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10-Oct 2020 Newsletter Flipbook PDF
10-Oct 2020 Newsletter
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October 2020 Issue No 54
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VILLAGE HALL Well, that was short lived!!! Due to the increased lockdown restrictions, despite my reporting in last months Newsletter that the Hall would re-open after months of closure the Village Hall Committee have had no alternative but to reclose the Village Hall until further notice. The committee will continue to work within government guidelines in order to prevent the spread of Covid 19 and to keep our villages clear and residents safe. If and when the restrictions are eased/lifted, the committee will review the closure. Note: The Macmillan Coffee Morning will go ahead on Monday 5th October following specific guidelines (see below For details)
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Or any other Rules/ Guidelines that may be announced prior to 5th October
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September 2020 September was a real ‘change-over’ month, as summer moved dramatically into autumn. Early in the month we had generally mild conditions with several lovely sunny days and temperatures Photo 1 peaking mid-month at an impressive 25.1c. This all changed very abruptly on 23rd, when a strong northerly set in and remained blowing for nearly a week, bringing cloud, rain and strong winds. Inevitably this had a dramatic effect on our wildlife – no more butterflies around, migrant birds disappearing and residents flocking back to the feeders. Our local Swallows (Photo 1) clearly got wind of what was coming – where would you sooner be at this time of the year, Great Smeaton or tropical Africa, be honest? John Lart saw a flock of about 20 on telephone wires and flying around along Cowton road on the 16th and this was almost certainly a predeparture gathering. Neil Frost reported the very next day that his regular roost of birds had gone and we have had no further sightings since. So that’s probably it, no more Swallows now until next April. Our House Martins decided to linger a bit longer. There were regular sightings of small groups hawking for insects over the village right through the month until 21 st , when Veronica Piekosz saw what were probably our last two birds on 22 nd at the west end of the village. We have managed to keep them in some years right through into early October but I suspect the dramatic change in the Photo 2 weather this year has sent them packing early. Another migrant was, for me, the ‘bird of the month’. On a walk on 15th September I unexpectedly came across a Stonechat in fields off Cowton road. Initially I heard it calling in a field of beans but then it flew to an adjacent hedgerow where I managed to get a rather distant photograph (Photo 2). Not long ago Stonechats were very much a bird of western Britain but they have since spread to upland fringe areas in the Pennines and along the east coast. Most are sedentary but part of the population migrates in the autumn, so this was clearly a bird moving Page 3
through. It was a surprise first record for the parish, bringing our total now up to 116 species. Although September can be a quiet month for garden birds, as there is Photo 3 still a lot of natural food around in the countryside, a change in weather can bring the feeders back to life. I have noticed Goldfinch numbers, for example, starting to ramp up, with up to 8 in the garden last week. Among their numbers are many young birds, easily told from adults by their plain faces (Photo 3). The bird on the right is a juvenile that is just beginning to moult into adult plumage like the bird on the left. Katherine Lart noticed 3 youngsters Photo 4 on her garden feeder on 17th and we have had them regularly now for a few weeks. Put out some nyjer seed or sunflower hearts on a regular basis and they should come to your garden too. Early in the month I noticed a pile of leaves in the garden. At first I thought nothing of it but, when I came home after a couple of nights away, it suddenly seemed a lot bigger (Photo 4). Gingerly delving into the pile, I Photo 5 came across what I had suspected, a Hedgehog snuggled down for the winter. Needless to say I quickly covered him back up again! What a privilege to have him choose our garden to sleep through the winter months and what a surprise considering I have not seen one in the garden now for several years. I do hope he makes it through to spring. So, when clearing up all those leaves in your own garden, watch out for an unexpected guest! Before that big drop in temperatures, we saw quite good numbers of butterflies in the garden. Small Whites and Small Tortoiseshells predominated, which is reassuring as both nationally have seen a drop in numbers in recent years. On 13th they were joined by a nice Small Copper (Photo 5). This lovely butterfly is one of my favourites. Only small, about the Page 4
