Miscellaneous
Refuse
Refuse was not collected as it is now and in October 1922 the Council acknowledged that there was a problem with un-burnable material, and decided to look into the problem.
Stall Fees
An interesting entry appears in October 1923 when Mr Field paid to the Council the sum of 7/6d for “stall fees”.
Ancient Monuments
Bucks C.C in March 1968 asked if the village had any Ancient Monuments. It was decided to declare the mound in Bancroft, believed to be in commemoration of General Bancroft, as one such A.M.
Post and Telephone
The village has been served by a Post Office for a long time, but it is only first mentioned in March 1901 when, unfortunately, the Council felt obliged to write to the sub-postmaster at Sherington stating “that complaints have been made about packets being wrongly delivered” and continuing to say “that unless these wrong deliveries cease the Postmaster General will be appealed to” (nb: ‘packets’ are the post office term for all deliverable material).
Unfortunately by the next meeting in April it was “regretted that no notice has been taken of the Councils letter of March 28th with regard to the postal delivery and this Council will be glad of a reply at once to prevent further action”. This resolution was sent to Mr David Feasey, the Sherington sub-postmaster. As no reply had been forthcoming by a fortnight later it was decided that the letter should be copied to Mr Coales, the Postmaster at Newport Pagnell.
It was evident that the Council, by writing both to Mr Feasey and Mr Coales, had stirred up some ill-feelings for it was decided, at the meeting on 2nd May, that the Clerk should write to Mr Coales stating “that they feel it a duty to themselves to utterly repudiate any ill feeling in the matter as implied in Miss Feasey’s letter and they ask the Postmaster to request Miss Feasey to withdraw the expression attributing such ill-feeling to the Council or any one connected with it as such a letter as that referred to place a stigma on a public body acting in perfect good faith for the good of the parish”. It evidently took a couple of months for the dust to settle on this matter for it was not until July that it was noted that a letter signed by both Mr Coales and Miss Feasey had been received and that “the explanations given is satisfactory to the Council and a letter be written to the Postmaster to that effect”.
In September 1903 the Post Office requested that the Council allow a post-box to be affixed to the lamp-post at Church End assuring the Council that no holes would be bored and that the box would be taken away on demand.
The Post Office was open until 8.00pm until October 1909 when the Council were asked if they had any objection (which they did not) to the Post Office closing for public business at 7.30pm.
A public telephone call box, or call office as it is described in the minutes, was considered in April 1920. The provision of this service was in the hands of the postmaster at Stony Stratford and the Clerk was instructed to write to him, nearly a year later in February 1921, and enquire as to the lowest guarantee (it is supposed of revenue) that was required.
In the end the call box was placed, without the Council’s prior knowledge or consent, on the Knoll in April 1936. To calm everybody’s feelings the Clerk obtained a quit rent from the Postmaster General of 1/- per annum
The increase in the size of the village with the building of the new estate in Crofts End created a demand for another post box and in March 1953 the Council that another pillar box be erected in the village nearer this development. The Head Postmaster at Bletchley replied in May 1953 however that “this was not possible as the distance (from the existing box in Church End) was less than that allowed for in rural areas”. Two years later the Council tried again to get a second box erected but once again it was told that this could not be done as the existing one was within ½mile.
In a similar vein the Council asked Post Office Telephones to install another kiosk in Crofts End/ Perry Lane area, near to the new council houses. The reply was that Perry Lane was less than ½mile from The Knoll, which box was not heavily used and running at a revenue loss. The Parish Council could however rent a line and call box should they so wish! The reply was ‘no’.
Towns End Pond
On 17th July 1900 it was noted that “in the opinion of the Council the nuisance at Towns End should be abated by the landlord and the expense should in no way be attached to the parish”. This pond which was located about where the middle of the yard offices of Manor Farm now stand was not Parish Council property but was in common usage by the village. The most use made of this was by the carters who brought wood down from the 86 acre Sherington Wood. This wood stood at the top of Muddy Lane, now Perry Lane and the carts loaded with timber were brought down this lane to the High Street to join the road to Newport Pagnell and Olney. The carts had small artillery style wheels which collected a lot of mud and debris on them on the journey down the hill. The carters used to take the wagons and horses to Towns End Pond to wash them down before they continued their journey. The attitude of the Council was most probably tempered at the time by the upset to their authority by the imposition of the Sewerage and Drainage Scheme, and the fear of extra costs to be incurred.
