St Columba’s Services
- TODAY: Sunday 25 January at 10.45am – Holy Communion
- Thursday 29 January at 11am – Midweek Morning Prayer
- Sunday 1 February at 8.30am – Said Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer)
- Sunday 1 February at 6.30pm – Choral Evensong, followed by pre-supper drinks and nibbles.
- Thursday 5 February at 11am – Midweek Morning Prayer, followed by refreshments
- Sunday 8 February at 10.45am – Holy Communion, followed by refreshments
- Thursday 12 February at 11am – Midweek Morning Prayer, followed by refreshments
- Sunday 15 February at 10.45am – Sung Matins, followed by refreshments
- Thursday 19 February at 11am – Midweek Morning Prayer, followed by refreshments.
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Last Sunday’s quiz was set by David and won by Alan, Sue and Derek. Well done the winning team and everyone else who took part.
Here’s a selection of questions from the quiz. See how you do. The answers are at the end of today’s email.
1. Which television series was centred around 165 Eaton Place?
2. Which actress sang ‘Come Outside’ with Mike Sarne in 1962?
3. Who invented the jet engine?
4. How many stars are on the flag of China?
5. Who was the founder of Lotus Cars?
6. Which Catherine was the last wife of Henry VIII?
7. What is the largest lake in Africa?
8. What is the capital of Greenland?
9. Which shrub is also known as the Butterfly Bush?
10. What is the home of a beaver called?
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Parish Council and the Toll Booth
Topcliffe Parish Council has postponed its planned meeting on Thursday 29 January. The meeting will be rearranged in due course. The delay will allow parish councillors and representatives of the Toll Booth group time to review the results of the recently undertaken survey. as of the 22 January the final report had not been received by the Parish Council.
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Big Garden Birdwatch
The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch – the world’s largest garden wildlife survey – tis taking place this weekend (Sunday 25 January). You are asked to spend an hour watching and recording the birds that land in your garden or selected patch of ground, such as an allotment or in a park. We can all help to build a picture of how garden birds are faring. Every bird you do – or don’t – count will give valuable insight into how garden birds are faring. You can register your interest in participating at RSPB Bird & Wildlife Conservation Charity
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Mary Guest
It is sad to learn that Mary Guest, aged 85, passed away on Friday, 23 January.
Mary, who lived close to the Shell garage on the A168, was a regular at the Warm Hub and boccia club, both of which take place in the Village Hall. Mary was born in Ripon and moved to Topcliffe 29 years ago with her husband Ian, who died two years ago. She is survived by her daughter Catherine Limbert and three grandchildren John Robert, Kirsty and Aisha.
Funeral details will be announced in due course, including in a future Sunday Email.
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Report fraud to Report Fraud
Report Fraud is the new national organisation that will deal with reports of cybercrime and fraud. Last week, the City of London Police, the national lead force for fraud, launched the new name, which has now officially replaced Action Fraud.
Cyber-enabled crime and fraud continues to grow in both scale and sophistication, targeting individuals, small businesses and major organisations alike. Report Fraud has been created to meet this challenge head-on by providing a gateway for reporting all cybercrime and fraud cases. The key message is that ‘Every Report Counts’.
To report cybercrime and fraud: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/
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Station Road in Thirsk – Temporary closure
Roadworks continue on Station Road between Tesco/Lidl roundabout and the railway station. However, due to the depth of the excavations required, work will change to day time work for Monday 26 to Friday 30 January. Instead of overnight closure, the work will take place between 7:30am and 5pm with traffic light controls. This means the road will be open traffic but there could be delays.
North Yorkshire Council say they are switching to day works for a week due to the type of work that needs and to allow the contractors longer working shifts each day which will prevent any delay in the works duration. The road will switch back to overnight closures from 6:30pm to midnight from Monday 2 February for the remainder of the scheme.
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Dalton road closure
The road near Springfield Garage and Water Lane will be closed from 26 January until 3 April. This is a full road closure and no access will be allowed due to the depth to which workmen will need to excavate. The road closure will be carried out in small sections from the new development entrance near Springfield Garage to Water Lane junction at the bottom of the village. Diversions will be in place.
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The Angel nominated for Pub of the Year Award
The Angel Inn at Topcliffe has announced that it has been nominated for the coveted Yorkshire Pub of the Year Award. Maggie and Dave and their team are extremely pleased about the nomination and now hope that as many people as possible will vote for them and their hostelry. Voting gets underway on Tuesday, 27 January and you can vote at https://mylocalawards.co.uk/ Every single vote really does count, so please take a minute to demonstrate you support for The Angel.
