During the interregnum, the Rector's Letter will feature letters and articles from a number of contributors.
This month, the letter comes from Ian, the Bishop of Peterborough.

Bishop Ian writes: Consider the birds of the air … Neither Bishop Frank nor I are ‘twitchers’, driving from end to end of the country in the hope of catching a glimpse of a rare bird which is reported to have been seen in the area. But both of us enjoy bird-watching. Indeed, one of the delights of the Palace in the summer months is the variety of birds which nest or visit the garden. We regularly welcome one or two pairs of fly-catchers who use the trees and garden chairs as perches from which to prey on passing insects. With a flicker of wings another morsel is caught and devoured. The kestrels who nest on the western towers of the cathedral teach their young to fly and to hunt over the lawns – once they have gained the courage to launch themselves from their lofty eyrie. While across the diocese buzzards, ospreys and red kites delight the eye as they return to haunts they were driven to abandon long ago.

Tribute to Frank James

The death of Frank James this month is a tremendous loss to the whole village of Barnack and particularly to the Bowls Club. In his role, as Chairman of the Bowls Club, Frank has, in his normal way, been a tower of strength through the years and will be sadly missed by all the members and particularly by the B Team of which he was a stalwart player.

On his retirement from an eminent career in the Royal Air Force, Frank soon became fully involved in the life of the village. His diplomacy, tact and natural charm enabled him to get things done in a way in which many of us would have failed. He was a valued member of the Parish Council and held the Chairmanship for a number of years. It was in this capacity that he worked to facilitate Barnack Bowls Club. He recognised the need in the village and then negotiated, with Peterborough City Council, to secure the necessary finance from them to enable the whole project to become a reality.

Frank was also a major facilitator in the full modernisation of the Village Hall in the millennium year. He and Bill Harris worked tirelessly together to secure, not only a lottery grant but also a grant from Peterborough City Council to enable us all to use and enjoy one of the best village halls in the area. Most villagers were completely unaware of the many hours of hard work that Frank undertook, in his quiet unassuming way. He was a far sighted man, who was able to achieve seemingly unattainable goals. He has left the village of Barnack a wonderful legacy. He will be greatly missed.

Music at the Millstone Inn
Last month was a another packed evening. Our special guests were Irene Rae, who has just released her first EP and John Smith who played an energetic and exciting final set on electric guitar.
In addition we enjoyed open floor spots from a huge number of singers who turned up on the night.
The next session is on Tuesday August 2nd at the Millstone Inn. Doors open 7.30pm for a 8pm start. Admission is free! See www.acousticsessions. co.uk.

Please Keep a Look-out
Now that we have moved into the holiday period, it is likely that Barnack will see an increase in people spending leisure time in the village. It was during the same period last year that the church suffered elements of damage due to vandalism. Therefore, we would ask that residents living near St John the Baptist Church maintain a high level of vigilance for the next few weeks , and report any potential problems to us or other members of the Church community. Alison Longman 740435; John Ward 740016

Barnack Methodist Chapel
Once again we are very grateful for your support of our July Coffee Morning and Cake Stall which raised a further £128.05 for our funds and in addition a further £27 from the sale of Fairtrade goods. We invite you to join us again on Saturday 6th August from 10 to 11.30 am when there will be cakes, jams (including this season’s strawberry) and pickles for sale.

Bamack Church Patronal Festival Grand Draw Sat 25th June 2005
Prizewinners:
John Ward    £50 Garden Voucher
Graham Williams    £25 J Lewis Voucher
Matthew Perkins    CD Player & Radio
Roy Beck    £25 M & S Voucher
Alison Alexander    Picnic bag & wine
David Chadwick    Chicken Pot
Adhenne Collins    Basket of Fruit
Lizza Harley    2 x Bottles of Wine
Simon Cunliffe    Spaghetti Jar
Philip Groom    Bottle of Wine
Alison Alexander    Herb Pot
Joan Campbell    Photo Frame
Liz Young    Sparkling Wine
lan Graham    2 Bottles of Wine
James Longman    Hanging Basket
Michael Perkins    Fruit Basket
James Ward    Bottle of Gin
Bertie Collins    Basket of Toiletries
Graham Williams    Golf Playthings
Anne Addison    Teddy Bear
Jose Irving-Bell    Toiletries
Lizza Harley    Biscuits

WI Trip to Ryton - Change of date
Ryton Gardens have asked us to change the day of our visit from Tuesday 20th to Thursday 22nd September due to a school visit on the first date. We hope everyone interested will be able to make the new date.