size of a Blue, they are easily overlooked but are worth looking out for. Flying in two generations, the second tends to be commonest. By now though they will be dying off, leaving their progeny to get through the winter in a chrysalis. Many of our butterflies and moths have interesting life cycles. A good Photo 6 example is the male Vapourer Moth which turned up in our garden early in the month (Photo 6), only the second I have ever recorded. One summer a few years ago I came across its caterpillar (Photo 7) crawling around our patio – what a stunning creature, surely one of the most spectacular of all British caterpillars! Feeding up on a wide variety of trees and other plants, it then pupates in a silken cocoon. From this the Photo 7 adults emerge later in the year but only the males have wings. The females just have vestigial wings and are completely flightless, being basically bloated egg-laying machines. They just sit around on their empty cocoons waiting to be found by the males, which fly both by day and night. Once mated, she then lays her eggs on the outside of the cocoon from which she has just emerged. What a life! If not found by a bird, the eggs survive through the winter, before hatching in the spring as next year’s caterpillars. This is just one more example of the amazing survival strategies adopted by our wildlife which I find incredible. Photo 8 Finally, I just have to mention another impressive moth which landed up in our garden this month, a nice Flounced Chestnut (Photo 8). It’s a really good example of the lovely coloration of many of the species flying at this time of the year, beautiful oranges and yellows to blend in with the autumn foliage. This was yet again a first record for the parish - they keep coming! As always, if you see anything around the parish that you think might be of interest to other people, please let me know. Contact John Edwards: on 07526 947123 or at [email protected] Page 5
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LIST OF RECOMMENDED LOCAL TRADESMEN
Northallerton Billingham North Cowton
Y arm Northallerton
Great Smeaton
Decorators Trevor Pickering Mark Irvine - Décor Plus Kevin Hall
Coal/Solid Fuel T.S.G. (Bob) D & S Waring
Garden Services Hands on Garden services
Local joiner / handyman who is excellent
At least one reader has had a bad experience with the following Tradesmen. If you have had a different experience or want to add another then please let me know Tradesmen to Avoid Plumbcraft
07747470706 [email protected]
01642 656 643 07803 205 123 01609 772306
Very good Excellent. Very clean, tidy and meticulous. Good experience
07849 025656 Very Reliable and quick emergency call out 07849 532346 Very Good 07970 049774 01609 778788 [email protected] Exellent
07770 656118
01609 777260 07976 788976 07526 294204. 07885 661289 [email protected]
Bedale 01845 527192 Northallerton Appleton Wiske Northallerton
Electrical Engineers Martin Fell - Infinity Elec'Services Darren Baines Robert Johnson. Nigel Ligthfoot
Joiner/Handyman Richard Chapman
The following local Tradesmen have been recommended by the readers of Gt Smeaton Village News. You should employ them at your own descretion. Name Location Telephone Mobile Email/Website Recommendations Plumbing and Heating Engineers A.J. Clacher Darlington 01325 468 372 http://ajclacher.co.uk/ Reliable and Reasonable Mark Preston Northallerton 07967 193264 [email protected] Would certainly recommend him Carl - D Barker Services Coulby Newham 01642 597538 Excellent. We have referred him to others in Hornby Ross Hodgson North Cowton 07890 533970 Shaun Tindill Richmond 01748 832073 07917 416881 [email protected] Highly recommended. Genuinely good guy and does a great job. MFW Aga and Boiler Services, Northallerton 01609 779751 Great for Oil powered Rayburns and AGA cookers/boilers Nick - NW Plumbing & Heating Northallerton 07879 462390 Roger Smart Thirsk 07962 111818 Advanced Heating and Plumbing E. Harlsey 01609 882846 07976 039734 Recommend - Used them for years Justin Williams oiler Servicing Thirsk 01845 527192 always very prompt.
Following on from Fund raising for TUGS i reported last month that Cath Woods had produced some further goodies that she was offering up for sale (ie donations) with all proceeds this time going to Zoe’s place in Middlesbrough. I am pleased to say that Cath raised a further £20 and any surplice items have been made available to The Macmillans Coffee Morning on 5th October with any further proceeds going into the Macmillans fund. Well Done and thanks to Cath.
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Great Smeaton Academy Primary School Wild Life Garden Like most of us, Lesley Hanson and Stephen Pearson found themselves with extra time on their hands during the early days of lockdown. It started with a casual mention that the school was looking for volunteers to tidy up their wildlife garden and pond areas. Well with the pressures of lockdown it seemed like a good idea to tackle boredom and depression by getting out in the fresh air for a few hours a week and helping out! Once we got started the support we received from the village for the refurbishment project was wonderful and included donations of soil, rocks, wood and plants. Hedgehogs, bats, sparrows, song thrushes and stag beetles are all declining species in the UK, the school uses the wildlife area to make the children more aware and to help our environment, by creating a wildlife friendly and child friendly area, then managing the area to benefit wildlife. The garden shows how there are lots of simple things we can do from planting insect and bird friendly plants to providing safe areas for them live that will make these species as welcome as possible. In our Wildlife Garden and Pond we aim to provide: A range of plants which flower and seed at varied times throughout the year, and will provide food for the animals and insects that are active and feeding over different periods. An array of colourful nectar-rich flowers that flower in spring and summer and will attract bees, wasps, butterflies and other insects. A variety of different plants to attract a varied range of butterflies and caterpillars. A source or clean safe water provided by our central pond and the pond plants around it’s edge.
