Billie has packed his suitcase and is going to get in the car, later today. He is going to visit his cousin and Uncle in the Forest of Dean, Glos.

He has so enjoyed all his activities over the last 3 months. Come and say ‘Goodbye’ to Billie today.

He is totalling up the funds he has raised for NHS and will let you know later. He hasn’t hit the £1,000 quite just yet so please keep donating if you can.

He will return on Sunday, (normal baking day) but then is going away again for a longer period. However, he will pop out in the garden from time to time.

Billie hopes you have enjoyed his company and thanks you all for such tremendous support and love especially over the last few days. 😀

Billie's Mum

UPDATE:

Billie has raised £917.00 (July 6th) but would really like to get to £1,000. If you have anything suitable for a raffle prize, please drop off at No. 23 Brownhill. Will have a raffle on Sunday. Let’s see if he can do it. Thank you everyone.

The homes on Dobbin Close were built in the late 1970s. The purchase price for the first occupants was upwards of £24,000 – which might sound a bargain price today but it was well beyond the reach of most local people at the time.

They were built on land that previously had a large house and extensive land around it – see the old aerial photograph lower down: that was taken in the late 1960s. The large house was the vicarage and the site retains a link with the church because one of the houses on Dobbin Close is effectively today’s vicarage.

Many people may well associate a name like Dobbin with a friendly horse but Dobbin Close gets its name from someone who lived in Cropwell Bishop around 130 years ago: Reverend Abraham Joseph Lockett Dobbin.

He was born in Ireland in 1836 and when he was 28, he married Mary Milne in Lancashire where he was a curate. From there he moved to Nottinghamshire to be first, a curate at Ruddington, then Nottingham (St James) and eventually, when he was 41, to be vicar of Cropwell Bishop and Owthorpe. Revd Dobbin, his wife and their three children then settled into their new life in Cropwell Bishop at the vicarage on Fern Road.

For the next 23 years he and his family appear to have been fully involved with the people of Cropwell Bishop. As well as being the vicar, he also served as treasurer for the Parish Council and took an interest in the Cricket Team. The photograph below, shows him (in centre) surrounded by the cricket team and villagers. This was probably taken in the 1890s. His wife, Mary, played the harmonium alongside him in church services.

At various times he was on the committee of a number of local organisations including the Board of Education and the Freemasons: he had also been president of the Thoroton Society. He took an active part in the restoration of St Giles and, under his superintendence, a partial restoration was carried out in 1893 in which the Organ Loft and Singers Gallery over the screen in the Tower Arch were removed when the, comparatively modern, pews toward the east end of the Nave were installed.

But in 1900, he suddenly collapsed and died. His health “was known to be in a precarious condition” but, even so, he had conducted a funeral at Cropwell Butler just a few days before.

His wife died just 6 years later and is buried alongside him in St Giles Graveyard. She was living in Castle Donington at the time. His eldest son (and his family) and both his daughters are also buried in the St Giles graveyard. Lucy died in 1934 and both Ethel and Charles died just weeks apart in 1955: they were both in their 80s. It is not known if any of them lived in Cropwell Bishop at the time of their deaths although we know that Lucy was living in the Nottingham area when she died.

So when you next pass Dobbin Close on your way to the Health Centre or the Allotments, think not of a horse, but of Abraham Dobbin and his family.

Tony Jarrow

The Parish Council have received complaints about the horse manure left on the public Footpaths in Cropwell Bishop.

Horse and riders should not be riding on the public footpath, we request that if you have no choice but to ride your horse on the footpath that horse riders clear up wherever possible when mishaps occur on a public pavement.

This picture is one on Hoe View Road public pavement this weekend.

Years ago residents would have been out with a dustpan and bucket to clear up the mess for use on their gardens but residents now see this not as a free compost but as a health hazard.

Thank you

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk

Had we had the annual Village Celebration this Weekend, the Heritage Group would have had displays in the Parish Room to commemorate VE Day and the 75 years for the end of WW2. Here is a small part from the display that would have been on show.

There were 5 young men from Cropwell Bishop who paid the ultimate sacrifice during WWII and their names are recorded on the Rolls of Honour in the village.

Cyril Truswell

Guardsman in the Grenadier Guards

Cyril was based in the UK with the Grenadier Guards at the start of the war on Civil Defence duties to safeguard Britain in the event of an invasion.
He was deployed to France in Operation Overlord in June 1944 and was killed 01/01/1945 – Aged 34.
He is buried at Heverlee War Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium. There were 983 Casualties.
Inscription “A Heart of Gold, One of The Best This World Could Hold. Always in Our Thoughts” -he was the son of Edward & Florence Jane Truswell and was born in Radford in 1910 and lived at Canal Cottage in the village.
Service number 2615530.

