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The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

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Nether Heyford Village Picnic June 9th 12.30 An Invitation from the Parish Council

As you may know, this is quite a special year as it marks the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne and therefore is her Diamond Jubilee celebration.

To mark the occasion the Parish Council have teamed up with the Village Hall Fete Committee to help turn this year’s fete into a huge celebration event for the village and we hope that you can all come and join us on the village green on Saturday June 9th.The Parish Council is keen to ensure that all members of our community participate and can benefit from the event.

To this end, we are providing a Punch and Judy Show for children and contributing towards a children’s disco; we are organising a barn dance in the evening which is heavily subsidised and we have contributed to the afternoon entertainment as well to keep everyone in a celebratory mood. This will involve a brass band and other musicians playing songs to keep you entertained whilst you enjoy your picnic lunch.

Lunch will be followed by a commemorative event whereby our very own County Councillor, Joan Kirkbride, will plant an English Oak tree on the village green to mark the occasion.

As you may have realised, we plan to start everything off on the day with a village picnic where you can either come and bring your own food and eat it in our designated picnic area, or you can purchase hot food from the scouts who will be selling roast pork baps and other tasty sundries. You will also be able to wash things down with a cool drink from the bar that we will have set up on the green for the event.

We invite you to attend this community celebration and hope that you would very much like to join us and help turn this into a memorable and enjoyable day. Now if only someone can arrange for the sun to turn up!!! Kind Regards

Liam McCormack Chair of Nether Heyford Parish Council

Parish Council Notes

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The April meeting of the Parish Council took place on April 2nd at the Baptist Church Rooms. It was preceded by the Annual Parish Meeting.

The Annual Parish Meeting was poorly attended with only two members of the public apart from Parish, County and District Councillors. This meeting is a legal requirement but has become rather a relic in recent years. The Parish Council has tried to revive it by encouraging village societies to give an annual report but none chose to do so. It was felt that any funding given by the Parish Council should be made conditional on a report being given at this meeting in future.

Chairman’s report.

I’d like to say that the previous year has been one of the quietest that this council has seen in village life and in some ways it has been. Nevertheless it started with one of the most contentious planning applications that our community has seen for many a long time and my first meeting as chairman saw about 200 villagers cram themselves into the village hall in order to discuss the application at Sheepcot for a possible travellers site. As you all know, South Northants received over 400 letters of objection to the application but obviously the application was never going to be decided due to the admittedly considerable personal feelings on the matter. Therefore we put together a comprehensive list of material considerations and sent these to South Northants for them to consider and I also attended the planning committee meeting to ensure that our concerns were not ignored. As a result of our efforts and the efforts of the community we were able to help ensure that the application was rightfully refused and the green belt between Nether Heyford and Bugbrooke remains intact at least for now.

This last year also saw Bob Lewis stepping down from the council. Bob had served the council with distinction as chairman and had also taken a personal interest in organising and running the allotments, ensuring that all aspects of maintenance were kept on top of. Bob had already signalled his intention of stepping down from the council but kindly stayed on until he was sure that enough new members were in place so that his good work could be continued. The Council was grateful for Bob’s service and for his thoughtfulness in arranging a smooth handover of his responsibilities.

In this respect it now seems like a good time to thank our new members who have stepped forward to help ensure that the council continues to function effectively, although to say new is disingenuous at best as Peter Green and Jean Spokes have both served their community on many occasions in the past and I for one am extremely appreciative of the fact that they have both chosen to represent the village once more.

One other new member who needs to be mentioned is Charles Kiloh who has taken on the substantial role of planning on behalf of the council and provides invaluable advice and guidance on all the applications that come before the council. Charles is both thoughtful and comprehensive in his approach to applications that come his way and I feel that our planning is once more in the hands of someone who has the best interests of the village at heart and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank him for the work that he has put into the role this last year.

