Welcome to the 103rd issue of the Sunday Email.
Doug
07785 223707
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Death of an Asenby character
It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of well-known and much loved Asenby resident, James Halliday. James was often seen walking between his home in Asenby and Topcliffe where he was a regular at the Swan and the Angel. He passed away on Tuesday afternoon whilst tinkering in his garden doing what he most enjoyed. Condolences are sent to all his family and friends. There’ll be an obituary in the next edition of The Tattler.
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Yorkshire to Ukraine
The war in Ukraine goes on and the people continue to suffer the most dreadful conditions. Many here will have donated cash and much-needed items already, but more is urgently needed now. The next articulated lorry (the 5th so far), is due to leave Sowerby for Poland this coming week and there’s space for anything that you can spare. Among the items most needed are dried foods, nappies, baby wipes, sanitary wear, hygiene products, children’s games and colouring books/crayons, torches and batteries. Any donations can be dropped off at Topcliffe Post Office or taken directly to Unit 7, Martree Business Park, Soweby, YO7 3HF (opposite Aldi).
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Topcliffe Parish Council candidates announced
The candidates standing for election in the Topcliffe parish election have been announced. They are: Roy Beckwith, Chris Bumby, Paul Bumby, Ben Collard, Jamie Moores and Debbie Roberts.
As there are six candidates and just five seats, there will have to be an election. It will be held on Thursday 5 May. Voting will take place at the Village Hall.
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Asenby Parish Council
It was hoped that fresh faces would step forward to manage village affairs but no nominations were received for places on Asenby Parish Council. The present councillors will remain in charge until the official hand over at the AGM, scheduled for Wednesday 18 May. Then these members of the Parish Council will all stand down after many years of serving their community. After that the Parish Council will not be able to function.
It is expected that Harrogate Borough Council will again seek nominations and arrange a further election at a date to be agreed. Unless at least three candidates come forward, which would make it quorate, Harrogate councillors will be appointed to run village affairs. The absence of local residents as parish councillors is most unfortunate for the village and a real knock for local democracy.
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Voting deadlines imminent
To vote in the elections on 5 May, you must be on the electoral register by Thursday 14 April 2022. Those who are 18 or over on polling day, should be making sure they are registered to vote. Help with electoral registration is available at Hambleton District Council (for Topcliffe residents) and at Harrogate Borough Council (for Asenby residents). Those who are on the electoral register will have received a polling card in recent weeks.
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Asenby News – Issue 9
Young Oliver Robertson has produced the ninth issue of his local newsletter for Asenby. It’s full of interesting bits of information, jokes and puzzles. You can read it here.
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Don’t fall for Cadbury giveaway scam
Anybody on WhatsApp or with a Facebook page may recently have seen a message purporting to come from the chocolate company Cadbury suggesting that free chocolate can be obtained by following a link. It’s a scam, so don’t fall for it.
North Yorkshire Police have issued a warning saying that within the last week or two a number of people have fallen victim to the scam. Recipients of the message are sent a link from a friend which claims to offer a free chocolate product, such as an Easter chocolate hamper. The message is a phishing scam, where the fraudster aims to obtain personal details of the victim. Cadbury has made it clear that the offer is not genuine and social media users should be extra careful to avoid being scammed.
* If you receive a similar message – delete it and don’t open the link.
* If you have opened the message, don’t provide any information.
* If you have provided information, which includes your financial information, contact your bank.
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Platinum Jubilee Scarecrow Festival
Here’s a reminder that the Platinum Jubilee Scarecrow Festival will be held in Topcliffe and Asenby, as well as other local villages, over the Bank Holiday weekend, Saturday 30 April to Monday 2 May. The scarecrow trail is being organised jointly by the Friends of Carlton Miniott School and the Friends of Topcliffe School.
All you have to do is create a scarecrow or group of scarecrows with a royal theme and display them in front of your home or in your garden over the designated weekend.
All the details about registering an entry, joining the scarecrow trail and fundraising can be viewed here.
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.
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Topcliffe & Asenby Produce Show – 2022
This is just to flag up the date of this year’s Produce Show so that all participants can make a note in their diaries and be sure to be prepared for the popular village event. It will be held on Saturday 3 September at the Village Hall. Details of classes and categories, plus the show rules, are available on both village websites.
