Cople News October 2022

Cople

Editor’s Notes

It is with great sadness that we heard the news that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died on 8th September 2022. Due to this our front page is dedicated to the memory of Her Majesty.

Thank you for collecting your newspapers for the animal charity, but they have quite a stockpile at the moment, so don’t need any more just now. Please recycle any you may have gathered that I haven’t yet collected. As and when they need further supplies they will let me know.

While we remember, if anyone in your family is due to celebrate a special event, big birthday or christening etc, and you would like their photograph on the front page of Cople News, please email it in with a short report. Similarly, if you have a lovely photograph of the area, send that in as well. We’d love to have them.

A report on the recent Foodbank Collection may be found on page 34. However, perhaps understandably, it wasn’t as large as in previous times. Thank you to those of you who did donate, but perhaps everyone could add just a single item to their shopping each week. After 12-13 weeks, just think how much we could collect?

We have also been asked if anyone has any warm winter coats & Jackets could they let Joy Duthie (see details for Tuesday Club on page 50). These are part of the Rotary Club Initiative ‘Wrap Up’ to provide coats for the homeless.

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. 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

Letter from the Vicar

Dear Friends,

It was with great sadness last month that I learnt of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II. As a nation we came together to grieve & mourn her loss, & also to welcome our new King, Charles III. Seeing the pictures of Queen Elizabeth’s coffin lying in state, both at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh & in Westminster Hall was quite profound & moving, & it did prompt memories for me of all those family members & friends whose funerals I have attended over the years.

Often attending a funeral brings back those memories of all those whom we have loved but see no longer. Death has certainly felt like a huge part of our national consciousness over the last few years, with over 200,000 deaths from Covid alone since March 2020. Covid also brought with it deep difficulties for those who were mourning, with so many restrictions on funeral services & many people not being able to attend at all. Perhaps a defining image of our collective experience of the Covid pandemic came from our late Queen, sitting alone in a black facemask at the funeral of her beloved husband Prince Phillip.

Grief stays with us, & although it’s effects ebb & flow in our daily lives, it often moves into our hearts for the long term. Later this month, the Church has two festivals, All Saints Day on the nearest Sunday to 1st November, is the day when we celebrate all those women & men who have been a wonderful example to us of the grace of God powerfully at work in the world. When we are baptised or christened into the family of the Church, we all become part of this group of Saints. The second festival is the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed on All Souls Day, when we remember with great thankfulness before God all those we have known & loved who have departed this life. There will be service of Commemoration of the Faithful Departed on Sunday 30th October at 6pm at St Lawrence Church in Willington. If you are living with grief after the loss of a loved one, no matter how long ago, you are very welcome to attend. I have taken comfort, as so many people do, from these words from Matthew’s Gospel; ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’ God’s comfort and peace is there for us all.

With every blessing, Lynne

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 Tel: 01234 838623 juneshanahan748@btinternet.com julie@scherrer.co.uk

Mother’s Union

Jill opened our meeting in September by reading out a message from our World Wide President Sheran Harper on the passing of HM The Queen Elizabeth II. She then introduced our speaker Stuart McCaw from the Kings Arms Project in Ampthill Road.

The Kings Arms Project focuses on tackling homelessness, displacement & isolation in Bedford & beyond. The building has 40 bed spaces & the homeless person goes through an application process to get there. They probably stay for 18 oths & in that time they meet with a caseworker on a week to week basis to help build their self esteem & a better future.

They work with other agencies & also run courses, perhaps to help with sorting out a tenancy agreement, how to pay rent or how to cook a healthy meal for themselves.

A Refugee & Migrant Scheme was started in response to the war in Afghanistan. The refugees that are known to the Project are met off the plane & taken care of. These families are then helped by Befrienders to integrate into the community where they have gone to live.

The cost of living crisis could push people into homelessness, so there will be more demands for their services. Their slogan is ‘Hope for everyone, always’. Tea & cakes ended the meeting with thanks to our cakemakers. Our next meeting will be held on Monday 10th October at 2.30pm at a nearby venue.