Whilst it is obviously incumbent on me to acknowledge the good work that our new members have done in the last year it would be hugely remiss not to mention our existing members who between them have ensured that the main watchwords of the previous year have to be continuity and progress. Neil has continued to provide invaluable advice and guidance and between them, Anita and Linda have ensured that the allotments have continued to flourish. With theirs and Ray’s help we now have a fully functioning youth club that is catering for the youth of our village once more. Thanks to Ray and Linda we also have people looking to hold functions on the premises; we have a regular pilates class at the venue and the pensioners meals are now looking to offer meals once a fortnight instead of once a month. I would like to thank them sincerely as without their efforts the village would not have access to these vital arteries that ensure that a community such as ours functions effectively.

Another achievement of the previous year has been the re-establishment of the Neighbourhood Watch scheme which has not only been reinvigorated but has also been brought into the 21st century with the addition of e-mail alerts and notifications. That this has been achieved is, to no small extent, thanks to the efforts of Colin Thomas who maintains the village database and ensures that crucial information is circulated in a timely and efficient manner. Colin was also responsible for ensuring that the cenotaph was restored and cleaned in time for Remembrance Day in November and I’d like to thank him for his efforts in ensuring that our parishioners can continue to pay their respects to our war dead at a memorial that is fit for the purpose of honouring their memory.

In reflecting upon the previous year it seems fitting to comment on some of the more mundane and yet still essential work that we all contribute to on a daily and monthly basis. This work has seen two new dog bins installed for the use of our parishioners and the installation of new signs on the village green urging people to respect and help conserve our beautiful heritage. We have successfully arranged for the repair of our village playground which is now so successfully utilised that it seems as if we will soon need to arrange a new fund raising venture for the addition of some new equipment for older children of the village. On top of this, we are now into the second year of our grass maintenance contract which has provided good value to the Parish and we are constantly ensuring that the numerous trees of the village are pruned and looked after.

Finally, we have ensured that local organisations are supported and encouraged, whether it is through the establishment of the youth club or through the provision of a grant to help support the extension of the bowls club. This work has culminated in the provision of a grant to the village hall fete committee to ensure that this year’s diamond jubilee is celebrated in a fitting manner by everybody within the community. To this end, we have ensured representation on the committee itself and we are also providing a jubilee oak tree which is to be planted by Councillor Joan Kirkbride, a valuable and respected member of the community who has herself served the Parish Council prior to her current role where she continues to work for the good of our community in a much wider role.

I’d like to finish on the theme of continuity once more and in this respect I’d like to offer my thanks to Guy Ravine, our village clerk and the one constant over the last few years of turmoil who continues to provide invaluable advice and guidance and acts as the main point of contact to everyone in the community who has either a concern or a grievance. Guy ensures that all issues are placed before us and continues to provide the community with an invaluable source of knowledge and reassurance.

So, in conclusion, I can confidently say that we have succeeded in keeping the village running smoothly and efficiently and helping ensure that our parishioners have no cause to complain at the way in which we serve their interests. In this respect, we do face challenges in the future, not least the new planning laws that the government has introduced which could have a significant impact on any future development in our village and on our ability to influence that process. The danger is that villages like ours become a magnet for developers who see the new laws as an opportunity to force through developments that are not necessarily in the best interests of our community. However, I am confident that we will be able to meet these challenges together and with my colleagues on the council we will continue to work for the good of our community which I would say is the measure upon which we judged all our actions in the previous year and will continue to do so going forward.

The Youth Club continues to grow and further training has been carried out by the County Association of Youth Clubs. It is a great pleasure to be able to report this progress, after the difficult times that have been gone through with regard to the club.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING. Monday May 14th 2012. This is the Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council

Guy Ravine, Tel: 01327 340410 E-mail: g.ravine@btinternet.com

A Plea from the Chair

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Did you know that there are two vacancies on the Parish Council at the moment for someone who is interested in helping the community? Being a councillor can be hugely rewarding, as it provides you with the opportunity to take an interest in your community by working for the benefit of our fellow parishioners. A lot of our work is ensuring that everyday tasks such as maintenance and grass cutting are completed, but it is also a role that provides you with a chance to have a real positive influence if you have the time and drive to take the initiative.

