• Crofts End will be closed to traffic whilst Milton Keynes Council carries out pothole repairs near the Carters Close junction. The work is currently scheduled to take place between 9.30am and 4.30pm on 29 September 2016, although this is subject to change due to MKC workload or weather. www.roadworks.org
   

• Roundabout Theatre Company will be presenting their new performance "Bear Brand & Boogie Woogie" at the Village Hall on 11th and 12th November 2016.
    Tickets £11 - Further Details
   

• Gun Lane is included in the MKC Road 'Surface Treatment Programme' to be done between April and August 2016. The treatment type is 'Grip-fibre'. Their separate Road 'Surfacing Programme' for April to October does not include any Sherington roads. roadworks.org
   

• The Planning Inspector has ALLOWED Shires appeal to build 36 houses on land at the High Street. The decision was announced on 22 March 2016. Inspector's Decision
   

• Crofts End between School Lane and Bedford Road will be closed to through traffic on Wednesday 30 March 2016 while the road is repaired. The diversion is via Chicheley Hill. This is likely to affect the Bedford bus service. Roadworks Map
   

• Sherington Parish Council has increased its Precept for 2016/7 by a massive 49%, from £21,896 to £32,526, despite Government guidelines it be kept to 1.9%. Other Authorities must hold a referendum before larger increases are allowed, and the Government is now considering extending this to Parish Councils too.
   
• Sherington PC's council tax per household is more than double that of North Crawley PC, which has reduced its precept. Only 6 PC's in Milton Keynes are more expensive than Sherington: Bletchley, Campbell Park, West Bletchley, Woburn Sands, Wolverton & Greenleys and Woughton. A Band D property now pays £79.35 to the PC. MK Summary Table
   
• The total Council Tax is shown in the following table.

• SCAN is seeking a new Editor and a new Treasurer/Advertising Manager to take over from Betty Feasey and Christine Barry, whose last issue will be May 2016. If you wish to volunteer, please contact Betty or Christine (see SCAN page for contact details)
   

• The most recent edition of the Welcome Pack (published by Sherington Historical Society for new residents) is now available online - March 2015. However, some of the information may now need updating. If you have new information for the next issue, please contact Mark Vale.
   

• Milton Keynes Council will be repairing 7 potholes in Sherington during the period 5 to 9 February 2016: in Sherington Road, Water Lane, Gun Lane and Perry Lane, plus the footpath in the High Street near Home Farm. Anglian Water will be working in Bedford Road between 11 and 15 February.
  Roadworks map
   

• The Parish Council has a new website: www.sheringtonpc.co.uk
   

• There were two resignations on 17 November 2015, for different reasons:
   
• Hannah Balazs has submitted her resignation as Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer, but will continue until her successor is appointed. The PC will be issuing a Vacancy Notice shortly. Vacancy Notice
   
• Ian Collinge has resigned from the Parish Council. This creates a Casual Vacancy. If 10 electors request it within 14 days, there will be a by-election, otherwise the PC will be free to co-opt. Vacancy Notice - Resignation Letter

• The Availability Calendar is now online, so you can check the function room or football pitch is available before booking.
   
• The Pavilion is also now on Facebook.

*** Appeal date - 10am on Thursday 7 January 2016 at the MKC Civic Offices ***

• R & S Shires (Farmers) Ltd have appealed to the Secretary of State regarding the decision of Milton Keynes Council to refuse permission for Planning Application 14/02002/OUT (36 houses on Land at High Street Sherington). Further Details
   
• There was an Extraordinary Parish Council Meeting at 7.30pm on Wednesday 28 October 2015 in the Pavilion at which Councillors approved its written submission to the Inspector. This is available on the PC website. The MKC response is available on the MKC Planning website.

*** See also: Future of Sherington ***

• Milton Keynes Council are in the process of releasing 3 important planning policy documents for public consulation. Further Details
   
• Site Allocations Plan
• Minerals Plan
• Plan:MK

• There is a vacancy for Caretaker/Cleaner at the Perry Lane Pavilion and Recreation Ground
  Further details
   

• The Post Office in Sherington will re-open on Monday 14 September 2015 with Bhavna as the new Postmistress. Read the official announcement
   

• Philip Edward Smith has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queens Birthday Honours announced on 12 June 2015. It is for services to the community in Sherington.
   

