COTTESMORE VILLAGE LINK Tidings of joy! PLUS General Election Listings Volume 32 Number 7 December 2019 50p where sold COLIN EASSON (Motors) Ltd Cottesmore Phone 01572 812291 For all your motoring needs: New and used car sales Service and MOT Accident damage repairs Discount tyres, exhausts and batteries Genuine Ford spare parts Petrol, diesel and full forecourt services Special Armed Services Finance Everything we do is driven by you ... 2 HELLO! Woohoo! It’s Christmas! So a happy Christmas CONTENTS and a prosperous New Year to you and yours! Remembrance Day: Page 5 Apologies for the Kidspeak, but we’re all entitled to bask in the glow of a Season that New Crafters: Page 10 may have lost much of its wonder but never stops giving. Allan Westray: Page 10 Don’t know about you but I’m greatly looking forward to turkey with all the trimmings, Fence will split park: Page 10 Christams pud and lots of mince pies (home- made of course). I might even tuck away a few Chairman’s report: Page 15 flagons of last year’s sloe gin! This month’s “Link” has gone all suitably Join our Christmas Choir: Page 17 seasonal. You’d be hard-pressed to find a publication with more festive fare amidst its New defibrillators: Pages 21 and 29 content. We hark back to Christmas in the trenches and A Child’s Christmas, touch on a Bystander: Page 38 canine Yuletide and give you all sorts of advice on gifts and jollification. Tearfund Quiz: Page 40 And of course we’re also anticipating the General Election (yep, another one) with the Oliver Hemsley: Page 47 runners and riders within. Full results will be in Former Hunt master: page 47 our January edition. Good luck to all participants and best wishes for a super Yule! JENNY The Parish Councillors wish all residents a very Happy Christmas and healthy New Year Send your stories and photos to the editor Jenny Laidler 29 Cresswell Drive (Tel. 811038) Email: [email protected] Our advertising rates are very competitively priced and we welcome new adverts, either one-off or booked for 12 months for the price of 11 months. For advertising enquiries please contact Juliet Burgess Ray on 812898 or 07903 021063 MEET THE LINK TEAM Jenny Laidler, Editor [email protected] 811038 Juliet Burgess-Ray, Advertising Manager [email protected] 812898 Jean Heath, Distribution [email protected] 812709 Janice Patient, Treasurer [email protected] 812424 Barbara Cameron, Committee 813055 Shirley Smith, Committee 811069 Hilary Malone, Committee 812360 Items from the Link are published on the Cottesmore Parish Council website, but otherwise this magazine has no direct connection with the council which has no control whatsoever on editorial content. *Cottesmore Village Link is printed by Spectrum Printing Services, Leicester. Tel. 0116 246 1717 3 DIARY DATES DECEMBER JANUARY 3rd WI: A Tudor and Stuart Christmas 7.30pm 7th WI Village Hall 7.30pm 6th Thistleton Church St Nicholas Day Festival th (preacher Bishop Donald) 7pm 13 Village Hall Management 8th WI Christmas Crafts 2-4pm Village Hall Committee 7 pm 9th Parish Council 7.15pm Village Hall 20th Parish Council, Village Hall, 7.15pm 13th Ukelele Concert at Village Hall 17th Film Night at Village Hall (note correction) 21st Film Night, Village Hall 7.30pm 18th WI Coffee Morning at Village Hall 10-12 noon 23rd Carol Service in Church 7.30pm THE MEMORY TREE The Memory Tree will be in church as usual this Christmas, so if you wish to remember a loved one with a star on the tree please give Pam Laverick the name(s) and donation of £1 per name by December 16. All donations go to Church Funds. The names will be read at the Carol Service on Monday, 23rd December. Brick Work Stone Work Roofing Flat roof Painting & Decorating General Building Work No job too small All work is guaranteed Free quotes Over 30 years’ experience Friendly, local & reliable Tel: 07951 663 364 Email: [email protected] 4 or, for Jesus, his Father God - and is for the benefit of others. An act of sacrifice of freedom and of a normal family life was the same for Jesus as it is for servicemen and women and is not easy. God, who became human, understands our lives better than we THE day started with a small gathering at the may realise. Rogues Lane War Memorial (including The service ended with our response, in hope personnel from Kendrew Barracks) laying and commitment, to strive for peace, to heal wreaths while remembering especially the the wounds of war and to work for a just future airmen buried there who lost their lives in the for all humanity, and with the singing of the Second World War. National Anthem. A collection taken for the The main