2012 10
DESCRIPTION
Cople village magazineTRANSCRIPT
October 2012 52
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For details of Products and
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Cople News
October 2012
October 2012 2
WILLINGTON POST OFFICE & STORES
Telephone: 01234 838 240
Friendly. helpful staff, well stocked shelves, wide range of products.
News paper& magazine ordering service, optional delivery to Cardington, Cople, Willington and Moggerhanger.
Fresh local produce on external stalls, Free range eggs from Cardington,
Willington honey, fresh bread and cakes from local bakery. Specially decorated iced mini cakes and cup cakes for Mothers Day, Valentine, etc
Chilled snacks and sandwiches, salads, ham, cheese, and bacon,
Varieties of designers cards for all occasions, stationary, packaging material.
Lottery. groceries off licence (Good collection of wine)
Pay station for phone top up, gas/electric key charging and bill payments
Post Office Counter for Personal Banking& Business banking services. Foreign Currency (Euros & Dollars on Demand)
Car Tax, Phone& Broadband
Services, Savings products, Car/home/travel/life/pet & Business Insurance products, Credit services, Gifts cards etc.
Special services: Send flowers by post “BUNCHES” for all occasions.
Dry cleaning & repair service. Household coal &logs. Making fruit & veg Baskets for special occasions.
Samosa veg and non veg on Friday/Saturdays Home delivery on the purchase of £10.00 (enquire in the shop.)
SHOP OPENING HOURS
MONDAY-FRIDAY 6:30AM to 6:00PM
SATURDAY 7:00AM to 6:00 PM. SUNDAY 8:00 AM to 12:00 NOON.
51
October 2012
October 2012 50
Cople Village Hall
and Playing Field
Available for Hire for
Private Functions, Children’s Parties,
Weddings, Conferences
and other bookings by arrangement
Hire Charge from £ 9 per hour
Please Contact
Bookings Officer: Marie Grohmann
Telephone : 838248
3
October 2012
Cover picture An autumnal view of Cople Church by Ian
Whiting
Editorial
Ian Whiting has bee running the village website for 12 years and
he has written a piece on how much it has been used so far this
year. It is interesting to see which areas are visited most and
by whom. I was initially surprised that this magazine is not
accessed a great deal by people living in Cople but as Ian points
out even he prefers to pick up a printed copy rather than read it
on a screen. For most people the attractions of a full colour
version do not compensate for the alien computer environment.
Our hits come from those who live away from the village and
one of them is Tom Stapleton who lives in Milton Keynes but
was our village policeman from 1955 to 1964. He has taken
time to write about his years in Cople and I will run his articles
over the next 3 months. Tom describes a village that most us
incomers know little about but will no doubt stir the memories of
longer established families. Many things have changed but
some reassuring themes emerge. There was little or no crime in
his time and that remains the case today. Also, there is plenty
of evidence to support my belief that this is still a strong self
supporting community.
Steve Halton is doing another of his walks around Cople looking
at wild life. This time we are allowed a lie in and we are asked
to present ourselves by the Church on Saturday 27th October at
8:30 am. There is no need to book.
The Parish Council has been busy. At a recent meeting it was
agreed to award a grant of £5,000 to the Village Trust towards
the purchase of a grass cutting system for use on the playing
field. At the same meeting a grant of £800 was awarded to the
Sports and Social Club for the purchase of material to re-furbish
the car park adjacent to the Club. Both of these grants reflect
the support of the Parish Council for valuable amenities within
the Parish.
Ged Peeke
October 2012 4
49
October 2012
All Saints Church
Vicar:
Rev Lynda Klimas
The Vicarage
Grange Lane, Cople
Tel: 01234 838 431
Churchwardens
June Shanahan Mike Vacher
34 Grange Lane 91 Willington Road
Cople Cople
Tel: 01234 831705 Tel: 01234 831207
Cople Parish Council
Clerk to the Council: Jeanne Pope
42 Wingfield Road, Bromham, Beds. MK43 8JY
Tel: 01234 823 297 [email protected]
Cople News
Editor : Ged Peeke
39 Willington Road, Cople, Beds, MK44 3TH
Tel 01234 838379
Email: [email protected]
Deadline for copy and advertising 15th of every month
Advertising Rates Annual Charges
Full Page £95
Half Page £47:50
One Third Page £31:50
Delivered free to every home in Cople every month Circulation 360 copies
October 2012 48
Village Hall
Bookings: Marie Grohmann
Email: [email protected]
Tel : 838248
Over 60's Club
Secretary : Hazel Shreeves
Tel : 838817
Mothers Union
Contact: Jill Ebbs
Tel : 838659
Cople Lower School
Headteacher : Helen Johnson
Tel : 838827
Cople Village Trust
Chair : Sandra Thacker
Tel : 831344
Royal British Legion
Chair: Max McMurdo
Tel: 01767 680624
Welfare: David Hansen
Tel : 01767 226020
Police
PC Paul Jones
Riseley Police Station
Tel : 01234 - 842864
Carpet Bowls
Secretary : Pauline Baynes
Tel : 838102
Willingtots Pre-School
Group
Tel: 07972– 148085
Before & After School Club
At Cople Lower School
Tel: 07592 - 012249
Brownies (Willington)
Karen Murray,
Tel: 01767 683719
Beavers, Cubs & Scouts
Contact Emma Whiterod
Tel: 07908 167356
Friends of Cople Church
Chair: Vaughan Southgate
Tel: 838714
Cople Sports & Social Club
Chair: David Hughes
Tel : 838669
Tuesday Club
Joy Duthie
Tel : 838407
Cricket
Cople Argus Cricket Club
Chris Gregory 01234 838396
Biggleswade Chronicle
Village Correspondent:
Jill Ebbs Tel: 838659
Cople Web Site
Ian Whiting Tel : 838347
Email: [email protected]
Web Site :www.cople.org.uk
Cople Baby and Toddler
Contact Kylie Dougall
Tel: 01234 740745
07999 257165
Just Ask
Wendy Worgan
0800 039 1234
Village Contacts
5
October 2012
ACE PEST CONTROL
Fast Efficient Service
Rats, Mice, Fleas, Moles,
Wasps, Bird Proofing etc
We offer very competitive rates with normally same day service
Proprietor: Mr J. T. Hillyard Telephone 01234 - 838391
October 2012 6
Letter from the Vicarage
Although we know much more about what is happening in
distant parts of the world through media coverage, sometimes
war and poverty do not really affect us unless we experience it
first hand. Of course it is true that what we see on the television
or read in the newspaper gives some insight into the suffering of
others it is not the same as being in the situation yourself.
