51 If you currently pay by Standing Order, you will automatically be entered. If there is any problem, I will contact you when these come in on 1st April. If you wish to pay by Standing Order, I can send you the form. Or you can send a cheque made payable to North Teme Group of Churches Tote Account to me (Robin Dean) at Rectory Cottage, Stanford Bridge, Worcester, WR6 6ST. If you have any queries about the Tote, please contact me, Robin Dean, on 01886 853295 or email [email protected] ‘Ludlow Rotary Cares’ is the name the Club has given to its annual scheme aimed at supporting community life in and around Ludlow by offering modest grants to local charities and organisations. For this year the maximum grant available has been increased from £500 to £750. The Club intends to be very open minded about the types of activities it will support so long as the project or programme responds to a community need in or within 15 miles of Ludlow and meets its criteria on the giving of grants. What the Club will need to understand is exactly what the money will be used for, who will benefit from it and how much difference it will make. Further information and a simple application form can be found on the website www.ludlowrotaryclub.org.uk. Organisations which meet the criteria will need to get their applications in by 21 April. For further information please email: [email protected]
52 *SYJHM&JWNFQX &JWNFQX – 8FYJQQNYJ – ((9; – &ZINT )NXYNSLZNXMJI .SYJWFHYN[J 2JINF8UJHNFQNXYX • 9JQJUMTSJ1NSJ*]YJSXNTSXTW7JUFNW • 5MTSJ8THPJY7JQTHFYNTS TW *]YWF8THPJY.SXYFQQFYNTS • +ZQQ<N+N(TSSJHYNTS&WTZSI>TZW-TRJTW4KKNHJ • 'WTFIGFSI7TZYJW7JQTHFYNTS;NFF7FSLJ TK5WJRNXJX • ((9;YT8ZNY>TZW 5JWXTSFQNXJI7JVZNWJRJSYX <J FWJ F QTHFQ HTRUFS^ UWT[NINSL ^TZ \NYM F \NIJ WFSLJ TK XJW[NHJX YFNQTWJI YT ^TZW NSIN[NIZFQ SJJIX fflffiffl– ffiffflffl (MJHPTZYTZW\JGXNYJKTWRTWJNSKTWRFYNTS \\\JSYJHMFJWNFQXHTR
53 Teme Valley Historical Society By Mike Harley We had 30 people to hear a fascinating and highly entertaining talk given by Max Keen entitled “Charles George Gordon or Gordon of Khartoum”. Charles was born in Woolwich, London in 1833. His father was an artillery officer and he was always destined to have a miliary career. In 1848 he joined the Royal Military Academy and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in 1852. He was sent to fight in the Crimean War (1853-56) where he was known for his reckless bravery, particularly in the fierce fighting that took place in the siege trenches around Sebastopol. He was made up to a Captain in 1859 and the year after went with the British forces to fight in the Chinese Civil War. His troops restored peace in Beijing and also supported the important trade route through Shanghai, which was threatened by a radical political uprising. He returned to England in 1865 as a victorious hero and the public called him “Chinese Gordon." He became commander of the Royal Engineers at Gravesend and during the next 5 years he developed a strong interest in Christianity. He had a great concern for the poor youths of the area and organised the re-homing of children in poverty and provided for their education. In 1873 the Viceroy of Egypt appointed Gordon Governor of the province of Equatoria in Sudan where he undertook many administrative roles. The Viceroy was so impressed by his capabilities that he made him Governor General of Sudan in 1877. He crushed rebellions, and suppressed the slave trade which he found repulsive, following his Christian beliefs. This did not go down well. Throughout his army career he General Charles Gordon
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55 was known for being rebellious and unconventional in his approach. This was ideal for Max to exercise his dramatical skills to the full with flamboyant dialogue and suitable attire, and audience participation brought it all to life. Ill health forced Gordon to resign his post and return to England in 1880. However, he was sent to Sudan again by the British Government in 1884 being reappointed as Governor General. The Egyptian forces in Khartoum were facing a rebellion by Mahdists, followers of Muhammed al-Mahdi who had called for a jihad. Gordon arrived in Khartoum in February with instructions to assess the situation and make preparations to evacuate the city. In keeping with his rebellious nature, he did not do this. He believed he could defeat the Mahdists but they soon laid siege to Khartoum. The backdrop to this situation was a liberal led coalition government led by Gladstone in disarray. Gordon wanted a relief force to be sent but Gladstone, who did not like him, dithered but eventually conceded and sent one. During this time the Mahdists were gaining more ground and eventually they broke into the city on 26th January 1885 and Gordon was killed on the same day. The relief force arrived on the 29th January – 3 days too late. Gordon’s death is shrouded in mystery. One version has him standing at the top of some stairs dressed in full military uniform and being hacked to death by spear wielding Dervish soldiers. However, one of his bodyguards said he was firing at those soldiers coming up the stairs, and killing many of them before his revolver ran out of bullets and he was then felled by a spear. Whichever it was, it made a great ending for Max to sign off his talk!! Our next meeting is 7.30 pm 26th March at Abberley Village Hall when a talk will be given entitled “Selly Manor Museum – the story of Birmingham’s oldest building”.
