MeridenMag Spring 2023

Meriden Mag Spring 2023

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.

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

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 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

ST. LAURENCE CHURCH NEWS Priest in Charge: Church Wardens:

Rev Kevin Flanagan 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

Spring Service Details Date 5th Mar 8th Mar 12th Mar

19th Mar 26th Mar 2nd Apr 9th Apr 16th Apr 23rd Apr 30th Apr 7th May 14th May

21st May 28th May

Service Holy Communion Licensing Service at 7:30 pm Holy Communion (Rev. Kevin’s first service) Holy Communion Mothering Sunday Morning Prayer – Joint Service Holy Communion Holy Communion for Easter Day Holy Communion Morning Prayer – Joint Service Holy Communion Holy Communion Joint Service at Meriden Methodist Church Cyclists’ Service at the Green 11am Joint Service

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

Please check the web site.

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

Snowdrops in the churchyard

For any enquiries about Baptisms and Weddings, or pastoral needs, please contact the church warden: Carol Clarke 07500 700679 churchwarden.meriden@gmail.com

Meriden Lions Update spring 2023 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.

Under 11s 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.

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.

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

Quiz Night 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 Steve on 01676 522430 R.I.P Sue - February 28th 1948 - JanuaryMeriden 3rd 2023 Ltd We would likePointon to thank most sincerely Pertemps It istheir with great sadnesssponsorship that we must off inform all of the passing of Susan for generous ouryou Motor Neurone Pointon who was a very valued committee member and Treasurer of the Charity Fundraising Night which took place on Friday 11th Heart of England Social for a great number of years. Sue passed away February.

Details of the night besadly put missed in nextand edition ofour peacefully on 3rd January 2023.

She will will be we send the Mag.condolences to Sue's family at this sad time. deepest Upcoming events UPCOMING EVENTS

Every - Bingo Night, game 8.00pm Bingo Friday each Friday night,first first game starts 8.00pm rd

Friday 3 March 8.00pm Karaoke in the bar admission th Friday 18 March St Patricks Karaoke free night, free entry th Friday 17 March St Patricks Day celebration featuring live in the bar.

Room Dressing and catering available for showing ofth'The Gold Cup' followed by Disco/Karaoke Friday 25 March, Cancer Research Charity Night & th your Party or Function. Contact Steve Friday 7 April Karaoke in the bar free admission 8.00pm & Chip Fish Saturday 29thSupper.

April, Clubs 70th Birthday Celebration with live th April, music & 17 disco through 'The Ages' Sunday Easter Egg 8.00pm Hunt & Family th Entertainment.

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

All welcome.

Saturday 14th May, Big Screen Horse Racing Night & Also Coming Soon: . entertainment £2.00 JC EventsOther are excited to bring you an array of unmissable events Room Hire: Book your special orweekend meetingofinevery our throughout 2023.

Party nights will beevent, held onparty the last function room.

Weout offer *Room Dressing* month so keep an eye on our website for more Catering* information and Entertainment * Call our friendly staff for details or to view ROOM HIRE BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR PRIVATE PARTIES*Follow us on Facebook – Heart Social Club* CALL STEVE FOR MORE INFOof ONEngland 01676 522430

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Minister Rev. Jane Braund Tel: 01676 533737 Please phone to arrange marriages, baptisms and funerals Services: Sunday 10:30am.

In Meriden

Greetings from the Methodist Church Over the Winter months the church has been open every Wednesday. During this time, we have shared soup and homemade bread, as well as fruit, and had an opportunity to play games or just sit and chat. This will now be continuing through the month of March and we look forward to welcoming you on a Wednesday from 12.15pm The Warm Hub is free and open to all faiths and none and everyone is welcome.

With Christmas long past, the church is now looking forward to the celebration of Easter when we remember Jesus’ death and resurrection. At Christmas we believe that God entered into the world he created, but at Easter, because of his great love for the world, we believe that through Jesus, he died for it – for us. Jesus was killed and hung on a cross for the world he loved and came to save. However, death could not hold him and three days later he rose again. His resurrection brings us hope, in a world that often feels hope-less.

When we look around, we can feel overwhelmed by all the tragedy, violence and hopelessness we see – not just in this country but around the world. We can question ‘Why doesn’t God do something?’, but the truth is, in a world that spends so much time pushing God away, God already has done something. The death and resurrection of Jesus brings us hope, peace and security in a world that lacks all 3, because Jesus’ resurrection witnesses to life beyond the world systems. It doesn’t deny the reality of all that is happening, but it testifies to the truth that through Jesus our darkness can be turned to light, death is turned to life and our confidence and hope is in him alone.

If you wish to hear more about Jesus then please come and join us on a Sunday at 10.30am on the second and third Sundays of each month. We also meet on the first Sunday at 4.00pm for more informal conversations and on the 4th Sunday we meet at St Laurence.

Dates for your diary Maundy Thursday service at 7.00pm led by Rev Ian Coates.

Good Friday 10.30am meeting on the Green for Walk of Witness to St. Laurence Church where there will be a midday time of reflection.

Easter Sunday service at 10.30am.

Methodist Church open for lunch and warm space

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

We look forward to seeing you on future Wednesdays

We look forwarding to seeing you, Jane

CAMEO – Come and Meet Each Other A belated Happy New Year everyone.

Here’s what we’ve been up to.

In December, we had our Christmas Party. We were entertained by the local choir, Simply Purple. We had songs and carols and everyone joined in. The hall was filled with Christmas spirit. I wish to thank all who bought raffle tickets. We made a grand total of £131 which will help swell our funds. The person who won the hamper kindly donated it to the Rev Jane Braund, the Methodist Minister, who found a very good home for it.

In January, Midlands Legal Services, who are specialists in will writing, gave us a talk. The talk was very useful and informed us of a lot of things we were unaware of when writing a will. We all left knowing more about the importance of making a will and what can happen if you don’t!

In February, we had a Quiz afternoon. We do so enjoy this. It gets the brain working, the little grey cells as Hercule Poirot would say. We always have laughs and competition, as always, was fierce. Everybody likes to win and our quiz afternoon is no exception.

We want to take this opportunity to thank Joan Jones’s grandson, Elliot, who generously donated some money to Cameo. For each of our members’ birthdays, a gift will be bought with his kind donation. Thank you again, Elliot, from us all at Cameo.

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.

Sat 18th Mar – “Mrs Harris goes to Paris” (12A) Mrs Harris is a salt-of-the earth London charlady who cleans for rich households. One day, she comes across one of her employer’s beautiful Dior gowns and she vows to save up to have one of her own. When she receives an unexpected windfall, she finally has the means to travel to Paris and realise her dream. When she arrives at The House of Dior, she has little idea of how her life is to be turned upside down and how many other lives she will transform for ever. The film is based on a novel by Paul Gallico, stars Lesley Manville and has been nominated for inclusion in the 2023 Academy Awards. Tickets are available from Chris

Copper - £6 each. Telephone This dramatisation is the story of Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins), a modern- 01676 522645 / 07721 342127 or day amateur historian, who defied the stodgy academics at Leicester Email - chriscopper42@me.com University in her efforts to find the remains of King Richard III, which had NB. Dates may be subject to been lost for over 500 years. Also starring Steve Coogan and directed by change so please check when Steven Frears, the film is set in Leicester with shots of Bosworth Field. It is a booking. comedy drama with a local topical feel and is a life- affirming true story of a

Sat 22nd Apr – “The Lost King” (12A)

woman who refused to be ignored, and who forced the eminent historians to think again about one of the most controversial kings in English history. Highly recommended!

Sat 20th May – Film tbc

Meriden Libraryy News

Please note, all information is accurate at the time of writing - January 2023 Meriden Library is open to everybody– you can read and borrow books, access the internet and PCs, or just sit and relax, all for free. If you aren’t a member already, all you need to join is something official with your address on, like a utility bill or driving licence.

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

Meriden Library has free computer and internet access If you have a library card, you can use one of the public computers at the library. If you’re not yet a member, joining the library is free, easy and quick. Up to 3 hours free internet access for library members or 15 minutes use of quick access PC for all (no library membership required). We also offer printing facilities (charges apply), scanning facilities and Wi-Fi access Computers are available until 15 minutes before the library closes, and staff are always on hand to help if needed.

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

Children’s Easter Crafts Drop in between Monday 3rd April and Thursday 13th April to get creative at our craft table! We’ll have some fresh seasonal crafts to get you hopping into Spring, suitable for ages 5 and up with adult supervision, plus colouring for under 5s Learn My Way Would you like to improve your computer skills? We offer free training using the Learn My Way website with staff to guide you. Sessions can be tailored to meet your needs and skill level, from creating documents to staying safe online you can improve your workplace IT skills with our help. Sessions run on Tuesday and Thursday mornings 10am – 11am, with booking in advance required. Contact library staff for more details.

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 If you can’t get to the library yourself, our Home Library Service can help. When you get in touch, a member of the team will contact you by phone to assess your individual needs and circumstances.

They will explain how the service works and answer any questions you may have. They will also find out what sort of books you enjoy – this will help staff to choose items for you. We’ll then arrange a time to visit. If this is something you think that you, or someone you know, may benefit from, do call the Home Library Service team on 0121 704 6947 or email: libraryarts@solihull.gov.uk and we will take it from there.

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

Readers’ Circle Meetings Wed 8th March – The Natural World, fact/fiction Wed 12th April – An Elizabeth 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.

Her eagerly awaited new novel, the scene is London 1926. At the centre of the story is Nellie Coker and her family. She is the owner of a handful of nightclubs in the Soho area. She has been ruthless in the way she has built this empire, making a number of enemies on the way. All but the youngest son of her 6 children are involved in running the business in some way or another.

