The Hanbury Herald
Issue 92
WINTER 2024-2025
Welcome to 2025, a new year full of hope. Hope for happiness, health and peace I think I have previously said that I am not one for resolutions, but I do tend to ref lect on the past year and tr y to focus on the positive things that have happened. 2024 finished with our ver y
first Christmas Fayre held at the villag e hall where we raised just over £300 for T he Herald T hank you to all the stall holders and to all those who attended
We are now on to planning a Summer Fete so please kee p your eyes peeled for the date and more info to come. If you
Thanks also go to those who take the time to send in contributions to The
y
would like a stall at the Summer Fete, please do g et in touch at lizzyhanbur y herald@outlook co uk
We are also welcoming a new member to the Herald Committee, Julie O’Niell, a resident of Hanbur y. If you would like
and to those who deliver it around the
Hanbur y 1st Sixer Br ownies at the crib ser vice
THE EDITORIAL GROUP - the volunteer s who produce the Hanbur y Herald are :- Judy Adams, Celia Bar nby, Mark Bishop, Hannah Eno, Lizzy Evans, Fi K ameen, David Lowe, Julie O’Niell, Ed Richards and Ma ggie W heatley
Hanbur
Herald
parish
to g et involved in any way whether it’s in the deliver y, planning or writing then please contact me on the above email address, or through our Facebook Pag e
To star t this year off we have our regular ar ticles with David’s Down the Garden Path, a quiz, recipe and info from the church, school, villag e hall, Hanbur y Hall and the Jinney Ring We also have our historian Andrew Har ris with an ar ticle of Ben Sanders - who hasn’t been to Sanders Park? In the Spotlight this issue is Jonathan from Salt Way Silver based in Droitwich
From all of us at T he Hanbur y Herald, Best Wishes for 2025!
Lizzy
Scan to donate
Contact the Editor
Should you wish to contact editor Lizzy Evans, please call her on 01527 822712 or email Lizzyhanbur yherald@outlook.com
Please remember - all e-mail attachments need t o b e i n Wo r d o r j p g f o r p h o t o g r a p h sotherwise they cannot be easily downloaded.
Deadline for Issue 93 (Copy & Pictures)
Thursday 3rd April - 5.00pm
Deadline for Issues 94 & 95
Thursday 10th July - 5.00pm
Thursday 8th October- 5.00pm
Disclaimer -
Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the newsletter to ensure that they are accurate, but the Editor accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions
The Editor reserves the right to use items or not and to shorten, as necessary
No article or part of any article may be reproduced without prior permission of the Editor and author
Please note that taking adverts to be placed in this newsletter does not indicate any recommendations of the services offered in them
Hanbury Herald free advertisement policy
All Hanbury based not for profit organisations can advertise forthcoming events in the Herald free of charge The size of these advertisements is solely determined by the Herald committee bearing in mind the cost, retaining a balance between organisations and the potential interest It is sometimes the case that the printer needs to stretch the typeface to fit On such occasions we make advertisements bigger
Some non-village charities may be given a free of charge advertisement after consideration by the committee These too will never be more than a quarter page unless paid for Any for-profit organisation will be charged the full commercial rate And of course these may be as large as they pay for This money is used to help to fund the Herald
Diary Dates
January
27th Hanbury Parish Council meeting, The Pavilion, 7 30pm
February
2nd Traditional Afternoon Tea, Jinney Ring
9th Christingle, Hanbury Church, 10.30am
25th Hanbury Parish Council meeting, The Pavilion, 7 30pm
March
9th A local businessman shares his own experience of growing up as a child of Irish Missionaries, Hanbury Church, 10 30am
15th Quiz Night Village Hall, 7 00pm for 7 30pm start
24th Hanbury Parish Council meeting, The Pavilion, 7 30pm
30th Mothering Sunday, Hanbury Church, 10.30am
April
20th Easter Sunday, Family Holy Communion and Easter Egg hunt, Hanbury Church, 10 30am
TO CONTACT HANBURY CHURCH
For services and events, application forms for Christenings, weddings and churchyard memorials please visit www hanburychurch org
Bowbrook Administrator
Helen Volak’s office hours are Tuesday – Thursday 9.00 am – 3.30 pm 01905 778181 bowbrookgroup1@gmail.com
Bowbrook Rector
The Reverend Richard Sandland Tibbberton Parsonage Church Lane, Tibberton Worcester WR9 5ET 01905 978007 richardjsandland@btinternet.com
NB Richard’s Sabbath is Thursday
PCC Secretary Bridget Weaving 07769 357648 bridgetweaving@hotmail com
Verger Judith Burman 01527 821443 juditheburman@aol com
Regular events in the Village Hall:
Hanbury Brownies and Rainbows Monday evenings 5 00pm - 6 30pm Contact beckywinter@yahoo com 07882 699639 Term time only
Parish Council - last Monday in the month unless separately listed 7 30pm Contact clerk@hanbury parishcouncil org uk
Hobnobs - Thursdays 10 00 - 12 00am contact: amberhoney@btinternet.com at the Pavilion
W I - second Thursday in the month 7.30pm Contact Jill Harper 01527 821725 or email hanburypres@wfedwi.org.uk
Down the Garden Path
Winter
A s I s i t i n my l i t t l e s t u d y w i t h windows facing nor th on a dark and gl o o my o u t l o o k a c r o s s t h e f i e l d s t owa r d H a n b u r y C h u r c h , i t ’s a picturesque r ural view. Let’s hope it remains unspoilt by building. It has been damp and chilly with little to attract one outdoor s into the garden until the weather improves
As mentioned in the Autumn issue, one of the first jobs will be in the g reenhouse. Having washed the glass inside and out and fumig ated I can g et the staging assembled and g et on with some seed sowing of early crops Last year I star ted off with chillies, sweet pe ppers and tomatoes in the middle of Januar y followed by cucumbers in Febr uar y
I would like to g row the same tomato varieties as last year, namely Akron an F1 g reenhouse type with unifor m shape a n d g o o d f l avo u r, S we e t S u c c e s s a cher r y type with superb sweetness and yield, Consuela a larg er cher r y type that can be g rown outside and Oh Happy Day with larg e f lavoursome fr uit and ver y g ood blight resistance T hese are all F1 hybrid types, so seed is expensive, and you don’t g et many for your money However, I believe that it's wor th the extra expense because of their resistance to disease, vig our, reliability and f lavour. T herefore, g etting the sowing conditions right for optimum g er mination is vital. Star t off with clean seed trays or c o n t a i n e r s, f r e s h p r o p r i e t a r y s e e d compost, I used JI Seed Compost last year, and the cor rect technique I was t a u g h t by t h e g l a s s h o u s e g u r u a t Pershore Colleg e some 58 years ag o and I use the same method today Because the number of seeds being sown is small one only needs relatively small containers for sowing. I use mini seed trays. Over fill the tray with compost, give it a slight tap on the bench then level off the sur plus with a shor t length of wood using a sawing motion T his should leave a nice level surface T hen with a small block of wood, g ently fir m the surface T his should de press the compost just enough to allow for a covering
of compost. I then stand the trays in a container with some clean te pid water to about half the de pth of the tray Allow the water to g ently percolate up through the compost until it can be seen glistening on the surface Remove and allow to drain for a few minutes T his should p r
g er mination T he seed will be packed in foil packets and need careful opening. Give them a tap to tr y and knock them to the bottom of the packet. I then remove the top of the pack ver y carefully to make sure you don’t lose any seeds which can stick to the top I then fold a crease down one side of the packet By tapping the packet with a fing er seed can be directed down the crease one by one and onto the compost to achieve a spacing of about half an inch apar t for tomatoes and pe ppers etc Space sowing is impor tant when it comes to pricking out. To cover the seed, I use a small sieve to g ently scatter the compost evenly over the seeds. T his avoids any lumps. A ver y g entle fir ming is all that’s needed to finish off Clearly label each tray with variety name and sowing date because yo u wo n’t r e m e m b e r l a t e r S we e t Pe ppers and Chillies always take much long er than tomatoes to g er minate but can be treated in a similar way, so be patient
T he next ste p is to place them in my e l e c t r i c
controlled propag ator. I find this a g reat a i d e t o r e l i a b l e g e r m i n a t i o n , a n d I recommend one for any serious seed sower I have this in my utility room where the boiler is so it kee ps a reasonably war m temperature in there T his will provide around 70 deg rees F and an ideal bottom heat to promote g ood results (I love that ter m, there’s nothing better on a cold winter’s day). I check each day to ensure all is well. Once g ermination has taken place and the seed leaves are fully expanded, but before any tr ue leaves emerg e, it’s time for pricking out into three or three and a half inch pots If the seedlings have dried out a little water them a few hours beforehand Make sure you use clean pots and fresh
compost I like Melcour t Sylva Grow Peat Free compost with added JI and u s e i t i n m o s t o f my c o n t a i n e r s.
