Proudly funded by West Haddon Parish Council December 2020

WEST HADDON PARISH COUNCIL Inside this issue:

Parish E-mail:- [email protected] Council Pg 1-3

Website:- www.westhaddonparishcouncil.gov.uk

telephone:- 07493366527 School Twitter:- @WestHaddonPC News Pg 4-5

Facebook:- West Haddon Council Church Newsletter Editor:- [email protected] News Pg 6-7

Full Council meetings are normally held on 1st Tuesday of each month Village News Pg 8-9,12 Please see the website for further information, joining instructions for meetings (currently held by zoom), and agenda items. Local Services Pg 10-11

Parish Council News Page 2 of 12

Season’s Greetings from West Haddon Parish Councillors

With the restrictions that are currently in place it may not seem like Christmas this year. Event after event cancelled, postponed or hugely scaled back. Even the annual West Haddon Wassail Event has had to be cancelled which often sets the tone for the festive period.

Some of you may have had your spirits lifted by the news of successful vaccine trials, which it is hoped will generate some light at the end of the tunnel and offer us a path back to some form of normality next year but we are not there yet and so we must continue to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe by abiding by the rules and doing our bit.

The run up to Christmas will be different this year, as it has for so many other festivities, but hopefully, we will be able to meet up with our families. The most important gift this Christmas is kindness – kindness to neighbours or family members who find themselves on their own or struggling due to the effects of the pandemic on their daily lives – perhaps a phone call; a tap on the window to check a neighbour is ok; a smile and a wave – it can make a huge difference to someone. Please do not underestimate the impact of a relatively small gesture that costs nothing.

As this is the last publication before Christmas, I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Parish Council, to wish you a very happy Christmas. The Council is aware that this past year has been very difficult for a number of people, and we hope that the coming year will bring more certain times for us all.

As you celebrate Christmas in whatever format, make wonderful memories that will linger in your home, and may this season be filled with peace and joy. Have a peaceful and relaxing Christmas.

Cllr Steve Kerr Chairman West Haddon Parish Council

WEST HADDON VILLAGE HALL

Sadly, we had to close the Village Hall again on 5th November. As soon as Government guidelines allow, we will re-open the Hall.

We are making good progress with our new website which should be ready for testing by the committee by the end of November. We are still looking for photographs of events, plays, activities etc. that have taken place in the hall to add to the website. Please email Liz on [email protected] if you have any photos.

We are always looking for volunteers to join the committee to help out and keep our hall running smoothly. The full committee meets four times a year to plan repairs and improvements, and check income from hall hire is covering our costs. Do you have administrative skills, practical skills (for minor repair jobs), financial knowledge or project management expertise? Please contact the Secretary on [email protected] for more details.

As always, enquires and bookings to the Bookings Secretary on [email protected] or phone/text 07771 968878

Liz Parker (Secretary, Village Hall Committee)

Parish Council News Page 3 of 12

Businesses Urged to Apply for New Grant Fund

Businesses in District which have been required to close temporarily due to the lockdown are encouraged to apply for a Local Restrictions Support Grant.

The Government fund can provide grants of up to £3,000 to help small businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors manage during the 28-day lockdown period.

The types of business covered includes non-essential retail, leisure, personal care (such as hairdressers and nail salons), entertainment, sports facilities, and hospitality.

To be eligible to apply, businesses must occupy a property on which they pay business rates and must have been open and trading on 4th November 2020. They must have been required to close for at least four weeks because of the national lockdown or have adapted their business to offer takeaway or a ‘click and collect’ service.

Three levels of grants are available depending on the rateable value of the business: • For properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or under, grants will be £1,334 for the four weeks • For properties with a rateable value of more than £15,000 and below £51,000, grants will be £2,000 for the four weeks • For properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or over, grants will be £3,000 for the four weeks.

Daventry District Council is distributing the grant in the District and is urging eligible businesses to submit a claim as soon as they can.

