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2012 BACK
TO LATEST NEWS
2012
27 Dec
Hart Leisure Centre's Future: The results of a
survey into the future of the Hart Leisure Centre carried out on behalf of
Hart District Council showed that 65% of users would prefer another new centre
to be provided. 25% preferred refurbishment of the existing centre and 5% preferred
no action. 7% had no opinion.
Primary Schools to be Expanded: Both Tavistock
Infants and All Saints Junior Schools have bee granted a total of £4.5 to
expand for 90 additional places at Tavistock Infants and 120 places at All Saints.
Chairman Steps Down: John Stock has said goodbye as
chairman of Tavistock Infants governing body after serving for 17 years.
Residents Winn Long 8 Year Battle: Plans to build
ten new detached houses in Oakley Drive have finally been thrown out.
Dec 20
Crookham Mummers Anniversary: One of England oldest
traditions is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Boxing day when they perform a
play about King George's
battle against adversary. The Mummers play will be seen on regional TV and heard
on radio 4. Around 1,000 people are expected to turn up to watch.
Crookham Mummers >>>>>>
Best Website: Fleet
job company CV library has been awarded best career site at the Website of the
Year awards 2012. Visit at www.cv-library.co.uk/
Youth Centre Award: Fleet
Phoenix has been given a CAT Mark award for its excellence in meeting young
peoples needs. The award is commissioned by Hants County Council.
Jazz Club: Fleet
Jazz Club is to be launched in the Harlington Club on Jan 15 at 7.30. Its aims
to bring the best in jazz and is held on the third Tuesday of each month. Contact
01252 811009 for more info.
New Homes: During
the next 15 years Fleet Town Centre is to take 250 new homes, West of Fleet 170
and the rest of Fleet, Church Crookham and Elvetham Heath 221..
14 Dec
New Estate Approved: Hart Council have agreed to an
application to knock down Elmfield in Redfields Lane and replace with a mini
estate of 12 homes.
Hockey Grant: Olympic hockey bronze medal winner
Alex Dansen helped to promote the sport of hockey during celebrations of a £500
grant to buy new equipment handed to the Fleet and Ewshot Ladies 1st XI by
Hampshire Playing Fields Association manager John
Coney. Alex Dansen >>>>>>>
Smelly Pond:
Residents are being warned that the dredging and
island building work being carried out at Fleet Pond could produce a bit of a
stink from methane and other unpleasant gasses.
Wishing Well Collection: Fleet
Rotary Club's charity wishing well in the Hart Shopping Centre, which was
launched in April 2004, has collected £25,000 thanks to the community's
generosity. The money will be spent on local charities.
Nursing Home Award: Freeland's Croft Nursing Home
in Redfields Lane has been awarded the Investors in People Gold Standard which
covers Buba's 300 care homes in the UK.
Exposed Man: A man indecently exposed himself to
two teenage girls as they approached the junction of Tavistock Rd and Dukes
Mead. He was around 50 and 5'11" tall, short wiry grey hair, large grey
eyebrows, large nose and loose jowls. He wore blue jeans, black boots and blue
jacket with three horizontal stripes of black and grey.
6 Dec
50 Years in High Street: Nat West Bank is celebrating 50 years of being
open in Fleet:
Bow Tied: Staff at Dimension UK in The Waterfront Business
Park Fleet have set a new Guinness World record for the most bow ties tied in a
period of 5 minutes with 
457
staff tying 417 ties.
New Sleigh: Fleet and Hart Lions have taken
delivery of their new sleigh and Father Christmas is now touring the streets of
Fleet collecting for charity. The sleigh was made by staff at Cove Industries
based in Farnborough.
Cannabis: A garage producing cannabis has been
found by police in Fleet Town Centre.
Nov 22
Ancells Success: Friends of Ancells Farm have won the Fleet Town Council Chairman's
Cup in the Church Crookham and Fleet in Bloom's parks category and also got a of
Level 3 score in the RHS It's Your Neighbourhood campaign.
St Nicholas Success: St Nicholas pupil Anushka
Patel has won the first round in the Rotary Chef of the Year competition. Fellow
pupils Leah Telfer and Sian Tiley came second and third.
Restored Sign: The historic "Hovis" sign
above the old Wrights the Bakers shop in Fleet Rd has been restored by the
present proprietors of Serendipity the antiques centre.
Tragic Death: 60 year old local man Raymond
Hollingsworth has been found dead by Coxheath Bridge in Coxheath Rd.. Mr
Hollingsworth was found hanging from the bridge by a dog walker.
