Author: Jez Wilson

2020 Village Award Scheme – Update – May 2020

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

In this edition I had been hoping to announce the date when the NACRE judges would be visiting Nether Heyford to see our community in action. They were due to come in April or May. Sadly – for obvious reasons that will not now happen. At best, this year’s competition will be postponed until later in the year or, at worst, it will be cancelled. However, I would like to thank the many organisations who responded to my request for detailed information by sending in their completed questionnaires. Together they have helped to compile a vivid picture of our village community life in the early months of 2020.

If the judges eventually decide to cancel this year’s competition, I will ask the Prattler to publish our 500-word submission in a later edition so that you can see how fortunate we are to live in Nether Heyford.

Alwyne Wilson 01327 340803
alwyne76@gmail.com

 

Flood Watch – May 2020

Flood Watch

With the Country’s lock-down due to Coronavirus/Covid-19, the only bright spot has been the improvement in the weather towards the end of March into April which has at least provided the opportunity to catch up with the gardening and take exercise, albeit with spatial restrictions. The increase in footfall on the Nene Way footpath has been noticeable not only with the regular dog walkers but with families enjoying walking or the occasional jogger.

After the excessively wet February March saw a significant reduction in rainfall ending up at 80% of average and the start of a rise in daily temperatures. This continued into April when temperatures rose to 24 degrees with negligible rainfall until overnight rain on 17th April. With the Met Office forecast for the remainder of April when temperatures in the 20’s are anticipated together with low probability of rain it looks as though April will end up with rainfall around 50% of average. River levels have remained exceptionally low with any rainfall being absorbed in drying ground.

The flooding events in the North and West as a result of storms Ciara and Dennis have long disappeared from the news headlines. However a recent article highlighted the plight of those effected as Coved -19 impacts were felt. Families have been forced to return home to live in squalid conditions having to self isolate in the only habitable parts of the house, namely upstairs with limited access to facilities that we all take for granted. In the midst of our current problems let’s hope the Local Authorities / Government / Insurance Companies have not forgotten their promises of help.

In the current situation that the Country is facing the word “RESILIENCE” springs to mind. Like many words they can have multiple meanings and in the case of flooding it means accessing your own risk and providing protection measures appropriate to your property.

“ REMEMBER TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES AND KEEP SAFE”

J.Arnold

Heyford Bowls Club – May 2020

NetherHeyfordBowlsClub

We’ve all heard the expression “no news is good news” but I’m not sure in this context that it is necessarily true. I understand – good old internet- that the phrase originated in the reign of King James I when he said, “no news is better than evil news”, but he had not experienced Covid 19.

I believe in a pandemic you can get too much news. If you watch the television news too much it can have a deteriorating effect on your mental health. A case of too much news is not good news, because all the news is gloomy. And I’m still waiting for David Shulman, a journalist in the BBC, to produce a positive report that is not full of gloomy predictions.

Meanwhile in the world gone mad category: –
Wednesday: the UK is heading for the biggest depression in living memory; two to three million people unemployed. Thursday: farmers charter an aeroplane to fly in crop pickers from Romania.

In any case, won’t every economy in the world suffer some degree of depression?

One final thought. Have you noticed the unprecedented use of the word unprecedented?

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. Keep safe.

Geoff Allen 01327 349909

For more bowls club information please visit our website:

www.heyfordbowlsclub.co.uk

Heyford Cricket Club – May 2020

HCC

In the absence of any cricket until further notice, the club have been taking a trip down memory lane during April, sharing scorecard and match details of games of the last 25 or so years. The earliest scorebook we have is from the 1993 season, which would have been one the first seasons hosting cricket at the Playing Fields. A local derby attracted our attention. Heyford CC hosted Weedon CC, who folded many years ago. Bowling first, Weedon were bowled out for 134, with Chris Peck leading the way with the ball with an excellent 4-14 and club President Alex Kirkbride taking 2-27. It’s great that Chris is still turning out regularly for Heyford on a Saturday afternoon. In response, Jeremy Rice (41) and Pete Rice (28) set the chase up, and Dave Payne’s (29*) useful contribution
ensured that Heyford ran out victors by 4 wickets.

A number of the players in this game are still involved with the club, some playing occasionally and others supporting in the club’s activities. I’m sure if you’d have told this lot that in 2020 Heyford CC would have 3 senior teams, a thriving junior section, awarding-winning grounds and a not-to-be-missed end of season tour, they would be pleasantly surprised.

