HATFIELD
April 2016
Local News Local Businesses What’s On! School News Useful Numbers
Issue No. 122
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Editors Letter…..
Welcome to the April issue of the Hatfield Arrow. This month I have received a large amount of news, articles, information and event details. Keep sending it to me, its great that so many people use and read the magazine. We also have some new advertisers this month. Please pass the word on that advertising does work in the Arrow. If you’re reading this then so are your potential customers. A few things have happened to me recently that have made me realise that life is way too short to be miserable. Therefore, I am including a happy, positive or uplifting quote every month from now on. This months quote: Life is Better when you’re Laughing! Send me your quotes and have them printed here. My contact details are below. The deadline for the May issue is Thursday 14th April.
Contact Details: The Oaks, Huggin Carr Road, Hatfield Woodhouse, Doncaster, DN7 6BY
01302 351760 07854 880882 Julie@arrowpublications.co.uk www.arrowpublications.co.uk To advertise please call 07854 880882 or 01302 351760
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News, News, News, News, News…. Hatfield Town Cricket Club Under11's are now starting their outdoor net sessions at Carr Side Lane on Friday evenings from 8th April in preparation for the forthcoming season. We are always looking for new members, beginners welcome, so if your boy or girl is interested in joining the squad then get in touch with Richard on 07740215350 for further details. Hatfield Town Cricket Club would like to offer boys and girls aged 6/7 the opportunity to join a newly formed under 9's team next season. Training will take place throughout the summer on Friday evenings at the Carr Side lane ground starting 8th April. For further details contact Richard on 07740215350 Hatfield Rounders Team are starting their popular Tuesday evening practice sessions. The sessions are open to all ages and take place at the Carr Side Lane Cricket Ground, if you are interested in joining in the fun then give Joann 07855228849 or Jo 07982729749 a call to find out more.
Spring Forward A Poem By Michele Beck, Hatfield I turn and become aware of a warmth on my face, a radiant light. Slowly with focused concentration. an ecliptic mix of colours, the first sight.
Clouds Community Counselling Service “Even when the sky is filled with Clouds the sun still shines above” Do you feel there is a big black Cloud hanging over you? To find the Sun, contact Clouds Community Counselling Service. Clouds Counsellors provide a FREE, CONFIDENTIAL and PROFFESIONAL Service, with Centres in Thorne and Moorends, Dunscroft Hatfield and Stainforth. The Clouds CCS Counsellors are there to listen to all of your difficulties no matter how small or large and will help blow those dark clouds away. We have counsellors trained to listen to Bereavement issues, Young People from 13+ and Adults however complex you feel the problem is. All our Counsellors are DBS checked, receive Supervision and are Members of the BACP their Professional body and carry insurance. Clouds are pleased to announce the appointment of a Practice Co-ordinator having received a Grant from Doncaster Council Voluntary and Support Fund. Gillian will be pleased to hear from you whatever the problem. You will be treated with compassion, kindness, courtesy and care without judgment. You talk….We will Listen Contact: client (message) line 07962907053 www.cloudscounsellingservices.com
A church silhouettes the sky. just beyond is a farmers field, a golden glaze of honey, beauty is natures to yield. Faces stare to bask in the sun. The tick of the clock in forward motion. Smiles worn with vibrant colour. Singing birds, hasten emotion. Blossom dances through the air swirling down, rest at my feet. The journey thus far... Spontaneous splendour To springtime I greet.
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Why NEUTER?
There are many reasons why you should consider neutering your pet. In the UK today there is an over population crisis, with not enough homes to go round for the thousands of unwanted cats, kittens, dogs and puppies. Unfortunately this sad fact is also true for rabbits. The only humane answer to the problem is to neuter animals thus preventing additional unwanted litters. WHATS INVOLVED? Neutering is the term used to describe either spaying or castration, a routine operation carried out under general anaesthetic: Spaying involves the removal of the uterus and ovaries preventing the female from becoming pregnant. Castration refers to the removal of the testicles making it impossible for the male to reproduce. We can neuter dogs from 6 months of age. We can neuter cats from 4 & ½ months of age. We can neuter rabbits from 16 weeks of age. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? Prevents females from coming into season and becoming pregnant. Helps combat urine marking, roaming and dominance in males. Reduces the risk of mammary, uterine and testicular cancers. These benefits apply not only to cats and dogs but also to rabbits. Male rabbits have the same drawbacks as tom cats if they are not castrated, most are territorial, frequently spraying urine and show aggressive tendencies. Neutering female rabbits is even more important. From sexual maturity most females become territorial and aggressive, often attacking other rabbits they also have repeated false pregnancies and may growl, scratch and bite their owners.
