Here is my third, and final, collection of photos of Christmas-lights in Cropwell Bishop.

What a great display – and there are at least twice as many houses again whose lights are not pictured on the website. Wherever you live in the village, I made every effort to visit your street (forgive me Swab's Lane).

A bright and colourful showing at the end of a very difficult year for every one of us. Try to get out one evening and enjoy some near you.

Tony Jarrow

Here are some more picture of Christmas lights around the village: look out for more in a few days time.

Tony Jarrow

Last night I enjoyed viewing some of the many light displays around the village: there seem to be more than in previous years.

I didn't manage to get to every street but I will visit the rest in the coming days.

Here are a few from last night: look out for more in a few days time.

Tony Jarrow

On behalf of the Partners and staff of the Belvoir Health Group, Doctor Peter Mahony, has written to Pam Wakefield to say, "thank you for the extremely kind donation that you made to the practice”.

This follows the presentation of a cheque for £1,126 to Cropwell Bishop Surgery last month.

During the worrying months of COVID-19 lockdown this year, Pam made up numerous, imaginative, ‘Billie the Bear’ scenarios which she displayed in her front garden on Brownhill Close.

She collected contributions from children, parents and villagers, and it was all their money that was given to the Surgery.

As Dr Mahony said in his letter, this “reflects incredibly well upon the generosity and public-spirited nature of the people of Cropwell Bishop”.

He also reflected the views of the many who visited the fun displays when he said that, “you were able to bring a bit of light and happiness into the lives of so many people in your community through your actions”.

Dr Mahony considered Pam's kind actions, an inspiration to us all in these troubled times and help to remind us what can be achieved with a positive attitude.

Tony Jarrow

NB:
Billie and Brownie will be in Pam's window for the 'Elf Hunt' from tomorrow, so look out for them.
Also, on Saturday 19th December, Billie is decorating biscuits for the children so please call and see him.
Pam

Billie the Bear will be out Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Visit him at the bottom of Brownhill Close.

Pam

The bleating of sheep has been a rare sound in Cropwell Bishop for many years – until now. There appear to be one or two fields of them nearby.

With being less common, their sound does seem to have attracted the attention of youngsters who are unaware of the harm they can easily cause.

Late one afternoon this week, the police had to be called when a group of youths were found to be deliberately harassing some fenced-off sheep in a field on Fern Road.

It might be worth locals keeping their eyes (and ears) on the lookout for future possible animal disturbances.

They should contact local farmers or the police if they suspect any wrongdoing.

Tony Jarrow

Rushcliffe and Nottinghamshire will enter Tier 3 for restrictions from Wednesday 2 December.

The move is part of the Government’s Winter Plan to reduce the spread of the virus following the end of the four-week national lockdown.

Tier 3 means:

• No mixing of households indoors or outdoors apart from support bubbles. Maximum of six in some outdoor public places, for example parks and public gardens
• Hospitality will close except for sales by takeaway, drive-through or delivery
• Retail, entertainment and personal care businesses can all open
• Places of worship are open but cannot interact with anyone outside household or support bubble
• Avoid travelling out of the area, other than where necessary for work, education, youth services, medical attention or because of caring responsibilities
• No overnight stays outside of local area, unless necessary for work, education or similar reasons
• 15 guests for weddings, civil partnerships and wakes; 30 for funerals. Wedding receptions not permitted
• Exercise classes and organised adult sport can take place outdoors, but should avoid contact. Organised activities for elite athletes, under-18s and disabled people can continue
• Public buildings and community venues can only open for supervised activities. A further update to clarify this will be outlined as soon as possible.

“It is important that we all follow the new rules and work together to slow the spread of the virus in our communities. People in Nottingham have worked hard to reduce rates of Covid-19 and we have seen cases in the city fall below the national average."

“There is good news about the rollout of vaccines but it’s going to be a while before whole populations are protected from the virus. In the meantime, our local health and care services continue to experience severe pressures."

“I would urge people to continue to follow the best practice around ‘Hands, Face, Space’ and reduce contact with people from other households as much as possible. In particular, anyone who has symptoms of Covid-19 – such as a fever, continuous cough or loss of taste or smell – should isolate immediately and book a test by calling 119.”

Our Leader Cllr Simon Robinson said: “These new restrictions again call on all residents to play their part to do all they can to stop the transmission of the virus, with cases and deaths at the existing levels, it is vital you continue to follow these rules."

Rushcliffe Borough Council

If you notice holes being dug in the field between Church Street and the Primary School – which is the proposed site for new homes – the reason is explained below.

Tony Jarrow

Bloor Homes’ appointed contractors will be excavating trial trenches across the site.

We are not commencing development but carrying out archaeological works required by the planning permission.

These works will start on Monday (23 Nov), lasting around 2 weeks, and they have been agreed with the County Archaeologist.

Jennifer Towers
Planning Manager – Bloor Homes

Billie the Brownhill Bear presented a cheque for £1,126.00 to the Cropwell Bishop Surgery today.

Ruby and Ebony Partridge were pleased to see Billie again as they are very proud of him. They visited him daily over the first 3 months of lockdown.

Luckily, Dr Mahony was there to receive it on behalf of Belvoir Health Group.

Thank you again to everyone for your generous donations, especially when we got to £900.00.

To exceed £1,000 was just brilliant.

Well Done Billie!

( and well done Pam Wakefield — Tony Jarrow)

Following reports of inappropriate and inconsiderate parking and in order to ease traffic movements in the village, it is proposed to introduce ‘No Waiting At Any Time’ restrictions (Double Yellow Lines) along parts of Nottingham Road, Fern Road, Church Street, Kinoulton Road, Old Lenton Close, Hoe View Road, Field Lane, St Giles Way, The Maltings and Stockwell Lane, Cropwell Bishop.

The proposals have been designed to retain some on street parking, which will have a chicane effect and act as a traffic calming measure and have the agreement of the local County Councillor and the Parish Council.

It is also proposed to introduce 2 new Bus Stop Clearways, No Stopping Monday to Saturday 7am to 7pm at the Bus Stops on Church Street.

The proposals will be advertised and notices displayed on site. A plan showing the proposals (Drawing number H/SLW/3534/01) is attached, along with a copy of the site notice.

Any observations on these proposals should reach me in writing, either by letter or email, by 16th November 2020.

If your comments are in the form of an objection to the proposals please clearly state this and the reasons for your objection.

If the objection cannot be resolved, it will be reported through the County Council’s procedures at the appropriate time.

Any details you provide may be shared with Nottinghamshire County Council as appropriate. If you’d like to find out more about how we use your data, please see our Privacy Notice:
www.viaem.co.uk/privacy-notice-for-the-public/

Yours

Steph Walford (Mrs)
Senior Improvements Officer (via)

Via East Midlands Ltd is working on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council to deliver Highway Services.

The Memorial Hall Committee are sorry to announce that the Hall is now closed until further notice.