29 Nov
Its Christmas: Thousands of people heralded the arrival of Christmas
celebrating along Fleet High Rd at this years Fleet Festivities. Fleet
Paralympion bronze medalist Lucy Shuker switch on the lights.
Traffic Management: A new group has been formed by
volunteers to manage temporary traffic changes in Fleet. The volunteers
represent organisations such as Fleet Festivities, Churches Together, Fleet
Lions, Fleet Pond Society and the Civic Society.
Body
Found: The body of a man was found by members of the public near Coxheath
Bridge in Coxheath Rd. The man has not yet been identified.
New Book: Former Daily Mirror journalist Vic Robbie
from Fleet has written a book called "In Pursuit of Platinum The Shocking
Secret of World War 2"
Job Award: Fleet based CV-Library has been crowned
North Hampshire's Business of the Year at the Inspire Business Awards.
Nov 15
Festivities: This years Fleet Festivities will be held on Nov 21 with the
annual switching on of the Christmas lights.
Golfers Success: Richard Meade and Steve Hall from
NE Hants Golf Club were in the 12 man team to win the Four Nations Golf
Challenge which was covered on TV by Sky Sports.
KLM Success: KLM Salons in Fleet has been nominated for the Fellowship
Individual Salon of the Year Award.
Station Improvements: £6.2 million is to be spent on improvements to
Fleet Station which will inclue a new station building, improved forecourt,
covered footbridge with lifts and 150 extra parking places using a single storey
decked area above the excisting carpark on the main entrance side.
8 Nov
Top Photo: Fleet's Alex Berryman has been selected as the RHS Young
Photographer of the year. Alex, aged 15, said: “I was lucky enough to have a
pair of robins
nesting in my garden and happened to be outside with my camera at
the moment they fledged.
More Rubbish: Fleet Town Council have provided 30
new rubbish and dog bins in its 5 parks.
Fleet's Football Loss: Popular former Fleet Town FC
chairman Graham Smith has died at the age of 49.
New Fleet Shop: A prom and party dress shop has
opened in Clarence Rd. Promenades offers all makes and sizes of dresses at very
economical prices.
1 Nov
10K Winner: Elliot Robinson has won this years 10K Peter Driver Memorial
Race in 31m 38s.
Parking Problems: Kennels Lane which serves Fleet
Spurs FC has been identified as a safety concern on match days because the car
park cannot accommodate all the cars and drivers are parking unreasonably along
the road.
More School Places: £10 million is going to
be spent on primary schools in the Fleet area to increase the number of places.
Winning Blog: Fleet's Emma Vanstone and Kerry
Farrow have jointly won the Mum and Dad (MAD) Blog Awards which celebrate the
UK's thriving blog community. Both Mums have three children. The blog is called
Science Sparks.
18 Oct
Elmfield Threat: A plan to knock down Elmfield in Redfield's Lane and
build a mini estate have been submitted to Hart District Council.
New Supermarket: Plans for new community and
entertainment facilities plus a supermarket to be built around the area of the
Civic Offices, library, Gurkha Square and Harlington Centre have been have been
outlined in the published Local Plan core strategy.
Affiliation: Fleet and Church Crookham army cadets
have joined forces with the local branch of the Royal British Legion.
Champion Dies: Former England motorcycle manager
Ken Heanes called the Fleet Flyer has died at his home in Winchfield.
11 Oct
New Nursery: Hart Council chairman Chris Axam has
opened a new kidsun limited day nursery in Church Crookham.
Sporty: The Hart district is the fourth sportiest
in the country according to a recent survey by Halifax.
27 Sep
Gurkhas Funds: Friends of the Gurkhas, which was set up in 1969 to help
retired Gurkha soldiers, has raised £10,000 in the past year for the Gurkha
Welfare Trust
20 Sep
New House Approved: Hart Council have approved a new 5 bedroomed house to
be built on land behind Squirrels Leap in Queen Mary Close in spite of
objections from neighbours.
Slow Down: A trail 20mph speed limit is to take place in Clarence Rd, Connaught
Rd, Albert St and Albany Rd.
Pond Work Starts: The second phase of dredging to remove an estimated
quarter of a million tonnes of silt in Fleet Pond has started.
British Legion: A Service of Remembrance followed by a parade through
Fleet Town will be held at the All Saints Church at 2.30 on Nov 11.
Army Hall to Go: The Salvation Army hall in Albert St is to be demolished
to make way for four new homes. The hall was opened in 1908.
14 Sep
Safety Check: If you use an electric blanket you
can get it tested at Fleet Fire Station on Tuesday 2 Oct.
Police Moving: Fleet
Police Station is set to close in 2015 and could move into the councils Fleet
HQ.
