January 2006


From the Editor

A very happy and peaceful New Year to you all!

Thank you to Marie & Roy Turner who have kindly sponsored this month’s news. If you would like to sponsor (£10 per edition), advertise, make a donation, or have items of news included (deadline 25 th – later submissions may be carried over)

Contact: Karin Davis Tel: 815854 or email karinlindley@hotmail.com

Roy & Marie Turner would like to thank friends and neighbours for all the support and kind offers of help during Roy’s recent illness. It has been a great comfort to us both to know that any help we need is only a phone call away. Many thanks to each and every one of you!

Halam Millennium Photograph Archive


Photograph courtesy of K. Sharman

This picture from our archive shows the Rufford Hounds meeting in Halam outside the Old Plough on 11 th January 1906 – exactly 100 years ago this month!

Parish Pump

  • A warm welcome to Rebecca and Ian Dicks and their two children Isobel and Archie who moved into the new house on Grey Lane in December. We hope you will be very happy in your new home!
  • I would like to thank all the children (and their patient parents!) who took part in the Christmas Eve service – either singing or playing instruments – you all did really well! I hope you will join in again at key services in 2006. Thank you all – Karin Davis
  • A very happy 60 th birthday Paul Oakley, on 10 January!
  • ‘Dance For Fun’ will be starting again on Wednesdays 11 th 18 th & 25 th January 5.30-6.30pm in Halam Village Hall. – Danielle Pepper

 


WHAT’S ON  

Mozart Celebration Concert
Saturday 28 th January in Southwell Methodist Church; featuring the Highly Strung Quartet, renowned Scottish classical guitarist Matthew McAllister & the Ailing Agnew Flute Quartet. Tickets cost £10 and are available from Penny at ‘Music In the Yard’: Telephone 814411.

The Daniel Smith Blues Band
Saturday 11 February at 8.00pm in Farnsfield Village Hall. Daniel Smith was nominated British Blues Keyboardist of the year, and described as a “dazzling accomplished boogie woogie & blues pianist” by the Guardian. Tickets £7 from Peter Atkinson (Tel: 01623 883098) or Karin Davis (815854)

Village Ventures
Dates for your diary - ‘Circle of Stone’ – Gaelic music from members of the Riverdance team on Sunday 26 March and ‘The Newstead Abbey Singers’ Saturday 29 April – two concerts to raise funds towards very badly-needed interior replastering and painting of our Church. More details later. Please mark these on your calendar and support these events!


Halam & District Women’s Institute

The W.I. next meets on Tuesday 3 January. We would love to welcome new members & guests to our first meeting of the year. Mr N. Croston will be giving a presentation on his hazardous journeys to the mountain summits of Kyrgyzstan in 2003. He will include slides showing the country and its people. This promises to be most interesting and fascinating talk!

Friends Of Southwell Trail

The inaugural Meeting of The Friends Of Southwell Trail will take place on 18th January 2006 at 7.00pm in Farnsfield Village Centre, Upper Hall. This meeting is open to anyone interested in the Southwell Trail, including those concerned about wildlife conservation work, or those who use the trail for recreational activities.  The purpose of the meeting is to formally constitute the group and to discuss further activities.

Rosamund McFarlane


St Michael the Archangel: January Services

Sunday 1st January: Naming and Circumcision of Jesus

8.00am Holy Communion - Rev. R Perry
(N.B. Extra services - to be published)

Sunday 8th January: The Baptism of Christ
11.00am Sung Eucharist - Rev. R Perry

Sunday 15th January: Epiphany 2

9.30am Family Communion
Rev. R Perry
Sunday 22nd January: Epiphany 3 11.00am Sung Eucharist - Canon P Turner


Sunday 29 January: Epiphany 4

 9.30am Joint Service with Edingley at St Giles - Rev. R Perry

For information contact Church wardens: Bev Perks (812181) David Herbert (812335)
Preist-in-charge: Rt. Rev. David Leening (812593)

Children’s Singing Group

I would like to put together a small children’s singing group to perform a couple of carols, with guitar and drum accompaniment, at the Crib service on Christmas Eve in Halam Church. If you would like your children to come and sing there will be a rehearsal on Sunday 11 December at 2pm in Halam Church. It will be very informal. If there is enough interest this could be repeated at other key services during the year

Karin Davis


Parish Pump

  • The 2006 Halam Calendar with lovely photographs is now available for £ 6.99. Proceeds will go towards the new Halam Parish notice board. Contact Declan Joyce (819272) or Andrew Paris (815844) for your copy.

  • A big thank you to everyone who attended the Harvest Supper in October.  It was a fun, successful evening, raising £271.  Many thanks to our speaker, Bill Brown, and the talented apple pie bakers in the village. Without you and those who donated prizes, it wouldn't have been the success it was.  Special mention should be made of the teenage volunteers who worked so hard on the night.  Job well done!  - Marina and Julie.