ANIMAL CARE FOR THE FUTURE
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Please feel free to contact the practice to discuss these operations in more detail on 01405 812142
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SPORTING CALENDER FOR 2016 ROAD RACES: Sandall Beat 10k - Wednesday 8th June 2016 Town Centre 5K - Wednesday 13th July 2016 Cusworth 10K - Sunday 2nd October 2016 Brainwave Onesie 5k Charity Fun Run Saturday 18th June Aurora Cancer 5k Charity Fun Run Wednesday 20th July
B. A. Wright & Sons FUNERAL DIRECTORS A Family Business Giving A Personal & Caring Service PRE-PAID FUNERAL PLANS
FISHLAKE - STAINFORTH covering all areas
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TRACK AND FIELD: Club Open meeting - Saturday 9th April 2016 Sprint/Endurance Track Night - Wednesday 6th July
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CHILDRENS STARTRACK: Tuesday 16th, Wednesday 17th, Thursday 18th August 2016 - Athletic Training. Tuesday 23rd, Wednesday 24th August Competition 10am to 2pm each day, £50 for complete package, £12 individual days. ........................................................................................
OTHER EVENTS: Under 8s Saturday Academy. Under 11s Saturday starter sessions 8 weeks Pacer Beginners Courses, armchair to 5k with the support of our professional coaching team.
................................................................................... . FULL DETAILS ON OUR CLUB WEBSITE AT : WWW.DONCASTERATHLETICSCLUB.COM
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Hatfield Community Library Another month has flown by and the library continues to thrive. We seem to have quite a few new members which is wonderful. I had to borrow some membership cards from Stainforth as we ran out. They very kindly helped us out. Passers-by may have noticed the tree painted on the library window to give a feeling of Spring in spite of the weather. Thanks to Joanne Credland for taking the time to do that for us. Children’s Easter Events. We have some exciting activities for children during the Easter Holidays. They are being funded by the library so are free for children and accompanying adults. Sam’s Safaris Thurs. March 24th Session 1 1:30-2:30 Session 2 2:30-3:30 Kimmo Children’s entertainer Tues. March 29th 200-300pm Science Boffins Thurs. March 31st Session 1 11:00-12:00 Session 2 12:30-1:30 Please ring the library to book theses events as numbers are limited at each session. Courses Monday, Lingotots 4:00-4:45pm , Yoga 6:30-8:00pm Tuesday, Art Class 10:00-12:30, Pre-School Storytime 2:00-2.30pm (inc. Nursery age children) Yoga 6:30-8:00pm, Readers’ group (last Tues of the month) 5:00-5:45pm Wednesday, Chair Yoga 3:00-4:00pm, Gentle Yoga 4:30-6:00pm, Yoga 6:30-8:00pm Friday Readers’ Group (last Fri of the month) 10:30-12:30, Needles and Pins twice a month NEW I-pad/tablet taster course Monday April 4th 10:00-12:00 Relaxing Colouring in group Wednesday mornings or Friday afternoons depending on interest. Family History taster session. To be arranged after Easter depending on interest. Please ring the library to book any of the above events. I rejoined the Yoga class after a lengthy absence. I was fine with the beginning bit which is really breathing and the end bit which is really falling asleep -but the bit in between!! However I did feel relaxed after a week of trying not to lose my one year old grandchild, who can disappear in the blink of an eye or stopping her from eating anything small enough ( this could be soil, cat food, marbles etc) to put in her mouth. Seriously, I really recommend Yoga for grandparents. I think I may even join the therapeutic colouring in class. An electrician has been in to look at the heating system in the library. We have learned that it is antiquated (nothing new) but there may be hope for improving it. I will keep you posted. Meanwhile we are going with the options of opening the windows and doors. Contact details. Tel. Hatfield Community Library 01320 842064 E-mail hatfieldcommunitylibrary@gmail.com
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Winter Sun at Thorne Camera Club Instead of dreaming about holidays in the sun, the Camera Club went one better and invited Allan Rowsell along to lead some 'California Dreaming'. A regular visitor to the U.S.A. Allan has amassed a large number of photographs over the years, and presents them in an entertaining and informative way. With songs from the Beach Boys and others from that era, suiting some members who remember the songs first time around, although such timeless classics appeal to everyone.
