April 2020

Why not buy 2 for £1?

1 for you and 1 for a self-isolating neighbour,
to put through their letter box.

1

My Name is Alison Gates and I have lived in Ashwell with my family for the last 5 years.
I recently completed a Masters Degree in Children’s Book Illustration at the renowned Cambridge
School of Art. I have always loved art in all its forms, but particularly when it is applied to literature.
Children’s literature whether fiction or non-fiction is essential for learning and navigating their way in
this world. Picture books bring a text to life enhancing the child’s world through their imagination.
Studying this subject in detail reinforced to me that children’s book illustration is not just about
painting pretty pictures. It is SO much more, relating a sequence, guiding the child, creating
excitement at every page turn, keeping them guessing, and respecting their intelligence by knowing
they will see a flaw in an illustration immediately! How illustrations appear on the page whether or not

the picture is framed or it creeps off the page, or
if it appears as a small vignette can give
subliminal messages without us even realising.
Specific colours chosen can portray a particular
emotion or sense of drama and can enlighten the
child’s enjoyment or reinforce a particular point
of understanding. It is far more complicated than
people realise. As I have only just finished my
studies I am still at the bottom of the publishing
tree and finding my way within the publishing
industry.
I was lucky enough to have been Runner Up and
Short listed for the Stratford Literary Festival
Children’s Picture Book Prize two years running.
In 2018 with my book 'Rosetta’s Rubbish’ and in
2019 with my book ‘My Perfect Home.’
Recently I have been updating my portfolio and have been working on illustrations for non-fiction
books. My current practice has evolved since I graduated and I now use a lot of collage. A technique
using layers of different types and colours of paper.

(Village News front cover by Alison L Gates.)

2

EDITORIAL

As the new editor for Ashwell Village News, I would like to thank Barry
for his 14 years of dedication running the monthly magazine, we all
greatly appreciate what you have done. I am sure he will enjoy his well
-earned rest.

The new team will consist of existing and new contributors. Over time
we will broaden the range of articles, whilst maintaining the great
things you all love to see.

Corona virus and the effects on particularly the vulnerable groups are the key issue
of the moment. With only a couple of days to pull together the articles we try to
reflect this.

Ashwell is an amazing place to live, with a strong community and many willing
volunteers across numerous areas. Most of these activities regrettably have come to
a temporary halt. It goes without saying that we need to realign our community
efforts. Maybe one of the articles will generate ideas how you can help, or keep
yourself healthy whilst we all wait.

This maybe through music, by exploring the on-line world a little more, by keeping
yourself healthy, or just knowing who will help you. Do read our articles on these.

Over early April we will be formulating the new team. Do get in touch if you are
willing to be a contributor. We want to reflect the broader community, its voluntary
activities, businesses, charity, youth, individuals, beliefs and options.

How about you?

Good health to you all,

James Boyle

Publication Your submission needs to be relevant to Ashwell,
within the bounds of good taste and decency, and
Ashwell Village News (AVN) is published by St grounded in fact. All submissions to the AVN (and
Mary’s Parochial Church Council, The Parish Of- to Ashwell Calendar) will be moderated but the
fice at Parish Church Room, Swan Street, AVN production team will work with you to get
Ashwell, Hertfordshire SG7 5NY as a service to your news published
the community.

Correspondence, articles and advertisements in Deadlines for May Edition 15th April
this magazine are not to be taken as represent- Ashwell Village News Deadline 10th April
ing the views of either St Mary’s Parochial Church Advertising Deadline
Council or of any of the volunteers who produce
the AVN. [email protected]
(Later contributions may not be included)
Our interim AVN Team of volunteers are:

James Boyle (742096) Editor Ashwell Calendar Deadline 20th April

Antje Brandtner (743922) Advertising Localendar.com/public/AshwellCalendar

Elizabeth Coldstream Calendar (Later additions may not be included on the
printed calendar but will still be visible online.)
John Paramour (742 451) Distribution

All volunteers can be reached by using the email: The Ashwell Calendar is a community-fed calen-
dar that you fill with your events. Add events by
[email protected] using the “Add Event” button on the online calen-
dar, which leads to a page similar to most elec-
Ashwell Village News is a community-fed publica- tronic calendars. Save the email you receive af-
tion. Please send us news (articles, blurbs, write ter adding an event in case you need to make
-ups, edits.
results, scores, etc) covering your group, cause,
sports team, physical activity, or event. This
news is important to our village and is part of the
vibrant and active community that is Ashwell.

3

The Parish Church Revd. Robert Evens

Dear Friends ing their worship if they have the resources to do so.
And they urged congregations to be in the forefront of
At times like this we need to stand together. For all of us providing practical care and support for the most poor
I suspect the world will never be the same again. I hope and the most vulnerable during the crisis.
some good might come out of this terrible virus. Perhaps “Being a part of the Church of England is going to look
it will be a greener world if we learn that we don’t have to very different in the days ahead,” they wrote.
travel or fly as often as we did, it might be a cleaner “Our life is going to be less characterised by attend-
world if we don’t pollute the atmosphere so freely. And ance at church on Sunday, and more characterised by
our Church may change too. the prayer and service we offer each day.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York in a joint letter “We may not be able to pray with people in the ways
wrote; that we are used to, but we can certainly pray for peo-
That it was now necessary to put public services on ple. And we can certainly offer practical care and sup-
hold until further notice. But they said that far from hav- port.”
ing to “shut up shop”, the Church of England must face I will continue the pattern of daily prayer and if you hear
the challenge by becoming a radically different kind of the bell tolling in Church, rather than telling you the
church rooted in prayer and serving others. time, it will be me telling you that I am going to pray for
It comes after the Government announced unprece- you. We are trying very hard to find a way of sharing
dented peacetime measures to try to control the spread the Easter celebrations with you.\This maybe by
of the virus, with restrictions on public gatherings, streaming some services and if we can we will let you
transport and working. The Archbishops expressed the know how to do it on the website and on the pew
desire that church buildings may, where practical, re- sheets. If you would like to receive the pew sheets
main open as places of prayer for the community, ob- electronically, please contact the Parish Office.
serving social distancing recommendations. They also
invited clergy to maintain the ancient pattern of daily Every blessing
prayer and, where possible, the eucharist – live stream- Robert

St Mary the Virgin Mill Street, No Services until further
(Church of England) Ashwell, notice.
SG7 5LY
Rector 742277, 109 High Street
The Rev’d Robert Evens
Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri.
Parish Church Office Antje Brandtner 9:30-11:30

