July 2007 - Contents Christian Healing 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 Junior Church Prize-giving Service, Sunday 15th July Summer Barbecue at 5 Monsom Lane, Saturday 14th July Shell (for children aged 7+) Coffee Morning, Saturday 8th September Baptisms, Marriages, Funerals and Burial of Ashes Funerals and Burial of Ashes Vernon Horatio Barnes Obituaries Vernon Barnes Repton Benefice Picnic and Evensong, 30th July Christian Aid Collection - Thank You! Spanish Trip - change of date St Wystan's News St Wystan's Church Development Travels to Uganda Repton M.U. St Mary's News Thanks from St Mary's PCC Newton Solney Infant School Summer Fair, 7th July URC Summer Barbecue, Saturday 14th July Newton Solney Horticultural Show, Saturday 1st September Repton Village and History NGS Open Garden, 134 Main Street, 15th July Yellow Book Open Garden, Sunday 15th July Repton Neighbourhood Help Summer Play Activities provided by Repton Parish Council Repton W.I. What an opportunity! The 'Community Bus' Repton Village Hall Repton Parish Council Jottings Repton Village Society Repton Village History Group Newton Solney Village Matters Newton Solney Infant School Sports Morning Newton Solney W. I. Gardening Notes St Swithun's Day

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Christian Healing

Many of you will know that Ian Tennant, for whom we have prayed for many weeks, has been making a remarkable recovery and continues to do so. One recent Sunday morning, when I had decided to speak about the ministry of prayer for Christian healing, I had no idea that Ian would be present in the congregation, and wondered what he made of it. When I went to see him later in the week, he said: 'I'm fully behind you. I agreed with everything you said.' I am delighted to have the support of someone who believes he has benefited from Christian prayer and wants to contribute to our exploration of this Christian ministry.

You may wonder why I have chosen what might appear to be an 'in' subject for our parish magazine. There is at least one very good reason: Jesus' healing ministry was generally performed outside the synagogue. Most of the people he healed were in the market place - metaphorically if not literally. I suspect there may be as much interest in this ministry in the village as there is in the church, so I do not hesitate to bring our plans before you.

These plans are at an early stage. I have just started meeting with a small group on a monthly basis to explore this ministry. We would be very happy if any of our readers wanted to join us. We will be looking at what healing meant to Jesus, and what it means in the church today.

A good definition of the ministry of Christian healing is this: it is the difference made by Jesus when he meets us at our point of need. Writing in his book, The Practice of Christian Healing, the Reverend Roy Lawrence says: 'It is my conviction that the Christian healing ministry should pass five tests of truth if it is to be acceptable:

1. It must be true to the Scriptures taken as a whole.
2. It must be true to all that we know of Jesus.
3. It must be true to reason - because God gave us minds and presumably means us to use them.
4. It must be true to experience, and this must include personal experience, the experience of history, and the traditional experience of the Church.
5. It must be true to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.'

I agree with all of this, and it will be a good basis from which to work.

Another starting point is the fact that whenever Jesus told his disciples to preach or proclaim the good news of God's kingdom, he also told them to heal. When he gave them the great commission at the end of Matthew's gospel, he told them to teach their converts all that he had taught them. That included both preaching and healing.

With prayers and best wishes,

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Services at Foremark, Newton Solney
and Repton Churches

St Wystan's, Repton

St Saviour's, Foremark

St Mary's, Newton Solney

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Readers, Intercessors and Offertory at St Wystan's

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Altar Flowers (contact Frances Wimbush, 703180)

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Brasses (contact Pauline Beckett, 500132)

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Altar Flowers & Cleaning at St Saviour's (contact Polly Glasby)

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The United Reformed Church

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Junior Church Prize-giving Service, Sunday 15th July at 11 am

A service in which we recognise the commitment of all our children and young people by presenting all of them with a gift. The children will take part in the service - come and celebrate with them.

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Summer Barbecue at 5 Monsom Lane, Saturday 14th July at 3 pm - food from 4 pm

The summer's most eagerly-awaited event: lots of good food, a bouncy castle and games for the children, and a chance for the adults to relax in the sunshine! Tickets £4.50 for adults, and £2.50 for those under 13. Book your tickets by phoning 701581 as soon as possible.

