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Parish News May 2008

Pause for Though from Parish Priest: Canon Margaret Venables
The Rectory, Barnack, Stamford, Lincolnshire. PE9 3ET

It is probably with the exciting prospect of a new grandchild expected at the end of May that has made me think about nappies. I well remember the white lidded bucket I fed with Napisan and the battle to bring the cauldron of nappies to boil on the cooker top. A washing machine was just a distant dream and how I envied my mother her twin-tub! But, of course it is not like that now – in most cases it’s just a matter of releasing the disposables into a little bag and into the bin they go. Though it is easy, it somehow doesn’t seem quite right and is somehow linked to the sort of world into which we want the precious baby to grow up. I read some startling statistics recently: ‘A child will wear up to 5020 nappies before it is potty trained. Over 8 million disposable nappies are used in Britain every day. Most are put out with the household rubbish and constitute 4%. In a ‘one baby family’ 20% of the shopping bill will be spent on disposable nappies, which will constitute 50% of the family bin contents. Up to 75% of nappy waste is raw sewage. Some parts of ‘disposable’ nappies take generations to break down. It costs local authorities about £50m a year to collect and dispose of disposable nappies.’ Obviously, there are enormous environmental issues here and these facts and a concern for the health of their children led to the formation of the Real Nappy Association by two mothers. In 2002 the first Real Nappy Week was celebrated in April and Paul Burstow MP logged a motion calling on the Department of Health to ensure that maternity wards and health professionals give parent s the choice of using modern washable nappies and nappy laundries, and consider adopting a real nappy policy. Despite this six years on, these nappies are still hard to find in the shops! The cost of using cotton nappies is some £150 cheaper if you wash them yourself and two County Councils are providing money-back vouchers to those buying real nappies. Cotton nappies are also made of ‘naturally breathing’ fibres and so allow air to circulate. Nappy rash is less likely. How strange it is that we are so keen to make sure our children grow up into the best possible world, yetr at the same time pollute in this way. We speak of wanting only the best of natural products, tyuet we fill our bins with plastic rubbish – and plastic shopping bags are only the tip of the iceburg. Our Christian calling is to care and preserve the world and if one way of doing this is to join the Real Nappy Association, the, I, for one, will do so. I have already convinced one young mother to do this – and she is a midwife and has taken the benefits into her maternity unit. It remains to be seen whether I can convince my daughter to join in! And if there is anyone reading this who is about to ask me to baptize their baby don’t be surprised if I arrive to see you bearing not only a Baptism form, but also a cotton nappy! Happy ‘changing’ Margaret Website:www.realnappy.com

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PARISH CHURCHES - WEEKLY SET SERVICES & EVENTS:
All are welcome at any of our Services.

Morning Prayer will be said at 8.30 am at St John’s Barnack on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and on Thursday at 7.00am.

A Service of Prayer for Peace and Justice will be said in St Mary’s Bainton at 9.00am on Tuesdays, followed by coffee.

Prayer Group: Mondays 6-6.00pm Ufford Church

Children’s Church: Children’s Church meets on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month, during the service. Children of all ages are most welcome.

Family Services: A Family Service is held in St John’s Barnack on every 3rd Sunday. This service is specially for families and their children and is not a communion service.

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  Obituaries

Mrs Lena Grant 1911 -2008
Lena Grant passed away peacefully on 29th February at Casterton House Rest Home,at the great age of 97.
Born in Royston ,Yorkshire, on February 2nd 1911,and having two sisters Madge and Doris.
After leaving school Lena became a nurse, sometimes working in the theatre.
When Lena married Bill they moved to Close Cottage, Barnack until war broke out,and Bill became a Desert Rat, moving back to Askern Nr. Doncaster, then having three children, Roger, Michael and Angela, sadly loosing Roger at the tender age of three.
After Angela was born they moved back to Barnack living with Cecil and Masie Curtis.
They then moved to Pond Farm, then Uffington road until 1972,then moving down to Orchard road where they spent many happy years until Bill passed away in 2003. In 2006 Lena moved to Casterton House after a bad fall.
Lena loved the church and with her love of singing became one the church choir, which lasted 32 years until, with advancing years, her voice began to go, so she took up poetry.
A member of the W.I., Mothers Union and Darby & Joan she enjoyed life in this small community.
After Bill was diagnosed with throat cancer people would see her walking for miles, raising money for the Peterborough District Hospital cancer scanner appeal.
Lena was nominated as an Evening Telegraph Good Neighbour, after raising thousands of pounds for the cause.
Lena was married to Bill for 65 years, a loving mother to Michael and Angela,grandma to Joanna and mother-in-law to Sue and Pete.
She will be greatly missed.

