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A Newsletter for the Villages of King's Thorn, Little Birch & Much Birch – October 2008 Harvest Supper (LBVH) Please bring your plate, pudding bowl, DIARY DATES OCTOBER 2008 knife, fork, spoon and glass to our Harvest

Supper which will be held on FRIDAY 10TH OCTOBER – Harvest Supper 10TH OCTOBER. Price £6 per meal. 11TH OCTOBER – ‘Flu Jabs ______14TH OCTOBER – Whist Drive Flu Jabs 14TH OCTOBER – Evergreen Club Outing Much Birch Surgery are holding two 18TH OCTOBER – ‘Flu Jabs sessions for ‘flu jabs on SATURDAY TH TH 18 OCTOBER — And When Did You Last See Your Father? “12A” 11 OCTOBER and on SATURDAY ST TH 21 OCTOBER – W.I. 18 OCTOBER both from 9.00am. – 24TH OCTOBER – Village Market 11.00am. in Much Birch Community 24TH OCTOBER – Haunted Evening Hall. 29TH OCTOBER – Gardening Club ______30TH OCTOBER – Bingo Whist Drive ADVANCE NOTICES We are holding a Whist Drive at Little 1ST NOVEMBER – Tips Tastes & Techniques TH Birch Village Hall on TUESDAY 14 21ST & 22ND NOVEMBER – Halfway Community Theatre RD OCTOBER. We shall Start at 7.30p m. 3 DECEMBER – Gardening Club Christmas Social The entrance fee will be £1.50 There are excellent Prizes and refreshments will be TH available. New players are always On SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER at on 01432 840559 or Kath Watts on 01981 welcome. 7.30pm. the showing will be AND 540382. ______WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR ______FATHER? “12A” Haunted Evening Evergreen Club Jim Broadbent shines in this painfully On FRIDAY 24TH OCTOBER at honest yet often hilarious re-telling of Historic Wells and its beautiful cathedral 7.30p.m. by popular request, there is to be Blake Morrison’s memoirs; also starring more than matched up to all our a return visit and evening with Colin Firth, Juliet Stevenson and Gina expectations. City Councillor John Newman. Price £5 McKee. Our last outing of the year is to Knighton (including soup and bread). Refreshments served from 7.00pm. and Presteigne on TUESDAY 14TH ______SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER at 6.00pm OCTOBER. Knighton is a small, M.B. Village Market. — WALL-E U unspoilt border town with a choice of The next Village Market will be on Another great family animation from places for lunch. In the afternoon we go FRIDAY, 24TH OCTOBER in Much Pixar, the team that brought you Toy Story to Presteigne, primarily to visit the award- Birch Community Hall from 2.30-4.30pm. & Finding Nemo - a visual feast that is winning Judge’s Lodgings (£4.25 to be As well as the usual stalls selling completely out of this world. paid on entry), though the town itself vegetables, pies, Ice Cream, fresh pork (Special Offer! — one adult ticket at offers much of interest. and gluten free fare, there will be a stall £3 when bought with a child ticket) The cost for the coach will be £6.50 Refreshments served from 5.50pm. selling chutneys, jams and fresh bread. (£8.50 for non-members) plus a further £2 Tickets available in advance or on the There will be a variety of local craft for those being picked up in Ross. The door - for further info or to book tickets makers, plant stall and the Fair Trade number to ring is 01981 540932. please call Bryony Connolly 01981 stand as well. Please note the different pick-up times 541274. Please come and support these local 8.55 Merton Hotel Films, start times and dates are liable to traders and producers and keep this very 9.00 Fonteine Court change so please check before making a worthwhile market going. Refreshments, 9.15 Axe & Cleaver journey. tea and delicious cakes, will be provided 9.20 M.B.Church Bus Stop ______by Chris and Peter Dowsett and Pauline 9.25 Tump Lane (Bungalows) W.I. Rogers in aid of MacMillan Cancer 9.30 The Park, Wormelow ST Support. 9.35 Tump Lane (Middle) On TUESDAY 21 OCTOBER, at ______Much Birch Hall at 7.30pm. Richard 9.40 Poor Clares Convent Jordan will be entertaining us with music Gardening Club 9.45 Kings Thorn Bus Shelter The October meeting of the Gardening 9.50 Coach Depot Brandon and slides about Route 66. If you would like further details of our Club will be held in Little Birch Village ______programme please contact Barbara Wilson Hall on WEDNESDAY 29TH Flicks in the Sticks OCTOBER at 7.30pm. The talk given by Janet Gwinnett will be on 'The Gardens of thoughts and prayers. It is good to see Harvest Thanksgiving Services will begin South '. IRIS LLOYD back at home and making shortly in the Wormelow Hundred group Advance notice : The Christmas Social steady progress and we hope all things of Churches and as the Hereford Open will be held at 7.30pm on WEDNESDAY will go well for SELBY when he goes to Door for the Homeless is one of the 3RD DECEMBER. Birmingham for a bypass operation. chosen charities this year, it is suggested ______HARRIET CHAPMAN, one of our local that a good proportion of our gifts should Bingo young people, who attends St Mary’s RC be in the form of ‘Dry goods and canned Eyes down at 8.00pm. on THURSDAY High School, has been selected to take foods’, which can be more easily used for 30TH OCTOBER at Little Birch Village part in the Borneo Expedition 2009 with