|
|
|
          
|
(Link December 2007) Bugbrooke
and Harpole Scout Group Beavers
have been working towards their Discovery Challenge badge this autumn.
They went on a hike, and made their own paper cups for a drink of squash
– none of them leaked. They have done experiments such as making a
tornado in a bottle, and blowing an egg from one glass to another.
Beavers have made rune plaques with funky foam, and played boules on the
field – an outdoor game they hadn’t played before. They had a look
at the bowling green, and spoke to the groundsman who explained that the
grass has to be very short and flat so that the bowls roll a long way. Cubs
kept diaries in the summer holidays for their pet-carers and home-help
badges. They had a rounders evening and found out about map reading.
They painted and prepared their own first aid boxes, which contained
their name, address and first aid kit. They went on an evening hike and
conker hunt, and have had a mini-Olympics where two teams spent ten
minutes each playing football, a relay race, welly wanging and rounders.
They were remarkably evenly matched despite age differences, and
everyone got a prize, even the spectators. Cubs have brought their
bicycles with them, and learnt about maintenance and how the bike works. A
family barbecue in September was much enjoyed by everyone. This was a
special occasion as we said thank you and goodbye to Stewart Wykes, our
Beaver leader for nine years. It was a double celebration as it was also
James H’s 14th birthday. Four of the original scouts including James
were asked to stand up. These were our first scouts in 2004 when the
Scout Troop was restarted in Bugbrooke. They started their scouting
career in Beavers, thanks to Stewart, and have progressed through Cubs
and Scouts, and are now in the position of being young leaders, and
passing their skills on to others. On October 29th, Cubs had a Halloween evening with Jack-o-lanterns, a quiz and a ghost hunt round the playing field. They gave it the all-clear. Cubs tried roasted pumpkin but preferred crisps, and found sticky cockroaches in the lucky guts dip!
Cubs
celebrating after their mini Olympics Scouts
have been practising reading their compasses, and followed a trail of
compass bearings chalked on posts, with a few detours. They have been
trying “physical theatre”, i.e. small groups organised themselves to
make physical objects with their bodies, e.g. they formed themselves
into a table and chair and one person sat at the table. They made the
Statue of Liberty, an assault course and sitting down without a chair
– this one is inclined to collapse in a heap. Several Scouts took part
in the annual Star Trek overnight hike at Welford in mid October. 17
groups of four to five boys and girls from all over the Daventry
District started orienteering at 9pm on a set route in the countryside
walking from base to base with map, compass and mobile phone. Our team
kept to a 9.5km trail and reached most of the bases. At each checkpoint,
they had to perform an activity, one of which was the physical theatre
where our lads had the advantage. The night was dry and warm, and cloudy
with no moon, so they were glad to have their torches. They arrived at
Welford at 2am, and spent the rest of the night at the Community Centre.
Breakfast and prize-giving were at 8am. On
October 31st, Scouts made a nice mixture from out-of-date flour, tinned
peas and tomato soup from the kitchen, and fished around blindfolded in
the bowl to grab bags of sweets which they ate. They had to wash them
first. They got messy with that, and wet with apple bobbing, finishing
up with a helping of apple pie each. Scouts helped as car parking
stewards at Hollowell Bonfire Party on November 3rd, and are looking
forward to a Brass Monkeys camp at Overstone in January. Scout Group
members joined the Remembrance Sunday ceremonies on November 11th. For information please visit our
website, www.bugbrookelink.co.uk/scouts. Secretary, Margaret Raymond 830532 Jesus
Fellowship, Bugbrooke Chapel First
of all our apologies for absence over the past year. In 2008 we will
renew our
entry in the Link, as a number of people have expressed a wish for us to
continue our entry. This month's entry is simply to inform you of local events in the Jesus
Fellowship. These are open to everyone, whether you believe in God or
not. Our aim is to help people to believe, so if you just want to find
out and explore, you are welcome to come and explore faith with us. Sunday
evening meetings:
7pm at the Jesus Centre, Abington Street, Northampton. New
events: Saturday
nights at 7.30pm in the Chapel, a smaller group meeting in the
"Upper Lounge" on Dec 1, 8, 22, Jan 5, 12, Feb 1. All are
welcome. Special
event: Saturday
Dec 15th at the "Sunday School Rooms" in Church Lane. An
evening of exploring faith through music, singing, poetry and drama, and
maybe some
karaoke. This free event begins with tea at 5pm and kicks off at 6pm for
as long as contributions keep coming, although no later than 9pm.
