Cople News June 2023

Editor’s Notes

The montage of photographs on the front page and below, kindly provided by Julie Scherrer, shows work done by the Knit & Stitch group, children from Sheerhatch School and other members of the village for the Coronation Celebrations display in the Church. Unfortunately due to the poor weather on Coronation Day, very few photographs of events on the day have been supplied to us for inclusion.

Regards

Libby & Linda

required.

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

The end of May and most of June mean only one thing for many of our young people and that is exams. Whether they are the end of Year 6 SATs tests, GCSE’s or A-Levels, there can be few things in life that bring as much anxiety and worry as being tested. The Bible tells us not to worry about our lives and points out that worrying cannot add a single hour to your span of life, however as many of us will know, this is easier said than done. Particularly when you feel that your whole future depends on the results of upcoming exams.

It can also be a difficult and challenging time for parents and carers who are trying to support their young person through these demanding periods. It is worth looking out for the symptoms of stress, which can include physical symptoms like changes in appetite or sleep patterns, feeling sick, sweaty palms or fast heart rate as well irritable behaviour. While it is important that parents and carers give support at this important time, it can be difficult to know how to approach it.

The website youngminds.org.uk has some great ideas on how to support your young person. They suggest that parents don’t police their child, but enable them. Encourage your young person to let go of the competitive peer pressure. Let them take things at their own pace, in their preferred learning style and help them to set realistic goals. Also help them to keep a sense of perspective; remind them that it is simply a test of memory, not a test of their intelligence.

Self-care is really important. Make sure your young person eats regularly, takes regular breaks and sleeps well. And don’t forget to have some fun time as well. Focus on activities they enjoy and plan a reward with them for after the final exam. Ultimately, your young person wants to live up to your expectations, which provides its own level of pressure. To counter this keep telling them how much you love them and are proud of them. And reassure them that whatever happens on results day you will be there to support them. There is great advice available from: - youngminds.org.uk mind.org.uk/for-young-people nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/advice-forparents/help-your-child-beat-exam-stress/

In church we will be praying for all our young people across the benefice throughout this exam season. With every blessing, Lynne

COPLE SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB UPDATE JUNE 2023

Well……….end of April, early May turned out to be a very eventful time for the CSSC with a few ups & downs. The main down was a burst water pipe under the kitchen sink in the Club House, which in turn led to a few other setbacks for us. Thanks to some swift action by the committee & members the damage was limited & the club was only out of action for one weekend. A huge Thank You to Catherine from the Village Trust who swiftly arranged for our insurers to advise us on what to do.

On a much brighter note, things have been going swimmingly (pardon the pun!) The Grand National & Football event proved to be a great success & the Italian region of Vento was put on standby to produce more Prosecco!!

The appeal for new members has been very positive with at least twenty joining since last month, more are always welcome to come and join in the fun.

The Cople Coronation Day shows what a great village we live in. Despite the heavy rain we had a great turnout &, once again, thanks to some sterling work by the members most people were kept dry by the awning & the Friends marquee. The BBQ was sold out & many thanks to Carl & Jane from ‘Piggotts Butchers’ who generously donated the meat free of charge. The band played on regardless, Friends of Cople church provided cocktails & made some much needed funds for the upkeep of the building. They say every cloud has a silver lining & the awful weather kept people inside taking advantage of the food & drink on offer. This support led to a record take for the club. The Celebrations then moved on to the Five Bells where more live music (all people from the village) carried on until closing.

There are too many people to thank individually for helping on the day, but a HUGE Thank You to everyone involved in the CSSC, The Friends, Cople Church and the Five Bells!

Moving forward to late May and early June, we are planning a few events mainly based around sporting occasions. To start we have the FA Cup Final with the two Manchester clubs in the final. The cup final used to be a massive occasion in most households with wall to wall coverage from breakfast till supper & although no longer the biggest event of the year it’s still a great occasion. We will have BBQ with the usual delicious sausages & burgers at great prices.