Over the lockdown we became concerned about some movement cracks in the building, particularly to the front elevation along with some defects in other areas.

The Committee commissioned a survey and report by a Chartered Structural Engineer, and this concluded that extensive immediate and extensive repair works were required.

Our insurers have advised that we should now close until the works have been completed so that we can ensure peoples’ safety.

Following advice from our lawyers we have taken the decision to fence the Hall off to ensure public safety and would ask that if you see anyone interfering with the fencing or signage that you let us know or ring the Police straight away.

We would ask all users to be patient whilst we try and find a way forward.

Memorial Hall Committee

Billie the Brownhill Bear is coming out to see his friends for Halloween on Saturday October 31st.

He is busy this week making treats.

Do come and visit— he would love to see you all.

Pam

It didn’t need Morse, Vera, Lewis or even Miss Marple to solve the mysteryo HRC, just the efforts and cooperation of a bunch of Cropwell Bishop people.

In August, John Greenwood revealed that he was puzzled by a plaque on an old barn near his home. It is next to the Creamery on Nottingham Road and the plaque bears the initials and date: H.R.C. 1880.

At first, no one could help but then a chain of discoveries led to a sound explanation for its existence.

It was Jacquee Lacey who started the ball rolling when she discovered that a house in Clifton village had an identical looking plaque but dated 1879.

However, we still didn’t know who HRC was: maybe a local builder?

Then, a few days later, Paul Pickup got in touch to point out that the initials were the same as a Henry Robert Clifton who lived at Clifton Hall in the late 1800s.
He also discovered that Henry had paid for the building of a school in Clifton village.

Further online searches revealed another house in Clifton village with a similar HRC plaque.

This all pointed to HRC being the initials of Henry Robert Clifton. But why were his initials on a barn in Cropwell Bishop – no one could find any connection between him and our village.

Until, that is, Pam Wregg joined the search.

She found that a Gervais Clifton had once owned land around Cropwell Bishop and then recalled seeing his name on an old map.

The 1804 map of the village is well known and contains the names of numerous land owners but it needed Pam to spot the Clifton name.

I have highlighted in yellow the location of The Yews farmhouse and its outbuildings. The fields painted blue are known to have been owned by “Sir G Clifton” – one contains his name and the others are listed in associated documents provided by Anne Terzza.

I think we can safely assume that this Sir G Clifton was indeed the Sir Gervase Clifton that Pam had found. He was one of the hereditary Baronets that successively owned the Clifton estate – but which one?

Here is a list of the Clifton Baronets (with known dates of birth and death):

1. Sir Gervase Clifton (?-1588)
2. Sir Gervase Clifton (1587-1666)
3. Sir Gervase Clifton (1612-1676)
4. Sir William Clifton (1663-1686)
5. Sir Gervase Clifton (? -1731)
6. Sir Robert Clifton (1690-1762)
7. Sir Gervase Clifton (1744-1815)
8. Sir Robert Clifton (1767-1837)
9. Sir Juckes Granville Juckes-Clifton (1769-1852)
10. Sir Robert Juckes Clifton (1826-1869)
11. Henry Robert Clifton (1832-1896)
12. Sir Hervey Juckes Lloyd Bruce (1843-1919)
13. Percy Robert Clifton (1872-1944)
14. Peter Thomas Clifton (1911-1996)

It should be noted that when a family member ‘next in line’ inherited the estate, they often changed their name to a more appropriate one.

This explains the recurrence of the ‘Gervase Clifton’ name, but also makes it impossible to identify the original owner of the ‘blue’ Cropwell Bishop fields. However, it is enough to know that the Clifton family would probably have still owned these fields in 1880 when the barn was built.

But did they also own The Yews farmhouse and its buildings?

Jonathan Good had the answer.

He found original documents relating to the purchase of houses on Mill Lane in 1909 which show that land to its west (ie. The Yews farm) was owned by Sir Hervey Juckes Lloyd Bruce – the Baronet of the Clifton estate at that time. Can we assume that Sir Hervey also owned the buildings as well as the land? Once again, Jonathan had the answer.

He found documents describing the purchase of The Yews farmhouse in 1920 by Matthew Richards from Percy Robert Clifton, the Baronet of the Clifton estate. Apparently, Percy had to sell it to enable him to pay the death duties due on Sir Hervey’s death.

This then, confirmed that the Clifton estate had previously owned, not only the land, but also the buildings associated with The Yews farm.

So, in conclusion, The Yews farm and its buildings were owned by Henry Robert Clifton when the barn was built in 1880 – which explains why his initials, H.R.C., appear on the barn’s wall.

Thanks to John, Jacquee, Paul, Pam, Anne and Jonathan for their searching, inspired guesswork and tenacity which solved this local mystery.

Now, what else requires the skills of our History Investigators?

Tony Jarrow

NOTE:

As part of this investigation, John Greenwood wrote to the owner of The Forge in Clifton.

A few days after the publication of this article, he had a reply from the occupier, Richard Acock, who had consulted the previous owner, Mrs Bonner, who informed him:

"The plaque was laid at the time of the house’s construction in 1879 by Henry Robert Clifton, who at the time, owned the Clifton Estate, and had the property built to service the needs of the saddlery of the Manor, alongside other constructions".

This dispels any possible doubt about the source of HRC plaques in Clifton.

Tony
24-9-20

A new trial online booking system for the Household Waste and Recycling Centre in West Bridgford is to launch on September 1st 2020, Nottinghamshire County Council have announced.

The centre on Rugby Road will only be accepting pre booked vehicles from next month, with 15-minute time slots available between 8.15am and 7.45pm every day during the summer opening hours. Up to five vehicles will be allowed on site at any one time.

Residents must already be registered to use Nottinghamshire County Council's recycling centres before booking their time slot easily through the authority's website. Click: Book to Recycle

Sessions can be booked up to two weeks in advance but must me booked at least 24 hours before visiting the site as no same day slots will be available.

Visitors to the site will not be permitted entry without an electronic or paper copy of their emailed booking receipt.

Residents are requested not to make multiple bookings and use other sites where the need to visit more than once in any two week period.

Only the West Bridgford recycling centre will need to be pre-booked, and residents can carry on using any of the Council's 11 other sites around the County without appointment.

Those who would like more information or to book their recycling visit over the phone should telephone N.C. customer service centre on 0300 500 8080 between 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk

Well, Billie got to his target and beyond.

Grand total £1,126.
👏👏👏

A huge THANK YOU to everyone, who has supported raising money for the NHS, due to the activities of a much loved ‘Billie the Brownhill Bear’.

After reaching £937 on Friday, donations for the raffle came flooding in and tickets went flying out.

This 3 months has made me very happy, entertaining the children ( and adults, may I add)!!

There is a lovely community spirit in Cropwell Bishop and I have made numerous friends.

I taught at Toothill, Bingham in the 70’s and often when out shopping, children would say “Hello Miss” or ‘Ey up Miss’. Now I am called ‘The Bear lady’ or ‘Billie’s mum!!!!! Wonderful. 😃

Pam Wakefield

The recent story about the "HRC" plaque on an old barn next to the Creamery (28-8-20) has become a little less of a mystery.

