PARISH NEWS covering SHILLINGTON, PEGSDON & HIGHAM GOBION 806 properties /1884 population Issue 108 – October 2013 Deadline for December edition – 29th November 2013 PARISH COUNCIL VILLAGE GREEN: Thanks to everyone who has co-operated by not parking their cars on the Village Green since the No Parking signs were installed. However, some vehicles are still being left there and the Parish Council will be taking further action to deal with this. Please note that Shillington Parish Council cannot be held responsible for any damage to vehicles parked on the Green. The Parish Council has granted to owners of nearby fields formal rights of access over the track across the centre of the Village Green. It is essential that this remains unobstructed by parked cars at all times as large farm machinery may be taken across and require a substantial area in which to turn. Car owners may find that their motor insurance is not valid on land where they have no permission to park. Parking also continues on the track adjacent to the north side of the Green, which is obstructing the official line of the public bridleway leading into Parsonage Lane. To prevent parking and to allow horse riders to exercise their right to use this route, the Parish Council and Rights Of Way Officer will be having bollards installed shortly. THE RIDINGS ……WILSON CLOSE: The new housing development at the rear of 50 High Road is to be named ‘Wilson Close’ in memory of Mrs. Joan Wilson, who was parish clerk to Shillington for over 40 years until her retirement in 1996 age 78. The Ridings is the temporary name given to the development by Bloor Homes, however Parish Council is consulted on new street names within the Parish and we felt this would be most appropriate. NOVEMBER MEETING: We have invited Cllr Mrs Fiona Chapman MBE, Chair of Bedfordshire Police & Crime Panel to attend our November council meeting, to give a presentation on the work of the Bedfordshire Police & Crime Panel. As with all our meetings, parishioners are welcome to attend. TREE SURVEY: We have recently had a “Duty of Care Tree Survey” carried out on parish council owned trees. Local contractors have been invited to submit quotes and any necessary tree works will be carried out in November. SEWAGE ODOUR - UPTON END/MEPPERSHALL HILL: Since mid August we have noticed the awful sewage odour smells in Upton End Road have started again and these have been reported to the Customer Liaison Team of Anglian Water with a request for their urgent attention to resolve the issue. For all Parish Council issues please contact: Mrs. K. Cousins, Clerk to the Parish Council 20A Vicarage Close, Shillington, Hitchin, Herts, SG5 3LS. 01462 713567. email: [email protected] website: www.shillington.bedsparishes.gov.uk ANNOUNCEMENTS / ITEMS / NEWS IN BRIEF Service of Remembrance - Sunday, 10th November 2012 Congregational Church & War Memorial 10.00 – Church Service 10.45 – Procession from Church to War Memorial for Wreath Laying Ceremony 11.05 – Congregation cordially invited back to the Church for light refreshment. Residents in motor vehicles travelling through the village at this time (10.45-11.05am) are kindly requested to avoid Hillfoot Road/Church Street and Church Street/High Road junctions in the interests of community safety (there will be large groups of people walking from church to memorial). ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF OLD PHOTOGRAPHS The annual exhibition of old photographs of Shillington, along with the launch of the 2014 village calendar (this year kindly sponsored by Rowan Homes) will be held in SHILLINGTON VILLAGE HALL on SUNDAY, 17TH November Doors open at 2.00pm and close at 5.00pm Entrance fee is £2.00, which includes refreshments Currently there are in excess of 400 photos in the collection, from early 1900s to 1960s, covering many aspects of life and development in Shillington. If you have any old parish photos that you would like to add to the ‘village collection’ please contact: Jan & Peter Watts on 01462-712080 A message from Rowan Homes: We would like to thank everyone who attended the public exhibition on 15th June at the Village Hall to view the plans and ideas for a potential community development in Shillington, which is aimed to help facilitate a new community hall at the Memorial Playing Fields amongst other benefits and improvements to the current facilities. We have taken all the comments on board from this event and have been amending plans and carrying out technical studies to progress the ideas and concepts presented in June. We have also been meeting with community groups and residents to see how some of the concerns that were raised can be addressed. We aim to hold another public exhibition later on this year where we will present