June 2004 - Parish News
ST ANDREWS CHURCH
Services & Events in June
| Sun 6 | 10-30am | Family Communion |
| 2-30pm | Ramblers meet at the Church | |
| Mon 7 | 8-00pm | PCC meet --Family Room |
| Thu 10 | 8-00pm | Footsteps meet |
This is a network group week
| Sun 13 | 10-30am | Morning Praise |
| 6-15pm | 3:16 meet Family Room | |
| Mon 14 | 7-30pm | Deanery Synod----At All Saints Church |
| Wed 16 | 10-30am | Pram Service--- Family Room |
| Sun 20 | 10-30am | Holy Communion |
| Thu 24 | 8-00pm | Footsteps Meet |
| 8-00pm | Mothers Union | |
| Fri 25 | 2-30pm | Woodside Nursing Home Service |
This is a network group week
| Sun 27 | 9-15am | Holy Communion----East Hyde |
| 10-30am | Morning Praise | |
| 6-15pm | 3:16 Meet Family Room | |
| Wed 30 | 10-30am | Pram Service--Family Room |
| 7-30pm | Confirmation Service @ St Johns Church |
Some of the regulars from St Andrew’s turned out in all their finery for
the wedding of Stephanie Crossett and Chris Fleet
ST ANDREW’S NEWS
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE RHYTHM OF LIFE
During June, Joy will be holding 3 sessions on how to manage the stress which affects us all, and live in a more relaxed way. It consists of watching 3 video's ( on 3 separate evenings) these have been professionally produced by an organisation called "Care for the Family". Nothing will be asked of anyone except to "Chill Out" and enjoy themselves. The sessions will be held at the Vicarage, so numbers are limited, to first come first served. There will be leaflets to take away and refreshments will be served.
Speak to Joy for details or phone 424363.
BOTTLE BANK
For use by residents of Slip End and District, our Bottle Bank is situated in the Frog and Rhubarb car park in Church Road. This is supplied and operated by SBDC to improve and increase glass recycling.
PLEASE USE IT
MOTHERS UNION
The next meeting will be on Thursday 24th June 8pm in the Family Room at St Andrews. Our theme will be “The international Year of the Child.” We are then planning to have a “bring and share supper.” on the 19th July We hope to invite other deanery MU members to this event. Our aim on this occasion will be to make up emergency toiletry bags. Please join us and bring along any contributions you may have. In addition, for the summer months, we will again meet up with the pram service and have a day out, probably on the downs. This will take place on Wednesday 25th August.
ALEY GREEN METHODIST CHURCH
Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways:
· I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out. If anybody know of it, it will not count.
· I will do at least tow things I don’t want to do – just for exercise.
· I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.
Thank you everyone who bought a cake from our stall outside the Co-op Caddington on May 8th. Every cake was sold and £116 raised towards the running of our Church. The Lent Smartie tubes have been collected in. The adults raised £125 for the Pasque Hospice and our Sunday School children raised £41 for Keech Cottage Childrens Hospice. The Easter offering envelopes raised £55 for Network. For the first time this year, we had Christian Aid envelopes in the church pews, for people to give their donations. Our Sunday School have been working hard, it is a joy to us to see them rushing into church each week. We now have 6 teachers to work with the children, who run the Sunday school each week at 11am (alongside our church service) Children from age 3 upwards are very welcome to join us.
Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will study. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. Just for today..??
God bless you, from all at Aley Green Methodist Church.
Yours in Christ, Aley Green Methodist Church - Anne Meader
FRIENDSHIP CLUB
We are looking forward now to our first 2004 Outings: we are off to the RHS Gardens at Wisley on 24th May and on June 21st we are hoping for some fine weather for a sea-side trip to Eastbourne. On June 5th. We will be joining in on S.E.&D.A. trip on June 5th. We really do enjoy our days out!
Our Club is thriving with good attendances at our Thursday afternoon gatherings when we enjoy a good chat with Bingo and refreshments on the side: you would be welcome to join us! (June 10th is Polling Day, so with the hall being tied up with that, we will not meet that day.)
We thank everyone for his or her support over the year.
Viv Porter
BROWNIES
To celebrate 90 years of Brownies we have been given challenges to do: there are nine sections and we have to complete 2 from each section before February 2005. So the girl’s will be very busy! We have started and have already completed 2 of the challenges. Special badges will be presented to the Brownies completing the challenge.
Please note: That due to unforeseen circumstances, the Reunion planned for Wednesday June 22nd has had to be cancelled.
DANCES AT THE VILLAGE HALL
These have come to a break for the time being and will start again on Saturday October 2nd. Shirley would like to thank all those who have supported these events and looks forward to seeing you next Autumn. Dates are October 2nd & 30th, November 20th and December 4th.
CRAFT FAYRE
Slip End Village Hall
Saturday June 12th,10am to 3pm
Admission 20p
There will be a number of Stalls, a Raffle and Refreshments will be served.