Jacquee Lacey, in the village, somehow discovered that an old house in Clifton had a very similar plaque.

The outline shape and initials are the same but the year is 1879 in place of 1880. I have been unable to find any other examples of the plaque on local buildings.

Jaqui's discover suggests, to me, that HRC are the initials of the builder. I doubt modern builders would get away with such a permanent advert on their property, but I may be wrong: does anyone have a "Built by Wimpey" plaque on their house?

Maybe it was the fashion in those days. Maybe the builder offered a discount for adding it – now that would interest modern home owners!

Will someone discover an 1881 example?

Tony Jarrow

Many thanks to Tony Jarrow, the Heritage group and local residents for putting together the fascinating accounts and historical origins of our Street Names.

I Refer to the Richards Close article, and the unknown father of Eliza Richards’ son, born 1854, named ‘Robert Smith Richards’.

I suspect from the similarity of names that the father was Robert Smith, born 1826, who was son of John Smith and Anne Hall who were married in 1824 and lived in The Yews! (reference Chronicles of Cropwell Bishop).

It is interesting that ‘The Yews’ farmhouse (opposite the Methodist Chapel) features from time to time in the village family histories. However, there is one mystery to solve.

There are some initials and a date (HRC 1880) which can be seen if you stand on Nottingham Road with your back to the newly built attractive house just by the corner of Richards Close.

The initials are on the gable end of the Long Barn which used to be part of ‘The Yews’ farm yard.

From Tony’s account it seemed that Matthew Cooper (married to Eliza Richards) inhabited The Yews from 1890 to 1898 when it passed to his step son Robert Smith Richards.

John Parr (from Barnstone) apparently lived in The Yews from 1844 but we have not found any records of a person with the initials HRC.

Does anybody have any ideas who they might relate to?

We look forward to having more of our village history revealed by its street names.

Cllr John Greenwood

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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.

Another day, another queue to the Cheesemaker's Shop on Nottingham Road.

This was the scene 15 minutes after opening time. The queue stretches down Nottingham Road and up Barratt Close.

Tony Jarrow

I have now been made aware of another reason why the Cheesemaker's Shop is so popular at the moment (see previous story).

A messsage on The Cheesemaker's Shop Facebook page says:

"Calling all locals!
While stocks last, we are selling WHEELS OF BLUE SHROPSHIRE FOR £10 (approx 3.5kg)!!
This offer is only available to purchase from our Cheesemaker's Shop in Cropwell Bishop."

If you ordered this cheese from the The Creamery's online site, it would cost you £52.

There can be little doubt that this special deal is the magnet attracting shoppers there - but how long can it last?

Better get down there tomorrow if you want some!

Tony Jarrow

It was good to see Cropwell Bishop Creamery feature on yesterday's BBC TV East Midlands News: it was even better to see the response of local people this morning.

From opening time at 10am until at least 12.30pm when this photo was taken, people were queuing outside the shop.

At times, the queue stretched over 20 metres down the road, everyone patiently taking their turn to enter the shop - one at a time.

In the TV report, Robin Skailes described how COVID-19 had had a knock-on effect on the business. Sales to shop outlets worldwide and to Airlines like British Airways, had collapsed, but he said that they were still buying milk from their farm suppliers and still producing cheese.

Their online sales had increased by over 8 times and, of course, the Cheesemaker Shop is still open for local shoppers.

The long queues this morning suggest that viewers had been unaware that the "King of Cheeses" was still available to them direct from the Cropwell Bishop factory shop.

The biggest sales of Stilton Cheese are traditionally at Christmas. With luck, cheese from Cropwell Bishop will still be a festive choice again this year - locally, in the UK and world wide.

Tony Jarrow

Our bulky waste collections are now safely resuming on Saturdays.

As part of our plans to deliver as many refuse collection services as possible during COVID-19, we are re-opening the service from this Saturday, May 9.

Large items of furniture, mattresses and other large household items can be collected by calling 0115 981 9911 only with online booking available again as soon as possible.

Residents are asked to be patient to book a collection as it is anticipated the service will be popular and will be asked to clarify the items requested to be collected before a booking is confirmed in line with our standard charges.

Large electrical items can be collected by Streetwise Environmental Services by calling 0115 914 8408.

Residents should always use a reputable licensed waste carrier for disposal of any waste from their homes and request to see the relevant documentation from the Environment Agency before agreeing to use a service.

Our Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety Cllr Rob Inglis said: “Our waste teams have a done an excellent job safely maintaining the key bin collections during recent weeks and we’re delighted the only element of the service temporarily suspended is now resuming.

“Please be patient when booking as we know the service may be popular as waste services everywhere continue to adapt in light of the pandemic.”

The Household Waste Recycling Centre on Rugby Road in West Bridgford is operated by the County Council who are working with central government on when its services could resume.

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk

Hi Everyone

Billie is very excited as he now has some samples of Billie the Brownhill Bear Mugs, with NHS in a heart shape on the front, and Billie with a selection of his siblings on the back.

If you are interested, and live in the village, I can order mugs for you, and have them delivered here - therefore you avoid postage and packing cost.

For every mug sold, £2.50, goes to the NHS.

If you want to order directly from the supplier, email 'Free Bird Designs'.
email: fbdsales1@gmail.com
or call: 07896 947437.

All mugs ordered directly will automatically have a £2.50 donation to NHS. The cost of a mug delivered to your house is £10.00.

Pam

It’s day 39 of Lockdown and this morning I was doing some thinking while working on the Allotments – a great place to do some thinking when the sun is just rising and the only audible company are lapwings and skylarks.

I was thinking back to the 1950s and everyday life of my grandparents in Nottingham (Carlton). I was comparing their lifestyle with our’s during lockdown. Obviously, they didn’t have a lockdown but they did live during the Cold War and the ever present threat of nuclear annihilation of the planet hanging over them. Nevertheless, their lives were restricted in many ways.

Because they didn’t have a fridge, fresh food had to shopped for daily. The local Co-Op had it all and was within easy walking distance – so no change there in 70 years!

The Co-Op was also the main supplier of milk; a 1 pint glass bottle left on the doorstep early every morning. If you wanted extra one day, or maybe a ‘gold top’ with jersey cream, you popped a handwritten note in the top of the empty bottle that you left for collection. The week’s deliveries were paid to the milkman on Saturday when the milkman (or men) started out later.

There were other home deliveries from a variety of local suppliers: the tea-man, the fish-man, the egg-man, the mobile grocery van, the soft-drinks man (note: they were all men, most women were housewives in those days). All the delivery people were on first name terms with you and familiar with the things you bought.

The energy for the single fire in the bungalow was delivered by the coal man: 20 hundredweight bags (about 50kg) and my grandad would count in every single one.