We are always looking for fresh ideas and enthusiasm so if you believe, as I do, that our village is a special place to live; if you can commit to a few hours every month in the service of your fellow parishioners; and if you would like the chance to make a difference then please think seriously about joining the council. Contact the village clerk Guy Ravine for more information or feel free to call me on 01327 342142 to discuss this further.

Kind Regards

Liam McCormack Chair of Nether Heyford Parish Council

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE ACRE BULK OIL BUYING PROJECT

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You may remember that last autumn saw the launch of the Northamptonshire ACRE Bulk Oil Buying Project. We’re pleased to report that it’s fully up and running.
Since we began in October our membership has grown to almost 60. The prices negotiated on behalf of the members and the average member savings are shown below:

Month

Average market price quoted

Final price achieved after negotiation

Member savings per 500 litre order

October

59.00p

53.97p

£25.15

November

61.50p

55.50p

£30.00

January

60.20p

54.90p

£26.50

End January

61.50p

56.45p

£25.50

The benefits to individual members are:

A saving of £25 – £30 per 500 litres ordered vs average prices quoted by the oil companies.
No need to buy larger volumes to get lower prices as your individual order is a small part of a much larger one.

Avoid the hassle of ringing round for quotes – leave it to our professional negotiator.

The benefits to our local community are:

A communal sharing of the price benefits.

Reduction in tanker traffic though our villages. Already a member?

Many thanks to those villagers who’ve already joined the scheme, and don’t forget that the ordering deadline is the last Wednesday of each month.

Not yet a member?

If you’re not yet a member, but would like to join, please feel free to use the contact details below. You can see from the above figures that the potential savings opportunities are well worth taking. The greater the number of members in the syndicate, the greater will be the opportunity to negotiate the lowest possible market prices for all members to enjoy.

For more detail, please contact us: Website: www.northantsacre.org.uk E-mail: oil@northantsacre.org.uk Phone: 01604 765888

NETHER HEYFORD BAPTIST CHURCH

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Sunday Services: 10.30 am and 6.00 pm

May

Morning

Evening

16

Mr G Davenport

Mr E Scarfe (Communion)

13

Mr M Buckby

No Service

20

Mr C Leakey

No Service

27

CHURCH ANNIVERSARY Mrs G Haynes (Communion) Mr L Britten

Our next OPEN DOOR Coffee Morning with a difference will be on 24th May from 9.30am to 11.30am. Please pop along for a free cup of tea or coffee (or more if you wish) and a chance to have a chat with friends from the village.

At the April meeting of the First Wednesday Group Clive Leakey gave an enjoyable insight into his holiday in Israel and Egypt, showing us his inevitable photographs of places of interest he came across, particularly one of himself on a camel.

Our next meeting will be on 2nd May at 2 pm when Joy Brown will tell us about the work of the Gideons. This is the society that puts Bibles into hotels and also endeavours to obtain permission to go into schools and give a copy of the New Testament to each child. All are welcome. There will be a sales table for funds and light refreshments.

On Saturday 12th May we will be holding our Flower Festival, Plant Sale and Gift Day from 9 am to 1 pm based on the theme of “The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee”. We hope to have a good supply of plants suitable for dry conditions and hope that we are not fooled by the weather on the day. Although we only plan to sell plants until 1.00 pm the Church will be open until 4 pm, and again from 12 noon to 4 pm on Sunday afternoon, for you to have a closer look at the displays. Light refreshments will be available during these hours on both days.

P Thackray

Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul

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Festivals in May – Rogation and Pentecost
At our Benefice service on 13th May we shall be celebrating Rogation. This used to
be a very important festival especially in rural areas, as farmers recognised that
while they worked the land and planted the seed, they depended upon God to give
the growth. Recently it seems to have diminished in popularity. I’m wondering if it
may gain favour again as the hose pipe ban makes us reflect upon our dependence
on nature, or more particularly upon God’s gifts in creation.

