A Bench For Tariq

Tariq Dar was our village postmaster until his sudden death earlier this year. Tariq enjoyed bowls and we would like to remember him by erecting a bench in his name overlooking the bowling green. If you would like to contribute, please do so on our TotalGiving page: A Bench For Tariq. Thank you!

AGM followed by talk from Saqib Bhatti MP

Saqib Bhatti MP
Saqib Bhatti MP

Society AGM followed by a talk from Saqib Bhatti, Member of Parliament for the Meriden Constituency which includes Hampton-in-Arden. The meeting begins in the Fentham Hall at 7:30pm.

 

At the AGM, Victoria Woodall, Society Chair, will present her annual report.

The Mediaeval Brokes’ Brass of Hampton Church

Join the Local History Group for a talk by Richard Asquith of Royal Holloway, University of London on the Mediaeval Brokes’ Brass, a valuable monumental brass that went missing mysteriously from Hampton-in-Arden Church several years ago.
 
This event will be in the Church, not The Fentham Hall. Admission is free and refreshments are provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

Local Food and Wine evening

This year’s Society social is a ‘Local Food and Wine evening’. Come along from 7pm on 24 June, enjoy the pleasant surroundings of the Fentham Hall and sample some food and wine supplied by local businesses. Tickets now available at £12.50 per person from The Corner Shop or online at hampton.sumupstore.com

May Day Village Walk

2018 May Day Walk
2018 May Day Walk

Traditional 'May Day' Village Walk, to be led by Evan Grant and Jonathan Daines, starting from the Fentham Hall car park at 4pm, and finishing at The White Lion. The walk will take around 2 hours and further details will be posted nearer the time.

 

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A lot of life after lockdown!

What a fantastic evening we all had at the Hampton Society’s ‘Life after Lockdown’ event last week. Over 35 exhibitors joined in with the event together with an impressive turn out of residents many of whom were new to the village which was lovely to see. Who knew how many clubs, societies and small businesses there are in Hampton? Truly something for everyone!

 

The Fentham Trust bar and the samosas and spring rolls from ‘Soho at Hampton’ added to the general conviviality of this extremely sociable evening and the wonderful playing by Gordon Whitehouse on the Compton Cinema Organ was the icing on the cake.  An excellent time was had by all and many thanks go to those who took part! 

 

Our next event will be the ‘May Day Walk’ on Monday May 2nd at 4pm. Meet in the Fentham Hall car park. Also not be missed will be the Village Social, a local food and wine evening on Friday June 24th. See you there! 

A History of Hampton’s Railways

Please join us for a talk on the History of Hampton’s Railways by Roger Waring from the Hampton-in-Arden Local History Group in the Fentham Hall at 7:30pm on Wednesday 22nd September 2021. Wine and soft drinks will be available.

 

AGM and Fentham Trust Talk

The AGM followed by a talk by The Fentham Trust will not go ahead on 4 Nov because of pandemic restrictions. You can read the annual report from Society Chair Vicky Woodall here and the report for the Financial Year Ended 31 Aug  2020 from Treasurer Julia Dobbs here.

A History of Hampton's Railways

The talk that would have been given by Roger Waring from the Local History Group has been cancelled because of the pandemic. We plan to reschedule this talk.

Village Walk

The Village Walk that was to be led by Simon Jephcott and form part of the village VE75 celebrations on 8 May has been cancelled because of the pandemic. If possible, we will arrange another walk later in the year.

Programme for 2020

The AGM and the talk by Alison Rolf on 6 Nov 2019 concluded our programme for this year.  The dates for our events in 2020 follow below; further details will be posted when available.

  • Wednesday 4th March
  • Tuesday 23rd June
  • Wednesday 23rd September
  • Wednesday 4th November

 

Join the Executive Commitee

We are always looking for new volunteers to join the Executive Committee. If you are interested, please contact Vicky Woodall, the Chair of the Society, on chair@hamptoninardensociety.org

First Freshers' Fair is a great success!

