Twyford

There will be no time for leisurely picnicking in the Hurst park for fitness enthusiasts who sign up for the first ever Tai Chi classes at Dinton Pastures this summer.

The Hurst country park will be hosting sessions of freestyle Tai Chi every Wednesday morning from May 7, with participants learning the Chinese martial art in the calm and natural surroundings of Black Swan Lake.

Bookings for the new classes are currently being taken – which are some of the first to be held outdoors in the borough. Experienced teachers from Berkshire Tai Chi will be leading the sessions.

People of all ages are welcome to join the classes, which will run until July 30, from 9.30am to 11am.

Lynn Yardley, countryside ranger, said: “It’s great to be able to combine the relaxing art of Tai Chi with the calm and peaceful surroundings of Black Swan Lake and so I’m pleased that Berkshire Tai Chi is making the most of the tranquillity that Dinton Pastures offers.

“This is the first time we’ve offered outdoor Chinese martial arts at one of our country parks and bookings for the new classes are already being taken, so anybody who fancies trying Tai Chi in the park should sign up as soon as possible.”

Philip Larsson, from Berkshire Tai Chi, added: “ In China the connection to nature is central to Tai Chi practice. Many practitioners believe that the energy among trees and by water is particularly beneficial. Natural imagery abounds in the Taoist classics, which have influenced Chinese thinking for over 2,000 years.”

“At Berkshire Tai Chi we’re committed to helping local people keep fit and healthy, and what better way could there be than to offer the community – young and old, fit and not so fit – the chance to enjoy a sociable hour or so each week practising in the fresh air? We’re very fortunate to have such a splendid country park on our doorstep.”

The course will be running over 13 weeks and costs £35 per calendar month. There is also a parking charge of £1 for those using Dinton Pastures’ car park.

Anyone wanting to book a space or find out more should call Berkshire Tai Chi on (0118) (0118) 966 3104 or log on to wwww.berkshiretaichi.co.uk. Information on other countryside service events can be found at www.wokingham.gov.uk/countryside

Wokingham Borough Council

Reading Blue Coat School is pleased to present The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth in a concert, in aid of SSAFA Forces Help (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association)

RBCS Sports Hall, Reading Blue Coat School, Friday 16th May 2008 at 7.30 pm

Tickets priced £7.00 - £10.00 (Family Tickets available)

Further Information - 0118 9335892

Reading Blue Coat School, Holme Park, Sonning Lane, Sonning-on-Thames, RG4 6SU

Sat 3  Aren't Birds Brilliant RSPB Walk
Morning stroll around Dinton Pastures, meet main car park at 9am. £1

Sun 4 Dawn Chorus (International Dawn Chorus Day)
Get up with the lark and come and hear the dawn chorus with the Wokingham and Bracknell RSPB. Meet Dinton Pastures main car park at 5am. £1.
Breakfast available at café afterwards from 7am onwards. Please pre book on (0118) 932 1071.

Mon 5 Wokingham May Fayre
Family-friendly activities, Wokingham Town Centre, 10am-5pm. Free

Wed 7 100km Cycle Ride
A gentle 100km (62 mile) cycling event starting from Dinton Pasture organised by Reading Cycling Touring Club. Riders are provided with a routesheet and either ride alone or in small informal groups. Meet at Dinton Pastures Country Park at 10am. Contact Pat Lomas on 01344 420031 or see www.readingctc.co.uk for more details.
           
Sat 10 Junior Rangers Wildlife Watch Group - pond dipping at Dinton Pastures, 10am-12noon. £1

Sat 12 & Sun 13 Walk the Blackwater Path Weekend
Rowhill to Swallowfield, start 10am each day. £5 one day / £8 both.
Organised by Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership (01252) 331353

Sun 11 Rotawalk Rotary Club Sponsored Walk            Dinton Pastures

Raise money for your favourite Charity or Local Organisation by joining ROTAWALK, an event organised by Reading Maiden Erlegh Rotary Club in conjunction with 2-Ten FM. Two routes to choose from, one is three-and-a-half miles and the other is nine miles.

