MeridenMag Winter 2022

Meriden Mag

Meriden Rotary Club Santa Sleigh Collections 2022

Once again Santa will be touring Meriden just to check his routes for the big night and to receive any last-minute requests from girls and boys. He will be in Millison’s Wood on Monday the 5th December and in Meriden on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th December. His actual routes in Meriden will be slightly different from those he has followed in past years. As usual the money you so generously donate will go to our President’s charity, which this year is Debra (www.debra.org.uk) and other Rotary charities.

Monday 5th December

Millison’s WoodStart – Albert Road

Grace Road

On to Bonneville Close

Olympus Drive

Daytona Drive

Armana Drive

Luxor Lane

James Dawson Drive

Main Road (finishing just beyond the shops.

Wednesday 7th December

Start - Maxstoke Lane

Wyatt Way

Letitia Avenue

Jubilee Close

On to Main Road Strawberry Fields Glovers Close Waterfall Close Main Road Old Road Finishing at the Queens Head

Thursday 8th December

Start - Archery Road

Fillongley Road

Kittermaster Road

Highfield Road

Fillongley Road

Alspath Road

Fairfield Rise

The Croft

On to Leys Lane

Centenary Drive Mons Avenue Leys Lane Fillongley Road finishing at the bridge

Santa will start his journeys around the village to meet you all at 5.45pm each evening and by 8.00pm he will be on his way back to the North Pole

WORD CHAIN

Place the groups of letters listed below into the boxes to form a chain of words, so that each box makes a word when paired up with the next box.

SHORT CODE

We hope that you enjoy doing these puzzles. If you want the answers, just email me chrisbannister56@aol .com

If you can offer any puzzles please send them to me. Thanks.

Tel: 01676 533737

Please phone to arrange marriages, b aptisms and funerals

Services: Sunday 10:30am.

Greetings from the Methodist Church

In Meriden

Once again we are fast approaching Christmas and the usual two festive discussions take place in our household What will the John Lewis advert be like this year? and ‘Die Hard’ is a Christmas film yes or no? Yes of course! Well, the only reason ‘Die Hard’ is ever considered to be a Christmas film is because it takes place at Christmas, but the content of the film has nothing to do with Christmas; and this year John Lewis has said it will cut back on its advertising due to the cost of living crisis so there, that ends those discussions.

The truth is, much of what is talked about and discussed at Christmas has very little, if anything, to do with the true story of Christmas that God, in his love for all humanity, left the glory of heaven to come and dwell with us. He was born as a baby and given the name Jesus, humble and obedient as he served those around him showing us through his life on earth, the way to live our lives.

Jesus can be so easily pushed out of Christmas, yet the hope and the joy and the peace that Jesus brings shines out into the darkness of these times. Jesus, as the Light of the world, has never been overcome by the darkness, and at this time, when there is so much darkness around, knowledge of his Presence which is peace, is a source of comfort and hope.

I would like to invite you to come and hear more about Jesus at our services over Christmas. On 18th December we will be having a Carol Service at 4 pm and on Christmas Day the service will be at 10 am. Carols on the Green are taking place on 17th December at 5 pm. We will also be having our Christmas Quiz Supper Club on 9th December at 7 pm please let Mary Warr know or myself for catering purposes, and then come and join in the fun.

Jesus Emmanuel, God with us. This is the true reason for the season. The angels declared the good news for all people when Jesus was born ‘glory to God and peace on earth’. May you know the peace of the Lord this Christmas and in 2023 the peace which comes from his Presence. With love Jane

Dates for your diary

9th December Supper Club Christmas Quiz 7.00pm

17th December - Carols on the Green 5.00pm 18th December - Carol Service 4.00pm Christmas Day Service 10.00am

Methodist Church open for lunch and warm space

THE ALAN LOLE MERIDEN TREE OF THOUGHT CHRISTMAS RAFFLE

www.meridentreeofthought.co.uk

If you wish to come along then just turn up on the day. The lunch is free but if you would like to make a donation then there will be the opportunity to do so.

There will be a prize draw in December which Pat Smith is kindly organising. You can buy raffle tickets now by going to www.justgiving.com and searching for Meriden Tree of Thought. The Christmas raffle site will then be shown and your donations will be converted to raffle tickets.

Tickets are £1 each or 5 for £4. There are currently over 26 great prizes. The raffle will be drawn at 2.00pm on 18th December.

Meriden Surgery 01676 522252

School House, 200 Main Road, Meriden, CV7 7NG Dr M Bhandal Dr A Carlile Dr T Nadeem Dr R Horsley (Partners)

Associates GPs Dr.A Omokanye, Dr A Blaggan Dr N Hudders Dr.I Khan www.balsallcommongrouppractice.co.uk

Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8.30am to 6pm Wednesday 8.30am to 12.00

For details on how to obtain medical help when the surgery is closed, please phone 01676 935000

COVID VACCINACOTION UPDATE

The Government have confirmed that the following people will be offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine this autumn. Vaccinations at the surgery began early October 2022:

• Residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults

• Frontline health and social care workers

• All adults aged 50 years and over

• Persons aged 5 to 49 years in a clinical risk group

• Persons aged 5 to 49 years who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression

• Persons aged 16 to 49 years who are carers, The practice will be giving flu vaccinations at the same time as the COVID vaccination.

Please do not contact the Practice to arrange your vaccinations, the Practice will be contacting all patients in the above groups to arrange your appointment.

Please understand that we have over 6000 patients to vaccinate and therefore ask for your patience during this very busy time.

If you have a question regarding your vaccination please email: nhsbsolicb.balsall.covid@nhs.net

Unfortunately, we will not be able to arrange vaccination appointments from these emails, please wait for the Practice to contact you.

GOODBYE

Unfortunately, the Practice has had to say goodbye to some of our staff members: Lucy Medical Secretary Michelle Health Care Assistant Dr Manickam Salaried GP

Rosy Practice Nurse We would like to wish them all the very best in their future roles and Rosy’s retirement.

WELCOME

The Practice would like to welcome the following new staff members, Vanessa Medical Secretary Helena Receptionist/Administrator

Dr I Khan Salaried GP Dr Khan will be in Practice Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays

CHANGES TO OUR APPOINTMENT BOOKING

We now offer all urgent on the day appointments as face-to-face appointments. All appointments are to be booked via telephone only.

Telephone appointments are available as a pre-bookable option; however, these are now unable to be scheduled as an urgent on the day appointment option.

General Practices are open and we are here for you when you need us.

To keep you and everyone safe appointments are being triaged, this helps us to give you the correct type of appointment that you need whether that is for patients to be seen in person, a telephone consultation, video consultation or advice from your local Pharmacy.

We are continuing to follow all National Guidelines that are provided for all GP Practices across the UK along with the ever-changing COVID 19 regulations.

We are continuing to encourage our face covering policy, this is to continue to protect our Staff and visitors that are attending the Practice.

All up to date Practice Information can be found on our website www.balsallcommonsurgery.co.uk

What we’ve been up to.

In August, we had our meal at The Queens Head, which was enjoyed by all. On the right, are just a couple of the pictures taken at the event.

In September, we had Stephanie and Ken Sherlock tell us of their exploits in New Zealand. As usual their talk was a treat. Ken makes his talks really interesting as he takes you along with him on his and Stephanie’s journey. His pictures are a delight and really show you the countryside and its wildlife which is of much interest to Ken. It was a truly entertaining afternoon and was very well attended. They did have a four day stop-over in Bangkok which we are all very interested to hear about so another talk is probably needed, with pictures of course.

In October, Larry Watson gave us a talk entitled “The Sixties, Coventry and Me “, a nostalgic look back to living in Coventry at that time. A lot of us could relate to that time and found it full of our own memories.

We meet at the Village Hall, usually on the 4th Friday of each month at 2 – 4 pm Please contact Joan Tel: 01676 522666 for more information. Everyone is very welcome.

Winter Meetings are planned as follows: -

December 9th note the earlier than usual date. Well, Christmas will soon be here again. How this year has flown! For our Christmas meeting, the local choir, Simply Purple, is coming to entertain us again. We will have Christmas fayre for refreshments and of course the Christmas raffle draw. Good luck to all who have bought raffle tickets.

January 27th Midlands Legal Services, a specialist willwriting company will be coming to talk to us about what they do and I for one will be very interested. I am sure they will answer any questions you may wish to ask.

February 24th We are having a Quiz Meeting. This is always enjoyed by all of us.

Sat 21st Jan – “Operation Mincemeat” (12A) “Operation

Mincemeat” is set in 1943 as the Allies are determined to launch an all-out assault on Fortress Europe.. This is a re-make of the slightly fictitious “The Man That Never Was” but following the release of the true facts, it depicts how the British Intelligence fooled Nazi Germany into believing that the Allies were planning to invade Greece, rather than the intended target of Sicily. Starring Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen and Penelope Wilton this is a good solid spy movie perfect for a winter’s evening.”

Sat 21st Jan – “Operation Mincemeat” (12A) “Operation Mincemeat” is set in 1943 as the Allies are determined to launch an all-out assault on Fortress Europe.. This is a re-make of the slightly fictitious “The Man That Never Was” but following the release of the true facts, it depicts how the British Intelligence fooled Nazi Germany into believing that the Allies were planning to invade Greece, rather than the intended target of Sicily. Starring Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen and Penelope Wilton this is a good solid spy movie perfect for a winter’s evening.”

Sat 18th Feb – “Where the Crawdads Sing ” (12A)

Sat 18th Feb – “Where the Crawdads Sing ” (12A)

This thought-provoking story, based on the novel by Delia Owens, tells the story of Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) a young girl abandoned by a dysfunctional family in a shack in the marshes of North Carolina. Kya evades school and raises herself in this dangerous environment and is shunned by the local community as being wild and unpredictable. As she matures, she becomes drawn to two young men from the nearby town, opening herself to a new and startling world. However, when one of them is found dead she becomes a suspect in his murder and a gripping mystery unfolds. Those who have read the book are sure to want to see the film but please, no spoilers for those film-goers who have not!

This thought-provoking story, based on the novel by Delia Owens, tells the story of Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) a young girl abandoned by a dysfunctional family in a shack in the marshes of North Carolina. Kya evades school and raises herself in this dangerous environment and is shunned by the local community as being wild and unpredictable. As she matures, she becomes drawn to two young men from the nearby town, opening herself to a new and startling world. However, when one of them is found dead she becomes a suspect in his murder and a gripping mystery unfolds. Those who have read the book are sure to want to see the film but please, no spoilers for those film-goers who have not!

Tickets (£6.00) are available from Chris Copper by :Telephone - 01676 522645 Message - 07721 342127 or Emailchriscopper42@me.com

rebird Singers Update

We have had a very busy few months since our last update. We performed a very successful, well attended, concert at the Manor Hotel on Sunday 18th September. Then on Saturday 24th September we held a MacMillan Coffee morning at the Village Hall, raising £410 for this very worthy cause. £155 of this was from the sale of Malcolm’s bird feeders/boxes (see photos). We hope to see you all at our Christmas Concert, again at the Manor Hotel, on Sunday 11th December. We will be accompanied by a show band, have many soloists and a grand Christmas raffle. Our chosen charity for this season is Coventry & Warwickshire ‘MIND’ Please see our advert on the events page of this Mag, and come along and support us.

Fabulous Firebirds!

