- Stretton Focus

Transcription

- Stretton Focus

Stretton Focus
Community Voice of the Strettons
Photo: Paul Miller
MayFinl104
1
16/4/04, 9:11 am
May 2004
70p
STRETTON FOCUS
(founded 1967)
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(About 65% of households in Church Stretton)
Chairman
Co-Editors
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email address: [email protected]
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Disclaimer. Stretton Focus prints a wide range of articles
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For the June issue it is Tuesday 4th May 2004 (12.00 noon).
The June Stretton Focus will be distributed on Friday 28th
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© 2004 Stretton Focus
News
Temporary Road Closures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Church Stretton Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Rotary – Youth Speaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Long Mynd Archers (cover article) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Arts Festival - New President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Tourism Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Rubbish Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Forthcoming events
Mayfair Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Silver Bow Walk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Food Fayre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
More Singers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
British Legion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Senior Citizens Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Borromini Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Christian Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Regular Features
Anglican Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Arts Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Bird of the Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Catholic Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Focus on Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Know Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Mayfair Lottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Mayfair Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Methodist Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Out and About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Quaker Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Question and Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Shropshire Wildlife Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Thank you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Town Council Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Trivia Quiz 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Trivia Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
URC Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
What’s On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Other Items
Ravens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Gateway Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
A Canadian Tale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
AONB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Age Concern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
UNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Round Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Rotary - Golden Jubilee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Top Secret Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
ISSN 1479-7356
Stretton Focus is printed by WPG, Welshpool
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
Contents
The Official Church Stretton web site is at
www.churchstretton.co.uk.
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If you wish to know the times of
regular meetings of societies and
groups, please consult the list of
societies and their contacts in the
central ‘yellow pages’
What’s On in the Strettons
SUNDAY MAY 2nd
• National Trust
5.30am to 8.30am, Chalet Pavilion, Carding Mill Valley
Dawn Chorus; A walk to the top of the hill to hear
moorland birds. Cost: £2, children free
• SATURDAY MAY 15th
The Borromini Ensemble
7.30pm, St James’ Church, Cardington
Summer Concert “Celebrated Masters of the Science of
Musick”
For further details see page 42
• TUESDAY MAY 4th
Church Stretton & District Flower Club
7.30pm, Silvester Horne Institute, Church Stretton
‘Nuts in May’- Mrs Kathleen Ceney
Folk Dance
8pm, Ticklerton Village Hall
Contact: 01694 722418
• WEDNESDAY MAY 5th
South Shropshire Furniture Scheme
7pm to 9pm, 11 Burway Road, Church Stretton
Paper Sculpture course start date
Cost - £30 inc. materials, Call 01694 724464
• SUNDAY MAY 16th
Archery Awareness Day
10am to 12 noon & 1pm to 3pm, New House Farm
• THURSDAY MAY 6th to SUNDAY MAY 9th
Annual May Fair
Russell’s Meadow, Church Stretton
• TUESDAY MAY 18th
All Stretton Women’s Institute
7.30pm, All Stretton Village Hall
‘Resolutions’ – an account of a visit to Buckingham Palace
• FRIDAY MAY 7th
Flicks in the Sticks
7.30pm, All Stretton Village Hall
‘L’Homme du Train’. Contact: 01694 723378
Countrywomen’s Guild
2.15pm, Parish Centre, Church Stretton
‘Domestic Abuse’ by S.S. Women’s Aid
Royal British Legion
10.30am to 12 noon, Silvester Horne Institute
Free coffee morning
• SATURDAY MAY 22nd
Church Stretton Liberal Democrats Plant Sale
11am, The Paddock, 86 Sandford Avenue, Church Stretton
Stretton Choral Society
7.30pm, Church Stretton School
‘Mozart in May’
Tickets from Burway Books
Contact Pam Cole: 01694 723604
Shropshire Wildlife Trust – Stretton Branch
10am to 12 noon, Parish Centre, Church Stretton
Coffee Morning to raise funds for the Habitat Survey of
Church Stretton Parish. Cakes, preserves and plants will be
most welcome.
7.30pm, Picklescott Village Hall
‘The General’. Contact: 01694 751739
• SUNDAY MAY 23rd
National Trust
10am to 1pm, Chalet Pavilion, Carding Mill Valley
Spiders – Uncover and find out about a few of the 600
species that inhabit Britain. Cost: £2, children free
• SUNDAY MAY 9th
Silver Bow over the Strettons
10am to 12 noon, Rectory Fields, Church Stretton
Sponsored five mile walk over the Longmynd
• FRIDAY MAY 28th
7.30pm, Acton Scott Village Hall
Contact: 01694 781356
• SUNDAY MAY 9th to SATURDAY MAY 15th
Christian Aid Week.
Book Fair
10am to 4pm, Silvester Horne Institute, Church Stretton.
Contact 01746 785250
• THURSDAY MAY 13th
Cancer Research UK
10am to 4pm, 6 Lutwyche Road, Church Stretton
Coffee & tea, bring & buy stall
Information submitted to ‘What’s On’ might be shared
with the Church Stretton web site in the future. Please
make it clear, when you send in your contribution, if
you do not wish your item to appear on the web site.
7.30pm, Hope Bowdler Village Hall
‘Intolerable Cruelty’. Contact: 01694 723648
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
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Anglican Voice
retirement (?) Norman is a wonderful colleague to share
with, someone with deep faith and a great support in
ministry. We shall miss him…and value the time remaining!
Our friends at the URC will have our prayers in seeking a
replacement. We’ve just been there – and done that!
Jon Hutchinson
Introducing our New Rector
M
any of you will already know by
now that the new Rector for the Stretton parish
is Graham Stones. He is currently working in the
Exeter diocese.
For the past seven years of his ministry, Graham has been
one of four Clergy working as a Team Ministry in and
around Sidmouth in Devon. He has had responsibility
for two Anglican churches; All Saints, Sidmouth and St
Mary and St Peter, Salcombe Regis. Planning and leading
worship, including All-Age services, preaching and pastoral
care – as well as training and supervision of the Team
Curate - have been part of his responsibilities. He has also
had various diocesan responsibilities over this period.
Describing himself as Open-Evangelical, Graham has
experience of running Alpha courses, leading a pastoral
visitors’ team, coordinating home-groups and devising
a ‘seeker-sensitive’ event aimed at ‘teens and 20s’. He
believes in ‘making church a fun, welcoming and hospitable
experience’ and, at the same time, being approachable and
caring. He is at home with a wide range of theological
traditions and indeed served in a Christian community
(Lee Abbey) with others of wide-ranging backgrounds; part
of his ordination training was an ecumenical course. He
believes that the ‘good news of Jesus Christ is for all people
in all times’. He enjoys a wide range of worship styles and
is most at ease when the degree of formality matches the
mood of the congregation.
G
raham visited St Laurence’s about two years ago,
while on holiday, and was pleasantly surprised to
see our advertisement in the Church Times. As it
happens, he and his wife Marion had been praying about
whether the time was right for a move, though without
any set ideas. Our Parish Profile he found exciting and
he believes that his gifts and experience will find ready
application in the Strettons.
From Revd Graham & Mrs Marion Stones
W
e were glad to receive a copy of the last issue of
Stretton Focus and to see the front page strap
line ‘New life in Christ’ alongside the picture
of the newly-hatched chick. Though we are hardly ‘spring
chickens’, we are increasingly looking forward to the new
life that awaits us in The Strettons.
Marion and I have spent the last sixteen years in full-time
Christian ministry in Devon, all but 21⁄2 of them by the
sea, so it comes as a surprise to respond to God’s call to a
post which, I guess, is nearly as far away from the sea as you
can get! At least, we will no longer be pestered by seagulls
waking us up in the early hours!
It’s clear from our contact with Stretton folks so far that this
is a friendly community and we are excited at the prospect
of being part of it. The Christian life is often pictured as a
journey; well, we shall soon be undertaking a life-changing
journey to Church Stretton. We look forward to being
among you and living our lives as part of a new community
as we serve God’s purposes together.
Graham’s wife Marion supports him 100% in his ministry,
but also feels that her vocation is to be a Christian working
in a secular environment, rather than in too many church
activities. They have two daughters in their 20s who work
away from home.
Prior to joining Lee Abbey, and theological training,
Graham had a scientific education and for several years
(over 10) worked in industry, holding managerial positions
in three different pharmaceutical companies, ultimately
with significant responsibility.
Future Temporary Road Closures
Marshbrook level crossing
Graham`s service of Institution as Rector of the Church
Stretton Benefice will be on Friday, 16th July and we are
very much looking forward to welcoming Graham and
Marion here to the Strettons.
10th & 11th July 2004 from 11.30pm to 10.00am
and 31st July & 1st August 2004
On another tack, we are sorry that URC minister Norman
Smith and his wife Sarah will be leaving later this year for
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
May 2004
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Bird Of The Month – May
M
ost Whinchats return from
their wintering grounds,
mainly in the grasslands
of sub-Saharan Africa in early May.
Several pairs inhabit the higher reaches
of each of the Long Mynd valleys,
and a few can also be found on Caer
Caradoc, the Stiperstones and other
parts of the south Shropshire Hills.
The total population on the Long
Mynd is well over 100 pairs, and is
probably around two-fifths of the
Shropshire total.
Whinchats are
slightly smaller than
Robins. Males have
a dark brown back
and wings, bright
buff (almost orange)
breast, broad white
stripe just above
the eye, and white
feathers on the outer
edges of the tail.
Females are similar,
but duller. The eyestripe distinguishes
them from the
similar Stonechat,
which often occupies
adjacent hillsides.
When they first
arrive, the birds feed quietly, flitting
around the heather or dead bracken,
rebuilding their energy after their long
migration flight. After a short period,
the males start singing to establish
their breeding territories, and May is
well underway. Scattered hawthorn
trees are the favoured song posts in
those territories that have them, but
any prominent sprig of heather or
bracken may be used.
The first clutch of eggs is laid in mid
May, and Whinchats are relatively
inconspicuous after the female starts
incubating. Once nestlings are wellgrown, from the first week in June,
the adults emit a loud piping “tac tac”
alarm call, usually from a prominent
perch on the tallest frond of bracken.
This call can be heard from a distance
of a couple of hundred metres in still
conditions. They circle around an
intruder, calling incessantly, drawing
attention away from their nest, or,
later, the recently fledged young. Often
the parents will separate and split the
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
Whinchat
brood between them, so they are not
all vulnerable to a single predator. Any
newly fledged young seen from late
June onwards may be from second
broods.
The National Trust has now altered its
bracken-spraying programme to reflect
these requirements.
