Monday 17 June 2013

Website Notes: A New email Subscription Service

In the past you've been able to follow updates on the website by using the 'subscribe by email' link on the right hand side of the website main page. In fact if you're reading this as an email in your inbox then that's how you're getting your updates at the moment. If you're happy with how this works then there's no need to read any further.

However I've decided to offer the facility to subscribe to an update email which will go out no more than once a week, probably on Sunday night. The email will contain a summary of posts of interest (if any!) that have appeared during the week and have a clickable link to the home page of the website. It will look a bit like this:


If you'd like to subscribe to these updates, simply send an email to updates@huttonsambo.com  containing the word 'Subscribe' in either the title or the message body.

If later on you want to stop receiving the updates, do the same thing but with the word 'Unsubscribe'

If you're already using the feedburner 'follow by email' service and you're happy with it then you can ignore all this.

Update: after a bit of 'end user testing' we've decided to change the format of the email to include a summary of the news and just a single link to the home page: www.huttonsambo.com

All material © Philip Stone 2013

Sunday 16 June 2013

Maintenance of The Rear Churchyard at St Margaret’s Church

The Rear Churchyard at St Margaret’s Church

St Margaret's Churchyard, Huttons Ambo
Here in Huttons Ambo we are lucky to live in a beautiful and peaceful area of Ryedale. One of the most peaceful places in our village is the churchyard. Currently Sarah Mahon mows and keeps tidy the front churchyard while for many years Clive Milson did sterling work mowing the back graveyard, a task which will always be difficult because of its size and the nettles, brambles, docks and hogweed which have colonised the area over many years.

When Clive stood down I volunteered to take responsibility for the back area. My first suggestion was that we should try to control as many of the invasive weeds as possible by only cutting the grass in July, thereby slowing growth since the more you cut it the faster the grass will grow. In addition we have over the last two years had some success in killing off the brash and planting cowslips and primroses and later some snowdrops and scillas. This policy is beginning to show signs of some success and Rona Charles and I have also scattered yellow rattle seeds in order to weaken the grass still further. However it all takes time and progress will inevitably be slow

Would anyone be interested in gathering more wild flower seeds and propagating them in order to see if we can get even more wild flowers started? However the main task each year (for the moment anyway) is raking up the hay in July or August after the grass has been cut and I would welcome any volunteers to help. It really does make an enormous difference to keeping the grass in check if we can do this.

A wildflower meadow for St Margaret's Church?
I know that I am probably being optimistic in aiming for an eventual wild flower meadow in the back Churchyard but it would be wonderful to achieve such a thing. It is such a peaceful spot and I am sure we should give it a try. I would like to think that in future years those who live here might go there to relax and maybe learn about the wild flowers which thrive hereabouts.

Do please get in touch if you have any ideas about the churchyard or if you are prepared to help in some way.


Rosa Naylor. 01653 695008




Saturday 15 June 2013

St Margaret's Church - Joint service with Welburn

Joint service with Welburn
 
23rd June at 11 a.m. Holy Communion
 
This service will be taken by Canon Bob Rogers and we welcome the congregation of Welburn. Some members of the choir will be present to lead the singing.
 
Anita Topp

Taize Meeting - June

Taize Meeting
 
There will be a Taize Meeting in the church at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 18th June. You are very welcome to join us in our peaceful Lady Chapel for sung prayer and short periods of meditation.

If you would like to sit, listen and reflect you do not have to sing, just enjoy the relaxing atmosphere.
 
Find out more about Taizé.

Anita Topp

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Transport News

Following the Science Fiction theme established by Philip Stone with his series of photographs of Richard Wainwright's  night-time agriculture, I should like to allay concerns about the imminent arrival of Daleks into the village ! No, not Daleks but ....

....The Bus Shelters are coming !!
The Parish Council has secured grants from Ryedale District Council and from The Howardian Hills Sustainable Development Fund. These two grants will provide some 80 -90 % of the total cost. The village via the Parish Precept will fund the remaining sum.
The bus shelter bases are currently being prepared - just waiting for the ready-mixed concrete.
The shelters for the Daleks ...sorry for the bus passengers are being constructed entirely of wood, with an integral seat and a shingle roof. They should be thoroughly in keeping with the village.
A non-artists sketch of the shelter
Hopefully all should be completed within the next couple of months and then perhaps the Daleks will be saying ...
Wait in comfort ........ Wait in comfort ........ Wait in comfort.
More news when I have some,
Andy Dorman

Monday 3 June 2013

Huttons Ambo Produce Show 2013 - Schedule


Announcing the 59th Huttons Ambo Flower & Produce Show

Saturday August 10th 2013


by Amy Wainwright - poster winner 2012



What are you going to enter this year?
Why not have a go at the Chocolate Cake? This year it's to be baked to a set recipe, so what could be easier?
 
Class 54. Chocolate Cake
     ·         6oz soft margarine or butter
     ·         6oz caster sugar
     ·         6oz SR flour
     ·         1tsp baking powder
     ·         3 eggs
     ·         2tbsp cocoa powder mixed with 3 tbsp boiling water

Beat all ingredients together with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes or with an electric mixer for 1 minute.

Place the mixture in a greased and lined 20cm (8 inch) round cake tin.

Bake at Gas mark 4/ electric oven 180C/fan oven 160C for 40-50mins until the cake is springy to the touch, and dark golden in colour.

If you'd like to help on the day  - volunteer stewards
and helpers on the day would be really welcome.
Contact Liz on 07968 981296