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Amenities

Little things make amenities such as a notice board. The one that is on the Knoll is the successor to one that was first placed there in April 1937. Three new notice boards were erected on the Knoll; the corner of Carters Close and by the School in 2000.

There are a number of seats by footpaths in the village. There is one at the top of Chicheley Hill, one at the corner of Bedford Road and the Olney Road (near to Charlesberry Kennels) and one at the junction of Crofts End and School Lane. The one near the kennels, or as it was 'The Way Post' was certainly in situ in October 1923 for at that time the County Council was asked to have it repaired. It was mainly used by parishioners waiting for the bus to go to Bedford. By 1952 a replacement was needed and the County offered a seat at this location as a Coronation memorial. (see Note 1) The County also offered two other seats and one was subsequently placed at the top of Chicheley Hill near to the junction of Allotment Hill and Bedford Road with the other on the Knoll. In 2000 the seat on Chicheley Hill is still in situ but the one on the Knoll has gone.

Note1: The minutes, however, record that in June 1958 it had gone missing and the Parish Council agreed to replace the seat with a bench. The cost was 17/- for material and £2.15.0 to erect it.

In February 1938 the school managers offered three long desks that could be converted into seats. The Council accepted these and, after conversion and agreement of the County, placed these in Gun Lane; as a replacement for the seat near the "way-post" on the corner of Bedford Road and Olney Road; and near the Manor House. The RDC agreed to these placements provided a litter bin was affixed to, or near, each seat!

Another amenity was, of course, the water supply. Prior to mains supply water came from pumps and wells. There was a pump on The Knoll and another in Crofts End. The (Old) Rectory had it's own well and there was at least another in Gun Lane near to the White Hart PH. In November 1948 the County was asked to repair the cover over this as it was dilapidated.

The water supply came under scrutiny in early 1958 after some pig-styes near to, or in, Park Road were destroyed by fire. The brigade had to pump water from a distant pond to supplement that available from the fire-hydrant. A written statement of the events was obtained from the officer in charge of Newport Pagnell fire station and was submitted to support the Council's request for a better water supply. The UDC agreed that the water pressure was only sufficient for domestic purposes and possibly one jet from a hose reel saying that the pressure relied on the force of gravity from the reservoir at the top of Chicheley Hill. The reservoir is still there, covered over, next to the Cellnet telephone tower.

In November 1962 the executors of Miss Edith Annie Lucas advised the Council that she had left her collection of water colours of Sherington and district to the Parish Council for them to be displayed in a public building. The Council after viewing the paintings and having them displayed in the shop window agreed to accept the gift; to have the pictures numbered and listed and to offer them on loan equally to the village hall and the school. The Village Hall Committee decided not to accept the pictures and in May 1964 the Council decided to remove some of the pictures from their frames and put them into a folder to be kept at the school. The pictures 'disappeared' after that for many years until September 1976 when the Council was told that they were still being stored. It was suggested that they be put up in the Village Hall. However they were instead put into the care of the Headmistress of the School with permission to display them where necessary. In 2000 they were 'found' again and now have been reframed and put on permanent display in the village hall.

The WI asked if they could plant a flowering tree on The Knoll. This was alright by the Council who added they would not take responsibility for it. The WI tried again in June 1970 when they asked if they could plant an almond tree on the Knoll. It was suggested though that this would be better sited on the green triangle at the junction of School Lane, Church Rd, Gun Lane and Park Road, subject to Bucks CC agreement.

The village had had a doctors surgery but Dr Griffiths told the Council in March 1966 that it was going to have to be discontinued as there wasn't a suitable room available to hold it in. In October 1970 the Council approached the Newport Pagnell doctors to see if a surgery could be returned to the village, as two of the doctors lived here, but the reply was that they provided a service to 32 villages or hamlets and that they would not be able to equip it in line with patients modern expectations.


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Latest Revision: 31 December 2006