Bishops Castle

FLU VACCINE FOR CHILDREN – Flu clinics are continuing at Bishops Castle Medical Practice every Monday and Thursday, from 4pm to 5pm, until the end of November. This year the Department of Health is recommending that all children aged two, three and four should be vaccinated against flu, given as a nasal spray rather than injection. Bishops Castle Medical Practice is contacting these patients as a part of the annual drive to get patients protected before the winter. Please contact the surgery on 01588 638285 if you would like your child to have this vaccination. For more information on flu vaccinations and clinics please go to bishopscastlemedicalpractice.co.uk.

BOOK FAIR SUCCESS – A two-day book fair in Bishop’s Castle town hall raised £1,600 for the Target 250 Town Hall Renovation Fund. Organisers Evelyn Bowles and Sue Willmer thank everyone for their support.

FRIENDS OF SCHOOL – The Friends of Bishop’s Castle Primary School raised £509 for their funds with a bingo evening at school. Their next fundraiser is a jumble sale in the school hall on November 15.

HELP YOUR BUSINESS – Enterprise House in Bishop’s Castle has a business development drop-in event next Thursday, November 13, from 4pm to 6.30pm. Manager Mike Ashwell says: “We are assembling a wide range of support and business funding options at Enterprise House and representatives from a number of organisations will be at the drop-in.

Shropshire Council will offer business and grant funding advice, and the Impetus loan scheme can help if you need a business loan but find it difficult to achieve. Growth Accelerator is a programme that helps ambitious businesses to grow through coaching, workshops and match funding while you can also find out about the Business Enterprise Fund, which is a capital business development grant. County Training will be here to talk about the advantages of taking on an apprentice while the Redundant Buildings Grant can help your business to refurbish a redundant building.

Another exciting project is Optimising Business Broadband, which helps businesses take advantage of the new fibre optic broadband infrastructure being rolled out in Shropshire.” The event is free. Call Mike Ashwell on 01588 638038.

REMEMBRANCE PARADE AND SERVICE – Annual Remembrance parade and service at Bishop’s Castle Church will be on Sunday at 11am. The procession leaves the town hall at 10.45am. Everyone is also welcome to join Royal British Legion at Bishop’s Castle War Memorial on Tuesday at 11am. Older children from Bishop’s Castle Primary School will be attending.

REMEMBRANCE THEME – Bishop’s Castle town hall has a number of events in November to help commemorate the outbreak of the First World War. There’s a Remembrance vintage fair on Saturday when both floors of the newly refurbished building will be busy with vintage and retro traders, with music, a fashion show, tea and cakes and lots more.

Open from 9am to 5pm, entrance is free. Another First World War themed event is a free concert and singalong by the Rockspring Community Choir from Ludlow. This is on Sunday at 4pm. Remembrance is also the theme of ‘The Unreturning’, an exhibition by Shropshire photographer Nigel Bishop. The exhibition runs from November 8-29 and Nigel will give a talk on Sunday at 2.30pm. Tickets cost £3.50. Call 01588 630023 for details of all these events.

PASTRY PERFECTION – The October meeting of Bishop’s Castle WI welcomed Nicky Simpson as the guest speaker. She demonstrated ‘tasty pastries’, making a sweet pastry flan case and puff pastry. Members picked up lots of useful tips, the most important being to let the pastry rest before rolling it out. Everyone had a taste of the puff pastry sausage and pickle rolls as well as blueberry tarts made with sweet pastry. The next WI meeting is on November 18, in the Methodist Hall at 7.30pm, when Jackie Charnock gives a talk on flower arranging. Everyone is welcome.

QUIZ FOR NEPAL – Chris Penny and Vee Collumb, from Lydbury North, raised £520 at a quiz in the village hall. The money will go to Community Action Nepal, a charity that supports schools in remote rural areas. They thank everyone for their support. The quiz winners were Chris Vowles, Robert Milne, Lindsay Muir and Graham Hallett.

BISHOPS CASTLE DIARY – November 6-12.

THURSDAY: Market. Bishop’s Castle town hall. 10am.

  • Film. Belle (12A). SpArC Theatre, Bishop’s Castle. £4.50, £3. 7pm. 01588 630321 or 638038.

FRIDAY: Rhyme Time for under fives. Bishop’s Castle library. Free. 10.30am.

  • Volunteering in the community. Bishop's Castle library. 10am-noon
  • Auction sale. Public Hall, Bishop's Castle. 6.30pm. Continues Saturday 10am. Call 01743 462763
  • Quiz. Lydbury North village hall, £6 including ploughmans, 7.30pm 01588 680454.