Rogation Days have been observed since the 5th century. Literally “Rogation”
comes from the Latin “to ask”, as in “interrogate”. So we ask God’s blessing on the
land and remind ourselves that we are the stewards of Creation, not the authors or
the owners of it. Job had to be reminded of that, too. God spoke to him in a
whirlwind – “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? When the
morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?”

Rogation Days were often celebrated by beating the bounds – walking the
boundaries of the parish and thus acknowledging our stewardship of it and care for
it. We shall not be going quite this far! Rather, our service will start in St James’
Church in Upper Stowe and then we shall go out to various places in and around the
village. We shall stop at arable fields and fields of sheep to pray God’s blessing
upon the crops and the animals; at a garden to pray for not only that gardener and
householder but for all who garden and live in the village and in all our villages; at
the Village Green to pray for the community. We shall hear of God’s love for his
creation and care for it through Bible readings, and at some stops we shall also sing
as we have a band of musicians accompanying us. While our focus will be local, it
doesn’t stop there, but seeks to be inclusive of all four villages and, indeed, to open
up to include concern for the needs of the whole world. Thus we will seek to honour
God for His creation, and to pray for the land and sea and for the needs of all.
The Feast of Pentecost or Whit Sunday falls on the 27th May. This is the birthday of
the church when we recall how God sent His Holy Spirit upon the disciples to
empower them to tell the world about Jesus Christ and his life and death and
resurrection. We shall be celebrating this at all our services that day and all are
welcome to join us as always.

AnnSlater 342201

Services for May 2012

Friday 4th 4.30pm Nooma Café at Heyford Church Rooms
Sunday 6th 8:00am Prayer Book Holy Communion at Flore
9:30am Holy Communion at Upper Stowe
11:00am Holy Communion at Heyford
11:00am United All Age Service at Flore
11.15am Celtic Morning Prayer at Brockhall
6:00pm Evening Communion at the Baptist Church
Sunday 13th 10:30am Rogation Service for the whole Benefice at Upper Stowe
Saturday 19th 3.30pm Messy Church at Flore
Sunday 20th 9:30am Holy Communion at Heyford
10:00am United Service at Flore URC
10:00am Family Service at Upper Stowe
11:15am Prayer Book Holy Communion at Brockhall
6:00pm Holy Communion at Flore
Sunday 27th 9:30am Holy Communion at Flore
11:00am Celtic Morning Prayer at Heyford
11:00am Holy Communion at Church Stowe
6:00pm Holy Communion at Heyford

Midweek Communions are held weekly on Wednesdays, 9.30am at Heyford and Thursdays, 10am at Flore – all welcome.

The Streets we shall be praying for during May are Watery Lane and Brookside Place in Heyford, Bricketts Lane and Springfield in Flore, Main St in Upper Stowe and the Brockhall Hall apartments.

Heyford Parish Church Invite you to a

PLANTS, CAKE AND COFFEE

MORNING

Saturday 5th May 2012 10-11.45am

In the Church Rooms

Plant stall

Home-made cakes, raffle, bring and buy and book stall (with a fresh selection of books!!!)

Heyford Scout Group

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Beavers

As the days are lengthening, the Beaver pack is looking to hold more sessions outdoors exploring the village whilst learning more about our surroundings. The highlight of the last month was the group swimming session held in conjunction with the Cubs.  All who attended had a great night in the pool with all Beavers having now earned their stage one swimming badges that evening.  A very special thanks to Pete for helping out and all the parents who also swam making it a more relaxing time for the leaders.  In addition, the Beavers have spent time making something for mums, not forgetting the liberal sprinkling of games.

Cubs

As mentioned earlier a few of the cubs joined in the fun with the group swimming activity in Daventry in March.  On another evening the cubs spent the night down the playing fields on a ‘wide game’ involving a treasure hunt for sugar cubes.  As well as being fun it was a good lesson in co-operation, tactics and good old fashioned exercise….!  In the coming weeks the Cubs will mainly be outside with amongst other activities: backwoods cooking, shelter building and other traditional Scouting crafts.  Our newest Cub was invested in mid-March and there are a few spaces still available.  For more information please contact Sally on 07976 829760

Scouts

Since late February, the Scouts have been spending every Friday evening outside.  Amongst the highlights (for some), was the night hike across to Bugbrooke mill and back.  For some it proved a challenge fighting the darkness, tiredness and the uneven terrain.  It was punctuated mid-walk with a night-time blindfold exercise testing the ability of the youngsters to guide one another around a course with verbal communication only.  Additionally, the Scouts are working towards their ‘fitness’ badge learning about exercise and healthy living.

