MeridenMag Spring 2023

Meriden Mag

Look inside for all that's happening in the village during Spring (including the Coronation), a lovely feature on Berkswell Windmill, some interesting new adverts/special offers and all the usual useful local information.

Stop Press Meriden celebrates the Coronation of HM King Charles III with Party in the Park

Sunday May 14th 11.00am – 6.00pm

@ Meriden Sports Park

See back cover for details

Meriden Flower Club invite you to

‘A Spring Fling’ £16.00 per person

Saturday 22nd April from 12.15pm

Meriden Village Hall

Includes buffet lunch, demonstration, raffle and sales table

ART EXHIBITION

Meriden Village Hall

(Coronation weekend)

Sunday and Monday

7th and 8th May 2023

10.30 to 3.30pm

Free entrance

Come along and see some fabulous artwork by talented local artists There will be many original paintings some of which will be for sale and a display of paintings of King Charles 111

Meriden Cancer Research

‘Supper Social’

Heart of England Social Club

Saturday 22nd April £12.50 inc. supper

Entertainment by Keith Slater former lead singer with Vivo

Tickets 01676 522540

Spring Service Details

Date Service

5th Mar Holy Communion

8th Mar Licensing Service at

7:30 pm

12th Mar Holy Communion(Rev. Kevin’s first service)

19th Mar Holy CommunionMothering Sunday

26th Mar Morning Prayer –Joint Service

2nd Apr Holy Communion

9th Apr Holy Communion for Easter Day

16th Apr Holy Communion

23rd Apr Morning Prayer –Joint Service

30th Apr Holy Communion

7th May Holy Communion

14th May Joint Service at Meriden Methodist Church

21st May Cyclists’ Service at the Green 11am

28th May Joint Service

All services are at 10:3 0 am and at St. Laurence unless stated otherwi se.

ST. LAURENCE CHURCH NEWS

Priest in Charge: Rev Kevin Flanagan

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

You’ve probably already heard, but if not, we have agreed to the appointment of a new minister for the church in Meriden! Rev. Kevin Flanagan and his wife, Jayne, will be moving to Meriden any day now. When a priest is appointed to a parish there is a special service in the church called a licensing service and the service for Rev. Kevin will take place on Wednesday 8th March at 7 30pm, when the Bishop of Warwick will license him in this parish.

We all hope this will be a great new chapter for the church and the message of the Gospel in Meriden, but please remember that the Diocese does not let us have a full time minister here (because not enough of you come to church!), so Rev. Kevin will definitely have times when he is not working. Please don’t expect too much!

Christmas is now behind us and we are in the season of Lent which leads up to Easter. Talking to fellow Christians, we have discussed what we ‘give up for Lent’ as a modern way of recognising that people used to fast during Lent, remembering Jesus’ time in the wilderness after His baptism. The most popular answers are to give up chocolate and/or alcohol, and giving up meat is very relevant these days, but one of our friends says he has given up eating cheese, and swearing. That last one’s a great idea! Can I suggest that you don’t think of giving things up just as a game or challenge but more as a sort of reset of your priorities, and particularly as a personal reminder that many people may be struggling (this year more than most) to afford enough food or heating energy, let alone little indulgent luxuries? Make Lent a time to remember the needs of others, and that our lives should not revolve around ourselves.

Jonathan Douglas

Please check the web site. Snowdrops in the churchyard

For any enquiri es about Baptisms and Weddings, or pastoral needs, please contact the church warden:

Carol Clarke 07500 700679

churchwarden.m eriden@gmail.com

Under 11s

Little Lions

Little Lions sessions have taken a winter break as the wet, cold, windy and icy weather conditions are not suited to coaching younger children. Sessions are due for a spring return in March

Both of our under 11 teams have endured the frustration of postponed fixtures over recent weeks. Waterlogged and icy pitches have unfortunately meant limited match time over the winter period. However, as we move towards springtime they are looking forward to getting back to regular action.

Under 14s

The under 14s are currently on a very good run of form. They sit second in the league having also had to take an enforced winter break due to the weather. They returned to action recently at the Sports Park, participating in a thrilling end to end game against table topping Coventrians. The match ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat, showing how evenly matched the two teams are. The team are looking to keep up the good work and would like to add a midfielder or attacking player to further strengthen the squad and help them push for promotion this season. If any players, currently in school year 9 are interested, then please contact Bryn on 07867486720.

Under 16s

To continue the theme, our under 16s actually went from the first week of November to the middle of January without a game due to weather conditions. They continued to train hard during this period. They returned to action in the County Cup. Having reached round 3 on the back of a thrilling penalty shootout win they travelled to Tamworth to face Coton Green; the Lions ran out losers on the day but put in a performance filled with effort and determination against opponents from a higher league.

League action is back underway now, most recently the under 16s lost 2-0 in another close match with Racing Club Warwick. There are still a number of games remaining in the league season, plus league cup action, the Team are hopeful of a strong finish.

Establish New Teams and Grow Meriden Lions

We are keen to establish additional teams at various age groups and would love a girls’ team. We would encourage anyone who has an interest in coaching a team or just helping out to get in touch. All the support, guidance and advice will be given and we are a friendly bunch and want to ensure the club can grow.

For any further information on Meriden Lions or to discuss sponsorship opportunities please get in touch

Bryn Williams Chairman at Meridenlionsfc@outlook.com

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 12.00noon

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

COVID VACCINATION UPDATE

The Government has 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.

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.

WELCOME

The Practice would like to welcome our new staff member Hannah, who has joined our administration team.

NEW SERVICE OPERATING

Are you experiencing muscle or joint pain?

You can now see a Specialist Physiotherapist at the Balsall Common Surgery. The Physio will support you in being referred for further treatment, helping with pain relief, managing/improving your condition and discussing any worries or concerns.

Please ask one of our receptionists to book an appointment.

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 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

Quiz Night

Lloyds Chemist Meriden Green

This branch of Lloyds Chemist is being taken-over by an independent company. The store will remain open during the changeover and the current staff will keep their positions.

A Quiz Night, attended by over 70 people, organised by the residents of Leymere Close, was held in the Village Hall on the 26th November. This raised over £700 which was shared between Meriden Scouts and the Village Hall. Thanks to the local businesses and individuals who generously donated raffle prizes. Another quiz is planned for the Autumn, in aid of the Meriden 'Tree of Thought', and the date will be given in a future edition of the Magazine.

Heart of England Social Club

BERKSWELL ROAD MERIDEN CV7 7LB. Call

522430

R.I.P Sue Pointon - February 28th 1948 - January 3rd 2023

It is with great sadness that we must inform you all of the passing of Susan Pointon who was a very valued committee member and Treasurer of the Heart of England Social for a great number of years. Sue passed away peacefully on 3rd January 2023. She will be sadly missed and we send our deepest condolences to Sue's family at this sad time.

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 11th February. Details of the night will be put in next edition of the Mag.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Upcoming events

Every Friday - Bingo Night, first game 8.00pm

Bingo each Friday night, first game starts 8.00pm

Friday 18th March St Patricks Karaoke night, free entry in the bar.

Friday 3rd March 8.00pm Karaoke in the bar free admission

Friday 17th March St Patricks Day celebration featuring live showing of 'The Gold Cup' followed by Disco/Karaoke

Friday 7th April Karaoke in the bar free admission 8.00pm

Friday 25th March, Cancer Research Charity Night & Fish & Chip Supper.

Sunday 17th April, Easter Egg Hunt & Family Entertainment.

Saturday 29th April, Clubs 70th Birthday Celebration with live music & disco through 'The Ages' 8.00pm

Saturday 6th May, King Charles Coronation Garden party with Coventry Scouts. All welcome.

Also Coming Soon:

Saturday 14th May, Big Screen Horse Racing Night & Other entertainment £2.00

JC Events are excited to bring you an array of unmissable events throughout 2023. Party nights will be held on the last weekend of every month so keep an eye out on our website for more information

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

ROOM HIRE BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR PRIVATE PARTIESCALL STEVE FOR MORE INFO ON 01676 522430

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

Room

AMS Pest Control Services

AMS Pest Control Services

Wasp Nest Treatment £60

Wasp Nest Treatment £60

Rodent Control

Rodent Control

Insect Infestation Treatment

Insect Infestation Treatment

Discreet unmarked vans

Discreet unmarked vans

Same day service available

Same day service available

‘Experts in Protected’ 02476 265 067

‘Experts in Protected’ 02476 265 067

www.ams-wm.uk

www.ams-wm.uk

WANTED – PART TIME CLEANER

TO JOIN OUR BRILLIANT TEAM IDEALLY 5 MORNINGS A WEEK BUT CAN BE FLEXIBLE COMPETITIVE HOURLY RATE

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT JANE@PACKINGTONESTATE.CO.UK

Permanent Eyebrows – we have a range of styles appropriate for all ages (18+).

We also offer eyeliner, lip blush and scalp micropigmentation.

Hair and Beauty Awards Finalist 2023. Just book your FREE consultation on my website or give me a call on 07854 081644

Stacey

unit

www.permanentlydefined.co.uk

GreetingsfromtheMethodistChurch

OvertheWintermonthsthechurchhasbeenopeneveryWednesday. Duringthistime,wehavesharedsoupand homemadebread,aswellasfruit,andhadanopportunitytoplaygamesorjustsitandchat. Thiswillnowbe continuingthroughthemonthofMarchandwelookforwardtowelcomingyouonaWednesdayfrom 12 15pmThe WarmHubisfreeandopentoallfaithsandnoneandeveryoneiswelcome.

With Christmaslongpast,thechurchisnowlookingforwardtothecelebrationofEasterwhenwerememberJesus’ deathandresurrection. At Christmaswebelievethat Godenteredintotheworldhecreated,butatEaster,becauseof hisgreatlovefortheworld,webelievethatthroughJesus,hediedforit

forus. Jesuswaskilledandhungonacross fortheworldhelovedandcametosave. However,deathcouldnotholdhimandthreedayslaterheroseagain. His resurrectionbringsushope,inaworldthatoftenfeelshope-less.

Whenwelookaround,wecanfeeloverwhelmedbyallthetragedy,violenceandhopelessnesswesee

notjustinthis countrybutaroundtheworld. Wecanquestion‘Whydoesn’t Goddosomething?’,butthetruthis,inaworldthat spendssomuchtimepushing Godaway, Godalreadyhasdonesomething. ThedeathandresurrectionofJesusbrings ushope,peaceandsecurityinaworldthatlacksall 3,becauseJesus’resurrectionwitnessestolifebeyondtheworld systems. Itdoesn’tdenytherealityofallthatishappening,butittestifiestothetruththatthroughJesusourdarkness canbeturnedtolight,deathisturnedtolifeandourconfidenceandhopeisinhimalone.

IfyouwishtohearmoreaboutJesusthenpleasecomeandjoinusonaSundayat 10.30amonthesecondandthird Sundaysofeachmonth. WealsomeetonthefirstSundayat 4 00pmformoreinformalconversationsandonthe 4th SundaywemeetatStLaurence.

MethodistChurchopenforlunch andwarmspace

Ifyouwishtocomealong thenjustturnuponthe day. Thelunchisfreebutif youwouldliketomakea donationthentherewillbe theopportunitytodoso.

A belated Happy New Year everyone. Here’s what we’ve been up to.

In December, we hadour ChristmasParty. Wewere entertainedbythelocalchoir,SimplyPurple. Wehad songsandcarolsandeveryone joinedin. Thehallwas filledwithChristmasspirit. Iwishtothank allwhobought raffletickets. Wemadeagrandtotalof£131whichwill helpswellourfunds. Thepersonwhowonthehamper kindlydonatedittotheRevJaneBraund,theMethodist Minister,whofoundaverygoodhomeforit.

In January, Midlands LegalServices,whoarespecialistsin willwriting,gaveusatalk. Thetalk wasveryusefuland informedusofalotofthingswewereunawareofwhen writingawill. Weallleft knowingmoreaboutthe importanceofmakingawillandwhatcanhappenifyou don’t!

In February, wehada Quiz afternoon. Wedosoenjoy this. Itgetsthebrainworking,thelittlegreycellsas HerculePoirotwouldsay. Wealwayshavelaughsand competition,asalways,wasfierce. Everybodylikestowin andourquiz afternoonisnoexception. Wewanttotakethisopportunitytothank JoanJones’s grandson,Elliot,whogenerouslydonatedsomemoneyto Cameo. Foreachofourmembers’birthdays,agiftwillbe boughtwithhis kinddonation. Thank youagain,Elliot, fromusallatCameo.

Sat 18th Mar – “Mrs Harris goes to Paris” (12A)

Spring Meetings are planned as follows: -

March 24th. A meal at the Cottage Inn in Fillongley. April 28th. We will be having a Coronation tea. May 26th. The Fire Service is giving us a talk.

