Netherfield

St. Johns Church, Netherfield: The Candlemass Service on Sunday 9th February starts at 10am. Everyone is welcome. However, due to illness and retirement, Marion, Madeline and I need a couple of volunteers to help us clean the church, male or female. We meet once a month, usually Friday mornings to perform this task. There is no heavy work. It is mainly dusting and tidying. We have a modern hoover to help, and are child friendly. We also enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and a chat. There is a kitchen and toilet facilities. I can give anyone a lift from or near the estate. Thanks. Call me, Gillian, on 838825.
Netherfield newsNetherfield news
Netherfield news

Netherfield Village Hall Jumble Sale: On the day of the jumble sale, the bookcases we had on offer, at the princely sum of £5 each, did not sell. This was probably due to the DVDs which we had for sale, were being housed on their shelves. However, Jo, the Hall Committee Secretary, had the great idea of offering them on “Facebook”. Within hours of being offered, four of the five items we had on sale were sold, increasing the funds we made from the Jumble Sale to £402.77 so far. We still have various items, which we hope will produce further cash to increase our bank balance, enabling us to complete the painting of the Hall. Thank you to everybody for your help in enabling us to reach our goals.

Netherfield Poets Corner: I am surprised that there are not a substantial amount of poets out there wanting a little exposure for their work. We all have a book or a poem within us, so we are told, so this is an opportunity for the poets among the community to show what they are made of. Details of how to send your work are at the end of this column. Come on, get sending.

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The Messenger: The 14th of February is the deadline for any articles to go in the Messenger. You can send them to: [email protected] for the opportunity to see them in print. The editor. Melanie Willis Fleming, wants the news that matters to you. Any item has a chance to be chosen as long as it is relevant. So get your pen out and start writing. The Messenger can be bought in the Netherfield Village Store, still only 50p! or delivered by Gillian for £5 a year. Call 838825..Thank you.

Netherfield Village Hall Library Service: Books have been arriving almost on a daily basis, which means we are able to begin a store of books, necessary to make regular changes to our stock. We have also been given a substantial amount of DVDs and CDs by a mother and daughter, with the opportunity of an organ to allow a potential young people’s community opportunity to take place. I mean, what young person doesn’t want to be a keyboard player in a pop group? Whilst the logistics of this need to be worked out, we cannot not look a gift horse in the mouth when it is offered. Unfortunately, in all the commotion that has happened since the offer was made I have lost these kind people’s details, so if they are reading this column can they get in touch with me asap. Thank you.

Netherfield Village Hall future events: On 9th February, at the Netherfield Village Hall, between 10 and 12, the coffee morning will be happening. As previously advised there will be a jewelry stall and one on sewing and embroidery who can chat to you about their art and explain what it is all about. You will maybe make a purchase or two. Coffee and tea, well that is what it is all about, will be freshly made for you, with, I understand, a choice of cakes.. What could be better?

Netherfield Village Hall AGM: The Annual General Meeting for the Hall will now take place at 6.30pm on Thursday 26th February 2019 at the Village Hall.

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Claverham Monday Badminton Club: With the Spring approaching I decided that some alterations needed to be made to stocks of this and that. To effect the transportation of unwanted items and bits of rubbish to the various destinations which were deemed most appropriate, the back of my car was emptied and the items therein, deposited in the garage. So far so good. The seats were then laid flat at the back to hold the items readied for disposal. Once the tasks had been completed the seating in the car was returned to normal. To complete the cycle the removed items, which included my badminton rackets should have been replaced by retrieving them from the garage. It must be old age or something else which causes a memory loss, as I forgot this crucial task in the transportation cycle.

Dressed in my shorts, socks and pumps, T-shirt and bottle of water, I set off for Claverham on Monday, full of repressed energy, ready for the fray. On reaching the almost full car park, and having found a space, I parked, shuddered with the cold and walked to the boot of the car to secure my instruments of competition. Boot was opened, and there was ….nothing. I pride myself on being focused, to use an overworked word in modern parlance, but for a split second there was indecision on my part. Stay, or go home. Then the reality of the situation crept in. Somebody is bound to have a spare racket I thought? Or would they? I took a chance and yes, Chris, Chiffer to his friends, was in attendance and said I could use his spare. My saviour I thought. He then, not only provided me with a racket but, on a carefully produced printed card, an invitation to his 60th. Sixty I thought, wow, but to make him feel better, I told him I thought he was older.

Roy, our leader was there at the same time, the one I call my dad as he is six months older than me, which, if one thinks about it would be a miracle, said: “what did you expect”, to Chris. Anyway, when I mentioned the robustness of the grip on the racket, in comparison to mine, Chris said he always has to have a thick one. It is very strange how no matter how similar rackets are, it is never the same as the one you are used to. Whilst I won’t say my game through the evening was poor, but was it at a level which I would deem to be acceptable for a man of my tender years. Probably not. I lost more games than I won.

More next week.......

Reflections on a garden: Crash, bang, wallop could be heard around the garden this week. My shed, whilst the exterior paneling is rotten and diseased, the frame is still strong and hard to break. I have spent hours, levering, pushing, pulling and thumping, but the structure is still standing. I must be losing my strength and I haven’t even had my hair cut. Samson. Hair. Oh forget it. I need a bigger concrete base and I can’t effect this part of the process until I get rid of what is there already. I think I will have to get my power saw out and cut it up into little pieces.

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When the wind is at its height, our ash tree provides a shower of twiglets as a result. I guess that shows in some respects how fragile ash trees are. Once the wind has abated, I then have to get out and gather the twig harvest. You may laugh dear reader but this is great for kindling, as green ash burns really well and is easy to break as it is so brittle. That is why we haven’t had to buy any kindling for years.

More next week.................

Contact: If you have any stories or articles of interest that will give our readership a reason to buy the paper please contact me on email at [email protected]. Call 01424838410 and ask for Maurice or text 07957588172