Dates for your Diary

Thursday 1st April 19:30pm Zoom Maundy Thursday worship Friday 2nd April 12 noon Zoom Good Friday Worship Sunday 4th April 10:30am Zoom Easter Worship Wednesday 7th April 10:00am Zoom Tea @ 10 Wednesday 7th April 19:30pm Zoom Filling Station St Michael and All Angels St Michael and All Angels Sunday 11th April 10:30am Zoom Sunday Worship Wednesday 14th April 10:00am Zoom Tea @ 10 Woolstaston Sunday 18th April 10:30am Zoom Sunday Worship Wednesday 21st April 10:00am Zoom Tea @ 10 Sunday 25th April 10:30am Zoom Sunday Worship Wednesday 28th April 10:00am Zoom Tea @ 10 Steeplewood Fold Magazine

For further information on the above events see entry in Magazine St Mary St Mary Please forward any parish entries to your representative and all adverts directly Longnor to the team on [email protected].

All entries must be submitted no later than 14th April To organise subscription to this magazine please contact Emily Hill (07471 474924) or email [email protected] and monthly delivery can be arranged.

St John the Baptist St Edward Stapleton Dorrington April 2021 40p 44 1 We are the Benefice of To arrange a Christening (Baptism) or Useful Contacts Steeplewood Fold including: Wedding, please contact our Rector Rector Rev. Laura Hnatiuk 01743 719578 St Edward Dorrington, Rev Laura. [email protected] St Mary Leebotwood, St Mary Longnor, You may find some useful information Associate Priest Revd Caroline Wright 01743 718790 St Michael and All Angels Smethcott, here: [email protected]

St John the Baptist Stapleton https:// Reader Mike James 01743 718110 St Michael and All Angels Woolstaston. churchofenglandchristenings.org/for- Churchwardens Dorrington Chris Breakell 01743 718555 Index parents/ Tom Williams 01743 719414 3 From Rev. Laura Hnatiuk Leebotwood Mary Wilson 01694 751266 5 From the Diocese https:// Jacqui Bore 01694 751336 6 Dorrington www.yourchurchwedding.org/ Longnor Annabel Warburg 01743 718005 7 Dorrington School News Smethcott Bridget Naylor 01694 751249 Geoff Jarrett 01694 751463 8 Dorrington WI Stapleton Susan James 01743 718110 10 Longnor For general information you may find Christine Oakley 01743 718611 11 Longnor School News the website Woolstaston Neil Cadman 01694 751275 12 Little Owl’s Preschool Henry Beaver 07976 103806 https://www.achurchnearyou.com/ 13 Smethcott useful. 14 Smethcott WI Schools 15 Henry Fletcher’s Charity For general enquiries please contact St Edward’s C of E Primary School, Dorrington The Head Kerrie Lewis 01743 718462 16 Stapleton Rev Laura on: Nursery School Penny Hill 07890 021734 18 Leebotwood and Woolstaston 19 Filling Station [email protected] Longnor (C of E Controlled) 20 Messy Church The Head Lucy Adams 01743 718493 01743 719578 22 Services and How to connect on Village Halls – Booking Zoom Dorrington Michele Smout 07762 449935 [email protected] 24 Daily Hope Leebotwood Mary Wilson 01694 751266 25 Local events Longnor Sandra Hasted 01743 718255 Pat Holbourn-Williams 01694 751491 27 Monthly Column from Dan Morris Stapleton Carol Beaumont 01743 718451 [email protected] 28 Local Businesses Directory 43 Useful Contacts Dorrington and Leebotwood Brownies 44 Dates for your Diary Brownie Guider Ruth Lawrence 07713 064624 Asst. Brownie Guider Jennifer Farmer 07854 731826

Magazine Articles & Advertising [email protected]

Facebook: Steeplewood Fold Diocesan Website: Hereford.anglican.org Instagram: steeplewood_fold

2 43 A message from Rev. Laura I hope you are all well and that you have been able to enjoy the few, but glorious days of Spring sunshine that we have experienced recently.

April this year will look quite different to last year. Yes, we will still be in some sort of lockdown as we were last year, but this year we truly have hope and positivity. Last April we Books, Stationery and Jigsaws at wholesale prices had just started the lockdown, we were unaware of what was to come, naïve in how devastating it would be, how many lives the virus would take, how much it would affect our We have an extensive range of titles for children and adults. family and friends, our community, our country and the world. But now as we continue to slowly step along the roadmap of getting out of lockdown, so we grow in confidence, in Check us out at www.hardwickbooks.co.uk. hope, in expectation.