On Sunday 4th October, Andrew our musical director and one of our members, Abbie, both ran Marathons! Andrew competed in the Chester Marathon, and Abbie was privileged to be able to take part in the prestigious London Marathon

Abbie ran the London Marathon for Kidney Research UK in memory of her dad. Originally due to run in April 2020, she was very happy to finally join Team Kidney at the start line. Abbie says the atmosphere and support was incredible the crowds and marshals were cheering; bands were playing in the streets and runners were checking in on each other and it was a day she will never forget. Her dad, every other kidney warrior and everyone's generosity and support have spurred her on in training and across the finish line. Abbie has raised over £4000 and is incredibly grateful for every single donation. You can read more about Abbie's story at https://donate.givetap.co.uk/f/kidney-researchuk/london-marathon-2022/abbies-london-marathon-2022for-kidney-research-uk

Abbie ran the London Marathon for Kidney Research UK in memory of her dad. Originally due to in April 2020, she was very happy to finally join Team Kidney at the start line. Abbie says the atmosphere and support was incredible the crowds and marshals were cheering; bands were playing in the streets and runners checking in on each other and it was a day she will never forget. Her dad, every other kidney warrior and everyone s generosity and support have spurred her on in training across the finish line. Abbie has raised over £4000 and is incredibly grateful for every single donation. You read more about Abbie's story at https://donate.givetap.co.uk/f/kidney-researchuk/london-marathon-2022/abbies-london-marathon-2022for-kidney-research-uk

completing the

Andrew began running in 2018, spurred on by his

Vicky Clayton. They both completed a Parkrun challenge over that year running 12 different courses for charity. During this time, Andrew got the ‘bug’ and ran more and more often! To date, he has completed a number of 5k, 10k and half marathon runs as well as two full marathons! He has also completed his running leader training with UK Athletics enabling him to lead others and help them achieve their running goals!

Andrew completing the Chester Marathon Andrew began running in 2018, spurred on by his friend Vicky Clayton. They both completed a Parkrun challenge over that year running 12 different courses for charity. During this time, Andrew got the ‘bug’ and ran more and more often! To date, he has completed a number of 5k, 10k and half marathon runs as well as two full marathons! He has also completed his running leader training with UK Athletics enabling him to lead others and help them achieve their running goals!

We rehearse most Friday evenings at Meriden Village Hall 7.00 until 9.00pm and perform three concerts each year at the Manor Hotel.

We rehearse most Friday evenings at Meriden Village Hall 7.00 until 9.00pm and perform three concerts each year at the Manor Hotel.

New members are always welcome please contact Val 01676 522 963 or Anna 07792525999

New members are always welcome please contact Val 01676 522 963 or Anna 07792525999

Andrew

Chester Marathon

friend

showers, Lesley took the guise of Nell Gwynne and gave us an insight into her life’s ups and downs! More recentl y, we can report that our “In the Pink & Blue” fundraiser, at the Manor Hotel, where this time Lesl ey t ook on the heavyweight mantle of Elizabeth I, was also a great success. Her crowd enthralling characterisation, the raffle and the beautiful craft stalls raised just over £3,100 for our chosen charity. Thanks to Lesley, the Manor Hotel and their staff, our stallholders and of course all of you who continue to buy tickets and support us. The event saw the reappearance of a wide range of seasonal knitted and crocheted items and, at the time of going to press, we still have some available so if you fancy a snowm an or Santa, rocking robin or plum pudding, give Sue or Carol a call!

As we said previously, Meriden’s fundraising activity for CRUK and its predecessors dates back to 1952 and has involved many raffles Looking back through our records has unearthed some interesting and unexpected prizes! For example, a prize donor in 1952 offered 50 cigarettes to our cause! Perhaps they had just given up? Amongst the prize donati ons in 1954 were 2 pairs of nylon st ockings and a dressed fowl from a local farmer - t wo separate donors we believe! By 1958, t wo donations of 150 and 50 cigarettes were received Perhaps by then the dangers of smoking and lung cancer were becom ing more widely understood? In the UK currently around 34,800 people die from l ung cancer every year, contributing to 21% of all cancer deaths (based on figures from 2017-2019) Your continuing support helps CRUK develop kinder and more effective treatments for this and all other cancers

Our last event of 2022 will be hel d at the Heart of England Social Cl ub on Saturday 10th Decem ber, doors open at 7.30pm It will feature live entertainm ent from “XS” , an award-winning local duo and a bumper raffl e Tickets for this popular event are £10 each and available through Sue, Carol, all m embers of the committee and from the Club. See poster on events page of the Mag.

Next Jul y will see the return of Meriden Open Gardens If you are interested in opening your garden and supporting us, we would be del ighted to hear from you. Any type, size or style of garden, whether you ’re an old hand or a newbie, everyone is welcome If you woul d in this, or any of our other fundraising activities, like to be involved, Sue or Carol woul d love to hear from you. In the meantime, we hope you have a great Christmas and look forward to seeing you in 2023.

Heart of England Aeromodellers

Model Aeroplane Flying Club in Meriden.

You can find us on Maxstoke Lane (see map on the right). We are always keen to recruit new members. For information on joining the Club, or advice on getting started in the hobby, please contact us via our website www.hoeaflyers.clubwe’re always happy to help.

Terry Dingley

Meriden Women’s Institute 1918

2022

The WI has been part of the Meriden Community since 1918. As part of the WI, you will learn new skills, forge friendships and make a difference

A45

Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month 7:30pm at Meriden Village Hall, Main Road CV7 7NG

in your community by joining the largest women’s organisation in the U.K. Whatever your reason for joining, we offer all kinds of opportunities: a chance to meet people, catch up with friends, learn valuable life skills or help your community through WI campaigns.

The Meriden WI has been very busy over the past few months and we now have a regular book club session at the Meriden Library with ‘Dracula’, ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘the Dutch House’ on the current reading list. Once a month, the ladies meet for a Darts session and would welcome setting up some matches with other local ladies teams. The lunch club is well attended with the December lunch at the Manor Hotel and the Store and Stove in Berkswell already booked. Monthly rambles and walks in our beautiful country side continue through Autumn into Winter.

Winter meeting plan is:-

5th Dec – Christmas Party

9th Jan – Seated exercise with Jacqui Fisher and Annual Resolution discussion 6th Feb – Farming by Charlie Beaty

For more information, please contact us via email meridenwi@hotmail.com or call Samm Bain on 07739 972046 or Della Mannix on 07920 014909

With the Mayor of Solihull

Playing darts at the Heart of England Social Club

Like the rest of the world the Scout Association lost a very special lady in September. The Queen was our national patron. All in Scouting will miss her longstanding support.

1st Meriden Beavers

Since our return to Beavers in September we have seen quite a few changes to our Colony. Both our Young Leaders have unfortunately moved on, Skye due to college commitments and Phoebe to start university. We’ve also had several Beavers move up to Cubs and, therefore, several new members join us. It’s all very exciting! We recently had an Investiture, led by Group Scout Leader Gerry Russell, for some of our new starters. The children made their Promise and received neckers and membership badges in a ceremony witnessed by the rest of the Colony and their families. In November we’ll have another Investiture for our newest members. Over the next couple of months, we will be working towards earning various Activity Badges and Challenge Awards. We’ll also be taking part in some fund raising and social activities with the Cubs and Scouts and playing our part in observing Remembrance Day in the village. Having lost our Young Leaders, we are now down to two uniformed leaders at Beavers and reliant on parent helpers. If you would be interested in joining the Scouting Movement and becoming a Beaver Leader, do please get in touch with me or Gerry.

Eleanor

1st Meriden Cubs

September arrives and suddenly we have seven new arrivals to the pack and they all decide to stay! The summer months left us with memories of kayaking, camping and walks around our beautiful surroundings, so autumn moves us onto conkers and a visit to Canley Fire Station courtesy of White Watch.

We covered our Fire Safety badge, learning how to keep our homes safe, (always close your kitchen door before you go to sleep, as most fires start from faulty electrical equipment and a closed door will give you 20mins to escape and top tip number two, making sure our smoke detectors are all working by checking them every month). The Cubs were shown around the station and the Gaffer did a mock up shout to simulate a real call out. Dan was able to try a full uniform on then realised not such a good idea as his body temperature rocketed, and he had a very heavy feeling due to the weight of the uniform. We then were shown around the fire engine and learnt what and why they carried so much whilst being allowed to scramble up into the cab. But apparently the wow factor was playing with the hoses and trying to tip over a cone ten metres away, I say apparently, the leaders were allowed to play and I agree with my Cubs, wow!

Oct will bring our ‘Smartie’ challenge where every Beaver, Cub, Scout and Explorer are given a packet of Smarties and in return they are asked to do a small job for a small fee. Once they have done their best, monies are all collected and shared between the hut restoration fund and St Laurence’s Church wall restoration. November the 3rd was the group’s Bonfire fundraiser. Hog rolls and hot drinks were on sale along with fun and games for the youngsters, a lovely chance to get the whole group together for the night. Friends, family, and villagers, were welcome to come along the more the merrier to help raise much needed funds for the group. Lynda.

1st Meriden Scout Troop

The Meriden Scout Troop continues to offer a wide range of opportunities and experiences for 11- to 14-year-old boys and girls. The Troop meet on a weekly basis.

Over the recent months several new Scouts have moved into the Troop from the Cub Scout Pack. The Scouts have undertaken training to enable them to achieve badges and awards. Amongst the activities they have recently taken part in, there have been Night Hikes around the village, experienced canoeing with a local canoe club, and practised their indoor and outdoor cooking skills. While in November there was the annual bonfire on Thursday 3rd, this year with a medieval theme, then the annual Remembrance Service on Sunday 13th and a visit to the Solihull Council House on the 22nd. The Scouts meet on Tuesday evenings at the Meriden Scout Group Headquarters.

Beavers: Boys and girls aged 6 - 8 Monday evening 6.30-7.30

Cubs Scouts: Boys and Girls aged 8 10.5 Thursday evening

Scouts: Boys and Girls aged 10.5 – 14 Tuesday evening 7.00- 9.00.pm

Explorer Scouts: Male and Female aged 14 - 18 Monday evening 7.45- 9.45

Please email 1stmeridenscouts@gmail.com for more information

COMMUNITY SURGERIES

The Parish Council, accompanied by representatives from NPT Solihull Rurals (Police Team), Bromford Housing and Solihull MBC Community Development will be hosting several joint community surgeries Ven ue: The Pavilion, M eriden Sports Park. Come and meet your

Rural Policing Team, who w ill be happy to discuss your concerns, issues and worries, privately and w ith anonymity; Neighbourhood Coach (Bromford), your first point of contact for queries relating to your home, tenancy and your community; Community Development Support Officer, who can provide signposting, support, advice and work closely with communities and community groups Surgery dates 22nd November 2022 14.00-15.00 14th December 2022 18.00-19.00 11th January 2023 16.00-17.00

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

QEHB Plus University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Covid Vaccine Clinics were set up at Meriden Sports Park on Friday 28th October for 12-15 year olds and Saturday 29th October for over 50s. This initiative was brokered by the Parish Council and was very successful.

The SVOC operations manager commented “we only did a handful of 12-15 year olds on Friday but we did 120 over 50s on Saturday for autumn boosters, which is a very good return” .

Due to the success of the Covid Clinics, a future date is to be scheduled.

COMMUNITY SPEED WATCH

Meriden’s trained Speed Watch volunteers are supported by West Midlands Police, organising concerned, proactive community volunteers’ involvement in road safety The scheme enables volunteers to w ork within their community to raise the awareness of the dangers of speed ing and h elp control the problem locally. To date, 150 speeding motorists have been caught! More volunteers needed.

Please feel free to drop in for a chat, advice or an upd ate on current issues, with those who can provide assistance to you.

2023

MAKE A CHANGE - BECOME A PARISH COUNCILLOR

Are you passionate about your community?

Do you want to make a long-lasting change?

Do you have innovative ideas for the Council? Influence decisions for the benefit of the people you serve. We need people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect their community to put themselves forward for election. To find out more contact the Clerk.