If you would like a stall call Gillian on 01582 723109
I know there are many in the Village with talents which could be seen with others.
GARDEN & ALLOTMENT ASSOCIATION
Vegetable Garden
Plant out brassicas now, Brussels, winter cabbages and savoys, sprouting broccoli (my favourite: can’t beat the home grown product! Ed.). Plant outdoor tomatoes, supporting with 4’ canes. Continue sowing salad crops, peas and French beans. Do not overdo the watering but when it is done, do it thoroughly, a good dowsing twice a week in average hot weather is much better than a daily sprinkling.
Flower Garden
If dahlias were not started last month, do so now: take the tubers from storage, put into a light soil and sand mix, then when shoots are 4” high gently divide the shooting tubers and plant out where required.
Complete sowing of half hardy annuals this month; sow hardy perennials and at the end of the month wallflowers and sweet peas can be sown in drills. Start lifting spring bulbs when leaves have gone yellow; tulips need lifting regularly but most other need dividing after lifting. Spread the bulbs out dry in shallow boxes in a well-ventilated shed until moisture has evaporated off.
Fruit & Shrubs
Watch out for greenfly and red spider mite and spray them with insecticide. Heavy fruiting gooseberries should be thinned to promote growth. Destroy strawberries having grey mould, common in damp weather.
General Work
Spray against pests, trim hedges, feed plants in full growth, remove unwanted strawberry runners, disbud roses, stop early flowing and decorative chrysanthemums, earth up potatoes, plant winter greens, stake culinary peas, keep the hoe on the move, …. Not an exhaustive list, but this is a busy time, which will be rewarded by good crops later on!
Gillian Plummer
SLIP END PARISH COUNCIL.
Obnoxious Fumes
If you have or in future suffer from smoke and obnoxious fumes emanating from the Pepperstock area please telephone or write to the Environmental Heath Dept at S. Beds. D.C. Tel 1582 474184. The more complaints they receive the more power they will have to stop the burning of wire for valuable metal scrap.
Look out for bumper Parish Council item in August Parish News.
WOMEN’S INSTITUTE APRIL MEETING
May Meeting
At the Annual meeting we had Mrs D Sandbrook to take us through the resolutions, which are to be voted on this year. The business was completed and votes for the president were counted. Mrs L Kalisz was re-elected with Mrs S Coleman Vice President with Mrs L Bartlett Mrs R Weber Hon Sec and treasurer Mrs Sue Martin. We then had refreshments before Mrs Angela smith told us about her work as a hedgehog rescue worker. The woman deserves a medal! The state of some of those poor little mites needs to be seen to be believed. We were shown photographs, which she had taken. It was lovely to see a healthy result, but heartbreaking if it all ends in death.
We had two lovely outings in May for which sue Martin takes all the credit. Thank you Sue! The first was Rockingham Castle where they also had a Flower Festival. The second was a visit to the Houses of Parliament and the Cabinet War Rooms. Even the weather was on our side. Lovely!
Next meeting June 15th – Willow Basket making demonstration by Mr & Mrs Weir.
We meet 3rd Tuesday in the month at Caddington Baptist Church Hall 7.30 – 10pm.
Do come and join us. See you there,
Patricia Crick.
AROUND THE VILLAGE
Newly installed CCTV cameras in Slip End capture cheeky theft..
Those retrieving the footage were amazed to see what that the cameras had
captured. A driver parked in front of the surveillance warning sign and next to a car belonging to young people having a kick about on the Slip End Playing field. The offender checked the occupants whereabouts and in doing so was clearly caught on camera. He then broke into their car stealing valuables and drove off but not before the camera had recorded his number plate.
The newly formed Slip End Parish Safety Group installed the cameras by the Peter Edwards Hall at Slip End Playing field to watch the hall and approach road by the church following a spate of thefts from cars parked in the side road including those of parishioners attending church services.
The Playing field Management Committee often had to clear away the result of fly tipping which it is hoped will now cease. During installation several incidents were recorded and given to the police but this incident has the clearest pictures to date.
The facility was installed with the help of funding provided by Slip End Parish Council, South Beds. D.C, and Bedfordshire.C.C. The group's next project is to upgrade the CCTV facility at the village hall to include coverage of Crawley playground next to the village hall. This will be a joint project between The Village Hall Management and the Parish Council who maintain the playground. A spokesman for the Group stated that play equipment has suffered vandalism, and the surveillance and extra lighting hopefully will help keep down repair costs paid for by the villagers in their rates.
Parish Councillor Stephen Fuell
A SPRINGTIME VISIT TO KEW GARDENS
With rain tipping down at 8am, some doubters had hoped that postponement would be a consideration, but Slip End MU are made of sterner stuff and to the mumblings of one or two of the male “hangers on”, off we sploshed. Again, the ladies admirably deferred to Thameslink and Silverlink trains, cashing in on the half price offer for entry to Kew. Others sedentarily motored down: the M1 was seriously wet but it was clear around the north circular, with rain fortunately holding off for the rest of the day. So we were a mixed bunch, with a couple of youngsters for good measure.
