Parish Magazine Adverts

Annual adverts for the Holmesfield Parish Council Newsletter are now being renewed and brand new advertisers are welcome to join. Adverts run from April 2023 to March 2024

The cost is just £50 per year for a half page advert, and £100 per year for a full page advert. This includes inclusion in the 12 monthly editions which are delivered free of charge to each household in Holmesfield and Millthorpe (500 copies) and in full colour online.

For more information please contact Liz on: holmesfieldparishcouncil@hotmail.co.uk

Cheques for payment should be made payable to “Holmesfield Parish Council” and sent to: Holmesfield Parish Council, 8 Main Street, Blackfordby, Swadlincote. DE11 8AD

Holmesfield Penny Acres School Lottery

A very excited class of children were involved in creating the draw electronically with a computer number generator for the month of February.

We are pleased to announce the winners as follows:-

February 2023

1st prize No. 52 Mrs. Short £51.30

2nd prize No. 95 Mrs. J. Paling £11.40

Penny Acres School were also awarded £51.30. Thank you to all the parents, family members, neighbours and local residents for your continued support especially during the past couple of years.

You can join the lottery at any time only £1 per number per month so please feel free if you would like to join contact either Penny Acres School Office or Samantha Copley by emailing samcopley@me.com or phone: 0780 3128729.

Rebalancing The Scales

The terrible earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has resulted in horrendous loss of life. As I write it is reported that perhaps 40,000 people have died. We struggle to come to terms with such numbers of people just wiped out so quickly. Many will recall how traumatic it was to see the Twin Towers collapse on 9/11 with thousands killed. That was an act of terrorism whereas this was a natural disaster so perhaps our reactions are different. In some ways the scale of what’s happened doesn’t really register with us fully. My brother-in-law down in Essex has recently been involved in a motorbike accident and is now in hospital badly injured. I know it’s happened, I’m worried about him (and seriously praying for him), but because I’m not there and don’t have all the information about how he’s doing, I can’t really get the scale or seriousness of what has happened, and what trauma he has been through.

Another example is how we hear about people in poverty, struggling to pay their gas bills, or on the other hand, energy companies making £billions of profit - and we can’t really work out the scale of it all unless we ourselves experience the effect of these things.

How do we ‘rebalance the scales’ so that we can effectively measure what’s happening in the world around us? I don’t think there’s an easy answer to this but I do think it comes down to a word: empathy. Empathy is about putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. We may not be naturally empathetic but the first step in nurturing empathy is to take your focus away from the self.

As St. Paul said, “each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Only when we can begin to grasp the scale of trauma, or the reality behind the figures, headlines or pictures, will we be moved to get involved with changing the world for good. The amazing financial response to the earthquake appeal and the way we are standing with Ukraine are just two shoots of green hope among the rubble. We pray for more.

Rev. Ian

From The Parish Registers

Funerals:

2nd February - Rosalind Lily Adlington Keefe

20th February - Mason Jax Rodgers Thomson

23rd February - James Donald Gibson

April Newsletter

All copy for the April Newsletter must be received by 18th March to ensure inclusion in the magazine.

Holmesfield Parish Council welcomes the submission of articles pertinent to Holmesfield by residents for publication in the Parish Newsletter. Any thoughts and opinions are those of the individual(s) and may not necessarily be shared or endorsed by Holmesfield Parish Council. Any submissions must include full name and contact details before publication can be considered by the editor.

Please send your articles typed via email if possible. This is especially important for images you wish to include.

Please email any articles to: holmesfield-newsletter@hotmail.com

HOLMESFIELD FLOWER ARRANGING CLUB: POT-ET-FLEUR

The literal translation of pot-et-fleur is pot and flowers. When creating this design, we arrange a small collection of plants around the edge of a pot and incorporate a vessel to hold flowers, so that the plants stay the same and the flowers enhance and change the appearance of the arrangement as they are changed.

Plants could be either planted in compost in the bowl or left in their pots to be planted in the garden later.

Suggested plants to use: Create a herb garden for the kitchen!

Primula, spring bulbs or plants of your choice.

Equipment needed: A ceramic pot or a lined basket.

Container for flowers: Jam jar; empty tin; plastic container; oasis; pin holder; chicken wire. All depends on how you want to display your flowers.

Flowers: You only need a few bold flowers to complement the display and also perhaps a few decorative twigs for height and some greenery, pebbles, raffia or moss to cover any ‘mechanics’.

Packing: You may need something to raise the plants or to nestle plant pots into if you’re not planting them in compost, such as screwed up paper; more chicken wire; pebbles or stones.

Meeting on Wednesday 15th March at 7.30pm in Holmesfield Village Hall, Vicarage Close, Holmesfield, Dronfield. S18 7WZ. Visitors Welcome - Pay on the Door £6.00. For further details of the club, please contact Diane Sheldon on 0771 8925514 or email: Diane.sheldon1@btinternet.com