• Newport Pagnell Town Council are holding the Pre-Submission Public Consultation on their Neighbourhood Plan from 1 June to 12 July 2015. The Plan and about 40 supporting documents can be viewed on the NPTC website. Public comments can be submitted via Survey Monkey or by email. Note: the Plans may affect you if you use the facilites in Newport Pagnell, as well as affecting Sherington itself.
   

• Serco, who provide the weekly refuse collection for Milton Keynes Council, have announced that collections in Sherington will be on MONDAYS as from 15 June 2015. Bags etc should not be put outside your property before 5pm on the day before.
   

• Following the public consultation last autumn, the updated Draft Local Minerals Plan is about to be issued for a further round of public consultations. The proposed draft is being considered at the Cabinet meeting on 8 June before going before full Council on 15 July. The Lathbury sites are still being proposed, despite the earlier objections. The draft is available on the MKC website, although it may yet change prior to issue. Current proposed draft plan
   

• Sherington Historical Society are holding a Photographic Competition during summer 2015. Subjects should be wildlife or wild plants within the Parish. The last date for entries is 31 August 2015. Further details
   

• The May issue of SCAN contains an article by Shopco on the current status of the Shop. Unfortunately two statements about the Parish Council are inaccurate.
• "they agreed that they would take over ShopCo" - no, the PC agreed to a transfer of responsibility, as stated in the Minutes.
• "due the demise of the current Parish Council the transfer has been delayed" - On the contrary, the PC is waiting for Shopco. Shopco has not yet submitted to the PC any of the relevant legal documents relating to the transfer of the shop building. Until it does so, there is nothing the PC can do.     Further details

• Sheryl Arnold is proposing to hold a weekly Craft Club for 5 to 16 year olds. To gauge interest there will be a Taster Session in the Pavilion on Saturday 23 May from 9am to 12 noon. Further details
   

• The Post Office has announced that Sherington Post Office will close temporarily on 15 April, due to the resignation of the Postmaster. They hope to restore service ASAP. Official Notice
   

• 8 to 10 April - MKC will be repairing the potholes at the School Lane/Crofts End junction. It involves a 5mx2m and a 2mx2m patch and there will be temporary traffic lights.
   
• Delayed: now 9 to 12 June (was April) - National Grid are wasting no time in digging up the new High St road surface, opposite No 10. They are installing a domestic connection and there will be temporary traffic lights.
   
• Bedford Road - Bedford Road is included in the MKC 2015/6 road resurfacing programme, as is the bypass.

• Parish Council Election - 7 May 2015 - Details
   

• The April meeting of the Parish Council will NOT take place. Business will be carried over to the May 12th meeting. Further details
   

• John Ager resigned from the Parish Council on 21 March 2015. David Hyde resigned from the Parish Council on 23 March 2015. This means the April Parish Council Meeting is inquorate. This has been reported to Milton Keynes Council who have the authority to take appropriate action in such circumstances. Further information will be available once MKC has responded.
   
• Statement by Ian Collinge.
   

• The Council Tax for Sherington for the year starting April 2015 is as follows. Note: the Parish Council's precept has been frozen again and is still at the same level as in 2011/2.

• It is now possible to tour the INSIDE of the White Hart on Google StreetView and see the bar, restaurant, accommodation and garden. Look for the double arrow pointing into the car park from Gun Lane or go direct: White Hart Bar
   

• Alec Denman, who resigned from the Parish Council on 5 March 2015, has requested that his resignation letter be published so that residents may learn the real reasons for the resignation and dispel the false rumours which are circulating. Resignation Letter
   

• It has been confirmed that the planning application for 36 houses in the High Street (14/02002/OUT) will be on the Agenda for the MKC Development Control Committee on Thursday 5 March 2015. The MKC Officer recommendation is to refuse permission. The officer's report, agenda and other information can be read on the MKC web site: Further details
   

• Everyone is invited to an Afternoon Tea on Sunday 29th March at 3.00pm in Chicheley Village Hall to say farewell to the Rector, Rev Mandy Marriott.
   