This being Bank Holiday weekend, Kew had laid on extra family attractions
which included Morris Dancers, Story Telling, Countryside Crafts all very
interesting and entertaining: Queen Charlotte’s House was also open, a rare
event and there is an extensive treetop walkway. Also unusually open was the Conservation Area, where a guided walk was fascinating. And of some interest to one or two was another special, “Kew Brew”, very expensive at £3.80/pint (….shhhh, don’t let on at Frog and Rising Sun), but a superb sup nonetheless (I'm told ....).
Springtime colour shone through on this overcast day: the rhododendrons,
tulips and bluebells were in spectacular bloom and the various houses were
as interesting and diverse as ever. So a day of damp prospect turned out very well and most enjoyable, with homeward conversations speculating about another visit perhaps later in the summer or autumn to catch seasonal variations.
Kew is not far away, well worth a visit, so why not join us on the next
trip?
David Kingston
CONSERVATION AT KEW GARDENS
We were lucky enough to join in the festivities at Kew at the special Woodland Wonders. Not only were there extra activities being held on the day we were there but we were treated to a conservation area tour which took us along paths that were not normally open to the public. We were shown different plants and flowers and told of the healing powers of some of them. There was the ‘comfrey’ plant used for aiding health before modern medicines. The leaves would be wrapped around bone to help knit them together. It is also used for liquid manure today. We saw wild garlic growing abundantly. We heard the ring tailed paraqueets that have set up home in Kew Gardens, after escaping from their enclosures in fierce storms about thirty years ago. In the conservation area they have decided to remove plants and trees which are not British and are gradually removing those which are not native to Britain and encourage British native plants to develop with British wildlife. They have a long way to go as some of the trees and plants have been there for many years. We were taken to a new area that is being developed to encourage children to learn about conservation. There is a Hide being built and a large pond where the children will be able to go ‘pond dipping’ and learn about the insects and plants in the pond.
New pond being made for school children.
We saw a Dead Hedge, which could be used for keeping deer in or out of areas. Twigs, sticks, branches are laid across an area and batons placed outside. As it rots down wildlife thrive inside the hedge. Queen Victoria gave Kew to the people apart from a small area, which she kept. King George 3rd’s wife Charlotte had a small cottage in the grounds, which she used for picnics. We had a short tour of the cottage and listened to the costumed characters explain its splendid history. We also saw the highest tree in Kew which was a Redwood and 36 metres high. There are 6 million trees in London and discovered there are 4 kind of bats found at Kew and the smallest fits in a matchbox.
Sue Cowell, Editor
Hannah with her swing – just right
Francine enjoying a swing
The Kew gang at the end of a very enjoyable day
All in all a very interesting and informative day. I took along my step counter – can anyone guess how many steps we took going around Kew?
What kind of tree do you think this is?
THANK YOU
I would just like to say Thank You to everyone who came to Tom’s Party last month and made it such a happy occasion for his eightieth birthday and return home from hospital. Thank you for all your cards and good wishes and to Lainy and Kevin at the Social Club for the lovely spread and making us feel so welcome.
I would also like to thank our church family for all their prayers over the past 10 months while Tom was in hospital: this was a great comfort to me and Tom has made great progress, although he has a way to go yet.
And a final thanks to Parish News: the photos were a very nice surprise!
From Dot Reid
Editor – It was good to see Tom up and about and lets hope he continues to make a good recovery. Well done Tom
ANYONE FOR TENNIS???
Slip End Tennis Club was formed in 1987 and is affiliated to the Beds Lawn Tennis Association. It has two hard courts, which were refurbished in May 2002, sited at Slip End Playing Fields, Church Road, Slip End. It is a small friendly club with approx.50 members. Membership costs are:
Juniors £14 (Those in full time education)
Seniors £26
Family £38
(There is a reduction for early payment of subscriptions)
Club members have priority in the use of courts, except when matches are to be played on dates below. (Occasionally matches have to be rescheduled for various reasons)
Sun 27 June (2.30pm) Tues 13 July (7.0pm)
The general public are welcome to use the courts, when not in use by club members, at the cost of £1 per person.
Club night is on Monday evenings and Adult night on Wednesday evenings from 7pm, to which all members are welcome. Junior coaching is provided by our LTA coach, Sally Parry on Fridays, £3 per session. Beginners 4-5pm and Intermediates 5-6pm. Ladies Friday morning from 10-11am. Private coaching is also available. (Give Sally a call (413501)
We field a Men’s Doubles and Mixed Team in the South Beds League also a Mixed Team in the Winter Indoor League.
Any enquiries about the club can be made by telephone or e mail to:
Peter Smith, Chairman 01582 73325
Peter@Smith30Clay.sol.co.uk
Steve Lyons, Treasurer 01582 414162 SteveSueLyons@aol.com
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