Cople News May 2023

Editor’s Notes

This edition holds lots of information regarding the Coronation Day events, please be sure to read and attend if you can.

It was wonderful to hear that Henry Franklin had reached his 100th birthday and lots of people celebrated with him at the Lunch Club. Congratulation Henry.

We have a returning advertiser Nat’s Dogs, see page 9, so welcome back and Thank You. We also have he promised Piggots Butchers advert on page 33. The BBQ packs sound like good value. Now all we need is the good weather to go with them!

The Sports and Social Club (see page 24) seem to have lots of interesting events planned, if you can support them, please go along.

Val Smith called us the other day with an update on the amount of donations that have come in SO FAR in memory of Malcolm, see page 18.

There is a lot going on in the village this month, so much that the Calendar in the centre pages (fingers crossed I get it in the right place this month) is almost too big for the space, but that is a good thing. It is so lovely to see lots going on in such a relatively small village. Keep up the great work.

While I remember, just a polite reminder in advance that the next Foodbank collection will be on Saturday 3rd June. Please give generously, if you can.

Regards

Libby & Linda

2023 Annual Charges: Full Page £120. Half Page £60. Delivered free to every home in Cople every month circulation 350 copies

Letter from the Vicar Dear Friends,

After a busy year of Royal events last year, with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and then the sad news of her death and funeral, this month we are once again busy with the Coronation of our new Monarch, King Charles III.

The vast majority of us will never have seen a coronation take place. The Coronation service itself will take place at Westminster Abbey, a place that has witnessed to Royal events for 900 years. It is a religious ceremony with the coronation being carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and will reflect the Monarch’s role as the Head of the Church of England. And as such will it contain many elements of our church services. There will be readings and prayers.

The King will be ‘recognised’ by the Archbishop of Canterbury as the undoubted King and Charles will swear an oath to reign according to law, to exercise justice with mercy and to maintain the Church of England. He will then be anointed with the Holy Oil. This specially blended oil, which will be used to anoint both King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, has been consecrated in a special ceremony at The Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It has been created using olives harvested from two groves on the Mount of Olives. They were pressed just outside Bethlehem, and perfumed with essential oils, including sesame, jasmine, cinnamon and orange blossom.

When the Queen was anointed with Holy oil, this part of the ceremony was considered to be so sacred and holy, that a canopy was placed over her, so no one apart from the Archbishop, then Geoffrey Fisher, would witness it. Once King Charles has been anointed, he will then be ‘enthroned’ by being lifted into the throne. And there will be great music and fanfare. It is good for us to pray for him as he takes on this solemn duty.

Here is a short prayer that you may find helpful in this task:Almighty God, bless our Sovereign Lord, King Charles, and all who are in authority under him; that they may order all things in wisdom and equity, righteousness, and peace, to the honour of your name, and the good of your people, Amen.

It certainly promises to be another weekend of celebration and events with a focus on community and volunteering. I hope that you enjoy time together as a community to celebrate this special occasion. With every blessing, Lynne

DOWN ON THE FARM 26—Charlie Porter

Thanks to a nice mix of rain and sunshine, all the arable crops are growing on fast. Both the wheat & beans will need a spray to kill any weed grasses that have grown in them over the winter. There are now a very limited number of chemicals in our armoury to kill these weeds, so we only use them if we have to because the more often, they are used the more quickly the weeds become resistant to that particular spray, & our armoury becomes even smaller.

I am also currently starting to prepare the plots ready to drill next year’s winter bird food. The first job is to smash down any residue left over from last year’s plants. It is a fine line knowing exactly when to do this job because the dead stems left from last year still provide a safe haven for deer, hares, & birds until the arable crops around them have grown tall enough to provide some shelter. I also like to spread my winter bird feeding seed amongst these areas as the little birds that flock in to feed there will have some cover to hide under when the predating birds come swooping over.

However, if I leave it too late there is a risk that ground nesting birds like Skylarks & Partridges will have built their nests & may even have begun to lay their eggs, & then when I cut down the dead plants I will destroy these nests or leave them open for predation.

