CONTENTS 34 THE EDITOR'S SPACE (+ Full Contact Details) Carol Morgan

5 PARISH COUNCIL - Christmas Events & Village Fete Parish Clerk5 THANKS The Phalp Family

5 AN INTRIGUING DISCOVERY Martin Davies + Ed.

6 CCA - FROM THE CHAIR David Sills7,8,9 CCA FACILITIES & PERSONNEL Phil Henderson10 CCA: CARERS' RESPITE SITTING SCHEME Kay Hayward & Sarah Thorogood10 Gt. AYTON COMMUNITY FIRST RESPONDERS Ray Vamplew

10 Gt. AYTON TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE Chris Parker

11 VOLUNTEERING AT BEAMISH Thea Harbottle

11 THE TOOLS WORKSHOP

James Pearson

12 Gt. AYTON CRICKET & FOOTBALL CLUB Keith Wilcox, Sarah Thorogood, Rob Lacy

13 CRASH BANG WALLOP - The First 10 Years! Liz Greenhalgh13 Gt. AYTON BOWLING CLUB Linda Sample

13 Gt. AYTON SHOTOKAN KARATE CLUB Alistair Juckes

14 1st Gt. AYTON SCOUT GROUP Stirling Elliott

15 GIRLGUIDING IN Gt. AYTON Sophie Brook

16 POLICING MATTERS Sgt Nick Hill, PS 1967

16 WEEDS MISUNDERSTOOD Anne Press

17 SUPPORTING VICTIMS - A New Service Wendy Green

17 QUAKER FAITH AND PRACTICE Robert Campbell

18 RECIPES from the AYTON ANGLING ASSOCIATION (& see page 31)

Pages 17 - 22 & 27 -32: THE INFORMATION SECTION (YELLOW PAGES)

19,20,21,22 BUSINESS HOURS IN GT AYTON + POSTING TIMES

23 COUNCILLORS, & MP, etc. HIRING HALLS. B & B LIST

24 & 25 ORGANIZATIONS SERVING GT AYTON + contact details

26 BUSES: 81 (Stokesley-Ayton-James Cook Hospital-Redcar-Marske) & 29 (Stokesley-M'bro')

27 TRAINS: M'bro'-Whitby (Esk Valley Line) & NYM Steam Railway Events, etc.

28 RECYCLING UPDATE

29 DO YOU KNOW....? (Health Centre, Vet, School Addresses, Milkman, CBW, etc.)

30 CHURCH SERVICE TIMES & PERSONNEL + USEFUL VILLAGE PHONE NUMBERS31 KEEP FAITH IN OUR COUNTRY Rev. Paul Peverell, Vicar

31 AYTON ANGLING ASSOCIATION

John Gough 32 Gt. AYTON HISTORY SOCIETY

Ian Pearce

32 YATTON HOUSE Wendy Richardson

33 Work from INGLEBY C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

34 GOODBYE TO BILL KIRBY, & DAVID BROOK REMEMBERED

Vicar & Editor

35 THANK YOU TO FREDA GRUNWELL

Vicar & Editor

36 THE ANGROVE SINGERS

Carol Morgan

36 MUSICAL JOURNEYS - COACHES to THE SAGE Tony Allison

37 Rev. CATHERINE HUTTON

John Huddart

37 Gt. AYTON DRAMATIC SOCIETY

David White

38 Work from MARWOOD C of E VC INFANT SCHOOL

39 AYTON LODGE UPDATE John Duffey

39 Gt. AYTON TWINNING ASSOC, (GATA) NEWS

John Nicholas

40 ROSEBERRY SCHOOL DARJEELING (School Aid India)

Helen Jones

40 YOU CAN'T BEAT A NICE CUP OF FAIR TRADE TEA! (Open House: Sat. 7th + Tues. 10th Nov.) Kate Harvie

41 Work from ROSEBERRY ACADEMY, Gt. AYTON

42 THE 'DEMOCRACY AT WORK' WORDSEARCH - CLOSING DATE: FRIDAY 20th NOVEMBER

43 WEDNESDAY MORNING FORUM SPRING PROGRAMME Margaret Seargeant

43 Gt. AYTON WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION WINTER PROGRAMME Liz Wilson43 THE DISCOVERY CENTRE QUESTIONNAIRE CLOSING DATE: FRIDAY 20th NOV. Irene McDonald

AS OUR PRINT IS SO SMALL, WE PRINT A LARGER (A4) VERSION FOR THE CCA CENTRE,

THE DISCOVERY CENTRE, THE DAY CENTRE, HOLLYGARTH, & any individuals who need one.

Please ask for them, and tell us of others who may need them.

THESE LARGE PRINT COPIES HAVE KINDLY BEEN SPONSORED.

GT AYTON PARISH COUNCIL 5Christmas Events:

‘Best Dressed Window’ Competition

Gt Ayton Parish Council will once again be hosting a ‘Best Dressed Window’ competition & is encouraging all the local businesses to get involved. Judging will take place during the week beginning 14 December 2015. The winner will be announced at the Carols on High Green.

Carols on the High Green

The annual Carols on High Green will take place on Monday 21 December 2015 beginning at 7 pm. We hope you can join us as it really does get you into the Christmas spirit.

Santa's Sleigh

Santa will be making his annual visit around the Village on Wednesday 23 December 2015.

Santa’s Schedule:-

5.30 pm – Roseberry Crescent, Wheatlands, Newton Road (top) & Guisborough Road.

6.00 pm – Langbaurgh Close, Skottowe Crescent, Church Drive and Linden Avenue.

6.30 pm – Linden Grove and Captain Cooks Way.

6.50 pm – Whinstone View, Arthur Street, Romany Road, Rosehill and Addison Road.

7.10 pm – Linden Road, Linden Avenue and Easby Lane.

7.30 pm – Wainstones Close, Byemoor and Angrove Close.

7.45 pm – Marwood Drive, Buck Hotel and High Street.

8.00 pm – High Green

Great Ayton Village Fete

The bi-annual Village Fete will take place on Saturday 11 June 2016 and the theme will be ‘Royalty through the Ages’ in recognition of the Queen’s achievement as the longest serving monarch, & her 90th Birthday. We would love to see more floats this year and hope that you will be able to enter the parade. If you would like to book a stall, or you want any further information, please email the Parish Clerk – clerk@great-ayton.org.uk

AN INTRIGUING DISCOVERY!

There is, on the back of the Barker's Clock in Northallerton High Street, a rhyme which most passers-by (including me) have never seen, as I understand there is only one place from where it can be seen: the new small café. Martin Davies

From the CCA CHAIR, DAVID SILLS

We recently completed our annual survey of clients to ascertain their feeling on the services which we provide. Again we received very positive feedback. The document is available in the office to be read, or we can send you one if you request it. Also our funders, when they come to check up on our services, are very pleased with the services that we provide, which encourages us to believe that we are completely fulfilling our role in the community.

We are always looking to expand our activities and recently we undertook to run the Fridays only bus service, from Kildale and Kirby to Stokesley and

Let the wealthy and the great

Roll in splendour and state

I envy them not I declare it

I eat my own lamb

My own chickens and ham

I shear my own fleece and I wear it

I have lawns I have bowers

I have fruit I have flowers

The lark is my morning alarmer

It is known as "The Farmer's Arms" and even "Success to the Farmer".

In one form or another it dates to the 15th Century, according to most sources, and refers to "Plough Monday", which is the first Monday after the Twelfth Day of Christmas - this marked the end of the holiday celebrations and the first day back to labour.

There are many more verses in some versions, and it is also used as a Morris Dance tune.

We would like to thank the many people, in the village and beyond, who gave us their unwavering support in surviving the recent threat to our livelihood, and the livelihoods of our

staff and suppliers. It has been greatly appreciated by all of us.

Kath & Mark Phalp & family

6

return, when the existing bus company withdrew the service. If you live in this area and would like to go to Stokesley on market day please enquire at the office for details. Although only a few people avail themselves of this service, to see them getting on the bus for the return journey, laden with bags of shopping, makes you realise what a life-saver this service is for those who use it.

To enable our services to operate efficiently and well, we are dependent on our faithful volunteers, who always give freely of their time and talents on our behalf. As volunteers become older, and occasionally more frail, they are unable to continue to offer their services. Replacing such stalwart volunteers is not easy and we are thankful that Kay Hayward, our volunteering co-ordinator, seems to be able to provide us with a steady stream of new volunteers. As many other charities will appreciate, there never seem to be enough volunteers to fill the vacancies, so may I reiterate, as ever, the request that if you have a few hours to spare & would like to volunteer, please ring Kay (01642 71 00 85) for an initial chat.

We were recently successful in our bid for a new minibus from the government’s scheme to provide a number of new buses to the voluntary sector. Although the bus has not yet materialised, occasional emails from the department dealing with this are indicative that it will arrive. Watch this space as they say!! We are always endeavouring to make CCA more widely known in the area and recently we have attended the vintage car rally organised by Stokesley Rotary Club, where a tombola, followed by a one off donation, saw us raise over £1,000. We had a presence at both Hutton Rudby & Gt Ayton fetes to promote our services. Our craft group hold regular sales of their work and a recent stall at Stokesley show produced welcome income and good advertising for us.

To further our fund raising, we have again booked Stokesley Town Hall for the whole day on December 18th, & are actively planning events to be held in there to enable us to raise funds. We will certainly be having a cake stall and tombola so if anyone would be willing to help man either of these stalls, or contribute goods, for the stalls please get in touch and tell us about it. We will also be serving teas and light refreshments & as ever we would welcome volunteers to assist. Last year we raised just over £1,000 on the day, which was generously doubled by the trustees of the Barclays Bank fund for supporting local events to raise money.

In the office we have quality copying facilities (black & white or colour) and rooms which can be hired out for groups to meet. We can provide tea/coffee

to groups as required and have projection facilities and a laptop which can be borrowed.