C a r e f u l l y a n d g e n t l y r e m ove e a ch seedling with roots intact. T his is a delicate procedure. I give the tray a few taps on a bottom cor ner to loosen the compost then tr y and tip out the contents intact Handle each seedling by the seed leaves, never the stems or roots Make a hole in the pot of compost so that the roots g o right to the bottom T he seed leaves need to be just above the soil surface. A g entle fir m then water in with clean water. I use a can with rose at this stag e to settle them in nicely.
Now the plants need placing in a war m p l a c e w i t h g o o d n a t u r a l l i g h t a n d minimum temperature of not less than fifty deg rees F I’m luck y in having several southerly facing windows where they can be set out on windowsill trays C h e ck f r e q u e n t l y a n d wa t e r w h e n necessar y but sparingly until g rowing strongly. Once plants have g rown on and leaves begin to overlap, they will need spacing out. Once plants become pot bound and roots are emerging from the drainag e holes, I will re pot into larg er pots about four and a half in diameter At this stag e my conser vator y comes into its own and plants can be accommodated until ready to g o in their final containers I use split canes to suppor t plants as they g et taller All the varieties I g row are cordon types so a single stem with side shoots removed.
Sweet Pe ppers and chillies can be treated in the same way but take much long er than tomatoes to g er minate and g et g oing
With cucumbers they are quite quick to g er minate and g row and need a war mer
temperature overall, so I delay sowing until March I place each seed edg eways on in three and a half inch pots about half an inch dee p and place in the p r o p a g a t o r. I h ave f o u n d va r i e t i e s Socrates and Passandra, which produce mini cues about half the size of standard varieties, to be ver y productive over the last few seasons. Some people say that cues and tomatoes should not be g rown tog ether but I have successfully for years
What else will I be up to on the winter days? One priority will be pr uning the apple trees I have just two varieties now, Discover y an early desser t and Howg ate Wonder a cooker. Even though they were both planted at the same time and are on the same dwarf root stock they have ver y different habits Discover y is more compact and tends to be tip bearing, whereas Howg ate is quite vig orous and spur bearing So, a different method of pr uning is needed for each I aim to kee p branches within reach but allow headroom under neath for walking and
mowing the lawn Initially I check for any diseased or damag ed branches and remove them T hen branches that cross or g row straight up T hen it’s a case of tr ying to kee p the centre of the tree open to promote air circulation and avo i d t o o mu ch c o n g e s t i o n . W i t h
Discover y just a few branches of new g rowth are removed to tr y and create a wine glass shape T he Howg ate being more vig orous requires more surg er y I give the new g rowth a summer pr une in August cutting the back to just where they star ted g rowth from or removing totally if they are not positioned right T his helps to control vig our and allow sunlight in to help ripen the fr uit. Next, it’s a case of selecting branches that g row into the centre or are g etting out of reach. T his is nor mally a pr uning saw job Remember to make an undercut first then cut down to meet it T his will give a nice clean cut and avoid the bark stripping off as the branch falls
With pr uning done and tidied away I will g radually star t to cut back the dead g rowth on herbaceous plants, remove weeds and apply a mulch along the borders. Once the g round dries out a little, I can star t pre paring the veg patch with a r unner bean trench and broad beans. It’s a g ood time to plan the layout for the coming season refer ring to what I’ve done before and maintain a g ood rotation of crops
Well, that’s it for now Roll on Spring!
David Lowe
Herald QUIZ
General knowledge
1 What is the fastest bird in the world?
2. What type of animal is a Komodo drag on?
3. What was the name of the ship that brought the Pilg rims to America in 1620?
4. Which Roman Emperor built a wall across Nor ther n Britain in 122 A.D.?
5. Which empire was r uled by Genghis Khan?
6 What was the name of the ship that Charles Darwin sailed on to the Galapag os Islands?
7 Who is known as the 'Father of the Nation' in India?
8 Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?
9 Who is the founder of Microsoft?
10 Who was the first woman to f ly solo across the Atlantic Ocean?
11 In which novel does the character Atticus Finch appear?
12 What is the title of the first Har r y Potter book?
13. What is the chemical symbol for g old?
14. What is the process by which plants make food?
15. What is the larg est org an in the human body?
16. What is the national spor t of Japan?
17. In which spor t is the Ryder Cup contested?
18. What is the capital city of Australia?
19 Which river f lows through Paris?
20 What spor t does Cristiano Ronaldo play?
See the answer s on pa ge 23.
W indow sill culti vation
Out & About in Hanbur y... Out & About
Letters
to the Editor
Dear Ed
I wonder if we might politely request the drinker of Carling Black Label / San Miguel/ RedBull to take all their cans home, rather than chucking them out as they drive along Pumphouse Lane and Log g erheads Lane. If you have a drink problem that you don’t want your spouse to know about, then take them to the dump on the Hanbur y Road. T he residents are g etting fed up of picking the cans up. If this persists we may install cameras to identify the guilty culprit.
Many thanks for your cooperation,
Hanbur y resident
Dear Ed
I wanted to cor rect something within Versatility in Print's ar ticle in Issue 91 T he A5 booklet they refer to is the Bowbrook News and not the Herald T he Hanbur y Herald has always been an A4 mag azine, the same as it is today T he early editions before Rhona took over were full of re por ts from the various Villag e Groups as it is now and there were many inter views with locals, which I would love to see more of. T he original Heralds were put tog ether by a small g roup and then set out before being printed - no fancy editorial or colour photos could be afforded then! I am looking forward to the next Herald editions and celebrating 100 issues in a few years.
Mandy Cook
Stoke Wor ks and Hanbur y Royal British Legion
Fir stly a huge thank you to all involved with the Poppy Appeal whether sor ting and preparing boxes, hosting, delivering, retrieving and counting or going out physically collecting and of cour se those who donated to take us to a cur rent total of over £4100 which will continue to g row until the end of the poppy year in the autumn.
Our shor t act of Remembrance at the Villag e Memorial was well attended followed by the ser vice at Wychbold Church Here we were delighted to be joined by the Wychbold Brownies, once ag ain, if we fail to pass on remembrance to future g enerations, then we have failed totally T he Xmas
Market coach trip to Chester was enjoyable in spite of the weather becoming ver y wet during the after noon and making the retur n jour ney long er and tough for our driver. At our AGM in November we did manag e to g et a committee for med, but we are still desperate for new blood g oing forward
Over the Christmas period we entered a tree in the Stoke Prior Church xmas tree festival and await the result of the visitor voting choice of best tree !!! Looking forward to 2025 events etc
Contact for the branch is Alan Pugh 07590 582752 or 208167@gmail com
Hanbur y Heralds
Fir st Christmas Fayr e
Saturday 30th November saw the ver y fir st Christmas Fayre put on by The Hanbur y Herald. With a fully stocked Christmas Café ser ving homemade bakes and some ver y popular hot chocolate with all the toppings and of cour se the obligator y mulled wine. The café raised a well received £300 which has gone towards suppor ting the Herald.
We also had a number of local crafters with stalls selling some wonderfully hand crafted items T hank you to Dave Lewis of Out & About Photog raphy, Jeannie at Riverside Creations, Emma Bur ns with her Orif lame stall, Bella Daisy Resin Crafts, Pizza Heaven, Susan with JSN Creative and K aren Phillips with her creative crotcheted items
T here were so many unique gifts to choose from Hanbur y Ar t g roup were also with us and the Herald had a Secret Santa stall which sold out ver y quickly. Did you win? Did you pop the gift under the tree and have a sur prise Christmas mor ning?
T hank you also to the volunteers that helped on the day and to all those that attended Next year we are hoping for big g er and better so we hope to see you there Kee p your eyes open for the dates and times so we can star t the Christmas festivities tog ether!
See some colour pictures from the event in the colour centre!
