EDITORIAL
ASTON INGHAM & KILCOT NEWS
ASTON INGHAM and KILCOT NEWS
Sub-Editor: Mike Clayton
Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
CHURCH NEWS
REGULAR SERVICES
1st Sunday Evensong at 4.30pm
2nd Sunday Parish Communion at 10.30am
3rd Sunday Village Praise at 10.30am
4th Sunday Parish Communion at 10.30am
Every Monday A short service of Evening Prayer at 5.30pm
Many Thanks
Many thanks to all of you who continue to support the food bank. A box is in the church porch for donations.
Harvest Festival
October 4th at 4.30pm followed by refreshments. Donations of non-perishable food for the local food bank would be most welcome.
Village News & Events
A Fantastic Fete – Thank You!
Our Summer Fete was a wonderful success, raising an amazing £500 for the Village Hall Refurbishment Fund through a fantastic mix of games, competitions, delicious refreshments and the generosity of everyone who came along.
A huge thank you to all our volunteers, stallholders and visitors who helped make the day such an enjoyable community event. Your support has brought us one step closer to giving our much-loved Village Hall a fresh new lease of life.
The fete marked the last main event until after the refurbishment, and we've now officially handed the hall over to the contractors. Work on the refurbishment gets underway on 3rd August and is expected to take several weeks to complete.
We know the hall will be missed while the work is taking place, but we're excited to see the necessary fixes come together. We look forward to welcoming everyone back as soon as the doors reopen, ready for many more happy events and community gatherings.
Volunteering on the World Stage
We were delighted to welcome Juliet Whatley, who shared fascinating stories from her years of volunteering at international equestrian events, including the Paralympics. Her extensive equestrian expertise has taken her all over the world, with unforgettable trips to places such as Rio, Paris and Japan.
Juliet had us laughing with her entertaining anecdotes, while also giving us a real insight into the dedication and determination of the para riders she has interacted with. She spoke movingly about the challenges they face and the remarkable journeys that have seen them overcome disabilities to compete at the very highest level.
To bring her stories to life, Juliet arrived with a wonderful collection of memorabilia, props and volunteer outfits from her travels. Along the way, she has made lifelong friends from all corners of the globe. The beautiful origami horses shown in the photograph were a special gift from Japan—a lovely reminder of the friendships and experiences that volunteering has brought her.
Ascot Ladies Day Brings the Village Together
Our village came together in style to celebrate Ascot Ladies Day, enjoying all the excitement of the racing live on the big screen. Dressed to impress in fabulous hats and elegant outfits, everyone embraced the occasion and created a wonderful atmosphere.
Guests were treated to a delicious selection of food, making the afternoon as much about good company as great racing. It was a fantastic community event, full of laughter, friendly conversation, and shared excitement, proving once again that bringing people together is what our village does best.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the day such a memorable success.
Bags with a Story to Tell
June was a real treat as we welcomed Analiza Jones, who gave us a fascinating insight into the beautiful tradition of handwoven bags from her native Philippines.
Analiza explained how these stunning bags are lovingly crafted using a variety of natural, plant-based materials, including coconut leaves and shells. She also brought along a wonderful display of bags for everyone to admire, and they were beautiful.
As her family in the Philippines still makes these bags using traditional techniques passed down through the generations, Analiza was able to give us a unique glimpse into the craftsmanship and heritage behind each one.
A warm, engaging and entertaining speaker, Analiza made the afternoon both enjoyable and memorable, and everyone left with a real appreciation for this remarkable traditional craft.
The Buzz about Bees
At our July meeting, we were delighted to welcome Brian Miller Hall, who shared his passion for beekeeping in a fascinating talk about the wonderful world of honeybees.
Brian keeps two hives, one in Brompton Abbots and another in Glewstone, and explained how the flavour of honey changes depending on the flowers and plants available to the bees in each location.
To bring the subject to life, Brian brought along part of a working beehive. He explained how the different sections provide a home for the colony, where brood is raised, and honey is stored in the familiar hexagonal beeswax comb.
We also learned about the three types of bees that make up a colony – the queen, workers and drones – and discovered some amazing bee facts. Worker bees can fly up to three miles in search of nectar at speeds of around 20 mph, while a swarm can contain as many as 10,000 bees.
