Sunday Email: Issue 102

In the Covid section at the end of this email, the latest statistics are provided and there’s an article indicating that free lateral flow testing has now ended. It’s really quite worrying that these two things have clashed. On the same day free tests stopped being provided the number of UK Covid cases was 4.9 million, the highest weekly figure ever recorded.

Doug
07785 223707

The festival will be staged on the Bank Holiday weekend Saturday 30 April to Monday 2 May.

The theme, not surprisingly, will be royalty, so there’s lots of opportunity to create an individual or group of scarecrows reflecting the monarchy, royal family…and even the corgis! You can register your scarecrow free of charge and request an information pack from FOS

The poster recently posted on Facebook can be viewed here:
https://www.facebook.com/1670647703190754/posts/3105495006372676/?d=n

At the next stage, more information, including a map showing the location of all the scarecrows in all of the villages, will be available from Topcliffe Post Office and the Milk Churn Farm Shop.

Mr Bateman, who is a former mayor of the Harrogate district, often attended Asenby Parish Council meetings. He worked for many years at Plumb Centre in Ripon and has been very active in charitable work in the area.

In order to meet a tight schedule to add this by-election to those being organised for 5 May, the arrangements for selecting a new councillor have been squeezed considerably. Nomination papers must be with the Returning Officer at Harrogate Borough Council by 4pm on Tuesday, 5 April.

• April 12 – Harrogate and Knaresborough (Panel members: Wallace Sampson and Neil Irving of NYCC).
• April 14 – Thirsk and Malton (Panel members: Stacey Burlet, Chief Executive of Ryedale District Council, and Richard Flinton, CEO of NYCC).

They will be held via Microsoft Teams between 6.30 and 8pm. To access the meetings go to:
https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/new-council-virtual-roadshows

Under the plans, the current county, district and borough councils in North Yorkshire will be replaced by a single council in April 2023. Until then, services will continue to be provided by North Yorkshire County Council and the seven district and borough councils. From April 2023, the new unitary authority will deliver all services across the whole of the current county footprint.

• TODAY Sunday 3 April at 6.30pm – Choral Evensong.
• Wednesday 6 April at 7pm – Service of Compline.
• Sunday 10 April, Palm Sunday, at 10.45am – Holy Communion (traditional language).
• Wednesday 13 April at 7pm – Service of Compline.
• Saturday 16 April, Easter Eve, at 7.30pm – Easter Vigil and First Mass of Easter. This is perhaps the most glorious service in the church’s year, starting in near darkness with readings and unaccompanied singing by the choir, then the lighting of the Easter fire, the Paschal candle and candles throughout the church, and concluding with a special Holy Communion for Easter. After the service refreshments including finger food and wine will be served.
• Sunday 17 April at 9am – Easter Day Service (not Holy Communion. The Easter Eve Service concludes with our Easter Eucharist).

• 19 April – Mosaics
• 17 May – Mixed media and illustration
• 21 June – Silk printing
• 19 July – Fused glass

You can simply turn up on the day – it’s free to attend and materials are provided.

Just as a reminder, the following items are welcomed: men’s, ladies and children’s clothing – paired shoes (tied together or elastic band around) – handbags – hats – bags – scarves and ties – jewelry – lingerie – socks – belts – soft toys – household linen – household curtains – household towels – household bedding (bed sheets, pillow-cases and duvet covers). We are unable to accept duvets and blankets, pillows and cushions, carpets, rugs and mats (including bath, shower and toilet mats), soiled, painted, ripped or wet clothing, school uniforms, corporate clothing and workwear or textile off cuts or yarns.

• Village Hall Committee – 7.30pm on Tuesday 5 April. The AGM and an Ordinary Meeting of the Committee will be held consecutively starting at 7.30pm on Tuesday 7 June. www.topcliffe.org.uk/village-hall/
• Topcliffe Parish Council – 7pm on Thursday 7 April – www.topcliffe.org.uk
• Asenby Parish Council will meet at 7.30pm on Wednesday18 May – www.asenby.net

Both parish councils and the Village Hall Committee meet at Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall.

