Whatlington News MARCH/APRIL 2021 GET IN TOUCH: STEVE TURNER 01424 870041

Hopes rise for Church open for fete return Easter services

First orders! Royal Oak set to reopen as village takes tentative steps towards normality

The Royal Oak plans to reopen on 14 April and with outdoor drinking the only option for customers, pub hosts Neil and Maria Smallwood are keeping their fingers crossed for good weather. Neil said: “We are both looking forward to re-opening and have had many enquiries as to what hours we will be working. “Our biggest concern will be the great British weather in April, fingers crossed for sunshine.” Evening hours have been limited due to the ‘outdoors only’ rule imposed by the Government as part of its cautious roadmap out of lockdown restrictions. The rules state customers must order, eat Drinks will only be and drink while seated. served in the pub’s front or rear gardens Continues next page Whatlington News Page 2 Royal Oak set to reopen

sort of normality as we did From page 1 Opening hours: Meals at the Oak will be Weds-Thurs 12-3.30pm last July. served on a takeaway basis Fri-Sat: 12-8pm “Right now it’s a case of only until mid May when, Sun: 11.30am-6pm ordering all the fresh stock infection rates remaining low, and beer, completing the Kitchen hours: indoor hospitality curbs will Weds-Thurs until 3pm maintenance and switching be lifted. Fri-Sat until 8pm on and testing all the “Hopefully the first five Sun until 5pm electronics. weeks will pass quickly and “At least we have had the Covid-19 rates will stay “We can then re-open the recent practice of doing these low,” added Neil. inside and get back to some tasks!” Pavements on agenda of A21 £20m upgrade A £20m package of A21 improvements has been brought forward for completion Councillors on best behaviour by 2025. Discussions on what’s as meetings go online included are ongoing but the possibility of a pavement When a video of Rules regarding public alongside the main road Handforth Parish meetings are still unclear through the village is still on the Council’s Zoom meeting so councillors look set to agenda. went viral, thousands of err on the side of caution The parish council’s footway people around the world and invest £129 in a Zoom proposal was made six years watched the bickering package for its 20 May ago with the aim of slowing councillors. and 19 August meetings. traffic and making it easier for Their Whatlington The May date is the villagers to walk beside the counterparts are expected annual meeting of the road. to act with more decorum council as well as the At a virtual meeting of if plans go ahead for their annual village assembly representatives from Highways next two meetings to be when local organisations , parish council available for villagers to report on their activities of chairman Roger Fisher raised watch onine. the past year. several issues regarding the original pavement plan. These included: n reducing the initial three crossing points from making all the A21 Whatlington junctions safer. one side of the road to the other to make it safer However, Roger reported to parish councillors: for pedestrians “Whether any of this will be delivered is debatable n querying if these points would be pedestrian as the budget of £20m is for the entire stretch controlled from Blue Boys roundabout to . n suggesting a re-alignment of the road so the “But there will be further consultation between pavement ran on one side – possibly the east now and 2025 when the project is scheduled to side where there are more properties. be delivered and it is important the parish council The improvements package also envisages the keeps up the pressure to make sure we get a fair possibility of ‘gateways’ at village boundaries and slice of the funding.” Whatlington News Page 3 Hopes rise for August fete as ‘village tonic’ TV aerial and TV wall mounting WiFi n CCTV n Networks The Village Fete could return this summer after RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL INSTALLATIONS last year’s Covid cancellation. Village Hall Committee chair Annette McBride Visit us at Registered Digital Installer is hoping the usual August Bank Holiday slot will appleaerials.co.uk Find us on allow time for national life to get back to normal. Follow us on Checkatrade.com The scrapping of fundraising events, and the cancelling of regular hall bookings, has meant Getmedigital.com a loss of around £6,500 in earnings, although Full Public Liability this was partially offset by a Government grant Insurance similar to that made to all charities. So Annette is hoping that the fete, and possibly another event, could help restore some of the hall’s finances. “We need the money,” she told Whatlington Call us today for a FREE SURVEY and QUOTE News, “but as a community we need to be able to get back together and enjoy ourselves. 01424 234 792 or 07962 204 284 “This has been a wretched time for many You can also contact us by Text or WhatsApp White Cottage, Woodmans Green Road, Whatlington TN33 0NL people, and lots of those I speak to are thoroughly fed up with having to stay indoors or only go out on their own. “The fete would be a wonderful way to welcome back something like normality, providing Government rules allow bigger public gatherings by then. “We’ve been fortunate with the late August weather in recent years so a traditional fete on a sunny Saturday would be a real tonic for the entire village. “And if we can squeeze in another event, indoors or out, that would be a bonus.” Manor owners win backing for safety plea The owner of a property that has had vehicles crash into its boundary fence 36 TIMES has won the backing of parish councillors in its appeal for safety measures. The owners of Vinehall Manor want crash barriers and a lower speed limit to protect their property. And following the latest collision involving a lorry the Parish Council is supporting the owner’s plea for action to Highways England, MP Huw Merriman and Police. Whatlington News Page 4 HAVING A CLEAR OUT? HARC charity shops Collect goods you no longer need from your home. Clarkson Beds, furniture, electrical goods, bric-a-brac, Construction clothes, handbags, shoes, jewellery, linen, books, DVD’s, CD’s Extensions ◆ FREE FAST COLLECTION BY OUR General Building FRIENDLY DRIVER ◆ Please phone 01424 720500 Monday-Saturday Property Maintenance 10am to 4pm. ◆ Or email [email protected] Kitchens & Bathrooms Visit www.harcuk.com for more information on ◆ what we do! Plumbing FREE ESTIMATES Call: Ben on 07771 535680 Email: [email protected] Morrells, Park Lane, Whatlington

