1 This stunning floral panel was created by the Well Dressing group for Ashwell at Home. Funding from the Ashwell Show helped to cover the cost of clay and flowers, seeds and corn. For more information on Well Dressing please see page 15.
2
3 2 June 1st Sunday after Trinity 9.15am Family Service, St Nicholas’, Hinxworth 10.45am Thank God it’s Sunday, St Mary’s, Ashwell 5pm Holy Communion, St Mary’s, Ashwell 9 June 2nd Sunday after Trinity 9.15am Holy Communion, St Nicholas’, Hinxworth 10.45am Parish Communion, St Mary’s, Ashwell 5.00pm Evening Prayer, St Mary’s, Ashwell 16 June 3rd Sunday after Trinity Bishop Alan visiting St Nicholas & St Vincent’s, so no morning service in Ashwell. 9.30am BCP Communion, St Vincent’s, Newnham 11.00am All Age Communion, St Nicholas’, Hinxworth 5.00pm Sacred Space Service, St Mary’s, Ashwell 23 June 4th Sunday after Trinity 10.45am Parish Communion, St Mary’s, Ashwell No service at St Vincent’s this week, as Newnham Parish Lunch 2.30pm Family Café Church, St Nicholas’, Hinxworth 5.00pm Evensong, St Mary’s, Ashwell 30 June 5th Sunday after Trinity 9.15am Holy Communion, St Nicholas’, Hinxworth 10.45am Parish Communion, St Mary’s, Ashwell 5.00pm Healing Service, St Mary’s, Ashwell Plus, every Wednesday morning at 10am, Midweek Communion Service, followed by refreshments and conversation. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19, verse 1 I had never seen the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, even when we spent a few months living in Norway, although it was one of those things that I’ve always wanted to observe. And then, as I was tidying up after our wonderful James Pearson Trio concert in church, someone came in and told me to go outside and look up... Which I did... seeing, as I know many of you also saw, the wonders of the Northern Lights active above our own North Hertfordshire village. At first I wondered if I was really seeing anything. Just a very slight pink streak across the sky. But then, I held up my camera, and the image came to life. For, as we many of us have recently discovered, the aurora is the counter-example to the prevailing wisdom that it is better to experience things first-hand, without reaching for a camera phone straight away! Indeed, viewing this amazing natural phenomenon through a camera lens actually enhances the experience, enabling the colours and patterns to be seen more clearly. Unsurprisingly, given their magnificence, there are many myths and legends associated with the Northern Lights. The Vikings believed that they were resplendent reflections of the Valkyries’ armour, as they led warriors to Odin in Valhalla. In Finland, one beautiful legend has it that they were produced by Arctic foxes, whose furry white tails brushed against the mountains creating sparks. And many tribes in Northern America and Canada, associate the lights with communication between the living and the dead. Sight of this natural wonder has stimulated spirituality in people for thousands of years, and I think, for a moment the other night, many of us might have felt something of that. One of my favourite psalms, Psalm 19, sings that the heavens declare the glory of God. As I looked at this unexpectedly glorious spectacle on our own doorsteps, I know that I was certainly filled with wonder and sense of the divine; finding my soul refreshed, by a created world that is vibrant, infinite and awe-inspiring. Chris Ashwell Village News - Letter from Chris To contact Chris Tel: 01462 742277 or email: [email protected] Benefice Services
4 A few words from ASHWELL UNITED REFORMED CHURCH It’s hard to believe we are already half way through the year – where did all those weeks go? In June at the URC we will be starting our Saturday Afternoon Teas and we look forward to seeing friends old and new sharing in scones and cakes, happy conversation and news. We are also looking forward to welcoming our new group Minister, Revd Stan Chatikobo. He arrived with his wife and son from Zimbabwe in early May and they have been settling in to the Manse at Trinity Church, Knebworth. At the time of writing I cannot tell you when he will lead his first service at Ashwell because his rota of services has not yet been arranged – hopefully this month, though! On 5th June, the United Nations promotes World Environment Day to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. Many churches now hold special services or other activities during June to reflect on this increasingly important and concerning part of all our lives. As Christians we have a special duty to care for all those other creatures with which we share our world – not just during June of, course, but all through the year – and to thank God for the beauty and diversity of this world. So perhaps this month, each of us can set aside a quiet moment each day to enjoy some aspect of the world around us and say a ‘thank-you’ for it. God Bless, Chris SUNDAY SERVICES AT THE URC IN JUNE SUNDAY 9TH JUNE AT 10.45AM Preacher: Catherine Patrick Coffee after the service SUNDAY 23rd JUNE AT 10.45AM Preacher: to be confirmed Worship will include Holy Communion TO BOOK THE CHURCH HALL: PLEASE RING SAN CARSWELl 01462 742757 CAMEO Wednesday 12TH June 2.30 – 4.30pm 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 July’s submission are: Article Deadline 15th June Advertising Deadline 10th June 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
5 C.A.M.E.O.: Come And Meet Each Other CAMEO is a social gathering for people of all ages. The main object is simply to enjoy time together over tea and cakes and conversation. Here is the plan for our June meeting: 2.30 arrive any time after 2.30; you will be made welcome 2.45 Tells us about a book that you have read and enjoyed. It can be fiction or fact. Something recent, or something from years ago. Bring it along, if you still have it. 3.30 a brief Thought for the Day 3.35 tea, cakes and conversations 4.30 time for home (but do leave earlier, if you need to) Where? Ashwell URC Hall, High Street, SG7 5NL When? 2.30pm Wednesday 12th June Who? All welcome; just turn up (or) Contact? Chris James; 742684 [email protected] Not able to make it? Then the next CAMEO will be 10th July. Please feel free to contact us. Chris 742277 [email protected] Julia Mitchell(Churchwarden) 07817961703 [email protected] John Chilton (Churchwarden) 07841055407 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 The group are hard at work refining the application for government funding to appraise the possibilities for cutting carbon and also building a website to hold all the information about the hopes and plans for the future. It is of course very important to engage with the community as many aspects will need to be a whole village scheme. Other villages and towns have already begun their projects and there are two to look up if you want to know more https://lep.swce.co.uk/ is near Saffron Walden and https://goingcarbonneutral.co.uk/ is in Cheshire. If you would like to know more, or can offer any help or support please contact [email protected] Zero Carbon Ashwell Working Group Many thanks once again to everyone who contributed towards making this such a successful and memorable event this year. The enthusiasm and energy of so many people in this community are truly remarkable. At the time of writing, we are still waiting for a few last minute invoices and items of income so we can’t let you know the total amount raised. We’ll do so as soon as the final figure is known. We hope you might like to become involved in helping to organise Ashwell at Home in 2025. If so, please get in touch. [email protected] 742592 Huge Thanks to Cliff Jenkinson who has led the Ashwell at Home Committee for many years, and who is now stepping down. Thank you, Cliff, for all your many hours of hard work.
