Welcome to to April!
Firstly, we’d like to take the oppor tunity this month to thank ever yone who congratulated us on our recent award presented to us by Stotfold Town Council for our contribution to the local community of Stotfold It was a wonder ful surprise to have been chosen for a Mayors Recognition Award We accepted the award on behalf of ever yone that helps us to make the magazine happen each month, including our wonder ful deliver y volunteers, adver tisers and amazing contributors
This month’s magazine is literally bursting at the seams with some great ar ticles, events, local news and brand new adver tisers We hope you are enjoying our chats with local business owners in our Local Life feature each month, thanks to Rober t Rae of Plumbtek for agreeing to be this month’s inter viewee! If you know somebody that would like to take par t in this feature then get in touch and we’ll get them involved
We absolutely LOVE the hilarious front cover picture sent to us this month by Nikki Williams - Corleone the swan has taken up residency in Nikki’s garden, even hammering on her back door when dinner is late! A brilliant front cover shot by anyone’s standards!
Speaking of which, next month is the 20th Anniversar y of the Stotfold Mill Fair - if you are a keen photographer then please remember we love to see all of the wonder ful pictures you take, so dust off those cameras and get yourselves ready!
Until next month
J ditor
Saturday 6th Methodist Church
Coffee Morning and Cake Stall 10 00am,
Saturday 13th Charity Garage Sale 20 Whitecrofts 10-4pm
Sunday 14th - Sewcial Sundays.
Monthly sewing social. Bring your sewing machine and project. £10. 10-4pm. Fair field Community Hall.
Saturday 20th - Book Sale & Coffee
Morning 10-12 St Mar y’s Church Hall 10.00am,
Saturday 20th Charity Garage Sale 20 Whitecrofts 10-4pm
Saturday 20th - St Mar y's Church Stotfold 'Music for a Spring Evening’ 7pm star t
Saturday 27th Charity Garage Sale 20 Whitecrofts 10-4pm
Saturday 11th - Stotfold Mill
Steam Fair
Sunday 12th - Stotfold Mill
Steam Fair
Sunday 12th - Sewcial Sundays
Monthly sewing social Bring your sewing machine and project £10 10-4pm Fair field Community Hall
Saturday 18th - Plant Sale 10-12
St Mar y’s Church Hall
Saturday 25th - Pippin Open Morning 10-12 noon
We are so pleased you are enjoying this new monthly feature where we spend a few minutes getting to know some of our local tradespeople and adver tisers. Thank you to ever yone who has told us how much they enjoy reading this feature!
This month, we’ve had the pleasure to chat to one of our long -term suppor ters and adver tisers, Rober t Rae of PlumbTek
Rob, many people know you in the local area as you have been in business for quite some time now. How long is it that PlumbTek has been offering such a good ser vice to the community? We’ve been trading independently and locally for 12 years now Originally, like many small businesses we covered a much larger area to keep the diar y full Now we tend to stay in a much tighter area, although rack up the miles driving up and down the village or town as some say!
When you're not busy working, how do you like to relax and spend your free time?
Im a petrol head at hear t and love most things with engines, I can usually be found on days off messing with cars and motorbikes, whether working on them or driving/riding them I normally have a couple of projects on the go at any one time
Let's talk bucket lists Rob - If you had one, what 3 things would be on yours?
I would love to visit Thailand and some of it’s islands I’d also love to tour Europe in a camper van at some point Now our kids are older, hopefully we can make this happen at some point!
April Fun Quiz answers (Page
Saturday 6th Summer Fete 2.–4pm St. Mar y’s Church Vicarage Garden, Church Road, Stotfold.
Saturday 9th Winter Fair, St Mar y’s Church Hall.
JULY NOVEMBER DECEMBER
Saturday 7th Christmas Tree Festival 10 00 – 4 00 St Mar y’s Church
Sunday 8th Christmas Tree Festival 11 00 – 4 00 St Mar y’s Church
Rob, what's the one thing you love most about doing the job that you do? Meeting a wide range of customers, and all the local recommendations we get from them once we’ve completed a job I like to think we always go the extra mile Over the years many of our customers have become good friends also!
Interested in being our next local business to be featured here?
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01462 731986
stotfold news @yahoo.co.uk
1 AMA ZON; 2 PO; 3 RED (“Red River ”); 4 Liz FR ASER; 5 BANNOCKBURN; 6 Tiger; 7 Johann Strauss; 8 Enya; 9 FOYLE (“Foyle’s War ”); 10 MISSISSIPPI; 11 YELLOW; 12 “The Office” (as Gareth Keenan); 13 VOLTA (Alessandro); 14 SHANNON; 15 Andy MURR AY (mum Judy); 16 (Admiral) Graf Spee; 17 “DARLING”; 18 Bonnie (Parker); 19 SEINE; 20 COLUMBIA
Dear Editor,
Spring has sprung and the sound of birdsong once again provides musical accompaniment to countr yside walks With so many new people moving to the town some will begin to venture out fur ther afield as the days lengthen and weather warms. Stotfold is lucky to be well ser ved by public rights of way and open spaces; The Etonbur y Green Wheel connects many of these around our town and to our neighbours of Arlesey, Astwick and Fair field
As you walk through the countr yside, take a moment to stop and listen for the sound of bird song high above you One bird that fills our local skies with glorious song is the skylark Cast your eyes upward to see a tiny dot, many may not know this little brown bird when it’s on the ground but its distinctive song will be familiar The skylark is a ground nesting, farmland bird that has hung on to the remaining arable landscapes in our par t of Bedfordshire, they are classified as a Red List species because of the dramatic decline in their numbers due to loss of habitat.
