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Sunday Email: Issue 119

Welcome to the Sunday Email. This is edition No. 119.
Doug
07785 223707
St Columba’s services

  • TODAY- Sunday 31 July – the Fifth Sunday in the month – There is no service.
  • Sunday 7 August at 6.30pm – Choral Evensong
  • Sunday 14 August at 10.45am – Holy Communion
  • Sunday 21 August at 10.45am – Sung Matins
  • Sunday 28 August at 10.45am – Holy Communion
  • Sunday 4 September at 6.30pm – Choral Evensong.

All services conclude with refreshments.
Thirsk Model Railway Show
TODAY – To be staged at Thirsk Town Hall, Westgate, Thirsk on Sunday 31 July between 10am and 4pm. Ten model railway layouts, modelmaking demonstrations, trade stands and refreshments. All profits to Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Adults £5. Accompanied children free. Pay in advance or at the door. http://www.expo-thirsk.co.uk
Yorkshire Day
Monday 1 August is Yorkshire Day. There are events to mark the day all across the county.
Strange goings on in the cat world
There’s something worrying going on in Topcliffe as far as cats are concerned. In recent weeks it would seem that a lot of cats have mysteriously gone missing and a few have died in unexplained circumstances. Local noticeboards have recently carried ‘lost cat’ posters produced by desperate cat owners who have lost their pets. And the Top Residents Facebook page has featured several lost cat appeals. It’s reported that three cats have been found dead in recent months and some people have suggested that poison might be involved, which would be extremely sad and serious if true. That situation is certainly something that needs to be monitored.

Most cats are the outdoor types, so there will always be a degree of risk when they are out and about. Last week one was struck and killed on a village road. Cats are prone to wander and some may go further afield than is good for them and find it difficult to get back home. Please look out for cats that appear to be ‘lost’ and put up a message with a photograph if you find one in your garden that maybe needs reuniting with its owner.
Summer Fayre and Afternoon Tea
The Summer Fayre & Afternoon Tea at Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall will be held next Saturday 6 August between 11am and 3pm. Entry will be free of charge.

  • A couple of stalls still available at £5 each. If anyone can run a stall for the Friends of Topcliffe School, please get in touch.
  • 11am to 12 noon – tea/coffee will be served with a choice of cake for £2 per head.
  • From midday through to 3pm – afternoon teas (sandwiches (turkey stuffing, roast pork and apple sauce, ham and chutney, cheese and tomato and chopped egg), crisps, salad, volovants, sausage rolls and an assortment of cakes, plus tea, coffee or soft drink) all for just £5 per adult and £2.50 for children.

Appeal for Help – Karen Morley and Linda Carver will be running a cake stall as well as organising afternoon teas. They would welcome any help from those able to supply baking – cakes, buns, quiches or sausage rolls etc. Please contact Karen (01845 577426) or Linda (01845 578014) if you can assist.
Knit and Natter: Last meeting at the Milk Churn
The final Knit & Natter session at the Milk Churn Farm Shop was held last Wednesday (27 July). The farm shop closes down on Friday 5 August. Discussions are underway that may see future taking place at the Village Hall.
Open Days at Sutton Park, Sutton on the Forest

  • Monday 1 August to Tuesday 30 August.
  • Gardens Open – 11am – 5pm. Adult £5 / Child £2.50 / Concessions £4.
  • House Tours- 1:30pm and 2:45pm. Ticket includes entry to Gardens. Adult £10 / Child £5 / Concessions £6.50.
  • Tickets onthe door or by email (advisable) – suttonpark
  • www.sutton-park.co.uk
Soup & sweet lunch
The next soup and sweet lunch will be held at the Village Hall on Wednesday 3 August at 12 noon. Cash raised at this lunch will be donated to Cancer Research.
Topcliffe Bridge – still no update received
Three weeks ago North Yorkshire County Council’s latest response regarding repairs to Topcliffe Bridge was mentioned in the Sunday Email.It suggested a meeting of people involved in planning the repairs was being held the following week, after which it promised to provide an update. Regretfully, and despite a reminder, that update is still awaited.
Booking the Village Hall online
The new online booking system – Hallmaster – allows enquiries and bookings to be made directly on the village website. Payments are completed via PayPal or BACs. The Hallmaster booking pages can be found at
https://www.topcliffe.org.uk/village-hall/hall-booking-system/ Anyone experiencing any difficulty making a booking, should call 07857 836332.
Asenby Parish Council
Asenby’s new Parish Council met for their first full meeting on 20 July. The minutes will be available on the village website as soon as possible – (http://www.asenby.net). In brief the following issues were considered:

– Bank Top footpath being closed
– The playing field, cleanliness of the equipment and emergency vehicle access
– The damaged bridge
– Use of litter bins
– The cutting of listed trees
– Dalton industrial estate
– HGVs driving through the village due to the weight limit signs on the A167
– The spending of commuted sums
– Communication with residents
– Parking at Green End.

