Issue 23 December 2007
Stanton on the Wolds Parish Council
Parish Council Members:
Margaret Healy, Chairman 914 8654 Jim Goodman , Vice-chairman 937 3076
Bryan Baines, 937 2197 Roy Butler 937 2508 Dennis Hackett, 937 2569
Alex McKee, 937 5068 and Mike Sheriston 937 5652
Clerk:
Mike Elliott, 19/21 Mains Street, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5AA, phone 937 6506
or Email elliottnews@btconnect.com
Your Parish Council wish you a Happy Christmas
and a Joyful New Year
Margaret Healy, Chairman
"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time, a kind, forgiving charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely and to think of people below them as they really were fellow passengers to the grave and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys." (Charles Dickens)
FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND STANTON FOOTPATHS
Progress is being made on a project being undertaken by two parish councillors - Jim Goodman and Mike Sheriston, to highlight short walks in the parish.
The first map is produced in this issue of the newsletter and others will follow in coming months.
The parish council are keen to enable residents to make use of the official footpaths that are available in the parish and intend to continue to produce the maps for use by those interested.
FORMER STANTON MAN LANDS TOP MUSIC JOB
Lindsay Gray, whose parents Peter and Mairi Gray still live in Stanton on the Wolds, is to become the next Director of the Royal School of Church music.
In his early days Lindsay won a choral scholarship to study at Cambridge and later went to Durham University. He became Director of Music at Queens College, Taunton and then Cheltenham College before becoming Headmaster at Llandaff School in Wales 13 years ago.
BOTTLE BANKS READY FOR FESTIVE RUSH ..!!
A "NEW" bank of bottle banks has been installed by Rushcliffe Borough Council at Keyworth Health Centre following the completion on site work there. The new bins are being billed as being quieter than normal ones and are part of a trial by the Borough Council.
They are all ready for the festive season rush !
ANY OLD SPECS ?
Unwanted spectacles for Vision Aid Overseas are being collected at the Cooperative Funeral care premises at 85 The Parade on Wolds Drive at Keyworth. They would be pleased to take you may have.
In-stuffe and Out-stuffe ?
by Alan & Val Hunt
We now live in a very material-based society with cars, TVs, iPods, digital phones, camcorders and many other gadgets and gizmos, but what was life like for our villagers 450 years ago ? Fortunately we can get some ideas from documents preserved from this date in the Nottinghamshire Archives. Wages were 2d a day for labouring and 3d a day for reaping; equivalent to 0.83p and 1.25p in todays money. On the death of a person between 1529 and 1732 there was a legal requirement for a true and perfect household probate inventory to be made. Sometimes this requirement was very comprehensive, whilst other attempts simply categorised and valued possessions as in-stuffe and out-stuffe, in other words clothes and household belongings as against farm stock and equipment. This requirement was eased after 1733 when inventories were only prepared by request of next of kin or executors.
We know that the majority of the village cottages inhabited by waggoners, husbandmen and the poorer yeoman would have had just two rooms. The Hall would have been heated by a range and would be the main living area being used for cooking, eating and general family life. The other room would have been the Parlour or bedroom and was not heated. Some people might also have had a Kitchen or Buttery or cool room, which was not used like a modern kitchen, but instead was used to store household utensils, dried foods and the cistern or water tank (often wooden and lead-lined!). Apart from the hearth or range in the Hall there would have been a brandreth and a gallow-tree; a brandreth was a metal gridiron or trivet for supporting cooking pots and the gallow-tree was an iron support for pots and pans over the open hearth with the gallows or supports placed on each side. A chafer was a small closed fire or brazier containing hot embers on which the chafing dish was placed. This dish was used for both preparing hot food and for keeping it warm. An ambry was a wooden cupboard used for keeping prepared foods in. Dry foods were kept in an ark which was a wooden bin or chest. The dining-table would have been a board and trestles consisting of a flat wooden table top supported on collapsible trestles. A carpet-cloth was used to cover the board and never the floor. Back-board chairs were sometimes used instead; they had a straight solid back. The chairs were turned to lie face down, thus the back formed a table. Joiner-made or turned chairs were scarce and most folk sat on forms; long low seats without backs. These were equipped with bankers a long flat cushion. In the general absence of chairs, many sat on chests with cuschyns or quisshions (cushions). Food was served on wooden trenchers (plates). A full garnish of pewter was too expensive for many households, consisting of twelve sauceboats, twelve dishes and twelve plates and a large charger. Porringers were bowl-shaped vessels for soup or oatmeal porridge. Verjuice, the acid juice of crab-apples was much used in cooking. Food was eaten using a spoon or the fingers, as knives and forks had not come into use, and a basin and ewer with diapers and napkins were essential items to wash the fingers between courses (the diapers and napkins were small towels used to dry the hands at the table The walls of the Hall were covered in halling which were painted cloths. Lighting could be from oil-fired iron cressets (lanterns), rush lights or from candles.
