Drivers dubbed 'disrespectful'

TWO drivers who disturbed the Remembrance Sunday service in Lower Shiplake have been accused of being “disrespectful” and “distasteful”.

They drove through a closed-off section of road as the ceremony was taking place.

In a separate incident, a knitted post-box topper outside the village shop was stolen by a youth, although he later owned up.

The annual service took place as normal at the war memorial on the small green at the junction of the A4155 Henley-Reading Road and Station Road, which leads into the village.

Each year the junction is closed for the 45-minute ceremony with cones in place and large diversion signs erected to direct drivers to other entrances to the village.

On Sunday, when more than 100 people attended the service, the two drivers ignored the restrictions. A woman in a light blue sports car coming from the Henley direction stopped by the junction.

She got out of her vehicle and moved the cones to the side of the road before getting back in the car and squeezing it past a diversion sign and then driving past the crowd into the village.

A second driver, reportedly in a white saloon, also went through before the cones were moved back to block the road. Pam Hudgell, a member of Shiplake Women’s Institute, said: “I thought she had obviously got herself in a bit of knot trying to park and was coming to join us. It was quite distracting and everyone was watching to see what she did.

“It was thoughtless as there were diversion signs. I don’t think she realised it would upset people.”

Shiplake Parish Council chairman Chris Penrose, who laid a wreath at the service, said: “During this moment of contemplation, everyone was instead looking at this car edging its way along the road.

“I think it was just someone getting irritated that they couldn’t use a route they go through frequently or that their sat-nav was telling them to use it. In the end they just decided to go for it.

“It would have taken some effort as the cones weigh a good few kilos. They drove past very slowly and they definitely weren’t revving their engine. It must have only been about 5mph or 10mph and the car seemed electric so didn’t make much noise.

“They obviously didn’t do it on purpose but it turned out to be disrespectful.”

In a letter in this week’s Henley Standard, David Gealy, of Baskerville Lane, Shiplake, says: “Many residents of Shiplake who witnessed this total disrespect for fallen service personnel know exactly who the two drivers were. Shame on them.”

Parish clerk Roger Hudson said: “It was just distasteful and I don’t think it should have happened.

“It shows a lack of respect when there are other ways to access the village without disturbing the service.”

Following the service, a queue of traffic built up before the cones were removed.

Mr Penrose said: “The drivers were irritated they hadn’t been moved yet. We were just getting a vehicle to move them when a very irritable man got out of his car and moved them himself. It all ended up just feeling a little bit disrespectful.”

Meanwhile, a post-box topper featuring knitted poppies to commemorate the world wars was taken from outside Shiplake Village Store on Saturday.

The decoration, which was knitted by members of Shiplake WI, was reported missing by shop owner Carol Harvey on Sunday.

She later reported that she had checked the CCTV from her shop and the culprits were four teenagers, one of whom had ginger hair and what appeared to be a yellow fireman’s hat.

On Tuesday, a parent posted on Facebook anonymously to say that their son was responsible.

They said: “I am, quite frankly, horrified and embarrassed to say that I believe my son to be the one responsible for taking the post-box topper. I will be dealing with the situation this evening and I am really hoping that the topper will be able to be returned to its rightful place.”

Mrs Harvey updated the community page on Facebook to say that an apology had been received but that the topper itself had not been retrieved.

A similar incident happened in Benson on Monday last week when a soldier figurine was taken from a post-box topper.

Then on Monday this week, the whole thing was stolen.

The topper was knitted in secret by a woman known as “Benson Banksy”.

A resident wrote about the theft on Facebook, saying: “Absolutely sickened... I didn’t think it was possible to feel more disgusted after the soldier was taken but this is a quite unimaginable low. Who would do something like this?

“It’s incredibly disrespectful and disgusting and whoever took it should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

“I know Benson Banksy and she is absolutely heartbroken. Unsurprisingly, she has told me that there will, sadly, be no more toppers as she would constantly worry about whether they would be defaced or stolen.

“What a terrible way for such a lovely gesture to come to an end. Whoever is responsible, you’re a disgrace.”