6 Our May meeting fell during our lovely music festival week and we were lucky enough to welcome Julia Mitchell with her harp. I have to admit to this being a happy accident rather than something I’d planned specially but it certainly was a happy morning and wonderful to have some extra music as well as all that had been on offer during that week. Julia gave us a brief history of the harp which has been around in some form almost as long as humans have walked the earth. Of course we read about David, the harpist and song writer in the Bible and even that long ago the harp was used to evoke many feelings such as joy, sadness, peace and even discord. I commented that I’d often watched the harpist in an orchestra having to sit quietly through much of the piece they were playing but having to be alert to when it was their turn to come in and play just a few bars! What Julia does is quite different. She plays for therapy and has had much training in order to do this. She explained how to use the harp to evoke a variety of feelings and we were most interested to know how empathetic she needs to be in order to sense what kind of music the people she is playing for need at the time. Harp for therapy is well known in America but Julia’s mission is to get it to be more recognised in this country. She runs her own business called ‘Peaceful Strings’ and takes her beautiful music to both the Lister hospital and the Garden House Hospice, giving both comfort and joy to many patients. We were all most interested to hear what she had to say but the comments afterwards were in the form of a plea to come again and just play for us! I’m sure that could be arranged. Our meeting this month is on June 13th in the PCR at 10.30 as usual. We will be having a complete change and welcoming Kay Skingsley who will be helping us make flowery jam jar lanterns to light up our gardens on those (hopefully!) balmy summer evenings. Viv Hollow Group Contact It’s good to be back as your North Herts District Councillor after the recent local elections. My thanks go to everyone who put their trust in me to continue working for Ashwell and the rest of Arbury ward. The election period meant that council business has been slow and we are, at the time of writing, still in the process of appointing members to all the committees and other posts. Crucially, the leadership of the Council will be decided at the Annual Meeting on 23 May. With the final result of Labour 25, Lib Dem 19 and Conservative 7 members it seems likely that as you read this we will have a Labour administration, albeit one without an absolute majority. As we enter the new civic year, my in-tray is as full as ever, with plenty of queries about planning applications in and around the village, concerns about inconsiderate driving and parking, and questions on a whole range of other interesting topics. Often I have to turn to our hardworking officers for information and advice and I’d like to commend them for their diligence, responsiveness and support. Without their hard work, the Council would grind to a halt, regardless of the political complexion of the administration. And remember, you can meet me and the other councillors for Baldock and surrounding villages at our surgery outside Tesco on the last Saturday morning of each month. Finally, on another note altogether: it felt like summer had arrived in time for Ashwell at Home. What a scorcher! I had a great day out with my friends The Outliars as we busked some acoustic tunes around the village, with a special focus on the three pubs! Tom Tyson [email protected] 07546 597377 Tom Tyson
7 Recently , Alison Gates, an Ashwell resident and passionate illustrator of children’s books ,came to talk to the WI. She also adores dandelions and her recent picture book evolves round the life cycle of a dandelion and a rabbit. Alison moved to Ashwell 10 years ago and had always wanted to be a children’s book illustrator, so in 2019 she did her Masters in just that. She explained that book illustrations began hundreds of years ago using wood blocks. This seemed to be the preserve of men and it wasn’t until the 19th century that women, such as Beatrix Potter, were accepted and became famous. By the early 1900s Arthur Rackham was producing wonderful fairy illustrations in watercolours and pen and ink. The 1960s showed a complete change with real expressionism and exciting , modern images. Maurice Sendak, Quentin Blake and Raymond Briggs are just three that are still well known for their work. By the early 2000s illustrations became more realistic and personal. All nationalities and differences were being embraced . Nowadays digital images are often used which are far easier for the publishers to manage. Alison doesn’t work digitally, preferring to draw her own images and paint them by hand, producing realistic pictures that she feels are more personal. Alison showed us many of her lovely illustrations and explained that today it is easier to publish your own work and sell it through large outlets, avoiding publishers that don’t always share your ideas of what is wanted. Alison also showed us a few of the many sketchbooks that she has filled over the years. She just loves sketching wherever she goes and often she can get ideas from the sketches to use when producing her books. Alison also makes greeting cards, invitations, posters and any other items that involve illustrations. Her real passion is drawing. After many questions Corrie thanked Alison for a delightful glimpse into her life. On June 19th we are holding our ‘Members Meeting’, when the committee sits back and is entertained by the members. As I write this for the July Edition of Ashwell News we are preparing for our next coach trip to Knole, a National Trust property in Kent. We are very pleased to have a full coach of supporters so again grateful for those who join us on our various adventures. Currently we are likely to be heading to Bury St Edmunds in the early Autumn but more news about this will follow in due course. We may appear to have been rather slow in giving details but as requests for another Theatre