Ouse News |
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April 2001 |
Edited by Clive Just |
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David Knowles
- Ken Shrimpton A Personal Note - Clive Just I served on the PCC together with David for several years. His contributions to those meetings was always relevant and extremely well considered but invariably brought amusement to what could often have been rather dull proceedings. He also took a very keen interest in the young people’s work at St Mary’s. However it is for the Tombola at the Harvest Supper that he will always be remembered so fondly by our family. I don’t believe anyone else could distribute the ‘prize’ of a tin of beans or auction a pumpkin such an entertaining way as David did — just one small reason, among many much greater ones, why he will be greatly missed. Jennifer, Louise and
Richard have so appreciated the love and support shown to them
during the last few months. David and I never felt alone - such was The Easter Bunny How did a rabbit become linked with Easter? The story really goes back to the Easter Hare. In the early years of Easter celebrations, hares were compared with Jesus. They were known for being gentle. They have no burrow or home (Jesus wandered through the countryside, and he said that he had no home in this world). And they symbolize the new life that comes every spring and during Easter. Nowadays, the once-kingly hare is usually pictured as a sweet little bunny that delivers eggs. Most people don’t think of it as having any religious meaning or history at all. You can help change that. This year, if you see pictures and cards with the Easter Bunny on them, remember the story of the Son of God who rose from the dead and brings new life. Coffee Morning - change of venue - Row Watson April’s coffee morning in aid of the Felmersham Church Restoration Fund will now be held at the home of Mary and Paul Freeman, "Meadowbank", Pavenham Road, Felmersham on Saturday 7 April at 10.30 a.m. Contributions of home made cakes, toiletries, produce and bric-a-brac for the bring and buy stall will be most welcome. All friends are welcome. May’s will be held at Perch Heights, Canton Road on 5th May at 10.30 a.m. Wildlife Snippets April - The Wildlife Trust As the months get warmer, gardeners start to make plans for the forthcoming spring/summer season. Whether large or small, every garden has the potential to become a haven for wildlife. By planting a few nectar-giving and plants with berries, a garden could be full of butterflies, insects and birds. What is nicer than sitting watching a pair of Brimstones or Peacocks dancing about? Every year, The Wildlife Trust, promoting wildlife gardening hosts a series of plant sales organised by one of its volunteers, Nancy Dawson. These sales specialise in wild plants and unusual perennials, plants for butterflies, bee plants, herbs, ground cover, water plants, indoor plants, trees and shrubs. Prices start from as little as 60p and home-made teas are served. All profits go towards The Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve purchase fund. Sadly this is Nancy’s last year running the plant sales although they will continue. So make the most of the final lckwell Green plant sale and buy your plants here this year. Sunday 29 April, 2-5.3Opm, The Old House, lckwell Green, nr Biggleswade. Sunday 6 May, 2-Spin, Village Hall, Grantchester (plant sale in hall with teas) For details contact The Wildlife Trust on 01223 712400. Sharnbrook Community College - A Evans The Summer brochure for adult and children’s courses is now available, Please check in local shops and Post Offices or contact the office on 782581 for a copy. Advance notice: we will be offering FREE courses in Basic Computer Literacy in the villages from September watch out for details Annual Parish Meeting - Maggie
Spoor Chairman; a Finance Report by the Clerk; a Borough Councillor’s report by Geoff Hulatt in which he explained the changes brought about by the Electoral Review. From next year, Felmersham Parish will be represented by a Borough Councillor elected by the parishes of Carlton, Pavenham, Stevington and Felmersham. The old Felmersham ward will be no more. Marjorie Pipe gave the Village Hall report. This Committee urgently needs additional members. See Marjorie, or speak to Gail Holbourn the Chairman if you would like to be involved. Chris Ure sent his report on the work done by the P3 Group over the year. The group is thriving, meets regularly, and members have attended several P3 events and courses. The County Council has adopted David Candy’s design for its new P3 logo. It is hoped to raise the footpath at Radwell Quarry following a positive meeting with Bedfordia. The Three Churches leaflet