USEFUL NUMBERS CHURCH Priest in Charge : Rev. Peter Dakin

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2 USEFUL NUMBERS CHURCH Priest in Charge : Rev. Peter Dakin PARISH COUNCIL Meeting on the 4 th Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm Parish Clerk is Mrs. Helen Howie. Contact number is or clerk@hilderstone.staffslc.gov.uk HILDERSTONE WOMEN S INSTITUTE President Mrs Pat Saul Meeting 2 nd Tuesday 7 30 pm in Village Hall HILDERSTONE VILLAGE HALL Bookings: Debbie Brition NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH Ash Connor area Neighbourhood Watch Stone Sue Stubbs Hilderstone co-ordinator DOCTOR Cumberland House, High St. Stone Mansion House Surgery, Abbey St. Stone ST15 8YE STAFFORD HOSPITAL Casualty POLICE Urgent/Emergency 999 Non-Emergency number Stafford County council am-6am Clarence Road (road repair and lighting) Street scene (fly tipping rubbish) Stafford Borough Council Staffordshire Crimestoppers Staffs. County Councillor: Ian Parry Telephone: ian.parry@staffordshire.gov.uk Staffordshire county council Stafford Borough Councillor Cllr Andrew Harp Tel ALL COPY IN BY THE 8 TH OF THE MONTH PLEASE Editor Sue Stubbs tel or - susanstubbs01@outlook.com

3 EDITORIAL I hope you enjoyed the Crib Service as I did. I like to see the children taking part and the relaxed feel of the service. If you enjoyed it you may enjoy our Family services, which follow the same formulae. Family services are held on the first Sunday in the month and some special days; Mothering Sunday, Rogation Day etc. We also have Sunday School on the third Sunday of the month. This is held in Church, starting at am. If you like the sound of this, please give them a try. I am still looking for more input for Hilderstone Parish newsletter. etter. If you have war time memories, or a favourite poem or better still one of your own etc. Very best wishes Sue DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 9 th February ry Shrove Tuesday (Pancakes Day) 10 th February Ash Wednesday 20 th March Palm Sunday 24 th March Maundy Thursday 25 th March Good Friday 27 th March Easter Sunday Scarecrow row Fun Weekend ADVANCE ANC NOTICE Saturday th & Sunday 11 and 12 th June 2016 More details inside ide this magazine. azine. Magazine Donations Last year, the readers of our magazine generously donated enough money to keep our magazine running, we still need your help to continue. If you would like to make a donation please contact either Phil Davies on or Sue

4 The Vicar writes: Christmas is over for another year. The presents have been put to good use, or to the back of the cupboard, still in the box. When the world got back to work, there on the desk was the familiar pile of jobs pending. The season of peace and goodwill to all men hadn t magically cleared the in tray. For an increasing number of people all they need is their lap top or tablet and they can keep working every day of the year, and some do. In the retail world the stock has gone, sold at a reasonable margin before Christmas, and less so in the sale that followed. The trading peak has come and gone. A look at the diary and church calendar suddenly bring you up with a jolt. Ash Wednesday, which signals the start of Lent is on 10 th February. Easter is early, on 27 th March The specialist Christian publishers and retailers have a busy time around now, in the weeks before Lent commences. I think it may be the busiest time of the year for publishers and distributors. For many Christians today their observance of Lent includes reading a book. Some would be able to join a house group where a book is discussed chapter by chapter during the 6 weeks of Lent. These books tend to have a set of questions for discussion at the end of each chapter, which are also useful as questions to ponder and use as a revision tool on your own. Another format is a book that includes a passage to read each day of Lent with some commentary to assist understanding.. Many of these also include a prayer for each day. The next question is which book to choose. Like any book there will be an abstract on the cover giving a summary, which can be a very guide. Then theres the battle for the best known names. Previous Archbishops score well in this category, so it will be