Her achievements have meant treading a fine line between law and order and the dark side of Soho’s world. She has always been able to ensure that local law does not pay too much attention to her dealings. There is, however, a new force on the scene, a Detective Chief Inspector Frobisher who has undertaken to clean up the scene. There have been reports of a number of girls travelling to London and disappearing and he strongly suspects the clubs are involved.

At the heart of things is the Amethyst Club where Nellie has her HQ. As usual, there is a large cast of characters and many sub plots detailing how they become involved in the story.

Contact numbers Sue 01676 522540 Carol 01676 522888

Email MeridenCRUK@gmail.com Greetings from Sue, Carol and the Meriden Committee!

We hope this edition of the Meriden Mag finds you all well and looking forward to putting all the political shenanigans of 2022 behind us. As we look around and about, signs of spring already seem to be sprouting and hopefully we will all be able to enjoy spectacular scenes into Easter!

Since our last sale at the In Pink & Blue night, our band of knitters and sewers kept us supplied in the run-up to Halloween and the festive season, with a constant supply of pumpkins, ghosts, snowmen, puddings, robins and suchlike which enabled us to fundraise far and wide (ok, mostly Meriden, but some were exported to Lincolnshire, Wiltshire and the southern hemisphere!) and we raised a further amazing £1,650. Our knitters are currently resting their needles but many thanks go to them and all those who purchased their craftwork. Thanks also go to those watching the World Cup Final at the Queens Head, where a 20-minute flash sale at half time managed to clear all of our remaining chocolate orange stock and boost sales by nearly £80! Despite our pre-Xmas event at the Heart of England Social Club being slightly overshadowed by the England vs France semi-final there was still plenty of good music, good company, lots of dancing and the event raised £780 for our chosen charity.

Looking forward, our first event in 2023 will again be held at the Heart of England Social Club, on the 22nd April for a “Supper Social” when Keith Slater (vocalist/multi-instrumentalist and former lead singer with Vivo) will entertain us and provide yet more opportunities to twirl on the dancefloor! Tickets cost £12.50 each, including supper, and will be available through Sue, Carol, the Committee and the Club.

This year will also see the return of the ever-popular Meriden Open Gardens on Sunday 2nd July, a bumper day out with plenty of gardens to see, plant sale, refreshments, tombola and raffle. We already have some new gardens and, of course, some of our old favourites but we are still actively looking for a few more ‘first timers’. If you are at all interested in adding your garden to our schedule but have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Sue. Any type, size or style of garden is welcome. Full event details will be made available nearer the time.

On a sadder note, we offer our condolences to all the Pointon family on the unexpected death of Sue. She was a lovely lady who supported various clubs and life in the village, in particular The Club and of course CRUK – we shall miss her laughter and smiles and her ever present help, especially with Maggie for our raffles.

Further activities are planned for later in the year and, as always, details will be provided on posters around the village, on Facebook and of course, in the Meriden Mag. We look forward to seeing you at any, or all of our events. If you would like to become more involved in any of the fundraising work we do for Cancer Research UK Sue or Carol would love to hear from you. In the meantime, we hope you have a great Easter.

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

Art Classes for all!

Watercolour painting classes with Julie Hyde are back in Meriden Village Hall on Wednesday mornings and afternoons. Also Zoom classes are available on Thursday mornings. Please contact Julie on 01676 523357 or email jph300@hotmail.com for more information.

Meriden Women’s Institute 1918 – 2022

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

The WI has been part of the Meriden Community Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month since 1918. As part of the WI, you will learn new 7:30pm at Meriden Village Hall, Main Road CV7 7NG skills, forge friendships and make a difference Spring meeting plan is:in your community by joining the largest women’s organisation in the U.K. Whatever your reason for joining, we offer all kinds of th opportunities: a chance to meet people, catch up with friends, learn 6 Mar – Anecdotes of a valuable life skills or help your community through WI campaigns. Professional Dog Walker The Meriden WI has been very busy over the past few months and 3rd Apr – My Transgender Story we now have a regular book club session at the Meriden Library, 8th May – AGM and Coronation with “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens on the current Tea Party reading list, followed by a free choice of any book with a humorous th 5 Jun – Charitable African theme. Once a month, the ladies meet for a Darts session and Adventures – Carol Clarke 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 For more information, please contact us via email meridenwi@hotmail.com or continue through Winter into Spring. 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

LITTLE ANGELS PRE-SCHOOL At Meriden C of E Primary School TAKING BOOKINGS NOW FOR SEPTEMBER 2023!

We are open 7.30am - 5.30pm and have sessional and full time spaces available for 2 - 4 year olds.

Non-funded and funded places available.

We accept 15 & 30 hour funding and tax free childcare schemes.

We can also provide afternoon wraparound care for children attending Meriden C of E Primary School nursery (FS1). You can split your 30 hours entitlement between both settings.

We also offer breakfast and after school club for children at Meriden C of E Primary School.

For more information or to book your child's place, please contact us at info@littleangelsgroup.co.uk or 07394 984233

M.J. Mowing martin@mjmowing.co.uk

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Indi Sangha Window Cleaning and Jet Washing Services Serving Meriden and Millison’s Wood area for over 20 years Call 07949 227402 Berkswell & District History Group 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!

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 it can be fixed, I'll do my best to fix it.

Collection service available.

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 Meriden Beavers We’ve been having lots of fun at Beavers recently!

This half-term we’re working on three exciting Activity Badges; Book Reader, Cook and Communicator.

Some of my older members are also working on their Personal Challenge Award, which involves them challenging themselves to do things they find tricky over a period of time.

As well as working towards earning badges, we’ve also been enjoying some indoor games, such as dodgeball. I’m now looking forward to the weather improving so we can get outside a bit more!

Having recently lost both our Young Leaders, we’re now down to two uniformed leaders at Beavers and reliant on parent helpers. If you’d be interested in joining the Scouting Movement and becoming a Beaver Leader, do please get in touch with me or Gerry.

Eleanor 1st Meriden Cubs So, what did we do to entertain these inquisitive, enthusiastic, full of energy small folk who call themselves cub scouts? Well, we ask them first of all…. but once they realise, we can’t go to the moon on a cub night and be back in bed for 8.30pm we try and lower their expectations with a view to learning new skills and making new friends, - oh and earning the odd badge along the way.

We worked on the Animal Carer badge…. most cubs cared for their pets, mainly cats and dogs but one lad said he had a pet dragon, when he repeated it to me, he had my attention right away. Was it called Puff? No, these were Aqua Dragons; I learn something every day!

Further badges were their Skills challenge, learning to iron and roll their neckers; how to sew on a badge and polishing their shoes; and polish some grimy silver, also their World Challenge, learning about different countries and the charity Shelter Box UK. In November, we arranged for the older cubs and all the scouts to visit to the Civic Centre in Solihull. We were given a fantastic tour by the Mayor, Mr Ken Meeson and his aid. They showed us the ins and outs of the how the council operates and why, explaining the history of the Solihull Crest, ‘Urbs in Rure’ translating to Town in the Country. The Cubs asked lots of questions fuelled by the fascination of the microphone system. In the Council Chambers they were shown the trophy cabinet, which also had a wow factor.

One evening which they thoroughly enjoyed was an evening of board games. Digging out all our 80’s games from Draughts to Tiddlywinks, the evening was filled with laughter and wow’s, giving parents some good ideas for Christmas presents.

Post-Christmas we are working more on ‘Scouty’ things getting them ready for the summer season of camps and the challenges that comes with it, working on their Navigation and 1st Aid, just in case! Along with a ‘come dine with me’ where the cubs will cook for their parents… so looking forward to that one!

Please get in touch if you are interested in becoming a leader and helping the few leaders that run the group 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 for more information

1st Meriden n Scoutt Group p Eventss Beetle Drive March 12th 2.00pm – 4.00pm £3 per person, everyone welcome bring the whole family! Raffle & Tuck Shop op o p Full instructions will be given on playing this fast fun game

Curry and Quiz night, Friday evening 28th April 7.00pm £15 per person

All proceeds to fund raise for our planned Scout Hut development.

Planting summer bulbs, corms and tubers.

As spring approaches, it’s time to head outdoors and prepare your garden for summer blooms.

Flowers categorised as ‘summer bulbs’ are flowering bulbs which grow and bloom during the summer, and so they are planted at the start of spring. Summer bulbs need warm weather and warm soil; a rule of thumb to remember is if it’s time for your tomatoes to go outdoors, it is also time to plant your summer bulbs.

Begonias How to plant: Begonias planted in beds which are enriched with wellrotted or leaf mould will make a fine show. They should be started in shallow boxes in light soil; the saucer like tubers should be planted very shallow with the hollow side up. As soon as any danger of frost is passed then they can be transferred to their position in the garden at least 30cm apart.

Dahlias How to plant: Dahlia tubers can be planted 10cm deep in fertile well drained soil, outdoors in spring when the frost has disappeared. They prefer to be in a sunny location and spaced at approximately 45cm apart. In areas where there is extreme cold, dig up dahlias and store in a cool peat over the winter. Apply a high potash fertiliser every few weeks in summer and dead head when necessary.

Lilies How to plant: Each lily bulb should be surrounded with a little sharp sand both under and above the bulb to keep slugs away and to ward off excessive wetness. As most liliums are stem rooting we strongly recommend you plant at 15cm deep. They give a much better display when planted in clumps of 3, 6 or 12 bulbs (45cm apart). Planting time is October through to April.

Gladioli How to plant: plant gladioli corms about 10-15cm deep and about 10-15cm apart, in fertile/well drained soil. When planting in a heavy soil, place some sand underneath each corm to help with drainage. Experts recommend planting Gladioli in groups at monthly intervals, starting early spring, to extend the flowering season for a display which lasts all summer long.

Easter egg cheesecake.

Ingredients Vegetable oil, for the tin digestive biscuits.

80g unsalted butter, melted.

250g chocolate mini eggs.

