Parish News

January 2015

HOUSE CALDECOTE VILLAGE HALL Small well maintained Hall for Hire with MAINTENANCE seating for up to 50 people SUITABLE FOR PARTIES, MEETINGS OR Plastering SIMILAR GATHERINGS Tiling KITCHEN/TOILETS/PARKING Plumbing Situated on Weddington Lane opposite Painting turn for Caldecote Village Decorating Contact Miss M. Hughes 024 7639 4328 P.M.R. Motor Repairs  References on request Burbage Walk, Powell Way  First Class Job Guaranteed , CV11 5AE  Pensioner Friendly Services Telephone 024 7632 9176 Fax 024 7632 9665 Contact Mario on: 07849 315649 Servicing and Repairs 01827 701515 to All Makes of Vehicles www.handymario.co.uk MOT Testing CHRISTMAS TURKEYS Free range, bronze, white

COCKERELS CJR Improvements Ltd

Building and Maintenance Natural ventilation/daylight Dry plucked All Aspects of building and property maintenance work undertaken Alastair & Mary Brittain For a Free Quotation Lodge Farm, Fenny Drayton Contact Lee Pendleton 01827 712172 to order 07473 993176

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Editor’s Notes A New Year and a fresh start to our village activities – with the Fenn’s Folk & Fenn Lanes Men’s Group restarting after the Christmas break. Don’t miss the gig on Friday the 16th – once again Dave Norris bringing his band to entertain us in aid of church funds. Our front cover photo this month looks up the A444 past the Redgate, as the construction of the new traffic island progresses and after the reopening of the various roads whose closures had taken the village back in time – both in terms of difficulty of getting anywhere, but also in the quietness of the village. The photo below, taken from almost the same spot over 100 years ago:

From WindowsOnWarwickshire – used with permission from Nuneaton Library "An interesting story is told of a rector of Fenny Drayton who called together those of his flock remiss in their attendance at Church: the men, after much deliberation decided that a pole be erected each Sunday, if the pole fell in the direction of the Church they would attend Church. If it fell toward the Red Gate they went to the inn. Needless to say, the pole almost invariably inclined toward the gate." Neil Sherry – [email protected] - 713848 To advertise and to subscribe, please contact: Pauline Walsh - [email protected] – 715466 Front Cover – The Redgate Now - NJS

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Fenny Drayton Church Services

4 January Holy Communion 9.00am 11 January Benefice Service, 10.30am 18 January All Age Service 10.30am 25 January Morning Worship 9.00am

Church Readings

4 January Isaiah 60, v1-6 Joan Holder Ephesians 3, v1-12 Janet Agar 18 January 1 Samuel 3, v1-10, (11-20) Maureen Bonner 25 January Jeremiah 1, v4-10 Alan Wood Galations 1, v11-16a Audrey Smith

Other Services in the Benefice

Higham on the Hill 4 January Holy Communion 10.30am 11 January Benefice Service, Stoke Golding 10.30am 18 January Evening Service 3.00pm 25 January Ecumenical Covenant Service @ Methodist 10.30am

Witherley 4 January All Age Service 10.30am 11 January Benefice Service, Stoke Golding 10.30am 18 January Plough Service 6.30pm 25 January Holy Communion 10.30am

Stoke Golding 4 January All Age Service 10.30am 11 January Benefice Service, Stoke Golding 10.30am 18 January Holy Communion 10.30am 25 January Morning Worship 10.30am

Dadlington 4 January BCP Morning Prayer 9.00am 11 January Benefice Service, Stoke Golding 10.30am 18 January BCP Holy Communion 9.00am 25 January BCP Holy Communion 9.00am

Community Coffee Mornings We meet in the kitchen area of the Church from 10:30am-12:30. ALL ARE MOST WELCOME The dates for January are: Thursdays 8th & 22nd

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Church Matters from the Parishes of: Fenny Drayton, , Higham-on-the-Hill, Stoke Golding & RECTOR: Rev’d Linda Blay (01455) 213988, [email protected]

CURATE: Hilary Surridge (01455) 233064, [email protected]

A New Year’s Prayer Lord of the years, We ask your blessing on the year to come. Give us the resilience to bear its disappointments, Energy to seize its opportunities And openness to accept the more abundant life Which you have promised to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

With many blessings for the New Year from Linda and all at St Michael and All Angels.