Parish Church Room Hire Parish Office, Parish Church Room 743922
Reader & Treasurer 743922
Churchwarden Swan Street, SG7 5NY 743451
Deputy Churchwarden 742434
Deputy Churchwarden [email protected] 743451
Deputy Churchwarden 742214
Gift Aid Coordinator Antje [email protected] 01763 241587
Friends of St. Mary’s 742451
Church Fabric, Churchyard, Mark Eaton [email protected] 742262
Discoverers 742214
(Children’s Church) David Richards 01763 241587
Asheteria Youth Club 742182
Mark Eaton 01763 241587
Director of Music 742288
Sunday Morning & Junior Choir Mike Taffs
742635
Director of Music Jo Adams
Sunday Evening Choir 742758
Organists John Paramour 732961 / 68586
834244
Bellringers - Tower Captain Stephen ten Hove 743233
Church Flowers 11:00am
Church Cleaning Mike Taffs

Jo Adams
Sarah Talks

Jo Adams

Bene’t Coldstream

Judy Catterick MBE

John Rowlands
Ken Rook
Steve White

Caroline Feast

Helpers welcome 1st Wed. of month

4

A few words from
ASHWELL UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

Our few words in April come with an apology for not children the most fantastic start in life. We can, and
saying anything in March, so we will try and make up should, thank God every day for all our blessings.
for it this month. What a truly challenging time we
have all had with our weather, with one load of rain Hard then, to truly imagine what it is really like for all
after another – seemingly never ending! But on this those who are not so fortunate, unless we happen to
day of writing, it seems to be a typical (old-fashioned!) know someone in this situation – or are one of those
March day: a lovely brisk and drying wind, bright sun- dedicated people who are at the frontline of the caring
shine and clouds racing across the sky. A day to give services. Hard to imagine the grinding misery and de-
much-needed encouragement that Spring is surely on struction of communities at war, communities which
its way. are starving, refugees on their never-ending trudges
across countries trying to find safety or, closer to
Spring is always a wonderful time of rebirth, not only home, those in our nearby towns who are rough sleep-
of our fields and gardens, but also of our Christian ing.
faith as we journey through Lent towards the momen-
tous events of Easter. There are so many conflicting But, as followers of the man who, on Good Friday,
emotions that take place during this most important gave up his life to show us how we should be giving at
time of the year – from excitement and joy through least part of our lives to care for our fellow citizens, we
bewilderment and fear to shock and pain as we try, have an example to follow. We can, especially during
each year, to put ourselves in the position of Christ’s Easter, spare some time to think about and pray for
apostles as they witnessed those events 2,000 years those far less fortunate than ourselves, or to contact
ago. elderly or poorly relatives and show them we care, to
give a friendly smile to a stranger (perhaps not a
It is, of course, almost impossible for us to do this. handshake or a hug, though!), or to make that dona-
Here in our beautiful village, generally speaking, we tion to one of the caring charities that we have mean-
are safe and secure from the worst of the weather we ing to do for ages. Lots of small things will add up to
grumble about, we have enough to eat, we have a Na- something enormous!
tional Health Service, and our village school gives our

MINISTERS WHO HELP ASHWELL URC: Tel: 01462 619661
Tel: 01462 619350
Revd Nancy Babarinde (North Herts Group of Churches)
Revd Tony Ruffell (North Herts Group of Churches)
Revd Jim Dalgleish Tel: 01763 257499
Revd Stan Short Tel: 01767 315777

United Reformed Church High St, Kingsland Way, SG7 5NL Sundays: 10:45
Secretary Mrs Chris James 742684
Zoar Baptist Church Gardiners Lane, Ashwell Sundays: 10:30 & 2:30
Quakers - Ashwell Ministry Ian Chandler 743091
Ashwell Parish Council Jane Porter [email protected] 743706

5

Reluctantly and with sadness we have decided to cancel this year's Ashwell at
Home, for obvious reasons. So many of you have been so generous with your
offers to help in all kinds of ways that it is a real shame that all your enthusiasm
will have been in vain. However, I'm sure cancellation is the correct, indeed the
only decision to be made in these circumstances. Unfortunately, the cancellation
will leave the Museum, School and Church seriously short of funds in the months
ahead.
We are hoping that the entire event, with its theme of Well-being, can be recreated next year when the

proposed date will be 16th May 2021. I hope many of you will be keen to repeat on that date the

commitment you have made to this year's Ashwell at Home, so that we can at least make sure that most
features of what was to have been a splendid programme can be revived next year without having to recreate
the whole event from scratch. If you are able to, please let me know your thoughts about that.
In the meantime, many thanks for your generosity, support and understanding.

Cliff Jenkinson
[email protected]

As many of you will know by now,
all future events have been postponed or cancelled.

This includes our Music Festival.

Ashwell Delivery Services & Neighbour Groups

Yes, it is a rapidly changing world but don’t worry, Ashwellians are pulling together to take care of everyone. If you
are self-isolating, in quarantine, in a shielded group or in a high risk group, you may be wondering how to stay inside
and still get food and household basics. There are no clear answers and yesterday’s answers may not apply today
(because of how fast things are changing) but no matter what, Ashwellians are volunteering to help get you what you
need.
Many of our local businesses are running their own delivery services to local households. These delivery services
are being stretched to their limit but there are “over twenty volunteer deliverers” ready to help out with those affected
by the coronavirus, says Kate Haddock, organiser of this first volunteer network. Kate says, “[t]he support and en-
thusiasm for the service has been very high, which is encouraging. It gives people a positive feeling of community,
being supported and being able to do something, which is a benefit in itself. I’d expect the take up to rise over the
next weeks.”
If you are affected by coronavirus, please contact your local shops and they will do what they can.
The volunteers have run deliveries so far from Days, the Village Store and the chemist to households self-isolating
or in quarantine. Other volunteers have tried to help by providing stock by asking Trudy (Village Store) what she
needs before they go to grocery stores.
Neighbour groups are also springing up to make sure elderly and at risk neighbours are checked on regular-
ly. WhatsApp is helpful for the smartphone enabled. Exchanging home phone numbers for those less tech-savvy is
a good starting point.
There’s a new form of entertainment in our neighbourhoods too - windows (not the computer kind). Create your
own rainbow for others to appreciate, set out a teddy bear for anyone “going on a bear hunt”, put up a display of in-
teresting items, tell a story or put up a riddle. For those walking by, it will be a wonderful diversion. Don’t forget to
give a friendly wave to those inside.

Coronavirus - where to find accurate advice.

There are many sources of information available during this pandemic. Please ensure that you access
accurate and timely information. These websites are being updated regularly and I would encourage
you to use them.

Addenbrookes Hospital - https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/addenbrookes-hospital
01223 245151

Lister, Hertford County, Mount Vernon and QE11 Hospitals . - 01438314333
https://www.enherts-tr.nhs.uk

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19

This will pass. Take Care.

George Boyle, Senior Research Nurse.

