December 2020 January 2021

Appointment of new Vicar for the parish of Ford and etal Residents of Ford Parish will be pleased to learn, after nearly three years without a resident Rector, that The Rev. Charlotte Osborn has been appointed to be the new Priest in Charge of Lowick, Ford, and Ancroft Parishes. Charlotte will take up her post in the New Year, when she will be licensed by Rt. Rev. Christine Hardman, Bishop of Newcastle, at a special service, details of which are expected shortly. Charlotte has recently been Assistant Curate in the Oakham Team Ministry in the Diocese of Peterborough, but along with her husband Leo, who is a former President of the Methodist Church, she has strong connections with the North East. The position she is to take up will be a half time post, reflecting current trends within the Diocese to reduce the number of full time stipendiary clergy, and it is expected that Charlotte and Leo will take up residence in the Lowick Vicarage in due course. The three parishes have been in an Interregnum since the retirement of Rev. Victor Dickinson in January 2018. During that time, Church services have been taken by various visiting clergy, while other church duties have been covered by the Rev. Rob Kelsey, in his capacity as Area Dean. Other recent changes in clergy posts relevant to this parish include the appointment of The Rev. Catherine Sourbut Groves as Archdeacon of Lindisfarne, and the Rev. Sarah Hills succeeding Rev. Rob Kelsey as Area Dean for the Norham Deanery of which Ford Parish is part. In the meantime, prior to the licensing of Charlotte Osborn, any parishioner with any query relating to the use of the Parish Church at Ford, or the church at Etal, should contact either one of the Churchwardens, or the Area Dean, Rev. Sarah Hills on 01289 389 216.

ETAL MYSTERY ! Does anyone know the history of this cup? It has a decoration printed with “A present from Etal”. If you have any information then please contact us at [email protected] or call 01890 820205

1 Extract from the Draft Minutes of Ford Parish Council meeting. Tuesday 10th November 2020 at 5pm via Zoom platform 2. Members present - Cllr Baker, Chairman, Cllr. Gray, Cllr. Beattie, Cllr. Watson, Cllr Mills, Steve Taylor, Clerk Jan Brian, Member of Public 3. Apologies for absence – Cllrs. Bell and Keating 5. Co-option of councillor. Jan Brian was co-opted onto the Parish Council. The Declaration of Acceptance of Office was signed and she agreed to get that and the Declaration of Interests form to the clerk. 6. Police Report - “Here is a report since your last meeting in July. Since your last meeting there have been 10 incidents. This includes 2 incomplete 999 calls, 2 complaints re male, 2 reports of heavy machinery movement, a concern for a dog in a car and a report of a dog loose. There has also been one crime reported. This was criminal damage to a farm gate. Please could you remind people to report any suspicious activity – especially concerning rural crime.” 8. Matters arising from previous minutes. a) The chairman reported that the playground was re-opened in August with new signage relevant to the Covid 19 pandemic. Sovereign had eventually come and replaced the bolts on the slide. He thanked Ford and Etal gardeners for their work keeping the grass cut and making the playground look tidy. Under the current Covid 19 restrictions the playground is allowed to stay open. b) Item 16 – Planning – Signs at Letham Hill road end. The chairman reported that apparently there were some issues with the position of the sign for the sawmill. 9. Budget – to consider the Budget report, review the budget for 2020/21 and set the budget for 2021/22. The budget report was discussed and the following points were made: 1. A small reserve is held for maintenance and repairs to bus shelters and playground. 2. Some discussion was held over the clerk’s wages. Based on the clerk’s attempt to record the number of hours spent on council business in order to pay the minimum wage a large increase would be necessary. 3. The clerk is happy to accept a smaller increase for the FY 2021-22 with a view to a further increase the following year to try to reach a minimum wage figure. 4. It was thought unnecessary to make provision for community support during and after the current pandemic. Contingency could be used if necessary. 5. It was agreed that it was highly unlikely that there would be a contested election for the PC in May 2021 therefore provision for election fees was unnecessary. The current budget was reviewed and the budget for 2021-22 was discussed and set. (See attached) Main points: • Clerk’s wages to be increased to £850 with a view to reach a minimum wage hourly rate over the next couple of years. • Include an amount for software such as Internet Security and Zoom in case it is required. • Keep figure for improvements and repairs as this will need to cover replacement defibrillator pads and possibly new battery. • Precept can stay the same to avoid increasing reserves unnecessarily. It was agreed that the clerk would circulate the draft budget to all councillors for their approval. Once agreed the Precept forms can be submitted to NCC. 10. Precept. The Precept was provisionally set at £1500 and once all councillors have had a chance to look at the proposed budget and have agreed the precept for the FY 2021-22 the clerk will submit this to NCC. 11. Grants Policy The clerk explained that this was a suggestion that the council should hold a Grants Policy which can be published on their website and makes it clear which organisations or charities the council would normally consider giving a grant or donation to. Councillors agreed that the clerk should put a draft policy together for discussion and agreement at the next meeting. 12. Hampers – to discuss email from Jane Pannell re Christmas Hampers It was agreed that councillors would send the clerk suggestions of recipients for a Christmas Hamper from Glendale Connect by 17th November at the latest. He will then forward this list to Jane Pannell. 13. Monthly Tourism Report. Cllr. Baker reported that the season has now finished and the Halloween week was probably the busiest one there has been. Elspeth Gilliland has left her post as Tourism Officer and a new person has taken over the role. 14. Highways. Cllr. Baker reported that some work has been done in Etal Village but although they sent a team of approx. 10 men and 4 vehicles on a Friday, the work was not completed due to either lack of time or lack of Tarmac. They have not been back yet to complete the work. The work on the Hay Farm/Slainsfield loop has been postponed until January. Other councillors reported very poor road surfaces in Ford Village and the road through Crookham. Councillors and the clerk will report these problems. Cllr. Grey reported that he had informed NCC about a broken street light. It was supposed to have been repaired but is still not working properly. The chairman asked the clerk to write to Cllr. Glen Sanderson, Paul Jones and Graham Bucknall to keep them up to date with the various highways issues in need of addressing. 17. Finance. a) It was agreed that the clerk should cancel the monthly subscription for Zoom as the council is not using it enough to warrant the expense. If the platform is still needed for future meetings they can be conducted using the shortened free version. Financial report and Bank reconciliation Expenditure Income Balance Bank balance 22/06/20 3224.34 Expense 10/08/20 T Howe – computer repair 85.00 3139.34 Income 07/09/20 Precept 750.00 3889.34 Expense 28/09/20 N E Engravings and Signs 153.00 3736.34 Bank Balance 05/11/20 3736.34 19. Any other business – Cllr. Gray announced that he is resigning from the Parish Council as he will be moving from the area in the near future. The chairman thanked him for his contribution to the council and wished him well in his new home. The clerk will report the vacancy to NCC. 20. Date of next meeting,–Bi monthly meeting - 12th January 2021 – time and venue to be agreed.

