Saints Alive: Stanhoe and Barwick Newsletter

April 2023

Parish Council Matters:–

• Parish Council Meeting:– We held our most recent Parish Council Meeting on Wednesday March 8th. We discussed (again) the Precept; having spent all our resources in the year to April a lot of discussion took place regarding priorities for the next year including possible savings to minimise, if not reduce, next year’s precept. This included consideration of whether to continue cutting the playing field grass all summer, or allowing some areas for ‘wilding’. Equally a full discussion took place regarding the need to maintain the playground equipment. These two items alone account for almost 40 pct. of our total expenses. This will be discussed in more detail with the MEHM trustees, as owners of the playing field, at our next meeting on Wednesday, May 10th.
• AGM:– We will hold our AGM on the 10th May at 7:00 pm after our 5:00pm Parish Council Meeting. The AGM will be very short and will be followed by drinks and nibbles for all, so please come to the party and earlier if you have any interest or contributions to make to any of the items for discussion above or anything else that will be detailed in the forthcoming Agenda which will be posted on the ‘Stanhoe.org’ website beforehand.
• Village Litter Pick:– Due to lockdowns etc. we have missed the last two Stanhoe Village Spring Litter Picks. This year it is scheduled for Saturday April 22nd. Please join us at the Village Hall at 10:00 am for instructions and to collect some hazard wear. It doesn’t take more than 2 hours; it is fun and is a vital service to our village. Please bring any friends and family (including young), boots and a pair of gloves. Did we say please? Please!
• SAM 2 Speed Sign:– The sign was positioned at the Grange facing Docking during February. This is some way after the restriction sign (at the Hall) i.e. well inside the speed zone. The traffic count was 11,462 vehicles: sadly, a speed of 65mph was recorded on Thursday 2nd at 5:50 pm. Unless it was in an emergency vehicle, the driver was an idiot! However, the average speed of the traffic was 28.5 mph.
• Bircham Crossroads:– While on the subject of traffic, the accident occurrence at the crossroads seems to be endless. Your Council is making further representations to BCKLWN to suppress this problem with better signage before something fatal happens there.
• Go To Town/Bus Service:– Following the withdrawal of the Go to Town bus service to Stanhoe, Council members contacted both Norfolk County Council and our MP to seek action to help residents with transport. We were advised to use the current Dial-a-Bus service, a bookable mini bus service on Thursdays to Fakenham, and using the Burnham Market bus on alternate Mondays to Kings Lynn. Book through 01553 776971 and ask about the fare, payable in cash only.
• Parish Council Elections:– We have written (in the last issue) about the PC elections. If you have any interest in helping advise/run/resolve issues in Stanhoe, please join us and put your name forward; our Clerk (below) will be more than happy to help you, and provide you with a nomination pack, and you will be very welcome. It involves attending 6 meetings a year, normally lasting no more than 1 1/2 hours, starting at 6:00pm in the Village Hall.

Some useful dates:–

• Notice of Election Tuesday 21 March
• Close of Nominations / Withdrawals Tuesday 4 April (4pm)
• Statement of Persons Nominated Wednesday 5 April (4pm)
• Election Registration Deadline Monday 17 April
• Postal Votes Deadline Tuesday 18 April (5pm)
• Photo-ID VAC Application Deadline Tuesday 25 April (5pm)
• Counting / Polling Agents Deadline Wednesday 26 April
• Replacement Postal Votes (first date) Thursday 27 April
• Emergency Proxy Applications Thursday 4 May (5pm)
• Further information can be found at:–www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/beaparishcouncillor

Stanhoe Parish Clerk, Position Open:–

After 7 highly successful years as our Parish Clerk, we have reluctantly accepted Wayne Leighton’s decision to move on to other things. While we deeply regret his decision we are very keen to find someone willing to step in. The job entails acting as the ‘private secretary’ for the Council working closely with the Chairman, dealing with routine correspondence, preparing the agenda and minutes of the 6 meetings each year, preparing accounts and being the primary interface with all others from the Borough Council to individual parishioners. The current position involves approximately 19 hours desk work per month and the rate of pay is SCP5 £11.21 per hour. Essential skills include basic computer competence, communication ability and a desire to help the village. Please do not hesitate to contact Wayne at parishclerk@stanhoe.org or on 01485 518570 or request a call from the Chairman, David Lord to obtain further details.

Contact: For any queries or more info, please contact our Clerk, Wayne Leighton at ‘parishclerk@stanhoe.org’ or on 01485 518570.

NB:– Reading room to be used as Polling Station. Photo ID needed for voting.

Stanhoe and Barwick WI:–

Thursday 6th April:- Ruth Smith, with her hilarious tales of “Life with Nanny”.