It was great to see so many at the Freshers' Fair on Tuesday evening, 10 September! Victoria Woodall, Chair of the Hampton-in-Arden Society said: "As this was the first time the Society had run one of these events, we were worried that no-one but the stand holders would turn up! However, we had a really great turnout from the village and I was pleased to see everyone leave clutching a handful of leaflets. I'd like to thank all the stand holders and Executive Committee who helped the evening take place, and all the villagers who turned up to support us." Please see below for a list of those who had stands and for some photos from the Fair. Further contact details will be added as we get them; in the meantime if you have any questions please email them to info@hamptoninardensociety.org 

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Guide to Hampton-in-Arden’s Historic Homes

"A Guide to Hampton-in-Arden’s Historic Homes" contains around 120 pages on over 100 historic homes of Hampton, including nearly 70 colour photographs. Produced by the Hampton-in-Arden Local History Group, and compiled by Peter Green, the Guide is now available exclusively from Hampton Post Office & Newsagents for £15.00. Get yours now while stocks last!

A Guide to Hampton-in-Arden’s Historic Homes - discount for early orders

A Guide to Hampton-in-Arden’s Historic Homes is a new paperback from Hampton-in-Arden Local History Group. The book has information on more than one hundred historic village homes, and includes nearly seventy colour photographs. It will cost £15.00 when it is published in the spring, but is available now at a discounted rate of £12.00 to anyone who wishes to pre-pay by the end of March 2019.

 

For further details, and to request a pre-order form, contact Peter Green at peter.j.green@live.co.uk 

Programme for 2019

Our programme for 2019 will be published in the New Year

Village Meeting about Traffic Calming

Are you concerned about speeding traffic in the village and pedestrian safety? Please come to the Village Meeting at 7:30pm on Wed 12 Dec in the Fentham Hall.

 

At the meeting, please let the Parish Council know your views. If you can't make it, please email your views in advance to the Parish Clerk on clerk@hamptoninarden.org.uk 

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Family Tree Conservation at the Arboretum

The Arboretum by Meg Quick (October, Hampton 2018 Calendar)
The Arboretum by Meg Quick (October, Hampton 2018 Calendar)

The Society is working with the George Fentham Trust to carry out maintenance on the Arboretum and we have been advised to carry out the jobs below. We start work at 2pm and will continue till dusk. Please come and join us! Please also bring any tools that would help with the jobs listed.

  1. Litter pick especially around perimeter and gate area at bottom of Arboretum
  2. Pull out or cut down weeds round trees (but don't dig down)
  3. Mulch around all trees in a doughnut shape
  4. Check which trees are dead and record on map
  5. Check which plaques are missing and record on map
  6. Cut stingers and brambles down around perimeter (inside Arboretum)
  7. Potentially, plant some trees if the Trust have any that we need 
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Is Hampton a Hedgehog Hotspot? 

Juvenile hedgehog by David Cooper
Juvenile hedgehog by David Cooper

Sunday 7th October was a busy day for hedgehog lovers in Hampton. 21 families, and extras who arrived unexpectedly, spent an afternoon trying to answer this question helped by Tara Higgs, a Hedgehog Officer working with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and Solihull Council.  It was a chance to learn more about hedgepigs, hoglets, hibernation and how our village can help this threatened mammal.  Shockingly hedgehog numbers have decreased from 30 million in the 1950’s to 1 million today.  More than half of British people haven’t seen a hedgehog.  The decline is 30% in urban areas and 50% in rural areas. These creatures need help and fast.

 

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Hedgehog Workshop

 

Learn all about how we can help hedgehogs and build a hedgehog house with the Solihull Hedgehog Officer, Tara Higgs. 

 

This is a free event, but please let us know if you plan to attend so we can provide enough materials. Email chair@hamptoninardensociety.org or call 01675 446 155

 

All ages welcome. Children must be accompanied by adults. Free squash and biscuits for children.

Please help keep Hampton litter free

Just a friendly reminder for all residents, young and old.  Some amazing villagers worked so hard to tidy up and the village looked beautiful before and after the Hampton Festival.  Sadly since then a few litter blackspots have been noticed.  Mostly the ash path between the station and the sports club, but other spaces that we are so lucky to share as a community.  Whether it’s a Moam or a Werther wrapper, dog poo or a pop can – it’s your rubbish.  Please dispose of it properly so the village remains a joy and somewhere we can all be proud of.  Thank you.

