Cople News April 2022 by Ian Whiting

Cople News April 2022

Happy Easter To buy an Easter Lily to decorate Cople Church, see page 5

Editor’s Notes Firstly, I must apologise for omitting the Green Wheelie Bin dates from the March Calendar. They are in the April version, see centre pages. The Foodbank Collection from early March collected 218.59kg of food which is enough for 521 meals. Since we began these collections we, as a village, have collected between a maximum (so far) of enough food for 616 meals to our average of around 500 meals. Well done everyone. A copy of the letter from The Foodbank appears on page 14. A local wildlife rescue service ‘Woody’s Wildlife Rescue’, based in Stotfold, has asked if anyone has any newspapers they could use as bedding for various animals or birds that are taken in to them. If you would like to help, please collect say a weeks worth of papers then ring me (phone number below) and I’ll arrange to collect them. Or if you have the space, a month’s worth. There are several events arranged to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, two are mention in this edition. The lighting of the beacon in Moggerhanger Park followed by the singing of the specially commissioned song ‘A Life Lived With Grace’ on 2nd June, see page 18. More details regarding the song and how you can join in can be found on page 31. There is also to be a Jubilee Flower Festival in Cople Church on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th, see page 34 for details. There is also excellent news concerning our friend and past vicar Lynda Klimas, see page 5. Regards Libby & Linda

Cople News

Editor : Libby Sands, 77 Willington Road, Cople, Beds, MK44 3TL. Tel 07702 616300 Sub-Editor: Linda Behan 32 Grange Lane, Cople, Beds. MK44 3TT Tel 07825 259174 Email: coplenews@gmail.com Deadline for copy and advertising 6pm on 15th of every month

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Dear Friends, Where March heralds the beginning of Spring, by the month of April it is in full swing! A glorious array of blooming flowers of many colour greets us as we travel around our villages and in our own back gardens. This also has significance for Christians as we spend March in the serious and somewhat mournful season of Lent in preparation for the joy that is to come on Easter Sunday. Before we get to Easter Sunday, though, we travel with Jesus through the events of Holy Week. And what a week it is! It begins with his arrival in Jerusalem, on the back on a donkey to the alleluias of the palm branch waving crowd! Once there, he throws the money changers out of the temple for cheating the people, heals people on Holy Days and generally upsets the religious leaders with his teaching. So, they plot to kill him. By Thursday they have bribed one of the disciples to betray him. After eating the Passover meal together and sharing the first communion, Jesus retires to Gethsemane to pray. There the soldiers, led by Judas, find him and arrest him. His trial on Friday is a sham, but in the end the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, gives in to the demands of the people and has him crucified. And there, at the Place of the Skull, he dies, brutally and inhumanly. It is a day of sorrow, and his disciples are left desolate and confused. But that is not the end of the story! On Easter Sunday, Mary discovers that he has risen from the dead! ‘Alleluia, he is risen,’ is our joyful cry on Easter Sunday! And after two years of lockdowns and closures, this year our churches will be open and singing with joy! If you have yet to return to church after the pandemic, I would encourage you to return this Easter Sunday as we celebrate together! May God bless you this Eastertime. Lynne

Queen’s Chaplain. In the Buckingham Palace court paper dated 14th February the Revd. Canon Lynda Klimas was appointed as a Chaplain to the Queen. Canon Klimas has spent her entire ministry in the Diocese of St Albans, currently serving as Rector of Clophill and Maulden and Rural Dean of Ampthill and Shefford. Before moving to Maulden, Lynda served as vicar at Cople, Moggerhanger and Willington. An honorary Chaplain to the Queen, is a member of the clergy within the United Kingdom who, through long and distinguished service, is appointed to minister to the monarch of the United Kingdom. As of 2008 there are 33 appointees. We send our congratulations to Lynda. What an honour!

Easter Lilies After two years of bleakness we will, once again, decorate the altar with Easter Lilies. We also hope to decorate the window sills in the church with flowers. If you would like to purchase an Easter Lily in memory of a loved one at the price of £4.00, please contact June Thomas 831705.

All Saints Church The current contact details for Cople Church are as follows: Tel: 01234 974722. email: cmwvicar@gmail.com Churchwardens June Thomas Julie Scherrer 34 Grange Lane 26 Grange Way Cople, Beds Willington, Beds MK44 3TT MK44 3QW Tel: 01234 831705 juneshanahan748@btinternet.com

Tel: 01234 838623 julie@scherrer.co.uk

Mobile Hairdresser/ Barber Do you need a haircut? Local, Reliable and Friendly Fully qualified and experienced

Call Donna 01234 838980 or 07773 553055

Cople Carpet Bowls Have you ever thought of playing Carpet Bowls?

