towcester town crier€¦ · century it was known as “the reyned deer” but in the early 18th...

22
Towcester Town Crier Towcester Town Crier Issue 165 July / August 2016 Town Hall, Towcester Photograph courtesy of James Rudd/www.aboutmyarea.co.uk At the Annual Meeting of the Town Council held in May, Cllr David Tarbun was elected Town Mayor of Towcester and Cllr Sharon McMurray was elected Deputy Mayor for the coming year. Photographs from the Midsummer Music Festival 2016 can be found on the centre pages... Inauguration of the Town Mayor & Deputy Mayor of Towcester

Upload: others

Post on 03-Aug-2020

3 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

TowcesterTown CrierTowcesterTown Crier

Issue 165 July / August 2016 Town Hall, Towcester

Photograph courtesy of James Rudd/www.aboutmyarea.co.uk

At the Annual Meeting of the Town Council held in May, Cllr David Tarbun was elected Town Mayor of Towcester and Cllr Sharon McMurray was elected Deputy Mayor for the coming year.

Photographs from the Midsummer Music Festival 2016 can be found on the centre pages...

Inauguration of the Town Mayor &

Deputy Mayor of Towcester

Page 2: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

3

A Word from the Mayor...

The month ,or so, that has passed since my inauguration has been a blur. It’s an absolute honour to represent Towcester as Mayor and I have been trying to accept as many invites as possible to fly the flag for the town. Thank you to my fellow councillors for trusting me with such a prestigious role.

So far my duties have included attending Mayor Inaugurations in Buckingham and Banbury, both towns have a great sense of tradition and their ceremonies represented that brilliantly. My family and I had the great honour to be invited to one of our own resident’s 100th birthday at Ridgeway House. We all had a wonderful time meeting Barbara and her lovely family who made us feel very welcome. To reach 100 years of age is an amazing achievement and one that should most definitely be celebrated.

There are a more reasons for Towcester to celebrate this year. Firstly we have the fantastic news that our Towcester Children’s Centre has been spared in the latest round of Northamptonshire County Council cuts. The centre provides an invaluable service to both children and parents, and I am very happy they have been given the chance to continue doing so. Secondly, another great milestone is Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School who is celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. The school has been a great part of the community and should be commended on the continued high standard of education it provides to the children of our town.

By the time you are reading this, my first fundraiser will have passed and I hope will have raised a great amount of money for my mayoral charities. I would like to thank all the companies and business in Towcester who provided the raffle for this event. The charities I have chosen to support are Northampton Macmillan Nurses, Dogs for Good and Towcester Scouts. I am planning some more fundraising events for my year including running the Silverstone Half Marathon, competing in Strictly Towcester and hosting a Mayor’s Ball to name a few. Please keep an eye on Facebook and the Town Crier for more information.

I do need your help for one of my fundraising efforts. Catharine and I would love to print your favourite recipes in a Towcester Cookbook. If you have a recipe you would like to share with the town and see published, then please send your recipes to [email protected] before the end of August. We plan to have copies of the book ready to purchase by the end of October.

Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful summer.

Cllr David Tarbun

Page 3: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

4

The Rotary Club of Towcester takes Northampton Young Carers to Sywell Aerodrome for the day

On Saturday 21st May, the Rotary Club of Towcester was delighted to welcome fifteen of Northampton’s Young Carers for an action packed day of fun and activities at Sywell Aerodrome. Unfortunately, the weather was not kind and due to rain, low clouds and turbulence the Young Carers were not able to actually go up in the planes as they would have been quite ill! So, they spent the day building model planes and then had a competition to see whose plane would fly the farthest!

The carers spent time with the fire crew, understanding what safety measures are required on a day to day basis at the aerodrome. They had a visit to the Sywell Museum, seeing lots of memorabilia from the wars as well as a bomber and a fighter plane. Although they couldn’t actually fly, they were allowed in the cockpit of one of the planes and had a great time learning all about the controls and what the various instruments were for. There were two flight simulators set up for the Young Carers to play on and there were some spectacular crashes as well as some great acrobatics!