CAMEO meets 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 will be made very welcome.

MrsHarrisisasalt-of-theearth Londoncharladywhocleansforrich households.Oneday,shecomesacrossoneofheremployer’sbeautifulDior gownsandshevowstosaveuptohaveoneofherown. Whenshereceives anunexpectedwindfall,shefinallyhasthemeanstotraveltoParisandrealise herdream. Whenshearrivesat TheHouseofDior,shehaslittleideaofhow herlifeistobeturnedupsidedownandhowmanyotherlivesshewill transformforever. ThefilmisbasedonanovelbyPaulGallico,stars Lesley Manvilleandhasbeennominatedforinclusioninthe2023AcademyAwards.

Sat 22nd Apr – “The Lost King” (12A)

ThisdramatisationisthestoryofPhilippa Langley(SallyHawkins),amoderndayamateurhistorian,whodefiedthestodgyacademicsat Leicester UniversityinhereffortstofindtheremainsofKingRichardIII,whichhad beenlostforover500years.AlsostarringSteveCoogananddirectedby StevenFrears,thefilmissetin LeicesterwithshotsofBosworthField.Itisa comedydramawithalocaltopicalfeelandisalife-affirmingtruestoryofa womanwhorefusedtobeignored,andwhoforcedtheeminenthistoriansto think againaboutoneofthemostcontroversial kingsinEnglishhistory.Highly recommended!

Sat 20th May

Tickets are available from Chris Copper - £6 each. Telephone 01676 522645 / 07721 342127 or Email - chriscopper42@me.com

NB. Dates may be subj ect to change so please check when booking.

Meriden Library News

Pleasenote,allinformationisaccurateatthetimeof writing-January2023

Meriden Libraryisopentoeverybody–youcanreadand borrowbooks,accesstheinternetandPCs,or justsitand relax,allforfree.Ifyouaren’tamemberalready,allyou needto joinissomethingofficialwithyouraddresson,like autilitybillordrivinglicence.

Opening Hours

Monday10am–1pm,2pm–5pm

Tuesday10am–12:30pm

Thursday10am–12:30pm

Telephone :- 01676 522717

Meriden Library has free computer and internet access Ifyouhavealibrarycard,youcanuseoneofthepublic computersatthelibrary.Ifyou’renotyetamember, joiningthelibraryisfree,easyand quick. Upto3hours freeinternetaccessforlibrarymembersor

15minutesuseof quickaccessPCforall (nolibrary membershiprequired). Wealsoofferprintingfacilities (chargesapply),scanningfacilitiesand Wi-Fiaccess Computersareavailableuntil15minutesbeforethelibrary closes,andstaffarealwaysonhandtohelpifneeded.

Stories & Painting

Ourexcitingchildren’sactivityisaimedatpreschool childrenandtakesplaceeveryMonday,2:15-3pm.Every weekwereadoneofourfavouritestoriesandenjoy paintingpictures. Werecommendwearingclothesthatit’s okaytogetmessyin.

Children’s Easter Crafts

DropinbetweenMonday3rd AprilandThursday13th April togetcreativeatourcrafttable! We’llhavesomefresh seasonalcraftstogetyouhoppingintoSpring,suitablefor ages5andupwithadultsupervision,pluscolouringfor under5s

Learn My Way

Wouldyouliketoimproveyourcomputerskills? Weoffer freetrainingusingthe LearnMy Waywebsitewithstaffto guideyou.Sessionscanbetailoredtomeetyourneeds andskilllevel,fromcreatingdocumentstostayingsafe onlineyoucanimproveyourworkplaceITskillswithour help.SessionsrunonTuesdayandThursdaymornings 10am–11am,withbookinginadvancerequired.Contact librarystaffformoredetails.

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

Home Library Service

Ifyoucan’tgettothelibraryyourself,ourHome LibraryServicecanhelp. Whenyougetintouch,a memberoftheteamwillcontactyoubyphoneto assessyourindividualneedsandcircumstances. Theywillexplainhowtheserviceworksandanswer any questionsyoumayhave.Theywillalsofindout whatsortofbooksyouenjoy–thiswillhelpstaffto chooseitemsforyou. We’llthenarrangeatimeto visit.Ifthisissomethingyouthinkthatyou,or someoneyouknow,maybenefitfrom,docallthe Home LibraryServiceteamon01217046947or email:libraryarts@solihull.gov.ukandwewilltakeit fromthere.

A Warm Welcome

Ifyouwouldlikeahotdrinkwhileusingthelibrary, justaskamemberofstaff.There’snocharge,but donationsarewelcomeifyouwish.

Readers’ Circle Meetings

Wed 8th March – The Natural W orld, fact/fiction

Wed 12th April – An Eli zabeth Gaskell novel

Wed 10th May – An Agatha Christie novel For further information and the venue, please call Peter Moss on 01676 523590

BOOK REVIEW BY PETER MOSS ‘Shrines of Gaiety’

By Kate Atkinson.

Hereagerlyawaitednewnovel,the sceneis London1926.Atthecentre ofthestoryis NellieCokerandher family.Sheistheownerofahandfulofnightclubs intheSohoarea.Shehasbeenruthlessintheway shehasbuiltthisempire,makinganumberof enemiesontheway.Allbuttheyoungestsonofher 6childrenareinvolvedinrunningthebusinessin somewayoranother.

Herachievementshavemeanttreadingafineline betweenlawandorderandthedarksideofSoho’s world.Shehasalwaysbeenabletoensurethatlocal lawdoesnotpaytoomuchattentiontoher dealings.Thereis,however,anewforceonthe scene,aDetectiveChiefInspector Frobisherwho hasundertakentocleanupthescene.Therehave beenreportsofanumberofgirlstravellingto Londonanddisappearingandhestronglysuspects theclubsareinvolved.

AttheheartofthingsistheAmethystClubwhere NelliehasherHQ.Asusual,thereisalargecastof charactersandmanysubplotsdetailinghowthey becomeinvolvedinthestory.

Greetings from Sue, Carol and the Meriden Committee!

Wehopethiseditionofthe Meriden Magfindsyouallwelland lookingforward to puttingallthe politicalshenanigans of2022 behind us. Aswelook around and about,signsofspringalreadyseemto besproutingand hopefullywewillall beabletoenjoyspectacularscenesinto Easter!

Sinceourlastsaleatthe In Pink &Bluenight,our band of knittersand sewers keptussupplied intherun-up to Halloweenand thefestiveseason,withaconstantsupplyof pumpkins,ghosts,snowmen, puddings,robinsand suchlikewhichenabled ustofundraisefarand wide (ok, mostly Meriden, butsomewereexported to Lincolnshire, Wiltshireand thesouthernhemisphere!) and weraised afurtheramazing £1,650. Our knittersarecurrentlyresting theirneedles butmanythanksgotothemand allthosewho purchased theircraftwork Thanksalsogotothose watchingthe WorldCupFinalatthe Queens Head,wherea20-minuteflashsaleathalftimemanaged toclearallofour remainingchocolateorangestock andboostsales bynearly £80!Despiteour pre-Xmaseventatthe Heartof England Social Clubbeing slightlyovershadowedbythe Englandvs Francesemi-finaltherewasstill plentyofgood music,good company,lotsof dancingand theeventraised£780forourchosencharity

Lookingforward,ourfirsteventin2023willagain beheld atthe Heartof EnglandSocial Club,onthe22nd Aprilfora

“

Supper Social” when Keith Slater (vocalist/multi-instrumentalistand formerlead singerwith Vivo) willentertainus andprovideyetmoreopportunitiestotwirlonthe dancefloor! Ticketscost £12.50each,includingsupper,and will be availablethrough Sue, Carol,the Committeeand the Club. Thisyearwillalsoseethereturnoftheever-popular Meriden Open Gardenson Sunday2nd July,a bumper dayoutwith plentyofgardenstosee, plantsale,refreshments,tombolaand raffle Wealreadyhavesomenewgardensand,of course,someofourold favourites butwearestillactivelylookingforafewmore ‘firsttimers’. Ifyouareatall interested inaddingyourgardentoourschedule buthaveany queries, please donothesitatetocontact Sue. Any type,sizeorstyleofgardeniswelcome. Fullevent detailswill bemadeavailablenearerthetime. Onasaddernote,weofferourcondolencestoallthe Pointon familyontheunexpecteddeathof Sue Shewasalovely ladywhosupportedvariousclubsand lifeinthe village,in particular The Club and ofcourse CRUK– weshallmissher laughterand smilesand herever presenthelp,especiallywith Maggieforourraffles

Furtheractivitiesare planned forlaterintheyearand,asalways, detailswill be provided on postersaround the village, on Facebook and ofcourse,inthe Meriden Mag. Welook forward toseeingyouatany,orallofourevents. Ifyou would liketo becomemoreinvolved inanyofthefundraisingwork we dofor Cancer Research UKSueor Carolwould lovetohearfromyou Inthemeantime,wehopeyouhaveagreat Easter

A lovely decorated post- box in the Village Well done to the unknown talented knitter

ArtClassesforall!

Watercolour paintingclasses

withJulie Hydeare back in Meriden Village Hallon

Wednesday morningsand afternoons. Also Zoomclasses areavailableon Thursday mornings.Pleasecontact Julie on 01676 523357 oremail

jph300@hotmail.com formoreinformation.

MeridenWomen’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

Balsall Common Country Market

First Saturday of the month in the British Legion.

Other Saturdays in the Jubilee Centre.

We have lovely home baking, preserves, plants, seasonal vegetables, crafts and home-made cards.

Café is now OPEN!

Hampers can be ordered and delivered countrywide Contact

01676 523007

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 “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens on the current reading list, followed by a free choice of any book with a humorous theme. 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 ladies visiting local eateries. Monthly rambles and walks in our beautiful country side continue through Winter into Spring.

Spring meeting plan is:-

6th Mar – Anecdotes of a Professional Dog Walker

3rd Apr – My Transgender Story

8th May – AGM and Coronation

Tea Party

5th Jun – Charitable African Adventures – Carol Clarke

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

In February, Charlie Beaty talked to us about her life in farming. L to R - Joan Russell, Charlie Beaty, Samm Bain

LITTLEA NGELSPRE-SCHOOL

At MeridenCof E Primary School

TAKINGBOO KING S NOWFOR SEPTEMBER 202 3!

Weareopen 7 30am -5 30pmandhavesessionaland fulltimespacesavailablefor 2 -4 yearolds.

Non-fun ded and fundedplacesavailable. Weaccept 15 & 30hourfundingand tax freechildcareschemes.

Wecanalso provideafternoon wraparound careforchildrenattending MeridenCof E Primary Schoolnursery (FS1). You cansplit your 30hoursentitlement between both settings.

Wealsooffer breakfastand afterschoolclub forchildrenat MeridenCof E Primary School.

Formoreinformationorto bookyourchild's place, pleasecontact u sat info@littleangelsgroup.co.uk or 07394984233

DOGGY Y DAY CARE

Days, weekends or longer. In our home – stress free, non-kennel environment. Only limited numbers of friendly dogs at any one time. Highly experienced show exhibitor/trainer and dog breeder.

Excellent affordable rates.

TEL: 01676 522466 (Meriden)

M.J. Mowing

martin@mjmowing.co.uk

Grass Cutting Hedge Cutting Pruning Strimming

Weed Control – Pesticide Licensed

L eaves Cleared

No Job Too Small

Competitive Prices

Call Martin for a Free Quote

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.Sc. (Hons) Ost, 49 Larch Tree Ave. Tile Hill, COVENTRY CV4 9FT www.larchtreeost.co.uk

TEL: 024 7647 0019

Indi Sangha

Window Cleaning and Jet Washing Services

19

Serving Meriden and Millison’s Wood area for over 20 years

Call 07949 227402

Berkswell & District History Group

07922 241 181 p

Wednesday 26th April Rogues, Villains and Thieves.

A presentation by Vanessa Morgan of a selection of true stories in the local area during the 1800s. Meetings are held in the Village Hall, Station Rd., Balsall Common at 2 p.m. Entry is £5 for nonmembers and free to members. Why not join the History Group? Membership is only £20 per annum and you can join at any meeting. Have a look at our web site.

www berkswell-history.org

We look forward to seeing you!

My attemptstocombinenitrousoxideand Oxo cubesmademealaughingstock! Olaf Falafel

MR FIX IT

*Plumbing problems

*Broken Garden Tools

*Soldering

*Welding

*Brazing

*Gates Fixed

*Sheds Felted

*Fencing

*Household Items Fixed

*Riveting

*Garden Tools Sharpened

*Security posts Fitted

If itcan be fixed, I'll domy bestto fixit Collectionserviceavailable.