Councillor Colin Morgan, Resource Portfolio Holder at Council, said: “Local businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and the local economy, and our staff have been working hard since the beginning of the pandemic to ensure they receive the Government funding support that they are entitled to. Deadline for the “The fund offers vital support at this incredibly challenging time, and I January 2021 would urge local businesses who think they might qualify to visit our edition is website and apply online as soon as possible.” Wednesday 16th December To find out more information and submit an application online, please Please send your articles to visit www.daventrydc.gov.uk/LRSG Christina Betson at [email protected]

Page 4 of 12 School News

School News Page 5 of 12

Expedition to Lapland – West Haddon Primary School

Written by William Robertson – Age 8

Did you know that the children, teachers, parents, and grandparents from West Haddon Primary School are going on an expedition to Lapland? Over 5 weeks, we are trying our best to travel 1,433 miles from West Haddon to Lapland, following the same route that the reindeers & Santa’s sleigh will travel on Christmas Eve! I hope we can get there by 11th December. Everyone can do the journey anyway they like…including walking, cycling, running, skating, skipping, horse riding or even hopping!

We are raising money for the school PTA and the Faraway Children’s Charity – the charity helps to give presents to children that might not get one this Christmas in . The best bit is that we are getting to have fun outside (even in the rain!) and help other children.

This week, we had a message from the World Record Polar Explorer, Ann Daniels – she has been to the Poles more than 10 times, and once she was stalked by a male polar bear for 5 days (how brave!). Ann said “I think your expedition to Lapland is a fantastic idea. Doing an expedition is quite difficult so you will all have to work really hard together, but if you keep going and you support each other, I know you can do this!”

Every explorer will receive a certificate for taking part and there will be a prize for the person that travels the furthest in each year group . Some prizes will also be awarded for photos taken & shared on the PTA Facebook page. The categories are: Wildlife spotter, Puddle Jumper, Most fabulous expedition hat, Beautiful landscape & Nature in detail. Prizes have been kindly provided by Park End Farming Ltd, Crick & will be judged by West Haddon Photographic Society.

If you would like to support us on our mission, you can by donating via: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/expeditiontolapland

Church News Page 6 of 12

ALL SAINTS’ WEST HADDON AND The floodlights were put on for the ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS WINWICK following occasion: A group of four Church of churches which also Thursday 5th November includes St Lawrence and St Peter & St Paul Watford. in memory of Jason Stratford

Carol Services (see below): there will definitely be a carol During Lockdown an anonymous service for all four villages on YouTube on Thursday donor has paid for the floodlights to 17th December, 7.30pm. be on.

Check our website www.stlawrences.org.uk; our YouTube During December the Church will account: lbwwhw CofE; Facebook (West Haddon Live); and put the lights on to give Christmas the Church notice board as arrangements are provisional and cheer subject to change!

During the 12 days of Christmas the Services on Zoom are on: Parish Council will pay for the lights https://us02web.zoom.us/j/537030741 to be on. (Meeting ID: 537 030 741);

Services on YouTube are on: If you would like the church www.youtube.com/channel/UCxI7Q3bxAHOVYV6oHdf1KPg/v floodlights put on from dusk until ideos?view=2&live_view=502 midnight in memory of someone

special or for a special occasion Private Prayer: please get in touch with me on All Saints West Haddon: 9 a.m. to 4p.m every day 510275 at 4 Road or at St Michael & All Angels Winwick: always open! [email protected].

Services If you would like them acknowledged Sundays at 10.30 a.m.: church service on ZOOM th in the newsletter, please let me know Sunday 6 December 4pm: Tea Time Together- Christingle what you would like in writing. A Service on Zoom (for under 11s) donation of at least £5 would be Check the website for a video on how to appreciated. Sandy Tringham prepare: www.stlawrences.org.uk/children-and-families Sunday 13th December 4pm: Holy Communion, All Saints.

Thursday 17th December 7.30pm: Villages Carol Service From the Registers Saturday 7th November was the broadcast from St Lawrence Long Buckby and on You Tube Christmas Eve 24th December Funeral of Barbara Annie Pope

3pm Crib Service for West Haddon on Zoom 11.30 p.m: Midnight Mass on Zoom Contacts: th Vicar Revd. Graham Collingridge Christmas Day 25 December 9.15am All Saints West Haddon Tel: 01327 842204; [email protected] 10.30am St Lawrence Long Buckby; and YouTube Parish administrator: Tel: 07939 475 949; The Women’s Refuge [email protected]

I have been overwhelmed by your generous response to the appeal for gifts for mothers and children at the Refuge. It means we will have to make two journeys as there is more than a car full. If you still want to give something please bring it to 4, Guilsborough Road at the beginning of December. On behalf of Eve, the Refuge, thank you for all you have given. We wish you a Happy Christmas.

