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Wow, where has the last 3 months gone? Easter is upon us and what a great feel good time of the year!

Whether you are meeting up with family and friends, attending church, taking the kids out for the day, make sure these moments are precious and make memories that last for ever!

A trip to the garden centre is a must at Easter, if you haven't tried your local stockist give them a try and if you have make sure to make a return visit.: G Tune & Sons, based in Crowle (advert is on page 17)

Boston Park Farm is also a great visit, take the kids and feed the animals, a great café for the adults too!

Planning ahead for the Coronation, if anyone would like to promote their event please email me the details before the deadline.

The deadline for the May issue is Friday 7th April for delivery by the 1st May.

Community News

Come for a walk with The Pathfinders & enjoy the countryside

all around us. Our twice weekly walks take us all over The Isle of Axholme & sometimes a bit beyond , going places new to some of us. We follow the footpaths & tracks on simple quiet farmland , silent woodlands & peaceful riverbanks , getting to see the Spring Bluebells & the Autumn forest colours ..... Nature at its best ! Walks are on Wednesday & Saturday mornings , usually 4-5 miles , aiming to finish by noon . We don’t set out in a big group or go at breakneck speed , so you don’t need to be super fit , we just take a leisurely pace & enjoy what’s all around us . Come & join the Pathfinders , meet new people & maybe discover places you haven’t been to before , enjoy our walks !Email: isle.pathfinders@gmail.com for walks details and how to join.

Community Walk

You are invited to join Haxey Parish Walkers on Saturday April 1st at 10.30 for a walk of about four miles, starting at Haxey Church Hall and finishing with hot drinks and biscuits. Everyone is welcome as are well behaved dogs on leads.

Epworth and District WI Tuesday 11 April Imperial Hall, Epworth 7.30pm - small hall

At our next meeting we have Bob Fish, local historian coming to talk to us about Wildlife on the Isle. Bob is a very interesting and informative speaker, always happy to answer any questions or queries. It will be a good entertaining evening. Refreshments and raffle. This is followed by the AGM. Visitors are very welcome at £4.

Fun & games at Epworth Thurlow

The card games group meet on Tuesdays at the Thurlow Pavillion at 1.00 PM to learn & play informal Duplicate Bridge at beginner level. There will be other, more light hearted games as well .... Definitely nothing too serious though: Whist,, Nap & Rummy & more. These will start at 12 noon . If there is sufficient interest then we may organise some challenging board games too.

Tea – Coffee , Biscuits and other refreshments will be available .

If you want to join us then text/call Ian 07452 991948 for details

Dementia

Direct is launching its new Dementia Café for those living with Dementia or supporting someone who is. Diagnosis not necessary. The first Café is on 13th April at the Thurlow Pavilion from 1pm to 3pm and the second Thursday of every month thereafter. Call 01652 650585 for more information or just pop along.

Haxey and Westwoodside Heritage Society News

"The Sand House - A Victorian Marvel" - this month's meeting of the Haxey & Westwoodside Heritage Society takes place on Saturday, 15th April in Westwoodside Village Hall at 2.30pm. We look forward to welcoming Richard Bell with an updated illustrated talk telling the story of a unique house, carved from sandstone, that used to stand in Doncaster. All welcome, £3 including refreshments.

"Haxey Parish in Times Past" - a display of photographs and sundry items from our archives. Saturday, 22nd April, 2.00 - 4.00pm in Haxey Memorial Hall. Admission £1.50, children free, including tea/coffee and biscuits.

Owston Ferry Heritage Society

invites you to the first of their 2 coffee mornings, this year. .Thurs 26th Apr 10am Coronation Hall. Small admission charge; coffee/tea/cake and the usual stalls. Organised as both a fund raiser and a social occasion; open to anyone (not just our members).

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We had a fantastic

World Book Day at Haxey Primary

School - everybody had a fab time coming to school either dressed up as a character from their favourite story, in their pjs ready to share their most loved bedtime story, and Years 5 and 6 had a bit of a detective theme going on. They spent the day unpicking clues, interviewing suspects and building cases to solve The Mystery of the Golden Pen and The Curious Case of the Clockwork Cleaner - it really tested their questioning skills and their logic but in the end, both cases were cracked!

Elsewhere in school, people shared their favourite stories with friends and had endless bedtime story sessions. (Photos courtesy of The Wonderful Years)

Earlier in the month, our choir travelled to Sheffield Arena to participate in the Young Voices festival with hundreds of other school choirs. Songs this year were from the movie Trolls, a Nile Rodgers pop medley, and traditional folk songs from England, Scotland and Wales (in the original Welsh!!). We were also joined by Heather Small form M People for some of the songs, and joined in with the Beatbox Collective for a dance challenge with the audience. We had a fantastic evening and can't wait for next year's concert !