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A safe way for animals who fall in to the pond too climb back out again. Bird boxes and insect hotel and a hedgehog home to provide good artificial shelters and safe roosting and nesting sites. Bird feeders to provide nuts and seed for the birds when food shortages occur in nature. A pile of dead wood, trimmings and old foliage to provide a valuable hiding place for beetles and other insects and mini beasts, as well as fungi and moss. A pond is the best feature in any garden for attracting wild life - It is in the middle of our school garden which is good for wildlife who like it to be in a warm, sunny area, and we are confident that tadpoles, dragonflies and pond plants will thrive in these conditions. The stones, logs and plants around the edges of the pond create habitats for pond-visiting creatures. Some ponds have a plank of wood to help any wildlife that might fall in. Our pond has four plant browsing mats that are designed to allow the animals to easily climb out of the water. The mats are planted with pond plants. Oxygenating plants have been introduced to help to maintain an algae free and healthy pond. Since we don’t have a water fall or fountain and we need more oxygen than these plant provide to keep the water clear we also have a solar powered floating Oxygenator. The sun shines on the solar panels on the top and power the air pump which drives air down through a hose and out an air stone under the water.
Bird Boxes provide a safe place for birds to build their nests, protected from the elements and predators. We have three different bird boxes because different birds like different entrances. The entrance hole size attracts different bird types. And some birds prefer an open front. The robin also likes their home to be hidden so we are also growing a climber over the post to allow them Page 9
to hide away and feel safe. To best attract birds the bird boxes are positioned on posts so that they are high enough to make the birds feel safe. The boxes are faced between north and east, avoiding strong sunlight and the wettest winds. We have also tried to make sure that the birds have a clear flight path to the nest without any clutter directly in front of the entrance, and that the box is tilted forward slightly so that any driving rain will hit the roof and bounce clear. The boxes can be lifted down and opened for cleaning in early September. The garden area has two different and distinct habitats, this is good for wild life and also demonstrates two entirely different methods of planting and maintaining a garden. The Wild Flower Border is the garden along the fence where the bird feeders are sited. Buddleia have been planted to attract butteries and these need to be cut back each year. The rest of this garden will grow from seed. This garden will flower in the spring and summer. Wild Flowers grow best on poor soil, so this garden does not need to be fed and it does not need to have compost added. (If you feed the soil you will just get lots of grass!) The rock garden area is intended to be similar to much of the natural landscape we find in our local countryside. The rocks are buried in the soil and bulbs and rooted plants grow around them. The rocky ground means that the soil is well drained. Rock plants like an open position, away from overhanging trees or tree roots, where plants will receive sun for the greater part of the day. I’m sure that the Teachers and Pupils from the Academy Primary School are delighted with all the hard work that Lesley and Steve have put in to the project. Page 10
GREAT SMEATON AND HORNBY OIL CLUB
The next order will be placed on 2nd November so please email our coordinator Nick on [email protected] by Saturday 31st October LATEST. Not already a member of the Oil Club? To take advantage of some great discounted Heating Oil prices due to the power of Bulk Buying email Nick at the contact above for more information and ask to be added to his mailing list. RECYCLING AND WASTE COLLECTIONS GREAT SMEATON BIN COLLECTION DAYS WEEK COMMENCING
BIN TY PE/ COLLECTION DAY
05/10/2020 12/10/2020 19/10/2020 26/10/2020 02/11/2020 09/11/2020 16/11/2020 23/11/2020 30/11/2020
THURSDAY TUES DAY THURSDAY TUES DAY THURSDAY TUES DAY THURSDAY TUES DAY THURSDAY
NOTES
LAST GREEN BIN TILL JANUARY
KEY TO COLOUR CODING
Black Bins Only Blue/Green Bins Only Bank Holiday delays
REFUSE RECY CLE
GARDEN
DAY CHANGE IN RED I.E. FRIDAY