Like and follow us on Facebook to see more Heyford memories and the scorecards.

Coronavirus Cricket
The junior cricketers at Heyford CC were busy completing a Coronavirus Cricket challenge over Easter! We’ve created a fun video of 20 children and coaches playing cricket with a difference during the lock-down. With a little bit of trickery on the computer we’ve made it look like the children are bowling a ball to themselves, hitting it up into the air, and then catching themselves out! Check out the News page on our website for the full video.

Bonus Ball
A full list of Bonus Ball winners can be found on the ‘News’ pages of our website.
The March 2020 winners were as follows:

07/03/2020   42   Chris Andrews
14/03/2020   14   Ben Taylor
21/03/2020   41   No winner
28/03/2020   11   Chris Peck

We hope to see you soon, but in the meantime all the very best to our loyal supporters, volunteers and everyone in the village.

More details about Heyford Cricket Club can be found on our website 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.

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

The Prattler – May 2020

The Prattler is run by an active voluntary committee comprising of Sue Boutle,
Christine Watts, Vicki Hamblin, Jez Wilson, Nick Essex, Richard Musson and
Mary Rice. If you would like to submit articles or have any suggestions for future
issues, please contact us.

The newspaper is supported by donations from the Parish Council, the Parish Church, the Baptist Church, Heyford W.I., Heyford Gardening Club, Heyford
Singers, the Bowls Club, the Village Hall and Heyford Picturedrome as well as
our advertisers.

We have also recently received a grant from the One Stop Shop to help with
printing costs over the next few months.

Thanks are also due to the volunteers who distribute it every month.One_Stop

 

Community Wildlife Area – May 2020

View from The Wildlife Patch

2020 is proving to be a strange year in the Musson Household. We are all “locked down” and somehow, time seems to standing still whilst we wait for life to return to “normal”. Regardless of personal feelings the year is moving on quite rapidly. On “The Wildlife Patch” grass is growing slowly. The Seed mixtures that were chose with care and sown in anticipation are looking a bit sparse and patchy. Maybe now that we have had a ½ day of rain, a bit of warm sun will bring them on a bit.

With early butterflies in evidence I realised that I did not have decent photo of a Male Brimstone Butterfly. -The common name comes from the old name for Sulphur, alluding to the yellow colour of the male. These large, leaf winged, pale yellow/green butterflies can be seen visiting flowers from early April till middle or late May. Females are white with similar, leaf shaped wings. They emerge later in the season than males and can still be on the wing in early June. These Females can be mistaken for Large White (Cabbage) Butterfly to which they are not related. To my mind Brimstones are one of our most beautiful butterflies. There is something very special about the delicate leaf shape and colour, especially the underwing which even has an imperfection by way of a small spot on this “leaf”. Really, this is winter camouflage which enables them to hibernate whilst clinging to the underside of Ivy leaf clusters unseen. If you want to find one hibernating, you will need to take a torch to Ivy plants on a winter night. If you shine your torch on the underside of the Ivy leaves, the butterfly’s wings will reflect the torchlight whilst Ivy leaves stay dull.

Eggs are laid on Buckthorn (which we have in the Watery Lane Hedge). The Caterpillars grow quite large and lie along the centre of the food plant leaf. They are almost impossible to see as the colouration gives the effect that the larva is no more than a bit of extra shadow along the leaf midrib. We have both Buckthorn and Ivy on the wildlife patch so as long as early spring flowers persist we should have Brimstones for a long time. To go back to my photo, I found a really large Brimstone male, lined my shot up and pressed the shutter button. That is when the camera auto focus failed so I still need decent picture of my favourite butterfly.

Elsewhere, the Wildlife Pond is looking good; plants are being added as they turn up on walks or from donations from garden ponds. (no visiting aqua culture centres this year). We have bought some oxygenators and one Lily online which should arrive in May and some money was donated which was used to buy two marsh marigold plants. There are Tadpoles of Common Frog in the pond. These are preyed on by water Boatmen. There is also large round version of Water boatman. This is a species that usually lives in white water rapids (must have got lost). This one swims manically around and also catches tadpoles. We also have a few Pond skaters and some Whirligig Beetles that have flown in. If you have never seen this latter just go to the pond where it will swiftly become evident where they get their common name.