should be available this summer. Their current project is for one or more map boards in the village. The meeting concluded with parishioners questions and comments mainly concerning the highways and rights of way. DOGS FOULING FOOTPATHS - A big ‘Thank You’ to all owners who are clearing up their dogs’ messes and using the bins available. Those of you who are not - think again. It is illegal to allow your dog to foul a footpath or verge within the villages, and there is a hefty fine for anyone caught by the dog warden - and they do come out on patrol! P00 Corner - Sue Whitehouse I recently met Molly out walkies with her ‘mum’ who was setting a fine example to the rest of us dog owners by clearing up after Molly. However, it is obvious that this is not really solving the problem for the village. I believe it is flying in the face of reality to imagine that most people will be responsible enough to clear up after their dogs. After all, if folk cannot take home cigarette packets and drinks cans (witness the proliferation of garbage by the nature reserve) there is fat chance of them picking up dog poo. Months of brow beating in this magazine have plainly achieved little. With this in mind I recently took a bucket up to the Radwell road and cleared a long stretch next to the footpath and also some of the piles which appeared near the school (not nice for kids stepping out of cars). I do not aim to make this a one woman crusade. If any other dog owners feel public spirited, I recommend a bucket lined with a carrier bag, an old trowel and a strong stomach! (Ed: We’ve heard a lot from the anti-poo brigade. I would now like to print some comments from those dog owners who think its perfectly acceptable to let their dogs foul the footpaths. Your dogs have expressed themselves (usually all over the pavement) - now ft is your turn!] felmersham.net - Ken Shrimpton |
NEW
LIFE, NEW HOPE - Rev David Mason
Easter is relatively late again this year, winter has been long this year, with lots of cold and wet weather. I am sure that in gardening terms this year will be a late one. Much ill health has marked the winter season. As I am writing this the Foot and Mouth Disease is spreading throughout the land, and there seems to be no end to it. There seems to be far more bad news than good. But as I look out of the window I can see the daffodils coming into bloom, there brilliant yellow trumpets lighting up the garden and reminding me that spring is near. Soon we will be celebrating again the festival of Easter, and remembering again how the joy and hope of Easter came after the sorrow and despair of the events of Good Friday. In the early church Easter was the time when the new converts to the faith were baptised and accepted into the congregation. It was a time when the entry into the new life in Christ brought new hope and great joy into lives which were often sad and impoverished. Membership of the early church often brought suffering through persecution, and many members were tortured and even put to death because of their acceptance of Christ, and their determination to follow him and the way of living that he proclaimed. The presence of a living faith gave them great courage, and a peace and strength of character that was envied by those among whom they lived. Many more were brought to the faith by the example that they gave , and by the special quality that shone through in the way that they loved those around them. As we live in a world that seems to be increasingly beset with problems and unhappiness we should remember the examples of those early Christians who brought hope to the world during dark and sad times. It may be necessary to re-examine our own faith. Perhaps we have grown stale, and not maintained a real and living relationship with our Lord so that we have lost the joy and enthusiasm for the gospel life that he proclaimed. As we move forward to Pentecost let us seek to renew our relationship with Christ, and prepare ourselves to seek and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are the disciples for this generation, let us commit ourselves again to service as true and faithful servants of the Lord, bringing the knowledge and evidence of the love of God to our communities. Annual Parish Church Meeting - Rev David Mason This meeting will be held on Monday 30 April at 7.3Opm in Pinchmill Hall. I hope that as many as possible of you will attend. It is an opportunity to hear of current plans, and to have your say about them. Parish Council Meeting - Maggie Spoor 6 Councillors and 7 members of the public attended the meeting on 6 March. David Cook reported that he had taken delivery of the beech hedge plants for the churchyard extension. He wanted to plant these as soon as possible. Several