5 prominently displayed that the book was written by the said Most Reverend. Or that he has read it and has written a one line recommendation. Then there are the commissioned books.. Each year the Archbishop of Canterbury commissions a different author to write a book suitable for Lent. A book with that pedigree is bound to sell well. There are also other commissions from publishers. To start your search for a Lent book here are the titles of some books that look interesting: I am with you by Kathryn Greene-McCreight. This is the Archbishop of Canterbury s Lent book pub. Bloomsbury at 9.99 Being Christian by Rowan Williams. A readable and commendably brief book about the basics of the Christian life. pub SPCK at 8 Into your hand by Walter Brueggemann. A traditional Lent book that focuses on Jesus 7 words from the cross by a respected scholar and writer. This includes a passage for each day. Pub SCM Press at 7.99 Learning to Dream Again by Samuel Wells. A book that has made a great impression on the Bishops and the senior staff of our Diocese. They are commending its use this Lent Probably the closest specialist bookshops are the Methodist Bookshop in Gitana Street, Hanley or the Cathedral Bookshop in The Close in Lichfield. Whichever book you chose, I hope that you are still keen on it come Easter. Even if you don t finish the book my hope is that you find something in what you do read to encourage you on your journey with God. Peter Dakin

6 Pink umbrellas makes Cinderella a hit The Hilderstone Christmas Show was a rich mixture of readings from here and there about Christmas, classic seasonal songs from the last 50 years, and jokey one liners. The star part for many was Cinderella in rhyme, In traditional panto style the leading man was a lady, and the leading beauties were men and what a sight they were. The pink umbrellas were wielded by the fairy godmama, sometimes rather near the lights and the Christmas decorations. Everyone laughed and spluttered at the cast, and at the end applauded the whole show. Well done to all. Thank you for your gifts. Christ Church funds have been boosted recently by gifts from two village activities. The monthly market and the Christmas show both seek to do two things. Firstly they provide a service to the village, and secondly they aim to produce a small surplus which can then be returned to the village by helping the funds of the church and other good causes. Christ Church has received 350 from the monthly market, and a further 160 from the Christmas show. The village is very grateful to the people who are involved, and Christ Church is extremely grateful for the donations. Christmas in Fulford and Hilderstone. A count of people attending services over the Christmas period points to around 300 adult attendances. The Crib Service drew in over 120 people of all ages, of them, 80 were adults..if the total of 300 were an accurate number of people each attending only once, this represents around 20% of the adult population of our two parishes. A statistician would question the calculations, but as it stands it is a very healthy figure. Lets keep Christ in Christmas.

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8 Candelaria on February 2nd The date of February 2nd places the Candelaria celebration forty days after Christmas and continues the religious cycle that leads up to Easter Sunday. Additionally, it is also the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, which is the basis for various ancient European celebrations that commemorate the annual beginnings of the agricultural season. For the Church, however, Candelaria remains a day of hope and light. It is a time to honour the Lord as the Light of the World and to remind us that we too have that light within us. (in North America) 2 February, when the groundhog is said to come out of its hole at the end of hibernation. If the animal sees its shadow i.e. if the weather is sunny it goes back into its hole, which portends six weeks more of winter weather.

9 Hilderstone Heritage, Part Twelve Hilderstone once had its own tennis club. The grass tennis court at the Hollies had fallen into disuse but in 1946 was offered to the village by the owners, Mr and Mrs Matthews. Mr Robert Hill kindly donated the equipment, and Ken Boulton led the restoration of the court. The club had the use of outbuildings, and the entrance was through the metal gate on Sandon Road. The club lasted for a decade, only being disbanded when the Matthews moved to North Wales. From this period here are the recollections of a late village resident: As a teenager, in 1945, we moved to a small holding at Stone Heath due to my father s ill health. My father had been an overseer in the mines but had contracted pneumoconiosis. At that time Stone Heath was an isolated hamlet within the parish of Hilderstone. The parish boundary actually ran along the edge of one of our fields. There was no electricity or running water we used an aladdin lamp and well water. I cycled four miles to work (Blythe Colour Works) through country lanes. If we wanted to go to Longton we walked or cycled to the Bird in Hand (where we could leave our bikes) and caught the bus. During the winter of 1947 the roads were blocked for nearly 6 weeks. This was the worst winter in living

