SOUTH KILWORTH NEWS December 2010 DIARY Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun Mon
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No. 403
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Mobile Library (School 12.00, Leys Crescent 12.30, North Road 12.50) Art Club, Village Hall First Friday, White Hart Church Christmas Bazaar, Village Hall St Nicolas Feast Day, Patronal Holy Communion, St Nicolas Church U10 Football, Playing Field Over 10 Football, Playing Field Parish Council Meeting, Village Hall MaMites, Village Hall Art Club, Village Hall Christingle Service, St Nicholas Church U10 Football, Playing Field Over 10 Football, Playing Field Group Weekday Holy Communion (BCP), St Nicholas Church MaMites Christmas Party, Village Hall Mobile Library (School 12.00, Leys Crescent 12.30, North Road 12.50) Luncheon Club, Manor Farm Art Club, Village Hall Children’s Christmas Party, Village Hall Lessons and Carols, North Kilworth U10 Football, Playing Field Over 10 Football, Playing Field Art Club, Village Hall Christmas Day, Family Service, St Nicolas Church 1st Sunday of Christmas, Avon-Swift Group Communion, St Nicolas Church Mobile Library (School 12.00, Leys Crescent 12.30, North Road 12.50)
VILLAGE HALL BOOKINGS Contact Michael Murphy on 01788 861877 or 0777 6065385
The South Kilworth News is edited by Ann Saunders Please send copy for the January edition by 20th December to Ann Saunders Smithy House, Welford Road Tel: 575 338
Email: am.saunders@virgin.net
The South Kilworth News is printed by Colin Olle. Advertising enquiries to Colin Olle Croft Acre, The Belt Tel: 575 791 Email: colin.olle@tiscali.co.uk
EDITORIAL I always seem to be writing about time whizzing by, but DECEMBER?, that’s the end of the year isn’t it? My son wishes it was Christmas already but I definitely need a few weeks to do some shopping etc. I’m trying to hold out against putting up decorations on the 1st of December but might get out-voted. It would be helpful if you could all get your information for the next (January 2011!) edition to me as early as possible – as usual, if you are late with information it is worth ringing to see if you are too late or not.
TEAM CURATE’S LETTER DECEMBER 2010 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9 v6
Have you noticed how if you’re looking for new curtains, you notice other people’s curtains more than usual? It’s because our minds are running strongly on curtains! At this time of year, buying or hoping for new things seems to be top of our agenda for some reason! Newness is always attractive. New life, though – that is something else. There is something entrancing about the deep awareness of total newness of life in a baby, that carries hope and fear in pretty equal measure. Hope and fear... In the Old Testament, Isaiah prophesied the coming of a great Saviour, who would save the world and bring in the Kingdom of God – the big picture. Mary was expecting a baby, going through the process of a human pregnancy with all its attendant discomforts and fears – the immediate picture. Because of prophesies, and the words of the angel Gabriel, Mary knew that her baby would be exceptional, and, unlike most other mothers, what his destiny was. But she didn’t know how his daily life would actually unfold – she can’t have envisaged the harsh reality of the cross as she held her new-born child. When she bore Jesus in the stable, away from her home and family, she knew the relief of a safe delivery, the risks to her tiny and vulnerable son, and the immediate anxiety of lack of shelter. She had the assurance that the angel Gabriel had given her, together with the heavy responsibility of motherhood ahead of her. Hope and fear... Isaiah spoke of the ultimate task of the coming Messiah; Mary knew the practical day to day cares of parenthood. Her son was to carry the world on his shoulders, but on that first Christmas day he was just a baby, needing love and care. He was new. And each Christmas he can be new to us too. The Church commemorates his birth because it reminds us that despite the human growing up process, and his ultimate adult sacrifice, Christ can be reborn in us day after day, renewing the hope which is so easily lost in the practical day to day living of life. It reminds us that however hard the times, however deep the recession, however bleak the outlook, that eternal hope is ours. If we keep our minds only on our day-to-day lives we lose out on the comfort offered. If we make space to dwell on hope, we will find it growing in us and around us, our awareness of it will be more acute – just like those curtains we might be planning to buy. Hope makes for contentment, inner peace, and strengthens us to live our lives. It is right here for us now, a constantly renewed gift from God. Have a blessed, hopeful and happy Christmas!
