February Print Edition of The Prattler
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Monthly Archives: February 2012
Announcements
Irene Gilkes will be celebrating her 80th Birthday on Friday 17th February. Lots of love from all the family (too numerous to mention) and we all hope that you have a lovely day with family & friends xx
Tracey Wood
Thanks for love and prayers
On the 8th December, the day before my 80th Birthday, I received a call from the Hospital to come in immediately following an x-ray. I spent the next five days on Talbot Butler ward having various tests. What a way to celebrate a Big O Birthday! I was allowed out for a few hours on Sunday afternoon for a party to which many family and friends came. The love, prayers and practical help Beryl and I have received is overwhelming and supportive. Thank you all so very much.
I have now been diagnosed with myeloma which can be treated by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so I hope to be resuming all my activities in the near future. Please continue to remember me in your prayers, it really does help.
David Smith
Heyford Scout Group
Now that we are well into the New Year the Heyford Scout Group is back into full swing. Enthusiasm throughout the sections is high, and there is undoubtedly plenty to look forward to in 2012, for the ever popular Heyford Scout Group.
Group news:
The Christmas card delivery service raised over £640, which was in turn pound for pound matched by Barclaycard. Thanks to everyone who helped, Barclaycard for matching, and most of all the villagers who parted with cash to help raise the funds. Some may recall that on the first collection night back in December, the conditions were truly shocking, with almost horizontal rain – so well done to those scouts who persevered through awful conditions that evening.
The group Christmas trip to Beckworth Emporium ice skating rink was well attended, and thankfully we escaped with no broken bones, although the pride of some may have been a little dented. It most certainly does not appear as though Torvil & Deane’s successors are likely to come from within our ranks.
To help our leaders all subs and capitation costs are now collected by standing order. This takes away the admin from the start of each meeting when the pound coins were previously handed in and logged, now leaving the leaders with more time to arrange activities for each evening. If any parents are yet to set up the standing order please speak to your child’s leader ASAP.
Talking of leaders, Sally Sargent has now completed her full training, very well done to her.
Something new for 2012 and hot off the press … there will be a summer fund raiser tantalisingly titled “Posh in Boots”. This will be held on 23rd June in the guise of a ball and hog roast, details later – but please mark it into your diaries now.
Beavers:
The first night back on 10th January saw a very lively, (leader speak for noisy), Beaver pack playing games. These included unihoc taster (indoor hockey), dodge ball (a firm favourite throughout Scouting) and a balancing game. The Beavers also had a chance to talk about their favourite Christmas present and also received some bird badges (RSPB) donated by a villager – thank you.
There is a night walk planned, and this year unsurprisingly will be quite sport focused given it’s the Olympic year. There will also be activity looking at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and there will be special badges which can be worn on the uniform in celebration of this year. Special thanks to the Beavers and Beaver parents for their support with the Christmas card leaflet delivery and card collection.
Scouts:
And still the numbers of Scouts grows, with 17 in the group. Activities planned for the near future include a creative challenge with flag and model making. After half term there will be a fitness challenge to coincide with the Olympic year. It will then be time to move straight into an outdoor challenge. The target is to get Scout’s challenge badges completed to enable the awarding of a chief scout gold award. A new group logo has been designed and will no doubt be featuring soon.
Explorers:
The Explorers have had a somewhat enforced slow return with only 4 attending the first meet of the New Year while the rest were revising for exams – something Steve comments was very surprising and unusual for them! No doubt this slow start will be more than made up for over the coming weeks and months.
Richard Pye
Brownies
We are looking forward to the new term, especially Pancake Day, but also celebrating the Chinese New Year, doing Valentine crafts, making things for Mothers day. The pennants we made for the Olympics have been sent off, Barn Owl and I were very proud of the girls and the work they produced. In a couple of weeks they should be on display in the online gallery at Quilts4London.
This term we shall also be working on self portraits to upload and send to FaceBritain, which is making a montage for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. As you can see the Brownies are a very artistic bunch, far more than me, but we always find time for games as well.
If you would like to know more about Brownies, please contact me.
Vicki Hamblin – Brownie Guider
341059
Top Cats Drama School
It was wonderful to see the Top Cats students return for another exciting year.
So what’s in store?
