April 2015 Edition 04

‘Playing in North Thoresby Community Group’ has been busy since the last news-letter was published and has received good and bad news. The Good news is that we have had a con-ditional funding offer from Lincolnshire County Council for £12750. The group along with the Parish Council are in the final stage of securing this grant.

The bad news is that the application to Biffa Award was unsuccessful. Although the group scored the best it could have, fund-ing cuts of their own and a subsequent change in criteria meant that we were not the type of project they were, or are now looking to fund. The community group have since met and have scaled down the plans for the play

equipment whilst trying to keep to the list of demands of the children who completed questionnaires last year. A Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed between the group and the Parish Council which states the responsibili-ties of each group. Included is an agree-ment setting a fund for sustainability of the park, so we do not have to go through find-ing funding in the future. An application to Awards for All for nearly £10000 has been agreed with the council. We were not eligible to apply for larger Lottery grants due to our postcode deem-ing us “not underprivileged enough”. This application brought different criteria to meet and hoops to jump through.

More information: www.facebook.com/PINTcg

Following a subtle hint from our erstwhile

Editor in the December Newsletter regard-

ing an article, or lack thereof, covering last

year’s 1940s Event I thought I had better

remedy the situation, so here goes.

Just to recap, the event was held on the

late August Bank Holiday to avoid clashing

with a village wedding. When the August

dates were announced ‘wannabe’ Private

Frazers could be heard throughout the

land uttering the famous phrase “Doomed

– I tell you, it’s doomed”. Well I am

pleased to say it wasn’t. Members of the

committee oozing confidence, reassuranc-

es and smiles could be seen wandering the

village streets explaining to anybody who

would listen that by promoting the event

jointly with Scott and Sue at the New Inn

we were going back to our origins of a

village ‘do’. Regrettably the Lincolnshire

Wolds Railway were not prepared to

change their date but on the August week-

end we had the advantage of steam trains

running under the auspices of their

“Scarecrow Weekend”.

This article along with loads of photos

continues on page 4 of this edition!

Playpark News update……………………..…………………………1

Editorials…………………….…………………………...………………..2

Village Announcements……….……………………………..…….3

1940’s Weekend write up & photos…………………...….4-5

Fumi Okiji Old Time Band………………………….……………….6

Newsround Up…………………………………….…………………...7

Parish Council Notes……………………………...………………...7

Spinal Injuries Charity Information………………………….8

The Village Voice…………………………………………………….9

- Village Wartime Heroes……….9

Village Sports Report………………………………...…………..10

And Finally……………………………………………………………..10

PLUS LOTS MORE!

All the action from

40’s weekend!

Contact us: twitter: @thoresbynews

e-mail: nthoresbynews@gmail.com

Latest village

Sports News

L ast edition I pointed out how sad it was we hadn’t had any submis-

sions about the villages incredible 1940’s weekend from back in Au-

tumn. Well quite a few people took me up on my challenge so to

start us of, here is Dave Barnett with his weekend write up...

I start this edition just like I did the last, with an apology! My own personal deadline for submitting this edition has again been slightly pushed back. The balancing act of being a teacher and editor whilst simultaneously upgrading our own home can sometimes be slightly tricky! Once again though I didn't want to deliver you something I wasn't happy with, so hopefully this edition doesn't disappoint.

I must also say a big thank you to those who answered the call for photos and information about the village’s 1940’s weekend; I hope I’ve been able to do your images and story justice! In fact, thanks to everyone who has contributed to this edition.

It would be great to get some more opinion and human stories in the newspaper, if you’re interested in being a featured columnist please get in touch! Also, please feel free to email or send any-

thing you’d like to see in the news for next time I’m always looking for stories and ideas to fill our pages and continue to make this newspaper a useful resource for the village.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Rob

Rob Burnett, Editor

Contact: @thoresbynews

Email: nthoresbynews@gmail.com

Hot on the heels of Christmas and Valentine's Day, I find myself fran-tically locating cards for Mother's Day and Easter. And before I know it I'll be digging out the Christmas decorations again and trying to figure out where they all go! And contrary to some rumours, I will still be putting up the decorations at Christmas. Whilst it is true that the post office is investigating the idea of moving the business into an alternate retailer within the village, it is still only a possibility. There are a lot of boxes to be ticked and lengthy processes to complete before it will become a reality. And even if they do decide to go ahead, there will be a public consultation to allow the commu-nity to express their views. If it does proceed to this stage, the future of the post office will be in your hands. We will keep you posted, but for the rest of this year it will be business as normal. Whilst I hope it will still be myself and my team looking after you in the years to come, I feel it is im-portant to stress that whatever happens, the village will not lose the post office services. As an aside, I thought you might like to know that we have just got in a new range of gluten and sugar