One very sad & annoying thing that happened on the farm this month was a dog attack on the sheep. A lamb was killed & it’s mother had a back leg badly torn. The culprit is unknown, but it was definitely a dog & not a fox or badger as neither of these would be able to kill a 3-week old lamb or attack & maul its mother. Hopefully this never happens again as it is so distressing to witness this carnage which simply should never happen.

It always puts a spring in my step when the first Swallow is spotted at Wood End. This year’s first arrival was on the 9th of April, which is about a week earlier than normal. You have to stop and remind yourself that this little creature has just flown up from South Africa, a distance of about 6000 miles. They will have left there in late February & will cover around 200 miles a day, flying only during daylight hours, roosting at night, along with many others, in reed-beds & rough grassy areas along the route. They will feed on insects as they fly. Their route will have taken them across the Sahara, up Spain, over the Pyrenees & up the western side of France & over the channel to the UK. Warm southerly winds further south will have helped push them north & may explain their early arrival.

What never ceases to amaze me is that as soon as they arrive at the farm, they always sit in exactly the same spot on the same power lines over the same horse yard as they did the year before, & very soon start to check out last years nests to see if they are reusable, need refurbishment or if they have got to start from scratch & build a new one.

This year I think they will have to build from new, as many of last year’s fell down as they were poorly built because of the lack of mud in the drought. At least this year there is no shortage of mud on the farm.

The numbers of breeding pairs on the farm has fallen dramatically over the last 20 years. We used to have over 25 pairs nesting here, now we may have just 5 if we are lucky. Curiously, we never have House Martins nesting here, whereas they often nest in the village. Fingers crossed for a good breeding year this year.

Another stunning bird that is just returning from its winter vacation in Sub Saharan Africa is the Yellow Wagtail. We occasionally have them on the farm, & our type of farm is the sort they like to live on as we have a mixture of grassland & arable. It is the least common of the three types of Wagtail that you are likely to see in the UK.

The black & white Pied Wagtail is the most common, living here all year & frequenting gardens, farms & parkland.

The pretty little Grey Wagtail is also a UK resident. It is a bit more secretive & is most often seen at a waters’ edge or amongst livestock, where they scurry around the grazing stock, picking up insects that have been disturbed by the movement of the animals. It has a grey back & a yellow breast with varying little patches of white. It is often mistaken for the Yellow Wagtail, & if you ever hear anybody say that they think that they may have seen a Yellow Wagtail, you can almost guarantee that what they have seen is a Grey Wagtail, because when you see the Yellow one you really know it. They are virtually mustard yellow all over with a little bit of grey in the wings & are absolutely spectacular, one of the most stunning birds in the UK. They scuttle around like other members of their family, always wagging their tails as they hunt for insects. You are most likely to see one by a lake or pond, or in a wet grassy area.

We saw our first ones this year at the water’s edge on the dam at Grafham water. I’m told that they are quite often seen on the Cople village playing field in the early morning.

What a brilliant time of year it is to be out & about.

St Lawrence’s Church, Church End, Willington MK44 3PX

Summer Organ Concerts

Sunday 28h May at 3.00pm

Celebrating our 10th year, our Summer Organ Concerts are on the last Sunday of April through to September.

Enjoy the music, played this month by David Warner from Toddington

Entry is free, with donations going to the Organ Fund.

Tea and cakes available

All Age Easter Communion service flowers

Above are some photographs of the beautiful flowers arranged in Cople Church for the All Age Easter Communion service.

Congratulations to those who arranged them and to Julie Scherrer for the lovely collage of photos.

Malcolm Smith

Val rang the other day to tell me that the collection for Malcolm has reached £1,162.49 to date.

The funds will be divided between Royal Papworth Hospital and Sue Ryder.

Volunteer with Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity

Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity have a wide range of projects & services that benefit local communities across Bedfordshire. Many of these wouldn’t be able to run without our fantastic volunteers.

We’re always looking for more volunteers, & we’d love to have you join us for one (or more!) of our opportunities below. To find out how to get involved, visit bedsrcc.org.uk.

Wellbeing Walks are a great way to meet new people, get out in nature, & get some exercise – & they are free & open to all. If you love the outdoors & want to make a difference to others, become a trained walk leader for your local area.