- Street Dance Classes
- Singing master class from west end performers
- Puppet skills –one off session
- Stage combat lessons
- LAMDA examination lessons
- ESB examination lessons
- Northampton Festival Speech and Drama
- Milton Keynes Festival Speech and Drama
- Kettering Eisteddfod Speech and Drama
- Singing workshop from Northampton Got Talent Star – Hannah Faulkner
- Theatre Trips
- Residential Trips
- NEW!!! Adult drama and dance classes – Saturday morning 9.30am – 10.30 am
Please contact me via my email or home telephone number if you are interested in joining us at Top Cats Drama on a Saturday morning.
Sarah Rawlins 01327 340775
Sarahthespeech@aol.com Topcatsdrama.co.uk
MARK 2: THE MARK TANTON FUNDRAISING GIG
It was another really fantastic concert night on January 7th! One year on from the first gig – to raise charity money and celebrate the life of Mark Tanton – we had a repeat concert and it was great to see that it went as well as the first.
This was an opportunity for friends and family of Mark, the village community and fans of the bands to all come together in the week that would have been Mark’s 16th birthday. Two of the bands – Korrozion and Behind Closed Doors – were bands that Mark once played in and it was good to see them perform in memory of their friend. There was also a charity single available to help raise funds.
Other bands that appeared had a Heyford flavour: Luke Edgington demonstrated his flair as musician and entertainer in a solo slot, likewise, Paul Tanton (Mark’s brother) put together a beautiful set of his own guitar compositions and sang to the crowd in what we hope will be the first of repeated singing performances. A great duo performance was put in by ‘Left Til Last’ with Heyford lad Luke Gowan and his singing partner Steph. The sound cranked up again for a stirring display by the band Plastered in Paris who also included local boys Tom Akrigg and Tom Croutear. The headlining act were Ten Joe Green and King, aka ‘Matty’s Band’ who were well known to a number of people in the audience.
Everybody appeared to have a really good time and it was very moving to join together at the end to Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now!’ which was Mark’s favourite track. There was a lot of dancing and quite a lot of singing… Particular thanks must go to Dave Stobart who worked tirelessly as compere for the evening and helped to raise money through his own generously donated auction.
A total of £1300 was raised on the night of clear proceeds to go towards Meningitis charities, Meningitis UK and Meningitis Trust. That’s a brilliant achievement so the biggest thank you of all goes to everyone who turned up – young and old – to make it such a great time and help a worth while cause too.
As a final note, Paul Tanton is running the London Marathon for the same cause this year and welcomes any sponsorship. You can help sponsor him by contacting any of the Mark Tanton Fundraising team: John and Lesley Tanton, Shirley Waterhouse, Adrian and Sarah Croutear, Steve Rayner, Barbara Wilkins.
Mark Tanton Memorial Committee Update
Thank you to all who took part in our Santa Run in December. The sight of over 100 Santas running through our local streets definitely added colour to a grey December day. We raised over £860 for Meningitis UK. A special thanks to all those who helped boost the total with sponsorship.
Thank you also to those who came to our second Gig, Mark ll held on January 7th. The evening was a fitting tribute to Mark who would have loved the music and the atmosphere. We are grateful to all the musicians young and not so young, and to all those who gave their skills and time on the day. We raised £1300 which will be divided between Meningitis UK and the Meningitis Trust.
Our next venture will be Mark’s Triathlon on Sunday 1st April. This year we are opening up the event to novice adults as well as children so an excellent opportunity for anyone who would like to try out this sport in a relaxed and friendly environment. See onyourmarksevents.org for more information. Look forward to seeing you there.
Nether Heyford Preschool
Hello and a Happy New Year Everyone!
December was a very busy month for our Pre-School. The children performed a wonderful nativity play, they were all true stars – a big Thankyou to all those who came and supported them and the Pre-School. A total of £237 was raised on the day and a great festive time was had by all. The children made Christmas tree decorations, Christmas cards and created some lovely festive artwork to take home. They enjoyed singing Christmas carols and had a great Christmas party with a surprise visit from Santa himself!
A fantastic £305 was raised at the Bliss School Christmas Bazaar through the sale of cakes, stocking fillers and our Meerkat tombola. A big thank you to all those who baked cakes and helped out, it is greatly appreciated. A further £350 was raised through our Saturday Christmas Stall – well done and Thank you to our tireless committee members for running the stall rain or shine.