There was no telephone but because the homes were council owned, the ‘warden’ would call by every single morning to check they were ok. She lived up the road and, in an emergency, could be summoned at any time by pressing a push button in the kitchen. The doctor’s surgery was just down the road but if you were ill in bed they would, of course, visit you at home.

They never had a car but could get almost anywhere easily by bus. A day visit to a son in Stanley Common near Ilkeston, was a bit of a drag using three buses, but quite doable and popping into Nottingham was dead easy on the trolley buses going every 5 or 10 minutes.

So, I wondered, how has the ‘rhythm of daily life’ changed since those days – particularly while we experience lockdown?

The more I think about it, most changes are with the technology we use. Today we order online instead of using a pencilled note, we do have more choice of foods but maybe not as fresh or local, and we can store food longer in our fridges and freezers and that means less time shopping. But there are some losses: less personal contact - social media is not personal contact.

As I pulled the weeds on my allotment plot, I had the time to reflect that not every change is necessarily better for human health and contentment.

No doubt the lives of my grandparents would have been made much easier had they had: loft insulation, cavity-wall insulation, double-glazing, central heating, an electric blanket, a fridge, a freezer, an automatic washing machine, a telephone, a microwave oven and an electric toaster.

Maybe they would have lived longer than their 84 and 91 years, maybe not.

Back to the weeding.

Tony Jarrow

I would firstly like to start by thanking Ray Kimpton our Village Ranger/Lengthsman for all his hard work in keeping Cropwell Bishop looking tidy and well maintained during this strange time.

I would also like to thank other residents who have offered or have mowed some of our open spaces within the village.

I have been in touch with RBC to ascertain the situation with regards to Grass Cutting of the RBC Open spaces within the village.

Their response is below.

The map shows that next week they will be cutting the main green areas and the areas in grey will be started at a later date. Our Village Ranger/Lengthsman will start next week on the grey areas to try and keep them tidy until they can recommence fully.

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk

Here are answers to the Football Quiz that appeared a couple of days ago.

Jamie and Peter

1. Villa - Ray Winstone - Al Capone (Villarreal)
2. Los Angeles - Galaxy (LA Galaxy)
3. Sam Smith - P - Door (Sampdoria)
4. Ham - Burger (Hamburger)
5. Board - O (Bordeaux)
6. Sports - Queen Elizabeth II - Bun (Sporting Lisbon)
7. Grasshoppers (Grasshoppers)
8. Pour - Toe (Porto)
9. Dynamo - Moss - Cow (Dynamo Moscow)
10. Rapids - V - N (Rapids Wien)
11. Val Doonican - N - Sia (Valencia)
12. Bar - Cell - Owner (Barcelona)
13. A - Sea - Mill - Ann Widdecombe (AC Milan)
14. Nap - Olly Murs (Napoli)
15. Red - Star - Bell - Grade (Red Star Belgrade)
16. Eye - Axe (Ajax)

Rushcliffe MP Ruth Edwards is holding a children’s Spring Poster Competition around the theme of how to keep safe during Coronavirus.

Ruth would like all primary school age children to design a poster reminding people to wash their hands with soap and water to limit the spread of the disease.

The winning entry will receive a £20 book token with second and third places also getting prizes. All winners will also be invited to visit the Palace of Westminster in London with their parents when lockdown restrictions lift.

“I’ve been so pleased to see so many wonderful rainbow drawings go up across Rushcliffe in support of our amazing NHS workers in recent weeks and I now hope my younger constituents might use their talent to help us all stay safe by remembering to wash our hands,” said Ruth.

“I hope many local children will have a go as there is the chance to win great prizes. I want entrants to be as creative and as colourful as possible and I’m looking forward to seeing the posters come in. Best of luck to everyone.”

The competition is only open to children who live in Rushcliffe and are of primary school age. Entries will close on Thursday 23rd April and can be submitted by sending a photo of the poster to: ruth.edwards.mp@parliament.uk along with the name and address of the child, their age, a parent’s name and telephone number.

Ruth will use her social media accounts to showcase the entries and she will feature the winning designs in her next annual report.

Entries will be judged by Ruth and her team and the judges’ decision is final.

James Faulconbridge
Office Manager to Ruth Edwards MP

A quiz like this always seems easy - once you see the answers!

I failed to get; Spoonbill, Kittiwake and Toucan. Yet now, they look so easy.

How did you get on?

Once again, thanks to Anne for this quiz.

1. Pheasant
2. Curlew
3. Corn Bunting
4. Nightingale
5. Spoonbill
6. Kittiwake
7. Toucan
8. Kingfisher
9. Nightjar
10. Waxwing
11. Nuthatch
12. Magpie

All of us, I feel sure, have experienced the feeling of missing out on what everybody else is doing while we are stuck at home or somewhere else we would rather not be.

When a child, I remember having to be kept off school when an angry rash (can you have a happy rash?) covered my face - or some other illness.

Going to spend days at my Grandma's house was, in many ways, quite pleasant. I would go with armfuls of paper and colouring pencils and look forward to the freedom of making the most of the unexpected free time - but the joy didn't last.

Not having to do difficult lessons was a relief, but what else was I missing? What was being said to the rest of the class that I would never hear? Was some upcoming event being talked about, maybe a day trip? Was it, "hands up those who want to go" - and my arm wasn't even at its desk!

That fear of "missing out" never seems to go.

However, the current emergency that keeps us at home is unlike any other I have experienced in my life. On this occasion, almost all of us are stuck at home and there is nothing out there that we are missing out on: no sport event, music festival, holiday flight, party, shopping trip, or whatever happening. Nobody else out there is having a good time while we are stuck at home which, I suppose, is a sort of relief. A unique event.

And it is not just Britain of course. I have cousins in Poland and the email we had yesterday was little different to one I might have got from cousins in Derby or Lincoln, with descriptions of closed schools, working from home, lockdown at home, making use of the garden, only going out for essential supplies, and so on. We are all, effectively the whole world, in this together.

Sobering, when you recall that the last 4 years have been dominated with arguments about Britain's need/ability to exist independently of other nations.

Strange times indeed.

Tony Jarrow

Day 22? What happened to day 21? What day is it today: Tuesday, Wednesday? That's a problem with lockdown: every day seems the same.

The daily newspaper coming through the letterbox had the day on it, but mine went online years ago. These days, even the daily TV news tends to be the same. The events that make each day of the week unique have, by and large, gone.

If you are going out to work, that won't be true, but those who are having to work from home in front of a monitor are having to operate to a new routine that doesn't follow the familiar timetable of working in the flesh, in a shop, school, coffee-shop, factory, etc.

Sporting events were a guide for many people, whether they played them or watched them: football on Saturday (Match of the Day), long run on Sunday morning, cycle race on Sunday, club-night Monday, longest training run before 2020 London Marathon, next Sunday (no longer true), Park Run on Saturday and children Park Run on Sunday, and so on. At the moment, none of them exist!

So what helps you remember what day it is?