• Update: Following the meeting with parents, the School has now changed its proposals.
   
• Ousedale School is planning to change its admission arrangements to admit 10% of its pupils from outside the catchment area. There is concern that this will have an adverse effect on pupils from the villages (including Sherington), particularly as there are plans for more houses in both Newport Pagnell (as many as 1400) and Olney, which will put further pressure on local schools. The Olney Ward Councillors have issued a letter to parents (read it here) to inform them of an Information Event on 24 February. Parents who wish to comment during the Consultation only have until the end of February to respond.
   
• The proposed Admissions Policy is available on the Ousedale School web site, but currently the web site does not appear to address parents' concerns.
   

• The Olney Ward Councillors will be holding a surgery in Sherington Village Hall on Saturday 21 February 2015 from 12.30 to 1.30pm. This is in addition to the regular monthly surgeries which are held in the Olney Centre on the first Friday of every month between 7.30 and 8.30pm. These are opportunities for you to discuss in person any issues you may have with MKC services.
   
• The Olney Councillors would like to apologise for misquoting the result of the recent Parish Poll in their column in the February issue of Phonebox magazine. The correct result is 57.6% (221) against and 42.4% (163) in favour.
   

• At its meeting on 6 January 2015, Sherington Parish Council agreed to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan. After being adopted in a referendum, this will be used by Milton Keynes Council to determine planning applications in the area. This will involve extensive consultations with the whole community - volunteers are now required. Further Details
   

• There appears to be some confusion over who is responsible for the Sherington web site. The following will hopefully clarify the situation.
   
• The Sherington web site was started in 1997 as a free public service by Ian Collinge, who is the sole person responsible for its content. The domain name 'www.sherington.org.uk' is registered at Nominet to Ian Collinge, as you can readily verify by running a 'WHO IS' query.
   
• In 2003, the Fete organisers requested Ian to provide a web site for promoting the Fete. The success of this led the School, Preschool and the Parish Council to request similar facilities. Following the link up between the School and St Andrews, the School Governors decided to develop an independent web site of their own and so have gone their own way. However, Preschool and the Parish Council are still making use of the free facilities offered by Ian. The editorial control of Preschool and Parish Council web pages lies with the respective organisation, and Ian is merely providing the technical facilities to make them available (in exactly the same way as MK Heritage hosts the Sherington Historical Society web site). The pages for both Preschool and Parish Council are explicitly labelled as such, and they are a different colour to other www.sherington.org.uk pages. Neither organisation is responsible for the content of any pages other than those marked explicitly with their own name.
   
• The strip at the bottom every page identifies the appropriate contact point for that particular page. Please do not waste people's time by contacting anyone else.
   
• It should also be noted that, whilst the Parish Council occasionally makes donations to SCAN magazine, Ian Collinge has never received any financial assistance from the Parish Council, and does not intend to seek any, in order to maintain full independence.
   

• Sally Cook has resigned from the Parish Council with effect from 1 January 2015.
   

• Mel Northfield has resigned from the Parish Council with effect from 28 December 2014.
   

• 140 electors attended the Extraordinary Parish Meeting held in the Village Hall on Wednesday 10 December 2014. The meeting agreed the following two items:
   
  • A Parish Poll should be held on the subject of Outline Planning Permission 14/02002/OUT submitted to Milton Keynes Council by R & S Shires (farmers) Ltd of Daventry for building 36 houses on the west side of the High Street.
     
  • The wording of the straightforward YES/NO question was agreed.
     
• The Poll will be organised by Milton Keynes Council, not the Parish Council, but the costs will be met by the Parish Council. The poll will take place between 4pm and 9pm on a date between 5th and 20th January 2015. Voting is in person by local government electors of the parish. There will be no postal voting and no poll cards.   Further Details
   

• Work will only take place between 9.30am and 4.30pm each day. The road will be closed. Residents of Church Road have been informed by letter, but it will obviously also affect Pre-School, other Village Hall users, the Shop and the Number 40 bus.
   
