1 For more coronation news see pg. 2-3, 5 and 9. Ashwell Village News
2 Chris is on post Easter leave so the opening letter this month comes from Louise Faure Walker, Ashwell resident, church member, choir singer and Deputy Lieutenant for Hertfordshire. On Saturday 6th May 2023, King Charles III will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort in Westminster Abbey. This is a 1000-year-old tradition during which the King will be crowned on a Throne, a seat which is 700 years old. There are several stages in the Coronation Service: THE RECOGNITION, THE OATH, THE ANNOINTING, THE INVESTITURE, THE ENTHRONEMENT and THE HOMAGE. Following the Coronation, the State Procession will return to Buckingham Palace. This will be a historic occasion for the Country as we celebrate the Glorious Reign of King Charles III. On Sunday 7th May Ashwell will celebrate the Coronation in various ways, and there are lots of opportunities for everyone to take part. • Everyone is encouraged to decorate their houses for the weekend. • Everyone is invited to bring a picnic to the Recreation Ground from mid-day onwards on Sunday, so that we can celebrate together. Children are encouraged to wear crowns! • Coronation Evensong in St Mary’s Church, Sunday at 6pm. Coronation music and prayers followed by refreshments to raise a toast to the King and Queen. GOD SAVE THE KING!! Louise Faure Walker We may not be able to fly the flag from the church tower for the occasion, because the Peregrines are still in their protected nesting period, but we hope to decorate the church. Ashwell Village News - Coronation special To contact Chris Tel: 01462742277 or email: [email protected]
3 Please feel free to contact us. Chris 742277 [email protected] Julia 07817961703 [email protected] Mark, our Reader 743451 [email protected] Parish Church Office Guy 01462 743922 [email protected] Usual parish office opening times are 10-12 Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. St Marys Contacts List Festal Evensong 7th May This year as the Festal Evensong will be sung the day after King Charles III’s coronation, we will be singing music to reflect this momentous occasion. Evensong canticles will be the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in E by Herbert Murrill (1909-1952). This setting is joyful and fanfare like with much rhythmic interest certainly in the Magnificat. Both Glorias are strident and reflect the majesty of the occasion. I have chosen Hubert Parry’s setting of “I was glad when they said unto me” as the anthem. By long tradition these words, which are verses from Psalm 122, have been sung to various musical settings since the coronation of King Charles 1st in 1626. Parry’s version was composed for King Edward VII in 1902 and then revised for King George V 9 years later. It has been sung at all coronations in the 20th century and will be sung again this year at King Charles III’s coronation. The version we will sing will not include the “Vivat Rex” sections which are reserved only for the coronation themselves. These are acclamations and greet the entrance of the monarch so are interwoven into the music to time exactly with the King’s appearance. The “Vivats” in some form or other have been sung since 1685 (James II onwards therefore). We will also sing the National Anthem complete with the preceding fanfare written by Gordon Jacob for her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 for her coronation. We hope you enjoy the music on both days and dearly hope you will come and support us on the 7th May. There will be drinks and nibbles afterwards, so please do stay and enjoy the occasion. Benefice Services in May 7 May 5th Sunday of Easter 9.15am Family Service, St Nicholas’, Hinxworth 10.45am Parish Communion, St Mary’s, Ashwell 6pm Festal Evensong to mark the Coronation and start of the Music Festival 14 May 6th Sunday of Easter 9.15am Holy Communion, St Nicholas’, Hinxworth 10.45am Thank God it’s Sunday All Age, St Mary’s, Ashwell No evening service, as Ashwell at Home Thursday 18th May Ascension Day 7:30pm Holy Communion 21 May 7th Sunday of Easter 9.15am Holy Communion, St Nicholas’, Hinxworth 10.45am Parish Communion with Baptism, St Mary’s, Ashwell 5.00pm Sacred Space Service, St Mary’s, Ashwell 28 May Pentecost 9.15am Holy Communion, St Nicholas’, Hinxworth 9.30am BCP Communion, St Vincent’s, Newnham 10.45am Parish Communion, St Mary’s, Ashwell 5.00pm Evensong, St Mary’s, Ashwell
4 A few words from ASHWELL UNITED REFORMED CHURCH May is a month that brings the intensity of creation in one of its busiest times of the year – everything is growing, nesting, flowering, breeding. We can celebrate and give thanks for the gifts of creation at any time of the year but Spring is when we are especially aware of it all going in! During the period after Easter, we are also celebrating the wonder and mystery of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and sharing in the excitement of the disciples as they meet him and gradually start to believe that he really is who he says he is. May brings two important Christian events – Ascension Day and Pentecost - and churches everywhere will be observing and reflecting on these occasions, as they do each year. At the URC we will be looking forward to sharing in the reflections brought to us by two of our favourite preachers, Paul Cooper and Stan