Major Birkbeck
I remember Papa in red trousers, at the tiller of the old Caolas Mhor boat, looking out across the loch and chewing his glasses. On days when the boat wasn’t overloaded with noisy relations and sausages, he taught me to drive through ‘The Narrows’; gruff instructions blunted my complacence.
In bed, at Bainton, in the mornings, before his hair was tamed, we clambered all over him, his knees were mountains. Almost unaware of these creatures poking his face and kneeling in his groin, Papa’s only reaction was a sleepy request for the biscuit tin “Could you pass ‘the ducks’?”
I remember the thrill of being allowed in the trailer as Papa sped across the lawn to the bonfire or of sitting in his lap holding the wheel, always under direction.
After ‘tea on the terrace’, Papa taught me chess, patiently explaining every move. Sometimes he let me win, but not too often….
When Papa was angry, Papa was terrifying. To me, he will always be very big and I will be very small. I will never forget the day when I was shouting and stamping because I wanted a different Thomas the Tank Engine place mat. He growled, stood up and shouted; I quivered. No one argued with Papa.
Papa could do everything and knew everything. The amount of questions that I have asked that have been answered with “Ask Papa”, “Let’s see if Papa can fix it” or “Papa will show you” are too many to count. The walking sticks he carved always amazed me the most; I could never understand how he did it and jealously admired other people’s until I was ‘old enough’. Getting my porpoise stick was a very proud and long anticipated day.
Standing to attention on a sunny Bainton day, I picture ‘Papa the soldier’, the Coldstream Guard. Wearing immaculate uniform, a line of shining medals on his chest, everything creased and polished and his sword fixed at his side. For me, he was the war hero every grandfather is supposed to be.
Some things will always be Papa: His erratic squiggle labeling any useful book or drawer, the rack for all the keys, his chair, the battered old rhino napkin ring, his black change holders which he used to let me play with and probably most of all, the painting of Gran on the right hand side when you walk into the study.
More recently, at Oundle, I remember Papa as a friend. Looking up from a scrum to see him on the touchline, always supporting, while precariously balanced on his shooting stick, made me happy. Laughing together at tea afterwards while Gran caused a commotion or doing the crossword before lunch, which like many other things he will always be the best at, were great times.
As a loving and wise grandfather, as an inspirational man and as a true friend, I will always remember him and smile.

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So you would like to be married in Church?
Barnack, Bainton and Ufford churches are always willing to welcome anyone who wishes to married in their church. Unfortunately there are some legalities that have to be met – but there are also some ways around them!
If you live in any of the parishes you are entitled to be married in your church. If you do not live in the parish or have been previously married then you will need to have a conversation with the Parish Priest, but neither of these is necessarily a bar to the marriage taking place. Please do not consult anyone else as only the Parish Priest can make a decision.
It is a good idea to have a date in mind before you approach the Priest. Reception venues are often harder to book than the church.
Please do not be put off by the fact that you might not have been to church for a long time. The church is there for everyone, not just the Sunday congregation – and we love happy events!
If you are considering being married in one of our churches please ring Canon Margaret Venables 01780740234

Barnack Church Fete – 22nd June
You will have read in last month’s Parish News that this year the Summer Fete is to be held in Walcot Hall Gardens.
As usual I shall be running the plant stall but would be very grateful if any green-fingered people out there would grow some extra plants or, if splitting perennials, plant up a pot or two which then could be sold at this event.
If you have any queries please contact me on 740387. June Graham

The Acres and Little Northfields Garden Fete
The fete will be held In Barnack on Saturday 12 July 2008 at 2.00pm. Look for more details in the June Parish News.