School Reunion: Court
Moor School is organising a class of '86 reunion at the Cellar Bar, Albert St on
the 22 Sep from 7.30. If you started school in 1981 and left in 1986 email
wendyld@sky.com
Not One Win: Fleet CC
finished 7th of 10 in the Thames Valley League Division 2A without a single win
to their name.
7 Sep
Mums in Torch Relay: Fleet mothers Emma Hall, Debra Bratt and Sarah
Sutton, all with a daughter suffering from Down's syndrome, were part of a team
representing Stepping Stones DS who were selected by Sainsbury's to take part in
the Paralympics torch relay.
Fire in Fleet: Firefighters took 45 minutes to control a blaze in St
James Rd near the Oatsheaf lights when a VW Camper van burst into lames.
Combating Flood: A drop in session will be held by Hampshire CC on Oct
8th at 5pm at the Harlingtom Centre to discuss plans to combat local area
flooding problems.
Sophie Back: Two year old Sophie Roberts, who has spent 3 weeks in
New York being treated for cancer, has returned home. A new charity single has
been released to help raise money for Sophie's treatment. It can be downloaded
from http:sophierobertsstory.bandcamp.com
Darren at Fleet CC: England cricketer Darren Gough led a charity cricket
team against a Fleet XI in aid of The Brain Tumours Charity. Fleet scored 162
but this total was knocked up by the Charity XI to win the game.
Ukuleles Success: Ukulele player Martha Paton from
Fleet has signed up to a record deal with BBC's Demon Music Group. Part of a
group named The Ukuleles their first album is now been released.
Fleet Twenty: This years Fleet Twenty charity cycle
ride will take place on Sep 16. Meet at 9.30 at the Red Cross Centre in Clarence
Rd Fleet.
Aug 31
Thurstan Hse To Close: Unison is opposing plans by
Hampshire CC to close Thurstan House care home. Significant issues and the £4.5
million needed to continue to run the home are the reasons given for closing.
Gun Shop Shock: News that Socom Tactical LTD plans
to open a shop selling replica guns in Reading Rd South opposite Heatherside
infant and junior schools has caused concern and anger amongst parents.
25 Years: Poppets Day Nursery in Fleet has
celebrated its 25th anniversary. The nursery is in Westover Rd. Phone 01252
628946.
Aug 23
Fleet Station: Plans to improve Fleet Station have been attacked by the
Fleet and Crookham Environment group. They say the plans do not seem to
recognise the increase in demand coming from development in the area. Some 2,500
people arrive at the station every day with 1,450 between 7 and 9 am.
Fare Increase: The season tickets from Fleet to Waterloo are to rise from
£3,376 to between £3,585 and £3,754 in January.
Check Your Bank Accounts: There have been reports that a
"skimming" device was attached to the ATM at Tesco's Express in
Reading Rd South. If you have used this ATM recently you should check for any
unusual transactions.
Sophie Success: Andrew and Ruth Roberts, who raised £350,000 to take
their daughter to New York for a treatment which could save her life, have
been told that the first operation on Sophie's left lung has been a success.
Hockey Bronze: Fleet's Alex Dansen won a bronze for GBR when Great
Britain beat New Zealand 3-1 in their play-off.
Goodbye John: The famous Basingstoke Canal boat,
The John Pinkerton, will making its final journeys this Autumn and will be
retired with a replacement due in Feb 2013. Since 1978 the boat has raised over
£500,000 for charity towards maintaining the canal.. (Well
done JP and all the volunteers that have kept you afloat. There can't be many in
the Fleet area that have not enjoyed a trip along the canal on you -
webmaster)
JP >>>>>
Aug 16
Lucy Goes For GBR: Fleet's Lucy Shuker is working hard to compete in the Paralympics
Games were she will compete in the women's double title in tennis.
Aug 11
Pyestock Work To Begin: The controversial giant warehouse development at
Pyestock is set to start with demolition work to begin in the Autumn. history
New Nursery: A new £840,000 nursery has been built in Redfield's Lane,
Church Crookham. The doors at Kids Unlimited will be open for children from 3
months to five years old on Sep 3rd.
Left Handed?: North Hants Golf Club is to hold its
first event for left handed players only on 23 July 2013. It is thought to be
the only event of this kind in England. email cgotla@northhantsgolf.co.uk
for more details.
Memorial Run: This years Peter Driver 10k run round
Fleet will be on Oct 28.
