My week in the world’s spotlight

Did you see me on the national news? No? Have I Got News For You? The Last Leg? New Zealand Breakfast? Fox News? Or hear me on the Today Programme on Radio 4? Talk Sport? LBC? Or read about me in The Times? The Washington Post? Or maybe you saw me in the media in Ghana? Spain? Sweden? Australia? In October, I was involved in a news story which went viral, and in which I was one of the main characters.
For many years, I have been involved in organising the World Conker Championships. I lead on media, and for this story was the spokesperson, chief investigator, and press release writer. At the end of the event this year, ‘King Conker’ (aka David Jakins), the Championship’s mascot, having become the men’s World Champion, and winning with a single hit in the final, showed a journalist from the national press a steel conker he had in his pocket. The next day (Monday 14th October) it was in The Star and then The Guardian. When I woke up on the Tuesday morning, the phone was ringing, and every time I put it down it rang again. I only had breakfast because my wife brought me it in front of the computer at around 10.30.
We’re used to the publicity being out of proportion to the event, and in recent years have featured in an Iranian tv documentary, half of the front page of China Today, and always lots of domestic national and local news and tv. Conkers is an event which stirs something in people, so that it is a popular media happening. We always have the big press organisations at the event, such as Reuters, The Press Association, etc. This story was different, and if you search ‘steel conker’ on the internet, you will get page after page of links, from all around the world, often carried multiple times by outlets. At a conservative estimate, a minimum 200 million people have seen the story. It’s all a bit surreal, especially as most of the interviews were with me siting in my home office in Barnack. It was also surreal seeing the videos I had taken on my phone being used by Fox News franchised across the USA.
On the first day, most of the WCC established media committee were willing to take on some of the interviews. By Wednesday, King Conker was refusing to do any more interviews, as his wife hadn’t understood the story was ‘tongue in cheek’. The Chairman resigned (but withdrew his resignation a week later) as he didn’t think the story should be continued, and a key interviewee from the committee went on holiday on the Thursday, which just left me and a couple of others to do what we could.
During the week, every piece of evidence I was sent, such as a video from the crowd, or getting the steel conker itself, just made the story more suspicious. I kept telling the press the investigation was nearly concluded, only to then be sent something else that meant more time was needed.
By the Thursday and Friday, it was a bit of a nightmare, but the journalist we were by then working with said that we couldn’t knock the story on the head, as the Sunday papers had their stories written for the weekend. We would have to wait until Monday. Over Saturday and Sunday, we were telling all media outlets we were not doing any more interviews. On the Monday, at exactly 11am, to give the nationals running the story a time to sell it first, the press release I had written went out. It was incredibly surreal to see my words in every paper, quoted on every channel and quoted back to me by friends. I was even recognised by people in the crowd at a Posh match!
Would I want to go through this again? It would be a surprise if anything went this viral again, and the demands were incredible. King Conker had the press knocking on his door offering him first £1,000 to charity, and then later, a well-known American media organisation offered £4,000 (both turned down). It had become a bit of a nightmare by Thursday and Friday as it was non-stop. I really feel for those who have got something wrong and face the media like this!
Ultimately it was a light-hearted story at a time of downbeat news, with wars, miserable politics, rising prices, etc., and conkers just hitting things at the right moment.
St.John Burkett (Barnack resident)

BARNACK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ( BCA)

Saturday 14th December – Christmas Tree Light Switch-On – Barnack Square from 6pm
The BCA will be supporting Barnack Parish Council’s annual event – please see separate full-page advert in this edition for more details. Please come out of your houses and wave to Santa, or from you windows, who should be travelling the village from 4.30pm. Route starts at Sissons Close at 4.30pm, travels the village and then arrives at the Square by 6pm.Donations collected on the travels will be shared between the School, Preschool, Church and the BCA.
We promised you photos of the new team in this edition but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until the New Year to see who we are – airbrushing not quite finished! I also need to apologise to our lovely Ann Garrett – who was missed off the new team rundown, in the November edition! I’m not sure if she noticed or is being very polite. So sorry Ann.
We are getting ready to support Barnack School with their festive quiz on Friday 29th November at the Village Hall – the BCA will be running the bar (obvs!) and the School are leading the quiz and raffle. Thanks to all those who have bought tickets – the funds will be shared between School and the BCA. Here is the full BCA team minus photos.
Ann Garrett – very important Committee member
Sally Hullock – Chair/ Health & Safety Officer | Paul Doubleday – Treasurer
Mark Beaver – Secretary | Ruth Beaver – Committee member
Mary-Clare Miller – Committee member | Alix Doubleday – Committee member

