October 2004 - Contents Peter Paine writes ... Repton, Foremark and Newton Solney Parish Churches Joint Benefice Service, 31st October 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 Coffee Morning, Saturday 9th October, 10.30 to 11.30 am Card and Coffee Day, Thursday 21st October at 2A The Pastures Shell Christmas Mini Market, Saturday, 13th November Baptisms, Marriages, Funerals and Burial of Ashes Marriages David Richard Phillips and Joanna Baker Nicholas Joseph Mills and Jessica Anne Blackshaw Nicola Binfield and Neil Smith Philip William Peers and Lucy Elizabeth Rogers Hugh Jaques and Prudence Elizabeth May Funerals and Burial of Ashes Richard John Bennett of 38 Mount Pleasant Road Margery Le Fanu, formerly of Newton House, 80 Burton Road Rosemary Elizabeth Russian of Field House, Chestnut Way Rosemary Elizabeth Russian 1936-2004 St Wystan's News The New Vicar Cometh Help Needed for Tea on 9th October Wonderful World Workshop, 23rd August 2004 Mothers' Union Thank you to Hubert de Castella Help needed: Repton Village & School Sale of Work and Fun Day, 6th November St Wystan's Church Quiz Night, Saturday 27th November St Mary's News Service of Commemoration, Sunday 24th October Church Roof Appeal: Sunday Lunch at Rock House Proms in the Park Christmas Cards Work on the Roof Repton and District Care Group Coffee Morning, 6th October at 10.30 am St. Mary's Harvest Lunch, Sunday 10th October at 1.00 pm Conservative Association, Sausage, Mash & Bingo, Thursday 14th October Ashby Guild of Artists Autumn Exhibition, 16th - 17th October URC Card and Coffee Day, Thursday 21st October St Wystan's School Autumn Fair, Friday 22nd October at 2 pm French Evening, Saturday 23rd October Happy Birthday Glen! Saturday 23rd October at 6.45 for 7.30 pm Conservative Association Halloween Party, Saturday 30th October Willington Surgery Flu Clinics 2004 Repton School Concerts Society, 12th October Repton Village and History Repton Village Hall needs a Bookings Secretary Repton Casuals Football Club Extend! Repton Evergreens Badminton Club Celebrates Repton W.I. Repton Parish Council: Fireworks Repton Parish Council: Wheelie Bins Repton Council Jottings 'Repton Village' Website Repton Village Society Repton Village Society: Programme for 2005 Repton Village History Group Milton & Foremark Village Matters Milton W.I. Gardening Notes News of Old Reptonians Chris, Lorraine, Matthew and Bethany Lunn: Living the Dream! Hannah Short and Latin Link

Peter Paine writes ...

Dear Friends and Parishioners,

We are looking forward to meeting many of you at the Licensing on the 9th October and to getting to know you during the coming months.

I was brought up in Norfolk where my father was incumbent to two rural parishes with a total population of 240 people. After ordination I sought the challenge of a multi-cultural parish in Leeds for my first curacy. A second curacy was spent in Harrogate before a move back to Leeds for my first incumbency in a largely Bangladeshi area of the city. This was succeeded by eight years in a Team Ministry in east Leeds before heading back to the rural idyll of my home county. It had changed very much over the intervening years with many 'incomers' bringing new life to the villages and churches.

Carol, my wife, joined me during my first incumbency in south Leeds. Our first child, David, was born on Pentecost Sunday 1980, while we were at the Church of The Holy Spirit. He could not have chosen a more exciting day with a Confirmation and Patronal Festival at our church. Clare was also born while we were at Beeston Hill but Simon and Sarah arrived after our move to east Leeds.

David, who studied Sports at Loughborough, is now a teacher at Bethany School in Kent. Clare is currently at Nottingham Trent reading International Relations and Global Politics. She will be starting her final year. Simon is studying Sports Science and Exercise at Leeds Metropolitan University and Sarah is about to go off on a GAP year, part of which she will be spending in Japan. It was a difficult choice to find somewhere in the world to which none of her siblings had travelled, because this eliminated Africa, China, America, much of Europe and parts of Australia. As I had been to India in my own GAP year - although that was a long time ago - there wasn't a great deal left. When she gets to Japan in March 2005, she will be working in a Leonard Cheshire Home.

