Winners of the Wooden Spoon!

Thanks to Mel Stanley and Helen Humpheries for photos.

If you have travelled along Nottingham Road over the past few months, you can't have missed the sight of building work taking place around the Cheese Shop at the Creamery.

You may even have shopped there and seen builders at work in the space adjoining the shop.

Well, now you will be able to appreciate all the effort that has gone into making the, already stylish, shop much bigger and stocked with even more cheese – as well as associated foods and drinks.

And, if you are looking for a unique gift to give to family or friends this Chistmas, then here is the opportunity to put together a hamper of goodies.

You might even want to give one yourself!

These photos

Tony Jarrow

Lindsay Thorpe, of Cropwell Bishop, has been named the Rushcliffe Sportsperson of the Year.

Lindsay was presented with her award at a showcase celebration event at Rushcliffe Arena last week.

The annual awards ceremony celebrates the Borough’s wonderful volunteers, businesses and environmentalists, clubs, organisations, and the best of its health and wellbeing, sport and food and drink sectors and local enterprise.

Lindsay won the Sportsperson of the Year award after an impressive season in paracanoe, winning silver at the European Championships in the women’s KL3 event.

On winning the award, Lindsay said:

"I'm so pleased to have won – still in a bit of shock to be honest. Rushcliffe is full of sporting talent and the other nominees are so inspirational."

She added:

"It was amazing to see all the incredible community work that happens in Rushcliffe being celebrated at the awards."

Tony Jarrow

Carol Singing around the Christmas Tree in the Pinfold today was a great success.

It is the first time in many years that the Village has had carol singing as a community event – and The Pinfold turned out to be the perfect place for it.

The large number of folk who gathered around the tree this afternoon confirmed the popularity for an event like this so it will certainly be repeated next year.

What was particularly encouraging, was the number of families with young children who came along – we will look at doing more to build on that as there is clearly an appetite for community carol singing amongst the younger generations.

A Happy Christmas to Everyone

Steve Gelsthorpe

Following the church floor refurbishment, it seemed fitting to refurbish the well worn seat in the ringing tower.

The seat was kindly upholstered by Hollygate Upholstery, Curtains & Blinds Ltd. at Ranch House, Bingham, NG13 8GF.

All done with the help of Sandra, Jim and Colin.

Here, Lesley, one of the Wednesday morning ringers, finds the seat very much to her liking.

Also, the church clock had it's long overdue service this week.

It was carried out with the help of Nick and John from the Upton Horological group. The clock's autowind, electricals and Bell chime were also brought up to scratch by Colin Bryan.

Tony Jarrow

It was the annual 10k Stilton Stumble last Sunday.

In the years before Covid, almost every Run seemed to take place in pouring rain, but since then it has enjoyed lovely sunny weather.

It was a little cooler this year but most runners will have welcomed that – most had a big smile on their face as they passed by.

There were 361 finishers (184 male, 177 female) and they ranged from teenagers to over 80 years of age.

Here are a few pictures of them. You can see all at:

Stilton Stumble on flickr.

Tony Jarrow

Thanks to Mel Stanley for the photographs.

Today was the Celebration of St Giles Re-Purposing project service. The churchyard look great in its Autumn colours.

Mel Stanley

At the Saturday Café on 28th October (in 4 days time), there will be the normal Book Sale/Exchange but also a ‘special’ Bumper Jigsaw Sale/Exchange as we have over 150 jigsaws in stock at the moment.

This will be the last opportunity to get jigsaws until January 2024.

At the 25th November Saturday Café we will have the usual Book Exchange and also a "Crafts for Christmas" stall – but no jigsaws.

There is no Saturday Café in December.

On 27th January 2024 things are back to normal with both Books and Jigsaws for Sale/Exchange.

Hilary

Lots of books and jigsaws were exchanged at this morning's Book Sale/Exchange at The Old School.

At the next Saturday Cafe (Nov 25th) there will be the usual Book Exchange and also a one-off "Crafts for Christmas" stall – but no jigsaws.

Hilary Jarrow

Thanks to Mel Stanley for photos

It saddens me to report that, Judy Thomas, who for decades has been a lively and influential character in Cropwell Bishop, has died.

Judy had been ill for about 5 years. She availed herself of all the treatments that the hospitals could provide, and put up with the discomforts and fatigue without ever appearing to feel sorry for herself, look back to what might have been, or display fear for the future.

Indeed, even after the onset of her illness, she continued to embark on new projects and develop her skills, making the very best of her time.

She transformed her small back garden into a wildflower haven for insects and birds, replaced her ageing computer with a new laptop, and enrolled on a course for budding artists. This art course provided her with the techniques, skills and enthusiasm to continue to create her own art work.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that we bumped into Judy whilst shopping at Morrison's, and she said she and others from the art course still continued to meet at each other's homes to create artwork.

However, Judy knew that she now needed a lot of help and took herself to hospital last Tuesday. She died at the City Hospital on Sunday morning - yesterday.

