OPEN HOUSE
November 20th - Open House at 32 & 35 Summer Street 11am - 4pm Selling Handcrafted Items and Goods - Free Gift Draw - Christmas Gifts and Ideas
A few girls in the village are holding an 'Open House' event between 32 and 35 Summer Street on Saturday 20th November in Summer Street, to sell our products, crafts, wares and handmade goods, ranging from floral displays, fleece scarves, and silk items, to Fair Trade Goods, personalised gifts and handcrafted greeting cards. We are offering a complimentary glass of wine, there will be nibbles and a free gift draw.
We will be delivering flyers to all the homes in Slip End and putting some posters up later
   |
Our Nearly New sale on Saturday 16th October was again a successful fund -raiser for us, bringing in the money to pay for this year's Christmas party. This time we raised the amount that Playgroup keeps as commission for doing the selling to 25% in order to cover expenses and be sure to collect the amount we need for the party. The sale including the raffle and a cake stall with some lovely homemade cakes raised £148. The children have been enjoying activities connected with autumn. On Friday 8th October children, parents and staff went to Stockwood Park with carrier bags and buckets to collect 'conkers' acorns and leaves. This year there seems to be a bumper crop and we could have kept on collecting longer but the bags were getting heavy! We then all walked back to the Village Hall for a welcome drink and biscuit after which most of the children still had enough energy to play until it was time for a story and home time. This month we have some photos for the magazine to show some of the other activities the children enjoy, including dressing-up for the hospital corner, painting and play dough. |
SLIP END LOWER SCHOOL VISIT TO
ST ANDREWS CHURCH
Recently the children of Years 3 and 4 at Slip End Lower School visited St Andrew's Church as part of their RE Curriculum studies. The children all had a list of questions to find the answers to which helped them to become familiar with the inside of the Church as a religious building. They enjoyed exploring the all parts of the Church and the Vicar; Reverend Joy Daniel was on hand to help with expert advice. The children were asked to make a detailed observational drawing of one of the religious objects in the Church, for example, the Font, the Altar or the Lectern and this task was undertaken with great enthusiasm. At the end of the visit the children enjoyed the question and answer session led by the Vicar before returning to School in time for afternoon assembly.
The only downside to the afternoon was the appalling amount of dog excrement, which we all had to negotiate along almost the whole route from the School to the Church. DOG OWNERS please be more thoughtful when walking your dog. There are enough "Dog Bins" around the village for this not to be a problem. Please think it could be your child/grandchild walking through your door with an unwelcome "Pong" and shoes to scrub, not to mention your carpets!
Editor – this seems to be an on-going problem in Slip End. Perhaps the local Parish Council could become involved and keep an eye open for the culprits!! Any solutions from villagers would be well received. Contact Parish News if you have any ideas.
LOCAL APPEAL
Some young people, who asked if it would be possible to have a purpose build skate boarding facility at the playing fields, approached the Parish Council recently. The Council was able to obtain funding for this and permission from the Playing Field Committee; all that was needed was some help from the parents and local people from the Village to form a small committee of five people to manage the facility.
Unfortunately, there were not enough volunteers and so the project had to be postponed. That was two years ago, however, the young people of the Village are still interested and a new application for funding could be made by the Parish Council. St Andrews Church is happy to help by providing some people to join the committee but volunteers from the Village are still needed all be it not so many now.
Over the years, there has been much criticism made in these pages about the lack of facilities in the Village and the groups of young people who congregate around the Post Office and bus shelter. Here is our opportunity to do something about that. It would be a pity if not enough people from the Village came forward to help with what I understand to be the first request the Parish Council has received from the younger members of our community.
Please contact me if you would like to find out more about how you can help with this project.
Ken Crossett, Tel 414168
SLIP END SCHOOL REPORT
Harvest Festival
On Friday 24th September the annual Harvest Festival was held at the school. The hall was decorated with the harvest gifts that the children had brought to school. The Acting Headteacher, Mrs S Smith, welcomed parents, grandparents and invited guests from the village. Younger siblings of the pupils were entertained in a crèche set up for the occasion in the Foundation Stage Unit (Nursery).
Before a Harvest talk by the Vicar of Woodside (Rev Joy Daniel) the children opened the festival by singing ‘Look for signs that summers done’. Afterwards each class sang a harvest song or recited a harvest poem; in between each item the whole school performed suitable harvest hymns or songs.
At the end of the afternoon, the harvest gifts were taken to St. Andrew’s church in preparation for the Harvest Festival service the following Sunday morning. At the church the gifts from the children were used to decorate the church. After the service, the gifts were distributed to members of the community.
Friends of Slip End Lower School (FoSELS)
Recent fund-raising events have been used to raise money for new playground equipment and this equipment was recently installed at the school.
The pupils can now enjoy a horizontal climbing wall! Instead of going up the wall they go sideways using foot- and hand-holds made with the letters of the alphabet. There are also magnetic wall games and new games marked out on the surface of the playground. An adventure trail was erected on the playing field. A wooden pergola was put where the rabbits and hens used to live which meant a wall had to be demolished by a volunteer work party.
A Barn Dance was held in the school hall on Saturday 2nd October. Parents and children were able to attend as it was planned that it finished at 9pm. A Ploughman’s supper was served.
