Bishops Castle diary, prize for poems, secrets of birdsong and more

SPORT AND LITERATURE - Professor Jeff Hill is the speaker at the next You Caxton lecture on February 26, 6.30pm at 23 High Street, Bishops Castle. He will be asking the question can sport inspire decent literature, or should it be booted into touch? Entrance to talk free, with wine available. Call 01588 638728 for details.

WILFRED OWN REMEMBERED - Shropshire born poet Wilfred Owen is remembered at a talk in Bishops Castle library Wednesday, starting at 2pm, Pat Townsend will talk about his life and work at the first of her two Local Heroes poetry workshops. The event is part of Bishops Castle arts festival and entrance is £2 for library friends and £3 for guests. Refreshments will be served. Call 01588 638215.

HOCKEY ACADEMY PLAYERS WIN CHAMPIONSHIP - A team of hockey players from Clun Primary School were the winners of the Quicksticks Tournament for primary schools, held at Lacon Childe School on January 31.

Two teams from Norbury Primary School also took part, with Norbury 1 ending third in the 16 team entry. All the 15 Clun and Norbury representatives attend, or have attended Bishops Castle Junior Hockey Academy which is run after school by Vanessa and Jim Campbell at the Teme SpArC centre in Bishops Castle. Both Norbury School 1 and Clun School won their sections. Clun then went on to win their semi-final and final, having won all of their matches. They have now been invited at RAF Shawbury to enjoy a day of sport with other Shropshire schoolchildren. Norbury School 1 came third in the Quicksticks competition, while Norbury 2 played well throughout the day and did themselves proud. Bishops Castle Junior Hockey Academy meets every week at Teme SpArC in Bishops Castle and boys and girls from the age of four and a half to 10 are welcome, from any school. Call 01588 638978 CALL FOR PRIZES - The Friends of Bishops Castle Primary School are appealing for prizes for their bingo night on Wednesday. The event is in Bishops Castle public hall with eyes down at 8pm.

CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS - Cross country running clubs have started once again at Bishops Castle primary school with children from years three to six all meeting on the same night.

The school is also sending a cross country team to a competition at Lucton school and next month they will be taking part in the South Shropshire schools swimming gala at Ludlow.

TOP ACCOLADE FROM LAW SOCIETY - Medlicott Snows solicitors in Bishops Castle and Knighton has secured the law society’s quality mark Lexcel.

Lexcel is an accreditation scheme for law firms that assures a practice meets high client care and business management standards. To gain a Lexcel accreditation the practice had to undergo a rigorous application and assessment process. In joining more than 1200 other legal firms across England and Wales with Lexcel accreditation, Medlicott Snows is delighted to have achieved this accolade.

GRAND PRIX RIDER REMEMBERED - The Shropshire section of the Vintage Motorcycle Club met on January 30 with an illustrated talk by the president Vic Blake on the world land speed record holder Eric Fernihough. Vic described how he was invited to the anniversary of Eric’s death in Hungary, at which he was the only British person to attend. He went on to describe how Eric had ridden in numerous Grand Prix in the thirties with several wins.

Eric was killed in 1938 in Hungry while making a record attempt. After the talk Jim Codd gave members an insight into his work on the management committee of the VMCC. Jim also used this meeting to ask for votes for reelection on to the management committee. The next Shropshire section club night is on February 27 when Cliff Wood will talk about Bloodhound, the car being built by Richard Noble, to be driven by andy Green in pursuit of a new land speed record. Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting at The Inn on the Green, Wentnor at 8pm. Call Derek Trow on 01686 670626 for more details.

SURVEY SHOWS HIGH APPROVAL FOR LOCAL MEDICAL PRACTICE - Bisho’s Castle Patients Group (BCPG) is delighted with the high level of response to its first patient survey, which closed on January 14.

