What if - ?!
What if? Why not?!
The ideas on this page all came from Brill councillors and parishioners. None of them have happened in Brill (yet!) but other parish councils have turned similar dreams into reality. Localism in Practice (NALC, 2010) is packed with inspiring stories of bold responses to the needs of small communities for access, housing, digital inclusion and green spaces.
What if … there were donkeys back in the Donkey Field?
A pair of friendly and affectionate donkeys in the presently bramble-infested field between Brae Hill Close and Brill Manor grounds, rehomed under The Donkey Sanctuary’s Guardian Scheme, supported financially by the parish council, and cared for by the community … petted and talked to by residents, solace for the lonely, focus for learning for children, communal interest for all.
An expensive project: preparing the field (with the landowner’s blessing); providing a shelter and hard standing; finding money for feed and vet’s bills (estimated annual cost around £1000) - but one with proven benefits for mental health and well-being - of a whole community.
What if … we could see the stars over Brill?
What does Snowdonia national park, Greater Big Bend in the US and Mexico, and the NamibRand nature reserve in Namibia have in common? They are all dark sky reserves. Brill is maybe not quite in that league but we do have one advantage; relative isolation from other built-up areas.
A Dark Sky does not mean no outdoor lights - the parish council is well aware of the security afforded by decent public lighting - what it means is creative management of that lighting, employing such techniques as:
lighting only those areas we need to
shielding lights so the glare is directed downwards
using timers and sensors
Hornby, a village in North Yorkshire, has become the first village in England to to swap its streetlights and more than a hundred other outdoor lights for dark skies-friendly lighting, allowing locals to see the Milky Way, planets and meteors at any time of year. Perhaps Brill could be the second?
Photo by Patrick Galka, August 2020.
What if … there was a wind turbine on Muswell Hill?
The idea was mooted nearly a decade ago; a turbine on our sister hill harvesting the power of the wind and an underground cable feeding this through to Brill. Although some research was done, planning stalled and nothing happened - but maybe the moment has come to think again. After all, why not? An exposed and sparsely populated hill just over a kilometre away from a large village committed to doing its bit to mitigate the impact of the climate emergency.
Take a look at the Community Windpower website and let us know what you think. The parish council has already agreed to explore the setting up of a Brill Renewable Energy Group; maybe this could be their flagship project?
What if … we just let our grass verges grow?
Herefordshire is leading the way here; all over that vast and beautiful country there are signs on grass verges asking Highways mowers and helpful residents to hold off cutting defined lengths so wildflowers can multiply and dependent bees, beetles, butterflies and birds can thrive.
The areas managed in this way are called Roadside Verge Nature Reserves; a lovely way to draw attention to their importance in the bigger scheme of things. Endorsed by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and engaging with Herefordshire Council, parish councils and their contractors, the project depends on volunteers defining, signing, and monitoring local sites.
Brill Parish Council is already committed to letting segments of our village open spaces grow wild - but why not be more ambitious and look beyond our village signs?
Jubilee Flag produced by the Shorten Family
what if … Our children could afford to live in Brill?
Bucks is the second least affordable county in the UK for first-time buyers and sought-after villages like Brill lead the way. For most people in the parish, the chances of our children - or indeed our elderly parents - setting up home in this special place are virtually nil.
But, what if a group of residents came together to build genuinely affordable homes to buy or rent? What if these homes enabled those unable to access homes on the open market to live in Brill? What if these homes helped keep local families together?
And what if these homes were designed not to maximise profit but to meet local need; beautifully designed and environmentally sustainable?
This is exactly what Thame Community Land Trust is doing just seven miles away. If there, why not here?
what if … We recorded the stories of our older residents?
Did you know that there could be a plague burial ground in a far corner of Brill Common? And that during the Second World War Brillites gathered on what is now Spa Close to watch London burning during the Blitz? Have you heard about the aeroplane that crashed near Touchbridge - and Brill boys teaching London evacuees how to snare rabbits? No? Well, you’re missing out.
Twenty years or so ago, a venerable Brillite called Den Rolfe held court in the Memorial Hall once evening, telling stories of his youth to an enthralled audience. Was it recorded? If it was, the cassette tape is long lost. Sadly, Den is no longer with us but how about we do the job properly now, before it’s too late, recording the recollections of our senior residents and then making these stories available online for local people and historians near and far?