Leo Smith
picture: Copyright Rory McCann
Whinchats are rarely heard singing
after late June, and they are seen
only occasionally after mid July. By
then the young from first broods are
independent, and feeding quietly in
the well-grown bracken, whilst the
adults are either stealthily raising a
second brood, or
hiding away from
danger while they
moult. They start
migrating south
from mid August
onwards.
he Shropshire
Raven Study
Group reports
that a female Raven
from a site close to
the Welsh border
in 1994, which has been nesting
within a couple of miles of Church
Stretton for the last few years, is
back in 2004. She is therefore the
first wild Shropshire bird which has
been proved to reach 10 years old.
She is known as ‘White CB’ after the
colour and letters on her ring. Happy
Birthday, ‘White CB’!
T
Whinchats are
almost wholly
restricted to
steep hillsides,
and the Long
Mynd Breeding
Bird Project has
proved that only
hillsides covered
with bracken are
occupied – if there
is no bracken, there
are no Whinchats.
Bracken is usually perceived as an
alien invasive nuisance, and habitat
management plans often attempt to
eradicate it through expensive aerial
spraying. However, Whinchats are
wholly dependent on bracken on
the Long Mynd, and on many other
British uplands as well.
The species is in serious decline,
both nationally and in Shropshire,
but the population density on the
Long Mynd is still extremely high by
national standards. The National Trust
therefore has a particular obligation
to these vulnerable birds, and must
conserve bracken with an understorey,
on steep hillsides near water, as their
essential breeding habitat. However,
continued removal of bracken from the
Long Mynd plateau is also important.
This won’t affect Whinchat, which is
restricted to steep slopes, but it will
benefit several other species which live
only on the plateau, and which cannot
tolerate dense bracken – particularly
Red Grouse, Ring Ouzel and Skylark.
In addition to this female, another
10 year old, a male from near
Ratlinghope, still has a nest near
Cardington.
H
opefully, April’s Bird Of
The Month, the Ring
Ouzel, has returned to
breed on the Long Mynd. The
Nest Protection Scheme will only
work if we find any nests before the
predators. Any information is useful.
If you see a Ring Ouzel, please
phone the location and other details,
immediately, to Leo Smith on 01588
638577
STOP PRESS There have been
several sightings of a Red Kite flying
over Church Stretton during April.
Two Short Courses
at Mayfair
T
wo courses which are running
from 20th April (and can be
accessed at any time) are:
• ‘Banish the winter blues and
spring into summer’
A six week course to help raise
your energy levels.
Tuesdays, 1.30 – 3.00pm
with Gill Griffiths.
• ‘Positive Living Course’
Tuesdays, 10am – 12noon
with Annie Drury
(Runs until 6th July)
May 2004
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Youth Speaks Competition
T
his year’s public speaking competition
for schools, run by the Rotary Club
of Church Stretton, was held at
Craven Arms. There were eleven teams taking
part, from Ludlow College, Bishops Castle
Community College, Bedstone College and
Church Stretton School. The students had to speak on topics
that were announced only at the last minute. The judges
said that the standard of presentation and argument was very
high. There were two sections of the competition, Senior and
Junior. Church Stretton came first in both the sections.
The winning Senior Team was made up of Emmanuel Eposti,
Vernon Kerswell and Kyle Reece. The runners up in this
section also came from Church Stretton School. They were
Senior winners: Emmanuel Eposti and Vernon Kerswall
with Roy Jones.. Photos courtesy S Shropshire Journal
Nicola Phillips, Luke Carless and Ed Potter. The members
of the winning Junior Team were Will Bretherton, Matthew
Phillips and Hannah Farley.
The competition is a national one with four stages. These
culminate in a grand final at Cardiff. The Church Stretton
Teams went on to compete in the Midlands section at
Penkridge but unfortunately were knocked out at that stage.
Junior winners: Hannah Farley, Will Bretherton and
Matthew Phillips receive their cup from Roy Jones.
The competition aims to give young people the opportunity to
gain valuable experience, not only at public speaking, but also in
formulating ideas, working as a team and planning presentations.
It is one of the ways in which the Rotary Clubs try to contribute
to the development of young people in the community.
Roger Stokes
Presentation of the Strategic Action Plan
M
change and his panel would make
written recommendations to the full
Task Group. Their comments will
be communicated to the Partnership
within four weeks.
arch 30th was a big day for
Church Stretton and the
Area. After two and a half
years of consultation and planning,
representatives of the Church Stretton
Area Partnership were in Birmingham
at the office of Advantage West
Midlands, to present the Strategic
Action Plan for our town and area.
and made a 30 minute presentation
of the 132 page Plan then waited for
questions. “Had we done enough?”
we asked ourselves. “Would we now
qualify for the funding and other
support to carry our Plan forward?
Have the many thousands of hours
of volunteer time and effort been
worthwhile?”
We were quietly confident that we had
a comprehensive plan that identified
the needs of our communities. The
plan offers ways of making our area
more vibrant for those of us who live
here and for visitors, helps retain our
younger people and offers continuing
opportunities for them to live and work
here – but, above all, preserves and
enhances our inspiring environment.
Any nervousness we should have had
was totally dissipated when Mark
Pearce, a Director of AWM and
leader of the panel, said that ours was
the best and most comprehensive
Market Town Plan which they had
received. He said we had made some
bold suggestions for addressing the
needs which our consultation had
identified. After one or two minor
questions for clarification, he said that
the Plan is very acceptable, nothing
would be referred back to us for
We met representatives of the West
Midlands Market Towns Task Group
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
We came away elated. What next?
The Partnership is meeting in April
to widen its membership, to formalise
its procedures and to set up a Steering
Group that can focus on securing
funding and moving the projects
forward. Some projects will take longer
than others but there is plenty to do
in the short term to progress towards
our Vision for the Town and Villages
around
Long Mynd Living – an Inspiring
and Thriving Environment
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5
Trevor Davies
Church Stretton Area Partnership
May 2004
16/4/04, 11:29 am
Long Mynd Archers
‘Union, True Heart and Courtesy’
W
e are proud to have an Olympic athlete living
in our local community. Alison Williamson of
the Long Mynd Archers, whose picture appears
on the front cover, is ranked No. 1 in the UK and a short
while ago was No. 1 in the world. She has just been selected
for the British team, following a ‘shoot-off ’ at Lilleshall
on 4th April and will compete in Athens at the Olympic
Games in August. She will also compete in the European
Championships being held in Belgium this month.
Long Mynd Archers have a home base at New House
Farm, Church Stretton. Their 150 by 50 metres field
nestles between the grandeur of Caer Caradoc and the
roar of the A49 traffic. The Club is a thriving example of
one of England’s oldest sports, and has a current
membership of 75, with under-18s constituting
almost half of the total. The Grand National
Archery Society has as its motto: ‘Union,
True Heart and Courtesy’.
Why do people become interested in
archery? Age, size and gender are immaterial
and all the family can participate. Long
Mynd Archers, whose eldest member is
over 80 and the youngest a mere six years old,
compete throughout the year. The outdoor season
is from May to September, but there is an indoor range at
the William Brookes School at Much Wenlock. The School,
called after one of the founders of the modern Olympic
movement, has been the indoor venue for the last 25 years.
In all sports, true champions prepare themselves thoroughly
to perform at the competitions that really count. Alison
Williamson started shooting arrows at the age of 7. By the
age of 13, she was invited to make her first international
trip for her country. Today, at the age of 32 and with
almost 20 years of international experience, she trains for
a minimum of three hours a day and shoots at least 300
arrows a session. At Olympic levels, the speed of an arrow is
240 feet per second.
Alison’s preparation for the Olympics has been taking place
in Germany where the facilities and coaching expertise
available are outstanding. Her German coach holds the view
that a 300 arrows practice is a mere warm up for the actual
training session! In 2003, Alison broke 6 national records
but is still improving and learning.
How can potential champions be recognised from an
early stage? Tom Williamson, Club President, has a clear
view and vast experience – “It’s the way they come to
the full draw” says Tom. “They make it look easy with
all parts of the body working smoothly and in unison”.
Alison experiences sheer frustration when she fails to hit
the middle of the target with every arrow. ‘Stroppy’ was
the word used to describe his daughter’s behaviour when
something less than perfection takes place!
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
Tom Williamson has just completed 15 years service as the
International Manager for the British Junior Team and is
therefore in a strong position to know what it takes to make
a champion. Anne Webb is in charge of the UK Paralympics
Team. Sue Williamson runs the Junior National Squad in
the winter as well as being the Secretary of Long Mynd
Archers.
The Club is well blessed with six coaches for helping
all members to progress. Anne Webb, Graham Hislop,
Tom and Sue Williamson all hold recognised coaching
certificates with Kim and Kay Lucas on the way to
achieving the same status. Sue is also the Records Officer
and maintains a computerised record of every member’s
progress.
Everyone in the Club shoots to their
‘classification’ – a form of handicap similar
to golf. ‘Classification’ allows everyone
to compete with each other on an equal
footing. The grades of progress are 3rd,
2nd to 1st class followed by Bowman,
Master Bowman and finally Grandmaster
Bowman. No prizes for guessing who the
one Grandmaster is in the Long Mynd Archers
with Kay Lucas designated as a Master Bowman.
Archery safety regulations are strictly upheld at the Club.
An overshoot area of 50 yards behind the target is in place
and a Field Captain, with the aid of a whistle, controls the
competition with safety uppermost in mind. Long Mynd
Archers have an unblemished record in this respect. Safety
regulations are a key part of the induction process for all
new members.
The Summer holds out an exciting prospect for the
Strettons as we follow Alison’s progress in the Old
Amphitheatre in Athens. The hopes of the local community
rest on shoulders that have suffered recent injury but are
now healing. We wish her well!
People who may wish to deepen their knowledge and
interest in this ancient and honourable sport can do so
at a forthcoming Archery Awareness Day. It is taking
place at New House Farm on Sunday, 16th May between
10.00 am - 12 noon in the morning and 1.00 - 3.00 pm
in the afternoon. Simply turn up and have a go at £5 for
adults and £3 for juniors. Alternatively, access the Club’s
website on www.longmyndarchers.co.uk or contact Sue
Williamson on 01694 722767.
Man on Target
Save the Children
T
he Nearly New morning held on April 3rd was most
enjoyable and successful and £386 was taken. We
would like to thank everyone for their support.
May 2004
-9-
6
16/4/04, 11:29 am
Methodist Voice
Daffodil Fair – 20 March 2004
T
his was a very successful and enjoyable day, inspired
by Pam and Colin Powney. The church was
beautifully decorated in readiness for the Mothering
Sunday service the following day, and the Fair was extremely
well supported by members, friends and visitors. Over £700
was made for the fund for re-furbishing the church. We are
grateful to Pam and Colin and to all other church members
who helped to contribute to the success of the day.
On display was an impressive exhibition of artwork by the
Junior Church on the theme ‘My Favourite Bible Story’,
reflecting the work being done in Junior Church. We are
grateful to Mrs May Holdway, and the Junior Church staff
for this, and all the other work being done.
