Chapel Lawn
Bucknell
THE REDLAKE
Issue 2 April 08
The web edition of the Redlake is a slightly adjusted version of the paper copy to bring you just a little more information and some colour photographs.
From the Editors
Word from the street and when people are gathered together is that THE REDLAKE has been well received, which encourages us to continue with the venture. We would still like to hear from you, either by letter, phone or e-mail and details of how to contact us are given below.
This quarter, as promised, we include Sarah Harding's map of our area showing the local townships. Also, in this issue, Rankin Lewis writes of the history of the Air Gun Club, the profile is of Kim & Sheila Smith and if you walk our local footpaths and rights of way, you will be interested in knowing how they are looked after. This is by a volunteer body called P3 (Parish Paths Partnership). They work with the county council and as a result Clun and Chapel Lawn footpaths are among the best kept in the county. P3 coordinators are Peter James and Ronnie Middleton. The working party consists of Peter, assisted by Keith Robinson and Graham Newton, all of Clun. If you would like to help, you can contact Peter on 01588 640027, but you would need to undertake training: his report appears on page 4. There is no farming column at this busy lambing time but look out for the farming tricks of the trade.
THE REDLAKE is published by The Redlake Valley Hall Committee and neither the committee nor the editors can accept responsibility for any opinions expressed by contributors in these pages. The editorial team reserves the right to edit contributions as it believes appropriate.
The editorial team
comprises: Jane Kent, Christine Page, Becky Whitton & Michael
Macturk
How to contact us: by mail The Redlake Editors, Squire Farm,
Chapel Lawn, SY7 0BW
by telephone 01547 530 530 or by e-mail
theredlake@squirefarm.co.uk
Seasonal Gardening Notes
Hamamelis, or Chinese Witch Hazel, is the star of the winter garden. It is an easy, hardy shrub that won't get too big and needs no pruning. It's not fussy about position, as long as it has some sun and soil that is not too dry. It blooms on the bare stems from Christmas until March in strong colours of egg-yolk yellow, tawny orange or gingery red. Its flowers look like the tousled ribbon bunches you add to gift-wrapping and they are richly scented - a Christmas puddingy blend of citrus-spiciness, which hangs in the air on still days. The foliage will colour magnificently in favourable autumn. The bruise-soothing liniment comes from the American witch hazel, which is not such a garden-worthy plant as its growth is straggly and its flowers small.
The National Collection of Hamamelis is held in Shropshire by Pat Edwards at Swallow Hayes, Albrighton, near Wolverhampton. The next garden open day is 20 January 2008. Telephone 01902 372624 for more details.
Hannah Willets
Profile
Kim & Sheila Smith
We all feel we know Kim and Sheila. They are the smiling faces behind the bar at almost every social event in Chapel Lawn. They keep the Flicks in the Sticks going from strength to strength and are always there on any occasion, especially when tables and chairs need to be put up and taken down. They are pillars of the Chapel Lawn community. But what do we know about Kim and Sheila? I can now reveal all!
Sheila was born in Ashton under Lyne and Kim in Derby. Fate took a hand when they both decided to study chemistry at Sheffield University and so met. Here, Sheila aided Kim by taking his notes for him and helping with his maths. Kim reciprocated by sorting Sheila's physics; and love blossomed! Kim had gone to university on an RAF cadetship and when he left Sheffield, joined up and learnt to fly. Sheila became an analytical chemist in Newcastle upon Tyne. They married eighteen months later and moved to Northumberland where Kim became a search and rescue helicopter pilot. In the following years he served in Cyprus; they were there when Turkey invaded. He also served in Germany, and Lincolnshire where their son Julian was born. He now lives and works as a patent researcher in London. Meantime Sheila retrained as a teacher with the expectation that she could teach in service schools when posted abroad, only to find that regulations made this impossible. Instead she did a large variety of things; she taught English as a second language, volunteered in various areas, acted as an unpaid Social Worker, played a lot of Bridge, drank a large amount of coffee, and eventually got involved with flower arranging. Kim's RAF service included stints in Northern Ireland, and involvement in both the Falklands war and the first Gulf war. By the time he was ready to leave the RAF he had served for thirty years and immediately prior to his retirement he was a Wing Commander working in London for the MOD.
