News Stories for 2008/09
2009 : Open Air Carol Service
On 20th December the night air rang to the sound of villagers carolling. This year we had a white Christmas and the tree looked especially beautiful festooned with baubles and glistening with frost.
The freezing evening was light with flares and warmed by braziers. The singing was much improved this year, thanks to the efforts of our Choirmaster-in-Chief, Ray Carr and his able assistant (partner in crime), George. We finished all the carols on our song sheet and have asked for more for next year. We were pleased that Robert Parker, the new owner of Eshott Hall, could join us for the evening.
Our singing was undoubtedly helped by the mulled
wine and delicious homemade mince pies, and a rousing ‘three cheers’
was given for
2009 : 11th Annual Bonfire Night
This
year around sixty villagers, family and friends gathered for our
best ever Bonfire Night on the Village Green. The scene looked
magical lit by candles and braziers. To kick off the evening, the
children played with sparklers watched by their parents. This was
followed by a spectacular display of pyrotechnics, culminating with
a firework which was the size of a small suitcase! As the sounds of
the last salvo died, the flames started to take hold of the bonfire.
To great cheers the guy was hoisted onto the pyre and then the crowd
turned to the serious business of eating - this year we were treated
to a fantastic spread including broth, Cornish pasties, steak pies,
quiche, sausages, baked potatoes…… the list goes on. Thankfully the
rain held off so a great evening was had by all.
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This event is organised by the parents so that residents who wish to ‘treat’ the children indicate this in advance, and only these houses are visited on 31st October. Children dress in suitable costumes and are accompanied by their parents to visit the houses - many decorated with ‘Jack o’ Lanterns’ and other spooky devices. The children gather enough sweets and treats to keep their toothbrushes busy for a few weeks!
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Organising Halloween in this way means that there are no nasty surprises, and the evening is a pleasure for all.
Despite widespread disappointment with the promised ‘barbeque summer’, we can confirm that we had one in Eshott. Both of our village barbeques have been blessed with hot sunshine – more Mediterranean than Northumberland
The late summer barbeque took place on the village green on Saturday 12th September on one of the hottest days of the year so far. The now traditional mix of communal barbequed food, suitable refreshment (chilled white wine, cool beer……), snacks and ice creams was enjoyed by all. Neighbours and friends gathered around our new table and benches, or sat around on picnic rugs and generally caught up on the news and put the world to rights. Children bounced themselves to a standstill on the bouncy castle (provided courtesy one of the parents), picked blackberries in the wooded area, rode their bikes, played on the climbing frame and generally had a fabulous and carefree time
Plans are already afoot for the next event on the village green – the annual bonfire and fireworks extravaganza. As last year we will light the green with braziers and candles and there will be a wonderful spread to share; all contributions to the communal table are welcome
2009 June : Midsummer Barbeque
The now annual gathering of residents and their families and friends took place on the village green. The weather was more than kind and we were fortunate to have chosen one of the hottest and sunniest days of the year so far.
The afternoon passed in conversation around the communal barbeques, sipping a beer, chilled white wine or suitable soft drink. The children had great fun on the bouncy castle provided by the parents, chased each other round the trees, built dens in the undergrowth and generally had a great time. Best of all was the face painting – the children’s faces were transformed into fantastic beach scenes or other works of art.
The adults roused themselves for an occasional game of badminton or frisbee on the lawned area, but it was generally too hot for such energetic activity and they spent the afternoon soaking up the sun and relaxing. As always – a great time was had by all.
The Eshott Residents’ Association would like to thank all those who gave their time to set up and clear away for the dayThe village
children have been making good use of their summer holidays and
carrying out a survey of the little nature reserve on
They have
learned that nature needs a little management to help the delicate
plants grow and that it is necessary to cut back the big bold plants
such as nettles and brambles to allow the more unusual plants a
chance. We have a wildlife expert in the village and she will be
helping the children plan how they could manage the little reserve
This little reserve for nature, that is neither arable farmland nor cultivated garden, is a unique amenity for the village and especially for the children who are able to learn about a ‘wild’ aspect of their environment
Please see the kids pages for more about activities in the nature reserve
Our local Parish
Council Chairman received an invitation to attend one of the Queen’s
garden parties at
Mr
John Secker, Chairman of Thirston Parish Council, and his wife
Pamela went to the Palace on Tuesday 21st July. They say
they had a most enjoyable afternoon at the Palace.
The Royal party
who walked amongst the guests consisted of the Queen, Prince Charles
and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and Princess Ann.
The only disappointment was the weather.
It was raining quite hard with everyone using umbrellas but
by the time the Queen reached them the rain had stopped.
The Queen looked radiant in an emerald green outfit with
matching hat and umbrella.
And for anybody that has an invitation in future, the grounds are lovely and the food was excellent and plentiful. Well worth a visit if you get invited.
Following
the excellent team effort of the litter pick earlier in April,
intrepid volunteers have once again joined forces - this time to
assemble the new outdoor furniture purchased by the Eshott
Residents’ Association for the village green.
Doug Green, Chair of the Eshott Residents’ Association highlighted that once again team efforts have contributed to improvements in the village. “Enhancing the amenity offered by the village green was one of the issues raised during the recent visioning process. Additional good quality outdoor furniture means that the green can be used for picnics, and ad hoc as well as organised social get-togethers, without the need to haul garden furniture with us each time.”
Doug also expressed his thanks on behalf of the ERA to the team who researched and sourced the furniture and to the volunteers who assembled it. “Another example of our community spirit” commented Doug.