By the time this report is published the Friends will have held their AGM. At the AGM the need for new members was stressed; the positions of Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary are now vacant.
Please note:- A meeting will take place on Thursday 11th November 2004 at ‘The Plough’, Upper Woodside to discuss the future of ‘FoSELS’.
(If your child attends the school please go along and offer your services, it can be great fun – we’ve all done our share and they do need your support – Editor)
Over the past year, the Friends have raised over £5500 and this has gone towards providing:
Computers for the ICT suite
Playground toys for all the pupils
Water table & spades for the Foundation Unit
New speakers for the hall
Video shelves for the Library
CD player for the Foundation Unit
Water bottles for all the children
Subsidised school trips and events
And finally, £7000 for the playground and field landscaping project.
The children ran into the playground the day after the new adventure trail was installed and one was heard to say:
“we’re lucky we have got the best school because it has the best playground ever”
Praise indeed for a much appreciated organisation!
Paddy Higgins, Chair of Governors.
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce
Meatballs
1lb mince
4oz fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Beaten egg
Flour for coating
Oil for frying
Sauce
1 tblspn oil
1onion crushed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
pinch chilli powder
14oz can Italian chopped tomatoes
1/2 pt beef stock
1 tblspn tomato puree
1 tblspn chopped parsley
salt & pepper
Method
Place all the meatball ingredients in a bowl mixing well and combining with the beaten eggs - I do this in a food processor to speed things up! Divide into about 12 and shape into balls approx. 1" in diameter. Coat in flour and place in a refrigerator to chill. Heat oil in a frying pan and brown meatballs on all sides. Remove and set to one side.
To make sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 2 mins. Stir in the spices and cook for a further minute. Add the tomatoes, stock, tomato puree and parsley and season to taste. Place the meatballs in the sauce bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve with rice - Serves 4-6
Thanks to Sue Lyons for this month’s recipe – next month I hope to be giving you some Christmas nibbles from Lorraine.
60TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
It was nice to share an afternoon with friends, family and some of the Church family of St Andrews Church to celebrate the 60th birthdays of both Joy Daniel, our priest in charge and her husband Geoff who is a member of the Parish Council.
The food was delicious and organised by Jill Saunders who seemed to have catered for all eventualities, be it vegetarian, vegan, meat eaters, fussy eaters and those who just love everything! There were two large cakes – one for ‘mum & dad’ and the other from the grandchildren. The young group of musicians that had played at the Harvest Supper, which was an extra bonus, also entertained us.
So, many Happy Returns Joy and Geoff and may you have many more happy birthday’s in Slip End.
THANK YOU
May I through the Parish News thank the many people of the village for the overwhelming kindness shown to me since my accident. It was wonderful to receive so many cards and gifts. I am indebted to you all and hoping to thank you personally when I am able to walk again. Also please a special thank you to Maureen and Stan Coker.
Jose Worsley
Editor – I think the whole village would like to send their special wishes to Jose and here is a little verse to help her along the way.
Wishing you well
Sorry you are poorly
and feeling pretty low.
But when you reach the bottom
There’s just one way to go.
For soon you will be better
And days won’t be so long.
Then before you know it
You’ll be quite well and strong:
And though you are off colour
Your accident let you down,
I send this simple message
To banish every frown.
So look upon tomorrow
As the day that you will find
Such a great improvement
And a quiet peace of mind.
YOU ARE BLESSED….
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness….. You are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation…. You are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death…. You are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep…you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace…. You are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still married…. You are very rate, even in the United States.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face are truly thankful…. You are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder… you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.
If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed that over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.
Have a good day, count your blessings, and pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.
OLD WIVES’ TALES
Myth 1
Sprinkle salt liberally over spilt red wine to absorb it.
This is actually the worst thing you can do as salt will set the stain – instead remove any excess with an absorbent cloth, but don’t rub and try not to let the mark dry. Use water and a minute amount of clear detergent.
Myth 2
Put stained clothing straight under the hot tap.
Wrong. Hot water will set any stain based on protein, such as milk, egg, blood and wine.
Instead: soak in cold water before washing.
Myth 3
Use newspaper to clean windows.
Why bother? You would have to really polish when using scrunched up paper or you’re left with smeary windows.
Instead: wash windows with a chamois leather of clean lint-free cloth. For the ultimate finish, buff to a shine with some distilled vinegar and a paper towel.
Myth 4
Rub hands with coffee grout to rid your fingers of smelly odours (and end up smelling of coffee instead!
Instead: rub your hands under cold running water and then on the stainless steel tap a few times to magically deodorise them.
Myth 5
Scorched your favourite shire? Soak it in milk and the stain will vanish (no it wont!)
Instead: far better to dab it with a little distilled vinegar.
EDITORS CHOICE
This month we will remember soldiers who have died for their Country so I thought a poem by Robert Brooke titled The Soldier could be our way of thinking about them and counting our blessings for all they have done. ‘We will remember them’
The Soldier
If I should die, think only this of me:
that there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped,
made aware,
Gave, once her flowers to love, her
ways to roam,
A body of England’s breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blessed by the
suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts
by England given,
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy
as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts a peace, under an English heaven.
The Rembrance Sunday Service at St Andrew’s is on November 14th at 10.30 am
|