st bees magazine february.indd
TRANSCRIPT
22
St Bees Priory ChurchInterregnum - No vicar currently in post – Enquiries - Call 07984 331530
Retired Clergy with the Bishop’s Permission to Offi ciate:
The Revd Jim Marshall (01946 64259)
Revd Jim Baker and Revd Anne Baker (01946 822498)
The Revd David Cox
The Revd Canon Dr Trevor Park
Lay Readers
Chris & Charm Robson (01946) 822468
Sunday Services 9.00 a.m. Holy Communion (1st, 3rd & 5th - 1662)
10.30 a.m. Family Service
6.00 p.m. Evening Prayer (1st - Evensong; 3rd Holy Communion)
See Calendar for details of Family Services and Evening Prayer
The sacrament of baptism is administered at the main service and must
be arranged well in advance with the Vicar.
For weddings, baptisms, funerals and other religious occasions, please contact
07984 331530 or email [email protected]
Priory Web Site - http://www.stbeespriory.org.uk
Hire of Priory & HallsThe church, Old College and New College halls are all available for hire for meetings,
functions, lectures, concerts and recitals, etc. Contact booking offi cers for details.
Booking Offi cers
Ian & Rosalie McAndrew - 01946 822326 or [email protected]
Priory Secretary - [email protected]
Magazine production & distributionThis magazine is free but production costs are about 40p per copy. Contributions from the
Parish Council and our advertisers, to whom we are most grateful, pay much of the costs.
However this leaves the balance to be paid by the PCC. Donations to the Treasurer* or
your Magazine Distributor are most welcome.
Circulation - 900 households in St Bees, Sandwith, Rottington, Linethwaite, Coulderton,
Middletown, Nethertown.
* - Treasurer - Dr G Burgess, 7 Abbey Farm, St Bees, CA27 0DY.
DTP & Final Editing - Ian McAndrew
Printed by Printpoint (01946) 64305
i
20th Anniversary of “The Great Snow” - 6 February 1996
ii
St Bees Parish A B C
Area Visitor / The parish is divided into 30 small areas each with an offi cial
Good Neighbour Church Visitor whose task is to welcome and help people in the
Scheme name of the Priory. Co-ordinator - M Westhead (822674).
Arts Society meets every two months on the last Wednesday of the month at
8.00 p.m. Venue to be arranged. Details from Dilys Brownrigg
(822584) or Charm Robson 822468.
Bellringing The Priory has a ring of 8 bells. Those interested in ringing or
learning to ring, contact D Sim, 31 Main Street. Practice
Wednesdays, 8.00 pm Sundays, ring at 10.00 a.m. and Evensong by
arrangement.
Brownies Brownies meet in New College Hall on Tuesdays. Details from
Amanda Smith 823933;
Cubs, Scouts, Cubs for children aged 8 - 10, meet on Thursdays, 6.30 - 8pm.
Beavers Beavers meet on Thursdays (term time) from 5.00 - 6.00 pm. Details
from Sarah Servant, Tel 01946 729687. Scouts meet on Tuesdays
from 7.15 - 8.45pm. Details from Dave Kennedy, Tel. 824511. All
meet in Youth Centre, Outrigg.
Choir rehearses on Sundays at 9.30 a.m. Details from Frank Bowler, the
Organist (Tel. 825307).
Churchwardens are leading lay Church members who will be pleased to help and
advise on church matters. They are John Kennedy (Tel. 822297),
Rosalie McAndrew (Tel.822326), Derek McGee, & Wendy Mellor.
Councillors Copeland - Dr Ian Hill - 01946 823305, 7.00 to 9.00 p.m Monday
to Friday. Cumbria - Cllr Henry Wormstrup, 01946 61996 or
07725239825. E-mail [email protected]
Electoral Roll is the list of all church members qualifi ed to vote at the Annual
Parochial Church Meeting. E.R. forms are available in church, to be
returned to the Priory
Finance The Church Treasurer is Dr Geoff Burgess, 7 Abbey Farm, St Bees,
Tel. 824416, who will gladly explain our Christian Giving system.
First Responders provide Basic Life Support in association with the Ambulance
Service. Contact Phil Buxton 821176 or Andy Brock 823497
Football Contacts - Seniors Dale Jackson 823631 & Tony Barnett 590640.
Association Juniors (U-12) - Alec Morton 823992 & Alastair Billson.
Freemasons St Bega Lodge meet 7:00 p.m. On 2nd Wed of each month, Village
Hall. Details: 01946 64275 or www.cumbwestmasons.co.uk.
Friends of the assists in the conservation of the Priory and encourages interest in
Priory its historical and architectural heritage. Contact Philip Barratt or
Tom Rice, Treasurer, Green Ghyll, Greendykes, Egremont.
Garden Society Details from Mark Hewertson, (Tel. 01946 825468). Flower Show is
held on the 3rd Saturday in August. 21
Guides meet in New College Hall on Tuesdays from 7.00 – 8.30 p.m.. Please
contact Jayne Park for more details
Library is at the Village School (Tel. 822219), Tuesdays and Thursdays
1.30 p.m. -5.00 p.m. Contact Gillian Lewthwaite..