This struck me on my recent visit to the Holy Land and especially
on a visit to the Dead Sea. Every year the size of the sea is
being reduced by irrigation from the river Jordan, which flows
into it, and global warming. Global warming is a serious issue
especially in countries where they do not get as much rain as us.
It was not that long ago that a hosepipe ban was imposed here
because we did not receive enough rain in the early part of this
year (I know we caught up in our “summer” but the
unseasonable rainfall is also related to this serious issue)
Every year at Harvest time we raise money for “The Bishop of St
Albans Harvest for the hungry appeal”. Last year when The
Bishop visited the Caribbean, with whom our Diocese has a link,
he was struck by the fragility of life for many of the people
there. The climate is often unpredictable and the region suffers
the threat of floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. This year he
has asked us to support the work that Christian Aid is already
doing in the Dominican Republic. The project is called “Action for
Hope” which is helping people to adapt to the effects of a
changing climate. Its aim is to teach people to grow a greater
variety of crops that are more resilient and to set up rapid
response systems to cope with the effects of the increasingly
common floods and hurricanes.
Our Harvest Festival service is on Sunday 7th October at
11.15am. It will be followed by our harvest lunch at the back of
the church. There will also be an auction of produce and a fun
table top quiz. If you would like to join us please contact Julia
Moore 831466 or Debbie Rogers 838595 or me 838431. The
money we raise will be given to the Bishop’s Appeal and other
charities. If you are unable to join us, we would be grateful for
47
October 2012
October 2012 46
7
October 2012
any produce or raffle prizes or a donation. Harvest is always a
special time for we who live in the village and enjoy the beauty
of the countryside around us. It is also a time for us to think of
others who are less fortunate than ourselves as we share our
plenty with some of the world’s poorest people.
“God of the harvest, open our eyes to see the beauty and
goodness of your creation,
open our hearts to receive your gifts with gratitude, not greed.
open our hands to give generously and cheerfully
in the name of Jesus Christ
Amen
With all good wishes
Lynda Klimas
All Souls tide service Sunday 28th October
at 6pm at St Lawrence Willington
Many people find it helpful to come to a special service during
which the names of their loved ones are remembered during the
prayers. They also value the opportunity to light a candle in
their memory. Afterwards refreshments will be served.
This year’s service will be on Sunday 28th October at 6pm at
St Lawrence Willington.
If you and your family would like to attend the service and would
like a name included in the prayers please contact me. It would
be helpful to know whether you are from Cople, Moggerhanger
or Willington as a churchwarden from each parish reads the
names.
Telephome on 01234 838431 or email me on
With thoughts and prayers especially for those who are
bereaved.
Lynda Klimas
Navy jacket size 12 found in the grounds of the church. Please phone June 831705 if the jacket belongs to you
October 2012 8
Mother’s Union
Members from Wilstead joined with us for our meeting in
September when our speaker was Gwynneth Akins. After
prayers, Gwynneth began by reading extracts from a book
recalling Sunday School- memories, thus evoking our own
recollections of those days.
All of us remembered wearing our sunday best clothes to Sunday
School; nothing else would do. Always popular were the yearly
outings especially to Wicksteed Park and the water chute--and
for some, a day at the seaside was a real treat as family holidays
weren’t taken back then. We also sang some of the many
choruses we learned, even doing the actions to one of them.
After all this activity, members enjoyed a delicious cream tea
prepared by Gwynneth, who was warmly thanked for a wonderful
afternoon of happy memories.
Our next meeting will be held in Moggerhanger on Monday 1st
October when our speaker will be Rev Janet Humphries. Cou1d
all items for our projects be handed in to members before our
meeting on 5th November please.
Liz Buck
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for all that is good;
satisfying work and innocent pleasure,
contentment and affection.