offers of help were forthcoming. A quotation had been received for two new lights for the Marriotts Close footpath. The Council agreed to this expenditure The church tower flagpole has received Diocesan approval. Once the necessary parish formalities are completed the flagpole can be installed. Finance: The Borough Council is again making funding available for grants to Parish Councils. The sums involved for this year is £160,766 and the next two years £225,000 — this will be shared amongst the Borough’s parishes. We will be discussing this at the next meeting of the Parish Council. In the meantime, if you have a particular village project which would benefit the community and which needs funds, please contact any member of the Parish Council — Eric Barford, David Cook, Geoff Hulatt, Matjone Pipe, Brian Smith, Maggie Spoor (782031) or Mike Thomas. Highways The Clerk will check if the 30mph limit can be extended beyond Felmersham bridge. The promised work to the culvert under Pavenham Road and the kerbing has not been carried out. The Clerk will follow this up. After the wettest winter on record some parish roads are in poor condition. There is a ‘Pothole Hotiine’ to contact to report holes in the road — 0800 0856241. Pavenham Road will be dosed sometime during [part of May] for repairs. The High Road — hopefully grass crete can be installed as part of the Parish Council/County Highways Partnership scheme in financial year 2001 — 2002. We are writing to the Post Office requesting that the ‘new’ post box be painted. ‘Just Bin It’ campaign. This is a ‘Tidy Britain’ initiative in conjunction with the Borough Council and will be held in Felmersham and Radwell over the weekend 7 and 8 April. (See separate notice). Dates for your diary -There will be bulky waste collections in Radwetl and Fetmersham on the following dates: Radwell Green - Marriotts Close entrance
- Next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Tuesday 1st May at 7.30 pm JUST BIN IT! Could you spare an hour or so over the weekend 7th and 8th April?We could do with a few more volunteers - bags and gloves are provided!! We will be meeting at Felmersham church at 2.00 pm on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th April Are there any volunteers from Radwell? If so, please give me a ring on 782031 and I will arrange to have gloves and bags delivered to you, and for the rubbish to be collected afterwards. Thank you in advance — your effort will make a difference. Women’s Institute - May Mills At last - a legitimate reason for the cry " I’ve got nothing to wear!". Suzie Carberry, an image consultant with the House of Colour, assured us that 80% of our wardrobe is unsuitable because it is the wrong colour, the wrong shape or does not enhance our personality! However, before we hit the shops, we need to have a psychological, as well as a physical, make-over. It is all about self-esteem, feeling good about ourselves and making most of what we’ve got! So give yourself a good talking to, put on the lipstick, take off the cardigan and go for some retail therapy. Festival Weekend - Village Hall Committee Following the success of last years Festival Weekend the Village Hall Committee has decided to hold another one this year on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July. A programme of events is currently being arranged, full details will be published in next month’s Ouse News. In the meantime please can you note the date for your diary. The "Songs of Praise" arranged for Sunday 1 July at 6-3Opm is part of the Festival Weekend programme. Save The Children - Ronald & Judith Smith Save The Children Fund have two national collections every year, one around Christmas and one during Save The Children Week which is at the end of April, beginning of May. We are in desperate need of volunteers to help with collecting at the Clapham Road Sainsbury Store on FRIDAY 4th MAY. Would you spare just one hour as a collector, for the benefit of children whose needs are so great? If you cannot make the Sainsbury date, perhaps you would consider Saturday 28 April at Cardington Rd Tesco, Saturday 5 May at QD Stores or Friday 25 May at Tesco, Goldington Road. Telephone us at 781430 or at Leaways, Town Lot Lane. Thanks
and an Invitation from "Adina" Foot
and Mouth - David Mason Concert in Church
- Pat Hartop/Lorraine Shrimpton London
Marathon run for Primrose Appeal - I am running this year’s London Marathon on April 22 in aid of the Primrose Appeal - to raise £2 million for a purpose-built Cancer Clinic at Bedford Hospital, My target is £5,000 and I would be really grateful for any support towards this. I can be reached on 782234 or my E-mail address is NigelDoggett@hotmail.com. |
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