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Shell group (age 7+)

Shell Group meets on Mondays from 6.30 to 7.30 pm. New members are welcome. The last meeting of the school year will be a barbecue on 16th July.

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Coffee Morning - make a note of the date!

The next Coffee Morning will be on Saturday 8th September, the day of the Rural Churches' 'Ride and Stride'.

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Funerals and Burial of Ashes

Vernon Horatio Barnes, formerly of 3 Newton Park, Newton Solney, died on 23rd May aged 82. A service was held at St Mary's Church, Newton Solney, followed by cremation at Bretby crematorium.

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Obituaries

Vernon Barnes

Vernon Barnes was truly a man of many parts. Born in Staffordshire, he moved to Derby at the age of 8 and was educated at Bemrose Grammar School. At 17 he volunteered for the Royal Navy, quickly transferring to the Fleet Air Arm. As an observer / navigator, he served in the United States, Canada and the Middle East, as well as the United Kingdom, and often referred to war service as his passage through the 'University of Life'. Following the Navy, he became a central figure in local business. His core activity was insurance, but he also had interests in financial services, estate agency and property development, the latter right until his death.

His love of cars and boats never faded, high-performance cars, and boats of all shapes and sizes - on canals, on Windermere, Blithfield and at Lymington. An avid golfer, he was Captain of Burton Golf Club, and of the Society of Derbyshire Captains, from whom he recently received an award for long and meritorious service. He was an active member of the Rotary Club of Burton upon Trent and a Past President, a Past Chairman of the Burton Club and founder Chairman of its investment club, and a long-standing member of the Chatsworth Lodge of Freemasons.

A very social man, and an accomplished billiards, snooker, bridge and poker player, his company was sought out and his friendship highly valued. Vernon will be widely missed, and we send our sympathy to Nan and all his family.

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Repton Benefice

Picnic and Evensong, 30th July

Foremark P.C.C. invite us all to bring a picnic tea to Foremarke School for 5 pm; they will provide liquid refreshments. As before, we will be on the staff side of the Hall, where there will be chairs on the balcony, or we may provide our own rugs for the grass. We hope many will come and join us both for the picnic and the service afterwards at 6.30 pm in Foremark Church.

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Christian Aid Collection - Thank You!

The total Christian Aid collection from Repton, Foremarke, Newton Solney and Ingleby was £1997.56, £493 in Newton Solney and £1504.56 in Repton, Foremarke and Milton. Many thanks to all who contributed so generously, and to those who specifically held fund-raising events and donated the money to Christian Aid.

This year we have estimated that Christian Aid will be able to claim back over £240 tax on gifts from taxpayers, a considerable rise on the £100 last year. So a big 'thank you' to everyone who completed the envelope; it really makes a difference.

We would like to thank the dedicated collectors and the counters who helped to co-ordinate the collection, and The Post Office for having the collection box. Also, the new collectors who have joined us.

Reminder to collectors: Please contact us if you are unable to collect next year. If you leave it too late we may be unable to cover your area, as has happened this year.

Collectors wanted: We are looking for collectors for all areas next year. Even if you can only collect once, we would be grateful if you could contact either Jackie Hurrell, 702089 or Melodie Kettle, 559217. For Newton Solney the contact is Jennifer Haynes, 703827.

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Spanish Trip - change of date

As a result of holidays, we were unable to get enough people for the week we had chosen in September, so our trip to Spain has been rescheduled for the 16th 23rd October. We already have a viable party for these dates but can always take more. Brochures are available from Peter Paine at the Vicarage. Please ring 703317 for personal delivery in the village or by post outside. The itinerary remains the same. We will be visiting the most interesting places along the north Spanish route of the Way of St. James. Several people have asked me about walking part of the Way. We will certainly try and fit this in, even if it means omitting some sites for walkers. We will be at Compostela for a Sunday service, and hopefully see the thurible swing.

