Bishops Castle

FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR FAIR - Show your support for this year’s Michaelmas Fair at the AGM on Monday. The meeting is at 8pm in the Six Bells. After a break in 2014, the fair is fixed for September 19 and everyone is welcome to come along and find out about plans so far. One of the organisers is Liz Stille and she says: “Happily, a number of new volunteers have joined the committee and we have started planning. The fair will be concentrated in the town and have all the usual Michaelmas fun. You can expect steamers and vintage vehicles; music and street entertainment; vehicle and lantern processions; stalls, attractions, activities, food and beer. Bishop’s Castle Town Hall is joining the festivities with its own 250-year anniversary celebrations over the weekend as well.” Contact mail@michaelmasfair.co.uk, or www.michaelmasfair.co.uk.

EARLY MUSIC GROUP - An Early Music group has recently set up in Bishops Castle. It’s a small friendly group just finding its ‘voice’ and the singers share a love of polyphony which is a very different style of music to most choral music. Early Music encompasses Renaissance and Baroque periods and is currently enjoying a revival throughout Europe thanks to professional choral ensembles such as The Sixteen, and Vox Luminus. To find out more, call Mark on 07538 568378 or email jacquelinesw@hotmail.co.uk.

HARRY POTTER BOOK NIGHT - Bishop’s Castle Library shares in the magic of Harry Potter Book Night tonight. Bookshops and libraries all over the UK and the rest of the world will be joining in to celebrate all things Potter and in Bishop’s Castle the fun starts at 6pm with games, crafts and pizza. Book now on 01588 638215 at a cost of £2.

FREE WALKS AT WALKING FEST - The 16th Bishop’s Castle Walking Festival runs from May 1-25, offering visitors and local people alike a full three weeks of walks and associated events. The dates include May Bank Holidays, giving plenty of time for walking and exploring the area and all it has to offer. The festival will include short and medium walks as well as more challenging hill treks and walks with a special interest such as map reading, wild flowers and the dawn chorus. All are led by local volunteers and although most walks are free, they can be booked at Bishop’s Castle Town Hall for a £2 booking fee per person, per walk. More details of the different walks will be available soon, together with details of other events and entertainment, call Lesley Baddeley 01588 630446 to find more.

MORE CHURCH DRAW - The winner of the top prize in the monthly draw in aid of More Church was D Petford. SE Thomlinson was second and M Hemmings was third.

BISHOPS CASTLE DIARY February 5-11

THURSDAY: Film. The Riot Club (15). SpArC Theatre, Bishop’s Castle/ £4.50/£3. 7pm. Call 01588 630321/638038.

  • Share the Magic . Harry Potter Book Night. Bishop’s Castle Library. £2. 6pm. Call 01588 638215.
  • Footpath Walking Group. Breiddens. 2500 foot climb, seven miles. Meet Harley Jenkins St car park, Bishop's Castle. 9.30am. Call 01743 791835.

FRIDAY: Rhyme Time for under fives and carers. Bishop’s Castle Library, free, 10.30am.

SATURDAY: Flea and antiques market. Bishop’s Castle Town Hall. Free. 9am- 4pm. Call 01588 630023.

  • Auction. Bishop's Castle Public Hall. 8.30am. Bids 10am. Call 01743 233629/07974 118467.

MONDAY: Michaelmas Fair AGM. Six Bells, Bishop’s Castle. 8pm.

  • Corn dolly workshop- Bernard Edwards. Bishop's Castle Town Hall. £5. 6pm. Call 01588 630023.

TUESDAY: SWSHAS. A Writer’s Shropshire - Gordon Dickin. Church Barn, Bishop’s Castle. 7.30pm.

  • Footpath Walking Group. Habberley. Eight miles. Meet Harley Jenkins St car park, Bishop's Castle. 9.30am. Call 01588 630238.
  • Mainstone WI. Willow Work-Cath Murphy. Mainstone village hall 7.30pm.

WEDNESDAY: RSC. Love’s Labour’s Lost. SpArC Theatre, Bishop’s Castle/ £11/£7. 7pm. Call 01588 630321/638038.

  • Talk. Lapwings - Ian Coghill and Andrew Hoodless, Bishop's Castle Town Hall £3.50, 7.30pm. 01588 630023.

News or events, hand note addressed to Julia Parker over counter at Bishops Castle Post Office. Call 01588 680445, email jparker228@btinternet.com.