Preliminary analysis of the data indicates there is a high level of satisfaction with Bishops Castle medical practice. For example, 91% of patients who responded to the survey agreed or strongly agreed with the statement 'The receptionists are always friendly and helpful when I visit the surgery'. 90% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement 'The receptionists are always friendly and helpful when I phone the surgery'. 93% of respondents had been able to see a doctor within 48 hours of requesting an appointment and 91% of patients requesting an urgent appointment reported being seen on the same day.

Approximately 50% of respondents used the internet booking facility to make appointments and of those who did, 71% found the process quick and easy. 64% of respondents were female and 36% male, whilst 87% of respondents were aged over 50. The survey did not address the issue of the dispute between the practice doctors, but there were comments of support for both parties and reference to a desire for matters to be settled as soon as possible.

If you want to contact the Bishops Castle patients group email BCPatientsGroup@gmail.com; call 07967 306615 in office hours or write to BC Patients Group, Bishops Castle Medical Practice, School House Lane, SY95ER. You can also use the drop box in the surgery.

CALL TO SAVE FLAGSHIP EVENT - The chairman of Bishops Castle and District Tourism Company Henry Hunter has called for his fellow members to save Bishops Castle Michaelmas fair. He wants them to go to a meeting in the town on Monday and volunteer to help organise what he calls Bishops Castle’s flagship event. Meeting in the Three Tuns, Bishops Castle at 8pm.

Volunteers are sought for committee positions. In a letter to fellow members of the Bishops Castle and District Tourism Company the chairman Henry Hunter urged fellow members to attend the meeting on Monday and get behind the event in a practical way. If you are interested in helping please attend this meeting or email info@michaelmasfair.co.uk. Unless we come together to give this festival our support we may lose it from our calendar altogether which would be a huge blow to the whole area.

WALKING FESTIVAL SECRETS - Bookings are already been made for Bishops Castle Walking Festival and organisers have added some extra walks to meet demand. One attraction is a guided tour around Walcot near Lydbury North led by Keith Pybus, followed by lunch in the ante room of the 18th century ballroom. Awardwinning chef Simon Smith, has created a very special menu, inspired by tales of Walcot Hall and its former owner Clive of India. He will be serving a Shropshire Hills lamb pie based on the recipe which Lord Clive shared with the bakers of Pézenas, near Montpelier in 1768. Simon has given the recipe a fresh twist by incorporating Seville orange fruit chutney and serving it with a sauce using his Round Oak hedgerow jelly. A guided tour of Downton Gorge is another Walking Festival innovation for 2013 and this walk promises to be a spectacular discovery of an area not normally open to the public. You can also enjoy a walk to the new Kerry Vale Vineyard with a tour, wine-tasting, tea and cake. The vineyard tour and wine tasting can be taken separately without the walk if that suits. Wild swimming features again on the Walking Festival programme, together with an introduction to geocaching, followed by a short geocaching walk at Wentnor. To find out more, look on www.walkingfestival.co.uk.

MARY WEBB EVENING AT ARTS FEST - Shropshire writer Mary Webb is the inspiration for a Bishops Castle arts festival evening at the Castle Hotel on February 22, starting at 7.30pm, Janie Mitchell and Anne Marie Summers perform under the name Beguildy, a reference to a character in one of Mary Webb’s novels and also the name of village in the Shropshire hills. Tickets cost £3.50 on the door or in advance from The Castle Hotel.

PRIZES FOR POEMS - The prize-giving for Provocations, the poetry competition run as part of Bishops Castle arts festival will be on February 23 at 7.30pm in the church barn, Bishops Castle. The winning poems will be read aloud, with music by Daylevel and a buffet supper to help celebrate Bishops Castle’s second poetry competition. Tickets for the evening cost £8 from the Castle Hotel on 01588 638403.

SECRETS OF BIRDSONG - Pete Carty from the National Trust will be sharing secrets of birdsong with an audience at the Six Bells on February 24 at 5pm.

Using video and recordings, he will talk about birds found in the Bishops Castle area and use his knowledge and experience to interpret their song. The event is part of Bishops Castle arts festival.