We have a website which is regularly updated and we can place advertisements on that to help other organisations. Our website is www.stokesleycca.org.uk & would be a good place to start looking for any information. If you have any other queries, then please make contact with the office. (tel : 01642 71 00 85 open 0900 -1700, 9 am - 5 pm, Mon-Fri)

We may not have the answer, but hopefully we can put you in touch with someone who has.

10

We are looking for people to help our Respite Sitting Scheme whilst their full time Carer

has a break - maybe for coffee with friends, or to do some shopping?If this sounds interesting please do get in touch and find out more: please

contactKay or Sarah on 01642 71 00 85 or email

communityvisiting@stokesleycca.org.ukor visit http://www.stokesleycca.org.uk/about/vacancies/

Gt. AYTON COMMUNITY FIRST RESPONDERS

More volunteers always needed! You could help save a life! We would like to thank Gt. Ayton Working Men's Club for their sponsorship of our work.We have been operating since 16 Feb 2013 but we need more volunteers to

maintain cover.The service is operated by Responders living in Great Ayton, provide a prompt response to emergencies where breathing difficulties may occur, in advance of ambulance or paramedic. The first few minutes are critical. Effective treatment given at this time can give a considerable increase in survival chances & reduce in the damage to various organs. Responders work under the control of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) and are in contact with them by a dedicated phone link during any call-out for any advice or assistance. Training is given by YAS in basic life support skills including Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), the use of the Defibrillator (AED) and the administration of oxygen.

Stokesley & DistrictCommunity Care

Association

Operated by Volunteers!

No previous experience is necessary but any volunteer must be over 18 years,

hold a full driving licence and have their own vehicle.If you are interested in joining us, or could help with fund raising in any

way,please contact one of the people named below for more information.

Ray Vamplew 01642 722 059 raybushyvamp@gmail.com

Michelle Dale 01642 724 419 swazdale@hotmail.com

Carole Wagstaff 01642 722 429 carole.ann.wagstaff@gmail.com

Gt. AYTON TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE The Tourist Information office has had another successful season with over 2000 people, from afar & near, helped since April. Thank you to everyone who supported us on Yorkshire Day in August. Over £300 was raised to help the volunteers to continue providing a service to our visitors. However, we need to raise more money to keep the office open. If you see a fund-raising event advertised, please support it! You would be helping us to keep Gt. Ayton on the tourist map. Last winter many people in the village collected Evening Gazette 'Wish' tokens which generated £108 for us. We are collecting again this winter. Tokens will be published in the Gazette between 19 October 2015 and 23 January 2016. Please collect the tokens if you buy the Gazette & drop them into the office letterbox at the top of the High Green car park. Thank you in advance.The office closes for the winter on 31 st October & will re-open in time for Easter, when we would welcome more Volunteers. If you are interested please call 01642 722 835 & leave a message, or drop a note through the door. Do visit us next season & see what we have to offer. We'd love to see you! Peggy Friend & Chris Parker

Run by Volunteers!

AYTON LODGE UPDATE 39

After our summer break, Ayton Masonic Lodge resumes at the beginning of October, & following the December meeting our wives/partners join us for a Christmas meal. We will again be holding a Carol Service in Christ Church, conducted by Rev Paul Peverell, on 6 th December, for local Freemasons, their families and friends. All are welcome to join us!The values of Freemasonry are based on integrity, kindness, honesty & fairness. Freemasons are taught to practice charity & to care, not only for their own, but also for the whole community, both by charitable giving, & by voluntary efforts or works as individuals. From its earliest days, Freemasonry has been concerned with the care of orphans, the sick & the aged. Masonic charity is exercised at every level: individual Lodges make gifts & give aid to their own communities, & every Local Province also gives large sums of money to regional causes. (The Stream has benefitted from a second donation - thank you. CM)

Nationally, millions of pounds are donated to charitable projects & services. Each Air Ambulance charity in England & Wales has received funding, with total donations averaging £175,000 annually (£1,500,000 in total). Last year, 242 hospices shared a total of £600,000, & each year the British Red Cross is given donations ranging from £60,000 up to £130,000, depending on the number of disasters they are responding to. Over the years, Freemasons' charities have awarded a total of £5,000,000 to various cancer research charities. Ayton Lodge follows these principles through our own activities & fund raising.We welcome enquiries regarding membership to help boost our numbers. For further information about Freemasonry in Yorkshire visit www.pgl-york.org or, for Ayton Lodge in particular, visit www.aytonlodge9595.org.uk. Further details can be obtained from me: John J Duffey: 01642

723 641 or the Secretary, Paul E Dawson: 01642 723 082.

TWINNING ASSOCIATION (GATA) NEWSGATA members, including 2 new families with children, enjoyed a wonderful visit to Ouzouer over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Friday morning, we visited the “fairy tale” Chateau de Chambord. After a picnic lunch we had a guided tour of Chateau de Cheverny, on which Moulinsart in the Tintin books is based. Saturday, we were treated to an evening of wine, food, cabaret and dancing. On Sunday we visited Guedelon – a medieval chateau under construction, recently featured on TV. Next year it will be our turn to be hosts.

GATA also runs social events through the year:

Sun 15th Nov 7.30pm MUSIC QUIZ in the Royal Oak, Great AytonSun 7th Feb 7.30pm PUB QUIZ in the Royal Oak, Great Ayton

We will also be organising a French dinner in early December, and French film nights.

GATA welcomes new members, including families and children. As well as being fun, twinning is a great way of learning about France, &

French people, with the opportunity to improve your French should you wish.

For more information about GATA membership & events please contact one of the following:

John Nicholas 01642 640 788; mob. 07804 307 327; email john.r.nicholas@ntlworld.com or Rowland Robson: 01642 710 186 or Anita Hufton: 01642 321 766

or visit GATA website: www.greataytontwinning.co.uk

16 POLICING MATTERSAs the evenings draw in it’s always a good time to remind readers to be on their guard against burglars looking for easy premises to target. First & fore-most I would remind readers to ‘Leave a Light On’ when they are out during the evening. A timer switch, plugged into a lamp set to come

on automatically for a few hours, costs little & offers a lot of protection from burglars who will be looking for homes in darkness. The last thing a burglar wants is for someone to be home, so anything you can do, to make it look as though you are when you aren’t, will help! This time of year can lead to an increase in crime related to what’s often ‘mischief’. Many people don’t see it as that & it can cause misery to those on the receiving end. I would ask parents to ensure that they know what their children are up to, & to make it clear to them that criminal behaviour will be seen as just that & they will be dealt with by the police. I would also ask those residents who don’t wish children to call at their doors for ‘trick or treat’ to secure their gates & to put a notice up, making it clear they don’t want people calling at the door. Check the North Yorks Police website nearer the time - we should have something available for you to print off & use. There’s been a couple of departures from the Team lately, those being PC 1557 Cat SKELTON & PCSO Richard STRINGER. Cat has left to join the Serious Crime Team at Northallerton & will now be investigating some of the most serious offences we have to deal with, no doubt calling on previous experience she gained as a DC in her previous Force, The Metropolitan Police, whilst policing the nation’s Capital. Richard, despite making good progress meanwhile, decided a career in the police service was ultimately not for him, & has left to pursue a medical career - after first

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backpacking around South East Asia for a few months. Further staffing additions are underway & I’ll be able to fully update readers on this in the next edition. I will end by reassuring readers that we will continue working hard to maintain the best possible service we can to you, to ensure that North Yorks. remains one of the safest counties to live in. Sgt. Nick Hill, PS 1967Enquiry Office, Stokesley Police Station: 8.30 am - 5 pm Mon - Thursday. 8.30 am - 4.30 pm Friday. (+

See p. 30)

Non-emergency No: 101. Press option 2 to ask for team member by name, or by collar number, digit by digit.

WEEDS MISUNDERSTOOD? Anne Press, of St. Margaret ClitherowAs summer fades & our countryside & garden vegetation's vigorous growth ends, many growers breathe sighs of relief - no more weeds! That word ‘weed’ strikes fear into their heart - nettles, thistles, dandelions, chickweed, brambles, goose grass, ground elder - the list goes on. Advertisements & books give dire warnings & advice on the best ways to eradicate them.But what are these 'weeds'? The word comes from Anglo Saxon & means a herb or small plant. However, they are in no way ‘weedy’ as we now use the word, for something weak or ineffectual: they are successful, tough, opportunist plants, native or introduced. They have taken advantage of our manipulation of the environment for our own use, to provide easier & better conditions for themselves. In their natural habitats, plants control each other by chemical secretions into the soil & air, while natural pests & pathogens add extra curbs. When habitats are disturbed, or plants are moved, this control disappears. So ‘weeds’ are no particular group of plants, just ones that are a nuisance to us, preventing us growing what we want, or ones we feel we can't control. However, as they are the successful plants, they contain a vast number of chemicals, using the sun's energy to uniquely combine elements of air, water & the earth to produce their own defence against pathogens & predators - chemicals which can be very useful to us. Most so-called weeds are edible & nutritious - dandelion, chickweed & hairy bitter cress make a great salad; cooked nettles are very high in protein, vitamins & minerals: a valuable spring tonic. Even Japanese knotweed & the seeds of Indian balsam can be eaten. Many of our medicines were derived from native plants & they work as well now as in the past. Insects love thistle flowers, & birds feed on the seeds. If we do have to remove some of these ‘weeds’ they make excellent compost before they seed. So, maybe we should not categorise & demonise these plants as ‘weeds’ but learn to enjoy & use them. They are part of our history & heritage, important to us & our wild life.