Prayer

We pray for those who have nowhere to call home. Those wandering the streets in all weathers, looking for somewhere to sleep safely. Help them to find permanent housing and jbs. Bless all who provide for their immediate needs.

(M.U. PRAYER DIARY)

SING, SING!

WHAT SHALL I SING?

Harvest, Christmas Carols, Easter –and everything in between. The Benefice Choir sings its way through the year, and if you enjoy singing, and would like to join us, we’d be delighted to welcome you.

Our members are from each of our villages, we meet at 9.30am on Wednesday mornings at Cople and Willington churches on alternate weeks. We have a good sing, and then share what we have learnt, with you.

We have a full programme planned for the next few months, so now’s the time to join in.

More details from Shirley Jones 01234 831565

TREASURE LOST BUT FOUND

It is amazing what you find when blackberrying!

We were collecting blackberries from the less sun drenched places around the lower of Bedford Girls School playing field, when I spotted something different on the fence.

It shone in the sunlight. Draped over was a fine gold coloured chain with a small gem and a small disc with a girls name. Not your usual blackberry!

If you know of anyone who might have lost it, please let me know on 01234 831533. It may well belong to one of the girls at the school or one of the visiting teams.

Jean Robjant

Daphne Collis

The family of Daphne Collis would like to Thank everyone who attended her funeral on 10th August at Cople Church for their kind wishes and donating to the Primrose Unit in Bedford South Wing Hospital.

A total of £145 was collected.

Daphne loved the ‘Over 60’s Club’ and knitted many stuffed toys over the years.

Daphne’s daughter, Wendy Smith, would like to especially Thank Rev. Lynne Sandle for the lovely funeral service and her support through this time.

Wendy

“

THREADS THROUGH CREATION”

- A SECOND CHANCE TO SEE IT!

I expect you will have read Julie Scherrer’s account of our trip in August to see the “Threads through Creation” exhibition at St. Edmondsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds and enjoyed her lovely pictures in our village magazine.

You have the chance to see it for yourself, as the exhibition will be at Peterborough Cathedral from 22nd March until 30th April 2023, and then at St. Alban’s Cathedral from 3rd May until 11th June 2023.

A good day out, and you won’t be disappointed.

Google “Jacqui Parkinson” to learn more. Shirley

Operation Christmas Child (OCC)

OCC is a project of Samaritan's Purse, a Christian International relief organisation.

They provide local partners around the world with shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items & school supplies.

These boxes are shipped outside the UK to children affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, famine & disease. Cople has participated in this scheme for many years through All Saints Church.

This year the scheme will be launched on Sunday 9th October at our 09.30am Harvest Festival service.

There will be shoeboxes to buy for 50p each, plus leaflets available with info on how to pack your shoebox. Bring your filled boxes back to church in November where they will be blessed & then taken to a local distribution centre where they will be checked & sealed before being sent abroad.

For more information look up OCC on their website, where you can find videos of children receiving the boxes. Jill Ebbs

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

Ironing Help Available

Down on the Farm 20—Charlie Porter

Our harvest is all wrapped up for another year, the Linseed having been combined on 23rd August. As expected, due to the drought it did not yield particularly well, about 500 kilos/acre. But, thanks to the irrigation that I wrote about a few months ago, at least we had a crop to combine. Sadly, most of the locally grown Linseed crops either yielded very poorly, actually died due to the drought or did not even emerge from the ground. We count ourselves very fortunate to have been able to have had ours irrigated.

Because springtime weather patterns seem to be becoming even more unpredictable & extreme, we have decided not to drill any crops in the spring next year, so all our sowing for next year’s harvest will be done this autumn. Wheat will remain as our mainstay, but our non cereal break crop is going to be winter sown field beans. This crop is easily identified as it grows because is a lovely verdant green, turning black as it ripens & gets ready to be harvested. If you get a chance to walk near to a crop when it is in flower you will become aware of the lovely floral sweet smell that the flowers give off. You will also hear the bees humming as the flowers are very nectar rich, so as well as pollinating the crop, the bees are also making some beautiful honey.