Service of Remembrance was in Royal British Legion and the Army Benevolent Church and started with the reading of the Fund raised £543.90, including Gift Aid. names of many of the village men killed in both Wreaths were then laid at the village War World Wars, and of Royal Navy, Army and Royal Memorial by many representatives including Air Force personnel killed in World War II and those from subsequent conflicts. It was followed by the Kendrew Barracks, Last Post, two minutes’ silence and Reveille. the Parochial Chris Donovan, Chairman of the Parish Council Church Council, and an Army representative read from the Bible the Parish Council, and Jim Bolton led the prayers. the Women’s Revd Anthony Oram in his sermon said we were Institute, the there to worship God and to remember those Brownies and fallen in the service of our country, to honour Rutland County their memories, to give thanks for their ultimate Council. A sacrifice and to remember their acts of courage reception given by and service and sacrifice for our freedom. An the Parish Council act of courage by the one, be it a soldier or followed in the Jesus, will bring benefit to many. An act of Sports and Social service involves giving of your best to achieve Club. someone else’s agenda – Queen and Country Janice Patient We urgently need a volunteer willing to deliver 38 copies of The Link in Cresswell Drive and Debdale each month. Can you help? Please contact Jean on 812709 or email [email protected] 5 The Link team wishes all our readers a very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year. THE MARKET STORE, MARKET OVERTON Tel: 01572 767948 Email: [email protected] Find us at: 1A Main Street Market Overton Rutland, LE15 7PL OPENING HOURS: Mon-Fri: 7.00 am - 6.00pm Sat: 8.00 am - 5.00pm Sunday and Bank Holidays: 8.00am-1pm Artisan Chocolates Grasmere Farm meats & sausages Fresh fruit and vegetables Local cheeses and cream Hambleton & Bloomsbury bread Homemade cake and hot drinks Jams, Chutneys, Sweets & Treats Biscuits and crisps Plants for the garden or as gifts Firewood and kindling Kitchen cupboard essentials Wine, beer, spirits and bubbly Stamps, greetings cards, giftwrap, Newspapers and magazines Our Christmas order forms are in for Grasmere Christmas packs – they are excellent value for money and very tasty too! We also stock an extensive selection of cheese from vintage cheddar to Lincolnshire poacher and beyond, all of which are excellent with our Mrs. Darlington’s chutneys. Don’t forget to stock on our delicious handmade chocolates, made by Helen Buff; we now have in, her fabulous white chocolate salted caramel sprouts – get them before they are gone. We will also be selling Rosie’s beautifully iced Christmas cakes again – ask in store for more information and to reserve your cake. Please also make sure to give us your Christmas bread order for both Bloomsbury and Hambleton bread – check in store for latest order and delivery dates. We will be repeating our 10% Christmas discount offer of a mixed case of 6+ bottles (red/white/bubbles) – we have a wide range, so please come in and take a look. Raffle tickets are on sale in the shop from early December for our treat filled Xmas Hamper. Please buy tickets for friends and family, as all proceeds go towards the Market Store. Everyone at the market store wishes you and your family a joyous, fun-filled and relaxing Christmas and New Year. 6 HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS CRACKER THE cracker we all know and love began humbly in London when confectioner Tom Smith made the first variety and filled it with bon-bons. The enterprising Tom only added the “crack” after hearing the crackle of a burning log on his fire. The size of the cracker’s paper wrapper had to be increased to incorporate the “banger” mechanism, and sweets were replaced with trinkets. Other elements such as gifts, paper hats etc were incorporated by Smith’s son Walter. In 2015 the record for the longest cracker-pulling chain of participants was established by 1,081 students at a London college. Cracker jokes remain as cringeworthy as ever. The top ten include: *How does Darth Vader like his Xmas turkey? On the dark side. *What happened to Santa when he went dating? He pulled a cracker. *What’s the most popular Christmas wine? “I don’t like Brussels.” *What happened when Santa got stuck up the chimney? He felt Claustrophobic. *Why can’t a bike stand up by itself? It’s two-tyred. *What has four wheels and flies? A bin lorry. *What do snowmen wear on their heads? Ice caps. *How does Santa keep track of all the places he’s been? He carries a Log-book.