In January the children learned about the weather – warm & cold, wind & rain; together with different climates and the clothing that we wear. They learned about garden birds, got messy making pine cone bird feeders to take home and had the chance to take part in the RSPB Big Garden BirdWatch. We will be reporting the survey findings back to the RSPB to help in the conservation of our birdlife.
The children will be doing daily exercise through the Action Kids programme which we hope they will enjoy and find stimulating. Teddy Preschool joined us in December, his name is Angus and the children will be taking turns to bring him home and write about his experiences with them in his diary. He spent Christmas with Evie Matthews and had a wonderful time!
We will shortly be running a Breakfast Club everyday from 8-9am at the Pre-School where children aged between 3-8 years can enjoy a healthy breakfast with us before starting their day either at the Pre-School or at Bliss. Breakfast club is priced at £3.70 per session including a walking bus to school if applicable.If you would like to sign your child up for any sessions, please email us at sophie@netherheyfordpreschool.co.uk asap.
How can you help our Pre-School?
February will see the children doing pancake races after the half term break. They will also be looking at recycling. If you feel you can offer any help with these topics please let us know.
We are collecting unwanted CD’s & DVD’s through Music Magpie and turning them into funds. (Donations to be received at Pre-School between 6-10th February please – no free newspaper CD’s please, they are not accepted). We are also collecting old mobile phones and ink cartridges and will be arranging a clothing collection through the Fire Fighters charity – they pay us per ton of clothing so if you have any unwanted clothing items please drop them off to us.
If you shop online, you can do so through www.easyfundraising.com – stores such as John Lewis, Amazon and Argos donate a percentage of the sale to a chosen charity – simply select Nether Heyford Pre-School.
Can anybody spare an hour or so to do a bit of potting in our potting shed? Can we come and have a look at your allotment, give it a dig etc? Would anybody like to come and bake some cakes with us? Has anybody got any reptiles they would like to bring in to show the children?!
We are always looking for volunteers to help in the setting and with our fundraising efforts. Our Preschool is a charity and couldn’t function without help from parents and those in our community so if you have any spare time and feel you would like to help, please contact Yvette Petty/Sophie Jones on 07984055828 or drop in and introduce yourself.
Thank you for reading and Best Wishes from Miss Yvette, Miss Sophie, the Preschool Staff and Committee
from the Governors of Bliss Charity School…
At the time of writing this copy, it feels as if the new term of 2012 has just got underway but by the time this is published, February half term will already be looming! As always, there’s a lot going on in the weeks in between. Preparations are already underway to celebrate and learn more about the Olympics this year and it fits into our international Comenius programme too. The aim is to integrate lots of learning relating to art, drama, history, dance, writing, science, culture, sport. In March we will be hosting a visit from our Comenius School Partners: pupils and teachers from Greece, Sweden and Romania, plus a cohort of children and their parents of Reception age. The aim of the week is to enjoy a Shakespeare week together as part of celebraing different cultures and literature. This is also a great opportunity to learn from other European perspectives and gives a unique opportunity for some of the children at Bliss to have the children stay with their families. We’ve seen in the past how this can develop into long-term friendships and repeated exchange visits independently to the school.
On the teacher-exchange, Miss Thompson is enjoying her time in Maine, USA, although she is having to learn to love snow… or at least accept that there’s going to be a lot of it for quite some time. In contrast, her American exchange partner has experienced what has been called the warmest winter in the UK ever! Last week, Ms Hunter took the Class 4 pupils on a short exchange to Everdon Outdoor Centre where the children had a good time making effective water-proof shelters in the woods and cooking over an open fire, among other things.
Class 6 are currently busy with their Ancient Egypt project and their class room is decorated with lots of impressive Egyptian art, models and hieroglyphics. They have their residential week later in the year which is always one of the highlights in their
last year of primary school.
Right now at Bliss, we do have a few places available in each year group including the coming Reception for next September so if you know of any interested prospective parents, they are welcome to contact the school about availability.
