EDITORIAL
Welcome to the Autumn ‘07 edition of Arley News.
This edition brings you a mix of local updates, planned events and interesting information. Some key dates for your diary: the Autumn Fayre on 13th October and the ACA AGM on 12th November.
We are excited to have reached former residents of Arley now living in
The Arley News team have given out some car number plate screws; however, there are still some packs left. These screws can be used to protect your vehicle from number plate theft. If you would like a free pack, please contact either Ron Brown on 01676 541026 or Mike Williams on 01676 540988. First come, first served!
Arley News always welcomes any submissions regarding items of local interest. If you are doing something for the community or involved in something locally which you think the community would be interested about, please submit an article via the usual routes (see below.) Don’t forget you can view this newsletter online: www.arleynewsonline.co.uk thanks to Mandy Tonks - our webmaster.
Please send any items to either: arleynews@hotmail.com or leave details in the boxes situated at Rowley’s Butchers in Old Arley.
Warm regards
Emily & the editorial team
ARLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
There is an Annual General Meeting planned for 12th November, 2007 at 7pm – St. Michael’s Church. Everybody Welcome – please do attend.
CHURCH NEWS
All Saints’ Day By Fr Stephen Day
On 1st November the darkening, cooling days of autumn are brightened by a great and heartening feast day: All Saints’ on 1st November.
It gives its name to the night before; just as Christmas makes for Christmas Eve so All Saints’ makes for Hallow E’en. All Hallows – All Holy or All Saints – which has somehow all got mixed up with pumpkins, ghosts, witches and masked children begging at the door.
So, what’s it all about? The day itself is the celebration of just what it says – all the saints. Famous, obscure, male, female, old, young, rich poor, married, single, intellectual, practical, recent, ancient, black, white… As a day in the Church’s year, its origins go back over 1500 years and in AD844 Pope Gregory IV made it a feast to be celebrated everywhere. It’s a day to celebrate how all sorts of people can become saints – heroic Christians – and to remember that the bright promise of Heaven awaits all who sincerely seek God. These Christian heroes have faithfully carried the light of faith and now rejoice in the perpetual light of God’s presence – heaven.
Somehow, a strand of folklore has taken the night before All Saints’ to be some kind of last chance for the forces of darkness in the form of ghosts, black witches and all things scary. There was never any mention of Halloween in English folklore until as recently as the 19thcentury! There was an ancient pagan festival of the dead, but it is never linked with All Saints’ Day. The Scots marked it, but without any of the American masks, pumpkins and “trick or treating”.
Of course, All Saints’ is a festival of the dead (to be made a saint one has to be dead) and the next day is too – All Souls’ - when we pray for all the dead that they might enter heaven too. After all, this is the great hope of Christianity. Not that the forces of darkness have a final fling, but that the light of Christ might shine in saintly men and women here on earth and lead us all – saint and forgiven sinner – to the light of heaven through Jesus, crucified and risen.
That’s a real celebration. After all, who would celebrate Christmas Eve but not Christmas Day? Happy All Hallows’ Day!
CHURCH SERVICES
ST. WILFRID’S CHURCH & ST. MICHAEL’S CHURCH
Join us every Sunday...
9 a.m. St. Wilfrid's Holy Communion
10.15 a.m. St. Michael's 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays Holy Communion
2nd and 4th Sundays All-Age Worship
.... and through the week
Monday Fellowship Group
Tuesday and Friday Minimikes (Parents and Toddlers) ( St. Michael's)
Tuesday Night Youth Club (St. Michael's)
Thursday St. Michael's Over 60's Group and New Way Credit Union (both at St. Michael's)
Thursday Fellowship Group
If you would like prayers to be said for you, please pass a note to any church member or drop in a request to the letter box at both churches. We should be delighted to include your name in our prayers on Sunday.
Family Service 2nd Sunday of each month at 10.30am
Other Sundays Sunday Club 10.30am
Evening Worship 6.00pm
Most Wednesday evenings Prayer Meeting at 7.30pm
To book a baptism, wedding or funeral, or if you would like a pastoral visit, contact Minister Sue Fry on 02476 312367
Future Events at
28th & 30th September – Celebration Weekend, Friday 3.30pm and Sunday at 6.00pm
14th October – Harvest Festival at 10.30 am, followed by lunch – all welcome.
News from
Our refurbishment of the building has continued over the Summer break. We now have a small meeting room suitable for committees, organisations and prayer groups. This is in addition to our large community room, which can be hired out for parties, meetings and entertainment. Both rooms have full kitchen facilities and disabled access. For information and bookings please contact Joyce Lea on 02476 392376.