Carol is a Primary School teacher who also has experience working in Special Needs schools and may well enjoy some contact with schools in your villages. Her parents live near Halifax, and as they are getting on in age we wished to move closer to them, having been here for 14 years. We were also conscious of trying to discern the right place that we were being called to. The warmth of our reception by your Parish Representatives when we came to look around, and their enthusiasm thereafter, persuaded us that this was indeed the right place. We found that we shared a common vision of the inclusiveness of the rural church and a desire to take on board the new and exciting paths into which the Spirit is leading the Church today. We look forward to discovering with you God's future for us all.

With Prayers and best wishes,

Services at Foremark, Newton Solney
and Repton Churches

Joint Benefice Service, 31st October

On Sunday 31st October we will be having a joint service for all three parishes at 10 am at St Wystan's Church. This will be followed by a bring and share lunch in Repton Village Hall at 12.30 pm. We hope that as many people as possible will come to this and meet our new Vicar, Peter Paine, and his wife, Carol. There will be a list at the back of St Wystan's Church for you to sign up, saying what you would like to bring to the lunch. Any queries, please ring Jan Gilham 703340 or Karen Perks 702392.

There will be an 8.00 am Communion at St Wystan's on the 31st October but no Evensong that evening.

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

Coffee Morning, Saturday 9th October, 10.30 to 11.30 am

Have a coffee and biscuits with friends, stock up on home-made marmalade and cakes, play the children's game, and look at the latest Webb Ivory stock.

Card and Coffee Day, Thursday 21st October at 2A The Pastures

Mr and Mrs C. Atkin once again invite you to buy your Webb Ivory Christmas cards, wrapping paper and stationery in the comfort of their home, and to have coffee and biscuits in the morning, from 10 am until noon, tea and cream scones from 2 pm until 4 pm and coffee and biscuits / scones from 7 pm until 9 pm. Everyone is welcome - the most relaxed way to do your Christmas shopping!

Shell

Shell Group: age 7+, meets on Mondays from 6.30 until 7.30 pm. New members welcome.

Christmas Mini Market

Advance notice: the Christmas Mini Market will be held on Saturday, 13th November in the church hall from 10.30 am until 12 noon.

Marriages

David Richard Phillips from Nuneaton and Joanna Baker from Repton were married at St Wystan's on Saturday 14th August.

Nicholas Joseph Mills from Leeds and Jessica Anne Blackshaw from Repton were married at St Wystan's on Sunday 22nd August.

Nicola Binfield and Neil Smith, of Springfield Road, Repton were married at the United Reformed Church on Saturday 28th August.

Philip William Peers and Lucy Elizabeth Rogers, both from Repton, were married at St Wystan's on Saturday 28th August.

Hugh Jaques from West Bridgeford and Prudence Elizabeth May from Newton Solney were married at St Wystan's on Saturday 4th September.

Funerals and Burial of Ashes

Richard John Bennett of 38 Mount Pleasant Road died on Wednesday 11th August, aged 24. His funeral was held on Wednesday 25th August at St Wystan's followed by interment in Repton Cemetery.

Margery Le Fanu, formerly of Newton House, 80 Burton Road, died in Rugby on Friday 13th August, aged 93. She moved 5 years ago to be near her daughter.

Rosemary Elizabeth Russian of Field House, Chestnut Way, died on Wednesday 25th August at Rider House, aged 67. The Funeral Service took place privately on Tuesday 31st August at Bretby Crematorium. There was a Service of Thanksgiving for Rosemary's life in St Wystan's Church on Friday 10th September.

Rosemary Elizabeth Russian 1936-2004

The large number of people in church for Rosemary's Thanksgiving Service testified to the affection in which she was held by so many. She was a very friendly person with a great sense of humour, always interested in others. Most of her life was spent in Repton and she served the community through many organizations: the Parish Council for 24 years, two of them as Chairman; the W.I. as President; Secretary of the Abbeyfield Society; a member of St Wystan's PCC; organizer of transport for the Luncheon Club. She had many loves: sport at which she was very competitive, music, flowers, and above all, her family. It was typical of her that she rarely spoke about her illness but determinedly lived as normal a life as possible, defying all the prognoses of the doctors. The Thanksgiving Service was also typical of Rosemary, planned by her in all its details and full of good music, cheerful hymns and inspiring readings. She will be much missed by the community, by her friends and above all, by her family. We extend our sympathy to Robin, Jo and Alistair, George and Lucy.

