Nether Heyford W.I. – June 2020

Here we are – another month on and still waiting for life to go back to normal! What can you put in an article about a group which hasn’t been able to meet since March? Well, one thing that came to mind was the news that, in December 2020, Nether Heyford WI will celebrate their 90th Anniversary! During a conversation with Mo Wright (a long time member) I discovered that she had a back copy of The Prattler with an article about the 50th Anniversary celebrations – memories galore with many good old Nether Heyford names that people will no doubt remember.

During 1930 three ladies, Mrs J. O. Adams, Mrs Punch and Mrs George were walking back to their homes in Nether Heyford. They had been attending the monthly meeting of the Womens Institute in Bugbrooke, where they had been members for three years. As they walked along the quiet lane, they discussed the formation of a branch of the W.I. in Nether Heyford and Mrs Adams volunteered to see the County Secretary at W.I. House in Northampton. When the required 10 ladies had been gathered together, the great day arrived and the foundation papers were duly signed in November 1930. In actual fact there were 48 members present, far more than the required 10! Mrs Adams was the first President, Mrs George the Secretary and their monthly meetings were held in the school where Mrs Carrington, the Headmaster’s wife, supplied the hot water to make the tea. Cups and saucers were loaned by the Baptist Chapel, carried over in a clothes basket and then washed up at home before their return!! By the first Annual Report on December 3rd 1931 they had purchased ‘6 doz of crockery and spoons, an aluminium tea urn and a large tea pot’. Obviously the clothes basket was too heavy!

Their activities were varied, sometimes a speaker on a subject of interest to countrywomen, competitions of all kinds, an Old Tyme Dancing class and Keep Fit classes run by Mrs Blaney. Subscriptions were 2/6d. They corresponded for many years with a group in Queensland, Australia and forged another link, nearer to home, with the Delapre Townswomen’s Guild. It was realised that the village needed a focal point for expanding activities. Fund raising of all kinds, including a Garden Party at Manor House, then occupied by The Vice President Mrs Shiel, raised a sum of £100. ”An ankle competition had been suggested and the Secretary was asked to see Capt. Shiel, Mr Knight and Mr Whitton with regard to judging same”. The minutes never revealed which gentleman was given the job!! As you know, the Village Hall was eventually built by volunteers in 1960 and is still the meeting place of Nether Heyford WI.

Our WI has taken part in raising funds for many charities, assisted at the Blood Donor Clinics, held Annual Produce Shows, have attended the Queen’s Garden party at Buckingham Palace, won the shield for handicrafts at the County Show In Nether Heyford and won the County General Knowledge Quiz in 1968. This was all in our first 50 years – what we do next is down to us!

So, we look backward to our Golden Jubilee Celebration and forward to our Ninetieth Birthday Celebration and see how life has changed in 40 years. There are many differences – those in travel, technology, communication and attitudes being just a few. Some of these have altered the way in which the Women’s Institute functions and few letters change hands now with emails having taken over. But the pandemic has brought some of the WI’s original baking skills back into fashion, with the entire nation rushing to buy flour and cake ingredients! However, the basic foundation of the WI hasn’t changed. In Nether Heyford there is still as much friendship, good humour and interest in other people’s life stories and crafts, as well as the love of our village life, that there ever was. If, when all this is over and you feel you would like to come to join us for an evening, please do. We would love to see you!

Mary Rice – Heyford Lodge – 01327 340101

Revitalising the Allotments – June 2020

Revitalising the allotments

Having spent over forty years teaching, I grew very accustomed to the sound of little people’s voices and since retirement I have missed that more than I realised. The situation has been compounded by the fact that we can’t even hear the cheerful sounds that emanated from village school at playtimes.

So, what has all that got to do with allotments you might be asking?

Well, I am pleased to say that another benefit of having virtually every plot on the allotments occupied is that we have many more young families joining us and they bring children with them. It is refreshing to hear and see them enjoying the outdoors, learning about growing things and appreciating and respecting the hard work of others. With a little guidance it is amazing how quickly children learn where not to tread! A particularly special thank you must go to the young people who have assisted on the community plot, whether that is simply deadheading bulbs that have “gone over” or more strenuous tasks such as digging, watering and moving soil and compost.

