The newspaper for Nether Heyford & Upper Heyford, Northamptonshire, UK. Delivered free to every house since 1977.
Welcome packs are available for newcomers to the village.
The information in them helps people feel at home quickly.
If you notice that someone has moved in recently, get a pack for them delivered by calling:
Sue Morris, 21 The Green, Nether Heyford. Telephone: 01327 349387
Thank you
Jane and family would like to Thank you all for your messages of sympathy, support, kind gestures and flowers.
We deeply appreciate it at this sad time.
Howard would be very touched to see all the special messages that you have sent.
Sent on behalf of:
Jane Harvey
8 Hillside Rd
Nether Heyford
Lynda Eales (sister in law)
Published November Edition 2019
The Prattler
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 get in touch.
The Newspaper is supported by donations from the Parish Council, the Parish Church, the Baptist Church, Heyford W.I., Heyford Garden Club, Heyford Singers and Heyford Picturedrome as well as the advertisers.
Thanks are also due to the volunteers who distribute it every month.
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
Jodie Caller is 22 years old and is a Great Britain Judo athlete from Nether Heyford. Her judo career started when she was 8 years old. She has been part of the Great Britain squad and competing internationally since she was 14 years old. In 2016, she unfortunately tore her ACL at the European University Games in Croatia. Jodie had an operation and 2 years of recovery to get back to competitive judo. Jodie is now back to competing at the level she was before the injury and is continuing her judo career. Jodie has also been competing alongside studying and is now pleased to have graduated with a first class degree in Sports Coaching Practice from the University of Wolverhampton. She will now be dedicating the next 12 months to her judo career.
Her previous judo results include: 7 x British Champion | European University Games Champion | Cadet European Championships – Bronze medal | Several times European Cup Medallist
Jodie has funded her way through these competitions over the last year to get herself into the top 3 in the country, but the next goal is to medal at The Commonwealth Games in 2022. Each trip cost approximately £300 for her to attend. In order to qualify for the big tournaments, Jodie has to compete at various events around the world in order to gain enough points to be eligible for selection. Jodie receives no funding support from UK sport or the British judo association. Jodie is looking for any donations to help her to self-fund to these events to continue her extensive judo career. Any donations will be greatly appreciated. For more information visit:
www.gofundme.com/f/help-gb-judo-player-jodie-caller-achieve-her-dream
Rising Stars Sports are running sports camps at The Bliss Charity School in Nether Heyford during the school holidays with lead coach Jodie Caller October Half-Term Camps.
Monday 28th October: Gymnastics day | Thursday 31st October: Football day
Ages: 4-11 years old | Start: 9:30 am | Finish: 4:00 pm
Price: £18 per day (Early drop off is available at 8:30 am for an additional £2 per day)
Book early to avoid disappointment: risingstarssports@hotmail.com | 07428 411384
www.risingstarssports.co.uk
www.facebook.com/risingstars57
twitter.com/risingstars57
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.
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
“I’ve still got the bell that Dennis used to ring when he parked up to start selling”
Trev Clarke
The installation of the Basketball/Netball Courts at Heyford Playing Fields was
brought a stage nearer over the weekend of 7/8 September by the efforts of local
Archaeologist Dr Dennis Taylor.
As part of Nether Heyford Playing Fields Association’s (NHPFA) aspirations, the
construction of the new courts was planned on the recently purchased land adjacent to the existing playing fields. The project was estimated to cost £30,000 by Sports Courts UK. Funding has been obtained by a grant of £20,000 from the London Marathon Charitable Trust and a £10,000 Capital grant from South Northants Council. Planning permission has been requested, however the County Assistant Archaeologist applied for a condition to be placed on the application. This meant that an archaeology investigation needed to be undertaken to identify the age and character of crop marks which showed on aerial photographs held in the County Archives.
The cost of this investigation had to be borne by the Planning Applicant. NHPFA
had no funding for this, consequently the whole project was in jeopardy of being
cancelled. The only solution was for the investigation to be undertaken, at no cost, by volunteers. When approached, Dr Den Taylor of South View Nether Heyford, despite being retired, agreed to supervise the investigation. Mr Daryl Welsh of Flore offered to loan and operate his digger for a weekend and Mr Dan Musson of Bugbrooke also offered plant assistance. A further crew of 6 able bodied volunteers was formed and the investigation was organised and carried out 7/8 September.
The County Assistant Archaeologist Liz Mordue and Cllr David Harries visited the
site on the Sunday morning and Dr Taylor showed them the excavations. After
discussions, Liz Mordue agreed that the particular area was of no further
archaeology interest and that the County Environment Records could be updated
accordingly.
This was the second time that Dr Den Taylor had come to the assistance of NHPFA,
as he carried out a similar investigation in 2012 to enable the Bowls Club to build their changing rooms.
Dr Den is an interesting village character. After leaving university with a degree in archaeology, he joined the RAF as a navigator. He flew in De Havilland Mosquito and Super Sabre planes with the 58th Squadron and is now one of two surviving members of his time in the Squadron; he says ‘it makes reunions easier!’. With 14 years service, he left the RAF as a Squadron Leader and worked at several jobs, including being a bricklayer.
On retirement, Dr Taylor returned to Archaeology and after several projects earned his doctorate. He has 4 children who paid for him to pass his Pilots Licence as a 86th Birthday present. Dr Taylor is now a very spritely 92 and serves on the Village Hall Committee.
Thanks again Dr Den, the Basketball/Netball Courts project is now back on track.
Submitted by Geoff Thorneycroft on behalf of NHPFA
2020 Village Award Scheme
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
Eileen Drake
Sadly after battling a long illness Eileen passed away in her sleep on 7th July 2019.
Having lived in the village since 1976 she made many friends, many of whom gave help and support throughout her long illness.
She will be sadly missed by myself, son Ian, daughter Joanne, daughters in law Sarah and Rachel and her lovely grand-daughters Violet and Emerald.
Many thanks to those who made donations to Friends of Dantre Hospital and the Lewis Foundation.
Graham
The Nether Heyford Prattler 