Dave Musson

Davemusson073@gmail.com 07942 674867

Heyford Singers – Desert Island Discs – May 2020

Desert Island Discs – your choices

In response to my request to readers last month I have had a few replies. I am going to begin with the one from Keith Rands-Allen, and for this reason… as many of you may know Keith experienced a horrific road accident two summers ago. It has been a long and, at times difficult journey, back to full health and mobility. But his determination and resilience to “return to normal”, together with the support of Julie, his friends and family, is surely something that we all aspire to in these difficult times.

Jill Langrish

Keith Rands-Allen’s Desert Island Discs – 29th March 2020

I’ve always been a great lover of Jazz music since my early teens. When my friends were listening to Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley I was listening to Acker Bilk and Chris Barber, and the love of Jazz has stayed with me to this day. If you come to our house you will invariably find Alexa playing the American radio station Jazz24.

So these are the musicians and their recordings that have accompanied my life:

Singin’ the Blues by Frankie Trumbauer and his Orchestra with Bix Beiderbecke on
cornet. (1927): Bix was one of the finest and most influential trumpet players of his age and a great influence on many Jazz trumpeters who followed him. Like many Jazz musicians he died tragically early in 1931 aged 28. His playing in Singin’ the Blues stands head and shoulders above the other musicians and his tone (“like shooting silver bullets at a bell”) melodic phrasing and rhythmic invention are exquisite.

Tiger Rag by Chris Barber (1953): This was the record that turned me on to Jazz. It was in a record collection in a house that I holidayed in around 1956 and I couldn’t stop playing it. The banjo player is Lonnie Donegan who later became very popular in the Skiffle craze.

Two Sleepy People by Fats Waller: Fats was a great favourite of my Dad. Fats was
a fine pianist, composer (Honeysuckle Rose) and singer with a wicked sense of
humour.

What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong: Louis possessed two amazing
instruments – his trumpet and his voice, and this is a wonderful recording of his voice in later life after he’d been forced to give up blowing. His timing and phrasing are perfect. It’s also a favourite of Julie’s.

Jungle Town by Ken Colyer: Ken was an irascible British trumpet player and band
leader who insisted on sticking to the original purity of New Orleans Jazz. Having been partly responsible for the Trad Jazz boom of the sixties he came to despise its commercial excesses and went his own sweet way playing to small audiences in small Jazz Clubs. This recording has Ken playing (in a school hall in Edmonton) a fine trumpet line, but I think is notable for the last few choruses which demonstrate ensemble Jazz playing at its glorious raggy best!

Fine and Mellow by Billie Holiday: This was recorded for television and is available as a video on YouTube. It’s notable not only for Billie in relaxed voice but also for the galaxy of Jazz stars that accompany her including (In order of solos) Ben Webster (tenor sax), Lester Young (tenor sax), Vic Dickinson (trombone), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Coleman Hawkins (tenor sax), and Roy Eldridge (trumpet). Billie and Lester hadn’t worked together for some time and the expression on Billie’s face when Lester plays his wonderfully cool solo speaks volumes.

Bill by Cleo Laine: This comes from the musical Showboat which Julie and I saw (to mixed reviews! ) in the West End. I can’t listen to this with a dry eye. It’s a sloppy sentimental tune but Cleo’s interpretation is wonderful. The lyrics were originally written by P G Wodehouse.

Concerto for 2 Violins by Bach: This is just liquid beauty. They say that if Bach had been alive today he’d have been a Jazzer, which is why I think he is probably my favourite classical composer.

Then there’s all the stuff that I’d try to grab as the ship was sinking and smuggle ashore: Vissi D’arte by Maria Callas, Potato Head Blues by Louis Armstrong, how could I leave out Barbra Streisand, or something by Duke Ellington or Count Basie? And then there’s Art Tatum and Miles Davis, and I can’t leave out something by that fine guitar player Gary Potter. It’s so cruel having to choose! Oh God, I’ve just played Nimrod again – how can I leave that out?

Well, there we have it. I’ve put a date on it because if I had to choose again
tomorrow I would no doubt change something.

The book I would take? I’m not a great reader, but The Complete Works of
Shakespeare would be useful – I would keep the sonnets and the rest would come
in handy for lighting fires.

And my luxury? Probably a saxophone (alto or tenor) with a supply of reeds. I could then learn to play the thing properly and play along with my Jazz heroes. Or better still – a fully loaded I-pod complete with a solar battery charger and earphones!

Enough of this torture! It’s time to send the list to Jill.

In the unlikely event that anybody would like some or all of these tracks on a CD I’d be happy to oblige.

