KKiinngg''ss TThhoorrnn && TThhee BBiirrcchheess NNeewwsslleetttteerr A Newsletter for the Villages of King's Thorn, Little Birch & Much Birch – November 2006 Announcement, DIARY DATES NOVEMBER 2006 Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Children’s Halloween party scheduled for 8TH NOVEMBER - What do you know about your Village SATURDAY 28TH OCTOBER at Little 18TH NOVEMBER - Christmas Table Top Sale Birch Village Hall has been cancelled. 18TH NOVEMBER – Flicks In the Sticks ST __________________________________ 21 NOVEMBER – W.I. TH Reminder 24 NOVEMBER – Halfway Concert TH Remember the Beetle Drive to be held on 25 NOVEMBER - Seventies Evening TH TUESDAY, 31ST OCTOBER in Much 25 NOVEMBER – Halfway Concert 29TH NOVEMBER – Gardening Club Birch Community Hall, priced £3 per TH person. 30 NOVEMBER - Christmas Bingo Pencils at the draw at 7.30pm. ADVANCE NOTICES Open to all. Please come along to join us 2nd DECEMBER – Christmas Fayre for a fun evening. This is the WI’s fund 6TH DECEMBER – Gardening Club Christmas Social raising event for the Hall Development 9TH DECEMBER – Flicks in the Sticks Fund. 12TH DECEMBER – Evergreen Club Christmas Party Refreshments - tea, coffee and biscuits. 31ST DECEMBER - New Year’s Eve Party - Music & Dance Enquiries: 01432 840559 (evening wear) - tickets only __________________________________ History of Little Birch into the legendary geisha Sayuri. Beautiful What do you know about your Village? Seventies Night Disco and accomplished, Sayuri captivates the TH Come and find out from the Little Birch most powerful men of her day, but is SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER from History group with illustrated talks at haunted by her secret love for the one man 7.30pm. to Midnight in Little Birch Hall 7.30pm on WEDNESDAY 8TH beyond her reach. with a Fully Licenced Bar - Ploughman's NOVEMBER at Little Birch Village Hall. Doors open at 7.00pm. and the film Supper - Admission by ticket only £7.00. Tickets are £5.00 to include supper and a commences at 7.30pm. Tickets are £3.50 Prize for best Lady’s and Gent’s complimentary drink. (£2.50 under 16s) and are available in “Seventies Outfit”. Proceeds in aid of hall refurbishment fund advance or on the door. For further Contact Margaret Stringer on 01981 __________________________________ information or to book tickets please call 540583 or Mr. or Mrs. Morley 541027 Bryony Connolly on 01981 541274. Strictly No Children. All proceeds to Craft Table Top Sale Little Birch Hall Refurbishment Fund TH Coming up… ‘Pirates of The Caribbean: On SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER Dead Man’s Chest’on 9TH DECEMBER __________________________________ we are holding a Christmas Craft Table at 7.30pm. Top Sale at Little Birch Village Hall Gardening Club starting at 2.00pm. Tables Cost £6.00 The Gardening Club next meets on W.I. TH each - for more information or to purchase Our next meeting, the AGM, is on WEDNESDAY 29 NOVEMBER. a table, contact Robyn on 01981 540264 ST The Club will be holding their annual TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER at the TH Proceeds in aid of hall refurbishment fund usual time of 7.30pm. Your tea hostesses Christmas social on WEDNESDAY 6 __________________________________ will be Mrs. P. Garbutt and Mrs. M. DECEMBER from 7.30pm. Tickets are Roberts and in December we will be priced at £3.50 per head and are available holding our Christmas Social Evening. at the meetings on in October and in __________________________________ November above or from Committee members. Further details from Secretary Flicks In The Sticks Concert Helen Fox - 01981 541004 in association with Arts Alive The next Halfway Theatre concert entitled __________________________________ ‘British Musicals’ will be This month’s film will be MEMOIRS OF Christmas Bingo A GEISHA on SATURDAY 18 in Much Birch Community Hall, on TH FRIDAY 24TH and SATURDAY 25TH THURSDAY 30 NOVEMBER at NOVEMBER at Much Birch Hall. The Little Birch Village Hall, eyes down at film is set in the years before World War NOVEMBER commencing at 7.30pm. 8.00pm. - last bingo of the year. II, when a Japanese child is torn from her Tickets can be obtained from Jenny Wrigley Tel: 01981 540617 and it is Proceeds in aid of hall refurbishment penniless family to work at a geisha fund. house. Despite a treacherous rival who advisable to book early as these concerts __________________________________ nearly breaks her spirit, the girl blossoms prove to be very popular. __________________________________ Christmas Fayre Lift A few months ago, JOHN GWINNETT of The Christmas Fayre, which is on Exercise classes for the 50+ at M.B. Little Birch gained a scholarship to SATURDAY 2ND DECEMBER from Community Hall. These are drop in undergo 10½ hours flying instruction at 