VV_June July Web 20-compressed

left for a three week holiday in the Philippines
in February returned home to the village after
three months. He had been stranded on a remote
island when coronavirus restrictions hit,
cancelling all flights.
11 May to 17 May
The Government’s slight easing of restrictions
meant that local golf clubs, DIY stores and
garden centres could reopen with suitable social
distancing. Penn & Tylers Green Tennis Club
reopened its courts and enjoyed a flurry of
inquiries for new membership.
No light at the end of the tunnel in the
entertainment world however. Local theatres
cancelled all shows until the end of June,
Reading Festival was cancelled, and the
travelling fair, which had visited Beaconsfield in
mid-May every year since it was granted a
charter by Edward 1 in 1269, didn’t make it this
year. Statistics showed 30 per cent fewer
patients were visiting local GP surgeries.
Applications to borrow books online rose by 60
per cent since the libraries closed. New
guidelines meant people could exercise for
longer than an hour a day, more people ventured
out for longer walks in and around Penn and
Tylers Green. The glorious weather helped.
A second community-wide One Can
collection secured hundreds of contributions
and the now regular Thursday night clapping
extravaganza to applaud key workers attracted
more than ever.
Bucks Council reported that in the first few
days of the lockdown 1,800 residents registered
with the council to volunteer their help in local
communities. 147 council staff were
“repurposed” to help services under pressure.
18 May to 24 May
Parents received letters from local primary
schools telling them of plans for a gradual
return to school for specific year groups after the
half term. The plans involved greatly restricting
class sizes, teaching outside in school grounds
as much as possible and ensuring children did
www.pennandtylersgreen.org.uk
Village Voice June/July 2020
not share equipment such as stationery.
Trustees at Tylers Green Village Hall said
they would wait until September before
deciding when and how to progress the
proposed Penn & Tylers Green Heritage Centre,
planned for the hall. All hall bookings were
cancelled at least until the end of June.
Local magistrates courts and inquest hearings
resumed but with social distancing restrictions.
The ancient Swan Upping ceremony on the
Thames was cancelled for only the second time
in its 800 year history.
Chiltern Railways increased its rail services
slightly to accommodate extra people travelling
to work and the roads became noticeably busier
compared to recent weeks, but for the majority
the lockdown was maintained. As the glorious
weather continued the village remained eerily
quiet for most of the day and for the Spring
Bank Holiday weekend.
25 May to 31 May
The Government announced an easing of
restrictions in June as the number of confirmed
Coronavirus cases began to fall. Only one new
case was confirmed in the Wycombe/Chiltern
area in the final week of May and no Covid-19
deaths. Medical authorities warned that extreme
caution and alertness was still necessary.
“Non-essential” shops announced plans to
reopen in mid-June and Arriva, the Penn to
High Wycombe bus company, announced an
increase in services, albeit with strong social
distancing measures on board.
The National Trust at Cliveden and
Hughenden Manor announced restricted visiting
via online pre-booking for the first week in June
and were sold out within hours.
Meanwhile, as it was officially announced
that the lockdown had coincided with the
sunniest Spring on record, hundreds of people
continued to enjoy the home pleasures of Penn
and Tylers Green. So many people visited the
common for picnics every day the Parish
Council had to increase litter-bin clearances and
urged people to take their litter home. Peter Brown
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