The Grapevine SEAMER & TAME BRIDGE MAGAZINE
No. 171 December 2021 to January 2022 Keep up to date with what’s happening locally by visiting
Seamer Village Website: seamervillage.co.uk or Facebook group: Seamer Local’s Chit Chat
M E R R Y
H A P P Y
C H R I S T M A S
N E W Y
E A R 1
EDITOR’S NOTES
It would appear that COVID is still having an effect on activities this Christmas and this Grapevine is smaller than I thought. It is, however, a time to thank all those involved in Grapevine Production and distribution, those who organise events in the village and everyone who attends them and makes the village a nice place to live. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The next edition will cover February and March and articles should reach me by 27th January at 08.00. Thanks.
Dave Campy
ST MARTIN’S CHURCH
Parish of Stokesley with Seamer Church Christmas Services 2021 Sunday 28th November Sunday19th December
4pm 6pm
Christingle! Service of Lessons and Carols Monday 20th December 6pm Carols on West Green Friday 24th December 4pm Informal Crib service (followed by refreshments) 6pm Carols by Candlelight 11.30pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 9.15am Seamer Church – Holy Communion service 10.45am Stokesley Church – Celebration service Boxing Day 9.30am Holy Communion service Stokesley with Seamer Parish Church wish you all the peace and joy of the Christmas season. We warmly invite you to join us in worship at this time.
Stokesley Church Coffee Morning in the Town Hall on 28th January, 2
VILLAGE HALL NEWS AND EVENTS CAROL SINGING 19th December - Methodist Church to Hilton Road and Stainton Road 20th December - Methodist Church to Holme Lane Meet 6.00pm at the Church 21st December - Newby. Meet at Newby Village Hall at 6.00pm All are welcome to come and enjoy singing your favourites and maybe being rewarded!!
Thanks to Walter Pattison MBE for providing the Village Christmas Tree (as has been the case for a good number of years) and all those that help erect and dress the tree with Lights and make the Village look lovely. Editor More info: 710822
POP-IN Now open again Mondays 10-12 The NOW & THEN magazines are available to collect from the village hall when open. 3
GRAND HALL TIDY UP Saturday 15th January 10am The Village Hall is in need of a good clean up after its period on non-activity due to COVID. Whilst regulars do clean up after using it, it is the places that that do not get used much that need most attention. So put the date in your diary and come along and help. It would be good to have at least one person from each group that uses the hall to help sort out unwanted items. Thanks. RECYCLING STAMPS Thank you to everyone who has given me their used stamps. Please continue to do so especially at Christmas time from cards and parcels etc. It makes a huge difference. This year I will recycle them via RNIB as shown on their website at: http://rnib.in/StampsAppeal Ann Thomas VILLAGE HALL QUIZ NIGHT The hall quiz on Saturday night was a great success. It was lovely to see the hall full of people enjoying themselves again. Jim and Jo (or should I say Paul Daniels and Debbie Mc Gee) were brilliant quiz masters and Jo’s bloomer giving the answer before the question brought the house down! We have to thank our team of helpers Phil, Viv, Christine Campy, June, Gill and Jo who kindly came along to help set the hall up and to prepare the food. We couldn’t have managed without you all. We made £330.78 for the Village Hall, but more importantly everyone enjoyed the night. Joan and Christine
SEAMER VILLAGE HALL 100+ CLUB November winners were (124 members) 1st £20 67 Mick Moore, The Green 2nd £15 54 Kathy Mark, Tame Bridge 3rd £12 138 Julie Roche, Tame Bridge 4th £10 99 Stuart Milner, Tame Bridge 5th £ 5 88 Glenn McGill, Leconfield For those members who joined last December/January, you are due to join again. I will contact you by email, phone or call and see you. If you are not at home, I will leave a letter with details of how to contact me. To help me to remind you when your renewal fees are due, could you please let me have your e-mail address or telephone number. This is easier than me coming to see you. If anyone would like to become a member, it costs £12 a year per number and each month half the monthly money is given out as prize money and the other half goes to the village hall funds. I look forward to hearing from you. Christine Cooper chris_cooper1@hotmail.com 01642 701733 4
POST OFFICE VAN IN SEAMER The Post Office will continue to offer full services (from a van) on Tuesdays 10.30 -11.30 between the Post Box and Seamer Motors. There will be stamps, cards (including Christmas Cards), Newspapers, Magazines, etc Ideal for Christmas stamps, etc. Give it a try! Please make full use of this or we may lose it 5