Sheila and Kim were still in Germany, however, when they decided that they would like to move to Shropshire, where they already had many friends. They came for a weeks holiday with a list of about ten properties in South Shropshire to consider and luckily for Chapel Lawn the Schoolhouse met most of their criteria. To quote Kim it was "without doubt the best decision we made in our lives - for quality of life, friendly people and fabulous countryside". Initially they were concerned that Chapel Lawn might be too small for a community life, but were instantly proved wrong. Kim was still working in London, Sheila was coping with the move on her own, and straight away neighbours came calling, welcoming her and offering help. They felt it was a good omen for the future. As we know, Kim and Sheila embraced life in the community and through their involvement have helped it to develop in a range of ways in recent times, including being for some years Chair and Secretary of the Village Hall Committee and instigators and organisers of Flicks in the Sticks.
They still have time for other activities. When he retired, Kim was entitled to undertake ‘resettlement training’. And, unusually, decided to study picture framing. He really enjoyed it, continued to develop his skills to Fine Art Guild standards, and opened what is now a flourishing Art Gallery and Framers in Leintwardine. Sheila's flower arranging also goes from strength to strength. She is now deeply involved with NAFAS, presently Vice-Chair for the region, and also gives talks and demonstrations.
I am sure that Chapel Lawn regards it as a good day for the community when, in 1998, Kim and Sheila flew in.
Jane Kent
Parish Plan
A pilot questionnaire has been developed based on the consultation of the past few months and the answers are now being analysed. We hope to send out final copies during May. Every person in the Parish over the age of 12 will be invited to fill in their own answers and offer their own thoughts. Based on your responses, the Parish Council will have a much better idea of what you consider important for the community.
A bit of history…
St Mary’s Church
The present church was built in 1844 as a Chapel of Ease to St George’s Church in Clun and remained in that Ecclesiastical Parish until 1991 when it became a Parish in its own right.
The 1844 building was due to the expanding population and the fact that a three-mile walk over hills rising to 1,300 feet above sea level could be somewhat harsh and daunting in winter.
The Chapel Lawn services and welfare were provided by the clergy from Clun. The charity had been sustained by glebe lands in the Pentre. Another charity, the Sturchley, with land to the east of Caer Caradoc, previously known as Gaer Ditches, provided “Bread for the Poor of the Parish”. The proviso for this was that they attend church at Clun every Sunday. However, the charity was indentured on 2 November 1730, long before St Mary’s was thought of, let alone built: we believe this charity still exists.
Today, Chapel Lawn is within the Benefice of Bucknell, which also includes the Parishes of Bucknell, Stowe and Llanfairwaterdine. The vicar, the Reverend Eileen Tavernor, is based in Bucknell and presides over a local Ministry Team which has two representatives for Chapel Lawn, Pat Hancock and Beryl Palmer, there to help encourage all of us to be part of the Church and community life. More about the role of the local Ministry Team can be found on the website, which is www.chapel-lawn.co.uk.
Services are held at 9.30am on the first and third Sundays of the month; all are most welcome to attend. On one occasion a cat joined the service, went behind the organ and discharged the mousetrap (a snap and meow!) to much mirth from the congregation.
Chapel Lawn is an open and friendly village and the church part of the overall community spirit, here and in the surrounding centres of population.
If you have
any questions or would like
to get more involved, please speak to
Kim Smith on 01547 530504
Seasonal Gardening Notes
We have long been encouraged to plant butterfly and bee plants in our gardens but, by sundown, the supplies of nectar and pollen in these flowers will have been depleted. For the benefit of night-flying insects there are many beautiful plants whose flowers begin to open at dusk with fresh supplies of food: evening primrose, night-scented stocks, marvel of Peru, tobacco plants, and the pretty schizopetalon, whose flowers look like snowflakes. All of these are annuals so seed can be scattered now, or plants bought. For a more permanent planting, choose jasmine and honeysuckle.
Most
of these flowers are tubular, a design specification for moths which have
very long tongues. And all of them are
deliciously scented, so that insects are
attracted from afar. This makes the plants all the more enticing for us too,
on those balmy summer
evenings when we can sit outside after dark,
being bitten to death by all the midges and
mozzies. Thankfully, the night-shift
also includes pest-controllers: a pipistrelle bat will catch 3,000 flying
insects every night. So assure them of a feast by planting night-scented
flowers.
Alana Ecology of Bishops Castle are offering a free Bat Pack of information.
Call 01588 630173 or www.alanaecology.com/bats
Hannah Willets
Local Ministry Group
Since December 2007 two representatives from the Chapel Lawn parish have
joined the Local Ministry Group. Pat Hancock and Beryl Palmer now bring the
LMG back to full strength. They bring new skills and interests to the group
and will help to keep local parishioners informed of developments within the
Bucknell group of parishes.
