Cople News July 2020 by Ian Whiting

Cople News July 2020

All Saints Church Fundraising Family Quiz Thursday 30th July at 7pm on Zoom (bring your own drinks and snacks!)

The Quiz will last approximately 1½ to 2 hours and will include something for all the family, from General Knowledge to Music and Picture rounds.

There will be prizes for the winners!! If you would like to take part in our fundraiser, please register your interest by Wednesday 29th July by emailing Miles Tetley on milotetley@gmail.com or calling him on 07738 999340. If you have not used Zoom before, Miles can provide guidance and instruction. There is no entry fee for the Quiz, instead we ask you to consider making a donation to All Saints Church, Cople using the ‘Give A Little’ webpage, by going to www.allsaintscople.org.uk and clicking on the link ‘Donating to Cople Church’. Alternatively you can use the QR code shown below which will take you straight to the Donations page. We thank you in advance for your interest, donation and continued support. We also thank Miles for his efforts in devising and running the Quiz

The Social Committee, Cople PCC.

Editor’s Notes It has been another very quiet month in the village with signs of a gradual return to normality. The amount of road traffic is noticeably greater and there are even occasional aircraft flying overhead. The fundraisers for All Saints Church are trying new ideas. On the opposite page is a flyer for a Quiz using Zoom. Miles Tetley has been using this format for a couple of months and the team hope that it will appeal to a larger audience. On page 6 and 7 Karen Joynes has produced a recipe for Blueberry Muffins. Why not give it a go and perhaps make a donation to the cause.

The Parish Council is concerned that dog owners are still not cleaning up after their pets. (See pages 28 and 29). It seems that although every one knows the health risks and the anti-social nature of the problem some owners still ignore it. We have a great many dog owners in the village most of whom are extremely responsible and must be as annoyed as the rest us by the behaviour of the minority. In addition to his Wild About Cople article, Steve Halton has painted the water colour featured on the front cover. Dog owners will be interested in Fiona Hugh’s latest piece (pages 40 and 41) on dog welfare. I do not have a dog but even I am acquiring a tutored eye for dogs with problems. You may spot a series of changes in the adverts in the magazine. The demand for space is as keen as ever and must be an indicator of the resilience of the local economy. Paul Kynoch of P & R Interiors is the first to see value in using colour. See the back cover. So far no one has shown any interest in running the magazine after December this year. It will be a shame to see it disappear.

Ged Peeke

Cople News Editor : Ged Peeke 39 Willington Road, Cople, Beds, MK44 3TH. Tel 01234 838379 Email: coplenews@gmail.com Deadline for copy and advertising 15th of every month

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Dear friends

Letter from the Vicar

As I write we are beginning to have daily, changing, updates as we begin to ease the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions we’ve been living with for eleven weeks. The degree of stability we’d gained, even though it was hard and difficult, is now lessening and, for some, that will be unsettling. For others it will be exciting. The analogy I’ve been using to help me and those I lead to manage this next phase is ‘turbulence’. We had the difficult take-off into lockdown. Then we stabilised for a while, and now we’re experiencing turbulence as we carry on our journey towards, God willing, a safe landing at some point in the future. Turbulence is unpleasant, but (usually) not dangerous. A few drinks might be spilled, or a few inflight meals end up in our laps, but we’re not going to crash. And even while we experience the turbulence we’re still making progress towards our destination. But during turbulence we might need to calm ourselves, to remind ourselves we’re still on track, to keep the discipline of remaining in our seats with seatbelts fastened (to extend the metaphor a little further). Society is experiencing turbulence, in response not only to the coronavirus pandemic and what that has revealed about the suffering of the poorest and most vulnerable in our nation, but in response to the death of George Floyd in the USA, the revelations about the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on those in our BAME population, and the everyday racism many experience each day. Our economy is likely to experience turbulence. News headlines on the day I’m writing this say that during the pandemic the British economy has shrunk by over 20%. Some on furlough are now also involved in redundancy consultations. There’s been turbulence in homes around the country too. Domestic abuse rates have gone up during the lockdown (a horrible word in itself, especially for those ‘locked down’ in unsafe homes).

