The Odell Village Fete will begin with entertainment by "Sambanistas", a lively samba band, outside The Bell at 1.00pm! Follow the band down Horsefair Lane for the Grand Opening of the fete in the Scout Field at 2.00pm by Lord Luke.

Come and enjoy the many events and attractions including:

Pony rides, boat rides, Beat the Goalie, children’s sports, colouring competition, Quiz: "Who wants to win £50?", Fruity Fun Trail and a Lucky Programme Competition and Raffle.

There will be a Family Service in the main tent at the fete ground at 10.30am, taking the place of the usual service in church.

Robert Merret who will be 11 on the 11^th

A Sign of the Times.

As we walk the highways and by-ways of this land of ours it is not unusual to come across some venerable old buildings that have long out-lasted their original setting and now find themselves set amongst some surprisingly modern architecture. Frequently these buildings are Inns and taverns which have long since outlived the community for which they were built to serve.

It is well worth while looking at the names on these old hostelries for many of them have a tale to tell. These old inns were frequently named after events and moments in history and although today’s customers happily frequent the premises, the buildings are somewhat taken for granted, and we are in danger of losing the detail.

Many of our older hostelries have names traditionally linked to our country's culture and, in many cases, these associations have almost been lost within history itself! Take, for example, that ever-popular name "The Red Lion". It is absolutely drenched with history. In its earliest form The Red Lion related to Richard I (The Lionheart) but more frequently refers to John of Gaunt, the most powerful man in 14th century England, who carried a red lion on his coat of arms. More recently it is associated with James I (VI of Scotland) as the red lion was the heraldic beast of Scotland. The "Three Crowns" are usually interpreted as referring to the crowns of England, Scotland and Wales and, no doubt, The Crown is for a more direct loyalty to any one of the three. That splendid name "The Green Man" can usually be seen depicting Robin Hood but England has witnessed a Green Man prior to this, as can be seen by a face set amidst the greenery.

The Royal House of Stuart has probably presented us with the widest selection of names. Apart from "The Red Lion" as mentioned above we have "The King’s Head" which originated as a sign of loyalty to a deceased monarch. When Charles I was beheaded at Whitehall the name was adopted as a covert symbol of loyalty for that wretched man’s supporters. "The Royal Oak" commemorates the tree in which the future Charles II took refuge and upon The Restoration "The King’s Arms", and even "The Queen Arms", celebrated that bonny event. During the reign of Henry VIII many religious buildings found a new purpose in life bringing a proliferation of names linking the building’s past to its new present-day role. "The Crossed Keys" would indicate an inn's monastic past, as indeed would "The Jolly Friar" and "The Nun’s Head". Even "The Cat and Fiddle" is a corruption of ‘Cantata Fidelis’, a plainsong in Latin sung by the now departed monks - who were themselves somewhat renowned as brewers.

Then again the Armed Forces have had an influence when it comes to the choice of pub names. "The Recruiting Sergeant", "The Gunners Arms" or "The Cannon" almost shriek out at us of a retired soldier setting up a new career. Have you ever wondered why "The Marquis of Granby" proliferates so widely? This related to John Manners who commanded the British Army 1721 - 1770 and who set up many of his favoured soldiers as innkeepers upon their retirement and they, in their turn, promptly placed his name over the door. "The Ship", "The Admiral", "The Anchor" and "Bosun’s Mate" obviously have their connections to the sea, as indeed "The Bell" or any quantity of bells come to that, and "The Bellringers Arms" etc. all have their roots in their proximity to the local church.

There are other traditional names without historical association, of course, but they do have local connections as in "The Brickmakers Arms", "The Drewer’s Dray" or even "The Three Tuns". Rural communities will produce "The Farmer’s Boy", "The Plough", "The Bull" and "The Nag’s Head". Many other local hostelries owe their name to a flight of fancy on the part of their landlord …and that's fine.

How sad it would be, however, if we lost forever that fine thread of history that is woven into the fabric of local names.   Barbara Corley

Admission Programmes on sale at Carlton Village Hall on the day.

Organised by Churches Together in Harrold and Carlton

£3 per adult £2 senior citizens £1 children over 12

* Cream teas * Plant stalls * Face painting

* Children’s art display * Local Charities display

* Proceeds to Emmaus Carlton …...

Homelessness is not just about having no place to live. It’s about losing your independence and purpose in life, being isolated, humiliated and ignored. Emmaus tackles these problems through a network of self-supporting Communities, where people are given a home, a job and a sense of belonging. Six ‘Emmaus’ Communities presently exist throughout Britain and there are plans to double this in the next five years.

We were pleased to welcome Pam Plumb from Bedfordshire Federation to our May meeting. It was our A.G.M. and gave us a chance to thank everyone who had helped to support the W.I. during the year. We were able to congratulate the winner of our competition cup, Jill Cheadle, and look forward to the year ahead when our new programme starts. After coffee we then discussed the two resolutions to be brought before the I.G.M. at Cardiff so our representative could be informed of our decision when it came to the vote.

Next months meeting.