Parish Magazine Distributor Wanted for Southorpe - Can You Help?
After many many years of faithful service, May Coles has decided to retire as Magazine Distributor in Southorpe. If you would be willing to take over posting the Parish News through letterboxes in Southorpe once a month, please contact Jill Miller on 740308 or the editor, Lisa Chadwick.
We are hoping to find at least 2 people to take over this slot, to keep the workload to a minimum!

Thanks to May Coles
Our grateful thanks go to May Coles, for her sterling work over many, many years. May has been single-handedly delivering the Parish News to every household in Southorpe since the Parish News began. All May’s hard work is greatly appreciated. Thank you from the Parish News team!

The Buttercross Club
The April meeting was cancelled as 2nd April was the day of Major Birkbeck’s funeral in Bainton Church. Over the 21 years of the Club’s existence, the Major and Mary have on many occasions thrown open their home and gardens. They have made an immeasurable difference to the quality of village life and its gatherings; Bill’s absence will be deeply felt by us all. We extend our sympathy to Mary and her family on their loss.
The NSPCC meeting will be re-scheduled for a later date.
On behalf of the Inner Wheel Club of Stamford, Jill Plant would like to invite all members to a Coffee Morning on Wednesday 23th April at Waterside, Ufford Road. Proceeds in favour of Rushey Mead Foundation. There will also be a Bring and Buy with a blue and yellow theme at the same event.
Our next meeting on Wednesday 7th May at 7.45pm is a talk by Mr R. Allum, Head Gardener at Burleigh House. We look forward to hearing about the development of the grounds over the centuries and about future plans. Our annual plant stall will take place on the same evening, so please bring along your spare cuttings and plants. RY

Christian Aid Week 11th to 17th May
Christian Aid week this year begins on 11th of May. Christian Aid continues to refuse to settle for a world of injustice. Christian Aid Week is vitally important in the continuing fight against world poverty, and is a huge act of Christian witness supported by 3000,000 people across the churches in the UK.
There has been a Christian Aid Week collection in our villages since 1971 and people from all our churches ie: Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and Church of England, are involved.
We are always looking for new collectors. If you would like to help, please contact Josie Irving-Bell on 740513. Please give generously this Christian Aid Week and help to make a difference tpo poor communities across the world.

Barnack & District Horticultural Show & Family Day
We are pleased to announce that the 2008 Barnack & District Horticultural Show will be held at Barnack School on Sunday 31st August from 12 noon. The day will offer lots of fun for all the family with stalls, games and a craft fair.
There will be some new categories for children & adults to enter in the horticultural show, but (for all veg growers currently preparing) the vegetable produce categories will be very similar to previous years.
The Committee are currently planning the stalls and supporting events for the show so if you are interested in taking part, having a stall or supporting the show in any way please contact us.
Entry details for all the categories to the horticultural show are in this edition of the Parish News. You can also check out the website for up to date information www.barnack-show.co.uk
For more information please contact: Debbie Martin 740048 or Judi Campbell 740420

Women Connect
The next Women Connect Meeting will be on May 15th at the home of Alison Longman, The Ridings, Barnack.

Barnack WI Is Expanding!
This is not a derogatory comment about waistlines, but an observation on the 16% rise in membership for 2008!
President, June Graham, opened the April meeting by reporting on her attendance at the WI Annual Council meeting at the St Ivo Centre in St Ives on 1st April where not only did she enjoy the entertaining address by Ann Widdecomb MP but also heard the report by Fay Mansell (Chairman of the WI National Federation) in which she commented that nationally the WI membership is dropping. Not so for Barnack! Contrary to this national trend, Barnack WI is flourishing and numbers have risen this year from 38 to 44.
The run of excellent speakers continued this month when Mr David Baxter gave a fascinating insight into the history of Stamford Hospital. David worked for 34 years in the Pathology Department and during that time developed an interest in photography and was given permission to sort out the hospital archives. He calls himself a “snapper-up of unconsidered trifles”, and he certainly produced some interesting ones for the meeting to absorb. The meeting learned that the initial cost of the hospital in the 1820’s was £7,447, and the building was designed in the style of a country house in case it failed as a hospital and had to have a change of use. In the early days patient admission or discharge could only take place during 2 hours on a Tuesday and some of the rules and regulations stipulated would amaze modern day staff. It seems that fund-raising has always been a problem for the hospital and there have been some ingenious ways of procuring cash in the past. It was also interesting to see pictures and photographs of the building as it has developed since the early 19th century. The 38 WI members who attended the meeting found David’s talk a real treat.
The next meeting on May 13th is the “Resolutions evening” and will take the form of a meal out at the Lady Anne Hotel in Stamford. Anyone who was not at the April meeting and wishes to attend, or anyone who did not sign the list this month, should contact Adrienne Collins to arrange transport and choice of dish.

