Dear Members,
Sherington Fete is looming on the horizon, the advance notices have been sent out to all the organisations concerned, us included. We anticipate putting on a display, as we did in 2003. Put your thinking caps on to decide what the theme should be this time. ("Sherington in Wartime" was the last time). We will also run a SHERINGTON QUIZ / Treasure hunt type of thing. So if you see or think of some oddity that could be included let us know. Enid has agreed to be our co-ordinator on this project.
The village appraisal has been finished finally and copies of this can be seen in the village shops and is available on the PC web-site, www.sherington.org.uk. It is a large document, it runs to 37 A4 pages. We shall have a copy in due course.
The Millennium fund that was set up in 1999 to co-ordinate the Millennium festivities has now been wound up. You may remember we benefited from the residue of this fund and it allowed us to assemble the millennium photo project in archive quality storage. All of the paper work and correspondence, including the cheque book stubs have now been passed to us by Jane Coles, for our archives. Thank you Jane.
The Christmas cards have been finalised and printed and are now for sale in the village shop. At £1-50 for the large and £1-95 for four small cards, early indications are that they have been well received.
December 14th will be our Christmas party evening, Wine and nibbles have been ordered, some mince pies have been promised and you all will be welcome with your partners. Please come it will not work without you. Some games have been organised and the music will be provided. All we will need is you, but anything that you bring will be gratefully received and will add to the festive evening.
The annual dinner has been booked for Tuesday January 18th, at the Swan. Kay our social secretary is organising this event, and will be moving among you taking names and menu choices. The cost will be acceptable I am sure.
A complete set of planning drawings of the Newport to Olney by-pass have been given to us by an unknown benefactor. They arrived on Sheila's doorstep un-acknowledged. We would like to pass on our thanks to the person involved.
While on this subject we purchased a set of plans for the proposed development at End Farm, Water lane. I have been down there and taken a set of photos of the exterior of the buildings. Since then the planning application has been withdrawn. But we will need to be vigilant as this is very important farm, being largely untouched since it was built in 1790 -1810 and is of a specific type, a courtyard farm. We will open a file on this property, I feel the project is not finished with. And the inside of the barns will need photographic recording later.
I met three old boys in the churchyard on Saturday 20th November. They had come to look for their father's grave, his name was Colin Sapwell. I understand he was well known in the village. Colin was born in Sherington but moved on to Newport where his sons were born, and then when the family broke up they then moved on to Croydon, where they now live. The three sons said that their hopes were to move back into the village. Colin moved back to Sherington later in life and lived with the widow Umney, when he died he was buried in St Lauds churchyard. His sons have promised him a fitting memorial in due course.
Tony Pilcher found himself in an old house in London some short while back Namely Avenue House, Manor Road, Finchley, formerly the home of the Stephens of ink family and now a museum of the Stephens collection. On the wall of this property was simple note of all the people living there in 1881, one name stood out, that of,
In family history terms Clara is called a stray and think what a monumental task it would be to find all the Sheringtonians away from their place of birth. Thank you Tony for thinking of us.
Next meeting will be the Christmas party Tuesday 14th December at 8pm.
To all of you who cannot make the party,
N.A.
We would still welcome any comments that you may have.