11 July Mrs R Lyddon – Shrewsbury
18 July Major Barbara Duncan (Salvation Army)
Newcastle, Staffs
25 July Revd Susan McIvor – Newport (all-age worship)
All the above services start at the usual time of 10-30am.
Away Day – 12/14 October 2004
The above will be held at The Methodist Guild, Lindfors
in the Forest of Dean and will be led by Revd Joan and Mr
Royce Warner. Further details of this at the appropriate
time, but thanks to David and Stella Jandrell for organising
the event.
Worship Group
The principal areas of work covered are:(a) planning special services and inviting outside preachers
and /or worship leaders, and,
(b) working together to develop ‘in-house’ acts of worship
(c) recommendations to the Church Council relating to
‘special’ services, and any other matters affecting church
worship.
Church Anniversary – 23 May 2004
Both the morning and evening services on this day will be
conducted by Revd Amos Cresswell, a former President of
the Methodist Conference.
Festival Of Preachers
‘Review your worship, and that of your church. Is it
acceptable to God, full of reverence and joy?’ (Revd Michael
Baughen, formerly Bishop of Chester)
We are very grateful for those preachers who have accepted
the invitation to be a part of the annual Festival, and the
programme is given below:4 July Revd Mary Austin - Walsall
Harry Clarke
Focus on Faith
I
told a group of people that I had just been to see the film
“The Passion of the Christ” and they looked absolutely taken
aback! When I said that I was glad that I had been, and that I
would like to go again, they did not know how to react!
I meant it – I would like to go again. It is not an easy film
to watch. There were times when I longed to close my eyes
because I could not watch Jesus suffering any longer. Then I
realised that that is why Jesus’ friends ran away – they could
not watch it either.
Certainly I had never grasped what the taunting, jeering
and scorn would be like. I had never realised either how
vicious would be the whipping, beating and scourging. The
weight of the cross, and the hammering of the nails through
his hands were gruesome.
Like so many of us, I’ve read the story year after year, and
it has lost some of its impact on me. I refer to the cross in
nearly every sermon I preach, and I wear a silver cross round
my neck, because I believe that that is at the heart of our
faith, but I needed the film to see how much Jesus suffered,
to see what his “passion” was like.
There is, of course, more to the account of Jesus’ suffering
than that. When we reached the end of the film, the
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
question in my mind was “What does it mean? Doesn’t it
seem pointless?”
I watched “Heaven and Earth” (BBC1) a few weeks ago,
when this film was being debated, and a prominent Jew
was very angry that it was anti-semitic. One of the other
people being interviewed was quite adamant that it was
not, and it seems to me that she was right. It doesn’t
matter which nationality put him to death (and it was
more than one anyway), it was feelings like we have
sometimes that put him there – jealousy, rage, spite,
hatred and so on. We cannot blame anyone else – we are
all in it together. But when we then hear him say, in a
voice hoarse and breathless, hardly able to put the words
together “Father, forgive them, they know not what they
do” we know that that is for us as well. We know that we
too are loved and forgiven.
When, in the last moments of the film, we see Jesus raised
from the dead, we catch a glimpse of a God who not only
loves and forgives us, but also gives us a new beginning, new
life, life that conquers death, eternal life.
Now that we have reached the Sundays after Easter, that is
what we celebrate over and over again – new life, for ever!
Joan Warner
May 2004
- 11 -
7
16/4/04, 11:29 am
Silver Bow over the Strettons
Church Stretton Food Fayre
T
Sponsored Walk on Sunday 9th May 2004
he Committee is trying to
ensure that both businesses
and residents around the Town
Centre know of and have opportunity
to comment on our plans for this year’s
events on July 9th – 11th. Survey
forms have been delivered to everyone
and non-respondents will be followed up individually. We
hope that as many businesses as possible will stay open
for the main event on Sunday, as we want as many people
as possible circulating round the town. We will have
attractions by the Co-op as well as the main hospitality
in the Mayfair Community Centre, plus the ‘Strangers in
the Window’ competition, to lure people round the Town,
spending ‘loadsamoney’, hopefully. A liberal distribution of
hay bales will give then opportunity to rest their weary feet
and a hand stamp will allow them to move freely between
all the attractions.
O
n Sunday 9th May, hundreds of mums, dads,
children, runners and walkers are expected to set off
from Rectory Fields, Church Stretton, to complete a
sponsored five mile, 1200ft ascent over the Long Mynd. The
event will raise much needed funds for the Lingen Davies
Cancer Centre Appeal to improve facilities for local people
with cancer at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Participants can set off between 10.00 am and 12 noon and
should be reasonably fit, wear walking footwear and suitable
clothing. The walk is on tracks, footpaths and open hillside.
It will be signposted and marshalled at strategic points. All
participants will receive a route description and sketch map.
When the programme of events on Russell’s Meadow is
finalised, we will undertake a similar exercise with residents
around the playing fields. I am delighted now to have a ViceChair, Sharon Nichols, who is taking charge of this venue.
It is really encouraging that so many businesses are making
pledges for the Promise Auction on the Saturday night,
so that should be a most enjoyable and lucrative event
- there’s still time for more pledges, though. For the Sunday
night finale, we have booked the Hereford Big Band – but,
promise, all will be silent by 11p.m.!
We are delighted that the Ale Trail will this year include
three hostelries from the centre of the Town, so we’ll be
encouraging trailers to use their legs a little to ease the
pressure on the Shuttle. The Guided Walks will this time
link in with some hostelries we cannot easily bring in to the
Trail, so giving us a wider coverage.
Publicity-wise, we have now relaunched our web-site,
www.foodfayre.org which gives all the latest information,
plus the option of downloading a booking form for
continued next column
Organiser Anita White said “Two years ago I became
aware of the lack of decent facilities for children receiving
cancer treatment at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
and I wanted to help. With friends, helpers and local
organisations we put on this sponsored walk and raised
over £15,000. It was a wonderful achievement and an
occasion when many people had a fun time. People
and organisations are already coming forward, offering
support and wishing to undertake the challenge. I am
now appealing for even more support for this new charity
appeal. We are all looking forward to another gala day in
Church Stretton”.
See photo opposite
Call 01694 724222 for further details and a sponsor form
or to offer help. Sponsor forms are also available from
Chamberlaine & Stephens Estate Agents.
discounted advance tickets (children/young people under
16 years of age will have free admission). Advance Fayre
tickets (with 25% discount) and Ale Trail and Walking
tickets are now available from the Tourist Information
Centre, John Thomas (florist) and Burway Books. Tickets
for the Ale Trail (also available from participating pubs) and
for Guided Walks have to be limited in number – so buy
now to avoid disappointment!
Bob Welch, Chairman, Food Fayre Committee
New DJ Equipment for the South Shropshire Gateway Club - a joint venture
E
very fortnight, on a Wednesday evening, over 30
members of the South Shropshire Gateway Club
and their carers meet at Wistanstow Village Hall
for a dance or entertainment. There are Gateway Clubs
throughout England and they are affiliated to Mencap
providing social activities for adults with learning
difficulties.
Manager of the Salop Music Centre, who offered to add
about the same amount to the total, it has been possible to
provide an excellent DJ setup for the club.
Recently the Club at Wistanstow has been having
difficulties with its sound equipment. John Miles, the
organiser of the Club was delighted when Shaun Willocks
of the Round Table of Church Stretton said they would
help to replace the equipment. Eventually it was decided
that this would be a joint venture with the Rotary Club
of Church Stretton, so each raised £350 for this. With a
generous offer of assistance from Rob Mulliner, the General
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
This was handed over on Monday 15th March at the
Salop Music Centre in Castlefields. It was received by two
members of the Club, Mark Betts and Robert Sherratt
of Blackhurst. Pat Doyle, President of the Rotary Club,
Graham Stewart (Chairman of the Round Table) and Rob
Mulliner of Salop Music Centre joined in saying how
delighted they were to assist such a very worthwhile local
project. Stefan Edwards, the regular DJ, said that it would
be an immense asset to the Club and he would enjoy having
such professional equipment to operate.
Roger Stokes
May 2004
- 12 -
8
16/4/04, 11:29 am
All Stretton`s Art and Crafts Exhibition
W
e made £245.03 for village funds and had nearly
200 visitors to see the work of 40 exhibitors
and that of the Local History Group. Most
important, we had a great community occasion.
Many thanks to all who contributed in so many ways,
the exhibitors, the construction/demolition team, the
stewards, the arrangers and hangers, the cake makers and
innumerable others who volunteered their services with
characteristic All Stretton generosity.
Roger & Margaret Stokes
Alison Clarke-Williamson
with her son’s picture ‘Me
through a goldfish bowl’
Anita White (walk organiser) and Catherine Jacobs (walker
being sponsored) with Oscar, Warrant Officer Les Ashfield
(Royal Logistics Corps) and Michael Jacobs (junior walker in
training).
‘Churches Together’ Coffee Morning
C
hurches Together’ in the Strettons is delighted to report
the great success of the coffee morning on the 27th
March when the wonderful total of £940 was raised
for the Afghan Livelihood Project. This means that over the
last six years the annual coffee mornings have raised a total of
£4,251.80 for charitable projects, both local and further afield.
These mornings provide a lovely opportunity for all the churches
to work together and we would like to thank everyone for their
support.
Norma Brewer
Church Stretton Inner Wheel
T
he Members of Church Stretton Inner Wheel
would like to thank the people of the Strettons
who supported the recent concert by the ‘Intrada’
Brass Ensemble. The musicians, from various backgrounds
including the youngest member of the ensemble who is
leader of the brass section of the National Youth Orchestra
and one not-so-young from the famous Grimethorpe Brass
Band , helped us raise £780 to be divided between Children
in Crisis and Inner Wheel Charities.
Betty Shearer with her
tailored suit that she
made
Mothers’ Union
T
he Condover Deanery Branches of the Mothers’
Union would like
to thank all those
people who supported them
at the Marmalade Market
held in the Square, Church
Stretton, on Saturday 6th
March. A total of £165 was
raised for Diocesan funds.
All stock sold out very
rapidly, so sorry to those of
you who were disappointed!
Barbara MacIntyre
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
Muriel Hill buys at the Marmalade Market
March 2004
- 13 -
9
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Mayfair
T
I
he following is from a talk given by Dr. Jenny
Howard at the ‘Easy Health’ Open Day at
Mayfair. We found it so inspiring we would
like to share it with Focus readers.
attention, compassion, empathy, kindness, honesty,
integrity, listening, time, touch, silence, atmosphere,
motivation, awareness and perspective. Perhaps we
are more powerful than we realise!
am a Partner in the GP practice, but I have also been
training as a homeopath over the last three years at
Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital. In another context,
I could have introduced myself as a calligrapher or an
embroiderer or a member of a singing group - all of which
would be truthful statements and I want you to remember
that because it is relevant to what I am going to talk about
today.
