the Miller’s Tale N o r t h M i l l e r s D a l e C o m m u n i t y A s s o c i a t i o n N e w s l e t t e r A p r i l 2 0 0 6

Issue 27 Keeping you in touch with our local issues and events

Registered Charity No: 1070832

FROM NMDCA WITH LOVE

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Inside this Issue Bond Night 1 Information Board 2 Local Focus 2 Useful Numbers 2 Medieval Banquet 3 Hall Hire 3 Surgery Car Park 4 Traffic Calming 5 Kids Corner 6 Footpath Closure 7 Letters 7 New Beat Officer 8 Farmhouse Award 8

Over the years we have discovered that Millers Dale residents love dressing up and the 007 themed night last November was an ideal opportunity to dust off the DJs and bring out the ball gowns. Everybody entered into the spirit of the event getting into character to make this an elegant evening to remember. Yet again Bridget and Doreen worked their magic ferrying food from their houses to the hall to produce a stylish three-course meal. Imaginative cooking was matched with an equally imaginative menu: Scaramanga

Cocktail was followed by Chicken Connery and rounded off by Rubies Are Forever. This was punctuated between courses by Dave’s James Bond Quiz. The quiz was a mix of single, multi-choice, picture and music questions that displayed the surprising wealth of trivia contained within the collective brains of Millers Dale. After the meal Roulette and Black Jack Tables replaced the Dinner Tables, as croupiers Andy and Richard spun,

dealt and distributed chips. Prizes were awarded to players with the most chips at the end of the evening. Other prizes were distributed for the best costumes

and the quiz winning team. What next, well one suggestion on the night was a ‘Dr Who’ themed evening, any other thoughts let us know..

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Useful Numbers Instead of thumbing through the Telephone Directory or Yellow pages to find that important number, look no further then the Millers Tale. If you have any suggestions for a useful number that is not included please contact us Editor Millers Tale Charles 023 8026 8562 Emergencies Electricity 0345 708600 Gas ( escapes) 0800 111999 Police ( non urgent ) 0845 045 45 45 Southern Water 01961 714585 Schools Hiltingbury Infant School 023 8026 5414 Hiltingbury Junior School 023 8026 1808 Knightwood Primary 023 8026 1900 Merdon County Junior School 023 8026 5255 Thornden Secondary School 023 8026 9722 Toynbee Secondary School 023 8026 9026 Post Office 4 Ashdown Road 023 8025 2791 Local Services Chandlers Ford Library 023 8026 7393 Eastleigh Library 023 8061 4646 Eastleigh Tourist Information 023 8064 1261 Eastleigh Borough Council 023 8068 8000 Solent Blue Line Buses 023 8033 6235 Southampton Int Airport 023 8062 0021 Red Funnel Ships 023 8033 3042 Railway Enquiries 0845 748 4950 Medical Services Park Surgery, Hursley Road 0844 477 8957 St Francis Surgery, Valley Park 0844 477 8956 Boyatt Wood Surgery 023 8047 2126 Fryern Surgery 023 8027 3252 Eastleigh Health Centre 023 8061 2032 Brownhill Surgery 023 8025 2188 Southampton General Hospital 023 8077 7222 Winchester Hospital 01962 86 3535 Dentists 157 Hursley Road 023 8026 7141 M Mansourian 67 Bournemouth Rd 023 8026 7889 Clover Dental Practice Fleming Rd, N Baddesley 023 8073 8787