For all that is fulfilling
for all that warms us through,
for all that is strong and healthy,
we bless your holy name, 0 Lord'
(Praying Round The Clock)
45
October 2012
37, Ridge Road
Kempston, Beds MK43 9BS
Lawn Doctor Garden Services Clearance, Redesign, Maintenance
Tel: 01767 627 581 or 07796 328 855
Email: [email protected]
Tree Care, Planting, Weeding, Hedge Trimming, Turfing, Jungle
Clearing, Patio/Drive Pressure Washing
Landscaping, Lawn Improvement, Holiday Watering etc., etc.
City & Guilds Qualified & Widely Experienced – OAP Rates
– References Available Upon Request - Northill Based
‘Lawn Doctor deserve a medal. They are worth their weight in gold and I,
without doubt, will be using them in the future. A true gem.
October 2012 44
COPLE VILLAGE TRUST
200 CLUB
Prize winners for September 2012
1st Prize of £60 112 Lorna Shingler
2nd Prize of £30 157 S Bains
3rd Prize of £10 270 L Thorman
This Month’s Gardening Tasks
Autumn is upon us and that means leaves. And lots of them. But
rather than viewing their annual plummet with dread, see them
instead as a gift from the God’s; a freebee from on-high that
with a little effort can be transformed into a nutritious growing
medium that your plants will love!
Leaf mould is the gardener’s reward for raking up or mowing up
fallen leaves, storing damp in plastic bin bags for a year or so
and converting them into a sweet smelling, crumbly material and
is the nearest thing to horticultural alchemy. Why leaf mould
rather leaf compost? Compost breaks down via the heat created
but with leaves it is bacteria that does the graft and if you
haven’t done it before, I urge you to try it.
The other job for this time of the year is planting bulbs. With a
greater choice and range than ever before, if you are anything
like me, than deciding what to plant is actually more laborious
than the planting! Daffodils and Tulips are traditional favourites
but these days one can readily purchase tall daffs, mini daffs,
even pink daffs and similarly, tulips come in a vast range of
colours and shapes. But the choice isn’t restricted to just these
stalwarts. Snow Drops, Glory Of The Snow, Colchicum, Crocus
to name but a few. Why not try something new? Be sure to fully
follow the instructions on the packs. The rewards are well worth
it. And if a fragrant Christmas sounds like a nice thought, don’t
forget to plant your indoor Hyacinth now.
Lawn Doctor
9
October 2012
HARVEST LUNCH
ALL SAINTS CHURCH, COPLE Sunday 7TH October 2012 at
12.30pm
Adults £6
Children £3
Contributions towards a raffle
would be appreciated
Proceeds will go towards the
Bishop’s ‘Harvest for the Hungry’
appeal.
Please phone Julia Moore on 07837
105964 for tickets.
October 2012 10
B. W. Taylor
Plumbing Roofing and all Building
Maintenance
From “Complete Bathrooms and Kitchens” including tiling and plas-tering through to “Ball Valves and “Garden Taps”
No Job too small Local Reliable service at Reasonable Rates
References Supplied if Required
Telephone: Barrie Taylor 01234 - 838 676 Mobile 07979 - 928 186
WENDY
Mobile Hairdresser
Tel : 01234 838460
Mobile : 07795 573409
46, Station Road, Willington
Need a job doing? No one practical at hand to help you.
“This Man Can”
Dave Crawford
No job too large or small, hired for a variety of jobs, hanging curtain poles, garden decking, tiling, garden watering systems, lofts emptied. -
reliable, pride in work, references available, CRB checked. For a no obligation quote call 07981 881688
or email [email protected]
43
October 2012
Tuesday Club 11th September 2012.
The Latest Innovations in Veterinary Practice.
Elizabeth Smith does not come from an animal background-but
managed to persuade her parents to buy her a pony when she
was 12 years old. She always thought it incredibly generous of
them, with hindsight they probably had an alternative motive it
may have been a cleaver ploy steering her away from the
temptations of alcohol and boys! She chose Latin and the
sciences over Home Economics at "O"level thinking she might
persue a medical career but Latin wasn't a great help when she
changed to a Veterinary course. she qualified in 1994 in London
after a 5 year course. Elizabeth worked in rural practice for 8
years ending up buying the business in Ickwell in 2002. The
patients at Helen surgery are normally small animals dogs cats
rabbits guinea pigs, and horses at their stables. There are some
common illnesses within the different species but the common
conditions are usually exclusive to the individuals a frequent
equine emergency is colic and iaminitis these sort of problems
would be unusual in a dog or cat however many dogs are prone
to recurrent ear problems something a horse will never suffer
from. Many advances have been made in the veterinary world
MRI CT scans oncology radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The so
called "Bionic" vet who has developed the technology grafting
prosthetics onto canine and feline legs allowing the soft tissue
and bone to "grow" into the metal prosthesis. Organ transplants
and pet blood banks are emerging Grey hounds make good
blood donors - very calm. Of course all this comes with a hefty
emotional and financial to the owner. All in All, a vet is a vet
technology advances, recessions will come and go it’s all about
preventing and alleviating pain and suffering in the animal and
when this no longer can be achieved we have to say good bye.
Elizabeth happily took questions and comments after and was
totally captivating to listen too.