The price you pay is listed as ‘Our Price’ below each book title This last month or so, the church and Christians around the world has journeyed through * No login required, just place your order including your contact details. Lent - A time of reflection, of stopping and being, of looking at ourselves and our relationships with each other as well as God. It is always a challenging time, even more so if * Click & collect for free you have given up something as part of your Lenten journey. But to be honest we have * Free delivery for orders over £10 within 8 miles of Longden SY5 pretty much had a year of giving things up haven’t we?

For deliveries over 8 miles please contact us on 01743 718666 Many Christians read the story of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness during Lent and I * Payment by BACS PayPal or Cash know in my readings I have been amused about the similarities we have felt in our own experience of exile, through this pandemic. But as I look out of my window and start to see

colours and new life in the garden, I also acknowledge the many positives we have felt or Contact Jan or Andy on 01743 718666 or 07788 417920 for more information. achieved during this challenging time.

The challenge for us now is to think about how we might hold on to those positives, as we Locksmiths continue towards June 21st. The world around us has changed in many ways for good and so

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Email. [email protected] and financially weakened. And many will not be able to look forward and “What now?” until Website. www.idplocksmiths.co.uk they have had the chance to grieve the loss of loved ones or their previous lives. Only after this are we ready to move forward and rebuild.

And what community, what households are we going to build in the coming weeks, months and years? The possibilities are endless!

42 3 On the 4th April this year Christians around the world will celebrate Easter, the day Jesus rose from the dead. Easter is the season when we celebrate that the powers of death and destruction being overcome by self-sacrificing love. And I think we will all be able to celebrate that this year, even those who do not have a faith, because we have all witnessed, seen, heard or read about this kind of sacrifice over the past 13 months: the doctors and nurses leaving their families for months to work in the hospitals, the carers who moved in to the nursing homes they worked at, teachers who have walked miles to visit their pupils on a daily basis and see how they are doing…….Jesus opened a revolutionary new way to know and love people two thousand years ago and we have seen even more wonderful new ways of showing our love to one another this year.

So, I would like to encourage you to celebrate Easter in a bigger way this year than you normally would……no I am not encouraging you to eat even more chocolate, but I am inviting you to celebrate and give thanks for this new season, this new time of hope, of new beginnings, of being able to look forward and plan, of being together again and sharing special times. How often have you experienced more joy in the preparations of a party than the party itself? I know I have been swept up in the excited expectation before, and I will certainly be doing it again this year.

Hallelujah Christ is Risen! Hallelujah we are getting there! Let us not only enjoy the sunshine in the sky this month (I hope) but allow some sunshine in our hearts too.

Rev. Laura Hnatiuk

4 41 From the Diocese

I’ve lost count of the number of times people have said to me, “everything happens for a reason.” It is normally in response to a personal tragedy or unexplained event. I often wonder what evidence lies behind that assertion. The desire to see meaning in the apparent chaos of the world seems entrenched. Of course, It could be an evolutionary artefact, like seeing patterns in the clouds, leftover from a need to make sense of the world so our ancestors didn’t get eaten by sabre-tooth tigers! Faith in that sense would be believing something in spite of the evidence, or despite evidence to the contrary.

Christians use the word faith very differently. In the New Testament, it’s not seen as an abstract quality, where someone might have 15 units of it, another 30 or another 5. It’s always faith in something, much more akin to trust than a set of intellectual convictions. For the first disciples, it was staking their lives, both now and in eternity, on something they passionately believed to be true. The root of their (and our) conviction is that Jesus rose from the dead. They witnessed it with their own eyes. We continue to believe the evidence for this historical event is compelling and have experienced the lifechanging reality of encountering Jesus. To speak of the resurrection as a metaphor or in spiritual terms like ‘he rose in their hearts’ would have made no sense whatever to the disciples. The reality was difficult to comprehend, but they couldn’t deny the evidence of their own eyes and fingers as they reached out to touch him.