The LMG has been in existence for nine months. Most members have undertaken a couple of formal training days and continue to meet and train informally most months. Some small practical activities are beginning to emerge; new notices about our community links are in preparation around the parishes. Pat and I have started to list details of Chapel Lawn organisations which will be posted on the boards, now in the Church. There will be spaces for notices of local Church and Village events and contact names. There will also be a section for written prayers, open to anyone to leave on the board to be read by all who enter the Church.The LMG is there to help to encourage all of us to be part of the Church and community life.
The most important development is probably in how we all view ministry within our parishes. There is an attempt to add something to the traditional position in which we have expected our Vicar to minister to us. The LMG is there to help Eileen to share and develop ideas and to add new perceptions to the ministry of the Church within our parishes. Out of these meetings can come ideas and insights that would not have emerged without discussions. This cross-fertilisation is valuable and it is often enjoyable too.
Recent Events
Since Christmas and the publication of the first newsletter, we have had three village social events in the Redlake Hall:
One Sunday in February we had the Food and Flicks. Fare for this event was Ratatouille (the film) and a choice of three delicious French-style dishes for the food. The hall was packed and after the meal, everyone helped clear the tables and pack them away and then arrange the chairs for the film. Although a cartoon, Ratatouille proved to be as popular with the older (and more cynical) members of the audience as it did with the few children who were there. Our thanks go to Kim and Sheila Smith for organising the event and to all the people who cooked the food, provided the puddings and helped on the day.
On 21st February at the second of our Village ‘Social’ evenings, I gave a slide show and talked about my journey from Portugal to England with a friend, two horses and a dog. About forty people came to listen and it all went smoothly – thank goodness – the ancient slide projector actually worked and people were interested enough to ask lots of questions. Kim manned the bar and provided a barrel of beer and we had a sausage in a bun for those who were hungry. The evening raised £196.00, which was split between the Teme Valley Hunt Supporters and funds for this newsletter. My thanks to Beryl, Kim, Patrick, Jane, Jeremy and Jemima and others who helped set the hall up and clear away.
On
the following Saturday, the Hall was packed again for the Cheese and Wine
Party. Thelma Lewis organised this event and we enjoyed an evening of
extremely varied entertainment drawn entirely from local talent: ‘The Band
With No Name’, youngsters from Clun Young Farmers kicked off with some
popular songs. After a good spread of bread, cheese and biscuits and a few
drinks, auctioneer Nick Grabbitt, of Grabbitt, Fleece and Conner, sold a
good selection of wine, whiskey and other items generously donated for the
occasion. Kathryn Price performed some great pieces on her keyboard and
finally ‘The Band with No Name’ gave it some wellie with a selection of
Wurzel favourites and an agricultural adaptation of songs from South
Pacific. A total of £1,065 was raised from entrance fees, donations and
raffle, bar takings, guess the weight of the cake and the auction. The money
will be divided equally between the village hall fund and the church, the
latter element going towards a bench in the churchyard.
Not quite a review needed for this; but one Thursday afternoon in March, a band of sprightly cleaners, goaded into action by Beryl Palmer, turned up to give the Hall its spring clean. We swept and dusted, mopped and scrubbed, disinfected and bleached and many thanks (on behalf of the community) to all those who did it.
We are also about to start a yoga class in the Hall, this Tuesday 1st April. Is Patrick (Cosgrove, organiser) having us on? Will we all turn up in leotards and with yoga mats under our arms to be greeted by Patrick and his ‘candid camera’?!
Becky Whitton
Council Matters
The Clun with Chapel Lawn (CL) Parish Council meets nine times a year in Clun and once in CL. Three of the twelve councillors represent CL: Councillors K. Smith, S. Sherring and K. Terry. No matters of major significance affecting CL ward were discussed recently.
Planning applications from Little Bryncalled, Brook House at Pentre, land at Pentre Farm and Lower Hodre were all either supported or voted ‘no objection’.
Looking after our footpaths
In October 2005, the Parish Council accepted the recommendations of its Rights of Way and Environment Committee (ROWEC) and signed the updated P3 agreement, first entered into 10 years ago. The Chapel Lawn Ward member of the Committee is Councillor Keith Terry.
The purpose of the agreement is to provide the framework within which the four P3 volunteers work through-out Clun parish on behalf of the County Council and the local community to keep open and promote the public right of way network.
The County Council provides the training, tools and replacement countryside furniture and the volunteers the 'muscle'. They usually attend to damaged and worn out furniture during the winter months and attempt to keep clear the overgrowth on rights of way during the summer. The bigger, heavier jobs are left to the County Council's Countryside access team. Replacement way marking is ongoing.