It was around 2006 that Judy started to ease from from full-time working and began to involve herself more in Cropwell Bishop community projects.

In March 2007, she volunteered to join a Steering Group that was committed to developing a plan for the future of Cropwell Bishop. The Cropwell Bishop Plan was published in 2009.

In the light of recommendations in The Plan, Judy joined a small group of villagers to form the Cropwell Bishop Gardening Club, and they voted her to be its founding Chair. She continued in the role for 10 years, at which point, she took the opportunity to stand down to give others the chance to develop the Club.

It was in September 2011 that she joined a handful of other villagers to put on a Horticultural Show at The Old School. Encouraged by its popularity, particularly with members of the Gardening Club and Allotment holders, the Show became an annual event.

Within a few years it evolved from a Horticultural Show to Village Show and included entries for; flowers, cookery, eggs, photography, craft, wine, artwork, plus categories for children. Judy was a constant presence at the event and regularly presented the trophies. Unfortunately, the onset of Covid put an end to the event.

Also, it is not that long ago that Judy turned out to complete the Stilton Stumble.

Below are some photos of Judy taken in recent years. I hope they they bring back memories of happy times with Judy.

Tony Jarrow

The Memorial Hall Annual General Meeting is open to all residents of Cropwell Bishop. See poster on events page.

You are invited to The Old School on:

Sunday October 15th 3.00pm - 4.30pm

(rescheduled from Friday 13th October 8 o'clock as published in this month’s Cropwell News).

The meeting will report on the committee’s activities over the past year, it’s financial position and our guest from Rural Community Action Nottinghamshire (RCAN) will reveal the results from the recent village survey where the committee sought your views on amenities and facilities in a future hall.

This will hopefully invite a lively debate on what the community needs to do to make a future hall a reality.

There will be formalities to cover off such as the approval of last year’s minutes and the election of this year’s committee who will manage the current facility on behalf of the community and take action to replace the existing building.

If you are interested in helping or wish to join the committee, please contact Nigel Lockley email:
nigelklockley@icloud.com
mobile: 07967 587117

On behalf of the Cropwell Bishop Memorial Hall Committee
Charity No 220504

If so, one coming up on your doorstep: it will be here in Cropwell Bishop.

You have to enter your name but, don't worry, it is not too late.

If you are still mystified, take a look at the Events page to see what is happening on the 15th October.

Then, all you need to do is pop on your trainers ...

Good Luck

Tony Jarrow

This continuing graffiti is unacceptable within the Cropwell Bishop environment!

The pictures below show some of the unacceptable graffiti that is being carried out throughout the village over the last few weeks.

This activity is costing the Parish Council both time and finances and must be brought to a halt as soon as possible.

The Police will be made aware of this situation and a watchful eye is being kept throughout the village for any activity pertaining to such unacceptable behaviour.

Any person involved with this activity must be purchasing and storing the relevant spray paint somewhere in their residence or in someone else’s shed/garage etc.

The Parish Council are therefore asking everyone to investigate whether there is an unusual amount of spray cans etc., secreted away in any form of cache, or spray paint missing from garages/workshops.

Cropwell Butler has also been suffering similar activities and they are likewise investigating the scenario.

Janice Towndrow – Parish Clerk

We are delighted to announce that the Very Revd David Rowe will be our new Rector, heralding the start a new, exciting chapter for the Parish.

David and his wife, Pixie, have recently returned to the UK from posts in Wellington, New Zealand.
The licensing service is set for 8th November at St Andrew’s Church, Langar.

Reordering work at St Giles’:
The new stone floor is being laid at the moment, and elsewhere a customised storage unit is being built.
Before too long the medieval pews and font will be installed in their new positions and redecoration will be underway.
Finishing touches like lighting and replacement carpet in the rest of the nave are being planned, and will definitely enhance the overall effect.
If anyone would like to offer a donation towards these extras, more information can be found at:

https://www.wivertoninthevale.co.uk/st-giles-carpet-appeal/

You’re invited to a Celebration Service!
We have booked a Celebration Service at St Giles’ on 15th October 10.30am to mark the completion of this project.
Bishop Paul will be leading and there will be light refreshments to follow.
We look forward to welcoming as many people as possible, so please save the date!

In the meantime local worship takes place in the Methodist Chapel, the next service being 20th August, 10.30am, followed by Harvest Festival 17th September, 10.30am.
We are happy to deal with enquiries about funerals, weddings or christenings via Jane Travis:

admin@wivertoninthevale.co.uk

or, for anything else via me:

hilarytabron@wivertoninthevale.co.uk

Hilary Tabron
Churchwarden

We are very fortunate to have the ‘green lungs’ of the churchyard in the centre of the village, with its rich biodiversity of flora and fauna.

This resting place for past villagers going back several centuries is a place ofcalm and beauty, and we need to maintain it to allow access all round.

Churchyard maintenance has proved to be a particular challenge this year, with rampant growth being hard to keep on top of even though contractors, generously paid for by the Parish Council, have tried to keep to a mowing regime, along with a handful of church contacts who have tackled other areas, and people who are able to maintain family graves.