Why not come and join us in a game in Cople Village Hall every Wednesday evening between 7.15 - 9.45pm. There is no need for any special equipment, we provide everything you need. Come and give it a try. Please call if you want to come along. Enquiries Contact Pauline 01234 838102

donnasmall906@gmail.com

Ironing Help Available Would YOU like some help with your IRONING ? Then this is the right ad' to read. I help a few clients like you, so I may be the person you need. I live in a neighbouring village. l'll collect and return to your door. I can give you a reference or two. Please call me to find out some more. Brenda. 07761 627621

Update on the Millennium Wood

If you have been for a walk around the Millennium Wood over the last three months, you will have noticed a few changes. The contractors have trimmed back the hedges and brambles around the perimeter and have cut down a lot of the cherry suckers between the rows of mature trees. The volunteers have been busy taking down some of the smaller trees to give the remaining ones more space to develop and allow more sunlight at ground level. This should encourage the growth of a more diverse sub layer. The cut trees have been processed into log piles and dead/dry hedges which will offer some shelter for wildlife, and it will be interesting to see if any birds use them as nesting sites. A big thank you to all the volunteers who were able to come along. If you are interested in joining the group (no previous experience needed) you can contact me by email, and I will include you in the mailing list. Any tree clearance will have finished by the time you read this as the bird nesting season is about to start. The next work party will be in the summer, to rake up the cut grass in the central clearing once the contractors have mown it. The removal of grass cuttings should promote the growth of wildflowers. If you have any clumps of snowdrops in your garden which are in need of splitting and you would like to donate some for the wood, these will be most welcome. They are best transplanted “in the green”, so now is a good time. Just drop me an email: I can collect them or meet you in the wood if you would like to plant them yourself in your chosen area. The wood is a lovely place to walk, especially at this time of year when it offers a bit of shelter from the cold winds. I walk my dog almost daily around the wood and I usually see other people either just out for a stroll or exercising their dog. The big majority of dog owners clean up after their dogs. Unfortunately, a few regulars still use the grassy area at the Water End entrance as a dog toilet, even though the bin is located barely 10 meters away. Please, PLEASE, be considerate! We need everybody’s help to make this an area Cople can be proud of.

Enjoy the spring weather and the birdsong! Best wishes Marie G. marie@cmjdg.com 12

MOGGERHANGER PLANT SALE Saturday 14th May 10am to 4pm PLOUGHMAN’S LUNCHES CREAM TEAS At 14 Blunham Road, Moggerhanger MK44 3RB Tel: 01767 641485 All proceeds to St. John’s Church

Tuesday Club

Unfortunately, our speaker was unable to come to our March meeting due to illness. However, we enjoyed a “Beetle drive” instead. It was great fun and quite competitive!!

Next month Julie Stock, a very successful independent, contemporary author is coming to talk to us she specialises in feel good romance from around the world. There will be an opportunity to purchase her books as I believe she will be bringing a selection! Just the right time to stock up on a good book for the holidays. Cople Village Hall 7.30pm. Tuesday 12th April. All welcome I am sure it will be an entertaining evening. Eithne Dandy. 13

14th March 2022.

Dear Tracey, I am writing to thank you for your recent food donation which weighed 218.95 kg and would help to provide 521 meals. Any donations we receive we are always very grateful for and never more so than in these current challenging times. Your donation will help us to provide for the unfortunate people who are experiencing food poverty. Also, anyone who has moved into the area due to domestic violence, or a homeless person who is rehoused, the running cost of the warehouse and the running of our transit van, as just a few examples. Although we are still getting food donated regularly, for the past few months we have been spending £500 a month to stock up the warehouse, such is the present need. So, your very generous donation is very much appreciated. Unfortunately, the need for help from the Foodbank continues to increase year upon year and we expect during this virus the need will be greater. We usually regularly feed over 1000 people a month, giving them enough food for 3-4 days, or around 10 meals. The monthly food leaving our warehouse is generally in the region of 12-14 tonnes, so we are very grateful for all donations, whether money or food that we receive as each one is vital for the ongoing work of the foodbank and is greatly appreciated. In February 2022 14.5 tonnes of food were given out, 591 vouchers were redeemed, 1406 people fed, and of which 468 were children. It is sad that help like this is needed, but great that individuals, organisations, and communities can come together to meet the increasing need in Bedford and the surrounding villages. Thank you all once again, for your support on behalf of everyone who uses, works, or volunteers at the foodbank. Yours sincerely, Maria B. Guest Volunteer Admin Support