Brian finished by explaining how honey is extracted from the hive and touched on its well-known antibacterial properties, including why genuine Manuka honey carries official New Zealand certification.
It was an informative, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, and everyone came away with a new appreciation for these remarkable little pollinators.
VILLAGE HALL
100 Club
We have room for more players. If you have not yet joined and would like to, please get in touch at treasurer-AIVH@hotmail.com
June 1st Janet May, 2nd – P Johnson, 3rd – W Newborough
July 1st P Johnson, 2nd – A Tomney, 3rd – K Robinson
Wheelchair availability
We have a wheelchair stored in the Village Hall for communal use. Contact Janet Potter
Cards wanted
Wanted: Christmas and greeting cards to recycle into new cards. We now have our own group of ladies making cards for the Cobalt Unit. We have a box in the hall lobby for your old cards & stamps & a card stand with cards for sale.
For more details, please get in touch with Janet Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
WHEELCHAIR AVAILABILITY
We have a wheelchair stored in the Village Hall for communal use.
Contact Janet Potter
CARDS WANTED
Wanted: Christmas and greeting cards to recycle into new cards. We now have our own group of ladies making cards for the Cobalt Unit. We have a box in the hall lobby for your old cards & stamps & a card stand with cards for sale.
For info, contact Janet Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
FUTURE EVENTS AT THE VILLAGE HALL FOR YOUR DIARIES
October 10th Quiz Night – More details in the next edition
December 11th Sing along – More details in the next edition
December 18th Christmas Coffee Morning– More details in the next edition
CHURCH CLEANING
If anyone would like to join our cleaning rota, please get in touch with Janet Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page. We split the Church into sections to make it easier and to ensure that no one person has too much to do. The more helpers, the less work for everyone.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS AT THE VILLAGE HALL
Aston Ingham Parish Council
Agreed Minutes and Notes of the June meeting and July’s Draft Agenda and Notes are available on the Parish Council Website Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page; we recommend you visit the website in addition to reading Chimes for a full account of the Parish Council’s activities.
Lengthsman’s road markings: some of you have asked what the greenish paint marks mean, which have been appearing near drains recently. These communicate that the drains have been checked and all is well. A different colour will appear at the next maintenance day check.
SID is on the move shortly: the Lengthsman has uncovered the second base originally placed by Balfour Beatty several years ago. When a pole has been fitted, SID will be moved to capture traffic data at the other end of the Village.
Footpath work to improve Health and Safety: Plans are afoot to improve the footpath towards the Village Hall from Cowley Lane. It is unacceptable to expect people to walk on the road when the footpath is muddy and visibility is poor, putting themselves in danger. The PC is liaising with Highways to get the job done.
A cautionary word of advice to owners of trees: ‘If you own land with trees, a regular professional arboricultural inspection is necessary to satisfy your insurer (and yourself) that the risk posed by dangerous trees has been mitigated. This is particularly important before the autumn storms and high winds. The arboricultural report will indicate which trees require attention. Whilst the survey is unlikely to be expensive (a few hundred pounds at maximum), the resulting works may be more significant.’ HALC (Herefordshire Association of Local Councils)
Road Runoff from Aston Court Farm: Having been successful in obtaining Drainage Grant Funding (approx. £18K), the landowner has refused permission despite a supportive discussion with Hereford Council. Road runoff has been a problem for over 20 years, and it now appears that funding is not the main barrier to improving the situation. However, Hereford Council is working with us to seek an alternative solution.
We need Parishioners to come forward and support the Community in two ways:
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The Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) needs updating: Hereford Council’s Local Plan will be released in a couple of years, and we understand that NDPs will be included in determining local decisions such as planning applications. We need to put Aston Ingham in the best possible position. This will require just a few meetings, one a month, to complete what will amount to a tweak to the original NDP.
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Councillor Vacancy: We have been seeking a willing parishioner for 5 months to join our Team; more can be achieved when we are working at full strength.
For both of these responses, please contact Duncan Murray, our Clerk. Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
We welcome your constructive feedback on all parish matters — whether by email or in person. You can contact the Clerk at Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page. If you get in touch before the 20th of the month, your comments can be included in the Briefing Notes published with the meeting Agenda and considered at the meeting.