Hampton-in-Arden Local History Group Open Day

courtesy www.ewgreen.org.uk
courtesy www.ewgreen.org.uk

The Hampton-in-Arden Local History Group is having an open day on Wednesday 11th July 2018 to showcase their archives, research and resources to local residents. If you are interested in the history of the village, perhaps your own street or home, please pop in and have a look at what they have from 3.00 to 8.00pm in the Fentham Meeting Room, Marsh Lane.

 

The Local History Group was formed in 1992 with the aim of promoting the interest of local history within the community. The Group holds a huge collection of artefacts and records relating to the village including census returns, electoral rolls, parish & manorial records, hundreds of old photographs and postcards, newspaper articles, copies of previous talks, presentations and research studies, books on local history, old maps, plans & surveys, wills/probate, house deeds and general historical information on local schools, businesses, organisations, the Peels, the railways and the Fentham Trust. For more information see the Hampton-in-Arden Local History Group website.

 

Great weather for May Day Walk!

Over 40 people joined the May Day Walk in glorious weather on 7 May. Many thanks to all who came, to all who helped marshal, and especially to Alan Morden who led the walk. Many thanks to Mary Coles who took the photos below.

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Village Meeting with Chief Superintendent Bas Javid

Chief Superintendent Bas Javid, Solihull Police Commander, delivered an excellent talk on 7th March and fielded searching questions about policing from villagers.  His outline of recent changes and ability to answer questions with clarity addressed concerns including response to 999 and 101 calls, the closure of Solihull Police Station, the allocation of police resources and Neighbourhood Watch.  There was praise of vigilant villagers monitoring offenders resulting in a significant impact on crime.  The Chief Superintendent assured all present further feedback on unanswered questions and a personal interest in the future of Neighbourhood and Speed Watch in Hampton-in-Arden. He also encouraged all who live, work or have an interest in the West Midlands, to register on WMNow to get information about local crime alerts and witness appeals. Just click on the JOIN button on the front page to sign up.

2018 Programme

Look out for the Hampton-in-Arden Society 2018 Programme which will be coming through your letter box in the next couple of weeks along with this letter from Victoria Woodall, our Chair, and our annual request for donations. 

 

The suggested annual donation remains at £2.00 for the first family member and £1.00 for each additional member. There is now an option to pay online!

 

Hope to see you all at our next meeting on 7 March, a talk on policy and resource issues by Solihull Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Bas Javid, with opportunity for questions and comment. The meeting starts at 19:30 in the Fentham Hall.

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Please sign the petition against the Motorway Service Area

Caroline Spelman is sponsoring a Parliamentary Petition to reject the Motorway Service Area application as it is unsustainable, is a threat to road safety and because there have been significant transport and infrastructure changes since the original application. The petition will be available for you to sign at the following places in the village until the end of January:

  • The Corner Shop
  • Number One Hair
  • Sandwiches @ No.6
  • Post Office
  • White Lion Inn
  • Village Stores and Wine Shop
  • St Mary`s Pharmacy
  • The Parish Office

Please note that it is not possible to support the petition online. For more information, please see the Parish Council website: Petition Objecting to the Proposed Motorway Service Area at Catherine-de-Barnes

 

M42 Junction 6 Consultation Meeting Dates

The Consultation meeting in Hampton will be in the Fentham Hall on Friday 19 January 2018 from 12pm to 8pm. For dates of all the Consultation events being held in January / February 2018, see the Parish Council website: M42 Junction 6 Consultation. All are welcome to attend any of the events.

Highways England Online Survey: M42 J6 improvements

Tell Highways England what you think about their proposed improvements to M42 J6 by completing this short online survey before 19 Feb: M42 junction 6 improvement online survey

 

All are also welcome at any of the Consultation events which are being run locally till 31 Jan.

Legacy of Storm Eleanor: lost beech tree in the Spinney

Regular Spinney walkers will have observed a fallen beech tree after Storm Eleanor.  Graham Dawson and his team speedily cleared and repaired the area to protect bluebells and a hedge.  Worryingly, the beech tree had diseased roots and there was concern about a neighbouring horse chestnut tree which was severely cut back, leaving just a tall stump to encourage woodpeckers. The Spinney will be surveyed carefully to check whether any disease has spread.  