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St Wystan's News

St Wystan's Church Development

Progress has been very positive:

• We are delighted that Peter Plant has agreed to chair the Appeal Committee. The first meeting will have been held by the time you read this, and you may look forward to reading about our plans for raising the necessary funds in future issues of the Parish Magazine.
• You will be pleased to know that no objections to our plans have been put forward to the Registrar.
• We have also heard that there is a good chance that no preliminary archaeological excavations will be necessary, so long as a watching brief is kept on the work as it progresses.
• The architects hope to place the plans before some builders in the first half of July. Representatives of the P.C.C. had a most useful meeting with the architects at the beginning of June; their detailed drawings are almost complete. We hope we may be able to make a decision on the tenders at the August meeting of the P.C.C., enabling us to send off our application for a faculty, and that we may be able to start some work by next March. Do please visit the church to see a detailed drawing of the tower screen which looks really stunning.
• David Pilkington, who is designing the engravings, has now submitted preliminary sketches of the four panels. We are confident that by the end of August we will be able to include the final drawings along with the Faculty Application.

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Travels to Uganda

In previous issues of the Parish Magazine, you may well have read Clare Paine's reports of her stay in Uganda between August and December last year.

In May, fifty of us gathered at the Village Hall, and, after the usual 'Bring and Share' feast, we heard from Clare at first hand about her time teaching Global Politics at central Buganda University in Mpigi District, south of Kampala. Her computerised photos showed vividly the primitive conditions under which she lived, the colleagues and students she met, and the beautiful African scenery. Her lively and informative commentary gave us a real insight into what life was like for her. She also gave us a taster of the political situation there and in northern Uganda, both now and also in a historical context.

We are very grateful to Clare for such a fascinating presentation.

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Repton M.U.

We had to change the programme in June, but luckily Lucine McClean kindly agreed to bring her talk forward, so we were able to travel, in spirit at least, from Repton to Jordan and back.

We went to Overseal for the Deanery Festival, so our banner had a second outing, and we enjoyed refreshments and a chat after the service.

Next Meeting: Wednesday 18th July at 2.30 pm in the Fisher Close Room. Morag Hill will take us down Repton's river, the Trent. We always welcome visitors to our meeetings.

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St Mary's News

Thanks from St Mary's PCC

Church Roof: First and foremost, now that the church roof has been fully restored, it is high time to thank Roger Kerry and his Appeal Committee for the time, energy and commitment given to raising funds for the project. Without his dedication and their support, along with the generosity of many donors and sponsors, we might still have rainwater running down the pillars. Thank you so much.

Spring-cleaning: Even before the roof repairs were completed, the need for a major spring-clean was all too obvious. Throughout May a small band of dedicated folk laboured to vacuum, scrub and polish windows, walls, floors, pews and a whole range of church artefacts, giving up Saturdays and Bank Holidays as well as other times, with impressive results. Many grateful thanks to everyone involved. (And those who were on holiday or otherwise engaged need not feel guilty, because they can always join the regular 'team' who keep the church dusted month by month.)

'Salad Days': Many thanks to everyone who supported this event and helped to make it a happy social occasion, besides raising well over £300 for church funds. Special thanks to those who donated food or raffle prizes, to those who gave time to arrange the Hall, and in particular to those who planned and prepared a delicious menu. Salads have never been more interesting.

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Newton Solney C of E (Aided) Infant School Summer Fair 7th July from 2 pm in the school grounds There will be a seaside theme, and during the afternoon school children will be dancing and singing. Various stalls, games, raffle, tombola and lots more. Everyone welcome!

United Reformed Church Summer Barbecue 5 Monsom Lane Saturday 14th July at 3 pm, food from 4 pm lots of good food a bouncy castle and games for the children a chance for the adults to relax in the sunshine! Tickets £4.50 for adults, and £2.50 for those under 13. Please phone 701581 as soon as possible.

Newton Solney Horticultural Show Newton Solney Village Hall, Saturday 1st September at 3 pm Refreshments will be served during the afternoon. Prize-giving at 5 pm followed by auction of produce and raffle. Schedules available from the beginning of August from Newton Solney Post Office and Chris Freestone, 5 Cricket Close, Newton Solney, 701147. Exhibitors may enter between 9 and 11.45 am. Photograph Section Themes Adults: Weather; Boats; The Market Junior, 7 - 10 inclusive: My Feet. Junior, 11 - 16 inclusive: My Jeans Handcrafted Section: A handcrafted scarf

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Repton Village & History

NGS Open Garden, 134 Main Street

Thank you to everyone who, despite the heavy rain, kindly supported the first of our Open Days this year, raising £73 for NGS charities and a further £53 for delicious home-made cakes and teas provided by friends from St Saviour's, Foremark, for their Church.