Public Liability Insurance: Simply Business MHGB2291989XB

Telephone Paul on 07889 789110

or 01676 521661

BREATHE EASY COVENTRY

We are holding monthly meetings

2nd Friday of every month

During the winter months they will held be at The Belgrade Coffee shop 10.30 until 12.00noon

Committee members will wear blue identity badges for easy identification

Phone Janet (Chair) on 024 7646 0081 to see if we can be of any help. “Keep well”

1st Meriden Scout Group and Explorer Unit - News from the Green Hut

1st MeridenBeavers

We’ve been havinglotsoffunat Beaversrecently!

This half-term we’re workingonthreeexciting ActivityBadges; Book Reader,Cook and Communicator. Someofmy oldermembersarealso workingontheirPersonalChallenge Award, which involvesthem challengingthemselvesto dothingsthey find tricky overa period oftime.

As well as workingtowardsearning badges, we’vealso beenenjoyingsomeindoorgames,such as dodgeball. I’mnow lookingforward tothe weatherimprovingso wecangetoutsidea bitmore! Havingrecently lost both our Young Leaders, we’renowdowntotwo uniformed leadersat Beaversand relianton parent helpers. If you’dbeinterested in joiningtheScouting Movementandbecominga Beaver Leader, do pleaseget intouchwith meor Gerry

Eleanor

1st MeridenCubs

So, what didwe dotoentertaintheseinquisitive,enthusiastic,fullofenergy smallfolkwhocallthemselvescub scouts? Well, weask themfirstofall…. butoncethey realise, wecan’tgotothemoononacub nightandbe back in bed for 8.30pm wetry and lowertheirexpectations with aview tolearningnew skillsand makingnew friends, - oh and earningtheoddbadgealongthe way.

We worked onthe AnimalCarer badge….mostcubscared fortheir pets,mainly catsanddogs butonelad saidhe had a pet dragon, when herepeated ittome, he had my attentionrightaway Wasitcalled Puff? No,these were Aqua Dragons; I learnsomethingeveryday!

Further badges weretheirSkillschallenge,learningtoironand rolltheirneckers; how tosew ona badgeandpolishing theirshoes; andpolish somegrimy silver,alsotheir World Challenge,learningabout differentcountriesand the charity Shelter Box UK

In November, wearranged for theoldercubsand allthescoutstovisittotheCivicCentreinSolihull. We weregivena fantastictour by the Mayor, Mr Ken Meesonandhisaid. They showedustheinsand outsofthe how thecouncil operatesandwhy,explainingthe history oftheSolihullCrest, ‘Urbsin Rure’ translatingto TownintheCountry. The Cubsasked lotsof questionsfuelledby thefascinationofthemicrophonesystem. IntheCouncilChamberstheywere shownthetrophy cabinet, which also had a wow factor.

Oneevening which they thoroughly enjoyedwasaneveningof board games.Diggingoutallour 80’sgamesfrom Draughts to Tiddlywinks,theevening wasfilledwith laughterandwow’s,giving parentssomegood ideasfor

Christmas presents.

Post-Christmas weare workingmoreon ‘Scouty’ thingsgettingthemready forthesummerseasonofcampsand the challengesthatcomes with it, workingontheir Navigationand1st Aid, justincase! Along with a ‘come dine with me’ wherethecubs willcook fortheir parents solookingforward tothatone! Pleasegetintouch if you areinterested in becomingaleaderandhelpingthefew leadersthatrunthegroup Lynda

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

Cub Scouts: Boys and Girls aged 8 - 10.5: Thursday evening 6.45 - 8.15pm

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 formoreinformation

1st Meriden Scout Group Events

Beetle DriveMarch12th 2.00pm–4.00pm

£3perperson, everyone welcomebring the whole family! Raffle & Tuck Shop

Fullinstructions willbe givenonplaying this fast fun game

Curryand Quiz night,Fridayevening28thApril7.00pm£15perperson

Allproceeds to fund raise for our planned Scout Hut development.

Plantingsummerbulbs,cormsandtubers.

Asspringapproaches,it’stimetoheadoutdoorsandprepareyourgardenforsummerblooms. Flowerscategorisedas‘summerbulbs’arefloweringbulbswhichgrowandbloomduringthe summer,andsotheyareplantedatthestartofspring.Summerbulbsneedwarmweatherand warmsoil;aruleofthumbtorememberisifit’stimeforyourtomatoestogooutdoors,itisalso timetoplantyoursummerbulbs.

Begonias

Howtoplant:Begoniasplantedinbedswhichareenrichedwithwellrottedorleafmouldwillmakeafineshow.Theyshouldbestartedin shallowboxesinlightsoil;thesaucerliketubersshouldbeplantedvery shallowwiththehollowsideup.Assoonasanydangeroffrostispassed thentheycanbetransferredtotheirpositioninthegardenatleast30cm apart.

Dahlias

Howtoplant:Dahliatuberscanbeplanted10cmdeepinfertilewell drainedsoil,outdoorsinspringwhenthefrosthasdisappeared.They prefertobeinasunnylocationandspacedatapproximately45cm apart.Inareaswherethereisextremecold,digupdahliasandstoreina coolpeatoverthewinter.Applyahighpotashfertilisereveryfew weeksinsummeranddeadheadwhennecessary.

Lilies

Howtoplant:Eachlilybulbshouldbesurroundedwithalittlesharp sandbothunderandabovethebulbtokeepslugsawayandtoward offexcessivewetness.Asmostliliumsarestemrootingwestrongly recommendyouplantat15cmdeep.Theygiveamuchbetterdisplay whenplantedinclumpsof3,6or12bulbs(45cmapart).Planting timeisOctoberthroughtoApril.

Gladioli

Howtoplant:plantgladiolicormsabout10-15cmdeepandabout10-15cmapart,in fertile/welldrainedsoil.Whenplantinginaheavysoil,placesomesandunderneath eachcormtohelpwithdrainage.ExpertsrecommendplantingGladioliingroupsat monthlyintervals,startingearlyspring,toextendthefloweringseasonforadisplay whichlastsallsummerlong.

Ingredients

Vegetableoil,forthetin digestivebiscuits.

80gunsaltedbutter,melted.

250gchocolateminieggs.

400gfull-fatsoftcheese.

150gicingsugar.

1tspvanillaessence.

400gdoublecream.

Oila20cmdeepspringformcaketinandlinewithbakingparchment.Tipthe digestivebiscuitsintoafoodbagorthebowlofafoodprocessorandcrushor blitz toafinecrumb.Mixwiththemeltedbutter,thenpressintothebaseofthe preparedcaketinandchillfor30mins.

Roughlychophalfthechocolateminieggs.Beatthesoftcheesewiththeicing sugarandvanillauntil justcombinedusinganelectricwhisk.Cleanthebeaters, thenbeatthedoublecreamtostiffpeaksinaseparatebowl.Gentlyfoldthe whippedcreamintothesoftcheesemixturealongwiththechoppedchocolate minieggs.Spoonthecheesecakemixtureoverthebiscuitbase,thensmooth thesurfacewithapaletteknifeorspatula.Chillovernight.

Thenextday,carefullyreleasethecheesecakefromthetin (youmayneedto runacutleryknifearoundtheedgetoloosenit) andtopwiththeremaining wholechocolateminieggstodecorate.

Eastereggcheesecake.

Bluebell Lane using Watercolours and Wax

Crayons by Julie Hyde

Hi all, it’s bluebell season again, so I have done yet another painting of bluebells for you. This time we will be using kiddies wax crayons first to give some of the vibrancy of the flowers.

1.Lightly draw the trees and a suggestion of the path. Make the path end about a third of the way up and a third of the way across and wider at the front than the back.

2. Bluebells. Using wax crayons or oil pastels put lots of dots and dashes in blues and purples in the area of the bluebells. Be careful as you can’t get the wax off again if it’s in the wrong place.

3. Background washes. Using separate puddles of:-

• Light Blue

• Pale Yellow

• Bright Blue

• Blue + Yellow (yellowy green)

• Blue + Yellow (but with more blue to give a darker more blue green)

• Dark Brown (weak)

• Blue + Dark Brown (Strong dark grey)

Wet the paper all over with clean water. With a big brush, add the Blue to the sky area making it even lighter towards the bottom. Add the Yellow and Yellowy Green in small patches to the area of the leaves and bigger patches into the background bushes. Add the weak brown to the path and, while this is still wet, add patches of the shadowy grey colour to the sides once or twice, across the path.

Add wobbly bands of the bright blue and the different greens to the banks on either side. Try to paint in vertical zigzags if possible, leaving some small light patches. LET IT DRY.

4. Background Shrubs. Using puddles of:-

• Blue + Cadmium (darker more blue green)

• Blue + Dark Brown (Strong dark grey) Re-wet the background so that it’s damp not soaking wet and add some darker tones towards the lower part of the shrubs. LET IT DRY.

5. Foreground Using a smaller brush and on to dry paper, in between the bluebells towards the front, add dashes of:-

• Blue + Yellow (darker green)

6. Trees. Mix puddles of:-

• Dark Brown + Blue (brownie grey)

• Blue + Dark Brown (Stronger dark grey)

With a smaller brush, wet the left hand side of one of the tree trunks, add the Brownie/Grey to the dry side and let it touch into the water. Add the stronger darker colour to the right hand side while this is still wet. Move on to another patch and repeat. Add branches and twigs in between the green patches that were first put on. Add a few distant branches into the shrubs in the background with a slightly paler shade of the Brownie/Grey.

7. Leaves. Dot on a few extra leaves on to dry paper with the yellows and greens used earlier.

8. Bluebells. If required dot on a few extra bits of:-

• Bright Blue

Use either a damp sponge lightly and sparingly or with more wax or oil pastels.

I am currently running art classes in Meriden village Hall and on Zoom, if you want details of these then please contact me on:- 01676 523357 email:-jph300@hotmail.com

MeridenFlowerClub

Meetingsare held atMeriden Village Hall

7.30-9.00pm on the third Monday of each month exceptforthe Christmas meeting. Doors openat6.30pm and entryfeesare paid on the door.The Club hostsa wide range of local and national flower demonstrators. along with practice classes

Guestsarealways welcome. Please contact:meridenflowerclub@hotmail.com

Meriden Spo rts and Recreation Trust

support local non-commercialgroups byproviding smallgrants to bespent developing their sporting,

recreational and leisure projects. We have helped many localgroups.Formore info aboutmaking your group’s ownsmall grant application please visit our website www.meridensrt.org.uk

Meriden FlowerClubreceived asmallgrantfrom Meriden Sports Park& Recreational Trust enabling the clubto purchaseasound system. This was successfully used atthe Magic ofChristmas demonstration by Lorena Dyer and appreciated by all membersand visitors

Membersenjoyed a veryfestiveevening in December enjoying Lorena’s

‘Magic ofChristmas’ demonstration

Gerry Russell, Chairman, and Kevin fromMustard

Presentations,present Gail Todd and Lorena Dyer with thenewlypurchased sound system

FirebirdSingersUpdate

We were delighted to seeso many ofyouat ourChristmas concertsatthe ManorHotel.Both performances were almost sold out. We knowyouall enjoyeditfromthe manycomments we have had since.Also, hopefully some of you were lucky enough to win one of ourmanyChristmas hampers in ourbumperraffle. Wearenowpractisinghard for our summerconcert called “On Top ofthe World.”This concert is the last in our seasonsupporting Coventry and Warwickshire Mind, and appropriately it’s musicto make you feelgood Pleasesee the poster on theevents page ofthe Mag.Ticketsarealready available. In Novemberwe held our10th Anniversarycelebrationatthe ManorHotel (this wasactuallytwelve years because the eventwas delayed 2years by the Covid pandemic.)Weare veryproud to saythat in those 12years we have raised almost £45,000forvarious good causesand we hope,with your continued support,to raise much more in the future. Weare veryproud to say, thatjustbefore the Mag wentto print,wesent£500 to the Disasters Emergency Committee insupport ofthe Turkey/Syriaearthquake appeal

Valerie Martin 016

We hope you enjoy our quarterly update for your area.

Sixteen Acre Wood earthworks

Weare delivering earthworksthat can be clearlyseen from the A452Kenilworth Road, adjacentto Sixteen Acre Wood. This will form anembankmentthat will carrytherealigned Kenilworth Road ontoa bridgethat will passoverthenew railway.We will thenre-jointhe new road totheexisting road atanew roundaboutthat we will be constructing near Marsh Lane

We willusetheland on bothsidesof theroad, including muchof theold carriageway, to createanewwoodland.

