Welburn Community Primary School Sing Carols

On Thursday 20th December the children of Welburn Community Primary School came and sang carols in the village hall, a lovely event, enjoyed by all. Many thanks to the children & teachers of Welburn School.




This video reproduced with kind permission of Welburn CP School.


All material © Philip Stone 2012

Rake Lane

Two very different views from nearly the same point on Rake Lane:

All material © Michelle  Stone 2012

Christmas Carol Service, St Margaret's Church, Sunday, 23rd December at 630pm

by Anita Topp



Led by the Rector, with the Choir, the Children's Choir and Crib Scene.

All your favourite carols and readings, and drinks and chat afterwards.

 

All are welcome to come and sing with us.

Also there will be Village Carol Singing at the next Meeting Point on the 15th December at the Village Hall, accompanied by Anita Topp and colleague on the accordian.

.
All material © Philip Stone 2012

St Margaret's Church - Taizé Meeting - 18th December

There will be a Taizé Meeting in the church on Tuesday, 18^th December at 7.30 p.m. lasting 30 to 40 minutes.

We shall meet in our quiet Lady Chapel for meditation and reflection and to sing chants – all are welcome, particularly if you just wish to come and listen.

Find out more about Taizé here.

 
All material © Philip Stone 2012

Movember - raising vital funds and awareness for men’s health

Movember
by Howard Wallis

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

  

It's now nearly the end of Movember and throughout the month I’ve been cultivating a patch of fuzz on my top lip to support Movember:

Howard's Movember Moustache

If you feel I have made enough of a fool of myself, please support this worthwhile cause by making a donation. The size of it isn’t important, every little contribution helps Movember to continue its funding of world class programmes.  If you want to know more about what you’ll be helping to fund, you can visit Movember's Program Overview page.

To highlight the importance of what I am doing, take a look at these statistics:

• 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime
• This year 40,000 new cases of the disease will be diagnosed in the UK
• 47% of testicular cancer cases occur in men under 35 years and over 90% occur in men under 55 years

If you’d like to help change these statistics (or if you’d just like to have a laugh at my ‘tache’), please donate to the cause by:

• Donating online at: http://mobro.co/howardwallis
• Writing a cheque payable to 'Movember', referencing my Registration ID: 3408093 and mailing it to: Movember Europe PO Box 68600 London EC1P 1EF 

I know I’m not ‘the only Mo Bro in the village’ – there are a few other brave souls taking part too – including Charlie, Maurice & Pete (and probably others too) – so if you’d like to donate to them please do.  It all goes to the same good cause.   As this is a rather last minute plea – I am keeping the ‘tache for an extra day so all you lucky people have a last chance to catch a glimpse of it if you see me out and about tomorrow!

  

Many thanks

Howard

Christmas Meeting Point - Saturday 15th December 2012

Saturday 15th December 2012
2pm to 4pm
Huttons Ambo Village Hall

Stalls will include tombola, raffle, Christmas gifts
and bran-tub as well as all your favourite Meeting Point stalls, tea, coffee, cakes and children’s activities

 

Father Christmas will visit with a gift for each child

Village Carol singing, accompanied by the accordian, from 3pm
 

All material © Philip Stone 2012

Flooding in Huttons Ambo

Flooded fields from Malton to Huttons Ambo

The Low Lane to Malton was closed yesterday, following the recent heavy rainfall and flooding and today I went down to see how bad the water levels were. The Derwent overtopped its banks some days ago but the water has now filled the fields and flooded the lane at Low Farm.

Low Lane flooded at Low Farm, Low Hutton

  

Flooded fields on Low Lane, Low Hutton

The fields are still sodden with water and run-off is coursing across the road and adding to muddy brown floodwaters.

Run-off from fields washes across Low Lane

Back at Low Hutton at the bottom of Water Lane the water has come through the railway viaduct, cutting off the Swingbridge to Menethorpe.

Water Lane flooded at the railway viaduct, Low Hutton

At the base of the viaduct the water pressure is so high that jets of water are spraying from cracks in the brickwork and a large blister of tarmac has formed in the road where spring water is welling up from the ground.



Water leaking from railway viaduct, Water Lane, Low Hutton
 

Tarmac blister caused by spring, Water Lane, Low Hutton

 We're lucky though, no homes have been flooded and with a bit of luck it should start to recede in a day or two.

