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Thursday, May 11, 2017

Newbury Weekly News

Points of contact - Newbury News Ltd

Address: Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbur

y, Berks, RG14 2DW

CHIEF EXECUTIVE: James Gurney

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james.gurney@newburynews.co.uk

EDITOR: Andy Murrill

(01635) 564525, email: editor@ne

wbur ynews.co.uk

NEWS EDITOR: Dan Cooper

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wbur ynews.co.uk

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Phil Cannings

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Many of the photographs in the Newbur y Weekly News have been

taken by NWN photographers. These images, and many mor

e, are

available to order online at

newburytoday.co.uk/picturegallery

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DEADLINE: MONDAY NOON

My Newbury – in pictures

DONNINGTON resident Carol

Forbes took this picture – of a

mandarin duck – on the Kennet and

Avon Canal recently.

The ducks were introduced to the

UK from China and this one was

spotted by the Wharf in Newbury’s

Victoria Park.

Why not take some inspiration from

this and send the

Newbury Weekly

News

and

Newburytoday

some of

your photographs?

If you have a picture that you would

like to submit for consideration,

please send it to dan.cooper@

newburynews.co.uk.

Alternatively, send it to our twitter

account @newburytoday using

#MyNewbury, but please remember

to let us know where the picture

was taken and, crucially, by whom.

They may then be published online

on

www.newburytoday.co.uk ,

or in

the

Newbury Weekly News

, the

Newbury and Thatcham Advertiser

and our Facebook page.

HOW would you like to die at the grand old age of

146?

Mbah Gotho, a Christian man from Sragen in

Central Java, has finally died. His December 31,

1870, birth date was verified last year by the local

Indonesian authorities and his earliest memory is

the construction of a sugar factory there in 1880.

Beyond Mbah’s unbelievable longevity, one

curious fact is that he has been preparing for his

death for the past 22 years.

One news source said “he was ready to die” and

his own grandson revealed that he simply wanted

his family to “let him go”.

A number of years back, I came across a woman

who had suffered a crisis in pregnancy and then

had a near-death experience.

She recounted how she was drifting away, looking

down on her own body and then heard Jesus

addressing her.

When she did come out of the coma, on opening

her eyes she suddenly exclaimed: “Oh no! I’m still

here!”

I wonder how you plan to face your own death?

Perhaps you appreciate a little humour to soften

the idea: “It’s not that I’m afraid to die, I just don’t

want to be there when it happens.” (Woody Allen)

The apostle Paul is a little more earthy and

concrete: “If I am to live in the flesh, that means

fruitful labour for me. Yet which I shall choose I

cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two.

My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that

is far better.” (Philippians 1 Verses 22 & 23)

I guess if death is termination, a full stop, then we

all tend to resist getting over the overture.

However, if Paul is right then we can be utterly

happy that the overture is once and for all fully

over.

REV HEDLEY CLEMO

The Community Church, Thatcham

CHRISTIAN Viewpoint

Getting over theoverture

The Newbury Weekly News is

published and printed by Newbur y

News Ltd, Newspaper House,

Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire,

RG14 2DW. Registered at the

Post Ofice as a newspaper

Recycled paper

made up 78%

of the raw

material for UK

newspapers in

2012.

Adepressing choice in

thisGeneral Election

Thecarersituation hasgoneonforyears

I READ your article headlined

‘Carers fear for the future’

(

Newbury Weekly New

s, April 27)

with a sense of depressed déjà vu.

I was head of the post-16

department for students at Castle

School for several years.

I constantly fought, along with

colleagues, to raise the issue of

supported independent living for

when families were ready for their

children with learning disabilities

to move out of the family home.

Some wished for this to happen at

19, but some wanted it to happen

later.

We always seemed to lurch from

one crisis to another as there had

been no forward planning.

This was in spite of the fact that it

had been raised at every annual

review of the child’s Statement of

Needs from the age of 14 as well as

constant reminders to the

authority.

The authorities were also

regularly updated of all our

students who would require

accommodation at some point in

the future.

I also know that other special

schools and providers were also

updating the authority and I am

sure that is still the case.

I totally agree with Mencap’s

comment that this has been a

‘ticking time bomb since 2002.

At one point we had a cohort of

several students with quite

challenging and/or medical needs

that were about to leave at the

same time.

It was only due to the cavalry

coming over the hill in the form of

Mencap and Greenham Common

Trust that led to a property being

found and adapted for these

individuals. I hate to think what

could have happened otherwise.

There was a spell when the

Phoenix Centre was built when

quite a lot was also done to provide

supported living in the

community, which was very

successful but wasn’t continued

due to a downturn in the

economy.

I fully realise that the council are

under extreme financial pressure,

but, as the article stated, some

families have been waiting 25

years. Why do they always go to

the bottom of the list?

For the council spokesman to say

that they are grateful for the

report is worrying as they

shouldn’t need a report for

something that they should

already be dealing with.

Across the country these

families save taxpayers millions

of pounds by looking after their

children with disabilities for so

long.