When you are out walking, par ticularly with a dog, remember that we are sharing our environment with the wildlife that makes our town such a lovely place to live; hare, skylark and even otter are around and will all be disturbed by wayward woofers galloping over open fields or in our rivers. It may fill you with joy to see your four legged friend bounding through a crop of barely but be mindful that there could be ground nesting birds or young mammals hiding there so please be considerate and keep them on the path Please take care of our remaining green spaces and make sure our wildlife is safe to continue bringing us pleasure for years to come
Liz AndersonDear Editor,
On a visit back to Stotfold recently I just happened to be coming out of the shop along Regent Street and noticed this double rainbow overhead.
I thought you & your readers may like to see it
Regards, Chris Hall
The Stotfold News Magazine were thrilled to be recognised at the recent Stotfold Town Council Annual General Meeting for their work in the community by receiving a Special Recognition Award from Stotfold Mayor Cllr Steve Buck.
The award recognised the work that the magazine does each month to help keep the community of Stotfold connected.
The Stotfold News has been publishing in Stotfold for 19 years next month The award was gratefully received by Editor Joanne.
Congratulations to Jan Gale and her team at the Stag in Brook Street for winning this year ’s award for East Bedfordshire CAMR A Community Pub Of The Year
Richly deser ved for the hard work put in to organising many events for charity and for the local community, Landlady Jan received the award from a representative from CAMR A earlier last month.
Jan receives her award from CAMR A
Four year old Etta from Stotfold won over the judges of our recent Bermuda Falls adventure golf competition with her amazing ar twork to win an annual membership to local adventure golf course Bermuda Falls Recently opened at Per fect Aquatics in Henlow, the team at Bermuda Falls asked entrants to ‘get creative’ with their entries for their recent competition run in conjunction with the Stotfold News Magazine Bermuda Falls chose Etta as their overall winner
Mum Samantha was thrilled to receive the prize of an annual membership and is looking for ward to spending many a fun time conquering the amazing crazy amazing golf course with Etta and their family! - Huge congratulations to Etta on winning first place out of the many, many entries received! We hope you enjoy your prize!
There are two contrasting landscapes this month Barbara Hook's atmospheric watercolour shows a lone tree struggling to sur vive in a rugged mountain setting. Geoff Hoile likes to paint nostalgic scenes and this evocative oil painting of Gold Hill in Dorset cer tainly fits the bill. It will be remembered as the setting for an adver t for Hovis bread.
Our group is open to anyone with a keen interest in ar t For more information please contact: 07734 304590
And we’re back! After what seems like a long and ver y wet winter, we are open again on Sundays for tea and cake, shopping - and (of course) milling!
Our 2024 open days are available on our website, our social media pages and on leaflets at the Mill They are: March: 24th, April; 7th, 21st, 28th; May: (Steam Fair 11th*, 12th*), 26th; June: 9th, 23rd; July: 7th, 14th, (Ar t Group Summer Exhibition 20th, 21st), 28th; August: 4th, 11th, 18th; September: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th; October: ( Working Steam Weekend 5th*, 6th*) and 20th *Admission charges apply on these dates only
It’s always a pleasure to have the Mill open and running again, with a steady stream of visitors both old and new enjoying ever y thing the Mill has to offer If you’ve visited us, please leave us a review on TripAdvisor – it helps to let other people know what to expect!
Now that spring is here, the Nature Reser ve is alive with birdsong Watch out for nesting swans – please do not approach the nest if you spot it, but give the birds a wide ber th If you snap a great shot in the reser ve, do pop it on Facebook and tag us – we love to see what you’ve seen while wandering the pathways.
Don’t forget to buy your tickets for the Steam Fair (11th and 12th May). Our tickets have been frozen at last year ’s prices if you buy in advance, and as it’s our 20th anniversar y event, we have lots happening this year. The arena acts are booked and details about those will be on the website. We have the Rockets motorbike display team, birds of prey, a dog show, the Gifford Academy dancers, a stunt show as well as the steam engine Tug of War (are YOU strong enough to pull a steam engine?), steam parade and live music all weekend. Tickets are available online: https://www.stotfoldmill.com/steam-fair-2024/ As always, we’re keen to engage with anyone who would like to work with us at Stotfold Mill Ever yone at the Mill is a volunteer, and volunteering has many benefits – it teaches new skills, provides new experiences, new friendships and helps our community – so if you can spare us an hour or so of your time we’d love to talk to you There are lots of roles available so do please get in touch if you would like to know more You can email us at enquiries@stotfoldmill com or get in touch via our website: www stotfoldmill com
Quote of the month: “A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” Jim Morrison
Welcome to our news! We are thoroughly enjoying having ever yone back! Last month, children continued to spend the predominant par t of their time outdoors. We have focussed on building friendships, collaborating, and sharing, and also on books, to coincide with World book day, back at the beginning of March, with The Hungr y Caterpillar, Handras Surprise, The Rainbow fish, Gingerbread man, Jack and The Beanstalk all firm favourites as they can be linked to collaborative activities and to activities outside The term culminated with Beatrix Potter stories, egg hunts and Peter Rabbit making his Easter appearance!