The resurrection was the final evidence they needed that the claims Jesus made Boiler service, breakdown and installation during his earthly life were true. This was more than just a man, but in a real sense, God squeezed into human form. St. Paul put it very starkly, “If Christ has not been Landlord’s gas safety certificates raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then and all plumbing work found to be false witnesses about God!” Telephone: 07974 268627 email: [email protected] How very joyous then, that He has!! Christ is risen: He is risen indeed, Alleluia. website: richardhornerplumbingandheating.co.uk We would like to wish all our customers a BIG thank you for their continuing custom and support during the pandemic. +Richard

40 5 St Edward’s Dorrington

If anyone would like to add their names to the electoral role for the Parish please speak to one of the Church Wardens or Peter Smith Church Secretary. Who will be able to give you the information you need. Only people on the register may attend the annual general meeting and vote.

The Annual General Meeting of the Parish will take place on Wednesday the 19th May at 7pm at present that will be by zoom, however, it is now possible that the meeting can take place in person. If we decide to do this it will be in the village hall.

Filling Station takes place on the first Wednesday of each month. Sadly due to being on zoom you need to provide your own tea, coffee and cake. Laura will lead us in a time of praise, a member of our community will talk about their faith in everyday life and we will honour one of our hard working unsung workers which will be followed by a talk given by an invited speaker.

As we approach Easter I have been reading and thinking about the events leading up to Good Friday, the one that struck me was the events surrounding Peter. Jesus and the disciples are celebrating the Passover feast, Jesus predicts his betrayal and tells the disciples it is time for him to leave them. To this, Peter responds so boldly “I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus then predicts Peter’s denial. Read John 13:31-38. Now move to John 18:15-27. Here the bold Peter denies Jesus three times, from boldness to failure so quickly. However, there is one person who never failed Jesus. He spoke openly he did not hide away, always in control His teaching consistent and unchanging, Jesus never failed. Because he did not fail he can give his life for us, rise from death and save us from our failure. Now look at John 21:15-25. Jesus reinstates Peter and sets him on the road to future ministry. As I read this I hear gentleness, love, kindness in the voice of Jesus. If you feel a failure don’t be downcast turn to Jesus who will forgive, raise you up and set you on your way. We all fail and God because of what Jesus did forgives us; how do we forgive? If a person in our church fails how do we respond?

A prayer that you may like to pray: O Lord God, teach me to know that grace precedes, accompanies, and follows my salvation, that sustains the redeemed soul, that not one link of its chain can ever break. From Calvary’s cross wave upon wave of grace reaches me, deals with my sin, washes me clean, renews my heart, strengthens my will, draws out my affection, kindles a flame in my soul, rules the inner man, consecrates my every thought, word, work, teaches me immeasurable love. Praise be to thee for grace, and the unspeakable gift of Jesus.

Can I also recommend Andrew Wadsworth’s message on Grace from the last Filling Station if you did not hear it or would like to hear it again.

6 Written by Chris Breakell 39 St Edward’s CE Primary School It’s good to be back!!

We were so pleased to welcome everyone back to school at last! The pupils have settled back in to school really well and are very keen to continue

Dragonfly Class News- Dragonfly class have been re-capping on their project of the Great Fire of London. They have also been making plans for the outdoor area and thinking about what vegetables they will plant for us to eat this Summer. PICTURE FRAMING Kingfisher Class News– High Quality, Reasonably Priced.

We are so grateful to St Edward’s PTA for ALL PICTURES FRAMED. their generous donation of £100 for each I work from home class.

David Fry: 01743 ~ 872573 In Kingfisher Class we have created a lovely library area where we can take time to [email protected] enjoy reading.

Osprey Class News –

Osprey Class have settled back in to life at school brilliantly. We have continued learning

Andy Morgan about our topic of America by completing a “road trip” across the states to find a secret word Building Services that was hidden amongst the activities. We will continue to look at America in some detail Extensions, Alterations, Roofing, over the next few weeks as we compare the UK and USA. We will be comparing life in the UPVC Fascias, Windows, Doors two countries as well as comparing physical features such as the Mississippi river and River and Conservatories, Garden walls, Severn. Feature brickwork. For all your maintenance needs. Virtual Tour Please call As we are unable to 01694 751774 show you around our 07930 332131 school at the moment, please take a look at our virtual tour and find out more about life at St Edward’s by visiting our website www.dorringtonschool.co.uk

E-mail: Telephone: [email protected] (01743) 718462 38 7 Website: www.dorringtonschool.co.uk Dorrington WI Dorrington WI meet on the second Tuesday of each month. The meetings are usually held at Dorrington Village Hall but at the moment meetings are taking place using zoom.