Junior Heyford
Items of interest for younger readers and their parents
Edmund Arnold Charity and Arnold’s Educational Charity
The trustees of this charity can provide small cash grants for people under the age of 25 who live in Nether or Upper Heyford or Stowe IX Churches, for educational purposes. This could be books for a college or university course, tools for an apprenticeship or maybe help towards the purchase of a musical instrument or assistance for foreign travel for educational purposes. If you have any requests and wish to ask me if your project would qualify for a grant please do. Grants are at the discretion of the trustees.
There is also a fund which can make grants to help people of any age living in Nether Heyford, who might need help to cope with a difficult situation or an unexpected bill. This is usually in the form of a one-off payment to help someone in urgent need, and again is at the discretion of the trustees. In both cases, if you would like a form, please apply to the clerk to the trustees, Miss J. Forsyth, Wilson Browne Solicitors, 4, Grange Park Court, Roman Way, Northampton, NN4 5AE. If you would like any more information, please feel free to speak to me in confidence.
NETHER HEYFORD YOUTH CLUB
We are pleased to announce that Nether Heyford Youth Club is coming back on Monday 6th February 2012 from 5.30pm – 7pm and then every Monday after that. Please stop by and support your local Youth Club.
All children from 8 years – 16 years welcome. Admission is £1.50 .All staff will be CRB checked
If you have any questions please call us on 07787 139 826 or email us at netherheyfordyouthclub@hotmail.co.uk
We look forward to seeing you. From Sabrina, Claire, Kimmy, Ellie and Abbey.
YOUR YOUTH CLUB NEEDS YOU
HEYFORD SPORTS
PFA 300 Club Winners
December 1st Prize (£65) 251 Steven Stringfellow
2nd Prize (£30) 151 Jo Dickson
January 1st Prize (£65) 191 Pete Mullen
2nd Prize (£30) 71 Sarah Allen
Heyford Cricket Club are still searching for a volunteer groundsman to help with the 2012 season and beyond. No experience is necessary as full training and equipment will be provided. Help will be primarily required on Thursday/Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Please contact Kit on 01327 349560 or email HeyfordGroundsman@gmail.com for further details.
Heyford Cricket Club
After another successful season, Heyford Cricket Club are raring to go in 2012, and indoor nets start on Wednesday 25th January, between 9-10pm at the County Ground and continue for eleven weeks (until 4th April). Two nets have been booked and we look forward to seeing all old and new players there for a pre-season workout.
Prospective players aged 16 and over are welcome to come along. A small payment will be required each week to cover hire costs.
If you’re interested and need more details then please contact Ross Cambray by email on rosscambray@hotmail.co.uk
Heyford Bowls Club
The last short mat bowling competition of the season played on 19th November saw five pairs contesting for the Men’s Pairs Trophy. The early rounds were played in the form of a round robin, with the highest aggregate scores progressing through to the final. Once again some excellent and entertaining bowling was produced on all mats. The final proved a close fought encounter with the winners Tony Wright and Peter McLean securing a narrow victory over Ray Haddon and John Dunkley.
An important date for your diaries, the 2012 Bowling Competitions begin on Saturday 18th February. This will be the “PRESIDENT’S CUP” played in the usual form of triples matches. Venue is the VILLAGE HALL and the games will start at 1.30 pm.
Good attendances are being maintained on both Wednesday afternoon and evening bowling sessions. The fun Christmas bowls evening played on the 21st December again proved very popular with the different bowling formats producing a great deal of hilarity and high scores on the target bowls.
It is nice to renew our old inter club fixture, the short mat versus the outdoor green two leg friendly matches. A date now to note – the first game will be played in the VILLAGE HALL on Saturday 10th March, starting time 1.30 pm. The return fixture at the outdoor green, the date of which has yet to be arranged, will be given at a later time. This should produce some interesting and fun matches so let us have a good turnout. Any outdoor bowlers who would like to play please inform Hugh Taylor or Den Taylor. Short mat bowlers in the usual way via the notice board in the Village Hall.
The archaeological work has now been completed at the outside bowling club premises to the satisfaction of HERITAGE ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD and this will place the results of the project in the public domain. The report from this work fulfils the requirements of the archaeological condition imposed and has therefore been discharged, South Northamptonshire Council having been informed by County Hall.
Den Taylor
Diary of Events
What’s on in Nether Heyford. At a glance!
