Frieda Gosling Memorial Tree Planting

On a frosty Saturday morning a working party of volunteers equipped with an assortment of spades, picks and dibbers assembled on the private green at Hillside Close, Ufford. They were there to commemorate the late Frieda Gosling by the planting of three trees on the green and a swathe of spring flowering bulbs along the adjoining bank. Frieda was not only a well-loved, long-time resident of the village and a dedicated Parish Councillor but also a keen nature lover and environmentalist. It was therefore deemed appropriate – by her family and by the Parish Council (who donated the trees) – to honour her memory in this way.
Comprising some of Frieda’s family, friends, former colleagues and fellow parish councillors, the doughty band of dibbers and diggers worked under the guidance of Mike Horne, lead co-ordinator of the John Clare Countryside project (who supplied the 2,000 crocus and snowdrop bulbs).

The Children’s Society

It is now time to empty your collection boxes. Please could you deliver your box, or a donation, to Skipport, Main Street, Barnack, or give me a call on 740929 and I will collect it. The Children’s Society supports young people as they overcome huge life challenges and move forward to face their futures with hope. If you would like to have a collection box or would like to make a one-off donation to this worthwhile charity please contact me. Thank you. Catharine Wright
Coming Soon…. The 2023 Bainton Primrose Festival!
Back by popular demand – we will again hold the Primrose Festival, on Saturday 18th March.
More details in the next Parish News – but you might want to start taking photos of some nice Winter landscapes and plants, ready for the photography competition.

Messy Church

The next Messy Church will be held from 3.30-5.00pm Sunday 29th January in Barnack Church. As usual, there will be fun (messy!) activities and crafts; a Bible story, songs and a prayer; drinks and snacks; and a play corner for the “littlest” ones. Please do come along and enjoy the family fun for all ages. Everyone is welcome.
For more information, please contact Carol Summers (07715 460177) or Mike Mills (07523 312387).

Wiki Warmers are back!

After an interval of a couple of years, due to building works and Covid, the Wiki Cafe’s are back in the Reading Room for the first six Saturdays of 2023 from 10.30 to 12 noon, starting on Saturday January 7th.
The cafe idea started nearly 20 years ago as a quick (wiki in Hawaiian) way for the community to come together to raise money for the Boxing Day Tsunami. People gathered for a chat, coffee and cake and left a donation for the disaster relief.
Over the years the number of weeks have increased and the donations have helped many other humanitarian charities. It’s now a much valued event for people to meet up in the winter – some even walk or cycle beforehand and end up there for a well-earned coffee!
So, whether you’re an old friend of the Wiki, are new to the village and want to meet up with you’re neighbours or just want to see what the refurbishment of the Reading Room looks like, then come along on any of the Saturdays. It’s a cosy place to spend the morning…you could even turn you’re own heating off for a couple of hours!

Lighting the Christmas Path

A VERY big thank-you to everyone who donated towards the cost of the 28 trees that lit up the Barnack Church pathway during Advent and Christmas. So many families and individuals contributed that it was a real community event, and we are most grateful to all of them. We also very much appreciate the support given by the Barnack Community Association, the Barnack Parish Council, the Millstone at Barnack, Sally Hullock Training, Stamford Stoves and Sports Kit. It was lovely to see lots of people viewing and enjoying the trees, both in the daytime but especially in the late-afternoons and evenings, when the trees were sparkling in the dark.

Barnack Hills and Holes Village Forum

Terms of Reference of the Forum
To bring the Village Community, Natural England and Burghley Estate together to help promote the management of the Barnack Hills and Holes National Nature Reserve,for the benefit of the internationally important grassland habitat, the village, local community and interest groups.
News from meeting held on 7th December 2022
1. The sheep have returned and about 100 will be in the south west compartment,near the Wittering Road car park, over the Christmas holiday. There have been no recent incidents of sheep worrying,despite reports of dogs running free in compartments occupied by sheep.
2. Volunteer work parties meet regularly and are given tasks such as scrub removal and the repair of hills damaged by the fencing contractors. The next work parties are on December 13th and January 10th. Meet at 9.30 am in the Wittering Road car park. Anybody interested please email Ross.Edgar@naturalengland.org.uk..
3. Volunteers are needed for recording orchids and other rare plants next year. Training will be provided. Anybody interested please email Ross.
4. Over the winter, debris left behind by the fencing contractors is to be removed and the car park will be resurfaced and signposted.
5. A management plan for the woodland area on the Reserve is to be drawn up, with the aim of encouraging native species of tree and gradually removing the invasive Turkey Oak.
6. In the spring, some of the sheep tracks will be fenced off to allow vegetation to regenerate.

