The Middleham Herald Coronavirus 2
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MMiiddddlleehhaamm HHeerraalldd Second Coronavirus Edition, 8th April 2020 ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯ This Middleham Herald has been produced and distributed in line with current Royal Volunteering in Middleham Mail delivery measures. If you would prefer Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who has to receive future editions by e-mail, please got in touch and offered to help other contact the Town Clerk with both your e-mail residents with shopping, collecting and postal addresses. prescriptions, telephone chats etc. We have From the Mayor had several requests for support and have Following the wettest February on record allocated a nearby volunteer to each one. and extensive flooding we now face a deadly We expect there will be more help needed as virus and all the challenges that brings to things progress, so please do not think we everyday life in our community. have forgotten you if you haven’t yet heard We have been heartened by offers of help back from us. We are also linked into the from many residents to assist any who need Community Hubs and the larger councils support at this very difficult time, many who will also refer requests for help to us. thanks to all who have offered. Many These systems are joining up now. If you feel residents have expressed concerns about you now need some practical help, or just a second homes being used in the crisis. We chat on the phone, please do not be afraid to are exploring all avenues to persuade visitors ask – there are friendly people within to stay at home until the lockdown is lifted Middleham whom we know, who are waiting and the police are supporting the measures to step up to help. throughout the county. Tel me on 01969 625304 or 07849 918215 or Community events are obviously cancelled Cllr Nigel Hopper on 07594 814524. until further notice, hopefully to be Other contact numbers are further on in this rescheduled later in the year. edition so please keep it for reference. Please make sure you carry out the Thanks again to everyone restrictions set out by the government to Councillor Honor Byford, Deputy Mayor help us all keep safe and well. News from Middleham and Spennithorne Councillor Sue Fairhurst, Mayor Schools Middleham and Spennithorne Schools She joined our Foxes class on a live video call Our federation of schools has been busy all the way from Uganda. since the start of the school year, which We have invested in new library resources seems like an eternity ago and on writing this through funding from donations from the for you, another world away. Currently, both Elizabeth Barnett Trust and Co-op. These schools are temporarily closed as we are have included copies of the texts we focus working in partnership with Leyburn Primary on during each half term and boxes of to create a hub school for those who need recommended reads for every year group. childcare during this time, with the aim of These are the best books that every child reopening both schools as soon as the should read and enjoy at a particular age. government says we can. We are also purchasing books promoting We further strengthened our federation with positive mental health from a County Council Spennithorne by having our 3 classes across funding stream. 2 sites, transporting children between the Sport has always been a strength of our two. In January, we were lucky enough to schools and we have attended many find a driver for our bus, Rev Jeff. My bus different sporting events, including a county theory test was sadly put on hold due to the football final for the second year in a row, current pandemic we find ourselves in the playing against schools much larger than midst of but it will happen. ours. We try to offer a variety of sports to As part of our long-term planning, we have our children and this year we were bringing been getting out and about to make our back maypole dancing. Never ones to be learning come alive. We have travelled to beaten, Middleham and Spennithorne might York to learn about Vikings, Newcastle to see the introduction of September-pole learn about space and Darlington to learn dancing. about steam trains. We have also had some At the moment, we don't know about the great visitors into school to enhance our summer term. Hopefully, with us all staying learning experiences, including a past indoors, we can stay safe, protect the NHS, Spennithorne parent to talk about bees and flatten the curve and get our schools open. show a real live hive. During school closure, But until then, please look after yourselves we were even joined by an old primary and I look forward to seeing you all again school friend of mine who is touring Africa. very soon. Mrs L Evans, Executive Head Teacher. From the Rectory being caught in the trap and having the Reflection on Psalm 91 pestilence but God will give us what we need When I was exploring a vocation to ordained to overcome them. ministry, the Director of Ordinands asked The psalm also raises questions. You might me, ‘Who is God to you?’ My first thought read it and think, ‘I know someone who has seemed a bit frivolous, yet he insisted that I died from COVID-19, or whatever it might shared it. I said, ‘It’s the mother hen in the be. God didn’t deliver them. Verse 7 reminds Tom & Jerry cartoons!’ Jerry would get the me of ‘survivor’s syndrome’ where a soldier protection of a mother hen. This is what I experiences guilt at soldiers next to them mean: having been killed and they survived. What https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp8And do we do with these questions? J9zVY In addition to the immediate horizon to Or the first 3 minutes of which the psalm clearly refers we need to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqfQmu maintain an eternal perspective. For those 1IeGk we know who weren’t spared, it doesn’t Go on, watch them, you’re in isolation, mean that God has abandoned them. His you’ve nowt else to do! protection of them goes beyond this life and As I’m here now the Director must have liked into our eternal life. Sometimes we leave the my answer! Psalm 91 is a wonderful poem fowler’s snare going forward through the which reflects God’s protection. In these door which exits this life. We’re protected in anxious times we need not fear when we an eternal way. As St. Paul put it ‘I am place our lives into his tender care. We like convinced that neither death, nor life, …nor symbols of strength and power like anything else in all creation, will be able to fortresses or in modern times, the Shard and separate us from the love of God in Christ the like in the City. But these things crumble. Jesus our Lord.’ Amen. God is our fortress. The psalm includes Prayer: Keep us good Lord, under the references to war and pestilence, very shadow of your mercy and, as you have relevant to COVID-19. bound yourself to us in love, do not leave us Yet the psalm doesn’t say that we will be who call upon your name, but grant us your free from adversity. ‘He will deliver you from salvation, made known in the cross of Jesus the snare of the fowler and from the deadly Christ our Lord. Amen. pestilence.’ We will experience these trials, Rev’d Jeff Payne Church Information: That all these were seen in daylight hours Weddings and funerals: tells the story of largely nocturnal birds Weddings are currently not permitted. having to resort to daytime hunting to keep Funerals – the following information is body and soul together because the weather subject to change: has been so wet. Funerals can take place either at the Sheila Walker and Lawrie Bent at Carlton graveside for a burial, or at the crematorium. have put us all to shame by reporting lots of Immediate family only are permitted to birds in their respective gardens, including attend (spouse/ partner; parents; children; siskin and brambling and even a reed siblings) Funeral directors have current bunting. information. Over the last few years – at least seven I Open Pantry mini food bank think – some of you have reported seeing The Church runs a “mini food bank” here in mandarin duck on the Ure or Cover at this Middleham. If you or someone you know is time of year. These are small tree-nesting struggling to afford food, please contact the ducks native to China which have colonised rectors in complete confidence and they can parts of the UK after escaping from wildfowl help with some food supplies. collections. Well a pair are back again. Keep Rectory: 01969 326069 or Liz, 07796988302 a look out. The male has a reddish head and Jeff, 07443581463 upturned tail and extravagant punkish white eyeliner. Bird notes from Richard Wells: April 2020 Interestingly, though they have been spring Thank you to those who responded to my visitors for so long there has never been any last “notes” by telling me about the barn proof of successful breeding. owls you have been seeing. Ruth Neal Finally, though your foreign travel is reported one near Gammersgill; Caroline restricted due to the coronavirus virus Harrison one resident in her barn at West remember our summer bird visitors are not Scrafton; Natasha Johnston watched one subject to the same draconian measures.