Dear readers, the internet is here to stay; like it or loath it. I have heard quite a number of comments lately such as ‘Oh I’m too old to surf the net’ but the most rapid rise in internet users in the UK are in the over 55’s age group known slightly humorously as the ‘silver surfers’. It is never too late to start surfing: it’s a whole new world out there and you can keep in touch with your friends and relatives by email not just in the UK but world wide for a very cheap outlay. I estimate that the magazine receives 70% of its input by email and that figure will inevitably rise.

The technology is relatively straightforward and prices are reducing all the time. If you have a telephone line there are plenty of people who can install the equipment.

Our thanks go to our Co-editor Tricia Mortimer who spent considerable time and energy organising the sponsored walk of which more inside.

We are also very grateful to ‘Chestnut Homes’ the house builders who have generously sponsored us.

In this issue we have an article by we believe to be the only Kirton Beekeeper, a humorous letter from Tom Tyreman, a picture of a 1930’s Kirton soccer team and our very own local crossword.

Wishing you an enjoyable summer.

Roger Booth

An Apiarist in Kirton
I have long had the ambition to have honey bees in the garden and last year met a dedicated apiarist (beekeeper) from Wyberton who helped me acquire my first hive in September. This of course is the wrong time of year to start keeping bees but I was determined they would survive the cold winter.

I checked them diligently every few days and fed them sugar water and fondant to keep them going. I used my spare time to read up on the subject and learn as much as I could.

On warm spring days it was lovely to watch their flight path through the garden as they went about their business. I lifted the lid off the hive every week to check they were ok and that they were creating honeycomb. The hive consists of several levels containing rows of wax called frames which the bees draw out into honeycomb and then fill with honey. Then they cap off the little cells of honey and go onto fill the next one.

I came home from work one day and checked the hive as usual only to find it empty. They had swarmed because the hive had grown too big and had another queen. Panic stations, had my bees all died like they are doing in America but no, we stood still in the garden and listened and watched and soon caught sight of them in the pear tree. Thousands of them, protecting their queen. I took a cardboard box and trapped them inside and led them to another hive. Now we have two hives in the garden.

One is already filling nicely with honey and we are looking forward to having a bumper crop. Locally farmed honey is very good for hay fever sufferers as it helps build up an immunity to local pollen and we have already had several people request jars when it’s ready.

Watch out for the notice outside the house down London Road, Kirton Honey for Sale. It should be ready soon.

I am registered with The British Beekeepers’ Association and can collect swarms if you find one in the garden. This is for bees not wasps.

Paul Lanfranco - 432 London Road, Kirton, Tel 722976

1930's Kirton Town Football Club

A 1930’s photo of Kirton Town Football Club – we are not sure of who is who but the names given are: Sam Tunnard, Bill Boothby, Tom Taylor, Albert Higgins, Len Meads, Walter Fisher, Harold Wander, Les Lyon, George Lyon, Jack Taylor, Mr Fred, Al Meads, Frank Jessop, Pearce, Jim Maiden, H Broughton, Jack Favell, Frank Cox, Sid Lyon, and Captain (?) Rolfe.

Editor’s note: photo kindly supplied by Gladys Jessop. Perhaps some of our readers recognise the players ?

 

 

 

Frampton Gardening Club

Our A.G.M. on May 31st. proceeded with the Officers and Committee standing down and Officers being re-elected; the Committee had one resignation so we have one new member joining us.

The problem with the same people always being re-elected however good they are; is a lack of new ideas to push the club forward, hold current members’ interest and attract new ones.

This is a good club with a membership of seventy and the current Officers and Committee will do their utmost to keep it interesting and successful with good speakers and outings and who knows perhaps some new ideas. After the A.G.M. we had a good quiz and three games of bingo followed by lovely food.
The members did themselves proud as usual with a great selection of goodies they brought to share.

We have been taking pictures for the website of my flowers garden and hens and Sandys veg garden and goats but without much success as gardens don’t look much in black and white; may be the hens will because they are black and white Pekin. I am now keen to get a rabbit after seeing some beautiful Harlequin rabbits at the Market Deeping show. I must find a breeder.

Pauline Chubb

Editor’s note: We are able to reproduce photos of flowers/gardens in full colour on our website and look forward to digital pics in jpeg format emailed to myself.

 

News from the Chestnuts

We are still getting over the shock of Mrs Norris death; she was a very nice lady. We will all support Mr Norris and help him all we can. Mrs Mowbray was 90 on the 16th May and on the 18th of May we had cake and wine in her honour; we wish her all the best. We have coffee on Monday morning, Bingo Tuesday and Thursday nights for visitors. The residents have donated a tree in Joan Norris’s memory. We are looking forward to Father David coming on the 19th June                                           

Nellie Bamber and Eileen Pearson

 

Kirton Kids Club

It is another very exciting time for Kirton Kids’ Club as we move into pre-school sessions. The new play sessions will start on the 4th of June when the children get back from the May half term break. The sessions are open to all children two and a half years of age or over. There are two different lengths of session times on offer to parents.

