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©Kirton News 2024
The Editors Letter
So, May then. Sees International Star Wars Day (May the Fourth). It’s a cheap joke and one I have probably used before. Memory fails me with advancing years.
Talking of which, I write this the day after Virginia Wood’s death. So many so far this year. I have recently heard of the passing of several of my contemporaries (R.I.P. Babs, and Graham). And all around sixty or early seventies. These are the people who populated and forged my youthful ideals and experiences. They were mates, even if I never knew them. It is a personal loss. More so when I think I am approaching that aged era - I’m two years off sixty; please, I know it must be hard to accept !!! - so questions present themselves.
Do I abandon my life-long atheist stance (or, at the very least, agnostic) and hedge my bets?
Do I decide to give up all those things I have done, and most of which I still do, and get pleasure from ‘because - guaranteed - they have all been ‘bad’ for me, in the hope of eeking out a few more months of existence?
Things pass, as do we all. So.... cojones.
The Village should presently mourn the passing of Fossitt and Thorne. A business that has served Kirton well over many years but has finally succumbed to the advance of the corporate dinosaurs which are systematically destroying England’s village communities.
As a welcome contrast we also mark the 30th anniversary of one of our other established businesses, the Costcutter (Keshco) mini market. But are we better off as a community for this mini seismic shift in our way of life? You should decide. But you won’t.
I know that Kirton is poorer - much poorer - from a business point of view than when the memsahib and I moved here 34 years ago.
I know that the traffic goes faster and the drivers seem numb to the actual existence of anyone else on the road, or pavement; the people don’t appear in the streets as much, and when they do, they don’t smile or pass comments as they used to. But that’s a national malaise.
I know many of the real (mostly harmless) rogues and characters of the village are either dead or confined to their rest homes, wheelchairs or iron lungs and no one has come up to replace them.
And if they did, the places you might meet these folks are not there anymore. Find them on facebook or tweet ‘em for a chat!
‘Tweet’ what a load of [the stuff you find at the botton of your budgie’s cage].
Why were we promised, (and I’m going back to the late sixties, or earlier) that all this technoligical advancement would improve our lives? It’s made a few people unbelievably wealthy and most of us substantially, morally, emotionally and actually poorer.
Well, at least Summers’ commin’. And don’t forget the Kirton in Bloom competition. Let’s put on a show Kirton and make the place a picture of colour and floral fantasy for 2016. Tend those borders and feed those planters and hanging baskets and lets celebrate the glory that is England !!!! (Did I just say that?)
Oooh. And vote “no” to Europe. We owned part of it for centuries and they didn’t like it. Trade within had declined drastically over the last ten years; and Ted Heath was a prat anyway. Though he skippered a good boat.
Sam
The Queens Official Birthday
12th June 2016
The organisations in the village who give valuable service to our community all year round, have suggested that we have a big picnic celebration on the Queens official birthday on 12 June at the Town Hall and on the recreation ground behind; for the benefit of all in the village.
Lots of planning has already taken place and entertainment booked. So folks, put it in your diaries and come along to support all the hard work put in by lots of people who want to make it a memorable day. Organisations involved are Scouts, cubs, beavers, Guides, Brownies and rainbows. Army cadets, New Life Church, Monday Club, British Legion, Curling Club and including The Town Hall Management Committee.
If you would like to help, do contact us. You will be very welcome. More information will be available nearer the time. Flyers will be distributed and look out for posters around the village.
It would be very much appreciated if all dog walkers who use the recreation ground by the Town Hall, pick up after their pets as it will save us a lot of work on the day. Also of course, the Law requires that we all 'poop-scoop' after our dogs have pooped!
Paula Davies.
Secretary of Kirton Town Hall Management Committee
and the sub -committee for the Picnic.
Tel: 01205 722757
The Kirton Church Fund
The April draw takes place on Sunday 24th and the winning numbers will be printed in the June magazine.
The May draw takes place on Sunday 22nd and the winning numbers will be printed in the July magazine
No first time winners this month – both our lucky winners have won before. Well done number 14, who has now won 4 times and number 31on her second win.