Meet: Main car park, Dinton Pastures Country Park
Time: See website below for details
£4 per person and £6 per family in advance or £6 per person and £8 per family on the day
For more information and an application form visit www.rotawalk.com, telephone David Cotton (0118) 988 6993 or email rotawalk2008@yahoo.com
           
Sun 13 Friends of Lavell's Lake Bird Walk
Morning stroll around Lavell's, meet Sandford Lane car park at 9am. £1

Sat 17 Nature & Wildlife Photography Course
Loddon Rm, Dinton Pastures, 9.30am-3.30pm. £26/£13conc. Contact Bracknell and Wokingham College 0845 3303343 for more details

May Half Term

Make a Bug Necklace or Mask
Mon 26 – Fri 30 May
California Dreaming Café will be selling craft kits to keep the kids busy during the half term. Choose from a Bug Mask kit or a Bug Necklace kit! Children must be supervised.
11am to 3pm. £2 per child. For details please contact California Dreaming Café, California Country Park on (0118) 973 5519

Falconry Workshops
Tues 27 Dinton Pastures
Wed 28 California Country Park
Activities will include learning about each bird, handling and flying some of our birds, owl pellet dissection and bird and leather craft. Children under eight must be accompanied. Children eight and over can be unaccompanied, but adults are welcome to stay.
10am to 12 noon and 1.30pm to 3.30pm, £5 per child
Contact: Please book in advance by emailing countryside@wokingham.gov.uk or calling 0118 934 2016

Nature Whodunit
Thurs 29 May
Come and use your detective skills and wildlife knowledge to work out clues from a crime scene. By a process of elimination and a tip off, see if you can narrow down the list of suspects. Children under eight must be accompanied. Children eight and over can be unaccompanied, but adults are welcome to stay.
Meet: Car park in front of café, California Country Park at 2pm to 3.30pm. £3 per child
Please book in advance by emailing countryside@wokingham.gov.uk or calling (0118) 934 2016

Minibeast Hunt
Fri 30 May
Come and discover some of the amazing insects, creepy crawlies, bugs and minibeasties living in California Country Park. Have a go at sweep netting and use our magnifiers to have a really good look at what you find. Children under eight must be accompanied. Children eight and over can be unaccompanied, but adults are welcome to stay.
Meet: Car park in front of café, California Country Park at 2pm to 3.30pm. £3 per child
Please book in advance by emailing countryside@wokingham.gov.uk or calling (0118) 934 2016

Wokingham Borough Council Countryside Service (0118) 934 2016 countryside@wokingham.gov.uk

Confused by colour in Twyford? Ever looked in the mirror and felt dull? Want to wear more colours but not sure which ones suit you or how to wear them?

A colour me beautiful colour consultation is just what you need and is now available in Twyford, Reading & surrounding areas! At your consultation you’ll find out:

• why wearing certain shades complement your natural colouring more than others
• what your dominant colouring is and how this determines what colours suit you
• how to apply make-up in the right colours that suits you naturally
• how to wear and combine colours to achieve the look you want in both work and play
• how to better work your wardrobe and achieve more outfit combinations without having to buy more clothes
• how best to wear the colours you already have

You’ll also receive a full Twyford make-up makeover in colours that complement your skin tone and features, along with a list of suitable make-up shades, so you’ll leave looking great! Plus, take home with you your personalised wallet containing 42 fabric swatches with unique tips on how to wear your colours and how to use the wallet when shopping.

For further information please contact: Jane Turner on tel: 07875 931 650 or Twyford 0118 932 1312 or email: pjcandjt@live.co.uk

Budding Twyford gardeners from Berkshire who want to grow their own vegetables and herbs or create their own hanging baskets this season are invited to a free growing event at Wyevale Garden Centre – Hare Hatch next month (May 10 and 11, 2008).

Staff at the garden centre, which is on Floral Mile in Twyford, will be holding demonstrations to help people ‘get growing’ in their gardens.