Short, both of whom have been helping lead our worship for many years. At the wonderful age of 80-something, Stan has told us that he has decided to retire (properly!) from regular preaching commitments and we shall miss his lively and energetic presentations, often assisted with large colourful visual aids. God bless you, Stan, for all those years of service in many churches. For various reasons, the appointment of the new minister for the North Herts Group of URCs could not take place after all, so we are once again ‘issuing a call to ministry’ which will be sent to all the Synods of the church and we pray that someone will want to come and serve our local churches. We look forward to getting together at our May CAMEO when we will celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III. See you there! God Bless Chris SUNDAY SERVICES AT THE URC IN MAY MAY 14TH AT 10.45AM Preacher: Paul Cooper MAY 28TH AT 10.45AM Preacher: Revd Stan Short Worship will include Holy Communion RETIRED MINISTERS WHO CAN HELP ASHWELL URC: Revd Jim Dalgleish Tel: 01763 257499 Revd Stan Short Tel: 01767 315777 TO BOOK THE CHURCH HALL: PLEASE RING SAN CARSWELL 01462 742757 Dixies Meadow - Donkey Meadow I am so sad that once again we are fighting to preserve this very special part of our village. We all appreciate the meadow's importance to the village as a rare green space with views to farmland beyond, historic links to its ancient farmhouse opposite, its buffer to the built up area on either side and and its contribution to the Conservation Area. Back in 1987 when this land was first threatened with development virtually the whole village turned out to protect it and amazingly a good number of those people still live in the village and are ready to fight again judging by the attendance at the public meeting held on the meadow on 8th April. The comments of the inspector who adjudicated at the 1987 public enquiry, which effectively ruled against development, are worth bearing in mind for the situation today. The Inspector agreed that the proposal for accommodation for the elderly was important to the village, but he had to balance that against protection for the environment. He considered this outweighed other considerations. 'To develop the appeal site would cause detriment to the Conservation Area resulting in an irretrievable loss of an open area essential to the village.' In my view land and our environment are all we have, even if it is not in our ownership. Special places must be protected - once built on they are lost forever. Liz M
5 Ashwell Village News (AVN) is published by St Mary’s Church, as a service to the community. Correspondence, articles and advertisements in this magazine are not to be taken as representing the views of either St Mary’s Church or of any of the volunteers who produce the AVN. All new articles please contact AVN Team [email protected] FINAL Deadlines for articles for June submission are: Article Deadline 15th May Advertising Deadline 10th May Our AVN Team of volunteers are: Sarah Talks Editing Alfie Lien-Talks Layout Mark Eaton Finance Julia Mitchell Advertising Ian Chandler Useful Numbers Richard Young Distribution Did you know that the Ashwell Village News is available online? ( eAVN ) https://tinyurl.com/ Ashwell-Village-News for a social afternoon of tea, coffee, cakes and conversation. Here is the plan for our May meeting: 2.30 – 2.45 arrivals (but please come later, if you need to) 2.45 – 3.30 CORONATION TEA and ROYAL QUIZ Enjoy a royal occasion: tea, scones, strawberries and cakes. And test your royal loyalty with a royal quiz. 3.30 – 3.35 a Thought for the Day 3.35 – 4.30 Time for coronation tea and conversations. 4.30 departures (but do leave earlier, if you need to) Where? Ashwell URC Hall, High Street, SG7 5NL When? 2.30pm Wednesday 10th May (until about 4.30pm) Who? All welcome; just turn up (or) Contact? Chris James; 742684 [email protected] C.A.M.E.O.: Come And Meet Each Other Our speaker for April was Jo Adams, well known to most of us through church. She was speaking in her role as a coordinator for Homestart. This amazing charity supports families who are temporarily in need of some extra support for a variety of reasons, when life throws more at them than they are able to handle. The aims and objectives of Homestart are very closely aligned to those of MU in that we are both here to care for families and to look after the interests of children. Jo told us that most people in the country are within reach of a Homestart centre and are often referred by health visitors who work with families in their homes. There are very few paid workers but help comes in the form of a large body of volunteers, both young and old who undergo training before either being linked with a particular family, supporting them in their home, or helping at one of their community based sessions. As we are a charity ourselves we are not able to give donations but I think we all came away feeling that it’s something we’d very much like to support as individuals. Thanks to Jo for an inspiring and thought provoking talk. Our next meeting is on May 11th when Revd. Chris Campbell will be leading us in a prayer workshop. MU is very much rooted in prayer but it’s always good to have fresh approach and space amongst friends in which to practice. Do join us if this is something you feel you’d like help with.