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Why not come and try outdoor bowls at:- Haxey & Westwoodside Bowls Club situated next to the car park at Haxey Playing Fields You will be pleasantly surprised how much fun bowling is. Bowls is suitable for everyone, age, gender, and disabilities present no barriers to playing this intriguing game. Everyone is welcome, young, old and in-between! All equipment, guidance and encouragement freely provided Just bring a pair of flat shoes !!!!! If you would like to join us then please contact either: Steve Brown (Mob: 07972 493750) or Chris Blackwell (Tel: 01427 728832)

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G Tune & Son

Fieldside Nursery Crowle DN17 4HH 01724 710520

A large selection of perennials and Summer/Spring plants available Spring Bedding ready now! Place your orders NOW for Summer Hanging Baskets Compost and Tomato plants Weareyourlocalnurserywithover

Opening times Mon—Sat 9 till 5pm Sunday 10 till 4pm

To advertise please call 01302 532676 or 07912 643010 17

High Levels WI

At the February meeting, held in the Reindeer Inn, a large number of members, many wearing green, enjoyed a craft evening decorating green felt hearts. The theme of the evening was green in recognition of the WI Climate Change Month. The hearts had been cut out by one member and everyone took along their own materials to decorate the hearts as they chose. By the end of a very enjoyable social evening there were hearts with buttons attached, some embroidered, some with feathers depicting birds and others with beads. The resulting creations will supplement bunting already in existence and will be used as appropriate at future events.

High Levels WI have chosen to support local food banks this year and members will bring donations to each meeting. At the close of the February meeting there were four bags and a large box full of groceries and toiletries which were to be taken to Epworth Food Bank the following day.

The April meeting will host a Belly Dance Troup from South Yorkshire. Come along and enjoy that with us! In May members are hoping to celebrate the King’s Coronation with a meal out and the May meeting will be a talk on the History of Crowle Moors.

Have a look at the website, www.highlevelswi.co.uk or just come and join us. We meet on the 3rd Wednesday each month, beginning the meeting at 6.45pm in the room to the rear of the Reindeer Inn at Sandtoft. (Look for the sign or the bunting over the doorway.)

Epworth and District Flower Club

The Flower Club held its 2023 AGM in St Andrew’s Church Epworth in February. The members heard how the Club has had another successful year. The Open Meeting, held at South Axholme Academy in November had been a very enjoyable evening and as a result it was agreed to make a donation from the proceeds to The British Heart Foundation in memory of a talented, long standing member who sadly died in December.

Thanks were given to all members for their help in maintaining an active group. The usual business was discussed and then all were entertained by a member who talked of her experience of attending the Constance Spry School when much younger. The member had built up her own business and had gone on to arrange flowers in some of the country’s prestigious houses such as Wentworth Woodhouse and Chatsworth. Epworth and District Flower Club continues to benefit from her talents. Refreshments followed and there was the opportunity for socialising especially as the meeting finished a little earlier than sometimes.

Future meetings will host demonstrators and workshops and occasionally there are visits out. The regular meeting place is St Andrew’s Church, Epworth at 7.30pm on the second Monday of each month. However, the April meeting will be workshop for Easter and it will be held on Monday, 3rd April and at the AGM it was agreed that workshops will be open only to members. Perhaps you would like to join and participate fully in the activities of a lively club. Further details are available from Celia Jones on 07784 421273

WORLD BOOK DAY AT MISTERTON PRIMARY

World Book Day at Misterton Primary was such a lovely, fun day. Children and staff dressed as characters from their favourite books and enjoyed learning about books for the day.

Epworth Music Day 2023

After another great day last year, live music is back in town for this year’s Epworth Music Day on Saturday 24th June!

With less than 2 months to go before this year’s Music Day, we’re putting the final pieces together for another great day of celebrating live music. In the daytime there’ll be over 90 hours of free music from 10am to 5pm in 14 venues around Epworth, featuring over 60 different groups and performers of all types of music. All this is free; no tickets are needed.

We will again be closing the roads to traffic in the centre of Epworth from 9.30am to 5pm on 24th June.

As well as the daytime programme, The Queen’s Head, The White Bear, The Old School Inn, and Koko’s will be putting on their own music in the evening, and this will round off a fabulous day’s music and entertainment. Please note that music at The Queen’s Head will finish by 8pm again this year.

At 7pm there will also be a concert with 6 different groups – again of all types of music – performing in St Andrew’s Church – and the Yorkshire Camping and Caravanning Club will be putting on a ceilidh in the Imperial Hall, starting at 7.30pm.

All 4 concerts and the ceilidh are free; no tickets are needed.

Full details of the performers and the daytime and evening programmes will be available at www.epworthmusicday.com and will be available on the day. You can also follow us on our Facebook page. We would still welcome a few more stewards to help on the day – for however much time you can give. If you think you could help, please contact John Lambert on jrlambert@doctors.org.uk Epworth Music Day 2023 - it should be another grand day out! Spread the word!

