Little Staughton Village Newsletter On-Line

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Little Staughton News

March 2009

From the Chair (Tony Moss)

Very little from me this month, as I provide you with my Chairman’s Annual report later in the month. There is a request (below) from the Scrutiny committee for feedback, which you may like to consider

Don’t forget the waste and rubbish collection this Saturday 6^th March 10:00 am at the village hall

I wrote last time about how bad the snow and ice were and that spring could not be far away. At present it feels as though we’ve still got a long wait! The heifers have finished having their calves and we are now well into the main batch of cows. Someone once asked me what breeds we keep. “Many different ones” was my answer. We have some continental breeds like Limousins and Charolais, plus a sprinkling of Belgian Blues and then of course we have the famous Scottish Aberdeen Angus, and I mustn’t forget the English Herefords. Every breed has its own different characteristics and each of our customers wants so many different things. So the saying that the customer is always right even applies to the farming community. I am looking forward to getting the cattle out onto the meadows at White House Farm and then it really will mean that spring has arrived.

As to what’s happening at the Council and my reports on their "doings", well I often fear for my language and my grammar! I can honestly say that I have never met such a twisted lot as those who continue to say one thing and mean another and then forget anything inconvenient. As you may or may not be aware, the former County Council came to end last year and the Borough have now have taken over. When they took over, the newly formed Borough Council promised all of their residents significant tax cuts (as much as 12 percent). They maintained that as a layer of bureaucracy was being taken away, everything would be so much better and cheaper and cuts would be easy to achieve. Well, almost a year down the line and that promise has long been forgotten and they, I mean the ruling Lib Dems, have put the Council Tax up by 2.3% and at the same time they are pleading poverty whilst still retaining nineteen million pounds worth of your, the tax payer’s, money in their reserves! I know a week’s along time in politics but their bid when they took over the old rural based County is in black and white and it was only last April, so you can imagine that I and my fellow Tory colleagues are left very unimpressed at the new Mayor’s first few months in office.

Please remember, if you want to chat with me on any issue, then please do call on 07771575227

Maria and Kevin would like to all who came to their party last Saturday. They would also like to thank you all for the lovely cards, presents and gifts they received. They hope you all enjoyed the party as much as they did.

Notable birthdays in February:

Rosemary Read, former chair of the Parish Council;

Roy Hopperton grass cutter extraordinaire!

Congratulations and HappyBirthday to each of  you.

The Borough Council has four committees dedicated to carrying out “Scrutiny and Overview”. This is where Councillors review the Council’s policies and are responsible for making sure that the council makes the best decisions on behalf of local residents. Another important part of their work is to investigate issues of concern to the local community. Last year the Committees reviewed: NHS Continuing Health Care; Building Schools for the Future Funding; Highway Maintenance in the Borough.

Your views are important to us in planning our work for the year, especially those relating to our corporate priorities as a council. These are:

·         Economic Regeneration

·         Environment & Climate Change

·         Children & Young People

·         Adult Health & Well-Being

·         Safer Communities

·         Inclusion & Cohesion

·         Housing & Transport

If you have any suggestions of topics or issues that we should look at, please contact them by email at scrutiny@bedford.gov.uk or call 01234 228256. Please reply by 16 April 2010.

The  200 Club has purchased Flower Boxes/Troughs to go under the  signs at the entrances to our village. They are lovely wooden ones which need staining and filling, it would be nice if each one could be looked after by a villager so Mary Jordan is looking for volunteers to look after one at each location: Green End, Top End and Keysoe Row.  All compost and plants will be provided and hopefully in time these will grow and flourish to enhance our village and may even make speeding motorists see the signs!

Please call Mary on 01234 376383 or 07729 960264 if you can help.

Pub Quiz at the Crown  in the village, Saturday 27th March, 7.30pm for 8pm start. £2 per person; teams up to 6.

In aid of "Have a Heart's" Trek China 2010, raising funds for disadvantaged children. (Angela Arch has a place on this Trek 16th April). Any donations or raffle prizes for  the evening would be appreciated or you can donate direct on line.

http://www.doitforcharity.com/www.doitforcharity.com/angelaa

All Saints Church

Friends’ Report – Annual Dinner

The first Saturday of February saw a very successful fund raising Dinner at the village hall.  As always, the Ladies planned and prepared a wonderful meal, and the speaker, Mr Richard Banks was most entertaining. Thanks to the generosity of those attending and some particularly generous gestures the Friends raised in excess of £2400 towards maintenance projects at the church.  Our thanks go to one and all for coming along and making it a fantastic social evening.

An item of jewellery was found after the Friends’Annual Dinner on Saturday 6^th February; if you have lost such an item please contact Jeanette Atkinson on 01234 376607.

The weather has bought a halt to maintenance at the moment but the works will resume in the spring, but already the church is not suffering so much from penetrating damp.

Church Lighting

Well it’s been all birthdays this month. Nigel Bastin celebrated his 65^th birthday. Jane & Michael Kneeshaw had family birthdays. Paul Feneley lit the church for his brothers Dave and Mick, as did Mary Hopperton for Roy’s 60^th birthday. Love to Richard Manning on his 40^th birthday from his wife Kirstie and children Ella & Luke. Many happy returns to them all and thank you for the kind donations. Why don’t you be a sponsor and mark a special event or occasion in this way, for a minimum donation of £10 per week, please contact Gill Shaw on 376530.