For some, it may a TV programme or a TV series (although after the 6th and final episode, you will be lost again), or maybe the weather forecast (when she says this is "tomorrow's weather" look what day is says - but remember that is tomorrow!).

On my phone my home screen does't help but I can click on my Calendar App.

The most amusing solution I've heard is from one of Hilary's friends: when she takes her daily prescribed medication, her tablets are in a "calendar pack", the next unopened tablet is 'today'! (only those on medication will appreciate this).

So that's Day 22, which is .... let me check, Wednesday. If you want the date, look at the heading of this article.

Tony Jarrow

PS

Here are some photos taken 5 years ago today. The weather in the pictures looks the same as today - but not much else does.

Here are answers to the Football Quiz that appeared a couple of days ago: how many did you identify?

Jamie and Peter

1. (Jack) Black/ pool - Blackpool
2. Crystal Palace
3. Aston (Merrygold)/ villa- Aston Villa
4. Shrews/ berry/ town- Shrewsbury Town
5. Portsmouth
6. Barns/ Lee (Dixon)- Barnsley
7. Man/chest/ her/ city- Manchester City
8. What/ Ford- Watford
9. Wig/ Anne (Hegerty) /athletic- Wigan Athletic
10. Press/ ton/ north/ end- Preston North End
11. Karl (Marx) / Isle/ unite/ Ted (Heath) -Carlisle United
12. Burn/ Lee (Mack)- Burnley
13. Chef/ field/ ewe/ knight/ ted- Sheffield United
14. Fleet/wood/ town- Fleetwood Town
15. Wick/ ham/ wanderers- Wycombe Wanderers
16. Old/ ham/athletic- Oldham Athletic
17. Ox/ ford/ you/ knight/ Ed (Sheeran)- Oxford United

Here is something for football fans to get their teeth into. You haven't seen teams play for weeks now, but can you still remember their names - using only pictures to guide you?

Identify the 17 teams below: they all play in England.

Many thanks to Jamie and Peter for devising this quiz and putting it together. Answers in a few days ...

Tony Jarrow

Warm and sunny - pity about the wind but let's make the most of it - at home of course.

Tony Jarrow

I am aware of a couple of companies that are delivering fresh fruit and veg to your door.

Several people have recomended "Kerry's Fresh" (kerrysfresh.co.uk) and "Parsnips and Pears" (parsnipsandpears.co.uk) so, if you are running short on supplies, you might want to give them a try.

Tony Jarrow

Ordering groceries online is very convenient but some people report that they find themselves ordering far more chocolates, crisps, cakes and gin than they normally do.

That is clearly a very foolish thing to do because at the end of this lockdown you can be certain that the cost of joining Weightwatchers and Slimming World will increase as demand for help skyrockets.

So be sensible and find a strategy for avoiding the temptation to over order these naughty foods.

And when you discovered this strategy, please email me full details: our resolve is faltering!

Tony Jarrow

A huge teddy bear hunt is happening around the world to help millions of you do something fun with your exercise time.

Stuffed toys are being placed in windows all over the globe to give children a fun and safe game to play whilst walking around their neighbourhoods with parents.

The hunt is thought to be inspired by the children's book "We're Going on a Bear Hunt".

Here is one that was spotted today on Brownhill Close in Cropwell Bishop. He says he will be doing a different activity every day!

Please send me photos of any others you see in the village.

Tony Jarrow

I have been reliably informed that compost etc., is still available for home delivery from the Handi Center in Bingham and from the East Bridgeford Garden Centre.

One villager ordered from the Garden Centre by phone and another ordered from the Handi Centre by Facebook messenger.

They will both take payment over the phone and drop off your delivery with no contact necessary.

Good to know - especially now the weather is improving.

Tony Jarrow

From Tuesday 7th April 2020, the Nottsbus Connect Services (which includes Cropwell Bishop 850 & 852 service) will be trialling an "On Demand Service" across the County.

What this means for our residents:-
You will have too book transport for the following day in advance.

How to Book:
Anyone wishing to use the service should call:
0115 804 4699
or email:
fleet.ops@nottscc.gov.uk.

Please call/email between 10:00am - 12:00pm Monday to Friday to book transport for the following day.

Janice Towndrow
Parish Clerk
3-4-2020

At the end of each year I have a habit of looking back and wondering if I made the right decision: should I have bought holiday insurance for individual holidays instead of my usual annual policy? At the end of this year the decision will almost certainly be crystal clear: all my holiday insurance for 2020 was a waste of money.

I was relieved to hear that the Government is allowing us to overrun car MOT tests by 6 months. We still must ensure that our cars are safe but at least we can avoid the time and expense involved on something of relatively low priority, after all, how many miles are most of us likely to cover in the next 6 months?

My AA renewal is due in a few weeks: what do I do? I have been a member for over 40 years and the only times I have used it is for a flat battery 25 years ago and for a cracked distributor head on a 1966 Mini during our first holiday tour of Scotland during the very wet summer of 1971.

Over £2000 spent for two call outs! But, of course, what I am really buying is peace of mind, as with all insurances. But this year my use of the car is going to be much, much less than previous years.

Renewing is always annoying anyway - the process is always the same. I get a bill for renewing, far higher than last year's or the amount a new customer has to pay. I then phone up to say I can get just as good cover from Green Flag (or whoever) for less; they transfer me to their manager, who then makes a greatly reduced offer which I accept. A farce and it wastes time. I still have a few weeks to make my decision.

The decision regarding my usual annual subscription for a monthly magazine was made before Christmas but now I have to accept that it will not be as valuable as I had hoped. It is for "Pro Cycling" which previews and reports on all the world's top cycle races - from the Tour de France downwards. An excellent magazine (for me) but what will be in the coming issues? No races are happening, no races are planned; there is nothing to report. No doubt people paying for Sky Sports or BT Sport will have much greater financial regrets.

But, however annoying some of these things might first appear, at the present time they are, in reality, of no significance. No more important than damage to marigolds in the front garden caused by flooding from a burst reservoir dam up the hill. No, most people will face real challenges as a result of this Emergency: trivial difficulties should be ignored.

By the way, I am only aware of one person in the village who appears to have suffered from CoronaVirus - and they have recovered. That's good news.

A distraction: here is a photo from 10 years ago.

Have a nice day.

Tony Jarrow

If you liked the Pop Music Quiz which was posted here last week then you ought to check out the Daily Pop Quiz. It's just for fun.

It's on Facebook and is an open group so anyone can join. It's a great way to be in contact with fellow minded pop quiz fans in these difficult times.

This is a fun quiz that tries to appeal to a wide range of ages...from people in their 30s to those in their late 60s.

I produce a variety of questions from a range of eras and styles. I hope to make you think and maybe recall some of the songs of your youth.

Click and go there now:
Pop Pickers Music Questions!

Richard Turner

We have always done our shopping at supermarkets whose names have only 4 letters - until now. At the start of Lockdown, we decided we would try and avoided going inside any shop. So, the obvioius solution was to shop online and have it delivered.