trip have been suggested we have found getting suitable performances and programme details difficult, therefore a date for this may be given only next month although if we do confirm Bury it may be that we consider alternative things to do there. As ever please watch this space. Thank you to those Volunteers who helped in the Museum for the Ashwell at Home. A busy day but as ever enjoyable Our next event will be Teas in the URC Hall on Saturday afternoon 29th June. Please come along and support us. We feel it is good to take on one Saturday in the Summer months when the URC run this community project for the village. Offers of help or cakes would be appreciated The Museum will have a Stand at the Horse Show on Bank Holiday Monday26th August so again come and see us if you are there. Our Volunteers Annual get together will be on Friday 20th September in the Museum and will, for a change, be a Cheese and Wine Evening from 7-9pm. Please invite anyone interested in joining us as a Volunteer or a Friend as here they can learn more about us. Thank you again for supporting the Friends and the Museum and do contact us for further information about our activities Jill Powell Chair 01462742318 Karen Mills Secretary 01462742155 Friends of Ashwell Village Museum
8 Chairman: Graham Lee (742834) Office at Bear Farm, 6A Back Street (743706) Clerk: Jane Porter, [email protected] www.ashwell.gov.uk Jottings: Parish Council News items from Ashwell Parish Council. The main points from the Parish Council meeting held in May are included below: Parish Council AGM & New Clerk At the May meeting the existing Chair & Deputy Chair were re-appointed by the Councillors. We were also pleased to welcome our new Trainee Clerk – Sally Roberts – who is being trained to take over from Jane Porter over the coming weeks so that Jane can finally retire after 20+ years of outstanding service to the Ashwell community. We now have a full establishment in the office having been joined by Nicky Forrester (Deputy Clerk) in November 2023. The Office will continue to be staffed and open to the public every day between Monday – Thursday from 9.30am to 1.30pm. Ashwell Drains Survey – Please report to us Herts Highways plan to carry out a systematic cleaning of Ashwell drains in the coming months. We know that their records are incomplete, so it’s in our interests to report every drain that is blocked. Your local knowledge can really help us to build a comprehensive database of ‘problematic drains’. To accurately locate blocked drains please use www.what3words.com (preferably plus a photo) as this gives location accuracy to within 1 metre. Please email your list of blocked drains near you to [email protected] Other Parish Council News War Memorial paving. Highways have decided to remove the dropped curb in an effort to resolve pooling of water near the Memorial at the junction of Station Road and Lucas Lane. In addition they are considering the proposal to add bollards to the paving to stop vehicles cutting the corner by mounting the paving. Councillor co-option. There are currently vacancies for Councillors which can be filled by a process called co-option. Being a Councillor in a Parish Council is a voluntary and non-political role and gives parishioners the opportunity to use their skills and enthusiasm to benefit our Village community and environment. Time input can average as little as 1 hour a week over a typical month. If you’re interested in joining us please contact the Clerk in the first instance. Next Parish Council Meeting – 7PM Wednesday 3rd June 2024
9 At Baldock British Legion Fete Ashwell had great success in the Bonnie Babies Competition. Mrs Mary Clements, wife of Herbert George, claimed a special prize for her twins. The couple lived at Butt Way Cottages and the twins, Mary and Herbert, were born on 13th December 1923. Mrs Thirza Webb, the wife of Ernest, gained 3rd prize in the Girl section. with her daughter. Thirza lived to be the oldest resident of Ashwell in the 1990s. Their address was Station Road but in 1924 this included Lucas Lane where she carried on living. At the District Fete in Hatfield Ashwell Women’s Institute was represented by Mrs WA Fordham. The stall also promoted the Ashwell Nursing Association. Gifts were donated by Mr Cooper and Kathleen Angell presented a purse to the Duchess of York. At the regular WI meeting almost 60 were present and 25 members accepted an invitation from Odsey W.I. to visit them. There was a very busy month on the cricket field. Ashwell played 3 Counties Mental Hospital with ‘no definite result’. The1st XI lost to Henlow at home. Away to Arlesey they won by 23 runs and on Whit Monday they beat Ickleford in a very low scoring match. The 2nd XI beat Henlow by 40 runs and at home overcame Arlesey by 59 runs but lost to Radwell. A Scratch team fitted in a fixture winning at Odsey. Despite June being a time for Sports and Fetes there was still opportunity for more serious entertainment. The first of two lectures on ‘Local History’ was given by Mr John Beresford. The Beresfords lived in London but rented Ashwell End House as a country retreat but eventually became such a part of Ashwell that the house is now called after them. John Beresford is renown for editing the Diaries of Parson Woodforde which he found a shelf in Doctor Woodforde’s surgery. However for this talk his research had taken him to the Muniments Room of Westminster Abbey to discover and decipher from the medieval Latin early records of Ashwell Church. Among the interesting facts he found were: In 1157 the pope confirmed the advowson, the right to appoint the rector, of Ashwell Church to the Abbot and Monastery of Westminster: In 1216 an agreement was made for a mass to be sung daily to the Blessed virgin: In 1368 the accounts show that £118-2s-8d was paid by the Abbey and Convent as their share for the new chancel. This was just a dip into the wealth of documents that are still waiting, even today, to tell us of Ashwell life in those far off times. To bring us back to the present on Sunday 8th June, P.C. Dunk observed that between 5.30 to 6.30-pm at the ‘Chapel end of High Street’ a group of youths were blocking the road making it difficult to pass. Later outside the Six Bells, near the entrance to the Parish Church, he said they were still causing a disturbance. The youths causing the obstruction were: Albert George Thurgood, 18, James Davis, 18, David Seaby, 17, Stanley Brown, 18, Albert Gallant, 18, Allan Smith, 17, John Waldock, 18 and Frederick Waldock, 18, all of Ashwell. Although there were numerous complaints no witnesses came forward to testify so they were all just given caution. 100 years ago: 1924 June