Out & About in Hanbur y... Out & About
Recipe
Ing redients
Vegan Chilli - 4 por tions
1 larg e onion finely chopped
Two celer y sticks finely chopped
Two g arlic cloves or more according to personal taste
Freshly roasted cumin seeds and g round in pestle and mor tar
Olive oil and if liked a dash of sesame oil too
Veg an stock powder
1-2 red chillies according to size and taste finely chopped ( Remember smaller tend to be strong er)
6 oz car rots g rated
I red and I g reen pe pper chopped into small squares
1 handful of puy lentils
Larg e handfuls of fine soya mince
One tin of red kidney beans
14 oz
One 14 oz tins of chopped tomatoes
One cup of fresh black coffee (instant will do if non left after breakfast)
8 oz shitake mushrooms chopped into cubes
Method
Use g enerous glug of olive oil plus or minus sesame oil - ver y g ently
sweat onion celer y and g arlic over low heat in cover pan for about 20 mins Make sure it does not catch
Add cr ushed cumin and chopped chilli’s and cook for few mins
Add puy lentils and soya, chopped tomatoes and half a can of water, kidney beans, coffee and a couple of teaspoons of veg gie stock After a few mins add shiitake mushrooms Bubble for 10 mins. Add pe ppers and cook for fur ther 10 mins Taste and adjust seasoning If too water y add more olive oil to make it creamier
Hanbur y Villa ge Hall Mana gement Committee Update
Diar y Date:
Saturday 15 March, QUIZ NIGHT
7.00pm for a 7.30pm star t
Tickets are priced at £12.00 per per son to include a ploughman’s supper, teams of up to 8, and there will be a bar
To book your tickets please contact Jill Har per har per-j5@sk y.com
On Friday 6 December we held the ‘Christmas Tree Light Switch On’ , it was a lovely evening with a ver y special visitor switching on the lights, which the children loved T he tur nout was not as g ood as last year, we will remind you of the date later in the year A big thank you to all the helpers, especially Tim Harper and Steve Webster for putting up the lights, they look fabulous
The latest winner s of the 200 Club November Draw: 1st prize £50 Pete Bur net, 2nd prize of £30 Sean Greaves and 3rd prize of £20 Gar y Kington If you are interested in joining the 200 club, email Ang e Bur net at petenange@msn.com
T he cur rent HVHMC committee members are Tim Harper (Chair), Nick Nicklin, Elaine Webster, Alyson Monks, Ang e Bur net, Neil Cook and Michele Dunn, new members welcome. Wishing you all a ver y happy and healthy 2025. For Villag e Hall bookings please contact villa ge hall@hanbur yparishcouncil.gov.uk or call Jamie on 07494 285590
M E E T I N G D A T E S : Everyone is very welcome All at 7 30pm The meetings of the Parish Council will be held in the Pavilion The next meetings are as follows; 27th January 2025 , 24th February 2025 and 24th March 2025
Please note that all agendas, minutes and financial information is available on the Parish Council website hanburyparishcouncil.gov.uk
Activity over the past 3 months
l 6 planning applications of varying sizes have been examined and commented upon.
l The Parish Council has taken over the Playground Project and thank Clare Stallard for her amazing work on this fabulous new facility for Hanbury. The grounds are in need of attention and care after the work, but it is anticipated that this will be resolved in the next two months.
Finance
The Council have set their budget for 2025-26 and there is an increase of 29% which will mean an increase in a Band D Parish Council tax of £14 29 per year per household
Last year the annual amount was £57 98 per household and the 2025-26 amount will be approximately £72.27 per household.
The increase is approximately an additional £8,000, which will be spent as follows:
l £5,000 for the village hall which needs some work on the exterior of the building to keep it in good shape for the future.
l An extra £500 for maintenance of the Recreation Ground
l An extra £2000 towards the solicitor costs which will be incurred on drawing up of the new lease between the village hall management committee and the parish council for the lease of the village hall
l Various increased costs over the rest of the budget make up the rest of the increase
The Parish Council were reluctant to increase the tax burden to the parish, but felt that the work on the village hall was necessary and if not done, would incur further costs in the future
The annual parish council tax precept in the UK was £85 89 for 2024-25
If you would like further information, please visit the Parish Council website or contact the Clerk.
Parish Maintenance
Our local parish Lengthsman -Chris Cooke does a fabulous job around the parish, keeping an eye on overgrown shrubbery and reporting fly-tipping daily Please note that if you have trees or hedges on your property, that you are responsible for keeping them trimmed and off the highways/footpaths
If you notice anything that needs maintaining, please do let the Clerk know as soon as possible
Welcome Winter Visitors A treat to behold
All year gardens are often a haven for birds from near and far but in winter provide a special sor t of sanctuar y.
S h r u b s, h e d g e r ow s a n d f r u i t t r e e s p r ov i d e v i t a l f o o d s o u r c e s a n d shelter for both resident and visiting populations
T he addition of bird feeders, and resisting being too tidy in the g arden can bring real rewards to the birds and prove a fascinating way the activity outside Smaller birds like finches and mixed tits will cong reg ate on bird feeders and you will see g reater numbers
Some bird species spend both winter and summer in the UK but cong reg ate in f locks in the colder month
T hick shr ubs provide safe roosting spots while leaf litter and g arden soil provide rich sources of g r ubs hidden under leaves and in g arden f lower beds
Many local populations are joined by larg e numbers of Nor ther n European g roups f leeing the colder climates.
Some of the most colourful species f r o m E a s t e r n E u r o p e f o r m l a r g e f locks
S t a r l i n g s g a t h e r i n h u g e nu m b e r s and roost in trees both in the local c o u n t r y s i d e a n d t ow n c e n t r e s f o r war mth and safety
If you are luck y enough to catch sight of a mur muration, they give a magical a e r i a l d i s p l ay w h e r e s e e m i n g l y hundreds of birds swirl round only to disappear into the trees as a noisy cong reg ation that falls silent within minutes
Cold weather brings fieldfares and redwings into the g arden for ber ries, hips and crab apples and if you are
luck y there may even be f locks waxwings which ar rive from as far afield as Russia
It is a g ood thing to make sure feeders are placed in the g arden where birds can escape easily f r o m t h e i r
s such as spar row hawks
I hope you can enjoy your winter g ardens for all they offer beyond the plants.
Winter f lower displays
Jo h n ’s G a r d e n a t A s h wo o d Nur series, Kingswinford, DY6 0AE www.ashwood nur series.com
If you need an early fix of winter blooms look out for early snow drops, aconites and narcissi.
You can find a wonderful show in the Churchyard at St Mar y the Virgin, H a n b u r y f r o m Fe b r u a r y o n wa r d s (de pending on the weather)
B a t s f o r d A
r e t u m , B a t s f o r d , Moreton-in-Mar sh, GL56 9AD www batsarb co uk
Home to one of the larg est private collections of trees and shr ubs in the countr y Batsford is famed for putting on a show-stopping display of autumn colour but is also a wonderful place to visit in late winter and early spring to see displays of early f lowering plants and shr ubs including snowdrops and daffodils
Local churchyards are g reat places to see snowdrops including St James t h e G
i n g h a m near Per shore www.bir lingham.org which has a snowdrop festival in late Januar y and Early Febr uar y with g reat homemade teas.
Pa i n sw i c k Ro c o c o G a r d e n , Painswick GL6 6TH www rococog
a r d e n . o r g. u k A t r u l y r o m a n t i c setting for drifts of more than five million snowdrops with a backdrop of architectural delights.
An amazing private g arden owned by John Massey tucked behind Ashwood Nurseries Here is an oppor tunity to s e e wo n d e r f u l w i n t e r c o l o u r a n d scents provided by snowdrops and a renowned collection of Hellebores and witch hazel in a fantastic setting.
C o l e s b o u r n e Pa r k r e p u t e d l y “ E n gl a n d ’s G r e a t e s t S
n h a m , G L 5 3 9 N P w w w. c o l e sbour negardens.org.uk
T h e s n owd r o p c o l l e c t i o n a t Colesbour ne Park originated in the plantings made by Henr y John Elwes ( 1 8 4 6 - 1 9 2 2 ) w h o b e c a m e o n e t h e foremost collectors of snowdrops
Do visit the church which has the most wonderful altar cloth celebrating snowdrops
I t
s
N G S ( N a t i o n a l G a r d e n S c h e m e ) website ngs,org.uk, to check where the many special private g ardens are open to the public for spring displays
Please don’t forg et to check ever ywhere on their websites
By the way I would love to hear of any g arden g ems you know about, if you know of anywhere special, please let the Editor know so I can add them into future ar ticles
Judy
Hanbury Church NOTICE BOARD
Christmas Thanks
Box pews were well filled for the annual Carol Ser vice when Rector Rich invited us to ‘mark in Holy Scripture, the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious redemption brought us by this Holy Child ’ There were lots of carols, enhanced by the Ballard Singers and Keith’s great organ skills while individuals from the community representing The Countr yside Show committee, Hanbur y Hall volunteering, Hanbur y First School and Parish council, joined PCC members and ministers in delivering the readings
Decorations from the Flower Guild and WI and also refreshments provided by Hanbur y PCC made this a bumper village gathering in our ver y own historic parish church The church and hill top are an ideal place for people of all faiths or none to enjoy the space and tranquility which are so conducive to mental wellbeing
Open daily with make your own hot drinks available in church
SAFER ENTRANCE, ORGAN RESTORATION AND EVENTS
• The PCC continues to work on securing a ‘safer entrance’ for all
• ‘Snowdrop Season’ will be celebrated during the month of February Details still to come
• Fundraising for ‘Organ Restoration’ is under way beginning with a donation of £200 raised by Holly Hill at Wynnstay Farm supplies This is a very useful outlet, located at Mere Green Business Park on Droitwich Road, and although primarily an agricultural supplier, the shop is
SPECIAL FORTHCOMING SERVICES (10.30 am)
• Please check website and noticeboards for regular monthly Holy Communion and Morning Services
• 9 February - Christingle ‘Jesus is the Light of the World’
• 9 March - A local businessman shares his own experience of growing up as a child of Irish Missionaries.