Successful Concert
The church rafters rang to the sound of both laughter and applause when St. John Baptist Church held their summer concert on the Friday of their patronal festival weekend. The performers provided an evening of readings and music which delighted those who attended, from the charming clarinet and piano pieces from our youngest entertainers to the rocking electric guitar sing-along which raised the roof. Thank you to everyone who read, played or sang. It was a lovely evening, which raised £110.

Harvest Lunch
St. John Baptist Church will be holding their harvest lunch on Sunday, September 25th at 12.30pm. in Barnack Village Hall.

Barnack Church Fete
In spite of the disappointing weather, which meant we had to be inside the church, this year’s church fete was a resounding success. It was opened by Mrs. Ivy Ratcliffe, who has been attending Barnack Parish Church for over seventy years. She was presented with a basket of flowers by one of our youngest church members, Isaac Jackson. The smiles on both their faces was the perfect start to such a jolly afternoon. Stalls laden with items, games for the children and delicious teas served by the wonderful ladies of Barnack WI, all helped those who attended to forget the gloomy clouds outside. Thank you to everyone who made this event such a success. £1,496.97 was raised for St John Baptist Church.

Barnack Bowls Club
The winners of the June 200 Club Megadraw were:
No 26 Mrs J Honour £50
No 24 Mrs Pat Gyles £30
No 22 Mrs L Womersley £20
No 32 Mrs Rosemary Roberts £10

Barnack Baptist Church
Throughout this summer Barnack Baptist Church will continue to meet for Sunday Worship in the Village Hall, but with a difference...... From Sunday 31st July instead of our normal 10:30 Service we will be moving to our summer services, where we meet at 9:30am and we will be holding short cafe style services. Please come and join us for a light breakfast, music, prayers and informal Christian discussion.

Barnack Cricket Club
Please note that under the requirements of the new Licensing Act 2003, the Cricket Club has applied for a “Variation” to its Operating Schedule, even though in real terms it intends to operate as before. The Club has applied for a licence to supply alcohol to members and guests between 12 noon and 11.00.pm (Monday to Saturday) and between 12 noon and 10.30.pm. on Sundays. In addition it has applied to be licensed to play music at its occasional social events until 11.30.pm on Fridays and Saturdays, & until 10.30 on Sundays. If anyone has any concerns or questions, please contact me on 740373. David Smith Honorary Secretary

Ufford Ladies
The visit to Holly Tree Farm garden was very enjoyable. The old photographs showed what can be done with imagination and green fingers! There were some interesting plants, mostly indigenous and it was very colourful, but there were also some wild areas. The cakes were good too! The meeting starting at 7pm on Tuesday, August 23rd will be at Jill‘s, hopefully in the garden. This year the refreshments will be puddings and coffee. There will also be a raffle - all proceeds will go to our chosen charity SHYP. All members and friends welcome.

Buttercross Club
It was a full house at the Reading Room in Bainton on Wed July 6th when a record number of members and friends met to hear Dr. Mike Dromfield give his talk on “Stamford Hospital — its past and future”. Dr Dromfield is chairman of The Friends of Stamford Hospital & gave us fascinating details of the origin and past history of our hospital & its staff.
Also we heard the interesting explanation of the position that Stamford Hospital must now take under the modern Primary Care Trust system. Unfortunately its future, as we know it now, is by no means secure.
We were given the opportunity to view the wonderful patchwork quilt ( work of Stamford U3A Quilters) which is being raffled to raise funds for Thorpe Hall. If interested in buying tickets please contact 740300.
Our summer outing in June was again threatened by the weather but the rain relented on our arrival at Barnsdale Gardens and we enjoyed our tour of Geoff. Hamiltons T.V gardens, with his son Tim, followed by a delicious cold supper.
We manned ( womanned?) a successful cake / plant stall at Bainton’s Family Day raising £150. Many thanks for all the contributions.
Next meeting will be on Wednesday August 3rd. “Buttercross Boules at Bainton House”. Starting at 6.30pm. - please note. This is a family evening open to all the village and always great fun. Teams of two (think of an original team name!) Refreshments provided. Please bring a Boules set if possible but not essential. For details 740865 or 740097. See you there. J.M