400g full-fat soft cheese.

150g icing sugar.

1 tsp vanilla essence.

400g double cream.

Many thanks to Margaret Argyle for this colourful page

Oil a 20cm deep springform cake tin and line with baking parchment. Tip the digestive biscuits into a food bag or the bowl of a food processor and crush or blitz to a fine crumb. Mix with the melted butter, then press into the base of the prepared cake tin and chill for 30 mins.

Roughly chop half the chocolate mini eggs. Beat the soft cheese with the icing sugar and vanilla until just combined using an electric whisk. Clean the beaters, then beat the double cream to stiff peaks in a separate bowl. Gently fold the whipped cream into the soft cheese mixture along with the chopped chocolate mini eggs. Spoon the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base, then smooth the surface with a palette knife or spatula. Chill overnight.

The next day, carefully release the cheesecake from the tin (you may need to run a cutlery knife around the edge to loosen it) and top with the remaining whole chocolate mini eggs to decorate.

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

Meriden Flower Club Meetings are held at Meriden Village Hall 7.30-9.00pm on the third Monday of each month except for the Christmas meeting.

Doors open at 6.30pm and entry fees are paid on the door. The Club hosts a wide range of local and national flower demonstrators. with practice classes Guestsalong are always welcome.

Please contact: meridenflowerclub@hotmail.com

Members enjoyed a very festive evening in December enjoying Lorena’s ‘Magic of Christmas’ demonstration

Meriden Sports and Recreation Trust support local non-commercial groups by providing small grants to be spent developing their sporting, recreational and leisure projects. We have helped many local groups. For more info about making your group’s own small grant application please visit our website www.meridensrt.org.uk Meriden Flower Club received a small grant from Meriden Sports Park & Recreational Trust enabling the club to purchase a sound system. This was successfully used at the Magic of Christmas demonstration by Lorena Dyer and appreciated by all members and visitors

Gerry Russell, Chairman, and Kevin from Mustard Presentations, present Gail Todd and Lorena Dyer with the newly purchased sound system

Firebird Singers Update We were delighted to see so many of you at our Christmas concerts at the Manor Hotel. Both performances were almost sold out. We know you all enjoyed it from the many comments we have had since. Also, hopefully some of you were lucky enough to win one of our many Christmas hampers in our bumper raffle.

We are now practising hard for our summer concert called “On Top of the World.” This concert is the last in our season supporting Coventry and Warwickshire Mind, and appropriately it’s music to make you feel good. Please see the poster on the events page of the Mag. Tickets are already available.

In November we held our 10th Anniversary celebration at the Manor Hotel (this was actually twelve years because the event was delayed 2 years by the Covid pandemic.) We are very proud to say that in those 12 years we have raised almost £45,000 for various good causes and we hope, with your continued support, to raise much more in the future.

We are very proud to say, that just before the Mag went to print, we sent £500 to the Disasters Emergency Committee in support of the Turkey/Syria earthquake appeal Valerie Martin 01676 522963

Open 9-5 Monday to Saturday, Sunday 10-4 Bennetts Road North, Corley CV7 8BG

07904 239 365

Telephone 01676 540178

We hope you enjoy our quarterly update for your area.

Sixteen Acre Wood earthworks We are delivering earthworks that can be clearly seen from the A452 Kenilworth Road, adjacent to Sixteen Acre Wood. This will form an embankment that will carry the realigned Kenilworth Road onto a bridge that will pass over the new railway. We will then re-join the new road to the existing road at a new roundabout that we will be constructing near Marsh Lane.

We will use the land on both sides of the road, including much of the old carriageway, to create a new woodland.

This will form part of the HS2 Green Corridor running alongside the railway, creating a network of bigger, better-connected, climate-resilient habitats and new green spaces for people to enjoy.

We have been building a series of complex balancing ponds to hold back rainwater that falls on our sites preventing it from overwhelming storm drains and contaminating watercourses.

These ponds gradually collect the water, giving more time for suspended particles to settle at the bottom of the pond before being released.

We are providing most of the material used to build the new embankment from a deep cutting that we have cut between Park Lane and Marsh Farm. This means we will reduce the amount of material moved by road.

It wouldn't be hard to fill this quarterly space with the latest news of HS2 cost overruns and possible de-scoping of the project. 16-years ago, the lobbyists, Greengauge 21, promoted a high-speed line from London to Birmingham, with connections to Heathrow and to routes north, for £6.64 billion. Things change, but at least - courtesy of a ruling by the Information Commissioner - we now have estimated dates for local HS2 activities. Broadly, most are running about 6 years later than proposed in the Environmental Statement of 2013. Generally, workk h here should h ld h have been finished a couple of years ago, to leave plenty of time for "commissioning" before opening of the line at the end of 2026. Now, there's an activity called "testing", running to Autumn 2029. With opening now set for 2033, that leaves a comfortable period for any rectification and certification to bring the whole line into use. Apart from the new station at Bickenhill and many smaller works, the project includes the Balsall Common Viaduct – 425 metres long on 10 metre high piers - and the even bigger Blythe Valley Viaduct, heading north between Hampton and Meriden.

In Balsall Common, HS2 Ltd. did not act on the assurance to Parliament that they would consult the community before the planning application went in. The Select Committee had said "We expect that the viaduct design and materials will be the subject of local consultation across the route, particularly at Berkswell, Hampton-in-Arden, . . . Designs should be sensitive to the local situation and the wishes of communities. Travellers using the line do not see structures from the local perspective; residents do." Both viaducts have been presented without choice or options. The public surveys raised just three issues: "What is important to you about the area", "How space around the viaduct could be used", and "What you expect from us during construction".

It's the design that matters! A dominant structure in the landscape needs to be styled for lightness, unlike the current "procession of concrete Vee-signs". The benchmark is the Colne Valley Viaduct, which has many features to lessen the impact. In the absence of local options, this off-the-shelf design from the London area might be the simplest choice. (It's worth downloading the HS2 report C227-ATK-ST-REP-000-000011). Two other aspects also need attention. High structures can block wireless signals, so Ofcom recommends a technical study and a reception survey. HS2 have done neither, so we don't know what mitigation might be required in the form of repeater stations or better aerials. Also, only limited concrete noise barriers are offered, yet noise pulses will radiate every 2 minutes from the 93 decibel trains. The Colne Valley Viaduct has transparent noise barrier panels between neat stainless steel uprights.

MP Saqib Bhatti demanded that we should not be treated as second-class, and Cllr Diane Howell has raised a petition. These viaducts will be highly visible and potentially highly audible. Our elected representatives are the people best-placed to get HS2 Ltd. to honour their obligations: HS2 won't always be 10 years in the future.

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

Bablake House Our respite care can be just what you need

Bablake House, Birmingham Road, Millison’s Wood Meriden CV5 9AZ

Tel :01676 523689

ww.bablakehouse.co.uk

SUPPORT IN SOURCING GOOD QUALITY CARE AT THE RIGHT TIME. IS THERE REALLY SUCH A SERVICE OUT THERE? Yes, there is, and good news, it’s local to you too.

I used to live hand to mouth. Do you know what changed my life? Cutlery. Tim Vine

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

BUBBLES HAND CAR WASH

AB SERVICES

Quality Hand Car Cleaning Find us off the A45 in Meriden Phone 07538 238 005 Open 9.00am - 7.00pm, 7 days a week

07542 733152 For all your motoring needs

Price depends on car size but starts from £10 for wash and leather dry, or £20 for inside and out, including full vacuum, windows and dashboard.

Please note that we only accept Cash

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

Servicing Diagnostics Repairs All work undertaken No job too small Modern Vehicles to Classics Fully mobile

Call Alex on 07542 733152 Quote ‘Meriden Mag’ for 10% labour discount

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.

www.facebook.com/budgensmeriden

Free delivery on orders Weekdays 6.00am-10.00pm over £20.

Weekends 7.00am- 10.00pm Call us on

Opening hours:-

Including Bank Holidays

01676 522287

J B Decorators s and d Property y Services s

General Property maintenance Insurance Work Undertaken Domestic and Commercial Work Plastering Coving No job too small Carpentry Work Fully insured Tiling Over 30 years’ experience

Call for a free quote 07966186957 JimmyBailiedec@hotmail.com 147 Elmdon Lane, Marston Green

*Dog Walker * Pet Sitting Services DBS Checked, Insured & Pet First Aid Qualified Email: tilliestailwaggingwalkies@gmail.com Website: www.tilliestailwaggingwalkies.co.uk

Rural Group Walks, Individual Solo Walks, Puppy Visits & Pet Sitting Contact Dawn NOW to book your dog in Telephone :07825 684 539

Richard Naughton Bespoke Joinery *WINDOWS*

*DOORS*

*PORCHES*

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Traditional and contemporary bespoke work Free quotes Call 07836 338814 and leave a message

richardnaughton@live.co.uk Tippers Hill, Fillongley CV7 8DJ

Lavender Hall Lane Berkswell CV7 7BN 01676 530 299 / 07949 119 436 Cafe open to the public from 8.30am – 1.30pm 7 days a week Serving hot and cold food Specialising in an all-day Breakfast

We look forward to serving you all again in our Covid safe environment Welcome Back!

Gates open at 7.30am close at dusk

Heart of England Retirement Organisation (HERO) Christmas Hamper surprise for 50 local people HERO was pleased to distribute 50 Christmas hampers to the elderly in and around Balsall Common and Meriden. They were made up by La Delicia in Balsall Common and were given to those whose names were suggested by an organisation, church or individual.

Each hamper was delivered personally, either by a Trustee of HERO, the Vicar from the local church or leader of the organisation that suggested the recipient.

We felt the visit was as important as the gift and liked to stay a while when giving the hampers, which were all gratefully received. We have had several ‘thank you’ phone calls and letters from people.