Another Appeal: Flavia Estates has appealed after
Hart District Council threw out a third application to demolish 2 homes and build
5 four and five bedroomed houses in Oakley Drive. The proposal will now be
decided by a government appointed planning inspector. (Is
there no end to the number of appeals developers are allowed or can they just go
on and on appealing until they get their plans passed aka the Pyestock
Development. webmaster)
Rare Birds: A
number of rare birds have been discovered in the valley of the river Hart to the
west of Hitchens Lane. Over 125 species have been recoded in the area.
%0 Years: Fleet ladies lunch club have celebrated their 50th anniversary.
Aug 3
Third Green Flag: Elvetham Heath Nature Reserve has
won the Green Flag Award as one of the best parks and open spaces in the country
for the third successive
year. more
Alex Injured: Fleet's Alex Danson, who is
representing GBR in the Olympic hockey event, has suffered a twisted ankle in
the game against South Korea which GBR won 3-2. She is hoping to have recovered
to be able to play in crucial games next week.
Brendoncare Need Help:
Care charity Brendoncare are facing closure if they cannot get more local people
to help. The charity needs more volunteers to help give older people fun,
friendship, various activities and entertainment. Call 01962 877772 if you can
help. more
Replacement Flats:
Sentinel Housing Association has permission to demolish Lismoyne House in Church
Rd with 14 elderly persons flats.
New Charity Shop:
Shelter has opened a charity shop in Fleet Rd.
Guides Grant: Fleet
Guides has been given a £39,500 grant from Veolia Environmental trust. They are
using the money to provide a new hall. more
27 July
Kings Rd Shop Loses Battle: Pondtail Stores has finally gone after years
of trying to stay afloat against competition from the larger supermarkets. A
major blow came a few years ago when the Post Office withdraw its services which
were a lifeline for the small stores. The final demise came when the mighty
Co-op opened its new outlet at the Fleet Rd end of Kings Rd. The building is
being converted into flats.
More Needed: The cost of the life saving operation
needed to save Sophie Roberts (see 29 June below) has increased by £120,000
which means a total of £350,000 is now needed. To help Sophie's parents, who
have remortgaged their home to raise the money, please visit www.justgiving.com/SopieRobertsStory
Fleet Writing Competition: 102 pupils from Fleet
entered the 2012 Rotary Young Writer competition. Jonathan White and Bethany
Forster, both from Courtmoor School, won prizes.
Cricket Star Coming to Fleet: Darren Gough will be
one of the stars at a celebrity cricket match at Fleet Ground in Calthorpe Park.
There will be Pimms, a hog roast, auction and raffle. Entry is free. more
30 Colourful Years: Oasis Flower Shop is
celebrating 30 years since it first opened in Fleet Town centre on August 2
1982.
Fleet Lion Honoured: Fleet Lions member Mike Collen
has been presented with the Bert Mason Memorial Trophy for services to youth.
Mike has supported youth matters at the club for 17 years.
Dancing at the Olympics: Fleet dancer Cassie Newby
is to dance in the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Justin Disappoints: Fleet's Justin Rose did not
make the cut in this years golf Open Championship.
Last Year on Canal: After 34 years service on the
Basingstoke Canal The John Pinkerton is to be retired at the end of 2012. A
replacement will be provided by Eeb 2013. The Pinkerton raised more than
£500,000 which has been spent on canal improvements and
maintenance. more
John Pinkerton >>>>
Olympic Hope: Fleet's Alex Danson will be flying the flag for Fleet as member of
the British woman's hockey team at the Olympic Games. (Best
of luck Alex - Webmaster)
20 July
Daily Mail Letter: "Russell Brand in the closing ceremony of the Olympic
Games? Do we really want our once great country represented by this obnoxious
yob?" John Wilson. Fleet Hants. (Well put
John. I couldn't agree more - Webmaster)
Market Cancelled: Tweseldown
Artisan Market has been cancelled because of last minute changers to the
racecourse. The next market is on Sep 22nd.
Show Washout: The
Dogmersfield, Winchfield and Crookham Village Horticultural Show at Pilcot Farm
has been put of because of the weather. It has been rescheduled for the 9th Sep.
Food Charity Cash:
Hart Foodbank, who help people in crisis who need to put food on the table, has
been given a cash injection of £300 from Fleet company YSI UK who are based in
Fleet Rd. Hart Foodbank is open from 1.30 to 3pm on Monday and Thursday Phone
07926806256 for more details.
Population Goes Up:
Over the last decade the population of Hart has gone up 8.9% that is 7,400. Most
of the increase is in and around Fleet.
Councillor Cleared:
Cllr Appleton who represents Fleet West Ward, has been cleared of any misconduct
after an investigation into complaints made by Russell Dorset.