A) Club Staff pick children up from the school nursery at the end of the morning and walk them to the Club. They will be able to eat their packed lunch ready for the play session.

B) Parents bring their children to the Club at 12.45pm and leave them to join in the fun. All children must be picked up by 2.45pm. Costs are: A) £5.75 per child per session, B) £4.50 per child per session.

If your child starts the School Nursery morning sessions in September and you wish them to be cared for in the afternoons too then please get in touch and register for the new pre-school afternoon sessions at Kirton Kids’ Club, or bring them along and book them in now!

The morning and afternoon Kids’ Club are still very busy and the children have really enjoyed the outside grass and tarmac area at the Youth Centre. They have a huge amount of sports equipment to take out along with all the usual Club activities on offer every session. In the nice weather they are able to eat their snacks out there too.
The children have delighted recently in the fact that a mother dove had built her nest on a light fitting high above their play area. The children have watched her from the start, building her nest to producing a beautiful baby dove. She has never been short of food though as the children have been leaving her any spare bread left over from snack time. Her baby was the first ever Kirton Kids’ Club baby dove.

The older children at the Club have their very own ‘chill out’ room equipped with play stations, TV’s, music system etc. This room has been open nearly three years and was in need of an update. The original sofas were looking very tatty so new ones are now on order and the whole room has been revamped. Many thanks go to Tim Sharpe and Steve Medlock for their help in making and installing partitions for this room. As soon as the sofas arrive the children will be able to use it again properly. The room has been decorated with posters and game adverts making it really bright and appealing.

My thanks also go to the local charities that annually support the Club on a regular basis – these are KMB Kirton, Exotic Farm Produce Ltd and Kirton Consolidated Charities. Without their help the Club would not be the place it is today and everyone connected to the Kirton Kids’ Club really appreciate your continued support.

Our thanks also extends to the local businesses that have continued to support us with produce over the last six or so months: Beesons Butchers, Kirton Fruit and Veg’ shop, Billingham bakers and Tim & Ben Sharpe Potatoes of Frampton. Again your help to the Club is really important to us and very much appreciated.

Don’t forget the Club is open for the first four weeks of the school summer holidays. If you wish to book your child in please get in touch or come along to the Youth Centre in Club hours. If you prefer you can phone 722426 and book your children in that way.
Kirton Kids’ Club is part of the local community and is here to serve parents and carers in that community. Please feel free to come along and have a look you will be made very welcome.

Finally for the first time ever, Kirton Kids’ Club are hosting a car boot sale. It will be held in the Youth Centre car park and grassed area behind it on Sunday 1st of July – 8am to 4pm. Pitches can be pre booked at £5.00 or £6.00 on the day (on the day pitches stand a chance of not being available though – so pre booking might be better). No ‘traders’- genuine car boots only please. Get rid of all your unused and unwanted items and make a bit of money in the process – call 722426 in Club times if you are interested.

 

The Kirton Ladies Luncheon Club

The meeting on May 10th.was a bit different as in the cloakroom area of the function room our speaker Jane Barnes from the Flower Barn displayed her arrangements of silk flowers after a lunch of fresh salmon and treacle sponge; both excellent. Jane gave a demonstration of arranging silk flowers and told us about life on the dairy farm she and her husband run in Somerby.

They have 125 milking cows, two bulls, eight calves, three ponies and two children. Jane is also a school governor and husband Mark is a Parish councillor. Three years ago they were Mayor and Mayoress of Melton Mowbray so they have a busy life. Jane is a great personality and made us laugh while she was turning out lovely arrangements of silk flowers. At the end of the talk there was quite a crush of ladies buying the arrangements which came complete with very attractive vases and containers. It was a very enjoyable meeting.

Our next meeting on the 12th July by Tina Less will be on the subject of a Victorian childhood. The tickets for Thursford Christmas Show have all been sold.

Pauline Chubb

 

The Mother’s Union

On Wednesday the 11th July we are having an outing to the Waterside Garden Centre at Bourne, leaving Kirton at 2 pm and returning at approximately 6.45 pm. There will be afternoon tea at the centre. The 11th July is also the 900th anniversary of St. Benedict’s Chaurch, the M.U. centre in Lincoln. A display is featured in the Church and an open air service will take place outside the Church at 11.00 am

There is no meeting in August but Mary Sumner Day, our founder is celebrated on the 8th August. The September meeting is on Wednesday the 12th in the Methodist Hall at 7.15 pm when the speaker is Yvonne Slater from the ‘Butterfly Trust’. Anyone interested in supporting our local hospice appeal is very welcome to attend. We wish you all an enjoyable and relaxing summer break.

