Langtoft Parish Council

Published by Langtoft Parish Council: - Email: [email protected]

Next Parish

Council Meeting

Tuesday,

15 May 2018

At 7pm in Langtoft

Village Hall

IN THIS ISSUE

PAGE

Parish Council 2

Council Meeting Minutes 3-9

From our County Councillor 10

Letter from the Vicarage 11

Church News 12-15

Village Noticeboard 16-17

Langtoft Road Race & Fun Run 18

Annual Parish Walk 19

Diary of Events 20-21

Village Hall 22-25

Bumps2Four 26

Langtoft Pearl Bowls Club 27

Langtoft WI 28-31

Meet Your Councillors Event 40

Annual Meeting of the Council and Annual Parish

Meeting will be held on

22 May 2018

At 7pm Langtoft

Village Hall

Langtoft Grapevine Page 2 April - May 2018

Current Councillors

Brian Branch

Andy Halfhide (Chairman)

Andy Hallam

Debbie Hallam

David Hannen

Colin Larkman

Roy Jackson (Vice-chairman)

Yvonne McCulloch

Mike Thompson

Lewis Trickey

Derek Risk 01778 346300

Langtoft Parish Council

Parish Clerk: Julian Tatam Email: [email protected]

01778 341211

Correspondence to the Council should be addressed to the Clerk

LPC Representatives On Other Groups —

Langtoft Village Hall Management Committee - Cllr. McCulloch,

Neighbourhood Policing Panel - Cllr. Halfhide Hyde & Mossop Charity - Cllr. Risk

From Your Council

First, welcome to Nigel Bright our new Gardener/Cleaner and thanks to the

other applicants who expressed an interest in the post.

There was a good attendance at the recent Pocket Park public meeting. The Clerk will follow up those members of the public who expressed an interest in joining the committee of a working party. We await the formal offer from Hanson Aggregates Ltd. The Council has decided that there should be an increase in the cemetery fees from 6 April. The fees have remained unchanged since 2008. The new fees are still lower than other fees in the locality with some councils charging considerably more. Details will be posted on the cemetery notice board. A village litter pick is planned for Saturday 21 April.


Minutes of Meeting held on 20 February 2018

Present: Cllrs Brian Branch, David Hannen, Colin Larkman, Yvonne McCulloch, Derek Risk and Lewis Trickey. In Attendance: Julian Tatam (Clerk), District Councillors Kelham Cooke & Rosemary Trollope – Bellew, County Councillor Barry Dobson and 7 members of the public. 101/17-18 Chairman In the absence of the Chairman or Vice Chairman, the councillors appointed Cllr Branch to chair the meeting 102/17-18 Open Forum The meeting began with the open forum at 7.03pm Matters raised by members of the public included the following:

Postponement of Pocket Park Meeting. Why and where notified? Unfortunately the meeting had to be postponed as a number of key people were no longer available to attend. The postponement was advertised on the three Parish noticeboards plus the website.

Gritting costs and impact upon precept, as reported in The Grapevine. Following an enforced change of contractor, the gritting costs have increased by 44%. £2335 was paid out in 2016 /17 with a relatively mild winter so the £3300 in the budget for the current year could be a challenge. The Council are seeking to control the costs of the gritting, restricting it to when there is a risk of ice.

Deepings Voluntary Car Scheme. The recent donation to this scheme was challenged on the assertion that the scheme does not have any costs and therefore does not need funds. The Clerk refuted this claim: the scheme is currently funded by LCC but that funding is to be withdrawn. The costs include Disclosure & Barring Service security checks, public liability insurance, stationery and telephone costs, amounting to several hundred pounds a year. In a 10 month period in 2017, the service was used by 7 Langtoft residents a total of 58 times so this is a service which is used by parishioners.

Footpath 5 - Former footpath from King Street to Market Deeping. County Councillor Dobson updated the meeting on progress. It is proposed that the path be diverted along the Environment Agency (EA) drain. The EA has been approached for their formal consent which is expected to be forthcoming. It will link with Footpath 1 and to the Peterborough Green Wheel.

Langtoft Parish Council Meetings



Minutes of Meeting held on 20 February 2018 (cont’d)

‘Pull Ins’ on and condition of New Road at the Gibbs Close junction. This had been reported to SKDC in the autumn and the clerk had chased up since the previous meeting. It is with LCC Highways for consideration. County Cllr Dobson suggested that the residents log the potholes etc with LCC Highways on their website. The Clerk will continue to monitor for progress.