FIRST WINNERS OF 2013 - Corwen Yapp won the top prize of £26.50 in the January draw from Lydham Church 100 Club. Robert Maddeley won £15.90 and Diane Pritchard won £10.60. If you want to join the club and help raise money for Lydham Church call Neil Hird on 01588 638379.

BISHOPS CASTLE DIARY, February 15 - 21 TOMORROW (FRIDAY): County Councillor Charlotte Barnes surgery.

Poppy House café, Bishops Castle. 10am- 11am..

􀁧􀁧 Lent lunch served by the Quakers.

Methodist hall, Bishops Castle. 12 noon.

􀁧􀁧 Thin Vision and Arcade Parade. Three Tuns, Bishops Castle. £2. Under 16s must be accompanied by adult.

􀁧􀁧 St Valentine’s service. Myndtown Church. 6.30pm.

SATURDAY: Ocean Blue live music.

Lydbury North village hall. 8.30pm.

􀁧􀁧 Auction. Bishops Castle public hall.

Call 01743 462763 MONDAY: Meeting to save Bishops Castle Michaelmas Fair. Three Tuns, Bishops Castle. 8pm.

􀁧􀁧 Coun Charlotte Barnes surgery.

Harvest Wholefoods, Lydham. 9.30am .

􀁧􀁧 Meeting to discuss future development in Brockton. Methodist Chapel, Brockton. 7pm.

TUESDAY: Revel in Dance. Street dance workshop for ages six to 14. SpArC Theatre, Bishops Castle. £12. 10am-2pm.

Call 01588 630243.

􀁧􀁧 Bishops Castle WI. Architecture - Rick Morris. Methodist Hall, Bishops Castle.

7.30pm.

􀁧􀁧 Film. Hotel Transylvania (U). SpArC Theatre, Bishops Castle. £4.50/£3. 3pm.

Call 01588 630243.

􀁧􀁧 Footpath Walking Group. Cilfaesty Hill.

4-6 miles. Meet Harley Jenkins St car park, Bishops Castle. 9.30am. Call 01588 620668.

􀁧􀁧 Quest Spiritual Network. The Challenge of Rudolf Steiner - DVD Jonathan Stedall. Grange Rd community centre, Bishops Castle. Entry by donation. 7.30pm. Call 01588 630648.

􀁧􀁧 Zumba - Sarah Davies. Norbury village hall. Weekly. £4. 9.30am. Call 0779 2872830 WEDNESDAY: Bishops Castle Film Society. Marley( 15). Three Tuns, Bishops Castle. 8pm. Call 01588 680445 􀁧􀁧 Bingo in aid of the Friends of Bishops Castle primary school. Bishops' Castle public hall 7.

THURSDAY: Three day Bishops Castle Arts Festival.

􀁧􀁧 Castle Players. Beauty and the Beast.

SpArC Theatre, Bishops Castle. £6/£3.

7pm. Call 01588 630243 􀁧􀁧 Quiz in aid of the Salvation Army.

Boars Head, Bishops Castle.

􀁧􀁧 Jewels from a Wine Dark Sea - David Preshous talk on Minoan art . Church Barn, Bishops Castle. Donations to Arts Festival. 2pm 􀁧􀁧 A Bunch of Flowers. Art exhibition.

The Gallery, Bishops Castle. Call 01588 630555.

􀁧􀁧 Coffee morning in aid of Lydbury North Church and Severn Hospice.

Lower Gardens, Lydbury North.10.30am.

􀁧􀁧 Lydham, More and Snead WI. A Supper Dish –Sarah Screen. Lydham village hall. 7.30pm. Call 01588 650315.

􀁧􀁧 Lydbury North WI. A Journey Down the Rea B Rook - David Preshous.

Village hall. £3.50 guests 7.15pm.

If you have any news for the paper, or a coming event to promote, please hand a note addressed to Julia Parker over the counter at Bishops Castle Post Office. She sends news to the paper every week. Her phone number is 01588 680445.The email address is jparker228@btinternet.com