The Parlour would have contained a press, a large tall wooden cupboard with drawers to hold all the clothes and linens. The framed-beyd or bede would have had a plank floor and feather mattress and would be framed by a panelled foot, head and top. Bolsters, pillows and quilts were all used. Curtains were used to surround the occupants of the bed and never used for the windows. Trundle-beds were low beds stored beneath the framed beyd and were pulled out for use at night; they might have had straw mattresses. The windows were never glazed as glass was too expensive, instead they were covered by pieces of canvas cloth called sacks.
Small chambers above the Hall or Parlour were used to store seed corn, peas, beans, cheeses, wool and spinning wheels.
SHORT WALKS IN STANTON ON THE WOLDS
Walk 1
This short walk (one hour) is particularly useful for those who live in the Melton Road part of the village. Those who don't may find it useful for extending walks to come later.
Take the drivewayoff the Melton Road to Hill Farm and Wheyfeed, progress over the new bridge. A new hedge has been planted upstream along the brook and a 5 acre area has been planted up with mixed mainly British native deciduous trees further along on the right. Immediately bear right off the road. When the grass is long and wet it is easier to keep to the old driveway. Head towards the top of the field keeping the old Hill Farm buildings, (now Highthorne Lodge), on your left and make for the yellow-topped post. Go through the gate and within 5 metres go through the next gate and turn immediately right and walk between the large barn on the left and the earth bank on the right. DANGER: do not enter Wheyfeed's yard as large tankers may be on manoeuvres.
At the corner turn left onto a gravelled track. Notice the pond on the left. Follow the path and signs until you reach point "B", then turn right for 200 metres to reach stiles in the corner of a field where a footpath to Kinoulton goes off to the left.
Turn right here and keep the hedge on your right. Proceed straight on past the end of the field and straight across the next two fields to the corner of the last one, just in front of Bank farm where there is a galvanised metal kissing gate.
The path then crosses a small paddock to another kissing gate beyond a wooden fence and thence out onto the Melton Road just above Moores Nurseries. Follow the road back to your starting point.
Look for more walks in Stanton in the future.
BITS
& BOBS
The Parish Council's Chairman's medal referred to in previous issues was designed and presented by Parish Council Member Roy Butler in 1977 to commemorate the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Half the silver came from Albert Grice's silver watch a, the other half was paid for by Coun. Butler. The casting was from a mould of a drawing by Coun. Butler. The Parish Council made arrangements to have the medal hall marked.
Motorists are reminded that it is an offence to park their vehicles on a pavement. The position on Melton Road is one that causes concern with a number of complaints received by the Parish Council from local residents.
There are two areas in Stanton on the Wolds that have Tree Preservation Orders. One is located to the West of Thurlby Lane and the other is at Roundhill Spinney off the A46. The Orders are put on the trees by Rushcliffe Borough Council.
COPIES of the History Book published by the Parish Council last year are still available from members of the council and can also be purchased at the office of the clerk, Mike Elliott at 19 Main Street, Keyworth.
Contributions from local residents for the "Parish News" are always welcome.
YOUR LOCAL CHURCHES
Stanton on the Wolds Parish Church: Rev. Jim Wellington, tel 0115 937 2017.
Catholic Church, Willowbrook: Fr John Kyne, tel 01509 852147.
Methodists: Rev Peter Green, tel 0115 921 2146.
Baptists: Mrs Barbara Lister tel 0115 937 3565.
United Reformed: Rev Chris Ford, tel 0115 937 5086.
The next meeting of the Stanton on the Wolds Parish Council will be on Wednesday 9th January 2008 at All Saints Parish Church at 7:30pm
THOUGHT OF THE MONTH
We all find the time to do what we really want to do