June 2004 - Contents Changing World - Unchanging Church? Repton, Foremark and Newton Solney Parish Churches Services at St. Wystan's, Repton Services at St Saviour's, Foremark Services at St Mary's, Newton Solney Readers and Intercessors at St. Wystan's Altar Flowers at St. Wystan's Brasses at St. Wystan's Altar Flowers & Cleaning Rota at St Saviour's United Reformed Church Services at the United Reformed Church New Arrangements for Family Services and Morning Communion Coffee Morning, Saturday 12th June at 10.30 am Cream Teas, Saturday 26th June, 3 pm to 5 pm Summer Barbecue Shell Baptisms, Marriages, Funerals and Burial of Ashes Marriages Derrick Wilson and Claire McBarnet Funerals and Burial of Ashes Norman Gillibrand Eveleen Gwendoline Cawdron St Wystan's News Our new Vicar Wystan Singers' visit to Tewkesbury Abbey Mothers' Union Repton Open Gardens Weekend 2004 St. Wystan's Day, June 1st Repton Neighbourhood Help Scheme Appeal for Tools St Saviour's News Services at Foremark during the Interregnum St Mary's News Wild Flower Quiz Newton Solney Church Roof Appeal Proms in the Park St Wystan's School Teddy Bears' Picnic, Thursday 10th June Newton Solney Infants School Summer Fête, Saturday 19th June The Dales Summer Fayre, Saturday 19th June Conservatives Garden Party, Sunday 20th June Repton Primary Summer Fayre, Friday 25th June Hogroast at Newton House, Saturday 3rd July Burton Floral Art Society, Saturday 3rd July Thankyou Maureen Ash Repton Handbell Ringers Repton Village and History Repton W.I. Girl-guiding in Repton Rainbows Fayre Repton Council Jottings Cleaner required Repton Primary School Vacancies for midday supervisors Repton Village Society Repton Village History Group Repton Village Society Floral Container / Front Garden Competition Books wanted Seventy-six - all out! Please keep it quiet! Milton & Foremark Village Matters Milton WI Gardening Notes News of Hannah

Changing World - Unchanging Church?

"What can you do that your parents couldn't?" That was the question we were set a few weeks ago at an Elders' seminar. We came up with a variety of answers: use a computer, have a choice of toilet, use a mobile phone, go abroad on holiday, shop in supermarkets where what was once seasonal food is available all year.

The next question was: "Which of these things bring benefits to us?" That's much more problematic. Some felt that having contraception freely (or expensively) available is not an unalloyed benefit. Others felt that mobile phones in public places are a menace. Yet others decried the loss of the corner shop.

Most of the benefits we agreed upon are benefits for those who are reasonably well-off; while mobile phones are easily available to all, if only because they are easily stolen, foreign holidays are not available to what newspapers describe as the 'underclass', whose horizons end much more locally. But we all agreed that for those with money, our society offers possibilities that our parents never dreamt of.

As the basis of his training, our provincial Moderator, Terry Oakley, was using a fascinating book, "Changing Worlds, Changing Church" by Michael Moynagh. The Revd. Dr. Moynagh describes changes in the world that will revolutionise our future: mass customisation, where already jeans can be tailored to fit your individual measurements, sent electronically from the scanner in the fitting-room to the factory; where cars can be customised before they come off the production line; where you order computers online with all the gadgets you want and have them delivered directly to your door. Big companies do not necessarily produce the same goods for all. My bank, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, is running advertisements that show how it prides itself on knowing what different gestures mean across the world. How the cosily-named Midland Bank, quintessentially British, became HSBC, is part of the story of globalisation, our changing world. So the world has changed, is changing, and will continue to change. The question posed by the book is: can the Church change to accommodate changes in the world? Not that the Church has not changed; the globalisation of resources is beginning, and services are no longer uniform, but we tailor services to children, to older people, and we take our particular Church to our Community Centre. The "it must fit me" approach is being seen in our churches. We no longer expect everyone to think exactly the same thing, and the approach is rather: "This is what Christians believe, we think it makes sense, but what do you think? If you disagree, we still want to see you here and to hear your views."

Churches offer a spiritual map - each church offering a slightly different map - and people draw their own map. Widespread interest in spirituality is evident in our society, and there are advantages in exploring spirituality with those who share the riches of the Christian faith. New forms of worship, new experiences of what Church can mean, all point to the renewing life of the Church. A changing Church is evolving for a changing world. It's exciting to be part of both!