Should you wish to contact the Parish Council, please contact the Clerk to have a private chat to address local commu nity issues or visit ou r website where you can access a wealth of information

Clerk: Barbara Bland, 55 James Dawson Drive, Millison’s Wood, Coventry, CV5 9QJ

clerk@meridenparishcouncil.org.

YOUR LOCAL PARISH COUNCIL NEEDS YOU! ELECTIONS MAY

FUTURE LITTER PICKS

Meet at the Sports Park and equipment will be issued on arrival

UPDATES

THANK YOU

Thank you to all the litter pickers who are helping to keep the village litter free, clean, and environmentally friendly! Congratulations to our Duke of Edinburgh volunteer achievers. Well Done!

WARM HUB

Warm Hub launches “hot lunches” on 1st November. Anyone is welcome to pop in for a cuppa and a chat every Tuesday 10.30 to 13.00 in the Pavilion at the Sports Park and stay for lunch for a small donation. Any resident, any age is welcome. Volunteers needed please contact Barbara Bland

TRANSPORT

The Parish Council continues to engage with TfWM continually raising community needs for transport. TfWM have committed to continuing the 89 service until the end of December, but it is not viable to sustain in the long term Ward Councillors and the Parish Council are suggesting the new “On Demand” service is extended and made more user friendly, and lobbying continues for the “ring and ride” scheme for Meriden. TfWM assure residents that other bus services in Meriden and Millison’s W ood will continue.

Saturday 26th November 2022 @ 11 am

Saturday 17th December 2022 @ 11 am January to be advised

FILLONGLEY ROAD BRIDGE

Work continues to replace the Fillongley Road bridge The actual opening date has been in a state of flux recently as SMBC have overcome a few issues with the highway reconstruction and drainage so the completion date of 8th November looks like it might now be early December. We are awaiting the next programme to confirm. Once this is finalised, residents will be advised of the re-opening of Fillongley Road and bridge.

SMBC have also received resident concerns and queries asking about the repairs to the verges on the diversion route. For information SMBC Highways will be looking to undertake these repairs but not until the spring 2023 as it will likely be abortive works to undertake sooner. A rolling programme of road repairs to the diversion route has been carried out as road defects are identified. The verges will be inspected once the Fillongley Road has reopened, and the necessary repairs and reseeding work will be undertaken.

Separately, a drop-in session at the end of the project will be arranged for residents to see and understand the scale of the work. We appreciate the bridge replacement has been disruptive, but we are pleased it is nearing completion.

MERIDEN POOL

After the vandalism of the Parish noticeboard sited at the Pool, insurance has now settled the claim and a new noticeboard ordered with installation scheduled end December/early January. Reports received from concerned residents regarding the injury to the puddle duck were detailed to SMBC Rangers who attended the site The puddle duck was observed, and the decision made not to remove the wildfowl to the Heronfield Rescue Centre in Knowle increasing its distress, as the neck wound had started to heal. It is suspected that the puddle duck was attacked by the terrapins that inhabit the Pool. However, SMBC and the Parish Council take on board local community suggestions for “Dogs to be kept on leads at all times” signage to be erected at the Pool site. Can all dog owners please observe the guidance for wildlife habitat, keeping dogs on leads.

From Left to Right: Cllr R Weaver BEM (Chair), Cllr J Barber (Vice-Chair), Cllr A Eburne, Cllr J Hughes

From left to right: Cllr M Woollard, Cllr C Smith, Cllr M Eggar

VACANCY

If interested in filling our vacancy, please contact the clerk.

Winter Service Details

Date Service

4th Dec Holy Communion*

11th Dec Joint S ervice at Meriden Methodist Church

18th Dec Holy Communion*

24th Dec Holy Communion* at 11pm

25th Dec Joint S ervice at Meriden Methodist Church at 10am

1st Jan Holy Communion*

8th Jan Joint S ervice at Meriden Methodist Church

15th Jan Holy Communion*

22nd Jan Joint S ervice

29th Jan Baptism Service

5th Feb Holy Communion*

12th Feb Joint S ervice at Meriden Methodist Church

19th Feb Holy Communion*

26th Feb Joint S ervice

All services are at 10:30 am at St. Laurence unless stated otherwise.

* Holy Communion services are subject to availability of a minister. Please check the web site.

ST. LAURENCE CHURCH NEWS

Priest in Charge: Vacant

Church Wardens: Jonathan Douglas 01676 522455

Carol Clarke 07500 700679

churchwarden.meriden@gmail.com

Church Website: https://stlaurencemeriden.wordpress.com

Find us on Facebook: St Laurence Church Meriden

Happy Christmas!

But it’s not a real Christmas unless you have all these things, is it? (one point for each one you do!).

A) A great big roast turkey dinner

C) Too much to drink.

E) Watch ‘Love Actually’ again

B) Loads of presents

D) Christmas cake.

F) Christmas pudding flaming with brandy

G) Brand new baubles, a new style! for the tree.

H) Italian panettone.

I) Loads of twinkling lights on the front of the house

J) Far too much Baileys (!).

K) Sprouts (never mind).

L) Remember that Jesus was born a baby, grew to be a man, taught his people, and through them, us; gave himself up to crucifixio n, died and came back from death, proving our salvation from the power of sin and death, and through all this gave us the true inspiration to proper living in loving care of all we meet

I’d recommend not wasting your money on tooooo many of the above, but embrace the last one. It’s free.

Church news: the process of looking for a new minister for Meriden keeps rolling along and we’re really optimistic there’ll be good news soon. Please pray for the right outcom e for ministering the Gospel here in Meriden.

Finally, may I and all the people of this Church wish you a very happy and peaceful time at Christmas. It’s another difficult year with new challenges, but even so the gift of Jesus remains the greatest of all

Jonathan Douglas

Carols on the Green

Come and join in the singing of lots of Christmas Carols on Meriden village Green, accompanied by the Bulkington Silver Band, at 5pm on Saturday 17th December. Wrap

up warm and bring a torch Mulled Wine and Hot Chocolate will be available.

Black Friday

Friday 25th November 2022

Don't miss our Black Friday Deals this year, sign up to our mailing list and you will be able to gain early access to our deals! We have fantastic offers this year from a Wine and Dine Experience in Marco Pierre White’s to a Wedding package!

Christmas Celebrations

The Hotel’s Christmas festivities include our magical Party Nights, Breakfast with Santa, Young at Heart, Christmas Day Lunch, Boxing Day Lunch and New Year’s Eve celebrations. Contact us for more details!

Message from Saqib Bhatti MP

It might be too early to mention Christmas but it is never too early to talk about my Christmas card competition. With hundreds of entries pouring in, and seeing all your amazing artwork, you can see just how much talent there is in the constituency. The Christmas card competition really is the highlight of my year.

On Saturday 22nd October, I had the pleasure of joining Orson Smith, a pupil at Meriden Primary, for a litter pick. He contacted me to highlight the amount of litter on the A45 near Meriden. He also told me he had picked up 35 bags of rubbish in the past year – a fantastic achievement. I cannot commend him enough for his hard work and dedication and I was honoured to join him in Meriden for a litter pick. Hopefully, this was the first of many litter picks with Orson!

I was also thrilled to receive letters from pupils at Meriden Primary on plastic pollution. As a committed environmentalist, discussing how to tackle pollution is something I care deeply about. Protecting our environment is not just about being able to enjoy our surroundings today but it is about ensuring we leave a proud environmental legacy for future generations. I am incredibly heartened to see the pupils plough their passion into fighting pollution and I look forward to discussing how we can all work together in protecting the environment when I visit the school in November. As you will be aware, if you were born on or before 25 September 1956, you could get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills with the Winter Fuel Payment. You will get your Winter Fuel Payment automatically if you are eligible and either get the State Pension or get another social security benefit.

Pensioner households will also receive an extra £300 this year to help them cover the rising cost of energy this winter. This additional one off payment will go to the over 8 million pensioner households across the UK who receive the Winter Fuel Payment and will be paid on top of any other one off support a pensioner household is entitled to, for example where they are on pension credit or receive disability benefits. Eligible households currently receive between £200 to £300, so the payment will represent at least double the support for this winter.

If you are of State Pension Age and on a low income, you could qualify for Pension Credit. The average Pension Credit payment is worth more than £3,000 a year and it is possible to qualify even if you own your own home or have savings. Please do get in touch if you would like any more information about the Winter Fuel Payment and the support on offer from the government.

As you will know, Rishi Sunak is now our Prime Minister. I am delighted to have supported his bid to become leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister. I feel immensely proud of Rishi and the Party at this historic time. I believe Rishi will bring stability and calm to the nation when we need it most. I will work closely with the new Prime Minister and his team so that we continue to deliver for my constituents. As ever, I am out and about speaking to residents from across the Meriden constituency throughout the week. If you are not able to catch me, my office is open as usual and we are conducting surgery appointments, so do not hesitate to book a slot. My contact details are below: Best Wishes and stay safe, Saqib Bhatti MBE MP

A campaign to retain a rural bus service connecting Meriden, Balsall Common and Berkswell with Solihull and Coventry has ensured that funding will stay in place until the end of the year West Midlands Mayor Andy Street recently met with Meriden councillors Diane Howell, Andrew Burrow, and Tony Dicicco, as well as MP Saqib Bhatti and bosses from Transport for the West Midlands, to discuss the future of the number 89 bus or identify alternative services going forward Cllr Howell said: “The meeting was precipitated by the threat to the number 89 bus service, which connects the most rural parts of our area with Balsall Common, where residents can access the railway station, shops, schools, and GPs surgery. “Essentially, while there are very few passengers that use the service, those who do really need it, live in very isolated parts of those villages.

“It was going to be stopped over the summer, as it is running at a considerable loss, but thanks to our campaign we’ve managed to get the service extended until the end of this year with its future then being reviewed. “We are really, really concerned about this, as these are isolated rural areas. We understand the challenge of running public transport in places like this under the current cost model, but if we are going to lose this service, we need to come up with other ways to keep residents connected “There are children that use that bus to go to Heart of England School, and we know people in Meriden that use it to go to Solihull hospital these are important journeys “That’s what the campaign is all about and that’s what Andy Street is helping us with because if we do lose that bus, what are we going to give these communities to ensure they stay connected?” the number 89 serves the Meriden Gap, running from Solihull to Coventry and passing through Meriden village, Berkswell and Balsall Common The No.89 was originally launched in 2016, operating under subsidy by iGo, to replace the Heart of England Taxibus, which had run since 2004. Andy Street said: “We had a very positive meeting about this important issue and discussed several ideas, including possibly extending the current in demand bus service, so there are options that we can explore.

“It’s great that, thanks to the campaign, the funding for the Number 89 bus has been ensured until at least the end of the year, when its future will be reviewed again.

“However, it’s important that we look at how we can help residents stay connected going forward, and I’m grateful to local councillors, Saqib Bhatti and Transport for the West Midlands for their input

Stop Press: latest news received 7th November 2022 From Saturday 31st December bus service 89 will no long er operate between Solihull and Coventry via Meriden and Balsall Common Transport for West Midlands have had to make this very difficult decision due to low passenger use and the increased cost of providing this service. TfWM would like to thank all those passengers who have used this service and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause There are a number of alternative bus services available for residents living in Meriden;

Service X 1 Coventry to Birmingham via Birmingham Airport Service 82 Coventry to Solihull via Meriden and Hampton in Arden Details on all these services including timetables and maps are available at Find a timetable West Midlands Network (wmnetwork.co uk) Residents living in the area can also use the exciting, innovative and fully accessible West Midlands on Demand Services Further details on this service area available at On-demand buses in the West Midlands | Transport for West Midlands (tfwm.org.uk) or by downloading the WM On Demand App available on Google Play or iOS or by calling 0345 0348670.