6 Local elections We have our local elections for District Councillors on May 4th and there are four candidates for the North Herts District which covers Ashwell. All the candidates were contacted and asked if they would like to submit a short article or flyer to go into our May magazine. Within the timescales, three candidates were able to respond, and their submissions are on this page. The fourth, local young man, Leo Chapman, is standing as a Labour Candidate, and you can look him up on the Internet to find out more about him and his policies. Voting in local elections is an important way to engage in local issues, and we wish all the candidates well and look forward to featuring more about the appointed district councillor in future AVNs. In Ashwell, the polling station is in the Parish Rooms and you will need to bring ID with a photograph in order to vote. Tom Tyson, Liberal Democrat Party Candidate Leo Chapman, Labour Party Candidate
7 Davina Malcolm, Green Party Candidate I live in a Hertfordshire village even smaller than Ashwell, with only one shop. I’m sure I am like you in wanting to preserve the community and beautiful countryside for future generations to enjoy. I am very concerned about the climate and ecological crisis, and the impact it will have on society. As individuals we can only do so much to reduce our carbon footprint and recycle our rubbish. The UK Government needs to do more to enable us to reach net-zero emissions and remove pollution from our soil, air and water before it is too late. But what can the local district council do? It can push for sustainable, more affordable housing, in appropriate locations; rejecting planning applications that don’t meet these basic requirements. It can push for more frequent, reliable public transport that gets people to where they need or want to be. Extending the County’s HertsLynx service to run on Friday and Saturday evenings is a good start. Now we need to see the service well used – use it or lose it! And to preserve peace and safety, we need to campaign for a 20mph speed limit in ALL Hertfordshire villages, so that we are not competing with other communities for limited funds for enforcement measures, such as speed bumps which no one wants. Vote Green to ensure rural communities are not forgotten. Davina Malcolm Kimpton, April 2023 Davina Malcolm, Green Party Candidate for elections in May 2023, for Arbury Ward in NHDC. Nikki da Costa, Conservative Party Candidate I’m very grateful to AVN for the opportunity to introduce myself to readers as a candidate for District Council. I live in Ashwell Street with my husband Martin and our daughter Freya. We moved to Ashwell to be closer to family who live in nearby villages, and we have cared about the area long before we moved here. Now, serving also as a Parish councillor and an Associate School Governor, I see every day how everyone pulls together and the importance of asking ‘how may I help?’. One of my skills is cutting through layers of bureaucracy and getting answers. I’ve fought for farmers to be treated fairly by the supermarkets, for businesses wrestling red-tape and for the lonely during the pandemic. I’ve also served at the centre of Government and run my own business. Those experiences taught me how much energy, persistence, and commitment matter if Ashwell is to be heard. Too often solutions to issues get stuck - like the footpath to the station which now needs two local authorities to co-operate if it’s to get over the line after years of hard work by the village. Or local government stops listening - like when residents say they can’t cope with three-week rubbish collections. Or problems, like fly tipping, snowball because no-one is held to account. If you place your trust in me on 4 May, know that I’ll leave no stone unturned in fighting for this village: for you to be heard; for a crack-down on fly-tipping; for our local businesses; and to protect our green spaces from inappropriate development and our chalk streams and wildlife from often careless decisions. It would be a privilege to serve as your District Councillor, but whatever the outcome please count on me. Your local Conservative candidate for the District Council election on Thursday 4 May Promoted by Nikki da Costa of 126 Ashwell Street, Ashwell, Herts, SG7 5QX. Printed by Wrightsons, 89 Finedon Rd, Irthlingborough, Wellingborough NN9 5TY.
8 Recently the WI were very fortunate to have Emma Covington, a well known Ashwell resident, come to tell us a brief history of yoga and lead us into some chair yoga exercises. Emma leads yoga classes for varying abilities in the village and some of our members already take part. Emma is just completing her 3 year foundation degree with the British Wheel of Yoga. It takes 500 hours and she is enjoying it immensely . The course is very thorough with lots of reading on the anatomy, postures, meditation, breathing techniques, Sanskrit and involves many essays and assignments. She has also completed an additional course on adapting yoga for use with a chair. It is thought that Yoga was developed at least 5000 years ago in the Indus valleys, now Pakistan and North West India The word yoga means to ‘yoke’ or ‘union’ and it is the union of these practices that is yoga. Yoga is not a Hindu religion it is an ancient system of physical, mental and spiritual practises that have been passed down through the generations. It was first taught by word of mouth until a great sage, teacher, called Patanjali wrote it down in the Yoga Sutras over 2000 years ago Today there are many different styles of yoga although most modern forms originate from Hatha yoga. Yoga is not about the number of practices we do or how long we do them, it is all about how we live our lives in tune with Dharma ,finding and following a unique purpose in life. This is more evident when we realise that yoga enables us to adopt right attitudes towards our problems and thus tackle them in an effective, calm manner. Emma then took us through a selection of exercises using a chair, that gently relaxed, stretched, and turned pretty much each part of our bodies, leaving us feeling well worked and relaxed. Our meeting in May will be our AGM on May 17th at 2pm in the URC. Sunday 14th May Our annual village open day will be “A Day in the Country”, an event not to be missed, a day to remember. A display of local farming, including livestock, is being arranged by Bluegates Farm and Farrows Farm. The stables will be open for you to visit the horses. A Dog Show will be held in Church Mead. Register for it on the day. Local crafts, talks and village trails will also feature. The whole village will be alive with open gardens, music, dancing and other performances, workshops and other activities to join in and enjoy, from 11:00 am till 5:00 pm, raising funds for our school, church, museum and pre-school. Delicious refreshments will be available at the Parish Room, the URC Hall, the School, the Village Hall and the pavilion on the Rec. We still need help from anyone who could do an hour’s stint in the car park. Please contact Cliff Jenkinson if you can: [email protected] We’d also love to hear from anyone who could donate or serve food. Please contact Karen Rogers if you can: 7423338 Have a look at the website www.ashwellathome.org to give you a flavour of the day. Admission to everything is with a wristband, £10 each for adults on the day but only £9 if you order or buy yours in advance, which you can do online via the website or in person at one of the shops or pubs in the village where you see the sign “Wristbands and Programmes Available Here”. Admission is free for accompanied children. If you have an “Ashwell Alive” plaque about the story of your house, please remember to display it on the great day. Looking forward to seeing you. Here’s hoping for a fine and sunny day!