We are again opening our garden at Woodend Cottage, 134 Main Street, for the National Garden Scheme from 1 - 5 pm on the 15th July; entrance fee £2, children free. There will be teas and home-made cakes in aid of St Saviour's, and plants for sale in the nursery.

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Yellow Book Open Garden, Sunday 15th July, 1 - 5 pm

Robert and Pauline Little invite you to visit their garden at 10 Chestnut Way. There is a plant stall, and home-made teas and cakes. Admission £2.50, children free.

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Repton Neighbourhood Help

We were delighted to take part in the May Day Village Party, particularly as it provided another volunteer! Whilst on the subject of helpers, we are in need of another cook. Although we have new ones, for various reasons we shall be rather short for the long session up to Christmas. Can you help?

We have enjoyed an outing to Shenton, near Market Bosworth, for a cream tea, and our summer outing, a lunch cruise on the River Trent, will take place on Tuesday 14th August. We do thank all those helpers who make these extra events possible.

We will be closing for the summer break on 13th July and will restart on 7th September. We wish everyone, whether you have holidays planned or not, a happy summer.

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Summer Play Activities provided by Repton Parish Council

The Parish Council has again booked holiday play provision from the District Council. Except where shown, there will be no charge to users. Dates and venues are as follows; just turn up on the day. The decision whether it is safe to use the skate park and laser games will be made by the operators alone.

Skate Park 8 - 19 year olds; under 8's must be accompanied by an adult.

Repton Primary School
Tuesday 24th July, 4 - 6 pm - free
Wednesday 29th July, 4 - 6 pm - £2 per session
Friday 3rd August, 12 - 2pm - £2 per session
Tuesday 21st August, 4 - 6 pm - free

n.b. The mobile skate park can not be used when the surface is wet or when it is raining, as it can become damgerous. All participants must wear a helmet (no helmet - no skating and no BMXing). Protective knee and elbow pads are strongly recommended; SDDC have some which can be borrowed, but they recommend that you bring your own if possible.

Climbing Wall Age 8+; under 8's must be accompanied by an adult.

The Mitre Field
Tuesday 31st July, 6 - 8 pm - free

n.b. Suitable clothing and footwear must be worn - no sharp objects. At the leaders' discretion, the mobile climbing wall can be used when it is wet or raining.

Inflatable Laser Games Age 8+; under 8's must be accompanied by an adult.

The Mitre Field
Tuesday 7th August, 2 - 4 pm - free
Thursday 16th August, 2 - 4 pm - £1 per go or £5 per session

n.b. Suitable clothing and footwear should be worn - no sharp objects allowed. The inflatable laser games can not be used when the surface is wet or when it is raining as it can endanger the participants.

Sports Mobile 8 - 14 year olds; under 8's must be accompanied by an adult.

The Mitre Field
Thursday 9th August, 10 am - 12 noon - free
Tuesday 14th August, 2 - 4 pm - free

n.b. Sports equipment, sumo suits and bouncy castle. If the weather is bad, some of the play facilities will be transferred into the Den, but not the bouncy castle!

The free sessions were booked and will be funded by the Parish Council from its budget, but in addition, the District Council has offered us further sessions which have not been taken up by other parishes. However, they will have to charge the users.

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Repton W.I.

Our June meeting was a Social Evening, when we made plans for outings to Leek and to Melbourne Hall, and sampled coffee from Columbia, Costa Rica and Brazil.

We also heard from our 2006 Bursary Holder, who thanked members for enabling her to enjoy a course on Oxford Gardens at Denman College. Denman, a mini stately home near Abingdon, is one of the National Federation of Women's Institutes' biggest assets, and over the years many Repton members have taken advantage of its varied courses. Some of the courses can be taken by husbands and wives, others are open to mothers and daughters. There are also facilities for disabled members, who can bring a carer. Rooms are furnished by different counties; Repton's Bursary holder stayed in the Surrey Room. Repton is able to give a bursary every year - one more reason for joining the W.I.!