This will formpartof the HS2 Green Corridorrunning alongsidetherailway, creating anetwork ofbigger, better-connected, climate-resilienthabitatsand new greenspaces for people toenjoy

Wehave been building aseriesofcomplexbalancing pondstohold back rainwaterthat fallsonoursites preventingit from overwhelming storm drainsand contaminatingwatercourses

These ponds gradually collectthe water, givingmore time forsuspended particlestosettleatthe bottom of the pond before being released

Weare providingmostof the materialused to build the new embankment from a deepcutting that wehave cut between Park Laneand Marsh Farm. This means we will reducetheamountofmaterial moved byroad.

It wouldn't behard to fillthis quarterlyspace withthelatestnewsofHS2costoverrunsand possible de-scoping of the project. 16-yearsago, thelobbyists, Greengauge 21, promoted a high-speed line from Londonto Birmingham, with connectionsto Heathrow and toroutes north, for £6.64 billion Things change, butatleast - courtesyof arulingbythe Information Commissioner - wenow haveestimateddates forlocal HS2 activities. Broadly, mostare running about 6 yearslaterthan proposed inthe Environmental Statementof2013. Generally, work hereshould have been finished a coupleof yearsago, toleave plentyof time for "commissioning" beforeopening of thelineattheend of 2026. Now, there'sanactivity called "testing" , running to Autumn 2029. Withopening now set for 2033, thatleavesa comfortable period foranyrectificationand certificationto bring the wholeline intouse.Apart from thenew stationat Bickenhilland manysmaller works, the project includesthe Balsall Common Viaduct – 425metreslong on 10 metrehigh piers - and theeven bigger Blythe Valley Viaduct, heading north between Hamptonand Meriden. In Balsall Common, HS2 Ltd did notactontheassuranceto Parliamentthatthey would consultthe community before the planning application went in The Select Committeehad said "Weexpectthatthe viaduct designand materials will bethesubjectof local consultationacrosstheroute, particularlyat Berkswell, Hampton-in-Arden, ...Designsshould be sensitivetothelocalsituationand the wishesofcommunities Travellersusing theline donotseestructures from the local perspective; residents do " Both viaductshave been presented without choiceoroptions The public surveysraised justthree issues: "What is importanttoyouaboutthearea" , "How spacearound the viaduct could beused" , and "What youexpect from us duringconstruction" It'sthe designthat matters! A dominantstructure inthelandscapeneedsto bestyled forlightness, unlikethe current "processionofconcrete Vee-signs" . The benchmark isthe Colne Valley Viaduct, whichhas many featurestolessenthe impact Intheabsenceof localoptions, thisoff-the-shelf design from the Londonarea might bethesimplest choice (It's worth downloading the HS2 report C227-ATK-ST-REP-000-000011). Twootheraspectsalsoneed attention High structures can block wirelesssignals, so Ofcom recommendsatechnicalstudyand areceptionsurvey. HS2 have done neither, so we don't knowwhat mitigation might berequired inthe form of repeaterstationsor betteraerials.Also, only limited concretenoise barriersareoffered, yetnoise pulses willradiateevery 2minutes from the 93 decibeltrains The Colne Valley Viaducthastransparentnoise barrier panels betweenneatstainlesssteeluprights. MP Saqib Bhatti demanded that weshould not betreated assecond-class, andCllr Diane Howellhasraised a petition These viaducts will behighly visibleand potentiallyhighlyaudible Ourelected representativesarethe people best-placed to get HS2 Ltd. tohonourtheirobligations: HS2won'talways be 10years inthe future.

Richard Lloyd – Chairman H of E High Speed Railway Action Group

SUPPORT IN SOURCING GOOD QUALITY CARE AT THE RIGHT TIME. IS THEREREALLY SUCH A SERVICE O UT THERE?

Yes, there is, and good news, it’s local to you too.

Senior Care Support Services offer an empathetic and tailored approach to your individual needs, holding your hand throughout the whole process. As a local senior care specialist, with many years’ experience working with older, frail, adults, my knowledge of local care homes and domiciliary care agencies can be invaluable when finding the right care home, or domiciliary care in the home for you or a loved one. Just having somebody there who understands how the care system can work for you or a family member can be invaluable, whilst also cutting the number of hours you spend speaking with the wrong people.

Why not have an initial, confidential, chat to see whether I can be of help to you, and take a look at my website for further information.

information. www.seniorcaresupport.co.uk.

www.seniorcaresupport.co.uk

Tel. Geraldine Davies on: 01564 743067 or email at:

info@seniorcaresupport.co.uk

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

BUBBLESHANDCARWASH

Quality Hand Car Cleaning Find us off the A45 in Meriden Phone 07538 238 005

Open 9.00am - 7.00pm, 7 days a week

Pricedependsoncarsize

butstarts from£10for wash and leatherdry, or £20forinside andout, including full

vacuum, windows anddashboard.

Please note that we only accept Cash

** £2 OFF when you show the Meriden Mag **

Please be aware that the entrance from Shepherds

Lane is closed. This means that motorists from Meriden need to drive to the Stonebridge Island and U-turn back towards Meriden to access us from the A45.

*Dog Walker * Pet Sitting Services

DBSChecked,Insured&Pet First Aid

Qualified

Email : tilliestail waggingwalkies@gmail.com

Website: www.till iestailwaggingwalkies.co.uk

Rural Group Walks,Individual Solo

Walks, Puppy Visits&Pet Sitting

Contact Dawn NOW to boo k yourdogin

Telephone :07825684539

Richard Naught on Bespoke

Joinery

Heart of England Retirement Organisation (HERO)

Christmas Hamper surprise for 50 local people

HERO was pleased to distribute 50Christmas hampers totheelderly inand around Balsall Commonand

Meriden. They weremade up by La Deliciain Balsall

Commonand weregiventothose whosenames were suggestedby anorganisation, church orindividual.

Eachhamper was delivered personally, either by a

Trusteeof HERO, the Vicar fromthelocalchurch or leaderof theorganisationthatsuggested therecipient.

We feltthe visit wasasimportantasthegiftand liked tostay a while whengivingthe hampers, which wereall gratefully received We have had several ‘thank you’ phonecallsand letters from people.

MERIDEN TREE OF THOUGHT (MTOT)

www.meridentreeofthought.co.uk

Well, here weare, a yearafterlovely Alan passed away It’s fairtosay thatit’s beensomewhatchallengingsortingout

the MTOT bank account but I’mglad tosay wegottherein theend!

Thankstoeveryone who haseither helped or donated to keep the Treegoing. I havereceived very much

appreciateddonations from Pat DeMulder,Pertemps,The Manor Hoteland Packington Estateas wellasindividual donations viathe webpageanddedicationstoloved ones through the Treeof Thought.

HERO wasalso pleased to contributetoacelebration

Christmastea held at The Firs.

Formoreinformationabout

HERO pleasecontactthe

Chairman, Claire Laland, on clmap18@gmail.com or

Secretary,Joan Russell, by phoneon 01676 522666

Claire Laland, Chairman of HERO

Dates for hoisting the flag on Meriden Green:

8th March - Commonwealth Day

10th March - Birthday of the Earl of Wessex

23rd April – St. George’s Day (St. George’s Flag)

6th May Coronation of King Charles III

9th May – Europe Day

21st May – Cyclists’ Memorial Service

Heart of England Aeromodellers

Model Aeroplane Flying Club in Meriden

… are keen to recruit new members. For info on joining the Club or advice on getting started in the hobby, please contact us via our website www.hoeaflyers.club - we’re very happy to help. We’re located on Maxstoke Lane. Terry Dingley

Thanksalsotothose whocontributed viathecollectiontins around the village A special ‘Thank You’ goesto Pat Smith who, throughherraffle, raised astaggering £1450 which, together with theother donations, hastakentheamount raised to justover £2500 this Christmas. Themoney has already beensenttothetwocharities, whoareextremely grateful. Wemustalsothank Dovetail Group foronceagain donatingtheirtimeand equipmentand forgiving up their weekend to fix the problem we had with thelights. Many thanksalsoto Barbara Bland (Meriden Parish Council) and Stuart Bonner (webpage) who have beenagreatsupport tomethis year.

You willall beaware how much the Treemeantto Alan and we know that he wouldbe delighted with themoney raised. Pleasecontinuetosupportthetreeand to keep his legacy alive. Carol Todd & Cara Maclure (trustees)

All Together Café

2nd Friday of the Month

Meriden Sports Pavilion

Any time between

2pm and 4pm

10th March

14th April

12th May

Drop in for tea, coffee, cake and chat. Meet your neighbours.

Various board games.

We always have a splendid time.

Do join us soon – call 01676 522666 if you would like transport.

Susan suddenlypassed away on the 3rd January 2023 whilst outhaving lunch with her good friendsGlynis,Tony & Steve, leaving four children,Stephen,Richard, Jamesand Helen,twelve grandchildren and one greatgrandchild Susan wasa sister to Pam,Bob,June & Marilyn Susan was bornin Meridenin 1948 and she took upher first employmentat “PalletsHaberdashery ” , which was oneof the main stores on the Village Green Althoughshe moved away fornumberof yearsSue still had strongconnections withMeriden throughher mother PhyllisMalin who had lived there since her Land Army days in the Second World War. In theinterimyears,Sue mainly lived in Hartshill where her children wentto school. She wasalways willingtolend ahand andwasa Cubleader for 20 years. Starring in and helpingtoorganise GangShows withsome unforgettable performances,she alsoenjoyed takingthe Cubsaway on campingtrips forlots of fun and laughter

Sue wasalso ahelper atthe Hartshill playgroup. Asher childrenbecame moreindependentSue was employed at “Prestmarks” in Nuneaton makingmanymorelifetime friendships. Sue cameback to the villagein 2006 andwithherlivelyand friendlypersonalitysoonrekindled old friendshipsand madenew ones Shebecame a well-known memberof the community, becomingamemberof theWomen’sInstitute and treasurerof the Flower Club,helpingatcharity eventsand astrongsupporterof The Cancer Research Sue wasalso well known for the ChristmasTurkey’s businessthatthelate BarryPointon together withStephen Pointon, formed Due to Sue’s outgoingpersonalityand theloss of Barry, who she cared forin thelater years of his life,she became the treasurerof Meriden Social Club keeping busy, encouragingpeople to come to function nights, bingo,and charity events Sometimes we all forgethow muchtimeis involved inbeingpart of these committees! Our Sue was “larger thanlifeitself”(quote froma friend),and a brilliantand caringMom,Nan and Sister,always willinggive a helpinghandwhenever she could Ithas been agreatshock tobothher familyand friendsand she willbe deeply missed by usall.

The family would like toexpresstheir sincere thanksto IanWarren from “The Penny Farthing” whobravely foughtto save herlife.

Pam would alsolikeonbehalf of all the family,toextend their thanks for the support,cards, beautiful flowers,and kind wishes from everyone atthisverysad and emotional time

Thedonations from Sue’s funeral will gotowardsthe purchaseand installationof adefibrillatoratthe Meriden Social Club.

Donations can besentto www.jdeeleyandson.co.ukfuneralsanddonationsorat Meriden Social Club.

John Baker 6th October 1938–22nd October 2022

John Baker was brought up in the AcocksGreen area of Birminghamandwas educated at KingEdward’sSchool Onleavingschool he trained asachartered quantitysurveyor; working for FrancisGraves Ltd for most of his working life andwas involvedwith manysignificantprojects,suchasthe NEC and local hospitals He married his first wife Sylvia in 1981,and they lived in Solihull and Fillongley until movingto Meridenin 2000. After Sylvia’s death fromcancer John married Irenein 2008. Sadly,John was eventuallytolose Irene. In 2020 betweenlockdownsJohn and Maureen were married atSt Laurence Church, had been Church Warden and Treasurer for manyyears

He wasvery involvedwithvillagelife, being on the Village Hall Committee and joiningMeriden Rotary Clubon 16th October 2003. He wasaprivate person who justgot on withthings withoutmakinga fuss. Hebecame President of the Rotary Clubof Meridenin 2012 presiding over asuccessful Rotaryyear. Duringhis nearly 20 years in Rotary, he wasagreatsupporterof almost every event. Inlater years, when he was notable to do the streetcollections for the SantaSleigh,herode “shotgun” withthe towing driver,to help with reversingand turningthe sleigh. Heenjoyed companyand liked tobeinvolved althoughhe was extremelymodestabout whathe did. In hisprivatelife,hereally enjoyed cruising, travellingto manyparts of the world. He alsoenjoyed hiscars, particularlyBritish luxurycars

John’s funeral wason 10th Novemberat St.Laurence Church, anddonations insteadofflowers wereshared between St.Laurenceand Macmillan Cancer Support

Philip Johnstone Platts September 1937–January 2023

Phil Platts was bornin 1937 in Sheffield and livedhischildhood yearsinthe village of Warren, and then High Greenontheoutskirtsof the City. Heattended Ecclesfield Grammar Schooland wentto work for Sheffield Corporation, whilststudyingto bea Chartered Surveyor. Hisearly workinglifeasa Charted Surveyor wasin Sheffield and Leeds, and it wasin Leeds, ata firm wherethey both worked, where hemet Pam, and they gotmarried in 1966. Pam & Phil had twosonsinthe 7 yearsthat followed and moved to Meridenin 1975 when Phil’s work brought himtothe Midlands with Severn Trent Water Authority. They haveremained in Meriden eversinceraisingtheir twosons, Richard & Jameson. Phillovedholidays withhis family - someearly holidays wereto Cornwall, and then, astravel becameeasier, Spain wasa favourite destination. He had a keenloveof sportand wasagood golfer, spending much timeat Copt Heath GolfClub. Football wasa huge passion for Phil, hisearlyyearssaw himasa Sheffield Utd fan, and thenturned Sky Blue when hemoved to Meridenandhissons wanted tosupport Coventry asthey grew up He alsoassisted running Meriden Scoutgroup footballteam when hissons wereintheorganisation. Heshared a passion forgardening with Pam, and theirretirementsaw them purchaseasmall placein Spain, wherethey enjoyed alotof timeoverthelast 20years with aclosegroup offriends. Phil was a keensupporterand took anactive partinthe Meriden RAID group, andhere heand Pammademany new friendsinthe village, supportingthislocalinitiative. Inrecent years,Phil haddementiaand thisconditionslowly took away the personthe family knew and loved so much Shortly before he passed away on 25th January, hemoved to Bablake Residential home, wheretheteam theremadea huge differenceto his wellbeingand provided superb care. He wasagreat fatherandhusband, who wasmuch loved, and provided alovely life for his family. He will be very much missed.