One of the hangars at Sywell is home to a Tiger Moth Plane, owned by a current BA Pilot and he was delighted to show the Young Carers just how this amazing plane was built using wood and linen. In between all this activity was a trip to the Pilot’s Mess for lunch and the day ended with the presentation of a Rotary goody bag and a group Happy Birthday sing song for one of the Young Carers.

The Rotary Club of Towcester is delighted with the day and wishes to thank Sywell Aerodrome, YES and the Flying Rotarians for the free use of their facilities knowledge and help and hope that the Young Carers enjoyed their day out and were able to forget their responsibilities for a few hours.

The Rotary Club of Towcester meets weekly at the Saracen’s Head on a Thursday evening. Please feel free to come along and join them and find out about what else they do to support the local community. You can find details on their web site – or email the Club Secretary:

Email: [email protected] Web site: www.towcester-rotary.org.uk Email: [email protected] Web site: www.towcester-rotary.org.ukFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RotaryTowcester Twitter: https://twitter.com/RotaryTowcester

The Rotary Club of Towcester takes Northampton Young Carers to Sywell Aerodrome for the day

Page 4: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

7

Towcester Produce Show The Towcester Produce Show presents its 2016 event. The show celebrates the vegetables, flowers, home produce and arts and crafts of the people of Towcester and surrounding villages which fall into the NN12 postcode area. There are many classes including those for the enthusiastic gardeners and hobbyists and those that are just a bit of fun, we also have an ever increasing section for children with special prizes and medals.

Each year the number of entrants and visitors has increased and we hope this year will be no exception. Refreshments are for sale in the hall on the afternoon including tea, coffee and home-made cakes and cookies. We have a dedicated and very experienced panel of judges and we are very pleased to have the new Town Mayor presenting the trophies to our lucky winners.

So come and have a fun family time and enjoy the community spirit at the Produce Show. Why not enter some exhibits yourself? Simply bring them along on the morning of the Show, there is no need to pre-book and the show’s committee looks forward to giving you a very warm welcome.

Jason Fleming Chairman of the Towcester Allotment & Gardeners Association

The 2016 Towcester Produce Show will be held on Bank Holiday Monday 29thAugust, once again at the Town Hall. Doors open to entrants between 9.00am and 11.00am to allow time to arrange their exhibits and will be reopened at 1.00pm once judging has been completed. Presentations to the lucky winners will be made at 3.30pm.

For further information please visit our website where you will find a full list of categories, helpful hints and tips and entry forms: www.towcestershow.org.uk

Towcester Writers' Group

We are a small, friendly group of aspiring writers. Our abilities are very mixed and we offer a warm welcome to newcomers. You can find us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/TowcesterWriters. Our informal meetings are held in Towcester Library at the Forum on the third Wednesday of every Month from 7.30 to 9.30. We look forward to meeting you - please come and join us. Here's a poem by one of our members...

“One Small Inch” by Jacqueline Parry ©

Cold my heart like winter’s grip; Vice-like, shuttered until he unzipped, One Small inch. I watch the tree blossom first; Silver-white it falls too quick like me for you.

My heart swells with pride but jealous, green, hard; Hard like tiny apples on the tree, Each bravely coping with its fear; Growing, swelling, trying to be.

Fresh leaves of spring upon us now; Cerulean skies flicker bright beyond, Love is clean and pure and sharp; Love beguiles and lies and cuts.

And worms can enter damaged fruit; And fungus scabs and rots cracks, Wind can burn and fruit will drop; And soon my heart will tighten too.

Dappled grass don’t call to me; Rotten heart pierced and broke, Apples strewn below my tree; Silver moon don’t shine on me.

Page 5: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

9

Our Vice President, Eileen Reid, had the privilege of making a homemade birthday card on behalf of the Northamptonshire County Federation of WIs to send to Her Majesty the Queen.

TOWCESTER EVENING WI

During May, the WI Gardening Team planted up all of the containers around the town with summer bedding; but this year, to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday they are decked out in red, white and blue plants. We mostly worked in the rain so now we would like the sun to shine to produce a profusion of flowers to honour Her Majesty who, of course, is also a WI member and President of Sandringham WI.