We intend to start at 1pm with a penalty shootout competition for different age groups (under 10s & under 14s) before the big match. The under 10s & under 14s will take 5 penalties each with the top 3 scorers going into a further shoot out at half time. This will go on until we have a winner from each age range. There will be prizes for the winner & runners up & a free drink & snack will go to all competitors. The competition is free to enter & open to both boys & girls. The only rules are you must live in Cople, Willington, Cardington or Moggerhanger & just turn up on the day by 1pm. All team colours welcome!!!

On the same day we will also have the Derby horse race on the big screen at 1.15pm, weather permitting. It should be a great day all round.

Other planned events are: -

Championship Play Off Final 27th May (maybe Luton!!)

Vegan food launch 1st June (TBC)

Masquerades Ball 10th June (private function, club closed)

Ashes test series

Wimbledon

British GP

Cheese & Wine/Prosecco tasting.

We are always looking for new ideas for events & inter village competitions (similar to the annual rounders match v Cardington) & any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Football

After being promoted to the top division, Cople FC had a tricky season against some of the best players in the county. Even though results may not have always been great, the club went through a positive transition & rebuilt the squad throughout the season with the introduction of some younger legs, which helped to improve performances on the pitch. We look forward to starting again in September and are looking for club sponsors. If you are interested, please contact Matt on 07790527560

Cricket

On the cricket front the season got off in typical fashion with nonstop rain all day. Our opponents travelled from Peterborough raring to go, but by the time the rain slowed the pitch was sodden & the decision was made to call the match off. Just as well as moments later the heavens opened again. Our next home match is 27th May against local rivals Ickwell C.C.

Cople Parish Council Minutes

A Parish Council (PC) meeting was held at Cople Village Hall on Monday 20th March 2023, this was attended by six local Parish Councillors, a Borough Councillor and the Clerk. There were apologies from one Councillor.

Public Participation.

• A resident complained about 30 mph roundels that had been painted on the road surface on Water End. They had written to the PC to fully express their views on the matter. In addition, the resident felt that the proposed footpath between Cople & Cardington was not needed & would not be used. The resident felt that a bridleway would be more useful.

• A second resident complained about the roundels on Water End & spoke about ‘quiet lanes’ & felt that this model would be suitable for Water End. The resident advised that there was speeding in the deregulated area on Water End.

• A resident spoke to represent the horse owners who stable their horses on a farm on Water End. The general feeling was that the 30mph roundels encouraged vehicles to drive faster than they would have otherwise. The resident was not in favour of the roundels.

• A member of the public spoke to advise that, from experience, interventions from the police would only occur if there was a serious collision. Other possible methods to slow down vehicles would be the installation of street furniture’. Another suggestion was to invite the Police Crime Commissioner to a Parish Council meeting.

• Borough Councillor Moon would be willing to look into ‘quiet lanes’ as detailed on the Suffolk website.

• A resident, spoke about the Willington Road/A603 junction and the lack of 30mph signage on the road. The Chair explained that the junction was already in the 30mph zone. If you feel that you would like to raise a concern or issue, you are very welcome, please can you contact the Clerk in advance of the meeting if you wish to attend. The next Parish Council meeting is on Monday 15th May 2023 at 7.30pm.

General matters requiring discussion:

Discuss the parking issues on Grange Lane related to events at the Bedford Girls’ School Playing Field. Martin Scoble, Director of Finance & Operations at Bedford Girls’ School, attended the meeting to discuss the parking issues on Grange Lane. Mr Scoble was keen to hear about the issues that had been experienced & would then look into possible solutions. The Chair outlined the issues that had been experienced. Mr Scoble would follow up with the Clerk about the issues.

