Thorner News February 2018 Chairman’s Report
The days are now getting longer and hopefully the weather will soon be improvinge, so why not get involved with something new in the village. The various organisations within the village are always looking for new volunteers and members, so if you have some spare time (or can make some) why not get out, meet new people and help your village thrive at the same time. I am delighted to report that the playground refurbishment plans have been approved by planning and hopefully by the time you read this article work will have commenced on the refurbishment. I apologise for the inconvenience the refurbishments will cause to the children, but hopefully the end result will make up for it. It is disappointing to see that LCC have decided to introduce charges for some residential waste at the Seacroft Recycling Centre as this will undoubtedly increase the fly tipping around our village. Please remain vigilant and if you see someone fly tipping, make a note of the registration number and report it to the police – they will do something about it. The Annual Village Tidy Up Day will take place Saturday 3rd March. For those of you who have yet to take part, this is an opportunity to combine a gentle morning stroll with a bit of litter picking. All the equipment is provided (high viz vests, litter pickers, bin bags) and the more people who get involved, the easier and quicker the task. Children are also welcome and we simply allocate a ‘childfriendly’ route for them. So please, spare an hour on the morning of 3rd March and help us clean up the village. We meet at the Mexborough Pub at 9am. We are still looking for a volunteer to join the Parish Council. If you have a vested interest in your village and would like to shape its future we would like to hear from you. Victoria
P.S. There was much speculation as to who had taken the amazing photos on the cover of the last Newsletter. I can confirm that it was Cllr George Coppock – who is also responsible for this edition’s covers too!
Your Parish Councillors are:
Richard Bould 0113 2893899 Gwen Brown 0113 2893372 George Coppock 07960 407745 Victoria GoodallFawcus 0113 2892258 Diane Gibbons 0113 2893883 Mark Harrison 07788 443884 Dave Johnston 0113 2892219 John Player 0113 2017136
All correspondence should be directed to the Clerk. His details are as follows:
Barry Riley 0113 2640865 or email to: [email protected] In Memory of Terry Smith
Terry served the Victory Hall for 35 years – as a Committee Member and then as Chairman. In his memory and as a recognition to his contribution to the Hall this watercolour painting has been commissioned by Yorkshire artist Paul Talbot Greaves, and this now hangs in the hall entrance lobby. It’s a fitting tribute, capturing as it does Terry’s home, the Victory Hall, and the Tennis Club – another one of Terry’s passions. THORNER BOWLING CLUB The evenings are getting lighter and members will be preparing the green in March for the season beginning in April. We normally practice on a Monday evening from 6.15pm weather permitting and welcome anybody young or old to join us. The photograph shows villagers enjoying last year’s open day. If you are interested contact the following: Derek Potter 01132 892055, Ian Stokoe 01132 892217 or Peter & Christine Holmes 01132 892885
Parish Centre We have now finished renovations which have brought the Parish Centre to a much more energy efficient condition ready for the 21st century. Over the past few years we have installed new roof insulation and a new slate roof, better energy efficient entrance doors, and of course our most recent project, to replace the old Victorian windows. Every window has been hand made out of sympathetic materials by a specialist supplier and is double glazed. For all these projects I must say a big thank you to the Thorner Community Fund and other donors, and to the Parish Centre Committee who have run numerous fundraising events over the past few years. The overall effect is that the Parish Centre is now a clean, warm, WiFi equipped venue for you to hire to host children’s parties, meetings, family reunions or fundraising events, with enough tables, chairs and a large kitchen to accommodate up to 6070 people.
If you would like to book the Parish Centre for an event, go to www.parishcentre.com to view the bookings calendar, then click on the Bookings link. If you would like to be involved in the running of the Parish Centre, the committee welcomes new members. Peter Wilby, Treasurer, 0113 289 3845.
THORNER OLD SCHOOL CHARITY Thorner Old School Charity is a small local charity which awards grants to former pupils of Thorner Church of England Primary School to assist with the costs of higher education. Applications are invited from former pupils who attended Thorner Primary School for a minimum of six years and are resident in Thorner or were so up until taking up a place at University or other place of higher education. Awards are not made to students during their first year of study and applications cannot be considered before the second year of studies has commenced. Applications should be made in writing to Mr Ian Holmes, Headteacher, Thorner Church of England Primary School, Kirkhills, Thorner, LS14 3JD and should include details of the course upon which the applicant is enrolled, year of study and the institution attended. The dates of attendance at Thorner Primary School should also be included. ST PETER'S CHURCH
Easter A Lent Course is being held in conjunction with the Methodist Church in Thorner. It is taking place in the Methodist school room every Monday during Lent starting at 10 am. The course provides an opportunity to think about and discuss aspects of our faith and how we put it into practice.
Holy Week Reflection services are A highlight of Holy Week will be a taking place at St Peter's during the service of music and readings for Good week of 26 March on Monday, Friday, similar in its structure to the Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 pm, Christmas Carol Service. The service and a service of Holy Communion on is being held at St Peter's at 8 pm Maundy Thursday 29 March. and will be led by the choirs of Thorner and Barwick churches. Families with children of all ages will be most welcome at a Tea Service Easter will be celebrated with an All with crafts at 10 am on Good Friday. Ages Eucharist service which will begin at 9:15 am on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday a service of Final Hour Easter will be celebrated with an All reflections will be hosted by the Ages Eucharist service which will begin Methodist Church at 2 pm . at 9:15 am on Easter Sunday.