You Can Do IT! is a digital inclusion project working to improve people’s lives by getting them online & accessing services that will improve their wellbeing. People learn skills such as joining an online activity group, using email, booking GP appointments, & making video calls. The sessions are run by volunteers who offer the one-to-one support which makes a real difference to people’s lives.

Good Neighbour Groups are run by residents to benefit their local community. Volunteers help out with things such as shopping, walking the dog, or gardening - anything one neighbour might do for another. Find out if your local community has a Good Neighbour group on our website. If not, why not get in touch about setting one up?

Warden Abbey Vineyard is a community vineyard nestled between Old Warden & Cardington. Beds RCC has leased the vineyard since 2010 & developed it as a unique resource for the local community. The vineyard is cared for by volunteers & it’s a great way to get outdoors, meet new people, & learn new skills.

Ivel Valley Conservation Volunteers carry out conservation tasks including tree planting, pond creation, & installing benches, which has made a real difference to the environment & communities in Bedfordshire.

Do you want to get involved and help out your local community?

Find out more about Beds RCC’s volunteering opportunities by visiting bedsrcc.org.uk, calling 01234 838771 or emailing info@bedsrcc.org.uk.

Blunham Community Cinema Village Hall, Blunham MK44 3NN

We present on Friday 26th May 2023 ‘Operation Mincemeat’ (Cert PG) starring Kelly Macdonald, Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen and Jason Isaacs. During WWII, two intelligence officers use a corpse and false papers to outwit German troops.

Doors open 7pm, film starts promptly at 7.30pm. 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.

Blunham and District Gardening Club.

Blunham Village Hall, MK44 3NN.

There is no May meeting in the Village Hall.

We will be visiting two Staploe Gardens, Old Farm Cottage & Falling Water House on Friday 19th May.

For further information contact Brenda Leaf 01767 640623.

Cople Cricket Club

Cople Cricket Club start their new 2023 season on 6th May 2023 at home in amongst all the Coronation Celebrations playing against Royal Strikers CC from Peterborough.

Matches start at 1.00pm on Saturdays and support is always appreciated.

Upcoming fixtures include: -

Cople CC v Holme CC (H) - 20/05/2023

Cople CC v Ickwell CC (H) - 27/05/2023

Ickwell CC v Cople CC (A) 10/6/2023

Graham Ebbs

Tel: 07775 783155 (Mobile)

Mobile Library News—May 2023

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 May are 10th and 24th

Knit and Stitch

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

The dates for May are 12th & 26th

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

May 2023 Diary

Cople Sports and Social Club update May 2023

Firstly, a big thanks to the people who took up the offer of joining or renewing membership of CSSC. As stated last month it’s only £7 per individual or £10 per couple, either pop into the club or email finn946@hotmail.com to complete membership details.

Opening times are set to increase to include Saturdays when we have home cricket matches (see page 20) or major sporting events. In the meantime, we will be open as usual on a Friday evening for Family night & as the nights get warmer & lighter the kids can use the playing field for football, cricket etc. We are open on Sundays as usual for regular events on the big screen including F1, Cricket, Tennis & other sports as requested. We have also lifted the ban on dogs entering the club - only conditions are they are kept on a leash & off the furniture.

Plans for a short to medium term update of the club are moving on apace & we have lots of suggestions for new colour scheme, furniture etc. A couple of items have already been replaced with work to install the new cooker and projector/sound system due to start soon, with decoration following immediately after. Watch this space for further updates & more exciting longer term improvements.

One suggestion we have been asked to consider is junior football for boys & girls age 13 & under as at present there seems to be nothing local. If anyone is interested in getting involved in organising this, please get in touch (bill.glover@btinternet.com). We can discuss what support the club can provide. Anyone involved in organising children’s activities will be aware this is a serious commitment, & one parents need to be fully engaged with.

Cople Cricket Club

Reprinted below is the article from last months magazine with upcoming fixtures added. “CCC are looking for new or ex-players to join us for the 2023 season, having proudly just won the Bedfordshire Division 2 title. We have set ourselves a new challenge and will be playing in the Huntington league starting in League 3. This will be a tougher challenge & any new talent will be very much welcomed (minimum age 16 to play matches but all welcome).”

