Epworth and Belton Arrow

3600 copies

August 2023 Issue 173

Welcome to the August issue of Epworth&BeltonArrow

Did you know each September thousands of volunteers across the country invite you to experience local history, architecture and culture. All for free. And what's more there are two heritage centers right on your doorstep! These Heritage Open Days 2023 are between 8-17 September. So make a note in your diary, you could visit Epworth Old Rectory and the Crowle Peatland Railway to celebrate the largest festival of history and culture in England.

This month we see the annual Epworth & District Agricultural Show return for its 75th year!

The show is steeped in history, and celebrates country traditions. Held on August Bank Holiday Monday every year, the show features a wide variety of livestock classes and equine classes, stalls, and a jam-packed entertainment schedule. My daughter is holding a stall there selling cold pressed juices, say hello if you see her! Lets hope the sun will shine.

The deadline for the September issue is Friday 11th August for delivery by the 1st September.

Enjoy your read.

CarolynGrant

Mobile no 07912643010

carolyn@arrowpublications.co.uk

Community News

High Levels WI

In May the members of High Levels WI enjoyed an informative talk on the history of Crowle Moors. Many members were able to remember and relate to the interesting facts and photographs highlighted by the local historian, Angus Townley. The evening was followed three weeks later with a very enjoyable afternoon tea at Crowle Peatland Railway and a short ride on a restored train. Teas are available to the public when the organisation has open weekends.

At relatively short notice another meeting was arranged in June and was attended by several members. After the usual business a representative from “Mary’s Meals” was introduced. Liz Tarleton gave a talk on the origin of the charity and its purpose. Currently the organisation, working in some of the world’s poorest and possibly war-torn countries, is feeding in excess of 2 million children a daily meal in their place of education. The aim is to help children become literate and so take a more purposeful place in the society in which they live. Liz told some very interesting and encouraging stories. Members were particularly impressed by the fact that the organisation spends a minimal amount on administration, ensuring that a great proportion of income benefits the children.

An Austrian Evening is planned for the September meeting and this will be for current members only. However by then the outings committee will have held a lunch at the Humber Bridge Garden centre and some members will be looking forward to a theatre visit to see Calendar Girls. You will see that we are an active WI and have a broad spread of interesting meetings. The October (18th) meeting is always fun when we have a Harvest Auction. You might like to visit our website www.highlevelswi.co.uk and see what else we get up to. There are some interesting photographs there. We meet at The Reindeer Inn at Sandtoft on the third Wednesday each month and begin the meetings at 6.45pm. Do come and join us.

The folk dances run by local folk

dance band Lys St Georges restart this autumn as follows:

Thursday 21 September

Thursday 28 September

They are all in Westwoodside Village Hall, starting at 2.30pm and lasting till 4pm.

You don’t need a partner nor any experience in country dancing, and these friendly dances will be suitable for all levels of fitness. There’ll be live music and expert tuition. As one dancer said at the end of an earlier programme ‘What's not to like! Live music, gentle exercise, lots and lots of fun and every assistance.’

There’s a small admission charge of £3 for each dance.

For more information contact Kate Billmore on 01427 753363 or Peter Barnard on 01427 873937.

The next meeting of the Haxey & Westwoodside Heritage

Society welcomes David Seymour with an illustrated talk on Newell's of Misterton. Full details in the September issue of the Arrow Please note, there is no meeting in August.

Apple Pressing Days: At The Smithy Museum, Owston Ferry (DN9 1RE),

Sunday 27th August & Bank Holiday Monday 28th August.

Equipment and helpers provided; bring your windfall apples, and containers to take the juice home. Usual admittance fees of £4 adult, £1 child. Open 2pm - 5pm.

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Epworth Music Day 2023

Last Saturday Epworth was in party mode from 9.30am. After all, it was Epworth Music Day – the biggest event in the town’s calendar, and there was a common wish to get together and party in the streets to the sounds of fabulous live music.

Peter Barnard, Co-Director of the day, said ‘This was the 10th one we’ve organised, and what a great event it was! Nearly 100 hours of music to sample for free at the 17 different venues around Epworth, with over 60 sets of performers across a wide range of genres. And in glorious sunshine!

It’s such a great showcase for Epworth. As well as many people from the Isle who came out to have a great time on the day, we had a lot of visitors - as well as performers - from further afield! The local shops, cafes and pubs all had a chance to benefit from all this extra footfall.

During the daytime, music echoed around Epworth from 9.30am, when the bells of St Andrew’s Church rang out, to 5pm. Then in the evening, the concert in St Andrew’s Church was completely full, as were The Queen’s Head, The Old School Inn, The White Bear, Hatty’s Café, and Koko Leaf restaurant which had all organised their own music till late.

It was glorious to see so many people enjoying themselves amid all the wonderful entertainment, and, with the road closure in the centre of town, the crowds spilled across the roads and pavements listening to the music. We’ve received so many messages of thanks for staging the event.

