Tracey Wood

Thanks for love and prayers

On the 8^th December, the day before my 80^th 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  

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 10^th 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

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

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

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 1^st 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.

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 6-10^th 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

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.

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 6^th 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

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 19^th 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 18^th 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 21^st 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 10^th 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