2 Supporting the Berwick Food Bank This has been an incredibly tough year and for some people it has meant that they have had to rely on a food bank for the first time. Due to the current restrictions we, in Crookham, are unable to collect donations for the food bank in the usual way, however donations can be made at Asda and Morrisons in Berwick. Berwick Community Trust, who operate the local food bank, are always grateful to receive non- perishable food items, adult and children’s toiletries and they also try to keep a stock of cat and dog food to support those with pets at home. They are currently running low on the following:- Tinned Peas, Tinned Carrots, Sweetcorn, Corned Beef, Hot dog Sausages, Tinned Ham, Rice Pudding and Tinned fruit. As the festive season is approaching I am sure donations of advent calendars, chocolates and seasonal treats would also be appreciated. If you are unable to get to either of these supermarkets then you can donate money online via https://berwicktrust.org.uk/food-bank-donations/ All money donated goes towards purchasing any food there is a shortage of and towards the rent of the room. Thank you for your continued support, Annette Woolfson

TillVAS: Invitation to a Webinar The Till Valley Archaeological Society (TillVAS) has moved to a building which most of you will know by sight: Ford Forge, across the river from Heatherslaw Mill.

We had little idea of just how rich in historical associations our premises would prove: a joinery workshop with a sawpit; a fulling (cloth) mill with a dye house; a forge, a Baptist chapel…and more. We also had little idea of the rich array of objects left behind when the building became disused in the 1980’s: objects ranging in size from hand tools with owner’s initials to a large boiler from the early Industrial Revolution. For every question answered, five more have arisen. We had hoped to involve the local community in our quest for answers – some of you may have old photographs, or perhaps know of family members who worked there. With village halls out of action for the foreseeable future TillVAS now has a new way of involving the local community in our activities. On 16th December at 7.30pm TillVAS will hold a free Zoom webinar (a talk) to show some of the exciting discoveries we have made. The talk is called ‘Ford Forge: more questions than answers’. Webinars are the closest we can get to the traditional talks held in Village halls. Rest assured that attendees are not ‘on camera’ nor can they be heard, but there will be an opportunity to type in questions towards the end. Places are limited for webinars so you will need to register in advance by using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0nEpD_q-Si2ZXuyGDRTMdg More information will then be sent to you. We do hope that you will join us on the 16th December for a slide show with commentary on the mysteries we need to solve at Ford Forge. Some of us may be raising a convivial glass during this pre-Christmas talk. Please feel free to do so too.

