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Village news from Helen Price - 21st Feb 2019

As sent to The Mercury

Wednesday Club

Our speaker in February was Jacqueline Smith from Nova Chocolates, a small specialised company based in Shropshire, who talked to us about what she described as “the best job in the world” – the making and selling of luxury handmade chocolate.
Jacqueline began with a brief history of chocolate beginning with the Mayan people who it is believed created the first chocolate beverage some 2,500 years ago. The Maya harvested the seeds -- or beans -- from cacao trees, fermented, dried and roasted them, removed their shells and ground them into paste. They then combined this paste with water, cornmeal, chili peppers and other spices to create a nutritious drink.
Chocolate first arrived in Europe in the 1550’s when it was introduced to the Spanish Court. London’s first Chocolate House opened in 1657. Chocolate remained in beverage form until the 1800’s when British confectioners added sugar and cocoa butter to create a malleable paste that could then be packaged as "eating chocolate." In 1868, the Cadbury company manufactured and sold the first mass produced boxed chocolates, in addition to selling individual bars and chocolate pieces. The processes involved in the manufacture of chocolate have remained essentially unchanged since the Industrial Revolution.
Jacqueline then went on to talk about the potential health benefits of chocolate and small samples of dark, milk and white chocolate were passed around for us to try.
The talk concluded with a demonstration on how to make and decorate a simple chocolate lollipop. Lin, our Chair, having volunteered to “have a go” was meticulous in ensuring that no chocolate went to waste!
There was then an opportunity to purchase from a range of handmade chocolates including boxes, bars and lollipops. Needless to say, many of us took the opportunity!

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday March 6th at 2.30pm in the Village Hall when we will be “Behind Bars” with Stephen Geale.

Kings Bromley W.I.

Well, 7th February was a great night, the ladies of the KBWI gathered for their Christmas meal. Late, but we like to have the event after Christmas as there is so much going on before and just after.

We enjoyed the Royal Oak’s hospitality. Popular with the WI ladies, the food was exceptional. We enjoyed either two or three courses, accompanied by whatever drink took the ladies’ fancy, followed by tea and coffee. The quality of service was excellent as was the entertainment value of ‘John’; he’s worth his weight in gold! All the food was out on time and that takes some doing with 33 ladies all talking at the same time. We had a great raffle; the winners appeared well pleased with their prizes. A great time was had by all.

Any of the ladies of the village who would like to come and join us, we meet the first Thursday of each month. Or why not just come along and visit, as a guest? On the third Thursday afternoon of each month those who wish to, meet informally for a ‘tea and chat’ from 2pm until 4pm at the Royal Oak. Some ladies bring their handicrafts along, but no pressure if you just want some company you can be sure of a warm welcome.

High-Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill

Letter from HS2 entitled 'High-Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill

Many residents in the village have had a letter today from HS2 concerning documents relating to the above. The Parish Council have copies of the documents and over the next few days will be going through them to look at any impact on the Village. Our major concern remains the closure of Common Lane during the
Construction Phase (lasting 5 years).

When we have looked at the implications we will up-date the Parish Council web-site and let you know what further actions the Parish Council need to take.

If any resident has specific concerns, then please contact Charles Cole on charleswcole13@aol.com or phone 07768 465044.

As always, we will try to keep all residents up to date with any developments.

Village Hall Refurbishment to start in March

The Parish Council is pleased to announce

The Parish Council is pleased to announce that the contract to carry out the refurbishment work has been awarded to local firm RJK Construction.

Work will commence on 25th March and will take about 8 weeks.

Every effort will be made to keep access to the main hall and upstairs rooms open, ask Julie Bamber for details concerning your particular meetings. However, assume that the kitchen and toilets will be unavailable during this period: Portaloos will be open outside.

The plans have changed slightly from those that have been displayed in the lobby for the last few months. The revised plans will be displayed in the Village Hall during the 'Motherhood and Loss' playground equipment launch event which will run from 2pm to 5pm on Saturday 2nd March. Representatives from the Parish Council Working Group and from RJK will be there to answer questions and canvass opinions.

For those who have not yet done so please 'Buy a Brick' as this work is only part of a continuing programme of refurbishment. We wish to thank those village organisations and individuals who have already donated to the Refurbishment Fund, which now stands at over £25,000. We would also like to thank 'Groundworks', the HS2 Community & Environment Fund, for their grant which has made this work possible.