Balsall Common Memories Cafe

BalsallCommonMemoriesCafebeganinOctober2019.Itisrun, byagroupofvolunteers,forpeoplewithDementiaaccompanied bytheir 'Carer' andaimstoprovidetheopportunitytosocialise whilstenjoyinganactivity,entertainmentorjustadrinkandachat. Thereisnochargeforanyofthesessions

TheMemoriesCafemeetseverysecondWednesdayofeachmonth from1.15pm-3.00pminBalsallCommonVillageHall,Station RoadCV77FF. Thesearethesessionswhenwehaveactivitiesor entertainment.

CoffeeandChatsessionstakeplaceonthefirstThursdayofthe month-between11.00amand12.30pminBalsallCommon Library,KenilworthRoadCV77EL.ThankyouAmandaand LibraryStaffforthewarmwelcomeyouhavegivenus. Doshareourinformationwithfriendsandfamilywhomightlike tojoinusatanyofoursessions.Anysuggestionsforactivitiesor entertainersarealwayswelcometoo,asareoffersofhelporideas forfundraising.

Balsall Common Library - Coffeeand Chat 11.00am -12.30pm

Thursday 2nd March

Thursday 6th April

Thursday 4th May

Balsall Common Village Hall Station Road 1.15pm -3.00pm

Wednesday 8th March - Singing forthe Brain

Wednesday 12th April - Flower Arranging

Wednesday 10th May -Decoupage

TheMayorofSolihull,Councillor KenMeesonandRosieWeaverBEM, ChairofMeridenParishCouncil,with anewtreeplanted,February2023,at StrawberryFieldsinmemoryofour lateQueenElizabethII.Afterher passing,BuckinghamPalacerequested thatacanopyofEnglishOaksbe plantednationwideinherMajesty’s memory.

Are youpassionateabout your community? Do youwantto helpmakealong-lasting change?

Do youhaveinnovativeideas for the council?

Do youhave concerns abouta specif ic issueand w anttodo something aboutit?

If thisis you, then weneed you. We need people fromall b ackgrou nds and experiences, whoreflect Meriden to putthemselves forward for election. Makeachangeandbecome acouncillor.

Local (parish and town) cou ncils and councillorsmakeamassive differencetolocal people's qu ality of life. They are p assionate abouttheircommunitiesand seek tomakeachangeto help improvetheirresidents' lives.

Councillorsareelected torepresentthelocalcommunity, so you musteitherliveor work in thecouncilarea. Becominga councillorisarewardingexperienceas you will beabletomake achangein M eridento help improveresidents' lives.

A councillor’srolecaninclud e developingstrategiesand plans forthearea, helping with problemsand ideas, representingthe community, working with other localcommunit y group s, decisionmakingand reviewing decisionsand talkingto thecommunity abouttheirneedsand whatthecouncilis d oing.

If theabovehaspiquedyourinterest,whynotcomealongforafriendlychatandspeaktosomeofthe existingCouncillorswhowillbehappytoansweranyquestionsyoumayhave?

ThiswillbeheldonThursday9th Marchat7:00pmuntil8:30pm.

VOTERID–CHANGEIN LAW!

Forthe firsttime, residentsin Solihull willneed toshowphoto ID to votein pollingstationsatthis year’slocalelections.

Thisnew requirement wasintroducedby the UK Government ’s Elections Act which was passed last yearand comesinto force forthe f irsttimeatthelocalelectionson Thursday 4 May2023 Residentsare being urged tomakesurethey areready to vote in May by checkingthey haveanaccepted formof photo ID.

Accepted formsof ID includea UK,Eu ropean Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK,EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence; and someconcessionary travel passes, such as anolder person’s bus pass. Voters will b eableto useexpired ID if they arestillrecognisable fromthe ph oto.

Anyone who doesnot haveoneof theaccepted formsof ID can app lyfora free voter ID document (know nasa Voter AuthorityCertificate) via SMBC Elections Team.

Formoreinformationcontact SMBCConnect Serviceon 0121 7048001 orgoto www.solihull.gov.uk/voterid

HELPYOURVILL AGEBECOME AUTISMANDDEMENTIAFRIENDLY

You cantakeadvantageoffreetrainingto help Meriden bea friendly and accessible placetolive, work and relax forthose with Autismor Dementia. Thetraining datesareas follows:

15th March - Dementia 18:30

25th March - Autism 10:00

12th April - Autism 18:30

29th April -Dementia 10:00

17th May -Dementi a 18:30

27th May - Autism 10:00

All training willtake place fortwo hoursat The Pavilioninthe Sports Park Pleaseemailthe Clerk to book your place!

JOINOURTEAM– WEAREHIRINGADEPUTYCLERK

Are you seekinganew challengethatcan h avearealimpacton thelivesof localresidents? Are you a highly organised ind ividual whocancommunicate with a variety of stakeholders?

You may be joining us froma backgrou nd incommu nity work, financeoradministration – allof which would set youup for successinthisrole. But wearen ’ttoo focussed on what youhave been doing bu t what you w ill be doing.

The work of Parish and Town Councilsiscontinually growingand, assuch, so isoursmallteam.

Workingclosely with our Clerk and Responsible Financial Off icerand ateamof 8Local Councillors you will beinvolved ina variety of projects; from howwetackleclimatechangeto h owwecansupport residentsthrough thecost-of- livingcrisis, notwo daysarethesame.

Wearelookingtoinvestou rtimeand resourcesin you –we willsupport you through yoursector specific qualificationsand give you thetools you need to besuccessfulinthis job. We know the way of working haschanged significantly overthelast few yearsand whilst, by natureof the job, we willneed you to be based int heoffice f romtimetotime, weare happyfor you to work from home when you aren’trequired to b eintheoff ice.

20 hours p er week (in the f irstinstance) with evening, weekend & flexible w orking. Salary is paid pro rata based onexperienceand qualifications. £21,575-£26,845 (pro-rota).

Forapplication formand informationemail: clerk@meridenparishcouncil.org.uk

DON’TFORGETYOU CANJOINOUR WARMHUBEVERYTUESDAY

PARISHCOUNCIL ANDPARTNERS JOINFORCES!

In December, ourneighbourhood PCSOsand someof the team from Solihull Community Housing went doorto dooraround the villagetoget feedback onissuesand to givesafety advicetolocals. Someof our Parish Councillors joined them, checkingon smokealarmsand givingoutswitch timers, as wellas safety equipment. Ifyou missed them, please feel freetoget intouch toget any information we were givingout!

UPDATEFROMA& ARECYCLINGFOLLOWINGOURMEETING

A&A Recycling Services has had a busyyear, with lotsof infrastructure investmentthat has furtherimproved siteconditionsand localaccess roads, by havingthemresurfaced This hasmeantthesite becomeseasier tocleanand maintainand promotesour drivetoinvestinthe future sustainability of thesite. The waste wood industry hasseenanumberof changesinthelast 12 months, and this has been driven by theeconomic climateand ashiftinthe wasteindustry generally as Energy From Waste (EFW) becomesmore domestically driven (giventhetroublesseenin

Eastern Europe) In 2022,A&A Recycling Services wasnamed “Wood Recycling Businessof the Year” atthe Awards for Excellencein Recyclingand Waste Management , thankstoitseffortsinconverting waste wood into usable productsand providingelectricity tothousandsof homesthrough themeansof biomass.

Thesiteoperationat Meriden hasreduced itsoperatingequipment, going fromthree productionlines down tooneasthe businessis workinginachangingindustry - multi-supply sitemodelsasopposed to high volume singlesupply sitesarenow driving themarket. Thismeans wesupply thesameendusers with material volumes, butthisinvolves fewer vehiclemovementsthrough the Meridensite - asaresult, this helpsthe carbon footprint. A&A alsosuppliesanumberof local biomass facilitiesinthe Midlands - the aimisto bring local waste wood intothesesitestosupply thelocal population with greenelectricity. We hope 2023 will bring someeconomicstability, despitethenumberof worldwideissuesaffecting usall. We willcontinuetostrive for excellenceand continuethe “lifecycle” of wood foracleaner, greener future.

ShouldyouwishtocontacttheParishCouncil,pleasecontacttheClerktohavea privatechattoaddresslocalcommunityissuesorvisitourwebsitewhereyoucan accessawealthofinformation.

Clerk: Barbara Bland, 55 James Dawson Drive,Millisons Wood, Coventry, CV59QJ T: 01676 522474

clerk@meridenparishcouncil.org.uk

QUALITY AND FUN CLASSES IN BALSALL COMMON and BERKSWELL!!!

Barkers Butts RFC

Pickford Grange Lane Coventry CV5 9AR

n

Our professional and experienced instructor cares about each client and offers options to the exercises. Class numbers are limited for your comfort and safety.

Mondays – St. Peters Church Hall, Balsall Common

09:15 am RetroDanceFit

10:05 am Gentle Pilatesand Stretch

11:05 am Pilates for Beginners

Mondays – Heart of England School Dance Studio

6:00 pm RetroDanceFit

6:55 pm Pilates

Wednesdays – Reading Rooms, Berkswell

09:30 amand 10:30 am Pilates

11:30 am Youngat Heart – fortheover 70s

Visit the website www.positivefitnessuk.co.uk

YOU’LL GET A VERY WARM WELCOME. FOR ANY QUERIES, PLEASE EMAIL POSITIVEFITNESSUK01@GMAIL.COM

Or call Sally on 07778 124034

Come along to A warm welcome with Candy at Meriden Village Hall

Wealso have 4 Adult sides 1st XV to Vets

Thereisnow anew and exciting women'steam coachedby an

Hope to see you soon. T’ai Chi

and MeditationandRelaxation

Comeanddiscover how the beautiful flowingmovements of thisancientartcanimprove your well-being.

Relax and enjoy simplecalming relaxationand meditation techniques

Comeanddiscoverhow thebeautifulflowing movementsofthisancient artcanimproveyourwellbeing.Relaxandenjoy simplecalmingrelaxation andmeditationtechniques.

Mondays 9.30-10.30am

Meriden Village Hall Call Jacquion 07703345210 Theperfectstarttoyourday ……….

We Proudly Serve Starbucks® -15% Off

Manor Hotel | Main Road | Meriden | Solihull | CV77HN

www.manorhotelmeriden.co.uk sales@manorhotelmeriden.co.uk 01676 522735

Message from Saqib Bhatti MP

Entering 2023,I find myself reflectingonthe yearthat has passed. Itnow feelsamillionmilesawayfrom lifetoday, but 2022 saw the finalliftingofCovid restrictions. Thistimelast year I was writingabout Omicronas we were beginningtoemerge fromthe pandemic. Havingsaid goodbyeto 2022,I hopethat 2023 treats you and your family well.

With that,I wantto kick off by updating you onthe HS2 Viaduct. In January,I wroteto Solihull Metropolitan Borough Councilto objectto HS2’sapplication forthe viaduct. Inotherareasof thecountry, such asthe Colne Valley and Birmingham viaducts, HS2 havetaken hugestepstomitigatetheeffectof theconstruction, providing viaduct designsthataremuch morein keeping with the localarea.