It will soon be four years since we started the Kirton Church Fund (how fast time is flying by!) and we have given away a lot of prize money. Why don’t you come and join us? You too could win! Anyone over 18 may take part.
In April we welcomed another new member but we still have plenty of room for more members and there is a very good chance of winning in the Kirton Church Fund monthly draw.
The prize fund each month is 1/4 of the money taken each month. The rest of the money goes to the Kirton Church Fund.
The more people that join the higher the prize fund and the more money we raise for the church.
Registration forms are available from Fay, please ring 01205 723529, or for more information about Kirton Church Fund please give Fay a ring.
March 2016 Winners
1st PRIZE - £38.01 - TICKET NUMBER: 14
2nd PRIZE - £12.69 -
TICKET NUMBER: 31
Church to help jobless
get work-ready
Members of New Life Church in Kirton wanted to help equip their local community to find employment in tough economic times so underwent specialised training from UK charity Christians Against Poverty.
Now they are offering free weekly workshops to boost the job-hunting process for unemployed people by equipping them with the tools, skills and confidence to find work.
Job Club Manager Carol Lidgett who will be leading the workshops, said: “With more people facing long-term unemployment, there is a real need for a personal service which provides practical and emotional support for people to find work again. CAP Job Clubs is designed to do just this.”
New Life Church is one of more than 100 churches of different Christian traditions across the UK who will be running a CAP Job Club, as they work together to positively impact the communities around them.
CAP Job Clubs will be a weekly course that combines one-to-one consultations, group support and practical sessions that cover topics such as identifying strengths, CV writing and interview techniques.
She added: “We hope that we can help people to gain the confidence and skills they need to find employment, particularly for those who may have been out of work for a long period of time. ”
The club will run weekly starting from April 29th at 2pm at New Life Church The Junction Kirton.
To find out more about CAP Job Clubs or to book your place visit capjobclubs.org to book a place telephone 0800 3280006.
Take five minutes;
...with Fred and Polly
‘Listen Fred,’ said Polly. ‘You remember we were talking about council allotments, well young Tom told me his grandad had a railway allotment. Where were they?
‘Not all in one place. When the Great Northern Company built a straight track across farm land, they often had odd bits of land left over beside the track. Some were not big enough to resell, so they rented them to railway employees. Tom’s grandad did work at Kirton Station.’
‘He used to get to it along the cutting. I know what they called a cutting, it was the path alongside the railway. You could walk miles down some of them. We used to go brambling along one, and some kids used them to get to school. Oh, I remember what else Tom said, if you went with a horse and cart you had to use the occupation crossing. What’s that when it’s at home?
‘It’s where the railway crosses a public right of way like an old farm track that’s not used enough to need a resident crossing keeper. You had to open and shut the gates yourself, and watch out for trains coming. They weren’t popular with horsemen with a wagonand two horses, especially on icy mornings.’
‘I bet they weren’t’, said Polly. ‘Nor with steam cultivator drivers. Are they still used?’
‘No. It’s all tractors now.’
‘I mean are the crossings still used, where they still have railways?’
‘Not so much. They assume that everybody has a car now, so they can zip around an extra mile or so to a manned crossing.’
‘Oh, I remember what else I was going to ask you, Fred. When I was a gel I used to go to the Rifle Range in Church Lane to the Girl Guides...’
‘I went to the other end of it; to the Boy Scout end.’‘Why did they call it the Rifle Range?’ ‘That’s what it was made for. When the first war started in 1914, some of the older boys at the Grammar School became army cadets. So they built the range on the school playing firld and taught them how to fire rifles. It would be used full length for that, with something behind the targets to stop the bullets.’
‘Ugh. I reckon it’s time they stopped making rifles and tanks and stufflike that. Concentrate on quiet, harmless things like...’
‘Bows and arrows Polly?’
‘Listen Fred, I mean quiet things like bikes and windmills and... Did we have windmills in Kirton?’
‘At least two. One at Mill Hill, right at the end of Bungle Lane, and the other between Sutterton Road and Kirton Drain. Where Elgro used to be. Both demolished years ago.’
Kirton Kids Club
A week back into our new term - and its feels like we have never left. Everyone has settled in well and enjoying the afternoons outside (between the April showers).