King’s Coronation – Saturday 6th May 2023

Cllr Small provided an update. The event would take place on 6th May 2023; based on the Sports & Social Club. The Coronation would be shown on a big screen & breakfast served. There would be a band & food in the afternoon, along with ice-cream stalls & bouncy castles. There would be live music at the pub in the evening.

Borough Councillors report

Borough Cllr Moon provided a written report (Appendix 1) which had been circulated to Parish Councillors prior to the meeting.

Cont. on page 11

Cllr Robinson asked about the fly tipping cameras. The PC resolved to put forward the layby on the A603 for the cameras. Cllr Hinkley asked about a previous proposal to reduce the size of the layby. It was agreed to raise this again with Bedford Borough Council (BBC).

Cllr Hinkley raised the issue of general littering.

Cople to Cardington footpath - The Chair explained that it would be a permissive footpath, allowed by the owners of the land. Cllr Sankersingh had met with Cardington PC & Ward Councillors. The route was being reviewed to look at the north side of the route & the proposal would then be put to the landowners, followed by the two PCs and would then be put to the Borough Council. Funding would be required for the project. It was explained that it would not be a hard surfaced path.

Speed Watch - One session had been carried out on Northill Road & 1 on Willington Road. About 40% of vehicles were speeding. These had all been reported to the police.

Digital Connectivity - Cllr Sankersingh advised that there should be further news from the BBC later in the year regarding awarding of the contract for full fibre provision.

Neighbourhood Plan update - Robert Bellew, Chair of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, supplied a full report at the Annual Parish Meeting.

Amenity & Highways

Report any Highways issues - The broken centre white line had not been re-established following the resurfacing of Grange Lane. This had been reported to BBC Highways. The Clerk would report this again to Highways & to Andrew Prigmore & would copy in Borough Cllr Moon.

The footway alongside the A603 was covered in debris & was difficult to walk along. Where the path had been cleared previously, debris had been swept up to the fence, this then blew back onto the path. The debris needed to be removed & siding up & repair of the footway carried out. Clerk to report to Highways.

The drains on Willington Road had not been cleared. The Clerk would report this to Highways again & copy in Borough Cllr Stephen Moon. There was a broken drain grid outside of 18 Willington Road. The Clerk would report this to Highways.

Consider use for CIL funds - The PC resolved to move forward with the proposal for the installation of Village Boundary Signs & to accept the quotation for 1200mm signs (Q15459) from Signs of the Times. A green background would be preferred with an image of the church. Redeployment of the existing Cople ‘please drive carefully’ signs would be requested. The PCllrs would like these to be used on the Willington Road gates. Cllr Whaley would follow up with Signs of the Times & the PC agreed to pay a deposit.

Discuss and agree a letter of understanding relating to the church wall - A member of the PCC has suggested that the PC produce a letter of understanding with regard to the responsibilities for the maintenance of the church wall. The Clerk agreed to produce a letter with assistance from Borough Cllr Moon.

Acknowledgements - Cllr Hughes was thanked for his term of office as both a Parish Councillor and as Chair. Borough Cllr Moon was also thanked for the time & support he had given to Cople as a Ward Councillor. Cllr Hughes would liaise with Cllr Moon regarding the SID. Cllr Hughes would pass keys for the village noticeboards & for the woods to Cllr Sankersingh

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

DOWN ON THE FARM 27—Charlie Porter

The arable side of the farm continues in much the same vein as last month, with ongoing control of weeds & especially diseases in the wheat & beans. The wet spring that we are currently experiencing is making the control of fungal diseases like Mildew & Rust very challenging as the humid air & damp soil makes perfect conditions for the spores to multiply & infect the crops.

It is strange to look back 12 months & to see how we were then struggling to cope with unseasonably hot weather & the drought just starting to kick in. We were then worrying about the problems being caused by lack of rain, rather than an excess of it!