10 This month I would like to share Babou’s story of with you, as told by Babou in Wolof then translated into English. It is one of the many diverse stories showing what your donation to Diapalante can achieve. Don’t be deceived by his smart best clothes in the photo, Babou has very little, few possessions and no formal education. He is grasping the opportunity Diapalante offers to attend free lessons, at times to suit his existing commitments. Hello, my name is Babou, I am 28 years old. I am originally from the district of Sakal, located in the region of Louga (230 Km from Kaolack). I have 3 sisters and a half-brother. My parents chose to send me to a daara (Koranic school) here in Kaolack from a young age because my father's marabout (religious guide) lived here in Kaolack. I don't remember how old I was. Thank God today I have mastered the Qur'an and now I am learning more religious knowledge in the daara. Every day I wake up very early, Then I pedal my bike to the market. There I help a few stallholders to get ready, sweep, and display their wares. With the money I earn, I am able to save a little so that when I finish my religious studies, I can use my savings to start doing a little business. However, being aware that I also need to read, write, speak and understand the minimum in French [our national language] and maybe in English, I started coming to the Diapalante Centre 3 months ago to try to fill this gap in my knowledge so important for my future. Now I can send and read a message on my phone. I can also do calculations. I'm also starting to understand a lot of French words that people mix with Wolof for example: aujourd'hui, responsable, projet, etc. I have also learned some important short phrases in French and English e.g. come here, come back, go there, go back, what is your name, my name is, thank you, sorry etc. Beyond my business project, if I can read and write French well, I will be able to apply to some private religious schools as a teacher. But above all, I come to learn for my personal development. When I come to the Centre, I also take the opportunity to chat and socialise with the other learners. I really thank the Diapalante Centre for giving me the opportunity to catch up because without the Centre it would have been very difficult. Liz Chandler 743091 Babou’s story Youngsters at the Diapalante Community Education Centre in Senegal want to help girls to go to school during their periods by sewing re-usable period packs. There are a range of different sewing tasks involved, some need modern sewing machines while other tasks can be completed on any sewing machine in good working order. If you have a no longer used sewing machine we would love to be given it for this project. Most unused sewing machines spring to life after we have oiled and cleaned them. If you have a spare sewing machine to donate please contact Liz Chandler on 01462 743091. Thank you. Appeal for Sewing Machines We can also use 50 years old machines The project can use state of the art sewing Or simple straight stitch machines even if 60 years old or more
11 With kind permission from Jonathan and Paula, we opened up a ‘test pit’ in the drive of the Crump’s house next to the Museum for Ashwell at Home. A very hot day meant that the gazebo and pot washing were very popular! Lots of people came to have a look and ask questions about the history of the site. Cottages once ran along both sides of Swan Street, and it is likely that this plot was part of the market in Ashwell from the early Medieval period onwards. The finds were very consistent with disturbed topsoil. We found glass, pottery sherds, parts of teapots, a fizzy drink bottle stopper and a slate pencil among many other finds. Sarah Talks Test Pit at Ashwell at Home
12 Tracy is stepping down as Chair of the Music Festival. Thank you, Tracy, for your hard work. If anyone wishes to help get the 70th Ashwell Music Festival going in 2025 do please contact Chris Campbell [email protected]
13 It was so hard to choose a herb this month! Nature is in full swing and there are so many amazing plants growing abundantly in the wild that we can use for food and healing right now. I settled on Borage, as it featured in my herb talk at the Roman and Medieval herb gardens for Ashwell at Home. Though not part of the original herb beds, it has found its way there and seems very happy — and the Romans were apparently partial to Borage-infused wine! Borage is also known as Star Flower, Bee-bread and Bee-fodder, because bees absolutely adore this plant — one of the main reasons I have it in my garden. We need more happy bees. Attracting bees and other pollinators makes it a great companion plant, and it’s said to help squashes, spinach, cabbages, cucumbers, strawberries and fruit trees. It is also thought to repel the undesirables for veggie growers, and is especially beneficial to tomato plants. Borage is native to the Mediterranean region, and has naturalised in many other countries throughout Europe. Growing up to three feet tall, it's recognisable by its broad, prickly leaves, thick hairy stems, and perfect five-petaled purple-blue flowers (and is usually buzzing with bees). “Borage for Courage” as the saying goes. Its Welsh name translates to “Herb of Gladness” and historically it has been used to treat melancholy and lift the spirits. The root of the word courage is cor – the Latin word for heart. American professor and social researcher Brené Brown suggests in its earliest forms, the word courage meant “to speak one's mind by