St Michael & All Angels Church Management Committee (PCC) Janet Agar 01827 716035 Gina Hawthorne 01827 716159 Alan Baxter 02476 383438 Susan Kosniowski 01827 714628 Maureen Bonner 01827 715768 Michelle Nelson 01827 722182 Julia Collis 01827 713881 Audrey Smith 01827 717034 John Frisby 01827 715826 Pamela Wills 01827 720929

Out of the Mouths of Babes… Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School. 'Well, Mum, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved. ''Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?' his Mother asked. 'Well, no, Mum… But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!' 5

The Fenn’s Folk November’s meeting featured talk about cheese making by David Clarke of Upton – who started the Handmade Cheese Co in 2005 with his wife, Jo. We heard how this was based on a decision to diversify their farming business in the wake of the Foot & Mouth problems of 2001. Red cheese had been commonly made on farms for hundreds of years, but this had largely died out by the 1950’s with increased industrialisation of cheese making. David and Jo had to learn cheese making from scratch, as well as building a dedicated facility that would meet hygiene requirements. Initially they just made Red Leicester cheese (named after their farm ‘Sparkenhoe’) and have more recently branched out into a vintage matured version, as well as a semi- soft white cheese and a blue cheese (‘Battlefield Blue’). Their cheeses have won both national and international awards and are all made from the farm’s own unpasteurised milk. After an interesting talk, we were able to sample the cheeses and many of us also bought some to enjoy at home! The cheeses are generally available direct from the farm on a Friday morning (8:00- 12:30). More details can be found at www.leicestershirecheese.co.uk Our next meeting will be on Thursday, 29th January, 2015 7.30pm In Fenny Drayton Church. Local Historian, Mr Michael Roberts, will bring slides to illustrate his talk entitled: 'Nuneaton In My Blood' Please come along enjoy a glass of wine & another interesting speaker.

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Fenn Lanes Men’s Group Our next meeting on January 20th will be an interactive evening with Samantha Ridgway entitled ‘Murder in Mind’ focusing on: What would you do if… As usual, we will be meeting in the Parish Rooms, Witherley from 7:30- 9:00 – please call Michael on 713270 if you would like a lift. Friday With Friends

We continue with our gathering of old & new friends in January on Friday 9th - just bring your own drink and glass. The church will be open from 7 - 10pm and you can stay as long, or as briefly, as you wish. Future dates: February 6th, March 6th

Please note January’s gathering will be later to give us all time to

recover from the festive season!

Alistair and I really enjoy the informality of this social evening. It’s relaxing to meet up for an hour or so and just have a drink and a chat. If anyone wants to go but not on their own give us a ring and we can call for you.

Louise and Alistair 712518.

Tombola THANK YOU for your donations for the tombola- everyone was very generous and we made £101. CHRISTMAS FAYRE. The church looked lovely set out as a vintage tea room with old fashioned crockery, tablecloths and waitress service. Michelle and Helena and their helpers had made it really special. We didn't have as many stalls this year so people were able to mingle and chat more easily. We all had an enjoyable afternoon. Louise Murray

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Christmas Fayre

We have had many complementary comments following the Christmas Fayre on December 6th – on the atmosphere and general format, and especially the afternoon teas. It was of course a lot of work to organise and set-up, although there were plenty of willing helpers – including the all- important clearing up and putting the church back ready for the service the next day. We were pleased to see all the helpers on the stalls like the cakes & sweets, tombola, books, toys, preserves, children’s games & crafts and raffle, as well as the other stall holders with wreaths & cards. A big thank-you to everyone who made the event such a success – not only raising £500 for church funds, but also making an enjoyable day out for people from the village and beyond. It’s lovely to have support for community events – let’s hope there are many more in the year ahead.

Helena Sherry & Michelle Nelson

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ROCKING AWAY THE JANUARY BLUES An Evening of Live Music by ‘STILL THIRSTY’ Featuring the music of Status Quo, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, T Rex & many more at FENNY DRAYTON CHURCH on FRIDAY 16th JANUARY from 7.30pm Bring your own drinks, glasses and nibbles Tickets £5 available from Julia Collis 713881Carol Partridge 714209 Proceeds to the Church

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A5 Roadworks The final (Redgate Junction road) surfacing course will be laid later in January, again during nightshifts with traffic lights. Short term closures of the A444 on the north and south sides of the A5 will be necessary in order to complete the surfacing and white lining works. Further details of these overnight closures will be given in the January Newsletter. The project team as a whole would like to apologise to those affected by the closures of Drayton Lane and Lane. We are aware that these closures have caused considerable inconvenience to a number of people however the establishment of these closures was considered to be the safest option in order to limit the number of vehicles that would otherwise have used the roads through Fenny Drayton and Witherley as alternative diversion routes. The closures were implemented with the best interests of public safety in mind. Can we please take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing co-operation and patience throughout these essential improvement works.