The children are well ready for the better weather and the summer activities. The outside space is idea for this with astro turf area as well as natural grass for football and sports.
The children enjoy a variety of activities and games each morning and afternoon session. It is all about play, socialising and being happy and content.
Breakfast club includes a hot or cold menu in the price and after school includes an ‘afternoon tea’ in the price.
We often include party, healthy and cultural foods too in our planning for the sessions. Breakfast club sessions are now very busy and some days fully booked but there are a few places afterschool should you wish to come and have a look around. Give me a call or pop in – we will be very happy to show you ‘our space’.
Breakfast club is £3.50 per child per session and after school is £5.50 per child per session at the moment.
You will be made very welcome.
Letters to the Editor
You may remember last month I put out an appeal to contact Joyce Williams on behalf of a chap who thought might have a shared relative. Well; within hours of that April issue hitting the streets I received a telephone call from Joyce herself.
Explaining the situation I passed her details on to the aforementioned gent and was graced with this reply:
“Dear Sam, Many many thanks for your detective work on my behalf. I will indeed write to Joyce and pass on any information I have. However, it seems her research is far more extensive than mine!
This family history research can get quite addictive. I found that some of my ancestors are mentioned on plaques in the parish church in Baydon, and one of their names is engraved on the church bells. Others in the family were disinherited as they had been so imprudent with an earlier inheritance, and another generation who I could not trace in the parish records were in fact illegitimate while their father was the church warden. I would have thought the church would have frowned upon that in the 1800s.
Thanks again, Alex Williams”
Now then.... let’s see if we can have similar success with this.
I have been contacted by a Mr. Cumberworth who is trying to track down a pressing of a record made in 1947 at Kirton Church of a carol concert - specifically “Good King Wencleslass”.
It’s a bit of a long shot because (for those of you who may not even know what a ‘record’ is!!) it will almost certainly have been a ten inch 78rpm bakelite disc and, therefore, relatively fragile.
But one or two may have survived in someone’s loft. If you can help then usual contact details apply.
The Kings Head - Saved!
Heritage Lincolnshire is delighted that they have recently been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of more than £2 million to restore this prominent building in Kirton village and bring it back into use for the local community as an artisan café and B&B. The project will provide local jobs, trainee opportunities and a boost to local tourism and facilities in Kirton village.
Heritage Lincolnshire is local charity and an experienced building preservation trust. It works to repair historic buildings at risk of dereliction and bring them back into use for the benefit of the local community. The last project rescued 116 High Street, a Grade II* listed Georgian townhouse in Boston, which was restored and is now used as a centre for social enterprise with a community garden to the rear.
The Old King’s Head is a significant local 16th century inn with a rich history and many stories to tell. During the next 12 months Heritage Lincolnshire plans to explore how the building has developed over the centuries and this will involve a full assessment of the building fabric and a thorough look into the documentary evidence too. Currently a Grade II listed building, experts believe a case demonstrating the building is of national importance can be made and the listing status uplifted to Grade II* - the building recording will help to achieve this.
Heritage Lincolnshire will also look at the potential for a community archaeological dig to reveal evidence of the medieval settlement of the area and wants to work with residents to understand more of the local heritage and history around the building. The local community can help with this by sharing their stories about the Old King’s Head and maybe even a few ghost stories! We have already heard some fantastic stories and hope to hear more!
Currently Heritage Lincolnshire is appointing a Professional Team – architects, structural engineers etc and a Project Co-ordinator to work with them on the project over the next few years.
Liz Bates, Chief Executive of Heritage Lincolnshire, said: “We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has supported this project - the Old King’s Head is a very important building that fell into disrepair and is now at risk from dereliction. We look forward to working with the local community, our volunteers and our project partners to ensure that all of the planning and fundraising for this exciting project is achieved over the next 12 months.”
If you would like to hear more about the Old King’s Head project or want to get involved in our future activities. Please contact us by email htladmin@heritagelincolnshire.org or call 01529 461499.
Happy Birthday Keshco!
