Felmersham Parish Magazine

Ouse News The Parish Magazine for Felmersham and Radwell Home Page \| Main Index \| Ouse News - Index to back numbers \| Return to current edition
December 2001		Edited by Clive Just
W.I. - May Mills Forget about the age-old image of the Women’s Institute! If you had thrown caution to the wind, and joined us in November, you would have found out everything you wanted to know about locking good at any age’ (and some things you didn’t want to know!) ,Jacky Rice expounded the virtues of a healthy diet, vitamins and exercise, not to mention the importance of moisturiser as compared to underwear when going out!! (at least if you had an accident your face would pass muster !) Forty years experience of make-up ensured that her ‘back to basics’ approach worked well on our willing volunteer, Marigold, who, it has to be admitted is not your average age-old WI. person in need of a make-over! We were given some ‘looking good’ exercises for drooping jaws and other parts, but there is bound to be a stampede to the local beauty salon now that we all know just how satisfying facials can be! Christmas Cards - Save The Children Judith & Ronald Smith Oops!! Run out of Christmas Cards? Need some for people you didn’t send to? See what we Lane/Grange Road. Telephone 781430. Christmas Dance - Gail Holbourn Will be held on Saturday 15 December in "Hampers & Champers" format as in previous years. Tickets £10 each, from Gail Holboum (781071), Dave Chandler (782868) or any committee member. As always, the committee is relying on a good turn out by the regulars and their friends. In the true spirit of Christmas when organising your tables it may be appropriate to invite a couple of the newer residents into your group. Alternatively we would welcome newer residents putting tables of friends together from inside or outside the village. Coffee Morning - Jane Wells January’s coffee morning in aid of the Felmersham Church Restoration Fund will be held at the home of Judith and Ron Smith, Leaways, Town Lot Lane, Felmersham on Saturday ₁₂th at 1030am. Home-made cakes, toiletries, produce and bric-a-brac for the bring and buy stall will be most welcome. Boxing Day Walk - Ken and Lorraine Shrimpton Meet at Felmersham bus shelter at 1100am on Wednesday 26 December for our annual Boxing Day walk - whatever the weather!. This is a fun and friendly way of exercising after the Christmas festivities. We will be heading down Old Road to Brook Farm across the fields to Radwell along the riverside to the golf course, over to the Pavenham road and return to Felmersham. Please wear boots or sensible walking shoes and be prepared for mud and rain. Bring your friends and family, everybody welcome. Look forward to seeing you. Coffee Mornings - Mary Watson I would like to thank most warmly all those at St Mary’s who were responsible for giving me the charming old picture of Felmersham church — so beautifully framed at the November coffee morning. I shall treasure it as a reminder of my very happy days in Felmersham and shall look forward to frequent future visits both to and from my Felmersham friends. Gifts at the Carol Service - Rev David Mason I hope that last month you read the article by Rosalind Templeman in which she wrote of the time she spent at the Goodwill Children’s Home at Bapatia in India. You may recall that Rosalind invited us all to bring gifts to our Carol Service on the 16 December. Donations to pay for the transport and also provide further support to the work of the Children’s Home would also be greatly appreciated. The items and donations will be collected during the service. Christmas Gift Appeal - Rosalind Templeman I have been asked to give a few more details about the Christmas Gift Appeal for Goodwill Children’s Homes (Southern India). We are hoping to send out many small, lightweight presents for the children to share. They can be wrapped if you wish: please could you indicate on wrapped presents for whom they would be most suitable. Just to repeat suggestions for possible gifts: hair accessories, bangles, shampoo sachets samples, inflatable balls, crayons, chalks, pens, small notepads, etc. I stress that the gifts will be sent by air, so the lighter the better! Of course, donations will also be very welcome. There will be more information about Goodwill at the back of the church and I do hope you will come and look at the display board after the Carol Service. New Stations North of Bedford - BRTA Support the campaign for a railway station north of Bedford and the reintroduction of a local stopping shuttle passenger service, as well as semi fast services, between Bedford and Leicester. There are also proposals for additional stations at Wyrnington and lrchester. For further information contact Beds Railway & Transport Association on (01234) 405268 or (01234) 856560. Winter Wonderland - The Wildlife Trust From walking in a winter wonderland to mulled wine and wellies, there’s plenty to do with The Wildlife Trust to help you work off the excesses of the season. Wednesday 5th Guided Walk around Stewartby Lake with Peter Clark. Meet in the Forest Centre car park lOam. For details call Val Keech 267161 Sunday 9th 2-4pm Winter Wonderland Guided Walk. Join The Wildlife Trust and Anglian Water on a guided walk around the Grafham Water nature reserve. £1 per adult. For details call Jo Calved (01480) 811075. Wednesday 12th Illustrated talk on Grafham Water Nature Reserve by Jo Calved. 7.SOpm at Priory Visitor Centre For details call Val Keech 267161 Sharnbrook Mill Theatre presents its popular Christmas Revue Friday 7 and Saturday 8 December at 7.45 pm Make up a party, seating limited so book now. Tickets £12.50 to include Supper prepared by The Mill House Restaurant, Sharnbrook. With the upgrading of the heating, insulation, and double glazing a particularly warm welcome awaits you! Tickets are available from Village Trader, High St, Sharnbrook or call Erica Lester (781210) For group bookings phone Alison Bean (781372) 10% discount for 10 or more at the same performance.		