Designed for all ages so you won't feel too young or too old. Prayer
requests:
If you want us to pray for someone send us a text or an email. John Thomason Nature
Notes It
is November 2nd and we are enjoying an Indian Summer with sunny weather,
no wind, and a temperature of 16C. This will not last! Be prepared to
help out the birds when feeding becomes more difficult for them. This
includes keeping your bird baths ice free so they can get a drink
without having to fly all the way down to the brook. Keeping
your bird table clean is also important. There is a highly contagious
disease spreading via bird baths and tables. It causes birds’ throats
to swell to the extent they cannot eat. It is called avian
trichomoniasis and can affect most garden birds. You are advised to
disinfect bird tables or stop putting out food if you see dead birds
nearby. We
are currently in the middle of an epidemic of myxomatosis, which is
seriously affecting the rabbit population. This might have consequences
for garden birds if Sparrowhawks and Buzzards have difficulty in finding
enough food out in the fields. Try and make sure bird tables are sited
close to hedges or bushes so that there is a source of escape close at
hand if it is urgently needed. Cat lovers should also ensure their
animals give an early warning to birds by putting a bell on the collar. There
is extensive work going on at the railway embankment near the Wharf.
This has disturbed the foxes and they are likely to be looking for a new
place to rear their cubs next year. Keep your eyes skinned if you are
walking in that part of the parish. A
lady had the privilege of watching the kingfisher going in and out of
its hole whilst feeding its young during the summer. She must be one of
the few that have ever seen this but it does indicate that they are
clinging on near the local brook. The trout also seem to be finding
places to hide although the new embankment works are likely to disturb
them. They have another problem to contend with now that the crayfish
are attacking their fry – this is another example (like mink) of
imported creatures upsetting the balance of nature. What with modern
farming practices using excessive pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers
it is a wonder we see as much wildlife as we do. We need to protect it
so our children and grandchildren can also enjoy the pleasure of seeing
birds and animals in the countryside. John Curtis A
Date for your 2008 Diary Saturday and
Sunday, 19–20 July Plans for
an Open Garden weekend are well advanced and will include Cream Teas in
the Sunday School. If anyone else would like to offer their gardens,
please contact me. Sue Pace (832516) It's
Christmas – but not as we know it Only
a few miles of salt water separate the UK and France but approaching our
second Christmas here only emphasises the differences between the two
cultures. The French seem to be much more focussed around the family
unit and public holidays are always an occasion for a family dinner.
Their celebrations centre on Christmas Eve when it is tradition to go to
Church at about 8 or 9pm and then return home for dinner. Present
opening usually takes place at midnight. There
is no traditional menu for this dinner, the preference being poultry,
not necessarily turkey, preceded by oysters, salmon and boudin blanc
(white as opposed to black pudding). Another special appetiser is foie
gras, goose liver pate, which is eaten on a sweet brioche with a glass
of sweet wine such as Sauternes. There is a general obsession with this
delicacy which varies wildly in price from as little as € 3 to € 25,
and much more. The main tradition revolves around the sweet, a chocolate
roll called bûche de Noël, very sweet and sticky. Presumably
there is plenty of time to recuperate on Christmas day as there is no
public holiday on 26th – last year I was amazed to get a package
delivered by a courier while we were enjoying a British Boxing Day. For
the new year there is usually a village 'soirée' one of many throughout
the year which are well attended by people of all ages – as usual the
food is very important and for mass catering, is excellent. New year's
eve is special and has more courses. Last year our friend's soirée
started with Pineau and Cognac-Schwepps at 10pm and finished with onion
soup at 5am the next morning with the main course at about 12.30 and the
pudding at 2pm. The
French people have been very welcoming at these events where we have
been sandwiched on long tressle tables and the lack of the correct word
is covered up by a smile and another toast. Heureux
Noël and Bonne Année to everyone who remembers us in Bugbrooke. John
and Jenny Unwin
Women’s
Institute Our
Annual General Meeting was held on Monday October 8th. The committee was
elected and a lady spoke about the work of Macmillan Nurses and also
showed us slides. A hot supper was served by the committee and was very
much enjoyed. A Boswell Darby
and Joan Hello
everyone. Well it’s November again. The mornings are light now after
altering the clocks, and the sun is shining bright and warm, which is
something to make the most of while it lasts. At
our anniversary party on October 6th, Mrs Pam Bird and her team again
served us to a grand hot dinner all set out in style and was much
enjoyed by us all. We were entertained by “Our Flossie” with good
old songs and dance in various costumes through the years. Flossie
finished with a hilarious rendering of “The Galloping Major” in full
uniform, then there was magic with Graham Sargeant and wife. These acts
are always full of surprises and very clever, but when asked to take
part it always turns out right for Graham, so thank you for sharing your
gift of talent with us. Mrs D M French Reprieve for Darby and Joan