Services at Foremark, Newton Solney
and Repton Churches

St. Wystan's, Repton

St Saviour's, Foremark

St Mary's, Newton Solney

Readers and Intercessors at St. Wystan's

Altar Flowers at St Wystan's

Brasses at St Wystan's

Altar Flowers & Cleaning Rota at St Saviour's

The United Reformed Church

New Arrangements for Family Services and Morning Communion

From July, our Family Services will be held at 11.00 am on the first Sunday of the month, and our morning Communion Services will be on the third Sunday in the month.

Coffee Morning, Saturday 12th June at 10.30 am

This is the last coffee morning before our summer break; the next will be in September. So make sure you take the opportunity to stock up with home-made marmalade, and to treat yourself to home-made cakes. The Webb Ivory stall and the children's game are always popular, and there's the chance to have coffee with friends.

Cream Teas, Saturday 26th June, 3 pm to 5 pm

As part of the Open Gardens weekend, the URC will be serving cream teas in the schoolroom - a delicious treat on a summer afternoon!

Summer Barbecue

A date for your diaries: A Summer Barbecue in aid of the Schoolroom Roof Fund at 5 Monsom Lane, Saturday 24th July at 3 pm. For tickets and details telephone Christine Gibbs, 701581.

Shell

Shell (age 7+) meets on Mondays from 6.30 to 7.30 pm. New members are welcome.

Marriages

Derrick Wilson and Claire McBarnet were married at St Wystan's on Saturday 1st May.

Funerals and Burial of Ashes

Norman Gillibrand of Pinfold Close, Repton, died on Wednesday 21st April aged 84. His funeral was held at the United Reformed Church on 29th April, followed by interment in the cemetery on Monsom Lane.

Eveleen Gwendoline Cawdron of 5 Brookside Close, Repton, died on Tuesday 4th May aged 102. Her funeral was held on 17th May at St Wystan's, followed by interment in Repton Cemetery. We offer our sympathy to their families and friends.

Eveleen Gwendoline Cawdron

Eve was an amazing woman, still playing the piano and bridge two weeks before she died. At a younger age (in her 70s and 80s) she was still a fine tennis player and golfer. She was a faithful member of St Wystan's Church, and until quite recently came regularly to the 10 am service. She had great faith, read her Bible daily and knew many hymns and psalms by heart, finding in them great comfort. Above all she was a very gentle, courteous and friendly person. Many people came to her funeral to pay tribute to a wonderful lady who lived life to the full. We extend our sympathy to John and Evelyn and to their sons, Robert and Richard.

St Wystan's News

Our new Vicar

I am delighted to be able to tell you that we have a new vicar. To put it formally, the Revd. Peter Paine, Rector of Martham with Repps and Thume with Clippesby in the Diocese of Norwich has been appointed Priest-in-Charge of Foremark and Repton with Newton Solney in the Diocese of Derby. Peter has been Rector of Martham, which is a rural multi-parish benefice, for the last fourteen years. Prior to that he was Team Vicar of a group of urban parishes in Leeds. He was ordained in 1971. He is married to Carol who is a teacher, and they have four children, David, Clare, Simon and Sarah, who range in ages from 24 to 18. Peter was brought up in Norfolk and went to school at Trent College in Nottingham, so the Midlands is not totally new territory for him.

The selection process has been longer than we would have hoped but shorter than for many others in Derbyshire, and all those involved with the appointment are delighted with the outcome. Peter and Carol are very much looking forward to joining us here in Repton and meeting people once he has been licenced by the Bishop. At this moment there is no date fixed for their arrival, but we hope it will be during the summer or early autumn after necessary renovation work has been done on the Vicarage.

Wystan Singers' visit to Tewkesbury Abbey

The Wystan Singers are providing the music for Choral Evensong on Saturday 19th June at 5.30 pm. The event coincides with a visit arranged by the Derby Organists Association who have laid on a special coach which will pick up at Repton (depart Parish Church 9.20 am).

For those interested the coach will drop off at the Gloucester and Warwickshire steam railway at Cheltenham and collect later in time for evensong. Those who prefer can remain on the coach and travel direct to Tewkesbury for sightseeing and the service.

It is expected that the coach will be back at Repton by around 9 pm. The cost of the coach trip is £10 per person; places are limited; names on list at back of church please. For further information speak with Terry Bennett.