HERO was also pleased to contribute to a celebration Christmas tea held at The Firs.

For more information about HERO please contact the Chairman, Claire Laland, on clmap18@gmail.com or Secretary, Joan Russell, by phone on 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

MERIDEN TREE OF THOUGHT (MTOT) www.meridentreeofthought.co.uk Well, here we are, a year after lovely Alan passed away. It’s fair to say that it’s been somewhat challenging sorting out the MTOT bank account but I’m glad to say we got there in the end!

Thanks to everyone who has either helped or donated to keep the Tree going. I have received very much appreciated donations from Pat DeMulder, Pertemps, The Manor Hotel and Packington Estate as well as individual donations via the webpage and dedications to loved ones through the Tree of Thought.

Thanks also to those who contributed via the collection tins around the village A special ‘Thank You’ goes to Pat Smith who, through her raffle, raised a staggering £1450 which, together with the other donations, has taken the amount raised to just over £2500 this Christmas. The money has already been sent to the two charities, who are extremely grateful. We must also thank Dovetail Group for once again donating their time and equipment and for giving up their weekend to fix the problem we had with the lights. Many thanks also to Barbara Bland (Meriden Parish Council) and Stuart Bonner (webpage) who have been a great support to me this year.

You will all be aware how much the Tree meant to Alan and we know that he would be delighted with the money raised. Please continue to support the tree and to keep his legacy alive. Carol Todd & Cara Maclure (trustees)

All Together Café 2 Friday of the Month Meriden Sports Pavilion Any time between 2pm and 4pm nd

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 Lucy Pointon (nee Malin) 27th February 1948 - 3rd January 2023 Susan suddenly passed away on the 3rd January 2023 whilst out having lunch with her good friends Glynis, Tony & Steve, leaving four children, Stephen, Richard, James and Helen, twelve grandchildren and one great grandchild. Susan was a sister to Pam, Bob, June & Marilyn Susan was born in Meriden in 1948 and she took up her first employment at “Pallets Haberdashery”, which was one of the main stores on the Village Green. Although she moved away for number of years Sue still had strong connections with Meriden through her mother Phyllis Malin who had lived there since her Land Army days in the Second World War. In the interim years, Sue mainly lived in Hartshill where her children went to school. She was always willing to lend a hand and was a Cub leader for 20 years.

Starring in and helping to organise Gang Shows with some unforgettable performances, she also enjoyed taking the Cubs away on camping trips for lots of fun and laughter.

Sue was also a helper at the Hartshill playgroup. As her children became more independent Sue was employed at “Prestmarks” in Nuneaton making many more lifetime friendships.

Sue came back to the village in 2006 and with her lively and friendly personality soon rekindled old friendships and made new ones. She became a well-known member of the community, becoming a member of the Women’s Institute and treasurer of the Flower Club, helping at charity events and a strong supporter of The Cancer Research.

Sue was also well known for the Christmas Turkey’s business that the late Barry Pointon together with Stephen Pointon, formed. Due to Sue’s outgoing personality and the loss of Barry, who she cared for in the later years of his life, she became the treasurer of Meriden Social Club keeping busy, encouraging people to come to function nights, bingo, and charity events. Sometimes we all forget how much time is involved in being part of these committees! Our Sue was “larger than life itself” (quote from a friend), and a brilliant and caring Mom, Nan and Sister, always willing give a helping hand whenever she could. It has been a great shock to both her family and friends and she will be deeply missed by us all.

The family would like to express their sincere thanks to Ian Warren from “The Penny Farthing” who bravely fought to save her life.

Pam would also like on behalf of all the family, to extend their thanks for the support, cards, beautiful flowers, and kind wishes from everyone at this very sad and emotional time.

The donations from Sue’s funeral will go towards the purchase and installation of a defibrillator at the Meriden Social Club.

Donations can be sent to www.jdeeleyandson.co.ukfuneralsanddonations or at Meriden Social Club.

John Baker 6th October 1938 – 22nd October 2022 John Baker was brought up in the Acocks Green area of Birmingham and was educated at King Edward’s School. On leaving school he trained as a chartered quantity surveyor; working for Francis Graves Ltd for most of his working life and was involved with many significant projects, such as the NEC and local hospitals. He married his first wife Sylvia in 1981, and they lived in Solihull and Fillongley until moving to Meriden in 2000. After Sylvia’s death from cancer John married Irene in 2008. Sadly, John was eventually to lose Irene. In 2020 between lockdowns John and Maureen were married at St. Laurence Church, had been Church Warden and Treasurer for many years He was very involved with village life, being on the Village Hall Committee and joining Meriden Rotary Club on 16th October 2003. He was a private person who just got on with things without making a fuss.

He became President of the Rotary Club of Meriden in 2012 presiding over a successful Rotary year. During his nearly 20 years in Rotary, he was a great supporter of almost every event. In later years, when he was not able to do the street collections for the Santa Sleigh, he rode “shotgun” with the towing driver, to help with reversing and turning the sleigh. He enjoyed company and liked to be involved although he was extremely modest about what he did. In his private life, he really enjoyed cruising, travelling to many parts of the world. He also enjoyed his cars, particularly British luxury cars.

John’s funeral was on 10th November at St. Laurence Church, and donations instead of flowers were shared between St. Laurence and Macmillan Cancer Support

Philip Johnstone Platts September 1937 – January 2023 Phil Platts was born in 1937 in Sheffield and lived his childhood years in the village of Warren, and then High Green on the outskirts of the City. He attended Ecclesfield Grammar School and went to work for Sheffield Corporation, whilst studying to be a Chartered Surveyor. His early working life as a Charted Surveyor was in Sheffield and Leeds, and it was in Leeds, at a firm where they both worked, where he met Pam, and they got married in 1966. Pam & Phil had two sons in the 7 years that followed and moved to Meriden in 1975 when Phil’s work brought him to the Midlands with Severn Trent Water Authority. They have remained in Meriden ever since raising their two sons, Richard & Jameson.

Phil loved holidays with his family - some early holidays were to Cornwall, and then, as travel became easier, Spain was a favourite destination. He had a keen love of sport and was a good golfer, spending much time at Copt Heath Golf Club. Football was a huge passion for Phil, his early years saw him as a Sheffield Utd fan, and then turned Sky Blue when he moved to Meriden and his sons wanted to support Coventry as they grew up. He also assisted running Meriden Scout group football team when his sons were in the organisation. He shared a passion for gardening with Pam, and their retirement saw them purchase a small place in Spain, where they enjoyed a lot of time over the last 20 years with a close group of friends. Phil was a keen supporter and took an active part in the Meriden RAID group, and here he and Pam made many new friends in the village, supporting this local initiative.

In recent years, Phil had dementia and this condition slowly took away the person the family knew and loved so much. Shortly before he passed away on 25th January, he moved to Bablake Residential home, where the team there made a huge difference to his wellbeing and provided superb care. He was a great father and husband, who was much loved, and provided a lovely life for his family. He will be very much missed.

Balsall Common Memories Cafe Balsall Common Memories Cafe began in October 2019. It is run, by a group of volunteers, for people with Dementia accompanied by their 'Carer' and aims to provide the opportunity to socialise whilst enjoying an activity, entertainment or just a drink and a chat.

There is no charge for any of the sessions The Memories Cafe meets every second Wednesday of each month from 1.15pm -3.00pm in Balsall Common Village Hall, Station Road CV7 7FF. These are the sessions when we have activities or entertainment.

Coffee and Chat sessions take place on the first Thursday of the month - between 11.00am and 12.30pm in Balsall Common Library, Kenilworth Road CV7 7EL. Thank you Amanda and Library Staff for the warm welcome you have given us.

Do share our information with friends and family who might like to join us at any of our sessions. Any suggestions for activities or entertainers are always welcome too, as are offers of help or ideas for fundraising.

Balsall Common Library - Coffee and 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 for the Brain Wednesday 12th April - Flower Arranging Wednesday 10th May - Decoupage

For more information, please contact Christine on 07974 140353

The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Ken Meeson and Rosie Weaver BEM, Chair of Meriden Parish Council, with a new tree planted, February 2023, at Strawberry Fields in memory of our late Queen Elizabeth II. After her passing, Buckingham Palace requested that a canopy of English Oaks be planted nationwide in her Majesty’s memory.

Are you passionate about your community? Do you want to help make a long-lasting change?

Do you have innovative ideas for the council?

Do you have concerns about a specific issue and want to do something about it?

Local (parish and town) councils and councillors make a massive difference to local people's quality of life. They are passionate about their communities and seek to make a change to help improve their residents' lives.

Councillors are elected to represent the local community, so you must either live or work in the council area. Becoming a councillor is a rewarding experience as you will be able to make a change in Meriden to help improve residents' lives.

A councillor’s role can include developing strategies and plans If this is you, then we need you. We for the area, helping with problems and ideas, representing the need people from all backgrounds community, working with other local community and experiences, who reflect Meriden groups, decision making and reviewing decisions and talking to to put themselves forward for election. Make a change and become the community about their needs and what the council is doing. a councillor.

If the above has piqued your interest, why not come along for a friendly chat and speak to some of the existing Councillors who will be happy to answer any questions you may have?

This will be held on Thursday 9th March at 7:00pm until 8:30pm.

VOTER ID – CHANGE IN LAW!

For the first time, residents in Solihull will need to show photo ID to vote in polling stations at this year’s local elections.

This new requirement was introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act which was passed last year and comes into force for the first time at the local elections on Thursday 4 May 2023.

Residents are being urged to make sure they are ready to vote in May by checking they have an accepted form of photo ID. Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK, EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for a free voter ID document (known as a Voter Authority Certificate) via SMBC Elections Team.

For more information contact SMBC Connect Service on 0121 704 8001 or go to www.solihull.gov.uk/voterid

HELP YOUR VILLAGE BECOME AUTISM AND DEMENTIA FRIENDLY

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE DIGITAL TRAINING!