(John) Albert Hall

Leading Aircraftman RAF.

Died 11/07/1943 – Aged 21, he set sail from Greenock on the 9th July, travelling on a troop ship the HMT Duchess of York, destined for Vigo in Sierra Leone in the “Conway Faith” Convoy .
The Convoy came under attack by Focke-Wulf Fw 200 aircraft on the 11th July and 2 of the ships were hit and set on fire, The SS California and HMT Duchess of York were badly damaged. 628 servicemen were rescued by the rest of the convoy and sadly 46 lives were lost, among them John.
John was the husband of Joyce Hall (nee Cox) of Knowle Park Bristol and the son of George and Rachael Hall of Cropwell Bishop and he lived in a house opposite the Chequers – the house is no longer there - having been demolished to make way for the new housing estate off Church St.
He is commemorated at The Runneymede Memorial in Surrey UK. The Memorial overlooks the River Thames on Coopers Hill in Runnymede and is sometimes known as the Air Force Memorial and commemorates more than 20,000 airmen and women who were lost in the Second World War during operations from bases in the UK and North and Western Europe who have no known grave.
Service Number 648574.

Walter Thomas Whitmore

Pilot Officer in the 65 Sqdn RAF Volunteer Reserve.

In May 1943 his squadron had joined the 2nd Tactical Airforce.
He died 03/01/1944 flying a ‘Ranger’ sortie to Brussels in a Spitfire V/X1 MA835 – Aged 22 and is buried at Schoonselhof Cemetery, Antwerp, Belgium.
He was the son of widow Mary Ellen Whitmore and lived at 48 Fern Road Cropwell Bishop.
Inscription “You Need No Medals Nor Bars, Your Name Is Written On The Stars” Heartbroken Mum.
Service Number 169118.

George Dickenson Wright

Flying Officer (Pilot) with 612 Sqdn Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and was mentioned in dispatches.

The Squadron at this time was a General Reconnaissance unit within RAF Coastal Command.
In the early part of the war the squadron was based in Iceland at RAF Reykjavikian from December 1941 returning to the UK in August 1942 and in the early part of 1943 was based in Scotland at RAF Wick, flying a mix of anti-submarine patrols and convoy protection missions, focusing on the precious convoys to Russia.
He set off from Wick at 8.10 in a Whitley VII BD683 on a Flora V Patrol in the far north of Norway, sadly George was killed 27/02/1943 Aged 23, he is buried along with the other pilot in Norway at the Trondheim (Stavne).
He was the son of George B & Dorothy L Wright and lived next door to Walter Whitmore at 46 Fern Road.
Inscription “Peace, Perfect Peace” Service Number 121420.

William Henry Slater

Whilst serving as a Fusilier with 6th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusilier was mentioned in dispatches.

His Battalion formed part of the 6th Armoured Division and he was fighting in the Tunisian Campaign in North Africa 1942/43.
He was killed 18/01/1943 aged 26 during shelling around West Hill and Grandstand Hill, 7 other allied soldiers also lost their lives that day in this incident, along with heavy enemy casualties. Also 28 German POW were taken. # “Identification found them to be from 1 and 111 Bttns Hermann Goering Regiment and also 11 Marsch Bttns.
All prisoners were willing to talk and all remarked on the weight and accuracy of our artillery, which they said was deadly.
“William is buried at Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery in Tunisia.
#Irish Brigade.co.uk
William was married to Lucy Margaret Slater and lived in Brickyard Cottage on Nottingham Road and he was the son of Thomas Henry & Rose Emma Slater.
Inscription “Duty Nobly Done”.

Anne Terzza & Pam Wregg

(Cropwell Bishop Heritage Group)

The Cropwell Bishop play areas will be opened on Saturday 4th July 2020 following Government Guidelines which can be found at www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

The equipment will be sprayed every morning to ensure a clean start to every day. However, parents and children need to have washed hands before going to play and take sanitiser along with you for before and after use of the play equipment.

There are rules that still need to be adhered to during the current phase of the virus. Please see the signage below that will be in place at the playpark and for everyone’s safety stick to them.

Food cannot be consumed within the play equipment areas but can be consumed on the open field.

Thank you

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk

Fifty-five years ago, back in the "Swinging Sixties", Cropwell Bishop was, by and large, a sleepy, undeveloped village.