Please contact the Rector Andy Nicholson (289 2437) for more information.
Social programme: Social events are planned for later in the year. Further details will follow. In the meantime, please note in your diaries that there will be: a Strawberry Tea in the Garden on Saturday 14 July, a Harvest supper on Sunday 7 October after sung evensong, and a Return of the very enjoyable Steeplechase supper on Sat. 17 November.
Thorner Community Fund (TCF) Allocation of Thorner Community Fund Grants 2017
Donations received for Leeds Festival resident tickets allowed us for the fifteenth year in a row to allocate funds to benefit the community of Thorner. In total, more than £400,000 has been granted to village groups since 2003. All the village groups, clubs and societies were invited to apply for a grant. Only seven applications were received this year. They were considered at the annual grant meeting held on the 6th November 2017. Each year the committee uses the following broad criteria to help make decisions on the allocation of grants: • viability of the group • how active/successful the group is in their own fundraising efforts • actual worth or visible/tangible benefit of the award to the village • past support from the Thorner Community Fund • other income streams explored The TCF committee members would like to express their thanks to Melvin Benn and Alister Turnbull who joined them for the discussion, assessment and decisions. The following is a summary of the decisions. More details of the bids and the decisions can be found on the village website http://www.thornervillage.org.uk Fully successful bids: Cricket Club. £1,695: Concrete practice base. Friends of Thorner School PTA. £8,000: to partfund a MultiUse Games Area. Over 60s Association. £664: new carpet. Parish Council Playground Working Group. £5,294: an activity net. Successful bids, (subject to TCF receiving further information): Parish Centre. Up to £3,000: internal redecoration. Quarry Group. Interpretation panel at the site of the old quarry. Unsuccessful bid: Bowling Club. Refurbishment. The committee has encouraged the club to further develop its plans for the club house and to resubmit a bid at a future grantround.
TCF Committee comprises: Mark Darley, Gillian Riley, Wayne Young, Annette Carr and Nick Tucker. [email protected]
After the War Came Victory
We are still selling this book, written by David Miller, in conjunction with the Victory Hall and Thorner Historical Society.
Contact: Valerie Forster:
THORNER VICTORY HALL NEWS
Chris Difford & Boo Hewerdine March 28th 800pm £15 Live at the Victory Hall on their SOME FANTASTIC PLACE TOUR 2018 As a member of one of London’s bestloved bands, “Squeeze” cofounder Chris Difford has made a lasting contribution to English music. Chris has helped soundtrack so many fans’ lives since his first release in 1977. Performing alongside Boo Hewerdine, singersongwriter and driving force behind The Bible, together, this duo create an excellent musical collaboration. Chris and Boo will turn Thorner Victory Hall into a fantastic place for music on what promises to be a superb evening. Fans from across Yorkshire are already snapping up tickets, so make sure of yours! Tickets via www.thornervictoryhall.com or ring Dave Stainthorpe on 07988 496567
Something for Everbody See our website www.thornervictoryhall.com for details what’s on at your village hall – keep fit, pilates, Spanish, tai chi, junior rugby, badminton, table tennis, pickle ball, karate, yoga, film club, brownies, youth drama, dancing (later in the year). And if there are other activities you’d like to see please let us know – we may be able to set up something new! www.thornervictoryhall.com WISE Wetherby in Support of the Elderly (WiSE) is a registered charity organisation funded by Leeds City Council Adult Social Care and part of Leeds City Council Neighbourhood Network Scheme. Our aim has always been consistent to improve quality of life for local elderly people. Managed by a small team of staff and Trustees, we rely on the support of our very generous 100 or so volunteers aged between 17 and 80+ to be able to offer our many services.
Why not volunteer for us? Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, use hidden talents and gain a real sense of community. If you have as little as an hour to spare each week or month you could help to make a real difference. Come along and meet us, make new friends, use your skills and gain new ones! Here are some of the ways you could help:
Meet up Monday Help people in your community live well with Dementia. Dementia Forward, in association with WiSE, host ‘Meetup Monday’ from 1.00pm to 3.00pm every Monday afternoon at St Joseph’s RC Church Hall, 20 Westgate, Wetherby, LS22 6LL. The Cafe offers a meeting point with support for carers and people experiencing memory loss in a lovely, friendly environment. They would very much welcome your time and help with activities, games and refreshments. Volunteers with previous experience of Dementia among family and friends would be particularly welcome, although this is by no means essential.
WiSE Owl Café Assist in the WiSE Owl Café and kitchen, Boston Spa Village Hall. Our lovely volunteers work the hours that suit them with people from all walks of life. As well as working well under pressure and being part of a team they have good numeracy and communication skills. A genuine smile and a friendly “Hello!” both go a long way to make our visitors feel welcome; especially if they’ve come for the first time or they’re visiting us alone. Our volunteers are also honest, reliable and adaptable to the variety of daily tasks thrown at them. They all have lots of energy too!