This will be our second self –produced issue of the

Millers Tale and quite a few lessons have been learnt so that hopefully this issue will be both easier and cheaper to compile. For every issue, over 400 copies are printed to supply one for each household on North Millers Dale. So with an eight-page edition, that is in effect over 3200 pages! As you can imagine this consumes a huge amount of ink. Messy though it is, refilling ink cartridges has proved to be dramatically cheaper than using off the shelf cartridges. Setting the printer to ‘draft’ not only saves ink but more importantly speeded up the print time per page. The difference in print quality could only be seen by looking very closely so was considered to be a worthwhile compromise. By limiting the number of colour pages further time saving was achieved. A group of volunteers came along to fold and staple aided by the odd glass of wine! At the AGM several other volunteers put their names forward and we hope to take advantage of their kind offers of help over the forthcoming year. Following Gordon Brown’s call for a Britishness Day like America’s Independence Day or France’s Bastille Day, should we try to participate in a community event to celebrate it? If so what form should it take? Andy Milner from Eastleigh Borough Council has asked us to distribute questionnaires to all the North Millers Dale residents to canvas opinion about the preferred location for a childrens play area or whether one is needed on the estate. Please make sure you return your copy if you want to have your say. A few people have contacted the Millers Tale expressing concerns with regard to the proposed traffic calming, in particular being unhappy about the suggested speed humps. If you think the disadvantages outweigh the advantages or you have any other points to make, the consultation is not yet concluded and the Council can still be contacted on this matter.

the Information

board

what’s on at the community hall?

Mon: Yellow Dot 8.10am-5.30pm Rainbows 4.30pm-5.30pm

Tue: Yellow Dot 8.10am-5.30pm Brownies 6.00pm-7.30pm

Wed: Yellow Dot 8.10am-5.30pm Brownies 6.00pm-7.30pm

Thu: Yellow Dot 8.10am-5.30pm Yoga 7.00pm-8.30pm

Fri: Yellow Dot 8.10am-5.30pm HALL BOOKINGS: Contact: Mrs Linda Mandley C/o Eastleigh Baptist Church Wells Place, Eastleigh, SO5 5LJ

023 80 613210 between 9.30am-4.30pm weekdays, answer-phone at all other times. Community Hall Keyholder Doreen Lewry

023 80 268562

Newsletter team Charles Lewry: editor Contact: Articles or Advertising: 023 80268562 E-mail editor@nmdca.org.ukWebsite www.nmdca.org.uk

Or drop articles into: 8 Weavers Place

North Millers Dale

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MERRIE ENGLAND COMING TO NORTH

MILLERS DALE

We’ve celebrated with the Scots on Burn’s Night and the Irish on St Patricks Day so now it’s the turn of the English. The North Millers Dale Community Association are organising a taste of Merrie England with a St Georges Day Medieval Banquet. Yet another chance to dress up or down

to take part in what promises to be a fun event. Peasants and Gentry can get together to eat drink and be merry with traditional old English pub games, an England quiz, food, drink and music. The venue will be Ye Olde North Millers Dale Community Hall from eight till late on Saturday 29th April. It’s planned to provide a glass of Mead on entry; all other drinks including flagons of ale for the evening should be brought with you to help the evening go with a swing. As usual we will provide the meal, hopefully a banquet fit for a King.

So come on you Cads and Wenches insert your hands into those money pouches and extract only ten English pounds per person for an evening of entertainment most fine. But don’t be tardy for all those tickets could be much sought after and soon could be no more, forsooth. Mistresses Doreen and Bridget await thy call for soon t’will be the eve of merriment and celebration. Their means of communication shall be respectively these numbers: 80268562 or else 80260279.

Millers Dale Hall for Hire

Have you ever thought about arranging a surprise party or a get together and have not quite got enough room at home? Well just on our doorstep we are lucky to have the Millers Dale Community Hall. This is available to hire at a very reasonable cost. The hall is large enough for functions with about thirty chairs and two large trestle tables. The kitchen is equipped with cooker, fridge, kettle and some crockery. If you were going to do some catering

it would be worth your while visiting the hall in advance. Terms and conditions are available on booking. To book the hall and to see available times check page 2 opposite. During school holiday periods the hall is not used by Yellow Dot Kindergarten making daytimes available. The key can be picked up locally. Hire cost is £5.50 per hour.