Mothers' Union

The meeting on 19th May was held at 33 Askew Grove by kind permission of Mrs. Ros Hudson. Before the start, a short silence was observed in tribute to our oldest member, Eve Cawdron, who died on 4th May aged 102. Eve had been a member of the Repton branch for many years, playing the piano at the monthly meetings until a couple of months ago. She was loved and admired for the example which she gave to all, for her friendship, her Christian witness, her stoicism and the service which she gave to this branch. She was indeed a great lady. We were privileged to have known her and we shall miss her.

It was a great pleasure to welcome an old friend Sylvia Fox to speak on 'Jeremiah, Servant of God'. As usual she made her talk very interesting and informative, intertwining the historical facts of the day with Jeremiah's role as a prophet.

If you are going on the outing on Tuesday 15th June, please note that the coach will leave the church at 10 am prompt.

The new Diocesan President, Audrey Hopkins, is coming to this Deanery on Tuesday 1st June and members are invited to Church Gresley to meet her. A free tea will be served before the meeting. Edna Freeman is holding her annual coffee evening at 92 Springfield Road, Swadlincote, on Tuesday 8th June from 7 to 9 pm, proceeds for Newhall M.U. All are welcome.

Proceeds from the 'Count your Blessings' project for 2004 are to be donated to the Edge Project in Derby and Women's Refuge. Each branch is to be asked to provide a box containing 'personal items specifically for ladies'.

A suggestion for an event to mark the 'Year of the Family' is for a combined outing by Melbourne and Repton Deaneries to 'Conkers'. Church Gresley will provide a coach. Details of both these events later.

The cost of the Home and Family magazine will be £6.00 next year.

If the community room is still unavailable for the meeting on 15th June, Mrs. Angela Mayger has very kindly said we may go to her house, 26 Monsom Lane. The speaker will be past Diocesan President, Madeline Goddard, who will talk about 'Service through the M.U.' There will be a bring and buy stall; proceeds for Overseas. Hostesses: the Committee.

Repton Open Gardens Weekend 2004

The Open Gardens Weekend is 26th and 27th June from 2 to 6 pm. Over 20 gardens are opening, and programmes will be on sale in the village before the event, at the Church lychgate and in the gardens on the day; adults £2.50, children free.

There will be floral decorations in the church and the Repton Timeline will be on display, courtesy of Mrs. Lilian Ash. Tours of the church will be at times shown in the programme.

As there is no Church Fete this year there will be a few stalls in various gardens: tombola in the Roberts' (37 High Street), bookstall in the Guests' (Tudor Lodge, High Street); donations for these will be gratefully received. In addition there will be a Grand Prize Draw with tickets on sale in the village beforehand and over the weekend. Other gardens will also have activities - plant sales, raffle for Teddy Bears' holiday, refreshments etc.

The Village Hall will have refreshments and a Produce Stall and Jan Gillham would be grateful for help on the day, cakes for teas and anything for the Produce Stall (fruit, veg, home made produce etc). Please contact Jan Gillham on 703340. The United Reformed Church will also be open on Saturday 26th serving teas.

The Scarecrow Competition is also taking place with judging on Saturday 26th. It would be great if there were lots of scarecrows around the village to add to the festivities, so get making now! It promises to be a super weekend; we hope you will all join in to make it a real success.

St. Wystan's Day, June 1st

There have been suggestions that our Church here in Repton should do something to celebrate our Patronal Festival. On Tuesday 1st June we shall have a celebration of Holy Communion in the Crypt at 8 pm. We shall be joined by the Wystan Singers. It will be a chance to recall the beginning of Christianity in Repton in Anglo-Saxon times, to give thanks for St Wystan, who died for his faith, and to pray for the Church here in Repton 1154 years later, as we prepare to welcome a new Vicar.

Repton Neighbourhood Help Scheme

Mrs. Angela Mayger chaired our annual meeting on March 30th 2004, kindly offering us hospitality too. Numbers have been steady, though we have had our share of illnesses and bereavements. Finances are healthy, but expenses are increasing year on year and will pose a problem in the future. Since February we have been very grateful for the use of the URC Hall, and particularly for Dorothy Adams help, during the refurbishment of the Community Centre lounge, which is likely to be completed in May. We are planning another summer outing in August, and our last luncheon before the summer break will be on July 16th. The Chairman thanked everyone for their support, hard work and attendance and closed the meeting with a prayer.
Drivers needed
The Transport Scheme is in need of drivers who are free during the day. If you can help, please telephone Jim and Joy Ault on 704760. Thank you to all of you who help in this way.