6

ASHWELL PARISH COUNCIL

Office at Bear Farm, 6A Back Street, Ashwell, Baldock, Herts, SG7 5PE
Mon-Thurs 08.30 -13.00 ( 01462 743706
Clerk: Jane Porter * [email protected]
Deputy Clerk: Laura Brooks-Payne * [email protected]
Chairman: Mark White (07977 099951

The Parish Council meets every month on the first Wednesday at 8pm in the Parish Room. All are welcome to
attend and will have the opportunity to address the Council in the ‘Open Forum’ session. THIS IS NOW HELD AT
THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.

Dr Martin Hoffman’s Jottings for the HCC verge adjacent to the new houses on
from the Ashwell Parish Council Meeting the old Cooke Engineering works.
However, it is worthwhile pointing out that plant-
held on Wednesday 4th March ing should always be carried out at any site only
with PC advice/landowners’ permission!
(full minutes on www.ashwell.gov.uk)
The village group, Ashwell Climate Conversa-
The New Pavilion project to replace the exist- tions Group, whose aims are “to facilitate the
ing pavilion with enhanced facilities for sports development of awareness, interest and action in
and community use is progressing, but please our community to combat climate issues” has
remember this is still in the very early stages. spoken to the PC and will have a small table out-
Financing it will of course be a major issue! side the Annual Parish Meeting to promote the
group’s activities.
There is little new to report on the proposed
footway/cycleway from Ashwell to the sta- A Crime Prevention Day is to be organised by
tion since it is linked with a proposed housing PCSO Chris Brabrook. (Date and venue to be an-
development and walkway near the station which nounced).
of course is in Cambridgeshire and depends upon
South Cambridgeshire Council. I realise this is There have been concerns regarding factual er-
frustrating for those who are keen for it to go rors and omissions surrounding the recent NHDC
ahead and the local cyclist group have been up- Review of the Ashwell Conservation Area
dated. The Parish Council (PC) have involved our and our District Councillor Tom Tyson is following
District and County Councillors to push on the this up. This is vital since this document is in-
Hertfordshire side. tended to inform future decisions made by plan-
ning officers. (Put simply this means a proper
Two applications by village groups to the Henry agreed uniform plan for the future rather than ad
Colbron Trust for use of the now disused school lib. decisions!).
netball courts in Gardeners Lane have been re-
fused by the trustees, the Merchant Taylors’ Premises Management Reports
Company and the PC will request the reasons for A lot goes on each month (details can be seen on
this. the PC website) and usually “new” issues only are
drawn attention to.
There has been a request from St Mary’s Church There are plans to address the paucity of oppor-
to the PC for financial support connected to the tunities for 8 to 18-year-olds on the Recreation
hosting of the Post Office as their general fund, Ground. Representatives from the Football Club,
which includes the Parish Room, is running at a Cricket Club, Accies and the PC are discussing the
deficit. As you all know the Post Office operates siting of particular equipment which will satisfy all
on three half days of each week at nil rent and is the users. A Multi-User Games Area is to replace
well used and is currently supported by the the skateboard area which has little/almost no
Church. When this was set up (after considerable use these days.
negotiation with the Post Office) it was stated The last volunteer working party took place in the
that the service would not be viable if a charge Springs (thanks to all those who took part). This
was made. The PC spends a considerable amount is the last one before the summer because of
on the Parish Clock and the grounds maintenance birds nesting etc and there is nothing significant
of the Churchyard which is funded by the parish outstanding except for the tree survey which has
precept. (Clock - £6600 in 2017, £210 in 2018, been delayed because of the stormy weather
£1200 in 2019. Grounds - £5400 in 2017, £6400 which has vastly increased the work of all tree
in 2018, £6700 in 2019). This does not include surgeons. It is worth mentioning again that there
any funds put aside for additional tree work. is a Management Plan agreed with relevant au-
Following considerable discussion it was agreed thorities, because of the SSSI (Site of Special
that a contribution from the PC of £1000 would Scientific Interest) status, to which we must con-
be offered to the Church for the financial year form. It is not therefore allowable for anyone to
2020-21 and this would be reviewed when set- carry out planting without specific permission
ting the budget for the following year in Decem- (not retrospective!) from the PC. We are so
ber 2020. Negotiations will continue, as the PC is grateful for the volunteer help that you long-term
aware of this vital service. regulars have provided and this particular issue
has only just recently arisen!
Greening Ashwell Group. This village group
has had its first meeting and the PC is delighted
to see that they have agreed to provide volun-
teers for the planting project proposed by the PC

7

Planning matters down this hedge but putting a new footway inside
I suggest you read the issues raised at the meet- the existing hedge and tree.
ing regarding development between Lucas
Lane and Ashwell Street known as Hunts While on the topic of chopping things down I
Close. Personally, repeat personally, I don’t think should mention the loss of the Chestnut tree in
there was ever any doubt that at some point a the development in front of Townsend
planning application would be made for this site. House. It was condemned by “one party” but
See what you think re housing layout and density NHDC commissioned an independent opinion
etc, etc! which, regrettably, also agreed it had to come
down.
A decision is awaited regarding the siting of a Funny though how it was in such good shape un-
new footway adjacent to the development til development started.
on the land at the junction of Ashwell Street
and Station Road. What this is about relates to With best wishes
where a new pathway is placed. The PC view, and Dr Martin G Hoffman
that of local residents, does not favour chopping
(Vice-chairman)

Summary of consultations on recent planning applications received from NHDC
(as at 4th March).

Please see page 6 for further information on delivery.
8

Home and away (from others)

How can you keep yourself and your family healthy before you start – You can do this by phone with a
while social distancing? Here are a few ideas. call back option.

Healthy body, healthy mind If you exercise regularly, group sessions by video
can help a lot, and again, some gyms are organising
Keeping your body healthy is a great way of dealing live home exercise sessions like Zumba© or
with the stress and anxiety brought on by the aerobics. This can also help with feelings of social
constant drumbeat of scary news. If you’re isolation, which brings us to …
anything like me, it’s sorely tempting to assume
the position in front of the telly with a cup of tea Healthy mind, healthy body
(or something stronger!) and alternate between
watching the news and escapist binge-streaming. Anxiety and social isolation can be a pretty toxic
This may not be the healthiest option, so here are a combination for even the most resilient of
few ideas to help you stay healthy at home. individuals. Human beings need human contact,
full stop. Here are a few ideas.
Walk!
Call loved ones and friends
It’s perfectly possible to go for a walk around our
lovely village while maintaining the recommended Whether it’s by video chat or an old-fashioned
social distance. You will, of course, see other phone call (my parents, for example do not do
people, which also can help offset feelings of video chat!), connecting with people regularly and
isolation. You can smile, wave and chat from a often helps both you and them to stave off those
distance, without being irresponsible about inter- feelings of loneliness. We’re committing to calling
acting with others. at least one family member each day.