telling all one's heart.” Perhaps Borage can help give us the strength to do this. Today, it’s the oil extracted from Borage seeds that’s used in herbal medicine. This oil contains 17–28% gamma-linolenic acid, which is an Omega-6 oil. Borage / Starflower oil is used as an anti-inflammatory to treat joint pain, regulate metabolism, and support brain health. It’s also believed to strengthen and nourish the adrenal glands, making it particularly helpful for anyone experiencing prolonged periods of stress. Borage oil comes in capsules (my favourite supplier being Baldwin’s, baldwins.co.uk). Borage has a refreshing cucumber flavour, making it a wonderful way to spruce up your salads… or Pimms! Borage flower ice cubes make a magical addition to summer drinks. As Ashwell’s Roman and Medieval herb gardens will attest, Borage is great at growing, so introduce it to your garden knowing you’ll enjoy its culinary, medicinal and bee-feeding benefits for years to come. By Katie Shellard, Massage Therapist and Sensory Herbalist www.katieshellard.com Herbs of Ashwell: All about Borage | Borago officinalis
14
15 This month the Makers group had a real treat, as Maureen came to tell us about how she came to set up a Well Dressing group in the village. The timing was perfect as the 2024 Well Dressing panel had just been installed for Ashwell at Home. The theme this year was the Olympics, which are to start this summer in Paris. Maureen grew up in Derbyshire where Well Dressing is a very popular form of community celebration. The history of decoration wells and springs is thought to be very old and certainly pre-Roman and Roman people worshipped at these watery places. Linked to the celebration of May days and to give thanks for clean water during the waves of plague that swept places like Eyam. In Tissington, which remained plague free, they attributed it to the healthy fresh water in the wells. Although we are a long way from Derbyshire, when Maureen moved to the village, she began to think about how a Well Dressing could work with the springs and Ashwell at Home, and a group was formed to make the first panel. The wooden frame, made from a pallet, is lined with hundreds of nails. These nails support the clay (many kilograms of clay) which is puddled (mashed up by foot in a large container) before it is squashed into the frame. The whole panel is then soaked in the springs for several days so that the clay is waterlogged and can then keep the plant material fresh. Several days before the Sunday of Ashwell at Home, the team begin to create the design. A large pattern made from the selected design is pricked out onto the clay then the dots are joined to make the lines of the shapes in the design. Black knobbing is done first to define these lines using seeds, black beans, dried sweetcorn and small alder cones. Then the colourful sections are created with whole petals painstakingly pressed into the wet clay. Large green sections might use parsley or other foliage. This year a snail created havoc by eating the damp parsley! After hearing about the history and theory, the Makers group had a go at creating smaller panels for themselves. Maureen and her helpers Sue H and Sue B were very helpful in providing materials and support. Refreshments were served and the group spent some time creating mini masterpieces! June’s Makers will be an art session, possibly looking at how the church has been depicted by different artists. Tuesday June 11th 2.30pm in the Museum. All Welcome July’s Makers will be on herbs for health with Katie Shellard, Sensory Herbalist Tuesday July 9th 2.30pm in the Museum. All Welcome Makers at the Museum
16
17
18 Registered in England & Wales, No.06744379, and limited by guarantee. Registered charity No. 1127052 Registered office: Royston Hospital, London Road, Royston, Herts. SG8 9EN Supported by: Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group * Hertfordshire County Council * North Hertfordshire District Council * Cambridgeshire County Council * South Cambridgeshire District Council * and various local Parish Councils There are many great reasons to come and join the St Mary’s Choir. Learn more by speaking to the Director of Music at [email protected] or on 07971404481
19 Greening Ashwell Hopefully, the very wet, cold and grey Spring is behind us now and we are moving into a spell of warmer, drier and brighter days ahead. In April we worked with the Brownies and Girl Guides, sowing wildflower seeds in pots which they later planted out in a newly created flowerbed at the doctors’ surgery in Gardeners Lane. We are hoping that this will be the beginnings of future projects in the surgery’s grounds which will become a community green space which will help to enhance patients wellbeing but also contribute to nature’s biodiversity. Many thanks to Katie Prince (business manager at the surgery) for helping us to achieve this. The Wildlife Allotment was open for visitors again this year and with a steady flow of people proved a successful venture. Unfortunately, the wild garlic and native bluebells we planted last autumn had finished flowering but the foxgloves stood proud and tall in the shady area of the plot. The pond was the real highlight though with an abundance of frogs performing to their audience. Indeed, our visitors had to tread carefully as our amphibious neighbours hopped about oblivious of footsteps! Hover flies, damselflies and butterflies were also an attraction reminding us of how important and beautiful wild spaces are for the natural ecology of our planet. We are excited to be involved in another Springs Festival which is happening on Sunday 7th July between 6:30 and 9 pm. This year’s attractions will include some more from very our local musicians, Julia Mitchell with her beautiful harp music and some entertainment from members of the theatre club. Last year’s festival proved to be a very enjoyable evening and a true celebration of our wonderful natural water source; do save that! In the coming months you may well hear about a new community initiative within the village - Zero Carbon Ashwell. This is a separate