Aslockton. Voice. Aslockton. Community Association needs You! Coffee Morning. Issue 37 July 2013

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1 Aslockton Voice Aslockton Community Association needs You! 12 All photographs are provided courtesy of Colin Thornicroft THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN ASLOCKTON VOICE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE EDITOR OR THE ASLOCKTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION. Coffee Morning Every second Friday in the month at The Thomas Cranmer Centre. All Welcome! WANT TO SEE YOURSELF IN PRINT? Contributions please to the Editor, Claire Thornicroft Woodstock, Abbey Lane, Aslockton by 12th August 2013 You may have heard of the Aslockton Community Association or ACA as it is quite often called but do you know what it does? It was created in 2004 to deliver the newly developed Village Plan; the main part of which was the construction of the Thomas Cranmer Centre. But it has achieved a great deal more. The ACA is responsible for the Aslockton Online web site and for The Voice magazine that is delivered free to every house in the parish each quarter. When you see the colourful flowers and planters around the village do you know that it is the ACA members who tend to them? Did you know that there is a team of litter pickers dedicated to keeping our village clean and tidy? Many of the performances that are staged at the Thomas Cranmer Centre are arranged by the ACA. If you moved to the village in the past few years and received a welcome pack through your door it was the ACA who provided and delivered it. More recently we have arranged for Heartstart training at the Thomas Issue 37 July

2 Cranmer Centre which has been repeated 3 times and if it saves just one life will be worth the time and effort. The ACA is not guided by the Parish Council nor is it part of the Thomas Cranmer Centre. It is independent and works for YOU to improve YOUR village. But it can only do this if there are people who are prepared to get involved and currently we are at a crossroads. There is a nucleus of people who work to deliver what you see around the village but we need more support. It is not an onerous commitment, perhaps a day or two a month, but it can and will make the difference. With your support we can do more. Without it, what we have achieved so far may slowly disappear. We have arranged a meeting for Monday 5 th August at the Thomas Cranmer Centre at 7.30 pm to decide how we move the ACA forward and to elect a new chairperson as the incumbent is shortly moving away from the village. Would you like to put something back into the village; could you be the new chairperson; do you know someone who would get involved? If any of these fits you please come along to the meeting on 5 th August. Without your support for the ACA your village will be a different place. Diane Sharpe and Keith Howard Annual Fun Dog Show Classes: Puppy (up to 12 months old) Prettiest Bitch Most Handsome Dog Best Condition Waggiest Tale Veteran (Over 7 years old) Best Six Legs Dog that Judge would like to take home Special Class (open to all not having won a rosette - no fee) Best in show Don t be late, make a date for your local community Fun Dog Show Thank You! The new information board on the life of Thomas Cranmer sited on Main Street at the entrance to Saucer Farm is a Parish Council project funded by a Local Improvement Scheme grant received from Nottinghamshire County Council. Our thanks go to the Cranmer Local History Group and Karl Przywala for their invaluable assistance with regard to the text and layout. The board has been manufactured by Malcolm Lane & Son of Cropwell Bishop who also produced the new village welcome signs on Mill Lane, Cliffhill Lane and Abbey Lane. 2 11

3 CRANMER YOUTH CLUB LIVES ON!!!! As we all know Gavin is leaving Cranmer Youth Club in a couple of weeks and I am taking over as leader. 10 SATURDAY 13TH JULY pm to 10 pm Admission Free The Playing Field, Dark Lane, Whatton-in-the-Vale Fun for the whole family including... Gladiator Joust Steam Traction Engine Rides Fun Dog Show Bouncy Castle Sumo Wrestling Challenge Bungee Run Teas & Cakes Gerry s famous BBQ Stalls Disco and Live Band in the evening Licensed bar. I think most of you know me but if you don't I am Joe (year 5) and Jessie (year 3) Duddles mum, I have been a registered childminder for 10 years in Whatton, I am a manager of the under 11s Aslockton football club, I work for a company called Sublime Science which involves doing fun science based birthday parties. Married to Chris who will be involved in the club as treasurer. With a little help from my friends I hope to keep CYC going for a few more years yet!! Just to let you know as from September the youth club will be on a MONDAY evening, same place, same time. We will still be using Mussertland thanks to Adam and Lyndsay. We are keeping the age group the same year olds, if you want to get your name on the waiting list or know others that do you can pass my details on to them and give me a call or . I WILL BE NEEDING PARENT HELPERS FOR SUPERVISION ON MONDAY EVENINGS. If you can your availability to me, it may be once a month, twice a month or even every week - any help will be gratefully received. CYC will only run successfully for your children if we all pull together. Hopefully we can carry on in Gavin and Steve's footsteps. A big thanks to Gavin for the last 6 years and I hope all your kids join him for his last week as leader for a party at Mussartland on the 16th July. Janelle 3