Local History works towards improving knowledge of local history. Lectures
Group arranged periodically. Details from Chris Robson 822468.
Methodist Sunday Service & Sunday School is at 11.00 a.m. Family Service on
Church the second Sunday.
Over 60’s Club meets in Hodgett’s Club on 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month:
2.00 - 4.00 p.m. Details - Gill Richardson Tel. 822394.
Parish Council The Clerk to the Council is Mrs Jane Donaldson, East House,
Coulderton. Tel. (01946) 822560, e.mail [email protected], who
will answer queries on civil parish matters.
Parochial meets 10 times a year. Elections for 20 members are held in March at
Church Council the A.P.C.M. Its task is to spearhead the mission and ministry of the
church in the Parish. PCC Secretary -
D McGee, E-mail - [email protected].
Pre-School meets in the new building next to the Village School, All day, 5 days a
week. For children 2 years 9 months +. Contact Pre-School on 823880.
Prayer Group meets on Thursdays from 2.00 - 3.30 p.m. in New College Hall . All
denominations welcome.
Priory Singers rehearse in Old College Hall, Mondays at 8.00 p.m. Details from Frank
Bowler. (Temp). (01946) 825307
Priory Web Site The Priory web site has up to date information on the ministry team,
church services and activities. See http://www.stbeespriory.org.uk
St Bees Triers Athletics Club for runners, swimmers and cyclists. Training night
Thursday 6pm and 7pm. Secretary Nancy Lawton, Tel. 823497
St Bees Youth meets 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month at 7.30 p.m. in New College Hall.
Group All youngsters of secondary school age are welcome. Contact them
on 07518 394297.
Sunday School for ages 3 - 11 meets during Morning Service New College Hall, at
10.30 a.m. Contact – R McAndrew (822326), Rachel Walker.
Toddler Group meets every Wednesday in term time only, from 9.30 - 11.30 a.m. in
New College Hall, St Bees Priory. Details from Hayley Monaghan on
07711161573 and Xanthe Prince 07745770482.
Village School exists to raise funds for the school and to foster links between school
Association and community. Secretary - via School - Tel. 822392.
Village Hall Management Committee administers Hodgett’s Club. For details and
booking contact Phil or Valerie Turpin (Tel 823772).
Village in Bloom Details from Eileen B Todd, 14 Main Street. St.Bees. (Tel 822522).
Village Web Site Information for inclusion should be sent to Ian McAndrew (822326) or
[email protected] Address is http://www.stbees.org.uk
Women’s meets 2nd Monday of month at 7.30 p.m. usually in New College Hall
Institute (see program). Contact Alison Morris – Tel. 822640.
20
Calendar for February 20161 Monday 7.30 p.m. PCC Meeting, NCH
5 Friday 7.00 p.m. St Bees Youth Club, NCH
8 Monday Magazine Copydate
9 Tuesday 11.00 to 1.30 Pancake Party, NCH
10 Wednesday Life Education, Village School
7.00 p.m. Ash Wednesday service, Priory
11 Thursday Life Education, Village School
12 Friday 3.15 p.m. Half-Term begins
13 Saturday 8.00-9.30 a.m. Men’s Breakfast, NCH
16 Tuesday 2.00 p.m. Over 60 Club, Hodgetts
20 Saturday 12 noon - 2.00 First Lent Lunch, NCH
4.00-6.00 p.m. Messy Church, NCH
22 Monday Half-Term ends
24 Wednesday 8.00 p.m. Arts Society, Business Centre
Lynx Theatre visit Village School
26 Friday Silverband Falconry at Village School all day
27 Saturday 12.00 - 2.00 Second Lent Lunch, NCH
Pop-in Centre happens on Thursdays from 10.30 a.m. to 12.00 noon in NCH
Please Note - Cornerstone Christian Bookstall at Pop-in on 18th February
March Editor
The March 2016 issue of St Bees News will be edited by Pat McDonnell, Sandyridge,
Priory Road, St Bees, who would appreciate all contributions not later than Monday, 8
February please.
Email: [email protected] Tel 01946 822516
Cover photo - “The Great Snow”
Twenty years ago this month, on 5 February, West Cumberland was hit by a snowstorm
that more or less paralysed the area for 2-3 days. Roads were mostly impassible with
drifts up to several feet deep, St Bees was cut off and the lifeboat crew travelled by sea to
Whitehaven for supplies for the School. Sellafi eld workers were stranded on site, sleeping
in offi ces, canteens and changing rooms. Pupils were stuck in schools. Many others spent
the night in shops and offi ces. There are dozens of stories of the heroics of people rescuing
people from cars, as well as many other stories. If you weren’t in the area at that time, ask
someone who was.
Apologies for not crediting photographer who took cover photo. I don’t know who it was!
1
St Bees News February 2016From the Ministry Team
There are times in our lives when we all have to take important decisions which can have
a major impact on our future well being. Therefore, it involves taking risks. We have to try
to balance the risks we take in order to make good decisions more possible. Nevertheless,
we cannot avoid the risk of making the wrong decision.