committee chaired by Graham Lee with the Parish Council. As the title suggested it’s about working together to reduce our energy use, costs and impact on our planet . Neutralising and absorbing carbon emissions are important factors and Greening Ashwell will be contributing to aspects of this by continuing our work in our local environment to promote good practices towards conserving green spaces, including planting trees and hedges, seeding verges with wildflowers and of course our gardens can play their part in this too. Future dates for Greening Ashwell working parties: Sunday 30th June 2pm, Sunday 7th July 2 pm (preparing and setting up for festival). No working parties at end of July or August. We will resume the usual working party on the last Sunday in the month -29th September 2pm. Details about where we will be working will be posted on Ashwell Hub or on Friends of Greening Ashwell WhatsApp group. If you would like to get involved or have more information visit our website: www.greeningashwell.org.uk Fionnuala George- joint chair: [email protected] Clare Spencer- joint chair: [email protected] Sherran Chalkley-secretary: [email protected]
20 Yr 4 trip to Celtic harmony On Wednesday 1st May, Y4 went to Celtic Harmony Camp for our first overnight school trip. When we arrived, we went through the ‘Woolly Mammoth’ gates and put our luggage in a container. First, we did the ‘Hunter Gatherer’ activity and found small wooden discs. There were leaves, mushrooms and animals that the stone-age people would eat. We also made soup out of dock leaves. We added some lemon herbs, mint and thyme and ground them up. I really quite liked it! After that we watched flint knapping, where you get a hammer stone and a big piece of flint and whack the hammer stone on the flint and it knocks bits of flint off to make a sharp arrow head. The flint looked super sharp! We then had a go at a hunting challenge, throwing training spears at wooden animals. We broke the camp record for the highest score against all the other schools that have been. After lunch, our first activity was Den Building. We learnt about how in the Mesolithic Stone Age, people moved around lots so that they wouldn’t run out of food, so their houses had to be built quickly, but also keep them dry. After dinner, we did team games and pottery and sat in the Chieftains roundhouse with the fire, listening to stories and toasting marshmallows. We also went on a bat walk, but did not see any bats! We then all went to sleep in our own Round Houses. It was really exciting and fun until a huge thunderstorm hit the camp, which woke us all up. It was really, loud and a bit scary, and we then we could not get back to sleep. We were very tired the next day, but we did our warrior training and got to attack our teachers with shields! It was great fun. We also traded in the camp shop to buy souvenirs to take home. It was a brilliant trip! By Alabama and Hector
21
22
23 Ruth ten Hove was welcomed as a new representative for Ashwell following Mike Pearch's retirement. Mike was thanked for his long commitment to the group. Katie (our Practice Manager) reported that, following a new appointment to our Reception team, we are fully staffed in all departments. Good news given the recruitment problems in the NHS generally. There was a long discussion about the introduction of “Total Triage” (TT) – a NHS appointment system. The principle is that appointment requests are made using a standard form which is then reviewed in timely fashion by a GP, who will decide the best course of action – see a GP or a nurse, telephone call, refer to a pharmacist etc. It should make things smoother and more appropriate. However, during the early days, patients experienced frustrating glitches. Modifications were swiftly made and problems have become less frequent. Important things to note: • Patients who have difficulty with IT can be assisted (on the phone or at the surgery) with completing the form • You only need to use the form for on-the-day or routine appointments, for admin queries or such things as sick notes • You can just ring up for a nurse's or blood test appointments • Some patients have complained about not being rung back as promised. In quite a few cases this is because the number on our records is out of date. So please ensure that the surgery has your current number(s). TT has been in use at Baldock Surgery for some time and works well. Let's hope that ours settles down quickly and that patients will come to appreciate its benefits. We are making progress with guides for new patients a general guide to our surgery and hope to make them available shortly. Once TT has become embedded we intend to produce our second Annual Survey. In the meantime, Katie has carried out a number of “on-the-day” service satisfaction surveys where results have been generally positive. We are involved in numerous community activities – links with Ashwell and Bassingbourn Primary Schools (art projects), Ashwell Brownies and Guides (gardening), Greening Ashwell (environmental improvements) and an information session with Bassingbourn over 60s. Our next meeting will be in July. ASHWELL AND BASSINGBOURN PATIENTS GROUP NOTES FROM OUR MAY MEETING
24