3 Remembrance at Ford Sunday 8th November at 10.30. This service was arranged at the very last minute after our planned church service was cancelled due to the latest virus restrictions. It was held entirely outdoors, other than the wreath laying at the two memorials within the church. We are sorry that it was not possible to contact everyone who may have wished to be there. It was, as always, a most moving occasion. It is 100 years since the first Lord Joicey unveiled the First World War memorial and his great grandson, Andrew Joicey, President of the North Northumberland Branch of The Royal British Legion, explained the history and gave an address.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support for those impacted by Covid-19 Are you worried about job security, going back to work after being furloughed, finding a job or family finances? Is your mental health being affected?

If the answer is yes, then our new helpline, online self-help tools and one to one counselling is here to support you.

Our dedicated helpline number is: 0808 196 3933 and is open:

Monday 10am-2pm Tuesday 1pm-5pm Wednesday 3pm-7pm Thursday 1pm-4pm Friday 10am-2pm

Or contact our helpline counsellor Lucy at: [email protected]

www.cygnussupport.com

4 A HUGE THANK YOU from Ford & Etal Estates to everyone who threw their creative energies into producing Scarycrows for the 2020 Ford & Etal Scarycrow Trail; The Fiendish Hound, at Ford Common, took the top prize in a closely-fought public poll. It was the biggest and best trail ever with 30 Scarycrows on display and visitors were hugely appreciative of the effort everyone put in to create this special event. Together we raised a splendid £411 for Radio Borders’ charity Cash For Kids.

We will collect your Family board bicycle, carry out games about : service or repair, Steam trains then return it to you. Squirrels Lorry driving Do you find cycling hard work? Sailing We are the local authorised agent for Mountain biking

Call us on 07546 937700 or visit planetary14bikes.co.uk for more information about us and what we do.

5 Crookham at Christmas

In this strange year of Covid and lockdowns we thought we would try to cheer up everyone who passes through Crookham by decorating the village for Christmas. This follows on from the very positive comments we got for our Lockdown 1 Pompom Fest. Above are 2 posters advertising not one but TWO festive competitions which will be running in the village this year, the tree decoration competition is open to all but obviously the Window Wanderland competition is for village residents only. Everyone is welcome to vote for their favourites, just remember to note down the number of the tree decoration and/or the address of the window decoration along with your own name. We hope that designing, making and viewing these decorations will give some pleasure to all who take part. For further information please contact Annette on 01890 820607. Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a healthy, happy and prosperous 2021, we certainly need it! The Events Committee, CVH.

The RED LION, MILFIELD.

Take out meals are available.

To view the menu and price list and to see how to order, go to,

www.voiceofthenorth.net/red-lion-takeaway-menu

6 Due to the continuing situation regarding the corona virus, please check with local businesses for the latest SHOP LOCAL position regarding their opening arrangements.

Home and Garden Handyman. Grass cutting, Garden Tidying Ed Redfearn. Fencing, Hedge cutting. Phone: 01289 309191 or Shed and Greenhouse erecting. 07990545967 Small home repairs and improvements. Local & reliable service. Painting and Decorating.

Letham Hill Sawmill FOR SALE 01890 820 304 SOFTWOOD FIREWOOD £40 per crate Monday to Thursday 8.30 – 4.00pm Friday 8.30 - 3.00pm

Your very Good Friend …

A milkman is now making door to door deliveries of fresh milk in the local villages including Geoff & Carol Branxton, Ford, Etal and FISH & CHIPS Crookham on Mondays and The van visits on Wednesdays. Thursdays before 6 am. NOT 30th DECEMBER. Based in Coldstream, he can do Please note times are approximate. returnable 1 pint glass bottles as well as plastic 1/2ltr, 1ltr, 2ltr, Etal (Black Bull ) 4.45 to 5.25 and 3ltr. Ford (Village) 5.30 to 6.00

Geoff Allan Catering, All enquiries to Daren Bruce on 28 South Road, Wooler. NE71 6SN. 01890 882950. Carol 07786954664/01668 282262 and Geoff 07876506837, [email protected] 7 THE FOOT HEALTH CLINIC TREATMENT FOR HEALTHY FEET AND NAILS Fungal & Thickened Nails Treated - Diabetic foot care – Corns – Cracked Heels - Verucca – Athlete’s Foot – Hard skin removal Ingrown Toenails – Nail Trimming - Medical Pedicures – Nail Correction and Reconstruction Specialising in medical cosmetic treatments – a safer alternative in footcare and ideal for those with health issues Registered member of the Chiropody, Podiatry and FHP Association “At home” appointments also available for less mobile patients. 23 Castlegate, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1LF * www.thefoothealthclinic.org * e-mail: [email protected] * Tel: 01289 382718 * Mob: 07950309382

Border Villager Taxi

We will take you to the Doctors, Shopping, Airports, Train Stations or Nights out.

We can cater for up to 8 passengers with ample space for luggage.