This will be on June 12th when we are to visit the M.S. Therapy Centre in Bedford

This year we are holding two open weekends again, in aid of H.D.R.A. (the organic organisation), when we will be pleased to welcome visitors to walk around the farm and through the woodlands.

The dates are: 16^th and 17^th June, 4^th and 5^th August     Time: 11am – 6pm.

Admission: £1.00 adults, 50p children.  Refreshments available or bring a picnic. Dogs on leads welcome.

Directions: Find the Church in Odell, turn up Church Lane and follow this road for just over a mile, over two cattlegrids – the last part over unmetalled road.    Yelnow Farm, Church Lane, Odell, Bedfordshire MK43 7AD      Tel.: 01234 721296

Recycling

Beds Council DSD department have provided a third "wheelie-bin" for our use due in part to the increased amount of recycling occurring in the village, so do please keep it up. Thank you to all who are supporting this as it benefits everyone. There was a recent blip in the collection of papers due to mechanical breakdowns, but thankfully this has now been sorted.

AGM - 23^rd April

The annual meeting was held recently and your committee re-elected in full with the addition of Les Knowles and (the welcome return of) Harry Smith.

The committee now consists of:

Chairman Rob Lee Vice Chairman Chris Swift

Treasurer Pat Asbery Secretary Sue Knowles

The other committee members are Brian Cheadle, Karen Fulford, Nicky Freeman, Les Knowles and Harry Smith.

We will be writing to local groups inviting representatives to join, in-keeping with the terms of the lease/constitution.

Eleven teams took part in the recent quiz held on 5th May in the Village Hall, and all enjoyed the evening. There was a good atmosphere with laughter and groans of "I told you so," in equal measure. Thank you all for making it a successful and enjoyable event. Some requests to hold another quiz later in the year will be considered at our next meeting.

Thanks also go to local residents for providing some excellent raffle prizes. Though some people didn’t want to be mentioned by name, your contributions are very much appreciated. Thanks also to Jon Hudson for arranging the "technological scoreboard", which allowed the running score totals to be updated constantly at the touch of a button.

Just before Easter we had the Harrold Pre-school playgroup using the hall for a week whilst the heating in their usual premises was being repaired. Apart from the much appreciated rent income it was good to, once again, have our hall still able to lend itself to an important local service as well as seeing the children hunting for their Easter Eggs around the village.

We are all used to seeing local youngsters playing football on the street or in the field at the end of Horsefair Lane, but for two of our children this practice paid off handsomely. It’s every child’s dream to play in the cup final but for Stephen Horn and Bethan Lee the dream came true on 28^th of April when they both received their winners medals in front of Rushden and Diamonds biggest home crowd of the season (over 5,500 people). Bethan and Stephen were playing for Harrold Priory Middle School in the final of R&D’s "Football in the Community " programme. Harrold School came out winners beating Irthlingboro’ School 1-0. The winning goal was set up by Bethan who headed the ball to her striking partner, James Loi, to hit home. Stephen, a very talented goalkeeper, made some great saves to keep another clean sheet for the school. Well done to both of them.

Smike – musical 25th – 28th July

A stunning production by our Youth Group of this musical based on the novel "Nicholas Nickleby" by Charles Dickens. There is only a short run of this production so book early to avoid disappointment.

Performances: 7.45pm; matinee 28^th July 3pm.

Tickets: Wednesday 25^th July £6, matinee 28^th July £5, all other performances £7.

Whodunnit? By Anthony Shaffer – comedy – Sept. 25^th – 29^th. Classic spoof "Who done it".

Sweeny Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – musical thriller – Nov. 9^th – 17^th.

Bookings may be made one month beforehand from:

Bedford - Central Box Office, Harpur Suite - tel: 01234 269519

Wellingborough - The Castle Box Office - tel: 01933 270007

Sharnbrook – In person at The Village Trader, 28 High Street.(Cheques payable to S.A.T.T.).

Group Sales - Alison Bean - tel: 01234 781372 – 10% reduction for parties of 10 or more. Enquiries/Mailing list 01234 782377

All performances start at 7.45pm. Seats can be reserved.

Wish to be part of the action? For details of readthroughs/workshops/imminent auditions for the above two shows, please contact Louise Lang 01234 781831 - Now!

-----Original Message-----

From: Felicity Berry [mailto:fberry.agbudd@blueyonder.co.uk]

Subject: Odell

3^rd Pentecost Songs of Praise, URC Chapel, Harrold, 6pm.

5^th Meeting Point 10.30am Mary Rogers’, 2 Hall Close, Sharnbrook.

7^th Election day – Polling in the Village Hall

10^th Carlton Open Gardens, 2pm –6pm.

10^th Service of Healing, Felmersham Church, 6pm.

12^th W.I. to the M.S. Therapy Centre, Bedford.

16^th Odell Fete, 2pm, Scout Field, Horsefair Lane.

17^th Family service 10.30am, Scout Field, followed by barbecue.

16^th, 17^th Open Days, Yelnow Farm, 11am – 6pm.

20^th Meeting Point 10.30am Jill Cheadle’s, Rectory farm, Odell.

3^rd Meeting Point Lunch. Venue TBA.

18^th PCC Meeting The Rectory.