Helpringham Village Newsletter April 2016

    Produced monthly, the newsletter is a round up of events and activities. Past Newsletters can be found here (Click)

  • General News

  • Memorial Hall

  • Church News

  • Club News

 

HELPRINGHAM PARISH COUNCIL has a vacancy for a councillor to be filled by co-option. Further details may be found on the Council notice board and website http://parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk/Helpringham/
or by contacting the Chairman Mr G Hotckin on 421211

Applications should be received by the clerk Mrs P Ireland, Heath Farm, North Rauceby, SLEAFORD, NG34 8QR.
helpringhampc1@gmail.com
by 11 April 2016

 

MILITARY WIVES CHOIR CONCERT

There are just 20 tickets remaining (at the time of writing) for the MILITARY WIVES CHOIR – CRANWELL concert on Saturday 7th May.  Tickets are priced at £10 each and include a glass of wine/soft drink and a delicious supper in the interval.  Please contact us if you would like to come along.  We recently went to a performance of the choir in Ruskington and it was an unforgettable experience.

We have been very lucky to secure this performance by the choir who are very busy.  The money raised will help keep this Grade 1 listed building a feature on the village landscape.

This concert is being kindly supported by Robert Doughty Consultancy.

Diary Dates

Strawberry Concert – Saturday 9th July

Vintage Brass Concert – Friday 5th August

Feast Weekend – Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th August

Harvest Supper – Saturday 1st October

Please see posters and village newsletter for more details nearer the time of each event.

Marian and Vince
Churchwardens
421395 or email - standrew.helpringham@gmail.com

 

Save Money When Purchasing Your Heating Oil

Are you interested in saving money on your domestic heating oil?  If the answer is YES you might be interested to know about a scheme that is operating across Lincolnshire helping its members to do just that!

Community Lincs have run their Community Oil buying Scheme for the last 3 years, saving its members on average around 5p per litre on their heating oil.  The scheme is open to anyone in the county who uses heating oil to heat their homes and premises. The scheme works by bringing together oil buyers from around county and purchasing the oil collectively, with around 40,000 litres of oil being ordered each month.

The scheme is only £20 per year to join and includes advice on how to keep your tank safe from thieves and the benefit of their Oil Theft Alert System. Community Lincs also work alongside the Lincolnshire Credit Union, or Lincup, who have devised an Oil Savers Scheme to allow members to put aside money each month for their oil purchases.

If you are interested to know more about the scheme you can visit the Community Lincs website at http://communitylincs.com/community-oil-buying-scheme/ or by giving them a call on 01529 301980. 

HECKINGTON AREA VOLUNTARY CAR SERVICE is urgently in need of drivers, are you a car owner with time on your hands, why not help out and make a difference to peoples’ lives. Can you spare a few hours a week driving patients to doctors or hospital appointments. 45p per mile allowance is paid. - Contact Mike  01529 461160.

SLEAFORD MEDICAL CENTRE, BOSTON ROAD, SLEAFORD. URGENT CARE CENTRE. Open weekdays 6.30.p.m to 8 p.m.  Saturdays and Sundays 8.a.m. to 8.p.m.
For patients of Millview Medical Centre, Heckington. It's a walk in centre no need for appointment.


What is CallConnect Bus Service?                                                    

CallConnect is a unique bus service whose timetable is not fixed but responds to passenger requests. This means its routes are different each day depending on the bookings made by passengers.  Journey requests can be made by telephone, online or by SMS text message. The service is designed to improve transport opportunities in rural communities and some market towns where there is an infrequent conventional bus services.                                                                                                 

 Who can use CallConnect?                                                              
Everyone! All are welcome to use the service regardless of age or status. You can use the service as frequently as required for anything from shopping or travelling to work or school to a social event or medical appointment. Even if you are on holiday in Lincolnshire and need a bus, contact our booking office and find out how we can help you.                        

How do I book a journey?                                                                      
You can book a CallConnect journey by calling our booking team on 0845 234 3344. When requesting a bus journey, have your membership number and journey details ready. You can also submit your travel requests online or via SMS text messages. You can make a booking up to seven days in advance. You can also request same-day journeys but please give a minimum of one hour’s notice. All bookings are subject to availability.    

Fares                                                                                                        
The amount you pay to travel depends on your journey. Each service area is divided into zones – the further you travel, the more you pay. Booking office staff can tell you the cost of your journey so that you can have the correct fare ready. Children aged under 5 travel free with an accompanying adult. If you hold a valid concessionary bus pass due to age or disability, you can use it on CallConnect buses. Passes issued outside Lincolnshire are accepted during off-peak travel (after 9.30am).                

Opening and Operating Times                                                      
CallConnect operates 7am-7pm, Monday-Friday, and 8am-6pm on Saturdays. Details of any local variations are available from the booking office. The booking office is open from 8.30am-7pm, Monday-Friday; 8.30am-5pm on Saturday; and closed Sundays and Bank Holidays.          