For further details on any of the above please contact TfWM at customerservices@tfwm org.uk or call 0345 3036760.

Solihull Councillors update (Councillors Howell, Dicicco and Burrow)

In addition to working on buses as shown above we are pleased to advise that

1. The green bin service will be extended to run virtually 12 months per year. (There will be a long break over Christmas/New Year). This has been organised to meet residents’ requests given the longer growing seasons we are getting.

2. The Fillongley Road bridge is still on the (revised) schedule to reopen on 2nd December Thereafter, an assessment will be made of what needs to be done to restore the verges etc on the diversions that were/are in place

Rising Cost of Living: How Solihull Council Can Help Rising fuel and food prices have impacted many residents and the Council have been working hard to develop local support Between April and September, the Council paid out £1.4 million in Household Support Fund payments to vulnerable residents, assisting them with the cost of food and energy Details of all the support available can be found at https://www.solihull.gov.uk/here2help or by calling Solihull Connect on 0121 704 8001 Other Useful Numbers Act on Energy, (working with Solihull Council to provide advice on fuel bills and information on grants for energy saving improvements) Tel: 0800 988 2881 Solihull Council Winter Warmth Campaign, advice and grants to help residents stay warm this winter Tel: 0121 704 8080 Solihull Council Community Advice Hubs, Information & advice on debt and applying for benefits

Heart of E ngland Social Club

We would like to thank most sincerely Pertemps Meriden Ltd for their generous sponsorship off our Motor Neurone Charity Fundraising Night which took place on Friday 11 th February. Details of the night will be put in next edition of the Mag.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Bingo each Friday night, first game starts 8.00pm Friday 18th March St Patricks Karaoke night, free entry in the bar.

Friday 25th March, Cancer Research Charity Night & Fish & Chip Supper. Sunday 17th April, Easter Egg Hunt & Family Entertainment.

Saturday 14th May, Big Screen Horse Racing Night & Other entertainment £2.00 Room Hire: Book your special event, party or meeting in our function room. We offer *Room Dressing* Catering* and Entertainment * Call our friendly staff for details or to view

*Follow us on Facebook – Heart of England Social Club*

Hereweareathirdofthewaythroughmyyearas PresidentandIhavetosayhowmuchIhaveenjoyeditsofar.Ineedtothank David Burtonforthevariedandinterestingspeakersheissogoodatarranging.Therecentpresentationby Malcolm Leonardabout aclubvisittothe Housesof Parliamentand Greenwichbroughtbackgoodmemoriesofthatday.Thankyouto David Burtonfor organisingaveryenjoyabledaywhichranlikeclockwork. Thanksto Geoff Arthur, wehavestrengthenedourtieswith MeridenChurchof England PrimarySchoolwhoaretakingpartin Rotary YoungWriterand Young Artistcompetitions.Wesendthemgoodluckandwishthemwell.Theseare justtwoofseveral competitionswhich Rotaryorganise.

Ithasbeenconfirmedthatthe National Rotaryevent, ‘Kids Out Day’, willtakeplacein 2023andagainwewillbeabletosend studentsfromWoodlandsSchoolinColeshillwhichistobeheldat Drayton Manor Park. WearealsoarrangingforateamfromWoodlandsSchooltoenterthe Rotary District1060 Festivalof Football, whichtheywon lastyear.

Thankyouto Pankaj Waraforarrangingasocialeveningat Pavarotti’s Italianrestaurant.Itwasagreatsuccesswithalarge attendanceanddeliciousfood.

Thesocialvisitto Eindhoveninthe Netherlandswasmostenjoyable.Wemetmembersfromthe RotaryClubof Eindhoven KempenlandwholookedafterusextremelywellandwelookforwardtotheirreciprocalvisitintheSpringof 2024 ThesocialeveningsupportingTroop Aidcharitywasagreateveningwithgoodfoodandfellowship. Wehaveextendedthefoodcollectionsandnowhavenewpartnerswhoarebenefittingfromourinitialwork.TheSalvation Army arecollecting from AldiinCoventrytwiceaweekand Kingshurstvolunteersarecollectingfrom AldiinColeshillthreetimesa weekforthefoodbankinChelmsleyWood.Wearestillcollectingfrom Aldiforthe Junk Food Project.

TheSanta Fun Runaround Packington Estateisnoworganised (pleaseseeadvertonthebackcoverofthe Mag) andwehopeto attractagoodnumbertoparticipateandraisemoneyfor MarieCurieCancerCare. TheSantaSleighhasbeencheckedoverandthe “Reindeer” arechompingatthebittotaketothestreets. Itgoeswithoutsayinga RotaryClubwouldnotworkwithoutateam, Iwouldliketothank Vice President Malcolm Leonard, Secretary Jane Maugham, TreasurerSteve Allcockand Attendanceofficer,Phil Pardoe, whodealswiththisthanklesstask smoothlyandpatiently.Iwouldalsoliketoshowmygratitudetocommitteechairswhomakeeventsappearseamless. Ifyouwouldliketocomealongtooneofourregularmeetings, enjoyamealatthe Manor Hotelandmeetthemembers, youwould bemostwelcome.

PhilHughesPresident 2022-2023

Dancers from The Orme School of Dancing Meriden Branch took to the stage in June and showcased dances from musicals such as The Lion King, Jungle Book, and classics from Bugsy Malone. Showtime ’22 was a huge success and a welcome return to the stage after COVID-19 having interrupted such performances. The dancers also managed to raise over £500 during the event on the raffle and refreshments, which went to the NSPCC. Please get in touch if you’d like to find out more about what we can offer at The Meriden Branch at The Orme School of Dancing – www.ormecoventrydance.co.uk

Santa’s Grotto c/o

he Rotary Club of Meriden www.meridenrotary.org

T

Facebook: Meriden Rotary Club UK

Dear children

The Rotary Club of Meridenisarrangingfor you to writea letterto Santaand receiveareply Tell Santa your wishes for Christmasand in yourletterincludethe following

Yourname

Your Schooland age year group Yourage

Whatare your hobbies?

What have you achieved atschool, at homeinsport, music, art, danceetc? Have you been good this year? Anything else youwould liketoincludein yourletter What would you like Santato bring you for Christmas?

Schools which will take partare Meriden Primary School, to date. Weare hopingformorelocalschoolsto joinin Thisisa freeservice, butmy friendsin Meriden Rotary Club haveset up a VIRGIN MONEYJUST GIVING PAGE (details will beonthe Rotary club’s web siteand Facebook page) if youwould liketo donateto Rotary Charities and the President’s Charity,Debra UK You canalsosend a donation by cheque, included in yourletter, payableto the Rotary Club of Meriden. There will bea Santasack at yourschool for you to put yourletterin.Letters will be collected on Friday 2nd December. And yourreplywill beat yourschool beforetheend of term

I lookforward to hearingf rom you and your family.Best Wishesand a Very Happy Christmas

Santa

Exploring the Ash Brook and up to Millison’s Wood

e Ancient Ardenlands cape Thelocal geological featuresof sandstone, clay andgravel arerevealed along the courseof the Ash Brook. The fieldsare boundedby hedges, many of which are banked and include v eteranoak trees.

We begin the walk near the One Stop supermarket car park at Allesley Green.

(The X1bus will g et you there )Follow thenearby footpath signp

oston Woodbridge

Avenueand walk upstreamalongsidethe PickfordBrook.Listenout forthe brighttwittering calls from flocksofGoldfinchesinthestreamsidetrees.Beyond the children’s play area, a metal gateopensontoarable farmland, with thesignedfootpath running straightahead acrosstwo fields. The brook now flows just beyond the hedgerow onthe golfcourse. Buzzards will usually beabout, soaring in circles.Green Woodpeckers visitthe golfcourse, huntingforantsinthe grassland.Continuetothesandstone bridgethattakesthe footpath overthe Ash Brook, nearto whereit divides from PickfordBrook. A long slendermeadow now flanksthe water. Thereare us ually a few Sticklebacks darting aboutin deeper pools. Moistureloving mosses, liverwortsandfernsthrivealong the damp shady banks. A lot of thestream’sroute has beenstraightened overthe centuries, but wenow reach anatural stretchwhereitsnakessinuously Aldertreeslinethe banks Inthelate wintermixedflocks ofSiskinsand Redpolls feed acrobatically onthe dark Alder cones Much of this area has had its Green Beltstatusremoved toallow for housingdevelopment One public rightof wayhasalready been blocked, making itnecessary to doa detourontoroads.Crossthe brook andfollow the footpath onitssouth westroute Abovetheseopen fields Skylarks sing, even during theearly monthsof the year Onreaching the houses, turnleftonto Upper Eastern Green Lane Atthe junctionturnleftagainonto PickfordGreen Lane Fing ers crossed theremay bea Yellowhammeror ReedBunting perched along theroadside hedgetops Opposite Brook Farm, re jointhe publicfootpathwhich connectsagain with Ash Brook.Hereitisastraight culvert, with coarse vegetationalong its banks Little Egrets areelegant visitors, huntingforsmall frywherethereisenoughwater Much of thisarea was partof themedievalopen field system whichwasenclosed around1650. Many hedgerows were subsequently removed inthelast century to createthelarger fields we seetoday. PickfordGrange Farmhouse, atimber framed listedbuilding, liesinthe centreof thisareaanddatestothe 16th century orearlierand istypicalof a Warwickshire Arden farmstead. The footpath then veersaway fromthe brook.However,justattheedgeof Millison’s Wood thereisaleftturntonearby Spring Wood … and the poolthatisthesource of Ash Brook. Whilstsheltering atthis woodland edge,I once watched a fox leaping aftera field mouse

Little Egret

Ash Brook

Many thanks to Rich Copland for this lovely walk and photos.

Arden landscape beside the AshBrook

Green woodpecker hunting for ants

Itishardtobelievethatthesecond Elizabethan Ageisover I rememberstandingoutsidemyoriginalhomeinMeriden,onthe accessionofthenew Queenin February 1952,thinkingwith excitement ‘Iamanew Elizabethan’ . Iwas 14yearsoldand alreadya keenhistorian Onthemorningof6 F ebruary 1952,I hadbeenwokenasusualby Dadwithacupofteaatabout6am, andwassoonuptobeginmylong journeytoschool Ineverate anybreakfastbutmademyselfasandwichusuallyofpig’slard fromahome killedanimalhangingfromahook inthe k itchen ceiling OurfirstMeridenhomewherewelived,fromnearthe endofthe Second World War,hadbeenprimitivewithno electricity,gas,flushlavatoryorrunningwater Myhomework waswrittenusinglightfromcandlesoraspecialoillampandcoal fireswereusedforcookingmealsonablack-leadedgrate We usedflatironsforpressingclothingandheatedwaterinacopper forwashingclothes. Istillownacollectionoftheseirons . E ach morning,Iwentoutwithabuckettopumpwaterfromourwell In winter,everywherewascoveredwithhoarfrost. Oncold morningsnow,Istillrecallpasthardshipsandthink ofmypresent goodfortunewithgratitude. Manyhousesintheareawerelike ours.Certainitemswerestillrationed,asinthewartime,using coupons Onetask inschoolholidayswastoshopin Coleshill usingthetwiceweeklybus,budgetingcarefully. Ihadtoaccount foreverythingpurchaseddowntotheleastvaluablecoin,a farthing. Itrulylivedinthefirst Elizabethan Age!Duringthat morning,arumourspreadinschoolthatthe King, GeorgeVIhad diedandafterbreak,everyformwassummonedtotheMain Hall toheartheheadmistressannouncethisformally A forcefulemotionengulfedthegirlsandmostbegantosob I wasdeterminednottogiveintoitandfoughtitoffsuccessfully butthatwashardtodo. Fromtheclassroomwindow,Isawthe nationalflagwasflyingathalf-mastontheflagpolesetinthe lawnatthefrontofthebuilding. IaskedmyMumthatevening whathadcausedmostpeopletocryandwhyIhadfeltsucha powerfulurgeto joinin.Sheexplainedaboutmasshysteria, whichmeanspeoplee xhibitfeelingsofthosearoundthem. Idid feelthatthiswouldbeanewexcitingerainwhichtogrowup Coronation Day,2 June 1953wasapublicholiday.Theoldcross onthe Greenwasbeingmovedfromtheextremeedgeofthe Greenneartheroadislandbythecrossroadstoitspresent position Iwatchedthisactivityfromourlandingwindowand took aphotograph

Picture – The Queen’s Coronation on 2nd June 1953 in Westminster Abbey, London.