Our beans will be drilled in October, once all the wheat has been drilled. The same machinery can be used, even though the actual bean, being a bit smaller than a broad bean, is about 10 times bigger than a grain of wheat. The drill has to be specifically set up to put about 40 seeds a square metre 5 inches deep into the soil, whereas when it drills wheat, it has to put about 300 seeds per square metre 2 inches into the soil. The main use for these beans is for animal feed. As they contain about 20% protein, their inclusion in a mix will boost the protein level in the ration. This is good because it can replace Soya bean in the ration, which will have been imported having possibly been grown on land that was formerly tropical rain forest.

However, not all field beans are used for animal food. If they are of good quality and have not got insect larvae holes in them, they can be used for human consumption, the main demand for them being for export to Egypt where they are the main ingredient for the traditional breakfast dish called Ful Medames. This translates as Buried Fava Beans, the cooking method being putting the beans in a sealed tin of water & cooking them under hot coals. I think I will stick to my porridge.

Growing beans has several benefits for the farmer. The main one is the fact that, unlike cereals & linseed, they require no artificial Nitrogenous fertiliser to encourage their growth, as they collect their own from the air that we breathe. Strictly speaking it is not the beans, or other Leguminous plants such as peas or Lentils, that collect the Nitrogen, it is little bacteria that live in little lumps called nodules on the roots of the plant. The plant then benefits from this Nitrogen to help it grow, & in return the bean provides the bacteria with carbohydrates to live

on. A classic symbiotic relationship, you feed me, and I’ll feed you! This benefit carries on into the next year as some of this Nitrogen will have remained in the soil which the following wheat crop will be able to feed on. As Nitrogen fertiliser prices have more than trebled in the last two years this garnering of it from the air around us has become even more significant.

Growing beans has several benefits for the farmer. The main one is the fact that, unlike cereals & linseed, they require no artificial Nitrogenous fertiliser to encourage their growth, as they collect their own from the air that we breathe. Strictly speaking it is not the beans, or other Leguminous plants such as peas or Lentils, that collect the Nitrogen, it is little bacteria that live in little lumps called nodules on the roots of the plant. The plant then benefits from this Nitrogen to help it grow, & in return the bean provides the bacteria with carbohydrates to live on.

A classic symbiotic relationship, you feed me, and I’ll feed you! This benefit carries on into the next year as some of this Nitrogen will have remained in the soil which the following wheat crop will be able to feed on. As Nitrogen fertiliser prices have more than trebled in the last two years this garnering of it from the air around us has become even more significant.

Wildlife identification can be really tricky, be it little spotty insect, an odd looking fungus or a curious looking wildflower. Well, help is at hand. Some very clever person has developed an app that can do it for you. It is called ‘Obsidentify’ & can be found in your app store & its’ free. Once on your phone it is so easy to use. Open the app, point your camera at the little critter in question, click the ‘take a picture’ icon & if happy with its clarity, just push the identify icon &, as long as you have taken a reasonable picture, it will come up with the answer; so clever. Its’ amazing what is around you without you realizing. To my surprise I found a Sieve Winged Snailkiller in our kitchen last night. I just thought it was an unusual looking beetle. This app not only identifies things but will also tell you a bit about what you have spotted.

I also identified what I have always called a Harvestman Spider. They are the ones that have a round body, like a small pea, that appears to be suspended just above the ground on its eight spindly legs. It seems that I was wrong. As it only has one body part, it is not a spider, who have two body parts. It is a Harvestman Opilione, of which there are 2500 species in the world, but thankfully only a couple of dozen in the UK. I was also glad to learn that they are not venomous, as in the Autumn we seem to have a fairly large population living in our house. They always appear at this time of year, hence the name. This app can also make a walk with bored children, or adults, a lot more interesting. There are so many things that can be spotted & identified in a very short time & what could seem to be a mundane stroll, suddenly becomes a little safari. Living in the countryside we are so lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful things & this brilliant piece of technology can help us to appreciate them.