25 The Chronicles of Sir Bark A Lot– all is well in the state of Ashwell So, spring has finally arrived, just in time for Ashwell at home. Those of you who have been reading my column for a longer time, might remember that last year, for the first time ever, I managed to be included in visiting the amazing gardens in the village. As I had been on my best behaviour, I was allowed to come again this year. However, old age and the warm weather meant that even my "cooling coat" didn't do much to make me comfortable. We went up the hill to visit the first garden, but that was it for me. I just wanted to lie down and rest. I was quite happy that the OtherHalf took me home after that. But I am pleased I got to see at least one garden, and what a garden it was. If I was younger, I probably would have gotten into trouble as the beautiful flower beds looked like a dog's bone hiding and digging paradise. When the Missus and the OtherHalf got home, the Missus was very pleased to have seen some new gardens and having revisited some of the old favourites. The OtherHalf apparently got distracted halfway through the village tour by my mate Honey's owner who needed drinking company in the pub. More excitingly, I am going on a road trip to France and staying somewhere in a house for a week. I have only been in France when we go to Belgium; and that is only to have my papers checked and get onto this weird train that goes under the sea. The Missus is worried that I am no longer good company for a house/dog sitter. I can't do the stairs anymore and get a bit lonely after a few hours. I then need some attention, which obviously involves a lot of barking. I think my late mate Winston might also have something to do with it, as his owners had a bucket list for him and took him everywhere. I am not sure what to expect from a road trip, but the Missus has been doing a lot of research and speaking to people on the phone. She says I am high maintenance as there is a whole list of criteria that need to be met: • We can't drive for too long as I will need breaks or I will start barking in the car, which apparently is extremely annoying when you are driving • We need ground floor rooms as I am not very good with stairs. I secretly think that they want me to sleep with them when we get to the house as they get lonely at night without me too • The house needs to have a private swimming pool as it is likely the other residents might not like my barking or me having a dip in the pool when I get too hot • The swimming pool needs to have steps. I still love a swim and the OtherHalf was having nightmares of having to lift me out on his own or me drowning • The hotels need to have dog-friendly restaurants as I might bark if I am left alone in the room and the other residents might not like that But it is almost all sorted, the Missus has even found a house where we don't have any neighbours and I can bark to my heart's delight! Even better, as the Missus is not sure about French needle-stickers, we are stopping in Belgium for some time with the Missus' family on the way back. The road trip is still some time away, but I am very excited about my first ever French holiday. Although the Missus will probably get annoyed if the French tell her she now speaks French with an English accent! That’s it for now folks, Sir Bark A Lot
26 (Songs of clear cold water and verdant half shade.) The next folk session is 3rd June at 8:30 in The Rose & Crown. All welcome. The water is wide, I cannot get o’er, neither have I wings to fly; Give me a boat that can carry two and both shall row, my love and I (“The Water Is Wide”, English traditional song) When people talk about Ashwell Springs, they generally mean the large springs basin to the north of Ashwell High Street, which is the main source of the River Rhee. Ashwell and its close surroundings has quite a few springs, though. Probably the next largest water course, though it technically rises in Guilden Morden parish (by a few yards) is the Ruddery Brook which is fed by the Ruddery Spring. This forms the boundary between Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire for most of its length, until it joins the Rhee in the north of the parish. A number of other small springs feed both the Rhee and the Ruddery. These include the Mill Spring, feeding directly into the Rhee just above the mill on Mill Street. Another notable springs are the Quarry Springs, at the Quarry Nature Reserve, from which water flows into the Rhee via an unnamed water course close to Love’s Lane. Ashwell Parish sits on the boundary of two significant watersheds. To the South, the water courses feed the River Lee, flowing towards the Thames in London. The main Northern tributaries, the rivers Rib and Beane rise on the other side of the chalk hills, respectively near Buntingford and Sandon. To the West, the water courses feed the River Great Ouse, flowing to the sea via the fens to Kings Lynn. The Hertfordshire sources of the Great Ouse are tributaries of the River Ivel, which rises in Baldock and flows north via Radwell, joining the Ouse at Tempsford. The local tributaries often have curious names, three letters with an i in the middle, such as the Pix Brook at Letchworth and the rivers Hit and Hiz at Hitchin. This month is the Ashwell Springs Festival where we celebrate the springs and its association with the village. I hope to see you all there. If you’d like to know more about the folk session and our music, please get in touch. Ian Chandler [email protected] 743091 Rose and Crown Folk: Countryside Songs
27 Crossword by Falaise Clues Across 7. West spire all about someone moving screens with a finger. (6) 8. Local performing rite near North-East Africa. (8) 9. Sir Caboc sick? Yes, without this. (8) 10. Take the pot to it but don’t call it black. (6) 11. Sam Smiles preached it: mixed flesh with the Spanish and Italian quiet. (4,4) 12. The Walins, related to us by marriage. (2-4) 13. Fling with houris, going great guns. (11) 18. Special adviser round about: open wide! (6) 20. Same rinse out East, in other words a close shave. (4,4) 22. Bomb depression, but rather a third class one. (6) 23. Blair at LSE: not quite right, not really left, just in between. (8) 24. Minimum one Tory: threatening. (8) 25. Mar (sic) shuffles back into something evil. (6) Clues Down 1. Concerning muddled twits: tornado’s here. (7) 2. Mary Poppins’s recommended sugar intake. (8) 3. Middle-Eastern with French article makes good growing land. (6) 4. An awkward problem makes you feel like laughing. (8) 5. Round, tubular, take you out and it’s rough. (6) 6. Kit, perhaps, second only to the bard. (7) 8. In a way, out of the ordinary, apart from one friend (or none). (13) 14. Is the current below being pulled along by a vehicle? (8) 15. Facility with numbers, getting quicker at the end. (8) 16. Joseph’s son, Greek character, in a mess in the harem. (7) 17. Don’t consume so much; it’s no good to anyone. (7) 19. Texas principal rangers mixes up those little further luxuries. (6) 21. Local banks, not in use any longer. (6) Solution to May crossword: Across: 1.Elba 3.Agoraphobe 10.Transform 11.Reeds 12.Mitring 13.Slovene 14.Toff 15.Stargazer 19.Cliff edge 21.Cede 24.Classed 27.Liminal 28.Alien 29.Naturally 30.Lion tamers 31.Byre Down: 1.Estimate 2.Beautiful 4.Georgette 5.Remus 6.Pergola 7.O bese 8.Easier 9.Aspic 16.Regulator 17.Eternally 18.Real tyke 20.Fastnet 22.Scrawl 23.Umbra 25.Amino 26.Denim
