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(Link February 2007) Bugbrooke
Strollers During February and March the Strollers will be
continuing their Thursday morning walks. These start at 10.00am and last
for about two hours at a leisurely pace. Newcomers are always welcome to
join in. The programme for the two months will include walks at Brington,
Stowe, Astcote, Greens Norton, Rothersthorpe, Adstone, Harlestone,
Littliff and Norton. John
Curtis Jubilee
House A
pleasant gathering of over 50 people was held at Jubilee House on
Thursday, 14 December where residents and visitors from the village
enjoyed mulled wine and mince pies from 2.00–3.30pm.
They were joined by representatives of Polygen (site owners) and South
Northants Council (warden organisers). Everyone
was pleased to see the Community Room and adjoining kitchen fully
utilised. It was generally agreed that more use ought to be made of the
facility and it was decided to organise a programme of activities during
2007. Many people were surprised to find out that older residents from
the village are welcome to use the Community Room. Representatives of
the site owners were keen to encourage this aspect of the building and
residents in Jubilee House were keen to have the chance to meet new
friends. Among
the things being mentioned as possible events are coffee mornings,
bingo, beetle drives, craft workshops, play readings, fish and chip
lunches and exercise sessions. Other suggestions are encouraged and
anyone who has ideas to use the room is asked to contact Dave Harries on
830117. The room (which is carpeted, heated and has comfortable chairs
and tables) is available to hire especially if elderly residents of the
village are involved. The
Jubilee House residents organised their own Christmas lunch on Friday
December 15th with the help of warden Rita, Marlene Tydings and Sue
Goodman. They were delighted to receive a visit from Father Christmas
who brought along a sackful of presents courtesy of the local football
club. During
2007 events available to all village residents over 60 years of age,
will include a coffee morning on Wednesdays at 11.00am (50p), followed
by lunch arranged by Age Concern. A bingo session will be run by Willie
Marriott every second Friday of the month at 2.00pm, starting on January
12th. A crafts session where there will be simple card-making will be
run by Rosemary Harries every fourth Friday of the month starting on
26th January at 2pm. As an additional event, Jane Causebrook will be
running a Beetle Drive on 17th February. It is hoped to add other
activities as the year progresses and we expect to advise you of these
in subsequent Link editions. Brownies,
Guides and Rangers Congratulations
to Bugbrooke Brown Owls In
November Maria Claridge and Judy Ryan were presented with The Midlands
Chief Commissioner’s Award for their continuing services to Brownies
in Bugbrooke.
Bugbrooke
Notelets The
Bugbrooke Rangers have produced (with the help of Braunston
Reprographics) and are selling Bugbrooke Notelets as a fundraiser. There
are four local pictures and cost £1.99 for 4 or £3.50 for 8, further
details are available in the Post Office or from Jane Causebrook
(830376). Bugbrooke
Rangers continue to meet fortnightly on a Wednesday, usually at The
Sunday School, for any girls who are 14 and above. Australian
Visitors Many,
many thanks to all those who helped make their visit so memorable. A
special thank you to those who welcomed the youngsters into their homes
and to those who attended their concert. All your kindness is really
appreciated by the choir and music groups from Westbourne School in
Melbourne. This is the third time they have visited Bugbrooke as part of
their European tour. Jane
and Charlie Causebrook A
District Councillor’s Tale “You’re an interfering
old busybody with opinions on everything, why don’t you stand for
election to the District Council?” It was Spring 2003. I was enjoying my first
year of relative freedom after working in local government for over 30
years. Ignoring the malicious truths contained in the question, my first
thought was no, no, no. Why on earth should I choose to try to get back
into the frustrating, somewhat artificial world of local councils –
acting as if they could change things but in reality being the
cat’s-paw of Central Government? In any case, I had always worked in
posts that were politically restricted, and I continued to have no
allegiance (or sympathy) with any political party: getting elected
normally required a Party ticket. Being a parish councillor was surely
enough. Now, in late 2006, I have been a South
Northamptonshire District Councillor for over three years, I am
vice-chairman of a scrutiny committee (a committee that examines Cabinet
actions), putative Joint Leader of the Independent Group (something of
an oxymoron – but almost a