Our daughter shops online and so do some of our neighbours so signing up with one of the several online suppliers should be a doddle. If you aren't already laughing, it's because you haven't tried to do this yourself during Lockdown.

You haven't seen messages like, "there are 32,480 people before you in the queue". Neither have you reached the point where you have to pick a delivery slot, only to find that every single one during the next week has been filled!

Hilary likes a challenge. She logged into her computer and visited all the online delivery stores and, one by one, she found that they were either, not taking new customers, or had no available delivery slots - except for a couple of stores.

The one she found to be a least busy was one of the more expensive suppliers (hardly surprising) but even it had no delivery slots for the week ahead.

But she thought, if they always show "the next 7 days", then every 24 hours they must add a "new day" - and it would have empty delivery slots. But when does this happen?

Well, she bet is would be midnight, or possibly (but hopefully not) later in the night. The adrenaline was flowing and she overcame here tiredness and waited for midnight.

The plan worked: at midnight a new day appeared on the screen! And we now have a delivery planned for next week.

I cringe at the prices we are paying but we have little choice: I tell myself we are currently "saving" money by not using the car or going out shopping for clothes.

All this excitement over a grocery delivery: sad really, but we will have to have something to talk about when we do eventually end this Lockdown and get back together again with friends and family.

Tony Jarrow

Here are the answers to the Cities and Towns Quiz that appeared a few days ago: how many did you identify? I imagine there being some groans as the answers are read out!

It's possible that you have come up with an answer that is just as good as one here - if so, give it a tick.

Hilary Jarrow

1. A colour and some water. (Blackpool)
2. Changing things about. (Altringham)
3. Makin' twice as big. (Dublin)
4. Finished and a river. (Dundee)
5. Meat and some water. (Liverpool)
6. Used for dogs. (Leeds)
7. To fasten to. (Bolton)
8. A cook and some land. (Sheffield)
9. A boy's name. (Dudley)
10. Compass point and a place for ships. (Southport)
11. You wheel it in the garden. (Barrow)
12. A sort of jumper. (Cardigan)
13. A male and a town. (Manchester)
14. Good for you if its fresh. (Ayre)
15. It rings and goes quickly. (Belfast)
16. Not good to eat. (Oldham)
17. A partner for ivy, and a part of the body. (Holyhead)
18. Window pane, and to travel. (Glasgow)
19. An uncut cake. (Nuneaton)
20. A bottle stopper. (Cork)
21. Spoilt by a spill. (Staines)
22. Call the plumber if you have one. (Leek)

We have been posting 'Lockdown Notes', recipes and quizzes for 4 days now and the feedback has been very encouraging. However, we really would like to post some of YOUR thoughts, ideas, tips, whatever.

You could produce a complete article (email the text and any pictures, and I will put it all together) or just send your thoughts/ideas/picture and I will write the article.

We would normally include your name in acknowledgement of your contribution, but if you would rather we didn't, just say so.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Tony and Hilary Jarrow

Some say that doing jigsaws might be enjoyable but it doesn't achieve anything, so is pointless.

Quite right - just like singing in the shower, playing cards, singing in a choir, watching football, singing in an empty kitchen, watching movies and watching TV. All pointless but enjoyable and harmless, so, if we don't have work to do, lets enjoy them all.

Hilary and I have both been spending time doing jigsaws during Lockdown but in very different ways. I start with a cardboard box with a picture on the front; Hilary starts by switching on her computer.

She goes to jigsawplanet.com, decides how many pieces she wants to have and chooses a picture - and she remembers to open the settings in the bottom left corner and ticks the option for showing a ghost image of the picture in the background. Then she starts dragging pieces into place. All for free whenever she wants.

Actually, Hilary also signs in, because then she can see a clock ticking to see how long it takes her to finish. She can also see how long other members took and, if she is in the mood, she tries to beat them. Simple, free and good fun. You can even create a jigsaw from your own picture, and then share it with the rest of the world. Give it a go.

I must confess that I prefer the traditional kind of jigsaw, the kind you can walk up to, add a few pieces while you sup your cup of tea, then walk away until another spare moment in the day - or the next day.

You do need a spare table-top in the house and, preferably, not a long-tufted carpet on the floor (searching for missing pieces buried in its tufts will drive you mad).

With the box lid propped up behind the puzzle, the radio playing background music and your cup of tea at arms-reach, you can enjoy pointless pleasure. For a touch of luxury, add a fig biscuit.

For a few days of enjoyment, choose 500 pieces; for a week of pleasure choose 1000 pieces; for pure torture choose a seascape with a big cloudless sky!

Does anyone do the same jigsaw twice? I suppose you can get the same satisfaction once the picture is a distant memory - maybe a year later. Alternatively, you can sell or give the jigsaw and get a new one.

The idea of swapping jigsaws is appealing but the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it is not workable in the present circumstances. It seems to me that selling and buying on this website is the most convenient and efficient way of "swapping' jigsaws.

Once you have agreed a purchase on the phone (or text or email) you can collect from the buyer's doorstep and leave your money there. No talking, so no possibility of infection.

To get us started I have put a couple of jigsaws on the selling page.

Are you inspired to do something pointless? Well get jigsawing - or start singing around house!

Tony Jarrow

Thanks to Pam for sending in this recipe.

Hilary Jarrow

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp chopped onion
• 1oz butter
• 4oz mushroom stalks
• 4oz mushrooms
• Half pint water
• Half pint milk
• 1 chicken stock cube
• Half ounce flour
• Salt, pepper

Method (using liquidiser):

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the onion for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring.
2. Wash the mushrooms and stalks and chop them, retaining one or two small ones for garnish.
3. Add to the saucepan, cover it tightly and cook on low heat until the mushrooms are soft.
4. Pour into the liquidiser, add the stock cube, the flour, water and milk.
5. Blend on maximum speed for half a minute.
6. Pour back into the saucepan, bring to the boil, stirring well.
7. Boil for 2-3 minutes.
8. Season to taste and if desired dilute with a little more milk.
9. Serve with a few slices of mushroom floating in each bowl.
10. Serves 4-5

Enjoy!

Day 14, that's 2 weeks completed and now settled into a sort of rhythm.

In the first days, the things you need find answers for, spring quickly to mind: how will you get your food? what foods stocks do you have? what's at the bottom of the freezer (that's less than 3 years old!)? how long will my wash powder last? and so on.

But after a few days, other predicaments come to mind and the solutions are less clear. My problem was I needed a haircut. Close contact with humans would be impossible at the Hair Barn so what could I do?

I did once go 3 months without a haircut without any adverse comments, but fashions looked very different in the 1960s - and so did I! So how was I going to solve this problem?

In the past, I sometimes had a trim all over, a "number 4" or similar, so surely it could not be so difficult to do the same in the kitchen at home. There is not so much hair left to cut these days and, anyway, who would see the result? What could possibly go wrong? Time for a plan.