This year of 2016 is well under way and the signs are that our world is going to be faced
with taking important decisions. For example, this November the people of the United
States will elect a new president. That is a risk for us here in Britain as well as for the
people of America because their decision will aff ect the world’s economy and thus have
an impact on our lives.
As a country, we are going to have decide whether or not we want to remain within the
European Union. Personally, I wish we weren’t faced with this decision. Being trained as
an engineer, the maxim always was, if it isn’t broken, don’t fi x it. To my mind, Europe has
not reached that level of broken-ness.
Here in St Bees the newly appointed Governors of the now closed school will have
important decisions to make regarding its future. We wish them well in their endeavours.
Likewise, the church here at St Bees has to take important decisions as we will be
appointing a new vicar. Much thought and planning is already going into the process not
only to get the best possible person for the post, but the best possible deal with the diocese
with regard to the new vicar’s responsibilities.
At a church meeting last Sunday, many ideas were put forward about what we would
expect of that person. From my point of view, I hope that the new man or woman will be a
compassionate, intelligent person, skilled in management.
One decision each one of us could make is to try to come and join in our worship at the
church. It means taking a risk but the fellowship, enjoyment and the meaning it can give
to our lives is, I believe, a risk well worth taking.
With very good wish,
Jim ( Baker)
2
Priory NewsLent Lunches in February & March – will start on Saturday 20 February in New
College Hall. The Priory Pop-In teams, NSPCC ladies and Catriona Harris & friends will
be hosting the Lent Lunches this year on Saturdays in February/March from 12 noon to
2.00 p.m. In aid of 2 charities – NSPCC and Cumbria Flood Appeal. Easter is very early
this year, 27th March, hence the surprisingly early start to the Lunches!
The Christingle and the Sunday School Nativity Play were well-attended and very
happy and festive events. Special thanks must go to all involved – the children and their
families; the Village Orchestra with Jackie Walker, Helen Bushby and Frank Bowler;
the Christingle team; plus bakers of Christmas delights! Observant spectators may have
noticed Shepherds morphing into Kings in the drama, (as some potential actors were
travelling to Lapland or orienteering in the Lakes, not free to proceed from the Orient!)
Do see the dramatic photos on the church noticeboard.
Christmas Thank yous must go to the Oldham family and to Debbie’s tree decorating
team; to the Knights and McAndrews for manhandling said tree into position; to the
polishing team cleaning the Communion silver for Christmas; and to Sally Kennedy
and bakers for the delicious food at all the services. Special Thanks go to Lorna & Phil
Stanwix for the gift of their artifi cial Christmas tree which appeared in the vestibule
and was decorated by everyone as they arrived at church - do we have a new Christmas
tradition? One bauble as a starter for a hundred – like a snow fl urry!
Christmas Gifts under the Priory Tree Thank you everyone for such generous presents
to our senior St Beghians in care homes or hospital. They were all delighted to be
remembered. Greetings & thanks come from Elma Gauld in Wyndham Manor; Barbara
Ross, Jean Browne, Alan Fletcher and Nancy Brownrigg in CastleMount; and Phil
Stanwix in Harbour View.
Thanks go to David Kennedy and John Rowlands for their superb feat of hoisting the
illuminated cross onto the belltower - a beacon shining out across St Bees. Thanks also to
Doug Sim for fl ood- lighting the Priory for the Christmas season.
Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) - Tuesday 9 February
The members of the Soroptimist International Club of Whitehaven & District cordially
invite you to their Pancake Party. We will serve sweet and savoury pancakes from 11.00
- 1.30 pm in the New College Hall in St Bees.. Costs - £2 for a pancake and a drink
(second drinks free, extra pancakes £1). There will be a bring and buy stall and all profi ts
will be divided between the Samaritans and the Paediatric Dept. of the Queen Elizabeth
Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. Dr Claire Summers, a long time supporter of the hospital
will be supplying information on the work of the hospital. Everyone is welcome.
Friends of the Priory
Plans are in progress for various events - lecture on “Petra”, concerts, etc. Best wishes to
our chairman, who is incapacitated at present. Watch out for posters.
19
News from the Village SchoolThe new Spring Term started on Tuesday, 5th January and it was a delight to hear all about
the lovely things the children had been doing over the Christmas break. Although this
term seems a short one, it is nonetheless as busy as ever!
Kidsafe UK - The ‘Kidsafe UK’ programme will begin this term for Year 2 pupils. The
introduction of the Kidsafe programme is part of the school’s wider work on Safeguarding
children within school and involves helping children understand how they can keep
themselves safe in all aspects of life.
Website - We are currently updating our website and later this term we will launch our
‘new look’ site which should be much clearer and easier to navigate as well as enabling all
members of the school community to provide instant feedback, ask questions and send in
information.
Gymnastics - Our Reception children will be visiting Whitehaven Sports Centre each
week this term for gymnastics coaching. Year 2 have were having coaching last term and
will be taking part in a Gymnastics competition at Montreal School. Good luck to them!
Life Education Centre - Once again we are having a visit from the Life Education Centre.
