Author: Jez Wilson

Parish Council – October 2019 Meeting

Nether_Heyford_Parish_Council_2019

The October 7th meeting was held as normal in the  Baptist Chapel Schoolroom.

Like all Council meetings it was open to the public.

Reports from the District and County Councillors
P Bignell SNC gave an update on Local Government Reorganisation, outlining the course of events and the timing. The next Parish Council elections will be in 2020, and will be for 5 years, thereafter it will be for 4 years.

Lighting
Work continues on the plan to renew lighting. LEDs seem to be the preferred option, and show substantial savings. AW reported that the Lighting Working Party was looking to ask for presentations and quotes from 5 companies.

Public Participation
The chair thanked Nick Essex and Dave Musson for their work on the Village Millennium sign, which was being repainted. The work has continued, and the sign now looks stunning.

Roads and pavements
A gutter on Weedon Rd was felt to be badly overgrown. Clerk to ask Mr Gibbins to look at it. There had been complaints about drainage on Watery Lane. Stuart Mann of SNC had been in contact with the clerk and subsequently with Mr Thorneycroft as a local source of knowledge on drainage systems. It was reported that the previous drains in Watery Lane were now disused as they had tended to contribute to problems as water from the river would back up them when the river reached a certain level.

The Green and Play Area
Some steps are missing from one of the Play Area rides, some older children had been seen with them. The Play Area working party were looking at different catalogues and formats and were hoping to recruit some non-councillors. Jez Wilson had been very helpful.

Allotments
There would be 2 volunteer Saturdays on Oct 19th and 26th. New plot holders had come forward. SC asked for the rent letters to go out earlier.

Wildlife area is progressing well.

Footpaths
NH reported a rotten stile remnant was now a trip hazard on the path from the fishery to the church. Clerk to report

Churchyard
Limes to be pollarded when leaves come off.

Youth Club
New lights to be put outside. New helpers had come forward.

Defibrillators
Both checked and working.

External Audit
It was resolved too accept the External Auditors report.
“On the basis of our review of Sections 1 and 2 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return(AGAR), in our opinion the information in Sections 1 and 2 of the AGAR is in accordance with Proper Practices and no other matters have come to our attention giving cause for concern that relevant legislation and regulatory requirements have not been met.”

Overgrown hedge in South View
A petition had been put together and given to SNC who were appointing an officer to deal with this long standing issue.

Neighbourhood Plan
SC reported on progress. Midland Homes Association had been contacted regarding a Housing Needs Survey. SNC recommended that this be done again before presenting the NP for consultation. Site allocation would need to be worked on and must be well founded.

Precept Meeting
will take place on November and set the budget for the next financial year. Village organisations wishing to apply for funding must apply by November 25th at the latest.

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.

Council meetings take place on the first Monday of each month (unless there is a Bank Holiday)

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

Next Meeting
The next Parish Council meeting will be on the first Monday of the month at the Baptist Chapel Schoolroom at 7.30 pm and is, like all Parish Council meetings, open to all Parishioners.

For further useful information about Nether Heyford Parish Council and full contact details for the clerk and the councillors please visit our Nether Heyford Parish Council page.

The Foresters Arms – CAMRA Rural Pub of The Season – Autumn 2019

Foresters Pub

The Foresters Arms on WhatPub.com:
whatpub.com/pubs/NTH/108/foresters-arms-nether-heyford

Campaign for Real Ale
CAMRA is considered one of the most successful consumer organisations across Europe. Founded by four real ale enthusiasts back in 1971, today we represent over 190,000 members across the UK.

CAMRA Links:
camra.org.uk
whatpub.com
camra@camra.org.uk
facebook.com/campaignforrealale
twitter.com/CAMRA_Official
instagram.com/camra_official

Events: Village Hall Pantomime – Sunday 29th December 2019

Pantomime
Following the ‘packed house’ success of last year’s pantomime, we are looking forward to this year’s production:

‘Dick Whittington’ to be presented by The Looking Glass Theatre Company in the Village Hall on Sunday 29th December at 2pm. 