St Wystan's News

The New Vicar Cometh

Peter Paine will be licensed as our new Vicar on Saturday 9th October in St Wystan's Church, Repton. The service, which takes place at 3 pm, will be conducted by the Bishop of Repton and all are welcome to attend. This will be followed by tea in Repton School's 400 Hall, which is just across the road from the church. Anyone attending the licensing is welcome to come to tea.

If you would like to come to the licensing, please sign up on the list at the back of the church, as we need to know the numbers that we are catering for. Please note that there will be lots of visitors coming from a distance and there is only limited car-parking available, so could locals please walk if possible, or at least share cars!

Help Needed Please

The church is looking for volunteers to make items for the tea on 9th October. If you are willing to do some baking or make sandwiches, could you please ring either Jan Gilham 703340 or Karen Perks 702392, or just sign the list at the back of the church, saying what you are able to make.

Items should be brought to the 400 Hall on the Saturday between 1.30 and 2.30 pm when there will be people there to receive them.

We are also looking for people to help with serving the tea on the afternoon, so any volunteers please contact the above numbers.

Wonderful World Workshop

On 23rd August, fifty-one people gathered at Repton Primary School for the Wonderful World Workshop, which was organised by local churches. Thirty-three were children between the ages of 4 and 11 and eighteen were adult leaders and helpers (ages undisclosed!)

The morning started with a noisy game, a song, a quiz about the amazing things in the world and a drama to introduce the theme of the day - God's Creation of our wonderful world.

After squash and biscuits, the children divided into age groups where they enjoyed lots of art and craft activities. Following a picnic lunch, the rain stopped and the sun came out - just in time for the children to play outside and do a Treasure Hunt, which involved finding all sorts of items ranging from 'a blade of grass the length of a forearm' to 'something sparkly'!

In the afternoon session, the younger children did more painting and making and the older groups devised and rehearsed a dramatic representation of the Creation of the world as found in the Bible. This was shown to parents and friends at the final service, along with the things that the other groups had made during the day. The day was enjoyed by all the children and the adults who took part. Photos taken during the day are now on display at the back of St Wystan's Church.

Mothers' Union

Mr. Charles Elliott, accompanied by his wife, came to the meeting on 15th September to speak about "Christians in a modern world", a world encompassing computers and the internet. He explained how in January 2000 he and four companions decided to set up a website to attract younger members of society to Church and the Christian faith. This was a very successful project attracting 11,000 subscribers in forty countries. Sadly, because of lack of funds and the ever-increasing costs, it had to be closed down after 4 years. He also gave a comprehensive account of his own village of Alrewas.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the Diocesan 'shoe-box' Edge project and to those who manned the church for the sponsored cycling day.

Names were taken of members wishing to attend the Diocesan Conference at the Winding Wheel in Chesterfield on 12th October and the Deanery Quiet Evening at Walton on 21st October.

We send love and best wishes to Maud Pollard, who is now out of hospital and back at The Dales.

The Revd and Mrs D. Rymer will speak at the October meeting. Their subject, "Back to School". Tea Hostesses: Mrs B. Cowley and Mrs K. Dent.

Thank you to Hubert de Castella

Hubert inherited from Ken Vincent the job of Editor of the Parish Magazine at the beginning of 1994, after retiring as a surgeon at Burton Hospital. He had a great deal to live up to, as Ken and Mary had between them set the highest standards. It is an exacting post and needs an ordered mind, but Hubert was more than a match for the job and had a very good and trouble-free reign, exercising his editorial discretion with charm and great patience. We are very grateful to him for all his efforts on our behalf. He and Jill have decided to retire to the south and they leave at the end of September, initially to their flat in London, but they hope to move eventually to Petersfield in Hampshire. We wish them all the best in their new home and thank them for their friendship and for being part of us while they were here.

Repton Village & School Sale of Work and Fun Day, 6th November

Cake Stall The Cake Stall will again be selling Christmas Puddings. If anybody would like to pre-order a pudding, either 1lb, 2lb or 3lb sizes, at a discounted price, please ring Karen Perks 702392.