Thanks from Hannah Wright
Thank you to everyone who came to the coffee morning in March to raise money for my British Schools Exploring Society expedition to Svalbard, I raised £138. Also, thank you to all those who bought marmalade, we sold about 200 jars. When I get back I will be holding a presentation evening but there will be more details about this in September.

Walk from Caster to Barnack
We are joining with Castor Benefice to walk from Castor to Barnack – a walk between two Saxon churches – on Saturday 10th May. We start from Castor church at 10.00am travelling via Upton church and arriving at Ufford at about noon for a picnic lunch. We will then walk to Bainton and on to Barnack in time for sung Evensong at 3.30 pm followed by tea This will be a ‘pilgrimage journey’ and there will be an opportunity for prayer at each church. Bellringers will make sure we are never beyond the calling of our church bells. Anyone is welcome to take part and you can do as much or as little of the walk as you choose. There will be a pig roast arranged by the Friends of Castor Church at Castor in the evening. Try not to miss this event – it should be great fun!

Spring Into Shopping At Bainton
The Cancer Research Spring Fayre at Manor Farm, Bainton by kind permission of Mr and Mrs M Bratley has become an annual event in the local diary. Whether you go for the shopping or for the delicious lunches provided by Tuk Tuk ,it certainly is an event not to be missed. So much so that the organisers will be repeating last years sell-out preview evening which will be held on Wed 14th May from 7 to 9pm. Tickets for the preview are £10 to include Wine and Canapes and a wine tasting by Adnams and can be obtained by contacting Jane Franks 740004.
Alternatively the Fayre will run as usual on Thursday 15th May from l0am to 4pm. Admission is £2 on the door. Offers of help with the refreshments would be extremely gratefully received,as would any offers of home baked cakes. If you can help in any way,please contact Helen Fancourt 740091

Don’t forget the Barnack Pub Quiz
Sunday night from 8pm at the Millstone Inn. Big money cash prizes along with warm welcome from landlady and landlord Lauren and Luke. Teams (up to five) are always most welcome. A great way to start your week!

Babysitter available
Local King’s School pupil available most Friday and Saturday evenings for babysitting duties in Barnack. Please call 01780 740808.

Friends Of Barnack Church 200 Club
We have been helping to safeguard the fabric of the church for many years now. Why not think about joining? The 200-club subscription is only £15 a year with cash prize draws every month. Should you be interested in joining this excellent cause and becoming a Friend of Barnack Church please contact Mr John Ward.

Carpet Bowls
Some founding members joined current members at Lady Ann’s Hotel to celebrate the 21st Anniversary of the Carpet Bowls Club. Friends of Doreen and Brian Walsh provided the excellent entertainment to round off a memorable evening.
The Carpet Bowls season has closed now until mid-September - dates will be announced nearer the time.

Fundraising for Sue Ryder Care
Richard Hardy from Bainton is climbing to the Roof of Africa to raise money for Sue Ryder Care, Thorpe Hall, Peterborough.
“More than £2million is needed to keep Thorpe Hall going every year and I have already raised more than £500 towards a £5,000 target I have set myself.”
The next fundraising activity is a Gilbert and Sullivan concert to be held at the Key Theatre, Peterborough on Sunday 18th May 2008.
The Wandering Minstrels, supported by Nene Opera will be performing excerpts from many of the Savoy favourites including numbers from The Gondoliers, HMS Pinafore, Utopia Limited, Patience, The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance and Yeomen of the Guard.
The Wandering Minstrels are in much demand and have helped to raised many thousands of pounds for charities over the years. This will be an evening to remember and should not be missed by Gilbert and Sullivan fans. Tickets are £12.00 each and are available from the Key Theatre: 01733 552439.
If you want to know more or would like to support Richard with his fundraising, please ring 01780 740505 or 07801096641.

