Photos: Great Gidding School Summer Fete 2013

Photos: Great Gidding School Summer Fete 2013

What a cracking day for the school fete! Scorching sun brought lots of parents, children and village residents along to Great Gidding School on Saturday 6th July for the annual school fete.

This year a very special guest, Warwick Davis, kindly opened the fete and made us all laugh with his warmth and wit – along with some very unpretentious name-dropping! Lots of stalls displaying everything from temporary tattoos to tempting cupcakes kept everyone happy and the afternoon was a great success.

Great Gidding Gala Week

Great Gidding Gala Week

A new July event for Great Gidding

A new event for The Giddings! Following the weekend of the Eliot Festival at Little Gidding there will be a series of cultural and fun events held in and around the village. From Monday 8th July through to Sunday 14th July there will be poetry, arts, crafts, lunches, cultural visits and a couple of fun events to cater for all tastes.

Events list

Saturday 6th July and Sunday 7th July

T S Eliot
T S Eliot Festival at Little Gidding
Monday 8th July
History walk around Great Gidding
A guided walk around Great Gidding, looking at a number of historical sites, starting at Chapel End and then along Main Street. Start time 5pm Mill Farm, Chapel End
Tuesday 9th July
Fox and Hounds Great Gidding
Poetry Please, your choice of poem. Tell Paul Burgess 293354 by Friday 5th July.
Start time 11am at 85 Main Street.

Fox & Hounds Lunch, start time 12.30pm.
Booking and menu choice phone 293657 before 1st July.

Menu 1, Ham , salad and hot new potatoes £6.00.
Menu
2, Scampi, chips & peas £7.00

Wednesday 10th July
Wif Waf Evening in Great Gidding Village Hall
Wif Waf evening – fun and games in the Village Hall.
Start time 3.15 through till 10pm, includes an adult bouncy castle.
Thursday 11th July
Spiceland, Peterborough
Visit the Lincoln Road Temple, PE1 3BU from 9.30am

Curry Club lunch at Spiceland 12.30pm . Booking meal phone  293354 or 293591

In the evening there will be a talk about the Civil War and it’s effects on the local area.
Start time 7.30pm, Village Hall.

 Friday 12th July 
Peterborough Museum
A visit to the recently refurbished Peterborough Museum  from 10am and then in the evening “Eliot for Dummies” – a not too serious chat about T S Eliot and his work, meeting at 85 Main Street from 7.30pm
Saturday 13th July
Art Exhibition in Great Gidding
Arts, crafts, photographs and sculpture by residents of Gidding and the surrounding villages  to be held in St Michael’s Church between 2pm _ 5pm followed by an evening concert. Music by Bach & Handel featuring Fergus Black (organ) and Leslie Crowson (tenor) Tickets £4 pay at door.
Start 7.30pm.
Sunday 14th July
St Michael's Church Great Gidding
“Desert Island Hymns”  11.30am – choose your favourite hymn to be sung during the service this, followed by a Garden Party Lunch 12.30pm. Food provided but bring your own drinks.

Choice of Hymn to Lois Jordan 293178 or johndeval@hotmail.com

Further updates and announcements will appear here on the run up to the event

If you would like to help with any of the events or submit an item for the display in the church please let one of the organisers know.

Paul Burgess, Mary Read, Roland Bostock, Julie Morrison and Julie Trolove

Alternatively use the contact form below.

 

Michael is runner-up in ‘Green Champion of the Year’ award

Michael is runner-up in 'Green Champion of the Year' award

This year’s Green Heart Community Awards, backed by the News & Crier and organised by Huntingdonshire District Council, took place at the Burgess Hall in St Ives. Judges received more than 30 entries for six categories including: Best Primary School, Best Secondary School/College, Green Champion of the Year, Best Wildlife or Nature Initiative, Best Environmental Project and Best Business Environmental Project. The shortlisted nominees for each of the categories were invited to an evening dedicated to them and their hard work in helping to improve the environment of Huntingdonshire.

Great Gidding Parish Council nominated Michael Trolove for the Green Heart Community award and he came runner up at the awards ceremony held at the Burgess Hall on Saturday 15th June.

The Parish Council’s nomination:

Working with the Parish Council and the wildlife Trust, Michael Trolove has always been a valuable asset to the wildlife of Great Gidding.

In the last year Michael has dedicated a great deal of time to the renovation of two village ponds and installed a dipping platform. He has recently prepared a third pond in the Jubilee Wood and as a trained Newt Officer, Michael has also developed the Great Gidding Newt Trail; popular with villagers and visitors alike.

As a Tree Warden, Michael keeps a full list of trees on site and all of them have been given a numbered tag for identification. He has been in discussions with DEFRA concerning Ash Dieback Disease and spends much time planting trees around the Parish, organising a planting event and pop up coffee shop, enjoyed by all for the Diamond Jubilee.

