Sunday Email: Issue 95

Doug
07785 223707

The Village Hall Committee has agreed to offer free use of the Village Hall for community events linked to the four-day platinum jubilee celebrations in June.

Next week there’ll be a report on how the community meeting went, what sort of ideas are coming forward and arrangements for overseeing the plans for the celebrations in June.

Regulars will have noticed that the new doorway has been constructed to give access to the planned hot and cold takeaway area, where work is progressing on electrics and other first-fix work. Unfortunately the preparation of footings for the extension were delayed due to bad weather but it’s hoped things will now move quickly ahead. Next week it’s planned that the new oak doors will be installed at both entrances – takeaway and Post Office. The paint for the front of the building has been chosen but we’ll leave everyone is suspense about the colour – will it really be cerise pink!

The sweet and crisps corner has been completed land the new shelving for the display of chocolate products is taking place this weekend. Meanwhile, significant progress has been made on attracting courier delivery services to use the Post Office for drop-off and pick-up services. Both DHL Express and UPS Courier Services have agreed to start a service, but it might be about six weeks before the contracts are finalised and training provided. Other providers, including Amazon, have been approached and their response is awaited.

New cigarette drawers have arrived and they are placed under the counter and out of sight. That gives more space for new shelving for the display of vaping products and affordable alcohol. There are no thoughts at this point to extend opening hours for the sale of alcohol, but that idea may be explored again if the demand is there. Another new service being provided at our customers’ request is the sale of kindling. Local company, Chopsticks, has delivered a stock of kindling this week.

Last week the transfer of all grocery products from the Post Office to the farm shop was completed, so the food and household products displays are now looking very comprehensive and competitively priced – which is what customers asked for when a survey of their requirements was conducted recently. Some work is being undertaken to provide display space for plants, flowers and beautiful planters which will go on sale soon…and make super gifts.

Outside the footpath is breaking up so take care when using it. The County Council has been asked to repair the path and we are doing some work to improve the cobbles along the shop frontage.

• TODAY Sunday, 6 February at 6.30pm – Choral Evensong accompanied by organist Matthew Atherton. This is the actual 70th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the throne and anyone who would like to join the Choral Evensong on this most significant day will be warmly welcomed.
• Sunday, 13 February at 10.45am – Holy Communion.
• Sunday, 20 February at 10.45am – Choral Matins.
• Sunday, 27 February at 10.45am – Holy Communion.

Call blocking on your phone

There’s several things that you can do to stop nuisance calls and provide protection from unwanted calls.

– Install a call blocker: this is by far the best way to stop nuisance callers. The TrueCall device is very effective and recommended by the authorities.
– Contact your phone provider: many phone providers offer free call blocking services that can be really helpful to protect you and your loved ones.

• BT Call Protect is a free, network-based call-filtering service available to BT residential customers. Once activated, the service allows users to send certain calls to a junk voicemail box. These can include calls from BT’s blacklist of nuisance callers, calls from a blacklist created by you, and certain call types (such as withheld or international numbers). Customers can retrieve any messages left in the voicemail box at their convenience.
• Sky Talk Shield is a free, network-based call-screening service available to Sky Talk customers. Once activated, the service screens all calls to the customer’s landline by asking callers to identify themselves. When customers answer their phone, they will hear a recording of the caller’s name, and decide whether to add the caller to their ‘star list’ or ‘block list’. After doing this, calls from numbers on the star list will get through without screening, and calls from numbers on the block list will not get through without the customer’s phone ringing.

– Register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS): this is a free ‘do not call’ register for landlines and mobile numbers which allows people and businesses to opt out of unsolicited sales and marketing calls. You can register online: www.tpsonline.org.uk or text TPS to 85095 from a mobile.

More advice on call blocking technology available from individual phone providers can be found at Ofcom’s website: www.ofcom.org.uk

Remember, if in any doubt that a caller is who they claim to be, hang up immediately. If you want to check their identity, call the customer service number of the organisation they are claiming to be from by using a different phone. Scammers can ‘hold’ your phone line so if you call a different number from the same phone line, they might still be on the line.

Dates for future classes are: 22 March, 19 April, 17 May, 21 June and 19 July. .

• 12 to 14 February – Valentine Evenings – special menu for this special occasion.
• Friday nights – 5 to 9pm – Land & Sea – steak or fish for two with a bottle of wine for £35.95
• Sunday roast – 12noon to 8pm – traditional Sunday lunch.

Check the website at https://theangelattopcliffe.co.uk/ or call 01845 578000.

• 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.

• Topcliffe Parish Council – the February meeting has been cancelled, so the next meeting will be at 7pm on Thursday 3 March – http:// www.topcliffe.org.uk
• Asenby Parish Council will meet at 7.30pm on Wednesday 16 March – http://www.asenby.net

Village Hall Committee meeting

• The next meeting will be at 7.30pm on Tuesday 5 April – https://www.topcliffe.org.uk/village-hall/

Both parish councils and the Village Hall Committee meet at Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall.

