Welcome to the 92nd issue of the Sunday Email.
Doug
07785 223707
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Celebrating HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
On 6 February this year, the Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee, (our Monarch for 70 years).
To celebrate this unprecedented anniversary, events and activities will take place throughout the year, culminating in a four day UK bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June. It’s anticipated that the bank holiday will provide an opportunity for communities to come together to celebrate the historic milestone.
Those of you who are members of the Top Residents Facebook page will have seen reference this week to how Topcliffe (and Asenby) might join in the celebrations. There’s plenty of ideas and lots of enthusiasm.
The consensus appears to be that a ‘Jubilee Committee’ should be formed to consider how best to organise and coordinate activities. And maybe one of the first decisions needs to be whether the two villages act together or plan their separate contributions to the celebrations. Another is how the Parish Council(s), Village Hall Committee and other local organisations will get involved?
The Sunday Email is here to help promote and publicise whatever plans are developed.
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Next soup and sweet lunch
The next soup and sweet lunch at the Village Hall will be held next Wednesday, 19 January at 12 noon. The cash raised will be donated to Community Works, a charity based in Thirsk but which does lots of excellent work in local villages too.
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Fish & chip van
Don’t forget that the fish and chip van will not be visiting Topcliffe until Friday 28 January.
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Salsa classes on hold
The fortnightly Salsa sessions which Joanne Brierley has been organising at the Village Hall on Saturday evenings are now on hold whilst she seeks an alternative tutor prepared to take the class. The former tutor travelled from Leeds and decided there was insufficient participants to make his journey worthwhile. Now Joanne is in talks with a dance teacher who lives more locally and she hopes that classes can restart in February or March. It would be helpful if anyone interested in joining the class could contact Joanne on 07732 941758 to register their interest.
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Phone Calls from Bogus Police Officers
This issue has been raised in the Sunday Email in the past but it’s clear that the problem continues to be high on the agenda for North Yorkshire Police’s financial abuse unit. So, no apology is made for repeating this warning, which hopefully will save at least one person from falling in to the scam trap. This is the latest message from the police:
North Yorkshire Police have received a large number of reports from local residents who have been called by a male claiming to be a police officer. This ‘police officer’ goes on to claim they have arrested a person related to the victim who has attempted to buy a television or other high value item using the victim’s bank card.
The scammer will often give the victim a bogus reference number. The victim is instructed to attend their bank to withdraw money which will then be collected for safekeeping in order to protect them. The victim is further told that they must lie to the bank if they are challenged and say the money is to purchase a car or for building work or some other plausible excuse. This is of course false.
Remember, the police or your bank will never contact you and ask you to move or transfer money. If you receive a call of this nature, hang up immediately, do not engage with the caller. make sure the telephone line is clear (i.e. the scammer is no longer on the line) and call 101.
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2022 Big Garden Birdwatch
Just a quick reminder that this year’s RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, takes place between Friday 28 and Sunday 30 January. It’s open to everyone whether they are complete beginners or a birding experts. Simply count the birds you see in your garden, from your balcony or in your local park for one hour on one of the mentioned dates. Last year over a million people took part, making it one of the biggest bird watching events in the world. You can register to join in the bird count here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/birdwatch-take-part/
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Rural Arts to start monthly classes at our Village Hall
Rural Arts has announced a new programme of monthly classes that it intends to put on at Topcliffe and Asenby Village Hall. The first class, on Tuesday 22 February between 10am and 12 noon, will be painting and brusho. On 22 March the class will look at ceramics and subjects for 19 April, 17 May, 21 June and 19 July will be announced in due course.
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Services at St Columba’s
- TODAY! 16 January at 10.45am – Choral Matins
- 23 January at 10.45am – Holy Communion
- 30 January – No Service
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Catton Kitchen winter opening hours
- January – Friday and Sundays 10am to12 noon.
- February – Closed – as the team are very busy getting everything seeded and prepped for spring!
- March – Thursday 3 and Friday 4, 9am to 2pm; Saturday 5, 10am to 2pm; Sunday 6,10am to 2pm.
Opening times will be reviewed again in the spring.
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Parish Council meetings
- Asenby Parish Council’s scheduled meeting on Wednesday, 19 January has been CANCELLED. The next meeting will be in March. http://www.asenby.net
- Topcliffe Parish Council will meet at 7pm on Thursday 3 February 2022- http:// www.topcliffe.org
Village Hall Committee meeting
- The next meeting will be at 7.15am on Tuesday 25 January 2022.
Both parish councils and the Village Hall Committee meet at Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall.
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- Until Thursday 20 January – Spider-Man: No Way Home – with Spider-Man’s identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
- Friday 21 to Thursday 27 January – The Matrix Resurrections – return to the world of two realities; one, everyday life and the other, what lies behind it!
Important Notes:
1. Under the latest government instructions patrons over the age of 11 are asked to wear a face mask at all times, i.e. when standing and seated. Patrons are thanked for their co-operation.
