St Columba’s Services
- TODAY: Sunday 5 April at 8.30am – Said Easter Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer) but no 6.30pm Choral Evensong
- Thursday 9 April at 11am – Midweek Morning Prayer, followed by refreshments.
- Sunday 12th April, 10.45am Holy Communion
- Thursday 16 April at 11am – Midweek Morning Prayer, followed by refreshments.
Sunday 19th April, 10.45am Sung Matins
- Thursday 23 April at 11am – Midweek Morning Prayer, followed by refreshments.
- Sunday 26 April, 10.45am Holy Communion
- Thursday 30 April at 11am – Midweek Morning Prayer, followed by refreshments.
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TODAY: Asenby Easter Egg Hunt. See you there at 2pm.
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Thirsk Farmers’ Market
TODAY: Sunday 5 April from 9am to 2pm. On the Market Place in Thirsk. All stallholders 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.
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Sunday Quiz Night
TONIGHT: Sunday 5 April – the quiz will take place at 8pm this evening in the Village Hall. All welcome.
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An excellent quiz presented by Steve and Liz last Sunday and won by Alan, Sue and Derek Well done the winners and everyone else participating.
Here’s a selection of questions from the quiz. See how you do. The answers are at the end of today’s email.
1. What is the heaviest naturally occurring element in terms of atomic weight?
2. How many flood gates are there on the Thames flood barrier?
3. What was the online game that went viral in January 2022 and was bought by the New
York Times?
4. What type of boat is the same name as the dimple on the bottom of a wine bottle?
5. In a standard set of playing cards which is the only king without a moustache?
6. What is the collective noun for a group of moles?
7. In what year was the last manned moon landing and what was its name?
8. If you were putting numbers on new changing room lockers to be numbered from 1 to
100, how many times would you use the number 9?
9. What type of material is produced in a ginnery?
10. Which disease is known by the Latin name variola vera? |
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The Toll Booth
There’ll be more information about the future of the Toll Booth in your Sunday Email when details are known.
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Churchyard Maintenance
Following the good turn out and excellent progress made at the first spring tidy up last week, it’s hoped that the second spring tidy-up day at St Columba’s churchyard on Saturday 11 April will be equally successful. If you can offer an hour or two to help, please pop along from 9.30am
Is anyone available to join the regular grass-cutting team so that the amount of cutting throughout the summer is shared by a few more individuals? If so, contact John Phillips on 01845 577034.
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Cross Talk news
The April Edition of the church newsletter, Cross Talk, is now in circulation. You can read a copy here.
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Art classes in the Village Hall
Here are details of art classes coming up in the Village Hall:
- Weekly Classes: Monday mornings between 10am and 12 noon. The next block of six starts after Easter on the Monday 13 April. These are inspirational and fun sessions. Check out the ‘early bird’ offer on Becky’s website. Beginners are welcome.
- Spring Retreat Pastels Experience: Celebrate Spring by painting with soft pastels to create inspired scenes and floral displays, landscapes and gardens. Thursday 23 April, 10am to 3pm.
- Spring Retreat Paint in Oils: Tropical Flowers in Oils. A true pop of colours and contrasts against more traditional dark backgrounds. Friday 24 April from 10am to 1pm.
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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Soup & Sweet
The first fortnightly Soup and Sweet lunch of the summer season at Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall will be on Wednesday 15 April between 11.30am and 12.45pm. Everyone, of all ages from Topcliffe and Asenby and surrounding areas, is welcome to attend. There’s no set charge, but donations are welcome to help pay the rental cost of hiring the Village Hall and other unavoidable expenses.
The organisers don’t receive grant support or surplus food from supermarkets: everything is bought and paid for, cooked and brought into the hall by volunteers, many of whom are senior citizens themselves.
Residents of Topcliffe and Asenby villages can have their lunch delivered if they are housebound – either on a short-term basis because of illness, or longer-term. If you wish to have a meal delivered on the day the lunch is held, please get in touch with Karen Morley on 01845 577426.
The last lunch on 1 April saw 44 meals served. A donation of £50 was made to the Boccia Group that meets in the Village Hall each Tuesday afternoon.
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Yorkshire on show in mosaics
The Bath House at RHS Gardens Harlow Carr, Harrogate, is staging the annual BAMM North mosaic exhibition from 23 April to 17 May. The theme for this year’s exhibition and sale is Up Hill and Down Dale: A Celebration of Yorkshire with over twenty mosaicists contributing, including local artist Siobhan Gifford from Asenby. There will be mosaic kits for sale along with various other small mosaics, cards and the like in the pop-up shop. Entrance to The Bath House is free once you have accessed the gardens.
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Village Hall AGM
The Annual General Meeting of Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall will be held in the Village Hall on Tuesday 5 May at 7.30pm.
At this meeting the Village Hall Committee is planning to adopt a modernised Constitution that updates many of the governing rules initially introduced when the hall was first opened back in 1961. Anyone wishing to see a copy of the Constitution should contact the Secretary – doug@dougallan.co.uk
Residents of both Topcliffe and Asenby villages are invited to attend the AGM. Immediately after the AGM there’ll be an Ordinary Meeting of the committee.
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Topcliffe Parish Council
The next meeting of Topcliffe Parish Council will be held in the ground floor committee room at the Village Hall at 7pm on Thursday 7 May.
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Asenby Parish Meeting
Asenby’s Annual Parish meeting will be held on Wednesday 20 May at 7pm, followed immediately by the Annual Parish Council meeting at 7.30pm. Both meetings will be held in the upper floor meeting room at Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall.