Being outside moving in the fresh air is one of the Arrange ‘virtual’ social gatherings or activities
best ways to keep a healthy body and mind. The
faster and steadier you walk, the more good you We have the technology! We know lots of people
will do. This is also true of families, as long as you in the village who have set up group video tea
can keep the sproglets at a responsible distance time, happy hour, even dinner parties, all using
from other people. tools like Zoom or Skype. It’s great fun and really
perks you up. You can also take music lessons,
Workout at home learn a language or take a course on free online
universities like Courera, all virtually!
Ugh! That just sounds awful right? How do you do
it, where do you start if you don’t know how? These are just a few ideas for keeping a healthy
I suggest YouTube as a good place to start. Even body and healthy mind during these troubling
though I’m a hard-core fitness fanatic, I still turn to times.
YouTube to learn new ways of keeping fit. Lots of
gyms are putting out “stay fit at home” easy Andrew Skeen
workouts that don’t require any equipment at all.
You can read Andrew’s fitness blog at:
fatmanlifts.wordpress.com/

If you’ve never worked out before, pace yourself,
ease into it and scale any workouts to your level.
Obviously, if you have any underlying health
conditions, you might want to consult your GP

9

10

Written by Tinuke Bernard Instagram
Blogger and social media manager
www.circusmums.com Instagram is a brilliant, visual platform. You can
share videos and still images. It’s a lovely way to
Like many in the village, working remotely isn’t connect with friends and family. It’s also a bril-
new to me. I’ve worked as a blogger for the past liant forum to stay connected with each other or
ten years and my ‘day job’ before deciding to to build new customer bases! You can use the
blog full time also saw me working from the com- search bar to look up users who have posted
fort of our home office for the majority of the from a certain geographical area (say, Ashwell!)
week. That being said, we’re all greatly missing and follow their content.
mingling with the wonderful Ashwell community.
Luckily, there is a brilliant community within Instagram accounts you might enjoy
blogging and social media as a whole and I would
love to share some of this with you. @nutriality

Facebook @jamesimitchell

Within Ashwell itself, we have some wonderful @kateheiss
groups online. Facebook is home to a group
called Ashwell Mums. If you’re not already a @circusmum_
member but like knowing what is going on in the
community it’s a friendly and sociable group. It @joarkwrightphoto
did start off as a small group of mum’s, hence
the group name, but I assure you, you don’t @lisajohnsoncoaching
have to be female, nor a parent to join!
@diegoandlucy

@adeline_mamabear

A much newer group has also taken shape on Fa-
cebook due to the Corona Virus called Ashwell
in Lockdown. The aim is to provide information
during this crisis. Whether you want to volunteer
your time collecting groceries, or advertise the a
skill or valuable resource which would prove use-
ful to Ashwell residents during this problematic
time, you can do this here.

(To find either Facebook group, pop the group
name in the search bar of Facebook)

Blogging

Blogs are a brilliant way to document everyday
life and share useful information. They are in
their most simplistic form, an online log of your
life, hobby or interests . My own started as a way
to share life as a new parent, juggling work, par-
enting and the many hats we have to wear,
hence the title, Circus Mums. We have some bril-
liant bloggers in the village and amazing crea-
tives with gorgeous social media accounts.

If you want to stay connected whilst we self-
isolate, perhaps you should give some a read?
Even better, why not create your own blog? They
are free and can be a lovely way to flex your cre-
ative muscles. If you’re not ready to have them
out there for the world to see, don’t fret, you
have the ability to password protect them and
only share it with friends and family.

Blogs you may enjoy

www.circusmums.com
www.fatmanlifts.wordpress.com
www.lisajohnsoncoaching.co.uk/blog/

11

12

CLIMATE CHANGE is now part of our way of life, so we need to reduce carbon emissions.
The BIG CLIMATE FIGHT BACK is a Woodland Trust campaign to make us more aware of this
GLOBAL CRISIS with a target of planting 1 MILLION TREES. So, what can we do in our village.
GREENING ASHWELL is a way of not only helping to restore some of the natural features of our

community but also improving sustainable biodiversity to our surroundings.

Green Note ONE March 2020

MEETINGS Following the amazing turnout of the inaugural meeting on 21st February at The
Three Tuns and the follow up on 14th March at the URC Hall we now have over 30 Members
and more are joining. We hope to have regular meeting and events when normality returns.
SUPPORT I must thank not only the village community in embracing this initiative but specifically individuals who
have stepped up to take on tasks: Lindsay Dew (Admin), Anne Fletcher (Survey) Sue Hill (Finance) Kate Haddock
(Green Team) and the group who have helped in the two planting sessions.
TASKS The survey is underway with Anne Fletcher leading and from the results we can start planning what to do
next. The initial planting is now complete and we hope to do some spring wild flower seeding (given current re-
strictions) and aim for our main event at the National Tree Week, in November (again if back to normality)
PLANTING The first planting took place at Chalk Bank Close (former Cook Engineering) to restore the native
hedge beside Ashwell Street path. This was kindly provided by Ashwell PC who obtained approval from HCC and
the funds to purchase the stock and tree protection. A considerable amount of brashings (dead wood, pruning’s, etc)
was cleared from the planting area and stock piles on the area at the back of the site (hope to plant up later) and needs
removing. If the Civic Amenity Sites have not closed, I will start clearing this next Sunday 29th March 2:30 pm
onwards and any one who can help (particularly if you have a trailer) would be much appreciated.
CURRENT RESTRICTIONS. Given the Governments current advice on limiting social activities I fully appreciate
we will have to restrict GREENING ASHWELL to mainly on line and media activities. However, I feel we need to
see this as an opportunity to keep us positive for the future and that out of this crisis we may have a world that is less
centred on “business as usual” but that the environment , sustainability , wildlife protection and a healthier life style
( I am never sure if I have ever done life style ) should be the goal.
FUTURE So if we can get our ACTION PLAN ready for November, we have a range of tasks that Members can
take on like anyone good at starting a GREENING ASHWELL Facebook page and we should be looking at sources
of funding (Woodland Trust)

KEN COYNE on [email protected] or phone 01462 743723/ 07857844745

GREENING ASHWELL Coordinator

The Woodland Trust campaign to combat Climate Funding
Change is being taken up in the village as Greening COSTING (pricing up planting) MAINTENANCE (on
Ashwell and there has been a fantastic response to this going costs) BUDGET (keeping track of costs) SEEK-
challenge and we now have a number of tasks that need ING FUNDS (grants, organisations, charities) MANAG-
YOUR help: ING COSTS (bank account / charity status?) etc