Plastic in the dike at East End Park. Plastic and other rubbish from recycling bins has blown into the dike following the high winds a few weeks ago. Litter has also accumulated in the former pond at East End Park. The Council are in the process of recruiting a gardener cleaner who would be responsible for such tasks. In the meantime it hopes to organise a ‘litter pick’ involving local residents. Cycling in East End Park. It was stated that cyclists have been cycling through the former pond..

Traffic at The Crossroads. Concerns were raised about the incorrect procedure whereby traffic (leaving either East or West End) turning right cuts across the traffic going straight on. Cllr Trickey (a driving instructor) confirmed that traffic turning left or going straight on has priority over that turning right, irrespective of who arrives first. He advised making eye contact with the other driver to understand their intentions as not all follow the regulations.

Proposed work at A15 crossroads. This is a resurfacing project which will remove the potholes and hopefully alleviate the flooding issues. Football Club. A coach from the football club made a statement about his recent involvement in the club and the positive benefits for children. The football club wish to work more closely with the villagers to mutual benefit. They are working on improving and repairing their facilities but have been hampered by funding and some vandalism. Dog mess on the pitches is a regular problem. The Open Forum closed at 7.33 pm. 103/17-18 Chairman’s welcome and remarks The Chairman welcomed the County and District Councillors and the members of the public present. He also welcome Cllr Hannen to his first full Council meeting 104/17-18 Apologies for absence Cllrs Halfhide, A Hallam, D Hallam, R Jackson and M Thompson: all away on holiday.




105/17-18 Declarations of Interest None 106/17-18 To approve the minutes of the previous meetings The approval of the minutes of the meeting held on 9th January 2018 was proposed by Cllr Risk, seconded by Cllr Trickey and a majority agreement (those not present at that meeting abstaining).

107/17-18 Report from County and District Councillors and Police

District Councillor Trollope-Bellew reported that: It will be about 4 weeks before the planning application for the football club is determined as the planning officer needs to visit the site. SKDC is to participate in a project where it will retain 60% of the Business rates (with 40% to LCC) which would enhance income. There is also to be a trial of a food waste collection service in SKDC though this will not initially involve Langtoft. Each Ward Councillor has been granted £1000 to support local projects. Details to follow. Lincolnshire Police have agreed a 5.8% increase in their precept which equates to an extra 23p a week for a band D property. This will allow the funding of 1100 regular officers and 120 PCSOs. District Councillor Cooke reported that: Invest SK, the business promotion scheme, will be supporting groups with grant funding applications. SKDC are not proposing to switch off street lights but will be converting more to energy efficient LED versions. SKDC has set up its own trade waste operation, to supplement income and better utilise its own vehicles and staff. A Head of Tourism has been appointed to boost this element of the local economy. The Big Clean project will be maintained with planned quarterly visits to the towns in the district.




SKDC are installing electric charging points into some council car parks Regarding the SEA for the playing fields, a reduction 50% has been agreed for next three years, commencing from the 2018/19 financial year. County Councillor Dobson reported that: He is still pushing to get Marc Jones (Police and Crime Commissioner), Nick Boles (local MP) and Richard Davies (Executive member for Highways) to a meeting in our locality to look at the traffic issues on the length of the A15 from Bourne to Deeping. LCC have a fund of £1.7m to repair potholes. He encouraged the public to report potholes to make use of this fund and get them repaired. PCSO Michelle Laughton forwarded a report that she had no incidents of note to report, only that fish sellers continue to pop up in all areas, these need reporting to the police. Apparently trading standards are very interested in the fish sellers. Also, good news; a new PCSO named Rowena Everitt has been appointed. Rowena is shadowing Michelle for the present, but will then be on opposite shift patterns so there will be more coverage in the area. 108/17-18 Clerks Report

The Clerk’s report had already been provided to the councillors, including a log of communications. Key points: Work had included correspondence on Pocket Park, obtaining cost estimates and planning for the proposed public meeting. LCC have signed off the restoration at Pocket Park so the Council expect to receive a formal offer by the end of April. We have had a good response to the advertisement for replacement gardener/cleaner. These applications will be considered over the next couple of weeks. 109/17-18 Working groups Events: The event group met on 7 February and their report had been provided to the Councillors.