The four elected councillors have now been joined by a co-optee – Jane Gallon – meaning the Parish Council is up to its full complement of five councillors.

A new Facebook group has been set up to hopefully replicate the success of Top Residents group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/457016899263420/?ref=share_group_link It would be great to see as many Asenby residents as possible on the group.

The Parish Councillors will be walking around the village on 14 August to look at the issues raised. The next Parish Council meeting will be in September on a date soon to be confirmed.

You can contact your Parish Council at asenbypc or via the Facebook page.
Topcliffe Village Meetings

  • Topcliffe Parish Council – Thursday 4 August at 7pm
  • Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall Committee – Tuesday 13 September at 7.30pm

These meetings will take place at Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall.
The 2022 Produce Show
The annual Topcliffe and Asenby Produce Show will take place at the Village Hall on Saturday 3 September. So put the date in your diary! Any resident of Topcliffe and Asenby, as well as individuals who grow produce on allotments within the boundaries of our two villages, can put entries in the show. There’ll be 47 horticultural classes, as well as 16 baking/preserves classes, three floral classes, 10 hobbies classes and five classes just for children to enter. The full list of rules, categories and classes are available on both village websites – http://www.topcliffe.org.uk and http://www.asenby.net or from Produce Show Secretary Judith Lowe (577911).
The Big Race Night
Enjoy a brilliant evening at the races, with an excellent supper and lots of excitement and fun.

  • The Big Race night will take place on Saturday 10 September at Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall. Doors open at 7pm and the first race is off at 7.30pm.
  • There’ll be eight races on the big screen and supper will be served at the halfway point.
  • Tickets are on sale at £6 each. Entry includes a beef in red wine and crispy dumplings supper, or vegetarian alternative. Each ticket is numbered and will be entered in a draw, the winner of which will win a night’s bed and breakfast at Crab Manor Hotel. And there’ll be some great prizes to be won on the raffle.
  • There’ll be a cash bar serving draught beer, lager, wines and soft drinks.
  • You can buy tickets now from Topcliffe Post Office, Doug Allan (07785 223707) or Judith Lowe in Asenby (01845 577911).
Energy bills discount
There has been mounting pressure for the government to do more to ease cost of living pressures, with UK household energy bills due to spike to £3,850 in January – almost twice the level of today’s record high.

Details have now been announced about how the £400 energy bills discount to help support households this winter will work. All households will receive the discount from October, with the support coming in six instalments over six months to some 29 million households. A discount of £66 will be applied to energy bills in October and November, and £67 a month from December to March 2023.

The non-repayable discount will be given to people every month regardless of whether consumers pay monthly, quarterly or have an associated payment card. Those with a domestic electricity meter point paying for their energy via standard credit, payment card and direct debit will receive an automatic deduction to their bills. Traditional prepayment meter customers will be provided with Energy Bill discount vouchers in the first week of each month, issued via SMS text, email or post. Customers will have to take action to redeem these in person at top-up points, such as a local Post Office or nearest PayPoint. Smart prepayment meter customers will see the energy bill discount credited directly to their smart prepayment meters in the first week of each month of delivery.

Other support
The government has said that households most in need of financial support will be eligible for further help in addition to the Energy Bill discount. This includes:

  • A £650 one-off Cost of Living Payment for some 8 million households on means tested benefits.
  • A one-off Pensioner Cost of Living Payment for over 8 million pensioner households to be paid alongside the Winter Fuel Payment. This is worth £200-£300 and is paid to nearly all homes with at least one person of pension age.
  • A £150 one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment for around six million people across the UK who receive certain disability benefits.
  • A £500 million increase and extension of the Household Support Fund available to councils to help with essentials such as clothing and food.
  • People who are struggling with their energy bills should contact their supplier. Ofgem rules mean suppliers must offer payment plans people can afford and customers can ask for “emergency credit” if they use a prepay meter and cannot top up.

County Council help with the cost of living

People who find themselves struggling with energy or food costs can find details of support schemes and financial assistance available in the county in North Yorkshire County Council’s online guide, which directs residents to various organisations and schemes that might be able to help them during the cost of living crisis. Check the website for more details: https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/cost-living-support

Household Support Scheme
Residents who have been contacted because they are eligible for household support funding are being encouraged to claim a voucher to alleviate pressures on their finances. The Household Support Fund is to help people struggling with the increased cost of living. In North Yorkshire, letters have been sent to eligible households. The funding is expected to reach about 25,000 households. People need to select their e-voucher by August 15. More info on the website: https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/household-support-fund
Horse racing at Thirsk Racecourse

  • Friday 5 August – Circus Family Day. Gates open 11am.
  • Friday 12 August – Evening racing. Gates open 3pm, first race 5.07pm.
  • Friday 26 August – All Creatures Great and Small Family Day. Gates open 11am.