28 2024 is our 30th anniversary. It was back in 1992 that the Secretarial team at Royston Health Centre recruited a team of volunteer drivers, using their own cars, to transport patients to their hospital appointments, who could not get there by other means. In 1994 having grown in size, they moved to Royston Hospital, and became Royston Community Transport. RCT then merged with the Melbourn & Meldreth car scheme, changing its name to Royston & District Community Transport. Later adding in Duxford, Shepreth and Chrishall, covering areas of North & East Hertfordshire, South Cambridgeshire, and a bit of Essex. In 2008 RDCT became a registered charity. In 2020 RDCT was going strong, with a client list of approximately 1,000 people, averaging nearly 50 bookings a day, when Covid arrived, causing immediate issues in regards to passenger and driver safety, also cancelled appointments, causing a reduction in journeys. RDCT survived, adapted and updated our systems, under the leadership of our late Chairman Dr John Hedges along with the trustees, who take on various unpaid roles, and just three part-time staff, plus a part time bus driver, and of course our invaluable volunteer drivers who cover around 120,000 miles per year! We continue to provide affordable transport, and prioritise all types of medical appointments, however we also take people to day centres and other journeys, if they have no other means of getting to their appointments, for whatever reason. We also have two wheelchair accessible vehicles, which we use daily. We receive funding from Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire Councils, as well as Melbourn & Meldreth, Royston and some Parish Councils, and Thriplow Daffodil weekend (who we drive for). We also run a monthly lottery, have had a Christmas Raffle, and have been supported by M&S, the Co-op, the Masons, and are the 2024 charity of The Royston Runners. As well as receiving donations from many kind individuals, all of which are greatly appreciated. If you would like to know more about becoming a volunteer driver, we are flexible on days and times, then please contact us. If you need help getting to medical appointments etc, please contact the office to pre-book transport, between 9am – 3pm, Monday to Friday. [email protected] 01763 245228 Royston & District RDCT Community Transport We’ll take you where you need to go Royston Hospital, London Road Royston Herts SG8 9EN Tel: 01763 245228 [email protected] www.roytrans.co.uk 30 Years of RDCT Wordsmith: Collective nouns Thanks to Susie Dent I have decided to do the origin of place names. Mainly the name endings which shows whether the ending indicates a British, Roman, Anglo Saxon, Viking or Norman origin. The original Britons were pushed to the west, so you expect to see them in Wales, Cornwall and Ireland. The Roman names are mainly in England, and Anglo Saxon mainly in England. Viking names are concentrated east of a line from Chester to London, though you will find them In Ireland and the Isle of Man. Norman names mainly occur in England. Thought you might like to play a game in the car when on holiday or on a train when travelling around the country. I will do British and Roman this month and the rest next month. British endings are usually about the landscape, rivers, hills etc. Cornish. Coombe was a valley and Compton was a farm in a valley. Pen is a headland and Zance was holy, so Penzance is a holy headland. Welsh. Aber is mouth of a river, Bry is a mountain Caer a castle. As in Caernarfon. Betws means chapel and coed woods as in Betws-y- Coed. Chapel in the woods Llan a parish Tref a towna Roman. Castra a Roman fort. This was used by the native population to name chester or caster like Colchester. Colonia gives us coln meaning a settlement Strata means street or road. Chester-le-Street means fort on the road. It would be great if you can add to this list. Or perhaps send us any names which you find which are interesting. Wordsmith
29 Spot the difference Results for May’s copy: how many did you find? Can you spot June's 12 differences. Remember when we didn’t have to bother much with data and a screen Which tells you endless info, as well as where you’ve been. And passwords weren’t a problem -perhaps your date of birth? And now it’s umpteen combinations of all digits on the earth! And in your local coffee bar in your sunfrock or your mac, You ordered tea or coffee, now it’s Frappuccino or Long Black. Then there’s Affogato, Machiato, Americano and Flat White. For Teas, choose Echinacea, Peach and Orange, Herbs at night. King Charles prefers Darjeeling, but Camilla loves Earl Grey. Of course, with wellness on our minds, it’s water through the day. The bread shop is a trial, so many loaves to see! It used to be a large white sliced, now it’s Pita -gluten free. You can order up your shopping instead of driving into town. It will arrive within a day, fresh picked before sundown. Your car can be electric, your mail lands every minute. And when you open up a can, you mustn’t try to bin it. All waste is colour coded -not mixed like days of old. And paying at the till, a card or smart phone gets things sold. Your jumper can be plastic, your socks made from bamboo! I’m going for a long slow walk …. a reset’s overdue. Poems for June What's the best thing in the world? June-rose, by May-dew impearled; Sweet south-wind, that means no rain; Truth, not cruel to a friend; Pleasure, not in haste to end; Beauty, not self-decked and curled Till its pride is over-plain; Love, when, so, you're loved again. What's the best thing in the world? --Something out of it, I think. Geriatric Dreams- Marjorie Fitt Elizabeth Barrett Browning
30
31
32