free biscuits designed for people with specific dietary require-ments. If you are gluten intolerant or diabetic, why don't you give them a try and let me know what you think. I have got a few differ-ent brands in and if any prove to be as tasty as they claim, I'll start to stock a bigger range. After a bit of a lull it would appear that more companies are once again diversi-fying into sugar and gluten free products and I'm pleased that we have been able to get them back on the shelves. Added to the constant distraction of running the shop, we are also beginning to lay solid foundations for this years 1940s weekend. It will once again be held on the Sunday and Monday of the August bank holiday. We sincerely hope that the community will come to-gether and make the event as spe-cial as it has been in previous years. And on that final note, I shall issue my usual plea. If you can spare an hour or two over the weekend, please pop into the post office and put your name down on the volunteer rosta. The simple truth is that the event cannot function without your help and support.

- Catherine

ELECTION OF PARISH COUNCILLORS THURSDAY 7th MAY 2015

If you are interested in standing as a

candidate to become a Parish Council-

lor for North Thoresby, Grainsby or

Waithe, a nomination pack can be ob-

tained from the Parish Clerk, please

call Mrs Sandra Bunyan on 01472

811710.

Completed forms must be hand car-

ried to ELDC between Tuesday 10th

March and no later than 4:00pm on

Thursday 9th April 2015.

EDITORIALS

D o you have an event or know of something happening that you’d like our readers to know about? Then drop us a

message at nthoresbynews@gmail.com or tweet to @thoresbynews to let us know and see it ‘pinned’ on our an-

nouncement board!

Here is the programme for the Wednesday Circle until we break for the Summer!

April 1st Update on Kenya Kids

Chris & Elizabeth Norman

SUNDAY APRIL 12TH Anniversary Service

Revd. Hazel Humphries

April 15th Banners

Helen Holdroyd

April 29th AGM and Favourite Hymns

ADVERTISE HERE

The North Thoresby News has a readership of 600+.

Email: nthoresbynews@gmail.com for more information.

Continued from the front page…

One of the highlights of the ‘40s Weekend was the

appearance of the Battle of Britain Flight aeroplanes

and early in the year we knew we had secured the

Lancaster and Spitfire flying on the Sunday and Mon-

day respectively. At around the same time it was an-

nounced the Canadian Lancaster was to fly across to

the UK.

There then followed some months of communication

between Canada, BBMF and ourselves until in early

August we had notification that we had, metaphori-

cally, hit the jackpot. The BBMF Lancaster would fly in

tandem with Vera, the Mynarski Memorial Lancaster,

from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum!

Weather-wise Sunday was a pretty good day and prior

to the appearance of the two Lancasters we were

treated to the singleton Spitfire, courtesy of and flown

by Richard Lake, making some spectacular passes

over the village. Then, as time progressed, one could

see people flooding into the village until by the due

time I do not think North Thoresby could have accom-

modated many more people. Indeed if one had want-

ed to fall over that would, I think, have been a nearly

impossible feat until the crowds had thinned out

somewhat. The car park on the cricket outfield had to

be closed and emergency parking opened up on the

football pitches. There must have been 6-7,000 peo-

ple in the village although in reality we have no idea

other than there were, literally, thousands.

Then those two gorgeous, graceful old ladies of a

bygone era appeared. They approached north –

south along Ludborough Road flying towards St.

Helen’s church in a blue powder-puff sky-line astern

with the emotional sound of eight roaring Merlin

engines. What a sight! Pure emotion and a touch of

magic. Then they were gone. Some people later

bemoaned the fact there had only been one pass

and stated there should have been at least two.

I believe they had not realised how lucky we were

to get them in the first place and secondly how

many fly pasts and displays these two irreplaceable

April 13th-18th Pack of Lies by Hugh Whitemore—Pesented by Louth Playgoers

April 24th Grafitti Classics Performed by graduates from London’s top musical conservatoires

May 1st-2nd Shakespeare in Debt by Ted Stanley. A playgoers / Hambledon Productions

May 13th-23rd Louth Playgoers Musical ‘The King & I’

By Rodgers & Hammerstein

Box Office 01507 600350

Now booking online at:

www.louthplaygoers.co.uk

aircraft were tasked with throughout August, plus VERA

had to eventually fly back to Canada.

The next day, Monday, the BBMF Spitfire was due at ap-

proximately 2.50pm. However, shortly after 9.00am my

wife, Maureen, answered the phone and discovered it

was the Spitfire pilot, Fl. Lt. Tony Parkinson, ringing to say

that because the weather was rapidly deteriorating and

closing in he was pulling his appearance forward to ap-

proximately 10.30am that morning.