At both nurseries, children have also been listening to music and pretending to be animals, with wiggly snakes, prowling wolves and digging dogs having a lovely time! Children have explored Spring, making spring pictures and discussing animals that lay eggs, with dinosaurs proving more popular than birds! Children have also loved watching for signs of spring and our resident robins at Poppies have been popping into the building, uninvited! Incredibly brave too!!!
Our After school clubs love the outdoors and we have a Spor ts Co-ordinator who ensures they have lovely activities to enjoy, alongside our usual crafts and games Many thanks to our families for their continued suppor t This makes our role so much easier and is ver y much appreciated by us all
Poppies and Poppyfields both offer breakfast club, nurser y sessions, afterschool club, and full day care, from Monday to Friday during the term and additionally offer holiday club. Poppies age range is 2 years old to Reception, while Poppyfields is 2 years old to Year 2. For Poppies, St Mar y’s Academy site, enquiries please contact billpoppies@gmail.com, and for Poppyfields at Fair field Lower School, Dickens Boulevard site, please contact billpoppyfields@gmail.com.
We enjoyed welcoming back all our children last month and began March celebrating St David’s Day with Daffodils and Welsh Cakes, followed swiftly by World Book Day and Mothers Day when the chidlren enjoyed talking about all the lovely things our Mummy’s do for us
We wish to thank all our parents and staff for wearing fantastic costumes to celebrate World Book Day
We suppor ted Comic Relief on 15th March, children came to Pippin wearing red We wish to thank all our families and staff for suppor ting this event We would like to say a big thank you to local businesses that generously donated to our Easter Raffle
Big shout out to Stotfold Junior Football Club, Talent Shore, Bespoke 77, BK Electrical, Hair by Phillip, Pendleton Centre, Her ts FA, Per fect Playland, H.E.R. Nails and First Steps, your donations were ver y much appreciated.
Easter Holiday club will be open for the second week of the Easter Holidays 8th -12th April, we are closed for the inset day on 15th April, and return to Preschool on Tuesday 16th April. Next month we will share details for our fundraising event, our legendar y Race Night, which will be returning in June Thank you for your interest in our Pre -School We Wish you all A wonder ful Easter and look for ward to sharing more of our news with you again next month
Welcome to this month’s news from Roecroft Lower School; it has been a rather shor t Spring term and the weather has been rather damp. We are ver y much looking for ward some drier, sunnier days as we move into the summer term.
This month we have an update from our Head of Curriculum and Year 2 teacher, Miss Emmerson: Over the Spring term, KS1 have been super busy with their new topics of learning. Year 1 have been focusing on the theme 'A Knight's Tale' and have been thoroughly enjoying the stor y 'How to Catch a Dragon'. The children made predictions about how the dragons could be caught and then retold the stor y in groups with some ver y expressive actions! Within this topic, the children also created their own medieval themed moving picture
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In Year 2, learning has been based upon the topic 'Kings and Queens' and the children have learnt about the histor y of some of our most famous monarchs such as Henr y VIII, Elizabeth I and Victoria They have also learnt about our current Royal family through exploring a variety of sources and have discussed the event of King Charles III's Coronation
In other areas of the curriculum, the children have worked hard on some nonchronological repor ts based upon animals This utilised a lot of tricky English skills such as using different openers, expanded noun phrases, headings and statement sentences
Now the end of term is approaching, I am sure the children are all excited to take home their Easter cards that they have been working hard to make and perhaps take par t in some Easter egg hunts with their friends and families I know we are also looking for ward to the summer events across Year 1 and 2 such as school trips to our local librar y and Knebwor th house!
We look for ward to updating you on more of our news next month.
This month our children had the oppor tunity to be immersed in The Ar ts through a visit to the school from the Image Musical Theatre with The Selfish Giant production and also our inaugural Literar y Festival to mark World Book Day. Our festival day immersed children in playwrights, poets and per formers to widen their literar y knowledge.
They then had the oppor tunity to per form a reading, act a shor t skit, share jokes or read a poem to their classes and winners went through to a whole school final where the children bravely per formed to the large school audiences at both our sites They were superb; speaking clearly and with intonation - ver y useful skills for the future!
We see the Ar ts as a catalyst for cultural development and are a point at which different cultures meet and recognise one another ’s wor th and diversity The ar ts have the power to inspire, inform, stimulate, challenge and enter tain Weaving this through our curriculum makes Fair field's curriculum enriched with wider oppor tunities
Value of the Half Term: Fairness
Fair field Park Lower School
Dickens Boulevard & Ruskin Drive office@fair fieldparklower.uk 01462 830000
During March we celebrated World Book Day and Red Nose Day where our children dressed up and enjoyed themed activities and competitions both in school and at home.
Our Year 3 children took par t in a Faith Tour to Bedford which was not only educational but a really cultural day for them. Our Year 4 children took par t in an action packed 3day residential trip to Rock UK Frontier Centre, this was thoroughly enjoyed by all!
Please see our website for more information and pictures on these fun events.
Due to the two week Easter break, April is a relatively quiet month for us Our last day of term before Easter was Thursday 28th March and we included all of the children in
some fun Easter activities outside in the brighter weather as well as an Easter Ser vice at St Mar y’s Church
Following the Easter Holidays, the children will return to school on Tuesday 16th April.