HS2 promised tothe HouseofCommons Transport Select Committeethatlocalcommunities wouldbe provided withdesignoptions forconsultation. Despitethis promise, HS2 have failed, and continuesto fail, toofferany alternatives. Evenatthislatestage,I am continuingto urge HS2 to workwith residentsand Parish CouncilsofBalsall Commonand Berkswellto providerealisticoptions for the designof the viaduct. I willcontinuetorepresent yourconcernsonthecurrent plans forthe viaduct.

I also had agreatmeeting with “Talking Rubbish in Solihull” to discussthe fly-tippingand litterthat blights toomany of ourlocal communities. Wearesolucky to havesomany good groupsand volunteerscommitted tostampingitoutand I wholeheartedly stand with them. They raised anumberof issuesincludingthe usageand litteringof nitrousoxidecanisters. I amencouragedby recentreportsthatthe Governmentarelookingseriously at banningthe publicsaleand possessionof laughinggas.

Toadd tothis,I have writtentothe Home Secretary toask tomeet with meto discuss howwe further preventthesaleand illicit useof nitrousoxide, alongsidetacklingantisocial behaviourand litter. Itis just unacceptablethat while wetake prideinourlocal community therearethose whoengageinantisocial behaviourand litter.

And finally,I wantto highlightmy successful partnershipwith The Colebridge Trustthis Christmas, launchinganinitiativetosecure hatsand glov estogivetothemost vulnerable. I also worked incollaboration with the Solihull Round Tableon donationstothe Trust, with thegroup securing hundredsof itemsof thermalclothing. Thegenerosity shown duringthe hampercollection willgoa long way in helpingthosemostinneed at Christmas. For furtherinformationonthe Colebridge Trust, andhow you cansupporttheir work, visit www.colebridge.org

Asever, my officeremainsopenas usualand weareconductingsurgery appointments, so donot hesitateto book aslot. My contact detailsare below:

HURLEY MOTORCYCLES

MOTORCYCLE MOT TESTING

01827 872489

East House Farm

Hurley Lane

Hurley

Warwickshire

CV9 2GY

BALSALL COMMON U3A

Thursday 2nd March – “Whatlies beneath thesurface.

Roleof High Court Judge” ATalk byGinny Davis.

Thursday 6th April – “Laughingmy way around the world” A talk by Ian Maber

Thursday 11th May – “Star Fish, Stripes,Decoys & Dummiesi.e. Deception & Camouflage” A talk by David Skillen

All meetings are held in St. Peter’s Hall, Holly Lane, Balsall Common at 2pm.

There is no charge and prospective members are always welcome to attend. Please also look at our web site to see all our interest groups and what they are doing – there’s something for everyone.

|Dog Training | Residential training |

|Field hire of secure 10 acres Inc pond and woodlands|

Allourtrainingisadapted and tailored around your dog’sindividualneeds. Individualorgroup classesareavailable by appointmentand are fully flexible. Takealook atour Facebookpage

‘Grangemead Training’

Call Dorothy on 01676 542471

Call Dorothy on 01676 542471

To book your Session!

To book your session!

Finally,abusserviceimprovementthatwillappealtoall, includingdrivers!

Sometimesyoucanindeedpull victory fromthe jawsof defeat When Diane Howell and I heardthatyetanotherof our busservices (the 89) wastoclose, wewere determinedtodosomething aboutit Enlisting thehelpof the WestMidlandMayor wesetabout finding asolution

Wehaveendedupwitha bettersolutionthantheoriginalservice, whichwas just 3 busesadaylinking MeridenwithBalsallCommonandCannon Park.Thereisnowa verymuchimproved “on-demand” service Youcan book a bus totakeyouanywhere inthepink areainthemap. Busesrununtil11pm (3.30 pmomSunday). Youcan book upto 7 daysinadvance

Balsall Common,Coventry and Kenilworth easily inreach. Itwillpick youupclosetohomeandtakeyoutoplaceslikeBalsallCommon, Berkswell, Coventryor Kenilworth. If you fancyamealin Kenilworthyou can book a bustotakeyouthereand bring you back Same goes forplaces suchasCoventryhospitalortheBear InninBerkswell Youcanalso commutetowork orschool A bitlikeasharedtaxiservice

The costsare peanuts compared to taxis

Thecostsrange from £2 fora journeyupto1 5milesinstepsto £7 fora journeyof 10+ miles (asthecrow flies) withsignificantdiscounts forthose withaconcessionary buspass. If you book thenanyonetravelling withyou goes for just £1 If you buy 30 ticketsinadvance, theyonlycost £2 each

How do I use this?

You caneither book by phone 0345 034 8670 or get the WMOn Demandapp fromplaystoreetc. Youcanpay by cardthroughtheappwhenyoumakethe booking orexact cash (nochange) onthe bus Remember, book early Moredetailsareavailable bydownloading theapp. or just ring themup

Andrew Burrow Ward Councillor

AndrewwithWestMidlands Mayor Andy Street

Myadviceisplanand book ahead Solihull Council hasrecently pub lished the findin gs from The Place Survey.

The PlaceSurveyisalocalresidentperceptionsurveywhichiscarriedouteverytwoyears – the fieldworkforthelatest surveywasdonelastOctober ItasksSolihulladultsabouttheirlocalneighbourhood, communitysafety, environment, civic participationandwellbeing.Thesurveysampleisconstructedtoreflectthecompositionof Solihull’sadultpopulation (age, gender, ethnicity, limiting long-termillnessordisability) A totalof 660 responseswere gathered, mainlyobtainedthrough telephoneinterviews Inundertaking theanalysis, theresponseswereweightedtoreflectthe geographyanddemographyof Solihull’spopulation.

The key findings fromthesurveywerethat 84% aresatisfiedwithSolihullasaplacetolive, with 80% feeling stronglythat they belong totheirlocalneighbourhood While 38% of Solihullresidentssurveyedthink thattheirareahas gotworseoverthe lasttwoyears, nearly 70% of theseresidentsarestillsatisfiedwiththeirareaasaplacetolive.Therewassomeconcernabout Anti-SocialBehaviour (ASB) andthetop 3ASBissuesacrossSolihullare: Rubbish & Litter (34%); Vehicle Nuisance (32%) and People Using/Dealing Drugs (28%) IntheMeridenward,Rubbish & Litterisanincreasinglyseriousissue – thisisalso being combinedwithincreasing drug abuse, withmanyincidencesof evidencenitrousoxideabuseacrossthelocal villages Thereareserious, negativehealthandenvironmentalimpactswhichmust beaddressed Cllr Tony Dicicco, inhisroleas Cabinet Portfolio Holder for AdultSocialCare & Health, isworking closelywithSolihullCouncilofficerstoinitiateasocial mediacampaignwithSolihull Integrated AddictionServices (SIAS) Wearealsoorganising schoolsessions forstaff, pupils, andparents Wearedeveloping aninformationwebpage for solihull gov uk andworking withcommscolleaguesona borough widecampaignthatwillhelpusreachthosewhoarenolongerineducationandaremorelikelytoconsume, forexample, peopleintheir 20s.Thoseof uswithchildrenandyoung adultsliving withuscanalsodoour bittoeducatethemof the dangers. Thank you,Cllr TonyDicicco

Tony,Diane & Andrew

Nature & History on a lovely short local walk

My Favourite Meriden Walk. (Map onnext page)

This walk acrossgently rollingcountrysidegivessomemarvellouslandscape viewsand great opportunities forspotting wildlifeineach season. Startat St Laurence Church with its plain

Perpendicularsandstonetower. The high ground surroundingthechurch wasthesiteof theoriginal settlementand isrecorded as Alspath in Williamthe Conqueror’s DomesdayBook Hismeticuloustax survey of1086 states,“Countess Godiva held Alspathbefore 1066 Land for 8 ploughs. 8 villagersand 1 smallholder with 2 ploughs. Value before 1066, 40s; now 30s.”

Betweensummerand early autumn, harebellsgrow abundantly intheshortturf betweentheolder gravestonesclosetothechurch Christina Rossetti wrotethe perceptiveline,“Hopeislikea harebell, trembling fromits birth.”Fromthenortherly cornerof thechurchyard takethemarked footpath downhill. Follow thetall hedgerow on yourright. Kestrels huntabovethisrough grassland, either hov eringor usinga perch tospottheir quarry. Crosstwo fields until you reach agap inthe undergrowth thatopens, viaanold irongate, ontothe Birmingham Road. Carefully crossthe busy road anddescend thesteep stonestepstothe forecourtof the Queens Head pub Thisestablishment was analehouseinthelate 1600sandbecamea profitablecoachinginncatering forthe Londonto Chester /Holyhead stagecoach traffic. Imaginethe bustlingsceneasteamsof horses wereswapp ed and passengerssought food, drink and rest. Theroad from Coventry tothe bottomof Meriden Hill became aturnpikein 1723 Thomas Telford renovated the wholero ute from Londonto Holyhead in 1810 to enable Membersof Parliament with Irish constituenciestomakeasaferand swifter journey to Westminster. Helowered thegradienton Meriden Hilltomakeiteasier forthestagecoaches, butin doingso bypassed the Queen's Head and the 'Old Road' . Now turnleftalong Old Road and continue up Main Road, almostas farasthe Mano r Hotel. Look out forthe woodensignpostontheoppositesideof theroad showingthe publicrightof way betweenthe housesand gardens. Gostraight up the hilltothe hedgelineatthetop. Thenturnright, stayingclose tothe hedge Flocksof goldfinchesand occasionalchaffinches feed alongthis hedgerow Inautumn therearegood cropsof blackberriesand elderberriesto be picked A metal kissinggate beneath a largeash treeopensintoas heeppaddock Just pasttheircorrugated-iron field shelter, anothergate leadsintoamarshyfield with a bulrush fringed pond Field pondsthroughoutthe Ardenareaare associated with a history of stock-rearing. Look out for dragonfliesand swallowsabovethe wateron warms ummer days. Reedbuntings hideaway amongsttherushes, butmay be presentall yearround Proceeddiagonally tothegateontothe Berkswell Road C rosscarefully toclimb the bank oppositeand rejointhe footpath Herethereare bigskiesanddistant viewsofBirmingham, the Lickey Hillsand beyond. Bearrightafterthemetal farmgateand proceeddowntheslope, with themobile-home park on yourright. Noisy mixed flocksof crows, jackdawsand rooksoften feed onthese fields. Thecopse of silver birch and Scots pinetreesattractsall kindsof bird life. Lastsummer I watched agreatspotted woodpecker feedingachick initsnest burrow.

Onreachingthelargeoak downinthe valley besidethestream, turnleft besidethestream bank.

Herons hunt for small fry and frogsalong here. Atthe footbridgeoverthestream, theroutecontinues south-westerly untiliteventually comestothe hedgeandhighbank boundary tothereclamation yard What I firsttook to bea bunch of dead leavesinatangleof ivy turned its head to revealatawny owl! Takea 45 degreeturnontothelongstraight pathheadingeast. Listenout forthesongof askylark high above. Oncecommoninthese parts, skylarksarenow seriously threatenedby lossof habitat. There are us ually largenumbersof sheep hereandduringspringtime I oftensee jackdawscollecting beaks fullof wooltolinetheirnests. When you reach the Berkswell Road, crosscarefully tothe farmshop entrance. I usually enjoy acoffeeand pastry here whilst watchingthe herd of cattle munchinggrassin thenearbyfield. Walk alongtheroadside v ergeinanortherly direction forabout 50yardstothegate where weemerged earlierand re-tracetheroutethrough thesheeppaddock. Takethe direct path alongthe high groundback to St Laurencechurch tower, which isclearly visible. If thechurch isopen, thenadmirethe partly Normanchanceland the ‘Artsand Crafts’ stained-glass windowsmade by studiosin Smethwick

Rich Copland

Editor’s Note: - Many thanks to Rich Copland for another lovely walk and photos.

Great Spotted

Woodpecker & chick

Tawny Owl

St Laurence Church

Harebells

Kestrel

Heron

Map for the walk on previous page

Coronation W eekend

Timetable

Saturday 6th May - The Coronation Service at W estminster Abb e y

Sunday 7th May - The Coronation Concert at W in dsor C astle w ill be broa d castli v eon BBC1, BBC i P la y er, BBC R a d io 2 an d BBC So u n ds. ‘L ig h ting u p t he Nation ’ w illseeiconiclocationsacrosst he UK lit u p u sing p ro j ections , lasers , d rone d is p la y san d ill u minations.

2nd April 2023 – 40-mile circular route.

Startand finish atthe Heartof

England Social Club,Meriden.

