The earthquake has caused widespread disruption.
Not sure if you are aware but Helmdon had its very own resident in the 8.9 quake to hitJapan yesterday. I am out here for a week on business and have been staying in Tokyo.

We had a small earth tremour on Tuesday which is not uncommon for Tokyo- if a little disconcerting. On Friday I was 50 miles North of Tokyo visiting some of our sites for DHL. We left our last site at around 215pm and were only about 10 minutes away when the quake struck. We were parked on a bridge in a people carrier waiting for the lights to change when the car starting moving from side to side. At first I thought it was HGV traffic passing us and buffeting the car in their wake, but after 20 seconds realised that no other traffic was moving and that the bridge was swaying violently. At one point I could see the buildings around us rippling and waving. The quake lasted for at least two minutes. Luckily the bridge we were on held up so we continued to drive back into Tokyo. Most of the highways here are multi tier and after a number of small aftershocks we decided to leave the highway.Within 30 seconds of leaving the highway a second quake struck measuring 6.9. I got out of the car and could see the three tier highway above me wriggling about like a bowl of spagetti !
We spent the next 7 hours driving back into Tokyo which was completly gridlocked as the entire public transport system had stopped. Eventually we ditched the car and walked the last 40 minutes back to the hotel. The hotel lobby was full of people wrapped in blankets and sleeping on the floor who couldn:t get home.
I was due to fly back to London today but did not make my flight as a number of the highways are still shut so for the time being I;m stuck here. We are stll getting slight tremours.

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Posted 22 February 2011
The Objections Are In… 400 And Counting

400 Objections received so far.
Following months of detailed work, the Helmdon, Stuchbury & Greatworth Windfarm Action Group (HSGWAG) has now submitted its objections in relation to Broadview Energy’s wind farm application to South Northants Council.

For those who wish to see a copy of the final document, please contact the Helmdon Parish Clerk Liz Hart, who will be happy to lend you one. Alternatively, visit www.hsgwag.co.uk where you can view it online or download and print.

Click here to open the latest HSGWAG update report.

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Posted 21 February 2011
Last Chance To Return Your Survey

Time is running out to return your survey. Thank you to everyone that has returned their parish plan survey so far.

If you haven’t yet returned it but intend to do so please deliver it by hand to [address removed]. Although the survey is now closed late entries will be taken in to account if they arrive by the end of the month.

The Helmdon Parish Plan Group will be compiling the results of the survey and will present it to the village at the Annual Parish Meeting on 27 April 2011.

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Posted 13 February 2011
A Bridge Too Weak

Traffic lights on the
Station Rd bridge. The bridge on Station Road, Helmdon over the old Great Central railway has been deemed too weak for two lanes of traffic.

Temporary traffic lights have been put in place to restrict traffic to a single lane in the middle of the bridge carriageway. In addition a 20 mph speed limit has been applied to reduce the impact of passing traffic.

Highways contractor MGWSP imposed the restrictions following an assessment of the bridge’s structural capacity.

No news has yet been received as to what might happen next, but an indication might be the plight of traders on a Wellingborough industrial estate who face a six-week road closure because of a similar weak railway bridge.

Updates will appear on the Helmdon web site as the situation develops.

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Posted 7 February 2011
Time To Have Your Say

Helmdon Parish Plan surveys were delivered a couple of weeks ago (see below) and are now due back in. A member of the Helmdon Parish Plan Group (HPPG) will call round to collect your completed surveys over the next week or so.

It is important that everyone that wants to has a chance to input in to the survey, which will be used as the basis for writing Helmdon Parish Plan II – a plan for Helmdon for the next five years.

Many thanks to the twenty or so people that have already filled in their survey and dropped it off at a collection point. For everyone else, please have your surveys near your door and ready for collection!

The survey results will be reported to the village at the Annual Parish Meeting on 27 April 2011.

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Posted 31 January 2011
Dig In

Helmdon Parish Council operates allotments on land behind the Green, on Station Road. Normally the allotments are in high demand, but currently there is only one person on the waiting list, with plots likely to become available later this year.

If you are interested in taking on a plot and would like to find out more, please contact the parish clerk, Liz Hart, by e-mail or on [phone number removed].

Allotment gardening is fun and can be a great activity for families, whilst teaching children where their food comes from. Imagine, you could be eating your very own home grown vegetables by the autumn!

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Posted 19 January 2011
It’s Survey Time Again

The “original” parish plan for Helmdon was published in 2004 and is in need of a refresh. Members of the Helmdon Parish Plan Group (HPPG) have been working over the past six months to identify the current and future needs of the village and the next step in that process is a village-wide questionnaire.

In the coming days a member of the HPPG will be delivering your questionnaire forms to you. There are only twenty questions and it shouldn’t take very long at all to fill in. Every person over 11 years of age is invited to fill in a questionnaire.

You views are very important and will be used to inform the final parish plan, which will be presented to the village in April.

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Posted 13 January 2011
Road Ahead Closed

Please be aware that the road between Weston and Woodend will be closed to traffic on Monday 17 January 2011. A diversion through Wappenham will be in operation.

Works are being carried out by A Plant Lux on behalf of BT. They are carrying out renewal and repair works to telegraph poles and cabling along the road in question and this can only safely be done by closing the road to through traffic. The road will be closed for one day between 09.30 and 15.30 on the 17th January 2011.

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Posted 1 January 2011
Happy New Year Helmdon!

Happy New Year to everyone in Helmdon, and to all those who view and support the Helmdon web site.

2011 promises to be an interesting and exciting year, albeit with inevitable financial pressures.

In sport the year will hopefully get off to a good start with an Ashes series win against the Aussies, and for rugby fans it is a World Cup year.

For Royalists there is the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April, as well as planning and preparations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Closer to home there are parish council elections in May, so now’s your chance if you want to stand for election.

In February/March the outcome of the Broadview wind farm application will be known – will they or won’t they be successful?

And make sure you are at home in Helmdon on 27 March 2011 to be recorded for posterity in the 2011 Census.

Whatever you’re doing in 2011 and wherever you are I hope it is an enjoyable and memorable year.

Best wishes from the web site team.

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Researched and written by Helmdon Local History Group volunteers. We do our best, but we can sometimes get things wrong. Corrections and additions are welcome.