SATURDAY: Vintage fair. Bishop’s Castle town hall, 9am 01588 630023.

  • The Unreturning . Photographs by Nigel Bishop. Bishop’s Castle Town Hall. 10.30am, until November 29. Call 01588 630023
  • Auction sale. Public Hall, Bishop's Castle.
  • Christmas theme jumble sale in aid of Edgton Church, Edgton village hall.

SUNDAY: Rockspring Community Choir. Bishop’s Castle town hall. Free. 4pm.

  • Talk. The Unreturning. Bishop's Castle town hall. £3.50. 2.30am. Call 01588 630023
  • Remembrance Sunday lunch for Lydbury North Church funds. Lydbury North village hall. £15/ child £7.50. 12.30pm. Call 01588 680618.

MONDAY: Out of the Silence – Simon Heywood. Story of First World War conscientious objectors. Bishop’s Castle town hall. £7.50. 8pm.

TUESDAY: Bishop’s Castle junior football club training for under-11s. Astroturf, SpArC, £2.50, weekly, 5.45pm.

  • Mainstone WI AGM and exhibition of former WI 'shop windows'. Village hall. 7.30pm.

WEDNESDAY: Bingo in aid of Jolly Jumpers for Malawi. Bishop’s Castle public hall. 7.30pm.

  • Talk. Hans Christian Andersen – Paul Binding. Lydbury North village hall. £3, 7.30pm. 01588 680302.

 

Clun

HANDS UP FOR UGANDA – Bobby and Martin Britnell, from Newcastle on Clun, are off to Uganda in a couple of weeks to Kisaaba, where they have been helping to improve life for villagers through Hands Up for Uganda, the charity they founded. Bobby and Martin are very hands-on while, getting involved in the practical work with the villagers, working with project manager, Fred Ssetyaba. Projects they are fundraising for include building a kitchen, which will cost under £700, and setting up a training programme in business skills for 24 to 30 members of Kisaabwa.

“We have been fortunate to have received a grant recently from Wales Africa Community Links and a priority on this trip will be to meet with the community, identify the trainees, meet with the training instructors and get the course set up,” said Bobby.

You could support this local charity and have some fun on a course making polymer clay beads with Val Harrison Jones on Wednesday at Moor Hall Studio, save your loose coins for Kisaaba, or visit the website to find out more about donating and Easy Fund Raising handsupforuganda.org or contact bobby@bobbybritnell.co.uk, or 01547 510664.

NEW ART EXHIBITION – Clunton artist, Noel Shepherdson, and Clun artist, Jacqueline Fletcher, continue with their show of recent work at The Old Surgery Gallery in Clun’s High Street. They are joined by Royal Academy Summer Exhibition exhibitor, Paul Hipkiss, with prints of his wood, lino and vinyl cuts, with Royal Birmingham Society of Artists members, Brian Fletcher and Jacque Wakely. Exhibition continues to November 17. The gallery opens seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm.

AUTUMN FAIR – Clun Methodist Church autumn fair is Saturday, at Clun Memorial Hall, 2 to 4.30pm. Stalls include cakes, preserves, vegetables, bric-a-brac, plants, books, stationery and toiletries. There will also be refreshments. Free entry.

FLICKS IN THE STICKS – The Grand Budapest Hotel (15) 100 minutes, is showing at Clun Memorial Hall on Saturday, 7.30pm. Tickets on the door. Adult £4.50; under-16 £2.50; disabled facilities, refreshments. Enquiries 01588 640254.

WALKING FOR HEALTH – Short walk around the town every Tuesday. Meet at the Maltings Café, at 10.30am.

CLUN RAMBLERS – Next walk is Wednesday, meeting at Clun Memorial Hall car park. No dogs.

NEWCASTLE GARDEN SOCIETY – Newcastle Garden Society’s next meeting and AGM is next Thursday, November 13, at Newcastle Community Centre, 7.30pm.

 

Tenbury

TENBURY COMMUNITY POOL – Orchard Valley Foods takes the plunge and pledges funds to Tenbury Community Pool. Burford-based Orchard Valley Foods has committed long-term financial support to Tenbury Community Pool, helping to ensure this fantastic facility remains available for residents for years to come. With the majority of Orchard Valley Foods’ staff living in a five-mile radius of Tenbury, its directors see the pool as a worthy cause from which employees and the Tenbury community can benefit. Staff from Orchard Valley Foods swim, do aqua aerobics, have received their life-saving badges, take their children swimming, and, in the past, have themselves learned to swim at the pool.

Several people at OVF remember the community fundraising and the building of the pool about 40 years ago.

