Newbury Weekly News

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Thursday, May 11, 2017
HollyUnnuk, AmyHamilton, KatieSainsburyandMichelle Pettifer entered thebake-
offcompetitionatEchinnswellMayFayre Ref:18-2217A
All smiles at village fair
ALMOST 700 visitors braved
the bank holiday weather to
attend Ecchinswell’s May Fair.
All funds raised will be donated
to Thatcham charity, Swings and
Smiles, which provides recre-
ational facilities for children and
families with special needs.
Landlord of the Royal Oak pub,
Chris Webb, said: “Each year for
the May Fair we try to choose a
local charity, in particular smaller
charities, where it makes a real
difference.”
Popular activities included the
bucking bronco, bake-off, and
build a beast competition, with the
17 entries lining the village.
The winner was judged by
Swings and Smiles patron and tele-
vision presenter Chris Tarrant.
Carter,Taylor and Jayden Jamieson trytheir
handathook-a-duck Ref:18-2217C
EntriesintheMagnificentBeastiecompetition Ref:18-2217E
Tory glory in North Hants
THE Conservatives gained 11
seats as they dominated the
Hampshire County Council
elections.
But it was a disastrous result
for UKIP, who lost all 10 of
theirs.
The Tories now hold 56 seats,
increasing their share of the
vote from 38 per cent in 2013 to
52 per cent this year.
Meanwhile, the Liberal
Democrats gained two seats –
from 17 to 19 – and increased
their share of the vote by five
per cent.
Labour lost two seats, with
two remaining in position.
There is one Community
Campaign councillor
(unchanged).
Following the 2013 elections,
the county council comprised
45 Conservatives, 17 Liberal
Democrats, 10 UKIP, four
Labour, one Independent, and
one Community Campaign.
The make up of the council is
now 56 Conservative, 19 Liberal
Democrats, two Labour and one
Community Campaign.
In last Thursday’s local elec-
tions, the Conservatives
received 52 per cent of the vote,
the Lib Dems 27 per cent,
Labour 11 per cent, UKIP four
per cent and the Greens three
per cent. Independents got two
per cent.
There was a shock in the
newly-named Tadley and
Baughurst ward, with Lib Dem
candidate Warwick Lovegrove
(43 per cent of the vote) losing
his seat to Conservative Derek
Mellor (47 per cent).
Reacting to his victory, Mr
Mellor said: “I’m very pleased.
Obviously it was a close-run
thing, but one local issue came
into play – waste disposal.
“We can’t hide from the fact
that the collapse of UKIP, so to
speak, in the last year, has had
an impact over our gain, but
people are realising that we are
doing the right thing.”
Mr Lovegrove, said: “We
worked very hard in the area,
handing out leaflets and lots of
canvassing, but we still didn’t
quite hit the target. It is disap-
pointing.
“It was very much a challeng-
ing election.
“We didn’t have a UKIP
candidate, but we had a Green
candidate. This split my vote
rather than the anti-Tory vote.”
Elsewhere in North Hamp-
shire, the Conservatives won in
Calleva (up 18 per cent from
2013) and Whitchurch and The
Cleres (up 13 per cent).
The Conservative candidate
for Calleva, Rhydian Vaughan,
said: “It was my aim to win it, to
increase the turnout and
increase the votes.
“It is in my manifesto to work
on highways, as I drive through
the same potholes as every one
else, education and social
welfare for the elderly.”
Conservative Tom Thacker
managed to retain his seat in
Whitchurch and The Cleres.
Despite overall defeat, the Lib
Dems received seven per cent
more votes in Calleva and
Tadley and Baughurst than in
2013, and saw a four-per-cent
increase in Whitchurch and
The Cleres.
In Tadley and Baughurst, and
Whitchurch and The Cleres,
Labour candidates received the
same percentage of votes as in
2013, but saw a seven-per-cent
rise in Calleva.
The overall results in North
Hampshire were:
CALLEVA : RhydianPeter Vaughan
(Conservative) 3,069(76% of vote, +
18% on 2013); Stephen David Roth-
man (Labour) 733(18%, +7%); Paul
Anthony Kelly (UKIP) 232 (6%, -16%)
TADLEY & BAUGHURST: Derek
Preston Mellor (Conservative) 1,977
(47% of vote, +15% on 2013); Warwick
Godfrey Lovegrove (Lib Dem)1,833
(43%, +7%); David Liston Foden
(Labour) 246 (6%, same as 2013);
Anne Marie Mockford (Green) 169
(4%, no candidate in 2013)
WHITCHURCH& THE CLERES:
Tom Thacker (Conservative) 3,012
(62%, +13% on2013); Linda Rose -
mary Stepney (LibDem) 1,128(23%,
+4%); John Bernal Rodway (Labour)
461 (9%, same as 2013); Andrew
Neville Smith (Green)289 (6%, no
candidate in 2013)
Members oftheWoolton HillNational Women’sRegister enjoy acuppa
Women’s group
looks to set up
second branch
WOOLTON Hill’s National Women’s Register
has proved so popular that it is considering
starting a second group.
The social group for women meets twice a
month at a different member’s home for an
evening of themed discussion, presentations and
activities.
At the March meeting, Macmillan nurse
Madeleine Jenkins gave a demonstration of thera-
peutic hand massage, which the group were then
able to try out for themselves.
Woolton Hill group member Nicole Bentham
said: “It was a brilliant evening. It was very
successful and everyone enjoyed themselves.”
The group sometimes travels further afield,
with trips including a behind-the-scenes visit to
the Royal Opera House, a tour of the Wallace
Collection, London, while last October there was a
mini-break to Tewkesbury, following the trail of
Capability Brown.
The Woolton Hill group was founded nine years
ago by Angie Maxwell, who was a member of the
Bracknell group before she moved to the area and
wanted something local.
It started with 12 members and numbers have
continued to grow.
At present there are 20 members, with more
women interested in joining.
Any more members may make meeting in
private homes difficult, so in September another
local branch will be opened.
Mrs Bentham said: “It keeps the brain cells
going. Nearly all of our members are retired, but
that was not the point of the National Women’s
Register.
“We struggle to get younger people now. Not that
they are not welcome, but that they are too busy.
“There is a lot of fun and laughing involved and
they are a hugely supportive group.”
While there is a skeleton schedule of activities
for the year, member input is encouraged.
Mrs Bentham said: “We feel this year we need to
branch out.”
The next meeting on May 17 will have a short
demonstration on the theme ‘signs and
gestures’.
The National Women’s Register was started in
the 1960s to connect women who were not expected
to return to work after having children and were
feeling isolated at home.
Today, the group appeals to women of all ages
and spans the world with groups in the UK,
Europe, Africa and Australia.
Conservatives increase their share ofthevote following county council elections
ConservativeDerekMellorwon
theTadley andBaughurst eatfrom
WarwickLovegrove
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