The current lockdown meant that a project about growing and sustainability, that we were setting up with the village school, had to be postponed. However, the allotments and the school are not going away and we are hopeful that when the climate is right, the project can recommence. If Coronavirus has taught us anything it is the importance of valuing the natural world and the provenance of food (and so much else we’ve taken for granted). There is so much to look forward to.

Where did that come from?

All that fine weather in April and early May really did convince a lot of people that it was safe to put out tender plants. What a mistake. Nature is nothing if not fickle and I am sure that by the middle of May a lot of allotmenteers were suddenly donning warm coats and saying “Where did that come from?” Beans, potatoes and young sweet corn plants were scorched by late frost. Some plants will recover, but where they won’t I suppose we always have the reopened garden centres. Gardeners learn from experience and dead plants teach us a valuable lesson.

The Community Orchard

Fortunately, the fruit on most of the trees in the orchard had set by the time the cold snap arrived so we are hopeful that this will not have been affected by our inclement weather. Cherry trees have been netted against marauding birds – although we’ll perhaps remove the covers once most of the fruit has been picked, just to give them a little something to snack on.

A big thank you must go to the volunteers who not only keep the grass in the orchard under control, but those who water and weed around the trees.

Sharing

We have a large table in the middle of the community area that has been used to display any plants that people have spare and are quite happy to share. A big thank you to the good souls who have recently left young lettuce, strawberry plants, assorted brassicas and seed potatoes. Where possible we will advertise what is on offer by posting a notice on the blackboard by the shed and on the notice boards at the allotment entrances. Do feel free to add more spare items as well as avail yourself of plants that others have left.

If our amazing growing experiences this season result in an excess of produce and you have nowhere or no one to give it to, do make use of the sharing table. It is good to share and allotmenteers are generally a generous lot.

Pathways

A big thank you to all the allotment holders who are able to keep their pathways mown and tidy and special thank you to Bill Corner for the conscientious way that he strims all those other areas that need attention. It really has been a feature that has changed the allotments so dramatically. Some pathways have, over the years, become increasingly narrow, which means that getting a mower along them is impossible – hence the need for a strimmer. Plot holders can, in a small way assist Bill by trying to ensure that any row markers or cloches are not set right against the path edge, thereby making it easier to strim and avoiding accidental damage to their equipment. If paths could be reinstated to their original width that would be even better, but I think that is an issue for the future and we are not even going there yet!

Equipment
A range of equipment is available for allotment holders to borrow when working on the allotment site; this includes mowers, rotavators, wheelbarrows, brooms and watering cans. Many people will own some or all of the above, but for those who wish to get access to such equipment, please contact Bill Corner (sue.corner@sky.com 01327 342124), Lynda Eales (01327 341707) or Mike Langrish langrish_heyford@hotmail.com 01327341390). We can ensure that you get the equipment you require at a mutually convenient time.

Allotment Holders
If you are considering growing your own fruit and veg, act quickly by contacting Sue Corner on 01327 342124 or Lynda Eales on 01327 341707.

Mike Langrish

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow”
Audrey Hepburn

Poem: Lets Hope by R.G.Smith – June 2020

Lets Hope

When this crisis is ended,
and the lockdown suspended
The crowds will all come out again.
There will be praises for the N.H.S,
Without them we would be in a mess
Praises for the shopworkers too,
For the help they give, to me and you.

Smiles will be seen, lots of catching up to do,
Getting to know each other again.
Lets hope the scientists and doctors too,
Give some comfort, for me and you
We will stand together and weather the storm,
Think of families that have been torn.

All we can say without a doubt
We’ve never seen anything like this about.

By R.G.Smith – Printed in The Prattler – June 2020

Heyford Gardening Club – June 2020

Please note that Garden Club activities have had to be suspended until further notice.

Spring (continued)
The weather has gone from unusual to downright weird; April has been the driest for decades, and one week after the hottest April day on record we had sharp frosts killing off all the tender vegetables that unwary gardeners had planted out having been misled by the warm sunshine. Northamptonshire has a particularly difficult climate for gardening, being so far from the sea it heats up and cools down very quickly producing frequent late spring frosts which can be quite severe, even in the beginning of June. I had to cover my strawberries with glass overnight as they were in full flower, but the glass had to be removed promptly the next morning or the bright sunshine would have boiled the plants alive.