For more information about flood risk and forecast river levels, visit the Environment Agency website.


All material © Michelle Stone 2012

Advent Carol Service, St Margaret's Church, Sunday, 2nd December

by Anita Topp

All are welcome to our Advent Carol Service on Sunday, 2nd December at 11am.

Lead by Juliet Bleasdale with the Choir and the Children's Choir there will be all your favourite Advent hymns and songs with some lovely readings. 

Families are especially welcome today to see the Advent Candle being lit and to enjoy coffee and cake afterwards.

Note this is the Advent Carol Service, the Christmas Carol Service follows on the 23rd December

St Margaret's Church - Taizé Meeting - 27th November

Taizé Meeting

There will be a Taizé Meeting in the church on Tuesday, 27^th November at 7.30 p.m. lasting 30 to 40 minutes.

We shall meet in our quiet Lady Chapel for meditation and reflection and to sing chants – all are welcome, particularly if you just wish to come and listen.

 

Find out more about Taizé here.

 

All material © Philip Stone 2012

Huttons Ambo Soup & Cheese Lunch – 2nd February 2013

The annual soup & cheese lunch will be held at Minster Hill on Saturday 2nd February at 12 noon.

You are invited to come for a lunch of soup (including a vegetarian option), cheese, a free
glass of wine and coffee for £5 per head. Children free.

There will be a raffle and the donation of any prizes would be welcome. All proceeds will go to support St Margaret’s Church.

Please notify numbers (including those who would prefer the vegetarian soup option) to Rosa Naylor on 01653 695008.

Do come – everybody very welcome.

All material © Philip Stone 2012

A Waxwing Year? The Return of the Bohemian Chatterer

Waxwings, AKA Bohemian Chatterers, at the Village Hall, Huttons Ambo

I was walking past the village hall when I heard a high pitched trilling sound and saw a small flock of colourful birds in the trees next to the village hall. At first I thought they were jays, but jays are skittish woodland birds and these seemed quite unafraid. In fact they were brave enough to wait while I fiddled around and changed lenses and took a few pictures.

A bit of research immediately showed them to be Waxwings. Waxwings aren't native to Britain: they breed in arctic and subarctic countries but in certain years when their population exceeds the local food supply then they migrate to Britain, in search of their favourite food, rowan and hawthorn berries.   These occasional invasions are known as 'Waxwing Years', the earliest on record was in winter 1679-1680 and the biggest on record was in 1965-1966 when it is thought 11,000 waxwings may have arrived in Britain.

Waxwing in flight, showing yellow fringe to tail and waxy red blobs at the tips of flight feathers (upper wing)

Waxwings are attractive little chestnut coloured birds, with a quirky little crest of feathers, a yellow fringe to their tails and little waxy red blobs at the tips of their flight feathers.  Their official name is 'Bombycilla garrulus' but they also go by the delightful moniker of 'Bohemian Chatter', because of the chattering noise they make in the breeding season.

The birds here in Huttons Ambo and elsewhere in Yorkshire have probably flown over from Finland and are making a temporary stop before moving further inland in search of winter berries, so make the most of your chance to see them.

Sources:
Field Guide to the Birds of Britain, Readers Digest
RSPB Bird Index


All material © Philip Stone 2012

Recording The Lives of Huttons Ambo's Fallen - You Can Help

Remembering the Fallen
by Sharon Jackson

Huttons Ambo War Memorial

 

When the Village War Memorial was erected, the men, whose names are recorded upon it, would have been known and remembered by the community in which they lived, and by their families who lived in the houses we now live in. Many will have attended the village school and all will have been known to each other. Now, sadly, given the elapse of time, for most of us they are names from the past and no more. I am sure most of us think it is important that we should remember their sacrifice, and to know more about them, and how their lives parallel ours.

First World War 1914-1919

The Internet and census records have provided only limited information in relation to those who died in the First War.

The information I have gathered so far can be downloaded in this word document - but can you add any more information?
 

I can find little or no information relation to George Arundale, Wilfred Everett and

George Francis Bowes and I am not sure how accurate the information is about George Brown.

