These are the pictures I took in July 2011. I was a passenger in a hot air balloon which just happened to go over the area where I come from. My apologies for the quality – the weather was overcast.
I was born in Winwick and attended Great Gidding school until 1972.
Derek Hyde
Team Gidding competed in a three team, three “sports” challenge at the recent Winwick Garden Fete. A competition based on Aunt Sally, Northamptonshire Table Skittles and 9 pin Outdoor Bowling on tricky terrain. The rules were sort of agreed and each team, Winwick, Hamerton and Great Gidding commenced battle. At the the final count Gidding had more points mostly by being able to hit the doll in Aunt Sally although the smugness was nearly wiped off when a later arrival (who will be known as Mrs S) for the Hamerton team hit the doll on the first three throws having never seen or played the game.
We have named the trophy Call me “Dave” in solidarity with all the Dave’s and David’s that live in Winwick. We hope you had a good fete and there will be an opportunity to win back “Dave” in the near future.
Team L to R Michael Trolove, Brian Ramsden, Louis from Belgium and Sue Shepherd
Poetry Please and lunch at the Fox and Hounds.
On Tuesday morning, 9th July, twelve people gathered in the garden of 85 Main Street to bringing their favourite poems to read and share. Settling down with a cup of coffee or glass of elderflower cordial in the hot sunshine we heard a very wide range of poems, some long-established favourites but some lesser known ones too. We heard reasons why a poem was a favourite or how it first came to notice. Some were long-time favourites and some were found in recent reading. The choices were wide, from the childhood favourite, A A Milne, through Pam Ayres to Laurie Lee, Walt Whitman and Robert Frost and there were several discussion about the themes and relevance of the poems.
Lois Jordan impressed everybody by faultlessly reciting, from memory, two long poems, The Duck, by Frank W Harvey and The Song of Right and Wrong, by G K Chesterton, learned as a schoolgirl, if I may say, more than a few years ago. John De Val delighted everybody with his two choices from Rupert Brooke, Dining-Room Tea, which spoke of the pleasure and importance of being with friends and The Old Vicarage – Granchester, which was a very fitting poem to conclude the readings and drift over to the Fox and Hounds to enjoy an excellent lunch. It was a lovely occasion and, as it was so enjoyable, there was a conversation about arranging a similar event later.
Thanks to all those who came to take part.
Paul Burgess
August Bank Holiday sees the return of the popular Aunt Sally Tournament which will be held at the Fox & Hounds, Great Gidding.
The projected start time will be 2pm and the format and rules will be similar to the 2011 event. Last year we didn’t bother because of the relentless wet and then the highly successful Olympic games got in the way.
Further updates will follow and we will have a practice evening soon.
If any one would like to sponsor the event with a bottle of fizz for the winner then please let me know.
Last time !
The previous winner Dave Barrett-Hague receiving the trophy and goodies from tournament organiser Michael Trolove
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.
Saturday 6th July and Sunday 7th July
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
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.
Choice of Hymn to Lois Jordan 293178 or johndeval@hotmail.com
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.
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 sun shone for the annual ‘Big Lunch’ and ‘Have a Field Day’ on the recreation field in Great Gidding on Sunday 2nd June. Picnics and drinks were followed by a well fought rounders match (which ended in a very fair draw)! Free kites and footballs supplied by the ‘Fields in Trust’ scheme kept the children (of all ages) amused.
Thanks to Michael and Julie Trolove, Paul Hodson and many others for organising the event.
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
Title: An Evening in the Garden
Location: Crown Cottage, Main Street, Great Gidding
Description: Come along to a Garden Party at Crown Cottage, Great Gidding on Saturday 22nd June 7.30pm featuring the Peter Shepherd Jazz Trio and King’s School Swing Band. (In support of Emily Read’s expedition to the Arctic).
Tickets £10.00 per person. Catered bar and buffet.
Dress code ~ smart as you please.
Call 01832 293 479 or email shepnsue@btinternet.com
Start Time: 19:30
Date: 2013-06-22
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.