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Soup & sweet lunch
The next soup and sweet lunch will be held at the Village Hall on Wednesday 13 April at 12 noon. Donations raised at this lunch will go to Animal Rescue Crew, which cares for animals in this country and abroad.
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Knit and Natter!
The first Knit & Natter session at the Milk Churn Farm Shop last Wednesday afternoon was a great success with nine knitters turning up for a knit and a natter. The get-together will be held every Wednesday between 1.30 and 3.30pm. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, this is about enjoying an afternoon chatting and maybe trying something different whilst making new friends, or meeting old ones. A drink and cake is included in the price of £3. Bring your knitting or crocheting and share your knowledge or just come along to natter. Please ring the shop to confirm your seat 01845 400446.
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Drop In and Chat
There’s another chance for a chat over a coffee or tea every Tuesday, between 10am to 12 noon in the café area at the back of Baldersby St James Church. Its free, but you might have to make your own coffee!
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Easter Egg Hunt
The big Easter egg hunt will take place in Topcliffe and Asenby on Easter Saturday,16 April. The eggs are hidden throughout the two villages and youngsters have to follow the clues and find all the eggs…including a special golden egg. Entry forms cost £1.50 (this is a suggested donation but you can pay more or less depending on your circumstances) and they will be available on the day from the Milk Churn Farm Shop. All completed forms should be returned to the farm shop where they’ll be entered in a prize draw for the Big Easter Bunny’s Chocolate Hamper. The day has been organised by The Friends of Topcliffe School in conjunction with the Milk Churn Farm Shop. See poster here.
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Big garden birdwatch results revealed
Nearly 700,000 people submitted details of the number of birds they counted and the total added up to a whopping 11.5 million. The house sparrow continues to be the most numerous garden bird, with blue tits and starlings coming in at second and third. The top ten was completed by the wood pigeon, blackbird, robin, goldfinch, great tit, magpie and chaffinch.
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Got any old paper notes at home?
If you have any old paper £20 or £50 notes at home please be aware that there’s only six months left before they stop being legal tender. The Bank of England has urged people to spend or deposit these old notes before they stop being legal tender. The Bank is replacing the paper notes with more durable plastic ones featuring artist JMW Turner and mathematician Alan Turing. More than £17bn worth of paper notes remain in circulation. After 30 September, people will not be able to use the paper notes for payments in shops and other businesses, though anyone with a UK bank account will still be able to deposit them into their account.
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Local government virtual roadshow
Two virtual Microsoft Teams sessions are being organised next week at which senior local government officers will explain to the public how the new North Yorkshire Council will operate from 1 April 2023. It’s a chance to hear directly about the changes to local government and how plans are taking shape for the new authority.
- April 12 – Harrogate and Knaresborough (Panel members: Wallace Sampson, Chief Executive Harrogate Borough Council and Neil Irving of NYCC).
- April 14 – Thirsk and Malton (Panel members: Stacey Burlet, Chief Executive Officer of Ryedale District Council, and Richard Flinton, Chief Executive Officer of NYCC).
To access the meetings, which will be held between 6.30 and 8pm, go to:
https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/new-council-virtual-roadshow,
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St Columba’s services
- TODAY – Sunday 10 April, Palm Sunday, at 10.45am – the scheduled Holy Communion has been cancelled as the priest has gone down with Covid. Instead, there will be Sung Matins and the service will include the distribution of palms and the ‘dramatic’ reading of the Passion.
- 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).
- Sunday 24 April at 10.45am – Holy Communion.
- Sunday 1 May at 6.30am – Choral Evensong.
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Rural Arts classes
Rural Arts ‘Hearts and Crafts’ classes will be held at Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall on Tuesdays over the coming months:
- 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.
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Sunday Brunch
A Sunday Brunch will be held in the Village Hall on Sunday 24 April between 10am and 12 noon. There’ll be bacon, sausage and fried egg sandwiches on offer, with plenty of tea and coffee. Any funds raised on the day will be donated to Call for Back Up, a charity that offers mental health support to blue light emergency services personnel, including fire fighters, police officers, ambulance drivers and paramedics.
