Friday 23 March 2018

Village News

with Margaret Morbey : 01844-208913

Litter Pick

A small team of Litter Pickers gathered recently when their sterling efforts scouring the lanes and hedgerows in the village and approach roads into the village filled 25 bags with assorted litter, including car parts, squashed and unsquashed beer cans, empty bottles of wine, crisp packets and other miscellaneous rubbish. The weary workers were rewarded with a cuppa and some wonderful home-made cakes by Sharon and her team at The Bell. John and Alicia Howard, who organised the litter pick, thank Louise and Nick Puttick, Louise and Richard Philips, Julian George, Joy Payne, Annie and Tim Bradley, Maria and Peter Allen, Susan Olding, Nic Brown, Phil and Margaret Morbey, Mike and Suzie Heybrook, Phil and Philippa Rawlings for turning up on a very cold, wintry day and would like to ask all villagers to help keep Chearsley tidy during the summer months, by just picking up bits of litter you might see around the village.

Easter Parade and Sunshine Club Matinee Cinema presents a showing of Easter Parade starring all time greats , Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in The Bernard Hall on Monday March 26 at 1.30pm. (Doors open at 1pm). Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy this wonderful film shown on a big screen, with comfortable seats and tea and cake brought to your seat during the interval. Tickets cost £5 or £4 (concessions) and include refreshments and can be booked by phoning 01844 291526. Tickets might also be available on the door.

Lock Up Your Sheds
A timely reminder and warning to be aware of strangers and thieves in the area and to keep all property, sheds and garages secure. There was recently a break in at allotment sheds in Cuddington when tools were stolen.

Advice for Dog Walkers
Sue Jones, the Police Community Support Officer for Chearsley offers the following reminder to dog walkers when they are around sheep and lambs at this time of the year.
“Sheep are valuable assets and any harm to them harms a farmer’s livelihood. It is every dog’s instinct to chase, even if they are usually obedient and good with other animals. Chasing by dogs can do serious damage to sheep, even if the dog doesn’t catch them. The stress of worrying by dogs can cause sheep to die and pregnant ewes to miscarry their lambs. Sheep fleeing from dogs are often killed or seriously injured by their panicked attempts to escape, causing untold damage to fences and field boundaries in the process. Dogs chasing ewes and lambs can cause mis-mothering issues, with lambs dying from starvation or hypothermia when they become separated from their mother and fail to find her again.
Dog bites can cause death in sheep or necessitate them being put down at a later date, or in less severe cases considerable veterinary bills and additional welfare issues as a result of flies being attracted to the blood and leading to a nasty health problem in sheep called “fly strike”. Injuries to sheep can also delay the normal farming routine, be it the mating season or administration of vital medicines and vaccines. It is an offence to allow a dog to worry sheep. Worrying includes attacking or chasing sheep and in some circumstances, farmers are legally entitled to shoot dogs if they are endangering their sheep. It is vital that you keep your dog on the lead around livestock, even if you can usually trust it to come to all. If you live in or near a farming area, you must make sure that your dog cannot escape from your property as it may find its way onto land containing sheep.

Easter and April at The Bell 
  • The Meat Raffle this Sunday, March 25 will be a Massive Easter Meat Raffle with £200 of meat available to be won. Tickets cost £2 and the raffle will be drawn at 3pm.
  • The Bell bar will be open all day for the Easter Weekend Saturday, March 31 - this must herald the start of Spring leading to a sunny summer.
  • Bingo is on Tuesday April 3 with Eyes Down at 8.45pm
  • The monthly quiz on Sunday April 8 at 8pm
  • Saturday April 21 St George’s Day Celebration Evening Meal Booking for this great patriotic evening is essential. Details of the set menu will be available shortly.
  • In addition to a new Spring Menu, Wednesday nights continue to be Curry and a pint for £10. Make time from shopping or household chores every Friday Morning and come to the ever popular Coffee and Cake for £4 10am to 12pm. Fridays are Fish nights followed by the Friday Night Puzzler Game and on Sundays at 3pm, The Meat Raffle

Cuddington Youth Drama
Following the success of Cuddington Youth Drama at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, they step onto stage this Easter Holidays to explore Britain’s History in a unique and revealing play “The Wardrobe” by Sam Holcroft. Set within a Tudor wardrobe, we follow its ownership across the centuries. In each scene, children climb into the wardrobe, seeking sanctuary of one sort or another from the events outside. We see history through the eyes of each child as they share their life experiences, their secrets and find the funny in the history of the day.
Performances take place at The Bernard Hall, Cuddington on April 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th April with curtain up at 7pm and on Saturday 14th there are 2 performances, at 2.30pm and 7pm. The show is suitable for children from 8 years. Tickets cost £5 for children. £10 for adults and £20 for a Family ticket and are available through CuddingtonVillage.com or on the door. Please come and support these very talented children, directed by Elaine English when many children from Cuddington and surrounding villages will be appearing.

Easter at St Nicholas:
  • Sunday March 25 Palm Sunday 10am Family Service. A procession from the Village Green to the church for bacon butties, craft and service. Palm crosses from the Holy Land will be distributed
  • Tuesday March 27 at 7pm Evening Prayer. A simple candlelit service marking Holy Week with praise, prayer and attention to Scripture
  • Friday March 30 Good Friday 10am Readings and Hymns for Good Friday with symbolic dramatic actions depicting the events leading to Christ’s crucifixion.
  • Saturday March 31 “Messy Easter” 4pm to 5.15pm for all ages. Hands on activities, a short act of worship and refreshments
  • Saturday March 31 Benefice Holy Communion and Service of Light at 8pm. The first celebration of Easter with the lighting of the Pascal Candle
  • Sunday April 1 Easter Sunday Family communion at 10am

Diary Dates :
  • Tuesday April 3 Bingo with Eyes Down at 8.45pm
  • Sunday April 8 Quiz at 8pm
  • Monday April 16 Annual Village Meeting in the village hall at 7.30pm
  • Saturday April 21 St George’s Day celebration meal
  • Saturday May 12 Grand Opening Ceremony of the Hall 6 to 7.30pm
  • Saturday June 30 Church Fund raising event
  • Saturday September 1 Chearsley Show in the hall
  • Sunday September 9 Chearsley Classic and Vintage Fun Day at the Cricket Field