If anybody would be willing to do some home baking for us we would be delighted to hear from them; please ring the above number.

Bottles, Jars & Pots Thanks to everyone's generous support, this new stall was very successful last year; please help us keep up the standard. We would be delighted to receive any donations of items in Bottles, Jars or Pots (but no alcohol) to help stock the stall. All contributions will be much appreciated. Please contact one of the following: Rosie Carpenter(702370) Frances Wimbush (703180) Angela Mayger (702660)

St Wystan's Church Quiz Night

Please keep a slot in your diaries for the next Quiz Night on Saturday evening 27th November. We particularly welcome any new teams to join the usual quiz 'hardcore' in what is always an evening of great fun. This year, all the proceeds will go direct to St Wystan's Church, to help fund the heavy costs of running and upkeep. Full details in November's Parish Magazine.

St Mary's News

Service of Commemoration

The Service in St Mary's at which we remember those family members and friends who have recently died is to be held this year on the evening of Sunday 24th October. This is a little early for the traditional link with All Souls' Day, but allows greater flexibility on the following Sunday when the joint service and shared lunch are to be held in Repton.

Church Roof Appeal: Sunday Lunch at Rock House

By any standards this lunch can be deemed a success. Thanks are due to everyone who contributed to such a happy occasion - the caterers, the florists, the musicians, the 'team' of family and friends who helped Roger Kerry to host the event, and not least the guests who came and enjoyed all that was on offer. By the end of the afternoon, the host was able to announce that the proceeds (including donations) had reached £11,000.

Proms in the Park

When a final figure was reached for the proceeds of this event, there proved to be a full £3,000 for the Roof Appeal.

Christmas Cards

Christmas Cards, printed from a photograph taken by Karen Makin of Church Lane in the snow, were illustrated in the September Magazine but on a small scale. Their full size is 21cms x 16cms (8" x 6" approx), and the greeting inside reads "With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year". Anyone wishing to see a sample before placing an order can find one in St Mary's on the notice-board in the South Aisle.

Work on the Roof

Work on the roof has continued throughout the summer whenever weather has permitted and by the time this October issue is published, the first stage should be finished. From ground level one cannot of course see the relined gutters, but the new hoppers and downpipes, painted an elegant dark grey, can be admired by all.

French Evening, Saturday 23rd October

In aid of Action Medical Research we invite you to join us for a French Evening in Repton Village Hall at 7.30 pm on Saturday 23rd October. Tickets cost £12.50 and include a delicious supper and entertainment. A wine and beer bar will be available and we ask you to contribute to the French theme of the evening by wearing something appropriate to the occasion. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the following: Morag Hill 01283 702799 or Karen Perks 01283 702799. Do come and join us.

Action Medical Research has the broadest research remit of any UK medical charity and one of the most enviable track records. With your support over the past 50 years we crippled polio, gave birth to ultrasound scanning, and got hip replacement up and running. Local grant recipients have included Derby City General Hospital and the University of Nottingham for research into premature labour, a major cause of death and long term disability in new-borns. This and many, many more projects are possible only because of the generous financial support you give. During the eighteen years since its inception, the Repton branch of Action Medical Research has raised around £25,000 to help fund these projects. It is a wonderful achievement and we thank you for your continued and enthusiastic support.

Willington Surgery Flu Clinics 2004

Clinics will be held on several Monday, Thursday & Friday afternoons during October between 1.00 pm and 4.00 pm. Also on Saturday 16th October between 9.30 am and 12.00 pm.

Please ring 01283 703318 to book an appointment.

Anyone can catch flu, but some are at higher risk from the effects than others. Vaccination is recommended for:

Repton Village & History

Help Wanted

Repton Village Hall needs a Bookings Secretary. If you might be at all interested or willing to help, please contact Peter Court (702599).

Repton Casuals Football Club

Ball Skills sessions take place at Broomhills Lane Playing Fields each Saturday morning at 10.00 am. Newcomers welcome - aged five years upwards. For further details contact Bob Errington, 701183.

Extend!