The Buttercross Club

On Wednesday, 7th December,the Buttercross Club held its Christmas party in Bainton Reading Room. It was gratifying to see that it was so well attended in spite of the very cold weather.
The recently refurbished hall looked very festive. At the back of the room the pull-down screen showed a window through which snow was falling thickly. It was very convincing. Against the fireplace, which had been put in when the Reading Room was built many years’ ago, there appeared to be a crackling open fire. However, it was the recently installed heating system which ensured it was as warm in the hall as it looked!
The very effective transformations were achieved courtesy of the skills of Ian Abbott-Donnelly whose wife, Janette, is on the Buttercross committee. The utilitarian tables for four were transformed by crisp white tablecloths and pots of red cyclamen, courtesy of two of the committee, Helen Fancourt and Sheila Bratley. The Christmas tree was loaned by one of our members who also decorated it for us. Members and their guests were offered mulled wine when they arrived. The delicious finger buffet was the work of all the members in attendance at the party as they each provided a plate of savoury or sweet finger food. There was a Christmas quiz courtesy of Sheila as well as a raffle.
It has been a good year for the Buttercross and cheering to see how life for the club has returned to normal after the Covid lockdown. It really has been business as usual!
We resume our meetings with the AGM on Wednesday, 1st February, 2023, when we look forward to seeing current members and potential new members of the Buttercross Club. Meanwhile the Committee wishes you all a peaceful and happy Christmas 2022 and very best wishes for 2023.

Peterborough Arts Society

The Arts Society Peterborough monthly talk is on :
February 9th, 2023 at 10-45 am
At The Fleet, Peterborough.
The Imperial Easter Eggs of Carl Faberge before the Revolution,
by Tony Faber
The maker’s relentless search for novelty means that the 50 jewelled eggs provide a quirky history of the decline of the Romanovs.
Come early for coffee and a chat, your first talk is free, so why not join us!
For more information visit: www.the-arts-society-peterborough.org.uk

LET’S START THE New Year with a good clear out! – Ben Cuthbert

Bowel movements – we all have them, yet they’re something that we’re all reluctant to talk about. One in seven otherwise healthy people experience constipation, with young women and the elderly being the worst affected.
The culprit of constipation in young women tends to be frequent hormonal changes, and this isn’t helped by birth control. In older adults, reduced mobility, medication, underlying diseases, and rectal sensory-motor dysfunction all contribute to the prevalence of constipation.
Regardless of the cause of constipation, the result is the same, which is discomfort and, in extreme cases, pain. Although this discomfort can feel severe, in most cases, constipation isn’t serious and can be alleviated through a few simple lifestyle adjustments. One of the most effective changes that can be made is incorporating more movement into your day-to-day.
It’s widely believed that constipation leaves you unable to open your bowels entirely; however, this isn’t quite the case. In fact, you could be opening your bowels multiple times a day and still be constipated, while someone without constipation could be emptying their bowels every other day.
Healthy bowel movements can range anywhere from three times a day to three times a week. You just need to identify what’s normal for you.
Essentially, movement reduces the length of time it takes for food to travel to the large intestine, preventing your body from absorbing too much water from the stool. It’s this overabsorption of water that leads to hard, dry stools that are difficult to pass. Additionally, cardio exercises increase your heart rate and breathing, stimulating natural muscle contractions in your intestines, which result in faster stool movement.
Which forms of movement are the most effective?
Different types of movement will affect each individual differently. For those who have never exercised previously, regular gentle walks may be all you need to get things moving again; however, the following types of exercise are thought to be the most successful:
Yoga poses and stretches that stimulate the digestive tract
Resistance training (deep lunges, squats, etc.)
Cardio training (jogging, running, dancing, jumping, etc.)
High- and moderate-intensity interval training
These cold, dark January days may not inspire us to get out and start moving again – but even a short, brisk walk might get everything moving again!

BAINTON & ASHTON SPEEDING

I write in response to Mr John Sylvester’s article in December’s Parish News. I don’t know where the gentleman lives, but I would like to invite him to sit in my garden for a few hours at peak traffic time and watch the traffic as it speeds past. I live in the first house as you enter Bainton from Barnack which is on a bend, with a 30 mile per hour warning sign approx 100 yards before the house, yet most traffic speeds round the bend towards our wall. This has been hit on more than one occasion in the past and we are always on tenterhooks when the road is icy or slippery due to mud.
Traffic travelling in the direction towards Barnack seem to think it is fair game to put their foot down once they pass the bungalows and race out of the village. It is not only car drivers – lorries, farm vehicles and buses also add greatly to the problem. This leads to near misses and on several occasions large vehicles have “grazed” each other and have had to back up.
I would also disagree with the comment regarding pedestrians lives not being at risk. I often walk from home into Bainton village and, due to the disgusting state of the footpath (now turning into a grass verge with brambles and foliage overhanging in several places), it is necessary to walk in the road. It is a constant worry having to jump back onto the pavement at my age when a speeding vehicle approaches.
I wholeheartedly welcome a 20 mile speed limit.
Isobel Bate