February
| February 16th | “A Private Function” – Picturedrome |
| February 25th | Quiz Night |
Monthly Diary
| 2nd Sunday | Heyford Amblers walk | 10.30 am. See club diary |
| 1st Monday | Parish Council Meeting | Baptist Church Rooms 7.30 pm |
| 2nd Monday | Gardeners Club | Village Hall 7.30 pm |
| 3rd Monday | University of the
Third Age |
Bugbrooke Community Centre
2.30 pm |
| 4th Monday | Bugbrooke & District Flower Society | Village Hall 7.45pm |
| 1st Wednesday | First Wednesday Group | Baptist Rooms 2.00 pm |
| 1st Thursday | Womens Institute | Village Hall 7.30 pm |
| 1st Thursday | Royal British Legion | Baptist Church Rooms 7.30 pm |
| 2nd Thursday | Pensioners Meals | Youth Centre Roberts Field |
| 2nd Thursday | Attachment Parenting | Hill Farm, NN7 3NB 10-12 am |
| 2nd Thursday | Book Group | Baptist Church Rooms 7.30pm |
| 2nd & 4th Thursday | Heyford Singers | Village Hall 7.30 pm |
| 3rd Thursday | Heyford Picturedrome | Village Hall 7.30pm |
| 4th Thursday | Open Door | Baptist Church Rooms 9.30am |
| Friday (occasional) | Heyford Singers | Village Hall 7.30 pm |
Fortnightly Diary
| Alt Tuesday | Darby & Joan | Baptist Church Rooms 2.15 pm |
Weekday Diary
| Sunday
|
Church services
Chapel services |
For details see St Peters
and St Pauls diary See Chapel diary |
| Monday | Pilates
Crafty Club Pre-school Explorers (14-18yrs) |
Church Rooms 10.00am
Baptist Church Rooms 12.30 pm Village Hall 8.00-1.00 pm Church Rooms |
| Tuesday | Pre-school
Heyford Amblers
Pilates Martial Arts Beaver Scouts 6-8yr Cub Scouts Football Club Training |
Village Hall 8.00-1.00 pm
Weekly walk starting from the Green 10.30 am Youth Club 6.00 pm Village Hall 5.00-9.00 pm Church Rooms 6.15-7.15 pm Church Rooms 7.30-8.45 pm Playing Field 7.30 pm |
| Wednesday | Communion
Pre-school WEA Heyford Brownies Bowls Club |
St Peters and St Pauls Church 9.30 am
Village Hall 8.00-1.00 pm Bliss School 8.00 pm Bliss School 5.30pm -7.00 pm Village Hall 2.00 pm & 7.30 pm
|
| Thursday | Pre-school
|
Village Hall 8.00-3.00 pm |
| Friday | Pre-school
Mums & Tots Scouts |
Village Hall 8.00-3.00 pm
Chapel School Rooms 11-1.00 pm Church Rooms 7.15-9.15 pm |
| Saturday | Top Cats Drama School | Bliss School 9.30 am |
Forthcoming Events
| April 20th | Fashion Show |
| April 22nd | Garage Sale |
| June 9th | Jubilee Celebration, Village Picnic & Fete |
This diary of events is accurate to the best of our knowledge.
To correct an entry or to include information, contact the Editor.
Spinal Injuries Association
“Hold a Fish and Chip Supper to help spinal cord injured people live full and independent lives.”
Great British Fish and Chip Supper – Friday 18th May 2012
Want to do something different? Want to raise money where you live or work? Want to eat Fish and Chips, while raising money for charity? Hold a fish and chip supper on Friday 18th May 2012 whilst raising awareness of spinal cord injury and supporting SIA’s information and support services.
You can hold a fish and chip supper in your own home, at work or hold a larger supper at your local community centre.
SIA will provide a fundraising pack containing hints and tips, recipes, invitations and donation envelopes. By inviting 7 friends and asking them to donate an additional £5.00 means you will raise at least £35.00 from your supper but we will also give you additional fundraising ideas to raise even more money for SIA.
Last year we had over 100 suppers taking part in England and Wales and we raised £6,000. In the three years we have been running the event we have raised £20,000 to support spinal cord injured people.
The money raised from the suppers will help the Spinal Injuries Association offer support to individuals who become paralysed and their families, from the moment a spinal injury occurs, and for the rest of their lives by providing services and publications which enable and encourage paralysed people to lead independent lives.