Surveyors Approvals
OWNERSHIP (Identify ownership of potential sites)
GREEN SPACES (public / private) TREES, TPO, CA ENDORSEMENT (gain approvals) COMMUNITY
(automatically protected). OTHERS of IMPORTANCE (involve the whole village) LOCAL /CHILDREN
(Ashwell Street green lane), HEDGES (natural / historic) GROUPS (school Scouts/Guides, sports groups)
VERGES (natural / potential for wild flowers), FIELDS PLANTING (particular groups /clubs to plant own area)
(bordering village) FOOTPATHS (public rights of way / etc
potential) etc.
Administration
Green Team PAPER (Correspondence, filing, records) CONTACTS
(volunteers phone/address) RECORDS (meeting
PREPERATION (clearing sites, brambles/nettles, rub- minutes, diary) etc
bish, removing) PLANTING (hedges, trees, wildflower
seeding) AFTERCARE (watering, weeding) MONI- Promotion
TORING (checking planting, stakes, vandalism) etc
SOCIAL MEDIA (getting on-line, Face Book,
Planning WhatsApp) POSTERS (events, meetings, socials)
EVENTS (funding socials, walks, talks, meals) etc
BASE MATERIAL (analysing surveyed information)
PLOTTING (data processing) SITES (where we can SO, there is LOTS to do to achieve our GOALS
plant) ACTION PLAN (master plan of whole village)
GIS and /or AutoCAD skills appreciated etc

13

Reporting on the Ashwell Flea Market 7 March 2020

The long queue outside St Marys Church
(like the start of Harrods sale) signified
the day of the annual Ashwell Flea Market.

It never ceases to amaze me the variety of
donations we receive - everything from a
futon, seed spreader, antique dinner service, and artists
easel down to the tiniest of ornaments along with the
usual plethora of children’s toys, china, mugs, glasses
and jewellery. Thank you to all those who raided their
cupboards to donate the many items for sale.

Business was brisk with over a thousand items sold
raising an amazing £1454.87 (an increase on last year)
which goes to St Mary’s restoration fund.

As usual the event would not have been possible without
the numerous volunteers. They worked tirelessly to get
everything ready in the days prior and on the day selling
and serving tea/coffee. As well as with the momentous
task of putting the church back to normal at the end and getting rid of any
leftover items – with donations going to various charities.

A huge thank you to all those volunteers for their help and thank you to
those that joined us on the day making purchases and enjoying tea and
coffee.

See you all next year.

Karen Rogers 01462 743338

ASHWELL PATIENTS'

GROUP

PATIENTS PLAYING AN
IMPORTANT ROLE IN KEEPING

THEMSELVES SAFE

There is a lot individual patients can
do to keep themselves safe when
they are in hospital.

To this end Guys and St Thomas'
Hospitals have produced a safety
card (see right side) to help
individuals avoid unnecessary
mishaps.

The information is of use to friends
and family who might be visiting
patients too. Although the card has
been produced by these London
hospitals its content is valid
anywhere. To see it follow this link:

www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/
patients-and-visitors/patients/

inpatients/safety-card.aspx

Best wishes, Peter

14

15

Stewardship Campaign and consultants who are providing critical input
into our case submission to the National
Progress Report Heritage Lottery Fund for a substantial grant to
restore the tower and the north aisle.
The Stewardship Campaign which
was launched mid-February has There will be some saving in running cost but
been very successful. A big thank these will not be large and the Diocese have
you to everyone who has asked us to continue to pay our parish share if
responded generously to this in at all possible as this is critical income for them
these difficult times. to pay the clergy.

To date we have received pledges of increased If you have not responded and are still
regular giving £8,000 per annum (£153 per considering this and praying about it, we could
week) , which when we gross up for Gift Aid still use some further increments in giving to put
brings us to our target of £10,000 per annum us on a sound financial footing going forward.
(£192 per week)
Mark Eaton
We have also received on off donations of St Mary’s Church Treasurer
£2,850 which gross up with Gift Aid tax reclaim
to £3,582 which will help address the historic Given the associated decision by the PCC to
deficit. approach the Parish Council for financial support
for the provision of the Post Office to the
This places us well on the way to balancing the community which has yielded an initial grant of
books on the General Fund. The measures we £1000 with the possibility of a more equitable
have been forced to take to contain the dividing of the cost burden and the decision to
Coronavirus outbreak will however put quite a ask events held in the church in support of the
big dent in our forecast income as there will be Restoration Fund or the Friends (e.g. the Flea
no plate collections in church, Ashwell at Home, Market, Bookfair and Music Festival) to make a
and the Music Festival have both been cancelled contribution to the Heating, Lighting and running
and we will be unlikely to be able to operate cost of the church means we are on a break
Sunday teas for much of the summer season. even track on the General Fund for the next 1-2
Most of these activities generate funds for the years.
Restoration Fund but we are paying out from
this significant sums right now in fees to experts Mark Eaton; 14/3/2020

16

St Mary`s Ashwell Tower Restoration Group
April Update – Sourcing the Stone

As we work to complete our Development Phase There is absolutely no intention to interfere with the
Grant Application to the National Lottery Heritage Nature Reserve in any way and the site would have
Fund, we are facing the problem of securing a a completely separate entrance from the road. The
reliable source of the carbonate stone (commonly amount of traffic needed to transport the stone
called clunch) needed to restore the tower, and away would be negligible. Using local stone would
also the north aisle and north porch. The stone reduce the carbon footprint of our project and we
needed is generally described as “Totternhoe might even look into the possibility of using
Stone”, similar to the material used to construct horse-drawn drays. On completion of the extrac-
St Mary`s back in the 14th century. However, the tion, the soil would be replaced and the site would
existing quarry at Totternhoe near Dunstable is revert to the original fallow condition. Aerial
currently producing very limited amounts of stone pictures of the site are included here.
and the quality is reported to be very
indifferent and often very poor. As we need stone Mike Taffs
that is very similar in hardness, permeability and Chair – Tower Restoration Group
colour to that with which the church was original-
ly built, we are having to widen our search with St Mary`s Ashwell
the help of Historic England.

There is currently no other source of “Totternhoe
Stone” in the UK which is suitable. One
alternative is to import stone from France, which
will approximate to what we need but will be more
expensive and difficult to obtain in the current
economic and political circumstances.

Another option is to source the stone locally if a
vein of suitable “Totternhoe” can be found near
Ashwell. Centuries ago the village was
surrounded by small diggings which produced stone
for local use and the evidence is to be seen at the
Springs, Limekiln Lane and along the
Hinxworth Road, where the Nature Reserve was
once a quarry.

A geologist has examined the private farmland ad-
jacent to the Reserve and is fairly sure that suitable
stone exists only two or three metres below the
surface. The TRG
intends to investigate
the area with a digger,
to determine if any
suitable stone exists in
that location. The
County Council Minerals
Planner is being
consulted, although we
have been advised that
no planning permission
is actually needed. If
suitable stone is indeed
found it would be re-
covered using simple
surface excavation and
would not need to be
“quarried” as the
amount required to re-
store the tower is quite
modest.