Round in 102: Former
ladies captain of the North Hants Golf Club Sandy Sellors has celebrated her
102nd birthday at Beacon Residential Home in Victoria Rd.
13 July
Road Chaos: There have been a number of complaints
as a result of the amount of road repairs taking in place in the Fleet area
especially at the time of the Farnborough Air show. Road works along the Kings
Rd have been taking place almost continually for over a year. Cllr Sharon Wheale
said the problem was out of the county councils control but she would bring the
matter up at the next county council meeting.
Ancells Farm Playground Transformed: Friends of
Ancell Farm, who raised more than £6,000 towards improvements to the
playground, have installed a low level Sky Walk trim trail and young explorer
tower and slide in the park
Century of Worship: Fleet Congregational Church,
later to become the United Reformed Church after uniting with the Presbyterian
Church of England, has celebrated 100 years of service. The church is located in
Kings Rd.
100 Hills: Fleet cyclist Steve Benton has completed
his objective of cycling up the 100 hardest hills in the country in 13 days. He
is raising money for the Richard Burns Foundation. To sponsor Steve go to
www.justgiving.com/steve-benton
6 July
Stop Smoking: Linda Day is celebrating 7 years as a
non smoker by setting up a clinic in Fleet to help people quit the habit. For
more info phone Quit4Life on 0845 6024663.
Fleet Pride: 92% of Fleet shoppers surveyed by the
Fleet and Crookham Society are proud of were they live and 78% feel part of
their community. For more info call 01252 677536 or visit
www.fccs.org.uk
Car Park Repairs: Hart Council is spending £22,000
on urgent repair work at the Church Rd car park after severe winter weather
damage.
29 June
Jewelry Shop to Go: Equinox
Contemporary Jewelry shop in Victoria Rd is to close down at the end of July.
The business will concentrate on its two websites www.equinoxsilver.co.uk
& www.silvertips.co.uk
New Antiques Shop: A new antiques and gift shop has
been opened in Fleet Rd by Town council chairman Bob Schofield. The shop is
located were Wrights the Bakers used to be.
Hosed Off: Local Fleet Funeral Director David
Holmes was caught by a water board official hosing down his car. The official
claimed that only washing businesses were exempt from the ban. David asked if he
should have to take his hearse to a car wash. He was later advised that he could
use the hose for his business.
Save Sophie's Life: Andrew and Ruth Roberts are trying
to raise £230,000 to pay for an operation to save their daughters life. Sophie Roberts
has been diagnosed with liver and lung cancer and has only a 30% chance of
survival. Doctors have told Andrew and Ruth that the only way to save her life
is to have ground breaking surgery at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Centre. Please make donation at www.justgiving.com/SopieRobertsStory
Plans Thrown Out: Flavia Estate's submitted plans
to build five new houses in Oakley Drive have been rejected by Hart District
Council.
Pupils to Perform at Festival: Children at Al
Saints Junior School have been selected to appear at the National Festival of
Music for Youth at the Birmingham Symphony Hall.
Running for 50 Years: Fleet and Crookham Athletics
Club has celebrated its 50th anniversary. more
25 June
New School: The County Council’s Regulatory Committee has given the go
ahead for a three form entry school to be built on land which was the former
Queen Elizabeth
Barracks. The site was previously an open recreation/training ground for the
Ministry of Defence. The school, Tweseldown Infant school , has been designed so
it can expand into a four form entry school in the future if the demand for
places dictates. As well as having 9 classrooms, food technology room, staff
room, admin offices, pupil and staff toilets, kitchen and storage rooms, the
school will also have facilities for the wider community to use including a main
hall, library and ICT learning resource centre, food technology classroom, a
community room and toilets.
<<< The Old QEB Barracks
June 16
Home Anger: Plans to close down Thurlston House in Fleet have been met
with shock. The 47 bed nursing home for older people with dementia and fragility
was built in 1973. It would need £2 million to refurbish the building.
Free Parking: 6 new free parking bays are to be provided at Victoria Rd
car park. Originally free parking in Fleet on Sunday was going to be introduced
it has now been decided to spend the £37,000 this would cost on the free bays.
Chairman's Choice: New Hart District Council chairman Cllr Chris Axam's
two chosen charities to support this year are "Minding the Garden "
and The Community store run by Fleet Lions.
Olympic Chef: Medici have chosen Fleet Chef Ryan
Wilson's cakes to put on a range of Olympic and Jubilee cards which showcase the
British love of afternoon tea. The cards will soon be available from retail
stores nationwide. Ryan recently won the MSC recipe of the year award.
Ryan being presented with his award
>>>
22 June
Elderly Apartments: Plans to replace three houses in Branksome Rd with
new 46 flat sheltered accommodation for the elderly have been approved.