Need a little help?                                                                                   
Our vehicles are fitted with low-floor steps and tail-lifts to ensure they are as easy as possible for everyone to use. Wheelchair users must inform us of the make and model to ensure it meets our safety standard of being impact-tested. Travel in a wheelchair is subject to availability and approval.

 All our regular clubs are now back in full swing and we hope that new residents of the village will come along and see what they have to offer. The monthly Chattershack Bazaars are proving to be popular as are the weekly Vitality exercise classes. Petticoat Club and Gardening Club have very interesting programmes on offer this year and Kung Fu and Dance also offer much to the newcomer, whilst the fortnightly Lunch Club provides a home cooked meal and a welcoming atmosphere. Why not give them a try?

Our refurbishments and improvements are continuing as you will see when you visit the Memorial Hall.

Please remember these dates for your diaries:
September 17th & 18th Diamond Jubilee of the Memorial Hall
December 3rd The Christmas Fair (Stalls still available)

Please support your Memorial Hall, the Committee would also welcome any of you who would like help in any way just contact any one of us.

THE 59 CLUB.

The winners of the 59 Club from 27th February through to 19th March were as follows, each winner received £30. All proceeds go to The Memorial Hall.

27th February       (55) Maureen Grant/Malcolm Maddison
5th March             (47) Eric Stammers
12th March           (1)  Master Toby Bailey
19th March           (22) Free Number no winner

There is another spare number at present if you wish to register for this please phone Laraine on 421110

MARCH 2016 HALL DIARY

Mon.4th

Vitality

1.30. p.m.

Tues. 5th   

Arts & Crafts
Sequence Dancing Improvers

1.30. p.m.
7.00. p.m.

Wed. 6th   

South Lincs Shadows Music Club

7.30. p.m.

Fri. 8th

Kung Fu

7.00. p.m.

Mon.11th

Vitality

1.30. p.m.

Tues. 12th

Arts & Crafts
Sequence Dancing Improvers

1.30. p.m.
7.00. p.m.

Wed. 13th

Petticoat Club
Parish Council

7.30. p.m.
7.30. p.m.

Thurs. 14th

Lunch Club

12.30p.m.

Fri. 15th

Kung Fu

7.00. p.m.

Sat.16th

Gathesby String Orchestra

2-5.00p.m.

Mon.18th

Vitality
HALL COMMITTEE

1.30. p.m.
7.30. p.m.

Tues. 19th

Arts & Crafts
Sequence Dancing Improvers

1.30. p.m.
7.00. p.m.

Thurs. 21st  

History Society

7.30. p.m.

Fri. 22nd  

Kung Fu

7.00. p.m.

Mon. 25th   

Vitality

1.30. p.m.

Tues.26th   

Arts & Crafts
Sequence Dancing Improvers

1.30. p.m.
7.00. p.m.

Wed. 27th  

Gardening Club

7.30. p.m.

Thurs. 28th

Lunch Club

12.30 p.m.

Fri. 29th

Women’s Chatter Shack
Kung Fu

10.00 a.m.
7.00. p.m.

 

To Hire the Hall for all your functions, weekday rates are £7.00 per hour for clubs and £12.00 per hour for fund raising and weekends, plus £10.00 for use of kitchen and £10.00 for use of Bar.
Hire of the Conference Room £6.00 per hour.
Daily Hire of complete Hall £140.00 (Refundable deposit of £50 may be required)
These prices include heating or air conditioning. For Bookings please telephone Mick on 421853 or Laraine on 421110.


Enquiries re Baptism, weddings etc. should be made to The Reverend Chris Harrington on 01529 460904.
For other Church queries in Helpringham please contact Marian and Vince Stocking on 01529-421395

standrew.helpringham@gmail.com

JOHN'S JOTTINGS – THE PEW VIEW

As we look around the village we cannot help but see the spring flowers abounding giving us a sense of rebirth and a great expectation of the summer ahead.

It’s the same every year sometimes earlier sometimes later but it never lets us down.  The pattern of our services in church similarly follow the weather cycle.  After the joy of Christmas we have to contend with dismal January leading us into Epiphany and thus to Lent, a period of denial but with the weather improving and the expectation of Easter this gives us a sense of re-birth just like the resurrection, with eggs into the bargain.   The Easter season lasts seven weeks so it will be Whit Sunday before we head into Pentecost and the holiday period of Whitsuntide.  Each week we celebrate some aspect of Jesus’s life and ministry illustrated with stories rotating on a three year cycle.  

Why not come along at 11.00am second and fourth Sundays or for a light-hearted Songs of Praise on fifth Sundays. Services last about 40 minutes.    You will be made very welcome. Cakes, tea and a chat after with Helpringham people, always a pleasant prospect!