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LIFE IN GREAT SMEATON 130 YEARS AGO—PT II In 1893 the Ordnance Survey published a large scale map (25 inches to the mile) of North Yorkshire. It shows all buildings in Smeaton very clearly. In 1891 a census was taken. I have copies of both of these documents for Smeaton, and they can be put together to give an really good idea of what life in Great Smeaton was like at the end of the 19th Century. Last month’s article is about the west of the village, and this month’s covers the South/West side of the A167 from The Black Bull heading out of the village towards Northallerton. The Final part, the North/East of the A167 fron Hornby Road out towards Northallerton will be in next months News . Each building is numbered on the map. These numbers, with the name of the house today, the main occupants in 1891 and their ages, are underlined in the census list. In 1891 the enumerator seems to have continued his walk on the south side of the road, from the Black Bull down to Rose Cottage and each building is numbered on the map oppositeI have written the occupier’s name(s), their ages and their occupation in 1891 as a heading, followed by the history of the family. I have used the censuses of Great Smeaton 1841-1911, the parish register (births, marriages and deaths) and Ancestry and Find My Past. 1. The Black Bull and the Butchers. Elizabeth Banks 61 Innkeeper and Butcher Thomas Banks and Mary Ann THE BLACK BULL Cundall were married in Hurworth, where they both lived, in 1823. They came to live in Smeaton, and raised a family of eight children. Thomas worked as a butcher, and they lived in Thorpe House. By 1851 he was both butcher and innkeeper, and they had moved across the road to the Black Bull. Two of their children (Joseph and Mary Ann) married and moved away. Another, Richard, died as an infant. Edward started a grocery shop in the village. The other four, Elizabeth, Thomas junior, Margaret and John, never married but helped their parents run the Inn and the butchers shop. Mary Ann died in 1865, and Thomas senior in 1869. The four from the next generation continued to run both businesses. In 1877 John died, followed in 1887 by Thomas junior. In 1891 Elizabeth and Margaret were innkeepers, and their nephew Henry (Joseph’s son) was the butcher. In 1901 and 1911 Elizabeth and Margaret were running both businesses. By now they were 83 and 79. The lady dressed in black in the picture of the Black Bull could be either Elizabeth or Margaret, with their little Page 12
dog. Margaret died in 1912, and Elizabeth in 1914, by which time they had “retired” to a house across the road. 2. Reading room cottage. (Manor Way 4) Dorothy Smith 72 Reading Room Caretaker Dorothy was the widow of George Smith. She was born in South Shields and was his second wife. He was a joiner and builder with quite a large business in Smeaton. He had a large family with his first wife Elizabeth, and in 1861 they were renting East House. Elizabeth died later in 1861, and he married Dorothy in 1862. The couple lived near the Bay Horse until George died in 1878. In 1880 Dorothy became the first caretaker of the newly opened reading room. Her step grandson Henry lived with her. By 1891 Henry, now age 23, THE READING ROOM had left and she was on her own. She retired from caretaking and moved to Granary Cottage some time before 1901. She died in 1904 aged 86. The picture shows Manor Way. The Reading Room is on the right. Then there are two small cottages. The third door leads to a passageway to the back. Manor Way 1 is not clear, possibly it was built later? Page 13
2. Manor Way 3 George 63 and Maria Tupling 60 Farm worker. The Tuplings both came from Lincolnshire. They met and married there, in about 1850, and lived there with their children until about 1873. By 1881 they had moved to Oxen-le-field Farm, between Darlington and Hurworth. In 1891 after all their children had left home, they were in Great Smeaton. George was a farm worker, and sometimes a carter. Maria died in 1906, and George in 1907. Their gravestone is in the churchyard. 2. Manor Way 2. Elspet Innes 59 Independent means Elspet Innes was born in Aberdeenshire in about 1833. In 1851 she was working as a housemaid for the Balfour family in Aberdeenshire. After a time at home with her parents she was working for Robert and Sophia Bruce (in Morayshire) as a nursemaid in 1871. When the Bruces moved south to Smeaton in about 1876 she came with them. They lived at Manor Farm House. They had a large family, but three of the children died while they lived in Smeaton, and are buried in the churchyard. When the Bruce family moved to Darlington in about 1889 Elspet stayed in the village. She moved to Manor Way, age 59, and retired with the help of “independent means” – possibly a pension from the Bruces. When she died in 1908 she was buried next to the Bruce children’s grave, and her gravestone reads “servant and friend of the Bruce family for over 30 years”. 