Blog

Nether Heyford Tennis Club – March 2020

Our Court Refurbishment Project is soon to start. Two courts are being fully renewed and our third court will be cleaned and painted to match. The surrounding fencing will also be upgraded.

Watch out for our Grand Opening/Open Day in May

During this time we will be playing on them as much as is possible -with only a little break. So do come along and join us at any of these times:

Monday evenings: 7pm – 9pm Men’s night
Wednesday evenings: 7pm  – 9pm Social club night (all ages/abilities)
Fridays: 10am–12noon Ladies tennis morning
Sundays: 10am-12noon Open “club level” tennis session

During school holidays we aim to offer again “Free Friday Tennis”
Children and adult coaching also available.

For further information – please find us on Facebook or contact Jo on 01327 349094 Email: jodickson@btinternet.com

Website: clubspark.lta.org.uk/NetherHeyfordTennisClub

Full facilities and location details can be found on our Nether Heyford Tennis Club page.

Flower Society – March 2020

Bugbrooke and District Flower Society

We invite you to join us at our monthly meetings to relax and watch demonstrations by a fully qualified NAFAS Area or National Demonstrator. This is followed by refreshments and the opportunity to win one of the arrangements in our raffle. Learn how to arrange and enjoy flowers.

Meetings are held on the fourth Monday of the month at 7.45pm in Nether Heyford village hall.

At our next meeting on the 23rd March we welcome Louisa Rigden with her
demonstration “Spring Delights”.

A warm welcome awaits both new members and visitors and those new to flower arranging are especially welcome.

For more information please follow us on Facebook or contact Dianne on 01604 830063 or Simone on 01327 342167.

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The Bugbrooke and District Flower Society meet every fourth Monday in the month in the Village Hall. Our meetings start at 7.45pm and usually take the form of a Demonstration when a qualified demonstrator will create several floral designs which are raffled at the end of the evening and lucky members take home the beautiful flowers.

Flower Society affiliated to the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) promoting Floral Art. www.nafas.org.uk

Flood Watch – March 2020

The Storms
February’s main news headlines have focused on Atlantic storms, Ciara and Dennis which have caused chaos across the country due to prolonged high winds and heavy rain. Some areas have experienced 1 months rainfall in 24 hours (up to 150mm) with the inevitable severe flooding causing evacuation of whole communities from their flooded homes. For some this has been their third flooding in 3 years! Residents effected have said “living through a flood is the most appalling experience. Every time it rains your heart beats faster”.The trouble is todays news becomes tomorrows history and little action follows.

Suddenly the Environment Agency are realising that such events can effect mental health for years after an event with an increase in PTSD stress and depression. It is worth noting that our Flood Alleviation Study in 2017 mentioned health risks but the
Grant-Aid funding procedure did not include such a category. Surely this should be
rated highly in any cost/benefit analysis!

Clearly there is a growing problem with climate change and the increased risk of major flooding events and even the current budget of £4bn to 2026,less than 1% of the infrastructure budget,is woefully inadequate. The E/A claim that a spend of £1bn per year for the next 50 years will barely maintain the current level of risk.

Locally January 2020 had significantly higher rainfall than January 2019 and reached our expected monthly average total. With the ground already saturated and February being dominated by strong winds from storms Ciara and Dennis where wind speeds reached up to 60mph it was inevitable that another flooding event would occur on 16.02.20. Previous storms, Atiyah in Dec 2019 and Brendon in Jan 2020 winds only reached 40 mph. As a result February’s rainfall looks set to exceed its monthly average with the possibility of more flooding.

As 1 in 6 homes across the country are now at risk of flooding,excluding the effect of climate change, it is about time the E/A and local Planners refused all applications for building in areas of flood risk. 10% of new homes were built on zone 3 floodplain and in areas like Lincolnshire this figure rises to 100% where they have already experienced 7 floodings in 20 years!

The Government must now realise that flooding is a National emergency and needs to take immediate action to support those currently effected and make a concerted effort to increase funding for prevention schemes capable of dealing with future long term needs.

J.Arnold

Nether Heyford W.I. – March 2020

WI-Logo

At our February meeting we were told about the foundation and history of The Samaritans. I’m sure many of us knew of their existence but hearing first-hand of the commitment and incredible work they do left me feeling very humbled. The Reverend William Adams told us of their lengthy training, which teaches them that they cannot suggest solutions to people’s problems but just listen and support – and all completely anonymously on both sides. The shifts the volunteers work cover 24 hours, 7 days a week. I can only begin to imagine what the night shifts can be like, especially in the gloom of the winter months. It is a lifeline for many and one which can only survive with our charitable support.

We have a change of programme for March when Michael Peachey, a Northamptonshire artist, will be coming to talk to us. Evidently this is an evening of art for people who know nothing about art! I only know a little so, with luck, I will come home more enlightened. We will be meeting in the Village Hall on Thursday 5th of March at 7.30pm and there will be a warm welcome for any ladies who would like to join us. The cost of the evening is £5 and includes refreshments.

