Sunday Email: Issue 161

• TODAY at 10.45am – Holy Communion.
• Sunday 4 June – (St Columba’s Weekend) – 6.30pm Festal Choral Evensong
• Sunday 11 June at 10.45am – Holy Communion
• Sunday 18 June at 10.45am – Choral Matins
• Sunday 25 June at 10.45am – Holy Communion

Everyone is most welcome to come and join us for any of these services and refreshments are served after every Sunday morning service.

• Husthwaite – known as North Yorkshire’s orchard village – will have 12 gardens open open today and tomorrow between 11am to 5pm. The 12^th century village church will also be open. Lunches and afternoon teas in the Village Hall. Sorry, but dogs will not be allowed in the gardens. £5 adults, accompanied children free. Tickets will be on sale at pay points in the village.
• The Hidden Gardens of Coxwold -14 gardens open for visits and the Village Hall open for plants stall and teas. Sunday 11 June, 1pm until 5pm. £5. Children free. Tickets from the desk in the Village Hall car park on the day.

Inheritance tax – not just a tax on the very rich
Inheritance tax is something that many don’t think will affect them, but it’s not just well-off people who need to watch the figures. Considering the rate at which house prices and inflation is increasing, whilst the thresholds remain the same, it could quite quickly become a tax affecting more of us.
 
The nil rate bands for inheritance tax vary. They range from £325,000 for an individual not owning their own home, and up to £500,000 for an individual who does own their own home. These allowances effectively double for married couples and civil partners as transfers between them do not count towards these limits.
 
Gifts, if planned carefully, can be used to reduce the value of your estate and the tax payable. The most flexible exemption is the annual exemption which allows you to give up to £3,000 worth of gifts each year without any inheritance tax implication. This amount can be given to one person or split between several people. If you haven’t used all your allowance last year, you can bring it forward and use that allowance first.
 
It is important to note that gifts made regularly from regular monthly income, such as work pay or a pension, which you can afford after meeting your usual living costs, can be given tax free. This could be a gift given as a monthly standing order or something like a grandparent paying their grandchild’s university tuition or accommodation fees.
 
Further information on the rules surrounding various gifts is available on the HMRC website https://www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax/gifts

The scheme is run by Superdrug and they will take blister packs from brands such as Anadin, Panadol, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Nexium, Piriteze, Rennie, Nicorette, Imodium, Sudafed and Benadryl.

But you don’t have to go far to join this scheme as Topcliffe residents Heather Holt and Kim Hughes have set up a collection point at their home at 4 Dovecote Mews. They have placed a bin next to their log store at the front of their house and you can deposit blister packs there at any time.

So, start collecting empty medicine blisters today and when you have a few, simply drop them off at your local dedicated collection point.

Survey imminent on Asenby play park
In the next week or two, every household in Asenby will receive a questionnaire through their letterbox about the village play park at the bottom of Jameson Avenue. Asenby Parish Council is conducting a survey to help guide what actions they should take with regards to the play park’s future. They are interested in what users think of the equipment currently available, what might be provided if the case is made for improvement, how residents are using the park and any other ideas for the future.

It’s thought that some residents might not even realise that there is a play park in the village, so the exercise may also act as publicity for its existence. Everyone’s views on what should be done will be considered – even those who don’t use the park can have their say.

Details will also be posted on the Asenby Residents’  Facebook page drawing attention to the survey and inviting comments. In advance of the survey launch, anyone who wishes to register an interest and present a view, can email the Parish Council at http://asenbypc@gmail.com

The £2 cap on bus fares extended
The cap on bus fares has been extended again until the end of October, the government has announced. The cap will then rise in November to £2.50 for 12 months, before prices are reviewed.

The current limit on fares has now been extended twice after warnings hundreds of services could be cut without it. Its aim is to ease the cost of living pressures on passengers but also to encourage people to use buses.

Bus operators have still not seen the same number of passengers return to using services as before the Covid pandemic, with levels only recovering to around 85 to 90%.

It is very much hoped that the volunteers who helped maintain the churchyard will pop along to the BBQ and Picnic from 12 noon on Sunday 4 June.  But everyone is welcome.

Karen has said that she’d like to thank all customers for bearing with her over the last few weeks whilst her dad has been poorly and unable to prepare and fry the fish. 

There has been an enthusiastic turn out most days so far, but there’s room for a few more. Each week the organisers put on a different adventure – everything from orienteering to making tree spirits, pond dipping and investigating just how many things you can do with sticky weed! Whatever the weather, children will be active, creative and supported by experienced practitioners as they explore the 90 acres of private parkland.

Drop off 3.30 – 3.45pm, pick up 4.45pm. Just £5 per session and that includes a drink and homemade snack on arrival. To book telephone Hannah Secouet on 07979 526883.