Twyford Garden centre Manager, Errol Austin said: “On Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11, there will be practical, hands-on advice from experts in-store and there will be lots of free tips and guidance during the weekend, including leaflets for people to take home.”

On both days there will be free demonstrations and question and answer sessions on how to make the most of your hanging baskets and containers, how to grow your own vegetables and a beginner’s guide to growing herbs.

Errol added: “We’re also hosting a Pest Clinic as part of the event during normal garden centre opening hours and we’re inviting people who have any problems with garden pests and bugs that they want solving to come along.”

There will be free leaflets and flyers for people to take home giving tips on growing tomatoes and using them in cooking, which have been supplied by the Tomato Growers Association, and recipe cards from the Vegetarian Society.

Visitors will have the chance to meet experts in-store. There will be a seed giveaway in association with Thompson & Morgan and also the Vegetarian Society, while stocks last.

To find out more, please call Wyevale Garden Centre – Hare Hatch on 01189 403 933 or call in at the garden centre, which is located on Floral Mile in Twyford.

Hundred's of children from all over Berkshire are being challenged this year (2008) to grow the ‘fattest sunflower face’ as part of a national contest being organised by Wyevale Garden Centres Ltd, Twyford.

Wyevale Garden Centre – Hare Hatch on Floral Mile, Twyford is launching the growing competition on Saturday, April 19, 2008.

Twyford’s Garden centre Manager, Errol Austin said: “We have joined forces with the seed supplier Suttons and have packets of special sunflower seeds, bred especially to have large flower ‘heads’, to giveaway free of charge to green-fingered youngsters who would like to enter the competition. There are three titles to be won in the competition – Individual Garden Centre Winner, Regional Winner and National Winner.”

Children, aged up to 16 years, are invited to collect a packet of seeds, while stocks last, and an entry form from the Twyford garden centre anytime during normal opening hours from Saturday, April 19 until Sunday, May 18.

Errol added: “Children who have entered will need to bring their fully grown sunflower ‘face’, just the ‘head’ not the whole plant, into the garden centre, during normal garden centre opening hours, between Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 28, 2008.”

Entrants will be asked to measure their sunflower ‘heads’, across the middle of the ‘face’, excluding petals, before they bring it into the garden centre.

Errol continued: “It will then be measured again by garden centre staff when the entry is submitted. Entries from each store will be recorded and submitted for judging. The winner at each individual garden centre will be notified by October 13, 2008 and they will receive a certificate and a Suttons Seed Kit worth £4.99.

“The Individual Store Winners will be submitted centrally for judging against other entries in their region. There are five regions and the Regional Winners will be determined on October 17, 2008 and notified by October 22.”

The winners at this stage will each receive £20 worth of Wyevale vouchers, a regional winner’s certificate and will go forward to the national final on October 27, 2008.

The overall National Winner, who has grown the sunflower with the ‘fattest face’ of all the entries from all the Wyevale family garden centres across the country, will be notified of their win on October 27, 2008. They will win £50 worth of Wyevale vouchers.

The National Winner’s school will be presented with £50 worth of Wyevale vouchers and a tree to plant in its grounds. An official tree planting ceremony will take place as part of the prize at a mutually convenient time.

To find out more, please call Wyevale Garden Centre on 01189 403 933, visit www.wyevale.co.uk or call in at the garden centre, which is located on Floral Mile, Hare Hatch in Twyford.

Wyevale Garden Centre, Floral Mile, Hare Hatch, Twyford, Berkshire, RG10 9SQ

Sat 5 Aren’t Birds Brilliant RSPB Walk

Morning stroll around Dinton Pastures, meet main car park at 9am. £1

 

Sat 5 Dog Show and Agility Demonstration Dinton Pastures 11am-4.40pm

Different classes throughout the day, including prettiest puppy and fancy dress, plus agility demonstration at 1pm. Event to raise money for the Worldwide Veterinary Service.

