September 2004 - Contents Three score years and ten Postscript: Songs of Praise, Sunday 12th September 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 at St Saviour's United Reformed Church Services at the United Reformed Church Harvest Festival, Sunday 26th September, 11 am and 6.30 pm Coffee Morning / Rural Churches Cycle Ride / Jacket Potato Lunches, Saturday 11th September, 10.30 - 2.00 pm Schoolroom roof: work begins! Shell Baptisms, Marriages, Funerals and Burial of Ashes Marriages Sam Matthew Dale and Jane Katherine Bromage Paul Andrew Banks and Beth Louise Claire Williamson Jayne Smedley and Matthew Faulkner Charles David Wendt and Shanna Kathleen Wagner Funerals and Burial of Ashes Edward John Leslie Ash St Wystan's News Harvest Supper, Saturday 18th September Tea to follow licensing of Parish Priest Mothers' Union Hubert signs off St Mary's News Newton Solney Church Roof Appeal - Proms in the Park Newton Solney Church Roof Appeal - Sunday Lunch at Rock House Newton Solney Church Roof Appeal - Christmas Cards St Mary's Harvest Festival Celebrations, Sunday 3rd October Harvest Lunch, Sunday 10th October Thankyou Maureen Ash Margaret Quinton Public Service Information 'Primary Care' - the changing face of NHS general practice Noise nuisance from intruder alarms - Register Keyholder details Musical Events Repton School Concerts Society 2004-2005 West Side Story Repton Village and History Repton Evergreens Trip to Llandudno, Thursday 9th September Repton Village History Group Repton Village Society Results of the Floral container / Front garden competition 2004 Repton Squash Club looks for new members Newton Solney Village Matters Coffee Morning, Friday 24th September, 9.30 - 11.00 am Newton Solney WI Newton Solney Horticultural Show, 4th September Gardening Notes

Three score years and ten

"The days of our age are three score years and ten.. ." (Psalm 90:10). So writes the Psalmist, at least in the Coverdale translation known through the Book of Common Prayer, and those words have been familiar to me since early childhood. When my maternal grandmother reached seventy she was indeed 'a little old lady', dressed if not in black yet certainly in sober colours befitting her senior status; and, despite the accepted conventions that no lady ever revealed her age, she would declare with mingled pride and humility that she had been granted her allotted span. By the time September is over, I too shall have been granted the same privilege, though I have yet to achieve the same dignified recognition that from then on every day, every hour, will be a God-given bonus and reason for gratitude.

For one thing I do not feel 'old' - except maybe after an unwontedly energetic bout of housework or gardening. Sight and hearing are admittedly less acute than once they were, but my teeth are still my own. And since I never could run, even as a child, the inability to move at speed is not a metter of any note. However, the message of Psalm 90 cannot be ignored.

Read in its entirety, this Psalm should probably be understood as a lament, a lament for the transitoriness of human life set in the context of God's judgement. But it opens with the bold assertion, "Lord, thou hast been our refuge from one generation to another", and carries the reassurance of God's enduring mercy. That reassurance is affirmed even more strongly in Isaac Watts' well-loved paraphrase of the same psalm:

"0 God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come... Sufficient is thine arm alone, And our defence is sure."

If such faith could be expressed in the Old Testament, how much more confidently in the light of the gospel can we acknowledge our dependence on God. My grandparents knew that, my parents knew that, while 'the years of my age' have taught me the same.

What I have still to learn, in the words of Thomas Ken, another hymn-writer born in the seventeenth century, is how to "live this day as if thy last". Perhaps I can profit from the Nun's Prayer, also attributed to the seventeenth century, which ends with these words:

"Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people; and give me, 0 Lord, the grace to tell them so".

Postscript: Songs of Praise

You were warned by the heading that you would be reading a personal reflection. At St Mary's the first evening service after the summer break is to be equally personal, a 'Songs of Praise' kindly sanctioned by the PCC as a thanksgiving for a personal anniversary. We hope as many people as possible will come both to sing the hymns and to share the refreshments afterwards.