Bingo evening, Sat. March 6th

Bingo in the Village Hall, free entry, bar, nibbles, 7.30 pm for eyes down at 8.00 pm. All welcome; children under 14 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult please.

Bookings

The village Hall is available for hire on a one off, or regular basis. To discuss your requirements please contact Sonny Woodhams on 376581 

Afternoon Tea

The next afternoon tea is on Friday 12^th March, 2.30 to 3.30 pm. Everyone is welcome; £1 admission.

Tea or coffee and biscuits plus there is always something on the table to look at or  chat about informally. This month we will have clothing & shoes pre 1950, from an army greatcoat to clogs! If you have an interesting item then please bring it along.

Comedy/Magic Shows; Sat March 20^th

Afternoon show for youngsters (most suitable for ages 4 to 11) from 4.00 to 5.00 pm, doors open 3.30 pm. Tickets £5 each.

Evening show; 7.30 pm for 8.00 pm start. Tickets £15 each  include a supper;

All tickets available from Village Hall Committee Members (or Phil Benns 07932 058714).

Annual General Meeting

Will take place on Tuesday 30^th March at 8;00 pm in the village Hall, all welcome

Any queries on any of the following please contact Kirstie Manning 01234 376460.

Bags 2 School collection; Wednesday 10^th March

Please start saving your old clothes, shoes, bags, belts, bedding, soft toys etc. as there will be another collection on 12 March 2010. Please leave bags out by 4 pm for collection.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Blue Bag collection on 9^th October 2009.  With your support we managed to raise a fantastic £880 for Kymbrook Lower School which is greatly appreciated! The money will be put towards much needed new IT equipment for the children. Please start saving your old clothes, shoes, bags, belts, bedding, soft toys etc. A Blue Bag will be delivered to you approximately two weeks before the collection, but please remember that you can also fill additional black bags with items.

Irish Night; Saturday 13th March

7.30pm ‘til late, Keysoe Village Hall, tickets £12.50 Boogie on down to live music by MERCY STREET, enjoy a hot meal with pudding and lots of Guinness! 

Swishing Party; Thursday 6th May

Kymbrook School Hall, Tickets £5, 7.30 pm. Entrance fee will include a glass of something (alcoholic or non) and nibbles, but you must bring with you at least one good quality clean item to swap. This could be ladies-men’s-children clothes, shoes. 

 Summer Fun Day;Saturday 26^th June

Family fun for all, topped off with a yummy BBQ! What more could you ask for!!  More information to follow.....

(Colmworth, Bolnhurst, Keysoe, Little Staughton,  Ravensden, Wilden and Renhold)

The Society meets in Colmworth Village Hall usually on the third Friday of the month at 7.30 pm.

In January Stephen Smith and Liz Luder gave a talk on British Political Parties, Past and Present and in February Stephen Risby gave an interesting account of the Prisoner-of-War Camp at Colmworth.

On March 19^th there is an illustrated talk by Alan Woodward “Czechoslovakia on the Eve of the Velvet Revolution (1989)”, and on Saturday, 17^th April  Brian Jones will be taking us on a walk through Medieval Peterborough.

At present there are very few members from Little Staughton and the Society would like to encourage more people to join (£10 per year) or to come along as a visitor (£2.50 donation).

If you would like to know more, please contact the Secretary, Jan Smith on 01234 376487 or Alan Woodward on 01234-376526, or visit the website: www.colmworthhistory.org.uk.

The History Society looks forward to welcoming new members.

March 6^th Saturday – Litter Collection Day; 10.00 am start Village Hall, all welcome.

March 6^th Saturday –Bingo in the Village Hall, 7.30 pm, eyes down at 8.00 pm

 March 10^th Wednesday – Bags 2 School Collection. Bags out by 4.00 pm please.

March 12^th Friday – Afternoon Tea in the Village Hall, 2.30 to 3.30 pm, all welcome.

March 13th Saturday – Irish Night in Keysoe Village Hall. Details above

March 16^th Tuesday - Parish Council Meeting, Village Hall, 7.30 pm, all welcome.

March 20^th Saturday – Comedy & Magic

Afternoon show 3:30 pm for 4:00 pm details above.  Tickets £5 each.

Evening show; 7.30 pm for 8.00 pm start details above Tickets £15 each 

March 27^th Saturday – Pub Quiz in the Crown 8:00 pm start details above.

March30^th Tuesday – AGM at 8:00pm details above.

April 17^th Saturday – Plant Sale in Aid of Riding for the Disabled, Pertenhall, 12 to 4pm, free admisssion, Pertenhall Village Hall, Refreshments  available

April 20thTuesday - Parish Council Meeting, Village Hall, 7.30 pm, all welcome.

May  6^th Thursday – Swishing Party Kymbrook School Hall, 7.30 pm details above £5 entry.

May  18^th Tuesday - Parish Council Meeting, Village Hall, 7.30 pm, all welcome.

June  15^th Tuesday - Parish Council Meeting, Village Hall, 7.30 pm, all welcome.

June 2010 – BBQ & Quiz Evening at the Village Hall. Details to be advised.

June 26^th, Saturday – Fun Day  & BBQ Kymbrook School. Details to be advised.

All copy for the April  2010 issue to Jeanette Atkinson by post (Claydon, Spring Hill) or email (jeanette@pjatkinson.plus.com)
by Friday 26th March

http://www.littlestaughtonvillage.co.uk for more village information