• Photographer Lucy Saggers will hold a book signing session between 6.30pm and 9pm on Thursday 7 April. Her book ‘Ford of the Sorrel’, was shortlisted at the Belfast Photo Festival 2022. Books can be pre-ordered now and they’ll be personally signed on the night. Tickets £3, redeemable against a copy of her book. Light refreshments available. Email: sales@whiterosebooks.co.uk or telephone 01845 524353.
• Rob & Dave of Channel 5’s Cannon Hall Farm will be signing their book ‘Springtime at Cannon Hall Farm’ on Saturday 9 April. The book has all the animal antics but also tales of bygone days when traditional skills, crafts and daily practices shaped life in the countryside. Pre-orders taken and books will be personally signed on the day.
• Children’s author James Harris will be signing his new books ‘Happytown must be destroyed’ and ‘The Unbelievable Biscuit Factory’ on Friday 22 April between 11am to 12.30pm.

• TODAY – 12 noon to 3pm – Wedding Fayre – with a glass of Frizzante and canapes for all who call in, plus expert advice from experienced coordinators and suppliers.
• Tuesday 5 April – doors open 7.30 for 8pm – Hilarity Bites Comedy Night – £10 in advance or £12 on the night.
• Friday nights – 5 to 9pm – Land & Sea – steak or fish for two with a bottle of wine for £35.95
• Sunday roast – 12noon to 8pm – traditional Sunday Lunch.

Check the website at https://theangelattopcliffe.co.uk/ or call 01845 578000.

• Farm Shop/Breakfast – Fridays and Sundays – 10 to 12 noon.
• Fancy home-reared lamb at Easter? Orders now being taken.
• Saturday 9 April from 2pm for approx. 2.5 hours. In partnership with former Topcliffe resident, Diane West, there’ll be a fun event to make some fantastic lampshades. You will learn how to make a contemporary 25cm drum shade which can either be placed on a lamp base or ceiling pendant. You just need to bring 0.5m of fabric or you can purchase some on the day. All other materials will be supplied. Price £40 per person. Just a few places still available.
• Sunday 10 April from 10am to 12.30pm – make a garden obelisk for flower and vegetable climbers. With Sahra using her homegrown willow £40 per person – @willowviewfarm
• Hot or cold drink and cake is part of all classes held.
• Vouchers are available if anyone wishes to gift the cost of the above events to a friend or family member.
• Contacts: 07747 083155 and http://www.thecattonkitchen.co.uk

• To Thursday 7 April – Dog – Two former Army Rangers are paired against their will on the road trip of a lifetime. Briggs (Channing Tatum) and Lulu (a Belgian Malinois) race down the Pacific Coast to get to a fellow soldier’s funeral on time.
• Friday 8 to Thursday 14 April – Sideshow – When two inept criminals break into the home of a washed-up psychic in search of hidden loot, they get a lot more than they bargained for.
• Saturday 9 April, Sunday 10 April and Wednesday 13 April (matinees only) – Disney’s Encanto – A Colombian teenage girl has to face the frustration of being the only member of her family without magical powers.
• Friday 15 to Thursday 21 April (with matinees Saturday 16, Sunday 17 April and Wednesday 20 April. No evening show 17 April) – The Bad Guys – Several reformed yet misunderstood criminal animals attempt to become good, with some disastrous results along the way.
• Friday 22 to Thursday 28 April (Matinee on Wednesday 27 April) – Phantom of the Open – Maurice Flitcroft, a dreamer and unrelenting optimist, managed to gain entry to The British Open Golf Championship Qualifying in 1976 and subsequently shot the worst round in Open history, becoming a folk hero in the process.

