27 September 2021 - SP Society AGM
Hi everyone,
Don’t forget the AGM of the SP Society this Wednesday 29 September at 7pm in the Mission Hall. Unfortunately I’m a bit under the weather at the moment so I won’t be there, which is a shame as I would have liked to have heard Bill Egerton’s talk on ‘Place names and people’. His knowledge of the history of Sutton Poyntz is most impressive. If any kind person were to record it for me on their mobile phone I would be very grateful – even to the extent of thanking them in a future Newsbite. What greater reward could there be than that?
Best regards
Chris
18 September 2021 - The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations 2022
Hi everyone,
Although it says something about my age, I well remember the celebrations when Her Majesty The Queen was crowned on 6th February 1952. This means that in 2022 she will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after seventy years of service. The focal point of the many Platinum Jubilee year celebrations will be an extended bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2 June to Sunday 5 June. These four days will include public events and community activities, as well as national moments of reflection on the Queen’s 70 years of service. On the Thursday there will be a Birthday Parade to mark her official birthday with 1400 soldiers, 200 cavalry and 400 musicians marching down the Mall. In the evening beacons will be lit across the UK, the overseas territories and in the capital cities of every commonwealth country. Perhaps even in Sutton Poyntz. On Friday a Service of Thanksgiving will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral. On Saturday Buckingham Palace will be the venue for a live Platinum Party at the Palace. This will be broadcast by the BBC with some of the world’s biggest entertainment stars taking part. Members of the public will be invited attend this special event so someone from Sutton Poyntz may well be there. Then on Sunday there will be the Platinum Jubilee Pageant featuring over 5,000 people demonstrating street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival and costume in and around Buckingham Palace and more locally it will be time for the Big Jubilee Lunch. This is when individual communities can take the opportunity to share friendship, food and fun with neighbours at a street party, a picnic, tea and cake or a garden barbeque.
I know that Sutton Poyntz will want to celebrate with the rest of the country. But to achieve this the planning really needs to start now and the Sutton Poyntz Society, Mission Hall Committee, SPAM and the SP WI, to name but a few, are already alert to that need. To kick off the planning proper there be meeting in Hilary Davidson’s house – that’s Hawthorns up along Plaisters Lane – at 10am on Tuesday 21 September to start the ball rolling. If you are interested in helping you are invited to attend, and if you can’t make this first meeting – I am sure that there will be many more – you might like to contact Hilary (Tel 07707830846) to express your interest. The situation is complicated by 2022 being the year of the next Victorian Fayre which requires lots of effort to stage properly, but I am sure that we can rise to the extra occasion and manage a bumper celebration of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee – after all, an event like this hasn’t happened before and won’t happen again for a long time, if ever. See you at Hilary’s at 10am on Tuesday.
Best regards
Chris
15 September 2021 - SP Soc AGM
Hi everyone,
A reminder about the SP Society AGM on Wednesday 29 September in the Mission Hall at 7 pm. This early start is to accommodate Bill Egerton‘s talk entitled “Popes, Poyntzes and Batter’s Plot!”. Bill is a renowned expert on the history of Sutton Poyntz and the characters involved in it, so make sure you don’t miss his talk which is sure to be riveting. It will be followed by refreshments then the Annual General Meeting, which will include the opportunity to tender your payment for membership of the Society. It’s a real bargain at £2 per head or £4 per household – and no, you can’t club together with you next door neighbours and claim to be one household. If you would like to table an item for discussion at the AGM then contact a committee member or send it to the newsletter address by tonight, Wednesday 15 September.
Best regards
Chris.
7 September 2021 - AGMs
Hello everyone,
A reminder that tomorrow Wednesday 8 September in the Mission Hall at 7pm the Mission Hall Trust will be holding their Annual General Meeting. Do go along and show your support and find out what they have been doing in such testing times over the last two years.