In January we had a natter and chatter evening and finalised our Programme for the Year. There are a few uncertainties but we have become quite adept at making last minute changes so that we can still meet up using technology!

In February we shared our favourite poems and enjoyed discussing each one. We finished the evening with a version of the Generation Game with a conveyor belt full of household objects! It tested our memories and provided many laughs!

This month we had an introduction to Pilates from Wendy Joelson. Some of our members have participated in Pilates previously, but for others it was a first try! Wendy explained the origins of Pilates and then we had a go at exercises to develop our core muscles. It took a lot of concentration!

Next month we are having a flower arrangement demonstration on the theme of Easter Flowers. We are hoping to be inspired to create our own floral masterpieces over the coming months. Chocolate If you would like to come and join our WI or attend one of our meetings you would be made most welcome. We have included the programme for the year below so that you can see the activities planned. There may be changes but members are always notified. Haven

Programme for 2021: For that special box of Belgian April: Easter Flowers Chocolates, Old fashioned sweets May: Fantastic Salads Fudge, Turkish Delight or just a local June: A history of Dorrington ice cream July: A Treasure Hunt (held in a local town with lunch to follow) August: An Outing (to be finalised) Come and see us at - September: Bingo 2 Sandford Court, October: An Introduction to Crocheting November: AGM and Christmas Door Wreath Making Phone: 01694 722630 December: Christmas Meeting and Celebration at a local hostelry Email: [email protected] If you would like any further information, please contact: Our President: Mrs Bridget Thurgood on 01743 719417 or Our Secretary: Mrs Christine Maddox on 01743 718198 8 37 AUBREY KIRKHAM Funeral Directors Netley Boarding Kennels Frankwell Island & cattery New fully heated and insulated kennels now open Telephone: 01743 368999

Full inspection and bookings Also at Phone Den or Barb 01743 718264 Mobile 07803240207 The Elms Collection & delivery service Four Crosses available Enquire for discounts Telephone: 01691 839292 Opening times 9.00 am. — 10.00 am. and www.aubreykirkhamfuneraldirector.co.uk

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36 9 St Mary’s Longnor Longnor Church is open every Sunday between 8am and Oliver Roberts Dip WCF 6pm for everyone who wishes to spend time in private MOBILE FARRIER prayer or quiet contemplation. Keeper’s Cottage, Church Services in Longnor during April Netley, Dorrington, We are very pleased to have resumed our pattern of holding short, informal services Shrewsbury, SY5 7LA twice a month in the churchyard of St Mary’s Longnor. There will be services on Sunday Telephone 07792 707220 11th April and Sunday 25th April at 10.30am – unless it’s raining heavily. Everyone is very welcome. Please bring a chair.

Easter Garden in Longnor Churchyard, 1st – 25th April To help tell the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and to celebrate the joy of the Easter message, there will be a special Easter Garden on display outside the church this year. Do please drop by and enjoy looking at it! It will be in the Churchyard from Thursday 1st – Sunday 25th April.

And everyone is also warmly invited to come into the church, which will be full of Easter flowers. It will be open across Easter Weekend and throughout the following week.

A message from The Shrewsbury Ark: “With most of our clients in temporary accommo- dation, donations of ‘kettle food’ are more in demand than ever. Many clients just have access to a kettle and sometimes a microwave, so anything that can be eaten cold (tins of fish or meat, etc) or with hot water added (noodles, porridge pots...) will always be need- ed. UHT milk, tea, coffee and sugar in small sizes are also in hot demand!”

Please put donations in the box at the back of church anytime between 8am and 6pm on a Sunday, or any day during the week after Easter.

Shop online and raise funds for Longnor Church St Mary's Church Longnor is now registered with easyfundraising, which means you can raise FREE donations for the church every time you shop online. Over 4,000 shops and sites will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them – at no extra cost to you!

These donations really mount up and make a BIG difference to us, so we would really ap- preciate it if you could take a moment to sign up and support us. It’s completely FREE and very quick and easy to do. You can find our easyfundraising page at https:// www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/stmaryschurchlongnor/

10 35 Longnor C.E. Primary School News

Return to School The lockdown experience has been very different for everyone but many good things have come out of unusual times. Computing skills have improved, the children have had the time and space to learn new skills and the support everyone in the Longnor School team has given each other has been amazing. However, it is lovely to have all the children back in school again; they are settling in well, remembering the Covid safety routines and are so pleased to be with their friends. To help everyone settle back into school life we are initially concentrating on the children’s wellbeing and happiness, which involves lots of outdoor learning, Forest School and many creative activities. . Sponsored Walk Since the February half term, we have been running a whole school sponsored walk. Every child is recording the miles they walk, run, scoot or cycle each week and we are collating them to see if, as a school, we can travel from Land’s End to John O’Groats. After three weeks, we have nearly made it to John O’Groats so the challenge is now to get back to Land’s End by Easter.