What a display. Three passes keeping his Spitfire virtually

over the village centre all the time and each pass seem-

ingly lower and with tighter turns than the one before. I

felt sorry we were not able to advise every one of the last

minute change to the schedule.

Throughout the morning the weather continued to deteri-

orate until by early-mid-afternoon it was starting to rain

causing the comparatively few visitors to make for their

cars, the band to pack away their music before it turned

to papier mache and stall holders to beat a retreat. Ulti-

mately the only people left out and about were those

brave hardy souls ignoring the weather, taking down

signs, bunting and tidying up the village until by late after-

noon it was almost impossible to tell we had staged yet

another successful 1940s weekend.

- Dave Barnett

Editor Note: A big thank you to Rhiain, Barry and Tanya

for providing loads of fantastic photos to accompany this

article!

The Village is gearing up for

a visit from Fumi Okiji’s Old

Time Jazz Band this May. The Band is a

joyous celebration of the great tradition of

jazz song. Their music features lovingly

crafted interpretations of repertoire from

jazz’s inception, through the interwar

years, taking in Blues, New Orleans, Black

Vaudeville, and the songbooks of Ella Fitz-

gerald and Billie Holiday.

At the heart of the performance is Fumi’s

rich, sonorous voice, accompanied by a

superb band of skilled musicians in a show

dazzlingly full of timeless music and great

songs, all delivered with 21st century.

Fumi Okiji loves jazz music from its very

beginnings through the golden era of jazz

vocalists, modern jazz and the avant-garde

movements of the Sixties. Her influences

are wide and varied taking in Louis Arm-

strong, Ellington,

Billie Holiday, Monk,

Betty Carter, Mingus

and Eric Dolphy.

There is a nostalgic

feel about the group

in the choice of mate-

rial and the treat-

ment. It’s unapolo-

getically old time jazz

and at the heart is

Fumi’'s achingly rich,

sonorous contralto

accompanied by a

stellar band of musi-

cians who all bring

something essential

to the group's sound.

Event promoter, Ruairidh Greig: ‘We’ve got

a great concert, with a top-class band lined

up for our last Touring Scheme concert this

season. It’s your only chance to catch them

in Lincolnshire this year.’

For more information check out the bands

website: www.fumiokiji.co.uk/oldtime

Date: Saturday 9th May 2015

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: North Thoresby Village Hall

Cost: £8 (U16 £4)

Tickets available from:

North Thoresby Post Office

or Promoter on

01472 840191

01472 840106

07831 596486

Volunteering at St. Martin’s Church, Waithe

The Churches Conservation Trust has cared for St. Martin’s Church, Waithe for a num-ber of years. The Trust organises an annual maintenance programme and raises funds to complete major conservation pro-jects. This important part of Lincolnshire’s heritage relies on volunteers to ensure that visitors can enjoy the special atmosphere the church offers. It also needs volunteers who can help raise funds and complete ongoing conservation cleaning tasks in the church. If you are interested in joining our small volunteer team to help pre-serve the church and welcome visitors, you would be most wel-come. We offer regular events for volunteers, giving you a chance to meet people from across the re-gion. For people who are unable to commit their time to helping the Churches Conservation Trust but would still like to help pre-serve the church, the Trust runs a regular giving scheme involving a small donation each month. If you would like more information about volunteering with the CCT or joining the Supporter’s Scheme and helping us to preserve this magnificent building, please contact, Dave Adgar Volunteering Officer Lincolnshire,Leicestershire,Nottinghamshire and Rutland The Churches Conservation Trust 07733 108553 dadgar@thecct.org.uk

Askew’s Almshouses Jubilee Cottages opposite the church were built in 1935 by Mr Frederick Askew , a lo-cal councillor and magistrate. They are ad-ministered by a small committee, as a non-profit making concern for the benefit of the village and its people. They are very pleas-ant 2 bedroom homes with an outhouse and a good garden. Presently there is a waiting list, but we welcome enquiries, and are happy to explain how we work.

Any person interested in joining the com-mittee may contact Miss Edna Procter or Mrs Sarah Durrant

Village’s Mobile Library A quick reminder to all villagers, that the Mobile library visits the village every 4 weeks.

The dates April 2015 - September 2015 are:- 28th April, 26th May, 23rd June, 21st July, 18th August, 15th September.

The library van stands outside the Wesley Centre from 12.45 to 14.45 on those dates. It has been noted that currently the village li-brary is very under used, and if we don't use it we are at risk of losing it or reducing the time it is here.