Games will be played on a Saturday starting early May to midSeptember.

Interested? Why not come down to our Monday evening net sessions (indoors at moment), please contact: - Joseph Hendry-Taylor on 07779

944495 or joehendrytaylor@gmail.com

Other events

6Th May Cople Coronation Day (see details on advert)

27th May Championship play off Final.

3rd June FA Cup Final and BBQ

Stop Press News! Look out for two new exciting food businesses coming to Cople & Cardington in the next few weeks which we hope to include in future club events.

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 22 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.

Next to The Barn farm shop Cople Road, Cardington, Bedford MK443SH

COPLE TUESDAY CLUB

On Tuesday 11th April a lot of fun was had by all! Remembering all those childhood sweets.

Thank you Eileen for doing such a splendid job providing the material.

Our next meeting will be at the Higgins Museum Bedford. We will be meeting in the Foyer of the Museum at 2.30pm. Tuesday 9th May.

Please note this afternoon event will replace our usual evening meeting for May.

If you wish to attend and have not yet “signed up” or require transport or require any other information, then Please contact Joy Duthie 01234 838407

• 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

Mother’s Union

At our Lady Day service in March, members joined with others from the Northern Cluster Group at St. Andrews Church, Biggleswade. The service was led by the Rev. Barbara Eberling. Her talk was based on St. Luke’s Gospel and the story of Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

After the service we all enjoyed refreshments and fellowship with other members. A raffle and sale of cakes was also held to raise money for MU Projects.

For our April Meeting. Members brought along their knitting and crochet for a ‘Knit & Natter’ afternoon. We were joined by our vicar Lynne, with tea and cakes being served by Judith who also hosted us.

The date and venue of our May meeting will be decided upon later because of the Bank Holiday Mondays that month.

Liz Buck

Prayer. We give thanks for our relationships with fellow Mother’s Union members across the world.

May we be an example to others, that a good relationship with our neighbours highlights Kingdom values. May we bring peace to troubled families and communities.

(MU Prayer Diary)

Henry Franklin’s 100th Birthday

More people than usual attended the Lunch Club, to join in the Celebrations of Henry’s birthday.

There was a great atmosphere and Henry passed round the card he’d received from the King. We toasted him and had a cake. Very nice.

MOGGERHANGER PLANT SALE

Saturday 13th May 10am to 4pm

PLOUGHMAN’S LUNCHES & CREAM TEAS at 14 Blunham Road, Moggerhanger MK44 3RB

Tel: 01767 641485

All proceeds to St. John’s Church

Quiz

Five Bells Quiz Nights

I would like to thank everyone who comes along to the General Knowledge and Music Quizzes which are held in the Five Bells each fortnight.

The participants raised £258 in the months of January to March through their £1 entry fees, which they decided to split between the Teenage Cancer Trust and the Sue Ryder Hospice in Moggerhanger.

The General Knowledge quiz is on a Thursday Night at 8:00pm and the Music quiz on a Sunday evening at 6:00pm. The dates can be found in the Diary Pages of this magazine.

Miles Tetley

Empowering Kids in Kenya

Cople’s Sheerhatch Rotakids

Sponsoring Pressy – at Bombolulu Secondary School

Pressy is an orphan and lives and cares for her elderly grandmother

Bombolulu is an extremely poor suburb of Mombasa, Kenya

Cople Church Coffee mornings 2023

Come and enjoy meeting friends in the beautiful surroundings of Cople Church.

A different group/committee will run the coffee morning each month. All Welcome.

27th May- 10.30am—12.00noon Knit & Stitch Group

10th June 10.00am - 2.00pm Sale Trail & mini fete with refreshments (NOTE - this is in place of the coffee morning on the 4th Saturday)

22nd July - 10.30am - 12.00noon Tuesday Club

August - no coffee morning due to holiday

23rd September - 10.30am 12.00noon The Friends of Cople Church

28th October - 10.30am—12.00noon Mothers' Union

25th November - 10.30am 12.00noon Cople PCC

North Beds Ramblers walk every Saturday

May 6th Walk from St Dunstan Church, Bolnhurst 1:30pm walk of 5 miles

May 13th Walk from Heath and Reach 10:00am walk of 11 miles

Or Walk from Deepdale Nr Potton 13:30pm walk of 7 miles

May 20th Walk from Riseley 1:30pm walk of 7 miles

May 27th Sharnbrook Academy 10 am walk of 12 miles

Or Walk from Toddington 1:30pm walk of 7 miles

Tel.: Margaret Sawyer 07780 933729, FB North Beds Ramblers, www.ramblers.org.uk/north-bedfordshire

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

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

CAN YOU HELP ?

