The Tettenhall Clock Magazine

Hello November! What a beautiful array of colours Autumn brings us. The woolly hats, scarves and wellies are starting to come out and we get to enjoy those blustery woodland walks with the kids collecting as many acorns, conkers, and pinecones as we possibly can, filling our coat pockets to the brim! The smell of bonfires is upon us, and the hot chocolates are starting to be a more frequent preference of beverage.

Don’t forget to get your competition entries in ladies and gents! We have tickets again for the Grand Theatre pantomime, Aladdin this year. We also have tickets for the Christmas craft fayre at the Birmingham NEC. Christmas is just around the corner (can you believe it!). Codsall and Wergs have got their usual jam packed timetable of Christmas events for all ages and their beautiful range of Christmas decorations is most definitely worth a peek!

Wildside are now taking bookings for their Santa boat ride which I guarantee the kids will enjoy and there are lots of Christmas concerts and choirs going on locally, all detailed in this month’s issue. Its already beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I have had my first mince pie of the year. Too soon?

Have a beautiful November everyone!

As part of the 3 day Christmas Tree Festival to be held in St Chad’s Church, Pattingham in December 2022, Brewood Singers will be performing a special Christmas Concert called ‘Its’ Christmas Time’ on the Saturday evening of the 17th December, commencing at 7.30pm. In the concert of seasonal words and music, the choir will be singing some of your favourite Christmas pieces, together with traditional carols, some with audience participation. Tickets at £10 each include a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie and will be available from the choir’s website at www.brewoodsingers.co.uk, calling the Box Office on 07900 693 754, or choir member Mike Coope on 01902 700426.

To win a family ticket of 4 for this year’s show kindly donated by FOG, why not enter our competition by answering the following question and sending your answer to us by Thursday 17th November.

The date will be Wednesday 7th December for the evening performance starting at 7.00pm. What is the name of the Princess that Aladdin dreams of marrying?

Pop your answer and phone number on a postcard or envelope and post to Finch Magazines. 167 Trysull Road, Merry Hill. Wolverhampton. WV3 7JP

To find out more about Friends of the Grand and how to join us why not visit the membership section of the theatre website at www.grandtheatre.co.uk/memberships/friends of the grand/ Grandtheatre.co.uk

PATTINGHAM

Local choir to perform a French Christmas Concert not to be missed

Wombourne Choral Society’s Christmas Concert on Saturday 10th December 2022 in Beckminster Methodist Church, Wolverhampton will have a very specific Baroque French feel to it, transporting the audience back to a 17th century Christmas celebration with Charpentier, one of France’s most popular composers. The main attraction will be the Baroque period instrument ensemble joining the choir in performances of Charpentier’s ‘Messe de Minuit’, ‘Noels pour les instruments’ and several traditional French carols. This combination will make this concert performance particularly rare and one not to be missed. The instrument ensemble will include the Theorbo, which is a bass continuo lute-like instrument, together with baroque violins and flutes and an historically informed performance. Tickets for the concert are £15 each with children under 16 free. These are available from choir members, online at the website www.wombournechoralsociety.org.uk 01902 744447 or at the door on the night.

New Youth Choir to be founded

As a new venture, the Choir is starting a Youth Choir and is approaching local schools and colleges to gather aspiring singers, probably in the age range 13 to 18/21 years old. This will be fun and musically educational with opportunities for concert performances for the young singers on their own, or jointly with the Senior Choir. Further information can be obtained from our Chairman, Henry Ibberson (07775 680705 ibberson@uwclub.net).

Wombourne & District Choral Society is a well-established, mixed choir of some 60 singers, drawn from the local area and has a varied repertoire, mainly full classical works, often performed with soloists and an orchestra. New singers are always welcome to the choir. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings, 7.30 to 9.30pm during term time at Springdale Methodist Church, Warstones Road, Penn, Wolverhampton, WV4 4LF. For more information, contact our Membership Secretary, Eileen Brown at eileenbrown31@talktalk.net.