World Book Day We postponed World Book Day this year so as we could celebrate it when all the children were back in school. Everyone dressed up as their favourite character from a book and a local author led story-telling workshops for each class. To promote the love of reading further we made World Book Day into a book week, with a focus on stories and reading for the whole week.

Red Nose Day Red Nose Day was a lot of fun with everyone dressing up as superheroes or wearing something silly. As it was part of our book week, we looked at funny stories and jokes.

The website www.longnorschool.org.uk is continually updated and tells you about all the exciting and inspiring things we get up to at Longnor C.E. Primary School. To contact the school please email [email protected] or phone 01743 718493. 34 11

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12 33 St. Michael and All Angels Smethcott Encouraging the whole community to discover the good news about Jesus Christ

At last our church will be open from Thursday 1 April – please do come along to see the renovations and enjoy the flowers for Easter. Our plans for future services are evolving and we will be able to tell you more in the May magazine. Plant sale The catalogue for the plant sale will be issued on Monday 19th April by email – but please let us know if you need a paper copy and we will make some available. Geoff Jarrett has been very busy gathering all the plants together and will be accepting orders from Monday 3 May for collection in the week of 8th to 15th May. We have a wide range of herbaceous perennials, clematis, shrubs, grasses, herbs and greenhouse vegetables. Please send your order to Geoff on: [email protected] or hand your order to Geoff or a member of the PCC.

Smethcott APCM Our Annual General Meeting of the Parish will take place on Thursday 27 May from 7 pm in the village hall. Everyone welcome to attend. IronWorks www.ironworkstoves.co.uk Log burner / Multi fuel Stove Thought for the month Installations “But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen

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32 13 News from Smethcote WI

As we celebrate our 90th anniversary here are the minutes from Ben Carter the very first Smethcote WI meeting in 1931 Landscaping, Grounds, Property Andrew Cookson Maintenance A meeting was held in Smethcote Schoolroom on Wednesday 8th April 1931 Hedge Cutting, Chemical Application (lawns, drives etc.) Shed, Fence The President, Mrs Tuke, verified the formation of the Institute and Maintenance Tree, Shrub Planting, the Secretary read out the minutes of the last meeting. There were 36 Woodland Management Please call me on 07891 376638 or 01743 members present. On the motion of Miss Surtees votes were taken for 718802 for a quote or further information tea arrangements, it was unanimously agreed that two committee and two other members should provide the tea. Hostesses to coincide with Landscaping, Fencing, place of meeting and that a charge of 4d each should be made for tea. Planning a party, family reunion, local Welding, Any visitors to pay 6d. event - need a caterer? Why not approach General farm maintenance, All The date of the meeting was fixed for the second Wednesday in each types of digger work month and the time to be 3 o’clock except when at Smethcote, on Sue’s Catering account of the school not being available earlier than 3.30. It was 01694 751257 decided for hostesses to take back any provisions not used. Miss Highfield, Stapleton, 07815 733893 Sandford gave an interesting demonstration on making slippers out of Shrewsbury felt hats, and distributed patterns. SY5 7EF TEL: 01743 718863 Tea followed and was much appreciated. The hostesses were Mrs and Miss Southam, Mrs Haycock, and Miss F Hotchkiss. After tea all the members heartily joined in community singing led by Miss Beaumont, with Miss Chidley as accompanist. Before leaving hearty votes of thanks were given to Miss Sandford, Miss Beaumont and Miss Chidley for their kind help. Also to Mrs Southam who generously gave the tea money back towards Institute funds.

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Continued onto next page...