The centre will be here for two days, 10th and 11th February. All children will get the
opportunity to visit. Parents are welcome to visit; times will be allocated.
Judo - Our Year 1 children are having judo lessons in school, courtesy of Judo Knights.
Janice Knight is a former British International and Commonwealth champion with a 5th
Dan in Judo. She very kindly comes into school each week to coach the children who are
very much enjoying these sessions. Many thanks to Janice!
Credit Union - The school continues to run a ‘Young Savers’ club with the local Credit
Union, collection day is Monday. For more information about how your child could join
contact the school offi ce. It’s amazing how a little saved each week soon mounts up!
Body Conditioning - If you are feeling full of energy after the Christmas break, please do
come along to our Keep Fit class on a Wednesday evening at 6.30pm for an hour of gentle
exercise. Only £3.00 per session!
Dates for your Diary
10 Wednesday Life Education Centre
11 Thursday Life Education Centre
Year 6 to visit Magistrates Court
12 Friday Finish 3.15pm for Half Term
21 Return after Half Term holiday
24 Wednesday Lynx Theatre visit
26 Friday Silverband Falconry – Birds & Mini Beasts all day
24 Thursday School closes for Easter holidays at 1.30 pm
Lowes Court GalleryMembers’ Wall featuring Hefted by Jenny Payne from 6th to 27th February. A selection
of pastel portraits of our iconic sheep. These have been created with local pigments
including Egremont Red, St Bees Yellow and Kirkby Grey.
18 3
4
What’s On at the Priory in FebruaryAsh Wednesday service with Canon Trevor Park - 10 February at 7.00 p.m. in the Priory.
Family Messy Church - Saturday 20 Feb. from 4.00 to 6.00 p.m. in N.C.H. All welcome!
St Bees Youth Club - Friday 5th Feb. (Film Night & popcorn!) at 7.00 p.m. in N.C.H.
Men’s Breakfast. The next encounter with sausage and bacon will be in the NCH on
Saturday February 13th at 8am. The theme of this meeting will be “Living and Dying”.
We hope to explore in discussion the fact that in the UK talking about death “just isn’t
done”, that over half the population have not made wills and dying, and all it entails, is
largely hidden from view….and no doubt a lot of other things, such as living life to the
full. Everybody is invited but for catering purposes please let Vicky Bearman know if you
are coming - email [email protected]. Meetings fi nish around 9.15 a.m.
Early Daff odil - This daff odil and others, as in previous years,
was once again fl owering in January at Wal & Jane Haywood’s at
Monkscroft. Has anyone else managed such early fl owering in their
gardens? The date on the Times is 2 January 2016!
From the Organ Loft - A message of thanks and great
appreciation from Frank Bowler for all that the Priory Choir has
contributed to our worship over the last year. Especial thanks go
out for all the extra work preparing for the Advent Carol Service,
the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and the Epiphany Carol
Service. Particular thanks also to Helen Bushby who has deputised for Frank on several
occasions, to Jeff Evans who has waved his arms in front of the choir in some kind of
attempt to gain their attention for some of our more diffi cult pieces and to Maureen Barratt
who tries to let everyone know what / when / where it’s all happening - even when I’m not
sure! Finally many thanks also to Margie Simper who directed the choir for the service of
Nine Lessons and Carols. We can’t be so bad - she would like to come back!
From the Priory RegistersChristian Funeral
21 December Freda Wylie Bethel House, Greenbank (formerly of Abbotts Way)
22 December Harold Wilson 5 Solway Rise
Memorial Service
8 January Alan George Thurlwell Overbeck, Seamill Lane
May God’s blessing be on you and your families.
Love & prayers for health and strengthOur love and prayers go out to all who are ill or recuperating – thinking especially of Mrs
Doris Howells in Freeman Hospital, and Mr Joe Shackley in WCH. Many blessings on
you all.
Best wishes to Miss Cynthia Walker recovering from a fall in Main Street.
17
16
From Henry Wormstrup, Cumbria County CouncillorHappy New Year. My name is Henry Wormstrup and I am your County Councillor covering
Egremont North, Mirehouse and St Bees. As one of 12 Councillors serving you locally on
the County Council Local Committee for Copeland, I wanted to update on concerns you
have raised over the past 12 months and explain what I have been doing to help. I also want-
ed to update on various projects supported by the Local Committee.
Road safety
Speed humps and speed reduction – I campaigned for speed reduction measures and
lobbied as part of the Speed Limit Review. Early in 2015 this resulted in the speed hump
outside Eaglesfi eld to be modifi ed and road markings repainted through the village. Traffi c
Survey – I instigated a traffi c survey in the village to help inform decisions about traf-
fi c reduction schemes. This will allow design work to be progressed so they can then be
considered as funding is identifi ed. Junction Safety concerns - Residents raised concerns
for pedestrians and children at the Outrigg/Main street junction. This resulted in me getting
additional yellow lines and hatch markings placed outside the school. I also ensured that
County Highways enabled the re connection of the School warning sign. Sellafi eld “Rat
Run” – I continue to campaign over ongoing concerns of the Sellafi eld rat run through
Woodend, Moor Row and St Bees. There is ongoing engagement with Cumbria Highways
about trying to manage traffi c fl ow.