Understandably overgrown grass and obscured graves have caused concern. Therefore, we want to make a special effort to rectify things.

To that end, we are employing someone to lead this year’s ‘Big Clear’ day, someone most of you will know.

Now we are looking for folk to step up to the plate and join in with this, hopefully creating a mass working party and helping to keep this beautiful village amenity looking its best by giving of some of their time. It need not be for the whole 7 hours - if you can manage just a couple of hours then that would be fantastic.

We aim to do this on Saturday 30th September 2023 starting from 9.00am and finishing by around 4,30pm.

So, if you live in the village or you have relatives and family buried in the churchyard and you take a pride in how the village looks along with its most important building then please come along - especially if you are one of those who have raised concerns. Now is your chance to help do something about it!

All we ask you to do for the moment is keep the date free and to email Jane, the Parish Administrator at:

admin@wivertoninthevale.co.uk

to register your willingness and to indicate how much time you can give.

Then, a few days before the date, we will email final details and what to expect to everybody who has shown an interest. There will be a range of tasks to suit people of different age and abilities, and no one will be asked to do more than they can physically manage.

We will arrange for hot drinks and other refreshments to help keep folk going and all in all it should be a very jolly affair.

So come along - even if you’ve never volunteered for anything in the village before: you might find that taking part and adding value to the village is, in fact, great fun!

Also, with so many new families now in the village it will be a chance to meet some of us who have been here a little longer – with no expectation that you will get more involved in the life of the church, unless you would like to.

Finally, as many of you are aware, the Church has been shut for the last few months to allow contractors to overhaul the inside of the Church, to make it warmer and more flexible.

This project will soon be completed and the Bishop has accepted our invitation to come and dedicate the work at a Celebration and Thanksgiving Service on 15th October at 10.30am, open to all.

The inside of the church will look magnificent on that day and we dearly hope that the grounds in which it sits will do so too!

Thanks in anticipation,

The St Giles’ Team

A big thank you to the Picnic’ers in the Park for supporting the Memorial Hall, by eating our jacket potatoes and ordering teas, coffees and hot chocolate, as the evening cooled and the wind picked up.

What is YOUR vision for the Memorial Hall?

Please complete our short survey so you can tell us what facilities YOU would like to see.

Your comments will help us determine how the hall takes shape and advance the plans for a new hall.

Please click the link below or use the QR code.

Memorial Hall Survey

For residents who would prefer to read and complete a paper version, the survey will be included in the next copy of Cropwell Bishop News.

THANK YOU 😊

These are just some of the balloons Cropwell Bishop litter pickers have retrieved in recent weeks – from our hedges, fields and Lanes.

If you use them, please don't release them into our environment. They are so damaging to our wildlife.

Thank you

Mel Stanley

Cropwell Bishop News should, by now, have been delivered to your home and so you will be aware why Wednesday 31st May was such a special day for Agnes Hickling: it was her 100th Birthday.

On that day, in her home, she was surrounded by family, friends, school children, Carers and Councillors eager to wish her a happy day.

One of her birthday cards arrived a week earlier and was from a very special couple. Here she is proudly showing her card from the King and Queen.

The beautiful birthday cake was prepared by her family.

Agnes showed her appreciation for the gift from the Parish Council – which of course, was sent on behalf of all Cropwell Bishop villagers – by sending a Thank You card.

In it, she wrote in her own hand, "Many thanks for making my 100th birthday so very special".

I doubt any person has better served the children and people of Cropwell Bishop as unselfishly as you - nor, for so long.

Thank You Agnes.

Tony Jarrow

After 4 days of cold cloudy conditions the sun finally came out on Saturday.

We thought the highlight of the day would be the FA cup final (United v City on the TV) but we were wrong.

In the afternoon the Growers and Gardeners hosted an ‘Open Gardens’.

We enjoyed a refreshing Pimms in the lovely surroundings of Helen’s garden then we moved on to Jill’s garden for a special strawberries and clotted cream tea.

Greatly appreciated by all.

In the evening we enjoyed a super performance by the Graham Tranfield Jazz band with singer ‘Sean’ at the Old School.

They played an easy listening, popular Jazz programme which had our feet tapping and some were dancing.

It was great to get out and about within the village and meet some new neighbours.

Our thanks to the Growers and Gardeners and the Old School Entertainment Committees for organising two excellent, most enjoyable events.

As for the cup final – we still managed to see most of the game – a success for City fans.

John and Glyn Greenwood

Hilary has made a start on collecting together books and jigsaws for this Saturday's Book & Jigsaw Exchange – one bookshelf is full but she has at least two more to fill.

She has plenty to choose from in the boxes piled high in the garage but has to ensure that all the recently acquired books are included.

There are lots of fresh jigsaws too, all ready to go.

After this Saturday, the next book-exchange will not be until the end of September so use this opportunity to refresh your bookshelf.