Please keep checking the website for the latest details – https://www.ritzcinema.co.uk/

• Throughout April – Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-4pm – Cafe Artist of the Month – born and bred in Ryedale, artist Jennifer Weston’s recent work is part of the ‘Scenes from Scarborough’ public art commission and highlights the decline of marine life in the North Sea.
• Monday Makers – 28 March to 23 May. 10am – 1.30pm. Free ten week course but you can still join. From printmaking to marketing, develop your creative and business skills on this course for unemployed people.
• Tuesday 12 to Friday 22 April, 10am to 4pm – Nel Hume exhibition, ‘Let the Light Back In’ –
  a young artist living in North Yorkshire which, together with the Northumberland coastline, inspires her abstract expressionistic paintings that capture the essence of light and space.
• For more information and to book places, go to https://www.ruralarts.org/:

• Thursday, 7 April at 7.30pm – Northallerton & District Flower Club Spring Open Evening – Chelsea Gold Medalist Mark Entwistle demonstrates “The Secret Life of Colour” Former UK Florist Of The Year and innovative floral designer.
• Friday 8 April at 7.30pm – An Evening with Gill Sims – Gill will be interviewed by Jo Middleton, author of Playgroups and Prosecco and creator of Slummy Single Mummy. It should be an hilarious look at the changing face of motherhood as your children grow from toddlers to teenagers.
• Saturday 9 April at 3pm – Mark Thompson’s Award-Winning Spectacular Science Show – You think science is boring, think again! This is science like you have never seen it before. Designed for children and adults alike, the show explores the strange and magical properties of matter with exploding elephant’s toothpaste, vortex-generating dustbins and even howling jelly babies!

Call 01609 776230. Tickets online at http://www.forumnorthallerton.org.uk

• The Angel at Topcliffe – info – 01845 421111.
• The Catton Kitchen – http://www.cattonkitchen.co.uk – 07747 083155.
• Chip ‘n Dales – Friday teatime – 5 until 7pm in Topcliffe.
• The Elm Gallery – http://www.the-elm-gallery.co.uk – 01845 577316 or 07709 223920.
• Fotiá Candles – http://www.fotiacandles.co.uk – 07879 447953.
• Joanna’s Touch Photography – 07732 941758. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
• The Little Yorkshire Hamper Company – http://www.thelittleyorkshirehampercompany.co.uk 07793 775987.
• The Milk Churn Farm Shop & Cafe – https://www.milkchurnfarmshop.co.uk/ – 01845 400446.
• Studio 18 Hairstylist – Nicola James, 18 Long Street (opposite the surgery). 07851 034815.
• The Swan – 01845 595185 The Swan, Topcliffe | Facebook
• The Thirsk Food Bank – collection point at the Milk Churn Farm Shop.
• Topcliffe Post Office – 01845 577517.

Hambleton (Topcliffe):

• Recycling & Garden Waste – Thursdays 7 April and Friday 22 April (one day later than normal).
• Refuse – Mondays 11 April and 25 April

Harrogate (Asenby)
All garden waste, recycling and refuse collections will take place as normal the week commencing Monday 11 April. Week commencing Monday 18 April all collections will be a day later than usual. Normal collections will resume on Monday 25 April.

• Refuse – Monday 4 April, Tuesday 19 April (one day later than normal) and 2 May.
• Garden waste – Thursday 7 April, Friday 22 April and Thursday 5 May.
• Recycling – Mondays 11 April and 25 April.

The provision of universal free tests in England has ended. As of last Friday those not classed as vulnerable have to pay for a lateral flow test as free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing ended for the general public. The PM said testing had become "less valuable in preventing serious illness" because the dominant Covid variant – Omicron – is less severe, but critics suggest the financial impact of testing on the UK is the real reason the government wants to stop free provision. Universal free testing for almost two years has come at an astronomical cost to the taxpayer – the testing regime had a bigger budget than the Home Office last year and it cost £2 billion in January alone.

Limited symptomatic testing will be available for a small number of at-risk groups, however the government has not yet set out exactly who will be eligible. It is suggested people aged 80 and above are likely to be in that group, as well as NHS and social care staff.