We’re already receiving requests for tickets so we advise you to book early before they sell out again. Tickets – £9 for adults, £3 for children up to age 11. They can be purchased from:

Richard 01327 341044 or 07801 862 140, Alwyne 01327 340803.

Letters: Thank You from Sandy Davis – October 2019

A thank you from Sandy Davis

My husband Norman was a great supporter of the RNLI and at the time of the September Prattler £140 had already been raised. It is a pleasure to announce another £100 of donations has now been given bringing the total to £240. This has been donated in person by Sandy to the ‘GREAT YARMOUTH LIFE BOAT’.

Letter received from RNLI – “Dear Mrs Davis, on behalf of the YARMOUTH and GORLESTONE branch of the RNLI I thank you for your very generous donation of £140 in memory of your dear husband. We do appreciate all donations; we have three boats to maintain which service the ‘NORTH SEA’, the ‘NIVEL’ and ‘BREYDON WATER’, also the southern broads and also we have life guards on our beach to safeguard families. We offer our deepest sympathy at this very sad time and hope you drew strength from family and friends. Kind regards, June Fuller, Hon Treasurer.”

The further £100 has also been donated in person by Sandy at RNLI headquarters in Great Yarmouth. A thank you letter is expected and will be published in the November Prattler.

Sandy is still hoping to raise more funds for the RNLI and any future donations, at any time, will be gratefully appreciated. If anyone would like to contribute to this worthy cause, please contact Sandy on 07759 007 279.

Letters: Happy Days – October 2019

Happy Days

The semi-detached dormer houses in Church Lane were built by Adkins and Shaw in the late 1960’s. After our wedding in 1967, Tony and I moved into No. 4 which was bought for the princely sum of £3,295. At that time most of the occupants of these houses were like us, newlyweds or not long married with young children. The land on which the houses were built had been owned by a Mr Potter whose widow lived at No. 3. The builders had not been able to develop the rest of the field because it was too low to support a sewer which is why the houses have long gardens.

At that time, the late Dennis Clarke who lived at the old bakery in Furnace Lane had a van from which he used to come round the village selling vegetables, fruit and fresh fish. He would park up in Church Lane and firstly visit Mrs Potter who was elderly and not able to walk too well. She in turn would have a cup of tea ready for him and so they would sit and chat and chat. In the meantime, all the potential customers were either waiting patiently or not so patiently for Dennis to appear. We became used to this routine and did not wait at the van unless we too wanted a chat but would keep checking to see if Dennis had appeared. But despite the wait, it was worth it just alone for the hand sized pieces of Plaice he sold, which were delicious steamed and loved by our children. Happy days indeed.

Maureen Wright

 

Dennis Bell

“I’ve still got the bell that Dennis used to ring when he parked up to start selling”

Trev Clarke

2020 Village Award Scheme – October 2019

2020 Village Award Scheme
northampton-ACRE-logo
Northamptonshire Action for Communities in Rural England

My husband and I came to Nether Heyford for 18 months in 1987 and have been here ever since, having realised what a great community this was. It still is – with a wide variety of activities going on around the village, many based in the village hall, in the school, on the sports field, in the churches, in the youth club and on the village green. In addition, I have recently been inspired by the fact that next year marks the 60th anniversary of the building of the village hall, built entirely by volunteers – and throughout the ensuing 60 years, volunteers have continued to manage and maintain it.

With these two facts, we could stand a good chance of being recognised as a very special village community.

As a villager myself and appreciative of all that Nether Heyford has to offer, I would be pleased to co-ordinate an application, with the help of others. To this end, I propose to contact and, I hope, meet representatives of the various activities. If I contact you, please be gentle with me.

The application deadline will be next April, with judging from late May to early June. That seems a long time ahead but, with Christmas and New Year in between, we need to make an early start.