Parking Restrictions May Be Scrapped: Following
pressure from Fleet Traders parking restrictions along Fleet Rd are under
pressure to be lifted. More than 12,000 drivers have been caught out by the
"loading only" parking until after 3pm during the week.
Save The Valley: FACE-IT (Fleet and Crookham
Environment is Threatened) has set up a campaign to prevent hundreds of new
houses being built around Grove Farm extending into scenic countryside.
June 10
Jubilee Celebrations: Around 5,000 people flocked into Fleet to watch the
Fleet Carnival procession and celebrate "The Best of British. This years
four day event was organised by the Fleet Carnival committee, Fleet Lions and
Fleet Rotary Club. Throughout Fleet and Crookham many people enjoyed street
parties with 15 road closures in force.
Tooth Fairy: A mobile "Tooth Bus" giving
free NHS checkups has stopped at Fleet as part of its tour of Hampshire. It will
be at Church Rd car park from June 11 to 13th.
Brigade Display: The 2nd Fleet boys brigade held a
special display evening to celebrate its silver jubilee. Guest of honour was
Dame Mary Fagan the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire and the Queens representative.
For details of the 2nd Fleet Brigade phone Liz Manning on 01252 653038 email bb-2nd-fleet@hotmail.co.uk
June 3
QEB Plans Rejected: Plans to build 100 more homes
at the QEB development have been thrown out after objections from the Fleet Town
Council, Church Crookham Parish Council and Crondall Parish Council.
Market Success: Tewseldowns first Artisan Market
attracted more than 1,000 visitors last Saturday. Organiser Sally Mills has
booked an extra 30 stalls for the next event on June 30th and believes the
market will go from strength to strength.
25the Anniversary: 2nd Fleet Boys Brigade Company
hosted the Mid Southern Battalion of the Boys Brigade when nearly 100 boys and
staff paraded through Fleet to the Reading Rd South Methodist Church. Local
captain Liz Manning said it was a fantastic turnout to celebrate the 25th anniversary
May 31
Best Team: Tweseldown Playgroup staff in Church
Crookham have been named as team of the year at the annual Children's Links
awards.
Olympic Flame:
Children at All Saints Junior School met Olympics torch carrier Georgia Friend
when she talked to them at the school assembly. The torch spent two days in the
hall then was sent round the school.
Happy Birthday: Little
Eves Community Pre-School celebrated its 10th anniversary with an invitation to
past, present and future parents in the Elvetham Heath community centre. From
Sep the school will lower its intake age to 2years 6 months.
25 May
Even More houses: Plans to build an additional 100
new homes at the QEB in Church Crookham look set to be approved.
Ken Stays Leader:
Conservative Ken Crookes has survived a vote of no confidence and still remains
leader of the Hart Council after the recent local
elections voted out the Tories overhaul control.
Fire Award: Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service have
presented Fleet's Waitrose branch with a special award as recognition of its
contribution to the safety of the community.
18 May
New Street Lights: New lighting in Fleet will see
the replacement of approximately 1,866 lanterns and a further 2154 lanterns and
posts. The introduction of flexible lighting levels and a white ‘natural’
lighting source, will result in better lighting clarity, less light pollution
due to the new lights pointing downwards, improved road safety, improved
personal security and a reduction in carbon.
Station Parking Woes:
Ex commuter Mark Smith who commuted to London for 11 years has attacked the lack
of parking at Fleet Station. (Perhaps Fleet should
provide more parking at Fleet and also a new
Secondary School before moving the library, building another supermarket were
the Harlington Centre is and replacing the Leisure Centre in Hitchens Lane:
fleethants.com)
Bomb Found: An
unexploded bomb has been found on the former Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Church
Crookham. An Army disposal team has declared the device after a 400 metre cordon
was set up.
3 Hundreds: Ralph
Tracy, May Saunders and Mary Baker, all living at Derriford House in Pinewood
Hill, are celebrating their 100th birthdays within a few weeks of each other.
30 Years Dancing: The
June White Academy of Dance is celebrating its 30 year anniversary.
150 Years: All Saints
church in Church Rd has celebrated its 150th anniversary.
50 Years: Crookham
Wives is celebrating its 50 year anniversary.
11 May
Old Route: Fleet Carnival Procession is to revert
to its old route. For the past few years the procession has ran from Logic
House near Fleet station going straight down Fleet Rd. The route old was
replaced due to lack of support in getting volunteers to marshal its much longer
distance. It started from the Courtmoor area going down Reading Rd South, right
into Connaught Rd then left into Kings Rd then turning left into Fleet Rd.