Richard Pye  07976 829760

Brownies

The Brownies are looking forward to the lighter nights and getting out more, not that we haven’t enjoyed the crafts that we have been doing this term.  The Brownies made biscuits, which they handed out in church on Mothering Sunday.  They worked very hard and the biscuits were delicious.  The rest of this term we will be completing  self portraits for FaceBritain and doing some more cooking, which will count towards the Cooks badge and of course, finishing with an Easter Egg Hunt.

We are on holiday for much of April and will start again on Wednesday, 25/4/12.

If you are interested in Brownies, please ring me.

Vicki Hamblin – Brownie Guider – 341059

from the Governors of Bliss School…

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As you read your April edition of The Prattler, we will just about be starting the Easter holidays, having completed another successful term. We look forward to what the next term brings.

One of the biggest projects coming up is the start of major extension work to incorporate a new class room and improve and develop some of our existing areas. The plans have been on show in school and a large number of parents, governors and trustees, members of the school and Heyford villagers have been in to see them and give their comments.

To explain the new build in more detail, our head teacher, Mr Scanlan, has included the following in the school newsletter:

“As you are probably aware we will have a new classroom for the school by July 2013, which is great news. The school will have to find £20,000 to pay for some of the costs which will be shared between The Friends of Bliss, Trustees and the school.  I am delighted about this, as it will mean I can keep class sizes down to a reasonable level and have more space. It will also mean with new housing we can retain places for children in the village and surrounding villages which do not have a school.

The extent of the building will mean we have a covered area to the side of the hall linking the new classroom, offices and hall. We will also have a new staff room, more storage space, more toilets and space for small groups and music as well as a teaching kitchen.

Whilst the building works are being constructed there will of course be disruption. However, I am delighted that the Trustees will be making the school house available as a works site for the contractors, minimizing the impact on school. I will keep you informed, at present I anticipate this to be started October 2012.”

Amongst all these new changes, some things are consistent including the annual residential trip for year six pupils to Kingswood in Norfolk in early March. The children enjoy a wide range of activities – indoor and outdoor – and it is one of the highlights of their final year at primary. Being right by the sea, Kingswood tends to get the brunt of the weather so reports back home were that it was rather wet and cold! However, a good time was had by all.

Classes 3 and 4 have also been busy with preparations and then their performance of Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat which is always a popular and ambitious musical to produce. A big thank you goes to the staff with all their hard work plus much appreciation of the support of parents.

Sarah Croutear

CAR BOOT SALE & FUN DAY!

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SUNDAY 29th APRIL 2012 – 1PM

(sellers to arrive no earlier than 12 noon, no need to book)

NETHER HEYFORD PLAYING FIELDS
MIDDLE STREET
NETHER HEYFORD
NN7 3LL

CARS £5 VANS £10

  • Refreshments & Bar
  • Bouncy Castle
  • Treasure Hunt
  • Raffle
  •  Lucky Dip
  • Tombola
  • Children’s Crafts
  • and lots more!

NETHER HEYFORD PRE-SCHOOL

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March saw the children doing some great activities.  As the sun finally started to shine, they planted some sweet pea seeds to take home and nurture.  Themed weeks have been centred around colours where they brought in show and tell items in yellow, green, red, blue, purple and pink and produced some colourful artwork.  Thanks also to The Bliss School for inviting the Monday Preschool children to a fabulous performance of Joseph; the children really enjoyed it – a big well done to the performers.

Welcome to Amy Perkins who joins us as Deputy Manager, we wish her well in her role.

New session available – Tuesday afternoons 1-3pm. To book this session or increase to a full Tuesday please call 07984 055828 or email info@netherheyfordpreschool.co.uk.