 

Conservation Group, Hampton-in-Arden Society

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Petition: Keep our Green Belt GREEN Coventry & Warwickshire

If you believe the Coventry Local Plan does not do enough to protect the greenbelt, please follow this link to sign a petition raised by Merle Gering: Keep our Green Belt GREEN Coventry & Warwickshire. The Local Plan includes development on the greenbelt in Eastern Green so will encroach on the Meriden Gap, and, remarkably, it is based on assumptions of rapid population growth in Coventry which nobody believes. The petition is on the 38degrees.org.uk website, so anyone can take part - you don't have to live in Cov.

 

The petition "Build on brownfield first. Promise to protect our Green Belt. Put 'Brownfield First' into the Local Plan now." raised by Dr Walter Milner,  Chair of Keresley Parish Council, on the Coventry City Council website closed on 5 Dec with 42 votes.

Possible Parish Boundary Changes

Hampton-in-Arden Parish Council has agreed to a request from Catherine-de-Barnes Residents Association to consider incorporating the unparished area of Catherine-de-Barnes into the Hampton Parish. The formal process to do this is now underway with Solihull MBC.

 

Your feedback is encouraged, and is requested by 31 Dec 2017. For more details, including how to make feedback, see the linked  flyer.

 

You are also welcome to attend a drop-in session at the Meeting Room, Hampton Parish Office on Tue 12 Dec between 5pm and 7pm, and/or a meeting for residents in Catherine de Barnes Village Hall on Fri 8 Dec at 7:30pm.

Where's the Parish Council Boundary?

We were asked recently: is my house in the area covered by Hampton-in-Arden Parish Council?

 

This map from mapit.mysociety.org shows the Hampton-in-Arden Parish Council boundary.  You can zoom in for more detail on the "live" map here or you can search by postcode on the mapit.mysociety.org homepage.

 

Solihull MBC also offers some information by postcode on their online maps page.

Do you have confidence in your local police?

West Midlands Police are asking people to fill in a survey about their confidence in the Police and about how safe they feel. Given the current levels of concern about crime in the village, the Hampton-in-Arden Society Committee agreed to publicise this request, and encourage as many as possible to take part. See below for further details and a link to the survey.

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Tue 26 Sep - view plans for affordable homes

Local developer Elegant Homes has a proposal for shared equity affordable homes in Old Station Road. The plans are available to view in the Fentham Hall from 16-19:30 on Tuesday 26th September. See this flyer for more details.

How to report fly tipping

If you have seen a fly tip, let SMBC know by calling 0121 704 8000 or report it online.

 

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Traffic Calming Options: Discussion Paper

Following a meeting with Solihull MBC Highways, a paper detailing the various traffic calming measures currently available to local authorities was prepared. The suitability of each option is described and recommendations have been made as to their application in Hampton in Arden Parish and the village of Catherine-de-Barnes. You can view or download the paper by clicking the buttons below.

 

Please send any comments to info@hamptoninardensociety.org, or add them as Comments on Facebook

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Hampton said Yes in the Neighbourhood Plan Referendum

STOP PRESS: many thanks to all who voted. The village said Yes on 6 July - see here on the Parish Council website for more details

 

‘Do you want Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Hampton-in-Arden to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’

 

Please vote on Thursday 6 July in a referendum to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question above.

 

For more information, see Hampton in Arden Neighbourhood Plan Referendum on the Solihull MBC website. To read or download the plan, click the cover image of the plan below.

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Great turnout for the May Day Walk

Alan Morden led over 60 walkers on a 4 mile May Day Walk from Hampton to Bickenhill and back. Many thanks to Alan, and to all who took part. Many walkers went on to enjoy some gentle May Day hospitality in the White Lion after the walk!

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To Protect English Green Belts

A member of CPRE has established a petition calling on Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to protect the Green Belt. If you would like to help save the Green Belts around Warwickshire and elsewhere in England, please complete the form here - To Protect English Green Belts - it takes about 30 seconds! 

Draft Local Plan consultation extended till 17 Feb

Following the recent addition of new evidence to the evidence base, the deadline for the Draft Local Plan Review consultation has been extended until Friday 17 February.

 

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