Blunham Community Cinema Village Hall, Blunham MK44 3NN

We present on Friday 28th October, 'Belfast' (Cert 12A) starring Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, Jude Hill, Lewis McAskie, Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan. A young boy and his workingclass Belfast family experience the tumultuous late 1960s.

Film starts promptly 7.30 pm, doors open 7pm. Adults £5.00. Children £3.00. Family (2A + 2C) £12.00. Sweets, Drinks (hot & cold), Ice cream and Pop corn are available.

For tickets or any further information contact Margot 01767 640938 or 07783 046020.

Blunham and District Gardening Club

. Blunham Village Hall, MK44 3NN.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 4th October, starting at 7.30pm

Our speaker will be David Anderson talking about the Big Pumpkin Event. Refreshments will be served. Visitors are welcome.

For further information contact Brenda Leaf 01767 640623.

Cople Sports and Social Club

Now into their 7th season, Cople Sports FC have found themselves in the region's top division which promises to bring some of the best teams in the county to the mighty Cople Arena. Matches start at 10.30am on Sundays and support is always appreciated!

Upcoming fixtures include:

25/9 Meltis Rangers (A)

2/10 AFC Bushmemorial (A)

9/10 Bosco FC (H)

16/10 Punjab Lions Bedford (H)

30/10 Marabese Ceramics (A)

David Hughes

Tel: 01234 838669 (Home) or 07973 148927 (Mobile)

Mobile Library News — October 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 October are 12th and 26th

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 October are 14th & 28th

Bring your knitting, crochet, embroidery or just bring along yourself to chat & enjoy coffee & cake.

Get Outside this Autumn with Bedfordshire RCC Charity

Taking a walk outside is known to help lift the spirits & has real benefits to both body & mind. In fact, research shows that spending just two hours a week in nature can help us feel happier & healthier. Being outside in nature can have a calming & restorative effect, helping us to reduce stress. And the best part is that getting outside in nature is free & available to all. Nature is everywhere!

Beds RCC offers Wellbeing Walks across Bedfordshire - free, regular walks open to all. They are aimed particularly at people who are presently doing little or no exercise. They usually last from 60 to 90 minutes, though there are also some shorter ‘beginners’ walks. Our walks are led by friendly people, specially trained for the job. Along with fellow walkers, our walk leaders provide all the advice and encouragement a new walker needs to build fitness at a pace that’s right for them.

We’re currently looking for new walk leaders, to help set up new & support existing Wellbeing Walks across the county. By becoming a volunteer walk leader, you can play a part in helping people to improving their health, well-being and confidence through walking.

For more information about Wellbeing Walks or to find out about becoming a volunteer walk leader go to www.bedsrcc.org.uk/wellbeing-walks or contact Mike Fayers on 01234 832619 or mikef@bedsrcc.org.uk

We offer very competitive rates with normally same day service

01234

October Diary

Sat 01

Fairtrade Stall & Coffee Morning

10.30am @ Willington Church

Kohl’s Karaoke 9.00pm @ The Five Bells

Sun 02 Sunday School Service 09.30am @ Cople Church

Holy Communion 11.00am @ Moggerhanger Church

Cople FC 10.30am v AFC Bushmemorial (A)