9 100 years ago: 1923 May On the 3rd May a very successful Bazaar was held for that perennial well of church monies – the Tower Restoration Fund. More than £75 was raised. The Cricket season had taken over from football with a full fixture list. The Reserves played Baldock Albion, losing away by 78-43 runs and at home by 70-50 runs. The Ashwell 1st XI had more success beating St Ippolyts and the Stevenage Club & Institute. On Whit-Monday the visit by Letchworth was cancelled so an impromptu match was quickly arranged between the local married and single men. Choral Society and the Merchant Taylors School Boys Choir competed in the Hertford Music Festival. Class I adjudicated by Dr Vaughan Williams, and the Choral society came 1st. They repeated their success in Class II, gained the highest marks (50) for sight reading and a certificate. Both Ashwell choirs sang in final concert. A letter was sent to the Royston Crow from H George Fordham of Odsey on the subject of the Merino breed of sheep. He had seen the first three reports about the introduction of the breed in the early 19th century and more records and prizes from the Herts Agricultural Society. Two of his ancestors, Edward George Fordham of Ashwell Bury and George George Fordham of Odsey House won prizes from the Merino Society between 1814 and 1816 for best ram and ewes. A portrait believed to be the1816 prize ram still exists. Unfortunately the breed, which came originally from Spain did not fare well in the English Climate but it has prospered in Australia. Special days in May We are not going to get many more special days than the Coronation on Saturday 6th May. For many of us, this is the first Coronation we have seen as the late Queen’s Coronation was almost 70 years ago. King Charles and his Queen Consort, Camilla, will be crowned in a ceremony that has essentially remained the same for over a thousand years. For the last 900 years, the ceremony has taken place at Westminster Abbey in London. The service is conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose task this has been since the Norman Conquest in 1066 with very few exceptions. During the ceremony, the Sovereign takes the coronation oath. The form and wording have varied over the centuries. Queen Elizabeth II undertook to rule according to law, to exercise justice with mercy - promises symbolised by the four swords in the coronation regalia (the Crown Jewels) - and to maintain the Church of England. Following the oath the Sovereign is then 'anointed, blessed and consecrated' by the Archbishop, whilst the Sovereign is seated in King Edward's chair (made in 1300, and used by every Sovereign since 1626). After receiving the orb and sceptres, the Archbishop places St Edward's Crown on the Sovereign's head. The plans for the coronation weekend include the main ceremonies on Saturday, a large concert on Sunday and on Monday 8th which is a Bank Holiday the focus will be on volunteering, street parties and gatherings. In Ashwell, on Sunday the 7th May. we are planning an informal community picnic on the recreation ground at 12 noon all are welcome and celebrate the Coronation in the Festival Evensong Service at 6.