Bedford Foodbank

Photos of contributions to Foodbank

THANK YOU I’ve been asked to include a big THANK YOU to Kelly and Quentin who planted lots of daffodils on the approach to the village from Cardington. They make a lovely Welcome to the village. My apologies to the kind gentleman who ran me to ask for this, but I couldn’t find my mobile phone under all the paperwork that goes with the magazine. Libby

Blunham Community Cinema Village Hall, Blunham MK44 3NN The Blunham Community Cinema on Friday 29th April 2022, presents ‘Blinded by the Light’ (Cert. 12A) starring Gurinder Chadha, In England in 1987, a teenager from an Asian family learns to live his life, understanding his family and find his own voice through the music of American roack star Bruce Springsteen. Film starts promptly at 7.30pm, doors open at 7.00pm.

Entry by ticket only. Adults £5.00, Children £3.00. Family (2A + 2C) £12.00 Sweets, Drinks, Ice Cream & Pop Corn available For tickets or any further information contact Sue on 01767 640515 or 07783 046020.

Blunham and District Gardening Club The next meeting of the Gardening Club is to be held on Tuesday 5th April 2022 at 7.30pm. The speaker will be Nigel Starts talking about ‘Getting to Grips with Pruning’. Refreshments will be served. Visitors welcome. For further information contact Brenda Leaf 01767 640624

Mobile Library News — April 2022 The mobile library is now visiting the village fortnightly on a Wednesday. It will call at All Saints Road—10.00 - 10.20am; Water End—10.25 - 10.40am and The Five Bells—10.45 -11.05am. The dates for April are 13th and 27th We are now allowed onto the van to choose our books.

Knit and Stitch Come and meet your friends in the Five Bells on alternate Fridays from 10.00am until 12.00noon.

The dates for April are 1st, 15th and 29th. Bring your knitting, crochet, embroidery or just bring along yourself to chat and enjoy coffee and cake. 16

Mothers Union At our meeting in March we welcomed our new vicar Lynne Sandle to talk to our group. Lynne spent the last 31/2 years as curate at Turvey covering 8 churches before coming to this Benefice. Prior to that she lived with her family in Slip End, Luton and worshipped at St Andrew’s Church. She spent 3 months working as Bishops Chaplain for Refugees who came from various parts of the world.

The Home Office accommodated a lot of them into hotels during Covid, where they were not allowed to use the hotel facilities, therefore food had to be brought to them. The church started as a drop-in for clothes but a social space with a café was set up in the church hall and Lynne is now a Trustee of the charity. She related stories of some of the refugees her charity has helped. Before that, Lynne was involved in the Luton Foodbank for 4 years, working with Muslims, Hindus and other faiths in the area. Lynne decided to enter the church after attending an Alpha Course in Slip End with her husband, and we now have her as our incumbent. We all enjoyed tea and cakes provided by Jean who was thanked for her hospitality. Our next meeting will be on Monday 11th April at 2.00pm at a venue to be decided. Liz Buck Prayer We worship our Loving Saviour Who chose the way of sacrifice To make known to us the path of life. We worship our Risen Lord Who fills us with hope and joy As we journey along the path of life. Amen. (MU Prayer Diary)

COPLE VILLAGE TRUST (Registered Charity No. 1090113)

200 CLUB Prize winners for March 2022 st

1 prize of £60 266 Pam Moulton 2nd prize of £30 187 Jean Robjant 3rd prize of £10 228 Marie Hinckley 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 01234 838704/07880 890508

Contact:

Jane Barnard JaneB2014@hotmail.com 01234 838004

HAVE YOU NOT HEARD?