2. Manor Way 1. Widow Mary Braithewaite 47 Charwoman In 1881 Mary was farming a smallholding of 12 acres, and living in Thorpe House. Her husband had died suddenly the previous year. Her three daughters age 16, 9 and 5 were with her. By 1891 she and her youngest daughter, Catherine, had moved to Manor Way. She was working as a charwoman, and had a lodger, Henry Mason, who was on Parish Relief. In 1901 Catherine married Herbert Smith and went to live in Hutton Rudby. Mary was still living in Manor Way, but was now working as a housekeeper. She died in 1906, age 64. 3.The Old Chapel Alfred 54 and Elizabeth 72 Davies Gardener The Methodist Chapel was bought by Col A.F Godman in 1882. At that time he was buying CHAPEL HOUSE (1950’S) a lot of property in the village. He converted it into a house, probably for some of his staff, but by 1891 he had reduced his activities, and it seems to have been rented out. I can find nothing more about the Davies couple. They do not appear to have stayed very long in the village. Alfred was a gardener, probably employed by either Smeaton Manor or Hornby Grange. The picture is from the 1950s, but probably shows how the chapel looked when first modified. Page 14
4. Rose Cottage. Thomas 60 and Ann Bowes 37 Farm worker Thomas Bowes married Mary Linn in South Cowton in 1848. They lived in Dinsdale for a time, and moved to Smeaton in about 1853. PART OF ROSE COTTAGE They lived in various houses, near the Bay Horse, and at Toll Bar, and moved to Rose Cottage before 1881. They had six children, who had grown up and left home. Mary died in 1882, and Thomas very quickly married Ann Pallister, and moved to Little Smeaton. Their children, Laura and Amos, were living with them in 1891 when they had moved back to Smeaton. The picture shows part of Rose Cottage in the 1950s. Many thanks to Katherine Lart and The Hornby & Smeaton History Society for researching this article especially for the Village News. DON’T MISS PART III, THE NORTH/EAST OF THE A167 FROM HORNBY ROAD OUT TOWARDS NORTHALLERTON IN NEXT MONTHS EDITION OF THE VILLAGE NEWS
Saint Eloy’s Church Great Smeaton St Eloy’s Services Sunday 11th October Holy Communion With Harvest Thanksgiving Service At 11:00am (Rev Lynn Thorius)
Sunday the 25 th of October Holy Communion At 11:00am
(Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven)
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The Harvest Service at St. Eloys is on Sunday the 11th of October at 11.00am, and we are having a collection of tins and dry goods for The Food Bank, at Northallerton. The church is open this Sunday between 11am and 4 pm if you would like to contribute, or on the service day . All is great fully received. There will be a box at the back of the church. Thank you donations
for
any
FLU VACCINATIONS REMINDER Dr. Rogers has agreed to hold a Flu Vaccination Clinic for Mowbray House patients in Appleton Wiske Village Hall on the 20th October. The vaccinations will be available for local residents who are aged 65 and over. Vaccinations for children will not be available. The clinic will be held between 08:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and will be by timed appointments. It is not possible to have “walkin” attendance during the current Covid restrictions. Members of Appleton Wiske Parish Council will be on hand to direct patients into the village hall through the rear exit door to the Main Hall where the queuing arrangements will be in place to ensure 2 metre distancing. Please use the hand sanitiser on arrival. The main entrance / exit at the front of the village hall will be the way out. Everyone attending for a vaccination MUST wear a face covering during their visit. Please note that the toilets will not be available during the morning as these are reserved for the use by the Pre-School children. This will avoid any potential covid-19 transfer. ttendance will be at specific times during the clinic. Please arrive at the village hall a couple of minutes before your allocated time. To register for this Flu Vaccination Clinic please respond to this message ([email protected]) or call 01609 881660 with the name(s) of those wishing to receive the vaccination in the Village Hall. Please reply by the 30th September in order to provide sufficient time for the number of vaccinations required to be ordered. If anyone requires assistance to get to the village hall please call 01609 881660 and we can make the appropriate arrangements to get you there. Please feel free to pass this message to anyone you know who may be interested. Appleton Wiske Parish Council
COVER PAGE Even though it’s the end of September there is still a splendid floral display in Northallerton including the Town Hall pictured on the front page. The town will aso benefit from a £385,000 grant recently awarded to improve some of the buildings , shop fronts and alleyways that have been steadily deteriorating over the years. Page 16