Village Concerns If anyone has any concerns with issues around the village please get in touch with:

County Cllr. Tony Bridges 01472 812345

Dist. Cllr. Doreen Stephenson 01507 609858

(Manby Office) 01507 613201

Hedges and Trees It is an offence to let your hedges and trees encroach onto road signs, public footpaths

and Rights of Way. Parishioners are therefore kindly requested to check for any overhanging hedges and trees and arrange for them to be cut back.

Green Waste Bin Residents are reminded that they will need to opt into the new collection service for the green bin if they haven’t al-ready. The charge for fortnightly collections for 2015-16 is £25 a year.

Great British Fish and Chip Supper – Friday 15th May 2015

“Hold a Fish and Chip Supper to help spinal cord injured people re-build lives after injury”

Want to eat Fish and Chips, while raising money for charity? Hold a fish and chip supper on Friday 15th May 2015 whilst raising aware-ness of spinal cord injury and supporting SIA’s vital services.

You can hold a fish and chip supper in your own home, at work or hold a larger supper at your local community centre.

SIA will provide a fundraising pack containing hints and tips, recipes, invitations and donation envelopes. By inviting 8 friends and asking them to donate an additional £5.00 means you will raise at least £40.00 from your supper but we will also give you additional fundraising ideas to raise even more money for SIA.

In 2015 we want to make the batter matter and raise £40,000 from everyone holding sup-pers. Last year we raised £20,000 from the suppers.

The money raised from the suppers will help the Spinal Injuries Association offer support to individuals who become paralysed and their families, from the moment a spinal injury oc-curs, and for the rest of their lives by providing services and publications which enable and encourage paralysed people to rebuild lives after spinal cord injury. Every year in the UK over 1,000 people experi-ence a spinal cord injury and there are an esti-mated 40,000 spinal cord injured people in the UK alone.

Community Fundraising Manager, Elizabeth Wright, says, “The Fish and Chip Supper is a wonderful opportunity for a great evening with friends and family. We are also encourag-ing people who work to hold a Fish and Chip Lunch in their work places to raise even more funds. You may be even a local community group wanting to run a fun evening with your group.

For more information or request a fundraising pack call Elizabeth Wright on 0845 071 4350 or email fundraising@siafishandchips.co.uk or visit www.siafishandchips.co.uk

Advertisement

This edition features an article written by Maureen Barnett about her father

and a fateful convoy mission he took part in during the Second World War...

Some villagers may remember my father,

Bob Allen, who lived at ‘Rowanlea’, Station

Road, from 1974 till his death in 1985. He

had been a GP with the Albert Road prac-

tice in Cleethorpes since the war. He must

have found it quite difficult to settle down

to family life after his wartime adventures.

He was born and brought up in Belfast,

and like all three of his siblings studied

medicine at Queen’s University, qualifying

in the autumn of 1940 and immediately

signing up for the Royal Naval Volunteer

Reserves. He was appointed Temporary

Surgeon Lieutenant in April 1941, and be-

fore long, at the mature age of 25, found

himself medical officer of the destroyer

HMS Penn.

Many of you will know about the dreadful

situation of the island of Malta by early

1942. Several books and films have been

produced relating its story. Its vital strate-

gic position in the centre of the Mediterra-

nean, hemmed in between Sicily and Tuni-

sia, was causing headaches for the Axis

forces who were desperate to conquer the

island to facilitate their North Africa cam-

paign. Malta was getting an appalling

hammering, with only a handful of aircraft

left to defend it, and running low on fuel

and food. The population was practically

starving. The governor of the island was

faced with capitulation in a matter of days.

Several convoys had attempted to reach

Malta to alleviate the island’s plight, but

had always been thwarted by aircraft

attacks from southern Italy and by U-

boats. A last-ditch attempt was planned in

secret, named “Operation Pedestal”, for

August. An armada of two battleships,

four aircraft carriers, twelve cruisers and

forty destroyers, were deployed to escort

and protect fourteen merchant ships, in-

cluding one of the world’s fastest and larg-

est oil tankers, the Ohio, brought over

from the USA.

They were up against twenty-one subma-

rines, twenty-three E-boats and 540 air-

craft. The operation has been described as

“the bravest and most fateful of all the

convoys that were ever sailed to relieve

Malta.”

The casualties were huge. My father did-

n’t really mention much about it, but I do

remember him saying how he’d seen ships

sinking in two minutes. The ships which

survived attacks did all they could to res-

cue the crew members of damaged craft,

many badly injured, and of course it would

be the medical officers who were responsi-

ble for their survival. Reaching Malta from

Gibraltar was three days of horror, and

many failed to do so. Only 5 of the 14

merchant vessels arrived.