For the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations on 2nd June, 2022, our three villages, and other guests, will go to Moggerhanger Park for a Grand Event. There’ll be a large Beacon, which will be lit at 9.45pm and then we will all sing the specially commissioned song, “A Life Lived With Grace”. BUT we won’t be alone, as people across the Commonwealth and the UK will also be lighting beacons and singing the song together. Moggerhanger Park is planning other good things for that evening as well. It will be amazing!! Where can I hear the Commonwealth Song? Where could I find my own copy? Try this: https://www.commonwealthresounds.com/projects/the -queens-platinum-jubilee/a-song-for-the-commonwealth/ In May you will have the chance to learn the song. We will have ‘sing—throughs’ in all the villages on FOUR occasions – details in next month’s magazines. These evenings will start at 7pm and last about an hour, and there will be copies of the words for you if you haven’t already found one. We are so looking forward to your being at the Event, which promises to be a most memorable occasion. See you there! Shirley Jones 18

Hi my name is Tracy and my business is well established within Willington. I provide a full range of treatments: Waxing, Electrolysis, Eye Treatments. Relaxing Body Massage, Indian Head Massage, Reflexology. Pedicures, Manicures, Shellac Gel Varnish. Facials, including Non-Surgical Facelifts. With over 20 years experience in the beauty industry I will always welcome new customers and be happy to sit down and discuss your requirements. 15% off your first treatment (new customers only)

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ALL COVID SAFE, WEARING FULL PPE and COVID POLICY IN PLACE.

Cople Church Coffee Morning Saturday 23rd April 2022 10.30-12.00 (in the church) You are warmly invited to come along to our church coffee morning. This month the Young Mums will be running the event Delicious cakes and drinks will be available All ages welcome. A perfect way to meet up with others from the village and around. All money raised to go to the church.

We look forward to seeing you

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Calendar for April 2022 Day/date Friday 1st Saturday 2nd Sunday 3rd Monday 4th Tuesday 5th Wednesday 6th Thursday 7th Sunday 10th Holy Week Monday 11th Tuesday 12th Wednesday 13th

Maundy Thursday 14th Good Friday 15th

Saturday 16th Easter Sunday 17th Easter Monday 18th Wednesday 20th Thursday 21st Saturday 23rd Sunday 24th Monday 25th Wednesday 27th Thursday 28th Friday 29th

Event Knit & Stitch Yard Sale Singer Nick Moyster Morning Praise Holy Communion Black Wheelie Bin Coffee Morning Blunham Gardening Club Benefice Choir Cople Carpet Bowls Club Morning Prayers Morning Praise Holy Communion Music Quiz Orange & Green Wheelie Bins Compline Compline Tuesday Club Benefice Choir Mobile Library Van Compline Cople Carpet Bowls Morning Prayer Agape Supper General Knowledge Quiz Knit & Stitch All-Age Service Meditation on the Cross Scally Wags Easter Egg Hunt Dawn Service All-Age Holy Communion Holy Communion Black Wheelie Bin Benefice Choir Cople Carpet Bowls Morning Prayer Coffee Morning Khols Karaoke & Disco Morning Praise Holy Communion Music Quiz Orange & Green Wheelie Bins Benefice Choir Mobile Library Van Cople Carpet Bowls Morning Prayers General Knowledge Quiz Knit & Stitch Blunham Community Cinema

Location and time 10.00am to 12noon @ The F 11.00am to 3.00pm @ Willin 8.30pm @ The Five Bells 09.30am Livestreamed from 11.00am @ Cople Church

10.30am @ Moggerhanger C 7.30pm @ Blunham Village H 09.30am @ Willington Churc 7.15pm to 9.45pm @ Village 09.30am @ Willington Churc 09.30am Livestreamed from 11.00am @ Willington Churc 6.00pm @The Five Bells

7.00pm @ Moggerhanger Ch 7.00pm @ Cople Church 7.30pm Village Hall – author 09.00am @ Cople Church For times and locations see p 7.00pm @ Willington Church 7.15pm to 9.45pm @ Village 09.30am @ Willington Churc 7.00pm @ Moggerhanger Ch 8.00pm @ The Five Bells 10.00am to 12noon in The F 10.00am @ Cople Church 2.00pm @ Willington Church 8.30pm @ The Five Bells 10.00am - 12noon with child 05.45am @ Moggerhanger C 09.30am livestreamed from 11.00am @ Willington Churc

09.00am @ Willington Churc 7.15pm to 9.45pm @ Village 09.00am @ Willington Churc 10.30am @ Cople Church 8.30pm @ The Five Bells 09.30am livestreamed from 11.00am @ Moggerhanger C 6.00pm @ The Five Bells