14 31 News from Smethcote WI continued… Back to the Future Smethcote WI 2021-2022 What can you expect? A very warm welcome just like the first meeting in 1931, a range of excellent speakers and activities. Smethcote WI won the county’s best programme for 2018-19 an acknowledgement of how Smethcote has strived to produce a varied and enjoyable range of activities for its’ members. Obviously, the pandemic put a halt to many of our plans. However, now we have a “Road Map” set out by government concerning the reduction in restrictions, we can now start to make some plans for the next few months programme. Importantly as a WI we have taken the decision to reduce our annual subscription fees by £10 to £34 for the year April 2021-22

Interim Programme with more details to follow

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Tel: 01694-724522 REV. HENRY FLETCHER’S, MUNSLOW’S AND POOR’S LAND CHARITY Email:[email protected] Apiary Park, Walls Bank, Nr. Church Stretton, SY6 7DP This is a reminder that this charity exists to help residents of Smethcott Parish who www.caradoccoaches.co.uk are in need, and additionally for the general or individual benefit of the inhabitants, as the trustees see fit.

There are five trustees. Chair being Rev. Hnatiuk, Two trustees nominated by the Parish Council, currently Martin Morris and Mike Sillence, and two co-opted trustees currently Carolyn Brunt and Geoff Jarrett.

If you feel that you, someone you know, or your organisation may be eligible and would benefit from a grant then please feel free to contact the Clerk to the Trustees, Miss Sophie Forbes (07890 149383) or any of the trustees direct. Your application will be dealt with in the strictest confidence.

30 15 St John the Baptist Stapleton

During April all Worship on a Sunday will be on Zoom at 10.30am. There will also be Services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Details about this are on other pages in the magazine. Church will continue to be open for private prayer every Sunday. Clean up Thank you to everyone who helped tidy up our Church and Churchyard around 27th March

APCM This year we will hold this important meeting on Thursday 20th May. Depending on the Covid restrictions at the time we may need to hold it in the Churchyard or on Zoom. If you would like to join the Church Electoral roll please let Sue know.

100 club We were able to sell all our 100 club tickets and were able to hold our first draw on 28th February The results were Mike Downes £20 Ticket number 17 Beverley Gill Domestic Electrician £10 Ticket number 96 Linda Tudor (Est- 1981) The results for March  NICEIC Approved £20 Ticket number 51 Tony Williams £10 Ticket number 19 Debbie and Ray Evans  Rewires , Extensions , Heating etc

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Website : www.mwdownesshrewsburysy5.co.uk Barbara Davies We were sad to hear about the death of Barbara, Mum to Will and Robert. She was a regular at Church until illness prevented her attendance. Her funeral will be held in Church on 25th March. 16 29 BROW FUELS Chartered Accountants Brow Farm 1 Knights Court, Suppliers of Household Coal Archers Way, and Smokeless Fuels Battlefield Enterprise Park, Free regular deliveries Shrewsbury. SY1 3GA Tel: J Sankey Providing quality service to business and personal clients throughout Shropshire and the Borders Tel : 01588 650641

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28 17 St Michael and All Angels Woolstaston Shropshire Council Report by Dan Morris – Councillor for the ward of Burnell April 2021

We will remain closed due to Covid 19 until further notice. A group set up to work with the agricultural community to improve safety on Shropshire’s roads is making good progress in its work to improve education, guidance and training for Thank you to everyone who has paid their magazine all partners and agencies. The working group consists of Shropshire Council, the National

subscriptions. Farmers Union, and the Police and Crime Commissioner. It was set up last year to assist in reducing the concerns and complaints received by the There will be an Annual Parochial Church Zoom Meeting sometime in May on a date council from residents and business about agricultural vehicles on the county’s roads. But its to be confirmed. aim is to provide support and guidance to those working in the agricultural sector and to

We would like to wish everyone a happy and peaceful Easter. ensure all agencies can work collectively to increase the skills and knowledge of staff to support the sector and address the concerns raised by residents. The group was established after the issue was raised at Shropshire Council’s Place Overview Committee, of which I am a member, and an initial discussion at the committee’s meeting on 3 September 2020.

The working group will be providing joint training for council and police staff on practical matters such as the size and weight of agricultural vehicles on rural roads, mud on the road, and other general safety matters.

St Mary’s Leebotwood The NFU, Shropshire Council, West Mercia Police and the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner will be developing guidance and campaigns and deliver briefings to raise Many thanks to whoever has fixed the flagpole it is great awareness for the agricultural community but also for the wider general public, plus joint to see it has been repaired. guidance on issues such as use of contractors.