Our parent’s association the SMSA held a ver y successful Mother ’s Day Gift event where the children could choose their own present from a selection for their mums, grandmothers and carers. They also held a fun chocolate bar Wonderlicious event – who had the golden tickets to win a prize? Not only do these events provide lots of fun, but the money raised enhances the education and experience of all the children in our school
We are hoping some of the funds raised will help towards more curriculum resources for the children to enjoy! Until our next instalment we wish you all a ver y pleasant Easter break
It doesn’t seem possible that we are now at the end of the spring term Our Juniors are approaching their Primar y assessments and Year 11 students are imminently taking their GCSE examinations Some of the Year 11’s pupils have already taken their practical examinations for example, Hospitality and Catering
Our Etonbur y Juniors immersed themselves in World Book Day Our Juniors looked superb dressed as their favourite book characters Our World Book Day 'Bookface' competition was a huge success, with incredibly creative entries Congratulations to all par ticipants!
Huge congratulations to our Etonbur y Academy debate team, winners of the Commissioner ’s 2024 Schools Debate Competition Thank you to Ms Young and Mrs Hume for suppor ting our team Congratulations also to our Year 11 boys football team who have successfully made it through to The County Cup finals
We are delighted to share that applications for enrolment at Etonbur y Sixth Form for September 2024 are now available on our website If you have any questions, please do contact our Head of Sixth Form via email:cdowden@bestacademies org uk Did you know we have the best GCSE results in Central Bedfordshire? If you are looking for a Year 9 place for your child in September 2024 we have limited places available, please call the School Office to book a tour.
Please continue to share in our values, Ever yone is respectful, Together we care and aim higher.
Mrs J Young – Principal Etonbur y Academy www.etonbur y.org.uk
Stotfold based cat sitting service
Now in our 11th year!
Your cats looked after in your own home while you are away, giving you complete peace of mind I am fully insured & can feed your cats once or twice a day Other small animals can also be catered for
Please call Claire 07984 344 997
This term has included some truly critical moments in the life of Pix Brook Academy including our first OFSTED inspection. While it was under taken a number of months ago there is a moratorium on sharing the outcome of the inspection for a period of time which has now elapsed.
An inspection for any school is a big moment for ever yone involved, this includes the School, Trust, parents and pupils. This is even more so for a new school receiving its first inspection. I am pleased to say that it went extremely well. We were inspected by four colleagues, two from His Majesties Inspectorate (HMI) and two from OFSTED. The process is rigorous and ever y element of the school is thoroughly reviewed. It is par ticularly pleasing the inspectors noted how well our pupils behave and their attitude towards their learning – the Outstanding judgement we received is well deser ved and is reflective of how well our pupils respond to the high expectations the school has of them I would like to take this oppor tunity to thank parents for their continued suppor t of the school in this area
It was also most gratifying that inspectors recognised some of the challenges we faced in growing so rapidly over the last few years by judging Leadership and Management as outstanding Ever y member of staff at Pix Brook and BEST has worked incredibly hard to ensure our provision is of the highest calibre and that ever y oppor tunity is taken to ensure what we provide is as good as it can be
Having been judged officially “good” we will take the oppor tunity to learn from this process and consider what we need to do next There is no time to pause in education, ever y day matters and there is always much more to do!
Stephen Adams - Principal.
St Mar y's Church Stotfold
'Music for a Spring Evening’
Saturday 27th April 7pm
Caroline Muzols, flute & Adrian Quarr y, organ
Donations welcome, cash or card for St Mar y's Church
Registered Charity No 1131275
Enquiries:Revd Jane Wheatley 01462 731170
Our family announcements are F
www justgiving com/gardenhousehospice
Announcements: We are happy to accept family announcements by post, telephone, email or through our facebook page If you would like to make a donation in return for your announcement then please visit the website above Please mention that the donation has been made on behalf of the Stotfold & Arlesey News Magazine
Why not surprise someone with an announcement in the Stotfold News Magazine?
All we need is your chosen wording and a photograph (if you would like) and we’ll do the rest! Email us at stotfold news@yahoo co uk
Charit y Garage Sale
(All Proceeds to Alzheimer ’s (Fight Against Dementia)
Saturday 13th April –
Saturday 20th April & Saturday 27th April
20 White Crofts, Stotfold 10-4pm Refreshments
Contact Bridie on 01462 639279, Email: bridget smith@uwclub net
Windows, frames, sills, conser vator ys, fascia & soffits
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Call: 07949 853411
One - off or regular 4/8/12 weekly cleans
ADAM WOOD
14th April
Happy 21st bir thday
Have a good day Love from all of us X
ISLA
19th April
Happy Bir thday lovely Isla. Lots of love from Nanny and Grandad xx.
GR ACE GIBB
And in a blink of an eye you were 18!
Happy 18th bir thday Grace!
Enjoy your celebrations
Love from Mum, Dad, Law, Claudia and Wanda xxxx
CHLOË SCOTT
Happy bir thday to my beautiful girlfriend Chloë.
Lots of love from Ali and Ron xx
LUCY
Happy 10th Bir thday!
Lots of love from Mummy, Daddy, Georgia & Noah xxx
FINN
AMBER KING
27th April
Happy 19th Bir thday
Lots of love from us all x
ELSIE
Happy 3rd Bir thday
Have a great day munchkin
We love you to the moon and back!
Love
all your family x
In loving mem ory of our b eautifu l dog Finn
You helped us make Stotfold our new home and made friends with ever yone we met Forever in our hear ts
DAVID ROBERT BECKETT
Jennifer and Family wish to thank ever yone who attended David s funeral ser vice on 1st March Especially those who travelled a long way to attend. We would also like to thank ever yone for their kind words of sympathy, messages, cards and flowers received following the sad loss of David.