09.30am @ Cople Church For times and locations see p 7.15pm to 9.45pm @ Village 09.30am @ Willington Churc 8.00pm @ The Five Bells 10.00am – 12noon @ The Fi 7.30pm ‘Blinded by the Light

Five Bells ngton. Refreshments in the Village Hall Willington Church

Church Hall ch e Hall ch Moggerhanger Church ch

Contact Hazel Shreeves 01234 838817 Mel Ebbage @ cmwbeneficeoffice@gmail.com

Brenda Leaf 01767 640624 Pauline Baynes 01234 838102

hurch

r Julie Stock

page 16 h e Hall ch hurch

Pauline Baynes 01234 838102

Five Bells

Hazel Shreeves 01234 838817

dren’s activities @ Moggerhanger Church Church followed by bacon sandwiches Cople Church ch

ch e Hall ch

Pauline Baynes 01234 838102

Cople Church Church

page 16 e Hall ch

Pauline Baynes 01234 838102

ive Bells t’ @ Blunham Village Hall

Hazel Shreeves 01234 838817 Stella 01767 640515

Home Delivery Service in Bedfordshire Villages 27

Friends of Cople Church After the disappointment of having to cancel the Safari Supper in February, we are glad to announce that the Barn Dance is planned to go ahead. The last two years have taught us that we cannot say with absolute certainty, but the intention is to hold it at the usual location, Oak Farm, Northill on Saturday 25th June. The band, Kelly’s Eye, has been booked, so all we need is people to come and dance – or just eat the barbecued pork and drink from the bar. So, start practising your Dosey Does, Promenading and Stripping the Willow! This is a very popular event, so I would suggest you get your ticket requests in early. Tickets will be priced at £17.50 and will go on sale immediately. We ask that tickets be paid for at time of request or at least before the night, and to make that easier the bank details for bank transfer payment can be found below. Remember to tell us of any dietary requirements. We are looking at other events for later in the year – a repeat of the successful and popular Gin Night is a possibility – albeit tweaked, and there is the threat of another Panto. Oh yes there is! These events are run to raise funds for the upkeep of All Saints Church in Cople. With two years of expenditure, with very little ability to raise funds, our bank balance is at its lowest since 2004, and the Friends charity was founded in 2003. We are lucky that we have some people who make regular or one-off donations during the year which helps, so if you would like to make a donation, the bank details are as follows: Bank: Lloyds Sort Code: 309066 Account No: 03064452 Account Name: "The Friends of All Saints Church Cople" And if you want to do gift aid, please contact Sally Gilpin, our Treasurer on sally@sjtax.co.uk

HAVE YOU NOT HEARD? For the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations on 02nd June, 2022, our three villages, and other guests, will go to Moggerhanger Park for a Grand Event.

There’ll be a large Beacon, which will be lit at 9.45pm and then we will all sing the specially commissioned song, “A Life Lived With Grace”. BUT we won’t be alone, as people across the Commonwealth and the UK will also be lighting beacons and singing the song together. Moggerhanger Park is planning other good things for that evening as well. It will be amazing!! Where can I hear the Commonwealth Song? Where could I find my own copy? Try this: https://www.commonwealthresounds.com/ projects/the-queens-platinum-jubilee/a-song-forthe-commonwealth/ In May you will have the chance to learn the song. We will have ‘sing—throughs’ in all the villages on FOUR occasions – details in next month’s magazines. These evenings will start at 7pm and last about an hour, and there will be copies of the words for you if you haven’t already found one. We are so looking forward to your being at the Event, which promises to be a most memorable occasion. See you there! Shirley Jones

WILLINGTON VILLAGE HALL MONDAY NIGHTS DURING TERM TIME 6:30pm until 8:00pm If you are interested in joining us please register online:JoinUs@girlguiding.org.uk

Further information can be obtained from Brown Owl Tel :07914 240494 Email: willingtongirlguiding@gmail.com

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Flower Festival To celebrate The Queens Platinum Jubilee Cople Church will host a flower festival on Saturday 4 th and Sunday 5th June. We would like it to be a community event to represent our village. It would be perfect if all clubs and organisations, groups of people, families or individuals took part. The theme of course will be the Queen. Garden flowers, wild flowers greenery and if you wish to use bought flowers. It is your choice. It is not a competition, a simple vase of flowers is always a delight. The church will be open on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd June for you to deliver or arrange your flowers. If you would like to take part please or would like further information please contact Eileen Brooks on 01234 838519, email efbrooks@btinternet.com More information about the event will be available in next month’s magazine.

