Cople News December 2022 pages 1-40

2022

Merry Christmas to all Cople Residents

A CHRISTMAS celebration

Monday, December 19th at 7.30pm

In All Saints’ Church, Cople

We welcome everyone to a concert to celebrate a magical start to the festive season in the company of friends.

.

The programme includes music, poetry and well-loved carols.

There are no tickets for this event; come early to get a comfortable seat & enjoy a glass of mulled wine with us.

There will be a Retiring collection In support of the homeless for the charity ‘SMART’, Prebend Street, Bedford.

Editor’s Notes

There is a lot going on in the village this month, hence another 52 page magazine. The Calendar in the centre pages seems to get longer each month.

Unfortunately, Bedford Borough Council haven’t announced their Christmas Bin Collection dates yet, so we’ve not been able to include them in the Calendar. Hopefully they will let us know sometime!

For the first time in 10 years we are having to increase our advertising costs for 2023, so lets hope we don’t lose any advertisers.

The Christmas Tree Lights ‘Switch on’ news is on page 10, hope to see you all there. As mentioned there are lots of events on in the village including The World Cup being screened in the Sports & Social Club, see page 31 for details. There’s a Christmas Party Night along with a Musical Bingo Night (don’t know how that will work!!) again both in the Sports & Social.

Lots of church services over the Festive Season, plus a less religious one on 19th which has been resurrected after a few years.

We would like to Thank everyone who is involved with the delivery of this magazine. Without you there would be no point in us preparing it as no-one would get to read it.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2023. Regards

Libby & Linda

Letter from the Vicar Dear Friends,

The season of Advent is upon us & once again we prepare to unpack the decorations, buy our trees & presents & prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ. The church year ends in November, with the last Sunday in November marking the beginning of the new church year, as well as the beginning of Advent. Advent is a period of four weeks when Christians prepare through reflection & repentance for the arrival of Christ. But it can feel like quite a challenging time, as we wait for two seemingly opposing events. We wait for the ‘first’ coming of Jesus as a baby at Christmas, while we also wait for the ‘second’ coming of Jesus when everything in our troubled world will be put right. The first one is easy to wait for as we have the luxury of knowing the date on which he will arrive, the second is a matter of ongoing waiting as the time is not yet known to anyone!

On each Sunday during Advent, we light a series of candles on the Advent Wreath. Each candle represents something different & helps us to place ourselves within the story of the Bible.

On Advent Sunday we light the first candle, which represents the Patriarchs, the Fathers of our faith, Abraham & King David, from whom Jesus is descended.

On the second Sunday the candle represents the Prophets, like Isaiah, who foretold the coming of a Saviour. On the third Sunday we remember John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way for Jesus. And on the fourth the focus is on Mary, the mother of Jesus. Finally on Christmas Day we light the final candle, representing Christ, the light that has come into the world. The candles on the wreath will be lit at each service we hold in church throughout the advent period, including all the carol and crib services.

You are warmly invited to come along to church and celebrate the birth of Christ with us this year. Services will take place across the Benefice and you are welcome to attend any of them in any of our three churches.

Wishing you all a very blessed Christmas!

Rev’d Lynne

Christingle Services: -

4th—Forest Church Christingle @ 3.30pm @ Sheerhatch Primary School, Cople

11th—Christingle @ 9.30am at All Saints Cople

18th Christingle @ 9.30 at St Lawrence

Willington

Carol services: -

11th—Family Carols @ 3.30pm @ St Lawrence

Willlington

11th Carols by Candlelight @ 6.00pm @ All Saints Cople

18th—Carol Service @ 6.00pm @ St John’s Moggerhanger

21st Longest Night Carol Service* @ 6.00pm @ St John’s Moggerhanger.