Jane Kennedy
All enquiries regarding Church matters should be directed to:The Revd Canon Kenneth Baker, Homestead, The Green, Lilbourne, Nr Rugby, Telephone: 01788 860 409 The Revd. Emma Davies, The Vicarage, 5 Church Lane,Gilmorton, Telephone:-01455 556 573 The Revd Jane Kennedy, 17 Cromwell Close, Walcote, Lutterworth, Telephone: 01455 554 065
CHRISTMAS SHOEBOXES FOR UKRAINE THANK YOU once again for your generous support. We have collected over 120 boxes and sufficient funds for their transportation. I have a DVD of last year's distribution of boxes in E. Europe if anyone would like to borrow it. Jacky Harrison
RETIREMENT OF THE REVEREND CANON K.W. BAKER. Towards the end of November Ken Baker handed over his position as Guthlaxton Area Dean to the Reverend David Hebblewhite of Countesthorpe and at the end of January 2011 will retire as Team Rector of Avon Swift Benefice after an extension of two years by Bishop Tim Stevens. Ken came to us from Welford in October 2001 after a career in the Police Force and in management at NEC. He was appointed Priest-in-Charge of two benefices, comprising seven parishes at a time of change in the Diocese. Very shortly a vacancy occurred in the benefice of three parishes centred on Gilmorton and Ken was asked to look after them temporarily. In March 2003 the Bishop decided to unite them all, forming the Avon Swift Group benefice. In November of that year a Team Vicar joined the group and Ken was appointed Team Rector. A year later, Ashby Magna joined the group and a part-time NonStipendiary Minister was added. In the same year Ken was appointed Rural Dean for Guthlaxton II Deanery, which in 2005 was joined with Guthlaxton I to become Guthlaxton Area Deanery. In 2006 he was appointed Canon of Leicester Cathedral. His present team here consists of a Team Vicar, Revd. Emma Davies and a Curate Jane Kennedy. This very condensed history shows how much Bishop Tim values Canon Baker as devoted priest, manager and organizer, someone able to execute plans and get the best from others. Those who have worked closely with him will miss his experience and reliability together with his approachability, his warmth and friendliness. He will be sorely missed after almost ten years with us. Thank you Ken! Sam Lloyd Ken’s last service will be the Benefice Group Service at Gilmorton on 23rd January, at 10.30am. All are very warmly invited to attend this service to bid Ken a happy and well-earned retirement. If you would like to contribute towards a retirement gift for Ken please contact your local church warden or Revd Emma Davies at the vicarage in Gilmorton (Tel: 01455 556573; email emma.davies1@sky.com).
LUNCHEON CLUB
October 28th Once again the later date in October requires a 2 for 1 catch-up. This month we were served a truly British favourite of “Bangers and Mash”. The tasty sausages made one feel like doing the “Morris” dance. The dessert, a delicious apple meringue, provided by Rachel, rounded off another excellent lunch, followed by tea and a raffle. November 18th It was good to see the return of Jacky Hammond following a prolonged stay in hospital. November’s lunch was a very special treat provided by Eileen Burd. The main course consisted of a very delectable fish pie containing salmon, cod and prawns. The tasty topping of mashed potatoes was the contribution of Eileen’s mum Josie. The pie was so “moreish” that two of the male contingent asked for seasonal helpings. To follow, Eileen had made one of her specialities – a baked apple pudding with an almond sponge topping. We all enjoyed this special luncheon and thank Eileen and Josie for their wonderful contribution. Jacky, once again, took over her duty of “Raffle Queen” which had been carried out by Josie during Jackie’s hospitalization. Our Christmas venue will be at Manor Farm on Thursday 16th December. David Burd
AGAR VENTURE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EVENING The Agar Venture would like to thank all who supported the Christmas shopping event on the 12th November. We all had a fantastic evening and some lovely raffle prizes donated. We raised £287 in total towards the playground funds. Please keep an eye on the advance notices in the SKN's, as we will hopefully be having another (yet very different) fund raising event in the early spring. Hope you will all be able to come along. Suzanne Taylor
CHRISTMAS CARD FUND RAISER You may have seen me at the recent shopping evening but in case you didn't, I'm selling Phoenix Trading Christmas Cards and giving 10% of any sales to the Agar Venture. Cards can be chosen from a fab catalogue or from my stock and are priced from £3.50 for 10. I also have wrapping paper, ribbons, money wallets, some lovely traditional advent calendars and advent cards. Please don't hesitate to ring if you'd like a brochure dropping round. Alison Perkins Phoenix Trader ID 25966 27 Welford Road 07947 644015 01858 575282
ANNUAL CHURCH CHRISTMAS BAZAAR The St Nicolas Church Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, 4th December from 2pm to 4pm at South Kilworth Village Hall in aid of church funds.