Club We
are glad to announce that Bugbrooke St Michael's Church will take over
the running of the Darby and Joan club from January 2008. Lynne Clayson
and a team of helpers will continue the good work that the retiring
committee have put in over the years and would like to thank them for
their work for the elderly in our village over such a long
time and for leaving the club in such a healthy and ship-shape
condition. Members
can be reassured that things will go on in just the same way, with
meetings on alternate Wednesdays. The first meeting of the New Year will
be on January 30th. We look forward to seeing you all then –
same time, same place, same routine. Lynne
and the team tel 830480 Bugbrooke
Workhouse and Lockup This
is a record of information gathered by Stanley Joseph Clark, with
encouragement from
the late George Freestone from Blisworth. It is based on notes taken at
the time, from
listening to the late Fred Lovell (Painter), and information from elders
who were
still alive at the time, as well as personal experience of witnessing
events as they occurred. During
the late 1940s and early 1950s, when living at No 6 (now 41) Camp
Hill, Fred and Frank Curtis were to build a bungalow each, next to their
fathers
bungalow. This was on the waste ground that was exactly opposite the two
blocks
of council houses that stand on the left up the Gayton Road. Before
the Curtis family acquired this piece of land, Mr William (Bill) Howard
used this
land for allotments, as well as keeping pigs and pigeons on it. As
they started to clear this piece of land, along with digging out the
footings for these two bungalows, the foundations of some buildings were
uncovered,
along with several water wells. Old Mr Fred Lovell (Colin's father),
told us that they were the remains of the former Bugbrooke Poor House or
Work House, and village lockup that was used for drunken disorderly
persons etc. that
once stood on this site. I
gathered other information with the help of Mr George Freestone and
Mr Allan Burman, photographer to the Northampton Chronicle
and
Echo. Up
until 1834, every parish had responsibility for administering the Poor
Law and were
compelled by law to have a Poor House within the Parish. In this year
the Law was revised and larger Work Houses were to be built in the towns
that would undertake
the responsibilities from the surrounding parishes. A large Work House was
to be built on Wellingborough Road opposite St Edmunds Church, and
another at Daventry, on the Old Coventry Road A45. This was about 1836. I
do not know the period in time when Bugbrooke work house was built, but
Mr Lovell
did say that it was built on part of Bugbrooke common land that once ran
on the
right hand side of Camp Hill
and on to Bugbrooke Downs. That also was Common Land at the time,
as this was before the Enclosure Act was passed just before 1805 period,
so he had been
told. Just
after the 1834 law was passed, and the larger work houses in the local
towns were
constructed, Bugbrooke Work House became redundant and was left until it
was
nearly derelict, then a decision was made to pull it down. This is
according to Mr Lovell who said this
information was handed down from his parents and grandparents. The
period of the demolition I do not know, but all the materials, including
the sandstone
and good wood from the roofing, floors etc., were taken up Pilgrims Lane
and used to build the house where his son Colin had just moved into;
this house still stands to this day. Work
House Rules Some
workhouses were to make their inmates wear different
coloured
striped clothing on a white background. From
what I can gather, prayer time was sacrosanct; for missing prayers or
swearing,
fighting, interrupting the preacher, or such like, the punishment was
to be 24 hours on bread and water in the village
lock up, that was on the same site, next to the work house. For
those in the work house, if deemed to be fit enough for work, all manner
of jobs were to be completed. This was from chopping sticks for fire
lighters, to helping out with the laundry or the breaking of stones that
were later used on the
highway; the jobs were endless. From
the information I can gather, there were over 230 rules laid out by the
London Work House Commission that had to be strictly adhered to.
Families were segregated,
men in one ward, women in another, and children in another. Married
couples, no matter how long they had been married, were parted from each
other and their children, and had to live separately. Some of these
children were sent to the colonies by certain religious groups. Inmates could
be transported to other areas in the country where
labour
or a work force was in demand. It
is on record that many boat loads of inmates from the London area passed
through Bugbrooke
on their way by canal up to the north of England to the very large
factories and mills that demanded a large influx of workers. This was
before the railway was constructed. They were promised accommodation
along with a plot of land
(this
was due to the New Allotment Act that was passed in Parliament during
this period
in time). Many
of the large mills and factories built houses for their work force, this
was to entice people to come and stay, so that they had a stable work
force. Some of the companies that did this were: Cadbury Chocolate, Salt
Family Mills and many more. Many of the large coal mining companies
followed suit and at a later date the Railway Companies
were to do the same. The
movement of thousands of people was mainly an after affect of the
Enclosure Act being enforced, for it was responsible for throwing
hundreds and thousands of people out
of work, and off the land, during the period between 1775 and 1805. Stanley
Joseph Clark
|