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By Richard Mollon Doctor’s Surgery Car Park We would like to know your thoughts regarding the future use of the land previously used as the car park for the Doctor’s surgery at the corner of North Miller’s Dale and Hursley Road. It is mainly surrounded with shrubs and has some fine trees including oaks and mature yew trees. The question is what to do, if anything? The NMDCA committee has a very clear idea of what may happen if we do nothing – the site could be snapped up by a developer and flats built on it. We believe residents would not wish this to happen. With this in mind, we have been to two Local Area Planning Meetings and met with officers and Councillors. The Council is sympathetic to protecting this site as part of the undeveloped land around North Miller’s Dale. Consequently they have placed Tree Preservation Orders on the main trees making it unsuitable for building. They have suggested different courses of action to enhance the site as a community area. They are:

• Convert into a woodland copse and create a nature

trail to join up with Cricket Copse on the north side of North Miller’s Dale.

• Provide a children’s playground Some money from the Council might be available although not enough initially for a substantial playground facility.

Your ideas for the future of the site are requested. Some of the views already expressed to us have been: • A play area

might attract anti-social activities like the recreational areas at Knightwood and Hiltingbury Rec.

• A play area would create some noise for residents in the near vicinity.

• The barrier put

in place has been effective in deterring the use of the car park as a gathering place.

• There could be a partnership with the Council if it was agreed to improve the site as a nature trail. The council would look to taking up some of the hard standing to permit planting.

• Residents might be willing to help with the tidying up of the site and the planting of some trees and shrubs.

• The tree planting could be in memorial to local people.

• The area needs a name. “Vinings Copse” has been suggested after the family who lived in the nearby Hiltonbury Farmhouse for many years.

Please go and look at the site and give us your view. There is a form enclosed for your comments, or email to

YOUR VIEWS SOUGHT ON DOCTOR’S

the

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editor on editor@nmdca.org.uk Traffic calming for Miller’s Dale Again we seek your views as a resident. Following a traffic survey of North Miller’s Dale, and a public meeting last October at the Community centre, it was clear that a majority of the people in attendance were in favour of some traffic calming measures. At the February Local Area Planning Committee the Council offered residents the chance to have a final say in the outcome. Whilst the Council concluded there was a speeding problem and a majority of residents at the public meeting were in favour of traffic calming not everyone could attend. So here is your chance to vote. The Council will only go ahead with traffic calming if there is a majority of residents wishing to do so.

Here is a recap of the facts • The council held an official survey that concluded

there was a speeding problem in North Miller’s Dale. It has also become something of a rat run.

• The engineers response was these proposals to be installed sequentially:

o 13 speed cushions (£23,800) o 2 pedestrian refuges and 2 pinch points.

(£75,920) o Gateway warning signs at the entrances to

NMD. (£10,900) The overall cost currently is not fully available. In view of the cost of the traffic calming, the Council has asked the committee to seek your opinions in the form of a simple yes / no response.

SURGERY CAR PARK AND TRAFFIC CALMING

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Kids Corner

ACROBAT, ANIMALS, ARENA,

AUDIENCE, BALANCE BAND,

BIG TOP, CLOWNS, COSTUMES,

DOGS, ELEPHANTS FIRE EATER, HOOPS, HORSES, JUGGLER, LIONS, MUSIC PARADE,

, RINGS, SAFETY NET, SIDESHOW STRONGMAN, SWING, TENT, TIGERS, TIGHTROPE, TRAPEZE

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FOOTPATH CLOSURE ON NMD This is an extract from a council email that may be of interest to local residents: I am contacting you to inform you of a temporary closure of the footpath between Avonborne Way and Hoveton Grove. The footpath will be closed between the entrance to the footpath from Avonborne Way, close to the junction with Barford Close, and a point approximately 50 metres north of this entrance to the footpath. A plan is attached showing the section which will be closed. The footpath will be closed from Thursday 2nd March 2006 and the legal order will allow the footpath to remain closed until Friday 2nd June 2006 although it is anticipated

that the works will only take eight weeks to complete. This closure is required to protect the safety of pedestrians as scaffolding will be erected over the footpath to allow building work to be completed at a property adjacent to the footpath. Notices will be put up on site to inform pedestrians of the alternative route which will direct pedestrians to use the other footpath entrance on Avonborne Way, close to the junction with Balmoral Close. If you have any comments or questions please contact me on the details listed below. Regards Duncan Stewart