Any information at all would be helpful, particularly if you can identify any homes or addresses, for example the census records tend to refer to cottage numbers e.g. cottage 44 and it appears that the numbering varied between censuses.

In 2 years time it will be 100 years since the start of the First War it would seem appropriate for this village to try and make some record of the details of the lives of these men.  Can you help?

Second World War 1939-45

Given that this war is somewhat closer in time, it may be that many of you know the families of, or are related to some of these young men. There are no census records available for this period in our history as yet; and so if you do have any information, which you would be prepared to share, in order to help us remember them, then that would be much appreciated.

Please Help
If you have any information in relation to anyone commemorated on the Village War Memorial, or any other information about Huttons Ambo during either war, which you are prepared to share, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Finally, can I ask to ask you to remember all of them on Remembrance Sunday.

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

“…. Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam

A body of England breathing English air

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home…”

 

Many thanks,

 

Sharon Jackson


Editor's Note:
If you have any information to help Sharon, please use the contact form below and I'll pass the details on. Thanks for any information you can share.

You can also see the Royal British Legion website here: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance

St Margaret's Church - Taizé Meetings

Taizé Meetings

by Anita Topp

The Lady Chapel, St Margaret's Church, Huttons Ambo

Taizé meetings are held in St Margaret's Church in the Lady Chapel and last for 30 to 40 minutes, allowing time for quiet meditation and reflection and to sing chants – all are welcome, particularly if you just wish to come and listen.

The next Taizé meetings are on Tuesday, 27^th November at 7.30 p.m. and Tuesday, 18^th December at 7.30 p.m.

What is Taizé ?

In August 1940 Brother Roger, a Swiss Protestant, settled alone in Taizé, a small hamlet in Burgundy, France.  It was wartime and he wanted above all to help people going through difficulties.  He began by offering hospitality to refugees, especially Jews.  He intended eventually to create a community that would be a “parable of communion”.  After two years, his first brothers joined him.  Today the community numbers more than one hundred brothers, Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, from twenty-five different countries.  Small groups of brothers also live among the poor in Asia, Africa and Latin America.  Since the end of the 1950’s tens of thousands of young people from every continent, and adults too, come to Taizé, usually to stay for a week, living simply and gathering with the brothers three times a day for Common Prayer in the huge Church of Reconciliation.

Singing is one of the essential elements of worship.  When people come together to pray, meditative singing can help everyone to participate and to stay together in waiting on God.  Using just a few words, they express a fundamental reality than can quickly be grasped by the mind.  As the words are sung over many times, this reality can gradually sink into one’s whole being.

You can read more about Taizé  on the Taizé Community Website.

Anita Topp

Quiz Night Success for 'High Hutton Hopefuls'

Forty brave people came and supported Quiz Night in the Village Hall last night (Friday 2nd November), run by Maggie Stone and her team with Andy Dorman hosting the quiz in his usual inimitable and quirky fashion.

 



Andy Dorman dispenses fiendish questions with customary aplomb

At half time an excellent soup made by Chef Phil Astridge was served along with nibbles and other refreshments.



In the end the 'High Hutton Hopefuls' won the first prize of two £15 vouchers for the Jolly Farmers Pub in Leavening and, trailing by just one point, 'Open All Hours', won the second prize of a bottle of wine.

 

The 'High Hutton Hopefuls' (from left to right): Jem Charles, Steve Dunning, Angie Jessiman and David Purdy show off their first prize vouchers

At the final count £141 was raised for village hall maintenance and an excellent evening was had by all.

 

Many thanks to Maggie Stone, Andy Dorman, Clare Jenyns, Phil Astridge and Beth Laughton for all their hard work in organising and running a succesful evening.



All material © Philip Stone 2012

Don't Forget Quiz Night - Friday 2nd November

Quiz Night, Huttons Ambo Village Hall

Don't forget, it's Quiz Night this Friday (2nd November). The the winning team receives a top prize is two £15 vouchers for a meal at the Jolly Farmers pub at Leavening.

Entrance is £1.50 and another £1 buys you a fine soup by Phil Astridge at halftime.

Also there is a raffle with a top prize of M&S wine and Belgian chocolates.


Raffle Prize

Doors open at 7pm for 730pm start.

All material © Philip Stone 2012

Snow? Who ordered snow?

October snow. Brrrr.