Michael works hard on the maintenance of Jubilee Wood, monitoring, weeding, planting new trees and mulching and in the last year added some old varieties of fruit tree to the planting scheme, created log piles and built bug boxes to further encourage wildlife to the area.

Michael Trolove is instrumental in co-ordinating the upkeep of the Jubilee Woods, ponds in the area and all the trees in the Parish and demonstrates log-term commitment to protecting and improving open space within the village of Great Gidding.

Well done Michael. Very well deserved.


Michael Trolove – Runner-Up in the Huntingdon District Council Green Heart Community award

Long Distance Walking

Long Distance Walking

Long Distance Walkers Association

If you like walking you may be interested to know about a national organisation that exists to promote walking longer distance as a recreational or challenge activity.

The Long Distance Walkers Association  (LDWA) promotes distance walking through its regional groups. For example the nearest LDWA group to Great Gidding is the Beds, Bucks and Northamptonshire  group who meet regularly on Thursdays for 15 mile walks and Sundays for 20 mile walks in the counties mentioned.

As  stated previously the distances walked  range from 15 miles and 20 miles. There are other organised events where greater distances are covered  and these are regarded as challenge events. The ultimate being 100 miles in 48 hours !

All walks have a leader who is competent in map reading and social skills to ensure you enjoy the walk . They must count you out and count you back in and deal with any on route issue. Start points usually have decent car parking for the rural based groups.

As usual the web site is the best source of information.  To find the group walks start from the LDWA Home Page and drill down the pages thus – Events  – View Events List  –  Group Walks  –  Beds, Bucks & Northants (example)

 

 

The Big Lunch & Have A Field day

The Big Lunch & Have A Field day

Picnic time on the Recreation Field

Sunday, June 2nd  on Great Gidding Recreation Field and if even just the weather repeats itself as last year then it will be a grand day out.

The Big Lunch is all about community coming together to share a meal which in our case is more of a picnic but the aims are still the same. Meeting neighbour’s and villagers who you don’t often see, catching up with all the latest news or just taking up the challenge of the mass rounders game.

Have a Field Day is the formal recognition that our Recreation Field is now in trust and will never be built on

Details of the Big Lunch nationally can be found with this link

Date – Sunday 2nd June

Time –  12:00 until 4:00pm

Rogationtide walk and picnic, Sunday 5th May

Rogationtide walk and picnic, Sunday 5th May

Rogation Sunday is traditionally the Sunday when the rural community walk around their village to places where crops grow and animals are kept, to seek God’s blessing on their work, and especially to pray for a good harvest.

Rogation Sunday falls on 5th May this year, and we are marking  it with a Rogationtide Walk, followed by a picnic.

We meet in St Michael’s Church at 11am, and then walk around the village stopping at a number of points for readings and prayers. Please come dressed for all weathers! Some rain won’t put us off.

Afterwards, we go to Churchside House (John De Val’s home next to the church) where we will enjoy our picnic – outdoors if fine, indoors if wet!

Please come and join us and bring your own picnic – drinks (of all sorts) will be provided.

Vestry meeting and Annual General Meeting

On Tuesday 23rd April, the Vestry Meeting and Annual General Meeting of St Michael’s takes place in the church.At the short Vestry Meeting, the churchwardens are elected. The AGM, which follows, is like any other such meeting of an organization, offering reports of the church’s activities during the previous year, as well as presenting the annual accounts and electing the Parochial Church Council .This year we have to produce a new Church Electoral Roll. If you would like to be included on the roll then please contact Lois Jordan for a form (tel: 01832 293178).

Please do come along and find out the acheivements and challenges faced by your local church.

The meeting starts at 7pm – please note the time – it’s 7pm and not a typing error!

Thanksgiving service

Over the last few years, many things have happened in St Michael’s Church which have enhanced the beauty of this place of worship as well as improving the facilities.

On Sunday 21st April we are holding a Service of Thanksgiving to reflect our thanks to God for his goodness as well as recognising the generosity of so many people, both in terms of giving and creating. After the service there will be refreshments.

May we extend a warm welcome to you to join as at this service. St Michael’s Church is an important part of the infastructure of the village, and this is obviously recognised by the number of people who give so generously of their time, money and talents.

The service starts at 3pm.

Clarion – March 2013

Clarion - March 2013

Great & Little Gidding Parish Council

Clarion – March 2013

The Giddings Website www.giddings.org.uk In March 2012 the new Giddings website was launched with funding from the Great Gidding Charity.   A calendar has been added so now it’s really easy to keep up to date with what’s happening. The new site is updated by different editors who take responsibility for their own section.   Not just oldies! We are looking for young (15+) members of the village who would like to contribute.   We can set up your own section and help you get started with your very own blog (village-related in some way!)