* This service is for anyone who finds Christmas difficult & is a quiet, more reflective service

Crib Services:24th 10.00am @ All Saints Cople

11.00am @ St Lawrence Willington

3.00pm @ St John’s Moggerhanger

Midnight Mass:24th - 11.30pm @St Lawrence Willington

Christmas Day:25th — 9.30am @ St John’s Moggerhanger

11.00am @ All Saints Cople

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

“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

Names from the Register

Burial of Ashes Kim & Martyn Page

Funeral—Mr Rob Goulding

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

Eating Out

This month we ventured out to The Kingfisher, which is the new name of the pub and restaurant at The Barns on Cardington Road, Bedford MK44 3SA Tel. 01234 270044.

To say the interior has changed since we last visited is an understatement. It is very nice and modern and bright. Lots of room and some very nice attentive staff waiting on you.

Unusual names for the usual courses – such as Small Plates for Starters – there was a lovely selection ranging from £5.50 for soup to £8.50 for Prawn Cocktail. To be honest I’ve never seen such a large portion of prawn cocktail, which was served in a half pint beer mug with a handle. Very odd, but delicious. The other choice of our party was the Chicken Liver Parfait, again plenty of it and very tasty.

We missed out Signature Sharers –pricesrangedfrom£15.50forPloughman’sto £16.00 for Antipasti and went onto Big Plates (Main Course). We chose Woburn BlackHamat£11.00,CumberlandSausageat£14.00(althoughthereweren’tany Cumberland sausages, but our waitress informed us of that to allow a change of mind if necessary). Beer Battered Haddock at £13.50 and Pulled Shin of Beef Ragu at £14.00. Everything was very tasty and cooked nicely. No pretentious ingredients which seem to be creeping into dished at the moment. Good plain but very well-cooked food.

Other options were Salads – Caesar @ £10.50, add chicken or prawn + £4.50; Mediterranean £13.00, add chicken or prawns £4.50.

Steaks – 21 day dry-aged for £16.00 to £26.00 plus £2.50 for a sauce.

Burgers between £13.50 and £14.50, with Sunday Lunch at £15 to £19.

Finally, Desserts yummy! Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice cream £6, Sticky toffee pudding £6, Ice cream/sorbet choice £5.50 for 3 scoops and Bakewell Tart with Chantilly cream at £6. Other were Cheesecake with mixed berries at £6.50, Apple and Blueberry Crumble with custard at £6.50 and Cheese selection at £12.

Scores: Service – 5 out of 5; Surroundings/location 5; Food quality 5; Value for money 5. Total out of 20 = 20.

Perhaps we need to be a little more critical, but it was a great night out, with no cooking and no washing up. What more can you ask for?

Roland Butter

COPLE CHRISTMAS TREE.

LIGHTS SWITCH ON

Thursday 8th December 6.30 pm

Mince pies, mulled wine & hot chocolate, all donated by GNiC. At 6 30pm the lights will be switched on, come & join us & sing a Christmas carol around the tree.

GNiC

Also a big thank you to our local butcher, Carl Billings, for donating the Christmas tree this year

Au Revoir GNiC

In 2017, a group of local people came together to form our Village Neighbourhood Scheme that became known as GNiC, 'Good Neighbours in Cople'. We gained the support of the Local Parish Council, local businesses & of course, local people. GNiC was created to provide the traditional support that most Good Neighbourhood Schemes provide, low level help such as shopping, picking up prescriptions & the occasional lift to an appointment. It was important that GNiC did not infringe on small local businesses, & the constitution was framed around community collaboration & connection.

During its existence, GNiC has had the privilege of working with several hard working & committed volunteers & committee members, all taking time out of their busy schedules to build on the strong & supportive community that Cople has always enjoyed. In the early days, the committee focused on raising funds in order to provide local community activities such as coffee & cake mornings, bingo & with the help of our own needle experts, beautiful hand knitted poppies that adorn the church wall on Remembrance Sunday. We secured concessions for theatre trips & transport & worked with the Sports & Cricket Club to raise money through raffles.

The Pandemic was an anxious time for everyone, & the majority of the committee members work in the public sector, relentlessly providing essential care & support to vulnerable people alongside so many others working in public & community settings. GNiC provided information via Cople News, Facebook & provided signs to all households so that people could indicate if they were isolating, an initiative adopted by other local community groups.