The wildlife on the farm is having a mixed spring. We’ve not heard a cuckoo here yet, but we did hear several in the scrubby woodland down the footpath past Dog Farm, so at least there are some in the vicinity. Only one pair of swallows have set up home on the farm this year. This is such a pity as conditions for them are absolutely perfect with lots of mud for nest building & a plentiful supply of insects to feed on. It’s just so sad that so few have returned this year having had such a good breeding year last year. You just wonder whatever is happening in Africa & on their migration route to cause this population crash.

Sadly, there is a second mystery to report, & that is the virtual disappearance of frogs & toads from our ponds this year. Only a very small number were spotted this year, & as a result there are hardly any tadpoles to be seen. We just don’t know what has caused this. Our farming practices have not changed & all of our ponds look really healthy. The very hard winter frosts could have killed adult frogs & toads as they hibernated, or is it disease? We are currently having conversations with local wildlife groups to see if this is a widespread problem or if it’s just around here.

So now for some good news; the wet spring has been absolutely brilliant for the wildflower meadows, with the Dandelions being the first to come on flower. This curiously named plant gets its name from the French phrase, ‘Dent de Lion’, translated as tooth of the lion, because of its’ tooth like jagged leaves. In recent years this flower has been seen simply as a weed, but in times past it was valued as both medicinal & as a food source. All parts of the plant can be eaten raw as a salad, although I wouldn’t personally recommend it as when I was persuaded to eat a flower the other day, as my friend was, my eyeballs nearly popped out & I lost all sense of taste for several hours. It was unbelievably bitter. As a drink, Dandelion & Burdock has been drunk since the middle ages, being a light mead made from the fermented roots of Dandelion & Burdock. Its’ now sold as a fizzy carbonated soft drink in most national supermarkets. Medicinally, old apothecaries have known of its’ health benefits for centuries, being used for various skin complaints & also as an anti-inflammatory. In more recent times it has been claimed by herbalists to lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, to help control blood sugar levels & be good for

liver function. Various dandelion extracts are now available to purchase & scientists are now researching the health benefits.

The next flower to make an appearance is the Cowslip. It too has been used medicinally, can be eaten & also made into drinks such as Cowslip wine. This beautiful little flower used to be common in old hay meadows, but then fell into decline as farming became more intensive. Now, however, it has made a huge resurgence as farmers have been encouraged to restore old & create new wild flower meadows. Some roadsides have also been reseeded with them when a new verge is being sown, such as by the Bedford by-pass. We have got a lot of them in our flower meadows that we have created & they, along with the Dandelions, provide a very good early nectar source for the first bees & butterflies to emerge in the spring.

Its lovely name, along with its cousin the very rare Oxlip, evokes images of spring walks & picnics. It is therefore, a bit sad then when you learn that this pretty name has a much more basic origin. It is simply a distorted pronunciation of Cow Slop, because they used to be most commonly found where cows grazed on rich spring grass! And so the progression of flowers appearing in the meadows continues. As I write, the cowslips are just going over & the more aggressive, taller flowers & grasses are starting to dominate. Ox Eye daises, or Dog Daisies, are about to come into flower, as are the Buttercups. Yellow Rattle is also starting to make an appearance. This flower used to be the bane of livestock farmers because it suppresses the grass that it grows amongst as it lives on their roots. The resulting hay crop would therefore be a lot smaller which would not be good for the farmer who wanted the maximum amount of fodder for his livestock in the winter.

If you would like to see these flowers & meadows, & some of the other things that I have been writing about over the last couple of years, then you are about to have an opportunity. Carolyn & I are hosting a Farm Walk and bar-b-que to help raise funds for the Friends of Cople Church on Saturday 15th July. Details appear in an advert that Miles has put in the magazine this month. But please take note that numbers will be limited & that registering your intent of coming is essential & that it is a case of the early bookers get the places.

Cople Bell Ringers

Cople ringers got together on the Sunday morning of the Coronation weekend as part of a National attempt to ring every peal of Bells in the Country over the 3 days.

We all enjoyed the occasion and for some of us, being part of a once in a lifetime experience.