Hopefully the village hall will be able to reopen soon for more fundraising events – The NFU will be organising events and briefings for farmers and those involved in wider kurling with fish and chip supper, race night, beer festival. If anyone has any new agricultural activities, and West Mercia Police and Shropshire Council’s highways staff will ideas of how funds can be raised for the village hall please contact Mary Wilson be there to learn and provide an insight from a highways point of view on issues that 01694 751266. residents raise with the council.

In the March edition of the magazine we were asking people to start collecting The working group’s activity will ensure Shropshire Council staff working on our highways stamps to raise funds for the church, however now this has been looked into further and dealing with residents’ concerns are better informed and knowledgeable in this area of this is not viable. Whilst researching the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind work, and the joint training with West Mercia Police will also support widening People) are one of many charities who are recycling them for their funds, so once the understanding and training. The workshops and briefings planned by the NFU to further church reopens a box will be placed in church for anyone to leave stamps and we will support the agricultural sector will allow a greater understanding of the concerns raised by send them on to this very worthy cause. It does state to leave a centimetre of residents. envelope or packaging around each stamp, if anyone is donating foreign stamps which includes the Channel Islands and Isle of Man please can these be placed in an Concerns are raised to the council about this issue, but it’s also important to recognise the envelope as they need to be sent separately. fantastic contribution made to the Shropshire economy by the agricultural sector. Soall parties are working in partnership to inform, understand, and share knowledge and experiences together to support safety on our roads

As ever if there is anything you would like to talk to be about please do not hesitate to get in 18 touch on 07902 408400 or by email to [email protected] BENEFICE WORSHIP AND ACTIVITIES st 1 Dorrington & Leebotwood FILLING STATION ZOOM PRAISE Brownies Dear friends it was lovely to see you all at our last meeting. As usual we wanted to honour a member of our community, this month it was Liz Holdsworth: “David and Liz Holdsworth moved into Longnor village in 2000 and both Dorrington Village Hall became involved in both the church and the village, especially David as he had 6.15 - 7.45pm, Thursdays in Term Time retired from his profession. Brownies is for girls aged 7 -10 years old, we play games, make friends and have “Unfortunately David died suddenly in August 2016 which was very traumatic fun doing crafts and outdoor activities. and sad for Liz and her family. They are supportive, but live away. She loved him dearly, and they worked together in the church. It is hard to lose someone If your daughter would like to join us now or in the close to you, and the sadness remains even after many years, but channelling future, give us a ring and we’ll tell you more. this into acts of kindness and love helps a great deal. “Since retiring from her profession, and since David’s death, Liz has used her Contact: Ruth Lawrence 07713 064624 expertise and knowledge in worthwhile voluntary work as well as her Brownie Guider continued work in the church and village. We know in Longnor village what she does: collects and delivers newspapers, visiting, telephoning, and supporting people in the community. She leaves small gift - such as flowers from her garden. “Jesus gives his love and we all try to follow him in our different ways. Liz uses her gifts to achieve Dorrington Bowling Club this object. We all bring different gifts to God, who shows his love to us, but we all need to be accepted and loved as well. Why don’t you try bowling? “As Mother Teresa of Calcutta said ‘we can do no great things - only small things with great love’. Throughout this pandemic we have been shown via the media many many instances of people, of all faiths or none, trying to show love and kindness to others. Bowls is a sociable sport played by people of all ages and abilities. We bowl throughout the “ It is good to recognise this and so I bring you Liz as a person in a small village and church, who is year, outdoors in summer and indoors in winter. You need no special equipment to start, trying to give love and kindness to others, alongside many other people in the village. Our purpose we will lend it to you. in life as Christians is to please God, not people (1 Thes. 2 v4-8) “As a prayer this lent we could pray: To learn more about indoor bowling contact Tom Hewitt 01743 718420 or for outdoor Jesus, help us pleae tell the story of your love and goodness bowling contact Peter Smith 01743 719294. through the way we live as well as in the words we say. Amen.” Our next Filling Station is on Wednesday 7th April, on Zoom at 7.30pm. Our speaker, and returning favourite, is Fane Conant, an evangelist who works in the UK and internationally. From his own website - SENIORS LUNCH CLUB “ “For me to live is Christ and to die I gain. (Phillipians 1:21) This verse has been Fane’s inspiration The Horseshoes, Dorrington since he committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. However, although Fane seeks to enable as many others as possible to discover this wonderful goal in life he recognises that it is a constant The Seniors Lunch Club is held on the second Thursday of each month at challenge to keep this vision fresh in everyday living.” 12.15pm for 1.00pm. You can discover more of Fane’s own story and work here: https://www.faneconant.org.uk/welcome.htm It is open to anyone aged 50 and over. If you would like to join us phone Mrs Anne Hinchliffe on 01743 718 993. Please do invite friends to join us.

