Cople News September 2022 by Ian Whiting

Cople News September 2022 Painting of footpath & stile @ Appley Woods near Chicksands by Nikki Watkins

3 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. Please Note the Editor reserves the right to edit copy as required. Advertising Rates 2022 Annual Charges: Full Page £96. Half Page £48. Delivered free to every home in Cople every month circulation 350 copies Editor’s Notes Firstly, I have rechecked the date for the Bulk Waste Collection. The date shown in the August edition of Cople News was correct, what wasn’t, was the day of the week. It should have been Saturday 17th September. Further details on where and when see page 19. A BIG Welcome to Nichola from LIVE Health & Wellbeing Studio in Cardington—she’s a new advertiser—see page 38. The article on Planting Pants at Warden Abbey Vineyard does have the correct title and to find out why, you will have to read the article!! See page 12. One of the distributors of Cople News is retiring, so we need another volunteer to take over and deliver to the bungalows in Rye Crescent, approximately 30 dwellings. If you could help, please contact Brenda Bradbury on 01234 838302 or Linda or Libby (for contact details, see below). The Five Bells are holding an October Fest on 15th October. We’re letting you know early, so you can get some practice in!! The Annual (might we hope for biannual?) Gin Night is to be held on 22nd October, see page 35 for details on how to get your Eventickets.earlier Notice is that of the Christmas Tree Festival in the church on 10th & 11th December (apparently the Knitters need lots of time to prepare their decorations). LibbyRegards&Linda

During the season of Creation, Christian’s remember that God is our Creator & our Sustainer. It reminds us of the book of Genesis where God created the world, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea & the creatures that roam the earth. It has been challenging summer for the natural world with such dry weather & little water.

In the vicarage garden we have kept the bird bath topped up with water to help our feathered friends & have been treated each evening to a murmuration of starlings (quite an impressive collective noun!) descending on our garden to freshen themselves in the water. It’s a bit of a bun fight & watching them argue over possession of the birdbath is quite entertaining. Most of the water ends up on the patio! In St Lawrence Church in Willington, you may remember that a different type of flying creature had moved in! There were up to 200 bats in the church each night & amazing footage of them flying & roosting was captured by Chris Damant, a dedicated ecologist. The bats in the church were mainly brown long eared & pipistrelle bats. Working with the Bats in Churches project & Bedfordshire Bat Group, alongside the church architect & Emma Critchley, a special heated bat box with its very own heraldic shield was installed in autumn 2020. This was to give the bats their own space within the church, while protecting the fabric of the ancient building & vastly reducing the cleaning up required by members of the church community.

Letter from the Vicar Dear friends, As we head into the autumn, after what has been a hot, dry summer, the focus of the church year turns to Creation before heading into the Harvest celebrations of October.

On September 17th & 18th, St Lawrence will be hosting a Big Bat Weekend to celebrate our bats & give the entire community a chance to come along & find out more about them & about the work of the project. The church will be open on Saturday afternoon & Sunday afternoon with information & videos. Our Sunday morning service will include a prayer to dedicate our bat box & Forest Church will have a distinctly bat related theme! There will be an escorted bat walk on the Saturday evening & on the evening of Thursday 29th September, kindly conducted by the Bedfordshire Bat Group. (Numbers of people permitted on each walk will be restricted to 20, & details of how to book tickets will follow). You can find out more about the Bats in Churches Project at batsinchurches.org.uk. So, watch out for the full details and I hope you will join us as we celebrate our bats, celebrate the wonderful creation that God has given us & thank him for the wondrous diversity of our beautiful Withworld.every blessing, Lynne

5 All Saints Church The current contact details for Cople Church are as follows:Tel: 01234 974722. email: Churchwardenscmwvicar@gmail.com June Thomas Julie Scherrer 34 Grange Lane 26 Grange Way Cople, Beds Willington, Beds MK44 3TT MK44 3QW Tel: 01234 831705 Tel: 01234 838623 juneshanahan748@btinternet.com julie@scherrer.co.uk Mother’s Union Members joined with other groups & branches for Mary Sumner Day on 9th August 2022 at Blunham AtChurch.the start of the service, the banners were processed. The Cluster Chaplain, Jane Godley, gave a talk. Communion was taken & at the end of the service, seeds were distributed to members as a symbol of God’s transforming work. All our knitted & sewing was collected in for both local & overseas distribution. Our next meeting is on 12th September at 2.00pm in Cople Church. Our speaker will be Stuart MaCaw from the Kings Arms LizProjectBuck Prayer Father, we pray today for children & young people who will be entering a new season of education. May they look forward with excitement & not apprehension, & may their teachers be equipped to inspire and care for their new students. (M.U. Prayer Diary) Names from the Register Funeral 10 August 2022 Daphne Collis Baptism 21 August 2022 — Elliott Storton

St Edmundsbury Cathedral is only one of 4 cathedrals to be doing a LEGO Cathedral project. 100,000 bricks have already been used and the model of the cathedral is looking spectacular. There are 100,000 more bricks to go. Visitors can donate a pound to place a brick on the model, so of course I did!

The day ended with Evening prayer after which we made our way home. Thank you Revd Lynne Sandle for organising this very enjoyable and memorable day.

Inside the cathedral we viewed the Lady Chapel, the beautifully painted ceilings and the stunning organ. Ever since the martyred Anglo-Saxon King St Edmund's remains were brought here, it has been a place of pilgrimage and pilgrims still come daily to light candles and say prayers. After our tour we were free to go and view the exhibition 'Threads through Creation'. The exhibition consists of 12 large textile panels inspired by the first pages of the Bible. It took nearly 3 years to complete and follows on from Jacqui's first project 'Threads through Revelation' We all thought the panels were spectacular (see photos) and couldn't imagine how one person could have sewn and devised such amazing designs. The colours were breath taking, and each panel represented a verse or verses from Genesis. If you want to see them for yourselves you have until 3rd September, after which the exhibition moves on to Guildford Cathedral.

