B660 Great Gidding Road, Winwick – from Great Gidding to Winwick. Carriageway patching before resurfacing work starts on Monday 15 February 2021 and is estimated to last five days. Whilst the work is in progress, the road will be closed from 9.30am to 3.30pm. Vehicular access will be restricted. A signed diversion route will be in place for through traffic. It is essential that no vehicles are parked on the road.
Our neighbours in Luddington have been playing host to thousands of starlings who deliver a rare treat each evening with their magnificent display of murmurations before dropping rapidly in to their chosen hedge to roost for the night. Here are photos and video taken on February 1st.
Luddington resident Carry Akroyd, a regular contributor to The Oldie magazine, has written a charming article for The Oldie blog (which we have permission to share). Read the article below.
Lockdown Three has been trying to the spirit, but a wonderful consolation in our east Northamptonshire village is the unexpected arrival of a starling murmuration; to my knowledge, in 30 years we have not seen the like.
Here is not typical of where one would expect to see them; just a few houses, hedges and paddocks in the middle of vast, intensive-arable fields.
The starlings may have abandoned their usual reedbed roost down in the flooded valley, and arbitrarily decided my neighbour’s hedge to be a drier alternative.
Shortly after sundown, groups of starlings arrive from various directions, and gradually form one or two large masses. Numbers have been building up over the last month and now there are hundreds – maybe thousands – impossible to count. They sweep in wide arcs over the village and the mouth must not be gaping at the wonder overhead, but kept firmly closed. One neighbour watches from her greenhouse, another was leaning out of the bedroom window to watch the entertainment and her cup of tea received a bonus.
Most of the remaining hedges around here are butchered by machines directly after harvest, even as early as August, removing the fruits that birds might feed on in winter. However, this chosen hedge is unusually semi-neglected, with thick brambles down one side offering protection from weather and predators. Hedgerow trees in the vicinity supply a waiting room for the early arrivals before they join the fly-pasts. When it snowed, all the birds sat in the trees, one by one dropping into the hedge to roost without preceding aerobatics.
Gradually, as the aerial display continues, the birds come slightly lower and closer together and form the impressive swirling shapes that make them the stars of nature programmes.
Performances vary each evening depending on wind direction and weather, always hypnotic and mesmerising. On one night, they suddenly bunched into tight fast-moving formations, creating astonishing, evolving shapes for nearly 10 minutes.
An impressive thing is the complete silence as they pass – only the whoosh of their wings like a wave on the shore.
Just before dark, they drop into the hedge in batches, sometimes seeming as if sucked by an invisible vacuum cleaner, at speed all landing in a noisy disturbance.
The hedge becomes crammed and the squabbling racket enormous. For half an hour, the chatting and shifting continues and then all becomes completely silent.
A few aerial images of Little Gidding and St John’s Church taken on January 26th 2021
Third in my Autumn Lights series, still more to finish. This was set near the bridle path that runs up to the gallops just past Alconbury Brook.
Gidding resident Geoff Goddard has recently finished the second stunning painting of Ashlea, part of a series called ‘Autumn Lights’ which endeavours to show the low autumn light and how this creates rich colours and shadows which in turn play on the face.
Keep an eye out for more of Geoff’s captivating work.
The painting is by artist Geoff Goddard, a resident of Great Gidding. Geoff retired six years ago from Head of Visual Arts at a secondary school in St Neots where he taught for 25 years.
In Geoff’s words:
“I have a small garden studio where I like to explore a range of styles and techniques but there is often a human element in my work, whether through digital, drawing or painting. My work ranges from conventional portraits or layered images to more narrative approaches. Realism is fundamental to all my work and I revel in details and subtle changes in colour and tone. I’m a Member of the Cambridge Drawing Society and Associate Member of the Institute of East Anglian (IEA), exhibiting work in Cambridge, Holt in Norfolk and Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA).
I asked Ashlea if she would be willing to pose for a series of paintings called ‘Autumn Light’. She agreed and I took a range of reference photos in the Jubilee Wood and later in the field by the side of Alconbury brook. This portrait is the first in the series.”
We look forward to seeing more of Geoff’s work soon!
The Mobile Post Office Van will continue to run as normal during this lockdown period.
Mobile Post Office Van services include:
Monday, Tuesday and Friday
9.30am –11.00am
Chapel End, Great Gidding
PE28 5NP
UPDATE from Michael Keck following lockdown announcement:
You will have seen the Act of Remembrance for Remembrance Sunday next week advertised in St Michael’s Church. Sadly, events have now overtaken us, and this service can no longer take place. However, whilst congregational worship is not permitted, private prayer is still allowed. St Michael’s will continue to be open for private prayer as previously, that is:
Thursday 9.30am – 1pm
Sunday 1pm – 4pm
Sunday opening has been shortened by an hour due to the earlier hour of darkness.
People in this community will be remembering those who have died or been wounded in war and praying for peace. You’re invited to join us by saying a prayer on this special Remembrance Day.
Sue Hebb and Val Warner collected Lottie & Pixie from Peterborough Hedgehog Hospital and are making sure that they have the right food and housing to keep them well looked after as the colder weather approaches.
Sue has kindly offered some hedgehog tips:
“There is so much happening at the moment that could affect hedgehogs – e.g. don’t leave pumpkins out for too many days after Halloween as it will give them upset tummies; if you’re having a bonfire, check underneath for any hedgehogs before lighting it and If you’re tidying up the garden be aware that hedgehogs might be sleeping in messy overgrown corners, under compact bushes or hedges, so be careful when you are digging in the spade or fork.”
And this link is a great source of information too:
https://www.spikesfood.co.uk/helping-hedgehogs/
Look out for Sue & Val’s hedgehog updates on the Giddings website!
A group of Oxfordshire villagers have devised a novel way of helping hedgehogs to move around freely away from the main road as they have created holes in their fences and walls so that hedgehogs can wander from garden to garden. Full article from the Observer dated 18th October:
Many many thanks from Sawtry foodbank for the continuing support shown by people of the Giddings, and particularly Jed and Aruna at the village shop who are acting as a collection point.
This weeks donations from the village to the foodbank are shown in the photo. Requests for support from the foodbank are starting to increase, and they provided food support for 30 families last week. Every donation is important….even one tin or packet can make a difference. If you would like to contribute, there is a collection basket in the shop, together with a list of what is needed.
Maggi Stewart (Winwick)
It is over two months since we closed the doors of our church buildings as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. We are delighted that we can now plan towards a gradual reopening over the coming months. We continue to follow the guidance provided by the Government, the Church of England and the Diocese of Ely.
We believe in life in all its fullness. In the current situation, that means that we need to keep everyone who will be using the church, safe. We are currently working through the guidance to see how and when we can safely open our churches for individual prayer, and ensure that the necessary health and safety measures are taken (regular cleaning, social distancing etc). Until this has been done in the best way possible, our buildings will remain closed.
The church, however, is not closed. There are regular acts of worship posted on the North Leightonstone website, and the North Leightonstone Facebook Group. Our ministers – Mandy, Fiona, Jim and Kim – are available to talk or offer prayer (currently over the phone). Contact details can be found on the website (www.norleigh.org.uk).
We are looking forward to welcoming you back into St Michael’s church shortly.
PLEASE NOTE: Little Gidding church is closed, and shrouded, for some months to come while the roof is being restored. Unfortunately this means there is no possibility of visiting it. Ferrar House is also closed at present.