Superfast Broadband – The County Council runs the Connecting Cumbria team leading on
the continued roll out of superfast broadband and the local committee continue to push for
maximum access for our community.
Planning & Services
I objected to a Sellafi eld New Building Planning Application as the Sellafi eld Transport and
Movement Plan was not ‘fi t for purpose’ or provide any solutions to alleviate the “rat run”.
It has now been withdrawn and is being re-considered.
During a time of severe austerity Local Committee members are working to preserve as
many local services as possible. To date the County Council budget has been cut by over
£130m with a further £84m cuts required over the coming 3 years. We will endeavour to
protect vital services as far as we are able. Here are some examples:-
Developed a plan, and secured funding, to deliver a new school campus in Whitehaven.
Maintained our clothing grants for children from deprived families and our support for Sure
Start Centres; Funded defi brillators in various locations in Copeland. A Heartstart training
programme is ongoing; Continued to support Money Advice services through Copeland
CAB to help vulnerable people access benefi ts etc.; Assisted with the development of
healthy weight funding and supported a Healthy Weight Steering group for Copeland;Sup-
ported fl ood management sessions in Egremont and Sandwith; Secured additional funding
resources for more extensive road repairs and delivered improvements to our highway net-
work; Engaged with employers in an attempt to secure their commitment to training and de-
velopment in advance of major developments around new build and infrastructure improve-
ments;• Continued to support a number of apprentices and provided grants to Skills 4 You;
Working with partners in the health sector to bring services together with combined health
and social care needs; Completed community asset transfers in Egremont and Kirkland and
are progressing with a number of others.
Henry Wormstrup - 01946 61996/07725 239825 or [email protected]
6
An evacuee’s story - Peter Phillips
I was born in October 1931. In the Summer of 1939 we were having our annual family
holidays at the seaside in Cornwall, when a telegram arrived for my father saying “drive
to St Bees immediately to be the advance party for the evacuation of Mill Hill School to
St Bees”. War was imminent, and the government had requisitioned the Mill Hill School
buildings in North London as a military hospital. Due to the Great Depression of the 30s, the
number of boys at St Bees School had greatly declined, so the school had empty boarding
houses and underused facilities, such as labs and playing fi elds , so it was a good fi t. So
much for our Summer holidays for 1939. On receiving this, the fi rst thing that my father did
was to look at the map to see where St Bees was. It was about as far away from Cornwall
as you can get. We packed up, and set off for St Bees in our trusty old Vauxhall car, with a
surfeit of buckets and spades and bathing suits, but little else. All the family’s furniture and
possessions had to be left in London for the duration of the war. Well, we arrived in St Bees
and we found Tomlin House, which was to be home for us and the 40 odd boys in the school
boarding house of which my father was housemaster. I remember going into the house for
the fi rst time, it was totally empty, damp and derelict. My heart sank. The other Mill Hill
boarding houses were to be located in Seacroft, a large Victorian house in the village where
old Mr Kenworthy lived, Grindle, Eaglesfi eld, and Seacote Hotel, which in addition to
being a boarding house would be where centralised feeding of the boys would take place.
At age seven, I was very much a bystander, but my poor parents were faced with converting
a derelict and empty house into a home for forty boys, the domestic staff and, of course
ourselves, in a month. The fi rst thing that they needed to do was to buy some furniture and
clothes, so off we drove to Whitehaven (in 1939 petrol was still available for private use).
My mother headed for “The Beehive”, the department store on King Street, and purchased
masses of clothes for themselves, me, my sister and my young brother. Fortunately it was
before clothes rationing was introduced. Meanwhile my father went to old Mr Kelly’s
amazing second-hand furniture warehouse, situated between Lowther Street and Duke
Street, which was full of the most incredible bargains. I remember well my father purchasing
a massive beautifully fi tted mahogany desk, with cupboards above, for his study, for £7. He
used it all his life, and when he died my brother Mark had it, as he was a housemaster at
Eton and was the only one of us with a room big enough to accommodate it. Eventually,
when he retired, he sold it for £850. Not a bad investment after fi fty years of use! For
the boys side of the house, lorry loads of beds, tables and chairs were delivered from
somewhere. Whilst all this was going on, all the local tradesmen were booked up to put in a
hot water system (no central heating in those days), build a large corrugated iron cycle shed
at the back, and generally converting the left-hand side of the house into a boys boarding
house, and the smaller right- hand side (now the Tomlin Guest House) into accommodation
for us and the domestic staff .
Having found furniture and clothes, our parents next concern was to fi nd schools for
me (aged 7) and my sister (aged 6). I was sent as a boarder to Frank Burnett at Seascale
Preparatory School (closed following the Windscale explosion), and my sister to a day
school in Whitehaven, and then as a boarder to the Calder Girls School also in Seascale,
15
14
Parish CouncilBus services
The operator of Service 6 which links St Bees with Whitehaven, Egremont and Seascale
has applied to discontinue the service from 19 February. The only alternative available for
villagers who use the service would be the Rural Wheels scheme. Details of how to join
the scheme are available from the Clerk – tel 822560.