You can take advantage of free training to help Meriden be a friendly and accessible place to live, work and relax for those with Autism or Dementia.

The training dates are as follows: 15th March - Dementia 18:30 25th March - Autism 10:00 12th April - Autism 18:30 29th April - Dementia 10:00 17th May - Dementia 18:30 27th May - Autism 10:00 All training will take place for two hours at The Pavilion in the Sports Park. Please email the Clerk to book your place!

JOIN OUR TEAM – WE ARE HIRING A DEPUTY CLERK Are you seeking a new challenge that can have a real impact on the lives of local residents? Are you a highly organised individual who can communicate with a variety of stakeholders?

You may be joining us from a background in community work, finance or administration – all of which would set you up for success in this role. But we aren’t too focussed on what you have been doing but what you will be doing.

The work of Parish and Town Councils is continually growing and, as such, so is our small team.

Working closely with our Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer and a team of 8 Local Councillors you will be involved in a variety of projects; from how we tackle climate change to how we can support residents through the cost-of-living crisis, no two days are the same.

We are looking to invest our time and resources in you – we will support you through your sector specific qualifications and give you the tools you need to be successful in this job. We know the way of working has changed significantly over the last few years and whilst, by nature of the job, we will need you to be based in the office from time to time, we are happy for you to work from home when you aren’t required to be in the office.

20 hours per week (in the first instance) with evening, weekend & flexible working. Salary is paid pro rata based on experience and qualifications. £21,575-£26,845 (pro-rota).

For application form and information email: clerk@meridenparishcouncil.org.uk

DON’T FORGET YOU CAN JOIN OUR WARM HUB EVERY TUESDAY

PARISH COUNCIL AND PARTNERS JOIN FORCES! In December, our neighbourhood PCSOs and some of the team from Solihull Community Housing went door to door around the village to get feedback on issues and to give safety advice to locals.

Some of our Parish Councillors joined them, checking on smoke alarms and giving out switch timers, as well as safety equipment.

If you missed them, please feel free to get in touch to get any information we were giving out!

UPDATE FROM A&A RECYCLING FOLLOWING OUR MEETING A&A Recycling Services has had a busy year, with lots of infrastructure investment that has further improved site conditions and local access roads, by having them resurfaced. This has meant the site becomes easier to clean and maintain and promotes our drive to invest in the future sustainability of the site. The waste wood industry has seen a number of changes in the last 12 months, and this has been driven by the economic climate and a shift in the waste industry generally as Energy From Waste (EFW) becomes more domestically driven (given the troubles seen in Eastern Europe). In 2022, A&A Recycling Services was named “Wood Recycling Business of the Year” at the Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management, thanks to its efforts in converting waste wood into usable products and providing electricity to thousands of homes through the means of biomass.

The site operation at Meriden has reduced its operating equipment, going from three production lines down to one as the business is working in a changing industry - multi-supply site models as opposed to high volume single supply sites are now driving the market. This means we supply the same end users with material volumes, but this involves fewer vehicle movements through the Meriden site - as a result, this helps the carbon footprint. A&A also supplies a number of local biomass facilities in the Midlands - the aim is to bring local waste wood into these sites to supply the local population with green electricity. We hope 2023 will bring some economic stability, despite the number of worldwide issues affecting us all. We will continue to strive for excellence and continue the “life cycle” of wood for a cleaner, greener future.

Should you wish to contact the Parish Council, please contact the Clerk to have a private chat to address local community issues or visit our website where you can access a wealth of information.

Clerk: Barbara Bland, 55 James Dawson Drive, Millisons Wood, Coventry, CV5 9QJ T: 01676 522474 M: 07767 162423 E: clerk@meridenparishcouncil.org.uk

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

Barkers Butts RFC Pickford Grange Lane Coventry CV5 9AR

Our professional and experienced d iinstructor nsstruc n ttrruc ucnto tor cares ccaarrees about each client and offers options to the exercises.

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Mondays – St. Peters Church Hall, Balsall Common 09:15 am RetroDanceFit 10:05 am Gentle Pilates and 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 am and 10:30 am Pilates 11:30 am Young at Heart – for the over 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 Hope to see you soon.

Come e along g to o A warm m welcome e with h y att Candy n Village e Halll Meriden

Dancercise Thursday evenings 6.00pm £5.00 per session

Pilates Thursday evenings 7.00pm £5.00 per session

11 Mini & Junior age groups from 6-16 years Girls teams U/11 U/15 U/18 Under 18 Colts Side

Contact David Morris. 07557343639 Our facilities are 1st class and all our coaches are RFU Qualified and CRB checked /

We also have 4 Adult sides 1st XV to Vets

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There is now a new and exciting women's team coached by an experienced group of players led by

Contact Emma on 07557521495

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A fun Latin inspired dance/exercise class suitable for all levels

Mondays 9.30-10.30am Mondays 9.30-10.30am

PILATES style conditioning

Meriden Village Hall Meriden Village Hall

Enjoy both sessions for £8.00

A slower paced class for all over body conditioning to improve muscle tone, strength, balance and flexibility

Please ring 07828 709650

For more information

Call Jacqui on Call Jacqui on 07703 345210 07703 345210 The perfect start to your day ……….

The perfect start to your day………..

Servicing Repairs Tyres Exhausts Suspensions Brakes

Call C all u us s ffor or a quotation for your motoring needs

01676 521010 Find us just off Marsh Lane Near Lincoln Farm Truck Stop, B92 0LS Call for directions

MERIDEN AGUAFLAME UK Hampton Lane CV7 7LJ

Boiler servicing and repairs Boiler replacements New radiators and valves All plumbing work carried out Fully qualified in Natural Gas and LPG Under floor heating New bathrooms

(Just off the island) Fresh eggs/hens and ducks Potatoes & fresh veg Jams, Pickles, Honey Wild Bird Seed Logs Open 9.00am – 4.00pm

01676 523192 home 07970 119142 mobile email :aguaflameuk@gmail.com Terry Griffiths

Closed Sundays Call Steve 07939 117038

Roatry party

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Message from Saqib Bhatti MP Entering 2023, I find myself reflecting on the year that has passed. It now feels a million miles away from life today, but 2022 saw the final lifting of Covid restrictions. This time last year I was writing about Omicron as we were beginning to emerge from the pandemic. Having said goodbye to 2022, I hope that 2023 treats you and your family well.

With that, I want to kick off by updating you on the HS2 Viaduct. In January, I wrote to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to object to HS2’s application for the viaduct. In other areas of the country, such as the Colne Valley and Birmingham viaducts, HS2 have taken huge steps to mitigate the effect of the construction, providing viaduct designs that are much more in keeping with the local area.

HS2 promised to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee that local communities would be provided with design options for consultation. Despite this promise, HS2 have failed, and continues to fail, to offer any alternatives. Even at this late stage, I am continuing to urge HS2 to work with residents and Parish Councils of Balsall Common and Berkswell to provide realistic options for the design of the viaduct. I will continue to represent your concerns on the current plans for the viaduct.

I also had a great meeting with “Talking Rubbish in Solihull” to discuss the fly-tipping and litter that blights too many of our local communities. We are so lucky to have so many good groups and volunteers committed to stamping it out and I wholeheartedly stand with them. They raised a number of issues including the usage and littering of nitrous oxide canisters. I am encouraged by recent reports that the Government are looking seriously at banning the public sale and possession of laughing gas.

To add to this, I have written to the Home Secretary to ask to meet with me to discuss how we further prevent the sale and illicit use of nitrous oxide, alongside tackling antisocial behaviour and litter. It is just unacceptable that while we take pride in our local community there are those who engage in antisocial behaviour and litter.

And finally, I want to highlight my successful partnership with The Colebridge Trust this Christmas, launching an initiative to secure hats and gloves to give to the most vulnerable. I also worked in collaboration with the Solihull Round Table on donations to the Trust, with the group securing hundreds of items of thermal clothing. The generosity shown during the hamper collection will go a long way in helping those most in need at Christmas. For further information on the Colebridge Trust, and how you can support their work, visit www.colebridge.org As ever, my office remains open as usual and we are conducting surgery appointments, so do not hesitate to book a slot. My contact details are below:

saqib.bhatti@parliament.uk

0121 711 7029

HURLEY MOTORCYCLES MOTORCYCLE MOT TESTING 01827 872489 East House Farm Hurley Lane Hurley Warwickshire CV9 2GY BALSALL COMMON U3A

|Dog Training | Residential training | |Field hire of secure 10 acres Inc pond and woodlands|

Thursday 2nd March – “What lies beneath the surface.

Role of High Court Judge”. A Talk by Ginny Davis. th

Thursday 6 April – “Laughing my way around the world”. A talk by Ian Maber Thursday 11th May – “Star Fish, Stripes, Decoys & Dummies i.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.

All our training is adapted and tailored around your dog’s individual needs. Individual or group classes are available by appointment and are fully flexible. Take a look at our Facebook page

‘Grangemead Training’ Call onon CallDorothy Dorothy 01676 01676542471 542471 To book your

To book your session!

Session!

Messages from our Solihull District Councillors Finally, a bus service improvement that will appeal to all, including drivers!

Sometimes you can indeed pull victory from the jaws of defeat. When Diane Howell and I heard that yet another of our bus services (the 89) was to close, we were determined to do something about it. Enlisting the help of the West Midland Mayor we set about finding a solution.

We have ended up with a better solution than the original service, which was just 3 buses a day linking Meriden with Balsall Common and Cannon Park. There is now a very much improved “on-demand” service. You can book a bus to take you anywhere in the pink area in the map. Buses run until 11 pm (3.30 pm om Sunday). You can book up to 7 days in advance.

Balsall Common, Coventry and Kenilworth easily in reach.