Sincethe 1920s,the Greenhasbeenreducedinsizeforroad widening In 1950,the Earlof Aylesford, LordoftheManorwho ownedallthecommonland,gavethe Greentotheparish Around theedgeofthe Greenwerepoles,link edbythinrope,with triangularred,whiteandblueflagssuspendedfromtherope

Mostvillagecelebrationsinthosedayswereheldin Forest Groundandthe Coronationwasnoexception .Therewastobe anox roastinwhichmy DadwasinvolvedandIgotreadyto takepart MumaskedwhereIwasgoing,thentoldmeIcould notgobecauseImustspendmytimerevisingformy O level examswhichbeganthefollowingweek.N eitherwouldshe allowmetowatchtheceremonyon TVatthebutchers Tuckeys, ournearneighbours. Ithadbeenraining,butIsidledoutwith mybo x cameraandtook afewsnapshotsofthe Green AnotherpictureisofagroupofMorrismendancingonthe Greenby Fillongley ‘Lane’ A filmofthe Coronationwasshown atacinemanearmyschoolwithticketscosting2shillingsand sixpence (12 5pence) Ourformteacherreprimandedmefor going,aspublicexamswereathand LikeMum,shetoldmeto studyinstead. Iwasannoyedandsaid,’ IfIdonot knowmy work bynow,2extrahourswillnotmakeanydifference’ Itwas soun just,asIalwaysworkedhardto keepmyplaceatornear thetopoftheform.Society’sruleswerestrict P eoplewere deferentialtotheireldersandbettersthen Mycommentswere rudebutIdidpassmy 9‘O’ levelsandsawthefilm!

HerMajesty Queen Elizabeth AlexandraMarydiedon8th September2022,ourlongestreigningmonarchofover70 years , aged 96, perhapsfromexhaustion

MyearliersectionstoldofsomeeventsyearsagowhenIwasa youngteenager.N owIam85,andconstantlytoldtherearefew peoplewhocanrecalltheseevents.The P rincesshadmarried her3rd cousin PhillipMountbatten (Anglicisedfrom Battenburg) in N ovember1947,aneventIrecallonlyfromnewspaper photographsandarticlesatthetime.St Edward ’s Crown,which wesawwithotherregaliadisplayedonhercoffin,isapriceless partofthe Crown jewels keptinthe Towerof London,ofsolid goldusedfromthe RestorationoftheMonarchyin 1661 after ouroneperiodasa Republicunder Oliverandthen Richard Cromwell.Coronationsbeganperhapsinthe7th centuryabout 1400yearsago Ournewmonarch, Charles3rdwasproclaimed from St James’Palaceandotherformalvenuesinthecapital initiallyon 10 Septemberandin Edinburgh, Cardiffand Belfast The Queendiedat Balmoralherfavourite Scottishresidence boughtin 1852by Albertthe Prince Consort QueenVictoria’s husband Our Queen’simageisoneofthemostrecognisablein allpartsoftheworldonpostagestamps,bank notesandcoins aswellaspublicdisplaysandstreetfurniturelikeletterbo xes King CharlesIIIisdepictedfacingtheoppositewayfromhis mother: thatisfromtheleft.Thistraditionofalternating imageryhasbeen keptbyeachnewmonarchsincethe Glorious Revolutionin 1688.

Doreen M. K Agutter BA (Hons) Lond; PGCE. (Birm), MBE

The Accession,Coronationand end of ElizabethII’sReign 1952-2022

(Memories of these times by our local historian, Doreen Agutter, MBE)

Picture - The proclamation of King Charles III in Solihull on September 11th 2022

It’snotallmud&wellies!

It’snotallmud&wellies!

AtthestartofOctober, Charlie(intheblackdress)wasinvitedtothe FarmersWeeklyAwardsCeremony,to celebratesomeofthebiggestandbest achievementsandpeopleinBritish Agriculture!

AtthestartofOctober, Charlie(intheblackdress)wasinvitedtothe FarmersWeeklyAwardsCeremony,to celebratesomeofthebiggestandbest achievementsandpeopleinBritish Agriculture!

16th May,1944–19th August,2022.

Former District Councillor Ken Allsopp died recently afterashortillness He wasa privateman but with alifetimeof public service. Ken was bornin Naptonnear Southam.He workedformanyyearsatthe Triumph Motor Cycle Comp any and then f or 15 yearsat Birmingham International Airport where he wasateamleaderinthe Bonded Warehouse Kenmarried Joanin 1965 and they moved tothe Borou gh ofSolihullin 1971 spend ing atotalof41 yearsin Meriden wherein 1973 their daughter Joanne was born. Joanand Ken were both interested in politicsandcompletedcoursesinlocal government with distinction. Ken joined Meriden Parish Coun cilandb ecameits Chairman before being elected asa Borough Councillorin 1991 andbecoming oneof itslongestserving members completing31 years beforeretiring earlierthis year Ken wasastraightforwarddowntoearth manand oftenstartedconversations with an xious constituents with " thismay not be what youwantto hear" but he would not promisesomething that could not be achieved. He wentabout Coun cil businessina quiet way but he knewwhatto doand whotospeak toandfellow membersappreciated hisloyalty andcommitment. Our condolences goto Joan, his daughter Joanneand h isthree granddaughters

Joan Donkin 1 2th May 19 30-28th May20 22

Joan was bornin Leamington Spaon 12 th May 1930.Shemovedbetween LeamingtonandCoventry during the war which obviously affected hereducation, but her headmistress feltshe wasintelligentandgot hera job with the Civil Service afterleaving school.Hereshemet her husband Walter who was from Sunderland inthenortheast Theyhadfunriding motorbikesevenas faras Sunderland and Scotland. Theyweremarried in September 1950 whenshe was 20.She continued herloveof singing and playing pianoand wasamemberof several choirsand dramatic societies. Joanand Walter hadfour children Robert,Judith, Helenand David and enjoyed family life. There weremany tripsto Sunderland up the A1 which took all day. Joan’s parents, sisterandfamily werenearerin Coventry. Joan was widowed in 1973 when her husbanddiedfroma heartattack leaving Joan with 4childrenthe youngest wasonly 7 yearsold. This wasaterribleshock butshelovedbeing amotherand anactivememberof the community and so discovered anew life getting involved and increasing in faith Shemoved into Arden Close,Meridenin 1984from Solihull.She waslookingfora home “in the country” and in orderto benearer herageing motherin Coventrywho was beginning toneed moresupport By thetimeshemoved to Meriden David wasat university butlivedforashorttime with Joanin Arden Close. Joansettled in very quickly andbecame a very activememberof the village, attending meetings, playing tennis, and w alking herlittle dog,Meg. Those who cameto know Joan found a friend who was completely trustworthy and wasalways willing to give help and support. She hadbeenamemberof Meriden Methodist Church sincemoving to Meridenand in 1999 she was accredited aslocal Preacher forthe Coventry andNuneaton circuit; herage gave her wisdom and her preaching was worthhearing.Shetook atotalof167 services On Christmas Eve 2002 Joansuffered anothertragedywhen her younger daughter Helenand her husband were killed ina car crash. Thistested Joan’s faithprofoundly butshe wasresilientand wentontoenjoy the restof herlifetothe full.She was very involved inthelifeof the village butalsoasa grandmotherandgreat grandmother.She was greatly lovedby all. Shea lsotravelled widely tothemiddle Eastand Jerusalem butalsoto Turkey, Greece, and Italy At herserviceof thanksgiving in June, wesang a hymnsherequested “Will youranchor Hold inthestormsof life ”

Well Joan’s did! Sheremained a faithful followerof her Lord Jesustotheend.

EuropeanChampionsandmore.OverthesummermonthsarchersfromMeriden havetravelledaroundthecountryenjoyingmanycompetitions.

They notonlyrepresented Meridenas a Club,butalsoasCounty ofWarwickshire, the West Midlands Regionandalso forGreat Britainaspartof the ArcheryGB internationalteams. Thereare far too many to mention butneedless to say Meriden (senior and junior)made up the majority(andin some cases all) of the County and Regionalteamswithgreat success,bringinghomelots ofshinies.

For theinternationals, MillyWilliams travelledto Italyfor t

The Club ishaving a fewchanges over the next fewmonths, to helpwith indoor shooting,butour doors arealways open toanyoneinterestedin finding out more We also haveour own bumper newsletterfull of all sorts of archery stuff,feel freeto pop inand havealook!

Merle Dawson 11th July 1932 – 21st September 2022

Merle was well known by allaround the villageand always had asmileand a kind word foreveryone.She grewup intheareaand had attended atleast 6 primary schools. Her father wasalocal farmerand sheremembered milkingcows byhand and taking the horses who ploughed theland to beshoed at Berkswell Forge. Merle wasan activememberof the Young Farmersand eventually becamesecretary.She had a busy so sociallifeattendingdances and eventsorganisedby the Young Farmers.Shealso performed in productionsat The Methodist Church Hall whichwereanannualevent. Merlenevermarriedbutleaves behind a younger brotherandgreatniecesand Nephews. One of her greatnephewslivesin Meriden. Merle wasanactivememberof the Methodist Church and rememberedforallthetimeshe dedicated tothe church organising events, flowerarranging and many morethings, toomany tomention.She was alsoanactive memberof Trefoiland arranged many ramblesaround thearea withher brotherand sister in law.Shealso enjoyed attendingCameomeetings. Merle will berememberedfor her kind nature.She wasalways happy and willing to help anyone, also for her dedicationandcommitmentto Meriden Methodist Church.She will be greatly missedby all.She passed awaypeacefully at The Knowles Care Homeon 21st September 2022. Editor’s note:we would liketo puton record our thanksforMerle’shelpin distributing the Meriden Mag, for manyyears, atthe Firswhere shelived.

County of Warwickshire at the National County Team Competition

CarlRichardsGBR,WorldFieldChampionshipsUSA

QUEEN’S H EAD

A friendly, traditional, local pub in historical midd le England. Weoffera fullrangeof traditionalales, beers and lagersas wellas wines, spiritsand soft drinks. Pub lunchesareserved Mondaysto Saturdays from 12 noontill 2.30pm. Now serving ournew menu. Look out forou r great value daily specials. Comealong and enjoy GoodBeer, Good Food, GoodCompany and a Great Atmosph ere. Joinuson 15thof Decemberat 8pm for “A Christmas Q uiz”withourpopular quiz master, Rick Wise

Congratulationsto Caroline & Laurence

Caroline and Laurence O’Neill arecelebrating 20 years atthe Queen’s Head. Theyhavebeenpresented with a special award for their longserviceto thecommunity, bythepub’s ownersStar Pubs and Bars. Originally just regulars atthepub,Laurence and Carolinedecidedto take onthe licence whenthe previous licenseedecidedto retire. And although originallyplanningto stay for only five yearsthey arestill herenow!