Nearly New Centre Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm & Saturday 10am to 1pm At Sue Ryder Palliative Care Home St. John’s Moggerhanger

Eating Out. This month we visited The Crown, 2 Ickwell Road Northill Beds. SG18 9AA 01767 627337, as it had been some time since we had been there. Despite it being a Saturday evening, there weren’t many people in the restaurant when we arrived, although several parties of 4 or more came during the 2 hours we were there. We were seated quickly upon arrival and our drinks order followed as swiftly. While we pondered the menu and Specials list, the log burner cracked quietly in the large chimney place and the soft murmur of people’s voice filled the room, quite poetic. There is a Gluten Free as well as Vegan menu available should anyone require either. Starters were varied in style and price. Mrs Butter chose a Black pudding Scotch Egg with bacon salad and mustard mayo— £8.75, while I chose Smooth chicken liver pate, caramelised red onion and char-grilled ciabatta—£7.25. Both were excellent and portion size just enough. Mains again varied, plenty of fish dishes, venison, chicken and beef dishes to choose from. Mrs Butter chose the Lemon sole from the Special menu—£15.95. Other than the host of bones it contained; the taste was excellent. I went rogue and had the Prime Beef Burger, bacon, cheddar, garlic mayo, crisp lettuce, tomato, onion rings and chips—£15.50 again this was very flavoursome. Puddings were available, but the other courses had beaten one of us while the other had the Chocolate Orange cheesecake— £7.00. Service was discrete and there when you needed it. Our order came relatively quickly or indeed we weren’t waiting having run out of chatter. Scores: Service — 4.5 out of 5 Food quality and quantity — 4.75 Value for money — 4.5 I’ve dropped the ‘Cleanliness and virus awareness’ category for now. Total out of 15 = 13.75

Roland Butter 35

The Five Bells. Menu Starters Soup of the Day served with a warm ciabatta £5.95 Garlic mushrooms in a creamy white wine sauce £6.95 Jumbo Bubble Bubble Red Shrimp with a sweet chilli jam £6.95 Fig & Goats Cheese Filo Parcels with a red onion jam £6.95 Mains Hand-crafted Steak and Ale Pie, served with mash and vegetables or chips and peas both served with our own gravy £13.95 Ale Battered Cod, served with triple fried chips & peas with our own tartare sauce £12.95 Vegan Keralan Cauliflower and Red Pepper Curry served with steamed rice & naan £11.95 (add chicken £14.95) Meat-free Meatball in a spicy tomato sauce—served on a bed of linguine £11.95 Pollo Milanese Panko Chicken Breast in a creamy white wine & mushroom garlic sauce served with triple fried chips & peas, with our own tartare sauce £14.95 Cajun Spiced Chicken Breast with triple fried chips & a dressed salad £13.95

Please see our specials board for lots more including steaks

News from The Five Bells Firstly, we would like to thank everyone for their continued support and look forward to seeing more of you in the future.

Events 2nd April - Singer Nick Moyser from 8.30pm 10th April—Music Quiz from 6.00pm 14th April—General Knowledge Quiz from 8.00pm 15th April—Scally Wags from 8.30pm 23rd April—Khols Karaoke & Disco from 8.30pm 24th April—Music Quiz from 6.00pm 28th April—General Knowledge Quiz from 8.00pm

Food Friday Fish and chips £10 Wednesday and Thursday lunch 2 meals for £15.95 For further choices see Facebook and specials board — from Noon to 3.00pm Jobs at The Five Bells Part time bar/waiting staff (over 18’s only) required

Please call or pop in for details.

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Open daily: Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 9.15-12.15 & Wed 9—3pm With lunch club available 12.15-1.15

Sessional day care for 2-4year olds during term time. £12.00 for a 3hr session (£4.00 extra for lunch club) We also except 2 and 3/4 year old NEF funding To enquire about a place for your child please email Stacey and Hayley at willingtots@outlook.com or call on 07972 148085