Next Meeting: Tuesday 10th July at 7.15 pm in the Village Hall: 'A Room and a Loom', a talk and demonstration of weaving by Stuart and Jean Groom.

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What an opportunity!

Ever thought that you'd like to be involved with young people but can't commit to being a leader ?

or want to do something to support your community?
or had kids in Guiding or Scouting and would like to give a bit back?
or were in the movements yourself and would like to help the new generation?
or just want to be useful?

Then come and join the committee that runs The Den up on the Mitre Field. It meets no more than six times a year. There is a meeting at The Den on 12th July at 7.30 pm to form a new committee. Without one, it cannot operate. Your help is needed please.

For further information contact Andy Austen, 702448, or Linda Shortt, 702702.

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The 'Community Bus'

If, like me, you were mystified by reference last month to the 'community bus' you may like to know more.

The service is run by Swadlincote Community Transport, a registered charity, and provides transport particularly for older people with restricted mobility. It has over 20 vehicles, seating between 4 and 16, and all fully accessible. Service Route to Swadlincote: The service to Swadlincote, which has now been reinstated, runs every Tuesday. Starting from Willington, it picks up in Repton at the Cross, the Legion, Pinfold Lane and Hallifields' farm "shortly after 11 am". It leaves Swadlincote for the return journey at 1 pm.

'Dial a Bus' is a door to door service for passengers who may have difficulty using other forms of public transport. On Mondays it runs twice a month to Burton Morrisons, once to the Octagon Centre, and once to 'the Spot' in Derby. In addition it runs every Thursday to the Octagon Centre and Burton Morrisons. Occasionally there are special trips for regular users, perhaps for a pub lunch or to a garden centre. The service is very well used. To join, you have to register with Swadlincote Community Transport, tel. 550 764. They will give you more information.

Group Transport is available for Community Groups of all ages throughout South Derbyshire on a regular or occasional basis. Current users include luncheon clubs, W.I.'s, social groups, clinics, scouts and after-school clubs. Volunteers are needed throughout the day, evenings and weekends. Anyone who holds a current driving licence can apply to become a volunteer driver. Volunteer drivers and passenger assistants all receive appropriate training.

There is more information on all these things on the website at www.derbyshirect.com/swadlincote, or ring 550 764.

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Repton Village Hall

At the AGM, Peter Court, Chairman of the Management Committee, thanked all who had been involved with the bid for lottery funding, but particularly Andy Austen, who - though not on the committee - had with his enthusiasm and energy made a major contribution. The result of the bid is not yet known.

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Repton Parish Council Jottings

A monthly newsletter covering issues from the most recent Parish Council meeting in June.

• During the summer, the Parish Council has organised youth activities for each week of the school holidays. These include a Sports Mobile, Climbing Wall, Skate Park and Laser Games. They will be free of charge to users and are aimed at 8 to 19 year olds. Additionally, South Derbyshire District Council is adding some extra facilities for which there may be a small charge. For details see page 15. If you are the right age, please do come along and enjoy yourself.
• Many objections to a late licence application for the Bulls Head are likely to be disallowed as either out of time or lodged by people who are not considered to live close enough to be directly affected. These requirements were not spelt out on any of the official notices that were issued; also there are serious questions about whether or not the application was advertised sufficiently widely. Clarification on all points is awaited from SDDC.
• Two controversial applications to build a total of seven new houses accessed from Askew Grove were amongst five planning applications considered. Some villagers feel that the density of new housing in this area is becoming too great, so it is worth explaining that it does in fact accord with national housing policy. It follows that objections on these grounds are unlikely to be successful. However, it has been noted that the gardens to some of the proposed homes are particularly small and make inadequate provision for outdoor amenity and recreation. Additionally there are worries that the infrastructure of the area was not designed to cope with a significant expansion in the number of homes being built and planned there. Road safety is a recurring theme in public comments, and this is an issue that the County Council has a duty to assess. The fact is that many of the existing timber-framed houses are nearing the end of their life expectancy and, like it or not, redevelopment of the land will inevitably change the character of the neighbourhood. Bearing all these matters in mind, a request is being made to SDDC to develop a coherent policy specifically to address future development in the locality.
• Derbyshire County Council is being asked to designate a parking space in front of St Wystan's Church for use by the disabled, and it is possible that one might also be created near the URC. Additionally the need for such a facility in the Village Hall car park is under investigation.
• Following last month's item about dog fouling, discussions are now underway with SDDC to apply for Dog Control Orders on the Mitre Field. This may take a little time to come to fruition, however, as the District Council wants to ascertain if other parishes would like similar restrictions. A period then has to take place for advertisement, consultation and notification, so clearly the whole process isn't likely to be completed quickly. In the meantime, to discourage dog owners from walking their animals across the children's playing area, notices are to be posted at both entrances, asking that no dogs be brought on to the Mitre Field at any time.
• A couple of years ago a series of surgeries were held to provide residents with the opportunity to talk to a local councillor one-to-one, as some people do not like to raise matters in a public forum. It would be fair to say that the response was not overwhelming! Nevertheless, such surgeries are a requirement of a Quality Council, so they are to be resurrected and will take place immediately before parish council meetings. The first is on 9th July at 7 pm, when Councillor David Roberts will be available for a chat about any relevant local issues.