Traffic Management Assistant Engineering Services Eastleigh Borough Council Tel: 023 8068 8849 Fax: 023 8068 8336 duncan.stewart@eastleigh.gov.uk

LETTERS I have read with interest the proposed traffic calming measures for NMD and agree that the addition of roadmarkings would make a small but nonetheless significant improvement to whichever option is chosen. However I was disappointed to read that there are no plans to improve the junction of NMD with Baddesley Road. The present wide curb alignment allows

two vehicles to arrive at the junction at the same time. When this happens neither vehicle has adequate sight of oncoming traffic before making the turn and this is made worse by the speed of traffic in both directions along Baddesley Road. I feel that a reduction in width would improve this junction by allowing one vehicle adequate sight of traffic in both directions. And it surely cannot be beyond your ability to erect a street light to illuminate this junction, in spite of it being on a Borough boundary. I am also reminded that we do not have a date for the pedestrian footbridge and cycle path from Flexford railway bridge to NMD which was to be funded by the developers of Valley Park. Please do not allow the proposed improvements in this area to become focussed on the smooth flow of the motor car, but remember that we are also sometimes cyclists and pedestrians. regards. Ted Bell.

16/12/05 Could I make you aware that today is my last day as the beat officer for your area.

I am starting a new post working on the Child Abuse Investigation Unit within Hampshire Constabulary, an exciting and challenging career prospect for

myself.

Could I say thank-you to yourselves and all the residents of North Millers Dale who have been so welcoming and helpful over the last 14 months, it has been a pleasure working with you all. A new beat officer will be appointed in the near future although who it will be is not decided yet.

Regards Stuart Goodyear Community Beat Officer for Hiltingbury and Chandlers Ford

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FOR HILTINGBURY AREA

Following the departure of our Community Beat Officer Stuart Goodyear there is a new Beat Officer assigned to our area. Our area is Beat WE5 and covers Chandlers Ford North, Hiltingbury and Scantabout. Our new Officer will be WPC 23329 Fiona Beckett

During my police service I have worked on shift covering areas from the Wiltshire border, including Romsey, to Hamble,to Hedge End, and most places in between so am well acquainted with the area. I have been in the position of Community Beat Officer for nearly 2 months and am very keen to learn about the issues concerning residents in Hiltingbury and Chandlers Ford in order that I can assist in working towards a safer and happier community. Please feel free to contact me at Eastleigh Police Station on 0845 045 4545 at any time and I look forward to meeting as many people as I can in the near future.

WPC 23329 Fiona Beckett

The pub that was converted from the original 16th century farmhouse just after the North Millers Dale development was completed has not only been physically at the centre of the estate but has also been a centre for the community. In January this was recognised when The Hiltonbury Farmhouse was nominated for and won the Shine Awards Community Experience Award. The glass trophy that Rachel, Lynne and Mike Sinker were presented now

sits proudly behind the bar.

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Many local residents and customers from further a field will be aware of the Beer Festivals and Jazz on the Green events laid on by the Farmhouse which have proved so popular on those balmy summer days. This year they are planning a memorial Jazz on the Green to celebrate the life and work of Keith Samuel who was a key part of the Gateway Jazz Band who regularly performed at these events. As well as the big events and the regular quizzes, the Hiltonbury Farmhouse Customers have between them raised from fifty to sixty thousand pounds for local charities including the Eastleigh Mayors Appeal for Marie Curie Cancer Care, the Hampshire Autistic Society and our own Community Association. This has been through special charity events,

money made at the Jazz on the Green and a giant whisky bottle on the bar.

FARMHOUSE WINS COMMUNITY AWARD

Following the regional award the Sinkers have been invited to the National Final presentations at Stirling Castle in Scotland in May. They will stay overnight at the famous Gleneagles Hotel.

Rachel with the Community Experience Trophy