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Isle Group of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Rare Cranes at Willow Tree Fen by David Cohen

On Thursday April 6th at 7.30pm the Isle group of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust will be having their monthly meeting where we will be finding out about the return of the European Cranes to Lincolnshire. These majestic rare birds have been nesting and rearing young on Willow Tree fen which is a Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust reserve in the south of the county. David Cohen has been following their progress over the last few years and he will be telling us about the work that has been done to protect and help the cranes and the other wildlife found here. We will also be having our very brief AGM.

We meet at:- Belton All Saints Centre (Church Hall), Stocks Hill, Belton, DN9 1PE Everyone is welcome, you don't have to be a member of the Wildlife Trust so please come along and join us. Entrance fee is £1. There will be refreshments and a raffle. We meet on the 1st Thursday of the month and next month, May 4th, will be a talk on wild flowers by Sue Fysh.

For further information about the local Trust group and their meetings please contact Tony Lee on 01427 753831 or Chris Trinder on 01427 872051. Details about the group are also on the Lincolnshire Trust web site under area groups.

MISTERTON DAD TO ‘CYCLE ACROSS THE WORLD’ IN AID OF CHILD BEREAVEMENT

Misterton-based Ric Hart aims to cycle 600 miles across the world, through many countries, in March. Every day, Monday to Friday, from early March he will cover 30 miles a day on his peloton, aiming to hit the 600-mile mark on Friday 31 March. Ric has a JustGiving page for anyone wishing to sponsor him: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ richart

This challenge is in memory of Jade, Ric’s late wife, who died hours after childbirth in 2018, and also for his son, Hugo. Ric explains: “I am so proud of how far Hugo has come and the beautiful boy he is growing up to be. All the proceeds raised will go to the Children's Bereavement Centre in Newark, which I have worked with before with my children’s bereavement books. I hope I can raise as much as possible so any donation counts. Alongside my busy life, 30 miles every day is achievable.”

Ric will be posting details of his journey as he heads towards the ‘destination’ on his Instagram (@richardhart786)

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Belton and Wroot Primary School Visit

It was great to be on the Isle last Friday to take questions from years 4, 5 and 6 at Belton and Wroot Primary schools. Wroot joined us via video link; somewhat intermittently mind!

Always enjoy taking questions from pupils and we got to cover all sorts of topics from the NHS to cost of living, foreign aid and even the kids request for a zebra crossing in Wroot!

I also got to explain a little something about the role of an MP, how elections work and what the role of Parliament is in our democracy.

The pupils asked me about my background and what other jobs I've had and of course how much I earn as an MP! I told them and also told them how much tax I pay too!

It was great fun and the kids were all kitted out in characters from their favourite book for World Book Day.

Thanks to both schools for asking me in and for asking such fab questions.

The photo is me and a few of the Belton School Council. As I was driving back to Goole afterwards, I also popped in to Don Valley Brewing in Sandtoft. As a massive craft beer geek, it was great to see one in our area.

Andrew Percy MP

PARISH CHURCH LANUCHES REFURBISHMENT PLANS

Dating from the 12th century but with a church on this site was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, All Saints’ Parish Church, Misterton, is a Grade 1* listed building, which has been declared ‘at risk’. It needs some major works:

* the north wall is leaning outwards (but not dangerously so at the moment!)

* the frame that holds the bells needs repairing so that the bells can once again be rung for weddings and special national events, and tolled for funerals

* today’s congregations and other users need on-site WCs

* the clergy administration and robing area needs to be separate from catering facilities

* the tower (pictured) needs de-weeding, re-pointing, and stonework repairs.

So the Parochial Church Council (PCC) has plans for major works, which, excluding the work on the bells, will come to around £350,000. The PCC has some funds but nowhere near enough so it will have to apply for grant funding.

Further information on the projects has been distributed to all houses in the village. The PCC, those on the Church’s Electoral Roll, the Benefice Council, and the congregation at last month’s (February’s) morning service have all been consulted. Now the PCC would like to hear what residents think. Call the PCC’s Vice-chair (891376), or the Churchwarden (330748), or leave comments on the Parish Church’s Facebook page by Sunday 30 April.

Misterton Bowls Club

Misterton Bowls club is getting ready for the new season with a pre season OPEN DAY on Saturday 22nd of April at 2.00pm and all are welcome to come along and have a go. It's a sport suitable for all ages. The club plays matches throughout the summer in friendly matches and in different leagues. For more information, contact Pam, club secretary, or David, Club treasurer on (01427890936).

