Spring 2007

Whilst I have previously put out an Easter newsletter, I decided this year to delay a bit in order to give me the opportunity to include a different, later, selection of photographs which I hope you will enjoy.

It has been a very mild winter, one of the warmest on record. Everyone blames "global warming" but I read an interesting article in our paper: snowdrops bloomed and wildlife 'exploded' with songthrushes, ladybirds and crocuses all seen in January. Perhaps no great surprise for in the previous month strawberries were still being harvested in Lincolnshire, roses were blossoming and hibernating animals such as hedgehogs, dormice, red squirrels and badgers had reappeared. But this was 1886, not 2006.

We had our first snow (1/2 inch) on Jan 24 - but that was just about it for the winter. By then, thanks to thre mild weather, some daffodills were already in bloom - ahead of the snowdrops! I had already seen both a butterfly and a ladybird. Spring has generally been considered to be two weeks early this year. We have had quite a bit of rain, enough over the winter as a whole for the water companies to eventually lift their hose-pipe restrictions. But after two dry weeks over Easter there were reports (albeit not locally) of fires on tinder-dry moorland, then in April we had a major heath fire on Chobham Common. April has been the hottest on record, locally the first three weeks saw no rain at all and only 2mm in the rest.

group of 7 red tulips The feature clock in the High Street has been out of action for some while as moisture got into the mechanism. It has now been replaced by our local council with a new one which hopefully will be more robust. The clock is radio-controlled so that it will not need to be adjusted.

The Railways introduced charges for the station car park at the beginning of the year. You won't need two guesses as to what happened - commuters parked on the adjoining residential roads instead, jamming them up and leaving the car park empty. I am pleased to be able to report, though, that after local campaigning it did only take the railways three months to see the error of their ways and removed the charges.

We have now got an 'events' calendar for local community groups on the website, and another community group is featured on the home page (the tennis club joining the churches, the Scouts & Guides, the cricket club, Curley Park football club, Bagshot band, WI, Bagshot Care, the Archaeological Trust and Heathland Conservation). I am very happy to feature Bagshot's community groups on the site, so if you are a member of such a group that is not featured then please get in touch with me.

banks of azalias in a range of colours
I won't try to claim that these stunning azaleas are in Bagshot.
I am sure that many people will recognise the Punchbowl in Windsor Great Park.

I don't like the term (its too much like management waffle), but 'organic growth' really is the apt way to describe the development of the Bagshot web site. It expands because of contributions made by you, the visitors. Among the material added since the last newsletter is:

bluebell flowers More memories of the Three Mariners pub and of Half Moon St courtesy Lyn, of being a youngster in the 1950 from Roger. Also of the Mission Hall., the Parish Hall and Rapley Lake - together with a question: which took the name first, Rapley Lake or the near-by Rapley Farm?

Also memories of Higgs Lane in the 1960's, or was it then known as Higges Lane?

Lionel provides some information about Weston House, Pantiles' Swimming Pool, Moore's garage, Hero of Inkerman and Fortuna ice cream.

Ron Frost provides a location for what had been the annual show.

We have a bit of information concerning the Duke of Connaught in Malta.

Some more of the children in the 1950's photo outside the Catholic Church have been identified.

Granny Coles (of the Heath) has been resolved by a descendent plus another family, the Graingers, have been identified. We also have a definitive answer regarding ownership and access rights to the heath.

Roy Draper remembers The Seltones and their first gig.

a tree covered in pink blossom Among the new enquiries we have:

Jethro is seeking information about the White Hart Inn in 1614, and Bernadette about the Bird in Hand in the early 1900's.
Stanley wants to know whether College Ride house numbers ever went up to 153?
Peter is looking for any history about the 250 year old property Little Yews on Jenkins Hill.
Do you know the history of the box-like building in Pantiles' car park?
- or Pinewood Cottage?
- or of any major building work in Bagshot in the 1860's?
Information is sought about Desmond Hastings' shop.
Do you know anything about training camps and a POW camp on Old Dean Common?

New personal enquiries include:

Eric Gilbert, bookmaker
Cox family circa 1914 (also do you know of Cox Lane?)
Dartnall and Bell View Farm
Brian Mattingly
Ken Wells (ex Seltones band) would like to know of Mick Topping and his sister Ann, Ken Galloway, and Alvar Anderson.

With best wishes.

Neil
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The opinions expressed here are those of the author, writing on his own behalf and not representing anyone else or any organisation.

The previous newsletter was Christmas. The latest is here.

ps: each time I do a mailing telling friends like yourself about one of these 'update' pages I get several bounce back as undeliverable because the intended recipient has changed their email address, and I have no way of knowing what it has changed to. So if you change your email please remember to put me on the list of people to tell if you want to keep in touch.