Come and enjoy an hour of fun at Repton Village Hall each Tuesday, 11 am noon, £1.50 and cheap at the price. Extend is gentle movement to music that is uplifting for older people. Once the music starts, you immediately begin to move, whether sitting or standing. Ages at present range from 60 to 96. People come from many parts of the village - and even from Burton. So do come along; we would love to welcome you, and it really does help to improve your joints and aches and pains.

Repton Evergreens

We all had a delightful day on Thursday 9th September on our visit to Landudno. Thankyou to all who joined us. Our next meeting is on Thursday 30th September at 2.30 pm in Repton Village Hall. Anyone 50 or over wishing to join us, please come along.

Badminton Club Celebrates

Next month sees the 13th anniversary of Repton badminton club. It was begun as part of a sports project in local villages by South Derbyshire District Council and has continued as a club run by the members. We meet every Tuesday in Repton Village Hall from 1.45 to 3.30 pm. We aim to provide enjoyable badminton in a friendly and non-competitive atmosphere. All equipment is provided and there is no annual membership fee, just £1.50 per session. If you are interested in joining us and would like further information, please contact either Eileen Saunders on 702500 or Carol Bradley on 568364.

Repton W.I.

In August the W.I. held a Garden Meeting at the Grange, Repton, enjoying tea and cakes on an unexpectedly sunny afternoon. In September their theme was gardens once again when a champion fuchsia grower from Kings Bromley brought slides of his prize plants, including several new varieties bred by him. He gave useful tips in answer to questions, so members will be taking cuttings with greater confidence in future.

Annual General Meeting: Tuesday 12th October, 7.15 pm in the Village Hall. Group Meeting: Wednesday 27th October, 7.30 pm in Willington Village Hall; Speaker: Janet Spavold.

Repton Parish Council

Fireworks
The Parish Council has received complaints about fireworks noise after midnight. We remind anyone thinking of celebrating in this way that new fireworks regulations came into force in August 2004 forbidding the use of fireworks between 11 pm and 7 am. There are exceptions for special celebrations such as the Chinese New Year, Diwali etc. Fireworks for November 5th celebrations must end by midnight. Anyone guilty of breaking the new regulations could face a fine up to £5000 or 6 months in prison.

Wheelie Bins
The Parish Council requests residents to try to put away their wheelie bins after the rubbish collection. Leaving them out looks untidy and does not enhance the village.

Repton Council Jottings

At the start of the meeting on 13 September a minute's silence was observed to mark the passing of Rosemary Russian, a longstanding parish councillor and ardent worker on behalf of our community. Subjects subsequently discussed included the following:

• Several items of play equipment at the Mitre Field are sorely in need of repair and maintenance. The slide, in particular, has been damaged and out of use for many months. On a number of occasions Chris Mason of the District Council has been approached about these matters. A recent safety report also itemised additional points to be dealt with. In the light of continuing problems a full review of existing facilities is to be undertaken, and the possibility of obtaining some new or additional equipment will be looked into.



• Eleven planning applications were examined. One that attracted comment was a proposal by mmO2 to erect a mobile phone mast behind houses on Burton Road; it would be disguised as a large telegraph pole. (A pity the one off Main Street wasn't!) A few people are worried about possible health risks. The situation is that planning applications for communication masts have to include a certificate detailing the maximum intended level of radiowave emissions. If emissions are within laid-down parameters, Councils cannot refuse an application on health grounds. As a local issue, therefore, it is pointless to object on this basis. Ultimately it was decided to draw the planners' attention to the nearness of the school playing fields, as there are official guidelines for the positioning of masts close to establishments where children gather.



• Repton Tandoori has been granted permission to sell take-away meals, subject to a string of conditions regarding pollution controls and the hours of business. The position will be reviewed after a one-year trial, to ensure there are no ongoing traffic or nuisance problems.



• An application to convert the former police house in Milton Road into a local police office has been withdrawn. Police cars will continue to wail through the village for a while longer, it seems.

The next Parish Council meeting will take place on Monday 11th October at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall.

'Repton Village' is now on-line

The new village website has just been launched: www.reptonvillage.org.uk. It has been a long time coming (since its prototype back in 1998!), but we hope that it will be useful and interesting, both for residents and for visitors. After an introductory 'Home Page', the site is divided into three colour-coded sections: 'Village News', 'Repton Village Society' and 'Repton Village History Group'. There are also numerous links to external websites of related interest.