December 2008 : Christmas Celebrations in Eshott Village
The
annual Christmas children's party is now a well known village
tradition, this year was no exception and the event was hosted by
Monica & George. The afternoon was a huge success, and very exciting
for the children as party games were interrupted by a visit from
Santa !Everybody was welcome to drop-in for a drink
(which is exactly what Santa did of course) and
Fortified by hot mince pies and mulled wine, the
assembled throng of more than forty gave voice to a selection of
traditional carols and songs. Although enthusiasm was probably more
evident than choral skill, the community made the night sky ring
with rousing renditions of ‘God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen’ and other
favourites such as ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’
Once again the weather was kind. Encircled by the trees which were illuminated by the light from the braziers, the scene was magical. Such natural beauty cannot be replaced and is a real amenity of our village; it will be a tragedy if this is lost to a row of mews houses. A sterile space surrounded by roads and houses would never be an acceptable substitute
Huge thanks to Monica, George and family and all those involved in organising the evening of carol singing which will no doubt be added to the village traditions in the future
November
2008 :
A
Fantastic Bonfire Night Celebration
Everyone has agreed that the Eshott village 10th annual firework night has been the best ever. The village green looked atmospheric, light by braziers and flares; and for the first time, there was a small bonfire.
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Guy Fawkes was also in attendance, this time in a set of stocks. Children were wide-eyed as the former practice of placing miscreants in the stocks for punishment by pelting with rotten fruit and vegetables, (or worse) was explained to them.
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A large crowd of villagers, families and friends gathered to enjoy a feast of delicious home-made food. The communal table was light by lanterns and was loaded with a buffet of savoury and sweet fare.
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Children (and adults) enjoyed playing with
sparklers until the extravaganza of fireworks began. The fireworks
shot off into the still night sky to choruses of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’
from the delighted crowd.
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After the fireworks were over, and tired but
excited children were taken home, Guy Fawkes met his traditional
end, and the bonfire was a great draw for the adults. Chairs were
pulled up and conversations went on late into the evening.
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But by mid-morning the next day, all traces of the evening’s activities were gone, and the village green has been restored once more as our beautiful communal space.
The event was such as success due to the communal effort involved, and special thanks are due to the team of organisers for all their hard work before, during and after the event. The weather could not have been more kind for an outdoor event in November, and it has been an evening to remember.
October 2008 :
Another team effortResidents have again worked together to improve the appearance of part of the village. The village green was starting to look rather shabby as the paths had lost most of the bark chipping surface, and the wet summer had left parts as a muddy mess
The generosity of a resident in donating the brash
from recent tree surgery allowed a team of volunteers to spread this
over all the paths on the green. There is now a pleasant dry surface
to walk on again and it is possible to sit on the benches without
getting muddy feet. The tubs of flowers are still in bloom and it is
a pleasure to sit in the still warm early autumn sunshine and
contemplate the beauty of the scene and be entertained by the
squirrels. This area is a true natural delight. It will be a tragedy
if this is lost to a row of mews houses
September 2008 : Villagers Finish the Job
Like the residents of Hartford Hall, the villagers of Eshott had grown tired of waiting for developer Mr TNH Sanderson to deliver on his obligations
Provision
of a play area for the village children had been a requirement of
the enabling development at Eshott. There was a bitter dispute in
2002 with residents and Castle Morpeth Borough Council on the one
part, and the developer on the other, to get Sanderson to complete
his obligations to a satisfactory standard over the provision of a
village green/play area
Despite this, no play area has ever been provided and frustrated parents have taken matters into their own hands. With support from residents near the village green, they have provided a climbing frame for the small children, visiting grandchildren and friends of the village
This small resource has provided a focus for
parents, grandparents and children alike, who gather when the
weather is fine. Children call for each other to ‘come out to play’
and supervising parents can sit and chat
“It
is lovely to see the children calling for each other. This is how
village life should be and we are delighted to see happy, excited
children having fun and getting lots of exercise” said Doug Green,
Chair of the Eshott Residents’ Association
“The play area is a much needed and long-overdue facility for the village” says parent Oliver Clarke, “It is just a pity that we have had to take matters into our own hands and finish what should have been provided by the developer years ago”
More details of this dispute can be found here in our archive section
Village Champagne Celebration
Chair
of the Eshott Residents’ Association, Doug Green thanked all those
who have contributed their carpentry, varnishing and sign writing
skills. The ‘production team’ have made this a real community
effort.
Before cutting the ribbon, John Secker, Chair
of West Thirston Parish Council, spoke a few words about the
increasing role for parish councils in the future. He also
highlighted the importance of the new notice board in promoting good
communication as the Parish Council has also agreed that the board
can be used for community notices.
Parish councillor Sandra Proctor then
ceremonially unlocked the notice board for the first set of parish
and community notices of this new era.
Squirrel Supper - 2008
Your intrepid reporters Oliver and George, alone from the village, were able to gain admittance to the ‘oversubscribed’ squirrel supper. Attendees stood around in a small marquee on the back lawn at the Hall and heard some very interested accounts of squirrel habits. Oliver and George also were able to spend time in conversation with Lord Redesdale and he has given them his email for future correspondence. We have a number of areas of common interest
It was very strange that all the villagers (except Oliver for some reason, which seemed to be an oversight judging by the host's reaction) were ‘uninvited’ to the event, regardless of whether they had accepted, refused, or not replied to the original invitation. Many were frustrated that they received the ‘un-invitation’ only on the day of the event, having made special arrangements to be able to attend after what they thought was a confirmed acceptance
In a 9-point response to a query about this, Mr TNH Sanderson’s spokesperson cited ‘health and safety’ reasons and the fact that only those who had not replied were ‘un-invited’. This is clearly incorrect and deprived the Lord Redesdale’s organisation of potential support in a local area where a population of red squirrels is actually present. Perhaps this group of people, above all, should have had their confirmed invitations honoured
See here for more information about the red squirrel, and other local wildlife...