this most worthwhile project. Hall. There are good prizes and the Hereford Expedition Group, which is ______refreshments will be available. in partnership with Raleigh International. Harewood – talk and walk ______Together they work on challenging More than 70 people turned up to hear Tips, Tastes & Techniques environmental and community projects Heather Hurley talk about the history of Come to an evening with the renowned around the world. As part of their Harewood Park. It proved to be a most local chef, Ken Tait on SATURDAY 1ST community project they will be working interesting and well-illustrated talk giving NOVEMBER at 7.30pm in Much Birch on installing a 15km water pipe which will an overview from earliest times up to the Hall. Let Ken make you the perfect chef. supply water to the village community. present. We heard how there have been Forget the stress and pleasure the success. They will also experience living in the Neolithic and Bronze Age finds on the Enjoy the evening as Ken guides us jungle and teaching the local children estate, also Roman urns with ashes. By through a whole range of delicious dishes, English. As part of the challenge they the Norman conquest it was part of with professional tips and techniques and have to fundraise £2,500 and will be Harewood Forest which included lots of tasters. £10.00 a head, includes taking part in a 17mile sponsored walk Athelstan’s and Aconbury woods. There Punch on arrival, tasters and leaflets. across the black mountains. We wish her were apparently continuous trees from Tickets can be obtained from Lesley on well in this extremely worthwhile project. Harewood End to Hoarwithy. Harewood 01981 540366 and John on 540980. Be Last week , OLIVE and RODERICK itself was given to the Knights Templar by ready with canapés and starters plus main STEWART moved to their new home at King John. It was a manor of 200 acres courses and desserts for Christmas Rose Garden and we wish them many then and a hall, mill, grange and chapel entertaining. years of happiness in their new home. were built. This was transferred to the ______Both have been very active in the Knights Hospitallers in the 1300s and Halfway Community Theatre community over a good number of years, remained with them until the Dissolution especially in the Gardening Club and and some time after was bought by The Halfway Community Theatre are many young people have had great pleased to announce their Autumn show Brownes of the Mynde, Much Dewchurch. enjoyment with Roderick’s dolls houses They built a smart new Tudor mansion to be 'A Victorian Box of Delights' which have been expertly furnished by with turrets and lived there until after the held on FRIDAY & SATURDAY 21ST & ND Olive. You will both be greatly missed but Civil War when they lost their money. It 22 NOVEMBER at 7.30pm. in Much not forgotten! was then sold to Bennet Hoskyns of Birch Community Hall. Sadly, we have to record the passing of Moorhampton, Abbeydore in 1654. It Tickets are £10 (£5 for under 14's), to SUE CONSTANTINE at the age of 66 remained in the family for 250 years, include supper in the Interval and you can years. Sue came to Tabor Court with her being passed from father to son, seemingly book by calling Jenny Wrigley on 01981 late husband, John, in the early 1970’s and alternating the names Hungerford and 540617. most people will have noted her Chandos. All were apparently lawyers, ______welcoming to patients at the local surgery, having been Oxford educated, and several Local News where she worked for some 7 years or so. were MPs for Hereford. Some were October will be a very exciting and busy She then took a Practice Managers course extravagant with money, others married month for the REV. MOSES NTHUKAH and left the surgery to become ‘Beds well but somehow they kept going, and his family as Moses has been elected Manager’ at the County Hospital until her enlarging the estate to over 1000 acres, Bishop designate of his home diocese of retirement after which she helped set up a rebuilding the house in a fashionable Mbeere in Kenya. We send our hearty scheme to give medical help to ‘travelling Georgian style in 1787 and rebuilding the congratulations to Moses and our thanks families’. John and Sue loved their horses chapel twice (latterly in 1840 by for all the work that he and his fami ly and ran a gymkhana at the Little Birch Rushforth). They gradually fell further have done in the Archenfield Group over Show in 1981. Unfortunately, John died in into debt so that finally the estate was put the last 2 years. We wish them all well in 1994 and Sue took a long while to come to up for auction but did not reach the their new situation and there is no doubt terms with his passing. She loved her reserve of £75,000. Much of the estate that Moses will make an excellent Bishop. many cats and was very much helped by was then sold off separately but the main Congratulations are also extended to her great friend, Jenny Preece and later by part passed to distant family until finally it FRANK SHORT, who recently celebrated Shirley Suckling. Sue spent most of her was sold in 1920 to Campbell who th his 96 birthday with a very enjoyable time in the