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News from Asenby
Asenby Parish Council meetings: The next couple of meetings of Asenby Parish Council will be held in the upper committee room at Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall at 7pm on:
- Wednesday 28 January (Agenda can be viewed here)
- Wednesday 4 March
The agenda for each is posted on the Asenby Bus Stop notice board a week before.
The Saltburn Smugglers: Asenby Parish Council is delighted to announce that this modern shanty group will be performing on Sunday 28 June in Topcliffe and Asenby Village Hall from 2-4pm. The group transform tales from the north east coast smuggling heyday into vibrant, contemporary sea shanties. A not to be missed event for all ages. Tickets, which will be £10 per adult and £8 per child, will go on sale from 1 April. Demand will be high and numbers limited. But for now, get a note in your diary and save the date.
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Have your say about Thirsk
Thirsk’s future is being shaped – and your voice matters. North Yorkshire Council is developing a Town Investment Plan to guide regeneration and investment in the town. Residents, businesses and visitors, including people living in villages close by, are invited to complete a short survey to share their views. The survey is open until Saturday 28 February and two consultation events will take place. These sessions will be held in Thirsk Community Library on Thursday 29 January, 10am to 5pm and Tuesday 10 February, 1pm to 6pm. You can complete the survey now at: http://yo7.org.uk/nyc
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Art classes in the Village Hall
Here are details of art classes coming up in the Village Hall:
- ‘Lift the Spirit’ – paint colourful garden scenes in acrylics. 10am to 1pm on Thursday 29 January.
- Calm Winter Art Retreat – a two-day experience using paint and pastels to create fur and feather works on day one or beautiful big skies on day two. Thursday 12 and Friday 13 February, 10am to 3pm. Choose your preferred day or attend both!
- Regular weekly classes – A new block of five classes starts on Monday 23 February – 10am to 12 noon.
- Winter sketch and draw in pencil and charcoal – 10am – 2pm on Thursday 26 February.
- ‘Painting the night in acrylics’ – inspired by the work of Georges Seurat. Friday 6 March, 10am to 2pm.
Also
- Welcoming Lights’ – lighthouses, lanterns or fairy-lights in acrylics – Friday 17 April, 10am to 2pm at Thirsk Town Hall.
For more information and to make a booking, check out the website at https://rebeccajayneartist.co.uk/
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Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall – bookings and hire
The Village Hall is available for hire to local organisations, businesses and individuals. It is a superb venue with fully equipped kitchen – an ideal place for family parties. Book online for your event by scanning the QR code or visiting either the Topcliffe or Asenby village websites.
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Warm Hub Lunch
The next Warm Hub will take place this Wednesday 4 February between 11.30am and 12.45pm. There’ll be a selection of home-made meals, followed by puddings and tea or coffee. All welcome. There’s no set charge, but donations are welcome to help pay the cost of hiring the Village Hall and for essential food and drink items that must be purchased for each lunch.
The last lunch on 21 January saw 40 meals served. After expenses, £50 was donated to help with production costs of The Tattler and Sunday Email, with the balance being added to the Warm Hub Community Fund.
Residents of Topcliffe and Asenby can have a meal delivered if they are housebound – either on a short-term basis because of illness, or longer-term. If you wish to have a meal on the day the Warm Hub is held, please get in touch with Karen Morley on 01845 577426.
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Crimestoppers – your information can be invaluable
There are many ways to report crime directly to North Yorkshire Police, including 999 for emergencies, 101 for less urgent matters or the force’s website. But if – for whatever reason – you don’t want to speak to the police, please consider Crimestoppers instead. There’s currently an awareness-raising campaign underway to remind people about how it works.
Crimestoppers is not the police – they’re an independent charity, offering a way to give information about crime anonymously. You can tell Crimestoppers what you know about a crime over the phone on 0800 555 111 or by filling in a form on their website. They’ll then pass the information on to the local police – but they’ll never ask for your personal details. This empowers you to speak up, safe in the knowledge that no one will ever know you did.
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Chip & Dales
Paul and Karen are now back serving great fish and chips in Topcliffe each Friday evening between 5 and 7pm.
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Local traders and businesses
See here for a list of businesses and traders based in or close to Topcliffe.
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EVENTS ACROSS THE WIDER AREA
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The Ritz Cinema
- Song Sung Blues – to Thursday 29 January. Matinee, Wednesday 28 January.