Keith Rands-Allen

____________________________________________________________________________________

If you would like to find out more, visit the Heyford Singers page or our website:

www.heyfordsingers.org

 alternatively come along to one of our rehearsals in Nether Heyford Village Hall.

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Heyford Singers – May 2020

HeyfordSingersMay2020

A very Happy Birthday to all who celebrated birthdays during April (or since this current lock-down began). It was probably very different from how you’d expected or planned, without gatherings of friends or family to celebrate your day. Mine began with a 7.00 am telephone chorus of “Happy Birthday” from all my grandchildren, which fortunately I have kept it as an answerphone message for when I want to hear their joyful voices again.

We honoured Isabel Billingham, a very special lady in our community and in Manor Park, for her 90th birthday, with neighbours and friends gathering in the road to sing “Happy Birthday”, accompanied by Keith Rands-Allen on his saxophone. It was a really lovely occasion.

As this most beautiful of springtime unwinds, we are being treated to a daily
symphony of birdsong, from early morning until dusk. We now have the time to stop, to listen and to marvel at the different melodies being performed around us. The silence is also very obvious. Was the world so noisy and full of busy sounds that we have bypassed the magic of silent moments in our lives?

The quieter but distant hum from the motorway, or the less frequent trains hurtling north or south, are a reminder of those who have to travel to work, to keep us safe, healthy, fed and our utilities maintained.

When the telephone rings now it invariably means that a family member or friend
wants to have a chat, no need now for quick texts of emails, but to share and talk about ourselves and our days at home. Similarly I love to hear the 2 metre social distance “Hellos” or conversations as we pass other folk out on their daily exercise routes pass – suffice it to say that we have all made many, many more friends during this period than we would have done driving along in our cars.

I leave the most moving sound of all to last… that of the weekly Thursday night
applause for all those who are supporting us through these strange times, everyone in the hospitals, care homes, shops, schools, all those who deliver and collect for us. That simple act of clapping together, everywhere and by everyone, is truly amazing and heartfelt.

Keep safe, keep well and keep smiling.

Jill Langrish

____________________________________________________________________________________

If you would like to find out more, visit the Heyford Singers page or our website:

www.heyfordsingers.org

 alternatively come along to one of our rehearsals in Nether Heyford Village Hall.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Crafty Club – May 2020

As these are unprecedented times I thought I would reminisce about the Crafty Club.

In 2001 I had to retire from my full-time job due to a family crisis.  Then in around 2005  due to a chance meeting in the village, the Crafty Club was “born”.

I met two ladies (Tracey & Jude) in the village who were, at the time, attending a sewing class that was not all they expected.  From this simple conversation came the idea of opening our own craft club – but where?

Tracey, who worked in the local hairdressers, suggested asking her boss if we could use the premises on a Monday afternoon for this club, and so we had a venue.  At the time, (somehow) we managed to find six other ladies who were interested in joining our newly formed club.

Tracey, Jude and myself decided we would start at the beginning of 2006.  Then again, fate seemed to intervene as I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of 2006 so I missed the first few meetings.

Following on my surgery, and feeling 100% better I joined the ladies on a Monday in the local Hairdressers. Thinking back and remembering the nine of us sitting in a circle with each person bringing our “crafts”, brings a smile to my face.

Sometime later other crafters were asking about our club, and it soon became obvious we would need larger premises. That said, the group was too big for the hairdressers, but not big enough to fund bigger premises at a large cost.

One member of the group suggested approaching the Baptist Chapel with a view to using their “meeting” room and so enquiries were made to see (1) if it was available on a Monday between 12.30 and 14.30 and (2) how much it would cost.  Both questions were answered favourably, and so the Crafty Club was officially opened to anyone and everyone.

The three photos are of some of the original members busy in the Baptist Rooms.  Unfortunately three of them are sadly no longer with us – maybe you remember them

Some original members

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Photograph 1 – Mrs Wright, Mrs Wright’s daughter, Mrs Mattacola & Sue Madeley 

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Photograph 2 – Rachel Dunkley, Mrs Wright’s daughter, Mrs Wright & Mrs Mattacola

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Photograph 3 – Joan Eales, Olive Peck, Pam Green & Elaine Oldroyd.

[Mrs Wright, Mrs Mattacola and Olive Pack have since passed away]

From the start of the club having nine members, we have grown over the years and now have between 25 – 30 people on the list with an average of 20 attending on a regular basis.  Over the years we have unfortunately lost quite a few of our members as well as several moving away from the area.