'Village News' supplies up-to-date information about life in the village today. There are pages about all the local amenities and activities: schools, shops, pubs, restaurants, sports clubs, as well as some local businesses. Coverage extends beyond Repton to Milton, Newton Solney and Foremark. It will publicise local events if organisers tell us about them.

'Repton Village Society' is a shop-window to publicise our local civic amenity society and its activities. Its programmes for this autumn, and for the whole of 2005, are shown in full. RVS Newsletters are there to be read, and back-numbers are being archived. The Village Design Statement will shortly be published here, as well as being delivered to every resident.

'Village History Group' is also featured in the same way, with its programme of meetings, its newsletters, reports on projects in hand, its latest publications, and also interesting articles on historical topics in some detail from its archives.

www.reptonvillage.org.uk is not an 'official' website but is a personal one with its contents dedicated to the village in general, and to the RVS and the RVHG in particular. The website domain is owned by David Guest, its pages have been constructed by Ewan Thompson, and Tim Burston has acted as technical consultant. The website is hosted by Web Finesse, from Egginton, and the computer servers holding the site are in South America! Take a look.

Repton Village Society

The autumn series of talks started off with the well-known speaker, Max Craven talking on 'Joseph Pickford'. Maxwell gave a fascinating talk to a sizeable audience about Derby's greatest architect, the people he worked with, the people he worked for, and the buildings he left for us to admire. Unfortunately the slides were a bit temperamental but the knowledge and ability of the speaker ensured we did not miss very much of what Joseph Pickford achieved in his life. Our next meeting is a talk on 'The story of Jesse Boot and Boots the Chemist' by Chris Weir. Chris is the Nottinghamshire County Archive Officer, so is certain to have a wealth of information to share with us. The talk starts (as usual) at 7.30 pm on Thursday 7th October in Repton Village Hall.

On 4th November we will have a talk on the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. They will also have a very good selection of Christmas cards available.

The meeting on Saturday morning 4th December will include a display of hobbies that people in the parish wish to share with us. If you are interested in showing your hobby, contact Alan Webster on 701838.

Repton Village Society: Programme for 2005

Thursday 20th January:

The David Wilkinson Memorial Art Lecture in the 400 Ha1l of Repton School. "God and the Art of Seeing" by the Reverend Paul Jenkins. Free admission but there will be a collection for charity.

Thursday 3rd February:

"The Role of the Police Helicopter" by John Jameson.

Thursday 3rd March:

AGM followed by "Heage Windmill" by Alan Giffard.

Thursday 7th April:

"The Bass Railway Trips" by Rod Pearson (who was our excellent guide at Port Sunlight).

Thursday 5th May:

"The History of Repton School" by Mike Charlesworth.

Thursday 2nd June:

"The Lunar Society of Birmingham" by Diana Perowne.

Saturday 4th June:

Coach trip to Birmingham, guided by Mrs Perowne.

Thursday 7th July:

Evening car trip to Belper for a guided walk round the Strutt housing.

Thursday 1st September:

Another Wine Tasting with Keith Grainger.

Thursday 6th October:

"The Derwent Valley World Heritage Site" by Mary Smedley.

Thursday 3rd November:

"The Titmice Family of Garden Birds" by David Tideswell.

Saturday 3rd December:

Coffee Morning.

All talks / events will be held in the Village Hall and will start at 7.30 pm unless otherwise stated. Members £2; Visitors, who are always welcome, £3.

For further details, please contact Alan Webster on 01283 701838 or David Guest on 01283 703650.

Repton Village History Group

On 7th September, Repton Village History Group commenced its winter programme of meetings with a slide show of about 100 old photographs of Repton and nearby South Derbyshire villages. David Smith, who has an excellent collection of images dating back to before 1900, took the audience back in time and reminded us how progress changes the scene, often without us realising. The audience was fascinated as they were reminded of scenes long since forgotten. David's running commentary added to the enjoyment.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday 5th October at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall, when Graham Nutt, the prime mover in setting up the well known Magic Attic archives, will give a talk entitled "The Button Box". Graham is also well known for his weekly local history articles in the Burton Daily Mail. His talk is a story of growing up in South Derbyshire during and after the last war, and his witty and amusing talk is aided by a bottomless box of items ranging from old buttons to Dinky toys, gas masks, ration books, puncture repair outfits, records, and all manner of things that were hoarded by households in those days. It is a most unusual talk and not to be missed. Come along and enjoy it.

