www. highamparishcouncil.com Autumn 2017

Issue #30

News and views from the village of Higham

Higham Lancashire Now and Then Higham Village, Lancashire Save Higham St John’s Church

SCARECROW FESTIVAL AND BALL We had another successful Scarecrow Festival with a very busy village. We couldn't have asked for better weather - warm and sunny for a lot of the time. As usual we had good support from the villagers with several newcomers making scarecrows for the first time. We raised over £5,000 for Church and Village Hall plus nearly £1,000 also going to church from the book sale, bottle tombola and the raffle held at the Scarecrow Ball. Judging was done by Dominic O'Neill, acting head of Higham School. It was his first visit to the festival and he loved it.

First prize went to John and Diane Ashton at the top of Acres Brook Road with 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. Second Prize went to Alan and Linda Sharpe on 'Scarecrow Close' with 'Rub a dub dub'. Third prize went to John and Christine Metcalfe also from 'Scarecrow Close' with their 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. The public vote went to Josh and Leanne Hutchinson on Moore Drive with 'Beauty and the Beast'. The Committee would like to thank everyone for making scarecrows - we've had lots of feedback from visitors who thought they were the best yet! Also thanks to everyone who helped with catering, baking, cooking, stewarding and selling. It wouldn't be possible without you all. The Scarecrow Ball took place on Saturday night- this time we just used the village hall but it worked really well. There was the usual great barbecue - thanks to chefs Dave and Chris - and entertainment was provided by James Cockerill. During the evening Terry gave out the prizes plus additional ones chosen by the committee.

A very enjoyable end to our Scarecrow Festival.

The village would like to give a big thank you to Terry and Val for their drive and organisation of the whole event Editor

Tractor Run

The 9th Pendleside Tractor Run in memory of Andrew Nutter, a young, local farmer raised £6,000 for the Rosemere Cancer Foundation. Organised by his sister Laura Standring and his best friend Phil Sanderson, they have raised over £30,000 for the Foundation and the Chemo Unit at the Royal Blackburn Hospital and provide a wonderful spectacle each summer as the parade winds its way through the Pendle villages.

ANNUAL SENIORS’ CHRISTMAS PARTY

Will be held at the Village Hall for Seniors over 62 on MONDAY 4th DECEMBER AT 6.00pm. This has proven to be a very popular evening enjoyed by many, with a complementary drink on arrival, Sarah’s famous canapés and a Christmas meal with dessert. Also evening entertainment with Steve - all this for just £5.00 per ticket. There will be a licensed bar where drinks can be purchased as this is NOT

a ‘bring your own’ drinks event. We are however restricted on numbers so it will be first come first served basis. Tickets will be on sale from 6th November and must be paid for when ordering as we need to know numbers for seating and food.

TICKETS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE ON THE NIGHT Tickets from: Cllr J Hammond 01282 774735

Cllr L Willighan 07753 718351

SIR JONAS MOORE (1617-1679)

This year we celebrated the 400th anniversary of the birth of Higham's famous son, Sir Jonas Moore. During the summer there was a Jonas Moore walk round the places in our village connected with him. Jonas was born at Higher White Lee Farm. He was a

former Surveyor General of Ordnance, a mathematician and surveyor who took part in the 17th century's most ambitious civil engineering project of draining the Great Level of the Fens and building the Mole at Tangier. He was the driving force behind the establishment of Greenwich Mean Time, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and a member of the

Royal Society. He is buried in the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London.

SANTA AT THE FOUR ALLS 6pm Sunday 16th December

Once again Santa will be arriving at his grotto to see the children of Higham. This year’s presents will be partly funded by The Village Event’s Committee. £3 per child’s ticket – limited to 120 tickets. Tickets must be purchased no later than 10th December. For ticket sales please contact any of the below: Matt Harrison… 07803 143576 / bfcfan@btinternet.com John Metcalfe… 07885 996900 / 01282 547778

There will be the usual attractions:

HOT DOGS HOT PUNCH MINCE PIES

MUSIC RAFFLE Raffle prize donations welcome. Please contact Matt.

CHRISTMAS FAIR Come and join us on

Sunday 3rd December 11am to 3pm in Higham School. Stalls, tombolas, games.

Come and see Father Christmas who will be arriving in style!! Hot and cold food and refreshments served. Entry 50p adults, children free.

MISSING WISHING CHAIR

Once upon a time, on the allotments (now Acres Brook Road) of Higham, there stood a massive block of stone, which the village children sat on and knew as the wishing chair. Weighing at least two tons, the stone resembled an armchair and a similar stone, suspected of being connected with a meteorite, was sent to Towneley Hall. It is believed the Higham stone was still there in the 1970s but 25 years ago, it had disappeared. It would have had to have been moved mechanically, as it was too big and heavy to be moved manually. If anyone has any clues to solve this mystery, please contact Glenys Hargreaves or the Spout.