10 memory. We were forced to melt snow for water a bucket of snow produced only a small amount of water. I attended Christ Church and joined the choir and went on the outings. I also joined the tennis club, and I became a member of the WI in One of the first Church fetes I remember was held on the Vicarage lawn and was opened by the Countess of Shrewsbury; it was a lovely day. The village then boasted three shops (one with a bakery), a post office and a butchers. Hilderstone also had its own petrol station and a smithy. Whist drives and dances held in the school were very popular. Other social events were the Vicar s party, the tennis club party, and the WI and Mothers Union parties. Some were held in the school and others at Hilderstone Hall. Carol singing at Christmas was another tradition and one Christmas Eve we all finished up at the Vicarage where the girls were given a chocolate liqueur (a luxury in those days) and the boys had a glass of sherry, before we went to the midnight service. In 1950 we had a new Vicar [Reverend Fernie] who started a young people s society, a Mothers Union branch and a dramatic society. The rehearsals for the latter were held at the Vicarage and the plays were performed in the school, later the Village Hall. We performed many popular plays such as This Happy Breed and When We Are Married. Two plays were usually presented each year and they were always well supported. On Coronation Day a party and sports were held at the Hall and a fireworks display in the evening ended the celebrations.

11 Hilderstone Parish Council Best Kept Village Competition Hilderstone will be entering the Best Kept Village Competition again in It would be fantastic if we could win the small village category after such encouraging judges comments in recent years. As judging can take place at anytime in May, June and July, it is important that work starts in early March so that the village is ready for judging by the end of April. All residents can help by giving their front gardens a good spring tidy, trimming hedges on a regular basis throughout the season, weeding, removing moss and sweeping the pavement in front of your property. A village full of flowering baskets, pots and planters also helps to impress the judges, as well as enhancing the beauty of the village. The Best Kept Village Team of volunteers have continued to work hard, but in order to reach

12 the exacting standards of the winning villages we need a co-ordinator to develop a strong plan of action and direct the volunteers. If you are willing to take on this role please contact the parish clerk in the first instance. Under the rules of the competition, members of the Parish Council are not able to be the co-ordinator. New volunteers are always welcome to join the group. This does not require a big commitment of time; just a few hours per month throughout the year makes a huge difference to the village environment. If you would like to become a volunteer please contact the Parish Clerk. Roebuck Bank After tree works carried out by Western Power last summer the Parish Council decided to remove the remaining self-set trees on Roebuck bank, in order to reduce long term maintenance. Smaller and more attractive varieties of trees will be planted on the bank to improve the landscape. Any damage to the bank and daffodils will be rectified in due course

13 Housing and Industrial Park Development at Cresswell Villagers Voices for Staffordshire Moorlands are mounting a legal challenge to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) on the validity of the decision made on the recent planning application at Cresswell. They are currently trying to raise 15,000 to cover the initial legal costs. Hilderstone Parish Council has decided that it is not appropriate for it to become involved in the legal challenge to SMDC or to donate funds to this cause. Hilderstone Parish Council is however still concerned about the increase in traffic that might be generated through local villages as a result of such development. The Parish Council will continue to lobby local planning and highways authorities for adequate measures to be put in place to stop additional heavy goods vehicles travelling through Hilderstone (if the development should go ahead).

14 Village Events Diary 2016 Organisers are asked to ensure that dates and details of forthcoming village events are on the village website and in the Parish Magazine as soon as possible. Highways Defects Remember, that if you are aware of any potholes, damaged pavements, blocked drains on the roads, broken streetlights, damaged trees or fallen branches you can report these to the County Council Highways Department for action via: HIGHWAYS HOTLINE (8am to 6pm) Local rates apply or You will be given a reference number for the job and an approximate timescale for resolution of the problem. If after a reasonable period the problem has not been resolved please let the Parish Clerk know together with any reference numbers you have been given.