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

Summer Organ Concerts

Sunday 25h June 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 Justin Waters Entry is free, with donations going to the Organ Fund.

Tea and cakes available

North Beds Ramblers – Your local walking group

As the weather starts to improve how about getting outside and going for a walk? North Beds Ramblers are a local rambling group that have been walking in this area for 40 plus years.

We are a friendly group who walk every Saturday afternoon, usually covering about 6 – 7 miles. We have recently expanded our program and now also walk twice a month on a Saturday morning for those who want a longer walk of about 10 – 12 miles.

We walk mainly in the Bedfordshire Wolds but occasionally drift across county borders with walks in Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire plus further south within Bedfordshire. Most walks are rural and we have the joys of finding lovely lanes, villages, historic churches and encountering wildlife. We also venture to London with organised walks in various locations of our capital city, discovering some hidden gems and well-kept secrets!

In 2023 we are starting to walk the Bunyan Trail and will be covering a section of about 12 miles every quarter. The route was originally devised by a member of Bedfordshire Ramblers and the 86-mile trail takes in many historic sites and places of interest.

We are happy to welcome new members to our fold especially single walkers. The walks are fully guided by our volunteer walk leaders.

Unfortunately, we do not accept dogs on our walks unless they are assistance dog. If you plan to join us, please also bring a drink and a snack/lunch as we always have a break.

If you want to find out more about us why not check us out https://www.ramblers.org.uk/north-bedfordshire, Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/groups/ northbedsramblers, Twitter @NB_Ramblers or alternatively call our walk secretary Margaret Sawyer on 07780 933729 Come and discover beautiful Bedfordshire with us, we look forward to meeting you.

North Beds Ramblers walk every Saturday.

June 3rd Walk from Colmworth Golf Club 1:30pm 6 miles.

June 10th Walk from Hexton 10:00am 12 miles.

Or walk from Olney 13:30pm 6.5 miles.

June 17th Walk from Liddlington Railway Station 1:30pm 6 miles.

June 24th Meet at Westoning 9:30 am 12 miles – Phase 3

Bunyan Trail

Or Walk from Biggleswade 1:30pm 6.75 miles.

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

FOUND

A pair of prescription spectacles in the Millennium Wood.

Please contact the Church Wardens.

We have capacity for two regular hall hire bookings at the Cople Village Hall on weekdays.

If you are looking for a space to host a regular class or group event, please do get in touch to discuss your requirements.

Laura Saunders, Booking Officer on 07967 830790 or at villagehallenquiries@cople.org.uk

June 2023 Diary

Blunham Community Cinema Village Hall, Blunham MK44 3NN

We present on Friday 30th June 2023 'Railway Children Return' (Cert PG) starring Beau Gadsdeon, Jenny Agutter, Austin Haynes & Sheridan Smith. Follow a group of children who are evacuated to a Yorkshire village during WW11, where they encounter a young soldier who like them, is far from home.

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 MEETING OF THE GARDENING CLUB IN JUNE.

For further information contact Brenda Leaf 01767 640623.

Cople Cricket Club

Cople Cricket Club were due to start their new 2023 season on 6th May 2023 at home playing against Royal Strikers CC from Peterborough. However, the rain stopped play.

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

Upcoming fixtures include: -

Cople CC v Ickwell CC (A) - 10/06/2023

Holme CC v Cople CC (A) - 17/06/2023

Cople CC v Biggleswade CC (H) - 24/06/2023

Graham Ebbs

Tel: 07775 783155 (Mobile)

Mobile Library News—June 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 June are 07th 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 June are 09th & 23rd

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

Cople Village Trust

(registered charity number 1090113)

Cople Village Trust is giving notice that the Annual General Meeting will be held at 7:30 pm on 20th June 2023 at the Village Hall

All residents of Cople are welcome to attend.