Come and Play afternoon Friday 20th April 1-3pm. Tea and refreshments will be served. Everyone welcome – if you’re thinking of choosing us as a part of your childcare arrangements then please come along and see what we can offer.  Existing parents and children at the preschool are also welcome, come and chat with the staff about your child’s progress and take a look at their portfolio’s.

Places are available for our Breakfast club. 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.

The Preschool will be having a stall at the Garage Sale on Sunday 22nd April – we are having a clear out of toys and equipment no longer used and intend to buy some scenery, a greengrocers shop and play theatre with the proceeds – come along and support us if you can, you may even bag a bargain or two.

We recently had a collection of unwanted clothing by the Fire Fighters Charity, proceeds are split between the Preschool and this worthy cause.

We are currently planning a Car Boot sale for the near future. It is hoped that we will be organising this at the Playing Fields. Watch this space!

April sees the start of our Rising 5 sessions on a Thursday afternoon, 1pm – 3pm. These sessions are aimed at children starting at Bliss School in September. We have lots of activities planned including a visit from our local police officer, the fire brigade, a trip to the ‘Wicked Wildlife’ experience at Everdon and a day trip to Rookery Farm. We will also be doing lots of Forest School activities in the village as well as visiting Bliss School.

How can you help our Pre-School?

Helping hands – where those in the community and parents/grandparents/carers/family and friends are welcomed into our setting to help with everything from arts and crafts, gardening, music, reading. No horrid jobs we promise – just lots of fun and very rewarding.

We are now collecting Sainsburys Active Kids vouchers and Tesco Schools vouchers.  When you’re offered these at the till please say yes and pass these onto the Preschool. We can convert them into much needed equipment for our setting.

As always, freepost envelopes are available in the foyer for recycling ink cartridges & mobile phones.

If you shop online, you can do so through www.easyfundraising.org.uk  – stores such as John Lewis, Amazon and Argos donate a percentage of the sale to a chosen charity – simply select Nether Heyford Pre-School.

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 Sophie Jones on 07984055828 or drop in and introduce yourself.

Thank you for reading

Preschool Staff and Committee

Tel: 07984055828

info@netherheyfordpreschool.co.uk                    www.netherheyfordpreschool.co.uk

Heyford Bowls Club

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Congratulations to Heyford Bowls Club who celebrated their 21st anniversary on 19th February of this year.  The first club night was held in the village hall and short mat bowls has continued there until this day.  The club has expanded over the years and now has a successful indoor and outdoor bowls section.

Saturday 18th February saw the indoor bowls first competition of the season “The Dave Juland Presidents Cup” and was played in a triples format.  This was well supported with seven teams contesting the trophy.  A knock-out competition was introduced restricted by time to seven ends.  Some excellent bowling on all mats resulted in some very close games.  The final saw some quality bowling by all players, finally put beyond doubt by the last end.  The winners were Joan Juland, Audrey Barlow and Jean Cullin over Pauline Groom, Pauline Thackray and Den Taylor by the score of 8-4.

The indoor bowls section was invited to play a match away to their old friends the Moreton Pinkney Bowling club.  Once again they proved to be excellent hosts and finished by winning the match by six with a win to each side on the two mats.

The date for signing on for outdoor bowls will be Friday 13th April, 6 pm at the clubhouse.  Greens are looking good on the surface and it is hoped (weather permitting) they will be open from Thursday 19th April.  A date to remember, the first game of the season will be away to Earls Barton on Monday 14th May.

A very pleasant afternoon was enjoyed on Saturday 10th March when the indoor bowls entertained the outdoor and bowling on all three mats was well contested.  This has proved to be a popular and enjoyable fixture.  The return match on the outside green will be arranged for later in the season.

Den Taylor 01327 341405

Nether Heyford Tennis Club – New Coaching Courses

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Following last season’s successful program “Goodlaw Professional Tennis Coaching Ltd” are returning to hold sessions on Wednesdays, starting Wednesday May 2nd 2012.