Thebuilding was originally a privatehomebut became a drinkinghouseinthe 1600s andeventually a coaching Inncalled The Queen’s Head.

The Queen’s Headis a very regular meetingplace for members of thecommunity andsupports a lot of local fund-raisingevents, quizzes andvillage celebrations.

During Covid lockdown, theycooked and deliveredmealsto manypeopleinthevillage; these wereverygratefully received

Carolinesaid “The Queen’s Headhas filled a central roleinvillage life for nearly350 years and we would liketo preserveit for future generations”

Credit: Photos Ian Hodgkinson/pictureit. Information fromFacebook -Enda Mullen, Coventry Live,

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Why not have an initial chat to see whether we can be of help to you, and take a look at our website www.seniorcaresupport.co.uk

information. www.seniorcaresupport.co.uk.

Tel. Geraldine Davies on: 01 564 743067 or email at: info@seniorcaresupport.co.uk

Tel. Geraldine Davies on 01564 743067 or email: info@seniorcaresupport.co.uk

HIS WINTER?

E TELL YOU THATTHERE ARE EXCELLENT CARE HOMES AND CARE AGENCIES OUTTHERE

It was just an ordinary square white envelope. The address had been typed onto a label so he was one of many to receive them It was stiff; it obviously contained a small card an invitation perhaps? What was he expecting? He recognised the postmark. The memories came flooding back

For Andrew, she was the brightest star he could ever have been able to reach Rachel would bring the stimulus that anything could be achieved if they promised to pull together. She had style, flair, and above all the integrity to provide solid support for her chosen partner. For her, it seemed that her self-esteem had been depressed by being the third child of a couple who already had two dynamic sons. After all what could women achieve in the 1960s? Now she was with a man who cared for her above all others Andrew too had style and charm but above all he loved her deeply For the first time in their lives, they began to understand the term “soul mate”

Then Andrew recalled that together they had made a shameful decision 35 years earlier They could have returned and undone the wrong, but both blamed each other. Perhaps it was the shame of that decision, or the fact that they would have difficulty in facing each other, knowing what they had done, that had blown them apart. They had seemed to be so much in love This was to have been the great love of their lives and they had made such a decision so quickly and without thinking of the consequences After that, they had gone their separate ways, despite attempts by him to restore what was lost. So deep was the loss that he had started to write about it. Would it be a novel, laced with creative licence? Or would it be autobiographical? So strong had his feelings been for her that, locked away in the loft in an old cardboard shoe box, he had kept all her letters There were photographs too, as well as one truly poignant feature a receipt for a dozen red roses with the message “Please come back.” All of this was to no avail.

Now, after over 30 years of heartache, he had the time and financial clout to mount a search for her But was it really to be? Three firms of private detectives had drawn blanks. Had they tried hard enough? Or was the old adage, if you want something done properly, do it yourself! He found her, then like Pandora’s Box, he opened it without thinking, to find that only hope remained. Her past few years had been spent living in a tied cottage with second hand furniture working for the charity That’s where she’d met Tom Her job had been to stimulate the minds of these old folk; Tom had been one of them. She tried to help them to remember the good times and support them when the sad memories got the better of them. She was a kind woman. She too had loved and lost many times in her life Most of all with Andrew, all those years ago When briefly he’d arrived back in her life, she was overjoyed at first, then realised that his marriage was solid he was just clearing his conscience Perhaps they could have been happy if she had not driven him away. She had adored him all those years ago, but she had made the decision to send him away. Why? Because he could not be faithful, his looks made him a target for women, and he just could not resist. Now it looked like she was going to get married again and once again not to him. It was probably to Tom Andrew had met Tom, a widower, a couple of times Tom was a dour man with a north Lancashire accent which seemed a strangely foreign sound even in west Merseyside where the scouse dialect is so strong. Why had she chosen Tom? Security probably not the emotional type of course, but probably financial. Of course he hoped she would be happy, secure, comfortable and content. Was it to be a big do? Did he really want to go?

He fingered the envelope, almost not wishing to open it, turning it over and over again, thinking and remembering. Perhaps he should just send a cheque with best wishes and then forget about her completely again Just as he had had been forced to do forty years earlier What would be the point of being there in the church listening to her being given away, again? But not to him. He reached for the silver letter opener a gift from her all those years ago. It was still in pristine condition, in its original box, in his desk. The notelet, covered with roses, that said “with love” had been lost it was only a scrap of paper and his desk had been moved many times over 40 years. But it had come from her so it wo uld remain with him forever. He turned the envelope over so as not to face the address and stamp. He inserted the silver blade slowly and with trepidation. Could she really be marrying Tom of all people?

He was right it was a card carrying an invitation. He read the contents. The tears he expected burned in the back of his eyes before cascading down his cheek. Yes he would send a cheque.

He could not bear the thought of her lying there in her coffin.

mall

hite Envelope – A short story (fiction) by David Deanshaw of Balsall Common Writers Group

The Rotary Club of Meriden are holding a free Senior Citizens party at St. Peters Hall Balsall Common on Saturday 21st January at 1.00pm

There will be afternoon tea followed by entertainment, provided by a singing group called Cameo, who have entertained us several times before and are very popular. If you would like to attend or know anyone who would, please spread the word and contact the Secretary Jane Maugham, she will send you a letter and form for completion.

If you are unable to make the journey yourself, we can provide transport.

information. www.seniorcaresupport.co.uk. el. Geraldine Davies on: 01 564 743067 or email at: info@seniorcaresupport.co.uk

Please note, all information is accurate at the time of writing November 2022.

Opening Hours

Monday 10am – 1pm, 2pm – 5pm Tuesday 10am – 12:30pm Thursday 10am – 12:30pm Telephone :- 01676 522717

Christmas & New Year Opening

Meriden Library will be closed on Monday 26 th December, Tuesday 27th December, and Monday 2nd January for the Christmas and New Year bank holidays. We will otherwise be open as normal during the Christmas and New Year period.

Stories & Painting

Our exciting children’s activity is aimed at preschool children and takes place every Monday, 2:15 3pm. Every week we read one of our favourite stories and enjoy painting pictures. We recommend wearing clothes that it’s okay to get messy in.

Christmas Storytime

On Monday 19th December, join us at 2:15pm for a fun Christmas-themed story time. We’ll read one of our favourite seasonal stories, followed by some hands-on Christmas creativity.

Children’s Christmas Crafts

Get in the holiday spirit with our festive craft table from Monday 12th December through Thursday 22nd December. Everyone is welcome regardless of age.

A Warm Welcome

If you would like a hot drink while using the library, just ask a member of staff. There’s no charge, but donations are welcome if you wish.

Keep up to date with news from Meriden Library by liking us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meridenlib and visiting our website at www.solihull.gov.uk/Libraries

Free for All

We don’t charge overdue fines for any library members – it’s still important to bring books back on time though! We have free reservations from any Solihull Library too.

If you aren’t already a member of the library, it’s easy to join. All you need is proof of your name and address, like a driving licence or an official letter. You get access to all our books, including CD audiobooks and large print, eBooks, eMagazines, and eAudiobooks for free. Members also now get 3 hours free computer access.

Home Library Service

If you can’t get to the library yourself, our Home Library Service can help. When you get in touch, a member of the team will contact you by phone to assess your individual needs and circumstances. They will explain how the service works and answer any questions you may have. They will also find out what sort of books you enjoy – this will help staff to choose items for you. We’ll then arrange a time to visit. If this is something you think that you or someone you know may benefit from, do call the Home Library Service team on 0121 704 6947 or email libraryarts@solihull.gov.uk and we will take it from there.

W

The Snowdon Push

I’d like to tell you about a good friend of mine His name is Liam, a six dan black belt in karate Now aged 53, Liam has spent much of his life teaching karate to disadvantaged children, instilling a sense of self discipline, strengthening minds and bodies, and growing their self confidence. Liam would never say so, but he has changed, perhaps even saved the lives of so many. In December 2021, Liam received a terminal diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease (MND). He is embracing every moment with friends and family, creating memories, and raising awareness of this awful condition One day this summer, whilst struggling to get him into a house with poor wheelchair accessibility, I joked that we should climb Snowdon next “Let’s do it!” he said

We contacted a charity called the Backup Trust who raise funds for those suffering with life altering spinal injuries They had an event called the Snowdon Push planned for September 17th . Teams, each including one team member in a wheelchair, race to the top of Snowdon. Whilst most other teams, formed of marathon runners and the like, had been in training for months, we had just 4 weeks to prepare With Liam’s condition deteriorating, it was now or never So, we ‘seized the day ’

In the early morning of September 17th , we found ourselves at the foot of Snowdon, anxiously looking upwards A group of friends and family, many of us not in the best physical condition, were about to pull, push, drag and lift Liam and his hastily-modified wheelchair to the top of a mountain.

Spoiler alert, we didn’t win the race! It was tough going Four team members turned back before the

At various points along the way, many of us felt that we had bitten off more than we could chew. In the end, some strange cocktail of love and determination got us to the top. We were up and down in about 6 ½ hours. In under a month, the team raised £7,855 for the Backup Trust charity Special thanks go to the Firebird Singers who donated £500 to our cause Overall, the event raised £37,675 for the charity, a huge amount of money that will make such a difference to those coming to terms with their disabilities For us, we wanted to raise awareness about MND We wanted to be with Liam and to make memories Life is so short and so very precious We do not know what is around the corner Seize the day and make your own memories with those people that matter the

most to you.

We’d love it if our fundraising could hit the £8,000 mark. Any donation will be gratefully received https://snowdon.backuptrust.org.uk/t/billsgearbox Eddie Walker, Meriden resident.

Emily Hoffman entered the Warwickshire Ring Long distance Canal Race on 25th June 2022. She completed the 111mile race on foot in just 24 hours and 40 mins non stop with the exception of short feed stops. Emily won the award for first lady and achieved joint 9th position out of the entire field. Emily can regularly be seen running the roads and countryside around Meriden and Millison’s Wood and would encourage everyone to get out and about no matter how short or long the distance! This year she also ran the more local ’A Coventry Way’ from Meriden and completed the 40 miles in just 6 hours and 25 minutes, finishing first female.

summit

Millison’s Wood Runner Extraordinaire

We made it!

Early in the climb Liam and team

The Descent

Emily with her trophy

Caring for your house plants in the winter months

There are some beautiful flowering house plants available at Christmas time and very often we are given them as a gift. However it is not easy to care for some of them as there is limited daylight, warm rooms and draughts which some plants do not tolerate.

Choose plants that like the conditions that you have available in your house Avoid placing plants: in a draught; where there are large fluctuations in temperature (most common if plants are displayed on windowsills); and in a hot spot caused by the central heating (such as above a radiator)

Water plants by standing them in a bowl containing a few centimetres (half an inch) of water for five minutes. Remove and allow to drain before putting the pot back in position

An easy plant to have on a windowsill is the Christmas cactus, it needs little water and is a showy plant, it can be kept in a cool place when it has finished flowering until next year.

There are many different coloured cyclamen but they prefer cool conditions and careful watering from the base of the pot

Cyclamen grow from a corm and if you are lucky and save it until next year it will grow again.

Poinsettias also hate hot rooms and draughts and can be tricky to look after.

Usually, the striking amaryllis are easier to grow, the bulb comes in a box with a pot and the soil to plant it in it is fun to watch them quickly grow and the flowers are big and amazing.