15 HILDERSTONE PARISH COUNCIL MONTHLY MEETING DATES 2016 The dates of the meetings taking place in 2016 are: Wednesday 27th January 2016 at 7.30pm Wednesday 24 th February 2016 at 7.30pm Wednesday 23rd March 2016 at 7.30pm Wednesday 27th April 2016 at 7.30pm Wednesday 25th May 2016 at 7.00pm (Annual General Meeting pm) Wednesday 22nd June 2016 at 7.30pm Wednesday 27th July 2016 at 7.30pm Wednesday 24th August 2016 at 7.30pm

16 Wednesday 28th September 2016 at 7.30pm Wednesday 26 th October 2016 at 7.30pm Wednesday 23rd November 2016 at 7.30pm No meeting in December. Members of the public are welcome at these meetings to observe proceedings or raise an issue of concern. If you require the Parish Council to make a decision on an issue of concern, you should notify the Parish Clerk at least 14 days in advance of a meeting so that it can be included in the agenda for that meeting. Clerk to Hilderstone Parish Council - Mrs Helen Howie. Contact Address: 216 Grindley Lane, Blythe Bridge, ST11 9JS. Telephone Number: clerk@hilderstone.staffslc.gov.uk

17 COUNTRYSIDE WATCHER FEBRUARY COURTING BLACKBIRDS There is an old country saying that if Candlemas Day, the 2 nd February, is calm and fair then half the Winter is yet to come. If, on the other hand, the weather is murky and foul, then the worst of winter is over. Well, in my experience of walking down the lane, I think that correct. nd saying is So on the 2 February, make a note of the weather and see if the proverb comes true. It is February and Blackbirds are effortlessly singing their pure, fluting song. They are already courting. February is a busy time for them, as it is for most birds. I watch a female Blackbird land on a branch of a tree. A male quickly follows it. Almost immediately another male lands on the other side of the lady. Maybe she is enjoying the chase for she quickly flew to another near-by tree branch. One by one the other two follow. The courting continues as all three fly to sit side by side on a branch at the top of a tall Sycamore tree. I watch as the wind blows strongly through h the tree branches, so the males quickly follow the female on to a telephone wire. Then all three fly off together. Originally British Blackbirds lived only in large forests. In the 19 th Century they began to spread to places where human beings lived. Now they live everywhere, even in man-made made places. Blackbirds can find food to eat, mainly Worms and Insects, s, throughout the year. Whenever I see a Blackbird, a poem I learnt as a child comes into my mind. It begins: A birdie with a yellow bill hopped upon my windowsill. A male Blackbird has a yellow low beak and a yellow ring around its eye. Everything else is jet-black. Females and young birds are reddish-brown with pale spots and streaks underneath and on their throats. From March to September Blackbirds build their grass and twig nests, lined with mud and grass, in the fork of abush or tree. They lay three to four green-blue, brown spotted eggs. After around fourteen days the babies break out. Two to three broods are usual, but some birds have five. I love to watch and listen to a Blackbird singing. It lifts up its head, lowers its wings and opens wide its beak. Sometimes I hear an unseen bird singing at night. Then I stand still and enjoy the glorious music. Sheila Harvey

18 Scarecrow Fun Weekend ADVANCE ANC NOTICE Saturday & Sunday 11 1 th and 12 th June 2016 How time flies! It is now time to think about our next Scarecrow row Weekend! It is hard to believe that it s almost two years since our last successful weekend. Many peoplee have asked me when the next one will be and so I do hope everyone e will start to think about making a Scarecrow. As in previous years it is amazing how imaginative the entries are but if you have a problem in deciding what to do there are lots of ideas on the internet so start collecting old clothes and suitable staging now! As in previous years the categories will be Traditional, Humorous and Original which I think gives everyone a fair chance! The Scarecrow Weekend has developed into a real village event so let us try and make it even bigger and better than last time! We will again have teas served at the Scarecrow Café and this year it is Under New Management.. I am so pleased that Simon Shaw has very kindly taken over the responsibility of running the café. The Church will again be decorated with scarecrows and we will have the usual Scarecrow Service on the Sunday morning. We are hoping to have a new photographic ographic display in Church and also new paintings on display in the Village Hall. Keep watching for more information in the Parish Magazine but most importantly keep the weekend end free! With best wishes Christine Clark, Scarecrow crow Weekend Organiser th