On Tuesday 2nd August a group of 12 of us, from the Benefice of Cople, Moggerhanger and Willington, travelled to Bury St Edmunds. Our day out was two fold to have a tour of the cathedral and to view the latest exhibition by Jacqui Parkinson 'Threads through Creation'. After lunch in the Cathedral Cafe, we gathered by the beautiful font for our tour. Robert, our guide, was full of interesting facts. We learnt that the original abbey was once one of the richest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England. Its remains are extensive and include the complete 14th century Great Gate and Norman Tower, as well as the impressive ruins and altered west front of the immense church. One of the original Abbey walls has houses built into it (see photo). During the 12th century it had the highest tower in Europe and was so big the current cathedral could fit inside it at least 4 times!

The abbey itself was founded in 1020 and grew in power and wealth up until its suppression in 1539. At this point St James' church became the Cathedral. Its new tower was only completed in 2005!

Trip to St Edmunsbury Cathedral—Julie Scherrer

CARDINGTON, COPLE & EASTCOTTS CHARITY Reg No: 210585

One bedroomed Almshouse is available in Cardington Not immediately available

Expressions of interest are invited from anyone who has a financial need. What is an Almshouse?

3 Those who have a financial need. For further information, please contact: Mrs S Thacker Clerk to the Trustees Cardington, Cople & Eastcotts Charity 30 Water End Cople, Beds MK44 email:3TYsmthacker@btinternet.com

2 Those who have a financial need and have family, work, or who have previously lived in one of the villages, or other connection to a resident/s of Cardington, Cople, Shortstown, Harrowden or Cotton End.

CLOSING DATE – 30th September 2022 Point 29 – Qualifications of Almspeople: –People who are either married, or single, must meet one of the stated criteria below, which is in priority order: -

People, qualified as set out below, occupy an Almshouse as Residents, they are not tenants and do not have tenant’s rights. Residents pay a weekly maintenance contribution payable monthly, this is usually discounted on the local rental rate, as advised by the Office of Valuation. The earliest the property is likely to be available is in November 2022. The Resident must be able bodied to use the dog legged stairs. Where the property is located there is no street lighting and is on the outer edge of Cardington. No bus services runs on the road leading out of, or into, CarCardington.parking is available. Anyone interested is asked to complete a detailed financial statement. You must be able to show that you cannot afford to purchase your own property, or able to rent from the open market and can demonstrate a financial need.

1 Those who have a financial need and reside in the areas of Cardington, Cople, Shortstown, Harrowden or Cotton End.

10 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

11 donnasmall906@gmail.com

Planting Pants at Warden Abbey Vineyard Community vineyard Warden Abbey Vineyard have been hosting a range of events and activities to benefit Bedfordshire citizens, including students from St John’s Special School

Five students took part this year and were kept busy planting new vines, weeding and watering, as well as growing sunflowers and building bug hotels. The students got involved in a unique way, with a #Plantyourpants activity acting as a fun method of testing life in the soil. On their first day, the students buried some cotton pants to dig up again on their last day. The more the pants had decomposed over the weeks, the better the life in the soil.

The vineyard has also been building links with Bigglewade Adult Centre. During the planting days in May, a couple of their service users came to help plant vines. The vineyard planting days saw other Vineyard volunteers and Ivel Valley Conservation Partnership volunteers come together to prepare the vines for a busy summer of activity. Not only is the vineyard itself used as a community and educational resource, but the grounds are also used to for other activities such as yoga and art sessions. The vineyard has a range of tours and events throughout the summer. Find out more about these on the website, including the highly anticipated Open Day on Sunday 11th September. With local artisan food and craft stalls, guided tours, a BBQ and much more, it’s definitely one not to miss! Book online at: https://wardenvineyard.org.uk/event/ open day 2022/ Warden Abbey Vineyard, Bedford Rd, Biggleswade SG18 9LS

It’s been a busy year so far at Warden Abbey Vineyard, and the summer of activities are in full swing. Based between Old Warden and Cardington, Warden Abbey Vineyard is a hidden gem just waiting to be Bedfordshireexplored.

Rural Communities Charity has leased the vineyard since 2010, and developed it as a unique resource for the local community. Throughout the year, staff and volunteers are kept busy with jobs such as pruning the dormant vines, stripping leaves from fruit zones, and harvesting grapes. Since 2017 a group of students from St John’s Special School have been visiting the vineyard over 6 7 weeks to work with the vineyards volunteer ‘mentors’ on a range of tasks. The students visibly gained in confidence and learned new skills, as did the volunteers, and true bonds were built which lasted the whole of the length of the project. After a successful first year, the school have been coming back ever since.

● With donations from the Woodland trust planted fruit trees and edible hedgerow.

● With the forest of Marston Vale planted 500 native trees.

Then read on to find out about Sheerhatch Primary garden & woodland project for the school & community. Over the past few years as a school, Sheerhatch has been working on a project to turn 4077m2 of land at the back of school on the Cople site into a learning garden & woodland for school & community use.

● With grants from the McCarthy Stone Foundation, Harpur Trust & Friends of Sheerhatch over the summer we will be building an outdoor shelter/learning room. The learning garden & woodland provides the opportunity to further support children’s learning through practical nature-based application, light physical activity & social interaction for the community and our Wepupils.are so excited to now move into the next phase, which is asking for you, our community, to get involved. We welcome the opportunity for residents to volunteer at the school sharing their knowledge & working with the children to look after & develop the space. We would welcome volunteers willing to share their knowledge, via a talk or assembly, work with children on specific tasks, or just garden & help develop & maintain the woodland & garden. If you would like to be a part of this journey with us, there is a short questionnaire we would like you to complete. There are paper copies of the questionnaire around key village locations, you can also request a copy from the school or complete the questionnaire online via the school website at: https://sheerhatchprimary.org.uk/

● Through support from local resident’s, we have added the fire pit & log seating.