SEAMER METHODIST CHURCH SEAMER REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE A total of £44.00 was raised at the Remembrance Day Service held in the Village Hall. 12 people attended, including two actively Serving personnel, and was a real tribute to those that gave their lives in the pursuit of our freedom. TIMES OF WORSHIP All services are at 10.30am except the 12th December Tree Lighting/Carols ceremony at 4 pm 5th December led by Ken Hudson 12th December Tree Lighting/Carols led by Rev Rob Weir at 4.00 pm 19th December led by Ron Kirk 26th December Circuit Service on-line 2nd January led by Christine Campy 9th January led by Rev Rob Weir and will be Holy Communion 16th January led by Ken Hudson 23rd January led by Rev Rob Weir 30th January led by Rev Trevor Haigh CAROL SINGING ROUND SEAMER AND NEWBY We hope to do the usual Carol Singing in Seamer and Newby again this year 19th December - Methodist Church to Hilton Road and Stainton Road 20th December - Methodist Church to Holme Lane 21st December - Newby All welcome. Meet 6.00pm at the Church for Seamer nights and at Newby Village Hall for Newby Ron Kirk NEW MINISTER ROB WEIR My name's Rob Weir, and since September I've been the Minister at Seamer Methodist Church - in addition to the Methodist Churches at Great Ayton and Easby. My Mum always said to me that I was born two weeks late, and have been late ever since - so although I've been around a bit, this is the first time I've got something written in time for Grapevine! You might not guess from my accent, but I do have connections to the NorthEast; I lived in Billingham for a dozen years growing up, before spending 13 years on Merseyside working for Pilkington Glass, and then another 13 years as a Minister - most recently in Whitchurch in Shropshire. It's a real pleasure to be back in an area that I do at least know a bit, and especially where I can even get to see my Football Team play occasionally; not Boro, but Hartlepool United I'm afraid. 6
I've already met some people around the village at the MacMillan Coffee Morning as well as at services at Chapel; I'm intending to come to the Pop-in at the Village Hall occasionally as well. And of course with Christmas coming up I'm hoping to see some of you at the Christmas Tree Lighting and Carol Service on Sunday 12th December, and maybe even when we go out Carol Singing - if my voice holds out. Feel free to say hello if you see me out and about - don't let the beard put you off! God Bless Rob RIP LIONEL WILLIAM HUTCHINSON (BILLY) 25/7/25 – 02/10/21 Born and raised in Seamer, the son of Lionel and Ellen Hutchinson. Seamer’s oldest, original resident, Lionel, Dad, Grandad, Great Grandad and for most of us who knew him – Billy Hutchinson was born at Seamer Farm on 25th July 1925; the eldest of the Hutchinson children. Billy was soon to find his love for the outdoors and especially his farm. He didn’t have much time for school; he used to always say to us, whilst we were scrolling through our phones, “Do you know what? My teacher always said, mobile phones will be the ruination of this country”. Not only did Billy’s school invent the mobile phone, but it was also the start of his love for poetry. When I say poetry - I mean mucky rhymes. The locals, the customers at Seamer Farm Shop and his family thought of Billy as well-travelled man. He knew so many people from around the globe; a young woman from Australia, a young woman from Nantucket, a young woman from Ealing and another young woman from Leeds. Billy didn’t need school, he was a naturally talented man. He knew the ins and outs of farming machinery and his hands could fix anything that was broken. Still at the age of 96 he would tell his Grandchildren how to time a motorbike, albeit he would tell them 75 times in a day, he was always precise with his instructions. Over the years Billy has seen the development of the farming industry from working horses, steam engines and later diesel tractors. It was only a few weeks ago that Billy was sat watching Bainbridges wrapping bales using new, modern and complex machines. He was quick to remark how easy farming is nowadays! Billy would always talk about the times he had many a girl chasing after him. He use to carry two on his bike, one on the front and one on the back. But he only had eyes for one lass - Barbara. Billy and Barbara married in 1952 and had 6 children. They lived a simple life on the farm. Billy would tend to the land and animals, whilst Barbara was the familiar face in the shop. Seamer Farm was always filled with people; Billy loved a busy house, whether it be his old school friends, grandchildren or Dennis from over the road – he just loved to be surrounded by the people he loved. His door was always open. Billy was a huge character, a popular man within the farming community and with the villagers of Seamer. He would usually be sat outside with his cap and walking stick, talking to anybody that would talk to him. This year Seamer Farm lost its true legend. That familiar, happy face is no longer 7
with us but the memories and stories will always remain with us. RIP Billy There was a young man called Billy Who told jokes that were crude, rude and silly. We are heartbroken you are gone, but your legacy lives on, Rest in peace our wonderful and loving Billy. Barbara Hutchinson
GRAPEVINE CONTACTS
All Landlines are prefixed with 01642 Magazine Layout, Editor, Printing and Distribution Coordinator David Campy, 5a Holme Lane, Seamer E mail: david.campy123@btinternet.com 710320 Front Cover Illustration Vivien Hyman 269663 St Martin’s Judith Turland Judithturland@gmail.com 710489 John Groom john@hillviews.co.uk 712138 David Hand david.h49@talktalk.net 07801 366029 Methodist Church Ron Kirk, 2 Rosehill, Great Ayton 722053 Seamer Village Hall Chairperson: Mark Murphy Email : medinnov8@hotmail.com Bookings: Ann Thomas catcabcam@googlemail.com 710822 Village News and Events Contact: Ann Thomas catcabcam@googlemail.com 710822 Dave Campy david.campy123@btinternet.com 710320 Oil Club Contacts David Ward 710333 Gordon Reed 711495 Seamer Parish Council E-Mail: glenn.mcgill57@gmail.com Seamer Correspondent for Darlington and Stockton Times Christine Cooper 701733 Seamer Village Website seamervillage.co.uk The Globe, Stokesley Website http://www.theglobelibrarystokesley.org ooooOOOOooo 8