If you are not familiar with the format of the book/jigsaw exchange, it's: bring a book or jigsaw and exchange for a new one or, if you don’t have an exchange, it’s 50p a book or £1 a jigsaw.

So, see you this weekend at the Saturday Cafe at the Old School (see poster on Events page).

Tony

Two days ago, on Wednesday, a wide range of people were seen to be converging on the home of Agnes Hickling.

She has lived in Cropwell Bishop all her life and this has never happened before: what made Wednesday different to every other day I wonder.

I have managed to get some photos of the goings-on in her home that day; do they provide us with any clues?

Isn't that the Mayor of Rushcliffe chatting with Agnes?

What is Agnes holding in her hands?

Her old school photo is attracting a lot of attention. Agnes is on the front row, on the extreme left, next to her teacher.

Isn't that a balloon in the corner?

Now the Mayor is chatting to Agnes's sister, Ruth.

That's Parish Councillor, Colin Bryan, and he seems to be giving something to Agnes.

There is a cake – but its not Christmas, so why?

Why have all her different carers turned up at once? And there are flowers!

And aren't those two children from Cropwell Bishop School? Did Agnes have some connection with education?

I understand that a new issue of Cropwell Bishop News will soon be dropping through our letter box (starting next week), and it includes an article revealing all the facts about Agnes Hickling's special day.

Can't wait to read it!

Tony Jarrow

A planning application for the "Creation of an agricultural field access" has been submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council. It is for a 5.5 metre metal gate across the end of Mercia Avenue.

It was submitted by a company based in Charnwood (Woodhouse Eaves). As I understand it, the company purchased the field beyond Mercia Avenue a year or so ago.

The field was previously owned by Cropwell Bishop farming families and was always accessed via the bridleway that runs from Nottingham Road – between the playing field and the back of houses and then to the field behind Mercia Avenue.

I believe the current owners have continued to use this access route.

Oddly, this Charnwood company appears to have no known connection with Cropwell Bishop (apart from now owning the field) nor with farming. Yet, it seems determined to want access to the field via Mercia Avenue.

It did submit a virtually identical plan in 2022 which the RBC and our Parish Council rejected.

It is a mystery to me why it should be so determined to now install a gate 5.5m wide which, incidentally, is the minimum width of a standard road 2-way road in the UK for cars and light vehicles.

Apparently, the planning application states that the gate will be used by tractors which will drive to and from it via Hoe View Road and Mercia Avenue.

A mere glance at the road map shows this to be a much longer journey than the current method via the bridleway. Some people have suggested that it is also a more hazardous journey due to parked cars along the route.

Indeed, a photo of Mercia Avenue taken today, shows that it might sometimes be an impossible journey due to parked cars. After all, tractors are of little use by themselves, they generally tow things.

You have only got to see the tractors that travel along Nottingham Road to see this.

I assume that residents living along the route on Mercia Avenue and Hoe View Road have already been asked to comment on this plan (before 16th June 2023).

Everyone else can view full details by clicking:
Planning Application

All very mysterious.

Tony Jarrow

Stuart Wood, who lives in Cropwell Bishop, won a Gold Medal at the Sprint and Para-canoe World Cup in Hungary last Sunday.

Stuart, a bronze medallist at the Tokyo Paralympics, won the 200m VL3 final.

The 2019 European Champion powered out the start buckets to take an early lead against a stacked field including Paralympic Champion Curtis McGarth, and despite a late fightback from the competition, Stuart held on to take the win in 48.55 and his second gold in the class.

It was his first international race since the world championships in 2021 – and his first major race since treatment for cancer.

Weeks after that race the Briton was diagnosed with Stage 3b Hodgkin lymphoma - a type of blood cancer - before getting the all-clear in 2022.

Pleased to be back racing international again, Stuart said:

"I’m massively delighted to win that gold. It’s great to be back racing and to come away with the win at the first time of asking. It felt too close for comfort at the end there but held on well."

"To come away with the win as well - it's pretty special. My partner, friends, family and team really pushed me on."

“After the last 18 months it’s just great to be back out racing again, but to come away with the win as well it’s pretty special. Moments like this and my partner, friends, family and team really pushed me on."

“This has wet my appetite and I can't wait to get back into the remainder of the season.”

Stuart, 29, a graduate of Bath University, works in software Development in Nottingham. He trains at Holme Pierrepont, the National Water Sports Centre.

His disability is congenital, as he was born without a tibia in one of his legs and had to have a leg amputated before he was a one-year-old. But all he did growing up was try his hand at every sport he could.

That eventually led him to take up paracanoeing, where he has represented Great Britain at the Paralympics and world championships.

A heart-warming story; well done Stuart.

Tony Jarrow

Those lining the streets in London to watch the Coronation on Saturday endured torrential rain but all of us back in Cropwell Bishop could watch it on TV, so could enjoy the spectacle sitting down, warm and dry.

And be able to switch the kettle on, or pop to the toilet, without a second thought – something thousands of those in London may have been dreaming of – for hours!

