Whatlington village voice

On Saturday 21st there will be delicious cream teas in the Village Hall from 2.00 until 4.30pm. Weather permitting the Patronal service will be in the Churchyard at 5.00pm on Sunday 22nd. Please bring your own chair, however if the weather is bad the service will be in the village Hall. There will be light refreshments afterwards. There will also be a Holy Communion on the Sunday morning at 8.30am in the village hall.

Last week of term at Mountfield & Whatlington Primary school this week,today being the last day with the pupils looking forward to a long summer break and hopefully some fun.There will be thirteen pupils transiting to secondary school continuing their learning journey with a special assembly this morning Friday 20th July.Back to school will be Thursday 6th September as Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th September will be inset days.

15 members of The Good Companions enjoyed afternoon tea at Blackbrooks Garden Centre last week; some enjoying delicious homemade cake and tea whilst others enjoyed cream teas. Much has changed at the garden centre over a period of time. The restaurant has undergone major refurbishment and also there are pets for sale and clothes shops; so one could spend an interesting afternoon there, a sanctuary from all the rain we are having!!!

On Wednesday August 22nd Michael Hodge will be giving a talk on diplomatic life called “Whiskey and Carrot”, at Whatlington Village Hall starting at 2.15pm. The talk will last about 45minutes with 15 minutes for questions; light refreshments following. This meeting is open to all so please do come along and hear Michael give a light hearted talk on life as a diplomat.Entrance will be £2.00 to cover the cost of the hire of the hall and there will be a raffle.All are most welcome.

The July Irish Music session will be held at The Royal Oak on Friday 27th from 8.30pm. Following that, Traditional Jazz Night is on Wednesday 1st August when excellent local band the New Orleans Rhythmakers will begin at 8pm. Last month saw music lovers dancing and singing around the bar and atmosphere was excellent. For reservations for either of these events (and don’t forget admission is FREE) please call 01424 870492.

Book Club Meeting for The Royal Oak Readers will be at 7.30pm on Tuesday 24th July when we will be discussing “Helpless” by Barbara Gowdy. It’s a short book so there is still time to read it over the weekend and come along for a drink and a chat on Tuesday - some copies are still available from the pub, just drop in.

Tickets are now selling fast for the next “Audience With” style Psychic Nights evening at The Royal Oak. This time local master palmist Robin Lown will be joined by popular psychic medium Grant Colyer who has appeared on Sky TV and Psychic TV on numerous occasions. Tickets are just £10 each and the fun starts at 8pm. Call Alex on 01424 870492 for more details.

We will be trying a selection of Rose wines at the next wine-tasting at The Royal Oak on Saturday 11th August at 9pm. These tastings always turn out to be good fun as we compare the different wines (one taste of each is often never enough!!) Tickets are just £5 per head, so if you’d like to come along, please let Alex know on 01424 870492.

The next Village Hall Jumble Sale is on Saturday August 4th, doors open 10am. If you have any good quality jumble you wish to donate - clothes, toys or bric-a-brac, please drop off at the pub, or call Angie on 01424 870087 who may be able to organise collection. We’re also always grateful for any helpers who might be available the afternoon before or on the day! All the proceeds go to the maintenance of the Village Hall, for Village Hall bookings, please call Ken on 01424 772997.

Just a reminder of my email address for sending Whatlington information for this article [email protected]

Andrew Ratcliffe, Whatlington