In the meantime, spare a thought for the three nuns evacuated from London in WW2 who became the object of fascinated horror to Brill children convinced the nuns’ wimples hid shaved heads. Did the locals ever learn the truth?
Update March 2023!
At the beginning of the month, a large group of senior Brillites met to talk about growing up in Brill. The lively session was recorded by two members of The Brill Society committee. We hope to repeat this event later in the Spring - with maybe a walk in the Summer. If you’d like to be involved, either to join in the conversation or to help facilitate the project, please email Paul Norman.
(Image from the website of Shelley Signs, based in Shropshire.)
what if … There was a tactile interpretation board by Brill Windmill?
Many years ago The Brill Society mooted the idea of a topograph by the windmill. It never came to pass - but no matter; now we could do so much better!
How about a wooden sign - at accessible height, beautifully worked, robust and sustainable - that interpreted things near and far for everyone: the lumps and bumps of Brill Common, the hawthorn trees and village houses, the windmill (of course!), Hartwell’s Barn, the shape of Muswell Hill, the sinuous curves of the M40, the dark mass of Bernwode Forest, the dreaming spires of Oxford (and towers of the JRH), the misty Cotswold horizon? How wonderful would that be?
Expensive, yes - but beautiful and long-lasting. Here’s one inspirational example (NOT an endorsement!) Think about it next time you’re out by the windmill.
what if … Brill had a streetlight fueled by dog poo?
Imagine it - on the edge of the playing fields, maybe - a light powered by bags of dog poo. There’s one in Malvern - so why not Brill? Invented by a chap called Brian Harper, the powerhouse of the streetlight is a biodigester that breaks down dog poo producing a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide. The gasses are stored until dusk, when they are released and ignited and the lamp lights up. Click here to read more about the dog poo streetlight.
Unfortunately, the light isn’t yet in commercial production, but you never know; Brill could lead the way here. Share your thoughts using the contact form below.
what if … BRill village had car-free days?
Remember those days gone by when children rode their bicycles and played hopscotch in the streets? No, me neither - but what about it? Once or twice a year, the whole of Brill - or just a street (Brae Hill and The Firs would be perfect!) closed to traffic for an afternoon and an evening so children could run up and down and play, and grown-ups could set up deck chairs and BBQs and share food and drinks on into the summer night?
Gov.uk has a page about closing streets for parties (interestingly, parish councils have the final word) so it can’t be too crazy an idea. What do you think? Let us know using the contact form.
what if … brill had a community orchard?
Paid for, planted, and cared for by the community - and open for anyone to pick fruit, or just enjoy a quiet and beautiful space. Obvious health benefits and great educational potential for adults and children; wildlife watching, horticultural skills, jam making. But why stop there?! What about cider pressing and beekeeping? Or winemaking? (There are vines growing on Brill allotments.)
Read all about it in this handy government guide - and share your thoughts below.
what if … Brill village was a 20 mph zone?
Complaints about speeding into and out of the village are perennial - but what is the answer? A 20 mph limit would only work if this was enforced - and Thames Valley Police have said publicly that there is no way they can monitor every 20 mph zone in Bucks. Research on low speed limits is conflicting and not always encouraging and there’s certainly no funding from Bucks Council. Another option is to make speeding impossible through traffic calming measures; bumps and islands and so on - but hideously expensive and maybe unsightly?
The 20’s Plenty for Us website spells out the advantages of 20 mph limits and offers campaign resources - and this report from the Department of Transport is also very interesting. What do you think?
what if … The Walks were accessible to everyone?
Brill is surrounded by common land, farmland and woodland; miles of muddy footpaths, acres of rough grass, lots of interesting stiles and gates and precipitous plank bridges. We also have The Walks; two large, gently sloping fields with mature trees, a stream and a pond, accessible from Windmill Street, Brill Common, The Lawns, and Tram Hill. This is the tame dog-walking area (for those quick early and late walks) - but what if it was equally accessible to the unsteady elderly, wobbly toddlers, wheelchair and pushchair users, the sports-injured, tired and chronically unwell? How about an environmentally sympathetic, beautifully designed, all weather path winding its way under the trees and down to the pond, with benches at regular intervals so everyone can enjoy this gem in the middle of our village?