Fully subscribed, but you can goonthe waitinglistat

https://www.acoventryway.or

g.uk/challenge/how-to-enter

The Coronation Big L unch C omm u nitiesacross

t he U nite d K ing domarein v ite d tos h are f oo d an d f u ntoget her , inanationw i d eacto f cele b ration an d f rien d s hi p . L oo k o ut f or detailso f o uro w n cele brationin M eri d en Sp orts P ar k– P art y int he P ar k Sunday 14 th May 11 am – 6.00pm

Monday 8th May (extra Bank Holiday)

The Big Help Out, organise dby T h e T oget h er C oalitionan d a w i derangeo f partnerss u c h as Th e S co u ts , t h e R o y al V ol u ntar y S er v icean d f ait h gro u p s will h ig h lig htt h e p ositi v eim p acto f v ol u nteeringoncomm unitiesacrosst henation.

QUEEN’S HEAD

A f riendly, traditional, local pub off eringa full rangeof traditionalales, beersand lagersas well as wines, spiritsand soft drinks.

Pub lunchesareserved Mondaysto

Saturdays from 12 noontill 2.30pm.

Great value daily specials.

Comealongand enjoy

Good Beer, Good Food,

Good Company and a

Great Atmosph ere.

Join uson 6th April at 8pm for Qui z Night with our popular quiz master, Rick Wise.

Look out for details of events for the Coronation weekend.

We are hoping to raise £1500. Please donate to our JustGiving Crowdfunding Page and help make it happen. Thanks for your support.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/in memoryofsuepointon?utm_term=X9Q bKzy54

This advert is sponsored by Meriden Paws

Hornbeam Tree

Pollenrecordsindicatethatthehornbeamhas beenpresentinBritain for5,000 years.Nativetosouthern

Englandand Walesitiswidelyplantedelsewhere Oneexample, the Dargaveltreein Renfrewshire, Scotland, is believed tohave beenplantedaround1670; it’sa vastspecimenwithlowsprawling branchesextending over1/3 acre.Local hornbeamsaremoretypical, mediumsizedtressthat growtoaround 30 metres.Thenamehornbeamcomes from

thedensityof thewood, hardashornwith beam being anoldword foraliving tree

Ironwood, Hardbeamand Yoke Elmareoldnames, thelatterreferstothe factitwas usedtomakeayoke foroxenthatcouldtakethestrainwhentheploughwaspulled

Hornbeam bark ispale greyandsmooth, butpatternedwithdistinctive verticallines

oftenhighlightedwithwavystreaksintonesof greyandrusset Sometimesitdevelops ashort, twistedtrunk whichdevelopsridgeswithage

In April, beforetheleavesappear, hornbeamarecoveredindancing, greenish gold catkins, bothmaleand femaleonthesametree.Themalecatkins, thosethathang downloosely, arereadytoreleasepollenontothewindwhentheyshowredand similarly, the femalecatkins, thosethatpointupwards, alsoshowredwhenreadyto receivepollen Hornbeamleavesaresimilar to beech, ovalwithpointedtips, but are smaller (3 to10 cminlength) andmoredeeply furrowed giving themapleatedlook

Theyhave finelytoothededges, whereas beechleaveshavesmoothedges, and a very finepointattheendwhichissometimestwistedover They become goldenyellowto orangeincolourinautumnandmoststayonthroughthewinter. Afterpollination, the femalecatkinsdevelopintohoplike, greenwinged fruits, knownassamaras. By autumnthey become brownandpaperdryhanging froma bractinlong clustersof

10-30cm.These bractshang onthetreethroughwinterafterthe fruithasdispersed.The fruititself isa verysmallnut, 3-6 mm long When ripe the samaras fall, their slightly asymmetrical shape makes them spin, improving dispersal

Ashornbeam keepsitsleavesinwinter, itprovidesshelter, roosting andnesting opportunities for birdsandsmall mammals. Itprovides foodandhabitat forthecaterpillarsof anumberof mothspecieswhile finches, titsandsmall mammalssuchasmiceand voleseatanddispersethetinynuts. Hornbeamcreatesattractive, densehedges, used forlabyrinthsof statelyparks. Themazeat HamptonCourt Palaceissaid tohave beenoriginallyhornbeamsandavenuesof hornbeamswereplantedat Angelsey AbbeyinCambridgeshirein1977 forthe Queen’sSilver Jubilee Otherusesaredetermined byitsuniqueproperties Itisof littleuse for building becauseof itsovalorirregularshapetrunk, oftendeeply flutedand furrowedinoldtrees Itswoodistoohardto beusedin general carpentry butwheresomething hardwearing wasneeded, chopping blocks, wheelhubsandcog forwindmillsand watermills, itwas worththeeffort Itisalsousedinparquet flooring anddried heartwood isnearlywhiteandsuitable for decorativeuse. Hornbeamwassaidto “burnlikeacandle” , thatis, reliably giving a fierceheat. Forcenturies, itwas coppicedandpollarded for firewood, fuelling bakers’ ovensandproviding charcoal forsmelting furnaces. Traditionally hornbeamleaveswereused formedicinalpurpose; theywereusedtostop bleeding andhealwounds, tomakeatonicsaid torelievetirednessandexhaustion, andteatosoothecoldsymptomsandminordigestiveproblems

If you’reinterestedinourtrees, localwildlifeandconservationin general, itwould be greattohear fromyou Collaborators verywelcome! Or visitthe Facebook page Meridenand Millisons Wood Trees Dates forconservation work partiesinMillisons Woodarealsonotifiedthere

SarahSharland MeridenandMillisonsWoodTrees meridentreewardens@gmail.com

HornbeamCatkins HornbeamSamaras HornbeamLeaves HornbeamBark Bluetit (byRichCopland)

Hornbeam,StrawberryFields

UsedStamps W

Summer Spectacular

fORDESonthegreen 01676 521653

fORDESonthe green 01676 521653

email : louforde@hotmail .com

“Everything

‘ Or design your own and chooseany 2 of these 25min treatme

Meride n Fish and Chips

The Green Meriden

butwe’rethebest!

hours Monday – Saturday 11.30am - 2pm and 4.15pm – 9.30pm Closed Sundays 01676 2 48100

ACE GARAGE

RADFORD

02476597879

email: service@acegarage.co.uk

Mot Service

Tyres

Exhausts

Courtesycar,collection & delivery options.

Call Brendan McManuson 07958518924

Weservice,repairand care foryourvehicle.

Gary Franklin

Andy H awkins

& Andy H awkins

FamilyFuneral Directors

Extending a handoffriendship andsupport

Weunderstandthateveryfamily isdifferent and we will tailor all arrangementstosuit yourneeds, requirements and budget.

*Traditionaland Th emed f unerals* Private ChapelsofRest *

*Available 24hours a day * Pre-Payment Funeral Plans *

*Will Writing Service *

*Help and Advice with DSS andSocial Fund; both happilyaccepted*

With branches in Tile Hill and Marston Green we are ideally situated to serve the communities of Coventry, Solihull and the surrounding areas.

The Acorn Funeral from £1250 (plus disbursements)

02476 47 3000

333 Tile Hill Lane, Tile HillCoventryCV4 9OU

0121 779 5577

50 Station Road Marston Green Birmingham

B37 7AU

Available 24hours a day 365 days ayear

Web site: www.franklinfunerals.co.uk

Email: info@franklin funerals.co.uk

PrincipalsJennifer and Samantha Faulkner

F.I.D.T.A B.A.Hons. Fellowship Teaching Degree Dip A.B.R.S.M.

The Orme School of Dancing

Meriden Branch –Meriden Methodist Church Hall

Classesin Ballet,Tap,

Modern Jazz, Gymnastic

Dance, Contemporary Dance and Musical Theatre.

Aged 2 ½ years upwards

Opportunitiestoget involved with shows, performancesand exams

Havealook atall we doat

Wearetakingenquiriesnow fornew childrenat our Meriden Branch

www.ormecoventrydance.co.uk

Email ormedance@gmail.com

ORME DANCE

ADULT CLASSES

Meriden Methodist Church Hall

Beginners Tap – Mondays at 7:15pm

Any age, shapeor 2 left feet. Everyoneis very welcome.

You justneed a bigsmileand agood senseof humour!!!

Mellow Movers – Mondays at 8pm

Classical balletclass fullof beautifulmovementand easy toaccesssteps forall. Great formusclestrength and flexibility.

02475 313216 or sandraclarke.orme@outlook.com

Mer iden’sOwnCalendar

Following the success of the 2022 calendar

It has been decided to produce one for 2024

Please submit your photographs to Meriden News and Views Facebook page by the end of each relevant month, where the pages will be voted on.

Please note photographs need to be in landscape format as below

For more information, please contact Mark Thompson 07538324631

Berkswell Windmill (CV77GY)

The windmill isa Grade II starlisted building and a ‘Scheduled Monument’ located withinthe villageof Balsall Common, on Windmill Lane It isa four bladed tower mill constructed in

1826, onthesiteof a former post mill.It isunderstood thata windmillhasstood onthissitesincethe 10th Century.It is built in brick withatypical Warwickshire wooden boat-shaped cap (roof) and isturned intothe wind byanendless chain windingmechanism.It washistoricallyused to grind flourand animal feeds, and in 1927 the millingwheels wereadapted to runoff a dieselengine, notreliantuponthe variablenatureof the wind. The mill was finally closed in

1948, afterthelast miller,John Hammond, died.Heand his wife, Gertrude Hammond, are buried in the groundsof Berkswell Church The Mill wasthenrestored between 1973 and1975, bythe

Millwright, Derek Ogden, for itsthenowners Betty and George Field.

It isoneof the most complete windmills inthe world withsailsand alloriginal internal machineryand tools for makingflourand animal feed.However, afterthe deathofMrand Mrs Field, the Berkswell Windmillagain fell intosome disrepairand wasadded tothe

‘Buildingsat Risk’ Registeruntil purchased bythe currentowner, Jeanette McGarry in 2004.It wasthenlovinglyrestored in 2012with finance from theownerand Historic England. Therefurbishment work included removalof treesand vegetation growingfrom the brick tower, removaland completerefurbishmentof the windmill's cap, restorationof the ironteeth, somereplacement bricks, repointing throughout, replacementof somerotten floorboards, internallime washing, rebuilding of theouter walland newpitch pinesails, shuttersand cloth. The fieldsoppositethe millare partof the Meriden Gap, a nationally important migratoryroute for wildlife, connecting the South withthe Northof England The fieldsarealso partof the Ancient Forestof Ardenand once belonged tothe Berkswell Windmill. The 1875censusstatesthatthe Berkswell Windmillhad 19 acres. Supportersof the Berkswell Windmill continueto campaignto protectthis internationallysignificanthistoric monumentand surroundingcountryside which ishometo great crested newts, bats, barnowls, tawnyowls, hedgehogs, hares, deer, badgers, molesand a wealthoffloraand fauna

The Berkswell Windmillnow operateson wind poweragainand lookstruly magnificent! Itattracts visitors from alloverthe world.It is in privateownership, but isaccessibletothe public oncea month from Easter Mondaythroughto October, withthehelp of volunteers.

When youcan visitthis Spring.

Ent ry is £5 peradult and £1for 12-16 yearolds. Free for under 12s.

Cash only. Pricesincludea guided tour. NB Nodogsallowed.

Openon 10th April (Easter Monday) and Saturday 13th May

Opening timeis 12-4p m and creamteas will beserved.

Weare planning to have Morrisdancers, a jazz bandanda

You can find them on Facebook

Justsearch for Berkswell Windmill

saxophonist. TheCoventry Spinnersand W eavers w ill be demonstrating their craft on both of theseopendays. All proceeds

go towards maintenanceof the wind mill.

Year 10 student Brea moves from Go-Kart to car as she takes to the race track at Brands Hatch in an amazing year for the young driver.

Year 10 student Brea Angliss has made her car-racing debut in the Michelin Ginetta Junior Winter Series at Brands Hatch last November. The two-day event saw her improve performance during the whole weekend and she has her eye on bigger things to come.

British Indoor Karting Championship

Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship

Formula 1

Le Mans 24 Hours

Images by Jakob Ebrey Photography

MISSING LINK

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.

KE FIVE

The 3 answersinthe grid below read thesameacross anddown You have 4 clues buttheyarenotintheright orderand oneisared herring.

1 Gardenentrances

2 Speciesofviolet

3. Famous

4. Alpinecall

NUMBERJI G– justlikea jig-word but with numbers

Visitourweb site,www.meridenrotary.org.ukfor more informationorcontact Jane Maugham (Club Secretary)

bytelephoning / texting 07905 377515 oremail herat mrcsecretary79@gmail.com.