• To Thursday 10 February – The Electrical Life of Louis Wain – English artist Louis Wain rises to prominence at the end of the 19th century for his surreal cat paintings that seemed to reflect his declining sanity.
• Friday 11 to Thursday 17 February – Save the Cinema – the story of Liz Evans who starts a campaign in the 90s to save the Lyric Cinema in Carmarthen.
• Friday 18 to Thursday 24 February – Sing 2.
• Friday 25 to Thursday 3 March – Belfast – a young boy and his working-class Belfast family experience the tumultuous late 1960s.
• Friday 4 to Thursday 10 March – Nightmare Alley – an ambitious conman with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is.
• Friday 11 to Thursday 17 March – Death on the Nile – while on vacation on the Nile, Hercule Poirot must investigate the murder of a young heiress.

Please keep checking the website for the latest details – https://www.ritzcinema.co.uk/

• Saturday 19 February at 7.30pm – The Dark Room – Full: £10, Concessions: £8. You, the audience, awake in The Dark Room. Which option do you pick? This strange, high-octane, choose-your-own adventure game is a comedy night, gameshow and pantomime all in one.
• 22 – 24 February, 10.30am – 12 noon – Children’s half-term workshops – From £4.50. Run away to the circus for the morning, making your own miniature acts with paper, ceramics and more!
• Friday 25 and Saturday 26 February, 10am-3pm – Print Sprint – From £12.50. Two days of live demonstrations and workshops inclusive of all abilities. Try out different techniques with our friendly and professional printmakers.
• Wednesdays from 2 March, 6.30pm – 8pm – Life Drawing – £8 per session. Take part in brand-new fortnightly sessions to hone your observational drawing skills as part of a friendly, peer-led group.
• Thursday 3 March at 7.30pm – Katie Spencer – Full: £10, Concessions: £8. Katie Spencer is a progressive folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from Yorkshire who writes songs imbued with the northern landscapes of her home. “Intensely captivating” – Folk Radio.
• Thursday 10 March at 7pm – National Theatre – Live performance – Book of Dust – Full: £10, Concessions: £8. Philip Pullman’s prequel to the epic His Dark Materials trilogy. Two young people and their demons find themselves at the centre of a terrifying manhunt. In their care is a tiny child called Lyra, and in that child lies the fate of the future.

For more information and to book places, go tohttps://www.ruralarts.org/:

• TODAY Sunday 6 February at 7.30pm – Sunday Jazz – the fabulous sounds of the Big Band Era performed, in an open session, by Alan Owens and The Forum Big Band.
• 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.
• Monday 14 February at 7.15pm – Romeo and Juliet – the classic ballet live-streamed from the Royal Opera House. A Valentine’s Day treat.
• Thursday 17 February at 7pm – The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage – live-streamed from the National Theatre.
• Saturday 19 February at 7.30pm – Phoney Fools and Horses – the stage show.
• Wednesday 23 February at 8pm – Ahir Shah – featuring his signature blend of philosophical inquiry, personal examination and sweet gags.
• Friday 25 February at 6pm – Pop Divas Live – the UK’s number 1 Pop Tribute.

Enquiries 01609 776230. Tickets online at http://www.forumnorthallerton.org.uk

2. Regular meetings and other events

• Topcliffe Parish Council meeting – 7pm on Thursday, 3 March..
• Asenby Parish Council meeting, 7.30pm on Wednesday 16 March.
• Topcliffe & Asenby Village Hall Committee – 7.30pm – Tuesday 5 April.

The Big Race Night and Challenge Quiz & Curry Night will hopefully be rescheduled once the Covid pandemic is over.

• The Angel at Topcliffe – info – 01845 421111.
• The Catton Kitchen – http://www.cattonkitchen.co.uk – 07747 083155.
• Chip ‘n Dales – Closed until 28 January 2022.
• The Elm Gallery – http://www.the-elm-gallery.co.uk – 01845 577316 or 07709 223920.
• Fotiá Candles – http://www.fotiacandles.co.uk – 07879 447953.
• Joanna’s Touch Photography – 07732 941758. Also on Facebook and Instagram.
• The Little Yorkshire Hamper Company – http://www.thelittleyorkshirehampercompany.co.uk 07793 775987.
• The Milk Churn Farm Shop & Cafe – https://www.milkchurnfarmshop.co.uk/ – 01845 400446.
• Studio 18 Hairstylist – Nicola James, 18 Long Street (opposite the surgery). 07851 034815.
• The Swan – http://www.theswantopcliffe.co.uk – 01845 595185.
• The Thirsk Food Bank – collection point at the Milk Churn Farm Shop.
• Topcliffe Post Office – 01845 577517.

Hambleton (Topcliffe):

• Recycling – Thursdays 10 and 24 February.
• Refuse – Mondays14 and 28 February.
• Garden waste – resume 24 February for those who have subscribed to 2021/22 service.
• 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)

• Refuse – Mondays 7 and 21 February.
• Recycling – Mondays 14 and 28 February.
• Green Waste – Subscriptions for 2022/23 are now open and the cost is £41. Sign up at http://www.harrogate.gov.uk