Helen Airey

 

Letter from Chesterfield

Thank you for sending the ‘Kirton News’ which provides a great deal of nostalgia that was very much the case with the May edition which contained the picture of the gym club. Mr. Penny who ran it was also the Group Scoutmaster of the 4th (Boston) and Tom Webb was the scoutmaster. I was at times the assistant scoutmaster
I was reminded of the Scouts’ Concerts which we ran annually and which usually included a display by the Gym Club.

On one occasion, I think it might have been the year 1931, before the days of the zip fastener, Herbert Penny, doing the ‘full arms’ from the parallel bars had all his fly buttons ‘fly off’. His wife Olive, in the front row with my mother and father, screams – the audience were amused.

Amongst other items in the scout concerts we had a play. On one occasion the principal boy kept forgetting his lines and unfortunately Mr. Penny insisted on being the prompter. After several goes the boy eventually went round to the back of the stage where Mr. Penny was and we had to speak the words ‘D-d-d-amn the b-b-boy!’ which brought the house down.

Another popular concert item was the shadow show in which an allegedly very ill man was given exploratory surgery to find out the trouble. A large carving knife was used to open up his small intestine, (a length of thin twine), was drawn out and examined , followed by his large intestine, (a thick piece of tape), then his lungs (lights), front lung, which was a stable lantern, then a cycle rear light for his back lung. Finally his heart was drawn out. This was a cardboard one with an arrow through it and obviously the man was suffering from unrequited love.

I do hope you can read this – at 95 my writing which was very never very good, is awful Yours sincerely,

Tom Tyreman

Editor’s note: Tom, hope my writing and powers of recall are as good as yours when I reach 95! You may be interested in the 1930’s photo of Kirton Town Football Club in the magazine. The 4th (Boston) scouts are still going strong in Kirton.

 

It’s your Town Hall!

As you know the Town Hall has now been taken over by a management committee. Our plan over the next few months is to have the main hall refurbished to make the whole building more welcoming. Now; we are asking you for ideas, what do you want? We have all the facilities there for parties, dances, wedding receptions; you can even get married there. We also have a licensed bar.

On the 9th of September we are holding our first wedding fayre; not to be missed. We are doing our bit and now we are asking you for your input. Help us to give you what you want!! Remember the Town Hall is a beautiful old building; the hub of your village. If you don’t use it you will lose it!

Please contact: Elsie Booth with your ideas. Tel: 01205 722230.

Kirton Parish Council Vice-Chairman Alan Lee says farewell to Mrs. Janet Marshall on her retirement as caretaker/cleaner at the Town Hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Royal British Legion History

The Royal British Legion, a short history by Stanley Naylor, includes the Kirton Branch, the Womens’ Section, how the Poppy began, the story of our VC and ‘Lili Marlene’, plus other relevant information and poems.  A 52 - A5 page book priced at £5.00 plus 50p p & p.  £1.00 per copy will be donated to the Poppy Appeal fund.

Please make cheques payable to: The Royal British Legion Kirton, and post to: Stanley Naylor, 15 Edinburgh Crescent, Kirton, Boston, PE20 1JT.  Is also available at £5.00 from Fossitt & Thorne, The Green, Kirton.

 

Parish Council Matters

During the month of August the Town Hall office will be closed but any messages/correspondence may be posted through the Town Hall letterbox, or addressed to 44, Welland Road, Boston PE217PS or email address gsharp@mod-comp.co.uk

Green Waste

Boston Borough Council have organised Saturday fortnightly collections of garden waste starting the 2nd June at the following locations/times:

ii) Kirton End (opposite the old Post Office): 9.15 – 9.45 a
iii) Town Hall (car park): 9.50 – 10.25 am
iii ii) Edinbugh Drive: 10.30 – 11.00 am

Any enquiries regarding this service should be directed to phone 01205 361866/311112.

Editor’s note: what an excellent idea!

Geoff Sharp - Clerk to Kirton Parish Council - Tel: 01205 361634

 

Frampton Community Playgroup

As we are moving towards the warmer weather, our theme this month has been the ‘great outdoors’ and what an adventure it has been! We have discovered some very green fingers (and some very dirty ones), sowing our own seeds and we look forward to watching them grow over the next few weeks.

We have also had great fun playing and using our imaginations at our very own garden centre, definitely some budding gardeners amongst us.
In keeping with the ‘great outdoors’ theme, and with optimism for the summer to begin we have enjoyed pretending to be at the beach. We have played ball games and had lots of wet and messy fun playing with toys in the paddling pool and building sand castles.