• The delay in this work was caused by the need to address the surface water drainage problem. At the Milton Keynes North East Area Forum on Wednesday 3 December, we were told that work on the drainage problem had progressed sufficiently for the resurfacing to proceed. They believe the residual drainage problem will be manageable without digging up the road as the gully is in the verge. They report that the water is not coming up through the tarmac, but draining from the higher ground where there is a significant water table. The water source can't be stopped, but the gully can be used to direct the water when it appears so that the consequent problem is reduced.
   
• The Forum was also told that the longstanding problem in School Lane has now been resolved. It had been caused by damage to the gully by Western Power who had put a cable through it.

• Milton Keynes Council are holding a public consultation into their plans for future housing development in the Borough. It will run from 10 September to 5 November 2014. Four sites in Sherington are being considered. Further Details
   
• 24 October update: The owners of the High St site, R & S Shires (farmers) Ltd of Daventry, have submitted a Planning Application for outline planning permission to Milton Keynes Council, with reference number 14/02002/OUT. The details are on the Milton Keynes Planning Public Access Area, where the public can register their comments on the Planning Application, separately to the Site Allocations Plan consultation.
   
• 29 October update: The owners have published their proposals for 20 houses for the Crofts End site and withdrawn the School site.
   
• Thursday 30 October 2014 - Village Hall - 6pm Drop-in session - 7.30pm Public Meeting

• There will be a Drop-in Session with Milton Keynes Council officers at 6.15pm on Tuesday 2nd September in the Village Hall, before the Parish Council meeting, to view and discuss the plans for minerals extraction in the area in the period up to 2032. There are 2 proposed sites in Lathbury, which may be of particular interest to Sherington residents, and other sites in Lathbury and in Sherington itself have been/are being considered. Further Details - Official Announcement
   
• Thursday 23 October 2014 - Sherington CE School - 6pm Drop-in session - 7.30pm Public Meeting

• According to the the MK Council information on www.roadworks.org, the new dates are 11 to 15 December 2014.
  MKC web site, www.roadworks.org and MK Highways Twitter

• Hannah Balazs has been appointed as the new Parish Clerk. She takes over from Wendy Austyn, who was Clerk for almost ten years.

• Sherington welcomes Mr Kana Sisodiya and Mrs Bhavna Meraman who took over the lease of Sherington Village Shop and Post Office from 17 August 2014.

• Mark Lancaster, MP for Milton Keynes North, will be holding his Mobile Surgery in Sherington on Friday 29th August from 11.25 to 11.55am at The Knoll near the bus stop. Further information: tel: 686830. Email: [email protected]
  Website: www.marklancastermp.org

• Please could I ask you to search your gardens, streams, ponds, sheds, greenhouses etc for 'Rocky'. Being small, he gets easily wedged in boots, shoes, garden pots etc. His claws get caught in long weeds. He can't reverse, so may need our help to set himself free.
• Thank you so much! Paula, 01908 216925 or 07749769111

• Jackie Inskipp has taken over from Tony Pilcher as the Booking Clerk for the Village Hall. Bookings can be made by phoning 01908 216214.

• Sheryl Arnold, of the Old Clock Shop, is an experienced English and Media Teacher and is now offering tuition locally.     Further details

• Mr Kana Sisodiya and Mrs Bhavna Meraman are the new tenants of Sherington Shop and will be taking over from Udi and Dina within the next few weeks. They will be moving to the area and are looking to rent a 2/3 bedroom property in Sherington or very nearby so if you have a property or know of anyone that has then please let Kana know on 07402 328935.
   
• The planning permission for the temporary shop has been extended for another 3 years until 31 July 2017. Having secured the planning extension and found new tenants, Nigel Blight and Mel Northfield will now be stepping down and are looking for volunteers to take over to organise the creation of a permanent shop, the planning permission for which expires in May 2016. Please contact Nigel on 07765 836494 or Mel on 07733 102006.

• The High Street will be closed for resurfacing work for 4 days from 9.30am to 4.30pm. The work will start on Thursday 10 July (i.e. Thursday/Friday/Monday/Tuesday). The section being re-surfaced is between Maryot Close and Village Close. The information may be on www.roadworks.org, although that may not be working properly.
   
• The No 21 bus is being diverted along Church Road, School Lane, Crofts End, Bedford Road and the A509. The No 40 is not affected.
   