There will be "Magic" on Next meeting: Tuesday 9th October at
Cople Village Hall 7 30pm Michael Curr -The Magic Circle. All
welcome.
Eithne Dandy
October 2012 42
Keep sending me photos from Cople events, they are always
welcome and thank you Julie, Marilyn and Vaughan, our most
prolific photographers/contributors. The historical pictures and
documents of Cople are very popular, if you have others I would
love to add them to the web site. I am happy to scan and return
prints, slides or documents; include a short title or description if
possible. Please contact me if you have something I can use.
Cople News Since Ged has been editing this village magazine,
The Cople News, he has kindly supplied a copy for the web site.
This is popular with non-residents who can read the current and
back issues by following the link from the home page.
Ian Whiting
[email protected] or 01234 838347
11
October 2012
Architectural Design
Stephen Funge Architectural Design Ltd 38 Howard Close
Haynes
Bedfordshire
MK45 3QH
Tel/Fax 01234 381800. Mob 07710 268372
Stephen Funge MCIAT MAPM
Planning and Building Regulations Applications.
Design and Project Management.
Extensions, New Houses, Offices, Shops.
Call for a chat. No obligation
October 2012 12
Nearly New Centre
Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm
& Saturday 10am to 1pm
At Sue Ryder Palliative Care Home
St. John’s Moggerhanger
All Saints tide Gift Day Saturday 27th October
10am-12noon
Once again we will be holding our annual Gift Day at All Saints
tide. This year this will be held on Saturday 27th October 10am-
12noon
We are most grateful for your continued financial support.
Indeed we would find it difficult to pay all our bills and improve
the church without the generosity of so many villagers. The
letter you have received gives details of where your gifts can be
left. However we do hope that some of you will be able to bring
them to the church so that you can see how the money is spent.
We will be providing coffee, home made cakes and running a
Traidcraft stall.
The date we have chosen will be our last “Heritage open morning
“for this year. So there will also an opportunity to go up the
tower, do some brass rubbing or learn more about the history of
the building
Although the members of our church are committed and hard
working we cannot raise all the money we need each year
without the support of the wider community. This is why we
invite you to support us on our annual Gift Day
With all good wishes
Revd Lynda Klimas
June Shanahan and Mike Vacher Churchwardens
41
October 2012
the images went out of business and I was unable to recover the
pictures. I started again in 2012, this time putting the albums
onto Picasa. Under each picture on our Picasa Photo web site,
www.cople.org.uk/pics, is the number of viewings, typically
between 20 and 100, from when it first went up on Picasa.
Subject Page views
Events / What's On 1,569
Photo albums 877 (excluding any direct links to Picasa)
Cricket Club 813
Village Hall 769
Parish Council 545
About Cople 527
All Saints Church 510, includes 67 for Vaughan's Church Brasses
Cople Information 366
Cople History 332
Contact 298
Cople News 296
Five Bells 251
Homes 196
Times Past (genealogy) 193
Police reports 191
School 149
Peter Burr's Archive 134
Nature reserve 82
Local walks 70
October 2012 40
Cople Web Site
www.cople.org.uk has been running for over 12 years and
contains news, background articles, information and photos
about Cople and the surrounding area. Our web site statistics
(Google Analytics) count the number of visitors and which pages
are the most popular.
The graph for the first eight months of 2012 show a steady
stream of visitors of around 650 per month of which 74% are
first time and 26% returning visitors. Annually over 21,000
pages are read by 7,800 people, with an average of well over 2
minutes spent on the site per visit. 83% came from the UK and
6.5% from the USA where we are most popular with visitors
from Portland (Oregon) followed by the New England states.
The remainder are spread evenly throughout the world. The top
pages read in 2012, January to July, are listed in the table.
Tracking search engine key words we can see what visitors are
looking for when they link to the Cople web site. By far most
are searching for: Cople, Cople Music Festival, Cople Cricket
Club, Cople Church or Cople Five Bells.
Events The runaway winner is the What's On calendar. If you
are planning a one-off, local event let me know the date and
details as early as possible so it can be added to the calendar.
Photo Albums The Photograph Albums is the second most
popular section where 877 visitors clicked the Cople Photos
button this year. In addition more visitors go directly to the
albums. We had a setback in 2011 when the company hosting
13
October 2012
Fraud Warning
There has been a series of Frauds committed in the
Northampton and Milton Keynes areas over recent weeks using
precisely the same method. The offender targets church
members, approaching people at or outside churches or church
halls appearing upset and frantic for help. He tells them that
his mother has died that morning on the island of Jersey and
that he is in desperate need of funds to get out there to identify
the body and bring her home. He explains that his mother was
a member of their church and lived locally until recently. He
quotes the details of several of the churches local ministers to
add validity to his story but these people happen to be on
holiday at the time so it appears that he has done some
preparatory research.
He is described as follows: White Male aged 30-35 years. 5’4”
to 5’8” tall with a slim build. Fair hair cut about ear length. Last
seen wearing a blue hoody with white writing and dark jeans.
This male is extremely plausible, cries when recalling memories
of his mother, gives his name as ‘John Williams’ and passes a
mobile phone number when asked. He will even quote
addresses that are local.
Please can details of this crime series be circulated among the
Church community, encouraging any persons who come across
this male to call 999 immediately? Anyone who has any
information regarding this man can call the Police non
emergency number on 101.