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

Brasses

Altar Flowers at St Saviour's

The United Reformed Church

Harvest Festival, Sunday 26th September, 11 am and 6.30 pm

Give thanks to God for the Harvest! The church will be decorated and the children will bring harvest baskets at the morning service. If you can help with the decorating, please come on the evening of Friday 23rd.

Coffee Morning / Rural Churches Cycle Ride / Jacket Potato Lunches
Saturday 11th September, 10.30 - 2.00 pm

Our new season of coffee mornings begins on 11th September. Restock with marmalade, home-made cakes and goodies, replenish your supply of cards and stationery and join in the children's game. Cyclists will be calling in to have their sponsor forms signed and jacket potato lunches will be served from 12 noon to 1pm. Everyone is welcome.

Schoolroom roof: work begins!

This month work should begin on the schoolroom roof, after three years of fund-raising. Thanks to everyone who helped to raise the money.

Shell

Shell recommences on Monday 13th September from 6.30 to 7.30pm. New members are always welcome.

Marriages

Sam Matthew Dale and Jane Katherine Bromage, both from Repton, were married at St Saviour's Church, Foremark on Saturday 10th July.

Paul Andrew Banks from Chellaston and Beth Louise Claire Williamson from Repton, were married at St Wystan's on Saturday 24th July.

Jayne Smedley and Matthew Faulkner, both of Hill View, Repton, were married at the United Reformed Church on Saturday 31st July.

Charles David Wendt and Shanna Kathleen Wagner, both from Zurich, were married at St Wystan's on Saturday 7th August.

Funerals and Burial of Ashes

Edward John Leslie Ash died on Saturday 24th July at Derby Macmillan Hospice, aged 64. His funeral was held on Wednesday 4th August at St Wystan's Church followed by cremation at Bretby. His ashes were interred in Repton Cemetery on Saturday 7th August.

St Wystan's News

Tea to follow licensing of Parish Priest

Anybody willing to provide cakes/scones/sausage rolls/sandwiches etc. for the tea which will follow the licensing of Peter Paine as "priest in charge" on October 9th, please contact Jan Gilham on 703340.

Mothers' Union

We were pleased to welcome Repton Bellringers and visitors from Alrewas ringing team to the meeting held in St Wystan's Church on July 21st to hear Mrs Ruth Smith speak on 'Bells around the world'. She gave a most interesting talk about the many countries which she and her husband have visited in their capacity of installing and hanging various types of bells.

Seven members attended the Deanery Festival held at Hartshorne in July when our branch secretary, Audrey Morris, was officially commissioned as Deanery Presiding Member. She gave a very thought provoking address on the MU theme for 2004 - 'The year of the family'.

Grateful thanks to Lucine McLean who produced a beautiful flower arrangement in church for the Open Gardens weekend. Surplus money from the collection for that purpose was donated to the fund.

Despite very inclement weather five members attended the garden party at Church Gresley on 3rd August. Proceeds were in aid of their branch funds.

I am hopeful that the community room at Fisher Close will be available for the next meeting on 15th September, but if not then Mrs R. Hudson has very kindly offered for us to meet at her home, 33 Askew Grove.

To date I have received a few donations for the 'shoebox' collection for the Diocesan EDGE project. Will those members who wish to contribute please bring their gifts to the September meeting together with money (£6) for the 2005 issue of 'Home and Family'.

I hope everyone has had a relaxing and restful break during August. In September, C & M E11iot are to speak on 'Christians in a modern world'. Intercessions: Pauline Beckett. Tea Hostesses: Pauline Beckett, Betty Starkey.

A new editor for the Magazine

Recently I have been indebted to Chris Lloyd for occasionally deputising in my absence from the editorial chair. Now that Jill and I are moving southwards Chris has nobly accepted the mantle of full-time editor, as well as continuing to manage the web site. I wish him joy!

Jill and I are sad to be leaving the many friends we have made here in the past 33 years: we shall miss you all. Keep in touch...