 

Clun

LIVE JAZZ AT THE MEMORIAL HALL - Jazz night with Fumi Okiji’s Old Time Jazz Band is at the Memorial Hall, Clun tomorrow at 7.30pm. Fumi Okiji says she discovered jazz song at the age of seven – and has been developing her love of the music ever since. Her Old Time Jazz Band is a joyous celebration of the great tradition of jazz song. The music is essentially lovingly crafted interpretations of repertoire from jazz’s inception, through the interwar years. The band takes in the blues, New Orleans, black vaudeville, Louis, Ella and Billie. While tackling the material with upmost reverence it does so with both feet firmly in the 21st century. Building up a faithful London following over the past couple of years, the band has played at many of the capital’s jazz clubs including the Vortex, St James Theatre, the Oxford, the Spice of Life and for the Crypt’s Camberwell Jazz Festival. The Old Time Jazz Band releases a debut album, Old Fashion, in January - so local audiences will be among the first to sample it live - and be able to buy it hot off the press! Cabaret style seating; dance, jive, jig to the music. Licensed bar. Ticket £10 available from Tim Wood, The Old Surgery Gallery or Dilys Thorpe, 27 High Street. Tel 01588 640254. Email dilysthorpe@clun.org.uk.

CLUN RAMBLERS - Next walk is Wednesday. Meet at Clun Memorial Hall car park 9.30am. Sorry no dogs.

SUSTAINABLE FUTURES - Second in a series of films on environmental matters, Chocolate, is being shown at the Methodist Church, Clun, Wednesday, 7.30pm. All welcome.

HIDDEN GARDENS OF HEREFORDSHIRE - Nursery owners, Alun and Jill Whitehead, holders of the Iris Sibirica national collection, will talk about Hidden Gardens of Herefordshire at theNewcastle and District Garden Society meeting next Thursday, February 12, at Newcastle Community Centre, at 7.30pm. New members and visitors are always welcome. £3 per meeting, membership £15 per year. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month. There is usually a plant stall, and raffle and always refreshments.

TIM’S TRAVELS - The last call this weekend to book seats for Tim’s Travels outings to Birmingham Town Hall for an afternoon concert Wednesday. The programme consists of Beethoven’s C Minor Piano Concerto and two of Haydn’s Symphonies, the nos 7 and 101. Good balcony seats and coach £30. February 18, Tim is taking a party to see the acclaimed National Theatre production of, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time , at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton. Again, it is an afternoon performance and the coach and excellent stalls seat is £35.

The coach leaves Newcastle-on-Clun at 9.15am and will pick up at Clun Bridge car park, Clun High Street, and anywhere needed on the Clun Road down to Craven Arms and finally the bus lay-by at The Clive, Ludlow. Call Tim at The Old Surgery Gallery in Clun on 01588 640506 for further information and to book places.

News or events, Elisabeth Taylor, elisabeth777@btinternet.com 01981 540893. Deadline is the Wednesday of the week before publication.

 

Tenbury

CAMEO SOUP LUNCHES - (with pudding) will be held at Tenbury Methodist Hall, today at 12.30pm. Come along, share in good company, and have some lovely warming food. Small charge of £2.50, all welcome.

KNIGHTON FRIENDS - We are changing to an afternoon club, but still on the third Wednesday of the month. We will be going for meals, theatre visits, garden visits and any other visits people are interested in making. For place and time of next and following meetings, ring Sheila on 01584 781190. We welcome any new people to Knighton Friends.

THE CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU - Is at Lindridge Parish Hall weekly on Monday mornings, 10am-1pm. www.lindridgeparishhall.btck.co.uk.

LODGE OF ST MICHAEL 1097 - Italian evening, Saturday, Lodge Rooms, Tenbury Wells, 6.30pm for 7pm. Four-course meal prepared by Mick and Di Guidotti. Complimentary drink on entry. Tickets £18 (please make cheques payable to Mr M Chase). Book with Malcolm Chase 01584 810545 or Barry Gutteridge 01584 781365.

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION - The next meeting of the Tenbury Wells Branch will be held at the first floor of the Royal Oak on February 18 at 8pm.

DEMENTIA CAFÉ - Join us at our Dementia Café in Tenbury. If you have dementia, or are caring for someone with dementia, come along to your local café. We meet every fourth Thursday of each month from 12.30pm-2.30pm at Burford village hall, Penlu Rd Way, Tenbury, WR15 8LA. For more information contact Alzheimer’s Society’s local office in Worcestershire on 01905 621887 or email: worcestershire@alzheimers.org.uk. Look forward to seeing you.

TENBURY GARDENERS GROUP - Tenbury Wells, Wednesday at The Kings Head, 7pm (car park at rear). A talk on Hellebores, other plants for winter colour, plus plants for sale. Come and join us, we are very friendly and sociable.

COFFEE AND CHAT - A warm welcome awaits you tomorrow and on the first Friday of each month, from 10am until 12 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 – our activities range from Scrabble to table tennis (via ballroom and Scottish country dancing and lots of other subjects). If it isn’t fun it isn’t U3A! So do drop in for a coffee and friendly chat, make some new friends and maybe discover a new talent or interest.

 

The Strettons

BREAKFAST - Volunteers continue to serve up Saturday morning breakfasts at Mayfair Community Centre from 9.30am-11.30am with last orders taken at 11am at this very popular event.

