KKiinngg''ss TThhoorrnn && TThhee BBiirrcchheess NNeewwsslleetttteerr A Newsletter for the Villages of King's Thorn, Little Birch & Much Birch – February 2007 Flicks In The Sticks in association with Arts Alive DIARY DATES FEBRUARY 2007 This month’s film will be A GOOD 10TH FEBRUARY – Flicks in the Sticks WOMAN PG at Much Birch Hall, on TH TH 20 FEBRUARY – Pancake Night SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY. 21ST FEBRUARY – W.I. Set in the 1930s on the beautiful shores of 22ND FEBRUARY – Little Birch Bingo the Italian Riviera, A GOOD WOMAN TH stars Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson and 24 FEBRUARY – Hereford Rail Male Voice Choir Tom Wilkinson in an elegant and witty ADVANCE NOTICES romantic comedy based on Oscar Wilde’s 12TH MARCH – Evergreen Club AGM classic play, ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’. 27TH MARCH – L.B.Village Hall AGM Doors open at 7.00pm and the film TH commences at 7.30pm. Tickets £3.50 10 APRIL – Evergreen Club Trip to Oxford (£2.50 under 16s ) available in advance or on the door. For further information or to book tickets, call Bryony Connolly on __________________________________ In the meantime we look forward to seeing 01981 541274. you all at the AGM. ____________________________ The Evergreen Club Bridget Banks (Chairman), Evelyn Pancake Night The AGM will be held on MONDAY TH Vaughan-Williams (Treasurer), Beverley on TUESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY at L.B. 12 MARCH at Much Birch Community Webb (Secretary) and Michael Wardle Village Hall 7.30pm start. Hall commencing 2.30pm. Members will (Co-opted Member) Come and sample a variety of pancakes be receiving the Agenda and a list of ___________________________________________ Outings for 2007 giving pick-up points with various fillings both sweet and L.B.V.H. AGM savoury. There will be Pancake tossing and details of what is available at each of Little Birch Village Hall AGM is on competitions and Pancakes Races the choices very shortly. TUESDAY 27TH MARCH at 7.30 more All welcome - Adults £4.00 Children 2006 was an extremely successful year although we did suffer a couple of minor information in next newsletter. £2.00 refreshments will be available ______________________________________ Proceeds in aid of hall refurbishment fund hiccups on the coach front which were quickly sorted out by our excellent coach Local News __________________________________ people and on some trips we did have a We send our heartiest congratulations and W.I. downpour or two! best wishes to MRS NELL WORTHING We had an excellent Christmas Lunch at On TUESDAY 21ST FEBRUARY at who will be celebrating her 100th birthday the Red Lion, Peterstow, who just 7.30pm in Much Birch Community Centre on Jan. 27th. She lived with her late managed to fit us in. Our numbers are the subject for our next meeting is husband, Howard, for many years at growing and we pick up 15 members from “Narrowboats”. Churchfield, Much Birch, but, after Ross alone together with 2 new members __________________________________ several years living on her own, she went at the coach depot at Brandon. to live with her son, Peter, and his family Bingo We are able to pick up at all villages on in Hereford about 5 years ago. Bingo will be back to normal at Little the A49 on the way through to Ross so if Belated ‘Congratulations’ are sent to MR. Birch Village Hall on THURSDAY 22ND you know anyone who would like to be JOHN HAMILTON of Little Birch on FEBRUARY. Eyes down at 8.00pm. picked up in Peterstow or Bridstow then obtaining his Bachelor of Law degree and __________________________________ please ask them to telephone 01981 to JOHN GWINNETT after 3 years hard 540406 for further information. work in achieving ‘Gold’ in the Duke of Male Voice Choir We start 2007 with a trip to Oxford of the Edinburgh awards scheme. The Hereford Rail Male Voice Choir, dreaming spires, riverside walks, shops, In the third week of January we said supported by soprano soloist Clementine college quadrangles and the University farewell to PAUL DAWSON as Methodist Lovell of the Guildhall School of Music, Botanic Gardens with 3,000 species of Lay Worker in the Ross and south is coming to give a concert at Much Birch plants (by Magdalen College). Walking TH Hereford area which includes the Hall on SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY tours may be available as are the Hop-on- Methodist chapel in Little Birch. Paul has th at 7.00pm. Hop-off buses. The date is 10 APRIL been a committed, hard working and well Tickets £6 – Available from John Jones – and the fare £8 for Members (£10 for non- respected friend to many and we send him 01981 540980 members). Please telephone your booking our best wishes as he enters into training Proceeds in aid of the Much