This
year’s fete is to take place on June 11th in the field in Horsefair
Lane. As ever, we are hoping for a lovely sunny day and lots of visitors!ODELL VILLAGE NEWS
April 2005
Odell Village Fete 11th June 2005
This
year’s fete is to take place on June 11th in the field in Horsefair
Lane. As ever, we are hoping for a lovely sunny day and lots of visitors!
There will be all the usual attractions, including the popular dog show. There will be more details in next month’s magazine.
However, please note the following appeal:
The Dog Show relies on sponsors. At this moment nine classes still need sponsors at £5 each. If you are willing to become a sponsor please contact Roma tel. 720431.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to:
Tania Fulford who will be 9 on April 5th and
Alex Swift who will be 13 on April 11th.
...and to all other readers who have a birthday in April!
Round and Ablout - Feeling Under the Weather
Since time immemorial, when feeling a little less than one hundred percent, or possibly one degree under, people have said that they felt 'under the weather'. In earlier times our forefathers led more simple lives and they were inclined to associate what happened around them either to God, the weather or nature - which in their turn are God's instruments. Is it surprising, therefore, that they related the state of their health to the weather...and now it seems, in these more scientific times, it has been shown that our forebears were not far wrong!
From hay fever to winter colds, to sunburn...we all know that the weather affects our health. But, did you know that the weather plays a contributory part to respiratory problems, strokes and heart attacks, that one in three people are 'weather sensitive' in one way or another and that the state of our weather can definitely influence our health.
Seaside resorts, where the atmospheric pressure is high and the air rich in sodium and iodine, have long been considered to be the best place to go for convalescence and are considered good for exhaustion, bronchitis and rheumatism. Higher altitudes help those suffering with asthma, heart and skin conditions. The elevation provides a dry climate with no dust mites, hardly any pollution or traffic fumes...but plenty of sunshine.
The average body temperature is around 37°C (98.6°F) and it is potentially life-threatening if the body core temperature varies by more than a few degrees. The body's core is made up of the vital organs, i.e. brain, heart, lungs, kidneys etc and if the body temperature falls too much on a cold winters day there is a grave risk of more than hypothermia. That is why the death rate is 15% higher in the winter months than that of summer. The incidence of angina and heart attacks peak during the late autumn and winter months. Within 24 hours of a serious temperature drop there is an increase in coronary problems and blood pressure. The blood moves more slowly raising the incidence of blood clots all triggered by the weather.
We have all heard of "seasonal affective disorder", a condition that affects about half a million people in the UK alone. This leaves people feeling lethargic and low brought about by the long, dark winter evenings. Such people have high levels of melatonin - a sleep related hormone - and the shortness of daylight hours encourages the hormone to increase the urge for sleep.
A strong wind can cause friction on the skin and can create dryness not just to the skin itself but also to the eyes and nasal passages, add to this the wind blowing up more dust particles and we clearly have a situation where asthma and allergies come into play. Airborne molecules can cause a dry throat, a husky voice, headaches and breathing problems. When the wind levels get above a certain speed the adrenaline begins to pump, which can bring about stress and anxiety resulting in exhaustion.
If cloudy conditions last too long the absence of sunshine produces a lack of vitamin D and this creates conditions where people are susceptible to all manner of ailments. On the other hand hot weather can produce its own ailments ranging from swelling of the joints, cramp and spasms, dizziness and heat exhaustion. Ultra violet rays can cause considerable damage to the skin, eyes and immune system,to say nothing of sunburn, blisters and prickly heat.
People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, fibrositis, gout etc. will not like stormy weather. It will increase the pain because the stormy conditions cause the tendons and muscles to expand and contract in different ways. With inflammation and stiffness already in-situ the atmospheric conditions can run riot!
Is the sun shining - or is it cloudy? How do you feel?!
Barbara Corley
Now it seems, in these more scientific times, that our forebears were not far wrong!
Thank you
I would like to sincerely thank everyone who helped at the recent Burns Night supper, especially Doreen Wheeler, without whose help the event would not have been held. I am pleased to announce that £430 was raised and donated to the North Beds. Alzheimer’s Society. This donation is going to be used for a project for younger people with dementia who currently receive little support in the community.
Leslie Knowles
Do You Have An Old Mobile Phone?
The Alzheimers Society can receive a donation for every re-cycled mobile phone it collects.
If you have a mobile phone you no longer use, please drop it in to Leslie Knowles at 4 Mill Lane, Odell, and £2.50 will go to the North Beds Branch of the Alzheimers Society to help people with memory problems, and their families.