DOWN ON THE FARM 14—Charlie Porter

After a very gentle winter, Spring has definitely sprung, and the wheat plants sown last autumn have really started to grow on. Some are looking a bit pale and yellowy, which is a sign that they need a feed. The same machine that is used to apply agrochemicals to control weeds & diseases can also be modified to apply liquid fertiliser. This operation is referred to as top dressing. Rather than being applied as a fine spray like the agrochemicals are, the liquid ‘fert’ is dribbled on out of a series of nozzles that are spaced out along the length of the 36m booms. It can also be applied in the form of a ‘prill’, a small white ball about 4mm in diameter. This is spread by a machine that has rapidly spinning discs under the hopper which throws these prills to the required width. By the nature of these two options, the liquid applicator is a lot more accurate. The fert is made up of 27% Nitrogen (N) and 8% Sulphur (S), & each acre of wheat receives an average of 125 litres. This is about 30% of the total amount that the wheat crop will receive this year, the remaining 70% being applied in early April. This early feed is to ensure that all the shoots, tillers, on each plant grow on to become stems bearing an ear of wheat, the optimum number at harvest being around 700/sq. m. The second dose is always larger as this is when the wheat plants have their main growth spurt, and the embryo ears are forming in the stem. For over 200 years it has been known that extra N has the ability to greatly increase crop yields. In the early 1800’s a source of extra fertiliser was discovered on some islands on the western coast of Chile. This was Guano, an accumulation of the droppings of fish-eating birds, which had built up over millennia to be in beds up to 200 feet thick. A huge industry built up to mine this stuff & export it all over the world. But by the 1900’s it had run out & the world was looking for another source of N fert. A German scientist invented a process to make Ammonia, which could then be turned into Ammonium Nitrate which contains 34% N. The answer to farmers’ prayers, but also, unfortunately, the answer to the German war machine’s prayers, as Ammonium Nitrate is also a powerful explosive, & its first uses were to cause carnage on the battlefields of the First World War. Sulphur is an element that all plants require & is also applied as part of this first top dressing. It helps the plant to utilise the N that is being applied by encouraging the plant to produce Chlorophyl & also makes the plant make more protein in the grains & hence better bread. Plants that lack S are spindly & yellow. In this locality we have only recently had to apply S, as due to our location we used to have regular supplies falling out of the sky! This was courtesy of the Stewartby Brick yards. The fumes belched out of the chimneys was very rich in S, in the form of Sulphur Dioxide. This was blown over here by the prevailing winds & settled on the fields in the locality, providing us with a plant stimulant without us realising it. The downside was that these same fumes were also very acidic, Bedfordshire’s very own Acid Rain, & our wire sheep fences rusted through twice as quickly as those in areas without the fumes.

On the environmental front, I am pleased to report that the giant secateur machine did an excellent job, & 10 small glades were cut into Moxhole Wood. The trunks are now drying out under my barn, ready for next winter’s logs, & the small branches, cord wood, is piled up into lots of heaps ready for occupation by various happy residents. Whilst doing this job, I was delighted to see that several of the nest boxes that I put up in February have already got Blue and Great tits popping in and out of them. Another lovely sight at this time of year is our Kestrels. These beautiful little brown birds are our smallest resident bird of prey, being a bit smaller than a Magpie. They are most easily identified when they are hunting, hovering about 30m above the ground. Another name for them is actually the Windhover. They are able to keep virtually stationary by gliding into a very slight updraft, so that their airspeed exactly matches the wind velocity. Even though the wings & tail move slightly, the head remains completely still, enabling them to make maximum use of their amazing eyesight to spot their next meal. Their prey comprises mainly of small mammals, voles, shrews & mice, but also occasionally small birds such as skylarks and Meadow Pipits, & if they get really hungry, beetles, which they can spot up to 50m away. Another one of this amazing bird’s abilities is that it is able to detect ultra violet light. This is very good news for the Kestrels, but very bad news for the voles & mice as they have very poor bladder control! So, wherever they run they leave a trail of urine which emits ultra violet light. The Kestrel hovering above will hence see this glowing trail in the grass below, even though it can’t see the actual animal. It will then dive just in front of this glowing trail, much to the surprise & disappointment of this little creature that thought that it was completely hidden. The Kestrel will need to make 5 or 6 kills a day, & more if it is feeding it’s 4 or 5 chicks. The mother will brood & father feed these for two weeks, & then both parents will feed them for the next 3 weeks. The chicks will then leave the nest hole but will be reliant on their parents for food for the next month. I have made & put up two Kestrel boxes & am hoping to see some of this activity later on this year.