Teas * Tombola * Books * Gifts * Plants * Preserves * Cards * Raffle * Cakes * Games * Granny's Attic * "Vanished Views"
DECEMBER FAMILY CELEBRATIONS IN OUR VILLAGE CHURCH Christingle Sunday 12th December 4pm th Christmas Day Saturday 25 December 10am Bring all the family. Both services will be half an hour of prayer and praise together.
Beth Rogers
MA-MITES CHRISTMAS PARTY The Ma-mites Christmas party will be held in the village hall on Tuesday 14th December 10.30 - 12.30. There will be a bouncy castle, pass-the-parcel, lunch, toys, and presents for all the children. Please come and join us - all welcome - no need to be a regular Ma-mites attendee. If possible please tell Rachel (07710 381 533) or Sue (07770 748 608) if you plan to come, so we can make sure we have enough presents for everyone. Please note that Ma-mites will be closed on 21st and 28th December, and 4th January. We will re-open on 11th January 2011. Happy Christmas and New Year!
CHILDREN’S VILLAGE HALL CHRISTMAS PARTY
There will be a children’s Christmas party at the village hall on Saturday 18th December from 4pm to 6pm. Fun and games followed by a party tea and a visit from Santa with a small gift for each child. Tickets are £2 per child, available from Hannah Jacks at the school at pick up time or contact on 07939 503933.
SOUTH KILWORTH BIRDS November has been a quiet month on the bird front. The weather has at times been challenging with rain and strong winds scuppering opportunities for good birding. The garden birds have benefited from regular feeding. The great spotted woodpecker has been a regular visitor to the feeders along with coal tit, chaffinch, greenfinch and Siskin. Over the past few days a male pheasant has also built up his courage and started to move up the garden, feeding off seeds below the bird table. At the reservoir the wintering wildfowl are being to return. The most common (and vocal) of these are the wigeon. In addition the number of goldeneye are on the increase. Look out for the stunning male with their very conspicuous and distinctive big white “blob” behind the bill. As cold weather approaches keep your eye out for an increase in the number of winter thrushes in the garden and surrounding fields. Both fieldfare and redwing will be seeking out fallen apples as the autumn berry crop starts to run dry. 2010 has been a good year so far for waxwings in the UK so keep a look out for this rare visitor in South Kilworth. The waxwing is a highly irruptive species, appearing in the UK when food is of short supply in their normal Scandinavian feeding grounds. Their arrival is sometimes taken as evidence of an impending cold winter! Waxwings can be seen on their own but are mainly in groups moving from tree to tree. When first noticed they can be mistaken for starlings (especially in flight). However, when good views are obtained they are pretty obvious and will brighten up most villages as can be seen from the picture. They typically feed on rowan, hawthorn and cotoneaster berries so keep an eye out! Chris Hubbard
NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL In November we had an African Drumming Day. The children thoroughly enjoyed playing the drums, learning different rhythms and performing their work. Year 3 and 4 are currently taking part in cheer leading sessions and have even learnt some stunts! They have also taken part in a maths puzzle day with other local schools. We have had a busy month in Year 5 & 6! We had some great news at the end of October when all of our children entered a poetry competition and were all chosen to have their poetry published! Some of the children have recently taken part in the Primary Mathematics Challenge and have received gold, silver and bronze certificates for their results. The whole class has been working really hard on recording and producing their own radio show. They have written scripts for news items, arranged interviews with parents and pupils, created logos, written a brilliant jingle and included some amusing advice for parents! We would love you to listen in and you can find Radio SKATE on our class blog (www.sk5and6.wordpress.com) where you can also read about all the things we’ve been up to. We are now busy preparing for Christmas at the end of an enjoyable Autumn Term. By the time you read this our choir will have given their first performance at the Christmas Lights Switch on in Lutterworth. The whole school is preparing for our Christmas Concert “ Silent Night” in December. We will also be taking the children to the theatre, the older children will watch “The Secret Garden” and the younger children “The Gruffalo”. FOSKs have arranged for the children and parents to carol sing around the village on Saturday the 11th of December so please look out for us. PS you may be interested in looking at our new school website www.southkilworth.leics.sch.uk
LADIES NETBALL The All Weather Area, North Kilworth 7.00pm- 8.00pm (weather permitting) Every Thursday up to 9th Dec. No Sessions on 16th,23rd and 30th Dec. We will start again on Thursday 6th Jan with a determination to lose the excess weight put on over Christmas! All Welcome. Contact Julie Fish (880304)
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL This activity has become very popular and so we will have 3 sessions from January:18.30 – 19.30 Y1 – Y5 19.30 – 20.30 Y6 – Y10 20.30 – 21.30 Y11 + The activity will run from Monday 10th January to on day 11th April. Michael Murphy