For further information, please contact Carole McLelland our WiSE Volunteer and Community Coordinator on 01937 588994 or email carole@wise.org.uk
Volunteer Driver Alternatively, why not become a volunteer driver for our Transport Scheme? If you have a car and a little time to spare, then we’d love to hear from you. The WiSE Transport Scheme provides a costeffective way for the over 60’s to get to appointments, meet friends and attend the wide variety of social activities that the Wetherby area has to offer. With around 200 clients registered to use the service, we need additional volunteer drivers. You won’t need to commit to specific times or days so you’ll have lots of flexibility. In return for your time, we’ll cover the journey costs and you’ll be able to meet lovely local people and do something really meaningful in your community. To find out more please contact Bridget Tasker, our WiSE Transport Coordinator, by calling the WiSE office on 01937 222066. Alternatively, please email her at transport@wise.org.uk
THORNER JUNIOR YOUTH CLUB We would like to thank all those who supported our Christmas raffle outside Thorner Stores last December where we raised over £100 for our funds, many thanks. Members are looking forward to a residential at the end of February at Herd Farm which is being funded by the Outer North East Community Committee, where I am sure much fun will be had. The Junior Youth Club meets in the Parish Centre each Tuesday evening at 6.30 pm for two hours of fun activities including table tennis, snooker/pool, air hockey, art projects and a favourite baking. If you are between 8 and 13 years of age do come along and enjoy the fun. If anyone would like further information about the Youth Club, please contact Belinda Swift on 0113 2892946.
Methodist Church Thorner Methodist Church’s next fundraising event will take place on Sat March 17th from 10am to 12 noon and will be a coffee morning in aid of the Martin House children’s hospice; we hope to see you there. We'll have our usual cake and bricabrac stalls and we'll be serving our famous Bacon Butties, so do support us if you can. Thanks to all for your past support, we do appreciate it and look forward to seeing you all on March 17th. Our Lent course begins on Monday February 19th for five Mondays ending on Monday March 19th. All are welcome whether you attend church or not. They begin at 10:15am but refreshments will be served from 10am. We aim to finish around noon, so please do join us if you can. Once again, we are studying a 'York Course', this year's is entitled, 'On the Third Day'. Be assured it is a very good course and it’s not too late to join us, so do come along to the Methodist Church Social Centre, the entrance is opposite the delicatessen. You'll receive a booklet, so you can reprise any of the sessions that you may have missed and also help you prepare for the following week's session. May God bless us all as we enter this period of Lenten reflection and when Easter arrives, may we feel we've benefited greatly from our Lenten journey. For more information please contact: Ann Johnson on 2893532.
Thorner Historical Society Upcoming Event
‘Lady Randy’ otherwise known as Lady Randolph Churchill
An illustrated talk by Pat Osborne of the life and loves of Jenny Churchill. (Winston Churchill’s mother) Date: Thursday March 15th Place: Thorner Victory Hall (small room) Bar and Exhibition open at 7:00pm Talk starts 7:30pm. Find out:
Why Jenny scandalised Victorian/ Edwardian Society! ! How she shaped her son Winston into one of the greatest men of his generation. Profile of Lady Randolph Churchill (1854 1921)
Jenny Jerome was born in 1854 in Brooklyn America to Leonard and Clara Jerome. Her childhood was as part of the rich and influential upper crust 400 families of New York, where Leonard made his money as a stocks and property developer.
The family moved during Jenny’s teenage years to Paris and the court of Napoleon III. In 1870 the Jerome family moved to London, where Jenny’s beauty, wealth and strong personality were soon noticed by The Prince of Wales and his Marlborough Set. Jenny became an integral member with many admirers and followers. As a wealthy ‘Dollar American Heiress’ she was eagerly pursued by the cash poor British aristocracy.
In 1874 Jenny met and fell in love with Lord Randolph Churchill (3rd son of the Duke of Marlborough). Despite intense opposition from both families they married in April 1874 in Paris. In November 1874 her son Winston was born at Blenheim followed by John (Jack) born in Dublin in 1880. Jenny’s ambitions and forceful personality ensured that Randolph, once an unimportant parliamentary backbencher, rose throughout their marriage to become Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons.
Jenny was also responsible for supporting and helping her son to become one of the greatest men of his generation.When in 1886 Randolph became ill and his political career ended, Jenny stood by him and supported him until death in 1895 from syphilis. After Randolph’s death Jenny remarried twice; in 1900 to George CornwallisWest and in 1918 to Montague Porch. Of these marriages Jenny said "her second marriage was romantic but not successful and her third successful but not romantic"Jenny was not only beautiful but also had a unique and special force of her own, which made her stand out in the Edwardian world in which she lived.
It was said by Margot Asquith (wife of the PM) "that Jenny could have governed the world". She had been one of "the most influential Anglo Saxon women of the world". Jenny died in 1921 aged 67 years and was buried at Bladon Oxfordshire where her first husband and sons are also buried.
www.thornerparishcouncil.org.uk
Published by Thorner Parish Council