My title is ‘Therapeutic Encounters’, which sounds rather
grand, but what I am going to talk about is very simple, it is
the stuff of human meetings that we all do at different levels
every day. It is about what happens between a doctor and a
patient or a client and a carer.
Let me start by saying a few things about the way I
understand ‘health’ and ‘healing’. The first is that health
can be difficult to define, but not difficult to understand.
Health is a subjective phenomenon: we know whether we
feel well or not, and we don’t need a health expert to tell us.
To understand how people get sick and people get well we
need to understand the individual and the context in which
they have become ill. We cannot understand illness without
understanding the person that is ill. This is different from
understanding the disease process occurring at the level
of the affected organ. A person who is ill is more than a
disease entity. If I ask someone to tell me about themselves
and they say, “I am a diabetic”, they have told me nothing
about the person who has been diagnosed with diabetes.
Our bodies have an amazing potential for self-healing. We
take it for granted that wounds heal and bones mend but it
is our bodies that do it. It is important that the bones are
lined up correctly and held in plaster, or that the wound
is cleaned and stitched. Our task is to provide the right
conditions for healing to take place, to support the body
whilst it heals itself.
So how do we identify and then provide the right
conditions in our everyday encounters with other human
beings to allow healing to happen? In particular I am
referring to the meeting between a patient/carer and a
client/therapist but, in fact, all human encounters have the
potential to be therapeutic.
I am not talking about things that separate us as therapists,
what I call our tools - the doctor’s drugs, the homoeopath’s
remedies, the acupuncturist’ s needles - these are all
important. We need to be skilled in using whichever
therapy we practise, but we also need to be skilled in using
ourselves. How do we use ourselves creatively? We know
how to do it instinctively, but we don’t always think about
it. Perhaps by thinking about it and training ourselves to
do it we could become more successful at catalyzing healing
responses. What do we bring to a consultation that comes
from ourselves rather than our training? These are intention,
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
Why do consultations fail to work? Stand in the checkout
at the Co-op to hear what people say about visits to the
doctor and you will soon find out. “The doctor was in a
rush, I don’t feel she listened to me.” “1 hadn’t finished talking
before she was writing the prescription for anti- depressants I
didn’t take them”. “He ignored me and only seemed interested
in my disease.” Does any of that sound familiar? What can
we learn from those comments? Well, we need to be there,
not thinking about what to cook for tea. We need to listen
and hear both what is said and what is not said. We need to
think about whom we are meeting, not what the diagnosis
is. Simple stuff really, but not always easy to achieve.
How do we activate ourselves so that we are focused on the
person in front of us? We all know the difference between
music on in the background that we are not actively
listening to and then switching ourselves on really to listen.
That is the change we need to learn and one of the ways
we can do it is by waking up our creative processes in other
ways - painting, writing, etc and that creativity will translate
to our other work. So go and find what Mayfair has to offer
and join that painting class!
I’m sure that you have had the experience of meeting
someone in the course of the day’s activities and feeling
better for it. How does it leave you feeling? I can think
of a particular person who I cared for as she was dying.
Sometimes I wasn’t sure who was the patient and who was
the doctor. I always left her presence feeling calmer and
better able to cope and get on with the next task. That is
how I would like people to leave my surgery; feeling better
able to cope and in control of their anxieties. Empowered
and enabled is the jargon term. The strength has come
from within themselves and the consultation has merely
provided a catalyst
Some thoughts about how we can get better as carers.
Learn from your own encounters and the good and bad
examples that you witness about what works and what
doesn’t. Our patients are our best teachers. Use your own
experience of illness and unhappiness and how you coped
or failed to cope. Learn from other disciplines; spiritual
traditions and other healing approaches have their own
insights. Wake up your own creativity. Learn to draw
or paint or play a musical instrument and don’t forget to
laugh. John Ruskin said, “When love and skill work together,
expect a masterpiece”. Let’s see if we can’t produce an entire
art gallery.
Mayfair Lottery Result for March
No..... 517 .... £100
304 .... £50
11 .... £20
356 .... £10
May 2004
- 14 -
10
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Dear Editor ....
I
t is encouraging to see from recent issues of
Focus how much activity is taking place to
ensure a healthy future for our pleasant town
and to protect its environment. May I be permitted
to suggest, however, that there is a danger that one
vital aspect may be overlooked? A considerable
number of existing groups provide activities and
facilities that are an established part of the town’s
current enjoyable life. Many of these groups are
run by active but inevitably ageing volunteers, and
unless a steady succession of helpers comes forward
these groups will eventually die, and with them the amenities
that they provide. Volunteers are often difficult to find. In
our enthusiasm for new activities and ideas, might we not be
allowing part of the town’s life to die?
As the current chairman of the Gardening Club, I am proud
to be part of a group that provides regular and well attended
monthly winter talks, a well patronised series of coach trips in
the summer and, above all, the successful traditional annual
Summer Show (supplemented this year by an informal Spring
Show). Within the next year or so we shall urgently need a
treasurer, a secretary, a publicity secretary and a vice chairman
(with a view to taking over the chairmanship within a short
time). These tasks have been nobly performed for a number
of years by dedicated people, but none of them is beyond the
capabilities of the ordinary interested person. Forget those
forbidding experts on the media! Clearly, without volunteers
to come forward (and none are currently obvious), this
successful Club could be faced with closure.
May I be impertinent, and suggest that some who have
already shown their enthusiasm in relation to new activities
might (in colloquial parlance) be prepared ‘to put their
money where their mouth is’ and come and help us?
Perhaps the C S Partnership owes this to us, as it has
arranged its last two public consultation meetings on the
same days as our traditional monthly lectures. This has
presented our usual numerous audience with a difficult
conflict of loyalties, denying those publicly spirited
persons who have direct responsibilities to the lectures the
opportunity to make their voices heard and depriving able
visiting lecturers, who come from a considerable distance
and are booked a year in advance, of part of their audience.
Roy Coad
Chairman, C S and District Gardening Club
I
read with great interest the article on the Church Stretton
Branch of Save the Children. It brought back many fond
memories of committee members that I worked with.
They were full of energy, ideas, humour and inspiration!
I do need to just add a little to Barbara’s mention of me
and my sponsorship. I was, indeed, the facilitator for the
sponsorship of a number of children in Ladakh, India
but real credit must go to the pupils of Church Stretton
School. Each year I would make an appeal to the school’s
Year 7 to support the sponsorship of a child, through fund
raising and letters and, without fail, the response would be
overwhelming. It always restored my faith in the young!
Bernard Ford
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
W
hat an excellent reply to the Church
Stretton Partnership report by Janet
Beaumont-Nesbit. May I ask who
created this unelected organisation and is its
purpose to take over the democratically elected
council? I sincerely hope not.
The report was gushing with praise and adoration
for the consultants’ report by Mr. Geoff Edge of
West Midlands Enterprise Consultants. I would
like to know how much this consultancy cost and
did it cost the community taxpayer any money? I hope not.
I have lived in All Stretton for 19 years and I think
the Strettons are the best place on the planet and it
does not require do-gooders to regenerate and spoil
the situation. I am a semi-retired chief executive and
have travelled our planet extensively over the last 40
years but I was, and still am, delighted to return to this
wonderful area which has so many good points and
feelings.
I would like to know if the quango Advantage West
Midlands has visited the council to hear from our elected
body, or have they worked directly with the so-called
partnership? I would like to think that Advantage West
Midlands would be working alongside our council. I await
your reply.
Michael Whitehouse
I
recently came upon an interesting old book entitled
Church Stretton, some Results of Local Scientific Research,
published by Wildings, Shrewsbury and edited by Major
C W Campbell-Hyslop 1900-1904.
Unfortunately I only have the first volume (of three)
entitled Geology by E S Cobbold Macro-Lepidoptera by F B
Newnham, BA and Moluscs by R A Buddicom, BA.
The other two volumes are Volume 2: Birds by G H
Paddock, Plants by R de G Benson, Mosses by W P
Hamilton and Parochial History by Henrietta M Auden and
Volume 3: Archiological Remains byE S Cobbold.
I don’t know if the other two volumes still exist
anywhere, but these books must be the most
comprehensive studies of the Church Stretton area ever
made, and by local people at that, judging from the
names of the contributers.
It would be very interesting to make comparative studies
of the area today 100 years later to compare the flora and
fauna of the area, to see if there has been any decline or
change, given farming changes etc.
I would be happy to lend this book to anybody who would
like to use it, and wonder if copies of Vols. 2 and 3 still
exist? They were obviously a very small print run, so may be
extremely rare.
W F Kerswell
Letters continued at foot of next page
May 2004
- 17 -
11
16/4/04, 11:30 am
URC Voice
T
his is the month in which Church Stretton
United Reformed Church marks its
anniversary. This year our anniversary
preacher is our Moderator, the Revd Elizabeth Welch.
Our church began with just seven members, who formed
themselves into a Congregational Church, meeting for a
time in a room above a carpenter’s shop.
Bearing in mind that Jesus was a carpenter, and that at the
end of his ministry an upper room was of great significance,
it might have been a disappointment to leave those premises
when the congregation got too large!
They
moved into
the present
building
in 1866
(which
hopefully
will begin
to be
refurbished
before
long) and,
although
significant changes have affected the denomination since
that time, the congregation in Church Stretton have
gone on meeting week by week. In 1972 when many
Congregationalists and Presbyterians joined together it
became a United Reformed Church. Although the name
did not change again, there was a further union with some
who belonged to the Churches of Christ. In more
recent times another step forward was taken when
the Congregational Church of Scotland took steps
to extend the United Reformed Church north of the
Scottish border.
In keeping with a famous prayer that Jesus used, our
tradition has tried to find ways of bringing different
denominations together. Jesus prayed ‘that all of them may
be one……so that the world may believe that you sent
me’. More and more congregations around the country are
working together, and we await the outcome of initiatives
that have been taken to bring Methodist and United
Reformed Churches together, at the same time also looking
for the outcome of the Anglican/Methodist Covenant.
Having written all that, I find it refreshing to find people
who are not hung up on denominational labels. Many
who move house these days, especially those of a younger
generation, do not necessarily look for a church of a
particular denomination, but a church where the Good
News of Jesus is clearly proclaimed and reflected in its
worship and witness. They search for a community that is
excited about the faith, and clearly attempting to inspire its
members to be aware of God’s love, but also equip them to
serve him in the community and the church.
As we start another year of our history we need to concentrate
on the essentials of our faith, and to focus on how we help
others discover the love, joy and peace of the living God.
Norman Smith
Letters continued
A
s a resident at Denehurst Court retirement apartments I take exception to the remarks levelled at the development
in Focus. It was quoted that the property was ‘not responding to a properly identified need’. But surely the very
reason for this type of accommodation is to meet the needs of the elderly retired so that they can live in a secure
environment with independence and with the consolation of company when desired.