Beach Road Footpath
We have been informed by Cumbria County Council that the work is likely to be carried
out in March. The temporary footpath closure order (necessary for the work to take place)
will be in operation from the beginning of March but the path will only be closed for a
few days while the new surface is being laid.
Concrete bridge at Sea Mill
Cumbria County Council will be carrying out repair work on the concrete bridge which
links the Sea Mill car park with the beach. It is planned to construct a new concrete ramp
and carry out repairs to the abutments early in March. The bridge will need to be closed
for a short period whilst the work is in progress. Signs will be in place and the closure will
be kept to a minimum. When the bridge is closed, access to the beach will still be possible
from the footpath which runs from Blythe Place, Sea Mill Lane.
Nu-Gen Green Grant
The Parish Council has been successful in obtaining a grant of £800 to plant trees and
shrubs on the bare bank of soil alongside the Adams Recreation Ground. It is hoped that
the fi rst stage of planting will take place shortly with further planting in the autumn.
Off ers of help with planting will be very welcome – if you are able to help, please contact
Neil Bettinson or the Clerk.
St Bees School News
The Board has been strengthened by the addition of: Mark Rocca (Chairman), Sara
Calvin, Mark George, Robert Miller and Harry Strong. Clare Hensman (The Lord
Lieutenant), James Newcome (Bishop of Carlisle) and Richard Pratt (Archdeacon) have
now resigned from the board.
The Board has positions for Marketing/Communications, Educationalists and Finance
representation, although in the short term it has independent support from individuals who
want to support the Boards objectives. A new Board profi le will be published soon.
The new Board is actively reviewing previously investigated options and pursuing new
opportunities for the re establishment of education in St Bees School. It is also actively
looking to take bookings (long and short term) for school facilities such as the Memorial
Hall, Chapel etc. and is looking to work with partners to run events such as Summerfest
and Springfest this year.
Thank you for your patience as the Board consolidates and gets up to speed with the work
already underway, and investigates potential options as they arise.
See http://www.stbeesschool.co.uk/ for email and telephone details.
7
which she hated. With permission, we were allowed to go for a walk along the beach
together on Sunday afternoons.
We spent the fi ve war years in St Bees. There were many more positives than negatives
to this. I suppose the biggest positive was that we were safe from German bombing. The
nearest that war got to me was hearing the bombs dropping on Barrow, whilst huddled up in
the cellar of my school at Seascale. Apart from our safety, we were all introduced to many
activities that would never have come our way if we had stayed in London. For example
my sister and I used to go horse riding on Tomlin Head at least twice a week. I can still
remember the names of the horses and ponies at Miss Selby’s stables on Finkle Street. We
had to cycle everywhere, as there was no petrol for private use, and we had all sorts of
exciting adventures cycling on empty roads in the Lakes. My father was introduced to many
hobbies by local people, such as bell ringing at “The Priory”, the Home Guard (if that can
be called a hobby), beekeeping, helping Mr Mossop at Rottington at harvest time etc. In a
nutshell, everyone was incredibly helpful and welcoming to us wartime interlopers.
The negatives were no more than what everyone else in the country had to cope with during
the war, i.e. concern about the war, food and clothes rationing, no petrol, general drabness
and nothing much to buy in the shops. However, there was another big negative specifi c to
us. Boys that my father knew well left the house aged eighteen, then joined up, and then a
few months later he might be told that they had been killed in action. I well remember the
gloom that enveloped the house when this happened. On a happier note, in 1942 my brother
Tim was born in Tomlin House. He went on to become an exceptional games player (Public
Schools tennis and squash champion, triple blue at Oxford, semi-fi nalist in the doubles of
the US Open Tennis Championships, and to cap it all, Chairman of The All England Lawn
Tennis Club (Wimbledon) for 11 years). We all put it down to the healthy St Bees air that
he breathed as a child!
The Home Guard was an important positive for my father. Not only did it mean that he
quickly got to know the locals, many of whom became good friends, but it also got him
some petrol coupons. For some reason the St Bees Home Guard was selected to be provided
with a real fi eld gun, which had to be towed by a vehicle. My father volunteered his car,
which provided him with petrol coupons, only to be used for towing the gun. It was of
limited use, as he drew the line at towing the gun into Whitehaven on shopping trips!
At the end of the war we were of course excited to be going back to Mill Hill to be reunited
with our friends and possessions, but at the same time we were very sad to be leaving St
Bees. The pull was such that for many years we always returned for our Summer holidays.
Peter Phillips
Peter Phillips, and his brother Tim, visited St Bees in November last year and was invited by Chris
Robson, who they met at the Harvest Festival in the Priory, to write of his experiences of the evacuation
of Mill Hill School to St Bees.
8 13
12
Traditional RNLI fundraising events
The West Cumbrian Vintage Club Tractor Trundle. - Despite the awful weather it was a
great turnout for the Boxing Day Tractor Trundle, organised by the West Cumbria Vintage
Club. They brought their various tractors down to the Seacote car park arriving around
9:30am and leaving at 10:30am. The vintage tractors travelled around St Bees and the
surrounding area collecting money for St Bees RNLI.