What, if anything, do I believe the Church has to say in turbulent times? First – to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. To be the voice of the voiceless, and to proclaim God’s justice. Second – to point to hope. Hope of a better, greener, more cohesive society in this world, and the hope of a renewed creation in the next. Hope of forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, restoration. Finally – to offer reassurance. Psalm 46 (which I often quote here!) says “God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift 4

mountains.” And Jesus said to his disciples before the turbulence of his death and resurrection, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I’ve overcome the world.” May you know peace and hope in turbulent times. With my love and prayers Fiona

Churchwardens News We have heard from our Treasurer Pamela that there have been several donations to the church in the last month. We are very touched and grateful. As we said last time, our annual financial commitments of £29,796 (or £573 per week) remain in place and without weekly collections in church and fund raising events, we are facing challenging times. If you would like to give a small gift this can be by bank transfer, cheque (payable to Cople PCC) or cash. In addition to these methods we have now set up an online giving page (Give a Little). This can be found by going to www.allsaintscople.org.uk There is a ‘donations’ button on the front page or the ‘donating to Cople Church’ page which can be found on the menu on the front page. This will take you straight to our Give a Little page, and it’s all really straightforward from there. All your information is safe, and we don’t receive any card details, etc, just your name and donation details. There is the option to Gift Aid, and to request a receipt (which the 'Give a Little' site does for you) Our weekly Zoom services on Sunday morning remain popular and are going well. Being randomly placed in a breakout room after the service is great fun too and allows us to chat informally to a small group of people while we have a drink (Zoffee or Zea!) As you will have heard, churches are being allowed to open for private prayer at the time of writing this. We are not set up for this at Cople just yet, but will work towards having the church open for a few hours a week when we can safely do so. With thanks again Keep safe June and Julie 5

Mothers Union Prayer Lord, we give thanks that you are the one true constant in our ever-changing world. Please be with us in the situation we face today and give us the resilience we need to cope with setbacks and accomplish the things you have set before us. (M.U. Families Worldwide)

Enjoy a treat… As you may be aware from the Churchwarden’s News in last month’s magazine, in the absence of our usual fundraising activities, we are trying to think of new ways to raise funds to meet the day-to-day running costs of our village church. We are aware that this is a difficult time financially for many people, so we are asking for your help only if you are able. If you would usually have visited somewhere for a ‘coffee and cake’ treat, or met friends for a cup of tea or a lunchtime get together, we would be really grateful if you would instead consider donating the cost of this treat to help our fundraising efforts. All donations of whatever size are gratefully received. You can donate by going to www.allsaintscople.org.uk and clicking on the link to ‘Donating to Cople Church’. By way of a thankyou, we are including a recipe for Blueberry & Lemon Curd Muffins for you to make and enjoy with your coffee or tea at home. Happy baking, and thank you again. Karen Joynes, on behalf of the Social Committee, Cople PCC

Blueberry & LemonCurd Muffins (makes 8 large or 10 medium muffins)

Ingredients: • 100g unsalted butter • 200g fresh blueberries • 250g self-raising flour • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda • 100g caster sugar • zest of 1 large lemon • 2 large eggs • 150ml semi-skimmed milk • 8 good teaspoons of lemon curd (or 10, if making medium-sized muffins) • a sprinkling of demerara sugar Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6. 2. Line a deep muffin tin with paper cases. 3. Melt the butter in a small pan and allow to cool slightly. 4. Wash the blueberries and pat dry, toss in a little of the flour. 5. Sift the remaining flour and the bicarbonate of soda together into a large bowl, and stir in the caster sugar, coated blueberries, and lemon zest. 6. Beat the eggs, add the milk and melted butter, and pour this into the flour mixture. 7. Mix together quickly and lightly (the mixture will remain quite lumpy). 8. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases, then making a small indent in each one, placing a good teaspoon of lemon curd on top and sprinkle lightly with demerara sugar. 9. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until risen and golden. 10. Cool for a few minutes and then enjoy.