Leslie Knowles
Senior Citizens Garden Party – Advance Notice
The Senior Citizens summer garden party is to take place on the 6th July this year. More details in next month’s magazine.
Odell Parish Council AGM
Odell Parish Council meeting 14th March 2005.
The Annual Meeting.
The Chairman opened the meeting and gave her report on the business of the Parish Council during the year just ended.
We have liased with the Highways Department at the Bedfordshire County Council concerning white lining, patching and other road repairs throughout the Parish.
We have been advised by the Bedfordshire County Council that the car park at the flats is owned by them, and that repairs to the surface will be done in the week commencing 3rd April.
We have brought the attention of the litter on the verges in the Parish, and also requested Sharnbrook Upper School to tell the pupils on the buses not to throw rubbish out of the windows.
We have been compelled to renounce any title to the play area beside the Village Hall. It has also been impossible to take out an insurance policy to cover it.
We have brought the attention of the Bedfordshire County Council to the sluice which passes under the bridle way on the approach to the bridge over the Ouse at Odell Mill. It has now been examined, and we trust action will follow to repair it as recommended after that examination.
The seats in the Parish have been repaired, but there is more to be done.
The village sign is in the course of being repaired.
The Allotment field has been re-let.
The initiative concerning the Fireworks parties at Guy Fawkes was taken up by the Parish generally and the disturbance to the members of the Parish was reduced last year.
It was a pity that we had to cancel the day's fun at Grafham Water last July because of the cost of the insurance. However the disco party in December was considered by all to be a great success.
Transco, the gas supplier, wanted to lay on gas, and the idea was circulated to all the village, but the cost was to be prohibitive, and no-one expressed any serious interest.
We attend regularly meetings with the Country Park. The gates at the end of Horsefair Lane have been repaired and the foot gate will be dealt with before long.
A disabled car park is to be established at the western end of the Country Park.
The Precept was set at £3500 again for this coming year. This is the sum the Parish Council receives from the Bedfordshire County Council for the ordinary requirements of the Parish.
The Chairman then turned to the normal business of the meeting.
The Parish Council is arranging to have the use of speed detection equipment for 3 days at a time over a period of a few weeks to deter speeding through the Parish.
Skips for the collection of Rural Bulky Waste Collection will be in the
Village on:
Sunday 5th June 12 - 3 p.m. and Sunday 23rd October 12 - 3 p.m.
Dredging takes place in the Great Ouse on an "as needed basis". The River is inspected every three years, and this falls due in 2005. If it proves necessary the work will be done in 2006/7.
Consideration is being given to the School Bell which once rang on the old School building (now Mr Wherret's house). It is now in need of repair. Anyone with views on the future of the bell should make them known to any Parish Councillor.
The Bedford Borough Council has a Policy Review and Development Committee, whose task it is to ensure that the Bedford B.C. takes decisions in the best interests of local people, to review and improve local services and to investigate and assist in resolving issues that concern local people.
The Parish Council would like to know if anyone has any particular concerns under these headings, so we can refer them to this Committee.
Please tell any Parish Councillor about such things and they will be forwarded to this Committee for action.
The Parish Councillors are:
Mrs R Halton chairman, Mr B Cheadle vice chairman, Mr P Crotty, Mr J Gemmel, Mr J Harrison, Mrs A Sharpe, Mrs S Swift.
Subsequent meetings in 2005 will be held as follows:- May 16th, July 18th, September 19th, and 21st November.
Jonathan Harrison. Parish Councillor
W.I.News
Our speaker at our March meeting was Helen Dawkins from "Black and White Revival." We heard a brief history of photography and the early chemicals used in developing, such as silver, copper and mercury. She told us about the first commercially successful photographic process, the Daguerreotype of 1839, in which an exposure took eight hours to develop. A display of photographs dating from about 1880 revealed the need for restoration displaying a silvery surface. These and any other old photographs can be faithfully restored and reproduced through traditional photographic techniques. How many of us have photo albums that display our photos within plastic sheets? They will definitely deteriorate and we should display them in the good old-fashioned way with photo corners on plain sheets of paper. How things turn full circle!
April meeting
This will take place in the Village Hall on April 12th at 7.30. Our speaker will be a representative from Three Counties Radio, who will give us an insight on life at a Radio Station.
Hostesses and Competition
Our hostesses are Jen Cuddeford and Carol Ormond and the competition is ‘Bring an old radio’.
