On Sunday 19^th September after the morning service the congregation of All Saints’ said goodbye and thank you to Lord and Lady Luke who are leaving Odell and moving to Leicestershire. Their departure is a great loss to Odell which has been the home of ‘The Lord Luke of Pavenham since the 1930s.

Lord Luke is the Patron of All Saints’ Church in Odell and as such has given support to the church over many years. Lady Luke has been very involved in village life, showing an interest in and helping with a large number of the village activities. They will be greatly missed. We wish them much happiness in their new home.

A voluntary code of conduct for bonfire night in Odell.

Following the 2003 bonfire period Odell Parish Council was approached by a number of concerned residents who felt that the fireworks celebrations had continued for a prolonged time.  

The suggestion was that we might arrange a community bonfire and fireworks display. 

Unfortunately due to the present regulations regarding extensive training, heavy insurance necessity and lack of a large plot of land owned or controlled by the Parish Council, this would be impossible.

Last year the various firework parties in Odell lasted for nearly a month. Whatever your personal feelings, one of the nice things about this community is the pleasant atmosphere that we all enjoy so it is in this spirit that I ask you (if you are thinking of holding a firework celebration this November) to consider joining in this voluntary scheme.

November 5^th, Guy Fawkes night, falls on a Friday this year. Would you please consider holding your firework party on one of the following -: 

It is hoped that in this way the spread of fireworks would be reasonably limited, allowing any among us who have animals or do not like fireworks to be forewarned. 

Please Join in and help to keep Odell a friendly and pleasant community

P.S. obviously given wet weather, changes would be reasonable. Do give me a call if you have any comments about this letter. Many thanks.

What has happened to the weather? We wretched humans can only stand on the sidelines in awe as we watch the elements battle it out.

The later summer weather has thrown just about everything it knows at us this year. From the three hurricanes in the Caribbean and Florida, to the shocking floods that engulfed Boscastle, the pretty little fishing village where the flood waters tore the heart out of it.

Closer to home we have experienced the wettest August on record and in that same month we had the hottest night that Britain has ever known. As August gave way to September the temperatures soared to give us a brief but glorious Indian Summer before plunging us, yet again, into a period of rain.

What are we to make of this topsy-turvy weather of ours which exposes us to torrential rain and thunder storms one moment and a tropical heat wave the next? During August we were on the receiving end of more thunder storms than we usually see in a whole year. As a small child, when I asked what caused the thunder I was told it was a giant stomping about in the clouds and at that age I accepted the explanation without question.

Lightning contains great power and one single strike has a total output far in excess of the national grid. Lightning has been known to vaporise jewellery and metal items and has been known to strike the masts on a wooden ship, shattering the mast and reducing it to shavings. Indeed it has completely destroyed a number of wooden boats. Metal ships are far safer as the current usually passes through the hull into the water.

 A storm cloud contains both positive and negative particles which move and interact. There are what they call "leaders" and "streamers" and when they meet they are super-charged, producing great heat and power, the air explodes in a bright flash of plasma and this is what we recognise as lightning. The accompanying thunder is caused by air rushing to fill the vacuum left by the lightning, creating a kind of sonic boom.

As a child I was satisfied by the explanation of a giant stomping around in the sky but what other stories have been made up to explain this spectacular phenomena at the same time so beautiful and yet so terrifying?

The old saying goes that if you hear thunder then the lightning did not get you and that if you see lightning then it missed you!

One story will tell you in explanation of thunder that God is moving his furniture and another states that God is playing bowls in the sky, and yet again that God is having his coal delivered. There are also a number of rather "pretty" explanations, such as that the angels are banging on their drums, or that the thunder is caused by the clouds clapping their hands, or even yet, that the clouds are kissing. A rather nice explanation has it that God has a golden carriage and that many of the roads in heaven are cobbled and that the noise of thunder is caused by the wheels rumbling over the cobbles.

Surely, what must be the latest addition to these explanations of thunder and lightning must be the one that tells us God is taking flash photographs and then complaining about the results! 

There will be a lunch for Senior Citizens in Odell Village Hall on Wednesday October 13^th

12.00 for 12.30.

All senior citizens invited – please accept this as the only invitation.

Odell Luncheon Club Christmas Lunch will be on Wednesday December 15^th in Odell Village Hall.

Monday 4^th October – Friday 8^th October inclusive, 2 – 3.00pm, for:

‘Flu – over 65 years and those ‘at risk’.

Pneumonia – over 75 years and those ‘at risk’.

We were pleased to welcome Jinder Sumal and her family to our meeting this month. Her topic was Indian food and it was fascinating. She started the evening by giving us a quick history of Indian cuisine unbelievably some recipes go back 4000 years and have been passed down the generations. I had no idea how much food preparation and eating was interwoven into their culture, beliefs and outlook on life. She touched briefly on the spices they used, apparently the hotter the climate the spicier the food is and she had brought some samples along for us to see and smell. Then she went into the kitchen and before long the most wonderful aromas filled the air. With the help of her husband and daughter she cooked a feast, we has pakoras to sample, a yogurt dip, chapattis, chickpea curry and a chicken spice dish. She made it seem effortless and readily answered questions as she cooked. The only drawback is she works from instinct, as many of our mothers did, so there is no recipe for us to follow, only a list of ingredients. I fear if I attempt the same dishes it will take a great deal of practice before I could in anyway emulate her. A most memorable evening.

We meet in the Village Hall on Tuesday 12^th October at 7.30 for our next meeting. We will be pleased to welcome Kevin Viney who is coming along to talk about ‘Hot Air Ballooning’. All welcome - just come along or contact any W.I. member.

Barbara Corley and Mandy Sharpe are our hostesses and the competition is ‘A painted balloon’.