Further, at no time can we ever be a burden on the health services or county subsidies. We do not in any sense detract
from the ethos of the neighbourhood nor conflict with the interests of the community at large. We are dutiful Council Tax
payers and contribute to the local economy. It was also reported that there was a slowdown in the sale of the apartments,
but this is strongly denied by the trading group which asserts that sales were well on target for a development of this size.
The alternative suggestion made of using the site for affordable housing would hardly seem attractive in view of the limited
employment prospects, except perhaps to financial services providing mortgages. On no account could we be regarded as ‘a
waste of space’.
R. Harper (on behalf of the residents)
I
would just like to say how much I miss the old style ‘Diary’ from Focus. I agree there is a lot more in the way of
contacts and phone numbers - but the “What’s on in the Strettons” doesn’t cover half as much as before. Although I’m
a regular reader of the town noticeboards, I feel that some people are going to miss out on events and activities they
may otherwise have supported.
As an example, as a member of the Stretton Traidcraft group, our regular stall at Mayfair (Thursdays 10.30am - 1pm) was
automatically listed in the section for weekly/monthly events. This no longer appears. Could this feature please be reinstated?
Kate Johnson
We apologise for failing to list the Stretton Traidcraft Stall. This is now being advertised in the ‘Support at Mayfair’ section in our
yellow pages. Ed
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
May 2004
- 18 -
12
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Arts Festival
New president
background. He is a really nice man, very easy to talk to and
full of enthusiasm. With his support we are looking forward
to another successful Festival.”
T
he Church Stretton &
South Shropshire Arts
Festival has announced
the name of its new president.
He is the British composer
Andrew Downes. Born in
1950, he ranks today among
internationally acclaimed
composers. He will preside
over our popular Summer
Festival which takes place
between Saturday 24th July
and Saturday 7th August 2004.
Posters and Programmes
for 2004
A
Andrew Downes won a choral scholarship in composition
and, in 1974, went on to study with Herbert Howells at
the Royal College of Music. He is now Head of the School
of Composition and Creative Studies at Birmingham
Conservatoire. His music has been performed throughout
the world in many leading concert halls and cathedrals
and has also been broadcast internationally. To date twelve
CD’s have been made of his music. Current projects
include Songs for Autumn, commissioned by Symphony
Hall, Birmingham, first performed in October 2003 and an
opera, Far from the Madding Crowd, to be premiered at the
Thomas Hardy Festival in 2006.
John Woolmer, Festival Chairman said, “We are absolutely
delighted to have Andrew as our President, especially as
he comes from such a prestigious and creative artistic
s you read this, posters
and programmes will have
spread round our town and
well beyond its borders, indeed
throughout the country, judging by last year’s audiences.
Friends of the Festival will already be ordering their tickets,
others will have to wait a few weeks. If you wish to become
a Friend, or to find out more about us, our Membership
Secretary, Gerald Bolton, on 01694 723807, would love to
hear from you. If you run any type of establishment offering
accommodation, our programmes can be useful tools in
attracting visitors or for putting on display in your ‘Local
Attractions’ stand. Many visitors from other parts of the
country came to try the Festival once and now come back
every year. Just let us know and we can deliver a supply.
A brief reminder of the dates: 24th July – 7th August.
We look forward to seeing you. Last year attracted record
numbers, with many events completely or nearly sold out,
so we hope for the same success this year. All this couldn’t
happen without people running it. Would you like to help
in any way? Why not give us a ring?
George Roby, 01694 722159
Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
T
he Blue Remembered Hills Project’s first year has
been a great success – over 3,000 people have taken
part in the events, walks, talks and community
consultations and over 100 landowners have been offered
management advice and grant aid for features such as rivers,
wildlife sites and orchards.
For year two, there will be more opportunities both for
groups and individuals to celebrate, conserve and enhance
the beauty of the Shropshire Hills landscape. The Tree
Wardens Scheme is being promoted to Parish Councils
in order to recruit more local volunteer tree wardens who
gather information about local trees and act as contacts for
matters concerning tree care.
Riddings, a wildlife site in the Clun Forest, will benefit from
a grant enabling the removal of hawthorn scrub to open up
the grassland to sunlight and warmth, promoting the growth
of wild flowers (including the rare Northern Marsh Orchid)
and encouraging butterflies and other insects.
For further details and events programme contact the
AONB Office tel: 01588 674080 or visit the website at
www.shropshirehillsaonb.co.uk
A Canadian Tale
T
hose of our readers old enough to remember the
Second World War in the Strettons may recall Jean
Holmes; she moved to Canada shortly after the war,
became Jean Legare and settled in Alberta, in Grande Prairie
in the northwest of the Province.
Living alone since the death of her husband some years ago,
but spry and independent at four foot nine and seven stone,
she was going down stairs after bedtime on Christmas Day
when she tripped and fell. She lay at the bottom of the
stairs with a broken leg, a broken arm, and a fractured hip,
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
surviving for nine days (!) by drinking water from a jug she
was able to reach. Various relatives who tried to contact her
all assumed she was staying with someone else, but in the
end asked the RCMP to break in to her house where they
found Jean in the basement, quite lucid and able to tell
them what had happened. She was described in hospital
shortly afterwards as ‘in good spirits and doing well’. A
memorable Christmas but not recommended.
Our thanks go to Dot Alston who sent us a clipping from
the local paper.
- 26 -
13
May 2004
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Roman Catholic Voice
In one of the best known Catholic prayers, which every
catholic will never forget, we say, “Holy Mary, mother of
God, pray for us, now, and at the hour of our death”
Fr Joseph Donlan
May is For Mary
I
t has been part of the Catholic
tradition to put aside the month of
May to think about Mary, the mother
of Jesus. The Bible does not say a great
deal about Mary, but what it does say tells
us that she was the key human person
whose agreement with the angel, (“Let it
be done to me according to your word”)
began the story of Jesus Christ’s coming amongst us.
Age Concern
Tuesday Day Centre
We can trace the life of Mary through the things which
happened to Jesus, until the day when she is recorded standing
by the cross when Jesus died on the first Good Friday.
From this point, there are two factors which make
Mary so important. The first is seen as we come to realise,
through our understanding of who Jesus was, what that
meant for Mary. If Jesus is God (“The Father and I are
one”) then what can we say about Mary? This is why we call
her ‘Mother of God’. If Jesus is risen and is therefore alive
so that we can speak to him (“I will be with you until the
end of time”) can we not also speak to Mary?
The other factor which gives us our devotion to Mary
comes from our human understanding of her relationship
with us. At the foot of the cross stood Mary and John, the
beloved disciple. Jesus said to Mary, “This is your son” and
to John, “This is your mother”. Mary becomes the mother
of all the brothers and sisters of Jesus. As she could direct
her son Jesus to change water into wine at the marriage feast
at Cana, so she can direct Jesus now to help us.
C
hurch Stretton Tuesday Day Centre has been in
operation since 1982, supported by Age Concern
and a wonderful band of volunteers.
The aim of the centre is to provide a day out for people living
alone (or lonely through other circumstances) or a day of
respite for a carer or family looking after an elderly relative.
The Centre, which is held weekly at the United Reformed
Church Hall, offers a place where people can relax, meet
old friends and make new ones, have a little shopping done
if wanted and generally enjoy the company. Transport
is provided where possible. Members are recommended
through a doctor, nurse, health visitor or Age Concern.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are to hand mid-morning, followed by a
first class mid-day meal and afternoon tea with cakes or biscuits
before going home. There is always a raffle where everyone gets a
small prize as well as sing-songs, readings and some (very!) gentle
exercise. There are various outings during the year and a splendid
Christmas party. Each week there are fresh flowers on the dinner
tables, which members take home afterwards. This is all made
possible by devoted volunteers and long may it continue. Further
details from Jean Morgan (organiser) 01694 723826
Know Your Computer: Hard Drive Hijack
I
magine you’ve recently disposed of a computer and
someone uses the information on the hard drive to
impersonate you. You can’t understand how anyone
could have accessed your private information; you
reformatted the hard drive. The unfortunate truth is that
whoever has your old computer can easily retrieve your
‘deleted’ data without even buying any special software.
computers. It is an offence under the Data Protection Act
to discard a computer that contains personal data on other
people. It can lead to Crown Court prosecution, unlimited
fines and separate prosecutions by any individuals affected.
If you really do want to make sure your old data won’t be
viewed there is only one answer – destroy the hard drive. The
police recommend drilling holes into it; a spokesman from
one hard drive manufacturer suggests using a sledgehammer.
If you think this is a bit violent, be warned; even a trip to the
bottom of the sea won’t kill your hard drive!
Rachael Sankey
When you delete files or format a hard drive you are not
removing data, you are simply telling the computer to reuse the disk space. The information is still there until it’s
replaced. Although recovering data from a formatted disk
requires software, such applications are freely available on
the internet as trial versions.
The best way to remove data is to overwrite it, replacing the
old data with new, null data. There is software available to
‘sanitize’ hard drives but even this can be reversed with very
sophisticated equipment. Admittedly, you would probably
have to be suspected of international espionage for your excomputer to receive such treatment.
Recommended software for hard drive sanitation:
WipeDrive (www.accessdata.com)
Norton Systemworks (www.symantec.com)
Free Eraser from Heidi Computers (www.heidi.ie/eraser)
“Drill through your
hard drive!”
If you work from home or own a business, there are further
problems associated with computer disposal. Organisations risk
prosecution if data is not properly removed from unwanted
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
photo:
Paul Miller
May 2004
- 28 -
14
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Church Stretton
Spring Clean
O
n Sunday 4th April, 6 women
and 2 men undertook the
first of our monthly street
sweeping exercises, filling 16 bags.
Much litter had already been removed
by our litter-picking team and there
was no dog dirt. However, there was
a considerable amount of tree debris
around some of the premises and in
the gutters. There was also impacted
mud and dirt around shop frontages
and in drains, which we scraped away
with hoes.
The complimentary comments
from motorists and passers-by
were very encouraging, and we
greatly appreciated the coffee from
John Thomas the Florists, cups of
tea offered by Derek Barker and
the bacon sandwiches and coffee
given by John Gott, Berry’s Coffee
House.
What did we get out of it? Pride of
Place, satisfaction in a job well done,
fresh air and exercise and we found
£1.02p!
During our first sweep we worked for
approximately two hours but were
only able to cover Sandford Avenue
and the area around the Square. We
could really do with some more
volunteers. Our next ‘Sweeps’ will
be held on Sundays, 2nd May and
6th June at 7.30 a.m. If anyone feels
they would like to help, please do ring
01694 720086
On the same day, John Bennett’s
team cleared 23 bags of rubbish the
Railway area!