And to attract families to the racecourse, there’s now a family ticket for two adults and accompanied children for the Grandstand paddock for just £20.

Book online at https://www.thirskracecourse.net
Car rally to pass through Topcliffe
Next Sunday, 7 August, the annual St Wilfrid’s Classic Car Rally, run by Ripon Motor Sports Club, is being staged. The cars will pass through Topcliffe between 9.55 and 11.30am. The event is a mixture of special tests on private land and rallying (at designated highway speeds or less) through a number of villages surrounding Ripon. It should be quite a spectacle to see these classic motors going through the village.
Thirsk and Sowerby Festival
Great fun for all the family at this event being staged on Sowerby Flatts on Sunday 7 August. Bouncy castle and an inflatable obstacle course, and as ever, this will be free for all to use. There’ll also be traditional family carnival rides, birds of prey, pony displays, archery and axe throwing displays, stalls and lots more. Kando Canine Capers will be returning to the festival again this year to seek out the dog with the most agility. 10am-4pm. Free. https://www.facebook.com/FestivalontheFlatts
Thirsk Farmers’ Market
Northern Dales Farmers’ Market will be in place in the Market Square on Sunday 7 August. There’ll be hand-picked, local independent stallholders, so you can be sure that the market presents some of the very best food and drink producers in the country. http://northerndalesfarmersmarkets.com
Ripley Agricultural Show
The popular Ripley Agricultural Show is on at Ripley Castle Park on Sunday 14 August. It promises to be a great day out. Family (2+3) £30, adult £12, child (5-16) £5.50, under 5s get in for free. https://www.ripleyshow.co.uk
As You Like It – a brilliant outdoor performance
William Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’ will be performed at Newby Hall’s outdoor theatre on Friday 19 August at 7pm (gates open at 6pm). Performed by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Tickets also include access to the gardens from 12 noon for those who wish to make a day of it. Tickets £17 adult, £10 child. Book online or buy at the gate https://www.newbyhall.com/events
Thirsk Hall Festival – 19 to 21 August
Thirsk Hall Festival kicks off with Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro performed at St Mary’s Church, Thirsk at 7pm on Friday 19 August. Semi-staged performance of the Mozart comedy classic. Directed by Sarah Helsby-Hughes of Heritage Opera and conducted by Benjamin Ellin. Features festival chorus of singers from across the region. Tickets: adults £15, under 16s £7.50

Carnival Day in the grounds of Thirsk Hall on Saturday 20 August.
– Live performances, fairground rides and food stalls. There will be a Samba workshop, then at 3.30pm a parade for everyone to join. £4 online, £5 on the day. On-site parking £5.
– Roald Dahl’s Little Red Riding Hood will take place at 12.30pm and 2.00pm in the Sculpture Garden’s newly renovated gallery. £3 and under 2s free.
– On Saturday evening, audiences will enjoy a journey through the world of folk music, from across the Tudor period up to traditional folk. There will be food and drink as well as a space to dance. £15, under 16s £7.50.
– Poet’s Corner – the outdoor stage offers a chance for performers of all kinds to entertain! Musicians, dancers, poets, everyone is welcome as a solo act or in a group. Each act is given a 20-minute slot on the stage, with a PA system. Book a Saturday slot between 11am – 4pm. http://www.demobraymusic.com

Film & Orchestra -a special performance at the Ritz Cinema on Westgate – Sunday 21 August
Charlie Chaplin’s ‘A Dogs Life’ and a selection of new short films by students of the acclaimed National Film and Television School will be accompanied live by a 13-piece orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Ellin. Starts 3pm. Tickets £10, under 16s £5 on the door or in advance from: https://www.thirskhall.com/thirsk-hall-festival
Events at The Catton Kitchen
Here’s news of a few events planned at The Catton Kitchen over the coming weeks:

  • Lucy Day is holding a yoga class from 9am until 10am each Sunday. It doesn’t matter what level you are at as this class will teach you along the way. Everybody is welcome. £9 for the hour (children free). If you are interested, contact details are below.
  • A burger night is being planned for 20 August. Watch out for more details and make sure you don’t miss out. Advance booking will be essential as last time more than 30 more people arrived than had initially been catered for.
  • Also look out for details about the launch of our range of ready meals using our homegrown vegetables and home-reared meat.