In Memoriam Ian Buttery Suddenly at his home on Saturday, 29th July 2017, Ian aged 70 years, the most precious dad of Claire, dear father-in-law of David, cherished grandpa of Toby, dearly loved partner of the late Margaret Lyons, also a loving nephew, cousin and much respected friend to many, who will be sadly missed.

Kathleen Smith The funeral of Kathleen Smith took place on Monday 2 October at Burnley Crematorium. Ron and Kathleen moved to Higham from Macclesfield in the mid 1980s. Their children Jenny and Peter went to

Higham School and St Christopher’s. Ron has been a Church Warden since arriving in the village. Kath died after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Laura Bickley Aged 90 years, a much loved mother of Jacqueline and Gillian, and grandmother of Daniel, Jonathan and Gemma. Laura was the first resident on the Moore Drive estate and helped run the Youth Club in the 1960s. She died peacefully at home as was her wish. Her funeral was on 23rd October at Burnley Crematorium.

John Rose Aged 81 years, whilst on holiday in Norfolk, dearly loved husband of Jill, loving father of Philip, Alison and Graham, a dear father-in-law and a much loved grandad of Jamie and Annie.

Our deepest condolences to all their families

Births

Terry and Michelle Robbins of Acres Brook Road are delighted to share news of the recent births of 2 new grandchildren. A little sister for Alice - Heidi Michelle Steer, born 20th May to their daughter Claire and son-in-law Mark, and a baby brother foe Lucia - Leo Francis Robbins born 9th August to their son Terry and daughter-in-law Michaela. On 12th August, Sally and Bob O’Neil welcomed a daughter Emmy, a sister for Calvi and a grand-daughter for Ann and Trevor Robinson of Copthurst Avenue.

Congratulations to all

Coffee Morning

Pennine Herb Society

11th November 10.00am - 12.00 noon

At Higham Village Hall

Entrance £1.00

Stalls including Hospice and Lifeboats

WEAR IT LOVE IT SHARE IT

The Rose Queen held this event to raise money for her chosen charity, Children with Autism. She invited people to bring 2 clean, presentable items to swap (max 10). Tickets included a glass of wine or squash and free entry into a draw for a brand new designer handbag.

Birthday Greetings

Edith Bowden

celebrated her 90th birthday with a family party in Blackpool. The photo is of Edith with seven of her ten children, including our Parish Councillor, Lucy Willighan. Edith has lived for the last few years on Halmote Avenue. We wish her many happy returns.

Stone flag thieves in Higham! Stone flags have been removed from around the bench in front of the Parsonage. However, they haven’t been taken away, they must have been too heavy. At the same time, some of the stone copings disappeared from the garden wall in front of the Parsonage.

Village Hall The Village Hall continues to just cover its running costs through regular income from lettings and the Village Hall Committee wishes to thank the many and varied users of the hall for their support. Improvements continue to be funded by grants and donations received, most notably from the Parish Council and the Scarecrow Festival committee. The committee is very grateful to all who make donations. It is 12 months since the wooden flooring was refurbished and so it will soon be due an annual treatment to maintain its excellent condition. Long term, an increase in covered floor-space is desirable, as are enhancements to lighting and the sound system. The committee is interested in hearing from any tradesmen/women resident in the village who are prepared to offer their services to undertake ad hoc general maintenance and repair work. Appropriate payment would be made. Routine upkeep requires the occasional services of an electrician, plumber, decorator, joiner and so on. Anyone interested should provide details of their skills-set, along with contact details, in writing addressed to the Chairman, Village Hall Committee. Graham Fox Bookings for use of the hall can be made via Anne Rawlinson 770729.

Amateur Radio Thursday. Stephen 690757

Baby & Toddler Club Tuesday 10.00-12.00 Term time £2.00 Heather 773302

Events Committee Matt Harrison 07803143576 bfcfan@btinternet.com

Burnley Film Makers Wednesday 7.30pm. Keith Widdop

Garden Club 2nd Tues 7.30pm. Eileen 773258

Herb Society 4th Tues 7.30pm. Eileen 773258

Themes on Thursday 2nd Thurs 1.30-3.00 Heather 773302 £2.00 including light refreshments Everyone welcome.

Parish Council 3rd Tues 7.30pm Patricia Rosthorn 07931687175

Pendle Embroiderers 1st Mon 12.00-4.00pm jwsew@btinternet.com

Table Tennis Monday evenings at 6.30pm.

Village Hall Committee Graham Fox. ggjk.fox@btinternet.com

Zumba Mon 10.00am and Fri 9.30am Chris 07739184942

I hope you have all enjoyed the Summer! (Well, it hasn’t been a complete washout and at least the hurricanes missed us). The Parish Council have had to deal with two or three quite significant planning applications which have required site meetings, representations and attendances at Pendle Council Committee Meetings and we are also well forward with arrangements for what we hope will be a high quality Community Noticeboard (courtesy of the Events Committee and a grant from Pendle Council).