Church News Page 7 of 12

The Donations Box Thanks to everyone who is putting gifts in and a reminder to those in need: do not hesitate to take what you need from the box. If you would like to access the Rugby Food bank please get in touch with me.

Mary and Joseph It wasn’t possible for Mary and Joseph to travel from house to house in West Haddon this year but it is possible for you to colour your own figures and keep them in your house from the beginning of December. If you would like to have a piece of card with outlines of the figures to colour, please get in touch with me and we will bring you one.

The Nativity Trail – Finding Baby Jesus Here is a way to get ready for Christmas and remember the Christmas story. Each one of us has favourite bits of the Christmas story. If we each put that into our window or our front garden for everyone to see, we can share our own special “take” on the Christmas story.

Would you like to be part of this? Chose an aspect of the Nativity story that you would like to share. This could be a story from the Old Testament about God promising to send His Son into the world; it could be part of the story told in the New Testament; or just one element of the story: for example a sheep, a star, an angel. You could use paper or card, wood, plastic, Lego bricks or whatever your favourite medium is. Find a place, a window or part of your garden, where you can put this on display. You might like to put in a bug or a mouse or another small creature. I’m sure they were there in the stable where Jesus was born. Then let me know where you live and the name of your scene. I will make a map of all the roads in the village where these can be viewed and distribute them so that everyone can visit and see what you have made. The map will be available to download from West Haddon Live! Or you can get a hard copy from the church porch or from me.

Do you need some help with ideas of what to do? You could look in the Church porch where I will put some pictures of the Nativity story and from Wednesday 25th there will be a picture each day of a part of the story on West Haddon Live! The displays should go up on December 17th but I need to get the map ready and distributed as soon as possible so please let me know by Monday, December 7th if you would like to take part. Sue Tringham 01788510275, [email protected] or 4, Guilsborough Road

Christmas Message from Revd. Graham:

Dear friends: Christmas will be different this year, but it isn’t cancelled. Our churches will celebrate the birth of Jesus with a combination of on-line services and some in church buildings. We are also inviting you to prepare for Christmas by joining in the Nativity Trail (see above). The story of Jesus born in a stable -the word of God made flesh – is a reminder that God shares our human condition, its joys and its pain. The church’s theme this year is “Comfort and Joy” - words from a Christmas carol. It also reminds us of some words in the Bible: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” As I write this, I have happy memories of taking my daughter’s wedding in Winwick; but I am also preparing to attend the funerals of relatives: two people from the same family. The Christian symbols of a child in a manger and a man dying on a cross, are two parts of the same message of good news – in Jesus, God is in this with us. May you know his comfort and joy this Christmas.

Page 8 of 12 Village News

The West Haddon Almshouses

A couple of years ago I wrote an article regarding our hopes to build some new almshouses for West Haddon, to sit close to the existing Victorian terrace of 6 cottages which you see as you enter the village on Crick Road. The vision is to provide six new single storey almshouses, with easier access, more suitable for older residents, doubling the number we have available and enabling the charity to help younger people using the Victorian ones when they are freed up. The feedback from villagers and the Parish Council was positive. Consequently the trustees have been busy on various fronts to prepare the groundwork for a project to deliver six new bungalow almshouses on land that is currently used as allotments (the allotments will be moved a short distance, using a little more of the pasture that the charity owns).

• The Charity has become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (a CIO for short) which means the charity can own land, enter contracts and borrow money. • The current almshouses and the land around them have been transferred to the new CIO from the custodian of charity assets. • The Objects of the charity have been widened so that we can provide social housing to younger people as well as the over 55s. Preference will still be given to older residents for at least six of our almshouses. • We are working through a process to become a Registered Provider of social housing, a requirement to be able to access government grant funding via Homes England. • We have been working through various design plans with our architects, consulting with the planners at Daventry and getting preliminary reports done to support our planning application.

We have now got to the point where a set of plans have been submitted to Daventry District Council for planning approval. This should be registered and on the council’s website shortly. While this application is being considered, the hard work will be continuing. A cost plan has been completed and we are now building that into the financial plans for the charity. This will enable us to apply for various grants, including from Homes England and a bank loan to help fund the project. All being well, the current plan is to get into a position to start building in autumn 2021. If anyone has any comments or ideas regarding the project please get in touch.