Northants Police reference – NP/23988/12
From the Registers
Marriage
1st September Leah Shanahan and Nicholas Foley
Burial
4th September Constance Eagle
6th September Stephen Frith
19th September Arthur Carter
October 2012 14
Historic Churches Bike ‘n Hike
It was a glorious day for a cycle ride, so on Saturday 8th
September Lynda, Caroline Harris and I dusted off our bikes and
took part in the annual sponsored Bike ‘n Hike. We decided to
try a different route this year, cycling from Cople to Willington,
then on to Ravensden via Gt Barford and Wilden. We returned
via Goldington and Cardington having visited 9 churches in all.
Most of the churches were open and after signing the sheet to
prove we had been there, we were off to the next church. It
was a very enjoyable afternoon (apart from struggling up a few
hills) and we felt a real sense of achievement having cycled 16
miles.
The photo shows the new ‘youth group’ enjoying a well earned
drink at the pub in Cardington.
If anyone would like to sponsor us belatedly it would be much
appreciated. The money collected is divided equally between the
Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust and our own church. We
have until 28th October to hand in the money. Don’t forget, this
is an annual event, so please feel free to join us next year.
Thank you
Julie Scherrer
39
October 2012
Cople Lower School
Before & After School Club
Regular and one off bookings, including Casual bookings.
Registration forms and information packs
available from: Naomi Whittingham – Play Leader
07592 012 249 [email protected]
Hours Fees
Monday to Friday Regular bookings
Breakfast 8.00am – 8.45am £3.00
Session 1 3.30pm – 5.00pm £7.00
Session 2 3.30pm – 6.00pm £8.50
Casual bookings:
an additional £1.00 on
regular session fees
JB Plumbing & Heating
Julian Biggs
All types of plumbing and heating work.
Oil Fired Boilers - Servicing, Repairs and Installation - OFTEC registered.
Bathrooms, Showers and Toilets Radiator Installation, maintenance and repairs.
Hot and cold water tanks and cylinders.
Prompt, reliable and professional service. Free quotations. No call-out charges.
Fully qualified and insured.
Tel: 01767 627591 / 07950 705479
9 Ickwell Road, Northill
October 2012 38
Cople Baby & Toddler Group
Has opened its doors again
Every Thursday (Inclusive of school holidays)
10.00am-11.30am At the Cople Village Hall (off Grange Lane)
First session free, £2 per family thereafter Adults with one child under 7 months £1
Willingtots Pre-school Peace Memorial Hall
Church Road Willington
Telephone 07972 148085
E-mail [email protected] Website www.willingtots.co.uk
Fundraising www.buy.at/willingtots
Sessional care for children aged 2 to school age during term time
FREE PLACES for eligible 3 and 4 yr olds
09.15-12.15 Monday to Friday (£9.00)
12.15-15.15 Tuesday & Wednesday (£9.00)
Lunch Club daily 12.15-13.15 (£3.00)
Registered Charity No. 1035672 Member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and registered with OFSTED
“We are totally committed to safeguarding children”
15
October 2012
Operation Shoebox Christmas Appeal.
It is that time of year again when we ask you to think about
filling a shoebox with small gifts to send to children in Eastern
Europe, Africa and Asia. These are deprived children who may
only receive one present in their entire childhood and that is a
lovingly filled shoebox.
Cople Church have been involved with this project for some
years and will be launching the appeal at the Harvest Service on
October 7th. Over the years 94 million shoeboxes have been
sent to over 105 countries and this year Samaritans Purse, who
organise this appeal, need everyone to help them deliver the
100 millionth gift filled box; a very exciting milestone.
Leaflets and all information will be in the Church so do come
along and find out how to fill your box on October 7th or contact
me on 838659, email; [email protected].
More information can also be found on the website
www.samaritans-purse.org.uk
On Sunday November 4th we will have a special family service in
the Church when the shoeboxes will be collected and blessed
before being sent to the warehouse to be checked and sent on
their way.
Items For Sale
1. Extending ladder, 2 sections extending to about 25 ft. (OK
for house gutter height), aluminium, heavyweight with stand off
bracket.£60
2. Garden outdoor bench with cushion. Vietnamese Cho-Chi
wood.5ft long with cushion. £100 from Frosts.£50
3. Hozeloc water butt pump, Never been used. £10
4. Garden hose on reel. £10
If interested please ring 838351 and arrange an appointment to
view. Purchaser collects; they can take the seat to pieces if
necessary. J Toop, 1 Woodlands.
October 2012 16
37
October 2012
the usual pranks. I understood this because I was born and
brought up in a village and used to do the same things when I
was young. They were not malicious and on the whole honest
and friendly. I think I can say I got on very well with them. My
two boys were treated normally by the other children despite
their dad being the 'Village Bobby''
Cynthia found the first six months or so hard going because the
people in Cople were so polite and when she went into the
village shop they would stand aside to let her be served and this
embarrassed her. However, when people got to know us better
we were soon both accepted and treated normally and they
became very friendly. over the years we made a lot of friends
and in many ways we were very, very sad when we had to
leave. Both Cynthia and I have so many very happy memories
of the three villages and of the people who were living there.