  • Ages 5 to 7 years           4.30 – 5.30pm
  • Ages 8 to 13 years         5.30 – 7pm
  • Adults                             7 – 8 or 8.30pm

Further details from Jo Dickson 349094, or see heyfordtennisclub.co.uk

Sports Clubs

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300 Club March Winners:

  •     1st Prize (£65) Julie Sergent (203)
  •     2nd Prize (£30)  Colin Forrester (235)
  •     March Bonus Prize (£180) Nick Adams (57)

HSC would like to congratulate our 300 Club winners over the previous year but more importantly thank all our members for their continued support. Our collectors will be around shortly for the forthcoming season but we still have 13 unsold numbers so please contact Kit (01327 349560) or Colin (01327 341168) if you would like to purchase one of these vacant numbers (£10 year).

Secretary

HSC are looking for a secretary to attend meetings and take minutes. If you feel you could spare a couple of hours a month please contact Kit on 01327 349560.

Fun Day

HSC are proud to announce their 2nd Annual Fun Day on Sunday 15th July, between 2pm & 6pm. The format will be broadly similar to last year’s, but in addition to individual stalls this year we’re holding an “Olympic Themed” competition – we are asking for teams of 6 (£10 team) to enter into 12 events (including Wellie Wanging, Wheelbarrow race, Limbo Competition, Doughnut eating,  (raw) egg catching, etc.). There will be prizes for the top three, but let’s face it, prizes are nothing compared to your team’s pride! So if you fancy your chances at beating one of the HSC clubs, or just don’t mind making fools of yourselves please register your interest at HSCFunDay@gmail.com or contact Kit on 01327 349560.
In addition, if you (or your club/organisation) would like to have a stall on the day, please get in touch.

Diary of Events

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What’s on in Nether Heyford. At a glance!

April

April 7th Coffee Morning – Church Rooms
April 7th Bowls Club Quiz Night
April 12th Picturedrome – Chocolat
April 20th Fashion Show – Bugbrooke Community Centre
April 22nd Garage Sale
April 21st Quiz Night
April 29th Car Boot Sale

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)

 Youth Club 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

May 11th & 12th Heyford Singers Spring Concert
May 12th Flower Sale, Plant Sale and Gift Sale
June 9th Jubilee Celebration, Village Picnic & Fete
July 15th HSC Fun Day

This diary of events is accurate to the best of our knowledge.

To correct an entry or to include information, contact the Editor.

The Heyford Singers

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Is there no end to the versatility of Heyford Singers!   On Saturday 3rd March they ‘staged’ a very successful version of an Olde Time Music Hall coupled with a coffee morning, all in aid of the Singers’

nominated charities – Autism Concern, Meningitis UK, The Bobby Moore Fund and the two village Churches.   All the performers dressed to suit the period.   Many styles were evident, from scruffy urchins to aristocracy – even Queen Victoria (or her double) honoured the occasion with her presence.

After the Singers gave a calming, peaceful start to the morning with their rendition of Home, Sweet Home, the mood changed significantly when children from Bliss School took the stage and entertained the audience with lively songs from the well-known musical, “Oliver”.   They were then joined by David Smith who took the part of Fagin with great relish and effect.   The future of singing in the village should be safe in the hands of dedicated leaders like Ginny Griffiths, and the brilliant children of Bliss School.

Next, the programme moved into medleys of choruses from old time songs like Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, Boiled beef and carrots and If you were the only girl in the world, with  audience participation made easier as the words were displayed on the new drop-down screen.

Interspersed with the medleys, soloists, a duet and a quartet, the Singers entertained the audience with more songs from the Music Hall era.   It was indeed a delight to hear so many members of the choir perform so well in costume and in keeping with the theme for the morning.

The morning’s proceedings ended with renditions of Land of Hope and Glory, Rule Brittania and the National Anthem – a fitting end in this Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee Year.

Mary Rice, Musical Director, once again worked wonders to produce a programme which was appropriate for the morning, and the children, the choir and ‘mainly  yourselves’ (the audience!) entered into the spirit with gusto and enthusiasm.