In those days most families couldn't afford a car and a telephone was the black bakelite thing in the red box on Church Street. The only TV stations were the BBC and ITV and you watched them in black and white on, at best, a 17inch screen. Communication was mostly with work colleages or over the garden fence. But things were about to change.

There was full employment and many people wanted to buy a home of their own. Most young couples wanted to move into a new house as soon as they were married - and most did! Following the "baby boom" after the Second World War, Britain's population was growing and more houses had to be built.

And so it was that Cropwell Bishop become a village of growth. The picture below was taken in the 1960s. Look at its title.

Look carefully and you will see a broad white line enclosing a number of fields an also some buildings. During the next 10 years or so, this enclosure became the site of hundreds of new homes.

It is fascinating to compare this photo with second colour one which, I think, was taken about 8 years ago. In the 1960s there were about 10 named streets in the village; now there are 37.

Maybe now is a good time to take a look at all of these streets in more detail .....

Tony Jarrow

A representative of the Grantham Canal River Trust has written to the Parish Council to say ...

I’m writing to you, along with other organisations and community groups, about water levels in the Grantham Canal.

Following the recent period of very dry weather we have received a number of concerns about water levels in the canal - specifically around Lady Bay and Kinoulton.

To raise awareness of the challenges we face, we have produced a position statement which details the background and sets out our approach to management of this section of the canal in response to these challenges.

I have also condensed the statement into a press release which you’re welcome to use in any newsletters if you feel it would be of interest to your local community. We will also be installing local signage to inform visitors to the canal.

To download these pdf documents, click;

Press release or

Background information

Tony Jarrow

Our MP, Ruth Edwards, is currently conducting a transport survey which seeks the views of her constituents on the sort of transport infrastructure they'd like to see and how existing services across Rushcliffe could be improved.

She would be most grateful if you would complete this survey and encourage other Cropwell Bishop residents to do so as well. To take part, click: Survey .

John Greenwood
Cropwell Bishop Parish Council

How sad that there are people out there that think it is OK to cause Criminal Damage to justify their own requirements in life.

This Vandalism was done at the playpark on Saturday.

This fencing had been put in place to protect our community from the possible spread of COVID-19.

The damaged fencing will now be removed and the Muga area accessible. However, please be aware that the use of this area Is completely at your own risk.

Government guidelines are still in place that open space parks should be open, but play equipment has to remain closed.

Parish Clerk
Cropwell Bishop Parish Council

Can we get a footpath/cycleway alongside Nottingham Road to the A46? Is there anything that people living in Cropwell Bishop can do to make this happen?

With the renewed interest in Cycling and walking following the Coronavirus crisis, Cropwell Bishop Parish Council has written to our MP, Ruth Edwards and the County Council requesting completion of the footpath/cycleway on Nottingham Road from the New Dairy at the top of the hill to the A46.

This will provide a safer route from the village towards Cotgrave (via the canal towpath) and link to the existing cycleways into Nottingham. The Council are considering our request.

Colin Bryan located a website which gives an opportunity for anyone to highlight cycling/footway needs.

Colin and I have already ‘dropped a pin’ to highlight our needs on Nottingham Road and it would be helpful if others could add their ‘likes’ and perhaps drop more pins to encourage Council action on this necessary cycleway and footpath for our village.

To do this, click:

Support request for path

... and click on the map near Cropwell Bishop. Then click on the walk or cycle logo on Nottingham Road to add your "like".

Thank you for your support.

Cllr John Greenwood

Our very own Jacob Clark is to be the newest member of the FHSU (Fort Hayes State University in Kansas) ‘Tigers’ Athletics team, as part of their Track and Field Squad, competing in the pole vault.

Jacob became interested in pole vault in 2014 after being spotted in the gymnastics arena and joined Millfield School in 2018 to study for his A levels aswell to further enhance his opportunities in the sport. Jacob was the English Schools U17 Champion in 2018 and U20 runner up in 2019. He was also the English Athletics U17 champion on 2018 and U20 runner up in 2019.

Jacob has a personal best of 15’9” (4.80 meters). Joining the Tigers will give Jacob the chance to take his Pole Vault to new heights aswell as studying a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Geoscience.

At FHSU, the Pole Vault programme follows a carefully drawn plan covering not only the jumping aspect of the sport but speed, strength, nutrition and recovery. The squad will be eight vaulters, male and female, all living and studying together with the same dream of jumping to great heights.

Jacob set his sights on America for university during his time at Toothill School, needing to achieve good GCSE results and a scholarship to Millfield School in Somerset.