We want to thank all the performers who took part on Saturday, all the venues and service providers, all the spectators and listeners, Epworth Town Council, Harold Woolgar Insurance and South Axholme Academy for their financial support, all the stewards, and all my Epworth Music Day committee members. And most of all my fellow director, Kate Billmore. It was her and my idea to create this wonderful celebration of live music in North Lincolnshire, and we're so proud of how fabulously it ran last Saturday.

We're not going to make Epworth Music Day into something it's not. It'll continue to be held in the centre of the town and outdoors; to be a free to attend event; and it will be about promoting and celebrating the power of live music – and of all types. A real community event, put on by the community for the community.

Next year, it's on Saturday 22nd June. Add it to your diary now and spread the word!

If you want to play at it or would like to help us organise and run it, contact me at peter.barnard@me.com’

Charity Golf Day goes with a swing

Charity golfers have raised £6,455 for their local charity-run hospice.

On Friday 16 June 55 golfing pairs took part in Lindsey Lodge Hospice & Healthcare’s Golf Open, held for the second year at Elsham Golf Club, with Col Chapman and Luke Fisher from TKR Sportswear and Outlaw School Boxing picking up the winning trophy.

Lindsey Lodge Fundraiser Kathryn Stuart said: “This was the second year this event has taken place at Elsham Golf Club, and once again it was a huge success, thanks to the fantastic planning, organisation – and the beautifully kept course.

“On behalf of Lindsey Lodge I’d like to say thank you to everyone for their support, and give a special mention to Robin Peak from Elsham Golf Club Senior Section, Director of Golf David McNicholas, the green keeping staff and the clubhouse staff – for making this such a spectacular sell-out event!”

For more information on any of Lindsey Lodge’s events, please visit: www.lindseylodgehospice.org.uk, email llh.enquiries@nhs.net, or phone 01724 270835.

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PHOTO (left to right): Lindsey Lodge Hospice & Healthcare’s Head of Fundraising Kirsty Walker and fundraisers Courtney Deans and Kathryn Stuart are pictured with Robin Peak of Elsham Golf Club at the event.

Epworth and District Flower Club

If you enjoy flowers and you were not in St Andrew’s Church on the evening of June 12th then you missed a treat. The evening began with the Deputy Chairman welcoming everyone to the meeting in a wonderfully cool venue. There followed a presentation of a cheque to a representative of the British Heart Foundation. The donation was given in memory of a long standing member who died relatively recently and was from the proceeds of the annual November Open Evening. As Caroline, the fundraising manager, expressed her gratitude she explained about amazing research being carried out by the charity. The group was quite overawed.

Next was a welcome for Sue Hodgson, a floral designer from Grantham, who entitled her demonstration “Super Sleuths”. Her first arrangement was a depiction of Inspector Poirot, a creation of Agatha Christie. Immediately many of the group learnt a new technique as Sue took one strand of phoenix palm and bent it into a hoop. She arranged a second behind it and added fatsia leaves before inserting cala lilies, white roses and white tulips. The simple Art Deco design was stunning.

Sue’s next arrangement represented her second sleuth, Miss Marple and her role in the film “The Cracked Mirror”. She talked us through the plot and her memory of seeing the film as a younger person. This time Sue used a ball of orange foam to hold gold euonymus, orange lilies, two beautiful green Anastasia chrysanthemums and some pretty orange roses, already just opening. She added a touch of fun with some contemporary “bunny ears” and Midelino sticks and placed the completed arrangement in front of a mirror.

“Death in Paradise” was the next murder series represented. This time Sue talked through the flowers she was using for a more or less handtied arrangement. Sue began with an unusual tropical flower which had various names. Then she added red ginger, kangaroo paw, a tiny pineapple and several strelitzia. Displayed in a glass vase with beautiful leaves behind the result created a definite Caribbean effect.

As she talked through the flowers she was using and the literary references, Sue told us how she had worried about making it to Epworth for the evening. Her garage door had been barricaded with sand by builders and her flowers had been gently warming up inside. Eventually the builder arrived and Sue and the flowers were freed. However, although some of the flowers had suffered in the heat many were salvaged and Sue had supplemented her supply en route.

Sherlock Holmes provided a subject for the penultimate arrangement and Sue created a waterfall effect using an immense wooden root shaped frame onto which was attached a small block of foam. This time white bleached ruscus, a fine conifer and rosemary were used as foliage. The waterfall line continued with white delphinium, agapanthus, snowflake spray roses and astilbe. Undoubtedly the representation was the Rheinbach Falls.

