News – January 2019

that’s over for another year’ and ‘what was all the From the Chair (Garry Folbigg) frantic shopping about?’ , it is said, is now a post-Christian country. Christmas and New Year have quickly come and Who really believes all the stories? Apart from gone, and we leap into another year. small children and peculiar people who go to church? Will the winter show itself the same as last year? Let’s hope not. You might be surprised. If you look carefully around in your community, you will notice people You will have possibly noticed on many social who are doing amazing things for others, media sites that the crime rate has increased over neighbours or not, and taking the time to care for the last month particularly in the northern them in some small way. That is a part of the and Southern area bedrock of a Christian community, I think. And in a range of formats from illegal hare coursing to many of those people might not in any way regard burglary. With the dark nights we must all be themselves as leading a Christian life, but they are vigilant and keep an eye out around the village for doing many of the things that Jesus came to lead suspicious vehicles / persons etc and make sure if us to do. And he did not hide the fact that such you do see something odd report it to the Police. behaviour can on occasions be costly. Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the Last month a vehicle was reported as left at world today - surprisingly similar to how it was two Church Lane which had false number plates it was thousand years ago. reported and removed. And there is the unexpectedness of the Wise Men still to come, bearing mystic gifts with prophetic There is also evidence locally of fly tipping again if meanings which a very young mother pondered in you see it report it. her heart. It is a time when we too can think of our gifts and how we can use them best in this New Walking some of the local footpaths I am again Year 2019. Not resolutions to be broken by the seeing dog mess left behind, please pick it up and end of January, but ways in which we can help place it in one of the several bins around the others. village. At this time of the year it cannot be blamed As we reach Twelfth Night and the Wise Men have on the people who use the campsite, so it is a come and gone, and a small refugee family hurries local walker with a lack of poop-bags or a bad into exile to escape a murderous despot, may you back! all experience some of the peace and comfort that this time of year can bring; not ‘everything you Solar Farm. could possibly wish for’, but calm and loving neighbourliness and friendship. And may you have I have been asked about the solar farm, is it a blessed New Year. happening or not? There have been a couple of amendments applied for on planning this last few months and a small section of service road has With love and prayers been laid on the Airfield, so I would say there is a possibility we may have some action this year. When we know more,I will let you all know. Janet Perrett, Churchwarden, St Andrew’s, . That’s it from me for this month. CHURCH SERVICES ALL SAINTS CHURCH

6 January, 9.00am, Parish Communion Dear Friends 6 January, 3.00pm, Plough Sunday Service at By the time you read this all the excitement and St Nicolas, Hail Weston joy of Christmas will be in the past: trees shining 20 January, 9.00am, Parish Communion with decorations taken down; (and in my case, as I 3 February, 9.00am, Parish Communion have two newish kittens probably naughtily dismantled); crackers pulled and almost all the mince pies eaten. And a general feeling of ‘well

1 Funded by a villager who loves to read the newsletter and keep up to date with all the local news. Little Staughton News – January 2019

Church Lighting Fellowship and Coffee Morning Wednesday mornings at 10.00am. During December All Saints’ church was kindly lit All welcome by Bill and Maggie Brown to celebrate the arrival of their granddaughter Matilda. Also Joy and Brian Livewires Laws remembered Joy’s sister Pam Deacon. If you would like to mark a special occasion or Thursday evenings at 6.15pm - 7.15pm remember someone by lighting the church contact for children aged 5 - 11 years Gill Shaw on 376530. All we ask for is a minimum Live wires will start again on donation of £10. 10th January A big thank you to all our kind sponsors in 2018 and we look forward to hearing from your again in VILLAGE HALL 2019.

Christmas Dance and Tea Party Friends of All Saints’ church 200 club The Hall looked wonderful and a good time was had by all; thank you to everyone who supported This month’s winners were as follows:- and helped make both events such a 1st prize £80 Rosemary Read success. Thank you also to Top End Village Stores for so generously donating the Christmas 2nd prize £40 Clive Shaw Tree, which was enjoyed by all Hall users over the festive season. 3rd prize £20 John Ryan Thank you 4th prize £10 Paul and Jeanette Atkinson Please convey to everyone involved in organising Also, the following people won a bottle of wine in the December Special Tea Party grateful thanks the annual Christmas draw:- from all the guests. It was a very happy occasion. Shirley Nash. Cathy Wheeler, Nick Monsell, Peter and Zena Mossman, John and Carol White, Bryan and Tracy Wine Tasting with Meal: Saturday Kitchen, Mary Hopperton, Jean Felce, John Read, 16 February 2019

Michael Airs, Janet Perrett, James and Helen Book your tickets now for our fun Wine Tasting Hopperton and Rev Nicki Bland. evening with Meal on Saturday 16 February, 7.00 for 7.30pm. The price is £25.00 per person which If you would like to join or would like further details, includes an aperitif and a three-course dinner with please give a call on 376530, or email me at wine. If you would like to be part of the fun, please [email protected] contact Brenda Foster on 01234 376302 / 07799 100984.