St Bees Triers New Year’s Day Dip: - The St Bees Triers got 2016 off to a good start with
a refreshing dip in the Irish Sea. The dip started around midday with everyone meeting
at the lifeboat station which was opened to provide a warm changing area and supply
hot drinks. Some of the lifeboat crew provided safety cover and a few even joined the
swimmers. Around thirty-fi ve brave souls entered the sea, which was a fantastic turnout
and raised £477 for the RNLI.
Florence Arts Centre
Florence Arts Centre is hosting an exhibition from 23rd January to 3rd March of a year’s
new work by Millom-based artist John Hewitt who creates unique hard-edged abstract
compositions on canvas stretched over three-dimensional forms. In recent years he has
developed new techniques and processes including the use of laminated MDF to produce
concave surfaces as well as the convex canvas forms. John says that major infl uences on
his work include Art Deco and the early abstraction of the master himself, Kandinsky.
His forms derive from a cross-over between industrial shapes witnessed while working
in Vickers-Armstrong shipyard in Barrow during vacations, and the wonderful fl owing
rhythmic shapes of the hinterland of the Lake District. Jenni Payne said: “Florence
Arts Centre is pleased to be showing this selection of John’s new work. He is keen to
talk about Abstract Art too and has off ered to run a workshop in February, during the
exhibition. Look for details soon on our website or phone 01946 824946”.
St Bees Cavaliers
2015 proved to be a good year for The Cavaliers, starting with our annual visit to
Dumfries “Haggis Bashing”, celebrating Burns. Our next trip took us to Masham in
North Yorkshire where we undertook a “Brewery Visit” and tasted the famous Black
Sheep Beer. This was followed by a visit to Kielder Water where we enjoyed a sail on
the water followed by a pleasant lunch at Stannerburn and a tour of some of the smaller
Northumberland villages and hostelries. In August our popular “Mystery Tour” took
place when we visited villages and hamlets either side of the M6 corridor with the usual
“Refreshment” stops. In September we made the long rail journey to Edinburgh to travel
on the new rail route from Edinburgh to Tweedbank – a fantastic trip encompassing
modern engineering and wonderful scenery. Our fi nal trip of the year was a “Turkey Trot”
to a secret restaurant location where we all enjoyed a real festive lunch and drinks, linking
up with a “Wake” where a good time was had by both parties. Our 2016 programme is
as always varied and interesting with trips planned to Northumberland, North Yorkshire,
Central Lakeland, North Lancashire and, yes, you have guessed – “A Mystery Tour”.
New members welcome. Next trip is to The Devil’s Porridge on Saturday 30 January.
9
St Bees RNLIDuring the recent fl oods, St Bees RNLI volunteer helmsman Dave Barker had a busy
weekend. As part of the RNLI’s specialist fl ood rescue team he worked in Carlisle’s
Warwick Road. As team leader, he worked with his two crew members from a list
provided by the Police. They travelled to Carlisle on the M6 from their temporary base
at Penrith’s Fire & Rescue Station. Many of the local residents they rescued were elderly
or had limited mobility and had to be evacuated by stretcher. Dave and his team were
sometimes up to their necks in fl oodwater. Usually a shiftworker at Sellafi eld, Dave was
away from work for a few days while on fl ood rescue duty with the RNLI. Dave said
‘It’s good that a local employer like Sellafi eld Ltd allows volunteers from services like
the RNLI time away from work to help local people,’ adding: ‘It’s heart-breaking seeing
people’s lives being washed away’ (with thanks to RNLI Online).
Priory Graveyard
We are creating, as near as possible a full database of Priory graves. Information
regarding the graves of those who died in the past 100 years or so is fairly complete, and
the majority are marked by a memorial stone. There are a number of graves which for
any one of several reasons, do not have a memorial stone. For some we have a record
of whose grave it is; for a few we only know that it is someone’s grave but sadly, we
do not know whose. One or two of these appear to have living relatives in the area as
occasionally fl owers appear on the grave. We do not wish to put any pressure on these
relatives to mark the grave, but we would like information about whose grave it is to add
this to the database. This information is on the Priory web site www.bega.org.uk. On that
site you can access all the information we have about burials going back as far as 1731.
If you can add any information to the various pages on the bega.org.uk web site,
particularly in respect of unknown graves, please get in touch. [email protected]
house sit st bees
TEL; 0771 3333 153
AFFORDABLE PEACE OF MIND WHILE
YOU’RE AWAY FROM HOME
FROM JUST £25 PER WEEK YOUR
PROPERTY IS LOOKED AFTERLOCAL & DEPENDABLE. ADDITIONAL
SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE
Flower Rota - February
7th Flower Fund 10th Ash Wednesday
21st Lent 28th Lent
We have a few spare dates on the weekly fl ower rota. If you would like to take up one of
these dates, please get in touch with Mary Branford. Thank you.