• Church Road is also scheduled for re-surfacing - two days in September.

• The next meeting of the Sherington Pavilion Management Group (SPMG) will be held on Wednesday 9 July 2014 at 8pm in the Pavilion. SPMG is a Parish Council committee responsible for the day-to-day running of the Perry Lane facilities. Meetings are open to the public.
   
• The committee has 7 members, 3 of whom are Parish councillors. The chairman is Jeff Charles. There is currently a vacancy for Secretary, due to the resignation of Trish Charles. Anyone interested should contact Jeff, the Parish Clerk, or attend the meeting.

• Wendy Austyn, who has been Parish Clerk for almost 10 years, has submitted her resignation due to the pressure of other commitments. The Parish Council is therefore seeking applications from those who wish to be considered to fill this vacancy. The deadline for applications is 25 July 2014, with a view to interviewing suitable candidates in August. Job advert - Further details

• Keith McLean, who has represented Sherington Ward on Milton Keynes Council for the past 3 years, has been re-elected to serve for another term in the elections that took place on Thursday 22 May 2014. Sherington is now part of the new Olney Ward and will in future be represented by 3 councillors instead of just one. The two additional Councillors are also Conservatives: Peter Geary and David Hosking.     Further details

*** 3 May - 321 has been suspended by Meridian Bus (except Sunday Olney to CMK) due to alleged illegal operation of the MKC-subsidised 21 route by Redline. See here for latest news. ***

• There are major changes to the bus services starting on 28 April 2014.
   
• The Sunday-only 101 service will be replaced by the 321 and expanded into a full 7 day a week service between Olney, Milton Keynes and Buckingham. The Number 1 service will terminate at Newport Pagnell and will not serve Sherington. Instead, the new Number 21 will run between Lavendon and Milton Keynes.
   
• The Number 40 Bedford bus and the evening Taxibus are unchanged.     Details

• MKPA Play Sessions start again on 24th April 2014 during term time until the Autumn - 3.30pm on Thursdays - Village Hall Play Area - Details. They are funded by the Parish Council and Olney Masonic Club.

• Angela Donaldson reports:
  "My son found some Volvo car keys with a house key attached on the road outside Manor Courtyard. They may belong to someone at the farm or that works local. I've had a little walk about but not found a Volvo car here at Manor Courtyard. Please could you put a note on the Sherington page? I am available on 07934362496. Kind regards, Angela"

• Udi and Dina have announced their intention to step down from running the Sherington Village Shop in August, in order to focus on their Castlethorpe shop. It is therefore necessary to identify new management to take over, otherwise the shop will have to close.     Read the full anouncement

• Good news for Sherington residents! The Parish Council has set its precept for 2014/5 and, once again, there is NO increase, despite inflation. However, there are also NO cuts in services. This is possible because of increased income from the Perry Lane recreation facilities.
• The income from Perry Lane is now around 30% of the amount raised directly from Council Taxpayers and is therefore an important contributor to Council funds. In particular, the income from the hire of the function room is currently greater than the extra day-to-day operating costs resulting from the Pavilion extension. The function room at the Pavilion is available for hire by any Sherington residents at very attractive rates, separately from the sports facilities. Further details
• The Parish Council is committed to providing the best possible services to all sections of the village community. Are there any new facilities or services anywhere in the village that you would like to see but are not currently provided, or aspects that could be improved or extended? The Parish Council is very interested in any ideas or suggestions. Please contact any of the Parish Councillors or Parish Clerk.

• Lynn McBrearty of 'A Fitter Life' continues to run two weekly exercise classes in Sherington: in the Village Hall on Monday evenings and in the Perry Lane Pavilion on Wednesday evenings, both from 7pm to 8pm.     More Details

• Have you put on a few extra pounds at Christmas? Is your New Year resolution to get fitter in 2014? No need for expensive gym fees! The Parish Council can help..... Details

• The revised dates for refuse collections over Christmas are as follows: (Further details)
  • Tuesday 24 December
  • Thursday 2 January
  • Wednesday 8 January
  • Tuesday 14 January

• Milton Keynes Council has issued advice on preparing for winter, including reporting salt bins that need re-filling - Details. There are 6 salt bins in Sherington: The Knoll, Village Hall, School, Carters Close/Crofts End, Perry Lane and Hillview.