St Mary's News

Newton Solney Church Roof Appeal - Proms in the Park

A final figure for the proceeds from the 17th July Proms has yet to be determined, but it is safe to assume that the proportion to be allocated to the Roof Appeal will be well over £2,500. Special thanks are due to Kevin & Jan Cartwright for hosting this event, to all those who helped and supported them and to the musicians for giving us such excellent entertainment. It was a Saturday evening to remember with pleasure.

Newton Solney Church Roof Appeal - Sunday Lunch at Rock House

At the time of going to press tickets are still available for the Lunch on 12th September and can be ordered singly or in pairs - not only for tables of ten! Full details are to be found on the notices posted in and around the neighbourhood.

Newton Solney Church Roof Appeal - Christmas Cards

Christmas Cards printed from a photograph taken by Karen Makin will shortly be on sale in aid of the Roof Appeal at 50p each (also available to order packed in 10s or 20s). To place an order contact Jennifer Haynes (703827).

St Mary's Harvest Festival Celebrations

Newton Solney's Harvest Festival will be on Sunday 3rd October at the 10.00 am All-age Service. Contributions of produce, flowers and foliage will be welcomed on the mornings of Friday & Saturday 1st & 2nd October, as will help with decorating the Church on these days.

The Harvest Lunch is to be held in the Village Hall on Sunday 10th October at 1.00 pm, when we hope that the Revd Peter Paine & his wife Carol will be eating with us. Tickets are £6.50 for adults, £3.00 for children; but numbers are limited to 70 so book your places in good time - by contacting Hazel Ward at 21 Blacksmith's Lane (701244).

And don't forget to bring your own drinks!

The winning entry for the Wild Flower Quiz will be announced at the Harvest Festival Service.

Thankyou

Maureen Ash would like to thank all relatives, friends and neighbours for the many cards and beautiful floral tributes, in memory of her dear husband John. Special thanks to my daughters and sons-in-law for their support, and to Maisie, Roy and Rachael. Also to Drs. Hands and Farrell for their care over the years during John's illness.

Margaret Quinton would like to thank everyone for their prayers, kindness and support during the past three months and for the cards and flowers, all of which helped so much towards her recovery.

Public Service Information

'Primary Care' - the changing face of NHS general practice

Some of you may be wondering what has been going on at the surgery. There have been lots of changes in recent years. More recently, there have been a number of personnel changes, as well as changes in the way your requests and queries are handled.

Dr Poston has retired, we all miss a great colleague and doctor and hope she now has the time to enjoy life to the full. Our senior nurses Elaine Topliss and Sue Brown are also retiring for family reasons; they have worked hard for us, and you, and will be missed.

There is a national shortage of GPs and nurses so we are glad to have recruited so successfully in finding Dr Rajendran, whom some of you will have met already, and no fewer than three new nurses. Joanne Gregory has come to us from another practice and Julie Harrington joins us from Queen's Hospital Burton. The new nursing team will be headed by Sister Wendy Okoye who starts in September.

There is more going on than the simple passage of time. You may be aware that we are now working to a 'new contract' with the NHS. This is fundamentally different in two ways. Firstly, it attempts to encourage and reward excellence in clinical practice, and second, it makes GPs responsible for your care from 8.00 am to 6.30 pm from Monday to Friday. Out-of-hours cover becomes the responsibility of the primary care trusts as from October 1st 2004.

For some years, we have worked for and used the services at Derby Medical Services to cover evenings and weekends and generally this has worked fine. It also gives us a chance to see other areas, cultures and problems as we range across the area. Last year, NHS Direct was interposed as a filter between the public and medical services. We have had verbal complaints that this aspect is problematic. The advisors do a good job but can be slow in responding; this causes dissatisfaction with the medical service and tips unnecessary work to casualty or the ambulance service. NHS Direct needs feedback, praise where praise is due but when things are not right we need written detail. Otherwise the politicians think everything is fine, when it is clearly not, and resources will not change.