QUIZ NIGHT - A quiz night will be held at the District Social Club on Saturday starting at 7.30pm, with Ken Willis as question-master. Entry fee is £4 and prizes of National Lottery tickets can be won. There will also be a raffle and all proceeds of the evening’s events will go to Guide Dogs for the Blind.

CANCER CARE - Stretton and Shropshire Cancer Care group meets at Mayfair Community Centre at 2.30pm on Monday. On this occasion there will be a talk about Canoeing down the Yukon by Jean Bolam. Jean lost her partner to cancer just over a year ago and in the summer of 2014 she and four friends replicated a journey that Seamus had previously undertaken, in his memory. The Yukon is one of the world’s largest rivers rising in Canada, crossing Alaska and entering the Bering Straits nearly 2,000 miles later. Jean will tell of her adventure, its trials and tribulations and her feeling of fulfilment at its conclusion. To get in touch with Stretton and Shropshire Cancer Care, go along to a meeting or call 01694 723427 or 722123 for information.

WIVES AND FRIENDS - Will be meeting at the Methodist Hall, Tuesday, 7.30pm, for a talk and slides on ‘A Borneo Experience’ by Sasha Robinson. All welcome. Admission for non-members £3.

TREE GROUP - The next meeting of the Tree group is on Wednesday at the Methodist Hall starting at 7.30pm, for an illustrated talk on ‘The Creation of a Community Woodland, by the Red Lake Valley Community Benefit Society. The society was formed in December 2011 by the people of Chapel Lawn in order to purchase and manage a strip of woodland known as a quillet in Brineddin Wood. Patrick Cosgrove, one of the founder members of the project, will be telling how the money was raised and involvement of the local community which started to learn a bit about managing the woodland. This will be a fascinating story and it is hoped that the talk will be followed up with a visit later in the year. All welcome. Admission for non- members is £3.

BUSINESS FORUM - A meeting of the business forum will be held at Church Stretton School on Wednesday when the Shropshire University and the opportunities it may provide for local businesses will be on the agenda.

TOWN PLAN - For those who would like to check out the Church Stretton Town Plan for 2015-20, this can now be seen on the local website.

SCHOOL NEWS - A party of Church Stretton School students will be going on an educational visit to Berlin this week. Holocaust Memorial Day at the school saw a special memorial candle lit and a talk by Harry Bibring, a holocaust survivor. The candle will travel with the students to Sauchsenhausen Concentration Camp during their visit to Germany. A number of Year 9-11 students will be taking part in the intermediate maths challenge, and the spoken language controlled assessments are about to be held. The school would like to hear of anyone who would like to become an examination invigilator which offers part-time, occasional work. If interested, contact the examinations officer at the school. St Lawrence’s Primary School says ‘thank you’ to all the adults and children who planted hedges for the forest school development. This voluntary help means that more money can be spent on ICT provision. There is to be a superhero afternoon where the children will dress as heroes and superheroes and the parents will be invited to the school to watch the superhero teddy bear fashion show.

Well done to the under-11 girls’ team which is now in the County Cup semi finals. Schools are again collecting Active Kids vouchers which will be available from Sainsbury’s until May 5; these vouchers help the schools to obtain lots of sports equipment.

LUCKY NUMBERS - The lucky numbers in the January Mayfair Lottery were 498, 114, 482 and 233 winning £100, £50, £20 and £10 respectively.

MEMORIAL - The recent Holocaust Memorial Day event at the Methodist Church was hosted by the South Shropshire Interfaith Forum. On display were the Righteous Muslim Panels which depicted the ways in which many Muslim, Jewish and Christian people had worked together to assist others in times of adversity. As this was the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, pictures of the events which took place there under the Nazis were shown, the special memorial candle was again lit and names of some members of a Jewish family who had perished in the Holocaust were shown on the screen. Remembrance of the subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Darfur, and the marking of the 20th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia, was recalled by a member of the Sikh community in Telford from the visits he had made since that time. There were a number of readings including a passage from the Qu’oran, to help people reflect on these events.

ROMEO AND JULIET - The story of Romeo and Juliet will be retold by Debs Newbold at All Stretton village hall on February 14, at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £8 and £6 and may be reserved by ringing 01694 723378.

SPRING MADNESS - Scrappies will be hosting school holiday arts and crafts workshops on February 18 and 19, for youngsters of five years and upwards. The theme will be birds, bees and butterflies and the workshops will run from 10.30am-12.30pm or 1.30pm-3.30pm and cost £3.50 per session. Booking is essential – call in or ring 01694 722511 for more details.

GREEN PARTY - A film about the crisis in the NHS will be screened in Church Stretton on February 16. There will be time for discussion after the film and a chance to meet the local Green Party Candidate.

BRIDGE CLUB - The Bridge Club is held at All Stretton village hall every Thursday afternoon and lifts from Church Stretton can be arranged. Additionally there are Improvers’ courses and also practice sessions at All Stretton village hall from 1pm-4pm on Fridays. Ring Dom on 01694 723 128 to find out more about any of the sessions that interest you