Speaking of weather, I have got the impression that in recent years the amount of wind we get has increased considerably. Wind is (or was) something expected in the autumn winter and early spring, but otherwise only during storms. We now seem to have strong winds blowing frequently during warm weather making the soil even drier. It makes sense therefore for gardens to have some sort of windbreak; hedges and shrubs being better than solid fences and walls because they slow the wind down where solid features cause turbulent air in their lee.

Rhubarb
The weather has had a peculiar effect on our rhubarb, normally the easiest of vegetables/fruit to grow. In February and March it was producing the best crop I can remember, but since the cold wind we had in early April the pickings have been meagre to say the least. I have only managed enough for two jars of jam and a few desserts.

Don’t do this at home…
I recently read about the benefits of biochar, which is finely divided charcoal, as a soil conditioner. Apparently this can provide a source of fertility particularly for light soils. Not wanting to pay out large sums of money for the commercial product I decided to make my own from lumpwood barbecue charcoal. This turned out to be a bad idea; charcoal lumps are surprisingly difficult to break down and produce large quantities of fine dust which gets everywhere so a dust mask is essential. After a couple of hours of hard labour I looked like a coal miner after a shift down the pit. After all that I hope that this stuff lives up to its billing!

Runner beans
Whilst preparing an area on the allotment for planting recently I came across a large fleshy root which was producing some healthy green shoots. This wasn’t immediately familiar until I recalled that this was last year’s bean row. Obviously I had left a root in the ground and it had survived the winter. Runner beans are in fact perennial plants and it would be possible to treat them like dahlias and keep the roots over winter to plant out in the spring. But since they are so easy to grow from seed it’s hardly worth the effort.

Things to do in June
1. Prune early flowering shrubs
2. Plant out tender bedding plants and vegetables
3. Stake tall plants against wind.

Mark Newstead

~/~

www.heyfordgardenclub.com

For more information visit the Heyford Gardening Club & Allotments page

The Story of Heyford (Extra): Dear Diary – June 1954

June 1954

Dear Diary,

There are lots of new homes going up in Hillside Road and Hillside Crescent and new families moving in, including my friend Jane who used to live at Novelty Farm on the A5. It’ll be great having her so near, although we’ll miss our games in the hay bales and with the animals. Apparently her new next door neighbour is to be presented with the “key of the door” to mark the 100th Council house to be completed and the newspaper reporters will be there to take photographs, how exciting is that?

The old cottages nearest the green in Close Road have been pulled down. At the other end of the road there is a five-barred gate close to a little stream that comes down from the hills. The water then goes under the road and comes up again to flow along in front of The Peak, along Hillside Road, down the side of the green and again underground as far as Watery Lane, which is how it got its name. It then finds its way to the river. We have so much water around the village with the river and the canal and all these little streams in between. Let’s hope it all stays on course.

The old Jubilee Hall is to be pulled down because it’s no longer safe. They are only leaving the little wall at the front. Where will everyone meet now? Maybe in The Foresters Arms, I’m sure Mr. Rolfe would be pleased to have them. I don’t think the couple at The Old Sun would have them. I sit in their kitchen sometimes while mum and dad go into the pub and they bring me a bottle of pop, Dandelion and Burdock is my favourite.

Our new Headmaster, Mr. Warr, and his wife have settled in nicely, Mrs. Hazel has left and Mrs. Whatton or Madam as we are to call her, has started, so some changes have been made. This afternoon we are getting ready for Sports Day on the village green. I’m not very good at sports so I shall try for the Sack Race or The Egg & Spoon Race. I know I won’t win either but I better show willing. At last the school has toilets inside the building so no traipsing up the yard next winter.

I’m going to dress as Maureen ‘Little Mo’ Connolly at the church fete Fancy Dress competition next weekend. At 16 she was the youngest tennis player to win at the US Open tournament. I love the church fete with stalls, games and tea on the lawn. Most of the villagers turn out for it.

Because it was warm yesterday me and my cousin played a game in the chicken house. We got covered in fleas so mum got the tin bath out of the barn, put it on the back lawn, filled it with warm water and made us have a strip wash to get rid of them before we went indoors. We did giggle. So much for our chicken army. We’ll pester the pigs next time, they’re cleaner.

Polly

Letter published in The Prattler – June 2020

Quiz – Do you know Northampton?

Do you know Northampton?

The answers to these questions are place names in Northamptonshire.