Church Stretton Area Tourism Group
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
The More Singers Church Stretton
Summer Concert Support for Afghan
‘Sumer Is Icumen In’
Refugees
F
ollowing their successful concert
at Munslow Church, which
raised £150 for the Church
Restoration Fund, The More Singers
Summer Concert takes place again at
Concord College on June 19th at 7.30
p.m. The choice of charity this year
is the Mayfair Community Centre in
Church Stretton, which is hosting the
event.
T
he United Nations Association
Church Stretton Branch hosted
a talk by Gerry Hickey from
UNHCR (United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees) on 25th
March in St Laurence’s Parish Centre.
She said UNHCR faces its biggest
challenge ever with the repatriation of
2.5 million refugees.
The Music to be performed ranges
from the sixteenth century, beginning
with John Dowland and Orland
Gibbons, to Stanford, Parry and Elgar,
ending with George Gershwin.
The guest artist is the talented young
soprano Sarah Westwood, who will
sing music by Poulenc and Roger
Quilter. After graduating from
Birmingham Conservatoire, Sarah
continued her postgraduate studies
at the Royal Academy of Music with
Valerie Masterson and Elizabeth
Ritchie. Whilst there she sang for
Robert Tear, Sir Colin Davis and
Christopher Hogwood and was a
prize-winner in the Isabel Jay opera
competition. She is now an established
performer in oratorio and recital
music. Past teaching posts have
included the Elgar School in Worcester
and Hereford Cathedral School.
Tickets cost £10.00 and include a
pâté supper and a glass of wine in the
interval. They are available from the
Mayfair Community Centre, Burway
Books Ltd and John Thomas Florists
in Church Stretton. For further
information, please telephone 01694
724078
photo: Paul Miller
Here in the UK Gerry said that the
vast majority of Afghans have been
refused permission to stay. In the
last 12 months the government has
forcibly returned 350 people and only
160 people have returned voluntarily.
Gerry’s account of the situation in
Afghanistan today was a sobering one.
However, the Church Stretton UNA
Branch is making a practical contribution
by fundraising for its Afghanistan
Livelihood Project which supports a UN
training scheme in the country.
The Church Stretton Churches
Together Coffee Morning on 27th
March boosted the Branch’s funds by
raising the magnificent total of £940.
Contact David Oliver (01743 718817)
if you would like to get involved
Trivia Corner – No 6 by Ken Willis
1. What French word, meaning froth, is a dish of flavoured cream, whipped and frozen?
2.Who in Greek mythology was the Muse of astronomy?
3. Artur Rubinstein was a virtuoso on which musical instrument?
4. Which television series was a spin off from Dallas?
5.Which is the widest and heaviest arch bridge in the world?
- 30 -
15
(Answers on page 40)
May 2004
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Round Table Do It Again…. Big Time
T
he Round Table is an organisation that was founded
by Louis Marchesi 76 years ago. Its key aims are:
to promote social interaction among young men
up to the age of 45, through the medium of their various
occupations; to emphasise the fact that one’s calling offers
an excellent medium of service to the community; to
cultivate the highest ideals in business and in civic and
professional careers; to recognise the worthiness of all
legitimate occupations and to dignify each by precept and
example; to further the establishment of peace and goodwill
in international relationships; to further these aims by
meetings, lectures, discussions and other activities.
Cancer Relief added, “Our donation will be
used to help with the funding of the new
Macmillan Cancer Therapy Team at the
RSH. I am really grateful to Round Table for
their continuing support of our Shropshire
activities.” Brownies leader Judy Russell commented “We
are really pleased with this donation which will enable us
to start the new Brownie Programme in the Summer term,
which is six months earlier than expected.” Meanwhile,
the Friends of St Laurence are sprucing up the Infant’s
playground and the money donated will fund two sheds to
keep the new equipment in good condition.
With members all around the world, there are over 1200 clubs
in the UK alone. Church Stretton & District Round Table
is one of the largest and most active groups in the Midlands
though it only has 17 members and honorary members, yet
annually manages to raise c.£5000 for local good causes.The
Round Table always welcomes new members.
resentations of cheques for other good causes have
been made recently, including the sponsorship of
John Tearle, who ran the New York Marathon in
aid of the Anthony Nolan Trust. The trust is a register
of bone marrow donors for children with Leukaemia.
Through research, funded by voluntary donations, there
is now almost a 100% success rate. Other funds have been
provided to the Craven Arms Thursday Club, The Pines
Trust in Bishops Castle and a major contribution to the
Gateway Club for new disco music equipment.
P
Church Stretton & District Round Table presented
yet more donations to local charities at a special event
that took place at the Stretton Hall Hotel. The cheques
were made available as the culmination of their hard
earned fundraising. The money was raised during the
record Christmas collections by the many little helpers
accompanying Santa’s Sleigh who collected in the week
before Christmas in Bayston Hill, Dorrington, Church
Stretton and Craven Arms, together with a further £820
raised during an auction of promises held at the Round
Table’s Valentines Ball.
For further information please look at
www.churchstrettontable.co.uk or contact Graham Stewart
on 07771 657078. Press release prepared by Richard
Mulford tel : 01694 724873
President: Don Rogers
Chairman: Graham Stewart, Vice Chairman: Ian Beaver
T
he beneficiaries include the two main charities
for this year: the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital’s
Symptomatic Breast Cancer Fund and The Eye
on the Ball campaign, which aim to promote awareness
of and research into testicular cancer. Other donations
were made to Macmillan Cancer Relief, the 2nd Church
Stretton Brownies and Friends of St Lawrence.
Chairman, Graham Stewart said that they were
delighted to be able to support these local good causes
and went on to add that a few of their members had
been directly affected by Testicular Cancer and Breast
Cancers within their families and so the main charity
donations were particularly pertinent this year. He paid
tribute to the generosity of the local people who made
this a record year for the Christmas collections.
Simon Shakeshaft, who founded the The Eye on the
Ball campaign, expressed his gratitude to the Round
Table, saying “This money will go a long way in
helping to build awareness and understanding of these
forms of cancer, which are very curable if detected early but
otherwise potentially fatal.”
Angela Price, representing the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
Symptomatic Breast Cancer Fund, said the donation would
help fund ancillary equipment that is needed in the new
Breast Cancer clinic at RSH, which will open later this year.
Ian Musty, Shropshire Fundraising Manager for Macmillan
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
From left to right :
(back row) Shaun Willox (Round Table), Sue Mitchell, Judy
Russell (Brownie Leaders), Mary Farmer and Becky Blackman
(from the Friends of St Laurence), Ian Musty (Macmillan
Cancer Relief ).
(front row) Paul Stephens (Round Table), Angela Price
(representing the Symptomatic Breast Cancer Fund), Simon
Shakeshaft (The Eye on the Ball Campaign) and Graham
Stewart ( Church Stretton Round Table Chairman).
May 2004
- 33 -
16
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Church Stretton Town Council
Synopsis of Minutes of the Town Council Meeting held on
Monday 22nd March 2004
THE LATE MR H L FRANKLIN – The death of a
Past Chairman of Church Stretton Urban District Council
was reported and the meeting stood in silent remembrance.
• Change of use, retail to B & B and cafe/bistro, Victoria
House, 43 High Street. No objection.
• Erection of extension and a conservatory, 133 Watling
Street South. No objection.
• Erection of an agricultural building, Brook Farm, Little
Stretton. No objection.
PLANNING MATTERS - District Decisions
• Demolition of nursing home and erection of 9 detached
dwellings and garages, White House Nursing Home,
Sandford Avenue. Approved, with conditions related to
windows, drainage, landscaping.
• Erection of an office etc., Beam House, Madeira Walk.
Approved with conditions.
• Erection of extension to dwelling, Beam House, Madeira
Walk. Approved with condition.
• Erection of an extension and conservatory, Howard
Lodge, Clive Avenue. Approved with condition.
• Erection of a dwelling, Littlebrook, 38 Ludlow Road.
Refused, because of impact on neighbouring dwelling.
• Erection of extension to dwelling, Mill Glen, Cardingmill
Valley. Approved with condition.
• Formation of an access ramp and entrance, Barclays Bank,
29 Sandford Avenue. Approved with condition.
Church Stretton Partnership:
After discussion, it was agreed that the Town Council
needed a stronger representation on the Partnership.
Concern was expressed that public money could be
channelled through a non-elected organisation. The
Partnership could be of great benefit to the town providing
the Town Council has enough control over how the money
is spent. As the Partnership concept was developed and
set up by the Town Council, any progress and outcome is
seen by the public as being the responsibility of the Town
Council but it now has no control over it. For example, in
spite of public discord over the proposals for the station,
nevertheless support for a £20K feasibility study for the
project may be forthcoming when smaller grants for the
toilets and swimming pool cannot be obtained.
Copies of the Strategic Action Plan may be consulted at the
Council office.
PLANNING – Town Council responses to District
• Erection of extension, Hawkstone, Hazler Crescent. No
objection.
• Erection of a dwelling; and extension to shop and flat, 8
Sandford Avenue. No objection.
• Erection of a Conservatory and a Domestic Garage, 21
Swains Meadow. No objection.
• Erection of a dwelling, The Old Garages, The Yeld,
Shrewsbury Road. Objection in that this application is
substantially the same as that recently refused by SSDC and
therefore previous objections are still valid
• Re-advertised Application. Erection of a dwelling and
domestic garage, and formation of a vehicular access, rear of
110 Sandford Avenue. The Council wishes to register the
strongest possible objection to yet another inroad into the
destruction of the distinctive character of the town.
• Construction of a pitched roof over flat roof extension,
Brambles, Clive Avenue. No objection.
• Felling and other works to trees, Longmynd Hotel,
Cunnery Road. No objection, but recommend that the
advice of the County Trees Officer be sought.
• Erection of extension, Snatchfields Farm, Snatchfields
Lane. No objection.
• Modification of Planning Permission to substitute
alternative traffic calming measures, Four Winds, Watling
Street North. No objection.
• Felling of a Weeping Ash Tree, Ashford House, High
Street. No objection.
• Felling of 4 Lime Trees, land alongside and to the front of
23 & 25 Ludlow Road. Object strongly to the removal of
these trees as they are very significant in the landscape and
well deserve their protected status.
• Erection of 4 dwellings and alterations to access, land at
Westholme, Hazler Road. Object to this application on the
following grounds: sewers, drainage, access, etc. – see full
minutes for details.
Mr Trevor Davies, as Chairman of the Partnership, was
commended for his hard work amounting to at least 400
hours over the past year.
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
Rectory Wood and Fields Interest Group
A £9,000 grant will enable the flora and fauna and
archaeological surveys to be conducted. A management
plan will then be put together. A volunteer workforce is
being formed which will work in partnership with the
National Trust Tuesday Task Force.