19 A Staffordshire Man Harry Titley s latest book, A Staffordshire Man, has recently been published. It is the sequel to A Staffordshire Lad that I referred to in the magazine around six years ago. Both books include some of Harry s experiences that have appeared in the magazine from time to time. This story is also set in North Staffordshire and follows his life from a young man returning to civilian life from national service, attempting to pick up the threads of his former years and wrestling with mixed emotions generated by the suddenness of change, lifestyle and environment. It describes his induction into a job and the foundation of a career that spanned more than forty years. It describes the difficulties of adjusting to a new environment, the meeting of his wife and their life together. It tracks his life from the happiness of courtship, the difficulties and struggles of early married life and parenting to one of satisfaction and fulfilment. From Harry s perspective, it illustrates the organisational, technical and business changes at the English Electric Company in Stafford over more than four decades with a frank, light-hearted and often humorous approach. It is a frank portrayal of an ordinary life, similarly experienced by many people, but it is also a work of social and industrial history that helps bring back powerful memories. Harry s love of Staffordshire is demonstrated throughout the book and its cover, Our Potteries Heritage is used by kind permission of the eminent Staffordshire artist, Sid Kirkham, the Potteries Lowry. The book is available online from Amazon Books UK and the major High Street stores. Sue Stubbs, Editor

20 Village Market Have you been to the monthly market held in the village hall, please come along for a warm welcome, excellent products including crafts, fruit & vegetables, eggs, jams and chutneys, delicious homemade cakes and freshly cooked bacon baps. It is held on the last Saturday of the month in the village hall from 10am till 12.30pm. Christ Church Fund Raising 2016 We are looking for donations for a Grand Draw this year, if you or the company you work for would like to make a donation please contact Phil Davies on We are currently planning our fund raising events for 2016 if you would like to help or if you have a suggestion please contact Phil Davies on or Sue Stubbs on Beetle Drive We are holding a beetle drive late this year, and we are looking for prizes for the raffle if you would like to donate a prize please call Phil Davies on Magazine Donations Last year, the readers of our magazine generously donated enough money to keep our magazine running, we still need your help to continue. If you would like to make a donation please contact either Phil Davies on or Sue Stubbs on and we can arrange to collect your donation.

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29 HILDERSTONE VILLAGE HALL HIRE CHARGES Information for Hiring Hilderstone Village Hall With effect from June 1 st 2015 it will be a set fee for all of the facilities of the hall, which are as follows: Hilderstone Residents: per hour Non Residents: per hour We can also offer special rates for Parties, and regular users of the village hall. Please feel free to discuss with the booking secretary what your requirements are. All bookings should be made through the Bookings Secretary: Debbie Brition, Tel: Monday to Friday or - hilderstonevhbooking@gmail.com Village Hall Key Holders & Contact Details Mrs M.Wareham (Key Holder & Caretaker) Tel: Pat Cowan tel HILDERSTONE 100 S Club Christmas Draw December 1st 2015 January 12 th st prize 100 No 59 Richard Scholes 1 st prize no 49 Sue Stubbs 2nd prize 75 No 11 Amy Stubbs 3rd prize 50 No 61 Mike Shelley 2 nd prize no 23 Sue Jones 4th prize 40 No 35 R&C.Clark 5th prize 30 No 51 Pauline Mardling 3 rd prize no 60 Sue Pilcher 6 th prize 35 No 46 Ann Holmes 7 th prize 20 No 66 Doreen Smith 4 th prize no 22 Lily More 8 th prize 20 No 3 John Maiden 9 th prize 10 No 32 Rose Mardling 5 th prize no 31 Ann Collier 10 th prize 10 No 58 Barbara Podmore Why don t you join the Village Hall 100s Club, you have a better chance of winning than the national lottery. If interested ring me Sue Stubbs on

30 Church Services in February 2016 January st 11.15am Holy Communion February th am Family Communion 10 th Ash Wednesday Service details to follow 14 th am Holy Communion 21 st am Holy Communion and Sunday School 28 th 11.15am Holy Communion March th am Family Service on Mothering Sunday 15d Raleigh Hall Ind Est Eccleshall Stafford. ST21 6JL T: / F: E: creativecopy@btconnect.com