25 Years Old: Hart Leisre Centres swimming pool celebrated its 25th anniversary
on the 10th May. swimming info
9
May
Grazing at Velmead School: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
have put 3 Dexter cattle onto
Velmead
School
who have their very own piece of heathland. The heath is neglected and the
trust have been helping the school over the last few years to try and get it
back into good condition and it needs grazing to be able to do this.
Their healthy bit is immediately adjacent to the Velmead Common which the trust
also graze with cattle and carry out habitat management works. It is an
opportunity for
the children to connect to the habitat they have around them with livestock,
food and conservation grazing.
The Trust will be working closely with teachers and children as they will be
checking the animals and filling their water trough – perhaps inspiring them
to become our lookers (farmers, conservationists….?) of the future…
4 May
Overall Control Lost: Conservatives have lost their
control of Hart following the local elections. Seats now held are: Con 16 (-3),
LibDems 10, Residents Association 7 (+2) and others 2 (+1) full results to come
Brigade Needs You: 2nd
Fleet BB Company which is based at Fleet Methodist church are looking for
youngsters between 5 and 11 to join them. Call 01252 653038.
Care Home Finally Opened: Hampshire County Council have opened Fleet's £12
million care home which replaces the old bungalows at Cambell Close by the Views
Meadow.
Food Bank: Hart
Foodbank, a scheme which distributes food collected from donations to families
in need is in demand from local people affected by the depression. phone 01252
812275 if you need help.
Relegated: Fleet Town have been relegated from the
Eco-Stik Div1 Central league.
Hospice Volunteers Award:
Pat Mackenzie, who works in the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice shop in Fleet has been
named as one of Harts volunteer of the year.
27 April
Racial Abuse: Nels Weston, owner of the new cafe,
"The Koffie Pot" which has taken over the former location of
"More than Coffee" has reported a hate campaign from local people. Previous
popular owners Sarah Anderson and John Bastin have opened a new Cafe within the
Hart Shopping Centre.
Lets Face It: A new
website has been set up to inform local residents of development plans
throughout the Fleet area. Its aim is to prevent overdevelopment of the area.
more
Winning Chef:
Teenager Isabelle Chavez has won the Rotary International Young Chef of the Year
competition.
Charity Ride: Jessica
Wheale has raised more than £2,000 for charity cycling from London to Paris.
20 April
Supermarket Fears: Ex council chairman, Denis Gotel, warns that plans to
sell off the council offices and Harlington sites to build a supermarket will
lead to disaster for
local shops, many of whom are already in difficulties in the recession.
Old News: Last weeks copy of the Fleet News was buried in a time capsule
as part of Tavistock Infants school 40th birthday celebrations. At the same time
a copy of the 2000 edition of the News was dug up.
Church Anniversary: All Saints Church in Fleet has celebrated its 150th
anniversary.
Carnival Princess: Izabella Stephenson has been
crowned this years Fleet Carnival princess. Her two flower girls are Jodie
Huxley and Daisy McCullock. All three girls are from Church Crookham Junior
School. Centre
Izabella left Jodie and right Daisy>>
13 April
Fleet Pond: The dredging of Fleet Pond which
started last month has been halted to comply with the Wildlife an Countryside
act which [protects nesting birds. The work will recommence in August.
Chef Finalist: Isabelle Chavez who is a pupil at St
Nicholas school has earned a place in the final of the Rotary Chef of the Year
competition.
Churches Together: Churches across Fleet and Church
Crookham gathered together on Friday to see the Lantern Theatre Company perform
a reading of events of Easter outside the Snip shop in Fleet Rd. more
6 April
Extra QEB Houses: Pressure on the council to throw
out plans for an additional 100 homes to be built by Wimpy on land originally
designated for offices.
30 March
Oakley Drive Homes Refused: Plans by Flavia Estates
to knock down two houses and build five new 4 and 5 bedroomed houses in Oakley
Drive have been refused by Hart Council because they would provide for a cramped
development.
Half Marathon: More than 2,000 runners took part in
this years Fleet half marathon. The winner was Ben Livesey in a time of 1.06.21.
First woman was Claire Martin in 1.19.29.
New Park Garden: A new garden has been planted by
the Friends of Oakley park. more
Sexy Fleet: On line sex shop "Love Honey
has named Fleet as the sexiest town in the country.
23 March
Council Chairman Looks Back: At a tightly packed
residents meeting Bob Schofield has praised the success of the Christmas Lights,
the town centre floral displays and the Action day designed to clean up Fleet as
the highlights of a highly successful year.