17

Some music to listen to—by Bene’t Coldstream

I write in these difficult times to give you some music listening ideas. The editor has given me no
remit (which I am delighted about!) -so it’s just me to you. My own musical tastes are
incredibly varied and cover literally every century when music was written. I personally
derive physical pleasure from listening. Some music makes me smile, some makes me sad—but
the music I like (little bits of it below) always uplifts me. Don’t worry, it’s not all choral music!
Some of what I have recommended this month is very short in length, some are
extensive works. So for an easy guide I have added whether the suggestions are lengthy (L),
medium in length (M), or short in length (S). I hope that helps you.
I have, as you will see, kept this just to classical music. I have lots of suggestions of popular music too, just
haven’t gone down that route this month.
Requiem (Officium Defunctorum) - Tomas Luis de Victoria —sorry, not being morbid. I listen to this piece
often simply because it delights me. Listen out for the soprano suspensions in the Kyrie. (M)
Symphony No.5—Sibelius—I’m darting about here...the last (fourth) movement is astonishing. (L)
St John and St Matthew Passions—JS Bach—two of the most amazing pieces you’ll ever listen to—both are
lengthy, but you can put them down and come back to them rather like a good book. Highly appropriate for Lent
of course. (L)
Adagio from Sonata in D K576—Mozart—just one movement of a piano sonata. Calm and peaceful—qualities
we need right now (S)
Geistliches Lied—Brahms— languid, utterly divine. (S)
Miserere—Allegri—if you don’t think you know this, you probably will when you listen. (S)
A Shropshire Lad—Butterworth—Butterworth only lived to be 31, but this early 20th century setting of AE
Houseman’s poems is worth a listen if you don’t know it (and a further listen if you do!). (M)
Quatre motets pour un temps de penitence—Poulenc - highly appropriate for this time of year. Quirky,
angular, not like anything else (M)
Symphony No 3—Gorecki—there is a recording with Dawn Upshaw singing the soprano part. I can feel the
hairs rising on the back of my neck as I write. I am afraid if you research the background of this work, you will
find it depressing, but you have to go through it with me. The 2nd Movement is just unspeakably amazing. (L)
Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes—Britten—inspiring, haunting, delicious and actually not that well
known. (M)
Dixit Dominus—Handel—life without Handel is simply unimaginable….tuck in. (M)
Stabat Mater –Pergolesi— this amazing duet does start with the most stunning movement, but it’s worth
listening to the whole thing. (M)

May be back for more next month. Enjoy it all if you can.
Bene’t Coldstream.

Garden House News

In the current rapidly changing circumstances, the team at the Garden House Hospice is
working very hard to find ways to continue to serve those in community with
life-limiting illness, despite the effect of corona virus on almost all of our fund-raising
activities and our charity shops.
Please watch our website: if the opportunity arises and you feel you can help, please get in touch. And if you have inspired
ideas for raising funds during the difficult months ahead while keeping to the social distancing rules, we would be pleased to
hear from you.

Started by the community - Supporting the community - Sustained by the community

Village

WASTE COLLECTION

6th April - Recycling

13th April - Household waste

20th April - Recycling

27th April - Household waste

18

19

Bank holiday 8th May

This bank holiday is timed so that we
remember the end of WW2 in Europe.

Nationally there are a number of events planned
for that day and in the light of the most recent
news it is very likely that certain events that we
hoped to hold in the village will not now take
place.

But for information, nationally there should be a
last post at 255pm followed by bag pipes playing
a specially composed item at 3pm. After this the
suggestion is to raise a glass as the ‘Nations Toast
to the Heroes of WW2’. Finally, there is a peal of
bells ‘Ringing out for Peace’ at 7pm.

Let’s hope that it will at
least be possible to par-
ticipate in some of these
events via the
television.

ALSO, to note that the coffee morning planned
for Saturday 9th May in the Parish Room will be
cancelled.

Andrew Gillborn

20

How to stay connected when isolating

One of the hardest parts of self-isolating is, well, being isolated. Luckily, there are some free and easy ways to use technology
to stay connected. All you need is an internet connection plus a computer, a tablet or a smartphone. To make it easier, I’ve
created a website with links to these programmes, guides and more at www.ashwellisolates.co.uk. Suggestions and contribu-
tions to the site welcome. Please email [email protected]

Video calling (Video conferencing)

Video calling is a safe replacement for a face-to-face talk. It’s free and makes you feel much closer than a phone call. You can
call one person or have a group video chat with a number of people.
What you need:

Each person needs to have a suitable device such as a smartphone, a computer with a microphone and camera, or a tablet
(like an iPad) with an internet connection.

To start a call you need to download the ‘App’ or software to your device. Links are provided below.

Easy and free Apps to try

Skype. Download it at www.skype.com it on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Skype has a
‘Meet Now’ feature that allows you to email or SMS text a link to someone that allows them to
join you in a video call even if they don’t have Skype installed by clicking the link.

Zoom. www.zoom.us to sign up and download it. Zoom is free for 1-1 calls for personal use, and
you can link up more than one person for up to 45 minutes. Like Skype’s ‘Meet Now’ function, you
can send a link to someone who does not have the app and it will allow them to join your call.

Messaging Apps – contact anyone, (almost) anywhere

Messaging and calling apps are really useful because you can ‘chat’ with a whole group of people at once. It’s like having a con-
versation over the dinner table, but just in written form. You can scroll though the previous conversations at any time so you
never miss a thing, you can join different message groups, and you can connect with friends anywhere in the world.

What you need:

A smartphone with the App installed, and an internet connection.

WhatsApp allows you to message one person or many, create and join group chats, share photos and
more. It needs to be first installed on a smart phone though the App Store (Apple) or Google Play
(Android). Once you have it on your phone, you can access the same account on your computer or
tablet on a browser window through WhatsApp Web. In the app, people who are already in your
phone contacts who are using WhatsApp will appearso you can contact them. You can also make free voice calls to other
WhatsApp members who are in your contacts.

For Fun

Words with Friends. Available on smartphones and tablets through AppStore or Google Play
for free, it allows you to play “Scrabble” with others online. You can play with your own
friends and family by sharing your username or by connecting on Facebook. The same com-
pany has a similar game called Chess with Friends.
Visit museums online. Many museums are providing ‘virtual’ tours. Visit artsandculture.google.com to see some of the
“online exhibits” available.
Play Bridge. www.funbridge.com allows you to play with friends or anyone who has the app. The first 100 deals are free, plus
10 free deals a month, with paid options for more.

One of the great benefits of technology is that it brings people closer together without needing to be in the same room. Make
use of it and connect safely with friends and family.