PB ELECTRICAL SERVICES All electrical works undertaken from :Full rewires, part rewires. New distribution boards. Additional sockets and light fittings. CCTV installations. No job to small. Call Paul on 07840 683417 or email paulblackmore3@gmail.com

Gardening in March 2022 It’s taken a while but finally, the daffodils are in bloom & improving the spirits of all those that see them. All that is apart from those poor souls whose daffodils are blind, that is, without any flower. A letter received this month asks if blind daffs. this year means no flowers for ever more? In short, there are no certainties in gardening! All any of us can ever do is buy/collect good quality seed or plants, follow best practise & then we increase the probability of a predictable fruitful or floriferous outcome. With reference to blind bulbs, removing the foliage too soon after flowering the previous year can result in non-flowering daffodils so once the flowers fade, using finger & thumb simply remove them. Be sure to remove the whole flower including the hard, little bulbous bit that connects to the foliage. This is to prevent the formation of seeds which takes from the bulb precious energy. Leave all foliage untouched & never tie or gather together. Once believed to be the right thing to do, this has now been completely debunked. Think about a bulb as a store. The nutrition in the leaves if left, returns to the bulb for future use. As always, give a plant what it wants & it will do likewise for the gardener. Only ever remove the spent foliage when they become yellowy brown and comes off in your hand. Other possible explanations for no show daffodils are that the bulbs have not been planted deep enough. This has many advantages and the rule of thumb is to plant four times as deep as the size of the bulb itself. Over time, daffodil bulbs can become very overcrowded which can also negatively impact on their ability to flower. The congestion can prevent sunlight getting to them. Using canes, mark their exact location & then in autumn, carefully dig up, separate & re-plant. As long as you know exactly where they are, feeding daffodil bulbs around Christmas time with tomato fertilizer can also be beneficial. Nothing lasts forever, we all have a finite time on planet earth so, 44

an annual replanting programme is also a very good idea to freshen up the display as new plants, like new people, always have more vigour than their older counterparts. This month’s question, Ffion has, in recent times become a popular girl’s name, & indeed there is at least one in this very village, but what plant is Ffion the Welsh word for? Answer next month. The answer to last month’s ‘just for fun’ quiz question is, the term, vulgaris, regularly to be seen next to many different plant names actually means, common. Think about how interchangeable the word vulgar & common are when describing a person’s lack of taste for example. Well, you now know why! Although what one generation considers to be vulgar so often seems to be embraced by following generations & deemed acceptable! I’m quite sure you can provide your own illustrations of this point! As usual, many thanks to all of you for contributing to this column, keep them coming, and please contact me with any gardening tasks or queries you may have, email: lawndocgardens@aol.com or Tel: 01767 627 581 or 07796 328 855.

Lawn Doctor Garden Services Clearance, Redesign, Maintenance Tel: 01767 627 581 or 07796 328 855 Email: LawnDocGardens@aol.com Tree Care, Planting, Weeding, Hedge Trimming, Turfing, Jungle Clearing, Landscaping, Lawn Improvement, Patio/Drive Pressure Washing/Weedkilling, Holiday Watering etc., etc. 45

Village Contacts Over 60's Club Secretary: Hazel Shreeves Tel: 01234 838817

Tel: 01234 838102 Cople Web Site Contact: Ian Whiting Tel: 01234 838347 Email: ian@cople.org.uk Web Site:www.cople.org.uk

Mothers Union Contact: Jill Ebbs Tel: 01234 838659

Village Agent Wendy Worgan Tel:0800 039 1234

Cople Village Trust Chair: Catherine Bayliss Tel: 01234 838704

Mobile: 07717 269440 wendyw@bedsrcc.org.uk

Cople Sports & Social Club Chair: David Hughes Tel: 01234 838669

Cople Parish Council Clerk: Anne Pape

Tuesday Club Contact: Joy Duthie Tel: 01234 838407

Tel: 01234 376645 clerk@cople-pc.gov.uk https://cople-pc.gov.uk/

Cople Carpet Bowls Club Contact: Pauline Baynes

GREAT NEIGHBOURS in COPLE is our local good neighbourhood scheme, which 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 07746 624208 on Monday to Friday between 1.00 – 3.00pm or email us at gniccople@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook for further information.

Cople Village Hall & Playing Field Available for hire for parties, meetings, conferences etc. Main Hall and/or Committee Room - hire charge from £9 per hour, special rate of £25 for children’s parties (conditions apply). Bookings Officer, Laura Saunders—please email if possible villagehallenquiries@cople.org.uk or phone 07967 830790 Website: www.cople.org.uk/village hall 46

Millfield