• 30 March - Mothering Sunday with posies for all (tbc)
• 20 April – Easter Sunday Family Holy Communion and Easter Egg hunt
Please consult our website for events relating to Lent and Holy Week.
Numbers attending services are generally increasing; are people perhaps seeking a brief escape from the bonkers world in which we live? Pews are warm, music glorious and there will be lots of interest in so many ways, especially if our new rector is preaching!
also open to the public selling p supplies, hardware, gardening and household cleaning products and offering easy parking
• A variety of ‘musical events’ will be put on during the year beginning in March/April
If anyone knows of young musicians who are in need of a good performance space, please let a PCC member know or text 07598 447354
The acoustics are very good!
VOLUNTEERING
Thanks to our present volunteers for all that they contribute. We are currently asking for help in the coming year, in all aspects of church life. If you enjoy arranging flowers, conservation in the churchyard, light strimming, caring for historic buildings, serving or making refreshments or fundraising, please text 07598 447354. Every little will certainly help!
REV RICH'S PASTORAL PONDERINGS
C h r i s t m a s wa s f u n . L o t s o f Ser vices of various sor ts, attended b y l o t s o f p e o p l e a c r o s s t h e Benefice which was g reat to see. I tottered home on Christmas Day
a f t e r a j o yo u s 1 0 3 0 a m H o l y Communion at Hanbur y to end a sequence of Ser vices that left me exhilarated but wr ung out - which is the lot of any parish priest in the week after Christmas, and the week after Easter.
At 9am at Oddingley that mor ning, Toby T hor nes mentioned St Ste phen’s Day to me, which is of course the proper and cor rect name for Boxing Day. I’ve never heard of a Parish where anyone, at all, for mally and corporately remembering St Ste phenclerg y are usually aslee p by then (see a b ove ) a n d c o n g r e g a t i o n s, we l l , they’ve had enough for a while too A n d i t s a t i m e f o r f a m i l y, f o r r e c u p e r a t i o n , a t i m e w h e r e t i m e doesn’t matter anymore – for a few days, at least But in the life of the church, it means Ste phen is forg otten, or skated over, probably at the most being remembered in private Mor ning
Prayer on that day - a local church rarely offers anything for mally, and if it did, I suspect few would come
T he same is tr ue for 27 December, which is dedicated to St John - he of ‘Gospel’ fame - and 28th to T he Holy Innocents, dedicated to those who were lost in Herod’s maniacal purg e of m a l e ch i l d r e n a r o u n d B e t h l e h e m (Matthew 2:16-18), in his search for Jesus. A friend of mine used to refer to 28th as ‘Childer mas ’ , which was a name for that date that I’d forg otten until I star ted to write this letter; another lovely forg otten word, once common in our church So we br ush past these times of devotion, just when we might have time to devote to them. It’s a shame, really.
But back to Ste phen - almost all we think about him is when we sing Good King Wenceslas, who, you remember ‘looked out, on the Feast of Ste phen ’ But who was he?
His stor y is told in Acts 7 where, like Jesus before him, he ang ers the authorities by his teaching He gives his take on major events in Israel’s past - Abraham, Jose ph, the Exodus, etc -
and the cong reg ation don’t like what they hear ‘You are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do,’ he says. It’s not g oing to end well, is it?
Jesus, in Luke 4: 16-30 ang ers the c o n g r e g a t i o n i n t h e s y n a g o g u e i n Nazareth, and they intend to ‘hurl him off a cliff ’ – but Jesus being Jesus, ‘passed through the midst of them, and went on His way. ’
Ste phen has no such luck; he is drag g ed out of the city and is stoned to death, and we remember him as the first Christian mar tyr Luke, nar rating Acts, tell us ‘ a young man called Saul… witnessed and approved of ’ the killing of Ste phen – and this is the Saul who later becomes St Paul, and a defender of people like Ste phen So next Boxing Day, spare a thought for Ste phen, caught up in the intricacies of faith and doubt, at the ver y star t of our church. He deser ves more than we give him, I think.
God bless
Rev Rich
Jinney Ring News & Views
We would like to star t by wishing you all a Happy New Year and we hope that you had a joyous and war m Christmas!
T he Festive period saw us as busy as ever with our events coming thick and fast. We fed many of you with our war ming Christmas Lunches, Festive
A f t e r n o o n Te a s a n d t h e n e ve n i n g events such as Christmas Par ty Night and Festive Fayre Night Christmas Par ty Night was a g reat evening with all the classic ing redients needed for a wonderful festivity - g ood food, g reat c o m p a n y, d i s c o - d a n c i n g a n d o f course a few tipples We also had a Late-Night Shopping event in midDecember which was suppor ted by the lovely Bromsg rove Community C h o i r ca ro l l i n g away a n d B ed co te Mor ris Dancers jig g ed and jingled in the Cour tyard on Christmas Eve and to round off the season New Year’s
All-Day Breakfast was extremely well subscribed.
Into the New Year and we are back to nor mal opening hours with the exce pt i o n t h a t we w i l l b e c l o s e d o n Tu e s d ay s t h r o u g h Ja nu a r y a n d Febr uar y. Some Units may choose to remain open but it is essential that you check with them before making a specific visit
News from the Craft Units & Ar tists:
We had a new addition to our Ar tist Galler y recently, Rebecca’s Honey has taken up residence with us! Rebecca is a local org anic honey producer who doesn’t just make excellent and natural honey, she makes other products such as beeswax candles and even offers visits to her hives as experience-days! Be sure to pop in and show her some suppor t and or check her out on our website.
Sadly, Robin T he Hairdresser will be leaving us for pastures new in March We would like to thank him for his stay with us at T he Jinney Ring and wish him all the best for the future.
T his will of course mean that a Craft Unit will be available for rent If you have a craft that you would love to tur n into a business or already have a business but need a new locale, then we c o u l d we l l b e t h e p l a c e t h a t you need Enquire at enquiries@ jinneyringcraft.co.uk
Upcoming Dates:
Traditional After noon Tea: Saturday 18th Januar y
Traditional After noon Tea: Sunday 2nd of Febr uar y
Kids riddles
1. Riddle: How many months of the year have 28 days?
2 Riddle: What has hands and a face, but can’t hold anything or smile?
3. Riddle: It belongs to you, but your friends use it more. What is it?
4 Riddle: Kate’s mother has three children: Snap, Crackle and ?
5. Riddle: If you don’t keep me, I’ll break. What am I?
6. Riddle: There’s only one word in the dictionary that’s spelled wrong. What is it?
KIDS
7 Riddle: You’re running a race and at the very end, you pass the person in 2nd place. What place did you finish the race in?
8. Riddle: I have a tail and a head, but no body. What am I?
9. Riddle: What 2 things can you never eat for breakfast?
10. Riddle: I am so simple that I can only point, yet I guide people all over the world
Answers on page 21.
C O R N E R
HANBURY HALL
Spot the Difference
Can you spot the difference between these two picture taken of Hanbury Hall entrance? How many are there?
Answers on page 22.
Photograph by Dave Lewis
Cr eating a Conser vation Ar ea in Hanbur y
I a m s i t t i n g i n o u r g a r d e n a t Westways, adjacent to our field, l o o k i n g d u e s o u t h ove r t o t h a t delightful local landmark known as Madam’s Hill. You can join me if you like, at least in spirit, by looking at the fir st photog raph of t h i s a r t i c l e . T h e p h o t o ab ove includes a por tion of our 7 acre wildf lower meadow. Now ima gine a beautiful sunny day in May or June. You would likely notice some of our over 300 orchids including common spotted, pyramidal and the tail end of some g reen-winged orchids, inter sper sed by meadow buttercups, yellow rattle and a wide variety of g rass species.