Cooks and helpers needed
For various reasons we are a little short of cooks, servers and washers-up for the Luncheon Club. If you are able to give 2 or 3 hours on a Friday approximately every 3 months, please telephone Mrs. Jean Outhwaite on 01332 799434. Jean is very grateful to all who continue to help in this way.

Appeal for Tools

Do you have any spare tools? Through the Diocese of Derby we are supporting a project to collect and send tools to Africa.

Craft tools are needed, such as carpentry, plumbing, building, metalwork and blacksmith's tools, as well as manually operated sewing machines. Also garden tools, all in good working order. For further information and details of collection points, contact June Scott on 01283 565074, or Joy Bates, Diocesan Social Responsibility Officer at Derby Church House (tel: 01332 388684, e-mail: office@csrderby.fsnet.co.uk)

Services at Foremark during the Interregnum

We have not been able to find clergy to take the 8 am Holy Communion Service at St Saviour's on the 4th Sunday of the month, so it has been decided that the congregation will come to Repton and join the service at St Wystan's.

The service of Evensong at 6.30 on the 2nd Sunday of the month will continue at Foremark. This arrangement will continue until the new priest-in-charge has arrived.

St Mary's News

Wild Flower Quiz

This year's Quiz was launched at the Newton Solney Church lunch in May and the name of the winner will be announced at the Harvest celebrations in the Autumn. Through the Summer copies of the Quiz (at £l) will be available from the Newton Solney Village Shop and from 'Hairs & Graces' in Repton High Street.

Newton Solney Church Roof Appeal

A "Raise the Roof" Golf Day is to be held at Branston Golf Club on Tuesday 27th July. The charge, £175 per team of 4, includes a buffet and many super prizes.

On Sunday 12th September there is to be a Sunday Lunch at Rock House, Church Lane, Newton Solney, at 12.30 for 1.00 pm. Admission by ticket (£60 per person). Hot and cold buffet; Pimms on arrival and table wines included. Tables for 10 available.

Proms in the Park

You are invited to "Proms in the Park" on Saturday 17th July at Newton Park, Newton Solney, courtesy of Mr & Mrs Kevin Cartwright. Music is provided by the Burton Concert Band (Conductor David Haines) and a supporting pop group "Champion". Gates open at 2.30 pm, close at 10.00 pm; music starts at 5.00 pm. Tickets £10 per person; children under 12 free. Bring your own picnic and seating. Proceeds in aid of the Newton Solney Church Roof Appeal, Hope & Homes for Children, Derbyshire Children Seaside Holiday Home and other Rotary charities. For more information please call Kevin Cartwright (07836 627376), Ron Buxton (07710 205710), Chris Thurman (01283 813577), Brian Wall (01283 732041) or Claire Wright (01283 546405).

Thankyou

Maureen Ash

A very special thank you to Maureen Ash from all the children past and present, parents and staff at Repton Primary School for 22 valued years as a midday supervisor. You will be greatly missed; enjoy your retirement.

In return, Maureen Ash would like to thank all friends and neighbours, the United Reformed Church and Repton Primary School for the lovely cards and beautiful flowers received during her stay in hospital.

Repton Handbell Ringers

The Repton Handbell Ringers wish to thank everyone who helped to make our fund-raising a success: all those who gave money, gifts or cakes, bought raffle tickets, named the doll (Isobelle), and all those who supported our coffee morning and helped on the day. We made over £240, which paid for the work already done and left us a small reserve.

Repton Village & History

Repton W.I.

At the May meeting, members have to decide how their delegate is to vote on the resolutions to be discussed at the Annual Meeting. This year the topics were the trafficking of women and children, GM crops and government funding for the Air Ambulance service. After presentations by three Committee members, votes were taken and the serious part of the evening was over. A hot supper of jacket potatoes with fillings, followed by a choice of puddings, was served by the Committee and enjoyed by all.

Next month's meeting is on Tuesday 8th June at 7.15 pm in the Village Hall. Peter Wood will be telling "A Chair Bodger's Tale" - a talk and demonstration. Visitors welcome.