Page 6: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

11

Page 7: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

13

An Exciting Facility for Towcester: The Tove Valley Centre

The Tove Valley Centre will be a place of worship for Tove Valley Baptist Fellowship as well as a community facility available for use by local groups. It is to be built on the Northampton Road in Towcester, adjacent to the Shires estate. It is anticipated that building will be underway by early 2019. Meanwhile, Tove Valley Baptist Fellowship is holding a number of fundraising events including:

Friday 23rd September 2016 at 7.30pm Barn Dance with music by ‘Apricot Pie’ at Towcestrians RFC, Greens Norton Road, Towcester For sale during the evening: craft items and desserts Tickets will be £10, and include a ploughman’s supper. They will be available from Colemans Stationers and via the website www.tovevalleycentre.co.uk from early September.

Friday 11th November 2016 at 7.30pm Quiz Night led by local favourite quizmaster Hilary Aslett at The Pickwick Room, Saracens Head, Towcester For sale during the evening: desserts, gifts & ‘Sponsor a Brick’ Tickets £7.50 to include a chip butty will be available via the website and Colemans Stationers nearer to the time.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our previous events. We look forward to seeing you again!

A welcoming home serving the community, expressing God’s love for everyone

Page 8: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

15

Old Towcester 15 – The Reindeer Inn, 169 Watling Street

Going through the passageway in Watling Street leading into Meeting Lane and the Catholic Church, you will notice that on the left hand-side is an old stone wall. This is a tangible reminder that you are on the site of one of Towcester’s ancient inns. In the 17th century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck and Bell”. It ceased to be an inn about 1770 and was then called “Buck & Bell House”. In the early 19th century the building was improved by John Smith, one of the town’s many grocers, at which time it was given a new top floor and re-fronted in brick. Here John Smith offered for sale to the public teas, coffees, spices, fruit, hops, cheese, bacon etc. It was a grocer’s shop for over 150 years with the “International Stores” being the last grocery business. Now the building has two ground floor shops with offices above. One shop is occupied by “Towcester Tea Rooms” but the rest of the building is currently vacant.

In the mid-17th century ‘The Reindeer’ was the largest inn in the town, it having 19 hearths. An inventory of the inn produced in 1718 after the death of William Wills, the innkeeper, provides an interesting snapshot of the inn at that time. At the front of the inn were two rooms, the ‘Rose Parlour’ and the ‘Dark Parlour’ each of which had three tables for the customers, with the better class of customer using the ‘Rose Parlour’ which had curtains and a map. In the adjacent ‘cellar’ were the barrels of strong and small beer on stands called ‘thralls’ where the staff would draw the beer into the customer’s tankards. The adjacent coach entrance led to the rear yard which gave access to the kitchen, back-kitchen, brewhouse and stables. At the first floor there was a gallery giving access to the ‘Talbott’, ‘Pelican’, ‘Blue’, ‘Half Moon’, and ‘Starr’ chambers. In the attics were chambers for the hostlers, who looked after the horses, and the maids. The yard with the gallery around it is the type of location where touring theatrical groups would have performed plays in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The conversion of the inn into grocer’s shop has destroyed many of inn’s features but the timbers supporting the rear gallery are visible at the rear of the entrance arch. Building work in 1981 revealed the gable wall of the inn’s rear wing and a stone fireplace from one of the first floor chambers dating to circa 1600. The parapet of this wall can still be seen at the end of the houses abutting the Catholic Church.

Brian Giggins, Towcester & District Local History Society (With thanks to Rod Conlon for providing me with a transcribed copy of the 1718 inventory) Photograph 1 - Watling Street frontage showing early 19th century alterations Photograph 2 - West wall of the rear wing in 1981 showing an early 17th century fireplace

Photograph 1

Photograph 2Photograph 2

Photograph 1

Old Towcester 15 – The Reindeer Inn, 169 Watling Street

Page 9: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

16

Towcester Royal British Legion

The trip to Ypres in April was so good that everyone from our party of 25, and also some people who were on the same coach but with other parties, want to have another trip in May of next year but this time to the Normandy Beaches. If anyone wants to join us then please contact me.

We commemorated the Centenary of the Battle of Jutland at the War Memorial in Brackley Road Cemetery on Tuesday 31st May. Due to the inclement weather, most of it was conducted in the small chapel on the site. One of our members is currently serving in the Royal Navy and he very kindly laid a Royal Navy Wreath on the War memorial on our behalf.