• The poor state of the roads in Sherington continues to be a matter of concern to many residents. There are currently 58 defects registered by Milton Keynes Council in Sherington. Get further details and what MKC are doing about it.

• The Village Hall has been at the heart of village social life for many years and is well used both by village groups and others. The Hall is available for hire for your regular or special event. For details of availability and charges see the Village Hall web page. New discounted Saturday hire charges have been introduced for village groups. The Village Hall is a charity and is dependent on the hire charges for its income.

• The Roundabout Theatre Company are presenting 'Shakers Re-Stirred' at the Village Hall on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th November 2013. Further details and tickets

• Hilary Brock Private Hire of Olney are now providing an evening 'Taxibus' service to fill the gap created by the withdrawal of the No 1 Bus Service. It runs between Newport Pagnell, Sherington, Emberton, Olney and Lavendon. There are 4 journeys in each direction between 7pm and 11pm. Journeys must be booked at least one hour in advance. The cost for journeys to/from Sherington is £2.00.
  Further details and timetable

• The Parish Council has provided another dog/litter bin: in Gun Lane by the speed limit sign. As well as benefiting dog owners using this popular dog-walking route who now have somewhere to deposit their dog waste, it can also be used for general litter.

• Tasha Noble writes:
  "My dad's done it again - signed me up for a half marathon bike round around Milton Keynes and all I'll get is a poxy snack size Mars bar and sore legs! :>) Please make it worthwhile and sponsor me for a good cause... https://www.justgiving.com/Natasha-Noble2013. Thank you, Tasha, xx"

• James Cook was co-opted onto the Parish Council at the Meeting on 3 September 2013 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of David Keene.

• Are there any bee keepers in the village? If so, would you be willing to assist or advise Val Donovan of Griggs Orchard? There is a nest in an outbuilding to be removed, preferably without harming them. Email: [email protected]

• There was a herd of sheep loose in the High Street at 8.45pm on Tuesday 6th August. The passing cyclists who spotted them alerted Paul Hawkes of Maryot Close who managed to herd them to safety in the field opposite Village Close. More sheep were spotted on the Knoll the following morning. It is understood that the sheep, with red ear tags, belonged to Bernard Soul.

• The Trailer Auction in the White Hart car park on 27 July 2013 raised £1200 for Willen Hospice.

• Peter Soul has supplied some interesting photos of the wild orchids currently flowering in Sherington. View photos

*** Official Book Launch - Tuesday 9 July 2013, 8pm-9pm, Sherington Village Hall ***
Further Details

• Philip Smith's book about Sherington "A Lttle Bird Told Me ..." is now available for £12 from the Sherington Historical Society.

• 7 July update: Katy Quinn's shed has now been claimed.

• Lynn McBrearty of 'A Fitter Life' has introduced a new programme for the Wednesday evening keep fit sessions in the Sports Pavilion, Perry Lane, starting in June: a Running Club, Bootcamp (on the Sports Field) and a Core conditioning Class. She also runs the Exercise Classes in the Village Hall on Monday evenings.     More Details

• Sally Cook was co-opted onto the Parish Council at the Meeting on 4 June 2013 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Adrian Green.
   
• As residents did not make a formal request for an election, the vacancy created by the resignation of David Keene will also be filled by co-option.

• Meridian Bus of Northampton has stepped into the gap created by the removal of the MK Council-subsidised Arriva Sunday bus service by introducing the new 101 service from Lavendon to Milton Keynes via Sherington. There are 4 buses each way. The new service is not subsidised.     101 Timetable

• On 2 June 2013, there will be a cut-back in the services on Bus No. 1, as Milton Keynes Council has withdrawn their subsidy. There will be no evening or Sunday buses.
      New timetable
• The last bus to Newport Pagnell will be at 18.32 (Mon-Sat). The 07.32 (Mon-Fri) service is also withdrawn.
• The last bus to Olney will be at 19.43 (Mon-Sat). The 07.36 and 18.07 (Mon-Fri) services are also withdrawn.