The children’s activity groups will restarted on week beginning Monday 10th September. Sparkle Club is held on Tuesdays from 5.30pm – 6.30pm and is for children aged 4-7 years. Youth club is also held on Tuesdays from 7pm-9pm and is for children aged 12 and over. Little Ted’s parent and toddler group is on Wednesdays from 1pm – 2.30pm. Jaffa Club is held on Thursdays from 5.30pm – 6.30pm and is for children aged 7-12 years. Everyone is welcome to come and have fun with games, crafts and music.
Our fundraising has continued over the holidays. Lily Jackson, aged 10, planned and organised a ‘pampered pets’ competition on September 1st. Entrants were invited to display a photograph of their pet and visitors voted on their favourite. It was a close competition, which was won by Blossom the rabbit. Lily raised £16 for the building fund – Well done Lily. Keep a look out for posters advertising out next event “All Dolled Up”. Entrants will be invited to display a doll which they have dressed. More information and dates to follow.
St Joseph’s Catholic Church
Spring Hill
New Arley
Sunday Mass 11.00am
Priest: Fr Stephen Day 02476 392365
(Served by St Anne’s,
Christmas Mass at
Christmas Day 11.00am. Christmas Masses at St Anne’s, Camp Hill Road, Chapel End, Nuneaton
Christmas Eve 5pm and Midnight, Christmas Day 9.00am
St. Wilfrid, Arley with St. Michael, Gun Hill
We welcome you to join us this Christmas.
Sunday 9 December 6.30pm St. Wilfrid's, Carols by Candlelight
Monday 24 December Christmas Eve 4pm St. Michael's Jesus' Birthday (Informal celebration for all ages)
11.30pm St. Wilfrid's Midnight Communion
Tuesday 25 December Christmas Day 10.15 am
Sunday 30 December 10.30am St. Michael's Christmas Worship (no service at St.Wilfrid's)
Youth Club – recruiting new members now!
Arley Youth Club - Tuesday Nights
7-12’s 6-7pm
12-16’s 7-8pm
All Welcome
Range of activities from sports to crafts!
For further information call Abbee or Sarah
on 07920 875818
ALLOTMENT NEWS
Summer, what summer? Everyone was fired up to spend long hours on their newly acquired plots with grand plans for lots of lovely fresh fruit and veg. April started so well, with the warm dry days, then the rains came! We have had successes and some failures, but that is life on the allotment. Are we giving up, not a chance, it has spurred most of us on to try harder next year and prepare the ground over the winter months to make sure that the crops have a better chance of survival. Nothing beats the taste of freshly harvested home grown food. Drainage is still a major problem, but with a lot of winter digging, incorporation of organic matter and hard work, we hope to see an improvement next year. We have all come a long way, lessons have been learnt and tips and advice exchanged.
The wildlife garden is slowly being transformed; with help from the Punishment in the Community Group a lot of the scrub has been cleared from under the trees and it is now possible to walk upright! Because light has now filtered through to the floor, smaller plants are now able to show their faces. A survey was held outside the shops on Gun Hill on Saturday 3 August, in connection with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, to ask members of the public what they would like to see in the
A workshop, supported by North Warwickshire Borough Council and Positive About Young People, to make Scarecrows was held in the Parish Rooms on August 18 this was well attended by both adults and children and a dozen scarecrows made, some of which are now on the allotment. We hope to be making the workshop an annual event – watch this space for next year’s theme.
We shall be at the Autumn fare held in St. Michael’s Church on 13th October, selling plants for winter bedding, spring flowering and some home made preserves from the allotment. We hope to see you there!