In addition to our monthly speakers, we either have completed or will be undertaking the following:-

We raised the Armed Forces Flag from Towcester Town Hall on Wednesday, 22nd June where we were ably supported by the Towcester Army Cadets.

Over the weekend of 25th and 26th June we returned the favour by supporting the Towcester Army Cadets who to hold a vigil at the Brackley Road Cemetery; “A Sentry for a Century”, to commemorate the start of the Battle of the Somme. The vigil lasted for 19 hours and 16 minutes and raised sponsorship for the Army Benevolent Fund and the Towcester RBL. The cadets then joined us for our summer BBQ fundraiser on the Conservative Club patio on Sunday 26th June which started at 1pm (by which time some of the cadets were rather weary).

We will be having a stall at Blakesley Show on 6th August where, amongst other goodies, we will be offering for sale some special Poppy Appeal items. In time, these items will become collector’s items so if you are interested in viewing them, but do not expect to be attending the show, then please contact me.

-oOo-

The membership of our Branch is increasing and, with the affiliation of the Army Cadets, Air Cadets and the 1st Towcester Scouts during 2015, it is looking very healthy at the moment. There are plans to affiliate other uniformed youth organisations, so all of this will hopefully ensure the longevity of the Branch.

We meet on the second Tuesday of each month at Towcester Conservative Club, with a 7:30pm start. All are welcome and you do not have to have served in the Armed Services to become a member of the RBL. Some of the services provided by the RBL can only be offered to ex or currently serving personnel or their dependants, but that stipulation does not apply to anyone wanting to become a member. Why not pop along to our next meeting and see for yourself, you’ll be made very welcome. David Reed Membership Secretary & Poppy Appeal Organiser [email protected] / 07970 597044 / 01327 352414

Page 10: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

19

Towcester Scout Hall Preschool gets ready for September!

Are you looking for a warm and friendly Preschool for your child for September? Is your child aged two or over and outgrowing their toys at home? Does your child turn three soon and you want to make the most of the 15 hours a week free funding?

Sian Walker, Preschool manager, who has just recently joined the Preschool, said that it can offer your child a whole range of fun activities: “We’re a really well established Preschool, offering care, play and learning to children aged between 2 and 5 years. September will see us offering a wider range of activities for the children, building on what the Preschool already has to make it a really special environment for your child to learn and grow. We are open Monday to Friday, 9am – 12pm, but are planning on offering afternoon sessions too depending on demand.”

During the summer break, the outdoor space at the Scout Hall will be undergoing a revamp ready for the new intake in September. “We were lucky enough to be part of the Waitrose Community Matters scheme in May and from that we raised over £300 to use on improving our outdoor space. We are really excited about the children using that when they return in September. Do come and check out what we offer and what we’re planning,” added Sian. “It’s an exciting time to be part of Towcester Scout Hall Preschool!”

All childcare voucher schemes are accepted and funded places are available for over 3s. If you are interested in finding out more then please call 07890 525116, email [email protected], or just drop in.

Best Kept Garden Competition 2016Entries are invited from green fingered residents of Towcester for the ‘Best Kept Garden Competition 2016’. There are so many beautifully maintained private gardens in the town and taking part is very simple. Entries will be judged by the Town Mayor at the end of July and a prize and certificate awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. The only criterion is the garden must be in public view, i.e. not a back garden. If you wish to enter your garden, or that of a neighbour or friend, please complete and return the form below to the Town Council Office by Friday, 22nd July. We are hoping for a bumper number of entries this year! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Entry Form Towcester in Bloom 2016 – Best Kept Garden Competition

Name: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................... Address: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................. Contact No.: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................. Please complete and return to the Town Council Office, The Town Hall, 86 Watling Street East, Towcester, NN12 6BS no later than Friday, 22nd July 2016.

Page 11: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

20

Midsummer Music 2016 attracted a large following to the many venues in and around the Town Centre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Town Mayor, David Tarbun, opened proceedings on the Saturday and a fine evening of music climaxed with a Firework Spectacular from the summit of The Mound.

Clockwise from top: Towcester Studio Band performing at The Mill Brewery; The Songbirds performing at St. Lawrence Church and Roadhouse performing at The Saracen’s Head.