Sea, sun, sand, songs, beaches, palm trees, it had all anyone could want of a winter sun holiday. Just get on that plane! There was definitely a chill in the air, however, when David Neve LRPS, from Brigg, visited recently, even with the warmest of welcomes. David appraised, commented on, and made suggestions about members' photographs, theme Winter. Instead of scoring points, David used his extensive skill and knowledge to perceptively interpret members images, to discuss the 'pros and cons' and suggest ways the work could, if the photographer wished, be further enhanced, producing a more developed, advanced, perhaps more artistic piece. This was tricky ground as members' sensibilities could easily be offended, but David handled it in an honest but diplomatic way, and everyone felt they had learned something. Members were very happy with David's comments and his interesting and entertaining way of explaining what he sees in the photograph. His imagination knows no bounds, as rabbits, sleeping dogs and sad faced cars were noted where none had been noticed before! Impressed by his youth and enthusiasm, his knowledge and skill, his individualism and interpretation, many members will be happy to see him paying a return visit to Thorne in future.
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considered for entry into Sheffield Photographic Society's 9th Annual Knockout Competition taking place in April, with around 30 clubs from Yorkshire competing. A total of 165 images were submitted on a variety of subjects so members voted a short list. Only one photograph per member is allowed, so many great images didn't make it through to the final selection, and even then numbers were whittled down to six. Some members will travel to Sheffield supporting the club and hoping to improve on last year's placing. As if all this was not enough in one month, there was a portrait evening when some brave members 'volunteered' to sit as models to give others the experience of using studio lighting and learning some camera techniques, having a good as well. If all this appeals to you, why not go along to the Methodist Church Hall on Monday, you'll be made very welcome. Or contact David on 07463821182 or email thornecameraclub@yahoo.co.uk
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Caroline Flint MP visited Vulcan Renewables in Hatfield Woodhouse this week to give her backing to biogas – home grown gas to heat our homes. Vulcan Renewables is located on a farm and has a partnership with 40 local farmers. The Don Valley MP then joined around 150 farmers in the House of Commons to raise awareness of on-farm anaerobic digestion (AD). Said Caroline: “It was great to meet Willie and Lynda MacIntosh owners of Huggin Farm, Hatfield Woodhouse who have created a brilliant partnership with Future Biogas. People think of gas coming from the North Sea, but nearly half is imported from places like Russia and Qatar. It is examples like Vulcan Renewables here on Huggin Farm that prove that we can produce home grown, green gas to heat our homes. AD is a way to support farmers by diversifying their income, treating wastes more sustainably, recycling nutrients and providing green energy. It extracts more value from farm wastes and break/cover crops than any alternative, and generates a flexible form of energy which can be used as electricity, heat, gas or vehicle fuel. This project involves farmers across a ten mile radius. “This site alone produces enough gas to heat 3,000 homes in the coldest months, and 30,000 homes in the warmer months. This is a growing industry, with the potential to be heating millions of homes, but we need the Government to get behind this exciting technology, so we can produce local, cleaner, greener fuel and reduce our dependence on gas from abroad. Anaerobic Digestion (AD) technology offers a number of energy and other benefits: ü Flexible biogas – generated round the clock, farmers can use biogas from anaerobic digestion as tractor fuel, combust it to produce electricity and heat for on-site use, or sell it to the gas/electricity grid. ü Energy security – an indigenous source of energy reduces the UK’s reliance on energy from less stable parts of the world. ü Improved food production – the nutrient-rich bio fertiliser by-product from an anaerobic digester ensures that vital nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus and organic matter are recycled back into our soils. Healthy soils mean improved crop yields and better quality produce. ü Local jobs – the industry currently employs 4,000 people but has the potential to employ a further 30,000, many in rural areas. ü Carbon abatement –AD is vital for decarbonising farming, heat and transport. Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive of the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association , added:
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“Caroline Flint MP’s support is hugely important to realise the potential for on-farm anaerobic digestion. A doubling of plant numbers to 172 over the last two years alone highlights the growing recognition amongst farmers of the benefit of integrating AD into their businesses, but new developers still face challenges. “Farmers who took the plunge over the past few years are benefiting from the technology’s contribution towards improving farming resilience, generating vital baseload energy, improving food production through sustainable crop rotation and nutrient-rich bio fertiliser, and decarbonising their farm, heat and transport networks. Many more farmers want to follow suit. “In their recommendations for the fifth Carbon Budget, the Committee on Climate Change has also highlighted the contribution that is needed from on-farm AD if the UK is to meet its carbon targets. “While the government has increased its support for the generation of indigenous biomethane gas, this incentive scheme is currently only viable for larger plants. We risk missing the opportunity to support the growth of a smaller-scale UK industry which could export agricultural technology to the world.” Group photo shows William Mezzullo, Future Biogas, Caroline Flint, Willie MacIntosh and Heather Jones from Future Biogas at Vulcan Renewables. For more information contact Phil Cole on 07950 635393.