Girl-guiding in Repton

For more than 20 years, Shelia Holmes has been heavily involved with Guiding in Repton. As the Guide leader, she has been responsible for running a varied programme of activities for the girls, including craft, camping, walking and canoeing. She has also been the District Commissioner and Camp Adviser, and set up 1st Repton Rainbows six years ago. However, she's reached the magic age of '21 and a bit' at which Guiders have to hang up their neckerchief and roll their sleeping bag for the last time. 1st Repton Guides and Girl guiding Repton District wish her a very happy retirement; we have no doubt that she will manage to fill all her time without us!

The new Guiders at Repton Guides will be Madeleine and Jen, and meetings will be at The Den on Fridays between 7 and 9 pm. Guides is for girls aged 10-14; phone Madeleine (Repton 559264) for more information.

Rainbows Fayre

Repton Rainbows and Repton Brownies are jointly holding a Summer Fayre on Thursday 8th July at The Den, Mitre Drive from 5.00 - 6.30 pm. There will be a tombola, grand raffle, toy and cake stall and games to amuse all the family. Free 'door ticket' for a special prize to everyone who attends. For further details, or if you can help in any way, please phone Carol (Rainbows) on 703991 or Sally (Brownies) on 701960. All proceeds to Rainbow and Brownie funds.

Repton Council Jottings

Some items from Parish Council Meetings held on 19 April and 10 May.

Traffic calming proposals for Main Street that were announced earlier in the year have been given the final go-ahead. Derbyshire County Council has now prepared the technical specification for the contractors who will undertake the work, and it will begin shortly. In the meantime renewed attempts are being made to finalise a scheme for the junction of Burton Road and The Cross. Consideration is also being given to ways of preventing vehicles from blocking the road and pavement outside the Spar Shop and the Post Office. At the moment the favoured solution is a combination of double yellow lines, an additional bollard, and an increase in the height of the kerb, but such ideas do take an age to come to fruition.

During April the police recorded 10 criminal offences in Repton, representing just 2% of the total for South Derbyshire. Many of these were either thefts from premises or malicious damage to vehicles. A positive and welcome step is news that the existing police house at 21 Milton Road is to be converted into a 'Community Beat Office', a sort of mini police station. A greater police presence in the village ought to help combat antisocial behaviour.

The interminable saga of Repton's public toilets continues: recently there have been complains that visitors to the village are relieving themselves outside the old toilet block on finding it closed. The Parish Council again wrote to South Derbyshire District Council asking them to provide toilets for the many visitors to 'The Historic Capital of Mercia' only to receive the blunt response that if the village wants such facilities it must pay for them. This is despite the fact that such toilets are very unlikely to be used by local residents; also it conveniently overlooks the point that there was no reduction in council tax when they closed the original toilets. And this from a District Council that professes to encourage tourism!

Efforts are being made to preserve the red phone kiosk in Milton by having it listed, so that it shall not be removed or replaced with a more modern one.

Revised charges for the hire of Broomhills Pavilion have been agreed at £4.50 per hour, with a deposit of £25 against breakages etc. Full details from the Parish Clerk, Celia Bunston, on 701309 during Parish Office hours or 01332 865226 at other times

The next Parish Council meeting will be on 14th June at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall.

Cleaner required

by Repton Parish Council to clean Broomhills Pavilion approximately two hours per week. Please contact: Celia Bunston 01332 865226 or David Roberts 01283 702159.

Repton Primary School

Midday supervisors are wanted for 1 hr 20 mins per day during term time only. Good rates of pay in accordance with local authority pay and conditions. If you are interested please contact the school on the above number.

Repton Village Society

At our last meeting, which was very well attended, Norman Parr talked on the 'Southwell Workhouse'. He put the development and operation of the workhouse into the social context of the period. In fact he explained the leading role that the Southwell Workhouse had in generating a model that was replicated across the country, how it was one of very few workhouses to survive and outlined its current use as a teaching facility used by many schools.

Or next meeting is a talk by Derek Palmer on 'Derby Beneath Your Feet'. This will be on Thursday 3rd June 2004 in Repton Village Hall starting at 7.30 pm. Derek certainly knows his subject as we already know. He is an interesting and informative speaker, well worth listening to.

Last year we had a very successful 'Best Kept Garden and / or Container Competition', the results of which many of us enjoyed as we walked round the village. We will be repeating the competition again this year and look forward to even more entrants. The village is having a two-day Open Gardens event at the end of June this year so let's ensure visitors see Repton at its best. Details are given in an advertisement in the magazine.