Mon 03 Black Wheelie Bin

Tues 04 Morning Prayer 09.15am @ Moggerhanger Church

Coffee Morning 10.30am @ Moggerhanger Church

Blunham Gardening Club 7.30pm @ Blunham Village Hall

Wed 05 Benefice Choir 09.30am @ Willington Church

Midweek Communion 10.30am @ Cople Church

Carpet Bowls 7.15 9.45pm @ Village Hall

Thur 06

Morning Prayer 09.30am @ Willington Church

Karate Beginners & children 5.45 7.00pm Advanced 7.15 8.15pm

Fri 07 Yoga 10.00 11.00am @ Village Hall

Sun 09

Soul Man 9.00pm @ The Five Bells

Family Harvest Festival Service 09.30am livestreamed from Cople Church

Cople FC 10.30am v Bosco FC (H)

Willington Churches Together Harvest Service 11.00am @ Willington Methodist Chapel

Music Quiz 6.00pm @ Five Bells

Mom 10 Orange & Green Wheelie Bins

Tues 11 Morning Prayer 09.15am @ Moggerhanger Church Tuesday Club 7.30pm @ Village Hall

Wed 12 Benefice Choir 09.30am @ Cople Church

Mobile Library

Thur 13

For times & locations see page 19

Midweek Communion 10.30am @ Cople Church

Carpet Bowls 7.15 9.45pm @ Village Hall

Benefice Bible course 7.30pm @ Willington Methodist Chapel

Morning Prayer 09.30am @ Willington Church

Karate Beginners & children 5.45 7.00pm Advanced 7.15 8.15pm

General Knowledge Quiz 8.00pm @ The Five Bells

Fri 14 Knit & Stitch 10.00 12noon @ The Five Bells

Yoga 10.00 – 11.00am @ Village Hall

Sat 15 Octoberfest

All day @ The Five Bells

Sun 16 Morning Prayer 9.30am livestreamed from Willington Church

Cople FC 10.30am v Punjab Lions Bedford (H)

Holy Communion 11.00am @ Cople Church

Harvest Songs of Praise 6.00pm @ Moggerhanger Church

Mon 17

Black Wheelie Bin

Lunch Club

12.30pm @ Cople Church

Tues 18 Morning Prayer 09.15am @ Moggerhanger Church

Wed 19

Benefice Choir practice 09.30am @ Willington Church

Midweek Communion 10.30am @ Cople Church

Carpet Bowls 7.15 9.45pm @ Village Hall

Thur 20 Morning Prayer 09.30am @ Willington Church

Karate

Beginners & children 5.45 7.00pm Advanced 7.15 8.15pm

Fri 21 Yoga 10.00 11.00am @ Village Hall

‘

Sat 22

Wear It Pink’ 7.00pm @ Cople Sports & Social Club

Coffee Morning

10.30am @ Cople Church

Gin Club 7.30pm @ Village Hall, see page 23

‘

Joy’ rock singer 8.30pm @ The Five Bells

Sun 23 Morning Praise

09.30am livestreamed from Moggerhanger Church

Holy Communion 11.00am @ Cople Church

Music Quiz 6.00pm @ The Five Bells

Mon 24 Green & Orange Wheelie Bins

Tues 25

Morning Prayer 09.15am @ Moggerhanger Church

Wed 26 Benefice Choir 09.30am @ Cople Church

Mobile Library

For times & locations see page 19

Midweek Communion 10.30am @ Cople Church

Benefice Bible course 7.30pm @ Willington Methodist Chapel

Carpet Bowls 7.15 9.45pm @ Village Hall

Thur 27 Morning Prayer 09.30am @ Willington Church

Karate

Beginners & children 5.45 – 7.00pm Advanced 7.15 –8.15pm

General Knowledge Quiz 8.00pm @ The Five Bells

Sat 29

Dangerous Brian Hallowe’en Party @ The Five Bells

Sun 30 Benefice Patronal Festival Communion Service 11.00am @ Cople Church

Cople FC 10.30am v Marabese Ceramics (A)

All Souls Service 6.00pm @ Willington Church

Mon 31

Black Wheelie Bin

Dear Parents, Neighbours & Village Friends.

We are having another collection and you’re invited to leave your unwanted bags of clothes at Sheerhatch Primary School (Cople or Willington sites) on the morning of Monday 7th November (before 9am) - any bags can be used...