2. Normal adult/concession ticket pricing will be in operation on Monday nights. The upstairs seating will be closed; Downstairs seating only.
Please keep checking the website for the latest details – https://www.ritzcinema.co.uk/
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Events on at The Forum
- To Saturday 22 January (various performance times) – The Northallerton Variety Company present the pantomime Cinderella – undoubtedly the best known and most popular panto of them all.
- Wednesday 19 January at 7pm- Tosca – (live-streamed from The Royal Opera House) – into the romantic world of an idealistic painter Cavaradossi and his sensuous lover Tosca comes the malevolence of Baron Scarpia, Chief of Police, with fatal results.
- Thursday 27 January at 7pm – Leopoldstadt – this new award winning play by Tom Stoppard is a passionate drama of love, family and endurance. (Live-streamed from the National Theatre).
- Wednesday 9 to Saturday 12 February at 7.30pm (matinee Saturday at 2pm) – Legally Blonde – Crash Bang Wallop are back performing to a live audience in 2022. Since you last saw them, they have been awarded ‘Best Youth Show in the North East’, by NODA.
Enquiries 01609 776230. Tickets online at http://www.forumnorthallerton.org.uk
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Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall
Under the recently introduced Plan B rules, face masks must be worn by users of the Village Hall, except when eating, drinking or exercising.
1. Weekly Activities
Monday
Art classes – 10am to 12 noon.
My Time Yoga – 1.30 to 2.45pm.
Boot Camp – 7 to 8pm.
Tuesday
Rural Arts – monthly ‘Heart and Craft’ classes starting 22 February.
Boccia Club – 1.30 to 3.30pm.
Library – 1.30 to 3.30pm.
Squirrels – 5 to 6pm.
Beavers – 6.15 to 7.15pm.
Wednesday
Soup & Sweet lunch – 12 noon to 1pm (alternate Wednesdays).
Cubs – 6.45 to 7.45pm.
Thursday
Pammy’s Pilates – 6 to 7pm.
Indoor Carpet Bowls – 7.30 to 9.30pm.
Friday
Boot Camp – 6 to 7pm.
Scouts – 7.30 to 10pm.
Saturday
Salsa and Bachata dancing (the fortnightly classes are on hold pending the outcome of a search for an alternative tutor).
2. Regular meetings and other events
- Asenby Parish Council meeting – Wednesday, 19 January – CANCELLED
- Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall Committee – 7.15pm – Tuesday 25 January.
- Topcliffe Parish Council meeting – 7pm on Thursday, 3 February.
The Big Race Night and Challenge Quiz & Curry Night will hopefully be rescheduled in the spring.
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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 17 and 31 January.
- Recycling – Thursday 27January.
- Garden waste – Garden waste collections will resume mid-February for those who have subscribed to the current year’s service which runs until March 2022.
- Subscriptions for 2022/23 are now open. The cost is £40. New and existing customers can now sign up at http://hambleton.gov.uk or call 01609 779977.
Harrogate (Asenby)
- Recycling – Mondays 17 and 31 January.
- Refuse – Monday 24 January.
- Green Waste – Subscriptions for 2022 are now open and the cost is £41. Sign up at http://www.harrogate.gov.uk
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LATEST INFORMATION & NEWS ABOUT COVID
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Covid numbers drop
The number of reported daily Covid cases has dropped below 100,000 for the first time in almost a month. On Friday the Department of Health reported 99,652 positive tests in a 24 hour period. The last time daily reported cases dipped below 100,000 was on December 21. Friday’s figures represent an almost 30% drop in positive cases in the past seven days.
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Isolation days cut
From tomorrow, people with Covid can stop isolating after five full days as long as they test negative on days five and six. The first test can be taken on day five and, if the test is negative, another can be taken 24 later. allowing release from isolation if again negative.
It’s still the case that anyone who develops Covid symptoms or tests positive for the virus must self-isolate immediately.
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France is open again
Last Friday, France reopened its borders to British holidaymakers after restricting entry to the country last month due to the rise of the Omicron variant. Travellers who are fully vaccinated are now allowed to enter France if they have evidence of a negative Covid test taken within 24 hours of departure.
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The week’s Covid statistics
- 52.1 million first doses given. 47.6 million second doses. 90.5% of the population aged 12+ has now had the first jab and over 83.2% the second.
- 36.3 million have now had a booster or third jab. That’s 63.1% of those eligible.
- There have been more than 15.4 million confirmed cases of Covid in the UK.
- There were 81,713 new Covid infections yesterday and 824,602 million people tested positive in the last week. That’s a 32% decrease on the previous week.
- 15,698 people were admitted to hospital with Covid in the week to 10 January.
- There were 287 deaths reported yesterday and 1,843 in the last seven days. An increase of 45% compared with the previous week.
- The total number of UK deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test now stands at 151,899.
- 174,233 deaths registered in the UK had Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate.
- Worldwide, the global death toll is 5,549,574.
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That’s all for this week. Keep safe and remain well.
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