garden after retirement and continued the tradition of getting into debt. luncheon at the Pilgrim Hotel. He is not created a beautiful ‘Cornish Garden’ with Guy’s Hospital by now owned all the enjoying the best of health at the present choice and somewhat tender plants and surrounding farms and bought the but he is determined not to let that stop shrubs. When eventually she was not able remaining land from Campbell but he him travelling and making the most of life. to look after the garden as she would like, continued in the house which was Well done! Frank and keep taking the she employed some help and in the last requisitioned in WW II as a military ‘special medicine’. few years from Tim Townsend, whose hospital for St John Ambulance, housing A number of friends have been in hospital wife, Jane, had helped Sue for many years Canadian soldiers. When Campbell died or had hospital treatment recently and we with the horses. She will be greatly missed in 1951 his wife finally sold the house to assure them that they continue in our by her many friends. Guy’s wh ich, for some inexplicable reason, put it up for sale when it was Rebecca Corrigan, for accumulating the that time, or Sundays (when she starts at bought by a building contractor. He most points in the Children’s Section. 8.50am) with whom she could share a lift, stripped it of all useful materials then gave It was wonderful to see so many visitors to whilst contributing to petrol money, permission for the house to be used for Little Birch Village Hall during the rainy Unfortunately, the buses wouldn't get her demolition practice by the Monmouth afternoon. A big Thank You goes out to in on time. Royal Engineers Militia. They succeeded all those organisers, helpers, judges, She can be contacted by email at on the second attempt in 1959. The site exhibitors and visitors who made the show [email protected] was then sold to an insurance company such a success. ______who later let it out to a company breeding See you all again next year! M.B.P.C dogs for animal experiments. The chapel Gillian Clouder – Show Secretary Report on the meeting held on Thursday and the walled garden and stables were ______7th July. used. After much attention from animal Keeping Kings Thorn safe The Clerk reported on the following action rights groups, this breeding finally I would like to express my concern, not items since the last meeting. finished in the 1990s by which time the only about speeding but also about the The Lengthsman has carried out identified whole site, including the Grange, Home lack of awareness some members of the work since the previous meeting. which Farm and their buildings were more or less parish have about road safety, particularly was to cut around the speed limit signs in derelict. The whole Harewood Estate was emerging from their driveways. Forge the parish, cut back overgrown sold to the in 1999. Lane, Wrigglebrook, it would appear is a grass/hedges at the Thorn sign and to cut During our walk, which was attended by definite black spot for motorists and the grass area at the junction of the A49 over 20 people, we saw the results of a pedestrians alike. After reading last bus shelter near the school. large part of the Duchy’s eight year plan. month’s newsletter about an accident there If any further work is identified that is The restoration of Grange Farm, Home I heard of another one on that lane suitable for the parish lengthsman to carry Farm and their buildings is complete occurring in July in which a driver, this out in the Parish, please contact the Parish together with the chapel; that of the stables time not speeding was hit by a car Clerk. is underway. We saw the site of the old reversing into them from a hidden Glen Simms has been appointed as house where plans for a mansion, much driveway. While recognising the fact that Footpaths Officer and the Assistant smaller than the original, have been passed some dwellings in Kings thorn have Footpaths officer is Mo Ross. If you have and building may get underway in 2009. difficult access, it would seem reasonable any concerns regarding a footpath please Our walk took us from Redbrook Farm, to suggest that their owners, if they have contact Glen. Hoarwithy in a circular route enabling us to reverse out onto a public road, take Speed Indicator Device Report to appreciate the most attractive landscape suitable precautions, or erect some sort of The purchase of a SID was discussed, and siting of the buildings, well chosen by device which would enable them to view taking into account the unsuccessful grant previous owners and to be well maintained the road in both directions. This would, application and the fact that the unit can for posterity by the present ones. hopefully, ensure the safety of any only be sited at a particular site for one ______pedestrians, animals and motorists, young month in three, and the need for speed Horticultural Show or old who happen to be passing by. data downloads at every move of the unit. The King’s Thorn & Little Birch Annual Name and Address Supplied The Parish Council agreed not to buy a Open Horticultural Show on 6th September ______SID but considered that hiring a unit