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Hatfield Woodhouse Primary School News Happy Easter! This month we focus on the youngest children in school: - Years FS1,FS2 and Year 1, as well as information about ‘World Book Day’ and our Easter assembly. World Book Day ‘World Book Day’ was 3rd March 2016 and our theme this year was ‘Giants’ Mrs Acton pretended to be Jack’s mum (from Jack and the Beanstalk) and as she was worried about her missing son, she needed to find out more about giants. We all shared the story of ‘The Smartest Giant in Town’ then worked with our buddy classes. Different classes made maps of the town from a giant’s point of view and wrote letters to persuade the mayor that giants should be banned because of the destruction they cause. Year 1 thought giants were very useful in some situations – like getting balls off your roof or reaching items from the top shelf! We all came together for a second assembly the following week to share the great work we had achieved. I can’t wait until next World Book Day Easter Assembly The Year 3 and 4 children learnt about the events of Holy Week and then sang songs and told the story in our Easter Assembly this year. They read in strong clear voices, showing our ‘Woodhouse Wow’ of confident communication. We were proud of them. Our PTA also ran our annual decorate an egg competition and prizes were awarded in the assembly. Foundation Stage 1 During spring half term our topic in nursery was called 'Can we explore it?' We have been developing our understanding and knowledge about adventures, travel and discovery, thinking about being an explorer and learning about different environments that can be explored. We have built our own campsite in our role play area, made paper mache hot air balloons and had marshmallows in our outdoor area during den building. In addition to this we have also enjoyed learning more about numbers through lots of practical activities and began understanding more about rhyming and letter sounds. Foundation Stage 2 This term we've been very busy and great fun with visitors into school and visits out of school. FS2 enjoyed a visit firstly from Sam Safari and lots of reptiles, almost all children enjoyed handling them and we all learnt a lot about different reptiles. This was followed by a visit from the fire service, which was very exciting! All of the children were excited to see the fire engine and listen to the siren! More importantly we all learnt what to do if there was a fire and 'stop, drop and roll' which we have being practising in PE!
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FS2 have also being learning and celebrating Chinese New Year. This year it is Year of the monkey. We enjoyed looking at some Chinese traditions and customs, a Chinese dragon dance and all really enjoyed a Chinese banquet, which we all ate using chop sticks! Last week was a very busy week. We went on a school trip to Forest schools in High Melton where we went on a bear hunt, a treasure hunt, explored the forest looking for mini beasts, built habitats for woodland animals and used the forest treasures to create fabulous pieces of art! We even enjoyed some popcorn cooked on the camp fire! This week in aid of sports relief we took part in our very own Hatfield Woodhouse primary school tri-golf tournament- US open here we come! Year 1 This term our topic has been about the Wild West. We learnt about the jobs cowboys did and how they lived. We also learnt about Native Americans and to finish off our topic we had a Tribal Games. Children were split into Bear, Wolf, Rattlesnake, Eagle and Horse tribe and competed to be the best tribe. Here is Eagle tribe with their shields and totem pole. In maths we have been learning to tell the time to o'clock and half past. In English we have been writing our own Tinga Tales story. See you next time to share more exciting news from Hatfield Woodhouse Primary School!
