Saints Alive: Stanhoe and Barwick Newsletter

September 2022

Parish Council Matters:–

• SAM 2 Speed Sign:– Technology has a habit of testing one. This time it appears that the tiny back up battery that keeps the clock going while the main battery is changed, gave up thus costing us all of July’s data which was recorded as of the factory reset date sometime in the last century. Hopefully it is all working properly again having dismantled the machine to fit a replacement battery. June’s figures, when the sign was at Leo facing Burnham Market (i.e. on the Docking Road about opposite to the Playing Field) recorded 15,334 vehicles, the fastest of which was going at 60 mph @ 8.40 pm on Friday the 21st. The good news is that over 50% of the traffic in the month was travelling at 30 mph or less.

• The Pond:– With the lack of rain, the Pond has unsurprisingly now gone completely dry. Your Council is fresh out of solutions; the proposed bore hole was too expensive and beyond our means (at about £12k); putting 50k gallons of water in was deemed by the experts to be ineffective, and digging a deeper ‘pit’ was considered likely to cause more harm than good. We are still open to any and all ideas, but right now the ducks have temporarily moved out and the geese that remain are struggling, but surviving with the kind help of a parishioner or two. Please contact our Clerk if you know of anyone who might be able to assist.

• Fire Risk:– Further to the dry weather, we are now in an area of severe fire risk, and have seen the damage wild fires have wrought in Brancaster and elsewhere. We are advised the emergency services are almost powerless to effectively intervene. So in the interim, don’t even think of any barbeques, outside fires, bonfires or even having a fag! Needless to say, if by the time you receive this we are experiencing equatorial downpours, then the above will sound a bit ‘over the top’. But the current concern is very real indeed.

• The Playground Equipment:– The equipment in the Playground is also suffering, so please take extra care with the young if you choose to let them play.

• Litter Pick:– We would normally have had our village litter pick morning by now, but the Jubilee event and hot weather have delayed matters. We will hope to announce a date following our next meeting on Sept 14th.

• Village Defibrillator:– We are still working to raise funds for the defibrillator and donations are being collected by the Stanhoe Parish Council who have made significant contributions and underwriting commitments. Please also see details of Mike Wilson’s efforts below, and the payment instructions for any of you who feel able to help.

• Go to Town Bus:– We understand the weekend service is being reduced. Please let us know if you have any worries or queries we can raise on your behalf.

• PC Meeting:– As mentioned above, our next meeting is on Wednesday Sept 14th in the Village Hall at 6:00 pm., please come, join us and have your say. Any queries should be addressed to our Parish Clerk, Wayne Leighton on 01485 518570 or ‘parishclerk@stanhoe.org’.

• Contact:– You can contact us through the Parish Clerk, Wayne Leighton on 01485 518570 or email parishclerk@stanhoe.org for any info regarding life, affairs and issues in Stanhoe.

Stanhoe Defibrillator Fund:–

Mike Wilson has successfully completed his Mount Ventoux bike challenge. “I have exceeded my challenge and, most importantly, have survived to tell the tale! Initially, I had pledged to climb a minimum of 3000 metres, over approximately 150 miles. My final tally was:– 4998 metres or 159 miles. I would be delighted if you feel able to sponsor me. A good start was made at the Jubilee Lunch and it would be wonderful if we could make up the difference and get the Defibrillator in situ as soon as possible.

Donations can be made by bank transfer to the Parish Council bank account as follows:–

• Account name: Stanhoe Parish Council
• Account number: 80836176
• Sort code: 20–30–81
• Please use reference DEFIB on your transfer.

Many thanks, Mike Wilson mikecycle3@gmail.com

Stanhoe Open Gardens Day 2022:–

This year’s Open Gardens Day was held on Saturday 18th June and was a wonderful success. In spite of poor weather lots of visitors came to view the eight gardens on show: Barwick House, Cloves Cottage, Flint House, Moray Cottage, Isabel Lodge, The Coach House, The Grange and The Old Stores. The new look village map, designed by Laura Faulks, was most informative and greatly admired.