The most successful activity was the 'Masked Ball' which took months in the making. With the help & support of so many, we raised enough money to set up a fundraising sub-group which earnestly put plans in place to hold a traditional VE day celebration in the village for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately, along with so many other plans, the pandemic arrived & scuppered this. Our most popular village activity is the Christmas tree when everyone is invited to help 'light' it up & GNiC provide free mulled wine, mince pies & hot chocolate. We have seen the school choir sing, had personalised baubles painted, all topped with a very special fairy.

It is true to say that the requests for Good Neighbour Scheme support have always been very low. In part, Cople still enjoys a relatively low population & to its credit, it benefits from an incredibly active & supportive group of residents where neighbours look out for neighbours in the way that we would hope all would. Because of the low take-up of support alongside several other matters, GNiC has made the very difficult decision to stand down. With only one member of the committee now residing in Cople, & an absence of the need for support, GNiC will be closing its doors as of 1st December 2022. The one remaining activity that will continue, certainly in the short to medium term, is the collection for the food bank that so many of you generously donate to. This will continue to be advertised in the Cople News. Should anyone be interested in forming a committee to continue GNiC, please contact nikki.kynoch@googlemail.com Nikki Kynoch before the 5th January 2023. In the absence of this, GNiC will be donating all remaining funds to a local charity. Finally, we would like to thank all of you who have supported us over the last 5 years, we were not without our critics but because of you, the committee was motivated to do its best for all locals who are lucky enough to live in our wonderful village, Cople. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

GNiC Committee Members

Shoebox Sunday

Twenty-four boxes were returned to church on Sunday 6th November, which was a fantastic number. These boxes were filled with Christmas gifts for children, all over the world, who live in poverty. It is part of an operation called Samaritans Purse.

Thank you to all those who took part again this year.

The boxes were blessed by Rev Lynne before being taken to a collection point in Bedford.

At the end of the service people were invited to stay for refreshments and to help make poppies in readiness for Remembrance Sunday.

A very happy occasion.

Down on the Farm 22—Charlie Porter

As I had hoped in last month’s article, the wheat has all been drilled, rolled, sprayed for weeds and rained on and is now up in lovely straight rows, thanks to the satellite navigation systems.

We decided to use two different drills this year as each one is better suited to different soil conditions. Where the Linseed had been growing there was no residual trash left behind as the straw had been bailed and removed. So, a drill called an Avatar was used because it is well suited to drilling into bare, clean, unmoved soil. It is a huge machine drilling 12 metres wide each time it goes up the field. It has a row of angled discs every 25 cm across its width, which cut a slot 40mm deep in the soil into which the seed is blown from a pipe.

Another little spikey wheel follows just behind the disc which presses the soil down onto the seeds. This ensures that the seed is well covered in soil and doesn’t dry out. It also makes it hard for any slugs that are about, to find this seed.

Some years’ slugs can be a real problem, eating the seed as it softens, or eating the new shoot as it emerges from the soil. Thankfully slugs have not been a problem yet. If they do turn up, we have to apply a slug killer pellet. Thankfully these are non-toxic unless you are a slug, as the main component is something called Ferric Sulphate which gives them a very bad tummy upset but doesn’t have any bad effect on any other wildlife, farm animals or pets.

The other half of the wheat was drilled by a drill called a Varderstat. This machine works well drilling into softer soil that has chopped straw on it. Fixed between the tractor and the drill are a row of tines that mix the chopped straw and soil together into which the drill places the seeds, which have again been blown down a pipe, in rows about 25cm apart. This drill is only 6 metres wide, but because this operation has to mix straw and soil as well as drill it takes the same size tractor to pull it as it does the Avatar. A mere 400 Horsepower, which is about four times bigger than the tractors that I used to use when we used to do all the arable work ourselves!

As I write we are waiting to get the beans drilled. November is the perfect month for this crop to be drilled, but soil conditions can get wet and difficult, so we are hoping for a dry spell soon. There were opportunities to have got them drilled them earlier, but if you do get them sown too soon, they can get too large before winter and they are then prone to getting fungal diseases on the leaves. There is also a risk that if you get a hard frost in the winter and the plants are too large that they will get badly frost damaged.