QUIZ 9 QUESTIONS 1 Which last of the summer wine stars advertises chair lifts? 2 Where are the Mumbles? 3 Where on the body is your Glabella? 4 Who narrated Mr Benn? 5 Which soap had a character called Sam Pearson? 6 Which bird gave Manfred Mann a no1 in 1966? 7 On which river does 8 Which two countries involved in world war two never signed a peace treaty? 9 Which hero of spaghetti westerns is allergic to horses? 10 Which year did the TV programme Magpie start? 11 When did the Jumbo Jet first fly? 12 In cooking if you Broil something, what are you doing? 13 If your birthstone is Ruby which month were you born? 14 Which two boy bands recorded "love me for a reason"? 15 Who lives in Ivor the Engines boiler? 16 Elton John sang "written in the stars" in which Disney film did it appear? 17 In astronomy what is a Spectroheliograph used for? 18 Which TV character has sisters called Rose and Daisy? 19 What was first erected in 1961? 20 Which song contain the lyrics "your my sun,my moon,my guiding star"? QUIZ TIME
QUIZ 8 ANSWERS
1 Asian Wild dog
2 Professor Pat Pending
3 Brass
4 Head
5 Mohammed
6 Sade
7 Paul Daniels
8
9 Octopus
10
11 Jaws
12 Lunula
13 Citrus
14 It will sting itself to death
15 We dont talk anymore by Sir Cliff Richard
16 Gibbs SR toothpaste
17 Wallace and Gromit
18 Buzz Aldrin
19 Bob Thompson Chelsea
20 Chrysanthemum
Quiz answers and Questions are
Kindly supplied by the
Merry Miner
Check your answers to Quiz 9
in: Arley News, Winter, 2007
LOCAL SCHOOL UPDATES
During the week beginning 20th September 2007, an army of volunteers descended on our school to transform all the rooms. Every classroom
and corridor has been given a 'makeover' with fresh, bright colours and the staffroom and meeting room have been completely refurbished.
Alison Waite, a local artist has lent her skills to the project by painting an inspirational mural on the front wall of the school hall. This will be the
starting point for us to think of a Herbert Fowler school motto. This will be the first task for the School Council. Staff, Governors, parents and
members of Kings Community Church
who was involved for their time, their donations and outstanding generosity. The children and staff arevery proud of their 'new' school and as
a result a very positive start has been made to the new school year.
Congratulations to Ryan Chatha of New Arley
Ryan has got a place at King Henry VIII School,
for all their hard work.
News from Gun Hill Infant & Nursery School
As I am writing this, we are all looking forward to our summer break. With all the hard work that has gone on this year, I feel that the staff and children really deserve their holiday! As you are reading this, our summer break will be over and we’ll be back in school at the start of a new school year……..but let’s recap on the last few months.
Our Year Two children made us very proud with their End of Key Stage One assessments, a culmination of their efforts over the last three years. We celebrated their success at a special end of year assembly which was attended by lots of families and friends. Children were rewarded for good attendance and goodbyes were said to two members of staff (Lisa Chapman & Jo Staples) who left at the end of term.
Events over the last term have included visits to the Safety Show, organised by Arbury Rotary Club;
The children enjoyed a Chinese Dance Day when they had the opportunity to see demonstrations of dances and then were able to perform their own dances and music. They were particularly impressed by the colourful “lion heads”. The “Bug Man” visited Nursery and the children were fascinated by the wide range of bugs & “creepy crawlies” that he brought in with him.
Our Year Two children performed a super assembly “The Park at the End of the Street” for their parents and the whole school. The tunes were catchy, the acting was first class and it was much enjoyed by us all.
Our Open Afternoon and Evening gave past, present and future parents the chance to look around school and see the wide range of activities and work that is happening in our school. Every child received an end of year report which celebrated their achievements and gave them a focus for future progress.
Our annual sports event was “a wash out”. This was a great shame as we know parents and families really enjoy coming to school to cheer the children on in their races. The children, however, did dash out to do their races the following week whenever the sun shone. So all their practices were not wasted. Let’s hope for better weather next year!
We took part in a successful national attempt to beat the world record for “Bubble Blowing”. This was a fun event, with the huge amount of bubbles floating around looking quite spectacular!
We are very grateful for the continued support of our governors, parents and members of the community who support our school in so many different ways. Their help is very much appreciated by the children and staff of
Ann Pipe, Headteacher
*LITTLE TED’S PLAYGROUP NEEDS
YOUR HELP*
Our playgroup meets Wednesday afternoons 1 – 2.30pm, term time at
It would be so sad if our group could not continue in September due to lack of volunteers. Please call us on 01676 540959 if you can help.
ARLEY A medieval village of forest dwellers (part 2)
Boundaries and Lords and Ladies of the Manor
- A little bit of history by Len Horton
The parish boundaries can roughly be equated with those named in a charter of 1001 of King Ethelred, in which Arley is described as a portion of Itchington. The northern borders were along the Bourne, two smaller brooks respectively, are clear – the “long dic” and the “old weg” may be the brooks which run from the north end of Ansley from somewhere south west of Village Farm and the main tributary from near to the Oakridge golf clubhouse and the road from Ansley to Gun Hill. (
These two tributaries join into the Bourne from the northwest at the bottom of Oakridge Golf Club.While the south western boundary is in the proximity of the bottom of slowly Hill (Tamworth rd/Mill Lane junction that is now called the
The first lord of the Manor of Arley recorded in “MANORS 1086” was in fact a Earl and she had been described as a woman of substance holding Manors in Long Itchington and others in Northamptonshire.