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Getting Creative at Travis Welcome to our school report. We have been incredibly busy this month, with the Year 3, 4 and 5 having the opportunity to ‘get out on their bicycles’, Year 6 out at Kingswood and the lower site having a sprinkle of colour into their Foundation Area. Bike It with ‘Sustrans Tom’. Year 3 and 4 have been learning about the benefits of cycling to school and how important it is to exercise. Tom from the Sustrans group has been into school to do activities with both year groups. The children recorded their pulse rates within three different activities to observe what the differences were – children were running, some were sat still and others were walking. Tom informed the children that he went everywhere on his bike and told the children about the damaging effects of car fumes on our atmosphere. Next term, we will be looking at how many children in the whole school come on their bicycles every day and awarding prizes for the children with the most. Cayden, Cady, Evie, Owen NSPCC Challenge to raise money The NSPCC has been into school to talk about their charity and have given the children the opportunity to raise money for their charity. At Travis, it was decided that children would take part in an activity that would allow them to score points to support their sponsor. The children took part in four activities. The first was to throw a basketball five times through a hoop, the second to score goals passed a goalkeeper, the third was to throw two beanbags into hoops and finally run sixteen laps of playground. The points collected by the children were shared with their year group and then with their sponsors. Badges could be earnt for the children who brought in some sponsor money. We find out tomorrow how much the whole school has raised. Grace and Tom Maths Parent Workshop This half-term, Year Six began their maths parent workshop which was introduced to firstly help the children but also to encourage parents to see how we work in mathematics and how we approach problem solving. Every week, different parents turn up and there are lots of fun and engaging activities. This week was a number maze using the four operations. We had to get from start to finish finding the highest and lowest possible route. It was fun and challenging. The parents found it quite difficult too and they were impressed with our skills. Eve and Ender Making our school colourful. Our Foundation area has been updated with lots of colourful equipment. Our reporters ventured into the area to take a look. Emily interviewed a couple of the children: Haffren said that she liked the hoola hoops. Joey liked the basketballs. Evan liked the new water tray. Ava liked the chalk flowers. Maisy said that they have had it for 4 weeks and are loving it. She interviewed Miss Wilcock who said “all the children are engaged in their learning. The outdoors is now an exciting and challenging area to aid children’s development”. Harry found out that the money was donated from
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the Friends of Travis group. This money was raised from different activities in school, such as the Christmas Fayre, Easter Bingo and the Fashion Show. Harry thought that the area looked very colourful and would like to play there. Bradley thought that the equipment looked very bright and colourful. He especially liked the water tray because it is full of water and he likes playing with water. He thinks the equipment will help the children to learn and play together. We would to thank the Friends of Travis Group for their very generous donation. We would also like to thank Mrs Willatts’ husband and his team from Keadby Power Station who gave up a day in the half term to come and paint all the wooden equipment. It has really made such a difference. Emily, Maisy, Bradley and Harry Year 6 Kingswood Residential On Monday, it was the first day of Kingswood: everyone was extremely excited to start our residential. Once we got off the coach, we put our bags in some numbered sheds so we could get started with a tour. The place was huge! We were all eager to get started with our different activities .Everyone was in one of the three different groups (A, B and C) and was with that group for most of the residential. In dorm time you could do anything (anything sensible of course) but you had to be ready for activities on time otherwise the whole group would be late to their lines. We all went to different activities and all of them were amazing. The most memorable activities were mainly the outdoor ones such as leap of faith, rock climbing, high ropes, low ropes, zipwire, abseiling and (not outdoors) laser zone. We also had a fun and vibrant disco! Everyone had mixed feelings about all the different activities we were doing. Some activities were fun and some were daunting. After most of the sessions outdoors, people never regretted doing any of the activities. They were all awesome. On Wednesday, we went to the Kingswood gift shop that was just around the corner. There were lots of chocolates, sweets, teddies, stationary and crystal bracelets, also there were Kingswood labelled water bottles. Although it was the last day of Kingswood and everyone was feeling sad to leave, we were happy we got to take part in all of the fun and exciting activities but definitely ready to go home. An amazing experience! We hope you enjoyed reading our report and we look forward to writing about our activities next month. Thank you.
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They call it madness…….
