Having always fought off her husband David’s suggestion that she should become a parish councillor, when he retired from that role on White Waltham Parish Council and a memorable career in local and national politics, Lynn Penfold finally gave in and was co-opted in 2016. She had always argued that she preferred getting things done rather than sitting on committees. Strangely, that hadn’t stopped her being a committee member (and sometime chairman) of The Littlewick Green Society (LGS) for around 33 years. During that time, she used her skills as a journalist and editor to write and produce LGS’s newsletters, posters and campaign literature. Her hobby, cooking, was also put to good use when she started Kick Off to Christmas and prepared food for other events she organised, like the annual Village Clean-Up. She’s also cooked for church events like lunches, harvest suppers and fundraising quiz nights. During that time, Lynn, 78, worked with WWPC to let Littlewick’s Greens grow for hay and to encourage wildlife. Unfortunately, all are now cut monthly during the summer, but she has hopes that a more imaginative cutting pattern could be introduced in the future, to suit the different needs around the village. Her reason for becoming a councillor is her love of Littlewick Green and an all-consuming desire to preserve its environment and bio-diversity for the future. Not that that means that she’s against anything helpful to modern life and in line with the wishes of villagers. For example, when local children started asking for some swings, she set to to make that happened. But rather than spoil the openness of the Green, she made sure they were tucked away under the trees off Jubilee Road. Back in 2017, new fellow councillor Paul Martin worked with Lynn’s previous colleague, Jim Hadden, so that WWPC received a portion of land when the old Shire Horse Centre was developed for housing. Lynn thoroughly enjoyed developing The Cherry Orchard, in Cherry Garden Lane, as a wildflower meadow. It has paths to explore, seats and a picnic area. Villagers don’t always agree with Lynn on all subjects, nor she with them, but her aim is to do her best for all. This usually means carrying out more mundane duties, like buying new rubbish bins with lids and getting them installed, and making sure any poles round the Green are replaced if they rot. A close eye also needs keeping on planning applications. While some have little effect on the locality, others need action to ensure nothing is developed to the detriment of the neighbourhood. And then there’s the on-going subject of parking on and around the Green. It is a mixture of Common Land or Village Green and needs managing, in a the age of the car, so that it is preserved for the future.