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Textile recycling – start cleaning out those cupboards
The spring Bags2school textile recycling event at the Village Hall will be held on Thursday 28 April. That gives everyone loads of time to undertake that annual clear out of cupboards and wardrobes. Please keep your bags of textiles for this charity collection. If you have trouble storing the bags, contact Donna Fleming (07591 438766) or Doug Allan (07785 223707) and they will try to make arrangements for storage until the collection day. The proceeds of the event will be shared between the Village Hall and 1st Topcliffe Scouts.
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.
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Parish & Village Hall meetings
• Topcliffe Parish Council will next meet at 7pm on Thursday 19 May 2022 in The Angel (conservatory) – www.topcliffe.org.uk
• Asenby Parish Council will meet at 7.30pm on Wednesday 18 May in the Village Hall – www.asenby.net
• Village Hall Committee – The AGM and an Ordinary Meeting of the Committee will be held consecutively starting at 7.30pm on Tuesday 7 June in the Village Hall – www.topcliffe.org.uk/village-hall/
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Book signing at the White Rose Bookcafe
- 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.
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Catton Kitchen
- TODAY – Sunday 10 April from 10am to 12.30pm – Sahra Raynor will show you how to make a garden obelisk, using her home-grown willow, for flower and vegetable climbers. £40 per person including refreshments.
- Contacts: 07747 083155 and http://www.thecattonkitchen.co.uk
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- 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.
- 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/
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Rural Arts events at The Courthouse, Thirsk
- 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 – Every Monday to 23 May. 10am – 1.30pm. 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/:
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Local traders
Most of these traders also have a Facebook page where you can check out latest information.
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Bin Collections
Hambleton (Topcliffe):
- Refuse – Mondays 11 April and 25 April.
- Recycling & Garden Waste – Friday 22 April (one day later than normal).
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.
- Recycling – Mondays 11 April and 25 April.
- Refuse – Tuesday 19 April (one day later than normal) and 2 May.
- Garden waste – Friday 22 April and Thursday 5 May.
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LATEST INFORMATION & NEWS ABOUT COVID
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Covid guidance
Now that free testing has been scrapped for the majority of people in England a new set of guidance has been issued on what to do if you have Covid symptoms or if you’ve tested positive for the virus. The focus is on treating coronavirus as if it’s any other respiratory infection, like flu or a common cold.
There are now no rules on isolating if you get Covid, only guidance. If you have Covid symptoms, and a high temperature or do not feel well enough to carry on as normal, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people. You can still leave your home, but guidance recommends wearing a face covering, avoiding crowded spaces, avoiding exercise indoors or in crowded spaces, covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and washing hands. The same advice stands for avoiding giving others you live with your infection, as well as opening windows for ventilation and regularly cleaning surfaces.
Covid symptoms
Nine new signs of illness have been added to the official list of symptoms – long after the World Health Organisation and other countries extended their lists. The traditional symptoms of a fever, new or persistent cough and loss or change in taste or smell have been extended to include shortness of breath, – feeling tired or exhausted, an aching body, a headache, a sore throat, a blocked or runny nose, loss of appetite, diarrhea and feeling or being sick.
From April 1, those not classed as vulnerable have had to pay for a lateral flow test in order to find out if they have the virus or not. This change came as the number of cases of Covid reached record levels last week.
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The week’s UK Covid statistics
• 52.9 million first doses given – that’s 91.9% of the population aged 12+.
• 49.5 million second doses given – that’s over 86.1%.
• 38.9 million booster or third jabs given – that’s 67.7% of those eligible.
• The R number range remains at 1.1 to 1.2, meaning that on average every 10 people infected will infect between 11 and 12 other people.
• In total, there’s been nearly 21.5 million confirmed cases of Covid. There were 333,347 cases confirmed in the last seven days
• 16,407 people were admitted to hospital with Covid in the week to 4 April.
• 1,475 deaths in the last seven days. A 32% increase compared with the previous week.
• 169, 759 UK deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test.
• 187,929 UK deaths had Covid mentioned on the death certificate.
• Worldwide, the global death toll is 6,200,614.
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That’s all for this week. Keep safe and remain well.
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