Tony, Diane & Andrew

It will pick you up close to home and take you to places like Balsall Common,, Berkswell, Coventry or Kenilworth. If you fancy a meal in Kenilworth you can book a bus to take you there and bring you back. Same goes for places such as Coventry hospital or the Bear Inn in Berkswell. You can also commute to work or school. A bit like a shared taxi service.

My advice is plan and book ahead.

The costs are peanuts compared to taxis The costs range from £2 for a journey up to 1.5 miles in steps to £7 for a journey of 10+ miles (as the crow flies) with significant discounts for those with a concessionary bus pass. If you book then anyone travelling with you goes for just £1. If you buy 30 tickets in advance, they only cost £2 each.

How do I use this?

You can either book by phone 0345 034 8670 or get the WM On Demand app from play store etc. You can pay by card through the app when you make the booking or exact cash (no change) on the bus. Remember, book early.

More details are available by down loading the app. or just ring them up.

Andrew Burrow Ward Councillor Andrew with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street

Solihull Council has recently published the findings from The Place Survey.

The Place Survey is a local resident perception survey which is carried out every two years – the fieldwork for the latest survey was done last October. It asks Solihull adults about their local neighbourhood, community safety, environment, civic participation and wellbeing. The survey sample is constructed to reflect the composition of Solihull’s adult population (age, gender, ethnicity, limiting long-term illness or disability). A total of 660 responses were gathered, mainly obtained through telephone interviews. In undertaking the analysis, the responses were weighted to reflect the geography and demography of Solihull’s population.

The key findings from the survey were that 84% are satisfied with Solihull as a place to live, with 80% feeling strongly that they belong to their local neighbourhood. While 38% of Solihull residents surveyed think that their area has got worse over the last two years, nearly 70% of these residents are still satisfied with their area as a place to live. There was some concern about Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and the top 3 ASB issues across Solihull are: Rubbish & Litter (34%); Vehicle Nuisance (32%) and People Using/Dealing Drugs (28%). In the Meriden ward, Rubbish & Litter is an increasingly serious issue – this is also being combined with increasing drug abuse, with many incidences of evidence nitrous oxide abuse across the local villages.

There are serious, negative health and environmental impacts which must be addressed. Cllr Tony Dicicco, in his role as Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care & Health, is working closely with Solihull Council officers to initiate a social media campaign with Solihull Integrated Addiction Services (SIAS). We are also organising school sessions for staff, pupils, and parents. We are developing an information webpage for solihull.gov.uk and working with comms colleagues on a borough wide campaign that will help us reach those who are no longer in education and are more likely to consume, for example, people in their 20s. Those of us with children and young adults living with us can also do our bit to educate them of the dangers. Thank you, Cllr Tony Dicicco

Nature & History on a lovely short local walk My Favourite Meriden Walk. (Map on next page) This walk across gently rolling countryside gives some marvellous landscape views and great opportunities for spotting wildlife in each season. Start at St Laurence Church with its plain Perpendicular sandstone tower. The high ground surrounding the church was the site of the original settlement and is recorded as Alspath in William the Conqueror’s Domesday Book. His meticulous tax survey of 1086 states, “Countess Godiva held Alspath before 1066. Land for 8 ploughs. 8 villagers and 1 smallholder with 2 ploughs. Value before 1066, 40s; now 30s.”

Between summer and early autumn, harebells grow abundantly in the short turf between the older gravestones close to the church. Christina Rossetti wrote the perceptive line, “Hope is like a harebell, trembling from its birth.” From the northerly corner of the churchyard take the marked footpath downhill. Follow the tall hedgerow on your right. Kestrels hunt above this rough grassland, either hovering or using a perch to spot their quarry. Cross two fields until you reach a gap in the undergrowth that opens, via an old iron gate, onto the Birmingham Road. Carefully cross the busy road and descend the steep stone steps to the forecourt of the Queens Head pub. This establishment was an alehouse in the late 1600s and became a profitable coaching inn catering for the London to Chester /Holyhead stage coach traffic. Imagine the bustling scene as teams of horses were swapped and passengers sought food, drink and rest. The road from Coventry to the bottom of Meriden Hill became a turnpike in 1723. Thomas Telford renovated the whole route from London to Holyhead in 1810 to enable Members of Parliament with Irish constituencies to make a safer and swifter journey to Westminster. He lowered the gradient on Meriden Hill to make it easier for the stage coaches, but in doing so bypassed the Queen's Head and the 'Old Road'.

Now turn left along Old Road and continue up Main Road, almost as far as the Manor Hotel. Look out for the wooden signpost on the opposite side of the road showing the public right of way between the houses and gardens. Go straight up the hill to the hedge line at the top. Then turn right, staying close to the hedge. Flocks of goldfinches and occasional chaffinches feed along this hedgerow. In autumn there are good crops of blackberries and elderberries to be picked. A metal kissing gate beneath a large ash tree opens into a sheep paddock. Just past their corrugated-iron field shelter, another gate leads into a marshy field with a bulrush fringed pond. Field ponds throughout the Arden area are associated with a history of stock-rearing. Look out for dragonflies and swallows above the water on warm summer days. Reed buntings hide away amongst the rushes, but may be present all year round.

Proceed diagonally to the gate onto the Berkswell Road. Cross carefully to climb the bank opposite and rejoin the footpath. Here there are big skies and distant views of Birmingham, the Lickey Hills and beyond. Bear right after the metal farm gate and proceed down the slope, with the mobile-home park on your right. Noisy mixed flocks of crows, jackdaws and rooks often feed on these fields. The copse of silver birch and Scots pine trees attracts all kinds of bird life. Last summer I watched a great spotted woodpecker feeding a chick in its nest burrow.

On reaching the large oak down in the valley beside the stream, turn left beside the stream bank.

Herons hunt for small fry and frogs along here. At the footbridge over the stream, the route continues south-westerly until it eventually comes to the hedge and high bank boundary to the reclamation yard.

What I first took to be a bunch of dead leaves in a tangle of ivy turned its head to reveal a tawny owl!

Take a 45 degree turn onto the long straight path heading east. Listen out for the song of a skylark high above. Once common in these parts, skylarks are now seriously threatened by loss of habitat. There are usually large numbers of sheep here and during springtime I often see jackdaws collecting beaks full of wool to line their nests. When you reach the Berkswell Road, cross carefully to the farm shop entrance. I usually enjoy a coffee and pastry here whilst watching the herd of cattle munching grass in the nearby field. Walk along the roadside verge in a northerly direction for about 50 yards to the gate where we emerged earlier and re-trace the route through the sheep paddock. Take the direct path along the high ground back to St Laurence church tower, which is clearly visible. If the church is open, then admire the partly Norman chancel and the ‘Arts and Crafts’ stained-glass windows made by studios in Smethwick.

Editor’s Note: - Many thanks to Rich Copland

Rich Copland for another lovely walk and photos.

St Laurence Church

Harebells

Kestrel

Great Spotted Woodpecker & chick

Heron

Tawny Owl

2nd April 2023 – 40-mile circular route.

Start and finish at the Heart of England Social Club, Meriden.

Fully subscribed, but you can go on the waiting list at https://www.acoventryway.or g.uk/challenge/how-to-enter Map for the walk on previous page

Coronation Weekend Timetable Saturday 6th May - The Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey.

Sunday 7th May - The Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle will be broadcast live on BBC 1, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds. ‘Lighting up the Nation’ will see iconic locations across the UK lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.

The Coronation Big Lunch. Communities across the United Kingdom are invited to share food and fun together, in a nationwide act of celebration and friendship. Look out for details of our own celebration in Meriden Sports Park – Party in the Park Sunday 14 th May 11 am – 6.00pm Monday 8th May (extra Bank Holiday) The Big Help Out, organised by The Together Coalition and a wide range of partners such as The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups will highlight the positive impact of volunteering on communities across the nation.

QUEEN’S HEAD A friendly, traditional, local pub offering a full range of traditional ales, beers and lagers as well as wines, spirits and soft drinks.

Pub lunches are served Mondays to Saturdays from 12 noon till 2.30pm.

Great value daily specials.

Come along and enjoy Good Beer, Good Food, Good Company and a Great Atmosphere.

Join us on 6th April at 8pm for Quiz 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=X9QbKzy54 This advert is sponsored by Meriden Paws

Trees of Meriden and Millisons Wood Hornbeam Tree Pollen records indicate that the hornbeam has been present in Britain for 5,000 years. Native to southern h England and Wales it is widely planted elsewhere. One example, the Dargavel tree in Renfrewshire, Scotland, is believed to have been planted around 1670; it’s a vast specimen with low sprawling branches extending over 1/3 acre. Local hornbeams are more typical, medium sized tress that grow to around 30 metres. The name hornbeam comes from the density of the wood, hard as horn with beam being an old word for a living tree.

Ironwood, Hardbeam and Yoke Elm are old names, the latter refers to the fact it was used to make a yoke for oxen that could take the strain when the plough was pulled.

Hornbeam bark is pale grey and smooth, but patterned with distinctive vertical lines often highlighted with wavy streaks in tones of grey and russet. Sometimes it develops a short, twisted trunk which develops ridges with age.

In April, before the leaves appear, hornbeam are covered in dancing, greenish gold catkins, both male and female on the same tree. The male catkins, those that hang down loosely, are ready to release pollen on to the wind when they show red and similarly, the female catkins, those that point upwards, also show red when ready to receive pollen. Hornbeam leaves are similar to beech, oval with pointed tips, but are smaller (3 to 10 cm in length) and more deeply furrowed giving them a pleated look.