But I am also sitting here ref lecting that this view has not always been such a feast of colour and diversity Up to 1996, when we acquired the sur rounding 12 acres, it was similar to s o m a n y l o c a l f i e l d s f o c u s e d o n ag ricultural activities that help to feed our nation; a livestock g razing area sown with a mixture of r yeg rass and wh ite clover ley, o r a n o cca sio n a l m o n o c u l t u r e o f b a r l e y w i t h h i g h concentrations of nitrog en fer tiliser to promote higher yields.
Over the last 28 years we have been creating an oasis for wildlife which has b e e n b o t h a f a s c i n a t i n g , f u n a n d dee ply rewarding adventure One of
our first projects was to establish around five acres of mixed indig enous woodland comprising of around 37 species including oak, ash, hor nbeam, small-leaved lime, cher r y, field maple and aspen. Some of these trees are now over 40 feet high Amazingly, it took only around 10 years to produce that ‘woodland feel’ habitat of cooler, d a r ke r c o n d i t i o n s w i t h a c o n s t a n t g round cover of decaying leaves and a canopy around 20 to 25 feet high. Within the woodlands are car pets of bluebell, celandine and some wood anemone, fer ns and foxgloves Most of these took only a few years to establish after seeding
We enlarg ed a natural spring pond and dug two larg e ponds, one of which is f e d by a h e r r i n g - b o n e s y s t e m o f drains T he ponds are home to yellow f lag iris, pur ple loosestrife, indig enous water lilies and a wide variety of r e p t i l e s a n d a m p h i b i a n s i n c l u d i n g common (smooth) and g reater crested newts, frogs, toads, and in the nearby ve g e t a t i o n , g r a s s s n a ke s a n d s l ow wor ms
Much of our endeavours, however, have been focused on the creation of a Spring wildf lower meadow. T he UK has lost around 97% of this type of lowland ecosystem since the Second World War due to massive chang es in a g r i c u l t u r a
and building development Our first o r ch i d , a l o n e c o m m o n s p o t t e d appeared in 2007, 11 years after r e d u c i n g s o i l f e r t i l i t y. I n 2 0 1 4 we spread 10 bales of g reen hay from the local SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) at Eades Meadow (An SSSI is a for mal conser vation designation w h i ch m
n d f lora). It is impor tant to distribute the hay as quickly as possible to prevent the overheating and death of the seeds, so we enticed a g roup of friends to help us with the promise of fresh bread, cheese and home made cider! Within three years we had established around 150 g reen-wing ed orchids and an increasing number of common spotted and a few pyramidal orchids In a 2023 sur vey we counted over 250 common spotted orchids! T he m e a d ow h a s a l s o b e n e f i t t e d by increasing numbers of yellow rattle, knapweed, ox-eye daisy, vetches (such as birdsfoot trefoil), cranesbills and a diversity of g rasses Indeed, a recent sur vey recorded around 15 species of g r a s s e s i n c l u d i n g b e n t s a n d fescues. T he spread of yellow rattle is par ticularly impor tant as the plant is a par tial saprophyte of g rass, so giving w i l d f l owe r s m o r e o f a ch a n c e t o thrive Please see the central pag es for p h o t o g r a p h s o f s o m e o f t h e s e beautiful plants.
T he soil is a heavy brownish red clay or marl and has had no ar tificial fer tilisers added for 28 years and tends to retain moisture over winter but crack and dr y over dr y summers We take a late hay cut towards the end of July or occasionally early August in synchrony with the mowing at Eades M e a d ow B e t we e n O c t o b e r t o December we introduce shee p which kee p the swathe low to promote the reemerg ence of the f lowers in the following Spring.
We trim hedg es ever y second year but allow some to thicken, par ticularly in areas dense with sloe (blackthor n) T heir saplings provide the necessar y habitat for the eg gs of the Brown hairstreak butterf ly. In 2017 the field was sur veyed by a g roup working for
A car pet of meadow butter cups May
Christmas fun and games
The WI Christmas Par ty in full swing
Just one of the stalls at the Christmas fayre and another stall
Brownies decorate the Christmas Fayre tree
Hanbur y Ar t Gr oup at the Christmas Fayr e
Little Mouse and author Shar on visit the School WI Village Hall tree Party in the playground!
Santa nice and
nbury Colour
Fundraising at Wynnstay for Hanbur y chur ch or gan r estoration - thanks to our far mers
Holly Blue butterfly and Green-Winged orchids in our wonderful Hanbury meadows
Santa the Christmas Lights are on!
at Hanbur y School!
Christmas light switch on refreshments
Hanbury Hall tree
Bor n Fr ee - Roe deer spotted in the long grass
... two Pudsey fans
Pudsey pops into Hanbur y...
omfy in Hanbury Hall
t h e Wo r c e s t e r s h i r e W i l d l i f e Tr u s t called the ‘T hursday Streakers’ who regularly look for the eg gs of this rare
b u t t e r f l y a c r o s s t h e c o u n t y T h e y found 50 eg gs on our hedg erows which, at the time, was the most nor th-westerly limit of their distribution. Hedg erows are, in themselves, an impor tant habitat for many different species of plants and animals and act as wildlife cor ridors Some of our hedg es are around 3-4 meters wide and provide long concealed trackways down their length allowing animals
s u ch a s b a d g e r s, d e e r, f oxe s a n d hedg ehogs to pass unseen. On a larg er scale, hedg erows and indeed scattered conser vation sites like ours, facilitate the movements of animals between
w i l d l i f e f r i e n d l y a r e a s a c r o s s t h e county.
T he creation of food sources and varied habitats are vital to attract a wide ranging, vibrant population of inver tebrates that many species of birds, mammals, re ptiles and amphibians rely on. T hese include bug hotels, rotting woodpiles located in strategic positions, often near water sources a n d h e d g e r ow s a n d va r i o u s b i r d , i n c l u d i n g a n ow l b ox I h ave constr ucted hedg ehog houses, re ptile, amphibian and mammal covers. Once I counted 22 wood mice under one cover! I have a g randson who loves bug hunting and on each visit he now k n ow s e x a c t l y w h e r e t o f i n d h i s favourite cree py-crawlies, g rass snakes or 1 cm long immature newts that he loves holding in the palm of his hand!
O ve r t h e y e a r s, I h ave s e t u p a system of camera traps to assess the prevalence and distribution of animals on the reser ve T hese photos and videos are par ticularly revealing of animal behaviour throughout a 24 hour period. We have witnessed how deer smell and actually taste the air for signs of dang er and for communication, how buzzards ‘mantle’ their prey with their wings to prevent unwelc o m e a t t e n t i o n a n d h ow s p a r r ow hawks use the contours of hedg erows to sur prise their small avian victims Please see the photos opposite and in the central pag es that reveal a variety of our wildlife neighbours who tr y to l ive i n H a n b u r y a l o n g s i d e u s a n d reappear with the transition into the
new season like welcome old friends.
Sue is an enthusiastic or nithologist and national bird recorder and has documented 82 species in and around the reser ve from Little Owl to Linnet and Pereg rine Falcon to Pied Wagtail! We have obser ved many common butterf lies, but also brown hairstreaks and marbled whites Sue also uses a moth trap to sur vey, record and release moths and over 100 species have been identified Some of these are displayed in the central pag es.
With the pleasures and privileg e of m
r
y
m a k i n g h a r d decisions- which healthy trees need to be felled to give others more space, how do you balance the needs of competing species such as birds and g rey squir rel? Which hedg erows to prevent expanding into the field and compromising the light-loving plants of the wildf lower meadow? However, the rewards of creating a wildlife haven are many. From re playing camera trap videos, watching our visiting bar n owl, kestrel and spar row hawk hunting, taking the g randchildren on hedg ehog and frog safaris on Spring e ve n i n g s
v i s i t o r s ove r t h e y e a r s. A Worcestershire Wildlife Officer once c a l l e d i t “ a c r a ck i n g s i t e ” a n d a neighbour recently refer red to our little reser ve as “ a hidden treasure of Hanbur y ” . Sue and I have also had the pleasure of giving illustrated talks to share our experiences and challeng es of creating a conser vation site
Par ticularly exciting and rewarding is to watch out for the retur n of ‘old friends’ with the transition in to each new season; the first signs of cowslips and wild g arlic in April, the pink f lowers and orang e ber ries of the spindle bushes in Se ptember and the reappearance of f locks of redwing and field fare each October. Sue and I consider ourselves ver y luck y indeed to be the cur rent custodians of this local conser vation area
T he g reater picture, however, is more wor r ying; many recent studies have shown a decline of Britain’s f lying insect population by as much as 60%, with declines of most bird populations, especially far mland birds by, ag ain, as much 60% over the last 20 years and 25% of British mammals are under threat of extinction and the g rim reading g oes on! T hese trends
har mful effects of human activities on the planet including global war ming, pollution and loss of natural habitats. Although many org anisations, such as the RSPB, Wildlife Tr usts, Butterf ly Conser vation Society, National Tr ust, and the Woodland Tr ust, are actively involved in tr ying to halt these trends, they also provide powerful motivation to us all to suppor t our local wildlife in the little but impor tant ways we can.