Next Council Meeting: Monday 9th July at 7.30 pm in Repton Village Hall.

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Repton Village Society

In June, Keith Grainger conducted a wine tasting featuring the wines of the Languedoc / Roussillon region of France. This was his fifth tasting for the Society, and once again he provided detail in great depth of both the wines and the area, interspersed with wry comments about life in general. A splendid evening, and not too much unruly behaviour in Askew Grove afterwards!

On Thursday 5th July there is an evening visit by car to Shardlow for a guided tour of the Heritage Centre and port by the Chairman of Shardlow Heritage Trust. Shardlow was an important location on the canal network, being the point at which cargoes were transferred from the wide river Trent barges onto the narrow canal vessels or to road transport, and vice-versa. There were many warehouses, workshops, stables and pubs and several of the buildings remain. Tickets are available at £3 each. Ring 701838 for more details.

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Repton Village History Group

In May we held a short AGM followed by 'A Backward Look at Everyday Items', a talk by the popular speaker Maureen Newton. Maureen had spoken to us previously about old children's games, so we expected an excellent evening's entertainment, and we were not disappointed. It was also a great pleasure to welcome residents of The Dales Residential Home, who came with their carers. The party included one lady who told us that she was 108. Maureen reminded us about things from the past, and suggested that re-cycling is nothing new - it used to be called 'Make do and Mend'! This was at a time when households rarely threw anything away; most things had another use once their original use was over. Judging from the audience re-action and participation, Maureen brought back many memories.

We have no meeting in July; our next event is on Tuesday 7th August, when we have a guided tour of Foremark Church and parts of the Hall. This is currently fully booked, but we have started a reserve list.

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Newton Solney Village Matters

Newton Solney Infant School Sports Morning

. . . will take place on Newton Solney Village Recreation field from 9.30 am on Tuesday 10th July (weather permitting). Everyone is welcome to come along.

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Newton Solney W. I.

At the June meeting, 21 members enjoyed a talk on Victorian Women by Janet Spavold. It reminded us how far women's emancipation has come.

The coffee morning held during May in the Village Hall by one of our members, Rosemary Booth, was a great success. In addition to strong support from the village, it also brought in many people from outside, and raised a total of over £500 for the Derby Renal Unit. A surprise visit by the journalist, Ashley Franklin, added interest to the morning, and we are all looking forward to reading his article on the village in the July edition of Derbyshire Life.

Earlier this month we visited to the Brewhouse in Burton to see 'Showboat' by the New Era Company. This was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

In July, three members will join a guided walk and picnic lunch around Buxton.

Following the talk given to the W.I. recently by Alan H Gifford, a volunteer at Heage Windmill, Margaret Acford is planning a visit in August. It is hoped that a tea or picnic can be included. We are also applying to visit the 'Countdown' studio in Leeds.

Finally, members are reminded that cakes will be collected from the Village Hall on Thursday 26th July for our annual donation to St Giles Hospice.

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Gardening Notes

We all remember last July's exceptional heat, and we are warned to expect more, but this year at least the water table has been well topped up, and trees and shrubs have had a better start to the summer. If it does get hot again, keep an eye on the more shallow-rooted plants. And as well as heat, wind can be very dehydrating.