Arley was assessed at only 1 hide at this time and with her other Warwickshire whose chief dwelling was at Wolvey (spelt Wolverle) at that time.
William Dugdale the 15th Century Warwickshire historian suggests that de Lemesi became the husband of Christina. But this has never been substantiated in any other document I have so far read.
ARLEY ONLINE
by Mandy Tonks
At the moment I host two Arley-related web sites: Arley Growing Up and Arley News Online.
Arley Growing Up started as my GCSE Geography project and was converted to a website ten years later. The current site moved to its own
domain in 2004 and can now be found at http://www.arleygrowingup.co.uk/. The site includes a description of Arley before the pit; details
of life, working and domestic, when the pit was open; and what happened in the thirty years after the closure.
When a previous editor of the Arley News found Arley Growing Up, she asked me to create and maintain an online version of the newsletter.
So, later in 2004, Arley News Online began at http://www.arleynewsonline.co.uk/. Each new edition is added to the site on release and past
editions back to Winter 2004 are also available.
If you have or know of any other Arley-related web sites, do get in touch via the sites; I'd be happy to swap links.
http://www.arleygrowingup.co.uk/
http://www.arleynewsonline.co.uk/
By Elaine Martin
If you remember……..Miss Webb, Mr. Breeze, Mrs Turner and Mrs Brooks…. You probably attended Old Arley Church of England Junior and Infants school in the old village in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s! I certainly do and did! The memories of Mrs Turner painting a large white snowman on the middle pane of the large windows of the front classroom, in readiness for Christmas, complete with green and red sprigs of holly! The memory of drinking milk delivered to the playground in one third pint glass bottles – warm in the Summer and frozen in the winter! Memory of the brass hand bell which signalled the start of class, playtime, dinner time and home time. The lavatories in the corner of the play ground, which Mrs Lincoln worked hard to keep clean! The smell of the newly finished floors in each classroom at the beginning of each year. The row of coat hooks in the hallway labelled with our names above where we hung our coats and string bags containing our pumps! Looking forward to dancing class on Thursday afternoons! All these memories seem to get sharper as the years go on! Washing out the inkwells…….the painting easels with jam jars filled with water for washing the brushes….Mrs Turner making Christmas cake and giving each child a chance to stir. Miss Webb, who lived next door to the school, taking us into her home to watch educational programs on her television…..Mrs Brooks teaching us music on tambourines, and triangles with Mrs Stockley on the piano. The cabinet in Miss Webbs’ room which housed a museum with weird and wonderful items inside. The Nit Nurse who came regularly to check our heads and instilled horror in all of us! The dentist who arrived in a shiny caravan and parked in the school car park.
Both my parents – Freda and Henry (Curly) Martin – my sister Linda Martin and I went to Herbert Fowler over the decades of the 1930’s, 1960’s and 1970’s and we remember making caps and aprons in needlework class to use in Domestic Science. There were memorable teachers there too – Penry Williams and Mr Moore (both Headmasters), Mr Farmer, Miss Jacobs, Mr Smitham all come to mind. Many were not originally from the village but became very important to the colour of the village.
The very first dinner lady at the little school was my grandmother – Mrs Pritchard. When she retired, my mother - Mrs Martin, took over the job temporarily until a permanent replacement could be found! She retired from the job some 25 years later! Mrs Martin saw children grow up, their children come to the school and even their children too in some cases! She moved to the Arley Herbert Fowler school when the little school closed. There was Sunday School at the Methodist Chapel and I clearly remember the excitement of having a fancy new dress each year for the Sunday School Anniversary event. We all looked so smart!
I was born in #26 St Wilfred’s Cottages and grew up in Glen Haven, the end bungalow along
All these wonderful memories before leaving the village in 1971 to follow a retail career with Marks and Spencer which eventually brought me to Canada where I have lived these past 32 years. In many ways I miss village life – and it is very comforting to know that the village has survived many changes over the years. The closing of the pit and lots of people leaving to find work and live in other places and abroad. The say that you can take the girl out of the village, but never the village out of the girl! My life is very different these days in many ways. I live in a very large, multicultural city,
The roots of my world will always be Arley and I have blessed in so many ways to have been raised in a small community have enabled me to both appreciate and enjoy a much larger world!
Would love to hear from more folks with similar memories…….
Elaine Martin
1st Fillongley Scout Group
The Scout Group has had a very busy summer!