It is not just parents, but siblings

and extended family members as

well. The strain – physically,

financially and emotionally – is

immense and they deserve our

admiration. They do it out of

love, but when they need help it

should be instant and not a

battle.

We have read in the

NWN

of

several planning issues where

land has virtually been given

away when the authority could

use that money for so many

things. Could a clause be put in

to provide sheltered housing as

part of a planning agreement?

I hope Mr Sharp’s (Healthwatch)

faith in the council to now do

something is well founded, but I

am a bit more cynical – but I will

be amongst the first to praise

them if it materialises and

continues.

MRS CHRISTINE DALTON

Gore End Road

Ball Hill

NWN

letters pages are

among best incountry

Thursday,April27,2017

4

NEWBURYNEWS

The

NewburyWeeklyNews

isproud tobethe

independent, locally-owned newspaper attheheart

ofWestBerkshire andNorthHampshire. Wealways

welcome your feedback onhowwecan improve

ourservicetothecommunity.

EDITOR

AndyMurrill

andy.murrill@newbur

ynews.co.uk

@andymurrill

(01635)564525

NEWSDESK

(01635)564527

SPORT

(01635)886629

Sportseditor

MalcolmHowe

malcolm.howe@newbur

y

news.co.uk

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AndrewHarding

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(01635)886643

ADVERTISING

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y

news.co.uk

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y

news.co.uk

CHIEFEXECUTIVE

JamesGurney

james.gurney@newbur

y

news.co.uk

(01635)564502

LEAFLETS (01635)564513

lesley.marriott@newbur

y

news.co.uk

CIRCULATION

(01635)564513

NEWBURYWEEKLYNEWS,NewspaperHouse,

FaradayRoad,Newbury,RG142DW

(01635)524111

NewburyNewsLimitedpublicationsare regulatedby IPSO

–theIndependent Press Standards

Organisation.If

you

haveaneditorialcomplaintaboutaNewburyNewsLimited

publication, you should, in the first instance, contact the

publicationconcerned. If it isnot resolved

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.

News, entertainment,advertising

News...........................................................

1-19

Fuel............................................................

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Schools....................................................20-2 1

Letters......................................................22-

24

Hungerford& Lambourn

Valleynews..............................................26-2 7

Thatcham news......................................28-29

NorthHantsnews...................................30-3 1

Announcements.....................................32-33

Local History.................................................34

What’sOn......................................................40

N2 arts&entertainment stars.................41

Competition& puzzles................................48

Film review....................................................49

Classifed starts............................................56

Motorsstarts.................................................60

Jobs starts.....................................................6 4

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n

Dailynewsupdatesonline at:

Carers fear for the future

“WHATwill happenwhenwe’re

no longerhere?"

Thatis thequestion beingasked

byagroupof frustratedparentsand

family carers who have criticised

West Berkshire Councilover a fail-

ure to planlong-term provisions for

those theycare for.

Thecarers,who arenowentering

old age, say a lack of planning and

support means they cannot be

certainwhatcarewillbeprovided to

theirchildrenwhen theyaregone.

Thecriticism comesfollowingthe

releaseof anew reporthighlighting

theissue,whichMencaplabelleda

“ticking time bomb”asfar back as

2002.

The report from Healthwatch

WestBerkshire saysan increasein

life expectancy means those with

learning disabilities arenow outliv-

ing their parents and carers in

larger numbers, with little to no

support provided as the carers

becomeolder.

At the launch of the report on

Friday, some of those affected said

the authorities have “ignored”the

problem for too long.

Robert and CarolWinter provide

care for their45-year-old daughter,

Karen,andsaya lackofplanningby

theauthorities means theycannot

be certain what care will be

provided forher whenthey areno

longerhere.

“We’veraised itat differenttimes

since shewas inher 20s,”they said.

“There’sbeennothought givento

the fact that we aren’t going to be

hereforeverand thatthereneedsto

be something inplaceafter that.

“Wehavewanted toprepareovera

longperiodof time tomake itaseasy

aspossible,buthereweare 25years

later and we’re still no further

forward.”

The couple, now in their 70s,

added: “Wewould like to see hr

settledandknow she’s being cared

for.”

Thepaper,entitled

Movingon –the

Final Transition

, calls forurgent

action from theauthorities.

However, the new report, which

addressed a number of families

affected,concludes that theopportu-

nity to move those with learning

disabilities into ‘independent living’

with the help of their families has

now largelybeenmissed.

The paper goes on: “It also

appearsanewgenerationof families

with younger dependents may

equally risk missing out on a

planned transition from care at

home, to amore fulfilling and inde-

penden life wih the appropriate

careavailable.”

Tomarkthe launch ofthe report,

HealthwatchWest Berkshiregath-

ered the families at a site in

Healthwatch WestBerkshire chiefofficer Andrew Sharp (front) withparents andfamily

carers involved inthenewreport

Group criticisesWestBerkshire Council overitsfailure tosecure long-term provision

Newtown Road, Newbury, which a

decade ago hadbeen earmarked for

anassisted-livingdevelopment.