Outdoors is also where we have been searching for mini beasts. Those of us who don’t mind the creepy crawlies have been looking at what lives outside and we got up close to them by looking at them through a magnifying glass. We found some very interesting, weird and wonderful looking creatures!

If you would like to get involved, and for all playgroup enquiries please contact Sue our playgroup manager on 07939 266154.

 

Monthly Recipe - Finnish Rhubarb Cake

We are always looking out for old family recipes, especially from other countries and cultures. This recipe has the perfect provenance - it was kindly given to us by Johanna, a Finnish lady whose wedding we catered for. The method is so simple and the resulting cake is delicious.

I have left the measurements as I was originally given them - you simply measure the ingredients in a measuring jug instead of weighing them. The cake can also be made with apples, plums or whatever fruit is in season.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
350 ml natural yoghurt
350 ml sugar
600 ml plain flour
1 egg
250g butter (melted)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon

Chopped rhubarb (enough to scatter of the top of the cake)
Simply mix all the ingedients together in a large bowl to form a thickish batter. Pour into a baking tin (approx 23cm x 33cm) then cover with the chopped rhubarb. Sprinkle additional sugar over the fruit. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes

Johanna said she also scatters cardamom over the fruit with the sugar - but I think you probably need to be genetically predisposed (Finnish!) to appreciate this.

Feast Catering Tel: 07737 000032

Neighbourhood Policing

I just want to remind you that I am your local Community Support Officer with responsibility for the village of Kirton as well as Frampton, Sutterton & Wigtoft.
I am part of the South Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team. The team consists of P.C Mick Judge who is the Community Beat Manager, P.C.S.O. McGarry and P.C.S.O. Williams.

Kirton has a Neighbourhood Panel that meets with the Police once every three months; the panel is made up from members of the village who pass on three priorities that they want resolved. These are as follows:

1. Litter
2. Traffic Calming
3. Roadside Drains

As you may remember the Neighbourhood Panel & members of the local community were involved in a litter pick, which was a great success. The members of the panel would like your help in keeping Kirton tidy by making sure that all litter & refuse is disposed of correctly.

If anyone wants further information on the Panel and would like to become a Panel member then please contact either Adam Eden or Mick Judge on 01205 722002.

Antisocial Behaviour

Antisocial behaviour figures for May 2007 are as follows:

Inconsiderate Behaviour x 6
Shouting & Swearing x 1
Throwing Things x 2
Vehicle Nuisance x 1

On 12th July 2007 between 3pm & 7.30pm, Boston Mayflower will be holding their annual roadshow on the green at Kirton Town Hall.
There will be such attractions as a bouncy castle, face painting and so on. All are welcome.

If anyone has any issues or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at:
Kirton Police Station, Station Road – 01205 722002 or alternatively you can e-mail me at adam.eden@lincs.pnn.police.uk

PCSO Adam Eden

The Registers

Baptism - We welcome into God's family:

13th May - Harry Simon Elston
13th May - Benjamin Robert Featherstone
27th May - Harvey Daniel Robinson
27th May - Briony Jade Sadler
Thomas Justin McMeechan - at the Methodist Church
Hollie Grace McMeechan - at the Methodist Church

Weddings - We offer our congratulations to:

12th May - Mark Andrew Tabor and Katy Louise Anderson
- at the Methodist Church

Funerals - We commend to God's keeping:

24th May - Ethel (Et) May Paige

Donations

The magazine committee wish to say ‘Thank-you’ for the following donations which are much appreciated.

Tom Tyreman - £50
Frampton Garden Club - £20

Donations for the magazine may be taken into Fossitt & Thorne (The Green), enclosed in an envelope.

 

Kirton News Sponsored Walk

A glorious sunny day was the backdrop to a successful day for the Kirton News sponsored walk team. There were more refreshments than could be eaten by those that attended, and thanks to the small group, a lovely family atmosphere made for plenty of pleasant conversation, and it meant everyone won a prize in the superb raffle! I must extend my extreme gratitude to the commercial donors of said prizes.

The Flower Shop on Station Road gave a most lovely potted plant, a manicure donated by Hillary Ballard was well received, as was the facial from Natalie at the Hair Studio on London Road. The village paper shop on the Green gave red wine, as well as displaying the advertising posters. We were accompanied by Neil and Nerys, two of our local community support officers, who kept us safe during our trot round the block!

A friend or two was made on the day, and I would like to thank Jenny, who came loaded with plants and her daughter’s homemade banana muffins, and Ann, who made scones and manned the teabar, Lesley and daughter who did just about everything else, and especially Joe the black Labrador, who took it all in his stride! At last count the sum raised was in excess of £160, and many, many thanks to the generous readers who gave their support in their sponsorship.

Tricia Mortimer