The charges at the cemetery have not been reviewed for many years and do not cover the costs of cemetery maintenance. Proposals will be brought to the next Council meeting. Plans are in place for the next ‘Meet the Councillors’ day on 30 June The date for the Parish Walk has been set for 6 June Amenities: The group met on 30 January and provided a copy of their report. Consideration is to be given to replacing the broken seats at East End Park and removing the self-set trees and shrubs in the pond at East End Park. It was recommended that the frequency and extent of grass cutting and gritting be reviewed before the next seasons commence. 110/17 -18 Finance Year to date accounts. The accounts to 12 February had been circulated to all councillors. The current balances total £22,037 The budget indicated a balance of £4,536 as at 30 March but given some underspends and delay of capital items the Clerk expects that the closing balance will be in the order of £14,000. Appointment of a Councillor to verify bank reconciliations The appointment of a Cllr David Hannen to verify bank reconciliations was proposed by Cllr Trickey, seconded by Cllr Risk and agreed unanimously. Contingency Fund The allocation of the £1000 contingency fund to gritting (in case of need) was proposed by Cllr Trickey, seconded by Cllr Risk and agreed unanimously. Grass-cutting contract for 2018. The quoted price has increased by 3%. A motion to agree the grass-cutting contract price of £165.25 per cut and £243.00 per cut for the hedge was proposed by Cllr Risk, seconded by Cllr Trickey and agreed unanimously. Grapevine advertising prices. We have been quoted a 5% price increase for the printing. A motion to agree a 5% increase in the price for advertisements (rounded up to the nearest whole pound) was proposed by Cllr McCulloch, seconded by Cllr Risk and agreed on a majority with Cllr Trickey abstaining due to a potential conflict of interest.




A motion that we re-appoint Graytones as printers of The Grapevine, accepting their 5% increase in cost was proposed by Cllr Trickey, seconded by Cllr McCulloch and agreed unanimously. 111/17 -18 Correspondence: An update on the new General Data Protection Regulations from LALC had been expected in time to discuss at the meeting. The regulations come into effect on 25 May 2018 and will require the appointment of a Data Protection Officer. It is hoped that further guidance will be available in time for consideration at the next full Council meeting. 112/17-18 Pocket Park There was a discussion on the timing for the proposed public meeting to discuss Pocket Park. Given the lack of availability of the Village Hall, the Clerk will enquire about the availability of The Church on Wednesday 7 or 14th March and confirm Councillors availability before re-launching the event. 113/17-18 Review and Authorisation of orders for repair and maintenance work: New safety surface under the zip wire plus re-tensioning Quotations to a replace the safety surface were discussed. The existing surface has failed in less than three years and rather than replace like for like at £1348 it was felt that a Fibrefall surface covering 40m2 (20m x2m) with a 5 year warranty at £3115 was a better solution (all prices plus VAT). A motion that we accept the quotation from Fenland Leisure Services at £3115 (+VAT) for the Fibrefall and £300 (+VAT) for the inspection and re-tensioning was proposed by Cllr Risk, seconded by Cllr Trickey and agreed unanimously, though the Clerk was instructed to negotiate for a reduction for accepting both parts of the quotation. 114/ 17-18 Consideration of interim Council meeting to consider the appointment of a Gardener Cleaner The candidates will be interviewed by Cllrs Halfhide, Risk and Trickey (with the Clerk in attendance) and, in view of timescales a recommendation be brought to an interim Council meeting.



(cont’d) plus Extraordinary Meeting held on 14 March

A motion that we hold an interim Council meeting on at 7pm on 12 March to consider the appointment of a Gardener Cleaner was proposed by Cllr Risk, seconded by Cllr Trickey and agreed unanimously. 115/17-18 Dates of future meetings Next Full Council meeting: 27 March 2018. There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.58 pm.

Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Parish Council held on Wednesday 14 March 2018 at Langtoft Village Hall

Present: Cllrs Andy Halfhide (Chairman), Brian Branch, David Hannen, Andy Hal-lam, Debbie Hallam, Roy Jackson, Yvonne McCulloch, Mike Thompson and Lewis Trickey.

In Attendance: Julian Tatam (Clerk).

116/ 17-18 Chairman’s welcome and remarks

The Chairman welcomed the Councillors.