Photographs courtesy of James Rudd/www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/nn12, Mr John Norton and Cllr Peter Allen

Page 12: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

21

Clockwise from top: Lockdown performing at the Pickled Pig, Jo Whiley DJ-ing at 185 Watling Street

and Nathan and Katrina at The Bull

Photographs courtesy of James Rudd/www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/nn12, Mr John Norton and Cllr Peter Allen

Page 13: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

22

"Brushstrokes of History"How did historic events inspire famous artists? David Price, the tutor for the next WEA course in Towcester will tell us more, with his course "Brushstrokes of History". We will take an unusual look at history through great paintings, including the Arnolfini Portrait (1434), Guernica (1937), and the 'Bar at the Folies Bergére' (1882).

David has an MA from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at the University of London and worked for the BBC Monitoring Service for 6 years sub-editing news reports from East European and former Soviet media.

The course, organised by the Workers' Educational Association, will start on Wednesday 21st September 2016 at the A5 Rangers Cycling Club, Islington Road entrance, Towcester and will run for 9 weeks on Wednesdays from 10.15-11.45am. Everyone is welcome.

For details and for information on the fee and concessions please contact David Wilcock 01327 351782.

Page 14: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

23

Men’s Breakfast – Saturday 16th July, 8:30am – 10:30am Richard Lyttle, a retired Chief Superintendent of Warwickshire Constabulary will be our visiting speaker at the Chantry. To book, please telephone Jim Hyde on 01327 857947.

Pimms and Puddings – Saturday 23rd July, 7 – 9pm Come along and taste everyone’s best pudding along with a summer glass in aid of Derek and Jane Wallers, who are Church Missionary Society partners in South Sudan. Tickets, priced at £5, are available from the Chantry House (01327 350459).

Flower Festival - Friday 12th – Sunday 14th August St Lawrence will once again be transformed into a wonderful palace of floral delights, cleverly arranged to tell stories this year of myths and legends, as well as Bible stories.

Fun Day – Saturday 13th August, 11:30am There will be a Fun Day on the Vicarage lawn from 11.30am. There will be a BBQ, stalls, a grand raffle and prizes. Cream teas will be served all weekend in the Chantry House garden. There will also be an evening organ concert by Michael Tinsley. All proceeds will go towards work to the church. Tickets are on sale now. If you would like to run a stall please contact Carol or Graham Lucas on 01327 605713.

Festal Eucharist Service – Sunday 14th August, 9:30am On Sunday 14th during our Festal Eucharist service we welcome members of Towcester Studio Band who will be helping our worship. At 6pm that evening, the Flower Festival will close with Choral Evensong led by our talented benefice choir. Everyone is welcome!

The King’s Men - 10th September, 7:30pm The King’s Men; the men who inspire millions across the world on Christmas Eve, will be here to entertain us. Book your tickets early; bring your friends from far and wide to what will be an amazing evening. Tickets cost £15.

Patronal Festival & Heritage Open Days – Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th September Patronal Festival and Heritage Open Days at St. Mary’s Church, Easton Neston. At 3pm on Sunday, there will be a Treasure Hunt, followed at 6pm by Choral Evensong.

Towcester Studio Band Concert – Saturday 24th September, 7:30pm Towcester Studio Band will be performing at St. Lawrence Church from 7:30pm.

Little Sprouts - Monday 5th September, 9:30am – 11am Little Sprouts is an every growing group for parents and carers with children from 0-5 years old. Time to play, songs to sing and bible stories to hear are all part of each session. There is no charge, but donations are welcome to help self-fund this group. For further information please speak with Revd Paula (01327 350459).

Harvest Festivals - Saturday 1st October, 6pm & Sunday 2nd October 9:30am Time to give thanks...on Saturday the festival will be held at St. Mary’s Church, Easton Neston, and at St. Lawrence Church on Sunday.

Sadly a member of our office staff is leaving to go to a full time job so we are looking to appoint a new secretary. Office hours will be reduced until we can re-appoint.

Page 15: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

25

Page 16: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

27

Nicholas Hawksmoor celebrates 30 year anniversary with new amphitheatre Nicholas Hawksmoor celebrated its 30 year anniversary with the unveiling of a new amphitheatre at the opening of its Summer Fair on 10th June.

