Elizabeth Lewis and Kathleen Dickson

Piano duets and readings of poetry and prose

Sunday 16^th May 6.30pm

Tickets: £8.50 (£6.00) to include glass of white wine or fruit juice and nibbles.

Tickets available from Philip Lewis 01234 781796 or

Jill Cheadle 01234 720261

The trigger level for the Harrold exchange to be upgraded to provide Broadband Internet access has been set at 300 customers across Carlton, Harrold and Odell. Since reporting last month another 20 people have registered interest by going to the BT website ( www.bt.com ) – and clicking on the Broadband ‘find out more’ banner – where it led them to the registration page. This means we are now up to 219 people registered. If you haven’t done so yet, please do and please ask all your local friends to make sure they have done the same! We only need another 81 people to register. If you have any problems with the BT website, just email me on jh at kbnet dot net with your phone number, name and address and I’ll enter the details for you! (note to our Internet readers - do tell you friends and relatives in Odell, Harrold or Carlton to make sure they have registered - it they do, we will get broadband sooner and you will be able to get them on e-mail much more readily and the won't complain it clogs their inboxes  if you send them lots of pictures!)

The date for this year’s village fete is Saturday 12^th June. It will be held in the field in Horsefair Lane as in previous years. Help is desperately needed both on the committee and on the day. Please ring Jill Cheadle (720261) if you are interested.

The Fete will be opened by Gerald Robinson, a veteran "Boys Brigader".

As well as the ‘Boys Brigade’ tent there will be all the usual attractions

Family Dog Show Pony Rides Cash Raffle

Tombola Children’s Sports

Lucky Programme Draw Children’s Stalls Ice Creams

Refreshments Many Sideshows

Gifts White Elephant Bottle Stall

Books Cakes Plants Produce

Fete Working Party on 8^th May, from 10.00am, at Doreen Wheeler’s.

Before we throw them out does anybody want harcopies of old parish magazines for Odell or Harrold for the last 19 years, from November 1985?

It was nice to hear on the news recently that a nationally important historic relic is to be returned to its home on the North Norfolk coastline

Some time ago my attention was caught by the saga of Seahenge, as the North Sea slowly gave up one of its secrets. The coastal tides and winds had covered this Bronze Age site in ancient times and in the process of time it has now been exposed again to human gaze. Seahenge was a circle of 55 huge upright timbers buried deep in what was probably earth in those far off days when it was first built, but is now seashore. At the centre of this wooden ring was an impressively large upturned tree root forming what was presumed to be an altar set at the heart of a prehistoric holy site. It is all guesswork, of course, because no-one really knows.

As these timbers were exposed day by day at Holme next Sea a veritable storm of feelings arose as to what should happen to the site. The archaeologist/preservation party were all for the woodwork to be removed to "safety" where the timbers could be scientifically examined and preserved. On the opposing side were the people who believed it should be left in situ, despite the fact that the site would most likely be destroyed by the tidal action on timbers thought to be 3000/4000 years old. The local Norfolk population also resented the fact that their wonderful historic relic would be taken away from them. Confrontations took place on the beach and all was recorded on the local television news.

 Needless to say Authority won the day over local feelings and the bulldozers moved on to the site - plucking the old timbers, and then the ancient tree root, ungraciously out of their historic setting and placing them with great lack of dignity on to the back of lorries to be carried away.

The destination was Flag Fen on the outskirts of Peterborough, Britain's Bronze Age centrepiece and one of Europes most important Bronze Age sites. Many years ago the farmer’s plough first revealed the soggy remnants of an early wooden settlement preserved deep in the boggy peatland of Flag Fen. The archaeologists moved on to the site and began to excavate and preserve what turned out to be a Bronze Age settlement of Europe-wide importance. Over the years Flag Fen became an authority on the subject of scientifically preserving ancient timbers dragged from a watery setting, and seemed an obvious destination for the timbers of Seahenge.

A "henge" is an old word for a circle. Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain is probably the most famous and means exactly what it says - a stone circle. There are a number of these circles in Britain, of varying sizes, and the most obvious example is probably the vast stone circles at Avebury. Archaeologists have also found traces of a number of wood henges, although little of them now remains, but Seahenge was a first. Nowhere had anyone ever managed to reclaim a henge from the sea and its removal was controversial to say the least.

What brings this article about is the recent announcement that most of Seahenge is to return to the Norfolk coastline. The Heritage Lottery Fund is to provide just over £800,000 to Kings Lynn Museum to create a specialised site to incorporate most of the restored and preserved timbers at a location to be open to the public. Alas, it will not be the complete "henge" as there are far too many upright pieces to be located on any one site. This is the reason why the "henge" will not stay at Flag Fen - they could not legitimately devote so much space to one historic display. The decision then had to be made. Should the timbers be kept together and displayed and if so, where, and who would pay for it? Alternatively should Seahenge be returned to the sea and re-instated on the Norfolk beach?

 The Heritage Lottery Fund is enabling most of this ancient relic to remain available for public display. The front of the exhibit will be a semi-circle of the restored uprights with its central feature of the massive tree root, but the remainder of the circle will be formed by a backdrop, meaning that many of the upright sections will be lost to the exhibit forever...their destination at present not revealed.