Diane Jacoutot

21

22

Drawing by Jill Powell Poetry for April

April by Ezra Pound Chosen by Rufus Talks

Three spirits came to me April Rise by Laurie Lee
And drew me apart
To where the olive boughs If ever I saw blessing in the air
Lay stripped upon the ground: I see it now in this still early day
Pale carnage beneath bright mist. Where lemon-green the vaporous morning drips
Wet sunlight on the powder of my eye.
Ozymandias of Egypt by Percy Bysshe Shelley Blown bubble-film of blue, the sky wraps round
Weeds of warm light whose every root and rod
I met a traveller from an antique land Splutters with soapy green, and all the world
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Sweats with the bead of summer in its bud.
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, If ever I heard blessing it is there
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown Where birds in trees that shoals and shadows are
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Splash with their hidden wings and drops of sound
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Break on my ears their crests of throbbing air.
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, Pure in the haze the emerald sun dilates,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed; The lips of sparrows milk the mossy stones,
And on the pedestal these words appear: While white as water by the lake a girl
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Swims her green hand among the gathered swans.
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Now, as the almond burns its smoking wick,
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Dropping small flames to light the candled grass;
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, Now, as my low blood scales its second chance,
The lone and level sands stretch far away. If ever world were blessed, now it is.

23

24

25

Ashwell Bees used to visit a certain lime tree in Sutton Park
(Sutton Coldfield) in June and July and hope to
Sackcloth and ashes are the order enjoy the performance. Have a look out your-
of the day. It’s now the middle of selves, it’s worth a visit. It might, of course, be
March, the danger month, the a swarm of bees and that’s different but it’s also
winter bees are dying off and the worth a visit.
queen should be laying lots of
eggs to take their place and be I expect my bees to die in the next few weeks
ready to go out and collect nectar and pollen and then I shall have no bees, the first time
from the from the early nectar bearing plants. since 1977, what shall I do? I could retire be-
But they aren’t. I haven’t seen the queens to my cause I’m old and there’s a lot of heavy lifting in
two hives, nor have I seen any eggs though the beekeeping or I could buy a nucleus hive from
dark honey comb makes them difficult to see. On Thorne Beehives but that would cost all my pock-
the other hand I have seen a couple of bees tak- et money. I think I’ll wait and hope to catch a
ing yellow pollen into the hive which suggests swarm.
there are hungry larva needing food. But it’s all
small fry, the hives should be burgeoning with 5 But what is the cause of this poor result? I don’t
or 6 frames full of sealed brood and a hundred know for sure but here are some suspects: farm-
bees or more out foraging for nectar from the ing practices have meant the loss of flowering
dandelions and other nectar bearing plants. meadows on a vast scale; global warming has
disturbed world weather patterns when the bees
Have you ever seen a shrub or tree oozing nectar which rely on them have been around for millions
and being ravaged by thousands of bees and of years.
other insects. It’s a marvellous sight and not
only sight, you can hear them from 30m away. I Stuart Greenbank

In February Bernadette Merry, a community banker from Cambridge,
came to tell us about Scams and how we can help to prevent them. Ber-
nadette works for The National Westminster Bank and visits clubs,
schools, colleges and any groups who need money safety advice. This
bank is the only one currently employing people to do this work.

Now that many of the public have turned to using plastic rather than
cash, the criminals are inventing many clever ways of extorting money
from people. Over half of the victims are over 65 as the thieves feel that
older people have more money, are trusting, are perhaps forgetful or a little muddled and can be
quite vulnerable.

Bernadette explained the difference between fraud and scams. A fraud occurs without your
knowledge when thieves steal your card and get access to your funds. The banks will nearly al-
ways refund your loss in this case but Scams are when you are contacted by a thief, who,
through deceit, gets you to give bank details to him and In these cases you are not guaranteed
to get your money back. These criminals are very persuasive, often friendly and plausible and
may contact you by phone, email, post or knock on your door. Never give your security details to
anyone, don’t be rushed, stay in control, be vigilant and if it doesn’t feel right don’t do it however
genuine and sincere the caller sounds. No genuine banks, government departments or businesses
will ever ask you to give them security details there and then.

Some people are worried by online banking and feel it isn’t safe but Bernadette said that speed is
of the essence when trying to catch wrongdoers and with online banking the banks can follow
everything up in seconds whereas this isn’t so with other types of banking.

Bernadette answered many questions and then Sheila thanked her for a most enlightening and
useful talk.

26

Ashwell Horticultural Society keep safe and well.

At the March meeting our members Many thanks to all our members for keep-
enjoyed a fascinating talk about ing our society vibrant and encouraging
“Restoring a Victorian Fernery” given by the committee with your support and en-
John Roper and Colin Adlam, both keen thusiasm.
volunteers at Danesbury Park, Welwyn.
We hope to arrange a visit to the fernery Margaret Gilliam 01462 742040
later in the year to see the restorations. [email protected]
We will keep members informed of any
arrangements.

We have decided to cancel the Spring
Show this year as there is great
uncertainty about what is the right thing
to do in the light of the coronavirus and its
implications. However, as we have all
been preparing our flowers and tending
them in the garden we would like our
members to take a photograph of their
best exhibit and bring it to the next
meeting, where we will mount a display of
the beautiful blooms.

At the time of writing, the May meeting is
scheduled to be on Thursday 7 May when
Bev Bond will be speaking on the subject
“Herbs: Cultivation and Use through the
Ages.” We will keep you posted if any
change is necessary. In the meantime,