from was a great success, despite the weather. Hire of Hall (fees update) Herefordshire Council, who will move the Of course the gardeners lamented the From October 2008 the fees for Hire of equipment and collect the data at the 4 quality of their produce, but came together LBVH Hall have been updated as identified sites, was a more prudent use of to put on a fine display. follows. parish funds 59 entrants produced 370 exhibits and the Summer (May to September) £7.50 Finance report Children’s section had even more entries Winter (October to April) £11.00. Two cheques were written and signed. than last year, some of which had been ______Planning Permissions created at the Children’s Workshop the Shopmobility DCSW2008/0911/RM - Sandridge Barrack Hill, Little Birch - New previous afternoon. We provide mobility scooters, wheelchairs dwelling in the garden of Sandridge All of the exhibits attained a high and powered wheelchairs on a daily hire standard, especially Derek Scrivens’ Meetings basis for anyone with permanent or HALC Training dates were noted. Flowering Pot Plant, which was deemed temporary mobility difficulties wishing to The next Communications Group Meeting the “Best Exhibit in the Show” by the visit Hereford, Leominster, Ledbury or Judges and won him the David Enoch is Thursday 9th October at 7.00pm at M.B. Ross-on-Wye. Depending on the area, Community Hall. Cup. Derek also won the Rose Bowl for the service is either free, with a voluntary Correspondence. the most points attained in the Floral donation, or there is a small charge. Section and the Llewallyn Cup for the Parish councillors had previously been Please contact: given the correspondence list which was family or person with the most points Hereford 01432 342166 noted. overall. Leominster 01568 616755 The Horticultural Shield went to Martin Parish Council Meetings Ledbury 01531 636001 The Parish Council meet on the first Gallagher for gaining the most points in Ross-on-Wye 01989 763388 Thursday of each month (excluding the Vegetable and Fruit Sections and Mary ______Hill won the Floral Art Shield. For getting Lift Share August and January) at 7.30pm in the the most points in the Domestic Section Community Centre. Local residents are Lucy Godding has just got a new job in Audrey Watkins was presented with the very welcome to attend and air their views Hereford which starts at 7.50am weekdays Domestic Cup and the Children’s Shield in the Open Discussion period. (except Thursdays) and wondered if had joint winners, Melissa Peters and Date of next meeting anyone travels to Hereford on Saturdays at THURSDAY 2ND OCTOBER at 7.30pm. Parish Clerk Overnight 18/19th September a goods vehicle merged with the newly-formed ANPR team If you have any queries on Parish Council parked at Allensmore had £270 worth of diesel (see last month's issue), to form an Operations stolen from it. Support Unit, whose role will be to target matters please telephone the Clerk on th 01432 870874 At 14-20hrs . 20 September a Landrover travelling criminals, drug dealers and other number WA05UHN was stolen from Orcop. known offenders. They seek to "deny criminals Or write to: Mrs Kath Greenow, Hackford This vehicle has still not been recovered. the use of the roads". House, Dinedor, Hereford, HR2 6PD. Early hours of 20th September catalytic The realignment of Local Policing and For information on Much Birch Parish converters were taken off 2 vans parked in Response responsibilities at senior please visit our website Grafton Lane. management level now sees a Chief Inspector www.muchbirchparish.org.uk Overn ight 21st/22nd September a large quantity covering all uniformed policing for the Parish Councillors of Much Birch of cheese was stolen from a Lorry parked in a Hereford area and another for the Market lay-by at Much Birch. Towns and Rural. John Jones - Chairman, Dave Davies - th Vice Chairman, Glen Simms – Footpaths Overnight 26 September a handbag was And on a lighter note…. Officer, Menna Swift, Vivien Short , stolen from a car parked at Garway Hill. A Strathclyde sergeant was recently in Between 8.30pm on Monday 15th September conversation with a prisoner who was using the Alison Cook and 3.50pm on Tuesday 16th September, a pair opportunity to air a long list of his grievances ______of metal gates were stolen from a property in he had with the world in general. One such MB Hall Car Park Extension Little Birch. The property is unoccupied and issue was that his brother had been stabbed and Thanks to all the hard work by members due to be auctioned shortly, the gates were at the perpetrators received a short custodial of the Hall Management Committee and a the entrance to the property and were across the sentence, having been convicted of the lesser generous donation from the Parish driveway. charge of culpable homicide. Overnight last night between 10pm and 11.30 Trying to appear concerned the sergeant Council, the proposal to extend the car this morning, a catalytic converter was stolen enquired:” So, is your brother alright now?” parking facilities can now go ahead. The from a Landrover Discovery parked by the side Your Officers based at Peterchurch work will take into account