the amended plans and ideas. We would encourage all members of the community to come along to this and see what is being proposed. Full details of the date, venue and times of the exhibition will be circulated prior to the meeting. Biggleswade Community Points The Congregational Church has been collecting these during the year. For everyone who has been collecting on our behalf we extend our thanks. This year the points will be printed in the Biggleswade Chronicle until the end of November. We would ask that you get your points to the Church as quickly as possible (just pop in our Church Street letter box), by the end of the first week in December as they have to be in the Chronicle office before Christmas. Many thanks, Angela ALL SAINTS NEWS Parish Priest: Rev’d Richard Winslade ( 01462-713311) (Day off on Fridays) Church Wardens Liz Allan ( 01462–711084) Peter Farmer ( 01462–711306) Church Services: 9.30am - Every Sunday. On the 5th Sunday the service is held jointly with the Congregational Church. First Sunday of the month: 9.30 am - Family service. 6.00 pm - Choral Evensong Sunday Club: Takes place at the Congregational Church room from 9.20am each Sunday except 1st and 5th Sundays of the month. There is no Sunday Club during August. Forthcoming Events: Harvest Lunch & Auction of Produce – Sunday, 6th October – Village Hall Trivia Quiz – Saturday, 16th November - Village Hall. Christmas Bazaar – Saturday, 7th December – Village Hall. From the Registers: Baptisms 11th August 2013 Edward Howard Armitage 11th August 2013 Poppy Nichola Hye Marriages 6th September 2013 Richard Anthony Kerchin & Stephanie Louise Evans 27th September 2013 Ben Richard Cartwright & Rebecca Anne Downing 28th September 2013 Norman George Hoye & Keileigh Anne Lerson 200 CLUB WINNERS August 2013 September 2013 1st £50 122 Diane Whiteley 1st £50 104 J. Marshall 2nd £25 153 Dan Turner 2nd £25 177 M. Karslake 3rd £10 110 Jeff Milner 3rd £10 157 B. Simkins Letter from the Vicar Richard Winslade The Vicarage Shillington 01462-713311 [email protected] ‘We thank thee then, O Father, For all things bright and good: The seed-time and the harvest, Our life, our health, our food.’ Dear Parishioners These words will soon be sung in School and Churches across the country as people gather to give thanks for the harvest. Living in a rural location we get to see first hand the hard work of our Farmers as they gather the Harvest and prepare the land for the next growing season. We have so much in this country to be grateful for. Not only do we have good nutritious food to eat but also we have warm homes, clean water and access to medical supplies. On top of all of this we also have our hobbies, our families and friends and all the little treats we enjoy. It is hard to imagine a life without all these things we take for granted. We often forget at this time of year the extras. Harvest is about more than just food, it is about ‘our life, our health, our food.’ This Harvest I encourage you to look at everything that makes our lives so easy in this country and to give thanks to God for all the wonderful things he gives to us all each and every day. This year you could also give thanks in a more practical way by donating to the food bank supported by the church. Donations can be brought to church on a Sunday Morning or dropped off at the Vicarage. ‘Accept the gifts we offer for all thy love imparts, and what thou most desirest, our humble, thankful hearts.’ Richard Organist Vacancy at All Saints Parish Church, Shillington All Saints, Shillington has a small, competent and enthusiastic choir, and a vacancy has arisen for an organist and choir director. The post involves a Tuesday evening choir practice, and a weekly 9.30 a.m. Choral Eucharist, together with a monthly Choral Evensong (at which services the choir often contribute an anthem or communion motet). There would also be special services, as appropriate, for example at Easter, Christmas and other church festivals, and weddings and funerals. There are 3 regular organists currently assisting on a rota basis, who would be willing to continue ad hoc after an appointment, so as to ensure at least one free Sunday each month, and to help out occasionally where needed. RSCM rates would be payable, as well as wedding and funeral fees. Further details can be obtained from Revd Richard Winslade on 01462 713311 Where has all the litter gone? Litter is such a ubiquitous feature of everyday life that, maybe, we stop noticing it? But do we notice when it is NOT there? Just think, for a moment, about your own locality. When you drive along the roads and streets hereabouts, or walk the country paths and bridleways, has it struck you how little litter there is, left lying around? This hasn't happened by accident.