The Buttercross Club

On Wednesday, November 6th, our speaker was the Reverend Gary Alderson, rector of Barnack with Ufford, Bainton, Helpston and Wittering. He briefly described his position within the church. He had been ordained a deacon in 2008 and later a priest. He explained that one is nominated to the position by a patron who does not have to be a human being – for example it could be a university college. Because Reverend Alderson has four parishes he has four such patrons, the Bishop of Peterborough, St John’s Cambridge, the Milton Estate and Burghley. He was pleased to report that he has never had to meet up with them for annual appraisals! The following narrative is a brief summary of just some of Reverend Gary’s detailed and thoroughly interesting talk about the history of our local parish churches and the incumbent clergy.
These days vicars and rectors all receive the same pay. All curates are also paid the same as each other. However, in former times a rector’s income derived from what was called the Greater Tithes. This was about 10% of everything edible grown in the ground – mainly wheat, barley and oats. They also received the Lesser Tithes – 10% of the fruit, honey and eggs. However, a Rector, like a Patron, did not have to be a human being. It could, for example, be a Cambridge College and they would get the Greater Tithes. The people who actually had to do the job on the ground did so vicariously – so they were called Vicars and they ended up with the Lesser Tithes. Helpston had a vicar, nearby Etton had a Rector.
A curate could be a trainee who was theoretically being taught either to be a vicar or a rector. In reality they were more likely to be actually doing the vicar’s or rector’s job for them. In fact, in John Clare’s time most curates took on the job of parish priest whilst the actual parish priest was making more money elsewhere. For example, some well-connected people such as the Reverend Michael Tyson, Rector of Wittering in the late 18th century, were able to get curates to do their job for them and could therefore technically have lots of other jobs. It was especially good news if you were the incumbent of a very rich parish because you did not have to do any work at all if you were paying a curate. Hence you never had to retire! Indeed, your curate could do the job for you until the day you died whilst you lived on the proceeds of the Greater Tithes.
William Cecil of Burghley rose to great prominence during the reign of Elizabeth 1 so it was unsurprising that his son Thomas became patron of Barnack. Richard Fletcher’s name is perhaps less well known but he too rose to prominence in Elizabeth’s reign, becoming Dean of Peterborough Cathedral in 1583 and Rector of Barnack in 1586. In 1587 he was involved in both the trial and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots at Fotheringhay Castle. However, he fell out of favour with Elizabeth and died on 15th June, 1596, whilst smoking a pipe full of the newly discovered tobacco. He left a penniless widow and eight children.
Diary Dates:
December 4th: A celebration of Christmas. Please bring a plate of savoury or sweet food.
Venue: Bainton Reading Room from 7pm.
You are invited to bring a guest.
Entertainment: The Ukelele Players

Fundraising Lunch

Thank you to everyone who supported the recent Shepherds Pie Lunch at the village Hall to raise money for the church roof repairs. £746. 47. Altogether. It is very difficult to say thank you individually as it bought so many of us together in so many ways, Old and Young. The ladies came together volunteering, shopping and cooking, then more people donated Raffle Prizes and tickets. Sally and Bex (village hall committee) helping to set up the hall, serve the food and wash up!
What a great village this is! Thank you all. Judy Francis.

Emmanuel – God with us!

The last Messy Church of 2024 will be on Sunday 8th December. We will be meeting back in Barnack Church from 3:30-5pm. There will be refreshments, singing, prayer. Bible story and crafts, as well as a baby corner. If you haven’t joined us yet, then you would be most welcome to give us a try – all ages welcome. Hope to see you there.