Following this, on Tuesday 2nd November, we have a Workshop Evening, where the audience will have an opportunity to get involved with our projects, give us their comments and suggestions, and see some of our archives.

Milton & Foremark Village Matters

Milton W.I.

In September there was a change of speaker and Richard Papworth gave a talk entitled "Excuse me Madam but - ", which was a light-hearted description of his experiences as a store detective.

The Annual General Meeting will be held on the 20th October at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall, when the new programme of speakers and outings will be revealed! Members old and new, this is the evening to make your ideas and requests known. Don't miss it!

Gardening Notes

After the deluges of August we can only hope for a better autumn before we begin the great tidy-up. Margery Fish, the well-known gardener and author of gardening books, established her garden at East Lambrook Manor in Somerset in the 1950s. She had very definite views on how to manage the garden in autumn, believing that the old stems of herbaceous plants should be left until they were so seared by winter that you could knock them down with a tap of the foot. Teasels, sedums, honesty and several grasses - especially the tall Stipa gigantea - do want leaving, and other plants may provide seed for finches and other birds, but sooner or later they collapse into a soggy mess which takes time to clear in the spring, when you may be walking on the underplanted bulbs. So I start clearing dead material in October and finish most of it in November.

Dahlias will need lifting, drying off and providing with a frost-free home for the winter. That is the safest things, but with milder winters, those I have left in the ground have survived and flowered again the next year. Roses may still be flowering, but when they have finished, any tall shoots on hybrid teas and floribundas should be shortened to prevent windrock loosening their roots.

Nerines, autumn-flowering bulbs from South Africa, are easy to grow and need little attention provided that you give them a sheltered spot in full sun and plant the bulbs shallowly so that they get a good baking. The bulbs tend to push up to the surface and may need replanting if the clumps grow too large. N. bowdenii is the one most commonly grown and the least tender, but there are many other varieties, most of which need greenhouse protection. Cyclamen hederifolium, the dwarf, hardy cyclamen, make a good show in October. They also are easy and soon spread by self-sown seed. They are happy in a shady spot and often do well under a canopy of trees.

Colchicums are another showy species for autumn. The corms are expensive but soon increase. The one drawback is their bulky foliage which appears in the spring, so they are often best planted amongst shrubs. I tend to think of crocus as a spring flower and ignore the autumn ones, which are mostly blue, but they are attractive if you can find a clear place for them on a rockery.

The autumn-flowering sedums are still good in October and attract late butterflies. One sees toad lilies increasingly at flower shows nowadays. I have never grown them, but they flower in late autumn and have attractive, almost orchid-like flowers. Tricyrtis are not in fact lilies but herbaceous perennials which grow 2-3 feet tall.

Overgrown ivies can be cut back now whilst their roots still pull away easily. Trim summer-flowering heathers to keep them tidy. Tidy up the herb bed, cutting marjoram and oregano down to just above ground level, and dividing overgrown clumps of chives and mint.

Protect tender plants from frost, and take any truly tender plants and containers under cover.

If your tomatoes or potatoes have succumbed to blight, burn the debris, and if red-spider mite has been a problem in the greenhouse, destroy the plants immediately, before the females move off the plants to hide for the winter. And watch out for further depredations of the vine-weevil grubs in pot plants in the greenhouse; treating with vine-weevil killer will protect plants for up to six months. Put grease bands on fruit trees.

Protect late crops of lettuce with cloches. Earth up leeks to blanch them. Pick and store marrows. Lift beetroot before the frosts start. Pick green tomatoes and bring them indoors to ripen. Store apples in perforated polythene bags in a cool place. Sow winter lettuce such as 'Valdor' or 'All Year Round'. October is a good time to plant trees, and to plant out wallflowers, sweet williams, polyanthus and other spring-bedding plants.

Chris, Lorraine, Matthew and Bethany Lunn: Living the Dream!