A Very Long Shot! Do you remember an incident near Barnack in 1963?
On March 20th, 1963 a Handley Page Victor, XM714 of 100 Squadron, RAF based at Wittering, crashed shortly after take-off having experienced severe control difficulties. The blazing wreck missed the village of Barnack by only 80 yards. Sadly five of the six men on board died in the crash and only the co-pilot, Flt. Lt. Jackson survived.
Though I appreciate that this tragedy is something that only older residents of Barnack may recall, if they have any memories relating to this day, please would they contact me in writing with them.
My reason for asking is that I am in contact with a gentleman who knew personally one of the men that died in this accident when he was a young lad and I would like to find out more for him.
Many thanks, Trevor L Williams
lha_effinghamhotmail.com
68 Laneside, Willenhall Wood, Coventry, CV3 3EY.

Barnack Pre-School
The preschool recently hosted OFSTED inspectors and have received a glowing report. In all areas of assessment we were rated as ‘Very Good.’ The full report is available on OFSTED’s website. It is a testament to the hard work of all involved.
The preschool offers education and care for children below school age and above 2 years 6 months with qualified staff providing learning opportunities to meet the needs of all children between the hours of nine in the morning and 12pm. We are situated in the mobile in the school grounds.
We are welcoming enquires regarding the availability of spaces for next September. Children are welcome to start part way through the year providing they meet the minimum age and there are spaces available. Government funding is also applicable to children over three years.
Our ground project is nearing completion and the children have been making the most of the new area through play, growing many new plants and learning about the environment. Our continued fundraising efforts are helping us to fund our wish list for this project.
We have also recently been listed with the Charities Aid Foundation and some more information about us is available on their website www.givenow.org Preschool will also have a face-painting stand at the Horticultural show so why not come and pay us a visit.

Quiz Nights
Probably the best “Lipsmackin’ thirstquenchin’ acetastin’ motivatin’ goodbuzzin’ cooltalkin’ highwalkin’ fastlivin’ evergivin’ coolfizzin’ pub quiz in Barnack! Do you know you’re missing out on a great evenings fun, entertainment and laughter at Barnack’s favourite Sunday night quiz? Proceedings kick off around 8pm and continue for a couple of hours so not too late for those having to get up for work on Monday. You could even be starting the week with some cash prize money in your pocket. What have you got to lose? Come on and join in this great weekly village community experience, every Sunday evening at the Millstone Public House from 8pm. Complimentary french-fries washed down with Everard’s and Adnam’s finest ales and a great selection of chilled pale gold premium lager beers to slake your thirst. New teams most especially welcome.

Call For New Members
The Friends Of Barnack Church 200 Club have been helping to conserve the fabric of the church for many years now. Why not consider joining? The 200-club subscription is just £15 per year with cash prize draws every month. Should you be interested in joining this marvellous cause and becoming a Friend of Barnack Church please contact Mr Martin Goodwin, 24 Bainton Road, Barnack. Tel: 01780 740145 or see our page on the Parish News website for further details.
The lucky winners for the June draw are as follows:
12 Mr K Green £5
71 Mrs H Holland £10
176 Miss L Huckerby £20

British Red Cross
A belated thank you, to all the ladies in Barnack who helped with the Red Cross house-to-house collection at the beginning of May. We raised £263.31, which was admirable and will give help to the people and projects supported by the Red Cross. Doreen James

Barnack School Walks to Bainton
On 8th July Barnack School took time out from formal lessons and spent an enjoyable day walking to and from a local conservation area.
All 128 school children aged between 4 and 11 years walked the one-mile route along footpaths, field edges and through a wood to reach the conservation area just outside Bainton. Once there the children embarked on an orienteering exercise to help develop their sense of direction and map reading skills. After a picnic lunch everyone took part in pond dipping discovering plenty of exciting aquatic minibeasts, made sculptures using natural materials and had great fun finding lots of different items during a scavenger hunt. The day had a dual purpose – to highlight the benefits of exercise through walking and to take advantage of the excellent environmental facilities so close by.
Mr Green, Head Teacher, said, “The children all had a wonderful time. We saw plenty of interesting wildlife during our walk and at the conservation area. So many children travel by car, it’s important that they realise they can easily get to nearby places by walking. We are also very grateful to Michael Bratley who kindly allowed us use the area for the day.”