The more we collect, the more money we raise for the school, so please spread the word!

You can donate the following ‘good quality’ items for RE-USE*: - Men’s, Ladies’ and Children’s clothing; Paired shoes (tied together or elastic band around); Handbags; Hats; Bags; Scarves & ties; Jewellery; Lingerie; Socks; Belts; Soft toys; Household linen; Household curtains; Household towels; Household bedding (bed sheets, pillow cases & duvet covers). * We reserve the right to refuse any unsuitable items

We CANNOT accept: - Duvets & blankets; Pillows & cushions; Carpets, rugs & mats (including bath, shower & toilet mats); Soiled, painted, ripped or wet clothing; School uniforms with & without logos; Corporate clothing & workwear; Textile off cuts, yarns or threaded material.

Any support is gratefully received, Friends of Sheerhatch (FOSH)

Cople Church Coffee Morning Saturday 22nd October 2022 10.30—12.00 (in the church)

You are warmly invited to come along to the church coffee morning on Saturday 22nd October.

Delicious cakes and drinks will be available to buy. All ages welcome.

A perfect way to meet up with others from the village & around.

All money raised to go to the church

We look forward to seeing you.

Tuesday Club

Sue Lang, Owner of the Black Cat Farm Shop, Roxton. MK44 3DY (Opens Tuesday Saturday 10 4pm. Sunday 11 3pm) gave us a fascinating talk on 13th September. We learned so much it certainly is a labour of love!

Sue sells fresh locally grown produce and many home-made preserves. As a bee keeper she specialises in honey and beeswax products. Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honey bees converting the sugar from the honey to beeswax. The wax is formed into scales by eight wax producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive.

Beeswax has been used since prehistory, as a lubricant and a waterproofing agent, as a polish, making candles, and ingredient for cosmetics even in painting. Honey begins as flower nectar collected by bees, which gets broken down into Simple sugars stored inside the honeycomb constant fanning by the bees’ wings Causes evaporation, creating sweet liquid honey. The colour and flavour is based on the nectar collected by the bees.

There are many benefits of honey and beeswax. Research suggest that they may help and reduce your risk of diabetes, dementia, heart disease and even certain types of cancer.

Our next talk 11th October in Cople Village Hall 7.30pm about Rennie Mackintosh, a familiar name a Scottish designer, water colourist, and artist. Strongly associated with the arts and crafts movement.

8th November - Christmas Party time, fun festive vibe” God Rest Ye Merry! Linda Scoles. 13th December will be our Christmas Celebration TBA.

All very welcome. For more information contact Joy Duthie 01234 838407

Cople Cricket Club: Results 2022

The season just finished has been a mixed one for Cople CC, as on the field, the cricket has been an overwhelming success with Cople romping to the league title. However, almost half of the scheduled fixtures resulted in conceded victories by the opposition.

A feature of Cople's Cricket this year has been their batting, frequently amassing large first innings totals. The batting has been led by captain George Gregory with an average of 125.67 & 5 centuries (highest score 150!) - unsurprisingly George finished as the league's highest run scorer.

Cople's bowling this year has been greatly improved with often tight spells in the second innings. Young bowlers Gabriel Sankersingh & Josef Hardy have often led the attack with some fine swing bowling up front allowing Cople to seize the initiative. Following on as first change has been Chris Lucas who has led the league in wickets taken (16 @ 8.25).

Eating Out—Roland Butter

The Five Bells, 1 Northill Road, Cople MK44 3TU 01234 831330

In August Mr & Mrs Butter, with a couple of friends, strolled through the village to the local hostelry. It had been a long time since we’d been in, as before when we visited it was not a pleasant experience, but now what a change!

The menu was varied. Starters were £5.95 for Fig & Goat’s Cheese parcels with side salad. Vegetable Goujons with side salad or Soup of the Day with bread.