• Cllr Alec Denman is the new Chairman of the Parish Council.

• Apart from the short section of the High Street that was resurfaced on 16 April and the potholes in Church Road that have already been patched in April, a Milton Keynes Highways Inspector visited Sherington on 19 April to carry out the annual inspection. He recorded a further 58 defects which are now logged in the MKC database - see detailed list. They have been allocated various priority levels, so it may be some time before everything is dealt with. If you see a problem anywhere in the Parish, whether already listed or not, please continue to report it to MKC - report problems.

• There was an accident on Chicheley Hill at the Bedford Road junction on Wednesday 1st May 2013, resulting in the demolition of the street light which used to stand on the traffic island.

• Although their milk delivery service is stopping on Tuesday 30 April 2013, Angela Adderson reports that raw unpasteurised (green top) milk will still be available directly from Lodge Farm, North Crawley, during normal farm shop 11am -7pm daily. Cream, butter, ice cream, bread and cakes will also be available from here as before.

• David Keene has announced that he will step down from the Parish Council at the May meeting after 14 years service, including two stints as Chairman. This will create a second vacancy. The deadline for applications for the existing vacancy has been set as 15 May 2013, with co-option of the successful applicant at the June meeting. Vacancy Details

• Lynn McBrearty of 'A Fitter Life' who runs the Exercise Classes in the Village Hall on Monday evenings is organising two more classes on Wednesday evenings in the Sports Pavilion, Perry Lane, starting in April: 'Getting Ready to Run' and 'FitterCondition'.     More Details

• MKPA Play Sessions start again on 18th April 2013 for 16 weeks - 3.30pm on Thursdays - Village Hall Play Area - Details. They are funded by the Parish Council.

• There are changes to the arrangements for the collection of refuse as a result of Easter and the two Bank Holidays in May: Further details

• Milton Keynes Council will be resurfacing the section of the High Street between Church Road and Hazelmead Farm on 13/14 March 2013 (Wed/Thur). The road will be closed between 9.30am and 5.00pm. (Note: the MKC website has the date as 15 March, so be prepared for diversions on that date too).

• If you are considering upgrading your internet connection to take advantage of the faster speeds offered by fibre, our FTTC broadband speed map will give you an idea of what you can expect.

*** The Parish Council has requested that the proposal be re-considered, so that the current single-member ward is retained***
• The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has been reviewing the division of Milton Keynes into Wards, as a result of the increasing population in some parts of the Borough, and has now published its draft recommendations. It is proposed to increase the number of councillors from 51 to 57. However, the current rural Sherington Ward represented by a single councillor will disappear. Instead, Sherington and the other villages will join an enlarged Olney Ward to be served by 3 councillors. Further details
   
• A public consultation is now being held - anyone is welcome to comment. The deadline is 18 March 2013.

• The White Hart has made an application to Milton Keynes Council to extend its licensing hours. Any representations must be submitted to Milton Keynes Council by 13 February 2013.         Current Licence   Application   MKC Letter

• Good news for council tax payers - the Parish Council is making its contribution to financial restraint by proposing a precept of £21,993 for 2013/4, a slight decrease on this year's figure of £22,055.

• Adrian Green, who was co-opted in December 2011, has resigned from the Parish Council. The vacancy is now being advertised formally. Further details

  ***February Update *** - Stagecoach apologises - Details

• The MK MOOVE one-day bus ticket is supposed to allow unlimited travel on all operator's services within Milton Keynes Borough. However, despite selling this ticket itself, Stagecoach is reportedly refusing to honour it beyond the Newport Pagnell boundary on its 40 service to Bedford. The Parish Council is taking this matter up with the relevant parties.