As you will see I have included a picture of my mates with this tale and the inquisitive amongst you may already be asking why? Well I often give thanks for getting to my late 40s with (arguably) the best set of pals a man could want. Like all groups we share scrapes and escapades as we travel down our respective avenues in life but no matter what I have always felt lucky. Any group of this nature usually has one allotted with the task of assigning nicknames to the rest. In our case growing up this was Ashley Burdock and he certainly went to town when bestowing mine. There was “Peter Flakey” due to the fact I used to drink halves. “Peter Trim” for the fact that I used get my hair cut at Mike N Terry’s on Bradford Row. And finally there was “Peter Scampi” due to me ordering Scampi on my first visit to the Indus restaurant. Not the catchiest but annoying nonetheless. In fact I still get called Peter Flakey, Scampi or Trim to this very day. However, it is fair to say all has not been plain sailing with my friendships. In fact one of my mates, Mr Andrew Ingram, was in fact responsible for my first ever sacking – a day which still haunts me. It was 1981 and we were in our final year at Manor Middle when we were told at assembly, in-between a notice about school dinners and a telling off for talking at the back, that we would celebrate our final school Christmas party with our very own ‘Battle of the Bands’. While it sounded pretty glamourous, we were also told there would be no need for real instruments or singing, as we were expected to lip sync to the music – but we were already dreaming of Top of the Pops before the headmaster had finished his announcement. And so over the next few days there was a flurry of playground activity as everyone discussed who and what they would do to enter. I found myself befriending my then class mate Andrew, who had suggested a Madness tribute using their hit Baggy Trousers. My exact memory of the proposed line up is a tad sketchy but I am sure Alan Oates was recruited as lead singer Suggs, Andy took the role of infamous backing singer Chas Smash and I was to be the drummer, Daniel. After the roles had been divvied up our self-appointed chief
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orchestrator announced we needed to practice our synchronising and we were given instructions to report to the Ingram household where he had arranged our very first rehearsal. We entered chez Ingram to a warm welcome, with the news that the living room was ours for one hour before it had to be vacated as a newish programme called Only Fools and Horses would be on and that this was Mr Ingram’s favourite. By now Andy had turned stage manager, moving furniture around, testing the acoustics of the record player before counting us in 3, 2, 1… Close your eyes and imagine if you will, six boys pretending to sing and play instruments in time to the record. I was gingerly perched at the edge of the settee, legs akimbo, straddling a set of imaginary drums, with imaginary sticks. We had an imaginary saxophonist, guitarist and keyboard player but Andy wasn’t feeling the vibe and was soon screaming “stop”, unhappy at the way his pretend band looked. He was helped by a strategically placed mirror that enabled him to get an audience view on things. You see Andy had done his research and was determined that we were to be not only word perfect, but we would also be an exact copy of the band to boot. I have to admit though, I did find it hard to concentrate on my pretend drumming with a lad using Mrs Ingram’s ironing board as a Casio keyboard. The hour passed quickly and eventually Andy explained that although things were better, he still felt that we needed another practice session. After a tense process of playground negotiation, Craig Standeven’s garage was booked and once again the pretend ensemble was put through its paces, except this time I had the luxury of 2 pencils for drum sticks and Alan had a can of Craig’s brother’s deodorant for a microphone (things were looking up). As the day of the performance approached I began to feel excited about my first ever concert. One cloudy day, however, as I discussed the current West Ham back four with some other playground buddies, I was approached by a perplexed looking Andy who said there was a delicate matter that he needed to discuss and that maybe we should go for a walk. And so, as we strolled along that busy Manor School playground, Andy delivered the news that maybe only Pete Best would understand – I was out of the band! He explained that I simply wasn’t a good fit for the direction he wanted the band to go in and that he believed that my drumming wasn’t really up to scratch. I stood crestfallen, pleading for a second chance at glory, but the killer blow was delivered in brutal fashion. Not only did he want me out of the line-up, he had already sorted my replacement in the shape of Kev Butler – who had also promised to bring some proper drum sticks. So this was my very first experience of being sacked - cast unceremoniously onto the pretend drummer scrapheap - at the tender age of 13. The night of the performance arrived and as I sat there with my arm around Carolyn Gathercole, I couldn’t help but feel the pangs of artistic jealousy as the pretend Madness strode to the front of the dinner hall. I admit it, I was hoping someone was suddenly ill, or suffered a severe bout of stagefright as they got themselves into position, in the hope that maybe I could be plucked from audience obscurity - alas