Local, Friendly, Affordable Childcare

Tettenhall Green Kindergarten & After School Club

your child with variety of

activities in a safe and friendly space.

snacks

you don

olds during term time. Free

service to Christ Church

School.

t need to worry.

Church Pick up & After School

a hot meal.

Welcome to Tettenhall Green Kindergarten. Lisa and her team are ready and waiting to welcome your child into a safe and friendly environment, that is guaranteed to stimulate their senses. Your little one will be ready to greet you at the end of their session, babbling away at you detailing the fun activities they have completed, all with a huge smile on their face. I have first-hand experience of the environment Lisa and her lovely team provide at Kindergarten. My Albie, the quiet, timid child that wouldn't say a word, has made himself very much at home and a part of the family at Nursery, all with the help and support of Lisa and the team. Tettenhall Green Kindergarten was established over 10 years ago providing a nurturing, friendly, warm environment. The church hall helps provide that homely feel, but Kindergarten still provides beyond everything your child needs in terms of activities to prepare them for their first school years, craft activities and reading, to planting flowers and washing the Little Tikes cars in the outdoor play area (a favourite of Albies). After all that fun they stop to have snacks and a drink and do it all over again!

As a parent you also benefit from access to the Nursery’s online platform where Lisa will upload activities that your child has completed and observations that have been made, so you can really see how your child is getting on and see how settled and content they are, its also conveniently available as an app on your phone. Kindergarten is Ofsted registered and received a ‘GOOD’ award in December 2021. Staff at Kindergarten (Aunties our little ones call them) are all long standing members of staff which instils confidence that your child will be seeing the same Auntie’s that they have formed strong bonds with. It gets even better Mums and Dads! If your child is attending Christ Church afternoon Nursery, Lisa offers a walk around service where your child can enjoy a morning of activities with their Aunties at Kindergarten, then take a stroll around to Christ Church Nursery School for their afternoon session. School pick up and after school Club at Kindergarten is also available making the working parents life much more manageable, you don’t even need to sort out teatime if your child is there for a full session. Lisa provides a hot meal!

Kindergarten is an excellent option for term time childcare, morning sessions (9am- 12.30pm) are an affordable £16.00. Lisa accepts Childcare vouchers, Tax free credits and currently has government funded places available. Lisa is always happy to answer any questions and would love to show you and your little superstar around the Nursery any time. Just give her a call!

Friends

our Bantock User Group

shops are full of Christmas

been

thinking ahead to spring

they should try to compete with the colour combination of the tulips chosen for this year in the Dutch Garden and Courtyard. We’ll have to wait and see what they decided. Money raised from annual membership and fundraising events enables us to purchase, among many other items for the Park and House, the bulbs and plants that will provide a welcoming splash of colour and at the end of each spring we also provide the summer flowers for the pots and troughs to complement the Council’s planting within the beds.

wondering

are of course also thinking of Christmas

making plans to serve mulled wine and mince pies when Father Christmas turns up at Bantock to switch on the lights at the start of a fun filled early evening for all the family on Sunday 27th November

4.30 until 7pm. There will be Father Christmas in his sleigh, a small fun fair and entertainment, as well as a Craft Fayre Do look out for us in the Courtyard Outbuilding

Newly retired?

on your hands?

A CHRISTMAS TREE EXTRAVAGANZA IN PATTINGHAM

Preparations are underway for a Christmas Tree Festival to be held in St Chad’s Church, Pattingham in December with over 30 decorated and lit trees anticipated to be on display.

THE FESTIVAL will be open Friday December 16th from 12.00 to 7.00pm, Saturday December 17th from 10.00am to 5.00pm, and on Sunday December 18th from 11.30am to 5.00pm. Admission charge is £2.50 per adult, children under 16 free. Come along with friends and family to admire the many decorated trees, why not vote for your favourite one? Buy a raffle ticket there are some super prizes to be won and refreshments will be available at the Lychgate Coffee Shop, The Pigot or the local Co op, all very close to the Church.