26 19 Leebotwood Messy Church BRAND NEW - COME AND JOIN IN! Last year we joined a national research project, promoted by Hereford Diocese for the Church Army to develop the mission of our Messy Church. We chose Deepening Discipleship as our focus which meant looking at how we as a team, modelled our faith. We have been included in the final report which is printed below. We thank all our mums, grannies careers and children and helpers for the joy we have experienced working with them. We hope to see you all soon and pray that you are all safe in Gods caring arms.

Case study: Leebotwood Messy Church and the Maturing Teams approach. Leebotwood is a small village in the largely rural county of Shropshire, England. For the last three years, a team of church volunteers have run monthly Messy Church gatherings on a Tuesday afternoon in the village hall. At the beginning of the research, an average of 23 adults and 13 children attended. At their last gathering in March 2020, they counted 19 adults and 23 children. The team, led by Kay Askew, were attracted to this approach as a chance to honour and affirm one other. They hoped it would give them greater confidence in sharing their faith in a simple language local families could understand. They hoped that recognising where God was at work in their lives would enable families to do the same. The team worked with the Islands exercise in a straightforward way - choosing to focus on four islands for the whole research period: Togetherness, Caring for the earth, Listening, and Making life better for others. They committed to meeting each month directly after their monthly Messy Church, making note of reflections before praying together. Helper Revd RSPB Shropshire Local Group Caro Wright commented: ‘we’re all there and it’s fresh in our minds which helped with the whole project’. Due to Covid-19, and since lockdown restrictions were When Covid-19 hit in March, everything stopped to allow leaders to shield. Although they imposed back in March 2020, we have been unable to didn’t have the resources to send out packs, the team were able to organise the distribution hold our regular monthly meetings at Bayston Hill of donated hand-knitted dolls to all their Messy Church children. Some of the team were Memorial Hall. The uncertainty of the ongoing situation means that we can’t plan any able to gather later in the year in a team member’s garden. Reflecting on the last 18 months, they commented, ‘We have been more aware of what we meetings for the foreseeable future. As soon as we are given the go-ahead by RSPB HQ, we are doing. We think we have raised awareness of why we are doing a particular task. We will kick off our series of illustrated talks once again. We have a line up of enthusiastic and have put Jesus into the middle so that rather than craft with a bit of Jesus it has become expert speakers eager to entertain and inform us, and we would love to welcome you as more about Jesus with a bit of craft.’ soon as possible. In the meantime, you can find out more about the RSPB by checking out In terms of team, they reflected ‘The journey has brought us closer to one another. We have the website www.rspb.org.uk. got to know one another more deeply. We have also become closer to our families. Taking part in the project has helped … each team member to share and talk about what we are We are running a series of monthly Zoom talks and you can find out more about these on doing.’ the local group website www.rspb.org.uk/groups/shropshire We are aiming to Reflecting on where they discerned God in their discipleship, they identified particular re-start our field trips as soon as we are allowed – so it’s worth keeping an eye on the local occasions when they all noticed deeper spiritual engagement by the children. These included: the acting out of a Baptism, prayers on the rug with candles and overhearing the website for news! There is a “contact us” link here too, if you would like more information children chatting to one another about Jesus, expressing his presence amongst them. about us and what we do. You can also contact us by telephone 07833 647109 or email ‘We have made an effort to ‘nail our colours to the mast’ – this is about Jesus.’ [email protected] 20 25 24 21 Steeplewood Fold Benefice Worship in March 2021

Sunday 4th 10:30am Easter Worship on Zoom Meeting ID: 763 744 6614 No passcode needed Wednesday 7th Filling Station on Zoom Meeting ID: 19.30pm 763 744 6614 No passcode needed Sunday 11th 10.30am Sunday Worship on Zoom Meeting ID: 763 744 6614 No passcode needed Sunday 18th 10.30am Sunday Worship on Zoom Meeting ID: 763 744 6614 No passcode needed Sunday 25th 10.30am Sunday Worship on Zoom Meeting ID: 763 744 6614 No passcode needed

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