12 CRICKET & FOOTBALL CLUB (GACFC) Summer and Autumn season

Once again the Great Ayton Cricket Club 1 st X1 have had another good season. After a poor start, with games not taking place due to weather and poor form, the team languished in the lower places of the League. Mid-season saw a reverse with the team going on an unbeaten run, defeating the top teams. This put the team into a challenging position for the League title, only for the penultimate game to be washed out and any chance of the League title washed away in the rain. Those lost points, in 4 games with no result, effectively took the opportunity away from the club to win a chance of a second League Championship.Cup success was once again a major highlight for the season. Two of the three cup finals in the Premier League were achieved with a chance of winning the Kerridge cup. This was duly achieved at the second attempt after the first game scheduled was abandoned due to the weather flooding the ground. Three weeks later, in a low scoring game:

Ayton experienced disappointment in the 15/15 competition for the second successive season running, with a defeat against Hartlepool in the final. A season in which availability of players on a weekly basis has been a challenge for selection, this has had an effect on results. Our 2nd X1 pulled together 7 wins to ensure they maintained their place in division one. Unfortunately the 3rd X1 could not find those important wins and, after gaining promotion 3 seasons ago, return to division 2 of the Sunday League. Keith Wilcox Junior Cricket SectionThe juniors enjoyed another busy season, entering teams in U11, U12, U13, U15, U17 and U19 competitions. A number of juniors also played a full part in the senior teams. Coaches and managers are now on a well-earned break before indoor practices start in the New Year in preparation for the next outdoor season! Sarah ThorogoodJunior Football SectionJunior football is up and running again. This season the village has 10 teams entered into the Teesside Junior Football Alliance. The youngest team is Under 8, then it is right the way through the age groups with two Under 18 sides as the oldest competitors. For the really little ones the club runs a Saturday morning Academy for kids in Reception to Year Two.  These sessions last from 10am to 11.30am and cost

a great bowling performance by Michael Croft ensured that

Ayton lifted the KERRIDGE CUP, making Ayton the first team in the history of the N.Y.S.D. league to have won

all 4 pieces of silver-wear available to be won by a team in the Premier League!

£3 to attend. Come along and try the first one for free.  Rob Lacy

Family FundayA big thank you to all who came along and supported Family Funday at the ground. The usual fun games, Tombola, raffle and Olympic Park challenge, were the highlights, with the event raising just over £2,000.00 for club funds.

Keith Wilcox

THE ANNUAL KILDALE COFFEE MORNING for YORKSHIRE CANCER RESEARCH,

held in Kildale Village Hall on Tuesday 6th Oct, raised a welcome £802! MANY THANKS TO ALL!

Next year: Tuesday 11 th October 2016. (One week later than usual.)

CRASH BANG WALLOP'S FIRST 10 YEARS! 13The Youth Theatre members celebrated their 10th Anniversary this year with a series of concerts in halls around the area, AND a reprise of their first show - Lionel Bart's ever popular musical "Oliver!" Founded in 2005 by Director, Dan Brookes, CBW's first production was a collaboration with Stokesley School, meant to be a one-off event. However, the response from the audiences, cast & parents was so enthusiastic that it was clear that CBW must continue.In the first few years, the group rehearsed in a variety of venues in Ayton, & performed annually in village halls in Hutton Rudby, Osmotherley & East Harlsey. In 2008, CBW began to perform 2 shows a year, & performances moved to Northallerton Forum. 10 years on, CBW have their own premises on the Terry Dicken Industrial Estate in Stokesley, allowing them not only to rehearse in their own space, but store costumes & props, & build & paint scenery.CBW have always relied heavily on help from parents, grandparents & friends, who sew costumes, build sets & paint scenery, look after children during shows, fundraise, & much more. CBW's choreographer from the start has been Emma Greenhalgh, now married to Dan, joined in 2006 by professional musician & Musical Director, Jeremy Harbottle. The Youth Theatre's rehearsal leaders are all former CBW members, & previous members regularly return from University & beyond to help backstage or play in the Orchestra.

CBW Youth Theatre welcomes new members between the ages of 7 & 18.

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There are no auditions - the only requirement is an enthusiasm for musical theatre.

Enquiries are also welcome from young people interested in working on lighting & sound.

For further details please contact Dan Brookes: 0795 812 2473. Charity No: 1143849

OUR NEXT SHOW:Come to Northallerton Forum to enjoy our FIRST production of: “WEST

SIDE STORY”Wednesday 10th - Saturday 13th FEBRUARY, 7.30 pm. Box Office: 01642

722 192See it again: a one-off performance at Middlesbrough Theatre: Tuesday 1 st

MARCH, 7.30 pm !

BOWLING CLUB (GABC) Please share your views with us:GABC would like to extend the use of the club facilities throughout the closed season. Plans for development are being worked on by club members. However, we feel it is important that the voice & needs of the local community should be heard. What would you like to be offered throughout those Autumn & Winter days: events that may not be available in our village? One idea would be to have indoor short mat bowling. As a club we may not have the room for this, but, if interest is expressed, we could certainly strive to arrange it in a venue within the village. Your views are important so please contact me.The club extends heartfelt thanks to all who collected the Wish tokens from the Gazette for us.

Linda Sample (Secretary GABC) lindasample@talktalk.net 27 Roseberry Road TS9 6EH

GT. AYTON SHOTOKAN KARATE CLUB (established 2008)

is held at Roseberry Academy, Roseberry Crescent, Gt Ayton. TS9 6EP.

Mondays in term time: 6 - 7 pm Juniors, 7 - 8.30 pm Seniors. £3 per session.

(A bargain £3 for both sessions!) Traditional Shotokan Karate promotes Fitness & Self-Defence for boys, girls, men & women, of all ages. More details are on our Facebook page: search for Great Ayton Shotokan Karate. . If you are interested in joining, please contact me, Alistair Juckes:

01642 725 211 07929 627 851 greataytonkarateclub@gmail.com

14 1 st Great Ayton Scout Group Celebrating our 90th Anniversary, we’ve had an excellent year

with full membership, including 10 Leaders and helpers. l

Explorer Unit: we came a credible 13th in the Shenington 24 hour Pedal Car Race this year.

We also entered 2 teams in Operation Escape – a weekend competition across the North York Moors. Two of our Explorers, Patrick Hughes and Rhys Selby, have returned from the experience of a lifetime - their trip to the World Scout Jamboree in Japan which included a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park; unfortunately Rhys has left us now.

For our citizenship project this year we hope to carry out some practical help for the National Trust, on and around Roseberry Topping, through the local Ranger.l

Scout Troops: have enjoyed night hikes, visited Redcar RNLI and Cleveland Mountain Rescue. Camps were at Great Tower, Windermere in ancient and beautiful woodland. There Scouts did raft building, jumped into the abyss on the leap of faith, did trapeze swinging, and scaled the dizzy heights for all aboard. Bushcraft was the main focus for this camp, with fires made using traditional methods, lots of food cooked and everyone returning without injury (apart from a particularly accident prone leader). We have presented many Chief Scout Gold Awards this year. l

Endeavour Cub Pack: had a great camp at Ravengill in Commondale, although the weather was very wet - but English breakfast was still cooked on open fires, with over one hundred bread buns and a similar amount of bacon eaten! Many other activities were enjoyed, including a visit to a falconry centre. Redcar Lifeboat was a big hit, with a presentation about the RNLI and Redcar Lifeboat in particular! l

Monument Cub Packs: older Cubs passed on their experience to the younger Cubs, which was especially beneficial at Commondale camp. Activities included open fire cooking, camping skills, traditional camp fire and the now traditional water-fight. A high point of the year was retaining the District 5-a-

side football trophy again, which caused much cheering and celebration. The Leaders have been assisted by Duke of Edinburgh Award volunteers this year, with great enthusiasm.l

Beavers: continue with a varied programme of exploration outdoors, & crafts/games indoors. We’ve recently had a visit from a Hearing Dog for the Deaf and have built dens in the woods. At the end of the summer term Paul stepped down as Beaver Leader after many years. We’d like to publicly thank him for all he’s done over those years. We currently have a full colony of eager Beavers and are looking forward to a fun-filled Autumn Term. l

A special thank you to all the parents who assisted and supported the scouting packs

but we still desperately need assistance from parents who want to support their children.

l

Weekly or occasional help, supporting Leaders, or transmitting a special skill, would all be appreciated by the Cubs, Scouts & Leaders, & hugely rewarding

to the volunteer!l

Please contact us:

Stirling Elliott 01642 725 035 Chairman, Group Executive Committee

Jean McWilliam 01642 722 358 Waiting Listsl

Finally: DON’T FORGET

the Annual Scout Bonfire on Thursday November 5th at Fletcher's Farm!

34 GOODBYE TO BILL KIRBY Vicar & Editor

one of Ayton’s well loved and respected characters,

Born in Whitby, Bill & his family moved to Ayton when he was just a few weeks old, so he very much felt himself an Aytonian. His brother John was born the following year. Sadly, tragedy struck in November 1921. Bill was out with his Dad & ran into the road in front of a

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wagon. His Dad managed to save him but paid with his own life - something Bill never forgot. His Mum, Sarah, brought her lads up with just a widow’s pension, but always ensured they had a loving home. Schooling was the British School, then Edward Kitching School. Bill joined the Church choir & the Scout movement, in the first ever Cub group in the village. At 15 he started work with a local estate owner, then a grocer, but neither paid enough, so he went to Dorman Long on Teesside, bought a bike for £7-10s, paying off 2/6 a week, & cycled to work each day. What a ride home - uphill after a hard 8-hour shift! World War 2 started in September 1939. Bill was called up for service in January 1940 & served with the Cameronian Scottish Rifles. They went to Madagascar, India, back to Tobruk in the Middle East, over to the Caucasus in Persia, back to the Middle East, then to Sicily & Italy. Bill gave Ian Pearce an interview about his wartime exploits back in 2004, & it's 11 fascinating pages long! After demob in 1946, Bill went back to Dorman’s & fell in love with Stella Johnson from Stokesley. They courted for a few years, marrying on 19th November 1951. Stella’s family all worked for British Railways, so Bill left Dorman’s & joined them, becoming a Length Man at Battersby Junction, where they had twin girls, Judith & Mary; sadly, Mary died in infancy. In 1960 they moved to Stokesley Station as Bill became a railway patrolman, checking the Battersby to Danby line, also becoming a Police Special Constable at this time, gaining his Sergeant's stripes & long service medal before he retired from this. In the winter of 1963, noted for the huge snowfall, tragedy struck Bill’s family again when his dear wife Stella died at just 35, leaving him on his own with Judith, who went to her Auntie Mary during the week, coming home at weekends. Bill then re-married, to Elsie Frankish, who already had a family, so the family grew. More changes came as Dr Beeching axed many railway lines - & jobs! Bill became Secretary of the Stokesley Branch of the Royal British Legion in 1974, an organisation he was always proud to belong to, doing this for almost 20 years. In 1977 he took on his last paid job, as a Timekeeper, at Thornaby. Bill retired in 1984. In March 1993 his wife Elsie died. Bill decided it was time to return to his native Ayton & moved to Hollygarth, where he has been such a familiar figure. He was soon Treasurer on the Residents' Committee, & went to the Workingmen’s Club. On Remembrance Sunday Bill was a faithful regular. When he moved to Town Close his family brought him back to be amongst his old friends. Bill sat at the front in his wheelchair, & struggled to his feet for the National Anthem, refusing any help - a very proud old soldier who served his country & community so well. Bill was a historian’s dream: he wrote lots of things down & collected many cuttings, & had such an active mind to the end. Local Editors were used to receiving Bill’s items, typed out in capital letters on his old typewriter, always with something of interest to say about the past that he could describe first hand. He was doing this right to the end, & it’s sad to think we won’t receive any more from him.