• To Thursday 1 June (matinees on Saturday 27, Sunday 28 and Wednesday 31 May) – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
• Friday 2 to Thursday 8 June (matinee on Wednesday 7 June) – Book Club 2: The Next Chapter.
• Friday 9 to Thursday 14 June (matinees on Saturday 10, Sunday 11, Wednesday 14) – The Little Mermaid.
• Friday 16 to Thursday 22 June (matinee on Wednesday 21 June) – Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.      

Ticket prices: All ticket prices are £6 unless otherwise stated.
Opening times: evenings – doors open 7pm for 7.30pm. Matinees doors open 2pm for 2.30pm. 
Please check the cinema website for the latest information – https://www.ritzcinema.co.uk/

Saturday 3rd June
A visit from members of Sir Thomas Lunsford’s Regiment, a re-enactment group specialising in recreating the battles and lifestyles of the English Civil War.  

• 1pm the group will pass through Asenby and Topcliffe to assemble at Topcliffe playing field.
• 2pm-3pm training/drilling at Topcliffe playing field (this will include some ‘bangs’ so nearby residents should be aware of this!).
• 3pm march through Topcliffe to St Columba’s Church.
• 3.30pm presentation and talk inside church with demonstrations on the use of arms, small scale versions of which will be available for children to handle.
• 4pm teas served in the Church Hall/School Room.
• Tours of Church Tower all afternoon until about 5pm. Some late morning if possible.

Sunday 4 June

• A celebration of the beauty, poetry and majesty of the Book of Common Prayer as reissued for use in church in 1662.
• 11am Choral/Sung Matins (Book of Common Prayer) followed by coffee and perhaps lunch also.
• NEW – BBQ and Village Picnic in the churchyard from 12.30pm. There’ll be sausages, burgers, salads and puddings as well as wine and soft drinks and everyone from the parish is warmly invited to join us. If there is anything else that people might like to bring along to contribute to the meal, please do. 
• 3.30pm ‘1662 and All That’ a talk in church given by Iain Milne of the Prayer Book Society (York Branch).
• 4pm teas served in the Church Hall/School Room.
• 6.30pm Choral Evensong (Book of Common Prayer). Wine reception to follow.
• Tours of church, particularly the climbing of the tower, 2 until 5pm, though they will have to work around the other things going on in the church.
• Special exhibitions and displays in the church. 

Appeal for help
At the last minute, the organisers of the Village History Weekend have been asked to provide marshalls for the events where Sir Thomas Lunsford’s Regiment is performing. That includes, whilst marching from Asenby to Topcliffe from the playing field to the church and during the drill activities on the playing field. It’s just about providing some safety support and crowd control. If you are prepared to help please contact John Phillips on 01845 577034.

• Monday 5 June – Afternoon racing – Gates open 11am, first race 1.10pm.
• Friday 9 June – Afternoon Racing with live music from the Flat Cap Brass Band. Gates open 11am, first race 1.10pm.
• Tuesday 20 June – Afternoon racing, featuring Royal Ascot coverage. Gates open 11am, first race 1.10pm.
• www.thirskracecourse.net

Classes are for artists of every level of experience…or none! Expert guidance is offered throughout the sessions. Equipment and paint provided. Refreshments included. 

Longer-term, Rural Arts has announced a variety of bright and bold workshops, exhibitions, performances, and screenings for the July to December period. With almost 200 creative events and activities across the period, there’s something for everyone. You can check out the programme online or call between 10am and 4pm, Tuesday to Friday. https://www.ruralarts.org/

• Wednesday 7 June – Bee willow weaving – join expert willow sculptor, Anna Cross, to create your own stunning willow bee. All materials supplied. Refreshments and lunch included.

• Thursday 22 June – Evening Tour & Drinks – join estate owner, Sir Henry Ropner and Curator, Faith Douglas, for an atmospheric after-hours tour of the Arboretum. A guided walk full of interesting stories about the history of the family, the house, the estate and the planting of the Arboretum. You will also discover more about the work that goes on today to conserve, restore and improve the gardens. Then canapes, drinks, chat and a chance to walk around the garden.

For more information on prices and bookings, go to:  https://www.thorpperrow.com

The last lunch was a lot quieter than usual, perhaps because of the lovely sunshine that day. Only 14 people popped in to the hall and five lunches were delivered to housebound residents. The lunch raised  £75, of which £50 was donated to Community Works in Thirsk. The remainder will help pay for ingredients for future lunches and also support the local community fund.

An updated list of local traders in Topcliffe and Asenby can be viewed here.

• Recycling & Garden Waste – Friday 2 June (one day later than normal).
• Refuse – Monday 5 June.

Asenby:

• Refuse – Tuesday 30 May (one day later than normal).
• Garden Waste – Thursday 1 June (one day later than normal).
• Recycling – Monday 5 June.

You can check dates of collections and subscribe to the Green Waste collection service at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/