Catherine Bayliss, Trustee

Judith Howard 80th Birthday

It was with great joy that we celebrated Judith Howard's 80th birthday at the end of the benefice service on 30th April.

Judith was churchwarden at Cople for many, many years and is a valued member of the church community.

We sang happy birthday, then shared a delicious cake, specially made by Sam Whittle, with coffee.

Here are a few photos of the occasion, which took place at Willington Church.

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.

LIFE

Health and Wellbeing Studio

Holistic massage treatments Get Earthed Healing Gift shop

Mindfulness workshops, Retreats

www.life-healthandwellbeing.com 07806 636911

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

COPLE TUESDAY CLUB

The Higgins Art Gallery & Museum is the principal art gallery & museum in Bedford. It is run by a group of Trustees & the council. It was first opened in 1949 & has gone through several metamorphoses since. Bill Lay, a volunteer since 2013, gave us a most interesting tour. The Museum contains the biggest collection of painted furniture by William Burgess, the leading Gothic Revival architect & designer of 1800’s.

The museum was founded by the philanthropist brewer Cecil Higgins 1856-1941, to house his collection of ceramics, glass & objects of interest & beauty. To bring pleasure, interest & education to the people & visitors of Bedford. We got to explore the Edward Bawden Archive who was one of the most influential artists of his generation. In the ever changing exhibitions there is thought to be as many as 8 Turner paintings available for display. The museum was a source of fascination & Bill aroused plenty of curiosity for a revisit very soon. At our next Meeting on 13th June, Cople village Hall 7. 30 pm, we welcome the return of Bob Ricketts, an accomplished Speaker on ‘A Town Transformed Bedford from 1939’.

Please come and support us. Eithne Dandy.

• 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

Last month members met the day after our host’s ‘Special Birthday’, so we were able to keep the celebrations going and enjoy tea and delicious scones and able to view her vast array of cards.

In June, we will be having 2 meetings both to be held on a Thursday. The first will be our ‘Wave of Prayer’ on 22nd at 24 Willington Road from 11.00 to 11.30am. This global ‘Wave of Prayer’ runs throughout the year with each Diocese being prayed for in turn.

On Thursday 29th June, we are looking forward to visiting Jordan’s Mill leaving Cople at 2.00pm and hoping for a fine day!

Liz Buck

Prayer—Father’s Day

Today we give thanks for all fathers and the men who have ‘fathered’ us’. We thank God for those who have been our role models by showing compassion and care to the people in our homes, parishes and communities.

(MU Prayer Diary)

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.

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

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

Dear Cople residents,

Many thanks to every who have donated to previous collections to the Food Bank. In March we collected enough for 255 meals.

We will be collecting again on SATURDAY 3rd JUNE between 09:30 and 10:30am. Please can you put your items in clear sight so when the volunteers drive-by they can see your donation.

Items specifically requested by the Food Bank this month are as follows, but any contributions are welcome: - Dried pasta, rice, large tins of potatoes, tinned ham or chicken, Cup-a-soup, jars of jam, jelly, jars of curry sauce, cereal bars, biscuits.

Many thanks. The Volunteers

If your items seem to have been missed on the day, please call 07738 999273

Friends of All Saints Church Cople

The Friends of Cople Church would like to say thank you to all those who attended the Music Bingo evening at the church on Saturday 22nd April. Even though it was a little chilly, everyone appeared to enjoy themselves, and we raised £330. Also, thank you to all those who came along to the wet Coronation Celebrations at the Sports and Social Club, where we raised £330 selling Pimm’s and mojitos.

The next Friends event is the ever-popular Barn Dance which will take place on the evening of Saturday 24th June at Oak Farm, Northill. Please see the full-page advert in this magazine for details. Tickets are still available, though selling fast.

Following that, on Saturday 15th July, Charlie and Carolyn Porter will host a guided farm walk at Wood End farm, followed by a BBQ. The cost will be £10 for adults and £5 for children under 14, and the ticket price includes a burger or sausage and a soft drink. There will be no bar, though soft drinks will be available. The arrival time is 3:00pm.