Hilary agreed to help out (trimming the back of my head might prove difficult for me). An online search revealed a Youtube video showing how to use a trimmer and, after trawling internet sites, I homed in on a suitable, cordless trimmer.

"Useful to know" that it could also be used to trim a beard, which I don't have, or a dog, which I don't have either: so maybe not so useful.

It was still in stock online but 17 had been bought in the previous 48 hours and there were only 45 in stock: this was John Lewis so it must be true (Update: now sold out). I chose the free 5-day delivery and it arrived in 2.

Mission accomplished. Hilary is now a fully trained hairdresser (thanks Youtube) and I have a wonderfully trimmed head of hair!

Let's not be silly, but it does mean my hair looks respectable (-ish) - at least from the front: I haven't seen the back yet. Still, good enough for FaceTime and Zoom if I don't twist around.

So, my hair cutting for Lockdown is solved; now what about Hilary's hair .......

Tony Jarrow

How well do you know the British Isles? Can you identify these places? Some are quite easy but a few are really demanding (only by saying the name out-loud reveals it as the right answer!).

Answers in a few days.

Hilary Jarrow

1. A colour and some water
2. Changing things about
3. Makin' twice as big
4. Finished and a river
5. Meat and some water
6. Used for dogs
7. To fasten to
8. A cook and some land
9. A boy's name
10. Compass point and a place for ships
11. You wheel it in the garden
12. A sort of jumper
13. A male and a town
14. Good for you if its fresh
15. It rings and goes quickly
16. Not good to eat
17. A partner for ivy, and a part of the body
18. Window pane, and to travel
19. An uncut cake
20. A bottle stopper
21. Spoilt by a spill
22. Call the plumber if you have one

Thanks to Shona for sending in this recipe.

Hilary Jarrow

Spiced Moroccan Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 Co-op sweet pointed peppers, diced
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 100g dried red split lentils
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• ½ x 160g pack sliced curly kale

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for 3-4 mins, until softened
2. Stir in the cinnamon, coriander, paprika and cumin, season, then cook for 2 mins
3. Add the peppers, tomatoes and 600ml boiling water, then bring to a simmer
4. Carefully transfer to a slow cooker set on medium, then stir in the lentils and sweet potato. Cook for 25 mins.
5. When you’re ready to serve, bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the kale for 1 minute, then drain well
6. Serve the soup topped with the kale and a grind of black pepper.

Enjoy!

Residents are being asked to leave their bins out for 6.30am on collection day to help our waste crews ensure everyone’s bins are collected as normal.

Our refuse collection teams are now working longer hours to help make sure essential frontline services continue, despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

Teams will be visiting properties from the new time each morning in a bid to collect the increasing tonnes of waste produced by households, as people follow government advice and stay at home.

Our Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety Cllr Rob Inglis said: “We’re requesting that residents make sure their bins are available for collection earlier until further notice, as our teams adapt to growing demands on our waste collection services.

“Despite the challenges of the current COVID-19 situation, our teams are continuing to show resilience and determination in fulfilling their roles and delivering an essential service for residents throughout the Borough.

“Please help our waste teams to collect your grey, blue and green bins as normal.”

While some collections in Rushcliffe have been rescheduled to meet demand in recent days, we’re reassuring households that their bins will still be collected as soon as possible.

Thank you

Cropwell Bishop Parish Council

Many of you will have used Skype or FaceTime to talk to family and friends face-to-face on your computer, tablet or phone.

To be honest, I was never a fan of these apps, partly because faces always looked unreal and drab (well, at least, mine did!). I have since learned to get the lighting right beforehand: facing a well lit window (but not direct sunlight) makes a massive difference. Your face will be evenly lit and the background dark: great.

Keeping in touch with someone this way is great during the present time, but what do you do if you would like to have a discussion with several people at once?

A couple of weeks ago, the Cropwell Bishop Allotment Committee (6 of us) faced this problem. We wanted to discuss things but did not want to risk close contact. Sitting 3m apart in a big room did not appeal.

Luckily, a possible solution appeared to me the day before. My daughter and her husband were both confined to working from home sitting in front of their laptop. They were having conferences with other wokers in Britain and France using an app called "Zoom".

I googled Zoom, clicked on Zoom.us and signed up for free.

In the menu at the top, I clicked on 'Plans and Pricing' and discovered that we could use this software for free, the main limitation being that our group meeting (of no more than 100 participants!) could last only 40 mins. It looked promising.

The site had help pages and videos to guide new users, so I gave it a go.

I schuduled our first meeting for the next day. Zoom produces an "invitation" that I was able to copy and paste into emails to the other 5. This invite included a link which both downloaded the necessary app onto the user's device and set them up at the meeting.

I had anticipated that this first get-together would be used get used to the set-up and resolve problems. However, in spite of us using a range of devices and systems, the only problem we encountered was locating the button for video; that was resolved in 30 seconds.

In fact, we had 30 minutes to spare so we went ahead and had our meeting there and then - and it worked really well.

Those with a desktop/laptop computer viewed a grid of 6 similar-sized smiling faces! A phone would show no more than 4 at once: you could swipe to see the others.

Within minutes, the novelty of communicating this way was almost forgotten and we got down to business and had our meeting.

Before setting up the Allotment Meeting, I trialled Zoom with my daughter and grandchildren (aged 12 & 9) each on their own device - and Hilary too on a laptop. It was easy and fun. We could just as easily have had a meeting with family members living all over the country/world.

You may have seen Boris Johnson having an online conference with his cabinet after he went into isolation: they were using Zoom too.

If you can see a use for this software then I recommend you give it a go.

Tony Jarrow

It was on Tuesday 17th March that we decided that we would go into "lockdown". It seems like months ago, so much has happened, yet it is just 12 days.

I am not sure I would have known the meaning of the word just a couple of months ago but now, to us, it means we have no close contact with anyone. The closest we have been to other humans is the postman - when he stood 4m back as I picked up the parcel he had left on the doorstep, and our daughter who stood way back as we collected the online shopping she had bought.

It was all so surreal at first: was it really happening? But now we seem to have settled into a sort of routine. It might be useful for us to share our experiences, tips and thoughts as we travel this strange journey together: also share some laughs. When you feel ready, email me with yours.

Our first step was to avoid visiting the Health Centre for medications. We requested a home delivery and a few days later it was delivered to our doorstep. We have since been sent a text telling us that medication will now be delivered to all patients in Cropwell Bishop over 70. That's great: friends in the city have not been so well looked after so far.

I put a notice on the door for delivery people but within days it was clear that they had all been instructed what to do. I had wondered how they would cope with signatures but was told that they would simply write CV19, or similar, instead.

What about home deliveries of food? Having always bought from supermarkets in the flesh, we thought we would sign up with one. I am sure many of you are laughing at that! No chance for weeks. Luckily our daughter is a regular customer so can add things to her order.

And what about seeing family - well I will tell you about that next time.

Enjoy this little poster: I think its meaning goes beyond the cleaning.