10 Rose and Crown Folk: (Thoughts of love’s labours lost, and songs unpleasing to a married ear.) Brown thatch and gardens blooming with lily and with rose, And the cool shining river so pleasant where he flows, Wide fields of oats and barley, and elderflower like foam, And the sky gold with sunset, and the horses going home! (“Homeward” from Songs & Chanties 1914-1916 by Cicely Fox Smith) May is very much blossom time, though the earliest blossoms, the plum family, will already be over by now. One very elderly friend once told me that the only reliable blossom, in terms of when it came out, was May (Hawthorn). Don’t take it inside your house, though, it smells awful. Hopefully, we’ll have quite a lot of elderflowers in the hedgerows this year, as we always make elderflower champagne. Most of the blossom, including Elder, leads to quite a lot of wild fruit in the early autumn. We make quite a lot of jams and jellies as well as a few liqueurs, including Wild Plum Rum from the bullaces. Last year’s Hedgerow Jelly included blackberries, elderberries, sloes, damsons, bullaces, cherry plums, rosehips and crab apples. There are still quite a few areas around Ashwell’s footpaths that have a good surplus of various wild fruit, but these have reduced quite a lot over the past 20 years or so, mainly (but not always) due to housing developments. One real disappointment to me was the development in the old Cookie Factory. The developers tore down yards of hedgerows along Ashwell Street on both sides of the path. We have to thank Greening Ashwell for replacing much of this on one side. None of the plants chosen were wild fruiting varieties, though. This is a source of some sadness to me because it was one of two main sites for cherry plums (Mirabelles) neither of which have survived. The other site was the hedgerow around the springs which seems to be now clipped every year to the extent that there is never very much blossom. I’d quite like to see a bit of a revival in the wild fruit bushes around the village. Perhaps we could grow some seedlings, from gathered fruit, in our gardens or take a few cuttings and grow them on with a view to replanting them as the opportunity arises. If you’d like to know more about the folk session and our music, please get in touch. Ian Chandler [email protected] 743091
11 Scouts I turned 14 a week ago which meant I left Scouts. Scouts has given me many different opportunities and challenged me in many different ways. Being a Scout has given me the opportunity to take part in different adventure activities including camping, hiking, sailing, cycling, orienteering, raft building and more. Scouts has also allowed me to develop skills including teamwork, time management, leadership planning and communication. Being part of the Scouting movement has also taught me academic skills and citizenship skills that will influence me in later life. Scouts has also given me the opportunity to make and develop friendships with people who I might not see in school. On a personal level it has allowed me to keep in touch with my primary school friends who went to a different secondary school to me. If anyone is interested in joining Scouts, I would highly recommend it. Edward Kendrick Emily, Daisy, Kit and Theo joined the St Mary's cast of players who took part in a dramatic performance of the passion play during our Palm Sunday service on 2nd April. Members of the congregation commented on how the drama really brought to life the Easter story and left them feeling quite emotional. Huge thanks go to Jo & David Eggleton Rance, supported by Margaret & Alan Gilliam and Chris Campbell for all the time and effort that went into making this happen. It is so lovely to hear from our younger community members! If you would like to add your own article to the Youth News please get in touch. Passion play Photo by Daisy Moss
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13 The Book Swap Café team hosted a soup and pudding lunch on 18th March which raised an amazing total of £800 (plus GiftAid) for Jimmy’s homeless shelter. A massive ‘thank you’ to the soup and pudding makers, servers, wash-uppers and, of course, to all of you who not only came but gave so generously. We are also very grateful for the donations of toiletries. And special thanks to our friends at the URC who postponed their soup lunch when they realised it coincided with the lunch for Jimmy’s. Jimmy’s is a refuge in Cambridge for homeless men and women. Ongoing help to permanently re-house them and support them is also provided. The charity is small and spends little on administration or smart offices. Donations such as ours make such a difference. It is good to know how donations are used … the lower ground floor of Jimmy’s hostel is currently offices and storage but, due to a 25% rise in rough sleeping across the UK, it was decided to convert these rooms into 5 bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. Donations that have been saved up over the past few years will pay for this and will increase the capacity at that hostel from 20 to 25 people. There will be no more Book Swap Café sessions but please keep using the Book Swap facility which is available whenever the PCR is open for the Post Office, the Parish Office or for Sunday afternoon teas. Good reading and thank you from the Book Swap team. LUNCH FOR JIMMY’S AT THE PARISH CHURCH ROOM Ashwell Food Pantry is finding it tough …… To meet the needs of those who need the pantry. The drop off points for the Pantry are: In St Mary’s Church, next to the Pantry shelves and in Ashwell Stores The type of donations that are most helpful, are: Fresh foods are not really practical, and Pantry Users don’t seem keen on chickpeas, kidney beans or other pulses. Thankyou ! SAFETY a note from Ruth Rowntree Careline is a service I recommend. They saved me when I fell in my garden, unable to get up. Careline found a neighbour to help. Another local neighbour was aware of my mobility issues and kindly took me out to purchase a shopping trolley. It is so valuable for me. Recently I had excellent ambulance attention when I needed oxygen, and to be admitted to hospital. I was found unconscious and was treated for pneumonia. When I was discharged it was under the daily Hospital at Home service with full time oxygen. Since then, the need for oxygen is less, but I still have support. Local shops are lovely, and I use them all. I want to give my appreciation to anyone who readily holds the shop doors open for me and my trolley. I always say the same: a heavy door, a heavy trolley and only two arms….. Thank you to everyone. Tinned meat and fish, baked beans Tinned veg, soup & condiments Toiletries and cleaning products Instant coffee, tea, long-life milk Tinned fruit, desserts Biscuits, cake, jam etc Cereals, pasta and rice Pasta sauces, tinned tomatoes