Special thanks to Staff at E H Crouch for their respect and dignity to David and Family
Loach
When we are hit with something unexpected, especially if unwanted, stressful, frightening or all of the above, we may become flooded with panic. When this happens, we can lose the ver y skills we need to address and navigate such a situation. Yet the way that our bodies are programmed to respond to stress is influenced by the way those around us responded to our stress during our early lives. This sets up a stress response at a deep, but unconscious bodily level. In the face of stress, our systems can automatically activate a panic response, which inhibits our ability to think rationally and clearly. These are the ver y par ts of the brain we need most to manage stressful events. And so, while we are not able to consciously stop our body’s automatic response, we can learn how to respond differently when the panic response is activated.
We do this by learning to recognise what is happening and what helps us, personally, to restore calm to our system This aids the recover y of our thinking capacity rather than leaving us stuck in a state of high emotion I was recently reminded of this by a friend who shared their anxiety about a situation They recognised their anxiety and responded by moving from their worr ying mind into their body, by putting music on and having a dance! While ‘lost in music’, an idea popped up about how to manage their situation By restoring their ability to relax their bodily system, inspiration arose! Anxiety can be contagious When we acknowledge rather than deny it and do something to calm it, we can break the cycle and re -engage the brain’s thinking capacity In turn this can help us find a way for ward What calms your system?
Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm Wednesdays 1pm - 4pm
At this year ’s Annual Town Meeting, held on Thursday 7 March in the Memorial Hall, the Mayor of Stotfold, Cllr Steve Buck rewarded and recognised the excellent Editor of the Stotfold News, Joanne King
In his speech, Cllr Steve Buck recognised the tremendous work of the magazine in the community and it’s huge amount of deliver y volunteers The Stotfold News Magazine is a popular publication which brings together information from around the town to residents who may not hear of the news from elsewhere Joanne compiles the magazine ever y month and is extremely grateful to all of the businesses that suppor t her through adver tising in ever y edition The Stotfold News began in 2005 and was taken over by Joanne in 2015 Joanne, coming from a larger newspaper organisation, has driven the Stotfold News to the vibrant, glossy magazine we have today, delivered to just under 5,000 homes in Stotfold each month The magazine also suppor ts many community groups and organisations and regularly suppor ts the Stotfold Mill events in both May and October Last year it also took over the organisation of the Stotfold Walking Market in August We are sure that recognising the Stotfold News Magazine for the work it has done over the years and continued through the pandemic is cer tainly something that needs an award
6th June 2024 sees the 80th anniversar y of the world’s largest amphibious landing ever when the Allies landed on the beaches in Normandy which launched the liberation of Europe and the ultimate end of the Second World War. The Town Council are asking residents to join us in a commemorative event at the War Memorial in Stotfold Cemeter y, followed by a parade to the beacon, lead by a Piper, where the beacon will be lit. The ser vice will commence at 7.30pm, when wreaths will be laid, and a shor t ser vice will be held.
The Town Council has invested in outdoor ping pong tables, located at the Greenacre Open Space and Arlesey Road Recreation Ground. The attractions of park ping pong tables are numerous. First, table tennis is one of the most accessible spor ts. The games are quick, the rules are simple, and it doesn't require a high level of athleticism or expensive equipment to play Plus, it's an incredibly fun way to stay active Our youth provider will be running ping pong sessions during the Easter Holidays Watch our social media or website for more information A fur ther two tables will be installed at Riverside later in the year
Plans are progressing for the bir thday par ty for Stotfold Town Council Please save the date in your diar y for the weekend of 29/30 June We are planning a family friendly weekend at Arlesey Road recreation ground including music, activities, stalls, food and most impor tantly, our own Stotfold beer and gin!
All meetings held at Greenacre Centre, star ting at 7pm unless other wise stated For up- to-date meeting schedule, please check our website www stotfoldtowncouncil gov uk
Wednesday 1st May Annual Council Meeting and Mayor Making
SAVE THE DATE
Thursday 6th June 2024 D Day 80th Commemoration & Beacon Lighting, Stotfold Cemeter y 29/30 June 2024 Stotfold’s 50th bir thday bash, Arlesey Road Recreation Ground
www.theneedproject.org
Well another ver y busy month considering there’s only four weeks in Februar y There seems to be no slowdown in how busy we are, and the need for parcels keeps on growing compared to each previous year We are ver y, ver y grateful as always for all the suppor t we get from ever yone through prayer and gifting, and the person who says hello, how are you?
Our top up bags give away is also ver y busy in Stotfold, Sandy and Shefford and we regularly see an increase of people at our doors, but we are glad they come because if they didn’t the food would go in the bin and that is so wrong. This month we are expecting visits from two local MPs from mid and Central Bedfordshire (on separate visits) to see what we do (could be some interesting conversations).
We continue to tr y and track down food and have continue to spend monthly on stock and to be honest it is a concern how much we are spending, but there is a massive need for help, and it is not going away. But we are still ver y much committed to our original mission of feeding those who genuinely need it, unconditionally and through Gods grace and provision we will continue.
On a seperate note, finally our offer on the premises we were after was accepted and our solicitors are in communication with the sellers We have engaged an architect, so hopefully things are on the move (please pray for this situation as it is a big step for us and a big commitment), but we know we can’t stay where we are as we have outgrown our present place, which has and continues to be a brilliant place for us to operate out of
The new place will give us the oppor tunity to create a more efficient, permanent way of working with food and, we will have a great oppor tunity to develop a versatile space for our community with massive options There are two stages to the building project
One is (our focus and main mission and will always be) feeding those in need And secondly creating a space for community and space for us to develop our relationships within our community
The two- step plan is:
Step one - get our food set up working as soon as possible with a natural flow between premises.