For years, as soon as Bill received his copy of The Stream he would write a piece for the next issue, so I received this - weeks before Bill's own death. I hope you agree that it is

appropriate to include it. BILL'S TRIBUTE TO DAVID BROOK

Born a true gentleman, and close friend of mine, I have known him as David & on occasion he would call to see me. David was very interested in school life & would like to talk about the ex-Friends School, which is now the Richardson Hall where David lived; also about the

British School, which is now the Discovery Centre, & where I was schooled. He took a great interest in, & was an active member of, the Archaeological Group, now the Local History Society, & I was very saddened to learn of his sudden death on holiday. David was what you might call a liaison officer - the carrier of up to date news, keeping me informed, & David was the one who got me the DVD on Great Ayton. The last time he called to see me he told me that he was looking forward to his trip to Tenerife in the near future, with his wife.

It's Goodbye to an old friend who will never be forgotten.

W. T. (Bill) Kirby, Ex-Pat Old Aytonian. Town Close, Stokesley.

MY TAKE ON GIRLGUIDING 15 Girlguiding has always been one of my extra-curricular activities:

Rainbows, Brownies, Guides then, eventually, Senior Section (which I describe to

people who aren’t au fait with all the Girlguiding lingo as: “It’s like Guides but older").I have progressed through each stage, starting from being a 5 year old Rainbow to an 18 year old Senior Sectioner. Girlguiding always has, & always will be, something I look forward to. I remember finishing a week at primary school and being so excited to see my friends from school - and friends from neighbouring schools - at Brownies on the evening, almost like a secret girls' club where no boys are allowed! Fast forward about 10 years or so, I still attend Brownie sessions on Friday evenings, &, rather entertainingly, when I tell people “I’ve got Brownies tonight,” they almost always remark with, “Oh, aren’t you a bit too old for that?”

It was actually taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award that kick-started my Girlguiding volunteering, needing to have 3 months volunteering for bronze, then quickly progressing to silver (6 months volunteering) and gold (12 months). Despite completing the volunteering sections for all the levels, I am still currently helping at my unit. Volunteering as a Young Leader is such a lovely experience, & I say lovely because, frankly, I couldn’t find an adjective that would suffice. My Brownie unit is full of caring and charismatic characters, and I really do enjoy the experience of being a Young Leader. Brownies teaches girls important values such as learning to be compassionate to one another, sharing, taking turns, and hopefully all the while, building each other’s confidence. The responsibility of nurturing the girls and being their responsible adult has taught me some invaluable lessons and, hopefully, made me more mature than I was prior to being a Girlguiding volunteer.

At Brownies we partake in all sorts of activities occurring in our regular meeting place, or in a completely new venue like Wetherby Racecourse, The

Sage or Saltburn Beach. The girls, & the Leaders too, get these wonderful opportunities to be a part of some of the momentous guiding occasions. For instance, attending the ‘Star Quest Spectacular’ to commemorate the Brownie centenary in 2014 consisted of seeing magic shows, dancing in communal Zumba, & daytime fireworks (maybe defeating the point of fireworks but the girls enjoyed them all the same…). There was also some musical tomfoolery in the form of welly-boot dancing to celebrate our country’s ‘Musical Day’ at the Sage in Gateshead, to name a few.

I think that Girlguiding brings us closer together as a community, whether it be closing the age gap between generations or tying together different cultures and beliefs. But most importantly, as aforementioned, the whole ethos and values of Girlguiding are to empower girls and young women as Leaders, to help them to realize their full potential to help one another and develop their communities locally, nationally or maybe even globally. I am very grateful to be a part of Girlguiding. It is a tradition that we should aim to uphold.

I look forward to another eventful year full of Girlguidingwith all the fun and new experiences there will be!

Sophie Brook - Adult Leader in training.

If your daughter is interested in joining Guiding, or you’re interested in helping, then please complete the form on the Girlguiding website -

www.girlguiding.org.uk & choose “Get Involved” from the choices at the top of the page.

16 POLICING MATTERSAs the evenings draw in it’s always a good time to remind readers to be on their guard against burglars looking for easy premises to target. First & fore-most I would remind readers to ‘Leave a Light On’ when they are out during the evening. A timer switch, plugged into a lamp set to come

on automatically for a few hours, costs little & offers a lot of protection from burglars who will be looking for homes in darkness. The last thing a burglar wants is for someone to be home, so anything you can do, to make it look as though you are when you aren’t, will help! This time of year can lead to an increase in crime related to what’s often ‘mischief’. Many people don’t see it as that & it can cause misery to those on the receiving end. I would ask parents to ensure that they know what their children are up to, & to make it clear to them that criminal behaviour will be seen as just that & they will be dealt with by the police. I would also ask those residents who don’t wish children to call at their doors for ‘trick or treat’ to secure their gates & to put a notice up, making it clear they don’t want people calling at the door. Check the North Yorks Police website nearer the time - we should have something available for you to print off & use. There’s been a couple of departures from the Team lately, those being PC 1557 Cat SKELTON & PCSO Richard STRINGER. Cat has left to join the Serious Crime

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Team at Northallerton & will now be investigating some of the most serious offences we have to deal with, no doubt calling on previous experience she gained as a DC in her previous Force, The Metropolitan Police, whilst policing the nation’s Capital. Richard, despite making good progress meanwhile, decided a career in the police service was ultimately not for him, & has left to pursue a medical career - after first backpacking around South East Asia for a few months. Further staffing additions are underway & I’ll be able to fully update readers on this in the next edition. I will end by reassuring readers that we will continue working hard to maintain the best possible service we can to you, to ensure that North Yorks. remains one of the safest counties to live in. Sgt. Nick Hill, PS 1967Enquiry Office, Stokesley Police Station: 8.30 am - 5 pm Mon - Thursday. 8.30 am - 4.30 pm Friday. (+

See p. 30)

Non-emergency No: 101. Press option 2 to ask for team member by name, or by collar number, digit by digit.

WEEDS MISUNDERSTOOD? Anne Press, of St. Margaret ClitherowAs summer fades & our countryside & garden vegetation's vigorous growth ends, many growers breathe sighs of relief - no more weeds! That word ‘weed’ strikes fear into their heart - nettles, thistles, dandelions, chickweed, brambles, goose grass, ground elder - the list goes on. Advertisements & books give dire warnings & advice on the best ways to eradicate them.But what are these 'weeds'? The word comes from Anglo Saxon & means a herb or small plant. However, they are in no way ‘weedy’ as we now use the word, for something weak or ineffectual: they are successful, tough, opportunist plants, native or introduced. They have taken advantage of our manipulation of the environment for our own use, to provide easier & better conditions for themselves. In their natural habitats, plants control each other by chemical secretions into the soil & air, while natural pests & pathogens add extra curbs. When habitats are disturbed, or plants are moved, this control disappears. So ‘weeds’ are no particular group of plants, just ones that are a nuisance to us, preventing us growing what we want, or ones we feel we can't control. However, as they are the successful plants, they contain a vast number of chemicals, using the sun's energy to uniquely combine elements of air, water & the earth to produce their own defence against pathogens & predators - chemicals which can be very useful to us. Most so-called weeds are edible & nutritious - dandelion, chickweed & hairy bitter cress make a great salad; cooked nettles are very high in protein, vitamins & minerals: a valuable spring tonic. Even Japanese knotweed & the seeds of Indian balsam can be eaten. Many of our medicines were derived from native plants & they work as well now as in the past. Insects love thistle flowers, & birds feed on the seeds. If we do have to remove some of these ‘weeds’ they make excellent compost before they seed. So, maybe we should not categorise &

demonise these plants as ‘weeds’ but learn to enjoy & use them. They are part of our history & heritage, important to us & our wild life.

SUPPORTING VICTIMS - A NEW SERVICE 17

If you have been a victim of crime, or you know someone who has, support is available from skilled Victim Care Co-ordinators. Contact Supporting Victims in North Yorkshire on:

01904 669 276 between 8 am & 7 pm Monday to Friday

or email to help@supportingvictims.org.

To find out more about Supporting Victims visit the website: www.supportingvictims.org

The SV service will provide support for anyone affected by crime, whether reported or not, of any age, including children & young people (wherever possible with consent), bereaved relatives, parents or guardians of victims under 18, & those affected by business crime. The newly commissioned SV team is based in Athena House, York, but will provide a service for all North Yorkshire victims. The service is launched & funded by the NY Police & Crime Commissioner, Julia Mulligan. As part of new local changes, in line with the Victims' Code of Practice, improved, wider services are available, particularly to victims of the most serious crimes, or vulnerable, or repeat victims, so supporting victims of a greater range of crimes.