117/ 17-18 Apologies for absence

Cllr Risk; a prior engagement

118/ 17-18 Resolution to Exclude press and public to allow discussion on an item of a confidential matter.

This was not progressed as there were no members of the press and public present.

119/ 17-18 Staff Matters

Following the recent interviews, there was a discussion about the appointment of the Gardener/Cleaner.

A motion to appoint Nigel Bright to the position of Gardener/Cleaner was pro-posed by the Chairman, seconded by Cllr A Hallam and passed unanimously.

The Chairman suggested that, in his opinion, the Clerk had satisfactorily completed his period of probation. There being no objections, it was not taken to a formal reso-lution.

120/ 17-18 116 – 17/18 Date of future meetings

Next Council meeting: 27 March 2018.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.55 pm.


From our County Councillor

Well, here we are with Easter just a few days away as I sit down to bring everyone the latest news from Lincolnshire County Council.

You will have read that the greatest increase this year has been in adult care. This means that it becomes an additional and huge strain on those of us still at work and trying to make ends meet. But, this doesn’t mean that we’ve forgot-ten the condition of the roads and footpaths.

Lincolnshire is a large county with some 5,500 miles of road to maintain. Potholes seemed to have developed as if by magic during the very bad weather conditions that we have experienced. The teams are working hard to get these filled and, for once, we have been helped by central government with some cash to assist us fill these dangerous pits in our road systems. Initially, it is the major roads that need to be dealt with and as I drove from Lincoln back to Langtoft today, it was the stretch of the A15 from Lincoln to Sleaford that was the worse; I counted 11 potholes in a row at one point.

Whatever we do, filling these is unfortunately just a temporary measure as it is only resurfacing the whole road will give us a permanent solution but that means more money. Many of these potholes have been filled along our stretch of the A15 have now been dealt with, but many side roads are still in desper-ate need of attention. If you see any, which undoubtedly you will, please do report them. The more we complain by reporting each and every one, the faster they will get fixed. On the Lincolnshire County website, you will find the reporting procedure. The system is far from perfect, but Highways is under a lot of pressure from me and fellow councillors to get on top of the system so that reporting can be simpler and, hence, more effective.

Despite all of this, we are now consulting with the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership to improve the safety of traffic along the stretch of the A15 from Bourne to Market Deeping. It’s not going to be an easy task, but with the help of our Parish Councils along the way, we will certainly do our utmost to improve conditions at the intersections along this stretch. Speeds of up to 100mph have been recorded by one of the villages reactive signs. High speeds and heavy goods vehicles do not help keep the roads in a safe state.

Barry M Dobson


St Michael & All Angels, Church

Letter from the Vicarage

Hello

Hopefully by the time you read this the signs of spring will well and truly be in evidence. I say this because I am writing this during our little snowy interlude with the A15 closed due to drifting snow!

Easter is here! The long weeks of Lent have gone, the days are drawing out and we are celebrating. After the quietness and paring back of life during Lent, the cheers of Palm Sunday followed by the inevitability of Holy Week as we approached Good Friday; have made March a rollercoaster of a ride spiritually and emotionally. Starting a new month with the joy of Easter is wonderful. A new leaf has been turned, life is full of hope and joy, the churches that had been stripped of any trimmings and flowers are suddenly full of light and beauty.

Jesus is risen, he is risen indeed!

This Easter, let us give thanks for the hope and the love that Easter brings. Whether that is because the spring makes you feel better as the days become longer and the winter is gone, or whether it is because you rejoice in the gift given to you by Christ. We are all children of God, we are all loved, and we should celebrate this Easter by sharing that love. It is the love that led Christ to the cross, and that raised him from the dead, the love that is there for each and every one of us, so as you meet people, as you pass people in the street, lift your head and smile because you are loved.

Happy Easter!

Carolyn



Church News Lent Lunches - Many thanks to everyone who came

along or helped at our very successful Lent Lunches. In spite of

sleet and snow, they were well supported, and from the money

raised we will be able to give Christian Aid and our own church

several hundred pounds each.

Saturday Sales - The next sales are on 7th April, 5

th May and 2

nd

June, from 10am to 12noon in church. These are pleasant social

occasions, and all the money raised goes towards the upkeep of our

village church. There are freshly made bacon butties to have with

coffee or tea, a cake stall, bric-a-brac, CDs and DVDs and our

popular ‘Pot Luck’ table.