Cunnery Road Cemetery Interest Group
Progress was being made regarding surveys and information
gathering with a view to submitting a grant application to
DEFRA. The cemetery is the responsibility of the Council
and the group’s remit is to produce a management plan to
allow access to funding for improvements. Acknowledgement
was given to the great amount of work the Council’s outdoor
staff have already put into improving the cemetery and to the
voluntary groups which started this process last year.
Public Conveniences
Provided suitable financial arrangements can be made, the
Town Council will take over the Lutwyche Road toilets
from 1st April 2005.
Proposal for extended Conservation Area
The extension to include Scotsmansfield, Madeira Walk and
Cunnery Road Cemetery was supported.
Church Stretton Conservation Group
Additional Tree Preservation Orders (TPO’s): there are
108 sites in Church Stretton (500-600 trees) which have
TPO’s on them. Three additional areas had been identified
and approved.
[Continued on next page]
May 2004
- 35 -
17
16/4/04, 11:30 am
[Town Council Minutes continued]
Conservation Areas: the Group is continuing to look at
areas, including All Stretton and Little Stretton regarding
creation of, or additions to, Conservation Areas.
A49 at Watling Street South junction
There is still no agreed scheme.
TOURISM
‘Britain in Bloom’ Competition
To give people a better idea of what is involved in entering
the Britain in Bloom competition, details are to be included
on to our Website.
Tourism Group AGM
Minutes of the meeting on 12th February were noted. The
Council much regretted the tone of Chairman’s report.
Grant Scheme Request – Signage
The quote for signage, maps and litter bins, totalling
£7,900 was accepted, to be funded by grants through SSDC
Community Regeneration Programme. It was regretted that
the Tourism Group did not want the Stretton Civic Society
to be involved in this matter as they are a long-standing
organisation and had done much good for the town over a
number of years. Only one finger post had been included
in the bid but it was agreed that a second post was required,
one by the Old Barn and the other in Easthope Road. It was
agreed to offer a maximum of £1,500 for an additional post.
Assessment of Air Quality
The installation on the verge at the junction of Watling
Street North and Sandford Avenue is an air pollution
monitor for measuring fine particles known as PM10.
Church Stretton is at risk of exceeding a health-based
objective set by government medical advisors.
Don Clow
Quaker Voice
Certainty
O
ne of the recurring debates in the press is on the
subject of how children learn to read. Journalists
often quote or misquote ‘experts’ who decry the
‘lowering of standards’, blaming ‘Look and Say’ or ‘whole
word’ methods taught since the 1960s. Often these critics
promulgate the myth that we know how children should be
taught to read, that is, through teaching them their letter
sounds and blending these together. Parents, armed with
the judgement of ‘experts’, confidently challenge teachers,
because they have it on authority how children learn to
read, and how they should be taught.
People like certainty. And ‘experts’ give them certainty.
But I was trained to teach in the 1960s, and was never
taught a dogmatic formula for how to teach children to
read; rather it was emphasised that many approaches,
including blending sounds together, and ‘look and say’,
appear to help the mysterious process of learning to read,
and students were encouraged to consider and experiment
with a variety of approaches; it was even suggested that
different children learn in different ways. Wise words!
If you think you know better than this, and are certain that
blending sounds is THE way to teach reading, how do you
teach a young child to read the words, ‘because’, ‘dinosaur’,
‘parachute’, ‘the’, or ‘email’? Try blending the letters
together- it doesn’t work!
You will pbraboly hvae very ltitle dlficfuity rdaenig tihs
prapagarh; mbaye you are a lttile slwoer, and smoe wdros
may gvie you smoe duiiclffty, but I ecpext you raed smoe
words, for eamxple the wrods ‘duiiclffty’ and ‘prapagarh’,
imematlidey, wtiuhot any rael ploberm, perhaps because
the shape of the whole word or part of the word, looked
familiar; others you probably had to puzzle over, and used
your knowledge of the sounds of letters to help you to
decode the word. Other words you guessed because of the
context of the word, your brain supplying the wrod taht
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
mdae sesne in the wohle setnnece.
But you certainly couldn’t read it
if the only strategy you used was
to blend letter sounds together!
Investigations into how children learn to read must
continue, so that improvements in teaching can continue
to be made in the coming decades; today’s insights must
not become dogma, to the exclusion of further research and
insight.
Religion tends to attract dogma. Today’s thoughts become
tomorrow’s dogma. Those who accept the dogma, belong;
those who don’t are outsiders. But from the very beginning,
Quakerism has avoided fixed dogma or creeds. It emphasises
the importance of experience in expressions of faith, rather
than external authority.
This is not to say that Quakers do not have beliefs! Arthur
Eddington wrote in 1929:
“Rejection of creed is not inconsistent with being possessed
by a living belief. We have no creed in science, but we are
not lukewarm in our beliefs. The belief is not that all the
knowledge of the universe that we hold so enthusiastically
will survive in the letter; but a sureness that we are on the
road. If our so-called facts are changing shadows, they
are shadows cast by the light of constant truth. So too
in religion we are repelled by that confident theological
doctrine which has settled for all generations just how
the spiritual world is worked; but we need not turn aside
from the measure of light that comes into our experience
showing us a Way through the unseen world. Religion for
the conscientious seeker is not all a matter of doubt and
self-questionings. There is a kind of sureness which is very
different from cocksureness.”
Quaker Faith & Practice. Chapter 27, Paragraph 24
Les Dobb
May 2004
- 36 -
18
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Rotary Club of Church Stretton Shropshire Wildlife Trust
he promise of an evening on lapwings organised by
Celebrates its Golden Jubilee
the Strettons Branch of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust
T
T
he Club in Church Stretton was
started in late 1953 but it was
not officially chartered by Rotary
International until March 1954.
attracted a large audience to the United Reformed
Church in Church Stretton. The speaker was Tim Ashley, who is
employed by the Partnership of RSPB, DEFRA and Shropshire
Wildlife Trust, known as Severn/Vyrnwy Lapwing Project
The first President was Gordon
McMitchell. The other founder members
were: G R Ball, E Bromley, T J Black, A Farrow,
V C Goatley, A H Horrocks, A E Jones, H R Jones,
Dr J A McClintock (Vice President), A McLachlan,
V G B Mansell, P J Phillips, Rev. J M Philpott,
L V Priestley, W F Sagar, L E Sands, M J Spear, C J Taylor,
Rev. G Waddington and A H Woolner.
He gave a great deal of information about the Countryside
Stewardship Scheme that at least 25 farmers have joined
to make sure that their land is farmed to give lapwings a
chance to breed and rear young. Small financial payments
for this stewardship and for creating tourist attractions go
some way to compensating for less productive farming.
This huge area is mostly open flood plain and spring sown
cereals are found to favour lapwings’ nests and rearing of
their chicks. We heard much about the general principles of
farming to help wildlife conservation and there were some
lovely pictures of the Montgomery Canal and the Rivers
Severn and Vyrnwy, but some of us were disappointed not
to learn more about the habits and lifestyle of lapwings.
At the next meeting, Mr Roy Mantle demonstrated, with
beautiful slides, that there were wild flowers and wild wild
flowers of mountain and moorland. Members and friends
were taken through his talk to Shropshire’s Whixall and
brown mosses, Yorkshire’s limestone pavements, Welsh Tryfan
by the A5, Rannoch Moor and Loch Tay in Scotland.
Mr Mantle’s pictures brought us close to both the common
and the rare: heather and cross-leaved heath; bog rosemary;
sphagnum moss; cotton grass; sundew (traps small flies
on its leaves); Alchemilla mollis; marsh helleborine; marsh
gentian; butterwort; globe flower; primulas; Solomon’s seal;
purple saxifrage; little mountain pansy; moss campian; pink
dianthus and on the coast: sea holly; sea pinks. It was a
journey we much appreciated on a cold March night.
Rotary Club in the 1950s
Back row, from left: Gordon McMitchell, Tom Priestley,
Vic Goatley, Morton Spier and George Ball
Front row, from left: Phyllis McMitchell, Marjorie Goatley,
Jean Priestley and Hilda Spier
The Club now has 31 members. The celebration dinner
was held at Rowton Castle. There were over 60 Rotarians
present coming from all over Shropshire as well as from
from Plymouth, Willenhall and Stafford.
The chairman Mr John Dalton then announced the start of
training afternoons for volunteers taking part in the Habitat
Survey of Church Stretton Parish - Tel 01694 722837 for
information. To raise funds for this survey, the Strettons
Branch is holding a Coffee Morning on Saturday 22nd
May 10am – 12 noon at the Parish Centre.
Margot Daniels
Brian Stoyel, the President of all the Rotary Clubs in
Britain and Ireland, was present and congratulated the
Club as did our District Governor, Keith Higgins. The
Guest of Honour was Sir Neil Cossons, the Chairman
of English Heritage. He said that more modern history
had an important place in the work of English Heritage
and he expressed admiration for the voluntary work that
the Rotary Clubs had done to assist in the community
during the last hundred years since their foundation in
the USA.
Questions and Answers
Answer
The evening was much enjoyed by all in a spirit of
fellowship and friendship typical of the Rotarian movement
and it made one pleased to belong to it.
Roger Stokes
Q&A
In answer to the question in March Focus asking if anyone
knows of mistletoe growing in Church Stretton, Claire Cottrell,
who lives just off the Shrewsbury Road, writes: Mistletoe
suddenly appeared last winter on an apple tree in the garden
next door to me. The house is currently unoccupied but the
mistletoe can be seen from my back garden.
Question
There is a cottage called ‘Toll House’ in Little Stretton. Was
it really a toll-house and are there others in the Strettons?
Can anyone tell us more?
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
May 2004
- 39 -
19
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Weather in March
South Shropshire Senior Citizens Forum
Public Meeting to be held at
Craven Arms Methodist Hall
T
he month began
with a springlike, warm spell
that lasted almost a week
before it turned much
cooler. By the 9th, when
snow fell, it had become
really cold with a night temperature of
28F. After some real snow on the 10th,
it again became mild but changeable.
March 20th announced the spring
equinox, a time of year noted for
strong winds, with a storm force 10
gale which, down here in the vale, is
a rare occurrence. Many of our roads
were littered with dead or broken
branches blown down from nearby
trees. Sandford Avenue was covered
with bits, most of them dead bits
and posing no danger but elsewhere,
Birmingham, for example, severe
damage was caused.
The rainfall in March was well
scattered but we did have a run of 8
consecutive wet days from the 17th to
the 25th. The total rainfall for March
was 1.96in, the wettest for three years,
but still well below the maximum of
6.10in recorded in 1981. The snow lay
for only two days, bringing to an end a
very mild winter. We also had hail on
4 days, which is a new record.
The maximum temperature for the
month was 69F on the 31st and
the minimum was 21F on the 1st.