Meriden RotaryClub has beenahiveof activitywitha four-day fellowship visittoSt IvesinCornwallduring whichwe attendedSt Ives RotaryClub President’snight

Wehada visittoan Indianrestaurant, along withourusualeclecticmix of afterdinnerspeakers OurcharitySanta Fun Runaroundthe Packington Estate, courtesyof Lord & Lady Guernsey, took placeona verycoldSundayin December Weare very gratefultothem; it wasa greatsuccesswithparticipantsrunning along withaherdof deerrunning nottoo faraway. Again, thanksto Tony Hill & allthehelpers forareally grandday.

ThecharitySantaSleigh flewaroundMeriden, Millison’s Wood & Hamptonin Ardenaswellasa goodnumberof staticsites Again, thesleighwasa greatsuccess

Sadly, duetotheunfortunateeventatBabb’sMillwedecideditwouldnot beappropriatetotour Kingshurstandour thoughtsarewiththe grieving families.

Our foodcollections forlocal food banks fromsupermarkets, mainly Aldi, arecontinuing toexpandwithanothernew collectionstarting in Nuneaton fortheBermuda Phoenix Centre WewerealsoabletodoaChristmas Eveanda New

Year’s Evecollection from Aldi

Wehave justcompletedour firstclub eventswithMeridenCof E PrimarySchool forthe Rotary Young Artistand

Young WriterCompetitionsandthewinning entrieshave beensenton forthedistrict1060 round.

WeheldourChristmaspartyattheManorwithoveronehundred guests. I hadthehonour, along withCharles Perry, to presentacheque forover £ 5000 00 to Parkinson’s Research UK.Theraffleraisednearly £ 400 00 forcharityanda goodnightwashad byall WeheldtheSeniorCitizens Partyonthe 21st JanuaryatSt Peter’s Hall, BalsallCommon

Thiswasshortly followed byBurns Night, whichagainwasa very goodnightandenjoyed byallwhoattended

Looking forward, onMay 22nd wewill beholding ourannual golf dayatMaxstoke Park Golf Club.Thiseventraises moneyto fundanexciting dayout fordisabledchildren. If youarea golferwhynot joinusanddowhatyouenjoy whilehelping aworthycause

On Tuesday 31st Januaryweenjoyedasocialevening at The Waterfront Restaurant, BartonMarinaandhada very good meal

I feelthatMeriden Rotarydoalotof goodwork, butalsoenjoyalotoffriendshipandenjoymentalong theway. So whynotcomealong tooneof ourmeetingsand bepartof a greatteam.

Phil Hughes. President 2022-2023

Meriden Rotary Club Christmas Santa Sleigh 2022

ThisyearwestartedtopreparetheSleigh quiteearlytomakesurewedidnothavethesortof last-minuteproblemswe hadexperiencedin 2021 Althoughtherewasnotmuchwork todo, problemsaroseandyetagainitwasthedayof the firstevent beforewewerecompletelyreadyto go!

The firsteventwason Friday 2nd December forSantatoswitchontheChristmas Treelights bythe village greenin

Hamptonin Arden. Itwasacold butdrynight.Thechurchchoirsang carolsandtherewasa big crowdof localpeople withtheirchildrentowatchthelightsilluminate. Westartedthenextweek withcollectionsinMillison’s Woodand Meridenandendedtheweek withanafternooncollectionatMelbick’s GardenCentre followedintheevening bya children’spartyat Packington Hall.TheSleighwasat Packington HallagainonSunday forthestartof theClub’s Santa Fun Run

Westartedthesecondweek witharoutearoundthelowerpartof Hamptonin Ardenandthentwoafternoonsat Morrison’sSupermarketinSheldon.Thisshouldhave been followed bytwoevening routesin Kingshurstwherelast yearadultsandchildrenturnedoutintheirhundredstoseeSanta Wecancelled bothof theseeveningsasamark of respecttothe familiesof the fouryoung local boyswhohadtragicallylosttheirlives by falling throughiceonapond threedaysearlier.Theweek endedwithatouraroundtheupperpartof Hamptonin ArdenandaSaturdaycollection outsideMorrison’sSupermarketinCastleBromwich.Liketheweek beforetheweatherhad been verycold but, thankfullydry.

Wewouldliketothank allthe Friendsof Rotarywhohelpedwithcollecting, driving thesleighonmanyeveningsorin anyotherway.Thanksmust goespeciallytotheofficersandcadetsof T SStirling SeaCadetswithoutwhosehelpwe wouldhave found verydifficulttotheholdtheevents. Wemustalsothank Heather Greenwhohasprovideduswith coveredstorage fortheSleighinher barnduring thelastyear. Weexpectedcollectionsto bedownthisyearduetothe currenteconomicsituation butpeoplewere very generousandweraisedover £3100, the bulk of whichwill be going to the President’sCharity, Debra UK(debra org uk), withsmallerdonations going to Troop Aidand T SStirling

It was a bumper year for crops on the allotment – but something odd was going on John eventually concluded someone was helping themselves. What to do? Technology offered a solution. He bought a trail camera, set it up and two days later, retrieved the memory card. The videos were interesting but only showed birdlife. Time leapt forwards - motion-activated footage - and dawn arrived Someone climbed over the gate It was only a short visit but repeated the following morning. He made an early start to catch the thief. Just after dawn on the allotments, he saw a small figure slip through the hedge and walk towards his carrot patch. * * *

Our life is rubbish and it all started when Mum died Even I, at eleven, knew she held us all together Dad called her his UHU girl – she kept us all glued together. Then she got cancer. She had operations, chemo, all horrible - and in the end, she still died Dad fell apart He gave up work and life, basically. I took over, keeping things as normal as possible to keep social services at bay. Dad drank most of our income, so we went hungry. Then I discovered the allotments I started helping myself; I felt bad about stealing, but I figured our need was greater. Then, even that went wrong. The doorbell rang one morning and Dad answered. I heard another male voice but not what was said. The door closed.

Dad yelled, ‘Jenny, get your arse down here.’

He was staring blankly at the telly. ‘Some old guy at the door asking to speak to you.’

I was puzzled. ‘Did he say who?’

‘John, I think.’

‘Don’t know any John Did he say why?’

‘He just said if you wanted to see him at the allotments after school, he’d be there.’

I gulped. ‘Anything else?’

Dad thought a bit harder ‘He said if you were interested, he’d show you how to plant stuff.’ His gaze drifted towards me ‘What’s this about, Jenny?’

My brain raced. ‘I saw him working up at the allotments yesterday. We said hello and talked about growing stuff.

That’s all.’

Dad’s focus returned to the telly. ‘OK, then Just be careful, mind.’

After school, Jenny visited the allotments.

‘Hello,’ she called nervously.

John looked up, smiled, and walked across

‘I’m glad you came. I’m John. Your father didn’t tell me your name.’

‘Jenny,’ she mumbled. ‘Look,’ the words rushing out, ‘I’m sorry I stole from you, it’s just that… ’

John interrupted her ‘I spoke to neighbours – they all say what a great job you’re doing – after the loss of your Mum,

that is. It must be tough.’

She nodded.

‘Well,’ continued John ‘If you have time, I could show you how to grow vegetables.’

‘I would like that And my brother as well? I have to look after him as my Dad ’

‘Of course,’ said John. The neighbours had told him about Jenny’s Dad.

So, they worked together on the allotment, preparing the soil, planting and harvesting. One Sunday, Jenny’s Dad appeared ‘Hello,’ John called ‘Nice to see you, come and look around.’

He shuffled onto the plot, embarrassment clear on his face.

‘I’ve come to see what my kids spend all their time doing,’ he muttered.

John showed him round, explaining what they were growing.

‘You would be welcome to help as well – if you want to, of course.’

Jenny’s Dad pointed to the sign at the entrance, advertising allotments to rent.

‘I was thinking of taking one on myself Time I got out of the house a bit ’

* * *

Jenny stopped typing, sighed, and stared out the window. It was her lunch break. She could see the throng of visitors entering Wisley, the headquarters of the Royal Horticultural Society. She was now a head of department there, responsible for research into plant diseases

Her father had died unexpectedly. She found his loss hard to deal with and sought counselling. The therapist suggested she write her life story to get through the grief. She found the process useful, but sometimes emotional; this was one such time

That contact with John changed the direction of her life And that of her father The hard physical labour needed to get an abandoned allotment into production had taken him beyond his sadness. He re-started work and they once more became a functional family. Jenny studied horticulture and ended up working for the RHS She had a demanding but satisfying career and a family of her own It could have been very different if John hadn’t been so perceptive and caring. She still had an allotment, and every time she tilled the soil, she thought of John; nurturing lives alongside the lettuces.

Village Diary – How lucky we are to have so much going on!

Out and About this Spring

From 20th February 2023 for 3 years. Fresh from the Natural History Museum in London, Dippy the Diplodocus stomps into the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

Millennium Place, Hales St. Coventry. CV1 1JD

Belgrade Theatre Coventry

4th March and 6th May 10:30am12:30pm & 1:30-3:30pm

Hope you enjoy visit ing some of these places!

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

https://spacecentre co uk/visit

Exploration Drive, Leicester. LE4 5NS

Editor’s note – This is a fascinating place, but avoid term time as there are lots of school groups there and it can be very noisy.

School Ofsted Inspection

In November, the school was inspected by Ofsted for two days. Our last inspection was in October 2016. We are delighted that we have been awarded a rating of ‘Good’ in all areas again, especially since the benchmark for ‘Good’ is at the highest level it has ever been The leadership team, staff and governors are very proud of this report. We are pleased that the hard work and commitment continually shown by the staff have been recognised and that our warm, nurturing ethos was clear to see. The full report can be found on our website at https://www.meridenceprimaryschool.com/statutory

School Charity Visit

In January, the school council, along with the head boy and head girl, had the opportunity to visit Birmingham Children’s Hospital, our charity of the year, to see first-hand what our fundraising money could support One of the newer fundraising schemes is for virtual reality headsets, so children can have small procedures done with less stress and discomfort We also found out about the new MRI machines which help in ground-breaking work during brain surgery.

Finally, we visited Waterfall

House, with the most spectacular virtual waterfall,

controlled by visitors!

We look forward to raising a

Lot of money for this fantastic cause.

Young Voices Concert 2023

A group of our children in Key Stage 2 attended the amazing Young Voices concert at Resorts World

Arena again in January. Young Voices gives the chance for children to sing alongside approximately 6000 other children with some incredible artists and musicians, building a love of music that will last a lifetime! Family and friends who watched the performance thoroughly enjoyed the experience too.

If you’d like to donate, please contact school or go to https://www.bch org uk/

Our year 3 children have had such amazing experiences over the past few months. They took part in a stone age day where they dug up the school grounds and found lots of bones! As part of this topic, they also visited Creswell Crags, where they toured a cave, had a ‘Stone Age Safari’ and also learned stone age survival skills, such as spear throw ing.

WE NEED YOU!

Do you have some regular spare time? We are looking to recruit an army of reading buddies for the children in our school. We will provide training; all you need is a willingness to dedicate some time. An enhanced DBS disclosure with Children’s Barred List Check would be completed by the school. If you are interested, please email office@meriden.solihull.sch uk Thank you!

Meriden CE Primary School is look ing for a Lunchtime Supervisor to join the team at our happy, caring school and help to ensure our children make excellent progress. We can offer an atmosphere of life-long learning, a supportive and developmental team and the opportunities to make a difference to the lives of our fantastic children, in our unique environment and setting.

Responsibilities include:

• Supervising children

• Dealing with minor first aid issues

• Managing behaviour in line with school policy

• Providing a range of activities both inside and outside

• Maintaining a positive atmosphere

Please contact the office for more details and an application pack. CVs are not accepted. office@meriden.solihull.sch.uk 01676 522488

Meriden CE Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and expects all staff to share the commitment. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check which will be carried out before appointment to any job at the school is confirmed This will include details of convictions cautions and reprimands, as well as ‘spent’ and ‘unspent’ convictions.

Meriden Party in the Park

Come and celebrate with us on Sunday

14th May 11.00am – 6.00pm

*Bring a picnic*

*Inflatables* Games* Stalls*

*Music* Fresh Food*

Sponsored by the Parish Council and Meriden Sports Park in partnership with Precious Events

Sunday 26th March

British summer time begins

Don’t forget to put your clocks forward one hour

Deadline for the summer 2023

1st May with delivery around 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 readers: Adrian & Jane Wood

Advertising costs £25 per 1/4 page and £13 per 1/8 page.

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

issue 1st June

Goodbye and Thank You to Sue Fuller, who has been our faithful proof reader for the last few years.

Hello and Welcome to Adrian and Jane Wood who have kindly taken on the role.

Dates to remember Cyclists’ Service

Sunday 21st May 11.00am on the Green

Saturday 6th May

Coronation of King Charles III

A reminder of Christmas: Santa visiting the Village on the Rotary Sleigh