MEMORY TREE special for this year will be a Memory Christmas Tree baubles will be available from St Chad’s Church throughout November and at the Festival itself, where you can write the names of loved ones and then hang it on the tree during the Festival. Donations will be taken alongside the tree.

EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS on Saturday 17th December at 7.30pm there will be a concert entitled ‘It’s Christmas Time!’ given by the popular choir, The Brewood Singers in St Chad’s Church, Pattingham an evening of seasonal words and music mulled wine and mince pies Tickets are £10 each and are available NOW from Mike Coope on 01902 700426 or 07774 844519, or via the website at www.brewoodsingers.co.uk.

On Sunday 18th December in St Chad’s Church, there will be a Youth Service at 10.00am in the morning and Evensong at 6.30pm will be the Nine Lessons and Carols service, after which the Festival will close.

Keep Warm this Winter

St Michael’s

be

Wolverhampton Chamber Choir

Concert

at St.Peters Church

We are a small Chamber Choir formed over 35 years ago and now under our Director of Music Geoffrey Weaver and deputy Gary Cole. Both men are professional musicians who bring international experience to achieve the highest standards for the Choirs performances.

Our repertoire is wide ranging from the major choral works of Bach Mozart Handel with professional orchestras, to unaccompanied madrigals, folksong and early sacred music. The Choir also enjoys singing contemporary songs from hit shows and Gilbert & Sullivan in our summer concerts.

We perform 3 public concerts every year at different venues around the City and a special Christmas concert to raise funds for various charities. The Choir is also available to sing at special occasions such as weddings.

Our next major concert will be performed in the beautiful St. Peters church in the City centre to celebrate the life and music of Ralph Vaughan Williams on his 150th Anniversary. At this special concert the choir will be joined by highly talented soloists and orchestra to provide a very enjoyable and memorable musical experience.

of people who will welcome

along

TETTENHALL

This November we shall be performing a gripping and thought provoking drama in the splendour of the Great Hall at the Mount Hotel in Tettenhall. We are so delighted to have secured this booking and we have no doubt that the setting will enhance our production of ‘Rough Justice’ by Terence Frisby. We shall be performing over three nights: Monday, 28 to Wednesday, 30 November and hopefully the World Cup will not interfere too much with our dates!

James Highwood, the host of a popular television programme called ‘British Justice’, is on the stand at the Old Bailey, accused of murdering his mentally disabled child. He refuses his solicitor’s plea to obtain legal representation and conducts his own defence, admitting responsibility but pleading manslaughter. His claim that the jury alone is responsible for the verdict brings him into conflict with the judge, while his battle to have his intentions understood bring him into conflict with the prosecutor, a well known Catholic pro lifer. There is also the question of whether Highwood actually killed his child after all.

Terence Frisby who was an actor and playwright may be more well known for his play ‘There’s a Girl in My Soup’, which was the longest running comedy in the history of the West End until it was overtaken by Ray Cooney’s ‘Run for Your Wife’. The play was later made into a film under the same name starring Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn. His second West End play, ‘Rough Justice’ was written in 1994 in which Martin Shaw was given the third degree by Diana Quick’s prosecuting counsel. Frisby died in April 2022 aged 87.

The Mount will be offering a pre show supper each evening, so why not make a full evening of it?! There is an excellent menu on offer but it is advisable to book in advance. Telephone: 01902 752055.

Now, if you wish to join us or would like to find out further information about the Group, please follow us on Facebook or Instagram, and you can contact us by either emailing us at info@tettenhallamateurplayers.co.uk or by telephoning 01902 744033. We now rehearse every Monday and Wednesday at The Windmill Community Church, Oak Hill, Wolverhampton (next to Lidl), 7.00pm to 9.30pm.

