Summer wedding! … the wedding of Julie Cooke and Peter Walker at St Leonard’s church photo Rod Bennington 02-07-2016
Coming up…
More details in church gazette and separate wel-e-bulletins
Thu 21 July WI 7.30 Village Hall
Sat 30 July Afternoon Teas, Village Hall, in aid of church funds
Sat 6 Aug Circuit of Welbury cycle race, starts at Duke of Wellington
Wed 10 Aug Teesside branch of the Cactus & Succulent Society 7pm Village Hall
Sat 13 Aug Welbury Show, Village Hall
Sat 01 Oct The 2016 Macmillan Coffee Morning 10am to 12 noon, Village Hall
Barbara Boyes …
We learn with sadness of the death of Barbara Boyes peacefully at the family home in Welbury aged 87. Angela Ovenston writes “Barbara was a great village character along with Frank, and used to do phenomenal amounts of excellent baking for various village events – a rare breed these days.” Funeral service is at St Leonard’s Church, Welbury, on Friday, July 15, at 11.30am, followed by interment. Family flowers only, donations if wished may be given after the service to benefit The Great North Air Ambulance and Church Funds.
Congratulations…
To Julie Cooke and Peter Walker on their marriage on 2nd July at St Leonard’s.
Quiz of the month…
Wedding tradition: we have often seen the tradition of tying up the church gates after a wedding so the newly weds have to scatter some coins for local children to collect before they are let out. What is the origin of that tradition?
Answers from last month (as far as we know; tell us if you know better).
Log fire? As reported on page 11 of the Welbury book, the fire which famously burned continuously for 300 years was at the Chequers Inn near Osmotherley which closed as an inn in 1945, It was a peat fire though, not a log fire.
Snippets…
Services wanted: Recent requests have been received seeking recommendations for local gardening help, for curtain makers, and for a part-time cook (at the Blue Bell Inn, Ingleby Cross). Details from the Editor.
Historic day: Welbury voted on June 23 in the EU Referendum when the Village Hall as usual was the Polling Station. Local electoral
Weather from Rod…
officer Sue McDonnell reports: We had an 87.3% turnout: 185 votes cast including 32 postal votes with an electoral roll of 212. Hambleton vote was 64% leave with 46% for remaining in the EU with 74% turnout. Normal turnout for Welbury in a General Election is around 65 to 70%. Lynn, my Poll Clerk, and I were kept busy all day
I recall hearing on the BBC weather summary for June that it was warmer than average – in Welbury, it wasn’t! With a monthly average of 14.0 °C it was marginally the coldest June since 2012 (a chilly average of 13.2 °C). It did get off to a great start with 3 days in the first week over 25 °C and a scorching day on the 7th that reached almost 30 °C, but thereafter only one day (23rd) exceeded 25 °C. On the positive side, the minimum night temperature was over 5 °C, so no very late frosts for the gardeners. After a fairly dry May, June was wet- ter, but not excessively so, with 48 mm of rain, a quarter of this falling in one day on the 29th.
Up until 12th July, it’s been a cool month with a maximum of 23 °C. Rainfall so far is 19 mm, fairly typical for the beginning of July over the past few years.
The Taylors at Wray House Farm had a 2000 plus swarm of bees land on their field for two days in June, so wondered what was the best thing to do. A neighbour in Long Lane who keeps bees came and collected them and placed them in one of his hives. Luan Morgan in Spring Hill sends this link for help with bees: http://www.hambletonbeekeepers.org.uk/.
Photo Chris Taylor 15-06-2016
Book of the month…
The Goldfinch By
Donna Tartt
This novel won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2014 and was lent to me to read some time ago. I felt I should do just that and return it to its rightful owner! I am glad I procrastinated no longer because I need not have worried – this book is thrilling and full of suspense, so well worth reading.
Our hero is Theo Decker who is just thirteen years old at the outset. He has had a devoted mother (although a largely absent father) until the day
when an accident changes the course of his life. He finds himself alone and homeless in New York where he is eventually taken in by the family of a wealthy friend.
Theo can barely survive emotionally without his mother and, through many years, clings to a memento of her; a small painting. I hope I am not guilty of a ‘spoiler’ when I reveal that the painting draws Theo into the criminal underworld which, inevitably, proves highly dangerous with Theo becoming increasingly isolated.
‘The Goldfinch’ is dramatic and enthralling with well-drawn characters and a compulsive, haunting style. The novel examines loss and obsession, love, identity and fate so there is something to engage everyone. An excellent read!
Sarah Hoiles
W I Report (June)
From Dervor Hanson
The room was buzzing with expectation as Stuart Andrews came to talk to us about Bees Abroad. Using slides and video clips he shared his experiences of several visits to East Africa to work with a charity that helps villagers improve their beekeeping skills and also how to process and market the products. The competition for something that buzzes was won by a photo of a bumble bee. Next month’s speaker will be Michael Wright on Signing Off. The competition is for a posy of garden flowers.
Photo by Dervor Hanson 29-09-2010
Summer wedding…
Julie Cooke and Peter Walker treated us to a fine village event on July 2nd, egged on by the Romanby Golf Club Ladies’ Section (where Julie was Ladies’ Captain last year) – everyone happy! See also front cover photo.
Photos: Rod Bennington 02-07-2016.