However, perhaps our greatest achievement, after a dogged campaign, has been to persuade the powers-that-be to replace the old, battered and unsightly dog bin at the top end of the village with a new one in a better position and also to re-site one of the dog bins on the park so as to service the new Clover Croft entrance.

Finally, we are still looking to fill two Parish Councillor vacancies. I would ask anyone who feels they might be able to make some contribution to our community in this way, either to contact me for a chat (07930 558587) or just come along and listen in at one of our Council meetings, (third Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm at the Village Hall) to find out a little more. Best Wishes RW

Chairman: Robin Willoughby Tel:772061, 12 Acres Brook Rd, Higham, BB12 9BY chairman@highamparishcouncil.com

Clerk: Patricia Rosthorn Tel:07931 687168175, 38 Acres Brook Rd, Higham, BB12 9BY

clerk@highamparishcouncil.com

Meetings 3rd Tuesday in the month at 7.30pm in the Village Hall

Four Alls

Compliments to Stuart and Liz as they settle in at the Four Alls, for putting on a couple of very enjoyable and well-attended barbecues, (and the weather to go with them) as well as joining in the scarecrow spirit as a spectacular Dorothy and Scarecrow combination. In addition to maintaining John’s quiz on Monday evening, they have also initiated a Whist night (no experience necessary) on Wednesdays and singing entertainment on some Friday or Saturday evenings. It is worth reflecting that village pubs are becoming a scarce and precious commodity and we are lucky still to have ours - they deserve our support. RW

Refuse and Recycling Pendle Council needs to reduce its overall spending by around £4m over the next three years and has identified potential savings that could be made, totalling around £400,000, on refuse and recycling collections and street cleaning and wants you to have your say on these proposals to change services. A survey to help this decision takes around 15 minutes to complete, and will help them to find out which proposal you would prefer. Your views will help the Council make a decision on how best to make savings. The deadline to complete this survey is Sunday 26 November. It is completely anonymous and your response will make them aware of the impact of each proposal on the people who use the services. You can complete the survey by following this link: https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=150730344205

Church Services

08 Nov. Annual Memorial Service. 6.30 pm. at Fence To remember our departed loved ones, all welcome

12 Nov. Remembrance Service. 10.30 am. at Higham Confirmation Service 6.00 pm. at Fence Please come along and support our candidates in this special service, which marks an important stage in their faith journey

26 Nov. Toy Service 9.30 am. at Higham As in the past we will be collecting toys (preferably new, or in very good condition) to pass to Barnado's for distribution

03 Dec. Advent Sunday 9.30 am. Choral Communion Higham Joint Pendleside Advent Service 6.00 pm at Higham

16 - 17 Dec. Christmas Tree Festival at Fence

17 Dec. Carol Service 4.00 pm. at Higham

24 Dec. Choral Communion 9.30 pm. at Higham Christingle and Crib Service 6.30 pm. at Fence Midnight Mass 11.30 pm. at Fence

25 Dec. Sung Christmas Eucharist 9.30 am. at Higham

School Hi everyone, What an amazing start to the school year; our new Reception children have settled really well and so have our new staff, Mr. Golder and Miss Stockwell. Please check our school website and twitter account to keep up-to-date with the daily learning at school. I would like to thank everyone involved with the ‘Scarecrow Festival’ where I was a guest judge. The village looked amazing and that is a credit to everyone in the community. It is amazing to see the event continue to grow in popularity. Our Harvest Worship and Grandparents’ Workshop we held at school were a huge success and we managed to raise £244 for the Bishop’s Harvest appeal, which is split between Tree Aid and Christian Aid. Well done to everyone and thank you very much. A few events in the future to note; on Tuesday 14th November, from 1.30 pm, we have an Open Afternoon for prospective parents, so if you know anyone that has a child aged 0-4 or know anybody who would be interested in sending their child to our school, please let them know. Monday 11th December at 2pm is the community performance of our Nativity. If you would like to come and see it for free, please come and see either Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Anderson in the office to book a seat. Best wishes Dominic O’Neill

Higham Spout is paid for and distributed by Higham Parish Council. This issue and back copies are

available online

www.highamparishcouncil.com

All Family Notices and articles are published free of charge

Editor: Lucy Willighan. Tel: 07753 718351 email: Lucy.Willighan@uniroyalglobal.com

Content: Margaret Ingham. Tel: 01282 771296 email: m@mingham.myzen.co.uk

Additional contributors:- Robin Willoughby,

Bernard Ingham, John Hammond, Dominic O’Neill, Terry Butterfield, Ann Weekes, Eileen Knight,

Graham Fox, Glenys Hargreaves

Next copy deadline 8th January 2018