Darby & Joan Club
Bingo, Cards and Dominoes were played at the Club’s meetings. Mrs D Green won the Lampshade competition, Mrs L Grant second and Mrs R Porter third. The Ear Ring/Cuff Links competition was won by Mrs I Briggs, Miss A Bromberg second and Mrs E Hudson third. Early in July, Members and friends were taken on a Mystery Tour through Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, visiting Wymondham Mill for afternoon tea. A very pleasant afternoon was had by everyone.
A Coffee Morning with a Cake Stall, Bring & Buy, Bric-a-Brac and a Raffle will be held at The Acres on Wednesday 17th August at 10.30 am.

The Barnack and District Horticultural Show and Family Day
This will be held this year on Sunday August 14th at the school in Barnack.
The Show Exhibits will be on view in the school hall; there will be games, craft stalls, interest displays and a car boot on the school field. Refreshments will be served in the Home from Home room and for the children there will be a Magic Show the Bouncy Castle and Balloon Modelling. There will also be an opportunity to clear your home of clutter and have a Car Boot Sale. All we need is a fine afternoon!!
The committee do hope that there will be a record entry in the Horticultural Show itself this year, but we cannot achieve this without your help. This is your village show, so please do join in the fun. We all help each other and anyone needing a bit of help for the assembly of entries has only got to ask. If you haven’t entered before be brave and be sure you do not get left out. The list of classes was included in the January issue of the Parish News and the schedules can now be obtained from the Post Office in Barnack if you have not already bought one from our volunteers, who have already visited every house in our six villages!!
The committee would welcome contributions to the Second Hand Book stall, the Tombola and the Lucky Jars. Please take them to any of the committee members: Cynthia and Brian Dailey, Ruth and Ray Hackett, Sandra Jones, Barry Davies, Dorothy Dolby or June Woollard. Helpers are also needed to move the chairs and tables to and from the Village Hall on Saturday morning at 9.30 am. and on Sunday afternoon at 3.45 pm. Please do volunteer if you can, we really do need some help and we are also still trying to find a source of transport. If you have large trailer or a pick up truck please do let anyone on the committee know. Your help would be very much appreciated.
Entries for the show need to be registered at Barnack Village Hall between 6.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m. on Thursday 11th August, so that sufficient room can be allocated for all the exhibits. Make sure that you make a note in your diary – Sunday 14th August 2005.

The Safari Supper
I am planning to organise another Safari Supper on Saturday 17th September.
A safari supper is a progressive dinner in which participants move to new locations for each course of the meal. Each participating couple hosts two other couples for one course (a starter, a main course or a dessert) and travels to two other venues for the other two courses. Each course is of a fixed duration with changeovers occurring at pre-ordained times. Participants are advised of their first venue and informed of the course for which they are responsible two or three weeks before the actual date. Subsequent venues are kept secret in sealed envelopes and not revealed until the end of the first or second course as appropriate. If everything works out, each participating couple will dine at three different locations with a total of six other couples; no two couples should meet twice in the same evening (unless passing in the street between courses!).
The evening ends with a party at a venue yet to be decided (so if anybody would like to stick their heads above the parapet…..). For logistical reasons, participation will be limited to those with a base in Barnack, Bainton, Ashton, Southorpe and Ufford. The evening will have a theme, which can be carried through the food, the table decorations and attire. Previous year’s themes have included “Complimentary Pairs”, “Childhood Memories”, “the Letter ‘P’”,“The Movies” and “America”. As usual, we would welcome suggestions for this year’s theme.
About 60 people took part last year and I hope to have the same number or more this year. If you would like to participate or would like more information please contact Mark Haines-Eynon on 740017. Please be aware that each couple’s participation will affect at least 8 other couples; last minute withdrawals will be potentially disastrous as stand-ins can be hard to find at short notice.

