Remember

The good people of Pirbright regularly send me a copy of PeriNews to let me know what is going in their neck of the woods. I am most grateful and just wish that other villages in the area would do likewise.

I know that some of those villages publish such things and it would be appreciated if they would send me a copy or, to save on the savage postal rates, if they would just email me the contents, as do the people of Pirbright.

I was taken by the lead piece in the current issue, and therefore publish it here:

“This year, as every year, the children of our primary school will walk to the memorial in Brookwood Cemetery to pay their respects to members of the armed forces who lost their lives to war.

“Service families are an important part of our school so some of our children know better than most of us what it means when someone you love puts themselves, quite literally, in the line of fire to protect others.

"Our children will listen in quiet stillness as they are reminded of the sacrifice that others have made for their future. Then the oldest and the youngest child in the school will step forward together to lay a wreath.

"As chair of governors I am never more proud of our children than in that Act of Remembrance, and never more humbled than by their innocent, sincere, respectfulness.

"In a troubled world we all owe a debt of gratitude to those servicemen and women who have been, and are now, willing to stand up to tyranny and aggression to protect others.

"On behalf of our whole community,

"Thank You”

That piece on the children listening “in quiet stillness” is quite lovely. Of course, as the writer points out, there are a lot of military personnel in the Pirbright area and that would make an impression on even the youngest child.

I was intrigued by the title of the newsletter: PeriNews, not PirNews.

Pirbright and Pyrford have in common one thing in the origin of the name of their village: the association with pears. Pirbright evidently means "sparse woodland where pear trees grow" whilst Pyrford is "the ford by the pear tree".

Pirbright is twinned with Cagny, Calvados, France. Calvados is a type of brandy which, unlike most other celebrated French brandies, is made from apple cider rather than wine and is sometimes made from pear cider or perry, as well. I thought that might interest you.

Little Darlings

Unfortunately not all children are as well behaved as those in Pirbright. Post-Halloween I have read several adverse comments on social media.

Evidently some children reckon the only reason for Trick and Treat is to grab as many sweets as possible and the devil take the hindmost. And there are plenty of little devils around at that time.

Some were recorded as stating they were "clearing out all the sweets". The rubbish left behind by these human locusts is disgusting and one writer said the drinks cans and sweet packets discarded would seem a good reason for not giving them out.

Many complaints were aimed at adults for setting a bad example and for goading on the greedy children. Willy Wonka would have known what to do with them.

But some writers commented on parents being a credit to their children: “All the children that came to our door were very polite and said thank you for their treat.”

Another writer thanked parents for bringing the children out in their costumes – and that lot also remembered their manners.

At one household at least treats were left outside the door but were monitored via the doorbell and it was noted that some children did just take one and left the rest for those coming later.

It would seem that in most cases the children enjoy dressing up and the parents are content to accompany them on their begging trips.

But basically it is begging with menaces – pay up or we will trick you in some way. But let us not be too mean about what should be childish fun.

This is a good time of year to teach sharing and taking only what you should – and to remember your manners if you wish to visit again next year.

After all, before you know it there will be a bearded avuncular figure dressed in red and enquiring as to whether you reckon you have been good over the last year and therefore worthy of yet more treats.

Missing out

We discussed Halloween over coffee and cake last Friday. One coffee sipper was disappointed that her house was not visited despite the prominent pumpkin.

She admitted that the fact she was not on the ground floor of her block of flats may have something to do with it.

And previously her house had been around a corner and so was passed by, leaving her with a stock of treats to nibble over the next few weeks.

One resident announced, on social media, that they would be out but visitors were welcome to help themselves to the treats they had left out.

The local neighbourhood watch representative quickly advised them to remove that post, which they did, before too many nefarious folk took up the offer to help themselves.

I remember when the treat would be an apple or something similar. Now, I fear, such a gesture would be sneered at and if sweets were not actually demanded, it would be made obvious what was expected.

This took us to another subject – fruit trees. Why can't fruit trees be planted in parks instead of pretty trees which are barren as far as fruit is concerned? Pear trees and apples have beautiful flowers.

I suppose it is health and safety and nanny state conspiring against childish fun. There should be trees which may be climbed in preference to those scaling walls with the footholds carefully measured out for small feet. Where's the fun in that?

Bring back trees for climbing and forget about the skinned shins and bumps. If you are a pirate on the high seas – or a high-ish bough – you expect battle scars.

And as for scrumping, that used to be a way of life.

Perhaps the Just William stories should be made compulsory reading. Except that to make anything compulsory is to put one off that very thing. Just like telling children climbing trees is highly dangerous.

And what of scrumping? That can mean the picking up of windfall fruit or the actual stealing of the fruit from the tree.

Scrumping apples and foraging blackberries to make pies to last through winter is not a bad idea. And a healthy one.

But I don't doubt that councils would frown upon the idea of the public having access to fruit trees in the parks and along the roadsides.

Fruit, you see, has a tendency to drop. That makes it easier to scrump but, the council will say, someone is going to slip on ripe plum and sue them for damages.

And squished fruit is unpleasant for the street cleaners to deal with.

Well, unfruiting trees shed their leaves and they get squished into a slippery pulp underfoot . What's the difference?

Squirrels in beds

Great teamwork has kick-started the second phase of the Community Garden Project in Horsell.

As autumn arrived, it was time to start planning which bulbs and perennials would ensure colour and interest in the QE2 gardens from February to October.

Which plants would best suit a dry, sun-soaked flower bed, and also help to keep weeds down, not need too much care and definitely not need staking?

Squire’s funded the first spring and summer phase, donating £500 through their “Love where you live” scheme.

The autumn planting has been funded both by the Co-op and Surrey County Council, thanks to Lance Spencer, Horsell Surrey County Councillor, for supporting the application for sponsorship with Your Councillor Community Fund.

Sponsorship from both organisations has enabled the buying of bulbs and perennials with some money to spare for spring planting.

Thanks also to the volunteers. LinkAble planted 150 narcissi bulbs. The Woodlanders, the allotments group and Horsell residents, including Lance Spencer, finished planting bulbs, perennials and some extra donated plants. Thanks are due to Squire’s and Daydawn Nursery for all their support, plants and bulbs.

Since the council withdrew from looking after public gardens in the borough many groups have stepped forward to help out. Some of the youngest are the Horsell Squirrels.

As part of their Local Superhero badge the 1st Horsell Red Squirrels became superheroes themselves.

They enjoyed weeding the community flower beds in the Queen Elizabeth Gardens and went litter-picking all around Scout HQ and the park.

After half term Squirrels will be finding out about other groups that help our community and are looking forward to the local Police Community Support Officer visiting one Friday, going to the fire station, and hearing from Squirrel parents that work in the NHS.