To receive email newsletters with the latest updates from those managing the work – please contact [email protected] or [email protected]

Further information is also available from & Bosworth Council’s website: www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/info/200079/regeneration/1012/improvements_to_the_a5/2

Half a Century of Human Spaceflight On 12 April 1961, something took place that had never happened before. For the first time in history, a man was sent into space. Inside his Vostok spacecraft, Yuri Gagarin flew around the Earth - and into history. On the 50th anniversary of human spaceflight there were a number of events commemorating the milestone, including looking ahead to the next 50 years in space, and finding solutions to some of our major problems here on Earth. Gordon Coultrop

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Superfast Broadband – Faster Internet for Fenny Drayton As we go to press, there is still no firm news on when the Superfast Broadband will be available. There has been some more work done in the new cabinet on the corner of Drayton Lane. Meanwhile, Superfast Leicestershire are announcing the ‘going live’ of various cabinets around the county in the run up to Christmas – but no word yet of whether Fenny Drayton will be included in this – maybe we will have heard by the time you are reading this… Some villagers might be wondering what this is all about! Well, it’s to do with providing faster internet connections to us in Fenny Drayton. Many places, especially in towns, have already got much better internet connections – but for us in rural areas, it has not been provided commercially due to the economics of upgrading the infrastructure in less populated areas that are further from telephone exchanges. You may recall a petition that was circulated in the village and the lobbying by the Parish Council to have Fenny Drayton included in the government funded Rural Broadband upgrade – well this is it! The faster internet connections are important to many of us – almost anyone running a business or working from home these days depends on good communication and access to information – also those with children/students in our households need information to help with school/college work. And the internet is increasingly used to transmit TV & other entertainment services – many of these won’t work effectively for us at the moment. When we do finally receive the upgrade, you won’t receive it automatically. You will need to upgrade your internet provision to a ‘Fibre Broadband’ package. For example, from BT the fibre broadband offering is called ‘Infinity’ and will cost around an extra £5 per month. Similarly, Talktalk Fibre is an extra £10 per month, including TV services (for which BT charge an extra £5). In each case, there are introductory offers & other ‘sweeteners’ – although you should of course check what is the best deal for you, based on your current contract & what is available at the time from the various service providers.

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Witherley Parish Council – Fenny Drayton Ward Fenny Drayton Parish Councillors – to contact with News, Views & Issues:

Robert Alexander [email protected] 768649 Alistair Brittain [email protected] 712172 Maureen Cook [email protected] c/o Clerk Ann Wright [email protected] 720966 Clerk: Anji Forsyth [email protected] 880548

Extracts from the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting, December 11th

(Full Minutes are available at http://witherley.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/minutes-archive.html)

A841: PUBLIC QUESTION TIME: The Chairman gave an update report on the status of the A5 road works, and the recent installation of the electronic speed indicator on Kennel Lane, Witherley. He then asked for any additional comments from Councillors. Cllr Wright raised the lack of sufficient signage on A5 to indicate the new change of right of way due to the newly created island. Clerk to raise with Highways Agency. Mr Bewell reaffirmed the issue having experienced a near miss accident on the island. He also advised he had witnessed a fully loaded car transporter travelling through Fenny Drayton from Bolton exceeding the 7.5 tonne weight limit. Cllr Alexander has noticed that the traffic issues experienced in Fenny Drayton prior to the closure of Drayton Lane had returned. A844: COUNTY COUNCILLOR REPORT: Cllr Ould had sent his apologies and emailed a report which the Clerk read; Due to cuts to be made to County budgets over the next 4 years there will be increases to Council Tax of 1.5% each year, this with job losses and intense cuts will fill the £9m gap still required. Inflation has been taken into account, but the main force behind the increased spending is the reduction in the government grant and the increased requirements of the elderly who will account for 40% of 2015 expenditure. A845: CLERK UPDATE: FENNY DRAYTON – Playing field work is still in hand and will be completed by end of January.