Do you enjoy nature, gardening and the outdoors? Are you interested in spending time with others in the community?

It is a beautiful, peaceful space with open views across farmland to Sheerhatch wood on the hilltop. Our vision for the learning garden & woodland is to include: an outdoor shelter/learning room, greenhouse, woodland with glade, wildflower meadow, bird hide, raised flower & vegetable beds (some extra tall to allow for users of all abilities) composting area, fruit trees, fire pit, log seating. We want to create a fun, relaxing inter-generational & accessible space that brings the school and community together through the mutual enjoyment of the outdoors. This project is being done in phases & so far we have:

● With support from our Ward Councillor’s, we were able to fence the land in a way to allow for the movement of wildlife.

Thank you for your interest in being part of our volunteer team and thank you in advance for your donation of time, and energy in service to our community.

14 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

Down on the Farm 18—Charlie Porter The wheat harvest this year went like a dream. The combine & assorted tractors & trailers arrived at lunchtime, & by bed time the following day they were all done. The crops were all standing upright & were extremely dry, which makes for perfect combining conditions. I am always in awe at the speed they can get through a crop. As it was so dry, 13% moisture, the wheat was able to do straight into the contractor’s store at Marston. It will now have cool air blown through it to ensure it keeps in good condition. Every load is weighed & analysed for moisture, protein & hagberg (dough stickiness) before it is tipped in the relevant store according to its quality. I then know exactly how much of which particular grade I have in store ready to sell. The one unusual thing about this harvest was how early it was. This is only the second time in my career that wheat harvest has been completed in July, the other one being in 1976. I had feared that the drought & excessive heat may have had a detrimental effect on the yield, but thankfully it hadn’t too much. This is possibly because it had been drilled early last autumn which gave it time to establish a good deep root system & also because the variety that we grow naturally comes to harvest before some other types, so it was beginning to ripen naturally before the extreme heat really kicked in. This is not the same scenario for everybody, & those who drilled their crops later or were growing it on gravelly, drought prone land, sadly saw dramatic yield reductions because of the drought. As I write we only have my beloved linseed to combine and I will tell you all about that next month. The hot summer seems to have suited some types of wildlife more than others. The swallows on the farm have not had a very good year this year. They were late arriving which was a surprise as there was a warm southerly breeze blowing at the time of their migration back to the UK. Their arrival also coincided with the first dry spell of the year, so there was not much mud around for nest building, so some had to resort to using old nests, which is not a good idea as they are prone to falling down. The numbers that did return to the farm this year was low & their breeding success was poor. They all laid their eggs & hatched off chicks. But then the problems began. As the fledglings grew several nests fell down & they sadly could not survive. In other nests they just mysteriously died. The RSPB were asked what the cause could be of this & they thought that it was possibly malnutrition due to the lack of flying insects this year, which I found surprising as this warm weather seems perfect for insects. So sadly, there will be a lot less swallows than usual heading back to Africa from the farm this year.

They have always been present in Southern England in small numbers, we saw our first one here about 12 years ago. But now, possibly due to global warming, they are breeding much more successfully, & their numbers have increased dramatically. Uniquely for Hawkmoths in the UK, they overwinter as adults, hiding away in crevices in old trees & buildings. When the weather warms up in the springtime, they emerge to lay their eggs on members of the flowering Bedstraw family. They will go through their life cycle & become adults in about 7 weeks. They will feed on nectar from their favourite plants such as Honeysuckle, Buddleia & Red Valerian. Once they have found several of their favourite plants, they will keep on returning to these flowers in rotation, so if you scare one away from a plant, just wait, & there’s a fair chance that it will return in a few minutes.

One interesting piece of folk law tells us that they are bringers of good luck. It was noted that as the armada of warships crossed the English Channel on their way to the D Day landings, they encountered a large swarm of Humming Bird Hawkmoths crossing the channel on their way to England. They certainly gave us some good luck that day didn’t they!

There is another class of wildlife that seems to be doing well this year, and that is moths. A few weeks ago, Carolyn & I attended a course at the Rothsay Education Centre about moths & their lives. The first thing that we learnt was that moth identification is extremely difficult, made harder by the fact that there are about 2500 species in the UK, many of them look very similar, some are absolutely tiny & most of them fly at night! Compare this with a mere 60 species of butterfly in the UK you can see why it is so difficult to identify moths & easy to identify butterflies.

Some of the easiest to identify are various members of the Hawkmoth family. Some of you may have been lucky enough to have spotted a Jersey or a Scarlet Tiger moth this year, both of which have been seen in & around the village. What I am sure that many of you will have seen about is the amazing & unmistakable Humming Bird Hawkmoth. When you first see one it just stops you in your tracks because you think that you are seeing an actual Humming Bird, then common sense kicks in & you realise that it can’t possibly be. Their similarity is quite simply unbelievable. That two such different species have both evolved to be so similar would have had Charles Darwin in ecstasy, both being able to hover, collect nectar from plants with deep tubular flowers & to then be able to fly backwards away from the flower, the only member of their respective species to be able to do this.