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The Saltburn Smugglers
This modern shanty group will be performing on Sunday 28 June in Topcliffe and Asenby Village Hall from 2-4pm. They transform tales from the north east coast smuggling heyday into vibrant, contemporary sea shanties. A not to be missed event for all ages. Coffee, tea and cakes will be available to purchase. You can bring your own alcoholic drinks if you wish. Tickets, are £10 per adult and £8 per child. ONLY A DOZEN LEFT and available only from Asenby Parish Council’s website at http:// www.asenbyparish.gov.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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Chip & Dales
Paul and Karen will be serving fish and chips in Topcliffe on Friday evenings 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
- Hoppers – Sunday 5 April and Wednesday 8 April – all matinees.
- The Bride! – to Thursday 9 April – no matinee.
- One Battle After Another – Friday 10, Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April no matinees.
- Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man – Monday 13 to Thursday 16 April – no matinees.
- The Audience – Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in this National Theatre Live special – Friday 24 April at 7.30pm.
Evening shows start at 7.30pm. Matinees at 2.30pm.
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Spilman’s Tulip Festival
Being staged at Church Farm Sessay to Thursday 30 April. Around 250,000 tulips, fifty different varieties. Experience the true beauty of tulips in the Yorkshire countryside this spring. Check the website at – http://www.spilmans.co.uk
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Events at Rural Arts, The Courthouse, Thirsk
- Taste of Art: Watercolour Fungi Forms – Wednesday 8 April, 10.30am to 12.30pm.
- Intermediate Abstract landscape Painting – Wednesday 15 April and Wednesday 13 May, both 10am to 2pm.
- Introduction to Linoprint – Wednesday 15 April, 10.30am to 12.30pm.
- Beginner’s Hand Embroidery – Friday 17 April, 1 til 4pm.
- Book Club – Tuesday 21 April, 6.30 to 8pm.
- Art Essentials: Seeing Differently – Tuesday 21 April and Tuesday 26 May, 10am to 12 noon.
- Something Social: Etching and Elderflower Gin – Friday 24 April, 7 to 9pm.
Buy tickets online at https://www.ruralarts.org/
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Music Monthlies: Basset
Canadian folk/roots duo, Basset, are full of timeless heart, with deeply human lyrics and stunning duo harmonies reminiscent of the early folk revival. Their live performances are both sincere and disarmingly funny, with warmth enough to soothe anyone ready to lean in. Thursday 7 May at 7:30pm at Rural Arts, The Courthouse, Thirsk. £13. Tickets online at http://www.ruralarts.org/whats-on/at-the-courthouse/music-monthlies-basset/
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Easter Art Camp 2026
A three-day Holiday Art Camp at Rural Arts in Thirsk. Tuesday 7 to Thursday 9 April. For children aged 6 to 11 to explore Yorkshire’s most famous creators during three days of arts and craft. There will be lots of opportunities to explore art forms and techniques over the three days alongside experienced artists, Claire Ford and Jane Wilson. 9am – 1pm each day. £80. Book online http://www.ruralarts.org/whats-on/workshops/easter-art-camp-2026/
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Easter Family Day
To be held at Thirsk Racecourse on Friday 10 April from 11am onwards. An exciting afternoon of competitive racing and family fun. Book online at http://www.thirskracecourse.net
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Concerts at Ripon Cathedral
- The Music of Ed Sheeran by Candlelight – Friday 10 April at 7.30pm.
- Pink Floyd by Candlelight – performed by What the Floyd? – Friday 5 June at 7.30pm.
- The Music of Coldplay by Candlelight – Friday 19 June at 7.30pm.
Book online at https://riponcathedral.org.uk/whats-on/
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Racing at Thirsk
- Afternoon racing at Thirsk Racecourse on Saturday 18 April – gates open at 11am. Music from The Y Street Band. Bars & food vendors.
- Thirsk Hunt Cup, Saturday 2 May – gates open at 11am. Watch top sprinters compete in the course’s most valuable race of the season. With live music, bars & food vendors.
Book online at http://www.thirskracecourse.net or on the gate.
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Thirsk Artisan Market
An artisan market that wants to help serve local communities with the best artisan stalls, whilst giving traders the best opportunities to showcase and sell their handmade goods. Sunday 19 April, 10am-3pm.
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Harrogate Spring Flower Show
At the Great Yorkshire Events Centre, Harrogate from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 April. Stunning show garden features, live talks and demonstrations, great garden shopping, and the biggest exhibition by florists and flower arrangers in the country. 9.30am-5.00pm. £29 (£24 up to 7 April), Child free (with adult).
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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 28 April 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
On Thirsk’s Market Place, on Sunday 3 May between 9am and 2pm. All stallholders 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.
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Duncombe Park Country Fair
All the fun of a country fair with stunt riding, mini Grand National, gun dog display, terrier racing, fun dog show, working ferret display and lots more. Duncombe Park, Helmsley on Monday 4 May between 9am and 5pm. £35 Family (2 +2), £15 Adult, £12 OAP, £6 Child, Free Under 5yrs.Tickets online at http:// www.dpcountryfair.co.uk
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Repair your stuff
Be greener by avoiding waste and save money by letting a team of dedicated and talented volunteers try to repair your broken or worn-out items. The next Repair Café is at Thirsk Library, Meadowfields, Thirsk on Saturday 9 May from 10am to 12.30pm. Voluntary donations please.
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Quiz answers
1. Uranium
2. 10
3. Wordle
4. Punt
5. King of Hearts
6. A Labour
7. Apollo 17 in December 1972
8. 20
9. Cotton
10. Smallpox.
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That’s all for this week. Keep safe and remain well.
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