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Finally, with a little light-heartedness, Sue produced a pink bucket and inserted three tall pink pampas grass fronds. She used pink painted birch twigs, deep pink angelica, smoke tree branches, roses and peonies. As everyone guessed about the Pink Panther Sue added some tulips, bought on her journey and finally some copper beech twigs. The arrangements made a wonderful display and some were accompanied by little extra effects such as a large “diamond” for the Pink Panther. The evening was extremely enjoyable. Sue gave lots of tips as she worked and frequently referred to English flowers, the popularity of dried flowers and several environmental issues. After a social time with refreshments seven happy prize winners took home delightful arrangements. Maybe you would like to join us? After the summer break in August we shall meet again on Monday, 11th September in St Andrew’s Church Epworth. We begin at 7.30pm and on that evening Toni Gravel will be demonstrating using autumn colours.

We look forward to seeing you.

DONCASTER CANCER DETECTION TRUST

Just a reminder that we will have a stall at Auckley Show on Saturday, 19th August. The day time event will be from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm. There will be some lovely donated jewellery to buy, so come along and grab a bargain! We look forward to seeing you there.

Our regular contact details are: 22 Wood Street, Doncaster DN1 3LW (entrance by the side of Kerry Gough Florists), first floor (lift available), Room 111. Tel. 01302 325029. Email: info@dcdt.co.uk. Website: dcdt.co.uk. As the office is not fully manned it is best to Email or telephone in advance if you are thinking of coming to see us.

August is the main holiday month, so a little reminder to keep putting on the sun lotion and don’t forget your sun hat! We want you all to stay safe.

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Crowle Peatland Railway

Preserving our Industrial Heritage: Crowle Peatland Railway Celebrates 10-Year Milestone

A decade ago, an open meeting was held at Ealand Victory Hall, where enthusiasts and community members gathered to gauge interest in forming a group dedicated to preserving the legacy of the industrial railways on the Crowle and Thorne Moors. The response was overwhelming, with passionate individuals rallying together to embark on a journey of conservation and education.

Through the dedication of its members, the group has meticulously collected archival materials, photographs, and oral histories from local residents, preserving valuable firsthand accounts of the railways' golden era. These invaluable resources now serve as a window into the past, allowing future generations to experience and understand the industrial marvels that once thrived in the area.

Preservation has been at the heart of the group's mission. Over the years, we have worked closely with local authorities, heritage organizations, and volunteers to restore sections of the railway track, refurbish a number of locomotives and carriages. These efforts have not only revitalized the physical remnants of the railways but have also provided an immersive experience for visitors, who can now witness history come alive through meticulously recreated exhibits and guided tours.

Education and community engagement have also played a vital role in the group's endeavours. They have organized informative workshops, lectures, and exhibitions to raise awareness about the industrial heritage of the Crowle and Thorne Moors. By involving schools, colleges, and local communities, the group has successfully fostered a sense of pride and ownership in the region's history, ensuring that the torch of preservation will be carried forward for generations to come.

As Crowle Peatland Railway celebrates its 10th anniversary, it stands as a shining example of how passion, dedication, and community spirit can breathe life into forgotten chapters of our collective past. Their achievements in preserving the industrial heritage of the region serve as a reminder of the vital role that grassroots organizations play in safeguarding our cultural legacy.

Looking ahead, the group remains committed to its mission, with plans to expand its outreach programs, develop interactive exhibits, and continue its tireless efforts in conserving the industrial railways' remnants. With each passing year, they strive to strengthen their position as custodians of history, ensuring that the spirit of the Crowle and Thorne Moors railways lives on, forever etched in the hearts and minds of those who cherish the importance of preserving our heritage.

Crowle Peatland Railway - Open Days 2023

August 12th - 13th Open Weekend

September 9th - 10th Heritage Open Days 2023

September 15th - 17th Heritage Open Days 2023

October 28th - 29th Halloween

December 2nd - 3rd Christmas

December 16th - 17th Christmas

December 27th Between Christmas & New Year

Events may be subject to change please check before travelling

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Tractor Run 2023

The picturesque landscape surrounding the old peat works at Crowle came alive with the rumble of vintage tractors as enthusiasts from far and wide gathered for the 2nd Annual Tractor Run organized by Crowle Peatland Railway. The event, held on a sunny Sunday Morning witnessed a remarkable turnout of antique tractors, showcasing the region's rich agricultural heritage.

The convoy of tractors made its way through the Isle of Axholme, and was seen by a large number of onlookers..

Reflecting on the success of the 2nd Annual Tractor Run, event organizer and Crowle Peatland Railway enthusiast, Angus Townley, expressed his gratitude to all who participated and supported the event. "It's heartwarming to see the enthusiasm and passion for vintage tractors and the railway," said Wilson. "The turnout this year has been fantastic, and it's a testament to the dedication of our community in preserving our agricultural heritage."

The event not only brought together tractor enthusiasts but also raised funds to support the ongoing efforts of the Crowle Peatland Railway in preserving and restoring the heritage railway and the Lincolnshire Air Ambulance.

What’s On In Your area in Epworth and Belton

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Bookings of Epworth Thurlow Email: thurlowpavilion@gmail.com

What’s On In Your area in Epworth and Belton

Fits

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