Now is the time that our winter migrant birds are starting to arrive in big numbers. Unlike our spring migrants that are often small, brown shy and illusive, and hence very hard to spot and identify, our winter ones are generally a lot larger, in big flocks, not secretive, and hence not so hard to identify. Some of our first arrivals were Redwings. These lovely birds are members of the Thrush family and can easily be mistaken for one. However, on closer inspection you can see that they have rusty red flanks and underwings. They also have a creamy stripe just above their eyes. At the moment they are gorging on the abundance of Hawthorn Berries and can often be seen in large flocks working their way along our hedgerows. They also love orchards where they feast on fallen apples. They will have flown in from Iceland or Scandinavia, where they will have bred. Just occasionally a few breed in Scotland, but this is a rarity.

Fieldfares are also arriving now, and they too are members of the Thrush family. They will have come from Scandinavia and Siberia, and the numbers that come depends on how severe the winters are in Northern Europe. They are larger than the redwing, have a grey head and a brown back. They are often seen in flocks with Redwings as they enjoy the same diet. We also often see them on our grass-fields where they will be looking for grubs and worms.

Last winter the numbers of both these species on the farm were really down because of the unusually warm winter that parts of northern Europe experienced.

Another arrival has been flocks of Brent Geese. These will have come from the Arctic where they will only have had 100 days to breed before they have to head south. They are a small goose, not much bigger than a Mallard, and are easily identified with their jet-black neck and breast and sometimes a little white ring round their neck. You can see them grazing on wheat fields and grass meadows during the day. They used to be common mainly on the coast and wet areas like the fens, but now, with so many old gravel pits in this area, you are no longer surprised to see them.

All this spotting is made so much easier when you have a pair of binoculars with you. If you don’t own a pair, it is really worth getting some. No need to spend a fortune on them, just start with a cheap pair or second-hand ones to see how you get on with them. If you do decide to buy some, don’t go for maximum magnification, 8 x is plenty. If you have a greater magnification than that it is hard to hold them still enough to get a clear image.

Dear Cople residents

Thank you for your donations to the food bank on the 3rd September. It was a success and gratefully received.

We are doing another food bank collection on SATURDAY 3rd DECEMBER. Please put any items of food on your doorstep or in clear sight so when the volunteers drive by they can see your donation.

We will be collecting between 09:30 and 11:00am

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.

Many thanks.

GNiC and Volunteers

If your items seem to have been missed please call 07738 999273 before 12 noon.

Cople Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group

The following is a summary of the key responses from Cople households to the Neighbourhood Plan survey: -

1) Over 90% agreed that Cople had good access to the countryside with attractive walks & views, felt safe with a relatively low crime rate and was quiet and peaceful.

2) 40% felt that there was currently a need for more housing in the village with 42% disagreeing.

2) 62% agreed that there would be a need for more housing over the next 20 years with 13% disagreeing.

3) If new homes were built smaller houses and starter homes were the preferred options.

4) 43% felt that it would be appropriate to build between 10 & 25 new homes; 20% less than 10; 18% between 26 & 50 with 15% wanting no new homes.

5) Not surprisingly the most used village facilities were Millennium Wood, Dog Field & Cople Pits.

The group continues with the evidence gathering process which we plan to complete by the end of December. We intend to email the full results of the survey to all respondents and to post the report on the Neighbourhood Plan webpage on the Cople Parish Council website.

Robert Bellew, Chair

WEAR IT PINK EVENT 2022

TOTAL RAISED £855.00

Thank you all for your generosity

Thank you to Woolly Hatt

Thank you to Philla Ebbs

Thank you to Donna Samuels

Thank you to all those donating raffle prizes

Thank you to the club & bar staff and to Nicky Draper for doing the raffle

Barclays have match funded £750.00 therefore Breast Cancer Now will receive an amazing £1605.00

Blunham Community Cinema Village Hall, Blunham MK44 3NN

We present on Friday 30th December, 'Cruella' (Cert 12A) starring Emma Stone, Emma Thompson and Joel Fry. A live-action prequel feature film following a young Cruella de Vil.

