captain Wally Epton has
been invested as the new Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators.
Half Marathon: This years winner of the Fleet Half
Marathon was Tony Lamert who completed the course in 1.06.22. First woman was
Sarah Harris in 1.18.24. Army Captain Barry Stoddart ran the event in full kit
to claim a new record 1.37.55.
25 March
More Parking Woes: Hart District Council has been criticized by Community
Campaign Hart leader James Radley for decided to introduce parking charges on
Sunday in Fleet.
Fifth Year: Sunrise Senior Living in Church Rd has celebrated its fifth anniversary
and also welcomed its new manager, Geraint Williams.
18 Mar
Parking Appeal: Adrian Tate who was given a parking ticket whilst buying
a balloon for his daughters 18th birthday in Fleet Rd is to appeal against the
ticket.
11 Mar
Flat Race: Over 50 children from throughout the area joined in the annual
pancake race held at Court Moor School and organised by Fleet Rotary Club.
4 Mar
Best Pub: The Tweseldown pub in Church Crookham has been voted the best
in the area by the readers of the News and Mail local paper.
Have a Cuppa: A new community centre has been
opened at All Saints Church in Church Rd. At a cost of £400,000 it has a spacious
hall, meeting room, an office and fully equipped kitchen which is open from Mon
to Sat from 10am to 12.30 pm.
Goldfish: 100 dead goldfish have been removed from
the duck pond at Elvetham Heath Estate. They had been dumped by unthinking
people.
Winning Jump: Fleet's Isobel Pooley has won the
high jump at the Aviva U20 championships with a Personal Best of 1.86m.
Top Lady: Mavis Gray, wife of Fleet Pond Chairman
Colin, has been presented with the society's Volunteer of the Year Award by
Harts Chairman Colin Ive.
25 Feb
Less Glare: Fleet Town FC have been granted £4,750 from the
Football Foundation to use to replace their existing floodlights to cure a
problem of glare in the homes of local residents. The new eco-friendly
lights will cost £18,200.
Raving Looney: Fleet resident Alan "Howling
Laud" Hope is to stand as a candidate for the Monster Raving Looney Party
at the forthcoming Barnsley Central by election.
Best Veterans: Fleet and Crookham Athletic Club's
veteran ladies team have won the Hampshire Cross Country league. Last month they
were victorious in winning the County Cross Country Championships.
18 Feb
More Flights: Flights from Farnborough Airport flying over Crookham are
to be almost doubled from 28,000 current limit to 50,000 until 2019.
Making a Difference: Fleet's Harriet Anscomb and
Luisa Godfrey have each won places on Vodaphones World of Difference UK
programme.
11 Feb
Upper Street Violence: Crime figures from the Home Office taken from the www.police.uk
website reveal that Upper St in Fleet Town Centre is the most violent Rd across
the Hart district.
Ceramics Not Closing: A report that Just Ceramics
in Fleet Rd are to close down as turned out not to be true and Elaine and all
her staff wish to reassure their customers that it is business as usual.
County Standard: Helen Craston and Charlotte
Rampton, both from St Nicholas school, have been picked to play hockey for
Berkshire
4 Feb
Tavistock Rd Parking: Stephen Sparrow, who wants to stop cars parking on
one side of Tavistock Rd, has criticized plans by Hart District Council to put a
single yellow line no waiting restrictions 20 metres further on, as pathetic.
Hygiene Problems: The Lismoyne Hotel in Church Rd
has been fined £21,000 for a number of hygiene offences.
Lollipop Man Dies: Alan Lees, who patrolled the
road outside Velmead school for many years, has died peacefully in his sleep at
the age of 85. He was known in Fleet for nearly 50 years.
Naval Honour: Commander Nigel Hare from Church
Crookham has been appointed as the new Queen's Harbour Master for Portsmouth.
Free Reading: Free books are being made available
by Hampshire County Council who are offering every child aged from 10 to 30
months a free Bookstart+ pack of books from Fleet Library.
29 Jan
Shop For Sale: The two storey Just Ceramics shop in Fleet Rd is being
auctioned by Clive Emson auctioneers. Guide price is £50,000 to £60,000.
Top Builder: Jamie Manners has been named apprentice of the year by the
Federation of Master Builders. Jamie lives in Fleet and works for Marble
Construction in Farnborough.
New Mini-Town: Taylor Wimpey has put in an
application to build 872 new homes on the former Queen Elizabeth Barracks in
Sandy Lane. A previous application to build 1,000 new homes on the site has been
rejected by the Secretary of State.
21 Jan
New Park Group: People are being asked to join a new Ancells Park group set up
to improve existing facilities in the two children's parks at Ancells. Fleet
Town Council are already promising to fund new improvement work in the next few
months. To join call Mrs. Gorton on 07885753917 or email sarah.gorton@hotmail.co.uk
Reading Rd North Crossing: A campaign to install a pelican crossing between
Tavistock Rd and the Oatsheaf Pub following a number of accidents has been set
up by worried parents. The crossing will also help in crowd control across the
road during events such as the Fleet Lions Firework night and Fleet Carnival which are being held at the
Calthorpe Park fields.
Rotary Collection: Fleet Rotary Club raised £5,770
during its Christmas Collection.
Mail Delayed: Residence of Fleet have been angry at
the poor delivery of post during the Christmas Period.
100 Not Out: Nellie Melish who lives at Thurlston
residential home has celebrated her 100th birthday.
Wrestling: Fleet wrestler Lee Travis is excited to wrestle in Fleet for the
first time when he takes on rivel Richard Parliament in the Harlington Centre on
Sat Feb 5th. more at www.idnwrestling.com
17 Jan
New Logo: Fleet Carnival committee are looking to bring the Carnival logo up to
date. The existing logo has symbols representing the rose of Hampshire, the
trees of Fleet, and the Fleet Pond. The fourth symbol is a bit of a
mystery and Carnival would welcome information as to what it is representing. It
is the top symbol that cannot be recognised. If you can help please ring Allan
on 01252 629420.
Carnival Logo>>>
14 Jan
Athletes Gold: Fleet
and Crookham Athletics Club veteran woman have won the gold medal and team title
at the Hampshire County Cross Copuntry Championships.
Guilds Charity Collection:
Over the last year Fleet Morning Townswomans Guild
have raised £2,120 for Fleet Community Hospital's pain clinic.
New Role: Fleet
actress Raquel Cassidy is to star in a new series of Land Girls on BBC1.
7 Jan
First Baby:
News Year day baby Lily was born at 12.55 in Frimley Park hospital to the
delight of parents Claire and Gregg Curtis of Kings Rd.
Rail Death:
A woman has been killed by a train at Fleet leading to delays between
Woking and Basingstoke. She was hit by the 12.45pm
Farnborough to Basingstoke service
Lions Collection:
Fleet Lions collected £7,000 during its Christmas collections..