Call Scott on 01668 482 888 – 07765 791 348 Email, [email protected] Web, www.bordervillagertaxi.co.uk

8 Closed Christmas Day Closed 26th & 27th Dec & 1st Jan Papers in the box Branxton Parish Council In Stock Now Branxton PC will be making a co-option to the current vacancy for a Parish Councillor at Ford Village Shop at the virtual Parish Council meeting on 8th All your winter fuels! December 2020, if you are interested in Coals, Smokeless Solid Fuels, becoming a Parish Councillor please email the Parish Clerk : [email protected] Kiln Dried Ash Logs, Kindling, Fire-lighters & Matches Ford Snooker 100Club. November Winners 61 Alfie Renton £35 9 John Waters £15 37 Stephen Hall £10

9 Opening hours.

Monday to Friday 6.30am to 4.30pm Saturday 6.30am to 4.00pm Sunday 8.00am to 12noon

Crookham COVID-19 Action Team Here to help Call us 07826 907074 Are you concerned about COVID-19 and how it may affect your life in the weeks ahead? Crookham Village Hall’s COVID-19 Action Team has been set up to support older and more vulnerable residents through the epidemic. We’ll also try to support NHS staff, carers, other emergency service workers and anyone who is in self-isolation. WE ARE HERE TO HELP. We’ll find volunteers who can run errands to the shop or chemist to top up essential supplies or pick up a prescription. Even if you just need someone to talk to, please get in touch. Here are examples of the help we can offer: ●Collect grocery orders ●Collect and deliver prescriptions ●Phone or video call if you are lonely, concerned or just want to chat ●Collect and post parcels and letters

10 CHURCH NEWS

A letter to the Fourum from Mary Taylor, Crookham United Reformed Church As I write this seasonal note I should like to thank you most sincerely for currently 8 plus years of lovely memories of being involved in Crookham and surrounding area. Miles of thanks to you all for your kindness and for sharing times of sorrows, ,joys and laughter with me. Sunday 29th November 10am - 12 noon Crookham United Church will hopefully be open for people to visit for private prayer. Please wear masks. Crookham United Reformed Church will be holding its closing service on the first Sunday of Advent, Sunday 29th November at 2pm. We had hoped to hold this service in the building which has heard hundreds of hymns, carols and prayers over the years. Due to the current Covid 19 virus pandemic with regards to social distancing this is not possible. Thanks to the wonders of zoom and the kindness and technical expertise of Wooler United Reformed Church there will be a service online and at the website of Northern Synod, United Reformed Church. In December the Synod Trust will be taking over the management of the church buildings and the beautiful peace garden. This has indeed been a place which has "grown people" and I like many of you have spent hours reflecting there. Thank you for bringing school children and grandchildren to visit. Hopefully they will have good memories of the peace garden. This is going to be a very different Advent, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year and hopefully we will be able to be in contact with family and friends but perhaps in new ways. May I take this opportunity to wish all the readers of the Fourum much joy and peace during the Christmas season and throughout 2021. The International Prayer of Peace Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth Lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace Let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe.

The Parish of Ford and Etal Both Etal and Ford church are currently closed.

Details of services during December, Christmas and January were not available when the FOURUM went to print. For the latest details visit the website “www.achurchnearyou” or contact our Secretary : Heather Pentland 01890 820201 [email protected]

For details of our on-line services via zoom, contact Revd. Dr. Canon R Kelsey Tel. 01289 382325 e-mail [email protected]

The Parish Churches of Branxton, Carham, Cornhill

The churches of Cornhill, Carham & Branxton have now re-closed for worship. We will re-open after 2nd December albeit in a slightly different way with social distancing measures in place and, in line with Government regulations, and the requirement for face covering. It will be good to be able to gather together once more and we hope you will be able to join us.

For the latest details of services, including on-line via, zoom contact, Revd. Dr. Canon R Kelsey Tel. 01289 382325 e-mail [email protected]

11 Answers to the November cross word

St Ninian’s Church Wooler For information about services at this time, contact Rev. Fr. David Phillips

01665 574240

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Please send material for the FOURUM (note the spelling) and Deadline for the February edition. requests for the e-mail version to:[email protected] and Monday 11th January. check that you get a reply in a day or two. Proof-reading team: We prefer material sent monthly as e-mail attachments in text (.txt); Word (.doc or .docx); photographs (.jpg); Acrobat (.pdf). Mary Lockie Nicola Gibb Kathleen Holmes Phil Reynolds For back editions see www.etalvillagehall.org.uk/the-fourum

Commercial advertising rates are £5 per advert or £45 for 10 Production: John Pentland, Steve Taylor & Shaun Beattie. editions. Cheques to be made out to FOURUM Newsletter” & sent to 32 Crookham Village, Cornhill on Tweed. TD12 4SY. Printed by: Fantasy, Berwick upon Tweed

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