Mike Jenkins and thanks to Sue for her valued suppor t.
See some more beautiful wildlife in Hanbur y pics in the colour centre as well as this selection in black and white An inquisiti ve fox makes
Per egrine falcon f eeding on a w ood pigeon Badger caught on a camera trap
Doe r oe deer in the long grass
Welcome all insects to our bug hotel!
Coiled up grass snake
Little owl hiding
HANBURY FIRST
We were thrilled to hear news of a ver y special baby, bor n just before Christmas! After sending her of f onto Mater nity Leave with all our love, Miss Fey welcomed Ottilie into the wor ld on 22nd December. Ottilie, Mum, Dad and big sister h ave e n j o ye d a ve r y h a p py Christmas together. We can’ t wait to meet the newest member of the Hanbur y Family!
were able to f loat and kee p the water out.
A busy day for Rece ption saw them enjoy a trip to the pantomime i n t h e m o r n i n g , l u n ch a n d t h e n cur riculum sharing in the after noon! T h e y c o m p l e t e d a
n o f 4 different activities, ranging from using c
rocket to creating star constellations with mini-marshmallows.
SHARING & LEARNING
In December, parents had the opportunity to come and spend time in s ch o o l l e a r n i n g w i t h t h e ch i l d r e n . C u r r i c u l u m s h a r i n g s e s s i o n s h ave become a regular event on the school calendar, cementing the links between school and home, providing a taste of the wonderful lear ning that takes place in school ever y day
Year 1 kicked off the week with a carousel of scientific investig ations into proper ties of materials. Children and parents had to make predictions, test theories and use a variety of scientific vocabular y T he “how to best melt an ice cube” experiment proved a little chilly for some!
Tuesday was the chance for Year 4 parents to work with the children and bring their Longboat DT projects to life. T hey were joined by a larg e g roup of helpers who g ot to the task of meeting the design brief they had worked on in class Amazingly, all
Year 3 were joined by parents and carers for a taste test of seasonal vegetables they had pre pared and cooked during their DT mor ning As you can i m a gi n e, th ere were a mi xture o f responses, but the children used the results from the sampling to decide which of the ing redients to put in their own Stone Ag e Soup later that week!
Year 2 brought the week to a close with a design and technolog y session. Children were tasked with creating their own Christmas decorations by putting their sewing skills to the test “I know the children love sharing their lear ning with their families, so we are always glad to see these sessions are really busy and happy occasions,” said Headteacher, Mr McDonagh
HANBURY LEADS BY ExAMPLE IN NSPCC TRAINING COURSE
I n N ove m b e r, H a n b u r y C E F i r s t School were delighted to suppor t the work of the NSPCC once ag ain, by contributing to one of their latest education courses.
A c r e w s p e n t a d ay g a t h e r i n g footag e which will for m par t of a new Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) 2 day workshop for schools and colleg es in England.
On their latest visit, Headteacher, Mr McDonagh and De puty Head, Miss B i s h o p we r e f i l m e d c a r r y i n g o
duties in their capacity as DSL and De puty DSL. An inter view with Mr M c D o
into the vital role which sees him and Miss Bishop take responsibility for all child protection issues at our school.
“As a leading children’s charity whose focus is on protecting babies, children and young people from har m, we look to work with par tners who we know a r e e x p
Manag er, Ali Brown.
“We have worked with Hanbur y C of E First School a number of times because the team there really know their stuff when it comes to kee ping children safe.
“T hey are child-led and forward thinking in their approaches to safeguarding,” she added “T his is evident when you visit the school and see how happy and safe the pupils are ”
NSPCC courses are taken by thousands of professionals in England, Nor ther n Ireland, Scotland and Wales each month.
“We are proud to be playing a small par t in training even more people to fulfil the most impor tant responsibility a school has,” said Mr McDonagh. “Kee ping children safe ”
“To have the NSPCC ask us to contribute to their education prog ramme ag ain is wonderful,” he added “We’re always more than happy to help and are g rateful to them for shining a light on what we do.”
INSPIRING AUTHOR AND LITTLE MOUSE COME TO VISIT!
We were thrilled to welcome local author, Sharon Hopwood and Little Mouse to school last ter m.
Sharon had recently published her
T his is the charity’s third visit to Hanbur y in as many years, after our school helped contribute to their Safer Recr uitment and Mental Health and year.
Little Ottilie
first children’s book which aims to help children become body languag e detectives!
“ L i t t l e M o u s e i s A b s o l u t e l y, Completely, Totally FINE!” suppor ts personal, social, emotional development by exploring emotions… and helps spot them in others
Sharon is an exper t in personal safety and anti-bullying Her book combines her love for coaching, writing and empowering children Today’s visit coincided perfectly with AntiBullying Week
After being introduced to a whole host of feelings - big and smallthrough the eyes of Little Mouse, the school were read the stor y by its author T he children then took par t in fun g ames, guessing how their friends were feeling, just by looking at their expression or how they behaved
T he fun continued for the children
i n Re c e p t i o n c l a s s ; m a k i n g b o o kmarks, colouring Little Mouse masks and acting out the stor y
“Hearing how a book is brought to life from the author themselves is really inspiring for the children - and a d u l t s ! ” c o m m e n t e d H a n b u r y School’s Reading Lead, Verity Mills
“We’re constantly looking to provide oppor tunities to develop a love of reading and writing for all of the children at our school
“ E ve r yo n e e n j oy e d f i n d i n g o u t about Little Mouse too,” she added “One of the many impor tant lessons we tr y to teach is the knowledg e that mental health really matters
“T hrough lessons within the curr i c u l u m , v i a i n i t i a t ive s l i ke A n t iBullying week and as a result of Sharon’s visit today, we know children at Hanbur y are aware that it’s OK to feel a rang e of emotions,” added Mrs Mills.
“We also make sure that pupils are given strategies to help themselves, or to feel comfor table asking for suppor t as soon as it’s needed ”
HAROLD DELIVERS MENTAL HEATH MESSAGE
C h i l d ren a t H a n b u r y S ch o o l were given the oppor tunity to boost their
“bouncebackability” thanks to two lovely visitors!
Workshops took place in each class in November, building on the foundat i o n s o f P S H E l e s s o n s d e l ive r e d throughout the year
T h e C o r a m L i f e E d u c a t i o n ’ s
“SCARF” prog ramme uses a friendly giraffe named Harold to teach important messag es about positive mental attitudes, g ratitude and resilience He toured each class with his helper, Jo to meet the children and focus on key themes relating to mental health.
“T he workshops were a really fun way to promote a ver y impor tant messag e, ” said Mental Health & PSHE Lead, Vick y Bishop.
“Ever y session was targ eted at an appropriate level for each ag e g roup, combining evidence-based knowledg e with practical strag egies,” she added “Having a visit from Harold really helps reinforce the theme - the children loved meeting him and can’t wait to welcome him back ag ain another day!”
PUDSEY’S PIT STOP!
H a r o l d ’ s v i s i t followed another f r o m a f a m i l i a r
( a n d f u r r y ! )
f a c e P u d s e y
Bear made school his first stop
o n h i s t o u r o f Worcestershire!
E ve r yo n e ’ s f avo u r i t e b r i g h t y e l l ow bear was spreading the word about this year’s BBC Children in Need which this year aimed to “make life lighter” for young people throughout the region and the UK as a whole
W h i l s t P u d s e y e n j oy e d a p l ayg round disco with the entire school, a re p o r ter f ro m B B C H eref o rd a n d Worcester chatted to some Year 4 pupils about why they think it is impor tant to look out for others and suppor t those in our community who might be str ug gling
On Children in Need Day, ever yone came spor ting their spotty outfits and took par t in fun activities to ensure ever yone did their bit to raise money for the charity
CHRISTMAS CHEER!