All-in-all a successful event and the success extended to the financial income.  Over £300 (net) was taken in entry money and the sale of raffle tickets.   This will take the total raised, towards the three charities and the two local churches, well over the original target set by Mary Rice of £1000.

Bob Wilson  Chairman

Heyford Garden Club

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Ben Smith, garden designer, was the guest speaker at our last meeting. He gave a fascinating and very informative presentation on the fundamentals of garden design, illustrating his talk with examples of gardens he has worked on over the years. These range from the tiniest of courtyards to the sort of parkland that would not have been unfamiliar to the great Capability Brown. The hall mark of all his work is the importance of plants. Too often garden design focuses heavily on hard landscaping. Not so with Ben. He appreciates the value that good basic structures play in his gardens but does not do this at the expense of imaginative and sympathetic planting. Gardeners appreciate that emphasis on horticulture – after all it is what we are all about.

Our next meeting will be on Monday April 16th when we will be holding our Spring Show. Please note that this is the third Monday in the month due to the Easter Holiday. The village hall will be open from 7.30.pm for entrants to bring along and set up exhibits although our meeting will begin at the usual time of 8.00.pm.

A copy of the schedule is included below. Further details if required can be obtained from me by telephoning 01327 341390.

Spring Show 2012

  • Class 1     3 tulips displayed in a vase or suitable container. 
  • Class 2     5 daffodils or other narcissus.
  • Class 3     A vase of Spring foliage and/or blossom.
  • Class 4     A primula in a pot.
  • Class 5     6 pansies or violas displayed in a small vase or floated on water.
  • Class 6     A display of any early fruit or veg.
  • Class 7     A single specimen flower of your choice.
  • Class 8     An indoor plant of your choice.
  • Class 9     An alpine grown in a pot.
  • Class 10   A painting or piece of objet d’art based on the theme of Spring

All entries must be grown or produced by the entrant(s).

Entry fees – 10p per entry

Prizes – 

  • 1st £1
  • 2nd 75p
  • 3rd 50p

A trophy will be awarded to the entrant(s) who gain the most points, so the more categories you enter (even if you don’t win an individual category) could result in your becoming the overall champion of the show!

RHS Hyde Hall

We are currently taking names for our trip to the RHS Garden at Hyde Hall in Essex. The visit is planned for Sunday 15th July and the cost for Garden Club members will be only £10 for the cost of the coach. If you want to join us it is worth joining Heyford Garden Club (annual membership £3) as normal entry to Hyde Hall is £7! Do get in touch if you are interested.

Things to do in April

The garden has woken up! Enjoy those warm spring days by doing some jobs in the garden and listening to the birds sing.

Fruit & veg

Sow now

Lettuce, Swiss chard, leeks, radish, spring onion, peas, spinach

Harvest now

Eat up the last of the winter leeks, parsnips and kale

Jobs now

  • Earth up the early potatoes as they begin to grow.
  • Keep early outdoor sowings of crops protected with horticultural fleece.
  • The warmer weather also means that the weeds are growing – remember to keep your crops weed free!

Plants

  • Mulch around plants, shrubs and fruit bushes to help reduce the weeds and retain moisture around their roots.
  • Sow annual flowers and herbs.

Wildlife

  • Keep feeding the birds in your garden.
  • Regularly clean the bird table and bird bath.
  • Sow a wildflower meadow – well a little corner of your garden or allotment if you don’t have a spare acre or two.

Mike Langrish – Chairman

Sing yourself happy with…POP CHOIR

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Come and join the fun as POP CHOIR are recruiting  members

for a  six-week course designed and led by music graduate

Laura Whittle.

Be social, build  confidence and have fun singing arrangements of

popular hits from 1950 – today.

Sunday School Rooms, Bugbrooke.

Tuesdays 8 – 9:30pm, commences 24th April.

For further details or to sign-up now for £40.00 please e-mail

laurawhittle@hotmail.com or telephone Laura on 01933 663411.

Limited spaces.  No previous experience necessary.  16+ WELCOME!