1 Not a new place
2 Not under 14 lbs
3 Is Topsy upside down?
4 A naughty insect
5 Did royalty lose its head here?
6 A street
7 A small professor
8 An electric gadget used at breakfast time
9 Place of the firs
10 Isn’t there a milk container here?
11 Keep losing your hair
12 Sounds as if its manufactured to a high standard
13 A happy weight
14 One of two – not Chapel, the other
15 Is it a fault?
16 Not a soft part of a candle
17 The site of a battle in 1645
18 A farmyard and watery resting place
19 A lettuce and small wood
20 Badgers manor
21 This is a sad and serious place for animals
22 Sounds as if it’s some value to a builder
23 Add a point to this fresh meat
24 A golfer’s weight
25 Flower ending has changed
26 Does a singer tunnel here
27 A young animal with a drink
28 Visit this place for old records
29 Continue with the housework
30 Do you get burnt at this waterhole?

Quiz Answers

Parish Council – May 2020 Meeting

Due to government regulations prohibiting public meetings the May 4th, 2020 Parish Council meeting was held online, using the Zoom platform. This is in line with national advice and is the first interruption in public meetings in the history of this parish. At this time there is no indication of how long these conditions will persist, but it is almost certain that the next meeting, will also take place online on June 1st. Parishioners wanting to participate in the Public Session should check the Agenda on the Public notice boards or the Website for the meeting ID on Zoom.

Due to difficulties experienced by Councillors unused to using the internet, a reduced number of Councillors attended the online meeting, but a quorum was achieved and was supplemented by the District and County Councillors and one Member of the Public.

The May meeting is the Annual Meeting of the Council at which the Chair is elected, and councillors’ responsibilities apportioned.

Election of Chairman & Declaration of Acceptance of Office. Charles Kiloh elected as chair.

Election of Vice Chairman and Acceptance of office Lesley Dilkes elected as vice – chair.

Public Question Time Jez Wilson reported on volunteer activities during the emergency, and wondered whether councillors were happy with the website. Councillors thanked him for his efforts with food parcels etc during the last months.

Cllr Adam Brown reported that NCC were looking to re-open tips. He reported a tremendous response to the coronavirus all round, but 200 plus deaths. There had been a severe impact on NCC Finances that they would look to central government for help. On Local Government Reorganisation the first meetings of the Shadow authorities were due to take place. Highway repairs were still being carried out.

Cllr Dave Harries reported that SNC finances had been in good order; but that the Emergency had severely affected all Council incomes and felt central government would have to plug these revenue holes. He expressed concern for Councils who were less well placed.

Cllr Phil Bignell reported that the first virtual Planning meetings had taken place, and re-iterated that no site visits could take place. He encouraged applicants to send photographs with applications.

Annual Parish Meeting. There had been no Annual Parish Meeting due to the Covid 19 Emergency and the meeting was postponed until the situation improved.

Reports. Lights AW reported that it was hoped that quotes from Aylesbury Mains and Balfour Beatty would be forthcoming. AW had consulted the latter regarding “Smart Management” but it was not felt that this would be cost effective in such a small lighting system. NHB scheme had been reopened. DH cautioned that the wording on an application would need to be carefully considered.

Roads and pavements. It was noted that repairs were still being carried out, but that some areas such as Hillside Road were in very poor condition and were not being attended to.

The Green and Play Area Inspection due. The Play Area was still locked up, but it was felt that the inspection should go ahead. CK continued to do weekly inspections.

Allotments Allotments were felt to be in the best condition for years. There were no empty plots now. LE commended DM for work on the wildlife area.

Footpaths Felt to be in reasonable condition; apart from the section between Church lane and the river footbridge which had subsided and was felt to be dangerous.

Churchyard Tree work has had to be paused.

Joint Burial Board There had been complaints about the grass and foliage in the cemetery. CK would check this.

Covid 19 Emergency reports Leaflets had been delivered. It was reported that food parcel distribution was proceeding well and now included Upper Heyford. Medications from Bugbrooke surgery were now routinely delivered. It was felt that village volunteers were on top of the situation. Councillors thanked Jez Wilson and Faye Brassett for their efforts.

Internal and External Audit Clerk reported that the AGAR forms had been received from the External Auditor PKF late because of the Emergency, and that the Internal Audit would take place remotely. It was hoped to keep within the standard timeframe, although deadlines had been relaxed.