Raving Looney: Fleet
resident Alan Hope is to fight the Bradford West bye election for the Monster
Raving Looney Party.
Load of Rubbish:
Volunteers from Zebon Copse collected 25 sack of rubbish from around the estate
including car wheels, kids scooter and mobile phone.
16 March
Three Lions: There are
now three Lions clubs in Fleet. Sirius Lions has been formed for younger folk
from 20 upwards. Hart Lions is for women and the Fleet Lions is for men. more
9 March:
Parking Charges: A boost in funds could lead to
major car parking charge changes in Fleet. Sunday could be free, more free 30min
spaces and free all night parking outside the Harlington Centre. New charges
were last introduced last summer.
Cafe Closes: A popular
cafe has been forced to close after the landlord forced the owners, Sarah
Anderson and John Bastin, to leave. More than 1000 people signed a petition for
the "More Than" cafe in the Hart Centre to stay. The couple are now
hoping to move to a new location within the Centre.
Chicanes at QEB: CCH
Leader James Radley has said that new traffic calming measures are dangerous.
Hampshire CC has stated it is disappointed that the CCH member is criticizing
what is necessary upgrading work to cope with the increased traffic due to the
QEB development.
2 March
Chicanes Dangerous: Local residents are criticizing
chicanes on Nauses Lane and Leipzig Rd on the Quetta Park estate which have been
installed to manage traffic created by the new QEB estate.
Tasty: St Nicholas school
pupil, Isabella Chavez has won the district final of the Young Chef of the year
competition.
Grant Claim: Hart
District council chairman, Ken Crookes, has said the town should consider
bidding to become a Portas Pilate, a scheme to use a million pounds to fund
regeneration projects in 12 places across the country.
24 Feb
Cycle Route: A shared
cycle/pedestrian route from Hitchens Lane to Fleet Town Centre is being planned
by Hants County and Hart District councils.
Games Selection: Dance
teacher Tina Robinson has been told she will be in the final cut to perform at London
2012.
17 Feb
Suicide: Gwyn Donaldson who was found slumped in a
chair in his garage at his home in Church Crookham was found by an Ash coroner
to have taken his own life.
10 Feb
Partnership May Return:
The Fleet Business Partnership group may return following a plea from its
founder Kevin Whibley who owns the Captured Moment photography shop in Fleet Rd.
Azalea Park: A new
community group has been formed by Church Crookham residents to support and maintain
Azalea Park, a popular local green space.
Best Recipe: Chef Ryan
Wilson has won the Marine Stewardship Council's recipe of the year for his
banana-steamed Asian scented pollock. Ryan works as an executive chef at
Wellington College in Crowthorne.
Salon Award: Body
Image in Falkners Close has been named Crown Salon by Guinot the French skincare
house.
3 Feb
Safest Pub: The Prince
Arthur in Fleet Rd has been selected as the safest pub in the district and
praised for joining crime busting initiatives.
Top School: St
Nicholas school has achieved top place in the Hampshire GCSE league tables.
27 Jan
Sewage Fear: Following
the failure of the Thames Water pumping station in Avondale Rd raw sewage was aloud
to escape to Brookly Stream which feeds into Fleet Pond.
Jan 19
Children's Charity Opens: Wooden Spoon children's
charity born out of the rugby community has opened new offices in Fleet. The official
opening was performed by life president Peter Scott MBE.
Pondside Houses:
Local resident Jonathon Hedges is objecting to a scheme by Heron on the Lake
owners to build two 4 bedroomed houses on land overlooking Fleet Little Pond.
Jan 13
Builders Promise: Taylor Wimpey who are developing
the QEB in Sandy Lane have promised to invest more than £16 million into the
Church Crookham community.
Jan 12
Rotary Collection: Fleet Rotary Club has raised
£8,007 during this years Christmas collections.
Holiday for Youngster:
Young Ice Skater, Caitin Marsh, is to perform at the UK premier of Holiday on
Ice
Jan 6
Best of British: Hart
has been selected has the best place to live in by an Halifax quality of life
survey. Hart has gained first place after two years as runner up to Elmbridge.
Nursing Home Approved:
Plans to build a 73 room assisted living home at Blue Prior Business Park have
been approved by Hart District council.
Fleet's Honours:
Pondtail's Andrew Colver, head of democratic services in Rushmoor Borough
council, has been awarded an OBE for more than 25 years service with the
council. Also Martina Milburn, chief executive of the Princes Trust, has been
awarded a CBE for her services to charity. Professor Foulks has been awarded the
OBE for 40 years service to engineering and Grandmother Nina Curley has been
honoured with an OBE for her contribution to education. fleethants
.com salutes you all