We missed out the Starters and went straight to the Mains. From the Menu dishes cost between £9.95 for Burger, chips & salad (choose from Angus Cheeseburger, handmade Chicken Burger, Lamb & Mint or Spicy Bean). £11.95 for Beef Lasagne served with a dressed salad & chips or garlic bread; Whole Tailed Scampi served with chips, peas & their own tartare sauce; Beer Battered Cod, chips peas and their own tartare sauce; D-cut Gammon, 2 free range eggs, chips & peas; Ham, 2 free range eggs & chips or Vegan Kerlan Cauliflower and Red Pepper Curry or Cajun Chicken, with salad & sweet potato fries @ £12.95 completed the choice. However, the large blackboard of ‘Specials’ caught our eye’s and most were tempted by something from there.

Our party of 4 opted for 8oz Sirloin Steak with roasted field mushrooms, tomato, onion rings and chips @ £17.95; Cajun Chicken Breast as before; Hand Crafted Steak & Ale Pie with mash & vegetables or chips & peas @ £13.95 and Pollo Milanese (panko chicken breast on linguine) with mushroom & white wine sauce @ £14.95.

There was also a large blackboard listing a vast variety of Summer Salads such as Mature Cheddar @ £11.95; Wiltshire Ham @ £12.95; Prawn Marie Rose @ £13.95. All have dressed salad leaves with coleslaw & fresh baked bread. Warm Bacon salad @ £12.95. Classic Ploughman Lunch Ham £12.95; Mature Cheddar £11.95 or Mixed @ £15.95, all with pickled onions, gherkins, grapes, coleslaw & fresh baked bread. Caesar Salad (Cos lettuce, chicken, garlic croutons, parmesan shavings, Caesar dressing) £11.95 + anchovies when available.

Desserts had a great choice - costing £5.95 consisting of Treacle sponge; Chocolate Brownies; Honeycomb Parfait with Raspberry Coulis; Blackberry & Apple Crumble or Toffee & Date Pudding. Most were available with a choice of custard, ice cream or cream The staff were very pleasant, service through out our visit was attentive without being over powering.

Scores: Service 5 out of 5; Food quality 5 (Mrs Butter so enjoyed her meal she wanted to award it 6!!); Location & ambience 5 (so easy to get to and everyone could have a drink without worrying); Value for Money 5. Total out of 20 = 20 (or 21 if we accept Mrs Butter’s award).

Dear Cople residents,

Thank you for your donations to the Foodbank that you kindly put on your doorstep on the 3rd September ready for the GNiC & volunteers to collect.

Approx. 85kg of food was collected, which equates to approx. 200 meals.

Our next collection will be on Saturday 3rd December 2022. Please leave any donations where they can easily be seen as our volunteers walk or drive past from 9.30am.

Many thanks. GNiC and Volunteers

Friends of All Saints Church Cople Rounders Match Report

On the evening of Friday 26th August 2022, the ancient rivalry between Cardington and Cople was re ignited when the annual Bashes Rounders match took place. The rivalry is similar to that which exists between England and Australia for cricket – only Cople never forcibly sent criminals to Cardington. At least I don’t believe that has happened.

Following last year’s somewhat overly competitive match, the hope was that this year’s contest would be played in a more light hearted and sporting manner, and this proved to be the case. This was helped considerably by having impartial officials umpire, scorer and bowler which eliminated all arguments. Thanks must go to Andy Muskett, Cliff Dixon, and Kate Ouellette who all maintained their impartiality – Kate from Cardington, the bowler, even dismissed two Cardington players. The brown envelope was simply a thank you letter, honest!

The match itself was great fun and everyone was very enthusiastic but it showed up very clearly, Cople’s lack of practice or rather complete lack of skill and fitness on the part of some of the team. The final result was Cople 7.5 –Cardington 11.5. So the Bashes trophy was once again retained by Cardington, who were not at all annoyingly smug!