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A846: VILLAGE UPDATES FENNY DRAYTON - The tree beside George Fox’s memorial requires replacing by suitable shrub. Council will ask Cllr Hampshire to recommend and the cost be taken from the planting budget. Quaker Close grit bin position was resolved and Mr Simpson will accommodate it. Tree on footpath in Drayton Close has a hollow trunk and needs investigating. Cllr Alexander reported that superfast broadband should be available by the end of the year. – Speeding through the village has increased. As the Council are investigating other speeding issues in the parish, this should be added to the project. A847: PLANNING APPLICATIONS: 14/01087 Drayton Grange Farm. No objections. 14/0880 Twin Oaks, Upton. No objections, although it is not in our Parish area. A849: NO.7 SERVICE - COMMUNITY BUS PARTNERSHIP REPORT There was a meeting on 9th Dec. at Twycross village hall organised by the County Council and attended by himself, Cllrs Wright, Holder and Cook; to discuss how the Bus Partnership should work, and what the No.7 service should look like. The matter of the route from to Measham appearing to be a foregone conclusion was raised as a complaint. The tender process finishes 9th January 2015 and the new 2 hourly service effective from 30th March, and the core members of the partnership will run the service. Another meeting is to be arranged in January to agree membership and this Council will have a representative attending. A850: MIRA September draft minutes were discussed. There has been another meeting in November where these minutes were ratified. It was noted that there was no comment on the impact of traffic in the villages as a result of the A5 road works. A851: CORRESPONDENCE: A letter from Mr Simon Essex requesting a footpath to be installed from the A5 to Hunt Lane. Cllr Conway agreed to arrange to meet Mr Essex and any actions be brought to the attention of the Clerk. Clerk to forward email for contact details. The next Parish Council Meeting will be held on January 8th at The Parish Room, Witherley at 7.30 pm.

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White Wings Aikido

All abilities welcome, classes now open

Over 18+ years old only (for insurance purposes)

(Insurance £10.00 per year)

Mon & Fri - 7.30 pm to 9.30pm

£5 per class, 1st class Free

Call 01827 716100 or 07831 200540 and ask for Adrian

Or email [email protected]

Our Website www.whitewingsaikido.org.uk

White Wings, Quaker Close, Fenny Drayton CV13 6BS

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M G Evans & Sons Funeral Directors An Independent Family Business Monumental Service Pre-Arranged Funerals Private Chapels of Rest Horse Drawn Funerals Daimler Limousines Home Visits by Request

ATHERSTONE TAMWORTH Holmville House 20 Albert Road Long Street, Atherstone Tamworth 01827 713240 24 Hours 01827 310035 To advertise here, please contact Pauline Walsh 01827 715466 [email protected]

RECENTLY SEMI-RETIRED LOCAL LADY Not ready to hang up my boots yet, seeks domestic work.

All cleaning jobs, windows, ironing, shopping, fetching groceries or taking you shopping undertaken

RELIABLE AND TRUSTWORTHY Please call Karen 01827 713764

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Opening Times: 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm Saturday

We are on the Move!

Whether you are a first time buyer, looking to re-locate, or need a bigger place, allow us to be your first point of contact and we can point you in the right direction. We offer residential and commercial sales and lettings, and operate a no sale no fee basis.

*Ask us about letting options: Residential & Commercial Sales & Lettings *Energy Performance Certificates *Probate Valuations, Surveys & Auctions *Mortgage, Insurance & Financial Advice *Wills, Estate Planning, Legal Quotes Abbey, welcoming you home!

2A Pool Bank Street, Nuneaton, Warwickshire. CV11 5DB T: 024 7663 4677 or 01827 716100 [email protected] www.abbeymoneyandproperty.co.uk

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I AM JULIE, YOUR NEW LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE

WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE A REGULAR BROCHURE? PLEASE GET IN TOUCH I ALSO HAVE A SELECTION OF STOCK FOR LAST MINUTE PRESENTS!

Avon now sells Designer goods , Clothing, Baby wear, Handbags and Jewellery as well as Cosmetics and Skin care products. Find me on Facebook www.facebook.com/julies.avon1 All with the FAB 28 day guarantee. Tell me you’re from Fenny No payment required until delivery. Drayton and receive a free gift!