Users may have noted that all of the stile steps have non-slip metal grids to improve safety, especially when wet and slippery, In fact, all 184 stiles in the parish have been so fitted by P3 - just one example of the work carried out and believed to be unique amongst Shropshire parishes.
If you want to report a blockage you should contact Countryside Access at Shirehall, 01743 255055 or e-mail kevinjones@shropshire.gov.org
Peter James
Life from a bucket
Tricks of the trade for new farmers: Having difficulty getting a newborn lamb to breathe after clearing its airways and massaging its chest? That first breath of life can come from a quick dunk into a bucket of cold water, the shock sometimes does the trick! Nurture well afterwards.
Chapel Lawn Air Gun Club
Early Years
Air gun clubs were very popular countrywide dating from the 1800’s. Chapel Lawn Club was formed in 1905, due to the encouragement and gift of a gun and tin of pellets by the vicar of Clun.
Unfortunately we have no record books of these formative years, the oldest minute book we have is dated March 1910. It was proposed that Mr Bedwell, School master, be authorised to procure a proper, suitable minute book (which may explain why we have no previous records). Also, Mr Middleton be thanked for the use of the room (I understand that this was a room in an old cottage which is now part of James Middleton’s farm buildings)
Things did not always go smoothly and on 21st January 1911, a protest was sent to the league, recording the problems of a match shot on the Clun Valley League, detailed in 1910 minute book. This may have led to the resignation of Mr. Bedwell, Hon Secretary.
I notice that on March 11th, 1911 a whist drive had been held and a profit of £2 1s 9½d was handed to the treasurer. It was also noted that the vicar was thanked for the use of the room; we do not know what room, although we know the schoolroom was used for whist drives, concerts, dances etc. The Club was closed during the First World War between 1914 and 1918 and the Second World War (1939 to 1945) and we know that a number of members lost their lives. Their names can be seen on the memorial in the Church.
After the first war the club went through another bad time and was closed down at one stage. It was restarted in 1933 with shooting evenings on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7-9 pm and a Mr. Lewis was to be asked for the use of his granary. This was possibly the same granary that was used for several years until the Village Hall was built. The club entered the Teme Valley League. By this time travelling had changed from horse to motor and the team travelled by bus. Quotes for transport were tendered by Whitefoot, Clun; Sherwood, Bucknell; Williams and Wooding, Knighton and Parker at Newcastle.
1934 saw the club purchase a new gun. Unfortunately in 1938 someone stole one of the guns and it was later found abandoned in a hollow tree by the village; rusty and useless. Yes, there was at least one hooligan around in those days!
Today
How quickly things can change! The 05-06 season saw a very successful Centenary Celebration in the Village Hall with past members travelling long distances to attend. The weather was so bad it prevented some older members joining us and we also greatly missed those members who had passed away in the last few years.
06-07 was a bad season. Our ‘B’ team were short of shooters and joined Purslow who were also short, which left Chapel Lawn with one team and struggling. A few of us thought we could get two teams together with an effort, but it was eventually James Middleton who succeeded in recruiting enough new members from the ‘incomers’ in the village and the ‘B’ team returning for Chapel Lawn to sport two teams again for the 07-08 season.
It is not a sport for nervous people and there are lots of pressures, but I must say I admire the ones who made the grade, all newcomers or nearly newcomers to the area. To them and all the other newcomers, I say welcome to our little community and thank you for helping Chapel Lawn to rise like the mythical phoenix from the ashes and hopefully, with a bit of support, maintain and build on the present happy and interesting club and community.
Rankin Lewis
Library – use it or lose it
The Bishops Castle mobile library visits our area on alternate Mondays, next stop 14 April. Presently stops are: the Pentre 11.50-midday, and Obley 12.15-12.25pm. You can order books on the internet or by phone and collect them from the van.
To order your books or request a stop at CL call 01588 638215 or libraries@shropshire-cc.gov.uk or www.shropshire.gov.uk/library.nsf
Local Dialect Words
More words from the Clun valley:
|
Brummock |
A tool for hacking or splitting wood |
|
Coutch |
To cuddle and hold closely |
|
Cratch |
To have a meal. A “good cratcher” – a man with a hearty appetite |
|
Doondering |
Worrying about some-thing in a distracted, absent-minded way |
|
Figairiment |
Embroidery or decor-ation of a fanciful kind |
Dog helps ewe adopt lamb
Tricks of the trade for new farmers: A reluctant ewe can often be convinced to adopt a lamb, wrapped in her own lamb’s skin, by standing your dog in front of her pen. As she stands stamping her foot at the dog the lamb gets a chance to suckle and, hopefully, the bond is made.