For some of us here in Cropwell Bishop, the weather on Sunday would be of more importance; rain and Street Parties don't mix well!

But, by Sunday lunch time there were blue skies and warm sunshine – perfect for a Street Party.

I understand there were several in the village and no doubt all those taking part could not believe their luck in having such lovely weather. All contingency plans for coping with rain and wind could be ditched: wonderful.

Tony Jarrow

Maybe you rode Velo Belvoir last year and would love to enjoy the experience again, or maybe you didn't know about it but fancy the idea of a leisurely bike ride around the Vale of Belvoir.

Either way, to find out more click: Velo Belvoir.

It takes place a week on Sunday: entries start from just £10.

Tony Jarrow

Hilary has stopped reading books and putting together jigsaws – now she is putting all her effort into getting books and jigsaws ready for Saturday's Book & Jigsaw Exchange at this weekend's Saturday Cafe at the Old School (see poster on Events page).

She has lots of fresh (to Saturday Cafe) books ready for the shelves and also fresh jigsaws.

It should be a good morning.

Hopefully, see you there.

Tony

Dear customer,

I am writing to let you know that we will be carrying out landscaping work to the fields and verges adjacent to the to the A46 in both directions between Saxondale and Widmerpool.

During this scheme, we will undertake a programme of landscape / biodiversity enhancement work to include ground preparation, grass cutting and wildflower seeding in various locations.

Once completed, the area will benefit from better visual aesthetics and improved biodiversity.

When will the work take place?

The work is due to start on 15 June 2023 for 3 nights. The working hours are between 8pm – 6am.

Please note that all our planned roadworks may be subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances.

How will the work affect businesses and residents?

There will be lane closures on the A46 main carriageway and slip road closures at Saxondale roundabout. When the Saxondale slip roads are closed, the diversion will be to continue along the A46 to the next junction and re-join in opposite direction.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and will do our very best to complete the work as quickly as possible, keeping disturbances and noise to a minimum. Access for emergency services will remain throughout the works.

Contact Us:

If you have any questions about this work, please contact our National Highways Customer Contact Centre for the attention of Kyle Morley, East Midlands Operations.

Email: info@nationalhighways.co.uk
Telephone: 0300 123 5000

Wishing you a safe journey.

Operations Directorate

At this evening's Annual Parish Meeting of the Electorate at The Old School, a special award was made to the Cropwell Bishop Litterpicking Group.

This group was started by Sue and Ed Ward several years ago and the number of active members has grown steadily.

Most villagers will have seen them in their high-visibility jackets collecting litter from the grass, hedges and ditches alongside our village roads.

The Parish Council wanted to show, on behalf of the residents of Cropwell Bishop, its appreciation of their unselfish efforts to make our village free from litter.

The plaque will be mounted on a wall of the Pinfold on Church Street.

Tony Jarrow

The Parish Council has been in discussion with Vectare (who operate the daytime 833 Bingham service) and the County Council to consider how the available Section 106 funding from the new housing estate should be used to improve our bus service.

We are pleased to report that a new evening bus service commenced on Monday 17th April 2023.

It is operated by Vectare and will operate for a period of 2 years partly supported by the County Council and Section 106 funding.

After the 2 year period we hope, with good usage, that the service becomes self-sufficient.

The service is linked to the Nottingham – Newark, 90 service, which Vectare are now operating. It also replaces certain evening Cotgrave Connection Services.

A summary of the ‘92’ evening timetable is shown below, together with a link for downloading a pdf copy.

The ‘92’ service provides Cropwell Bishop with regular evening buses to and from Nottingham and Bingham.

The last buses back from Nottingham are at 2215 and 2315 (2215 Saturdays) and the last bus from Bingham at 2221 (2236 on Saturdays).

There is no Sunday service.

The buses will travel along both Church St and Hoe View Road to Hollygate Estate, Cotgrave, and on to Nottingham via Radcliffe Road, (not Central Avenue) in West Bridgford

In the other direction they will travel from Cropwell Bishop Hoe View Road and Church St via Langar to Bingham and the new Bingham Estates with connections on to Newark (90 service)

For full details of the ‘92’ services and intermediate stops please visit the following web site:-

https://bustimes.org/localities/cropwell-bishop

It should be possible to track the vehicle locations on this web site.

This ‘promise’ should be reassuring after our troubles with the 33 service:-

VECTARE PASSENGER PROMISE * Clean, safe and comfortable buses with friendly drivers.
We’ll never leave you stranded - if your bus doesn’t run, we’ll pay for your taxi home!*
Call our Service Delivery Centre for help and support seven days a week: 0115 777 318

*Terms and conditions apply.
Please visit vectare.co.uk/passengerpromise for more information.

JRG/Parish Council

April 2023

The Parish Council have a new Ranger/Lengthsman in place who took over from Ray Kimpton when he retired at the end of 2022.

Adam Daley has taken over the role and you will see him out and about in the village as he carries out his duties.