Rachel Halton 720572
W.I. Coffee Morning In aid of the Church Fabric Fund
There will be a coffee morning in the Village Hall on April 16th at 10.30.
All the normal stalls – Bric a brac, Nearly new, Books and Cakes etc.
Entrance will be £1.00 to include Coffee and Biscuits.
We hope you can join us to help this village cause and have a good gossip with neighbours and friends.
Rachel Halton 720572
Village Hall News
Events
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.
Quiz
The Quiz on March 19th was well attended as usual, with 11 teams taking part. The evening was great fun as teams battled for the winning place, which eventually went to the "Grand Slam" team, with "The Gimboids" in second place and "Hartles" in third. Congratulations to the winning teams and thanks to everyone who took part and made the evening such a success!
Waste Paper Collection - 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.
The Mill Theatre, Sharnbrook
2005 Season
Nelson Mandela and Winnie: a Love Story
An original one-man play written and performed by Michael Prior
One performance only at The Mill Theatre on Saturday 11th June at 7.45 pm
First it was Othello, then Hitler, Jesus and Chairman Mao. Now it’s Nelson Mandela!
This is another original one-man play in Michael Prior’s Enigma Series. They are all puzzles, and the plays seek to explain them, show you the world seen through their eyes, a search for Their Truth.
Again there is back projection, music, sound effects and lighting changes. There are changes of costume and props. It has all the difficulties of a play- but with only one performer.
This play is different from the others because of Winnie. Winnie was an integral and vital part of the Struggle. She was the one who kept the Struggle going in South Africa when all the others, including Mandela, were in jail or in exile. And she did it at great personal risk. She was ready to die for the Cause.
Mandela brings Winnie alive… you see her through his eyes, see his hot and burning love for her. Without her support he might not have survived his twenty-seven years in jail, intact… a debt he could never repay.
This is a play of interest to everybody. Black and white, young and old, men and women.
And of course Nelson Mandela has a Bedford connection. In 2000 he came to unveil the statue of Father Trevor Huddlestone in Silver Street. Mandela never forgets his friends, those who helped him in the Struggle.
There will be one performance only at the Mill Theatre, Sharnbrook on Saturday 11th June 2005 at 7.45pm.
Tickets £8 available NOW from:
Sharnbrook Post Office – in person (cheque/cash) your local booking point
Bedford Central Box Office 01234 269519 (Credit/Debit Cards accepted)
PLEASE NOTE: Tickets are no longer available from The Castle, Wellingborough.
For Party bookings: Please phone Alison Bean 01234 781372
(10% discount for 10 or more, excluding Charity Gala performances).
Then…the emotional roller-coaster:
Spend, Spend, Spend 13th – 21stMay
Youth Theatre Summer School
- Mon. 1st – Sat. 6th August 20059-18 years old? Act Now! A week-long course under professional tuition, concluding with a performance on the Saturday. For details or to register, please contact Erica Lester, The Mill Theatre, Sharnbrook, Bedford MK44 1NP (781210).
Diary
April
2nd 10.00am Geoffrey Ochana at Abigail House
5th 10.30am Meeting Point at Jane Eshelby’s, Newton House, The Avenue, Rushden.
9th 10.00am Churchyard clearing and spring clean.
10th 10.00am Service of dedication of stained glass windows.
12th 7.30pm W.I., Odell Village Hall.
16th 10.30am W.I. Coffee Morning, Village Hall.
20th 10.30am Meeting Point at Eileen’s, Corner House, Wymington Park, Rushden.
27th 7.45pm Odell PCC AGM and Wine and Cheese evening.
Magazine Deadline
Please send all entries for the May 2005 magazine to Tricia Hudson (patriciahudson@kbnet.co.uk), Anne Turner or Catherine Corkery by April 12th 2005 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.
Mike & Jane
Welcome all customers, both old & new to the
recently refurbished
Cock at Pavenham
Hand Prepared & Home Cooked Food is available Wednesday to Saturday Evenings. Fresh sandwiches, Soups & Ploughmans are available at weekend lunchtimes
Large garden with fabulous views
Parties welcome in our separate dining room
We are keen that our food offering is of the highest quality using the freshest ingredients and make no apologies if availability is limited – so BOOK EARLY!
Quiz night every 2nd Monday in the month
Opening Times
Monday to Friday 5.00pm to 11.00pm
Saturday 12.00am to 3.00 pm & 6.30pm to 11.00pm
Sundays 12.00am to 3.00pm & 7.00pm to 10.30pm
Electronic mail address
email is mag@jonhudson.net
FAX number
01234-721004
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