I cannot help feeling glad that this important historic structure is to be returned to the vicinity in which it was originally placed so many years ago...but I also feel deep sadness that it will not be complete.

Nicholas Warliker was our guest speaker this month; his talk was entitled ‘Making things grow’. Although he touched on what we thought was the topic, i.e. the need for the right conditions for each plant to obtain optimum growth, that it was no use putting a shade loving plant in full sunlight, the bulk of his talk was more on the topic of how plants reproduce. He touched on how flowers are fertilized and showed us the structure of a flower, and then passed on to plants that self fertilize, those that need specific pollen and eventually on to grafting as the only way to truly reproduce some trees. Apparently all Cox’s Orange Pippins come from one original plant. An interesting talk which he peppered with tales of his life as a gardener over the last 30+ years.

This will be in the Village Hall on Tuesday May 11^th at 7.30 p.m. It is our A.G.M., our opportunity to say thank you to all who help to keep the W.I. active in the village. We will also be discussing the Resolutions which are to be debated at the forthcoming A.G.M. in Sheffield

Hostesses and Competition.

Our hostesses are Jane Eshelby and Jill Cheadle. We will be announcing the winner of our Competition Cup.

The Wodehill One-Steppers

Will play in the garden

On Saturday 15^th May

12.30 – 2.30

(weather permitting).

If you have an idea or can help with these let us know, and if you would like a venue for a private function, the very reasonable hire fee helps us maintain the hall.

This long drawn out process is still gathering a little momentum. New plans are being drawn up for presentation to the Planning Department and, once costings have been confirmed, we should be able to submit an application for funding assistance. A number of people are working hard to make this happen but we are at the mercy of many systems and processes, but as things progress we will keep villagers up to date.

The annual quiz saw a record 13 teams entered. This year’s winners were The Toon Army, with The Gimboids in second place and after a tie- break The Tanners were third. All prize money was kindly donated to the Miracle House Gap Year project.

There was a raffle with the proceeds donated to Miracle House in South Africa. These will be taken by Rachel Day when she visits there during her Gap Year.

Please be reminded that the front door lock has been changed and in keeping with good practice we have a new arrangement for opening the hall. A list of keyholders will be posted on the hall door. Harry Smith has kindly offered to prepare the hall for users ensuring heating is on as necessary and the doors opened and locked after activities. In the absence of Harry being available other keyholders will undertake this task. We hope this will not inconvenience anyone, as keys will not generally be handed out, but it is a sensible approach to ensuring the security of a valuable asset.

Thank you for bringing your waste paper to the bins. Though the return is small, every little bit helps financially and of course the waste is recycled.

Do please support our events, and do suggest to us your ideas for alternative activities.

Rob Lee (720730) on behalf of the Village Hall Committee.

by

Mel Scott

At: Rose Cottage, The High Road, Felmersham.

On: 7th & 8th May 2004

Cabaret - Kander and Ebb’s Smash Hit Musical.

The tumult of 1930s Berlin brought to you via the glitz and glamour of the Kit Kat Klub. Memorable songs include ‘Wilkommen’, ‘Don’t tell Mama’, ‘Money’, ‘Tomorrow belongs to me’ and the famous title number ‘Cabaret’. Don’t miss this exciting and thought-provoking show, which made stars of Dame Judi Dench and Liza Minnelli.

Friday 14^th May Charity performance for the Bedford British Legion Poppy Appeal. For tickets please contact Mrs Angela Parker 01234 2665803.

Tickets available from one month before. (see below).

Later in the year:

The Lion in Winter - The wonderful historical drama.

21^st – 25^th September 2004

Director: David Midlane. Read Through: Friday 28^th May 7.45pm. Auditions: Sunday 30^th May 2.00 pm

My Fair Lady - The Musical Legend.

12^th – 22^nd November. Co – Directors: Enid Cooper (01234 708432) & Melanie Coleman (01933 315043) from whom dates & details of Workshops & Auditions are available.

Tickets:

(10% discount for 10 or more, excluding charity performances)

The Mill Theatre Reg. Charity No 242164

Sharnbrook Amateur Theatre Trust Ltd

Drama Summer School 2004. Are you aged 9-18 years? A week long Summer School at The Mill Theatre under the direction of professional Drama Tutors is planned provisionally for Monday 2^nd to Saturday 7^th August, culminating with a performance on Saturday 7^th August. The course fee is £100. Would you like to take part? To register your interest or for further details, please contact:

Erica Lester 01234 781210

Companion Dog Show

Kennel Club permission - formerly Exemption. Sunday 5^th September, Mill Theatre Riverside Grounds. All Welcome. Pedigree & Novelty Classes. Trophies – Rosettes - Prizes. Stalls – Refreshments – Licensed Bar – Free Car Parking.

Enquiries: Elizabeth/Theo Gibbs 781298/782377

Please send all entries for the June 2004 magazine to Tricia Hudson (patriciahudson@kbnet.co.uk), Anne Turner or Catherine Corkery by May 12^th 2004 at the latest. May we remind you that the editorial team exercises the right to edit, shorten or alter any items that are submitted. Also, the opinions expressed in the articles are those of the contributors and are not the responsibility of the editorial team.