We had extremely good neighbours, there are far too many to
mention. t can honestly say that the time I spent as the Village
Bobby' was the happiest time of all my Police Service'
Sadly, about three years after I left all the village beats in
Bedfordshire were closed. I was the last of long serving
policemen at Cople and I think I was there longer than any
other 'Bobby'. During my time I got to know almost everyone
living in the three villages and I would say everyone knew me.
It was certainly regarded as one of the best beats in the County
and I consider myself very lucky to have been posted there and
allowed to remain for all those years.
I have recently been going through old photographs and found
some of Cople. I looked on the Cople web site and noted that
Ged Peeke was the editor of the Cople Village News so I
contacted him, explaining who I was and telling him about the
photographs. I told him that I had many amusing stories I
could tell. He suggested that I put my story down on paper,
relate some of the stories and send it to him together with the
photographs.
Editors note. In the November and December editions I will
publish more of Tom Stapleton’s stories from his time in Cople.
October 2012 36
Memories Of the Village Policeman
My name is Tom Stapleton and from March, 1952 until February,
1978 I served in the Bedfordshire Police Force. In January,
1955 I was posted to take over the Cople Beat which covered
the villages of Cople, Cardington and Willington and with my
wife Cynthia and our three month
old son Nigel, moved into the
Police House at 68, Willington
Road, Cople. I took over the beat
from PC James (Jock) Brown who
had been there for many years.
We left Cople in June, 1964 and
moved to Bedford where I was
posted into the CID where I
remained until I retired
Our younger son, Andrew was born
in the Police House in November,
1956. Both boys attended the
village school until we left the
village. The Headmistress at the
time was Miss Daniels. After we
moved to Bedford we had a
daughter and all three of our
children were christened in Cople
Church by the Rev. Hayes.
There had been very little development in any of the three
villages since the war so most of the residents were people who
had lived there most of their lives, and many were related. Until
I got to know the people well this sometimes caused
embarrassment. On the whole the population were quite law
abiding, parents bringing up their children to know right from
wrong and teaching them to respect others. Of course in those
days there were very few one parent families, very few mums
went out to work and were at home when the children came out
of school. Everybody looked out for each other. The attitude of
most dads was, if you catch my son causing any trouble, give
him a good clip around the ear then tell me and I will give him
another one. The teenage lads were typical village lads, up to
17
October 2012
Eamonn , Julie and Katie would like to welcome you to the Five Bells in Cople , a traditional country village pub .
It is our intention to provide a warm welcome in comfortable surroundings for visitors and locals alike to enjoy a
drink or a hearty meal .
Wherever possible , we have sourced our ingredients from local suppliers and our menu is designed to be as homemade as
possible .
We also provide a wide selection of fine ales , wines and spirits and great care is taken to ensure they are kept to the highest
standard
Themed Menu every Wednesday Live Music most Saturday nights (see website for details)
Sunday Roasts £8:50 (Very popular, booking recommended) Party bookings available
Tel : 01234 831330 www.fivebellscople.com
October 2012 18
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October 2012
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19
October 2012
Thank You
On behalf of Vickie Clarke and Jonathan Lamb, who had their
wedding blessing on 25th August at Cople Church, we would like
to thank Jackie Buck for the wonderful service, the bell ringers,
Vickie's nan (Val Smith) for the beautiful flower arrangement
and Vickie's granddad (Malc Smith) for the lovely hobby horses
he made for the children. A very big thank you to Eamonn and
Julie and all the staff at the Five Bells for the wonderful venue
and service, nothing was too much trouble (Except Keith that
is !!!!!!) The village should be proud of its little community.
Thank you once again Angela & Keith Benson
Race night at Cople village hall.
on Saturday 24th November
This is a venture which is being organised jointly by Cople
church and St Lawrence church Willington social committees.
The evening will include a light supper and placing bets on races
watched on a large screen. There is sealed package for the lap
top which we will need to buy. Alan George, who is
churchwarden at Moggerhanger, and his friend have organised a
number of these race nights which have proved to be very
popular I am really pleased that they have agreed to help us. If
you read last month’s magazine you will remember that I like to
try to win the pub quiz and I have not had much success. The
race night is so much easier as it does not depend on skill but on
luck. All you have to do is place your bet, cheer for your horse
as you watch the race on the screen.
Some people have teased me and said that I should win if I have
God on my side. But even God cannot change the result of a
race that took place at least six months ago. There will be more
details about tickets and the opportunity to sponsor a horse in
next month’s magazine. For now, simply put the date in your
diary as it promises to be a fun event.
Lynda Klimas
October 2012 20
Cople Sports and Social Club
Refurbishments are almost completed at CS&SC hopefully come
October all will be in place including new flooring. The
Caribbean night was a great evening; we had cocktails,
Caribbean food and Limbo dancing. I am sure there were a few
sore muscles for some of the adults after limboing. I would like
to thank those who gave time and contributed which enabled us
to have a great evening.