• Residents have expressed concern at recent Parish Council meetings at the apparent increase in HGV vehicles using this route to avoid the Newport Pagnell HGV restrictions. Milton Keynes Council has now released details of its Traffic Surveys

• Lynn McBrearty of 'A Fitter Life' is organising Exercise Classess in the Village Hall on Monday evenings from 7pm to 8pm, starting on 21st January. The first session is a FREE taster session and subsequent sessions are £3.         www.afitterlife.co.uk   https://www.facebook.com/AFitterLife

• The dates of Refuse Collections over the holiday period are as follows:
  • Thursday 27 December             Further details
  • Thursday 3 January
  • Wednesday 9 January

• Some results from the 2011 Census for Sherington Ward were released on 23 November. The population has increased slightly to 4,102 since 2001. Results for the Parish are scheduled for release on 30 January 2013.   Further details

• Tony Pilcher (2 The Knoll) has now taken over from Jay King as Booking Clerk for the Village Hall. Email: [email protected] (note the underscore before vh, not a space). Please use email for bookings, the phone is for general enquiries only.

• Paul Noble has created an album of photos of the Lantern Procession and Fireworks held on 9 November 2012 in support of the School: http://www.wikialbums.com/?vsnWNMjCem4wDRJyN4A

• Freak strong winds hit Sherington on the night of Wednesday 17 October 2012, at about 2.20 a.m. on the Thursday morning, causing damage to trees, fences and roofs, particularly in the Carters Close and Village Hall area. Further details, map, photos

• The first results for Sherington Ward have been released from the 2011 Census: 16% of census returns were returned online. Sherington came bottom in Milton Keynes, where the average was 22.4%. Emerson Valley was top with 29.7%.

• The Parish Council has been awarded a grant to buy some adult fitness equipment. What would you like? Where should it go? Further details

• At its meeting on 4th September 2012, Sherington Parish Council co-opted Ian Collinge to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Ian Thomson in April.

• *** Extended for 11 weeks from 13 September!!! *** The MKPA Rural Play Project will be in Sherington with activities for 4 to 19 year olds -       Further details

• The local MP, Mark Lancaster, will be holding a mobile surgery in Sherington on 7th August 2012 -       Further details

• The results of Sherington Historical Society's Scarecrow competition are:
  • 1st - The White Hart - Lunch at the White Hart, Gun Lane
  • Joint 2nd - O'Loughlin Family - Jed-lympics, Sherington Place, Church Road
  • Joint 2nd - Charles Family - Greg the Real Olympian, 29 Perry Lane
  • Judges Special Prize - Taylor Family - Everything Rosie, 10 Crofts End
  • Judges Special Prize - Leslie Family - Harry and Wills, 20 Crofts End
  • Many thanks to all entries for their excellent efforts, from Peter and Sue Blake (Judges).     Full set of photos
• There were 15 entries. Thank you to everyone who took part, from SHS Committee

• www.sherington.org.uk received an average of 3815 hits per month in the first 5 months of this year. In the 9 years since we started counting (in May 2003), there have been a total of 292,709 page loads.

• One of the Beacons to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee was lit on The Mound on Chicheley Hill on 4th June 2012 -
        Video   -   Photos

• Paula Noble will again be taking part in the 'MK Midnight Moo' on July 14th 2012, raising funds for Willen Hospice. It's a 10-mile ladies only sponsored 'midnight' walk. Donations: www.justgiving.com/Paula-Noble2012
• Doris Stephens raised over £300 for St Laud's at her Plant Sale on 19th May.
• The Beer and Sausage Festival at the White Hart on 5/6/7th May raised £1044 for Willen Hospice.

• April 2012: As Mr Ian Thomson has resigned from the Parish Council, there is now a vacancy for a Councillor, which the Council intends to fill by co-option. The deadline for applications from anyone interested is 10 July 2012 - Further details

• A.C.Chibnall's detailed account of Sherington's history called 'Sherington: Fiefs and Fields of a Buckinghamshire Village' was first published in 1965. It was re-published as a paperback on 16 February 2012 and is now available for £14.99 from Cambridge University Press or Amazon. ISBN-13: 9780521158268. Also available from Sherington Historical Society.

• The new Sherington Village Shop opens at 11am on Saturday 18 February 2012. Further Details

• Pam and Alan Sims have announced their retirement will be on Saturday 14 January 2012 after 16 years running Virginia House Stores. The newspaper business is being taken over from Sunday 15 January 2012 by Udi and Dina Modhwadia, who have run Castlethorpe Stores for several years. The business will run from the current premises for the first two weeks before moving to the new portakabin unit by the Village Hall from 29 January 2012, which should be fully operational by then. Read the full announcement