18 Karate Bedfordshire Karate Club Traditional Shotokan karate We welcome all ages & abilities Why would you do karate? - Full body workout - Builds self confidence Improves coordination - Improves flexibility, coordination & agility Every Thursday, Cople Village Hall Beginners & children 5:45 7:00pm Advanced 7:10 – 8:15pm All enquiries please contact Sensei Lib on 07980 225490 COPLE VILLAGE TRUST (Registered Charity No. 1090113) 200 CLUB Monthly draw of £60 - £30 and £10 – you never know your luck may be in! Prize winners for August 2022 1st prize of £60 136 Eileen Brooks 2nd prize of £30 208 Libby Sands 3rd prize of £10 273 P. Mckenna 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

19 Rural Bulk Waste Collection Returns After a few years without this service, the Rural Bulk Waste Collection service returns to the village on Saturday 17th September 2022. PLEASE NOTE CORRECTED DAY BUT SAME DATE Gather together your bulky household waste that can be difficult (and costly) to dispose of and head to one of the sites in the village as listed below:Junction with Rye Crescent between 8.00—10.00am Village Hall, Grange Lane— between 10.30am 12noon. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE WASTE IN THESE AREAS BEFORE THE VEHICLE ARRIVES

Digital Connectivity - Cllr Sankersingh reported that the Digital Connectivity project had halted as the gigabit vouchers had been paused. BBC was working with central government regarding full fibre provision under government’s Project Gigabit. A procurement is expected to start later this year.

Speed Watch - Cllr Small reported that there were now 4 5 trained volunteers & that Cllr Hinkley was storing the equipment. On average 10 15% of vehicles exceed 35mph.

Additional bin at Water End/Northill junction - Bedford Borough Council (BBC) had advised that it would consider requests for new litter bins in extreme circumstances. BBC would use national indicator N195 surveys to measure cleanliness of areas prior to any decision being made regarding new bin requests. The N195 survey would be conducted over a 10 to 12 week period before a decision was made.The Cllrs agreed that there would be little litter if a survey was undertaken. This item would be removed from future agendas.

Cont. on page 21

Cople Parish Council A Parish Council meeting was held on Monday 18th July 2022, this was attended by 3 local Parish Councillors, the Clerk & other local representatives, 1 from Bedford Borough & the Neighbourhood Plan Chair.

Presentation from Jo Roberts, the Community Engagement Officer, Forest of Marston Vale on the ‘Trees for Climate’ scheme - Jo Roberts sent apologies & had supplied written information about the Defra funded ‘Trees for Climate’ project. The Forest of Marston Vale was able to offer funding to support woodland creation. The project also enabled a generous maintenance grant, to ensure the trees got established. The funding was for anyone who wanted to create over 0.1 hectares of woodland, & could be used by the parish council, schools (Forest of Marston Vale has already planted at Sheerhatch), local landowners & anybody else with some land. Jo Roberts will be invited to the September meeting.

Borough Councillors report—Cllr Moon supplied a full written report which is available on the Parish Council Website. It references New Road Farm planning matters. Fly-tipping along the A603. Parking outside schools & Ward Funding. Cople to Cardington footpath – Borough Cllr Moon reported that the land on the north side of the road was owned by other than the local business. Borough Cllr Moon was in contact with the landowners to discuss permissions.

Two members of the public attended to learn more about the Parish & the Neighbourhood Plan.

Public Participation—

21 Cont. from page 20

Cont. on page 34

Neighbourhood Plan update - Cllr Sankersingh provided an overview of the history of the Neighbourhood Plan and the current status. Robert Bellew, Chair of the Steering Group, provided a written report & presented the report at the meeting. ‘The Cople Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group had a stand at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee picnic to raise awareness of the Neighbourhood Plan. A map of the Parish of Cople was on display & copies of the flyer were available. This generated considerable interest. Flyers & questionnaires were delivered to each dwelling in the village in the following two weeks. The questionnaire was input to SurveyMonkey to create an online survey. The survey was embedded on the Neighbourhood Plan webpage of Cople Parish Council. Many thanks to Anne Papé for arranging this. Residents were originally asked to complete the survey by 18th July. At its meeting on 12th July Cople NPSG agreed to extend the deadline for completion to 31st July. The “Friends of Cople” Facebook page is being used to encourage people to complete the survey by that date. The number of responses received up to Monday18th July was: Written questionnaires: 33; SurveyMonkey 55: Total 88 (approx. 25% of the dwellings of the Parish). The written questionnaires will be manually input to SurveyMonkey which will then generate analyses of the responses to inform the content and further development of the Neighbourhood Plan. Councillor Sankersingh has submitted the grant application for 2022/23 to Locality. The amount applied for is £4,988 comprising: - Consultancy (Sally Chapman) - £3,754: Room Hire - £100: Printing - £750: SurveyMonkey - £384. There was an overspend of £215 on the printing costs previously advised to Cople Parish Council as the questionnaire had to be reprinted. This was explained in an email to the Chair, Cllr Hughes. Cllr Miller Donkin added that, Jemma McClean from BRCC had attended the latest NP meeting & was available to provide further support & advice. Cllr Sankersingh gave an overview of the stages of the Neighbourhood plan process for the benefit of the members of the public that were present. The next meeting would be held at a private residence.

Update on and approval of expenditure – The Cople Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group agreed a cost of £215 with Kallkwik to print 400 copies of the questionnaire. When the printed questionnaires were examined by the group at its meeting on 31st May, it was discovered that questions 1 4 had not been sent to Kallkwik. The Steering Group agreed to reprint the questionnaires as it was the prime means of gathering the views of the residents & should look professional to get maximum engagement. The Steering Group aimed to recover the overspend on printing by making savings elsewhere in the grant funding application for 2022/23. The Parish Council agreed the additional spend on printing.

22 Blunham and District Gardening Club. Blunham Village Hall, MK44 3NN. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 6th September, starting at Our7.30pmspeaker will be Damien Odell talking about wonderful Wimpole Hall House and Gardens. Refreshments will be served. Visitors are welcome. For further information contact Brenda Leaf 01767 640623. Blunham Community Cinema Village Hall, Blunham MK44 3NN We present on Friday 30th September, 'The Call of the Wild' (Cert PG) starring Harrison Ford, Omar Sy and Cara Gee. A sledge dog struggles for survival in the wilds of the Yukon. Film starts promptly 7.30 pm doors open 7pm. Adults £5.00. Children £3.00. Family (2A + 2C) £12.00. Sweets, Drinks, Ice cream and Pop-corn are available. For tickets or any further information contact Margot 01767 640938 or 07783 046020. Cople Sports and Social Club This season CopleCricketClub will be playing on Saturdays. Fixtures include: 3rd September v Dunstable Town (A) All matches start at 1.30pm. If you're interested in playing, please contact Ollie George on 07463 714785 for further information. Regards David Hughes Tel: 01234 838669 (Home) or 07973 148927 (Mobile)

23 Mobile Library News — August 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 September are 14th and 28th 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 September are 2nd, 16th & 30th Bring your knitting, crochet, embroidery or just bring along yourself to chat & enjoy coffee & cake.