They are available in sho ps and garden centres at this time of the year and are a very good present

For the cupcakes

For the cupcakes

200g/7oz caster sugar

200g/7oz caster sugar

175g/6oz plain flour

175g/6oz plain flour

50g/1¾oz cocoa powder

50g/1¾oz cocoa powder

1½ tsp baking powder

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda pinch salt

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda pinch salt

100ml/3½fl oz sunflower oil

100ml/3½fl oz sunflower oil

2 large free-range eggs

2 large free-range eggs

2 tbsp soured cream

2 tbsp soured cream

125ml 4floz boiling water

125ml 4floz boiling water

Christmas Snowmen Cupcakes

Christmas Snowmen Cupcakes

For the buttercream

200g/7oz unsalted butter, softened 400g/14oz icing sugar

For the buttercream 200g/7oz unsalted butter, softened 400g/14oz icing sugar

1–2 tbsp milk

1–2 tbsp milk

To decorate

100g/3½oz white ready-toroll fondant icing orange food colouring paste red food colouring paste

To decorate 100g/3½oz white ready-toroll fondant icing orange food colouring paste red food colouring paste

12 white marshmallows black writing icing tube

12 white marshmallows black writing icing tube

2 tsp desiccated coconut

12 pretzel sticks, broken in half

2 tsp desiccated coconut 12 pretzel sticks, broken in half

Preheat the oven to 170C/160C Fan/Gas 3½ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake cases. Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sunflower oil, eggs and soured cream until smooth. Add the boiling water and beat again until silky smooth. Scoop the batter into a jug and pour evenly between the paper cupcake cases. Bake for 20–22 minutes until well risen and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 170C/160C Fan/Gas 3½ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake cases.

Sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sunflower oil, eggs and soured cream until smooth. Add the boiling water and beat again until silky smooth. Scoop the batter into a jug and pour evenly between the paper cupcake cases. Bake for 20–22 minutes until well risen and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. To make the buttercream, beat the butter until pale and light, then gradually stir in the icing sugar and milk until smooth. Make the snowman noses with 25g/1oz of the fondant icing. Add tiny dots of orange food colouring paste using a wooden skewer and knead until completely orange. Roll into 12 small carrot shapes about 1cm/½ in long. Leave to dry for 30 minutes. Tint the remaining icing red using the food colouring paste. Dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll into a neat 12cm/4½ in x 6cm/2½ in rectangle. Slice into 12 strips about ½ cm wide, to make the snowman scarves. Use the black writing icing to draw eyes and a mouth onto each marshmallow and stick an icing carrot just below the eyes. Spread the buttercream on top of each cake and press a marshmallow into the icing. Scatter over the desiccated coconut and push two pretzel halves into each side of the cupcake for arms. Pipe black icing buttons onto the buttercream and wrap a red scarf around each marshmallow.

To make the buttercream, beat the butter until pale and light, then gradually stir in the icing sugar and milk until smooth. Make the snowman noses with 25g/1oz of the fondant icing. Add tiny dots of orange food colouring paste using a wooden skewer and knead until completely orange. Roll into 12 small carrot shapes about 1cm/½ in long. Leave to dry for 30 minutes. Tint the remaining icing red using the food colouring paste. Dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll into a neat 12cm/4½ in x 6cm/2½ in rectangle. Slice into 12 strips about ½ cm wide, to make the snowman scarves. Use the black writing icing to draw eyes and a mouth onto each marshmallow and stick an icing carrot just below the eyes. Spread the buttercream on top of each cake and press a marshmallow into the icing. Scatter over the desiccated coconut and push two pretzel halves into each side of the cupcake for arms. Pipe black icing buttons onto the buttercream and wrap a red scarf around each marshmallow.

Amaryllis

Christmas cactus

Cyclamen

Poinsettia

We hope you enjoy our quarterly update. Firstly, we would like to thank everyone who attended our Key Design Element (KDE) event where we shared our planned design for the River Blythe Viaduct.

River Blythe KDE event - We hosted two events, one in Hampton in Arden and one in Meriden on the 4th and 6th October respectively. Around 150 of you came to view and discuss the plans with our expert design, engineering and construction team. We are now reviewing your feedback after receiving over 30 questionnaires. After considering your feedback, we will be inviting you to join us at the follow up ‘You said, We did’ event where we will share the latest design. We will be in touch soon with more information. Following the KDE event, we have been developing our designs in response to your feedback, with emerging themes from this most recent event focusing on landscaping and planting, footpath connections and anticipating anti social behaviour.

BBV Road Works Near Meriden

Meriden Road - The temporary traffic lights on Meriden Road were replaced with a ‘plant crossing’ on 7th November. Plant crossings allow our heavy machinery to cross the road without causing damage to the highway. For the safe operation of the plant crossing, the speed limit was reduced from 50 miles per hour down to 30 mph These restrictions will be in place for an initial period of 18 months, to end March 2024 The speed limit will be in force all day, every day during that period. A45 - The new railway will pass under the A45 near Bickenhill recycling centre In order to build the structures to support the road, we have to first divert an existing waterpipe To do this safely, we will need to close one lane on the slip road adjacent to the Toby Carvery pub including the bus lane The lanes will be closed each night from 9pm to 5am from Monday 7 November until the morning of Wednesday 14 December. Please note that access to the Toby Carvery pub will be maintained at all times. You are invited - We will be holding drop in sessions in Meriden Village Hall on the third Thursday of each month from 2pm to 5pm A member of your local Community Engagement team will be on hand to meet you and answer any questions. You do not need to arrange an appointment. We look forward to seeing you there!

In the last edition, I wrote of Parliament's new found enthusiasm for cutting tax and quoted Joseph Chamberlain "we are living in most interesting times . . so full [of] new objects of interest, and new objects for anxiety" I suggested serious change could occur at such times but never anticipated the state of flux into which we dropped! It seems the pendulum has now swung the other way, with taxes due to rise and expenditure to be cut It's true that, as a fraction of Gross Domestic Product, government debt isn't particularly high, but the financial markets know the difference between a GDP based largely on tangibles and manufacturing, and today's inclusion based on financial shuffling and all kinds of low grade activity. Loaning money to the UK is a less good bet than it used to be. Many believe HS2 is high on the list of projects at risk, particularly with Lord Berkeley estimating the cost to completion as £155 billion When faced with hard choices, politicians usually opt for delay, and the slow progress with HS2 provides its own answer as to how the annual spend can be reduced. Rishi Sunak might opt to slow construction even further, saving money in the short term, and giving time to reconsider the whole scheme. Some parts could be cut out entirely, but who knows? stations and links could be added to make the system relevant to everyday needs. We're not going to see trains running in 2026 or anytime soon after and with the Avanti service still at half its pre pandemic level, does it really matter? It looks as if the demand for many sectors of public transport road, rail, and air has recovered, but not in the areas of commuting and long distance business travel Remote working, and other changes, have taken a chunk of business away.

For sure, we don't want the construction pain to continue forever. More and more work on the A45 and A452 is in the pipeline, and the mammoth multi storey car parks at Middle Bickenhill are now to be done in two stages, taking 20 years.

If work is to be strung out even further, we need to know how the disruption can be minimised, and when it will end Politicians don't find these questions easy to answer. It's just a pity they ever thought the lack of a third railway from London to Birmingham was holding the country back. We've seen the political system at its worst Perhaps the people of this country haven't had enough of experts, after all, and would like a long hard cold look at what the country actually needs. It was the other Johnson who wrote: "Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully." Richard Lloyd – Chairman H of E High Speed Railway Action Group

Larch Tree Osteopathic Practice

We offer a gentle and effective method of pain relief, suitable for adults and children. Can help many conditions, including joint pain, arthritis, sciatica and sports injuries. Liam Halton B.S c. (Hons) Ost, 49 Larch Tree Ave. Tile Hill, COVENTRY CV4 9FT www.larchtreeost.co.uk

TEL: 024 7647 0019

Berkswell & District History Group

Wednesday 7th DecemberChristmas Social with Helen Larner. Members only meeting. Wednesday 25th JanuaryAGM followed by “Another Icarus” an illustrated talk by Roy Smart. This is the tale of aviation pioneer Percy Pilcher and the Art of Flight .

Wednesday 22nd February“The Wandering Butler and the Little Maids” by Jill Kashi. A look at life in domestic service at Baddesley Clinton from the 1880s to 1923.

Meetings are held in the Village Hall, Station Rd., Balsall Common. Please arrive by 2 p.m. for a 2:1 5 start. Entry is £5 for non-members and free to members. Why not join the History Group? Membership is only £15 per annum and you can join at any meeting. Have a look at our web site. www.berkswell h istory org We look forward to seeing you!

Meriden Sports and Recreation Trust support local non-commercial groups by providing small grants to be spent developing their sporting, recreational and leisure projects. We have helped many local groups including The Firebird Singers, Centre of England Arts, The Scout Group and Cameo. For more info about making your group’s own small grant application please visit our website www.meridensrt.org.uk

Meriden Playgroup is a weekly drop in at the Methodist Hall and is open to all parents and caregivers of 0–4-year-olds between 9.30am and 11.30am on Wednesdays in termtime. Here they are enjoying the new soft play Castle building blocks they purchased with their grant.

MERIDEN T REE OF THOUGHT

www.meridentreeofthought.co.uk

After the sad passing of Alan Lole in January, we were determined to continue his legacy in the way that he would have wanted. The support he received for the tree during the past 17 years meant a huge amount to him and he was always so very grateful for the donations given. The tree is a wonderful feature on the Green every Christmas. It raises money for 2 charities which were very dear to him, Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie Care. This year, the tree will be delivered on the 17th Nov and switched on the following day. The Dovetail Group are once again donating their time and equipment to install the Tree and lights. This is very much appreciated.

The MTOT web site has now been updated and all donations can be paid through it. Donations in memory of a loved one, through the tree, can be made via the website once the tree is in place. In keeping with the way Alan used to do things, we will make sure that a stake is placed by the tree in memory of all those who have lost someone special. There will be collection boxes in various locations in the village, as well as charity Christmas cards for people to purchase. To date, the Meriden Tree Of Thought has raised in excess of £75,000 and we, as new trustees, ask for continued support from all quarters of our community to keep Alan’s memory alive and raise as much as we possibly can for these worthy charities.

Thank You. Carol Todd and Cara Maclure

The Chat and Craft Group is another local group that have used a small grant to purchase craft materials and kit, to support new and existing members with projects. Here’s a fabulous picture of the Group at the Sports Pavilion, where they meet weekly on Thursday at 12.30pm

1st Meriden Scout Group and Explorer Unit have benefited from a small grant towards camping equipment for general use supporting a range of outdoor pursuits. In turn this helps young people with life skills and their personal development and empowering them to make positive contribution to society.

THE ALAN LOLE

Under 11 Navy

The Under 11 Navys, along with our Under 11 Whites have moved to the Sports Park to play their home games This is due to the step up to 9 a side football, bringing in all the rules of full size football The games are now 60 minutes long and played on slightly bigger pitches.

Under 11 Whites

The start to the new season has been a little stop start having been paused following the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The season has now resumed starting with a cup competition.

The team are still getting used to the rule changes that the step up to 9 a side football has provided. These include off-side, larger goals, bigger pitches, and more players. Despite these challenges, over the last month the team are adapting excellently well They are playing some great football. The Under 11 Whites have reached the quarter finals of the Winter cup and lost a very tight game by one goal at the Sports Park. The team are continuing to develop and the focus is all around player improvement and playing football in the right way

Under 14s

Our Under 14s have made a promising start to their new season. The team have won 2 of their first 4 league games of the season, including an impressive 7-4 away win! They were also unfortunate to exit the cup via a penalty shoot out after a thrilling 2-2 draw

Little Lions.

Under 16s

Our Under 16 Lions have also made an impressive start to their new season with some excellent performances. They have been involved in some thrilling matches A late goal rescued a 2-2 draw in their first league match, this was followed by a very good win in the cup to progress to round 2. The league table does not really reflect the level of the team’s performances at the moment and the lads are looking to climb the table over the next few weeks as well as trying to go far in the cup

Meriden Lions

team

advice

given

The 2022/23 season started in September and our teams are all enjoying their football again. Winter training has started for all age groups as they train under the lights at Powerleague in Coventry.