Check out Facebook and Instagram for more information. Or call 07747 083155
http://www.thecattonkitchen.co.uk
Thirsk Garden Centre Summer Market
Held over two days – Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 August – with lots of stallholders featuring independent businesses from the area and further afield. Also serving Gardener’s Afternoon Tea at just £8.50.
Concerts at Thorp Perrow
Flash! A tribute to Queen on Friday 26 August. Gates open at 7.30pm. Performance starts at 8.30pm and ends at 10.45pm. Picnics can be taken in, but there’s also hot and cold food and drinks on sale. Tickets via the website at: https://www.thorpperrow.com/
Wensleydale Show
Held in Leyburn just off the A6108 Leyburn to Richmond road on Saturday 27 August. Family (2+3) £25, Adult £10, Child (5-16) £5, Under 5s free. Online or at the gate: https://www.wensleydaleshow.org.uk
Fireworks Champions
This annual event at Newby Hall is back with a bang! On Saturday 27 August, three of the UK’s best firework companies competing against each other with a 10 minute professional firework display choreographed to music followed by a larger huge finale display. The event is the only one of its type in the UK where the audience have the capability to vote for the team they liked the most using their mobile phone. £23, child £13 (+£1.50 booking fee). Book online https://www.fireworkchampions.co.uk
Malton Food Festival
The Malton Food-lovers Festival is a celebration of Yorkshire’s finest produce and cooking. Expect artisan stalls, delicious street food, talks, tastings, celebrity chefs, demos, festival bar and live music. It’s recommended you arrive hungry! From 9am on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 August and from 10am on Sunday 28 August.
Newburgh Priory Plant Fair
Go along and be enchanted at the plant fair held within the beautiful gardens and grounds of Newburgh Priory. There will be select plant growers presenting a huge selection of plants for sale. Afterwards enjoy home-made savouries and cakes in the old Refectory Cafe. Monday 29 August from 11am to 4pm, with last entry 3pm. Tickets £4 per adult, children free. On the gate or in advance from https://www.flowerpowerfairs.co.uk
Music at Junction 50
Thursday 1 September at 7pm – Sirocco Winds – five young talented musicians of the highest quality will perform a wide range of music and will speak about the music they play and why it is important to them. 7pm. £10 including refreshments. For tickets telephone01765 640624 or on the door on the day.
St James Coffee and Chat
There’s a weekly coffee and chat session held at the church in Baldersby St James Tuesday mornings between 10am and 12 noon. A popular morning to meet friends old and new…and to swap your books at the same time.
Children’s summer holiday events
A wide range of children’s activities is being held at Thirsk Community Library over the school holidays.

  • Tuesdays 2, 16 and 30 August – Lego and Duplo drop in. 2 to 4pm. Come and make your own creations. All ages welcome and under 8s need to be accompanied by an adult. Just turn up. Free.
  • Friday 5 August and Monday 15 August – Young Gadgeteers. 2 to 3pm for 4-7 year olds. 3.15 to 4.15pm for 7 years+ age group. Become an electronic engineer for the afternoon. £2 per child. Booking essential.
  • Thursday 25 August – Pin Ups. 2 to 3pm. Join local artist Chris Jeeson to create your own pin up and pop-up books. Children aged 5+ years. £2 per child. Booking essential.
  • Friday 2 September – Warhammer War Gaming taster session. 10.30 to 11.30am. Free session to find out what war gaming is all about. Suitable for children 7+ and no booking needed. Just turn up.

Pre-booking is required for some activities: Telephone 01609 534589 or call into the library.
The Ritz Cinema

  • To Thursday 4 August (Matinees – Saturday 30 July, Sunday 31 July, Wednesday 3 Aug) – Minions 2: Rise of Gru
  • Friday 5 to Thursday 11 August (Matinee Wednesday 10 August) – Thor: Love and Thunder.
  • Friday 12 to Thursday 18 August (Matinee Wednesday 17 August – The Railway Children Return.

Updates: Please keep checking the website for the latest details – https://www.ritzcinema.co.uk/
Baldersby St James – Book Sale
The Book Sale is on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September – open from 10am to 5pm each day. If anyone has books to donate for the sale just drop them into the church. Lots of helpers are needed from Thursday 8th to put out books, and on Sunday 11th to tidy up. If you can help please email Susan Brown at c.b.brown398
Rural Arts events at The Courthouse, Thirsk
For information on classes and workshops, and to book places, go to https://www.ruralarts.org/:
Local traders
Most of these traders also have a Facebook page where you can check out latest information.
Bin Collections

Hambleton (Topcliffe):

  • Refuse – Mondays 1 and 15 August
  • Recycling & Garden Waste – Thursdays 11 and 25 August.

Harrogate (Asenby):

  • Recycling – Mondays 1 and 15 August
  • Refuse – Mondays 8 and 22 August
  • Garden waste – Thursdays 28 July and 11 August.
That’s all for this week. Keep safe and remain well.