Step two - is the development the upper level into a community space with rooms, a café area and a quiet space. If you are a local business and would like to suppor t the project please contact me on 07496 833940. There is a lot to do, but it will give a great space and will benefit our community,
Praise God always,
We take great pride in being different from other local publications as we firmly believe in delivering local content to our local community. Over 30 year ’s experience in local adver tising means we are confident in providing your business with the ver y best advice to help you get the ver y best out of your local adver tising budget.
Our magazines are delivered FREE to Stotfold, Fair field & Arlesey each month, offering two entirely seperate publications for each area. With over 70 different businesses trusting us on a monthly basis, we know that we created a magazine that truly delivers results
To see how the Stotfold News Magazine can help your local business, call us today on 01462 731986.
My family and I live in a local village and serving as the Member of Parliament for our community in Hitchin is a privilege. With Stotfold and Arlesey set to join the Hitchin constituency at the General Election, I have been out meeting so many of you to hear your priorities
As a Member of Parliament, I want us to have strong communities which we can all be proud to call home
You’ve told me about the di culties in getting a local GP appointment I get it Local healthcare is personal to me, as the son of a local doctor and pharmacist That’s why I’ve been campaign to open a new GP surgery to serve our local villages As your MP, I’ll extend that campaign and work to secure a new GP surgery here - to help clear up waiting lists and increase local GP capacity
You’ve told me about your concerns over inappropriate, badly-integrated local development I get it We all understand the need for new housing to allow people who’ve grown up locally to stay in our communities, but it can’t come at the expense of the things that make us all proud to call this area home As an MP, I’ve worked with developers and our local Councils to demand that new infrastructure is delivered first - before houses are built.
And I’ve championed increased protections for our beautiful green spaces So that the beautiful natural environment we love is there for our children and grandchildren to enjoy As your MP, I’ll work with you to ensure that Arlesey and Stotfold remain attractive communities you can be proud to call home
As a Member of Parliament, I work hard to ensure that I’m always listening, open, and accountable to you You can sign up for my weekly newsletter at www bimafolami co uk/sign-my-newsletter and I look forward to meeting you in the coming months
Get in touch with Bim! Email o ce@bimafolami.co.uk.
In our April fun quiz, compiled and presented by Stotfold’s ver y own Brain of Britain, David Stedman, we are floating gently downstream and exploring a theme of WORLD RIVERS. Clues contained in each question or answer. (Answers on page 4 - no cheating!)
1 Jeffrey Preston Bezos is the founder and former CEO of which major international company?
2 What name completes this group of favourite children’s television characters: Tinky-Winky, Laa -Laa, Dipsy and . . . ?
3 What is the colour of the character in the answer to the previous question, also the name of a river made famous in the title of a Western film of the 1940s starring John Wayne and Montgomer y Clift?
4 Give the stage surname of the British comedy actress, glamour girl and sometime Carr y On star (pic above.)
5 What is the name of the stream near Stirling in Scotland which, in 1314, was the scene of a Scottish victor y over an English army commanded by King Edward II?
6 The Siberian, also known as the Amur, is the largest and most power ful member of which big cat family?
7 Give the surname of the 19th centur y Austrian composer whose works include “Tales from the Vienna Woods” and “The Blue Danube”?
8 What is the single word stage name of the Irish singer pictured right who had a 1980s UK number one with “Orinoco Flow”?
9 What is the surname of the British police detective character played by Michael Kitchen in a 2000s television series set during World War Two and just after?
10 So-called Mud Pie is a US desser t pie containing chocolate sauce, brownies and chocolate custard on top of a crumbly chocolate crust. It
shares its name, as indicated by the dash, with which major river?
11 Donovan’s pop song “Mellow”, Aldous Huxley’s novel “Chrome” and Aubrey Beardsley’s journal “Book” all have titles linked with which one same colour?
12 On the right is actor Mackenzie Crook pictured in his breakthrough role in which British television comedy series?
13 What was the surname of the 18th9th centur y Italian scientist who invented the electric batter y, a name now honoured in the SI unit of electric potential?
14 What is the name (in English) of the international airpor t situated in County Clare which ser ves the west of Ireland?
15 Pictured right is the mother and former coach of which British spor tsman?
16 During World War Two, what was the name of the German warship scuttled by its captain in the River Plate, Uruguay, in 1939 after being pursued by a Royal Navy task force?
17 What is the title of the film for which the British actress Julie Christie won the 1965 Oscar and BAFTA awards as Best Actress?
18 The name of a notorious American criminal from the 1930s is made up of two rivers, Clyde (Scotland) and Barrow (Ireland). What was the first name of his infamous female accomplice?
19 Pictured right is a diagram of what sor t of river fishing net?
20 Just as Uncle Sam is the male
personification of the USA, what is the name of the much more dignified figure, pictured right, who is the female personification of the USA?
For more fascinating facts and to download and read my novels, completely free of charge, please visit my website at davidstedman.co.uk or Google david stedman author.