Repton Village History Group

The next two open meetings of the RVHG will be on Thursday 24th June and Tuesday 20th July, and will be at the URC in Pinfold Lane, starting at 7.30 pm. New members and enquirers are welcome to come along, to see what we are up to, and what they might wish to get involved in themselves. Teas, coffees and biscuits will be available while you look around and have a chat with us.

There will be a summer break in August, before we resume our meetings in September, which will be held in the Fisher Close meeting room, off Askew Grove.

Books wanted

During the Open Gardens weekend, 26-27 June, there will be a stall for second-hand books and records in the rear garden of No. 33 High Street (Tudor Lodge), one of the gardens open this year. If you have any books or records to donate, please bring them to Tudor Lodge in advance. If no reply, please leave them in the front porch. Items can also be collected if you telephone 703650. Thank you.

Seventy-six - all out!

As many of you know, we have spent the last fifteen months travelling the coastlines of England and Wales in our search for a hotel or bed and breakfast business. After many hours of scouring the Daltons Weekly, analysing property details and discussion between ourselves, we have finally found, what we believe to be, the ideal; a hotel with seven en-suite letting bedrooms in the quiet residential area of Babbacombe, Torquay.

The hotel is situated near to Plainmoor (Torquay United Football Ground) and is approximately half a mile from both the beach and Torquay town.

Our new address is: The Abberley Hotel, 100 Windsor Road, Babbacombe, Torquay TQ1 1SU. Tel: 01803 392787, Mobile: 07790 751494

Between the four of us, we have lived in Repton for seventy-six years and our last look at the skyline of Repton, dominated by St Wystan's church, will definitely pull at our heartstrings. Lorraine was baptised and confirmed, Chris and Lorraine were married, and both Matthew and Bethany were baptised at St Wystan's.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their advice, encouragement and friendship and we look forward to providing you with '3-diamond hospitality' in a most beautiful part of the country.

Please keep it quiet!

This is a plea to dog owners in The Crescent, Askew Grove and Springfield Road area.

Please don't allow your dogs to bark for long periods of time. We live near The Village Hall and are sick of having our days and evenings disturbed by barking dogs. As dog owners ourselves, we hope we never allow our dogs to bark for unsociable periods of time.

Don't suffer in silence, do something about it.
If you are disturbed by noise of any kind, whether barking or loud music, you can contact the local council Environmental Health Officer. Alternatively you can contact the District Council Dog Warden on 01283 221000 if any dog causes a particular problem or is seen to be fouling the pavement. As David Roberts stated in the March magazine, owners should be fined or have their names in the local press.

Milton & Foremark Village Matters

Milton WI

Milton W. I. Members enjoyed a most interesting talk given by Norman Clarke who farmed for the family on the Harpur Crewe Estate at Calke Abbey. He worked at Calke for many years and saw changes which included the introduction of electricity to the house and later the takeover of the estate by the National Trust.

At the May meeting, members discussed Resolutions to be voted on at the National Conference and relaxed afterwards with a fish and chip supper. In June a serving member of Derby Fire Brigade will give the talk.

All our meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at 7.30 pm. Come along, bring a friend. New members are always welcome to join in our active programme.

Gardening Notes

It should now be safe to plant out all the tender summer bedding plants and vegetables such as marrows and tomatoes and to put out the hanging baskets and planted tubs and containers. One can also sow annuals in situ for late flowering. Brussels sprouts, winter cabbages and leeks should be planted out now and any French or runner beans that were started under glass. Keep up regular sowings of lettuce. It is sometimes a good idea to vary the type of lettuce sown, sowing loose leaf lettuce on one occasion and a hearting lettuce on another.

Beetroot and spinach beet can be sown and carrot sown now should avoid the carrot fly and will be ready by the autumn. Stop cutting asparagus in mid to late June and apply a handful of nitrogenous fertiliser around the base of rhubarb to boost leaf growth.

Hoe regularly in dry weather. Groundsel is often a host to the mosaic virus which aphids carry to other susceptible plants.

Thin the fruit on fruit trees if overcrowded. Apart from helping to prevent overladen branches from breaking it increases the size and quality of the remaining fruit and helps to prevent biennial bearing. In their first year fruit trees benefit from having all the blossom removed thus allowing them to establish quicker. Pheromone traps hung in fruit trees at head height will attract the male codling moth, hopefully, before he finds the female whose eggs hatching on the young apples produce the larvae which burrow into the eye of the fruit. I must confess to being a bit dubious about the success of this.