Football fixtures to be shown at CS&SC:
Notts Forrest V Derby Sunday 30th September 1.15pm
Championship
Aston Villa V West Brom Sunday 30th September 4.00pm
Premier League
Southampton V Fullham Sunday 7th October 1.30pm
Premier League
Tottenham V Aston Villa Sunday 7th October 3.00pm
Premier League
Tottenham V Chelsea Saturday 20th October 12.45pm
Premier League
Man U V Stoke Saturday 20th October 3.00pm
Premier League
Sunderland Newcastle Sunday 21st October 1.30pm
Premier League
QPR V Everton Sunday 21st October 4.00pm
Premier League
Everton V Liverpool Sunday 28th October 1.30pm
Premier League
Chelsea V Man U Sunday 28th October 4.00pm
Premier League
Please see poster in Club for full fixtures
Jeanette Skipsey
Mob: 07749272249
Email: [email protected]
33
October 2012
Cople Village Trust (Registered Charity No 1090113)
Christmas Craft Fayre
Sunday 4th November
11 am – 3.30 pm
at Cople Village Hall
Grange lane
Genuine crafts, Christmas presents and cards, cake stall, tombola, raffle, Something for everyone
Light lunches will be available
£1 entrance for adults, children free
Contact 01234 838248
October 2012 32
Cople Carpet Bowls Club
Have you ever thought of playing bowls. If so why not come
along and join in a game of carpet bowls which is played indoors
on a 30 ft carpet in Cople Village Hall on Wednesday evenings
7:30 to 10:00 pm Any enquiries contact Pauline on 01234
838102.
Pauline Baynes.
News from Cople Lower School
As always, there has been a busy start to the term. We
welcomed two new teaching staff: Miss Davis as Senior teacher
working with the Oaks (Year 3/4) class and Mrs Wright working
with the Catkins (Reception) class as well as 15 enthusiastic new
Catkins. Reorganisation and some structural changes have
meant we have a delightful new classroom for the Catkins at the
rear of the school with direct access into the outdoor learning
area; a more user friendly ICT area; and much improved library
area.
We have introduced the International Primary Curriculum across
the Acorns and Oaks with exciting new topics such as ‘The Magic
Toymaker’ and ‘Our Active Planet’. This is a creative, skills
based curriculum, which, along with Learning Goals in
Geography, History, Science and many other subject areas, also
focuses on International, Society and Personal Learning.
At the beginning of the year we always update our volunteers
list. As well as the many parents who help us out with reading,
maths games and other areas we also have some great
volunteers from the wider community. If there is anyone else
out there who would like to help out in school (anything from
half an hour once a week) please do not hesitate to get in touch!
We look ahead to celebrating Harvest at the church in October
and many other exciting activities during the term, especially our
first ever residential trip (three days of adventurous activities at
Woodrow High House in Buckinghamshire) for some of our older
children.
Helen Johnson, Headteacher
21
October 2012
October 2012 22
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October 2012
looking towards the sun. Gossamer is actually produced by
millions upon millions of young ‘spiderlings’ and is used as a
parachute – the spiders (with their attached silk strands) are
caught by a breeze and lifted into the sky where they may travel
for a few yards or for several miles and land in new areas which
may be suitable for exploitation.
It is also the season for fruit and did you know that Bedfordshire
has 31 varieties of apples, 8 varieties of pears and 18 varieties
of plums, many of which are now very rare or lost? You may
not know that I chair the Bedfordshire and Luton Orchard Group
(BLOG) and we exist to map and record all the county’s orchards
and fruit varieties, to promote fruit variety and growing and to
encourage people to manage, plant new fruit trees and
rediscover their hidden orchard heritage. Go to this website to
find out more: http://www.applesandorchards.org.uk/ There’s
nothing nicer than eating fresh, organic, individual fruit from the
trees in your garden or found in hedges and woods. There are
three Apple Days taking place across the county at which you
can discover much more, they are:
Potton Apple Day, 30th September, 11am – 3pm.
Luton Hoo Apple Gala. 13th October, 10am – 4pm.
Bromham Apple Day, 21st October.
In the evenings, particularly if you have trees nearby, listen out
for young tawny owls calling in the dark to let their parents
know where they are. The call is quite distinct as the light fails
and is best described as a repetitive, slurred ‘tutshhhh-tutshhh’.
The young are calling to be fed and can get very noisy as the
parents approach.
Bird migration is now well underway but there are still a few
swallows, house martins and yellow wagtails hawking for insects
over the cricket field; these will soon be off to Africa in the next
few weeks.
How about going for an autumn walk around Cople? Meet me at
the church on Saturday 27th October at 8.30am and we’ll see
what is about. No need to book, just turn up if you would like to
come.
Steve Halton [email protected]
October 2012 30
Wild about Cople
Spiders, spiders everywhere. . . ! ‘Tis the season for spiders and
I’m sure everyone must have noticed them all over the place –
in the house, in the garden, making webs over the windows and
hedges, down plugholes, running across the carpet and even in
the car door mirrors and windows!
Why is this? Well, it’s down to two things – the season and
finding love! Most of the spiders you see indoors are male and
have come in the house in search of a female so they end up
exploring the drains, pipes and, eventually, baths and sinks
where they cannot escape. (For information, the very large
spiders you may see dashing across the carpet in the evenings
are usually Tegenaria duellica, the Giant House Spider, and are
completely harmless).
But, fear not, for most spiders are content to stay outside in the
garden and hedgerows and, as numbers peak in the autumn,
they become more noticeable. Early morning dews increase the
visibility of their webs until every hedge appears to be festooned
with beautiful silky beaded spiders webs on sunny autumn
mornings.