- Hamnet – Friday 30 January to Thursday 5 February. Matinee, Wednesday 4 February.
Evening shows start at 7.30pm. Matinees at 2.30pm.
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Events at Rural Arts, The Courthouse, Thirsk
- Mixed Media Journalling – Join Dove Armistead for a 2.5 hour Mixed Media Journalling workshop on Wednesday 28 January. Explore textures, colours and ideas. Materials and a hot drink – 1 to 3.30pm. Tickets £25
- Music Monthlies: Edwina Hayes – A concert featuring one of the finest female singer/songwriters this country has produced in years. Edwina brings together English folk, Americana and the rich northern tradition to create a sound that’s truly her own. Thursday 5 February at 7.30pm. Tickets £15.
- After Supper Ghost Stories – A Victorian-inspired evening of comic ghost stories by Jerome K. Jerome, paired with a ghostly supper: a charcuterie board for two and your choice of drink. Friday 6 February. Doors open and supper served from 6pm, Stories from 7pm. £25 or £20 concession.
- Watercolour and Calligraphy – Explore watercolour and calligraphy in this two-hour workshop with artist Dove Armistead. Learn colour, composition, and lettering while creating personalised pieces. Includes all materials and a hot drink. Perfect for beginners. Saturday 7 and Wednesday 11 February. 10.30am to 1pm. £25.
- Macrame Wall Hangings – Join artist Claire Ford for a three-hour workshop where you’ll learn the art of macramé and create your own stunning wall hanging. Friday 13 February 10.30am to 1.30pm. £35.
- Paint Your Partner – Celebrate this Valentines with this new paint your partner experience. Enjoy a savoury platter for two and be guided by our in-house artist to create your masterpiece. Saturday 14 February 7pm – 9pm. £40pp.
- Family Make and Create – These free, family make and create drop-in sessions are on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 February between 10am and 2pm. Explore self-led creativity with materials provided. Please book in to help manage numbers. All children must be accompanied.
- Family Carnival Music – Get into the Mardi Gras spirit. Join Mambo Jambo for a family workshop exploring New Orleans carnival tunes, singing, body percussion, and Brazilian rhythms on simple hand percussion. No experience needed. Thursday 19 February between 1:45pm-2:30pm or 3pm -3:45pm. £7pp.
- Family Music: Mambo Jambo – Enjoy an upbeat evening with Mambo Jambo, an eclectic duo who blend roots, jazz, world, folk, and bluegrass, whisking you away to carnivals and fiestas with vibrant tunes, stories, and a suitcase full of instruments. Thursday 19 February at 6:30pm. £8pp or £30 for 4.
Buy tickets online at https://www.ruralarts.org/
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Jigsaw Puzzle Exchange
The Coffee and Chatter Group that meets in St James’ Church at Baldersby St James will be holding jigsaw puzzle exchanges on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The next ‘exchange’ is on Tuesday 27 January between 10am and 12 noon. Please take along any puzzles that you would like to swap. This is a great opportunity to obtain new ones without having to buy them.
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Thirsk Farmers’ Market
All stallholders on this market on Thirsk’s Market Place are local independent businesses who grow, rear or produce the food or drink on their stall. They’re passionate about what they do and it shows. Sunday 1 February, 9am-2pm.
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Thirsk Brick Show
A small, one day LEGO show featuring exhibits, traders and activities for LEGO fans of all ages. Thirsk & Sowerby Town Hall, Westgate on Saturday 7 February from 10am until 4pm. £4, child (5-15) £2. Tickets: On the door, cash or card.
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Thirsk Artisan Market
Sunday 15 February between 10am and 3pm. An artisan market that wants to help serve local communities with the best artisan stalls, whilst giving traders an opportunity to showcase and sell their handmade goods.
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Thorp Perrow Arboretum
Until Sunday 15 February 2026 admission is at half price.
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Concerts and Events at Ripon Cathedral
- Bruce Springsteen by Candlelight – Saturday 28 February at 7.30pm.
- 70s Disco Hits by Candlelight – Friday 10 April at 7.30pm.
Book online at https://riponcathedral.org.uk/whats-on/
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Quiz answers
1. Upstairs, Downstairs
2 Wendy Richards
3. Frank Whittle
4. 5
5. Colin Chapman
6. Catherine Parr
7. Victoria
8. Nuuk
9. Buddlia
10. A Lodge (or a Burrow).
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That’s all for this week. Keep safe and remain well.
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