Every Blessing
John West
Authorised Lay Minister

THE WARDEN'S TWITTERINGS

It was good to see so many people at the Mothering Sunday and Easter Sunday services in the church.  Thank you to all those who donated for the Easter Lillies which gave a spring like quality to the service and our appreciation to the flower arrangers for the displays.

A reminder that the Parochial Church Council will be holding its Annual General Meeting in the church on Thursday 7th April at 7pm.  Anyone on the church's electorial roll is welcome to attend.


Enquiries re baptism, weddings Funerals etc. should be made to Reverend Chris Harrington Tel 01529 460904     c.r.harrington@btinternet.com

Very Best wishes and every blessing from the Parochial Church Council of St Andrew’s Church HELPRINGHAM
All the services across the group of parishes can be found on our website.
www.heckingtonandhelpringhamgroup.org.uk
Rector - Rev Chris Harrington (01529) 460904

PETTICOAT CLUB NEWS

Our AGM was held at our March meeting, and the twenty members present had a lively discussion on the previous year and the future for the club. The Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Speaker Secretary all gave their reports, and the club was thanked for their continued support of the Memorial Hall and its continued developments.
 The present Committee were thanked for their work and were elected to stand again for the year 2016-7. Various ideas were put forward for the club and members were asked to consider any other ideas for the next meeting.
It was agreed to end our financial year at the end of January instead of March to assist our auditor.
The hope was expressed that new people to the village can be encouraged to come to the meetings and join us as we have several interesting speakers booked.

Our next meeting in April will have Derek Harris giving a talk on “Characters of the Cut” which promises to be very interesting as life on the canals must have been very different to our lives today.

Our next meeting is WEDNESDAY 13th APRIL at 7.30pm.

New members will be very welcome.


SOUTH LINCS SHADOWS MUSIC CLUB

March 2016 Meeting

The meetings seem to have settled into a routine now with a dozen or more people usually attending and enough players to play at least 4 tunes each.
It seems hard to imagine that this meeting was the 30th one!
After that many meetings it become increasingly difficult to think of something a bit different to write each month, so I thought from now on I would include a snippet about The Shadows, or their music, that people may not know and will hopefully find interesting.
I wonder how many people know that the characteristic sound of the Shadows was partly created by accident. In the early days of Cliff Richard and The Shadows, Cliff decided Hank Marvin needed a better guitar than the one he was currently using in The Shadows. They had heard that the American guitarist James Burton was using a Fender guitar so they ordered the most expensive one from the Fender catalogue. In those days they could only be ordered direct from the American factory and imported, they were not in the music shops over here.
Eventually a Fender Stratocaster arrived, complete with a tremolo arm which gives that “wobbly” shimmering sound so evident on Shadows records. Little did they know that James Burton played a Fender Telecaster, which has no tremolo, sounds quite different to a Stratocaster and is more suited to country music!
As it turned out that was probably the luckiest mistake in their careers, and as they say “The rest is history!”
Back to our normal business - meetings are held at the Memorial Hall from 7:30pm to 10:30pm on the first Wednesday of every month. Next meeting is Wednesday 6th April.
Entry is £3 for guitar players and you just need to bring your guitar. Everything else is provided, backing tracks, echo machines, PA system. Or, if you have your own backing tracks they, can be accommodated on CD, minidisc, USB stick, mp3 player, smartphone or iPad etc.

You don’t need to play - you can just come and listen, have a chat, swap a few memories. Entry is just £2 for non players and light refreshments are included.

Dave Moore

 

HELPRINGHAM AND DISTRICT GARDEN CLUB

The Garden Club started 2016 with a fun Social.  
The members enjoyed an evening of fun
with poems, games and some spontaneous  music
Of course refreshments and a good natter did help!

The Year's programme begins in earnest on 24th. February
Gail Summerfield will be giving a talk on Micro Gardens.
(this includes Pots, Hanging Baskets & Small Gardens.)
Gail has spoken to us on several occasions over the years
and always delivers a very informative and interesting  evening.

For the coming year we have a varied programme with talks ranging from Victorian Gardens
Hellibores
Bulbs  (Not Just For Spring)
A Wildlife Friendly Garden
A Gardener's Favourites  (Lincolnshire Plants & Gardens)
A tree growing Clinic with Trevor Rogers
(An opportunity to share our problems & success stories with an expert.)

We have two evening visits arranged and one day Coach trip.
In April we travel to Butters Group
who specialise in the growth & distribution of herbs
In June we visit a local Garden in Little Hale
Late summer sees us on a day coach trip to a venue to be arranged.

We always welcome visitors to our meetings.
Visitors fee is £2.00 per session / Annual Membership is £12.50

We meet in The Helpringham Memorial Hall
on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm
(unless previously arranged )

You do not have to be an expert to join
(very few of us are!!!)
Just have an interest

HELPRINGHAM HISTORY SOCIETY