Tickets are priced at £15 and are on sale from our website Tettenhall Amateur Players or by phoning 07854 723539. You’d better be quick though as the Wednesday night is very nearly sold out!

www.tettenhallclock.co.uk

The Photograph by Penelope Lively

This story opens with Glynn a Geographical historian still grieving after the recent death of his wife Kathy. clearing out an upstairs cupboard, he comes across an envelope, DONOTOPEN DESTROY, of course Glynn opens the envelope and finds a photograph of two people, a man and woman holding hands at a garden party, and although they have their backs to the photograph it is clear there is a romantic connection between the two. Glynn knows who the woman is, it is his wife, Kathy but he cannot recognise the man she is with, Glynn is shocked with a feeling of disbelief. Glynn and Kathy did not have any children, there was an understanding that Kathy did not want any, Glynn always thought his marriage was one of the strongest he knew.

Once something is done it cannot ever be undone, and although Glynn regrets opening the envelope and tries hard to forget about it he cannot. It becomes all consuming to find the truth behind the photograph, knowing the truth will not change anything. Glynn makes up his mind to find and question everyone that he and Kathy knew starting with her sister Elaine, a respected and successful landscape gardener, she is a busy woman who has little time for her own marriage to Nick. Glynn makes arrangements to meet Elaine, she tells him she knows nothing of the photographer, does not recognise the man in it and can’t remember the garden party at all, she tells Glynn to forget about it. Receiving no information from Kathy’s sister Glynn calls people both he and Kathy have known over the years, Kathy’s best friend from school, university and work, contacts they have both known since before and during their marriage. Mary had been Kathy’s’ best friend from school and remained so until the day she died; Glynn feels sure if anyone can give him the answers to his questions Mary will. Mary does have some of the answers for Glynn.

After further investigation Glynn finds the name of the person in the photograph. Shocked, hurt and feeling betrayed by his wife. Glynn concludes that the photograph had changed some feelings he had but not the basic one that he loved Kathy from the day they met and he and still does.

Doreen Luck

I found this book to be a very easy read, and well written, not a “page turner”, the story is easy to pick up again if you left it for a while, probably a good book to take on holiday. Most of the readers group didn’t like it very much although others like me found it OK. One member thought is was a really good story and enjoyed the book very much.

Travelling in Style

Partnership Announcement with National Express and The Haven Wolverhampton

Local charity The Haven Wolverhampton are thrilled to announce a new partnership with National Express West Midlands as travel partner to the organisation. The local bus operator’s Wolverhampton site recently held an open day and used this as an opportunity to launch their official partnership with The Haven, who work within the city to support women and children vulnerable to domestic abuse and homelessness.

The incredible pledge from the bus operator consists of taking families supported by The Haven on a monthly trip to local attractions, absolutely free of charge. So far, residents have enjoyed excursions to Dudley Zoo, Waterworld and Drayton Manor and this is just the beginning of what is set to be a life changing partnership for those who are seeking care and support from the charity.

Jade Secker, Fundraising Manager at The Haven said, “We are incredibly grateful to have the support of the National Express Wolverhampton Depot. For many of those we support, trips like these are brand new experiences, and are often a chance for Mothers and children to rebuild broken bonds often caused due to the trauma of abuse they have been subjected to.”

Richard Smith, Senior Operations Manager at National Express West Midlands said about the exciting partnership: "We are delighted to have launched our new partnership with The Haven Wolverhampton. The charity does some amazing work in supporting women and children who are vulnerable to domestic abuse and homelessness.

"National Express West Midlands is proud to be part of the communities that we serve and we hope that this partnership can help support the charity even further in delivering their incredible services for the local community."

Jade continued, “The cost of transportation to activities like these is sadly extortionate and something that unfortunately can sometimes be the make or break for us as to whether a trip is even possible. With the incredible generosity of National Express West Midlands, we are now able to ensure more trips can be planned, and therefore more happy memories made for those we support as they look forward to a brighter future away from the trauma of domestic abuse. We are really excited for what is to come in the partnership and look forward to working more closely with the team at National Express.”

The Haven supports 78 women and 120 children across local refuges and dispersed safe housing in the city and receives an average of just under 1,000 calls to their 24/7 helpline each month.