25 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) Telephone: 01234 831894 or 07825 615839 email: tracy.essentialbeauty@gmail.com follow me on Facebook: @essentialbeautytracy 35 Chapel Lane, Willington.

26 September Diary Fri 02 Knit & Stitch 10.00 12noon @ The Five Bells Yoga 10.00 11.00am @ Village Hall Sat 03 Fairtrade stall & Coffee Morning 10.30am @ Willington Church GNiC Foodbank Collection 09.30am 11.00am Cricket Match 1.30pm (A) v Dunstable Town Sun 04 Family Service 9.30am livestreamed @ Willington Church Holy Communion 11.00am @ Moggerhanger Church Mon 05 Black Wheelie Bin Tues 06 Morning Prayer 09.15am @ Moggerhanger Church Coffee Morning 10.30am @ Moggerhanger Church Blunham Gardening Club 7.30pm @ Blunham Village Hall Wed 07 Benefice Choir practice 9.30am @ Willington Church Mid week Communion 10.30am @ Cople Church Carpet Bowls 7.15 9.45pm @ Village Hall Thur 08 Morning Prayer 09.30am @ Willington Church Karate @ Village Hall Beginners & children 5.45 7.00pm Advanced 7.15 8.15pm Fri 09 Yoga 10.00 11.00am @ Village Hall Sat 10 Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust Bike ‘n’ Hike 10.00am 6.00pm Sun 11 Family Service 9.30am @ Cople Church Willington Churches Together Covenant Service 11.00am @ Willington Church Warden Abbey Vineyard Open Day openhttps://wardenvineyard.org.uk/event/day2022/ Music Quiz 6.00pm @ The Five Bells Mon 12 Orange & Green Wheelie Bins Mother’s Union 2.00pm @ Cople Church Tues 13 Tuesday Club 7.30pm @ Village Hall Wed 14 Benefice Choir practice 9.30am @ Cople Church Mid-week Communion 10.30am @ Cople Church Mobile Library For times & locations see page 21 Carpet Bowls 7.15 9.45pm @ Village Hall Thur 15 Morning Prayer 09.30am @ Willington Church Karate @ Village Hall Beginners & children 5.45 7.00pm Advanced 7.15 8.15pm General Knowledge Quiz 8.00pm @ The Five Bells Fri 16 Knit & Stitch 10.00 – 12noon @ The Five Bells Yoga 10.00 11.00am @ Village Hall

27 Sat 17 Bulk Waste Collection For times & locations see page 19 Big Bat Weekend For details see Notice on Willington Church door Sun 18 Morning Praise 09.30am livestreamed from Willington Church Holy Communion 11.00am @ Cople Church Songs of Praise 6.00pm @ Moggerhanger Church Big Bat Weekend For details see Notice on Willington Church door Forest Church Bat Walk 5.30pm @ Willington Church Mon 19 Black Wheelie Bin Lunch Club 12.30pm @ Cople Church Tues 20 Morning Prayer 09.15am @ Moggerhanger Church Wed 21 Benefice Choir practice 9.30am @ Willington Church Mid week Communion 10.30am @ Cople Church Carpet Bowls 7.15 9.45pm @ Village Hall Thur 22 Morning Prayer 09.30am @ Willington Church Karate @ Village Hall Beginners & children 5.45 7.00pm Advanced 7.15 8.15pm Fri 23 Yoga 10.00 11.00am @ Village Hall Sat 24 Coffee Morning 10.30am @ Cople Church Sun 25 Morning Praise 9.30am livestreamed from Moggerhanger Church Holy Communion 11.00am @ Cople Church National trust Buildings & Open Day 2.00 – 5.00pm @ Willington Church Organ Concert 3.00pm David Warner @ Willington Church Music Quiz 6.00pm @ The Five Bells Mon 26 Orange & Green Wheelie Bins Tues 27 Morning Prayer 09.15am @ Moggerhanger Church Wed 28 Benefice Choir practice 9.30am @ Cople Church Mid week Communion 10.30am @ Cople Church Mobile Library For times & locations see page 21 Carpet Bowls 7.15 9.45pm @ Village Hall Thur 29 Morning Prayer 09.30am @ Willington Church Karate @ Village Hall Beginners & children 5.45 7.00pm Advanced 7.15 8.15pm General Knowledge Quiz 8.00pm @ The Five Bells Fri 30 Knit & Stitch 10.00 12noon @ The Five Bells Yoga 10.00 11.00am @ Village Hall Blunham Cinema 7.00pm for details see page 20

28 ACE PEST LIMITED Fast Efficient Service Rats, Mice, Fleas, Moles, Wasps, Bird Proofing etc We offer very competitive rates with normally same day service Proprietor: Mr J. T. Hillyard Telephone 01234 - 838391 Tuesday Club We hope you have a good summer break and are looking forward to our Tuesday Club meeting on 13th September at 7.30pm in Cople Village Hall. When we will welcome Sue Lang from the Black Cat Farm Shop, who will give a talk ‘Honey and Beeswax from Flower to Jar’ . New members very welcome. Jane