We are always pleased to have items to sell at these sales, also

wrapping paper (new or used).

If you are new to the village, and would like to meet some local

people, don’t wait for a Saturday Sale! The church is open every

Saturday morning from 10am to 12noon, when coffee and tea are

available. We would also be delighted to welcome you to any of our

services.

Redecoration of the church - Following numerous fund raising

events and some generous financial help, we are now in a position

to have the loose plaster on the church walls repaired and the

church redecorated inside. The walls will be lime washed a delicate

‘off white’ which should give a feeling of warmth and freshness to the

church. The work should begin about a week after Easter and last

for approximately one month. Our services should continue as usual

during the redecoration. Any changes will be displayed on the

outside noticeboard.


Church News (cont’d) New evening service - A warm welcome to everyone at our new,

informal, café style service called ‘OMG’ (Oh My God) which starts

on 13th May at 6.30pm. The service will include songs, prayer and

praise and be led by our church worship group, Rock of Ages. This

group already provides the music for our monthly Morning Praise

service. Please contact Richard Kelly on 01778 345423 if you

would like to find out more.

Evening of humour - On 2nd

June we are being entertained by a

comedian in the church. Look out for posters and details on social

media nearer the time.

Summer Fair - Saturday 16th June from 10am to 4pm in church.

As usual there will be a good selection of stalls including home-

made cakes and other produce on sale. Offers of items to sell or

help on the day are always most welcome, please contact Jane

Kelly on 01778 345423.

We look forward to seeing you again

Best wishes

Judy Robinson 01778 343383

[email protected]


The Parish Register

Baptism - Oliver Lewis Marshall

Funeral - Peter Jones


Church Services in April 2018

Sunday 1st 10am Family Holy Communion

for Easter

Sunday 8th 10am Holy Communion

Thursday 12th 10am Mid-week Holy Communion

Sunday 15th 10am Holy Communion, St Firmin, Thurlby

Group service

Sunday 22nd

8am BCP Holy Communion

10am Family service


Church Services in May 2018

Sunday 6th 10am Morning Praise

Thursday 10th 7.30pm Holy Communion for Ascension Day


6.30pm ‘OMG’ café style service

Sunday 20th 10am Holy Communion, St John’s, Baston

Group service for Pentecost

Sunday 27th 8am BCP Holy Communion

10am Family service

Thursday 31st 10am Mid-week Holy Communion

These services may change after the Grapevine goes to print. Up to date

details of services are on the church notice board.


HORSE MANURE AVAILABLE

Either shovel your own and give a donation, or delivered at 50p per large bag.

All money raised goes towards the upkeep of the village church.

Tel: Judy on 01778 343383 E: [email protected]


Help Needed with Your Community Magazine

The editors are keen to hear from anyone who would like to

volunteer to help extend the range of articles in the Grapevine.

We would like to see more articles of interest to the younger

members of our village but would welcome any articles of general

interest to the community. Regular items relating to hobbies,

nature or local history would also be welcome. Developing the

artwork or style of the magazine may be of interest to students

taking media studies courses. If you have any ideas or are keen

to volunteer some help please email us at :

[email protected] or contact the Parish Clerk.


Village Notice Board

Peter Roffe would like to

thank all in the village who

supported his Sue Ryder

appeal again last Christmas.



From the Neighbourhood Policing Team Please be aware of work van break ins and thefts throughout the area, these are mostly happening overnight so where possible consider better protection for their vehicles. Door step sellers have been reported in the area selling fish or cleaning equip-ment. These need reporting on 101 at the time so we can come out and deal with them. We have also had reports of door handles being tried. Please report any suspicious activity on 101 or crime stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Good news is PCSO Rowena Everitt has joined me working in Deeping, so we are back to two PCSOs for the area. Kind regards Michelle PCSO 2294 Michelle Laughton Market Deeping and District Neighbourhood Policing Team Mobile Number - 07824 895817 Email - [email protected] Policing with PRIDE - Professionalism Respect Integrity Dedication Empathy Join Lincs Alert- www.lincolnshirealert.co.uk

VILLAGE HALL QUIZ 24th February

WINNER CORRECTION

Due to an error in totalling the final scores of the participating teams the

wrong team was declared the winner. The winning team were “Street Wise”

entered by Mrs. Jean Street and not “Hotale”. I apologise to all concerned

and would point out the error was mine and mine alone and not the fault of

the Hall Committee or Sarah who put so much time and effort into

organising the evening.