56 Domestic Cleaning Service Spring Clean Builders Clean Weekly or fortnightly Telephone Spit & Polish tel. 01584 781719 Lynne Evans 31 High St.,Cleobury Mortimer DY14 8DQ For both CHIROPRACTIC & OSTEOPATHY, we use gentle methods suitable for all ages. Appointments available outside of normal working hours. Both practitioners are fully registered, insured and regulated. * BACK PAIN * POSTURAL PROBLEMS *SCIATICA * some SPORTS INJURIES * JOINT PAIN * HEADACHES (from neck) Sue Brown CHIROPRACTOR 01299 519351 07932 000028 07506 287191
57 Teme Valley Wildlife Group By Stephanie Mocroft “When gorse is in blossom, kissing’s in season” runs an old saying, which is handy for would-be sweethearts because gorse flowers can be found in any month of the year from January to November. Presumably the plant takes a break in December when it can hand the job to mistletoe over Christmas. Unromantic botanists point out that the long flowering season of gorse is due to most colonies being a mixture of two varieties; common gorse which flowers from January to June and western gorse which takes over between July and November. We are all familiar with the spiky green gorse bush, also known as furze or whin, which opens into a sea of bright yellow flowers and has a pleasant coconutty scent. The pea-like flowers are apparently edible although I’ve never given one a try. Rather surprisingly, the plant was formerly used as animal feed and was first passed through a mill, sometimes a cider mill, to soften the stems and take the edge off the spines. In fact gorse was once a very useful plant and local laws controlled how much could be cut in order to keep it as a sustainable resource. Furze-cutting was often limited to what could be carried on a man’s back and some districts forbade the grubbing up of whole bushes. The main use of gorse was as a fuel, although it was sometimes taken to be made into brooms and chimney brushes. Being highly flammable it provided a quick hot blaze which was good for getting a fire going on a cold morning. It also found favour in domestic bread ovens and was used to fire both brick kilns and lime kilns. Despite being so flammable, gorse is well adapted to survive the
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59 natural fires encountered when growing in its usual heathland habitat. New shoots can spring up directly from the roots and the seed pods crack open and are scattered by fire. In this way, patches of predominantly old bushes can be rejuvenated by deliberate firing. Gorse flowers are attractive to many species of bee because they produce large amounts of pollen. A trigger mechanism is activated when a bee pushes inside the flower, releasing a burst of pollen grains onto the insect’s abdomen. This is useful to pollen-seeking bees but other pollinators are less likely to visit because the flowers offer very little nectar. Other creatures to value gorse are birds who take advantage of the thorny protection afforded to their nests. Birds with a particular liking for the plant include stonechats, whinchats and yellowhammers. It is said that the call of the stonechat, often to be seen perching on top, is remarkably similar to the sound of a gorse seedpod cracking open. I wonder what lies at the heart of that coincidence, nature has so many secrets unknown to us. The next meeting of the Teme Valley Wildlife Group will be at 7:30pm on Thursday March 14th at Stoke Bliss and Kyre Village Hall, WR15 8RR. We welcome Alison Wilkes who will be talking about the work of the Severn Rivers Trust. She will include details about a local project which is ongoing in the Kyre brook catchment area. Everyone is most welcome and it is just £3 on the door. For up-to-date information on what wildlife is being seen in the area, or to give us your sightings or comments, please visit our Facebook page. Our programme of events, bird survey and archive photographs are available on our website www.temevalleywildlife. co.uk We normally hold meetings on the second Thursday of the month. All are welcome. Contact us by email at [email protected]
60 For more information please visit my website or Facebook For the treatment of general aches and pains including arthritic pain and minor sports injuries for people and animals of all ages. To book an appointment please call ( Claire Wall) and leave a message and I will get back to you very soon. WR15 8JA, Mathon, Newnham Bridge, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire www.tenbury_osteopath.co.uk
61 07972 435102 Are you looking for local professional plumbing services? Contact us and we will get your plumbing fixed quickly and efficiently. [email protected]