29 To discuss your upcoming project please contact: Thomas 11Tom@gostwickarchitecture.com07734465308CropleyGostwickPlace,Willington,Bedford Gostwickarchitecture.com PermissionPlanning NewHousesBuild ResidentialExtensions RegulationBuilding Drawings HERITAGE PAINTERS & DECORATORS EXTERNAL & INTERNAL PAINTING & DECORATING WALL PAPER HANGING, ARTEX & COVING OFFICE: 01767 691010 MOBILE: 07860 601567 EmaiL: www.heritagedecorators.co.ukheritagewestwood@btinternet.com FULLY INSURED FREE ESTIMATES 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Opening hours: Mon & Tues 3.00 9.00pm; Wed to Sat 12noon 11.00pm; Sunday 12noon to 10.00pm. At the end of July we visited The Legstraps (I can’t find out where it got it’s name from) near Wootton. The menu was varied. To Start dishes ranged from £7.50 for either Selection of Fresh Breads (oil, vinegar & olives. VGA (Vegan alternative available)/GFA (Gluten free available)/N (contains nuts or possible traces) or Baby Caprese Salad (baby mozzarella, pesto, cherry tomatoes, basil V (Vegan)/GF (Gluten Free) or Hot Buttered Braised Cherry Tomatoes ‘Bruschetta’ garlic, pine nuts VGA/GFA or Lightly Curried Cauliflower & Aubergine Fritter, Red onion, tomato and chilli chutney GF/VGA to £9.00 Black Pudding & Caerphilly Rosti poached Weegg.missed out the Starters and went straight to the To Follow.

The staff were very pleasant, service through out our visit was attentive., although it was a little slow as the restaurant filled up (we ate early at 6.00pm). The main issues we found was the lack of car parking space, as it is very small, so we had to park on the roadside, but the main bug bare was children constantly running through the restaurant into the bar from the beer garden area without any supervision from their parents.

Scores: Service 4.5 out of 5 (slow service); Food quality 5; Location & ambience 4 (due to lack of car parking space); Value for Money 5. Total out of 20 = 18.5. Will try again in the winter time.

Eating Out—Roland Butter The Legstraps, 20 Keeley Lane, Wootton MK43 9HR 01234 854112

Costing between £16.50 for Sun Blushed Tomato Pesto Gnocchi, broad beans, pine nuts asparagus (VGA) or Cauliflower Steak, roasted garlic flat mushrooms, vined cherry tomatoes, roasted shallots, peppercorn sauce (VGA/GF) to £24.00 for Rump Steak sauteed green beans, triple cooked chips, garlic and bone marrow butter (GF). Our party of 4 opted for Rump Steak for 2 of us, one without the garlic & bone marrow butter, with others choosing Pan Seared Fillet of Seabass, garden peas & chorizo risotto (GF) for £19.50 and Marinated Sous-vide Pork Fillet, honey roasted carrot, green beans, lyonnaise style potatoes, honey mustard cream sauce (GF) for £19.00

To Finish had a great choice - costing between £8.50 for Tropical Fruit Salad, mango sorbet or Legstraps Cheesecake of the Day – ours was Salted Caramel chosen by one of our party or Legstraps Vegan Crumble of the Day, custard (VG/GF). Other options were Black Forrest & Eaton Mess Chantilly, chocolate, cherries, Kirsch (N) £9.00 chosen by one of our party. Another went for Dark Chocolate Brownie, pistachio ice cream, raspberry coulis (GF/N) £9.00, with the final member going for a selection of ice creams 2 scoops £4.50, 3 scoops £5.50 (Strawberry, pistachio, vanilla, walnut, rum raisin, chocolate, Cappuccino). Sorbets were also available for the same price (Lemon, mango, raspberry, orange, mixed berries). Vegan options are also available (Chocolate orange, strawberry yuzu, vanilla)

31 Home Delivery Service in Bedfordshire Villages • Roofing repairs, reroofs or roof de-mossing. • Leadwork repairs and replacements. • Gutter and facia cleaning and repair. • Chimney and brickwork repointing and repair. • Any other ladder related work. Local friendly service, happy to help. Contact: Ashley Tel: 07851 121782 Email: midgardpm@outlook.com

33 Two Counties Foot Clinic Ltd Podiatrist/ Chiropodist Yvonne Siudak BSc (Hons) in Podiatry, MChS, HCPC Reg 2 Belfry Court, Sandy Bedfordshire SG19 1JR Easy free parking available. Tel: 01767 692822 Mobile: 07841 033014 Email: Yvonne@yourfootclinic.co.uk www.yourfootclinic.co.uk CopleChurchCoffeeMorning Saturday24thSeptember2022 10.30-12.00(inthechurch) Youarewarmlyinvitedtocomealongtothechurchcoffeemorningon Saturday24thSeptember. Deliciouscakesanddrinkswillbeavailabletobuy Allageswelcome. Aperfectwaytomeetupwithothersfromthevillageandaround. Allmoneyraisedtogotothechurch. Welookforwardtoseeingyou

34 Cont. from page 21

Discuss classification of the A603 & possible extension of 30mph speed limit to Octagon Farm BBC had added a request for the review of the speed limit to its list of similar requests from across the Borough. BBC did not have a budget for speed limit reviews, but advised that the request would be considered for funding if monies were made available. The Clerk had asked if the Parish Council could contribute towards a review. Borough Cllr Moon advised that he had previously discussed the costs & the rationale for the extension of the 40mph limit to Octagon Farm with Council Officers. It was agreed that the Clerk would email BBC to ask what could be done to progress the request & would copy in Borough Cllr Moon. Ward funding would be available for this request.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will take place at 19:30 on 19th September 2022 at Cople Village Hall. All members of the public are entitled to attend the meeting and are cordially invited by the Council to do so.

Conflict study update at the Northill Road/Willington Road/ Grange Lane junction - Libby Sands had provided an explanation of what was involved in a conflict study; in advance of the meeting. Libby had found that it was better to hold an on-site exercise to explain the study in more detail and would be happy to hold a trial session in August. Cllrs agreed that they would like to undertake a trial & Borough Cllr Moon also put himself forward as a volunteer.