The Beavers had a great day out at
At the end of April 18 cubs went to Beaudesert in
In May Fillongley hosted the first District Beaver Sports Day, which we won. On the same Saturday we also hosted 6 aside football tournaments for both the Cubs and Scouts. Both of our teams played fantastically and the Cubs won 3-0 in the final winning our first trophy of the day. The group has also been honoured by a District award for everything we have done to bring scouting to the young people of this community. Now we need a Silver Cabinet!
In June, amidst the thunderstorms 78 of the group camped with 700 others at Rough Close, Tile Hill at a centenary camp. Activities included shooting, climbing wall, judo, music workshop, circus skills, giant inflatables, go karting, crafts and many, many more. The opening ceremony was attended by the Long Feng Martial Arts group with their Lion Dance. They also ran a cultural workshop during the weekend.
The mud was deep, but spirits remained high throughout and a fantastic time was had by all! ( Even if 1 of our parents was still cleaning mud off groundsheets 2 weeks later!! – thank you Malcolm!)
The group have taken part in some important fund raising events this summer. The Beavers sponsored bounce was in the scout hut on mini trampets, as we were rained off an outside bouncy castle. The cubs and scouts had a glorious day cycling around
The first weekend in September we had a group camp at Broadwater near
Appeal - We are looking for 4 nr 15 gallon steel drums. Can anyone help? (No we are not starting a steel band; we’d just like to build ovens on camp!)
Beavers (age 6-8), is full with a 12 month waiting/intent list, and Cubs(8-10.5yrs) only have a couple of spaces. Both Beavers and Cubs meet on a Wednesday night. Scouts (10.5-14.5yrs) meet on a Thursday night and have spaces.
There is a possibility that we will soon be launching an Explorer Group for those aged 14-18. If you are interested then please contact us.
For information or offers of help in any way, please call Lesley on 01676 542698.
Do you have 1 hour a week spare?
Could you offer a Young Person support?
Are you active and could inspire a Young Person to try something new?
Can you listen and provide solutions to a Young Persons issues?
If you answered YES to any of these questions and would like to discuss mentoring in Rural North Warwickshire further then call:
Helen Earp on:
01827 719271 or helenearp@northwarks.gov.uk
POLICE UPDATE
Nuisance Youths/Anti Social Behaviour
Table of Results from Incidents Fortnightly Document 2006/07
Area Forum |
Nov 2006 |
Dec 2006 |
Jan 2007 |
Feb 2007 |
Mar 2007 |
April 2007 |
May 2007 |
June 2007 |
East(Hartshill, Arley, Ansley Common Atherstone + Mancetter) |
83 |
82 |
46 |
33 |
38 |
25 |
24 |
24 |
Key Points from the Safer Neighbourhoods Forum Update – June 2007
Þ An area of concern common across the East forum is speeding. For Arley the areas of concern are Gun Hill and Rectory road.
Þ Antisocial behaviour in Arley is being addressed. An initiative has been put in place in relation to the allotment area, local children and youths are being encouraged to join in with local residents. There is also a grant being given for a wildlife area to be put in place at the rear of the allotments. Local PCSO Hodson is in the process of organising a graffiti clean in Arley.
LOCAL ACTIVITIES
Midweek Activities at:
Monday 5.00pm – 7.00pm Exercise and relaxation based on Tai-Chi
Tuesday 10.00am – 12 noon Art Class
5.30pm – 6.30pm Sparkle Club for 4 to 7 year olds
7.00pm – 9.00pm Youth Club for 12 years plus
Wednesday 1.00pm – 2.30pm Parent and Toddlers
5.45pm – 6.45pm Beginners Line Dancing
6.45pm – 7.45pm Line Dancing
Thursday 5.30pm – 6.30pm Jaffa Club for 7 to 12 year olds
Friday 3.00pm – 4.30pm Sequence Dancing
3.00pm, the first Thursday of every month Pop-In for tea, cakes and a chat.
Activities at
Stroke Club, meets every Monday 10 – 3pm, All Welcome Tel. Gladys Jones 02476 386670
Activities at St. Wilfrids
Arley WI Meets on the first Tuesday of each month. 7.30pm at St. Wilfred’s Church Vestry, Old Arley, All welcome Tel. Pat 02476 395447
Activities at Arley Sports Centre:
Womens netball practice fitness and fun Every Monday 8.15 – 9.15pm at Arley Sports Centre all ages 11 – 60 welcome, and all abilities. £2.50 per session. Tel.Karen 01676 549035
Please note: Articles for inclusion in the Winter edition of Arley News
(for distribution early December) to be received no later than 20th November, 2007
Please Note: The comments expressed in this magazine are those of the
contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial team or webmaster.