£3,241.35 was raised in aid of All Saints’ Church which is a fantastic result. Sowerby’s Holiday Cottages generously supported the event with sponsorship of £200.

The Vintage Clothes and Bric-A-Brac Stall in the church did wonderfully well raising a profit of £523. The Plant Stall at Everitt House was also a huge success making a magnificent £576. The Grange was the perfect venue for the Cake Stall with an excellent profit of £432.40 and, in spite of the weather, Pimms at the Village Hall made £80 and Cream Teas at Isabel Lodge made £235.00.

The raffle was a great success, many quality prizes having been generously donated.

A huge ‘thank you’ to all who helped on the day and also with the prior preparation and post clearing up.

Stanhoe Village Screen:–

are pleased to announce our first film for the autumn season:

For further information visit the website: Stanhoe.org (or ring 01485 518191).

Dates For Your Diary:–

Monday 17th October 7:30pm:– The Phantom Of The Open (12) (Comedy/Drama/Sport)

Friday 25th November 7:30pm:– Elvis (12a) (Biography/Musical)

Stanhoe & Barwick WI:–

Thursday 1st September:– we will be holding a beetle drive.

Thursday 6th October:– Andrew Tatham, “I shall not be away long”. The First World War letters from an officer to his family.

Thursday 3rd November:– Candi Robertson. How non-mango mango chutney became a local success story.

Visitors and potential new members always welcome, £3.

Please contact Valerie for further details 01485 576261.

Stanhoe Methodist Church:–

Our congregation at Stanhoe Methodist Church continues to meet for regular Morning Services, on alternate Sundays, at 11:00am. We keep all the residents of the village of Stanhoe very much in our thoughts and prayers: we have a Prayer Chain, where a number of us keep in touch by telephone, and pray regularly for those on our list (respecting anonymity by using only first names). If you are in particular need of prayers, please contact one of our stewards - contact details are on the church noticeboard.

We were very pleased to welcome our new minister, Rev. Dr. Richman Ncube, who came from Zimbabwe in September, 2020 – not a good time for us, or for him and his family. However, after two years, they are all well settled. He is responsible for 5 churches, but is able to come regularly, at least once a quarter, to conduct Communion Services. Other services are led by Methodist Local Preachers.

Sadly, Burnham Market Methodist Church has had to close down, due to dwindling numbers and poor health amongst the congregation. The remaining members are worshipping with us.

Our Service dates for the next quarter are as follows: 4th and 18th September; 2nd, 16th and 30th October, and 13th and 27th November.

Harvest festival will be celebrated on 18th September.

Our church was re-decorated inside, earlier in the summer, and is now looking very smart and clean.

All are welcome to any of our services. For more details, please see the Noticeboard.

Elizabeth MacLeod

‘Hunstanton & District Community Voices?’:–

‘Another new choir in Hunstanton?’ some may say….. surely not! No; rather a re-branding of the Hunstanton Community Choir, to more accurately reflect our new members and our new Music Director, Liz Dark.

Many current members had never previously sung, but if you enjoy music and perhaps singing along in private, we are exactly what you want. Has one of your previous activities not survived Covid? - Do you fancy singing? - Not sure you can sing? Not sung since you left school? Try us for size and see how you feel. Nothing too serious, and if you like music from West Side Story or Godspell, or fancy trying to sing Adiemus by Karl Jenkins, or that lovely piece, Elizabethan Serenade, come along on a Monday evening by 7.00 pm to meet us and Liz, who tries to keep us in order. All lyrics provided, weekly subs are modest and your first week is free. We start back on Monday 5th September

Better still we are hosting a ‘Singalong with us’ evening on Monday 26th September, AND for anyone who wants to just see what this is all about, pop in and see what we do, perhaps have a go at a few songs or just sit and listen to us under the direction of Liz.

If you would like a leaflet specifically about the ‘Singalong with us evening’, either for yourself or to pass on to friends, please just let us know using the contact details below.

Time:– 7:00 pm

Place:– Christian Way Fellowship Hall, Downs Close, Hunstanton PE36 5HU Parking is available.

Further information:– please contact lesley.trebbick@btinternet.com or ring on 07802 879976.