Of these ‘outdoor’ spiders one of the more
obvious in gardens is the European
Garden Spider or Diadem Spider. This
species can be commonly seen sitting in
the middle of its web and is easily
identified by the markings, usually in the
form of a white cross, on its back. The
spider sits waiting for flies and other
insects to become entangled in the web.
Only the female builds webs and she
usually eats her web (together with all the
insects attached to it) and spins a new
web every morning – amazing!
Another sign of spiders that you may see this season is
‘gossamer’. This is usually seen as a shimmering, silky covering
of millions of individual strands of spider silk covering the grass
or lawn early on a sunny autumn morning, particularly when
23
October 2012
October 2012 24
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October 2012
October 2012 28
Friends of Cople Church
SHIPWRECKED!
Join us on our desert island
where we will make the most of our
circumstances with music , dancing,
feasting…...
and much more.
Come in what you were wearing when the ship
went down.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd
7.30P.M.
COPLE VILLAGE HALL
TICKETS £13.50
LICENSED BAR
TEL: (01234)838714, 838683,838763
RAFFLE
25
October 2012
Sunday Church Services in October
7th 11:15am
12:30
Harvest Festival and Family Service
Harvest Lunch in the Church
14th 09:00am
09:45am
3:00pm
Holy Communion BCP
Sunday School
Baptism Jack Saunders
21st 09:45am
11:15am
Sunday School
All age Communion. Guest preacher The
Revd Stephen Heap.
28th 09:45am
11:15am
12:30pm
Sunday School
Sung Communion
Baptism
Cople All Saints
Willington Saint Lawrence
7th 10:00am Holy Communion BCP
14th 11:15am Harvest Festival with Methodist Church
21st 10:00am Sung Communion. Guest preacher The
Revd Stephen Heap.
28th 10:00am
6:00pm
All age Communion and children’s church
All Souls Service
Moggerhanger St John the Evangelist
7th 09:00am Sung Communion
14th 10:00am
3:00pm
6:00pm
Harvest Festival and Family Service
Hospice Memorial Service
Harvest Songs of Praise
21st 09:00am
6:00pm
Said Holy Communion
Songs of Praise
28th 09:00am All age Communion
October 2012 26
Cople Calendar October 2012
Monday 1st
09:00am Morning Prayer
11:00am Tiny tots sing along Cople Church
6:15pm Junior Choir Cople Church
2:30pm Mothers Union Meeting at Moggerhanger
7:15pm Senior Choir Cople Church
8:00pm Exploring Prayer group Moggerhanger
Tuesday 2nd (Green Bin)
10:00am to 12:00 noon Coffee morning Village Hall
2:30pm Over 60’s Club in Sports Club
Wednesday 3rd
7:30pm to 10:00pm Carpet Bowls in Village Hall
Thursday 4th
10:00am to 11:30am Baby and Toddler Group in Cople
Village Hall
8:00pm Home Group at the Vicarage
Saturday 6th
10:30 to 12 noon Traidcraft coffee morning Willington
Monday 8th
09:00am Morning Prayer
11:00am Tiny tots sing along Cople Church
6:15pm Junior Choir Cople Church
7:15pm Senior Choir Cople Church
Tuesday 9th (Orange Bin)
10:00am to 12:00 noon Coffee morning Village Hall
7:30pm Tuesday Club meeting in Cople Village Hall
Wednesday 10th
7:30pm to 10:00pm Carpet Bowls in Village Hall
Thursday 11th
10:00am to 11:30am Baby and Toddler Group Village Hall
Monday 15th
09:00am Morning Prayer
11:00am Tiny tots sing along Cople Church
27
October 2012
12:30am Luncheon Club in Cople Church.
6:15pm Junior Choir practice at Cople Church
7:15pm Senior Choir Cople Church
Tuesday 16th (Green Bin)
10:00am to 12:00 noon Coffee morning Village Hall
2:30pm Over 60’s Club in Sports Club
Wednesday 17th
7:30pm to 10:00pm Carpet Bowls in Village Hall
Thursday 18th
10:00am to 11:30am Baby and Toddler Group Village Hall
8:00pm Home Group at the Vicarage
Monday 22nd
09:00am Morning Prayer
11:00am Tiny tots sing along Cople Church
6:15pm Junior Choir practice at Cople Church
7:15pm Senior Choir Cople Church
Tuesday 23rd (Orange Bin)
10:00am to 12:00 noon Coffee morning Village Hall
Wednesday 24th
7:30pm to 10:00pm Carpet Bowls in Village Hall
Thursday 25th
10:00am to 11:30am Baby and Toddler Group in Cople
Village Hall
Saturday 27th
08:30am Autumn Walk around Cople with Steve
Halton . See page 31
10:00am to 1:00pm Cople Church Heritage Day
Monday 29th
09:00am Morning Prayer
11:00am Tiny tots sing along Cople Church
Tuesday 30th ( Green Bin)
10:00am to 12:00 noon Coffee morning Village Hall
2:30pm Over 60’s Club in Sports Club
Wednesday 31st
8:00pm Home Group at 16 Bedford Road Willington