Autumn has puttered and fizzled on in the same sort of grey and wet way as summer, neither hot nor particularly cold, so the sudden arrival of arctic air and snow is a bit of a slap in the face.

Farewell summer, it's time to evict the spiders from the wellies and try to remember which drawer you left your gloves in. Winter's here, aaarrgghhh...

All material © Philip Stone 2012

Jubilee Book Now Available

The final version of the Jubilee Book, recording the events of the village Diamond Jubilee street party can now be seen here on Blurb.


Don't forget you can subscribe to the website by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email box'.


All material © Philip Stone 2012

A Date For Your Diary - Village Hall Quiz Night

 A Quiz Night is planned for Friday 2nd November in the Village Hall. Refreshment will be available, entry price and times still to be decided.

Put it in your diary!







Subscribe to the website (for nothing)

Don't forget, you can can have new posts on the village website delivered straight to your email inbox by going to the 'Follow by Email' panel on the right of the web page and entering your email address. You'll only get posts from the village website (no advertising) and your email address will not be given to anyone else.

Subscribe! Subscribe! Subscribe!

All material © Philip Stone 2012

Harvest Festival, St Margaret's Church

Pulpit decorated for Harvest Festival 2012

A Harvest Festival service will be held at St Margarets Church , High Hutton, Huttons Ambo on Sunday 30th September at 630pm (this evening).

All welcome, there will be a chance to meet and have refreshments afterwards.

St Margaret's Window

Sorry about the late posting of this, your editor promises to get his act together in the future...

All material © Philip Stone 2012

Church Gates Gone - For Refurbishment

Church gates and evening mist

The gates at St Margaret's church in High Hutton are old friends and over the years they've provided me with many a photo opportunity. They also feature in weddings, it's traditional for the children of the village to tie the gates closed with string during the ceremony and then demand payment to release the newly wed couple.

Last leaf, High Hutton

But age has scarred the gates and frost has cracked the pillars - so the parochial church council has found some funds to restore them. The gates have been removed temporarily so that they they can be shot-blasted and repainted and the pillars repaired and they should be back in a few weeks.

Church Gates, High Hutton

If you like these pictures you can see a small gallery of black and white photographs taken around and in the church here on our flickr site.

All material © Philip Stone 2012

Full Moon - Harvest Moon

Full Moon over the Wolds, from High Hutton

The harvest has been in full swing for weeks now, we're officially in Autumn and the nights are drawing in. Often in September we see a fat full moon hanging on the horizon and call it a 'Harvest Moon' - but what is a Harvest Moon and why does it seem so big?

The Harvest Moon is defined as the full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox, the day when the length of day and night are equal and the sun crosses the celestial equator and heads south for the winter. This year that day is September the 22nd and the nearest full moon falls on September 30th, so the next full moon will be a Harvest Moon.



Full Moon and Pampas Grass, High Hutton

And the size? That's down to something called 'The Moon Illusion'. When the moon is seen near the horizon it often appears to be larger and closer than when it is high up in the sky. The reason is still hotly debated by psychologists; one theory suggests that when we see the moon next to recognizable objects on the horizon (houses, trees etc) we judge the size of the moon to be large and near the those objects, but when the moon is high in the sky we have nothing to compare it to and judge it to be small and distant.

But whatever the reason, get yourself outside on the evening of the 30th of September and enjoy the sight of a big and beautiful Harvest Moon rising over the Wolds.

All material © Philip Stone 2012

Welcome To Autumn

Straw Bales near Low Hutton

It's here, like it or lump it, autumn has arrived. Or has it?

An astronomer would say no, autumn begins with the autumnal equinox, when the length of night and day become equal, this year that happens on the September 22nd.

The Met Office on the other hand, defines autumn to start on the 1st of September and for many people the August bank holiday marks the end of Summer.

Harvesting in Coachfield, High Hutton

Harvesting oilseed rape at Orchard Corner

 But you don't need a dictionary definition to tell you. The sky has turned that extra deep shade of blue, the heat of the sun is cozy rather than 'blazing June' hot, and there is a melancholy echo in the trees caused by the combine harvester chewing its way through another field of corn. The fields are full of bales, rose hips are swelling in the hedgerows and a fat moon hangs in the sky.