Indian Summer Ball
Due to a variety of circumstances unfortunately the BSA will not be holding the Indian Summer Ball this September. But don’t despair, we have only postponed the occasion and hope to hold it in the New Year. As soon as the new school year begins we’ll be planning the ball in earnest. So watch this space!
In the meantime we’re still organising the very popular Winter Fayre and there’ll be plenty more fun, family events coming up. We have lots of big, exciting projects that we will be fundraising for next year, including a complete upgrade of the Foundation Stage playground behind the School.

Barnack Wildlife Watch Club
In June the Wildlife Watch Club learnt about butterflies. Unfortunately only the Foxes group was able to meet. The children had a great time collecting scraps of leaves, grass and twigs to camouflage cardboard caterpillars. They had even more fun finding out how butterflies are able to taste and smell during two games. The children sniffed out and matched strong smells, such as lavender, soap and vinegar, and then they used their feet to feel and match different materials ranging from cotton wool to cornflakes.
In July we went on a wildlife safari around the Hills & Holes. It was hot and sunny for both groups so we saw lots of wonderful butterflies, such as marbled whites, meadow browns, small skippers and ringlets, as well as plenty of soldier beetles, grasshoppers and crickets. The children were particularly impressed by the bright yellow and black striped cinnabar moth caterpillars and really enjoyed orchid spotting. The Foxes group was even lucky enough to see some frog orchids.
The Club will not meet in August, but will start again in September. School children will be asked to re-register for the Club at the beginning of term when a full programme will be published. We have some exciting meetings planned including finding out about hibernation, investigating why recycling is important and perhaps helping out with some practical conservation work at Swaddywell nature reserve near Helpston.
For more information about Barnack Wildlife Watch Club contact Jackie Rowlands 740640 or Jayne Lillywhite 755527.

Thanks from Doreen James
Doreen James and family would like to thank everyone for their letters, cards and messages of sympathy following Frank’s long and courageous battle against cancer. The support and kindness we received has been greatly appreciated.

Ufford Park Cricket Club
A very successful Frog Race was held at Limrose, Bainton, by kind permission of Elaine Ward and raised £400 for the Pavilion Roof Fund. The amount raised to-date is over £6,000. Other fund raising events have included a golf day, squash marathon, sponsored walk and the Bungay Marathon, plus various donations. Further events are planned to reach our target of £8,000 by the end of the year.
Forthcoming events include a Club Barbeque on Sunday 28th August at the White Hart, a Folk Afternoon on Monday 29th August, 2.00 pm at Deeping St James, a Quiz Night in October (details at a later date) and the Dinner & Presentation Evening on 2nd December when the Guest speaker will be Jack Birkenshaw.
The June Draw of the ‘105’ Club took place at the White Hart and the winners were:
£50 Nº 94 Mrs E Ward, Bainton
£30 Nº 82 Mrs Hinton, Newborough
£20 Nº 60 K Fane, Helpston
£15 Nº 31 G R Fisher, Northborough
£10 Nº 56 S Jackson, Deeping Gate
£10 Nº 49 J Harrington, Stamford
£10 Nº 40 G Mason, Peterborough
The 1st XI have reached the semi-final of the John Wilcox Cup and the 2nd XI are also through to the next round of the knockout cup.
Thanks are extended to Mick Thurlby and Bertie from the White Hart who have generously sponsored the Junior Section, which now has 30 boys and girls playing in the Under 9 and Under 11 Teams. A Presentation Event will take place on Sunday 7th August.
The Hunts Division 3 Team are at present in 3rd position, having played 10, won 6 and lost 4. 1st XI in Rutland League Division 2 are in 8th position – played 9, won 3, lost 4 and 2 were abandoned. The 2nd XI in Reserve Division 2 are in 6th position having played 6, won 1, lost 4 and 1 abandoned.

Bainton And Ashton Family Day
As we promised, the weather for Family Day was superb. The stalls were groaning with fantastic produce and bargains, the Bourne Borderers, a group of local Morris Dancers, were excellent, and the sports and games-as always- were fantastic. Pat and Eric’s ram was christened Thomas; the Barbeque and Pimms were first class, and the singing of some VE Day songs was frankly indescribable.
A real village community event for the whole family was the result and thanks must go to all those who put in such hard work to make it all happen, especially Major and Mrs Birkbeck who kindly donated their gardens for the event.
After expenses a surplus of £1031 resulted (last year it was £916) which goes to Church funds. At the AGM of the Church, about half of this money is donated to various charities. Roll on next year!