If you have any queries regarding litter/grass cutting/playpark equipment/graffiti etc., please contact either of the below:

Adam Daley Village Ranger/Lengthsman
07508 515256
e-mail: a.m.daley@outlook.com

or:

Janice Towndrow Parish Clerk
0115 9894656
e-mail - clerk@cropwellbishop-pc.gov.uk

Spring is just around the corner.

A couple of years ago Eddie and Sue set up Cropwell Bishop Litter Pickers FaceBook page.

Since then, so much litter has been picked along the verges, hedgerows and ditches, into the village. We have lost count of the numbers of bags.

Group and solo picks, by many villagers have resulted in the improvements we can see, and the help it gives our small wild life.

Thank you to everyone who picks litter, in and around the village.

The photo shows some of Cropwell Bishop's litter pickers out today. They were down on the old A46 and collected 16 bags of litter.

Mel and Godfrey

Cllr. Neil Clarke of N.C.C. and the Parish Council have been working hard for over 18 months to get the muddy footpath at the rear of Hoe View Road, that runs to Cropwell Butler, re-surfaced with stone making it more accessible to residents.

We had anticipated the work would commence on the 27th February 2023, but have now been informed by our contractor that he is unable to carry out the surfacing works to this bridleway until next week, and will now be starting on Monday 13th March.

It is expected that the section of bridleway where the works are taking place will be closed for up to 5 days

Thank you to Cllr. Neil Clarke for his support, hard work and persistence in getting this project off the ground.

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk

I had never seen a Play performed at The Old School.

In its small hall, would it really be possible to create an atmosphere that could transport me to a different world for a couple of hours?

I have just got back from watching 'The Swearing Jar' there this evening, and the answer is a resounding YES!

It must have taken hours to unload and set up the 'stage' and all the lighting and sound equipment, but it all helped to create the atmosphere.

From the first minute, the sell-out audience were captivated by the actors.

Sometimes, when at a cinema, I find myself looking at my watch, or my mind starts to wander – a sure sign that the movie is lacking in some way. But tonight, not for a moment, was that ever the case.

Built into the story were music and songs – and the two lead actors proved their vocal and guitar skills matched their great acting ability.

Now I know that watching a Play in The Old School is not just as good as seeing it in a big theatre, it is far better!

And, just a few minutes walk from home.

Tony Jarrow

Hilary has made a start with her books and jigsaws for the Cafe at the Old School at 10am on Saturday.

As always, she is putting together a different selection from previous months as well as new stock. And she is now selecting jigsaws to go along with the books.

If you are not familiar with the format of the book/jigsaw exchange, it's: bring a book or jigsaw and exchange for a new one or, if you don’t have an exchange, it’s 50p a book or £1 a jigsaw.

The books always include a selection for children of all ages.

See you there.

Looking forward to the next Saturday, the 25th?

Hilary is preparing her books and jigsaws for the Cafe at the Old School at 10am on Saturday.

As always, she is putting together a different selection from previous months as well as new stock.

Because it will soon be Easter, the Cafe volunteer staff on will be making available 'Easter extras': see poster on Events page for details.

If you are not familiar with the format of the book/jigsaw exchange, it's: bring a book or jigsaw and exchange for a new one or, if you don’t have an exchange, it’s 50p a book or £1 a jigsaw.

The books always include a selection for children of all ages.

See you there.

Nottinghamshire community and voluntary controlled schools.

Nottinghamshire County Council’s (NCC) admission arrangements for 2024-2025 for community and voluntary controlled schools were approved on 30 January 2023. Following a call-in period of 5 days, the arrangements are now determined and available on the public website,

Determined admission arrangements 2024-2025.

Objections to admission arrangements for 2024-2025 of both maintained schools and academies can be made to the Schools Adjudicator who may investigate admission arrangements of any school that the Adjudicator considers do not, or may not, comply with the mandatory requirements of the School Admissions Code or the law. Further details are available on our website.

If you have any further queries, please contact:
admissionsconsultations@nottscc.gov.uk

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk

Saturday 4th of February 2023 will be an important date in the history of the Memorial Hall and for Cropwell Bishop.

The launch Field is a football coaching academy that has been training children of all ages at various locations such as Cotgrave, Bingham and Radcliffe but with no ground of their own to call home.

This is a problem for the academy as this is a requirement for them to access the funds on offer from a number of sources such as the Football Foundation.

The Launch Field approached the Memorial Hall Committee to use the field for training sessions but it became clear from conversations there was more that could be achieved if a partnership could be formed rather than just letting them train on the field.

A series of trial FREE training sessions were suggested for February which, if they prove successful, could lead to the Academy becoming a permanent fixture at the Memorial Field.

The opportunity for Cropwell Bishop Memorial Hall Charity is huge, potentially opening up sources of funds that we previously only dreamed of.

However, we will be looking at a range of funding sources to enable the Charity to retain control of the design of any new facility built on the site of the original Hall. It is key to the original purpose of the Memorial Hall Charity, that the space serves the whole community as a place to come together for celebration and commemoration.