All Saints Church Revd Fiona Gibson The Vicarage. 3 Grange Lane. Cople, MK44 3TT. Telephone 01234 838145. email; cmwvicar@gmail.com Churchwardens June Thomas 34 Grange Lane Cople Beds MK44 3TT Tel: 01234 831705 juneshanahan748@btinternet.com 7

Julie Scherrer 26 Grange Way Willington Beds MK44 3QW Tel: 01234 838623 julie@scherrer.co.uk>

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COPLE VILLAGE TRUST (Registered Charity No. 1090113)

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Prize winners for June 2020 st 1 prize of £60 273 P McKenna 2nd prize of £30 206 Russ Pitts 3rd prize of £10 236 Tom Mosely Thank you for your support All monies raised are used to maintain and improve the Village Hall, Playing Field & Playground. Treasurer Catherine Bayliss catherine.bayliss@btinternet.com

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Wild about Cople On the 5th June last week, we had ‘World Environment Day’ which was probably slightly buried under all that is happening around the world at the moment. Which is a shame really, as Coronavirus is very much linked to Nature and it is entirely a consequence of our destruction and meddling (in a negative way) with the planet and its environment. Now it seems that global warming is causing a more rapid melting of the Arctic permafrost than we realised – it is feared that this may release all sorts of gases and even, viruses that have been bound up for thousands of years – if this happens then we can potentially expect a lot worse than Coronavirus… If we continue to destroy habitats and trade illegally in wildlife then we have to face the consequences – things are really coming to a head now and, if we truly love, care for and respect this planet, and all its wonderful diversity of life (including our own lives), then we need to start making some really big changes to our relationship with our home and all its inhabitants before it is too late – and we are already well on the way to it being too late… I am a big believer in ‘think global, act local’ – the phrase coined by FoE in the 70’s. If we can act as individuals at a local level, even if only making small changes, then these can have an impact on the bigger, even global-level scenarios such as global warming. By cycling more and reducing car use we can cut down on pollution, keep ourselves mentally and physically fit and do our bit for the planet. I am still amazed and shocked to see people in supermarkets buying cheap, throwaway plastic carrier bags to carry their shopping in when they could simply be a bit more responsible and use a ‘bag for life’. Another way of ‘acting local’ is to make some space in your garden for wildlife; a pond, wildflower meadow or leaving uncut corners can all help. Leave gaps in, or under, fences to let hedgehogs through, plant native shrubs such as hawthorn (which look beautiful when flowering in spring) which are good for nesting birds and for providing berries in the winter. Encourage wildflowers (not a single wildflower is a ‘weed’ in my opinion) and growing them will help increase biodiversity. In the village some verges are being left longer before being cut so the wildflowers have a chance to grow and set seed – to me 24

this does not look ‘scruffy’ or ‘untidy’ – I fail to see that. What looks nicer; a verge full of life with bees, butterflies and flowers or a verge which has been scalped and is devoid of life and looks look like dead, yellow straw. I know which I would rather see. Following on from this theme, as I have mentioned earlier, a portion of the churchyard has been set aside as a wildflower project and will be left uncut until late July. The response has been astonishing with 67 species of flowering plant so far recorded, some of which are quite rare or unusual in Bedfordshire. Please go and take a look – I would be happy to show anyone around. Somehow the older gravestones and the angel look so much more at home and there is a very peaceful, respectful and quiet air to that part of the churchyard; it is almost like a church but outside! I almost managed to do a watercolour sketch of 2 swifts tearing over All Saint’s Church while I was in the churchyard. To sit there with the tall grasses waving, the flowers alive with bees and butterflies, is really life-affirming and you get a real sense of peace and beauty in such a wonderful place… And a sense that we are playing a small part in caring for and looking after our planet and all its myriad forms of life. steve.halton@gmail.com

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There’s no such thing as the (Cople) Dog Poo Fairy…!

The last few weeks have seen extraordinary times but out of the many news stories it has shown us at least two things: The importance of being as fit and healthy as possible. The importance and value of our countryside and green spaces. In Cople we are lucky to be surrounded by countryside, footpaths, bridleways and other green spaces to which we all have easy and immediate access. And it is has been lovely to see people getting out more and using these spaces for their physical and mental health and it has also shown how vital these ‘green lungs’ are to all of us and how we need to look after them and even increase them for everyone, including future generations, to enjoy. Never has nature and green spaces been so valued…

Due to more people using these areas there has, sadly, been a general increase in littering and dog mess not being picked up and we would encourage everyone to please, take your litter home and clear up after your dog to make these places safer and more pleasant for everyone to enjoy and use. Our green spaces around Cople include: • The Millennium Wood at Water End (now managed by the Parish Council). Dog poo must be removed. • The Cricket and Playing Field (managed by the Cople Village Trust). Dogs must be on leads and dog poo removed. • Cople Pits Nature Reserve (managed by the Wildlife Trust). Dog poo must be removed. 28

•

Dog Field (managed by Bedford Borough Council). Dog poo must be removed. Bedford Girls’ School ‘Cople Fields’ (managed by Bedford Girls’ School). Dogs must be on leads and dog poo removed.