John Castley



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PLACE APRIL‘18 MAY‘18

Parish Council Tues 20th - 7pm - Village Litter Pick

Tues 15th - 7pm - Council Meeting - Village Hall

Tues 22nd - 7pm - APM & Annual Meeting of Council

Langtoft Primary

School

Monday - 16th - Term 5 starts Friday - 25th - Term 5 ends

Langtoft Church -

St Michael & All

Angels

Sat - 7th - Saturday sale - 10am to 12 noon

Church services see page 14



In Village Hall

LVHMC

Bumps2Four

Glyn’s Art for Life

Yoga Classes

Handful of Harmonies

Langtoft Players

Junior Players

Langtoft WI

Monday - 23rd - Fashion Show - 6.30pm

Every Friday (term time) 9.30-11am

Every Mon 1.30-4.00, Every Tues 9.30-12.00

Every Monday 10-11.30am, Every Wed 7-8.30pm, Every Thurs 10-

11.30am

Wed 10.30am to 12 noon, Friday 7.30-9pm

Rehearsals Tues &Thurs 7.30-10pm

See website www.langtoftplayers.co.uk

Rehearsals on Tuesdays 5.30 - 7 pm

Monday - 16th - A Packet 0f Parsley

Sunday - 20th - Garage Sale - 10am to 2pm




11.30am, (see advert page 32)





Monday - 21st - AGM Resolutions Discussions

Grapevine - June/July

18 edition deadlines

Deadline for contributions 15 May, Delivery at beginning of June

LANGTOFT DIARY OF EVENTS


PLACE APRIL‘18 MAY‘18

Parish Council Tues 20th - 7pm - Village Litter Pick

Tues 15th - 7pm - Council Meeting - Village Hall

Tues 22nd - 7pm - APM & Annual Meeting of Council

Langtoft Primary

School

Monday - 16th - Term 5 starts Friday - 25th - Term 5 ends

Langtoft Church -

St Michael & All

Angels





In Village Hall

LVHMC

Bumps2Four

Glyn’s Art for Life

Yoga Classes

Handful of Harmonies

Langtoft Players

Junior Players

Langtoft WI

Monday - 23rd - Fashion Show - 6.30pm




11.30am





Monday - 16th - A Packet 0f Parsley

Sunday - 20th - Garage Sale - 10am to 2pm




11.30am, (see advert page 32)





Monday - 21st - AGM Resolutions Discussions

Grapevine - June/July

18 edition deadlines

Deadline for contributions 15 May, Delivery at beginning of June

LANGTOFT DIARY OF EVENTS


Chair Secretary Treasurer

Mrs. Yvonne McCulloch Vacancy Mrs. Andrea Fisher

Email: [email protected] Tel: (01778) 346546

For all hall bookings and bookings enquiries, please contact

Sarah Castley on 01778 344173

Email: [email protected]

Langtoft Village Hall Management Committee(Registered Charity No. 501924)

We have had a busy few months fundraising, our Race Night was well attended and raised £764. 70. Thank you to all those who supported the event by sponsoring a race, buying a horse or just coming along on the night.

Quiz Night- An enjoyable evening with 11 teams taking part, we made a profit of £186. The wining team was ‘Street Wise’

The money raised at these events goes towards general running cost and maintaining the Hall.

Our main improvement to the Hall this year is to lay new flooring through out, this will be done in August.

Yvonne

Chair

100 CLUB

The monthly draw for January 2018 provided winning numbers as follows:

£40 No 9 Mrs S Archer

£5 No 46 Mr M Curley

£5 No 34 Mr G Mourton

The monthly draw for February 2018 provided winning numbers as follows:

£40 No 89 Mrs S Coates

£5 No 8 Mrs M Marchent

£5 No 18 Mrs A Boon


LANGTOFT PEARL BOWLS CLUB

March 2018

Writing this on the first day of Spring it doesn't feel a bit like outdoor bowling weather but hopefully when the Green opens on Saturday 14th April things will have warmed up a little.

We will be holding two open sessions on

Wednesday 9th May 10am -12 noon and on

Sunday 13th May 11am - 4pm.

These open sessions are for anyone interested in bowling with us, if you an experienced bowler come and try our green and see what we can offer you, if you have never played before come along and 'have a go' we have bowls here for you to use, all we ask is that you wear flat soled shoes.