27

HEAVENS ABOVE and Pollux in Gemini – see chart. but the centre of
the constellation hosts a bright open cluster M-44,
The Night Sky in April 2020 also known as the Beehive, the Manger or Praese-
pe. Visible as a misty patch to the naked-eye in a
Welcome to our monthly page in AVN about the view dark sky, this object was known to the ancient Greeks
of the night sky from Ashwell with the naked eye, Aratus and Pliny around 260 BC. However, its true
binoculars or a small telescope. Use these notes with nature was not revealed until the dawn of the
a star atlas or a night sky chart. Most newspapers telescope – see picture and chart. Eight degrees
publish a monthly chart or print one from: south and a little east is another fine cluster, M-67,
200 stars packed into a space only30 arc minutes
www.astronomynow.com across - beautiful in a small telescope! Leo is one of
the few constellations that actually looks like its
By mid-evening, Ursa Major (the Great Bear) is namesake – see chart. The Lion holds many good
overhead. Leo (The Lion) and Cancer (The Crab) galaxies for small telescopes: the trio of M-65, M-66
are due south, Virgo, Coma Berenices and Bootes and NGC-3628, south of the star Cherton – see
are rising in the east, while the bright stars of the picture, a second trio of M-95, M-96 and M-105
Winter Hexagon are fading away to the west. west towards Regulus and NGC-2903, the brightest
galaxy in Leo, west of Algeiba towards Cancer.
The Moon: phases: first quarter April 1st and 30th,
full moon 8th, last qtr 14th, new moon 23rd. Alpha Leonis (Regulus) is an attractive double star
in small telescopes – a magnitude 1.4 primary with a
Planets: Mercury is hidden on the far side of the mag 7.9 secondary a wide 177” (arc seconds) away.
Sun this month and is unobservable. Venus is a Algeiba is also a fine double – mag 2.1 and 3.4 stars
brilliant evening star, reaching magnitude -4.7 by the which are 4.4” apart – rather harder to split!
end of April. The first week of the month finds it
among the Pleiades cluster in Taurus– see picture Jargon Busters: Venus visits the Pleiades. Every
and binocular highlights. Jupiter, Mars and Sat- year Venus makes a brilliant evening passage east of
urn are all close together in the pre-dawn as April the Sun as seen from the Earth into the constellation
begins, with Jupiter rising over 3 hours before the of Taurus. However once every eight years the plan-
Sun followed half an hour later by Saturn and Mars. et will appear to pass close or through the Pleiades
At magnitude -2.1 Jupiter far outshines Mars at mag star cluster for a stunning conjunction. Over millions
+0.8 and Saturn at mag +0.7. On April 11th the three of years the repeated gravitational interactions
planets are evenly spaced with Mars to the east, Ju- between Venus and Earth have brought their orbits
piter to the west and Saturn in the centre. On April into a near resonance as Earth completes 8 orbits
14th to 16th they are joined by the last-quarter while Venus circles the Sun 13 times. Every eight
Moon. Uranus is lost in the solar glare, heading to years the two planets return to the same relative
conjunction with the Sun on April 26th and is unob- positions and Venus makes its special visit to the
servable. Neptune has also moved into the morning Pleiades, this time on April 3rd.
sky but remains too close to the Sun during April to
be easily observed. Binocular Highlights: Watch Venus pass through
the Pleiades during the first week of April. The big
April Showers-The Lyrid Meteor Shower. This cluster The Beehive, M-44 is also best seen in
shower usually produces only about 20 meteors per binoculars rather than a telescope. Also look for
hour but this year the Moon will not interfere with Melotte 111, a huge open cluster 6 degrees across,
observing them. The Lyrids originate from the long- also known as the Coma Star Cluster, situated 12
period Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1). The radiant degrees north-east of Denebola – see chart.
is a little to the right of brilliant Vega in Lyra. The
best time to observe them is after midnight on the Website of the Month:
night of 21st/22nd April. More on the conjunction of Venus and the Pleiades at:

Constellations of the Month: Leo the Lion and https://universetoday.com/119708/venus-and-the-
Cancer the Crab: To find Leo, draw a line down from pleiades-see-the-spectacle/
Polaris, the Pole Star, through the two pointers
forming the west end of the Pot in the Big Dipper and Clear Skies!
continue it down to the sickle shape of the head of the
Lion. The zodiacal crab consists of only 7 naked-eye Mike Taffs
stars between Regulus in Leo and the Twins, Castor [email protected]

28

100 Years Ago - April 1920

The Ashwell Nursing Association held its 22nd In a previous report concerning The Welcome
Annual Meeting. This was an important Home Dinner for all those who had returned from
association in the days before the NHS as it gave the War the newspaper had inadvertently omitted
access to health care for much of the local the names of two important contributors to the
population in return for a regular subscription. success of the evening - The table decorations
At the meeting the funds were declared in good had been created by Mrs Page and Miss Cooper.
order with a balance of £7.20. It was also
announced that Midwifery fees would be raised The monthly Women’s Institute meeting started
from 10s to 15s for subscribers and from 15s to with a vote of sympathy for their treasurer,
25s for non-subscribers. The salary of Nurse Mrs Kingsley, on the loss of her mother. The talk
Reading, employed by the association, was this month was a talk by the Rev A M Perkins on
raised to £131 inclusive for the year. his talks to soldiers during the war and the
entertainment was a sketch by members.
The football season was still in full flow. Ashwell
played Codicote and although Ashwell won 3-2 At St Mary’s Church Vestry Meeting the current
the play was spoilt by high wind. Later in the churchwardens, Messrs Christy and Sale were
month the Junior and Senior teams played re-elected to continue in office.
evening fixtures against their main rivals,
Kryn & Lahy (Letchworth), Codicote and Whitwell John George Clarke, aged 65 of Mill Street, died
but lost them all. Meanwhile Ashwell Cricket Club on the 22nd March. The internment was at the
had been accepted into the North Herts League church. On the 14th April Louisa Philips, aged 64,
ready for the new season. the wife of J Philips of Sunny View passed away.
The internment was at the ‘new’ Cemetery.
There were two fund raising events in April. The
proceeds from a Whist Drive at the Merchant There was an advert for a forthcoming auction of
Taylors School went to the Children’s Fund. a freehold house and buildings. The property was
A successful concert was given by Mr Dan Hall & described as being brick and slated, with a small
his Company at the Congregational Church garden, and an enclosed yard. The entrance from
Schoolroom. I presume this is the place we now was from Hodwell Street and was now in the
call the URC Hall. occupation of Mr J W Pack at a rent of £20 p.a.
Those were the days!

Diapalante Update

Diapalante is a small Ashwell based charity that works with partners in
West Africa to help them run small development projects which benefit the
local community.
Our largest project is the Community Education Centre in Kaolack in Sene-
gal which has been running for 10 years now. Kaolack is Senegal’s third largest town, hot and dusty, most
roads are unsurfaced and the amenities fairly basic.
The Community Education Centre is run by Master P (Mamadou Kane) whose own education was cut short
by the need to earn money for the family when illness stopped his father working. The Centre is a drop-in
Centre open mornings and evenings so adults and children can attend around work, family and school
commitments. Under its motto of “Education for All” the Centre aims to help those who are at school
succeed in their learning and those who are not at school gain skills useful in the workplace. Master P is
assisted each year by two fulltime British gap year volunteers and several local volunteers who run short
courses. A challenging environment in which to teach but a fun environment in which to learn.
The backbone of the Centre is its English classes and its computer room with internet and basic courses in
Word and Excel. These are important skills because they are the key to office jobs, otherwise only
available to the more privileged.

Driven by the young children’s repeated demands (yes, they just
turn up and ask!) the Centre has started to teach them French so
they can make progress at school where the exams and teaching
are in French. These lessons in which teenage “Young Leaders”
teach French through small group activities have been a resounding
success with the children showing measurable gains at school. The
teenagers have also benefitted gaining self-confidence and presen-
tation skills.
There is so much more happening at the Centre: craft, science,
sport, art, traditional dance, debate, laughter ….
Since Diapalante started in 2005 when an Ashwell teenager returned
from her gap year in West Africa we have had loads of support from the village including regular and one
off fundraising events which enable the Centre and other projects to continue.

With many thanks for your support, Liz Chandler

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