Christmas is always a busy time for us at Hanbur y CE First School and we are extremely luck y to be able to celebrate it in a variety of ways
O u r N a t iv i t y p r o d u c t i o n s by Rece ption and Year 2 are a wonderful way t o r e m i n d u s a b o u t w hy we c e l e b r a t e t h i s s p e c i a l t i m e. T h e children involved perfor med like tr ue s u p e r s t a r s, w i
d confidence after working really hard to lear n their lines and songs T he audiences that came to watch were treated to a ter rific time!
Our Christmas Ser vice at Hanbur y Church was led by our Year 4 class T hey perfor med their own version of the Nativity, written and presented all by themselves. Each class took tur ns to join in the celebrations with their own singing perfor mances, as did our v i o l i n i s t s I t t a ke s a t r e m e n d o u s amount of braver y to stand in front of the cong reg ation in church, so to recognise this, the Hanbur y Staff led by example, singing “Last Christmas” to a sur prised audience of children!
T he Friends of Hanbur y School h e l d t h e i r e ve r- p
r C h r i s t m
s Fayre, which helped the whole school enjoy a slightly different kind of perfor mance T heir vital contribution funded the coach travel that took us all to T he Swan T heatre in Worcester, where we enjoyed watching Aladdin. Mr Mills took to the stag e to meet some of the characters and tried to meet their tongue twister challeng e!
C l a s s e s s p e n t t i m e c o m p l e t i n g
C h r i s t m a s c r a f t s t h r o u g h o u t
D e c e m b e r t o o, c r e a t i n
c a l e n d a r s, cards and decorations, then enjoyed a fun Christmas Par ty Day, complete with a Christmas lunch and a visit from Father Christmas
And of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas at Hanbur y School without a festive song (or two or three!) from Mr McDonagh on the playg r o u n d , we l c o m i n g e ve r yo n e i n t o class!
S e e s o m e o f t h e a c t iv i t i e s a n d events in our colour centre pa ges.
Hello Pudsey!
BENJAMIN SANDERS
Fr om our chief local histor y cor r espondent Andr ew Har ris
B r o m s g r ove r e s i d e n t s w i l l b e familiar with Sander s Park, which has an entr y of f the Kidder minster Road and includes a number of recreational facilities that local residents can benefit from. But they may not be aware of the Park’s origin, that goes back about 200 year s, and lies with Benjamin Sander s a n d h i s f a m i l y L a t e r i n l i f e
B e n j a m i n d e c i d e d t o w r i t e h i s memoir s, which have since been published as ‘The Extraordinar y Adventures of Benjamin Sander s, Button Maker of Bromsg rove’.
Benjamin was bor n in Worcester in 1763, to a family that had an extensive b u s i n e s s a s wo o l l e n d r a p e r s a n d mercers in the eighteenth centur y His father was first cousin to the poet and pioneer landscape g ardener William S h e n s t o n e o f T h e L e a s owe s, Halesowen Benjamin was cousin to James Wilkinson, who had a f lourishing linen and woollen draper’s business in Bromsg rove, and he star ted his c a r e e r by b e i n g a p p r e n t i c e d t o a Worcester tailor, Mr Ling am In about 1785 Benjamin moved to London to join Mr Lingham’s son who had set up a tailor’s business in the Strand, but t h e y l a t e r f e l l o u t a n d B e n j a m i n e s t a b l i s h e d h i s ow n b u s i n e s s. Benjamin made a number of popular inventions, one notable one being a ‘ventilator’ or circular spring, which he fitted into the seats of breeches which, following the fashion of the time, were wo r n ver y ti g h t T h e s p ri n g enabled men to bend and dance more comfor tably
T his was a period when being dressed fashionably was ver y important, and Benjamin was able to follow the latest fashions and established a g ood clientele including members of the aristocracy. However, according to his memoirs, he fell out with an impor tant client having been late for an appointment, and he was advised that he might reg ain his re putation if he set up in business abroad, so he decided to move to New York
S o i n 1 7 9 2 , a f t e r a v i s i t b a ck t o Worcester to see his family, he, his wife and their two young children, sailed from Bristol to America. T hey encountered two major stor ms en route, one of which lasted five days during which Benjamin feared for his family’s health as no food could be ser ved T hey were also pursued by a ship car r ying Alg erian pirates, which Benjamin’s wife found a more frightening experience than the stor m, as they would have met a ter rible fate if captured For tunately the pirate ship disappeared, and after navig ating the fogs off Newfoundland they landed safely in New York after a voyag e of over six weeks
Benjamin and his family remained in New York for three years He soon e s t a b l i s h e d a
h quality tailoring and became successful in business and beg an to specialise in buttons. T hese were an impor tant par t of fashionable clothing, and he developed a new method of making cloth covered buttons He also established a leather business in Lansingburgh, 120 m i l es n o r th o f N ew Yo rk , wh i ch wo r ke d u p d e e r s k i n s f r o m N e w O r l e a n s i
e r. While he was in New York the area suffered an outbreak of yellow fever, which often proved fatal Eventually Ben ja min h imself succumb ed, a n d was offered the customar y medicine, based on mercur y But sensibly he declined to take this and recovered.
In 1795 Benjamin decided that the unhealthy climate there did not suit h i m , a n d , h av i n g d i s p o s e d o f h i s business in Lansingburgh, decided to travel to Copenhag en, where his wife had a relation. After changing ships twice en route he ar rived there safely and settled with his family He quickly established himself as a leading tailor i n C o p e n h a g e n , a n d wa s a b l e t o witness the British victor y in the Battle o f C o p e n h a g e n i n 1 8 0 1 B u t t h e British attacked ag ain in 1807, besieging Copenhag en and tr ying to destroy t h e D a n
Napoleonic wars, and during these hostilities Benjamin became se parated from his family, forcing both him and his family to live as prisoners for some time Benjamin had built a larg e and i m p o s i n g c o u n t r y h o u s e o u t s i d e Copenhag en, but this had been used by the British besieg ers to stable horses and was r uined, and his town house was taken by the Danes With these losses and being on the wrong side in the war, Benjamin had no means of ear ning a living any more, and was forced to retur n with the British forces to London with his wife and eight children, for tunately sur viving another g reat stor m on the way.
His main aim on his retur n to London was to recover his finances by seeking compensation for the loss of his proper ty in Denmark, but despite receiving promises from Lord C a t h c a r t , t h e c o m m a n d e r o f t h e British troops in Denmark, nothing was eventually for thcoming, and he felt he had been most shabbily treated. He set up in business in London as a tailor ag ain, but this time success was slow in coming. However he devised a new and more efficient method of m a k i n g c l o t h - c ove r e d b
a n d established a patent for this in 1813 and used this to make buttons in Lambeth helped by his son Benjamin, and beg an to restore his finances.