In April our speaker will be Jayne Jones who will be telling us about ‘Foraging and Cooking’. I can’t wait to see if she can tell me what to do with the enormous crop of ground elder that we always have in our garden (and probably in everyone-else’s, too) Who knows, Heyford ground elder may yet be able to rival spinach in Sainsbury’s next year!! But, then again…

Mary Rice – Heyford Lodge – 01327 340101

 

Village Hall – News – March 2020

In line with the aims of the original founders and builders 60 years ago, the current management committee continues to work hard to maintain the condition and facilities of the village hall for the benefit of all its users. For example:

New Storage Container
This has now been ordered and will be delivered in the next few weeks. In the meantime, the area to the left-hand side of the hall has now been prepared to form a firm base. Once constructed, the new container will provide additional longer-term storage for large and heavy items, thereby releasing space for more cupboards for use by the growing number of regular users of the hall.

Redecoration
In due course the hall will be redecorated in time for a succession of special events planned for this year. We face a challenge in finding the right time to do this, because the hall is now almost continually booked (a victim of its own success).

Kitchen
In the meantime, this is now being comprehensively cleaned and sorted, with the exception of locked cupboards used by other groups.

Outside
Shortly, another working group will tackle the weeds and moss around the hall – made far worse by the recent heavy rains. This will not only improve its appearance but also ensure safer walking on the paths.

Future plans
In addition to managing and maintaining the hall, management committee members are now organising several events such as the biennial Garage Sale in April and the Village Hall Fete in June, and are seeking a good DJ for the Anniversary Dance in October (know anyone?).

Some are also involved with a group of other village folk in gathering information for an historical exhibition covering the hall’s 60 years.

Busy but rewarding times.

Alwyne Wilson – 01327 340803

Nether_Heyford_Village_Hall_Book_2019

2020 Village Award Scheme – Update – March 2020

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

Nether Heyford’s Application: Progress report

I am pleased to write that, to date, 46 questionnaires have been sent out to village groups and organisations and 28 have been returned. This is an excellent response at this stage – and my thanks go out to all those who have responded so promptly. There is still time for others to come in so I am hopeful that by the time the judges want more detailed information we’ll be well prepared.

In the meantime, I now have a long list of activities and amenities, giving me a good general picture of Nether Heyford’s community life. So by the time you read this I will have submitted an application on behalf of the village, with two supporting statements: one about the village as a great place to live (Community), and the other about the revitalisation of the allotments project (Creative Use of Communal Space).

I have received much support from people around the village – which has been a great encouragement to me, thank you all.

Alwyne Wilson 01327 340803
alwyne76@gmail.com

 

The Story of Heyford (Extra): Sheep Dipping in the early days at Whitehall Farm – Hugh Adams

Sheep Dipping in the early days at Whitehall Farm

We used to take the sheep to be dipped at Upper Heyford. Jack Perkin and I would leave the buildings at Whitehall Farm around 1pm with 40 sheep, driving them along the road towards Heyford. We would pass High House Wharf where the West family (Coal Merchants) lived. On the right side of the road would be the house on the bridge where Ted Grey and his wife Ellen lived. Carrying on down the hill on the right by the side of the canal and past Mr and Mrs Fry (he was a carpenter) following on down the road towards the village, on the left the French family (now Adrian Hayes) – past the Cemetery – down the hill on the right, the Johnson family.

We are now in the village and on the left was Sid Eales shoe mending hut, past the little green. We would pass on the right the Butchers shop kept by Sid Capel (now Glen). We had to keep an eye on the sheep at this point otherwise they would escape down Church Street!! Next was Chapel Cottage, Mrs George. David Browning kept the shop, past the Foresters Arms, the landlord was Tom Rolfe. Now the sheep would take to the green where there was lots of good grass! Turn left into Middle Street past the School and School House where Mr Carrington, the headmaster lived with his wife and 6 children. Next to the Sun Inn was the Farmhouse, Mr and Mrs Will Smith, past Bens Orchard (full of Apple Trees), now it was plain sailing on the way to Upper Heyford.

Our destination was Dovecote Farm where Mr Cosford would be expecting us. The sheep would be put through the dipping bath. This would take about one or two hours. After a cup of tea and then the journey home with two tired men and a very wet dog called Nell. She had been dipped too.

Hugh Adams

Letter published in The Prattler – March 2020

 

Heyford Picturedrome – The Horse Whisperer – Thursday 19th March 2020

TheHorseWhisperer_PicturedromeMarch

The next film to be screened in the Village Hall on March 19th will be The Horse Whisperer, by popular request. It stars and is directed by Robert Redford and costars Scarlett Johansson, Kristin Scott Thomas and Sam Neil. It is a 1998 American film about a Montana horse healer (Robert Redford) who helps a girl and her horse who were both traumatized in a bad accident. The film is 2 hours 50 minutes and therefore the start is being brought forward to 7.15pm with doors open at 6.30pm.

Admission remains at £4.00 per person and there is no joining fee. There is free tea or coffee and a biscuit on arrival and there will be a licensed bar for the purchase of wine and soft drinks both before the film and during the interval.

The April film to be shown on 16th will be Peanut Butter Falcon, a 2019 American film which has received excellent reviews and has been highly recommended by one of our projectionists – praise indeed! After running away from a residential nursing home to pursue his dream of becoming a pro wrestler, a man who has Down Syndrome befriends an outlaw who becomes his coach and ally. It stars Shia LaBoeouf, Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson and Bruce Dern. One critic said ‘Go in expecting the best and you’ll come out smiling!’

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Tony Clewett – Phone: 01327 341533