Alwyne Wilson

Village Hall – News – October 2019

Pantomime
Following the ‘packed house’ success of last year’s pantomime, we are looking forward to this year’s production: ‘Dick Whittington’ to be presented by The Looking Glass Theatre Company in the Village Hall on Sunday 29th December at 2pm. We’re already receiving requests for tickets so we advise you to book early before they sell out again. Tickets – £9 for adults, £3 for children up to age 11. They can be purchased from:

Richard 01327 341044 or 07801 862 140, Alwyne 01327 340803.

Fete Photographs
Tom Dodd, our voluntary photographer has produced a large, colourful montage of this year’s fete, which is now displayed in the village hall. He’s happy to provide individual photographs – no charge but a donation to the fete funds would be welcomed. Contact him on: 07887 743157.

Village Hall Secretary
Following our recent invitation for a new Secretary, we are delighted to welcome two: Judith Cattermole as management committee secretary, and Pat Paterson as our new special events secretary. As next year sees the 60th anniversary of the building of the village hall, we expect to be even busier than usual, so our two new secretaries will make a valuable contribution to our team.

Alwyne Wilson

Parish Council – September 2019 Meeting

Nether_Heyford_Parish_Council_2019

The meeting was held as normal in the  Baptist Chapel Schoolroom.

Like all Council meetings it was open to the public.

PCSO. It was resolved that the employment of the PCSO would be continued for the time being, provided that Bugbrooke PC continued with their share of the arrangement, which has proved to be the case since our meeting. The PCSO is felt to have fitted well into the village and is making contacts with residents and businesses.

Car Parking on the Green. This has again become an issue with both Councillors and other residents complaining of vehicles being parked on the Green. This is felt to be unnecessary and unsightly and spoils the enjoyment of our magnificent Green for many residents. Council would be most grateful if those responsible would stop.

Lighting. It was reported that a start had been made on the plan to renew lighting. A brief needed to be written to send to lighting companies willing to quote.

Roads and pavements. Condition of Street Name Signs for The Peak and Manor Walk to be reported to SNC as the black paint needed to be restored.

The Green and Play Area. It was felt that the Play Area was in reasonable condition at the present, but that it would need refurbishment after winter. Clerk had attended a course run by the Open Spaces Society, and had been told that if the property behind Denbrook on Weedon Rd were to put in a planning application, then an Easement in order to allow access across the section of the Village Green would be necessary. Council should ask that this be a condition of the planning permission, and ensure that the applicant paid for it.

Fair. It was resolved to allow Mr Freeman’s fair to visit on the Middle Green from Sept 12 – 15.

Playing Fields. Mr Thorneycroft reported that the container for the Scouts and School was now in place. He had been told that the proposed Basketball/Netball court could not go ahead until an archaeological investigation was undertaken, Mr Thorneycroft had arranged this but would have to pay for the hire and fuel for a digger. Council agreed to pay for the digger costs.

Trees. A Robinia on Hillside Crescent had been damaged, and STS asked to deal with it. A Robinia on the Green would need to be removed because of rotting. The Limes would be pollarded after the leaves had fallen.

Allotments. It was reported that further expenditure had taken place on the shed, and more to come regarding a pond. H&S issues would be considered with regard to the pond and other water holding tanks; a risk assessment would be needed.

Footpaths. There had been clearance and strimming work carried out by the Rights of Way team.

Churchyard. The first internment of Ashes had taken place. It was likely that there would be a request for funds to help with re-roofing the Church after the theft of lead.

Canal. The railing had been re-painted on the bridge on Furnace Lane. Chair thanked Lee Pratt and Nick Essex for their continued work on behalf of the community.

Youth Club. To start back on 9th September, with a waiting list in operation. Anglian Water had repaired damaged drains.

Defibrillators. Both inspected and in working order.

Neighbourhood Plan (NP). It was reported that discussions had been held with SNC, who felt the criteria used for the chosen housing areas were not robust enough, and a further Housing Needs Survey needed to be carried out, as the Examiner might well take that part of the policy out if it were felt unsatisfactory. The NP was not as close to the consultation as had been thought. It was now felt that the NP would not be complete until 2021, but that it would be much safer with the additional work done.