BAPTIST CHURCH Afternoon Tea www.littlestaughtonbaptist.org.uk The next meetings are 2.00 to 3.00 pm on: 18th January Sunday Services (10.30am and 6.00pm) 15th February 15th March 6 January am: Mr Andrew Jones Come along for a natter and catch up over a pm: Mr John Martin cup (or two) of tea or coffee. Please do join us for 13 January am: Mr Peter Alley only £1.00 per person. pm: Mr Robert Read Everyone welcome 20 January am and pm: Mr Andrew Rome 27 January am and pm: Mr David Blake

Midweek Meeting Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm

2 Funded by a villager who loves to read the newsletter and keep up to date with all the local news. Little Staughton News – January 2019

Open Gardens Event Maximum of 6 people per team, £2pp – 50% to cost of food and 50% to winning team. For more information, please contact Duncan Brightman on Little Staughton Village Hall Committee are 07931 567175. planning to hold an open gardens event again on Following a very successful Christmas Quiz, one Sunday 16th June 2019. contestant noting that the very Wayles team have won for two consecutive years suggests it would All those who took part or gave their time when we be great if they could set the next Christmas Quiz. held our inaugural event back in 2017 would all Well done the Wayles! agree that it was an enjoyable and fun occasion. Martial Arts of Self Defence – Your garden doesn't have to be a showpiece, just Tang Sou Dao accessible. So, if you want to know more about opening your garden or helping out in some other New Beginners Class – Free trial session way, please ring Brenda Foster on 01234 376302 Little Staughton Village Hall Starting 22nd January or 07799 2019 7 – 8 pm. 100984.email [email protected] Adults of all ages welcome, children under 5. Family friendly mixed classes. LITTLE STAUGHTON HISTORY ON For more information call 07784036176 or e mail LINE [email protected]

Bedfordshire Records and Archives Service is in process of documenting all settlements within Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) Bedfordshire in a digital format. The purpose of this is to allow people moving into new I received the following communication from the towns/villages to read up on the history of the police just prior to Christmas. place that they have chosen to live. Little • Dear Resident, Staughton pages are now online; these are the result of a few years of research by have received reports Borough Archivists and Brenda Foster/Jeanette of an unusual number of burglaries in the Atkinson who are village residents. If you would north rural villages, particularly in the like to read these informative pages, then please Stodden* area. Whilst investigations are use the link below: ongoing, we would like make residents http://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/CommunityArc aware that the main method of entry has hives/Little-Staughton/Little-Staughton-Index-of- been by breaking or forcing ground floor Pages.aspx windows. The copyright of these pages belongs to the We urge residents to take a few minutes to Bedfordshire Records and Archives Service. If you review their home security and, if possible, own any documents or photographs related to consider fitting an alarm. Whatever your Little Staughton and you do not know what to do budget, there are a variety of devices on with them and if you feel that your information can the market from simple window vibration add to the Project, then please do get in touch with either Brenda (376302) or Jeanette (376607). The units that act as a scare deterrent to Records and Archives Service will always inspect professionally installed monitored systems. your documents and they will tell you if they would Making your home look occupied can also be able to accept your documents or photographs be a deterrent and taking care to ensure as a donation to be kept, for posterity, at the your valuables are not within sight from Records Office. your windows, especially vehicle keys. Bedfordshire Police also ask residents to report any suspicious activity or vehicles on 101, with as much detail as Pub Quiz Dates you can gather without putting yourself 14th January, 28th January, 11th February, 25th at risk. If you witness a crime in February, 11th March, 25th March. progress, please call 999 immediately. All at the Crown starting at 8.30 pm. 3 Funded by a villager who loves to read the newsletter and keep up to date with all the local news. Little Staughton News – January 2019

*The Stodden area covers the parishes of Diary Dates 2018 , Swineshead, , Yelden,

Upper and . Little Staughton of course January 16th Wednesday: PC meeting, Baptist is just to the east. Chapel Meeting Room, 7.30 pm, any issues you may wish to raise, please forward to The Clerk on the MONDAY PRIOR to the meeting @ I also heard that wheels were stolen from a vehicle [email protected] on Spring Hill on the night of 15/16th December. February 16th Saturday Wine Tasting with Meal: As you will appreciate from this report and my Saturday 16 February 2019 piece in the last newsletter, there are obviously March 2nd Saturday: Village Litter Pick people around this area and our village who are March 29th Friday: Pamper Night at the Village involved in criminal activity. We must all always Hall th remain vigilant and pass on anything we think Sunday 16 June: Open Gardens Event even vaguely suspicious to the police. It will be added to their intelligence profiles. There has been a police presence in the area and police vehicles through our village in recent weeks, so they are obviously taking this seriously and so we must play our part in assisting the police.

If you are registered with your Street Co-ordinator you would have received this message (above, from the police), nearly 3 weeks ago. Any crucial information we receive either from other residents or from the police we circulate asap in the hope that we can then all be alert to potential threats from those involved in criminal activity. Being part of NHW keeps us all safer we hope!

Report information on: 101 or email [email protected]. If a crime in action or property or persons at risk dial 999. All copy for the February 2019 issue to Vicki Airs Cherry Protheroe at No 10, Spring Hill or email ([email protected]) NHW Co-ordinator for Little Staughton by Monday 28th January 2019 Neighbourhood Watch is Our Watch! Thank you.

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