And talking of AGMs, attached are the Agenda, Chair’s Report and the Treasurer’s Report for the AGM of the SP Society on Wednesday 29 September at 7pm in the Mission Hall. The guest speaker I mentioned before is none other than our very own Bill Egerton, whose topic is ‘Place Names and people’. It will be very interesting as Bill is a very knowledgeable local historian.
Best regards
Chris
2 September 2021 - Art Exhibition; Coffee Morning
Hi everyone,
Attached is an account of the SP Village Art Exhibition in the Mission Hall last weekend.
Don’t forget the Coffee Morning in the Hall tomorrow morning, Friday 3 September between 10.30 and noon. Only £3 for a delicious piece of homemade cake and choice of tea/coffee. Be there or be square, as we used to say in the 60s.
Best regards
Chris
28 August 2021 - Lots of events for your diary
Dear all,
It’s nice to be able to report that there are lots of activities starting up again, so no apologies for a slightly longer Newsbite than usual..
The Sutton Poyntz WI will be meeting on Wednesday 1 September in St Andrews Church Rooms at 2 pm. The speaker is Hayley Grainger and her talk is "Looking after your mental health".
Then on Friday 3 September and on the first Friday in the month thereafter there is the ‘first’ regular Coffee Morning in the Mission Hall from 10.30 am until noon. The cost is £3 for coffee, or better still tea, and a piece of home-made cake. If you drop in for a chat I’ll see you there – but don’t let that put you off.
Thirdly the 'Crafty Chatty Group' will be meeting on Monday, 6 September and every Monday morning between 10 am and noon in the Mission Hall. Everyone is welcome to attend for a chat and refreshments, make new friends, and perhaps learn a new skill - or pass on yours for others to enjoy. It used to be £2 per session and is a good way to banish those Monday morning blues. Do give it a try.
And finally, if like me you are a connoisseur of Annual General Meetings you are in for a treat, for there are not one but two coming along in quick succession. The first is the AGM of the Mission Hall Trust to be held guess where on Wednesday 8 September at 7 pm. If again like me you read wise words pinned to telegraph poles you will know that the agenda is the usual format for an AGM except that this time there will be the presentation of Accounts and Treasurer’s Report for last year and this year, as the AGM could not be held in 2020 due to lockdown.
Then hardly will you have had time to draw breath than the SP Society AGM will be upon us, again held in the Mission Hall, on Wednesday 29 September. The Chair’s Report, Treasurer’s Report and Accounts will be sent out in advance – please contain your excitement – and I hear on the grapevine that in keeping with past years a guest speaker is planned for the evening. More about that when I know who it is.
On a more serious note, both the Mission Hall and the SP Society are at the heart of village life, so if you can spare a little time, go along to both AGMs to show your support for the volunteers who do so much enhance village life.
There’s so much to look forward to now, isn’t there?
Best regards
Chris
27 August 2021 - Sad news
Hello everyone,
It is with great regret that I have to report the death of Simon Emblen, who lived at Wyndings in Plaisters Lane for nearly 50 years where Dorothy (Dot) his wife had been born. Simon worked in local government and also as a union representative. He was a keen family man, gardener, golfer and a leading Freemason but village activities were always an important part of his life. He joined the Sutton Poyntz Society in its early days and was Chairman for a number of years. He was also a founder member of the SP Players who performed the works of Thomas Hardy and original works written by Simon himself. He always had the best interests of the village at heart and continued to support village events and meetings for many, many years although latterly his health was not good. Our thoughts are with Dot and the family.
Yours
Chris
24 August 2021 - Reminder and Village Picnic
Dear all,
Attached is a Newsbite about the recent Village Picnic which was a huge and much enjoyed success. A considerable vote of thanks is due to the organisers for their efforts.
And a reminder about the Summer Art Exhibition being held this coming weekend Saturday/Sunday 28/29 August in the Mission Hall. Between 11am and 4.30pm each day our local art group will be showcasing their considerable talents. Tea and cake will be available so do drop in and see them for a chat about the works on display.
Best regards
Chris