Tony Jarrow

How will the latest rules on isolation and 'Social Distancing' affect members of Cropwell Bishop's Allotment Society? Click on the Allotments tab to find out.

Tony Jarrow

As you are all aware by now Covid-19 is sweeping the globe and quickly effecting more of our daily lives. With this it is with deep regret that the team are having to announce the cancellation of Monday’s meeting .

Please do not be alarmed, this is simply because our speaker has underlying health conditions, and therefore a high risk and he has decided it is in his safest interest to cancel.

As much as we would love to carry on with a stiff upper lip, come up with some fun games and still meet on Monday night, we believe we have a responsibility, not only to the members of the group, but as a community to take caution around the spread of the disease. We hope you all understand the reasoning behind this and support the team in their decision.

We will obviously be closely monitoring the situation over the coming weeks, and we hope to be emailing this time next month, without a recollection of the virus and communicating that the meeting will be going ahead and complaining about too much sunshine. Here’s hoping.

Of course this means we miss out on a talk this month. This is where the power of digital comes in. Keep your eyes peeled as the team are working on sharing something for us to get involved in, but obviously we are weaving this in and around our daily jobs.

In the meantime, we hope you can get in your gardens and start preparing for the growing year, and please, if anybody is struggling in their gardens due to illness or travel restrictions etc. drop the group an email and I’m sure we can find someone to help out.

Please take care

Cropwell Bishop Growers and Gardeners

From Rushcliffe Borough Council: help and advice ...

In the early hours of Sunday 16th February the East Midlands and Rushcliffe in particular saw continuous heavy rainfall across the area. As the ground was already ‘super saturated’ the run off from land, fields and gardens was much increased and therefore water courses and rivers responded far quicker than usual. As a result, many communities were severely impacted by surface water flooding on 16th February and flood warnings were issued for waterside homes on the Soar, Smite and the Trent.

Following a significant response by the Borough Council dealing with over 150 sandbag requests, opening places of safety, deploying our rapid response team in the immediate aftermath etc we are now in the recovery phase working with multi-agency partners including voluntary agencies to support our communities and businesses affected by the recent flooding. The communities currently known to have been most severely impacted with homes internally flooded are as follows;

• Tollerton (Tollerton Lane and Cotgrave Lane)
• Gotham
• Bingham
• Sutton Bonington
• Radcliffe on Trent
• Cropwell Butler
• East Leake
• Ruddington
• Rempstone
• Colston Bassett
• Cotgrave

We are also sharing information on flooded homes with both the Environment Agency and Nottinghamshire County Council who are the lead flood authority and their flood risk team will be carrying out a number of Section 19 reports in the coming months. More details of what these reports cover can be found from the link below

Flooding Reports

Due to the severity of the flooding across the whole country central government has once again released a range of financial assistance to affected communities. We have set up a dedicated flood recovery support website page and have been contacting residents that we are aware have internally flooded to highlight the financial assistance available.

Flood Recovery Support

With the ground still saturated and rivers still ready to respond quickly I wanted to remind you of how the Council can help as part of the overall arrangements that are in place to respond to such incidents.

With any flooding the importance of being prepared is of paramount importance and so communities in areas that are high risk of flooding should be encouraged to improve their resilience by following the really useful advice and guidance that can be downloaded from the Environment Agency website. The site also includes how residents can sign up to receive warning information about potential river flooding events.

However the very nature of these storms and surface water flooding is that the event is sudden and unpredictable and can often affect communities and homes that have not been flooded before. As a result this can mean that the Council may not be able to respond as quickly as it usually does in flooding events that have greater prior warning such as river flooding. Notwithstanding this situation the Council is prepared and remains committed to supporting communities that may experience flooding in a number of ways including;

• Provision of sandbags to protect living accommodation - The Council has a finite number of sandbags to support our communities but all requests will be prioritised according to a county wide protocol. This will take into account factors such as the current risk, vulnerable people in the property etc. It should be noted that the Council does not provide sandbags to protect outbuildings and gardens or any type of commercial property. In addition, the Council cannot provide any pumps to help with the removal of floodwater from properties.

• Community flood resilience stores – The Council has a grant scheme in place to support communities in establishing flood resilience stores to enable sandbags and flood protection equipment to be immediately available. (It is not for flood alleviation works ) The scheme is open to all Parish/ Town Councils and West Bridgford Local Area Forum. Priority will be given to those communities that have previously experienced river or surface water flooding: The total funding will be allocated based on risk and grants are available up to a maximum of £1050. (Subject to available funds)

• Provision of temporary accommodation –Residents are encouraged where possible to make their own arrangements with friends and family or through their insurance provision so that we can prioritise our resources to the vulnerable who may be unable to help themselves.

• Provision of advice and information – Along with the Environment Agency the Council provides pre and post flooding advice and information on our website.

• Community Support – If there is widespread flooding the Council will play a significant role in supporting a multi-agency response which will include blue light services through helping the community with rest centre provision and a range of other services.

• Residents worried about future insurance costs -FLOOD RE is an insurance scheme that makes flood cover more widely available and affordable as part of your insurance. The Flood Re pool is funded through an industry-backed levy. All UK household insurers have to contribute to the levy, creating a fund that can be used to pay for claims for people in high risk homes. The scheme provides a cap on flood insurance premiums linked to property council tax bands. Only houses built before 2009 are included in the scheme. www.floodre.co.uk

Some important contact details for the community to be aware of are listed below;

Rushcliffe BC – 0115 981 9911 (For all sandbag service requests and information)

Rushcliffe BC – 0115 981 1143 (Out of hours for emergencies)

Nottinghamshire County Council –0300 500 80 80. (This number can be used to report blocked culverts or drainage problems or issues related to the highway)

I hope this helps in supporting your local communities with appropriate advice and information.

David Banks
Executive Manager Neighbourhoods
Rushcliffe Borough Council

A drop-in opportunity to meet local police and discuss local community issues.
The Beat surgery will be held at The Old School on the following days:

Thursday 6th February 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Wednesday 20th February 10.00am – 11.00am
Thursday 5th March 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Wednesday 11th March 10.00am – 11.00am
Thursday 2nd April 2.00pm – 3.00pm

Jan Towndrow
Parish Clerk

In October, Sue and Ed Ward made a concerted effort to raise money to buy Christmas presents for children at the school and kindergarten in Thailand that they established close contact with over the years.

You, the villagers of Cropwell Bishop, helped raise over £500 at the Saturday Cafe in the Old School. Sue and Ed are now able to tell you the effect of your generosity .....

Happy New Year and a big thank you for your very generous contributions: you have made 94 children very Happy.

In addition to the presents, we bought some play equipment for the Kindergarten. It had a large room but, apart from a television and a few soft toys, it was empty.

We bought 2 tent tunnels and a pit of soft balls; two mini play kitchens and two trikes.

I will send you photos.

Sue and Ed xx

And here are the photos of the kindergarten and school that they sent.

Tony Jarrow