Many of you may already know but, for those ignorant of the facts - as was I until a couple of days ago - Keshco Supermarket (Costcutter, Kirton) has just celebrated a trading milestone.
On March 16th 1986 Kesh and Mandy [as they became universally known] opened their doors to serve the village.
Formally ‘Upsall’s’, they brought a freshness and life that touched many of us in Kirton and has made them many good friends. Kesh especially made an impact on the social scene of the village as well as in business circles. The Post Office franchise was granted in 2004, sadly a year after Keshs’ all too untimely passing. Mandy has proudly and bravely carried his memory on, with daughter Sunni by her side, to get to where they are today thirty successful years down the line.
On top of a recent re-modelling of the Post Office counter, a further refurbishment of the sales floor is planned for later this year and we hope to let you have the full story in Kirton News over the Summer.
But for now, raise your glass, your hat or whatever you can manage to Mandy and Sunni - and all the staff - and wish them happy birthday and many more of ‘em!
Frampton Pre-School
Village Hall, Frampton
Enrol your child in a Good Pre-School
Here at Frampton,we pride ourselves on being a friendly Pre-school where the child is at the centre of everything we do. We provide fun and stimulating activities and resources in a safe, caring and stimulating envirnoment, both inside and outside.
Like most other pre-schools and nurserys we use the Early Years Foundation Stage as a guide to track your childs learning and development and we record this in your childs very own learning journey. It is full of photos, observations and examples of your childs creations. We enrol children from the age of 2 years and they can stay with us until they are ready to go off to “big” school.
All 3 year old children are entitled to 15 hours of free education from the term after they turn 3. Some 2 year old children are entitled to the same, but if not, we charge a competive cost of £10.00 per 3 hour session. We feel it is important that the children have lots of adult support, so we offer a high ratio of highly quailified staff to children, most days this means at least 5 staff members are here.
In the term before your child goes off to school, we do lots of activites in preparation, such as getting changed into PE clothes,understanding what healthy eating is and eating a packed lunch, phonics, writing their own name to name just a few.
We also invite your childs school to send in your childs teacher to Pre-school so they can meet them, we also have a chat to inform them about your childs likes and dislikes and anything that we feel will help your child transtion into their new school.
If you would like to come and see what we do, please give us a call on 07939 266154 to arrange to have a look round.
Frampton W.I.
Last night I had an experience I have never before had. Yes it’s true, I got to this grand age and I was hypnotised for the first time. Stephen Dransfield our speaker for the evening hypnotised me along with a room full of ladies! I must confess in the back of my mind I was thinking “oh really?!” But.... as he said ‘8’ and we were supposed to open our eyes...I really didn’t want to. I felt very warm as did a lot of the others and exceptionally relaxed and quite calm and smiley ...ladies you had to be there! The raffle came and went ? the competition too and the cake was amazing.
While I think about it can I just advertise our next outings? Thursday 23 June 2016 there are still seats available to East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens, Later on in the Year we are heading back to the Dog Track in Peterborough for an evening of dining, wining and hopefully winning, We are also looking forward to visits to Batemans Brewery and possibly the Gentlemen’s Society in Spalding. Frampton WI is not sitting down much this year. Shall we do a cinema and supper trip again? A summer evening pub meal?
Our meeting next month will be for the discussion of the National Resolution to be adopted by the WI, once the business is over we will have lots of games ...one of which will involve a pair of tights or two...I’m saying no more..But it’s very funny..The competition will be something beginning with ‘M’. There will be the usual raffle, delicious cake and scintillating company. Ladies if you still haven’t signed the new cloth (members only?) please do it at this meeting.
Why not come along and join us? Our next meeting is Thursday 12 May we start at 7:30pm and meet in the Village Hall, Middlegate Road, Frampton.
Ann (President) on 01205 366020 or Carol (Secretary) on 01205 722879 email: carolpattrick@gmail.com or Janice Cotgreave(new members)email: janice.cotgreave@btinternet.com
The Registers
Baptisms - We welcome into God’s family:
3rd April - Freddie Liam Smart
27th April - Jack Andrew Flood
Weddings - We ask God's blessing on:
No Weddings this month
Funerals - We commend to God’s keeping:
No Funerals this month