However, itnevermaterialised.

At the launch, chief officer at

Healthwatch

West

Berkshire,

Andrew Sharp, saidhe was pleased

with West Berkshire Council’s

response to the report andwashope-

fulprogresscouldnowbemade.

He said:“It hasbeen neglectedas

anissuefor decades.Theyknewthe

people were here with a need and

knew the people caringwere getting

older.

“It’s been kicked in to the long

grassconstantly bydifferentcoun-

cils over the years. But we’ve been

reallypleasedwith thecouncil –they

haven’tstuck theirheadin thesand

over this report.

“The council has agreed to the

recommendations, whichis terrific,

andwearegoing to trytoputan

action group together, made up of

professionals,carers andvoluntary

sector workers, to get them all

around the table todiscuss it.

Headded: “Ifwecansolve it forone

groupofpeople itwillhopefullysolve

it forothergroupsgoing forward.”

West

Berkshire

Council

spokesmanMartinDunscombe said:

“We work closelywith Healthwatch

West Berkshireand aregrateful to

them forproducing this report.

“We value feedback from our

currentand futureserviceusersand,

aswiththis report,willuse ittohelp

usdeliver the supporton offer in the

comingyears.”

He added: “Our priorityisalways

withthosewhose needisimmediate

because they have nowhereelse to

go.

“However,we areactivelylooking

todevelop thesupportweare ableto

offer for allour vulnerable residents

andrecent increasesin socialcare

fundingwillhelpus toachieve this.”

In FebruaryWest BerkshireCoun-

cil agreedto increasethe preceptfor

adultsocialcareby 1.99percentin

2017/18 inan effortto easefunding

pressures.

Report by

CHRISORD

email

chris.ord@newbur

ynews.co.uk

twitter

@chriso_nwn

There’sbeennothought

given tothefactthatwe

aren’tgoing tobehere

forever andthatthere

needs tobesomething in

placeafterthat

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NewburyWeeklyNews

MRS English (‘

Newbury Weekly News

letters pages are biased’, May 4)

should switch to the

Daily Mail

or

Daily Express

if she wants right-wing

propaganda rather than fair and

balanced coverage of local issues.

Judging by her ill-informed remarks

about migrants enjoying “an easy life

on benefits”, she might also enjoy the

Nigel Farage Show

(formerly known

as

Question Time

) every Thursday

night on BBC1.

The

NWN

readers’ letters sections is

one of the best in the country

precisely because it is open to all

points of view, including those of us,

such as the Green Party, who are

largely ignored by national media.

IT is hard not to get depressed, having

read the first two weeks of your

election coverage.

Unless there is a political tsunami, we

will re-elect a party apparatchik as

our representative in Parliament.

An MP incapable of voting against his

party machine even when that vote is

against his constituents’ interests.

A willingness to obey orders are

admirable traits in an army man, less

so in a politician.

Like it or not this election will be

framed around Brexit and yet all the

candidates are treating the

referendum result as if it is some

inviolable holy grail, something that

cannot be overturned as the “people

have spoken”, forgetting that “the

people” in this instance represent

only 37 per cent of the electorate.

The Tories have chosen “strong and

stable” as their byline for this

election, apparently without irony, as

they rush headlong towards the

biggest economic gamble this country

has seen since Churchill took us back

on to the Gold Standard.

We can only hope that the results will

not be as catastrophic, but the

portents are not encouraging.

Meanwhile, our opposition parties

cannot even contemplate the notion of

working together for the greater good

– it does not bode well for a future

coalition of whatever political hue.

It is hard to see how this

opportunistic election will not result

in more Conservative MPs, because

no-one is standing to stop Brexit.

The Lib Dems’ position of “no to a

hard Brexit” implicitly accepts the

referendum result with all its flaws,

the Labour Party explicitly so.

It is not a position that is going to

have pro-Europeans rushing to the

ballot box.

And yet if May is successful then she

will have slipped under the carpet a

mandate to do so much more, such as

the reintroduction of grammar

schools against the advice of most

educational experts and

professionals, and in spite of the fact

that they were abolished in most parts

of the country for a very good reason.

Meanwhile, the immense resources

being sucked up by the Brexit process

mean that public services continue to

languish.

Our whole approach towards health

is in need of urgent reform if the NHS

is not to be completely overwhelmed

by an insatiable demand for its

services.

Education will suffer from a lack of

funding and the relentless reforms

governments feel impelled to

introduce on an increasingly

demoralised workforce.

Government and industry will

continue to fail to invest in training,

preferring the cheaper option of

importing pre-trained labour.

And when we should all be working

together to tackle the biggest

problem of our age, the environment

and climate change, instead we are

turning our backs on those very

institutions best placed to ensure a

coordinated global approach.

As I said at the outset it is hard not to

be depressed.

PETER M NORMAN

Newbury