the aesthetics of the B4348 at Thruxton. Thieves are Local Police Officer of the building, drainage and car parking targeting 4x4 vehicles and vans as they are PC Andrew Bundy. for the disabled. easy to get underneath, and it takes a couple of Mobile No: 07855 385 844 As most people know we have already minutes to saw the pipes off either side of the Email: achieved smaller projects such as the converter. If you own a 4x4 or a van, please be [email protected]. replacement and relocation of the heating extra vigilant and try and park them off the uk boiler, the upgrading of the insulation in road, making them less of an easy target. Fear of Crime Community Support Officers the roof space and redecoration of the Whilst compiling this newsletter, each CSO 6173 Fiona Witcher. cloakrooms . individual parishes crime reports were checked. Mobile No: 07779 141 232 Future projects to improve the facilities Of the 32 parishes in the Hereford Rural South Email: which will demand further fundraising are: area only half had reported crimes during the [email protected] the provision of an extension to month of August. You do live in a low crime CSO 6993 Kevin Powell. accommodate bulky items which are at area and with your help in reporting anything Mobile No: 07779 141 232 present taking up valuable floor space in suspicious we can endeavour to keep it that Email: the main hall, ramps to improve access to way. [email protected] the rear grassed area, and the provision of Special Request The Division is shortly to embark on a ce.uk a covered way to the main entrance of the recruitment drive to increase the size of the Response Policing premises. The Management Committee volunteer Special Constabulary. If you know of PC Roger Bradley would welcome assistance from members anyone 'special' who would have something to Email: of the community in raising funds for offer, in return for "a type of experience you [email protected] these developments to the hall, which has couldn't pay for", then ask them to contact the Hereford Rural South Email provided a venue for events over almost Recruitment Hotline on 01562 826 027 or just [email protected] 30 years. Please telephone John, 540980, click on www.westmercia.police.uk. olice.uk Lesley 540366 or Bryony: 541274 for Special Request Hereford Rural South Answer phone further details. The Division is shortly to embark on a recruitment drive to increase the size of the 01432 346756 John Jones, Chairman volunteer Special Constabulary. If you know of Non-Emergency phone ______anyone 'special' who would have something to 08457 444 888 Much Birch 100 Club Draw offer, in return for "a type of experience you Emergency phone 999 The September draw took place on couldn't pay for", then ask them to contact the Your Local Representatives th Thursday, 11 September in Much Birch Recruitment Hotline on 01562 826027 or just East - JOHN BULBECK 540178 Community Hall at 7.00pm click on www.westmercia.police.uk. Central – BOB PETERS 540670 The winners were: Changes Afoot West – BETTY PHILPOTT 540614 1. No. 11 - Mr. R. Thomas, Kings Thorn. Greater flexibility in response to incidents, ______together with an enhanced focus on emergent 2. No. 60 - Mr. C. Anderson , Kings trends and the quality of investigations are just Email Newsletter & Alerts Thorn. some of the proposed benefits of a shake-up of If you would like to receive the West The next draw will take place on 16th the Divisional Crime Management Team. Mercia alerts which are sent two or three October at 7.00pm in Much Birch From early September 2008 small teams of times a month to the editor, please let me Community Hall. detectives, taken from the current core at have your email address and they will be John Jones, Chairman/Promoter. Hereford, are also to be based at Leominster automatically forwarded to you as soon as ______and Ross Police Stations. They will keep a I get them. If you would also like to more local eye on crime in those areas and receive the Newsletter by email, thereby Neighbourhood Watch work directly with their uniformed colleagues, Crime Trends saving the community a lot of shoe leather th sharing information and targets. Overnight 4/5 September a burglary occurred The current Proactive Team, which deals with collation time, paper and print, you could at premises at Much Birch, bottles of alcohol, the majority of drug dealing offences, is to be be put on a separate list to get it as soon as including Champagne were taken. it is ready. In either case your email address will be private as these alerts and the NL are sent in the ‘bcc’ box which does not show your address. ______Thanks We would like to extend our thanks to the very generous donation given recently to help with the production of the Newsletter. ______Items/Copy May I have items for the NOVEMBERissue via post to : Mrs. S.E. Mathews, Folly Cottage, Little Birch, HR2 8BD; or left in the post box at 'Bramleys' or by email attachment in Word format to: [email protected] by

¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ 18TH OCTOBER ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯

MURPHY’S PAW

Dog Walking Service

Telephone Trish on 01981 541214 or 07519 643546