The new Towcester Town Mayor, Councillor David Tarbun, joined Andrea Curtis, Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School’s Headteacher, to open the new facility, much to the excitement of the school’s parents and pupils. “We would like to thank Friends of Nicholas Hawksmoor School and the support of our parents for their brilliant fundraising efforts which have enabled us to make much better use of this area of the school,” said Andrea Curtis. “We chose the amphitheatre as a fitting tribute to the legacy of high quality arts and performance established by Richard Edwards, the previous Headteacher. We are very proud of our Arts provision at NHPS which continues to contribute richly to the education of our pupils.” The amphitheatre was opened by a trumpet fanfare by the school’s wind band as well as an uplifting rendition by the school’s choirs and a medley by their dance group.

Councillor David Tarbun was honoured to be part of the milestone event in the school’s history, which was one of his first official engagements since he became Mayor in May, “I was delighted to be asked to mark the official opening of Nicholas Hawksmoor’s brand new amphitheatre at their recent summer fair; it’s a fantastic addition to the school’s facilities. As Towcester Town Mayor it’s wonderful to be part of something as momentous as the school’s 30 year anniversary celebrations and have the opportunity to witness first-hand what great work is done by the local community for generations to come.”

The summer fair was a great success, raising over £1,700 on the day. Organiser, Nicola Case, said she was delighted the weather stayed dry, “Everyone had a fantastic afternoon, with plenty of entertainment as well as refreshments. Pupils were kept busy with a bouncy castle, stalls, refreshments and games, as well as a bear hunt in the Pocket Park! We had a central demonstration area highlighting the high standard of art, dance and music which really was enjoyed by all. A big thank you to everyone who supported us, including the emergency services who gave up their time to be there. The children loved it!”

Nicholas Hawksmoor first opened its doors in November 1985, two months earlier than planned, but officially celebrated its opening in June 1986. “It was important to us that we invited and included many of the school’s present and previous staff and pupils, as well as local people who have had a significant impact on the school over the last 30 years. We have a couple of staff who were there on the opening day and are still here today, which is an amazing achievement,” added Andrea Curtis.

Page 17: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

31

Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold is the newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire. Stephen is happily married to Nikki. They have a young family and are seeing first-hand how wonderful & challenging bringing up children in the modern world can be. Stephen had a normal upbringing; climbing trees, playing football and then joining the Air Training Corps. This taught him tolerance, how to work with others through team-work, the importance of taking responsibility and the value of public service. Over the last 30 years, Stephen worked his way up through the ranks, from his first job unloading lorries though various senior roles onto running his own business. Stephen is passionate about making sure everyone gets their opportunity to make the most of their lives. As the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire, Stephen wants to ensure victims are put at the heart of everything he does. He is focused on addressing the problem with alcohol and drug fuelled crime across Northamptonshire, as well as working to end domestic violence. In addition to this, he also wants to make sure that the towns and villages of Northamptonshire are safe for children and free from those who wish to harm them, either physically or online. Stephen is committed to protecting the number of frontline officers and believes that there is an ever increasing opportunity to exploit new technologies, to enable more officers to be visible on the streets of Northamptonshire tackling the issues important to local residents; rather than being stuck at stations filling out paperwork. If you would like to contact Stephen, he can be reached at [email protected] or via post at: Police and Crime Commissioner, Force Headquarters, Wootton Hall, Northampton, NN4 0JQ

Page 18: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

33

Sponne students shine at Rotary’s Young Designer Competition District Final

The Rotary Club of Towcester is delighted to announce that both Sponne students came second in the prize giving at the Rotary District 1070 Young Designer Competition 2016 final, which was held at DeMontfort University on Saturday 18th June.

In the GCSE category, Cody Rickard won second prize with his arcade portable gaming console - aptly named by the judges as the ultimate man cave accessory! With over 35 finalists from many different schools, and ideas and technical abilities of the highest standard, it is a testament to Cody’s technical abilities and hard work that he was awarded this prize.

For the A-level competitors, Brina Johnson from Sponne also won second prize with her fabulous and fun indoor tortoise home. Brina’s inspiration for this came from developing a home for her own tortoise and again, against an amazing level of competition, Brina’s prize is an acknowledgement of the thought, creativity and commercial viability that she gave to this project.