The new changes also mean that no value is given to Saturday morning surgeries and so these are not funded under the contract. We have continued to provide these as the primary care trust does not take weekend care until October. The medical services in Derby have been horrendously busy as they have tried to cope with the Derby city practices' load on Saturday mornings. Changes are being made to improve this situation, so from October we will no longer have Saturday surgeries. Our working patterns and load have changed a lot in the last 10 years and we anticipate more evolution.

The new contract is an attempt to make general practice more attractive to potential recruits as the manpower crisis continues. Some bits are good, some are not but we are stuck with it now. Your doctors are now appraised, inspected and revalidated just like everyone else in industry and public service, but at present it is still our practice and we are proud of it. We will continue to strive for the community and know that you will continue to show respect and courtesy to all our staff in recognition of their valiant efforts in a difficult job. As a final thought, please avoid contacting doctors at home when off duty (actually, our pay has been cut in recognition of the loss of this role). Apart from any legal, ethical and emotional issues, it is rather difficult to give a good opinion while hands are mucky with the weeding!

Noise nuisance from intruder alarms - Register Keyholder details

South Derbyshire District Council has been running a campaign to try to encourage Intruder Alarm owners to register with this department 2 keyholders details to be held on a database. In the past the police have kept such a database but have recently decided to no longer continue. As such this department has taken on the task of keeping this information; it proves invaluable should we be asked to deal with a complaint of a nuisance alarm sounding when the occupiers are away.

The Environmental Health Department has a duty to deal with noise nuisances from intruder alarms sounding at unattended buildings. If the alarm owner cannot be contacted and no keyholders are listed, then this could result in a Noise Abatement Notice being served requiring the alarm to be silenced within the hour. If the alarm continues for more than an hour, a warrant for entry to the property is issued. The owner is liable for all costs incurred and may also be prosecuted for causing a noise nuisance.

In an attempt to avoid such action, we are asking alarm holders to supply the Council with the details of 2 keyholders and make sure that their alarm is installed with a 20 minute cut off device.

Anyone interested in this subject should contact 01283 221000 and ask for the Pollution Section of Environmental Health to obtain a keyholder form.

Repton Village & History

Repton Village History Group

Alan Gifford, Chairman of Willington Local History Group, who is an expert on water and wind mills and who has been very much involved in the restoration of Heage windmill near Belper, gave an illustrated talk on the "Mills of the Repton Brook" to our July meeting. This was the first time in around 25 years that the group has had a speaker at one of its meetings.

Alan traced the history and activities at the seven mills which were located between Hartshorne and Repton and supported his talk with an interesting selection of slides including a rare one of the interior machinery at Repton Mill. Over the years these mills gave considerable employment to local people and it is surprising that what today seems a quiet stream produced the energy to drive all of this equipment. It was a most enjoyable presentation and we thank Alan for the time he spent with us.

The History Group starts its Winter Season of meetings in September; these will be in the Village Hall commencing at 7.30 pm. We hope that you will find some interesting subjects in our programme and come along and join us. Everyone is welcome. We do ask for a donation to help cover the costs of the Hall and refreshments are available.

The next few meetings are:

Tuesday 7th September: Slide show of old photos of South Derbyshire by David Smith
Tuesday 5th October: Talk - "The Button Box" by Graham Nutt

We look forward to seeing you.

Repton Village Society

Our next meeting is on the Sept 9th when the well-known speaker, Max Craven will give a talk on 'Joseph Pickford'. I am sure we will have a fascinating talk from someone with a reputation for having his own views backed up by a wealth of information on his topic for discussion.

If some one lost a fleece at our last meeting in June then please give me ring on 703748.

Floral container / Front garden competition 2004

On walking round the village one saw many very good hanging baskets and front gardens that were a credit to their owners. It was a pity that this year the number of entries was down from the previous year (closure of the newsagents seems to have made a difference!). However the standard was as high as before, setting the judge some tough decisions.