The photo shows club members receiving recently a new Rotary mower from Bassetlaw County Councillor Tracey Taylor

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Left to right Dave Seymour, Denise Morgan, Tracey Taylor, Danny Ferry

1st Isle of Axholme BP Scouts – March 2023

A busy first few months to 2023 for cubs and scouts, we are now looking ahead to spring camps and sleepovers, and DofE expeditions. The DofE group are now all logged onto the eDofE portal and are choosing their 3 month long activities for the volunteering, skills and physical sections.

Our annual Founders Day parade was held at St Andrew’s church on 19th February. It was lovely to be able to present a summary of our scouting year and share stories of our activities. The scouts were very brave to stand up in front of the church congregation and speak so clearly – well done! This spring the cubs have been busy working towards badges, looking at their country code and had a particularly fun session looking at engineering Lego boats to carry the most weight. They are looking forward to their first camp – an indoor sleepover in West Butterwick Hall!

Scouts have been working towards their home cook badge – the life skills of laying tables, cooking a variety of meals and catering highly nutritious meals, being keenly aware of best practice hygiene and those with different dietary needs and allergies. As part of this, the DofE group have been focussed on their menu planning ready for their practice expedition in April and how to provide sufficient calories for a growing teenager whilst out walking.

As a whole troop we are working towards our first aid badge and look forward to a volunteer from the Red Cross coming to teach us CPR on a dummy, and to assess our skills in April. The scouts should achieve their Youth First Aid qualification too.

Scouts have also been working on night navigation – making their way across country using torches, compass bearings and following a pre-planned course. They looked suspicious creeping about in the dark but very useful skills ahead of our camps.

Our next camp will be to Summerbridge in April and we will share photos after. The highlights are the highly prized hide and seek game at Brimham Rocks, and the Sunday morning sports session (previous years have included archery, woodland geocaching and indoor multi-sports) followed by inflatables at the local swimming pool.

Upcoming events: Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Practice expedition and Camp/ Sleepovers. All sections (Cubs, Scouts and Senior Scouts) all meet on Monday evenings 6pm (Cubs), and 7pm (Scouts) at the Westwoodside Village Hall.

All enquiries about Scouts should go to Gregor on: gagibb79@aol.com, and Cub enquiries should go to Matthieu at: matthieu_maloigne@mentor.com

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Remember, we are still looking to recruit Beavers leaders so we can restart this section. Please get in touch if this is something you could help with.

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In what is a once-in a lifetime experience for most people, we are looking forward to a Coronation this year and the crowning of a new monarch amid celebrations up and down the land - and the Isle of Axholme is no exception.

On April 22nd, three choirs - Isle Choral Singers, Harmonix and Take Note - plus the Isle of Axholme Orchestra are joining forces for a special Coronation concert at St Nicholas’ Church in Haxey.

The programme could not be more appropriate. It includes Handel’s Zadok the Priest, which was composed almost 300 years ago for another coronation, that of King George II in 1727, and has been sung at the anointing of every British monarch ever since. Also on the programme is the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. The Isle of Axholme will perform VaughnWilliams’ English Folks Songs Suite, which celebrates the rich musical history of our country.

Special thanks are due to the Isle of Axholme Lions for their generosity in enabling the concert to happen.

Tickets are available now from ticketsource.co.uk or from choir members or on the door.

The Isle of Axholme Coronation Concert, featuring Isle Choral Singers, Take Note and Harmonix and theIsle of Axholme Orchestra is on April 22nd at St Nicholas’ church, Haxey at 7pm.

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South Axholme Academy Rated Good Again By Ofsted

Students, staff and governors at South Axholme Academy (part of Isle Education Trust) are celebrating after Ofsted have once again rated the academy as “Good” in all areas and “Outstanding” for behaviour and attitudes.

The glowing report followed a 2-day inspection carried out in January noted that the academy “is a warm and welcoming school” and praised leaders’ decision making which “supports pupils to achieve excellence and be ready, respectful and resilient in all that they do.”

Inspectors also highlighted the “high-quality education” delivered by teachers who “are skilled and knowledgeable.” The wider enrichment curriculum was also cited as providing pupils with the “information, knowledge and skills that they need for their next stage of education, employment, training and/or adult life”.

The excellent report follows the academy’s great successes in last year’s GCSE and A level results. Scott Barlow, Principal of South Axholme Academy said: “It is fantastic that Ofsted have recognized the amazing hard work of all staff and students at the academy, and that despite some very challenging years for education generally, the SAX mindset and commitment of staff have, and continue to provide students with the very best educational experiences. I am proud to have my name on this report.”

Sarah Sprack, Chief Executive Officer of Isle Education Trust, said: “South Axholme Academy and IET are not purely driven by Ofsted, and make decisions based on what is best for students and their education, but it is always gratifying to have officially acknowledged what I see on a daily basis. SAX is an amazing academy, a great place to work and a great place to learn.”

What’s On In Your area in the Isle of Axholme

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