In 1820 Benjamin decided to move to Bir mingham where button making was one of the larg est trades. T he f o l l ow i n g y e a r B e n j a m i n ’ s c o u s i n James Wilkinson died, and left his proper ty in Bromsg rove to Benjamin, so he moved there with his family and set up in business there He inherited Ja m e s ’ s h o u s e a n d h i s wo r k s h o p s behind no 50 in the High Street Soon after moving to Bromsg rove Benjamin took out his second patent for the manufacture of cloth covered buttons T his was a major improvement on his first patent because a f lexible, soft shank re placed the metal shank on his buttons He introduced a piece of canvas which protr uded through the back of the button, and through which a
n e e d l e c o u l d p a s s f r e e l y. T h e s e buttons could be more easily and more neatly sown onto g ar ments than those with metal shanks
T hese improved f lexible buttons
t o o k t h e m a r ke t by s t o r m a n d Benjamin purchased a disused cotton spinning mill, Sidemoor Mill, to cope with the g rowing demand, and in 1829 he was already extending it. Sanders’ buttons became the fashion and tailors received orders that no other buttons were to be used T he Button Factor y then became the big g est factor y in B r o m s g r ove e m p l oy i n g s o m e 3 0 0 people, mainly women, in the 1830s and 1840s It remained the big g est factor y until the railway freight wag on workshops were built in Aston Fields in the 1840s
A b o u t t h e s a m e t i m e S a n d e r s ’ patent faced major competition from Benjamin Aingwor th who developed an improved method of manufacture for cloth covered buttons, and patented it. Sanders met this competition by b u y i n g t h e r i g h t s t o A i n g wo r t h ’ s patent for £300 a year – despite the high price this proved a wise decision as it enabled the Bromsg rove Button Factor y to stay ahead of its competitors for some years. But Benjamin Sanders died in 1852, and by this time his methods were being widely copied and there was a g eneral decline in the button industr y Foreign competition increased and there was a loss of e x p o r t s a n d ch a n g e s i n f a s h i o n reduced the demand for cloth covered b u t t o n s B y 1 8 6 0 t h e B r o m s g r ove Button Factor y was only employing about 70 workers Never theless, when the business was at its height Benjamin S a n d ers, wh o h a d b een fi n a n ci a l l y r uined back in 1807, became rich from its success, and he acquired a house which he called T he Cottag e on the Kidder minster Road which he much improved, and which still stands and was later called Denmark House after B e n j a m i n ’ s t i m e i n C o p e n h a g e n When he died he owned proper ty in the Midlands and in Middlesex, town houses in Bromsg rove, Stratford and Droitwich and in London, and was lord of two manors in Herefordshire T he family invested in more land e i t h e r s i d e o f t h e K i d d e r m i n s t e r Road, and in 1853 one of his sons,
James Wilkinson Sanders, bought the Cotton Pool proper ty which included Watt Close Mill and Cotton Mill Pool tog ether with 37 acres of land along t h e K i d d e r m i n s t e r Ro a d T h o m a s
Tudor Sanders, another of Benjamin’s sons, became the owner of the Cotton Po o l p r o p e r t y a n d h a d t h e p o o l drained in 1865 Benjamin Sanders eldest son was also named Benjamin, but he predeceased his father leaving a son bor n in 1831, Benjamin Hadley Sanders. He had the old cotton mill demolished and made an open air swimming bath on the site. Benjamin Hadley Sanders left two unmar ried d a u g h t e r s : M a r y B e a t r i c e S a n d e r s, bor n in 1857, and Lucy Mar y Maud Sanders bor n in 1864 After living at Ste ps House, St John’s Street, the fine Georgian building next to the ste ps up to Bromsg rove church, they moved with their father to Oakdene, now the Bromsg rove Conser vative Club, where they died in 1951 and 1945 respectively. T hey left the Cotton Pool proper ty to the town, and this became the Sanders Park that we know today, T h e B u t t o n f a c t o r y c o n t i nu e d under the ownership of Benjamin’s four sons living at his death, but manag ement passed to Georg e Nicholls in 1870, and continued in his family. But the Sanders family continued to have a m a j o r i n f l u e n c e i n B r o m s g r ove Benjamin Hadley Sanders was ar ticled to a solicitor in London and became a par tner with Luke Minshall, solicitor at Ste ps House in Bromsg rove He wa s C l e r k t o t h e I m p r ove m e n t Commissioners, and subsequently to
District Council, resigning in 1903 He founded the Bromsg rove Rovers FC When he died at Oakdene in 1910 the town’s people erected a horse trough and drinking fountain in the High Street in his memor y, which is now d i s p l ay e d o u t s i d e T h o s H o r t o n ’ s offices (now Star Leg al) at the top of the High Street
KIDS CORNER Answers
1. All of them! Ever y month has ‘at least’ 28 days
2. A clock
3. Your name.
4. Kate! It’s Kate’s mother, after all (This is a good example of how riddles use your existing expectations to trick you. Even though the answer is right in front of you, you’re tempted to continue the pattern instead )
5. A promise.
6. The word “wrong.” It’s the only word that’s spelled W-R-ON-G.
7. You finished in 2nd place.
8. A coin.
9. Lunch and dinner.
10 Answer: Compass
HANBURY HALL
Happy New Year from the team at Hanbur y Hall. That’s another year wrapped on our popular 70s and 8 0 s s t y l e f e s t ive e ve n t , ‘ I t ’s
C h r i s t m a a a s ! ’ . T h a n k yo u t o ever ybody who danced with us, sipped a Babycham, chatted to Fa t h e r C h r i s t m a s , a d m i r e d t h e sweets tree and reminisced over Christmases past. We achieved our best and busiest Christmas yet, welcoming over 35 thousand of you during the cour se of the event.
Embrace the new year by dusting off the cobwebs and enjoying the frosty a i r o n a w i n t e r wa l k a c r o s s t h e parkland Enjoy routes that lead you through the remains of an ancient f o r e s t , p a s t i m p r e s s ive e a r l y e i g h t e e n t h - c e n t u r y d e s i g n f e a t u r e s including the Semi-Circle, Long Walk and Lime Tree Walk. If you’d like to hear more about the histor y of the parkland, join us for free guided walks ever y Saturday in Januar y, Febr uar y and March at 11am Dogs on leads are
welcome in the parkland You can also pick up a new Ghost Tree Trail to take on your walk to locate and discover more about these haunting but beautiful trees that can be found in the parkland A child friendly version of the trail with activities is also available
V i s i t t h e C o u r t y a r d K i t ch e n o r dog-friendly Stables Café to rest and refuel after a walk and enjoy a rang e of war ming meals, including breakfast and lunch freshly made onsite u
Walled Garden.
T here’s lots to do at Hanbur y for
Discover some of our favourite trees with our Ter rific Trees Trail and use
activities including bark r ubbing Join a craft session in the Long Galler y from 11am – 3pm daily and make your own paper tree that celebrates the changing seasons.
Springtime is the perfect time to g et out and explore the outdoors Take a stroll through the For mal Gardens and look out for signs of spring –swathes of snowdrops star t to appear, followed by daffodils, and don’t miss the spectacular spring display of daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips in the Par ter re ribbon border O
Easter! Make your way along the trail a
activities for the whole family T he
Saturday 12 April and Sunday 27 April, so come along and explore the beautiful parkland of Hanbur y Hall. T he trail includes an Easter trail sheet, pencil, bunny ears and dair y or veg an and Free From chocolate eg g
For more infor mation and opening t
bur y-hall
S
’s Christmas pictures in the colour centre.
Spot the Difference
Did you find them all?
There are the 11 changes to the photog raph taken by Dave Lewis.
In the Spotlight with Salt Way Silver
Jonathan in his w orkshop
Hi, my name is Jonathan K ettle and Salt Way Silver is my small one-man silver jeweller y school, r un from my home studio in Droitwich Spa.
I have a backg round in engineering and education, I manag ed to take early retirement from teaching and was living on my nar rowboat near Hanbur y at the time As a new hobby, I tried blacksmithing although it was rather impractical on a boat
I then discovered jeweller y making through a friend and taught myself using books I'm not g reat at selling the jeweller y myself, so r unning the classes was the natural next ste p, and here I am, ten years later with my ver y own successful small business.
I now r un popular courses for both complete beginners or those with some jeweller y making experience My main aim is for students to have a really relaxing and fulfilling time, lear ning to make silver jeweller y. Families, individuals and g roups of friends enjoy the comfor table and cosy jeweller y workshop, lear ning the skills to make their own pieces
My various courses offer a steady pace with plenty of oppor tunity to develop skills, with lots of close suppor t from myself and the option to design your own unique jeweller y Success is guaranteed and students take home their finished jeweller y at the end of the class.
Classes r un on weekends, weekdays and evenings See the website for details
www.saltwaysilver.co.uk
Tel: 07845 826415
Email: saltwaysilver@gmail.com
Pereg rine
Lizard
Mayf lower
Hadrian
Mongol Empire
HMS Bea gle
Mahatma Gandhi
Marie Curie
Bill Gates
Amelia Earhar t
To Kill a Mockingbird
Har r y Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Au
Photosynthesis
Sumo Wrestling
Removals
RATES 2025
S. Bright & Son
From November the 1st, our office is closing. Full Service is still available through our website www.sbrightmemorials.co.uk Calls or messages (via WhatsApp) to: 07771 665285 ONLY between the hours of 10am - 4pm Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri Email Preferred: mail@sbrightmemorials.co.uk
New Memorials, Added Inscriptions & Renovations Est over 70 years NAMM REGISTERED Friendly & Sympathetic Service All types of Fencing Supplied and Fitted
l Equine l Domestic
l Agricultural l Gateways
Contact Alastair Ulyet 07973 626055
alastairulyet@gmail.com www.fence-line.co.uk
Over 20 years of experience
We specialise in all aspects of tree surgery, from maintaining hedges and reshaping trees, through to site clearances and larger projects Free estimates - no obligation
Always happy to advise you 01527 882505 07810 618042
info@acer-trees.co.uk
• Fully trained & insured operat
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• We move furniture
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Highfields, Knightswick, Worcestershire W 01886 821554 / 07971 603