10
GrassrootsSincere Thanks to all friends, families and societies in St Bees Parish and beyond
who sent messages and donations for the Christmas Greetings pages in the December
magazine. You raised a wonderful total of £716 – that’s £641 for Priory funds and £75 for
the Children’s Society. Thank you all for your support and generosity. Due to a technical
hitch, several messages were omitted, so we add these now and apologise for the error :-
Happy New Year greetings come from Russell & Doreen Hall and Cameron, formerly of
Abbey Farm; from Gladys Lawler; and from Margaret and Emma-Jane Taylor, and Katy
Taylor-Hamilton.
Chris Lewis writes: “Many thanks to everyone who helped to make the annual RNLI
Carol Concert a success. The sum of £389.66 was raised on the night. Thank you to the
Belfagan Women’s Morris dancers who made the St Bees RNLI their chosen charity
this year and presented a cheque for £806.71 to the fundraisers. Should any local group
be planning to hold charity events this year please consider the RNLI which relies on
donations. Thank you once again to everyone who helped in 2015”.
Thank you to the residents of Sandwith (North side) for their donations to the magazine
via Hilda Cowman totallling £120.
A sincere thank you from Anne Ross, Emma and Indigo for all the expressions of love
and sympathy we received following the death of Emma’s partner. The caring thoughts
and support were very much appreciated at this sad time.
Over 60s. The fi rst meeting of the year for Over 60 will be on Tuesday February 16th at
2.00 p.m. in Hodgetts Club. This will be our A G M .We will also be playing a few games
of Bingo. If you would like to join Over 60 Club please come along and see what we do:
we are a very friendly bunch and would like to see new members.
Police Training Exercise. Constable Glenn Miller writes: I am a Police Trainer based at
Cumbria Police HQ Penrith. St Bees School have asked me to make you and the parish
council aware that Cumbria Constabulary will be conducting fi rearms training on the
school site during January and February. All our training will be indoors but members of
the public using the footpaths may see our staff coming and going. The purpose of letting
you know is to reassure the parish that we are only training and that there is nothing for
anybody to worry about. I will place “Police Training” signs out to further reinforce this
message. If you require any further information please give me a ring on the following
mobile number: 07971140556.
Arts Society - The next Arts Society lecture will be on Wednesday 24th February at 8pm
in the Whitelaw Building, St Bees School, as usual. The subject will be ‘Japanese Prints -
Hokusai to Kunichika and their reception in Japan and Europe’. The lecturer will be Frank
Milner, Retired Head of Art Galleries Education at the National Museums and Galleries
on Merseyside. He came to us some years ago and spoke, very interestingly, on the subject
of ‘Venice perceived’ so I am sure he will be equally interesting on this subject.
11
GrassrootsCubs and Scouts: The end of term party for cubs and scouts was a great success.
Imagination parties provided the entertainment. There were some great games and a disco
and all the Beavers and Cubs had a great time. There was some serious business however.
One of our Beavers, Zac Wilson, had completed all of the challenge badges and it was
our pleasure to present him with the Chief Scouts Bronze Award. Zac was delighted and
his parents were very proud. Two of our Beavers, Zac and Charlie, were leaving to join
cubs and went through the “swimming up “ ceremony. After a bit of a rest over Christmas,
we’re looking forward to our new year programme and meeting some new Beavers who
are going to be joining us.
Best wishes to Barbara and Dave Fisher and daughter, Alayna on their move from
Nethertown to The Crofts. Also, welcome to Angela & Neil Birkett who have recently
moved into 5 Holly Mews (new houses opposite the Wadeys). Also, welcome to Barbara
and Jeff Hunt who have moved from Kirkbride near Wigton to Nethercroft, early in
December.
Rick Wylie and family wish to thank all who sent cards and messages of condolence on
the death of Freda in December. Your kind words were much appreciated. Thanks also
to friends and former neighbours who attended her funeral on a very wet and windy day.
The Mummers’ traditional tour of the village on Christmas Eve saw the welcome return
of Guy Bettinson to the ranks, and raised £226 for the R.N.L.I. St.Bees is one of only a
handful of places in the country where this once widespread custom can still be seen, and
the experience made a suitable impression on a number of unsuspecting visitors! Many
thanks as ever to all friends and supporters, and particularly to the managements of the
Albert, the Oddies, the Manor and the Queens.
Village in Bloom: there are 2 x 220 ltr compost bins + 2 smaller ones surplus to
requirements if anyone would them - a donation to our funds would be appreciated. To
collect one (or more) call at Stonehouse Farm, Main Street and speak to Enid.
St Bees Garden Society are pleased to announce that the Show will be held on the
third Saturday in August. For further details contact Mark Hewertson on his new phone
number: 01946 825468.
From the Thurlwell family after the Memorial service for Alan Thurlwell
Maria & Zoe Thurlwell are overwhelmed and humbled by the support of their neighbours
and friends in St Bees and further afi eld. Alan fought his illness with great dignity
and was our inspiration over the years. Our special thanks go to:- Canon Jim Baker
and Rev’d Anne Baker and the Priory team for an uplifting Thanksgiving service and
for refreshments; to the Crew and Branch of St Bees RNLI whose friendship proved
invaluable to the family; and to all who attended the service.
Alan was proud to be part of the village. Thank you, and God bless you all.