 

Sun 6 Highwood Work Party

Practical conservation morning, meet Kingfisher Drive, Woodley. 10am-1pm

           

Wed 9 Easter Trail, Dinton Pastures

An Easter trail around the Park to discover all about eggs and springtime, to be rewarded ,with chocolate eggs. Suitable for families, meet at the café garden, Dinton Pastures any time between 1pm and 3pm, £2 per child and £1 car park

 

Sat 12 Junior Rangers Wildlife Watch Group, Trail Blazing, Dinton Pastures

Monthly meeting for children interested  in local wildlife and the environment.

This month find out how animals find their way around Dinton Pastures and have a go at making your own trail!

For 8-12 year olds. Meet at Dinton Pastures.  £2 per session.

           

Sun 13 Friends of Lavell’s Lake Bird Walk

Morning stroll around Lavell’s, meet Sandford Lane car park at 9am. £1

                       

Sat 19 & Sun 20 Willow Sculptures Course, Dinton Pastures

This is a fun workshop that uses willow to create three-dimensional figures, no previous

experience of working with willow is required. To Book, ring Christine 0118 966 2250

Cost £60 includes all materials and refreshments. 10am - 4pm

 

Sun 27 Friends of Lavell’s Work Party

Practical conservation volunteer group, meet Sandford Lane, car park, Hurst. 10am - 12pm.

 

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

Taking Care of Elvis Tribute Band at Loddon Hall Twyford Saturday 3rd May in aid of Sue Ryder Care Hospice Nettlebed.

Local Elvis artiste, 28 year old, award winning Ben Portsmouth and his Taking Care of Elvis Band will be holding a Tribute To Elvis evening on Saturday 3rd May at Loddon Hall, Twyford in aid of the Sue Ryder Care Hospice, Nettlebed.

Come dressed to rock the night away to the fabulous sounds of Elvis from his 50s to 70s years ! Bar and raffle. Doors open 7.30 p.m.

Tickets £8.00 - please call Carol on 01628 824894 or 07867 592637

Twyford Police are trying to trace the owner of a small blue car who they believe may have information about an incident.

The car was parked in a lay-by off Warren Row Road, approximately a mile from the junction with the A4 at Knowl Hill. It is at an area of woodland just before the village of Warren Row and the junction with Pudding Hill.

The vehicle was parked in the lay-by between 2 and 3pm on Easter Monday (24/3) in front of a white Vauxhall Astra van.

Officers are trying to trace the car in connection with an investigation where a 22-year-old Twyford man has been charged with kidnap, false imprisonment and sexual assault.

He will appear at Oxford Crown Court on April 7.

Anyone with any information about this vehicle should contact Det Con Sally Russell, at Loddon Valley police station, via 0845 8 505 505.

Thames Valley Police ~ Twyford

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Jon Stanley gives the latest news from the Twyford Neighbourhood team;

Since the Christmas period we have been concentrating on the graffiti problem, especially the FMS tag which has been popping up around the Twyford area. We have also been focusing on anti-social behaviour and parking issues.

PCSO Jackie Daniels has been working with the community wardens to have the Twyford graffiti removed from the area with successes including JW Greens, a closed down public house that had been severely vandalised and was an eyesore for local residents.

We have also been looking to identify the offenders using their “tagger” names. With local intelligence we have made good progress with this and continue to pursue all avenues.

Since we conducted the letter drop regarding reporting every incident with as much detail as possible, the level of anti-social behaviour has decreased.

As with the last update, parking issues have been keeping us all busy. The main Twyford problem is still people exceeding the permitted waiting times and parking on double yellow lines. Fixed penalty notices are being issued on the spot for these and similar offences. Double yellow lines mean NO waiting at any time; this includes dropping people off, posting letters, collecting your take-away and all other such tasks.

The newest member of our growing team is PCSO Chris Caldwell, he is currently at the police training centre and will be joining us on the 28 April 2008. PCSO Caldwell will cover Sonning, Charvil and Hurst areas.

“For more information about your Neighbourhood team or to speak to an officer you can call the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8505505 or alternatively you can visit the website via www.thamesvalley.police.uk

Thames Valley Police ~ Twyford