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15 To my delight Master P (Mamadou Kane) who runs the Diapalante Community Education Centre has been granted a UK visit visa to attend our daughter Caroline’s wedding! So many people in Ashwell have supported Diapalante in different ways since 2005 and Master P would like to meet as many of you as possible. Please drop in to our coffee morning in the Parish Room on Saturday 10th June. Ian and I recently visited Senegal and at the Centre we met many people keen to learn English. These included a champion dancer who is taking the opportunity to learn English in the hope he can start an international career – a realistic prospect as he had been selected to represent Senegal in competitions. We congratulated Abdou as he left for university – such a big chance but for Abdou a huge gamble. He arrived at the Centre several years ago, aged 13, saying he needed to learn French to succeed in school and get on in the world. His understood very little French, the language used in school, and so he couldn’t do his lessons. His family cannot spare money for learning and he saw the Centre as his chance to get on in life. I do so hope he gets his English degree - the odds are still against him as with no funding it will take good fortune and all of his grit and determination. A hairdresser told me her father had migrated to England 22 years ago and she hasn’t seen him since. The British embassy advised her to learn English to improve her chances of getting a visit visa and one of her customers told her about Diapalante. Our visit was peppered with teenagers turning up to share the results of the English mock exams in preparation for their Brevet (GCSE) – they were so proud of their brilliant results and of the Centre for helping them. I want to convey their gratitude and joy – they are sure that Diapalante is helping them, and Diapalante is the outcome of your donations! I joined in a Wolof lesson with the talibes, a group of 40 street connected teenage boys who come to the Centre to learn to read and write in Wolof, their mother tongue. We had very little common language but we got on fine. They were amused by my attempt at a dictation exercise - I didn’t score as highly as many of them! There are many learning opportunities at the Centre including a computer suite. My main aim on this visit was to upgrade the computer system using redundant computers from a London school. Computers are much less common than here (mobile phones are commonplace though the money to buy internet access is harder to find). The “new” computers are much faster than the old ones, even if very slow by our standards and are packed with software and links to learning sites on the internet. They are a very important resource which opens so many doors and brings the world into the Centre. Everyone has free access to the internet and free classes develop their computer skills. See you for coffee on June 10th, Liz Chandler, Diapalante (743091) Hinxworth Art Society needs you. Hinxworth Art Society was founded over 20 years ago. We meet in Hinxworth Village Hall, Francis Road, every Wednesday morning from 10 until 12. We need new members as Covid halved our numbers. I joined a few months ago believing I had not an artistic bone in my body. In the last month I have made a three dimensional sculpture of a villainous individual and painted him with acrylic paint. This last meeting I discovered that painting could be done with a child’s balloon as well as with conventional brushes. It may not make the Royal Academy’s summer exhibition but I have never had such painting fun in my life. Why not join us for a morning and see what you think? An introductory visit will cost you nothing and we will welcome you with coffee, tea and chocolate biscuits, surely an offer you can’t refuse! Patrick Forbes.
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17 GREENING ASHWELL Have you been watching David Attenborough’s Wild Isles? I have, and, as usual, he has inspired and moved me in equal measure. What wildlife treasures we have but how fragile and fragmented their existence! Although rich in places, Britain as a whole is one of the most naturedepleted countries in the world! The programmes reinforce the need for us all to do everything in our power to help protect and preserve the wonders that surround us. On our wildlife friendly allotment we have begun creating a pond that will hopefully attract frogs, toads and newts; it’s still filling with rain water. It should encourage insects, birds and small mammals to visit. We have left large patches of nettles that are great for food plants for the caterpillars of red admiral, small tortoiseshell, painted lady and comma butterflies. The raised flower beds have begun to be planted up with nectar-rich plants that will help support our bees and other insects. Blossom from the fruit trees that were already on the site and the newly planted primroses and cowslips offer food for those insects that are active early in the season. We intend to grow a wide variety of flowers and plants that will provide vital nourishment for a range of pollinating insects at different times of the year and not forgetting nocturnal creatures such as moths that will also need to be catered for. We have been given a bat box (thank you to Anne F) which will be secured to one of the trees and perhaps, in time will be home for bats which we know are visitors to the allotment. These things all remind us of how complex and interdependent our wildlife is and how we are part of the natural world. Our thanks go to