It is now illegal in the UK not to pick up your dog poo and you may face an on-the-spot fine of up to £80. In addition, dog poo is hazardous and can cause serious diseases, particularly to children, so please bag it and put it in any rubbish bin. The access to the Girls’ School playing fields is permissive and it is only by their kind permission that local people can use it for their enjoyment and dog walking but you must keep your dogs on leads at all times and remove any dog poo. If this is not done, then there is strong chance that the school may close the fields to us, which would be a real shame so please respect the school’s rules whenever you are using the playing fields. Thank you and we hope that you continue to enjoy, and respect, the green spaces and countryside around Cople. Cople Parish Council

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Gardening in July Perhaps as a consequence of people spending more time at home, I have happily received a bumper amount of correspondence this past month, and thank you all for getting in touch. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fascinating to hear from you and please keep them coming. As always, hopefully by addressing some of these questions now, they might also be applicable to others. The first question, asked by a number of you is what can be done to stop a lawn looking â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;beigeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;?. Two options, do nothing and wait for a couple of decent downpours or get yourself a sprinkler and watch your water bill increase almost as quick as your lawn returns to its emerald lustre! For the most part, the only lawns not able to withstand long periods of hot dry weather are those that have been recently sown or turfed. In that instance, a daily watering is essential and as with all watering, remember that plants take their moisture through their roots so a thorough drenching preferably at a time of day when evaporation can not take place will work wonders. Next question is a little more exotic: A lemon tree has outgrown its pot, what kind of soil does it require? The type of soil required by any plant is an absolute key question, whether in a pot or in the garden, and the consequences of getting it wrong are that the plant will deteriorate and die. As a rule of thumb, plants need the same soil as they would get where they come from. So, if for example, your plant thrives in nature in dense woodland, replicate these conditions and you stand a very good chance of nurturing a healthy plant. The Ph of the soil is also crucial. I get many questions about this so, before addressing the lemon tree, if you are unsure about what Ph means and what are its implications, imagine an horizontal line. On one side, write Acid/Ericaceous, on the other write Alkaline. Now, every plant can be located somewhere on this scale. Simply put, acid loving ericaceous plants cannot thrive in alkaline conditions and vice versa. Now, back to our lemon tree, a soil based compost is the best option, and in particular, John Innes No.2. Add up to a fifth of sand or grit to aid drainage and all being well, your yummy smelling plant will be delighted! And as we all know, happy plants make for happy owners! Remember though, John Innes is not a make of compost eg., Humax, Levington, it is a type of compost made with distinctive ingredients. Similarly, I had another question regarding a camellia that was transferred into a larger pot and immediately looked unhappy, before shedding its leaves and dying. Talking with its owner, it would appear that neither ericaceous compost nor fertilizer were ever used. The latter is a simple to use additive that one mixes with, ideally rain water, in a watering can and will keep acid loving plants happy. As I always say, plants want to grow, and the gardener can make it easier or harder for that to happen.

Next item on the agenda is a photograph received of a young apple tree, 38

bearing a strange mass of cob web type material just where the branches emerge. The tree’s owner wondered what it was and what could be done? It is woolly aphid and using nothing more harsh than washing up water in a garden sprayer it can be brought under control. The answer to last month’s just for fun quiz question is: Green Alkanet’s, Pentaglottis sempervirens, (Pictured) flowers are rather similar to Forget Me Nots or Pulminaria, ranging as they do, from pink through to blue although the plant is considerably taller and its leaves are rough to the touch. For my money, it is an attractive plant but with the normal caveat: in the right location.

This month’s question is again, following on from that above, prompted by a reader’s enquiry, ‘you often mention a plant’s Ph, what does it actually mean’? As usual, many thanks to all of you for contributing to this column and please contact me with any gardening tasks or queries you may have, lawndocgardens@aol.com or tel: 01767 627 581 or 07796 328 855. Lawn Doctor.