It is clear in the original documents, the Cropwell Bishop War Memorial was in two parts, No:1 is the War Memorial Window in the Church, and No:2 is the Memorial Field for the residents to come together

The hall was designed in 1928, funds raised, and the building completed within 12 months. It was officially opened on the 3rd August 1929, by Mrs J.N. Derbyshire.

The most important date in the history of the Hall was Wednesday 29th June 1932 when His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visited.

The building has been well used and loved but is no longer in a fit state to be suitable for the requirements of a modern, growing population. It will be honored and remembered as part of or within any future structure.

On the 4th of February children from Cropwell Bishop and further afield came to train with The Launch Field professional coaches.

What an amazing turnout there was for the first event. Some 50 children were signed up, girls and boys, all having so much fun learning the skills needed to control the ball around cones and score goals. They all worked so well together, listened so well and totally engaged with the coaches.

The Memorial Hall kitchen was open for hot drinks and snacks and all put together by Pam Wregg with volunteers, Maggie Shirran, Jackie Lacey, Carolyn Herrington and Sarah Barrett. Lesley Shuttlewood baked delicious cakes which were very popular. Jacques Lacey and David Whisson were on car park duty.

A welcome visitor was Cllr Gordon Moore who has been so helpful to the Memorial hall over many years and hopefully will be again.

Finally a massive thank you to the parents that turned out with their children, it was such a pleasure to see so many attending and enjoying watching their youngsters happily running around the field.

We hope to see everyone again in the coming weeks and months watching future sports stars gaining skills and confidence.

David Whisson
Chairman
Cropwell Bishop Memorial Hall Committee

NB

For a comprehensive history of the Memorial Hall, the Royal visit, and lots of photographs, click the 'Heritage' tab, then 'Nottingham Road' and scroll down to 'Memorial Hall".

Tony Jarrow

If you are fortunate to have a ‘smart’ phone or a home computer, you can check where your 833 Bingham is by clicking on the link below:

Show me where the bus is.

You will see a schematic map of the 833 route (operated by Vectare for Nottsbus) showing the locations of the vehicles in service. It will look like the picture below.

You can click on the bus stops and buses for more information. It seems to be updated every couple of minutes.

We have had various problems of poor reliability reported on the 33 route to Nottingham and Radcliffe (operated by the County Fleet Services for Nottsbus).

The Parish Council is pushing for improved reliability to restore our confidence in this service and has requested that the County provide vehicle location information for the 33 route as soon as possible.

John Greenwood
Cropwell Bishop Parish Council

Do you have a spare couple of hours a month?

If so, Cropwell Bishop Entertainment Committee would love you to join them.

The Cropwell Bishop Entertainment Committee is a group of village volunteers who come together to put on entertainment events for our community. Events range from Cinema events, pop-quiz to live bands etc.

They need volunteers to bring inspiration for new events and help run the bar, etc, for some of the events.

If you can spare a couple of hours a month why not get in touch to find out more. Please contact the Parish Clerk on clerk@cropwellbishop-pc.gov.uk or telephone 0115 9894656.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk

If you read yesterday's article about a missing dog, you will be relieved to know that he has been found - safe and well.

Thanks have been passed to villagers, landowners, 'Drone to Home' and Notts Police.

Click on this link and see a video of him running to his rescuers.

A happy return

He wasn't far from Cropwell Boshop. He was found near the Colston Road (Cotgrave to Colston Bassett road) close to the A46.

If only all "missing" searches could end so happily.

Tony Jarrow

Can a dog find its way home from strange surroundings 20 miles away? I don't know, but this dog seems to be trying to do just that.

The dog's home is in Grantham but last week it was staying with the owner's relative in Keyworth.

On Friday, while in a field and off its lead, it was frightened by the bang from a bird scarer and ran off. It has been on the run ever since.

Drones have caught glimpses of it and it has been spotted near Stanton on the Wolds, Tollerton and, yesterday, Cotgrave. Could it really be heading for Grantham?

If it is, then Cropwell Bishop could be its next stop.

If while driving or maybe dog-walking, you happen to spot it, then please report the sighting.

You can add a message to the facebook page dedicated to finding it:
Drone to Home
or you can contact me and I will pass the message on.

Tony Jarrow

Well, they are not aimed at people but at vehicles; in particular, their number plates.

They have been installed as part of the national Automatic Number-Plate Recognition system. The cameras are often referred to as 'ANPR' cameras.

The system uses 'optical character recognition' to read vehicle registration plates and so create vehicle location data. This can then be used to check if a vehicle is registered, taxed and has a current MOT certificate.

According to the Home Office the system helps detect, deter and disrupt criminality – including tackling organised crime groups and terrorists. There are nearly 8000 ANPR cameras around the UK.

So, now you know. Whilst you don't need to smile as you drive past the Cropwell Bishop camera, do make sure your car is taxed, insured and has an MOT certificate.

Tony Jarrow

There will be over 250 books and 30 jigsaws – so a good choice for everyone. We now stock children’s books too.