They have finely toothed edges, whereas beech leaves have smooth edges, and a very fine point at the end which is sometimes twisted over They become golden yellow to orange in colour in autumn and most stay on through the winter. After pollination, the female catkins develop into hop like, green winged fruits, known as samaras. By Hornbeam, Strawberry Fields autumn they become brown and paper dry hanging from a bract in long clusters of 10-30cm. These bracts hang on the tree through winter after the fruit has dispersed. The fruit itself is a very small nut, 3-6 mm long. When ripe the samaras fall, their slightly asymmetrical shape makes them spin, improving dispersal.

Hornbeam Catkins

Hornbeam Samaras

Hornbeam Leaves

Hornbeam Bark

Blue tit (by Rich Copland)

As hornbeam keeps its leaves in winter, it provides shelter, roosting and nesting opportunities for birds and small mammals. It provides food and habitat for the caterpillars of a number of moth species while finches, tits and small mammals such as mice and voles eat and disperse the tiny nuts.

Hornbeam creates attractive, dense hedges, used for labyrinths of stately parks. The maze at Hampton Court Palace is said to have been originally hornbeams and avenues of hornbeams were planted at Angelsey Abbey in Cambridgeshire in 1977 for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Other uses are determined by its unique properties. It is of little use for building because of its oval or irregular shape trunk, often deeply fluted and furrowed in old trees. Its wood is too hard to be used in general carpentry but where something hard wearing was needed, chopping blocks, wheel hubs and cog for windmills and watermills, it was worth the effort. It is also used in parquet flooring and dried heartwood is nearly white and suitable for decorative use. Hornbeam was said to “burn like a candle”, that is, reliably giving a fierce heat. For centuries, it was coppiced and pollarded for firewood, fuelling bakers’ ovens and providing charcoal for smelting furnaces. Traditionally hornbeam leaves were used for medicinal purpose; they were used to stop bleeding and heal wounds, to make a tonic said to relieve tiredness and exhaustion, and tea to soothe cold symptoms and minor digestive problems.

If you’re interested in our trees, local wildlife and conservation in general, it would be great to hear from you.

Collaborators very welcome! Or visit the Facebook page Meriden and Millisons Wood Trees. Dates for conservation work parties in Millisons Wood are also notified there.

Sarah Sharland meridentreewardens@gmail.com

Meriden and Millisons Wood Trees

Used Stamps Wanted A charity called Medical Missionary News would be very grateful to receive the used stamps off your envelopes. Please leave at least 1” all around when cutting them. Please hand them in at Lloyds Chemist on the Green. The money raised will be used to buy medical supplies for war-torn countries overseas. Thank You.

Ansley Chimney Sweep

DYSON BLINDS DYSON BLINDS We offer tailored Wemade-to-measure offer tailored made-to-measure blinds for any blinds for any window window solution. solution.

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Telephone Matt on 07817 222627 01675 443655 Email: dysonblinds@gmail.com

paulamos26@live.co.uk Registered Chimney Sweep Registered HETAS Installer www.ansleychimneys.co.uk

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fORDESonthe green 01676 fORDES onthegreen 01676521653 521653 info@fordesonthegreen.com :fb: fb:Lous Forde info@fordesonthegreen.com Lous hair hairshare shareLouise Louise Ford email : louforde@hotmail .com

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Monday Closed Spring Hair & Beauty We remain Covid compliant for your comfort and safety.

Tuesday open atOpening 10.00am hours:Normal offers available Normal Opening hours: MondayWednesday Closed Tuesday Opens- at 10am 9.00 - 6.00 We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Wednesdays and Monday Thursday Closed9.00Tuesday Opens at 10am 9.00 clientele for theirGift ongoing support.and Wednesday 9.00 - 5.00 -Thursday 9.00 - 9.00 vouchers Fridays Wednesday 9.00 -9.00 6.00- 6.00 Thursday 9.00 - 6.00 Friday Friday 9.00 - 5.00 Saturday 8.30 - 4.30 offers The Green, Meriden CV7available 7LN 8.30 -Saturday 4.30 Friday Saturday 9.00 - 6.00 8.30 - 4.30

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ACE GARAGE RADFORD 02476 597879 email: service@acegarage.co.uk Mot Service

Tyres Exhausts

Courtesy car, collection & delivery options.

Call Brendan McManus on 07958 518924

We service, repair and care for your vehicle.

Garyy Franklinn Andyy Hawkins Hawkinss & Andy Family Funeral Directors Extending a hand of friendship and support We understand that every family is different and we will tailor all arrangements to suit your needs, requirements and budget.

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333 Tile Hill Lane, Tile Hill Coventry CV4 9OU

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

0121 779 5577 50 Station Road Marston Green Birmingham B37 7AU Available 24hours a day 365 days a year

Web site: www.franklinfunerals.co.uk Email: info@franklin funerals.co.uk

The Orme School of Dancing Meriden Branch – Meriden Methodist Church Hall Principals Jennifer and Samantha Faulkner F.I.D.T.A B.A.Hons.

Fellowship Teaching Degree Dip A.B.R.S.M.

Classes in Ballet, Tap, Modern Jazz, Gymnastic Dance, Contemporary Dance and Musical Theatre.

Aged 2 ½ years upwards Opportunities to get involved with shows, performances and exams

We are taking enquiries now for new children at our Meriden Branch. Have a look at all we do at www.ormecoventrydance.co.uk Email ormedance@gmail.com

ORME DANCE ADULT CLASSES Meriden Methodist Church Hall Beginners Tap – Mondays at 7:15pm Any age, shape or 2 left feet. Everyone is very welcome.

You just need a big smile and a good sense of humour!!!

Mellow Movers – Mondays at 8pm Classical ballet class full of beautiful movement and easy to access steps for all. Great for muscle strength and flexibility.

02475 313216 or sandraclarke.orme@outlook.com

FACT OR FICTION? Whatever you write….

Balsall Common Writers welcomes new members and invites you to join us We hold evening sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Balsall Common Please contact info.bcwriters@gmail.com

YOUR YOUR YOURLOCAL LOCALARCHERY ARCHERYCLUB CLUBIN IN INMERIDEN MERIDEN MERIDENwww.meriden-archery.org.uk www.meriden-archery.org.uk www.meriden-archery.org.uk Meriden MeridenArchery ArcheryClub Clubgoes goesindoors indoors

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Meriden’s Own Calendar 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 (CV7 7GY) The windmill is a Grade II star listed building and a ‘Scheduled Monument’ located within the village of Balsall Common, on Windmill Lane. It is a four bladed tower mill constructed in 1826, on the site of a former post mill. It is understood that a windmill has stood on this site since the 10th Century. It is built in brick with a typical Warwickshire wooden boat-shaped cap (roof) and is turned into the wind by an endless chain winding mechanism. It was historically used to grind flour and animal feeds, and in 1927 the milling wheels were adapted to run off a diesel engine, not reliant upon the variable nature of the wind. The mill was finally closed in 1948, after the last miller, John Hammond, died. He and his wife, Gertrude Hammond, are buried in the grounds of Berkswell Church. The Mill was then restored between 1973 and 1975, by the Millwright, Derek Ogden, for its then owners Betty and George Field.

It is one of the most complete windmills in the world with sails and all original internal machinery and tools for making flour and animal feed. However, after the death of Mr and Mrs Field, the Berkswell Windmill again fell into some disrepair and was added to the ‘Buildings at Risk’ Register until purchased by the current owner, Jeanette McGarry in 2004. It was then lovingly restored in 2012 with finance from the owner and Historic England. The refurbishment work included removal of trees and vegetation growing from the brick tower, removal and complete refurbishment of the windmill's cap, restoration of the iron teeth, some replacement bricks, repointing throughout, replacement of some rotten floorboards, internal lime washing, rebuilding of the outer wall and new pitch pine sails, shutters and cloth.

The fields opposite the mill are part of the Meriden Gap, a nationally important migratory route for wildlife, connecting the South with the North of England. The fields are also part of the Ancient Forest of Arden and once belonged to the Berkswell Windmill. The 1875 census states that the Berkswell Windmill had 19 acres. Supporters of the Berkswell Windmill continue to campaign to protect this internationally significant historic monument and surrounding countryside which is home to great crested newts, bats, barn owls, tawny owls, hedgehogs, hares, deer, badgers, moles and a wealth of flora and fauna.

The Berkswell Windmill now operates on wind power again and looks truly magnificent! It attracts visitors from all over the world. It is in private ownership, but is accessible to the public once a month from Easter Monday through to October, with the help of volunteers.

When you can visit this Spring.

Entry is £5 per adult and £1 for 12-16 year olds. Free for under 12s.

Cash only. Prices include a guided tour. NB No dogs allowed.

You can find them on Facebook.

Just search for Berkswell Windmill

Open on 10th April (Easter Monday) and Saturday 13th May Opening time is 12-4pm and cream teas will be served.

We are planning to have Morris dancers, a jazz band and a saxophonist. The Coventry Spinners and Weavers will be demonstrating their craft on both of these open days. All proceeds go towards maintenance of the windmill.

News highlights from Heart of England School

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Images by Jakob Ebrey Photography

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PUZZLE PAGE – No. 15 MISSING LINK FIT 10 WORDS INTO THE GRID BELOW SO EACH ONE CONNECTS UP WITH THE WORDS ON EITHER SIDE. E.G. WISHING – WELL – DONE READ DOWN THE LETTERS IN THE SHADED SQUARES TO REVEAL A WORD ASSOCIATED WITH WITCHES

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.

TAKE FIVE

NUMBERJIG – just like a jig-word but with numbers

The 3 answers in the grid below read the same across and down. You have 4 clues but they are not in the right order and one is a red herring.

1

2

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1. Garden entrances 2. Species of violet 3. Famous 4. Alpine call

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Visit our web site, www.meridenrotary.org.uk for more information or contact Jane Maugham (Club Secretary) by telephoning / texting 07905 377515 or email her at mrcsecretary79@gmail.com.

Meriden Rotary Club has been a hive of activity with a four-day fellowship visit to St Ives in Cornwall during which we attended St Ives Rotary Club President’s night.