The Parish Council leases the Village Hall from the Lichfield Diocesan Trust. We have received from the Trust the permissions to carry out this work and to obtain an extension to the current lease which expires in 2035. The secretary to the Trust writes "... we pass on our grateful thanks to the Parish Council for making this facility of enormous benefit to the local community".

Kings Bromley Parish Council.

Village news from Helen Price - 14th Feb 2019

As sent to The Mercury

Kings Bromley Gardening Guild

For the January meeting, Gardening Guild members and guests welcomed Zdenek Valkoun-Walker from the Dorothy Clive Garden who came to talk on the subject 'Orchids Unravelled'. Zdenek gave a fascinating and comprehensive talk, wanting to dispel the myth that the cultivation of orchids is difficult. He mentioned the great variety of orchids, which make up the biggest plant family and most widespread plant on earth. They are highly evolved, and range from big plants (the size and weight of a mini car!) to tiny (fitting into a thimble), growing in the wild in India, Indonesia and Central and South America in cloud forests. Zdenek gave a lot of really useful information on the orchid's growing requirements and finished by suggesting some easy orchids to grow.
Our next meeting is on 18th February, when Helen Harrison will be coming to talk on a very topical subject: 'Snowdrops'.

Dedication Event at Kings Bromley Village Hall

On Saturday 2 March at 2pm, there will be an event in Kings Bromley Village Hall to dedicate a new piece of playground equipment donated by a charity concerned with Motherhood, Loss and the First World War. Everyone is welcome to come along to join in the celebration which will include singing by the Village Harmony Choir, poetry readings, a display about World War One by Kings Bromley Historians and refreshments provided by the WI. Entrance is free.

Coffee morning and Produce Sale, Saturday 16th February

A coffee morning will be held on Saturday 16th February in the Village Hall from 10.30 am until noon to raise Church funds. Entry is 50p which includes a cup of coffee. There will be a raffle, tombola and cake and produce stalls. We would welcome donations for the raffle of good quality items, including bottles of wine etc. and also cakes and produce. Please deliver raffle prizes and produce to Gill and Glen Wright at ‘Chaparral’, Yoxall Road. If possible please bring cakes to the Village Hall on the Saturday morning. The usual delicious Bacon Butties will also be available during the morning!

Bins to be out by 6.30am from 25 Feb

Residents who live in Lichfield District

Residents who live in Lichfield District and Tamworth Borough will need to put their bins out by 6.30am on their collection day, starting from Monday 25 February.

Through the Lichfield and Tamworth Joint Waste Service, Lichfield District Council and Tamworth Borough Council are asking that residents from across both areas put their bins out 30 minutes earlier - by 6.30am rather than by 7am - on their collection day.

This is so bin collections can start earlier, to avoid peak traffic and finish rounds in the light by 3.30pm, which is safer.

Cllr David Leytham, Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Operational Services, Leisure & Waste, said:

“We’ve moved the start of our bin rounds forward by 30 minutes as our crews are getting stuck in traffic and have more homes to collect from as housing developments are built.

“Even if your bins are emptied later in the day, please make sure they are out by 6.30am as we may change our rounds when we’ve worked out the best routes.

“I’d like to thank everyone in advance for their help with this, however, as many bins go out the night before, most households shouldn’t notice the change.”

From 25 February, if your bin has not been emptied by 3.30pm, please report it as a missed bin online at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/missedbins or call the team on 0345 002 0022.

To find out more about your bin collections, and what should go in each colour bin, visit www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/bins.

Village news from Helen Price - 7th Feb 2019

As sent to The Mercury

Kings Bromley Whist Drives

Tuesday afternoon whist drives in the Village Hall begin at 1.30 for a prompt 2.00 pm start. They continue weekly due to popular demand. If you have not been before how about giving it a try, we play friendly whist with a break for tea and coffee. Entrance £1.50 to cover the cost of hiring the Village Hall.

Coffee morning and Produce Sale, Saturday 16th February

A coffee morning will be held on Saturday 16th February in the Village Hall from 10.30 am until noon to raise Church funds. Entry is 50p which includes a cup of coffee. There will be a raffle, tombola and cake and produce stalls. We would welcome donations for the raffle of good quality items, including bottles of wine etc. and also cakes and produce. Please deliver raffle prizes and produce to Gill and Glen Wright at ‘Chaparral’, Yoxall Road. If possible please bring cakes to the Village Hall on the Saturday morning. The usual delicious Bacon Butties will also be available during the morning!