Nici M for sleepers that now form a raised flower/herb bed and to Sarah B for pallets which will be used in build a bug hotel! While we were visiting Nici’s garden we were thrilled to learn that she has hedgehogs visiting and indeed living in her garden where she encourages them. By allowing or creating a simple hedgehog highway between gardens they can have a safe route through for feeding on those delicious slugs and snails that are a gardener’s enemy but a hedgehog’s delight! BUT PLEASE NO SLUG PELLETS! Here’s a useful link to hedgehog highways: https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/link-yourgarden/. Nici also told us about an organisation where she volunteers in Stotfold called Woody’s Wildlife Rescue which helps care for hedgehogs and other poorly or injured wildlife. They are always needing volunteers and donations! You can find out more about them on their Facebook page: Woodys wildlife rescue. A reminder that for Ashwell At Home on Sunday 14th MayGreening Ashwell will be offering the tree trail around the village for the youngsters and the allotment will be open between 11-2 o’clock if you would like to see our progress or chat about simple steps we can all take to encourage and protect wildlife. Our next working party will be on 28th May at 2pm at Foresters Allotment. Clare Docking- joint chair: [email protected] Fionnuala George- joint chair: [email protected] Kate Blake- treasurer
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19 It was a full house at our April Makers, even though it was just after Easter. The big draw was a talk by Chris Pickett about calligraphy, and then an opportunity to have a go at italic lettering sheets. Chris said she had enjoyed her research and that came over in a lively and informative talk. Chris also very generously supplied lots of materials with printed alphabets, guidelines and some illuminated initials for colouring. A very mindful and quiet roomful of people of all ages was a joy to behold. Tea and cake and biscuits helped to give enough energy to finish some beautiful lettering, and there was an opportunity for conversation, and to look at some treasures from the Museum store. A friends album, log books and indentures all with great examples of handwriting from the past. A big thank you to Chris. Next month, May 9th, will be just after the Coronation Bank Holiday weekend, and we will be looking at the Making of an Ashwell picnic. Where would you shop for picnic foods on the High Street, and what would go into the basket. Refreshments and crafting as always. 2.30pm at the Museum, all welcome. Makers at the Museum Makers concentrating on their lettering Chris Pickett supervising the calligraphy exercises
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22 Ashwell Horticultural Society Coach trip to RHS Hyde Hall, Essex Thursday 15 June 2023 Leaving Ashwell 9.30 am, returning approx. 6.00 pm Cost £25 per person coach travel and free entry to gardens All are welcome Please contact Margaret Gilliam [email protected] Tel. 01462 742040 to reserve a place
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24 ASHWELL AND BASSINGBOURN PATIENTS' GROUP NOTES FROM OUR MARCH MEETING We are now fully staffed in our admin department. We are also in a very good position regarding medical staff. We enjoy the services of 4 permanent GPs plus a regular locum doctor and a Physician's Assistant. In addition we have 2 Registrars (qualified doctors who are completing their GP training). We also have a nurse and 2 Health Care Assistants. This should be good news concerning appointments and is reassuring in these times when health professionals are in such short supply nationally. We are currently processing the results of our survey about appointments. This produced 369 completed returns which have produced a wealth of data about patient preferences. The next stage will be to produce a commentary and an action plan. Not surprisingly a major criticism arising from the survey was the telephone system which, as patients and staff agree, is not fit for purpose. However there have been some technical improvements recently which we hope will enable the queue to move quicker and avoid people being cut off. If patients experience issues with the system please let the surgery know stating your name, phone number, type of incident and date/time so we can pass on specific details to the phone company. In the meantime we are still awaiting possible news about funding for a new system from the NHS. A list of Patients' Group representatives is being posted on surgery notice boards. Our next meeting will be at the end of May. RT HON SIR OLIVER HEALD QC MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR NORTH EAST HERTFORDSHIRE If you have any concerns please contact me Email: [email protected] Telephone : 01462 486074
25 Friends of Ashwell Village Museum As ever we are in full support of Ashwell at Home coming soon so PLEASE get back to any of us if you feel you can help us during the day. From various notices you will see there are so many possibilities to share in this day which is the highlight of all our fundraising throughout the year and has become such a community event with a welcoming friendly atmosphere. Even the odd hour, making a cake or sitting in the Museum can make such a difference to the running of the day. Thank you for that. We have now finished running the Sunday Teas in the parish rooms and again very grateful to those who organized their Sunday and to those who came along for a cup of tea and cake. Other dates to note are that on Saturday 24th June we will doing Teas in the URC Hall so please come and support us. We will also have a small Bric a Brac stall. On Wednesday 28th June we welcome Ros Allwood to the URC Hall. She will speak on ‘North Herts United; The Fight for the Vote in North Herts’ This will be a ticketed event. The coach to Stratford and theatre visit on Wednesday 31st May has been well supported but as often happens we do get last minute cancellations so do contact Hilary Masham 742416, Monica Boggust 742463 or Karen Mills if interested. Thank You Karen Mills 742155 Jill Powell 742318 The Chronicles of Sir Bark A Lot – Identity Crisis Where do I start