The service will offer:* Immediate practical & emotional support over the telephone;

* Referral to support staff based in their community to provide ongoing face to face support

through a personalised plan;

* Onward referrals to other local agencies can also be made as appropriate.

* If a specific need is identified, Supporting Victims can refer individuals to one of our

specialist commissioned support services.

* Self-referrals: In addition to referrals from the police, victims will be able to refer them-

selves to Supporting Victims in North Yorkshire without having to first report a crime.

The new tel. no., email address & website will provide direct routes for victims to self-refer.

Wendy Green, Commissioning & Partnership Manager

Joint Corporate Commissioning & Partnership Services, North Yorkshire Police

QUAKER FAITH AND PRACTICE Robert Campbell, Co-Clerk to Ayton Meeting

The Religious Society of Friends, more usually known by its nickname of “Quakers”, was founded in around 1652, when George Fox travelled the country, passing, we believe from his journals, through Stokesley & probably Ayton, meeting many people disillusioned with the Protestant & Catholic churches, at a time when a change of monarch led to persecution of those not of the current one’s faith. The core Quaker belief that “there is that of God in everyone”, arose from this turmoil, & in 1738 the book that is now known as “Quaker Faith & Practice” was first produced as a “compilation of advice & counsel” by Friends & by their Meetings. The book has been regularly updated, probably up to the 13 th

edition now, with work just beginning on the next one. Many of the original writings from George Fox & his contemporaries remain, & new inspirations from Friends of every generation have been added. I would like to quote from 2 passages:The first is from William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, in 1693:

“The humble, meek, merciful, just, pious, and devout souls are everywhere of one religion:

and when death has taken off the mask, they will know one another, though the divers(e)

liveries they wear here makes them strangers”.

The other is from Gerald Priestland, foreign correspondent, BBC religious commentator, & well-known Quaker, in 1982:

“The church is a community and it is a continuity. Quakers may be an experimental sect,

both in the modern sense of pushing forward the frontiers of faith, & in the older sense

of insisting upon experience as the basis of their faith. But we must admit that we build

on the foundations laid for many centuries by the Church”.

18 TASTY WAYS TO ENJOY TROUT from members of the Ayton Angling

Association (& see p. 31) Trout Fillets - Fried from John & Sharron GoughSimply fry the fillets in butter. 1. Melt the butter in a frying pan at a fairly high temperature.2. Place the fillets, skin side down, into the pan. 3. After a few minutes, when the skin is nice and crispy, turn them over for about two minutes and then serve.

Trout Fillets - Oven Poached1. Poaching the fillets is just as nice. Place them in a shallow dish with butter, chopped leek, & fennel or celery.2. Add a little water & some dry white wine; cover the dish; poach in a hot oven for 20 mins.

For something a little different, poach in a covered dish with slices of fennel, some butter & a splash of Pernod.

Whole Trout - Baked1. Stuff the cavity with lemon slices and butter. Season with salt and pepper and put the whole fish into a foil “wrap” with a tablespoon of olive oil .2. Cook in a hot oven for 20 minutes & serve with new potatoes & asparagus or green beans.

Trout Fish CakesIngredients

Cooked Trout flesh Equal amount of mashed Potato 1 Egg (+ beaten egg for coating) 1 dessert sp. of dried Dill. Salt & Black Pepper 14 g/½ oz. melted Butter 1 teasp. of Thai fish sauce may be added if you wish. Oil for frying. For the coating: flour, beaten egg, breadcrumbs.

Method1. Allow the cooked trout to cool and then separate the flesh from the skin and the bones. 2. Mix together equal amounts of the cooked trout and mashed potato with the egg, melted

butter & dried dill. Season with salt & black pepper. Now add Thai fish sauce if you wish. If making up a large amount, add more egg and butter. 3. Mould into fishcakes. Coat each cake with flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs. 4. Shallow or deep fry and serve hot with green vegetables.

Trout with Almonds from Martin & Ann Davies

Ingredients4 Trout, gutted & cleaned, with heads on Flour for coatingButter for frying Salt & freshly ground Black Pepper50g/2 oz flaked blanched Almonds Juice of 1 Lemon

To finish: 4 lemon wedges & a few parsley sprigsMethod

1. Coat the fish with the flour, seasoned with the salt & pepper. 2. Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan.3. Add the almonds, & fry gently, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. (Drain on kitchen paper & keep warm.)4. Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper. Add another knob of butter & melt it.5. Add the trout & cook gently for 5 - 8 minutes on each side or until the trout is tender (test with a fork: the flesh should flake easily.)6. Sprinkle with the almonds & lemon juice; garnish with the lemon wedges & parsley.

Bon Appetit! KEEP FAITH IN OUR COUNTRY

31In September, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll became the longest reigning monarch in British History, overtaking the record set by Queen Victoria. The 63 year reign of our Queen has seen unprecedented changes in the world and in our society, but the constant for her has been her strong Christian faith which has undergirded all she has done.The Christian Faith has given more to our Nation and way of life than we will ever fully appreciate – until we lose it! So may I say a big thank you to all in our villages who maintain the life and witness of our Churches ……….To all who attend regularly, and maintain the places of worship and the witness and work of the Church by taking on various tasks. In the first six months of this year we lost 10 people who had been regular worshippers at

either Christ Church or St Oswald’s, so we have to grow just to stand still. Thank you to those who come.To those who generously support the Churches financially to enable them to continue their work, for there is no state subsidy for Churches in this country. As well as maintaining all our buildings and giving generous support to many charities, Christ Church and Saint Oswald’s together effectively pay for two clergy, so that in a poor place somewhere that can’t afford a vicar, they now have one. Thank you to those who give.To all who still come to Church so that Faith in God can mark significant times of their lives, be they Christenings, Weddings or Funerals. It is a great privilege to welcome people to God’s house at such times and to give the best we can. Thank you to those who still see Faith as a central part of their lives.In a rapidly changing world, I pray that the Christian Faith may continue to be a guiding light for our Nation, showing all people stand equal before God regardless of their gender, race or sexual orientation, & we may continue to proclaim God’s message of Love for the world. Paul Peverell, Vicar

AYTON ANGLING ASSOCIATIONThe Association has been around for over 25 years, yet not many people seem to be aware of its existence. We lease Larner's Lake from Stuart Fletcher of Woodhouse Farm (think of Fletcher's Farm Coffee Shop) & fish for 9 months of the year: February through to October. We stock 6 times a year with rainbow trout, weighing up to 5 lbs, for fly fishing only. At the moment, we have a membership of 160 ladies, gentlemen & juniors, at various skill levels, & we welcome new members to our Association. If you haven't done any fly fishing before, we will teach you. Annual fees are £100 for adults & £10 for juniors (+ £25 joining fee). For that, you can fish for 9 months and can take home 1 fish for each day that you fish.We have been fortunate in getting sponsorship from The Environment Agency, The Angling Trust, & Impetus Waste Management Trust, & through their generosity we have installed 20 recycled plastic, non-slip platforms & a wheelchair friendly pathway at the lake. This has resulted in us being accepted by the staff at the Help for Heroes Rehabilitation Unit at Catterick Garrison who, as part of their rehabilitation programme, bring small groups to the lake for angling tuition. We have also helped members of 2 Scout Groups to achieve their Angling badges. Currently we have 4 Level 1 Coaches & will soon have 2 Level 2 Coaches. If you think you might like to join, please contact Geoff Stephenson: 01642 723 501.

John Gough (Recipes: see page 18)

32 GT AYTON HISTORY SOCIETY

We will be holding presentations on aspects of local history during the coming months.

All are most welcome to come along.

Refreshments will be provided & entry is free, but donations would be welcome.

The Supposed Site of Cook’s Cottage

by John Rowlands, Wednesday 8 December, 7:30 pm in The Discovery Centre.

Earlier this year we carried out some exploratory excavations at the supposed site of the Cook family cottage at Aireyholme Farm. To our surprise we found evidence of a building, possibly dating from the early 18th century. This presentation will describe what was found & the chances of it really being the dwelling where James Cook spent his younger days.Early in 2016 we have a series of presentations, all 7:30 pm in the Friends’ Meeting House, High Green. The provisional programme is shown below.

Posters will be displayed in the village early in 2016 & speakers confirmed.Cleveland Sword Dancing by Mike Loftus Wednesday 3 February 2016

Diaries of John Richard Stubbs by Ian Pearce, Wednesday 10 February 2016

Aireyholme Cook Cottage Project by John Rowlands, Wednesday 17 February 2016

Men of Ayton killed in action in the Great War, Part One, Wednesday 24 February 2016

Men of Ayton killed in action in the Great War, Part Two, Wednesday 2 March 2016

How All Saints’ Church was changed by the Reformation

THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY THE BRADLEY SCHOOL OF DANCE & MUSICAL

by David W Taylor, Wednesday 9 March 2016

We are continuing to hold brief Services of Remembrance, at 11:00 am at the War Memorial, Christ Church, on the centenary of each man who died during the Great War (1914-1918).

Forthcoming centenaries are:

Charlesworth Grayson, 9 November 2015 Gilbert Rumbelow, 14 February 2016

Robert Smith, 2 December 2015 Herbert Wilson, 23 February 2016

James Hodgson, 20 December 2015 Arthur Wilkes, 28 February 2016

We are particularly anxious to contact any members of the above men’s families.

If you are related, or know of someone who is, do please get in touch.

Ian Pearce

Secretary, Gt Ayton History Society 01642 722 964 or ianandsuepearce@btinternet.com

YATTON HOUSE SOCIETYWe would very much like to thank the local community for their ongoing, greatly appreciated support, which enables us to continue providing a much needed service for our Members.

After The Fishermen’s Choir Concert, & Apple Day in October, we have:Our OPEN DAY, Sunday 22 nd November - please come.