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Hip Dysplasia in Dogs. This month’s article is about hip dysplasia, the most common orthopaedic condition in dogs. Dysplasia means ‘abnormality of development’, in hip dysplasia (HD) both parts of the joint become mis-shapen so the ball end of the femur (thigh bone) doesn’t fit snugly or move smoothly in the socket of the pelvis. There is a genetic predisposition to HD with large, rapidly growing breeds being most commonly affected e.g. Great Danes, St. Bernard’s, Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds. Although primarily a genetic cause there are a number of environmental factors which can influence whether a puppy with the genetic coding for HD develops a clinical problem. Detrimental activities for a puppy include: • Jumping on/off furniture and in/out of the car. • Going up & down stairs. • Slipping on flooring in the home e.g. laminate, tiled or wooden floors. • Too much or too little exercise, inappropriate exercising routines leading to muscle imbalances and repetitive exercises (like continuous ball chasing). • Starting sports too early or progressing training too quickly.

HD can also occur as a result of a bad collision with another dog or a fall. The laxity within the hip joint means there is increased movement leading to wearing of the cartilage, inflammation and ultimately arthritis. HD is commonly diagnosed between 6-12 months of age and in some dogs is picked up when they are X-rayed for hip scoring prior to being used for breeding. Small dogs with HD usually don’t show symptoms until arthritis in the hips begins to affect them – often seen as a ‘bunny hopping’ action when they run. The majority of dogs with HD can be managed without the need for surgery, key points being weight management, modification of exercise routines, physiotherapy, massage and pain relief medication when required. Symptoms of HD include: • Stiffness and difficulty getting up • Difficulty with stairs or reluctance to jump into the car. • ‘Swaying’ gait in walk and ‘bunny hopping’ in an attempt to reduce the load on the hips. • Lameness in one or both of the hind legs, worse after exercise. • Protective of the hip area when being touched or groomed, the dog may growl or snap.

How massage helps: • Maintains and develops muscle tone around the hips. • Reduces stiffness and tension in overcompensating muscles in the shoulders, neck and lower back. • Corrects muscle balance and posture. • Relieves soreness and assists in pain relief. • Improves mobility and flexibility allowing the dog to exercise more normally. If you have any further questions about hip dysplasia or how massage could help your dog, then please get in touch. Fiona Hughes is the owner of Cople Canine Massage Therapy and a member of the Canine Massage Guild.

Village Contacts Over 60's Club Secretary : Hazel Shreeves Tel : 838817

Cople Web Site Ian Whiting Tel : 838347 Email: ian@cople.org.uk Web Site :www.cople.org.uk

Mothers Union Contact: Jill Ebbs Tel : 838659

Village Agent Wendy Worgan 0800 039 1234

Cople Village Trust Chair : Sandra Thacker Tel : 831344

07717 269 440 wendyw@bedsrcc.org.uk

Cople Sports & Social Club Chair: David Hughes Tel : 838669

Cople Parish Council Clerk to the Council:

Anne Pape 01234 376645 coplepc@outlook.com

Tuesday Club Joy Duthie Tel : 838407 Biggleswade Chronicle Village Correspondent: Jill Ebbs Tel: 838659

Our local good neighbourhood scheme GREAT NEIGHBOURS in COPLE seeks to support residents of our village in a manner that will enable them to remain independent for as long as possible. Our volunteers help local people by giving some of their time to undertake tasks such as shopping, picking up prescriptions, light household duties, gardening or putting out the bins or by spending some time with people who may feel isolated or lonely. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or want to talk to someone about using the service please feel free to contact us on 07746624208 on Monday and Thursdays between 1300hrs – 1500hrs or email us at gniccople@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook for further information.

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Stylish bathrooms and kitchens to suit your current needs and budget. With spacious working showroom in the heart of Bedford, P & R Interiors is a local family run firm that provides inspirational modern design and cost-effective solutions for both kitchens and bathrooms. There are 54 stunning displays in our beautiful showroom that are constantly being updated. So, you can come in and see exactly what you are buying and experience first-hand with working displays. We can undertake all aspects of building work supply and fit or supply only

9 Lurke Street Bedford MK40 3HZ Tel 01234 352414/350146 Email: sales@pandrinteriors.store Web: www.pandrinteriors.co.uk Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm Trade Welcome We have been supplying and installing bathrooms and kitchens in Bedford and surrounding areas for over 30 years. Bringing together reliable, skilful and trusted tradespeople we personally ensure every installation is completed to the highest possible levels of workmanship and the satisfaction of our clients

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