 It's here all right, welcome to autumn.

Rose hips



Elderberries

All material © Philip Stone 2012

Harvesting on The Rake

Harvesting on The Rake

It's August and harvest time is here. This evening I heard the sounds of farm machinery in the distance and hurried down the lane to if I could get a picture of a combine harvester at work. I was in luck, Richard Wainright, farm manager, and his colleagues were harvesting corn on The Rake, the field next to Rake's Lane.

The Claas finishes a swathe

Richard told me that harvesting had started late this year because of the wet summer, he grabbed a handful of straw and gave it to me - it was still not completely dry. Meanwhile up on the field the big Claas combine finished cutting a swathe of corn and made a cautious, slow turn, before heading back up the field.

Dry enough to cut?

Richard observed that they were having to take it slowly because the sun had gone -it was late evening - and the corn was getting damp. Once there would have been more time for this job, two combines would have been served by two or three tractors and at lunchtime they would have parked up and eaten lunch together. Now costs have to be kept down and one combine is kept moving continuously, served by two tractors.

Once the corn is cut, oilseed rape will be the next to be harvested, a job made harder by modern varieties of plant. These are short, which maximises yield, but modern, sophisticated harvesters are needed if they are to be cut efficiently.

Waiting for another load

Then Richard had to return to his tractor and trailer - the combine was ready to offload more corn.

All material © Michelle Stone 2012

2012 Produce Show - Results and Judges Comments

The 58th Huttons Ambo Flower & Produce Show took place at the Village Hall on Saturday August 4th 2012.

It was a marvellous day despite the stormy weather. Entry numbers were surprisingly good in view of our inclement growing season and there was plenty of excellent elderflower cordial and cake post judging to make everyone smile.

Thank you and well done to everyone who supported, judged, entered and helped.

You can download the results and some of the Judges Comments as a guide for future entries, here.

Huttons Ambo Show 2012 Results - word document
Huttons Ambo Show 2012 Results - pdf document

Judges comments 2012 and 2011 - word document
Judges comments 2012 and 2011 - pdf document

4 members of the show organising team are now standing down after several years of service for which we thank them.

However, this is almost half the committee.

We urgently need new Committee Members
If we do not find some volunteers by February 2013 then it may not be possible to deliver a show next year.

The commitment is about 2 meetings a year plus small tasks and support/attendance over the show weekend. Please contact Liz Ellis as soon as possible if you are interested on 01653 699769 or by email.

Notification of the show date for the 2013 or its cancellation

will be posted on the website in the Spring.

Please help us if you can.

Thank you

2012 Huttons Ambo Produce Show

Calendulas

On Saturday your editor attended the 58th Annual Huttons Ambo Produce Show. Despite the dire and erratic weather we've had this year the show was very good with an impressive display of vegetables, flowers, produce and handicrafts.

Our own potatoes have been ravaged by slugs so I was surprised to see a good selection of healthy looking spuds on show.

A good show of vegetables despite the weather

The Produce Section - bread, cakes, scones, jam and wine.

 

Those are my scones there on the lower right, terrible, aren't they?

At one end of the hall was the winner of the tallest sunflower competition, an immense plant reaching up to the ceiling of the village hall.

The largest sunflower in the village - can you do better?

This year I tried my hand at the produce section for the first time, brewing up some jam, marmalade and fudge, and I take some modest pride in getting a second prize for the marmalade.

Produce Show silver for the editor!

Prizes were awarded by Rector Taff Morgan (Rector of the Howardian Benefice, which incorporates the parish of Huttons Ambo) - here shown awarding a prize for the youngest competitor to Cammy Clark.

Youngest competitor in the show

A big thanks to everyone who organised and helped with the show, I know from personal experience how much hard work goes into putting on the show, so well done, it was excellent.

Will you find gold at the end of the Produce Show Rainbow? There's only one way to find out - enter the show next year!


All material © Philip Stone 2012

Jubilee in Black & White

As you probably know, your hapless editor is a bit of a camera nut, so here are some black and white pictures of the Jubilee Party shot with a suitably vintage film camera:

The party's over, time to call it a day.

You can see the colour pictures of the day here.

And prints are still available of  the group photo, you can see the prices here and order them from Herbies shop.


All material © Philip Stone 2012