Februar y was a month of many postponements due to waterlogged pitched. However of the matches played, the 1st team won 1, drew 1 and lost 1 of their league fixtures The Development team continue to sweep all before them winning all 4 league matches and reaching the final of the Britannia Cup with a resounding 8-1 victor y over Biggleswade Utd Reser ves The Women’s team won their only their league match and reached the semi-final of the league cup winning 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Berkhamsted Ladies The U18 team won both of their league matches
Fur ther fixtures will be shown on the website and social media as they become available
Please suppor t the club by taking up our sponsorship and adver tising promotions Details are on the club website
JSJ Stadium New Roker Park Arlesey Road Stotfold, Bedfordshire, SG5 4HE 01462 539297
www.stotfoldfc.co.uk
Stotfold Junior Football Club News www stotfoldjunior fc co uk
Our U18 Greys are in the Rutter cup final on Sunday 24th March 24 @ The Bur y, Buntingford for a 2pm kick off, good luck Mark and his team, they would appreciate your suppor t
Paul Wenlock the manager of the U12 yellows moving to U13’s next season which means 11 aside football Therefore they are looking for new players, so if you are interested please contact Paul on 07534 495587 or paul1wolves@googlemail com
Congratulations to our U16 Ambers for reaching the County Cup Final which s being held at Kempston Rovers FC on Sunday 28th April,1PM.
APRIL Walks:
Walks star t at 10 45am
Thursday 4th, 11th, Arlesey train Station
Thursday 11th Etonbur y Woods (entrance by Etonbur y School)
Thursday 25th Corner of Hospital Rd/ High Street, Arlesey
We welcome new members!! More details contact
Beth Over field 01462 815672
Our first competition of the month was HWJC Green and Under where our five judoka faced tough competition An excellent per formance from Ralph Mitchell earned him a gold medal, followed by Lewis Dixon who secured silver and Toby West who battled bravely to bronze We then headed with our four most experienced judoka’s to the prestigious and tough English Open at Spor tsDock where Hari Crowley showed excellent technique and won a bronze medal To find out more about joining our club see the adver t below, right
Stotfold Twirlers have just taken par t in their first competition of 2024 and we are pleased to say that they have 4 girls through to Nationals to be held in Crawley in May
These are Poppy Collins, Layla Stafford, Phoebe Elley and Evie Eldridge.
Huge congratulations also to Mila and Grace for also qualifying in their heat held in Havant - they too are now off to Nationals!
For more details email: Sonia.crook@hotmail.com
The 1st Sat of the month 5k at Letchwor th Common will be on 6th April at 9am. Entr y is free and open to all runners
The Standalone 10k will be on 6th Oct and entries are now open We continue with our training sessions on Tues & Thurs at 7pm and welcome runners of all abilities all under qualified coaches
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE NHRR.ORG.UK OR CALL IAN 07506429928
We are inviting new and experienced ladies, men and juniors to join for the 2024 season, which runs from April until September Reduced membership fee for new members for the first year (Match fees apply)
Petanque - Why not give this spor t a tr y? Join our club and play petanque It’s an outdoor spor t for all the family played all year round Signing on Day Saturday April 6th April 10.00am to 4.00pmLike to know more? Call Bob Robinson on 07801 473585 Email: bob.a.robinson@gmail.com
www fair fieldbowls com
EVENT FOR ADULTS
Ever y Friday Knit and Knatter 10.30am-12pm
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN
Ever y Tuesday (Except April 2nd ) Stor y and Rhyme Time
10 30am and 11:15am Now limited to 10 children maximum Children’s crafts will be available from the Librar y!
2nd & 5th April and 11th & 12th April 2-5pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-12pm)
Wednesday 10th 2-6pm
Chameleon Sand Ar t is back!
Ever y Saturday, 10am-12pm
Pokémon Club!
Ever y Saturday 10-3pm
Lego Club!
Easter Holidays Activities 2nd April – 13th April
Chameleon Sand Ar t, 10th April, 2-6pm
Easter Egg Hunt, throughout the holidays - find all the eggs in the librar y for a prize!
Easter Colouring Competition, throughout the holidays Crafts, 2nd-5th April and 11th&12th April ( Wednesdays and Fridays 2-5pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-12pm)
Stor y & Rhyme Time, 9th April, 10 30am and 11:15am (10 children max, first come first ser ve)
Pokémon Club, Saturdays 10am-12pm
Lego Club, Saturdays 10-3pm
EVENTS FOR ALL THE FAMILY
Ever y Monday~ *In par tnership with the Children’s Centre*
Stotfold Family Drop-in, 9am-10 30am For parents, carers, babies, and children Free cuppa and play Suppor t, advice, and signposting for all aspects of parenting Self-weigh scales available (recommended for families with children aged 0-12 years)
Do you struggle with anxiety or depression?
Have you followed diets and still struggled to lose weight?
Do you really want to quit smoking but don’t know how?
Do you struggle with negative thought patterns or phobias? The Pathway Hypnotherapy Rooms can help! We can suppor t you to overcome your negative thoughts and behaviours to create a positive future.
CONTACT US TODAY! CALL 07497 157531 glen@thepathwayhypnotherapyrooms.co.uk www thepathwayhypnotherapyrooms co uk
I'm thrilled to mark five years of ser ving as your local foot health professional, bringing quality care right to your doorstep In this journey, I've had the privilege of being your trusted par tner in foot health, addressing common conditions like corns, calluses, verrucae, and fungal nails with a gentle, caring approach
I truly love my job, especially the oppor tunity it gives me to care for each of my patients. It's a joy to see the relief on their faces as we work together to alleviate discomfor t and improve foot health. Over these 5 years, I've not only been a foot health provider but have also been for tunate to call many of you my friends. The connections made through my work have been incredibly meaningful, and I'm grateful for each and ever y one of them.