The first Christmas the club arranged a Christmas meal at the Narrow Boat, which seemed to be well liked.  Following on from this the small “committee” decided that we could just as easily cook a Christmas dinner, with portions to suit all and so between 2011 and 2013 this was arranged in the Village Hall.

The party involved singing including carols, plus various poems/antidotes, with a “Secret Santa” present.   Between 2014 – 2016 we returned to the Baptist Rooms for our Christmas meal, as it was felt to be much more “cosy”.

From 2017 the club moved to the Village Hall, as the Baptist Rooms were proving too small with the ever-increasing membership.

Christmas 2017 it was decided to have a Buffet which was pre-ordered from M&S, and this proved very popular especially as there were little or no plates etc to wash!

During the last two years we have added some really “challenging” – although amusing games to the party which appears to have been a big hit with all the ladies.

Christmas 2016 the club decided to hold a Christmas Fayre in the Baptist rooms, with the ladies showing and selling some of their fine handicrafts.

One of the tables from this Craft Fayre

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With this success in mind it was decided from 2017 to date to hold an annual Christmas Fayre in conjunction with the W.I. who provided the refreshments and helped with a cake stall etc.

At the Christmas 2019 Christmas Fayre it was with trepidation that the Tree Festival was “resurrected” in the Baptist Rooms along with the Fayre in the Village Hall.  There seemed to be a steady stream of people coming to “inspect” the trees (which were all artificial and therefore identical) with the aim of voting for the best decorated tree. NetherHeyfordCraftyClub5

Since 2017 there are now “Workshops” organised throughout the year which have proved very popular, as it gives the ladies a chance to try new skills without too much outlay.

2020 is the start of the 14th year the club has been running and until this present pandemic the club is still thriving.

So to all you crafters and future crafters – take care and stay safe – see you all when this current crisis is over.

Chris Phillipps

Nether Heyford W.I. – May 2020

WI-Logo

The WI President, Pat Essery, and I were talking several days ago and likening the present ‘Lock Down’ to the war years. Although then, as now, several items of grocery etc. that we use regularly were almost unobtainable, she pointed out that what kept us going as a Nation was the one thing that is so difficult to have now – the physical company of friends and neighbours. In the busy lives we all lead it is easy to underestimate how important that can be.

This set me thinking about Nether Heyford WI who will be celebrating their 90th Birthday in October. Although I have lived in the village for 50 years I only joined the WI about 17 years ago. However, when I was researching the history for the 85th Birthday I came across a lot of names that I already knew and by the end I felt I had got to know a lot more. What the ladies of the WI did for the village was incredible and I thought you might like to hear about just one of the war years in particular.

1942, and it must have seemed that the war would never end. Money and food must have been short, although food was possibly a little better in the country than the towns. During the year the ladies had allowed themselves a little frivolity and gone on a June picnic. It doesn’t say in the Minutes just where they went but it conjures up a lovely picture of a line of ladies with picnic baskets heading off along the path to The Mill or sitting on our beautiful green. A moment out of time in the horrors of war. In October they spent some time discussing if they should carry on over the next few months. The decision was made to miss November and then try to carry on as usual. This they did by holding a Jumble Sale and Gift Stall in December at which they raised £15 for two charities. As £1 from 1942 has the buying power of £47.43 today (according to the internet!) that was some achievement!!

At their Annual Meeting they had a Balance of £3.

During the year: £4 was sent to the National Institute for the Blind
The knitting class organised by the WI knitted 303 articles for the Merchant Navy
The War Savings Group (part of the National Savings Group to raise funds to
support the war effort) reported savings of £540 for the year.

They also sent eleven and a quarter hundredweights of potatoes to Northampton General Hospital. This was the result of the generosity of Mr Adams (Husband of the President and father of Hugh, who, as I’m sure you know, still lives in the village). Every year he would give seed potatoes to be shared between the members to be grown in their gardens.

This is just one year of Nether Heyford WI’s war efforts and when I finished going through the minutes at the Records Office I felt proud of all those ladies who gave so much of their time. Although I was born in Towcester and, as such, am a ‘newcomer’ I feel very proud to live in this beautiful part of Northamptonshire and to be part of this community. It has changed very little and those friendships will surely be making a real difference to these difficult weeks.

Mary Rice – Heyford Lodge – 01327 340101