Every year in the UK over 1,000 people experience a spinal cord injury and there are an estimated 40,000 spinal cord injured people in the UK alone.
Community Fundraising Officer, Elizabeth Wright, says, “The Fish and Chip Supper is a wonderful opportunity for a great evening with friends and family. We are also encouraging people who work to hold a Fish and Chip Lunch in their work places to raise even more funds. You may be even a local community group wanting to run a fun evening with your group.
Be a part of something special and make a real difference to help spinal cord injured people gain access to the information and support they need to enable them to live full and independent lives.”
For more information or request a fundraising pack call Elizabeth Wright on 0845 071 4350 or email fishandchips@spinal.co.uk or visit www.spinal.co.uk/fishandchips
Heyford Garden Club
A new calendar year is upon us and gardeners begin to consider the new growing season in earnest. Vital preparation and planning at this point of the year will ensure that when the warmer weather and lighter evenings come along, the garden or the allotment will be ready for seeds or new plants. And if the weather does its very worst again, put your feet up and look at some garden books or plant catalogues and dream about how good your garden might look later in the year.
2011 was a very productive year at Heyford Garden Club. We had a wide range of speakers dealing with topics from waste recycling to growing giant vegetables! 2011 also saw the 20th anniversary of the garden club in Heyford and that was celebrated in fine style by members old and new. It has been particularly encouraging to see a number of new members join us over the year and that bodes well for the future.
Our fist meeting of 2012 was held on Monday 9th January and, in addition to the AGM that we usually hold at the beginning of the year, we took the opportunity to celebrate the work of three of our garden club members. Ann Haynes, and Mark and Mary Newstead are accomplished artist and crafts people who use plants as inspiration for their work. They discussed their work and brought along some wonderful examples of the things they produce. Rather like the gardens we create, we sometimes underestimate the wealth of talent we have within our own ranks.
Our comprehensive programme for 2012 is now complete and a summary is included below.
Our next meeting will be on Monday 13th February when we welcome Anne Bird from Market Harborough, who is an expert in growing roses. Do come and join us at 8.00.pm in the village hall – newcomers are offered a warm welcome.
Programme for 2012
(all meetings are held in the village hall and begin at 8.00.pm unless other wise stated)
January 9th AGM – including presentations by Garden Club members – Ann Haynes and Mark Newstead
February 13th Anne Bird – Growing Roses
Anne gardens in Market Harborough and is an expert on the cultivation of roses. She is an RHS recommended speaker and a well respected presenter.
March 12th Ben Smith – Garden Design
Ben lives in nearby Litchborough and is a much sought after speaker. He designs gardens for a living and comes to us highly recommended.
April 16th Spring Show (note this is the third Monday in the month due to the Easter Holiday)
May 14th Jo Roberts – Managing Woodland
Jo is a ranger at Salcey Forest and will be sharing her experiences of managing a large area of woodland and the cultivation of trees – with particular reference to our own gardens.
June 11th Barry Smith – Stowe Gardens
Barry is the Head Gardener at this most prestigious of English landscape gardens. He’ll take us on a “virtual tour” of the gardens, delve into their history and talk about the day to day management of the site. We are hoping that we can follow up this talk with an evening visit to Stowe.
Evening visits to at least two gardens will be organised this month.
July 9th Garden Party – venue to be arranged
A day long visit to RHS Hyde Hall in Essex will be arranged for July
August No Meeting
September 10th Autumn Show
October 8th John Whiting – Making Wooden Walking Sticks
John is a local celebrated maker of wooden walking sticks and we have no doubt he will provide us with an entertaining evening discussing and demonstrating his craft.
November 12th Chris Littlewood – Making Up Winter Planters
Heyford Garden Club is delighted to welcome back Chris Littlewood from Bliss Lane Nursery in Flore. She will complete our programme in the village hall for 2012 by leading a practical workshop on planting up a container for winter colour. For those of you who would like to “have a go” you only need to provide a container and Chris will supply the plants and planting medium. More details on this later.