If you can't make either if these an alternative time and date can be arranged by contacting 01778 344968.

Coffee mornings run every Wednesday 10am - 12 noon, everyone welcome members and non members so if you want a coffee/ tea and biscuits and a chat come along to see us. In the season April to September social bowling takes place on these coffee mornings so plenty going on even if you just want to come along and watch.

The club has teams in the Peterborough and Stamford leagues with games being played most days of the week, some are evening games and some are in the afternoon on a Tuesday and Saturday.

All information about the club can be found on our website under Langtoft Pearl Bowls Club or by getting in touch with me on 01778 344968.

Anne White


Langtoft Womens Institute (WI)

March 2018

Spring is in the air, but we at Langtoft WI have our sights on November and the commemoration of the Centenary of the end of World War I. A group of ladies is working with Reverend Carolyn Bailey and her team to hold an Arts and Crafts Exhibition on the theme of the iconic Flanders poppy in the church. This will be followed by a very special November WI meeting at the Village Hall. We have held two ideas workshops to get us all started, and I will report more details in Grapevine as we get nearer the time.

A History of Langtoft

It was our pleasure to welcome Richard Platt to our January meeting to talk about the History of Langtoft. Richard gave us a very engaging story of the history of our village from its establishment, probably as a result of salt production opportunities, through to Victorian times; with lots of interesting snippets and pieces of evidence thrown in. My particular favourite was the “passport” used by a labourer from Baston who wanted to work in Langtoft. The passport was a promise from Baston parish that they would support the labourer if he should fall ill. This was during the time when the “Old” Poor Law was in force, in which parishes were responsible for supporting their own sick and poor. The “New” Poor Law followed, of course, with its workhouses. We also learned that Karl Marx featured a family in Langtoft in one of his critiques of the political economy, as an example of the extreme poverty of working people living in the countryside. He mentions a man called Wright who lived in a tiny, 2-roomed cottage with his family of 10. Could Marx have once walked through Langtoft?

The Role of Our PCSO

At the request of our members, we invited PCSOs Michelle Laughton and Rowena Everitt to attend our February meeting and talk about their role. We learned that their role is non-confrontational and they are not able to make arrests. Good communication is absolutely pivotal in the success of PCSOs in supporting the community. Not only are Michelle and Rowena exceptionally good at communicating in every sense of the word, including listening and empathising, but they also try to foster good communication and relationships between other parties. Often this is the key to resolving issues before they escalate into more serious situations that may mean involving the police. They are building a ‘toolbox’ of people, groups and organisations who can help in


different situations that they can share and signpost in different ways. Offering these can often diffuse angry situations and avoid confrontations. Examples include neighbour disputes and anti-social behaviour. They have panel meetings every 4 months where members set the priorities for the next 4 months. However, their main role is in helping to reduce anti-social behaviour. They also aim to attend more parish council meetings. Michelle and Rowena have very little protection – they now carry cameras, mobile phones of course and their high-vis jackets are supposed to be stab-proof - but they are proud of the fact that they have never been assaulted, which they attribute to their non-confrontational approach.

WI Spring Council Meeting

Five ladies attended our South Lincolnshire Federation’s Spring Council meeting in March. There were four speakers at this event, all of whom were extremely entertaining and informative. Firstly, Nicky Barr spoke to us very passionately about the new International Bomber Command Centre that will soon be opening in our county. The International Bomber Command Centre is not a museum; it is a world class facility to serve as a point for recognition, remembrance and reconciliation for Bomber Command. Providing the most comprehensive record of the Command in the world, the centre ensures that generations to come can learn of their vital role in protecting the freedom we enjoy today. Lincoln has been chosen for the site as it provides a central point for all 27 bases that earned Lincolnshire the title of ‘Bomber County’. Lincoln’s Cathedral provided a landmark for crews both leaving and returning from missions and, for those who failed to return, the Cathedral was often their last image of home. The county housed over a third of all the WWII Bomber Command Stations, making it the ideal home for this commemoration of the bravery of the men of Bomber Command. Visitors to the centre will find the tallest war memorial in the UK, the name of every individual who lost their lives in Bomber Command, 3 interactive and immersive exhibition galleries and 2 landscaped peace gardens. You can find out more at internationalbcc.co.uk

Andy Tysoe spoke to us about volunteering at our local hospitals. He explained some of the different roles that volunteers can undertake and was keen to em-phasise that volunteering benefits the volunteer as well as those they are helping.