4 Aslockton Station Norma Broomham asked me to write a few words about the changes that had happened to Aslockton station over the years. Nothing to write about, I said. But One of the first people that I met when I came here in 1975 was Mr Kingston. He told me that he was now the postman (well in his 70s) and had been the final local station master and that he liked to know everybody s names so that he could be sure to deliver the post correctly. He was a lovely man with a big smile and even bigger feet set at ten to two to power his bicycle round the village. At that time, the station still had the crossing keeper s hut (Whatton side), the waiting room (with a pot bellied stove), the old Station master s house, the station building comprising a ticket office and an outside toilet, a signal box and a coal yard. First to go was the signal box dismantled and work transferred to Bottesford (I think). The station master s house continued unoccupied for a few years there were unsuccessful attempts by BR Property Board to sell it but in the end it was demolished. The station buildings became for several years the offices of a local IT company. The coal yard went as well, the land to be shared between a new housing development and parking for Network Rail. But there were other changes too. 4 Allotments There is an allotment for rent on the Parish Council`s allotments on Abbey Close. The cost is 15pa for Aslockton residents and 25 for non-residents. Please contact Carola Jones for details. Footpaths Martin Brown from Network Rail spoke at the Annual Parish Meeting giving details of their proposals for the footpath crossing at the back of Vale Close and the improvements to the level crossing on Main Street. The meeting was well attended and a number of residents expressed concerns and suggested alternatives to the proposals. Martin has promised to come back to us after consideration of the feedback from the meeting. A public inquiry is to be held on Tuesday 30 th July at 10am in the Thomas Cranmer Centre. The purpose of the inquiry is to consider a Modification Order for Footpath 13 (the fields bordering the railway line and the Smite formerly owned by Mr Machin). The effect of the Order, if confirmed without modifications, will be to modify the Definitive Map and Statement for the area by adding thereto Footpath 13. Further details will be placed on the Notice Board and on Aslockton Online. Mansfield Barker The parish council has received a "Grant to Plant!" from Rushcliffe Borough Council to celebrate the Ashes coming to Trent Bridge. This will be used in the planters in the centre of the village and to provide plants around the new Thomas Cranmer board. Thank you to Fiona Barker for masterminding the planting scheme. 9

5 The Old Greyhound 8 PARISH COUNCIL NEWS AND UPDATES The sale of the Greyhound has now been completed to JPC Developments Ltd. of Cropwell Butler. Capita Symonds Architects has contacted us and promised that we will be consulted regarding any proposals for the development of the site. They have already indicated that it is unlikely the Greyhound will reopen as a pub. We are to contact them for an update. Local Improvement Scheme The Thomas Cranmer History Board has now been installed to the left of the entrance to Saucer Farm and it has been very well received by many passing villagers. The Board was a Parish Council project funded by Notts. County Council through their Local Improvement Scheme. Our thanks go to the Cranmer Local History Group and Karl Przywala for their help with the content and layout of the Board. We would also like to thank Chris Berry for producing, at his own expense, a framed print of the portrait of Thomas Cranmer which has been hung on the chimney breast wall of the Cranmer Arms. Chris carries out a full picture framing service of photographs, prints and watercolours. He also takes photographs of pets and family and baby portraits. Contact No: On the south side of the station, part of the platform is a raised wooden structure; this only arrived in 1980, as a result of pressure from the parish council and funded in part by them. Prior to that, to board the train on that side you had to ascend a small push-along set of stairs that the guard would have manoeuvred into position. Sometime later, a red metal seat was put on this platform not that anyone wanted it, because it made the platform rather narrow and so a gang of rail workers was despatched to remove the seat on Aslockton Station but they removed the very good seating from the waiting room instead and left the new metal one! Later that went as well and eventually the current uncomfortable metal bar was installed in the waiting room. And then the crossing keeper s hut I think a whole article could be written about it. There were amongst others, Bill Wakefield a parish councillor for many years - and Bernard Bishop our parish clerk who during his time there studied for a number of A levels and I think a law degree. There was always a roaring fire and tea brewing. The keeper s job was primarily to Operate the heavy gates. This was not without incident and my recollection is that over ten to fifteen years there were three or four collisions between trains and the gates; I think this was possibly due to frailty in the railway telegraphic system. In the end a new electronic warning box was installed and this continued in use until the new automatic half barriers arrived. So what else is new? The shiny shelter on the north side, the planters which cheer things up a lot and the delightful pictures in the waiting room. A bit of petty vandalism too the crossing keepers prevented that when they ruled the station. A last word on passenger numbers; when I first caught the train it had five carriages and about 50 people getting on board the same number travel in a week now. So really a lot has changed but you don t notice change when it s gradual. Tom Thomas 5

6 Minutes of the Meeting held on Monday 17 June at the Thomas Cranmer Centre Norma Broomham welcomed Sue Rowe, David Rowe, Keith Howard, Mansfield Barker, Maggie Lowth, Teri Hancox, Diane Sharpe and Jean Marshall. Apologies: Fiona Barker, Claire Thornicroft, Sally Baxter, Rachel Gray and Muriel Mees. Acceptance of the Minutes held on 22 April 2013: There is a change to the minutes in the Group Reports, the Thomas Cranmer Centre has been opened for 3 and half years and not the 2 and half years stated. Minutes were signed with written amendments. Matters Arising: none it was suggested that meetings could proceed once a chair has been elected from members attending each meeting. Diane proposed a vote of thanks to Norma for having taken on the role of Chairman for the last year, this was seconded by Keith. Date of Next Meeting Monday 5 August 2013 at 7.30 pm Thomas Cranmer Centre. Norma Broomham Chair, Aslockton Community Association Treasurer s Report: The current balance is 2, Trustees: There is no change to the Trustees. Chairman s Review future of the ACA: The future of the Voice was discussed. There was concern that articles in the Voice are replicated in other local magazines, however it was noted that this has always been the case and it would be a terrific loss if the Voice didn t continue. It was felt a sub group could be formed to help the editor of the Voice. The Welcome Pack will continue and Jean Marshall will be holding the information required to make up the packs. The website has had over 3,000 visitors in May alone. Future of ACA An article is to go out on the front cover of the Voice and put on the website. The Chairman is moving house and therefore, reluctantly offered her resignation. The future of the ACA was discussed and we require more support from the villagers. Teri was asked if she would consider the post of chair, she said she would respond within the next few days. If the post of chairman is not filled 6 7