The Ohio, still far from destination,

had been severely damaged, her en-

gines no longer functioned, she was

almost split in two, and was sinking

slowly. Three destroyers were left

behind with her, one of them being

the Penn. It was essential that the fuel

she still carried should reach Malta. It

was decided to lash two of the de-

stroyers to each side of the giant

tanker, and the third would act as a rud-

der, gently pushing the stern straight when

it veered off course. They limped along at

five knots, with the sea now washing over

the deck of the tanker, and still sitting

ducks for enemy attack. But eventually

they made it, and I do remember my fa-

ther saying that it seemed like the whole

population of Malta was lining the harbour

and cheering as they slowly approached.

It is generally believed that if this particu-

lar convoy had failed, Malta would have

fallen under enemy control, the British

would have been defeated in North Africa,

and the outcome of the whole war might

have been entirely different.

My father continued to serve in the Royal

Navy on hospital ships until the summer of

1946, experiencing some interesting trav-

els in the Far East, including Burma, Singa-

pore, Hong Kong, Australia and Japan. Life

in Cleethorpes must indeed have been

quite a contrast.

-Maureen Barnett

Editor: Rob Burnett

I think it would be really great if there were more editorials

in the next edition. Anyone who would like to have a column

article (either as a one of, or a semi-permanent one) please

get in touch. I think opinions, personal ideas, recipes, stories

or reviews would add a great deal to our newspaper. If

you’re interested please get in touch through the email or

twitter addresses

on the front page!

North Thoresby F.C. finished

runners up in division 3 of the

East Lincs Combination at the

end of last season resulting in

them being promoted to divi-

sion 2 at the start of this

2014/15 season.

The team has found life in divi-

sion 2 difficult and with 8 games

left out of 18 they are still

waiting for their first win with

only a draw to show for their

efforts.

As a village team it has continued

to be difficult to recruit village

players with only six on the

books at present. So we have

had to draft in players from other

villages as well as from Louth and

Grimsby. Some of these players

don’t have the same commit-

ment as ones from our village

and when not winning games

they leave or transfer to other

teams. This has resulted in can-

celling 2 games due to not being

able to field 11 players resulting

in the league dishing out a hefty

fine on both occasions.

Recently we have been able to

sign on 3 more players and are

looking to sign on 2 more before

the season deadline on March

1st. With these new signings we

hope to complete the season

which ends in early May without

cancelling any more games.

Now by the time you are reading

this report we will be into Spring

with the village sports club look-

ing towards the start of the

cricket season which starts at

the end of April. North Thoresby

has again entered a team in the

‘John Petit Mid Week League’.

There is also an opportunity to

enter a team in the Sunday

League but that will depend on

whether enough players can be

recruited to form a team. So if

you are interested in playing

cricket either midweek or on a

Sunday and are aged 14+ contact

Dave Bedlow.

An AGM will be held at the end

of March with details to be post-

ed in the notice board at the gate

of the cricket field. All interested

persons either players or sup-

porters will be welcome at the

meeting. Anyone requiring fur-

ther details or information please

contact Dave Bedlow on 840364.

Not only has the football club

had problems with completing

fixtures due to lack of players,

some mindless individual has

been driving a vehicle over the

playing surface of the main pitch

causing extensive damage. This,

to date, has happened on four

occasions. The first incident was

only discovered two hours be-

fore a game against Mablethorpe

and with the tracks left by the

vehicle deeming the pitch too

dangerous to play, the game had

to be postponed to a later date.

Our players were disappointed

not to be playing but a few still

turned up in the afternoon to

help repair the damage so the

pitch could be made playable for

the following week. The police

have followed all incidents and

on the last incident a local resi-

dent dog walker has been able to

give a description of a vehicle

spotted on the field late at night.

The vehicle in question was seen

driving across the full length of

the main pitch again causing

damage as it left to drive down

Church Lane into the village.

Anyone spotting an unauthorised

vehicle on the football field is

asked to ring the police on the

101 number giving a description

of the vehicle and the registra-

tion if possible.

If this problem continues the

farm track running alongside the

field will have to be gated at both

ends to deny unauthorised entry

to the football field. We realise

this will inconvenience a number

of local residents, refuse vehicles

and delivery vans but Lincoln-

shire Highways have confirmed

that it is signed as a ‘no through

road’ not adopted by them and

the access is only for the farmer

and the football team. Let’s hope

the individual stops driving on

the pitch and we don’t need to

take up the option of gates.

- Dave Bedlow (840364)

THE ONLY PLACE TO FIND OUT ALL ABOUT THE VILLAGE’S SPORTS TEAMS