LAND FOR ALLOTMENTS Over recent months the Parish Council has been approached by a growing group of parishioners who have shown real enthusiasm and great commitment in their efforts to research all aspects of allotment rental in rural communities, and the Parish Council wants to do anything we can to support this initiative. We recognise this is going to be a real challenge, but we are trying to find a parcel of suitable land that the Parish Council could rent, and then make available as allotments. Do you know of any land that might be suitable and we might be able to rent? If you have any ideas or suggestions that we could follow up then please don’t hesitate to get in touch we really appreciate you giving this idea some thought, and any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Phil Alcock PC Chairman
WILL YOUR CHILD GO TO SOUTH KILWORTH SCHOOL ? A reminder to parents who want their children to attend the village school, that the closing date for applications for children to start at South Kilworth School in September 2011 is 15th January 2011. Applications need to have been received by Leicestershire County Council by this date. Application forms can be obtained from South Kilworth school, by telephoning 0116 3056684 or on-line at www.leics.gov.uk\admissions
SCHOOL CLOTHING AND SOFT TOY COLLECTION The School will be having another collection in January to raise further funds for the re-development of the Peace Garden. Please save all you unwanted items of clothing, paired shoes, sheets and duvet covers. These do not have to be in pristine condition. The good quality items are re-used and some are distributed to families in developing countries. The rest is used in rag-rugs, insulation material etc. We are paid by the ton so need as many items as possible. Thank you
WINTER DRIVING Weather forecasters are predicting a return to frozen and snowy conditions for much of the country in the coming days and weeks. To this end, you will see below an extract from the AA's Winter Driving Tips which might help you to stay safe on the roads during the coming cold snap. Tyres The legal minimum of 1.6mm of tread is less than twice the thickness of a CD but during the winter a minimum of 3mm (around 3 CDs) is essential because the deeper tread will be more effective at clearing water. Batteries Modern batteries have many advantages, but if allowed to discharge, they will take a long time to recharge fully - they suffer at this time of year particularly in cars that do short journeys on cold mornings. You'll either need to make a regular long journey with minimal use of the car's electrical items or arrange to trickle-charge the battery. Engine Modern engines don't need tucking-up with a blanket on cold nights but it can help if it's an old car. Make sure you hang something from the steering wheel to remind you, though - a call to the fire brigade isn't the ideal start to the day! Depress the clutch when starting a cold engine - this disconnects the engine from the gearbox so there's less drag. Screenwash Keep it topped up and use a proper additive at the right concentration - don't use washing up liquid though as it will foam horribly and doesn't have the same low freezing point. Many garages sell sachets or small bottles of screenwash for pennies. Bodywork Wash the car frequently to get rid of the salt and dirt that builds up over the winter. Check for stone chips too as rust forms very quickly in the cold, damp weather. Replace any missing wheel trims promptly to minimise corrosion to the wheel bolts, which can seize, making removal of the wheel even more difficult. Fuel I usually keep my car fairly full in the cold months, as you never know when you might get caught up in an accident or foul weather. At least you'll be able to run the engine and keep warm but you must make sure the exhaust's clear of snow otherwise fumes can get into the car. Windows To keep the windscreen from misting up, soak a cloth in pure washing up liquid then let it dry. Now wipe this cloth on the inside of the windows and it will stop them misting up - go on, try it in the bathroom, it works! If your windows have misted up, use the air-con as well as the heater - it's not just for summer and helps to dry the air. Don't use water to defrost the windows - hot water can crack the screen and will just re-freeze as it cools, either on the screen or on the ground where you're standing, which could have painful consequences! Thinking about frosty mornings, a squirt of WD40 in the locks will stop them freezing. Before you go We see many AA members who view their car as their coat and therefore, don't think to carry enough outer clothing. Take a warm coat, gloves and hat in case the weather or the car catches you out. If you do get stuck, you'll be very pleased if you packed chocolate, water and a hot drink too. Always carry a fully-charged mobile and take some old bits of carpet and a shovel to clear snow, in case you get stuck. On the road On colder days be particularly careful on tree-lined roads - the trees prevent the sun's warmth from reaching the road, which may still be icy when all around has thawed. In fog, I usually drive with the window down and the radio off - often you can hear problems like cars ahead going over bumps at low speed before you see them. On snow and ice just do everything very slowly because it can go wrong very quickly. Henry Whatley (7729) Community Coordinator Harborough Police