Barnack Methodist Chapel
Our March Coffee Morning raised £135.10 and we thank everyone who came and supported us. The next one will take place on Saturday 3 May at the usual time of 10 am to 11 am. Please join us.
On Sunday, 4 May, we will be celebrating our Chapel Anniversary at 6 pm. It will be led for us by Mrs Sheila Wolfenden and a warm invitation is extended to everyone to join us on this special occasion.

Lenten Hunger Lunch
Many thanks to all who supported this event most generously. £140 was raised and was divided between our two chosen charities, Hope and Homes for Children and Family Care. To the donation for Family Care was added £39 collected from the jar to which offerings of loose change are given each week. On behalf of both organisations sincere thanks to all concerned. Josie Irving-Bell and Elizabeth Young

Barnack & District Horticultural Show & Family Day
We are pleased to announce that the 2008 Barnack & District Horticultural Show will be held at Barnack School on Sunday 31st August from 12 noon. The day will offer lots of fun for all the family with stalls, games and a craft fair.
The Committee are currently planning the stalls and supporting events for the show so if you are interested in taking part, having a stall or supporting the show in any way please contact us.
Check out the list of classes for this years show with some new additions you can enter. You can also visit the website for information www.barnack-show.co.uk
For more information please contact: Debbie Martin 740048 or Judi Campbell 740420

Barnack Bowls Club
The winners of the March draw were:
No 58 Sylvia Logue £25
No 68 Bill Harris £15
No 55 Judy Francis £10

Darby & Joan Club
Members enjoyed the Spring Lunch held at The Acres, provided by M&B Caterers of Thorney. They have played Card Bingo and have had a Craft Afternoon when they decorated an Egg which were all entered in the monthly competition and the winners were: 1st Mrs J Garratt, 2nd Mrs R Porter and 3rd Mrs E Hudson.

The Good News Library Van
The van will be returning to Barnack on Tuesday May 13th. This month it will come to Stan and Jessie Goodacre’s house The Lodge, Bainton Road, Barnack from 10.30 until 12noon. The little blue van holds a quanity of paperback books, DVD’s and CD’s on a religious theme, but they are mostly stories of people telling of their own experiences, and are not difficult to read. We welcome everyone. Some like to come for the coffee and a chat. Others like to browse through the books. If you have never been do try us. We are a small number of people,who would love to see others join us.

Village Ladies' Group
On Tuesday the 25th of March Carol and Robert Hughes came and gave us an insight into "Anna's Hope" their personal charity. It was a most eloquent talk accompanied by slides. We all found it very thought-provoking and felt very humble; we were able to give our donation of £300 to their charity.
The A.G.M followed with a review of the previous year's activities. The committee is to stay the same and the joining fee for 2008/9 to remain at £8 for the year. We discussed activities for the following year and voted for our charity for 2008/9.
On Tuesday the 22nd of April Dr Gail Glynn will be telling us about her experiences of running a Marathon in aid of "Anna's Hope". We look forward to hearing about all the effort and personal reward of participating in such an event. We meet at Ufford village hall at 7.45 pm please come and join us.
Tuesday the 27th of May lan Jones will be giving another of his interesting talks on "Blunders in History" (Prohibition). We meet at the usual time of 7.45 pm once again we welcome friends and visitors. We wish to remind you that we meet on the fourth Tuesday evening of every month at 7.45pm except in December and when we make visits out.