Jumble Sale, Saturday 6th April 2019

The annual church jumble sale will take place at 2.00 pm on Saturday 6th April at the Village Hall. We would be grateful for any items in good condition that we could sell – clothes, small bric-a-brac, books etc. are all welcome but we cannot accept any electrical items or large furniture. Please bring any items to the Hall on Saturday morning between 10.00 and 11.30. Should you have a problem transporting items, give Peter Gee on 472157 and he will arrange transport.
Offers to help sort and sell the goods would be most welcome – please contact Peter to confirm your availability.

Gardening Guild

Gardener’s thoughts are now turning to spring with the hellebores flowering and bulbs starting to appear. The very topical theme for the talk on 18th February in the Village Hall is “Snowdrops”; this talk was due to take place last February but had to be cancelled, so members are looking forward to hearing Helen Harrison talk on this subject. New members and visitors welcome.

Kings Bromley Bowling Club

Kings Bromley bowling club will be holding its AGM on Friday 15th February at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall. We welcome existing members and prospective new members to the meeting which will be followed by light refreshments.

Press Release from Staffordshire County Council

Measures aimed at reducing impact of HGV traffic come into force

Experimental traffic orders which could reduce HGV traffic movement along sections of a main rural road in Staffordshire are set to come into force next month.

Communities living along the A515 have expressed concerns about increased use of the road by HGVs, rather than using the A38 and A50 trunk roads.

Local parish councils and residents took these concerns to the Staffordshire Freight and Communities Forum – which is made of a range or organisations aiming to address issues related to HGV impact on communities. The forum investigated how their concerns could be addressed in a practical and achievable way.

The issues mainly affect the villages of Draycott in the Clay, Yoxall and Kings Bromley and the experimental order scheme will be community-driven.

Phase one of the experimental orders scheme will see left and right turn bans for HGVs will introduced at three junctions on the A515 on roads which lead to the A38.

These are the junctions with the B5016 in Yoxall, the A513 in Kings Bromley and the C0183 Wood End Lane north of Lichfield. Signs have been installed to inform drivers of the new orders and businesses from across the area have been informed. Regular traffic flow reviews will be carried out to assess the impact of the orders.

These will be experimental orders lasting for a temporary period of 18 months. They will come into force in late February.

Phase two will see local roads reclassified. The county council is making the case for Wood End Lane to be improved through the HS2 construction programme, after which it can be reclassified as an A or B road. The A513 and B5016 can then be reclassified to lower status roads so that weight restrictions could be applied.



On the A515 speed limit buffer zones and gateways are being introduced in Yoxall and Draycott-in-the-Clay.



Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport Helen Fisher said: “We are pleased that the experimental traffic orders will finally come into force in February.

“We have worked closely with parish councils and other organisations through the freight forum to find practical and achievable ways to address some of the concerns raised by HGV traffic on the A515.

“It was important to everyone that we were able put forward measures that could be delivered promptly and with a relative ease. Experimental traffic orders do just that and mean that we can monitor their effectiveness during the temporary period. We can then make decisions on longer term measures or possible alternatives. If successful we can then look to reclassify some local roads to make the measures even more effective.

“It is also important to note that this is a community-led scheme and has been implemented in response to community concerns.

“We are confident these measures can make a difference and that we have managed to get to this stage as a result of our work with the parish councils and communities.”



The scheme is supported by the police who will carry out enforcement of the orders.

Village news from Helen Price - 24/1/19

As sent to The Mercury

Kings Bromley Wednesday Club

Our final meeting of 2018 was a very enjoyable Christmas lunch at the Royal Oak. Our thanks to Gillian and the team for all their hard work.
Continuing on a similar theme (food!) - our first meeting of the New Year was a “Bring and Share” Tea and Quiz. Welcoming everyone our Chair, Lin, briefly outlined the programme for 2019 which will include days out to Stratford upon Avon in May and the Anderton Boat Lift - one of the 'Seven Wonders of the Waterways' - in September.
The “Bring and Share” tea and quiz then got underway. Papers were distributed and four teams competed against each other attempting to recall facts such as the number of Oliver Cromwell’s children – the only US President to resign from office and the identity of the historical figure known as Braveheart! Congratulations to the winning team who answered all but one question correctly and our thanks to Pauline for, once again, organizing the quiz. The afternoon was a great success.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 6th February at 2.30pm in the Village Hall when chocolatier Jacqueline Smith will talk about Luxury Handmade Chocolates. Samples unfortunately not guaranteed! If you would like to join us please come along - you will be very welcome.