As I celebrate this milestone anniversar y, which feels like the bir thday of a cherished endeavor, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Stotfold community for your unwavering suppor t and trust. Your patronage and referrals have been instrumental in my success, and I'm excited about the future possibilities to enhance my ser vices and make an even greater impact on foot health in our community
To show my appreciation and celebrate this occasion, I'm happy to announce that throughout the month of April, all my patients will receive a complimentar y foot cream and a foot care guide goody bag It's my little way of saying thank you for allowing me to be a par t of your lives for the past 5 years
Here's to many more years of walking together towards healthier, happier feet!
Verena Jar vis Jar vis Foot Care YourLocal Mobile Foot Health Professional
Sunday Ser vices
7 April: Communion Ser vice at 10.30am. King’s Kids and Youth will run and creche will be super vised.
14 April: All Age Ser vice at 10.30am.
14 April: Encounter Worship at 6.00pm.
21 April: Ser vice at 10.30am. King’s Kids and Youth will run and creche will be available with parental responsibility.
28 April: Communion Ser vice at 10.30am. King’s Kids and Youth will run and creche will be available with parental responsibility
Works of Hear t: Monday 8 April at 8 00pm ‘Have a go’ at crafts, make new friends and share craft ideas
Prayer Meetings
Sundays: 6 00pm – 7 30pm
Wednesdays: 10 00am – 12 00 noon
Accelerate for Children 10-13 term time only
Tuesdays: 6 00pm – 7 00pm
Home from Home: Free, all welcome: join us for soup, tea, coffee, cake, biscuits, games, puzzles, ar ts & crafts
Wednesdays: 1 00pm – 4 00pm
King’s Baptist Church, The Green SG5 4AN www kingsbaptistchurch co uk
Special events in April:
Book Sale and Coffee Morning at 10.00am-noon on Saturday 20 April in the Church Hall.
Organ and Flute Recital at 7.00pm on Saturday 27 April in Church.
Church open ever y day Your Parish Church is open ever y day from 9 00am-4 30pm for anyone who wants a time of quiet personal prayer, refection or to light a candle
Worship Ser vices
First Sunday of the Month: 8 00-8 45am Parish Communion;
9 00-9 20am Sunday Morning Prayer;
10 00-11 00am Parish Communion and Sunday School;
4 00-4 45pm Tea Time Praise for young families
Second, Four th & Fifth Sundays: 9 00-9 20am Sunday Morning Prayer;
10 00-11 00am Parish Communion and Sunday School
Third Sunday 9 00-9 45am Parish Communion; 10:00-11 00am Moring Praise (a ser vice without Holy Communion)
5 30-7 00pm Youth Group at the Vicarage
Wednesday Ser vice: 9 45-10 30am Parish Communion
Monday – Saturday: 9 00-9 20am Morning Prayer
Christenings held on the 4th Sunday of each month. Please contact Sara Clark on 01462 625270 .
Weddings: To be married in your parish Church contact Revd. Bill Britt on 01462 730218.
Funerals. The church is available for any local person’s funeral. For information speak to your funeral director or telephone Revd. Bill
The Church of England Parish Church for Stotfold & Fair field. Church Road SG5 4NE. www stotfoldchurch org uk
Still waiting? Spring will come Though it seems like we’ve been living in the middle of the Amazon rainforest! But the sun is getting warmer, honestly!
At our last ser vice, we focussed on emptying ourselves Perhaps years of unfulfilled expectations, yearnings, or personal needs And to just stop, take a breath Sometimes, on our own we cannot always achieve all the desires we set for ourselves But there is One who promises to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, if we ask.
Our next ser vice will be on 5th May at 11:15am. (Our April ser vice was cancelled due to Easter events)
We look for ward to welcoming you. Our ser vice is followed by refreshments where we get the chance to chat and catch- up in a friendly, informal setting. Children are most welcome to our family ser vice.
Rev. Jane WheatleySeveral Bible discussion (Lyfe) groups operate throughout the week at different times and in different locations. Please contact us for more information.
OTHER ACTIVITIES IN APRIL
THURSDAY 04th APRIL: HOBBY HUB 10:30 am -12.30 pm – Join us for a hot beverage whilst hobbying at your own pace
THURSDAY 11th APRIL: TOAST OF THE TOWN 10:30 am -12 pm - Drop in for tea, toast and a chat. Lots of toasty toppings available so choose your favourite.
MONDAY 15th APRIL: FELLOWSHIP 7:00 pm – Join us for a talk by Cllr Steve Buck about a Year in the life of Stotfold Mayor. This session is open to everyone.
THURSDAY 25th APRIL: CONNECT (Youth club for Grown Ups) 10:30 am -12.30 pm – We’re getting the table tennis, pool table and board games out so join us for a few friendly games.
Morning – 10.00am
WHAT’S ON
6 April
Club – 2.00 to 3.30pm each Monday
CONTACTS
Minister Rev Emmanuel Onabanjo 07464 881751
Senior Steward Maggie Turner 01462-731030
Secretary Julie Longhurst 01462-731167
Meetings
Meetings
Wednesday 10th April 2024
Talk
Simon White –
‘Peter Beale and the romance of the Rose’ Tea and Coffee ser ved - Raffle
For
stotfoldgc@gmail com
www.hrjforemanlaws.co.uk
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