Once he gained his place next came jumping height and completing an entrance examination (SAT) allowing him to study in America. Nearly there, now to put himself on the American stage! The whole process hasn’t been at all easy but with a goal and hard work he has done it and COVID got in the way but hasn’t stopped him. The National Letter of Intent was signed and just the VISA remains.

A huge thank you to Rushcliffe Borough Council, Elite Sports Grant and Nottinghamshire County Council’s Talented Athletes Fund whom Jacob is funded by. Their funding has helped Jacob purchase new equipment to continue his lockdown training assuring he boards the plane for the US in the best possible shape he can be in these difficult times.

Cropwell Bishop would like to say we are very proud of your achievements and wish you the very best of luck as you join the FHSU Tigers.

The Parish Council would like to thank everyone involved in the clearing and replanting of the Jubilee Gardens and Window Boxes at The Old School.

Thanks also to everyone involved with the watering rota: in a couple of weeks this will look really lovely for all our residents when they are out and about. Hopefully it will bring a little cheer in these strange times.

Thank you all

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk

These are difficult times that we are all going through when the support of other people can make a real difference.

I am rector of St Giles Church and I am here for all people in the villages in our parish - including those with other faiths, those who are unsure, and those with none.

In these days of “lockdown”, St Giles remains closed and many people are self-isolating or shielding. However, this does not mean that we can’t meet, only that we have to do so differently for the time being.

We are still holding church services and finding ways to meet together. Some of our meetings are held on Zoom, and our leaders meet each day to pray for our villages. Weekly notices and Sunday services can be found on our website www.wivertoninthevale.co.uk.
All are welcome.

I am available on the end of the phone (0115 989 0361) should anyone wish to talk or pray - it's always good to pick up the phone and hear a friendly voice at the moment!

With love and prayers for your good health and those you love.

Rachel Mitchell
Revd

To complete the pictures of our VE anniversary street celebrations here is one of Tony and Hilary.

I am sure everybody in the village would like to thank Tony for his brilliant work in keeping the web site going for our information and entertainment.

The contributions from the residents of all ages are a credit to our village and demonstrate the caring of friends and neighbours in these difficult times.

Thank you.

John Greenwood

Was this scene on other streets in Cropwell Bishop today: celebrating and socialising with neighbours but keeping a safe distance apart? I hope so: the Covid19 virus is still around and loves parties.

If you have photos of your street, send them to me and share your fun with the rest of the village

Tony Jarrow

At the Primary School, we had some fantastic entries for our VE Day Competition where the children had to find out facts about Victory in Europe and present them on a poster or in a poem.

The school staff all judged the competition and choose the winners. Well done to everyone who entered!

The results of our VE Day Competition are below. All the entries can be found on the Cropwell Bishop Primary School website.

Julie Thorpe
Teaching Assistant
Cropwell Bishop Primary School

What were the celebrations like on VE Day in Cropwell Bishop back in 1945?

The Village Heritage Group did not have any photographs illustrating the joyous festivities in the village to celebrate the end of WWII in Europe. They didn’t even know where the celebrations were held in the village!
That is, until now ….

Following a request for information, we were informed that there was a big street party held on Church Street on May 8th 1945.

We were told of the memories of a young boy who, on that momentous day, could remember standing in Connie Starbucks garden opposite the Chequers and seeing the road full of people dancing and singing.

We were told by another villager that a Dance Swing Band called the Rhythm Aces, played on Church Street in the evening as part of the ongoing celebrations. The band went over to Johnny and Connie Starbucks house and brought out their piano to play.

Harry Burrows, who played the piano, would later continue with a re-formed Band until 1965. At this time the Band included Margaret (Brown/Cook) Foster on Accordion, Mavis (Thornton/Wilson) Grice on Xylophone, Joyce (Knight) Burrows (Harrys wife) played drums and Eric Parnham the Accordion. A good time was had by all!

The Heritage Group would welcome any memories from the 20th Century.
Please contact Anne Terzza on: 0115 9893147

Anne Terzza & Pam Wregg

Isn't this problem history in Cropwell Bishop? Apparently not.

Almost all the dog walkers in Cropwell Bishop collect the remains left by their dog and take it home or deposit it in one of the special bins - but, apparently, a few don't.

There are reports of dog poo being left on paths and also bags of it hanging in trees.

This is probably the result of visitors or of children unaware of their responsibilities.

It is a good idea to report all incidents (go to the Contact page of this website for a clickable link). Offenders - owners, not the dog - can face a big fine.

Tony Jarrow