Charles Porter, Chair of Trustees William Lovett’s Almshouse Charity [email protected]

Page 9 of 12 Village News

Update from Buckby Library & Hub We had to close again to visitors during the latest lockdown but have been able to offer a ‘Select and Collect’ service. This service will continue when we reopen and are able to welcome visitors again. To find out more and complete a ‘select and collect’ form online, just go to https://buckbylibraryhub.org/select-and-collect/ on our website. Paper forms are also available from outside the Library. We will contact you as soon as your books are ready for collection, which will be on a Tuesday afternoon, or a Thursday or a Saturday morning. We will also have some pre-selected book bags, by genre, available to grab and go. Just remember to bring your Library card! The Library Trolleys will also be available.

We’d also like to extend a big thank you to all the Co-op members who supported us through their shopping during the last Local Community Cause funding year. It was very much appreciated. If you want to continue supporting us, one way is to sign up to Easyfundraising. This doesn’t cost you anything. However, we benefit when you shop online. If you want to know more about it and how to do it, please go to our website: https://buckbylibraryhub.org/easyfundraising/.

Updates and further information will always be on our website, Facebook page and noticeboards.

T@3 Usually at this time of year we are looking forward to our special Christmas lunch at The Pytchley, followed by a convivial hour with tea, coffee, mints and homemade mince pies in the Baptist Schoolroom. Not so this year. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, even though we know it could be a long way off.

When we are able we shall restart our monthly gatherings. Until then let's enjoy the blessings of the season and look forward to better times.

Dorothy Whittaker and Keith Wilkes.

Do you remember the woolen angels that magically appeared all over the village last year? Look out for another special surprise from the Mothers’ Union this year…

Page 10 of 12 Local Services

West Haddon News Advertising

With the current circumstances WHNews would like to offer all local businesses the opportunity to advertise with us for free for a period of 6 months. If you would like to enquire about placing an advert in the newsletter, please contact the Parish Council Executive Officer, Gill Wells at [email protected] Usual costs: small advert - £18.00 / 3 months advertising ¼ page advert - £72.00 / 3 months advertising ½ page advert - £108.00 / 3 months advertising Full Page advert - £216.00 / 3 months advertising

ADAM MAY CONTRACTING Mobile Hair Stylist & Nail Technician Specializing in all types of fencing for almost 30 years. Emma Mason from West Haddon

. Dismantle and replacement Six Years Salon Experience . Storm damage/Repairs Advanced Qualification in Hairdressing Fully Qualified Gel Polish Nail . Professional Advice Technician Competitive Rates!! . Fully Insured Contact 07973 695634 07557474671 Email [email protected] [email protected]

Page 11 of 12 Local Services

Rachel Hearne Garden Maintenance RHS Level 2 Qualified Gardener Services include: Lawn care, garden clearance, winter pruning, bed and border care, weeding, planting Tel: 07928489240 Email: [email protected] Available immediately

Page 12 of 12 Village News

West Haddon Photo Club October's Theme - Energy

This month's theme of 'Energy' gave members the opportunity to submit a set of images that were both varied and interesting. We had photos of subjects using energy (dogs mainly!) and producing energy - wind, wave, steam, water, thermal, electrically and jet powered.

The most popular image of those attending this month's meeting was of something that doesn't usually get a second glance. Dave Moorhouse's photo Fizzing With Energy (right) is a simple but arresting image of an electricity pylon partly lit by corona discharges from the high-tension cables ionizing the surrounding air.

After such an energetic start to the evening, members settled back to review images submitted for Image of the Month. Deer, a somewhat worse for wear pheasant, flamingos, family and (more) dogs all featured. This month's joint favourite images were both landscapes: Kevan Brassington's Bridge to Autumn (above, left) with a foretaste of this season's colours, and Loughrigg Fell by Adrian Chandler (right) - the rising sun catching the top of the fell above morning mist.

All the submitted images can be viewed on our website at whphoto.com

West Haddon News does not accept any responsibility for errors and omissions in this publication, or for the accuracy of claims made by advertisers.

Views expressed by contributors are their own and are not necessarily shared by the publishers.

This publication has no political bias.