Managing director Mike Forrester said: “Tenbury Pool came out of a community initiative, and was built, then managed by the guild, which has now evolved to Tenbury Community Pool Limited. We’re delighted, as a Burford firm, to be supporting the swimming pool, and would encourage other Tenbury businesses to follow suit, and for people to use the pool. We’re pleased that the first tranche of Orchard Valley Foods’ donation will go towards building maintenance and the setting up of a lottery – one of the many other fundraising activities underway.” Jane Jenner from TCP said: “This is a wonderful gesture of support from Orchard Valley Foods for the swimming pool and gym. Tenbury Community Pool is very grateful for this and is looking forward to a fantastic partnership with Orchard Valley Foods over the next five years. This gets TCP’s fundraising off to a great start.”

AFTERNOON DANCE – With Allister and Naomi. Little Hereford village hall, November 19, 2pm-4.30pm. Ballroom, Latin and sequence. £4 includes tea and biscuits. For further information, call Al on 01568 613643, Naomi on 01588 674823 or npayne14@yahoo.co.uk. Raffle proceeds to Tenbury Hospital.

BOOKS BOOZE AND BANTER GROUP – Mr Lynch’s Holiday by Catherine O’Flynn. Tenbury Library, November 19, 7.30pm. New readers very welcome.

COFFEE AND CHAT – A warm welcome awaits you tomorrow, and the first Friday of each month, 10am to noon, at The Pump Rooms. Organised by the Tenbury Branch of the U3A this is a great way to find out what we have to offer that might interest you – activities range from archaeology to ukelele (via knitting, sewing, bridge and lots of other subjects). So do drop in for friendly coffee and chat, make new friends and discover a new talent or interest.

 

The Strettons

AGM – The annual general meeting of Stretton Climate Care will take place at the Methodist Church, 7pm today, which will be followed by a talk by Professor Rod Thomson, director of Public Health for Shropshire.

PUBLIC SESSIONS – Today, a drop- in session at the Silvester Horne Institute between 2.30pm-6.30pm for everyone to find out about the proposals for the Church Stretton Library, and to express their views. This event will be followed by the LJC meeting at 7pm when this item is also on the agenda.

BOOK SALE – The Mayfair Book Sale is Friday and Saturday selling books, CDs and DVDs. Donations of items for the sale may be taken to Mayfair in advance or directly to the sale.

MUSIC NIGHT – A music night has been arranged tomorrow for the Friday Night at the Horne programme featuring acoustic, jazz, contemporary and folk music. Tickets from the town council offices, John Thomas Florists and Burway Books, and at the door if space permits. A bar will be open.

CHOIR – Shrewsbury Male Voice Choir, supported by Craven Arms Men’s Chorus, will be in concert at Church Stretton School on Saturday, at 7.30pm for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

CANCER CARE – The Stretton and Shropshire Cancer Care Group will be meeting at Mayfair Community Centre on Monday at 2.30pm for a talk about the National Garden Scheme to be given by Mrs Chris Neil who is the county organiser for the NGS in Shropshire and she and her husband have a two-acre garden in the county. The NGS raises funds for Marie Curie and MacMillan and are among their largest sponsors.

Mrs Neil will be illustrating her talk about the history of the NGS and about some of the gardens which open as part of the scheme in the county. For information about Stretton and Shropshire Cancer Care Group ring 01694 723427 or 722123.

WIVES AND FRIENDS – The Wives and Friends Group meeting on Tuesday will feature an evening of poetry and prose by Adrian Williams. Meetings are at the Methodist Hall, 7.30pm, all are welcome. Non- members admission £3.

YOGA – At Leebotwood village hall, Thursday mornings 10.30am-noon, call 01694 724317.

BRIDGE – Thursday afternoons are for Bridge Club at All Stretton village hall from 1.15pm. Table fees cost £2 and include refreshment, partners are provided. If you need a lift, require tuition or wish to refresh your game, call 01694 723128 or 722438.

WALKING FOOTBALL – Anyone interesting in finding out more about walking football, call Ken 01694 724957 as taster sessions are available.

LONGMYND HIKE – A debriefing session for Longmynd Hike revealed there were 439 starters and 372 finishers in the time, with just 62 retirements, the least number of retirements known for some years. Disappointingly 150 entrants did not start. Scout Group said that the Longmynd Hike was good for Scouting. Once again the chairman expressed his thanks to all who helped in any way to make the event a success. The annual general meeting will be held on January 25, 2015 and online entries will be accepted from June 14, for the 2015 Longmynd Hike.

PRESENTATION – There was a presentation at Scrappies on November 1, at 1.30pm when two partially sighted people along with a guide dog dropped in to collect the plastic milk carton tops which Scrappies had been getting together to help raise funds for the blind. Saturday mornings are also children craft mornings.