A HAPPY NEW YEAR The Church’s year commences with the first Sunday in Advent, which this year is the 2nd December, so, on behalf of the Church, I bring you the compliments of the season. It is customary to look back on the old year at the beginning of a new one, and the last year has certainly been eventful., both locally and internationally. One thing that stands out for me this year is the number of Parishioners who have died. Usually there are three or four deaths in the villages, this year there have been ten, although not all of them were living in the village at the time of death. Many of those we have been accustomed to seeing over the years are with us no more, and we remember them with fondness, and pray for those who mourn. The current phase of restoration work has been completed, and the Millennium Window has been installed and dedicated. In view of my remarks in the first paragraph it is as well that the churchyard extension has been dedicated, and we thank the Parish Council for their work in providing the land, and dealing with all the paperwork. We also thank the Parish Council for providing a flag pole, it has been good to see the flag flying over the church on high days and holidays. The festival was a time of great rejoicing, and a credit to all who took part. Our countryside has suffered deeply from the epidemic of Foot and Mouth disease, although we were fortunate that we did not have any of the disease in our Parish, our farmers have suffered great anxiety, and we are not completely clear in our land yet. I wonder if the changes in our country side caused by the disease will ever allow the return to previous ways of farming. The effects of the events in America on 11 September will be with us for many years to come. We have all realised our vulnerability to the actions of a small but determined group of fanatics who are prepared to stop at nothing to get their own way. No longer can we believe that our society is insulated from the world, and its sufferings. We have been forced to realise that our world is very small indeed, and that all people are truly our neighbours, whether we like it or not. It looks like mostly gloom and doom, and yet I am sure that in that gloom are the beginnings of light and hope. Perhaps in our realization of the impossibility of being insulated form the poorer parts of the world we will come to engage more effectively to improve the lot of those who live in poverty and hopelessness. We who are the disciples for our age have to be reminded that God loves all his children, and wants them to share in his kingdom. The task of disciples is to bring the good news of the gospel to all, and to work for the establishment of God’s kingdom on this earth. As we move into the season of Advent and prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus let us spend time in repentance for our failures in caring for the poor and disadvantaged, and seek to know God’s will on how we should be true and effective disciples. - David Mason, Vicar RSPCA - Felise Kingerlee The 2001 village collection raised £156.70. My grateful thanks to Mrs Pipe, Mrs Wilson, Mrs Twlgden, and Mr and Mrs Payne who kindly helped with the collection. Thanks to all who contributed to the charity which continues to rescue animals, and fight against animal cruelty. The three Beds and Herts inspectors travelled approx 29,000 miles each during 2000, collected 3214 animals and performed 507 rescues. Establishment visits included: 123 pet shops; 34 boarding kennels; 24 riding stables; 15 breeding kennels; 30 parks farms etc. Poppy Appeal 2001 - Fred Turner The Poppy Collection raised £204.62 in Radwell and £299.55 in Felmersham, making a total of £504.17. Donations to the War Memorial wreath amounted to £65 and the Church collection was £102.54. I would like to thank all who contributed to the appeal, and particularly the collectors: Mrs C Hulatt, Mrs M Mills, Mrs M Leach, Mrs G.Stevenson, Mrs S Evans, Mr D Holston, Mr R Horsford, The Sun and The Swan and Pinchmill School. Well done everyone, a massive increase of 21% over last year. Drama Summer School 2002 Sharnbrook Mill Theatre has presented many successful Youth Productions over the years, but we are finding it difficult to plan a time when every age group is able to participate. To try and overcame this problem, it is proposed to experiment with a week long Summer School for those aged 9—18 years. Provisional dates are 22 and 27 July ending with a performance on 28 July The Trust will employ a trained drama expert to run this course and there is expected to be a fee of £100. Numbers would be restricted to approximately 24 students. There may be financial assistance for qualifying students. If you, or a member of your family, would like to be part of this exciting new venture, please write to The Honorary Secretary, The Mill Theatre, Mill Road, Sharnbrook, Bedford MK44 INP providing the following information: name, full address and phone number; date of birth; please advise whether you are already a Trust member: the shows in which you have appeared, or whether you do not have previous theatrical experience. We look forward to hearing from you. Bedfordshire Advocacy Service For Older People This time we need you! As we near the end of another year our Service work with clients continues to increase. We have more and mom older people coming to us for help and we need to expand our volunteer team in all areas. Advocates: The problems people come with are even more complex and concerning for them and it is really important that older people have access to someone independent who can support them and give them the personal and practical help they need. We want to add to our team of advocates who operate in all pans of the county. There will be a new 4 week induction course early in the New Year consisting of a half-day session each week, with all expenses paid. Office volunteers: One of our office volunteers will soon be moving on and we need someone to step into her place. if you could spend about half a day each week helping out in a "busy but friendly" environment this could be for you! Committee: Not the boring and bureaucratic role that some people might think! We actually need a couple mare people who are looking for genuine community involvement and would be willing to take on a real ‘workload’ in helping our Service in its work with older people. Join our existing Committee of four - we may keep you busy but it really is interesting and valuable work. If you would like more information or a chat about any of these volunteer roles, or perhaps you know someone who needs advocacy support if so, please phone Gail or Amy on 01234218880 or Heather on 01582 470903.
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