Rhododendrons and azaleas benefit from dead heading as will lilac and roses. Research has shown that simply removing the dead head of a rose, rather than cutting back to the next bud, produces more repeat flowering.

Keep checking that plants in the border are adequately supported. Delphiniums may flower again in the autumn if cut back after flowering. Dead head alliums, poppies and aquilegias after flowering, unless you want them to self seed. Pull up forget-me-nots before they self seed. Pinch out the tips of large flowered dahlias and of chrysanthemums to encourage bushiness.

Grass cuttings from lawns treated with weed-killer should be kept apart from the compost heap for about six weeks.

Trim privet hedges, lonicera and leylandii. Leylandii may need trimming three times a year to keep it neat, cutting only the young growth. Old wood will not regenerate. Cut back new shoots of evergreen ceanothus and osmanthus after flowering, if necessary, to restrict their size, also rock-roses.

Take soft wood cuttings from shrubs using non-flowering side shoots. Choisya, forsythia, hydrangea, weigelia, philadelphus and spiraea are all suitable subjects. Dip the base of the cutting in hormone rooting powder, put it in a four inch pot in good compost and cover with a plastic bag. Acer, clematis, azalea, cotinus and other trickier ones need a heated propagator. Heel cuttings can be taken of lavender and artemisia. Dianthus cuttings are taken by pulling out the top two inches of new shoots and footing in gritty compost. Do not cover with a plastic bag. Shade the greenhouse and keep it well ventilated. Water plants in there regularly. Tomatoes will need tying to canes if grown on the cordon system and their side shoots removing regularly. Feed once the first truss has set with special tomato fertiliser.

Candelabra primulas make a lovely show in June but they will only succeed under the right conditions. They need moist but free draining soil and do best in shade with slightly acid soil. They often seem happiest around ponds and on river banks but will not stand water logging. They should be given an annual mulch of composted bark or well rotted manure. They are quite easy to grow from seed and self seed readily, often crossing with similar varieties. Primula japonica is one most often seen and will grow in moist or wet conditions. It produces flower stems of 60 or 70 cms and comes in crimson, red, white and pink shades with several named varieties such as Miller's crimson and Postford white. P bulleyana prefers wetter conditions and has similar sized blooms but orange. P beesiana also likes it wet, but never too wet, and is rose-coloured with golden eyes. P pulverulenta - a rich carmine - likes it even wetter provided it is never submerged. P sikkimensis is known as the Himalayan cowslip with pale yellow, slightly pendulous flowers. And there are many more...

News of Hannah

One of the young people we supported through our quiz night last November is Hannah Short. Hannah is now in Argentina for 6 months with the organisation Latin Link. She left in March and is due back in September. The first project her team (10 young people) undertook was the renovation of a church in a rural area in the southeast of Argentina. Living was quite rustic. They were also involved in activities with the local church with children and young people. Here she describes her week's holiday and arrival in Salta, a city of 100,000 people, where her team will be based for the next 2 months. Hola todos!

We've just returned to Argentina from an amazing holiday at the Iguazu Falls in Brasil. Due to lack of time and also the lack of words to describe the falls (they're THAT good) I won't try ... the only way of describing them actually is that they it's the biggest power shower I've ever seen - God definitely had fun making that! We had the privilege of going underneath the Falls in a boat ...

Next in line was another epic 20 hour bus ride to Buenos Aires - a few minor hitches; on the Uruguayan border (what we were doing in Uruguay I have no idea) we were stopped by some important looking men with guns and green uniforms because of one of our suspicious looking gift-filled black bags - however, Bianca helped us out of the situation with a classic 'Oh, we're missionaries, it's for the Poor'- which was true but sounded dodgy at the time!

After much hanging round in airports and getting irritated with cash machines, we had a 2 hour flight to Salta, where we were welcomed by the other Step team that have been working here - great to see you Gem!! Pastor Ruben - the dude looking after us, then whisked us off to our accommodation ... a BIG change from Vela - this is not your typical hard-core third-world mishy accommodation; Tennis court, BB court, football pitch, SWIMMING POOL! ... wow, here we don't even have to clean or wash our own clothes! The only down-side is the absence of hot water a lot of the time ... which means we don't wash! Ruben kindly told us he thought that here it's traditional not to wash ... I think he was just being nice... bye!

love,

Hannah