Any unwanted gifts are always gratefully received for Tombola & Raffle prizes. The new build has been slow off the ground, but we are pressing on to make it a reality & not just a dream! Yatton House still offers a home-cooked 2 course Lunch every Wednesday , Noon - 1.30 pm, and Coffee Shop Tuesday & Friday from 9 am till 11.30 am. Sticks and logs are for sale at £4 per large bag and we collect clothing, etc. for the Air Ambulance. For all Garden Furniture, or to have a cherished bench re-

furbished, contact Vince. For any printing, or room/building/marquee hire, please contact Brenda, both on: 01642 722 380. Wendy Richardson, Service Manager

34 GOODBYE TO BILL KIRBY Vicar & Editor

one of Ayton’s well loved and respected characters, Born in Whitby, Bill & his family moved to Ayton when he was just a few weeks old, so he very much felt himself an Aytonian. His brother John was born the following year. Sadly, tragedy struck in November 1921. Bill was out with his Dad & ran into the road in front of a wagon. His Dad managed to save him but paid with his own life - something Bill never forgot. His Mum, Sarah, brought her lads up with just a widow’s pension, but always ensured they had a loving home. Schooling was the British School, then Edward Kitching School. Bill joined the Church choir & the Scout movement, in the first ever Cub group in the village. At 15 he started work with a local estate owner, then a grocer, but neither paid enough, so he went to Dorman Long on Teesside, bought a bike for £7-10s, paying off 2/6 a week, & cycled to work each day. What a ride home - uphill after a hard 8-hour shift! World War 2 started in September 1939. Bill was called up for service in January 1940 & served with the Cameronian Scottish Rifles. They went to Madagascar, India, back to Tobruk in the Middle East, over to the Caucasus in Persia, back to the Middle East, then to Sicily & Italy. Bill gave Ian Pearce an interview about his wartime exploits back in 2004, & it's 11 fascinating pages long! After demob in 1946, Bill went back to Dorman’s & fell in love with Stella Johnson from Stokesley. They courted for a few years, marrying on 19 th November 1951. Stella’s family all worked for British Railways, so Bill left Dorman’s & joined them, becoming a Length Man at Battersby Junction, where they had twin girls, Judith & Mary; sadly, Mary died in infancy. In 1960 they moved to Stokesley Station as Bill became a railway patrolman, checking the Battersby to Danby line, also becoming a Police Special Constable at this time, gaining his Sergeant's stripes & long service medal before he retired from this. In the winter of 1963, noted for the huge snowfall, tragedy struck Bill’s family again when his dear wife Stella died at just 35, leaving him on his own with Judith, who went to her Auntie Mary during the week, coming home at weekends. Bill then re-married, to Elsie Frankish, who already had a family, so the family grew. More changes came as Dr Beeching axed many railway lines - & jobs! Bill became Secretary of the Stokesley Branch of the Royal British Legion in 1974, an organisation he was always proud to belong to, doing this for almost 20 years. In 1977 he took on his last paid job, as a Timekeeper, at Thornaby. Bill retired in 1984. In March 1993 his wife Elsie died. Bill decided it was time to return to his native Ayton & moved to Hollygarth, where he has been such a familiar figure. He was soon Treasurer on the Residents' Committee, & went to the Workingmen’s Club. On Remembrance Sunday Bill was a faithful regular. When he moved to Town Close his family brought him back to be amongst his old friends. Bill sat at the front in his

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wheelchair, & struggled to his feet for the National Anthem, refusing any help - a very proud old soldier who served his country & community so well. Bill was a historian’s dream: he wrote lots of things down & collected many cuttings, & had such an active mind to the end. Local Editors were used to receiving Bill’s items, typed out in capital letters on his old typewriter, always with something of interest to say about the past that he could describe first hand. He was doing this right to the end, & it’s sad to think we won’t receive any more from him.

For years, as soon as Bill received his copy of The Stream he would write a piece for the next issue, so I received this - weeks before Bill's own death. I hope you agree

that it is appropriate to include it. BILL'S TRIBUTE TO DAVID BROOK

Born a true gentleman, and close friend of mine, I have known him as David & on occasion he would call to see me. David was very interested in school life & would like to talk about the ex-Friends School, which is now the Richardson Hall where David lived; also about the British School, which is now the Discovery Centre, & where I was schooled. He took a great interest in, & was an active member of, the Archaeological Group, now the Local History Society, & I was very saddened to learn of his sudden death on holiday. David was what you might call a liaison officer - the carrier of up to date news, keeping me informed, & David was the one who got me the DVD on Great Ayton. The last time he called to see me he told me that he was looking forward to his trip to Tenerife in the near future, with his wife.

It's Goodbye to an old friend who will never be forgotten. W. T. (Bill) Kirby, Ex-Pat Old Aytonian. Town Close, Stokesley.

DAVID BROOK REMEMBERED Vicar &

Editor 35David was born in Cork, married Evelyn in 1951 (64 yrs ago!) & came to England to live. While David was serving in the Royal Navy, in Engineering, sons Andrew & Jonathan were born; David then had 6 yrs with ICI before moving into Training, working in Devon, then at Wolverhampton Polytechnic as a Senior Lecturer in Training, becoming a Companion of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, & was Chairman of the Health & Healing Centre in Bournemouth for 7 yrs, until they moved North. In 2005 David & Evelyn moved into a flat in the former Friends School, near to son Andrew & his wife, Bev. David was soon a familiar figure in Ayton as he got involved in village life. He & Evelyn came to Church each Sunday, usually bringing someone else who wouldn’t have been able to go. David was a very caring man, shown by all the people he would visit & keep an eye on, & also as the very conscientious Chairman of Directors at Richardson Hall. He was an active member of the village History Group, & proof-read their book about Roseberry Topping. Living close to Andrew & Bev meant that David & Evelyn could really enjoy being Grandparents, often at Concerts, supporting Sophie & Izzy in their music. David had battled rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years, but you would never have known, for he never let it get on top of him, & kept active, walking their dogs when they first came here, & going for a cycle ride each day. A remarkable man.

THANK YOU TO FREDA GRUNWELL Vicar &

Editor Freda was a Middlesbrough girl, born & bred in Linthorpe with her older brother Eric, who, like her, was musical. Freda was very proud to have attended Kirby Grammar School for Girls; she then trained to be a Comptometer Operator. (A vintage calculating machine - Freda had the fingers for it!) As a young woman she enjoyed playing tennis & met Richard, a very keen cricketer, at the Sports & Youth Club at Saint Mary’s Church in Acklam, where they married in 1947 & had a remarkable 68 yrs of married life together. Their daughter Pamela was brought into a life of music, & given the desire to achieve in her life. She is so proud of all that her Mum has done in her life to benefit others.Freda was already very well into music by the time she met Richard. She had played from being very young & was an accomplished pianist, giving lessons to others by the time she was 18, playing under her maiden name: Freda Sinton. She was still having children round to do their scales until just before her accident, which was only 4 years ago - an active teaching career of at least 70 years! Think how many lives Freda has affected, both directly, through teaching, & indirectly through the lives of those she has inspired, who have also gone on to make music their life. As a teacher she was strict, with high standards. She insisted on the right technique, & helped many pianists to improve. In later years Freda’s former pupils, now music teachers themselves, would send their pupils to her to practise their scales. Freda enjoyed this immensely & took a keen interest in the achievements of all those who came to her. She had the gift of being able to lead by example as her fingers floated effortlessly across the keyboard on even the most difficult pieces. She also travelled around the schools in the Middlesbrough area playing the piano - & did all her journeys by bike. Freda was very much involved in music in the community. For many years she was the Musical Secretary to Teesside International Eisteddfod, where musicians from all over the world would gather for a festival of music. She also established the Middlesbrough Music Festival, serving on the Committee in virtually all the positions, for many years as President. The Prize-winners' Concerts were always very enjoyable evenings. Sadly this Festival closed through lack of support a few years ago, reflecting a decline in youngsters taking up music & an instrument. Her funeral collection is for Music for All, a charity encouraging youngsters in music-making by providing instruments for them. She supported many things In Ayton. She played for the Thompson School of Ballet, & often for GADS shows. On the 50th Anniversary of VE Day, back in 1995, there was a Concert that brought lots of people together: Freda was on the piano, & was a great source of music & fun. It was 2011 when Freda had that terrible fall, that a lesser person may not have come back from, but she had great determination - & some great support, especially from her niece Moira, her husband, Martin, & their daughters, Sophie & Charlotte; neighbours, friends & former pupils also supported. Freda will be remembered as an inspiration to many others, through music.

36 ♫ ♫ ♪ THE ANGROVE SINGERS - the friendly choir! ♪ ♫ ♫ We were made very welcome at Christ Church for our Sacred Music for Easter on Good Friday, & were grateful to find the Church full. Our on-departure collection for charities raised the huge sum of £870, the proceeds going to The Ann Conroy Trust & Action for Botton. Our Summer Soirée & Supper, on July 4th, again filling Christ Church, was a happy affair, where I had the delightful opportunity to thank & congratulate our popular & multi-talented Conductor, Jeremy Harbottle, on completing 10 years with us. In that time he has doubled the size of the choir, become the Conductor of 4 other choirs, & Musical Director for Crash Bang Wallop, the Youth Theatre group, everyone responding to his inspiring love of creating music. He also finds time to teach singing, piano, guitar - & cello, with which he is a virtuoso soloist, Leader of his section in the Cleveland Philharmonic, & the Wedding Cellist - & yet remains as modest as he is gifted. As I said at the Soirée: he has challenged us, developed us patiently, & royally entertained us for 10 fantastic years - here's to the next 10, & the next …………. We are now rehearsing for our Christmas Concert, 7.30 pm on Saturday 5 th December in the Methodist Church, High St, Gt Ayton, with soloists & readers drawn from the choir.Tickets will be available from members, from the Discovery Centre & Thompson's Hardware or by phone from me. (Don't leave it to the last minute - we usually have a very full house!) We will sing Music for Easter in Christ Church at 7.30 pm, Good Friday, 25 th March. (A free ticket will reserve a seat. Proceeds from both events go to charities chosen by the choir.)