Most permanent plantings will survive with little watering, but not more recent plantings. Water vegetables and soft fruit such as autumn raspberries about once a week, and vegetables approaching harvest need extra care.

In hot weather, increase shading and ventilation for plants under glass. Containers need watering regularly, perhaps both morning and evening, and also feeding unless slow-release fertiliser has been used.

Transplant purple-sprouting broccoli, kale and other brassicas sown in June. Leeks and onions sown in late March and April should be ready to plant out now, when the leeks are about pencil thick. Carrots take at least ten weeks to mature, so mid-July is the latest safe time to sow in order to harvest before the risk of frost.

Continue sowing salad crops, French beans, purple-sprouting broccoli and oriental cabbages. An early variety of peas, sown now, should be ready to harvest in the autumn, as also runner beans, started in modules and planted out at the end of the month.

Try planting a few potatoes in a container for new potatoes at Christmas.

Collect seeds from annuals as they ripen. Most perennial herbs need replacing after a few years, and for many of them now is a good time. Take cuttings in the early part of the day when the plants are turgid, and insert them in the compost immediately. Firm them in, water well and cover the whole pot with a plastic bag, keeping them in the shade.

Divide May- and June-flowering iris, if congested. Silver-leaved plants do well in hot weather. Senecio, artemisia and stachys all thrive in the heat, and act as a good contrast to stronger colours in the border.

Cut back new shoots of pyracantha after flowering, to prevent them hiding the berries. Hedges of hawthorn, box, euonymus, laurel, lonicera nitida, privet and macrocarpa may all need trimming in July. Prune philadelphus, weigelia, deutzia and rubus after flowering. They flower on last year's growth, and pruning now allows new shoots to form and ripen before winter. Prune back to where a new shoot is forming, and on older bushes remove a few stems from the base; young bushes can be left. Red and black currants need pruning when the fruit has been picked.

Repot cyclamen left out for the summer. Place pots out of the direct sun, and keep just moist.

Watch out for the scarlet lily beetle, which also lays its eggs on fritillaries. These reddish-brown eggs hatch into reddish-brown larvae, looking like bird droppings. The larvae eat the leaves and can cause severe defoliation and consequent lack of vigour. Pick off the beetles and larvae by hand. You can use an insecticide containing imidacloprid, but not when the lilies are in flower, and it must not be used on edible plants.

It is 300 years since the birth of the Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus, who introduced the binomial method of naming plants. Plants had previously been given a long descriptive name on which there was no international agreement. Linnaeus suggested that the first name, akin to a surname, should identify the genus; the second name indicates the species, akin to a Christian name, and a third element shows the cultivar or variety, indicating a hybrid or selection of the species. The latter is usually written in single quotation marks, and not italicised. The genus is the only word written with a capital letter. Eventually, world-wide agreement was reached on this method of naming plants. Thus we might have Rosa californica subspecies officinalis - a naturally occurring variety - or Hosta sieboldii 'cordon bleu' - a variety which has been artificially raised.

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St Swithun

. . . is often blamed for a rainy summer. It is said that if it rains on St Swithun's Day, 15th July, it will rain for the next forty days as well.

The story begins in 852, with Swithun appointed Bishop of Winchester by King Ethelwulf of Wessex. It was an important posting: Winchester was the capital of Wessex, and during Swithun's 10 years there, Wessex became the most important kingdom of England. He was, we are told, a diligent builder of churches in places where there were none before, and a repairer of those that had been destroyed or ruined. Personally he was known for his humility and his aid to the poor and needy.

When he was dying in 862, Swithun asked to be buried in the cemetery of the Old Minster, just outside the west door, where "passers by might tread on his grave and where the rain from the eaves might fall on it." If he had been left there to lie in peace, who knows how many rainy summers we might have been spared. But in the 960's, the decision was made to move him. By now, Winchester had become the first monastic cathedral chapter in England, and the newly installed monks wanted Swithun in the cathedral with them. So on 15th July 971, his bones were dug up and Swithun was translated into a golden shrine within the cathedral. That same day many people claimed to have been miraculously cured. Certainly everyone got wet, for the heavens opened. The unusually heavy rain that day and on the days following was attributed to the power of St Swithun, a sign of his displeasure.