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63 Installation & removal of old appliance Consumer Unit Upgrades New Build Installations EV Chargers Part & Full Re-wires Security Lighting PAT Testing Same / Next day delivery available Key Cutting Service (In Store only) Car Key or Watch Battery Replacement (In Store only) Testing & Inspection Emergency lighting Fault finding & Repairs G E Bright Electrical Ltd is a family business established in 1952. We are based in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire and provide electrical contracting services throughout Worcestershire, Shropshire & Herefordshire. We are NICEIC Approved contractor, Part P, Trustmark & Constructionline accredited contractors working to the latest British standards. We also have a large retail premises stocked with all major brand appliances ready to be delivered and installed by our own engineers. We deliver within a 25 mile radius of Tenbury. [email protected] 01584 810 286 CONTACT US ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING RETAIL ABOUT US ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING & RETAIL SERVICES 5 TEME STREET, TENBURY WELLS, WR15 8BB www.gebrightelectrical.co.uk Est 1952 Caravan parks & Leisure sites Church Installations TV Wall mounting Re-wiring of antique light fittings & lamps (In Store only)
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65 Abberley Angling Club: Coarse fishing club with own pool in Abberley. Seniors - I: Dave Yemm T: 01299 896 737. Juniors - I: Colin Bates T: 01905 798 225 Clows Top Garden Club: Meet on the 4th Wednesday of each month at the Victory Hall, Clows Top. I: Marion Wilson T: 01299 270 475 E:clowstopdistrictgardeningclub@ hotmail.co.uk Knighton Friends: Meet 3rd Wednesday of each month in the afternoon for meals, garden visits, boat trips etc. I: Sheila Bragger T: 01584 781 190 Lindridge Art Group: Meeting at Lindridge Parish Hall every Tuesday at 2-4pm. I: Mike Harley T: 01584 881 194 E: [email protected] Menith Wood WI: Meet on the afternoon of the first Monday in the month at Lindridge Parish Hall from October to March and Old Chapel Hall, Menith Wood from April to September. E: [email protected] Rock Bridge Club: We meet every Sunday at Rock Village Hall at 7.00 pm. New members welcome whether on own or with partner. The meetings are very sociable and relaxed. We do not play Duplicate Bridge. I: Luke Grant T: 07854 951 330 St Lawrence’s Church Choir: meet for rehearsals the last Monday of the month at St Lawrence’s church, Lindridge, 7.30-8.30pm, singing at Parish communion on the first Sunday of the month, plus other special services. We are a friendly group, no prior experience is required, so if you love singing why not come and join us? I:Polly Gillespie E: [email protected] T: 07758 860 291 Teme Valley Childrens Centre: Run a number of relevant events for children and parents. T: 01905 622 354 E: [email protected] Teme Valley Geological Society: Meet monthly at the Martley Memorial Hall I: John Nicklin T:01886 888 318 E: [email protected] Blog: www.geo-village.eu Teme Valley Historical Society : Meet monthly on the last Tuesday in the month at Abberley Village Hall I: Mike Harley T: 01584 881 194 Teme Valley Wildlife Group: Meet 2nd Thursday each month at Stoke Bliss and Kyre Village Hall Stoke Bliss WR15 8RR E: [email protected] W: www.temevalleywildlife.co.uk Tenbury Rambling Club: I: Ian T: 01584 876 698. Tenbury Town Band: meet for rehearsals at Penlu Sports Club on Sundays (Apprentices 4 – 4:30 and full band 4:30 – 7:00) I: Mel Parker T: 07768 924422. W: www.tenburytownband.co.uk Wyre Forest Lacemakers: Meeting from 11am-3pm on 3rd Saturday each month at St Michaels and All Angels Church in Stourport. E: [email protected] Clubs and Societies I: Information - T: Telephone - E: Email - W: Web
66 The Parish of Teme Valley North The Rev’d David Morris Priest in Charge "The Four Rivers Group" 1 Chiltern Close, Great Witley, WR6 6HL Telephone: 01299 896783 or 07891 837194 Email: [email protected] Readers Christine Clarke [email protected] 01299 575055 Mark Wild [email protected] Church Wardens Knighton Vacant Lindridge Vacant Stockton Vacant Pensax Vacant Contact for all Churches Christine Clarke [email protected] 01299 575055 PCC Meryl Roberts [email protected] Lay Chair Hilary Weatherell [email protected] Secretary Peter Clarke [email protected] Treasurer 01299 832267 Children’s Worker Elizabeth Whitehead [email protected] 01584 781651 Parish Safeguarding Officer Eve Cambray [email protected] Temespan Julia Gordon [email protected] Editor 07455 063610 Natalie Rainbird-Hitchins [email protected] Advertising 07792 198638 Nicola Bretherton [email protected] Knighton 07527 200068 Sally Webb [email protected] Stockton 01584 881563 Robin Dean [email protected] Tote 01886 853295 Parish Website www.temevalleynorthparish.co.uk Paul [email protected]
Your first meeting is free! All you have to lose is some of your time. We are always interested in meeting new people and learning new things Why not contact us to see if we can help you, whether it's Tax, VAT, Accounts or just general advice. T: 01584 872 421 E: [email protected]