Amenity & highways - Report any Highways issues - A report had been received of overgrown trees & shrubs on Water End outside of The Retreat. The Clerk would contact Highways regarding this matter. There had been contact about the use of electric bikes on bridleways & an increase in dog fouling on Rights of Way. A note would be included on the Parish Council website & Facebook page with a link to the BBC form for reporting dog fouling.

It was noted that the 30mph roundels on Water End had not been put in place yet. It had been advised that these would be in place by the end of June. The Clerk would email Andrew Prigmore & copy in Borough Cllr Moon.

Agree grass cutting arrangement for the Millennium Woods - The volunteers were looking to produce a schedule for the collection of the grass clippings after mowing. The volunteers had asked if, at the next visit, the contractor could just mow the rides & some paths through the central clearing & leave the remaining area to grow to encourage wild flowers & so that the volunteers can assess what was growing. Ideally the whole of the area could then be cut again in the autumn (late September onwards).

A full copy of the minutes of the Cople Parish Council meetings are available on the website cople pc.gov.uk. If you would like to engage with the Parish Council about any matter please contact Anne, Parish Council Clerk, by e-mail clerk@cople-pc.gov.uk.

Friends of All Saints Church, Cople – Gin Night

The Friends are pleased to announce that another gin night will be held on the evening of Saturday 22nd October in the Village Hall. Ticket price is £17.50 per person, which will include your first gin or 2 soft drinks, plus the food we will be serving. Feel free to bring along crisps or nuts etc. and remember to tell us when you purchase your tickets if you have any dietary requirements.

The Friends bank account details are: Bank: Lloyds Sort Code: 309066 Account No: 03064452 Account Name: "The Friends of All Saints Church

Tickets must be paid for before the evening, and the easiest to pay for them is by bank transfer.

There will be a bar selling wine, beer, cider, and soft drinks if you need a break from gin or it is not you tipple of Therechoice.will be a raffle, so prize donations will be gratefully received, and at the end of the evening part used bottles of gin will be auctioned. If you wish to purchase tickets, please contact:Miles Tetley – 07738 999340 or milotetley@gmail.com or Charlie Porter – 07790 335284

DoorsCople"open at 19:30, and Charlie Porter will be giving a talk revolving around Cople in the first half of the evening, with music in the second half. Seating will be communal as last year, so there is no need to make up a party – a great way to get to know people.

36 COUNTRY STOVES & SWEEPS HETAS Registered Wood/Multi Fuel Stove Installation Gas Fires Fitted GAS SAFE Chimney Sweeping Insurance/Safety Certificates Issued Chimney Lining Bird Guards Fitted Free Survey & Quote Competitive Prices 01767 627591 / 07950 705479 Julian Biggs, Northill, Bedfordshire B. W. Taylor Plumbing Roofing and all Building Maintenance From “Complete Bathrooms and Kitchens” including tiling and plastering through to “Ball Valves and “Garden Taps” No Job too small Local Reliable service at Reasonable Rates References Supplied if Required Telephone: Barrie Taylor 01234 - 838676 Mobile 07979 928186 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

37 www.biggleswadetyres.co.uk Phone for special discount on tyres using the code: COPLE MOT’s carried out while you wait. Phone 01767 60194

38 Dear Cople residents, Thank you for your donations to the food bank that you kindly put on your doorstep on the 4th June ready for the GNiC & volunteers to collect. It was a success & gratefully received. We are doing another food bank collection on SATURDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER. Please put any items of food on your doorstep or in clear sight so when the volunteers drive by, they can see your donation. Items needed:Dried foods e.g., pasta, rice. Tinned meat, fish, veg and fruit. Toiletries. Coffee, tea, UHT milk, squash, potatoes, tinned puddings, biscuits, pulses, soups, pasta sauces etc. We will be collecting between 09:30 and 11:00am. If your items seem to have been missed, please call 07738 999273 Many thanks. GNiC and Volunteers LIFE Health and Wellbeing Studio Holistic massage treatments Get Earthed Healing Gift shop MindfulnessRetreatsworkshops www.life healthandwellbeing.com07806636911 Next to The Barn farm shop Cople Road, Cardington, Bedford MK443SH

Cople Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group

During June and July the group asked all households in Cople for their views as to how Cople should develop over the next 20 years. We would like to thank everyone who completed the survey for their magnificent response. 99 residents completed the survey either on Survey Monkey or the manual questionnaire. This result is an unprecedented success, representing 25% of households in Cople. The average in other villages is generally 10%. The information obtained from the survey will help us move forward with the plan and will ensure that it truly reflects the consensus views of the residents of our Parish. We are looking for more volunteers to join the group and contribute to the many and varied tasks involved in developing the Neighbourhood Plan. We also welcome volunteers to help with specific tasks such as evidence gathering: e.g. the history and heritage of Cople, the built environment. We meet on the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm for about an hour. We each contribute a couple of hours each month on various tasks. If you are interested and would like an informal chat, please give me a ring on 07772 302135. Once again, many thanks for your tremendous response to the Robertsurvey.Bellew, Chair

39 Very Advance Notice (apparently the Knitters need time to perfect their decorations) Christmas Tree Festival We will be holding the Christmas tree Festival in the church on the 10th and 11th December 2022

More details to follow in next month’s magazine.