Langtoft Womens Institute (WI) (cont’d)



Reverend Canon Christine Pennock gave us some very amusing stories about her role as a new Curate in Crowland, which put me very much in mind of the Vicar of Dibley! I shall say no more….! Our afternoon speaker was Julie Summers, Author, Historian and Research Consultant. Julie wrote the novel “Jambusters” that the ITV series “Home Fires” was based upon. She gave us an absolutely fascinating insight into the process of writing a book, from the initial seed of an idea, through to making sure all the historical facts are accurate and finding the real human stories on which to base the plot. Julie has a new book out, called “Our Uninvited Guests”, which tells the stories of some of the houses and stately homes that were requisitioned during WWII. Hopefully, this too will find its way onto the TV soon.

Bharat Hindu Samaj, Hindu Temple Visit

“Everything we do comes from love”… this was the message from our guide on our visit to the Bharat Hindu Samaj, Hindu Temple in early February. Over 200 ladies attended from around the region. We were made most welcome in the warm and friendly environment of the temple, which is part of a wider community centre offering sports and other activities. Our guides were very proud of their temple and were keen to answer all the questions that were asked. We learned that, in the Hindu religion, there is only one God, but this God can take many forms. The guide gave the example of a man. He may be “dad” when with his children, “husband” when with his wife, perhaps “doctor” when at work. The figures in the temple, as representations of God in different forms are lovingly and tenderly cared for. They have many different sets of clothes, all made by hand and in different colours. All the food prepared in the building is offered to these figures first before being eaten, as shown in the picture. As part of the visit, we were served a traditional Indian lunch that was prepared by the ladies and served by the men. Giving food is a privilege and pleasure for Hindus and it was our privilege and pleasure to visit a beautiful place filled with beautiful people.

Visitors are welcome at Langtoft WI meetings. The price is £4.00, payable at the

door.

Sue Eales, Langtoft WI.

http://www.internationalbcc.co.uk



World-Changing Women

Here is the second of my series of short articles about world-changing women who may not be known by many people, but whose stories deserve to be told. These women represent different time periods, geographical locations and spheres of action; but in their different ways, they have challenged or overcome the restricting gender norms of the societies in which they lived. I hope you find these snapshots interesting. Queen Nzinga c.1581 – 1663 : Luanda In the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, city states along the Central African coast began to be of interest to Portuguese Atlantic slave traders. When they established a fort and settlement at Luanda (in present day Angola) in 1617, African rulers were faced with a dilemma; submission meant sacrificing nominal independence whereas resistance risked losing established trading relations and potential advantage over rival African neighbours. Queen Nzinga used her hereditary position to defend her country against the encroachment of colonial and commercial European powers. She was a military strategist and a shrewd diplomat. Born into the royal family of Ndongo in central West Africa, Nzinga became Queen of the Mbundu people in 1626, having served both as her brother’s envoy and as regent following his death. Initially, Nzinga accommodated the Portuguese. This meant that she had an ally in the struggle against her African enemies and she was also able to call a halt on Portuguese slave raids in her own kingdom. She converted to Christianity, adopting the name Dona Anna de Souza. However, the treaty with the Portuguese was short-lived and Nzinga escaped from Ndongo with her people and fled further west, where they founded a new state at Matamba. From there she was able to form an alliance with former rival states, and Nzinga led an army against the Portuguese, initiating a thirty-year war. She achieved victory in 1647, aided by the Dutch, and then set about to encourage rebellion within her native Ndongo, which was now governed through a puppet ruler. When the Dutch in turn suffered defeat at Portuguese hands and withdrew from Central Africa, Nzinga continued, leading her own troops into battle. She went on to develop Matamba as a trading power by capitalising on its strategic position as the gateway to the Central African interior. Despite numerous attempts by the Portuguese and their allies to capture or kill Queen Nzinga, she died peacefully in her eighties, by which time Matamba had become a strong commercial state. Source: www.open.edu/openlearn/worldchangingwomen. Sue Eales, Langtoft WI.

http://www.open.edu/openlearn/worldchangingwomen


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Langtoft Parish Council

Documents

Transcript of Langtoft Parish Council