Coach Andy continues to lead the Little Lions sessions on Saturday mornings Our young lions are turning up in good numbers The Saturday morning sessions provide a safe and enjoyable introduction to football.

Little Lions enjoying their football

Our Under 14’s training under the lights at Powerleague

The team getting a half time team talk

Sixth Form students have experienced a experience during workshops on road West Midlands Fire Service.

Delivered by Arron Lennon from the , the hour-long workshops, called , were jam-packed with information and activities including games, role playing and an immersive 3D driving experience. Beginning with a run through of the behaviours which put drivers and passengers at risk whilst travelling

the most likely to be injured or worse in car accidents, with passengers being particularly vulnerable. The programme is designed to raise awareness and to create a better understanding of being a responsible driver or passenger when travelling in a vehicle.

Presenter Arron Lennon said: “We aim to empower young people to make good choices which will keep them safe. To make them think about their behaviours in a vehicle and to make changes which safeguard their futures.”

Arron spoke about protecting the most valuable aims of the lives of young people

on coordination. There was much hilarity at the attempts to coordinate themselves and it illustrated perfectly how alcohol and drugs, including some prescription medication can affect movement and vision.

The workshop included an experience of being inside a car involved in an accident. Students put on 3D headsets and headphones creating an all-round immersive experience as a passenger in a scenario. Users witnessed the behaviours of everyone in the car and were able to look around during the journey and the aftermath of the incident. The VR facility has been recently added to the workshops and Heart of England is

The workshops were well presented with lots of interesting material. Every Sixth Form student was able to take part in the event and learn about how their choices can really have life-changing outcomes.

in a car: speeding, mobile phone use, not using a seat belt, drink/drug driving and careless driving Arron talked about making and managing choices in a car.

students were able to offer suggestions and expand their knowledge of driving.

fast for the road conditions as well as keeping to the speed limit and that mobile phone distractions applied to everyone in the car, not just the driver.

The programme is a tailor-made presentation aimed at young people between 16-25 years old who are

such as independence, future careers, relationships and health by making safe choices when in a car. Interesting, he suggested that our overall attitudes and behaviours can have a big impact on events and are crucial for vehicle safety. Looking after each other in the car and having the courage to challenge unsafe behaviours is also essential and the group did some role plays to explore this. “Make good choices for yourself,” Arron said to the students.

By donning a pair of vision distortion masks and then attempting to stack cups the students were able to experience a simulation of the effects of drink or drugs

Connect with Heart of England

@HoE_School www.facebook.com/HeartofEnglandschool/ www.heart-england.co.uk

We’d like to thank Arron Lennon and the for their work and for coming to visit us. “The students were engaging and openminded,” said Arron, “keen to take part in the discussions and activities. Very enjoyable.”

www.instagram.com/heartofenglandschool/ youtube.com/heartofenglandschool enquiries@heart-england.co.uk

Wearing the goggles to stack the cups

View through the distortion goggles The two types of vision distortion goggles

Arron Lennon from the West Midlands Fire Serivce

DAY / DAT E EVENT

Every Monday Tai Chi

VENUE

TIME CONTACT

Village Hall 9:30-10:30am Jacqui Fisher 07703 345210

Every Monday Beaver Scouts (boys and girls aged 6-8) Scout Hut 6:30-7: 30pm Eleanor Willis 07762 823050

Every Monday Explorer Scouts (male and female 14-18) Scout Hut 7:45-9: 45pm Mark Jones 07801 773352

Every Monday Orme School dance class Methodist Church Hall 5.00- 8.00pm 02476 467331

Every Monday Stories and Painting for children Meriden Library 2:15-3pm 01676 522 717

1st Monday of the month W.I. (except Jan is on 9th) Village Hall 7:30pm Samm Bain 07739 972046, Della Mannix 07920 014909

3rd Monday Flower Club Village Hall 7:30-9:30pm meridenflowerclub@hotmail.com

Every Tuesday Chattybus (warm hub) Sports Pavilion 10:30am-1pm 01789 777986

Every Tuesday Scouts (boys and girls aged 10.5-14) Scout Hut 7-9pm Mark Jones 07801 773352

Every Tuesday Rotary Club Meeting Manor Hotel 7pm www.meridenrotary.org.uk

Every Wed (in term time) Playgroup Methodist Church Hall 9:30-11:30am

Every Wednesday Art Class Village Hall Morning and afternoon Julie Hyde 523357

2nd Wednesdays Readers' Circle call Peter for venue and time Peter Moss 01676 523590

Every Thursday Art Class Zoom (online) morning Julie Hyde 01676 523357

Every Thursday Craft and Chat Sports Pavilion 12:30-3pm Debbie Barber 07455 829340

Every Thursday Zumba & Pilates Village Hall 6pm & 7pm Candy 07828 709650

Every Thursday Cub Scouts (boys and girls aged 8-10.5) Scout Hut 6:30-8pm Lynda Spratt 07790 348726

Every Friday Firebird Singers Village Hall 7-9pm Valerie Martin 01676 522 963

2nd Fridays All Together Café Sports Pavilion 2-4pm Joan Russell 01676 522 666

4th Fridays CAMEO (except Dec is on 9th) Village Hall 2-4pm Joan Russell 01676 522 666

26th November Village Litter Pick Meet at Sports Park 11am Barbara Bland 07767 162423

3rd December Flower Club Xmas Fayre Village Hall 11.00- 2.00pm

5th, 7th, 8th Dec Rotary Santa Sleigh Visits Whole Village 5.30 – 8.00pm Jane Maughan 07905 377515

9th December Christmas Supper Club Methodist Church 7.00pm Mary Warr 01676 522 160

10th December Cancer Research Xmas party H of E Club 7.30om Carol 01676 522888

11th December Firebirds Concert Manor Hotel 2.30 & 7.30pm Valerie Martin 01676 522 963

12th-22nd December Festive Craft Table for children (all ages) Meriden Library During normal opening hours 01676 52271

We have had such a fantastic start to this school year. Lots of things have happened already. We welcomed the start of a new school year with our new head girl, Bethany, and head boy, Will. Supported by deputy head boy and girl Ben and Charlotte, we are really proud of them and know that they are wonderful ambassadors for the school.

School Fundraising

Each year our school supports a charity; in September each class gave suggestions as to who this could be and then school council voted to make the final decision. It was decided that Birmingham Children’s Hospital would be our charity as a lot of children had either had to go there themselves, or had family members who had. We look forward to working with them this year and hopefully raising lots of money for a fabulous cause! Our charity of 2021/2022 was Cancer Research UK - £830 was raised.

Alongside our agreed charity, we also fundraise to help our children get things that can’t be purchased through our school budget due to very tight funds. Last year we raised enough to resurface our trim trail to enable it to be used all year round, and we also had new equipment installed too.

This year our school will also be fundraising for a new set of iPads for the children through events such as a children’s Christmas Fair, the Summer Fair and a Spring Ball! We’re delighted that Biffa have already donated to school enabling us to put three towards the target of 35. If you know a company who would be able to help out, please let us know! office@meriden.solihull.sch.uk

Business Support

We are incredibly grateful to Balfour Beatty who carried out voluntary work on our nature area during the summer holiday. They moved and painted the fences, cleared the ground and made it attractive to use once again. Our school council is very impressed!

Welcome Our New Head Boy and Girl

Community

Although we have only been back to school a few weeks, the children have had an amazing time visiting the church and Coventry cathedral. In November and December, the children will be visiting the Sea Life Centre, Tamworth Snowdome and the National Space Centre. In addition, Year 3 will be conducting an archaeological dig and we are having a fantastic STEM week! We are so pleased that they are getting the opportunity to experience our enhanced Meriden curriculum offer again, supporting our vision for lifelong learning as they build key life skills.

School’s harvest experience at St Laurence Church.

For the past two weeks, we have been celebrating harvest, giving thanks for everything we have. Last week, the children walked to St. Laurence’s Church for an ‘Experience Harvest’ event, which was supported by wonderful volunteers from the church community and our friends at Open the Book. The children learned about and reflected on where our food and clothing comes from, and how food gets to us. The older children supported the younger children with their learning, and it was wonderful to see them working together.

This week, we have welcomed Rev Rob Latham into school to help with our Harvest assembly. Year 5 led the school in poems, prayers and reflection and everyone sang their hearts out. Well done to the pupils in Year 5 for doing such a fantastic job of leading the service.

Harvest is also a time to remember those who are less fortunate than ourselves, and we were pleased to receive donations of food and other goods, which will be donated to Helping Hands. Thank you to everyone for your support.

Sporting Success

Sporting Success

Our year 4, 5 and 6 children took part in the South Solihull Cross Country in October. All competitors did incredibly well but special congratulations to Sammy and Ben who gained the silver and bronze medals!

Our year 4, 5 and 6 children took part in the South Solihull Cross Country in October. All competitors did incredibly well but special congratulations to Sammy and Ben who gained the silver and bronze medals!

Maths Open Morning

We had 90 parents and family members join us for our maths morning in October which was amazing!

Mrs Evans spoke about how to support children with long term memory in the subject and then parents spent time in the classrooms, working with their child on different activities. More can be found out about this on our website Effective Learning Strategies | Meriden CE Primary (meridenceprimaryschool.com)

Useful

Meriden Primary School Mrs L. Anderton 01676 522488

Meriden Library 01676 522717

Meriden Surgery 01676 522252

Lloyds Chemist 01676 522722

Meriden Methodist Church Rev. Jane Braund 01676 533737

Meriden Village Hall bookings Valerie Martin 01676 522963

Member of Parliament Saqib Bhatti 0121 711 7029

Parish Council Barbara Bland 01676 522474 07767 162423

Methodist Hall bookings

Alan Gabbitas 01676 522148

Solihull M B C 0121 704 6000

Solihull District Councillors Andrew Burrow 01676 535 191 Diane Howell 07487 681933 Tony Dicicco 07780 438290

St. Laurence Church Carol Clarke 07500 700679

Meriden Scout Group Gerry Russell 01676 522666 Rural Police Sector 101

Bickenhill Waste disposal site

Pre booked slots only To book go to www.solihull.gov.uk Phone 0121 704 8000

Last Posting Dates for Christmas

Last Posting Dates for Christmas

As supplied by the Royal Mail

As supplied by the Royal Mail

Monday 19th December 2nd Class and 2nd Class signed for

Wednesday 21st December 1st Class and 1st Class signed for

Monday 19th December 2nd Class and 2nd Class signed for Wednesday 21st December 1st Class and 1st Class signed for

PLEASE POST EARLY Please be aware, that because of strike action by deliveries may be

PLEASE POST EARLY Please be aware, that because of possible ongoing strike action by Royal Mail workers, deliveries may be delayed Meriden

Meriden Post Office opening hours

Meriden Post Office opening hours

Monday to Friday 10.30 - 3.30 Saturday 9.30 – 12 noon

Monday to Friday 10.30 - 3.30

Saturday 9.30 – 12 noon Closed Sundays

Sue Harper 01676 522230

Sue Harper 01676 522230

Deadline for the Spring 2023 issue out by the beginning of March is Wednesday 1st February

Val Martin (co-editor and treasurer) 01676 522963 val.simon@btinternet.com Chris Bannister (co-editor and advertising) 07789 903021 chrisbannister56@aol.com

Distribution Paul Green, Mavis & Ken Edwards Sue Riley & Steve Chance Proof reader Sue Fuller Advertising costs £25 per quarter page and £13 per eighth page.

Views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the co-editors. We are unable to print anonymous letters but will withhold name and address on request