The cake sale and raffle went very well, and a huge thank you goes to our hosts for the evening, Cople Sports and Social Club – I believe their stocks were considerably depleted at the end of the evening and also to the organisers. Sally Gilpin for Cople and Clare Simon for Cardington. Look out for details next year, when Cople at least will be instigating some practice sessions prior to the match. Cople’s honour is at stake!

Please do not forget that the Friends are holding another Gin Night on Saturday 22nd October in the Village Hall. Also, a quick update on the pantomime situation. We were looking at performance dates in late February or early March next year, but due to the unavailability of many people later this year, the date has been moved to November next year.

The evening raised £335.23 which was split between the Friends of Cople and the Friends of Cardington churches. Thank you to all who came along and supported the event.

Miles Tetley

The Five Bells. Menu

Fig & Goat Cheese parcel with dressed salad & red onion

£3.95

—£3.50

Gardening in September 2022

Having finally had a small amount of rain, it would appear a large number of you have returned to your gardens prompting a bumper amount of correspondence from you this month, so thank you very much for taking the time.

One concern expressed by a couple of you has been regarding tree roots appearing to protrude more than they ever have. Indeed, I have also noticed this with an inspection chamber that appears in a lawn. For many years, I have driven a ride on mower over it to no ill effect but annoyingly, this past week the mower just slightly caught it. It would appear the drought has caused the level of the ground to lower slightly. So, if you regularly push a mower over similar ground-based obstructions, to do so with caution. Indeed, it might be worth lifting the mower’s height of cut or even strimming it.

With the limited amount of growth in lawns this summer, it appears, a number of you have witnessed your first green woodpecker sighting; I had a lovely call from one charming lady, who told me that moments after reading my piece in last month’s magazine, in which I mention the yaffle’s fondness for eating ants, she saw one munching away on her lawn. In short, if lawns are not cut regularly, the small ant hills grow & if you are very lucky, you may get this eye-catching beauty in your garden.

A large number of the queries received all ask the same question: following this year’s drought, is a particular plant dead? This is a very difficult question to answer simply by looking at a photograph, but my advice is always the same - give it time. If you have plants that appear to be ailing badly, water & keep a close eye on them and sometimes one is very pleasantly surprised. Plants that are drooped & generally looking moribund, can, after a decent downpour, really perk up so, be patient & cross your fingers! Of course, there will be many casualties from this summer & I have already seen a number of trees drop their last leaf & many garden favourites will need replacing, but as all

gardeners know, the impact of rain on a garden is little more than magic.

One of the strangest sights I have seen in the garden this past month has been a daffodil that has actually come into flower. This normal harbinger of spring has, it would appear, been bamboozled by the weather & flowered crazily early (or perhaps it is very late?); has anyone else noticed any plants behaving strangely? Please let me know if you have.

The answer to last month’s ‘just for fun’ quiz question - why is The Passion Flower so called? One of the most complex & fascinating plant names, it came about in the 16th Century, when Christian Missionaries in South America named the flower (Passiflora spp) because they saw it as a symbol of the death of Jesus Christ. They believed that the five sepals & the five petals of the passion flower represented the ten disciples without Judas Iscariot and Peter. Moreover, the double row of filaments (corona) on the flower represented the crown of thorns that Jesus was made to wear, but it also resembled a halo. The vine tendrils represented the whips that were used to scourge Jesus.

This month’s just for fun question then is, ‘Your lawn becomes covered with straw coloured growth which over time appears to die’ what is the cause?

As always, many thanks to all of you for contributing to this column, keep them coming, & please contact me with any gardening tasks or queries you may have, lawndocgardens@aol.com or Tel: 01767 627 581 or 07796 328 855.

Lawn Doctor 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.

Village Contacts

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 Worgan

Tel:0800 039 1234 Mobile: 07717 269440 wendyw@bedsrcc.org.uk

Cople Parish Council

Clerk: Anne Pape Tel: 01234 376645 clerk@cople pc.gov.uk https://cople pc.gov.uk/

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 £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