In September 1906 however, when the pond needed cleaning out again, the Council agreed that it would undertake the work.
Village Hall
In April 1895 a property was offered to the Council for use as “a public room”. A Committee made up of D Harding, W J Hickson and W Groom was charged with “enquiring into the desirability of purchasing property for the purpose of supplying a public room for the village” but found that the property offered was not suitable.
The village hall was first mentioned in Parish Council minutes on 27th April 1948 when they met there.
In September 1967 the trustees of the village hall suggested that the Council might take over ownership so as to aid grant bids. This suggestion was not carried through but in September 1971 the Council was asked to appoint a representative on a new management committee which was to be established under the Council. Denis Cheeseman was appointed. However the committee never came under the auspices of the Council as the idea was dropped after the Village Hall Management Committee managed to get a 50% grant for an extension from the Ministry of Science and Education. The Council made a grant of £100.
Water Supplies/Sewerage Disposal
The problems with the supply of mains water had always been a problem since the mains were put in and in May 1965 Bucks Water Board were reminded of this. The Water Board said that many problems were caused by the inadequacy of the internal pipe work within properties.
It was indicated by the RDC that a sewerage works would be completed by May 1974, and until that time no new planning permissions would be given unless the house would be kept empty until then. However Anglian Water told the Council in September 1974 that it was now unlikely that the works would be in use by April 1975.
World Wars
A special meeting of the Council was called on 3rd September 1914 upon the declaration of hostilities. It was particularly concerned with the “distress consequent on war” A circular had been received from a Mrs Knapp , Hon. Sec. to the North Bucks Divisional Relief Committee which asked the Council to form a Distress Committee for the parish to co-operate with the Divisional Committee. The Council resolved to do this and voted that Mr F.J.Field (the Chairman of the day) be also Chairman of this committee and that the Rev’d H A G Blomefield be Secretary and Treasurer “subject to his consenting to act”. It was further resolved that the Chairman and Clerk “interview the Rev’d Blomefield this evening and obtain his decision and complete the formation of the Committee and notify Mrs Knapp of the result”.
At the same meeting the Council received circulars from the Board of Agriculture, which they were asked to circulate. This dealt with:
- Suggestions to Allotment Holders for Autumn treatment of land
- Notes on Poultry Feeding
- Poultry on Allotments and Garden Plots.
It was agreed to order 100 copies of each and that Mr Hine would distribute these.
The village community suffered the deaths of 11 men in this conflict. The numbers of injured are not known. Those who died are recorded on the war memorial in the church and are listed as:
1916
Francis Bailey
Arthur J Brooks
F Herbert Line
Henry S Norman
1917
Percy Bailey
Adolphus A W Holton
Charles B Jefferson
E Stanley Moore
William C Wright
1918
Alfred Jefferson
J H Gordon Moore
If the population of the village was 500 souls and half were men, these deaths accounted for over 4% of the male population. It will be seen that the Bailey, Jefferson and Moore families both lost two men.
The war memorial is in the church and comprises a stone slab, with the names of the fallen in incised letters picked out in gold leaf. Underneath is a tray of English oak with a fretwork border. To its right is a glass fronted frame, matching the tray, containing an illuminated list of those in the village who served in the Great War. The illumination and script was done by Jack Ivester Lloyd, who was a war artist in this conflict.
At the outbreak of the Second World War the Council was urged by the Buckinghamshire War Agricultural Committee to establish a “Rat & Sparrow Club” with a view to the organised destruction of these pests. They were further urged to increase the amount of allotments being worked.
The elections of 1940 were postponed and councillors continued in office until April 1946.
Contingency planning against enemy attack took place and in August 1940 the Rural District Council was urged to repair the pump in Crofts End, next to the Police House now the home of Caroline Leslie, which “has been out of order for some weeks in case of damage to the mains by enemy action”. A short while later Councillor Col. Byam-Grounds asked the Council to urge that two more air-raid wardens volunteer for work in the parish.
During the ‘Cold-War’ period the matter of Civil Defence was resurrected by the Government and, in 1951, Col. Byam-Grounds urged the Parish Council to consider the civil defence of the village. His request was noted but not actioned. Something must have been done however for in February 1965 a plea for additional Civil Defence workers was made.