IN MEMORIAM

Sixty one men from our villages were killed in the two world wars and the Falklands conflict.
One of the casualties in the First World War was Victor Barratt.
Victor Barratt Private, 7th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Victor was killed on 20th December 1915. He was 18 years old, having enlisted in Stamford when he was 17.
He was the son of Samuel and Rose of 14, The Terrace, Barnack and he worked at Burghley Gardens as a trainee gardener. Victor was killed when the mine shaft in which he and his section were sheltering took a direct hit from an artillery shell. He had been at the front for only five months. He is buried at the Menin Road South Military Cemetery near Ypres.
Several of Victor’s letters home have survived. In them he describes the ordeal of life in the trenches.
“Am sitting in a dugout now to write this and it is over boot tops in mud and still we keep smiling.”
“It is quite an acrobatic feat to walk along the communication trench there are duckboards but you have to find them if you don’t there is always a hole about three feet deep to put your foot into.”
“It has been bitterly cold………. there have been a good few cases of trench feet…….We have to rub our feet with anti-frostbite grease.”
His last postcard home to his parents was posted on the day he died.

The Arts Society

Peterborough’s monthly talk 12th DECEMBER 2024 –
is at The Fleet, PE2 4 DL
‘What is an original print?’ with Dr Susan Owens, Curator of Paintings at the V&A Museum.
Some of the best-known works by the world’s greatest artists are prints – think of Durer, Rembrandt and Goya, and many of us own prints. Surprisingly little is generally known about the subject. Using examples by the greatest masters, this talk demystifies the idea of the ‘original print’, and offers clear explanations of the processes involved in printmaking techniques such as engraving, etching, wood-engraving, wood-cutting and lithography.
Doors open at 10-15am for coffee and a chat, the talk starts at 10-45am and lasts an hour, all are welcome, so why not come and join us?
For more information and details of how to join the society, visit: www.the-arts-society-peterborough.org.uk

COFFEE STOP CHRISTMAS SING ALONG

Our third Coffee Stop Christmas Sing Along will be held on Wednesday 18th December (10.30-12 noon) in Barnack Church. Hot drinks and mince pies will be ‘on the house’
You will receive a warm welcome at this great event which is open to all those in our community and neighbouring villages. It’s a great opportunity to get you in the mood for the Christmas season. 
There will be a mix of the usual seasonal singing and other secular favourites that we associate with this time of year.

Barnack Hills & Holes Village Forum

News from meeting held on 28th October 2024
1. Volunteers meet every other Tuesday to work on the reserve. Tasks that the volunteers have recently undertaken are –
• Clearing scrub to allow the wildflower rich grassland to thrive rather than be overtaken by dense scrubby areas.
• Repairing internal fencing to keep the flock of sheep safe.
• Removing the temporary fencing that helps stop the main areas of wildflowers from being trampled & damaged.
• Ragwort pulling. This wildflower is toxic if eaten by livestock.
If you would like to join the volunteer group, please contact the Reserve Manager (Ross.Edgar@naturalengland.org.uk).
2. We’ve been looking for old photos of the nature reserve. If anyone has old photos that they’d like to share, please send a copy to Ross.
New Countryside Code signs will soon be installed throughout the reserve,requesting responsible behaviour among those who may not always treat the nature reserve and surrounding countryside appropriately. A key focus is encouraging visitors to keep dogs on a lead, helping to mitigate nutrient pollution from dog waste. Nutrient overload from dog urine and faeces is degrading the reserve, and as a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Natural England is legally required to address this impact. By limiting dog activity to designated pathways, we can protect sensitive areas, allowing them to recover and potentially welcoming ground-nesting birds back to the reserve in the future. Surveys show that well over half of all respondents are visiting to walk their dogs, and the site is also frequented by commercial dog walkers. It is attractive to dog walkers because it is securely fenced. However, it is primarily a nature reserve and an historical site, and this must be the foremost consideration. Visitor pressure on the Reserve will only increase if Peterborough’s forthcoming Local Plan includes any proposals for large housing developments near Barnack, so now is the time to encourage responsible behaviour.
3. There will be contractors on site between now & March completing the following jobs –
• Replacing an internal fence.
• Felling & removing 40 nonnative turkey oaks from the wooded area. All the turkey oaks are marked with a pink dot, they will be felled over the next 4 years, 40 per year. None of the native oaks on the reserve will be felled. This will allow for native species such as Ash, Maple & native oak to regenerate the area.
• Cutting & collecting rank grasses, plus removing scrub from open areas. This along with the sheep grazing will benefit orchids & other grassland species.
• Before any contractor starts work,notices will be on display around the reserve entrances & on social media to explain what we are doing & why we are doing it, along with dates.
4. The flock of sheep have largely recovered from Orf & have been immunised against the disease. The gates to the compartment the sheep are in will remain locked for the foreseeable future after the dog attack at Easter.
Ross Edgar