We are holding the Sale Trail in the village on the 10th June between 10.00am - 2.00pm.

We will be hosting teas & cake in the church and we will also be holding a ‘mini’ fete around the church.

If you are not having a stall in your garden would you be able to help with teas, man the book stall, or sell raffle tickets etc?

A couple of hours help would be appreciated.

Or if you have bric-a-brac; books, seedlings or plants, we can add them to tables in the churchyard.

Please phone June 01234 831705 if you are able to help.

Many thanks June and Julie

Gardening April 2023

I always have a sense of sadness when dead-heading daffodils, but there is a better way to view this annual indicator of how quickly time flies: rather than dwelling of their passing, to look forward to all of those plants that are shortly to come into bloom. And actually, I would argue that this approach is a useful philosophy to apply to the rest of life. In the words of the oft quoted, ‘the past is history, the future a mystery & the present is a gift!’. If gardening teaches anything, it is to enjoy what you have, whilst you have it.

The skill of the gardener then, is to design a garden where, like an old-fashioned variety show, as one act closes & slips backstage, another star performer steps forward to enter the lime light. In a garden this is difficult because, some plants are more responsive to heat, some to light & both are completely at the whim of the climate & as we all know, few things in life are as fickle, as the British weather. As no two year’s weather in this country are the same, the best any of us gardeners can really do is to follow best practice, & then, hand it over to mother nature who, nearly always, improves upon it.

That said, last year’s weather was very trying & the consequences of the extreme heat & drought followed by one of the harshest winters & prolonged spells of frost has been a number of fatalities. In particular, Hebes, Ceanothus & Choisyas seem, in many gardens I visit, to have borne the brunt of the hostile conditions. And if the last few years’ weather is indeed the new normal, & I really hope it isn’t, then as gardeners, we will have no choice but to adapt our planting schemes & many old favourites will have to be replaced.

Last month’s just for fun question asked: - true or false, an area of stinging nettles in your garden shows that the soil is very fertile? Stinging nettles do not ‘pick’ fertile soil in which to grow, they actually make the soil more fertile by growing there! Leaving an area of your garden with stinging nettles is beneficial to many insects & you often find the eggs of butterflies on the reverse side of the leaf so if you want to see more butterflies, keep the nettles.

From the commonplace to the more exotic, there’s a clue, this month’s just for fun question is: - What am I? Probably originating in Papua New Guinea around 7,000 years ago, my leaves & fruit fluoresce in ultraviolet light, I am slightly radioactive. The inside of my skin is supposedly good for polishing shoes & calming the bite of a mosquito.

All correspondence can be emailed to lawndocgardens@aol.com or posted to: - Lawn Doctor Garden Services, 14 Sand Lane, Northill, SG18 9AD. As usual, please contact me with any gardening queries or tasks you may have.

Friends of All Saints Church Cople

A quick reminder that the annual Friends Barn Dance will take place on the evening of Saturday 24th June at Oak Farm, Northill. Please see the full-page advert in next months magazine for details. Tickets are available from Miles: milotetley@gmail.com 07738 999340 or Charlie: 07790 335284

On Saturday 15th July, Charlie & Carolyn Porter will host a guided farm walk at Wood End Farm. Details of timings will be announced in next months edition of Cople News, but the walk will last about 2 hours & will be a little over a mile over grass fields & farm tracks. So, attendees need to be able to complete the walk.

As we are hoping to see wildlife, we won’t be able to take dogs along, & it will also be weather dependant, so may be cancelled at short notice.

Miles Tetley

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.

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: Graham Ebbs

Tel: 017775 783155

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/

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