We always welcome new singers. The first term is free & is considered as a time of mutual assessment - we don't audition. If YOU would like to join,

please come to a rehearsal:in Gt Ayton Methodist Youth Hall, 7.30 - 9.30 pm, on Thursday evenings

in term time- with a tea-break halfway through. We love helping people to enjoy singing

together!If you would like more information first, please contact me:

Carol Morgan (Chairman) 01642 722 897 candpmorgan@talktalk.net

MUSICAL JOURNEYS - COACHES TO 'THE SAGE'

Last year’s ‘trial run’ was successful enough for the Sage to run them ‘officially’ - details in their brochure, etc. They tell me that if we could average 4 more passengers per trip the arrangement would be a permanent fixture. Last season we averaged 36 …..Tell your friends!

By bus for £7.50 return (Does not include concert ticket - they cost from £10 to £33)

Tickets for the bus can be purchased up to 4 working days before the concert.

Pick up points in Teesside are: Fountain Street Car Park, Guisborough Great Ayton High Street car park, (opposite Coopers chemist) Stokesley High Street car park bus stop The Blue Bell (Acklam) car park

You can book tickets for both the concert and the bus at: Sage Gateshead Ticket Office on 0191 443 4661 or online at

sagegateshead.comThere are bus services for the following 3 concerts: (sorry, the 1st may already be over for

some of you)Friday 30 October (7.30 pm) Mozart's Vienna Lars Vigt conductor & piano, Royal Northern Sinfonia:

Beethoven The Creatures of Prometheus overture, Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20,Webern Langsamer Satz, Haydn Symphony No. 103 "Drumroll".

Sunday 22 November (3pm) Venzago's Sibelius Five Mario Venzago conductor, Alban Gerhardt cello, Royal Northern Sinfonia: Sibelius Finlandia, Elgar Cello Concerto, Sibelius Symphony No. 5.Friday 10 June : (7.30 pm) Finale: Vogt's Sibelius Seven , Royal Northern Sinfonia, & Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia: Sibelius Symphony No. 7, Mozart Requiem

Tony Allison Rev. CATHERINE HUTTON

37Catherine began her ministry at Gt Ayton Methodist Chapel in September 2004, with Gavin, her husband, & son Joel. During her ministry a second son, Aidan, was born. Her arrival co-incided with the start of the interior changes to the Chapel, plus the installation of disabled access facilities, so during the first half of 2005 worship services were held at Christ Church, thanks to the kindness of Rev. Paul Peverell.When services resumed in the Chapel, the traditional 9 am & 6 pm services followed their usual pattern, but the 10.30 am service saw the introduction of a contemporary style of worship, using the varied talents of musicians & singers to lead the worship. Modern worship songs were used in place of the

traditional hymns, along with many novel activities during the all-age part of the worship. Consequently, those services would last 90 minutes or more. Harvest Festival included an all-age craft service & support for the Food Bank. At Christmas, Giving Services were held; Catherine led the Yatton House Carol Service; she organized the young people's carol singing around the village, & introduced the use of puppets to illustrate the Christmas message to the younger Chapel worshippers. The Lent & Easter services included devotional evenings in Lent, a Palm Sunday craft service, reflective Good Friday service & Easter Sunday celebration service. During her 11 year ministry, Catherine wrote the House Group material, began Wednesday Morning Prayers, Saturday Away Days, round the village Prayer Walks, & Sunday Lunches. Young people's visits to Uganda, Ulster & the Dales were led by Catherine, as were the pilgrimages to the Holy Land for the older members. Catherine's ministry also saw initiatives from individuals, or groups, to introduce Coffee & Craft mornings, the Film Club, Prayer Ribbons on Suggitts' railings, Tuesday Lunches, J Time Tuesday afternoon activities for younger children, Gap evenings on Thursdays for older children & Hollygarth Board Games. Chapel Centenary was celebrated during 2014-15, & various events were held to commemorate this important milestone.When analysing Catherine's gifts, the one thing that stands out is her ability to communicate with older teenagers. During her ministry many young people were led to make a personal commitment to follow Jesus & whilst Chapel members have much to remember her for, it is perhaps the work with young people that most will cherish above all else. Catherine is now Superintendent of the Norwich Methodist Circuit. John Huddart.

GT AYTON DRAMATIC SOCIETY (GADS)Winter Show: Christ Church Hall 20 – 23 January 2016 @ 7:30

pmLOVE AND MISTLETOE by Raymond Hopkins

It is Christmas Eve. Sue and Tom Millard have invited Sue's dad, Brian, round to spend the happy festive season with them. However, all is not as idyllic as it might at first appear. After 25 years of marriage the couple are going through a bad patch. Unbeknown to Brian, who is a widower, Sue has invited three ladies round with the intention of finding him a partner. To add to the mayhem, one of Sue's school friends arrives asking if she can stay for a couple of days after the breakdown of her marriage. The twists & turns, intrigues & misunderstandings, add up to a hilarious evening's entertainment. The only question is: Why handcuffs & a whip?

To find the answer you will have to come & see the show!

Tickets from Thompson Hardware, Park Square, Great Ayton, or available at the door.

GADS is always pleased to welcome new members:for more information call 01642 722 096 or email gads.dmw@gmail.com

David White AYTON LODGE UPDATE

39 After our summer break, Ayton Masonic Lodge resumes at the

beginning of October, & following the December meeting our wives/partners join us for a Christmas meal. We will again be holding a Carol Service in Christ Church, conducted by Rev Paul Peverell, on 6 th December, for local Freemasons, their families and friends. All are welcome to join us!The values of Freemasonry are based on integrity, kindness, honesty & fairness. Freemasons are taught to practice charity & to care, not only for their own, but also for the whole community, both by charitable giving, & by voluntary efforts or works as individuals. From its earliest days, Freemasonry has been concerned with the care of orphans, the sick & the aged. Masonic charity is exercised at every level: individual Lodges make gifts & give aid to their own communities, & every Local Province also gives large sums of money to regional causes. (The Stream has benefitted from a second donation - thank you. CM)

Nationally, millions of pounds are donated to charitable projects & services. Each Air Ambulance charity in England & Wales has received funding, with total donations averaging £175,000 annually (£1,500,000 in total). Last year, 242 hospices shared a total of £600,000, & each year the British Red Cross is given donations ranging from £60,000 up to £130,000, depending on the number of disasters they are responding to. Over the years, Freemasons' charities have awarded a total of £5,000,000 to various cancer research charities. Ayton Lodge follows these principles through our own activities & fund raising.We welcome enquiries regarding membership to help boost our numbers. For further information about Freemasonry in Yorkshire visit www.pgl-york.org or, for Ayton Lodge in particular, visit www.aytonlodge9595.org.uk. Further details can be obtained from me: John J Duffey: 01642

723 641 or the Secretary, Paul E Dawson: 01642 723 082.

TWINNING ASSOCIATION (GATA) NEWSGATA members, including 2 new families with children, enjoyed a wonderful visit to Ouzouer over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Friday morning, we visited the “fairy tale” Chateau de Chambord. After a picnic lunch we had a

guided tour of Chateau de Cheverny, on which Moulinsart in the Tintin books is based. Saturday, we were treated to an evening of wine, food, cabaret and dancing. On Sunday we visited Guedelon – a medieval chateau under construction, recently featured on TV. Next year it will be our turn to be hosts.

GATA also runs social events through the year:Sun 15th Nov 7.30pm MUSIC QUIZ in the Royal Oak, Great AytonSun 7th Feb 7.30pm PUB QUIZ in the Royal Oak, Great Ayton

We will also be organising a French dinner in early December, and French film nights.

GATA welcomes new members, including families and children. As well as being fun, twinning is a great way of learning about France, &

French people, with the opportunity to improve your French should you wish.

For more information about GATA membership & events please contact one of the following:

John Nicholas 01642 640 788; mob. 07804 307 327; email john.r.nicholas@ntlworld.com or Rowland Robson: 01642 710 186 or Anita Hufton: 01642 321 766

or visit GATA website: www.greataytontwinning.co.uk

40 ROSEBERRY SCHOOL DARJEELING (School Aid India)I have, of course, always been aware that our pupils are a mix of different ethnicities and religions, as is the local community, but, during my recent visit, 3 separate matters showed me what this can mean to those involved. (1) The established Nepali community is not impressed with the customs of newcomers from the plains, & our teachers anticipate discipline problems in classes where there are too many "Indians". (2) An ex-pupil, a Muslim girl, came to tell me her exam results. Although one of Roseberry's star pupils, she had been refused entry at the local government supported Mission School, but had managed to come top in English and Maths at another secondary school. (3) A Young Hindu woman, doing a great job with our play group, had committed the great sin of marrying a boy from a higher caste. After years of ostracism by his family she developed shaking fits, so the family employed a priest to exorcise the demons who were punishing her, but without success. The young couple and their daughter, a pupil at Roseberry, left the family home, but the lonely woman did not get better until a friend converted her to Christianity, when the shakes apparently ended!

THIS PAGE HAS KINDLY BEEN SPONSORED

Talking of quakes, our original wooden building has been declared unsafe after the recent earthquakes, & must be replaced - the cost estimated at £25,000. All contributions welcome!