We had a visit to an Indian restaurant, along with our usual eclectic mix of after dinner speakers. Our charity Santa Fun Run around the Packington Estate, courtesy of Lord & Lady Guernsey, took place on a very cold Sunday in December.

We are very grateful to them; it was a great success with participants running along with a herd of deer running not too far away. Again, thanks to Tony Hill & all the helpers for a really grand day.

The charity Santa Sleigh flew around Meriden, Millison’s Wood & Hampton in Arden as well as a good number of static sites. Again, the sleigh was a great success.

Sadly, due to the unfortunate event at Babb’s Mill we decided it would not be appropriate to tour Kingshurst and our thoughts are with the grieving families.

Our food collections for local food banks from supermarkets, mainly Aldi, are continuing to expand with another new collection starting in Nuneaton for the Bermuda Phoenix Centre. We were also able to do a Christmas Eve and a New Year’s Eve collection from Aldi.

We have just completed our first club events with Meriden C of E Primary School for the Rotary Young Artist and Young Writer Competitions and the winning entries have been sent on for the district 1060 round.

We held our Christmas party at the Manor with over one hundred guests. I had the honour, along with Charles Perry, to present a cheque for over £ 5000.00 to Parkinson’s Research UK. The raffle raised nearly £ 400.00 for charity and a good night was had by all. We held the Senior Citizens Party on the 21st January at St Peter’s Hall, Balsall Common.

This was shortly followed by Burns Night, which again was a very good night and enjoyed by all who attended.

Looking forward, on May 22nd we will be holding our annual golf day at Maxstoke Park Golf Club. This event raises money to fund an exciting day out for disabled children. If you are a golfer why not join us and do what you enjoy while helping a worthy cause.

On Tuesday 31st January we enjoyed a social evening at The Waterfront Restaurant, Barton Marina and had a very good meal.

I feel that Meriden Rotary do a lot of good work, but also enjoy a lot of friendship and enjoyment along the way. So why not come along to one of our meetings and be part of a great team.

Phil Hughes. President 2022-2023 Meriden Rotary Club Christmas Santa Sleigh 2022 This year we started to prepare the Sleigh quite early to make sure we did not have the sort of last-minute problems we had experienced in 2021. Although there was not much work to do, problems arose and yet again it was the day of the first event before we were completely ready to go!

The first event was on Friday 2nd December for Santa to switch on the Christmas Tree lights by the village green in Hampton in Arden. It was a cold but dry night. The church choir sang carols and there was a big crowd of local people with their children to watch the lights illuminate. We started the next week with collections in Millison’s Wood and Meriden and ended the week with an afternoon collection at Melbick’s Garden Centre followed in the evening by a children’s party at Packington Hall. The Sleigh was at Packington Hall again on Sunday for the start of the Club’s Santa Fun Run. We started the second week with a route around the lower part of Hampton in Arden and then two afternoons at Morrison’s Supermarket in Sheldon. This should have been followed by two evening routes in Kingshurst where last year adults and children turned out in their hundreds to see Santa. We cancelled both of these evenings as a mark of respect to the families of the four young local boys who had tragically lost their lives by falling through ice on a pond three days earlier. The week ended with a tour around the upper part of Hampton in Arden and a Saturday collection outside Morrison’s Supermarket in Castle Bromwich. Like the week before the weather had been very cold but, thankfully dry.

We would like to thank all the Friends of Rotary who helped with collecting, driving the sleigh on many evenings or in any other way. Thanks must go especially to the officers and cadets of T S Stirling Sea Cadets without whose help we would have found very difficult to the hold the events. We must also thank Heather Green who has provided us with covered storage for the Sleigh in her barn during the last year. We expected collections to be down this year due to the current economic situation but people were very generous and we raised over £3100, the bulk of which will be going to the President’s Charity, Debra UK (debra.org.uk), with smaller donations going to Troop Aid and T S Stirling.

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THE MAGPIE – A short story by Peter Smerdon of Balsall Common Writers Group 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!

DAY / DATE

EVENT

VENUE

TIME

CONTACT

Tai Chi

Village Hall

9:30-10:30am

Jacqui Fisher 07703 345210

Beaver Scouts (boys and girls aged 6-8)

Scout Hut

6:30-7:30pm

Eleanor Willis 07762 823050

Explorer Scouts (male and female 14-18)

Scout Hut

7:45-9:45pm

Mark Jones 07801 773352

Orme School dance class

Methodist Church Hall

5.00- 8.00pm

02476 467331

Stories and Painting for children

Meriden Library

2:15-3pm

01676 522 717

W.I.

Village Hall

7:30pm

Samm Bain 07739 972046, Della Mannix 07920 014909

3rd Monday

Flower Club

Village Hall

7:30-9:30pm

meridenflowerclub@hotmail.com

Every Tuesday

IT Skills Training Warm Hub

Meriden Library

10-11am

01676 522 717

Every Monday Every Monday Every Monday Every Monday Every Monday 1st Monday of the month

Every Tuesday Every Tuesday

Scouts (boys and girls aged 10.5-14)

Every Tuesday

Rotary Club Meeting

Every Wed (in term time) Every Wednesday 2nd Wednesdays Every Thursday

Playgroup Art Class Readers' Circle

Sports Pavilion

10:30am-1pm

01789 777986

Scout Hut Manor Hotel

7-9pm

Mark Jones 07801 773352

7pm

www.meridenrotary.org.uk

Methodist Church Hall Village Hall call Peter for venue and time

9:30-11:30am Morning and afternoon

Julie Hyde 523357 Peter Moss 01676 523590

Art Class

Zoom (online)

IT Skills Training

Meriden Library

10-11am

01676 522 717

Craft and Chat

Sports Pavilion

12:30-3pm

Debbie Barber 07455 829340

Dancersise & Pilates

Village Hall

6pm & 7pm

Candy 07828 709650

Cub Scouts (boys and girls aged 8-10.5)

Scout Hut

6:45-8.15pm

Lynda Spratt 07790 348726

Firebird Singers

Village Hall

7-9pm

Valerie Martin 01676 522 963

All Together Café

Sports Pavilion

2-4pm

Joan Russell 01676 522 666

4th Fridays

CAMEO

Village Hall

2-4pm

Joan Russell 01676 522 666

9th March

Ask your parish councillors about joining them

Sports Pavilion

7-8:30pm

Barbara Bland 07767 162423

12th March

Beetle Drive

Scout Hut

2.00- 4.00pm

Gerry Russell 01676 522666

Dementia training

Sports Pavilion

6:30-8:30pm 29th April is 10.00am

Barbara Bland 07767 162423

Big Picture Show

Village Hall

7.30pm

Chris Copper 01676 522 645

Autism Training

Sports Pavilion

10am-12noon

Barbara Bland 07767 162423

Quiz Night

Queens Head

8.00pm

01676 522256

Easter Craft Table for children (all ages)

Meriden Library

During normal opening hours

01676 522717

Autism Training

Sports Pavilion

6:30-8:30pm

Barbara Bland 07767 162423

Flower Club lunch event

Village Hall

12.15pm

meridenflowerclub@hotmail.com

Big Picture Show

Village Hall

7.30pm

Chris Copper 01676 522 645

22nd April

Cancer Research Social

H of E Club

28th April

Curry and Quiz night

7.00pm

4th May

Local elections

Every Thursday Every Thursday Every Thursday Every Thursday Every Friday 2nd Fridays

15th Mar, 29th April & 17th May 18th March 25th Mar & 27th May 6th April 3rd-13th April 12th April 22nd April 22nd April

th

morning

Julie Hyde 01676 523357

Sue Riley 01676 522540 Scout Hut

Gerry Russell 01676 522666

Village Hall

14 May

Coronation Party in the Park

Sports Park

From 11am -6.00pm

7th/8th May

Free Art Exhibition

Village Hall

10.30 – 3.30

Julie Hyde 01676 523357

20th May

Big Picture Show

Village Hall

7.30pm

Chris Copper 01676 522 645

Cyclists’ Memorial Service

Village Green

11am

21st May

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

Hope you enjoy visiting some of these places!

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

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.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

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

Young Voices Concert 2023 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.

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

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.

Exhilarating Exhilarating Experiences!

Experiences!

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 throwing.

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 looking 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

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

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.

Bickenhill Waste disposal site Pre booked slots only To book go to Phone 0121 704 8000 Dates to remember Cyclists’ Service Sunday 21st May 11.00am on the Green

Deadline for the summer 2023 issue Saturday 6th May st st 1 May with delivery around 1 June Coronation of King Charles III Val Martin (co-editor and treasurer) 01676 522963 Post Office opening hours: 10.30am - 3.30pm, Saturdays 9.30am - 12 noon val.simon@btinternet.com Chris Bannister (co-editor and Meriden Primary School Mrs L. Anderton 01676 522488 advertising) 07789 903021 Meriden Library 01676 522717 chrisbannister56@aol.com Meriden Surgery 01676 522252 Lloyds Chemist 01676 522722 Distribution: Paul Green, Meriden Methodist Church Rev. Jane Braund 01676 533737 Mavis & Ken Edwards Meriden Village Hall bookings Valerie Martin 01676 522963 Sue Riley & Steve Chance Member of Parliament Saqib Bhatti 0121 711 7029 Proof readers: Parish Council Barbara Bland 01676 522474 07767 162423 Adrian & Jane Wood Methodist Hall bookings Alan Gabbitas 01676 522148 Advertising costs £25 per 1/4 Solihull M B C 0121 704 6000 page and £13 per 1/8 page.

Solihull District Councillors

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.

Meriden Scout Group Post Office Rural Police Sector

Andrew Burrow Diane Howell Tony Dicicco Gerry Russell Sue Harper

07487 681933 07780 438290 01676 522666 01676 522230 101