40 Laura Saunders Accounting & Finance First Class Graduate Part-Qualified ACCA Accountant 7 Years Experience in Services:Accountancy Out of Hours Bookkeeping VAT GeneralReturnsAdmin Other adhoc assignments available on request Proficient in Excel, Sage, Quickbooks and Xero Competitive Hourly Rate Friendly, Professional Service To discuss your requirements further, laura.saunders.1@outlookcontact:.com 07967 830790

42 The Five MenuBells. Fig & Goat Cheese parcel with dressed salad & red onion Batons of Halloumi & Mozzarella with dressed salad & Bobble Bubble Red Jumbo Shrimp with dressed salad & lemon freshly cooked with dips—£3.95 with salad & sweet chilli dip £4.50 —£3.50 with fine beans & cherry Panko chicken breast, garlic, white wine & Hand Crafted Pie of the Week—with mash & vegetables or chips & peas—£14.95 Hand Crafted Chicken or Beef Burger—with dressed salad & hand cut chips—£10.95 Alle Battered Cod & Chips—with triple fried chips, peas & our own tartare sauce £13.95 Vegan Kerelan Cauliflower & Red Pepper Curry—with steamed rice & warm naan bread £12.95 Add Chicken £3.00

43 with peppers, red onion, julienne carrots & steamed rice (spicy other cuts may be £16.95 Roasted Tenderloin of Pork with grain mustard mash, country vegetables with garlic & honey sauce Please see our specials board for lots more including pm September Music Quiz nights 6.00pm General Knowledge Quiz nights—8.00pm September Music Quiz nights 6.00pm Lunchtime Food Offers Wednesday to Saturday 2 meals for £15.95 Scampi, chips, peas & tartare sauce Ham, egg & chips Cod, chips, peas & tartare sauce Lasagne, salad & chips

44 SJ TAX & ACCOUNTING QUALIFIED ACCOUNTANT Professional friendly services, Tax advice, Free initial consultation, Sole traders, Ltd companies, bookkeeping, payroll, CIS, VAT & Tax. E:Mob:Tel:sally@sjtax.co.uk0123483199707899808592

47 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

If this summer’s conditions really is ‘the new normal’, although I would always warn about the folly of generalising from a particular in any walk of life, then the Darwinian mantra of ‘adapt and survive’ needs to be fully embraced & that means a serious rethink on what your garden looks like.

A client of mine who has been interested in the weather all of his long life mentioned to me recently that he was looking through an old gardening book in his possession. Printed just after the second world war, it stated that in this country, ‘July was generally the hottest month’ and that ‘in some years, the temperature reached as high as 32°C’. Given that the temperature in some places in July of this year reached the record-breaking 40°C & that as I write, 36°C is once again being mooted, will these figures become the new normal? I certainly hope not! Time will of course tell but along with this year’s drought the driest year in this country since 1976 – strong winds have also been a very regular feature which also has the effect of drying plants & the ground that supports them. In short, the current conditions are very trying. And that is without a hosepipe ban in place. But simply put, young plants do not have the root structure to sustain their growth & without sufficient water will perish, so I would advise caution when considering extensive future planting. At least factor in, a contingency to cope with a scarcity of water & that includes the use of plenty of organic matter when planting which is effective at helping retain moisture below the surface.

Another feature of the lack of rainfall is its impact on the fauna that we may have in our gardens. Have you noticed any differences with the amount or species you are seeing? Fewer butterflies or birds? More wasps perhaps? Please let me know if you have.

Gardening in September 2022 ‘The new normal’ is a phrase I see & hear quite a lot these days whether it be applied to living with the continuing menace of Covid 19 or more recently, with the hot, dry spell which we are currently struggling with. Even if being almost fried on a daily basis is to your taste, the impact of drought is to many, a disturbing sight & there have been many articles in print & online that are concerned with water conservation or collection. But there is another approach to keeping one’s garden looking healthy & vibrant and that is by cultivating those plants that are considered to be drought tolerant.

Email: LawnDocGardens@aol.com

The answer to last month’s ‘just for fun’ quiz question that is, just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, your straw coloured lawn is suddenly peppered with tiny conical shaped mounds of soil. What is causing this? And what can be done about it? The prime suspect is ants. The damage done to a lawn is in exposing bare soil so that weed seeds can settle & then germinate but if regularly maintained, mowed once a week etc., ants are not terribly damaging. If you are prone to only cutting the lawn every now & then, mounds can form which make for an uneven, undulating surface. Do nothing & if you are very lucky, you might be visited by a Yaffle; that is, a green woodpecker, arguably one of this country’s most beautiful of birds who eat ants. If remedial action has to happen, spike with a garden fork, pour ant powder into the holes & firm with a foot.

Tree Care, Planting, Weeding, Hedge Trimming, Turfing, Jungle Clearing, Landscaping, Lawn Improvement, Patio/Drive Pressure Washing/Weedkilling, Holiday Watering etc., etc.

Lawn Doctor Garden Services Clearance, Redesign, Maintenance Tel: 01767 627 581 or 07796 328 855

This month’s just for fun question then is another concerning the nomenclature of the natural world and this one is inspired by a question recently received from a local lady, why is The Passion Flower so called? 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.

50 Village Contacts Cople Village Hall & Playing Field Available for hire for parties, meetings, conferences etc. Main Hall and/or Committee Room - hire charge from £10 per hour. Bookings Officer, Laura Saunders please email if possible villagehallenquiries@cople.org.uk or phone 07967 830790 Website: www.cople.org.uk/village hall 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. Knit & Stitch Contact: Hazel Shreeves Tel: 01234 838817 Mothers Union Contact: Jill Ebbs Tel: 01234 838659 Cople Village Trust Chair: Catherine Bayliss Tel: 01234 838704 Cople Sports & Social Club Chair: David Hughes Tel: 01234 838669 Tuesday Club Contact: Joy Duthie Tel: 01234 838407 Cople Carpet Bowls Club Contact: Pauline Baynes Tel: 01234 838102 Cople Web Site Contact: Ian Whiting Tel: 01234 838347 Email: ian@cople.org.uk Web Site: www.cople.org.uk Village Agent Wendy Tel:0800Worgan0391234 Mobile: 07717 wendyw@bedsrcc.org.uk269440 Cople Parish Council Clerk: Anne Pape Tel: 01234 clerk@cople376645pc.gov.uk https://cople pc.gov.uk/

51 Millfield