We have survived our first summer season! During our first three months we have served in excess of six hundred breakfasts and a hundred evening meals, and have had rather too many 14 hour days! However the work does come to an end occasionally and we have had the opportunity to go to a few of the beautiful beaches, visit local attractions and generally find our way around Torbay.

The visit from the AA Inspector was very nerve racking! The inspection takes the form of an overnight stay, and the inspector only announces who they are on departure. However, we passed with flying colours and now have the 'three-diamond' status in our own right.

We have had several visits from people who live in the Repton area, who have kept us up to date with local news. We also read the Parish Magazine on the Internet to see what we are missing!

As well as being able to contact us by telephone (01803 392787), you can now visit our own website, www.theabberleyhotel.co.uk, or contact us by e-mail, stay@theabberleyhotel.co.uk. We always welcome contact from 'home', whether you would like to come and stay, or just for a chat.

Hannah Short and Latin Link

I think I'll write a little update of what we've been doing for the last couple weeks.

We went to an indigenous tribe called the Wichi's a couple of weeks ago. On stepping out of the bus there was an immediate aerial attack from various insects, and we were then swarmed by lots of small children .. I still suffer from the effects of not taking insect repellent - 'tis not a nice experience being covered in a couple hundred bites. Now, the whole reason we went to Wichi was to run a marathon - yes, a marathon - to raise money to keep the community going. I found myself running with a young Wichi girl and her dog. I came in 200th place (which I won't dwell on too long as I'm not used to that position). We met a very eccentric Englishman there who was a cross between Hugh Grant and Tony Blair.

Anyway, less of that, more about the time when we got stranded 4200 metres up a mountain in the dark. On one of our days off from work we popped onto a minibus to go into the Andes and see some Salt lakes and mountains. The salt lakes were brilliant, (we licked them just to make sure they were made of salt), and the mountains were absolutely amazing - there were so many different colours. Anyway, at 4200m, literally the topmost point, our minibus decided to conk out. There we were, hungry and thirsty from our lake-licking activities, stranded in the dark on a very, very big mountain. We told God it would probably be a good idea if he sorted the situation out and got us off this here Andy, as we had a roof to put on a church the next day. So after a while the motor kindly sprang back into life ... well, when I say 'sprang back', I mean it worked in a way that we had to free-wheel down several thousand metres of winding road in the dark with no lights. It was an interesting experience - something one must get used to on Latin Link ...

Anyway, our last two weeks' building have been really productive - we finished the toilet block (which got reconstructed after I dropped part of it on Bianca's head), and in the last week we managed to make the roof and get it up from the floor up to where roofs normally go - yes, balancing perilously on some dodgy three-storey scaffolding while being thrown hammers and pieces of roof was an interesting experience! Many animals joined the building site recently, which has been quite amusing - chickens, horses, puppies and dogs - animals just go where they like here - they also poo where they like and the half-made church is already taking in these offerings, which we have the joy of clearing up. On the last night in Salta we had a service in the church which was really amazing. The people in Salta gave us the most amazing welcome and they've shown so much love and hospitality - they are really open too and just share so much. We've made some amazing friends there - they keep telling us how much of a blessing we've been to them because we've come and built a church, but I reckon they've been even more of a blessing to us because God has taught our group so much through them. Saying good bye was sad ...

We're in San Pedro in the Atacama in Chile at the moment for our holiday - it's the most amazing scenery I've ever seen. We went sand-boarding (which is like snow-boarding in sand) and there are desert dunes and rocky ridges, snow-capped mountains and volcanoes all in one! Clo and I went galloping in the desert too which was fun! We so don't deserve to be here at all - we've had the most amazing four months getting properly stuck into Argentina and getting to know so many amazing people - it's been such a privilege that God has used us to be a help to people out here. I've loved every day of it and am really grateful that I've got another project coming up in Brazil; I know I'll learn so much there.

Spring Step has finished and it is very distressing! Four of the team are back in England now. My dates for Brazil are 13th July to 24th August. Oh, there is the little thing that they've put me as translator, but I'll start thinking about Portuguese when I get there, I'm sharing the translator role with two other girls, but because of my Spanish I think I'll be doing most of the talking! I'm organising sport as well with another guy which will be fun. I think the Portuguese will be fine - and I don't need to worry about it - I reckon God will help me speak it!