10.00am. – 1.00pm. proved to be very classes with gentle exercise in a friendly FAF Woodvale, Lancs. The intensive popular last year and this year we shall atmosphere with Sue. Enquiries to course included, not only being able to have more of the same. There will be SHAPE at Herefordshire Council Offices pilot a plane, but also to navigate and food stalls (Peter and Chris Dowsett will in Plough Lane or telephone 01981 perform aerobatic manoeuvres. John is a be there after their successful event at the 540406 memb er of Ross-on-Wye ATC and last hall for the Macmillan Nurses), paintings, __________________________________ year obtained his glider flying wings. He patchwork, cards, gifts and lots more, so it hopes now to get a place on another will be worth coming and having a Local News course to obtain a private Pilot’s licence. browse. Congratulations to BILL GIBBONS from Congratulations John, we hope you fulfill The Much Birch Recipe Book will also be Waterloo Cottage, Barrack Hill for all your ambitions. on sale – that is if we haven’t sold out – reaching the grand age of 90. Happy RHYS POWELL of Green Farm, Little and all proceeds from this and the Fayre Birthday Bill. Birch has taken a year out from his studies will go to the Hall Development Fund. And to ROS and BOB PREECE who and obtained a placement for work You will also have an opportunity to sign celebrated their Golden Wedding on 1st experience at the Eurocopter factory in up for the 100 Club Draw 2007 – the September with a surprise champagne Munich. He is enjoying this opportunity closing date to accept entries is the end of breakfast at a city hotel. The following to work in a large factory environment and December. day they hosted a celebration for forty also to exp lore the local area and learn the Tea and coffee will be served during the friends and relations at their home in language at the same time. morning so do come along, have a look Kings Thorn. The weather was evil, so A belated but warm welcome is given to around and a chat with your neighbours the marquee didn’t get much use, but one JUDY and KEITH LOCKYER, and their and friends. of the guests, was heard to say “What’s a four whippets, who have moved into If you would like a table, please ring either drop of rain, after fifty years together.” Elland Cottage, just off Barrack Hill, to 540406 or 540488 and we will do our best No presents were requested but a donation RACHEL and STUART ROBERTS and to fit you in. An early call would be box for St. Michael’s Hospice raised £160. sons CHRISTOPHER and CAMERON appreciated as space is limited. They followed this with a second who have moved into Moss Croft, Kings Apologies to those intending to come honeymoon touring Devon and Cornwall Thorn, and to ELAINE and MICHAEL along to the Preserves, Pickles and in their motor home, their complexion on FREEMAN who have come to live in Produce Fayre on 28th October, We have return suggests they spent more time Church Lane, Much Birch. We wish had to cancel this as it proved too close to outdoors than they did on the first them all many healthy and happy years in other events at the Hall. Table Tops will honeymoon. their new homes. re-commence in the spring. Well done to BRAD BLAKE of Arbour There have been quite a few changes with __________________________________ Cottage, Holly Bush Lane, for departing friends and new arrivals recently successfully completing the Ironman UK and we apologise if we have not yet had a th Evergreen Club Triathlon held at Sherbourne on 20 chance to welcome you. This will be put Christmas Lunch this year will be on August. His time for a 2.4 mile swim, right next month. TH TUESDAY 12 DECEMBER at the followed by a 112 mile bike ride and Congratulations are extended to GEOFF Red Lion PH & Restaurant on the A.49 finishing a 26.2 mile run was a superb 14 JONES and SID HITCHING who both (same venue as last year). We are not sure hours 36, minutes and 12 seconds. He celebrate their 80th birthdays this month. st of the price at the moment but please put finished 21 out of 35 for his age group After a long painful period Geoff is slowly the date in your diary and we will be which was 50–54. There were over 1100 getting better and we hope that he will be sending out a menu for choices and cost starters and 1038 within the time limit of able to sit out in a chair before long. shortly. We shall also be preparing the 17 hours. His sponsorship has raised We record our grateful thanks to JOAN usual Questionnaire for next year’s about £1600 for the Leukaemia Research and COLIN RANDALL who have outings which hopefully you will have Fund and a similar amount for Rotary delivered the Newsletter to properties in ready to hand in to the Committee at the Charities, he thanks all of his generous Wrigglebrook Lane for many years.