it never happened. The band played on (or the stereo did) Alan was lip-sync perfection, Andy smashed the pretend backing ‘vocals’ and all I could do was look at Carolyn marvelling at their performance as my grip of her shoulder loosened with every chorus. And so ladies and gentlemen, as much as I love my pals (especially Andy by the way), I often smile at the memory of my first ever experience of a true test of friendship. Incidentally, Alan went on to manage a frozen food outlet, Andy went into the world of printing and design and after all that promise, Kev Butler only ever managed to have one drumstick…. One day maybe my pretend time will come around again. Finally, as the summer approaches, make the time to seek out your school mates and maybe arrange a night out together, it won’t be long before someone calls you by that nickname that makes you and others smile..…. PW AKA The Difference PS – please be assured readers, Andy Ingram is a champion bloke…and we remained friends…
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Dads Army at Woodhouse Phoenix Woodhouse Phoenix are happy to report that their production of Dads Army is progressing well. When we discussed having a go at this we realised that it would not be easy to portray the wellloved characters that many people know so well. We decided that we would hold auditions. If we could not cast it we would not proceed, If we did see potential at the auditions we would rehearse for a month but If it seemed that the production was not going to work we would not carry on with it as we did not want to let our standards down and most importantly disappoint our audiences. I am pleased to say that we have decided to go ahead! We are attempting to create a similar atmosphere to the TV programme and emulate the characters as best we can either in actions, looks and/or voice. We understand that we have taken on a challenge and hope that the audiences will warm to our interpretation of the characters. As usual, the group has rallied round and husbands, boyfriends, dads backstage crew and new members have pitched in to act as extras and take minor roles. The casting has proved to be the least of our problems. We had a surprise when we were informed that it would be difficult to obtain uniforms to fit some of our men as apparently men in the 1940s were not quite the same size and shape of some of our cast. As it’s too late to get them to diet we have to find another solution. We are also in the unusual situation that our cast is too young and so we have to find ways of ageing them! We also wanted to include our ladies in the production, and they will be singing songs of the era that kept up the spirits of those who remained at home. We hope that the audiences will join in with them. Although the music is very different from the style that we usually sing, everyone is enjoying the simple music and gentle lyrics of the period. Surprisingly the young ones are very enthusiastic about it. The ladies will open the show followed by a half hour episode of dads Army. After the interval there will be another episode and the show will conclude with music. The show dates are 23rd, 24th, 25th June. Thursday and Friday night will be in our usual theatre setting with raised seating and Saturday will be around tables. There will be a licensed bar on all nights and everyone is welcome to dress in 1940s style if they wish. Tickets are on sale from 8th April and are available from Colin Hepworth 01302 840437.£7 and £8 on Saturday (Please ring if possible between 4.30pm and 6p.m.) Or see a cast member. Get your tickets early as there has already been a lot of interest in this production
‘One of our first rehearsals before we were issued with our weapons!’
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We hope to see you in June Sue Lane Producer/ Director
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WHAT’S ON?
Hatfield Woodhouse Methodist Chapel News Sunday Services at 6pm April 3rd Mr Henry Curtis April 10th Rev Andrew Mumford Communion April 17th Miss Sue Pickering April 24th Mrs Joan Reasbeck Coffee Mornings Saturday 10am to 12noon April 2nd Project 2000 April 9th Hatfield Woodhouse Primary School April 16th Project 2000 April 23rd Queens Birthday Street Party Celebration ‘Mad Hatters Tea Party’ Dust off your posh Hats and make a Splash Party Start 12noon onwards.
FRIENDS OF HATFIELD CHURCH BUILDING TRUST NEW STYLE FASHION SHOW & CLOTHES SALE ON WED 30th MAR AT 7pm AT HATFIELD WOODHOUSE VILLAGE HALL. All clothes & accessories are top quality High Street brands eg M&S, Monsoon & Dorothy Perkins but at knock down prices. Sample clothes are modelled then you can try on & purchase if you wish. Tickets are £4 & include tea/coffee & biscuits from Janet 01302 849377, 07873 340307or pay at the door. AN EVENING WITH RICHARD BELL & THE SAND HOUSE ON WED 27th APRIL AT 7pm IN THE BARN, HIGH ST, HATFIELD, (BEHIND THE BAY HORSE). Richard will give a very interesting presentation about the history of The Sand House, a unique & fascinating mansion sized dwelling carved from solid sandstone by a Victorian business man in Doncaster. Tickets are £4 & include light refreshments from Janet 01302 849377 or 07873 340307 or pay at the door but booking is advisable as seats are limited. All proceeds to the Friends of Hatfield Church Building Trust.
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Advertise in the Hatfield Arrow Business Directory for just £2.50 per month.
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