The other schools involved were: Leicester High school for girls, Sir Jonathan North Community College, Ashby School, Leicester Grammar School, Uppingham Community College, Beauchamp College, Lutterworth College, Melton Vale post 16 centre, Bishops Stopford School.

The basis for scoring the competition was as follows:- 1. Ingenuity – Is the product different? Is it new or a good improvement of an existing design? (30 Points)2. Meeting a need – Is there a real need for the product or was it designed for the sake of designing? (20 Points)3. Design of the Product – Is it a good design? Is it pleasing to the eye? Is it easy to use? (30 Points)4. Explanation of the Product – How well is the work that the student has done on the product explained? (20 Points)

The Rotary Club of Towcester meets weekly at the Saracen’s Head on a Thursday evening. Please feel free to come along and join us and find out about what else we do to support the local community. You can find details on our web site – or email our Secretary:

Open to all schools and colleges within the Rotary 1070 District, the competition is based around the design coursework curriculum for GCSE and A/S level student projects in Textiles, Resistant Materials (wood, metal, plastic), graphics and electronics. As always the standard of creativity, technical excellence and the production of prototypes was outstanding and Sponne School should feel very proud to have produced 2 prize winners!

Email: [email protected] / Web site: www.towcester-rotary.org.ukFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RotaryTowcester Twitter: https://twitter.com/RotaryTowcester

Page 19: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

35

.

The Towcester Area World War 1 Commemoration Committee is delighted to present TV presenter Dan Snow, speaking about Confusion of Command: Leadership on the Western Front. The talk will be held at St. Lawrence Church, Towcester, on Monday, 26th September at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced at £10 and include a glass of wine or fruit juice. They can be purchased via the website www.towcester-rotary.org.uk/shop, by contacting John Sidwick on 01327 352851, or from Colemans, at 193 Watling Street, Towcester.

Towcester Area World War 1 Commemoration Committee

The Towcester Area World War 1 Commemoration Committee is delighted to present TV presenter Dan Snow, speaking about Confusion of Command: Leadership on the Western Front. The talk will be held at St. Lawrence Church, Towcester, on Monday, 26th September at 7.30pm.Tickets are priced at £10 and include a glass of wine or fruit juice.They can be purchased via the website www.towcesterrotary.org.uk/shop, by contacting John Sidwick on 01327 352851,or from Colemans, at 193 Watling Street, Towcester.

Page 20: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

37

Page 21: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

38

John White Funeral Directors has been established in Towcester since 1990. For the last 25 years we have been well supported and well recommended. Not only in Towcester, but also the immediate surrounding area and much further afield, people are a little surprised that we travel so far and wide; Glasgow, The Isle of Man and Aberystwyth, to name a few, are not beyond the realms of possibility. One mourner or a thousand mourners, every single one is treated with the upmost care, respect and attention. We believe we only have one chance to get it right. Every funeral is different, every client is an individual and every request is unique; you only have to ask and we shall do all that we can to assist.

John has been involved with funeral directing all his life; he comes from a family with a history of over 150 years in the business. In 1990 he set up his own independent family firm in Towcester with his wife Jane. They both hold the NAFD Diploma in Funeral Directing, and John is a qualified embalmer. As the business expanded they were joined by Tim Barrett, who has a medical background, and more recently Karen Barrett, who has a financial background. They both play an integral role in the day to day running of the company.

John White Funeral Directors is an independent family business, which offers a 24 hour personal service, private chapel of rest and Golden Charter pre-payment funeral plans. John White Funeral Directors, 188 Watling Street East, Towcester, Northants, NN12 6DB / Telephone 01327 359266 /[email protected] / www.johnwhitefunerals.co.uk

IN TOWCESTER

John White Funeral Directors, 188 Watling Street East, Towcester, Northants, NN12 6DB / Telephone 01327 359266 /[email protected] / www.johnwhitefunerals.co.uk

Page 22: Towcester Town Crier€¦ · century it was known as “The Reyned Deer” but in the early 18th century it was called “The Belle & Rene Dere”, which later changed to “The Buck

39

7