If you know of anyone who would like to sell Avon please let me know and I’ll get them started Email: [email protected] Call or text: 07879448487

The Cock Inn Sibson M.D.S. FLOORING LTD

Contact: FOR ALL YOUR CARPET AND

Lee Collins or FLOORING NEEDS David Harper Twycross Road Matt Smith Sibson 01827 880357 Fenny Drayton Based CV13 6LB [email protected] www.cockinnsibson.webs.com 07597 157419 [email protected]

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The Alpha 9 King Edward Avenue Blackpool FY2 9TD Rose & Radish [email protected]  Wedding Flowers  Funeral Tributes Gail & Steve offer a warm welcome to The Alpha, a quiet hotel on the North Shore  Gift Bouquets  Greengrocery

For a Great Deal on B&B and Evening Dinner WE DELIVER LOCALLY AND WORLDWIDE 5 Main Street, Please call 01253 354828 or visit alphablackpool.co.uk 01455 291740 Caring for Glitter Petals Face Painting Bethan Ford your pet 07402 299719  Caring, quality vet services in a friendly setting [email protected]  Consultations by appointment in our well equipped, FIND ME ON FACEBOOK! modern surgeries  Disabled access, plenty of parking, out of town centre Professionally Trained with Full Public locations  24-hour emergency cover provided Liability Insurance and CRB Check  Particular experience in exotic species, ocular and orthopaedic cases Oakfield Veterinary Group www.oakfield.net SEAN MURPHY

The Old Library, Hockley Road Tamworth B77 5EF Tel: 01827 281284 HAIRDRESSING

The Surgery, 2 Margaret Road At Atherstone CV9 1EE Tel: 01827 713149

713/715 Chester Road Chic Health and Beauty Bacons End Castle Bromwich B36 0LN Unit 1 Tel: 0121 770 4966 Hope & Aldridge Business Centre 183 Weddington Road Bed & Breakfast Nuneaton CV10 0HF at Vale Farm TERRY AND ETHEL PRESTON WELCOME YOU TO Appointments available Vale Farm, Stoke Lane Higham-on-the-Hill, Nuneaton daily, including Sundays

Telephone/Fax: 01455 212236 Mobile: 07977 915272, 07970 696886 Please call for a free consultation

Email: [email protected] 07968 070851 Website: valefarm-bed-and-breakfast.co.uk

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Homemade cakes TROTTERS THE BUTCHERS for all occasions A Real Family Business Specialists in: We only sell Fresh Locally Sourced Wedding, Meat and Poultry at Celebration & The Foodhall, Dobbies Garden World Novelty Cakes 01827 711982 Please contact Alison Waterer for further information Ask for Keith or Jack

07738 072207 or 01455 213786 [email protected] Specialists in Mature, Flavoursome

www.lovelycakesbyali.co.uk and Traditional Meat and Poultry W. Smith & Sons (Nuneaton) Ltd Dr I Hussain Avenue Road (BDS 1996 L’pool) www.lovelycakesbyali.co.ukNuneaton CV11 4JT Camphill Dental Practice 024 7638 2124 206 Camphill Road Funeral Directors Nuneaton CV10 0JL and Monumental Masons 024 7639 4571

FUNERAL PREPAYMENT PLANS 24-hour Free Emergency Service 07771 788722 High class interior & exterior Painting & decorating Semi-Retired Builder LOOKING FOR ODD JOBS M.D.Matthews Most trades covered

28 Choyce Close, Telephone Call Bob Davies: Atherstone, 01827 718974 07909 452794 Warwickshire Mobile Home: CV9 3AY 07946 731649 01827 768190 [email protected]

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What’s On in January 1st 7:30-9:00pm Bellringing Practice Church 4th 9:00am Holy Communion Church 5th Blue Bins 8th 10:30am-12:30 Community Coffee Morning Church 8th 7:30pm Parish Council meeting Parish Rm, Witherley 9th 7:00-10:00pm Friday With Friends Church 11th 10:30am Benefice Service 12th Black/Brown Bins 16th 7:30pm ‘Still Thirsty’ Gig Church 18th 10:30am Christingle & Carol Service Church 19th Blue Bins 19th 5pm Parish News Copy Deadline 20th 7:30-9:00m Fenn Lanes Men’s Group Parish Rm, Witherley 22nd 10:30am-12:30 Community Coffee Morning Church 25th 9:00am Morning Worship Church 25th Burns Night 26th Black/Brown Bins 29th 7:30-9:00pm Fenn’s Folk Church

Local History Links If you have an interest in local history, you might like to have a look at these websites: www.nuneatonhistory.com www.hinckleypastpresent.org hinckley.netfirms.com www.le.ac.uk/lahs www.windowsonwarwickshire.org.uk www.leicestershirewarmemorials.co.uk Also check the following groups on Facebook: Hinckley Past & Present Nuneaton Memories Hinckley M Useum

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