  • There are still a few of the Halam History books written by John Jackson, and these would make excellent gifts! If you would like to buy a copy they cost £5 each. Please contact Glenys Herbert (Tel: 812335)

  • The annual Poppy Day collection raised £100.14 – thank you to all those who gave generously and apologies to those I missed out. – Dora Rylatt

  • NSPCC Dance & Quiz at The Gallery, Norwood Park on 18 November was a most enjoyable event raising £2,000. Thank you everyone from Halam who supported this. – Margery Wilson

 


Parish Council Meeting: 15th December 2005

Present: S Bust, A Fraser, N Armstrong, G Herbert, A Paris, D Parrish & I Sharman

Matters Arising :
1) I. Sharman expressed support for Mrs Starkey’s letter in Halam News re the right to roam and keeping to footpaths.
2) A. Fraser collected certificate and cheque for £50.00 for Halam as runner-up in 2005 Best Kept Village competition. Congratulations to all who helped the village win this - with extra effort next year Halam could perhaps win

Parish Plan :
The Parish Working Group has 4 volunteers – N. Croston, S. Grayson, D. Joyce & J. Smith. Four members of the P.C.– SB, AF, AP & IS – will also sit on this committee - first meeting scheduled for 19 January.

AP reported that there has been no response to the note in this month’s Halam News re updating contact information for neighbourhood watch scheme. Changes of residents or contact details - please let Andrew Paris know – 01636 815844 or halamwatch@yahoo.co.uk

Proposed Diversion of Halam Footpath 3 :
S. Bust declared an interest, and took no part in discussions. It was agreed to support the application to divert this footpath next to Strickland Farm to run round the edge of the field rather than across its middle.

Community Speed Watch :
AP reported that John Whitaker is heading scheme. Initial training took place & the first ‘live session’ is scheduled for January. Speed gun shared between several villages will be loaned. All agreed no action to be taken on buying a speed gun for village until scheme has run for a while & PC can assess results. John Whitaker to be invited to update at January meeting.

Litter :
The Clerk had no information on this – to be held over to the next meeting. Chris Mercer/Elaine Gathercole will be asked for more information

Appointment of new Clerk :
No one has come forward for position of new clerk - those interested - contact Chairman S.Bust; this will be advertised on notice boards.

State of the Roads :
Some patching has been done, but the Clerk was instructed to write to Highways expressing the Council’s dissatisfaction with the work.

Letter also to express Parish Council’s strong concerns that promised traffic calming measures on Halam Hill & Mansfield Road have not been started yet

Open Meeting :
A parishioner stated that their request was for the full Parish Council accounts, not just the village hall accounts as wrongly stated last month

It was reported that the footpath up Halam Hill is obstructed by litter and undergrowth. NA will organise the District Council’s “litter hit-squad” to clear this, and also litter under the tree on the corner of Holme Lane.

Correspondence :
1). CCTV cameras are to be trialled in Farnsfield.

2). Letter received regarding restructuring of Nottinghamshire police.

3). Friends of Southwell Trail – inaugural open meeting to be held at 7.00pm on 18 th January at the Farnsfield Village Centre.

Planning :
1. Meadow Cottage, Radley Road – erection of first floor extension: approved unanimously;

2. Machins Farm – erection of orangery: approved unanimously.

Finance :
1). Budget for 2006/07 – approved unanimously

2). Precept – unanimously agreed - same as previous year £7,000.

3). External Auditor report – auditors have approved P.C. accounts and note we are working with our internal auditor to tighten up procedures in some areas.

4). Resolved to pay:- village hall cleaners; auditors’ fees 2004/05; printing of village hall flyers (AP & IS declared an interest and took no part in discussions); bus shelter cleaners – agreed to give them Christmas bonus

Items for Next Agenda :
Village Hall; Litter; Village Christmas Tree; Parish Working Group; State of the Roads; Village Notice Board; Community Speed Watch

Village Hall :
Ian. Sharman declared a prejudicial interest and left the meeting. Present hall: mouse problem being investigated; thanks to Pat for sorting out heating electrics

Proposed new hall : 1) Planner from District Council to be invited to talk to Open Meeting – suggested dates 26/01/06 or 09/02/06
2) Information from recent presentations to be condensed and circulated to all households in Halam as soon as possible
3) plan to have referendum before Easter 2006.

Next Parish Council Meeting : Thursday 12 January at 7.30pm


Superb Holiday Let In France!

 

Superbly appointed new property available for holiday let in S.W. France, situated in a peaceful French hamlet; 10km from Brantome, the ‘Venice of the Dordogne’ and 4km from the historic medieval village of Bourdeilles, famous for its Chateau and restaurants.

Luxury non-smoking accommodation includes: 2 double bedrooms (1 en-suite) & 2 further bathrooms; fitted kitchen, including dishwasher and washing machine; Sky television in all rooms; 12 x 6m beautiful private swimming pool; table tennis and table football also available. Nearest airports: Bergerac, Limoges or Bordeaux. A motor home is also available for hire.

For further information please contact Nikki Armstrong Tel: 0033553063733 (France), or email nikkijarmstrong@yahoo.co.uk. Alternatively contact Nora Armstrong (Tel: 01636 812654).


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