The winners of the Floral Container and Front Garden Competition are :-

Floral Container

Front Garden

Business

Congratulations to Mrs Gibbs of 15 Pinfold Lane on being the 'Best in Show' winning the 'Judge's Rose Bowl' for the coming year.

The prizes (vouchers for Bretby Nurseries) will be presented at the Repton Village Show Prizegiving on the 4th September and have been sponsored by both the Repton Parish Council and Bretby Nurseries.

Newton Solney Village Matters

Newton Solney WI

The July meeting of Newton Solney WI was a talk/entertainment by Mrs Heather Hawthorn on 'My life with an accordion' - an amusing history of Heather's involvement with many instruments but mainly with the accordion. Members were able to join in a sing-along throughout the talk.

Final arrangements were made for a guided tour of the house and gardens of Tissington Hall, by one of our earlier speakers, on 14th July, and for a garden party at one of our members' homes in August.

We meet in the Village Hall at 7.30 pm on the second Tuesday of each month except August, and new members would be most welcome - we have a varied programme with outings, meals out, theatre trips etc.

Newton Solney Horticultural Show, 4th September

The Committee have decided that paintings exhibited in the Show may be for sale.

Gardening Notes

As summer turns to autumn, winter will not be far behind and preparations must be made for it and the spring to follow. Bring in any house plants and other tender plants that have spent the summer outside. Towards the end of the month summer bedding will have finished and should be cleared and composted. Then hardy spring bedding plants such as polyanthus and winter pansies can replace them. Wallflowers and sweet Williams will also be ready to go out and winter containers can be planted up. Plant spring flowering bulbs - crocus and daffodils etc - and lilies, if available. Make notes on any plants needing to be moved or divided. Tidy up rock gardens, cutting back alpines where necessary and reinforce the grit or fine gravel around the plants to keep the roots cool and moist.

Continue taking cuttings of osteospermums, argyanthemum, fuchsia, lavender, penstemons, cistus, salvias and any other tender plants. Use a multi-purpose compost with plenty of gritty sand mixed in. Cuttings do not need a rich soil or too big a pot. Make sure the cuttings are well firmed in. Most will benefit from covering with a plastic bag till rooting has started but pinks, pelargoniums and silver leaved plants do not like that as it is too humid for them. Hormone rooting powder is of uncertain value. Start dividing early flowering perennials, hostas and hellebores.

September is the best month to sow new lawns. Apply an autumn feed to existing lawns. Remove dead foliage and debris from ponds, also excess pond weed. Tidy up the plants round the pond's edge and place a net over the pond to keep leaves out, leaving space for birds to get in and out. Lift tender gladioli. Cut the foliage off and put in a dry, warm place for two weeks before storing in a cool, frost free place.

Stake tall Brussels sprouts to prevent wind damage. Lift maincrop potatoes and store in a dark,. frost free place. Plant autumn onion sets and garlic. Cut back to ground level blackberry, raspberry and loganberry canes that have fruited this year, leaving space to tie in the new canes. Apply grease bands to apple trees. The female winter moth is flightless and crawls up the tree to lay her eggs which turn into the caterpillars that fill apples with holes.

Sow winter lettuce and early carrot under glass. They only need frost protection. Early peas and broad beans can be sown in a greenhouse and should be out of the way before you want to put tomatoes in again.

Stop watering cacti and succulents except the Christmas cacti. Check the greenhouse heaters and remove any shading applied to the glass. Give any hedges a final trim and prepare to collect and store leaves.

We must have had a good breeding year for blue and great tits, judging from the large numbers of young birds about. Also green finches. Robins are reappearing: they like to keep out of sight whilst they are moulting and only seem to reappear as their red breasts form again. The young birds have very speckled breasts at first.

We have a green woodpecker around for the first time in several years and the chiff chaff has at last ceased its incessant call - welcome at first as the spring - rather earlier than usual. Our pair of ring-necked doves made their second attempt at nest building on the house again this year but later removed it, stick by stick, to another site. First seen in this country only just over forty years ago, they are widespread and common now, so others must be more successful at breeding than our local pair.