The mean temperature was 44.44F
which was down quite a bit on last
year’s 47.05F. However, last year was
exceptional and well above the average.
Robert Smart
Royal British Legion
Church Stretton Branch
Coffee Morning
O
n Saturday 8th May the
local branch of the Royal
British Legion will hold a
free coffee morning from 10.30 to
12.00 noon at the Silvester Horne
Institute. There will be a small
display and the usual stalls with
cakes, bric-a-bac, books and a raffle.
The event will contribute to over
£5000 raised from the Strettons area
towards the Poppy Appeal.
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
Wednesday 19th May 10.30am – 12.30pm
Speaker: Police Chief Superintendent GUY RUTTER
Come along, listen, ask questions and work together on issues regarding
• Community Policing
• Perception of Crime
• Road Safety
• Crime Prevention eg bogus callers
If you would like to attend the above meeting but have transport problems or
would like further information, please telephone Jackie: 01588 673698
Refreshments, Light Buffet will be available
Cream of Asparagus Soup
T
his recipe is a very easy way of making a delicious soup. It can be served
chilled as well as hot, so it is a good soup to use in the summer months.
1 tin whole asparagus spears or 8 oz fresh asparagus
1⁄2 oz butter and 1⁄2 tablespoon oil
Half a medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 small stick celery, chopped (optional)
Half pint chicken stock
2 tablespoons white wine
Juice of half a lemon
Eighth pint single cream
Salt and paprika pepper
Saute the celery and onion in the oil and butter. Drain the tinned asparagus and
reserve half the liquid. (Simmer the fresh asparagus for 20 mins} Cut off the tips
and put aside, chop the stalks and place them in a pan with the onion, celery,
stock, wine, asparagus liquid and lemon juice. Cool and blend in a liquidiser to
form a smooth puree or rub through a sieve. Season with the salt and pepper.
Stir in the asparagus tips and the cream before serving. If re-heating, do not boil.
Serves 3 people. It’s very good!
“Her Ladyship”
Top Secret Survey
The question posed was:
“In the West we have plenty, but how, honestly, would you tackle the food
shortage in the rest of the world?” The responses revealed that:
in Africa they didn’t know what ‘food’ meant.
in Eastern Europe they didn’t know what ‘honest’ meant.
in Western Europe they didn’t know what ‘shortage’ meant.
in China they didn’t know what ‘opinion’ meant.
in South America they didn’t know what ‘please’ meant.
in the USA they didn’t know what ‘the rest of the world’ meant.
Answers to Trivia Corner - No 6
1. Mousse 2. Urania 3. Piano 4. Knotts Landing
5. Sydney Harbour Bridge
May 2004
- 40 -
20
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Out and About
Christian Aid Week, 9 – 15th May
n May, the daylight hours are getting much longer, and
where better to spend some than in the garden? On
9th May from 11am, there is a Spring Plant Fair at
Attingham Park to tempt you to buy some new additions
to your borders, and you can enjoy a walk round the Park as
well.
If you missed the Bluebell Walk in Rectory Wood, there is
chance to go on the one at Croft Castle on Sunday
9th May starting at 2pm (pre-booking essential –
tel: 01568 780246)
There is an opportunity to experience the sounds of true
African praise and worship as the Chililabombwe Choir
from Zambia share their stories and music together with
some exciting dance and drama routines on Saturday 8th
May 7.30pm at Crowmoor Baptist Church, Shrewsbury
and on Sunday 9th May 10.30am at Claremont Baptist
Church, Shrewsbury and 6.30pm at Christ Church
Bayston Hill.
Better than a Dog, the story of the marriage of Charles and
Emma Darwin told through family letters will be performed
at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms on Friday 14th May at
7.30pm, or if you are a jazz fan, you can hear Ludlow-born
jazz singer Sheena Davis at the same venue on Saturday
22nd May 7.30pm. (Box office 01584 878141)
Further afield, a concert that pairs Beethoven’s most
imaginative Piano Concerto No.4 with
the unfinished final Symphony No.9
by Anton Bruckner is being staged at
the Symphony Hall, Birmingham on
Wednesday 26th May at 2.15pm and
Thursday 27th May at7.30pm The
conductor is Jaap van Zweden, pianist Lang Lang. (Box
office 0121 780 3333)
In lighter vein, there is An Evening with Gilbert &
Sullivan at the Shrewsbury Music Hall on Friday
28thMay 7.30pm (Box Office 01743 281 281)
Ludlow Castle Festival of Crafts will be held over the
Spring Bank Holiday weekend 29th, 30th and 31stt May
with selected designer makers, demonstrations and handson activities in Ludlow Castle 10am – 5pm.
oney raised this year will be used to improve
people’s lives in more than 50 countries
worldwide.
£25 given to Christian Aid buys the materials for ten
young people to make their own rucksacks for climbing
and camping expeditions in the former Soviet Republic of
Tajikistan.
£5 buys rice for a family in Sierra Leone to plant, which
provides food, income and seeds for the next season.
£10 pays for taps and troughs to provide two villages in
Bolivia with a safe and reliable water supply.
£15 trains a Guatemalan woman in business techniques
and gives her the opportunity to learn how to make a
sustainable living.
£17 provides a month’s food rations for four Burmese
refugees. Completing A Gift Aid declaration would provide
each with a blanket.
I
The Science of Musick
M
Christian Aid is
working with other
organisations to
campaign for trade justice; instead of expecting traders
in the poorest countries to compete on equal terms with
those of the richest, trade rules need to give explicit
help to the poor. More information is available from
www.christianaid.org.uk
If you would like to help with this year’s House to
House Collection, please phone 01694 722064.
Household Rubbish Collections
May Bank Holidays
There will be no collection of domestic refuse on
Monday 3rd May and Monday 31st May
During weeks commencing 3rd and 31st May, all
rubbish collections will be made one day later than
usual.
Friday collections will be made on Saturday
Green Box and Green Sack collections where applicable
will be made on the revised day, as described above.
If in doubt, please phone 01584 813396/7/8
T
he Borromini Ensemble, with Alan Davis (recorder),
Jean Gubbins (cello), Richard Silk (harpsichord)
and Sarah Westwood (soprano) visit St James’
Church, Cardington on Saturday May
15th at 7.30pm for their Summer Concert
‘Celebrated Masters of the Science of
Musick’. Composers include Handel,
Alessandro Scarlatti, Purcell and Vivaldi.
The ensemble will also launch their new
CD ‘By Purling Streams’, a recital of
baroque pastoral music from England, France and Italy.
Tickets are £5 (£4 concessions) including a glass of wine,
from Burway Books and Richard Silk, 01694 722649
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
Thanks and Apologies
We are very pleased to have had an exceptional number
of contributions this month.
Please keep them coming, (it
is helpful if they are reasonably
concise). However, we apologise
if, as a result, we have had to
shorten your piece or hold your
article over for another issue. We do try to present a
balance of material but we have had enough copy this
month to fill at least one and a half magazines.
Eds
May 2004
- 42-
21
16/4/04, 11:30 am
Occasional Advertisements
Specialist Cooker Services
S?
BLEM
G PRO
RESSIN
P
Cast Iron Service
Oil and Solid Fuel Cooker Specialists
Aga Service & Maintenance
We buy and sell pre-owned Agas
IRONING SERVICE
COMPETITIVE RATES
FREE Local Collection & Delivery
01694 771883
WANTED
All old and interesting
Wood Working Tools.
Please Phone 01743 873544
Evenings and Weekends.
A. J. HOME & GARDEN SERVICES
PAUL SAUNDERS
Tel/Fax 01694 724395
Mobile 07974 807059
E.E.C.
Alterations, Plastering, Plumbing, Bathroom & Kitchen
fitting, Floor & Wall Tiling, Fireplaces, Windows &
Conservatories installed,
Fencing, Slabbing, and much more.
Electrical and Plumbing
All Aspects Undertaken
Free Quotes
All Work Guaranteed
No Job too Small
Tel: Andrew Longville 07813 278108
Don’t want to do D-I-Y?
For repairs, maintenance and property
improvements
with care and consideration
Tel: Home 01743 243860
Mobile: 07816 562497
call Phil Bollom 01694 771433
Mynd House Hotel
Guided Walking in Shropshires Secret Hills
DAY WALKS
GROUPS WELCOME
Little Stretton, Church Stretton
Our Restaurant is now open to the public on
Wednesday to Saturday (7.00 - 9.30 pm)
We offer a mixture of Malaysian, Western and
Vegetarian cuisine and cater for groups
up to 20 persons
Reservations Essential. Call 01694 722212
All accommodation and meals included
Seven, Four and Two Day Breaks
Weekend and Midweek Breaks
Based in Church Stretton
Secret Hills Walking Holidays
Ashlea House, 33 Ashley, Minsterley, Shropshire SY5 0BU
email: [email protected]
Tel: 01743 791976
Open Air Jazz Spectacular
Shrewsbury Big Band
at Netley Hall, Dorrington
Saturday 22nd May
J J LAWRENCE A.S.F.A., A.C.I.B., A.I.F.P.
Independent Financial Planning Consultant
You want advice on a full range of financial planning from a
consultant who is:
Highly Professional, Qualified, Honest and Trustworthy
Totally Independent Available when convenient to YOU!
Able to offer fee or commission basis
Offering a discrete and personal service
Call Jeremy Lawrence on 01694 725580
for a free informal appointment with No Obligation.
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority
Good Neighbours. Local people
providing help to local people
We exist to help the elderly in the Strettons &
surrounding district. This is just some of what we do:
Transport by car for medical care. Daily delivery of
Meals on Wheels. Thursday Day Centre.
Support for bereavement and volunteer
home visiting.
Gates open 4.30pm, Music commences 6.30pm
Admission by ticket only from 01743 718070
£5.00 or £15 per family
A & B SMITH
Corgi Reg No 197466
Domestic Appliance Warehouse (Est. over 20 years)
Specialising in New/Factory Seconds
Electric & Gas Cookers, Ranges, Hobs, Fires
Fridges, Freezers, Washing Machines
Tumble Driers, Microwave Ovens
Built-in Appliances
(Over 200 appliances on display)
MAIN CALOR GAS STOCKIST & LPG SPECIALISTS
FREE LOCAL DELIVERY
01588 673647
Long Lane Industrial Estate, Craven Arms
THE BEAUTY ROOM
At the Raven Hotel, Much Wenlock
• Electrolysis • Waxing • Facial Treatments
• Manicure/Pedicure • Eyebrow/Eyelash shaping and tinting
• Reflexology • Massage • Body Treatment
All consultations in confidence and free of charge
For more details please call us on 01694 724242
Please call Pauline 01952 727251
Stretton Focus
May 2004 mag
May 2004
- 43 -
22
16/4/04, 11:30 am

- Stretton Focus

Transcription

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