quarter of the Council), member of the Shadow Housing Board (the body to
which all the Council’s housing will be transferred if the tenants
vote in favour in a ballot next Summer), and even a member of a national
Task Group (which involves regular trips to London, but unfortunately
never at the same time as Arsenal are playing). It is as frustrating as it is occasionally
rewarding. The frustrations are numerous: I am kept a
safe distance from the serious decision-making, and in any case, a small
District Council has little strategic control over the major issues
affecting the area. The rewards come mainly from helping
individuals. That may sound trite, but it is genuinely rewarding to help
local families get appropriate housing or to persuade the council to
allow a local planning permission that they were minded to refuse. In
truth, overturning a recommended planning decision is rare. Each year I
can count the number of times that I have helped achieve it in Bugbrooke
on the fingers of one finger. In Housing, councillors are now kept out
of the allocation process. On each occasion when I have been able to
help, it was only after the families concerned approached me. Like all
other councillors, I have no prior knowledge of who will be offered a
home, or even where they feature on the waiting list. Unless I ask, I am
not told. Even then there may be issues of data protection and
confidentiality: more than once I have been told by officers of a
council or government department that they cannot explain their decision
because it is confidential. Needless to say, I do not give up easily,
and can claim some successes. It does help to have a local councillor on
the case. South Northamptonshire Council is less
overtly political than most. For the past two years the Cabinet Member
responsible for the Council’s finances has invited a councillor from
each of the two Minority Parties, including me, to participate in
preparing and monitoring the budget. The Cabinet, of course, is
comprised solely of councillors from the Majority Party – and it is
the Cabinet that takes almost all the Council’s decisions. There is no doubt that the balance of
whatever power there is in local government is moving away from the
ordinary councillor, regardless of political Party, and towards the
Cabinet Member and senior officer. Overall, however, I am enjoying the
challenge. The victories achieved on behalf of local people are all the
more rewarding. Despite my initial reservations I am glad that I took
the plunge, even if it was, like second marriages, the triumph of hope
over experience. David
Harries Royal
British Legion Poppy Appeal The
sum collected in the village for the 2006 annual Poppy Appeal was £1316.13,
which is higher than the £1250.41 collected in 2005. We
should like to thank all those who gave to this very worthwhile appeal
and in particular, to those who undertook the house-to-house collecting
and to all the village schools, shops and pubs who kindly had our
collecting boxes and trays of poppies on display. Terry
Ward and Don Prime Bugbrooke
& District Flower Society We
started the New Year with our AGM and supper at the Sunday School
Bugbrooke on Monday January 22nd at 8pm. The first demonstration will be
on Monday 26th February.
If
you are interested in knowing what goes on, or joining the club, then
please feel welcome to come along. V.
Chambers Bugbrooke
History Group There
has been an excellent response to the call for old photographs to go
towards a pictorial history of Bugbrooke. There have been so many that
the production team of Dave Hewitt, Pat Kent, Betty Prime, Terry Ward,
John Curtis and Liz Thomas have concluded that there will have to be two
editions. The first one will deal with 1900–1960 and another one will
have to be produced in the future for 1960 onwards. It
is not now possible to take any more photos pre 1960. They have all been
kindly put onto CD by Tony Pace who has worked very hard to accommodate
all requests. The work of sorting out photos and linking them to
descriptions is being undertaken by Ellie Thomas. The
hope is that a book can be presented to the village by Christmas 2007.
It will provide an interesting pictorial record of how Bugbrooke has
developed over the past 100 years. Did
you know? Pilgrims Lane is probably named after the Quakers
who lived here in the 1600s. Bugbrooke had the third biggest gathering
of Quakers in Northants at that time. If you follow the footpath from
Pilgrims Lane past the bottom of Campion School playing fields and the
Sandpits you will eventually come to a small bridge over a stream. It is
believed this is the point at which persecuted Quakers from Bugbrooke
and Kislingbury would secretly meet to continue their beliefs. It is
thought to be the site of the “Hallelujah Corner” recorded in old
history books.
John
Curtis |
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