Helen Jones 01642 723 357

YOU CAN’T BEAT A NICE CUP OF FAIRTRADE TEA! Back in the mists of time, when I were a lass, tea was one of the very earliest products to be sold under an ethical label. Right at the beginning of the fledgling Fairtrade movement back in the 1970s, WDM tea was the first fairly traded variety of tea, & campaigners highlighted the appalling conditions of many workers in the tea gardens of Africa & Asia. This was what got me interested in Fair Trade, back in my teens. We might be forgiven for thinking the job is done, with dozens of Fairtrade tea varieties now, & a multitude of ethical claims & certification labels, but still only 8% of the tea drunk in Britain is Fairtrade. Many tea workers still live in appalling conditions, doing back breaking work for tiny wages. A recent Radio 4 “File on 4” programme highlighted this in estates in Assam, supplying some of the most expensive brands available in posh shops in the UK. The story was told that one village’s only latrine was knocked over by a cow & has not yet been replaced – that was 31 years ago! – & the only place to “go” is in the field. Lots of people love the tea brand they have always drunk & are quite emotionally attached to it. How many times do you hear people saying, “Oh, but I always drink... tea.”? These days there are so many different Fairtrade brands that it should be possible to find one to suit all tastes. I am also sometimes told, “Oh, but it is rainforest alliance certified you know!” So was the tea sold from the estates in Assam, highlighted in the Radio 4 programme. Fairtrade is the only way to be sure that the tea you buy is ethically produced, & that the producers themselves have a say in what happens to the money we pay. Over & above the Fairtrade price, the Fairtrade Premium is an additional sum of money which goes into a communal fund for workers & farmers to use - as they see fit - to improve their social, economic & environmental conditions. Kate Harvie

This year, my Traidcraft Open House, at 71 Roseberry Crescent, Great Ayton,TS9 6EW,

will be at 11 am - 7 pm on SATURDAY, 7th & TUESDAY, 10th November .(Make the most of a marvellous source of ethical Christmas gifts & cards!

Editor)

THIS PAGE HAS KINDLY BEEN SPONSORED

42 THE "DEMOCRACY AT WORK" WORDSEARCH

The words relate to the methods to use to make democracy work, as the village has discovered.

When you have found all 27 DIFFERENT WORDS (IN CAPITALS), convoluted, reversed,

upside-down, bent, diagonal - perhaps all within 1 word! - re-using letters in the square,

but not exactly the same one twice in one word - 8 LETTERS WILL REMAIN UNUSED.

They make 1 WORD describing what we feel when successful.

TO ENTER : please send THE 1 WORD with your NAME, ADDRESS & TEL. No . to :

 

THE EDITOR, 22 WHEATLANDS, GT AYTON, TS9 6ED, or via Thompson’s Hardware,

The Discovery Centre, or email <candpmorgan@talktalk.net> There will be 3 small prizes.

CLOSING DATE: F RIDAY 20 th N OVEMBER

Results in Thompson’s Hardware & The Discovery Centre by FRIDAY 27th

NOVEMBER

SEEK INFORMATION FIND PHOTOGRAPH EVIDENCE ATTEND MEETINGS

ASK QUESTIONS of PARISH, DISTRICT and COUNTY COUNCILLORS

PRESS for ANSWERS WRITE INDIVIDUAL LETTERS

TALK to OUR MP, PAPERS and the MEDIA BUILD a LIST of KEEN CONTACTS

T T R S S E T E D I

E P E N R W T A N V

U L A T I L L F E C

RESULTS OF THE "What Is At Stake?" WORDSEARCH

The answer was: THRIVE There were 21 correct entries.

The 3 winners were:

Mrs M Allison S McLoughlinMaureen Thom

Hollygarth Close Farm Garth Skottowe Cres.

Correct entries were also received from:

Mrs Audrey Clarkson, Whinstone View; Mary de Wardt, Hunter's Lodge, Stn Rd;

T T R S S E T E D I

E P E N R W T A N V

U L A T I L L F E C

Peter Fletcher, Church Drive; Frances Greenwell, Newton Rd; Chris Middleton,

Skottowe Dv; Vicki Nath, Skottowe Dv; Mary Nicholls, Linden Cres; Jennifer C

Roberts, High Street; Janet Smith, Linden Rd; Hilary Stemp, Station Rd; Elaine

Stevens, Langbaurgh Cl; Mrs Irene Suggitt, High St; Brian T Taylor, The Waltons;

Carole Wagstaff, Easby Lane; Mrs L Walker, Roseberry Cres; Margaret Whittle,

Tadmarton; Joyce Williams, Churchill Close.

Thank you all for entering - it's most re-assuring to me & my Wordsearch testers, Viv & Barbara, that many of you enjoy doing the puzzle, even if you don't send an answer in - at least you improve the odds on winning for those who do enter! Good luck! CM.

From the CCA CHAIR, DAVID SILLS

We recently completed our annual survey of clients to ascertain their feeling on the services which we provide. Again we received very positive feedback. The document is available in the office to be read, or we can send you one if you request it. Also our funders, when they come to check up on our services, are very pleased with the services that we provide, which encourages us to believe that we are completely fulfilling our role in the community.

We are always looking to expand our activities and recently we undertook to run the Fridays only bus service, from Kildale and Kirby to Stokesley and return, when the existing bus company withdrew the service. If you live in this area and would like to go to Stokesley on market day please enquire at the office for details. Although only a few people avail themselves of this service, to see them getting on the bus for the return journey, laden with bags of shopping, makes you realise what a life-saver this service is for those who use it.

To enable our services to operate efficiently and well, we are dependent on our faithful volunteers, who always give freely of their time and talents on our behalf. As volunteers become older, and occasionally more frail, they are unable to continue to offer their services. Replacing such stalwart volunteers

6

is not easy and we are thankful that Kay Hayward, our volunteering co-ordinator, seems to be able to provide us with a steady stream of new volunteers. As many other charities will appreciate, there never seem to be enough volunteers to fill the vacancies, so may I reiterate, as ever, the request that if you have a few hours to spare & would like to volunteer, please ring Kay (01642 71 00 85) for an initial chat.

We were recently successful in our bid for a new minibus from the government’s scheme to provide a number of new buses to the voluntary sector. Although the bus has not yet materialised, occasional emails from the department dealing with this are indicative that it will arrive. Watch this space as they say!! We are always endeavouring to make CCA more widely known in the area and recently we have attended the vintage car rally organised by Stokesley Rotary Club, where a tombola, followed by a one off donation, saw us raise over £1,000. We had a presence at both Hutton Rudby & Gt Ayton fetes to promote our services. Our craft group hold regular sales of their work and a recent stall at Stokesley show produced welcome income and good advertising for us.

To further our fund raising, we have again booked Stokesley Town Hall for the whole day on December 18th, & are actively planning events to be held in there to enable us to raise funds. We will certainly be having a cake stall and tombola so if anyone would be willing to help man either of these stalls, or contribute goods, for the stalls please get in touch and tell us about it. We will also be serving teas and light refreshments & as ever we would welcome volunteers to assist. Last year we raised just over £1,000 on the day, which was generously doubled by the trustees of the Barclays Bank fund for supporting local events to raise money.

In the office we have quality copying facilities (black & white or colour) and rooms which can be hired out for groups to meet. We can provide tea/coffee to groups as required and have projection facilities and a laptop which can be borrowed.

We have a website which is regularly updated and we can place advertisements on that to help other organisations. Our website is www.stokesleycca.org.uk & would be a good place to start looking for any information. If you have any other queries, then please make contact with the office. (tel : 01642 71 00 85 open 0900 -1700, 9 am - 5 pm, Mon-Fri)

We may not have the answer, but hopefully we can put you in touch with someone who has.

WEDNESDAY MORNING FORUM - SPRING 2016 43

Held in the W I Hall 10.00 am to 12 noon Coffee 10.00 am to 10.30 am Entrance Charge £2.50

Contact: Margaret Seargeant 01287 639 402

06 Jan To be decided Dr Richard Parkin

13 Jan Easter Island Mr Mike Irving

20 Jan Wildlife of the Esk Valley & the North York Moors Mr Brian Lake

27 Jan Linen from Flax Mr Peter Morgan

03 Feb Light and Inspiration Mr John Webster

10 Feb History of Place Names in the Area Mrs J Braddy

17 Feb Travels With My Camera: The Dales & North West Scotland Mr John Carter

24 Feb Basque Refugee Children at Hutton Hall Mr Alan Wilby

02 Mar Inland Waterways Mr Robin & Mrs Mary Bielby

09 Mar Voyage to the Arctic Mr Eric Londesbrough

16 Mar John Betjeman – England’s ’Teddy Bear’? Mr Richard & Mrs Jan Crouch

23 Mar The Demoniacs - Skelton Hell Fire Club Dr Tony Nicholson

GT AYTON WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION

WINTER PROGRAMME 2015 - 16

All meetings are held in the Friends' Meeting House, High Green, Gt Ayton, at 7.30 pm,

on Wednesday evenings. There's also time for a cuppa & a chat afterwards.

For further information, please contact Liz Wilson: 01642 316 337. Everyone welcome!

(Sorry we print too late to list the September meeting. Ed.)

28th October Dragonflies - Things I've learned Dean Howard

25th November Birds in Your Garden Mike Gray

16th December Blue Poppies & Bed Tea:

(The inside story of plant hunting in the Himalyas) Helen Jones

27th January St. Kilda's. Islands on the Edge of the World Richard Short

24th February Trip to Antarctica Martin Wall

23rd March Highlights of 2015 Paul Forster

27th April Seaweed & Marine Life Jane Pottas

Please cut out the questionnaire below & place it in the box in the Discovery Centre

by FRIDAY 20th NOVEMBER. Many thanks for your help with this, from all at Gt Ayton Discovery Centre.

THE DISCOVERY CENTRE - QUESTIONNAIREIn our efforts to keep our library at the top of its game we would like to ask you to answer a few questions. Please circle each option which applies to you.

Have you used the library to borrow books since it became our

Cut here please

community-run Discovery Centre?  …………………………………..… YesNo

Are you satisfied with the range available? ………………………….... YesNo

Are there any types of books that are not adequately represented?....  YesNo

Please circle the group or groups which interest you.

e.g. Romance Crime Thrillers Sci Fi Family Sagas FantasyBiography Other non-fiction Craft Children’s

Young people’sAre there any areas of interest not mentioned in the above which you would like to suggest? If so please enter it/them here ..……………..……………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………….………