Further Grant Funding for Church Roof In light of NCALC advice, the Chair felt that further contributions should not be made; as Council had been advised that it was unclear whether such donations could, or should, be made to a religious organisation. Council were, however, obliged to take responsibility for the Churchyard, and there was a power enabling them to pay for the upkeep of the church Clock.

Reporting Highway and Footpath Issues. The Clerk will report issues that Council is made aware of, but Council would encourage residents to use the FixMyStreet service to report issues themselves as there will then be no time lag and first-hand reports are almost always better than 2nd or 3rd hand reports. The service can be found here: www.fixmystreet.com It is easy to use; you can have your own account and can check up on any issues you have reported.

Parish Council meetings in 2020 will continue to be on the first Monday of each month, (unless a Bank Holiday) and start at 19:30. The next one is on June 1st.

Clerk to the Parish Council: Guy Ravine, c/o Old Dairy Farm, Upper Stowe, Weedon, Northamptonshire, NN7 4SH
Telephone: 07935 931787
Email: netherheyfordparishcouncil@gmail.com

For further useful information about Nether Heyford Parish Council and full contact details for the clerk and the Councillors please visit:

Nether Heyford Parish Council Website

The Story of Heyford (Extra): Furnace Lane Bomb – John Butcher

bomb3

The copy of the local paper dated May 1952 does not give a very accurate account of what actually happened. My friend Robin Ellis (a Daventry Grammar School boy who was taking Chemistry lessons) believed that the powder inside the shells that littered the wood at Stowe could be used to make fireworks. We were not picking primroses as the article stated. We visited the woods and carried home in our cycle bags 6 bombs which we believed were dud.

We then took them into Mr Ellis’s garden shed at 19 Furnace Lane and proceeded to dismantle them. Robin then discovered that the detonator in one shell (Mortar bomb) had not been used. The pin however had fallen out and could not be found so we substituted it with a wood screw. We then decided to see if the detonator would go off ignoring the fact that if it did the bomb would also explode. We threw the bomb out of the door about 4 feet away from where we stood. It exploded making a hole in the ground about 4 foot round and 4 foot deep. The resulting noise being heard in Northampton. The shrapnel from the bomb split the chestnut fencing and went through Mr Denny’s (the next door neighbour) Greenhouse.

However Rob and I were unhurt and our first thought was to fill in the hole before his Dad returned from work. Before we could complete this though many men from the village arrived in the garden and we were both escorted into our homes by our mothers.

The local press arrived and interviewed our mothers and the attached cutting was the result. My mother was accused of bribing the press to change my name but I was very disappointed not to have my correct name in print.

The next day the army arrived and dug out the hole in the garden. What did they find? A piece of mortar bomb with a wood screw through it. This was the first of Rob’s and mine 9 lives.

John Butcher – December 2019

Poem: Grace Ramsey – May 2020

Grace Ramsey Poem

A bit of background to the poem and author.

The author, Grace Ramsay, was the pen-name of Kathleen O’Meara (1839-1888). She was an Irish-French Catholic writer and biographer, responsible for 11 novels and three works of non-fiction during the Victorian period. Her fiction covered a variety of topics from women’s rights to Eastern European revolutions, all dealing with social reform.

This poem appeared in her second novel, Iza’s Story, which dealt with the struggle of Polish patriots against the Russian, Austrian and German occupation. She was well-known during her lifetime, never married and travelled widely throughout Europe and the United States.

By Grace Ramsey – Printed in The Prattler – May 2020

Poem: Do you remember that spring ? – Becki Johnson – May 2020

Do you remember that Spring?

Spring

Do you remember that Spring, mum?
The one where we learned to dance?
We had loads of time together, mum,
I learned lots about flowers and plants!
Do you remember that Spring, mum?
The one when daddy was always home?
We ate all our meals together, mum,
And spoke to nana lots on the phone!
Do you remember that Spring, mum?
Where we did loads of Arts and Crafts?
We had whole days in our pyjamas, mum,
And had loads and loads of tickle fights!
Do you remember that Spring, mum?
When you put the tent up in the front room?
We had so many cuddles and snuggles,
I hope we have a spring like that soon!

By Becki Johnson – Printed in The Prattler – May 2020

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