Wanted

Electric Piano for Kings Bromley Harmony Choir/ Next Event - Motherhood and Loss in WW1

The Kings Bromley Harmony Choir is looking for an electric piano

Is anyone is thinking of getting rid of theirs/putting it up for sale in the spring clear-out?

Ideally it would be a full size keyboard, with 88 keys, light weight and portable, touch sensitive, with an attachment to put a pedal on, with no extra effects or buttons.

If you can help please contact our Choir Leader Kathryn Hopson on villageharmonychoir@gmail.com.

The choir goes from strength to strength. Our next event will be at the Village Hall on Sat. 2nd March at 2pm to celebrate the Parish Council's obtaining a grant from the Motherhood and Loss in WW1 organisation which commemorates the plight of families, especially mothers, who lost sons in the First World War. The grant is going towards play equipment for younger children on the Village Hall playarea.

At this event the Historians will also put on a display commemorating the 14 men from Kings Bromley who died in WW1, with an emphasis on those families who lost only sons or multiple sons. There will be poetry readings from pupils from Richard Crosse school and the WI will be providing teas.

Village news from Helen Price - 10th January 2019

As sent to The Mercury

Kings Bromley WI

The Kings Bromley WI will be celebrating their 90th Birthday this year so we have lots to look forward to, including a village bake off and a big Birthday bash. We had some new members to greet from the neighbouring Alrewas WI who sadly closed after 100 years.

We started our meeting with the usual business and then had a visual presentation from Norman Rubines, a photographer with over 40 years experience. He owns and runs the Ruby Studios in Tamworth. He told us about how he started out as a newspaper photographer and now has his own studio. He had a fabulous display of photos to exhibit and showed us lots of images from photo shoots, alongside a little history and some funny stories. It was very engaging and easy to see how he was a prize-winning photographer. We saw a recent series of photos raising money for Prostate Cancer UK, called Men in Black (and white).

We held a raffle and then enjoyed some social time. The next meeting will be held at the Royal Oak with a meal on 7th February from 7pm.

Village news from Helen Price - 3rd Jan 19

As sent to The Mercury

Kings Bromley Whist Drives

Tuesday afternoon whist drives in the Village Hall will restart after Christmas on 8th January at the usual time, 1.30 for a prompt 2.00 pm start. They will continue weekly due to popular demand. If you have not been before how about giving it a try, we play friendly whist with a break for tea and coffee.
Entrance is £1.50 to cover the cost of hiring the Village Hall.

HS2 Community and Environment Fund Award

The Kings Bromley Parish Council and Village Hall Committee are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a contribution of £50,000 towards the Kings Bromley Village Hall Refurbishment project from the Phase One HS2 Community and Environment Fund.

The Fund supports local communities that are demonstrably disrupted by the construction of Phase One of the brand new high-speed railway which is being built between London and the West Midlands.

This means that, with the generous donations already received from village organisations and residents, we are now able to go ahead with the tendering process.

Following earlier consultation with members of the local community, the plans have been amended to incorporate suggested improvements. The project will include a major upgrade of the kitchen and toilet facilities together with improvements to the lobby area.

We hope you will all be as pleased as we are that we can finally give the Village Hall the ‘facelift’ badly needed and we shall continue with our fund-raising activities through the sale of bricks and approaches to other funding sources, so that we can hopefully also make some improvements to the main hall area.

Village news from Helen Price - 20th December

As sent to The Mercury

Kings Bromley Harmony Choir

The village choir gave a splendid concert in church on Saturday 8th December consisting of carols and a variety of songs, both Christmassy and non-seasonal. It was almost a year to the day since the choir gave their first public performance, also in church, and the number of choir members has grown substantially since then.

Despite very wet weather, there was a very good attendance to enjoy the afternoon. Kathryn, choir leader, had also brought two of her pupils along and they gave excellent solo performances. Tea and mince pies were served during the interval.