Lots of new stock so come along, have a coffee, a piece of cake and browse the shelves.

The same format as usual - bring a book or jigsaw and exchange for a new one or, if you don’t have an exchange, it’s 50p a book and £1 a jigsaw.

See you there.

Hilary Jarrow

Gary's shop (our Butcher) is closed at the moment whilst building work is being completed.

He is a popular source of tickets for events at The Old School but, don't despair, you can still buy tickets from Jan Towndrow at the Old School (9am-3pm Mon-Fri) or even at the door of the event.

See the Events page for full details of this Friday's Cinema and other coming events.

Tony Jarrow

Why not join the Parish/Town Council Elections Prospective Candidates Briefing. This is being hosted by Rushcliffe Borough Council for clerks and prospective candidates for the forthcoming Parish/Town Council elections.

Rushcliffe Borough Council will hold this event online using zoom and it will take place on Wednesday 1 March 2023 commencing at 10am and is planned to finish around 11.30am.

The briefing will cover what candidates need to do to submit a nomination, cover the key dates and changes to the elections this year and also how clerks can assist and what information we will provide you with throughout the election period.

As it is being held online anyone wishing to attend must provide their email address so that they can be sent an appointment link.

If you wish to attend, email:

elections@rushcliffe.gov.uk

giving your name, parish and email address by no later than Friday 17 February, or contact me and I will put forward your request for you.

Janice Towndrow
Cropwell Bishop Parish Clerk
clerk@cropwellbishop-pc.gov.uk
0115 9894656

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? If this is you, then we need you.

We need people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect their community to put themselves forward for election. Make a change and become a councillor.

**Make A Change – Become A Councillor – Coffee Morning**

If you are interested in making a change in Cropwell Bishop and are interested in becoming a Councillor, please attend the February Saturday Café on the 25th February 2023.

There will be a selection of Councillors there to answer any questions or queries you may have around becoming and being a Parish Councillor.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk

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? If this is you, then we need you. We need people from all backgrounds and experiences who reflect their community to put themselves forward for election. Make a change and become a councillor.

WHAT DO LOCAL COUNCILS DO?
Your local (parish and town) council has overall responsibility for the wellbeing of your local community. Their work falls into three main categories:

• Delivery of services
• Improve quality of life for residents
• Give communities a democratic voice Local councils run numerous services, depending on the size of the council.

Many you will see day-to-day, but some are less known. These include introducing solar panels, setting up dementia-friendly groups, organising community buses, creating neighbourhood plans, implementing suitable housing, establishing youth projects, managing allotments and open spaces, maintaining footpaths, public seating and litter bins.

BECOMING A LOCAL COUNCILLOR
As a local councillor you can become a voice for your community and make real change. Local councillors are the champions of their community who invest time in local projects and issues to the benefit of residents and the neighbourhood. Local councillor responsibilities fall into three main categories:

• Decision-making
• Monitoring
• Getting involved locally Local councillors attend to local needs of residents, local groups and businesses, make decisions on local services, collaborate with district and borough councils to adhere to local needs, and progress vital projects to invest in the future of the community.

CAN I STAND FOR ELECTION?
To stand for election to a local council you must be:

• A UK or Commonwealth citizen; or be a citizen of the Republic of Ireland; or be a citizen of another Member State of the European Union
• At least 18 years old
• An elector of the local council; or in the past 12 months occupied land or other premises in the area the local council serves (as owner or tenant); or work in the area local council serves (as your principal or only place of work); or live within three miles of the local council boundary

FIND OUT MORE BY CONTACTING:
The Parish Clerk – Janice Towndrow
clerk@cropwellbishop-pc.gov.uk 0115 9894656

Still 4 days to go, but Hilary is already sorting out which books and jigsaws to put out at The Old School on Saturday.

That is when she will be doing her Book and Jigsaw Exchange once again.

Because of the Christmas break and the Craft Stall in November, it is 3 months since the last one – plenty of time for you to have read your last selection and completed your jigsaws.

For those of you not familiar with the stall, here is an overview.

It is the Saturday Café at the Old School this weekend (see poster on Events page) and Hilary will have a stall with 200+ books and loads of jigsaws – plus a selection of good quality children’s books.

If you have a book to donate, you can swap it for one on the stall (free of charge). Similarly with jigsaws.

If you don't have something to exchange, you can buy a book for 50p or jigsaw for £1.

See you there.

TonyJarrow

Hoe View Road is to be closed to through traffic from 31st January to 7th February. During this time, the number 33 Bus will be diverted as follows:

Number 33 buses coming from Radcliffe and Cropwell Butler will head along Church St (instead of Hoe View Road) and turn towards Cotgrave and Town at Nottingham Road.

Number 33 buses arriving from town and heading towards Cropwell Butler and Radcliffe, will not be affected by the diversion and will travel along Church St as normal.

Only the two early morning buses would travel along Church Street towards Cropwell Butler as they do at present.

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk