Twyford

Children will be going deeply dippy in the ponds around Dinton Pastures Country Park, Hurst over the next week as the final event before the summer holiday

programme of activities draws to an end.

Children as young as five will be taking part in Hurst pond dipping sessions on Friday August 22 and Wednesday August 27, which are being run by Wokingham

Borough Council’s countryside rangers.

The youngsters will be able to look at all manner of beasties lurking in Dinton’s ponds including pond skaters, water boatmen and sticklebacks. They will

also be able to learn about animals, birds and vegetation that live around the pond.

The Hurst pond dipping will be the last of a series of activities that have run at Dinton Pastures this summer holiday. Other activities children have

enjoyed includes survival skills and camp-fire cooking workshops, puppet shows, hide and seek games, treasure trails, and summer Olympics.

Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Hurst environment, said: “Children of all ages have had a lot of fun at Dinton Pastures during the school summer

holidays through a variety of events. While there has been lots of laughter during the activities there has also been an educational feel to them and I hope

that while everyone has had a great time they have also learnt something along the way.”

The pond dipping sessions are open to all children over five-years-old, but they must be accompanied by an adult. They will run from 11am to 1pm and cost £2

per child. Places must be booked in advance by calling the countryside service on (0118) 934 2016 or by emailing countryside@wokingham.gov.uk

Wokingham Borough Council ~ Hurst

Here is the latest neighbourhood policing update for Twyford from Police Community Support Officer Jonathan Stanley:

I would like to remind you to be vigilant in locking all your Twyford doors and windows and please take all valuables out of your car every time you leave it. Even a coat on your back seat is hot property to a criminal who has forgotten his.

As mentioned in the last update vehicle number plate thefts is still an issue. Number plates are usually attached to a similar make, model and colour of the original car and then used in criminal activity. Any offence committed, such as speeding, is likely to result in you receiving a fine in the post then having to go through the process of contesting the fine and proving that you weren’t present when the offence was committed. The same could happen if your number plate was used to avoid the London congestion charge.

If you do become the victim of this type of crime please report it immediately so that we have knowledge of index numbers likely to be used in crime. It will also help your evidence if you need to prove your innocence in court. If you do become a victim please remember that driving your car without both number plates is an offence (and ones you have made yourself do not count). The fact that you have had them stolen will not excuse this law, therefore you will need them replaced before you can go on the road again.

To prevent this from happening to you we advise investing in a pair of tamper proof plates which can be purchased from www.secureplate.com or your local garage.

We are still having complaints of Twyford drivers parking on double yellow lines and on the pavements in the area. In most cases this creates an obstruction and a danger to pedestrians and other road users. Any vehicle found parking illegally will be issued with an on the spot fine of £30 immediately.

For more information about your local neighbourhood team, visit www.thamesvalley.police.uk and follow the neighbourhood policing links, or to speak to an officer via the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.

Thames Valley Police ~ Twyford

There have been howls of delight this week after Hurst Dinton Pastures Country Park was shortlisted as one of the best places to walk pet pooches in the UK.

The Wokingham Borough Council-run Hurst park has been nominated as one of the UK’s best places for dog walking in the ‘21Top Dog Walks’ run by pet food company Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

The Hurst country park offers more than 350 acres of park land for walking and has an events field for dogs to have a good run around. Dogs are also welcome in Dinton’s café garden, as long as they are controlled by owners.

Dinton has been shortlisted in the annual awards and members of the public can now vote to make the area one of the country’s top 21 dog walking parks. Voting closes on Sunday November 30 and members of the public can vote for Dinton by logging on to www.21topdogwalks.co.uk

Chris Buggy, team leader Hurst countryside management, said: “Well behaved dogs and responsible owners are always welcome at Dinton Pastures and it’s fantastic news that Dinton has been nominated as one of the best places to exercise pets. However as Dinton is a much loved and so very well used site, there are many people spending time there on a day-to-day basis so it’s important for all dog walkers to make sure their animals are under control and that any dog mess is cleared up.”

Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Hurst environment, added: “ I really do hope Dinton makes it into the 21 best places for dog walking in the country as it is a superb park with lots of grass, wildlife and water features, which makes it a great facility for dogs and their owners.

“I would remind all dog owners, however, to use the park responsibly by controlling their pets where necessary, especially around wildlife and other park users, and picking up any dog mess so that everyone can continue to enjoy Dinton Pastures.”

Robert Gundry, consumer marketing manager at Hill’s Pet Nutrition, said: "Now into its second year, Hill’s Pet Nutrition launched the campaign to help reduce the rising levels of canine obesity, which now affects up to 50 per cent of dogs.

“By simply taking your pooch for twice-a-day walkies you can help reduce canine obesity and the risk of related conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, breathing difficulties and diabetes. Plus with the nation looking for ways to be greener, walking is also a perfect way to reduce your carbon footprint and save some money."

Wokingham Borough Council ~ Hurst

There will be cries of ‘all for one and one for all’ when Hurst Dinton Pastures hosts a special evening of theatre in the park next month.

Tickets are still available for the production of The Three Musketeers on Friday, September 5 – which will mark the end of the Distraction Theatre Company’s summer run of the popular open-air comedy.

The Wokingham Borough Council country park in Hurst is one of four venues the theatre company has taken the show on the road to this summer and it promises to be a treat for adventure lovers both young and old.

While the show is based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas and follows the fight of D’Artagnan and his three friends against Cardinal Richelieu – it does have some contemporary twists and many laughs along the way.

Lynn Yardley, Hurst countryside ranger, said: “This is a great chance for the community to get out and enjoy some great, and not to mention very funny, theatre in one of the most beautiful country parks in Berkshire.

“There are still a few tickets left for this great production and so I’d urge all theatre lovers to book their tickets straight away so they can have a great night and join in the chimes of ‘all for one and one for all’ when D’Artagnan and his three friends make their visit.”

Rebecca Gadsby from Distraction Theatre Company, added: “For this production, the company has hired a highly-qualified fight director to choreograph and teach the fight scenes – so expect some visual treats in this show. The Three Musketeers promises to be a thrilling, swashbuckling, comedy treat, that will delight audiences both young and old.”

It will start at 8pm at Hurst Golf Course in Sandford Lane and costs £10 for adults (or £8 for groups of six or more), £7 for under 16s and students. A pre-show buffet is available for £10 per person. Tickets must be purchased in advance by emailing countryside@wokingham.gov.uk or calling (0118) 934 2016.

Wokingham Borough Council ~ Hurst

There wasn’t a stir-fried Hurst witchetty grub or boiled cockroach in sight when youngsters brushed up on their camping cuisine and survival skills last week.

Children aged 11 to 14 got to grips with survival skills at Dinton Pastures Country Park, Hurst including building shelters, lighting campfires safely and correctly, and cooking delicious camp fire grub as part of Wokingham Borough Council’s countryside rangers’ summer holiday events last week.

More than 25 adventurers took part in Survival Skills Setting Up Camp event on Monday August 4, the Trails and Treasure activity on Wednesday and the Survival Secrets Fire Lighting and Ready Steady Camp Cook on Friday.

Xtreme golf sessions at Hurst Gold Club have also been on offer to children wanting to tee off to a summer of fun this holiday.

Adam Clark, Hurst countryside ranger who organised the survival and treasure events, said: “The children had a great time learning all about how to survive in the wild and many of them really got stuck in to the camp building and cooking activities.

“All our young adventurers were enthusiastic about learning and cooking but most of all they had lots of fun and fortunately there was not a fried cockroach or grub in sight!”

Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Hurst environment who attended the setting up camp event, added: “As well as having great fun I’m sure the youngsters who attended the events learned a lot of basic skills, including team work, which will stand them in good stead in years to come.”

Wokingham Borough Council ~ Hurst

A three-day song writing workshop, coordinated by a songwriter, a producer and a singer, will be held at Twyford Youth Centre on August 8, 11 and 12.

The idea is for the Twyford young people to learn how songs are put together and structured. They will have the opportunity to write a song themselves, before it is then produced professionally and burned onto CD for the young people to keep as a souvenir.

The workshops will be run by three local music practitioners - Newbury’s soulful singer/songwriter Odis Palmer, a former X-Factor contestant who managed to get down to the final twenty in the competition; Anna Tabbush, a folk and acoustic singer/songwriter, once described by well-known world music publication fRoots as a singer with “an emotive and ear-catching voice”; and last but not least, local musician and producer Nick Sowden will be on board to help produce the young people’s work and mix the final version.

Debbie Coleman, Twyford neighbourhood youth worker, said: “As some of our youth club members are budding rappers and DJs, we thought it would be good to help them take a next step in the right direction.”

Wokingham Borough Council ~ Twyford

Whether it’s Hurst treasure hunting, swashbuckling theatre or a round of Xtreme Golf that takes your fancy there’s something for all adventure lovers at Dinton Pastures Country Park this summer.

Youngsters who want to explore the great outdoors over the school holidays can join in one of the three adventures taking place at the Hurst country park in August, which will include survival skills, treasure hunts and how to cook delicious camp fire cuisine!

Children aged between 11 and 14 can take part in:

· Survival Skills Setting Up Camp: where countryside rangers will be teaching youngsters how to build a shelter, how to light a fire, and how to create a comfortable camp with unique ideas on camp furniture and accessories on Monday August 4.
· Trails and Treasure: an afternoon full of treasure hunting with a difference will be on offer on Wednesday August 6. Rangers will be on hand to teach basic navigation skills and then it will be up to the children to find the hidden treasure and then set their own complex trails.
· Survival Secrets- Fire Lighting and Ready, Steady, Camp Cook: survival rangers will be giving tips on how to perfect camp cuisine as well as improving camp fire lighting skills on Friday August 8. Survival secrets on how to identify edible food and keep up camp morale will also be on offer to young adventurers.

The ranger activities start at the café garden in Dinton Pastures, Hurst from 1pm for those wanting to stay for lunch or 2pm for those wanting to get straight into the adventure, and run until 5.15pm. Prices are £20 for those starting at 1pm or £15 for the 2pm start. Places must be booked in advance by calling the countryside service on (0118) 934 2016 or by emailing countryside@wokingham.gov.uk

Children that like taking things to the extreme could find a round of golf with a difference worth chipping in to. Xtreme Golf is being run at Hurst Golf Course this summer for 11 to 14 year olds, and will include games, skills and challenges, plus distance and speed control work and the chance to play Xtreme Golf holes.