The Parish News for The Giddings, Hamerton, Winwick and Upton is produced 10 months of the year – annual cost £4 delivered to your door. Please support all those whose voluntary efforts go to produce it. 

Sawtry Eye This is produced bi monthly and distributed to Conington, Glatton, Upton, Winwick, Hamerton and Sawtry.   It may be possible for the distribution to be extended to Great Gidding but it would require volunteers to deliver. Initially we need to know if there is enough interest in receiving this publication – please let the Parish Council know either by email giddingspc1@btinernet.com, tel 293068 (answerphone) or a note through the office door at the village hall.    

Chapel End – the Parish Council have successfully gained funding to make improvements along this stretch of road.   Plans have been drawn up by the County Council for a new footway.   This is a jointly funded initiative and the Parish Council contribution will be 10% of the total cost.

Gains Lane – The County Council have recently removed some dead trees from the verge.

The Jitty – the Community Payback Scheme recently sent a team to clear the path.   Network Power will   carry out work to remove branches that are obstructing their wires

Jubilee WoodAsh Tree Dieback has been observed in the Jubilee Wood and inspected by FERA.  We await a decision on any action that needs to be taken. The Jubilee Wood will reach its 10th Anniversary in June 2013 and it is hoped to mark this celebration with a Woodside Arbour.

Recreation Ground – A plaque to commemorate the Fields in Trust Queen Elizabeth II Field status will be placed near to the entrance.  As items of the wooden adventure trail deteriorate they are being removed for safety reasons.

Parish Council meetings are usually held on 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm in the village hall, check noticeboards for agenda – all are welcome to attend

 

Annual Parish Meeting will be held in the Village Hall on Tuesday 19th March at 7pm

All welcome – come along and take part

Great Gidding Shop
Did you know that the following are available from, or through the shop Prescription service – Wellside Surgery will deliver your medication for you to collect Dry cleaning service – drop off and collection.  Daily papers, magazines and lottery tickets

Mobile LibraryRoute H18 – 3rd Thursday every month, Chapel End 12.40pm –1. 00pm
Friendly staff, ready to help, free to join, open to everyone.

  • A wide range of books for all ages.
  • Large print books and audio books
  • Access to all library service stock on request
  • On-line requests delivered to your local mobile library
  • Return items borrowed from any library

Mobile Post Office, Chapel End  Monday 9.30 – 11.30am, Tuesday to Friday 9.30 – 11.00am (exc bank holidays)

Fox and Hounds Public House –  serving food Tue – Sat 7 – 9pm and to book Sunday lunch tel. 293298

Better Broadband
– thank you to everyone who supported the Connecting Cambridgeshire campaign. BT has been awarded the contract and we await further news

Police

Dial 999 for emergency incident requiring immediate assistance. If it is non-emergency dial 101. If you wish to discuss an issue or pass on information by email with your local team email HuntsCops@cambs-police.co.uk Senior contact Sgt Ed McNeill. Please take part in the Community Feedback survey athttp://www.cambs-police.co.uk/survey/huntscops/communitysurvey.htm

Recycling – a textile recycling bank is located in the Village Hall car park.  The materials put in the textile bank are sorted and sent to Africa, any clothes not suitable are cut into rags for industry. A small income may be generated from this (£150 per tonne) for the village

Buses – do you use service 409 – would you like to be involved in Cambridgeshire Future Transport programme, if so we would like to hear from you, please contact the Parish Council.

Parish Council Office open Monday and Thursday 1200 – 2pm in the Village Hall (note amended times) Telephone 293068 (answerphone out of hours) or email giddingspc1@btinternet.com

Parish Councillors

Andrew Alexander (Chairman) 62 Main Street. Tel: 293315
Robin Hayden Warren House, Main Street. Tel: 293360
Paul Hodson 17 Chapel End. Tel: 293782
Chris Howden 9 Main Street. Tel: 293679
Rachel Giddens 47 Main Street. Tel: 293277
Michael Trolove 87 Main Street. Tel: 293591
Lydia James Manor Farmhouse, Main Street. Tel: 07962099922

Huntingdonshire District Councillors
Darren Tysoe Grove Cottage, Ellington. Tel: 01480 388310
Dick Tuplin t Andrew’s House, Sawtry. Tel: 01487 834156

Cambridgeshire County  Councillor 
Viv McGuire viv.mcguire@cambridgeshire.gov.uk. Tel: 01733 248788

 

Annual Parish Meeting will be held in the village Hall on Tuesday 19th March at 7pm

All Welcome – come along and take part