Birch through to either 01981 540406 or 540932 for full time ministry and working as Community Hall Development Fund. by the 1st April. chaplain at the prison in Hull – quite a Thanks Motorists who have been lucky enough to challenge! LBVH Management committee would like receive a satellite navigation system for A number of friends in the community to thank Jackie Morley, for her generous Christmas - or are taking advantage of the have been in hospital recently and several donation to the Village hall, by arranging New Year sales to buy one – are being have returned home after successful and funding the re-upholstery of the old advised to make sure they think about operations. However, a number are still hall benches. I’m sure that everyone will their car security at the same time. receiving treatment including some who agree that the refurbished benches are a Sat. nav. systems (and especially the travel to Cheltenham on a daily basis and vast improvement. portable varieties) are prime targets for we ask that you remember them all in your ______________________________________ criminals who will think nothing of daily prayers. smashing a window to make a grab for FRED HOLMAN of The Meadows, Much Neighbourhood Watch valuables left in an unattended vehicle. Birch, had an operation in the County Burglary Dwellings What’s more, the whole theft could be A house in Allensmore (at the rear of Hospital on the 17th January and expects rd over in just a few seconds. to be home in a few days. We wish him a Locks Garage) was broken into on the 23 Already there have been several such speedy recovery. Dec 2006. incidents across the county since ___________________________________________ Electrical items were stolen which Christmas, with cars broken into in included a 50-inch plasma TV. If you have Hereford City centre car parks. In each History Group any information about this crime or saw case the sat. nav. system had been left in any suspicious activity near the premises, The Little Birch and Kings Thorn History unattended cars. please contact one of your Peterchurch Group are very grateful to all who have Herefordshire Divisional Crime risk police officers. bought Little Birch on Aconbury Hill. We Manager, Charles Naylor says “Criminals Burglary Buildings have sold a large number of copies, in who target vehicles tend to be opportunist At the beginning of December 2006, two fact, enough to pay the publishing costs. in nature. If they see CD’s or a sat. nav. commercial premises were attacked. We are also grateful for all comments system on the dashboard or expensive GG Industries at Gooses Foot Industrial received and welcome any feedback. It is stereos still in place, they are much more Estate had an attempted break-in but, most interesting to hear about items we likely to strike and your valuables can be fortunately, the offenders left without did not know about and see photos, or gone in a matter of seconds” gaining entry. even deeds, which we had not seen before. But it doesn’t have to be like that. You can Also at Country Tastes, in Ewyas Harold, If we assemble enough information over significantly reduce the chance of your offenders broke in by ramming the roller the next year or two we might even think vehicle being targeted by taking a few shutter door and a quantity of frozen meats of producing a supplement! There are still simple precautions: were stolen. plenty of copies left so if you missed out Disconnect and remove your sat. nav. Vehicle Crime or know anyone who has, they are every time you leave your car. A vehicle was broken into in Shenmore, available at the Castle Inn, from Alison Remove any suction mounted fittings near Madley and a wallet stolen. This Clarke on 01981 540791 or from and erase any marks from the screen. occurred overnight between 8th and 9th booksellers in Hereford and Ross and Don’t store sat. navs. in glove December. If you have any information from Pengethley. Any profits we make compartments – thieves may be about this crime or recall seeing any one from now on will be used to benefit the watching you. in that area at the time please contact village. Mark the equipment with your postcode officer in the case PC Fiona Farrington. __________________________________ with an ultra-violet marker and keep a A blue Escort Van was stolen from Elm note of the serial number in a safe place. Chairs Grove in Clehonger and found a few days Park in well-lit, busy areas or a secure LBVH Management Committee has later in Hereford. A suspect has been car park. purchased a number of new chairs for the identified for this crime. And finally on a lighter note…. Village Hall. There are several of the old Theft A speeding motorist was stopped by a plastic chairs which are surplus to Only a couple of minor thefts last month, police patrol.