Sessions will run on Monday August 4, Wednesday August 6 and Friday August 8 and cost £12 each or £32.40 for three sessions. Places need to be booked in advance by calling the sports development unit on (0118) 974 6264. More details are available at www.wokingham.gov.uk/sports
Lunch is available for children that want to participate in golf in the morning and the ranger activities in the afternoon, at an additional cost. Details and prices are available at the time of booking.

If a swash-buckling adventure is more you thing then a Hurst comedy treat could be what you are looking for. The Three Musketeers will be the promising all for one and one for all at a theatre in the park production at Dinton Pastures when the Distraction Theatre Company puts on the show on Friday August 22.

The show promises to be thrilling and will appeal to audiences both young and old. It will start at 8pm at Hurst Golf Course in Sandford Lane and costs £10 for adults (or £8 for groups of six or more), £7 for under 16s and students. A pre-show buffet is available for £10 per person. Tickets must be purchased in advance by emailing countryside@wokingham.gov.uk or calling (0118) 934 2016.

Wokingham Borough Council ~ Hurst

Mon 11, Wed 13, Fri 15  Tri Golf
Mini version of golf for 6-10 year olds with games and skills challenges. £12/ session,
9am-12. Book with Sports Development Unit (0118) 974 6264

Mon 4, Wed 6, Fri 8 Xtreme Golf
Games and skills challenges and a chance to play Xtreme golf holes. 11-14 year olds £12/ session, 9am-12. Book with Sports Development Unit (0118) 974 6264
           
Mon 4 Survival Skills Setting Up Camp
Join our survival rangers for an exciting afternoon learning  different fire lighting techniques, shelter building skills and handy hints to make a comfortable camp. Suitable for 11 to 14 yrs. 2pm to 5.15pm. Cost £15. Booking essential.

Wed 6 Survival Skills Trails and Treasure
An afternoon of hunting for treasure with a difference. Firstly we will teach you some basic navigation skills, then you will go and hunt for treasure, completing tasks along the way. Finally there will be the opportunity to set your own complex trail. Suitable for 11 to 14 yrs. 2pm to 5.15pm. Cost £15. Booking essential.

Fri 8 Survival Skills Ready, Steady, Camp Cook
Learn the art of camp cooking and brush up on your fire lighting skills with our survival rangers. Then have a go at
constructing cooking gadgets and learn a number of essential survival secrets such as how to identify edible foods, make signals and keep moral up on camp. Suitable for 11 to 14 yrs. 2pm to 5.15pm. Cost £15. Booking essential.
           
Sun 10  Friends of Lavell’s Lake Bird Walk
Morning stroll around Lavell’s, meet Sandford Lane car park at 9am. £1

Mon 11 Puppet Shows, Dinton Pastures 10am to 4pm
Fun and thought-provoking shows with an environmental theme, including Fred the Purple Monster and Mrs Pottytree’s flying carpet. Sessions throughout the day.

Wed 13 Children’s activities at Dinton Pastures £1 per child and meet at the play area
Summer Olympics 11am to 12noon
An hour of races and competitions including egg and spoon races, an obstacle course and welly wanging. Collect points to win a prize.
Nature Hide and Seek 2pm to 3pm
Come and try and spot some unusual objects hidden in the trees and make your own collection of special natural treasures.

Thurs 14, Fri 22, Wed 27 Pond Dipping 11am and 2pm. Booking essential. £2 per child
Ranger-led pond sessions at Dinton Pastures.

Tuesday 19 Children’s activities at Dinton Pastures £1 per child and meet at the play area
Kite Making 11am to 12noon
The chance to make a kite and have a go at flying it.
Parachute Games and Storytelling 2pm to 3pm
Games followed by stories under the parachute.

Thurs 28 Children’s activities at Dinton Pastures £1 per child and meet at the play area
Giant Butterflies and Flowers 11am to 12noon
Come and make your own giant butterfly or flower.
Paper-making 2pm to 3pm
Learn how simple it is to make your own hand made paper.

Wed 20  Family Scavenger Hunt– Dinton Pastures
Organised by Winnersh Neighbourhood Action Group. Collect items and visit check points to win prizes. 10-3pm. Café garden Dinton Pastures. £2.50 per child or £5 per family.
           
Fri 22 Outdoor Theatre—The 3 Musketeers,  Hurst Golf Course, 8pm
Swashbuckling comedy. £10 adults, £8 group bookings 6 or more, £7 under 16s

                       
For more information about any of these events, please contact the Countryside Service on (0118) 934 2016 or email countryside@wokingham.gov.uk

Lynn Yardley
Countryside Ranger (Education and Interpretation)
Wokingham Borough Council Countryside Service, Dinton Pastures Country Park, Davis Street, Hurst, Berkshire RG10 0TH
Tel: 0118 9342016, Fax 0118 9341987
Taking Care of Your Countryside