News in Brief

Bingo

The Bingo and Draw evening on 6 December 2001 raised approximately £1,100 for hall funds.

This is the Village Hall's main fund raising event of the year. Thanks to everyone, including those who donated raffle prizes.

Christmas Party

Ninety plus people enjoyed a fantastic night in the Village Hall. The O'gs provided superb music that could not be ignored, there special magic ensured everyone dances the night away.

A running buffet together with "Bill's Bar" provided the assurance that the party went with a swing. £225 was raised from the evening and donated to the Playgroup.

Advent Fayre

This was the most successful for many years and raised the magnificent sum of £920 for church funds. Thanks to everyone and those who made and served the soup and rolls.

Playgroup

Twenty children from the Playgroup enjoyed a free trip to Activity World, our prize from the Evening Telegraph Teeny Tots Challenge.

Children's Page

What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?

Tinsellitis!

Warmington Church Flower Rota

For several years the flower rota has been organised by Anne Ethelston, aided and abetted by Kit Brudenell and before them, Mary Simpson. Anne and Kit have now said that it is time for someone else to take over. So what exactly did Anne, Kit and Mary do? There isn't enough space in Four All to list all the tasks that these ladies carried out but here are just a few.

• checking the flowers for water
• clearing out the rubbish
• making up a basket of flowers for each funeral
• organising fund raising for the flower fund
• making sure the church is decorated for easter, Christmas and Harvest

I could go on but as I said, there isn't room. Instead, I will say thank you. It's not much to say to all those who daily keep our churches in order, clean and full of flowers, and we do not say thank you often enough. Ann, Kit and Mary are a very hard act to follow and we will do our best. If anyone would like to help with the flowers and you are not already on the rota, please contact Anne (280521) or me.

Gill Bachelor 280663

Bonfire Night

The weather stayed good and lots of people turned out from the village and surrounding areas, so it was a really good night. Our thanks must go to David Short for making it possible and to Bill, Bill junior and Paula Wilson for the fantastic fireworks display and bonfire, to all or volunteers, Bunny Enfield, Richard Simpson and Clive Moss who coerced at the 11th hour by his wife Moira into doing the barbecue. To Sid Jackson for his trusty barbecue and to Russell Baxter for keeping our ancient lights working and to the playgroup ladies for their stall which helped make monies for the village Playgroup.

Morag Wilson

Farming Diary

I recently had the opportunity to stand on the lawn at Rectory Farm and view the Benefice. I could not help feeling how lucky we are to be able to live and work in such a picturesque environment with nature taking its course undisturbed and free of bureaucratic hassle but I was disturbed to see how many fields of unharvested sugar beet there were for the time of year.

What a mess British Sugar are in, worse even than the Railways! For many years there was a network of beet sugar factories which covered the best growing areas. The campaign started at the end of September and finished by mid-January, very sensible. In recent years several of the factories have been closed, and their tonnages transferred to large factories, greatly increasing travelling distance and costs.

They have now reached a point with a few factories trying to take the whole crop, and the bigger they get, the less capable they are of efficient management, resulting in problems and breakdowns, with much of the crop in clamps deteriorating and farmers unsure whether they will be able to sell it in reasonable condition when permits become available. Crops still in the ground are delaying the sowing of wheat: it is now the practice to harvest a field one day, plough the next and drill the next.

John Preston