Thursday 4th May:- Anne Guymer, “Endurance”. An illustrated talk about Oxburgh Hall. This will be followed by our Coronation Tea. Sorry, this meeting is for members only

The Reading Room, Stanhoe. 2:00pm.

Visitors are most welcome; our charge is £5, which includes refreshments.

Please contact Valerie (01485 576261) for further details.

Stanhoe Village Hall & Reading Room And Playing Field:–

The Background:- The Mary Esther Hollway Memorial Trust Charity own the Village Hall & Reading Room and now the Playing Field, purchased for the Village in 2015, preserving this green space for future generations.

The Reading Room was built in 1886 by Henry Hollway Calthrop of Stanhoe Hall in memory of his mother, Mary Esther Hollway, who died giving birth to him. The marble figure on her tomb in All Saints’ churchyard, is well known in Stanhoe as the ‘Weeping Lady’ but Henry disliked the memorial so much he planted a Yew tree to grow over it and hide it. Instead, to keep her memory alive, he built the Reading Room. The Calthrops had no children themselves so devoted themselves to the people of Stanhoe. They held night school classes for the boys of the village, teaching them English Literature, Music and French and Henry also wrote and produced plays on Classical lines.

In 1932 Henry Calthrop made the Reading Room over to a Village Trust when he decided to sell the Estate. They were to hold the premises in the name of the Mary Esther Hollway Memorial Reading Room ‘as a reading room and club for the use and mental improvement of the male inhabitants of the villages of Stanhoe and Barwick’.

Today we retain the name Reading Room but also use the name Village Hall and welcome everyone!!

We also welcome dog walkers on the Playing Field, but insist that you pick up after you dog and use the bin provided by the field entrance by the Village Hall.

The hub of the village, the Hall hosts the weekly Tuesday Coffee Morning, Wednesday Exercise Class, the WI on the 1st Thursday of the month, monthly Stanhoe Village Screen film nights as well as Parish Council and MEHM Trust Meetings every other month, local organisation’s meetings, craft groups, family parties, wakes, weddings, lectures and more.

If you would like to set up a regular weekly or monthly meeting, such as a Baby and Toddler Group, as we are delighted to know that we have some new arrivals in the village, please do get in touch to discuss it.

We shall also be hosting the CORONATION BBQ PICNIC on 7th May for which we need volunteers to man ‘side shows’ ie: refreshment and games stalls etc.

If you would like further information about hiring either the Hall, the Playing Field or both, head to Stanhoe.org website, Village Hall section where you can contact Laura Pocock (Chairman MEHM Trust) and find rates and more information.

UPDATE:–

Our first Friday BAR OPEN on March 3rd was a great success with newcomers to the village joining long term residents for drinks and a chat and sausages a plenty!

We intend to open the newly refurbished Bar on the 1st Friday of EVERY month from 6pm - 9pm. (£2 contribution per person to cover running costs and of course, sausages on the Bar!)

Please do come and support this new initiative, it’s success depends on YOU!!!

Stanhoe Coronation Celebration:–

Plans are now well underway for the village coronation event. At the meeting of the organising group last Monday, 6th March, it was confirmed that the BBQ Picnic would be held on Sunday, 7th May starting at 12noon. Taking place at the Village Hall and Playing Field, there will be a BBQ and Bar, games and competitions for all the family, music, a puppet making workshop, fun dog show, raffle and more. Everyone is welcome of course - tickets will be £5 to include BBQ lunch with children 12 and under free.

We will definitely need more volunteers to help with setting up and running the event - please do get in touch with Mike Wilson mikecycle3@gmail.com or Laura Pocock laurajpocock@yahoo.co.uk

Alternatively come along to the next meeting at Stanhoe Village Hall on Sunday, 2nd April at 4:30pm - we’d love to see you there.

Stanhoe Open Gardens:–

Pen Roche has retired from organising Open Gardens, having done it brilliantly for many, many years and myself and Neil Shearer (new owner of The Pottery) have big shoes to fill as we have now taken it on.We’d be really grateful if this could go in April’s Saints’ Alive to give everyone the date, to encourage some more people to show their gardens and also to give people a chance to grow plants for the Plant Stall which consistently raises the most money but nerve wrackingly, most plants only appear at the last minute unannounced. This year, it would be good Please email neil.shearer@icloud.com or laurajpocock@yahoo.co.uk to sign up or for more information.

The A-Z of Scams:–

Trading Standards Scotland have put together an A-Z of Scams. Initially shared during December the full list is now available on their website at www.tsscot.co.uk/a-z-scams.

On the page each letter has a link to a PDF information sheet with more information and advice about the type of scam.