December 10th Christmas Meal
Mike Langrish – Chairman
UPPER NENE VALLEY U3A
Our first two meetings of the New Year will be on:
MONDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2012 DAVID LANTSBERY – BEE KEEPING
Bees do not just make honey – they are a vital link in the food chain. The food we eat is so often dependent on pollination at a time when a crisis is threatening the world’s honey bees. David will talk to us about his experiences in bee keeping.
MONDAY 19 MARCH 2012 ELAINE NUNN – COUNTRY HOUSES
Elaine will share with us her knowledge of country houses such as Althorp.
MONDAY 16 APRIL 2012 DUSTY RHODES – COUNTRY CUSTOMS
Dusty will share his enthusiasm for rural traditions.
MONDAY 21 MAY 2012 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
We look forward to seeing all our members at the AGM to set the agenda for the coming year.
The U3A (University of the Third Age) is an organisation promoting lifelong learning for older people. It provides opportunities for members to share learning experiences in a wide range of interest groups. Meetings are open to non-members and take place at Bugbrooke Community Centre, Camp Hill, Bugbrooke on the 3rd Monday of each month at 2.30 p.m.
Special Interest Groups: Book Exchange, French, Genealogy, German intermediate, History of Music, Literature, Luncheon Club, Music Appreciation, Scrabble, Snooker, Writing Family History
WEA Nether Heyford Branch
As already advertised the spring 2012 course will start on Wednesday 22nd February when Martin Sirot-Smith will talk about a typical year in Tudor times. We’ll explore the meaning and significance of events of the time and examine activities that are still the basis of seasonal celebrations today.
Meetings at Bliss School, Wednesdays, at 8-9.30pm for 5 weeks. Further details from Ted Garrett, Tel. 342539. No need to book, just turn up on the first night. Make a note of the date now!
BUGBROOKE & DISTRICT FLOWER SOCIETY
Our monthly meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7.45 pm in Nether Heyford Village Hall.
Our February meeting is on Monday 27th when we look forward to an inspiring evening with Lee Berrill and his demonstration “Into the Light”. At the end all arrangements are raffled, so why not come along and enjoy a relaxing evening and you may be lucky enough to win one of Lee’s arrangements. Guests and new members are always welcome.
For more information please ring Simone on 01327 342167 or Maureen on 01327 340789
HEYFORD AMBLERS
We recently said a sad farewell to one of our former members, Mick Gray. When we formed 10 years ago Mick was one of the first to join us and continued regularly walking on Tuesday mornings and once a month on a Sunday until about 2 years ago. He also joined us on three of our autumn breaks in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire Dales, from which we have some great photographs to remember him by.
The next Sunday walk will be on 12th February, meeting 10:30 by the village school in Napton for a 5 mile round trip. We shall continue walking on Tuesday mornings, leaving the green at 10:30 am. Why not come and join us?
Mick & Shirley Collins 01327 342287
Recipe of the Month
February is a good month for Swiss chard, chicory, lemons and forced rhubarb. Our recipe is a perennial favourite and real winter warmer:
Chicken and Leek Pot Pie
10oz/300g cooked chicken, turkey or ham
2oz/50g butter
leeks, 2 small, washed and sliced into small chunks
2 tbsp plain flour
½ pint/300ml milk
1teasp Dijon mustard
¼ pint/150ml single cream
tarragon, a small bunch chopped
a block of puff pastry(500g or 1lb)
1 egg beaten
Method
Tear all the meat into chunks and discard any fat or gristle.
Melt the butter in a shallow wide pan. Cook the leeks in the butter for 10 minutes until really soft. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Gradually add the milk, stirring until you have a saucy consistency. Add the mustard and cream, stir again. Add the meat and tarragon, then mix well. Leave to cool a little.
Tip into a dish, then roll out the pastry to cover the dish, drape the pastry over the top and crimp the edges. Glaze with the egg and make a vent in the centre of the pie.
Bake at 190c, fan 170c, gas mark 5 for 20 – 25 minutes, until golden.
Serve with peas or any green vegetable.
For a veggie version omit the meat and add some cooked mushrooms and squash.
QUIZ NIGHT
Saturday February 25th 2012
7:30pm
Nether Heyford Village Hall
Hosted by Mick Collins
Teams of up to 6 people
Please bring your own drink
Delicious refreshments served at interval
Only £4 per person.
To book a place phone Ann on 342491
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Upper Stowe
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