this month, I really don't know…. Last time, I mentioned that the Missus did quite a hack job of my haircut but had arranged one with a proper dog hairdresser. So, I had my haircut…. and I think whilst it is a bit short, it is much more sophisticated than what the Missus does. She claims it should as it was twice as expensive as her haircut. However, ever since my haircut, she keeps sending pictures to her friends asking them what they think of her new dog. I can't believe it; they all genuinely think she got a new dog!!! The insult! To add insult to injury, she keeps laughing and calling me a chubby ugly Labrador. Now, I think that is not nice to Labradors, I love Labradors. I think they are very handsome, so not sure why me looking like one is a funny thing. Her Opa said that I finally looked like a To be honest, forget the Missus taking the mickey, my key concern is that none of you, my beloved fans, will recognise me. We have run into people that have known me for years, and even they ask: "Who is your new dog? What happened to Sir Bark A Lot?". Fear not, apparently my bark is a thing of distinction, and quickly they go: "Oh, it is him!" And if all of the emotional distress of my new physical appearance is not enough, yet again, they disappeared for another village event. Honestly, I think the people that organise these events should either consider limiting these to one event every six months, or allow dogs, as I end up sitting up on my own all night in charge of the house, waiting for them to return. This time, it involved the Missus and OtherHalf dressing up (and NO, I wasn't allowed to add a little "je-ne-sais-quoi" - like muddy dog paws), for yet another do in the church. I think the do involved a lot of moving in funny ways, as the next day both of them were walking like there was something wrong with their hips and joints. I thought I was supposed to be the elder in this household, but that morning they both moved like they were much older in dog years than me. Unfortunately for me, next month, it will be even worse…there is plenty to do: Ashwell Music Festival with another disco in the church and Ashwell at home (apparently well-behaved dogs are allowed, but I am not). However, there is an extra bank holiday so hopefully, that means an extra-long walk for me. There should be more walks for me anyway. The Missus had been stressing out for ages about this new role she wanted since before Christmas. She did have to prove she was a real Belgian, and not like a fake English one (long story – her new boss is Italian and mistook her Belgian English accent for like a real English one – honestly, she is so obviously Belgian!!!!) The good news is that she will be able to work from home more, the bad news is she will disappear for a few nights every now and then. I guess I will have to keep the OtherHalf company in the bed when she is not around. As long as I get at least half of the bed, we'll be fine, and I can have the Missus' food at dinner time. Before I sign off, I just wanted to say to those of you who read my last column…have you noticed the new Ashwell Banksy figurines? There is a tiny little squeaky one (mouse) on the gate to the church yard and a fat one as you walk along the fence at Rollys Lane (not sure I like that one – since the stripey non-dog passed away, we sometimes have them in our garden and it freaks out the Missus). That’s it for now folks, Sir Bark A Lot
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27 Poems for May: AA Milne Spot the difference Right, results for April’s copy: how many did you find? Below, May’s Spot the Difference. There are always 12 to find.
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29 Wordsmith J Joblijock - anything which disturbs your domestic comfort. Nice to know what it's called Jamais vu - opposite of deja vu. The feeling that something familiar seems strange Jocoserious - half joking Jolloped - double chinned Jouissance - delight/ecstasy Jejeune - naive/simplistic Juvenescent - becoming youthful (I wish) JOMO - the Joy of missing out (preferable to FOMO fear of missing out) Then we have jaunty, jolly, jovial, joy, jubilant, jingle, jeroboam, jacuzzi, jalopy, jamboree, Jammy, jape, jitterbug, jubilee and junket K Kaloplia - a temporary state in which everyone and everything looks beautiful Kalokagathia - A condition or state in which the good and the beautiful are combined Kvell - to feel pride and joy in someone else's accomplishments (see Firgun in March) Kuchisabishu - Japanese for comfort eating Kummerspeck - German for comfort eating Krotoscope - an instrument for measuring applause Then we have kind, kindred spirit, kindly, karma, kazoo, knees up, kedgeree, knickerbocker glory kestrel, kudos and kummel L Largifical - generous in the extreme Lobcock - dull inanimate fellow Lolipoop - lazy person who gets to the task just as someone else has finished it. Latibulating - act of hiding in a corner in order to escape reality Lefargen - praise given generousely Lalochezia - the relief of stress/frustration/pain by swearing. Serotonin levels soar and cortisol levels plummet. Laaba - a storage platform or shelf out of reach or animals or children Lepid - charming, elegant and amiable. Languorous - pleasurable inactivity. Lollygag - to spend time aimlessly. Lovelight - a look of adoration in another persons eyes. Then we have like, love, loyal, lucky, lullaby, lollypop, luxuriant, luxury, lyrical, lounge. And lovey-dovey. From Eileen Ten-Hove: J - jussive: expressing a command K – kenspeckle: conspicuous or easily recognisable L – lollapalooza: a particularly attractive thing or person And a few more… Jampan, an Indian sedan chair. Jannock, outspoken or honest. Jazzbo, slapstick comedy. Then we have jinker (carriage) juggins (a simple soul) and jurel (a fish) Kalon, beauty more than skin deep. Kersey, coarse woolcloth. And we have kasha (buckwheat porridge), kiang (a wild horse) and kidlet (a small child) Lagerphone, a percussion instrument made from loose bottle caps on a stick. Lammergeier, a giant vulture. Leman, a lover or sweetheart. And finally, libken (place to sleep), lar (local house god) and limax (a slug!!)
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