SCHOOL NEWS – The school is collecting clean plastic milk cartons complete with lids for class two to build a milk carton igloo, and items for the shoe box appeal would also be welcome to help fill extra boxes.

Open days have been arranged for parents of pre-school children, and after-school care provision is being considered for the new year. The Friends of the School hold their annual general meeting at the Bucks Head on Tuesday, at 7.30pm. At Church Stretton School two students have had success in British Cycling, and staff member, Mr Smith has cycled from London to Paris and thanks those who have helped him to raise more than £3,000 for Action Medical Research. Mr Hughes, of the maths department, cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats covering the 950 miles in 20 days just for the fun of it. The school community took part in annual sponsored walk in September, with students dressing up in their house colours, raising funds to enhance the school facilities and support charities chosen by the students.

TALK – Autumn talk arranged by the Rail Users’ Association heard Dave Waldron talk about the rebuilding of the Welsh Highland Railway, a 25-mile long restored narrow gauge heritage railway operating form Caernarvon to Porthmadog passing through a number of tourist destinations. The civil engineering of the restoration project was undertaken by contractors with the track built by volunteers, and the project has since received a number of awards. At Porthmadog the WHR now connects with the Ffestiniog Railway’s re- ordered station. Talk was illustrated with pictures of the re-building and rounded off with a video showing the running of the trains.

GARDEN CLUB – The Church Stretton and District Gardening Club invited Susan Russell to speak at the October meeting. In her illustrated talk she offered ideas of plants for the herbaceous border which gave interest for every month of the year. She then answered questions and gave advice from her own experience while running a small garden centre with her husband. A vote of thanks was given by the chairman who also announced that there was a change to the programme for next meeting.

MAYFAIR – Mayfair Community Centre would like to encourage people to help with one of the current projects which helps to increase awareness of Manage Your Health online, through NHS resources on line. The lucky numbers in the October lottery for Mayfair were 244, 139, 478 and 52 winning £100, £50, £20 and £10 respectively.

FOOD BANK – The items most needed by the food bank are now small packets of cereal especially cereal bars, sugar, tinned fruit, jam, pasta sauces in packets, UHT milk, powdered milk, fruit juice and squash. Thank you to all who contribute items to the food bank collection at the Co-Op. Please ensure everything is in date, and thank you to all who contribute to the food bank at the Co-Op.

GREEN PARTY – The Green Party will be in Bridgnorth collecting signatures for a petition to support the NHS and Homestart Saturday and will hold an ideas session and training afternoon at Myriad Organics in Ludlow on November 15, 2pm-4pm when John Whitelegg will be present.

SMALLHOLDERS – Shropshire Smallholders meet next Thursday, November 13, at Leebotwood village hall, Veggie Growing the permaculture way will be the subject of Steve Jones’ talk. Visitors welcome and to find out more ring 01588 640538.

COFFEE MORNING – At All Stretton village hall, November 14, 10am- noon, raffle, cakes, card stalls. £2 includes tea, coffee and cake.

 

Westhope

WESTHOPE CLOVER CLUB – Members all enjoyed the fish and chips lunch at the Swan Inn – 36 members attended. Thanks to the staff for. Next time members meet will be next Thursday, November 13, 7pm, for prize bingo. Fundraiser for the Christmas party.

WHIST DRIVES – November 17, whist and sherry £1.50; December 1, autumn show whist £2; December 15, village hall Christmas, whist £2. All start at 8pm, including refreshments.

VILLAGE HALL LOTTERY – October draw winners: first, £32.10 Edward Cornes, Westhope. Four prize winners of £5.35: Mrs Cartwright, Gloucester, Sue Lewis, Westhope, Bob Rainford, Burwood and Patsie Rainford, Burwood.

DIDDLEBURY AND WESTHOPE WI – We all look forward to the October meeting. Members were welcomed by the president and the minutes were read and signed. We enjoyed the grand meeting at Ditton Priors and six of our members are going to the grand dinner at Boyne Arms, Burwarton. We welcomed the Craven Arms ladies group to the annual skittle match. We play for a small cup call the Tom and Henry cup and competition is keen. At half-time the WI were just leading. We enjoyed delicious refreshments provided by CAL. Both teams played well in the second-half, but the WI managed to win. It was a good night and Mary Holland proposed a vote of thanks.

The raffle was drawn. Competition for something beginning with B was won by Jean Hackney. On Tuesday we shall hold our annual meeting, followed by supper served up by Sheila Goode. The competition is for a table decoration. The meeting is at 7pm.