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 6th December, starting at 7.30pm

This will be our Christmas Social evening. Visitors are welcome.

For further information contact Brenda Leaf 01767 640623.

Cople Sports Football 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:

27/11 Eynesbury Rovers (A)

11/12 FC Brian Munich (A)

18/12 Bedford A6 (A)

David Hughes

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

Mobile Library News—December 2022

The mobile library is 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 December are 7th and 21st

Knit and Stitch

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

The dates for December are 9th & 23rd

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

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 21 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.

December Diary

• 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

Friends of Cople Church

We will be selling tickets from January for the Safari Supper, which has always been one of our best supported events. The date is set for Saturday 25th February 2023.

The evening starts off in the church where guests find out which host’s home they will visit for the their starter, then onto somewhere else for their main and then back to the church for desserts, a drink and the raffle draw. We are always happy to have new volunteer hosts, so please contact me if you want to host 4-6 guests for a starter or main course. Meal preparation expenses can be claimed back.

The ticket price will include a welcome drink as well as a threecourse meal, so it is great value for money, & is an excellent way of meeting new people, especially if you are new to the village.

We are reviewing the exact format of the evening, given we need a certain number of host volunteers for starters & main course, however we would keep the safari element of the evening, but some aspects may change. More details will be available in the next edition.

Miles Tetley – 07738 999340 or milotetley@gmail.com

Cople S&S Club - World Cup Opening Times

The World Cup is upon us and the Club has installed a cinema screenwith the bar open for all the England games plus others. Non-members can join on the day - family and single memberships are available and well-behaved children are especially welcome. Come along and join in the fun!

NOVEMBER

Mon 21st - 3.30pm until close Wed 23rd - 6pm until close

Thurs 24th - 6pm until close Fri 25th - 6pm until close

Sat 26th - 3.30pm until close Sun 27th - 12 midday until close

Mon 28th - 6pm until close Weds 30th - 6pm until close

DECEMBER

Thurs 1st - 6pm until close Fri 2nd - 6pm until close

Sat 3rd - 3.30pm until close Sun 4th - 3.30pm until close

Mon 5th - 6pm until close Tue 6th - 6pm until close

Fri 9th - 6pm until close Sat 10th - 3.30pm until close

Tue 13th - 6pm until close Wed 14th - 6pm until close

Sat 17th - 2.30pm until close Sun 18th - 2.30pm until close

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

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

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

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

Laura Saunders

Accounting & Finance First Class Graduate

Part-Qualified ACCA Accountant

7 Years Experience in Accountancy Services:

Out of Hours Bookkeeping

VAT Returns General Admin

Other adhoc assignments available on request

Proficient in Excel, Sage, Quickbooks and Xero

Competitive Hourly Rate

Friendly, Professional Service

To discuss your requirements further, contact: laura.saunders.1@outlook .com

07967 830790

The Five Bells.

Christmas Dinner

Sunday 25th December 2022 at 1.00pm only.

s £60.00 refundable deposit

Bucks Fizz on Arrival

Roasted Mediterranean Soup with Baked Bread (Ve)(V)

Due of Hand Cut Squid Tubes & Jumbo Breaded Shrimp on a bed of garden leaves with citrus mayonnaise (V)

Smoked Duck Breast with fresh orange & walnuts spiced sweet potato falafel with chickpeas, tomatoes & apricots

3. Refreshing Fruit Sorbet (GF)(Ve)(V)

Roasted Festive Turkey with Traditional Trimmings (GF

Braised Blade of Beef, Horseradish Mash, Festive Winter Vegetable, Red Wine Jus (GF available)

Lobster Thermidor En Croute, Dauphinoise, Baby Vegetables & Lemon Cream Sauce (V)

Vegetable Roast with Apricots & Goats Cheese served with Traditional Trimmings (V)(GF)

Vegetable Roast with Traditional Trimmings (Ve)(V)