The walk will last about 1.5 hours and will be about 1.5 miles over grass fields and farm tracks. So, attendees should wear suitable walking shoes, and need to be able to complete the walk, which means it may not be suitable for very small children.

As we are hoping to see wildlife, we won’t be able to take dogs, and it will be weather dependent, so may be cancelled at short notice. For this reason, please register your interest with Miles by Saturday 8th July, on milotetley@gmail.com so we can communicate with everyone if cancellation is necessary.

Payment will be taken on the day, and we do have a card machine.

Miles Tetley

GARDENER REQUIRED

We are looking for someone to cut the grass in the graveyard in Grange Lane.

It would involve cutting & strimming the grass a minimum of 4 times per year. If you are able to give a quotation for the job or would like to know more details please contact June Thomas on 01234 831705

Farm Walk

Wood End Farm, Water End

Hosted by Charlie & Carolyn Porter

Saturday 15th July

Arrival time 3:00pm

A walk of 1.5 miles taking about 1.5 hours. Wear suitable shoes, no dogs. May be unsuitable for small children.

Ticket Price

Adults £10, children under 14 £5 Includes burger or sausage + soft drink. Payment will be taken on the day. We do have a card machine.

Numbers are restricted, so first come first served.

Please register your interest by email with Miles Tetley before Saturday 8th July

milotetley@gmail.com

The event is weather dependent so may be cancelled at short notice – if necessary, Miles will email you on the day if the event is cancelled.

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

After not having April showers for a year or two, they were back with a vengeance this year with an abundance of rain that did much to restore the deficit of the driest February for many years; May seemed to have also got in with the act with heavy shower following heavy shower & the net result has been an extreme amount of growth for much of the garden, lawns & shrubs in particular. After seeing so many plants die as a result of last year’s double whammy of scorching heat & drought followed by permafrost at the back end of the year, it is nice to see such fecundity, but it does bring about problems for the always beleaguered gardener. Treading on saturated soil can be very damaging so, try & resist the temptation to get out there & get cracking if conditions underfoot are squelchy.

I am still getting lots of questions about Choysias & as one of the most popular shrubs, many are still looking pretty ropey following the frosts. But happily, some are now starting to sprout new growth along their stems so, remove all damaged material, it will probably look a little lopsided for a while & hopefully the plant can, in time, return to its former glory. Sadly, if your shrub has no new growth, it has probably succumbed to the elements & the only thing you can do is to remove & replace with a new one.

Another question I have been facing a lot lately, regards ants & it seems, many of you are reporting an increased number of ant hills in your gardens. Though unsightly, particularly in lawns, regular mowing, once or even twice a week, will disperse the excavations & prevent the formation of mounds which results in a bumpy surface. The application of ant powder can be effective but since many birds eat ants, particularly yaffles, green woodpeckers, so for me, it is far better to work with the problem rather than trying to eradicate it completely. Bird numbers in this country continue to plummet so any help we can provide is surely to the good.

Last month’s just for fun question asked: What am I? Probably originating in Papua New Guinea around 7000 years ago, my leaves & fruit fluoresce in ultraviolet light, I am slightly radioactive. The inside of my skin is supposedly good for polishing shoes and calming the bite of a mosquito. The answer of course is a banana!

This month’s just for fun question is: - What am I? I am a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. My two common forms are Chinese (Sinenis) and Japanese (Floribunda) the main difference being that they form twine in the opposite directions, I have long, scented, pendulous racemes and all parts of me contain a saponin, a toxic compound.

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.

Litter Pick 16th April 2023

The photograph shows the amount of litter that was picked by the many volunteers that came out on a Sunday morning to pick up litter from within the village.

It is depressing how much is collected each time, but if we didn’t pick it up the village would look awful.

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