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.

Council meetings take place on the first Monday of each month (unless there is a Bank Holiday) – the next one being on Monday October 7th.

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

Next Meeting
The next Parish Council meeting will be on the first Monday of the month at the Baptist Chapel Schoolroom at 7.30 pm and is, like all Parish Council meetings, open to all Parishioners.

For further useful information about Nether Heyford Parish Council and full contact details for the clerk and the councillors please visit our Nether Heyford Parish Council page.

Heyford Cricket Club – September 2019

HCC

The season is going well for the adult cricketers at Heyford CC. The 1st XI are still at the top of Division 3 but have had their lead slashed following 3 consecutive defeats against beatable opposition. The 2nd XI remain in second place in Division 8 having beaten the league leaders twice, but recently slipped up against rivals Wellingborough OGs 2nd XI in the battle for the three promotion spaces. It looks like being an exciting climax to the season!

Junior Cricket ended strongly, with our 40 All Stars enjoying a water balloon cricket activity at their last session, and the U11s winning their first game! It was fantastic to see the improvement of the children during the coaching sessions, well done to all the children and coaches at the Club for an enjoyable summer. We will be in touch shortly about plans for winter nets and cricket in 2020.

Thank you to everyone who came to our Fun Day at the Playing Fields in June, and
the Golf Day at Whittlebury Hall in July. These events raised a huge amount of
money for the Club and will go a long way towards paying for a new roller for the square, providing some more seating for spectators and practice equipment for both adults and juniors.

Patrons and Sponsors Day – 14th September:
We will be hosting a Patrons and Sponsors Day on 14th September, to thank all our patrons and sponsors for their generous support and financial contributions to the Club. The 1st XI will be playing at home against Wollaston (midday start), and we will be putting on some extra tea and a glass of bubbles for everyone who can make it along! Tea is usually served at about 3pm, and the bar will be open all afternoon. We hope you can join us for some or all of the afternoon.

Bonus Ball:
A full list of Bonus Ball winners can be found on the ‘News’ pages of our website. The June and July 2019 winners were as follows:

27/07/19 – 3 – Ceri John 29/06/19 – 27 – Jamie Pardon
20/07/19 – 32 – Adam Linnell 22/06/19 – 11 – Chris Peck
13/07/19 – 12 – Ray & Carol Cory 15/06/19 – 29 – Dave Livermore
06/07/19 – 9 – Colin Gillespie 08/06/19 – 43 – Adam Linnell
01/06/19 – 42 – Chris Andrews

Thank you to everyone who plays. If you would like to support the Club for £1 per
week, but also stand the chance of winning £25 each week then please get in touch
for more information.

Forthcoming Home Fixtures:
7th September – 2nd XI v Long Buckby (13:00)
14th September – 1st XI v Wollaston (12:00)
21st September – 2nd XI v Irchester (13:00)

More details about Heyford Cricket Club can be found on our website: www.heyfordcricket.co.uk or via social media where we can be found on both Facebook and Twitter.

If you would like to get in touch you can also email us at: heyfordcricket@hotmail.co.uk

Website: www.heyfordcricket.co.uk
Download the app: heyfordcc.teamapp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HeyfordCC
Twitter: twitter.com/@HeyfordCC
Email: heyfordcricket@hotmail.co.uk

At Heyford we try to mix good cricket with good fun. We play to win but we always try to play fair and we hope that all our guests will feel welcome.

Address:
The Playing Fields, Middle Street, Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire NN7 3NL

Location:
If you are approaching Heyford from the M1 (Junction 16), on the roundabout take the 1st local exit towards Upper Heyford. After about 600 metres as you enter Upper Heyford turn left (signposted Nether Heyford and Bugbrooke) Follow this narrow country lane for about 0.5 miles, until you cross a small bridge over the river. The entrance track to the Playing Fields is on your left about 30 yards past this bridge, just before you enter the village.