The Friends of Barnack Church
As you will see from the enclosed leaflet the Friends of Barnack Church were established in 1986 to help support the PCC in caring for the fabric of our ancient church. If you are not already a “Friend” please consider becoming one! The winners in our 200 club last month were,
£20 No. 142 Miss A. Addison
£10 No. 90 Mr. and Mrs D. Simmonds
£5 No. 64 Mrs. E. Young

Ufford Park Cricket Club
At the recent Annual General Meeting, Peter Taylor was elected Rutland League 1st XI Captain, T Rawlings 2nd XI Captain and Andy Larkin Hunts League Captain.
Improvements have taken place during the winter with the ground extension, new net area and sightscreens. All this has been made possible through the hard work or John Mason obtaining Grants and Fund Raising. The official opening of the new Net Area will take place on Friday 16th May at 7.00 pm. This will also be a Fund Raising event with a barbeque, stalls and games. Tickets are £5.00.
The final Draw of the ‘100’ Club for 2007/8 took place at the White Hart and the winners were:
£100 Nº 83 P Hudson, Ufford
£30 Nº 92 A Downes, Hartfordshire
£20 Nº 46 Mrs G King, Northorpe
£15 Nº 12 P Turpin, Peterborough
£10 Nº 41 Mrs E Parker, Ufford
£10 Nº 52 Miss L King, Northorpe
£10 Nº 22 Mr E King, Northorpe

Parish Council Notices

SmartWater
SmartWater is a colourless liquid solution that can be dabbed into the nooks and crannies of your personal possessions such as jewellery, ornaments and electrical items as well as items in your motor vehicles.
Each bottle carries a unique chemical ‘code’ which is registered to your address. It cannot be easily seen by the naked eye and is almost impossible to remove. The liquid glows under ultra violet light – allowing the police to identify the true owner of the property and whether it has been stolen. As the police routinely scan recovered property for SmartWater, criminals know about it and fear its power to forensically link them with the scene of a crime.
By coding your valuables and displaying SmartWater deterrent signs in your windows, you are sending out a powerful and long-standing warning to any thieves operating in your area. Each SmartWater kit has a unique reference number that will be registered to one address.
For further advice and help, please contact Carol Ashton at Cambridgeshire Constabulary on either 01733 424417
or 0845 456 456 4
or at carol.ashton@cambs.pnn.police.uk.

Ufford Parish Council Meetings April
Your councillors are:Clerk to the Council: Patricia Stuart-Mogg 01780 783678
Chairman: Ian Glew 07881 788741
Graham Bowes 01780 740578
Marian Browne 01780 740062
Frieda Gosling 01780 740343
Four councillors have been elected. Sadly Graham Bowes did not stand for re election, Ufford Parish Council would like to thank him for all his time and valuable contributions. Ian Snaith, a UPC veteran and former Chairman, has been elected.
1 UPC endorsed its commitment to maintaining the current village envelope and other matters as defined in the Village Design Statement for the benefit of residents. These criteria and the Local Plan provide the basis of all the comments made on planning applications.
2 There has been an increase in parking on the hill, close to the junction. Residents are reminded that this is both illegal and dangerous.
3 UPC has decided not to proceed with its efforts to provide a skip for residential use, due to problems in finding a suitable place to locate it and the conditions imposed by current legislation.
4 There have been reports of fly tipping in the parish and residents are asked to be vigilant. UPC will refer all cases to PCC, who will contact the landowner regarding its safe disposal.
5 The 20 trees have now been planted in gaps in the hedges in the field adjacent to Marholm Road and Ufford drift. They are mixed, native species, which should provide a visual and environmental benefit to the village in years to come. Funding for the trees and the clumps of daffodils on the hill came from PCC‘s Community Leadership Fund and was allocated by agreement with Ward Councillor David Over and parish council representatives. It is hoped to continue the programme of tree and hedgerow planting this year.
6 A flashing 30mph reminder sign for Ufford has been suggested for the 2008-9 allocation of money.
7 The Forestry Commission is proposing to remove the picnic tables and way marked trails in Southey Wood. The car park remains closed but access for walkers, cyclists and horse riders is still possible from Langley Bush Road and Ufford drift. We are still waiting for official confirmation of this right of way.
The next meeting will be the UPC Annual Meeting on Saturday May 3rd at 9am at Ufford Village Hall. Please note that this is not the Annual Parish Meeting, which has had to be postponed due to councillors‘ holiday commitments.
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held towards the end of May at a date to be decided and which will be well publicised. Residents are encouraged to attend the Annual Parish Meeting as it is their opportunity to discuss village matters,
Keep checking the UPC website for updates and make sure that you have taken part in the local recreation survey. www.uffordparishcouncil.org.uk