Thanks to Kathryn and the choir for an excellent concert and also to everyone who came to support them.

Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

Kings Bromley’s local appeal, including collection boxes from businesses in the district and donations from village organisations, is so far £3,573.54, an amazing achievement, believed to be a record for the village. The house-to-house collections raised £776.09 of the above total so thanks to all the collectors.

Kings Bromley Historians

Our first taste of ‘Christmas Past and Present’ was a view of Stonehenge. Mary Bodfish, our speaker, explained that not only was it a sacred site for the summer but also the winter solstice. The sun was fading in the sky and to ensure its return, evergreens and berries were used to represent returning life.

The Roman sun god was Saturn, hence their winter festival Saturnalia. For the Persians it was Mithras who was celebrated on December 25th, the shortest day according to the Julian calendar. When finally Christianity reached Rome, the Emperor Constantine decreed that Christians could worship openly and that the date of Christ’s birth be fixed as December 25th. In the orthodox church it is 6th January.

The tradition of the Christmas tree began with Queen Charlotte. It was also mentioned in the diary of the 13 year old future Queen Victoria “after dinner two trees hung with lights and ornaments”. Martin Luther decorated a fir tree with candles, a tradition carried on until 1903, when EverReady produced a string of electric tree lights. Much safer!

Father Christmas began life as Captain Christmas in a play by Ben Johnson. Also he appeared in early mummers plays together with the characters Mince Pie, Carol and Wassail. December 6th is the feast day of St Nicholas , whose name became Santa Claus.

Mary was a great theatrical orator and we all enjoyed her presentation.

The following day was Christmas lunch at the Royal Oak, where we all enjoyed an excellent meal. Allan Howard spoke of the highlights of last year and Lynne outlined considerable progress made in the Archive.

Following our Christmas walk on 30th December, our next meeting will be in the Village Hall on January 25th at 8.00 pm when Allan will talk about Major General Sir Ronald Bertram Lane. All are welcome.

Bin Stickers

Bin stickers to promote better recycling habits

Stickers to remind local households that black bin liners should not be used in blue bins.
Through the Lichfield and Tamworth Joint Waste Service, Lichfield District Council and Tamworth Borough Council are busy putting stickers on all blue bins across Lichfield, Burntwood, Tamworth and the surrounding areas.
The stickers warn local households that black bin bags should not be used in blue bins, and that bins will not be emptied if they are.
This comes after five truck-loads of recycling were recently turned away from the recycling sorting plant due to recycling being contaminated with black bin liners.
If a load of recycling is rejected, unfortunately it ends up being sent to landfill, which costs more, wastes other people’s recycling efforts, and is bad for the environment.
Councillor David Leytham, Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Operational Services, Leisure & Waste, said: “To reduce the chance of recycling being rejected by our sorting plant, we need to make sure our residents know what can and can’t go in blue bins.
“This is why we’re putting stickers on blue bin lids, so everyone is aware that we won’t empty the bin if it contains recycling in black bin bags.
“Our preference is for recycling to be loose in your blue bin. However, if you want to bag it, please use a clear bag or simply empty the bag of recycling into your blue bin and then reuse the plastic bag.”
For more advice about how to recycle and what to recycle, go to www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/wasteless where you can download the Waste Less guide.

Village Hall Refurbishment latest

HS2 COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT FUND AWARD

The Kings Bromley Parish Council and Village Hall Committee are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a contribution of £50,000 towards the Kings Bromley Village Hall Refurbishment project, from the Phase One HS2 Community and Environment Fund.
The Fund supports local communities and that are demonstrably disrupted by the construction of Phase One of the brand new high speed railway which is being built between London and the West Midlands.
This means that, with the generous donations already received from village organisations and residents, we are now able to go ahead with the tendering process.
Following earlier consultation with members of the local community, the plans have been amended to incorporate suggested improvements.
The project will include a major upgrade of the kitchen and toilet facilities together with improvements to the lobby area.
We hope that you will all be as pleased as we are that we can finally give the Village Hall the “face lift” it badly needs and we shall continue with our fund-raising activities through the sale of bricks and approaches to other funding sources, so that we can hopefully also make some improvements to the main hall area.
We hope that we will be able to create a really fine Village Hall of which we can all be proud and which will attract more members of the community and surrounding area to use its facilities in the future.