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Whatlington News Page 5 WHATLINGTON CHURCH NEWS Latest Covid-19 figures for Church open for People testing positive Easter services (15-21 March): 7 By Churchwarden Jeffrey Bridges (down 30 per cent on previous seven days) Church services have resumed after being suspended from early January until the first Sunday in March. Coronavirus hospital We are now opening the church on Wednesdays admissions (8-14 March): and Sundays 10am-4pm so people can come for 8 private prayer and reflection, or to enjoy the peace and (down 66.7 per cent on tranquillity. previous 7 days) Such opening of the church is new for Whatlington, but is something we hope to be able to continue Deaths within 28 days of a beyond the pandemic so that people can come and positive coronavirus test see this rather special building. (15-21 March): 1 Church services are continuing to follow the (down 50 per cent on established pattern of: 9.15am Holy Communion on previous 7 days) the first and third Sundays, with a 10.30am Family Service on the second Sunday and an Evening Service on the fourth Sunday. Holy Week: the Palm Sunday service starts at 6pm. Good Friday Reflections – a service of hymns and readings lasting about 45 minutes – is at 6pm. Free-range On Easter Sunday at 10.30am will be Easter Day Holy Communion. eggs for sale If you are intending to come to church on Easter Sunday please advise me on 01424 772535 or by email Fresh free-range eggs are at [email protected] available to buy from Ken There will be space, but prior advice allows us to Jones in Whatlington Road. better plan socially distanced seating. His hens are laying The church will be decorated with flower displays enough to supply villagers and open for visitors to see these on Easter Sunday on a first come, first served until 4pm and Easter Monday 10am-4pm. The Village basis. Hall car park is open for the Family Services and the For more information call Easter Day service. Ken on 07724 695933, email Latest information is on our web page at [email protected] www.achurchnearyou/whatlington or on our or buy at the roadside at Facebook page – where you can like us! Kinica Farm in Whatlington Road.

Local footpaths have become well- of walks, complete with maps, to trodden as villagers take to the great download and print for free. Footpaths outdoors to shake off the lethargy of They range from half a mile to 12 the Covid-19 lockdown. miles and more, and compiler John website But if you are getting tired of Harris, whose site contains walks following the same routes a new across the whole of England county- promises website may have the answer with by-county, says his aim has been to free guides to walks around the area. bring together the scattered walking new views The site – www.walkinginengland. route information from across the co.uk/sussex – has hundreds web. Whatlington News Page 6 Whatlington News Page 7 VICAR’S VOICE BY REV KEVIN MEPHAM

I am venturing into School to give a socially-distanced assembly to be recorded for all the other children to see. They will have had two weeks ‘back at school coping with the incessant hand washing and getting used to learning together with friends again. When The wonderful thing about children is that they can learn to all seems lost live in the moment. Feeling trepidation as they there will be life approach school, the voice of a friend calling to them, or the sound of laughter, Good Friday was the day on which they lost all awakens their inquisitiveness. After the first hope and descended into the depths of human tentative steps they are soon drawn into school suffering. A time when they felt there could never life again. be anything good ever again. How I wish more adults could be like that. It is not until dawn on Easter Day that the light We tend to pile up thoughts and feelings in began to shine. order to hold us back from appreciating today, The first visitors to the tomb were perplexed. which is a new day and a new opportunity for Whether they believed in angels, messengers, something positive to take place. or sheer intuition, the truth began to dawn: what At the moment, we are looking forward to Jesus said was true. He had risen. relaxation of Covid-19 regulations. Eventually the understanding of the reality of Who would have believed that a trip to the the resurrection enabled people’s lives to be hairdresser, or a cup of coffee in town, or even a transformed. chat on the corner would be so eagerly looked The children at school will listen attentively to forward to. the Easter story, and some of it will sink in and be I asked one child what they were looking recalled when back in their classrooms. forward to most he replied: ‘The school holidays What they already know is the emotions at Easter!’ Our emotions shape our day. expressed in the Easter story. They will be asked I shall be speaking to the children about to reflect on times they felt these emotions in the Holy Week and all the emotions that are being past and encouraged to express them fully. expressed in the events recorded in the Bible. We need to try to live in the present moment Palm Sunday is the day when people thought as they do. the fulfilment of prophecy, and of their dearest To shed our burdens in order to celebrate with hopes would be brought about. The man those who are joyful, to take time to remember Jesus was being proclaimed the King who with those who need to recall comforting times would release them all from the restrictions and from the past. oppression of their lives. And to take time to stand alongside those Looking back, we know that hope was short- going through the deepest pain, because we lived. know there is always resurrection. A time when We move to Maundy Thursday when Jesus the things that have darkened our lives begin to tried to prepare his followers for what would lessen and lose power over us. seem the end of hope. That is resurrection, the new life that Christ ‘ Jesus chose to recall all he had taught them. promises us after death. The ancient prophecies were to be fulfilled but When all seems lost, there will be life. And if we not in the way they thought. He had tried to can shine that new life on others living around us teach them but like all of us, we never really today, we are living the new life of Christ already. listen, we are too busy with our concerns So let’s live in the present moment that and cares that we make into immovable the light of Christ may bring us out of the obstructions. pandemic with HOPE. Whatlington News Page 8

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